The "Matthew Flinders" is on her final voyage for Hong Kong to be sold for scrap, and the members of the crew are sailing to the demise of their way of life (hence the name, "Endangered Species"). En route, they rescue a sinking junk filled with people fleeing Vietnam. There is plenty of excitement as this novel looks at the changing times and how we fight and adapt to them.

This is not a "historical" sea-faring novel like the Nathaniel Drinkwater series by Woodman or the Aubrey and Maturin series by O'Brien. The book is most likely set in the 1980s since there is an AIDS reference and Hong Kong is still under British control. The story tells of the lives of seamen in the British Merchant Navy as it declines.

Richard Woodman, from the information in the book, has been a sailor for a large part of his life. His detailed descriptions of the ship show you his familiarity. Also, his portrayal of the characters will remind you of past shipmates (if you have worked and lived on a boat as I have). We all know the war-veteran skipper, MacKinnon, and the ne'er-do-well MacGregor.

There are some logical problems with the novel though. First, the ship goes through a typhoon and finds itself in the eye of the storm. This would mean that the crew must pass back through the storm, but this never happens. Second, a window is shattered by the storm and someone is injured. The window is never repaired, and there is no mention of the after-effects (like wind or noise). Lastly, the navigation is mostly dead reckoning and celestial fixes. I would think that a modern novel would mention other sources (like Loran or Omega). These may be petty, but they are noticeable.

Regardless of these errors, this is still an engaging and nostalgic read. I could easily see myself reading more books by Woodman, just as I would recommend that you should read this one.

Captain John Mackinnon and his ship, the Matthew Flinders, are embarking on their last voyage. The captain and his vessel symbolize the irreversible, quiet decline of the British merchant fleet. But this journey to Hong Kong will prove to be anything but quiet. Internal tensions among the crew provoke unrest and led to a navigation error, steering them right into the violent, destructive path of Typhoon David. Suddenly the crew of the Matthew Flinders are no longer fighting for their livelihood, but for their very lives. yet on the same sea, other lives are at stake as well. When Mackinnon feels compelled to rescue a boatload of Vietnamese refugees fleeing to Hong Kong, he sets off an explosive chain of events that will lead to mutiny, confrontation with Hong Kong authorities, and the greatest challenge of his nautical career. Endangered Species is a dynamic, brilliantly written maritime action/adventure novel.

Nathaniel Hawthorne nació en Salem, Massachusetts, el 4 de julio de 1804. En el Bowdoin College de Maine conoció a Henry W. Longfellow y a Franklin Pierce (luego presidente de Estados Unidos). Desde 1825, a lo largo de doce años mantuvo un "retiro voluntario", dedicándose a leer los clásicos y llevando un diario en el que registraba sus proyectos narrativos. Produjo así varios cuentos, verdaderas obras maestras publicadas en revistas y luego recogidos en "Historias dos veces contadas", entre los que pueden mencionarse "My Kinsman Major Molineux" y "Young Goodman Brown". En 1841 vivió en Brook Farm (Boston), una comunidad utópica liderada por Emerson. Luego aceptó el cargo de inspector de aduanas, que abandonó más tarde por razones políticas. Motivado por sus ancestros puritanos, declaró en el prólogo a "La letra Escarlata" (1850): "Yo, como representante suyo, por este medio, hago mía la vergüenza de mis antepasados y ruego porque cualquier maldición que hubiera sobre ellos -de las que yo he tenido noticia y que perduran debido al atraso de tantos años y a la melancolía de nuestra raza- termine desde hoy y para siempre." Más tarde publicó "La casa de los siete tejados"(1851); "El romance de Blithedale" (1852); y "El fauno de mármol" (1860). Murió mientras dormía el 18 de mayo de 1864, en Plymouth, New Haven.

esta historia trata de la culpabilidad, de ese sentimiento que en este caso es causa de muerte y desagravio. es la historia de un pastor que se tiene comercio sexual con una bella joven casada cuyo marido aun no ha llegado al nuevo continente. en ese tiempo a los que cometian adulterio se les pegaba en el cuerpo una letra escarlata , una enorme a de adultera, bueno en palabras del autor podria bien significar angelical. al final el pastor declara su adulterio y se degrada ante la poblacion que lo creia un santo, lo cual claro aumenteba su sentimiento de culpa. esto claro no sucederia en una sociedad moderna, pero en esos anos de puritanismo y caceria de brujas la culpa era un sentimiento enorme. no es tan entretenida , pero no es mala .

LUIS MENDEZ luismendez@codetel.net.do

This is a comprehensive text covering all of the evergrowing list of procedures that can be done laparoscopically. The bibliography of contributing authors is filled with established experts and the editors are well recognized as pioneers in the field of minimally invasive surgery. Each chapter is filled with useful descriptions of the various procedures and is accompanied by accurate sketches. I think everyone is usually frustrated by the appearance of actual laparoscopic pictures due to their poor quality upon reproduction, but this book has seemingly found a way to circumvent that degradation because it is filled with actual laparascopic pictures that you can identify. Each chapter is followed by helpful suggestions and comments from the editors. As a second-year resident, I have found this book very helpful in outlining the advanced laparoscopic procedures prior to actually performing the procedure in the OR. It should prove useful to all surgical residents as well as practicing surgeons looking to increase their laparoscopic repertoire.

This is an excellent textbook of Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures, containing eight sections of great interest to all of us, surgeons practicing both endoscopic and laparoscopic surgery.
Minimal access surgery has revolutionized and revitalized general surgery. The extent and range of minimal access surgery has been extended over the past 5 years, although a number of controversial areas remain. The reader of this outstanding textbook will learn various techniques in minimal access surgery, providing evidence of the importance of this new modality. Contemporary controversies, such as laparoendoscopic surgery for large and small bowel (including neoplastic disease), are discussed.
I encourage all general surgeons to read this book and experience the future's surgery, today!

A remarkable literary biography, this, that succeeds in conveying both a sense of Hawthorne, the writer, and Hawthorne, the man. It also builds up a most appealing set of mini portraits of some fascinating figures from the first half of the 19th century, among them the Peabody sisters [family of Hawthorne's wife, Sophia], Emerson, Thoreau, Longfellow, Bronson Alcott [father of Louisa May], Melville, and countless others. What an extraordinary period this was in American cultural life! It's not a short read, but it's never dull, and, more often than not, close to rivetting. Mellow uses to wonderful effect extracts from Hawthorne's letters and notebooks, allowing "the shyest grape" of them all [Melville about Hawthorne] to speak directly. Not afraid to use Hawthorne's fiction as a way into our knowledge of the man, Mellow is, nevertheless, mostly restrained, aware that the relationship between a life and its work is seldom simple. If, very occasionally, the insights Mellow comes up with border on the facile, there are enough genuinely interesting thoughts to keep the literary analysis helpful. But the great success of the book lies, I think, in its even-handedness and neutrality of tone, and in its richness of detail - excellent notes and index, too.

I have recently continued my reading journey by moving to non-fiction, including biographies. This is a very easy book to read. I have found myself liking Hawthorne and sometime I have to keep reading to find out what happens next in his life instead of going to sleep. I also find it very interesting finding out how people lived 150 years ago. Their problems are the same ones we have today - money, kids, in-laws, etc. They have gardens in the summer, growing the same vegatables, and are snowed in during the winter. New England never changes. I have read W. Manchester's biographies of Douglas MacArthur and the Krupps and Thayer's biography of Beethoven This book is as good as those three.

A Private Revenge continues the series as a direct extension from its predecessor In Distant Waters. Drinkwater proceeds from the conclusion of In Distant Waters by crossing the Pacific and contacting Sir Edward Pellew off the Asian coast. Drinkwater also comes into contact with his nemesis of several novels beginning with The Eye of the Fleet, Morris, who is one of the vilest creatures in the genre. Drinkwater, who is a decent man, fails to understand the lasting grudge that Morris holds for events nearly 30 years previous. His lack of understanding leads to deception and tragedy. For followers of the series who have become attached to the characters, this episode will be painful. A Private Revenge contains action, suspense and Woodman's excellent descriptions of time, place and naval details. However, it is perhaps the darkest novel that I have read of the Napoleonic naval genre. The series has always had strong gothic elements but this entry is the darkest. It's hard to believe but Morris is even viler than in earlier novels. Morris' desire for revenge drives the plot and leads to a bloody climax. The writing is up to Woodman's excellent standards but A Private Revenge is a very grim novel. It's only for the hardiest series enthusiasts.

After battling a typhoon and rescuing an East Indiaman, Nat arrives in China, where Britain is no longer welcome and she has to decamp, covering her losses as best she can, so Nat is put in charge of the defence of the convoy.
The vile, venal Morris (see Eye of the Fleet & Brig of War) rears his ugly head again, but with no apparent agenda in mind, other than the recovery of several thousands of specie. But his presence on board, along with his catamite, greatly disturbs Nat, as well as Mr.Q and Tregembo, wondering when and how he will wreak the revenge he has sworn on Nat.
Sabotage, treachery, kidnap and torture follow as the depths of Morris's depravity become horrifically clear, revealing more would be a spoiler.

As usual, excellent descriptions and tension-building make the pages fly by - and there are the author's notes to add plausability to the tale.

there's a lot of interesting content in this book. it opens your mind to a lot of new personalities.

Hawthorne was, of course, one of (if not *the*) most important writers of 19th Century America and this edition demonstrates why. The level of engagement Hawthorne had with early America, the level of detail in his texts, and the level of scholarship advanced by the editor, demonstrate why Hawthorne is, inded, one of our contemporaries. Nobody can consider him- or herself "knowledgeable" about American literary history or American literature without reading "Young Goodman Brown," "My Kinsaman, Major Molineux," "The Minister's Black Veil," or "The May-Pole of Merry-Mount": these tales engage, variously, in themes of religiosity, national identity or formation, and the desire to re-write American-ness. indeed, these tales, which later influenced writers as disparate as Herman Melville, Henry James and Gertrude Stein, provide the very fabric of "American" literature. Although we have all been beaten over the head by Hawthorne in High School (if not college), an errand into his wilderness is, nonetheless, rewarding, fascinating, and enlightening: Colacurcio's editing and attention to detail (much like the subject of the book!) makes the volume accessible and rewarding.

Though smaller and less ambitious than most of Branden's other works (such as the brilliant Art of Living Consciously), two women I know have reacted very favorably to this book, which suggests to me that it could be a useful primer on Branden's approach.

The book's modest size (and attractive cover art, I should add) may be an advantage in this regard. While intellectual purists might still prefer a tome, many people prefer a small book with essentialized information. A Woman's Self-Esteem is a good example in this regard.

Most of the book's chapters are expanded versions of articles Branden published in New Woman magazine in the early 90s. While many of the book's themes will of course apply to men as well as women, Branden's primary focus is on the challenges facing women: How to embrace their own strengths when doing so may not be fashionable, how to be assertive in a job or in a relationship, how to keep appropriate boundaries.

As with his other books on self-esteem, Branden devotes the first several chapters to summarizing his overall theory, and I found these to be among his most elegant summaries ever. Although I personally enjoyed the book as a whole, one mild disappointment for me was the chapter on "Embracing Our Strengths." Here Branden addresses the difficulty some women experience in finding the will and inspiration to assert their own intelligence and individuality. He addresses a number of helpful issues in this regard, but fails to mention the powerful function of good art. Since he is well aware of the role of art in inspiring heroic behavior, I found this omission puzzling.

Ayn Rand admirers will find interesting the last chapter of the book, which is a reprint of Branden's essay "Was Ayn Rand a Feminist?" from the anthology Feminist Interpretations of Ayn Rand (co-edited by Chris Sciabarra and Mimi Gladstein). Branden concludes the essay: "Where did Ayn Rand stand with respect to feminism (a term she never liked)? A feminism that sees woman at her best as a heroic figure will find support and validation in Rand's writings. A feminism that defines woman as victim and man as her evil oppressor will see Rand as the enemy -- because Rand sees woman not as weak but as strong, and because Rand sees romantic love between man and woman as an expression and celebration of their esteem for each other as well as their esteem for themselves."

One major yardstick for judging a book such as this one is the extent to which is encourages people (and women in particular) who might never do so to think deeply and clearly about the role of self-esteem in their own life. It seems to me the book will be very useful in this regard.

I gave this book to my daughter who had been struggling with a relationship. Because she's only 18 years old I thought I was taking a long shot. Branden's books had completely changed my own life, but they've all been intellectually thrilling to read, and sometimes teenagers are superstitious about being intellectually thrilled. Not my daughter. To my surprise. She took to this book like a duck to water, and it changed her life. No one's books, that I know of, make bigger IMMEDIATE differences in a person's life than Nathaniel Branden's. He is a national treasure.

[Preface: Will everyone please stop comparing Artemis Fowl to the Harry Potter books? Judge this book on its own merits. The only thing they have in common is that the authors come from the United Kingdom. Whether or not this book will steal Harry Potter's thunder remains to be seen.]

Now that I got that off my chest, Artemis Fowl is a 12-yr. old evil genius who steals a Fairy book of secrets, then kidnaps a Fairy cop (yes, a cop) and holds her for ransom. The fairies strike back, though, using a little Elfin magic (not the Keebler Elves kind) and some high-tech gadgetry. Despite his diabolical-ness, Artemis shows a few glimpses of humanity and uses a Fairy wish to....well, read the book. Artemis comes out in the end as a criminal with a heart of gold.

The book was fast-paced and a fast read. Despite its almost 280 pp. I read thisin about 1 day. There is some graphic violence and many descriptions of high-tech stuff, so maybe the average 12 yr. old should wait a couple years. Scattered throughout the novel are asides by a third-person witness to the events. I don't know if that worked or not. Colfer makes use of a funny juxtaposition of Fairies using macho "action film" lingo, the one-liners that live on in popular culture long after a movie had gone to VHS. This juxtaposition works at first, but he runs it absolutely into the ground. I got tired of hearing goblins and dwarves and sprites rattling off Schwarzenagger-like come-backs. This was a definite attempt to be "hip" on Colfer's part. I thought Colfer's portrayal of dwarves was very interesting; they tunnel through the ground using their mouths as shovels and expel the dirt out through their arse. Mulch, a kleptomaniac dwarf, was one of the more interesting characters. His exploits in the Fowl mansion were really exciting.

In summary, it was a fun book. Good summer reading. Colfer hints at sequels during the course of the book, and in the epilogue gives a brief history of what happens in the future between Artemis Fowl and the Fairies. The jacket notes state that a movie will be made, so I imagine Dreamworks or Industrial Light and Magic will go all out with this one.

This book is not another Harry Potter wanne-be. It's written in a much more aggressive, entertaining style. The emphasis is on action and suspense, and the characters are quite edgy. I especially liked Holly. She's an officer with LEPRecon, the modern version of leprecaun police (I have to say Colfer's updated mythology references are very cute). Holly's a great female protagonist, very independent but with a kind streak she can't ignore. All the other "underworld" characters are also well-developed with their own personalities. There's Foaly, a wise-cracking Centaur tech expert, Root the amusing head officer with a bad temper, Mulch a tunneling pockpocket (with interesting bodily functions), and some very scary trolls.

The above-world characters are not so much fun, but set the stage for a really great story. Artemis is as believable as a criminal mastermind boy-genius type can be. I get the sense that this character will develop more in future installations. The interactions between him and the fairies is written very well. In a way, he is protagonist and antagonist at the same time, which makes for very good reading as you are rooting for all the characters to come out ahead. There is a bit of violence, but definitely no more than most toys and books aimed at pre-teens. It's was a fun read and I would pass on the recommendation to most anybody who likes the fantasy/magic fiction genre.

I'd heard of this book before, but I didn't get around to finding and reading it until recently. The writing style has a feel to it that reminds me a little of Harry Potter, but Artemis is no Harry. Artemis is a twelve-year-old genius and criminal mastermind. He has a plan to restore his family's fortune - capture a fairy and steal its gold. That fairy ends up being Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon Unit. Humans aren't supposed to know as much about fairies as Artemis does, and this kidnapping has the potential for causing a human/fairy war. At first, I wasn't sure if Artemis was at all likeable, but, as the story progresses, I discovered that, underneath his shrewd coldness, Artemis is still a child. Artemis' bodyguard, Butler, was also interesting, and I thought Butler's little sister, Juliet, the pro-wrestling loving teenager, was pretty funny. I can't wait to get my hands on the next book.

Sci Fi movie buffs may not recognize the original novel by Mary
Shelley, any more than movie goers would recognize the real Tarzan in ERB's debut book. For this 1818 novel introduces us to a surprisingly articulate monster--who is never named by his idealistic young creator. Its antique literary style offers a tale presented by three different first-person narrators. Letters (tales within a tale) are the inevitable legacy of suicide or premature death before the story is really over.

In contrast, the basic theme appears remarkably modern, especially in the light of 21st century scientific debate over the inherent dangers of too much knowledge (as in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde)or genetic tampering (The Island of Dr. Moreau). Man is simply not morally csapable to assume the role of creator. Lofty-minded but overwrought Victor Frankenstein conceives the blasphemous idea of creating a living being of gigantic stature. Despite his noble goal of benefitting mankind, the experiment goes grotesquely awry. The youthful natural scientist endures a few years of tortured, morbid existence, which swell to a crescendo of horror as a result of his cerebral "Hybris."

Frankenstein's obsession gradually dominates his life--spilling blood onto those around him, as the people dearest to him are viciously and deliberately murdered. Is there no way to stop the rampage of terror which he has inadvertantly unleashed upon a helpless, unsuspecting world? Linked inexorably by the bonds of unholy creation, both Victor and his monster live only for Revenge. But can either truly be said to be alive, if the other should perish? Are they not mutually dependent on each other to sustain the fires of the hunt? Despite uneven pacing, this thriller/chilller has captured the imagination of kids of all ages for almost two centuries. Bear in mind that Hollywood has transformed the original monster, spawning the idea that Frankenstein Is the monster!

Mention the name "Frankenstein" and the first image to pop into people's minds is one of a big, dumb, green guy with bolts coming out of the sides of his neck. Anyone reading Mary Shelley's Frankenstein for the first time may be surprised to learn that in the novel the creature is neither inarticulate nor ignorant. He is the product of a zealous doctor's quest to take life and death into his own hands. The creature is shunned by all mankind, including the one person who should feel some compassion or responsibility for him, his creator, Dr. Frankenstein. All the creature ever wants is to be accepted by society and to find companionship. With an intellect superior to that of the average human being, he learns to speak and read. It isn't until after he understands that he is doomed to a life of rejection that he seeks revenge, turning violent and murderous. The underlying question of the novel is, who is the real monster here, the formidable creature or the creator who abandoned him?

Through the creature's own words, we hear of his confused awakening and search for understanding. From the start he recognizes that his appearance is so horrifying as to repulse anyone who sees him. Fittingly, once he has taught himself how to speak and read, his first attempt at communication is with a blind man. When he realizes the futility of his search for a friend, he focuses his efforts on another objective - revenge upon the one who brought him into this cruel world. The creature sets out to make Frankenstein's life the same sort of hell as his own.

The scientist Frankenstein goes to great lengths to complete his experiment, realizing too late that there are consequences for interfering with the laws of nature. He brings to life a most unnatural beast, and flees in horror from the being he has created. Feeling no responsibility to comfort the creature in any way, he instead wishes to completely abandon it and forget that it even exits, leaving it to struggle single-handedly in a world where it does not belong. Is it any wonder that his creation becomes slightly incensed at his abandonment and seeks to create for Frankenstein a life equal to his own in misery and isolation?

Who deserves the label of "monster"? First-time readers of Shelley's novel may have a hard time accepting that the creature is not a purely evil or demonic being; contrary to popular belief, he does not just wake up and start strangling people. The creature in the novel has qualities we more easily identify with, such as the desire to be loved and accepted. On the other hand, Dr. Frankenstein's actions are questionable at times. Is the creature justified in his revenge? Or does Frankenstein get the bad end of the deal, his originally well-intentioned experiment gone sour? Either way, reading Mary W. Shelley's novel presents to us the viewpoint of a very different "monster" than we expect.

After seeing at least five versions of this tale in film - one of my great childhood monster loves - I was happy to finally read the novel. As so often occurs with classics, I was as surprised as I was fascinated.

For starters, the characters are far more subtle than any of the film versions: Victor F appears as a brooding and obsessed genius, but also as a great lover of life and nature. The monster, who is an articulate and literate creature who read Goethe, is even more interesting, from his hopeful beginning to his bitter reaction at rejection and his thirst for vengence. His eloquence was vivid and his pain horribly realistic.

But the work is also fascinating as a window into the mind of the Romantics, who at once strove to reject the rationalism of the Enlightenment yet reflected it. The creature starts off empty and what it becomes is due entirely to his experience. Knowledge is not always good, etc.

Finally, the themes are timeless and full of conflict: creativity giving birth to unimaginable destruction, tampering with nature as its necessities overwhelm even genius, and the like. THe book is a kaleidescope of philosophical reflection. The pain of the creator and the monster alike are inescapably linked like father and son.

I did find the style of the book a bit difficult. It is full of florid rhetoric and lengthy circumlocutions, as the doctor and then the monster tell their stories in almost identical prose.

Highly recommended.

Readers should note that this book is a revised edition of Branden's 1989 memoir "Judgment Day". While it claims to be 'substantially revised', the revisions are not all *that* substantial. The many stylistic changes do make the book read better, and some less relevant sections have been deservedly excised.

Primarily, the book is altered so that Branden's associates from the period covered by the book are shown in somewhat more positive light. Allan Blumenthal, for instance, is no longer a quite conventional mama's boy; Barbara Branden is less clingy and shows up as a more autonomous individual. Her numerous affairs reported in the first edition are trimmed to a much smaller number.

Surprisingly, Barbara Branden is reported to have developed the concept 'psycho-epistemology', perhaps the key to Rand's aesthetics. This single fact should end any notion that Objectivism is all the ideas that Ayn Rand came up with and nothing else.

Nathaniel Branden is less self-aggrandizing in this edition, and he takes more of the blame for his failed first marriage and the personal disaster for many Objectivists which he helped cause. The portrait of Ayn Rand herself is little changed, which would make us wonder why bother with the second edition until we remember that this is not a biography of Rand but a memoir by Branden.

All in all, the book tells a fascinating story, and tells it rather better and more fairly than the first edition. But the changes, while interesting, are generally not radical and readers of the first edition should bear this in mind before they buy the current version. Those who have not read the first edition should definitely find this book of interest; it tells the very self-conscious story of a man, three women, loves of people, ideas, and their interrelationships, and how a something like a cult is formed and destroyed.

I regard this as an excellent companion to Barbara Branden's "The Passion of Ayn Rand", to be read after it once you have an overview of Ayn's life; I often found myself cross-referencing between them. This memoir sheds a brand of personal light, written from the viewpoint of the man who was perhaps closest to the writer of "Atlas Shrugged".

I found the honest tone of Mr. Branden's memoir almost painful in its quest for sincerity. His assessment of Ayn Rand as a great thinker who pointed out the right direction for a new philosophy without perfecting its details is in perfect accord with my own opinion, and his expectations for the future of Objectivism are inspiring.

This memoir makes Ayn Rand very human, neither shying away from her faults nor disguising her virtues, and portrays her philosophical movement equally well, neither pandering to its admirerers nor insulting its detractors despite his own conviction in its basic premises. Objective writing at its finest.

Right now, there is an Ayn Rand explosion. Not only is Rand slowly gaining steam amongst academic thinkers, she is all over popular culture. There has been two successful fims ('The Passion of Ayn Rand' based on Barbara Branden's biography and the Oscar noiminated 'Ayn Rand: a Sense of Life.') Both the Ayn Rand Institute and the Objectivist Center- think-tanks devoted to Ayn Rand's objectivism- are experiencing huge popularity. Heck, today- Aug. 26, 02- C-SPAN will re-air the Ayn Rand episode of their American Writers series. The viewer request was through the roof. So why, with all her idiosyncratic views, can't we seem to get enough?

This biography goes a long way in answering that question. Nathaniel Branden, Rand's first 'intellectual heir', takes us on his journey with this enigmatic figure, Rand. From when they first met- he as a college student, she as the successful author of the Fountainhead- to thier intellectual partership and ultimately thier misguided affair. The most interesting part of the book, I feel, is the cacophonic break between Branden and Rand, forcing Branden to reevaluate his life and principles.

It would've been easy for Branden, now a successful psychologist, to handle this book badly. It could've wound up being a bitter memoir about what some have called a 'cult'. Or, it could've centered on a philosophical diatribe of Randian thought. Fortunately, it does neither. It is written almost as fiction. The players, even those Branden clearly doesn't like, are treated with respect and empathy. He also writes with remarkable honesty- clearly a sign of a man who's given much time to self-reflection. Yes, there are spots where Branden does get down on Rand. Her philosophy is also touched on, in part. None of this, however, is induldged in to a fault. What we get is the story of a man in a unique, magnanimous, and ultimately life-defining situation. This is one of the few books I've read that I found perfectly enjoyable- emotionally and intelectually- from beginning to end. Also read 'Confessions of a Philosopher" by Bryan Mcgee.