Using brightly colored and extremely vivid photographs, this book attempts to teach children the value of numbers. Numbers are used to weigh things, tell people where to go, tell how tall or long something is, and are used to tell time. A great book for introducing young children to the importance of numbers.

In 1831, the Turner rebellion shook America's cotton kingdom to its core. Nat Turner, a slave who had become a preacher, felt he had been chosen by God to lead an insurrection. A solar eclipse provided a sign that his time was now. Turner led approximately two hundred slaves in the massacre of sixty Virginia whites. Once his uprising had been broken up by a white militia, Turner hid in a Virginia swamp for more than two months before his capture. The leader was eventually tried and executed with sixteen of his coconspirators but the South would never be the same. Turner's rebellion unintentionally caused the bonds that imprisoned slaves tightened. Teaching slaves to read, black preachers and unsupervised assemblies were outlawed, while instances of cruelty escalated. Planters saw the bloodthirsty fire ignited in its caged workforce became frightened and paranoid.

Daniel Pagner attempts to bring this historic event to life in Ol' Prophet Nat. His narrator, a collector of old books, comes across a family Bible in which Turner, while hidden in the Virginia swamps, wrote his story. The premise is slightly hokey but Ol' Prophet Nat still effectively recreates Nat Turner and his uprising. The flimsy, grimy old cabins; the hot days and long hours; the bleeding black flesh and a community's collective fear and anger are all described in stunning detail. Turner himself becomes quite the literary character. He considers himself a Moses and the African Americans, the Israelites and the gut wrenching decisions he must make to do what is right, despite its futility and detrimental outcome, is truly affecting to readers. This fine account of the Turner rebellion animates the dusty pages of history into vibrant life.

With this rendition of The King James Old Testament, Stephanie Beacham lends dramatic vocal talent and passion to the most ancient words of God. Certainly worthwhile, and again, beautifully done!

For anyone interested in the transformation of Eastern Europe from communist rule to free statehood, this work proves an invaluable resource. Author Tomasz Jastrun, now 50, wrote this collection of poetry during the 1980s beginning with the rise of the Solidarity movement, thru the period of Poland's martial law, his imprisonment at Bialoleka and finally, as a free man. Much of Jastrun's poetry is dark and despairing; the angst conveyed within them goes beyond hopelessness: "Because nothing makes any sense/When everyone's home gets ground to rubble/There is no corner left for feeling." Jastrun frequently ponders the absurdity of the Soviet "house of cards" (communism) and sighs "Times like these/The absurd is so close." The second section of poetry--the shortest of the 3--tells not only of the hardships endured when in prison ("ribs sticking out from lack of freedom") but continues to exhibit spiritual despair. Poignant religious imagery is seen in poems like "Last Supper" and "Leaving Prison." The last section of poetry deals with his release from prison, coping with his father's death (a famed writer in Poland as well) yet still contains echoes of despair as seen in "The Captive Dream" where he writes "The 80s slope down like Flatlands/Into the depths of God knows what." The final 20 pages of the book is devoted to prose essays, most which were included in Kultura, a Polish emigre monthly journal published in Paris. The switch in tone between the prose and poetry sections guarantees quite a surprise for the reader. Of course, as many of the essays were written after the disintegration of the Soviet Union, this alone may account for the lighter touch seen in many of the essays. At any rate, be sure to check out Jastrun's sardonic and witty description of the 1997 meeting in Warsaw between celebrated writers Milosz and Szymborska. Translator Bourne does a tremendous job in preserving the tone, flavor and nuance Jastrun conveys throughout his work. Many of the poems seem already written in English, they are that fluid and readable. Bourne occasionally includes brief historical footnoes with certain poems to help place it in historical context for, like much Polish literature, Jastrun draws on incidents from Poland's past history, letting English readers realize that his turbulant life and experiences were certainly not created in a vacuum.

Well worth the price for those who want information, not scare hype from those pushing the fringe element buttons. I have personally verified much of the information in this book. If you want to learn more of who is really in control of our lives and future, buy and read this book.

Life Magazine's photography editors chose well, and the imagery is effective still. Some, but not all, of the world's best photographers - through the early 1960's - are in this book. This is a comparatively small (8 x 10 and under 150 pages) assemblage of great black and white photos and brief quotations, mostly one and two-liners, relevant to various modes of transporatation. Like the original Life, you look at the fantastic pictures first, and read second. Whether or not you agree with Daniel Okrent in the Introduction that "photographers like things that move," these are great, varied pictures. Commuters on the New Haven Railroad, Nov. 22, 1963 (headlines: "President Shot Dead"), German men assembling electric toy trains in 1931, Irving Schild's photo of a bicyclist who is carrying an impossibly tall stack of newspapers in Mexico City, construction workers pouring out of the QE II at the end of the work day (John Loengard, 1968). Drive-ins, airshows, the open road (with the cumulus clouds that Life's editors loved). Many, many more.

The feeling is less nostalgic than archival. And this time around, all photographers are identified. Great photos. Transportation buffs and at least several dads and grandfathers I can think of would enjoy this book a lot.

This is a very good narrative from the 'Stephen Jay Gould of Fisheries' but in the end it is just exactly a collection of essays and in no way merits the price tag that has been hung on it. Read it at the library if you can convince them to buy it.

I'm assuming that this is basically the same book as Frank Buchman: a life by the same author which is out of print. It's a very through and well researched book about the life of a remarkable man, gives one a different world view from the late twenties right up to the sixties and explains what a life of faith really means. Could have been a little more critical but still a very intresting book, not a typical christian read.

Excellent resource to introduce children to the instruments ofthe orchestra. Particularly valuable when used in conjunction withthe tape.

I find in this book a good defence against the "Ottoman Black Legend", insisting that Turkey is also part of Europe, and showing that the Ottoman Empire was more alike to the present world than contemporary Christian societies, given that its degree of tolerance towards other people's religions and the ethnic compo-sition of its subjects was far greater and more varied than those of Christian Early Modern Europe. But I have the feeling that this book is not for beginners, but for those who already know about the Ottoman Empire and which wish to deepen their knowledge.I have rated it four starts. Considering its content, I think it should be five; conside-ring its readability, three.