a good book to study AND RECOMEND

This book is a nice introduction to the subject of metallurgy. It's well written and clear. Although it's not an in depth treatement of the subject, it should be a good introductory text for the technologist.

This book contains fourteen short stories and had just average entertainment. If you want to learn about the Lao culture it will help you understand and it is a good book for that purpose. Unfortunately, the stories were not very exciting. Each one had a nice moral or a lesson to learn and put a smile on my face. But, if you are a busy person it might not be worth your time to read this book. It was not a bad collection; I just expected more.

This book of 14 short stories by the late Outhine Bounyavong, a noted Lao author, is the first book of contemporary Lao short stories available in English. These deceptively simple stories tell of ordinary Lao people, their customs, traditions, and values, and show the impact of political, economic, and social changes since independence. Despite occasional infelicities in translation, this book will be valuable to those interested in Laos or in Southeast Asian literature. This bi-lingual English-Lao edition should be of particular interest to Lao emigrants and their children. The older adults will be happy with the Lao version, and their children can capture a sense of their parents' former lives through the English translation. Peter Koret provedes a useful introduction to Lao literature and Outhine's place in it.

Not Either An Experimental Doll, edited by Shula Marks details the relationship between an Englishwoman, Dr. Mabel Palmer, and a young Xhosa girl, Lily Moya, who requests her help.

The story itself, told through letters between Lily and Mabel, show the complexities of racial relations in South Africa at the time. The question of paternalism and white sponsorship arises when assessing the character of Mabel Palmer, an older woman who advanced the cause of education for black South Africans. Mabel was being very altruistic in helping Lily, she went without a winter coat so she could help pay her school fees. However, the divide in culture and race plays prominently in Mabel's relationship with Lily. Lily, a young orphan desperately looking for a mother figure, reaches out to Mabel, but is rebuffed by a woman who is still very much governed by the dictates of racial relationships and propriety within South Africa.

However, one cannot condemn Mabel and laud Lily as Shula Marks does in the introduction of her book. Reading the letters themselves, will reveal a disturbed and anxious young girl who the reader will come to pity and at the same time want to strangle. Lily herself, is a set of contradictions. She appeals to the reader's sympathy while at the same time repulsing the reader with her lack of gratitude and her attempt to adjust to her new situations.

What comes from reading the letters between these two women, is an appreciation for the complexities, misunderstandings, and the divide in understanding between two women of very different cultures. And that is what I reccomend. Skip the introduction and read the letters between Lily and Mabel first. Shula Marks, while giving a general history of the letters, also forces her own opinions on the reader which causes one to enter the narrative with preconceived notions of who is good and who is bad within this relationship. Also, one will see that Marks gives a ridiculous amount of importance to the third woman, Sibusisiwe Makhanya, a social worker. Her inclusion in the introduction serves as more of a literary addition to develop the ideal of three separate worlds. However, one can see the minimal role she plays within the context of Lily's and Mabel's relationship.

Read the letters and then go back and read the introduction and the epilogue. One must remember in reading this book to let the voices of Mabel and Lily stand for themselves, and they are strong voices echoing the history of a particular time period. Unfortunately, Shula Marks in editing this book imposes views on the reader which does not allow for an unbiased reading of the letters between these two extraordinary women themselves.

This book is a testament to the emotional and political jumble of the time between blacks and whites in South Africa. The reader should allow the letters of the two women to speak about this time and draw their own conclusions as to the political, social and cultural climate within South Africa at that time.

What a wonderful book! The exchange of letters is nothing less than fascinating. By reading these letters not only does one get a sense of the racial and economic divisions between the writers, but a glimpse is gained into what would be a peculiar exchange of correspondence even now: a seventy-something woman of well-intentioned but often misguided motives and a teenaged girl perplexed with all the rampant emotions and self-absorbtions of her age.

I cannot stress how inportant I feel it is to read the introduction by Shula Marks AFTER reading the letter exchange. Anyone who has even a fundamental knowledge of South Africa during this time would do better not to read the intro first. It's better to get caught up in the flow of the letters--and let their story unfold unadulterated. There is an almost voyeuristic aspect to them as they come to their conclusion. I highly recommend this book, and not only to those with an interest in South Africa or Womens' History either.

During almost four centuries of immigration to America, few eras were more fascinating than the two or three decades preceding the First World War. The social tumult caused by the arrival of millions of southern and eastern Europeans was never to be repeated on quite such a scale. This book captures some of the excitement of the age and gives an insight into why, by the early 1920s, there was a "nativist" reaction. Alas, its lively, liberal-minded arguments are not always on the right track. Explaining the rise of anti-German sentiment, for example, it is wrong to accuse the British and French of inventing stories of First World War atrocities committed by Germans in Belgium. Such atrocities undoubtedly took place - in the historic university town of Louvain, for starters. Had this book been longer, it could have tackled such matters with greater sophistication.

The compilers of this great book deserve cudos, including for exposing the British propaganda hoaxes of World War I and their baleful role in increasing hatred against German-Americans. The burning of Louvain, e.g., happened in the chaotic struggle against partisans, it was an overreaction, but not a planned atrocity, on the level of the British army burning parts of Dublin in 1916. Anyhow, I teach US history and immigration courses, and strongly endorse that book.

... The first half of the story was rich with descriptions of the party and the battle, and took 31 pages to deliver. But I was so disappointed with the cursory and quick ending of the story - Maria's adventure in the land of the Sugar Plum Fairy - which only merited 16 pages. It seemed imbalanced. ...

This is truly a beautiful book. The illustrations are remarkable, and it's as good as the movie. The illustrations really capture your attention, and you feel as if you are there with Maria.

I recommend this book to anyone looking for a beautiful edition of The Nutcracker.

If you start with Tomato Red and work backwards, you can chart Woodrell's growth and maturity as a writer. Tomato's story of down-and-outers who consistently act contrary to their own best interests is both entertaining and riveting. The first-person narrative sets a mood that grabs you on the first page and never lets go. The third-person voice of The Ones You Do is not as assured, but the plot and characters are interesting, and Woodrell displays his characteristic flair for language and ear-catching dialogue.

Woodrell also has a way of evoking sympathy for people whose actions you can't condone, and the protagonist of The Ones, John X Shade, is as amusing as he is appalling. The sense of pathos in this novel improves upon its predecessor, Muscle for the Wing, which focuses on John's son, Rene. Muscle reads like a lesser Elmore Leonard novel transplanted to the Ozarks - a TV movie with crisper dialogue. The Ones has some of the same stock characters as Muscle - small-time criminals who underestimate their oppostion, well-endowed women who jump into bed all too eagerly, etc. But the decline in John X's skills in his older years and his humorous fatalism raise the story above that of a standard action hero.

Woodrell has written five "Ozark noir" novels and one about the Civil War, Woe to Live On. Each of the Ozark novels improves upon its predecessor, but that's not a reason to bypass his earlier work. In fact, what I enjoyed most was observing Woodrell's development of skills from one book to the next. Woe to Live On was only his second novel, but stands on its own as a very different and very affecting commentary on the war. Its first-person voice finds full flower in Give Us a Kiss and Tomato Red. I recommend immersing yourself in Woodrell's work for a while; if nothing else, you'll be entertained and learn how one writer honed his skill -- maybe there's hope for the rest of us!

Woodrell is a master of dark humor, peopleing his novels with characters who have yet to be housebroken. But with Woodrell the rough, rowdy and savage characters are very human - embracing both the good life and destructive fate with humor. Although the cover blurb leads one to expect Rene Shade as a major character, he is a sideline. His father John X. and ten-year-old half sister Etta are at the center of the story. Etta keeps her aged father going, getting him his first drink of the morning, serving sandwiches and beer at his poker games, and reading his every move ... sassing him back with his own words. This is a kid who cons her Dad into believing school starts November 9 for public school students, thus avoiding school. She is a memorable survivor.

Two love interests assist in creating a coherent image of the Shade family. Rene has fallen for a basketball player who is as unsure as he as to what future she wants. Tip has fallen for Gretel who is currently living in a home for pregnant women putting children up for adoption. Gretel is the product of a hippie couple surviving in the back woods on the standard government property cash crop and proud of their lack of conveniences. While she understands marriage to be a kind of death, living in a house with plumbing is a major life goal.

The plot would be predictable if it were not for humorous turns of fate. John X. is on the lam - his pursuer attempts to increase his capital by scamming a tourist couple who are scam artists themselves. A cockolded husband who's held a grudge for 40 years, goes to kill the agressor only to die of a heart attack ...

The writing is good quality - with turns of phrases here and there that are pleasant, memorable and believable surprises in the otherwise harsh environment.

So if you want to kick back, turn your mind off and read for sheer pleasure, Daniel Woodrell has again fit the bill.

While this could have been a decent detective story, the poor publishing quality detracted from any story that was there. My copy of this book was missing pages 63-67, not that they were particularly relevant in the end, but who knew at the time. The book is littered with grammatical and typographical errors. Mr. Surdam went into painful detail on several occasions when it seemed more appropriate to allow the reader to use his or her imagination. I hope his next adventure with Holden Grace is better proofed and edited.

If you are already a lover of detective novels,just getting started or just love to read, then "The Presence of Grace" is a must read for you.

Holden Grace, a private detective in upstate New York, is asked to find the missing sister of his best friend. Thus begins a journey of twists and turns that makes it difficult to take a break from this exciting novel.

As Holden digs deeper into this mystery he is led on a trail of deception and danger that results in "edge of your seat" reading. You will appreciate the wit and charm of Holden Grace as he encounters several unusual, ordinary and extraordinary characters.

"The Presence of Grace" is the first novel of a brand new series and what a terrific novel it is! Several friends, besides myself, have read this novel in record time and we are anxiously waiting for the next.

Daniel Surdam has certainly captured the essence of what a true detective novel should be. There may be times, with other books, when you can figure out the mystery before you read that last page. With "The Presence of Grace" you have to read that last page to know just "who done it" or "did he?" Buy the book and read for yourself!

This book contain the highlights of a private's life in the Army of the Tennessee. It talks about Private Beven's travels and life in the army. If you are looking for details of combat, look elsewhere. Book contain a few details of a private's life. Book doesn't have many details, but over 40% of the book is footnotes by the editor informing the reader about event or people sited by Beven's.

Readers who enjoyed Watkins' Co. Aytch will like this too. It doesn't have the absolute spark of genius that the latter shows, but it's an engaging, detailed account of Bevens' experiences in the Army of Tennessee. He includes many interesting and often humorous anecdotes; the only weak section is the very end of the war, because Bevens was lucky enough to be on furlough at that time. The editor has done an excellent job of annotating the text -- at first the format, with the footnotes on facing pages, is a little confusing, but it soon becomes very helpful. Sutherland fills in gaps and explains minor errors in Bevens' account while placing the events in their larger context. The only thing I have to complain about is the maps, which are useless.

After reading and performing the play, I began to dislike it. I really hate the dialogue. It's got a bunch of "Yes"'s and a bunch of "Mmn"'s in the dialogue. Most of the Dialogue is basically those two words! It's awful! The characters are okay, though.

Daniel Rocket, or Snood, as his friends call him, has a secret ... he can fly! But while one might think this marvelous talent would make Snood the most popular boy in town, it has quite the opposite affect for children tend to hate what they don't understand.

Daniel knows he's special and knows his specialness sets him apart from the other children. But no matter what the out come, Daniel has to be true to himself.

His example of personal honesty causes great changes among those that he grew up with and yet change is inevitable and being true to oneself is a must for change to occur.

This story, written especially for Tom Hulce (who played Snood in the film version) by Peter Parnell, is a wonderful story for the child in all of us!

Daniel Kimberg says in the book that he is not a professional.

If you were 'serious' about something you would be a professional or at least attempt to be one. If you can't make it you should not be writing books, especially not 'serious' ones.

I have often been drawn to the card rooms in the casinos, but I have never felt comfortable sitting down at the table -- the rules and etiquette of the game are daunting to the newbie.

Kimberg's book taught me the basics and made me feel at home in the card room. He covers *everything*, in a breezy, approachable text that is a pleasure to read. His sections on basic strategy are particularly well done.

I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who wants to enjoy their time in the casino and maximize their opportunity for profit.