This combination textbook/workbook is one of those projects that makes me wish I had done it. Or that one as good as this was available when I was teaching.

It is broken down into three areas: copy reading, headline writing and publication layout. This is for any kind of publication, but the major focus is on newspapers.

A major factor in the book's appeal is the writing style: It makes copy editing sound like fun. It is fun, but many textbooks make it sound dull as dust. Even hardened old copy editors could learn a thing or two from this book.

Another strength is Chapter 5, which goes into some detail on the topic that gives young journalists the most problems: grammar. Without becoming simplistic, the book offers a clear understanding of this most important of all challenges.

If there is an unfulfilled need it is that the book does not take advantage of the computer. Most publications today are copy edited on a monitor. Paper is passé. Perhaps the next edition will offer a remedy.

As a former student of this copy editing book, I know it is indeed a copy editing book for professionals. I am a journalist who flips through the Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual frequently to remind myself of its rules when the need arises. However, the great book is not nearly as comprehensive as Copy Editing for Professionals, a manual that includes copy editing answers to words and grammar questions not addressed by the Associated Press. And the book goes many steps further with easy to understand explanations and examples of Associated Press rules, chapters on issues that copy editors and reporters face in the field and quizzes to test the reader's knowledge. The useful examples are gained from the experience of authors who are experts in the field. Copy Editing for Professionals is a must-have for students, teachers and professionals in the editing field.

I became familiar with a draft of this book some five years ago, as a student in a copy editing class under one of the authors. I quickly put the knowledge from the book to use in a student newspaper and in friends' term papers. Within a year of graduation, I was sometimes backing up editors at a 12,000 daily; within a few years of using the books, I was editing an 18,000 TMC; and another year after that, using the knowledge as the managing editor of a 32,000 weekly. The book's careful instruction of the how-tos and the whats of editing -- from the general approach to some specifics -- were instrumental in helping me help get better copy to readers and, probably, for some of the promotions. The book is superb.

My first experience with the late James Herriot's inspirational books took place in a bookstore in Singapore, in the 80's. I was barely 14 & had not heard of this writer/vet. But as soon as I started reading All Things Wise and Wonderful - my very first JH book, I knew I had to get the rest of the series.
Through his poignant, funny, sensitive and Yorkshire-accented writing, I relived his world as a practising vet. His was a world where decent, civic minded people lived with much love & respect for their pets and farm animals. A world where I wanted/want to be in.
It is true how one book reviewer put it: every chapter will have you either laughing out loud or shedding a quiet tear. To this day, I still remember some of his stories that touched my heart. The courtship years when a young JH was trying to impress Helen (who eventually became his very supportive wife); the timid little black stray cat, who with her last breath, would placed her one surviving kitten into the hands of a caring family; the endearing 'beggar' dog; the bored, pampered & misunderstood pet dog of a wealthy spinster...I could almost touch and see JH's characters through his vivid writing. I even felt his pride when his daughter also became a vet, & his son a doctor.
I am sorry that there were not more of his wonderful tales.

The reading on the audio cassettes is done by Christopher Timothy, the actor who plays James Herriot on the BBC series "All Creatures Great And Small". He does a magnificent job of Sigfried, Tristan and all the dales farmers. It is truly a delight to listen to this series of tapes - it takes you into another world.

(Note: there appears to be an error above, listing Edmund Stoiber as the reader.)

In this set, James has joined the RAF to support the war effort, though fate has other plans for him. We follow his attempts to get in shape and become a pilot, as events and people remind him of his many experiences back in his vet practice.

Perhaps because of the War Years, some of these stories are slightly more edgy, such as a rash of dog-poisonings and an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease that is uncomfortably reminiscent of recent events. But overall there is that sweetness of tone that pervades all of Herriot's work.

I think my favorite story was the old farmer fetching two gallons of the local pub's best beer in a milk bucket in order to warm a mother pig to her new family. Of course he saved a "drop" for himself and his mates. The amazing thing about these books is that there is never a repeated story throughout the whole series.

James Harriot has that amazing ability to transport you into his world, take you into his confidence, and offer you his friendship.....all through a series of heartwarming stories taken from his life as a Yorkshire vet. It's so refreshing to read books that are not strewn with violence and sex...yet which captivate your attention. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants some good wholesome entertainment and an occasional chuckle.

Dr. Ken Kamler is a veteran of several Everest expeditions. His book, Doctor on Everest, chronicles his foray into climbing, leading to the highest mountain on Earth and culminating in his participation in the famous 1996 rescue. Kamler allows us to see his adventures through his eyes, sharing events and inner thoughts that we normally hide behind our persona. We learn enough of his life outside climbing to identify with Kamler, and that makes his fears and emotions loom large in his writing.

Wrapped in a demanding profession, he sees some of his boyhood aspirations slipping away. Kamler finds an unexpected lull in his life. Seizing the chance, he enrolls in a rock climbing course, and enters the world of climbers. Moving to mountaineering, he rearranges professional requirements to slip away to South America. On his return, rather than the disdain he thinks he'll find for his shirking his profession, he sees that others give him wistful respect; their own lives a tangle of obligations that seem to keep them pinned to the lowlands, away from the peaks of their own dreams.

He finds mountaineering a social crossroads, where climbers from disparate backgrounds meet and share intense experiences. Eventually he's invited to go to Everest. While a good climber, he knows that his experience is below that of most expedition members. But he benefits from a sort of "affirmative action program for doctors." He shares with us not only his experiences, but also his inner self. Will he be able to meet medical challenges at altitudes where the body degenerates and all medical supplies came in by yak? And will he be able to climb well enough not to let down his comrades.

Even before he takes us to base camp he entertains with the exotic. In Katmandu a dog seizes a piece of meat. A customer grabs it and finally wins a tug-of-war. She then returns the meat to the bucket and buys the contents, going home to cook dinner. At his hotel, truck diesel exhaust penetrating the window's gaps serves as Kamler's alarm clock. He tries to escape the fumes in the bathroom, where he finds his roommate doing sit-ups. He is immediately struck by two discordant thoughts. The first is that doing sit-ups just before trekking to base camp isn't likely to help fitness. Equally strongly, he has to stifle the fear "I should be doing sit-ups too!"

Base camp is a collection of modern fabrics, alloys, and communications gear. But it is also an ironic blend of yak dung, juniper smoke from the altar, and prayer flags. The Sherpa's cultural attitudes are an interesting counterpoint to the immigrant climber's. On a later trip, longing for word from home before starting to climb, Kamler's group tells a Sherpa that they will give him a prized pair of sunglasses if he gets to the post office and back in three days - a significant challenge. He returns in time. When asked for the mail, he says the post office was closed and he couldn't wait or he'd be late. He couldn't understand why the Americans were disappointed; he did as asked. They gave him the glasses.

He sets up the highest medical practice in the world. As the climb gets closer, complaints loom larger from his patients. He treats not only the body, but also salves the apprehensions of his patients. The Sherpas present differently. One casually came by asking for help with back pain. "How long?" "Six years." Treating six years of chronic back pain on the Khumbu Glacier is a bit much, but sending him away sends the wrong message. Kamler starts a complete physical exam, stopping only when he thinks enough time has passed. Nodding sagely, he dispenses an anti-inflammatory. Heck, it might even help. A day later Kamler learns that "Dr. Sab" has cured the back pain.

Kamler records several trips to Everest. As a physician, he always sees firsthand the frailty of the human body when nature's immutable forces, so savage here, catch men unaware or weakened. High altitude problems force Kamler to send climbers lower, away from their goal. And massive trauma is often the result of errors or of twists of fate. As chance would have it, in 1996 Kamler's group is a day behind several parties who are caught by a severe storm while descending late from the summit. These events have been well recorded by John Krakauer, Anatoli Boukreev, and David Breashears. Fate has placed Kamler at camp III, the highest physician in the world at that moment. He treats Beck Weathers and Makalu Gao. Their survival was a combination of incredible luck, or amazing fate, or perhaps karma, the skills of the mountaineers, the highest helicopter rescue in the world, and Kamler and a second climbing physician.

Why face these challenges? Kamler offers "Danger in the mountains is a reason not to climb, but it's also a reason to climb. It's not thrill seeking. Accepting risk means you gain immediate direct control of your life. It forces open your senses and puts your mind into sharp focus. You become a keen observer of nature's grand design and quiet nuances." The grinding drone of daily existence in western society comes from the amorphous challenges that overwhelm us. "Stress comes from expending one's strength in poorly defined problems and over which you have limited control. ... Meeting tough challenges that are sharply in focus is energizing."

Kamler has never made it to the summit of Everest. Weather has kept him off it, directly and indirectly. More importantly, he measured himself both as a climber and a person, and proven he was more than up to his challenges. Once a climber was descending with pulmonary edema, dropping to a lower elevation in hopes of reversing the fluid build up in his lungs so as not to drown thousands of feet above sea level. He saw another climber coming up to meet him. "Please God, let that be Ken." It was.

After reading many books about Mt. Everest, I have finally found one that gets personal. Dr. Kamler does a wonderful job of describing his adventures on Mt Everest. What makes this book stand out is Dr. Kamler himself. He lets us know what he is feeling every step of the way. Many of us cannot imagine climbing Mt. Everest, but Dr. Kamler allows us to climb along side of him. Dr. Kamler gives us a very "human" account of his expeditions to the tallest mountain in the world.

I am not a mountain climber, but after hearing a review of this book on NPR I felt it was a book I wanted to read. I found this well written non-fiction book read like a novel, and was a real page turner. Written from the perspective of a medical doctor as well as a climber, Kamler discusses high altitude medicine as well as climbing. This is an intimate account of a variety of attempts by Kamler to climb Mt. Everest, as well as the medical treatments that he administered as the team doctor. This book also deals with the tragedy of the 1996 disaster in which he was valuable in helping some of the survivors. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in mountain climbing or medcine.

If you or someone you know suffers from a panic disorder, anxiety, OCD, or phobias (especially agoraphobia and social phobias), you must read this book. It is THE best source of information and practical help I have ever seen on the subject.

The book contains a wide array of topics: causes of anxiety, coping with attacks, pharmaceutical treatments, holistic treatments, psychological approaches, nutrition, relaxation, where to find support, how to give support... the book would be worth triple its price just for the richness of information Dr. Bourne has compiled.

Add to that the excellent workbook exercises and techniques, and you have a truly indispensable resource.

I was very pleased with the presentation of the material. This book is not overflowing with warm and fuzzy, touchy-feely reassurances like many "self-help" books. Instead, it has proven, practical, self-paced techniques and exercises which you can use in your daily life, presented in a clear and easy-to-digest format. It's not a dry textbook, and it's not a bit of pop-psychology fluff -- this is a powerful tool for anyone whose quality of life has diminished because of anxiety and fear.

Good luck!

Did you know that anxiety disorder is fairy common and affects approximately one out of every ten people in the United States at any given time. Could we all be living under too much stress? I think so.

"Research conducted by the National Institute of Mental Health shows that anxiety disorders are the number-one mental health problem among American women and are second only to alcohol and drug abuse among men."

Have you ever felt panicky?
Are you fearful of entering certain places?

Are you anxious in social situations?
Do you feel apprehensive for extended periods of time?

This workbook is a practical guide that offers help to anyone struggling with panic attacks, agoraphobia, social fears, generalized anxiety and obsessive-compulsive behaviors. Dr. Edmund J. Bourne, Ph.D. is a psychologist and author who specializes in the treatment of phobias and other anxiety disorders.

Some of the Topics Include:

Causes of Anxiety Disorders
Visualization for Anxiety

Overcoming Negative Self-Talk
Real-Life Desensitization
Coping with Panic Attacks
Imagery Desensitization
Identifying and Expressing Feelings
Existential and spiritual Perspectives on Anxiety
Changing Mistaken Beliefs
Relaxations Techniques
Physical Exercise
Asserting Yourself
Nutrition
Medication
How to Create Your Own Recovery Program
Self-Esteem (including creating a relationship with your inner child)

This book emphasizes that anxiety can be a result of cumulative, long-term stress and there is a focus on adopting lifestyle changes to promote a more relaxed, balanced and healthy approach to life.

The chapter on Relaxation gives some great advice. Simple techniques like breathing properly or visualizing yourself in a peaceful scene can give immediate relief. There are lists of coping statements you can say to yourself to encourage calmness when you feel panic symptoms coming on. The list of 57 affirmations help you counter mistaken beliefs. Like, you tell yourself that you are responsible and in control of your life or you are willing to accept yourself the way you are and will take small steps to recover at your own pace.

I also liked the "Self-Nurturing Activities" which is a fun list of activities to make yourself feel good. Something as simple as taking a warm bath to sleeping out under the stars. The "Life Events Survey" is very interesting. The Death of a spouse, divorced, marital separation or being fired from work are at the top of the stress scale. Christmas comes in at 12 on the stress score as compared to 29 when you have trouble with inlaws.

For example: If you got married, changed to a different line of work, changed residence, and took two vacations, your total stress score would be at 132.

According to this chart, my current stress level is at 143. So, I am below the level of cumulative stress. Between 150 and 300 you would be suffering from chronic stress depending on how you perceived and coped with any particular life events.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is dealing with:

Panic Disorder
Agoraphobia
Social Phobia
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Acute Stress Disorder
Food Allergies

"But do not distress yourself with imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself." -Desiderata by Max Erhmann

The most comprehensive book I've seen on
this subject!

This book was extremely helpful to me in overcoming problems with anxiety. It has great factual information that helped me to learn more about anxiety, its causes, the different types, the symptoms, etc. It also has an extremely thorough and comprehensive program to help overcome anxiety, including advice on exercise, diet, medication, therapy, self-talk exercises, relaxation, affirmations, spirituality ... truly a broad and multi-faceted approach to a sticky problem.

I think one of the best things about the workbook is how it makes you realize you're not alone -- that anxiety is a widespread problem, that your symptoms are familiar and documented, and that they can be treated and even cured.

Dr. Bourne has an excellent track record for providing real help for real people, and this book is no exception. I always love it when a self-help author is willing to put his own story out there, and Dr. Bourne does so in a way that helps readers know that they are not alone with whatever degree or variety of anxiety that haunts them.

As a psychotherapist and author who also teaches about overcoming fear's control in our lives, I have tremendous respect for Dr. Bourne's well-thought out, thorough approach to the subject. He is not a "one technique fits all" kind of author, but instead offers a very complete catalog of options from which to choose.

Last, but not least, Healing Fear has something many self-help books don't have: humility. Dr. Bourne understands that cognitive/behavioral techniques are very powerful in the face of fear and anxieties, but he includes respectful and intelligent information about the value of medication and of spiritual practice. This is a book to which I never hesitate to refer a client, friend or family member.

-Thom Rutledge, Author of Embracing Fear (HarperSanFancisco)

I just finished reading Healing Fear. Bourne takes you through a number of paths that lead you towards discovering the way suitable to your own recovery. Healing Fear is very well written. I am sure that hours of careful reflection preceded each thought put forward in the book. It is comprehensive, thoughtful, maintains a high level of maturity through Bourne's opennes to refer you to other resources and communicates compassion as well as understanding for anxiety suffers that i experienced for the first time on this level.

Although the title of my review may sound a little cliche and gaudy it is actually not far from the truth. Having read the excellent Anxiety and Phobia Workbooks and gaining immense insight from them, I was eager to read one more book from Edmund Bourne. This book is an excellent read/resource for a number of reasons. Bourne, himself has suffered from anxiety for over 30 years and in the first part of the book he shares his struggles with the reader which gives us a sense of connection with him. Healing Fear does have some similarities to his previous books but it has evolved and expanded. Bourne now believes that there are far more circumstances when medication may be appropriate and even necessary. Also, there is a section on herbs which are relatively new to western civilization in the treatmentment of anxiety. Something else that is different about this book is the second section which has some definite ties to spirituality. Developing Your Observing Self is one of the most powerful and meaningful chapters that I have ever read in any book. Additionally, the numerous forms of relaxation are discussed as well as finding meaning in life. There are undoubtable ties between these subjects and lasting recovery from anxiety. True recovery ofter requires a shift in the way we look at things and the pace at which we live our lives. Incorporating a certain amount of relaxation and thought calming in our everyday lives is in many cases very necessary to our complete and full recovery from anxiety. In the last chapter there is a list of things to do everyday to avoid an accumulation of stress and there is a complete appendix to the book filled with suggested readings that are inspiring. Healing Fear does just what the title says it does and you will not be disappointed with your purchase.

Frank Worsley, the Captain of Shackleton's Endurance, is a surprisingly competent writer with a style that has a knack for the wonderous details of nature as well as the humorous side of things needed in desparate situations.

The book begins with the 3 boats making the dash towards Elephant Island. Most of the book naturally details the journey of the James Caird to South Georgia. Worsley, though very quirky in personality, was an incredibly resourceful, couargeouse man and a navigator without peer. Without him there would have a loss of all lives.

Though at times Worsley may confuse the non-sailing reader with his descriptions of their sailing technique(especially the venacular terms), he nevertheless manages to make you feel you are right in the boat with them. His descriptions of waves, icebergs, etc. are brilliant. He also has a wonderful sense of humor. He has an ability to coin a phrase in that Edwardian period style that is almost poetic. He came from an educated family in New Zealand and it shows.

He also brings great detail to the shorter but still dramatic crossing of South Georgia.

Overall, it is a wonderful book that is alive with details and personal perspectives from a man with a superb mind and great heart.

Frank Worsley's description of the boat journey he made with Shackleton and two other crewmen of the Endurance is remarkable not only for the adventure it tells, but for the language it is told in and the largeness of spirit that it demonstrates. When I first read this--a battered copy in the local library--I felt that every teenager in the United States should have the opportunity to experience the strength of character, understanding and fine prose style Worsley demonstrates in this tremendously exciting adventure story. His description of Shackleton's leadership qualities is insightful and generous. His own navigational miracle of bringing this tiny craft across the wildest seas in the world to the relatively small island of South Georgia is understated. This book is inspirational in the best sort of honest and clear way. I have been to Elephant Island and S. Georgia and my admiration is increased by the experience.

Among all Shackleton's achievements and triumphs, great as they were, his one failure was the most glorious. By self-sacrifice and throwing his own life into the balance he saved all of his men.
This is how Worsley ends his book that describes exactly how Shackleton was able to save them all. Though for this part of the journey, the amazing boat trip to South Georgia, perhaps it was not so much Shackleton as Worlsey who saved them all. Written by a down-to-earth practical man it is easy to get completely caught up in the story. Even after finishing the book, you will find it hard to stop thinking about this fantastic achievement of navigational skills.
Before reading this book, I strongly recommed the book "Endurance".

Peter Pan is a good adventure/fantasy that kids and adults can enjoy alike. With much exaggeration, it is something kids can enjoy and read into. It's a page-turning book that once you started you can't stop.

This isn't like the Disney movie! I loved this book but at the same time I was shocked by the violence of the fighting between Hook and the Lost Boys and the Indians. I don't think I'll be reading this one to my nephews and neices, not until I have edited out the violent bits. It wasn't that In-Your-Face violence of the Hollywood movies, it was more insinuated and there was definetly a menacing atmosphere surrounding Wendy's, Peter's and Michael's adventures in Never Never Land. I do recommend it though, just not for easily frightened youngsters. This is definetly in need of a PG rating on the cover. PARENTS: This is no Disney Peter Pan!

My 10 year old daughter found this book in the school library. She read it one weekend and has checked it out several times. The classic story along with the beautiful illustrations by Eric Kincaid have made this one of her favorite books. When I surprised her with her own copy that I had found on Amazon she was thrilled and commented on it's excellent condition.

This is one of the best historical biographies I've ever read, and the book does deserves high praise, but there are a few flaws--mostly arising from failing to really cover some established points.

The brilliance of the book is that it limits itself to Roosevelt's pre-presidential life. The key to understanding Roosevelt in office is to understand how he came to be the man he was and, by limiting this effort to that period, the book affords the reader to contemplate the man as opposed to the president. The fact that Roosevelt lived an utterly amazing life certainly helps, along with a writing style that approaches the novelistic without sacrificing the historic. This allows for a lively and well paced--yet academically rigorous-- effort.

The flaws, such as they are, are in the academically rigorous realm. The frustration I had with the book was it raises points of serious import about Roosevelt--even engages in some conjecture--but never really addresses them. A case in point is Roosevelt's childhood illnesses. Many--including Morris here--speculate there may have been a significant psychological component to his childhood illnesses relating to his relationship to his quite austere and demanding father. Obviously, if a case can be made for such a circumstance, the implications for the development of some of Roosevelt's adult attitudes and beliefs could be significant. However, Morris raises the issue but never really deals with it. There are a few other instances of this. They represent the only real flaw in the book.

These shortcomings notwithstanding, what Morris has produced is an extraordinarily detailed yet wonderfully accessible rigorous examination of the growth and development of Roosevelt the man. This is a truly wonderful book.

This biography is one of the most thorough and enjoyable I have read. If there has been controversy over Morris' Reagan bio, at least it brought attention to this book. Morris drew a portrait of Roosevelt and his era and it came to life for me. I particularly enjoyed the description of the political scene of the time, especially the New York State assembly and further on to Boss Platt, Senator Hanna, and the other backroom operatives. Morris does not hide the negative side of TR, the snobbery, the hypocrisy, and the naked jingoism. As a Canadian, Roosevelt took Manifest Destiny to extremes and one sympathized with those who considered him a loose cannon. At the same time, this book shows his drive, energy, and his willingness to put himself face-first into anything, be it the Spanish American War, the unpopular anti-saloon enforcement in NYC, or any of his western adventures. I highly recommend this biography to anyone interested in history, Americana, or the times of the later 19th century.

Edmund Morris's "The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt" is a magnificent biography, perhaps the best I've ever read. In it, Morris follows the life of Theodore Roosevelt from his birth in a New York City brownstone in 1858 to his assumption of the U.S. Presidency in 1901. The book is the first of three volumes Morris plans to write on Roosevelt, the second of which --"Theodore Rex" -- was released last year.

In more than 700 pages of text in this book, there is hardly a dull page. The main reason for this, of course, is TR's fascinating, energetic life. He was -- in no particular order -- an amateur naturalist of note, a decorated soldier, an historian, a rancher in the Badlands, a government officer pushing for reform in the civil service, Police Commissioner, Assistant Secretary of the Navy, a state assemblyman, New York's Governor, and finally Vice President. It would be difficult to write a dull book about such a man.

But Morris deserves some credit as well. I've read several other biographies of Roosevelt, and while many of them are quite good -- even great -- this is the best. I believe Morris's style as well as his control of the material is the best explanation for this. Much of the writing is beautiful. Even Morris doesn't approach it in his other books.

But here Morris shows a poet's gift for metaphor and simile. In explaining how reserved, emotionally stunted men like Henry Adams, Thomas Reed, and Henry Cabot Lodge put up socially with the rambunctious Roosevelt, Morris writes they "...grew dependent upon [Roosevelt's] warmth, as lizards crave the sun." There are numerous examples like this in the book.

While "The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt" should probably be described as a political or historical biography, one doesn't need to have the slightest interest in either to enjoy it. Roosevelt's own ambition and energy, the circumstances of his life, and Morris's writing will drive anyone's interest.

This book is an excellent mythology reader. The first section is devoted to the stories of gods and heroes. The majority of the stories is from Greco-Roman mythology and includes such classics as Apollo and Daphne, Pygmalion, The Golden Fleece, Midas, The Sibyl, and much more. This part also devotes four chapters to Eastern Mythology (Hindu myths, Zoroastor, etc.), Norse mythology (Thor, etc.) and The Druids of Iona. Part two is made up of the popular Arthurian legends and contains many of the most famous stories such as Tristam and Isoude, the quest for the Holy Grail, and the Death of Arthur. Much of this section is rendered in verse. This part also has the Mambinogeon and other myths of the British race (e.g. Beowulf and Robin Hood). The final section (my personal favorite) includes the legends of Charlemagne, or more specifically those of his paladins. This is where one can find stories of Orlando, Rinaldo, and Ogier the Dane. These stories are not as famous as the Arthurian legends, but are just as exciting. There is a very helpful dictionary of names and terms and a few maps and illustrations. Also, the English is fairly easy to read and shouldn't be difficult for the average person. This book is not complete; many of the stories are obviously abridged. It would be nice if it included annotations or a bibliography for those wanting to read more in depth. However, the introduction includes a very basic history of the stories, which should help the more enterprising reader find the unabridged editions. Still, Bulfinch's Mythology is one of the best and least expensive ways become acquainted with these classic stories. I highly recommend it!

BULFINCH'S MYTHOLOGY is THE classic introduction to ancient and medieval myths. In three volume's, Thomas Bulfinch recounted and referenced classical stories of Graeco-Roman gods and heroes, Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, Norse and Hindu mythology, the Arthurian legends, Robin Hood, the Mabinogeon, and the tales of Chalemagne and his paladins. All three volumes are combined here in a single book. Besides making great reading on their own, these tales, and the values and ideals that they illustrate, are at the very heart of western literature and culture. Shakespeare, Milton, and most of the other icons of English literature drew on them repeatedly. The modern fantasy genre has its origins in this material. Tolkien was inspired by it. They are "must" reading for anyone who aspires to be considered "educated".

There are just a couple of negatives here. The particular edition I have has a lot of typographical errors in it. There were such things as a sentence beginning "She..." when clearly it should have begun "The...", for example. Further, one can find fuller retellings of specific stories in other places. These are minor points, however. Bulfinch is still the classic introduction and source for mythological tales. Plus, as I said, it's great fun. Most people can profit from Bulfinch. Fantasy fans should especially love it.

This book is a most buy . This book was used by Ensemble Studios from Microsoft to create the game Age of Mythology (AOM). What else can I say? if any of you are fan of the Age of Empires series then you'll know what I'm talking about. :)

This second part of the Gormenghast trilogy focuses on Titus Groan, 77th Earl of Gormenghast's youth, from schooling to his ascention to manhood. This book took me almost a year to read (one long break) - the first half of the book progresses incredibly slowly, even for Peake's normally languid pace - I just couldn't cope. I can appreciate his qualities as a wordsmith - his vocabulary is second to none but I couldn't help but think he could have shortened things somewhat- the schoolmasters' preparation to court Irma drags on and on, but her eventual marriage has virtually no importance to the main plot, and ends up seeming like a waste of time and space - 'I waded through molasses for what!'

In stark contrast, the latter half of the book contains Peake's best (I think) work of the entire trilogy, culminating in the hunt for Steerpike - which is superb. Definately a book of two halves, (bad cliche) but the reader is rewarded for their effort in the end.

It's not really possible to review Gormenghast out of context with the other two books that sandwich it: Titus Groan leads you into the world of Gormenghast and Titus Alone makes you wonder how Gormenghast, the place, exists.
This second volume continues to follow the adventures of the murderously ambitious Steerpike, the maturity and self-awareness of Titus Groan, with some colorful side-trips into a courtship, the revelation of a creature completely antithetical to all that Gormanghast stands for, and a natural disaster that heightens the intensity of the conclusion.
I would heartily recommend starting with Titus Groan (it seems the only available edition has all three volumes in one), and working through them in sequence. But make sure you avoid all the scholarly apparatus that follows Titus Alone until you've finished all three: there are a few spoilers there.
As for the comparisons to Tolkein, I'm afraid I don't see it: they as different as can be. This is not a hero's quest and where it does come down to good versus evil, it's more to do with survival: the world of Gormenghast is a world of murk and shadows, with no clear delineations or values. Titus Groan's self-awareness and the choices he makes are what drive the story. In The Lord of the Rings, there's a sense of destiny to the decisions and actions: Gormenghast is much more personal, with Steerpike's ambition, Sepulchrave's sense of duty, Flay's vigilance, Titus's maturity all helping to propel the action.
Now go read this monster.

These books rank with the greatest books of world literature, and only one of them is still in print? Every library in the world should have a copy of the trilogy. Anyway, here we find the story of the adolescence of Titus Groan. We are also given more depth into the other characters. I'd like to note that my veiw of Steerpike and Flay changed. When I read Titus Groan, I found Steerpike more a sympathetic character than Flay, here it is otherwise. I'd also like to mention on how the events in the previous book effect the life of Titus Groan in such a way that it seems as if it happened in real life. We see the conflict inside of him between the pride of his linege and the desire for freedom, that eventually has Titus flee the great castle. The conflict between freedom and desire for the home is carried into Titus Alone.