If I had to pick one person to be emperor of the world it would, in all seriousness, be Paul Alpers.

His book, furthermore, is a must-read for students of the Faerie Queene (and hey, who isn't?), althought it is necessarily a bit out of date. I'm sure Mr. Alpers would do a thing or two differently if he were to write it again (cf. What is Pastoral?), but this book is worth hunting down none the less. Let's get that sales rating up!

For anyone whose life has been touched by polio, whether through direct experience with the disease, caring for those who were affected by it or the fear of those epidemic summers , 3Polio1s Legacy2 will evoke powerful memories. For some, the book might even help piece together crucial aspects of a buried past that shaped their lives. Or they might remember the horror of hearing that their spinal tap did indeed indicate polio, and of being told they would never walk again. And few of us will forget the struggle back into the mainstream. We all fought hard not to be 3crippled2, even though we were! Cripples in the first half of this century were frequently looked upon with disdain. Feared or thought to be cursed by God, whatever the reason, some physically disabled children were even barred from attending public schools. President F. D. Roosevelt, however, personally overcame the prejudices of that era through a 3cheerful striving toward normalization2, and that is in effect what we all did. Edmund Sass begins with a layman1s description of polio in both the acute phase and the later effects which are commonly referred to as the post-polio syndrome. He then introduces us to 35 U.S. polio survivors who present their shared experiences in their own words. They tell us about the initial illness, lumbar punctures, hospitalization, separation from family and friends, iron lungs, wheelchairs, surgery, scoliosis, braces, crutches, canes and much more. Dr. Richard Owen, a doctor who had polio and who edited 3Polio1s Legacy2 for medical accuracy, wrote the following in his preface: 3The memories jarred loose by reading this book. . . .help to define ourselves by understanding better the way we were and by becoming more sensitive to the experiences of others. The stories contain instances of grimness and humor, of courage and fear, of opinion and sadness, of coping and denial. This carefully- put-together book is a service to society as a history of a time and of a disease with broad ramifications and implications.2 3How can I live within my limitations and still be the same person I was?2 asks one of the polio survivors who finally acknowledged that she needed help in coping with new weaknesses many years after the original polio. Many who had polio probably have asked or will ask themselves the same question because post-polio syndrome is a reality for people aging with polio. Why some people have late effects and others don1t has yet to be determined. There are, however, some predictive factors. The following reflection by someone who is experiencing new difficulty with his old polio speaks for many: 3Some days when I have more than my usual number of aches and pains or when my energy level is particularly low, I feel like I have a ticking time-bomb inside my body that is about to go off. I1ve come to the conclusion that polio is a particularly cruel disease. It steals your childhood, gives you 20 or 30 years to adjust to the disabilities with which you were left, and then threatens to return to complicate your life once again.2 Despite all this, most of those interviewed have lead full and enriched lives. Their stories celebrate life and the resiliency of the human spirit and might even inspire parents of handicapped children today. 3To individuals with polio residuals and/or post-polio syndrome and their families, the book serves as a collective memoir. To those health workers, scientists, and volunteers who participated in the battles against this frightening and often devastating disease, the book can function as recognition for a job well done.2 (Dr. Owen1s preface) But for me, the highlight of 3Polio1s Legacy2 is Sass1s dedication of his book to the parents (or caregivers) of polio survivors: 3Though we went through hell2, says the author, 3we took our parents along for the ride....and they never complained.2 To all parents and families, and mine in particular, this is an opportunity to offer a delayed but profound thank you. Sally Aitken.

POLITICAL Business in East Asia attempts to draw a link between
businessmen and politicians in power.
The various authors - most of whom are university academicians, provide clear country-studies on how governments facilitate the rise of major conglomerates and how they provide support for industrial growth.
Yet, state influence may extend beyond providing the necessary
facilities. This book uncovers the fundamental issue of the nature of
politics and business. A total of 10 chapters - two on regional outlookand eight on individual countries, highlight the development of capital and the evolution of the business-political links.
Stating that political change would have not come naturally, the bookargues that the Asian Financial Crisis became a watershed for the region.
The authors highlight how the crisis made it imperative for both governments and businessmen to review their relations.
Within this context, Political Business in East Asia, edited by University Malaya associate professor Dr Edmund Terence Gomez, offers a comprehensive introduction to the region's political economy. An interesting read for businessmen and government officials alike.

Presenting Edmund Burke thematically is perhaps the only way to really approach Burke, as Conor Cruise O'Brien or Russell Kirk (Burke's best biographers) would probably agree. So unlike 'On Empire, Liberty, and Reform,' which is chronological, the portable Edmund Burke instead tackles Burke under the themes of America, Ireland, India, and the French Revolution, and a couple other sub-themes, with invaluable commentary. By the end of the book, Burke is better enveloped here than in most biographies, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

This of one of the few books that really lives up to its potential. Particularly for the new practitioner, it will be a big help for in-office procedures. The explanations are clear, concise, and very easy to understand. The illustrations are exactly what you want to see. My only criticism of the book is that I don't like the spiral binding.

I think this book is a valuable read for anyone who is studying not only hockey culture, but violence in sports. I highly recommend reading this in conjunction with Robidoux's 'Men at Play' to gain good idea of hockey players' early developmental experiences, the unglamorized aspects of the sport, and other things that don't make it to ESPN.

This is an excellent presentation on the life and thought of this pioneer of the ecumenical movement. The biography of Edmund Schlink from his early years through the church struggle under the Nazi regime in Germany, his contribution to the rebuilding of the Protestant church in Germany after the war, and especially his contributions to the ecumenical movement in the context of the WCC as well as with regard to Protestant-Roman Catholic relations are described on the basis of unpublished materials. Thus a fascinating report on the life and activities of one of the leading Lutheran theologians of our time emerges. The development of Schlink's theology is incorporated into this description. The book is a remarkable achievment and should be read by anyone interested in the ecumenical Christian movement of our century, but also as a paradigmatic biography of a life of Christian theologian from Germany under the impact of the difficult experiences of this century.

Rambling Recollections is a sort of autobiographical history of aviation in Indiana, particularly in the Muncie area, written by Edmund Ball of the Ball Corporation, known mainly for providing glass canning jars essential to the nation for several decades. Not so well known is the involvement of Ball Corporation in aviation, from early fruit jar encapsulated landing strip lighting to production of several models of space satellites. Mr. Ball describes his series of involvements with the many airplanes he has flown and owned, from Jennies to jets, and important figures in aviation history he has known along the way. For anyone interested in aviation history or aviation nostalgia, the book is a treasure.-- Gale Craig Anderson, IN

This book completely met my expectations for two reasons so I gave it 5 stars. It's not exactly a "bestseller of the month" topic, so others may not be so generous. I don't find much about New Amsterdam and was excited to find a book hot off the presses that went into enough background information about early Dutch settlement. I was also quite pleased to find the names of several ancestors named as settlers prior to 1625. Quite readable. There is an occasional non-native English speaker grammatical error, but I actually like that and I thank the author for his hard work and a job well done!

Hillary's high school youth group inspiration, liberal theologian Paul Tillich, once wrote that "Christianity is the religion of which Socialism is the practice." Opitz completely disagrees, and demonstrates through convincing logical arguments that actually, socialism is an internal version of the international "imperialism" that these same liberals also scorn: a politically connected minority milking the majority of their wealth, and coining pious arguments to justify it. Nothing particularly Christian about any of it. This is a great book. If I were a socialist, I'd compel you to read it.