Great book by a master. Expertly written and there are facts in there that I can barely wrap my mind around (like the fact that the world's smallest bird, a hummingbird, can flap its wings at 200 times a second!). One thing that struck me as curious, however, is that, in the section entitled "The Demands of the Egg," Sir David explains why all birds lay eggs, saying that having live young gestate within the female would be an impediment to flight. But he doesn't go into why flightless birds to lay eggs. Probably because it's convenient and there hasn't been enough time for evolution for them to evolve away from the habit. Also, flightless birds only have two legs for locomotion and might have a hard time with live young squirming around inside (just a guess). I'm sure any interested reader would be able to come out with their own hypotheses; it's just curious that it's not expounded upon at all. But it's a very minor flaw, if it can be called a flaw at all. I think this book will make a bird lover out of anyone. Also check out the VHS of the BBC series.

Sir David Attenborough, veteran of many major book/television series combinations, has knocked them for six again with 'The Life of Birds'. This book is the perfect companion for learning more while watching the series, and yet stands alone admirably for those who haven't seen the series.

Sir David examines all aspects of the diversity of the community of birds. He begins with a discussion of what is considered the prime difference between birds and other animals -- flight. He starts by examining the archaeological record, and then proceeds to examine reasons why flight might have come to be developed in the first place. One of the early fossils of flying animals is the Archaeopteryx, which Sir David states 'could not have been the first backboned animal to have taken to the air. Its feathers have such a complex structure that they must be the product of a long evolutionary process...'

Of course, flight is not a requirement of birds. 'Giant flightless birds, however, do still stalk the earth,' says Sir David, who then proceeds to examine flightless birds and the reasons why they abandoned flight. 'Flying is very expensive in terms of energy and birds do not travel by air if it is safe for them to do so by land.'

Sir David examines the life cycles of several species of bird, from egg to death, which includes the feeding habits, the mating habits, and the limits of endurance. Here you will learn the different nesting and parenting problems. 'Most birds of prey lay more eggs than they can raise, feed the eldest preferentially and allow it to harry its younger sibling so unrelentingly that it dies. The winner will then usually eat the loser, so the nutriment invested by the parents in the extra egg and the food they have given to the nestling it produced, is not wasted. The macaroni penguin has a strange variant of this practice. It also lays two eggs, but the first is smaller than the second, hatches later and seldom survives.'

You will learn about different feeding patterns, including those birds which nose-dive into water to catch their dinner. 'Entering the water in order to find food clearly presents greater problems than making brief dips with the beak. Because birds are warm-blooded, they run the risk of getting seriously chilled.'

The European dipper relies upon oils and air pockets between feathers to keep itself warm during such dips. Of course, many birds live on or in the water. This points out the diversity apparent in birds. Obviously penguins, ducks, geese, etc. have no problems in the water, even very cold water.

Mating habits include such things as bright plumage, interesting movements and feather patterns that change, songs and signals, and even intricate dance/flight patterns. For instance, the blue-footed booby of Galapagos tends to display and dance to attract a mate (very human of it, in fact!). Some mate more easily than others -- 'The male European wren expects to provide her with a nest and a male may build up to a dozen nests in different sites before he produces one that convinces a female that he will be an adequate partner.' The photographs in this section of the book are very interesting, many are humourous and some even romantic.

The limits of endurance show that birds have adapted themselves to every climate on earth. Emperor penguins have no trouble with the antarctic cold. The sandgrouse has adapted itself to desert climates. And of course, several birds have adapted themselves to the environments of humanity, thriving on the food production methods and refuse of our society.

A fascinating tale, a great life to be read. 'The Life of Birds' is essential to any armchair birdwatcher, and anyone interested in nature, and will be enjoyed by many more.

The Life of Birds is another fascinating read from David Attenborough. I chose this book solely because he wrote it, not because I was looking for a book about birds. When I came across the book I knew it would be beautifully written and extremely interesting:and it is. Anyone who read and savored The Living Planet will find The Life of Birds to be equally fascinating. The photographs are of the highest caliber. This book can be read and re-read and it will always be interesting. It is a wonderful book to share with children as well. Young one's can benefit from looking at the pictures and having an adult simplify the text. This book is an excellent addition to the home library.

This book is about the best tournament of all time (in my opinion). It teaches players how to use their pieces, how to sacrifice to gain initiative, and many more things. It has some fascinating and beautiful positions I have ever seen. The author, David Bronstein, has made it clear what each player is trying to accomplish without doing in depth variation calculating. If you enjoy reading about chess history and how the chess world was shaped, or even just have a passion for great chess games, this would be a great book to read.

I've bought many chess books but this book is the best one I've ever read. Whole I can say about this is book is "Magnificient". I wish I had bought that long time ago. Annotations ,comments etc. everything is perfect. Maybe If there are some photographs in it it would be nicer.

Bronstein without giving a lot of variations teachs us how to assess a middle game position and how to build a correct strategic plan. Chess is actually is a very difficult game to understand but he explains the different aspects of a chess game in great clarity and understandable manner .

Many thanks to Great Bronstein for writing such a great book.

If you were allowed to read but one book on your path to becoming a chess master, this would be it [In fact, a good friend of mine reached the 2200+ elo level having read only this chess book and Chess Life articles]. This book was written to be more than a series of annotations to the games of an excellent tournament but to be an all inclusive book on the game of chess. Focusing especially on the middle game, this book could also be entitled: David Bronstein on Chess, Using Examples from Zurich 1953. It could even be called: Middle Game Play Circa 1953. It is a truly marvelous book. Don't be stingy: Buy it!

The Complete Works of Shakespeare edited by David Bevington

Bevington's edition of Shakespeare's plays is a popular choice, and not without good reason. But that doesn't make an ideal choice. The introduction to this one volume edition is ample with chapters on life in Shakespeare's England, the drama before Shakespeare, Shakespeare's life and work. These are good, but they tend to rely on older scholarship and they may not be current. For example Bevington repeats Hinman's claim that there were 1200 copies of the 1623 Folio printed. However later scholars think the number was quite a bit lower, around 750. It should be said that we don't know for sure how many copies of the 1623 folio were printed and either number could be correct.

Bevington's edition prints the plays by genre. We get a section of Comedies, Histories, Tragedies, Romances and the Poems. He puts "Troilus and Cressida" with the comedies, though we know the play was slated to appear with the tragedies in the 1623 folio. The play was never meant to appear with the comedies, and all the surviving Folios that have the play have it at the beginning of the tragedies.

Let's get down to brass tacks. You are not going to buy an edition of Shakespeare's works because of good introduction. You're going to buy one because the quality of the editing of the plays. Is it reliable? Is it accurate? For the most part this edition is reliable and accurate, but that does not mean it is accurate and reliable in every instance.

Modernized editions of Shakespeare's plays and poems are norm. Since the 18th century (and even before) editors of Shakespeare have modernized and regularized Shakespeare's plays and poems. There are good reasons for this modernization. There is the reader's ease of use and the correcting misprints and mislination. I have no problem with this regularization of spelling or punctuation. But when an editor goes beyond normalizing and modernizing--when an editor interferes with the text then I have a problem.

Let me give two examples of the editorial interference that I am writing about:

King Lear 2-1-14 (p. 1184)
Bevington has:
Edmund
The Duke be here tonight? The better! Best!
This weaves itself perforce into my business.

The Folio has:
Bast. The Duke be here to night? The better best,
This weaues it selfe perforce into my businesse,

Even allowences made for modernization of punctuation and grammar would not account for Bevington's "The better! Best." Bevington glosses this to mean "so much the better; in fact the best that could happen." Nice try, but "The better best" of the folio is a double comparative, (which is a regular feature of Early Modern English) and not two separate adjectival phrases. Interestingly, the Quarto printing of Lear prints this scene in prose, and there is no punctuation between "better" and "best" in that version either.

A few lines down Lear 2-1-19 Edmund continues
Bevington has:
Brother, a word. Descend. Brother, I say!
Enter Edgar

But Bevington has reversed the order. The Folio has:
Enter Edgar.
Brother, a word, discend; Brother I say,

Bevington does not say why he changed the order, though to be fair other modern editors have done the same thing.

These two changes just a few lines apart go beyond regularization or modernization. They interfere with the text as presented in the 1623 Folio. And Bevington does not explain the changes. So next time you pick up this or any other modernized edition you should ask yourself "am I really sure what I'm reading is what Shakespeare wrote?"

THE COMPLETE WORKS OF SHAKESPEARE. Updated Fourth Edition. Edited by David Bevington. 2000 pp. New York : Longman, 1997. ISBN 0-321-01254-2 (hbk.)

As complete Shakespeares go, the Bevington would seem have everything. Its book-length Introduction covers Life in Shakespeare's England; The Drama Before Shakespeare; London Theaters and Dramatic Companies; Shakespeare's Life and Work; Shakespeare's Language : His Development as Poet and Dramatist; Edition and Editors of Shakespeare; Shakespeare Criticism.

The texts follow in groups : Comedies; Histories; Tragedies; Romances (including 'The Two Noble Kinsmen'); Poems. Each play is given a separate Introduction adequate to the needs of a beginner, and the excellent and helpful brief notes at the bottom of each page, besides explaining individual words and lines, provide stage directions to help readers visualize the plays.

One extremely useful feature of the layout is that instead of being given the usual style of line numbering - 10, 20, 30, etc. - numbers occur _only_ at the end of lines which have been given footnotes - e.g., 9, 12, 16, 18, 32. Why no-one seems to have thought of doing this before I don't know, but it's a wonderful innovation that does away entirely with the tedious and time-wasting hassle of line counting, and the equally time-wasting frustration of searching through footnotes only to find that no note exists. If the line has a note you will know at once, and the notes are easy for the eye to locate as the keywords preceeding notes are in bold type.

The book - which is rounded out with three Appendices, a Royal Genealogy of England, Maps, Bibliography, Suggestions for Reading and Research, Textual Notes, Glossary of common words, and Index - also includes a 16-page section of striking color photographs.

The book is excellently printed in a semi-bold font that is exceptionally sharp, clear, and easy to read despite the show-through of its thin paper. It is a large heavy volume of full quarto size, stitched so that it opens flat, and bound, not with cloth, but with a soft decorative paper which wears out quickly at the edges and corners.

If it had been printed on a slightly better paper and bound in cloth, the Bevington would have been perfect. As it is, it's a fine piece of book-making nevertheless, and has been edited in such a way as to make the reading of Shakespeare as hassle-free and enjoyable an experience as possible. Strongly recommended for students and the general reader.

Last year for Christmas I asked my parents for some William Shakespeare's plays.Boy was I suprised!Not only does it have all of the plays,but also his Sonats,poems,and illistrations.Despite the fact that it's a large valuem and will need quite a bit off book space from you're self.You wont regret getting it.You will never need to get another book on William Shakespeare's plays and everything else ever again.It also has a list of dictonary for understanding the words better.

Having been a space program buff since my childhood, I've been drawn by books like Martin Caidin's Marooned, Stephen Baxter's Voyage, and even political writer Allen Drury's The Throne of Saturn (that one dates me, I realize). Red Moon caught my attention while I was browsing Amazon, and after only a few pages I was pleased to see I had spent my money very, very well.

Simply, this is an amazing book. Unlike a lot of books that try to achieve a cinematic effect by cutting quickly between scenes and situations, Michaels' book, with its full chapters and fully realized sequences paints clear heartfelt scenes more effectively than most of today's films. His characters of astronaut Janet Luckman, planetary geologist Milo Jefferson, and central character, Cosmonaut Grigor Belinsky are living and breathing people with needs and flaws and conflicts. People I thought about long after I had finished Red Moon.

The premise is that a lunar mission set during the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing discovers the Soviet craft Luna 15, launched days before Apollo 11 but landing at nearly the same time, was not an unmanned probe, but in fact a last-ditch attempt to land a man on the Moon before the Americans. As an adolescent in 1969, I followed the flight of Apollo 11 completely entranced, and the looming presence of Luna 15 was felt deeply by me. I had wondered about the intentions of the mysterious craft, and it is fascinating to me to see this captured the imagination of this writer as well.

This is a huge book, not only in size, but scope, and Michaels pulls it off admirably, even more so considering this is his first novel. He takes us along three parallel storylines, two set in 2019 -- one on a lunar landing mission marking the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11's landing, the second in the upper echelons of NASA -- and one set in the Soviet Union of 1968-69. The first Macguffin of the story, finding rare Helium 3 on the Moon, is the same as Homer Hickam's disappointing Back to the Moon, but is handled far more dramatically, and is in turn upstaged by the quest for finding the answer to the mystery surrounding Luna 15 and Grigor Belinsky, her pilot. Michaels skillfully plays the three storylines off of each other, teasing and rewarding us, involving us deeply into these people's lives. There are moments of great passion and feeling in this story, so much so it brought me to tears no less than three times.

I genuinely wished the book had been longer, and if there is a sequel I'll be the first to snatch it up. Red Moon is simply a wonderful read. I recommend it highly.

RED MOON is an exceptional novel of speculative fiction. The author has done a tremendous job in intertwining three related plots to generate an oeuvre of hefty proportions and considerable creativity. And it is such a pleasure to read a book that is written for the reader, not in anticipation of a screenplay.

RED MOON not only uses the backdrop of the US-USSR space race as one point of departure, but also creates tension through the ongoing philosophical differences that remain between the two nations. The historical references to the program of the late 1960's are insightful, accurate and compelling. The plots are uncompromisingly driven by a "what-if?" factor that is added by speculations that the world was not aware of certain flights and missions by the Soviets. Revealing these cover-ups and conspiracies through the future lunar exploration timelines is a remarkably effective literary device, well handled by the author.

The characters of astronaut Janet Luckman, planetary geologist Milo Jefferson, and central character, Cosmonaut Grigor Belinsky are well drawn and believable. The future setting of lunar exploration in search of Helium-3 is portrayed admirably, and the historical elements incorporated are enlightening and without extraneous embellishment.

A gripping and passionate tale that is sure to please. Highly Recommended.

Red Moon is an exceptional thriller as well as a novel of speculative fiction. It is actually three interwoven and inter-related stories all tied to the US-Soviet Space Race. The insights into the history of what happened and why it happened back in the sixties would be worth the price of admission alone-- but Dave Michaels has gone far beyond that to craft a gripping, page-turning novel about a future moon expedition and how the discovery of water on the moon will affect life on earth. I am not a huge fan of science fiction novels that are "the black and white hat fighting for territory in the sky" type. I prefer novels of more characterological depth that leave me with something to think about and have a real emotional impact as well. Red Moon is a great novel because it accomplishes just that. There are characters we really care about from Belinsky the tragic Russian cosmonaut to Janet Luckman an American Astronaut stranded on the moon with someone who is trying to murder her (and she has no idea who on her team it could be). This is a book to warm the heart, fascinate the mind and feed the soul. I can hardly recommend it enough for a first novel.

This book was given to me by a co-worker who believed the subject matter and story would interest me. She was right. There are so many different issues dealt with in this book ranging from the struggle for sexual identity to the struggle of sharing it with you family.....to the ups and downs of living a life that is full of oppression and worry. There are many characters here with many different backgrounds. There is Phillip, the young gay man struggling to win acceptance from his mother. Elliott who fears commitment and leaves Phillip. Owen, Phillip's father who has to come to terms with his own sexual identity after years of marriage and living his life without being true to himself. Then there is Jerene who is basically disowned because of her homosexuality which is so common in this day and age and extremely sad. NO parent should ever do this to their child!!!!! UNCONDITIONAL LOVE is key! Jerene's new girlfriend Laura.....it is just a well written story on all levels.......my only complaint was the ending. There was no real closure. Other than that, I loved it!

This is such a well written book that I am now interested in reading other works by this author. A plausible storyline involving three main characters, their interactions with each other and their lack of honesty regarding their true feelings. The internal sexual turmoils experienced by the father and the son were exceptionally well presented.

The Lost Language of Cranes is the only book I have ever read by this author. Still, its evocative style and powerful prose made a lasting impression. The author tells a story of two generations of gay men, a father and son in the same family, both in their own particular closets. The pain these characters suffer is both palpable and moving.

Most beautiful is the author's use of the allegory of linguistics and feral children, in particular people struggling to develop a language in which they can communicate. The image is poignant and made more powerful with repetition. Each example given is subtly different, yet telling about the life of gay men and lesbian struggling to find a language that they can call their own.

A wonderful read for any one, gay, straight or otherwise.

My grandson, who is six, especially enjoyed the arithmetic lesson in this book, as Henry's friend adds up his earnings steadily. He was also interested in seeing which bear got to Fitchburg first. The illustrations are charming, and the story wears well for repeated reading. As for the references to the Alcotts and Emerson and Henry the Bear's likemindedness with Henry David Thoreau, that's just an extra for adults.

3 to 8 yrs. Some may find this book objectionable in that they may believe that its underlying message for children is 'work is bad.' But that doesn't seem to be the author's intent. It seems to be more observational then as a teaching tool.

Based on a passage from Henry David Thoreau's Walden, the story is about Henry--the main animal character (bear?) in the story--and his friend, who decide to go to Fitchburg. Henry chooses to walk the 30 miles, while his friend plans to work, so that he can earn enough money to ride the train. We then bounce from character to character to witness what they are experiencing in their quest to get to Fitchburg.

Good illustrations, and interesting story providing ample discussion material for parents and children, about the different meanings this story possess.

This is a wonderful picture book about two bears who both want to reach Fitchburg, a town thirty miles away. Henry decides to walk, and his friend decides to do odd jobs around town in order to earn money for the train fare. The reader can decide with the turn of every page which bear is enjoying the journey more. A great book about how the journey is as important as reaching the destination. Also a note on the the origin of the story and Henry David Thoreau. Great illustrations as well.

This is a good book providing advanced LotusScript and Java examples beyond standard reference stuff taken from Help. As the back cover says, it contains all the front and back end classes for LotusScript and Java. But, it is a detailed reference on ONLY those two topics, not a "panacean tool" for all Domino areas as the back cover also implies in the FIRST sentence (as Dilbert says, all marketing people lie and should be shot). so you need to learn LotusScript and Java somewhere else to use this.

My only gripe is that the title is really misleading - this ONLY covers LotusScript and Java, and should be described as such in the title. I recommended this book at a recent Orange County (CA) Notes & Domino user group and gave away a raffle copy, and there was much interest from the experienced developers. There are other books that cover many topics about Domino, but this one covers only the two topics in very good detail not available elsewhere.

Now, maybe they might do the same for Javascript and HTML within the Domino environment in the future - hear that guys! I could also use a manual comparing techniques using standard Notes features with EXAMPLES how to do the same task just for the web.

There is no companion CD, and it would have been nice to get a full text searchable, Notes nsf file of the book like other publishers provide to carry on your laptop.

The book is list priced at $45, Amazon is $9 less, and I bought it when it first came out at the local Microcenter store for $25. Most of you won't be near such a good bookstore, so Amazon continues to be a good source for this kind of book...

Exactly what I've been looking for: A no nonsense reference manual for the LotusScript and Java class libraries. Probably the most useful book a professional Notes/Domino developer can have.

Amazon only lets you put in 5 stars, this is a shame. If you are a Notes programmer, this IS your Essential Reference. I have found no other book that combines all of the LotusScript and Java front and back-end classes in such a usable fashion. The authors were kind enough to be concise yet descriptive while also providing many useful examples.

If I run into Tim or Dave at LotusSphere, I am definitely buying them a beer.

The re-release of the legendary 1972 recording of Die Zauberflöte, conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch, is a great blessing to all who know and love this great work. Edda Moser's interpretation of the Queen of the Night is justly celebrated, achieving not only transcendently perfect delivery, but also a chilling portrait of pure evil. All of the other cast members are excellent. The spoken role of Papageno is particularly striking, sounding sufficiently pungent to remind us that the role was originally played by Emanuel Schickaneder himself. The tempi are, for the most part remarkably well-chosen. In addition, the Masonic gravity of the subject matter is constantly respected. The chorus of the armed men is properly alarming, the cantus firmus stridently insistent above the counterpoint of the strings. Even more uncommon is the treatment of the secondary scenes of Act II, especially the chorus Welche Wonne, in which the evocation of the candidate's future "new life" is infused with the trepidation inevitably attendant upon any trial of life and death. All too often, this work, which is gravely serious in its intent, is presented as a fairy tale. This recording successfully conveys the philosophical context, and does justice to Mozart's attachment to Masonry. [The only flaw which I could detect is the inclusion of a very questionable musical fragment, inserted into Act II, Scene 11 ("Pamina, wo bist du?"). I could locate no reference to this anywhere in my extensive library on the subject, and can only speculate that it might be some unacknowledged retention from one of the infamous "reworkings" of the opera which occurred after Mozart's death....At any rate, it requires an explanation....]

In view of this, it is sad to see this beautiful recording issued in association with a perfectly vile and disrespectful book about the opera. The author has the temerity to liken this work to "a Broadway musical", "a rollicking entertainment for the common man" simply because it was composed as a Singspiel, or German opera with spoken dialogue. This is equivalent to likening one of Shakespeare's comedies to a street farce. The book also suggests that Zauberflöte was composed for purposes of pure entertainment, unless it is, perchance, a "work of profound insight" dressed up in the trappings of a "cartoon". Obviously, the writer is ignorant of the significance of the Egyptian setting in the time of Mozart, when it was a clear symbol for rational ideas and liberal politics. The details of the setting delineate the struggle which was then taking place in Europe, over the true nature of Masonry, philosophy and music, and which soon came to a terrible end, for that time at least, with the banning of Freemasonry in Austria, and the loss of much of the learning about ancient philosophy which had been so laboriously gathered in circles such as that frequented by Mozart. It is largely on account of Zauberflöte, which alludes with precision to much of that learning, that it was not entirely annihilated in the chaos of the revolutionary and Napoleonic periods. Rather than misrepresenting this vitally important work, those who have the privilege of coming into contact with it should do all in their power to contribute to the very difficult, vital, and continuing attempt to understand it. While the availability of this recording is of great value, it is scandalous to see it associated with a contribution to the generally prevailing ignorance about this extremely important, and very difficult, work.

An irate Mozartian

The re-release of the legendary 1972 recording of Die Zauberflote, conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch, is a great blessing to all who know and love this great work. Edda Moser's interpretation of the Queen of the Night is justly celebrated, achieving not only transcendently perfect delivery, but also a chilling portrait of pure evil. All of the other cast members are excellent. The spoken role of Papageno is particularly striking, sounding sufficiently pungent to remind us that the role was originally played by Emanuel Schickaneder himself. The tempi are, for the most part remarkably well-chosen. In addition, the Masonic gravity of the subject matter is constantly respected. The chorus of the armed men is properly alarming, the cantus firmus stridently insistent above the counterpoint of the strings. Even more uncommon is the treatment of the secondary scenes of Act II, especially the chorus Welche Wonne, in which the evocation of the candidate's future "new life" is infused with the trepidation inevitably attendant upon any trial of life and death. All too often, this work, which is gravely serious in its intent, is presented as a fairy tale. This recording successfully conveys the philosophical context, and does justice to Mozart's attachment to Masonry. [The only flaw which I could detect is the inclusion of a very questionable musical fragment, inserted into Act II, Scene 11 {"Pamina, wo bist du?"). I could locate no reference to this anywhere in my extensive library on the subject, and can only speculate that it might be some unacknowledged retention from one of the infamous "reworkings" of the opera which occurred after Mozart's death....At any rate, it requires an explanation....]

In view of this, it is sad to see this beautiful recording issued in association with a perfectly vile and disrespectful book about the opera. The author has the temerity to liken this work to "a Broadway musical", "a rollicking entertainment for the common man" simply because it was composed as a Singspiel, or German opera with spoken dialogue. This is equivalent to likening one of Shakespeare's comedies to a street farce. The book also suggests that Zauberflöte was composed for purposes of pure entertainment, unless it is, perchance, a "work of profound insight" dressed up in the trappings of a "cartoon". Obviously, the writer is ignorant of the significance of the Egyptian setting in the time of Mozart, when it was a clear symbol for rational ideas and liberal politics. The details of the setting delineate the struggle which was then taking place in Europe, over the true nature of Masonry, philosophy and music, and which soon came to a terrible end, for that time at least, with the banning of Freemasonry in Austria, and the loss of much of the learning about ancient philosophy which had been so laboriously gathered in circles such as that frequented by Mozart. It is largely on account of Zauberflöte, which alludes with precision to much of that learning, that it was not entirely annihilated in the chaos of the revolutionary and Napoleonic periods. Rather than misrepresenting this vitally important work, those who have the privilege of coming into contact with it should do all in their power to contribute to the very difficult, vital, and continuing attempt to understand it. While the availability of this recording is of great value, it is scandalous to see it associated with a contribution to the generally prevailing ignorance about this extremely important, and very difficult, work.

An irate Mozartian

The Black Dog Opera Library Series had outdone themselves once again. In this 1972 recording of Mozart's last opera, we are treated to a fine performance by fine singers, a fully illustrated book with liner notes and commentary, as well as information useful in biographies on the composer and his time. Mozart was close to his death bed at the time he composed The Magid Flute. He made an opera that could be enjoyed at many levels. At one level, it is a comic, brilliant fairy tale for children, at another level, it is deeply symbolic and layed with Masonic ideals of universal brotherhood and love. Mozart and his librettist were both Freemasons, a religous "sect" that was under hot water in 18th century Vienna for its pagan origins and its advocation of ideas of the Enlightenment. The story is about Tamino, a prince who is lost in a strange land (originally, a mystic Egypt), who is rescued from a serpent by three mysterious women and promised the hand of the daughter of the Queen of the Night if he saves her from the wizard Sarastro. Together with the help of the comic bird-catcher, Papageno, he sets out on his adventure. But halfway through the opera, he discovers that he has been deceived. The Queen of the Night is the true villain and Sarastro is really a holy man. After many trials, the forces of evil are defeated and the opera ends blissfully with a victory.

Musically and dramatically, it is Mozart's greatest opera. From the striking Overture to the use of dark strings, trumpet and soaring flute passages, the individual arias which express intense emotions to the neverending theme that good triumphs over evil, the Magic Flute stands out as a great opera to begin with for newcomers and a favorite for old time opera fans.

In this recording, conductor Wolfgang Sawallisch leads the Bavarian State Orchestra in a highly effective, thoroughly dramatic and sentimental, full interpretation of Mozart's score. Tenor Peter Schreir as Tamino is exceptional, passionate in his aria "Dies Bildnis" (This portrait), and again as he plays his flute in "Wie Stark ist Nicht dein Zauberton" (How powerful is your music, magic flute), his individual lines in the ensembles and his duet with Pamina as they undergo the final trial of fire. Annelise Rothenberger, a sublime German lyric soprano, is moving in her portrayal of Pamina. She has her moments in this recording. Note how her high, melodic voice seems to come from nowhere as she confronts Sarastro and Tamino for the first time "Herr! Ich bin zwar Verbrecherin ! (Sir! I am the transgressor). Her aria "Ach Ich Fuhls" (O, I feel that happy days have passed) is the finest interpretation, full of pathos and a kind of melancholic madness, as well as her lines in her suicide attempt, finally, she is sublime as a strong woman ready to face trials with Tamino, especially striking when she sings the line "Tamino!".

Kurt Moll's Sarastro is without question the best. His voice is suited for God. So divine and sonorous and full of grace, his voice is especially noticeable in the aria "O Isis and Osiris " and "In deisen Heilen Hallen"( In these holy halls). Finally, and not to be missed, is Edda Moser's incredible interpretation of the Queen of the Night. You have not heard the true Queen of the Night, until you've heard Edda Moser. She has a Wagnerian intensity and neurosis in her lines, apt and effective for the role of a Queen bent on deception and the murder of her rival, Sarastro. Her aria "O Zittre Nicht, Mein Lieber Son" (O tremble not, beloved son" is full of lyric dramatic passages and coloratura at the end. The vengeance aria "Der Holle Rache Kocht Meine Herzen "(Hell's Anger Burns Within My Heart) is full of fire. The way she attacks the dramatic, powerful lines is out of this world and the high F's she escalates are unsurpassed.

This book is the darkest painting of suburbia I've read in awhile. If your life stinks, replace it with Jernigan's. Here's what you get----alcoholism, self-abuse, teenage son on drugs, shacking with mother of teenage son's girlfriend, death of wife, death of rabbits for food, loss of job, plus did I mention drinking large quanities of gin. Now why does this character continue to shot himself in the foot (or in his case hand)? Seems like he just doesn't give two hoots. What makes the book work though, is Jernigan's wisecracking nature, basically condescending everything, as his life drops away by his own powers. This is brought on by the tight, descriptive naratives by David Gates, Jernigan's creator.

Not that Jernigan is alone in his life of horror. There's a cast of characters that are barely functioning. Of course, Jernigan cannot stand them. He's going to do things his way and it's a way so unimaginable yet possible, it leaves you riveted.

I can't believe this secret american masterpiece is out-of-print or something like that. "Jerningan" reads like a novel written a deux by John Cheever and J.P. Donleavy but, in the end, sounds a hundred per cent David Gates. I can't believe all I had to wait for "Preston Falls" (it was worth it: a novel that reads like "Jernigan Redux & Revisited", an apocalyptic end of milenium "Tender is the Night"); I read one of the best interviews to Bob Dylan ever (signed by Gates in Newsweek) and I hear that a short stories collection is coming out. Open the Gates, I'm first in line.

This book is a true killer. Like a suburban "Heart of Darkness," it suggests what evil lurks in the modern American male... and he continues to get away with it all...Peter Jernigan is a bizarre and somehow totally believable mix of charismatic intellectual and emotional bully. It's probably impossible to read Peter's story and then NOT make attempts to change your own evil ways. In the tradition of "Hunger" by Knut Hamsun, and the better works of John Fante, "Jernigan" has got to be one of the most brutally-honest and lovingly-crafted books one can read. Jernigan is a desperate character, who, sadly, all too many of us can relate to. Gates has a new book out, "Preston Falls," which, while remarkably similar to "Jernigan," is written with the same kind of astonishing clarity. In my opinion, it doesn't get any better than this book.

Sector Seven

Sector Seven, by David Wiesner, is a story of how a little boy learns to use his creativity to give back to the world his own dreams and fantasies. On one cloudy day, a little boy goes on a school field trip to the Empire State Building. There he meets a fantastic cloud creature who takes him on a wild adventure to a cloud factory in the sky called Sector Seven. While on his adventure, he uses his talent for drawing to inspire the clouds in the sky to make their own perceptions and realities. What the author has done is to tell in a children's story how in our lives we have the power, if we choose, to make an impact on others. He encourages readers take their different talents and ideas and share them with the world to make a change; to learn from the perspectives of others and allow them to learn from ours. Overall, Sector Seven is done very well. Since this book is a wordless picture book, the illustrations have to carry the narrative of the story, which it does nicely. I thought that the illustrations could have used a little more color; the illustrator used mostly shades of gray and blue. However, I would guess that the author wants to give the impression of a "cloudy day," and from this perspective, the colors fit the plot of the story. The illustrations of the factory scenes are a bit confusing because the illustrator places the pictures of the main characters on top of other scenes within the factory. Since the effect produces the sensation of several actions happening simultaneously, the story is sometimes hard to follow. I understood the author's intention of this book much better after reading the introduction within the jacket cover. I would suggest to any person who is reading this book, to look at this introduction before going on to the rest of the story. You will have much clearer perception of the direction in which David Wiesner is trying to take Sector Seven.

David Wiesner's Sector 7 illustrates an artistic young boy's adventure on a school field trip to the Empire State Building, where he meets a "friendly cloud-man." The "friendly cloud-man" takes the boy to "Sector 7," (the place where clouds are formed and placed around the globe). The boy uses his talents to give the unhappy clouds an eye-opening makeover. Wiesner's illustrations create an expressive story. His detailed pictures work together to make the story understandable and interesting. To enhance the mood and atmosphere of the story, Wiesner uses the choice of bold, friendly watercolors and unique frames throughout the book. The frames are presented in chronological order either top to bottom, left to right, or back to front. Sector 7 gives the reader's mind a chance to unwind and expand beyond its imaginable limits. It is definitely a book that will attract those of all ages and test their imagination.

This is yet another great book by author/illustrator David Wiesner. This is a story about a boy who goes on a field trip to the Empire State Building. As a result of complete cloud cover the boy makes friends with a unique character, a cloud. The cloud takes the boy to "Sector 7" where all clouds are made by boring, uninspired beings. The boys spices things up by creating factastic shapes for the clouds. The boy is kicked out of Sector 7 by those beings who do not appreciate his artistic ability. After the boy is gone the clouds revolt and what follows is a delight for the eyes! This almost wordless picture book stretches the imagination and keeps you guessing page after page about what you will see next.