Boylan has carefully documented both the public and private lives of two almost forgotten socialists of the early 20th century. His book is well written and makes for entertaining reading as well as fine scholarship of an overlooked era in American politics.

Solviva-How to Grow $500,000 on One Acre & Peace On Earth. This
is a strange book! A How-To book it is not. It is a hodge podge of
thoughts, green speak, observations, the authors past 20 years of
life, some interesting applications of solar structures, much green
speak, her experience with a greenhouse and the business it generated,
more green speak, ...full-color pictures of plants, animals, insects,
artwork, green speak, and lastly green speak. Whether wrote this way
on purpose or not it is confusing. It is a very disjointed book; more
about a persons philosophy of life than about a greenhouse that was
heated and cooled by strictly solar methods. The books layout and
progression is far from logical and it is quite a chore wadding
through all of the philosophizing to arrive at some meat. Does this
book have value? Some. But cut out all of the psycho babble, green
speak and moralizing, rearrange the contents, do some more homework on
solar and other peoples projects and failures, get a few scientific
facts verified, more data and details on what Mss Edey did and did not
do, then perhaps it might be a worthwhile book. One glaring lack, at
least as far as I am concerned; it is not a How To book. Maybe that
is not a big issue when one is writing in a diary, but when the books
title page uses that term and the book does not deliver, then it is a
major issue. The income generating potential of a solar heated
greenhouse that uses strict organic methods has a lot of merit and
expanded outdoors during the summer months one could expect that the
income would increase. She makes a claim that $500,000 is possible
with the 10,000 sq. ft. greenhouse and about an acre of land. She
never made that much on her operation and extrapolates from her own
experiences that it is possible. I would take that with a cup of
salt. She very well may be right but she has no proof. She didn't do
it and did not mention anyone else that had. So again the title of
the book is misleading. Some interesting things gleaned from the book:
1. It is possible to heat a greenhouse completely with solar
means. 2. It is possible to cool a greenhouse completely with solar
means. 3. A living could be made from the above greenhouse. 4.
Animals incorporated into the greenhouse environment can enhance the
quality of the plants by emitting co2 and they can provide another
source of income.

There may be some other things but as I said you
will have to dig for them....

This book is a marvelous example of the way we should manage our lives. Too many people use and dispose of things without care of how it will affect future generations or themselves. This book explains practical solutions for everyday energy, food, and solid wastes. If you are Henry Shocley or anyone who does not care about their impact on the environment, you should not purchase this book. It is not a get rich quick scheme.

"Solviva: How to grow $500,000 on one acre and peace on earth... Learning the art of living, with solar-dynamic, bio-benign design." Ok, the title sounds like something a hippy would come up with. But get past the title... because the book is REALLY GREAT for the self-reliant who want to create their own independent house.

This book is for the person who wants to build an independent house in the boonies at low cost, and wants practical low cost solutions.

It explains how to hook on a solar garden to the house (or separately). How to use animals to provide heat... and CO2 to grow your plants to new heights.

She's from Massachusetts, so her winter solar home works through the cold winters. She's tested this system over more than 10 years.

She explains how to grow salad materials for profit. She shows you the numbers. But I'm not sure how applicable this is to all markets. She's in the upscale area of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts.

She explains how to create grey water and black water waste systems that exceed common septic systems. An explanation on one of the many color pictures says: "The Solviva graywater garden: this area, with its thriving roses, dogwood, pines, spruce and grasses has recevied all graywater since my home was COMPLETED IN 1981. OVER THE PAST 17 YEARS these plants have successfully processed over 500 pounds of regular detergents, shampoos and cleaners, and 45 gallons of chlorine bleach."

On the toilets, she has invented a system that uses standard flush toilets that feed a composting system. It's all low tech and easy to build.

She uses grow tubes and growing beds in her greenhouses (attached or separate).

She keeps chickens, rabbits, sheep, and one donkey. All the systems feed each other. It's amazing how she relates the various things on her property.

The amount of goodies she gets out of her small farm(ette) are remarkable.

John D.

The siege of the Alamo has become so imbued with a legendary aura that attempting to write a military history of the 1836 campaign in Texas is now a daunting task. Heroic visions of Crockett, Bowie and Travis fending off Mexican assault troops on the ramparts has tended to obscure the fact that the siege of the Alamo was neither the beginning or the end of the war for Texas independence. Noted Texas historian Stephen L. Harding has framed the 1836 campaign in its proper perspective, without embellishment or historical embellishment. The result is a lucid and well-written account that covers the entire campaign from February to May 1836, without over-focusing just on the Alamo.

In accordance with the standard Osprey Campaign series format, the book begins with a section on the origins of the campaign and the chronology. While this section lays out the roots of the conflict clearly, the relationship between the fledgling Texan republic and the United States is left ambiguous, particularly in regard to military support and volunteers. The section on opposing commanders focuses almost exclusively on the Mexican General Santa Anna and the Texian General Sam Houston, both of whom are portrayed as very flawed commanders. Unfortunately, details on other significant commanders such as Travis, Bowie, Crockett and Fannin are inserted in the campaign narrative, which is disruptive. It was interesting however to see that attention given to the oft-neglected Mexican General Urrea's skillful operations. The section on opposing armies is weak, compounded by the fact that there is not even an order of battle provided for the Mexican army. Nevertheless, what the narrative lacks in military detail is often compensated for by an effective literary style is used to enhance the author's points. For example, the author notes both the rank discrimination and logistic difficulties in the Mexican army by asserting, "[Mexican] generals drank French wine from cut crystal, soldados drank stagnant water out of mud holes."

The text is supported by five 2-D maps (Mexico & Texas in 1836, the Texas Campaign in 1836, the Battle of Coleto Creek, the San Jacinto Campaign and the Mexican Retreat) and three 3-D Birds-eye-view maps (two depicting the assaults on the Alamo and one on the Battle of San Jacinto). There are also three very good battle scenes: the death of Travis at the Alamo, Crockett falling back into the Alamo Church and the execution of Colonel Fannin. Numerous illustrations and modern photographs of the Alamo complement the narrative. In addition, the author has provided a detailed section on visiting the battlefield today and includes relevant Internet websites. Taken together, this book represents an excellent short history of the campaign and a useful battlefield guide for visitors.

The campaign narrative itself is quite good, with about ten pages devoted to the siege of the Alamo, nine to Fannin's pathetic efforts and the Goliad massacre, and nine to the San Jacinto Campaign. The author is a bit vague on casualties and military details, but he does detail the effects of the harsh winter weather and desolate terrain on the Mexican offensive. Indeed, weather and terrain probably played a bigger role in the Mexican defeat than Texian heroics. Concerning the fall of the Alamo, the author believes that Santa Anna launched a costly frontal assault for political rather than military reasons, but this downplays the fact that Santa Anna was de facto Mexican head of state and commander in chief. Santa Anna could not afford to waste too much time in sieges of minor rebel fortifications. Also, Santa Anna's "no quarter" policy to the Texian rebels was not out of step with other similar 19th Century sieges like the Paris Commune in 1870 or even Dublin in 1916. Imagine if Santa Anna had accepted surrender at the Alamo and allowed the rebels to go home on parole; could men such as Travis ever be trusted to live meekly under centralista rule? Not likely. If Santa Anna wanted to hold onto the rebels, he had to either kill them or drive them out, since there was no room for compromise. If anything is reaffirmed by the 1836 campaign, it is that war is tough on the defeated, whether Texians at the Alamo or Mexicans at San Jacinto.

In the end, the author concludes that the Texians won in spite of the incompetence of Sam Houston, who refused to send a relief force to the Alamo, then avoided battle thereafter and retreated toward the US border. Houston was more politician than soldier and his troops were openly contemptuous of his leadership abilities. At San Jacinto, Santa Anna's own leadership flaws compensated for Houston's incompetence and Texian ferocity inspired by the Alamo and Goliad massacres was enough to tip the balance in their favor.

The book has excellent color pictures and is very informational on aspects of the dog. I would rank this book five stars if it was more recent. Beautiful pictures of a very tough and protectful breed.

Author Anna Lee Robe-Terry is a distant cousin of mine, who has written not just a book of recipes, but an evocation of the atmosphere of our northern West Virginia roots. Disabled by a chronic disease, she lost home, job and possessions until she moved onto the old Robe homestead in Marion County determined to survive. "If life gives you wild grapes, then make jelly" is her philosophy. She began investigating the wild plants that she had grown up with and educating herself in botany and the ways of the old settlers. Her recipes are wonderful just to read. I have tried the Snapping Turtle soup recipe myself and can recommend it as a definite change of pace from clam chowder. She also has a recipe for skunk (!) that resulted from a hilarious end to a hunting trip. I would recommend this book not only to people in the area, but those interested in its pioneer culture and folklore.

This book is great, you find you way all over the state. and........you save a lot of money , it guides you to the most afordable places. By reading it your hollyday starts

This book presents the views of MIT and Harvard economists on integrating the Middle East economy, assuming Palestinian economic sovereignty in the West Bank and Gaza.

"Havana Dreams" was written as a memoir, Wendy Gimbel's attempt to capture the romance of Cuba in its heyday and the heartbreak of Cuba today. The premise is great, but the execution doesn't hold up as well. Gimbel is a strong writer, and her narrative is evocative and moving, but she organized her material in the wrong way. Instead of a memoir, she should have just written about someone else. What's really interesting here is the story of Fidel Castro's lover Naty, her mother Dona Natica, and Naty and Castro's daughter Alina. It's got everything: passion, intrigue, mystery, and betrayal. If Gimbel had concentrated on Naty and the Revuelta family, the book would have been much stronger. For example, by inserting her own maternal abandonment issues into Naty's story, she weakened the book overall. On the other hand, it can't have been easy to try to pull the truth out of these women who each wanted to control their stories, none of whom were above changing details to make themselves (Dona Natica and Alina) or Castro (Naty) more sympathetic or more impressive. Although flawed, "Havana Dreams" is a poignant, romantic tale, much like that of Cuba itself.

Havana Dreams scans the 20th century in the unforgettable account of a Cuban family, descended from aristocrats, who live the high life before Fidel, and the heartbreak after. This is the story of Naty Revuelta, and four generations of Cuban women. In 1952, Naty met Fidel Castro, a young revolutionary, and although she was married, began a passionate affair with him that resulted in his unrecognized daughter and his rejection of her mother. Despite the large number of friends and family who fled Cuba, including Naty's husband, a doctor and their daughter, Nina, when Fidel took over, Naty stayed with her mother, Dona Natica and her daughter by Fidel, Alina, in hopes that she and Fidel would eventually be together. This is the story of her hopes and dreams, as well as the heartbreak of lost love and a disentegrating society. We trace the lives of Naty's daughters and their daughters, who all end up in the States, one with an ordinary confortable life, and the daughter of Fidel who longs for the acceptance and position she feels she deserves. This is truly a powerful story, even moreso because itis true, of passion and what revolution can do in the light of modern Cuban history.

What a great read! Wendy Gimbel gives her readers the tastes and smells of Castro's Cuba and a sense of its place in history, while presenting a story as subtle as it is dishy! This is like a Cuban "Bill and Monica" as told by Tolstoy!

Gimbel's account presents four generations of women whose lives are not only caught in the history of modern Cuba, but shaped by one woman's actual love affair with Fidel.(Gimbel even managed to get Castro's love letters!)

The grace of Gimbel's prose makes Havana Dreams an aesthetic--almost musical--pleasure to read.