I wonder if the good folk at the end of the 19th century when this poem was originally published were just too obtuse to understand the gist of Rossetti's work; if so, we have an innocent artifact that has evolved into something erotic because of our twentieth century sensibilities (we have dirtier minds than our compatriots from the past).

Don't let the word "erotica" scare you away. This is not a blatantly sexual work in its language; it is not a "dirty" book. Just understand that despite what anyone else says or writes, this is about as unambiguously EROTIC as you can get. With phrasing like "Eat me, drink me, love me; Laura, make much of me; For your sake I have braved the glen; And had to do with goblin merchant men."

Since the original work is now in the public domain, if you want to read the full text online just do a search using most standard search engines with the terms "Christina Rossetti Goblin Market" and you should turn up a number of links to the actual poems, go read it, and decide for yourself about it.

This makes a wonderful gift for people you are very close too. However, it is also a very personal poem, and if given inappropriately could actually scare someone away!

A children tale for adults. It's a light and thoughtful reading. The story of two sisters and lewd goblin men. Innocence, temptation and emotions all together. This inspiring story has wonderful work of Dante Gabriel Rossetti.

This tale is not about sexuality but about redemption and the need to help others. Read deep into the story to find the meaning that Rossetti intended.

I have read every Elric novel. I own 500 kilos of fantasy paperbacks. This book brought me as much joy, inspiration and satisfaction as any book I have ever read. Elric was the first "evil" hero. Every fantasy writer has taken a peice of elric to produce their characters. Drizt Do'urden is a shadow of Elric. Raistlen is almost an exact copy of Elric. Darth vader's sinister life, dependence on technology/sorcery and eventual noble self sacrifice are in mimicry of Elric. In this book so many authors who wanted to write Elric stories, some who had made great fame and fortune copying Moorcock, were given licence to write as they pleased. Every short story in the book is its authors best work because as they write about their own dark heros in their own novels they are thinking about Elric. My highest praise: I want a sequel.. or two... or ten... a series published monthly untill I am old and grey.

Elric, last Prince of Melnibone. Elric makes you feel that your right there with him and drawing the from the dreaded runsword Stormbringer, all his pain,sorrow,grief you feel it all. This pale,weak being could be any of us, and yet it`s his weakness that gives him the strainth to weld such enormus power and to control the uncontrolable. Elric will make you cry, make you feel that you could defeat the Lords of Chaos your self and forever will you bare some of his burden. Your life will never be the same, the way you look at things such as the ocean will change and you`ll catch yourself try to summon the water element himself. For such a being to exist in your mind alone is enough.

Elric of Melnibone' represents a departure from the era of Tarzan and Conan, giving people a dark prince for a protagonist. This book helps put together a group of stories written for the first time by other authors and show how dynamic Michael Moorcock's Elric really is.

I now own two copies of this book, one for me and one to loan to friends and family. This book is in no measure short of a miracle. Putting aside learning disabilities and her youth, Ms. Abeel is a gifted poet and author of exceptional depth. That this began as a middle school writing assignment by a child struggling to survive in an insensitive world makes it a tribute to the difference one or two "seeing" people can make. This book is a must for anyone interested in well expressed observation of the rich tapestry of life. --Dave

This poetry book by a thirteen year old learning disabled child opens the doors for all of us as writers and readers. It allows both children and adults to recognize their own "personal disability", maybe something no one sees, and realize that all are conquerable! The prologue and epilogue include Samantha speaking, her parents, and her english teacher...these three points of view bring an in depth view of the "gift within us all" just waiting to be recognized and nurtured. This is a must read for anyone who touches the lives of children!

Though this book is recommended for kids, its greatest value is for anyone, adult or child, who is learning disabled. The author, a teenager at the time of writing, was learning to deal with her severe learning disability-dyscalculia- a total inability to deal with numbers. It is evident from reading her poems that what she lacks in arithmetic abilities is more than compensated for by her exceptional way with words and images. The fact that she was only 15 or so when she wrote the poems is even more astounding. a must for anyone who has a learning disability or knows someone who has one. This is one book that should be catalogued under learning disabilities and education!

Thank you Eileen for this wonderful book. The expressions were very vivid and eye-opening and the photos captured the essence of the expressions given. Keep the spirit flowing dear sister.

Based on a deliciously simple concept, Ms. Williams Sabry's "Wishes in Black & White" serves as a compelling repository of real human insight. This thought-provoking gem makes a wonderfully appropriate gift for any and all driven to promote unity in our world today.

Avoiding the extreme views that tend to exacerbate racial problems in the U.S., Ms. Williams Sabry has gone to the middle with her question about what it would take to end racism. The respondents views and thoughts show that the gap CAN be bridged and even hints at how it can be done. The photograpy is absolutely masterful in bringing out the character and humanity of each individual.

The author is to be congratulated on both the idea and its implementation in the pages of this book.

I so looked forward to reading White Mughals after the first reviews appeared in the UK papers. When it came out in paperback, I opened it with great anticipation. I was never let down - Dalrymple, known mainly for his highly evocative and well received travel books, has turned historian and historiographer to produce this wonderful, exquisite book.

Although on one level it tells the story of James Achilles Kirkpatrick, British Resident in Hyderabad at the close of the 18th century, this book is a beautifully written examination of a number of white men from all over Europe (and America) who went adventuring in India from the time of Elizabeth I. Many of them became "white mughals", immersing themselves in the lifestyle and religions (both Hindu and Muslim) of the various princely states. Eventually, though, and most sadly, racist attitudes and unreasonable demands on local rulers made it more and more difficult for these men to carry on and eventually too many of the British in India became narrow minded, intolerant and xenophobic. The British presence in India eventually became intolerable and so ended the British Empire in due course. The author is particularly scathing of Lord Wellesley's governor-generalship.

The author has created a wonderful tapestry of various men, their Indian wives and Anglo-Indian children, the art, literature, architecture, politics, military adventures, food, domestic arrangements, etc of a short but poignant era in Indian and British/western history. His scholarship is evident (the footnotes often fascinating) and he was very lucky to happen upon some original, never seen, sources which help make this book so vibrant.

The sad story of James and his Khair was both a tragedy and a triumph - I shall never forget them and, should I ever travel to India, Hyderabad and the old Residency are a must-see for me.

"White Mughals" is a fascinating picture of the British in India at the turn of the 19th century, before the British notions of Empire were fully formed. The author focuses on the life of James Kirkpatrick, a representative of the "Company," to explore the evolution of the British presence in India. Using the story of Kirkpatrick's marriage to a Mughal aristocrat as a touchstone, Dalrymple explores a different model for colonization. Kirkpatrick was the company's chief representative in Hyderabad, a Mughal kingdom. He admired and appreciated India's culture, customs and ancient learning, and quickly adapted to the Indian way of life. He was a gifted linguist and skilled diplomat, who successfully negotiated many thorny issues on behalf of the British with the rulers of Hyderabad. Kirkpatrick exemplified a European who believed that East and West could work together for the benefit of both, that the rulers at the time and the British could co-exist, that customs and culture could blend together.

Dalrymple has assembled a huge amount of information, much of which is primary source material never before examined, to support the fact that this blending of cultures was common at the time. As might be expected, many British had Indian mistresses, but more surprisingly, intermarriage was not uncommon, and for a Muslim woman, marriage to a Non-Muslim could only occur if the man converted to Islam, which some did, including Kirkpatrick. At the time the Indian rulers were Muslim, but they did not attempt the impossible task of converting the Hindu population, and as a result, the same blending of culture that was occuring between east and west occurred to some extent between Hindu and Muslim. The two religions co-existed for the most part peacefully, a situation that changed radically at the time of Indian independence.

Inevitably, the Company became ever more profitable and the British presence stronger, while at the same time the Mughal Empire began to crumble. Successive Governor-Generals reversed the trend, mixed race children became the targets of discrimination, and the remaining Mughal princes were forced into unfavorable agreements with the British. By the time of the Indian Mutiny in 1857, the notion of Empire, and a separation between the English and Indians, was largely complete, to last for almost 100 years.

Finishing the book, one wonders whether the model exemplified by a Kirkpatrick would have worked. Or is conflict between cultures inevitable?--certainly in our fractured world it seems to be. Dalrymple's work is well-written, well-researched, and very thought-provoking.

"White Mughals" is truly a masterpiece. I was enthralled and was really intrigued by this extensively researched work on white mughals i.e., British company men who adopted the indian/mughal way of life once they were in India, quite contary to the single caricature most of us were raised to conjure up in our minds when thinking of them. The truth as always more complex, interesting and yes MUCH more redeeming than the cliche!

Many THANKS to Mr. Dalrymple for the hours of pleasure this book has already given - and I plan to read it several times over. It is also the perfecly balanced book - a very intellectually satisfying work of history based in fact (ah those vast primary sources referenced!), around a very romantic incident (reality, always more romantic than fiction) in a location, time and setting incomparable in terms of the multiple political/ cultural forces at work and with a meaningful message "East and West can and always will meet no matter what" and an even more important one albeit more personal than political "love conquers all" cliched as it may be;

And all told in his fabulous style that i label the "renaissance style of history-narration" charaterised by objective observation(based in reason and fact) yet madly romantic.... I loved this book and hope - very selfishly - that Mr. Dalrymple will continue to produce such enlightening and enthralling work for decades to come.

I purchased this book several years ago to give me more insight into E.B. White's classic novel. Every time I read and re-read the notes, rewrites and history of this touching story for children, I find myself learning so much more about the writing style of this fabulous author. The photographs of White's farmhouse add texture and depth to the story and my first grade students appreciated that he, too, had to make revisions on his work! A wonderful resource for anyone interested in children's literature.

This story is suitable for all ages. It is for the old and the young ones.I like this book mainly because the characters are humorous and interesting, the setting of the story are not too much and last of all it is full of emotions. Happiness, sorrow, excitement and it is also a matter of life and death.

I enjoyed reading Charlotte's Web as a child and now I enjoy reading the book to my children and students. I think part of the reason this book has remained one of my favorites is because of the classic friendship between Wilbur and Charlotte. Both characters demonstrate an unselfish kind of love that is demonstrated from the time they meet. As a mother I want to teach my children the valuable life lesson of being a good friend and I think this story teaches that lesson in a non-didactic fashion. Charlotte's Web will forever be a classic in my heart.

The best part of this book was when the sail boat race took place. I liked that part because the policeman fell in the water. Also, I liked being able to see the world through a mouse's eyes. Margalo is a great character in the book because she is smart and she helped Stuart. I am looking forward to reading another book by E.B. White, such as Charlotte's Web and the Trumpet of the Swan.

All three books are pretty good. Charlottes web is the best with a cute little pig named wilbur longing for a friend. Stuart little is also a good book. You get to see the world through the eyes of a mouse. The third book-Trumpet of the swan-is only ok!

Stuart Little is a mouse that is about 2 inches tall. Stuart is part of the family of the Fredrick.C.Littles. He has a friendly but shy manner. He's very smart for a mouse but his size gives him trouble sometimes. His life is an adventure when he sets out on the age of seven,he trys to find his dearest friend,Margalo, a friendly little bird who stayed with the Littles in their Boston Fern.

Stuart Little is an interesting book. I enjoyed reading it beacause it was funny and it had interesting vocabulary. There were some sad parts in the book. This Book got me absorbed into it.

I would recommend this book for children of the ages of 8 to 12. If you like fantasy stories then you would love this book. If you are a person who likes certain kinds of fantasy books then you should probably enjoy Stuart Little because you may get absorbed into the book. Also if you like fantasy books that have animals in it that talk and you like the Author E.B.White then you'll like this book.

William "Not Bill" Nealy should be known to virtually every paddler through his Whitewater Home Companion series, Whitewater Tales of Terror, Kayaks to Hell, assorted river maps, and other cartoons. He has been seriously paddling kayaks for at least 12 years. On the positive side, he has an apparently serious addiction to steep creeks and flood-stage whitewater, is one hell of a cartoonist, and I seem to recall reading that he has made the move up to C-boats. Nealy produced this revolutionary book on river safety for intermediate and advanced paddlers. KAYAK The Animated Manual of Intermediate and Advanced Whitewater Technique takes up where the average text leaves off and uses a unique "time-lapse" drawing style to put everything into a unique perspective.

KAYAK The Animated Manual of Intermediate and Advanced Whitewater Technique begins a bit slowly for my taste. Except for a nice discussion of Fear and Introduction to Rapid Anatomy, you could jump directly to page 19, Hydrotopography, where the meat of the book begins. I've been boating for a while and am beginning to figure out what's happening to water above and below the surface in a rapid (in paticular what it's going to do to my boat). Nealy's illustrations of kick, holes, reefs, ledges, Big Drops, and hydraulics was tremendous. He first explaines what forces are involved, then he goes on to discuss tactics for running these mothers.

We've all been taught the AWA universal river signals and they're repeated in most paddling texts and guide books. Nealy goes one step farther and presents some more specialized hand signals that the probe may use to modify what y'all learned during scouting. Are these really useful? Do some creeks with people like Will and you'll find out.

Swimming Self Rescue (or "swimming lessons for those who NEVER go swimming."), pages 63 through 73, presented some good illustrated advise: on using your partially swamped boat to pull through the backwash in mega-holes, to cross strong eddylines or eddy fences; on swimming complex rapids and big drops; and, on orientation in big holes. His final piece of wisedom, "Above all, don't give up!"

Pages 83 through 109 deal with River Rescue and were intended as a practical supplement to Bechdel & Ray's authoratitative River Rescue. This section is great! It is more than a practical supplement, it illustrates things in a way standard text books cannot. I have never encountered a more profound description of Chase Boating than that presented in Kayak. Chase Boating is an excitying sub-sport of creeking which involves running dangerous rapids while in pursuit of or actually towing fear-crazed victims. Born in the southeast Chase Boating began as a way to atone for leaving your rescue rope in the car. Since those early days Chase Boating has evolved into a complex and beautiful ballet of catastrophe. Nealy explains the choreography of this artform and provides seldom discussed insider information such as the taxonomy of good and bad victims.

Finally, The Joy of Flood (or "big water technique if you subtract the trees and debris.") is the last section on river safety. I've never read about flood stage tactics in any previous whitewater book. Should those of you reading the Eddy Line paddle flooded rivers? Nealy recommends recalling, the tired but true, "if you can't do the time, don't do the crime." He then discusses the time (trees, strainers, mega-holes, whirlpools, funny water, exploding waves, etc. etc.).

So, go out and buy the book. William (not Bill) can use the money. If you don't have time to read the book you'll enjoy just looking at the cartoons. You're paddling buddies can read it on the way to the put in. It fits nicely into a drybag so you can take it for amusement during multiday trips. More than likely it'll get lost because someone borrowed it.

The first book gets you interested in kayaks, in a whitewater boat, and on the river. Nealy's portrayals of whitewater adventure and mishaps will either hook you permanently or scare you away entirely. Especially useful for visual learners, the animated Kayak! may be the first how-to book I've ever read cover-to-cover in one sitting. Many of the techniques and situations described will be irrelevant for average paddlers, but at least by reading about them, you'll know they exist. For example, a good friend said to me last week, "So there I was, pinned under the stern of my boat, unable to reach my grab loop, running out of air, and I'm thinking of that roll in Kayak! and how nice it would have been to know it right then." So... she lived through it, went home, flipped to the section on self-rescue and resolved to be more prepared next time. While ostensibly a book on technique, Kayak! is also a cultural primer for paddlers. As an introduction to stereotypes, river jargon, and river manners, Kayak! will help you stay likeable on the water -- thereby affording you a chance to learn from other paddlers instead of chasing them away. Nealy prepares you to approach river mishaps with caution and humor. Seeing Nealy's characters pummeled in hydrolics, assulted by "bad" victims, and swept toward undercut rocks reminds you that the dangers of whitewater are also half the fun and that those things which do not kill us will make great stories at the campfire.

If you buy one book on whitewater kayaking, this is it. Very informative, lots of tips and extremely funny. All presented in a cartoon format with a unique 'time-lapse' approach.

Particularily good are the sections of whitewater river reading & scouting; various rescue techiques both for yourself & others; and big water technique.

An essential buy for any aspiring whitewater kayaker.

This book is a great tool for those willing to research particular words and meanings of Bible lexicon. It teaches how the same word is used [noun/verb] and how this affects its meaning in the scriptures. A great addition to any library!

Vine's has stood the test of time and proven itself as a valuable reference work for scholar and layman alike.

Although the book does not define every word in the Bible, it does cover many of the most theologically important words in a very thorough fashion.

This version of Vine's contains White's Old Testament dictionary which is superior to the original Vine's Old Testament dictionary which was incomplete. Together with the New Testament dictionary, it forms a solid word study tool for anyone interested in going deeper into God's Word.

Highly recommended.

There are numerous Greek NT (New Testament) tools out there, but very few are helpful for lay believers who do not have the knowledge of the Greek. But Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary (VCED) is perfect for ALL believers. I have used it for 16 years thus far and still use it! Here are reasons for high recommendation:
1. You do NOT need Greek knowledge to use this book. It is that simple and arranged that way, using KJV of the Bible as the main text.
2. It explains KJV word in an original Greek in context. It provides the meaning of the word in a proper context of Greek background. For example: In English Bible, there is only one word for "love" but in NT Greek, there are four (two being used the mostly). Therefore VCED fills the gap between English Bible and Greek NT nicely and effectively.
3. It provides the definition of a word (KJV word) more accurately than the English dictionary because it uses Greek use of the word. For example: The word, "godliness (1Tim. 2:2)" in Merriam Webster Collegiate Dictionary is defined as "1: Divine 2: pious, devout -" but in VCED, it defines it as " 'to be devout,' denotes that piety which characterized by a Godward attitude, does that which is well-pleasing to Him." It provides fuller meaning of the word by explaining how the word is used in the NT.
4. It can be used with Strong's Exhaustive Concordance. Every word is numbered with Strong's number so you can use it more efficiently.
5. This edition includes OT Dictionary as well. Although not written by Vine himself, it still is helpful, but is not as complete as Vine's NT.
6. This edition is clear in typeset (modernized). Previous editions were bad to read because of its old typeset.

Some Tips:
(a) If you want to use this book, you must have KJV of the Bible alongside VCED. All entries are given in KJV word.
(b) To save a step, you might want to consider using, "The New Enlgishman's Greek Concordance and Lexicon (Hendrickson Publisher)." It is also coded with Strong's number and uses KJV renderings of the verse.

All in all, it is an excellent tool for Bible Study. I heartily recommend it to all believers.

This is easily one of the best adventures for D&D that I've ever seen. It's very imaginative, well-written, and has plenty of information for DMs. It's got just enough story backing up the hack-n-slash to keep players interested, and the final encounter is monumental. It's great fun to play for both DM and PCs.

The original S2 was one of the more clever and interesting A&D modules I ever read. Most of the others were just an excuse for hack and slash and grab the booty.

The original adventure encompassed more thinking and even a little negotiation which was uncommon in 1st edition AD&D.

So, that's why I'm happy to see a revision to the old module into a book form. This new edition has some very interesting twists and a big moral dilemma at the end which I thoroughly appreciate. It also has a method in it that potentially will ruin the lives of foolish PCs so DMs may want to be careful in playing this one out if their players aren't the thinking or cautious types.

Overall, there's a lot more room for negotiations in this series. I like that as I'm trying to push more roleplaying in my players. Moreover, the storyline is set up with four warring factions; all evil but I plan to change that to a few neutrals since the PCs in my campaign are all good and would never negotiate alliances with evil groups.

This game is great for an adventuring group from 7-10. I would add that they should be interested in thinking out possible traps and tricks and also be adequate (or better) at negotiations. The weapons may unbalance the game so make them either super evil, which means good PCs must destroy them, or have them destroyed at the climax (will make sense when you read it). Lastly, you may want to give the different warlords more allies as the module gave them a skeleton crew of thugs.

In my opinion, Return to White Plume Mountain is one of the very best adventure modules out there! It features a very clever central plot, realistic encounters, logical combat situations, and several opportunities to roleplay and interact with the dungeon's inhabitants.

This supplement provides very clear and detailed histories for both Keraptis and White Plume Mountain. The plot is unique, realistic, and intriguing. The effects of roleplaying and of interacting with the non-player characters is outlined. In addition, the dungeon crawl itself is not linear at all, allowing the players to roam at will. And the maps look great!

Although a lot of information is presented, the module can easily be altered or customized. There is no setting specific material, so White Plume Mountain can easily be inserted into any ongoing campaign. However, no addition work is needed to fully enjoy this adventure.

I have run this module with 3 separate groups of players, experiencing 3 very different, yet wonderfully memorable, adventures. Do yourself a favor, purchase Return to White Plume Mountain - it is worth every penny!