Excellent poetry handbook. Where Paul Fussell does 'Poetic Meter and Poetic Form', Monaco and Briggs do metaphor.

The probability and statistics for engineeting book provides a very good first book on probability and statistics. It is very useful to engineers and scientists that need to analyse and interpret data. It has a very good material on statistical inference and on quality and reliability. I strongly recommend this book.

Kyle provides the reader with a detailed and insightful history and analysis of John Knox's personal biblical and political thought. A major focus is Knox's belief of himself as an Old Testament prophet and the role he plays in the conversation among his contemporaries regarding the issue of violent resistance. Also provided by the author is a discussion of the ongoing historiographical debate surrounding the issue of Knox's doctrine of resistance -- what exactly it was, when it began and who influenced him. I found this text to be essential in my own research on John Knox's life and would highly recommend it to anyone that is interest in his life and also anyone that is at all interested in the lives of the Protestant Reformers.

As an A-level student I found this book exceptionally helpful with my studies of British History. The book is written so that it directly coincides with the information I need to fulfill the curriculum. Most importantly the chapters on the statesmen are readable. Similar books I have encountered during the course are dull and dry, necessary to read but not a pleasure. The chapters on the statesmen in this book are fluid, informative, and more importantly easy and pleasureable to read. The chapters are helpful in that they contain not only detailed information on each statesman, but a general background on the period and politics of the time, which I found an extremely useful base for my further studies. Almost as significant as the chapters on each statesman is the appendix. The appendix contains factual information on every topic I needed during the period, general election results, economic details. Even after reading the book I found this a priceless reference, certainly no other history text book I have read has such a wealth of factual information on hand. Overall I would say that for someone such as I, studying A-level history or politics, this book is the most valuable you can have, I still find myself referring to it daily.

In 1835, an extraordinary series of articles appeared in the New York "Sun," one of the city's newspapers. The articles told how astronomer John Herschel, with the aid of an advanced new telescope, had discovered life on earth's moon. Of course, the articles were pure fiction, and the story has become known as the Moon Hoax. The articles, written by Richard Adams Locke, were published in book form under the title "The Moon Hoax; Or, A Discovery That the Moon Has a Vast Population of Human Beings." A reproduction of an 1859 New York edition, with a new introduction by Ormond Seavey, was published by Gregg Press in 1975.

Locke's Moon Hoax is one of the most remarkable works of 19th century U.S. literature. Ormond Seavey's intro to the 1975 edition does a good job of placing the hoax in literary and cultural perspective. Seavey notes, for example, that the hoax appeared at "a time when the tall tale was first recognized as a characteristically American narrative" (p. xxiv). Seavey also makes note of the reaction of showman P.T. Barnum to the hoax, and draws a parallel between the Moon Hoax and Edgar Allan Poe's 1844 "Balloon Hoax."

The text of the hoax itself is a charming piece of literature; it could be seen as a pioneering work of science fiction. The text's flavor of authenticity is enhanced by the many technical details about the new telescope; Locke even names the glassmaking firm that allegedly created the lens for the device! Locke's descriptions of Herschel's bogus discoveries are delightful. We learn about the lunar oceans; trees; gigantic, obelisk-like amethysts; unicorn-like creatures; tailless beaver-like humanoids; and most wonderfully, "Vespertilio-homo," the winged human-like species alluded to in the book's title. "The Moon Hoax" is a marvelous book that deserves to be rediscovered by new generations of readers.

For anyone interested in the Saturday matinee cowboy stars of the thirties through fifties, this is a great reference book.Organized by actor, includes every movie with date, studio, and lenght of film. Highly recommended

For those who like good, clean spy-type fun, this is a SUPERLATIVE work. Part three in the adventures of Richard Hannay (which started with Buchan's well-known "Thirty-nine Steps"), this is a first-rate thriller set on the eve of World War I, with plenty of atmosphere and hair-breadth escapes, plus an excellent dogfight climax in the skies over France. Along with everything else, it has some sound theological reflections (the title being a character from "Pilgrim's Progress") about courage and fortitude. Highly recommended.

Stedman, an English officer in a mercenary force hired to end the depredations of escaped slaves, is an examplar of the 18th century naturalist, complete with botanically or zoologically accurate descriptions and paintings which grace this handsome volume. He was more unusual in his social perspectives, and maintained close friendships with people at literally every level of Surinam society. He had considerable sympathy for those at the bottom, including those he'd been hired to eliminate. This sympathy appears in some grisly images of slave punishment which his contemporary and friend, the poet and artist William Blake, engraved for the Narrative's original publication.

Stedman's graceful writing style, his obvious humanity, his wealth of scientific information, his artistic achievements, his jungle or social adventures, and his modern angst, all contribute to a lengthy and fascinating experience for the reader. Richard Price's introduction ably sets the scene.

John Hume is a virtually unknown figure in the United States, but he has been steadily gaining recognition due to his work in the Northern Irish peace agreement. This recognition is overdue and much deserved. This monumental book outlines Hume's political philosophy - a philosophy which seeks to brush aside the vengefulness and intransigence of Northern Ireland's past, searching instead for reconciliation through justice for all. Hume is heavily influenced by Matin Luther King, Jr. and John F. Kennedy, and quotes from these two figures flavor Hume's text. Hume's themes may seem repetitive, and his ideas seem to be based on the shakey foundation of human progress, but this work demonstrates that he is a champion for for a true peace in Northern Ireland - a peace that is just for all.

I find this book very helpful in preparing for bible study and for the other teacher in Sunday school help them teach the lessons to the children.