"American Country Houses of the Gilded Age" reprints 100 photographs from "Artistic Country-Seats," a book originally published in 1886-87 with commentary by George William Sheldon. This new version of the collection replaces Sheldon's original comments with those of Arnold Lewis. But the real "stars" of the book are the 93 houses and four casinos portrayed in the excellent black-and white photos.

These houses represent some of the most stunning mansions of the late 19th century. Most of these buildings were built in the northeastern United States. Each plate is accompanied by both Lewis' comments and by a first floor plan.

The houses themselves represent many of the popular styles of the era: Tudor, "Shingle," Queen Anne, Chateauesque, Richardsonian Romanesque, Colonial Revival, and Exotic Revival. The crisp photography captures a wealth of beautiful details: covered verandas, stone arches, classical pillars, towers, pinnacles, parapets, half-timbering, castellations, fanciful dormers, and intricate decorative flourishes.

The only disappointing aspect to the book is the fact that only the first floor plans are included. Plans for the other floors would have increased the book's value as a record of social history. Nevertheless, the detailed first floor plans do offer fascinating insights into the lives of the wealthy families of the "Gilded Age." You can imagine yourself wandering through the billiard room or music room of your favorite mansion! If you are fascinated by American home architecture, or if you simply want a taste of this opulent era, you will love this book.

This book let's readers see how the wealthiest people in America lived back in the late 1800's. The floor plans are, although small, completely readable. I do wish the author would have included the floor plans for the second, third, etc. floors. Great photographs and good desrciptions of the homes.

This book features period pictures and information about some of the most amazing houses to be built it the US. It is wonderful to think houses of such detail and quality were built, and so sad to learn how many of them did not survive. This book is a wonderful tribute to them.

It's quite odd, I'll admit, to write a pretty thick book of poetry and solely deal with one specific historical event. For the common man it sounds like it's easy for the poet to shoot himself in the foot many times if he is to make dry history into poetic language. This book shows that it is indeed possible to make great poetry of it after all.

Heyen has his own vocabulary throughout the book and manages to make historical figures all fit into his special universe, like everybody turned up on his writingdesk and got special instructions from Heyen on how they should react to special things. The remarkable is that Heyen stays very true and close to historical facts and is accurate, as far as I can trace him, throughout the book.

Of course Heyen, through the two protagonists Custer and Crazy Horse, makes it almost a fight between industrialization and nature, civilisation against free spirit. Heyen knows well that in todays society Custer is the winner, but still the other part of us still want to be free, perhaps only in different ways than C.H.

Mr. Heyen's perceptive piece of work is a joy to read. You can enjoy this book even if you have never read a poem, not even in high school. Pieces are very touching, other very funny. Heynen has a deep knowledge of the historical facts which contributes to his understanding and compassion. Most of the short poems resemble tiny stories, quick pictures of imaginary and true events, snapshots of Crazy Horse, his friends and enemies, all the Custers and those other folks from that time out there. These are uncomplicated and lovely prose poems. You don't need to know all about the Little Big Horn to enjoy Heyen's book, though it may help to know he has his facts right. His emotions are in the right place too.

Mr. Heyen's perceptive and beautiful piece of work is a joy to read. Pieces are very touching, and other pieces very funny. Heyen is a witty and intelligent writer. His deep knowledge of and empathy with the historical facts contribute to the understanding and compassion throughout his book. Most of the short poems resemble tiny stories, quick pictures of Crazy Horse, his friends and enemies, Custer, Mrs. Custer, all those folks from that time out there. Heyen writes uncomplicated and lovely prose poems. You don't need to know the facts of the Little Big Horn to enjoy Heyen's poetry, though it helps to know he has his facts right. His emotions are in the right place too. You can enjoy this book even if you have never read a poem since high school. It reads damn good.

As a nephrology fellow I found the concise tabular format in this book very useful and reassuring while beginning my consultation months. I still like the basic idea behind its publication, but am increasingly disappointed. Much of the dosing information is readily available now for free, and it is frequently more accessible on palmbased programs such as epocrates and medscape that avoid the need for carrying multiple pocket references. I would like to see the text regularly updated, go beyond data available in existing palm programs, such as including recommendations/cautions regarding drug combinations for transplant recipients, discuss intraperitoneal dosing for CAPD patients on relevant medications, include critical liver metabolism pathways (i.e. P450 enzymes systems) so interactions with other meds might be better predicted. I would enthusiastically support adding a palmtop version to the appropriately updated text.

After completing a residency in internal medicine/pediatrics and using many other sources to decide on renal drug dosing I have been most delighted with the introduction to this one at the beginning of my nephrology fellowship. The very rapid accessible concise format of key essentials I need for patients with temporary or chronic renal failure are also adjusted for types of renal replacement therapy. Only suggestion I have is: please update with new addition and more meds included as soon as possible. Wish I had known about this book from the first day of my internship.

Very helpful, quick reference for Physicians, Pharmacists and Nurses to determine possible effects of renal disease on drug disposition.

I lived in bodie as a child before it became a state park, I own one of Rosa May's perfume bottles, the one with the daisys for the top. I haven't read the book, but I know the town pretty well.

I read this book several years ago. As a writer, who enjoys "early California-Irish history," I was impressed by the diligent work of G. Williams. This book is a caring, thoughtfull book, covering many aspects of mining history -- complete with colorful characters like rosa may.

I had read and commented on: The Guide to Bodie and Eastern Sierra Historic Sites (Western Americana History Series): by George Williams and became interested enough to buy this book. I feel I now have a better idea of life in Bodie during the late 1800's and early 1900's, and I have learned a great deal about Mr. Williams and his early tries at being an author. I intend to return to Bodie next summer and if the occasion arises I would like to meet Mr. Williams. Any one who can write a book so compelling that I finished it in two settings must be an interesting man to know. I also want to go to Rosa May's grave and see if I too can sense the compelling interest in Rosa May that Mr. Williams felt when he first went there. Don Gerue

Williams, Glyn, The Prize of All the Oceans: The Dramatic True Story of Commodore Anson's Voyage Round the World and How He Seized the Spanish Treasure Galleon, New York: Viking1999

"Commodore George Anson's voyage of 1740-44 holds a unique and terrible place in British maritime history. The misadventures of this attempt by Royal Navy ships to sail round the world make a dramatic story of hardship, disaster, mutiny and endurance. Only one of Anson's squadron, the flagship Centurion, completed her mission. The other vessels were wrecked, scuttled, or forced back in shattered condition. Out of more than 1,900 men who sailed from Spithead in September 1749, almost 1,400 died, most from disease or starvation. There were circumstances of particular horror about he departure from England, for crammed on board Anson's ship as soldiers were hundreds of disabled veterans from past wars, almost all of whom died before the ships reached their destinationi of the South Sea." Preface

Review by pete saussy: excellent explication of a tortuous web of accounts and incidents, profusely illustrated with drawings and maps from the original accounts. If you thought the disaster at sea stories about the Titanic and the Perfect Storm were horrific, imagine four years of the torture! Of interest to South Carolinians, Anson had been Naval station commander at Charleston prior to his long voyage and quite a property owner of what is now Ansonborough. He started a long tradition of naval involvement in development of the holy city

I have read a good bit of age-of-sail nautical history, but this was the first book I have read about this time period (most books are about the period of about 1775-1815) and I found it to be very interesting as well as exciting. In spite of the fact that Anson's ship was able to capture the Manila Galleon, for which Anson gained fame and fortune, this voyage was, for the most part, a terrible tragedy. Anson and some of his men are only able to survive this ordeal through toughness, hard work, luck, and just a grim determination not to die. The most tragic aspect of this voyage was the fate of the sick and disabled men that were put on these ships with the expectation that they could be used as an army to conquer parts of South America. That plan was so unrealistic that it is amazing that it was actually tried. The conditions on board the ships on their way to the South Pacific were absolutely horrifying. One of the ships becomes wrecked on the west coast of South America and enough drama ensues as they fight to survive to fill a whole book by itself. The battle against the Manila Galleon was not quite as exciting as I hoped it would be, however. In conclusion, as with many dramatic true stories, this voyage was exciting to read about, but it would have been hell on earth to experience.

Though most of us flinch or wince at the thought of 'cracking open the history books' no one should be apprehensive to read this excellently written narrative of a little known piece of maritime history. I hadn't heard of George Anson, the Spanish Treasure Galleon or any other of the details that are covered in this book but that didn't prevent me from an early fascination with it. I had only briefly read portions of the opening chapters while in a bookstore and wasn't able to purchase it because I had committed to purchasing other books already. It made an immediate impact on me and quite naturally made my reading list; someone surprised me at work a few short months later by bringing this in for me to read. It took me only a few days to absorb this harrowing and dramatic British naval tale; in fact I was quite upset that it was so short a read! Not since my reading of Larry McMurtry's 'Lonesome Dove' have I been so disappointed to get to the end of a book and find there was no more reading left.

Filled with high adventure, heroic journeys, unconscionable suffering and considerable heartbreak 'Prize' is gripping to the very end. Each of the seven ships in the squadron has a story worth recounting and Williams manages to fit each ships' tale within his book. My personal favorite portion of 'Prize' is the chapter titled "The Missing Ships" which details the loss of three of them, and in particular I found the story of the Wager the most compelling. If the author had only taken to tell the saga of this singular ship and it's crew and miseries it would have been worth reading for it alone. Their story of shipwreck, survival, mutiny and reclamation is of mythical proportions but incredibly it is all too true.

Eminently readable Williams has crafted a terrifying account of a naval squadron of British ships hopelessly undermanned, ravaged by disease and starvation and beaten severely by incredible sea storms, that somehow defy all odds and manage to accomplish their lofty and seemingly out of reach goal. Though the cost is high - Anson loses nearly two-thirds of the crew - the author prevents us from becoming one-dimensional in our thinking and keeps us intrigued through his expert analysis and interpretation of all the historical documents still in existence. Williams was even fortunate to have uncovered a diary kept by one of the squadron's officers that helped to illuminate some areas of contention that had long been a source of squabbling among historians. Twenty years in the making, 'The Prize Of All The Oceans' is almost certain to be classified the definitive account of this page in history. The author's research is faultless and unquestionable as you'll note by the inclusion of many footnotes as well two appendixes. Not just recommended reading but a must for anyone who reads; this is a book that will thrill any reader and live in their imagination long after they have finished it.

If you really know your stuff this book will never come into play only for someone just getting started

Have been an apprentice electrician and worked in the field. When in a classroom, this book is great for refreshing your memory on a formula or to get the right formula for making the correct bend in a piece of conduit. No matter how experienced one is, it is always nice to have a small reference item such as this book. I know several Master Electricians that swear by this book.

This is an extremely good reference book. It's small enough to carry and full of those little items that we need to refresh on regularly. I'm an electrical maintenance supervisor for an international company and everyone in my department has one. I also get them for our engineering staff.

The Handbook of Sexuality-Related Measures is the definitive, mammoth book of sex surveys and questionnaires.

This book is a wonderful resource for social scientists and clinicians interested in assessing various aspects of sexuality using quantitative measures. The editors have done an excellent job compiling a wealth of instruments and have reported important information such as the reliability and validity of each measure, as well as copyrights and contact information of the authors/publishers of each measure. An incredibly broad range of areas of study is covered, often with more than one measure for each topic area. Greatly expanded and improved from the previous edition, it's an essential addition to any sexologist's library.

This book covers a large variety of subjects and is extremely helpful for sexological research, regarding both the general population and specific sub-populations.

Anyone with a comprehensive understanding of social sciences and anyone who is interested in doing research on human sexuality-this is an excellent tool. This book contains important and valid measures that do NOT in anyway support, condone, or justify sexual deviance like sex with animals or children. The tests in this book aim to measure aspects of sexuality.

I was very disappointed by William Golding's novel The Spire. Golding, whose most famous book is Lord of the Flies, tells in The Spire the story of an Dean Jocelin's obsession to add a 400-foot tall spire to his English Cathedral. All, including the builder, tell Jocelin that this is impossible, as the building lacks adequate foundation. Nonetheless, Jocelin persists, going mad in the process. While much of the writing and language of this book is first-rate, I found it difficult to either pay attention or follow the plot. I found myself rereading many parts of the book with no greater comprehension than the first time through. For me, this was one of those books which I was thankful was short.

"The Spire" manages to brush up against the successful elements of Golding's best work. Although it never reaches the heights of the brilliant "The Lord of the Flies," it does paint vivid and fragmented pictures of man come undone.

William Golding, after seeing the horrors of war firsthand, rejected the foundational thought of humanism that "man is basically good." In "The Lord of the Flies," he used concise language and haunting symbolism to validate his thoughts. And, by creating sympathetic characters, he drew us into his viewpoint. Few of his other novels create such sympathy. It is as though he bought into his own philosophy so deeply that he no longer found value in his fellow man. "Pincher Martin" and "Free Fall" left me impressed with his skills, but intellectually unmoved.

In "The Spire," he moves me again. At first, his protagonist--an anti-hero in every sense--is hard to sympathize with in any fashion. The man, Dean Jocelin, is driven to the point of obsession and insanity by his need to serve God, or, ultimately his need to feel worthy in God's sight. He demands obedience and servitude from those around him, driving them to complete his vision of a 400 ft spire above his cathedral. In the process, some will die, others will lose faith, hope, and love. Only as Jocelin comes to terms with his fallibility do we begin to care about the doomed outcome of his dream. Only as he admits his own pride and stubborness do we hope for his absolution, deserved or not.

This book is an ode to all those who become obsessed by religion and love, who strive for something to the point of sacrificing everything of true value along the way. Here, finally, Golding once again finds a way to show the madness of humanity while still proferring a glimmer of hope.

William Golding's reach in this novel is prodigious. Not only does he demonstrate that the one historical constant is human nature, he also manages to flesh out the scope of behaviour admitted in one particlar human being. The novel takes the reader back in time and to an historically, as well as geographically, foreign place. It deals with how human beings cope with pain, loss, ambition, vision and the tenderest of feelings. The novel is a tour de force.

the story of Hamlet was a very good play, from what Iexperienced I would like to experience some of the other versions ofhamlet and also some of the other shakespeare plays performed. I especially liked how the story began with the ghost of the king, the only part that I dont like is the end, where everyone is killed except for fortinbras, during the play when they performed the play within a play about the death of the king, it was really exciting to find out that claudius was the one that put the hebina in the prior kings ear to kill him so that he could take over the thrown.

At first I couldn't understand the story line at all, so coincodently I didn't like it. Once I watched the movie and started to put together the parts that I couldn't understand, I really enjoyed it. It was tragic because of King Hamlet's murder by his own brother, and of Ophelia's going "mad" and then her death. I liked not really knowing for sure how she died, but I predict that it was a suicide. Hamlet's idea of the Mouse Trap was very clevor. The idea was very intelligent, and one of the only ways to find the absolute truth; Claudius showed with no questions, his guilt. I enjoyed this play and it's story line, but I would also like to view other preformances of Hamlet by different directors to show all of the different ways it could have been interpretated.

Hamlet was a very good play it kept you interested by throwing a twist in the play at every corner. You never knew what to expect. Cladius was very hard to figure out while you were reading the play and it wasnt till the "Mouse Trap" that he showed his true colors. I never knew what to expect in one scene Ophelia was perfectly normal and in the next she was crazy. The one thing that I however disliked was the ending when everybody died, except Horatio and Fortinbras came to take over the government. I think that Horatio should have tried to defend Elsnore. Overall it was a great play which kept you interested throughout and I would enjoy reading more of Shakesphere's plays after reading Hamlet.

So many people want to dislike this play because it is so well known. Colleges and High Schools are known to always to do this play. But it is a sensitive piece of work and is a great piece to preform. Laura's character is so self- conscious and fragile in contrast to her boasterous and out going ex-southern belle mother. This is also interesting because it is actually based upon Tennesse William's family situation. The Charracters are well developed, interesting and natural dialogue and the plot is very interesting.

5 Stars -- for being the worst book I ever read!

One of the classics of our time. Perhaps the most thought provoking play I have ever encountered.