Eras Books

My only real complaint relates to something entirely outside the author's control: the price. Put simply, this book is darned expensive. But my recommendation to potential readers is: bite the bullet and shell out the dollars. THE BOOK IS WORTH IT!

Professor Ballard (who used to be a colleague in my own institution, but is now in the US again, I'm told) has based his book on a solid bedrock of French primary sources, few of them consulted by scholars before, and all of them used responsibly and creatively by Ballard.

Ballard's analysis is consequently sound and very convincing. I learned a great deal about life in revolutionary and Napoleonic France, and gained many unique insights into the way an 'ordinary' literate and cultivated Frenchman -- who just wanted to get on with life despite the chaos and instability that plagued his nation before Napoleon took power and the far greater degree of governmental interference after he did -- saw and understood the turmultuous events of his era.

The book's uniqueness lies in the fact that, by tracing one man's life throughout the entire period, it demonstrates the constantly evolving nature of the ideas, policies and practices that emerged and shaped French society.

The prose is clear and engaging, and helps to enliven what might at first glance seem an unimportant story about a man of no great repute. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, and would recommend it without reservation to all readers, including French history specialists and the "lay" readers like myself.

This is a book that has had a significant influence on biblical scholarship for some time, though it has only been available in German. Now that it is available in English translation it will reach a wider audience.

"Yo creía que mi padre era Dios y otras historias cortas", es una recopilación de historias que fueron enviadas a Paul Auster por gente en el marco de un programa de radio al cual Auster había sido invitado para, al principio,contar eventos que le hubieran pasado a él. Estaba a punto de rechazar la idea, dado la envergadura del proyecto y el poco tiempo que tenía a disposición, pero su esposa tuvo la genial idea de incitarlo a narrar no historias suyas, que nunca hubieran sido suficientes como para llenar el tiempo del programa radial, sino las de personas de todo Estados Unidos. La multitud de cartas que recibió permitieron a Auster hacer una recopilación que brinda una variedad inmensa de temas con los cuales la gente se enfrenta en su vida cotidiana. Cada sujeto seleccionado resalta un elemento del azar que influye directamente en la visión que uno tiene de su vida, o hasta cambia su destino.

Reviewed by Lori Plach for Reader Views (7/07)

Are you a National Football League fan? If you are, chances are your favorite team has at least one member who has graduated from the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa. The mascot for the University of Alabama is known as the Crimson Tide. The university's football team has a tradition of greatness. The Crimson Tide boasts twelve national championships; three times they have won in back-to-back years.

"The Crimson Tide Madness" is a tribute to the many legends who have once worn the red and white. It is separated into key sections which focus on traditions, legends, coaches, quarterbacks and the great rivalries. This book is packed with quotes from former players, coaches, both NFL and Crimson Tide, and famous NFL players who are Alabama alumni. There are stories which will enlighten football fans of all ages. "The Crimson Tide Madness" is part of a series, "Golden Ages of College Sports."

College football is very much a part of Saturdays in the fall, both in person and by television coverage. After reading this awesome tribute to the Crimson Tide, "Crimson Tide Madness," you will soon be sporting red and white, cheering for the 'Bama team each time they take the field for a Southeastern Conference game or one of the many bowls that they have been invited to play in.

Go Crimson Tide!

Guelzo is a distinguished intellectual historian and author of the recent superb biography, Abraham Lincoln: Redeemer President. The Crisis of the American Republic is enjoyably well-written. Social aspects of the Civil War, such as the roles of women and African-Americans, are thoughtfully considered along with the military history. Guelzo is particularly good on the issues underlying the conflict; the chapter on religious and intellectual history is most enlightening.

Hace 10 anos que el pais esta viviendo una revolucion, la del Mexico presidencia, vertical, la de quienes manejan el poder: una revolucion sorda que pretendia llevarnos de manera vertiginosa al tan cacareado primer mundo.

Inesperadamente para muchos, el primer dia de enero de 1994 se presenta el movimiento de EZLN haciendo tambalear a esta revolucion.

Surge el Mexico profundo, hablan los indios de este pais. Y con ellos, se abre un espacio donde los inconformes pueden expresarse.

El pais no va a modificarse por el proceso electoral y el candidato que gane. Es el sistema quien tiene que cambiar, mas alla del presidencialismo, la concepcion que tenemos acerca de la tierra como una entidad economica. Hemos olividado el espacio social y cultural que esta representa. El espacio vital que, ademas, nos abastece.

El cambio viene desde este Mexico profundo que encuentra su medio de expresion en el neo-zapatismo; no es una llamada a las armas, no es un asunto de elecciones, de partidos y de poder. Es un asunto de cambios radicales en nuestra vision de la economica, de la cultura y de todos los que habitamos esta nacion.

Y solo la Convencion National Democratica abre la posibilidad de paz y democracia. -- from book's back cover

This is a rich and evocative memoir of the author's chaotic childhood. Growing up in rural Puerto Rico, while often living in primitive conditions, the author's lush and lyrical prose paints a vivid picture her early life. The flavor and rythms of her island home come alive under her expert hand, creating an unforgettable picture of her early childhood.

The author grew up in a poor family. During her childhood, she lived in Puerto Rico with her unmarried parents, who were always at war with each other, as her father was a somewhat irresponsible philanderer. It was her mother who centered the family and who always sought a better life for all of her children. When an irrevocable break occurred between her parents, her mother moved to New York during the nineteen sixties, eventually settling with her seven children in the mean streets of Williamsburg, Brooklyn in New York City.

The author details her life's journey from rural Puerto Rico to Brooklyn. The author was transplanted to Brooklyn at the age of thirteen, and her description of her life in Brooklyn is every bit as interesting as that of her life in Puerto Rico. Her oftentimes bewildering transition from her native, Spanish speaking Puerto Rico to an English speaking environment is engagingly chronicled. The author takes the reader on her journey through Brooklyn's public school system to the prestigious High School of Performing Arts, where she graduated and went on to attend Harvard University on a scholarship.

This coming of age memoir is so engagingly written that I was left with the desire of wanting to know more about the life of this remarkable woman. I was also very taken with her writing style. So, I went ahead and bought every book that this author has ever written and look forward to reading each and every one.

"In this volume Shackel presents a very interesting and cogent discussion on the impact of early capitalist industrialisaion on people and their community. This is a very good study in which an anthropological/social historical theoretical approach has been applied to "industrial archaeology". The text is well-written, and illustrated with maps, plans, art work, and photographs. For thosse of us that investigate industrial sites, Shackel's study provides a useful archaeological reference for the material manifestations of early industrialisation."

Robbin Chatan

Cyber_Reader compiled and edited by Neil Spiller is an impressive and erudite anthology of texts and essays on the theme of cyberspace. Most of the essays are from the 1990s, though a few appropriate excerpts from earlier cyberspace history are included. An amazing and eclectic selection of learned opinions and analysis make Cyber_Reader an engaging, informative, seminal, at times challenging, and always highly recommended study of how virtual reality shapes our living world to this very day.

This is the description of this book from the back cover:

"Life in the Renaissance era was very different from today. Most marriages were arranged by parents, and many children did not survive childhood. Meals could be enormous - up to a dozen courses - and the theater was popular entertainment. Discover daily life in Tudor times, from houses and servants to clothing and school.

"This series explores the world in Tudor times through the plays and poetry of William Shakespeare. Shakespeare wrote on many themes - from politics and love to warfare and comedy. His works offer a fascinating window into the times in which he lived. Each page features a quotation from Shakespeare that explains an aspect of life in the 16th century."

This book is written for Middle School aged students. In addition to the illustrations created for the book, it also includes reproductions of paintings from the era.