Titles Books

super funny. We took this out at the library. Laughed so hard. My kids begged me to buy it. Which I did. On Amazon. Wonderful.

FANTASTIC!! This is an excellent book with loads of humor. My 4, 5 and 7 year old all like this story. It is laugh out loud funny. At story time the kids BEG me to turn the page to see what will happen next even as the illustrator "Ned" is pleading for a delay. I have read this to both the Kindergarten and the first grade and they love it! A terrific gift for any reader or story time person. NO REGRETS!

It is just enough of a silly book to put a smile on my face while previewing it for my nieces (6 and 4). Both really got a kick out of it,and were really enjoying the whole premise of it. It encourages kids to really scour the pictures to see what is different, and you see something different every time you read it. It is such a great unusual story. I would really recommend this book.

She begs to turn the pages each time the narrator cautions the reader to slow down and not turn the pages so fast!! She couldn't wait to take it to day care when it was her turn for stories.

I love that the princess, after failed attempts by various princes, gets the gumption to rescue herself. Then she saves the prince and the king. It is goofy and no real feminist would go for it for a few reasons, not the least of which is the fact that the princess was locked up and forced to bake for a greedy man.

It is useful to talk to the kids about how the king fooled the prince into building the moat, etc.

This book is an great choice for a short read aloud. The illustrations tell the "story" behind the story and children (and adults!) will be waiting to see what will happen next! It's perfect for children ages 5-10, but I have also used it with middle school students as an intro to a fairy tale unit.

Great condition but didn't realise the book contained several stories. Just wanted the one story "Why the chimes rang."It was bought as a gift and the reciever was totally thrilled

I remember this book from long ago. It has a wonderful message. Not only can love make the bells ring, love can change the world! The illustration are just perfect for the story. This would make the perfect holday gift for young people, or even not so young people who want to regain the Christmas spirit of giving and service.

Destined to be a Christmas classic:Christmas Gifts, Christmas Voices--echoes the message of Why the Chimes Rang.

Growing up in a small town in Indiana, I got to listen to my paternal grandfather read this story to the assembled family every Christmas Eve. My father has continued the tradition within our family, reading from an original 1906 edition of the book. Every year like clockwork, my mother cries as she looks around the room at her sons, their families and the dogs. My partner and I are adopting a boy and a girl from Guatemala this year, and I can't wait to begin this tradition in our home. This is a truly glorious story about Christmas. Read it and share it with your own family. And make sure it's read aloud by the family member with the most sonorous voice.

lovely pictures and great story
nice to find a childrens christmas book that isnt a popular character of the month
adults will enjoy also, so makes reading together the experience it should be

What a delight to find this classic from my childhood. Our parents read to us at bedtime. This story of love and sharing relates universal values. Thank you for making it available.

Fabulous! Alfred Tarski was one of the two greatest mathematical logicians of the twentieth century. (The other was Kurt Gödel.) Solomon Feferman, a student of Tarki's in the early fifties and a friend for over twenty years throughout the rest of Tarski's life, is himself one of most outstanding logicians of our day. Anita Feferman, Solomon Feferman's wife, is the author of the tremendously exciting biography of the logician and bodyguard to Leon Trotsky, Jean van Heijenoort: "From Trotsky to Gödel". (I know it's difficult to believe that a logician could also have been Trotsky's bodyguard; her book must be read to be believed!)
Clearly, this Tarski biography is a labor of love. I completely agree with those reviewers who have explained in detail why this book reads in places more like an exciting novel than a mere biography. What I found very impressive was the beautiful, delicate balance of the book between Tarski's mathematical accomplishments on the one hand and the daily features of his personal life on the other. He was not just a mathematician but rather a force of nature, a tornado, who swept everyone around him in his wake. Students, other mathematicians, university administrators, friends, colleagues, and especially women were all pulled into his mathematical and personal whirlwind.
No praise would be excessive for this outstanding book!

Feferman made a great work in this book to show another facet of Tarski's logic. Usually, Tarski is associated with set theory, notwithstanding his main interest was algebraic. He didn't trust to the set-theoretic concept of individual; as a matter of fact, in boolean algebras where's no individuals at all. It's a mereological point of view, according to which what it's given aren't the parts, but the whole. An atom is what we obtain, as a limit concept, dividing endlessy a corp. One of the first papers by Tarski was on the foundation of geometry assuming as a primitive entity that of sphere (i.e. the whole). And his latest book was again on the relational algebra. We must thank the polish logician for his research on this aresa: relational algebras, boolean algebras with operators, cylindric algebras, etc.

I don't agree with Feferman only on a point: this way to approach logic come to Tarski from Lesniewski and not from Kotarbinski. This is not the place, unfortunately, to discuss this matter.

At any rate, the book is delightful, precise but very easy to read.

To be honest, I started reading this book with some suspicion. In the first place, I was neither a fan of Tarski nor of S.Feferman. Though I did regard Tarski as one of the intellectual giants in the 20th century, I still frowned at the book's opening description of him as one of the "greatest" logicians of all time - on a par with my own hero Godel. My feeling towards S.Feferman was similarly ambivalent. In spite of his substantial contribution as the editor-in-chief of Godel's Collected Works and the universal praise he has received for that project, its end-result (the project was abandoned for running out of supports in 2005) is seriously lacking. For one thing, after almost 30 years' work the huge bulk of Godel's Nachlass in Gabelsberger (an almost extinct German shorthand) has been left unpublished (although approximately half of it has already been transcripted). It seems that more emphasis had been given by the editors and their colleague commentators on INTERPRETING Godel rather than making the inaccessible original material available to the wider public. I have always doubted the wisdom of Feferman's chief-editorship on this and other issues

Nevertheless, Feferman turns out to be a much more successful co-biographer of Tarski than an editor of Godel. The Tarski book goes far beyond my expectation. I simply couldn't put it down and went without sleeps for several nights until my eyes could no longer tolerate my indulgence. The reading has made Tarski an immensely more interesting figure to me - almost as interesting and intriguing as the enigmatic Godel. This aftermath is something which I could never have anticipated in my wildest dreams beforehand.

Since I agree with much of the praises from the Amazon Editorial and Customer Reviews of the book, I don't think it desirable to re-enumerate the book's various merits which others have already done. Needless to say, the book is not perfect and leaves much that is desired unaccounted. For one thing, although the book does present an interesting picture of the development of logic in the last century, it is presented from the Fefermans' highly personalized viewpoint and very one-sided. For example, from the book the reader will only get a very uninformed idea of the development of set theory which happens to be both Tarski's lifelong "hobby" and a source of intellectual uneasiness since he had a certain (though ambivalent perhaps, for he sometimes spoke in a Platonist tone) nominalist temperament while set theory is prima facie concerned with highly transfinite objects and often pursued by pronounced "realists" like Cantor, Zermelo, Godel (who was in effect described insane when Tarski declared himself as "the greatest living sane logician" ) et al. It is arguable that similar tension should also occur in Model Theory where Tarski reigned. But there is no discussion on this issue. It will also be interesting to know how Tarski reacted towards the epoch-making invention of forcing by P.Cohen in 1963, when the former was still an active researcher. The Fefermans say almost nothing on this either, although S.Feferman himself was one of the earliest developers of forcing immediately after Cohen. My own conjecture is that, like Godel, Tarski did not take forcing to be FUNDAMENTAL. Godel almost had a proof of the independence of the axiom of choice in the 1940s, but he abandoned the project partly because he did not want to encourage other logicians to plunge into a pursuit of independence proofs instead of trying to discover and develop new, further TRUE axioms of mathematics. Presumably the nominalist (by lips?) Tarski will perceive the issue very differently from the Platonist Godel. Yet the book gives us little clues about such and various other issues.

Paradoxically, it is precisely from the frankly personalized and unsystematic viewpoints of the Fefermans and other intimates of Tarski that we find much that is valuable. Moreover, unlike the Godel case, the authors did not forget to let the protagonist to present himself. And in spite of its moderate length and lack of comprehensiveness the book does manage to weave abundant insights into their captivating story of this intriguing man who is, given all his unconventional acts and deeds notwithstanding, first and foremost "powered by his ideas" (as Peter Hoffman puts it) with an extraordinary self-confidence throughout his life. It is amidst this web of insights that we are granted some of those very rare glimpses into the mind of a genius that so few biographers have ever accomplished.

unlike all the previous praises this book seems to have gotten, i was not impressed by it. the book is an account of tarski the academician as seen/experienced by his phd students one of whom is the co-author himself.

the book is an account of tarski's academic life which is apparently believed to be best reflected through his students' eyes. this account fails to put in anything else. even what his son and daughter have to say is missing for the most part. there are many things which go unexplained or unquestioned:
1. why was tarski so much into nature?
2. why was he obsessed with rigor and formality? just stating an observation and looking for the reasons of that observation makes the difference between a fact telling book on the verge of being a mere factoid and an intriguing/enriching one. this book is unfortunately as shallow as can be when it comes to some psychological assessments.
3. why was tarski a womanizer? was he really that or did he like portraying himself as one?
4. was he a tyrant and if so, why?

the authors make a huge deal out of the fact that he was a jew. can it be that this whole emphasis on his religious and ethnic origin is anachronic in nature? maybe he just did not care, really. why did he choose catholicism? just because? or was he so ambitious that he did not really have any ground rules at all? in the end, these questions all go unanswered.

giving 5 stars for such a shallow book is unwarranted and is an unjust blow to some successful biographies such as the enigma (about alan turing) crafted by andrew hodges.

Here is an unlikely great read. An important slice of the intellectual history of the 20th century, a human tale of immigrant success in America, fascinating gossip about famous philosophers and logicians, and required reading for anybody seriously considering graduate work in mathematics or any other highly abstract discipline.

This book creates a very realistic picture of academic life in which high intellectual achievement and ordinary human (mis) behavior are strangely intermixed. The way scholarly communities form and disperse around ideas, historical circumstances and personalities came across in a way I found to be very gripping.

Tarski, a tiny Polish professor who meticulously fussed over precision and complete adherence to the rules of highly abstract "Formal Systems" was actually a boozer, abuser, drug user and schmoozer. He didn't live a Formal life. Married to a Polish Resistance fighter but even so himself a serial adulterer, he flourished and eventually died in Berkeley carried there by historical currents of violence and anti-Semitism.

The book introduces us to most of his colleagues and PhD students, a rare collection of brilliant eccentrics for the most part. Consider his PhD student Richard Montague: a respected Mathematician and Philosophy Professor, but also a real estate speculator, epicure, fixture in the Gay LA Noir scene and, ultimately, murder victim. A common theme in all this is that in logic the character of the work and the character of the workers do not harmonize in a way that most people would find to be intuitive or even plausible. These logicians are not logical. Bertrand Russell is another case in point. Godel, who appears in the book in cameo, is perhaps the exception. An alternative way to say the same thing: these scholars display perfect intellectual integrity and only average human moral and social integrity. So much for the heroic Attic view of philosophers. Nevertheless, they all come off as admirable in the sympathetic but still somewhat ambivalent treatment by the authors, who were social and professional associates of Tarski's.

Their kind of mathematical work seems to have been a kind of creative art conducted in a difficult and technically demanding medium. By people with "artistic" temperaments. Several anecdotes and characters in the Polish part of the story seem to reinforce this impression. The handsome and seemingly idealized painted portraits on the dust jacket painted by a contemporary Polish logician-artist emphasize this aspect of the tale.

Their subject, mathematical logic, may seem recondite and obscure, of no interest to the general reader. In fact, its development by such men as Godel, Turing and Tarski may well be one of the great intellectual triumphs of the last century. Among other things it was essential to the development of computers. And perhaps to the systems of control and thought which keep the current huge social and economic system intact. This is an ironic legacy for such a wonderful collection of mathematical bohemians (should I say Warsovians?) and free spirits.

I love the artist, Scott Gustafson. The artwork is great! Story plot could be a little better, but I love the art!

This book was a favorite throughout all three of my children's childhood. They never got tired of it and, the real miracle was neither did I! Gustafson's illustrations are outstanding but the story line is a perfect match. Buy it as a gift for any new mother! Worth the price!

This is a stunningly beautiful book with incredible detail drawn on each page. Each animal that comes to the party brings a list of alliterating items that are at times a tongue twister to read, but the illustrations and cleverness are worth the difficulty! If just for the language that it would illicit by discussing the illustrations this is a must have addition to your alphabet book collection!

I purchased this book for my 2 1/2 yr. old son. He LOVES this book and we read it every night. I'm amazed that he has memorized the entire book.

I first checked out this book from our library and it has proven to be one of our best book selections ever. Our 3 year-old son has requested it every single night since we brought it home and he loves studying the illustrations. He is especially amused at the jaguar making a jam sandwhich at the end of the story. I often find him looking at this book on his own. It has truly sparked his interest in letters!

Usually Shakespeare is easier to watch on stage than to read. Yet this one is bound to confuse no matter what form you experience it in.

Two sets of twins, one high born, the other their slaves, are cast in the ocean by a storm during childhood, splitting them into two sets of one son and one slave. Their father, searching for the lost pair, journeys into the right town, Ephesus, at the wrong time. He is to be executed as an political pawn. Meanwhile, the other pair of mismatched twins finds themselves in Ephesus, too, well confusing the good people of Ephesus, including the lost pair's wives.

William Shakespeare was just starting as a playwright when he wrote this, a comedy, sometime around 1594. Bigger fish were still to fry. This, his shortest extant play, has plenty of charm and slapstick to go along with what the Pelican edition editor notes are some pretty awful puns based on Elizabethan pronunciations. If you are looking for a good laugh, Shakespeare's a few centuries out of date. "Comedy Of Errors" works better as an appetizer for meatier Shakespeare works, showcasing his wondrous use and joy with the flexibility of the English language.

Many of the best lines reflect the play's concern about misrepresentation and frustration with life's station:

"How many fond fools serve mad jealousy?" (Act II, scene i)

"For slander lives upon succession,/Forever housed where it gets possession." (III, i)

"The venom clamors of a jealous woman/Poisons more deadly than a mad dog's tooth." (V, i)

"Was there ever any man thus beaten out of season, where in the why and the wherefore is neither rhyme nor reason?" (II, ii)

The last line is one of the slaves, Dromio of Syracuse, lamenting another beating at the hands of his master, Antipholus of Syracuse. There's more slave beatings in this play than in the whole of "Roots", yet in this case they serve as comedy in a Homer-strangles-Bart fashion.

Much of the rest of the comedy involve confusion between this Antipholus and Dromio and the other pair, who bear the same names, except they are known as Antipholus and Dromio "of Ephesus". People approach them knowing their names; Antipholus's "wife" upbraids him for being a stranger to her bed.

The Pelican edition is designed to be read with minimal expository interruption, giving you brief explanations of archaic terms but not the historical analysis of, say, Folger editions. I like the latter approach, but have to say I found myself with enough information to juggle here with the text itself. Keeping track of the misadventures of the two sets of mismatched twins requires some concentration.

Still, there's real merriment in this play, similar to that found in the superior Shakespeare festival of confusion, "A Midsummer Night's Dream". You also get a lot of interesting observations about male-female relations where Shakespeare is either sending up or celebrating the traditional male-dominant order. It's hard to tell.

It's hard to tell a lot of things where "Comedy Of Errors" is concerned. You have fun being kept guessing.

I bought about ten of these because they are so easy to carry around and are printed with easy to read type and sell at a very good price. I have many other editions of Shakespeare's plays but these are perfect for what I wanted. I have lots of other editions with introductions, evaluations, etc. and I don't really need that in my bag. These editions are a great way to read the plays without carrying around five pounds of book!

Shakespeare's vision grew tremendously over the course of his writing career. However, this play demonstrates that his uncanny power as an artist grew quickly and was present in some form from the very begining. It is exceedingly hard to buy the common notion that this was his first comedy when it is so much better than "The Two Gentlemen of Verona" in nearly every way. The dialogue is fast paced and screamingly funny. The characters interesting if broad and there are some surprising touches that, aside from being interesting in and of themselves, point down the road to later, darker comedies. Chief among these is the amazing opening, perhaps still unequaled in all comedy for the level of grimness. These are the first words uttered in a play long seen as a kind of sitcom of Shakespeare's plays: "Proceed, Solinus, to procure my fall, and by the doom of death end woes and all." The speaker is Egeon, a merchant about to be put to death for simply coming from the wrong country. The whole first scene feels like a cloud is hanging over it and there is a sense of fear-infused urgency that catches the mind off guard and makes the joyous, lunatic story all the more welcome while at the same time coloring it with real drama, making it all the more exciting. To be sure, there is little real depth and much of the play is like a sitcom but only the best of sitcoms and perhaps "Monty Python" at their most absurd is a better comparison. The plot is well chosen (from the Roman comic dramatist Plautus) and well handled. For some reason the play is not well known even among the early comedies which is a shame. It is probably the best of them, even surpassing the wonderful "The Taming of the Shrew". Aside from being an easy read, keep in mind the play is good to perform as it holds up well and doesn't suffer from being tinkered with. I've seen one production that was mostly straightforward but did a few weird things that worked like magic. They would've sunk almost any other Shakespeare comedy. I must also mention the last moment between the two clowns. It is as heart-warming and humane as it is funny. The master is already present AND growing. Do yourself a favor and pick up this play, you'll laugh your head off!

I recently re-read THE COMEDY OF ERRORS prior to attending The Colorado Shakespeare Festival's performance of this farce-like play under the summer stars here in Boulder. Based on Menaechmi by Plautus, William Shakespeare (1564-1616) produced this romantic comedy between the years 1592-93 and published it in the First Folio in 1623. While on its surface this early play may seem superficial and frivolous when measured against KING LEAR or HAMLET, it is not without its own unique depths. It also shows that the Bard had a sense of humor. It tells the hilarious story of two, identical twin brothers (Antipholus of Syracuse and Antipholus of Ephesus) and their identical twin servants (both named Dromio), all of whom were separated at sea during their infancy until redisdovering each other through a series of madcap mix-ups, mayhem, and mistaken identities in the apparently insane town of Epheseus. Meanwhile, Egeon (the father of the Antipholus twins), has been granted a day to raise local ransom for illegally entering Ephesus. In that day, the separated twins are reunited, Antipholus of Ephesus pays his father's ransom, and Egeon discovers his long-lost wife (Aemilia) living in the local priory. In the end, THE COMEDY OF ERRORS is as much about the power of family as the search for completing oneself. It is a play that reminds me that it is perhaps better to re-read and understand Shakespeare than to devour one bestseller after the next.

G. Merritt

One of the problems that great artists present to us is where to begin in getting to know their works. Their masterworks are often so full of what they have spent a lifetime developing that most of it is lost on those who have not yet put in a significant amount of effort becoming familiar with that artist's style and means of expression. Yet, if one begins with their apprentice works one may become discouraged because they lack the miracles of the masterworks. So, where does one begin?

Shakespeare offers the reader an additional challenge of an English that is removed in style and idiom from us by 400 years. It is not an insurmountable challenge. In fact, it is quite easy to overcome with a bit of time reading it and getting into the flow. It just seems strange in the beginning, but it really does become easy to read once you spend some time with it. However, getting over that small hill has kept many from enjoying the glories of Shakespeare.

This play, "The Comedy of Errors", is clearly an early work. It has many virtues, but despite them it does not offer much of what we really value in Shakespeare. It is a very fine play and is constructed very well. It is a wonderful first work to read of Shakespeare because it is short and has a very simple plot. The new reader does not have to spend much effort contemplating characters or the immense subtlety of language of the great works. Its charms are direct and what it has to offer is pretty much on the surface of the words.

The plot is, like all farces, ridiculous. It involves twin brothers who are served by twin slaves. They are separated early in life and when the play opens one set does not know the other exists. One set (the Antipholus and Dromio from Syracuse) visits Ephesus where the other set (the Antipholus and Dromio of Ephesus) lives. The play involves people confusing the two sets to the bewilderment of those suffering from the confusion. It really is quite funny. Of course, eventually, all is resolved to everyone's delight.

This edition, like all of the individual editions Arden offers of these plays, has a wonderful opening essay that offers a great deal of background on the play including a discussion of its performance history, sources, and discussion of the play itself. The appendices in the back offer excerpts from the sources and some brief information on the Gray's Inn performance of 1594.

If you desire to study Shakespeare and are willing to spend time reading many of his plays, "The Comedy of Errors" is a good work to start with just to ease into the language and get a feel for some of the conventions of Elizabethan theater. Just don't stop here. Shakespeare has so much more to offer that you owe it to yourself to continue your exploration of this supreme artist.

My son kept checking this book out at the library, then I found an awesome price at amazon and bought it for him last Christmas we have read it so many times that my 5yo has memorized it, great book for the whole family to sit down together and read

This is a fun story of a monkey who wants some bananas from a tree but has to cross a sea of crocodiles to do it. By counting the crocodiles, (and ultimately outsmarting the crocodiles) the monkey does just that. It has become a family favorite. It has increased our little's girls awareness of counting and her phonemic awareness through the rhyming words.

When we borrowed this from the library, we read it several times per day, and my kids were begging to keep it when it was time to return it. Now we have to buy a copy for ourselves, plus one for a gift. The rhymes are better than clever--maybe even brilliant! With the catchy rhythm, this was easily the most fun book I've ever read with my kids. My four-year-old daughter was soon reading it to her brother, with the help of the fantastic illustrations. All in all, a very fun book that will thrill young and old!

Counting Crockodiles is a great book. My 3 year old loves it. It is his favorite book. We read it EVERY night before bed. The pictures are colorful and the animals keep his attention. He likes that the words rhyme. He looks at it so much I am ready for another copy.

As a mother of a 3 year old daughter and an early childhood educator, this is probably my most favorite book available.

The story revolves around a monkey who spies a banana tree on an island across the way and tricks the crocodiles into making a bridge for him to go over and retrieve some bananas. Each page is very colorfully illustrated and is told in a very catchy poetic form. Through the story you count crocodiles from one to ten and back again. The book is short but puts a smile on your face all the way through.

This story is excellent for teaching values, sequence in stories and in counting, and is a great introduction to crocodiles. A huge fan of The Crocodile Hunter, my daughter finds this story entertaining, and is one of the only stories she asks me to read over and over. It's nice because this is one of the only stories I like reading over and over!

As you read this book it seems as though you are right there with Larry and Lin as they build and sail their small boat from California through Mexico, Central America, Jamaica, up the U.S. East Coast to the Chesapeake Bay and finally to Europe. This is the 25th Anniversary edition of this book. It has been updated from the original with pictures and maps. A great book I would recommend it highly for anyone with an adventurous spirit.

Page turner - made me want to drop everything and sail. The combination of this book and Slocum's book gave me the sailing bug. Contains useful information for those that are thinking about buying a boat. As seasoned, adventurous, resourceful sailors, the Pardeys' books are useful for salties or salty-wannabes (like myself).

Now available in a brand new 25th anniversary edition, Lin and Larry Pardey's Cruising in Seraffyn now sports a new introduction, "Anyone Can Go Cruising," and a new appendix, "Affordable, Attainable Dreams." Cruising In Seraffyn is an exciting, detailed cruising guide with a 16-page spread of full-color photos, making it an adventurous reference for nautical buffs and armchair travelers alike. With its decades of sailor's wisdom and inspirational prose, Cruising In Seraffyn is very highly recommended reading for anyone interested in setting sail for pleasure.

I loved the book, but always wished there were more photos. Now I have seen the new edition, in hard cover, published by the Pardey's. It is great. They have done it for the 25th anniversary of this book. Lots of color photos, a really updated discussion of cruising costs and a really nice story about what has happened to Seraffyn over the past 30 years. The pictures of the Pardey's new boat and Seraffyn sailing side by side are worth the $2l.95 price. Unfortunately, the book will not be on the American market until June. I got one from a friend who is a book reviewer. I was told you could wait till june and get it at ..., or you can go to the news letters on thier web site, ... and order one early.

As other folks have written, this book is lovely to read and inspiring as can be. The new edition, in its hard cover is not just a simple reprint. It is almost a whole new book - the new introduction gives grand info for sailors today, the appendix puts it all where it is for those who want to sail off in 2002. But best of all are the l6 pages of full color photos - stuff to dream about, ideas to use on your boat. Really lovely. If you have the old edition, you'll still want this one. If you've never read the first book, this is the one for you.

One cannot read about the intricacies of the human body and the miracle that keeps us moving as each part works both separately and together. I borrowed a friend's copy, but had to buy my own to take notes.

I learned about the functions of the body in an easy to understand layman's discussion: that is, the skeleton, the skin, etc. He tells stories about people he has treated that exhibited some of the illnesses when these areas of the body do not work as they should. At the same time he relates this information on a spiritual realm. Although the book is not new, I liked the way he wrote and found it an easy way to learn about a lot of how my body works.

Dr. Brand's book can't help but leave the reader feeling as though they are disconnected with what is taking place around them. From a personal perspective, it's impossible to appreciate the complexity of performing even the most routine activities throughout the day. On a large scale, this book challenges all of us to consider what our obligations are to society as a whole, exposing what an isolated perspective most of us are able to maintain living in America. This is an excellent choice for anyone involved in a reading group.

Note: This review refers to an additional book, "In His Image" by the same author that I consider a "companion" to this one.

In both these books the authors take us into the world of medicine as seen through spiritual eyes. The parallels between our own bodies and the Body of Christ are fascinating to say the least. Read, for example, how when one area of our physical body is injured an urgent call goes out and hundreds of thousands of cells respond by plugging the holes in the walls, protecting the weak, cleansing the area and rebuilding itself. Read also how the body responds when there is rebellion loose within it. The list includes the workings of: (Fearfully and Wonderfully Made) cells, bones, skin, motion, (In His Image) image, blood, head, spirit and pain.

The reading style is very relaxed and everything is explained simply so that you don't need a degree in chemistry to understand what's going on. A special bonus is Dr. Brand's focus on his life's work with lepers which is interwoven throughout both books. If you've got an interest in how the physical body works and how it relates to biblical concepts, get these books - you won't be disappointed. -- Moza

This is primarily a book about the human body and the startling complexity of what is under (and a part of) our skin. Four main areas of our bodies are discussed; the skin which holds us all in, our cells which make up an intrinsic little universe inside each human body, human bones and lastly motion. The insights into the physical human body are enough to make this book great for it shows that whoever or whatever created the human body was unfathomably intelligent. I prefer to believe that God was the designer and so this book causes me to be in awe of God, who I believe to be the creator of mankind. But for an atheist, this book would have to cause him or her to give great awe and respect toward chance. For if chance created our human bodies, it did one heck of a job. Though primarily about the physical human body, the authors are constantly making application to the spiritual body of Christ which, as the Bible tells us, is the entire group of people on earth who have believed in Jesus Christ. The Bible also makes a lot of comparisons between this strange group of people and the human body. Paul (one of the human authors of the Bible) tells us that God sees this group of people (I will refer to it as the church henceforth) like a human body, with many different parts, each part with a special function. In Yancey and Brand's book, they explore the different aspects of the human body and then show how these apply to the church. The analogies are insightful into how we as Christians are to function. In the introduction to the book Yancey writes, "In a sense, metaphorical symbols are the only way for us to grasp spiritual truths, which explains why the Bible uses them so lavishly... the human body expresses spiritual reality so authentically that soon the common stuff of matter will appear more and more like a mere shadow."

Yancey is a great author, and Brand is clearly a great doctor. The book is written as well as Yancey's other books and it is broken down into 25 short chapters. Each chapter has a specific point, and most chapters also offer an analogy about the church, the spiritual body of Christ. I read the book in 25 days, a chapter daily which was an excellent pace to be able to digest the book while still keeping it constantly fresh in my mind. I would recommend the book to any Christian eager to be astounded by the human body and the spiritual analogies that come from the mysteries of our physical bodies.

Angel loves doing art, but is still finding her place within the scope of it all. Her work is labeled "whimsical", but she wants to up it to "realistic". However, when bad boy Miguel approaches her saying she has the perfect style to be a great graffiti artist, well, what else can Angel do but say yes to lessons? But as the days go on, she gets wrapped up more and more in the sometimes seedy underbelly of the world of graffiti art. Will she be able to pull herself out before it's too late?

I really enjoyed this book. Told in a very raw, honest, and realistic way, this novel portrays the Latino culture in a way I don't think I've seen before in YA literature. The events in this novel feel very real and make you invest so much into Angel and her life, leading up to a killer climax. I almost cried while reading this book and that is extremely hard for someone to do. This book is highly recommended.

The Sista Hood: On the MicAngel reminded me of myself as a young girl writing in California. Kelly felicidades on your first novel, it's great to see Latinas writing postive novels about subjects that young people can relate to. I felt you weaved Angel's personal journey as a writer and growing young women with humor, realness and craft.

Parra weaves the conflict of a races, multi-hertiage, and defining one's identity in this fast-paced novel. Labeled YA, the novel can be enjoyed by a broad range of ages. It is difficult to believe this is Parra's debut work--such a terrific job!

Personally, I will never see graffiti the same since reading of Angel's struggles. While the book began a bit slow for me, the pace heightens quickly and won't let you go. The situations are real, so are the conflicts and the decisions that Angel faces throughout her journey. Parra has a fantastic YA voice, and I look forward to her next creation!

I read this book in two sittings, which should tell you that it was downright entertaining.

Graffiti Girl is labeled young adult, but the themes in the story can appeal to a much broader audience. The protagonist, Angel Rodriguez, is a young artist who has an incredible need to express herself, yet struggles to embrace her unique style. She jumps right off the page-the kind of tough, sweet heroine who isn't concerned with prom dresses and makeup. Angel has real issues, driving internal conflict, and a message. She'll stay in your thoughts a long time after you finish her story.

Parra creates a seamless balance between the edgy and wholesome-an accurate description of setting in a racially diverse, small town high school. The prose is snappy and clean without being weighted down by excessive slang or references to pop culture, something a writer with less experience might use to remind us that we are reading contemporary fiction.

Well written, and well worth my time. I'll be looking out for Parra's next.

Angel is a teenage girl whose life, or much of it, at least, is about her art. She loves art, but when she enters a contest for a mural, and doesn't win, she's more than a little disappointed. In her disappointment, Angel turns to another form of art, one that's more often than not practiced illegally: graffiti.

Miguel shows her his artwork, his graffiti, and even lets her into his graffiti crew, Reyes del Norte. She finds her voice in graffiti, and also finds herself drawn more and more to Miguel.

However, Miguel's not the only guy in the picture. Nathan is a much more clean-cut, wholesome guy, whose art is a lot more conventional, too; he won the mural contest that Angel wanted to win.

To say Nathan and Miguel don't get along is an understatement. And with both of them taking a rather sudden interest in Angel, their rivalry is getting even more intense. What side in it all will Angel pick--and will she stay true to herself and her art?

I was very excited to pick up this book; the summary sounds pretty great, and also really original. For the most part, GRAFFITI GIRL lived up to my expectations and was pretty awesome!

I love the characters, especially Angel, and I was impressed with the way the difficult decisions Angel had to make were realistically fuzzy and grey rather than clearly black and white, the way these sorts of choices (picking between two guys, for example) so often are to the reader.

The writing in the story was excellent, and the subject matter was fresh and interesting, making this story well worth reading. Kelly Parra is an impressive new voice in YA literature--keep an eye out!

Reviewed by: Jocelyn Pearce

The Hunting of the Snark is a whacky piece of poetical silliness by Lewis Caroll. Complete nonsense, no-one knows what a Snark is, or why Snark hunters hunt it, or why anyone would want to become a Snark hunter to start with. Anyway, the poem is definitely amusing at times with some of the humour he slips in.

The Hunting of the Snark seems to be a very, very short imitation of The Canterbury Tales. The first chapter (titled a fit) introduces all of the occupations of all the different people going on a journey. However, instead of going on a general pilgrimage and telling tales along the way, their trip is very specific to hunting.

The Baker actually attempts to tell a story, but the Bellman (who leads the group) says there's no time for storytelling. They have to catch the Snark before nightfall.

Along with the Bellman and Baker, a Banker, a Bonnet-maker, a Butcher, a Boots, a Billiard-maker, a Barrister, a Broker, and a Beaver tag along to hunt for the Snark. The Beaver is afraid of getting cut by the Butcher, so he puts on a dagger-proof coat and talks to the Banker about buying an insurance policy.

The Beaver is involved in a hilarious scene with the Butcher later, when the two attempt to compute sums. But perhaps the funniest scene of the entire book is in the Barrister's dream when the Snark declares sentence on a pig, only to find out the pig has been dead long before the trial even began.

I'd highly recommend this short poem for Carroll fans, even though it's not big enough to contain but a small portion of what's to be found in the Alice books.

I have read a great deal of nonsense in the past, but this was by far the best nonsense that I have ever read. There is no point, no meaning, no sense, and no boringness. It is a delightful poem (which is well written and very fun to read aloud) about a crew on a ship hunting a snark. The crew includes a captain who only rings a bell, a beaver, a cook who only cooks beavers (the beaver and the cook did not get along well), a man afraid that the snark would turn into a boojum and make him disappear, etc. As you can tell, this makes for an insanely silly poem. The subtitle is rather fitting, as my sides were definitely hurting from laughter when I was done. Well done Mr. Carroll.

Overall grade: A+

Nonsense poems can easily miss the mark
Yet, this masterpiece has that spark.

"How do you kill a _____?", you ask
To find the answer was the hunters' task.

"What was their fate?", you wonder
Did they ever catch their elusive plunder?

A paragon of haunting Carollian lore
Be in no doubt that you'll finish wanting more.

This poem is just great!

First, this one of the most delightful pieces of writing that ever appeared in (more or less) English. It succeeds as a sustained exercise in illogic. I am sure that only a mathematical logician like Dodgson could possibly have pulled it off - only someone with such deep understanding of reason could master unreason so completely.

Second, Martin Gardner's commentary adds depth and background to the reading. Gardner explains terms that are now obsolete, but also adds his own analysis and a rich history of the Snark phenomenon. It should be no surprise that Gardner is still best known as the long-time editor of Scientific American's column on Mathematical Games, a mathematician himself.

I can't add much to the scholarship or praise that already surrounds this incredible poem. I would like to point out, however, that most non-native English speakers are unfamiliar with this poem. Many of them have only ever seen the serious side of the English language, and have never seen English at play. I consider this short work to be the ideal introduction to the very best of English-language nonsense.

//wiredweird