G Books

As someone who had never taken even a token psychology lesson before, I found this book very easy to digest. The author frequently gives real-life examples of what he is talking about, making it much easier to follow along with the sheer amount of jargon that the field employs. The modules are fairly short, making for reading sessions that don't leave you with a headache. Myers has a sense of humor as well, working jokes into the texts as well as including popular comic strips that illustrate what he's talking about.

This book is designed to be easy to read, and is really really interesting. If you're looking to expand your knowledge, i would suggest it. It's a real quick read.

This book does a great job of giving you information that you can relate to or apply to what you see in every day life. So far I've really enjoyed it.

For the beginning psychology student, or for someone who just wants to learn some of the basics, this is a good book.
I used to for a class and it is quite informative.

It teaches many of the psych terms and gives examples of how the ideas apply to real life. It also gets a little into the biological things having to do with psychology, but not real deep.
A few entertaining things are in there as well, like small comic strips to demonstrate their points in a humorous way.

It seems that many other books in psychology do not offer information in such a broad and defined view to the wide content that creates Psychology as a science. I would recommend this book to someone instead of the For Dummies or Complete Idiots Guide series. The logic behind many concepts are shown in cartoons, pictures, and presentations. I would say this book, in many aspects, is descriptive.

This book includes the following:

- Diseases and disorders

- Cognitive science (learning, developmental stages, etc.)

- neuroscience/neurophysiology (schizo mind, neural connections)

- Psychophysics, which describe how the human body interprets information through their senses.
(THIS IS NOT IN A LOT OF PSYCHOLOGY BOOKS, VERY NECESSARY TO LEARN)

- Psychobiology and evolutionary genetics

This isn't a shabby cover piece, but the 70s paperbacks were a lot more original. On this book we really aren't given much to work with, just a very simple painting with very simple, non-detailed artwork. The gentlemen in the cover is either Fallon, or it depicts a stranger in the town of Fallon. I can't be sure because I didn't read the book. But based on the cover art, I probably don't want to.

This western from Louis L'Amour was released in February, 1963, remaining in print every since. The locale of this western novel is Nevada pretty much in the center of the state. The fictional town of Red Horse is very close to Iron Mountain, sandwiched in between the Desatoya mountains and the Toiyabe mountain range to the east. With Red Horse about 100 miles east of both Carson City and Virginia City. The town, whose elevation is a little over 10,000 feet, also lays north of the Great Basin.

As stated in the story, it takes place after a time that the wagon trains have pretty much played out, as true with many gold mines. The wagon trains coming through now are generally ones of merchandise and equipment to resupply the gold camps, rather than carrying settlers.

The new name of the town that Macon helps establish is Red Horse, previously know as Buell's Bluff, a gold camp town that went bust and became deserted. The theme of this novel is much involved with town building explaining in simple terms just what it took to establish a western town of the mid to late 1800's, and the components of a typical mining town on the plains. Mr. L'Amour, in fact, had actually built a replica western town only a short time prior to his death.

This town is directly situated in an area that the Ute Indians still claim, so there is a possiblity of Indian attack, and at one point in the story, Fallon comes under attack by a party of at least 6 Utes. Readers of Mr. L'Amour's books such as Bendigo Shafter, Passin Through, or Milo Talon, among others, will be reminded that he had great interest in western towns: what it took to build them and just what components comprised them. And though Fallon is a fictional treatment, the story offers great factual insight into both the elements of a western town and the various peoples who lived in them and made them survive.

The story moves along very well and is humorous at certain spots, and while I don't rank this story with Shalako, Hondo, or some others, it is enjoyable.

So if you are interested in Louis L'Amour and his work this one will offer a few hours reading. He spent his life writing these books and the enjoyment and practical knowledge he held readily comes through.

So saddle a good horse, check the bullet loads in your pistol, and get a good supply of water before we hit the trail. Remember, those water holes can be very far apart. With bandit gangs and predatory Indians sprinkled along the trails.

Semper Fi.

"Fallon", by Louis L'Amour, was entertaining, fast reading, and lightly sprinkled with philosophical statements as are all the westerns I have read by him. Although there is romance in the novel, it is very light and occurs almost unexpectedly.

Macon Fallon is a card player on the run, but seeing a sign for an old abandoned town and finding two families with a broken wagon wheel, he schemes to re-establish the town with a new name. Ultimately, he hopes to sell the claim to a mine nearby the town, and then flee with the profits. But Fallon grows to like the town and its people, which makes the choice for him to leave more difficult. A final gunfight seals Fallon's fate in several ways.

I can't believe this was the first western I ever read, I'll defintely search out more. This is good fun right from the first paragraphs "Macon Fallon was a stranger to Seven Pines, and fortunately he was a stranger with a fast horse" - from the opening lines I was carried along.

The story follows Macon Fallon, as you know from the above, a stranger to Seven Pines who manages to upset some gamblers and escapes from the lynching - but gets himself in a bad way travelling in the dry areas without water. Just in time he sees a small wagon train and hatches a plan. There is a deserted town up behind the trail, he realises if he can get the wagoners to set up the town again he can make a pile and start a new life out west. It is kind of a scam, but he feels some guilt, they are decent people and he doesn't swindle decent people.

The hero is good fun, at once self-deprecating good humour, and next strong and able hero to the wagoners and against the local unsavoury and highly violent gang. One of the Wagoners, Ginia, an attractive young woman, smart and brave.

the story bounded along, its a short and punchy novel, the only thing I found I disliked was the long discussion of poker hands. The hero and the writing reminded me strongly of Lee Child and I wondered if Child was a L'amour fan - maybe I need to read more of this sort of stuff.

Loved it, will read more of Louis L'amour's books.

With Fallon Louis L'Amour comes up with a very different main character. Fallon isn't a gunfighter or cattleman; he's a gambler and a complicated individual. I've read a great many excellent books by Louis L'Amour, and have enjoyed all of them but to be honest, they are uneven. By this I mean that some of them are much better than others.
Fallon is one that I flat out loved; one that I remember well, and of all of L'Amour's always fun to read Westerns, I think Fallon is one of the best.

Sam does his usual excellent job to inform the reader of vital concerns regarding fellowship. He of course takes a bibical approach and will challenge the thinking of all.

This book will change your view of what being a disciple of Christ is all about. Will also be helpful for us who are searching for the anwsers to life. Use it in conjuction with your bible study to learn how to study, properly study both and Old and New Testaments, the teachings of Christ and many other bible subjects. I have read and reread the book and use it extensively in my bible study. I have recommended to many friends and they all agree.

This is the best book on the market aside from the Bible itself on the subject of fellowship. Dawson covers both fellowship with God and with fellow believers.

Dawson's definition and diagrams of the way the NT uses the word "church" are worth the purchase price alone! But there's more! Dawson also goes on to give Scriptural guidelines for when we can work with believers with whom we disagree and when we cannot.

If everyone who called himself/herself a "Christian" would grasp and follow the simple NT teaching of fellowship, we would have more unity, more diversity, and more power.

Buy the book. After you've read it, I'm confident you'll buy a few more copies for others.

This book is a must-read for any truth-seeking Christian who resolves to better understand his or her relationship with God and the expectations he has, as well as how to interact in a way that pleases God with any fellow Christian with whom he or she disagrees. I personally have experienced significant difficulties in my relationship with a particular local church and have found what I learned from reading Dawson's book to be a very helpful guide in determining how best to express my concerns to those involved. This book helped me feel confident as I remembered that I am only responsible to control my own words and actions. Please read it!

After having studied the subject of Fellowship among Christians for most of my adult life, I always felt that there were inconsistencies between what the Bible taught and how many of us were applying it to our lives. Mr. Dawson's book has cleared up many areas of confusion and serves as a wonderful guide in correctly applying what God has taught on this very important topic. As with so many other subjects, man has deviated from the original intent due to his own agenda. Mr. Dawson's book helps us re-focus on where we should have our direction.

A Forgotten Voice: A Biography of Leta Stettler Hollingsworth
By Ann G. Klein, Ed.D

Which of us remembers when female students were not expected to excel in academic endeavors because of a belief that female physiology stood in the way of logical thinking and reasoning? Who of us can recall the time when equality in education meant that all children must learn the same things, at the same rate, and by the same processes of learning? Early in the 20th century, an exceptional young woman, Leta Stettler Hollingsworth, challenged those myths.
In her book, A Forgotten Voice: A Biography of Leta Stettler Hollingsworth, Dr. Ann G. Klein describes the hardships of Leta's early life and her struggle to take advantage of every educational opportunity possible to her. Leta's husband, Henry Levi Hollingsworth (Holly) was her constant companion, support and mentor. Together they moved from rural Nebraska to New York where each would find success and satisfaction though their involvement in the relatively new field of psychology at Columbia University's Teacher's College and at Barnard.

After a stint of baking lemon pies and researching the effect of caffeine in Coca Cola, Leta completed her graduate studies and had the opportunity to work with such eminent researchers and scholars as John Dewey, Lewis Terman, Edward Lee Thorndike, and Naomi Norsworthy. In addition to becoming an active feminist, Leta studied and worked with school children, primarily focusing on those who demonstrated very high intelligence. She was instrumental in founding the Speyer School, a New York City School for Exceptional students. Leta Hollingsworth served as educational advisor of the Terman classes for those students who scored 130 or above on the Stanford Binet IQ test.

In working with the Terman students, Leta introduced cooperative and thematic studies, observed the "special perplexities" (social and emotional needs) of gifted children, noted the frequency of uneven (asynchronous) development, and recognized the benefits of grouping gifted students to provide stimulus and challenge.

While the life of Leta Stettler Hollingsworth was cut short, her influence lives on. I thank Dr. Ann G. Klein and Great Potential Press for sharing her with us.

As a history buff and a lover of biographies with an interest in the studies of human potential, I found this book fascinating. What a great opportunity it was to get to know Leta Stetter Hollingworth from her own perspective as well as the perspective of her husband, family, co-workers, friends, and rivals. The book was nicely rounded, and the balance of personal information combined with historic and academic information was satisfying. Well, almost anyway. The book definitely left me wanting to learn more about Leta.

"A Forgotten Voice" is not just one more "I've got to read this because I should" biography. Dr. Klein has woven the threads of Leta Hollingworth's life and the strands of educational philosophy (both past and present) into a cloak well worth the trying on. I highly recommend this volume to anyone with an interest in gifted education/psychology and/or the lives of influential women. You will not be disappointed.

Far more than a biography, this book is also a history of gifted education and a snapshot of the life of the exceptionally gifted in our society. I learned a great deal while reading it, not only About Leta Hollingworth and her contemporaries in gifted, but about myself, and my fit within my world.

As a biography, "Leta" captures the imagination, taking you to turn-of-the-century Nebraska during the westward expansion. Life was not easy then, and Leta had a harder time of growing up than most. They say "What doesn't kill us makes us stronger," and this certainly applies to Leta's young life. Continuing to college at an early age, Leta faces a new challenge: she is a young woman in a man's world. While she is highly successful there, many still will not accept her, and her struggles continue.

As a history book, "Leta" is just as interesting, and should be required reading for any education or psychology degree program. The relationships between many of the leading historical figures in gifted psychology and education are explained, and the reader learns how their theories and experiences intertwine to form the basis of gifted theory of today.

And most importantly, Ann Klein has done a terrific job combining the elements of Leta Hollingworth's life into an enjoyable volume. Don't miss this book!

BOOK REVIEW
by
Bob Heckel

A Forgotten Voice: A Biography of Leta Stetter Hollingworth

by

Ann G. Klein, Ed. D.
Great Potential Press, Inc. 2002

Psychologists have rarely been the subjects of published biographies, or autobiograhies, for that matter. The few published exceptions have had little to do with their psychological contributions, but much to do with their personal lives. Elitist Henry Murray rated an extended biography and even a review in The New Yorker, not for his psychological contributions, but rather for his affair(s) and his social connections.

So it is a rare treat to find a biography of one of the early important female contributors to the areas of clinical, school and developmental psychology, Leta Stetter Hollingworth(1886-1939). Dr. Ann Klein has produced a major contribution in her work, despite the extreme difficulty of tracking down information on a very private, independent, determined, taciturn midwesterner(some might have called her "feisty"). Dr. Klein's effort took 12 years to completion, during which time she sought every possible source and visited the few living relatives, as well as the places of Leta' s early life, the small towns and rural areas of Nebraska.
Her task was made doubly difficult because her husband, eminent psychologist Harry Hollingworth, destroyed her letters, and gave her research papers to her colleagues. Some of her poetry remains, and are presented in the book.

This work documents and describes the triumph of Leta's overcoming the traumas of her mothers death when she was three, an errant and neglectful father, a cruel stepmother, life in the primitive conditions of prairie living in a sod cabin. From this she rose, through her determination and extremely high level of ability to successfully complete her college training at Nebraska. There she met her husband, Harry and together they sought degrees in psychology at Columbia. Leta faced the problems of all women of that time, a psychological community that felt higher education was inappropriate for them. The book rercounts her struggles, the important figures who played major roles in her academic life and interests, Thorndike, Terman and others. Well documented are the flowering of her intersts and work with the gifted which resulted in a number of books, papers and research projects, many still highly relevant 64 years after her death.

Her efforts on behalf of female equality brought her in contact with some of the most outspoken and radical feminists of the time. She a active participant in their work, though she was not a political liberal. She also held conservative views on eugenics, heredity and other topics, not unlike many eminent psychologists of that time( Cattell, Terman, Yerkes, Hall). In many ways reading about her views suggests positions not unlike Libertarians of today.

What is missing in this work is a glimpse of the inner person. Leta was very private, and if she left any of the kinds of notes which would help us understand her long illness with cancer(10 yrs.), her feelings about not having children, or a deeper insight into her relationship with her husband, this was not to be.What does come through is a triumph over incredible odds, and the achievement of the highest level of success by a very determined woman.

This is a book well worth reading. Thoe interested in the gifted might become acquainted with the press publishing this work. They offer a number of interesting works in this area.

Arguably the best pen & ink artist ever. Some of his techniques resemble scratchboard. A wide variety of subject matter is depicted from landscapes, cityscapes, cars and people.

I first became aware of Franklin Booth through one of many artists whose work he has influenced... Bernie Wrightson.
After being completely swept away by Wrightson's epic, masterful illustrations of Mary Shelly's Frankenstein, I sought out Franklin Booth's work. I was somewhat surprised and disappointed at the lack of published volumes of his work! Particularly for such an apparently influential artist.
A search here on Amazon, finally provided the result I was looking for... Franklin Booth: Painter With A Pen. This volume fills in a gap on an extremely talented artist! Examples of his published works, both illustrative and decorative, are plentiful here. Gustav Dore's woodcuts are the most obvious influences in Booth's work, but he takes this form to a fresh, more spontaneous level, with immediacy and energy of line that the flow of pen and ink allows over printmaking. The sureness and complete control of the medium is nothing short of astonishing, and the fact that Booth was a self taught artist truly confirms his artistic genius.
It's also a joy to finally see Roy Krenkel's wonderful, heartfelt introduction in print here! This book will provide hours of enjoyment to any fan or student of art. I highly recommend it!

For me this was a long-awaited title b'coz as an artist I admire Franklin Booth's Pen and Ink techniques which inspires me a lot!! This book contains many different pictures which reveal his mastery over every aspect of art such as composition, design, drawing, and figurative and landscape. The title of the book says it all "He is truly a Painter with a Pen". Hats off to one of the greatest artists of the century!!!

I'm new to the pen and ink paintings of Franklin Booth. This is a delightful book that can be enjoyed by all ages. The themes range from the fanciful to the sublime. I highly recommend this beautiful book.

I enjoyed this book. I had to wait until it was reprinted to get a good look at it.
Anyone interested infine illustration and especially pen and ink work will surely be amazed by these works.
The only drawback is that it only covers his black and white work and is therefore incomplete.

Although P.G. Wodehouse's non-Bertie and Jeeves novels aren't as well-known to the casual reader, they're in many ways, even better than their more popular counterparts. FRENCH LEAVE is an ingeniously constructed farce that, unlike so many attempts in the genre, doesn't feel excessively dependent on random coincidence and implausible events. I will say, however, that I found the denouement slightly disappointing.

I highly recommend this book. It's one of my favorites by P.G. Wodehouse. It's very entertaining and funny!

Why, in Heavens name, should a modern reader take the time to read the novels of P.G. Wodehouse?? Is it because he was the funniest writer of the 20th century? He was. Is it because you will marvel at his complete mastery of the English language? You will. Is it because his heroes and villians are equally likable persons?? They are. The star of every Wodehouse novel is not Bertie or Jeeves or Lord Emsworth or Psmith or even Mr. Mulliner; the star, of course, is Wodehouse himself. And when he speaks, you should listen!

French Leave is a non-saga novel (meaning no Jeeves or Uncle Fred) with very appealing characters and wonderous and hilarious misunderstandings. It is the story of three American girls and their adventures in France: a story of love at first sight, of mineral-water millionaires, of rascally French policemen, and of a breach of promise suit that never happens. And like all Wodehouse settings, France seems like Heaven on earth. Warm sunshine seems to glow from each and every page. It is almost as if Wodehouse is speaking directly to his audience saying: Wouldn't you like to be here and spend time with my friends? I think all readers of French Leave would transport themselves there in a minute.

If you've never read Wodehouse before, I cannot but strongly encourage you to join the millions who have discovered this wonderful writer. French Leave is just as good a place as any to start. Because it is a later novel (written in the mid-fifties), it will prime you for some of the even wackier masterpieces of the 20s and 30s. Read on, ladies and gentlemen, and even you may find that song lurks in the depths of your heart.

I've read over 100 Wodehouse stories and this one is one of my favorites. The harmless phrase "Where is the dossier Quibolle?" had me rolling off the floor (you have to read the book to find out more...). Wodehouse also weaves in French pronounciations and hilarious interactions between the French and non-French characters in the novel. This book makes you laugh right from the Preface to the last page.

French Leave is the epitome of Wodehouse writing. Everyone gets into more scrapes than any other author could pack into 250 odd pages. I enjoy reading all Wodehouse books and this is an especial favorite. Mr. Wodehouse has a command of the English language we could all do well to emulate. You will enjoy this light look at love and foriegn countries!

It's unfortunate that when talking about Jeff Smith, there's always the issue of what did or didn't happen in his personal life, but for those of us who were fans of the show we will always remember him for what he was, one of the top voices in food television long before anyone ever even thought of the Food Network. He had intelligence, humor, and a warmth of personality that only a handful of people could ever communicate through cathode rays, and those same traits are to be found here in these pages.
The Frugal Gourmet Cooks American is hands down my favorite of his cookbooks, and one of my absolute favorite cookbooks ever. It's a wonderful lesson in American cuisine and full of wonderful recipes. I frequently find it sitting on my coffee table, and it gets read, even when I'm not looking to cook anything.

First off, I'm a big fan of Smith, nevermind all the scandal. I watched his show religiously when I was a kid, and his were the first cookbooks I ever really read. He got me into cooking, for sure. This is one of his better books. Interesting lessons, great recipes, both unique and familiar. Some of my best versions of things, like chicken and dumplings, jambalya, barbeque, biscuits, and chili come directly from this book. Like all his recipes, they're straightforward, and always turn out well. I love his writing "voice", he always made me feel welcome in his world, and I view this book as a comfort, these days. It's like slipping into a favorite sweater. Even if you don't cook from it, it's worth reading just to read.

The Frugal Gourmet' Jeff Smith shows us some great American standards with interesting historic information to boot with this authentic American cook book! This is an excellent cook book for everyone. Jeff Smith has another winner here! It's full of great recipes and stories by a very talented cook and writer. This one focuses on American cooking. I have used many of these recipes and found them to be very good. Being a home grown cook myself and having a mother who is a fantastic cook, I found this book to be very helpful in expanding my culinary taste buds.

Jeff Smith entertained us for years on his PBS program 'The Frugal Gourmet'. Not only did he teach us many savory dishes, he also educated us. Not satisfied with just cooking delicious meals for his viewers, he would give detailed history lessons about the origins of the dish and made it all a lot of fun!

This may be Mr. Smiths best cook book and it is a worthy edition to everyone's cook book library. I own and have read many, if not all of his cook books, not only for the man's knowledge of cooking, but his incredible wit! This guy was funny and I would have loved to have hung out and throw a few beers down with him.

Unfortunately, this man had some very seriously bad press released about his personal life and well..... I am not one to spread rumors.....he seemed like a great guy and sadly he died before he was able to clear his name.

R.I.P. Frugs!

This is a great book, not only in the recipies (which are all wonderful), but in the stories BEHIND the recipies: where it all came from. I used this book quite a bit in the States, and now that I live in Germany I don't know what I would do without it. Our friends are always asking me for TRUE American dishes (not just the hamburgers everyone associates with the States.)

I really love all thoseHistory stories about GeorgeWashington, Thomas JeffersonThe Pilgrims Etc. that went along with the recipes.I hope that Jeff Smith will return to Television very,very soon.

We first borrowed this book from our local library. It was an instant hit with its zany, but not too scary creatures and fun, Seussian-like rhymes and made-up words. My daughter cried when it couldn't be renewed anymore, so we had to buy it. It remains a reading-time favourite, and as an elementary school teacher, I believe boys would also enjoy this silly charmer.

Got this for my 4 year old and she is completely in love with it. She can look at the pictures and know what the creatures are called and we have only read it about 5 or 6 times. Her daddy also likes to call her the names of the creatures like Neenel-Nonnel, Venemous Vritt and her favorite to call daddy a Krigglebink! Wonderful illustrations too!

Any book that teaches while having fun, is an A+ in my book. Fabulous illustrations and very funny! A hit!

We love all of Tony DiTerlizzi's books. He does fantastic illustrations and has a great sense of humor.

My 7-year-old daughter and I discovered this book over the weekend, and it's become a new favorite for us both. We've read it over and over, and that is something that rarely happens these days. We both laughed until our sides ached. Very cleverly written and illustrated. Very Seussian. Excellent book!

Readers versed in the Wodehouse canon will recall a delightful episode titled "Extricating Young Gussie." This installment in the Blandings Castle saga could be titled "Gally extricates everyone." It's not much about Lord Emsworth, and the perennially prize winning pig, Empress of Blandings, features only in a bit part. The usual bevy of imperious aunts cause the usual sackfuls of trouble for numerous tangled hearts. But the plot, such as it is, turns on Lord Emsworth's resourceful brother, the loveable rogue, Galahad Threepwood, and his Jeeves- like power to make things come right. While some of Lord Emsworth's behavior seems uncharacteristic, this later novel from 1965 is nevertheless prime Wodehouse and a ripping good read.

This story by P.G. Wodehouse is very entertaining and a really good read. A great escape into the magical world of Wodehouse.

Galahad at Blandings is a book part of the Blandings Castle series, but I wouldn't call it Wodehouse's best book. It is a about a couple, Sam and Sandy, and how they come together. They have a fight, and Sam comes to Blandings Castle as an imposter, to resolve the fight, as Sandy won't talk to him at all. Then in the end, money is given, fights are resolved, and everyone is happy. It is a tremendously funny book, as many of the main character are quite eccentric, so I suggest you pick up a copy quickly. Enjoy!!! Cheers!!!!!!!!! : )

The Hon. Galahad Threepwood is back. This time he has assigned himself the dubious task of bringing three different couples together. The setting is England, Blandings Castle, of course, complete with the amiable dunce Lord Emsworth and his prize-winning porker, the Empress, infamous for her role in `PIG-HOO-EY'.

On his way to London to pick up his brother Clarence (Lord Emsworth), Galahad, a dapper middle-aged man eyes the name on a sinister package that Lord Emsworth's secretary Sandy Callendar has asked him to post. The parcel is addressed to a chap named Bagshott. This detail excites Galahad's curiosity because he used to be bosom with a fellow named Bagshott. But the Bagshott that the Hon. Galahad knew (Boko) had long since retired from the earth. Discovering that the contents of said package are a pile of letters that will effectively sunder Sandy Callendar's relationship with Boko's son, Samuel Galahad Bagshott, Gally becomes determined to keep the sparring couple afloat. Having been staunchly opposed to sundered hearts since he was a boy, Galahad Threepwood is resolved to put matters right.

Sam and Sandy's dispute happens to be related to gambling and, well, naturally, the Drones Club. You see Sam stands to gain a sackful in a sweep if Tipton Plimsoll (fellow Drones Club member) weds the pretty dolt Veronica Wedge, Lord Emsworth's niece. But Sandy is diametrically opposed to the whole enterprise, urging Sam to part with the debatably generous syndicate offer. And she still hasn't forgiven Sam for telling her that she looks like a "horror from outer space" with a particular pair of glasses on. Plus, Sandy is a redhead, making the task for Gally that much more difficult - as we all know, redheaded women have short and irrational tempers. Enter the "pint-sized bozo," Wilfred Allsop, cousin of Veronica Wedge. On a bender one night in New York with his new friend Tipton Plimsoll, Willie, who somewhat "resembles the poet Shelley," reveals his affections for Lord Emsworth's pig lady, Monica Simmons. Tipton Plimsoll endorses the arrangement despite his belief that Ms. Simmons has the appearance of an "all-in wrestler."

As it is, all three of these impending alliances are dependent upon each other and the Hon. Galahad Threepwood knows it. You'll have to read the story to find out whether or not Gally is successful with his scheme to reunite the warring couples. Just know that he is a skilled raconteur and "teller of the tale." Gally will never miss a beat and he stays on top of it all, undoubtedly aided by his fondness for cocktails at all hours.

Galahad has many passions in life. One is to protect the reputation of one of his oldest and greatest friends, whiskey. Disgusted and offended by "coloured slides" and "temperance lectures" Gally goes on an anti-Tea tirade, accusing "the muck" as he calls it, of being responsible for the death of his poor, dear old friend Buffy Struggles, who "got run over by a hansom cab as he was crossing Piccadilly." Evidently, tea had sapped Buffy's strength.

Recalling another seemingly outrageous send-up, the Hon. Galahad exclaims, "The only safe way to get through life is to pickle your system thoroughly in alcohol." The story to prove the aforementioned theory involved two brothers, Freddie and Eustace Potts. Their French chef once served them a hedgehog while pretending that it was a chicken just to save some money. Well, Eustace, who was a "teetotaler" nearly died, but Freddie, who "had lived mostly on whiskey since early boyhood" showed no ill effects at all after consuming the carcass.

A large part of Gally wishes he could go back to his days at the Pelican Club. There, he would fascinate the members with his inimitable wit, and tireless devotion to mopping the sauce up like a vacuum cleaner in London pubs. Galahad happily recalls his days of getting pinched by the gendarmerie for being drunken and disorderly, vaunting that it would always take three of them to drag him away to the jug.

I recommend this book, especially as a device for teaching English. As the plot thickens, and it does thicken, especially when the Empress gets pie-eyed, and Gally is stretched not quite to his limits, the reader becomes aware that the Hon. Galahad could have been the Prime Minister if he had wanted to. Threepwood is a leader of the first rank - truly a man that we can all look up to. What Ho, Gally?

P.G. Wodehouse once said that you could write about life as it is or as musical comedy. He chose to do the latter. As a result, I strongly prefer to listen to audio recordings of Mr. Wodehouse's novels. The dramatic portrayals add a great deal to the humor of the stories. This is the first one that I have heard by Jeremy Sinden. He is very talented and flexible in his characterizations, moving easily from men to women, from one English class to another, and even to including Americans.

If you are familiar with the stories about Jeeves and the gentleman he serves, Bertram (Bertie) Wooster, which Mr. Wodehouse also wrote, you will feel at home with this tale, as well. Galahad plays the Jeeves-like role, but with greater elan than Jeeves ever did. You'll like Galahad. He's never let a pal down, and he has lots of them from his days carousing at the old Pelican Club. He's the bright, ne'er-do-well younger brother of Clarence, Lord Emsworth (who is fond of pigs, especially his prize-winning, Empress of Blandings, and his peace and quiet).

The story begins with a misunderstanding (not unlike the ones that Shakespeare used in his comedies -- it must be something about the water in England). An American millionaire, Tipton Plimsoe (I apologize for the fact I may have the spellings wrong in this review, since I have only heard the audio cassettes), runs into his fiancee's cousin, and they imbibe a bit too much. In the middle of the night, he awakens to find himself in jail. Someone has taken the millionaire's wallet, so he has no money to post bail. The cousin remembers that Lord Emsworth is in New York, staying at the Plaza, so they call him. Lord Emsworth is a little simple and has a poor memory. Although he dispatches the $20 by messenger to release the two, he mistakenly interprets this as meaning that the millionnaire has lost all of his money in the stock market crash of 1929 (the backdrop of this story).

The consequences of this misunderstanding almost cause three sets of lovers to be kept apart and Lord Emsworth to become engaged to a most unsuitable person. Worse yet, the Empress of Blandings herself is put at risk!

You might think that such a story would have a very predictable plot. Nothing could be less true. Just when the plot seems to be comfortably taking you left, Wodehouse puts in a complication that suddenly causes a u-turn. Then, when you get settled into that direction, he sends you off suddenly at a 45 degree angle. And pretty soon, you are overwhelmed with complications to keep you amusingly occupied with how in the world this can ever be straightened out . . . even though you have a pretty good idea of how things must turn out eventually.

But the complications serve an important purpose beyond keeping up the suspense. They also provide wonderful chances to show the true nature of the characters, and to flesh them out. This I found to be particularly well done in this book. Basically, Wodehouse likes to contrast those who care about others in a sincere way with those who are only concerned with their self-interest. The self-obsessed people unwittingly do themselves in, while the caring people somehow muddle through. The caring people have to also clean up the messes the self-interested ones make.

This book includes two of P.G. Wodehouse's most intimidating and unstoppable older women, Clarence's and Galahad's sister, Lady Hermione, and her friend, Dame Daphne Winkworth, who has her eye on Clarence. The upper class men are, as usual, very unintelligent (except for Galahad), which makes for much of the humor.

I suggest that you use your experience with hearing the narration of this story to think of a story that you would like to read aloud to a child you know. Then do so. Be sure to pick one that you can make very entertaining and which teaches valuable lessons.

See the humor . . . even in the worst circumstances!

There is humor and self-deprecation in The Gardener's Year...This is a book that will appeal to the gardener, the philospher, and the Zen deotee, the reader of self-help books, as well as the humorist. Here are quotes: "After his death, the gardener does not become a butterfly but ... a garden worm tasting all the dark, nitrogenous and spicey delights of the soil." "I find a real gardener is not a man who cultivates flowers; he is a man who cultivates the soil". "The life of a gardener is active and full of will." There are easy references to German philosophers, campanula alpina, Tolstoy, the perfume of manure. All this is presented with humor but there are no fools in this book. It could easily be subtitled "Zen and the Pleasant Art of Gardening." It didn't change my life, but it made it better. For Godsake, by this book!

I don't know much about Czech literature, so I don't know if the Prague Spring had anything to do with the writing of Karel Capek, but I would not be surprised to discover a connection. "Leaves wither because spring is already beginning, because new buds are being made, as tiny percussion caps out of which the spring will crack....if we could only see that secret swarming of the future within us, we should say that our melancholy and distrust is silly and absurd and that the best thing of all is to be..living.."

Karel Capek wrote those words in 1929 when he was 39 years old. By 1938, the year the Nazis invaded Prague, he was dead. His brother Josef died a few years later in Bergan-Belsen. But this book is not about those sad events. This book is about a year in the life of a good gardener, how ever extraordinary a writer he might have been.

During his lifetime, Capek realized that humans were becoming enslaved by fascism and run-amuck technology. The ancient and cyclical daily practices of humans were dying before his eyes --the beet farmers stacking their fall harvests at the railroad stations; the wagon loads of manure that could be delivered for garden beds; the nursury men who understood plants giving way to "market garden centers" staffed by those who regularly misidentify plants and stocked with items that "move" (produce a high volume of sales).

THE GARDENER'S YEAR is a reflective book. You don't have to garden to appreciate it, but if you garden, you will probably laugh on more than one occasion. Where is the gardener who has not struggled with a hose; Who has not looked with greed on a bald spot and attempted to squeeze six more phlox plants in, only to discover a dormant sping plant; And, where is the gardener who has not wandered about the yard with a plant in each hand trying to find just one more place for a perennial. Capek understood the gardener's soul. We are a greedy lot, obsessed with dirt, happy in a wagon load of s___, and hostile to many-legged life forms, but, we are also the best sort of human beings who understand the meaning and importance of life.

Capek's writing reminds me of that of Henry Mitchell who wrote two columns (one on gardening the other on "everyday" philosophy) for the Washington Post. Like Mitchell Capek had the gift of converting his own gardening experiences into tales that inform, enlighten, and illustrate the best and the worst of human nature. "I tell you there is no death, not even sleep. We only pass from one season to another. We must be patient with life, for it is eternal."

I brought this as one of those suggested sells, you know the "people who brought blah blah blah also brought this book" . . . so I did. And boy am I glad I did! Karel Capek is a wonderful author who struck a resounding chord in the heart and soul of this gardener. It was not only wonderfully clever but inspired me to tend to my little rooted, green outdoor children and give them bushels of attention, care and compost ASAP!!! Loved it!

I bought this book for a friend, as a gift upon her achieving Master Gardener certification. I expected something a bit different, a bit more practical, perhaps, but after leafing through the pages, I read the entire book before I gave it to her. Written by the man known to most of us as a European author of the early 20th century on more weighty subjects, this man's witty description of himself as the sometimes manic master of his small domestic garden both amuses and somehow comforts those of us who share his enthusiasm. I laughed long and loudly at Capek's description of what ensued from his planting of the seeds from just one packet, at the many dozens of little plants in little pots, all of which became bigger and bigger, and had to be taken outdoors, finally, to find places in a tiny garden patch. This is a short book, with short chapters, just right for picking up in odd moments during the winter months when we are only dreaming about the coming of gardening season once again.

This is the best book about gardeners I know of. With grace and humor, this book delightfully explores the glories and foibles of serious amateur gardeners. Any garden nut who reads this book without laughing and almost crying over this inciteful outing of the gardener's soul is a callous person indeed.