Works Books

Love this in my Star Trek collection. Helps you to remember all of the great episodes of this series.

This book really set the standard for me for what a companion book for a TV show should be. A nice essay on the shows creation, lenghy season overviews, detailed synopsis' for each episode, and at least a couple pages (note these are big pages) of behind the scenes information on every single episode. With all due respect to a previous reviewer I don't understand how one could say there isn't enough behind the scenes information. This book is basically everything you could ever want to know about the TV show Star Trek Deep Space Nine. I now only buy companion books that follow a similar format. For anyone who likes DS9 this is the book to own.

This book is just too good for words - I actually was a little stunned to see it existed, and when I received it, I could not have been more pleased with the content. In-depth articles on each episode, illustrated by nice B&W photos and great interviews with cast and crew up and down the list.

Definitely NOT for the casual fan, but for those rare DS9 fans among the Trek fan base, this is the one.

Also, for those of you who enjoy the current "Galactica" series, this is a good window into how Ron Moore learned to write serialized, relevant sci-fi. If anything, this show is superior in many ways to "Galactica," if only by allowing a few rays of light to shine through the perpetual gloom.

Only complaint, and a very minor one: no interviews with either Marc Alaimo (Gul Dukat, nose-to-nose the best villain in Trek, along with Khan and Q) or Cirroc Lofton.

Some of the information is interesting, though I do have to admit that I was somewhat let down by it. I thought there would be more "insider information," so to speak, than there was. All the technical info was great, but I was hoping for more personal information, more about inside jokes/behind the scenes/etc. The sections that begin each season are a bit better in this respect though. After one read through of each episode, though, the book's primary use now is just to remind me what each episode is about so I can decide whether to watch it on DVD for the 6th time, or skip to the next episode. Not exactly the central use I had in mind when I bought it.

I'll just add to the heaps of praise for this massive work covering the complete Deep Space Nine series. The plot of every episode is described in detail, as one would expect, but this volume goes much further, devoting a great deal of text on each episode and season, primarily offering points of view from the writers, story editors, producers, directors, and other production staff, and occasionally from the actors. What's especially great, aside from all the detail that fans salivate over, is that everyone involved with the production is generally pretty candid about what does and doesn't work, so the less-inpsired episodes aren't subjected to faux praise for the sake of selling DVDs.

It's not flawless, however. Too much detail is sometimes given about how a story evolved into what finally aired, whereas there are often other questions about plot and character development, or lack thereof, that would've been more compelling to read. Also, there are spoilers in some of the behind-the-scenes info that could've been better disguised; it makes it difficult to share the book with someone who is watching the series for the first time. Those are small nits to pick, though. No other Trek episode guide comes anywhere near the level of depth and quality of this one, and I can't recommend it highly enough to fans of the series, even those who don't consider DS9 their favorite part of the ST franchise.

Living By the Book: The Art and Science of Reading the Bible -- At Last! Someone who knows how to read the bible and is willing to reveal his secrets to us. Why don't church bible studies start with this book? This book should be the first book of the bible study curriculum. I praise God for finally leading me to Howard Hendricks book.

Howard Hendricks is outstanding at revealing how exciting reading the Bible can be, but even more important was how he explains how to accurately determine what the writers were saying to the original hears, but also to us now. His directions reveal tried and true methods to "rightly divide the Word of God" that many other books on how to read the Bible just never see. I have been reading the Bible for more than 30 years and have seen truths that I missed over and over, just like when Sherlock Holmes looks a crime scene and understands all kinds of details that the untrained just can't see.
Reading this will open up the Bible and God's revelation like never before.

As a required reading for my Bible Study Methods course in seminary, this book opened up a new world to me in the area of Bible observation, interpretation, and application. I did not know what I did not know. I highly recommend it to anyone who wishes to learn how to read their Bible in a new, more in depth way, to receive all that God's Word wants to reveal to us.

We've just started using this study with our small group from church and I'm thrilled that it will teach everyone how to dig deeper and understand the word on their own. Howard Hendricks is a great bible teacher.

Dr. Hendricks is a gem! This book is for anyone who finds the Bible overwhelming or intimidating. This book will help you develop method for study that will make the Bible easy to understand.

Wade Davis is a lyrical writer and an accomplished scientist. This account of enthobotanists studying the amazing properties of plants and the way they are used by indigenous people is one of the most fascinating books I have ever read. Into the already-dense tapestry of medicinal, psychotropic, and industrial uses of plants he weaves fascinating details about the lives of several other brilliant and eccentric botanists, the administrative debacle of the U.S. government's rubber policy during WWII, the extraordinary lifestyles, religion and mythology of the tribes he encounters, the history of the missionaries, the cultural and nutritional significance of coca and the saga of its commercial exploitation, and the brutal history of the Spanish conquest. Add to this the sheer logistical difficulties of working in the remote rain forest -- the washed out roads, unusual diseases and parasites, harrowing plane rides, etc. -- that he, and especially his predecessors endured, and the book reads like a nail-biter adventure story. Left me with an overwhelming sense of awe as well as regret for the wonders that exist and those that have been lost.

It was in better condition than I expected (it was used). The cover isn't bent at all - it doesn't look like it's been read.

'One River' is full of great stories and anecdotes as well as a sense of place and time that are unforgettable. I'm giving it four stars for reasons stated below and so won't focus on the positives which have already been so well covered by many reviewers. These are fairly minor quibbles in an otherwise good book.

Stylistically, the narrative doesn't always flow well. Wade presents the life of the books central character, Richard Schultes, in some sort of chronological order, but interjects anecdotal stories out of order requiring the reader to have a good memory to keep everything straight. This is a long detail-rich book with 1000s of people and place names covering about a 150 year timespan from the Amazon Jungle, to the Andes to Central America and the American West.

The amount of detail is at times excessive, in particular with place names and locations, Wade sometimes spends as much time describing where a place is (a 50 person village in the jungle) as he does about the place itself before moving on to the next place - it feels like a rote travel log at times, probably because he used Schultes private botany journals as one source. There is so much detail it sometimes crowds out the big picture, lost in the trees. I think the book could have been edited back 100 pages or so, there is just a lot of material that is pure anecdote or trivia.

Finally and probably most importantly, as a life of Richard Schultes, this is pure hagiography. He is the hero of the story in all respects. Perhaps hagiography is helpful in motivating students to become scientists, but it is not a balanced objective biography, it is a tribute by one of his admiring students, Wade plays up Schultes accomplishments but does not question or examine his failures. For example, Schultes spent the majority of his career in the Amazon studying the rubber tree and became the world expert, yet he never did complete a book about it, what a tragic loss. I don't mean to disparage Schultes, but given his stature and reputation, the lack of any criticism naturally draws the question Wade never asks. The book was written in 1996 and Shultes died in 2001 so with time we may see a more balanced perspective.

This amazing book tracks the young career of National Geographic Researcher in Residence Wade Davis as well as the life of Prof. Richard Schulties, who was probably the best ethnobotanist the world has ever seen. Davis' task was difficult because Schulties kept no journals or logs of his travels. When he could, Davis interviewed Schulties whose failing mind made the process difficult. Davis also examined data and locality labels on herbarium (plant) specimens Schulties collected during his long career at Harvard University. What emerges is an in-depth look at Schulties' 12 years of exploration along remote rivers of South America in search of new and improved rubber-producing trees. This book provides a fascinating view of the scientific career of Schulties, from undergraduate student to career end, as well as vivid descriptions of travels in interior S. America. It is the most interesting book of explorations in South America that I have read. It also describes the lives of peoples untouched by western civilization; the health benefits of chewing coca leaves; the plague of aids; and the fragility of the world's rubber industry. Great book!

I actually teared up at the end of this book, not something I expected from a book about ethnobotany. At the end of the reading I had learned about the lives of researchers in such exquisit detail that I lived along side of them. This book is nearly perfect, much better than even the rave recommendation from some very respected friends. It's possible that there will never be anyone who will have the knowledge from experience that Richard Shultes had aquired in South America and that alone makes this book very rich, yet added to his story are the experiences of Davis and Dr. Plowman two researchers that also immerse themselves deeply into the Andes, the llanos, and the Amazon to learn about the forests, the people and the use of medicinal and psychoactive plants.

This is a long book, nearly 500 pages and is a serious commitment but well worth it as you will not experience anything quite like it unless Davis's other book is better (I have not read it yet). I only have a few complaints about the book and those are regarding omissions in some available photographs that Davis mentions in the end and a lack of maps for much of the area covered in the book. There is one small map on page 125 that shows the route of travels but it is too small and difficult to use. I resorted to a copy of International Travel Maps - South America North West to see the detail that I needed as I followed the travels of Schutes, Davis and Plowman.

Davis is an excellent writer and he has a way of conveying a sensitivity to the lives of all that he encounters. That along with his insight into the cultures that he experiences and the knowledge and history that he brings into this makes it a unique, rich read.

This book is a great read. It is refeshing to be able to read words, thoughts and dreams from people as they perform such honorable duty overseas. This book is powerful and should be required reading for all, especially Americans.

Some anti-war activist may think it is "pro-war" but it isn't just that. This book reveals personal thoughts and challenges faced by American military personnel in wars from the Civil War until the later conflicts in the 20th century. It is pro-war, anti-war and everything in between.

This book reminds me of the sacrifice that so many make for their country. It is a great tribute for those who have served.

I actually read a review about this book and gave it as a gift to my sister-in-law who teaches high school history. She LOVES it and told me it was an amazing collection of actual letters. She said all of the teachers that she works with have been borrowing it!!

I received this book as a gift because my family knows I love reading personal histories from those who lived it and "War Letters" seemed perfect for that. I enjoy learning what life was like for the average citizen in an era, whether its someone riding the Erie Canal in 1840, a foot soldier in the American revolution, or a journal from the Civil War.

This is a remarkable book and taken individually there are many, many heart-rending emotional stories that probably need to be read by many people. It does in fact put a personal face on war. Because it is a collection of letters, the book is easily read in short spurts; you don't want (and shouldn't) read this book quickly.

I only gave the book 4 stars because I actually found it hard to read. While the personal letters (the spelling, mannerisms of the authors) help tell their stories, it also keeps the book from developing any flow. Some letters are agonzingly slow to read and understand. I'm certainly not faulting the authors or their stories; but if you're looking for a great, well-written, smooth-flowing story that you can't put down, this isn't it.

i only gave it three stars because many of the stories were more about patriotism than about the war themselves. Of course every book has its bias so its still a useful and moving read when taken with this grain of salt.

This book is awesome, I have read it numerous times. My heart goes out to the letters writers and receivers... I urge you to spread the word of this book... It will really open your eyes to see that Military Personel and their signifigant others are real people, with real feelings... I really look forward to another book like this coming out. I will definately buy it.

This has to be among the best of Wodehouse. As so many other reviewers have remarked, the novel has a fluid feel to it; total and complete chaos. Starting with an ominous phone call from Aunt Dahlia, Bertie jumps from bowl to bowl constantly in the soup.

I loved the quotes from this book, on things being gruntled and what not. The characters are also amazing. Sir Watkyn Bassett, the treacly Madeleine, with Spode running after Bertie wanting to break his bones, the dog Bartholomew (this was perhaps one place where I almost laughed out loud) which terrorizes Bertie and Jeeves when (I think) they have to take shelter on top of the cupboard-Bertie goes to great lengths introducing this terrier. The moment is when they throw a candle at Bartholomew and it eats it.

The cow creamer plays no small part in the plot. It is a hideous silver jug that uncle Tom collects. Aunt Dahlia wants Bertie to 'sneer' at it by saying that its modern dutch, which might lower its value, apparently.

There is also Stephanie Byng and stinker Pinker who constantly trips over things. And constable dobbs, Aunt Dahlia herself, and Gussie Fink Nottle. There couldn't have been a more ridiculous set of characters than here.

This,and perhaps some of the Pig books (Pigs have wings, and Summer Lightning come readily to mind). I wish the world were as nice as that depicted by Wodehouse.

Believe it or not, I am 74 years old and had never read
about the trials and tribulations Jeeves put up with
Bertie Wooster. I have never laughed so much in my life.
I am now going to get my hands on every word P.G. Wodehouse
ever wrote. I truly would have loved to meet the man.

The Code of the Woosters, by the inimitable P. G. Wodehouse, is a fun and enjoyable romp with Bertie Wooster and his Man Jeeves. This novel features numerous plotlines, including but not limited to, the battle over a cow creamer, a lost notebook, romantic entanglements, the theft of a policeman's helmet, a potential jail sentence for Bertie, a dictator, and more romantic entanglements. Each plotline is brought to a conclusion by the brilliance of "Plum" the excellent English humorist. The book is full of hilarious one liners and brilliant wit. Amazingly, this novel was first published in 1938, yet it is still full of timely situations.

This novel of classic comedy introduces us to Totleigh Towers and its owner, Sir Watkin Bassett. Several memorable mainstay characters are in this book including Gussie Fink-Nottle, Aunt Dahlia, Madeline Bassett, and Stiffy Bing. Any journey taken with Wooster and Jeeves is time well spent. This classic series endures because the characters are wonderful and memorable. A 5 star fun-filled romp.

An early critic of P.G. Wodehouse complained that his second book was identical to his first, only the character names had changed. In response, Wodehouse resolved to continue writing identical stories, but to keep his character names the same. And so, The Code of the Woosters is nearly identical to all other Jeeves and Wooster novels; Bertie gets into a sticky situation, inadvertently makes things worse, and is ultimately rescued by Jeeves. Could any one of them possibly be any good if they are all so unoriginal? Yes. In fact, they are all excellent. How? Wodehouse was a genius; reading any one of his books will prove it to you. His characters are unforgettable. His narrative is brilliant. Above all, his books are hilarious, and The Code of the Woosters is one of his finest.

Betram (Bertie) Wooster, a lazy, bumbling (but well meaning!) gentleman living in Britain during the early 1900's, is pressured by his aunt Dahlia to steal a cow-shaped milk creamer from Sir Watkyn Bassett, a magistrate who once fined Bertie five `quid' for `pinching' a policeman's helmet. The task is made complicated by the presence of Roderick Spode, the amateur dictator who founded `the black shorts' and who is a friend of Sir Watkyn; Spode is watching Bertie like a hawk and threatens to break his neck if he sees Bertie so much as glance at the cow-creamer. Things go downhill when Gussie Fink-Nottle (a newt fancying friend of Bertie's) suffers a snag with his engagement to Madeline Basset (a dreamy girl who holds opinions like `the stars are God's daisy chain,' and who thinks that Bertie is madly in love with her). Bertie rushes to patch things up between them, but nearly becomes engaged to Madeline himself. In the end, only Jeeves, Bertie's brilliant, (almost) all-knowing manservant, can guide Bertie out of these troubled waters.

If you aren't familiar with P.G. Wodehouse's dynamic duo, you owe it to yourself to read this book. I guarantee you won't be able to stop laughing. Nearly every line is comical. The narration itself (the story is told by Bertie) is positively hilarious. And so, I give The Code of the Woosters the highest marks I can!

After every two sentences or so, I had to put this book down and howl like a hyena. This was my first Bertie and Jeeves book and I think it's a comic masterpiece. In Code of the Woosters, the plot spins faster and faster until the immensely satisfying end, where everyone gets what he or she deserves.

Wodehouse's comedy has no mean side to it - his writing remains engaging without resorting to the snideness that many humor writers employ. I still can't figure out how Wodehouse keeps my attention and keeps me laughing when his general theme is the unwavering silliness of the English twit. I'm heading to the bookstore for more.

The Color Atlas of Anatomy was recommended to me as a reference for designing implantables and surgical instruments.

As a non-anatomist, I found the illustrations and cadaveric photographs to accurately reflect my cadaveric surgical trials in the wet-lab.

I often referred to this atlas while designing an Achilles Tendon repair instrument and other orthopedic surgical instruments.

There are not very many books of this type of presentation to begin with so I must be careful here as to how I may sway your opinion of high priced books. Color Atlas of Anatomy has been a staggering companion to my study of Human Anatomy. After careful study of Grey's Anatomy for Students along with Clinically Oriented Anatomy I don't believe I was ready for what was presented in the fifth edition of Color Atlas of Anatomy. Astounding revelation. I don't know there may be a few of you that have actual access to Anatomy Laboratories but I must say everything is in the right place as far as what I was told in the books mentioned above but this book is something else as far as what you see is what you get. Color photographs make short work of any pedantic ravings of the layman's terminology. I never did get to go to any medical school in North America but I'm sure that any student there would agree there is no trick photography here.

There are 1158 figures with 1035 in Color and CTs and MRIs as well. All in 8 chapters and over 400 pages. This is not a book to leave out for the hackers to scoff and judge so keep it under your bed or better still in your locker at your Medical School.

Most of the Medial Schools that I want into have this required or recommended as a text and unless you can say something's changed in the last hundred days since 2007 all is as it should be.

I consider this book to be a must for any anatomy student. The pictures are exactly what you will see when you enter the lab.

In case it isn't clear from the description or title, this is an anatomy atlas made up of photos of actual human bodies. I don't know why we didn't have this in A&P. Fascinating, and a nicely produced book as well.

AM A SECOND YEAR STUDENT OF ANATOMY, AND AM GOING INTO THE RADIOGRAPHER TECH PROGRAM AT MY SHCOOL I JUST BOUGHT THIS BOOK AFTER SEEING IT, AFTER SOMEONE BOUGHT IT. SO I ORDERED MY OWN COPY, AND AM TOTALLY BLOWN AWAY BY THE PERCISION OF THE BOOKS DETAIL ON EVERY SINGLE PHOTOGRAPH. I THINK THIS WILL BE A DEFINATE KEEPER, AND IF YOU ARE LOOKING AT THE PRICE WITH A SIGH, DON'T JUST GET IT AND ENJOY!~

Also recommended: ALSO STRONGLY RECOMMEND THE COLOR ATLAS OF HUMAN ANATOMY by Wolf-Heidegger!!!!!!!!

I have been struggling with autoimmune diseases with them potentially evolving into Lupus. This book has been helping me get through some really tough times. It also has helped to be able to talk to doctors with a clearer understanding of this disorder. I have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia and this book along with Dr. Wallace's fibromyalgia book have really put things in perspective for me. I have read many books on the subject and this book by far is the best!

As I am newely diagnosed with Lupus, after years of confusing symptoms,this book has become the most important resource I have found. The information is clear and concise.I now know how to ask questions of my Rheumatologist, and to understand the test results.

I was recently diagnosed with lupus. I found this book to be extremely helpful with alot of the questions I had. I would recommend to anyone who has the disease to read this book.

This is the book whether you are a patient, a family memeber, or just trying to figure out if you might have Lupus! I've had multiple life-threatening manifestations of Lupus over the past 10+ years and I always go back to this book for answers. I have yet to read anything that comes close to covering all the bases...and since there are SOOOO many bases to cover with Lupus, start here. More than likely the it's the only book you'll need. I bought many other books but this is the one I always reference first, and I usually don't need to look further.

I have Lupus, and have bought each new edition of the book as it has come out. It's the best book on Lupus out there. Now I have also been diagnosed with MS, if only I could find a book about MS that was as concise, organized and well written as this one, I wouldn't feel nearly as "alone" in the land of MS as I do.

Thank you Dr. Wallace for such a great book that helped me navigate the uncertain road of being newly diagnosed with Lupus 15 years ago, and for the continued information you provide to all of us who have or are affected by Lupus.

My husband loves to learn about how things work. The title of the book told me this was just the book for him.

*Keep It Short and Simple.

If you doubt that technical information can be short and simple, read this book. It was written for anyone old enough to read well, and especially designed for those who find technology intimidating. It not only provides comprehensive descriptions of the way hundreds of machines and devices work, but also gives explanations of the scientific principles behind each. The book makes liberal, effective use of graphic diagrams, and describes most of the machines and devices in 200 to 300 words on 1 or 2 pages.

This is a great book. It breaks down complicated concepts into simple principles that a child can understand. A good start for budding engineers.

This is a fabulous book! I like all of David Macaulay's books because they have so many details of how things are made. This is my favorite, though, because it answers questions about objects and technology for budding engineers and architects or just anyone who is curious! My son has loved his and I just bought one for my nephew.

Put these four things together--ingenuity, imagination, depictions, diagrams-- and you have a double ID toward understanding how things work. David Macaulay and Neil Ardley put together a magnificent volume for children and children at heart containing a way of understanding the laws of physics and mechanics.

The first illustration even shows God busy creating the rotation of the earth. Then they go to the earth where wooly mammoths lived and pick up one to take us through the history of mechanics, machines, and the like. Dozens of movements in five sections: waves, electricity, automation, digital domain, and machines show us just how easy these things are to understand done in drawerings.

Just as in child's play, there is no seeming order to the arrangement of items in the book. For example here are a few pages next to each other: vacuum cleaners, aqualungs or oxygen tanks, the toilet tank, the water meter, dishwasher, spray nozzle, fire extinguisher. Are you seeing an order? Yes, so am I.

Flipping over a hundred pages, I find the jet engine, rocket engines, nuclear power, nuclear weapons, fallout, nuclear reactor. OK, a definite pattern. Another hundred pages show these topics: movie camera, movie projector, printing, paper making, printing plate, printing press, bookbinding. More discernible order and logical arrangement.

One last check: scanner, bits and bytes, flash memory, magnetic storage, microchip, processor, software. We know where we are and recognize the order--a computer and its parts.

This reviewer has a suggestion for the reader. Once you have this book in hand, take it home, take it out every night and read a comfortable number of pages. If you have a child, read one page, discuss it, put this one away and take out a night-night book to read. If this is just your book, read several pages. By the time you have finished the book, you will have added dozens of operating systems to the computer banks in your own brain, making your child and/or yourself an expert in the way things work.

This boxed set was almost a steal it was such a price and quality! The works flowed with what can only be assumed near the original prose and was explained in great detail. Please do buy this item!

"The Iliad":
It is obvious that, as Santayana wrote in 1924, "Only the dead have seen the end of war" and, as elegantly shown in Fagles' translation of, "The Iliad", the tradition of military brutality coupled with the equally obvious fact that, "Iron has powers to draw a man to ruin" (Odyssey) are elements of the human condition; they exert a compelling attraction in their various forms and facets to humans of all stripes, but especially, perhaps, to poets, historians and novelists.

"The Iliad", as is known to any high school student, recounts the siege of Troy by the Achaens and the "rage of Achilles" directed both toward his putative ally and commander (Agamemnon) and to his enemy, Troy. The machinations of the gods underpin the tale, with the Judgement of Paris (arousing the ire of Hera, Queen of the Gods) as the motive force. There is gore galore in the epic poem and plenty of raw emotion, tellingly conveyed in the new English text. The extensive introductory remarks by Bernard Knox place the work in historical and literary context.

While this translation has been extolled by a pantheon of reviewers as the "climax" of the art, I still favor the E.V. Rieu (founder of Penguin Classics) prose version of 1946 of both this epic and "The Odyssey". Rieu's effort (acknowledged by the translator, but not considered on par with others) carries the reader in a more "Victorian" and perhaps fastidious fashion to the harrowing conclusion (Achilles triumph over Hector, killer of Patroclus). I am not able to compare the various versions with respect to the original; I only express my opinion as a lay reader.

"The Odyssey":
The "sequel" to "The Iliad", this recounts the eponymous saga of Odysseus (Ulysses) in his attempts to return home from the siege of Troy. It is truly an epic and is, like "The Iliad", one of the cornerstones of Western literature. Really, one cannot claim to be "educated" in Western civilization without a working knowledge of these two books. The claimant to the throne of "best book of the 20th Century" , James Joyce's, "Ulysses" simply cannot be fully appreciated nor understood without a knowledge of this work. As I wrote for, "The Iliad", the new Fagles translation is outstanding, but I again favor Rieu's version; a minority opinion.

In conclusion, these are magnificent works which deserve the recent attention the Fagles/Knox collaboration has engendered. "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey" should be read and appreciated in any translation, but these are probably the best. Both also prove that, "...fate takes hold and lays them out at last" (Athena to Telemachus, "Odyssey"). So also does hubris and the lure of revenge, because, like fate, the lust for revenge cannot be tricked.

Incidentally, the boxed set/deluxe edition is well worth owning, compared to the "trade" paperback edition.

I love feeling pages in between my fingers and a new book always lifts my spirits. The boxed set is truly a collectible item.
The books by themselves are translated by award winning translator,
Robert Fagles.
The introduction takes the reader through the premise and the verse itself is very simple and simplifies the epic.
The reader wont get confused with the myriad of characters but instead the book sequentially unfolds the main characters and their importance to the legacy of Iliad and Odyssey.

I really am enjoying reading this book again. read it in uni and hated every bit of it; but this time around, with this version, i can really get into what is happening. the index and annotations in the back are great for those of us that are not experts on Homer.
The book itsself is really cool. i love how the pages are serrated. books are lightweight and not so big at to be a pain to carry in your bag. this is a solid purchase.

The Iliad

With many books, translations are negligible, with two obvious exceptions, one is the Bible, and surprisingly the other is The Iliad.

For example:

"Rage--Goddess, sing the rage of Peleus' son Achilles,
Murderous, doomed, that cost the Achaeans countless losses,
hurling down to the House of Death so many souls,
great fighters' souls. But made their bodies carrion,
feasts for dogs and birds,
and the will of Zeus was moving towards its end.
Begin, Muse, when the two first broke and clashed,
Agamemnon lord of men and brilliant Achilles."
-Translated by Robert Fagles

"Sing, O Goddess, the anger of Achilles, son of Peleus, that brought countless ills upon the Achaeans. Many a brave soul did it send hurrying down to Hades, and many a heroes did it yield a prey to dogs and vultures for so were the counsels of Zeus fulfilled from the day on which the son of Atreus, king of men, and great Achilles first fell out with one another."
-Translated by Samuel Butler

Our story takes place in the ninth year of the ongoing war. We get some introduction to the first nine years but they are just a background to this tale of pride, sorrow and revenge. The story will also end abruptly before the end of the war.

We have the wide conflict between the Trojans and Achaeans over a matter of pride; the gods get to take sides and many times direct spears and shields.

Although the more focused conflict is the power struggle between two different types of power. That of Achilles, son of Peleus and the greatest individual warier and that of Agamemnon, lord of men, who's power comes form position.

We are treated to a blow by blow inside story as to what each is thinking and an unvarnished description of the perils of war.
=======================================================
The Odyssey
"I long to be homeward bound" Simon and Garfunkle

The Trojan War is over and one of our hero kings is lost. His son (Telemachus) travels to find any information about his father's fait. His wife (Penelope) must cunningly hold off suitors that are eating them out of house and home.

If he ever makes it home Odysseus will have to detect those servants loyal from those who are not. One absent king against rows of suitors; how will he give them their just deserts? We look to Bright Eyed Pallas Athena to help prophecy come true.

Interestingly all the tales of monsters and gods on the sea voyage was told by Odysseus. Notice that no on else survives to tell the tale. So we have to rely on Odysseus' word.

Many movies took sections of The Odyssey, and expanded them to make interesting stories those selves.

Not just the story but the way in which it is told will keep you up late at night reading.


Troy (Two-Disc Widescreen Edition)
The Archaeology of Heinrich Schliemann: An Annotated Bibliographic Handlist

I loved this book, it is definitely one to keep in my collection. Although I noticed that the type is very small and therefore a bit difficult to read ( and I have good eyesight ). Also I think something should be mentioned co: the pictures in the book, I knew it was tribal but I was not aware that there were photos. I still would have bought the book but I would definitely give it a PG rating.

If you are a Christian - this is a must read. If you are not a Christian - this is a must read.

This book should be a part of every Christian's library. I had heard Elizabeth Elliot talk on the radio and had known the story of "the five missionaries" but reading the book gave me great insight to the lives of these families- devoted to ministering to the unsaved. They gave definition to 'the purpose driven life!'

Great book. Poor presentation in this current printing. Words and pictures are small. Paper and physical book itself is low quality.

This book really makes one question: How much do I truly trust the Lord? What would I be willing to give up should I be called to it? Would I be willing to sacrifice the basic comforts I know and depend on? Would I be willing to sacrifice my life with forethought decision? Even harder for me to think of than the sacrifice of my own life, would I be willing to sacrifice that of my husband, packing him up for a trip not knowing if I would ever see him again on this side of heaven?

Elisabeth Elliot does a fantastic job of giving an account of the families' journeys to and in the mission field by using the journals and letters of some of the men and women. The men's and women's excitement at God's faithful attentiveness to their prayers is stirring, and their spiritual struggles are also encouraging. I give a lot of credit to Elisabeth Elliot for that. She doesn't fluff up the missionaries as uber-Christians. She shows through their struggles and lives that they have the same power as you and I, and that power is the blood of Jesus Christ.

Even if you are not a Christian, this book may shed some light on both tribal culture and missionary culture. Whatever you believe, this is still a powerful tale of sacrifice, struggle, hope, and forgiveness. It is also still well written and well organized with multiple story lines forging into one giant one. Elliot knows how to pull you into the story. If for no other reason, this book is an interesting read because it shows the developing stages that led to the historical event that captured the compassion of the world - Christian and non-Christian alike.

This particular version has updates to the story as well, which is a definite plus. I hope you are blessed by this book.