E Books

For anyone who has an interest in Egypt or ever wondered exactly who the ancient Egyptians were and why their dynasties lasted for thousands of years, Barbara Mertz's "Temples, Tombs & Hieroglyphs" is the perfect introduction. More commonly known to readers as Elizabeth Peters, Mertz is the author of the popular Amelia Peabody mystery series.

Long before she started her career as a best-selling writer, however, Barbara Mertz began as a trained Egyptologist, with a PhD from the famed Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago, the launching pad for many successful Egyptologists. These credentials make her the perfect person to write this history, as she is able to translate the rich Egyptian history of the pharaohs into something more easily understood by readers with no archaeological background, except an interest in Egypt.

This is not to say that the book is always easy reading, although Mertz tackles her subject with a passion and humor readers are unlikely to find in any other, more typical history tome. She manages to bring the Egyptians of old to life, translating ancient hieroglyphs into fascinating stories of individuals, each with their own purpose, strengths and weaknesses exposed.

She opens up the fascinating world of tomb robbers and archaeologists (which some claim are not so far apart in purpose or behavior at times). She demonstrates how information is extrapolated from archaeological findings and illustrates how history is revised over time as new facts and theories come to light.

Despite the injection of personality Mertz brings, this can be dense material at times. For anyone uninitiated in the world of the Egyptians, there are more than 30 dynasties, each with several rulers, falling into 10 eras, dating from the Stone Age Archaic Period to the time of Cleopatra and the Roman invasion. The sheer length of time and individuals and events covered is staggering.

With repeating pharaohnic names, unfamiliar landscapes and place names, conflicting historical research and theories, the book can be overwhelming at times. Yet the reward for sticking it out (dare I even say, re-reading parts) is worth the time and effort expended. Frankly, I read this book twice, cover to cover, and the second time around, I finally began to get a real sense for the overall arc of historical time period covered. And I would hazard to say that it seems even more likely that dipping in again would yield even more historical treasure and understanding.

The richest gift that Mertz offers in her overview of Egypt can be found in the simple stories of the rulers described here, in illuminating for the novice the archaeological tricks of the trade (and weaknesses of such methods) used to determine exactly (or to the best of anyone's knowledge) what happened so many years ago. Mertz's infectious passion for all things Egyptian (well, except possibly pottery shards) can't help but influence her readers to want to learn more. Through her book, she has opened the door to her own exciting world, and readers can't help but want to share in that magic.

Christine Zibas, Book Pleasures

I loved this book. It's very well written and very informative - definitely not "dry" and "stuffy".

The book is interesting as well as fascinating with much information. Just what was needed to add to her Elizabeth Peters novels about Egypt.

I have been interested in Egypt virtually all my life, and have read many books about it over the years. The reason I bought "Temples, Tombs & Hieroglyphs" is because I knew that Barbara Mertz was the author Elizabeth Peters of Amelia Peabody fame - and Amelia Peters is a favourite of mine.

Dr Mertz combines her wealth of knowledge with her personal style of writing, which makes reading this book just sheer pleasure to read. The book is informative, easy to read and, as already stated, pleasurable to the very end. She provides a reading list for those readers who want to pursue the subject further, and I for one, will be ordering some of these very shortly.

Writing under the pen name Elizabeth Peters, Barbara Mertz started the Amelia Peabody series of tongue-in-cheek Victorian archaeological thrillers in 1975. But 11 years before then this trained Egyptologist published the first edition of "Temples, Tombs & Hieroglyphs".

Like many other books this traces of the history of ancient Egypt from the pre-dynastic to the Ptolemies. But Mertz brings her sense of humor to lighten what can be a dry series of lists of kings. She brings to life highpoints in the Old, Middle and New Kingdoms, as well as the chaotic periods in between. Moreover, she lifts the veil and lets the reader in on many of the scholarly disputes, like those over the woman pharaoh Hatshepsut and the role of Nefertiti in the succession to her heretical husband Akhenaton.

It's also nice to see someone reveal the egomaniac Ramses II for what he was, a poor leader who lost the second Battle of Kadesh, and who covered his weaknesses by pasting his image everywhere.

For anyone who has read the Peabody books, including the depiction there of Sir William Flinders Petrie (and his approach to feeding his staff), Mertz' homage here to the founder of modern Egyptology is interesting.

In her forward to this Second Edition, Mertz says she thought she wouldn't have to do much to revise the earlier work. But then, she adds, taking into account four decades of new discoveries proved to be a challenge. There are places in this book where she discusses post-1964 work, but the addition of the new material is seamless, with no sense of things just stuck in.

This is a delightful introduction to the fascinating history of ancient Egypt.

Every parent should buy these books for their children. We bought the Fourth grade, second grade and Kindergarten and they are all fabulous. The kids find them very interesting and my husband and I even enjoy them. They are packed full of terrific information. Highly recommend. This is a book your child has to have.

I have been very pleased with this book. I love to get ideas out of it for our homeschool.

This is an excellent book. My husband and I read many passages for my son. He likes them very much. They enrich his mind tremendously. My son's school somehow does not provide this much content. We would miss a lot fine literature, history, and geography without this book. Thanks to the authors. I do see the math part is too easy for second graders nowadays. For practice, we use Beestar math and ELA (a wonderful web site www.beestar.org). Its free weekly exercises are about right and very helpful. Overall, this is an outstanding book loaded with fine content. I highly recommend it.

This series is very good to my kid. It covers not only literature and math, but science, art, history, etc as well. Both my kid and I like it very much.

When I bought this book from Amazon, I knew it was a steal! My daughter has already been helped so much by its stories, activities, and short biographies of famous people. I plan to eventually buy all of the books in the Core Curriculum series. They're just like vitamins and vegetables, they're good for kids!

While the read was enjoyable and well paced, I'm confused as to the abundance of 5-star ratings for this book. I felt the plot and identity of the Falcon was far too easy to pick out from very early on. Had I been younger and less apt to figure it out, I might have enjoyed it better. I give it a four-star rating though because Stefano was pure deliciousness. I do agree that this book would be excellent as a movie, and will nurse an unlikely hope that a talented filmaker will take it up as his next project.

This book is fantastic. I bought it about a year ago, and I have read it a million times. I loved the mystery behind the "falcon", and the touch of romance all around. The characters are fascinating and keep you hooked. READ THIS BOOK! YOU WILL LOVE IT!

Oh yesss! Dreams of handsome, heroic, brave, strong, romantic, dashing, yummy, etc. etc. guys! I think I'd better reread it right now; maybe I'll get some more nice dreams. Ladies, you need this book even if you have to put up with a cruddy used copy from Amazon resales. (I'll bet someone's stolen the copy from your local library!)

This historical romance by 'Barbara Michaels' aka Elizabeth Peters, is set during the Italian Risorgimento of the mid nineteenth century. Francesca Fairbourn is the daughter of an impoverished English father and an aristocratic Italian mother. Her parents had eloped to England in a most romantic fashion, causing her to be disowned by her family. In true romance fashion the young woman died in childbirth leaving Francesca to be raised by her most impractical father. Shortly after leaving school at 18 Francesca's father dies leaving her totally alone in the world. At that dire moment a dashing young man comes to rescue her from a 'fate worst than death'. He turns out to be her half-cousin and has come to take her back to the family home in Italy. Once there Francesca finds herself embroiled in the Italian revolution, surrounded by anarchists, mercenary soldiers, spies, traitors and dashing romantic hero.

The novel has all the standard cliches of historical fiction and could have easily been just one of the numerous trashy examples of the genre well deserving the title of 'bodice ripper', but for the skillful hand of Michaels. The characters transcend the usual two dimensional character found in romances, the twists and turns of the plot are clever even though the reader will quite possibly solve at least some of the mysteries before the last few pages. The historical background is well researched and presented in an entertaining manner. It is, however, lacking the wry humor found in other works by this author (the Amelia Peabody and Vicky Bliss series).

For even an occasional reader of this type of fiction this one is a great find.

I have collected and read many of Barbara Michaels' Books and this one is My favorite. Set during the Italian Revolution, it gives you a different perspective of Italian History, through English eyes. It was very well written, so much so, that you feel as if the excitement in the book, is very real!! The main characters are intelligent, witty, and daring. You cheer for them throughout the book. I wish this were made into a movie, so visual people, like myself, could indulge in it further. Whether you're a closet romantic, history student, or mystery buff --- you'll want to read it twice....like I did!!!

The Mom's Choice Awards® honors excellence in family-friendly media, products and services. An esteemed panel of judges includes education, media and other experts as well as parents, children, librarians, performing artists, producers, medical and business professionals, authors, scientists and others. A sampling of the panel members includes: Dr. Twila C. Liggett, Ten-time Emmy-winner, professor and founder of Reading Rainbow; Julie Aigner-Clark, Creator of Baby Einstein and The Safe Side Project; Jodee Blanco, New York Times Best-Selling Author; LeAnn Thieman, Motivational speaker and coauthor of seven Chicken Soup For The Soul books; Florrie Binford-Kichler, Founder of Patria Press, Inc.- an award-winning independent publisher and Member of The Children's Book Council; Tara Paterson, Certified Parent Coach, and founder of The Just For Mom Foundation(tm) and the Mom's Choice Awards®. Parents and educators look for the Mom's Choice Awards® seal in selecting quality materials and products for children and families. This book has been honored by this distinguished award.

The Ballad of Blue Eagle is a charming book that tells the story of a blue eagle that protects the animal friends who live in Peaceful Valley. It is a rhyming book that pulls the reader into the story and teaches children the fun of learning how to rhyme words and tell a story.
The book is beautifully illustrated throughout and allows the reader to see the friendship between the animals and helps them become involved in the story. It shows community, friendship, and how to work together to help each other when danger is near.
The Ballad of Blue Eagle is a winner of the prestigious 'Mom's Choice Award' from "The Just For Mom's Foundation." This is a story that was passed from a father to his son. Then his son, in turn, illustrated the tale.
Steven E. Jones has graciously shared a favorite family story with children that will be a keeper on many shelves to be read and shared often through the years.

Sometimes we don't always see the clear reason for our
actions right way. Steven Jones had listened to many a tale
from his Father. He put this one into poetic form after his
Father's passing. But then it sat and patiently waited for the
next generation to play it's part. And when Steven Jr. asked to
illustrate the story it had come full circle.

This is not so very different from what happens in this
tale. Days pass easily in Peaceful Valley, but then an event
occurs that shakes up the residents and new respect is
given to two average members of the group. Meanwhile,
flying over head, having shown up just when he was needed
was Blue Eagle, the spiritual version of Jones's Father.

With a catchy tune to finish things up and wonderfully colorful
illustrations capturing all the expressions the members of
Peaceful Valley go thru during this story we should all be ready,
when we finish reading, for a romp in the nearest meadow.
Even if that meadow's only in our dreams!

I read this book to my 4 year old grandson (going on 6!)and his little 3 year old friend. I honestly believe I had as much enjoyment reading it to them as they did by listening and following along page by page. Here they are sitting on the edge of their little chairs, studying the pictures, occasionally pointing to the beautifully illustrated critters and repeating their names. They listened intently and got very excited when an incident occurred in the Peaceful Valley which the author uses to teach a powerful lesson! Excellent book not only for the classroom but in the home as well.

The animals of Peaceful Valley live a happy life filled with enjoyable games with all of their friends. One beautiful day, Blue Eagle, Arny, Pete, Timber, Toby and the rest of the gang start playing a fun game of Sneak and Peek, rather like the human game of Hide and Seek. Unfortunately, their game is suddenly disturbed by Clugar, a cougar wanting to cause trouble and maybe have one or two of Peaceful Valley's friends as a meal. Blue Eagle, as the protector of all of the animals in Peaceful Valley, decides to teach Clugar a lesson.

The Ballad of Blue Eagle is the first of a series of books about Blue Eagle and his friends. The inhabitants of Peaceful Valley are so very loveable and cuddly. Readers will quickly pick a favourite character while gaining an appreciation for nature. The rhythmic sing-song nature of this story makes it a really fun book to read aloud. This aspect also makes the story easier to read or to mimic for new readers and pre-readers.

The other reviews all capture the essence of Herter's cookbook. Laced with an ample portion of Herter's blustery wit, it's an enjoyable read, full of nuggets of subjective wisdom of the ages. I grew up having Herter's Professional Guides Manual and How to get out of the rat race, etc around the house and at an early age found my BS detector working well. My Dad gave How to get out of the rat race to his Dad, who was raised in turn-of-the-century Texas, and inscribed it: "Having actually done this, I thought you'd like to know how you SHOULD have done it!". True classics, which I've recently found and purchaed at [...].

I'm amazed this book is still in print! I found this book in a used book store in New Orleans and thought it was a bizarre regional oddity from up north - what a great read, especially if you're a big foodie.

Due to it's unique layout, this book is not the sort that needs to be read in front to back order. It's basically a random hodgepodge of rough recipes (some real, some bogus, and plenty that blur the line) sorted into alphabetical order - you can jump around and read at random, which is exactly what I've been doing. There's no introduction, nor even any information about the author - it's just a crazy quilt grab-bag of humorous pseudo-recipes and screeds about food philosophy ... new outrageous assertions, inside jokes, and so-called `facts' are always lurking just around the next paragraph (the kind of jokes best appreciated by history and food buffs).

As is the case with the best lies having a healthy dose of the truth mixed in (to lend weight and believability), the author intersperses some real history into the massive quantities of horse hooey he shovels into the reader's lap ... seasoning it generously with humor, purple prose, and two-fisted food philosophy - all with a healthy undercurrent of the author sounding like an overeducated backwater hick running a roadside stand and hawking his "world's finest" recipes and opinions to all within earshot. It's a heady mix.

Just to give you an idea what to expect, here's a BS-laden Herter-esque recipe, that I just now improvised, to demonstrate the author's writing style:

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Mary Queen of Scots Head Cheese

Mary Stuart, queen of Scots, was born on 8 December 1542 at Linlithgow Palace in Scotland. As the Scots of that time were wont to do, Mary's parents packed her off to France when she was only six years old, to marry Francis II (a notorious pedophile who conveniently happened to be next in line for the throne of France), in return for Frances's return aid in helping the Scottish rid themselves of the pesky English.

Utterly bored with vapid court life, and disgusted by the doting affections of her pedophile husband, Mary sought comfort and distraction by immersing herself in the royal kitchens, where she spent 10 years of her life honing her increasingly prodigious culinary skills. In particular, she developed a special love of pork, and pork products - all of which are fine eating, and which laid the early groundwork for the modern American BBQ that we know and love today.

Suddenly, Mary's philandering French hubbie became king, and then 2 years later died under mysterious circumstances. Whispers around court claimed that Mary had grown tired, at long last, of her husband's gropings, and got her revenge by feeding him a tainted strew of pork cassoulet (in which she substituted pork pizzle for sausage), laced with poison. He ate it all, smacked his lips, patted his stomach, took a brief post-degustation nap, and woke up in hell, with Satan grinning and jiggling the unpaid tab.

Unfortunately, with the death of her husband, a political coup forced her to rethink her dreams of ruling France, and return instead to Scotland, where she soon met and married her second husband, Lord Henry Darnley, who was historically noteworthy for being hugely endowed and with an capacity for wine, women and song that beggared the imagination.

Unhappy with her new husband's drinking and womanizing, not to mention disgusted with her household chef (who every day served the same thing: porridge for breakfast, fried mars bars for lunch, and haggis with nips & taddies for dinner, and all the weak tea and skunky 70 shilling ale she could quaff) she one again returned to the kitchen for escape and distraction, and eventually developed the recipe that later made her famous: Mary Queen of Scots Head Cheese ... one of the most glorious and finest eating dishes ever known to humanity. I make it myself at least once a month, during hog season. Simply wonderful.

Now then. Fame of her culinary talents spread, and eventually made their way to the court of King Henry VIII, a notorious glutton who (like Mary) loved pork, and who also happened to be desperately in need of a male heir, and under considerable pressure to produce same. Hearing of her culinary prowess, and her beauty, as well as her political status as hereditary Queen of Scotland, Henry and Mary initiated romantic correspondence, in which the two wrote at length about their love of food, thoughts on Protestantism and Catholicism, Marriage, Divorce, and whether or not pork sausage was best served dry aged, or roasted with peppers and onions. Copies of these heart-warming letters are a very popular item, and can be had from the catalog of my general store.

Eventually, Henry (at Mary's request) had her good-for-nothing second husband conveniently knifed during a tavern brawl, and he brought her to England, and with her own loving hands she made him her famous head cheese ... and for a while, things were blissful.

However, after many moons with no male heir appearing, Henry began to get restless and his eye began to roam. Mary caught him one day with a serving girl, and administered a vicious two-handed beating to both of them with an undercooked turkey leg, wielded like a gravy-soaked maul. After the gravy-splattered and disheveled King recovered, he had Mary imprisoned in the Tower of London, and eventually had her beheaded, and ordered his cooks to use her head to make her world famous recipe one last time - with truly royal results. One lip-smacking diner was overheard to proclaim "Mary ... the best head in all of England !"

MARY'S AUTHENTIC HISTORICAL RECIPE: Take 1 pig's head, freshly bled, and put it in a large pot of water. Add a few coarsely chopped onions, celery, a splash of white wine vinegar, and a small palmful of peppercorns, allspice, a cayenne pepper, 2 bay leaves, and a dash Paul Prudhomme's pork seasoning mix. Boil about 3 hours, then remove the head, let par cool, pick off all the edible meat (reserve) and return all the bones and other scraps back to the pot and boil the #@$% out of it for another 6-12 hours (adding more water as necessary to keep the bones covered) until the bones drop clean. Strain and discard all solids, and clarify the stock with egg whites and crushed chicken shells. Then reduce the liquid to one quarter it's original volume (reduce further if needed), or until thick and rich, and beginning to gel firmly when cooled. Salt to taste, and par-chill until beginning to thicken, but not quite set. Next, fill a mold with the cold flaked meat, cold diced lard, and cold diced cheese, and pour the reduced stock over it. Refrigerate over night, then slice when hard. Makes for truly fine eating. Simply wonderful in sandwiches, or eaten plain, out of hand. Children love it, because if made properly, it has a slight wiggle, and will bounce if dropped - making it not only fun, but economical if your children are klutzy and always dropping their food. No waste ! Guaranteed to be the best head you've ever had.

First of all, be advised: You will never get this (or any out of print book) from Amazon. Go to [Marketplace] instead. My copy - in very nice condition, for only $...- arrived earlier this week.

I've been aware of this book for some years now, and it's a scream. From the Virgin Mary's favorite dish; to Church Chicken, and beyond (the Church Chicken, by the way, "has done more good, I believe, than any other recipe in the world.").

As an enthusiastic cook, there is quite an array of interesting recipes that I'm sure I'll get around to trying. But the recipes are really secondary to Herter The Blowhard waxing rhapsodic on everything from the "fine Italian people" in Minneapolis & St. Paul; to the impact a nuclear war would have on the availability of soap.

I was just thumbing through my recently-arrived copy, and came across this gem, from Herter's mayonnaise recipe (and I swear I'm NOT making it up!): "Using this famous recipe, mayonnaise is very easy to make and you will never have a failure with one exception. If you are a woman do not attempt to make mayonnaise during menstruating time as the mayonnaise will simply not blend together at all well. This is not superstition but a well established fact well known to all women cooks."

Go ye, and read of it.

Remember Cliff, the postman in "Cheers"? You know, the John Ratzenberger character who was the know-it-all barfly who, even if he DID know something about a subject, managed to mangle it into unwittingly hilarious non-sequiturs?

Cross that character with an travel & food writer of great enthusiasm and woefully limited skills, and you might end up with something like this.

Part cookbook, part very dubious history, part polemic and 100% personal. It is refreshingly blunt and opinionated, even if his opinions are howlingly off base sometimes. Look at it this way, to use another TV analogy: which would be more interesting, a beer with Archie Bunker or a sherry with Felix Unger? This book is definitely not the latter.

I gotta confess I have a soft spot for Herter. I was born in 1951, and during my formative preadolescent years one of the finest pieces of literature I consumed ravenously was the Herter's sporting goods catalog. GL Herter wrote the same purple prose and with the same hyperbolic certitude whether the subject was Oysters Rockefeller or fly-tying supplies or worm bedding. Nothing was ever simple: it was always "World Famous Herter's Snelled Hooks" or whatever. Even as a kid I recognized this as over the top, before I even knew what 'over the top' meant.

Highly recommended. A terrifically crazy read. Where is the justice in a world which lets this go out of print while Danielle Steele continues to cause thousands of trees to be killed???

These books are all so great and wish someone in the world would make a movie of these books as they are so good for families.

If you haven't read all of Philip Gulley's books then you have missed out on true humor and a visit with people you have "known all your lives"
wonderful fall down clean laughing as well as touching moments.

Like all of Philip Gulley's books, this one takes us to Harmony and the people who live in that small town. His characatures of the Friendly Meeting House people are not only humorous, but there are lessons to be learned as we see ourselves in some of them from time to time. We're delighted that Deena and Dr. Pierce are married, even though Dale Henshaw manages to draw that ceremony to a dramatic climax! Dale will never change, even in such a dramatic occurance as a heart transplant. Fun reading with an added life lesson to be learned every now and then.

Anyone who has stumbled across the writings of Philip Gulley will want to get the next installment in the lives of Harmony. As a person reads these books, he or she forgets that these are all fictional characterizations and a person cannot wait to hear the crazyness continue. A must-read for anyone who wants to have some light-hearted moments!

Sam Gardner and his delightfully dysfunctional Quaker congregation are back again as this series just seems to get better and better. There are lots of humorous moments with special Harmony events such as the Blessing of the Noodles, the Corn and Sausage Days Festival, and the Progressive Nativity Scene. There are also more serious events and a threat to the lives of two of the members of the Harmony Quaker church. There are family squabbles between Ellis and Ralph Hodge and bumpy places in the new marriage of Dr. Pierce and Deena. Again Philip Gulley makes us laugh, makes us cry, and makes us think which is a surefire recipe for a good read.

This is the second volume of Janet Browne's superb biography of Charles Darwin (1809-1882). Browne, who is now Professor of the History of Science at Harvard, wrote both volumes while at the vital WellCome Trust Center at University College London (also the locale of the late Roy Porter). The book is just excellent all the way through. It picks up just at the point when the march of events is forcing Darwin to publish his finding in the epic "On the Origin of Species," when he is 49. Browne develops some interesting insights; such as the importance of the excellent British postal service to Darwin's work, since he communicated and exchanged information with individuals all around the world. In addition, she focuses upon the importance of that most unique institution, Mudie Library, which did so much to circulate Darwin's books throughout Britain, thereby altering CD's intention that his book would be targeted for a small elite audience. The author also has something to say about one of the most interesting Victorian figures, published John Murray, who benefitted from the surge of publishing and literacy in the mid-Victorian period. The profusion of journals and periodicals, such as the Edinburgh Review and the Westminister Quarterly Review, also did much so disseminate Darwin's ideas, as did events such as the Huxley v. the Bishop of Wilberforce debate ("I'd rather be a monkey than a bishop").

Equally interesting and important is Browne's discussion of how Darwin conducted his research and wrote a number of books. His research of heredity, facial expressions, worms, reefs and other topics are all covered. Browne does a good job in discussing all of the debates that erupted after the publication of the "Origin," and this tells us much about the development of Victorian science and intellectual history. Also of note is her discussion of how Darwin's ideas spread, the effects of celebrity on CD and his work, and his views of Christianity. The book is so well written that it is a pleasure to read, as Browne discusses some difficult concepts with such clarity and skill and every reader, no matter how extensive a scientific background, benefits from her treatment.
The book is supported by 63 pages of excellent notes, some helpful illustrations, and a 36 page bibliography. Browne is generally acknowledged as one of the world's leading scholars on the life and work of Darwin. Her involvement as Associate Editor of the 14 volume "Correspondence of Charles Darwin" has finely honed her understanding of Darwin and his thought. We should all be thankful that she is now at Harvard where more Americans can benefit from her superb expertise and insights.

Darwin's tightly held theories on natural selection are let loose to a resistant public but a public that was also proud of their intellectuals. Darwin's network of scientific friends and associates provide strength to a highly disruptive theory and in so advance their own scientific careers.

This one is also great, get both of these wonderful books on Charles Darwin. The first one is slightly better than this one, as one expects from biographies. CD is settled down, mostly writing and promoting his beliefs. He is sick a lot, but carries on. There just got to be too much detail toward the end of this, for me. Otherwise the level of detail and tone was pitchperfect throughout. What an astounding, amazing effort these two books represent. A real gem.

Along with the rest of the well-deserved high praise that comes to Janet Browne's biography of Charles Darwin I would add, with others, that its most extraordinary aspect is its readability. Biographies are almost always irritating in some way or another--Browne's volumes are effortless in any genre, miraculous in the difficult work of biography. It's quite true that both _Voyaging_ and _Power of Place_ are books you can't put down; they are so absorbing that you instantly forget you are reading. I find myself recommending them to people with no interest whatsoever in the subject simply for the reading pleasure. For scholars of the historical subject, the volumes provide a unified and inspiring reference. Browne's is a tremendous gift to Darwin's legacy and to the reception of his work.

This the second volume of Browne's Darwin biography has evoked high praise from a number of Amazon reviewers. It's praise well deserved. Her theme, the importance of Darwin's social position and his dedicated use of it to promote the uptake of his theories, makes a nice counterpoint to the path-breaking Desmond and Moore biography, whose theme was the `tormented evolutionist'. Not that Browne downplays the ghastly burden of Darwin's invalidity on his person and family: torment it assuredly was. Yet he persisted in his labors, which included extensive involvement with many helpers, and somehow managed to bring it all to fruition. What were the emotional springs of that endurance? Dedication to the glory of the Nation, or to Science, or to Mankind? No, the poetry of ideals is missing. Exaltation in his ever-increasing celebrity? Again No. While Darwin kept a detailed record of every review of the Origin and other publications, and took measures to promote them, fame was not his defining horizon. If it were, he probably would not have anguished, as he did, about the expected heat entropy termination of life on Earth some millions of years hence. Consistent with that gloom, his final publication was on worms, whose habitat, he well understood, he would soon join. Browne writes: `He was in the grip of a vision of time as powerful and as bleak as anything in Victorian culture'. The source of his endurance seems to have been his immersion in the routine of Downe House. The routine included his dependency on wife Emma and the kids, especially Henrietta and Francis. He kept a detailed account of household expenses and, in pinchpenny manner, insisted on avoidance of extravagance despite his wealth, which he more than doubled thanks to astute investments. Although he could have easily created a state-of-the-art research station at Downe, he persisted (against Francis' appeals) in the use of crude and meager equipment, much to the amazement of scientists who visited him. Yet greatness somehow arose from just this obsessive immersion in routine that stretched over four decades. Browne notes that his devoted friend Joseph Hooker exclaimed on receiving a photographic portrait that he `looked like Moses'. Sons William and Francis agreed. So have millions who've seen the expression of deep thoughtfulness in the numerous portraits of the frail, aging Darwin.

What was his illness? His death certificate specified angina pectoris syncope as the cause. Today an autopsy would probably confirm cardiac arrest. He had experienced heart pains periodically for years, although several physicians found no symptoms of heart disease. I was surprised that in her illuminating discussion of his illnesses Browne doesn't notice that Darwin's fatigue, which greatly reduced his mobility for about two decades, is consistent with heart failure. When we add the information that Darwin was a long-time smoker, confidence in that diagnosis increases. And the retching and flatulence? Browne mentions the proposal that these symptoms could be effects of Chagas disease, caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, which he might have contracted in Chile. Retching, skin rashes, and heart disease are symptoms of the disease in its chronic phase. This is an attractive diagnosis, since it achieves concordance of clinical signs from two causal pathways. Browne puts it aside because, it seems, she suspects an interaction between Darwin's stressed emotional life, his peculiar withdrawal into the Downe House refuge, and physical symptoms (pp. 235ff). Alas, she seems unacquainted with contemporary psychiatry, which would easily read her symptom list as indicative of the Avoidant Personality Disorder (`Grief and guilt surely played their part in his psyche. Fear, too, especially in the way his body would most often fail when he intended make a public appearance, suggesting some deep-seated dread of exposure. His customary reticence may have reflected a wish to avoid getting involved with other people's emotions-reticence and modesty could have been the polite face of dissociation, the spurning of closeness' p. 237). APD would link Darwin's strong avoidance pattern with his equally strong striving for approval, and pain on the occasion of disapproval of friends and strangers. It also incorporates his many self-deprecations and his anticipations, even from friends, that they might respond to a thought of his with extreme disapproval, eg, `crucifixion'.

I turn briefly to Browne's rendition of the Huxley-Wilberforce debate at the June 1860 BAAS meeting in Oxford. The debate is a paramount icon in the Darwin legend and a `defining moment in Victorian history' (p 115). The confrontation occurred on the last day of a conference that had been dominated by public and academic excitement about the Origin of Species. A large audience turned out expecting to hear Bishop Wilberforce `smash' Darwin's theory. They were not disappointed, for the Bishop, who was Bishop of Oxford and hence on home ground, did indeed criticize the theory on a number of points. The presiding officer, Darwin's former teacher Rev Henslow, called on Huxley to speak. He defended the logic and evidence of Darwin's theory, and finished with the damning declaration that if he had to choose between accepting an ape as his grandfather and a high dignitary who obfuscated science to defend prejudice, then he would prefer the ape grandfather. The Darwin legend interprets Huxley's retort as a one-line `proof' of the superiority of science to theology which also shifted the mixed feelings of the audience into emphatic support for Huxley and science. But did it happen? Did Wilberforce taunt Huxley about his ancestry and did Huxley respond as claimed? Did the audience convulse in laughter at the Bishop and treat Huxley as a hero, as he boasted? Doubts arise because the first report of this incident was an aside in a 1898 article, `A Grandmother's Tale', in Macmillan's Magazine-38 years after the event! The critical literature on this event has pretty well reduced it to wishful thinking of Darwin partisans, beginning with Huxley's imaginary self-congratulatory victory. Even if the facts were as claimed in The Grandmother's Tale, they would have no bearing on the substance of Wilberforce's criticisms, which he detailed in a lengthy review of Origin. As for Huxley, he had publicly expressed doubts about the compatibility of Darwin's theory with the long periods of stasis in the fossil record; and he never accepted natural selection as the main mechanism of evolution. Browne's narrative of this iconically central issue is unsatisfactory. She does not advise readers that serious criticism of the story has been made and her narrative incorporates Huxley's tale as fact. Yet she knows that the celebrated triumph is imaginary. Solution? `The gossip running through the crowd afterwards quickly crafted an epic narrative, a collective fiction with an inbuilt meaning much more tangible and important than reality. All felt they were witnessing history in the making' (pp. 124f). There you have creative history: gossip frankly declared to be better than reality. Smacks of postmodernism.

We were with Jeff and Chris in Langzhou when they adopted their second daughter in 2004. In reading China Ghosts, we were transported back to that moment in time when after years of longing and broken hope, a precious and beautiful girl was placed in our arms; reminded of the feelings, emotions, and passion of why we started down that road less traveled. For those who have adopted, are considering it, or know someone who has, Jeff expresses so many of the emotions that are woven throughout the process, including the aftermath. As the father of a Chinese daughter, China Ghosts is a reminder of my passage to fatherhood as well; It speaks all I think. Thank you Jeff!

I read a review of this book in a magazine and ordered it immediately. Having adopted from China, everything was familiar, but unique in various ways. Anyone who has been through the process or who may be waiting now should definitely read it. I related to many of the events described from the father's perspective, but my wife enjoyed it as much as I did.

I will warn anyone that decides to read the book that some of the experiences that are written about are heartbreaking. You will most certainly want to cry at various points throughout the book. Overall, though, it is a good read. It will bring back lots of memories of your China trip.

This is a beautifully written account of a loving family. Mr. Gammage shares his observations and feeling in a compelling and compassionate manner. I feel I made this journey with him and am greatful for having shared the experience. This book has provided much insight and detail into a jouney my son and his wife recently made to adopt their daughter from China. I'm so glad I found this book!

Fifteen years ago, when I was single and considering becoming a mom somehow some way, I read "A Mother's Ordeal" by Steven W. Mosher (click on link: Mother's Ordeal: One Woman's Fight Against China's One-Child Policy) and was convinced that going to China to adopt a baby girl was the road I would take. Now Jeff Gammage's book has moved me in such a way that I am able to re-visit my early doubts and misgivings about going 7,000 miles to uproot my two daughters (in '94 and '96) from a country with a culture that could hardly be more different than our Western way of life. To be sure, the book has enabled me to re-visit the joys of my adoption experiences as well. Not only adoptive parents and adoptees (yes!!!) will benefit from reading Jeff's account of his adoption journeys, but also those who are standing on the sidelines contemplating adoption and those who have acquaintances who are adopted (everyone does).

Congrats, Jeff, on showing your honesty, love, and the concerns so many of us parents, adoptive and not, have in bringing children into our families.

For a person who is considering adopting from China, or has already adopted, this is a must read. Gammage poignantly describes the emotional struggles parents of adopted Chinese children face, many of which aren't realized until well after they take posession of the child; sometimes years after. He points out the feelings of being blindsided by the wave of emotions that are impossible to understand unless one has gone through and living the process of Chinese adoption. And he speculates on the future of these children. It's an incredible read and certainly echoed my sentiments. Couldn't put the book down.

I have been a shell collector for more than 25 years and along this years, this is the first time that I get such an interesting, well-documented, beautyfully illustrated and skillfully designed book on this subject. I am very happy with this purchase. The book has 411 pages with information and has about 12 photographs in each page giving a perfect appreciation of thousands of shells from everywhere. Each photo includes the common name (obviously valid in English speaking countries only), the scientific name, average length of adults (in centimeters and inches), brief information of geographical distribution and synonym names. Oh!, I almost forget to say that the authors,R. Tucker Abbott and S. Peter Dance are two famous conchologists leading this field of science for many, many years. So, this book informs, teaches and makes it very funny to learn and investigate in the universe of shells. "Bon apetit", collectors!!!

I had an earlier printing of this book (1983) and was disappointed to find that the 2000 edition I just purchased was virtually identical apart from a page of corrections at the end which would be much more useful if incorporated into the text. I feel that this excellent book needs updating to keep it as the No 1 general book on seashell identification.

This book is very informative and descriptive if you're looking to collect exotic shells from different parts of the world.

I have been a shell collector for a very long time now. This is now my second copy of this book, as I have worn the first copy out. It is the most comprehensive identifier book around. The color photos are excellent, and the amount of species depicted is impressive! This book, along with Jerome M. Eisenberg's A Collectors Guide to the Sea Shells of the World, are probably the only two books on Sea Shells, a novice collector will ever need. The serious collector will also benefit from these books as well.

This is a great book which hv given me alot of info, but still can upgrate by increase more pictures & decription for seashells of the world.

This amazing game (and just plain interesting read!) is currently back in print. You can pick up the new edition, converted to D20, by heading to the publisher's web site. Pagan Publishing and TC Corp have done a great service to its fans by releasing this reprint!

I don't have a long, thoughtful review to write. Just wanted to say this is the BEST RPG idea/supplement I've ever seen. Intelligent, thoughtful, scary, fun...get it get it get it!

This is the best RPG suppliment I have ever read, bar none. It's a great READ, even if you are not a gamer. Interesting background, lots of plot hooks as well. The group that did this book are great writers and are loving what they do and it shows. If you are into Horror, X-Files, Call of Cthulhu, ect...buy it to read, if not play.
The book is curently out of print, but I understand that it will be reprinted in 2006 as a hardcover with d20 rules. Anyone wanting to write or publish an RPG should read this book and use it as an example. A MUST.

DELTA GREEN is the modern adaptation of Call of Cthulhu. Drawing on the same body of UFO lore and paranormal activity as the X-Files, DELTA GREEN has tapped into something very deep. And of course, once you have a successful RPG, you might as well start the fiction flowing, right?

Dark Theaters has some fairly lenghty short stories, designed to flesh out the world of DELTA GREEN. Some clues and hints are elaborated on; what exactly happened during the fabled raid on Innsmouth in 1928? What was the final mission of Gen. Fairfield? We find out more about the summoning by the Karotechia that was a dress rehearsal for the end of the world, but the entirety of the episode remains tantalizingly removed.

Dark Theaters, like the rest of DELTA GREEN fiction, is about what it means to be human. Or not human. The monstrosities which are called up and cannot easily be put away serve to highlight our humanity. But in the end, humanity is just short-hand for a fundamental incomprehension of the universe. We are carrying on a rear-guard action against reality, buying our fellow-man time for ... what? To say that humanity loses in the end is to pretend that there are other players, rules agreed upon, some validity to having tried and lost. Life is a game of solitaire, and we're not playing with a full deck. All is meaninglessness, a blowing of the wind.

And yet humanity means staying in the game. Like Lucifer, the real patron saint of lost causes, we know that we will lose and darnit, we are going to keep playing the hand we were dealt. It gives meaning to life, death, and the passing of the seasons, the sacrifices we have made and those we have sacrificed, to play by the rules, even if there aren't any. So let us cheer for the hero and jeer for the villain, and not go gently into that dark night.

I'm writing this review because the rumors that a new edition with stats for d20 play are getting harder and harder to ignore. Even though the book is old and sometimes hard to find, anyone who seeks it will probably not be disappointed.

Delta Green revitalizes the Call of Cthulhu milieu in two ways. First, it plants the setting squarely within our time, developed from a backstory that starts in 1929 and gets downright spooky in 1947. Eldritch horrors still stalk humanity from beyond - only now the entities that menaced the 20's are content to scheme behind the scenes. Unfortunately for the Earth, some humans are content to betray us all for the ephemeral promises dangled before them. These men are not the frothing cultists and brute savages of Lovecraft: they are scientists, priests, and four-star generals. Plus there are new foes and surprises to keep jaded players guessing.

Second, there is finally a good reason for unusual characters to find themselves allied against the dark. Will a cop balk at sharing forensic evidence with a detective, a journalist, and a Marine? Not anymore. All the PCs are members of or friendly to Delta Green, an illegal conspiracy operating within the federal government. Of course, it's not the ONLY illegal conspiracy operating within the federal government. While Delta Green has adopted the sensible tack of trying to blow away every Mythos problem they encounter, its opponents are convinced that some mysteries can be studied, contained, or even harnessed for their own use.

That's just an overview. There is so much to Delta Green that any gaming group interested in conspiracy-style RPGs could find something useful. There are sections on U.S. government agencies, modern firearms, and mind-blowing adventures that are not for the faint of heart.

With Delta Green, CoC players can feel more confident with a nice gun in their hands, and the assurance that a backup team of ex-SEALs in on the way. Their characters will still die or go insane, but at least they should enjoy the ride.