Journals Books

This monograph consists of four papers written previously. Each one is a gem itself and brings fresh ideas to the topic of Germanic religion.

The first essay looks at Indo-European components of Germanic religion and reconsiders the story of the death of Baldr from a comparative method. The analysis is well done and very detailed.

The second essay looks at the story of the creation of humans from logs, the scant parallels in other Indo-European traditions, and the internal structure. Particular attention is paid to the role of Lodhurr and his gifts.

The third essay looks at divine names from Indo-European and their connection with the sky and with sovereignty.

The fourth essay is an overview of Germanic religion. This essay, which occupies nearly half of the monograph, forced me to reconsider some of Dumezil's theories on Germanic concepts of law and sovereignty and in my view adds greatly to the theories.

I would highly recommend this monograph to anyone studying Germanic religion.

Introduction; The Indo-European Component in Germanic Religion; Some Comments on V?luspá, Stanzas 17-18; Divine Names in Indo-European; Germanic Religion; Postscript.

I honestly liked this monograph from Polome. It brought up sources that I had only glanced over before, making me re-read them with renewed zeal. For some the academic nature of the work may be daunting or view it a bit dry, particularly in regards to the etomology of words, although it is a must read for those with a serious interest in the subject.

In The Conference Board's magazine, "Across the Board," in a Nov/Dec 2000 article on the best business books read over the past year, I wrote:

"Over the past couple of years, I must have read 10 to 20 management books every month. Unfortunately, before long, many of these titles start reading the same, hoping to capitalize on the management trend of the moment. But every once in a while a book comes along that includes unique and clear-headed thinking and writing. When I was working on an article about environmental ethics in business, I came across a new collection of the writings of Aldo Leopold, the legendary conservationist of the 1930s and 1940s perhaps best known for A Sand County Almanac. Edited by Curt Meine and Richard L. Knight, The Essential Aldo Leopold: Quotations and Commentaries is not, strictly speaking, a business book, but contained here in many previously unpublished observations are the thoughts and ideas of a natural (in all senses of the word) manager. Leopold was a rare combination of someone who saw the need for conserving nature, but who also understood and encouraged experiencing the beauty and functionality of the outdoors." --Across the Board, Nov/Dec 2000

One of my favorite quotes of Leopold's from this collection:

"Relegating conservation to government is like relegating virtue to the Sabbath. Turns over to professionals what should be daily work of amateurs."

Aldo Leopold was the author of "A Sand County Almanac" and one of the most influential conservationists of his day. In The Essential Aldo Leopold, Curt Meine and Richard Knight have collaborated to assembled a comprehensive collections of quotations from Leopold's extensive and diverse writings. These gems of wisdom, insight, and encouragement are organized in twenty-one chapters under the broad themes of conservation science and practice, conservation policy, conservation and culture. Each chapter begins with an introductory essay by a prominent conservation scholar to provide the reader with perspective on Leopold's numerous and varied contributions. The Essential Aldo Leopold is an essential, core title for any personal, academic, and professional environmental and conservation studies collection, and highly recommended reading for all Aldo Leopold admirers within the modern conservation movement.

Invaluable are the Introduction by Seymour Feldman and also, the Translator's Preface by Translator Samuel Shirley which gives lucid explanations of key Spinoza termsone of which is:

From Page 23, Note 5 G-D(Deus)

"Although Spinoza gives repeated warnings that his "Deus" is far from the anthropomorphic conception of God prevalent in the theology of his time, the reader will find it difficult to bear this constantly in mind. It is not until Ethics 1, Prop.14, that God, by definition, is shown to be identical with the infinite, all-inclusive, unique Substance, and thereafter it is all too easy to lose sight of this, as the religious overtones of the word "God" keep asserting themselves. So Spinoza's frequent use of the phrase "Deus sive Natura"God, or Natureis intended as a salutary corrective. For Spinoza God is all Being, all Reality, in all its aspects and in all its infinite richness."

This volume is a fine translation of Spinoza's _Ethics_ together with some other writings that help to illuminate it -- namely, the _Treatise on the Emendation of the Intellect_ and some well-chosen passages from Spinoza's correspondence.

Aside from its presentation of Samuel Shirley's clear and readable translation, this volume includes two additional helpful features. Seymour Feldman's workmanlike twenty-page introduction provides an overview of Spinoza's thought and of the main themes of the _Ethics_; and a translator's preface includes a list of twenty-four possibly confusing features of Spinoza's terminology with short explanations/clarifications. The TIE is of interest in its own right, and the items from Spinoza's correspondence are well selected to illustrate or elaborate some of the features of his more formal wriitngs.

In the "Evening Sun," David Lehman expresses a poetic sensibility that is rich, deep, and moving. He has captured the personal and the powerful in the memory of days. May 28 and September 18th are my favorites, and it seems odd as one is historical and the other shows the beautiful presence of the poet's voice. I've read a lot of David Lehman's verse and find remarkable here each poem's surprising, powerful, and apropos ending. I closed the "Evening Sun" longing for another poem. I think you will, too.

Even though I haven't appeared in one of David's poems since 1990's "Cambridge 1972" where I met Becky and mistook Joan Miró for a woman -- you probably haven't either! You should still buy this fantastic book of poems!

David will take you to great baseball games (10/9, 10/16, 4/3); share the best music in nearly EVERY poem -- (Mahler on 7/19; Mingus on 11/30; John Cage, Alban Berg {didn't I *first* play his violin concerto for you so many years ago!} and many more)...

You will laugh you will cry you will giggle you will sigh.

Okay, I'll leave the poetry to David.

This is the E-TICKET ride of poetry books. Get it.

Out of all the war books I've read, this is by far the best one yet. It gives a first hand account of the lives of these Marines as they take on these terrorists to defend us. I just want to thank you for serving Corporal!

I could not put this book down! It is very well written and the author has done a wonderful job at really bringing the reader into the war in Iraq. This book is for military families as well as anyone that wants to see the true sacrifice so many have made for our freedom. This book has humor along with tragedy and all that read it will be touched and never look at war the same way again!

This book is incredible! From the first page onwards I was hooked! I would reccomend this for anyone who is interested in the life and times of good ol' George Fox. This book will grip you and suck you in and you will not be able to stop reading until the very VERY end! A fine choice for Fox fans both new and old. To sum it up in one word: magnificent! This Journal will forever remain my ALL TIME favourite book. Get it today, before you miss out!

George Fox, 1624-91, is sometimes called the "founder" of the Religious Society of Friends, a group that established itself in the 1650s. Early on, they called themselves Children of the Light and Friends of the Truth. As the group spread from the North of England into the south, they became known as Quakers, a name which stuck and is still used today. In the early years, Fox was one of several strong personalities most closely identified with the movement. Later, facing severe persecution and with the death of other early leaders, the Friends accepted Fox's institutional guidance, and he helped the movement to consolidate and survive through to an era of somewhat greater tolerance toward the end of his century.

Certainly Fox never set out to start another "religion." He hoped simply to open the hearts of everyone to the leading of the divine Spirit, without allowing the existing distinction of clergy and laity. His journal, composed years after most of the events covered, retains Fox's direct, down-to-earth form of ministry. The language is not flowery, yet it brings up deep and powerful spiritual ideas, with strong imagery that still sparkles in Quaker language.

"Now the Lord God opened to me by His invisible power that every man was enlightened by the divine Light of Christ, and I saw it shine through all; and that they that believed in it came out of condemnation to the Light of life, and became the children of it; but they that hated it, and did not believe in it, were condemned by it, though they made a profession of Christ. This I saw in the pure openings of the Light without the help of any man; neither did I then know where to find it in the Scriptures; though afterwards, searching the Scriptures, I found it."

This edition of Fox's Journal was abridged and edited by Rufus Jones in the early part of the last century, thus making it more accessible to a wider audience. However, some who dwell on the theological nuances and regard Fox as authoritative find this edition disappointing. (The John L. Nickalls edition of Fox's Journal is regarded as definitive.) Rufus Jones provides a helpful introduction, presenting briefly his own idea that Fox raised to a new level an already widespread movement of grassroots mysticism.

During a summer in college, I travelled around South America, and spent a good deal of time backpacking and exporing northwestern Bolivia, following overgrown Inca Trails and taking boats up into the deep jungle and mining country.

I had heard about Fawcett's adventures during my travels, and I was delighted to find out that the book surpassed my expectations when I finally got the chance to read it.

Fawcett worked for the British government (the Royal Geographic Society, I believe), and was sent to the Brazillian-Bolivian frontier in the early 20th century to server as an impartial third party in a border dispute.

The book, written by his son who went on to become a railroad expert in Peru, is a chronicle of that trip and his later adventures into the South American wilderness in search of a lost city he believed to exist.

Fawcett kept great journals, and his descriptions of the time are fascinating. Having travelled in this area, I can say that Fawcett's descriptions are dead on, and for anyone looking for a true frontier adventure in the early 21st century, not a whole lot has changed in the past 100 years.

'Brazillian Adventure' by Peter Fleming (the brother of James Bond author Ian Fleming) is the semi-comic story of a British journalist who went on a search for Fawcett several decades after the former disappeared in the early 1920's (the date might be slightly off).

It's great to see that this book has finally been put back in print. A true gem.

A true boys own adventure, the quintessential English explorer in his own words. This was written by his son Percy based on the journals and correspondence of his father. Deatils all his expeditions in South America, his views on the lost cities of Brazil, Peru & Boliva and much much more. It has it all!

Compiled and edited in 1889 by Ednah Cheney, this book offers an interesting look into the life of Louisa May Alcott. Cheney intersperses the letters and journal entries with some biographical information. The Alcotts were very poor and lived off the money Louisa made from her writing; Alcott keeps track of how much money she gets for each story, even after the success of "Little Women". Unfortunately, the amount of time she spent writing (up to 14 hours a day), plus the illness she caught after nursing civil war soldiers took a toll on her and many of her letters, plus many of the journal entries mention her various illnesses and describe how she had to take morphine to help her sleep.

Fans of "Little Women" will be most interested in the segments regarding that book and may be surprised to find out that Alcott thought the book was boring. It's hard to believe she really meant that because it's clear from her letters and journal entries how very biographical "Little Women" is. In fact, Alcott's journal description of Beth's death in real life is used almost word for word in the book. Other elements in "Little Women" are fiction (there was, alas, no real life Professor Bhaer and Alcott included him against her better judgement - she would have preferred Jo remain single, as Alcott herself did) and Teddy was based on a Polish acquaintance, not a next door neighbor. However, the four sisters are based on Louisa and her sisters and the journal entries and letters make you realize how perfectly she caught them on paper.

This is an interesting book about not only a fascinating woman but also a fascinating family. The Alcotts' friends included the Emersons, the Thoreaus and the Hawthornes, all whose influences helped shape Louisa May Alcott's writings. Despite her success, her life was not an easy one and was often filled with sorrow. Yet, despite her sorrow and illnesses, Louise May Alcott's works enchanted children then and now.

Louisa May Alcott, when speaking of herself, writes with humility and grace. Her words are always wise and quietly moving. Her story is rich and engaging. This is an awesome inside view to an amazing woman and author.

This book is currently available from cheese.com, brand new, for $28.70.

Jean-Claude Le Jaouen is one of the worlds foremost experts on goat cheese. He is the head of the goat cheese research section of the Institut Technique De L'Elevage Ovin Et Caprin which is headquartered in Paris
This book is one of the best written on the production of lactic cheese from goats but this is not the only audience that could gain from it's contents. He covers milk and the basic process of cheese making in such simplicity yet detail that every cheese maker should own this book.

The Content is quite clear with the simplest of organization

He begins the book with a bit about historical cheese in France and where it is at today with the emphasis on farmstead.

"remember this well: farmstead cheeses are always
made from raw milk, they are the true product of the land"
Pierre Androuet

He follows this with a discussion of milk and what to expect for quality from the different animals. Also what problems may occur, why they occur and what remedies can be taken

The next section deals with (and this is for all cheesemakers) a discussion of the principals of cheese making. Here he covers not only the various stages of converting milk to curd but the differences between lactic, rennet, and mixed curd cheese which is one of the best explanations of this I have seen. He compares and contrasts natural vs commercial starters and goes into quite a bit of detail on rennet.. What it is and how it works. This is all followed by good explanation of the curd: it's moulding draining and preparing for the aging room. This is all accompanied with photographs to give a good visual sense of the process.

The book then goes on to cover the making (including recipes) for 3 quite different cheeses with an emphasis on proper draining, drying and affinage (aging). He follows by describing very specific needs for the aging room and also what can go wrong here and how to correct it. He also has an entire section on considerations for building a dairy space.

He finishes the book with the last chapter 'A Dictionary of Goat Cheeses' which can be used as a valuable tool in deciding on the cheese you would like to make.

All in All, if you don't have this book .. Get It !

...I find it in most all libraries of the good cheese makers I know

Jim Wallace
10/18/04

What an amazing calendar filled with magical faeries that seemed to breathe beauty and life! I loved the introduction to each faerie and learning their unique message and purpose. I found the holiday and calendar dates included to be very intesting too. Opening this calendar is like beginning a new adventure into the mysterious realm of the faerie family.

"Delightful, beautiful and insightful..." that is how I would describe this gorgeous calendar. I bought last year's calendar as well and was waiting for the 2006 edition to become available. The perfect Christmas gift, I gave 20 away as presents and plan on doing the same this year. It is unique because the Faerie Journals interactive website has an on-going diary by "The Journal Keeper" which he (or she, we don't really know) updates like every 6 weeks, because this story is happening now, in real time - and invites the reader to write in advice or experiences they may have had. The inside cover of the calendar condenses the whole story, which makes it easy to pick up where the story had last left off. The imagery in the calendar is truly "other-worldly" and really creates a feeling of believability to the story. I also love the environmental message; that the reason the fairies are helping us is because there is a greater task at hand and that is the salvation of our planet. Humanity needs to wake up to the devastation we have caused and work together for the future. I agree! I highly recommend this calendar, not only is it functional - but magical as well.