Oliver Books

I bought this book on recommendation from a friend. Being 7 months pregnant at the moment, I can really relate to what Jools was feeling throughout her pregnancy(s). I found it very insightful as parts refer to infertility and what options there are out there to help people fall pregnant. I also had a good laugh at myself as I read about certain aspects of Jools' pregnancy(s). A MUST HAVE!!!

I bought this on a trip to Dublin with my husband. I have enjoyed Jamie Oliver`s tv show and books for a while. This was a great look at what happens at home behind the cameras and also an honest look at being a new mother. I plan to start trying next year, so some of it was scary, funny, and gave you a lot to thank about. The style is easy to read and I finished in a weekend. Lots of pictures, some recipes, and practical lists which I love!

This book is great because you feel like you are getting truthful advice...the good, bad and humerous...from a close friend. I loved the pictures and insight into the Oliver family. Her advice from what she really used from her hospital bag to easy, nutritious, kid friendly food makes it an excellent reference book to keep on hand. Truely one of my favourites!!

This book tells you just like it is! The wonderfull thing is that Jools can laugh about herself and her behaviour. I realy had to laugh out loud about a lot of hilarious moments and I couldn't stop reading. It has some adoring family pictures and a section with tips about shops, to do lists and more.
The book is a absolute must have for those who are planning to become a mummy or those who already have small children. I have one and I recognized a lot of the situations she described. By the way also the people who are interested in a little peek into the private life of Jamie Olivers family should read this book!!

An honest and refreshing account of what it is like to prepare for and be pregnant. It is not meant to be a medical journal but is rather a witty account of Jools Oliver's own experiences. I appreciated the honesty and the information that was given. It is very well written and I could not put it down! Some of the stories were hilarious!

I highly recommend this book for women who are like me planning a family or for those who are already pregnant. This would have to be one of the best books I have read during my preparation for starting a family. Thanks, Jools for your openess! I am so looking forward to any sequels!

This is one of the best wrestling books of all time and I rank it right up there at the top of my list of best wrestling books. Greg Oliver always delivers. He is well researched and he knows his stuff inside and out. I read this book cover to cover when I first got it and have read it several times since. I use it quite often as a reference book also.

If you love wrestling and want to read about the boys from the past and now and want to hear their stories in and out of the ring get this book... and anything else Greg Oliver and Steve Johnson put out.

Finally, someone has written a book that mentions the tag teams I grew up watching when the NWA was in full bloom: George Becker and Johnny Weaver; George and Sandy Scott; Rip Hawk and Swede Hansen; Aldo Bogni and Bronco Lubich; The Infernos and more. Up to now, I thought no one would ever acknowledge the excellent performances of these folks. If you feel the same way, buy this book - you won't be disappointed!

Colorful stories and a great look at the history of professional wrestling. The authors take you from the very beginning of "Australian Rules Tag" matches to modern day. I don't know how younger fans will appreciate this book but for anyone over 35 this book is a MUST READ. It can also be used as a reference when arguing with your buddies. The photos are a great throwback to a time when wrestling publicity pictures were black and white and reminded me of my childhood paying 50 cents for a glossy 8x10.

This is a good history of tags teams in wrestling. It gives a good account of in ring actions as well as the story behind the men. The only thing it lacks is more tag teams especially the last 10 years or so.

Greg Oliver & Steve Johnson did an outstanding job in writing The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Tag Teams. No other wrestling history book ever has gone to the effort that these guys have. Ever tag team written about was either contacted an interviewed or if all the memebers were deceased at least a family member was tracked down and interviewed. Their rating system was well done and not without contraversy. Love or hate where they ranked your favorite tag team, they made you think about it and discussion amongst the wrestling community has been hot and heavy on this book. Great insight into many tag teams from years gone by the most fans either new little about or never heard of. They helped bring back memories of great teams like the Kangaroos, Kentuckians and The Infernos. Great photos a sprinkled throught. This is a must read for any wrestling fan of tag team wrestling. No other wrestling history book even comes close to covering tag team wrestling like this book.

wonderful! writing styles, details, photos, insights all
excellent. It is like reading a national geograohic article
(so many pictures to go with the stories). The depth he went
into to talk about his ideas and thoughts is really
a treat.

This book is a fascinating account of the life of Ravi Shankar. I was a little reluctant to pick up this book at first- -I thought to myself, "Ravi Shankar- pop star, a musician who lives on hype - who wants to read a fan book? If George Harrison hadn't stumbled across him, he would have been just another sitar player." But after reading this book, I have a much greater understanding and respect for Shankar and all that he has accomplished.

Shankar's early life was simply amazing. His first tour of the US was in 1932, when he was all of 12 years old. With that in mind, it makes perfect sense for Shankar to be the leader in bringing Indian classical music to the West, since he spent so many of his formative years in Paris and on tour throughout Europe and the US. During this time, he became familiar with Western audiences and their expectations, as well as with Western music traditions. It is this familiarity that has enabled him to be so successful at explaining Indian music to Westerners. But as this book details, Shankar was not only popular in the West, but long before George Harrison met him, he had built a very successful career in India. For example, he was the one who did the music for film director Satyajit Ray's Apu Trilogy, among so many other projects.

Shankar's influences on music in both India and the West are enormous and far-reaching. He was one of the first musicians to gain a following in world music, and he fought strongly against the marginalization of world music as a field only fit for ethnomusicologists. As described in this book, in India, he helped change attitudes towards musical performance and performers by demanding full attention from audiences and formal venues, much like classical performers in the West expect.

Interspersed throughout Shankar's text are short interludes from friends such as Yehudi Menuhin and George Harrison. The book includes hundreds of pictures that span Shankar's entire career, including the pre-World War II tours with his brother Uday. There is also a very informative glossary at the end, as well as a chronology and index.

Raga Mala is destined to be a classic of literature.
It is a biography, history, diary, and a basic primer
of Hindustani (North Indian) music.
As a beginning Sitar student under a Guru myself.
I appreciate Raviji's journey from student to master.
The life covers so many memorable moments of history.
His triumphs and pain are an inspiration to all who
are open enough to see it. There is not enough that
can be said to fully explain the depth of this book.
It is fair to say that most will not fully understand
it in one reading.
In closing, Raga Mala will be the textbook to be used
by all interested in Pandit Ravi Shankar, Indian music,
and how it has gained popularity in America since the
1960's. I recommend this book as in the top 5 of my
all time favorite books.

Regardless of how you come into this book, as a Beatles fan, as an admirer of Indian classical music, or someone who studies the Indian culture, you will come out of it thinking of Ravi Shankar as someone very special, but who shares the same passion for life as many of us. "Raga Mala" is his story through his words, from his days as a dancer to traveling out of India for the first time, and eventually setting a goal to spread his music and culture around the world. With celebrity comes fame, and with fame comes admiration, and there were many women who admired him, only for he to admire them back. His love of women is at times overshadowed by his love of food, which is something I never knew before this.

But he talks about his music as his core (at point during the book he compared the sitar to his wife), and gets in-depth about his mission to enlighten people with his music. He loved the hippies but hated their lifestyle, and felt that he could make them high, and higher, with his music.

"Raga Mala" shows a well-traveled and cultured man with the utmost respect for his culture, his people, his music, and life in general. At 81 years old, he knows his "old junk of a body" can't do the things it did when he was 15, but he refuses to slow down for anyone, including himself.

Raga Mala is the autobiography of pandit Ravi Shankar,told in story,profusely illustrated{some in color}], beautifully bound {with luxurious endpapers], on high quality, beautiful papers. It tells his story{introduced by George Harrison} from his early childhood, stage[as a dancer in his brothers famous troupe] to his study of sitar and Hindustani music with a master{Khan},to his gradual emergence in the west. I had no idea, that he had performed at Carnegie hall in the 1930's, that John Coltrane's son ravi was named after him, ot that he was well known BEFORE the Monterey pop or woodstock concerts[he called woodstock"terrifying'}. This is a wonderful book, it tells the ENTIRE ARC of the life of pandit Ravi Shankar{including his apparent heir and pupil, his daughter Anoushka}, and does so with such a well put together volume. The papers, the binding, the photographic reproductions are exquisite. The publisher has done a remarkable job. A classic book, both in form and content.

This is the best book I've read on this subject. This type of Christian thought certainly attracts a lot of pseudo-Christians and there seems to be more books written on Christian mysticism by non-Christians than real ones nowadays, but this book is not one of them. It's basically a compendium of mystical Christian thought from the first millenium. This is a book that needs to be read more than once, the information in it is incredibly complex and engaging. When reading this book the Truth of it can be felt on every page; nothing less than the science of love.

Orthodox Theologian Olivier Clement's book is nothing short of a masterpiece. I read this book almost three years ago while in a directed study by one of my professors as I was conducting a research paper for a conference. Their is so much to say, but it would require a lengthy review because the information in this book requires great consideration - I cannot do this book justice here. I will, however, touch on a couple of chapters.

In Chapter 4 of Part 2, titled "Passions Transfigured, Thought Transcended" one learns the importance to purifying his or her heart, so they "can see God." He quotes at length early Church Fathers from Augustine to Chrysostom, from Diadochus of Photike to Climacus. This little chapter is truly mind blowing and heart provoking. Enstasy-Ecstasy which is chapter three of Part three titled "Approaches to Contemplation" is a brilliant chapter.

There is so much that is powerful and enlightening about this book, with commentary after quotes from many Church Fathers that a serious Christian needs to read this book and contemplate the material to grow in the Holy Spirit. One will find themselves referring to this book often.

Excellent, excellent book. Clement does an outstanding job of bringing together quotes by early church fathers. They are organized in a cohesive manner with useful commentary by Clement.

My first reaction as I began to read the book was, "Awesome." I have read some of the early church writings, but generally got bogged down in their style of writing. Clement brings out the richness of what they wrote and said. I am analytical and tend to think a lot, but was blown over by the depth of thought of some of these fathers. They wrote of things I never even considered. They contemplated mysteries and concepts in a way which brings out the shallowness of modern Christian thought.

This is a scholarly work, but which reads more like a devotional. I usually read through a book in a matter of days. However, this one took months. There is such depth that it requires reading a few pages and setting it aside to contemplate what was said. In terms of its value to me, I would place this book second only to the Bible.

Olivier Clement is a French Eastern Orthodox Christian theologian. He has gathered selections from the Church Fathers (and some Mothers too) by topics. Some selections are just a sentence or two, others are several paragraphs. His commentary is brief and usually helpful, but the book's real greatness is that the spirit of the Fathers is so accessible. In this book, everyone can have easy access to the spirituality of ancient Christians. There is deep theology, but also extensive practical sections on prayer and virtues. The English title is inappropriate; the French title is simply "Christian Sources." Clement does not present Christian esotericism but mainstream ancient Christian thought.

I strongly recommend this book to everyone. If you think you are familiar with Christianity, it will open your eyes to the true depths of Christian wisdom. If you are not familiar with Christianity, this book presents the heart of God and the ancient Christian path with clarity, compassion, and wisdom.

This awe-inspiring and other-worldly book has the ability to unite Christians, if we would simply accept its challenge and walk our talk. Its anecdotal wisdom comes from the authentic writings of the Early Church Fathers, allowing us insight and verification of the truths believed by a Church living a sacrificial and apostolic faith. Its wisdom does not correspond with the "me first" mentality of our culture. It is, however, the true "Way" of following Christ, mystically united to Him.

It is full of wisdom in anecdotal form, meditations one could chew on henceforth, in accompaniment with the Holy Scriptures.

As readers, we must ask ourselves, are we looking to serve ourselves, or are we seeking the kingdom "not of this world"? This otherworldly book belongs beside the Holy Scriptures for our daily meditation. We should study its truths, for this is THE FAITH of the FATHERS, the one, holy, and apostolic faith.

If you can accept its challenge, your life will be richer, truer to Christ, and nourished by solid meat for spiritual food.

As a live action role playing game manual, it is a concise and compact guide to starting a new game. The field manual (FM) gives the players enough historical background while providing standard military small unit tactics in close quarters combat (CQC). The FM follows the standard US format and the tactical principles do not deviate from normal.

For non-LARPG players, this manual is good just for the CQC methodologies alone. Even if you're not interested in live action role playing games, its a good read as science fiction.

An impressively authentic voice and a good deal of smart thinking about spaceborne tactics and the way that a space marine unit would train. As a game concept, it's a brilliant cross-over.

I found this book highly interesting. Written in the style of an actual military Field Manual I found it to be informative in actual tactics that can be used for airsoft, LARPing, paintball or any other type of action pursuit style game. The science fiction aspect of the manual was also very interesting and provided a great backdrop for the subject matter of the book. I highly recommend this book for science fiction enthusiasts and for airsoft or paintball players looking for some good information on conducting urban combat operations.

As an ex military member myself, its awesome seeing how authentic this book looks and feels next to my own military handbook... what a great find!

The illustrations are great- the information is perfectly realistic and all and all I would recommend this book to anyone!

TerrorWerks is the successor to True Dungeon as the next great game convention event. This manual really helps you get into the character of being a space marine. Its written just like a real army field manual, except well, its about boarding hostile spacecraft.

This literary plaint reminds me of Camus, with evocations of "Brave New World" and "1984". Like Kafka's works, it hypothesizes an antihero compelled into 'monkey wrench gang' style action in a dystopia. This book deserves to be reprinted, so new readers will contemplate their motivations.

Fun, gripping read that had much more relevance before the Soviet empire crumbled. A cautionary tale nonetheless.

Fast action, gripping plot, well-written

This is not only a superb action novel, but it is even more so a warning. Fun and at the same time disturbing, this book goes into detail on what this country has become and what it may unfortunately turn out to be.

One should remember that the publication date (1971) marked the beginning of the lowest point for America in the Cold War. Not only was communism advancing in Asia, Africa and the Western Hemisphere but large segments of academia and the intellectual world semed intent on wounding the national psyche. Vandenberg, the hero of the novel, notes that the West was already defeated psychologicaly before it was defeated militarily. The journal containing his mustings is a key element in the story.

The book is far more than resistance to a Soviet takeover. In fact, resistance itself plays a small part of the book. It is an exploration of those who choose not to give in. There is a wonderful relationship between Vandenberg and his son, Kevin, who is retarded. The internal battles that each person must make concerning their own course of action are constant. This is not a view with rose-colored glasses. There is no mass resistance because people have chosen to accomodate. The ending is in doubt, lingering, somewhat depressing...a terrific tale of hope, loyalty and love.

This is a really great book. I have been a real fan of Vaughan Oliver's work ever since I bought a dusty Colourbox 12 inch in a record store in Michigan in like 6th grade. He has maintained a consistent edge in his graphic sensibilities for longer than any other designer I can think of. His prolific work for the 4AD label in the UK is unparalleled in the current design world. And his subsequent companies 23 envelope and v23 have been hugely influential in the design community for almost 2 decades now.

What remains constant is his connection to the text and image work of the early 20th century avante-garde designers of russia, germany and france. he has a great slant on using image and text in a way that creates depth and bold contrasts. his work can be both blindingly graphic and casually beautiful, almost simultaniously.

this book represents an entire career of his work for 4AD, including album covers, promotional materials, poster artwork, and also an overview of many of his other clients, many of which have also shared his sensibilities in design, and allowed each project to both compliment his previous body of work, but also mark out some new creative statements. Its really a great source of inspiration for designers, and music lovers alike!

If you like 4AD - you'll like the book. If you like music - you'll like the book. If you like 4AD's music - you may not like Mr. Oliver, but you'll love the book.

If you know design AND happen to be a discriminating music lover, you almost certainly know who Vaughan Oliver is. This pioneering founder of 23 Envelope (later v23) collaborated with 4AD records in the UK since 1981 to help launch the careers and identities of such seminal acts as Cocteau Twins, Pixies, the Breeders, Modern English, Throwing Muses, The Wolfgang Press, His Name Is Alive and many others (Oliver rarely worked with Dead Can Dance--4AD's most successful act). "Visceral Pleasures," which should fit nicely on your shelf next to Oliver's other monograph "This Rimy River," explores more than just his record sleeve work. We get a look at Oliver's more broad career and background as a graphic designer, and get some great inside information and insight into his process and the experience of working with 4AD and its artists. It goes without saying that this book is gorgeously produced and a beautiful thing simply to hold in your hands.

I recently purchased this book after months and months of waiting. When I heard that a book was to be published about Vaughan Oliver and his wonderful career thus far in graphic design, I just couldn't wait. After all the wait, I am happy to say that I am quite pleased with the content of this book.

Unlike the last book, 'This Rimy River' which was a catalogue of all his work 1988-1994, this book contains a good balance of text and pictures. The text, which was lacking in other books, gives an in-depth look at Vaughan Oliver and his history of design. The pictures are beautiful especially the new ones that were made especially for this book.

Many designers will enjoy all the older pieces found throughout the book while there are many samples of his more recent work. This book is a definite must since many of his previous books are hard to find and out of print.

The book itself is a testament to Vaughn's design skills. It is elegantly crafted, with a classic and subtle typographic style which complements the overall clean book layout. This creates a subtle visual landscape which allows the actual works being shown within it's pages to burst out and demand notice. It speaks of Oliver's ability to subjugate his own ego and serve the message.

After flipping through the book in it's entirety, one gains the proper perspective regarding the magnitude of Oliver's impact on the 4AD brand. His is the visual expression of the sound which has come to be associated with the bands on this label. 4AD itself is more than just a label, it is the product of one man's dedication to independant music. Together, Oliver and the people which make up 4AD, struck that creative chord which can't be formulated. It was a matter of the right people at the right time getting together and playing off of each other artistically, to create a visual and audio brand which is still viable today. Creative relationships of that sort don't happen often, and when they do, it almost always furthers the medium, as evidenced here.

Vaughn Oliver's work has influenced an entire generationf of designers who most likely discovered his work through their love of the music on the 4AD label. The book does an amzing job of "telling the tale." It not only showcases Oliver's works, but provides a visual and textual history of his relationship with 4AD. Rick Poyner is a long time writer of the design business and design in general, making him the perfect choice to tell this tale.

For most of us in the design realm who listened to these bands in high school and college, this book is a record of the soundtrack and "visualtrack" of that particular time in our lives. And, for those who are just getting familar with Oliver's work, this book does a great job of giving the appropriate amount of textual and visual information to form a portrait of one of design's most influencial and innovative figures.

Col. North does a great job of intermixing strait facts of history with the first hand accounts of the men and women who were there. It really helps bring the historical facts to life.

I think this should be required reading for WW2 history classes, and is great reading for any history buff.

Added bonus- it comes with a great DVD.

This book does, for the war in Europe, what 'War Stories II' did for the war in the Pacific. It is an excellent,complete account. Of course, the input of actual participants only enhance this great read. Don't miss reading this one.

I am enthusiastic about the book and want the book read generally rather than on special merit. Why do I want the book read? Well, there is a whole rising generation for whom WWII is so old and far gone that they really know NOTHING about it. This book is a fine quick overview and quite readable. It doesn't get bogged down in the details of tactics, strategies, or troop movements.

What it does offer that is very inviting is what makes the TV show a success and is suggested by the title. It has the war stories of many individuals to flesh out the brief summaries of aspects of the war. These stories include regular soldiers, people who have since become famous like Senators (and Presidential hopefuls) Dole and McGovern, and Chuck Yeager. There are also stories from women, people who were children at the time, several women including a Russian woman who fought against the German, and a German pilot. As you can tell, these are not the political leader, the generals, or important commanders in the war. The events they participated in were not the key turning points of the war, generally. However, they help us understand how the war was experienced by some of the millions of individuals whose participation in it made the defeat of Hitler possible.

My hope is that young people will read this book and not only learn about the war, but will also become interested enough to move on to other books on World War II and American History. This material is easy to read and is far from being comprehensive or complete, but it does tell its stories well and can be the springboard to something more.

The book also comes with a DVD with three of the episodes of the TV show that inspired this book. Several of the stories in the book are included on the DVD. So, maybe the DVD will spark someone to then read the book.

Oliver North has a great affection for the men and women who fought to keep our country free. This book covers the European theater of World War II, and contains a multitude of stories told by those who fought in it. Sometimes it's difficult to imagine what these folks had to go through to defeat a very determined emeny, and those of us who are the inheritors of that legacy of freedom should always honor them. My own father was one of these people (although he died many years ago), and I thank him, and these others, every day for the life of liberty I, and my family, enjoy because of their sacrifices.

We are reaching a time when the members of the greatest generation, those that fought against the Nazi's and the Japanese are rapidly leaving us. It is good to see this series of stories from individuals who were there. By capturing their stories it may be possible for us to catch just a glimpse of what it must have been like to live when the country was more together than at any time before or since.

As with the other books in this series, this book presents a rather eclectic collection of stories. All services are represented. And the story tellers are as different as they can be. Bob Dole relates the day he was wounded with the 10th Mountain Division. One of the Tuskegee Airman relates the story of a 'colored' pilot during the war. Chuck Yeager tells of being hit by German cannon fire and the propeller of his airplane coming off.

This is a series of personal stories. It does not ahve the broad expanse of an integrated history, it's about real people.

This review is for the 1977-1978 editions.

This book is a direct translation into English of all of the Middle Kingdom Coffin Texts. These are the religious writings placed in tombs to aid the dead's entry and existence in the afterlife, although a small number contain mythical stories. For a serious student of Egyptology this is an essential resource. Faulkner is conscientious, providing notes to explain corrupted, doubtful, and untranslatable text.

One thing must be kept in mind: this book is not intended for beginners. There is no commentary for the spells, and little explanation for the many names, allusions, and references, which would have made this work very much longer. If you do not have a broad knowledge of Egyptian mythology, most of this material will be confusing.

Other than a commentary, the only feature which would make this book more complete would be a copy of the main diagram from the Book of Two Ways.

Hi, as far as what's I heard from the others EGYPT BOOKS,
they said this book was a very powerful books,but I wonder
what's inside the books? Are the spells"Easy"to follow?
and what's kinda of spells are inside this "Coffin Text Spells"book? and did they have any chanting or is it easy
to perform the spells? most of all,does they have any forms
of LOVE SPELLS and Prosperity spells inside this book?
Are these spells very powerful? if you owned this book,could you please let me know all information about this book,
thanks alot

This is an essential book by Faulkner, and very convenient by combining three separate volumes into one in this edition. I've finished the Pyramid Texts, Book of the Dead, and the Mythical Origin of the Egyptian Temple by E.A.E. Reymond, which is a cosmogonical overview of the Edfu temple inscriptions. This much more follows the form of the Pyramid Text writing style, and fills in many gaps about their religion. Any Egyptologist would benefit from the read, which will take a while.

There are not words to praise late Dr. Faulkner for the impressive task he had undetook at translating the 7 volumes of the "editio princeps" of the valuable Ancient Egyptian Coffin Texts, like he had already done with the Pyramid Texts in 1969. Anybody interested in ancient Egyptian religion and funerary literature must own a copy of this edition, whether under this "omnibus edition, 3 vols. in 1", or the extended edition in 3 vols. MOreover, a new reprint of the same is badly in need for it is very difficulto to find it at hand. So that you known: if you have the chance, and you are looking for an authoritative, researched and scholarly translation: THIS IS THE TITLE YOU MUST OWN1

Ancient Egypt has always been a facination to everyone. This book of spells will have you reading all the way. Join Raymond Oliver Faulkner as he reveals a whole new world to you...

The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table is a demonstration of New England civility in the 1850s. I believe it went through more than 50 editions by the end of the nineteenth century, so it must have been very widely read at one time. The book is packed with amazing observations. Holmes takes the time to wonder why the sense of smell is the quickest path to memory. He rails against puns in a way that is better than punning. He points out human flaws and praises examples of good living. Trees come alive, through prosaic description and poetic flights. Would you like to go back to the 1850s and have a conversation with a Boston intellectual? Here's your chance. There are many old copies of this book sitting around, but it's nice that it's come back into print (again).... (it's also a quiet love story, by the way)

The imaginary scene is a boarding house breakfast. Conversation is dominated by a lively gent who's seen it all. He holds forth on women, school, philosophy, rowing, interrupted from time to time with verses such as the Deacon's Masterpiece. It's witty, poignant, and rightfully a classic.

Two oral practices flourished in antebellum America: the lecture (or sermon) and the conversation. Lectures, such as Emerson's "The American Scholar" and sermons, such as the abolitionist sermons of Henry Ward Beecher, are well-known examples of this era. But it was also known as the Golden Age of Conversation, and its greatest practitioner was generally agreed to be Oliver Wendell Holmes, Senior.

Holmes was considered an important American writer until the 1920s when he was excised from the American canon by the modernists. They depicted him as willfully provincial, and elitist. What those critics failed to understand was that the Autocrat is also a comic pose, and that Holmes is making sport of everyone, including elitists. Holmes' democratic view of conversation as an open, free-wheeling discourse where anyone could join the Autocrat at his table, as long as they enlivened the conversation, ran counter to the views of his more elitist friends in Boston's Saturday Club in Boston. Holmes loved to talk, and his love for talk made him a democrat, or perhaps a true republican.

His Autocrat is a many sided character: stern and foolish, admonitory and celebratory, a polymorph who will don any temporaty mask necessary to keep the conversation alive. Holmes' playful metaphorical imagination is also a revelation. His gift for translating complex ideas into homey metaphors, aphorisms, and similes is nothing short of miraculous. In the words of another seriously comic American whom I'm sure Holmes would have delighted in, the Autocrat "floats like a butterfly, stings like a bee."

The Autocrat of the Breakfast table begins "in media res," in the middle of a conversation, with the Autocrat attempting to set the rules for conversation at his table. They are generous rules, but even they are open to sabotage by his tablemates at the boarding house. He begins by banning "facts" from his table as impediments to conversation, (a condition that should prevail on today's too numerous current event talking head shows. But I, like the Autocrat, digress).

Here's how the Autocrat starts: "I was just going to say, when I was interrupted, that one of the many ways of classifying minds is under the head of arithmetical and algebraical intellects. All economical and practical wisdom is an extension of the following arithmetical formula: 2 + 2 = 4. Every philosophical proposition has the more general character of the expression a + b = c. We are mere operatives, empirics, and egoists, until we learn to think in letters instead of figures." "They all stared. There is a divinity student lately come among us to whom I commonly address remarks like this. "

In other words, as Gibian says in his marvelous OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES AND THE CULTURE OF CONVERSATION: [The Autocrat] only asks us to study his beliefs the way a pragmatist would study the doctrines of any religion: "I don't want you to believe anything I say; I only want you to to try to see what makes me believe it." How refreshing in this age of factoids and statisticoids recited with rancor and ideological certitude, to hear the Autocrat and his tablemates at the boarding house attempting to fashion a democracy through and by their conversation. Nowadays all we have are the unironic Autocrats, control freaks like John McLaughlin, Ted Koppel, Rush Limbaugh, and that guy on FOX whose name I have, pleasantly, forgotten.

Listening to the Autocrat you can almost hear American singing. It's not exactly Walt Whitman's America, but it's still America in the hopeful, experimental antebellum era, and thus a good antidote to the cold technocratic chatter and lukewarm public relations cant we are showered with in this hypermediated century.

An interesting range of thoughtful opinions, imbedded in a look at American life in the 1850s, by the father of a future Supreme Court Associate Justice. Part of the charm of this book is in the fact that at that time horses had been the only means of human-assisted transportation for the last few thousand years (with the exception of the new-fangled railroad which was changing the world). Electronics were not even imagined. Automobiles were 50 years into the future.

The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table is a demonstration of New England civility in the 1850s. I believe it went through more than 50 editions by the end of the nineteenth century, so it must have been very widely read at one time. The book is packed with amazing observations. Holmes takes the time to wonder why the sense of smell is the quickest path to memory. He rails against puns in a way that is better than punning. He points out human flaws and praises examples of good living. Trees come alive, through prosaic description and poetic flights. Would you like to go back to the 1850s and have a conversation with a Boston intellectual? Here's your chance. There are many old copies of this book sitting around, but it would be nice if it came back into print.... (it's also a quiet love story, by the way)