Source The Books

One hesitates to use the word "entertaining" when speaking of a scholarly work, but Dr. Oliver's insightful, brilliant exploration of the beginings of the English law is so elegant and quick-witted that it charms as well as illuminates. A first-rate book---indispensible.

Benjamin Disraeli has long been a subject of fascination for many. Born to a family of Sephardic Jews, he rose from an unorthodox background to become prime minister of Great Britain and one of the dominant politicians of the Victorian age. His climb to the top of the "greasy pole" was a difficult one, though, and nowhere is this better illustrated than in the letters he wrote. Full of wit and color, they are an indispensable resource for people seeking to understand Disraeli's life and career.

While much of his correspondence has been printed before (particularly in Monypenny and Buckle's classic six-volume biography of Disraeli), this is the inaugural volume of an effort to publish every surviving letter Disraeli ever wrote. Starting with a brief note to his mother that Disraeli wrote when he was 11, the letters printed here capture a flamboyant young man eager to make his mark on the world yet uncertain as to how to make it. Articled as a solicitor, he soon found the work uncongenial and turned to his pen, writing pamphlets promoting questionable South American mining companies that soon collapsed. This loss of his investments in those companies, coupled with the collapse of a newspaper he started, soon left Disraeli in a state of indebtedness that would long plague his life and occupy much of his correspondence.

With creditors persistently hounding him, Disraeli began his career as a novelist in the hope that he could write his way out of his indebtedness. While his novels enjoyed modest success, they failed to bring in the income he needed to pay his mounting debts. The situation undoubtedly spurred his decision to enter Parliament (as MPs were immune from arrest), but his early attempts met with frustration. The collection ends with his last, failed attempt to run as an independent candidate and a growing association with the Conservative party, which would eventually provide the support he needed to win a seat in the House of Commons.

Disraeli's great strength as a writer was his descriptive powers, which are in full evidence in the correspondence collected here. Some of his best letters were written to friends and family during his tour of the Mediterranean in 1830-1, which contain evocative accounts of the places he visited. Adding to our understanding of the people and events described in these letters is the superb editorial work, which allows the reader to trace nearly every detail of his correspondence. The result is a first-rate source for one of the leading figures of 19th century Britain and an essential book for anybody seeking to better understand the man and his times.

I read this book in Dr. Carlson's class about 7 years ago, and although I liked the book very much at the time, I didn't fully appreciate the book. Since then, I have thought about the book and its implications often. There are very few books I can say actually changed my views of the world and culture, but this book is one of them. It is an excellent blend of the highs and lows of modern American culture. I highly recommend this book.

Froehlich gives an introduction to the Jewish background, and first four centuries of Christian Bible interpretation. Methods from the pre-christian rabbis to Augustine are examined.

It is surprising to see how different the interpretaions by early theologians are from their counterparts today. Early interpreters saw different levels of meaning in the text. There was a literal surface level for the unspiritual, and a deeper level for the spiritual. Not all interpreters agreed on allegorical interpretation, but all acknowledged the divine author of Scripture put deeper meaning and hidden treasures of revelation in the sacred text.

Translations of eight ancient authors are given in the rest of the book.

Sifra
Ptolemy
Irenaeus
Origen
Papyrus Michigan Inv. 3718
Diodore of Tarsus (2 texts)
Theodore of Mopsuestia
Tyconius

I found the book very intresting and informative. Froehlich does a great job of describing interpretation during those early years.

One just assumes the Bible was always interpreted in a literal fashion like it is today. I think this kind of knowledge is a little hard to find.

Having been to Ireland many times and stayed in a few of the "Big Houses", I wanted to know why they weren't referred to as castles. I asked an owner of a house we stayed at and here's his answer in a nut shell, "Big Houses" are Irish, whereas "Castles and Manors" are English.

This book not only has lovely photographs of many houses, but gives insight into the daily mechanics of operating a large estate. Servants and owners were at times close, more so than the English "Upstairs, Downstairs" version.

A wonderful book for anyone interested in the architecture and history of my favorite island, Ireland.

There is no doubt that photographer Frank Wallis had excellent rapport with his model, Sheila Ward. It is not every day that we see a beautiful young woman posed amidst urban splendor and grit, posing nude. The aesthetic is one of contrasts: nature vs. man made environment, fair skinned woman vs. dark urban landscape, curvy female form vs. rectilinear male architecture, female art vs. male commerce. Too bad it is out of print. Maybe a new publisher will re-issue. The interview with Sheila as fun too.

The Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in southeast Oregon is internationally known to ornithologists and birders. Throughout the year, but especially during spring and autumn migrations, hundreds of thousands of birds can be seen on the refuge. Birds of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, Oregon provides the first exhaustive report on the 312 species recorded here over the last 110 years.

For each species you'll learn
* How common it is on the refuge
* Where it is likely to be found on the refuge
* Dates of its earliest, latest, and most frequent sightings on the refuge

C.D. Littlefield is a legendary figure to western birders and an internationally recognized expert on the birds of Malheur, particularly the Sandhill Crane.
--- from book's back cover

Hi, mi name is Rogelio, I'm specialist in genetics, (well, Im in the 3 year of the course of medical genetics in Mexico City, in the pediatrics hospital of the Mexican institute of social secure). Like I said before in the title of this review I really like this book, it has a vast review of genetics disorders, with a lot of photos and a easy form to go directly with the location of the information you seek througout the book, I really sorry that the last print was in 1990, a lot of physicians in Mexico love this book and are looking forward for the new edition, I hope there will be a new edition with the location of novel genes on it, in fact, if a copy of the book doesnt appear in this medium, I personaly will go to USA to buy one. (Maybe the next year I'll be hired in a hospital of USA) Well, I still need a lot of work to do with my english, but is only a matter or practice (I guess...), good bye, I'll looking forward for any news on this matter. Your's truly: Roger Méndez Llaca

I walked the streets of Grove City, Ohio looking for a trace of it's native son inventor. Nothing! Passersby didn't know who he was. He'd been dead 7 years (1998), but wouldn't you think they'd have erected a statue or named a street after him or something, in view of the twenty-some years of his life that he dedicated to bringing us clean, renewable, free energy from water? And then they give almost $2 billion to the oil industry to look for hydrogen fuel technology! What a joke! Beam me up, Scotty, there's no intelligent life down here!

This is an excellent work for local history buffs. It depicts
Louis Reese-the Chief Engineer of the Grand Concourse. Maps show
the Jerome Park Race Track. A section shows the widening of
Kingsbridge Road during 1890. Residential frame houses on West Farms
are shown. The Bronx Zoo is depicted in a famous 1899 scene.
The Schwab House of 1857 is shown together with rows of small
residential homes in the Village of Tremont. The book provides
excellent nostalgia for all New Yorkers, as well as USA history
enthusiasts.