Source The Books

Whether legal professional, historian, or one curious as to what the laws "were like" before our notions of "modern" came into being, this volume is a standard in the field. Originally published in 1836, the scholarship, though perhaps equalled, has never been surpassed.

Those "only" curious as to the sorts of things that were regulated for public safety, or prohibited, this reads as if an interweaving of the unexpected yet obvious and familiar, and the not-quite-real, as if a work of fiction -- that is how strange some of it is.

Were the Pilgrims "Libertarians"? Is it true there was no regulation of such dangerous substances and objects as alcohol, tobacco, and firearms, before the advent of "Liberals"? Or were the colonists, despite beliefs in superstitions, and prohibitions against witchcraft and other "wrong" "religions," otherwise sane -- "Liberal" -- thus actively concerned with public safety?

How did the laws concerning Indians differ from those concerning non-Indians? What were the penalties for fornication? For "stubborn child"? What were the sources for the crimes and penalties to which the death penalty was applied?

And what of such mundane matters as marriage and divorce, out-of-wedlock children and "welfare," real estate transactions, penalties for trespass, adultery, swearing and cursing, drunkenness?

All that and more is here, as one witnesses a small group of humans, in a strange wilderness, slowly establish rules -- laws -- by which they will manage their affairs, and then elaborate on those rules as the community grows and expands.

Recommended especially for those who believe they know the history because they saw a movie.

If you want to learn about recording pioneers and the early years of the recording industry, you'll love these 340 pages (full size paper) of rare items. Collectors have not seen this material before. Some items here--private letters, legal contracts, photographs, marriage certificates, and death certificates--had never been published in any form before. Why is it called a companion to the Encyclopedia? Because the encyclopedia itself (my well-known book POPULAR AMERICAN RECORDING PIONEERS, 1895-1925--see above, item #2) is a separate book. It begins with an informative Introduction. Then items are presented in chronological order, with nearly every item having some date on it. They include four rare catalogs from the 1890s (titles and artists on hundreds of brown wax cylinders!), pages from Emile Berliner's National Gramophone (or Gram-o-phone) Company catalog dated April 1899, Zon-O-Phone promotional literature from 1900, pages from the unpublished autobiography of Leon Douglass (he was an inventor and first vice president of the Victor Talking Machine Company), death certificates of some recording artists, marriage certificates of some recording artists, pages from the 1905 book Uncle Josh's Punkin Centre Stores, catalog for B&R Records (early 1905), a 1904 Zonophone catalog, pages from Victor recording logs, pages from the trade journal Talking Machine World, pages from trade journal Musical Observer, pages from trade journal Melody ("A Monthly Magazine for Lovers of Popular Music"), pages from Conn's trade journal Musical Truth (photos of dance bands--Coon-Sanders, Isham Jones, Benson's Orchestra, others), pages from trade journal Phonograph Monthly Review, contracts (for example, one dated April 30, 1917, making Vernon Dalhart exclusive to the Edison Company for two years), letters to and from recording artists (a letter dated 1931 from Harry Macdonough to Jim Walsh; letters from Vernon Dalhart to a friend; letters exchanged by members of the Original Dixieland Jazz Band; a letter dated 1932 from an advertiser telling Sam Lanin that his radio show has been canceled; more), a "Request for Return of Copyright Deposits" dated Feb. 4, 1929, for the MGM short film made by Billy Murray and Henry Burr and the other Eight Popular Victor Artists, letters dated 1906 from San Francisco's main phonograph dealer (Peter Bacigalupi wrote some of these letters just before the earthquake, others just after), list of Lakeside cylinders, letter from the Artophone Corporation promoting new "blues" records issued by Paramount (Artophone was the St. Louis supplier), Paul Whiteman concert program dated March 3, 1925. Pages duplicated from Talking Machine World will fascinate anyone who also collects phonographs--rare ads for the Cameraphone (July 1924), Carryola portable, Brilliantone needles, Magnola Talking Machine Company, etc. Also duplicated is the rare "Instructions for the Operation and Care of Portable Victrolas." Much more...too much to list here!

Pages duplicate materials that range from 1894 to 1932, with pretty much equal treatment given to each decade though perhaps a bit more from the 1920s than any other period. Spiral binding, state-of-the-art xeroxing equipment used, book made at top-quality printing shop (nice covers!). I wish something like this book had been available back when I started to collect phonographs and listen to the old records because, with this book, you see the "big picture," the industry as a whole! Want to see what the old recording artists looked like? Photographs of George W. Johnson, George J. Gaskin, Edward M. Favor, Irving and Jack Kaufman, Peter Bacigalupi's Edison shop in San Francisco in 1898, Billy Murray in 1947, the Norfolk Jazz Quartette (1921), Eddie Elkins, Ben Selvin, Fiddlin' John Carson, Henry Whitter, Fred W. Hager (this prolific recording artist was Okeh's music director by the 1920s--he supervised sessions in Chicago when King Oliver made Okeh records in 1923!), Earl Burtnett, Tom Gerunovich, Victor's Oakland pressing plant, Harry Humphrey...just the tip of the iceberg. Makes available many of the primary sources I studied when writing my huge encyclopedia of recording pioneers.

Having done Genealogy for 23 years, I've found Ron Bremer's rather unusual research methods the answer to breaking down those stubborn "brick walls". His "Bester" and "Worser" list of resources helped me find my paternal family after having no luck for 15 years. Bremer shows you where to FIND those long lost records. If you only buy one book, this is the one. Well worth the price.

The Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) has had a long and interesting history. It was painstakingly negeotiated over a period of many years and signed ten years ago. Then a whole series of countries: China, India, Israel, Pakistan, North Korea and the United States refused to ratify it. At the same time, they announced that they would abide with the main provisions of the treaty.

It's also interesting that the treaty doesn't ban the bomb itself, it only bans the testing of nuclear devices. That's not exactly the same thing, but almost. If you built a bomb, you would never be certain that it wouldn't fizzle when you tried to use it for real, so you'd want to test it. Likewise the technology of bomb making advances and this too needs testing.

This book is a general overview of the treaty, how it was negeotiated, and what's been happening towards ratification. It also includes a copy of the treaty.

It's strange that a majority of the world's countries, a majority of the world's people want the treaty to be in place, but it appears now that there is little chance of it being passed. This is a very interesting book as it gives a good overview of how such treaties are negeotiated at a world wide level.

This book is extraordinary, the like of which I have not read in the extensive Gandhian literature. Mr. Pandiri, the author of this great book has exhausted the literature to put together this volume. It must have taken many years to complete this work. I have read almost the entire Gandhian literature, and nowhere can I recall anyone who had done such a commendable job. Not only is this book essential for the libraries but I also strongly recommend this book to any student of Gandhi dedicated to researching and unearthing the truths about this elusive figure better known as Mahatma gandhi.

This is a detailed mile by mile guide to the Connecticut River, breaking the river up into a series of 28 reaches (1 reach per chapter). There are maps for each reach with sufficient lat/lon indicators to enable interpolation for GPS waypoints.

River conditions from flatwater to Class IV whitewater are covered in detail as are campsites, sightseeing/sidetrip opportunities and major landmarks along the river, plus a bit of history.

As a 'boating' guide, it is probably most useful to paddlers in canoes or kayaks, or perhaps rafts/inflatables. Access points, particularly formal and informal access points for cartop boats, are covered in text and on the maps.

The thick, coated cover of the book is excellent quality, will handle some spray, and the page edges are rounded to avoid fraying/splaying -- making this guide suitable for on-river use.

Ably translated into English by Charles David, The Conquest Of Lisbon (De Expugnatione Lyxbonensi) is an eyewitness account of the capture of Lisbon in 1147 by the combined forces of King Alfonso Henriques of Portugal and a fleet of crusaders from the Anglo-Norman kingdoms. More than a dry historical narrative, the author vividly conveys the tensions and rivalries between the secular and spiritual factors of a twelfth century crusade, as well as tremendous and descriptive insights into medieval warfare, the development of crusading ideology and the concept of a Christian "holy war"; as well as Muslim views of the invading crusaders. An informative foreword by Jonathan Phillips provides an update on the scholarship regarding the integral place of the Lisbon expedition in the Second Crusade, the identity of the text's author, and the author's intent for his compelling history. The Conquest Of Lisbon is also available in hardcover (0231121229) and is an essential addition to any Medieval Studies collection.

This is an excellent collection of documents concerning pacifists who resisted the American Revolution in the name of religious liberty. Anyone interested in the difference between the American and French Revolutions should read this material. It shows that some of the same intolerance seen in the Jacobin Republic in France between 1792 and 1794 was present in the new United States. Another example of how patriotism can be the enemy of liberty.

Students of all pages, parents, educators and adult alike will find this basic primer on finding reliable information on the internet teaches some very basic routines for verifying misinformation and investigating options. Chapters are intended for use with students in grades 4-6, but Consider The Source: Finding Reliable Information On The Internet is featured here for its important and very basic guide to a computer-based on-line research tricks, traps, techniques and tips.