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Pour yourself a cup of tea, put your feet up and relax into this well-written honest book---you'll be delighted and enlightened. Pamela D. Blair, Author, The Next Fifty Years: A Guide for Women at Midlife and Beyond

Life does not accommodate you, it shatters you. It is meant to, and it couldn't do it better. Every seed destroys its container, or else there would be no fruition."

This is a quote written by Florida Scott Maxwell, from the book Breaking Free: Women of Spirit at Midlife and Beyond. This line most struck me as truly encapsulating the experience that reading it brings. Breaking Free is edited (and contributed to) by Marilyn Sewell and consists of a compilation of twenty-seven women's personal narratives about the process of growing older. The women come from diverse backgrounds - religious, cultural, ethnic - and are all eloquent wordsmiths.

This collection is separated into two parts: "Necessary Losses" and "Breaking Free," where each part weaves together stories that together link up the experiences of loss, grief and pain with those of freedom, joy and beauty.

In reading this book I felt very deeply the writers' experience of the world as beauty and pain, as beauty in pain. For me, this book was less about being a middle-aged woman as it was about simply being a human being and growing from any phase in one's life to another.

As I continue to maneuver my way from youth into adulthood, I become increasingly aware of the way that the natural, seemingly innate process of growth enables me to let go of the drama, the indecision and the everyday heartbreaks that plagued me in my younger years. In the stories of these women, I saw an acknowledgement of and gratitude for what they were able to leave behind from their youth, but also a sort of weary peace from finally resolving the paradoxes and making up their minds. It was as if life did not seem to be as much of a mystery for them anymore.

When initially beginning this book, I was expecting to be told about how great it is to be "old"; that old age would be idealized and presented through rose-coloured lenses. Instead, I found intentional contradictions to that discourse: Baba Cooper's rebellion against the stereotype of "grandmother-hood"; Annick Smith's disappointment and humility upon realizing she could now no longer take the same chances as could her younger self; Erica Jong's struggle with the difficulties of dating and sex after the age of fifty.

Breaking Free is a contemplative, thought-provoking work about the transformative experience of being human, and it delves into the visceral, intangible, infinitesimal and earth-shattering events that shape our lives. This book showed me, in its intimately personal and uplifting style, that it's okay to be young, that it's wonderful even, but that it isn't everything.

The editor says that she has chosen writers who can help women move gracefully and courageously through the second half of their lives. This book does that and more. The excellent writers give us a good read. Many of the essays are beautifully written as well as being inspiring, thought provoking and instructive. As one of the writers reports, "We grow neither better nor worse as we get old, but more like ourselves."
Topics covered in the book include dealing with aging parents, mature children, our own mortality, looking older,
self appreciation, self acceptance, being alone without being lonely, and celebrating our own choices. My favorite was a selection by Isabel Allende from "Aphrodite: A Memoit of the Senses". I think this book would be a marvelous selection for a women's book group - although men could learn a lot from reading it too.

I am a woman who had to abruptly retire from public school administration after twenty-five years.My whole life had been spent trying to service urban settings with no hope of ever finishing the job.I was out of touch with the spirit within me as it had withered beyond recognition. I wasn't sure I wanted to live.I have picked up several of Marilyn Sewell's anthologies over the years. This latest one is special.It speaks to that part of me that has hope of breaking free of the past and appreciate all the children I have loved without so much sentimentality.Maybe, just maybe,there can be a different life just as satisfying. I'm not real sure yet, but this book gives me that hope.
Donna F. Orchard

Bug-Free Computing, by Ken Dwight, who calls himself "The Virus Doctor," is a book that could be very important to business people who depend on their computers to make a living and worry about a virus or other malevolent software designed to attack a computer and bring it down.

If this concerns you, but you have no real idea how to deal with it, Dwight's book is a solid primer designed for the average computer user. You don't have to be a geek to understand it, it's written in plain English, with a minimum of technical jargon. For example, in a chapter devoted to data backups, readers will be delighted to find information specifically tailored to the average user - what to back up, when, how, what media to use, what programs to use, etc.

Viruses are a primary focus of the book; most computer users are aware of viruses and their potential to do harm, but what many users don't understand, even technicians, is that viruses have changed greatly in the past few years in terms of virus behavior and distribution, so it's extremely important to keep up with and be aware of these differences.

Bug-Free Computing also discusses spyware, browser hijackers, keyloggers, spam, hoaxes, urban legends and other possible computer problems. You don't have to read the book cover-to-cover to get the help you need. The reader can take a look at the table of contents to discern the chapter that covers their most pressing concerns, and quickly flip to that chapter.

In addition, the text includes hyperlinks to various web sites and articles referenced in the book. If the reader desires more information than what is presented in Dwight's book, the links will provide more detail and even direct the reader to vendors of products mentioned in the book. Also, the information contained in the appendices is extremely helpful; the most useful is the ability to keep the information up-to-date from the Book Registration web site.

While the subject of programs that can damage your computer is a serious one, Dwight offers a light-hearted detour in the form of a section on hoaxes and urban legends. This section is good for a few chuckles before returning to the grim realities of dealing with computer problems.

Dwight's style is easy and disarming, making for a pleasant read, even for technophobes. For example, in the chapter on spam, he shows users how to read message headers and footers to find clues to the real identity of the sender and how to use filters to cut down on your spam email. He also explains that it's not a good idea to click on the "Remove Me" link that is included in some spam emails; that action could possibly increase your email rather than decrease it.

Ken Dwight's book is chock-full of common-sense pointers, making it an excellent choice for those who want to protect their computers without hiring expensive consultants.

Mr. Dwight draws on his 40 years of computer experience to present a lucid explanation of the inner workings of PC programs and how they are affected by viruses and other malicious programming. His technical explanations are easy to follow and understand, even for the novice PC user. His book has clear screen-shots of typical Windows options, and he carefully explains why and how to optimize Windows for maximum operating efficiency and security. His book is essential reading for anyone who has a PC connected to the Internet. I am an accomplished user, but I am not an expert, and I found his many hints and suggested settings to be excellent methods of improving my PC's protection. I purchased several copies to give to family and friends because I found his advice invaluable.

This is a great book for anyone who has a computer. The book is arranged well, starting with an overview of computer viruses and how they originate, pass from machine to machine and work. It gives a brief insight as to the type of person who creates this havoc.

Most importantly, it gives us the information that we need to minimize our exposure to computer viruses and what to do if/when we get infected. I will definitely keep my virus and firewall protection up to date.

Title: Bug-Free Computing
Author: Ken Dwight
Publisher: The TeleProcessors, Inc.
14300 Cornerstone Village Drive, Suite 321
Houston, TX 77014-1276
Copyright: 2005
ISBN: 0975408542
Pages: 162 plus appendixes
Price: $19.95

If your computer is on and you are connected to the Internet then sooner or later it will become infected. These days you don't have to open attachments, download a file, or even surf the web to become infected; just being connected can make you a target. In his book Bug-Free Computing, Ken Dwight educates the reader about the history of the many threats to safe computing and what you can do to make your computer experience as safe as possible. Some of the information will be surprising to most people including the fact that most infections occur on a system that has anti-virus software installed. To keep bug-free he discusses anti-virus software, using a firewall, spam filtering, and a host of other techniques to increase your safety. And, of course he includes a section on what to do if you are already infected. Written in a very easy to understand style, Bug-Free Computing is highly recommended to the everyday user who wants to understand the computing environment and how to work on their computer without stressing about infections.

Finally, a book that is simple enough to follow, yet with generous room for variability. Unlike most books involving movement--such as books on say pain relief, running or athletics--the lessons contained in The Busy Person's Guide to Easier Movement continue to unfold in front of you so that you, the reader, have the option of going back time after time and actually getting more each time you try the same lesson. This is because no lesson is actually the same if you heed the instructions in the beginning, which include using your imagination, being comfortable and going slowly. Done this way, the lessons guide you not only toward more flexibility, strength and comfort, but greater creativity and independence! The book may claim to be about "easier movement," but be forewarned, it is much deeper than that. You could discover possibilities in living that you had never imagined.

I found this book after years of chronic pain and headaches. I had tried chiropractic, massage, and prescription medication, but these only took the edge off my pain. I got this book after a friend recomended the feldenkrais method, and have had wonderful improvement after a month. I saw improvement after the first two lessons. It is easy enough to understand without any help if you will take the time to do the lessons, and if you have the ability to visualize what is happening in your body as you move. I would recomend buying the DVD "The Alexander Technique" first as an introduction to the concepts in the book.

The Feldenkrais Method is possibly the most innovative educational/therapeutic method in existence. It can help both body and mind to function more efficiently.

However, having been developed by a physicist with a profound knowledge of kinetics and neurophysiology, neither the practice nor theory is particularly accessible. This book remedies the situation, simplifying the entry point without losing the essential flavour. The author, Frank Wildman, is a genius practitioner. I have personally witnessed him achieve the seemingly miraculous with a number of people suffering severe difficulties.

If, like them, you've been there and done that, yet still feel there must be something more, this could be it. The trick with this method is learning to do less, not more. It took me years to learn and I'm a practitioner!

Do give this book a try. It will at least make you question some commonly held assumptions about health and well-being. It may even change your life!

That's 33 cents per excersise, quite a value. Actually each lesson has more than one movement, 5 to 15 movements per lesson so it's like 10 times 50 which is 500 divided by the price, pennies per exercise. This is a no nonsense guide that promises and delivers, the title says it all. The lessons take 5 to 15 minutes. The directions are easy to follow, the drawings are good. It helps to vocally record some of lessons on tape of course. The only thing I personally can compare this book to is relaxercise and I like this better. I bought it I'm happy! I got all the excersises. I don't need no weights, I don't need to stretch, I don't need to sit cross legged with some freak telling me to breathe. I don't need no big beach balls, and rubber bands. I can get there faster. My ligaments feel great, my muscles are smarter. My mind is stronger. My bones are alive. I can walk forever. I can rest in peace. My connective tissue is new. It's ok I cheated, I did try some of Anat's tapes before.

Volume 1 of "The Collected Works of Arthur Seldon" series, The Virtues Of Capitalism offers the in-depth wisdom of classical liberal economist Arthur Seldon, who penned his theories from the 1930's to the late 1950's. The Virtues Of Capitalism is divided into two parts; the first is "Corrigible Capitalism; Incorrigible Socialism", in which Seldon explains why he feels capitalism is more open to correction and improvement while socialism resists adjustments to help it fit economic reality, and "Capitalism", a longer work that takes an in-depth accounting of capitalism's positive qualities. An excellent basic resource and foundation of insight into basic liberal economic and capitalist philosophy, The Virtues Of Capitalism is especially recommended for academic library "Economic Studies" collections and is essential reading for non-specialist general readers with an interest in economic theory.

What Ayn Rand does for philosophical reasoning, Arthur Seldon does for economical reasoning. Provides the reader with a firm foundation for arguing the free market proposition. Extremely reader friendly.

British libertarian economist Arthur Seldon exposes the failings of socialism in general and of Britain's welfare state in particular. The author's antidote for the welfare state is to reduce the scope of government to only those functions that the free market can't duplicate. He considers and rebuts all criticisms -- economic, political, moral -- of the free market. This book has its shortcomings: It's directed towards a British audience, so it requires some familiarity with British history. Written in 1989, the book is a bit dated; e.g., the Soviet Union (which the author repeatedly considers) is extinct. Also, the author often repeats his basic argument; namely, the market is directed by a price system, which is controlled by individual consumers (hence market economies are prosperous and democratic), whereas the welfare state is directed by politicians, producers and interest groups (hence welfare states are poor and authoritarian). Finally, the author's syntax is often awkward. Nevertheless, friends of the free market will find in this book both an armory of rebuttals to capitalism's critics and abundant useful references.

Arthur Seldon is little known in his home country, the United Kingdon or abroad except among classical liberals, libertarians and those who inhabit the strange world of think tanks. Yet this little known figure is one of the intellectual giants of the twentieth century and will one day be acknowledged as such.

Liberty Fund is publishing a seven volume Collected Works of which is the first and which presents two works: Corrigible Capitalism, Incorrigible Socialism and Seldon's magnum opus, Capitalism. The first of the two was originally published by the London based free-market think tank, the Institute of Economic Affairs of which Seldon was the first Editorial Director.

Corrigible Capitalism, Incorrigible Socialism is a reprint of a 1980 paper entitled 'A Credo for private Enterprise' which the author presented to the New Zealand Employer's Federation. This is a vigorous defence of the liberal market order in the face of a continued onslaught by the proponents of the socialist or mixed economy. Whilst Seldon's case is inspired by the Classical liberal case of the 19th Century, this paper can be seen as a further development from the Planning Debate from the 1920s and 30s. Seldon incorporates in his structure the post-war so-called Keynesian developments introduced the various socialist governments under the guise of Conservative or Labour and also takes a broader world perspective. Interestingly, Seldon makes the following comment about China:

"But increasing coercion will be required to suppress the trend to initiative stimulated by knowledge of the West, and it is hardly likely to survive the century. Forty years later in China, where the individualist trading tradition is stronger and markets are a Chinese cultural inheritance, the regime is less self-concious (or guilt-ridden) about the use of 'capitalist' devices, and the return to official recognition of markets is easier. For this reason alone China is likely to emerge economically stronger than Russia in the coming decades"

Yet who could tell in those early days of the Thatcher government who would heed Seldon and the liberals clarion call to the return to markets. While individual politicians may lay claim to the collapse of Communism, none of them have anywhere near the power of individuals to truck, barter and exchange. It is that power which brought about the demise. No more, no less.

In Capitalism Seldon celebrates the economic organisation. Writing from the perspective of one who began life in poverty and enjoyed a modicum of success through his own efforts in the marketplace despite many great adversities Seldon highlights the improvements of mankind which came about not through some central plan or social organisation but through individuals recognising an opportunity to produce goods and services which met a need expressed by the demand in the market. The unintended consequences of human action indeed. Seldon holds that as the textbook understanding of the economy suggests there may be market failure, then correspondingly it should be recognised that there is an equivalence government failure. Whether that failure is inherent such as destroying or altering the price signals which reflect consumer demand or which comes about from the involvement of politicians in the process who corrupt the market for their own ends (the economics of politics or public choice approach) Seldon recognises that there is no perfect system. Using an analytical approach much grounded in the Austrian School of Economics, Seldon sets out a case where private is at least as good as if not mostly better than public. He develops this approach by pointing out the natural tendency of markets to flexibility and therefore creating new structures such as property rights to overcome such failures whils the political processes set in stone many of the rules which become obsolete very quickly. To Seldon's credit it is his credibility which comes about through being no stranger to poverty which gives his case the authority it carries in contrast to the well meaning middle and upper classes who adopt top down approaches to resolving these issues rather than leaving it to the creativity and ingenuity of the people (the market) themselves.

All in all this is an excellent addition to the Liberty Fund library. To top it all off there is an excellent scholarly and succint preface by Colin Robinson who succeeded Seldon as Editorial Director of the IEA and who did sterling work in that regard.

This book is a must read for socialists and liberals (and conservatives) everywhere. There never has been such a heartfelt exposition of the case for Capitalism which has done so much to help so many throughout the world.

Excellent and a very inspirational book, it helped me alot, i wish it does the same for others .. enjoy !!!

Choosing Life: One Day at a Time by Dodie Osteen is a must own devotional book. I really enjoy Osteen's writing style and language. It's comforting, inspiring yet challenging. Each day will provide you with Dodies' personal insight on life and/or Scripture and will follow up with a prayer that will re-energize your faith and lead you in to the magnificent presence of the Holy Spirit.

There are many family members and friends in my life who love the Osteen's. Choosing Life is the perfect Christmas gift and wedding gift
for those you care for with it's gold binding and beautiful paper.

Take a few moments a day to relax with a cup of herbal tea, and Choose Life!

Happy reading and pay it forward!

Reviewed by Marina Woods for GoodGirlBookClubOnline | The GOOD GIRL Book Club Worldwide | GOOD GIRL Magazine | GOOD GIRL Live!

As a widow I have been having a hard time even wanting to live. The title of the book caught my eye then I noticed it was written by Joel Osteen's Mom, Dodie Osteen, who is also a widow. I figured "Why not give it a try?"

It has been a delightful way to start each day -- quick, easy reading, and thought provoking. I have used other daily devotional books in the past, but none has met my needs the way this book has.

I have found Dodie Osteen's daily devotionals to be very comforting. I agree with her philosophy and her writing is thought provoking.

When I read the Preface that John Owen highly recommended this book, I expected it to contain harsh words and scary warnings usually found in his texts, which are not necessarily bad. To my surprise, however, though there are indeed some warnings against hypocrisy and insincerity, Guthrie filled it with plenty of gracious biblical exhortations, pressing unbelievers urgently to consider their case and to "close with Christ", as well as for believers to "give diligence to make our calling and election sure". There is an extensive coverage on the evidence of saving faith, where the premise is that though faith alone justifies, justifying faith is never alone, which I thought is excellent for self-examination. Contrary to today's common popular mechanical sinner's prayer as some sort of magic words for a quick conversion, Guthrie also brought up an interesting topic of `express covenanting' whereby believers renew from time to time, their solemn `viva voce' confession of faith and their earnest resolution to cleave to Christ to the end. I found the arguments presented to support such a practice compelling, where from Scriptures Guthrie claimed God commands it along with some examples as in Thomas' confession of faith after seeing the resurrected Christ, and David's death bed resolution in 2 Sam 23:5, despite many of his shortcomings, to hope in God's faithfulness through the covenant he made with him wherein lies all his salvation and desire. Guthrie even goes as far as to say not to practice `express covenanting' could be dangerous, considering it is implicitly done regularly during the celebration of the Lord's Supper as well. This is a serious book on the most serious and the most important business in life, that is, to determine for oneself, a saving interest in Christ, as well as how to attain it.

How do we know whether we have a special saving interest in Jesus Christ and how can we obtain it if we find that we don't? These are the two questions William Guthrie concerns himself with in the book, "The Christian's Great Interest." This book is a classic work on assurance of salvation and evangelism by a seventeenth century Presbyterian author.

To Guthrie, how we answer the question about our salvation is of the greatest interest to all people. It is "not a vain thing because it is your life", and it is "the one thing needful." Our salvation is discernable if we examine our case from the scripture. "To the law and to the testimony if they speak not according to his word, it is because there is no truth in them." The bible commands us "examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own self", "give diligence to make your calling and election sure."

The first mark of our salvation is the experience of a preparatory work of the Law. Receiving the Spirit "unto bondage" Ro 8:15. Although many do not experience this, as those called from the womb or from early childhood (John the Baptist, Timothy) or in a "sovereign gospel" way (as Zaccheus) or on their death bed (as the theif on the cross), most people are brought low through sight of the Law, "when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died". The Holy Spirit awakens their conscience and they see they are compased about by innumerable iniquities. Jesus by his Spirit brings them through an intense internal process to make them "dead to the law" and without "confidence in the flesh" in order that they may see they are lost, sick and in need of a Physician.

The second mark is faith. Faith is the grand and only condition of the covenant of grace and the instrument of salvation. "It is of faith that it might be by grace." Therefore it is evident that he who can discover his own faith is saved. Guthrie explains that faith is not a difficult thing even though it is the "gift of God." It is not believing that you are elect or that Christ died for you or any other proposition but it is simply the hearts satisfaction with God's plan of salvation through Jesus Christ. Scripture describes the acts of faith variously as receiving, staying, believing on, desiring, thirsting, looking on, waiting and other actions that indicate faith is not primarily an act of the understanding but of the heart and the will.

The third mark is a renewed state. "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature." Guthrie outlines the evidences of those who are new creatures. The man must be renewed in his understanding, believing and trusting in the truths of scripture. His affections must be renewed, he must have a "new heart" and he must love God and His Law. He must "yield his members servants to righteousness unto holiness." In his interests, worship, outward calling, and relations he must all be renewed. He must do all to the glory of God, "whether ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do."

Guthrie then takes some space to contrast the attainments of hypocrites with the children of God and to address some other difficulties. Hypocrites, he says, may advance very far in religion without a true interest in Christ. They may have the "form" of godliness, they may "taste" the truth, they may even be to some extent "enlightened by the Holy Ghost" but they never choose Jesus as their soul's one satisfying choice nor are they content to make him their savior but all their outward holiness is of some base motive. He then alieves the doubts of those who fear they are excluded from the Kingdom of God because of the power of their prevailing sin. He points out to them that David confessed to God, "iniquities against me do prevail but as for our transgressions thou shalt surely purge them away" and that Paul could say he served "the law of sin" with his "flesh" but despite their sins they still delighted in the Law of God after the inward man. Next, Guthrie shows that the sensible internal operations of the Holy Spirit are the special gift of God but are not the substance of the new man.

In the second part of the book Guthrie leads those who have failed the trial of a saving interest to close with Christ. He begins this section by going through the basic tenets of Christianity. The covenant of works has failed by Adam's sin but God has graciously restored communion with man by providing a sacrifice for sin in his Son Jesus. God covenants with all those who submit themselves and their children to his ordinances and he requires them to seek salvation in Christ. Unfortunately, many in the covenant do not transact with God thusly but they flatter him with their lips, "They are not all Israel which are of Israel." This is the case with most in the Church, "strait is the gate and narrow is the way." For none can do it except they are made willing and able in the day of his power, being effectually called by the Holy Spirit.

To accept the offer of the gospel is to set aside the covenant of works, renounce self-righteousness and to choose Christ as a precious treasure sufficient for the salvation of sinners. It is the command of all those who hear the gospel to do so and none will be saved except those that do. "Ho everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters and he that hath no money; come ye, buy and eat." He must take to heart that the wrath of God abides on him for the very sins he is guilty of and that his only escape is through Jesus Christ, who, if he comes to him, will in no wise cast him out for, "all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven of men."

To motivate unbelievers to so close with Christ Guthrie discloses to us some native effects of saving faith. Namely, union and communion with God. Through Jesus we have oness with God who is afflicted with our affliction and who is "touched with the feeling of our infirmities." Through Jesus we belong to God and he belongs to us and we can share intimacy with him through prayer.

Next, Guthrie succors poor sinners too afraid to acquiese to Christ with sweet promises and examples from scripture. He shows us how the saints of the bible were guilty of the most heinous sins under the most aggravating circumstances yet still found pardon. He assures us that God will forgive any one and any sin and encourages us that he will be pleased with those that come to Jesus because this is the means he has himself appointed to save sinners.

The last chapter of the book Guthrie enjoins us to make an explicit verbal covenant with God. After the pattern of many men in the bible he recommends simply expressing in words before God what is the substance of the covenant of grace. This cannot save us if we do not have a heart work (contra the Arminian invitation system) and is not necessary to salvation if we do but it will help clear up for us what our state is with God. Guthrie then gives a very thurough example of such a verbal covenant and he recommends not just taking it once but renewing it on special occasions such as after backsliding or before the Lord's Supper.

Finally, Guthrie concludes with a catechism summarizing the whole book. In the Banner of Truth Paper Back ed. there are also excerpts from some of Guthrie's sermons.

Do I really believe? Can I really know? These are questions that every Christian must ask themselves, again and again. Certainty of our salvation is not just a nice thing to have, it is commanded. Peter tells Christians to make our calling and election sure. This is the entire purpose of Guthrie's book.

This book is not for the casual reader. Guthrie labors hard to show the believer, and the unbeliever, his true state, and I suspect he expected the same type of intense labor from the reader. Like many puritan writers, Guthrie's style is foreign to us today. He writes logically and completely exhausts his subject. The effect of this is that it allows the reader full certainty of the point the author was actually trying to make and it gives readers conclusive arguments for that point. However, a secondary effect is that it requires the reader to study the work intently and to really examine the evidence and conclusions the author makes.

This book is worth every bit of effort. Being sure of our salvation is not something to take lightly and an intense study of Guthrie's work will give the reader enormous insight into their own eternal condition.

This is an incredible book! It's a shame so few people know about it. William Guthrie, a Scottish minister, published this, his only book in 1658. Some men only need to write one book in their entire lifetime. "The Christian's Great Interest" is one of those books. Although the reader will have to get used to some 17th-Century language and expressions, the book comes across as a generally easy read. Guthrie masterfully describes the characteristics of people who have a genuine interest in Christ. What is the evidence that a person knows Christ? Do you have doubts? What is the difference between true believers and pretenders? Guthrie answers these and many more questions. This is an essential book for all Christians.

George Peele's King Edward the First Modernized & Illustrated

Peele, George. King Edward the First. Ed. G. K. Dreher. Midland, TX: Iron Horse Free Press, 1999;
ISBN: 0-9601000-7-5 (hardcover, 224 pages with illustrations).

The publication history of George Peele's chronicle play, Edward I, begins in 1593, as the Stationers' Company register tells us:

Die Octobris./. [1593] Entred for his Copie vnder thandes of bothe the wardens an enterlude entituled the Chronicle of Kinge Edward the firste surnamed Longeshank with his Retourne out of the Holye Lande, with the lyfe of Leublen Rebell in Wales with the sinkinge of Quene Elinour [.]

Alternately called Longshank, Longshanks, and Prince Longshank, Peele's Edward I was performed fourteen times by the Lord Admiral's Men between August 29, 1595, and July 14, 1596. The play's successful stage history occasioned the printing of a second edition, which appeared in 1599.

At least eleven modern editions have been published since R. Dodsley's 1827 text, the most recent of which is: King Edward the First, a retroform edited by G. K. Dreher, published by Iron Horse Free Press. Publisher George R. Dreher, son of G. K. Dreher, notes that the "aim of this edition is to provide . . . a few unriddles in the text, modern spelling and punctuation, and an introduction for readers who are not familiar with the play." Partly a celebration of Peele's life and works and partly a tribute to Dreher's father's scholarship, the volume brings together G. K. Dreher's previous editions of Peele's Edward I (Adams Press, 1974) and David and Bethsabe (Adams Press, 1980). The new edition also includes an introduction, a commentary, and 23 images: 8 medieval illustrations from the British Library, plus 1 each from the Public Records Office, Eton College, and the Beinecke Rare Book Collection (featured in Edward I); 12 illustrations from museums around the world by the artists Raphael, Michelangelo, Salviati, Rembrandt, Chapron, Berton, Beckmann, Picasso, and Chagall (featured in David and Bethsabe). Together these components fashion a useful volume for a general reading audience; indeed, this text does more than any previous edition to popularize Peele's work. Although not a critical edition, the book will perhaps be most valuable as a teaching text for undergraduate studies.

George Peele (1556-96), born in London, was one of the principal writers of chronicle history plays in the Elizabethan literary movement, which culminated in Shakespeare's Henry IV plays and Henry V. Peele was educated at Christ's Hospital, Broadgates Hall (Pembroke College), and Christ Church, Oxford where he won praise as a translator of one of the Iphigenias of Euripides. In 1580 Peele married Anne Cooke, daughter of an Oxford merchant. With Ann he returned to the environs of London in 1581 where he pursued an active literary career in association with the "University Wits", a group of playwrights that included John Lyly, Robert Greene, Thomas Lodge, Thomas Nashe, Christopher Marlowe, and Thomas Watson. Peele's works concern courtly and patriotic themes and can be classified according to three main categories: plays, pageants, and miscellaneous verse. In 1589, in a vitriolic preface to Greene's Menaphon, Nashe suspends his condemnation of most late-sixteenth-century English writers to praise Peele as the "chiefe supporter of pleasance now living, the Atlas of Poetrie, and primus verborum Artifex" who "goeth a steppe beyond all that write." In 1592 Greene considered him "no lesse deserving" than Marlowe and Nashe; "in some things rarer, in nothing inferiour." Peele's surviving plays are: The Araygnement of Paris (1584); Edward I (1593); The Battle of Alcazar (1594); The Old Wives' Tale (1595); and David and Fair Bethsabe (1599). His miscellaneous verse includes The Tale of Troy (1589), Polyhymnia (1590) and The Honour of the Garter (1593), an epideictic poem to the Earl of Northumberland. Excerpts from Peele's writings were first anthologized in 1600 in Englands Helicon and Englands Parnassus.

Peele's Edward I combines three narratives, each announced by the original text's full title: the Chronicle of Kinge Edward the firste surnamed Longeshank with his Retourne out of the Holye Lande, with the lyfe of Leublen Rebell in Wales with the sinkinge of Quene Elinour. Peele derives the first story, the return from the Holy Land of King Edward I (1272-1307), from at least four different chronicles, but chiefly those of Grafton and Holinshed. Peele shapes his account of the life of Llywelyn (?-1282) from popular tales of Robin Hood. The third story is an unhistorical account of Queen Elinor portrayed as a divinely judged murderess. Peele subordinates the second and third narratives under the first in order to frame the play's central plot of Edward's glorious military victories over the Scots and Welsh, especially his devastating campaigns of 1277 and 1282-83 in which he conquered the Welsh principality of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd.

Edward I resounds with nationalistic pride at a time when England's victory, in 1588, over the Spanish Armada continued to fuel public celebrations. Edward's first speech in the play, for example, invokes a providential design for England's history:

O God my God, the brightnes of my daye,

How oft haft thou preferu'd thy feruant fafe, By fea and land, yea in the gates of death, O God to thee how highly am I bound, For fetting me with thefe on Englifh ground?

G. K. Dreher's modern edition standardizes the text's spelling, punctuation, and stage directions, thus achieving a very readable version:

O God, my God, the brightness of my day, How oft hast thou preserved thy servant safe, By sea and land, yea in the gates of death. O God, to thee how highly am I bound For setting me with these on English ground.

This latest return of Longeshank will certainly contribute to George Peele's popular reputation as one of the most important chronicle playwrights in Elizabethan England. In addition to Peele's Edward I, Iron Horse Free Press currently offers three other books by G. K. Dreher: Samuel Huntington, Longer Than Expected (an illustrated essay on the Presidency of Samuel Huntington, first president of The United States in Congress Assembled); Now the Dog is Quiet (a novella written in opposition to world hunger); and Ourselves & One Other (a collection of Christian devotional meditations).

Author George Peele was in a group of London playwrights, precursory to Shakespeare, known as the "university wits" as were Marlowe, Lyly, Nashe, and Greene. In 1587 Thomas Nashe called Peele "The chief supporter of pleasance now living, the Atlas of poetry, and primum verborum artifex (most excellent artist of words)," and "one who goeth a step beyond all that write." Editor George Kelsey, through extensive research of primary sources at the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale University, has provided a retroform of KING EDWARD I, solving several riddles in the text that he discusses in the 43 page introduction covering Chronicle History Plays, Sources, Structure, Theme, Characterization, and Diction. In the special insert of DAVID AND BETHSABE (SAMPLES) Dreher juxtaposes Peele's verse with parallel Bible passages from the 1525 translation by Miles Coverdale and demonstrates that Peele worked directly from the Latin and used as sources the Psalms as well as Samuel II. Dreher offers a 35 page discussion of Peele's viewpoint, emotional involvement, and style. The book is 6 x 9, 224 pp., with color printed case, 20 illustrations from the finest museums around the world, a Foreword, Introduction, Comments, and Bibliography.

George Peele (1556-1596) was evidently one of the principle writers of chronicle history plays in the movement which rose to Shakespeare's One and Two HENRY IV, and HENRY V. His experimentation in theatrical art was precursory to the work of Shakespeare. His repertoire included such forms of literature as history, melodrama, pastoral, tragedy, folk, play and pageant. His varied interests accented a desire not to be narrowly classified and a worry about poverty. While attending Oxford, Peele launched his diverse literary career and won praise as a translator of a play by Euripedes. Here he also wrote the first of his surviving works, THE TALE OF TROY (published 1589), a 485-line verse epitome of the ILLIAD. Peele joined an assembly of fellow Oxonians living just outside London, known as the "university wits." The group of playwrights (including Lyly, Greene, Nashe, and Marlowe) were experimental with poetry in various meters. In 1587, Thomas Nashe could call him "The chief supporter of pleasance now living, the Atlas of poetry, and primus verborum artifex" and as to his dexterity of wit and variety of invention one who "goeth a step beyond all that write." Peele developed his eloquent blank, or unrhymed, verse which greatly contributed to the tone of idyllic romance that later came to characterize comedy, demonstrated most in his works THE OLD WIVES TALE (1595) and THE ARAYGNMENT OF PARIS (1584). Consequently his generation looked on him as a literary giant. Eight years after THE ARAYGNMENT, Robert Greene considered him "no less deserving" than Marlowe and Nashe; "in some things rarer, in nothing inferior." EDWARD I (1593) and THE LOVE OF KING DAVID AND FAIR BETHSABE (1599) are two of only four dramatic works that certainly are the products of Peele's wit.

This was a play first published in 1593, with the theme of King Edward's struggle against the Welsh prince Llewelyn ap Gruffudd, otherwise known as Llewelyn the Last. Llewelyn was a prince of Gwynedd who adopted the style Prince of Wales in 1258 and was formally recognised in this role by King Henry III at the Treaty of Montgomery in 1267. Edward I became King of England in 1272 but it was only on his return from the Crusades in 1274 that he had to confront the problem of Wales. In 1277 he invaded Wales and Llewelyn was forced to pay homage. Several years of comparative peace followed but hatred of English laws and settlers caused the Welsh to rise again in 1282. The king crushed the revolt and Llewelyn was killed. These events prompted a Welsh bard to ask "Is this the end of the world?" and another to yearn "Ah God, that the sea would drown the land!".

Llewelyn is rarely mentioned in English literature so I read the play with interest. This edition is edited by the late G. K Dreher who wrote an interesting introduction and modernized the spelling and punctuation. I did not expect to find new historical insights into Llewelyn but was interested to see how he was portrayed to an Elizabethan audience. In fact, George Peele is surprisingly sympathetic in his presentation of the man who posed such a threat to the English crown. As Dreher points out, the play was written for an audience of people who "under Elizabeth were enjoying health, expansion, new knowledge, relish and hope". They were citizens of a country in the midst of becoming a great power and enjoying a cultural renaissance. Peele knew that they would sympathize with King Edward's desire to unite Britain under one monarch but would also respect the motives of the Welshman who fought for the rights and dignity of his own people.

Although practically unknown today, George Peele was highly respected by his literary contemporaries. He was an Oxford "Maister of Artes" and the play contains a sprinkling of the Latin tags and classical allusions that we expect from an educated writer of his time but my own favourite passage is a homely one:

(The Friar's novice responds to his master's command to visit town in order to buy food and wine)
"Now, master as I am true wag,
I will be neither late nor lag,
But go and come with gossip's cheer
Ere Gib our cat can lick her ear ."

This new edition of the play published by the Iron Horse Free Press in Texas.

This is a wonderful way to start if you know you have a problem with clutter but feel defensive, upset, or at wit's end about it. The author not only discusses how to start, how to continue, and how to keep it going, but gives personal examples so we don't feel alone and also gives tips on how we may be feeling and how to move forward through those feelings. This is good stuff.

I have a lot of things but keep them all very well organized, but still, I'd like to pare down and feel less encumbered by my things. My partner has a different philosophy on things and is reluctant to get rid of anything, so I got this book hoping that I'd gain some philosophies that would help us both. Well, I did. The entire book can be summarized (and is!) in one page at the end of the book, so the general tips and ideas are simple and easy to remember and understand.

But the real value of this book is how she walks you through each step and supports you through your emotional journey to get rid of clutter and begin living a life that is more in the moment and less about the stuff.

The only quibble I have about this book is that the publishers did a shoddy job. The book itself is bound with very little space near the spine, so in order to read the first chapter I had to bend the poor book so it now looks old and bent just so I could read the text, and it took some pressure to hold it wide open to read each page. The design isn't very professional either.

But the content of the book more than makes up for the publisher's shortcomings, and I'd really recommend it. It's well worth the money and it fills a niche that no other book on clutter seems to be filling - that of a gentle friend walking you through the emotional journey of getting rid of excess things.

In a society where everywhere we turn, we are bombarded by marketing, advertising and other temptations to constantly add more and more stuff in our homes and our lives, this author takes you step by step on a journey to unclutter your home and realize the value of only keeping those things that thrill, inspire and support your life as it is now. With an engaging writing style that makes you feel that she is your friend by the end of the book, this author recommends how to strategically rid yourself of too much stuff, why we clutter our homes in the first place and what to do with the stuff that you do keep. With humor and encouragement, she offers a simple approach to finally "traveling light" again. Highly recommend!

No-one could wish to work with a more effective clutter clearing coach than Maartje - she is the best! Maartje gently but firmly supports, encourages and cajoles in her own unique and light-hearted way, transforming clearing your clutter into a cathartic and fun experience. Full of infectious enthusiasm for the subject, energy, fresh ideas and creative strategies, Maartje brings a lifetime of experience and wisdom to the clutter clearing journey, becoming your best ally at a time when you need one most.

Maartje de Wolff has written a useful, insightful, and pleasing guide to clearing clutter, replete with many excellent remedies for solving clutter woes. The chapters on paper taming, on coping with piles of newspapers and magazines, and on managing photograph collections are brisk, practical, and full of common sense.

Michael Graham is a bit of an oddity in the world today. First of all, he is unafraid to tell you exactly what is on his mind, no matter the consequences. In addition, what he reports is the truth. This alone makes him nearly unique nowadays. In his book, Clinton & Me, he displays his mastery of the above two virtues as well as his mastery of satirical humor. From the first essay to the last you will be laughing, but more importantly, THINKING. The biggest problem in politics on a grass roots level these days is that so many people don't think anymore. Witness the vast number of ineffectual incumbents that get re-elected in this state alone. Michael Graham, both in his daily radio show and in Clinton and Me, he makes it impossible for you to merely tow the party line. Read this book. Even if you disagree with the politics, it will make you question your stance on each and every issue it addresses, and that is ALWAYS a good thing.

Michael Graham's book takes a look at the Clinton Administration and says what we have all been thinking. Nixon left office for less than has conspired in the Clinton White House. From the hiring the former Govener of SC, which has the worst education system in all 50 states, as Secretary of Education, to the O. J. like impeachment trial of Clinton, Graham pokes fun at this soon to be former administration.

Graham also has touches of family humor. His stories of his children are delightful.

In conclusion, Clinton is a must read for conservatives and liberal alike. I wish more people in the United States saw life through Michael Grahams eyes.

More pointed than Dave Barry, more balanced than Rush Limbaugh, and funnier than the late great Lew Grizzard, Michael Graham is the best columnist I've discovered since James Lileks. He hits hard, but he makes you laugh, and he's the only American besides me who will admit wearing those squared-off knit ties in the early 80s. Even lefties will find things to like about this book. And check out that cover!

I read lots of books that claim to be "humor," but Clinton & Me is the first book in a long time that had me laughing on the first page. And I laughed all the way through.

I was expecting something more political. Michael Graham is a radio talk show host down here in the Carolinas, and he talks alot about current events. But the book is all over the place. About every other piece (it's a collection of humor columns) is related to something in the news: Clinton, Elian, Gingrich, Hillary. But the rest jump from bad movies to being a dad to how Michael dresses when he's a guest on TV shows. That was very funny, by the way.

I have already bought another copy, for my dad, for Christmas. He listens to Rush Limbaugh, and I'm sure he'll like the comedy in the book, even though he won't agree with all of it.

And he will definitely like the Clinton bashing in this book. It isn't the same old stuff. There isn't any whining in this book. When he jumps on Clinton, it sticks! There are several pieces that made me want to show them to my liberal friends and say "See! That's what I've been trying to tell you!"

Oh, and there's one line in the very first piece that sums up Al Gore to a T. You've got to read it for yourself.

Great book, easy to read, and laugh out loud funny.

Innocent Bystander is tough to pigeonhole....It's filled with humerous anecdotes from the life of the Writer/Artist, but it also has stories about various other subjects that interest him, such as a long discourse on his love of the Marx Brothers. (My personal favorite story....)

The book is alternately funny and touching; I particularly liked the one-page story about a sign the Author saw once, "A Deaf Child Walks This Road". The one drawback? I'm not a cat-lover, so the fact that one-fifth of the book is dedicated to the antics of Sassaman's cats, Stan & Ollie, didn't really thrill me....

Comis fans looking for something out-of-the-ordinary would do well to check this out.

I've always enjoyed good comics, from the newspaper funny pages to Superman and Spider-Man comics. My wife doesn't, but she does like cats. And that's why I had to bring this comic home to her, because the antics of Stan & Ollie are eerily similar to the antics of the feline masters of my household. But there's more to Innocent Bystander than the cats -- lots more. But the cats make a good introduction. Show those sections to cat lovers, and watch as they gradually move on to the other sections of the book that cover the Marx Brothers, television and everything in between. This is a fun comic that illustrates the best of what the comics medium has to offer.

If you've ever been a kid, breathed the air of summertime freedom when school lets out, sneaked out of the house at night to look at the sky or played kick-the-can and hide-and-go-seek in your local cemetery, this book is irresistible. Gary must have had a warm, wonderful childhood and lots of family around to keep him honest. IB is ageless and like an orange popsicle on a hot summer day. It may even make you go out and get a cat!! Who could resist? Warm, wonderful, honest and funny. Absolutely five stars.

The wonderful thing about Innocent Bystander for me is the effortless way Gary Sassaman is able to tap into our collective lives. His observations about life, love, work and, of course, cats are depicted with an eloquence and wit rarely seen in comic books. There is literally something for everyone in this fine collection. My personal favorites are Mr. Sassaman's beautifully romantic memories of his childhood such as summers spent at Atlantic City and his first taste of unrequited love. How could you go wrong? So go buy it already!!!!