Maryland Books

H.L. Mencken temporarily resigned from his job as a newspaper columnist before the Second World War, deeming his political opinions too controversial for print. In the ensuing interregnal period, he focused his attention on writing a series of memoirs, which later turned into a three volume autobiography, of which Happy Days is the first part. In its pages, he relates his early fascination with police officers, food, literature and pedagogues, subjects that forever interested him. He also, astonishingly, recounts successful athletic exploits (astonishing because he grew into a rotund and stumpy man, who considered sports "nonsensical"). Readers familiar with Mencken's caustic columns will enjoy learning how his strong opinions were formed. Readers unfamiliar with him should still find this book highly palatable, for it is colorfully written, interfusing "the language of the free lunch counter" with latin phrases and searing adjectives. This memoir is as well-written as later newspaper columnist Russell Baker's "Growing Up," but is a hell of a lot funnier.

This book is a priceless collection helping us remember the Harford County of old. I find something new in the photos each and everytime I look. A must have for residents current and from the past

Gave this as a gift to my brother who recently moved there. It is a beautiful place. I believe he really liked it. Nice little coffeee table book

McDaniel provides a much needed scholarly treatment of the complex relationship between material culture and the human/cultural element. The dichotomy that is inherent in the treatment of material artifact and human use is exposed. Museums that misinterpret home interiors and pull objects out of social and cultural context are issues dealt with directly. Through oral history, McDaniel shows that artifacts (namely houses) are used in quite different ways than the museums might interpret. He fills what are presented as empty dwellings, void of any human aspects, with the lives of the past inhabitants. A work that illustrates the profound usefulness of oral history and the dangers that are present in any museum setting that disregards the maker or users of the traditional material being exhibited.

This is an excellent photo coverage of a section of Baltimore that is of historical significance. It is great resource for genealogy and best of all brings back many childhood memories.

Written in an easy-to-read style, this history of Baltimore's streetcars covers the entire period of operations from City Passenger in 1859 through close of operations in 1963. The book is an update of the original _Who Made All Our Streetcars Go_, including new material on Baltimore's current light rail system. The book also includes a series of vignettes about streetcars, which bring life to the history portion. In addition, there are hundreds of photographs, illustrations and maps.

This book reads more like a story than a history book, and I enjoyed it very much because of the accessible writing style, the subject matter and the photographs. Anyone interested in streetcars or old-time Baltimore should find this book fascinating.

The story of Mr. Steindling moved, fascinated and challenged me to re-think my ideas on resistance and struggle in the face of a situation that must have seemed hopeless at times. It's not about winning its about living by your principles and putting your life on the line to defend them. People in adverse situations all over the world can take hope and strength from this book. A must read.

This is a valuable book (resource) for budding entrepreneurs. It seems to try to cover all the bases for starting a small business, but it can't do them all well in the space available between its covers. The book is only 288 pages long. If you are in the planning stages of starting a small business, then I highly recommend you get a copy of this book. Read it, study it, and outline it. There are helpful checklists to help you grasp the subjects. You will come up with a plethora of keywords and terms that you will want to google to find Web pages giving more detailed (and maybe more current) information.

I am a SCORE counselor (Senior Corps of Retired Executives) who typically does face-to-face counseling sessions three nights a month. It would really be neat if my clients would read this book BEFORE they came to their session with me because they would pretty much be "educated customers" ready to ask educated questions. Our sessions would be so much more beneficial.

My favorite chapters were:

1. Initial business concerns
2. Your business' structure
3. Business start-up details
5. Sources of business assistance (SCORE is mentioned here)
7. Your smart business plan (and a good sample plan is included)
8. Obtaining the financing you need

The book is weak when it comes to how the Internet can be used in corresponding, hiring, and marketing. But this is just one example of how googling keywords and concepts found in the book will make the book more complete. Don't treat the book as authoritative on the law. It isn't. Nor was it ever intended to be. It is light on tax information as it relates to small business.

I was particularly impressed with the material presented in Chapter 2: Choice of Legal Entity. That subject is sorely ignored in most small business books, and it is critically important. It is a subject I regularly must spend a great deal of time discussing at my SCORE sessions. This book does a pretty good job on the topic.

Chapters 4 and 9 through 12 are easy to find fault with. The topic of each could fill a book. But having these topics covered definitely will help a budding entrepreneur know some of the issues they raise.

I would have liked the book more if Chapter 6 (marketing) had been less superficial. When I read it I got the impression that the author was more a public relations expert than a marketing expert. I generally categorize public relations as a subset of marketing. Marketing includes advertising, public relations, and a whole host of other promotion techniques. I did not get this message when I read the book. I also would have liked the book better if the Internet, email, and Web sites had been discussed more. But there are many books on those subjects. Therefore, I can't complain too much about the limited discussion of computers.

When you read this book it may feel a little like it was produced on an assembly line. Maybe it was? There are 51 versions of this book sold; one for each state and the District of Columbia. Content is king, and this book has it. 5 stars!

Pierre Lecomte du Nouy was a French scientist who made a contributions to problems involving the interface of physics and biology. This book which comes at the end of his many years of scientific study is a work of spiritual speculation. In it he develops a picture of the overall development of humanity in which the physical laws of entropy operate on the material realm but are compensated for spiritual laws, pointing in the direction of a higher moral order. His work in this sense resembles that of Teillhard du Chardin.
Here is a pssage of Lecomte du Nuoy explaining his fundamental idea.

"Things occur as if energetic order, the decline of which can be demonstrated statistically by the increase of entropy, were replaced by the evolution of organized beings, by an increasingly complex organization in a domain escaping statistical laws, the field of individual actions that do not depend on the principles we announced. The march of the material universe towards an inherent chaos, towards nothing, would therefore be compensated by the simultaneous progression of an imponderable universe, that of the spirit, whose order and perfection would stem from the ashes of the unorganized world'

This is a profound, difficult work one require much thought to understand. My own sense however is that putting much time in this work will prove very worthwhile.

Since 1912, the Junior League has been a leader in volunteer service to Baltimore. It is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women and improving communities through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. The Junior League is open to women of all races, religions and national origins who demonstrate an interest in and commitment to voluntarism. This cookbook is filled with wonderful recipes you will make again and again for company. The chapters include Beverages, Appetizers, Eggs, Pasta & Cheeses, Soups & Sandwiches, Fish & Shellfish, Poultry & Game, Meats, Vegetables & Side Dishes, Breads, Salads, Sauces & Spreads, Desserts, Pies & Pastries, Cakes, Cookies & Candy, Pickles & Relishes, Celebrities, Restaurants, Caterers & Vineyards, Ethnic Festivals, Menus and This & That. Be sure to try the Crab Cakes on pg. 84 and the Chicken and Crescent Almondine on pg 114. You won't be disappointed!