Massachusetts Books

I have read quite a lot on the Civil War and the events leading up to it. I would highly recommend this book to anyone with any interest in the period. It is a a history of the Northern polical crisis from the time of the election in 1860 to the firing on Sumter. It is completely from the Northern perspective, the South perspective is completely ignored (it was about 4/5 through the book before the election of J. Davis is mentioned). With that in mind, the story that comes to life in this book is fascinating. This is a period that tends to be glossed over by most histories. The author does a phenominal job at putting the reader in the mindset of the times as the crisis evolved. I learned quite a few new things and enjoyed it.

The normal historical point of view for November 1860 to April 1861 is Southern. Lincoln and the efforts to find a comprise are noted but the main story is what the South is doing. This book changes that by concentrating on Northern politics and reactions. Secession and all the maneuvering for and against it, take place off stage. Except for South Carolina, leaving the Union was a wrenching process. Many Southern states resisted secession until the very end. Kentucky was not able to make a choice and Maryland may not have been able to choose. Their stories are the subject of most histories about this period.
What about the North? How did the political, personal and public opinion shape a response to the crisis? This book tells that story and what a story it is. The Democrats, badly damaged by the events 1860, try to blame everything on the Republicans. While they work to construct a comprise to save the Union one more time. The Republicans are not united nor are they sure how to proceed. A substantial part of the party sides with the Democrats in trying to find a comprise. Another large faction is ready to allow the South to leave the Union. Large numbers feel that secession is wrong but that the Federal government lacks the authority to force states back into the Union. Many question if it is desirable to use force to maintain the Union and if doing so would not destroy the Union. Added is the plea of Southern Unionists for something to stop secession.
Lincoln, Douglas, Seward stride across these pages. Each man with multiple agendas that create and destroy alliances. Each man trying to lead his political party, maintain the Union and do what he feels is best for the nation. Shifting priorities, new developments, regional pride and abrupt changes of position make this a rollercoaster ride even if we know the story.
Russell McClintock is an excellent author. He tells this story in a straightforward manner with minimum back tracking. This allows each event to be placed in the proper perspective of the time and almost makes the reader forget we know the story. While moving from Washington to Springfield to New York, we never lose the story line nor the reason for the trip.
The decisions made during this time were difficult ones. The issues were complex and the correct response unclear. This book captures that and explains it to the reader in an informative and enjoyable way.

McClintock's first historical non-fiction fully engages the reader in the politics and personalities that defined the most important four months in the history of the United States, the months between Lincoln's election and the firing on Fort Sumter. Although clear that the ultimate decision for the war lied with Lincoln, McClintock provides insight into the significance of other key players, from Democratic leader Stephen Douglas to Republican party leader William Seward. However, more than just a politcal history, letters and quotes from common townspeople provide a complete view of the perceptions of the time. As an avid reader of history, I can safely say that this work combines the detail of Shelby Foote with the adventure of David McCullough. Bravo McClintock!

As the titele shows, this book is an intro to English linguistics. It covers almost all the fields of linguistics---morphology, phonetics, phonology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics, and sociolinguistics. In this book, there are many examples, tables, and exercises. You can learn synthetic concepts of linguistics by reading the book. English is rather easy so even the foreign people can make good use of the textbook. You can rethink about the language and communication and it will be very interesting.

This is a great book... I had to read it in a period of 9 weeks; and that is a lot for me, I like taking my time, but with this book I only wanted to keep going. The definitions were simple and I did not have to go back and read again because I got lost somewhere in the text.

This is the second edition and fourth printing of this popular text by Akmajian, Demers, and Harnish at the University of Arizona. Although this text is now over 15 years old, it's still a fine introduction to the subject. One nice thing about the book is that the prose is not too technical for the beginning reader while providing excellent coverage of the important concepts and technical points. This is often a problem with linguistics texts since, unlike other technical subjects, most people have little or no background in linguistics before taking their first real course in the subject, and having previously learned a foreign language isn't as helpful as many students might think since much of linguistics, especially in the transformational grammar and generative grammar and analytical syntax areas, is a highly technical, formal, and even mathematical discipline now.

As I am mainly a neuroscientist and secondarily a linguist, I was most interested in Part 3 of this book. The first two parts present the usual linguistics topics such as phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, language variation, and evolution. Part 3 deals with the area of Psycholinguistics, and there are four chapters discussing language from the standpoint of Cognitive Psychology and Neuropsychology. The four chapters are: Pragmatics: The Study of Language Use and Communication; Speech Production and Comprehension; Language Acquisition in Chimp and Child;, and Language and the Brain. The chapter on the brain might be a little too basic for neuroscience students, but it's an excellent introduction for the linguistics students, and I noticed that a number of the classic experiments such as the famous "Wada test" and dichotic listening experiments were discussed, as well as topics like conduction aphasia, Broca's aphasia, Wernicke's aphasia, hemispheric localization and dominance, and so on.

Overall still a fine text and worth picking up used if you can find it, when it will be bargain for the price.

Okay, so you're looking for a copy of the Metamorphoses in English, and are bewildered by the variety of translations which are widely available today -- Slavitt, Melville, Mandelbaum, Gregory, Humphries, and now Simpson. Translations are a tricky thing, especially translations of ancient authors, whose unique styles and literary conventions are next to impossible to convey in another language. Any translator of Ovid can only rarely hope to convey the most distinctive qualities of his verse -- the rapid hexameters, colorful diction, word play, shifting narrative tone, and cleverly rhetorical phrasing. In Latin, the Metamorphoses is a vivid and swiftly-paced poem, a richly-textured mix of stories that are amusing, witty, and always entertaining. Getting some of this -- indeed, any of this -- into English is a tall order.

The best translation is one that is highly readable and yet accurate, a faithful rendering of the most distinctive qualities of the original and not an exercise in the free invention of ideas and expressions that are nowhere to be found in the Latin. Verse translations frequently capture, at least somewhat, the feel and flow of classical poetry, and I confess that I am partial to them. On the other hand, prose translations of geat poetic works -- I am thinking especially of Vergil's Aeneid -- often fail utterly to convey the spirit of the original. However, upon reading this translation of the Metamorphoses I am beginning to reconsider this view.

Simpson's Metamorphoses is a triumph of the translator's art. In language that is clear, direct, and highly faithful to the diction and syntax of the original Latin, he has turned Ovidian verse into highly readable English prose. I am quite familiar with the Metamorphoses in Latin, and read it comfortably in the original. However, I often have a need to read the poem in English and am familiar with a wide variety of translations. Each has its own shortcomings, and some are frankly annoying to read at all. Simpson has managed to steer clear of the pitfalls waiting to trap those who seek to render Ovid into English, offering a version that should satisfy the needs of many different readers.

The value of this edition is greatly enhanced by over 200 pages of in-depth notes, a full bibliography of major scholarship on the poem, and a highly useful index.

I strongly recommend this version of the Metamorphoses, which will likely be the only one that I turn to for the indefinite future.

Okay, so you're looking for a copy of the Metamorphoses in English, and are bewildered by the variety of translations which are widely available today -- Slavitt, Melville, Mandelbaum, Gregory, Humphries, and now Simpson. Translations are a tricky thing, especially translations of ancient authors, whose unique styles and literary conventions are next to impossible to convey in another language. Any translator of Ovid can only rarely hope to convey the most distinctive qualities of his verse -- the rapid hexameters, colorful diction, word play, shifting narrative tone, and cleverly rhetorical phrasing. In Latin, the Metamorphoses is a vivid and swiftly-paced poem, a richly-textured mix of stories that are amusing, witty, and always entertaining. Getting some of this -- indeed, any of this -- into English is a tall order.

The best translation is one that is highly readable and yet accurate, a faithful rendering of the most distinctive qualities of the original and not an exercise in the free invention of ideas and expressions that are nowhere to be found in the Latin. Verse translations frequently capture, at least somewhat, the feel and flow of classical poetry, and I confess that I am partial to them. On the other hand, prose translations of geat poetic works -- I am thinking especially of Vergil's Aeneid -- often fail utterly to convey the spirit of the original. However, upon reading this translation of the Metamorphoses I am beginning to reconsider this view.

Simpson's Metamorphoses is a triumph of the translator's art. In language that is clear, direct, and highly faithful to the diction and syntax of the original Latin, he has turned Ovidian verse into highly readable English prose. I am quite familiar with the Metamorphoses in Latin, and read it comfortably in the original. However, I often have a need to read the poem in English and am familiar with a wide variety of translations. Each has its own shortcomings, and some are frankly annoying to read at all. Simpson has managed to steer clear of the pitfalls waiting to trap those who seek to render Ovid into English, offering a version that should satisfy the needs of many different readers.

The value of this edition is greatly enhanced by over 200 pages of in-depth notes, a full bibliography of major scholarship on the poem, and a highly useful index.

I strongly recommend this version of the Metamorphoses, which will likely be the only one that I turn to for the indefinite future.

This handsomely-produced volume is actually a double value -- two books in one. The first part is a prose translation of Ovid's fifteen-book, 12,000-line Latin poem on transformations effected by the Roman versions of the Greek gods, with footnotes indicating when, how and why Simpson is departing from a commonly used text (the Loeb Classical Library edition). This is very clear and readable, but there are several other translations available (including a very recent -- November 2003 -- verse translation by Charles Martin, from W.W. Norton). I have seen most of them, and read several with care, and I like Simpson's version a lot. Despite being a good reflection of Ovid's intensely sophisticated style, it is as clear as the Mary M. Innes prose translation of 1955, which was reprinted for decades in the Penguin Classics series (although at the moment it seems to have been displaced by a Penguin edition of Arthur Golding's Elizabethan verse translation, at least in the Penguin catalogue, if not on store shelves). [A verse translation by David Raeburn was released as a Penguin Classic in Auust 2004, and may -- or may not -- be its permanent replacement.]

The second part -- about half the volume by number of pages, probably much more in terms of wordage, given the slightly smaller typeface used -- is a running commentary on the poem, generally closely integrated with Simpson's rendering. This is in itself a departure from recent practice. There are a number of excellent stand-alone studies of the "Metamorphoses," to which Simpson frequently refers the reader. There are commentaries of various ages on the Latin text (notably the recent volumes by William Anderson). Translations however, have generally contained much less comprehensive notes, and those with brief commentaries have tended to be "aides to the reader," supplying the myth-deprived modern with essential information on the ancient gods (e.g., that Jove is another name for Jupiter, and Phoebus is the same person as Apollo). Simpson's commentary far exceeds in scope and ambition, as well as size, the otherwise impressive set of notes by E.J. Kenney to A.D. Melville's verse translation (1986; Oxford World's Classics), to take one example.

In fact, the only comparable joining of a "modern" English translation and extended commentary with which I am familiar is the combination of Brookes More's verse translation with surveys of Ovid's sources and his influence on later art and literature by Wilmon Brewer (1895-1998), which was also published separately as "Ovid's Metamorphoses in European Culture." That translation-and-commentary appeared in five-book sections in 1933, 1941, and 1948, and the whole work was reprinted (somewhat "revised") as recently as 1978. Brewer's commentary remains interesting, but for understanding the poem it relies heavily on formerly current views about Ovid's supposed Hellenistic sources. By and large it amounts to a series of essays on the stories, rather than a close analysis of what Ovid does with them, and how he does it. (And, as it can be published separately, it is really another book about the poem, rather than a close commentary.)

Simpson is an authority on extant sources of Greek myths, and their subsequent literary developments -- see the commentary included in his translation of "The Library" of Apollodorus, published as "Gods and Heroes of the Greeks". In treating Ovid, however, Simpson usually notes only the most prominent of Ovid's literary predecessors, notably Homer, Hesiod, and Virgil, with whose versions of some of the stories Ovid's original audience would certainly have been familiar. Instead, he deals with Ovid's literary creation. Points of poetic style, and the moral and political implications of passages are covered. So are complex problems of the structure of the whole poem, and its parts, such as the tangle of cross-reference, tales told by characters in stories told by characters in Ovid's narrative. The result is an intriguing view of Ovid, not as a clever poet and skilled anthologist, but as a master of the narrative art.

The volume concludes with an exceptionally detailed index, which also serves as a concise glossary.

[Note: A very favorable review of this translation by Sara Mack, just now (September 30, 2004) available in the online "Bryn Mawr Classical Review," reports that a revised edition of Simpson's "Metamorphoses" is forthcoming, sometime during the current (2004-2005?) academic year. This will apparently will include some substantive revisions, as well as correction of numerous typographical errors (many of which I seem to have read past without noticing). I would urge the curious to consult Mack's review for a professional Latinist's perspective on the problem of translating Ovid, as well as a far more authoritative evaluation of Simpson's work than I can provide.]

I must admit this is one of the better written "mountain bike guide" books for the Boston area. It's obvious the author did more than just hang at the trailhead to interview local riders.....he got on his bike and observed firsthand the joys and challenges of the trails he reviewed. Cutler's descriptions are awesome......he's a mountain biker's friend.

The Topo information is excellent, and in my humble opinion, a necessity for any mtb guide (why don't others do this basic research?).......If riding in Boston is in your plans or you're a local looking for new trails, this book is your starting point.....

I'm not the enthusiast for biking that author Jeff Cutler so obviously is, but I sure do like this great little guide to two-wheeling in the Boston area. I was amazed at the number of historic/relaxing/scenic/just-plain-fun trails within a few miles of where I live just west of Boston. And I enjoyed the author's readable style and enthusiastic descriptions of what you'll see - and what you'll encounter - along the way. In fact, the "trail detail" that Mr. Cutler provides is definitely reassuring. And the 15-page section up front is a remarkably helpful introduction to the joys - and pitfalls - of off-road biking. Whether you're a novice or an expert, you'll find at least one ride in here that seems designed just for you. I highly recommend this book as a great read that will show you the trail to a great ride.

Great for novice to expert riders looking for new places to ride in eastern Massachusetts. With fantastic maps, great directions and concise ride descriptions. Try the Boston ride!!

What's not to like? The pictures are beautiful and the information is good. Prices are accurate too. One of the few items in my short history of collecting glass that I've found actually can be bought and sold for the prices listed. My only complaint is that a number of times they picture the same item twice. We love pictures, surely there were enough items available that pictures didn't have to be repeated.

Author Kenneth M. Wilson passed away before publication of his opus MT. WASHINGTON & PAIRPOINT GLASS - but he reviewed and approved the page proofs and had written two chapters of the projected second volume (which will be prepared in future using his research materials and illustrations), so nothing lacks in MT. WASHINGTON except the author's ability to enjoy his finished product. The Mt. Washington Glass Works and the companies after it make up America's second-oldest glass manufacturer: the factory opened for business in the mid-1800s and spun off another business in silver plating. Glass collectors will find MT. WASHINGTON & PAIRPORT GLASS the definitive encyclopedia of the manufacturer's works: the volume has been long awaited by collectors and provides an extensive company history to compliment an in-depth coverage of its many products. Chapters come packed with black and white and color illustrations and photos, providing descriptions and color illustrations of all glasses and silver-plated wares and reviewing design, craftsmanship and unique attributes. Add indexes of patents and trademarks, glass decorators who operated in the region from 1867 to 1902, and illustrations of ads, production records and more and you have a truly outstanding reference.

We have waited a very long time for a comprehensive book on this beautiful American art glass and Betty Sisk has provided us with a treat for the eyes! The photos are beautiful in full color and plentiful. I did not know that such examples of this artform existed until feasting on this book. All collectors of art glass must add this to their libraries. The information with each type of glass is insightful and just enough to ready the reader for the pictures to follow. The insight provided is both scholarly and from a collector's perspective. Prices are given in a fair range to give a fair market value. And what pictures there are to enjoy! Many glass types are well covered for the first time. This book will set a very high standard by which all other references on this glass will be judged in the years to come. We indeed owe the author a debt due to this subject's neglect until now. This is a must buy! We have waited a long time to get this book-thanks Betty!!

We love this adorable board book. My youngest one has memorized the words and "reads" it along with me. Great illustrations!

This colorful counting boardbook is such a pleasure to read to my kids! The whimsical illustrations really capture my 2-year-old, and my 4-year old loves to find the hidden mouse on every page (strange, he doesn't tire of this!) The book takes you away to a beautiful Nantucket day!

My six month old girl loves the colorful, whimsical characters. My three year old loves the little mouse hiding on every page and is having fun learning to count! I bought this book for all my friends with children. Adorable.

Everything I have tried in this book is delicious, even when the ingredients aren't 100% fresh from Nantucket. The are easy and simple to prepare as well.

The Nantucket Table is beautifully illustrated, crisply written, and full of tasty recipes. Try the salmon in parchment and grilled leg of lamb. Fabulous. This book is a real winner.

The Nantucket Table is beautifully illustrated, crisply written, and full of tasty recipes. Try the salmon in parchment and grilled leg of lamb. Fabulous. This book is a real winner.

I thought these book reviews would help me form opinions on a presentation I have to give on the meaning of the physical letter "A" but after reading almost all of them, I felt inclined to add my opinion. (the book review helped a little, but I didn't really expect anyone to have written exactly what I was looking for anyway) I have to admit, I didn't expect the book to be exciting or great by the looks of the Custom House, which my AP English teacher actually had us skip. But once you get into it and promise yourself that you're not going to stop reading, you become involved in the story and you really get a deep understanding of human nature. Overall, I found the themes and symbols in this book depressing but with a large amount of depth. I would advise all of the readers who think little of the book to reread it with better expectations on what Hawthorne has to say, and to ignore the fact that the sentences are long- they will flow easily if only you immerse yourself in the novel.

I'm an average 12 year old who read "The Scarlet Letter"!!!!!!! And YES, I read the UNABRIDGED VERSION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was reading all these reviews in confusion. None of the words were complicated. I didn't have to use a dictionary. All in all, it is an excellent book. Although a bit monotonus at times, it is an excellent book with an excellent reflection of the times. I would recomend it, and even if you have to look up every other word, ITS WORTH IT!!!!!!

I tried reading this once before and thought it would be depressing. I then tried to read it again and succeeded. It is definitely worth reading if you love books. I didn't expect it to be a love story, but it really was. What Hester and Mr. Dimmesdale did was wrong, but they were repentant. Hester should not have suffered like she did. The writing was so beautiful and turned the story from something generic into something truly beautiful.

This book is a treasure of information about the great homes north of Boston and contains outstanding rare and crisp photographs that tell so much. Due to the quality of this publication, I would not hesitate to add any book published by Acanthus Press, which obviously takes great pride in creating their architecture books. The preservation of the great remaining mansions and estates is vital to our continued rediscovery and appreciation of our past and this book is an important resource. I found that the award-winning author, Pamela W. Fox, to have great talent in writing an architectural book that is a joy to read. Probably you do the same thing with this type of book as I: you go through the volume the first time looking at the fine photographs and reading the captions, and then when you have time you read the text. I would call this getting triple the value, as after you have looked, and read, you will now use this book as a reference. (LarryLufkin@comcast.net)

This is a beautiful book and a great follow up to the book on Chicago's North Shore. These books are so luxurious and elegant, the craftsmanship is just amazing, I highly recommend both. It is wonderful to explore this well researched and interesting book. The black and white historic pictures are crisp and detailed and the history well researched. Anyone who has any interest in historic estates or just appreciates fine craftsmanship in a book will not be disappointed. I commend the authors and publisher for a job well done.

I saw this book and as soon as I started looking through it I fell in love. This novel chronicles the expansive mansions on Boston's North Shore, with black and white photographs of both the exteriors and interiors. These pictures made me feel like I was part of that life, and helped me understand how people actually decorated those "Maderley" type manor houses. I was shocked to know families actually lived in them, and furnished them so lavishly!

For anyone who is a fan of architecture or old houses, even victorian decorating, check this book out! I love old houses and seeing the way people decorated them, and this HUGE book took me further in than I ever expected. Some of these have blueprints, which helped me figure out the layout of these grand mansions, and how many rooms there really were.

Editor Barry O'Connell performs a signal service in making these forgotten texts available to a wider audience (and also
his very useful introduction). The writings of William Apess are, regrettably, still highly relevant even now. This is partly because of the universal import of the issues of religious conversion, ethnic identity and the personal challenges he confronted, but even more because American Indians are still denied the civil and human rights enjoyed by other Americans. Apess's fiery prose and profound insights into the American experience from his Indigenous perspective are guaranteed not only to shed much light on his life and times, but will shatter cherished misconceptions of European Americans concerning the presumed fairness of our society.

Opponents of multiculturalism would probably complain that yet another insignificant author has been dredged up from the past. But Apess is not obscure, rather, his brilliance was obscured through the neglect of those who most needed to hear his message. There is much more to his work than merely documenting the victimization of Indians. As author, minister and also activist on behalf of his congregation of Mashpee Wampanoags in the 1830s, Apess's life work testifies eloquently that Indians have always exercised agency in shaping their history and ours as a whole---even in circumstances not of their choosing.

Editor O'Connell has done something very valuable in making these forgotten texts available to a wider audience. The writings of Pequot William Apess are, sadly, highly relevant even now. This is partly because of the universal import of religious conversion, ethnic identity and the personal challenges he confronted, but even more because American Indians are still denied the civil and human rights enjoyed by fellow citizens. Apess's fiery prose and profound insights on America from his Indigenous perspective not only shed much light on his life and times, but will shatter cherished myths of Euramericans about the presumed fairness of our society. Opponents of multiculturalism would probably complain that yet another marginal author has been dredged up from the past. But Apess is not obscure, rather, his brilliance was obscured by neglect of those who most needed to hear his message. There is far more to his work than merely documenting Indian victimhood. As author, minister and also activist on behalf of his Mashpee Wampanoag congregation in the 1830s, Apess's life work testifies eloquently that Indians have always exercised agency in shaping their history and ours as a whole---even in circumstances not of their choosing.

Eurocentric assumptions perpetrated by white males have obscured the incredibly brave and noble work of Native American writers. As a feminist who is interrogating those eurocentric paradigms, I am delighted to come upon this wonderful book.