Used Books

Fabulous illuminations;
I became fascinated with and got attached to those stunningly beautiful initials, the most amazing calligraphy I ever examined in my life. I have been also amazed by and curious about the four Symbols of the Gospel writers, since I first encountered in the Chapel of the Episcopalian Bishop of NC in Raleigh, and was informed that they were influenced by the preaching Coptic Monks to the Celts and Scots.
Only people of developed artistic orientation, could appreciate how beautiful these genuinely original decorations reach out to the overwhelmed reader. Alas that parts of the Gospel according to St. Luke are missing from the original Codex.

Religous Celtic Art:
Long before the coming of St. Augustine of Canterbury in 597, Christianity has been introduced among the Brittons, by Coptic missionaries who reached as far as the British Isles. "We do not yet know how much we in the British Isles owe to these remote Coptic hermits...Everyone knows that the handicraft of the Irish monks in the ninth and tenth centuries far excelled anything that could be found elsewhere in Europe. Their unrivaled illuminations, can be traced to the influence of Egyptian missionaries, we have more to thank the Copts for than has been imagined." Eminent historian: Stanley Lane-Poole.

Kells' mini hardcovers:
The variety of exquisite little hardcover reproduction volumes are reproductions of parts of the original illuminated manuscripts. They are magnificent, with gold-leaf detailing and sumptuous full-color illustrations, making them a perfect gift for all who cherish the rich legacy of Christian art. The original illuminated manuscript, is permanently on display, since the 19th, in the Library of Trinity College Dublin.
It is one of the most beautiful of the world's most famous manuscript. It contains 680 pages (or 340 folios). Just two of the pages are without ornament, while about thirty folios, including some major decorated pages, have been lost. Two volumes can normally be seen, one opened to display a major decorated page, and one to show two pages of script.A CD-ROM version of all 340 folios from the Book of Kells is available for purchase.


Origin of Book of Kells:
The Book of Kells, was most probably copied by hand and illuminated by monks around the year 800 A.D. Its name is derived from the Abbey of Kells, in the Irish Midlands, where it was kept from at least the 9th century to 1541, it was probably begun on the island of Iona. It is uncertainly presumed, that portions of the book were made at Kells, after Viking raids on Iona forced the monastery to retreat to the isolated location. It contains the four gospels, preceded by prefaces, summaries, and canon tables or concordances of gospel passages. It is written on vellum and contains a Latin text of the Gospels in insular majuscule script accompanied by magnificent and intricate whole pages of decoration with smaller painted decorations appearing throughout the text. The manuscript was given to Trinity College in the 17th century and since 1953 has been bound in four volumes.

Book of Columba:
This same Irish manuscript containing the Four Gospels, is known also as the "Book of Columba", probably because it was written in the monastery of Iona to honour the saint. Some small portions at the beginning and end of the manuscript have been lost, but otherwise it is in a very good state of preservation. It was apparently left unfinished, since some of the ornaments remain only in outline. It is written in part black, red, purple or yellow ink, and it has been thought that the hands of two scribes, neither of whom is known by name, are discernible in the writing and illumination of the manuscript.

Book's Beauty:
This is the most copiously illuminated manuscript of the four Gospels in existence. No words can describe the beauty and splendour of the richly coloured initial letters, which are more profuse in the "Book of Kells" than in any other manuscript. The artist possessed a wonderful knowledge of the proportion of colour and the distribution of his material -sienna, purple, lilac, red, pink, green, yellow, most often used, and the shade tinting of the letters was managed with fine taste and skill. A series of illuminated miniatures, including pictorial representations of the Evangelists and their symbols, the Blessed Virgin and the Divine Child, are worthy of notice. It is no wonder that it was believed that the "Book of Kells" could have been written only by angels (very artistic indeed!).

Composition and Loss:
The date of the composition of the book can hardly be placed earlier than the end of the seventh or beginning of the eighth century, It is likely that it is to this book that the entry in the "Annals of Ulster" under the year 1006 refers, recording that in that year the "Gospel of Columba" was stolen. According to tradition, the book is a relic from the time of St. Columba (d. 597) and even the work of his hands, but, on palaeographic grounds and judging by the character of the ornamentation, this tradition cannot be sustained. This must be the book reported at Kildare in the last quarter of the twelfth century, described in glowing terms. Later, it was located at the cathedral of Kells (Irish Cenannus) in Meath, a foundation of Columba's, where it remained for a long time, until the year 1541. Archbishop Ussher presented it to Trinity College, Dublin, In the 17th century where it is the most precious manuscript in its library and by far the choicest relic of Irish art that has been preserved.

Manuscript Ornaments& Designs: The most characteristic ornaments of the Book of Kells, as of other illuminated Irish manuscripts of the period, are the coloured representations of fanciful beings, or of men, animals, birds, horses, dogs, and grotesque, gargoyle-like human figures, twisted and hooked together in intricate detail, a system of geometrical weaving of ribbons plaited and knotted together.
The versatility and inventive genius of the illustrator surpasses all belief. Lines diverge and converge in endless succession, and the most intricate figures, in lavish abundance and with astounding variety of ornament, are combined and woven into one harmonious design. In spite of the extent of the work and its thousands of exquisite initials and terminals, there is not a single pattern or combination that can be said to be a copy of another. The artist shows a wonderful technique in designing and combining various emblems, the cross, vine, dragon, fish, and serpent. The drawing is perfection itself. It has been examined under a powerful magnifying glass for hours at a time and found to be, even in the most minute and complicated figures, without a single false or irregular line.

*Most of this review material are from Trinity web & New Advent

When going from whole grain wheat flour to white flour we lose from 60 to 80% of 12 out of 13 nutrients present at good, or excellent level in Whole Wheat. I loved this cookbook because all the recipes were for whole flours, and never white refined carbohydrates.

In this book you learn how to make a sour dough starter, and how to maintain it. You also learn about natural rise bread which is made without any yeast at all.

I highly recommend this book; unfortunately, I could not find another copy to buy. It seems to be out of print.

Fabulous whole wheat receipes that produce light fluffy bread. Good advice on dough handling procedures. Suggestions for tofu use. All in all a terrific cookbook!

I liked this book. It was so creative like the secret code though it is not my fav. book. My friend wanted me to read this and I read it.

My name is Christa and The Case of the Stinky Science Projet is the best.I really liked it. I love mysteries. I tried to find out how they made the egg stay in the middle of the water.I won't tell you how they did it because you should read it.It tells you some really cool science projets. You can trick your friends the science projets. You should read this book.

In the midst of preparing for Christmas, this devotional gives you the focus to prepare your heart for the season. You will truly look at Christmas differently, savouring each aspect of Christmas - even the hectic parts! From getting the decorations out, listening to Christmas Carols, Christmas shopping - every part of Christmas is explored. When Christmas Day comes you will find your heart has "prepared Him room".
There are then devotionals leading up to New Year's Day. Ever get that "Christmas Blues" feeling Boxing Day? Well, Thomas Kinkade shows us how to appreciate the afterglow of Christmas. There's also a look forward on New Year's Day to the Year ahead.
If you are looking for a Christmas where you aren't completely caught up with the commercialism, then take the the time to read this book. You won't regret it. Added to each devotion for the day is a painting by the Painter of Light himself.
(Tip: Day 1 is 28th November - I got caught out with that the first time I read it. If you start on 1st December; Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day & New Year's Day don't match up!)
Highly recommended!

This is a great devotional for the advent season (devotional a day). Makes a good gift. If you give as a gift or buy it for yourself, you need to give or get prior to advent season. This way you will be able to enjoy the devotionals throughout the whole advent season. I highly recommend this book!!

Without a peer for an encyclopediac reference of psychoanalytic theory as it existed at the close of World War Two, Fenichels' Psychoanalytic Theory of Neurosis is an absolute necessity for any student of, researcher in or practitioner of psychoanalysis or analytic therapy. Unlike other reference works in the subject, which present analytic thinkers as competing "systems," Fenichel sets psychoanalytic theory up as a broad framework, with each theorist adding a novel perspective or elucidating finer points in the broad theory.

Fenichel has done the impossible with this sublime work: he has made a canon of psychoanalysis, uniting almost imperceptibly theories and research from over 1500 journal articles upto 1945;
he corrects Freud when wrong---as in his critique of the Death Instinct---yet he presents, extends, and applies Freud's science in a comprehensiveness and accuracy which no other psychoanalyst has since done. Fenichel not only summarizes and clearly explains theory, but also provides case-histories. He also decribes the most basic concepts of psychoanalysis such that any
intelligent layman/woman could use this book as a starting point, though the book does reach a very sophiscated level after the introduction and early chapters. Very significant is Fenichel's presentation of how mere neuroses can advance to psychoses, and that solely mentalistic causes can force such an advance; this etiology ruptures the current fashion of
emphasizing brain-biochemical causes, or, holding biochemicals to be the ONLY cause of mental illness; Fenichel's work here shows why the biochemical/physicalist-theory is at best half-true (despite the best marketing tactics of American pharmaceutical companies, and the outright bombast of the psychiatric community).

Fenichel is truly Freud's heir, and anyone interested in what psychoanalyisis is should read this book, as well as Feni's Collected Papers. Pompous and asinine critics of psychoanalysis,
from femininists to diluters like Lacan, to petty, small-minded
"philosophers," like Adolph Grundbaum, could have no rejoinder to this work, and they rarely if ever refer to it: its scope is so vast, and its ordering of theory and fact so powerful, its sources so numerous that critics would prefer to ignore it.

This is the most important work outside Freud's own that anyone could read.

I live in a small village on the coast of Northern Ireland where the barbeque days are few. So I have to make sure that I make the best use of available barbeque opportunities. Amazingly, I found this book in our local library. I took it out, tried a simple recipe on the next day it didn't rain and it was a revelation! My Tuscan-style Steak became legendary within days and it was all I could do not to claim the credit all for myself. But no, this book is a masterpiece. I had to have it for myself. So easy to follow, so colourful and mouth-watering, just to read. I have never looked back - my family and friends want to barbeque even when the Irish Mist is low (but the craic is as good as the food).

The Classic Barbecue and Grill Cookbook is, without a doubt, one of the best guides for barbecue and grilling that I have found. The author not only covers the basics (equipment, utensils, etc,) of how to prepare barbecue and grilled food of all types, she presents a wide variety of techniques (and tips) on how to enhance the flavor and presentation of almost any grilled meal. I found the section on dry rubs, sauces and marinades particularly noteworthy, as they can be used to make any grilled dish truly unique. Every meal that I have prepared from the recipes in this book have received outstanding comments from my guests. I would encourage anyone with an interest in barbecuing, from the novice "Burger Burner" to the true "Grill Gourmet" to get a copy of this book, you won't regret it.

I am thrilled to see that Rue Morgue has added this book to their offerings. The Flaxborough books are well-plotted, with three dimensional characters and deft handling of clues. They are also very witty social commentary that is as fresh and convincing now as when they were written.
This book is the first in the series, and it includes the intelligent Inspector Purbright, his amazingly innocent helper Love, and a collection of villagers and townsfolks who provide a parade of human foibles. The details of the story, from descriptions to dialogue, are to be savored. The story is very funny, but never at the expense of the plot. Watson plays fair with the clues, as well.
I hope we will see the rest of the series republished in the future, to be enjoyed by a new generation of readers.

Colin Watson's Flaxborough novels are one of those discoveries that readers should treasure. The vein of serious mysteries intertwined with humour had been richly mined by the likes of John Dickson Carr and Edmund Crispin already when 'Coffin, Scarcely Used' appeared on the scene in 1958. Over the next twenty-odd years, readers would be treated to eleven more outings in the Norfolk town of Flaxborough, each of them slightly more odd than the previous one.

Crime in Flaxborough is met by the resolute Inspector Purbright. In 'Coffin, Scarcly Used', Purbright must determine how the naked body of an electrocuted citizen arrived in a most undignified position on a local electrical pylon. His investigations among the eccentric and somewhat perverse inhabitants of Flax. will reveal that if an accidental death looks somewhat too bizarre to be believed, then it may very likely be murder after all. Watson's talent for creating unusual names and situations for odd characters with shadowy motives, paired with what must have been a most distinctly English sense of humour, set this novel well ahead of most contemporary offerings - forty years ago, and today.

This Black Dagger reprinting of the 1958 Eyre & Spottiswode first edition would be an attractive offering even were it not the only book of Watson's currently in print either in Britain or the US. If you enjoyed 'The Moving Toyshop' by Edmund Crispin or 'Landscape with Dead Dons' by Robert Robinson, then this will most likely be your cuppa too. Highly recommended.

Although the 2 set is the most desirable, this set, being near the end of Watchman's ministry, I would say is the most crucial to ones spiritual growth. At the end of Watchman's ministry and through the many years of enprisonment and paying the price of the revelation given to him, what comes out of this last set of books is the sense of a fully crucified vessel for Christ, namely that the very Spirit of Christ is able to be fully released from this one to touch the spirit of others that come into contact with him through his words. One of his last works "The Release of the Spirit", expresses this broken life as Watchman reveals God's heart desire, that throught the Spirit's leading in ones lives, we would daily allow the many crosses to break everything from the old man, namely that Christ would have a way in man to be his all in all as the new man, His Bride.

The Collected Works books include 62 volumes and are sold in three separate sets. They cover the complete span of Watchman Nee's life and ministry and include rare photos and scans of some of his earlier newsletters in Chinese and English.

This set of books -- though admitedly very expensive -- is by far the most valuable set of books we have in our home, and they are in constant use.

Not surprisingly, our "favorite" books are those that cover his later years of deeper ministry. But we've been very blessed by every aspect of his writings -- even the earlier period. He was, without doubt, an amazing man of God and every Christian would be wise to avail themselves of the riches of the wisdom that the Lord granted him.

I recommend this set of books very highly for everyone, whatever their spiritual age, who wants to grow into the deeper things of God and leave behind the mass of ordinary, everyday, so-called Christians who are not prepared to take up their cross and follow the Master.

Corn is Maize is a great book on corn. It not only shows how corn is grown and the many uses. It teaches the children about Indian culture and how they shared their corn with the prilgrams. A book of history, science, and social development.

This is an interesting book and the second science book that we have looked at which was written and illustrated by Aliki. In this book she covers a wide variety of aspects of Corn.

She begins by explaining that a corn kernel is a seed. She then shows how sun and rain affects the planted seeds. There are drawings of developing corn with tassels and silk (boy and girl parts.) There is a smaller drawing of the route pollen takes to get to the kernel. The pollen travels down the silk to reach the kernel egg.

It is at this point that I will say that I think 4 and 5 years of age is too young for this book. (I have a 5 and a 3 and it was definitely over their heads.)

But to continue-- The book discusses how other plants scatter their seeds but how corn needs people to survive. It emphasizes that scientist have never found any 'wild' corn but only the `civilized' version we know now.

From there the book divulges how native American were instrumental in developing the corn of today. It discusses how some groups used to bury a fish under each corn `hill' and how growing beans and squash with corn made all do better.

It then proceeds to show how corn was used by native Americans, how it was stored and celebrated in religion and dance, and how Christopher Columbus took corn or maize back to Europe. The pilgrims appreciation of corn is discussed as well as the many, many ways that corn and corn products are used today.

Five stars. A comprehensive book about corn for children. The artwork is alternatively in color and grayscale, but this should not be a big drawback for those interested in the subject. The age range as mentioned before, should be fairly advanced, say first or second grade and above.

Example of text follows so you can gage reading level, etc.:

"But although scientists searched,
they had never found any wild corn.
Not long ago they found some.
It was in a cave in Mexico where people once lived.
They found scraps of plants and tiny ears of
ancient corn, more than 5,000 years old.
It was not like any the scientist had ever seen."

"Otogizoshi," a nihilistic anthology based on some Japanese famous folklore by famous novelist, Osamu Dazai. Crackling Mountain, Kachi-Kachi yama in Japanese is originally rather cruel and abuserd falklore, in which a naughty badger kills an old lady and a rabbit revenges for her in cruel way. Here a rabbit is described as a young and capricious woman and gives new lights to this rather absurd and cruel Kachi-Kachi Yama stories.

If you've read "Setting Sun" or "No Longer Human" by Dazai and think you've got him pigeon-holed, read this fine collection of his short stories and think again. This is Dazai in a very different key. While the darkness and nihilism characterizing his better known novels still hovers around in the background in these tales, overall they sparkle with a sharp and sprightly sense of irony, satire, and humor that is appealing--this light also gives the shadow contrast and depth, making it less overbearing but more disturbing in a way.

There is a good variety among the stories themselves, too. Some are semi-autobiographical pieces somewhat in the vein of the good old "I-novel", some are funny stories with a bite, one story more typical of Dazai deals with postwar Japan's sense of meaninglessness and loss, but most are retellings of classical or premodern tales East and West but with a twist--including reworkings of vignettes by Ihara Saikaku and Ueda Akinari as well as a take on the Gospel story through the distorted psychology of Judas. All of the stories are intriguing, and O'Brien's translation brings them to life, capturing Dazai's nonchalant and talkative tone in these stories rather well. And they are important too in giving the non-Japanese reader a much fuller sense of the range and artistry of one of twentieth-century Japan's best writers.

The stories included are: "Memories", "Undine", "Monkey Island", "Heed My Plea", "Melos, Run!" "On the Question of Apparel", "A Poor Man's Got His Pride", "The Monkey's Mound", "The Sound of Hammering", "Taking the Wen Away", and (of course) "Crackling Mountain".