English Books

Lennie Peterson is one of the most talented comic strip writers of our time. The Big Picture: A Comic Strip Collection showcases the best of his insightful and witty comics up to the time of its publication. Lennie is a major player in the field of humorous comic strip writers. Buy the book! You will love it. It is a must have for all collectors. The Big Picture: A Comic Strip Collection is guaranteed to make you laugh. As you read the lively and colorful comics, you will wonder how Lennie manages to get to the heart of every situation that comes in contact with his artistic tools. Lennie Peterson is charismatic, and to say the least, very cute!

-Suelaimon, author of The Final Dream & Rainbow Bridge

Lennie Peterson, while being an extremely talented musician, his comic strips go right for the mind, body and soul. A look at his life in a way most people don't let show through makes this book a very funny read. HIs cat is cool, his coffee habit axtreme, and his band INCREDIBLE!!! The dialogue hits a little close to home also, and that is good.

Actually no tears or shame just laughter - a great collection from a great talent. If you don't get TBP in your local paper, call the editors and scream, darn you, scream!

Reading this book is like breaking into Lennie Peterson's diary. You'll see yourself in this collection, I'm warning you now! I enjoyed the "Lennie-isms" throughout ... his peculiar way of spelling "stupid" ... his dork sightings ... and his ongoing banter with real life readers of the strip. Lennie Peterson is a cutting-edge original, so buy the book and send him an email. Chances are he'll fire a letter back at ya and then the games begin.

I couldn't put this book down. I read it cover to cover in one sitting. I leave it on the coffee table in the TV room (an honored place) and pick it up again and again. I enjoy a good laugh and this book is full of them. I also enjoyed his other book "Why God Makes Bald Guys". I get a big smile on my face when I read these books.

Back in the eighties, I considered the "Bloom County" strip to be the best cartoon feature of the time. Therefore, reading this book was a humorous and nostalgic look back to another time in America. There were references to presidency of Ronald Reagan and the Iran Contra scandal, the nuclear arms race, the evil empire of the Soviet Union and the first president Bush.
For one moment, I forgot the time context of the strip. On page 50 boy genius Oliver W. Jones has created a teleportation device. In the final caption of the segment, his father asks him, "Could you put George Bush into the White House?" To which he responds, "OH, WHY DO YOU ALWAYS EXPECT THE IMPOSSIBLE FROM ME?!" At first, I thought the reference was to George W. Bush, but then realized it was about George Herbert Walker Bush. I laughed at that one because it certainly could be applied to both.
Cartoon strips provide us with humor and a cynical look at the political and social forces of the time. Therefore, if you have little knowledge of the events of the eighties, then you will have a difficult time understanding many of the cartoons. However, if you lived through them and were old enough to be politically acute, then you will enjoy this book as much as I did.

Ok for you Get Fuzzy fans, this is what I am talking about. On the cover of this collection we see Berkly Breathed using the Bruce Springsteen album collection set(from Christmas 1987) for inspiration. Take a look at the cover, Are You Bucksperienced just plagerizes this idea.

I've always had a slight preference for the early "Bloom County", before things got quite this surreal. Which is not to say that I don't enjoy this one; there are a great many very funny bits in here, such as Steve Dallas facing the government commission led by Tipper Gore in defense of the lyrics of the rock band "Deathtongue", which featured Opus the penguin on tuba (very appropriate for a heavy-metal band, wouldn't you say?) Hodge-Podge the rabbit on drums, Bill the Cat on electric tongue, and Steve Dallas a lead singer and songwriter. All of which is certainly pretty surreal. But sometimes it got even weirder than that, if you can believe it.

Not the best of the "Bloom County" books, and certainly not the one to start with if you aren't familiar with them, but funny and worth owning if you enjoy the series and don't have it.

Okay - Bloom County Babylon, the 4th Bloom County book was really a compilation of material contained in the first 3 books. So.... depending on if you want a chronological collection of the BC Strips, or to complete ALL of the BC Books, this is either the 4th or 5th volume of Bloom County, and Berkeley Breathed is still in high-gear producing the funniest 'toon strip I've ever read. And by "funny" I mean laugh-out-loud, roll on the floor, tears streaming down my face, people coming into the room to see "WHAT are you laughing at?!!!?" kind of laugh.

In "Billy and the Boingers" Steve Dallas, the sleazy womanizing ambulance-chasing lawyer, finally decides that even HE has had it with defending murderers and child abusers. Bill the cat inspires him to hold auditions for a "New high-profit heavy-metal rock band". Requirements are only "Need to know 3 chords and be able to grimace musically".

Along the way Opus the Penguin gets engaged to sweetie Lola Granola, and the new Heavy Metal Group "Death-Tongue" makes their pitch in Los Angeles to recording companies, ending with a memorable visit backstage at an Ozzy Osbourne concert - back when Ozzy was the "Elvis of Heavy Metal". Back in Bloom County Steve discovers that he must give up cigarette smoking or his life expectancy is 6 months. He has Opus tie him to a chair where he is the model of self-control for 38 whole minutes before he breaks down and tells Opus "Get me a (...) cigarette before I stick you in a blender". Things get worse from there.

As in the previous volumes Breathed does a fantastic job of creating a surreal universe full of people and critters that we care about, but who are most importantly..... funny.

Bloom County was without a doubt the most insightful, funny, and beloved comic strips of all time. It's rabid following has never gotten over the disappearance of Opus and the Gang from the funny papers. That's because nothing has ever been able to take it's place. Could you imagine Opus, Bill, Steve, and Milo tackling today's issues? What besides G.W. Bush and Saddam would be in the anxiety closet. Alas, we can only remember the good times.

This is one of my favorite Bloom County books. It mostly took on an issue that has always been important to me, rock n roll. The gang takes on the PMRC by forming their own metal band Deathtongue. After battling Washington though, Steve Dallas caves in and Billy and the Boingers is born.

Long live live Opus. He is sorely missed.

Marine Biologist, Silvia Martinez was in charge of the University of San Diego shark project. She was happily surprised to find her ex-lover, Miguel Escudero, was the first officer of the ship her team was to use! But Silvia understood that her entire doctorate depended on the research she had to do, so romance was NOT first on her list! She had plankton to analyze and a team to hold together, even if one of them (Joe Scapino) was a major headache.

When Silvia and Miguel stumble upon an illegal poaching operation they knew their chances of escaping alive were slim!

**** Awesome story! Silvia helps Miguel come out of the dark ages and into the twenty-first century! Dalia Vargas does an excellent job of combining romance and science for a story that will knock your socks off! *****

Marine Biologist, Silvia Martinez was in charge of the University of San Diego shark project. She was happily surprised to find her ex-lover, Miguel Escudero, was the first officer of the ship her team was to use! But Silvia understood that her entire doctorate depended on the research she had to do, so romance was NOT first on her list! She had plankton to analyze and a team to hold together, even if one of them (Joe Scapino) was a major headache.

When Silvia and Miguel stumble upon an illegal poaching operation they knew their chances of escaping alive were slim!

***** Awesome story! Silvia helps Miguel come out of the dark ages and into the twenty-first century! Dalia Vargas does an excellent job of combining romance and science for a story that will knock your socks off! *****

I'm not used to read romantic novels... but this one got me from the very first page. Vargas' writing is powerful!!!!, she really knows how to work a plot. I highly recommend this book not only to those who usually read romantic novels, but to anybody who apreciates sensibility, sense of humor and adventure. Great!

Blue Moon is a gem of a book. Vargas does a terrific job of updating the classic tale of love lost and regained through works. If you're suffering from a broken heart, don't wait another minute. Get this book! Like the title character Miguel, it will give you courage to go back into shark-infested waters and find love once more.

I don't usually read romantic novels, but this one got me from the very first page. Vargas' writing is powerful!!!! I highly recommend this book to anyone that apreciates sensibility, sense of humor and adventure!!!!! great!!!!!

But read the reviews, it is true, the gentleman from Ontario is priceless, and I agree with Erica as well. I've read the two-volume edition of his diaries and they seem to be much more touching and emotional -- sensitive to beauty -- than most of his published work. Though I would say the published work is also funny, "Investigations of a dog," for example. I think the diaries give a good, new angle on the published work. And I don't think they were "written for publication."

To face the prospect of religion without religion.
To face the prospect of death head on.
To be truly fearless in the face of human terror, folly, and weakness.

To scribble all this courage into a modest little notebook, without the need for fame or immortality, without the pretense of literature or art.

Just a great man working through the miracle of his life.
It takes courage just to read it.

First off, to the reviewer here from Ontario: I laughed until I started to hiccup while reading your review, and since I'm a substitute librarian, well...you can imagine. You've caught his tone exactly.

Now, the Octavos. If you're a Kafka obsessive, they're required reading---first, to tease out his private code (the aphorisms). Secondly, one finds many of the shorter pieces Brod lifted for other releases, and what Brod chose---and what he left---says a lot about how his friend interpreted this author, and how FK would be misinterpreted for the next fifty years.

Another reason to read Octavos is this: at least two of the shorter pieces here are so funny you'll want to collar friends and force them to listen. "I am a clerk at the town hall!" boasts one of his personae repeatedly...before collapsing into snarls about dignity and the office cat. Another is a wry send-up on the self-important manifestos floating around Europe at the time: Kafka's version is released anonymously to an indifferent apartment population, and proposes an absurdist Social-Contract arrangement between the manifesto writer, the thronging public, and five broken toy rifles--all sonorously written in starving-revolutionary comeradese. Of course, to the manifesto writer's chagrin, no one shows up.

The Octavo Notebooks are where Kafka recorded a few of his most delicate, poetic and aching shorter pieces. They're also where he goofed up, wrote himself into a corner, admonished himself, lied to himself. In short, they're a small window into this complicated writer's heart. Nothing here is so essential that you can't enjoy Kafka's more formal work without them, but if you're a fan, they humanize the man immeasurably.

Like the notebooks of Nietzsche, Camus, Andre Gide, and Wittgenstein...
this book of discovered notebooks is a sharp and wonderfully illuminating glimpse into the deep-thinking mind of a master of his literary craft. A Great Read!

When I first bought this book, it wasn't blue either. But when I brought it home and put it on my shelf, things changed irrevocably. Now when I am sitting and writing late in the evening, out of the corner of my eye I can see the book, sitting amongst its faithless companions, gleaming blue like a blue lamp from a lighthouse, shining out from its shelf. While all around the rustling of the mice. But then, when I turn and look straight at her, she isn't blue anymore.

I find the thought almost unbearable.

I was so anxious to get my copy in mail, and it surely didn't disappoint!I read it right away! I think everyone can relate to at least one (if not more) of these poems. Everything seems to be very well thought out but so effortlessly put to paper! Some of the poems made me laugh and others made me smile on the inside! All of us who have ever experienced relationships can definitely say that it sometimes seems that we are in a Boy vs. Girl battle, this book brings some of those "challenges" to the forefront.

Upon reading this book of poems I was pleasantly surprised by the way I was able to read through the body of poems in one sitting. Even more amazing was the way I was able to relate to each and every poem as if it were about me or someone I would know. The poems highlighted everyday situations that any male or female may go through and I was able to envision their emotions through perfect wording and flow. Whether you're a fan of poetry or not this book is one to definitely read, not only for its content but also for the way the words allow you to visualize the relationship in question without making the pivotal mistake of alienating you in the process.

I can never think of thoughtful inexpensive gifts for my loved ones, but this book is it! Not a cover to cover digestion....more of a sit on the coffee table to entice/entertain guests. This book has caused me to laugh outloud at myself.

Boy Versus Girl is not your average book of poetry. It is the rare piece of literature that everyone young and old can relate to. The author uses real life situations to bring you through his ups and downs in love. Often he will make you feel as if you have experienced these situations through his use of colorful words and wonderful metaphors. It is a great coffee table book because almost any poem in this book is guaranteed to be a conversation starter. Do yourself a favor and dive into this book as soon as possible. You won't regret it.

This book was a joy to read. It is a window into the day-to-day relationships we all experience with our families and friends and co-workers. A wonderful book to read while relaxing at the end of the day.

Celtic prayers from the community on the isle of Iona are a joy. Following ancient prayer models the authors bring life to an old art form and shepard the mystery of Celtic pray into the 21st centuary. A great work for contempation or simple model for daily prayer.

I have other books by this author but this one is my favorite. I love the Celtic prayers. And this is more than just prayers but can be used for devotions at the beginning and end of the day. There are prayers and opportunities to read scriptures and to insert your own prayers of thanksgiving. There is also an invitation to be silent and listen to God.

Excellent resource. This is the best book of Celtic prayer that I have ever used.

This little book is a wonderful guide for those who already have a daily prayer resource or, for those who want something new and refreshing. It covers the basics: thanksgiving, intercession, confession, silence and even makes a space for daily scripture readings. In that very special Celtic way "Celtic Prayers from Iona" seeks to bring us into a daily relationship with all created order.

I've been trying to get into the habit of daily prayer, but find the standard daily offices too long, too oriented toward group use, and too bound by times of day for someone on a modern and/or unstable schedule - I don't know anyone for whom praying concerning the end of the day at early evening is really appropriate. This book was recommended to me by my spiritual advisor, and provides a liturgically grounded daily office that fits far better for me - the prayers are short without being incomplete, and work well even for someone who typically prays alone at 9am and midnight (or even noon and 2am). The language of the prayers is quite beautiful, and partakes in the Celtic tradition of having an emphasis on the goodness and beauty of *this* world; it's very grounded in actual life. I particularly like the use of the beautiful psalm 139 throughout the week, as it happens to be my favorite. I'm a high-church Episcopalian, but I don't see any reason this book would be unsuitable for Roman Catholics or low-church Episcopalians.


My only complaint is that there are no prayers for Sunday - to leave out Sunday morning on the expectation that the reader will attend church instead is reasonable enough, but it would be nice to have something for Sunday evenings.

I use this book in my professional career to ensure my use of proper grammar is adequate & to minimize embarassing mistakes. Additionally, I use it to help my 4th grader with homework assignments.

I found several parts of this book exceptional, meaning much better than the average grammar book. The coverage of first person, second person, and third person writing in both singular and plural forms was well-done, including a later section on first, second, and third person pronouns. There are also excellent sections on object of preposition and object complement (yeah, I didn't know what that was either). The sections on pronouns are extremely complete and go on for pages--I didn't realize how many pronouns and types of pronouns there were. Verb tenses is also covered very thoroughly with many examples of present, past, future, present perfect, past perfect, and future perfect. Prepositions are covered very thoroughly, including explanations for when they're used (to tell location, direction, time, relationship, etc.) and then a list of prepositions.

This book also has an excellent appendix with various unique parts. One section covers the term "IVAN CAPP" which is an acronym for remembering the order of parts of speech--Interjection, Verb, Adjective, Noun, Conjunction, Adverb, Pronoun, Preposition. One of the appendices sections has "initials, acronyms, and abbreviations", which is also helpful.

The sections I've described above are often in grammar books, but not fully explained and it is even harder to find all of these in one book. My one disappointment was in the coverage of when to capitalize, which was a bit short and with few examples. For such a concise book, that's still pretty good.

This book it is a great help when I am not sure how to guide my kid...very good just followed the rules in this book.

Since my original language is German it was a great help to have this book now that my daughter is a student in an American school. Although I understand the basics of English grammar this book showed me steps on how to teach my daughter English grammar without making it too complicated. It also helped me refresh my grammar. I have also recommended this book to my daughters 1st Grade teacher as an ideal companion for any parent whose kids are starting to write stories of their own.

A must have for anyone who writes or teaches writing or is learning writing. My 7 yr. old 2d grader loves this book but so do I as a writer and teacher. My son finds it easily understandable and it is written in such a way it is fun for him to use. As a result he is far ahead of most children his age in his writing skills.

What sets this book apart from other books or grammar is not only is it superbly organized but it has numerous examples which make the principles of grammar easily understood. That is one reason is is useful for a teacher in that it provides so many examples for use in the classroom.

The book begins with the theme of sentence buildng and the user learns how to build sentences. That is a valuable concept in both learning and teaching grammar.

I enthusiastically recommend it.

Hi I'm Zoe Whilton, and Childhood Hills is an excellent book. Each poem is a masterpiece of its own. My favorite poems are, "The Lie", "The Elevator", and "Your First Day at Dolly's" (by Annemarie Mullan Whilton, aka my mother, I am the girl at preschool, my sister is the one crying). I hope that Pat Mullan continues to write poetry.

Reviewed by Diane Morgan - Editor, ... .

Pat Mullan takes us on a poetic journey through Ireland, the world and childhood. His evocative poetry creates for us lush landscapes, towering cities and weeping hearts that share the sorrow within all of us.

Relationships are key to his poetry, love, loss and remembering. I truly enjoyed his style of writing; it wasn't at all like the rhyming cliché poetry we are overburdened with as we read aspiring poets; it has a rhythm all its own; one could almost hear an Irish lilt to it.

He adds to the end of his book a section in memory of James Dickey that is poignant and stirring reminding us of the vast heritage we have of poets often forgotten.

Childhood Hills
by Pat Mullan

Reading this collection of poetry and writings was like holding a conversation with a very interesting person who can fascinate with a hypnotic flow of words. His muse is an old country bard who whispered secrets of the ancient days in the poet's ear. Pat Mullan has translated those secrets onto these pages.

You will be moved to joy and sorrow as you traverse the winding path over these Childhood Hills. Within these hills dwells a child who remembers the man he was, not a man dreaming over a lost youth. He still lives in the poetry contained here.

This author is a spirit freed from the fears of childhood that we all have shared, no matter what shape those fears take, what horrid dreams they inspire. If you allow him, this poet will guide you through imagery and images, familiar and strange, to a destination where understanding waits.

A poem is music of the soul that takes its inspiration from ordinary events, places, and people. It is a music you hear with your heart. I recommend you read Childhood Hills slowly and listen carefully. It will quicken the spirit that lives within.

I am the author of "THE FEELINGS AND IMAGINATION OF A BAREFOOT BOY STILL INSIDE MY HEAD!: Poems and Short Stories for Boys and Girls Ages 9 to 12," which will be available online soon! I bought Childhood Hills to read another author's poetry. In Pat's book, here are several of my favorites: THE QUARRY HOLE, WE NEVER TALKED, BICYCLE RIDE, SMALL VICTORY, GRANNY BUNTY'S BUTTON BOX, and MY CAT (this one is by Annemarie Mullan Whilton). As I read, Pat's poetry created a vivid picture in my mind. The poems about Pat's childhood were particularly moving. Great Book Pat!

It's an amazing way of painting a picture from a really interesting life and Childhood of this irish author. For me it was sometimes intellectuall demanding and sometimes easy to follow. My Favourites are: 'The turning point' and 'Granny Bunty's Button Box'

Yet another gripping Judge Dee mystery! Judge Dee is better than Sherlock Holmes by far - more complicated and intricate mysteries, plus a fascinating look at daily life in China centuries ago. Also, as a protagoist Judge Dee is a much more "relatable" character. I have owned this for years, and have read and reread it a number of times - and each time I find further nuances I didn't notice before - and my enjoyment of it only increases!

Not your average mystery.
Includes great introduction. From the back cover:
"Imperial China, T'ang dynasty, seventh century A.D.--home of Judge Dee, Imperial magistrate and detective. A near mythic figure in the pre-Communist Chinese consciousness, Judge Dee distinguished himself as tribunal magistrate, inquisitor, and public avenger. Long after his death, accounts of his exploits were celebrated in Chinese folklore.

The Chinese Gold Murders is one of a series of Judge Dee detective novels written in the 1950s and early 1960s by van Gulik (1910-67), a Dutch diplomat and an authority on Chinese history and culture. Van Gulik drew his plots from the whole body of Chinese literature, especially the popular detective novels that first appeared in the seventeeth century. His Judge Dee stories convey a more vivid insight into traditional China than can be gained from textbooks, momgraphs and documents. They provide an atmospheric introduction to life in imperial China at the local level before it was disrupted by external modern forces. This edition includes van Gulik's maps, his illustrations and an introduction by Donald F. Lach of the Department of History at the University of Chicago".

If you are looking for something completely different in mysteries, I recommend the Judge Dee books. Set in China in the 600's. Judge Dee is compared to Sherlock Holmes. Very well written with a lot of cultural information. Never dull.
The Chinese Gold Murders introduces Dee and his cohorts. Solving murders in oriental fashion. Not sparing detail on the punishment of the guilty.

Rebeccasreads highly recommends THE CHINESE GOLD MURDERS in which Judge Dee Dee investigates the murder of his predecessor -- a Magistrate who now stalks the neighborhood as a ghost.

Judge Dee-Jen Dijeh (630-700 A.D.) was a Magistrate known for his wisdom & wit in China, & his stories were a part of the local folklore. Robert Van Gulik, who had a historian's interest in China in the early 1950s, was fascinated by the tales of this judge, & finally collected & fictionalized them into four volumes.

The wit, ingenuity, & genius of Judge Dee is well reflected. Remember the old tales of King Solomon the Just -- well, give them an Asian flavor, a touch of Old China -- & you get Judge Dee.

All of Judge Dee's books are most pleasurable - - worthy of 10 stars!

I have read all the Judge Dee mysteries at least twice, and really love them. However, I have just read a number of books on China and discover that van Gulik has purposefully mislead readers to make ancient Chinese justice just like Western justice and rather appealing. The truth is almost the exact opposite.

If you are interested, a standard history of china by harvard professor John Fairbank and Merle Goldman, China A History, explains that the Chinese justice system was openly corrupt (corruption did not have to be secret - it was and is the accepted way), relied on torture of both plaintiff and defendent, had no consistent laws, no equal punishments for the same offence (everything was based on class and kinship status) and bascially was just like modern Communist law: it was a vehicle for the state to control behavior. The goal was not 'justice' in the Judeo-Christian sense but state control.

Also like Communist China under Mao, imperial law relied on collective punishment to terrorize the populace. The entire population was divided into groups of ten and one hundred families, and if anyone in the whole group was condemned, the entire group could be executed. For serious offenses, thousands of families would all be executed.

Van Gulik is always showing citizens bringing disputes before the court. In reality, this was never done - as both sides could be tortured and both sides had to pay the court and both sides had to bribe the court. Instead, people relied on their village elders or clan heads to rule on disputes, as the court system was too dangerous.

Most of the ideals that Van Gulik gives to Judge Dee of fairness, protecting the weak against the strong etc. are Christian values that go back to the Jewish Bible (God creating all men equal, protect the weak and the stranger, equality before the law etc). They are antithetical to Chinese values from imperial to modern times. It is very important not to pretend that foreign cultures are the same as we are...or that our values are universal. They are very special treasures that we should be incredibly grateful for.

The Judge Dee books also mention women's tiny feet at times, but he never tells the reader that until 1900, all upper class and middle class women in China had their feet broken and maimed leading to their being crippled for life, unable to walk normally (euphemism - binding their feet). From the 19th century, this custom of torturing and crippling women spread among the peasants also. 10% of girls probably died from this treatment.

Van Gulik prominently features 'courtesans' and 'prostitutes.' A more accurate term might be slaves or sex slaves.

We are often told that China was 'more advanced' than the west until modern times. In truth, they were most comparable to ancient Rome, a cruel and despotic slave-owning culture with admirable roads and art. But Rome at least had rule of law, something China never had.

So, enjoy Judge Dee - but take it for what it is, bascially a fun Western mystery story set in a lovingly recreated period piece, kind of like most Hollywood movies - great costumes, great settings, fun plots, endearing characters - all basically unrealistic.

This book is a must-have for all those who wish and need to grasp the essentials of rhetoric and logic. Corbett and Connors allied erudition and teaching experience to guide readers through the maze of terminology and concepts that would elude even the most hard-working, self-taught students. But they practice what they preach: they are clear, simple, thorough and convincing, and they provide you with exercises as well. Now I think I will go back to Sister Miriam Joseph's The Trivium better equiped to understand what she was talking about. Enjoy!

I'm writing this review as a high schooler who wanted to learn more about this fascinating topic, but was not given the opportunity in school to learn it. I studied rhetoric using a dozen or so books on the topic, with this book as my main staple. The book is 'comprehensive', meaning it covers the basics and the theory, but not the actual application, although a few sections within this book intends to do just that. So if your English teacher is doing a great job on making your essay sound better, you might not want to trouble yourself with 80% of this book's content, although the section on exemplary works and figures of speech may be a great boon to your writing style. Certainly the best way to learn rhetoric is to read exemplary works by many different authors and learn from their different styles. However, if you want to learn rhetoric, but don't know where to begin, I would strongly recomment this book.

This book should be required reading for all college graduates.

I came to this book through my Classical Rhetoric class as an undergrad. As someone with a pre-existing background in formal logic and rhetorical reasoning, there was little that was new, but most of it was recast from the mathematical model to the oratorical model. This si the penultimate text on classical rhetoric, and the inclusion of the progymnasmata exercises is an interesting option for structuring class assignments. Sometimes the text is a little dense, but it is also authoritative and generally a good resource for an introduction to argumentative logic and classical rhetoric.

I've looked through so many writing guides, from ones on usage to style to advanced grammar. Finally after a long, long search I stumbled across this one. It's really, really amazing. It presents the methods designed 2000 years ago to transmit the knowledge and experience of any skilled speaker. It works for those of then and those of today.

So check it out. It's pretty straightforward. The only thing is, you still need to practice in speech and in writing. Lord knows the interactive speech part I have had far fewer opportunities than I would need to really grow. Still, the useful abstractions are here.