Bloom Books

It is difficult to convey how wonderful I found this thin little book to be. It is no larger than a slice of rye bread, but the food for thought contained therein could feed a soul for a thousand days. It took me two mesermizing hours to get through the Introduction and Bloom's essay on 'The Merchant of Venice'. At first, I mistrusted my recollection- was there really so much there? Had the dry old play decayed so completely in my estimation, or had Bloom inserted his own opinions? No, after more blissful consternation, I relived what I had long taken for dead. Allan Bloom really sees things. His deft insight makes Shakespeare seem real and urgent again, despite how unfashionable and out of vogue the debate may seem to contemporary minds. The Jewish and the Christian come to light, the entire legacy of each Faith revealed keenly, sharply, and decisively in favour of one higher power. The authority of thought, the power of unaided reason brought to bear nakedly on an eternal, ever-so tender, sore. Bloom's essay on 'Othello' and 'Julius Cesear' prove out this reviewer's intial wonder at the work. To readers familiar with Bloom's other works, I include myself, this book was additionally worthy because it showed that the issue Allan Bloom later became famous for, the decay of education, was already at the forefront of his mind in the early 1960's. He states in the book's introduction and claims it as his motivation for publishing the essay. This was 1964, several years before the signifigant events of the 1960s took full shape and bore full weight on American society. The introduction includes Bloom's stark assessment of Poetry and Philosophy. He quotes Napolean (one of very few direct quotes, the footnotes are rich, but few) to argue for the superiority of poetry over politics and then slyly demostrates the superiority of philosophy, or the philosopher, true and proper, over poetry. This is a book you could own and keep and reread often, even secrete it undercover and carry it across hostile borders, real and imagined.

Bloom's insight into the deepest aspects of humanity may not be matched by anyone, past or present. Having been given the gift of his existence we are magnificently lucky he wrote what he knew so we might scratch the surface. Once again Bloom inspires by penetrating our perpetual present with the permanent and universal. This time he performs this magic through analysis of Shakespeare's plays, their political message, Shakespeare's grasp of what makes us who we are and the great, forever present teacher he has the capacity to serve as, if, at least for the moment, we ignore "new critic" sermons. (He means postmodern sophistry.) What makes Bloom so uplifting is his success in communicating power to the reader. With Bloom's assistance, not control, the reader realizes we too hold the keys to our richest experiences, unavailable to those attached to fashionable dogmas, Right or Left.

Shakespeare's plays deal with fragile balances of humanity as individuals and as associations (civilization) with their impossible reconciliations between competing concepts and ideals, which is what both are made of. The Jew and Christian in Venice - their conflicts between what matters most while still members of the same society, which though peaceful and prosperous engages in the simplification of man; The strength and weakness of men in love, with women and their own self image; the root of tragedy suffered by the hero precisely due to his heroic strengths. Shakespeare acts on so many levels it's hard to fathom anyone could grasp it all without Bloom as escort.

Bloom has a habit of telling the truth about our circumstances and for that he is sure to be character assassinated by those unable to deal with it. We do not, he says, "look at all to books when [we] meet problems in life or think about [our] goals; there are no literary models for [our] conceptions of virtue and vise." Reflecting a deeper fact about "the decay of common understanding of - and agreement on - first principles that is characteristic of our times." Resulting in a "decided lowering of tone in [our] reflections on life and its goals." Thus we are "technically well equipped but Philistine." But Shakespeare provides an opportunity to see out of this, as do other great books Bloom was so taken by and wrote about elsewhere.

While many study Shakespeare for literature or theatre, Bloom and Jaffa try to discover Shakespeare for political insights. The authors' study of The Merchant of Venice and Othello both give readers an understanding of an outsider's role in a community while Julius Caesar and King Learn demonstrate that political power at the top is more tenuous than it many times appears.

Othello is an accepted member of Venice and is even a hero of sorts, but co-existence isn't full citizenship argue Bloom and Jaffa. Citizenship in a homogenous society requires that one adhere to the same customs and even have the same background. Othello may be a hero, but he's still an outsider. Iago uses this insecurity to convince Othello that his wife is unfaithful. Bloom and Jaffa certainly consider Othello a tragic figure of sorts, but he's one largely of his own making. If Othello were to realize that he's incapable of being accepted totally in such a closed society he would have made better choices himself. This would have kept him from making an enemy of the envious Iago.

Bloom and Jaffa also have a different take on the question of King Lear. They think the most important political message occurs in the very first scene of the very first act. While many consider Lear's idea of dividing his kingdom among his daughters the evidence of a foolish old man, the authors argue that Lear was a great king and only a great king could be guilty of such a terrible mistake. No other English King in Shakespeare's writing was able to unite the whole British empire. Shakespeare made this point up front so that you would realize what a great man King Lear is when the play opens. It's important that Lear be seen as great not foolish, because when a great king makes the biggest mistake, the tragedy is all the more sorrowful.

You might not agree with every premise or conclusion in this book, but you'll certainly get to weigh the new ideas versus your own. The result should be a better understanding of the Bard as a political animal. The book has sure given me a new outlook on these characters.

It should be obvious that Shakespeare wrote great literature. That fact is assumed by the authors of this book. However, Allan Bloom and Harry Jaffa demonstrate a deeper awareness of Shakespeare than one will find in literature departments. Shakespeare combined poetry with an acute knowledge of politics, and these excellent scholars have written a clear and convincing account of some of those facets of political wisdom. Read this fine book and help rescue Shakespeare from political irrelevance.

This is a great book. Everyone should own it, and then give one as a gift. Beautiful photos!

Yes this book has the most amazing photography, but it is about much, much more than just great photography. I truly believe that EVERYONE IN THE ENTIRE WORLD should read this book. Everyone who reads this book will get something different out of it. It encourages us to stop and think. It helps us to see the true reasons for existence. It removes all the superficial trappings that we get caught up in on a daily basis and shows us and nature as we really are... or perhaps as we have become and as we should have been. It makes us stop, think and reassess our values and our purpose. It simplifies life by focusing on the small things which are, in truth, the great things. It helps make us see that we really are just running around chasing our tails and slowly spiraling out of control. It shows us that we are missing the point if existence... of just 'being' sometimes and of 'contributing and enhancing' rather than 'taking'.

I discovered this fantastic photographer on an outdoor exhibition in Stockholm. The large scale pictures of beautiful animals in wonderful poses affected me so much that I immediately went home and ordered this book. Though the pictures in the book are much smaller then those outdoors, they are still amazing and express the talent of Steve Bloom. I must say though, that some of my favourite pictures from the exhibition are unfortunately not included in this book and that lowers the grade.

Steve Bloom is by far one of the best animal photographers! The pictures he captures are incredible. Spirit of the Wild is a great (though small) collection of awesome pictures. The pictures and pages in the book are all high quality. Well worth the money.

In fast-paced rhyming text, at the young girls' request, the mother rattles off memories of her six uncles while they wait for their arrival for Thanksgiving dinner. The uncles are described by their looks, actions, and personalities.

A cute story that seems to end too soon. It is nice to see both the girl and her mother happily anticipate the arrival of the six lively relatives. It is refreshing to see family relationships described in a positive manner. The illustrations are colorful and detailed-lots to look at and enjoy.

I've enjoyed reading all of Margaret Willey's young adult novels. Illustrator, Lloyd Bloom,captures the essence of a "rollicking" Thanksgiving. Enough worrying about the size of the turkey and what to wear--let's get back to the basics!

I absolutely ADORE this book! As a K-8 elementary school librarian, I love to share this book with all my classes during the Thanksgiving season. I must admit, I always get a "catch" in my throat at the last page! It reminds me of my "red-headed little brother"! Margaret Willey captures true family attachments - the attachments that last through years and miles. Even though I see recommended ages to Grade 2, my 4th and 5th graders ask me to read this book every year. I highly recommend this book!

A nice change from the usual "What size turkey should I buy?" and "What should I wear?". Don't get me wrong--I'm not against pilgrims, but this is a fresh book to cherish. Whimsical art. Rythmic storyline. A welcome addition to our library and my library at home. Margaret Willey, it's been a long wait for this children's book!

Facinating book! I know the main character's fantasys revolve arround enemas, and the secondary one's arround spankings, but the whole thing revolves arround love, a very true deep human love, facinating. To put all this together with Christianities greatest sermon on love and bring it back arround to self love and family of an other wise just plain tender love story is very interesting. I was impressed with the teachers--- such care, and toughtfulness of the students in an era when paddling was mandatory in most schools is interesting as well. I rememeber a teacher like Sister Mary Francess! I enjoyed the book and recommend it.

Rabbi C.

Extremely well written in communicating the psycho-social aspects as related to body cleansing and the role of elders in the life of a child. Sister Sharon's description of the interpersonal relationships is communicated effectively in this un-talked about, and taboo, area of our lives. A refreshing message that nobody needs to change. Every caring parent should read this book.

A young woman grows, blossoms and flowers missing love meant to be part of every child's life. The gentle love she needs is expressed in other ways, giving pain instead of pleasure at the guidance of a spokesman of religion meant to teach love. That missing tenderness is found in the love of her aunt, most accutely felt when she is sick over her aunt's knee, experiencing a loving gentle enema instead of a paddling. These things confuse an otherwise typical teen in areas of love. This beginning confuses her thinking and relationships with God and man. It ends with her love story in the arms of a special man who loves his flower just as she is, a Jonquil, not a Rose, and in the light of God's love holding her baby up to a blue sky knowing God loves them all.

As she grows her innocence is twisted as all our innocences are twisted in that universal perverter of all human minds, socialization. She is born as we all are, loved and loving just as she is, a cooing happy baby. Then she changes. The light of love and knowing she is loved by God and everybody slowly dims and is replaced by the dullness of her trying to be as others wish her to be, forgetting the love that beams down through blue skys creating all life. She learns to be appart from love, cultured and be as she is told to be, a necessary thing to live through the darkness between days light. Unfortunately to be cultured often means learning to do what we are taught is right, not what we know is right. She learns to live in fear not love. She believes God is not beaming love into her, but watching behind the clouds, waiting for her to make a mistake so he can punish her.

She is taught to expect things that hurt and correct as an expression of love. They can be. Love is also expressed in things that feel good. The most gentle physical sensual touching she experiences is during her first enemas as a little girl, and far more frequent enemas after she develops Irritable Bowel Syndrome as a teenager. It is normal to enjoy and desire this. What isn't normal is missing this kind of touching and love in other areas. It should have been poured into her every day in touches, hugs and pats on the head, as it should as a part of being loved and cared for as a child, a human being, just because she is. This isn't there in her early life. She is missing knowledge and experience about life and love, then expected, as we all are, to have hopes and dreams "normal" in every way! She loves being cared for in ways that are not really "normal" --- spankings and enemas. Sharon is confused and feels guilt over this. She is a deviant, unworthy of God or anyone's love, or at least so she thinks. She is wrong.

Sometimes miracles happen, simple miracles. People enter her life who love her and help her to know that she is loved. This is a love story, a universal love story, that applies to each and every person who ever felt guilt for being human and longing to be loved as they are. Jonquils bloom again year after year if you love them as jonquils. That is what the first 195 pages are about. The last 30 pages are The Greatest Thing In The World

The Greatest Thing In The World

The Greatest Thing In The World, by Professor Henry Drummond is the great sermon of love in Christianity. It was first published and millions of copies have been sold since 1880. We are providing this entire eighteen page sermon unedited and free on line, and as part of the book, When The Jonquils Bloom Again, by Sister Sharon. When The Jonquils Bloom Again is a love story, a love story based on the type of love taught by Saint Paul and Jesus in the New Testament. Sharon has a fantasy, a fantasy that hurts no one. Enemas properly given only enhance health, and well-being. (Please see my article, How To Give An Enema. This is true of properly given enemas. It does not always apply to incorrectly given ones.) Having enemas fills her need to be loved.

Christians believe God is Love. Growing toward the example of Jesus in being Love is the focal point of Christianity. This makes her sin, only a sin, IF it separates her from experiencing God's love. In this love story she learns to love herself as God intends all of us to love ourselves and transmits that love to others as we and they are. This book is an example of love as it should be. The Greatest Thing in the World is the text book of love based on the Bible, 1st Corinthians 13. This love, the basis of Christianity, is not just limited to one religion, one people or one culture. It is a common element necessary to living in the sunlight of God's love. It is a fundamental trait of all paths to God. Understanding love through example, as in the book, or by analysis as in the sermon, is a fundamental threshold to coming to live in heaven, whether that heaven be in love and being here on earth or coming to live in the presence of the source of all love outside the bounds of time.

In owning this book, or in giving it to others, it is hoped that this love, this sunshine, this blue skyed day from half a century ago lights a dark corner with more love than was there with its reading.
A book for lovers

I am the author of this book. It is a tender love story of a young woman from birth to about 24, she is a loved child and experiences much in growing up. She marries a man she very much loves. It is a good story. I very much enjoyed writing it. There are several of the chapters posted on line for your review. To see them go to e-lovestories.

hugs

Sister Sharon

Actually, I have one beef with this book: it's awfully hard not to cry.

Solid construction, simple but good story, nice artwork.

I read this book constantly as a kid (I'm eighteen now) and I loved it. It is now part of my heart forever. Parents, buy this book for your kids, if only for the sheer beauty of it.

Tony Johnston weaves a simplistic farm life story that touches your soul. A gracefully written family saga that is magestically illustrated by Lloyd Bloom.

The background rolls with the hills, trees and farm as the story of life changes with the seasons and years. A beginning life for a husband and wife, a growing family and encircling love for all.

Parents, readers, prepare to wipe away the tears of simple joy and beauty as you share this book with a special little one.

Though this book is currently listed as out of print, please try Amazon's search to find a copy, it is definately worth the effort.

Yonder provides children with a charming, vivid image of life, with its joys and its sorrows. The story of a farmer and his wife as they raise their family is mirrored in the growth of the beautiful plum tree outside their home. With vibrant, Impressionistic illustrations, this is an enchanting story that gently introduces children to the beauty and reality of the circle of life.

Forty years ago, I found my first important anthology of English Poetry, Ezra Pound's "Confucious to Cummings", in which I discovered the poetry I still consider my first choices in the English language, particularly Arthur Golding's translation of Ovid's "Metamorphoses", and many other poets, including, of course, Cummings. That great critic, Harold Bloom's Anthology has the same feel, a superior range of poets, whose work is of the very best in English verse in his judgement .Most of the poets have extensive, very helpful introductory paragraphs, placing them in their particular age - written by the best teacher - I emphasise that last word - of English Literature to-day. If English Poetry interests you at all, you will hugely enjoy this book - it will give you hour upon hour of intense pleasure, heavy though it is.

Three things caused me to buy this book. The first was the inclusion of two Emily Bronte poems by Professor Bloom: `Stanzas' and `Last Lines'. The second was the inclusion of T S Eliot's `The Wasteland' and the third was that 108 poets are represented in this book.

Professor Bloom selected as his chronological limits Geoffrey Chaucer, born around 1343 and Hart Crane born in 1899. Within these parameters is a wealth of British and American poetry to cover a wide range of moods and tastes.

There is something intrinsically personal about anthologies of poetry. Those who enjoy poetry will select favourites based on all manner of criteria. My personal criteria owe little to critical objectivity and much more to subjective assessments of evocative language and the metrics of rhythm. So, I've come to love the fierce assertion of the `Last Lines'. Here is the first verse:
`No coward soul is mine,
No trembler in the world's storm-troubled sphere;
I see Heaven's glories shine,
And faith shines equal, arming me from fear.'

And also to love, for different reasons the self-doubt echoing through `The Waste Land', which starts with The Burial of the Dead:
`April is the cruellest month, breeding
Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing
Memory and desire, stirring
Dull roots with spring rain.'

It would be remiss of me not to mention some of the other poets included:
Edmund Spenser
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
George Gordon, Lord Byron
Henry David Thoreau
Thomas Hardy
Wilfred Owen
and 100 others.

Professor Bloom has included an essay on `The Art of Reading Poetry' together with a range of headnotes on poets and poems. If you enjoy poetry anthologies, this may well be a book for your collection as well.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

For one reason or another, I have been recently reading (and reviewing) poetry collections--from Romantics on. And a review by one of my Amazon friends led me to purchase and enjoy this collection. The author, Harold Bloom, is an eminent scholar, the Sterling Professor of Humanities at Yale University. He is a MacArthur Prize Fellow and author of numerous volumes. In his Introduction, he observes that (Page xxvii) "My chronological limits are set by Geoffrey Chaucer, born around 1343, and Hart Crane, born in 1899." There is a useful introductory essay, "The Art of Reading Poetry," that would be of interest to those who take poetry seriously. As Bloom says (Page 29): "The art of reading poetry is an authentic training in the augmentation of consciousness, perhaps the most authentic of healthy modes."

But it is the poetry that is at the center of this fat volume (the last poem, by Hart Crane, ends on page 959; I don't know about the reader, but I like big collections of poetry!

In high school, we read Chaucer, and I still remember the first few lines (repeated in this work) of "The Canterbury Tales."

"Whan that Aprill with his shoures sote
The droghte of Marche hath perced to the rote,
And bathed every veyne in swich licour."

Christopher Marlowe's "The Passionate Shepherd to His Love":

"Come live with me and be my love,
And we will all the pleasures prove
That valleys, groves, hills, and fields,
Woods or steepy mountain yields."

There is a healthy collection of Shakespeare, but since I recently reviewed a volume of his sonnets, no need for overkill here. But the selections do represent Shakespeare's art nicely.

Then there is Richard Lovelace's "To Althea, from Prison," with the well known final stanza:

"Stone walls do not a prison make,
Nor iron bars a cage. . . ."

And so many more. . . . Thomas Gray's "Elegy written in a country churchyard" or William Blake's "The Tyger" (I still recall and thrill at the following lines:
"Tyger, tyger, burning bright.
In the forest of the night;
What immortal hand or eye,
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?") to the Romantics' poetry (represented by poets such as Wordsworth, Coleridge, Lord Byron, Shelley, and Keats). Walt Whitman, Herman Melville, Emily Dickinson, Lord Tenneyson, the Rossettis, William Butler Yeats, Rudyard Kipling, Robert Frost, T. S. Eliot, and so on.

In short, a cornucopia of poetry in the English language tradition. If that is a genre that you enjoy, running from Chaucer to crane, then this volume should suit you nicely.

This book is amazing. Talks about almost every topic a teen girl could encounter and gives great advice. I'd recommend it for any young lady.

My girls loved and gleaned a lot of great information from the American Girl's The Body Book for Girls. Bloom is like the next step, addressing things like friends, boys, dating, and sex from a very Christian viewpoint. I really like that it covers how to handle certain situations that teen girls deal with but might not talk to their parents about. I wouldn't recommend it for anyone under 11 or 12. It answers questions better than I could!

After getting the "Boom" book for my son, I also purchased the "Bloom" book for my 9 year-old daughter. We have started out with "The Care & Keeping of You" (by the American Girl Co.), and wanted to have another book to suppliment it. This book very tactfully goes thru all the changes & challenges that face teenage girls. I was very suprised at all the areas that are covered - even more than I would've thought of talking with her about. If you are going to start with this book with a pre-teen, I would just caution to either wait a little, or read thru the book yourself first. I felt it was more geared toward either a more mature pre-teen girl or the actual teenagers. Right now, the American Girl book is just the right stage for her. I will be waiting a while before we actually start on the "Bloom" book, but it will be a perfect "next step" after the American Girl book.

This is a fantasic applique book of baskets and forals for the advanced appliquer. Can't wait to see it come to life in fabric. Clear patterns with detaild directions. Not a book for beginners.

Try Emily's method for echo applique. Use this technique when you want to highlight a shape or pattern piece. You can stitch the narrowest little border using this technique. Great job, Emily.

This is a beautiful book with several patterns for detailed applique. The instructions are straight-forward and easy to understand. Several setting ideas are included. The flowers are beautifully detailed. This is the book I've been looking for! If you want to make a stunning quilt this is the book to buy.

More patterns are coming out in packaging like dress patterns - everything in one re-sealable package. THE SEASONS IN BLOOM is one of these patterns. The plasticized envelope has the materials list right on the back, plus it lists the finished block and quilt size.

Inside, you will find pattern sheets that you can tack up on the wall or bulletin board. No more hunting for the book under the fabric you are cutting. These sheets contain all the information you will need to create this quilt including full sized templates of the four appliqué flower patterns and the border flowers too.

The instructions are clearly written and contain illustrations to help explain the written instructions. There is even an "extra" included. It is a booklet entitled "Color-Palette Appliqué". It explains how to gather a palette of colors and the best way to put the appliqué together.

There is another bonus. If you don't want to create a whole quilt, make just one of the four panels of flowers and use it as a wall hanging. You could even create all four flower pieces and use them as a "four seasons" wall hanging. So many ideas, so little time! Grab your copy and start "growing" your flowers.

Sheila Wintle's Color Palette Applique patterns are not only absolutely beautiful, they are the best value I have found in the marketplace. Full size patterns, guidance as to value placement, and helpful instructions for choosing suitable fabrics are all included for an extremely reasonable price. I have all three of her patterns, and I eagerly await any new ones she produces.

I have another similiar pattern and they are gorgeous and so easy to follow the directions. Make a gorgeous wall hanging. Or, enlarge and make a large quilt. Will buy more of these again gladly.

Jill Becker

By: Thomas W Smallwood Sr.

I just finished this book, it's a very easy read, and at the same time makes you think and brings you back to places and things you experienced. Since I grew-up during this time period I can relate to much the author talks about, maybe that's why I found it so interesting.
The first chapter is hard to understand in some places but, once you finish it the book flows very easy. If you grew-up in that time between the 60's and Clinton and Bush period you find a lot to relate to.
Dr. Cornish writes about many of the same experiences we all had who grow-up in those troubled times who were searching for an understanding, a meaning, an identity of one self and religion. I recommend this book very highly, it's a must read.

I bought this book on its website before it was available on Amazon...where you can get a personalized copy signed by the author, but you can buy it here now. Buy it wherever you can! Bill Cornish is a still-practicing MD who has had a fascinating life full of exotic journeys, who is filled with compassion for his patients, and who just wishes our body politic--right AND left--would cultivate wisdom and common sense. From his French childhood to his current family medicine practice "somewhere in the mountains of the West," with Africa, South America, and plenty of the American South in between...he gracefully articulates a point of view that is thoughtful, and, while acerbic, also uniquely hopeful. Certainly a book we need right now.

Written by practicing doctor Bill Cornish, Foam Reality: A Novel of Ideas is the story of a seemingly ordinary man besieged by the religious right on one side, and the politically correct left on the other. From close scrapes with close-minded authorities in the South, to the mountains of the west where a woman about to give birth demands a Rocky Mountain high, to travels through Europe, Africa, and Mexico, Foam Reality reveals just how tenuous the connections between ideologies of all spectrums and humdrum reality truly are. A tongue-in-cheek satire with a core message about the importance of learning to think for oneself.