Bradley Books

The most recent incarnation of this perennial favorite continues the strong tradition of the Sword and Sorceress series. This anthology offers a wide variety of settings and magical systems that should meet any fantasy reader's desires. Those devoted to chicks in chain mail should take note, however; this particular volume is much more "soceress" than "sword."

The short stories that I found most memorable are: "Spell of the Sparrow" for its original magic system; "Child's Play" for its unanticipated ending; "Necessity and the Mother" for the on-target spoof of town governance; "Rose in Winter" for its haunting love story of wrong choices; and "Skin Trade" for its original magic.

Anyone who enjoys fantasy with strong heroines should find this a welcome addition of her library.

This is the twenty-first, and likely last, volume in this series, and it seems a shame to see it go, no matter whether a majority of the stories are my cup of tea or not. This is an above-average installment in terms of quality, with a few real standouts. "Spell of the Sparrow" has some interesting things to say about magic, and I couldn't help but find humor in the situation, intentional or not. "Child's Play" is strong, as one might expect from Friesner; and "Multiple Choice" is wonderfully duplicitous. "Oulu" is the best, in my opinion, with a twist that comes from nowhere (in this case, a good thing). "Love Potion #8 1/2," despite its terminally corny title, is a fitting bit of cleverness to end with. Granted, the collection has its usual share of perfunctory-seeming fragments and mood pieces that, taken by themselves, don't hold up so well, but the writing is, at worst, competent.

Chances are, you know going in whether you'll like it. It is, so to speak, more of the same, and I leave it to the individual consumer to decide whether that's good or bad. Suffice to say, I enjoyed it more than any of the other Sword and Sorceress outings I've read, and it's good to see that at least the franchise is going out on a high note.

The contents:
"Sword and Sorceress" by Jennifer G. Tifft: A poem celebrating the titular archetypes.
"Dawn and Dusk" by Dane Kramer-Rolls: Fleeing and uncaring home, a girl seeks shelter in a cottage and finds more than she bargained for.
"Spell of the Sparrow" by Jim C. Hines: If a wizard decides she wants your husband, is there anything you can do about it?
"The Woman's Place" by Susan Urbanek Linville: The matriarch of a clan of cavemen must provide for her people, but such duties require sacrifice.
"Kin" by Naomi Kritzer: A military wizard rescues an infant and finds herself remarkable suited to the ensuing responsibility.
"Child's Play" by Esther M. Friesner: Father and step-mother disagree over whether to accede to the king's interest in their unusually-talented child.
"Ursa" by Jenn Reese: A woman and her attendant bear spirit embark on a quest to save a child--but from what?
"Red Caramae" by Kit Wesler: Short mood piece about a swordswoman who seeks the instrument of her vengeance.
"Parri's Blade" by Cynthia McQuillin: A widow swipes her dead husband's dearest possession to bind his soul to earth forever.
"Necessity and the Mother" by Lee Martindale: Humorous, if unlikely, tale about the power of the free market.
"Sun Thief" by K. A. Laity: Ice people make their annual sacrifice to bring about the return of the sun; told from the sacrifice's point of view.
"Lostland" by Rosemary Edghill: Slightly confusing (purposely, no doubt) tale of a warrior searching for what she has lost, whatever it may be.
"Plowshares" by Rebecca Maines: A group of raiders aren't quite what they seem.
"Step By Step" by Catherine Soto: Story fragment about a groom who get the chance to prove herself as a swordswoman.
"Rose in Winter" by Marie M. Loughlin: A newly-minted young noble-woman must decide what sort of love will bring her true happiness.
"Kazhe's Blade" by Terry McGarry: A down-and-out warrior resists fulfilling the purpose for which she was trained.
"The Skin Trade" by Heather Rose Jones: A magical gift can be an invitation to exploitation, or a powerful bargaining chip.
"Multiple Choice" by Leslie Fish: A sorceress tries to divine the intentions of the dead wizard she's brought back.
"Oulu" by Aimee Kratts: A fortuneteller who wishes to retire may not be allowed to leave in peace. Probably the best story of the bunch.
"A Kind of Redemption" by John P. Buentello: A warrior could be at peace, if she could only remember what the wrong is that she must right.
"Journey's End" by Dorothy J. Heydt: A descent into the underworld.
"Love Potion #8 1/2" by Marilyn A. Racette: Such elixirs can be employed by the wise for other than their stated purpose.

This is another collection in the Sword and Sorcerers series of anthologies. For those who like fantasy, Diana L. Paxson has put together a collection of 22 short stories and one poem. These all involve women in various settings. Like most collections, you will find some that you favor over others. The last one in the collection ("Love Potion No. 8 1/2," by Marilyn A. Racette) reminds me of stories written by the late Dr. Asimov about a helpful demon that tried to please people (be careful what you wish for). A couple of the stories are a little surreal, and plots vary considerably although they are in the realm of fantasy. I particularly liked "Necessity and the Mother," by Lee Martindale, as it illustrates how politicians pass some ill conceived laws. I also especially liked "Child's Play", by Esther M. Freisner. It would be difficult to rate the others in order of preference.

Other short stories in the collection are "Dawn and Dusk," by Dana Kramer-Rolls; "Spell of the Sparrow," by Jim C. Hines; "The Woman's Place," by Susan Urbanek Linville; "Kin," by Naomi Kritzer; "Ursa," by Jenn Reese; "Red Caramae," by Kit Wesler; "Parri's Blade," by Cynthia McQuillin, "Sun Thief," by K. A. Laity, "Lostland," by Rosemary Edghill; "Plowshares," by Rebecca Maines, "Step by Step," by Catherine Soto; "Favor of the Goddess," by Lynn Morgan Rosser, "Rose in Winter," by Marie M. Longhin, "Kazhe's Blade," Terry McGarry, "The Skin Trade," by Heather Rose Jones, "Multiple Choice," by Leslie Fish, "Oulu," by Aimee Kratts, "A Kind of Redemption," by John P. Buentello, and "Journey's End," by Dorothy J. Heydt. The one two-page poem, "Sword and Sorceress," is by Jennifer G. Tifft.

The editor should be commended for putting together the anthology. She is correct that authors need outlets for their short stories, as most magazines only take about one or two percent of what is submitted, if that much, and it can be difficult finding a magazine to match a particular story.

I found this book to be VERY thick. It's thickness increased the further one got into it. I expected a less thick book but was astonished at it's actual thickness.

without opening it, you would think that the secrets of the world were contained therein. as a reference tool, it is invaluable - it is comprehensive. everything from oil cracking to storage to...whatever. its in there!

i borrowed my professor's copy for a couple of weeks and everytime i had to lug the thing around (in my backpack), i felt i'd tip over by its weight. its strictly a DESK reference book.

for the curious: the book is a well written and easily understandable book with plenty of value to the petro-engineer or theresuch.

It looks big from a distance but when you get close you can really get into the 4 dimensional size of it.

Possible Worlds is a good introduction to the philosophy of possible worlds and logic.
I do not think it is so easy to decide what is impossible, however. Bradley and Swartz
rule out the possiblity something can be both true and false at the same time. And,
indead, in conventional first order logic if such were the case then one could prove
anything true along with its inverse. But I fear that the real world may be more
complex than this. In quantum physics Schroedinger's cat is both alive and dead
at the same time (a so called mixed state).

This book is a fine introduction to logic and the philosophy of logic. The book provides a basic introduction to propositional logic, predicate logic, and modal logic, as well as a cursory description of Aristotelian syllogistics. It also provides an introduction to the theory of knowledge.

Throughout the book the authors define specific positions on issues of controversy or on issues where there is a lack of consensus among logicians and philosophers; they then justify their positions and provide arguments as to why their positions should be preferred.

For exmaple, in a section of the book entitled A Philosophical Perspective on Logic as a Whole, the authors introduce a threefold division of logic: propositional logic; predicate logic; and what the authors describe as concept logic, or the logic of analyzed concepts. They note that concept logic "is not well developed and is only rarely accorded recognition as a proper part of logic." They then state that one of their aims is to provide a philosophical defense of the inclusion of concept logic in the science of logic. As another example of the authors' defining a point of view over and against that of others, the authors go to great length to distinguish between sentences and propositions, and they then define propositions as the bearers of truth values. In doing so, they distinguish their position from that of W.V.O. Quine, who holds that sentences, not propositions, are the bearers of truth values. This characteristic of defining and justifying specific positions over and against the positions of others is quite unusual in an introductory textbook.

An important aspect of the authors' discussion of the philosopohy of logic is their discussion of the relationship between semantics and syntactics. The authors open rich perspectives on the role that semantics plays in shaping contemporary philosophy of logic. The book provides a fine background for further study of semantics and the philosophy of language. The authors also provide a fine discussion of the de dicto/de re distinction. Finally, the Gettier counterexample to the tripartite theory of knowledge that the authors offer is the best such counterexample that I have read.

This is a fine book, and I recommend it heartily.

It is too bad this book is out of print, for the authors do a fine job of introducing the student of philosophy or mathematics to the essentials of modern logic. Their approach, as the title implies, is via the framework of possible worlds, a framework first proposed by the philosopher J. Hintikka. Their approach is unique at this level of textbook. "Possible worlds semantics", as it is now called, is a highly sophisticated and subtle branch of mathematical logic, but the authors give a very elementary introduction in this book, employing symbols very sparingly, and then only in the last two chapters. The goal, as stated by the authors, is to reach the reader who has difficulty with symbols. The book succeeds well in giving the reader an appreciation of logical reasoning and prepares well the reader for more advanced topics in symbolic and mathematical logic. Modal logic is also treated, and again, this is unique at this level. Useful exercises accompany the end of each section of the book.

One of the main virtues of the book is it distinguishes between conceivability (what we can imagine), and what is possible. The ability to conceive a state of affairs does not imply the possibility of that state of affairs, they argue (correctly). Conceivability is neither a necessary nor sufficient condition for possibility. Psychologism is to be avoided at all costs, along with collapsing into circularity, and the authors accomplish this by the use of examples, i.e. examples of possible worlds and examples of impossible worlds. These examples are generated using ostension, naming, description, etc.

Most interesting is the author's discussion on the properties of propositions. Propositions are classified as being possibly true or false, contingent, noncontingent, and necessarily true and false. Such distinctions are necessary given the framework in which the authors work, and its subsequent definition of truth and falsity. Objects and things, for the authors, are to be distinguished from properties and relations, and both of these concepts may be instanced in possible worlds other than the actual one. It is "true" that an object has an attribute if and only if the object has the attribute. It is "false" that the object has an attribute if and only if it is not the case that the object has the attribute. These considerations may at first seem trivial at first glance, but they are, again, a direct consequence of the "possible worlds", non-nominalist framework that the authors have chosen to work in. All of the discussions in the book are a fine example of the price that must always be paid in the selection of a particular framework in which to analyze or think philosophically.

There are many other interesting discussions in the book, such as the the one of the product/process ambiguity and the paradox of analysis. Particularly interesting is the discussion on the counterexamples of the philosopher Edmund Gettier to the idea that a justified belief in a true proposition constitutes knowledge. The authors illuminate his arguments in their possible worlds context. The authors exhibit a clever example of a possible world in which a person justifiably believes a proposition which is true and yet does not know it.

Without a doubt the authors do hold that knowledge of the truth of some propositions really is possible. This leads them to address the question as to the limits of knowledge, and they conclude that there is a limit, a boundary between the class of humanly knowable true propositions and the class of (true) propostions which are not known to be true neither in the actual world or in any other possible worlds. Their justification for this leads to a consideration of "experiential" vs. "ratiocinative" knowledge and a fascinating discussion of the contributions of Immanuel Kant in this regard.

Summary: This book is about 10 year old Ethel Roosevelt's early experience being president Theodore Roosevelt's daughter. It describes Ethel's family moving from Long Island to Washington D.C. Ethel has to go to the National Cathedral boarding school during the week, but she's relieved to go home to the White house on the weekends. She roller skates and bikes in the White House and rides her horse Wyoming outside in the gardens. She experiences many adventures other than those too.

Liked: I liked the way the author said that Theodore Roosevelt the first one to call the Executive Mansion the White House. I also like that Ethel is a tomboy who enjoys bike riding, roller skating, and going on scrambles with her family. I learned that scrambles are wet muddy hikes. She was famous and she got to do whatever she wanted and it made me want to be like her.

Disliked: I disliked the way the author made almost every chapter begin with a Monday and Ethel going back to boarding school. I didn't like these parts because every time the same thing happens. I like the White House parts better because they have more interesting events like Ethel driving the horses and riding in a wild car with her sister.

Rating: I would give this book a 4 because it was fun to read about Ethel's life growing up in the White House but there were parts of this book that were boring and repetitive.

As a small town librarian, I purchased this book to entice teens and preteens to read, as I was impressed with the author's first major book, Ruthies's Gift. I began reading The President's Daughter and couldn't put it down.

It transplants you into the body of President Teddy Roosevelt's 10-year old daughter. You actually feel that you experience her fear when Predident Garfield's assassination strips her from her home, and her friends, and puts her in a run-down mansion where she fears for herfather's life every time he ventures out. You share her rejection and loneliness when she is forced to move into a boarding school, and feel naughty exuberance as you both share some excapades with her indepedent half sister.

This is a great book for all ages and has every mark of being a classic.

This fictional autobiography is a lively portrayal of Teddy Roosevelt's youngest daughter, Ethel. Young readers will be amused by the antics of this 'rough riding' first family and will empathize with Ethel's conflicting feelings about being a first daughter. The story opens as T.R. receives a call in the night that McKinley had been shot, and we follow the family in their move to the 'dark and musty' White House, Ethel's enrollment at National Cathedral (boarding) School, and her joyous, tomboy visits home. Bradley's meticulous researching is well-reflected in the text, but it never becomes bogged down in biographical data. The dialogue is very well done, and characters and setting are rich in detail. It is a thoroughly enjoyable, engaging read for older elementary and younger middle school students and would be a wonderful read-aloud in a classroom studying US Presidents

this book contain good valable notes on PLC's so i like to read more .

I recommend this book to all my students who are getting started in working with the AB SLC 500. This book will give you a great start if you are trying to learn about AB PLCs. I also recommend ... for ActiveX driver software to communicate with AB PLCs. The reason I did not rate it at five stars is because the book is a little pricey and it omits some of the more advanced ladder instructions.

Here, we can find a lot examples, of basic Programmable Logical. But, no enough examples using advanced Programming instructions such as, PID, Shift Resister, Sequencer. Excellent book for the beginners.

This is a great book on pruning. It tells you everything you need to know about pruning, by plant, which is a great idea. Look up the plant you want to prune, and it tells you how. Simply, clearly, completely.

I bought this book because I am new to gardening, and the house we bought has a number of shrubs that appear to need some tender loving care. I chose this book because of its clear illustrations and instructions on what time of year to prune different things. I like it, and I like the confidence it's given me to prune in an appropriate manner. But I wish it had a larger basic guidelines section. The book is very specific about types of plants, but of course can't list them all, so I find myself stymied when I have a plant that is not in the book -- they're so specific, so my thinking goes that it must matter how I do this, but there are no easy-to-follow general guidelines for "if your plant is not here" situations. I am happy to have this book in my gardening book collection, but next spring I will look for an additional book that has more information about the plants specifically in my yard.

This guide to pruning in your home garden is good for beginner and advanced gardener alike. It starts with the basics of why, when, with what tools and how to prune. But the reason I bought it (along with copies for my friends) was that it has for almost every type of plant or tree, a two-page color spread that has a picture of a beautifully pruned specimen (to inspire you toward your goal) and an illustrated diagram of the plant with markings as to where to prune it, along with of course an explanatory but simple narative. I looked at many of the available books on this subject and this is the one to buy. Happy prunning!

In these next 5 (or so) issues, the modern mythos of the Red Star continues to develop. After their crushing defeat at Kar Dathras Gate, the Red Star army is sent to suppress a secessionist movement in Nokgorka. After years of success and brutal treatment of anyone disloyal enough to suggest possible failure, they enter an unwinnable war against entrenched guerillas - does any of this sound famililar?

The human story develops through these pages. Maya's sense of the inevitable, both in personal duty and defeat, drive her forward, more through habit than anything else. Then, as in any good myth, she is touched by a superhuman spirit, one who promises hardship but reunion with her lost love. This is the point at which the Quest truly seems to begin ...

... and the current collection of comic reprints ends. This exceptional comic has me pulled in. It presents a unique combination of recent history, as played out in a magical alternate universe, with forces larger than people or nations - just what we need in an era that seems to have lost its myths and heroes. This exceptional storytelling comes wrapped in outstanding artwork, a combination of computer modeling and hand drawing, with huge panels that capture the grandeur of the story elements. I recommend this highly to anyone who like graphic storytelling with an intelligent edge.

-- wiredweird

The book in itself is amazing. Artwork incredible, the story is nice. The only downpoint is the poor quality of the book (materials). I had the same probleme with volume one. When you open the book, it almost breaks to pieces which is bad. But the story and the art are worth it.

This TPB collected Red Star vol1. issue 6 to 9 or (6,7,7.5 and 8)Don't get me wrong. Red Star story and art are superb as always. But you had better off buy the Red Star collected Edition ISBN: 0971471428. In that edition, you will get vol1. issue 1 to 9 + Run Mikita Run (Multiple award-winning Annual).

This TPB is not a good entry point to Red Star saga as in this volume, Maya meets with Makita. (The two main characters I must say. ) And the past flashback of Maya, Alexandra and Marcus are revealed with heart-warming moments of Makita and Proto. If you haven't read Run Makita Run or Battle at Kar Dathra's Gate, you would not feel so strongly to the characters and may be a bit lost in the story.

But if you have Kar Dathra's Gate and Run Makita Run, this is the excellent TPB with cliffhanger at the end.

Bradley Klein knows and loves golf as well as anyone writing about the game today, and this book is a must-read for those of us who appreciate the sport, and want to learn more about it. His writings on golf course architecture esppecially shine, but he handles all subjects well. And the last essay in the volume, entitled "What's Really Important," is an award-winner.

Klein's book is a fine one. He covers a lot of ground, from his caddying on the Tours to his thoughts on course architecture. He is an opinonated and lively writer. The chapters are short, which should appeal to the busy, modern reader.

Klein is a fine writer and in this eclectic collection he ably conveys the beauty and mystery of the game in the context of course design and architecture. He has set out to "help other golfers appreciate the aesthetics of the most interesting playing fields in all of sports," in the belief that "paying close attention to the landforms we play golf on makes the game more enchanting and more fun." In the case of this reader he has succeeded.

It is not needed such as the maps book is, but it deliver the merchandise for the price.

Rather short on some action, this books attempt too much in many ways.

It is still a easy book to read, that will accommodate the fast reader that wants to follow a story without stopping to much on the details.

The West Point Word War II series is one of the best sources of history on the Second World War. The Atlases associated with each volume are a must because the text refers to them frequently. The writing style is not overly technical and explains the foundations of military doctrine followed by the respective combatants in prosecuting the conflict.

The authors are able to point out the fundamental errors made by each side, the results of those miscalculations and what adjustments (if any) were made. The correct deductions are also put on display for the reader. And the authors manage to make the conflict dramatic in a professional way. For example, at the battle of Midway the Americans had put all their critical assets at risk. If all the US carriers were lost the situation in the Pacific would have been ruinous. The authors clearly point out that the Japanese fleet was overwhelming, and properly used could not have lost that battle. The American command was counting on Japanese mistakes, and the Japanese made them.

Thus, the West Point historians have injected the true drama of the situation in June of 1942. A lot was on the line and the history of WWII would have been far different if the US admirals had made the mistakes instead of the Japanese.

The entire series is filled with this kind of drama.

The background sections which cover the road to WWII is thought provoking and shows how the outcome of the war, in many respects, was determined prior to the start of hostilities. The books cover the mental attitudes that contributed to the start of the war and the course of the conflict.

The series isn't perfect. The US Army writers find a little time to subtly criticize some actions of the US Navy and US Marines. They seem to like implying the Marines were getting a lot of publicity for doing the same thing the Army was doing. This is a very minor criticism and such minor diversions do not detract at all from the superlative standards set by this very complete history.

Anyone interested in WWII, its causes, conduct and outcomes, must read this set (one book covers the Pacific war and the other the European war - and there is an atlas for each of these volumes for a total of 4 books).

This book is one of the best of the whole West Point series. The authors have found a way to describe an analyse historical events in detail and in a very serious way, yet the book is never boring nor exceedingly academic. The readers feels like a junior officer in a staff HQ and witnesses key decisions being made. A brilliant and innovative book, maybe a little too centered on the role of the United States. The Atlas is a useful complement, and reading the two in parallel is invaluable. Probably one of the best tools to understand WWII ever designed.

Gloria Totoricagüena's Identity, Culture, and Politics in the Basque Diaspora is a great introduction to the understanding of Basque diaspora from a multi-disciplinary approach -a somehow overlooked area of Basque studies by the international academia and surprisingly by the homeland scholars-. It analyzes the formation of the diaspora as an historical phenomenon for the over five hundred years, reveals the multi-directional interconnectedness and networks (from a familiar to an institutional level) among diaspora Basque communities and between those and the homeland, and describes the changing nature of the meaning of being Basque from transnational and deterritorialized perspectives. The book focuses, from a historical perspective, on the physical, emotional and psychological interconnectedness among diaspora Basques and the Basque region, while emphasizing the current Basque Government-diaspora institutional relations, promoted increasingly since the return of democracy to Spain and the early 1980s-. It also pays special attention to the influence of the Basque homeland nationalist ideology on the reformulation of Basque identity on the diaspora communities, specifically in the period of the Basque-Government-in-exile between the 1940s and the late-1970s. In sum, Identity, Culture, and Politics in the Basque Diaspora is a comprehensive ground-breaking work which lays the foundation for more theoretical and empirical comparative research in Basque studies in the international terrain as well as in the Basque Country and which will attract not only an expert reader, but also a wide audience eager to learn aspects of Basque history, culture, and politics that until now have been to some extent ignored.

"The Sespe Wild" is an anthology of reflections on life and life issues in the Sespe river. Each chapter focuses on an animal that lives or used to live around the Sespe. There are also chapters talking about attempted dams, oil drilling, and rock art left by the Chumash Indians. The book can be read in installments, or, if you have the time, in one sitting.

Monsma is a gifted storyteller, and traces the individual histories of each aspect in a way that makes you want to root for the cause of conservation. At the the same time, he presents both sides of each issue fairly, and never comes down clearly either way. This can be a challenge for the reader, particularly if you're looking for a more black and white discussion of environmental issues. Personally, I loved that aspect, as it left me asking questions of myself. Perhaps that is the biggest lesson in this book: You ask important questions, and as you go through life, part of the answer is revealed, but only enough to prompt more questions.

On a side note, readers with a Christian background may chuckle at some of verbal puns that hint at time spent in Sunday School, but for the rest, it's a soulful account of how a place so small and almost insignificant can be filled with life that continues to thrive in the midst of contant challenge. Monsma is obviously passionate about nature, and here he shares it with us.

Drawing on his personal experiences of backpaking in the Sespe Wilderness over many years, Monsma revels in the beauty of the landscape, and its bird and animal life. His descriptions of early mornings in the wilderness are compelling; they make me want to reach for my backpack and hiking boots and head out to the backcountry.

Drawing on extensive scholarship, he tells the chequered history of the Sespe and the story of its preservation only 50 miles from the Los Angeles metropolis. Describing the threats from oil drilling, dam building and suburban development, he not only points out the short-sightedness of current energy and development policies, but also shows the remarkable ability of the wilderness to regenerate itself and obliterate the traces of earlier intruders.

He uses rhetorical figures such as the native american shamans, tricksters and bear-men to introduce different ways of seeing nature and connecting it to everyday urban life. The traces of zen buddhism and Carlos Castaneda appear hokey at the beginning, but become an integral part of the book's structure.

By the end this is the kind of book that makes you not only want to visit the wilderness, but also makes you see under the surface of urban life. Every freeway drainage ditch, patch of scrub, and visiting hummingbird comes alive with layers of meaning.