David Books

This book really is the definitive source of all things Disney by the keeper of its archives. It is fascinating and complete, containing information about theme parks, characters, movies, television shows, music, and more. It is the must-have reference for Disney fans like myself.

This is a must have for Disney fans. Everything from ABC's LOST to the Alice Comedies and from Steamboat Willy to Meet the Robinsons is covered here. Some articles are more detailed than others but everything is covered. Makes an interesting read just on its own. Film historians and students will find a wealth of connective material here to jump start them on research and fill in the dots on hard to find questions. A beautiful display of pictures is included with this volume. If you can't actually visit the archives (and I certainly would like to) then this is the next best thing.

"Disney A to Z" is an awesome book that a true Disney fan cannot live without. It is a great book that will help you find out about old Disney movies, that you might have not seen. "Disney A to Z" encyclopedia is also an essential source for those that love to play the "Disney Seen it" board game. It gives a short description of ALL Disney movies including the short ones that came out after the World War II. I LOVE IT!!!

This is a great gift for any Disney fan. Many listing bring back great memories and coll trivia.

This book is a great resource for all Disney fans. All the characters, all the movies (unfortunately, the Mephisto movie made in collaboration with Salvador Dali is not in the book) and all the attractions, parks, properties and influentials employees are mentioned. Maybe just not as exhaustive as I would like it; it is, however, a great resource.

When this book arrived in my mailbox and I read the back cover, I added it to my "to read pile" without a whole lot of enthusiasm. According to the back cover, this one was about a divorce lawyer in Dallas who is faced with someone from his past who makes things in his present day life get a little disconcerting. Nothing I read on that back cover excited me or made me think, "wow, this one sounds good.."

Domestic Relations begins in a suburb of Dallas, as we follow the main character, Norman, through much of his childhood. He lives within a community of like minded families in a housing development, complete with its own cul-de-sac. Throughout the first part of the novel, we come to know not only Norman, but also his family, his friends and their families. Included in these folks is Norman's closest childhood friend, Lisa.

Soon Norman is all grown up and a law school graduate. He gets married, has a daughter and leads a content and happy life. Next, Lisa re-enters his life after a many year absence and things in Norman's world quickly start to change. Boundaries become foggy, relationships become strained, and morals become questionable.

The story itself is nothing earth shatteringly new, but at the same time, i really did enjoy it. The author writes with an almost sarcastic, borderline cynical wit that really appealed to my sense of humor. I've heard it said that sarcasm is the lowest form of humor. My theory on that is that whomever said that, wasn't intelligent enough to understand, or "get" the point of the sarcasm. The use of humor in this book, albeit sarcasm, is often used to drive home Norman's thoughts and feelings -- and it works well. The humor in the story was what made it for me. While the plot wasn't mind blowing, the style was rather engaging, and as a result, I enjoyed the story I read.

Before picking up this book, I can honestly say I knew a grand total of nothing about the lives of divorce lawyers; especially divorce lawyers of the upscale, wealthy members of society. In reading Domestic Relations, I was transported into their lives for a while, right into the middle of the scandals and deceit. While I wouldn't call it a soap opera, it did present me with that same feeling of guilty pleasure as I read through. Beyond that though, there is more to the book-- the questions of values, ethics and morals that are posed to the reader being one of the primary aspects here.

Overall, its a good read. Will it become a classic piece of literature? Probably not. Would I recommend you read it? Absolutely...its a good way to escape from reality for a while, and you'll probably laugh out loud a few dozen times while you're doing it.

I am really enjoying this book. Geilich has a unique writing style that keeps the reader entertained. Intriguing and humorous all in one. Can't put it down!

Domestic Relations is a great read! Norman is fascinating, real, funny, sweet, sarcastic and most of all - engaging. This book is an easy read, yet it is deep in content and absolutely will make you smile, chuckle, and at times, even laugh that good, down to your soul, outloud laugh that makes you feel really good all over. It's the perfect book to always have with you .....on the plane, on the beach, in the Big Apple or simply on your bed stand to pick up every night. I would highly recommend it and can't wait to see where Norman goes from here....

The story is riveting and heart-warming. Mr. Geilich puts many of life's indescribable characteristics and thoughts into words. Geilich's thought-provoking style of writing through the characters and events is not only highly entertaining, but intimately powerful on the deepest of human levels. This book is one you will not want to put down. I found myself wanting more and hated for it to end. "Domestic Relations" is one of those rare books - once you have read it, your life will never be the same.

I loved this book...it was laugh-out-loud funny in many parts, yet also had many poignant, thoughtful moments throughout, as well as some very creative phrasing. Throw in some suspense, which Mr. Geilich did, and you have a perfect read! Although I picked up this book hoping for some juicy stories about the seedier side of Dallas divorce law, what I got instead was a novel about Mr. Norman Spiczek and his fascinating struggles with marriage, adultery, parenting, family, work, and childhood issues (with plenty of seedy Dallas divorce law thrown in for good measure). I hope to meet up with Mr. Spiczek again...You would never know that this is Mr. Geilich's first novel!

Reading this book gave me a great peace of mind. I'm an environmental scientist, but I wanted to inspire people to reconnect with the world around them before focusing on objective science (which Orr claims, and I agree, is not really objective, but an objective method to verify and support subjective perspectives and passions).

He lists everything that is wrong and what needs to be corrected. A good follow-up book or study would be if someone took his advice to a school or set of schools and set up a curriculuum after his suggestions and measured how students responded.

David Orr exquisitely puts into words a need for an environmental ethos in the classroom. As a high school teacher, I have long-intuited his insights about how to bring daily connections to students about the natural world that we inhabit. He is deeply passionate, articulate and practical. I'd love to see school boards, administrations, faculty and students alike be exposed to his clear thinking and real suggestions. He brings urgency without bringing despair.

David W. Orr is chair of the environmental studies program at Oberlin College in Ohio and is most often credited with coining the word "ecoliteracy" (similar to the renown biologist Garrett Hardin's "ecolacy") to describe the very important study and understanding of ecology and natural resource processes. He is also credited with the simple, but profound statement, "When we heal the Earth, we heal ourselves."

No wonder then that Prof. Orr is well suited to write on the importance of ecoliteracy being incorporated into all educational systems for a more balanced perspective of reality.
Contemporary education, Orr says "...emphasizes theories, not values; abstraction rather than consciousness; neat answers instead of questions; and technical efficiency over conscience." (p 8) and, "As a result, after 12 or 16 or 20 years of education, most students graduate without any broad, integrated sense of the unity of things." (p 11)

"This is not an argument against education but rather an argument for the type of education that prepares people for lives and livelihoods suited to a planet with a biosphere that operates by the laws of ecology and thermodynamics." (p 27)

"Intelligence would lead us...to protect biological diversity, but for reasons that go beyond the calculation of self-interest. The surest sign of maturity of intelligence is the evolution of biocentric wisdom, by which I mean the capacity to nurture and shelter life-a fitting standard for a species calling itself homo sapiens." (p52)

"...I propose a different ranking system for colleges based on whether or not the institution and it's graduates move the world in more sustainable directions. Does four years at a particular institution instill knowledge, love, and competence toward the natural world or indifference and ignorance? Are the graduates of this or that college suited for a responsible life on a planet with a biosphere? This is an admittedly difficult, but not impossible, task."

A sense of "biophilia", as the renown sociobiologist, E.O. Wilson has described as that innate feeling of connectedness to a biological world where our roots and sustenance lie, is critical for developing a deep sense of respect and care of our world. Biophilia and it's antithesis, biophobia are well covered in chapter 20.

"We need an ecological concept of citizenship roots in the understanding that activities that erode soils, waste resources, pollute, destroy biological diversity, and degrade the beauty of landscapes are forms of theft from the commonwealth as surely as bank robbery. Ecological vandalism undermines future prosperity and democracy alike." (p 168)
"The first bit of conventional wisdom denies the importance of place and environment in favor of global vandalism masquerading as progress." (p 160)

Indeed, and a deep understanding of natural life-support systems would help mend that twisted perception of reality. David Orr has very well delineated the educational path here to creating graduates with a sense of awe and respect for the fragile, but life-supporting planet they live on.

This is a very important book that should be read by all politicians, educators, and citizens of Earth. David Orr gives clear examples and ideas for making the radical changes we need to undo some of the damage that we have done to the planet. You will be inspired and moved if you read this book.

first off, as promised by the reseller, the book was in great condition.

as for the contents of the book, it's a fantastic read if you are interested in the root of the sustainability movement. that is to say the foundations and meaning of our educational system which as critical public good, is in dire need of a re-examination.

This is much better than the Oracle Documentation. Easier to read and presents the information in a clear and concise manner. If you can't take the Oracle Security class from Oracle Education this is the next best thing. The only thing bad that I could say about this is . . . . Pete Finnigan could of been brought in to get a different perspective.

Buy this book if you haven't already... it's wonderful!

An easy/enjoyable read full of everything you need to know about locking down a 10gDB install!

I'm trying to set up proxy authentication and the book made a lot of assumptions about what I know. The author uses the SCOTT, BLAKE and APP_USER accounts and assumes that we know exactly how these accounts where set up. It would seem that the APP_USER account seems to be the schema owner, or is it the SCOTT and BLAKE accounts. Am I to assume that the SCOTT account is the defualt demo account that is setup by oracle? Being new to high level Oracle security I would have preferred a step-by-step approach to solving my security problems. I noticed that all other reviews where by people that seem to have a handle on this and just needed hints. Even the setting up of an LDAP sever was confusing, we never got it to work and even after following the steps did not get the same things that the author got. Even though I have not been a DBA for too long I have been using Oracle for 20 years now, so I'm not a novice.

Effective Oracle Database 10g Security by Design is sooo helpful.

There is a lot of good info in the Oracle documentation, but David Knox fill in a lot of the blanks.

It would be easy to be secure if all the data were in one room, there were no connections to the outside world (well I guess you have to have power coming in, but that's all), and there were no people who knew the data.

Unfortunately that's not the real world. Breaking the German and Japanese codes during World War II would have been meaningless if that information wasn't used to sink the submarines, divert the convoy, or be ready at Midway.

The situation hasn't changed, but the integral capabilities of the Oracle database itself have. As security has gotten ever more important, the steps you need to take get every more complex. At the same time, the users of your data can't be expected to agree, they have a job to do and if security systems prevent them from doing their job they will find ways to bypass or ignore the security system.

This book can be read on two levels. First it is an excellent primer on security in general. Second it is Oracle centric so that anyone responsible for security on an Oracle based system need go no further.

Note that the Foreward is by David Carey, former Executive Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. It is generally believed that a big contract from the CIA was Oracle's first major success. The implication is that the CIA worked with Oracle to develop the security system discussed here. If the CIA says it's good enough....

I bought this book when it first came out in hard cover. I looked forward to reading it, but was stunned by the very first sentence:

"Columbus sailed due east from the Canary Islands in hopes of reaching Japan." Was he headed to Morocco to begin an overland trek? I think the author meant the sentence to read: "Columbus sailed for the East by heading due west from the Canary Islands in hopes of reaching Japan." Or something like that. This kind of problem right at the start lowers one's confidence in the rest of the book. That this error remains in the paperback version is even more troubling. It is such an obvious error that I find myself wondering if I am missing something. However, every time I check the map, there is a great deal of land east of the Canaries and Japan, and Hispaniola is definitely to the west (West Indies and all that.)

However, the rest of the book is pretty decent. There are lots of good source documents that provide very short selections. The author has gone for quantity versus quality. To know any of these topics seriously, you will have to go much beyond the couple of pages provided on it in this book. This would be a good way to find topics that are of interest to you, however.

It covers everything from Columbus, the founding, the expansion west, the Mormon Exodus, the Civil War, the Wright Brothers, Henry Ford, the World Wars, Kennedy's assassination, a very strange way of presenting Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech through by providing an excerpt from James Reston's news article, Vietnam, the moon landing, through AIDS and email. There is a lot more material than I can list here, but you get the drift.

This can be a useful book to read and discuss an excerpt at a time with your children and to help clarify their geographic orientation about East and West.

Reading this book was a treat. Reading first-hand accounts of incidents will give you a picture of how things really were. Notice the chapter on "A Mob Confronts A Stamp Collector". This made me feel like I was seeing exactly what happened. The book can be read from any chapter all of which are independent of one another. One caveat. Make sure you have a weekend to spare because once you get into the text it's goodbye everything else. Excellent history.

I had the unique opportunity to meet Mr. Colbert while working at a TV show. Much like himself, the book is incredibly insiteful into many of the events that shaped this great land. As a New Yorker, I especially enjoyed the description of a late 19th century deli, you could taste the Corned beef!!! When you finish this book you will see a view of American history that the text books you used in school never tried to show. Only Mr. Colbert brings together the first-hand accounts of the Challenger disaster and Curt Flood's personal battles as well as the thoughts of a witness to President Lincoln slipping away after the shooting in Fords theater. I highly recomend this book to all Americans and I (like Charles Kuralt) have kept it and referenced it in many an undertaking. Keep up the good work David, and I made sure that the cameras were kind to you.

What I loved about this particular book is that there isn't a historian in sight - nobody is writing it from the subjective slant of 50 (or 500) years' time - the accounts presented are from the diaries, letters and articles written by the people who actually took part in the events - a person on Columbus' crew, John Adams, the seconds at the Burr/Hamilton duel, etc. Spanning the time from Columbus through Bill Gates and email, this is a sprawling volume, split into short essays that are easy to read and not overwhelming on the eye. What it does best is interest you in a story so that you want to investigate further by reading book-length discussions. Of particular interest were the two wildly diverging viewpoints on Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, and how not all who heard it were enthralled at the time. Very clever use of the form.

In addition to being a great collection of primary sources, this book is also incredibly entertaining. Only read this book if you want full absorption. The book would be better if the passages were longer, though!

This book is an awesome book. I remember reading Famous Monsters of Filmland back in the 60s. The quality printing of this book is incredible. I love that they had printed a hard bound version. It's well worth the money. The color of the paintings pop right of the page.

this book is great.Very happy to included this one in my collection.Already have a tattoo planed of bride of frankenstein.

I'm in agreement with another reviewer that mentioned the book could have been better written. That being said, it is well worth the price for all the fantastic paintings and drawings. A must for every fan of horror and sci-fi art.

Even without text, this book would've earned 4 stars, just for the impressiveness of Gogos' work. Within this book are large, crystal-clear repros of his most famous monster cover paintings, as well as samples of his illustration work.
The only setback for this book is its lack of depth in the text. It seems that whoever was sent to interview Basil didn't ask too many questions, didn't want to really know too much about him except for his general acheivements, and didn't ask him for a demonstration of how he works. Among all of the great pics, some candid ones of the artist would've been nice, most notably a pic of his studio.
Still, the images are so rich in color and character. Worth it!

First of all...Like so many reviewers before me have said; almost every boy that grew up in the '50s & '60s anxiously collected our 35 cents every month so we could go to the local candy store & buy the latest issue of Famous Monsters of Filmland. This magazine became our bible & 4E Ackerman became our surrogate father. More than 45 years have passed; but I can still remember those magnificent covers as though it were yesterday. Basil Gogos painted the cover of the Gorgo issue which had a blue background & also the Vincent Price issue which had a white background,etc. This Book displays all of Basil Gogos outstanding cover art which graced the cover of FM for so many years. Don't take my word for it...ask Stephen King, Rick Baker, George Lucas, Stephen Spielberg, John Landis, Rob Zombie & a host of others..This book is an absolute delight for the senses & like fine art is meant to be treasured,

I personally find this book to be the best book i have ever read in my entire life. I'm pretty picky about what i read, but this is so spectacular and the writing is incredible! It's better than Warriors, better than Avalon, better than anything and everything. I read this book in only 3 days because it was so good. It's 498 pages long, but it goes fast. It has such a rich and vivid plot and each chapter is full of mystery. It would be good for a book report because, even after you read this long book, you still remember everything about as if you just started to read it.

It takes place in Scotland during the time of Norse Raiding (FYI)

One of my favourite books - if not my favourite!

I adored reading this book. The first time I read it I was gripped from start to finish. I recommended it to my friend and she too fell in love, stating it'd had been while since a story had her so excited. As an animator, she mused the idea of this being another 'Lion King'. We really wish someone at Disney would read 'Fire Bringer'! Though this deer story is far edgier then your average 'Bambi'.

i loved this book!!! it was so creative and i could never put it down!!!

I have read through the novel The Sight, which touched my heart and left me almost crying at the end. Then I decided, mostly from reviews saying it was even better than The Sight. But when I actually read David Clement-Davies earlier animal fiction novel, Fire Bringer, I was left with a letdown.
Many plot twists were expected, while one was plain morbid. Unlike The Sights' deaths, Fire Bringers' deaths were sudden, leaving me angry. Another thing in Fire Bringer was the prophecy. One of the lines was "Sacrifice shall be his meaning." Rannoch, the Larry-Stu main character, never sacrificed anything at all. I guess Clement-Davies' work will just get better with experience.
Despite the good reviews, I would advise people to read The Sight instead of Fire Bringer. Though some parts were gripping, most were dragged out.

The term 'instant classic' is over-used, but here is a truly worthy candidate for that honorific. The author takes elements of the Arthurian legend, the myth of Prometheus, the story of Moses, and the life of Christ, and blends them into a can't-put-it-down adventure/quest novel that is appropriate for children from 9 to 109. David Clement-Davies also takes Mary Shelley's thesis from 'Frankenstein' and boldly restates it: science and reason, without love and soul, become dangerous. Is this also an allegory of World War II, as some people feel is 'The Lord of the Rings'? That case could be made as well.

Some will say this is a copy or knock-off of 'Watership Down'. I see it as an upgrade, even though I loved 'Watership Down'. But, even without all of the possible deeper meaning to it, this book is a well-crafted emotional roller-coaster with well-written characters. It remembers what Hollywood often forgets - a good story doesn't have to have a completely happy ending. When the movie is made (Bet on it!), I hope that it isn't softened and instead retains the tragic beauty of this wonderful work. If you understand the etymology of the term 'masterpiece' you will recognize this book as fitting into that category. I hope that this is just the beginning of a long line of books from David Clement-Davies.

I would reccommend this book to anyone concerned about the environment, both physical and socio-economic. It is eye-opening. What is especially valuable is that the book empowers the reader.

I read this book because I am a fan of David Rippe's writing, and I was told this would be a good book for me to read, because right now I am living an "upside down" life. I'm not much into reading self help books, which I thought this book was but I thought I would give it a try. I personally don't think this is a self help book. This is a book that doesn't tell you what you have to do to change your world, it is a book that gives you choices on how you can change your world. You can either to choose to live in a world where everything is chaotic and out of control. You can choose to continue to walk through life as a robot settling for what you have or have been given, or you can choose to change those things and live in a more harmonious life and making decisions...choices for yourself.

This book takes you through everything from your thinking, emotions, entertainment, the way we eat and the medications we take, politics, war, religion etc....In every chapter there are several interviews with well known celebrities, leaders, writers, investment advisors, doctor's and so forth. Also you are given those choices you can make to live in an up-right world.

After reading this book I have chosen to flip my life around and live in an up-right world and will take what I have learned from the book to make that happen. It might not happen over night but it will happen. I definitely recommend this book to anyone living in and upside down world. You will not regret it. In fact you will want to thank both David Rippe and Jared Rosen for helping to change your life.

I found this book to be one of the best I've read. It puts so many things into perspective as we go through these changing times.

I'm buying this for my mom and sisters!

Again, it's awesome!!!!

Kathy
Spokane, WA

Like a friend who says, "Let's go for a walk," this engaging book persuades with a conversational ease, inviting you to walk through gardens you think you know so well. You are given simple facts and numbers, without any strident rhetoric. And you are startled by the leaves and petals you just now really see, in such clear light.

THE FLIP persuades because it resonates with what you know deep within to be true, but unrealized because you think them distant, perhaps irrelevant.

Before you know it, you have traversed from your little room, explored issues such as the sustainability of our world, and returned to face the metaphysical questions of your life and values- and all these, while on an easy stroll with a new friend.

As you move from garden to garden, THE FLIP stops at bridges where you meet fascinating people who tell you of their choices. The book has a spare, consistent chapter layout, giving you a web link to explore the topic yourself, and offering a quick list of practical actions.

What do you do with those precious six free hours you have of the daily twenty-four? Look at a leaf, and you see the world. Look at the choices made, and you see the values held.

This book begins, and leaves you with a softly spoken challenge: what choices do you make?

THE FLIP provides visionary wisdom for a new world, offering a chatty guide which rebels against materialism and offers 'Flip Tips' for making spiritual, physical and environment-sustaining changes for work, home life, entertainment and more. If you wish to follow a 'greener' route, THE FLIP is for you, offering insights from a range of disciplines and writers, from political and social change to flipping channels, burgers, values and more.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

O'Connell's true crime novel Fourteen is a definite must read. From setting the mood of the late 1960's to the relationships of all the parties involved this book is packed with page turning details of this horrific crime. O'Connell follows the Stukel family from the time of the murder till present day and with grace and dignity and finally lets them have a voice. He also gives key insight into the family history of the two killers and also other key players in the trial to follow. Packed with insight O'Connell definitively did his homework!

A wonderfully written and enthralling book. I went through a myriad of emotions while taken through this absorbing story. Mr. O'Connell is a gifted writer.

I couldn't put this book down.

Bill O'Connell has crafted a well written, compelling account of an old murder which made as little sense when it was committed in 1968 as it does today. Meticulously and thoroughly researched, this book details the crime without being overly judgemental about the perpetrators - a difficult thing to do - and lets the reader form his/her own opinions about them. The other reviews describe the book well; I won't attempt to copy them. "Enjoyable" might not be the best work to describe the story - I'll fall back on "compelling" again. All I can add is that I couldn't put it down.

Perhaps it's because I began my teaching career at Joliet East High School. Then again, perhaps it's because I taught mostly freshmen. For whatever reason, I can hardly bare to look at the face of David Stukel on this book's cover. Freshman boys were an interesting lot. Some were men-in-the-making with peach fuzz above their lip, and heads that turned at any girl that might pass by. Others were still little boys, small in stature and a bit uncomfortable with the transition from eighth grade. After school, theirs was still a life of bicycles and play. The descriptive narrative used to describe David Stukel painted a picture of one such "little boy." Further details brought to life this freckle-faced young boy whose ears had yet to grow into his face. The telling of the murder brought 1968 into my living room. Without missing a detail, Bill O'Connell breathed life into the murder and its aftermath. I could see and feel David's fear. I could feel his confusion when asked to comply with demands foreign to him. I could feel his insides cringe as foul, "bad" curse words met his ears. He was a fighter without training or gloves in an arena without bounds.I could feel his defenselessness in the foreign world of bullies, vile language and the desire to harm. I could feel his horror. Through the expertise of a gifted writer, Bill O'Connell brought David into my home. His expert writing forced me to look into David's eyes. His writing enabled me to hear David silently mouth, "Help."

For anyone who has children, this book is an eye-opener to the world of bullies. For anyone who values justice, this book portrays the disappointment of a broken legal system. For anyone who wonders about the impact of family life on the future of a child, this book reveals the ugly truth. Fourteen by Bill O'Connell is a page-turner, a heart breaker and a must-read.

A small Midwestern town, a quiet farming area, made up of multi-cultural, working middle class families in the late 60's. When one weekday afternoon as people headed to the comfort and protection of their own homes, an unspeakable horror occurred, at the back steps of what was considered then, a safe place. Bill has done an excellent job bringing all the facts and players into clear view. I could not put it down once I started reading it. These events changed not only the lives of those closest to it, but everyone in that community. Thanks Bill for attentively putting together all the facts, faces, places, and stories and doing it with grace and thoughtfulness. Even for someone opposed to violence, this book is a must read. The tale that it tells puts a light on evils that might lurk in your own backyard.

The last review that I did on George Orwell's work was Homage to Catalonia, his compelling story of his involvement in a Party of Marxist Unification (POUM) left-wing militia regiment in the Spanish Civil War. I noted there that this is the Orwell that today's militant leftists need to read. The current compilation of articles that he did during World War II and shortly thereafter are not in that same category although they are, as always with Orwell, well worth reading. No matter the subject matter of the articles they conform to the points that he made in Politics and the English Language about using precise, clear and rational political language. Unfortunately, at the time of the Tribune writings Orwell had already made his peace, even if critically, with British imperialism. This is obvious from the subject matter of some of the articles, particularly those in defense of holding on to the old empire or at least its prerogatives. The articles themselves vary from the topical and mundane under war time conditions to the speculative but as always written in a bit of a tongue and cheek manner. That said, although Orwell by this time was an anti-Stalinist socialist of some sort he preferred to outsource the fight against Stalinism to world imperialism. Apparently, as the recent furor over his naming names of British communists to British intelligence indicates, he had no such qualms about doing so. Certainly this was not his finest hour. He left that in Spain.

Sorry for the prank in the headline, it is not a comment on Orwell but a quote from the book, from the essay 'The English People', written in 44, but published later. Orwell tries to characterize the English. I would never have dared to write that myself.
This is volume 3 of 4, and the first that I give 5 stars. It is less uneven, less self-contradictory, probably more honest than the previous 2. GO had grown up, I assume. The bulk of the book are his leaders under the name that the collection carries: As I please. He comments on events of the time, and does it with lasting interest.
I don't want to repeat my friend Jim Egolf's summary of the book, nor his assessment of its historical value. All true.
But Jim left out an important subject that Orwell also included, and that I want to bring to your attention. The fact is that GO was an impossible romantic about England. He honestly thought that there was merit in English cooking! One essay is called: In Defence of English Cooking.
He lists a few items that we are supposed to accept as proof of his odd point of view. Believe it or not, one of the items which supposedly prove the high standard of English cooking are English apples. I rest my case.
'It is not a law of nature that every restaurant in England is either foreign or bad.' Written 1945. My regular visits in recent years, all in basically friendly intention, make me conclude: if anything changed, then for the worse, because now even many of the foreign restaurants are bad.
Dui bu qi.

I don't know if George Orwell is the best writer this century has produced, but he is among the most decent human beings who was also an extremely talented writer. And that decency, that honesty and sense of fair play come through loud and clear through this wonderful mix of editorial pieces and personal letters. It does not matter whether he is writing about the Socialist movement, the Monarchy, the manner in which Americans were treated in England during WWII, the English language, writing, colonialism, nationalism, anti-Semitism, or how to make a proper cup of tea, his honesty is ever-present. For he wrote these essays (I think) because although "emotional urges which are inescapable, and are perhaps even necessary to political action, [they] should be able to exist side-by-side with reality. But this requires a moral effort." If you are prepared to make such a moral effort-or simply want to spend a few nights with a truly wonderful human being and gifted writer, I highly recommend this book.

George Orwell' (1903-1950)anthology titled AS I PLEASE is an interesting collection of his careful literary criticism and political insights which were much more often right than wrong. Readers can learn so much about not only the situation and conditions in Great Britian between 1943 and 1945, they can learn much about the international situtation and Orwell's complete disillusionment with the "Left" both in Great Britain and in Europe.

This reviewer thinks that Orwell's literary criticism of Arthur Koestler is the best article of literary criticism. Orwell focused on Koester's DARKNESS AT NOON which Orwell thought was Koestler's best work. Orwell argued that Koestler was a supporter of the "Left" during the Spanish Civil War and was arrested and faced the prospect of being shot. Koeslter escaped but had to know how the Stalinists betrayed the Spanish Left during the Spanish Civil War. Koestler was a member of the Hungarian Communist Party, knew of the Stalinist purges of Lenin's Bolsheviks, and saw a repeat of all this in Spain.

Orwell also had intelligent commentary of literature and humor. Orwell stated that good humor had all but disappeared in Great Britian because of political and religious sensitivity. Orwell stated that the best comedy was that which attacked hypocrisy and pretensioness. Orwell cited Aristophanes, Rabelais, Shakespear,Voltaire, etc. who did not hestitate to mock and write comedy of the self righteous and "high and mighty." Orwell was bothered by the fact that such humor almost disappeared from English litature during his life time. An interesting aside is that Orwell complimented Hillaire Belloc and G.K. Chesterton for their humor. Orwell was critical of both in some of the other essays in this anthology.

Orwell not only wrote good literary criticism, he wrote solid political commentary. Readers can see the beginnings of his best known novels-ANIMAL FARM and 1984. Orwell's comments on ill feeling between British and American troops. Orwell stated that since American troops were paid at least five times as much as British troops, social divisions and hard feelings were almost inevitable. Orwell also commented that many American troops refused to admit that British casualties were larger than American casualties which indeed they were.

Orwell's best political commentary dealt with such concepts as Fascism, Pacifism, the Trotskyites, the Stalinists, etc. Orwell's major criticism of the "Leftists" was that because they were anti-Fascist, they would not become anti-totalitarian because of refusal to oppose the Stalinists and Big Communism and its obvious record of mass murder and concentration camp brutality. Orwell makes hash out of the accusation that the Internatianl Jews heavilty subsidized Britian's Trotskyites. Orwell commented if that were true, one had to ask why Trotsky's supporters were always so poor. Orwell accused much of the "Left" of refusing to accept facts and assessments of World War II. For example, many of the British and American leftists commented that the Soviet Union was an example of the biblical inscription that the meek shall inherit the earth. Orwell noted that those who made this remark obviously had not read Soviet anti-German propaganda which was full of hatred and violent vengence. Orwell also noted that the Left expected British military failure while extolling Soviet victories during World War II.

Orwell also expressed serious concern over the distortions and falsification of history. For example, both the "Allies" and "Axis" claimed victory when their was defeat. Casualty figures were distorted as were events. What was worse was the description of non-events or events that never occured. Orwell commented that the Leftists never wrote a word about the SovietGerman "Non-Aggression Pact" which was negotiated in 1939 with the secret protocol of the Soviets and Germans to invade Poland.

Orwell made comments that his novel titled ANIMAL FARM was censored or kept from publication because of British concerns of offending their Soviet "allies." Little did Orwell know that this novel would be a best seller after he died. Orwell can also see the outlines of his 1984 in this collection of essays.

One development that concerned Orwell toward the end of World War II was the emerging anti-Semitism in Great Britain and to a lesser degree in the United States. Orwell was clear that accusations and slurs agains Jewish people were patently false. Yet, Orwell was clear that facts and reason were of no avail to many because they were immune to knowledge and reasoned thinking. Orwell attributed much to a weakened Great Britain at the end of World War II, and the British Empire would soon be dismantled. Orwell argued that nationalism and the fear of the loss of Empire incited anti-Semitism among people who would otherwise not fall for such nonsense.

While Orwell was wrong in some of his earlier predictions, he was honest enough to admit this and explained why which something most "intellectuals" are loathe to do. If Orwell had lived another 50 years, he would know that his important predictions came true. This reviewer was pleased to see Orwell admit he was wrong as this showed a degree of honesty that is sadly lacking.

This reviewer did not like the format of the book. As this reviewer stated elsewhere, the book should have been arranged by topic rather than by chronology. However, this is a matter of taste. This reviewer strongly recommends this anthology which is part of a four volume set of Orwell's thought. This is yet another excellent collection of Orwell's great writing.

It is a pleasure to read Orwell. I think that there are two major reasons for this. Stylistically he an exceptionally clear writer. His work has a quiet elegance. Secondly, he is a writer who says meaningful things. Whatever subject he writes about he writes about not only with knowledge but with real ' sense'.
In this third volume of his collected essays, jouralisms, and letters there are a number of outstanding longer pieces, including those on 'The English People' 'Notes on Nationalism' and 'Anti- Semitism'
He is an excellent letter writer and I especially enjoyed his insights into literature. His remarks on Conrad and Koestler and European as opposed to British Literature are sensible and insightful.
All through this work there are scattered gems of humane perception.