Francis Books

Young Snowflower lives with her grandmother, Dame Frostyface, in a little cottage at the edge of a forest. The two are very poor, and own only a cat, two hens, a bed of dried grass, and one good piece of furniture: "a great armchair with wheels on its feet, a black velvet cushion, and many curious carvings of flowers and fawns on its dark oaken back."

One day, Dame Frostyface leaves to visit her aunt, and asks Snowflower to remain behind. She tells the girl that the fancy armchair was made by a cunning fairy, and that it is enchanted. If Snowflower should feel lonely, she should lay her head gently on the cushion of the armchair and say, "Chair of my grandmother, tell me a story. Should Snowflower have the occasion to travel, she should sit in the chair and say, "Chair of my grandmother, take me such a way."

After an interval of solitude, Snowflower's food stores are nearly depleted, so she decides to travel in the armchair along the same path her grandmother took. While journeying, she hears that King Winwealth plans to give a seven day feast to celebrate the birth of his only daughter, Princess Greedalind. Snowflower, who is quite hungry, wishes to share in the feast, and travels to the palace in the enchanted armchair.

Since the disappearance of his brother, Prince Wisewit, King Winwealth has been an unhappy ruler, especially since his marriage to the covetous and disagreeable Queen Wantall and the birth of their unpleasant child. The King's low spirits prompt his favorite page to suggest that Snowflower's chair might provide some diversion, so she and the chair are summoned to the banquet each evening to entertain the king.

Each evening, the chair tells a different story until a total of seven stories are told: "The Christmas Cuckoo", "The Lords of the White and Grey Castles", "The Greedy Shepard", "The Story of Fairyfoot", "The Story of Childe Charity", "Sour and Civil", and "The Story of Merrymind". As each consecutive evening passes, the king's depression lifts and Snowflower's situation improves, until all of the stories end happily together.

This wonderful collection of creative and pleasing stories will entertain fairytale enthusiasts of all ages.

Frances Browne, the author of this enchanting and original collection of fairy tales lived between 1816 and 1879. She was blinded by smallpox when she was a baby and so all of the vivid descriptions in this charming book are from her own memory of the tales that she heard as a child and from her colorful imagination. In 1904 Frances Hodgson Burnett wrote an introduction for a new edition of the book because as a little child she had won a copy of it as a prize for good behavior in school. It became her favorite book but was lost to her over the years. She searched high and low for it and it eventually surfaced in Boston and again in a second hand shop in London. This edition contains the introduction by Burnett that is certainly an added treat. It is brilliantly illustrated by Switzerland's Gisele Rime with her characteristic bright colors and whimsical decorative borders. Unlike other collections of fairy tales these are completely original and bring us new characters and plots with gentle moral lessons. The fame of Frances Browne may not approach the Grimms or Andersen but the beauty and cleverness of her tales will enchant and delight you just the same. Curl up in Granny's wonderful chair, snuggle close and follow the stories of Fairyfoot and Childe Charity, Prince Wisewit and Merry Mind. Meet the Lords of the White and Grey Castles. This is a grand experience not just a good book.

Do you remember visiting Grandma as a child? Perhaps snuggling into her favorite chair when you were too tired to possibly do anything else? Do you recall the comfort, the smell, the feel, the total release of 'Grandma's' chair? This was one my of favorite 'escape' books as a child. I would curl up in 'Granny's Wonderful Chair' and be transported to many a wonderous place. I have searched for many years for this title, and was so excited to see it unearthed for republishing! We will be reading it aloud as a family now. Granny's Wonderful Chair is a great addition not only to your library, but to you and your children's memory's as well!

If you want to discover the magical fountain of scientific life, you have three main options: (1) read Galileo Galilei, (2) read René Descartes, or (3) read Francis Bacon. The last is of an unbelievable richness of thought and discourse. All the wonderful rhetoric of Early Modern Age is there, with hints of a whole New World. Science as Faith, and Reason as Magic: something that we have, in the course of the centuries, forgotten. An outline for a revolution, with many of its promises accomplished or in the making. Some nightmares too.

In depth and fascinating account of Bacon's revolutionary thinking bringing his contempories into a new world view.

Like the New Atlantis this is a great look into the philosophy of Francis Bacon.

The chapters are short and to the point. The book will not make a person fall asleep. Very informative and interesting. Includes case studies of different techniques used with different populations.

Malchiodi's book has a wide range of topics regarding the practice of Art Therapy. It has information ranging from art based evaluations to the practice with various populations to ethical issues in our field.

As a recent counseling graduate (PhD), I was always put off by the art therapy books on the market. They were all so poorly written and talked about antiquated theories of counseling and therapy. Now, finally there is a wonderfully readable text and I am glad to have found it as I begin work with clients. This book is for anyone who is interested in using art in their work with adults, children, adolescents, and groups-- there are helpful chapters on trauma, medical issues, autism, ADHD, etc. There are also sections on art therapy assessments that are very well written and concise.

This is the state-of-the-art art therapy book for your counseling, psychology, or art therapy library. Also, if you are a beginner, see Malchiodi's Art Therapy Sourcebook, another readable volume.

I have not read this book, but I just finished reading an academic paper written by Mr. Gray, whose subject is F.A. Hayek. Based on this paper alone, I recommend anything Mr. Gray writes. His analysis is subtle, comprehensive, penetrating, and unassuming. It is a pleasure learning from Mr. Gray. Here is a link, if this is permitted, to the paper I refer to above: http://www.econlib.org/library/Essays/LtrLbrty/gryHRC.html

Friedrich von Hayek has had perhaps the most profound impact of any political theorist in the last half-century. John Gray's book is a superb analysis of his ideas. Where other studies can be confusing or convoluted, Gray's always maintains its ability to lucidly recreate Hayek's arguments from their intellectual roots upwards.

Understanding the intellectual foundations of Hayek's work, can be a minefield of inaccessible terms and confusing statements. Thanks to John Gray, however, these matters are clearly and intelligently explained. The result is that the reader is provided with a rich insight into how Hayek's political economy functions. More than just a critique of socialism, Hayek's thought is also a profound intellectual statement combining the epistemological insights of Hume with Kant's categorical imperative. An understanding of its philosophical basis allows a fertile gaze into the prism that is Hayek's thought. Only Gray explains these aspects of his writngs clearly.

"Hayek on Liberty" is, moreover, refreshingly objective, despite the controversy which Hayek's ideas generate. Gray seeks to explain rather than to refute or praise. The reader can therefore take the insights Gray offers in a number of directions. Although Gray clearly admires Hayek, he does not feel the need to indulge in the monotonous hero-worship to which we have become accustomed. There is much to be found here for Hayek's critics too. Especially since it is doubtful that Hayek's use of Hume does not undermine many of his more positive political statements.

Gray's work is thus an invaluable guide to one of the Twentieth Century's intellectual icons. One only has to observe the saint-like worship Hayek has received in recent months, surrounding the centenery of his birth, to appreciate that his legacy is an ongoing phenomenon of global proportions. Academic, student, and interested observer will find Gray's study immensely helpful as a platform for approaching more general disussions of Hayek's ideas, of which many fine examples now exist. Anyone attempting a detailed appreciation of Hayek should thus keep Gray beside them at all times.

The shear volume of work completed by Hayek over a publishing career that marked more than fifty years makes it quite difficult to grasp the interlocking system of ideas he advocated. Gray has done an exceptional job of synthesizing this work. He presents the philosophical roots of Hayek's thought, the unique 20th century context in which Hayek's ideas competed with others, and a magnificent critique that anyone interested in Hayek should study.

Essentially, Gray reduces Hayek's contribution to that of a critic of socialism. Hayek's assertion that socialized central planning was an "epistemological impossibility," while historically evident, provides an inadequate justification for the 19th century form of capitalism Hayek advocated. The post-communist 21st century must deal with competing capitalisms, not rigid centrally planned economies, and Gray considers Hayek inadequate on this score.

Gray believes that Hayek missed an essential aspect of free market capitalism, that is, the power of progress. Free markets demand change, even change for change's sake, and the metaphor of a "spontaneous social order" arising in some sort of social evolution is not adequate to provide support for the traditional values and institutions for which Hayek had regard. Personal autonomy will always present a danger to social cohesion. In Gray's view, the free market advocated by Hayek prefers the former to the latter.

To Gray this weakness in Hayek's thought is fatal, and I tend to agree.

I am Balinese, have a restaurant and love food. I especially love Thai food.

The recipes in this book are excellent and have obviously all been tested by the author. Follow them and you will not be disappointed.

The presentation is clear at all times and the photographs are superb.

Partcularly helpful are a couple of pages on which wines best accompany Thai food - and they are not those that you would immediately think of. The explanations are interesting and illuminating.

I would recommend this book to restaurant owners, as well as people cooking at home for a few friends.

very tasty. quite healthy. many recipes are quick and easy, too. some ingredients are a little tough to get, but easily substituted. gorgeous pictures.

This book has delicous recipes which are easy to follow (with color pictures of most dishes). The dishes taste like delicous restaurant-grade food and are healthy and easy to prepare.

What great story!... I was taken places no one dare go. As a young person, I never had to deal with war and the faces of war. Like me, the readers will find themselves right in the middle of it war with all it's force, fear and gallantry. Mr. Pinn also reveals an Infantry mans view of histroy and troubled times. For those of you who may be wanting to know more about war, ... you must read this book. Mr. Pinn represents your husbands, your sons and all those who may be called to serve. As fearful as it was it also contained a lot of lighter moments. Funny stories and amazing encounters. A must read!

I am the son of Lionel "Choo Choo" Pinn and I am very honored by that distinction. Knowing my Dad as well as I did, I know he would be satisfied with this book and I am very happy to recommend it. It does a great job at sharing a little bit about a remarkable life. Reading the stories was like hearing him tell the stories. All my life I have been fortunate to get a glimpse into the world of my Dad. He did not share a whole lot when I was younger but as I got older he did finally begin to start telling the stories and I am glad I was there to hear them.

The book will weave you through three different wars (WWII, Korea and Vietnam) and his first hand account of the events of those conflicts, the big picture of the planning and strategies of war as well as the view point from the fox-hole. Dad was also on special assignment in Grenada in the early 1980's and traveled the world over in support of his MIA/POW comrades. At the age of 68 he tried his best to get to Desert Storm but was denied the opportunity. This book will also introduce you to some one-of-a-kind moments and people. These are "backs against the wall" kinds of situations that will never leave your memory. Chief Red Hawk, as he was know by his tribe, was also extremely proud of his Native American heritage and felt strongly that it was through those roots that he was able to survive all that he did. 9 Purple Hearts, the Silver and Bronze Stars, Distinguish Service Cross and Master Parachutist were just a few of the honors he worn over his heart but the one that he was most proud of, the one that he presented at the Vietnam Memorial Wall, the one he had in his pocket the day I buried him at Arlington National Cemetery was the "Combat Infantry Badge" (CIB) with 2 Stars. To stand in the rarified air of a warrior who gave it all in three different wars had deeper meaning than anything else in his career.

Unfortunately his death in 1999 would never allow him the opportunity to see his finished product however; the stories live on in the book and hearts of all of us who knew him. He once told me as he approached the end of his life that "I was able to survive all these gun shots and hand-grenades because I could get my hands on them but I can't reach this damn cancer and that's got me worried." Co-author Frank Sikora does an outstanding job at letting that story be told.

Like my Dad's life, the only thing I regret about the book is that it was far too short. For those of you who have served and carried the torch of freedom for our country, I promise you will not be disappointed. For those of you who want to know more about this man and his life, beyond the book, please let me know, I would be happy to share!

Lionel Pinn, Jr.
Littleeagle9@hotmail.com

Once in a while a great man walks into our lives; a man whose very persona is exemplified in his very stare. One such man was Lionel Pinn. Master Sergeant Pinn served in not one, not two, not three, but four different combat areanas. WWII, Korea, Laos and Vietnam saw Mr. Pinn, or Choo-Choo as he was known to many, fight and overcome the enemy. In three different combat theaters Pinny was taken prisoner, and escaped each time. He met and knew Jacki Kennedy, drank whiskey with Ira Hayes-the native American Indian who was one of the infantrymen immortalized in the depiction of the flag raising at Iwo Jima, and worked security for Frank Sinatra. Lionel was half Micmac and half Osage Indian, and more importantly an American.

I was fortunate enough to know Lionel, and sat with him at his home on occassion listening to him talk about the weather and the "three old maids" building a house next to his. Never did he discuss his combat missions or time served in the military with me; never did I ask questions. I have known several war veterans, and knew better than to broach the subject--besides, I just enjoyed Lionel's company, and as he remarked in his book, "I don't discuss war with those that never fought. They don't understand."

Oftentimes, I remarked to my wife that I regretted not asking Lionel if I could take a tape recorder with me to interview him. Fortunately for us all a reporter had enough foresight to do that very thing. I recently finished the book published about this little known American icon, Hear the Bugles Calling (My Three Wars as a Combat Infantryman). Lionel was the recipient of three combat infantryman badges, and two silver stars abrazoned the metals on the blue ribbon. Lionel recently died of Leukemia in 1999, the result of being present in Nevada for the witnessing of four atomic bomb detonations.

His is a story for anyone interested in courage. I'm lucky to have called him friend.........

This dictionary is an old standard, and still very helpful. It is organized by roots. This means that all words are listed under the consonantal root (usually three consonants), regardless of what additional consonants or vowels have been added at the beginning or elsewhere. When I was a beginner in Hebrew, I found this system difficult to follow. However, with practice I started to get used to which roots lost their first consonant in derived or conjugated forms, and which ones had unstable second and third consonants. Now I can use this dictionary without much difficulty.

If you are a beginner in Hebrew, this dictionary is definitely a good one to plan to get, but you would be better served initially by A Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament: Based upon the Lexical Work of Ludwig Koehler and Walter Baumgartner. This dictionary organizes words alphabetically rather than by roots, a feature which saves beginners a lot of frustration. As you progress, you should also consider getting a much more recent comprehensive lexicon of Biblical Hebrew, The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament, 2 volume set. This dictionary is based on much more recent scholarship that Brown-Driver-Briggs, but it is considerably more expensive, so BDB is an economical choice for good, if not cutting edge, scholarship. In case it matters to you, the edition I am reviewing here is the one without Strong's numbers. I have no interest in Strong's numbers, but if you find them helpful, take a look at this edition of BDB: Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon.

Why a lexicon? "In the beginning was the WORD." Word usage is enormously helpful to Biblical understanding. H.W.F. Gesenius (mid 1800's) is acclaimed as the Noah Webster of Old Testament Hebrew lexicons (dictionary). He brings to the Old Testament a wonderful blend of Christian/Jewish background and insight. Be sure to note not only the word you are looking up, but also the words that surround it, for they too often lend very interesting and even uncanny insight (divine providence).

This is a great Hebrew lexicon with detailed entries with references to the other semitic languages such as Aramaic, Arabic, Syriac, and Ethiopic. In fact, it even has a biblical Aramaic lexicon as an appendix.

Melanie Gilbert & Snip Francis have created something Great!
The Happy Book made us look now it seems we can't wait.
This book has no competition,
Just melody and repetition.
Open it up and you will see,
what Glenwood students saw with me.
They saw stars and they saw light,
and they saw hope peer through the night.
They saw pictures they saw rhythum...
"Snip & Gilbert" know what to give them.
Books with looks and lots of hooks,
instead of rapps with Gangsters and crooks.
From the school yard to the stable they read books happy books.
That's what kids really need...One great book many great deeds.
They listened closely as Gilbert recited "The ENTIRE Book!"
the children ignited!
It made them happy it made them elated,
with each page she read they anticipated.
A book that's written with an ancient depth,
Like poetry it set us free.
Watch out now! Watch Out! Mother Goose,
"The Happy Book" has just got loose.

Yes the "Hey Look! Happy Book" really made boys and girls at Glenwood School perk up and listen the other day. From the 2nd grader to the 8th grader this book and it's authors (Gilbert & Francis) made a diversified group of kids get mesmerized by the contents. The book is also color filled. Perfect for Glenwood students who are a well mixed group of children from Hispanic, Black and White communities all over the Chicagoland suburbs.

The book is limitless with no boundaries that could even prevent a well seasoned college educated nursery rhyme veteran like me from not perking up and reading. I highly recommend it and give it 8 ******** Stars.

This book is totally cool! I bought this book for my 6 yr. old son who just became a new big brother. The Happy Book made him feel special even with a new baby in the house. The puppets in the back kept him busy...2 big thumbs up from a grateful dad.

I had the opportunity to meet the authors at a book signing a few months ago. They are a joy to be with, totally energetic and love kids. "The Happy Book" is a reflection of their attitudes. The book has paper puppets you cut out, and they each match a certain item on each page of the book. As you read, your child finds the puppet that matches, which they (oddly) never tire of. Fun and uplifting for parent and child.

I picked it up in a box full of books at a yard sale, and found it fascinating. I suppose it's out of print but if you can get a used one it's worth reading. Words and pictures describe a very fashionable 19th century London cemetery. Highgate was London's most fashionable cemetery for most of a century, and then was mostly forgotten as weeds and vines overtook it. More recently a group of "Friends of Highgate" have been clearing away the tangled vegetation and revealing the ornate monuments and intriguing sculptures. The original management kept detailed records of who is buried where. Besides for the expensive area with it's stone carvings much of Highgate is common folks, average age only thirty something, indicative of the hardships of the working class. The last half the book is photos of monuments, lions, horses, angels, cherubs, a lamb, and a faithful do keep eternal watch over master's grave.

I have always wanted to visit Highgate, but economics keep me at home. There is a nice history of the cemetery and a it is wonderfully illustrated. If you are into cemeteries, Highgate is The Victorian Vallhalla and it amazes me that it is out of print. Wouldn't The Friends of Highgate make a couple bucks selling copies? There are graves I would have liked to have seen pictures of that aren't in it, Elizabeth Siddal for instance, but there are wonderful stories about the people who are there.

I was surprised, when struck with curiosity about Highgate Cemetery, that there was so little information available about this beautiful and fascinating landmark. I managed to find this photographic study of the cemetery through my library. What a shame that it's no longer in print. (I believe it WAS in print in the UK until not so long ago, but last time I checked Amazon UK it wasn't there). Beautiful, well done photos, a record of a time when death was common and loved ones were remembered with spectacular display and tender words. Many of the photos were taken prior to the vandalism that occurred there in the 60's and 70's, so this may be one of the few records of how the place appeared before then. I highly recommend anyone to seek this out through an interlibrary loan.

As the author says in the preface, this book "deals with human experiences in the Sierra Nevada from the time the Spaniards first saw it in the latter part of the eighteenth century to the present, when its economic and recreational uses serve several million people." Chapters are numerous, concise, and specific to event or persons, and include sections on the early Indians, Jedediah Smith, Joseph Walker, Fremont, Yosemite, the giant Sequoias, the coming of the railroad, important surveys, John Muir, and Mount Whitney, to name just a handful of the subjects dealt with. Arranged chronologically, the book is an excellent history of the region. Farquhar has consulted and presented information from original sources, and although chapters are relatively short, they are packed with interesting and important details. The book is also well illustrated and contains some excellent maps. It's a handsome overview of the history of the Sierra Nevadas and is a good starting place for anyone interested in the subject.

My love for the Sierra Nevada mountains goes back to the days of my youth when we made family trips to Yosemite and Sequoia. Later as a teenager filled with wanderlust, I returned to explore them on my own terms. Despite having made many trips to the Sierras, I never really read much about them until recently when I read several books covering the subject by early explorers of the area like William Brewer and Clarence King. Readers of those books are referred to Farquhar's History of the Sierra Nevada by amazon and others, so I bought this and found it a thoroughly enjoyable read.
If you want a broad overview of the history of the Sierras, particularly the High Sierras, then this is the book I would recommend. Farquhar's history is a very useful primer that touches on all important aspects of exploration of the High Sierra and the progress made from mere exploitation to preservation and recreation. Note that the focus is on the high country as the history of the foothills has been much more extensively surveyed.
The book covers the period from the first tentative Spanish penetrations, to the arrival of trappers and hunters from the east, then on to the settlers and further to the establishment of the National Forests and Parks in the region. Farquhar covers Jedediah Smith, John Fremont, Brewer, King, John Muir, and others who contributed so much to the exploration of the Sierras, the discovery of the important passes, the climbing of the peaks, and the naming of the natural features. He also writes of the subsequent struggle between those who wanted to exploit the mountains for all they were worth and those who felt that posterity had a stake in their partial preservation. Additionally, he discusses the politics of the exploitation/preservation debate and the many political battles in both Sacramento and Washington DC that have made the High Sierra the place we know today. The once dominant mining and logging industries are of small importance compared to the great importance placed on the waters and watershed of the Sierras by most Californians today.
Most thrilling to me are the descriptions of the backcountry and the tales of finding paths through previously uncharted territory. Francis Farquhar's history is well written, extensively footnoted, and relatively fast-paced. His enthusiasm for his subject is evident throughout. Since this is an overview, he doesn't bog you down in the minutiae of the events about which he writes. If you are a lover of the Sierras, but have a hazy knowledge of their history, then I highly recommend reading History of the Sierra Nevada.

This book was written by a mountaineer and editor who knew the Sierras well first hand and even knew some of the people involved in the discovery and preservation of the High Sierra of California. He takes us from the initial European discovery and naming by the Spanish, to the gold miners, early visitors to Yosemite, and Sierra Club and mountaineering explorations around the turn of the 19th century. Highly recommended for those interested in California history and the outdoors.