G Books

In 524 AD Boethius was confined under severe house arrest while awaiting trial for treason. The imprisonment did apparently permit access to some books and writing materials. He had been a very honored Roman aristocrat, and had received an excellent classical education in his youth. He had translated several Greek books into Latin.

His present situation left him very depressed; it was not at all the future that he had expected. Then Lady Philosophy appeared in his imagination. She was commanding, and chased away the muses of the theater who had been occupying his attention with tragedy and superficial entertainment. He at first did not recognize Philosophy. Then he remembered her as the teacher of his youth. She had come to claim her own, and to nurse him back to mental health.

Boethius and Philosophy had an extended discourse. Boethius recorded it in "The Consolation of Philosophy" (translated by P. G. Walsh, Oxford, 2000). He was troubled by the frequent apparent absence of justice and goodness in human affairs. Boethius was a Christian, but this book utilized dialectics as practiced by Socrates and recounted by Plato in his "Republic". The Christian point of view is founded on faith that God, goodness, and a final purpose exist because they are revealed in the Bible. In the Platonic view taken by Boethius, the presence in human affairs of God and purpose ("purpose" appears in Richard Green's translation of "The Consolation of Philosophy".) can be established by reasoning. The reasoning does require faith in something, namely in the orderly and lawful progression of events in the natural world, as suggested for instance in the orderly motions of the heavenly bodies (Walsh, p. 17, "...this tiniest of sparks will cause life's heat to be resuscitated in you."). In the language of the time, orderly progression was determined by divine reason.

"The Consolation of Philosophy" was little noticed in the turmoil following the final collapse of the Western Empire. But it was transcribed under Charlemagne in the eighth century, and it remained thereafter a very influential book for a thousand years. Chaucer translated it into English. One can imagine that its very deterministic outlook was too constraining as the later Renaissance burst forth and demanded unbounded freedom for the individual.

We may be entering more sober times. Some of us may find that our present realities do not meet our expectations. We share this with Boethius. If we have never achieved the success or fame accorded Boethius, we still may have reverses due to the economy or old age. Can "The Consolation of Philosophy" help us? If we turn to it as a reasoned approach, does it hold up in the light of modern science?

Our most highly developed science is physics. How does a modern physicist regard the world? Based first of all on quantum mechanics, he is apt to feel that reality at the fundamental level is probabilistic rather than deterministic. But there have been those who seem to disagree, most notably Einstein and Schrödinger. Einstein's vision of reality involves a space-time continuum. Doesn't this imply that any part of the whole is predetermined by the requirement that it fit adjacent parts? This corresponds with the medieval belief that the world, present, past, and future, is known to God. Boethius felt that this is compatible with free will for humans, in a way that is not immediately evident to out human reason. He resolves this after finding why human affairs do not seem to be guided by the hand of God, as is the material world.

Physics is not the only science. Biology is much closer to human concerns. The most spectacular aspect of modern biology is the discovery of the structure of DNA and the mode of its expression in the body. DNA bridges the gap between organismic biology and evolutionary biology. The structure of DNA is described with a mechanistic model, and its expression results from causal relationships. This is very deterministic.

In organismic biology perhaps the greatest accomplishment in the twentieth century was the theoretical and quantitative explication of the firing of the giant neuron in the Atlantic squid, since the same model can be applied to many other neurons and species simply by adjusting parameters. Eric Kandel has extended the quantitative and molecular understanding of neural behavior further in his work on synapses. This establishes the molecular basis of memory. In his Nobel address ("Science", 2 November 2001, pp. 1030-1038), Kandel noted that the solution of the general problem of neural functioning in memory will require a systems approach, and he is confident that this and other questions in the biology of learning will be addressed in the near future. I wonder if Kandel is too optimistic?

A neuropsychological theory of memory and learning was advanced by Donald Hebb in 1949, and used by Hebb in his teaching of psychology (Hebb, D.O., "Textbook of Psychology" (3rd Ed.), Saunders, Philadelphia, 1972. See also Hebb, D.O., "The Organization of Behavior", Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2002.). Hebb's theory introduced cell assemblies in neural networks, but was nonmathematical. Hebb was not a mathematician, and in addition the tools for putting the theory in mathematical form were not available. Powerful computers did not exist (a modern PC would suffice for a small idealized network), and the mathematical field of nonlinear dynamics was relatively undeveloped. Now those tools exist, but apparently the approach has never been tried. Has contemporary science gone beyond such fundamental things?

Now let's consider a bit of social science. Going back 56 years, the Second World War had been over long enough to give people time to think about how to change human culture and prevent another war. One idea for changing social behavior was offered by the behavioral psychologist B.F. Skinner. He presented it in the form of a novel, titled "Walden Two" (reissued 1976, Prentice-Hall). Walden Two was an imagined utopian community. The description and history of such communities is interesting in itself, but my purpose here is to compare the formative influences in Walden Two with those that our society has brought to bear in recent decades. Walden Two had been in existence for ten years, and its population after the war was about 1000. At that time its educational procedures for children had been worked out. They began at birth, and were so thorough in instilling cooperative attitudes that male aggression never appeared in early childhood. I wonder whether that might interfere with normal male hormonal balance. Maybe, if the cooperative attitude is desirable, training should begin after proper male development. At any rate, if we aimed to develop a socialist society, training for reduction of male aggression should be introduced at some age. We are now going in the opposite direction. In our society, fathers encourage aggressive behavior in their sons, so that they will be able to get their share in the capitalistic culture. The development of aggressive instincts does not stop there. The influence of television on all ages promotes violent attitudes. Whether Skinner considered this in his later years I don't know. He did not live long enough to see the development of violent computer games, but surely he would be appalled. As things stand, we appear to be committed irrevocably to an unrestrained capitalistic society, in which waste could be unbounded. Can we halt this with recycling? Or are we headed for social disaster? The wise course for the individual is to prepare for acceptance, whatever comes.

Coming back to the present, many of us are disappointed, and are looking for encouragement or consolation. Some will find it in religion based on faith, especially the forgiving Christian faith revealed in the Bible. There will also be mystics, who have a direct experience of God, and therefore don't need a conscious act of faith. Others may turn to a more secular view. Notable is the outlook expressed by Stephen Jay Gould in "Wonderful Life" (Norton, 1989). Gould sees precious value in human life precisely because its origin was dependent on contingent events, and hence was so unlikely. This is very different from the deterministic view I have taken. Gould draws further assurance from the apparent release of the free will from determinism.

Finally there is the path chosen by Boethius. It is the way of a rational mind that has been confronted with the harsh reality of reversals or deprivations. It is the path of acceptance, as a higher value becomes evident. Again we question whether this view makes sense in the light of modern science. Is there something about the human mind that makes it override material values? Many have tried to define the source of the difference between human perception and that of other animals. One current view is that consciousness is the special human resource. But do we really know that other animals don't possess consciousness?

The difference between humans and animals may be that humans have passed a threshold in symbolic activity. When our ape-like ancestors left the forest, and began hunting on the hilly savannas, they became more social, both to hunt big game in groups and to prepare food at the camp. This promoted a dramatic development of language. Brain regions involved in symbolic activity expanded. It became possible to tell stories of hunting adventures. Stories cultivated imagination, and imagination led to visions of what might be over the next hill. This in turn led to the concept of a space beyond all hills, an abstract space. The regularity of the Sun and Moon demonstrated order in the abstract space. Maintained by what agency? There must be a divine will that promotes order. At that point our ancestors were DISCOVERING the spiritual realm.

Ages later writing appeared, which made it possible to transmit precise knowledge, and so led to advanced culture. We discovered mathematical relations, and made a start in learning physical laws. These developments depended on the conscious mind, but also involved the subconscious in an essential way. The subconscious is not limited by sequential logic. Like nature, it considers everything at once. And so we draw closer to God. It is the above characteristics that make the individual human mind precious. It depends on culture, but rises above culture. The individual mind comprehends a whole world. Except perhaps when we pass our threshold of tolerable pain, the mind is able to rise above physical discomforts and deprivations, and find refuge in comtemplation of the world within.

The next time you have a bad day and get mired in self-pity, think about Boethius. Born into a wealthy Roman family around 480 C.E., Boethius was a successful scholar and politician. Early in his career, he wrote influential treatises on Aristotle's logic and Christian theology. He became a senator and found favor with the rulers of the Roman world, ultimately taking the highest post in the Western government (then located in Ravenna, rather than Rome). But his world fell apart when his king, Theoderic, charged him with treason. Confined to his house and awaiting a particularly gruesome execution (you don't want to know), Boethius comforted himself with philosophical reflection. Working partly in verse and partly in prose, as translated by P.G. Walsh, Boethius crafted a long dialogue with the goddess Philosophy, who slowly convinces him that happiness based on worldly things is fleeting and false, and that true happiness can come only from knowledge of God and his goodness. getAbstract is glad to offer a look at this classic work, which inspired people from Dante to C.S. Lewis, even in their darkest hours.

The particular edition I am reviewing is the Oxford World's Classics translation by P. G. Walsh.

This is one of those classics that can catch an unsuspecting reader completely by surprise, especially if one has read many other works by near contemporaries. The circumstances under which it was composed are legendary, and lend the work a legitimacy granted to few other works. Boethius was among the foremost government officials in what was essentially the successor government to the end of the Roman Empire. Rome and much of the rest of what would later become Italy was under the control of the Ostrogoth king Theodoric. A product of one of the leading Roman familes, Boethius ascended to a power of great honor and authority under Theodoric, only to be accused of treason late in the latter's life, at which point Boethius was imprisoned and condemned to death. While awaiting his fate (including whether Theodoric actually intended on carrying out the sentence), Boethius wrote this remarkable dialog between a prisoner whose situation closely resembles Boethius' and Philosophy personified as a woman. Although many topics are discussed, the heart of the dialog is the nature of true happiness.

Although few of its readers are likely to face circumstances as dire as Boethius', the work remains remarkably pertinent in an age where ideals of happiness are dictated almost entirely by our modern consumer society. Philosophy carefully explains to the prisoner that that happiness can never be found in such things as fame or power or riches and other things that are confused with the true source of happiness. For Boethius' Philosophy, happiness is ultimately rooted in the Christian God, but even for non-Christians, the lightly theological tone of the work provides much reflection on the nature of happiness in almost any kind of situation.

The Walsh edition of this work is, in my opinion, the finest readily available edition in English. The notes are marvelous, both providing overviews to each upcoming section as well as providing detailed comments on specific lines in the text. The introduction gives any new reader of the work all the context and background that he or she would need to digest the work. Best of all, the translation is exceptionally readable, and the translations of the many poems far above the average for most academic translations of verse.

I recommend this work strongly to either of two kinds of readers. First, for anyone who is a student of intellectual history the work remains for an understanding of a host of writers in the middle ages, as well as for many 19th century poets. Second, anyone interested in devotional or reflectional works, whether religious or philosophical, this remains one of the most essential works in the history of thought. By almost any standard, this is a work that demands careful reading and study.

For a long time, this would stand as the last major work in which philosophy played the role it was accustomed to play in Antiquity; most medieval thinkers would make philosophy the servant of theology and strip it of its profoundly ethical roots - after all, Christianity became the philosophical way of life par excellence. By using philosophy as a character, Boethius emphasizes its vital role in everyday life and the choices that life entails. Although Boethius is usually mentioned in conjunction with Aristotelian and Christian thought, this work is especially linked to Platonism, Stoicism and Neoplatonism: a) it follows the progression of Socratic discourse in a journey that leads one from the suppression of false beliefs towards a gradually clearer approximation of what Good is, and Philosophy is akin to the priestess Diotima of Plato's Symposium; b) the harrowing context in which it was written mirrors the composition of Seneca's Letters to Lucilius; c) its frequent allegorical use of poetry and myths follows the path set forth by the Stoics and Neoplatonists. The first few books free Philosophy's interlocutor from his errors, and Boethius then explores the work's central subjects: justice, the nature of good and evil, providence (themes that also intensely preoccupied Plotinus late in his life). Treating 'Consolation...' only as a compendium of ancient Greek philosophy would be doing it a major disservice, as it would underscore the personal dimension lying at the very heart of the work. Those who forgot that philosophy is a lot more than the mere juggling of concepts should definitely read this key book.

Here you find the unequivocal declaration that not riches, not high position, not fame, not physical pleasure are worth pursuing in-and-of themselves. Such things are of value only if they are obtained in the pursuit of the highest Good. This highest Good is demonstrated to be God. Moreover, Boethius points out that when evil men succeed in obtaining such goals over the righteous, then they cease to truly be men- they are beasts and subhuman. This is a refreshing reminder in the modern world, a world not unlike that of late Roman times.

All happyness, all worth, all reason for being, lies in the One and the Good. Even when we commit immoral acts, it is a result of ignorance on our part in seeking this ultimate goal. Indeed, to turn from the quest of finding the One is to cease to exist at any meaningful level. There is no "fire and brimstone", or talk of eternal torment in hell here. There doesn't need to be. As long as you willfully or ignorantly stray from the Path then you are in hell. And to not find reconnection with the One and the Good is to cease to exist. All of our earthly existence is for the purpose of reawakening to our true nature. This truth lies within all of us and it is only reached by personal introspection (Know thyself.) Only in this way will we return to the eternal Source that lies beyond time itself.

The consolation of the Consolatio lies in the fact that suffering serves a purpose if it puts us back on the true Path. Moreover, earthly recognition of virtue is irrelevent. God always recognises the man of virtue if the masses do not.

I read this book about two years ago and return to it frequently. It is filled with ways I can meet with God while also meeting the needs of my children. I've recommened this book many times to friends. It gave me hope that I don't have to live as a frazzled mom alienated from God.

I first heard about this book from an online journaling group. The very name called to me. I knew then I had to have it and I was not disappointed. The subtitle is "Restoring Rich Relationship with God in the Midst of Motherhood." I had to hear how this then mother of three could manage a relationship with God while mired down in the quagmire of motherhood. And she proposes not just any relationship, but a rich relationship! I had to know more. The author, Ann Kroeker, states in the first chapter, "I can't guarantee goose bumps, but I propose that it is possible for everyone to restore a rich relationship with God. Yes, even busy women in the midst of motherhood." Hallelujah! It could be done. Ann gives practical tips to finding time to be alone with God. I recommend this book to every mother - no matter what the stage of your motherhood - new mom, tenured mom, empty nester. Pick up your copy today and find a love like no other.

I love Ann's book. As a Christian writer, I read a lot to get my own creative juices flowing, but this one hit me where I live--as a half-crazed mom of two wanting nothing more than to be a good servant of Jesus and a decent wife and mother to boot. Ann Kroeker pulls it all together: She gives you the tools to begin and good coverage of the methods to True Sanity through the madness, regardless of where you are in your faith walk. Check it out!

I first heard about this group through an online journaling group. The very name called to me. I knew I had to have it and I was not disappointed. The subtitle is "Restoring Rich Relationship with God in the Midst of Motherhood." I had to hear how this then mother of three could manage a relationship with God while mired down in the quagmire of motherhood. And she proposes not just any relationship, but a rich relationship! I had to know more. The author, Ann Kroeker, states in the first chapter, "I can't guarantee goosebumps, but I propose that it is possible for everyone to restore a rich relationship with God. Yes, even busy women in the midst of motherhood." Hallelujah! It could be done. Ann gives practical tips to finding time alone with God. I recommend this book to every mother - no matter what the stage of your motherhood - new mom, tenured mom, empty nester. Pick up your copy today and find a love like no other.

I think I need to read this book again! What an amazing book written by a mom of three young daughters - and she still has her intellect together enough to be reading the heavier-weight Christian books! These books mine the depths of the Christian faith. Yes, they take extra effort, but I believe that if we make that effort, we will be rewarded by having a richer devotional life.

After I wrote my last review, the author wrote me an email, which was just great! I want to write her - and now I don't have her email! So Ann, if you're reading this, please email me again (click on See More About Me for my email address)! I have a couple questions for you about some of the books you were reading.

If you're a mom who wants a little more depth to your devotional life, this book is for YOU!!

WONDERFUL STORY WONDERFUL BOOK. who is Michael cornelius

This book was an incredible read. The story is brilliantly told, encompassing the reader almost immediately. From the beginning, it stirs emotions within the reader because the author seems keenly intuitive of how gay men emote when challenged by their greatest enemy and/or lover. The story's unusual ending exemplifies the author's talent. I anxiously await another novel by Mr. Cornelius.

The writing is poetic and the themes are universal. I picked up the book after I received it and I did not put it down until I finished it that evening. The stories were short montages and finally came together at the end of the novel. It's a great first novel and I can't wait to read his second one!

Stay with this one...its hard to figure out where the author is 'going'. The format is a bit disjointed at first (a series of short...stories... told in a variety of styles), as you get into it really works- love the parable aspect of this book... I think many different people will get different things out of it... Different- was glad I read it.

I just finished this book - it was awesome! The characters were really interesting, and I loved how we came back to them all - like a sequel, only better! I hate reading books that leave everything just dangling, and this one didn't do that at all - I felt really satisfied in the end! This is a great book for anyone - sexy, deep, and really interesting!!

I ordered this book for a friend who is very interested in this type of history and he was very pleased with the style and detail of the narration. Since my childhood was spent in South Dakota, I am reading the book myself and am fascinated by the tales of the cowboy life in the early years.

Ike Blasingame was a Texas cowboy working for the Matador Land and Cattle Company when the company expanded its operations in 1904 and leased just-opened range land along the Moreau River in South Dakota south of today's Mobridge. Blasingame was among the cowboys sent along with 3,000 head of cattle to this new area, and this being 1904 both men and beasts went the modern way - by train. Evarts (no longer extant) was the shipping point. For the next 10 years or so Blasingame punched cattle for the Matador, and this is his account of that experience, dictated to his wife who wrote it all down, many years after the fact.

Blasingame relates his story in a leisurely narrative style. His memory was obviously good - at least that's the impression given with many names given and events told as if they happened yesterday. There are the usual stories about bad weather, stampeding cattle, mean horses (and useful cowponies), branding, shy cowboys around the ladies, and the often dull times rounding up cattle or driving them to the railhead one finds in memoirs like this, but Blasingame keeps things lively and interesting. The Matador had a big spread in Canada, and sometimes Blasingame was sent there on his cowboy duties, but he was always glad to return to Dakota. When the company began closing their leases he bought a ranch on his old stomping grounds and ranched there with his wife and kids until the Dust Bowl troubles forced him to move to California, where he continued his ranching ways with an outfit there. Lovers of the Old West and the lives of the cowboys who worked the range will enjoy this book a lot.

Well-told stories of cowboy life in the Dakotas and Canada at the turn of the century. Highly recommended. A joy to read. A great plain-speaking, direct style. Lots of dry humor. Left me wishing I could spend more time with "Wild Ike." Overall, it is a bronc-buster's view of a slice a history - the arrival of cattle herds on a large South Dakota reservation, the heyday of the cattle business there, and finally the demise of free range ranching in that area and the arrival of the homesteader. I was a little concerned that it would be the story of cowboy life 20 years after the end of the cowboy era. But there are no pickup trucks or ATVs in this narrative, just cattle and horses, cowboys and Indians. His profiles of dozens of horses (woven into the narrative) would be worthwhile even without the other stories. (Here's a tip - there is a fold-out map on the last page. I figured that out when I got to the last page, but you will be happy to have the map as you read.)

I am the son of Ike Blasingame the author. This is not a fiction book. Every event and place are true. On the map all the creeks and places are in their correct places as well as the tributaries which run into the Moreau River, and Missouri River. There are 3 million acres of the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation leased by the Matador Land & Cattle Co. of Texas who then sub leased to 10 other New Mexico and Texas cattle ranches, all having seperate brands, (like L7, Turkey Track, and DZ). Chief Sitting Bull died in 1899 but Ike Blasingame bought horse from Sitting Bull's brothers, One Bull and Lone Bull.

Ray Blasingame - Paisley, OR

Of all the cowboy memoirs, this is one of the best. Ernest "Ike" Blasingame was barely twenty when he went from Texas to South Dakota in 1904 to cowboy for the Matador Land and Cattle Company on rangeland leased from the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation. His account of that experience covers the next 7-8 years, and it's a well-told story full of memorable incidents, cowmen, and horses. There's an excellent balance between informative explanations of the work of cowboys on the ranges and amusing anecdotes, accounts of mishaps and accidents, and nicely drawn descriptions of personalities and behavior revealing depth of character (or lack of it) among his colleagues.

The roll of the seasons and the extremes of weather are well described, including the fatal winter of 1906-07. Indians also figure prominently in the narrative, and you can get a good understanding of the cattle industry itself in the years before the West was transformed by homesteading settlers and small farmers. Demon rum has a role to play in the fortunes and misadventures of these men, and there are insights into the social history of the all-male, bachelor work force who performed the hard labor of working cattle.

Remembered and told 50 years later (the book was first published in 1958), Blasingame tells his story as though it happened yesterday. It is full of youthful enthusiasm and wide-eyed enjoyment of his work and his growing reputation as a fine young bronc rider, taming the company's unbroken horses and winning the respect of the men he works for, who quickly trust him to rep for the Matador at roundups on other ranges.

It's not clear how much of the writing is really Blasingame's. He gives credit to his wife "who wrote this while I talked." And it may well be she to whom we owe the credit for this lucid, well-organized, vividly described memoir. At any rate, as a joint project, it provides a wealth of information and entertainment for anyone interested in the real West of working cowboys. It's a classic. And thanks to the University of Nebraska Press for keeping it in print.

Like a lot of Maurice Sendak's books - you love it as a kid, and you love it as an adult for very different reasons.

I guess I need Dear Mili afterall to remind me of other things than life's mandane, and to help me see our seemingly unsatisfying life in a different light.

Maurice Sendak's drawings enhanced the classical beauty of the Grimm's fairytale. You can almost see the elegant images listlessly brings the words to life as the best storytellers do.

This story is sad, but told beautifully. It is also inspiring and comforting.

A little girl is sent into the woods alone by her fearful mother when war comes to the village. She manages to find peace and loving care in the home of St. Joseph. When it is time for her to return to the village so much has changed.

This tale by Grimm is beautiful. In my opinion it is translated well as the words are rich and descriptive and there is a satisfying pace to the story throughout. The introduction itself is nearly as moving as the tale that follows. Sendak's illustrations magically combine reality with imagination and the double page spreads grow out from the page and allow you to fall into them.
The setting and scene changes are enough to tug your emotions. This story's scene sequence is as follows: a quiet country village, a village in panic at the threat of invasion, a child wandering alone in the woods, a child in the comforting care of St. Joseph, back to the village which has now changed.

The subject matter is not light in this tale about love and two hearts coming together. A tale like this could not be as well told if one were to attempt to tell it lightly.

This book scared the crap out of me as a child. The images, the story are dark and nightmarish. The pictures are incredibly striking - I haven't picked up the book in years but I still remember many elements - fire licking from the sky, greyish tangling trees and flowers, the ghostly quality of the little girl. I wouldn't recommend this book for children. I don't think I've encountered anything in children's *or* adult literature since that has so disturbed me.

Dear Mili was a surprise in many ways. While Maurice Sendak has never failed to amaze, this tender rendering a newly discovered fairy tale set as a metaphor of children hidden in the holocaust is one of the most beautiful experiences a reader can have. This is my favorite children's book of all time: the artwork is I believe the peak of Sendak's career. A small girl living alone with her mother is sent for safety in the forest when a terrible foreboding threatens. In the forest she meets St. Joseph, and another small one, who keep her safe. Returning after a pleasant journey, she finds her mother aged and alone.
Their is joy and reunion: this is a poignant story on many levels. Looking deeply at the artwork one will see shoah themes:
Sendak in premiere Jewish sensitivity has done a remarkable thing: taken ancient Grimm Catholic legend and woven it into a metaphor for all of us, for all time. If this book does not tender the heart of the older who read to the younger, they have no heart. Absolutely 5-stars: Should be a classic and not out of print.

If M.M. Kaye had written more books like her "Death" series, she might have had a place almost as exalted as that of Agatha Christie. Best known for "The Far Pavilions," Kaye also wrote other stories set in the exotic locations that she had visited in the past. Though it may be politically incorrect to reminisce for times when the British were a strong presence around the world, it's hard not to wish oneself into one of these exotic mysteries.

Twenty-one-year-old Amanda Derington is newly freed from her strict, oppressive uncle, and is travelling to Cyprus with a tour group that includes her uncle and aunt, a cynical romance novelist, a faux invalid and her doting husband, and an oddly attractive young artist. But after her aunt Julia enters a state of jealous hysteria and then dies mysteriously, Amanda finds a bottle of poison in her room. The artist, Steve, urges her not to reveal where she found it.

Amanda comes to Cyprus, with the incident seemingly behind her. But her host, the kindly Glenn Barton, has to relocate her to the eccentric Miss Moon's. His wife Anita has left him and is now living with an artist, claiming that her husband is cheating on her with several women. And as Amanda tries to find out who killed Julia, she finds that more murders may be in store -- including her own.

As always, M.M. Kaye evokes a bygone time of muted glamor, rugged Army officers, lots of flowers and atmospheric settings in exotic locales. Descriptions are good, not too flowery but help to bring images to mind. The dialogue is sprightly and realistic, very different for each person, and often hiding subtle clues as to the person's inner thoughts. Her characterizations are multilayered; characters like Anita Barton are not as simple as they seem, and may not be fully explained until the last pages.

Amanda is much like Kaye's other mystery heroines -- young, pretty, bright, observant, brave, a little naive, and essentially kindhearted. Love interest Steve is attractively insolent and brainy, while the mild-mannered Glenn Barton hides unusual secrets; his wife Anita also hides secrets, behind a facade of alcohol and scandal. Monica Ford, Glenn's secretary, inspires either indifference or pity, depending on the part of the book one is reading. Miss Moon is the truly unique character, an effervescent old lady who dresses on opulent clothing and jewelry according to the day of the week.

For a bit of nostalgic escapism, open "Death in Cyprus" and enjoy the exotic places and mind-bending mysteries. Then read the rest of the series, which is every bit as good as this book.

Death in Cyprus was captivating. I'll admit, it has a slow beginning, but once the story gets going in Cyprus you can't put the book down. The unlikely hero and witty, romantic dialogue gives the book a very lovable angle that will make you pick it up again and again. The suprise ending is very much of a suprise and (unless your Sherlock Holmes,) you won't even recognise some of the clues until the end. Death in Cyprus is not the best of M.M. Kaye's mysteries, but it's a romantic thriller that will sweep you off your feet.

30 years ago I improved my knowledge of English reading more than 43 novels by Agatha Christie. Not only was I a fan of mysteries, I loved and still do the light touch of Miss Christie, her lovable characters from Hercule Poirot to Miss Marple. It is therefore a great, great compliment when I say that M.M. Kaye is better than Christie. Why? She is more detailed, there is greater local color, the characters are better developed. I am thrilled to have found someone as wonderful as M.M. Kaye - this is the first novel I read of hers-- and cannot wait to read more. I recommend this book to all mystery lovers, to all Agatha Christie lovers. Flying colors!

M. M. Kaye wrote this most enjoyable mystery novel set in an enchanting Cyprus that Kaye realized was too good to last. Years later when memories of places like Kyrenia had begun to fade, she made the sun shine bright one last time on the Cyprus she had seen and experienced with this marvelous adventure and romance touched with danger. Those who love the scope and beauty of Kaye's grand "The Far Pavillions," Trade Wind," and "Shadow of the Moon" will find much to love in the atmosphere created by the author in this old-fashioned mystery romance set in an exotic locale. Places like Port Said, Fayid, Limassol, Nicosia and Kyrenia are alive and filled with beauty and adventure once again, just as they were when Kaye saw them. M. M. Kaye made sure the sun would never truly set on the exotic place she knew with "Death in Cyprus."

Sunlit garden verandas and dinner tables overlooking a crystal sea of jade and emerald, and the breeze from silver-grey olive trees are described in such a manner you can almost taste them like a fresh purple grape from the vineyards of Nicosia. The setting is ripe for romance, but danger as well, and Kaye brought together both in one of her finest mysteries. While "Death in Zanzibar" will always hold a special place for me as it was the first of Kaye's mysteries I read, it must be said that "Death in Cyprus" is one of her most exciting mystery novels and is a perfect blend of adventure, romance and mystery. You will feel as though you too have enjoyed a vacation fraught with excitement and adventure upon finishing this most charming and old-fashioned style of mystery we will not bear witness to ever again.

Young and lovely twenty-year-old Amanda Derrington will board the S.S. Orantares and meet a group of people who will play an important part in her life in ways she could not have imagined. Before she leaves the ship for a stay in beautiful Cyprus a murder will occur that will reach the white-walled houses of Cyprus, shining bright against the sea. Only Amanda and Stephen Howard, a painter who carries a gun and may be more than he seems to be, know that it was murder, and not a suicide. Only the happenstance of a last minute cabin switch allowed Amanda to find the poison ending Julia Blaine's life. Amanda's knowledge of the crime will put her in danger as the killer is now aware of what Amanda knows.

The romance of Stephen and Amanda, or Amarantha as he calls her, is a very-old fashioned one born of danger and mystery. It is the kind of romance and mystery that recalls the best of Hitchcock's British films, and very much has that feel. Jealousy and romantic strife all come into play as just beneath the surface of smiles much is going on. Amanda will befriend more than one person while having doubts about Stephen and what his real purpose is in all this. A moonlight kiss will complicate matters, as will a second, and unexpected murder. And an attempt will be made on Amanda's life while in Kyrenia which will nearly succeed.

There is a terrific ending filled with both adventure and romance. You will not guess the killer or the motive, although the clues are there. The last few moments will be fraught with danger and excitement, and just when you believe all has been revealed, the true insanity of the real murderer will change what you though you knew. A fine and vivid assortment of characters enliven the story almost as much as the exotic locale. Grand beauty and old-fashioned romance amidst an ever-growing danger do the rest, making this a memorable mystery romance that outshines everyone else who wrote in this genre.

This particular mystery and romance novel was born in 1949 when M. M. Kaye and her husband were staying in Egypt because his regiment was assigned there. A painting holiday in Cyprus she and a friend took would sow all the seeds for "Death in Cyprus." The house described in Kyrenia is the actual one Kaye and her friend stayed in while there. A series of curious incidents witnessed by Kaye on her stay gave birth to the novel she would not have the opportunity to write for another five years.

Originally published in 1956 under the title "Death Walked in Cyprus," Kaye would make revisions that enhanced the story and made it even better. "Death in Cyprus" is a wonderful adventure for all those who like their mysteries on the old-fashioned side, shaded with beauty and touched with romance. You will find none better than "Death in Cyprus" and I highly recommend you take this vacation with M. M. Kaye and rediscover how a good mystery can refresh your soul. Enjoy.

I have read lots of mystery stories, and I must say, this is the one that I can read over and over again. The setting is gorgeous - you can almost feel the sun on your face and the sand at your feet, and you almost feel like visting Cyprus, the beautiful land of Kyrenia, icosia, Huilarion, the Abbey of Belapais, the palace where Queen Berengaria waited for Richards ships. The tone used used is hilarious and the conversations and the hero as well as the heroine and enchanting. It is a must read!!

I don't typically read this type of fiction. I gravitate towards legal fiction instead. The first chapters of this book may have changed my way of thinking. I would be very interested in reading the rest of this book. I find the topic especially interesting since I live and work less than ten miles from Reston, Virginia!

I thought this was a great idea for a novel. What do I have to do to get the full version? This topic seems especially interesting to me given the fact that it seems like there are always different viral outbreaks happening like MRSA and SARS. Additionally,I think this is interesting because it ties in the fear we all have of viruses with the real possibility that terrorists could try and use this type of virus as a weapon!

Death Scourge has everything -- strong settings, a strong main character, great pacing and style and a story line that won't let go. It's contemporary, and compelling. I want to meet Rishad Zharmakhan and find out what happens next!

this is a very interesting beginning. I would like to know how things turn out. It could possibly happen in our terrorist prone world. Very timely subject.

A remarkable intriguing idea for a historical and scientific seat-of-your-pants thriller. I wonder if the plot was actually based on any historical evidence. The author does the most with his intriguing idea. He clearly has a great knowledge of science and combines it with writing skills. The reader is kept wondering, 'What is going to happen now?" and keeps reading to find out.

Mr. Anderson's book is a lesson on how to maintain sainity in the most horrible situations you could every be in; kidnapped and the lose of personal freedom.

This book is not a pleasant read. It is very important though in that it allows the reader, who is probably very comfortable while reading, to feel the sense of dispair that Mr. Anderson went through.

The political reasons as well as the climate in the Middle East in the 1980's is very interesting and this account allows us to see it from a totally different perspective.

Plus it has a happy ending, I highly recommend it.

Terry Anderson's Den of Lions is a den of insights into the radical bi-polar terrorist mentality in which he was trapped for over seven years. His descriptions of the bombings, shootings and random daily violence that permeated around the non-citizens and the citizens of Lebanon, make this a classic Middle East hostage survivor's story. Anderson's poems of his cruel incarceration are filled with searing depth that transport you to the various scummy basement cells which he shared with other Westerners. Den of Lions and Hostage by David Jacobson go hand in hand and are important contributions in the collection of Middle East books that help those of us citizens who were not there or too young to remember, the horror that Beirut was during the eighties and early ninties. Very highly recommended!

Den of Lions: Memoirs of Seven Years by Terry Anderson is one of my favorite books. The book grabbed my attention and kept it. I read the book in one day. Learning of Terry Anderson's ordeal through his eyes and in his words was amazing. Having been only 4 when he was taken hostage, I did not really know much about him until he was released from Lebanon in 1991, when I was 10. I grew up watching the news with my parents and I can remember seeing his return on television.
When I decided to study journalism in college, I chose the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University. When I heard that Terry Anderson was going to be joining the faculty at Scripps, I was truly excited. I read his memoirs and then had the opportunity to hear him speak about his ordeal. Having him as a professor at Scripps was a wonderful experience for all journalism students. I have the great privilege of saying that I met one of my role models and I am grateful for that.
Den of Lions: Memoirs of Seven Years is one of the best books I have ever read. It is touching and wonderfully written. It tells Terry Anderson's story in a way that only he could.

I do not want this to sound insensitive, but the one thing I kept thinking as I was reading this book is why was he there? The U.S. government was telling U.S. citizens to leave, the Lebanese government did not care, his employer wanted him to leave, and there were increasing hostage incidents. The book his the story of his capture and the seven years he spent as a captive of this militant group. He does a good job in describing the locations he was in, the people that were his captors, and the other persons that he was with. I thought the most interesting parts of the book detailed his conversations with some of his captors and their views on the situation.

The book is a very interesting view of what happened to the author. The details are rich and he does a good job of painting the scenes for us. He also did a good job of explaining the depression of being a captive and what it is like to loss seven years of your life, although I do not think any author could truly express the emotional pain that he must have gone through. If you are interested in this part of the world or this story, this is a great book. It is also interesting given the current climate in the Middle East to read about what was happening 20 years ago.

I am a Westerner who has lived in Lebanon for many years and yet I gleaned new knowledge of the Middle East from reading "Den of Lions". Terry Anderson is a wonderful writer, and the addition of his fiancee's thoughts and feelings adds depth of insight into the agony of hostage-taking. There are interesting looks into the interaction between hostages and into the daily frustrations of the waste, and yet somehow the not-waste, of almost seven years away from freedom of choice. This is a book that has stayed on my mind.

the quality of the product was the very best. it also arrived when i expected it too. i needed it in a crunch time and it came through beautifully.

This is a fascinating book for folks interested in the international decolonization movement of the 50s and 60s, and its relation to the Black Power movement in the States. The Discourse is beautifully written and passionately argued. The interview helps clarify Cesaire and Senghor's concept of "Negritude" as an early form of Black pride, rather than racial essentialism. The essay introduction is worthwhile since it puts the book in relation to Cesaire's poetic work and the Surrealist movement in France, America, and the Antilles. It's unduly dismissive of Cesaire's Marxist politics, especially since it goes against the spirit of the interview appended at the end.

I read Cesaire's 'discours sur le colonialisme' in one afternoon at a coffe place and it was captivating in how intellectually he wrote, with tinges of attitude in the words. A lot of the things he wrote about I already knew from studying a lot about Africa before and what ethnocentricism vs. ethno relativism means when applying yourself and perceptions of other cultures. This book is as applicable in the 1950's as today, I found that America seems to be the new France and Britain, as far as imperialism goes.

This book has so many good points about how one must look at the non Occidental world. Whenever I hear people talking about Africa in a degrading way in that the continent needs the Western world to give it medicine, schools, etc . . .it infuriates me with the lack of research these people have done. Although one can't expect everyone to know, but they would at least get a glimpse if they read this. They would see that it is the fault of the Occidentaux which is why Africa is in the state it is now. Before Europeans went there, the people of this rich, great continent had their own cultures, laws, languages, writing, religions that worked very well for them. Because they were different than Europes ways, they were viewed as primitive and uncivilized, but you can't measure a civilization by the same standards of another, far different one. Just because they didn't write their history down, doesn't mean they didn't have it. They used oral tradition for this, which is just one example of the European's prejudice. If Europe never went there, these African civilizations very well could have flourished and become great as the passage of time went along.

Colonization has done it's damage, Cesaire talks about decolonizing our minds, I wonder how long that will take to accomplish? I would recommend this short read to anyone who wants to try to get out of their own cultural shell and think about the way the world is viewed from the viewpoint of others, even though this book is seriously outdated and seems like the author has never even been to Africa.

Frantz Fanon is a more compelling read though (even though he's a bit of a misogynist), try "black skin, white masks" or "l'an V de la revolution algerienne/a dying colonialism".

In Aimé Césaire's "Discourse on Colonialism," She very blatantly voices her opinion that a (European) civilization that is:

...incapable of solving the problems it creates is a decadent civilization. A civilization that chooses to close its eyes to the most crucial problems is a stricken civilization. [and finally] A civilization that uses its principles for trickery and deceit is a dying civilization. (31)

As well as applying for both Britain's presence in Southeast Asia and the Caribbean, and France's colonial presence in Africa and the Caribbean, this powerful statement could become an equation for the line drawn between one country's involvements with another.

For example, here is an unmistakable connection here to the US' involvement in Iraq. Are we as a nation decadent? Stricken? Dying? The over $155B spent in Iraq (...) instead of other national priorities. Cesaire's points are very relevant to the times as she brings further knowledge and past histories into the damage of Colonialism: "...at the present time the barbarism of Western Europe...being only surpassed...by the barbarism of the United States" (47).
She talks about the `gangrene' of impartiality, in regards to the French hearing stories that are disturbing and pornographic. "Colonization, I repeat, dehumanizes even the most civilized man" (Césaire 41). A theme prevalent in films such as Black Girl, Chocolat, and Xala. It is easy to be impartial when one is ignorant.

Discourse on Colonialism was a serious eye opener. Cesaire made me think about all of the horrible out comes colonialization produced. It was one of the best non-novel books I've read in years.

This is both a great read and an important historical document. Fanny Trollope was the mother of Anthony Trollope, perhaps the most prolific English novelist of the nineteenth century and my favorite. Fanny's husband was ineffectual in the breadwinning department, but fortunately for the family, Fanny herself was energetic and enterprising. She took one of her sons (not Anthony) and an artistic young man to the United States. She was planning to join a friend of hers who was a mover in setting up the utopian community in Harmony, Indiana, but the place turned out to be squalid, and she didn't stay long.

Fanny spent most of her time in the U.S. in Cincinnati and in her book is very hard on the city and its inhabitants. She especially objected to the pigs' role as garbage collectors. (In those days, pigs roamed the streets freely, like sheep grazing.) Fanny felt most of the people she encountered were loud, dirty, vulgar, and fanatically patriotic. It is her vivid descriptions of the physical conditions and the people that give this book its historical and entertainment value.

While she was living in Cinci, she opened a retail emporium and filled it with rather shoddy merchandise sent from England by her husband. She also attempted to bring culture to the inhabitants. Not surprisingly, both ventures failed.

After Mrs. Trollope returned to England, she supported her family by writing novels that were quite popular at the time, though they haven't become the classics her son's have. She spent her final years living in Italy with another son and his wife.

This is an extremely entertaining commentary on American manners and well written. I agree, however, with Mrs. Trollope's son, Anthony, who commented that Mrs. Trollope is a keen observer but she understands little. Certainly her complaints about the lack of gentility among Americans is valid but she completely missed the wonderful lack of class restraints endemic to English society which afforded Americans "class mobility"--freedom of opportunity (except for native Americans and slaves).

Fanny Trollope (1779-1863) wrote over 35 novels and several non-fictions books in her effort to rescue her family from poverty. However, the most read of all her books is "Domestic Manners of the Americans" which she published in 1832. It was in that distant year that Fanny and two of her children traveled across the Atlantic Ocean. Her purpose was to join a utopian community in Tennessee whose denizens were freed slaves.
Fanny left her impecunious and feckless husband the barrister Thomas Trollope back home in England. Her famous son Anthony did not make the trip as he was a student at Harrow School. Fanny knew her husband would join her in the USA when money became available. Later the family would flee to Bruges to escape creditors. Fanny eventually lived out her life in Florence near her son Thomas Trollope.
After leaving Tennessee the Trollopes settled for two years in the Queen City of the West Cincinnati, Ohio. Fanny did not like America or the American people! She found us xenephobic; boastful, prideful and violent.She hated the hypocrisy of life in Midwest Ohio although she did attend such cultural attractions as opera, plays and lectures. She favored the state Anglican Church of Great Britain not caring for America's separation between church and state.
This book could well be read alongside Charles Dickens' "American Notes for General Circulation" based on his 1842 six month trip to the USA.
Both Trollope and Dickens found the Americans crude, lacking in manners
and eager to make a quick buck. Listen to Trollope at her most scathing:
"..among the rich and the poor, in the slave states, and in the free states...I do not like them. I do not like their principals, I do not like their manners, I do not like their opinions." (p.314).
Fanny Trollope's book is more interesting than Dickens since she discusses colorful characters and shares anecdotes about her sojourn in our young republic. Like Dickens she hates the odious practice of tobacco chewing and the mangling of the English language. Trollope found us Yankees to be too serious and viewing us as poorly read. Unlike the wealthy and famous Dickens, Mrs. Trollope was a middle-aged woman fighting off poverty with her pen. I enjoyed her descriptions of nature such as those she paints of the Potomac River, Northern Virginia and the Niagra Falls area in New York and Canada. She is aware of flora and fauna and describes them with knowledge and in beautiful prose.
Dickens and Trollope give us the eye to see America in the days prior to the Civil War when the curse of chattel slavery ruled the land. Since those days America has granted freedom to all citizens. I wish both Fanny and Charles could visit us again in the 21st century. Their remarks would be of great interest to this reviewer and countless others!

All I can say is: what a great read! Who knew? Quite frankly, upon first sight of this book I must admit a bit of dread as the puritanical artwork does not smack of fun and games. Of course, as a literature student, I should know better than to ever judge a book by its cover.
Had I been Fanny Trollope writing such an account of America in the 1820s, I would be hardpressed to say that I would have changed a single word. Trollope has been the victim of many mean spirited caricatures and accusations by Americans and it still continues today, but what is interesting is that no one can do more than attack her person. In other words, no one seems to be able to refute her claims.
Trollope's "bitchiness" seems, for the most part, merited by my standards and while she finds much to complain about concerning an American democracy in its adolescence, she certainly discovers just as many things that she likes or finds beautiful.
Plain and simple, Americans collectively have a hard time taking criticism, especially from an outsider...and at that time, political criticism from a woman was deemed absurd if not audacious.
Last but not least, Fanny Trollope is always sure to preface anything she says with the conscious realization that she can only speak for what she has seen/heard personally and is thereby not judging ALL of America.
Trollope is witty and anecdotal and I think anyone interested in what an outspoken Englishwoman had to say about the New World should certainly pick up a copy. I found particular interest in gender/religious issues but got the most laughs out of her descriptions of American manners (or the lack thereof).
It is always interesting to see how much things have changed, and better yet, how many things have remained exactly the same!

Very entertaining read of the author's trip through 19th Century America, full of wonderful description and enlightening observations. Despite the griping below, Mrs Trollope simply reports what she sees - men spitting tobacco on the floor, ladies off in another room while the guys have a good time, etc. She reports accurately on our forefathers' rugged pioneer spirit, but points out the lack of education everywhere. We want to shout "lies!" but Mark Twain wrote about the same thing, and the aspects of our society that haven't changed much are still being commented on with the same frankness by writers like Saul Bellow, Gore Vidal, Dawn Powell, Paul Theroux and Joan Didion. Many true-hearted Americans will enjoy this book no end. Mrs Trollope clearly loved America and simply wrote truthfully about; she is simply beholden to no one - the essence of good writing. A thoroughly refreshing read.