George Books

A good book to read!

I have read a few books on this subject so I can't remember any specific thing from this which I know belongs to this book but I remember it was a good book

Probably the most valuable contribution of this book is the list of non-German nationalities represented in the SS, along with the approximate numbers of each nationality thus represented. Irrespective of whether or not all these units were directly involved in anti-Jewish "aktions", they all contributed to the Holocaust by furthering the German war effort and prolonging German rule over Europe. With all of the bad rap Poles get for being almost as anti-Semitic as the Nazi Germans, you would expect that there would be more Poles in the SS than any other non-German nationality. Surprise! There was not a single Polish SS unit in existence! (Though there may have been a few Polish individuals in other SS units, and then mostly Poles of German extraction (Volksdeutsche) as well as those of mixed Polish-German ancestry). Nor is it true that the Germans did not seek Polish collaborators: Early in the war Germans tried to get Polish volunteers as auxilliary staff for the concentration camps, and got not a single applicant. So the Germans could forget about recruiting ethnic Poles for the SS. Although there certainly were "little league" anti-Semites among the Poles, the "big league" anti-Semites were the other European nationalities who supplied volunteers for the SS. It is high time that Holocaust films and popular-level Holocaust educational materials get off the Poles' case and tell it like it ACTUALLY was.

In his book The Waffen SS: Hitler's Elite Guard at War George Stein posits that contrary to the popular belief, the SS was not a homogeneous band of killers that did nothing but persecute the Jews during Hitler's reign and had no real military value. Instead, he suggests that the Waffen SS was a dynamic organization which, in the face of war, evolved into the most highly developed and most efficient militarized army of the Nationalist Socialist movement, playing a role for which it was never intended. According to Stein, it was the SS, not the Nazi party that proved to be the dynamic core of the "movement".
The Waffen SS: Hitler's Elite Guard at War is a very well written book in which Stein sheds light on the often times mysterious and notorious Schutzstaffel. Stein takes us back to its inception and progresses forward through history, showing how the organization's structure and mandate gradually evolved during the Third Reich. Stein reveals the factors which set the Waffen SS apart from the Army, detailing its successes and failures in battle, and the role it played in the military exploits of the Third Reich.
Stein's thesis is broken up into three distinct points which are supported in different sections of the book and then tied together in his conclusion. The first contention of his thesis is that the Waffen SS was a dynamic and ever evolving organization. With the outbreak of the Second World War, the SS grew from 25,000 to 150,000 men. According to Stein this six-fold increase marked the beginning of an expansion that would result in the establishment of the SS as the "fourth branch of the Wehrmacht". Furthermore, Stein maintains that the SS cannot be painted as a uniform institution of terror. Stein acknowledges that the SS was responsible for a large number of the war-crimes committed by the Third Reich but argues that "only a minority of men that passed through the ranks of the Waffen SS were involved in any of the known atrocities" (281). Stein also states that contrary to popular belief, the SS was also quite dynamic in its personnel composition. By 1945, of the 38 SS divisions, none were composed solely of native Germans and 19 divisions consisted primarily of foreign nationals.
The second part of Stein's thesis is that the Waffen SS played a role in WWII for which it was not originally intended. Stein states that the SS was originally designed to be Hitler's elite guard and militarized police force, not the elite combat arm of the Wehrmacht that it evolved into. Stein goes on to say that Hitler only wanted the Waffen SS to be an example for the Army, only fighting on the front now and then to retain the respect of the people. Yet the Waffen SS were relied on more and more as the war progressed, becoming an integral and indispensable part of Hitler's offensive operations. "The Third Reich would have collapsed much sooner had it not been for the elite SS divisions" (293). During the last two years of the war, the Waffen SS fought on all four fronts.
The third and final part of Stein's thesis holds that it was the SS, not the Nazi party that proved to be the dynamic core of the movement. Stein maintains that the SS was tied more to Hitler (All SS personnel swore an oath to Hitler himself) and the movement than to the state or the party like the Army. "It would be more accurate to describe the Waffen SS as the dictator's private army or Praetorian Guard rather than as a party army." (26)
In summary, I think there was a general lack of evidence for his postulation that it was the SS, not the Nazi party that proved to be the dynamic core of the movement, but Stein more than makes up for it in his detailed analysis of the Waffen SS and its changing role in WW2 from an elite guard unit to the highly effecting combat arm of the Wehrmacht.

This volume by George Stein was originally published in 1966. Most of the publication facts are based on the SS and Wehrmacht histories written during the war and supplemented by information from both Hitler's and Himmler's personal records and recordings. At some points you may find that the documentation is a little overwhelming, but most of it is in bottom page notes.

The original formation of the SS (Schutzstaffel-Protection Squad) were the black uniformed elite personal body guard for Adolf Hitler set-up by Heinrich Himmler. It was envisioned as an elite corps that would be the 'police' of the Nazi Party, replacing the less than repudable SD (Brown Shirts). After becoming Chancellor in 1933 the The Waffen-SS (Armed-SS) branch was expanded and divided into three subgroups: the Leibstandarte, Hitler's personal bodyguard; the Totenkopfverbande (Death's Head Battalions), which administered the concentration camps; and the Verfugungstruppen (Disposition Troops).

By the end of the war the Waffen SS had grown to 39 divisions (always under the command of the Wehrmacht). But in reality, only six of the formations were ever a true fighting force mostly made up of German residents of the Reich. Another two or three made up of Volksdeutsch and Western Volunteers in World War II were also considered 'first line' troops. The other formations were made up of Eastern European 'Volunteers' many of whom were ex-POWs or conscripted Volksdeutsch. Some of these formations never fought or came any way near Division strength (15,000) and were as small as battallions (200). What the extra 26 divisions did was spread out needed German officers and equipment.

Beginning with the invasions of the Low Countries and France, the Waffen SS participated in all the major battles of WWII including Stalingrad, Kursk, Normandy and the final battle in Berlin. Hitler used them as his 'Fire Brigade' when he needed immediate help in Italy after the fall of Mussolini, in Normandy after D-Day and as the spearhead of the troops in the 'Battle of the Bulge'. These were the troops that became the fearsome SS-Panzer and Panzergrenadiers that fought with 'abandon' and to the death in so many rearguard battles.

But the Waffen-SS was also seen as the 'peacetime' armed state police. They would be a combination of Carabenari, Prison Camp Guards, Secret Service and FBI. Many of the early Concentration Camp guards, later became members of the 4th-SS Polizeidivision of the Waffen-SS and it wasn't unusual for wounded or disabled Waffen-SS to be transfered to the Concentration Camp Guard troops. As to the massacres at Paladis, Oradur and Malmedy; according to the 'apologists', well 'boys will be boys' and sometimes get 'out of hand'.

Though a lot of work has been done since 1966, this is a great reference work from which to begin.

"Waffen SS-Hitler's Elite Guard at War, 1939-1945" by George H. Stein is a fabulous work of historical literature. Many an author, popular and academic, has tackled the topic of the SS and Waffen SS but very few have done so in an objective fashion like Stein. Far too many presentations of the Waffen SS have been from apologist and revisionist authors who fail to recognize and/or admit the complicity of portions of the Waffen SS in the atrocities committed in the name of the NSDAP and Adolf Hitler. At the other end of the spectrum are those authors, again large in number, who simply paint ALL that served in the Waffen SS with broad strokes of guilt. Stein captures a story that falls between the extremes and thus is more realistic and truthful, and thus more historically accurate with clear lack of hysterics.

"Waffen SS" begins with a historical perspective on the establishment of the SS [initially the Allgemeine (General)-SS] and formation of the earliest incarnations of the armed SS - initially from the units such as the Leibstandarte SS "Adolf Hitler" (Hitler's Chancellery Guard) and the SS-Totenkopfverbande (Death's Head Units, early concentration camp guards), to organization of the Waffen SS as war approached. This presentation provides considerable information that allows the reader to connect (or disconnect as appropriate) various components of Himmler's greater SS. This is critical to the process of a reader drawing objective conclusions about guilt of the Waffen SS in non-combatant war crimes.

Stein then spends considerable time discussing the military exploits of the Waffen SS, both early and oft strained integration into the Wehrmacht during the initial phases of the war up to the defeat of France and the AEF, as well as their later fierce and destructive battles fought east across the Soviet Union and their return west in defense. Stein's prose does not fail to convey a picture of a fanatical and determined fighting force. Clearly the Waffen SS (especially the early incarnations that were still volunteer and elite) was an accomplished "army". Stein also discusses how the elite Waffen SS was in later years of the war converted through conscription (mostly) into a hodge-podge of a force that often was worth very little and sometimes more trouble than it was worth.

In the third major section of "Waffen SS" the author presents a clear and concise (without simply rehashing particular atrocities covered in depth elsewhere) description of crimes that can be connected to the Waffen SS, whether directly or indirectly. While crimes can clearly be attributed to battle formations, both combatant- and non-combatant-related, it is also clear from Stein's presentation that a majority of Waffen SS units were not likely involved in such events. This is not to say that Stein presents an apologist view, quite to the contrary - he presents an honest assessment of guilt - the Waffen SS was guilty but it is unfair to claim all units were simply butchers. Yet equally unfair would be a claim that the Waffen SS was simply an army free of guilt. When it comes to connections between the Waffen SS and the holocaust the story is one mostly of semantics. As Stein points out it is beyond doubt that the SS represented the system by which Hitler attempted (and nearly succeeded) to murder all of the European jews and other "Untermensch" (subhumans). It is also clear that many of the units involved were, at least on paper, part of the Waffen SS. Moreover, much of the concentration camp staff turn over was between the camps and the front lines. Yet it is not at all clear that fighting units of the Waffen SS were directly involved in these acts. Thus it becomes an issue of semantics because it depends upon how one defines "Waffen SS". Again this is not to say that Stein presents an apologist view or one of strict and total condemnation. In fact Stein presents a picture in which the facts are presented and the reader is free to define the culprits for themselves.

In the final section Stein gives a very concise and extremely well written summary. This section itself is worth the price of the book. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Stein is liberal in his use of sources and yet it also becomes clear that Gerald Reitlinger's "SS: Alibi of a Nation" is one he favors and must feel captures much of the story of the SS (although not in the concise manner in which Stein sets out to do - as he states right up front). This is a five star effort worth a read!!!

This is a well researched and written book about the Indian wars on the New York and Pennsylvania frontiers during the American Revolution. It tells the stories of the Wyoming Massacre, the Cherry Valley Massacre and the Sullivan campaign providing the details on each but in a very readable format. It also provides some details on other not so well known events on the frontiers like the situation around Pittsburgh and in western Pennsylvania. Consequently, this book fills in a gap in the American Revolution and worth the purchase for any individual interested in reading more about that period.

After two years of fighting in America with limited success, the British felt they were, to coin a popularized modern term, in a bit of a quagmire, and sought a new strategy for their overseas war. The new strategy involved moving the war away from the more populated northeast and into the western frontier. This move would not only disperse the already diminutive American forces, but would also allow Britain to utilize its strongest North American allied force, the Iroquois Indian Confederacy.

Glenn William's book, THE YEAR OF THE HANGMAN: WASHINGTON'S WAR AGAINST THE IROQUOIS chronicles the events that took place in those western frontier skirmishes and battles. The book derives its name for the year, 1777, which had become popularly known at the time as the `year of the hangman' due to the three sevens appearance of gallows when written, though the majority of the events actually occurred in 1779. Though using that title for his book was too good of an opportunity to pass up, William's title is slightly misleading as to the dates of the primary events.

The Iroquois, though primarily located in Western and Central New York, were quite possibly the strongest Indian nation of North America for a span of over 500 years. Their control reached across the Great Lakes into Central Wisconsin and their rise to prominence came at the cost of driving out, and driving to extinction, numerous other Indian tribes of the region. They were, to be sure, a force to be reckoned with.

Both the Americans and the British had heavily lobbied allegiance with the Iroquois, but in the end, the Indians felt their best chance for future lay at the hands of the British and consequently, four of the six main tribes of the Iroquois sided with the British. This error in judgment would prove fatal to the Iroquois nation, when, as a primary result of the Sullivan Expedition, the Iroquois nation would virtually lose all of its military and political power.

While the Sullivan Expedition is the primary focus of William's book, other major events are deftly chronicled as well, such as the Battle of Oriskany and the Wyoming Valley attacks. By 1979, Gen. Washington had successfully developed the army making it capable of taking the fight to the Indians and literally destroying their economical stability and rendering them harmless, not just for the remainder of the revolution, but into the subsequent years of frontier settlement into the traditional Iroquois homelands.

That Washington was able to develop a force the size of the Sullivan Expedition (5000 men) is in and of itself, a testament to Washington's military leadership abilities and, though today, only an afterthought in Revolutionary history, stands as one of the General's greatest military accomplishments.

This is good reading. Glenn William's had put together a readable and valuable presentation of a rather forgotten aspect of America's fight for independence.

Monty Rainey
Junto Society

Mr. Williams recent book describes in excellent, understandable detail what caused the Americans to invade Iroquois territory and the effects of the invasion. His book is an excellent companion to another book I have read titled History of Wyoming, by Charles Miner that was originally written in 1845. Miner interviewed people who survived or were connected to the Wyoming Massacre, while Williams had access to all the archives. The two books fill in details and each makes the other more rewarding to read.

I read this book because I have Loyalist ancestors who were members of Butler's Rangers and almost certainly participated in the battles described in such detail. My ancestors, William Pickard and his 2 sons James and Benjamin, two privates and a drummer boy, did not get mentioned in the book, but that was not a problem since around 900 people were in Butler's Rangers. They survived to move to Canada after the war and they started large families after leaving their homes in Tryon County.

The book has a nice section on the key personalities that I found useful since there were Butlers on both the Loyalist and Patriot sides. The book would be improved by detailed maps. Unless you can imagine where places like Tioga, Unidilla and Stone Arabia are, you will read the book in front of your computer with Google Maps open as I did. The book would also be improved with contemporary photos of the battle sites; some of these, like the Battle of Newton, were easily found on the web.

I learned much from the book and enjoyed it. It was very interesting to see that the Rangers contained a good number of Black soldiers who lived with the rest of the Rangers and the Indians. It was also interesting to see how both sides courted the Indians and tried to win their support. The book really makes the Revolution look much more like a civil war than people typically think.

The book was well written to the point that the book rich in detail was not lost by the tremendous amout of utilized quotes and reference points. More detail on the life style and pressures (for survival)of settlements along the frontier border would have been benefical.

Wow!! No one should walk into the AP Spanish Language Exam without having studying and prepped with these practices.

I have a large collection of books for learning spanish and this book turned out to be one of the very best of them. I know that it is a book angled toward preparing students for the AP exam but
it just so happens to be one of the most user friendly, well designed and comprehensive books for learning spanish out on the market today. I am an advanced college spanish student and therefor I didn't get the book to prepare for the exam. I got it because it offers a well structured and comprehensive review as well as many helpful drills and practice tests. I think a book structured like this is probably the best way to study a language on your own. So to all you who may have been put off by the fact that it is an exam preparation book please do yourselves a favor and buy this book.

Absolutely the best book around. The subject review is a big exhaustive, but well worth your money. Going through the entire book will guarantee you a 4 or a 5!

First, I should say that I didn't actually use the book as a review, but my teacher did use two of the practice exams (not sure how many come with it in total) in class. We did one full length exam on a Saturday morning (I got a 5) and there was another one that we did in sections over a few days. This morning, I took the real College Board AP Spanish Language exam and it was a little different. Not completely different, mind you-REA got all of the basics right-but something about the tone and feel of the exam was different. The reading passages weren't actual narratives, but factual writings, two of them were reprinted from newspapers. On the listening section all of the accents in this book were from Spain (use of "ceceo") but none of them were on the actual test. This isn't a bad test, but some of the other review books are probably a little better. Again, I did not use this for review of grammar or look at the book at all, just the practice tests.

I really enjoyed using this book as a form of supplementary preparation for taking the AP Spanish Exam. I found it to be an excellent source of information for all of the material covered on the exam, and some of the practices excercises actually more than prepared me for the material on the exam. The audio CDs were essential in preparing me for the oral component of the exam, and made studying more fun. I Am grateful to the authors of the book, since their work helped me to score a 5 on the exam. I would strongly recommend this book to test takers.

A lot of people hear the word "Art" and think of a painting on the wall or a sculpture proudly displayed on a table or mantle. The lush images in this book remind us that we can incorporate "Art" into every physical part of our lives. There's no need to sacrifice form for function or beauty for utility. All you have to do is look at the woodwork, the floors, the lighting, the walls, and, yes, the decorative objects--in short, every aspect of an art nouveau home--to see "Art" in the smallest detail. Art Nouveau exemplifies the principle of "Art for Life".

First off, thank you Paul! I have loved Art Nouveau from childhood, before I ever knew what the style was called. It is somewhere in my blood. ART NOUVEAU, 1890-1914 (pronounced Art Newvo) is like something from a dream. The photographs alone are worth buying this book for!

Here are the chapters along with two or more of my favorite works from each:

1 THE STYLE AND THE AGE
Emile Galle' "Hand." Hot-worked glass with patination. French, 1904. Victor Horta, Hotel Tassel (Tassel House) First-floor landing with view towards staircase. Brussels, 1893.
2 ALTERNATE HISTORIES
Gustav Klimt, Pallas Athene. Oil on Canvas, Austrian, 1898. Museen der Stadt Wien, Vienna. / Doorway with two jambs and a pillar from the 11th-century church at Urnes, Norway. Late 19th-century plaster cast.
3 THE CULT OF NATURE
Louis Majorelle and Daum Freres, pair of magnolia lamps. Gilt bronze and carved glass. French, c.1903. / Louis Majorelle and Daum Freres, Le Figuier de Barbarie. Lamp of patinated bronze and carved glass. French, 1903.
4 SYMBOLS OF THE SACRED AND PROFANE
"Spiritualism: In philosophy the state or condition of mind opposed to materialism or a material conception of things." Madame Blavatsky, Theosophic Glossary, 1892.
Rene Lilique, Dragonfly Woman*** corsage ornament. Gold, enamel, chrysoprase, moonstones and diamonds. French, c.1897-98. Calouste Gullbenkian Museum, Lisbon. / Gustav Klimt, Judith II (Salome). Oil on canvas. Austrian, 1909.
5 THE LITERARY HERITAGE
6 ORIENT AND OCCIDENT
Tsuba (sword guard). Iron with gold and silver inlay. Japanese, c.1700-1800. / Inro (small container). Wood with black, gold and brown lacquer and glazed pottery., Japanese, c. 1775-1800. Signed Mochizuki Hanzan.
7 ARABESQUES: NORTH AFRICA, ARABIA AND EUROPE
(left and right) Glass flasks from Persia (Iran). c, 1885. / (centre) Glass flask by L.C. Tiffany & Co. ***American, 1896.
8 LE STYLE ANGLAIS: ENGLISH ROOTS OF THE NEW ART

James McNeill Whistler, Peacock Room for the Frederic Leyland Hourse, 1876. Courtesy of the Freer Gallery of Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C. / Alexander Fisher, peacock sconce.** Steel, bronze, silver, brass and enamel. English, c.1889.
9 THE AGE OF PAPER
Camille Martin, Portfolio, L'Estampe orignale.* Tooled mosaic leather. French, 1893. / Henri Bellery-Desfontaines, L'Enigme. Colour lithograph. French, 1898.
10 MOULDING WOOD: CRAFTSMANSHIP IN FURNITURE
Rupert Carabin, table, Wood. French, 1896. [I wish you could see this photo.** Two nude women on either side of the rectangular table have arms outstretched to hold the x top left of it, and their heads are the top right side of the x and their knees are bent to go down the bottom right of the x respectively.] / Eugene Gaillard, dining room** [black and white but oh I can see it in full color!] L'Art Nouveau Bing, Expositioin Universelle, Paris, 1900.
11 THE NEW TEXTILES
Henry van de Velde, dress** Belgian, 1900. / Otto Eckmann, Five Swans. Woven tapestry. German, 1896-97.
12 THE NEW CERAMICS: ENGAGING WITH THE SPIRIT
Agathon Leonard, part of a table setting: Jeu de l'echarpe. Porcelain.* French, 1898. / Weduwe N.S.A. Brantjes, dish.** Earthenware, Dutch, c.1900.
13 THE NEW GLASS: A SYNTHESIS OF TECHNOLOGY AND DREAMS
Louise Comfort Tiffany, vase.** Glass with applied and marvered colours, combed. American, 1895.
14 MODERN METAL
Horta House, view from the music room towards the dining room. *** 1898-1900. /Fernand Dubois, candelabra.** Electro-plated bronze. Belgian, c.1889.
15 JEWELLERY AND THE ART OF THE GOLDSMITH [one of my favorite chapters]
Phillipe Wolfers, orchid hair ornament, gold, enamel, diamonds and rubies.*** Belgian, 1902. / Ren' Lilique, iris bracelet.*** Gold, enamel and opals. French, 1897. / Rene Lalique, damselflies necklace.*** Gold, enamel, aquamarines and diamonds. French, c.1900-02. / Rene Lalique, winged female figure.*** Bronze. French, c.1899-1900. / Alphonse Mucha, bodice ornament.*** Gold, ivory, enamel, opals, pearls, and coloured gemstones. Czech, c.1900.

Ok, time for just the chapter titles and most essential loves listed from each chapter. This gives you an idea of how comprehensive this book is!

16 THE CONCENTRATED ESSENCE OF A WRIGGLE: ART NOUVEAU SCULPTURE
Jean Dampt, The Fairy Melusine and the Knight Raymondin. French, 1894.
17 THE PARISIAN SITUATION: HECTOR GUIMARD AND THE EMERGENCE OF ART NOUVEAU
Hector Guimard, principal entrance to Le Castel Beranger.** Paris, 1898.
18 VICTOR HORTA AND BRUSSELS
All the photos from the Victor Horta House!
19 MUNICH: SECESSION AND JUGENDSTIL
Franz von Stuck, The Sin. Oil on canvas. German, c.1906.
20 SECESSION IN VIENNA
Josef Hoffmann, Palais Stoclet, detail of tower.** Brussels, 1905-11.
21 GLASGOW: THE DARK DAUGHTER OF THE NORTH
22 LOUIS SULLIVAN AND THE SPIRIT OF NATURE
Adler and Sullivan, Transportation Building, Columbian Worlds Fair. Chicago, 1893.
23 BARCELONA: SPIRITUALITY AND MODERNITY
Lluis Domenech i Montaner, auditorium of Palau de Musica Catalana.*** Barcelona, 1905-08. / Antoni Gaudi, Casa Batllo, detail of fascade.*** Barcelona, 1904-06. / And all photos of Antoni Gaudi, Sagrada Familia!***
24 BUDAPEST: INTERNATIONAL METROPOLIS AND NATIONAL CAPITAL
Odon Lechner, interior of The Museum of Applied Arts.*** Budapest, 1896./ Zsolnay factory, vase. Prcelain-faience covered in Eozin glaze.** Hungarian, 1899.
25 THE NEW ART IN PRAGUE (where my violin was made)
Oswald Polivka, entrance to the Novak Building.** Nove Mesto, prague, 1901-04./ Interior and exterior photos of Osvald Polivka and Antonin Balsanek, the Municipal House
26 HELINSINKI: SAARINEN AND FINNISH JUGEND
27 MOSCOW MODERN
Elena Polenova, plate from Mir Isskustva. St. Petersburg, 1900.
/ Fyodor Shekhtel, both photos from the Riabushinsky mansion.*** Moscow 1900-02.
28 LOUIS COMFORT TIFFANY AND NEW YORK [another one of my favorite chapters--I adore L.C.T!]
Everything! Four Seasons window. Leaded favrile glass. American, 1897.
29 TURIN: STILE FLOREALE, A LIBERTY FOR ITALY?
The coolest chair I've seen in a long time: Carlo Bugatti, chair.*** Parchment over wood, copper, paint. Italian, 1902.
30 A STRANGE DEATH...
"Decorative Art can no longer exist any more than the 'style' themselves...Culture has taken a step forward and the hierarchical system of decoration has collapsed." Le Corbusier, L'Art decoratif d'aujourd'hui, 1925.
ILLUSTRATED OBJECT LIST: ART NOUVEAU 1890-1914 EXHIBITION, NATIONAL GALERY OF ART, WASHINGTON. Perhaps the best for last, has thumbnails of 375 additional pieces! I love it!

Listening to King Crimson The Power to Believe...awesome too.
Soar!

This is the book to get on Art Nouveau. The authoritative essays are well annotated, and an excellent bibliography is included. The illustrations are very fine. Of course this is a nice "coffee table book," but really this is a wonderful reference book for scholars of the Fin de Siècle-Belle Époque. Highly recommended!

A book of incredible detail and beauty. I first saw this book in my local library and decided I simply must have it. There are print art, furniture and jewellry, arcitecture examples and more. Worth the purchase price to the last penny!

This is a rare gem among art histories: A well researched book that an average person will enjoy as much as a researcher. What makes this book stand out from other books about art nouveau is how thorough it is (It is phone book thick) and the quantity and quality of the pictures. All the reproductions of art in this book are color, with the obvious exception of older photographs of artists and occasionally architecture or artifacts that no longer exist except in black and white pictures.

The book takes the theory that art nouveau was part of a social response to industrialization. So the art is defined as art that used a return to nature or investigation into magic to try to make sense of the world. Art works are organized by what materials they were created from (jewelry, ceramics, textile, commercial advertising prints). Paintings and some examples of the other medias are grouped by country with a historical write on art nouveau in that geographical region.

This book is great. The high quality color reproductions and so many of them are worth looking through again and again. If you are at all into art nouveau then you are likely to love this book. Libraries should make this available because of the wonderful high quality color reproductions.

I used this book for my college biology I and II classes. My favorite part of the book was animal structure and function. Although the writing in this book is on a pretty high level, nothing was left out--very complete. Sometimes it was hard to understand the chapters on genetics. Then again genetics is a hard topic. I used additional sources to clarify on what I learned in Raven's book.

I used AP Biology by Beck. This book was a helpful study guide. This was easy to comprehend. Made biology easier to learn.

However, what really did it for me was Patrick Leonardi's:
The Ultimate Study Guide for Biology: Key Review Questions and Answers with Explanations
This study guide comes in 3 volumes, make sure to get all three if you take biology I and II. If you are only taking Biology I, you can probably get away with only getting volume 1 and 2. These study guides had very good questions on every topic that is tested on in college biology. It was organized into specific sections, making it very helpful for exam preparation. It was so complete that it had the kind of questions that were asked on my exams. Don't go blind into an exam. These books are very helpful.

This is a great biology book. One of my favorite things about this book is the diagrams. I also like the sections on human origins and the individual sections on different organisms. This book is as good or might even be better then the Campbell biology-that speaks for itself

This is definitely the best intro to bio books out there. As a graduate student I got the chance to read lots of bio books and this one by far is the best. The chapters are well organized and easy to follow and gives you the depth needed to pursue any area of biology. When it was time for me to student teach this was the book of my chose. It expensive but definiely worth it to any biologist. The CD-ROM is also very good!

This is by far the finest Introductory Biology textbook I have ever had the pleasure of reading. Biology teachers, do yourselves (not to mention your students) a favor--make this the required text for your Biology I (and II) Class! Special Thanks goes out to Dr. Michael Hoefer...for requiring this textbook!

.....or if you had to travel back in time. I had this for my textbook in Biology back in 1987 and even then, .... well before the human genome was anywhere near being charted, let alone completed, this was a spectacular acomplishment. This book isn't riveting like say Druyan and Sagan's SHADOWS OF FORGOTTEN ANCESOTRS is, but it is as good as any biology textbook can possibly be. It has EVERYTHING you could possibly want to know about biology; from modern cell theory to ecology. All you have to do is look this over and you'll see why I highly recommend it. Does any other bio textbook even compare?

This book is all about the trust in God, how he brings Nicole and Anne through their hard times in live, how He is their guide and strong Hand that keeps them.
Really, this book (and the rest of the series previous) are really worth reading.

This is my second favorite of the series, my very favorite being "The Meeting Place." Unlike "The Sacred Shore", the book preceding it, "The Birthright" brings out the character of Anne as well as that of Nicole, rather like "The Meeting Place" did with their moms, Catherine and Louise. I always felt that Anne is "short-changed" in the other books in the series, and am glad to see her getting more equal treatment here.

I have thoroughly enjoyed this series and hope to continue with the next one. Normally, I find Oke's book dull or too detailed to enjoy, but this series with Bunn is outstanding. Try it!

This book is great! It's been a while since I read the first two books in this series, and I was surprised that it was so easy for me to pick up right where they left off.

This is the story of Nicole's journey to England to take her place as the heir to her Uncle Charles. Her ideas of duty and responsibility, but also her need for change and to find her own place in the world are at the heart of the novel.

I don't want to give away too much of the plot--especially the surprise ending, but needless to say, this book will keep you charmed through the end--through all the heartache, sorrow and joy that comes through in colonial America.

After being reunited with her birth parents in Nova Scotia and after saying a tearful goodbye to her Louisiana parents, Nicole has a yearning for more. She and Anne become close friends and Nicole loves her parents, but there is something calling to her, dividing her allegiance. Her Uncle Charles has asked for her to go to England and become his heir, and she considers doing just that. After prayer and consideration, she decides to leave.

England is a contrast to all she's ever known . . . its glitter and bustle are almost too much for her, and she feels useless among the rich trappings and servants.

Anne, meanwhile, is dealing with some devastating news. She decides to go to England. Anne adjusts more quickly to England than Nicole.

Nicole and her uncle have to make some hard decisions. . . .

I didn't find this book as exciting as the others in the series (especially Book 1, my favorite so far), but it is still interesting and integral to the series. The writing is still beautiful and thoughtful and this book is worth the read.

I read "The Bond" over two nights. What an incredible story! It tells the story of triumph over adversity. I recommend every parent; single or married; every teacher,teen-ager, male or female read this book!

This is a wonderful book, particularly for men and teen-age boys who have difficult relationships with their fathers. In their sequel to "The Pact," the three doctors -- Jenkins, Davis and Hunt -- give an open and honest account of how they learned to forgive and reconnect with their dads. In a unique twist, the fathers' stories also are told, revealing how a generational curse such as fatherlessness is hard to break. The women's guild of my church read "The Bond" for a recent book discussion. We had a great conversation with author Margaret Bernstein.

"The Bond" is a story about three African-American doctors who lived in Newark, New Jersy. Drs. Hunt, Davis and Jenkins all show what srtuggles of inner-city life can bring.

The three doctors have taken their time to discuss what has become a big problem in the U.S. and the world -- absentee fathers. Their fathers didn't "measure up" to their idea of what a father should be. Whether it was as a result of the fathers not being at home, unmarried, alcoholism, drugs, jail or simply not knowing how to communicate, one thing is for sure, it's not okay to bring a child into this world solely to fend for themselves.

The Bond by the Three Doctors, as they are more affectionately called, is an extension of their first book, The Pact. In The Pact, Sampson Davis, George Jenkins and Rameck Hunt tell how they became friends in high school and ultimately, how they promised to stick together and graduate from college to become doctors. The Bond goes even further into the friendship of these three young men.

Davis, Jenkins and Hunt were able to become friends because of what is considered a growing epidemic in the African American community - children growing up in single family homes. Each doctor tells the reason why his father was not present in his home. They also give their fathers an opportunity to share their stories. They learn that their fathers either grew up in the same circumstances or they did not know themselves, the impact they were passing on through each generation. The doctors discuss how they struggled to learn about developing relationships with women, building confidence, and peer pressure and to learn a simple task such as how to fix a tie or picking out a suit without the guidance of male presence in their lives. They also discuss their devotions to their mothers, who sacrificed to keep their families together. Despite not having a male role model, the doctors basically learned from each other. The Bond tells of their need and desire to understand the reasons why their fathers were absent and what they have done to begin to build relationships with their fathers. Dr. Hunt stated "even though they missed out on a portion of their lives, parenthood last a lifetime".

The story was very compelling and thought provoking. The Doctors also describe the ways that they have set out to mentor other children who are growing up in similar homes. This is a recommended book that can be read by both males and females who are living in single family homes and are struggling to come to terms with an absent parent.

Reviewed by: Priscilla C. Johnson
APOOO BookClub

In Newark, Sampson Davis, George Jenkins, and Rameck Hunt met as fatherless children struggling to survive ghetto living without a male mentor or role model; they formed THE PACT in high school to help one another make it and they succeeded as each became a doctor.

In THE BOND, the physicians look into the most prevalent disease destroying America's family: no father. The trio does this by seeking their dads, who never had a role in their lives. The threesome separately describe growing up fatherless and how difficult that is to overcome, but do not add any new insight than they already described in the PACT. However, their recommendations to youths suffering from this pandemic illness are solid especially to go out and find a role model to mentor you. However, the most poignant segments are the sections written by the absentee dads, who offer no rationalization as to why, but explain their failures in depth. Especially discerning is that each of them also grew up fatherless. THE BOND is a moving autobiography and though anecdotal should be must reading for everyone who wonders what has gone wrong with the American family unit as generational repetition is difficult to turn around.

Harriet Klausner

The Burning Plain is about fifteen emotional stories. The stories give the reader a lot to think about. Many of these stories are short interesting stories that give the reader what to think about, action, sad parts, and contains nasty events when people are killed. We recommend the book to the readers because it is a very interesting book because the way many short stories are put into one book. The book will make the reader feel grossed out because in the ways some people are killed. All of these stories take place in a rural place. For, example Talpa takes place in a village as well as Luvina. In the story Macario the setting is in a house.

One regrettable consequence of Garcia Marquez's fame is that Latin American literature has come to be identified exclusively with "magical realism". Everything has to be extraordinary, epic, full of tropical lust, palms, jaguars, people having sex in every corner, flying to the sky with a pineapple on their heads. But Latin America is a vast continent producing artist of universal stature, even if the rest of the world decides (to their disadvantage) to ignore all but the folkloric.

Well, Juan Rulfo is a master of the highest sort and this book is NOT magical realism, but pure, hard realism. He only wrote two books, this one and "Pedro Paramo", another masterpiece which I also don't count as magical realism, although some do, as well as a few lesser works. He didn't need to write much. His is a literature worked and reworked restlessly, until reaching perfection. Every single word fits perfectly with the rest. There are no digressions, no philosophy, no theories or grand landscapes. All his tales develop in Southern Jalisco, in a poor, dry, vast, sunburned and sad land. The prose is also dry, precise, economical and to the point. The characters are ignorant, miserable, but conscious and courageous. The titles say much: "It's because we are so poor" is one of them. However, you will not find self-pity or corny sad tales. Only bits of human misery perfectly narrated. By the way, this is the first review I write for Amazon in which I use the word "perfect". Probably it won't happen again, with one or two exceptions.

The Burning Plains is a compilation of short stories that Juan Rulfo published on diferent publications at different times. it's also at the moment, besides his masterpiece Pedro Paramo, the only material available.
The shorts stories are chilling, incledibly well written. It's superb, and the english translation more than acceptable.
To me the highlights of the book are "Talpa" and "they have given us the land" (the opener on the spanish version, but some reason is not on this english edition)but the whole book is amazing.
I bought this book for my girfriend as an exorsism from jennifer Wiener's "Good in Bed" I was worried about the translation but it didn't dissapoint me.
the ideal way to read The Burning Plain is in spanish, but since this book is not that surreal as pedro paramo is, this tranlation works just fine.
I hope this brief note helps you to choose a good book.

Rulfo's style, like his stories, is sparse, quiet, and often harsh. He offers disturbing tales of miserable people in barren places; yet there is also a strange beauty to be found in his work. I can think of few, if any, examples of such perfect prose. The characters--though they suffer--seem close at hand and perfectly real, and he gives the most incredible descriptions of landscapes that I have ever read in my life. It is easy to see his connection to "magical realism"--it is largely in the way he sets the tone of the stories, and in those unbelievably vivid descriptions--but his work does not fall into that category. There is no escaping the terribly blunt reality he creates.

Whether you are interested in Latin American literature or not, if you are at all interested in prose, you should read this book.

ANGST. This is the best word to describe the human landscape that Rulfo has portrayed in this collection of short stories. A lanscape of extreme sorrow that blossoms over the arid plain, where poverty, opression and ignorance intermingle with faith to shape the tragedy of the post-revolutionary rural Mexico. A tragedy that has lived over 70 years and that may help explaining the nature of the mexican people, their doings and fears. But moreover its social meanings, Juan Rulfo, has created a masterpiece of storytelling, not only at the Latin-american level, but rather as an universal gift. This is not magic realism alà Garcia Marquez or Isabel Allende. This is bare boned reality, told with the beauty and the ease that just a master can reach, in which the words mix perfectly for creating short bursts of narrative, perfectly solved stories, that will fill the mind, the mouth and the eyes of the reader with the burnt sand of the plains, with the ashes of the dead, with the tears of the desperate. If you're ready to follow Tanilo's bloody footsteps toward Talpa, to hunt toads with Macario, or to fall under the spell of Niño Anacleto's preaching, or under the spell of misterious rural Mexico, dive into the pages of this collection of short stories, and compare it with any other you have already read, and you will understand why Rulfo never writed any further. Because he almost reached perfection.

A must for any Cathedrals fan and a "should have" for lovers of Gospel music.

WOW! As a fan of the Cathedrals, I loved reading about the 2 Sr members. The Lord worked in both of their lives to bring them together to bless us all with their music and their commitment to the call on their lives. If you love the Cathedrals, you will LOVE this book!!!!!!!!!!

A great look at the Cathedrals' history, George Younce and Glen Payne's stories, and the gospel music business in general. A MUST read for anyone who has ever listened to gospel music!

A great book for Cathedral's fans. The lives of these two gentlemen are a true example of what being in God's service is all about. They have touched hearts and lives for decades with their music. My only complaint is that it was too short and I hope someday, the full and complete story of Glen Payne and George Younce will be told.

I borrowed this book from a friend and read it, and now I want to purchase the book for my library. I have managed to get two of the books for two different friends autographed at several of their concerts. This makes the book even more meaningful, especially having Glen's and George's autographs. I would highly recommend purchasing this book and adding to your library.

First half of "Ferenginar" deals with Ferengi culture thru Quarks eyes as his brother Rom is being deposed from the position of Grand Nagas. Well written, the Ferengi are the 'spice' that StarTrek needs. A very enjoyable read.

Second half of book deals with Odo and his relationship with the "Great Link" and the Dominion, Odo seeks out his origins and finds unexpected answers and challenges.

Apparently, a main character in the Deep Space Nine saga is killed in this installment. It has so many interesting ramifications. Not only was a main character killed, another critical revelation was made which was just as shocking as the killing of a main character. For a while, I was getting a little bored with how this entire series was going, but after reading this I have renewed interest and am eager to start the next book in the series.

For some reason, I didn't expect these two stories to be as entertaining and engaging as the pervious stories. Yet, both did manage to bring a new light to the characters and worlds that have been touched on in DS9.

For the Ferenginar story, I actually enjoyed this a great deal. Perhaps what made it so good is that some outsiders involved provided a rather interesting look into the Ferengi culture. Having Ro Laren be a major character in this story was a great idea. Yeah, we got a look into her relationship with Quark, but it just seemed to flesh out the story more. Leeta also provided a rather unique perspective on things. The story in general, centering around Grand Nagus Rom having troubles and having to face down some enemies was interesting. Zek's role in the story also made for an amusing read.

Now, the Odo "Dominion" story. Yeah, it was okay. I felt as if it dragged on in parts and found myself rather uninterested in the story until the end when the action picked up. There were some ideas and questions posed that did manage to pique my interest and the conclusion of the story does leave the reader with the impression that there are big changes in store for the Dominion and Odo. Still, I don't think it was the best story and it seemed to lack something, but it was still decent.

I'd definately suggest you pick this up. It completes the "Worlds of DS9" saga which was overall one of the better mini-series that gives the reader an inside look at a lot of the characters involved in the series, both past and present.

the first story talks about the world according to the ferengi. rom is now the grand nagus and has made sweeping changes, from income tax to giving women equal rights(something that was unheard of). most people seem to like the changes but some want to go back to the old ways including his brother quark. so a plot is hatched to shame him by bringing up dirt on his first marriage to nog's mother.

this story is well thought out and is quite funny. it gives the reader an inside look at the society of ferengi and you get to understand them so much more.

the second book is about the dominion. this one is not nearly as good. it has odo remembering his romance with kira and the conflict he will probaly always have with whether to live with his own people or to have a life with the one he loves.

meanwhile a nova near the founders old planet has the great link anxious. is this the return of the progeitor? some think it is and the story leaves a lot up in the air when it finishes.

the only thing i don't like about this series of novels is that kira is least talked about one. i liked her character on deep space nine the most and the writers seem to have little use for her.

Both of these stories are two of the best in the series. The first, Ferenginar, takes the culture seriously. The Ferengi have always been a little on the humorous side, but explores the very real family feelings between two brothers who are on the surface different but were raised with the same values.

The Dominion explore the nature of the "gods" of the gamma quadrent and the consquences of their actions and their disregard for the lives of others. Odo must deal with these consequences.