Green Books

The New Family Cookbook is a thoroughly engaging compendium of tips, facts, and recipes for flavorful, exciting dishes drawn from cultures and cuisines worldwide and eminently suited for the family table. From hors d'oeuvres such as Deviled Eggs and Marinated Mushrooms, to Vegetable dishes ranging from Spinach and Portobello Mushroom Stir-Fry and Green Pepper Vegetable Au Gratin, to Fish And Meat entrees like Grilled Tuna Steaks and Roasted Chicken, to mouth-watering desserts like Pumpkin-Pecan Spice Cake and Raspberry Sherbet, The New Family Cookbook offers palate pleasing, appetite satisfying, kitchen-cook friendly dishes for every occasion.

This is the first cookbook I've read that's a page-turner--I found myself flipping ahead to the comments and reflections by Dr. Eichner and many members of his family: a family drama is revealed through recipes and the memories they inspire. Eichner's encouraging tone and unpretentious style are really appealing. His recipes are simple and his appreciation for home-cooked food is inspiring. I'm making soup again these days, and have fallen in love with the chocolate cake and semolina cake.

This is a cookbook I want to give everyone in my family, some new cooks, some not so new. Dr. Eichner's simple but sound nutritional advice, along with playful recipes, uncomplicated cooking and eating philosophy makes cooking well seem easier, and eating right more fun. The addition of personal thoughts on food, eating and cooking from Dr. Eichner's family gives this cookbook an intimate and thoughtful touch. It is an easy going but helpful hand in the kitchen.

This is a cookbook I want to give everyone in my family, some new cooks, some not so new. Dr. Eichner's simple but sound nutritional advice, along with playful recipes, uncomplicated cooking and eating philosophy makes cooking well seem easier, and eating right more fun. The addition of personal thoughts on food, eating and cooking from Dr. Eichner's family gives this cookbook an intimate and thoughtful touch. It is an easy going but helpful hand in the kitchen.

Like all great cookbooks, this is a good deal more than a collection of recipes--it's an attempt to embody a philosophy of intimacy through the shared experience of meals. First and foremost, the recipes are wonderful. But what makes the book so moving and so surprising are the short essays in between, tracing the development of certain dishes to particular times in the life of the author's large, variegated family. By the end of the book you feel you have entered a world through the kitchen door, and have no wish to leave.

i bought this for my husband, a green day fan and guitarist/lead singer in his own band, for christmas and he LOVED this book. neither he or his friends knew it existed and are taking turns reading it.

For years I have enjoyed Green Day's lyrics, punk rock mentality, and original sound they carry from 1000 hours through to American Idiot. Upon the release of American Idiot and their worldwide tour, I wanted to know everything I could about their development and psychology that goes into their particular brand of madness. This book had everything I could have possibly wanted to know and more. I feel like I'll always appreciate their contribution to human society as a whole. Thanks to Marc for writing this book.

While the career of Green Day is not lengthy compared to many rock lengends, I found "Nobody Likes You" to be a cohesive and thorough account of their lives and careers to date. Marc Spitz has again successfully delved into the economic background and times that shaped these young men into one of the best punk rock bands of modern times.

my love for green day is inconsistant, and i know all there is to know about everything concerning green day. when i heard about this new novel about green day, i snatched it up the moment it came out in stores. i spent my evening reading this engrossing novel, and was shocked to find many candid interviews that made me cry with joy! some of the things i already knew, but that is only because i am a hardcore fan. Those who like green day, and would like to take a peek into their lives, fame, and stress, will absolutely without a doubt eat this novel up. it is that good. it isnt boring, and very insightful. i recommend it greatly.

Just to highlight something another reviewer put in their brief review of this title, it is not a 'novel'. Novels are works of fiction. This is the polar opposite.

I am holding the book here in my hand preparing to analyze it for my job at a national book supplier, and will likely end up purchasing a copy for my son.

It appears to be a concise, well-written history of the group. Check out the Booklist review.

The recent publication of a biography of Green encouraged me to revisit his books, which for years have been grossly and inexplicably neglected. I started with this one.

Nothing is based in London in 1948 and concerns two former lovers, John Pomfret and Jane Weatherby, who find their two children, Mary Pomfret and Philip Weatherby, are engaged to be married. Complicating things are Liz Jennings and Dick Abbot, the pair's current lovers. Jane still loves John and hatches a subtle plan to wreck the children's engagement and win him back. Things work out nicely in the end for everyone except poor Arthur Morris. Like almost all of Green's books, Nothing is about love.

One of the most curious thing about it is that it consists mainly of dialogue. It is almost a play rather than a novel. There is little descriptive narrative, unlike some of this earlier works. Happily Green gets the dialogue right. He has an extraordinary ear. Nothing is reminiscent of Evelyn Waugh (circa Vile Bodies) and Anthony Powell (A Dance to the Music of Time). John and Jane are by far the most attractively rendered characters. I found myself particularly drawn to the latter.

Green is an absolute master. In addition to Nothing I would recommend the rest of his books, especially Loving, Party Going, and Pack My Bags.

With a little patience, the reader will quickly adjust to the rhythms of one of English literature's most unique, and until recently, nearly forgotten novelists; and in the process enjoy an utterly and unabashedly charming and delightful novel. Years after having an affair that almost ruined their respective marriages, Jane Weatherby and John Pomfret are reunited when their children decide to get married despite questions regarding their possible kinship and the fact that they have almost no money to their name. Afraid that Mary Pomfret and Philip Weatherby are destined for the working-class, Jane and John attempt to stall the development of the wedding plans by having endlessly witty conversations about, well, nothing. This gives Jane -- a shrewd, resourceful widow -- the opportunity to embark on a scheme to lure John away from his current love interest. As the plot advances through discussions filled with misdirections and omissions, Green demonstrates that there is nothing like the spoken word to conceal one's true intentions, yet at the same time reveal everything. One of Green's final novels, Nothing is a worthy addition to the varied tradition of English literature that includes Virginia Woolf and Evelyn Waugh. Fans of Austen, Forster, and Wharton should also be rewarded. Green's masterful description of the novel's centerpiece alone -- an as-if-you-were-there party -- is worth the price of purchase.

The British writer Henry Green's literary skill went far beyond a comedy of manners, which this book appears to be on the surface. Dense with meaning, "Nothing" is a short literary gem, which forces the reader to read a million nuances into the witty and yet deeply dense conversations which make up the entirety of the book. The story is set in 1948 and follows John and Jane, now middle aged but still reminiscing about an affair they had many years before when they were still married. They both have new relationships, Liz and Richard, but still see each other frequently for meals or for tea. Their respective children, Mary and Philip, are now grown and want to marry. But of course there are complications.

The world that the author creates for the reader is a very British one. The dialogue is precise but filled with hidden meanings, as what is unsaid is often even more important than what is said. There's a wonderful symmetrical balance in each of the conversations as well as in the structure of the book. The characters speak for themselves, with very little description, and, through their words alone, the twists and turns of the story emerge, the sounds of their voices echoing on the pages. The question of what really happened and is happening is always just beyond our reach, and the even though the characters might be moved around like chess pieces at the author's whim, they never do change or gain insight into their behavior. Surprisingly, this is still an amazingly satisfying read, as if is the reader himself or herself who gets to experience their world and gain insight into the inevitability of the conclusion. This book is a delightful read and a real treat. I highly recommend it.

The recent publication of a biography of Green encouraged me to revisit his books, which for years have been grossly and inexplicably neglected. I started with this one.

Nothing is based in London in 1948 and concerns two former lovers, John Pomfret and Jane Weatherby, who find their two children, Mary Pomfret and Philip Weatherby, are engaged to be married. Complicating things are Liz Jennings and Dick Abbot, the pair's current lovers. Jane still loves John and hatches a subtle plan to wreck the children's engagement and win him back. Things work out nicely in the end for everyone except poor Arthur Morris. Like almost all of Green's books, Nothing is about love.

One of the most curious thing about it is that it consists mainly of dialogue. It is almost a play rather than a novel. There is little descriptive narrative, unlike some of this earlier works. Happily Green gets the dialogue right. He has an extraordinary ear. Nothing is reminiscent of Evelyn Waugh (circa Vile Bodies) and Anthony Powell (A Dance to the Music of Time). John and Jane are by far the most attractively rendered characters. I found myself particularly drawn to the latter.

Green is an absolute master. In addition to Nothing I would recommend the rest of his books, especially Loving, Party Going, and Pack My Bags.

With a little patience, the reader will quickly adjust to the rhythms of one of English literature's most unique, and until recently, nearly forgotten novelists; and in the process enjoy an utterly and unabashedly charming and delightful novel. Years after having an affair that almost ruined their respective marriages, Jane Weatherby and John Pomfret are reunited when their children decide to get married despite questions regarding their possible kinship and the fact that they have almost no money to their name. Afraid that Mary Pomfret and Philip Weatherby are destined for the working-class, Jane and John attempt to stall the development of the wedding plans by having endlessly witty conversations about, well, nothing. This gives Jane -- a shrewd, resourceful widow -- the opportunity to embark on a scheme to lure John away from his current love interest. As the plot advances through discussions filled with misdirections and omissions, Green demonstrates that there is nothing like the spoken word to conceal one's true intentions, yet at the same time reveal everything. One of Green's final novels, Nothing is a worthy addition to the varied tradition of English literature that includes Virginia Woolf and Evelyn Waugh. Fans of Austen, Forster, and Wharton should also be rewarded. Green's masterful description of the novel's centerpiece alone -- an as-if-you-were-there party -- is worth the price of purchase.

It was with a sad mind I closed this final book by Hamsun, having now read through it all. This is his answer to the World post-45, in essence telling them "hah, you did your best, but history will name me victor". The book is written after his capture and "imprisonment" at then hands of the "Allies'" dupes, the Norwegian "resistance". He was put away in old people's homes, and insane asylums, all to break his resistance and will-to-life. Turns out, the over 80 year old man just wouldn't die, so they could avoid an uncomfortable trial.

We read of his mistreatment and abuse at the hands of the staff, but also small flashes of light from various people around the world. One of the episodes that struck me was that once a week a young man in his 30's came to pick up his mother, who was a co-resident at the old people's home with Hamsun, the mother always turned her head when they passed Hamsun, to avoid greeting him, unlike the son, who would smile and say hello. Hamsun was at this point nearly deaf, but eventually he felt the need to clarify to the young man in his unmistakeable Hamsun-way, that he was supposedly an evil man, imprisoned for his beliefs. That is when the young man so brilliantly answers; "Just as precious to me!"

Otherwise, the book is filled with the last memories and thoughts of an old man, in large part isolated due to his bad hearing and his fame. It pains me to think of the fact that we treated Scandinavia's possibly biggest author this way, but such is the harsh past. Still, it wouldn't be a book by Hamsun if it wasn't filled with small amusing stories and episodes from his daily life and his past. Nobody gets me laughing the way Hamsun does, he is for sure deserving of his name as the "Great Observer".

I cannot recommend this book highly enough, it is one of my favourite books, and in the Hamsun-canon it ranks right up there along with "Hunger", "Victoria" and "Growth of the Soil", in my view. The book ends and his pen get laid down with the words; "Today, the Supreme Court has passed its judgement, and I end my writing".

Read it!

(I read a different edition of the book)

Then, after the second world war, after the harassment, the trial and humilation of the country's great literate hero, after the psycological hospital and the statement that Hamsun was old and senile and could not stand responsible for his thoughts and actions - then in 1949 this fantastic book was published for the first time. Written by a 90 year old Knut Hamsun, it is a document from the time, a diary of what happened to him and which were his thoughts. The book is marvellous. Hamsun still possessed the craft and the capability of telling an accurate and tensely atmosperic story to the full. It is just unbelievable that it is written by a 90 year old man, whom when he died in 1952, with this book left his final footprint, in history and in literature. A book anybody should read and find pleasure from. From his first acknowledged work "Hunger" (1890) to this, his last one, the man and his books were unique. Knut Hamsun left the literary world, as he came, in a storm.

This is a short, simple book that will appeal to fans of Hamsun - or those interested particularly in his arrest and trial following WWII. Knut wrote this book while in his nineties, living in a series of state hospitals and sanitariums, awaiting trial. It is not really a novel, but an assortment of rambling, journal-style entries and musings on life and old age. The simple beauty and frankness that are Hamsun's hallmarks are still vibrant in this late work.

For first-time Hamsun readers, try Hunger instead.

This non-fiction work (Hamsun's last) was written while Hamsun was under arrest & on trial for treason. Part of the book deals with his annoyance over the affair, especially his anger at "well meaning" beaurocrats & doctors who seem to be putting off his trial & finally letting him off the hook for having "permanently impaired faculties." Reading the book, you can easily tell that Hamsun is hardly impaired. Proud till the end, Hamsun wanted to stand up like a man & take whatever punishment the court may give him. No excuses. But all they seemed to want to do was excuse him and/or his conduct. But what really sparkles, are the collection of "trifles." Hamsun was at his best, in my opinion, in his simple, straightforward works about life in small Norweigen fishing villages, where life's true meaning & beauty shines through seemingly meaningless trifles. Hamsun's prose is brief & to the point, loaded with brilliant understatement. Another interesting aspect of the book is that in his real-life recollections, you can see the origin of characters like Per of Bua & Benoni as well as the philosophical undertones of Shallow Soil & Growth Of The Soil. I've loved everything I've ever read by Hamsun (& that's everything translated into English!) & this book is no different.

An admiration for the works of Hamsun does not necessarily lead to an admiration of the man himself. I was full of doubt and more than a little skeptical when I started this 'autobiography' (though Hamsun goes out of the way to state that this is not his autobiography); after all, a man who 'sided' with the Nazi regime is not a totally admirable figure. That is, until you get to know him. And for that, luckily, we have "On Overgrown Paths."

Here is an old man, an honest, open man, detailing what were to be his final years. Hamsun calmly tells of his later adventures: losing his sight and hearing, spending a few calamatous and disgraceful months in an insane asylum, and patiently waiting for death. Though never viewing himself as a tragic figure, and I think Hamsun would recoil at being viewed as such a character, there are passages in this short work that cannot fail to touch our sympathies.

Regardless of the final verdict on his role in history as a person, his role in literature stands firm.

Susan Hall's Painting Point Reyes offers a lyrical gallery of rural landscapes wrought with the refined sensibility of an artist who cherishes her birthplace. Ms. Hall's selection of the spacious natural environment for her subject matter - California's stunning Point Reyes National Seashore - is as important as what she leaves out: all the peripheral contemporary distractions of billboards, crowds and cars. By haunting us with the universal through richly layered minimalist compositions often depicted under the diffuse light of night, she offers a spare and precious moment of touching the lagoons and pools, the hillsides and meadows she calls home.

The paintings are haunting and immediately transported me into a place from where I was able to see Pt Reyes spritually rather than literally. Susan's perspective of Pt. Reyes is unusual and soothing. Whether you know Pt Reyes or not, this is an opportunity to get intimate with one of America's greatest artists and look through her eyes at how she describes her place of childhood. Some of the paintings in this book are from private collections, so it was a treat for me to have in my living room, earlier work by Susan Hall, which is otherwise impossible to see, let alone own.

Painting Point Reyes is a real treasure. The collection of beautiful prints of Susan Hall's paintings provide an unparalleled look into the landscapes of Point Reyes through the paint brush of a native and outstanding artist. Her rich paintings are filled with emotion and capture a perspective of Point Reyes that one cannot see with the naked eye. This book resides on my coffee table and is hardly ever closed, people are drawn to it, and thus it is a perfect gift, both for those who know and love Point Reyes as well as those who simply enjoy fabulous art.

As "aum" captures the sound of the universe, as Georgia O'Keefe captures the vibration of a flower, Susan Hall's landscape paintings capture the very "prana" of the land in West Marin County in Northern California. The paintings of rolling green and golden hills, a watery marsh, a farmhouse nestled in the fold of a hill transport the viewer to what is transcendent in the landscape. Susan expresses a deeper essence of the land and water than could ever be subject to words. Her renditions of light, reflection, atmosphere and water are positively multisensory - I feel the density of the air, the moisture that lingers above the pond, I smell the dry sharpness of the grasses. Best of all, she leaves space for the viewer's feelings and projections while nonetheless managing to quietly and subtly uplift and inspire. Look for the joy in the brushstroke, the subtle whimsy in the color, the power in her earth.

The introductory sections are worth reading, locating Hall's body of work in the history of landscape painting (which I suspect will be significant!), in the local geography and geology, in her own personal history/memories there, and.as a commentary on human use of the land and water in the Point Reyes area. From these, the reader gets the sense of the largesse and intelligence and relevance of Hall's landscapes, yet it should be noted that the majority of paintings, modestly titled "Rocks and Sea," "The Beach," "Full Moon," are already in people's collections. A great American painter who obviously speaks to the souls of her audience.

I return to this compilation over and over, to rest, recalibrate and inspire my psyche. In addition to people who appreciate fine art, it is also appropriate for people in psychology, deep ecology, nature enthusiasts, those who live and work in the outdoors, and those in the meditative arts. I gave it to a writer to evoke his cherished spaces in Northern California.

Susan Hall's paintings of Point Reyes, part of the Point Reyes National Seashore, are sublime meditations on a very special landscape. And although the book is a tribute to this idyllic area, her paintings go beyond any physical setting. As I looked through the book I realized that I was turning the pages more slowly at each color plate. The simplicity of the format, the beauty and richness of the colors (which is too often the disappointment in reproductions) and the images themselves captured me and I was reluctant to go quickly. This is a successful representation of both the spirit and the amazing skill of Ms. Hall's work. I highly recommend it.

Newman is a master with English prose, craftily writing each sentence, paragraph, page, and chapter thoughtfully and eloquently. As a master of prose, if, for no other reason, he deserves wide readership.

But, alas, Newman is first and foremost a theologian. Now this may cast aspersions on him to a larger audience, but at considerable distress to all concerned. He wrote as both an Anglican and a Roman Catholic (most of these sermons were written while he was a priest in the Church of England). Most of the sermons were delivered while he served as priest at Oxford. There he had a demanding audience, who wouldn't sit still for such simple ejaculations, such as, "the Bible says so."

Newman revered Holy Scripture, but he saw it through a prism of manifold colors and applications. It was above all else a book of spiritual perfection, dense and more complex than often acknowledged, and he set forth to elucidate many passages with his incisive prose. Some of these sermons address the Christian liturgical year; others address some spiritual issue of the day or of perennial value. But in any event, his use of scripture is devoutly and reverential, even a tad dogmatic, but never in the evangelical sense. For Newman, the Word was a catalyst to self-discovery and illumination, not some sword to cut believer from infidel.

This book is large, and fortunately will take a good deal of time to read. Each sermon is about four pages, which makes for relatively-short meditations upon ideas catholic and universal. While Scripture forms his benchmark, his methodology is atypically in the English Empiricist school. He doesn't pontificate as though an authority, but examines like a scientist; he's heuristic, and we share in his discoveries. And his method allows him to reach the largest possible audience, knowing, as he did, that he was fighting both modernism and scepticism that ravaged the Church of England at the time, and continues to this day.

His method prevents sentimentality, although he is immensely sensitive and spiritual. He appeals to reason, the one thing that distinguishes man from beasts, and he does so with such eloquent prose that the reading alone is itself a delight. His insights have made him the "Father" of Vatican II, and many of his ideas can be found in documents of the Council. He doesn't seem to have a personal agenda, just an unabashed search for revealed truth as it is applied by reason. At times, his Victorian Age comes through loudly and clearly, but even so, his temperament is not one of self-righteousness, but of universal holiness. He's mediating the search for truth and holiness, not making it his own.

Roman and Anglican Catholics will be pleased with the results. Curious non-Christians will find Newman to be more than capable exegete, a rigorous and deft rhetorician, and a charming voice in a wasteland of mediocrity.

In these sermons Newman shows that the ultimate purpose of Church Doctrine is to grow in the spiritual life--to attain unity with God amidst the lures of the world. In addition, the themes he touches on are so contemporary for this day that you'd think he had written them yesterday. Newman demonstrates that the truths of the Christian faith are timeless.

Ignatius Press has given a great gift to the United States by putting 8 volumes of Newman's sermons together in one volume. It is a beautifully bound volume that will stand the years of reading and rereading it will get. My only criticism is the small size of the font used. However, if it was any bigger the number of sermons would shrink considerably.

The great Oxford historian Owen Chadwick wrote in his short biography of Newman that the Parochial and Plain Sermons form as a whole one of the great works of moral theology ever achieved by an English-speaking Christian. I am not qualified to assess Professor Chadwick's opinion, but I can say that I have personally found these sermons to be pure gold and intensely useful, even today, to one working in parish and scholastic ministry. This collection is a wonderful resource! The sermons provide spiritual wisdom, learning, sound Biblical scholarship, and a penetrating knowledge of historical processes in relation to the Faith. Moreover, these sermons are quintessentially Anglican -- at least in the classical or orthodox sense of this designation. I told an Evangelical friend a few months ago, when he asked for a good sermon source, that I believe Newman's P&P Sermons are the most genuinely Evangelical sermon collection I know of. And I think it goes without saying that the Sermons are also deeply Catholic in the richest, most robust (I mean Patristic) sense of the word. This is a great price for a classic work of orthodox Christian divinity. Buy it and use it!

Newman is a consummate rhetorician and compelling author, who, at a century after his death, remains one of the most influential religious authors. Newman wrote so many fine books, but his plain and parochial sermons, while he was still and Anglican, are among the best. This one-volume, completely reset edition, contains nearly 180 sermons. Most of the sermons are designated by their time given in the liturgical year, making it an excellent companion to liturgical lectionaries. One sees the keen mind of Newman operating at his most basic level, that of a parish priest. It's arresting at every fold, and a treasure and resource one will revisit with pleasure.

John Henry Newman's Parochial and Plain Sermons are without a doubt one of the genuine classics of Western spirituality. If you are looking to get your spiritual house in order, buy this book. Newman was that rare genius and saint able to appeal to both the heart and the intellect at the same time. From the very first sermon, entitled, "Holiness, Without Which Man Shall Not See God," the reader is drawn to take seriously the urgency of conversion and spiritual reform. You will walk away from this text wondering how you could have ever done anything other than put God first in your daily life! Moreover, the book appeals to modern man's sense of reason. One of Newman's greatest contributions is to show just how reasonable the act of faith is and how foolish it is to fail to make that act. But more than anything Newman will convince you that with God what matters is doing His will, not just talking about your relationship with Jesus while ignoring the Lord's commands to repent and be converted. This book is guaranteed to help you in your spiritual growth while educating you theologically, no matter where you are on the journey. Eminently readable. These are sermons, not theological treatises. This book is of equal value to non-Catholics as well as Catholics, written as they were in Newman's pre-Catholic, evangelical phase.

Persecution, Privilege, & Power

This wonderful compendium by author Mark Green would be a bargain at twice the price. Green's selection of pieces is both thoughtful and informed... many of the classic pieces are here: Paul Eisner's "Jewish Power" not least among them. For anyone interested in catching up on the discourse about the relationship of Judaism to Jewishness to Zionism, and of course, on the influence of this conundrum on American poltical and cultural life, will find the price of this book money well spent. Contact info for the authors of these carefully chosen pieces is provided. This book is contribution of inestimable value to the finally emerging national disourse on this thorny subject.

This book along with books such as President Jimmy Carter's "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid" and Meirsheimer and Walt's book "The Israel Lobby", and other such morally courageous books will help fellow Americans to take action to insist that our government take the right actions and do what's best for the American people first and foremost, and in a moral way. This book is a great read because it has thirty different authors whose various viewpoints all converge on one general conclusion, and that is that our government's overzealous attachment to Israel is hazardous and detrimental to Americans, not to mention the Palestinians, Iraqis, Lebanese, and perhaps even Iran, whom the Israel Lobby is pushing the US to attack, even though Israel is reputed to have over 250 nuclear warheads and has not signed the nuclear non-proliferating act, which Iran has. At any rate, after reading this book, and all the various authors' takes on issues with regarding our government's extremely preferential treatment to the Jewish state of Israel, which is not a democracy since it does not allow completely equal rights for all regardless of religion or ethnicity, I believe many Americans will come to believe as I do that like apartheid South Africa, the US should boycott Israel until it transforms into a true democracy and allows the Palestinian Refugees their inalienable Right to Return to their ancestral homeland Palestine-Israel as equals and with reparations. This books offers a fascinating and vitally important blend of politics, religion, discussion of media manipulation, and history, and more! I sincerely believe it is a MUST READ for all Americans. It's in the best interest of this country's future, and indeed the rest of the world.

meeting in California, May 24th. Look for he
and his wife, the talented producer/director
at a clam bake or Revisionist metting near
you...Go ahead and wail at that wall!

QUESTION: Is there really a powerful Jewish lobby?

ANSWER: An Israeli politician proposed joining the USA as the 51st state. "Are you mad?" his colleagues retorted, "if we were another state, we would have two senators and a few congressmen. Now we have at least 80 senators and hundreds of congressmen!

The best collection of essays ever compiled! GREAT BOOK!

I have read way too many books about Israel-Palestine. To every friend who wants to start understanding why we are locked into endless Middle East War, I recommend "Persecution, Privilege & Power" as the best to buy first or next. No matter how much or how little you may know about the Middle East debacle, this particular collection cuts to the current state-of-the-problem.

WOW!!...every parent reading this book to their child will benefit as much as their children...it's about as "GREEN' as it gets.

At last,an 'instruction manual' for today's children on how to preserve and enrich our enviroment written in a language they can both enjoy and understand. Disney and the world would both benefit from the animated version.

Finally, a delightful, colorful children's book that addresses some of the ills that are facing our planet today. This book with page turning and upbeat illustrations defines some of the challenges to our planet and the need to be "green". Written in simple language that a child can understand, it also explains some of the ways that the child can be part of the solutions. They feel important and happy that they can contribute to resolving the problem. All the children that I have shared this book with, request it be read to them over and over again! They love the story and the pictures!

In this charming,informative book young children learn how they and their family can make small changes to improve the environment.Colorfully illustrated,easy to read, with helpful suggestions for young readers.Ideal for beginning a dialogue about "thinking green."
Buy it for your children and grandchildren.Planet Earth Gets Well

Planet Earth Gets Well This is a refreshing take on how to help our world survive the harm that we humans continue to inflict on it. Kids will like the voice of the main character, a young Planet Earth with fever and sniffles. Appealing and educational without being stuffy, Mother Nature and the rest of the charming cast help round out the message that we can all do our part to clean up the environment.

A. J. Raffles was certainly not the first heroic rogue found in English literature, but E. W. Hornung's creation is among the most popular. Raffles himself was an amateur cracksman, an audacious, skilled burglar, one specializing in jewel and art objects. Raffles was contemporaneous with Sherlock Holmes, although, thankfully, Holmes never set his sights on Raffles, perhaps due in part to the fact that E. W. Hornung was married to Conan Doyle's sister.

Who is Raffles? A gentleman, a capable cricket player, a product of a respected British public school. Although his life style was in keeping with that of a British gentleman, his financial state was often precarious as he had no inherited wealth. With few career options, Raffles discovered that he had a talent for crime, especially those that required careful planning, as well as substantial self-confidence, even audacity. Surprisingly, few Victorian critics expressed concern with the moral implications of Hornung's stories, perhaps because that in the end Raffles does not entirely escape retribution. And even in the interim not all of Raffles exploits fully succeed, at least suggesting that a career in burglary does have limitations.

Raffles: The Amateur Cracksman (1898) is a collection of eight connected stories, each one flowing into the next. They include The Ides of March, A Costume Piece, Gentleman and Players, Le Premier Pas, Wilful Murder, Nine Points of the Law, The Return Match, and The Gift of the Emperor. Any fan of Sherlock Holmes will certainly enjoy these fascinating Victorian tales.

This Penguin Classic edition of Raffles: The Amateur Cracksman offers an extensive introduction, an eight-page chronology of E. W. Hornung's life and career, and a detailed listing of further stories, readings, plays, screenplays, articles, and literary criticism. Also, the editor, Richard Lancelyn Green, provides helpful end notes.

In his introduction Green observes that these tales can be viewed as an extension of the school story, where the prank becomes a crime and the school master a detective. I quite agree with Green's insight. I had wondered why the antics, actually crimes, of Raffles and his chum Bunny had vaguely reminded me of Rudyard Kipling's humorous school tales in Stalky and Company.

An unexpected connection: Raffles plays a significant role in a zany tale titled W. G. Grace's Last Case, a comedic tour de force by William Ruston published in 1984. The setting is London, however, in an alternative universe peopled by a remarkable cross section of literary creations from Watson and Lestrade to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. London is partly in ruins as the failed Martian invasion was only the year before (as so effectively reported at that time by the famous journalist H. G. Wells).

Yep this book pretty much gives you a take on what would happen if genius detective Sherlock Holmes were instead genius cat burglar Justice Raffles. Raffles commits high collar petty theft for fun and profit. He steals jewelry etc and uses his connections as a gentleman to sniff out new opportunities. At one point as he describes the many middle men involved in reselling a piece of stolen jewelry as he explains to Bunny how crime doesn't pay - financially anyway. Often he steals something just because of the challenge involved in stealing it, which leads to interesting and varied stories for us to read. Bunny is his unwitting and later witting accomplice. He narrates the stories, as a sort of Watson to Raffles' Holmes.

These were very charming stories. If you like Sherlock Holmes and other victorian fiction then you will probably like these.

When Bunny (a public-school nickname) finds himself hopelessly in debt, and on the verge of ruination, he turns to an old school chum of his, A.J. Raffles. It turns out that Raffles can help him, but not in the manner he had imagined. Having found himself in a similar predicament years ago, Raffles took a novel solution, he became an amateur cracksman, that is, a cat-burglar. Remarkably free from any sort of moral qualms, Raffles takes Bunny on as his assistant, and together they lead a life of gentleman criminals. Sometimes they score stunning coups, and sometimes they suffer humiliating defeats; this is the life of Raffles and Bunny.

A man who was Arthur Conan Doyle's brother-in-law and friend wrote this story in 1899. This book reflects the more gentle style of Victorian literature (as also seen in the Sherlock Holmes stories), where the emphasis is placed on dialogue and suspense, rather than gunplay and action. Raffles is a gentleman, one without a moral compass, but one does know that there has to be a comeuppance somewhere, right? This is a wonderfully entertaining book, one that I recommend to you.

A.J. Raffles is the consumate English gentleman. He's quick witted, polite, has a spotless appearance, excels at cricket . . . and earns his living by burglary.

Horung's Raffles is a sort of counter to Doyle's Sherlock Holmes, using his intellect for theft rather than for detection. With his sidekick and chronicler Bunny, Raffles has a series of adventures where pulling of the crime is the key, not catching the criminal. Oddly, Raffles, though a scamp, isn't a monster. He's not a killer, although he contemplates it in the story "Wilful Murder". Also, he's not always sucessful, as in the story "Costume Piece", where Raffles and Bunny escape by the skin of their teeth, empty-handed.

This book is good fun all around. The Penguin edition adds to the fun by extensively annotating the text, giving insight into Horung's sources and motivations. Definitely recommended for people who like Victorian stories, drawing rooms mysteries, crime novels, and mild satires of conventions.

[The following review refers to Penguin Classics edition of 'Raffles: The Amateur Cracksman' by E.W. Hornung, edited by Richard Lancelyn Green]

This book (originally published in 1899) is the first collection of stories about A.J. Raffles, 'gentleman thief' and first-rate cricket player. E.W. Hornung, who married Conan Doyle's sister Connie, presents a unique pair in English literature: they are Raffles, debonair and handsome thief (but the world knows him only as a cricket player) and 'Bunny' who records the adventures of his friend in the tradition of Watson.

The collection has eight stories: 'The Ides of March' (telling us how they met each other after their schooldays), 'A Costume Piece,''Gentlemen and Players,''Le Premier Pas,''Wilful Murder,''Nine Point of the Law,''The Return Match,' and 'The Gift of the Emperor,' in which Raffles vanishes before us ... for now.

As the nature of the protagonist tells you, none of the stories are so-called detective stories though they involve crimes or even murder. There are a few elaborate descriptions about how to, say, steal diamonds, and Raffels surely uses interesting ruses, but today they are no longer fresh, and many readers would detect his tricks before the slow-learning narrator Bunny does.

But the characters are very lively, especially Raffles, who could be very cynical, nasty, or even dangerous if he wants to. Holmes might have refrained from openly despising Watson's thick head; Raffles never does, who looks as if having fun, completely mystifying poor Bunny who is left in the dark until the very end of the story. And in spite of the familiar gimmicks, the story itself takes often unpredictable turns.

[About Penguin Classics edition] Penguin is perhaps the only critical edition of Raffles stories. Though it includes only eight stories (Raffles later comes back, as Holmes does), this edition has nearly 40 pages of helpful notes, plus Richard Lancelyn Green's informative introduction (more than 50 pages) which covers the biographical matters about Hornung, the possible models of Raffles, and the further reading list. Everything is written with detailed facts, which clearly indicate the editor's love toward the Raffles stories. If you have already read all the Raffles stories, this book still is worth your money.

This book shows a good sense of humor by the author and the children in the story are very realistic. The story shows a British perspective on the American Revolution. It has a very satisfying ending.

I first read this book when I was 10 years old, and I loved it, checking it out of the school library at every opportunity. After leaving that school at age 12 I never saw the book again, and over the past 32 years I have periodically searched for it. I realized if I did find the book it may very well turn out to be not the enchanting read I remembered so fondly. Little did I know! "The Reb and the Redcoats" is very well-written, with an engrossing perspective on the American Revolution. A young American rebel is a POW in a household (in England) whose head is a Redcoat recovering from wounds suffered in the war. Through their interactions we come to appreciate the humanity of the people who make up both sides of an issue. If there is a fault with this book, it is only that the heroic nature and adventures of the Reb seem a bit beyond the grasp of a 15-year-old boy. Still, if Hollywood would only age him a few years, they could make a very compelling film of this tale.

In an interesting turnabout, the Revolutionary War is seen through the eyes of a British family to whom an American prisoner of war has been entrusted. Technically the young prisoner is in Uncle Laurence's custody, but the children soon forge a forbidden friendship with him after he nearly dies in an attempted escape. He becomes the Reb and they, his Redcoats. But when they learn of some events leading to his coming to Europe, even Uncle Laurence, embittered by the unjust death of a friend in America, thaws toward him-but this doesn't stop the Reb from scheming to escape. Constance Savery deftly weaves themes of trust and forgiveness into an interesting plot with likeable characters.

I think that this is a great book for children and maybe adults as well. It is about an American prisoner in England. This book shows how people saw the American Revolution in England. It is also a book that shows how much work it was to keep a prisoner like this one. This is a super book.

I picked this book up for my children a few years ago and read it aloud to them. I found I could hardly put it down and we finished it in a day or two. My children insisted that my husband next read it to them. He couldn't put it down either - in fact he stayed up late the first night to finish it for himself!

This unusual story of the American Revolution from the perspective of a British family playing "host" to a young American prisoner of war is filled with timeless themes of patriotism and forgiveness. It is very accessible to younger readers, but "meaty" enough to be enjoyed by older children and adults as well.