Harris Books

Harris initially distinguished himself in the Hegel world through his publication, in the 1970s, of two massive volumes that studied Hegel's pre-Phenomenology works, and demonstrated through them the systematic development of Hegel's philosophical position. Since that time, he has been the pre-eminent English-language scholar of Hegel, and especially the Hegel of the Phenomenology of Spirit. In "Hegel's Ladder", Harris brings the same level of deeply detailed study to the reading of Hegel's Phenomenology. It takes two massive volumes for Harris to get through it all, and every page is worthwhile. Harris follows Hegel's text paragraph by paragraph, sorting through the technical language, deciphering the oblique literary allusions, supplying the relevant contexts from the history of philosophy, and most of all keeping a close watch on how the specific developments of the paragraph in question carry forward the larger systematic argument of the book as a whole. No one will agree with every detail of Harris's analysis, but no serious scholar can fail to see that Harris has brought the study of the Phenomenology to a qualitatively new level of insight and especially accuracy. This is without question the single best and most important commentary on Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit, and is a mandatory text for anyone intending to do serious research on Hegel.

My wife gave me the book because I'm a big football fan and trivia buff. The book contains a lot of great info I didn't know, so it was a lots of fun to read. But now I can't get the book back, since my wife is using the recipes for our Steeler tailgate parties. The food is great - especially Franco's meatballs.

Hello Benny! adds to the 'Growing Up' stories which tells of young Benny, who celebrates his first year of life. Simple text and large pictures tell of Benny's first experiences in life, from encounters with admiring adults to growing older. A fine celebration which comes alive with Michael Emberley's drawings.

Ellen Harris' guidebook on Purcell's work, arguably the greatest English opera before Benjamin Britten's string of twentieth-century masterpieces, accomplishes a lot in not very many pages. She devotes the first part to the libretto by Nahum Tate, placing it within the context of his other works and Restoration drama in general, and also comparing it to its source, Virgil's Aeneid. Perhaps the most interesting conclusion she reaches is that, though Dido was given originally with an allegorical Prologue (for which the music is now lost), the nature of the opera itself means it is most likely not allegorical, contrary to the assertions of some other writers. This is followed by a discussion of the most important extant manuscript sources, including the one copy of the libretto from the first production in 1689, and the earliest and therefore most important copy of the music, the so-called Tenbury manuscript dating from much later, probably around 1775. (It is this source on which most of the best current editions are based.)

She then turns to the work itself, discussing its musical aspects such as Purcell's concern for symmetry and tonal unity, his skill at setting the English language, and his use of ground-bass techniques. Again, one notes the care with which the composer's work is set within its historical context and compared and contrasted with his contemporaries both in England and on the Continent. The final portion of the book comprises a history of Dido's performances and recordings since its composition, and the various alterations that were made in both text and music to suit contemporary taste, followed by a general return to a more authentic performance style in the later twentieth-century. The turning point was probably around 1950, with the appearance of an edition by Benjamin Britten and the work's revival with the great Kirsten Flagstad. In recent years good recordings of Dido and Aeneas have proliferated (I note a current one starring Susan Graham, for example) and the lack of an up-to-date discography is a drawback (Harris' book was published in 1987). However, that is the only feature lacking in this otherwise consistently informative, lucidly written volume.

The late MacDonald Harris has tackled in this, his 'biggest' book, one of the great Jungian mysteries of the animus and anima, the longing for completion by men and women through meeting their 'other half.' Herma is a budding opera singer, Fred Hite her agent. Integrate the two names and you detect the book's inner mystery: hermaphrodite. Herma is transformed into Fred (and back)in the Jungian mirror. Harris explores the worlds of opera (Herma's avocation) and flying (Fred's) at a level of insight and authenticity that is profoundly moving and instructive. He also describes the San Francisco earthquake of 1906 in terms rarely matched in fiction or reportage. The denouement is tragic but powerful. This book is timeless in its appeal and Harris writes meticulously. (Note: I undertook the flying research for this book but except for this 'bias' it has my highest possible recommendation)

HEYOKA BLOOD takes you right to the marina, replete with colorful characters, seagulls, sunshine and the smell of diesel fuel. It blew away my winter doldrums. I hope Schlereth writes a few sequels to create a series, a la the Spenser detective stories.

It's a fun read and a must read for people who like boating, intricate plot threads, well-developed characterization, a good mystery and the spectrum of human emotion. I even laughed out loud a few times during this page-turner. The vocabulary and literary references are several cuts above the usual detective fare, making it all the more delightful and surprising.

Friends of mine whisked away my copy to read on their vacation, and I don't expect to get it back. Be sure to put your name inside the front cover the minute you receive your copy of HEYOKA BLOOD.

Enjoy Hidden Highways Arizona, an almost pocket-sized paperback which covers all the ghost towns, canyons, and back roads of the state of Arizona, with a map-oriented approach packing in almost fifty maps and written descriptions providing both insights of the natural and man-made attractions and histories of each area. Add black and white photos and you have a practical take-along tote.

Like the book My wife and I like going to new places for a weekend .

This is a beautiful and faithful reproduction of an historically important work by my great-great-great-grandfather's first cousin, Sir William Cornwallis Harris. It traces his journey as the first British Ambassador to the Christian Court of the Kingdom of Shoa in the highlands of Aethiopia, ruled at the time by HM Sahela Selassie. It begins in India, whence the mission set forth, to their landing in Somalia, then documents their trip up the Somali coast and then inland to the Highlands of Etiopia and their return. This historic mission paved the way for trade with this part of Africa, and ultimately for the British colonization of much of this part of Africa, including Sudan. I have a first edition of the three-volume work, but I bought the facsimile three-volume edition because the original is fragile. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this, especially in view of contemporary events in the region. I heartily recommend it as a work that gives substantial insight into the region.

This is a beautiful and faithful reproduction of an historically important work by my great-great-great-grandfather's first cousin, Sir William Cornwallis Harris. It traces his journey as the first British Ambassador to the Christian Court of the Kingdom of Shoa in the highlands of Aethiopia, ruled at the time by HM Sahela Selassie. It begins in India, whence the mission set forth, to their landing in Somalia, then documents their trip up the Somali coast and then inland to the Highlands of Etiopia and their return. This historic mission paved the way for trade with this part of Africa, and ultimately for the British colonization of much of this part of Africa, including Sudan. I have a first edition of the three-volume work, but I bought the facsimile three-volume edition because the original is fragile. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this, especially in view of contemporary events in the region. I heartily recommend it as a work that gives substantial insight into the region.