Nova Books

Newport (now called Avondale) was founded in 1760 by a group of New Englanders moving in after the Arcadians were forced out. This book details many generations of those (20+) families, with references to additional resources. There is also a long section on the town itself, which is very interesting, in and of itself. If you have any family in the area, they will be found in this book. Before the internet, this was the only source for this data. Given the sheer volume of data, the number of corrections to what Duncanson published is minor in deed. Good work, John, we'll miss you.

I'm not a big Nova fan but my 2 1/2 year old is. This simple story does a pretty good job of asking toddlers to identify shapes, with some a little more challenging than the circle/square/triangle basics. Also gets points for being a well constructed board book.

This is a very unique Miss Marple story. Miss Marple has been directed beyond the grave by a man that she met in the Caribbean to right an old wrong and to ensure that evil is stopped, but that is all the information she gets. The requester has set Miss Marple an impossible task, and he provides her with very minimal information on what he wants her to do, but Miss Marple is eager to take on the task, and despite her failing health she embarks on a coach tour that was paid for by the requestor, and discovers an old crime and while she investigates a new murder occurs. But Miss Marple is not daunted, and she manages to uncover the heinous plot that had occurred ten years ago. Miss Marple is a wonder, and I can't believe that I hadn't read this book before. I certainly recommend it to all Miss Marple fans. It is certainly different than the average run-of-the-mill detective story.

This is a good addition to the many state and national quilt histories available. It is well illustrated in color and black and white, and the quilts shown include all types. Each quilt has information about style, fabrics, maker etc (where known). It is well laid out and I enjoyed reading it. Well worth getting.

It is now 20 years since high Tc superconductors were discovered. A vast amount of research has been done. This latest book describes some of the conceptual and experimental boundaries. As the preface notes, some 10 000 researchers globally are working on this problem. Our understanding is still incomplete.

The text talks about some latest compounds that have generated interest. Especially the Ruthenium and copper oxides. The synthesis, structure and superconducting properties are summarised. Another topic is the making of high Tc superconducting fibers. Laser float zone melting seems the preferred choice. Lots of SEM micrographs and accompanying analysis, that delves into the crystallographic quality of these fibers.

As I write this, water ice appears to have been found on the NASA probe that just landed on Mars. Exciting, for it might soon be the first unambiguous detection of water on Mars. As the book explains, the odds for life of Mars depend on various things. Prominent of which is the availability of water.

The book was recently written, and sets out the checkered history of Mars exploration. Roughly half the probes sent to Mars have failed in various ways. The plans for future research on Mars, for the next 10-20 years, are also outlined. Like the NASA Mars Science Laboratory 2009 mission. A common idea now is that future missions will probably have rovers, controlled to some extent from Earth. But these rovers shall be as autonomous as possible, for their own safety while moving.

Several chapters talk about how life might exist, or have survived from earlier, more hospitable times. And how our probes might detect either the lifeforms themselves, which would be the ideal case, or chemical evidences of the lifeforms.

The book's chapters are by various Polish authors, who look at different aspects of Poland, its politics and economy, after 1990. Several chapters discuss the different national and regional identities present in modern Poland. This is in no small part a legacy of World War 2. The terrible ordeal and the subsequent mass migrations, often based on ethnicity, led to many uprootings. Of which, the book claims, there are numerous gaps in documentation and estimations of the numbers of people affected.

Other chapters look at how the economy was transformed. Often modernised, to produce more consumer goods. Especially cars, which were now far more affordable and reliable than during the Cold War. The impression is that Poland has moved rapidly to being a core member of the EU, with living standards that are still below the norm, but rising strongly.

This is a very interesting book on a very important subject in the efficience and effectiveness of government operation.

A few rare Frank images are reproduced, but this book is mainly a collection of documents and writings by or about Frank. This is the only source for much of this material: letters from a young Robert Frank to his parents about New York, for example; a facsimile of Frank's Guggenheim application; a police report made during Frank's trip across America; writing by Kerouac about a trip made with Frank to Florida. I recommend this book to any person interested in Robert Frank and already familiar with his work. Nevertheless, the few images here reproduced stand out like flowers.

Kinrade does a masterful job of taking a plausible premise and weaving it into a thrilling and surprising story. The characters are complex and well developed. I've always been a big fan of "historical Novels" and "alternative history" stories, so this novel fit my tastes perfectly. I highly recommend this novel to those who have similar tastes. It was a fun ride.