Owen Books

This book is an absolute must reading for those who are interested in gaining an indept understanding the Monetary Alliance between a broad spread of countries. The book is written in easy to understand terms where each country is discussed separately. I must say I was a little worried it would be over my head but was delightfully refreshed to find out it was an easy read. This is MUST read for anyone in the financial community.

This may be stated briefly. Charles Carter is a classical writer on the subject.

I was fortunate to come upon his primer, The Principles of Astrology, decades ago when 23, and I haven't looked back since. I never thought there was very much to learn about man via astrology at that time, but Carter showed what the subject was all about when handled by Intelligence. His life was that of a well-do to 19th / early 20th century Englishman: born into sufficient money, well-educated and with all the time in the world to really investigate the subject in-depth. Today's psychology has advanced into ever more elaborate theories to hold its own, but Carter was no mere Freudian and his observations on human character sometimes border on the truly profound.

Although Internet has provided an enormous increase in available celebrity birth dates (including time), Carter's analyses of what material he possessed are scary! His psychological insight has probably never been bettered in astrology and I have seen his razor sharp delineation of the combined "effects" of tenanted signs in aspect (described in his Essays on the Foundations of Astrology, 1947) confirmed time and again.

Just one example: you can expect to find clear signs of stress between an individual and society when Scorpio and Aquarius (decay-death/collective man) are both activated in the heavens. Now, I recently read two books by a child psychologist who never tires blaming society for not inculcating the right values into its members (Joseph Pearce). From Carter I knew what to expect, and indeed, finding the birth date of said author on the Internet, the day was torn by this painful "astrological syndrome," torn by a feeling of being rejected by society but also of an impulse of wanting to reject it - perhaps, as Carter said, by provocative statements or stances.

All seasoned astrologers of course know this behavioural pattern or typical problem area in a life may show up via other constellations too, but astrology is all about learning to operate with many simultaneous variables in mind, looking for useful gestalts or overall patterns, and for inculcating the idea of sound thinking Carter is second to none.

As for the title under review, it really is a small encyclopaedia, that is, containing short entries running from A-Z, and some of them cross-referenced too. Pure empirical data culled from Carter's observations of many instances of each entry. A wonderful book to read, smile or laugh a bit with (mankind's follies are many), and perhaps grow a bit by, personally or as an astrologer too. I found this book to be a gem, after returning to astrology in 2007 after having been absent many years. He really was good, this Carter!

Having read his other books, one notices regarding some entries concerning physical disease (strangely included in a work occupied with psychological traits) that these have been featured before (or after). But this is a minor redundancy - this little volume should be read by all brought up on modern astrologers masquerading as "scientific" (that is, overemphasising technique or formal aspects). There is a certain voice or tone coming from all Carter's writing which I am at a loss to describe. Perhaps it is summed up by his birth sign Aquarius, the good teacher of men. No silly "secular humanism," Carter brought out the true depth of Mankind. Think Plato.

After digesting this Encyclopaedia, look for his Essays - much food for thought there too.

A must for researchers in quaternary geology, physical geography, and the like. Compiled by British geoscientists who like to throw an occasional a in front of the letter e (see title), but we can forgive them for this. Extensive bibliographies provided for most entries...for a change. If you're an earth scientist or student in need of the right words to describe 'the end of the world as we know it', then this one is your best bet.

This book is, in effect, two books in one. The first section is a dual-language selection of John Owen's Latin epigrams, which are by turns laugh-out-loud funny and vulgar and oddly pious. My Latin is very rusty, but it is a pleasure to read the Latin and compare it to the translations, which are sometimes faithful to the letter of the original, but always faithful to the artistic spirit of the Owen's poems.

The second section is a playful re-telling of Spenser's Faerie Queene. This section is even better than the first, both in terms of readerly enjoyment, and scholarly interest. I'm planning a class on re-tellings, and this book is certain to be on the syllabus. The outrageous fun Slavitt has with Spenser's epic in this long poem of his is a joy to encounter.

So, get thee hence and purchase this fine volume!

"Epiphany in the Modern Novel" is a thoroughgoing literary study of the first order, replete with convincing arguments carefully and eloquently argued, quiet and balanced in tone and yet instilled with a legion of inspired insights. To the best of my knowledge, it's also quite innovative; other scholars had noted the novelist James Joyce's appropriation of the term "epiphany," of course, but Beja, while indeed making Joyce's articulation of this concept the core of his study, goes further and fully demonstrates its very real (but varying) significance for other modern novelists and its role in their novels, both as technique and theme. Much of the later work I've read on this subject (by Ashton Nichols and Robert Langbaum) in fact seems to trace back to this seminal book, making it a key source in this line of inquiry.

Unlike the later studies though, which for the most part focus on poetry, Beja here is very much intent on just what his helpfully straightforward title suggests, the modern novel. He's very much aware of the poetry connection, of course, and outlines this relationship succinctly in the first chapter (noting Wordsworth's importance in this regard), which traces the prehistory of the concept from Saint Paul's experience on the road to Damascus and Saint Augustine's conversion all the way to the Romantic poets of the 18th and 19th centuries and then earlier novelists like Henry James, Joseph Conrad, and (lest ye doubt) Marcel Proust. The bulk of the book though consists of four chapters, each one extensively treating one specific novelist and his or her novels in great detail: James Joyce, Virginia Woolf, Thomas Wolfe, and William Faulkner. In the process, 20th century developments in psychology and philosophy, especially as these relate to the nature and subjective perception of time or the qualities and characteristics of aesthetic appreciation, are explored to the degree that they influence this phenomenon. For anyone interested in the philosophy of Henri Bergson, he figures prominently in these discussions, though others like William James, G.E. Moore, and D.T. Suzuki pop up as well.

These are complex matters definitely, but Beja writes in wonderfully clear and understandable prose, bringing a self-assured erudition to bear on the subject and, unlike so many literary critics nowadays, writing in order to be understood rather than to impress his peers. For anyone who takes modern literature seriously, for anyone who suspects it is (or can be) profoundly spiritual though not necessarily religious, for anyone who sees it as a possible (if less than perfect) key to meaning and significance in this mixed-up, modern, crazy world, this book's definitely for you. Highly recommended--reading this fine study is almost an epiphany in its own right.

This 7 volume commentary on Hebrews is, in one sense, typical of Owens' work. Comprehensive, scholarly, yet filled with the spirit of a heart completely devoted to Christ. It is difficult to imagine anyone of our generation who could even attempt such a thing, let alone succeed. Like everything done by John Owens, it is worth every penny you spend and every hour you spend in study. Nothing like it exists.

This is an excellent volume on Eric Own Moss, one of the preeminent contemporary architects in the U.S. The inherently multiformat medium of CD-ROM are generally vastly underutilised but not so with this disk. The combination of persentational methods are here well integrated for an extremely comprehensive overview of several of Moss' projects. The 3D panoramas are quite effective and the plans overlayed with photographs give a wonderful feel for the views afforded within the complex forms created by Moss. This is what I would like to see more architecture books and media doing but unfortunately somehow publishers lack the vision to do so. I've been quite impressed with the Planet Architecture Series and look forward to more titles in the future. One last note - It seems that the interview with Eric Owen Moss was conducted with a special attention to clarity and non-technical terminology. The video is easily navigated and delves deeply into a complex architectural practice without becoming tiresome or overly-pretentious. I highly recommend this work to anyone interested in cutting edge architecture.

This is a wonderful account of two burros who were saved from Death Valley, and were adopted by a kind farmer in Connecticut. Throughout the book are many pictures of the two lucky animals and the people who love them. This is a great book for beginning readers, those who own animals and those who would like to. It is easy to read, and the lively pictures really add to your enjoyment. Trivia Fact: My picture is on page 10. I'm the cute one at age two. And no, I'm not being bribed to write this.

Escoffier: King of Chefs by Owen S.Rackleff is a lively, mouth-watering and extremely theatrical one-man play. Especially vivid are the many celebrities Escoffier cooked for, including Britain's King Edward VII, the opera diva Nellie Melba (source of his recipie for Peach Melba), Kaiser Wilhelm, for whom Escoffier steamed a great salmon, and many others of the sparkling Edwardian Era. Most memorable, however, is the ghostly presence of Escoffier's long-time partner, the famous hotelier Cesar Ritz-who actually lost his mind when all the preparations for Edward's coronation (1902) had to be cancelled (or rather postponed) due to the new king's appendicitis. As acted by the author, in dozens of performances (debuting NYC 1981), EKC remains a true "tour de force" (as NY's Daily News reported) for any bravura actor; a humourous insight into gourmand living, a touching, even tragic story of two creative men and a compendium of classic recipies, from "Nymph's Thighs"(Frog's Legs) to Melba Toast(invented by Ritz for the portly diva). EKC is, in short, a great read and a marvelous evening in the theatre. ghnova@hotmail.com

This book is easy to read and reviews the subject very well. It is full of information and excellent for the boards.