Phillips Books

This was without reserve the best Christmas music and movie review book I have ever read. The comments were both intelligent and funny. The whole book was both well researched and entertaining. The world is a better place because of this book.

Once you get this book, you may not want to have another Christmas without it.

In more than 280 pages, the authors discuss all things Christmas as they pick their "Top 10" in categories ranging from mistletoe to carols, from rangifer tarandus (reindeer) to animated cartoons. The choices are necessarily subjective, and much of the text is funny, filled with references to pop culture, music, TV and film. Pick your idea of the 10 worst Christmas songs on the radio, and see if your list compares with theirs.

The authors include scads of trivia and the inside scoop on holiday history and traditions you may never have heard of.

As you enjoy the nostalgia you'll also find useless but fascinating stuff like this: Somebody figured out that Santa has to visit 91.8 million homes in 31 hours, which means he has to make 822.6 visits per second and travel at 650 miles per second. Whew!

This would be the perfect book to have on hand for guests at Christmas, and it would make a great conversation-starter. It's fully indexed, and the bibliography includes quite a few Web sites for follow-up.

CHRISTMAS'S MOST WANTED is a reference book about Christmas customs, traditions, songs, films, evergreen trees, music, cards, foods, and a lot more.

Do you associate a certain film with Christmas? Well, this book gives detailed information in the chapter called Holiday Movie Classics. Some of the old movies mentioned are: Holiday Inn (1942), Christmas in Connecticut (1945), It's A Wonderful Life (1946), The Bishop's Wife (1947), Miracle on 34th Street (1947) and White Christmas (1954). With each film, a brief summary of the storyline is given and all of the actors are named. I have to say that was my favorite chapter.

You can also learn about the tradition of mistletoe, sending cards, singing carols, how Santa's reindeer were named and questions you never even thought to ask!

The book answers a lot of questions and I thought it was well researched, but this is primarily a secular book so don't expect many religious topics. Most of the religious references are in the chapter called Nollaig Shona which is Merry Christmas in Irish. The two references that I found to the Magi (Wise Men or Three Kings) was in a paragraph about the song, "Twelve Days of Christmas." In the song, the Twelfth Day is the Epiphany, the day that the Three Kings brought gifts for the Baby Jesus. (That's the reason that many of us leave our Christmas trees up until, January 6, which is the twelfth day of Christmas). The other reference was about a piece that was done by Dave Brubeck.

The word Christmas comes from two words put together. They are Christ's Mass.

This book will definitely put you in the Christmas spirit as you learn everything you wanted to know about Christmas but are afraid to ask! I highly recommend this as a read for yourself and a stocking stuffer for others.

This book is a real treat. It's a lot of fun to read about all the different kinds of trivia in here. I love holiday music, and it talks about all the great ones, and some new ones I haven't heard of before! And the movies and cartoons, brings back a lot of childhood memories.

Tons of short, fun, interesting snippets of holiday information. Just perfect to pick and read for a few minutes. This book is the perfect holiday "bathroom" book, and I don't mean that in a bad way. There's something in here for everyone, and tons of short, fun, and interesting trivia about Christmas. As the other review said, you can read a chapter or two then come back to it later.

Leave it out for guests to read, too. It makes Christmas more fun!

I had been introduced to this book years ago by one of my peers. I had always remembered it, but never really had a need to buy it. I had decided this year to have my high school art students create altered books, and I knew it was time to get it so they had some visual references of how you can transform book pages. I am so glad I bought the book. You don't need to read it as a book, although you can. Every time I open it, I find a new treasure. It's just amazing what Phillips has created from an old book. It's an inspiration and a great piece of artwork.

I received this book as a gift about 10 years ago and have yet to tire of it. It is beautiful and funny, surreal, creepy and profound.

I own multiple copies and give them away to worthy friends. Visually, artistically, and intellectually stunning, this masterpiece is unique in the world of art/literature. The author/artist Tom Phillips began this work in the 1960s, and first published it in book form in the 1980s. He called the result of his decades of effort The Humument and it is a completely illustrated version of W. H. Mallock's 19th Century novel A Human Document. Each page is a well conceived and compelling work of art. On each page the author leaves only a few of the original words revealed. These surviving phrases tell, in prose and poetry, the pathetic love story of Bill Toge. Symbiotically linked to the art itself, the preserved text, and its tale of Toge, reveal a story Phillips found submerged within the original text, a story which Mallock neither wrote nor intended. Phillips calls his work `mining for meaning'. Everyone who has received this book from me has had great difficulty putting it down until they had read/absorbed/experienced/lived/studied it from cover to cover. If there is such a thing as a priceless book, The Humument would be a good candidate for the category.

Truly an elegant, messy piece of work.
Tom Phillips' Humument is one of the most affecting marriages of image and text that I have viewed/read. Visaully, it is stunning, with its layers of subsumed text and inventive imagery. Moments of profundity bordering on Zen surface intermittently, whilst bawdy puns [...] up beside.
If you're looking for sustained, easily interpreted narrative, then this book simply is not for you. If, on the other hand, you long for a story that is as much in your head/heart, as on the page, I can heartily recommend A Humument.

I love this book. I first learnt of Tom Phillips when he recently did the cover of an album by a band called Dark Star, and then was introduced to his work whilst on work experience last summer. I hunted down a copy of this book, and then devoured it completely. at times moving, at times funny, and all the time completely incredible to just look and marvel at. the art work is great. ingenuitive, original and inspired. this book seems to be getting harder and harder to find... buy one while you can.

I start learning 3DS4 using this book and I found it very easy to understand. Anybody who want to learn 3DS should buy it.

This book is outstanding to learn and to enhance one's knowledge of 3DS4. It is fun to read, and is really quite a page-turner! It starts with the basics and moves logically to advanced topics, all while using easy-to-follow tutorials. The CDROM comes with some nice textures that are good for making your own scenes. I would recommend this book to EVERYONE learning 3ds4!

This book is outstanding to learn and to enhance one's knowledge of 3DS4. It is fun to read, and is really quite a page-turner! It is structured so that it holds your attention - i.e. it doesn't linger for 50 pages on one topic and mention another in passing.

It starts with the basics and moves logically to advanced topics, all while using easy-to-follow tutorials. The CDROM comes with some nice textures that are good for making your own scenes.

Plus, in an appendix, it reviews most of the popular IPAS plugins for 3D Studio R4. This reference is useful to determine what software to spend your money on.

I would recommend this book to EVERYONE learning 3ds4!

This is the best book of 3D Studio r4, in a couple of weeks you can learn almost everithing, starting with modeling, texturing, animating and scripting.

It is an excellent companion to everyone that wants to learns the powers of 3D Studio. Contains many things that help you to understand easy and quick. There is also a very good CDROM companion to this book that has many stuff to look such as materials, images or even some extra demo programs. I am completely satisfied of this book so I higly reccomend it

Graham Chapman is a comedy genius, and this is more proof.

My mom got me this book for Christmas four years ago, and I could not put it down. Back then, I wasn't really reading for pleasaure, but I knew this book would really get me started! I found Chapman's autobiography to be rather silly, but serious at the same time. He has been my tied-for-first favorite Python (next to Idle) since the first time I watched any of their sketches and The Holy Grail, but this book made me love him even more. I really got to see a different side of this comic genius, and reading about his struggles to gain acceptance and respect, along with his trials when it came to put down the booze, made me only appreciate him that much more. Four years later, this is book is still in my top-three favorites of all time! I would recommend this book to any Python fan.

"Come to think of it, most people like a good laugh more than I do, but that's beside the point!"

Is there any way to encapsulate Graham Chapman's great comedic talent? No. But he tries in his own autobiography, anyway. A gift to those of us who truly appreciate the absurd from the master himself, this book is a must for anyone who enjoys Monty Python and those who just don't get it. After reading this book, I feel I understand this great pouf even more than watching the Python movies.

I'm just sad that his last video appearance was in an Iron Maiden video...

I really enjoyed this book even though it is kind of confusing and wierd. Graham Chapman has always been my favorite Python because of his humor but this book shows antother side to him. If you don't like him before you read it you wiil afterwards. A bit after the end is touching and also very funny. This book isn't for everyone and you might not like it even if you are a Monty Python fan. If you are looking for a laugh a minute book in true Monty python style look somewhere else. Not to say that the book doesn't have some funny parts but it is also pretty serious. I also wouldn't recomend it to anyone under the age of 13 because some of the contents of the book aren't apropriate for smaller children. But if you think you will like it by all means read it because it really is a wonderful book.

Not your typical autobiography by not your typical writer. A Liar's Autobiography is a now-classic look at the life of Graham, written by Graham (and others) at a time when he felt that, due to his alcoholism, he was not long for planet earth. This proved to not be true (he survived another 10 years and did not die from alcohol-related causes but cancer). At turns hilarious, silly, touching and sad, "ALA" will leave the reader with a much greater sense of the looniest of all the Pythons who was, at heart, a very shy and serious man. By all means BUY THIS.

A very thoroughly written book. I found some information on all-flying tails that I haven't found any where else. However, Dr. Phillips uses nomenclature that are not what I call traditional nomenclature. Not really a big problem, just different from what I'm use to.

"Mechanics of Flight" will become a classic in the aerodynamicist's library alongside Abbott and Von Doenhoff's "Theory of Wing Sections". Here's why:

* Coverage of topics in aircraft design is exhaustive. From balancing lift and weight for steady flight, on through off axis forces and moments from running propellers, to 6-dof formulas for aircraft dynamic modes, to how propeller location affects aircraft stability, and on and on. Great for both the beginner and the authority in aircraft.

* Often a completely thorough analysis including the minutest effects is presented along with a linearized or simplified method. The simplified analysis is so useful for rapid conceptual design and study of fundamentals, while the detailed analysis gives a complete grasp of the physics and phenomena involved. Plus, in simplifying a complex derivation, the reader is shown which parameters may be safely neglected and which require careful scrutiny, and what is engineering if not intelligently ignoring smaller effects to come up with a reasonable solution to a problem?

* The figures! Well thought out and consistent, the figures clearly illustrate the material.

* Actual aircraft data is used in the example and homework problems. I have a feel for the performance of several classes of aircraft simply from using this book.

* Phillips derives everything, and I mean everything using the fundamental laws of physics as the starting point. A student would be very well served to go through these derivations themselves. Phillips basically shows the student how to learn and how to think mathematically. No shortcuts here. I wish I had learned these things very early on in my own schooling.

* Phillips has included experimental data along with rigorous analytical derivation and computer numerical analysis. I believe that all three are necessary for a true understanding of fluid dynamics.

The bottom line: Buy and use this book! While it is true that the material is focused on subsonic flight, I work for a large airframer of supersonic aircraft and I find the principles and fundamentals to be extremely useful in my work. Whether you are a student or a professional, if you have an interest in aerodynamics this is THE book to use.

This book lays out the concepts of aircraft performance and simulation in an exceptionally clear and easy to follow format. There is no wondering how the concepts in each chapter fit together and how they apply to aircraft design or analysis.

The formulations for aircraft performance are very robust and provide the reader/student with the formulation of each equation from basic priciples in an easy to understand style.

A highlight of the book are the chapters on flight simulation and dynamic stability. The methods presented for 6-dof dynamic stability and quaternion based flight simulation are clearly explained and the examples provided walk the reader through the process of implementing them. These methods are also faster and more accurate than similar methods I have seen used here at NAVAIR, and implement them every time I can into older codes.

This book covers every aspect of flight mechanics that the beginning and intermediate student needs to know and does not confuse the reader!!

This text provides unparalled detail in it's discussion of flight mechanics. It contains clear and concise derivations of underlying equations and has well planned figures and example problems. Subject matter includes static and dynamic stability, propulsion, lifting line theory, 6-dof flight simulation with quaternions, along with many other essential topics. I particularly appreciated the straightforward way in which Phillips applies numerical methods to solving many of the problems. The equations required are located in such a manner as to make it easy to find what you need. Though mainly geared toward subsonic flight, I have found the understanding gained through this book invaluable in the design of supersonic vehicles. This is a great book for students learning the subject for the first time and a must have for engineering professionals and aircraft enthusiasts.

I am an Aerospace engineer working for the Air Force. While attending the annual AIAA aerospace convention in Reno Nevada, I met a professor from Denmark who raved about the work and research of a professor local to the west, Phillips. This seasoned scholar from Denmark wouldn't miss a session if he found Phillips' name appearing in it. I picked up the "Mechanics of Flight" which was on display for the first time at that conference. Due to the mountain of topics covered (900+ pages) I can't say that I have read every line of that book but the material I studied was impressive. I've never seen such complete derivations right from F=MA. The explanations are meticulous and thorough. I coded a real-time 6-DOF flight simulator for a midsized RCAV using this book as the main reference. I've never seen such a straightforward explanation of Quaternion algebra. If there were a "bible" of flight mechanics and dynamics, I would certainly give this my vote over any other in its class.

Mr. Touchdown is a tightly written story about desegregation from all perspectives, black and white, young and old. It's a gripping, realistic account of a town torn, ultimately, between right and wrong. While the civil rights movement, historically, was in the 1950s and 1960s, the messages and themes of this time period ring true today-just as Ms. Phillips novel does. An incredible read for all ages.

Hannah R. Goodman
Author of MY SISTER'S WEDDING and MY SUMMER VACATION
www.hannahrgoodman.com

Mr. Touchdown is a fictional story of the integration of an all-white high school in Memphis in 1965. This realistic depiction of a small slice of the overall civil rights movement of the '60's surrounds a very talented athlete who has been selected by his minister father to be the first black student at Forrest High. Eddie Russell, who had lettered in multiple sports at his old school, is faced with a football coach who insists on keeping Eddie on the bench for no good reason. Of course, everyone knows why his job throughout every Friday night game is to see that the bench doesn't fly away. The book details Eddie's many trials with the redneck morons who will do anything to keep him down at all cost, even to the end of a losing football season. Taunts, insults, and outright violence follow the key characters from the wrong side of town as they attempt to become just a few more students at Forrest High. The tension of the times is well documented in this fictional account of America's dark past. The Bob Dylan song lyrics used as chapter titles are quite appropriate and the action is well paced. I personally would have preferred the book to be twice as long with the inclusion of a lot more football action. Those parts were as poignantly written as the similar scenes from Remember the Titans. I recommend you overlook the juvenile painting on the cover and go right to the story of these memorable characters.

Mr. Touchdown is by far the most meaningful book I've reviewed to date. It touches on issues that were prominent in the sixties and still exist today. Issues that we have yet to overcome.

Mr. Touchdown is about a small group of African-Americans chosen to be the first blacks integrated into a small-town high school. As Eddie, Lakeesha, Lethe, and Rochelle endure that first year at Forrest High School, they will overcome terror, hate, and violence. And out of this will emerge the beginning of understanding, acceptance, and new friendships.

But all of this comes at a price, one that, to me, seems to be a terribly high one to pay. It saddens me to think that such hatred existed, still exists. A hatred so strong that it seeks the destruction of innocence. It is shameful that such acts persist in today's world, it is shameful that we have not learned to embrace one another. There is a lesson in this book that is very applicable to today's turbulent world. One that we should all learn, should remember, and, most importantly, heed.

I have to applaud Lyda Phillips's writing, for this book is nearly flawless. It's a prime example of how a book should be written. However, it does contain a few typographical errors that mar its near perfection. But none of these minor flaws impair the read, and everyone, particularly those filled with hate, should seek enlightenment by picking up a copy. For we all should learn from our past shames and work together to prevent them from ever happening again.

-David Hoffman for Gloomwing Magazine

Rebeccasreads highly recommends MR. TOUCHDOWN as a glimpse into the life & times of teenage students back in 1965 who must face the change of their lifetimes when the law demanded that the schools in their home town of Memphis, Tennessee be desegregated.

We follow Eddie & Lakeesha, the children of Rev. & Mrs. Russell, as they are picked by the local NAACP & SNCC to transfer & break the color bar. Eddie's a straight A student with a passion for football, & Lakeesha is a math whizz with a serious case of shyness. Together, with a handful of other black students, they start the tortuous & excruciating process of facing the unfettered hatred of almost all the teaching staff as well as the students at Forrest High.

Except there's Nancy & Spencer, who are both stars in their own right. Both are appalled at the outright antagonism they witness from the first day of school, & are more curious about these newcomers, than hateful.

MR. TOUCHDOWN touches on a deeply serious subject, with all the injustices & interracial violence & fears as the first wave of integration swept into our schools, & Lyda Phillips has tackled this exciting & scary era as seen through the eyes of the youngsters.

In these PC times, you're going to come across a lot of "N" words & racial slurs. Lyda Phillips tells it like it was, & it was horribly cruel, humiliatingly constraining & astonishingly exciting.

"Mr. Touchdown" is a story about an African-American football player named Eddie who starts going to an all-white school around the time of the Civil Rights Movement. It's also about a white cheerleader who has a decision to either befriend Eddie or to treat him badly, like almost all the other white kids do.

I liked "Mr. Touchdown" because it shows realistically what African-Americans had to put up with before and during the Civil Rights Movement. I think Lyda Phillips is a really good writer because she can pull you into the story and make it seem like you're actually there.

Becsuse Eddie was brave enough to attend an all-white school, I think his character is a really good role model for kids who will read this book.

I often take long driving trips and look forward to letting well-read books entertain me. Natural Born Charmer turned out to be a good choice for a recent trip to Philadelphia. Why? The book opens with a scene where a driver sees a woman stomping down the highway wearing a headless beaver suit. From now on, I'll be keeping my eyes open for such a character.

In addition, I can tell from listening to the book that I would have found it not nearly as entertaining if I had read the book silently instead of listening to the wonderful Anna Fields whose versatility makes the characters more interesting than Susan Elizabeth Phillips wrote them.
While most readers capture accents and sex pretty well, Ms. Fields adds wonderful qualities of emotion and character to her reading that reflect a deep appreciation of the story . . . adding to my understanding and appreciation.

NFL star quarterback Dean Robillard isn't feeling very happy during the off season as he recovers from his first serious injury. Rather than working on rehabilitation, he's gone for a long drive . . . possibly to his new home that's being restored. His attention is taken by the angry woman in the beaver suit, and he picks her up looking for some amusement at her expense. When she turns out to be seemingly unaware of who he is and filled with witty comments, he decides to let her ride along . . . as long as she stays amusing.

Blue Bailey is one of the feistiest women you'll ever meet in fiction, almost as feisty as some real women I've met. She has attachment problems and keeps moving like the proverbial rolling stone. On top of that, life has dealt her some tough blows that she's struggling to contain.

The battle of the sexes takes many new turns as the two try to out smart and out talk each other. And many surprises await when they arrive at their destination. It turns out that Dean's life wasn't always so rosy, and he has deep insecurities that he doesn't want to talk about.

Before the book ends, you'll meet all of Dean's family and they will come to terms with one another in new ways.

But can the smooth, well-dressed quarterback find happiness with one slim, argumentative, fashion-challenged woman who doesn't care about her appearance or what people think of her? You'll enjoy finding out the answer.

I am listening to this CD for the 2nd time because I enjoyed it so much. Very well written story and excellent performance by Anna Fields. The heroine, Blue Bailey, is as sassy and "smart-mouthed" as they come. She is also very intelligent, compassionate, and accomplished. When mega-star quarterback Dean Robillard meets her, Blue is down on her luck and very angry at her ex-boyfriend. The dialogue between the two is priceless - some of the best I have ever experienced in chick-lit!

The other characters are also great and there is even a secondary love story. Wonderful "happily ever after" epilogue. I can't say enough good things about this story or the CD narrator and will definitely recommend it to others!

I love Susan E. Phillips whether I am reading her or listening to the audio book. I just wish this had come in the MP3 format. This book or audio is very funny and will keep you entertained from the first page to the last.

THIS IS THE BEST AUDIO BOOK I HAVE EVER HEARD! Sooooooooooo funny with excellent real-life characters---I wanted to live in this story!

Susan Elizabeth Phillips' latest offering is wonderful -- sweet, moving, very, very funny (as always), sexy, inspiring! The CD is very well done by Anna Fields, completed just before her tragic death. Another outstanding romantic comedy by an amazing author!

If you live in AZ and love the out doors, this is a great book for you to have as a reference or as a fun read.

Subjects are thoroughly covered and the information is written in a friendly and interesting manner. If you have a question about the Sonoran Desert, you will most likely find the answer here. Among other surprises, this book offered my first look at the "creeping devil cactus" - how interesting! I'd never even heard of it before. "A Natural History of the Sonoran Desert" is a book you will turn to for detailed information that can be trusted as well as entertainment. Very nice photographs and illustrations. A great book for a nature lover, even if the Sonoran Desert holds no particular interest to them.

I grew up in the Sonoran Desert, in the ultra hot (and humid!) city of Yuma, Arizona. During my time there I visited the Californian and northern Baja Californian sections of this huge hyperarid land. I eventually moved to the less humid (if less hyperarid in terms of rainfall) city of Tucson, where I explored a considerable part of the eastern Arizonan part of the desert, as well as taking trips into the desert in southern Baja California and Sonora itself. This is a fascinating land and one with great surprises, such as a fauna of fish and aquatic insects, desert crusts of cyanobacteria, tropical birds, army and leaf-cutting ants and strange plants.

Now Steven J. Phillips and Patricia Comus of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum have edited a neat guide to the area in "A Natural History of the Sonoran Desert". The various sections contain numerous bits of information, many of which were new to me despite about 25 years of wandering in the Sonoran Desert. The discussions of the structure and history of the desert are particularly informative. This book should be in the bookshelf, and indeed in the knapsack (despite its size), of all travelers in this fantastic desert.

I have to admit that I know five of the authors- namely Steve Prchal, Renee Lizotte, Gary Paul Nabhan, Carl A. Olson and Thomas Van Devender- excellent writers all- but I can also say that it is a worthwhile book based just on the work of writers whom I've never met and so I can claim some non-bias.

To add to this praise I have a few very minor quibbles. I wish that there had been more reference sections- certainly there are several books on the identification of desert plants, birds, mammals and fish! Also, as a jumping spider specialist I was disappointed that the quite readily seen red and black Apache jumping spider (Phidippus apacheanus), which appears to mimic velvet ants, was not mentioned (but then I am prejudiced!). Also not mentioned were the bright red velvet mites that emerge after desert rains (I get these brought to me all the time by people wanting to know what they are.) In addition, I could not find any reference in the index to tadpole shrimp- a very abundant inhabitant of desert temporary pools. I suppose that there was little room to add such in this already over 600 page work, but it is a pity, as I think they are of interest to the visitor. One other quibble is that I personally dislike the term "brown spider" as there are lots of "brown spiders"- including wolf spiders, some crab spiders, and many others. I prefer "violin spider" as being more specifically descriptive, although I could never get W. J. Gertsch to agree with me on this (I believe that he is the original source of this common name!)

Having said this, I will reiterate that anybody who wants to have some idea of what they are seeing in the Sonoran Desert has to have this book! They can find no better guide on the market!

This is the ideal book to take along on trips to the Sonora Desert. Whether it is the Cailfornian , including Baja, Arizonian(it actually covers five states) or Mexican portions of the vast and diverse Sonara Desert, the details and complexities of this eco system are truly amazing. This book is an indespensible guide to all facets of this immense gift, including the many plants and animals that inhabit this harsh yet bountiful environment. It is a book to read before, as well as after the trips to the desert. Since it is so diverse and vast , covering some 100, 000 sq.mi., the amount of information given is quite a bit but done in such a mannner that one can easily navigate the text to the desired area of interest Inevitably one will stray into an area of new found interest. The little known facts are a lay persons path to knowledge about what the heck they just saw or are about to see. The black and white illustrations for the plants and animals you will or did encounter are excellent and extremely helpful for identification. There is a section with color photographs as well to further illustrate the beauty of the Sonora Desert. With contributions by some thirty five different experts in their pespective field this book is the ultimate guide. Do not hesitate to buy this book if you are visting the Sonora Desert as it will prove to be a valuble reference tool that can be used over and over. Since there is so much to learn about the Sonora Desert and it's inhabitants, this book can be read anytime, anywhere since it is nearly impossible to experience it all. Recommended for the tourist, naturalist or anyone interested in learning more about the 2000 species of plants, 550 species of verbrates and thousands of unknown invertebrate species who make the Sonora Desert home. This is truly fascinating material that only nature can provide so don't hesitate to purchase this book.

we agree with all of the other reveiws.... a great discovery and a great resource....Glad we got it...

Miss Read's novels capture the best aspects of the small town provincial novel--the sense of connection, the wry Austenisms--while leaving the sentimentality and pollyanna-ism sometimes afflicting the genre to her lesser imitators. A Peaceful Retirement brings us another step--perhaps a final step--nearer to the end of this series. I recommend this series, and this book within the series, to anyone who wishes that a novel might have both a 20th C. awareness and a somewhat 19th C. sense of perspective....Most people have not discovered Miss Read, and one somehow wonders if "most people" really ought to. But I am certainly glad that I did....

Miss Read has written over 40 titles, with this final tome describing how her headmistress heroine copes with her new-found life of leisure.

In an afterword, the author says she is laying down her pen "with a thankful heart". It is all the more surprising therefore that these final tales show no sign of staleness. In fact, "A Peaceful Retirement" is quite playful in tone as Miss Read copes valiantly with a series of unlooked-for marriage proposals.

Given that the school year is so regular the author manages to describe events such as Christmas celebrations and harvest festivals with no sense of repetition, and as ever captures the tensions between town and country living, children's and adult worlds and men and women beautifully.

With this book Dora Saint, the real-life Miss Read, can take her own retirement from authorship knowing that she has served her readers well.

I just finished reading "A Peaceful Retirement". Just like her other books, it was excellent reading. I was sorry when the book ended because I wanted to read more. Few years ago I wrote Miss Read a letter stating I loved all her books. She was kind enough to write me a handwritten letter in reply. After a hetic day, I look forward to reading her books and revisit the loveable characters in the quiet town.

I enjoyed this book just as much as I have all the other books written by Miss Read. The reason that I enjoyed this book so much was that it was like catching up with old friends and being transported back to the Village and all the surrounding scenery which captures my imagination. I recommend that you read not only this book but all those that Miss Read (Dora Saint) has written for anyone that enjoys people and a very descriptive story which includes the lovely countryside that one can only imagine. I will miss my friends very much. Thank You Dora Saint for giving me many hours of pleasure.

I just finished reading "A Peaceful Retirement". Just like her other books, it was excellent reading. I was sorry when the book ended because I wanted to read more. Few years ago I wrote Miss Read a letter stating I loved all her books. She was kind enough to write me a handwritten letter in reply. After a hetic day, I look forward to reading her books and revisit the loveable characters in the quiet town.

This is an amazing book with an amazing subject (complex algebraic geometry). Every section presents something interesting and wonderful. I've only read chapters 0 (Complex manifolds, Hodge theory), 1 (Divisors & line bundles, vanishing theorems, embeddings), and 2 (Riemann surfaces). I had had a bad experience with alg geom before this book. Required reading for mathematicians in complex manifolds, algebraic geometry, or string theorists. There are some very trivial typos scattered, but nothing problematic in the least (like capital lambda instead of a big wedge, or indices). If you read the book carefully you will get a lot out of it.

I agree with most earlier commentators that this is a very nice introduction to the subject. That said, depending on your background, you may find that cover to cover may not be the most efficient way of reading this book. Also it differs from 'modern' treatments of the subject. All in all, it's an indispensible reference for most beginners and 'advanced beginners' if not more readers.

If you are a graduate student in mathematics or related fields and you are interested in learning algebraic geometry in the Griffiths-Harris way, then I suggest before buying this book to have a good background in the following:

1. Complex Analysis
2. Differential Geometry and calculus on manifolds
3. Homology-Cohomology Theory
4. Undergraduate Algebraic Geometry

Do not expect chapter 0, "Foundational Material", to be the place where you are supposed to build your "foundation". You can try the books of Michael Spivak, David A. Cox, Fangyang Zheng, among other books for foundational material but not chapter 0.

However, if you have most of the above-mentioned foundational material, then this book is good in presenting complex manifolds for example in chapter 0 section 2 and also in presenting (complex) holomorphic vector bundles, as well as many other things.

So, in summary, I would say a good book but not for students trying to learn the basics in algebraic geometry.

This book is fabulous - it is an indispensable reference for complex algebraic geometry. It is very clearly written and ideas are always motivated by examples and problems. Moreover, if you want to learn modern algebraic geometry, it's imperative to learn the classical case (over the complexes - which in practice is easier to work in) in order to understand the generalisations a la Grothendieck.

The book is beautifully written and easy to read, with emphasis on geometric picture instead of abstract nonsense. By far the best introduction to algebraic geometry for string theorists.