Spencer Books

Even if you didn't read a word of the educational information concerning the orders of insects this book is worth the photos alone. Outstanding as a field guide, the photos are excellent, and often include inset photos of larvae. Handy ID notes right on the photos point out details of the insect to make identification easier. A photo Table of Contents will help you zero right in on the order of the insect in question. This is not the only bug book I have, but by far the most used. Though featuring insects of all of North America, each photo and description tell you the range so you know if the insect you are questioning is even in your area. If you even have a mild interest in insects, this makes a great "picture book" to peruse, but for those who are seriously interested in ID'ing and learning it is an indispensable tool.

Price and size are what makes this guide so great. It provides a good overview of insects in a very portable format, particularly for my young daughter to put in her pocket before we explore the great outdoors.

The small size, however, means that the illustrations are not as large or detailed as we would prefer. It also limits the amount of specific information that can be included. We recently relocated to the Pacific Northwest and have found region-specific books (particularly from Lone Pine Publishers) to be superb.

I recommend this as a great resource at a very good price.

I really enjoy Golden Guide books from St. Martin Press. They have been around for a long time where I enjoyed their small, colorful illustrative books as a child. It is fairly accurate in illustations and a brief description of the various insects that can be found. For those children who enjoy science and the curiousity of insects, this book is handy and a nice presentation of introducing them to the world of insects.

This is the first book I remember owning. Children are fasinated by insects and this book lets them see pictures of real insects which they can find them in their yards. I give a copy of this to anyone I know turning 3 or up. I have yet to have anyone NOT enjoy it. It is also a help to those childen (and moms) who fear bugs. It is a great way to teach respect for all creatures. Get this and an empty jar and you can have tons of fun with your child.

Almost the first book on insects that I ever acquired was a hardbound edition of this little guide in the early 1950s. Indeed, I wore out several copies before I graduated to Lutz's "Field Book of Insects" and later more up to date guides. While a bit behind in modern systematics, this guide still has enchanting pictures, mostly the same ones I poured over during my childhood. It was here I first caught the insect "bug" that eventually propelled me into a career in biological sciences. Zim's early "Golden Guide to Insects" was a magic carpet into the fantastic world of insects and I think that it must still be luring young people to at least appreciate the six-legged crowd. I know that the images in this book are still burned into my brain, especially that of the beautiful buckeye butterfly and the various horned scarab and carrion beetles.

I highly recommend this book for children as a first insect book, but I sort of wish they had kept the original yellow cover!

"It is remembered in my family that on Christmas Eve of 1933 my father was late arriving home. That, along with the love he and my mother bestowed upon their eight red-headed offspring, is fact. The rest is fiction."

So begins The Homecoming (Buccaneer Books, 1970), a homespun family tale set under the "cold Virginia sky" of Spencer's Mountain. Written by Earl Hamner, Jr., The Homecoming became the made-for-TV movie that launched The Waltons. It's a December staple around our house. But how close is the movie, The Homecoming: A Christmas Story (1971), to the book?

Starring Richard Thomas as John Boy and (a hopelessly miscast) Patricia Neal as Olivia, the movie's storyline is quite close to the book. However, some of the names of the characters differ:In the movie it's Clay-Boy, Matt, Becky, Shirley, Mark, Luke, John, and Pattie-Cake Spencer instead of John-Boy, Jason, Mary Ellen, Erin, Ben, Jim-Bob, and Elizabeth Walton. It's Misses Etta and Emma Staples sisters instead of the eccentric Mamie and Emily Baldwins.

The usuals in the book also appear in the film, sometimes in slightly altered form: Ike Godsey isn't a store keeper in the book, but rather a restauranter, chef, bartender, bouncer and pool hall owner (p. 76, 71). As in the movie, we also meet Sheriff Ep Bridges, preacher Hawthorne Dooley, the "backwoods Robin Hood" - Charlie Sneed, and even Chance the cow.

We meet a few characters in the book not appearing in the movie, such as Birdshot Sprouse, "a tall, obliging, not-too-bright boy" (p. 60) who tells the Spencer (Walton) children about the "city lady" with a Missionary Box of Christmas gifts "down at the post office" (p. 62).

All in all, the movie follows the book closely, at times lifting dialogue and plot right out of the book, verbatim:

- "I wish my daddy could fly" says little Pattie Cake ("Elizabeth") on p.13

- Olivia's Christmas cactus (p. 11, 12)

- Clay boy's complaint, "I'm an old mother duck" (p. 16)-

- "Son, you're goen to be sorry you did that" snarls Becky (Mary Ellen) on p. 19

- Olivia stirring her applesauce cake and singing/humming O Little Town of Bethlehem (p. 21)

- Bickering kids (p.p. 19-22, 48-50)

- "We don't accept charity in this family" declares Livy, p. 63

- "I wonder how news got all the way to the North Pole that you wanted to be a writer" observes Daddy Walton in both book (p. 121) and movie to young Clay Boy (John Boy).

Here's how the basic plot reads in the book:

While awaiting their Daddy's arrival on a cold Christmas Eve in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia during the Depression, matriarch Olivia Spencer sends 15 y.o. Clay-Boy out in search of his father. The clan patriarch, Clay Spencer, is a somewhat different man from the John Walton later portrayed by Ralph Waite:

"Clay Spencer was a hard man to measure up to. Like all Spencer men he was a crack shot, a good provider for his family, an honest `look-em-in-the-eye' man, an enthusiastic drinker, a prodigious dancer, a fixer of things, a builder, a singer of note, a teller of bawdy stories, a kissing, hugging, loving man whose laughter would shake the house, and who was not ashamed to cry." (p. 25)

There's no mention of a bus going off the road as a possible explanation for Daddy Walton's lateness, as in the movie. Clay Sr. is simply, inexplicably late. Olivia and her brood of eight - along with Grandpa Homer and Grandma Ida are newsless as to Clay's dilatory arrival and can do nothing but wait. Later, Olivia sends out young Clay Boy to search for Clay, Sr.

While looking for his father, Clay Boy runs into Sheriff Bridges at Ike Godsey's pool hall. The Sheriff has arrested Charlie Sneed for "hunten out of season" (p. 78) - not for relieving local merchants of their foodstuffs, as in the movie. The verbal exchange between Charlie and the swaggering Sheriff Bridges (p. 79-80) is almost word-for-word from the book (p. 78-80).

Clay-Boy gets a ride to the turn off of the First Abyssinian Baptist Church from Sheriff Bridges (not borrowing Sneed's car), and has to trudge to the church on foot in the dark due to road conditions. In the dark and snow, Clay Boy is guided to the church by the sound of singing It Came Upon a Midnight Clear (p. 85) and is invited in by black preacher Hawthorne Dooley. At the close of the Christmas Eve service, Dooley offers Clay Boy "a ride on General" - his horse - to the Staples' home in search of Clay, Sr. (p. 93).

After being regaled with a rehearsal of the charms of Ashley Longworth (p. 102, 103) and Enrico Caruso on the Staples' Victrola (p. 104), Clay Boy accepts a horse-drawn sleigh ride home from Misses Etta and Emma (p. 107-108). The sisters make Clay Boy a gift of "a Mason jar of recipe" (p. 110), not eggnog as in the movie. Arriving home, Clay Boy presents the jar to his mother who declares she'll use it "to make frosting for my applesauce cake" (p. 110). The recipe for both cake and frosting appears in the back of the book.

Daddy Walton finally arrives home after 1:00 a.m. on Christmas Day:

Snuggling with packages, Clay entered. He placed his bundles down on the table, knelt and opened his arms and immediately they were filled with chidlden, brushing the snow from his face, hugging him around the neck, crushing his chest with their frantic embraces. Now he rose and the chidlren watched with delight as he crossed the floor to Olivia. He kissed her tenderly on the cheek, but then, and this was what the children were waiting for, he picked her up and danced about the kitchen shouting joyously, `God, what a woman I married!' while Olivia shouted indignantly, `Put me down, you old fool!'"(p. 117)

...After the children open the gifts their Daddy has brought, little Pattie cake observes, "You didn't get nothen, Daddy." (p. 121)Gently Clay lifted the little girl in his arms and looked around the room at his family."Sweetheart," he said, "I've got Christmas every day of my life in you kids and your mama." He turned to Olivia. "Did you ever see such thoroughbreds?"

***

Good night Mama. Good night Daddy. Good night Jason, Mary Ellen, Erin, Ben, Jim-Bob, Elizabeth, Grandpa and Grandma. Good night John Boy.

Good night Spencer's/Walton's Mountain. Merry Christmas.

I'm looking for the movie version of Sepncer's Mountain. Any idea on how to get it?

Please email to myersrule@earthlink.net Thank you!

I picked this up at the library one day, being in a Christmas mood and after years of watching The Walton's "Homecoming" Christmas special and loving it. The story is quite different fromt the TV movie, somewhat more bleak in tone...Olivia here is worrying that her husband's delay in coming home is because he is off drinking somewhere instead of hurt in a bus accident. Probably a bit more accurate feel of the Depression here. Still very absorbing and touching, the characters are no less lovable. A nice short read for a rainy day.

For years I have loved the Walton Family.The Books on the Spenser family are delightful.Can anyone tell me how I could get the Movies The Homecoming.The original is Starring Patricia Neal,and then if I am not mistaken there is also a Christmas movie with the TV Walton Family.I would love to have these movies.Thanks for your help.

This of course is the beginning of the Waltons (TV). This book is now often overlooked, which is a shame as it is a well written piece of literature. This is the touching story of a typical mountain family during the depression years. I enjoy rereading this one ever so often, near Christmas. It is not a lengthly tale, it is one you can read on a snowy Saturday (get you in the mood). This is also a well crafted book, told my a master story teller. The author's character developement is absolutely wonderful. I hate to use the word "classic" as I feel it is quite over used, but with this work I am tempted. It is certainly a book you should add to your list.

The value of Spencer's Battle for Europe is in making the personality of Marlborough and the story of Blenheim accessible to the non-professional military history enthusiast. That's especially important here in the U.S., where outside of academia little is known or appreciated about the era of Louis XIV and his wars.

Like Lee, Marlborough reaches his peak in his fifties, old for a great general to do so. Like Scipio, his achievements stir petty jealousies and lead to intrigues that smear his reputation. Like Napoleon, he marches energetically and gives battle in textbook style: freezing the enemy's attention on fixed points, and just when the time is right, the decisive breakthrough.

All these things Spencer relates clearly and concisely. He can be forgiven for not turning over any new ground in Marlborough scholarship.

Other reviewers have noted that this is a well-written book, and it is. Having recently finished Winston Spencer Churchill's much longer life of Marlborough, it seemed to me that Mr. Spencer relied heavily on Winston Churchill's prior work for facts, and sources. However, this may be unfair since both Mr. Spencer and Mr. Winston Churchill meticulously mined and primarily relied on the private material at Blenheim Castle, and as long as both of them are honest and through, it would be more surprising if their tales differed, rather than the reverse.

Mr. Spencer does not feel as great a need as Mr. Winston Churchill did to defend the reputation of his famous forebear. These slights of earlier, also partisan, writers have in general stood neither the test of time, nor in particular, the exquisitely detailed, point-by-point, refutation contained in Mr. Winston Churchill's biography of the same man. If you have been a very active general, and John Churchill was very active. If you have repeatedly fought the best generals and best armies of your time, and, John Churchill fought them all except his friend and fellow genius Prince Eugene of Savoy. And nonetheless, your biographer can still say that you never fought a battle that you did not win, nor besieged a town that you did not take, then you are indeed a Great Captain and leader of men. The Duke of Marlborough was this and much more.

Unfortunately we do not get to see the "much more" in this book. As the title indicates this is a retelling of the story of a great, complex and important battle. Blenheim was not just murder by the thousands. Like the Greatest Generation, John Churchill, the Duke of Marlborough, accomplished something truly important with his victories, and particularly with this victory. Unlike Alexander who's empire immediately disintegrated upon his death, the political results achieved by John Churchill's military prowess survived his critics and, more important, his incompetent, if not quite treasonous successors. Marlborough's great services served England for generations, and ultimately provided the man, Winston Spencer Churchill, who would quite literally save England from her greatest, most powerful enemy -Adolph Hitler.

To soundly defeat the greatest army of the age, led by a competent, respected general is always memorable. However, it should be remembered that the purpose of war is political change, not victory per se. Probably the greatest military victory ever, Hannibal's victory over the Roman Legions at Cannae is instructive. Cannae, although it was the classic battle of annihilation, had almost no effect other than to kill a lot of people. After the tragic loss, the Romans reacted like they always had: they prayed to their gods, created a new army, and appointed a new general who decisively and permanently defeated their impertinent opponent.

Given the comprehensive excellence of this, his first book of history, I can only hope that Mr. Spenser will at some time delve more deeply, much more deeply, into the enigma that is John Churchill. Like George Washington, he is a man that defies routine, as well as exceptional examinations. John Churchill was so much more than a great general. He was in fact, if not in name, a wartime Prime Minister in a two-man cabinet. He was subject to fits of depression like Lincoln, and like Lincoln, depression, even the death of a son, never interfered with his duty. In an age where men married for money or property - he married for love, and they remained in love as long as they lived. Who was this man? I hope that Charles Spenser one-day answers this question as well as he has answered why Blenheim was, the Battle for Europe.

The abundantly plain prose of Mr. Spencer, interrupted here and there with some sparks of brilliance an even humor, fully accomplish the task of NOT showing any novelty about an age that, granted, has been well trodden by myriads of historians of any and every caliber. He, also, hit the target in NOT making a convincing case of his main idea that the battle of Blenheim, the axis of his narrative, changed the course of european history stopping the run of Louis XIV to continental domination. Mr Spencer himself, in some of his best chapters, give a plenty account of how stretched and weakened France was after so many campaings, so how improbable was that Louis could ever sustain such an empire even winning in Bleinheim.
It must be said that in any case, never forgetting the moderate standards of the so called "popular history", Mr. Spencer can be read in a leisurely sunday afternoon and, with hope, better works can be realistically expected from him in the future. So I give him three stars.

I had noticed this book while picking through works on the War of Spanish Succession here on amazon and I placed it on my Christmas list. I was surprised to open it and began reading it on Christmas day and couldn't put it down. I finished it the next day after reading through the night.

Spencer pens an amazing book that is said to concern the 1704 Battle of Blenheim in Bavaria. Instead, the book deals with a period of history of approximately 1670-1705, the time in world history where empires were rising and falling and what could be termed as the "calm between the storms" of the Reformation and Enlightenment. Spencer weaves and intricate and flowing tale of the great clash of arms between the marshalls of Louis XIV and the Duke of Marlborough, backing the narrative of the war and the battle with political intrigues, explanations of 18th century warfare, and a look at the three major characters of the book, the Duke, Louis XIV, and Prince Eugene of Savoy.

All in all, this book is an excellent first work from Spencer and I fervently await subsequent books.

Readable, effortlessly so in fact - I am not sure but I think Charles Spencer, or Earl Spencer, is actually a journalist - if so I think this book is the best of all worlds. It is a well referenced book which I think will appeal to academics and historians of English and military history - but his ability to tell a good story makes this a pleasing and easy read.

This books follows and really climaxes at one of the most significant battles in Europe at the time, and one which was really epitomised the animosity between the French and the English which was to finally end with Waterloo so 100 years later. The explanation of the background and the domination of the French in Europe at the time is well done. This is no dry-rendering of facts.

The book is divided into two halves, the first half backgrounds the politics of Europe and the various men who would later indulge in the war - and it seems it was an indulgence.

the second half takes us through the campaign, the life, and the major battles, including the battle of Blenheim which left several thousand British and allies dead and many more French.

John Churchill, who lead the British was later created Duke of Marlborough by Queen Anne for his efforts and was granted Government money to build the immense palace which was named for his most famous battle. Charles Spencer and the Earls of Spencer are descended from the Junior Branch of his family and so I expect he may have had access to papers to assist in this. For whatever reason it seems appropriate that he should write this book about his ancestor.

A great book and a good read.

Hi everybody. I'm Savannah and I'm 13. I read Candy Lane Craze and my sister read it too. We like this book a lot because of all the funny stuff. We like the stuff about all the candy the cookies and the funny stuff about the giant bugs too. It was a cool story to read when the kids found all the yummy goodies and then they had a lot of fun when they stayed in sweet little. My sister said it was a dream come true because she wants to go to a place like sweet little so she can eat all her favorite stuff. I think thats funny. Btw did you hear my sister on the radio one time. She was 9 when she won some prizes on radio disney. See ya later bye everybody have a nice day.

Dear Mr. Spencer,

My young son, Jason, was diagnosed with a liver condition that led to multiple surgeries in the recent past. Amazingly, after all this little boy has been through, he's surprisingly happy and content. Partly because my job is to keep him happy during his challenging ordeal. He is also smiling again because of your children's novel, Candy Lane Craze. Your novel has made him so happy that his constant smiling is contagious and it brightens my day. Thank you so much for bringing such a marvelous and entertaining story to the children's book world. Your novel contains details about a fantasy world that every child would love. Your child and adult characters are funny and adorable, and the action-packed events are highly imaginative and very entertaining. I gave your book high praise to my son's physicians, nurses, and the social workers at the hospital. Hopefully your book will inspire my son to read passionately for the rest of his life.

Sincerely,

Craig Silverman

I read Candy Lane Craze during my last semester in college because my little neices told me about it. They found the book on the Internet and then I borrowed their copy when they bought it. Although the plot is not entirely a winner, it's clearly a book of funny events that make you smile as you read it. I truly fell in love with the main characters Johnny, Sara, and Sabrina. They're so cute together, and I have to admit there were moments where I teared up because of the happy and sad chapters in the book. It's magical, it's fun, it's easy to read. I think I read the entire book in a week or so, it's definitely a page turner for kids that like strange and funny adventure stories.

If you haven't read this book, I strongly advise that you do. This book is the perfect pick-me-up for anyone who is having stressful days in their life. I'm not saying it's a cure for the blues, it's just a great way to end a stressful day without DVDs, video games, and junk food (it's great for parents too). Anyway, Candy Lane Craze is truly amazing. You will absolutely love the charming details about Sweet Little. This town is dreamy, stylish, and fancy. It's a terrific magical get-away for the young travelers in this story. The good news is, despite all the luxurious surroundings and the humorous mishaps, the kids want to come home to their parents (my favorite part). It's a great way to say that the world today is filled with nice places to go and nice things to buy, but the best place to be is at home with your family and friends who love you. Everyone in my family loves this story and I believe you will too.

Candy Lane Craze is a truly funny story for elementary school kids. When I read it with my students, I thought it was an absolute delight. It tells the story of three siblings, Johnny, Sara, and Sabrina, who receive an unusual bag of lemon drops and experience a magical adventure to Sweet Little, a city where the residents have strange ideas about candy. Then, the children experience hilarious and outrageous events when the author describes the details about their unusual surroundings.

I truly believe that Spencer is one of the rarest children's authors in the comedy genre, and I hope to see some future children's stories from him. I want to mention the structure of the book. This book is definitely not for advanced readers because of its simplicity, it doesn't have any challenging twists and turns. It does contain big words throughout the book. However, I feel that children with advanced reading skills will be bored easily. I will keep this book in my school library for students who are struggling with their reading skills and have started to read full-length literary novels. It's really a book about funny, outrageous events that make you smile. The main characters, Johnny, Sara, and Sabrina, are very lovable. They don't have any special talents or skills. They're just cute typical siblings who find themselves in a strange predicament. And the plot is extremely easy to follow. My students read the book really fast because it was so simple.

Therefore, I'm writing this review to say that I love the book because it is extremely funny, it gave me a great escape from everyday reality, and I recommend it to struggling elementary school students to practice reading full-length novels and to middle school students who enjoy great leisurely and light-hearted reading.

Wonderful book of Vintage block patterns, makes cataloging some of those old orphan blocks great or making that wonderful vintage look quilt. If you like vintage designs you need this collection of designs.

If you are interested in quilt history or in the names of traditional quilt blocks, this book is an invaluable tool. Carrie Hall sewed and collected various quilt blocks along with their names in what is now an encyclopedia of quilt history. I have used this book both for inspiration in my own quilt block making and also for historical interest (which blocks were named after political events, etc). Definitely one to have on your quilt book shelf.

This is an excellent resource book for those interested in quilt history. The more than 800 blocks were made between 1900-1935. Both pieced and appliqued blocks are shown in color. The pattern section of more than 200 blocks range from easy level to difficult. The template section is very easy to use. Each block is shown in color and then in sections with all template numbers listed. All blocks in this section have been converted to more standard sizes and could be converted to other sizes with relative ease by any quilter. A fantastic book and a must for any quilter's personal library!

Carrie Hall Blocks are a great resource to have. There are 800 different pattern blocks to look at with 200 having the templates completed in the back. But if you wanted to make a block not templated all you would have it do is xerox the picture to a desired size and then draft it. But with 200 templated you have more than enough to chose from. I have made some of the blocks and used this resource to research block names. Not only does she have a copy of blocks, but she also will have copies of blocks that have the same name but different patterns. This one feature has cleared up many confused moments.

istanbuljoy

I like the fact that the book has a hard cover. And with 800 patterns, a person should be able to find something they like. However, I found other books on patterns that I like much better ("It's Okay if You Sit on My Quilt", "Once More Around the Block" and "849 Traditional Patchwork Patterns) and I have never used this book for a reference (yet) because I like my other books better. And I'm not crazy about the choice of fabrics that are used; there isn't much definition in value. There are quite a few applique patterns.

this is a great book for shakespeare fans. it was the first time i read shakespeare outside of class, and it was very interesting. i didn't like the prefaces much, i didn't have the patience to read them. i felt they were very of long, and harder to read and understand than the actual shakespeare. they actual plays-not stories, just to clarify- are wonderful. it would be a great book to read if you are taking a literature class and want to get a head start or if you want to expand your vocabulary. you can even relate the problems of those times to the problems of today. the plays were very fun to read once you got into them; shakespeare is just as great as he is said to be.

An integral part to any Shakespeare work is the presence of footnotes! This book has a glossary, but it does not do any good because there is not sign in the actual text itself that one can look up specific words in the glossary. While the plays themselves are very enjoyable, do not purchase this edition unless you feel very confident about your ability to read Shakespearean language.

To have the four great tragedies together raises the question of what the essence, the real heart of Shakespearean tragedy is.
In Aristotle's definition of Greek tragedy the overweening pride of the hero(hubris) and tragic fault( hamartia ) lead to his eventual destruction. The audience watching this is in the course of this purged of pity and fear.
In Shakespearean tragedy there is as in Aristotle a hero who is larger than the ordinary man. The hero too has a great flaw and comes to a destructive end. But the doubt and hesitancy of dreaming Hamlet, the great ambition for kingship of Macbeth, the blind filial love of Lear seem more emotionally complex than that of the Greek heroes. And the language in which the story of their respective downfalls is told is too more rich, complex, and ambivalent than that of the clearer Greek earlier model.
And this in such a way that the Shakespearean tragic heroes each seem to be in themselves a kind of supreme human essence, a manifestation of character at its greatest level of intensity.
Shakespeare's greatest heroes are individuals who become in some sense the ' type' of themselves, and live in our minds as models of humanity in its extreme essence.
'Greatness is all'

this is an excellent 'cheap' edition of the great tragedies. besides being edited by david bevington, considered one of the foremost shakespeare scholars, the bantam edition also includes introductory essays for each play AND the source material that shakespeare used - ie, the actual short stories or plays that the bard drew on to the write his plays. wonderful stuff and a great way to get into shakespeare.

Hamlet
This play, of course, is perhaps the best known in all of English literature. Taking it's inspiration from lesser plays and tales of the same name, Shakespeare crafted the characters, dialogue and plot into a timeless tale of betrayal, the quest for justice, and ultimately a hollow victory. This play, in short, is a downer.

I will speak daggers to her, but use none.

Of course, it really thrilled the audiences, who, lacking the primetime violence of today, enjoyed seeing the blood, the gore, the violence, the swordplay. Those with a more subtle bent were very satisfied with the wonderful dialogues, full of double and self-reflexive meanings. So many of the monologues have become common parlance in our language.

A hit, a very palpable hit.

The 'on one foot' synopsis: Hamlet, prince of Denmark, is suspicious that his step-father killed his father and usurped the throne and his mother's bedchamber; he plots to get revenge; in the meantime his love-interest Ophelia dies; in a duel to the death at the end the mother dies, the step-father dies, the duel contender dies, and Hamlet dies. Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.

The rest is silence.

Othello
Rude I am in speech,
And little blessed with the soft phrase of peace

Surely Shakespeare was not speaking of himself here. Even his poorly-spoken characters cannot help to have an elegance and subtlety all their own. Othello is another tragedy, this one driven by jealousy. The exact cause of the jealousy can vary; Iago can be jealous of Othello, of his love for Desdemona, of Desdemona herself, or several other possibilities. The emphasis often lies in the performance, and Shakespeare's play is written broadly enough to allow for any of these to be correct interpretations.

But men are men; the best sometimes forget.

Othello satisfied the need for violence, for passion, and for intrigue. 'On one foot', Iago, servant and friend of Othello, who also hates Othello, plants the seeds of suspicion that Desdemona has been unfaithful, leading Othello down a treacherous path that leads in his ultimate murder of Desdemona.

Take note, take note, O world!
To be direct and honest is not safe.

During one performance in the American Old West, an audience member became so entranced and enraged with the actor's portrayal of Iago that he took out his pistol and shot him. The tombstone of the actor reads 'Here lies the greatest actor'.

Lear
The prince of darkness is a gentleman.

This most difficult of Shakespeare plays, both for performing and for studying, is one of the true masterpieces of English (or any) literature, and yet is underperformed and underappreciated due to the power of its complexity and of its tragedy. Indeed, often the tragedy at the end has been softened by having Cordelia survive victorious. Beware these kinds of performances--they not Shakespeare's intent, however much we wish.

Lear begins with folly, and ends in tragedy, while treachery and evil seems to creep like a vine choking off first this person, then that. The fool is the only wise one; the insane are the only protected, and the nobles increasingly lose nobility of intent and action as the events progress. Gloucester and Lear are both deceived by wicked children turned against their better offspring; all ends in tragedy for most of the lot.

Lear addresses sibling rivalries, parent/child relationships, poverty and insanity, and any number of other readily accessible issues, but all interwoven so tightly that they cannot be unravelled easily, yet all the while the world for the characters are unravelling thread by thread before our very eyes. Lear points out the folly of human planning and agency. Lear was banned from performance, actually, during 1788-1820 when George III was considered insane, and the connexion between stage and royalty would be too blurred for official comfort.

Howl, howl, howl, howl! O! you are men of stones!

Macbeth
The witches, the blood-stained hands, the play whose name must not be mentioned in a theatre lest bad luck befall the actor or production. Macbeth is all of these, and more. Loosely based upon a real historical character, the tragedy here is one of ambition.

Fair is foul, and foul is fair:
Hover through the fog and filthy air

Did Macbeth really see the ghost of Banquo at the banquet, or was it indigestion because of the haggis? Macbeth can be played with or without a conscience, which makes for differing character development, but both options are available in Shakespeare's flexible playwriting.

Hear it not, Duncan; for it is a knell
That summons thee to heaven or to hell

Macbeth is driven by his ambition, but also by the ambition of his wife, Lady Macbeth, as treacherous a villain in many respects as any male character in Shakespeare. Macbeth has an overgrown sense of invincibility, convinced by prophecies that his course will be successful, and ordinarily it is (until it all goes awry); it is a successful struggle to the throne, but never secure, and in the end, all is lost.

Macbeth may be the bloodiest of Shakespeare's plays, a thrill for Elizabethan audiences, and a wonder to behold as the scenes get ever more desperate and darker.

This edition
There are so many editions of Shakespeare available, and many have merits. This particular volume of the four major tragic plays provides commentary by David Bevington which is insightful and accessible; it also gives photographs of performances and stagings by the New York Shakespeare Festivals, modernised spelling and concordance listings of major passages. Not short by any means (nearly 1000 pages), this will nonetheless give a good study to the plays, with visual aids, and supportive material, all in one volume.

I have used this text in two corporate finance courses that I have taken at university and it was very helpful in allowing me to understand the concepts that were being presented in class.

I am a ITESM Edo. de Mexico MBA student. This book is almost mandatory to understand the fundamentals of Corporate Finance. I guess that if they had it in the American Book Store, they would sell several of them. The lead time is too long. There is a translation to Spanish, but I rather have the English version. If you can wait that long buy the book, it is worth it.

I have two corp fin books by Ross and company. This book was purchased while studing for the Level I of the CFA exam. The other book was used in graduate school. Both books are sub par in quality and were not cheap either. Save your money. Don't use this text.

I have a master degree in finance and I believe this is the best work from Stepehen Ross. The book can be utilized for graduate students as well as undergraduate. If you are looking for a book which is extensively comprehensive and at the same time friendly you are looking for this book. It also contains diverse examples involving the use of financial calculators and software. It furnishes a preview on mergers and acquisitions and constantly tends to go beyond corporate to multinational

This text was a requirement for my Chartered Financial Analyst exam, and it has been one of the few texts that I have decided to keep on my bookshelf. It does a wonderful job of making basic financial subjects like time value of money and capital structure lucid and easy to understand. I only wish more finance professors would use it in their classrooms rather than the dry, pedantic texts they've been using! Just having an academic text that speaks plain English is a boon for students, and "Fundamentals of Corporate Finance" excels in that respect.

Thought my item shipped in quick convenient timing, and arrived in perfect condition. I'm extremely pleased.

I'm taking a "Sexual Psychology" class, and this book details the nature of humans' need for sexual gratification. It gives detail illustrations and picts on both, the male and female genitals, how and why they work, the chemical actions that take place inside the human body which causes men and women to seek each other out, either of the opposite gender, or the same gender. It gives in fine detail, how a fertilized egg develops into a male or female; how the sperm cell's chromosome will influence the egg into forming either the female or male genitals. I mention "female" first because the human egg cell is defaulted to develop into a female, unless the sperm cell says otherwise. The book fails to mention that not all sperm cells are designed to fertilize the egg, which implies the authors disagree with the British findings. I recommend "Sperm Wars" by Robin Baker (to learn what the author neglects to mention about sperm), also available on Amazon. The authors detail not only heterosexuals, but gives scientific data on why some people grow up as gay, lesbian, or bisexual. It further takes into account social culture, and how sex attitudes may differ in developed nations, versus 3rd-world nations. Another "plus" to how the author had written, is that it's easy to understand. Unlike biology and chemistry textbooks that are written with "big words" in every paragraph, this book is written with high school graduates in mind. It was very easy to follow along, and I wasn't reaching for the dictionary every 10 minutes to look up a word, like I'm doing when I read my other textbooks. To break the monotony of reading and absorbing all this data, the author would make a few humorous remark to elicit a smile or laughter from it's readers. My greatest regret is wishing I had come across this information earlier in life. I'm now in my late 40s, had gone back to college to pursue a degree because my trucking job is slowly being taken over by cheaper Mexican truckers. I've had pass problems with girlfriend relationships, and being confused with my desire for other women. Had I read this book earlier in my life (late teens), I would've handled my difficulties a lot better. As I'm typing this, I've only read the first 7 chapters, and there are 19 chapters in all. This book is a "must-have" to include in your personal library. Even if you have no time to take a class in psychology, reading this book will give you a better perspective on how and why people behave the way they do.

I purchased this book as a text book not knowing what to expect. Turns out it is very interesting, covering a plethora of topics. I definitely recommend it.

This is one of the most interesting text books I have read. It is easy to read and filled with Tables or pictures that help translate the information. I would recommend this book for the student and person who is interested in learning about sexuality.

this book is very informative and gives a basic introduction into the world of sexuality from all aspects from identification of sexual characteristics,education on intercourse, diviant behaviors, relationships, and current state of modern relationship roles for the 21st century.

More Creeks kept me laughing, enjoying the adventure, wisdom and wit of an authoress who could only be an Alabamian.

Sue Spencer's stories about her unusual family's adventures around the world are spiced with irrepressible humor and candor. This is an entertaining trek from Florida swampland to the African bush and the Australian outback. The author is a good storyteller, and her book reveals a a wry, delightful outlook on life -- anywhere.

What a great story!!! What a witty writer !!! Could have only happened in the fifties,sixties, and seventies from an American perspective. Must read to understand the old world order in a shrinking world.

Think of a cross between Gerald Durrell's adventures collecting animals in the Africa of the '50s and 60's and Jean Kerr's adventures raising children in suburbia, and you'll have a sense of Sue Spencer's delightful memoir.

Imagine a family of five dealing with bugs,flies,no t.v., no mail, just a mud hut. with a mongoose. What a great lady. What a super book.

One Minute for Yourself presents a common sense, super-easy to follow recipe to re-connect with one self, friends, family, and all other people around us. It tells us the all-too-obvious: Take a minute here and there, pause, and just think about what you really need to be a little happier. The rest will in many cases follow by itself.

I call this Zen extra-light, as in Zen and other Eastern philosophies this "time-out" or meditation as it might then be called, is made a core practice to find oneself and unity with the world. May this be a light start for our hectic western world to reflect here and there and regain sight of what is important.

This book is the second I have read in the One Minute series. Once the reader grows accustomed to the parable presentation, the principles are much easier to grasp. The author in this volume interestingly defines selfishness as neglect of self.

There are three basic concepts promoted: take care of me, take care of others, and take care of the relationship I have with others. Johnson asserts that a person is most loving when his own needs have been adequately addressed. He feels that self-denial is destructive to ourselves and others, rather than helpful.

Jesus encourages us to "love others as we love ourselves." Based upon this admonition, there is a biblical basis for what the author is stating. Until we love ourselves and give attention to our own needs and desires, we are not truly free to love. Once we have taken "one minute" to look inward and assess our own needs, then we are much better equipped to relate to the persons around us.

This book is an easy read -- I finished it in one sitting. If you have been raised to think that self-denial is always good and self-indulgence is always bad, I encourage you to read this volume. For the price, the insights gained are well worth the money spent.

Easy to read and follow. The chapters literally take just a minute to read. Be kind to yourself and get this book.

Spencer Johnson's books are not profound but they can be life-changing. Sometimes people who can help the most cut through the clutter and verbiage we can get bogged down in and get to the heart of the matter. Johnson does this in his simple, narrative books and One Minute for Yourself is no different nor no less effective.
Can you imagine having 365 minutes to yourself a year? Can you imagine what you can do for yourself in sixty seconds of silence and peace? Most people don't or even believe that short of a time period can make a difference...but it's true. Johnson cuts through the garbage we pile on ourselves from self-help gurus and shows you how easy it can be.
Some days I take a minute for myself. Others, I dive into my work and stay immersed there. It's easy to look back and see my most effective days and my most overwhelming days. Taking a minute to reflect, to dream or just to relax makes a big difference in my daily effectiveness. As a matter of fact, I think I'll take one now...

I was drawn to this book because it looked light and simple, and the idea of taking one minute for myself seemed to be manageable even with my crazy schedule. Well, this book delivered a lot more than what I expected! It introduced to me the possibility of having a great life when I actually stop, look, and listen to myself; By simply asking "is there a better way to take care of myself right now?" I was often amazed that there actually were lots of choices! I didn't have to repeat whatever I mechanically did in the past that did not work for me (this seems obvious but I am amazed how often it happened unawaredly.) Cool stuff!

Spencer Johnson is a great story teller and he made my reading experience fun and effortless. This reminded me of two very cool books that I've come across; Being Here: Modern Day Tales of Enlightenment, and How To Create a Magical Relationship by Ariel and Shya Kane. The books are a collection of simple and profound moments in life, and I have come to learn from these beautiful stories that the current moment of life is where magic happens! We can take great care of ourselves and each other by taking an honest look of what's happening in each moment of now, and not judging what we see. Life has become a journey that's expanding and rewarding in a least expected way! The Kanes' books are so inspiring and I feel very fortunate to discover them and to share them with you!