Stanley Books

I went to one of those dreary conformist British educational establishments that Mr Brock refers to in another of his books. We had this book in the library and I read it and re read it and escaped into a different world.

Women, we must be informed before agreeing to any type of surgery. I am not a physician or any other medical practitioner. I have read Dr. West's book, after being told by another physician that it was probably time for me to have a hysterectomy since I was not planning on having any more children. I had misgivings about giving up my uterus, so I decided to do some layman's research on my own. Dr. West's book opened my eyes to what sometimes happens in the medical field of gynecology: too many women unnecessarily undergo a hysterectomy, when many times the problem can be solved by undergoing a myomectomy. I urge all women to please read this book, and to recommend it to their daughters, sisters, and other female relatives and friends.

This was a long novel for me to read, but I always looked forward to picking up the book, finding my bookmark, and continue reading where I'd left off. I thoroughly enjoyed every chapter--all the characters, their struggles, and glimpses into their lives. The book is well written and a real page-turner. I hope the author writes a sequel. I am looking forward to reading and learning more about this fascinating character--Rick Stevens--as well as the other people in his life. As I read, curled up on a sofa, on these dark and cold winter days, Rick Stevens along with all the other characters, seemed very real and human.

The novel begins with the narration of his mother Ida Bradley's struggles to make a new life for herself and her two children, Rick and Janet, after her recent divorce from an unfaithful husband. Her decision to marry her second husband, Judge Appleby, had a profound influence upon her life and that of her children.
Judge Appleby, the municipal court judge in Salem on the Lake, Ohio, was a descendent of a prestigious and wealthy family in that town; he could trace his ancestruy to the early 1800s when the Applebys were among the earliest settlers and extensive land holders; they owned land that became nearly half the town of Salem on the Lake. Despite his fairness and good work as a judge, Judge Appleby was a tyrant and an alcoholic at home. He largely ignored and verbally abused his stepson Rick Stevens; Rick never had a father he could love and respect. Rick later realized that his mother was the first and foremost angel who came to his rescue, comforted him, and let him know that he was a worthy person.

Rick was painfully shy in social and school situations. During most of his high school years, he never had any really close friends. After Rick's graduation from high school, the Judge informed him, "I have made no financial provisions for our further education." It was a bald and cruel statement. The judge's sister "Aunt Fannie" was appalled by the unkindness of her brother. She advised Rick to join the U.S. Army for three years so that, after his discharge, he would be eligible for the G.I Bill that would pay his college tuition and a monthly allowance for living expenses.

The novel thoroughly documents how Rick found good friends in the Army and college, how his pre-medical courses and his liberal arts studies and relationships with his Army buddies and college friends helped him to develop a mature outlook on life. Travels with friends in the Western United States and in Europe and England also helped to enrich and increase his knowledge. Atlast he felt free and was able to throw off the yoke of his stepfather's domination.

In short, this novel is an inspiring success story of a young man who struggled since early childhood to ovrcome advese conditions that could have prevented his eventual achievement of self-respect, dignity, tolerance of others, academic success, and the teaching of science (chemistry, physics, general science, geography) in public high schools. Since this novel is very realistic, there is not a complete resolution of all Rick's problems in the last chapter when he is 29 yeas old. Yet I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the progress he made during his young manhood and eduaction. I hated to reach the end of the novel and look forward eagerly to its sequel.

I am not a book critic, but love to read true life adventures. Ilse Stanley was a remarkable woman. The daughter of a Jewish Rabbi, she had every opportunity to achieve her dreams of success in the theatrical arts and music and became famous and wealthy. She was forced to leave her profession because she was a Jew. Because of her strong belief in God and love for her country (Germany), she worked to save many (over 400) people from Hitler's death camps in the years 1933-1938. You will be blessed to read this book by this very brave woman.

This book has profoundly inspired my life. Through the author's candid sharing of her life's experiences and more importantly, through exploring her motivations and the "why" behind each step in her life, she is able to leave a roadmap of her trail through consciousness. This map shows where absolute honesty and heart centered awareness can lead us towards expressing our own aspects of divinity.

Mr. Sartorius has produced a concise and easy to read book. He has made a reasonable attempt to categorise the lenses in a logical and well-illstrated manner. The book largely succeeds at the difficult task of covering the myriad variations of Leica lenses, especially the screw-mount and early M-mount lenses. There is a rarity grading system and best of all, the lens diagrams of the featured lenses are provided. I recommend this book heartily to beginners and keen Leicaphiles alike. What you get is an excellent reference for the price.

The IESNA Lighting Handbook (9th Edition) is the best and most complete lighting reference book ever written! It has everything from how luminaires are constructed, to lighting calculations to energy management. It has chapters that discusses in depth topics such as color, daylighting, lighting calculations, retail lighting, exterior lighting, lighting economics and lighting controls. It even has a chapter on Under Water lighting! The book includes the new IESNA Lighting Design Guide that addresses the quality of the Visual Environment. All in all, this is a must have book for every lighting designer. Even though it is a little expensive, it is still worth MUCH more than what it costs.

The Stanley Cup is possibly the most revered award in modern sports. Though football, basketball, baseball, and even auto racing may be more popular, the Stanley Cup is the most recognized National Championship trophy, and unquestionably the one with the longest history, and greatest sense of respect. No other award in professional sports has its own set of "body guards," and no other trophy is so often shared among the players *and* the public.

Mike Ulmer does a fantastic job capturing the history and highlights of the Stanley Cup's long journey from its 19th century beginnings to the present. The reader is witness to the genesis of this "challenge trophy", and then follows its humorous and emotional travels through the years. Think of this book as a "Red Violin" (the movie) for hockey.

A quick read, though very well written, this book will be surely be re-read numeous times - especially before making any trip to the Hockey Hall of Fame.

For any lover of the fastest game on ice, this is an absolute must. Thanks, Mike.

I have had this very valuable book since 1983,and it has helped me a lot.I highly recommend it.
It is too sad to know it is out of print.
Mehrdad Ijadi D.M.D

"Images of the Ottoman Empire" is a compilation of 90 color plates and 10 black and white illustrations drawn from the Victoria and Albert Museum. The images are thematically grouped around chapters on Ambassadors, Travellers, Science, Art and Design, War, Trade and the Realm of the Imagination. Finally, each image is throughly described and placed into its proper historical context.

What seperates this book from other books on Orientalist Art is that it is focused on the Ottoman Empire. Although, the Ottoman Empire may have been the Sick Man of Europe, the Empire continued to be a European political rival up until 1918. There is something more vital and martial about the way Ottomans were portrayed when compared to their North African contemporaries. There are few of the languid images that one associates with the likes of Jean-Leon Gerome.

In some academic realms, Orientalism has been dismissed as being overly mannered, hostile and deprecatory. While there is some truth in this critique, the images presented in "Images of the Ottoman Empire" are beautifully done and have great historical and ethnographic merit. For those interested in Orientalism, I would highly recommend "The Lure of the East" by Thomans and "The Orientalists" by Davies.