Stewart Books

I bought this book for my son before I visited the Louvre because he was majoring in art. A few years later, I went to Paris and visited the Louvre. It was great to look through the book after having been there! It's still his book, but it was so wonderful to have it around after experiencing the incredible galleries in person! If you're going to the Louvre, my suggestion would be to really go through this book FIRST... then go to the Louvre! There's so much there it's overwhelming. I wish I'd planned out my visit there after going through the book.

Whether you've been to the Louvre and want to protect and enhance your memories or you just want to see the most beautiful works of art ever collected this is the perfect book! It gives you history, background info and of course amazing pictures! You're next purchase will be plane tickets to Paris!!

This is a great book. It covers all the art departments of the Louvre and does it in a very concise manner. But it has a peculiar presentation format - too many sidebars and info boxes etc mixed-up with the main text, small pics breaking-up the main text too often, and many times it is not easy to match the sidebar to the pic intuitively.

A true masterpiece. A fresh look at one of the world's most extraordinary museums. I received this book as a gift, and I have truly enjoyed it.

No one wants to be alone, but it's a state that some face unwillingly. "Loveless in a Lonesome World" is a collection of poetry from Patricia C. Stewart, she is a woman of many artistic talents, writing movie scripts, short stories, novels, and in this volume, poetry. Her verse focuses on the despair of loneliness and the longing to find someone. "Loveless in a Lonesome World" is a delve into a diverse creative mind, a solid choice. "Rhapsody": I look upon the wet street, A sleek bearer of reflection, Illusion/Causes distortion.//Gray is the bridge/Where past and future/Meet. Tendrils/Go up in wafting smoke./A sound decision./Time Is on my side, not/The mirror's./Surface; Breathe truth when/It's water, not mirage.

I could read and sense the depth of emotion here and in each paragraph. As I read the script I found that each verse was indeed poetic in nature. It reminded me of reading the translated poems of the highly romantic and beloved Russian author, the late Boris Pasternak (writer of Doctor Zhivago). What I sensed was indeed the ability to capture the poetic nature of love, love lost, and the independence realized and gained when we realize that true joy, accomplishment in life, and goals fulfilled are incumbant upon us to aspire to and attain. We are the masters of our own destiny, and through it, we can find hope in our lives, and bring hope to the lives around us.

Beautiful poetry, Thank you, Patricia. :)

A moving book of poetry that reminded me of all the highs and lows in my life. If only I had this book to help me understand it at the time. Highly recommended to all.

What a wondorful book of poetry. Normally, poetry is not my thing but this book had poem after poem that really hit home - all of the love (and lust) events in my life came back to me.

"Tories" and "loyalists" have always been in the background of our independence story but largely nameless, faceless and forgotten. Flesh them out and "The Revolution" is a layered conflict where "Civil War" is difficult to square with the mythology it has become. Not all Americans were enamored with the break and many took up arms against their neighbors to prevent it. Why they did it, where they came from, how their story unfolded and the diaspora that followed are all facinating aspects of a journey most Americans simply know nothing about. This is well written, both statistical without being dry and anecdotal without a loss of perspective. This should be required reading for anyone with more than a passing interest of the Revolutionary era.

When I was a school boy on summer vacation I casually chatted with my stepgrandfather about the things I had learned over the year about the American revolution. And then I said I wondered if I had any ancestors who had participated in the conflict.

He looked me right in the eye and told me his family secret. His ancestors had participated. They had been Loyalists. Their home had been New York but like the overwhelming majority of Loyalists, they chose to Stay in the US after the war.

They may have been loyal to Britain simply because they had always seen themselves as part of Britain, but after the war they were hardly a King and Country lot. Most simply wanted to be left alone and live out their lives in peace.

This book, which I acquired soon after it was published is the story of this peticular group, seen through the eyes of select individuals, who were between fifteen and twenty percenty of the American population in the thirteen colonies. It tries to give insight into what was their mindset as well as give the reader their history. It certainly gives that for all their loyalty, Britain was hardly a caring or sharing host.

I cetainly disagree with the author's attempted portrayal of Thomas Hutchinson as an Imperial Statesman who was a participatting member of the British Empire. Thomas Hutchinson was a local politician who saw himself in Massachusetts in positions of authority in Massachussetts. He looked to Parliment for patronage to gain local power. In many ways he and men like him are no different from the Nabobs of India who went to men like Clive and made the deal that for British backing they would go forth to tax the locals dry and share the loot. Men like Ben Franklin, the 'Rebels', also looked to Parliment but for seats. Beyond this little disagreement I have with the author, this is a great book to read.

As a proud UEL member and student of the American Revolution, especially loyalists, this is my my favorite book to date.

I strongly recommend anyone that is not familiar with loyalists to read this book. It gives rich and detailed specific accounts of real people that are documented.

This book will go a long way in helping you understand Loyalists, what they were and what happened to them. It may even open your eyes to the plight of these heroic people who have been so lost to propoganda that it is sad.

We the People*

*the rights we want are only for those that think exactly like we do or you are exempt.

Moore's work does something extremely important for the student of early American history. He de-mythologizes the beginnings of the American Revolution, and sheds new light on the people that most Americans were taught to view as villains, those who remained loyal to King George III.

Moore not only describes the revolution from the perspective of those those that remained loyal to their King and country, he also details some of the less than democratic ways our forebears treated them.

I highly recommend this book to all who are interested in a more even handed study of the period than the highly propagandized version we usually get here.

The Martha Stewart Christmas Cook Book is really great! There are alot of pictures and sooo many recepies. I've already tried some and are all great and delicious!

After Martha Stewart went to prison, I guessed that perhaps the price of her books would go down due to lack of demand for them.
I bought two of these books as Christmas gifts for relatives, because I have always admired her work and presentation qualities. In ordering them as gifts, considering her past work, I felt safe in assuming that my relatives would be pleased with them. They were! I know I got two fantastic bargains. I have heard a lot of negative things about Stewart as a person, but her work is top-rate regardless of her personality traits. Even if you never make any of the recipes, the pictures are great to look at and the recipes are fun to read.

I have read this newly-published cookbook from cover to cover today and I LOVE IT! It's not surprising Martha Stewart could put together a collection of recipes representing the Christmas holiday. Some cookbooks only focus on Christmas cookies or only Thanksgiving, but this cookbook highlights sophisticated recipes from drinks (I hadn't seen a Ramos Gin Fizz in a cookbook ever!) to entrees and of course, desserts. Sure, there are only so many things you can do with cranberries, chestnuts, hazelnuts, and pumpkins, but these are not tired, redone recipes just so she could publish yet another cookbook. This book is polished, much like the format of her h'ors d'oeuvres book. Beautiful photographs, great recipes. Anyone who loves cooking during the Christmas holidays, and not just bake cookies, will definitely love this cookbook!

If the cookie crumbles, Martha will make pie crust crumbs out of it, just as she is doing in prison (COUGH). Her recipes are wonderful, her holiday spirit contagious...what can you say about a woman who bakes with Elmo and Miss Piggy for her Christmas specials?

Martha's recipes are classic and yet innovative, a must for your holiday baking shelf.

Dude, she entertains the pope! The wedding night feast is hilarious, and the photos of the food will make you laugh out loud in a crowded public place! Martha fans, wake up, for this parody is more Martha than the real thing. Great find!

A hilarious parody on the infamous Martha Stewart. Martha is giving advice and ideas for the holidays and family get-togethers. She is doing everything from circumcising to poaching lobsters. You will see her like you have never seen her before. Truly imaginative, and a great laugh. I would recommend this to anyone with a sense of humor.

Have you ever been annoyed by the unshakeable, in-your-face PERFECTION of Martha Stewart, queen of the perfect households? After listing the names by which she is often called ("Martha de Sade") she gets down to business: how to be like her in every respect.

The "Papal Visit" I wasn't crazy 'bout, but that definitely had some hilarious moments, including a sidebar that describes her pilfering other people's figurines and knicknacks. "Garden Party" includes the mind-numbing recipes for "Hand Picked Field Salad" which will make you cry; and the flambe-related Smoked Woodchuck.

In the matter of taste and refinement, nothing can beat the "circumcision day" chapter, with recipes that will make you shriek. And for Valentine's Day, Martha shows us how to souse and seduce... or just souse. Then she flits back to her childhood for "Mother's Day," going over various "regular" meals by her mama. The next chapter describes how to have a beach cookout, with one of the worst fish visuals I've ever seen!

"Christmas/Holiday Decorating" describes how you can horrify your friends and neighbors with perfect holiday decorating; the piece de resistance, however, is the chapter on Death and what to do if one of your guests dies ("Quickly, while you still can, shape and level the deceased's hand to hold a serving tray and begin setting out hors d'oeuvres..."

This book is written in a bitingly satirical style, and is graced by various straight-faced photos of "Martha" taking the necessary actions, such as preparing a tasteful lined coffin or cheerfully roping a date. And the cover is just a delight! As is this book!

(If you are a die-hard fan of Martha, however, do not read this book. Ever. You will explode)

Martha Stuart's Better Than You at Entertaining is a fabulous gift for virtualy anyone in your life. It holds hours of enjoyment & makes for a wonderful surprise for your house guests if you leave a copy of it on your coffee table next to a few real Marths Magazines. The woman from comedy central who is in the book is great & does a really dead ringer impersonation of Martha. I have tried to find this book in the past at other book stores but have been unable to find it. But it sure is a steal at the current list price!

Edna Stabler is one of the best cooks, and writers, I've ever encountered. Her very readable cookbooks are packed with solid information and mouth-watering recipes and I've had rave reviews on everything I've tried. I can't recommend this book highly enough, and if the first column, Food That Really Schmecks, can be bought or bagged or stolen or otherwise annexed into your cookbook collection you'll be ready for anything.

This was one of my first cookbooks in the 70's. I recently reached for it, and found that it was missing - I was delighted that it was still available after all these years. Although there are no pictures, the recipes are easy, use staple ingredients and are fun to read. Lots of comfort food. I own close to 200 cookbooks, and this is one of my all time favorites.

It's great to see that this book has been reissued, as the original has been out of print and copies difficult to find. Like Food that Really Schmecks, More Food that Really Schmecks is a great cookbook filled with many Mennonite inspired recipies that Edna Staebler has gathered from her friends and family, and is complimented by numerous anecdotes about the Waterloo region (and more) of which she is a native. I am not a big cook, but I really enjoy this book, and am greatful that Edna Staebler has done so much to preserve some of Canada's German cooking heritage.

The recipes in More Food that Really Schmecks are interesting, easy, use ingredients that many of us have on hand and above all, yield food that everyone loves. This is one of my "desert island" cookbooks. Among the 400+ in my collection, this is one of the top five! (Likewise Food that Schmecks, the first in the series.) I also love the little stories about Edna's mother and friends. There is a strong influence from old order Mennonites (similar to the Amish in the US.)

I remember my librairian reading this and the other west wind books at my elementary school library around 1971-73. Even though we were the children of the Flintstones, Fat Albert, Sesame Street, and the Electric Company, we had a great love for these gentle and moving stories. In particular, my favorite of the west wind tales appear in this book, "The Most beautiful Thing In the World." This was where the animals gathered in a rush to see "the most beautiful thing in the world" which was in a nearby field. What was it? Read this book and you'll see.

My dad read all of Thornton W. Burgess books to me as a child and now I read them to my daughter she loves them and I still love them myself. You cant go wrong reading any of his work. Wish there were more books like this today.

After 40 year, I just reread the series. By todays standards, the books are a little old fashioned, but manners & obedience never go out of style. Besides, kids learn alot about how different wild animals live.

My dad read all of Thornton W. Burgess books to me as a child and now I read them to my daughter she loves them and I still love them myself. You cant go wrong reading any of his work. Wish there were more books like this today.

This is a must read book for anyone who is the least bit interested in how the Internet and shows like Jon Stewart's and Stephen Colbert are changing the political landscape.

The book also reminded me of a PBS special with the men and women from the old Your Show Of Shows (Mel Brooks included) from the early 50's where Mr. Brooks make the astute observation that when TV was new the only people who could afford the sets, were by and larger better educated and thus better paid. And because of this the viewer wanted shows that were mature thinking, and whose humor was the type that left something to the viewers imagination. Yet, as more and more people could afford a television set, things changed, and humor had to be more direct and less cerebral.

This is why shows like those Jon Stewart (The Daily Report) and The Colbert Report, remind me of early television and a more discerning viewer. I also read The Onion, and I did listen on occasion to Air America, but as the author notes, it became a tad tiring and less thought provoking because its seemed to want to mimic someone like Rush Limbaugh. I do agree with the author who touches upon the concern that progressive media be it television, radio or print, needs to also appeal to the blue colour listener.

It saddens me that so many progressives still see blue colour as being less educated and lower paid. But that's just my view. I consider myself blue color since I live in a rural area, live in less than someone in suburbia, and dropped out of college. Yet, being blue color doesn't mean I don't like political humor that is thought provoking, or isn't issue oriented.


I also like the book because it makes the reader see that television shows like Stewart's and Colberts, also allow humor that some people avoid, which does indeed make a person think! And the author is also VERY fair when it comes to critical observations of people like Michael Moore.

Mass media has always played a pivotal role in the transformation of the American political scene, whether it was in the form of FDR's fireside radio chats or JFK's natural charisma trouncing Nixon with his five-o'clock shadow in their televised debates. Theodore Hamm, founding editor of the NY-based arts and political monthly, the Brooklyn Rail, takes a sharp and concise look at the latest trends in media where satirical cable programs, vituperative documentaries and the all-encompassing blogosphere have become the prevalent media forms seizing the attention of Americans away from the more traditional news sources. In a scant 208 pages, the author paints a fresh picture of the new millennium as we witness a revitalized progressive movement unapologetically responding to the mainstream network conglomerates intent on endorsing the Bush administration's worldview.

As Hamm appropriately describes the alternative media as blue, there is no doubt there is a liberal bias to much of the coverage. One can read about it in the tweaking satire of the Onion or watch on TV the serpent's tooth wit of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report. Even more instantaneous news coverage can be found on highly trafficked sites like MoveOn and the Daily Kos. On the big screen, Michael Moore has been enjoying commercial success with Fahrenheit 9/11 and Sicko, both polarizing documentaries exposing the moral ambiguity of the Washington politicos. What Hamm does so well in his book is coalesce these various outlets into a cohesive chronicle of the new progressive media starting with the individuals who managed to combine irreverent humor with shrewdly pointed observations - Moore, Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Bill Maher, Markos Moulitsas, Joan Blades and Wes Boyd of MoveOn. Most have become household names thanks to their innovative approaches, and Hamm makes their stories smart, entertaining reading.

Theodore Hamm has a keen, concise take on contemporary media. With wit and absolute clarity he brings alive the intricacies of bringing politics alive. A must for media analysis: professional or academic.

This is definitely an entertaining and informative book about the rise of the new liberal media. The author's sympathies lie with Michael Moore, MoveOn and the liberal blogs, but he doesn't hesitate to disagree with these groups--especially when they seem to be too close to the Democratic leadership. At the same time, he shows how the New Blue Media have shaken up the party. His accounts of the Dean campaign, first for president and then for the chair of Democratic National Committee, as well as the Ned Lamont campaign and the George Allen "Macaca" incident, are all very lively.

The author is less critical of The Onion, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, but he nevertheless shows how valuable their voices are. They are asking the critical questions about the war in Iraq and many other issues that the mainstream media ignore. The writing is sharp and the author often shows biting wit, as when he writes that "the Bush Administration's response to Hurricane Katrina was--naturally--disastrous" (p. 19). The author has little sympathy for anybody who supported the Iraq War, which means that fans of Bush and the Clintons won't like the book. Those coming of age in the era of Obama and Stephen Colbert will.

A style all his own, with linguistic skills targeting your funny bone. He finds humor everywhere and shares it with you masterfully. Build your vocabulary and increase your insight into others while laughing so hard you make people wonder what you are reading.

Wit is often not associated with the academe. Therefore it is a suprise to see such wit in Stephen Leacock. As a professor of Economics at McGill University in the mid 20th century, Leacock was counted among Canada's greatest humorists.
In the Nonsense Novels, Leacocks unleashes parodies of most literary genres: The Great Detective, the first tale, satirizes Arthur Conan Doyle's Scandal in Bohemia.
There are tales of capers involving gullible women, a desert island landing with an alternate ending, analysis of societal conditions, and some stories that are plain nonsense.
A Hero in Homespun and the Man in Asbetoes are two worth reading; the latter being a farcical exposition on the future of capitalism and scientific advancement - very scary, if it were not so funny.

I was introduced to Leacock while browsing gutenberg.org, and have not been disappointed.
If you feel overwhelmed by the importance attached to triviality today, then you might do well to pick up and read the Nonsense Novels.

Where do I begin to describe the absolutely astonishing quality of Leacock's work? I first heard of Stephen Leacock when reading a book about the Marx brothers. It seems Groucho was on a train, and happened to pass the room of Jack Benny (who was traveling with them, working on the same vaudeville circuit. Groucho heard Benny screaming with laughter, and popped his head into Benny's room to see what the commotion was. Benny told Groucho that it was a book by Leacock, whom Groucho admitted to not knowing. Benny told Groucho, "It's the funniest stuff I've ever read!" Groucho later bought a copy of the book, loved it as much as Benny, and said that he always looked for anything written by Stephen Leacock.

Okay, but what about his stories? Leacock's stock in trade was the parody of classic literature - stories about humble girls of (unknowingly) noble ancestry, who are engaged to work as servants for title lords, only to fall in love with the son of the mansion are turned into hysterically funny romps, where the lies not in the intentionally funny line, but in carefully crafted twists of standard sentence construction.

A sample, from the above-described story, called "Gertrude the Governess; or Simply Seventeen":

"Young Ronald said nothing; he flung himself from the house, flung himself upon his horse, and rode madly off in all directions."

Leacock treats the classic tale of knighthood (handsome, strong knight declares his love for the gentle maiden of the castle, and she loves him too, though they've never met) to similarly wicked entanglement of story and prose.

"Sorrows of a Super Soul" tells the classic Russian tale of an unrequited love, while "Carolyn's Christmas" the story of the old farmer, his family away (one son in the city, another in prison), his farm mortgaged, and a strange girl happening upon the family on Christmas Eve, with a baby, but no wedding ring. Both of these, and all other stories in this slim book, will have you laughing until you cry.

Buy a copy, get hooked. If Groucho and Jack Benny thought this was the best humor ever, how can it not satisfy you too?

Leacock is one of a handful of literary parodists and humorists (Perelman, Benchley, Twain) whose parodies, though more or less a century old, are still laugh-out-loud funny. If you're a Sherlock Holmes fan, Leacock's "Maddened by Mystery: or, The Defective Detective" will make you chortle. If you appreciate romance novels, "Gertrude The Governess" will still tickle. Canadian Leacock was a master humorist with a light touch, and an unerring deflator of cliche and presumption. This collection of short pieces will still entertain the sophisticated fan of written humor, and should be in every collection.

*Note: The full text of this book is available online.

The Mountain and the Valley ranks among the top five of my favorite works of literature. I first read this book 20 years ago and it's impact has yet to be paralelled by any other novel.

Ernest Buckler has captured a true reflection of the Canadian experience and spirit in The Mountain and the Valley. It is one of the most moving and compelling stories I've read, profound in its simplicity. A whole university course could be taught on its imagery alone.

Buckler's book is tops. The story follows the life of an unpublished writer who must sacrifice his dreams to run the family farm. The prose reads like poetry, the images are breathtaking. It is so beautifully written it made me want to weep. In fact, I had to stop reading the novel for awhile and move to another book, then resume reading it about a week later. The novel is so dense, it reminded me of visiting catherals in Europe or gallery after gallery of museum masterpieces -- the senses can only absorb so much, before you are in overload and need a break. Perhaps that's why the author's body of work is sparse.
I am going to recommend this great read to friends. Although there is not much action, the emotions and thoughts of the characters are true and timeless. I must confess I did shed a tear or two at the end. Like a lot of great literature, The Mountain and The Valley is sad.

The Mountain and the Valley started out as a PERFECT look at growing up in a rural landscape. Buckler, through his careful choosing of his language, created an atmosphere of perfect beauty. The story is about one who is born with the soul of an artist, and Buckler transforms the novel into art to fit with that theme. I did say that it started out this way. Partway through the book, art begins to become at odds with the ruggedness of the rural landscape. This conflict begins to transform the beautiful book into something truely haunting and sometimes almost scary. Was the book ruined by this sudden shift? There will be mixed feelings about it. On one hand, the beauty of the perfection was ruined by it. But this is a real life book, not fantasy. On the other hand, there had to be pain. For artistic vision cannot go left unattained, even when living in an environment where it is not supposed to exist. Either way you take the shift of the books tone, it will leave you with a feeling that you have read a story that needed to be told so that you do not make the same mistake.