Stewart Books

'Don't lean out of the Window' and 'Don't mention the war'chronicle the travelling experiences of three barely post-pubescentyoung men as the tour Europe aboard train, truck, tram and ship. Being lost in war-torn Serbia seems a hilarious way to spend your summer holidays thanks to Bassett and Ferris. All manner of shenanigins in Holland; including a few young ladies to please you menfolk. Brits have to love the shameless Franco-bashing, or should I say, hilarious observations of our European neighbours. Excellent.

This book is funny as the War books by Spike Milligan. It gives a witty account of the ups and downs of inter-rail travelling along with the added bonus of meeting all those gorgeous 'Dutchies' along the way. Starting at home and travelling down to the South of France on to Venice, almost being shot by a 'fascist' policemen, up to Austria, Germany and Switzerland then to Scandinavia and then back to Venice, only to get arrested. Finally up to the Netherlands to meet up with holiday lovers.

A delightful read from start to finish and has convinced me to go busking round Europe next summer. Anyone who can tell me how to achieve such a trip, I would love to hear from you!!!!

This book is seriously funnier than Bill Bryson, the antics that these guys get up to round Europe ! Any young person considering coming to Europe should read this, and as it was so good, I had to read their next book "Don't Mention the War!" - for the complete European travel experience you can't go wrong with these.

R.J. Stewart has written an incredible book introducing us to the Fairy Kingdom Tradition. This is a tradition that was readily accepted and believed in until the turn of the century. Now much of the planet has lost this connection. He explores what the fairy kingdom is, who fairies are, and why its important for the survival of humans and the planet to re-establish this connection. It is a very real place with real beings. There are a lot of wonderful exercises/ journeys in the book to help take you there (similar to shamanic journeys). The sequal to this book is the Power Within the Land. I use a lot of his work and journeys with the groups that I take to sacred sites in England, Scotland and Ireland.

Stewart opens the way for many people searching to make contact with the OtherWorld. A lovely book and guide -- I have found his work to be invaluable to our community and would like to personally thank him for being in service to the Faery so faithfully. All his books appear on my recommended reading lists! A must have!

Scotsman Stewart presents techniques of transformation from the Celtic faery tradition.He shows how you can regenerate Mother Earth by entering the Underworld and contacting otherworld beings(faeries).At the core of this book are visualization exercises (inner journeys): the Dark Goddess; the Tree Below; the Four Cities; and the Weaver Goddess.These are effective visualizations because they are placed firmly in the age-old Celtic traditions.This book helps you get in touch with the land and the deeper levels of you own being.Stewart is an authoritative writer on the esoteric, and on genuine Celtic traditions.

This is a true story, and an amazing one. The "Ern Malley affair" was a famous literary hoax in 1940s Australia - without doubt, the greatest literary hoax of all time. It began when Max Harris, young editor of the Adelaide-based avant-garde magazine Angry Penguins, received a package from a certain Ethel Malley, containing the surrealistic poems of her brother Ern, a Melbourne garage mechanic, who had died recently at the age of twenty-five. Did Harris think they were any good? Did he ever! Harris at once pronounced Malley a genius, and a lavish special commemorative issue of Angry Penguins was devoted to Ern's poems. Then the truth came out. There was no Ern, and no Ethel either - Ern's "works of genius" had been cobbled together in an afternoon by two traditionalist poets, James McAuley and Harold Stewart, in an attempt to discredit the avant-garde.

Up to a point, they did: Max Harris was certainly never the same again, especially after the South Australian authorities decided that the Malley poems were obscene and dragged the young publisher through a public trial. The one-time enfant terrible of the University of Adelaide ended his days not as the great novelist, poet, or even literary editor he had imagined he would be, but as a canting, boorish newspaper columnist, churning out opinion pieces for Rupert Murdoch. (He also, in fairness, ran a chain of bookshops that weren't half bad in those pre-Amazon days; Max, with his cane and floppy hat, used to trawl the world - London! New York! the dealers all knew Max - for remainders, often good ones, which he used to ship back to Australia to pile 'em high and sell 'em cheap, as you do. I still think about Max from time to time: I never met him, never even came close, but he came from the same town I did, and as a child I used to hear his name again and again. He was a legend.)

Meanwhile, hoaxer-in-chief James McAuley, following his youthful jape, became the sort of arch-right winger who would nowadays be a cheerleader for Bush-loving Australian Prime Minister John Howard, and started a horrible fascist (sorry, "conservative") magazine called Quadrant; Stewart, ever the more interesting of the two, eventually moved to Japan where he got into Zen, big-time, and made rather cool collages; interviewed in later years, he never wanted to talk about the Malley business, and said that his old life in Australia all seemed like a dream. (Hell, so does mine.) I rather like the sound of Stewart.

But the story of Ern Malley was far from over. If Ern's fame as a great poet had been brief, his fame as a hoax just kept on growing, and has not abated to this day. The Malley poems confront us with crucial literary questions. With Malley, we are by no means a world away from "exquisite corpse" poems, from The Waste Land (that great modernist echo chamber of allusions), from the cut-ups and fold-ins of Brion Gysin and William Burroughs, from the whole panoply of surrealist techniques. When David Bowie glues together random strips of words to write his lyrics ("Serious moonlight, indeed!" as a friend of mine once exclaimed), he is very much in the tradition of "Ern." Are these techniques all to be condemned? And how much, in the end, does authorial intention matter, as opposed to the words on the page? There are lines in Malley that are better (more haunting, more simply memorable) than almost anything in "real" Australian poetry: "Rise from the wrist, o kestrel / Mind, to a clear expanse"; "My blood becomes a Damaged Man / Most like your Albion" (from a poem addressed to William Blake); "Princess, you lived in Princess St., / Where the urchins pick their nose in the sun / With the left hand"; "I have split the infinitive. Beyond is anything." Are the Malley poems really rubbish - or did the compilers of this hasty oeuvre, in mimicking surrealist techniques, inadvertently liberate a deeper world of meaning? In any case, Ern took on a life of his own, and soon became a cult figure, the missing genius of Oz lit. The artist Sidney Nolan painted his portrait.

I've often thought that the Malley affair is a classic Australian movie just waiting to be made. Recently, the story has formed the basis of Peter Carey's very much fictionalised account, My Life as a Fake (2002); but that is an ill-focused, slackly imagined book, far less compelling than the simple truth about the Malley affair. Heyward's book is the one to read, not least because it also includes the full text of Ern's legendary manuscript. Almost sixty years later, the enigma remains. As Ern put it, "I am still / The black swan of trespass on alien waters."

A brilliantly researched and wittily written chronicle of a great literary hoax. In the nineteen forties Australia's avant-garde arts magazine ANGRY PENGUINS received a package of poems from a woman calling herself Ethel Malley, purportedly the work of her recently deceased brother Ern. The magazine's editor was so overwhelmed with the poems that he published the entire oeuvre in a special edition of the magazine. Then word began to get about that neither Ethel nor Ern Malley actually existed, and that the poems were a hoax. The hunt for the culprits was on. The is a great read: a literary detective story, an intriguing picture of the cultural landscape of postwar Australia, and a book which confronts the reader with crucial questions about the elusive nature of aesthetic judgement.

The Ern Malley affair is still something of an embarrassment to literate Australians. Ern Malley was the creation of two poets, James McAuley and Harold Stewart, who wanted to show up what they regarded as the insufferable pretensions of an Australian literary magazine called Angry Penguins. They concocted the fictitious Ern, gave him an irresistibly romantic biography, wrote a dozen supposedly awful poems under his name, and sent off the result. To their glee, the editor Max Harris swallowed the bait and published a special issue in Ern's memory. Then the facts came out, and avant-gardists all over Australia were made to look stupid.

That would be it, except for the bewildering irony that the Ern Malley poems aren't nearly as bad and incoherent as their authors suggested. Well, not all the time. (Heyward helpfully reprints them as an appendix so you can judge for yourself.) They oscillate in the strangest way between genius and gibberish; I have one highly-educated Aussie friend who thinks that they're the most genuinely avant-garde poetry Australia has ever produced, and Heyward is inclined to agree. The Angry Penguin crowd claimed as much, saying that the authors had surpassed themselves in their attempt to turn off conscious control over their own work. They certainly contain some haunting, extraordinary lines ("I am still / The black swan of trespass on alien waters", "I have split the infinitive. Beyond is anything.") The fact that these lines were never meant seriously by their authors raises important questions about the usefulness of discussing intention in matters of literary criticism.

Heyward's story is lucidly and wittily told. There are no clear-cut villains and heroes. Max Harris comes across as appealingly open-minded and imaginative, as well as gullible. The hoaxers weren't cynical hacks but talented and serious poets in their own right. Amongst those taken in by Ern was Australia's greatest modern painter, Sidney Nolan, who (perhaps rightly) said that it didn't matter whether the poems were "authentic" or not, so long as they worked on some level.

A remarkable book, not only in its picture of mid-century Australian cultural history but also in the tricky questions it asks about sense vs. nonsense in art and the motives behind cultural battles.

I was one of those people who never voted and never had an opinion on anything political. But after reading PET's views and thoughts about Canada and her people, I can say I am a Liberal. This book helped me come to a more complete vision on what a Canadian should strive to be. I was looking for a guide to help me understand Canada, and without Trudeau I would still be in the dark. In a world where there is no left or right and everyone just flip flops around the middle, this book stands up for what being a Liberal is about. The book doesn’t dictate, it just cuts out the BS and leaves you with something to think about. You will get slapped in the face with the honest and straight to the point style of the book.

Trudeauites search no more! In this small book, you'll find all of Trudeaus quotes and thoughts, culled from thousands of pages of materials. They are grouped by relevant section (Quebec sovereignty, etc) and the quotes used make great conversation starters. Love Trudeau or hate him, this book gives both sides plenty of ammo.

"The Essential Trudeau" is a well crafted novel that manages to amalgamate all of Trudeau's views on politics into one pocketbook sized novel. What made it very interesting was its ability to seize the reader with it simplicity. Unlike most other political books, this one manages to use language that can be understood by the youngest of Trudeauites. Pierre Trudeau himself contributes to the novel by adding new information on his views and justification for past political decisions while he was in office. This is a very brave book that looks at the views of a man considered to be Canada's most influential Prime Minister. An entire range of topics are covered in this book, including "The state of Quebec nationalism" and "The Role of the state". I highly recomend this novel, as it presents the views of a man who will go down in history as a true liberal.

Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell's HUGO PEPPER comes from the author of the Edge Chronicles but provides a different adventure in a set of 'far flung' travels of one Hugo Pepper. Magic and adventure blend for advanced elementary to middle school readers, powered by black and white drawings throughout and providing a swift action-packed story based on a flying sled time machine. Young fantasy readers will relish the action.

Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell first came to attention with their intriguing series, the Edge Chronicles. These books conformed to a recent trend in children's books of having well made hardcover editions sized for young readers' hands filled with Mr. Riddell's brilliant illustrations. I have been reading this series to my two sons, age 7 and 8. The difficulty is that as attractive as these books are, the Edge Chronicles are not really appropriate for younger readers. There is some complex psychology of guilt and blame, some very gory descriptions and deaths, and some quite scary moments. I have had to edit as I read aloud, and even skip a few paragraphs.

This is to put into context what a joy the Far Flung Adventures series is. You get the same clever plot, whimsical inventions, incredibly beautiful illustrations and striking characters we have come to expect from this creative team. However, it is all very much accessible to kids under age 12. There may be danger or the threat of violence but there is no imagery or description that would give a parent pause. The protagonists in all the books are younger than the Edge books, making it easy for kids to identify with the heros/heroines.

My boys have loved Fergus Crane and Corby Flood, and were swept away with Hugo Pepper. They love leafing through the book to look at the illustrations, unfolding the gorgeous map and referring back to the earlier books to characters and events referred to in the latest installment. They are captivated by the plot and held breathless by the adventure.

In this book Hugo Pepper comes back to Harbor Heights from the Frozen North on a flying sled, and lands in the middle of a mystery that involves dastardly deeds, conniving characters and perhaps lost pirate treasure.

If your children are fans of Spiderwick or Harry Potter they are in for a real treat! Did I mention I liked it too?

This is the third book in the "Far Flung Adventures" series by the dynamic duo that gave us "The Edge Chronicles". This adventure series is for younger readers from about eight, and each book includes a fold out map cleverly disguised as a dust jacket.

Although each one can be read on its own, you should still read Far-Flung Adventures: Fergus Crane (Far-Flung Adventures) and Far-Flung Adventures: Corby Flood (Far-Flung Adventures), because there are sneaky references to these highly imaginative books in Hugo Pepper.

In a nutshell, young Hugo Pepper is rescued from the perils of the Frozen North by a couple of reindeer herders after his parents become the special of the day for a pack of marauding polar bears. Ten years later, he sets off to find his real home, and lands up in Firefly Square, where he meets a cast of eccentric and magical characters, including land-loving mermaids, tea-blenders, moth-eating dogs, and cloud sheep whose wool is in high demand, to say the least. The villains in this book are exceptional also - a snooping, conniving cat lady and an editor with an axe to grind who controls a work force of snow monsters.

Filled with action, adventure, intrigue and even treasure-hunting, this book is another must-read from Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell.


Amanda Richards, March 31, 2007

Because I am a stay-at-home father, the title, Fatherstyle Advantage, caught my eye. When I discovered one of the authors, Kevin O'Shea, was also a stay-at-home dad, I decided to read the book.

Having a dad who didn't have a clue about how to raise children, I have always felt the role of the father is critical. And that is not to take anything away from moms. I found the book full of good suggestions. It's made me think critically about my fathering skills, and I think improve them.

Men, fortunately, are spending more time with their children. The authors' advice makes that time more meaningful and enjoyable.

Thank you James Windell and Kevin O'Shea for taking the time to share your ideas with others.

I found "The Fathersyle Advantage" to be an informative, insightful, and unique approach to parenting. Based on research, and including anecdotes and examples, O'Shea and Windell have created an easy-to-read and understand prescription for raising confident and caring kids that would benefit the entire family and their quality of life. I believe that mothers, fathers, grandparents and any member of a family will find techniques in this book that can be used to improve their family's quality of life.

"The Fatherstyle Advantage" is an extraordinary treat. First, it is well-written, an easy read, couched in clearly understandable language and sprinkled with just enough humor and anecdote to avoid any risk of it becoming a dry. Second, the skills and tools addressed in the content are solidly grounded in good research and science. Third, the strategies presented are eminently workable. Finally, this book speaks to both fathers and mothers in a way that clearly communicates, "Been there. Done that. Made those mistakes," and lays no guilt trips anywhere. The book does not lift up fathers on the backs of mothers made to feel less than adequate. On the contrary, it marvelously celebrates the gifts fathers bring to parenting and the absolute joy that can come from recognizing and properly positioning those gifts cooperatively in whatever parenting structure exists in each family. Bravo, O'Shea and Windell. Five stars!

There are many Feng Shui books on the market. I own quite a few myself. That is for sure. This one belongs to the better ones. I like it a lot. It helped me to become aware of different spaces I visit and it expanded my understanding of this complex subject. It is useful even if you work only with your home.
I'd recommend it warmly.

Only one thing irritates me: the way they print the W in the figures. Wall looks something like KJal. But hey, it's a minor issue. I can definitely live with it.

Without trying to make the reader an expert at Feng Shui this book clearly explains important principles of good design from placement of doors to colors and placement of art. A fascinating read at a basic level, it does not delving into the complexities of Feng Shui but make the basic ideas easy to understand and apply. The book includes an interesting section on how furniture placement creates effective doorways and passageways in the room and makes the house more inviting or hinders access. The authors examine various applications including residential and office environments. Feng Shui: A Practical Guide for Architects and Designers is easily one of the most approachable and immediately usable books on Feng Shui that I have read and one of the few that I can actually call an enjoyable read.

Feng Shui expert Vincent M. Smith works with architect Barbara Lyons Stewart to produce the first book written for design pros interested in practical applications of Feng Shui. Here are basic principles tailored not for the new age consumer but for the practicing architect who wants to build them and hard-wire them into structures. From learning which designs reduce stress and increase productivity to using feng shui concepts for selecting initial building sites for homes or businesses, FENG SHUI: A PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR ARCHITECTS AND DESIGNERS is not to be missed.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

This is an excellent overview covering a wide range of fiber optic system-related topics. It is particularly useful for the working engineer, because it covers the basic information succinctly and without complex mathematical analyses. End-of-chapter references point the reader to sources of more detailed information. From the basics of optical waveguides, the operation of passive and active devices, and system design considerations - this guide provides an excellent 'first step' on the path to clear understanding.

The best Introduction to fiber optics I have seen so far. A must own for the fiber optic neophyte.

I purchased this book, "Introduction to Fiber Optics" by Crisp and "Understanding Fiber Optics" by Hecht to get up to speed on the technology. I work in finance, and am not an engineer. I found this book to be the most clear of the three, and by far the easiest to understand. This book had better diagrams and used better analogies to explain the technology than did the other two books.

The book was laid out logically, and did a good job of building on knowledge explained in previous chapters. There were one page summaries at the tale of each chapter, which were helpful in allowing you to either skip or skim the text. The glossary at the end of the book was especially useful, as was the end chapter on future trends within the industry. The book was a quick read, and once I had finished it I felt comfortable engaging in a discussion with people much more accomplished in the field than myself.

First Sentence: The gate stood open beneath its ancient stone arch.

Maggie Sinclair has brought a small group of history students from Southern Methodist University to visit Glastonbury Abbey in England. One of the students, Rose, comes across the body of a murdered woman and the group become embroiled in the police investigation. Maggie meets the interesting and intelligent caretaker at Glastonbury who turns out to be much more than he first appears as Thomas London is, in fact, an immortal man who was Thomas Becket. Having let another die in his place, he strives for redemption by bringing together the three elements of the Holy Grail in a battle against Robin Fitzroy, in all his guises, to prevent Armageddon at the turn of the 21st Century.

I started this book when it first came out and just couldn't get into
I didn't feel there was any real character development in the beginning of the story, so it was hard to feel any connection to the characters. But, as opposed to my usual move-on approach, and knowing I had enjoyed other books by Carl, I put it aside to try another time.

That time finally came and am I glad I tried again. I still felt the initial hesitation but kept on reading past my 50-page rule and, by the time Thomas is introduced into the story, I was well and truly hooked.

I loved this book, yet because there is so much going on, there were times I felt a bit overwhelmed by it. It sometimes felt like everything and the kitchen sink. It is fantasy, history, Celtic and Arthurian mythology, liturgy, religion, suspense and romance all in one. While I have a decent knowledge of those aspects, I kept stopping to look things up on the web. I wanted maps, pictures, drawings, and a musical soundtrack. Yet, I became absolutely immersed in the story. It was magical, moving and, due to the character of Maggie, who provided a bit of comic relief to make the book seem more "real," even funny at times.

Although there are strong elements of religion in the story, it is not a religious book supporting or denigrating any religion. It is a book about faith; of good versus evil. It's not an easy book to read, it stayed with me long after I finished it, and is one I'm certain to re-read.

Before I bought this book, I must have picked it up and put it back on the shelf at least on ten different occasions. I normally don't read contemporary fiction, let alone ones with a religious background. However, I'm glad that I gave it a try after all, because it was probably one of the most enjoyable books I've read in a while.

Stewart Carl's strongest point by far is her character creation and development. Thomas Beckett, the sinful saint who let someone else die in his place and has lived with this moral flaw for centuries, is simply fascinating. He is sinner and saint, scholar and warrior, human and angelic ... all in one. The author manages to combine all these traits into what has become one of my favorite fictional characters ever.

Her skills also become apparent in the rest of the cast. A middle-aged university instructor, who is deicated, smart, and witty, but who is also thoroughly disappointed with life and men. A young girl who embodies goodness and purity while still being human and likeable. And so son.

The plot is fascinating as well, a classical good vs. evil story set in modern-day Britain. The author manages to include enough new ideas, interpretations, and twist into this 'old' story that it is a joy to read it all over again. Every page is a pleasure to read, and I could not put the book down until I was done in one night.

Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury did not die a martyr's death in 1170 as the history books proclaim. At the last minute, he decided to escape and an innocent monk named David willingly gave up his life for the cause. As his punishment for his overwhelming pride, Sir Becket was granted eternal life so he could atone for his sins.

In the present, he is living in Temple Manor in Glastonbury guarding one third of the Holy Grail. His path crosses that of Maggie Sinclair and Rose Kildaire who, along with Scotsman Mick Dewar, are the key to finding the stone, the second part of the grail. On the eve of the new millennium these four reluctant warriors are enjoined by the Lady to unite the book to the stone and the cup to ensure another millennium of life for humanity. Trying, to stop them is Robin Fitzroy, a being who long ago allied himself with the dark principalities. If Robin can stop them, the world will enter the End Times.

LUCIFER'S CROWN uses the archetypes from many different cultures, legends, and myth to create an original good vs. evil story line. The characters are what make this plot so unique because all the protagonists are fatally flawed yet reject evil again and again even when they are tempted beyond measure. Hearts will go out to Becket, a man who has lived eight centuries and never loses faith even though he has yet to find his own ease of heart.

Harriet Klausner

This lovely cookbook combines authentic recipes with stunningly beautiful photographs of food and landscapes. Each recipe is accompanied by background information on traditions, history, and the specific place of origin. Many of the recipes are featured in full-page photographs. The combination of color, lighting, and authentic backdrops gives these images an exquisite beauty. Other excellent photographs show the people of Greece involved in traditional tasks such as making cheeses and breads, milking sheep, and harvesting grapes and olives. The recipes are detailed and delicious. The text is infused with the author's experiences growing up in Greece, along with folklore and references to classic writings. This book is a feast for the eyes, palate, and intellect.

This probably the best written and most beautifully designed Greek cookbook that I've come across. The photographs are absolutely stunning and certainly inspire one to want to start cooking - pronto! The recipes seem to come close the fare I fell in love with in the little family-run tavernas of Crete. The author is a food writer for a Greek magazine and has a multitude of worthwhile insights on the nature of Hellenic gastronomy and foodways. I'd say that if you could have only one Greek cookbook (tragic as that would be), this would be it.

This is Greek food distilled to purity...the real thing, the stuff of the centuries. This book probably the best Greek cookbook I own -- and I own dozens of them. The author writes about food for a Greek publication, and really knows her stuff. She went in search of the authentic Greek cuisine of our grandmothers, far from the greasy moussaka and insipid souvlaki of touristy Greece. It's not the Greek food trying to be French or American, not masquerading as something pretentious, using alien ingredients and modern short-cuts. Kremezi's quest for the authentic took her to the back roads, the tiny islands, where the fundamentals of Greek food -- the olive oil, the figs, the wild greens, the fresh fish -- are treated the same way they have been for thousands of years. Each page is a revelation, a journey, a deeply satisfying treasure ---- found. The book is rich in the history, lore, detailed preparation of each component of the meal. Also, it's a large-format, coffee-table book, full of pictures of the authentic Greece the author is seeking and is concentrating on so well--the Greece that was, and in some areas, still is. It is a world of perfect blue skies, white stone houses -- a world apart from the modern, noisy existence the "other" Greece can be.