W Books

If you are reading this review, you may be a newcomer to this children's Christian curriculum.

A brief history: Sonja M. Stewart and Jerome W. Berryman's YOUNG CHILDREN AND WORSHIP is not just another set of Sunday School or Church School materials. It's a paradigm shift in the religious education of children. Religiously,it shifts away from the view that children are "born sinful" towards the view that children are spiritual beings, born with a longing to connect with the heart of Being, longings that they do not have the language to express. Educationally, it shifts away from the view of teacher as adult know-it-all who pours learning in to an empty vessel towards the Montessorian view of children and adults as explorers together.

The educational roots here are with Maria Montessori. Her disciple, Sofia Cavaletti, created the curriculum known as "Catechesis of the Good Shepherd," used in many churches, but especially in Catholic and Anglican or Episcopal congregations. Sofia Cavaletti's disciple, Jerome W. Berryman, an ordained Episcopal priest, has created the curriculum known as "Godly Play," and Berryman, together with Sonja M. Stewart, an ordained Presbyterian minister, have produced the curriculum in this book, YOUNG CHILDREN AND WORSHIP, sometimes called the "Children Worship and Wonder" curriculum. All are rooted in the religious and educational assumptions mentioned above.

If you are a newcomer to all this, I suggest you start by reading YOUNG CHILDREN AND WORSHIP. Read the Bible "presentations," which make up 2/3rds of the book. Read the presentations as you would read a personal, devotional book, one or two or three daily. Notice how, in the course of a year, the lessons present the history of Christian faith and the story of the church. Notice how traditional Biblical language is used, but sparely and with child-appropriate simplicity. Notice how the curriculum spirals back on itself; notice the repeated introduction of Jesus: once there was a man "who said such amazing things and did such wonderful things that people began to follow him." Notice the repeated language introducing the parables: "sometimes parables seem to have lids on them. But when you lift the lid of a parable there is something very precious inside..."

If you think as I do that this curriculum is light years better than anything else out there, then study the teacher's helps also in the text. You may want to seek training or read some of the other works referenced above or go to their websites.

This book includes explaination, 41 stories (lessons), and plans for materials needed of a great worship service children really get into. I have been doing this program for 2 years and my children are incredible. I wish the adults would have this much respect. I highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a successful worship program for their children.

I have worn out my first copy- having used the patterns and lessons for teaching Sunday School. Godly Play is portable and the pieces may often be made from cheap or found materials.Godly Play is useful, not just for children- I have given lessons in nursing homes,to seminary students, and others. Every one takes something different from seeing the presentations. The energy is indeed holy in each instance, where I have done my job correctly- so different from the stuffy old paper curriculum !

Young Children and Worship is an inspiring way to draw young children into the stories of scripture, the stories of God, enabling them to worship, interact with God, and ponder who He is. The form is a simplified version of the traditional order of worship emphasizing quiet, beauty and awe. After the introductory chapters most of the book tells you how to present specific stories. The focus in this book is on basic stories that tie into the church year and traditional worship. I found it very inspiring, whatever your worship tradition.

This is the seminal volume of what became the Godly Play movement.If you haven't yet explored Godly Play, I heartily recommend the method as such, and as set forth in Young Children in Worship. Godly Play allows children to experience Bible stories and other stories that carry faith messages, told with an archetypal spareness that allows each listener to absorb and reflect on the material in his or her own way. A teacher tells the story with the help of tactile materials, then helps children "wonder" about the stories. Children then may move to independent or shared "work" (art or reenactment of the story). The atmosphere is quiet, focused, and meditative. Tactile materials used in storytelling respect children's way of processing information. The method creates a space in which children may link faith-based language with their own perceptions of God, or fulfill deep emotional/spiritual needs. Godly Play is adaptable to different traditions and faiths by choosing among, or amending, the stories. We've found it to be deep and satisfying to all participants, young and old.

Young Children and Worship will tell you everything you need to know to get a Godly Play program going. It includes patterns and specifications for creating storytelling materials as well as information on all aspects of the work and philosophical thought on the Godly play method. Most of the book consists of stories from the Old and New Testament, plus other lessons, such as The Light, or The Church Year, that present concepts of Christian faith. Teacher notes show the use of tactile materials and provide "wondering" questions.

The obvious comparison is to co-author Jerome Berryman's outpouring of independent volumes on Godly Play. Berryman's many independent titles provide a few additional stories and expand on classroom management and facilities provision. He examines the effect of the work on children as well. However, Berryman's independent work may have exceeded its usefulness to practioners. Young Children and Worship is a do-it-yourself work that Berryman now seems to wish we didn't know about, preferring to sell us an endless series of new books and, from the Godly Play website, expensive materials. To be fair, Berryman's refinements and insight have grown as he practices. But decide your priorities before buying additional Godly Play materials. Young Children and Worship may be all you need.

Dr. Wilson is an internist who took time to write this book for women who want to maintain their husband's (and their own!) health in a simple, understandable way.

Topics include diabetes type II, prostate health, cholesterol and cholesterol-lowering drugs, heart conditions and more. The doctor covers supplements like fish oil--so this is not a book that only covers ethical drug treatment. Bravo. The book definitely goes into detail that you might or might not get from your family phsyician, and it does it in the most accessible, easy-to-grasp way.

Dr. Wilson felt so strongly that if women would have a readable guide for health, they could influence the health of their partner in a significant way. I agree. I can't see who wouldn't benefit from having this valuable book to read and refer to.

This book is at the same time immensely readable and yet quite profound. Dr. Wilson does a superb job of taking medical information that to the layman might appear quite complex, and explaining it in very readable and understandable terms. This is quite a gift! She talks TO people, not DOWN to them. I especially appreciated her candor in the chapter on "Regrets and Longings". By allowing her readers to feel her own pain at being horribly and unjustly accused of a professional error in judgement, she validated the pain of everyone who might find themselves in a very difficult position that took them totally unaware. This is a great gift she gives to her readers. She comes across as human yet totally professional.

Many books on health either try to cover too much or simply focus in one small disease area. Of these two choices, I prefer those that look at one small area and cover it well. It had never occurred to me that a health book could also focus on the common health issues of one sex or the other, of a certain age. Your Husband's Health was a pleasant surprise in this regard.

Dr. Wilson is an internal medicine physician, and combines her experience with the statistics about what is mostly likely to go wrong with a middle-aged man. I found the book to be an eye-opener for me, and benefited from understanding more about how excess carbohydrates can cause my triglycerides to increase (along with my waistline).

The book begins with psychological issues, an area often not spoken of very much concerning middle-aged men. Dr. Wilson sympathizes by describing her own experience with being hauled into a lawsuit that didn't really reflect her culpability. The book goes on to cover depression and alcoholism.

The man sources of physical problems that cause early deaths are covered in the forms of:

Too little High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) in the blood (HDL helps remove cholesterol from artery walls);

Heart Disease;

Cholesterol in the body;

Hypertension (high blood pressure);

Cancer.

In a final section, Dr. Wilson looks at other nagging concerns including being overweight, diabetes, erectile dysfunction, urologic problems, sleep disorders, getting men to go in for a check-up, and being aware that men don't want erectile dysfunction as a side effect of a medication or medical treatment.

Dr. Wilson keeps it simple. If you can read at an 11th grade level, you will understand just about everything.

I did find her ideas about exercise to be unrealistic. She is able to discipline herself to do an hour of exercise a day before going to work. Good for her! But she feels that middle-aged men can be encouraged to do that also. I'm skeptical. Even when I'm feeling like exercising a lot, I seldom exercise every day. Many of my workouts last less than an hour, unless I find something I really want to read or watch on television while I am on the treadmill. Also, with age and arthritis (not to mention being overweight), exercise is an increasing challenge. I also thought that her ideas on weight loss are also a little optimistic. I graded the book down by one star for these reasons. In terms of making it clear what the issues are though, this is a five-star book.

As I finished the book, I found myself reformulating my diet to add even more vegetables and low-glycemic fruits . . . and low-fat protein.

I am 53 and read Your Husband's Health out of curiosity about my own
health. I seldom go to the doctor so most of this was new and
interesting information. I particularly liked the section entitled
Regrets and Longings. I wish my wife had read that ten years ago. The
book is well written, concise and kept my attention. There are some
wonderful stories and humor interspersed with the medical information.
I highly reccomend this to midlife men and their wives as a good place
to start understanding their own health and preserving that health for
later in life.

Your Husband's Health: Simplify Your Worry List came out at a critical time for my husband and me. His best freind, Tom, and his wife were on vacation last month. Tom went swimming in the ocean, became very short of breath, and keeled over dead. It was a terrible shock to all of us, and has made us understand our own mortality.
I countered the fear for my own husband by studying the pertinent advice in this well written book. It now seems relevant what the doctor has been saying about cholestoral and blood pressure. I understand my husband's emotional changes and growth at mid-age much better.
Although the sections on deadly physical problems helped me through the crisis of Tom's sudden death, I probably benefitted most from "Regrets and Longings" because i better understand what I can do to keep our marriage happy and fulfilling for the both of us.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who cares about a man in the mid-life age range, it may help you save his life.

A well written and illustrated book full of interesting thoughts about the evolution of brains leading up to our own.

The level of writing is about that of a review paper. Although Allman covers a lot of subjects, from genetics, developmental biology, palaeontology to primate vision, all concepts are well explained and illustrated and the book makes good reading for a research biologist as well as for an interested layman.

Allman started his career as an anthropologist, which gives him a different perspective than the average neuroscientist's. He not only describes the workings of the nervous systems and behaviors of different animals, but puts them into perspective with their evolutionary roots and their ecological niche. All these insights are not hand-waving speculation, but well supported by comparative studies.

Another strong point of this book is how Allman guides the reader trough the evolutionary lineage leading from amphibians to reptiles, mammal like reptiles, mammals, primates to ourselves. At every branch point he points out the critical innovations, the evolutionary pressures that most likely lead to these innovations and the trade offs made. A key question he addresses is, "why isn't every animal equipped with a big brain?". It is our own experience, both phylogenetically as well as everyday life, that a big brain, and the resulting high level of intelligence, is an advantage. Allman points out the high cost of rearing big-brained young and of maintaining such an energetically expensive organ.

If you are interested in how animals use their brains to deal with ever-changing environments and why our brain evolved to be so much more powerful than any other species', then this book is for you.

This book proceeds from molecules in bacteria with brain-like functions all the way to the very complex brains of primates. It explains the history of how the brains evolved in very understandable terms using pictures and graphs. It shows how various innovations in the nervous system created both new possibilities that could be explored by future animals as well as cutting other possibilities off. It talks about how having a complex brain is related to worm-bloodedness. In short, read and find out.

This is a sweeping examination of evolution's path leading to that mass of gray matter behind your brows. Allman has synthesized a wealth of research in producing this study. He explains in a clear, interesting style how natural selection has spent the last 500 million years tinkering with life to build complex systems from simpler ones. He is a forceful writer, supplementing a fine text with superb illustrative material to build his narrative. It's a refreshing view of natural selection's power of innovation.

Allman draws on the detailed research undertaken in recent years that has mapped the brain and detailed its operations. Like all life, beginnings were simple, but small variations among organisms had the potential for important roles. Deep in the Precambrian, floating cells developed appendages leading to hair-like structures we call "cilia". The cilia adopted dual roles: sensing the environment and responding to it. Allman explains how gene duplication led to opportunities for experiments. This process demonstrates how we can track many of steps leading to today's life forms. The original genes are usually still resident, with enhancements providing new functions added over the passing generations.

The author's explanation of the workings of chemistry in brain functions is worth close attention. Behaviour is the result of brain activity, but the interactions of various parts and functions of the brain elude simple analysis. One example is the brain chemical [neurotransmitter] serotonin which is found throughout the brain. It's impact gives monkeys their social structure while adding to the risk of suicide in humans. Neurochemistry alone doesn't explain the expansion of the human brain, nor does the author stop there. He goes on to show how bipedalism, diet, language and social behaviour all working in self-reinforcing feedback loops led to the gob of tissue that takes a fifth of our body resources to keep working. Even global climate changes played a role, coming at a time when our species was just prepared to contend with them.

The number and impact of revelations in this book are almost beyond counting. The "urban myth" that women live longer than men because of improved health practices has been disproved both by history and anthropology. A study reaching back into the 18th Century demonstrates that women have outlived men at least that long ago. Among the great apes, chimpanzee females also outlive their mates. Orangutans and gorillas have nearly parallel life spans between genders. There are also studies showing how caring fathers have extended life spans. His analysis of the development of colour vision is another novel thesis. Colour perception arose only 40 million years ago, after the demise of the dinosaurs. This raises again, the question of whether the emergence of flowering plants, which were toxic to those creatures, helped speed their demise.

While this book is not a light read, it's an informative and edifying one. Allman deals with complex topics. Adding to the elaborate range of material involving the brain, behaviour and social issues is the background of the immense time spans required in dealing with these questions in the context of evolution. Given all these constraints, he has met the challenges of the task credibly and lucidly. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

How has the emergence of the super-sized human brain depended on the evolution of a good set of teeth? Why are the stomach and brain closely linked across the brambles of genetic code? This book answers not only those intriguing questions but also many others concerning the emergence of the brain on this planet. Especially fascinating to me was the explanation of the homeobox phenomenon, a process by which very complex mutations can arise in an organism without the mutation risking certain disaster. Being a non-biologist, I found this homeobox material quite fascinating, for it opened my eyes to how evolution could generate incredibly complex features without requiring a hundred trillion years for all the right components to come together all at once. Equally interesting are the many vestiges of our evolutionary past that are still embedded in the way our brains process information. For example, the sectors into which our brains split each of our retinae today for the purpose of signal processing: these are left overs from the days when our ancestors were prey and not predators, back when our ancestors' eyes were mounted to the sides of their heads! In summary, I would like to say that in reading this book, while just sitting in my chair, I felt myself moving up another notch on the evolutionary tree. It gave me a whole new appreciation for the miracle that is the development of brains and conscious life on this planet. A very pleasant read.

This book starts with some basics about the nature of brains, and a comparison of brains. Special mention is made of serotonin, which often "modulates the response elicted by other neurotransmitters." It seems that serotonin tends to reduce risk-taking and fighting. But it also reduces motivation, as well as sensitivity to opportunities for rewards that risk-taking can bring.

Next, there is a more detailed explanation of the different parts of the brain and nervous system as well as the senses of sight and smell. After that, we learn about brains in warm-blooded creatures and primates. And we get into the question of senescene (the risk of dying going up with advanced age rather than staying the same) and what brains have to do with that. As well as more about sight, and how our brains allow us to be so aware of patterns and motion.

There are all sorts of fascinating tidbits to be found. When babies cry out for their mothers, do they do so in a high-pitched voice? Well, in some mammals, they do so at such high frequencies that while their mothers can hear them (and find them), predators find these sounds to be ultrasonic, and thus do not notice. There is also a complex attempt to explain why primates tend to have specific alarm cries for aerial versus ground predators. I find this phenomenon totally unsurprising: sentries make an entire group safer, and since all group members are potential sentries, everyone benefits including the sentries. It's easy to imagine how such cries might have evolved, even though the individuals crying out might well call attention to themselves.

We humans have very large ratios of brain weight to body weight. And perhaps the most interesting part of the book deals with the evolutionary tradeoffs involved with bigger brains. By the way, the part of the body that is most sacrificed in humans to get the excess brain weight is the gut. The liver is also a little smaller than for a smaller-brained mammal.

At the end of the book, we get into the interesting question of why Women live longer than Men. Women definitely do tend to live longer, and often have the unhappy experiences of outliving not only their husbands, but even one or more sons. But why? There are, of course, some flippant answers (not discussed in this book, of course). Men are genetically inhibited from asking for directions, and as a result get lost, wander around, and die. Men are married to Women (actually, I think married men tend to outlive unmarried ones). Men tend not to wear panty hose, a marvelous invention that protects the legs against swelling and blood clots. More seriously, I thought a dominant reason might be the fact that Men generally weigh more than Women. Within a species, smaller mammals may tend to live longer. But Allman makes the point that in those mammalian species where males have major role in parenting (such as the owl monkey), the males live longer. And there's an evolutionary reason for this: a species does better if the caretakers of the young live longer. The author discusses a couple of mechanisms for this: Males take more risks, while in females, estrogen enhances the actions of serotonin, reducing risk-taking behavior. Another mechanism could be that females may tend to lose fewer hippocampal neurons, which "are richly supplied with receptors for the corticosteroid hormones, which are produced by the adrenal cortex to mobilize the body's defenses when subjected to stress." If that's true, it could explain the higher incidence of death in Men due to stress-related causes.

I enjoyed this book very much. I learned plenty from it, and I highly recommend it.

'Above Los Angeles', another in Robert Cameron's birds eye views of major cities is, to me, surprisingly superior to his similar volume on his hometown of San Francisco. Since I much prefer SF to LA, I expected LA to be far less photogenic, but it comes of rather well overall. This may be due to the fact that so many of the LA landscapes familiar to us from TV mentions, but unseen for most of us, leaves us facinated to finally see, for example, Venice Beach close-up or the Hollywood Bowl, or Century City.

This is still not quite as good as the similar volume for Chicago ore even less good than the volume on London, or even as good as a competitor's work on Boston, but it is good, nonetheless, if only because it confirms my notion that LA is a sprawl with no center. The 'downtown' pic looks like a non-descript snap of outer Queens and not similar to Manhatten's financial district or midtown, to which it is comparable in function. Even the shorelines look more interesting than the similar scenes from the SF book.

An excellent souvenoir!

This book is a must have for all those who love L.A. natural and urban landscapes, but can't be there all the time to enjoy that. As the city has gigantic proportions, of course that not everything can be covered in the book, but at least what I consider to be the most attractive spots in the area is there. The paper is high-quality and the photographs are crystal-clear and well produced. Worth the money.

I just love these books by Cameron, he is just the most amazing talent. This book really captures L.A. and this is a city that begs to be photographed from the air because of all the wonderful buildings hidden behind huge fences and lush landscape. This is without question one of his best books, it really is a joy to look through. I have the older edition, but have seen the newer book and it only adds a few new pictures of buildings built since the book was first published in the early 90's; such as the Getty. I was expecting more new pictures, since the publisher makes big deal about it being revised, I even thought I might buy it if it was that different, but there are like five new pictures out of about 160 original and like I said before they where not even taken by Cameron. These pictures are well done, but are not by Cameron himself, he is alas over 90 and retired. Either printing is a five star book I assure you. I highly recommend all of his books they are all wonderful in their own way, but this truly is one of his best works.

Los Angeles is a wonderful city so full of interesting things. This book has it all. All the areas are greatly photographed and look clear. LA's smog problem seems to be subsiding as the photos show clear days (most of them) and LA is only getting better. Every part of the city is showned. If you like photos from the air, you'll like this book. Also, the Library tower is shown (this is the first building to get blown up in the movie "Independence Day") in several photos. The older printings of this book didn't have them in it. I highly recommend this book.

Robert Cameron presents a place and its' character in this "above" book (as well as in the other ones). Some people fly over the Los Angeles area, gagging and shaking their heads. Mammoth highways, concrete, smog, track housing, and monster burbs. These qualities do exist. But Cameron's photos also allow you to see the different personalities and idiosyncrasies of the many communities that make up what we call Los Angeles, from the Southbay beaches to the hills. (Where LA begins and ends we're not always sure). The area of Los Angeles (like other places) is different from other major metropolitan American areas for a variety of reasons. For one, most of the topography is flat, and it's a coastal desert paved with transplants with ambition and liking for the sun. These pictures allow the City of Angels to be more intriguing and have more of its' personality exude itself, as the reader gets a closer look at it through these pictures.

Mental pictures.

Yes, there are those who state Los Angeles County is an area with few landmarks. First you've got have a good disposition to this place, and second you've got to get close. Cameron's shots provide plenty of pockets of beauty and character, and plenty of quintessential "LA" landmarks. One must close enough to observe and experience them. "Above Los Angeles" lets us. Photos that highlight the interesting and beautiful icons of this city's architecture and natural character.

Another book for LA-philes and those interested in its' history and growth is: "LA Lost & Found: An Architectural History of Los Angeles (California Architecture and Architects, No 21)." by Sam Hall Kaplan, and Julius Shulman (Photographer).

This is an excellent book, plenty of information and very well written, covering every aspect of a FreeBSD system.

I am a big fan of open source software. I've been a GNU/Linux user for years but I must admit I had never played with BSD before. I bought this book because I wanted to set up a network server at home and I thought it was the perfect occasion to try FreeBSD. I expected one of those thick and boring reference books but, hey! I am very glad I chose "Absolute FreeBSD" because it is the perfect example of how write a clear, informative, nice and accurate technical book. The book is not for the absolute beginner but, in general, it's very easy to read. It should be self-explanatory to anyone with a little experience in networking, UNIX-like systems or, in general, computer science.

The author is a FreeBSD developer himself, so he talks about the inner workings of the FreeBSD community, providing an interesting point of view of the operating system, not only as a regular user but also as one of its "insiders".

The book covers everything a BSD system administrator should know. It covers basic things like how to install the system, how to make backups and recover from data loss, how to configure the network, disk management, etc. It also includes detailed explanations and sysadmin tricks of the usual network services: DNS, SSH, DHCP, FTP, printing server, web Server, mail Server... The author also gets into more advanced topics like, kernel tunning, security, performance analysis and tunning or RAID management. I was particularly interested in using hard disk encryption. I thought getting it was going to be a pain in the neck but the book explains how to do it with 6 simple commands. Nice!

In general the book is well structured. Concepts are explained clearly and with a lot of examples. Some chapters cover so many concepts that my brain couldn't keep up with so much information and I had to take a break for a nice beer ;-) The book is worth it's price: 37 dollars for 700 pages.

Only one advice: Although it has a graphical interface, FreeBSD is normally configured trough the good old command-line. Don't expect this book to tell you how to configure your web server double-clicking on an icon, FreeBSD is not Ubuntu or Win2003. The book may not be suitable for Happy Windows Users, used too the click-next click-next click-next way. This book is for computer geeks, system administrators, people that enjoy using different operating systems, people that need to have a robust system to use as a network server, people that like to tune every detail of their machines, or people that need to learn freeBSD and have no time to google every single configuration detail. For any of those people, I highly recommend this book.

Thank you, Janet!
This is the first time ever using nearlymintcollectibles and I was so pleased with the condition of the video. It was in perfect condition. And, I received it within days of ordering it.

This book is worth every dollar.

Easy to read, you don't need to be already an experienced administrator or user to read this book

'Absolute FreeBSD: The Complete Guide to FreeBSD' is another hit in the No Starch collection of books which have their own unique layout and style of writing associated with the authors publishing with them. With around 700 pages of content you will learn the ins and outs of this Unix-like operating system and see how powerful it is and what it can do for you. If you use FREEBSD on the job or are just a tinkerer that plays with non Windows/Mac systems this will enable you do do administration, learn to programmatically script, and get behind the curtain to do more than you thought possible! If you need a FREEBSD book, No Starch makes learning FUN and it's a great addition to your library!

***** RECOMMENDED

I do not want to get into a discussion as to who was the greater poet - Virgo or Homer. One was Roman and one was Greek. Both wrote with wondrous and beautiful words, but this book by Virgo is a stunner. This lengthy poem in twelve books traces the mighty Roman empire from the end of the Trojan war to the beginnings of the great empire which was led by Julius Caesar. Aeneas was the first of the great Roman rulers. I had read this story many years ago, and as I read it again, I remembered why I enjoyed this Roman story so much. I have always liked the Roman gods and goddesses, and this epic poem was the reason why. In this poem Virgil presents a struggling Aeneas who has to fight and win many battles before he can claim his crown. We also see the mighty gods and goddesses getting involved in human strife while the drama is played out on earth. But it is the descriptive language that is the beautiful thing here. Words like these can truly live forever.

I'm continually impressed by these classics written over two thousand years ago; some of them are astoundingly good. Seutonius' "The Twelve Caesars" or Plato's "The Republic" come to mind. Virgil's masterwork "The Aenied" lies comfortably in this category and is likely just his version of a tale that had been passed down by oration for generations. It's probably the goriest work of that time I've read too: in the battles heads are lopped off, blood jets out of wounds, torsos and groins are skewered by spears, etc.

The basic premise is that Rome was founded by Trojans who'd fled their home city (Troy) while it was being razed and plundered by the victorious Greeks. But it wasn't exactly a quick journey to a new homeland. A few of the gods (Hera in particular) despised the Trojans and did their utmost to prevent these people from reaching Italy. This epic is about the adventures of the Trojan prince Aeneas and his followers as they attempt to achieve their destiny as founders of Rome, which ultimately became the capital of the Roman Empire.

The translation is wonderful, no complaints at all there from a readability standpoint. An exciting adventure that hasn't worn out over time; it's still as fresh as it ever was and deserves its reputation as a classic of all time. The only nitpick I have is that the ending is rather abrupt, without a real sense of closure. I would have liked to know, for example, what happened in Carthage following Aeneas' hasty departure.

I read this book while on the beach in East Africa and was blown away. The beautiful descriptions of temples, castles, people, and their motivations for living and dying were incredible. Particularly, the Carthaginian Queen Dido and her disastrous love for Aeneas made me cringe as she cried in death on the fire. Buy this book---it will resonate within you for years.

Roman society was enamoured of Greek culture -- many of the best 'Roman' things were Greek; the major gods were derivative of the Greek pantheon; philosophy, literature, science, political ideals, architecture -- all this was adopted from the Greeks. It makes sense that, at the point of their ascendancy in the world, they would long for an epic history similar to the Homeric legends; the Iliad and the Odyssey, written some 500 years after the actual events they depict, tell of the heroism of the Greeks in their battle against Troy (Ilium). The Aeneid, written by Vergil 700 years after Homer, at the commission of Augustus (himself in the process of consolidating his authority over Rome), turns the heroic victory of the much-admired Greeks on its head by postulating a survivor from Troy, Aeneas, who undergoes as journey akin to the Odyssey, even further afield.

Vergil constructs Aeneas, a very minor character in the Iliad, as the princely survivor and pilgrim from Troy, on a journey through the Mediterranean in search of a new home. According to Fitzgerald, who wrote a brief postscript to the poem, Vergil created a Homeric hero set in a Homeric age, purposefully following the Iliad and Odyssey as if they were formula, in the way that many a Hollywood director follows the formulaic pattern of past successful films. Vergil did not create the Trojan legend of Roman origins, but his poem solidified the notion in popular and scholarly sentiment.

Vergil sets the seeds for future animosity between Carthage and Rome in the Aeneid, too -- the curse of queen Dido on the descendants of Aeneas of never-ending strife played into then-recent recollections of war in the Roman mind. Books I through VI are much more studied than VII through XII, but the whole of the Aeneid is a spectacular tale.

Books I through VI show Aeneas on the journey, and a failed love affair with Queen Dido. Aeneas is shipwrecked, and Dido (also an outcast from her homeland, setting out to found Carthage) gets Aeneas to tell her his story, in which he recasts the tale of the Trojan War and his own journey in terms that will lead to Rome. Gods and goddesses factor in here - Jupiter (the Roman Zeus) is protecting Aeneas, but Juno (the Roman Hera) favours Carthage, and is the one who caused the storm to shipwreck Aeneas near Dido so that he might be thwarted in his plan to found Rome. There is jealousy and rage because Aeneas eventually has to leave; Dido dies in a dramatic fashion, but not before her soul being given a blessed release by the favoured gods.

The most dramatic part of the story over, the reader settles into other action that, while interesting, is somewhat pale in comparison to the first half.

The Aeneid is a fascinating text, one of the greatest epics of the ancient world; it takes up the task of the Iliad/Odyssey cycle and 'updates', if you will, the story line into the Roman era. Pharr's book helps the reader to work with it in its original language, easily and methodically, with only a minimum of Latin training (one year is probably sufficient) required for engagement.

Vergil died before he could complete the story. He wished it to be burned; fortunately, Augustus had other ideas. Still, there are incomplete lines and thoughts, and occasional conflicts in the storyline that one assumes might have been worked out in the end, had more editing time been available. Despite these, the Aeneid remains a masterpiece.

[This review relates to the wondrous Penguin Classics
edition of THE AENEID, "Tranlated into English Prose with
an Introduction by W.F.Jackson Knight."]

If Virgil could lead the poet Dante through the wasteland
and Inferno at the end of the Middle Ages, perhaps the poet
Virgil, aided by the skill and inspiration of the translator
W.F.Jackson Knight, might perform the same needed function for
us, here at the end of the 20th and the beginning of the 21st
centuries.
W.F.Jackson Knight, in his very interesting and insightful
"Introduction," makes the argument that "the AENEID of Virigl
is a gateway between the pagan and the Christian centuries."
That much, itself, might serve as the basis for some excellent
essays of analysis and interpretation. But Knight has his own
path to tread. So we should let him.
-------------
"In the beginning, Rome had been a tiny settlement
surrounded by enemies -- and it had needed a strong will:
proud,disciplined, and sustained -- to survive at all.
Rome did survive and was led on by successive hard-won
victories to world dominion.
The early history is obscure, but the process seems
to have taken at least five centuries of almost continuous
warfare, and during that period the Romans achieved
unparalleled success, apparently through unique merits
of their own, combined with a special share of divine
favor and good fortune [a nice touch of Pagan sentiment,
there, to counter-balance the perhaps over-emphasis on
the Christian tie at the beginning]. This spectacular rise
of Rome was a matter for wonder and a certain reverence
to the Romans themselves, especially when, in the
later years of the republican period, new chances of peace
and prosperity, AND A NEW ACCESS OF SKEPTICISM threatened
THE OLD HABITS OF LOYALTY, INTEGRITY, and SELF-SACRIFICE"
[capitals are mine].
---------
Knight continues with his excellent "Introduction" and talks
of Publius Vergilius Maro [usually denoted as "Virgil"], the
excellent, visionary poet and artist who created the epic
poem for Roman patriotic pride, values teaching, and national
identity -- THE AENEID.
I especially like Knight's discussion of the influences on
Virgil as he wrote the epic.
--------
"The AENEID is the third, last, and longest of Virgil's
poems. It is a legendary narrative, a story about the
imagined origin of the Roman nation in times long before the
foundation of Rome itself. * * * The AENEID, as any epic should
be, is an exciting story extremely well told and full of
incident; it can be read as a story and nothing more. However,
besides being a story, it is a kind of moving picture --
carrying allusive, and in a sense, symbolic meanings. * * *
In the poem [the gods and goddesses]communicate with mortal men
either directly or through dreams, visions, omens, and the
words of prophets and clairvoyants. Virgil had no doubt that
the affairs of the earthly world are subject to the powers of
another world, a world which is normally, but by no means
always, invisible, but no less real for that....
* * * The great poets have a way of making what is seen
reveal the unseen; and they seem to do this better if they
collect an enormous quantity of observations on life, their
own and other people's, and then condense it under strong
pressure so that even a few words have a great power of
suggestion and persuasion. No doubt they are all the time

choosing with precise accuracy what is most important. The
result is an allusive and partly symbolic kind of language
able to communicate not merely single happenings but the
universal truth behind them.
These greater poets also reach back across past time, and
represent a view of the world which belongs not to one man
or one generation of men but to the men of many succeeding
generations or even a whole civilization. The experience
which is distilled may be the experience of many centuries;
and it may be condensed and focused by a single genius in
a single poetic statement. That is what Virgil did to the
experience of the Greeks and Romans in the AENEID."
["Introduction." W.F. Jackson Knight. AENEID. Penguin
Classics.]
-----------------
In talking of the other literary influences which helped
inspire Virgil and which he distilled into his own poetic
process with the helps of the fires of creative energy
and intuition, Knight mentions (of course) the fact of Homer
and his two major epics, the ILIAD and the ODYSSEY.
He also mentions the influence of Lucretius. But he says:
"Virgil knew his [Lucretius] work well and made free use
of many hundreds of his phrases in the AENEID, and let them
suggest ideas. But since HE VIOLENTLY DISAGREED WITH
THE MATERIALISTIC PHILOSOPHY of LUCRETIUS, he could not
adopt his thought. Indeed, he apparently delighted in turning
it upside down, and expressing something far more like the

idealistic philosophy of PLATO, even when the phrases of
Lucretius were influencing him."
I very much prefer Knight's "prose" English version of the
AENEID over most of the other ones which I have encountered.
His English prose flows like poetry, and is eminently readable
as well as instantly understood. One encounters that famous
opening, translated so well into intuitive, inspired English
prose: "This is a tale of arms and of a man. Fated to be
an exile, he was the first to sail from the land of Troy
and reach Italy, at its Lavinian shore. He met many
tribulations on his way both by land and on the ocean; high
Heaven willed it, for Juno was ruthless and could not forget
her anger. And he had also to endure great suffering in
warfare."
Inspiring and instructive, for Romans, for Dante, and
for us!

It seems so obvious, but Anita Robboy's book, Aftermarriage, makes it clear that a legal divorce really doesn't end the marriage relationship. The concept of "aftermarriage" more accurately describes the long post-divorce relationship as the couple deals with issues around money, children and, later, grandchildren. This book is a must-read for those entering marriage, as well as those contemplating or going through a divorce. Mental health professionals and divorce attorneys, like myself, should recommend it to their clients so they can view divorce as just a first phase of a long, "aftermarriage" relationship.

This is outstanding book for anyone at any stage in their life to read. It helps make sense not only of divorce, but also of marriage. The author helps us understand the continuation of marriage after divorce; and, as a result, the importance of preserving the marriage. The book should be read by everyone, but especially those contemplating marriage. And thanks to the author, everyone can read it. The book is extremely well organized and plain speaking, while illustrating some important, profound issues.

Anita Robboy has taken a topic that can only be described as frought and brought it into focus in the most practical, thoughtful and empathetic manner possible. If every couple who find that they are not able to live together took a page from her book their lives individually, and those of their suffering children (no matter what age) would be vastly improved.

This is not only a wise book, but a compassionate and well written one.

This book is a must read for anyone who is in a serious relationship. Whether you are contemplating marriage or divorce, this book has important information that will affect how you choose to frame your affairs. In a simple easy-to-read style the book explains the legal and personal complications that make ending a marriage an extremely painful experience that doesn't end with the divorce decree. Anita Robboy explains how marriage is a legal commitment that is heavily regulated by the state. If children are involved, the state's involvement becomes even more burdensome. If you are simply contemplating marriage and have resources, you need to carefully examine the financial implications of marriage before you walk down the aisle with visions of a life of bliss.

Drawing on her years of experience as a divorce attorney, Anita Robboy provides the reader with an inside view of the various types of marriages that she has observed and what happens when couples in these marriage decide to divorce. The pain, suffering, and disillusionment that she describes should make couples pause before they decide to sever their marriages. Divorce is a major disruption of most people's lives and has a heavy price. Moreover, when children are involved, one can never wipe the slate clean and post-divorce arrangements are never perfect.

It seems so obvious, but Anita Robboy's book, Aftermarriage, makes it clear that a legal divorce really doesn't end the marriage relationship. The concept of "aftermarriage" more accurately describes the long post-divorce relationship as the couple deals with issues around money, children and, later, grandchildren. This book is a must-read for those entering marriage, as well as those contemplating or going through a divorce. Mental health professionals and divorce attorneys, like myself, should recommend it to their clients so they can view divorce as just a first phase of a long, "aftermarriage" relationship.

Sorry, meant to mark four stars.

I like that it has so much information all in one place, however much of the information in this book can be found on the internet (although with A LOT more work). This book gave me a much appreciated focus to my cancer research.

There are breakthoughs that the book does not cover (for example fungal infection) and it was written when the understanding of prions (the cause of mad cow disease for example)and their role in health risk was only beginning.

Would like to see a more updated version, almost 10 years old, a more recent version could only be better.

With a working diagnosis of advanced ovarian cancer, this book gave me HOPE and DIRECTION. Statistics say: One in two men and one in three women will face cancer. IF POSSIBLE, be prepared in advance to know what course you would take. BUT, if you or a loved one are diagnosed with cancer, have courage! There are MANY choices BESIDES surgery, radiation and chemo. Better choices! This enormous book will educate you.

Don't miss the AMAS test on pages 702-705: an accurate blood test that can detect ANY cancer up to 19 months BEFORE conventional medical tests for cancer can find it! This test gave me GREAT PEACE of MIND as it ruled OUT cancer for me before my surgery to remove a grapefruit-sized endometrioma (NON-malignant). Praise the LORD!

Im a 33 year old young woman, who was diagnosed with advance local breast cancer 5 months ago today (24 May 2001, date of diagnosis). I was fortunate enough to have a close friend in the US who know of this book, due to working with one of the doctors who are published.

This book has become my Bible and has literaly saved my life. Im sitting here tonight in the wee hours of the night to let you know that today I have no turmors and am living cancer free. Five months ago I have 4 tumors all at approx 4cm each, today they are all gone, by the grace of God and his direction led me to this book which in turn gave me the information, the wisdom and guaidence to get through this tragic disease that so many people, possibly thousands world wide die from.

God Bless the all those who contributed to the truth about cancer. I thank you.

"Enza"

A large part of beginning to win the battle with cancer is reasearch and information, so that one can make informed decisions about ones own health care. This book provides a wealth of easy-to-understand information about the options to conventional treatments. Whether or not one chooses to prescribe to any treatment offered in this "encyclopedia" of different modalities, one is almost certain to come away from reading with one of the greatest cancer fighters of all - hope!

This massive (1116 pages) book is published by the editor of the magazine 'Alternative Medicine.' The first section consists of richly detailed accounts of the successful cancer treatment plans of 23 respected alternative physicians from Robert C Atkins to Charles B Simone. Part 2 is a fundamental explanation of the nature, causes, politics and prevention of cancer. I have never read a better 225 pages on the subject. When you come closer to understanding the conditions that precede cancer you are empowered to change those conditions and assume control over your own body. The final section presents alternative therapies one by one from nutrition, botanicals, and metabolic factors to physical and energy support therapies ranging from ozone and thermal (infrared heat) to acupunture and magnetic. In all, a finely-written explanation of a life-and-death topic meant for those who have cancer, their friends and families who refuse to give up and, who knows?, maybe even your doctor! This is a book I run to every time an acquaintance is diagnosed. I learn about the specifics of their condition and the hope that exists beyond the conventional.

When I first received this book, I glanced through and looked and found many of the zoos I have visited in America. I found the Introduction, Going to the Zoo, and Animals to Look for very helpful. I am currently serving as a missionary and living in Liberia, West Africa. Regretfully there are few animals here in the wild and only a couple private zoos - much of this is due to the civil war from '89-'03 - though I keep my eyes open for pygmy hippos and diana monkeys when I am upcountry. I plan to re-visit the Indianapolis Zoo when I return to the US next year. Thanks for a great resource book.

With school out and summer in full swing, America's Best Zoos is a resource for all stages of life. What an excellent resource to add to one's library. Our copy hasn't collected any dust with our desire to vacation and friends wanting to take full advantage of a day at the zoo. We especially like the quick overview at the beginning of each review. Dale and Sandy from Gaithersburg, Maryland

Very comprehensive update of the previous excellent version. Zoos change so rapidly, this update is extremely helpful. Because zoos are always adding new exhibits, my favorite thing about the book is the information about the future plans of the zoos. With this information, my travel plans can account for times that new exhibits will be unveiled. A wonderful book for zoo and travel lovers!!

This really cool book can enhance any trip you make. If you are travelling on business and are tired of sitting in your motel room watching idiot TV shows, this book can point you to a nearby zoo that will provide fun, education, and new experiences. Unlike a chain restaurant, each zoo is different and emphasizes different things. If you are on vacation, a zoo can be a surprisingly affordable family outing. A trip to the zoo doesn't have to be an all day event. You can go for just a couple of hours and focus on the specific exhibits that interest you. This guidebook can help you do that.

As Newt Gingrich points out in the introduction, America's zoos have played a much bigger role in protecting wildlife and conserving species than most people realize. The authors, Allen Nyhuis and Jon Wassner, have visited hundreds of zoos and provide you with valuable information on what to look for at each zoo and what each zoo's specialty is.

This book is organized very well and provides its information in helpful ways. After Newt Gingrich's foreword, the introduction provides information on trends at modern zoos, what to expect when going to the zoo, and how to take in the experience when you have children along (shorter visits, mix up viewing exhibits with rides and shows, for example). There is also a section on unusual and favorite animals and which zoos specialize in them. The next section explains how to use the book and how the zoo reviews are laid out.

The 97 zoos reviewed in this book are grouped into seven areas by geography. Each section intro also includes a map of the region and dots mark where the zoos are. Another 37 zoos are given a paragraph as the "best of the rest" at the end of each section. The primary reviews open practical information such as the address, phone, website, hours of operation, admission prices and associated fees, and directions. The authors also provide a brief list of things you shouldn't miss, what's there especially for kids, some tips from the author (such as which exhibits to see first, where to eat, how to manage your trip to manage the weather, and so forth). They also provide information about special shows or educational offerings the zoo has available.

The reviews discuss the featured exhibits, other exhibits that are popular, more detail on what is available for kids, and what the zoo is busy developing. There are many small black and white pictures spread throughout the book, as well. The appendices are also quite helpful. The first takes 20 categories such as African Animals or Bird Exhibits and lists the top ten zoos in each category with special information about the top 2.

Appendix 2 provides each author's list of their top 25 zoos. There is also a glossary of zoo terms and an index.

This book has the virtue of being excellently organized, wonderfully informative, and fun to read. I know it has achieved its objectives because it makes me want to go and visit these wonderful zoos. Maybe you will enjoy it, too.

Recommended.

Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI

This is a valuable zoo guide for anyone, especially for parents with children. This book is well written with up-to-date information on my own local zoo, the San Antonio Zoo and Aquarium. I like that it has tips for the best times to view animals and lists the best children's zoos. There is even a section that lists the best places to view lesser-known animals and favorites as well. Another thing I like is that zoos that are part of the reciprocity program are noted by their fees. Since we have a zoo membership, it is nice to be able to save money on fees when we visit another zoo. We do quite a bit of traveling so this guide will be well used in our family. Thanks for doing all of the leg-work and research for us.

Pam Vredevelt writes from a Christian point of view. She is a wife of a man in the ministry, a woman who gives talks, and a mother of three. Their third child was born with down syndrone. Pam went through a period of depression. Slowly, she began to realize that there is beauty in having a "special needs" child. The messages of hope throughout this book make it an appropriate book to give to any friend who is going through a difficult time. (ie cancer, divorce, etc.) I received mine as a gift, and have dog eared pages to refer back to.

Anyone who has faced disappointment, death or any kind of tragedy this book is for you. It is filled with hope. I will give this book as gifts to many of my friends and family. I hope others will treasurer it as much as I have.

I loved this book by Pam Vredevelt so much that I am reading it a second time. It is so encouraging because it gives the perspective of a parent in clear and heartfelt wording. I have many "Nathan's" in my classroom whose parents have surely felt some of the same grief and joy expressed by Pam. I applaud her for writing such an emotionally open and inspiring book becuase it has given me new perspective into what the parents of my students continually deal with.

Someone gave me a copy of this book years ago when I was going through tough times. Though details of my situation were in no way similar to the author's, I could relate to the fears and spiritual/emotional struggles she faced. Her story of hope and spiritual strength helped me to face and then conquer my own fears. I have since given several copies of this book to other friends facing their own life struggles, and have received much positive feedback. Highly recommended.

I am the mother of a child with Down Syndrome. My neighbor gave me this book and it was at a time when I most needed it. Sometimes raising a child with a disability can be challenging and this gave me hope. I sent it to two other people who could also use the same hope at a difficult time. It is inspiring to know that these children are not alone. I learned that from this book and it helps us as we go on this journey. Thank you Pam Vredevelt!