Williams Books

If there's someone in your life who likes to cook, this is a great gift for any small occasion. My gift recipient was very appreciative and said the recipes were very good.

I love this book.
Intense flavors, great technique, baking I can manage as a non-baker.
I also have the "In The Sweet Kitchen" tome, but find this is the book I return to . . .

Good mix of different types of sweets, great basics for important fancy things, very versatile.

This is David Lebovitz' first of two books on desserts. The second is devoted entirely to desserts made with fruits. This volume is more general, including recipes for just about every different type of dessert you may think of. The collection is weighted in favor of recipes which would work well in a restaurant, so the number of recipes typical to the home are less common than you may find in a more general book on dessert baking. That is not to say this is a poor book. In fact, I am happy I reviewed Lebovitz' more recent book first, so I was able to appreciate the virtues of this book which were missing from the second volume.

Lebovitz' introductory chapter on `Essentials' is divided into three sections, each an extremely useful tool to the home baker. First, is a discussion of equipment, which seems to me to be one of the best around for baking tools. The ingredients section is similarly useful, although I wish the author, who is so careful to be precise about other items would avoid the descriptions of `bittersweet' or `semisweet' for chocolate and use, instead the percent cocoa grades as used by Vahlrona, a brand which Lebovitz endorses. The third section of essentials on Fruits is the star of this part of the book. The author not only gives the best season and the best properties and uses for a large number of fruits, he also supplies an extremely useful picture of each and every fruit, although the picture for coconuts is a bit puzzling. There must be varieties of coconut I have never seen in the very untropical northeast.

Lebovitz must be especially fond of fruits, as this general book has a very large portion of its pages devoted to fruit, with a wealth of interesting information on various varieties. I was especially surprised to learn that the grapefruit is a human invention developed by crossing the pomelo with the orange. Who know. Lebovitz is true to the traditions of current and former Chez Panisse writers such as Alice Waters and Jeremiah Tower in that he is especially careful to note the variety names of various fruits and sometimes, like both Alice and Jeremiah, go so far as to specify the botanical species names. This is all very good, except that few markets distinguish types of fruits beyond apples and pears. I have never, ever seen any peaches labeled Carnival, Suncrest, Elegant Lady, Elberta, Flamecrest, or Cal Red. More importantly, I have never seen persimmons distinguished by variety, even though persimmon variety is much more important to the way it is used than with most types of peaches. But all of this is not a reflection on the book, only on the author's access to better than average greengrocers. Bottom line is that the pages on fruits in this book are worth the price of admission.

The various types of desserts discussed, each in their own chapter, are:

Cakes
Custards and Souffles
Fruit Desserts
Sorbets, Sherbets, Ice Creams, and Gelees
Cookies and Candies
Liqueurs and Preserves

As noted above, the author is positively in love with fruits, as they appear in virtually every type of dessert in every chapter. The chapter dedicated to fruit desserts has an especially good discussion on how to make fruit compotes. I confess the author has endeared himself to me by pointedly avoiding the pairing of fruit and chocolate. I have never liked the popular raspberry and chocolate combination, as all those gritty little seeds just seems to spoil the chocolate experience. Lebovitz does cross the line just once in combining blueberries with white chocolate in a tart. I'm good with that.

The book ends with a very worthy chapter on basics which includes separate recipes for tarts, pies, and galettes where many other authors would simply give you a single recipe for all three. As other authors such as Wayne Harley Brachman point out, these three pastries simply have different requirements from their doughs. The basics also includes a section on caramelization guidelines. As this is an extremely scary topic for anyone like myself who has seen just enough Food Network shows to know what can go wrong, this section is invaluable.

The book's list of sources for equipment is better than average as it gives web sites, telephone numbers, and addresses, plus a detailing of what the organization supplies. The photographs are competent and add to the attractiveness of the book. The color scheme is much better than the glaring pink and orange used in the later book. The Bibliography is a delightful addition. I wish every cookbook had one. The entries point to many titles familiar to me and many which are not, which is even better.

This book is strongly recommended, especially for folks who are looking for new desserts for entertaining.

I received this book as a holiday gift, and it is now caked in flour and dried-up goo because I use it so often. I've made about half the recipes and the only thing I struggled with was the caramel (but then, I have a [bad] pan). Everything else was perfect, perfect, perfect. I also like that I can usually easily find the necessary ingredients and equipment. Some cookbooks require fancy pans or hunting at farmer's markets for obscure ingredients...sorry, but I far prefer to be able to make a beautiful, scrumptious dessert on a whim. Thanks David!!!

I would also give this 10 stars if I could! This is one of the best cookbooks I have ever purchased. I have a big sweet tooth and have accummulated quite a collection of cookbooks on cakes, cookies, chocolate, etc. This book covers a large variety of sweets, from cookies (the best chocolate-chip cookie recipe I have ever tried) to sorbet (chocolate coconut sorbet, sangria sorbet) to ice cream (butterscotch ice cream with hickory nuts) marmalades and jams (plum strawberry), sauces (caramel, blackberry), crysalised ginger (which I can't find here, so I have to make it), to cakes (coconut, fresh ginger). I have tried a variety of things in this cookbook (cookies, ice cream, caramel) and they have all turned out DELICIOUS. I made coconut macaroons dipped in chocolate for my husband since he loves them so much and I ended up eating most of them - they were fantastic! A large fraction of the recipes are accompanied by mouth-watering pictures. Lebovitz includes some guidelines at the end for caramelisation as well. You don't have to be an expert to use this book, but you probably do have to have some experience and some tools (candy thermometre, hand-held mixer) for a few of the recipes. The ice creams and sorbets require an ice cream maker. I am extremely pleased with this cookbook and intend to eat my way through all of it. Excellent gift too, but make sure to get one for yourself!

A friend referred to the Sharpe series as literary opium...he may be right. They are guilty pleasures, for sure....and I worry what will happen when I have read them all.

The thing is, drug or not, Cornwell is a wonderful writer. I laughed out loud a couple of times, was riveted by a love scene, and ran to the computer to look up the actual battle and scenes described. Great stuff.

And then I had the misfortune to read the new McMurtry novel....

"Sharpe's Sword" is a decent entry into the Sharpe series, but I happen to tend to prefer the Sharpe adventures that are primarily military rather than the ones with espionage plots. And, for my taste, "Sharpe's Sword" is a bit heavy on the spy angle and a hair light on the battles. But the book's action scenes, while failing to rival those in, say, "Sharpe's Rifles," "Sharpe's Eagle" or "Sharpe's Company," are still pretty satisfying. "Sharpe's Sword" is far from the weakest of the generally very strong Sharpe series (of the ones that I've read so far, I'd say that "Sharpe's Prey" my least favorite), but it doesn't quite rank among the very best, either.

I've been reading through the entire series chronologically and up until now i've been hard pressed to pick a favorite. After reading Sharpe's Sword however i have a clear choice.

In Sharpe's Sword, Cornwell gives the reader his true best - putting together a plot so interesting that one can even claim that in this novel it trumps his ability at "battlefield writing" where i believe Cornwell is the best living author- and that's saying something.

If you want a good introduction to cornwell's writing ability and you don't mind starting most of the way through a series i highly recommend Sharpe's Sword.

This is another entry on the Sharpe series. It is fun, entertaining and very readable. Cornwell's research is as excellent as usual. He takes some licenses for the shake of the story and continuity, but this is OK. Some people are outraged by the portrait of some of the real historical characters, but historical characters are rarely depicted accurately in historical fiction, so I think this can be forgiven. Besides, usually a more serious account of these characters is given at the end of the book on the Historical Note.

Many people insist in compare this series with Patrick O'Brian's Master and Commander. I don't think this is fair for any of the series, they are different entities. What they have in common is that once you start you may get hooked and devour one book after another...

And in the literary world today that is a rare and marvelous thing.

Bernard Cornwell's Richard Sharpe series is one of the most beloved collective works in the sub-genre of historical fiction. Spanning over twenty novels (and counting!), Cornwell has treated his readers with thrilling battlefield and bedroom exploits from Flanders to India to Spain and France. While the novels have a definitive formula, they never grow stale.

"Sharpe's Sword" is among the best of the Sharpe novels. Sharpe is a captain of the 95th Rifles, attached to the South Essex regiment as a light company. As fans of the series know, Sharpe has made himself indispensable to the British army (including his patron, Lord Wellington) by being the most lethal rogue in an army full of cut-throats and vagabonds. But in "Sharpe's Sword," Cornwell has created a foe worthy of Sharpe - the French spy-hunter Leroux, a lethal aristocrat whose charge from Napoleon is to topple the British spy network.

Leroux is captured by Sharpe early in the novel, but takes advantage of a foolish British officer's notion of "parole" (in which a captured officer may keep his weapons and freedom if he gives his sworn statement that he will not try to escape). Acting quickly, Leroux murders his way back to freedom, but in doing so he earns Sharpe's undying hatred . . . and envy. Sharpe hates him for being a backstabbing liar, but Sharpe envies him because Leroux has the most magnificent sword Sharpe has ever seen, and Sharpe wants it.

And so Sharpe and Leroux are caught in a duel to the death while the French and British armies slug it out in the gorgeous city of Salamanca and also on the plains of Spain. "Sharpe's Sword" has it all - humor, romance, intrigue, friendship, betrayal, and battles. And what battles! Nobody writes a better battle scene than Bernard Cornwell, and he tops himself when describing a suicidal, insane cavalry charge by Wellington's German heavy cavalry against formed French squares. The reader is flung into the wild madness that is Napoleonic warfare, and it is a glorious madness indeed.

Well-researched and lovingly written, "Sharpe's Sword" exemplifies all that is good in the Sharpe series.

I was diagnosed a brain tumor 5 years ago, it was removed 15 days later. I was astonished to find so much informations in this book I shoud have known from the very beginning that nobody knew or dare to share with me.
I strongly recommend this book for someone dealing with this problem (family, patients). The message of the book can be summed up as "Grab your illness yourself and fight". It also give hope which is invaluable although many things influence the outcome (each case is different). Nonetheless I was convinced (as a scientist myself) with the pragmatic approach of the author.

My sister was recently diagnosed with Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) and I have been trying for more than three weeks to get information on the internet about available treatments. I found out about this book on the Wikipedia page on Glioblastoma. Reading this book has been extremely helpful for me to understand what my sister is dealing with and what I can do to maximize her chances of survival by finding information on the available treatments and their likelihood of sucess. Moreover the survival story of the author is truly inspiring and gives hope to patients and family members that the gloomy statistics of the medical establishment about this monstruous disease may be beaten.

Dr. Ben Williams is an excellent writer who provides a rare opportunity for readers to learn about his "terminal" cancer through a scientist's eyes. In short, he has already survived and thrived over 15 years after he received a diagnosis of a disease that was supposed to lead to a rapid trip to the undertaker. In part one, he shares a very personal view of his own round-trip to Hades. His wry sense of humor makes it enjoyable, even though we share his painful experiences in the hands of some physicians who are not going to win awards for bed side manners. Patients and their loved ones can be torn apart by the healing art of medicine that was meant to cure them, but Dr. Williams kept his dignity and his wits about him, allowing his survival. In part two, Dr. Williams explains why the medical system needs reform. This is an excellent review of some of the basic flaws of scientific medicine. Physicians be warned, Dr. Williams is an iconoclast with a razer sharp mind and first rate scientific credentials, even after being kicked in the head with a near fatal brain tumor. Many physicians who have not had the benefit of an inductive scientific approach may be surprised to learn new ways of examining data. Third, Dr. Williams shares information that your oncologist won't tell you, including alternative medicine, supplements, cutting edge treatments and sources of information. Throughout the book the layman is provided with helpful guidance that will enable the patient and his/her caretakers to make their own choices. The book is also important because Ben was a very patient mentor to me when I was an undergraduate studying experimental psychology at the University of California, San Diego, some 33 years ago. I have the greatest respect for him as a leading scientist and a teacher; and now I have an even more profound respect for him as a tough fighter, and a leader who used his scientific prowess to save his own life, and who then wrote about it to help save others. My bias in favor of Ben aside, this important book will probably change the way cancer is dealt with politically, clinically and scientifically. It is an inspiration to all of us because it shows that what makes the human brain truly amazing is its ability to not only recover function, but to actually improve itself as a result of trauma. They say, "Physician, heal thyself". Dr. Williams not only talks the talk, he walks the walk. Bravo!

The Gold Standard treatment for Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) brain tumors is a combination of surgery, radiation and the chemotherapy themozolomide (Temodar / Temodal).

Untreated, GBM uniformly kills its victims within four months.

For 10% of all patients treated with radiation, that survival expectation increases to two years. At four years, 3% of the original group will still be alive.

Add Temodar and surgery to that radiation, and 27% of those treated can expect to survive to two years. At four years, 12% of those treated with the Gold Standard combination will still be alive.

University study press releases cheer the dramatic increase in surivival rates for patients receiving Tamodar along with radiation and surgery. From 10% to 27% for two years and from 3% to 12% for four years are big jumps.

While the numbers do represent a significant increase, the fact remains that at four years, 88% of those receiving the Gold Standard treatment for Glioblastoma Multiforme tumors will be dead.

In 1995, before Temodar was anywhere near the marketplace, Dr. Ben Williams discovered that he had a large Glioblastoma Multiforme tumor. Williams looked at the survival rates for those receiving the recommended treatment and did not like the odds.

A research scientist and academic, Williams scoured every resource to create a state-of-the-art Glioblastoma Multiforme protocol. He received all of the standard treatment, which he supplemented with six other anti-cancer, pro-immune agents (and aspirin for the side effects).

Williams combined the prescribed treatment:
* Surgery (which left mass behind)
* Radiation
* BCNU chemotherapy
* PCV chemotherapy

With these addition of these agents:
* Tamoxifen
* Verapamil
* Accutane
* Melatonin
* Mushroom extract
* Gamma Linolenic Acid
* Aspirin

The treatment the oncologist recommended was certain to result in Williams' death. Yet the doctor refused any treatment outside the standard protocol, for fear of doing harm.

Williams believed that nothing was more harmful than death. The oncologist only budged a little. He gave Williams some Tamoxifen. Everything else Williams took to reduce his tumor - including a higher dose of Tamoxifen than the oncologist would prescribe -- he researched and obtained on his own.

A 1995 Gold Standard for GBM tumor treatment did not exist. The oncologist offered surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. The difference between 1995 and 2007 is the accuracy of the radiation and the quality of the chemotherapy.

At two years from diagnosis - when 92% of patients receiving standard treatment would be dead - Williams received the first of what is now 12 years of clean MRIs.

Williams regards his low-toxicity drug cocktail as a synergistic weapon against glioblastoma multiforme. He compares the current Gold Standard GBM treatment to the AZT AIDS treatment. Although AZT worked at first, the body developed a resistance to it. No more HIV patients were alive at four years on AZT than off of it.

GBM cancer cells also adapt to chemotherapy. They're not adept at adapting to the low-toxicity cocktail Williams invented. The Accutane prevented the cancer cells from consuming the cells nearby. The Tamoxifen slowed the cancer cells' ability to extrude out the chemotherapy. The Gamma-Linolenic Acid produced free radicals inside the tumor, killing it from the inside out.

As a rule, oncologists do not offer these treatments to brain tumor patients. These treatments are not "proven." If the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has not blessed the substance then the doctor will not prescribe it, even if the doctor's treatment itself means almost certain death.

Doctors know, says Williams, that their patients will die. So what is the problem prescribing low-toxicity agents that might cure brain tumors?

Going outside the system can have a dramatically negative affect on a doctor's career. He might be accused of fraud, profiteering or incompetence. In a profession based on the credo "First, do no harm," doctors would first like to do no harm to their own careers.

Doctors find themselves trapped between the FDA and the medical self-policing infra-structure on the one hand, and certain death for their patients on the other.

Doctors won't prescribe the cocktail agents Williams took because they are not "proven" according to FDA standards. The approval process requires billions of dollars. Pharmaceutical companies won't research drugs that will not be economically viable. The drug must be exclusive to the pharmaceutical company. The population requiring the drug must be large enough to expect a return on investment.

Many of the agents Williams used to cure his cancer are not patentable. Competitors would be able to copy and sell the compound. About 12,000 people a year are diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme tumors. The market is not large enough to justify very expensive scientific trials.

Beaten down by disease, radiation and chemotherapy, few GBM patients have the energy to climb the hurdles to promising but not "proven" treatments. Even when the outcome is certain death patients who ask for more will not receive it. Just as AIDS patients created political pressure to get "unproven" treatments for HIV, Williams encourages GBM patients to insist on access to "unproven" treatments for GBM.

Dispensing only "proven" treatment is legal, says Williams. But denying dying patients access to substances that could save their lives is grossly unethical. Already fighting the deadliest of brain tumors, patients should not have to fight for promising but "unproven" cures. Until the political pressure on the FDA reaches a critical mass, he says, the GBM Gold Standard Treatment will still produce a four year death rate of 88%.


[...]

This book was written by Dr. Williams, an eminent and widely published experimental psychologist in the field of learning theory and many other related fields. Dr. Williams was diagnosed in 1995 with a glioblastoma with, for all practical purposes, zero chance of survival. He immediately went on a quest for maximizing his chances of survival by evaluating and combining traditional and nontraditional treatment approaches. Today, in 2007, he is alive and well. This book should be of interest for anyone, even if not affected by cancer personally. I found it a remarkable account of how one can deal with catastrophic diagnoses and seemingly hopeless situations. It also critiques current FDA policies and conventional medical practice by providing a wealth of facts, literature citations, and well-developed logical arguments. There is also a very readable discussion of the statistical approach, written for a lay audience, of experimental design, and of implications for the methods for the social and medical/biological sciences. This book includes a systematic, open, thoughtful, and fair evaluation of so-called alternative treatments. The evaluation of these alternative treatments is so convincing because it was undertaken by someone like Dr. Williams, who knows the scientific approach so well. I call this book "inspirational" for anyone who has to tackle important life-and-death decisions.

i read this cover to cover in one sitting- great anecdotes, tips, philosophies, photos, wine info, and recipes.
tom's book is as good as his restaurants. i LOVE this book.

Now I may be biased because I live in Seattle but there is not a recipe in this book which is not simply perfect. I have tried about 10 recipes including the crab cakes, blueberry coffee cake, Short Ribs with Rosemary white beans and the Lobster and Shiitake Potstickers and not had a bad one yet.

All the recipies are pretty easy to make, use simple fresh ingredients and usually recommend a wine to pair with it. These are not always the types of recipes that you want to whip up in 10 mins when you get home from work but for a weekend dinner where you have 1/2 hr or more to cook, you will be well rewarded. There is definitely a seafood bias for this which is fine with me. In the middle of the book are about 10 pages of pictures of many of the dishes.

I have lots of cookbooks with several good recipes but never one with so many winners and absolutely no losers. I have been to 2 of Tom's restaurants in Seattle but this makes me want to cook at home.

It has taken me awhile to write a review for this book due to the fact that I have been testing as many recipes as possible and while in Seattle compared the restaurant version with the home version. The verdict is: Get the book.

The recipes are very easily done in a standard home kitchen and they are the recipes of the restaurants in question. If there is a flavor difference it is easily explained by the author such as, the restaurant version of the salmon rub uses smoked paprike (very hard to get) while the home uses the sweet variety.

The book reflects a deep love of Seattle and is informative in a chatty way. I think though, for the Asian food information sections you may want a little more depth with Bruce Cost's book on Asian ingredients. For the experienced cook this is a great book to have on the shelf showing a fusion of traditional and international influences in the menu.

For those looking for soemthing in between a beginner's and a hardcore pro level this book is excellent. People at my various parties and catering gigs have loved the food prepared from this book and it has achieved the status of favorite on the shelf. It is approachable in tone, style and technique. It is also helpful that he provides a supplier section for those hard to get items like kazu.

The fish section maybe a no go for some people due to freshness issues but the section on grilling/barbecuing is nice and the dry brine method for roast chicken was very reliable. All the side dishes were easily done as well with a standard grocery store available.

Recommended highly and I look forward to his next work.

This was a gift to my husband, but has only been opened twice. The recipes look somewhat interesting, but the ingredients are not generally available to most areas. It would be helpful in a coastal area where FRESH seafood was more readily available AND was more cost-effective to use. We are intrigued by some entrees, but again, most are not user-friendly (or kid- friendly) which is important in our busy home! I good gift for the hobby gourmet, not useful in everyday life...at least not in our busy (and filled with picky kids) home!

I have owned my copy of Seattle Kitchen for over a year now, as do two of the other families on our block. We regularly get together for dinner parties and inevitably, one of Tom Douglas' dishes shows up on the menu. Although many if not most of the recipes are time-consuming (much chopping, sauteeing, carmelizing, etc. is involved) they are all worth it in the end as long as you are a patient person who enjoys cooking. This is not a good beginner's cookbook! The sweet butternut soup with thyme creme fraiche is beyond compare and I make it all fall and winter long. The lobster and shrimp potstickers with sake sauce take a long time to make but are simply divine (I have learned to make huge batches and freeze them for later when I need an appetizer.) Pair them with the sweet-and-sour red cabbage for an impressive presentation. I just made Etta's cornbread pudding last night for the first time after visiting Seattle and eating it at the restaurant a few weeks ago, and I have to say mine was just as good if not better since it was fresh out of the oven. It was inhaled at the dinner party and it prompted me to get online now to order Tom's other cookbook. I find that sometimes the ingredients are difficult to hunt down here in Montana, but I usually find most of what I need, or at least an acceptable substitute. I just wish there were more photographs of the beautiful food. I look forward to trying many more of Tom's recipes.

This is a fun and exciting trek around the Red Planet. I absolutely love the "hike" format, and this book is probably the next best thing to actually being there on Martian soil. Tidbits like what to wear on Mars and how to tell time definitely give the book a light-hearted personality. Another great feature is the author's own "personal experiences" / Mars exploration observation sections entitled "My Martian Chronicles." Thanks to the author, a great guide, I felt so involved in my "trip" that I wanted to buy a souvenir T-shirt! LOL I love the Classic Martian Map and Topographic Map foldouts at the front of the book. I especially like the easy-to-read large font of the text. I didn't have to squint while reading the book, which is a good thing.

In this book, we see Mars treated almost as if it was a tourist region. The author has divided Mars into areas of interest. He then discussed separately each area. Just like Earth, Mars has many different regions and scenery.

Although I am keen on space, somehow this book did little for me. After awhile I found it too much and lost interest in the details of each region. What I would have preferred on Mars is fewer notes and more pictures.

The other point is the book is full of interesting pictures unfortunately to appreciate them you need a large size book then this one.

Having said that if your interested in Mars geography though you will find this author knows his information, it is current and he explains his points well.

A Traveler's Guide to Mars is well written and quite fascinating for anyone with an interest in the planetary geology of Mars.

Hartmann breaks down the history of Mars into three geologic eras (Noachian, Hesperain, and Amazonian) based on the amount of cratering on the Martian surface. From there, he explores each one of these regions in detail.

From the majestic Mons Olympus volcano and 2500 mile long Valles Marineris Canyon to the probable glacial "melting mountains" of Promethei Terra and controversial ancient ocean shorelines of Vastitas Borealis , Hartmann provides the reader with a sweeping scope of Martian history, replete with stunning aerial photography and images, that is simply quite amazing. He even discusses the "microbial fossil" Martian meteorites as well as the notorious "Face on Mars" in the Cydonia highlands.

Take a trip to Mars ... you won't be disappointed

This is a really cool book! I didn't know we had the so-called red planet (a better name is the butterscotch planet) mapped out to the extent that we do. I've always loved geography and to take a tour of the features of another world is thrilling. If you like astronomy, geography, or have an optimist's bent on human destiny being among the stars, read this great book!

Have you ever wanted to go beyond the headlines concerning discoveries about Mars and get a thorough overview so that you can put things into perspective? This book is more than a collection of pretty pictures from a far away place. It gives a good introductory account of what we think we know about the planet, and why.

William Hartmann has been involved in uncovering knowledge about objects in the Solar system since the time that mankind first developed the ability to go beyond the Earth's atmosphere for an unobstructed view. He is in an authoritative position for attaching meaning to the images, and yet the explanations he gives are very much 'down to Earth', so to speak.

Data from space probes (starting with the Mariner series) have literally redrawn the map of the surface of Mars. The time varying dark regions were found to be not seas, or canals, or vegetation, but rather wind blown sand. New names were needed in 1972 to identify actual terrain features. The contrast between old and new can be see by comparing the two foldout maps inside the front cover.

Does Mars have a global magnetic field? No. But it used to! Metal particles in rocks older than 3,000,000 years ago are polarized. Particles in younger rocks are not polarized. The core of Mars was likely molten for the first 1,500,00 years and then cooled. Lack of a magnetic field has resulted in more Solar radiation reaching the surface, and may have played a role in carrying away the atmosphere.

Is there life on Mars? Was there life on Mars? That's still an open question. It's clear that there is evidence of large quantities of liquid water on the planet in its early years. That at least opens the possibility that Mars harbored life at that time. What we are finding today is that life survives in very hostile environments here on Earth, and microbes survived on a Moon probe visited years later by an Apollo crew, so who can say at this point?

Of all the places in the Solar system besides Earth, Mars is the one which has the most resources that would support manned exploration and colonization. There is still water on Mars, although in frozen form. The atmosphere contains CO2, from which oxygen can be extracted for propellant and for breathing. The presence of an atmosphere itself if of interest for aerobraking and radiation shielding. The fact of a day/night cycle very close to 24 hours is conducive to agriculture.

Robert Zubrin and others have been advocating for years that travel to Mars is worthwhile and affordable, and NASA now has a congressionally supported presidential mandate to proceed in that direction. The concept that one day a reader of William Hartmann's Traveler's Guide will in fact make the trip is no longer so far fetched.

This is a good read for anyone interested in Mars as a destination, or who would just like to know a bit more about that pink speck in the night sky. It also provides food for thought concerning climate change on our own planet. We didn't destroy the atmosphere on Mars, but maybe we can learn how to avoid Mars' fate here on Earth.

For anyone interested in the New Testament, this version is perhaps the purest. Tyndale enriched the English language with so many terms. 90% of the King James version is his translation, but his is smoother, less wordy and had no political agenda like the King James version

I have just learned of Mr. Tyndale's work and what he did for all of us, he translated the Bible when it was against the law to do so, even being burned at the stake for it. I have wanted to read his words. And am taking time to use them as a part of by Bible Study. Most passages are the same words as used in the King James Bible. And He received no credit. I don't think he did it for credit, but did it for all of us. I WOULD RECOMEND IT to anyone who is a Bible studend and is looking for another hero! E. Elmer

One of the things that Tyndale was noted for, ( killed for ) was his insistence on a translation that did not skew off the original, in order to keep church power players in-the-game. If this translation is his original, that supposition would seem to be false. Otherwise, this translation has also been skewed in order to keep the status-quo intact. As you can see, my interest was fairly focused. And I should have done my homework better.

If you're able to read the Bible in English, you should thank Tyndale. You should at least read his biography (which is part of this book) and his New Testament. The editor has put Tyndale's words into contemporary terms, making this book easy to read and understand.

When I read about Daniell's work and passion for Tyndale and his Bible, I decided to check it out. I was completely impressed with the work, Daniell retained the idea of Olde English, with more current English spelling, quite a fete.

Interestingly, you will also read a quick history of Tyndale's life and desire to have the common man have the scriptures in his hand. What punctuates this work is where Tyndale's work stops. At his death, he had competed much of the Old Testament.

An interesting factoid that Daniell shares it that Tyndale gave us the English word for the term we use as Passover. For the Bible student, this is interesting because Pasha is translated throughout the whole NT of Tyndale's as Easter (the modern term used for Pasha today in the Greek language.)

Many do not know that this work is really the foundation and much of the superstructure for what would become the KJV. Daniell tells us in other places that the KJV is 87% from Tyndale's work, where Tyndale left us a legacy.

To complete your Bible collection, to understand the work of a man whose life was constantly in peril until his ultimate murder, to be inspired by another set of eyes and ears on the early text types, you must get the Tyndale Old and New Testament that David Daniell has compiled. The bargain price for both is the best around. You will not be dissappointed.

The Unknown Ajax is so good that I once read it cover to cover twice in a row (and these were perhaps my third and fourth readings).

Hugo Darricott is a handsome and charming former military major whose father was disowned by his family when he married a common weaver instead of someone who befitted his station in life. But now Hugo will be welcome to the family because he is the new heir to his grandfather's title and estates. His cousins will train him to behave like a gentleman so that he'd marry Lord Darricott's granddaughter Anthea (they are cousins) just to ensure that he won't marry someone below his rank like his father had done. But his cousins and other family members dislike him, including Anthea. Hugo decides to play along the role of ignorant country bumpkin, and through his act he discovers many secrets, deceit and a possible crime. He also manages to woo the spirited and independent Anthea in the process. There are various twists throughout the novel.

Georgette Heyer is one of the best historical writers I have ever had the pleasure of reading. The Unknown Ajax is more unique than the other books I have read because she adds a suspense subplot here (I know that Heyer jumped to the contemporary romantic suspense bandwagon later on in her career) and that the novel focuses more on the hero than on the romance between the two characters. Anthea is quite an interesting heroine as well. I wasn't thrilled with her conceit at first, but I like the fact that she couldn't help falling for Hugo in spite of thinking that he isn't educated enough for her. The secondary characters are all interesting and they somehow resembled characters in a mystery theater or film noir. But they are also wonderful and colorful and add great humor in the dialogue as well as the narrative. And as always, Georgette does a wonderful job with the historical accuracy. Regency England is seldom written so well by a romance author. A friend of mine tells me that she finds Heyer's writing style "challenging" because she uses a lot of exclamation points and emphasized words in italics. Heyer was an author during the early to mid twentieth century, which may explain her writing style. Jane Austen used lots of semi-colons and emphasized words a lot as well, but I was never put off by her writing style either. It is enjoyable to see how writers from other centuries write, which is better than many of today's popular authors. The Unknown Ajax is another enthralling offering by the gifted Georgette Heyer. As said earlier, this one is kind of different from her other efforts because a touch of romantic suspense is added into the mix and because it focuses more on the hero's point of view than on the heroine, but it is just as wonderful and readable as her other books. I have purchased several more of her novels and I look forward to giving them a whirl. In the meantime, I recommend this gem.

I just finished re-reading this book, and once again, it was great. This is one of my favourite Georgette Heyer books. I am quite in love with the hero of the story... he's clever, he's modest, he has a great sense of humour, he's charming, and he has a knack of making everything come out right. This story is really more about Hugo Darracott than it is a romance, although of course we do have a heroine, and also some mystery thrown in.

Hugo whose father was banished for marrying a weaver's daughter instead of a proper wife, returns to meet his estranged family when he unexpectedly becomes Lord Darracott's heir. Expecting the worst, they prepare themselves for an unschooled, foolish yokel, and poor Hugo is thrust amidst an argumentative and scornful family. Hilariously, they have no idea who actually has the upper hand.

Look for: Claud, whose manner of speaking is a bit like Freddy from Cotillion, but not as lovable, and more dandyish and clothes-mad. Lady Aurelia who is truly majestic and a prototype Earl's daughter.

Even though I'd read this book before, I still had to stay up all night to finish it!

Here's my sister, Shannon Hyle's feelings on this author (and I heartily agree):
"I hate it when I get in the mood for a certain author and nothing else will do. Sometimes one book will satisfy and I can move on, but right now it's Georgette Heyer or nothing! I read The Masqueraders, The Toll Gate, Sprig Muslin, The Black Moth, These Old Shades, and Cousin Kate all in a row and still I hunger. I have a few more Heyers somewhere, but apparently the book thieves have been to house and I can't seem to find them.
I yearn for them. My mother-in-law had said she had some in her motorhome. Maybe she's been holding hostage my False Colours or Faro's Daughter or Sylvester, the Wicked Uncle. But once we arrived, she says they must have packed them up and put them in the shop. Aggh! She's killing me here!
This accelerating addiction to Ms Heyer is a troubling sign. It's not like a candy bar, I can't run to the nearest store and pick one up. As far as I know, all of her titles are out of print. There was a brief revival of some of her titles 2000-2004 but most of her 54 books have been out of print long enough that used book stores won't take them in trade.
Yeepee! We happened past a Borders and I begged to stop-just in case. They had single copies of three Heyer reprints snuggled deep in their romance shelves. The Grand Sophy, which I know I own somewhere, These Old Shades, just read-see earlier and Beauvallet! Yeepee...one I haven't read even!"

Georgette Heyer, the reigning monarch of romance fiction, has contributed another winner to the genre with "The Unknown Ajax."

Lord Darricott calls his entire family together at his estate, Darricott Place, on the border between Kent and Sussex. His son, two daughters-in law, three grandsons and a granddaughter, are all present when he informs them that they are to prepare for a visit from his new heir within the week. Lord Darricott's son and former heir had been recently killed in a boating accident and Darricott has had the unfortunate duty of recognizing the grandson he has never met, who will inherit the title and all his worldly goods upon his own demise. Hugh Darricott, the new and recent heir, had been raised in the North country, far away from the family seat, and now, in his mid-thirties has left the military with the rank of major. Hugh's father was disowned by the family patriarch after marrying a common weaver, and never seen by the family since. Lord Darricott, who rules his clan with an iron fist, except for granddaughter Anthea, who fears him not at all, has made plans that Hugh is to be schooled in the ways of a gentleman by his cousins. He also plans for Hugh to eventually marry Anthea, to prevent him from making an unsuitable match like his father did. The family, forming all kinds of stereotypical ideas about this base born cousin, is prejudiced against him before he arrives on the scene. And he is the last man Anthea wishes to marry.

Hugh arrives and, finding the group predisposed to dislike him, puts them on and plays the country bumpkin. He discovers each family member's weaknesses and strengths, their characters, and comes to know each of them, perhaps, better than they know each other. Hugh Darricott is much more intelligent and adept than the family gives him credit for and manages to uncover some family secrets, a ghost or two, and a crime in the making. He also finds the way to Anthea's heart, not to mention into his grandfather's and the rest of the group's good graces.

As always Ms. Heyer's humor is delightful, as are her characters. Hugh Darricott makes a wonderful hero as he bumbles along, so sure of his own intelligence and common sense that he is not at all embarrassed to play the clown in order to become better acquainted with his family, without intimidating them. His courtship of Althea is funny, romantic and endearing. His solutions to the many problems that confront his relatives are unusual and creative. This is a wonderful story, beautifully told - one of Georgette Heyer's best. I highly recommend it.
JANA

This is a great read, wonderful adventure and intimate characters. If you have already read "She Who Remembers" this tale will further the story and you'll be sad when the journey must come to an end.

This book was an excellent read, the best in the series, and I have read it many times. I have a huge problem with a few holes in the story line however, and if you are like me, the magic of a good book can be ruined by careless editing.

A) Several times throughout the book, characters names are interchanged. Antelope becomes Kwani, Yatosha becomes Tolonqua, characters names are changed from what they were in "She Who Remembers"

B) Acoya discusses his love for WhiteCloud.... before he meets her.

C) Characters that are killed or die of natural causes will occasionally re-appear in the book.

D) "Lapu" is used as an insult by Kwani directed at Owa. It is said to mean the shredded bark used as diapering and toiletry. It is said by the author to be highly insulting, and would never be used as a name. Yet a few chapters later, she introduces a character, a young boy in the Eagle Hunters, named Lapu.

E) Antelope names her baby daughter Kwani, after her mother. However, in the next book in the series, Antelope's daughter's name is Skyfeather.

All in all, if you can close your mind to the errors, this is a wonderful work of fiction, and by far the most engaging and entertaining book in the series.

Once I started reading this book on my way to work while riding the bus, I couldn't wait until I could ride the bus home, so I could pick it up again. Ms Shuler does a fantastic job with detailed description of Native American culture and artifacts,an exciting plot line,and very interesting characters. There is love, pain, joy, faith, terror, friendship, paranoia, sadness, hope, disappointment and passion in this book, showing us that the Native American people in the 12th century experienced all the emotions that we still experience today. One of the best books I have ever read!

I travel to New Mexico every year to visit my in-laws and every
year I fall in love again with the land, the people, the history, the turquoise jewlery.... and the stars. And every time I leave I am heartsick of the big sky, beautiful mountains, exotic plants and sweet air. Reading Voice of the Eagle is the only cure for my "desert seperation". Mrs. Shuler's talented storytelling and compelling characters make this book one of the best in pre-historic fiction. This book is sweeping in its plot of love, duty, and ceremony among the ancient Towas of Cicuye.
I can close my eyes and see again the vast landscapes, the endless blue sky. I love this book!

I bought this novel over 5 years ago. I read it 3 times, and recently was entrapped again for the 4th time. I love this book! The story, natural settings, characters are so real it fells as if you are alive in there village. I'm looking forward to reading the third novel from Linda Lay Shuler.

Morris is the early master of "modern" heroic fantasy.
At the same time, Morris was a socialist and there are many political overtones to his last prose romances. These subthemes are subtle but elevate him above most others in genre. Tolkien and his one-dimensional, and somewhat puerile characters are a far cry from Morris, his literary grandfather.

Check out his other prose romances if you can find them esp. "The Water of the Wondrous Isles"

I read this book when I was 15, in 1975. I still have the 1st paperback edition from Ballantine Books. It was a bit of a daunting read when I was a teenager. After reading this book I was hooked. I have never looked back, and have been reading this type of literature ever since. I remember spending hours in the forbidden alcove in the back of the local bookstore perusing all of Ballantine's Adult Fantasy series: E.R.Eddison, Lord Dunsany, James Branch Cabell, Tolkien, H.P.Lovecraft. My mother cut off my allowance because I spent too much money on these types of books. So I got a job. As a teenage artist I spent many days and nights depicting scenes from this gorgeous work of imaginative fiction. I even started writing my own fantasy. This is a work of the highest order and tradition. This is not for everyone being as how this book was penned in the 19th Century. But for those who are patient readers looking for romantic fantasy, I highly recommend this book and other books by authors I have mentioned in this article. BE WARNED: This is not your usual swords and sorcery fare. THIS IS LITERATURE. I'm ordering a copy as soon as possible because I'm still reading my dog-eared 1st Edition. I can't believe these marvels are being reprinted again! Thank The Gods someone is reviving this seemingly dying genre. THERE IS STILL A LIGHT IN THE WORLD!

I first ran into this book by accident in 1975 - it still remains one of my absolute favorites and I encourage anyone interested even remotely in fantasy or heroic romanticism to read it.

However, some caveats should be observed. The ORIGINAL story was published by Kelmscott Press which used "gothic" fonts and unconventional design. Ballentine used this as the source for the 1970 edition and a lot of textual errors crept in - not all of which have been corrected in this new version. (For example "A garth of pound" should read "A garth OR pound.")

But this does not excuse the omission of several paragraphs which are dropped from the bottom of page 308. It looks almost as though a whole page is missing.

I still highly recommend this book regardless. But if a better edition makes its way into the market I would buy that one instead.

I, like many others, came to read this through the influence of C. S. Lewis. Lewis said, and rightly so, that no book could match the titles which William Morris gave to his books, but that he came closer than anyone else could have. This and The Wood Beyond the World are both spectacular, and I look forward to reading his other literature when I get the chance.

This particular book weaves the story of Ralph of Upmeads, the youngest son of the king of a small nation, who runs away from home to seek adventure. He hears of the fabled Well at the World's End, and decides to seek this Well. On the way he encounters numerous smaller adventures, built into what became the first truly epic fantasy book. Morris was the first to ever create a new world as his setting. Sure, there had been fictional books written before his, but he was the first to leave behind conventional countries and lands as his setting and create new lands and new countries in which to place his story. Tolkien, Lewis, etc. all simply went farther down the path that Morris had begun to blaze before them.

As far as the actual writing goes, I find it superb (for the most part). Many dislike his archaic English, but I very much enjoy it. I actually prefer to read books written like that, as I find that it adds greatly to the general feel of the story. The archaic English makes it really feel old, as if it really did take place ages ago. Morris does not use it quite so skillfully as someone like Howard Pyle, but it is very good, and does not fall flat like it tends to do when many less skilled modern authors try to use it. The only part of his writing style that I disliked is his odd manor of switching back and forth between past and present language. For example, he will be going along writing things like "Ralph looked around and knew not where he was" and then suddenly go a few pages writing things like "Ralph looks around and knows not where he is" for no reason at all. It simply makes no sense to me, and I found it rather annoying. This happened in only a few places, so it is not a major issue or anything. For the most part, Morris' writing is superb.

In all, I highly recommend reading this, as it is one of the most important fictional books ever written. Make sure you get Volume 1 and 2, as it was originally one volume but simply had to be split up when they re-printed it so as not to be so bulky. It is long, but well worth the time. If you like it, I recommend checking out The Wood Beyond the World, as well as Howard Pyle's material.

Overall grade: A+

As C.S. Lewis claimed, a story cannot match the wonder and expectation that comes from a title "The Well at the World's End." Indeed, my expectations of a spiritual grail-type quest, the joy of finding another George MacDonald, got in my way of enjoying a fascinating recreation of the medieval romance, an experiment in archaic English, and a materialistic examination of the relativity of culture structure.

Like reading the "Faerie Queene," the characters are shadowy forms whose presence goes beyond simple characterization. Do not look for deep psychosis. Ralph, the hero of this romance, is just that, a hero. Like Ivanhoe or Galahad, Ralph is a luck child and is less interesting than his supporting cast. For example, "the Lady", his first romantic encounter, is a mysterious character, existing beyond good and evil, almost half goddess, a combination of Faerie Queene and Le Belle Dame Sans Merci. Unfortunately, she does not inhabit the whole quest, and her replacement, Ursula, who is confused with "the Lady," is lifeless mirror image her.

The difference between the Well quest and a Grail quest is that the Well quest is attainable. While the Grail lies outside of reach, a spiritual mystery to be claimed at the end of life, more spirit than body, the Well is a material mystery connected to life not death, body as well as somewhat spirit. Being a material possession "The Well at the World's End" is less concerned with spiritual transformation as it is cultural transformation. Therefore, the climax is not the drinking of the well, but the in the life that follows. The relativity of the divergent cultures that Ralph eludes aligning himself with, becomes more black and white after the well. Morris's Marxist optimism shows himself as Ralph retraces his steps and like a revolutionary transform what was a cultural mixed bag into wholly good.

I think my disappointment was a mater of preference and personal expectation. Perhaps my desire for a climax at the end of life reveals my lack of living.

Quick note: this is only part 1. Part 2 is in orange.

Our grandson was very excited with this book--it is just at the level he is at! He is so proud of himself being able to read a new book, new stories. As for me, I remember growing up on these stories. Even today they are perfect for the beginning reader!

Dick & Jane are awesome. My son loves to read me a couple pages every night before he goes to bed. I highly recommend this. He loves the illustrations and named his newest webkinz "Puff." Very cute.

Thank You,
The book arrived when expected, and in brand new condition.
It was a gift for my 70 year old Mother who remembered this book from her childhood. She loved looking it through it again.
Thank You, for great service at a wonderful price!

This is "Great" for your new little reader. It's easy and what most all your mothers and fathers learned from in the 50's - 70's
It really helped our grandson where his K-teacher was having trouble helping him. This book gets a big A+

I remember reading the Dick and Janes books when I was in 1st and 2nd grade and decided I wanted to allow my 5 year old to get a start with reading. She reads out of both books every night, normally 3-4 stories per night, and had progress greatly with her reading in the past month with these two great books.