Columbia Books

Between Justice & Beauty: Race, Planning, And The Failure Of Urban Policy In Washington, D.C. by Howard Gillette Jr. (Professor Of History Rutgers University) examines how, as the only American city directly under congressional control, Washington D.C. has historically been used to test federal policy initiatives and social experiments. Some results have been positive; many have not, and the best of intentions striving to bring social justice to the largely black populace have failed. A large federal presence has been created, but to what ends? Gillette claims that this bloated and all-too-often ineffective federal presence is a triumph of beauty of justice, and searches for a more effective means to bring help to the city dwellers who need revitalization the most. A scholarly, well-researched treatise, sparsely illustrated with black-and-white photographs, Between Justice & Beauty attacks longstanding social problems head-on in search of solutions.

"Between Sodom and Eden" represents an astounding tour de force. Walzer's book is a must-read for anyone interested in contemporary Israeli society and politics, as well as the sometimes surprising approach of Judaism to homosexuality. His prose brings alive the tensions, conflicts, and contradictions of a society in search of its identity as Israel becomes an increasingly multicultural, post-Zionist society. That Israel is one of the most progressive countries in the world today on gay rights will surprise most Americans, who think of the Jewish state as the land of the story of Sodom and Gomorrah (with its reputed condemnation of homosexuality). The cast of characters in Walzer's book -- a transsexual pop Diva, openly gay high school students and kibbutzniks, lesbian politicians, and a cast of supportive straight politicians and educators, to name just a few -- guarantees new surprises on each page.

Simply put, this is the single most devastating, incredible, challenging, revolutionary, terrifying, haunting, beautiful, and rewarding book i've read (... again and again and again). It's repeatedly forced me to reassess everything i've thought i've "known," and deepened my analysis of both knowledge itself and knowledge's nature. At the same time, it's made me a little crazy and robbed me of the great faith i once had in academics (in other words, if you're working on a degree, you may want to read this *after* graduation). The fact that it's out of print prompts me to seriously question the nature of the publishing industry as well, actually - it seems truly a crime against the progress of learning that more people don't get to read this extraordinary work.

A splendid book! After ten years of regular reading, and thumb marks on every page, these poems still catch my breath with their beauty and sorrow. As a lay reader (not a scholar) the poems are completely accessible, and beautifully evoke the human essence of an age in China which we otherwise would ever know. If the poems have a unifying theme, it might be the bittersweet pain of longing and separation - but the varicolored mix of imagery and beautiful choice of words by Julie Landau give each of them a unique flair, sometimes humorous, sometimes tragic, always intriguing. This is my favorite book of poetry. Julie - another volume would be a gift to us all!

Biological weapons and their potentials has received public attention relatively recently in this country, and for a basic primer on the topic, don't miss Jeanne Guillemin's Biological Weapons, designed to help readers understand the relevance of these weapons and their use. Chapters examine policies of use, deterrence, and proliferation, considering conflicts between media rights and secrecy in development, public awareness issues and rights, and preventative measures against attack.

I felt this IS the most comprehensive book in print about Bisexuality and sexuality in general. I bought it for my own personal collection, ended up using it for a senior thesis research project on sexual identity and transitions in sexuality, and it became the most important book I used. Its pretty massive and a bit intimidating, but very readable and superbly thorough. The interesting thing about it is its call for more research and understanding of Bisexuality and sexual identities in general- throughout the entire book. It's a brilliant analysis of most of the research out there on bisexuality and sexual identities.

Sir Walter Scott's short novel of 1816, THE BLACK DWARF, begins by presenting the back side of a tapestry: colors dull, patterns obscure. Mysterious, too, but not without clues leading from one isolated insight to another. Only at novel's end is the tapestry turned and all piercingly revealed.

Let's look at the mysteries as they appear to the principal female of the BLACK DWARF, beautiful teen-age Miss Isabella Vere of Ellieslaw Castle. What does she know of herself and her family? Her long dead mother is buried in the castle's chapel in a tomb of Italianate beauty (Ch. 17). Her wealthy, stern father is a political schemer, aiming to become more powerful to restore the male line of the Stuarts. To that end he is pressuring Isabella to wed the odious Jacobite, Sir Frederick Langley. Yet Isabella herself is fonder of a young nobleman named Earnscliff. She is being visited by two cousins, Nancy and Lucy Ilderton. Lucy in particular knows that Isabella hates the one and loves the other. There is also some dark but hushed up ancient stain on Isabella's father's honor; he was almost killed in a brawl when his best friend, Sir Edward Mauley, saved his life by slaying his opponent. After a year's imprisonment for manslaughter, Sir Edward disappeared. Meanwhile Isabella's father had married Isabella's mother, a kinswoman of Sir Edward.

Isabella unknowingly meets her destiny one day in 1707 riding in the wilds of Scotland near the English border with her two cousins. They come upon a tiny hut recently constructed on Mucklestane Moor. They had heard that it was built by a strong but hideous misanthropic dwarf who calls himself Elshender the Recluse. In the few months he has been there, despite his constantly invoking the deserved doom of the entire human race, he has done much grudgingly offered good to the local people by way of healing and advice. From them he has earned from the names Canny Elshie and the Wise Wight of Mucklestane Moor (Ch. 5).

The dwarf dismisses with sarcasm the cousins after Lucy offers to pay to have her fortune told. But Elshender detains Miss Vere, whom he calls Isabel. He has known her parents.

Does he also know her, Isabella asks. "Yes; this is the first time you have crossed my waking eyes, but I have seen you in my dreams." He added that he was no common fortune-teller but knew that her life was beset with real and potential evils. These included "unsuccessful love, crossed affections, the gloom of a convent, or an odious alliance." Her sad situation combined with her kind words to him made the ugly little man shed a rare tear. Those tears had been a good deed done to him by her. The dwarf rewarded her with a rose from his garden and the promise that if ever she needed him, she should deliver to him in person that rose or one of its petals.

Who is this Wise Wight of Mucklestane Moor? Why does he except Isabella Vere from his general self-pitying loathing of the human race. It would spoil the ending to provide more clues. Suffice it to say that THE BLACK DWARF is a masterly study of what happens when a deformed but sensitive, generous young nobleman is betrayed by fiancee and best friend, loses his mind, partially recovers it and is caught up in a planned rebellion of Scots against Queen Anne and the recently created United Kingdom. -OOO-

My interest was stoked when an article was printed in the Washington Post regarding this topic. What an eye-opener! Current-day Georgetown is bleach-white but this book tells the whole story. I gave one as a gift. Highly recomended!

I was raised in Washington, DC so this book is particularly close to my heart. It chronicles more than 300 years of black history in the nation's capital. From stories about slavery to the March on Washington, DC has a strong and varied African American history. It is arranged chronologically, with interesting tidbits and mini profiles on the sides. The pictures alone tell a wonderful story. A great addition to any history buff's shelf!

I'm usually concerned about purchasing items on line, especially books. I can honestly say that this experience was worth it. I would recommend this seller to anyone interested in purchasing good quality books at extremely reasonable prices.

Buy with confidence, I did!