Massachusetts Books

This is my 4th LG book and I haven't been disappointed yet. What I like most about this series is that the writers are about the same age as I am, so they know which place I would most likely want to visit. In my opinion, it has the most detailed info (compared to other travel guides, I also bought the Lonely Planet New England). I wish LG also had a New England book. I used the interesting tidbits in the book about the places I visited for my picture captions, and people always tell me they never knew that, even Bostonians! Overall, I'm very happy with LG and will continue buying it for my future travels.

I bought this book right before I moved to Boston because I didn't know anyone here to show me around. I've used it religiously. And so has everyone else that has been to my apartment: roommates and visitors alike. The info is useful, accurate, and most importantly, the sites that are most affordable are in here... *perfect* for a recent college grad or budget-minded traveler. Now that I've lived in Boston for 2 years now, I still find it useful whenever someone comes to visit and I need ideas.

It's seriously the best book you can buy for this city.

Here's a tip: The Blue Man Group show is great. Better yet, you can see it FOR FREE!!!! As an usher. Just call the Charles Playhouse (info in book), ask to be an usher, they'll schedule you, give you the full behind-the-scenes experience and it's SOoo much fun cleaning up at the end (believe it or not!). Not many ppl know this, even the locals, so take advantage of this!

This book was unbelievable for this location. Compared to fodor's, frommers and the like it had the most user friendly context. Their was some cool insights into the city, its history, and its culture. Easy to find information on all topics with colored tabs on the edge of the page so you can jump from nitelife, to food, to lodging, to transportation. Very handy when your on the street or on the "T" subway.
What more could I recommend about this book is that their headquarters is right next to Harvard Univ.

Other great things about Boston. A very small city, clean and user friendly. Bostonians are very helpful and aren't as bad since this Nor Cal Guy was expecting East Coast "Jerks".

Must Sees
1. Fenway, $20 standing room only tickets or at least do the tour.
2. Duck Tour, very fun and goes in the charles river.
3. Liberty trail. A great walking/trolley tour of the historic boston. Maybe 5 miles, but i did it at a snails pace in about 6 hours.
4. buy a $37 citypass (citypass.com) that includes;JFK Library, Harvard Mus, Science Mus, MFA(MusFineAart, my fav), Prudential Bldg, Aquarium.
5. Go in the summer!!
6. Get wkly T line pass for $16.50 and it includes buses, downtown trains and water taxi (Jul 2004)

Good Luck and you'll Love it!!

I have read quite a lot on the Civil War and the events leading up to it. I would highly recommend this book to anyone with any interest in the period. It is a a history of the Northern polical crisis from the time of the election in 1860 to the firing on Sumter. It is completely from the Northern perspective, the South perspective is completely ignored (it was about 4/5 through the book before the election of J. Davis is mentioned). With that in mind, the story that comes to life in this book is fascinating. This is a period that tends to be glossed over by most histories. The author does a phenominal job at putting the reader in the mindset of the times as the crisis evolved. I learned quite a few new things and enjoyed it.

The normal historical point of view for November 1860 to April 1861 is Southern. Lincoln and the efforts to find a comprise are noted but the main story is what the South is doing. This book changes that by concentrating on Northern politics and reactions. Secession and all the maneuvering for and against it, take place off stage. Except for South Carolina, leaving the Union was a wrenching process. Many Southern states resisted secession until the very end. Kentucky was not able to make a choice and Maryland may not have been able to choose. Their stories are the subject of most histories about this period.
What about the North? How did the political, personal and public opinion shape a response to the crisis? This book tells that story and what a story it is. The Democrats, badly damaged by the events 1860, try to blame everything on the Republicans. While they work to construct a comprise to save the Union one more time. The Republicans are not united nor are they sure how to proceed. A substantial part of the party sides with the Democrats in trying to find a comprise. Another large faction is ready to allow the South to leave the Union. Large numbers feel that secession is wrong but that the Federal government lacks the authority to force states back into the Union. Many question if it is desirable to use force to maintain the Union and if doing so would not destroy the Union. Added is the plea of Southern Unionists for something to stop secession.
Lincoln, Douglas, Seward stride across these pages. Each man with multiple agendas that create and destroy alliances. Each man trying to lead his political party, maintain the Union and do what he feels is best for the nation. Shifting priorities, new developments, regional pride and abrupt changes of position make this a rollercoaster ride even if we know the story.
Russell McClintock is an excellent author. He tells this story in a straightforward manner with minimum back tracking. This allows each event to be placed in the proper perspective of the time and almost makes the reader forget we know the story. While moving from Washington to Springfield to New York, we never lose the story line nor the reason for the trip.
The decisions made during this time were difficult ones. The issues were complex and the correct response unclear. This book captures that and explains it to the reader in an informative and enjoyable way.

McClintock's first historical non-fiction fully engages the reader in the politics and personalities that defined the most important four months in the history of the United States, the months between Lincoln's election and the firing on Fort Sumter. Although clear that the ultimate decision for the war lied with Lincoln, McClintock provides insight into the significance of other key players, from Democratic leader Stephen Douglas to Republican party leader William Seward. However, more than just a politcal history, letters and quotes from common townspeople provide a complete view of the perceptions of the time. As an avid reader of history, I can safely say that this work combines the detail of Shelby Foote with the adventure of David McCullough. Bravo McClintock!

As the titele shows, this book is an intro to English linguistics. It covers almost all the fields of linguistics---morphology, phonetics, phonology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics, and sociolinguistics. In this book, there are many examples, tables, and exercises. You can learn synthetic concepts of linguistics by reading the book. English is rather easy so even the foreign people can make good use of the textbook. You can rethink about the language and communication and it will be very interesting.

This is a great book... I had to read it in a period of 9 weeks; and that is a lot for me, I like taking my time, but with this book I only wanted to keep going. The definitions were simple and I did not have to go back and read again because I got lost somewhere in the text.

This is the second edition and fourth printing of this popular text by Akmajian, Demers, and Harnish at the University of Arizona. Although this text is now over 15 years old, it's still a fine introduction to the subject. One nice thing about the book is that the prose is not too technical for the beginning reader while providing excellent coverage of the important concepts and technical points. This is often a problem with linguistics texts since, unlike other technical subjects, most people have little or no background in linguistics before taking their first real course in the subject, and having previously learned a foreign language isn't as helpful as many students might think since much of linguistics, especially in the transformational grammar and generative grammar and analytical syntax areas, is a highly technical, formal, and even mathematical discipline now.

As I am mainly a neuroscientist and secondarily a linguist, I was most interested in Part 3 of this book. The first two parts present the usual linguistics topics such as phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, language variation, and evolution. Part 3 deals with the area of Psycholinguistics, and there are four chapters discussing language from the standpoint of Cognitive Psychology and Neuropsychology. The four chapters are: Pragmatics: The Study of Language Use and Communication; Speech Production and Comprehension; Language Acquisition in Chimp and Child;, and Language and the Brain. The chapter on the brain might be a little too basic for neuroscience students, but it's an excellent introduction for the linguistics students, and I noticed that a number of the classic experiments such as the famous "Wada test" and dichotic listening experiments were discussed, as well as topics like conduction aphasia, Broca's aphasia, Wernicke's aphasia, hemispheric localization and dominance, and so on.

Overall still a fine text and worth picking up used if you can find it, when it will be bargain for the price.

This book is a collection of personal memoirs from Ralph Fletcher's youth. I love the fact that each of these chapters can stand alone as a story or the book could be read in its entirety. Each story is easy for kids and adults alike to connect to and enjoy. As a teacher, I think the chapters could easily be used as short shared or mentor texts for reading and writing workshop. As an adult reader, I truly loved the stories and found myself revisiting childhood adventures and challenges.

As a teacher, I find Fletcher's collection of small moments to be a great teaching resource. Each short story is carefully crafted with great detail. I use this book to model writing small moments. The children in my class ask me to read a story before writing or when they "get stuck." Marshfield Dreams is a must have for teaching small moments or memoirs.

In 35 short chapters, Ralph Fletcher shares stories of his childhood neighborhood, family, and friends. Covering topics that include a description of his neighborhood, his feelings and memories of the important people in his life, games he played, school days, pets, and childhood illnesses, this story kept me entranced from start to finish. I loved the author's simple yet moving revelation of his own feelings, especially the poignant chapter about his father, "Last Kiss."

Publisher information sets reader age at grades 5 to 8, but the kid-friendly layout of this book will appeal to readers in grades 2-4, particularly if read aloud. Teens working on author reports or personal essays will find the book interesting as well. Teachers will find this memoir a handy tool in writing workshops, if used in conjunction with specific writing topics such as description, characterization, or dialogue. Fletcher's use of details brings his stories to life. Student writers can learn much about turning ordinary life events and feelings into effective stories.

As an adult reader, I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It's got a little something for every reader. I can't recommend this book enough for teachers. If you assign journal writing for young writers, this book will provide infinite topic inspiration.

I can hardly wait to read this book again..Massachhusetts is my home state and it is dear to my heart..I lent this book to someone who never returned it and I have searched for years to find it again. Thanks to Amazon I'll soon own it. A must read..

I live in Massachusetts and have been familiar with the history and visited many of the historical sites. They are full of facts, etc. but nothing lets you actually live the life as this book does. It's the top of my list. It's a big book but very fast-paced. Wished it wouldn't end.

I read this book years ago and it still stands among my top three books of all time. I'm sorry it wasn't required reading during high school - I would have come away from graduation with a much more meaningful understanding of the growth of my home state.

Okay, so you're looking for a copy of the Metamorphoses in English, and are bewildered by the variety of translations which are widely available today -- Slavitt, Melville, Mandelbaum, Gregory, Humphries, and now Simpson. Translations are a tricky thing, especially translations of ancient authors, whose unique styles and literary conventions are next to impossible to convey in another language. Any translator of Ovid can only rarely hope to convey the most distinctive qualities of his verse -- the rapid hexameters, colorful diction, word play, shifting narrative tone, and cleverly rhetorical phrasing. In Latin, the Metamorphoses is a vivid and swiftly-paced poem, a richly-textured mix of stories that are amusing, witty, and always entertaining. Getting some of this -- indeed, any of this -- into English is a tall order.

The best translation is one that is highly readable and yet accurate, a faithful rendering of the most distinctive qualities of the original and not an exercise in the free invention of ideas and expressions that are nowhere to be found in the Latin. Verse translations frequently capture, at least somewhat, the feel and flow of classical poetry, and I confess that I am partial to them. On the other hand, prose translations of geat poetic works -- I am thinking especially of Vergil's Aeneid -- often fail utterly to convey the spirit of the original. However, upon reading this translation of the Metamorphoses I am beginning to reconsider this view.

Simpson's Metamorphoses is a triumph of the translator's art. In language that is clear, direct, and highly faithful to the diction and syntax of the original Latin, he has turned Ovidian verse into highly readable English prose. I am quite familiar with the Metamorphoses in Latin, and read it comfortably in the original. However, I often have a need to read the poem in English and am familiar with a wide variety of translations. Each has its own shortcomings, and some are frankly annoying to read at all. Simpson has managed to steer clear of the pitfalls waiting to trap those who seek to render Ovid into English, offering a version that should satisfy the needs of many different readers.

The value of this edition is greatly enhanced by over 200 pages of in-depth notes, a full bibliography of major scholarship on the poem, and a highly useful index.

I strongly recommend this version of the Metamorphoses, which will likely be the only one that I turn to for the indefinite future.

Okay, so you're looking for a copy of the Metamorphoses in English, and are bewildered by the variety of translations which are widely available today -- Slavitt, Melville, Mandelbaum, Gregory, Humphries, and now Simpson. Translations are a tricky thing, especially translations of ancient authors, whose unique styles and literary conventions are next to impossible to convey in another language. Any translator of Ovid can only rarely hope to convey the most distinctive qualities of his verse -- the rapid hexameters, colorful diction, word play, shifting narrative tone, and cleverly rhetorical phrasing. In Latin, the Metamorphoses is a vivid and swiftly-paced poem, a richly-textured mix of stories that are amusing, witty, and always entertaining. Getting some of this -- indeed, any of this -- into English is a tall order.

The best translation is one that is highly readable and yet accurate, a faithful rendering of the most distinctive qualities of the original and not an exercise in the free invention of ideas and expressions that are nowhere to be found in the Latin. Verse translations frequently capture, at least somewhat, the feel and flow of classical poetry, and I confess that I am partial to them. On the other hand, prose translations of geat poetic works -- I am thinking especially of Vergil's Aeneid -- often fail utterly to convey the spirit of the original. However, upon reading this translation of the Metamorphoses I am beginning to reconsider this view.

Simpson's Metamorphoses is a triumph of the translator's art. In language that is clear, direct, and highly faithful to the diction and syntax of the original Latin, he has turned Ovidian verse into highly readable English prose. I am quite familiar with the Metamorphoses in Latin, and read it comfortably in the original. However, I often have a need to read the poem in English and am familiar with a wide variety of translations. Each has its own shortcomings, and some are frankly annoying to read at all. Simpson has managed to steer clear of the pitfalls waiting to trap those who seek to render Ovid into English, offering a version that should satisfy the needs of many different readers.

The value of this edition is greatly enhanced by over 200 pages of in-depth notes, a full bibliography of major scholarship on the poem, and a highly useful index.

I strongly recommend this version of the Metamorphoses, which will likely be the only one that I turn to for the indefinite future.

This handsomely-produced volume is actually a double value -- two books in one. The first part is a prose translation of Ovid's fifteen-book, 12,000-line Latin poem on transformations effected by the Roman versions of the Greek gods, with footnotes indicating when, how and why Simpson is departing from a commonly used text (the Loeb Classical Library edition). This is very clear and readable, but there are several other translations available (including a very recent -- November 2003 -- verse translation by Charles Martin, from W.W. Norton). I have seen most of them, and read several with care, and I like Simpson's version a lot. Despite being a good reflection of Ovid's intensely sophisticated style, it is as clear as the Mary M. Innes prose translation of 1955, which was reprinted for decades in the Penguin Classics series (although at the moment it seems to have been displaced by a Penguin edition of Arthur Golding's Elizabethan verse translation, at least in the Penguin catalogue, if not on store shelves). [A verse translation by David Raeburn was released as a Penguin Classic in Auust 2004, and may -- or may not -- be its permanent replacement.]

The second part -- about half the volume by number of pages, probably much more in terms of wordage, given the slightly smaller typeface used -- is a running commentary on the poem, generally closely integrated with Simpson's rendering. This is in itself a departure from recent practice. There are a number of excellent stand-alone studies of the "Metamorphoses," to which Simpson frequently refers the reader. There are commentaries of various ages on the Latin text (notably the recent volumes by William Anderson). Translations however, have generally contained much less comprehensive notes, and those with brief commentaries have tended to be "aides to the reader," supplying the myth-deprived modern with essential information on the ancient gods (e.g., that Jove is another name for Jupiter, and Phoebus is the same person as Apollo). Simpson's commentary far exceeds in scope and ambition, as well as size, the otherwise impressive set of notes by E.J. Kenney to A.D. Melville's verse translation (1986; Oxford World's Classics), to take one example.

In fact, the only comparable joining of a "modern" English translation and extended commentary with which I am familiar is the combination of Brookes More's verse translation with surveys of Ovid's sources and his influence on later art and literature by Wilmon Brewer (1895-1998), which was also published separately as "Ovid's Metamorphoses in European Culture." That translation-and-commentary appeared in five-book sections in 1933, 1941, and 1948, and the whole work was reprinted (somewhat "revised") as recently as 1978. Brewer's commentary remains interesting, but for understanding the poem it relies heavily on formerly current views about Ovid's supposed Hellenistic sources. By and large it amounts to a series of essays on the stories, rather than a close analysis of what Ovid does with them, and how he does it. (And, as it can be published separately, it is really another book about the poem, rather than a close commentary.)

Simpson is an authority on extant sources of Greek myths, and their subsequent literary developments -- see the commentary included in his translation of "The Library" of Apollodorus, published as "Gods and Heroes of the Greeks". In treating Ovid, however, Simpson usually notes only the most prominent of Ovid's literary predecessors, notably Homer, Hesiod, and Virgil, with whose versions of some of the stories Ovid's original audience would certainly have been familiar. Instead, he deals with Ovid's literary creation. Points of poetic style, and the moral and political implications of passages are covered. So are complex problems of the structure of the whole poem, and its parts, such as the tangle of cross-reference, tales told by characters in stories told by characters in Ovid's narrative. The result is an intriguing view of Ovid, not as a clever poet and skilled anthologist, but as a master of the narrative art.

The volume concludes with an exceptionally detailed index, which also serves as a concise glossary.

[Note: A very favorable review of this translation by Sara Mack, just now (September 30, 2004) available in the online "Bryn Mawr Classical Review," reports that a revised edition of Simpson's "Metamorphoses" is forthcoming, sometime during the current (2004-2005?) academic year. This will apparently will include some substantive revisions, as well as correction of numerous typographical errors (many of which I seem to have read past without noticing). I would urge the curious to consult Mack's review for a professional Latinist's perspective on the problem of translating Ovid, as well as a far more authoritative evaluation of Simpson's work than I can provide.]

I must admit this is one of the better written "mountain bike guide" books for the Boston area. It's obvious the author did more than just hang at the trailhead to interview local riders.....he got on his bike and observed firsthand the joys and challenges of the trails he reviewed. Cutler's descriptions are awesome......he's a mountain biker's friend.

The Topo information is excellent, and in my humble opinion, a necessity for any mtb guide (why don't others do this basic research?).......If riding in Boston is in your plans or you're a local looking for new trails, this book is your starting point.....

I'm not the enthusiast for biking that author Jeff Cutler so obviously is, but I sure do like this great little guide to two-wheeling in the Boston area. I was amazed at the number of historic/relaxing/scenic/just-plain-fun trails within a few miles of where I live just west of Boston. And I enjoyed the author's readable style and enthusiastic descriptions of what you'll see - and what you'll encounter - along the way. In fact, the "trail detail" that Mr. Cutler provides is definitely reassuring. And the 15-page section up front is a remarkably helpful introduction to the joys - and pitfalls - of off-road biking. Whether you're a novice or an expert, you'll find at least one ride in here that seems designed just for you. I highly recommend this book as a great read that will show you the trail to a great ride.

Great for novice to expert riders looking for new places to ride in eastern Massachusetts. With fantastic maps, great directions and concise ride descriptions. Try the Boston ride!!

What's not to like? The pictures are beautiful and the information is good. Prices are accurate too. One of the few items in my short history of collecting glass that I've found actually can be bought and sold for the prices listed. My only complaint is that a number of times they picture the same item twice. We love pictures, surely there were enough items available that pictures didn't have to be repeated.

Author Kenneth M. Wilson passed away before publication of his opus MT. WASHINGTON & PAIRPOINT GLASS - but he reviewed and approved the page proofs and had written two chapters of the projected second volume (which will be prepared in future using his research materials and illustrations), so nothing lacks in MT. WASHINGTON except the author's ability to enjoy his finished product. The Mt. Washington Glass Works and the companies after it make up America's second-oldest glass manufacturer: the factory opened for business in the mid-1800s and spun off another business in silver plating. Glass collectors will find MT. WASHINGTON & PAIRPORT GLASS the definitive encyclopedia of the manufacturer's works: the volume has been long awaited by collectors and provides an extensive company history to compliment an in-depth coverage of its many products. Chapters come packed with black and white and color illustrations and photos, providing descriptions and color illustrations of all glasses and silver-plated wares and reviewing design, craftsmanship and unique attributes. Add indexes of patents and trademarks, glass decorators who operated in the region from 1867 to 1902, and illustrations of ads, production records and more and you have a truly outstanding reference.

We have waited a very long time for a comprehensive book on this beautiful American art glass and Betty Sisk has provided us with a treat for the eyes! The photos are beautiful in full color and plentiful. I did not know that such examples of this artform existed until feasting on this book. All collectors of art glass must add this to their libraries. The information with each type of glass is insightful and just enough to ready the reader for the pictures to follow. The insight provided is both scholarly and from a collector's perspective. Prices are given in a fair range to give a fair market value. And what pictures there are to enjoy! Many glass types are well covered for the first time. This book will set a very high standard by which all other references on this glass will be judged in the years to come. We indeed owe the author a debt due to this subject's neglect until now. This is a must buy! We have waited a long time to get this book-thanks Betty!!

We love this adorable board book. My youngest one has memorized the words and "reads" it along with me. Great illustrations!

This colorful counting boardbook is such a pleasure to read to my kids! The whimsical illustrations really capture my 2-year-old, and my 4-year old loves to find the hidden mouse on every page (strange, he doesn't tire of this!) The book takes you away to a beautiful Nantucket day!

My six month old girl loves the colorful, whimsical characters. My three year old loves the little mouse hiding on every page and is having fun learning to count! I bought this book for all my friends with children. Adorable.

Everything I have tried in this book is delicious, even when the ingredients aren't 100% fresh from Nantucket. The are easy and simple to prepare as well.

The Nantucket Table is beautifully illustrated, crisply written, and full of tasty recipes. Try the salmon in parchment and grilled leg of lamb. Fabulous. This book is a real winner.

The Nantucket Table is beautifully illustrated, crisply written, and full of tasty recipes. Try the salmon in parchment and grilled leg of lamb. Fabulous. This book is a real winner.