Maine Books

This unique book addresses decorating styles based on personality - the visionary, the artisan, the idealist and the adventurer. It contains quizzes to test your style and then shows examples of each type of room for each of the four styles. I liked the page of each style section that states -"You may be an artisan if ..." and it lists different traits. Also at the end of each style is the alphabet for each style - and it gives buzz words for each style. Very unique and creative; fun to read with good ideas.

I liked this book, I ended up giving it away to a friend and I will purchase it again and again. You will be able to share with your group of friends the personality test and understand why you like some stuff and why your friends like other things.

My wife and I have eclectic tatses. Our home consists of a 300+ cookie jar collection all the way through to antique tables, beds and chairs. We have spent many years collecting/decorating, and are constantly seeking opportunities to bridge the gap between our differing design points of view. It is important to us both, that as we personalize each room, and balance is achieved to mesh our combined tastes. Since we entertain frequently, our environment is very important, as we seek to provide warmth and coziness, while at the same time, provoke thoughts of curiosity and of course, smiles. We achieve this through our art, furnishings and use of space, and are actively searching for additions to furnish. The Intuitive Book of Home Design helped us to focus on identifying our unique personalities to ensure that we achieve balance. The test was particularly revealing, not to mention fun. We did find ourselves somewhat on the edge of more then one type, which might explain how the mix of my wife's taste and style, while different then mine, can work well as we developed a greater understanding and appreciation for our unique points of view through our reading.

Thanks Judy.

Andrew Koven - A satisfied and enlightened Fan

I guess I must be one of the few people that didn't like this book. The quiz may be simple, but it is not very helpful. I was excited to learn what personality Type I was, but when I looked at the photos, I didn't feel like it fit my design style. I think that only four styles is way too few to encompass the varity that is present in interior decoration. I was also disappointed in a similar book called Yes/No Design. Sometimes, if a book doesn't have very useful tips, but beautiful photos, I might still buy the book. The photos don't save this book from the reject pile.

I think that people are much better off choosing their own unique style of interior decoration then trying to have it dictated to them by a quiz. Sometimes, interior decoration is about breaking the rules and going with your own intuition.

Recommendation: There are other books that will give you better guidance towards developing your own style. Good luck!

Other Resources:

The Ultimate Home Style Guide by Katherine Sorrell is the best book on the broadest range of styles that I have seen. Almost all styles are represented here with enough details on colors, fabrics, and other style elements to create the looks yourself.

The Architecture and Design Library series are excellent primers on different design styles. Each book focusess on one style, such as eastern style, Arts & Crafts, French Country, and Retro Modern to name just a few.

Color in Your Home by T. Evelegh has one of the best primers on how to use color. The photos are beautiful. The style is modern country and/or feminine (but not overdone) color schemes.

Color Design File by Geddes-Brown also does a great job of covering the basics, and there are beautiful photos. I like the fact that there are pockets for swatches and magazine inspirations. This book shows primarily Loft style.

Not only was the "quiz" extremely easy to take, fun to read and quite inciteful but the illustrations, the content and presentation of this book was absolutely an A+ for me. It doesn't matter what level of "expertise" you categorize yourself in with respect to interior design...this book touches everyone at every level. It's also a great gift idea!

This book is interesting and easy to read. It seems to give a good detailed view of what it was like for some of the westerners involved in the Boxer Rebellion.

And that is also it's fault and why I only gave it four stars.

Even though the author tries to give some historical background and makes attempts at being even handed she falls short.

After reading the book I still do not feel I have a good grasp of what it was all about, nor do I know anything about how it was perceived or what the reactions were among the Chinese.

It seems to be a westerners view of what happened with a subtle bias against the Chinese, and unspoken support for armed invasion resulting in a multitude of deaths, atrocities, and crimes against history in order to rescue a few hundred westerners. As another reviewer said this book could have been written in 1905.

With the usual disclaimer of not knowing enough to judge the scholarship of the work I think it is worth reading considering the short amount of time it takes to finish.

The author does an excellent job of writing and researching this book however, it is obviously based from the point of view of the imperial powers. This would be fine if she expressed this clearly and emphatically in the Prologue or even added a chapter at the beginning describing the opium wars and a more thorough description of the actions of the imperial powers leading p to the rebellion.

Later in the book Ms. Preston mentions several quotes from German military and political leaders but fails to follow up on their implications in future events. Comments from German officers about the inadequacy of French troops and statements that they could defeat "all of America with a Berlin Fire brigade" clearly set the tone for Germany's attitude towards the armies they would later attack. Germany's' other ominous statements are also glossed over "the Chinese "would feel the iron fist of Germany heavy on their necks"" (p.25) and later "You must know my men, that you are about to meet a crafty, well-armed foe! Meet him and beat him! Give him no quarter! Take no prisoners! Kill him when he falls into your hands! Even as a thousand years ago. the Huns under king Atilla made such a name for themselves as still resounds in terror through legend and fable, so may never again will a Chinese dare to so much as look askance at a German." (p.209) The author also mentions that most of the Chinese modern weapons and war ships came from Germany and especially from the krupp family but fails to follow up with the fact that the Krupps would continue to enrich themselves by selling arms to both sides in many conflicts and by encouraging the following world wars. Despite the fact that they would be tried for their crimes the Krupp manufacturing empire still thrives in plastics.

In summary Ms. Preston seems to fail to put the long term effects of the boxer rebellion especially of the multinational rescue force that would later be fighting each other, into a larger historical context. This leaves the book as a fascinating first hand account of the besieged and their rescuers viewpoints, but fails to adequately explain the reason for the uprising in the first place, and its long term results. This combined with the lack of a Chinese point of view results more in a collection of personnel narratives, impressions and feelings and less of an analysis of the Boxer Rebellion and how it "Shook the World".

R Philip Reynolds
Research Education Librarian

Preston's book is typical of the ethnocentric views characteristic of the previous literature on the subject. Although written in the politically correct present, it still harbors those biased sentiments of the past. Little is said about the arrogant Western powers running ramshod over China, grabbing land, carving spheres of influence and insulting the locals. Little is said of an incident during the Boxer rebellion in the Amur River town of Blagoveshchensk, where all Chinese inhabitants of the neighboring 64-villages were driven at gun-point into the Amur to drown en-masse. Thousands died and what was Chinese terrritory was taken over by the Russians. On the cultural side, the plunder of art treasures by both troops and diplomatic personnel went unchecked. The rape of civilians and summary executions by the occupying troops followed. The famous Admonitions scroll, one of the oldest masterpieces of Chinese painting, now in the British Museum, was looted at the time fom the Imperial Palace. The horrendous indemnity levied against the Chinese, 450 million taels of silver, one tael per person when most Chinese were barely making a few cents, is downright criminal. When the indemnity was paid in full by 1939, China was suffering the ravages of the Japanese invasion while the West continued to sell Japan the oil and other raw materials that allowed her to prolong the war. History is not one-sided as some people might wish to interpret it. The definitive Boxer Rebellion has yet to be written and is eagerly awaited.

Preston's book has a number of fundamental weaknesses which belie its title and ultimately can only be characterized as racist in their utter indifference to the lives and personalities of the Chinese. Preston again and again quotes the racist drivel of the White officers and politicians, without once taking distance from such remarks, without once calling them what they were--despicably racist. I very much agree with the first review that, the Preston's book presented "`good Europeans' vs. the `bad" Chinese" and that, "Rudyard Kipling would be proud."

Throughout the book Preston repeated refers to the Chinese men with the racist epithet -- "Chinaman," and repeatedly and uncritically quotes the racist U.S. and British troops and government officials calling the Chinese "chinks." Preston also frequently uses "coolie" without clarifying the usage of this term for Chinese men as cheap laborers, or who have been press-ganged into labor or indentured servitude. It is certainly considered racist and Preston should have clarified why she felt she had or could use it, instead of simply saying "laborer" or a Chinese man.

Preston also refers to some of the Chinese solders, the Kansu, as "braves." While the term "Kansu brave" was the common racist term used at the time, there is no reason for Preston to repeat it.

Even the conservative and historically racist dictionaries such as Websters and the OED are clear on the matter:

--"CHINAMAN: 1 capitalized : a native of China : CHINESE often taken to be offensive" Merriam-Webster's Unabridged Dictionary

--"COOLIE: [...] b. S. Afr. [Afrikaans koelie (also used).] An Asian or Indian, esp. one of the lower classes. Also attrib.
1920 Cape Times 1 Apr. 3/2 Great Public Sale.+ No coolies. 1959 L. Lerner Englishman xiv. 220 It was his girl the other one took, the one who slept with koelies. Ibid. xv. 226 You wont, you koelie girl. 1967 Guardian 4 Oct. 13/7 In South Africa the word `coolie' is used by some whites to describe Asians, and is as bitterly resented by them as the word `Kaffir' is resented by Africans." Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd Ed.

No doubt such was the despicable language of the time and the author should accurately quote this reality, but it is also true that to fail to distance herself from this racism, makes her susceptible to being identified with it.

As is often the case with most "histories" of events involving whites and people of color, the history is written from the perspective of the whites. Rather than a history of the Boxer Rebellion, Preston writes a gushing and admiring history of the lives of the elite whites from the various legations (embassies of the day) that were under siege. Preston makes no effort to explain or analyze what events had taken place that led to this uprising. She also failed to provide any background of the persons in the legations. Rather than admirable heroes, these ambassadors or ministers were the persons in charge of imposing the humiliating and murderous policies of collecting crippling payments of "reparations" imposed at gunpoint by invading forces, as well as deleterious trade policies forced on the Chinese by occupying forces. Preston fails to make any mention whatsoever of this very important background that explains in good part the ire of the Chinese people toward these foreigners.

Why were so many millions of Chinese enraged against the foreign invaders who had imposed their presence in China at gunpoint, who had killed thousands of Chinese, and forced the sale of opium addicting millions of Chinese?

Why were so many Chinese enraged at the missionaries? The book does mention in passing what it characterizes as the "high-handed attitude" of the racist missionaries. It fails to mention the slave labor utilized by the missionaries, the humiliations and beatings and worse of Chinese at the hand of the missionaries. These missions were usually established on stolen lands, often using false accusation to force the Chinese authorities to handover lands they desired.

Preston fails to mention all this and much more. Preston refers with great sympathy to the killings of missionaries, calling them "murders" and using inflammatory terms such as "gruesome" to describe the acts. Yet such language is missing from any description of the terrible murders of tens of thousands of Chinese in their own country at the hands of foreign invaders. Preston makes great effort to arouse the reader to the alleged atrocities against the foreign missionaries. Yet the murders of the Chinese are largely presented as trifles by Preston. In Preston's book murder is reserved only for the death of whites. It would appear that Preston does not assign Chinese lives the same value.

Only briefly does Preston mention the near apocalyptic famine killing millions of Chinese peasants between 1887-1901. Another publication, "Late Victorian Holocausts: El Niño Famines and the Making of the Third Word, by Mike Davis, does a good job of documenting the fact that these famines were in part due to droughts but in fact they were largely due to the inhuman demands of the European governments for "reparation" payments imposed on the Chinese.

Preston also fails to provide any background to the readers concerning the procolonial character of the missionary societies. In fact, the missionary societies served as spies and provocateurs, and provided pretexts to justify colonial demands and attacks against the Chinese. An example was the use by the French of alleged slights against missionaries as the pretext for invading and seizing Vietnam. The author Mike Davis explained, "The first phase of drought, which lasted from 1897 through summer 1898, caused acute distress in the western and southern counties of Shandong, where anti-foreign anger was already at a fever-pitch because of repeated German military interventions on behalf of Catholic missionaries."

Other than a handful of Chinese elite generally described unflatteringly by Preston, there are no Chinese people in her story. In Preston's book, the Chinese are largely nameless caricatures who simply serve as examples of primitive cruelty, except for the noble and servile Christian converts. Of the thousands of converts being held in the legation not one has a name. Interestingly, even the Japanese other than their commanding officers have no names, and no accounts are given by Preston. It seems odd that none of the Japanese would have written diaries nor given interviews about their experience. Indeed, the descriptions of the social life and partying of the interventionists does not include any descriptions of the Japanese, except to refer to their military bravery and discipline in killing Chinese, and their subsequent mass rapes and slaughtering of the Chinese.

Another example of Preston's viewpoint is provided when she writes "for most the diet was a monotonous one of horse, pony, or mule and rice, which gave many people digestive problems and make the feel `out of sorts'." The "most" that Preston refers to are the white Europeans, which is eloquently revealing of Preston's values. While the colonialists are bored with meat, the Chinese converts are left starving, eating tree bark, or if they are lucky, Preston describes the Europeans occasionally leaving the Chinese the largely inedible head and guts of a horse, after they took all the meat.

Preston's descriptions of the Europeans are the usual adulatory tripe of the jolly good and decent, noble and brave white men and women, who faced the hordes of savages with a touch of humor and a dash of fashion. In one part of the book Preston describes the dashing whites who, notwithstanding the inconveniences of the war, were sure to keep clean and wear clean clothes. Preston describes a laundry service for the whites. Unsurprisingly, she does not clarify who was doing the washing. Obviously, it must have been the Chinese hostages who had been forced to keep the Europeans' clothes clean, while the Chinese were filthy and dying. Moreover, as the Chinese were severely malnourished, imposing such hard physical labor as washer-men and women can only have hastened their misery and death. But Preston expresses no concern for with such matters while she spends most of her book describing the parties, food, gossip and hardships, for the white Europeans, which an occasional obligatory mention of the Chinese hardships, and European discrimination.

"When a shell burst into the bakery and killed on the Chinese bakers, Madame Chamot kept the others [Chinese] to their work by brandishing a rifle." [page 159] How quaint!

Preston describes the rapes of the Chinese schoolgirls among the converts by the white soldiers, using a grotesque euphemism "unfortunate incidents" [page 182]. Preston belittles the horror in a titillating humorous tone that is absolutely shocking.

A far more thorough critique of Preston's book is certainly needed, as I have barely scratched the surface.

The short lived, generally forgotten Boxer Rebellion took place in North China in 1900. The Boxers were Chinese rebels who hated foreign Christian missionaries, their converts, and the foreign diplomats who had taken up residence in China during the last century. They wanted China to be rid of all of them. They were called "Boxers" because of the martial arts they practiced and the poses they assumed. It was very short lived, put down in a couple of months by a coalition of troops from Great Britain, Russia, Japan, Germany, Italy and the United States.

The author is an Oxford trained historian, writer and broadcaster. As she states, the book is a popular history, telling the story of what happened, not necessarily why. It is published by Berkley Books, a division of Penguin Group which has specialized in best selling authors. While it is intended for a general audience and has been a best seller, the support and documentation for the narrative would make any scholar proud. Relying upon many published sources and unpublished letters, diaries, and statements of the Western survivors, many of them women, the book, which contains extensive endnotes, sets forth the day to day resistance of the foreigners and converts encircled in the diplomatic area of Beijing. To a lesser extent it chronicles the movements of the allied troops slowly coming to relieve them. Finally, assuaging the understandable curiosity of the reader, she tells what happened to the major characters as the disastrous twentieth century progressed. For those readers who have no familiarity with this long forgotten war, the book reads like a novel. The tension every novel must have is present in the slow revealing of how the end came and who survived.

The causes of the war are stated very briefly and without extensive Chinese citations. In fact, this war cries out for a history written by the Chinese, perhaps similar to Arthur Whaley's The Opium War Through Chinese Eyes. The cause, in summary, was that the Boxers were angered by the Christian missionaries (mostly Catholic) and their converts, the "rice Christians." They were also incensed by the disruptions of traditional Chinese life by the construction of railroads and the establishment of other businesses by foreign companies. The diplomatic missions were imposed upon the Chinese as a result of a conflict with the French and English in 1860. Concessions to the Japanese were made as a result of the Treaty of Shimonoseki in 1894. By 1900 there were 672 foreign companies in China, more than half of which were British. The takeover by the foreigners of sections of Beijing and their unilateral actions as occupiers, were not endearing to the Chinese. They certainly were entitled to strongly resent their presence.

The actions of the various nations involved were harbingers of the events to come later in the century. The European powers present in China, as in Africa, were competing for colonies and economic concessions and were keeping more than just an eye on each other. The British had the largest fleet and controlled much of Chinese shipping. The French conversely appeared to have no stomach for armed conflict. The Japanese, on the other hand, were willing to fight and die with the tenacity the world would witness forty years later on Iwo Jima and other South Pacific Islands. The United States, although most of the missionaries were American, was the one nation that just wished everyone would leave China alone. Finally, the Chinese demonstrated a disastrous lack of cohesion and leadership, especially of their military forces.

The barbarity of the Boxers is on display throughout the book. They tortured and killed tens of thousands of missionaries and converts, hacking them to pieces, skinning or burying them alive, or burning them to death. Like the Taliban of recent history, they destroyed churches, temples and other buildings, tore up railways which they particularly hated, and destroyed buildings. They also burned the Hanlin Academy and the only surviving copy of the "fabulous Yung Lo Ta Tien, an encyclopedia completed in 1408 by 2,000 Ming scholars and comprising about 12,000 volumes bound in yellow silk." (139) This was in spite of British efforts, while under attack to extinguish it. Religious fervor or hatred then, as now, seems to lead to the bloodiest acts. The author does not dwell on why.

The characters of some of the players in the drama are well drawn. Of course, pictures help. The British minister to Peking, Sir Claude MacDonald, looks like a British minister should look and he acts the part, leading by undramatic example rationing food, directing the placement of defenses and not being shaken by any of the many small defeats that occurred. The senior American officer present, a future Chief of Staff, Major General Adna Chafee, has an equally representative countenance. His threatening eyes matched his aggressive and courageous actions in directing the American soldiers and in paying respect to those who had fallen. Perhaps the most remarkable is the description of a few members of the diplomatic corps who hid in the British legation compound during the fighting, surfacing to sit outside and drink what appears to be an endless supply of champagne during the lulls. They are contrasted to the women who spent most of the time cooking, making bandages and filling sandbags. The extensive looting that followed the occupation of The Forbidden City is set forth in detail, seemingly accepted as the right of victors.

The Empress Dowager, "the old Buddha," Tzu Hsi, "a woman of unimaginable sexual appetites and political ambition who murdered anyone" (xiii) is a central figure. She and her "state department," the Tsungli Yamen, equivocated; waiting to see if the Boxers would prevail. They judged wrong and threw the weight of the government and its nearby available troops in with the Boxers. Although armed with some of Krupp's most recent weapons they lacked the marksmanship of the U.S. Marines and the discipline of the British and Indian troops. After one false start, led by a British Vice Admiral, Sir Edward Seymour, with only the soldiers and sailors available from the foreign ships in the area, which was repulsed by the Boxers, the allied countries brought in over 20,000 troops from the Philippines, India, Japan, Russia and Indochina. With very little preparation, they fought from the port of Taku through Tientsin, where the first attempt was halted, to Beijing, arriving on August 14 to relieve the encircled missionaries, converts and diplomats.

The questions left open by this book are numerous. Why did the Empress equivocate, letting a rebel group within her country destroy infrastructure and kill missionaries? Why were the diplomats so out of touch so as not to see the violent rebellion coming? What intelligence did they have? After all one of an embassies most important functions is to find out what is going on in the country in which it is located. The leaders of the Boxers are not identified, who were they? We are told the fates of some of the major characters, but are left wondering what their thoughts were, and where all the loot resides. That being said, the author intended to write a popular history and has written a very detailed and interesting one. Many war histories are dulled by endless recitation of where units moved, body counts and rounds fired. This one is not. The author has combined the actions of the civilians in defending themselves and avoiding starvation with the courage of the troops, or the lack of it in a few instances, in rescuing them with little time to spare.

This is one of Anne Rivers Siddons best. Great book with a wonderful twist. Her characters are so real life. My only "complaint" about her (and it's not much of a complaint) is that you need a dictionary next to you when you read any of her books. It's a bit superfluous (see what I mean?). I had a hard time putting this book down. I heartedly recommend this.

I Loved the book, but when I got to the end part of the book was missing.
I had to get another book from my bookclub to finish the book. It would have cost to much to return.
Jonie

Ann Rivers Siddons does a good job of recreating a dysfunctional family and how toxicity reverberates throughout generations; unfortunately, one gets the impression that Siddons is unconscious of the dysfunction and expects us to admire her main character. I was left wondering how autobiographical the work was. While the story is engaging and the prose poetic, Siddons introduces a textbook codependent relationship and wants us to buy this as a model of transcedent love. Sorry for the spoiler but in the end we discover that Maude murdered a baby, allowed her son to take the blame for her husband's misdeed, and allowed the spirit of her daughter to be destroyed but, hey, she did it all for codependency er, I mean love. I confess that I always used Siddons as light reading; her novels are hardly Pulitzer material and her women are far from our society's most enlightened beings (with the exception of "Smokey" in "Downtown") but her books provided good escapism. I was so repulsed by this book that I have sworn off Siddons. One word sufficiently summarizes-EWWWWW....

This book was interesting to read, it covered several generations of families and time periods. It was quite long, but it was never boring. One thing that got a little repetitive was that only bad things seemed to happen during the summers, while the families were summering in Maine. Also, it did seem like MANY depressing and tragic things happened to the family. The characters were very real due to the descriptions, situations and dialogue, but especially because the reader knows them their entire lives. The setting in Maine was also extremely descriptive, and by the end of the story I had the entire colony mapped out in my mind. The ending included some twists and surprises that I honestly did not see coming. Overall it was an enjoyable read and I will definately read more by this author in the future.

Boring is the only word I can use to describe this book. I am usually a big fan of the author; but not this time. It just goes on and on and on and on. Do you get the picture. I have about 100 pages to go of this over 600 page book and I can not wait to finish it. I have seriously thought of tossing it; but I have too many nights invested in reading it and I am usually a fast reader. There is so much happening with this family it is difficult to believe. Each generation has horrible things happen. I really keep hoping it will improve---- maybe maybe ?? I dont think so ! anyway that is what I think of the Colony.

This is not for me (also I'm lawyer), is for my daughter who study philosophy at University of Buenos Aires and will learn the book when we arrive home next Jan 22.

The amount of praise given to this work does not surprise me given that there is a widespread, yet subtle, socialist movement in America as well as in Europe. Despite this, the book is a failed attempt at reconciling the ideal with reality. Rawls commits one of the many age-old flaws of collectivism, attempting to force morality on immoral beings. Rawls' entire work is fundamentally flawed in that the hypothetical situation from which the entire theory relies, selectively allows certain knowledge, assumptions, etc. while conveniently eliminating others. For instance, empirical evidence that shows capitalism outperforms other economic systems cannot be known in the original position. This is profound when one considers that we live in a hostile world that requires nations to invest in security of which economic power is imperative. Thus, capitalism may be a necessary injustice in order to safeguard liberal democracy. If we compare the human condition prior to capitalism, one can see that perhaps a collectivist system that may contribute to capitalism's downfall is immoral, if it leads us back in this direction. Consequentalism perhaps? Despite this, the people in the original position cannot have this knowledge. Therefore, information that is direly relevant to the construction of a social system in a hostile world cannot be used in determining its structure. Somehow though, the people do understand the important of the right to vote, equality, etc. This is absurd and impractical. Rationale beings need to analyze as much information as is available and pertinent to any decisions they make. Rawls continuously attempts to explain his "tweaks" as rationale but it is obvious that they are all implemented in order to discount human nature and proceed in theoretical terms. On a side note, Rawls' first principle calls for the right to vote, what would his state do if citizens began to vote for a more capitalistic system that defied his "justice"? Iron fist? Nevertheless, it is quite obvious what Rawls is attempting here. In a hypothetical situation where we all have to fear being born without intelligence, strength, status etc. we will take the safe route and ensure ourselves the highest index of goods. This may be true, or it may not (human nature seems to embrace risk taking) however this situation is irrelevant because of its exclusion of relevant information. Hobbes for instance accepted human nature and the potential for a wide array of circumstances in his hypothetical Natural Condition. While Rawls may have some strong arguments in declaring that his two principles are the epitome absolute justice, this does not mean they are practical in a hostile world. Essentially, what Rawls is saying is that none of us deserved to be born intelligent, responsible, hard working, but that we were simply lucky in the natural lottery. Because of this arbitrary distribution, he believes that we all must compensate for those unfortunate souls that were born unintelligent, lazy, and perhaps even immoral! I'd admonish Rawls not to attempt applying his insane reasoning to the criminal justice system (Poor, unfortunate murderer). If Rawls believes that the laziest, dumbest, and most immoral person still deserves a living wage despite not working, he has contradicted himself in that this justifies slavery, forcing individuals to work for other individuals without compensation. This simply cannot be justice as "fairness". Nevertheless, I'd recommend it to all free market advocates simply to strengthen their positions. As a warning however, be prepared for a work that lacks brevity, organization, coherence, and most importantly, reality.

Rawls clearly sucks in great chunks of political thought - Kantianism, Utilitarianism, free market capitalism, utopian socialism, the Enlightenment idea of human progress in this capacious work. At the crux of his thought is the difference principle - the notion that inequalities can only be justified if they benefit the least well off.

Whatever you make of his theory, it can't be ignored. Anyone even remotely interested in 20th Century Liberal thought must consult A Theory of Justice, as it is the precursor to so much that has been written in the last 35 years. Check out any political journal and there will still be several articles anually which assess some part of Rawls' legacy.

In the 1970s, when Rawls' book came out, many people thought he had cracked liberal thought. Since then OPEC crises, divisions over the welfare state, the problem of benefit traps, pension funding shortfalls and a whole menangerie of other problems have beset contemporary liberalism. But to go back to a brave, well throught out articulation of one great thinker's view of liberal equality, seek out Rawls.

I suppose one of the great attributes of the internet is that it allows the juxtaposition of the good, the bad and the ugly. Where else could one find reviews of one of the twentieth century's towering works that variously describe it as a recipe for a police state, an incitement to theft, or as written by someone with no understanding of philosophy (my personal favourite - thanks Adrian!)

A Theory of Justice is surprisingly accessible, even to those of us without extensive training in philosophy. Rawls briefly examines two of the most influential Western liberal philosophers (Locke and Mill), and then proceeds to construct his own Theory which builds on Locke and Mill while solving for some of the deficiences in each.

As Rawls admitted, the gist of his Theory can be gleaned from the first part of the book, though the book reads easily enough that one should be able to get through the whole thing fairly quickly.

I highly recommend this book to those who think of philosophy as convoluted jargon written long ago by men in powdered wigs and robes, as well as to those who are unsure of the philosophical basis for much modern liberal political thought. A remarkably accessible and important development in liberal thought.

Did not like it. Writer seems to bounce from story to story. I could not really get into this book and ended up reading two other books in between. This book will probably end up on my yard sale box:(

Without a Map: A Memoir Meredith Hall is so young and so unprepared for motherhood at the age of sixteen. In 1965 pregnancy out of marriage was so taboo. No one came to this girl's assistance. Everyone shunned her - parents, school, community and church. She has spent her whole adult life searching and the events of her life are forever influenced by that incident. This book lends iself to discussions of so many topics( relationships, identity, the sixties vs the present, adoption, and survival to name only a few.

without a Map, captured how some women live their lives wondering every secound what happened to their child which was given up for adoptions.

of Hall's ... That's How the Light Gets In: Memoir of a Psychiatrist by Susan Rako, M.D. The title comes from a song by Leonard Cohen, "There is a crack, a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in." True for Hall, true for Rako, and true for all of us. Rako's book is really fascinating, insightful, and wonderfully well-written. The writing simply flows.

This sad, yet inspirational memoir is moving and beautifully written. You won't be able to put it down and it will make you think long and hard about teenage pregnancy, abortion,and adoption. Meredith Hall tells her dysfunctional story with emotion and a small amount of well deserved self-pity. Some memoirs of late are written with such little emotion despite their sadness that I have felt the author was removed from their own story. Not so with Hall, she lets you feel her profound sadness and range of emotions and you will be so grateful that she included you in this amazing story.

One of the funniest, most dazzling linguistic and intellectual displays I've read in years. Self's gleefully coprolalic, vertiginously fluid command of the English language recalls Joyce; his skillfully wrought satiric vision, Swift or perhaps Vonnegut. He takes what seems to be a simple conceit--what if chimpanzees had become the dominant culture instead of humans?--and uses it to explore and to challenge our cherished notions of what makes us human. I wasn't completely satisfied with the "cute" ending, though (and this book is definitely NOT one to recommend to polite company; e.g., anyone whose idea of social satire is Jane Austen). From prose rhythm to prodigious vocabulary, Self pays attention to the little things that separate literature from beach reading (though I'll admit I did read this on the beach, and guffawed loudly enough to scare off many flocks of seagulls).

There really isn't too much to add to what others have said in reviewing the book. This is a world weary cynical satire of human life which is one of the funniest things I have read in years. Having said that boy oh boy does it make you think. As I read about life through the eyes of a chimp that which is initially hysterically funny becomes less so when you realise what you are reading parallels aspects of your own life.
Despite my review seeming somewhat contradictory in its 'effulgence' of this book I would recommend it to anyone and all my friends have had it for Christmas or a birthday and now they are passing it on to others.

A wicked view of humanity and its hypocrisies. A great novel to make you think about humans, their genetic programming and their place in the world. It also satirises the contemporary art scene in London and the academic world ruthlessly.

A substantial and important work, even if it is extremely seamy and seedy. It reminded me of visions like Anthony Burgess's Clockwork Orange and seems to sit well in the British tradition of satire going back to Swift.

Great Apes was a waste of time to read. The author was obviously trying to comment on modern society through a "Planet Of The Apes" type gimmick, but the payoff isn't worth the effort. The author really doesn't have much of anything important to say, and comes off as more interested in painting a picture of what the world would be like if chimps were dominant, rather than saying anything new about what humans are like. It would have worked better as light reading sci-fi where the fantasy setting *is* the story. When I got to the end I thought "Is that it?". Self thinks he's pretty clever but the gimmick gets in the way. In the end, it wasn't worth my time.

This is one of the funniest books I have ever read and I've been reading since 1964. What it lacks in profundity if makes up in snobery. I first stumbled across this author with an engaging story called "The Quantity Theory of Insanity" so I knew he had a sense of humor. But "Great Apes" is unequaled. If you have a scientific education or you enjoy a good vocabulary and convoluted parody I couldn't recommend a better book. Get a used copy and laugh your scrag off. You won't be dissapointed. You might also like "Jesus Mary Delahunty" by David MacSweeney.

This was written in the early 80's when subjects like child abuse were hugely ignored. Meet Burke, ex-con, criminal, gambler, scam artist and private investigator. He takes cases that cops and most other private eye's will not touch. If he takes the case at all. Burke is suspicious of everyone except his close-knit adoptive family: Max the Silent: a deaf, mute, silent Mongolian martial artist, Michelle: a Transvestite hooker, Mole: a genius inventor who runs a junk yard packed with vicious dogs, The Prof: a brilliant philosopher street criminal. Mama: the Chinese restaurant owner and racketeer. Pansy: Burke's mastiff with a personality of its own. Burke drives a souped up performance car, given to him by a former client. The car looks like a beater, but is a small tank that out-races a sports car. One day, a woman named Flood approaches Burke to find the killer of her friend's baby. Burke takes the case which takes him through the world of pimps, prostitutes and mercenaries. Because of his criminal background, Burke is able to enter doors where the normal citizens or police cannot...do not want to go. Eventually, Burke lures the baby killer into a trap, where his client, Flood, challenges the killer to a death match. Good fight scenes. I liked the short paragraph writing style and the social commentary about child abuse, human traffickers, drugs and the criminal justice system.

WARNING: contains spoilers

This is the first Andrew Vachss novel I have read. Everyone seemed to rave about the Burke series novels. I did enjoy the book, however, Burke is nothing more than a sociopath. He seems a bit paranoid. I think the ending with the pimp was a little bit stupid. Once the Cobra was dead the book should have ended. Could you imagine if he was a real person, and was trying to get a job. He'd first cut the lights and the security system. Then he and his crew would come in through the window and attack the interviewer and tie him up, and then well I think he probably would not get the job. Anyway the book was ok, and I will read the next one in the series to see what that one is like.

This is dark stuff bigtime, but so well done and entertaining. Plus, you learn a lot about some unfortunate things that happen throughout our society.

Vachss stories always seem to have potential but in the end turn out to be cliched and corny. He puts an interesting mix of characters in his books however they come off as cardboard cutouts. He also has the habit of taking the safest politically correct route by making the villians Nazi pedophiles. Wow your really going out on a limb there eh Vachss? His writing has always seemed to be better suited for comics, but even those ventures turned out to be disappointments.

This is not Vach's first book. There is an even earlier book out there that was never published! If you go to Vach's website, he has on there his first unpublished book that tells the story of Wesley. It is equally amazing as the rest of the Burke series. I just read it and it cleared up quit a bit for me. I suggest everyone else to give it a try.

An interesting blend of ingredients: a dash of history, a pinch of the occult, and a healthy cuff of murder. This novel is an ambitious literary soufle. Most authors would flatten it into fare thinner than an IHOP pancake.

Connolly however manages to raise our expectation.

Suspend your disbelief. Savor this mystery with the lights turned low and silence your surroundings.

I love Connolly's books. First, they are always filled with great mysteries and suspense. Second, there is always a small dose of the paranormal mixed into it. And finally, his writing is so poetic and so beautiful that it makes the reading experience all that more entertaining. Bad Men does not disappoint. Although it is a rare book that doesn't feature detective Charlie Parker, it is still an intricate novel filled with great characters and incredible twists and turns.

The small island of Sanctuary, Maine, has a dark past. Its history is full of murders, traitors and deceptions. The island has been dormant for some time now, the inhabitants having been left alone to live their every day life without fear or pain. But when a group of Bad Men arrive on the island, things change quite dramatically.

Joe Dupree, the island's Sheriff, is somewhat of a legend for Sanctuary. Called the giant because of his towering height, he is in love with
Marianne, a young mother who has just moved to the island. Little does he know that Marianne holds some secrets she isn't ready to share, secrets that will undoubtedly threaten the very existence of the island. Secrets that will awaken the dark side of the island.

Although the first half of the novel is a bit too slow moving, the author taking his time to tell the tale of the island and of the Bad Men in question, its second half is well worth the wait. As the story progresses, you never know where it will take you. No one in this story is safe. No one in this story is fully good or fully bad. These are flawed humans with secrets, secrets that might very spell their doom.

This is one of my favourite Connellys. I couldn't put it down. When the novel ends, I actually wanted more out of the story. It's still amazing to me that Connolly, and Irishman living in Europe, can capture the essence of small-town coastal Maine.

I can't wait for Connolly to write another stand alone novel. I love his Charlie Parker mysteries, but Bad Men prove that he has much more to offer.

This is a top notch book if you like thrillers. The bad guys were pure evil and richly developed characters. This was my first Connolly book and it lead me to read the entire Charlie Parker series which were also very enjoyable.

...didn't dissapoint me.I "discovered" Connolly,searching some used books at the library.I've now read all of the Charlie Parker books. Being he's Irish,Connolly shows his knowledge/history(study) of Maine and the local towns,I find real interesting. Bad Men,part mystery/supenmatural....are some bad people.He goes back to the old myths,to today real smooth. I really enjoyed Connolly describing how Marianne,ran away from her scary/abusive/controlling husband(Moloch).Sherrif Joe Dupree,a giant of a man,living in a "normal" world,was easy to feel for him.Molochs "companions",(which you wouldn't want to look at wrong) were some real mean individuals. This was a good quick read from a gifted thriller writer....I can't wait for the next Parker book!!!

Bad Men by John Connolly is a dark, disturbing book about the worst kind of evil: the sort men are capable of doing to other men. Some authors write about evil in order to demonstrate the ultimate power of good; others, like Stephen King, use evil as a tool in telling a story about the supernatural. Mr. Connolly, by contrast, appears to enjoy writing about evil simply for the sake of writing about evil.

There are four main characters in this book: three of them are people; one of them is an island. All of them are tortured, complex souls. Moloch is the tortured bad man, a convicted spouse abuser who escapes prison and goes on a murder spree. Bent on enacting revenge on his betraying wife, he is unable to understand why he is plagued by visions from the ancient past. Marianne is Moloch's tortured wife. She turned her husband over to the law years ago and lives in fear of his eventual release from prison. She lives under a new identity with her son on Dutch Island, Maine, as far away from Moloch as she can get. Joe DuPree is Dutch Island's tortured policeman. He is a giant of a man and has lived with resultant ridicule his entire life. He comes from a long line of Dutch Island DuPrees, and he is is love with Marianne, though he is unaware of her secret past. The fourth character is Dutch Island itself. The little island lies so far out in the Atlantic that it is virtually cut off from the mainland except for a twice-a-day ferry that doesn't run in foul weather--which in the winter turns out to be more days than not. The island used to be called Sanctuary, back in the dark past of which Moloch dreams without knowing why. And it has a past of its own, and it is tortured too, in its own way.

Strange spirits move deep within the woods of Dutch Island. Things happen here that no one can quite explain. Old paths through the forest become overgrown and nearly impossible to find overnight. The ancient watchtower on the coast sometimes seems to be inhabited, though not by anyone who can ever be seen. Something terrible happened here centuries ago, and the island has not forgotten. And now, with Moloch and his band of evil men making their way across the country toward Dutch Island and Marianne, the ancient spirits of the island are beginning to wake up.

It is not clear from reading the book what Connolly intended his readers to get out of it. There is no discernable moral, none of the characters undergoes an epiphany, and by the end of the book, the reader feels so oppressed by Moloch's criminal insanity that without any positive message to offset the horrible crimes described in such great detail, one wonders exactly what the author was trying to get across. Nevertheless, Connolly writes about the criminal mind brilliantly, though whether or not that is a commendable attribute may be open to debate. We get an all-too-clear picture of what's happening in Moloch's mind as he bounces back and forth between his dreams of ancient evil and his participation in present crimes.

Connolly portrays his villains (Moloch is not the only evil man in the story; he is the leader of a whole group of murderous thugs) in an almost sympathetic way. At no point in the book does the reader begin to root for the evildoers, or even identify with them, but the author does give them individual personalities and motivations for their actions. As the book's title might suggest, the bulk of the narrative and most of the action follows Moloch's gang as they make their way toward Dutch Island. The author covers the other characters thoroughly and doesn't leave any loose ends, but his heart never quite seems to be in the writing when he's not examining the criminals and their crimes. The romance between the hulking Joe DuPree and Marianne, for example, is sweet but almost entirely without substance. Their developing relationship is never quite convincing, and their single sexual encounter is, while happily not described in great detail, also devoid of feeling and seems utterly shallow. Compare this with the emotion and depth with which Connolly describes one character's murder of an innocent man because he was talking too loud on a cell phone, and it's not difficult to see why the law-abiding characters tend to come off as dry and almost boring.

The central idea behind the story--a place that seeks revenge for horrors perpetrated there--is not an original one, but it works for Connolly every bit as well as it has worked for others in the past. Connolly employs a haunted island instead of a haunted house or a graveyard, and the touch of originality gives the story just enough of a chill factor to keep readers guessing. The ghosts manage to be creepy without being ridiculous, and the islanders' encounters with them are part scary and part curious, leading to a real anticipation of what will happen when the spirits of the dead get their hands on the present-day murderers when they finally get to the island.

The story climaxes when Moloch and his band of merry murderers get to Dutch Island and seek out Marianne so that Moloch can pay her back for her treachery. As expected, the island comes alive with a horrible response to the evil that has reached its shores. Unfortunately, the book's finale is rather unsatisfying, and the end comes abruptly. Nothing is left unsettled, but the reader puts the book down feeling a little bit bewildered by how suddenly the story has come to an end.

Bad Men is enjoyable in some respects, but it's enjoyable in the same way that some people enjoy watching a scary movie: it's so terrible that it somehow rings true. The writing is good enough to keep readers going through the horrific descriptions of awful crimes, though it's not quite good enough to justify not having any central message or theme other than the evil that truly insane men can sometimes commit. Christians will find little to latch onto in the story. While it is certainly true that evil of the kind John Connolly writes about exists in the world, it's best to discuss it while keeping in mind that God has already conquered all evil. Evil men still do horrible things, but God has already secured the ultimate victory. In Bad Men, triumph over evil comes from the vengeful spirits of the ancient dead. In real life, triumph over evil comes from the blood of Jesus Christ. John Connolly is very good at what he does, but this novel would have been far better if he had focused less on the things bad men are capable of and more on the goodness that the rest of us cling to every day.

Were this a library book I would have returned it unfinished, but already bought and paid for I braved it to the end. A sophomoric tale at best, the characters nothing more than thinly drawn stereotypes and caricatures. The numerous grammatical errors (in the narrative, not those in the dialogue) were annoying and distracting.

Quinn's use of the flashback was cumbersome and confusing, often leaving this reader uncertain as to what was happening when. Even the author lost track of his own story at times. Case in point, Tiger and Mark bought Matt a "single fin" surfboard, yet when Matt wiped out on that board and discovered that he was bleeding, he thought, "One of the fins must have sliced me." Not, the fin sliced me.

Most disturbing is the historical inaccuracy regarding AIDS. The story takes place in 1983, yet when Matt ends up in hospital, he is alleged to have been given an "AIDS test" and the results were received the same day. The first "AIDS test" was not approved by the FDA until 1985, and it took about two weeks to receive the result.

All of this considered, it is inexcusable that 'Metes and Bounds' was a finalist in any award program, which tells me all that I need to know about the Lambda Literary Award. And the Lambda Book Report comparing Jay Quinn with Pulitzer Prize winner Eudora Welty and Noble Prize winner William Faulkner is beyond absurd, it is just plain shameful. Needless to say nothing "Lambda" will ever have any credibility with me again.

A note for other readers who chose to review this book. First, it's a review not a book report, dispense with the summary. Second, if you gave this trash more than one star (and that`s a stretch), please read Shyma Selvadurai's 'Funny Boy' 'Cinnamon Gardens' 'Swimming in the Monsoon Sea' and Christopher Rice's 'A Density of Souls' 'Light Before Day' 'The Snow Garden' ... all wonderful gay themed novels of quality that are actually literature. Then if you still think that 'Metes and Bounds' is worthy of anything more than the garbage bin, I recommend 'Fun with Dick and Jane' and 'Spot Goes to the Beach'.

Good looking Matt is seventeen years old, while not yet out he knows he is gay but it something of a surprise when his father intimates that he understands, and arranges for Matt to go and live with his young uncle Tiger on the North Carolina coast. Tiger is beautiful, slight of build, fair haired and with yellow eyes, yet an outcast to the rest of Matt's family.
The story takes us through Matt's first year with Tiger, along with Matt's recollections of past events in his life. He describes the growing all male family; Tiger and his lover Mark and Mark's son Shane, and Billy an "adopted" local young waif. He relates his various sexual encounters from the tender to the rough; and we watch him grow in maturity and awareness. All this is played out against the back drop of the Atlantic coast and surfing in the early 1980s.
This is a beautiful and different coming of age story; while Matt experiences his ups and downs the story has an easy aimlessness and pleasantness about it, enabling one to relish events as they happen. The all male family that gradually grows in size is a very loving and happy affair, made all the more delightful with its differing age make-up, no two members being of the same age group. I thoroughly enjoyed Metes and Bounds, and highly recommend it.

This was a great read. I've never been to the south but after reading this book I feel like I have. Jay Quinn is a gifted author who's characters are unforgettable. The range of emotion and experience captured in this book is awesome. I found myself being caught up in Matt's life and feeling the struggles he faced in such depth. I really felt as though I had a special front row seat all the way through this book. It's a great read for anyone who really enjoys a good coming of age story.

This is not a perfect book. However, it is a book of a certain idealism which defies anybody to not wish for its world for just a moment, for a day, for a lifetime. This story of a young surfing boy coming to terms with the world around him and the world inside him, is built upon a certain Utopian world, where not a single character is totally without heart, or without a certain primal and primitive goodness. Where a 12 year old will tell an 18 year old that he needs to start trusting people more; where a fighter pilot and a high school senior love each other so much, they're willing to cut off all ties, suffer through divorce and child custody battles, willing to stow away on bomber planes just to spend an extra two days together, and through it all, get to happiness that only few may know. A world where a family of two gay men, a straight son, a gay nephew and a stray poor boy is happier than most conventional families are. Formulaic and often suffering from too many metaphors and straight-up lessons, this novel nevertheless pushes boundaries of what we're all willing to believe can happen and what so many of us wish would happen. In a world where even a glorified rapist can have tenderness, where your straight crush from high school can turn around and fall in love with you, where your father will support you through all of your falls, and where strangers are kind and those that are not are almost harmless, the characters of this lovely novel teach the readers that yes, good things can happen, even through all the fears and dangers that life has to offer. Set against the backdrop of one of the most conservative parts of this country - the South - with the contrast of the most freeing things a person can do - surfing, the novel juxtaposes the right and the wrong, the need and the will, and love and lust. As Matt, the main character, moves through his turbulent year - and even more turbulent memories of years previous - the reader gets sucked into this mind and his world, feeling that, as the end approaches, this world is the one that is the dream of almost every queer and even straight person out there. Though sometimes awkward, the style still flows beautifully and the frank and lively tone of the main character carries the story with dignity and life.

METES AND BOUNDS is the story of the young Matt who leaves home after high school and goes to live with his uncle Tiger and his lover Mark on the North Carolina shore. Mr. Quinn tells a good tale. In fact, he is a better storyteller than a writer although his prose is certainly adequate. He gets the Southern experience right-- with sweet tea, Pepsi and Aqua Velva; and rows are "hard to hoe." A toboggan is a cap worn in winter, something that few people outside the South have ever heard about; and coffee keeps kids from getting "wormy." Mr. Quinn is dead right-- no pun intended-- in the funeral home scene. Rural Southerners have traditionally been as attracted to funerals as truckers to country music. The author writes about surfing too with complete authority; Matt's surfing accident seems totally believable.

Although I find this story a tad too rosy-- is it possible that two adult men can live together with two male children under the age of 13 in a small coastal area of North Carolina in 1983 and not be run out of the county? Maybe not. I don't know. Certainly Mr. Quinn has a perfect right to see life in any color he chooses and doesn't have to have the dark world view of say a Jim Grimsley or Andrew Holleran. I can see a teenaged gay boy coming across this novel and being blown away. He would find the sex scenes, as Matt would say "totally awesome" and would take comfort in knowing that there is gay life outside the major Eastern cities and that people like him live in the small towns of the "red states." That alone makes this novel worth reading and a welcomed addition to "coming out" stories.

I purchased this for a friend of mine for his birthday. He's a bit of a brain, and I figured this would peak his intrest. Great value.

Despite my bad experience with many sequels, I still had high expectation of this. I had not been disappointed. This is still "funny, interesting, entertaining, and "helpful"!" as the first, and in particular I like some authentic answers to some of my life long doubts as follows:-

Why do men fall asleep after sex?
How does aspirin find the pain?
Why does sucking on helium make your voice sound funny?
Why do Asians turn red after consuming alcohol?

plus over one hundred other questions I am interested in their answers. In short, it's knowledgeable and entertaining. A great resource for chat, too. Dont miss it.

I found this book to be sooo funny, I am glad I came accross it by accident. The humor is everywhere and although this type of humor is not for everybody, if you do not like the IM conversation you can skip through them and still get some of the witty humor. I loved the comment "if Dr. Phil can't do it, why couldn't the authors?" I reccommend it! If you are skeptical because the bad press got to you first, start with reading the questions that are interesting to you and you'll soon be hooked.

Some of the questions are rediculous, for example: If I swallow a watermelon seed, will a watermelon grow in my stomach?

I hate to believe that enough people were seriously that concerned about something so rediculous that they had to print it in the book.

As for half of the other questions, you got roundabout answers that weren't really answered, but fluffed to take up room.

Not worth the buy. My suggestion is to go to your boostore, find it, flip through the questions and read the answers you are honestly curious about and save your money.

This book is not only informative about many myths and queries we have all heard, but it is funny too!!! I have learned some very funny and quirky facts so far. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes interesting, funny facts.