Open Books

"..... THIS BOOK TEACHES THE STUDENT WHICH WORDS ARE SIMILAR IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH and also shows him how to form Spanish words himself....."
[from the book of the foreword by Margarita Madrigal]

We had a copy of the haggadah. We loved the illustrations and the text.
We will be using it at our family sader this passover.

My shul used this haggadah this past Pesach and I was very impressed with it. My husband (who is not Jewish) enjoyed it so much he has suggested getting this for our house. This haggadah used gender inclusive language. The prayers were elegant and all the prayers had an English translation under them. It also has a part dedicated for Miriam's cup and beautiful sketches. The sections that had songs -- the authors thoughtfully included the page numbers so you could find the song without stumbling through the book. My favorite part of this haggadah, it had commentary from many people, even people who are not Jewish, such as Martin Luther King Jr., to help illuminate parts of the seder. The only downfall of the book is it is a bit large and a bit cumbersome, but overall, well worth it.

I am amazed that I am the first to submit a review on this fascinating little book.It was first published in 1989.The
preface is by Barbara Bush who was the Honorary Chairperson of The Year of the Young Reader,a national campaign initiated by the Library of Congress to encourage young people to love books and reading.
Here we read about 29 of history and literatures' most interesting and celebrated writers recalling their discovery of books and reading.Most of these writers' experiences are in their own words and from their own works.
Most people would probably answer my title question with a simple,"In School".What is so surprising is that most of these writers could already read before they ever went to school.Not only that,they had cultivated their love of reading on their own and not in school.
H.G.Wells was reading Wood's "Natural History" at 7 or 8.He was doing this on his own.In fact he had minimal encouragement; "Both my parents were doubtful of the healthiness of reading,and did their best to discourage this pouring over books."
Harper Lee who won a Pulitzer Prize for "To Kill a Mockingbird". When her first grade teacher asked if she knew the letters of the alphabet she had written on the blackboard;she found that not only did she know them but could already read "My First Reader" as well as quotations from "The Mobile Register";and was quite literate.The teacher looked at her with distaste and told her to "tell my father not to teach me any more,it would interfere with my reading."After telling her teacher that her father didn't teach her,she learned on her own.The teacher thought she was lying and said."Let's not let our imaninations run away with us,my dear,"she said."Now you tell your father not to teach you any more. It's best to begin reading with a fresh mind. You tell him I'll take over from here and try to undo the damage--" "Your father does not know how to teach.You can have your seat now."
After reading this book,it's worth taking a little time and thinking about how you learned to read and more importantly what it was that created your love of reading.I am sure your own experiences were similar to those of the great writers covered in this book.

Dr Ugur's edited book on open economy macroeconomics is a long-waited and impressive textbook in many ways. It is not only a well-organized and enticing textbook for intermediate and advanced macroeconomics, but also a good example of combining knowledge with teaching experience. The book is also good in introducing the students to seminal contributions as well as current debate in open economy (international) macroeconomics. What makes the book different from the other textbooks is that it "... aims to go beyond the closed-economy framework of the open economy macroeconomics textbooks and incorporate theory into policy design and implementation rather than other way around." And it does very succesfully.

The book contains fifteen chapters organized araound nine themed parts containing almost all issues in current open economy (international) macroeconomics -except for stabilization policy issues specific to developing countries. Each of the nine themed sections contains an introduction (which lays the theoretical and historical background relevant to the issues covered), questions for discussion, suggestions for further reading, and a very extensive list of references. These editorial features enhance the book's role as a textbook and makes it an essential source for open economy macroeconomics reading.

Dr Ugur's own chapters on the Mundell-Flemming model and the theory of macroeconomic policy-making are innovative and constitute significant contributions to the debate on these issues.

In conclusion, I strongly recommend this exceptional open economy macroeconomics reader as an essential source of teaching and reading, and also as a useful guide to policy-making isuues in open economies.

Roland Barth's book recalls a wonderful intermezzo in education, between the nuclear terror of the 1950s and 60s and the grinding pressures of education reform that took off during the 1970s in the US. We chose open classrooms in the public schools for our young children and would do so again, but the public schools are now so fearful of the testing plague that they have all but forgotten this innovation. Barth's book reflects a teacher's practical experience with a non-authoritarian approach. It would of great interest and use to many younger parents today if Barth could survey what has happened to the open education movement since he wrote this book and point out the few but notable schools that are still involved in it.

Mr. Seay's poetry is a great inspiration to poets everywhere. He has harnessed a life's work into these pages. The reader can see his transformation from young poet to seasoned writer. He is truely one of the best modern poets around.

A great book on the listings of Django Reinhardt of all types of vinyl recordings and background descriptions. I bought it back in the early 1970s through Guitar Player Magazine ad ($7.00 + shipping) from Max Abrams himself, I believe, with a recommended album by Django of unreleased recordings which I still have (book/album) that recordings correlates with the book.

The author, David Neligan, was a detective on the G-squad in Dublin Castle. Unknown to his English superiors, Neligan was a member of the IRB and one of Michael Collin's secret agents. Neligan reveals the British intelligence side of the Irish Revolution as a double agent, and the ineptitude of the Castle. Not a celluloid spy, but an actual Irish Republican Spy, David Neligan tells the story from a remarkable viewpoint.

For those drawn to the popular and expansive world of office fantasy, Open for Business is tailored just for you! The irresistible combination of conventional professionalism and raw lust fills page after page, but rest assured, there's plenty of variety. I had numerous favorites in this anthology, a few of them being N.T. Morley's fabulous "Memorandum" with its clever mix of humor and BDSM-themed naughtiness, the sexy encounter that builds with terrific tension to relieve office boredom in Saskia Walker's "TGIF," and Jeremy Edwards's endearing tale of lustful craving in "One Cubicle Over." The incredible imagery from Tulsa Brown's gorgeous "On the 37th Floor" stayed with me for days. And "Lonely at the Top" by Savannah Stephens Smith is a hot, striking, poignant piece that, as far as I'm concerned, is simply not to be missed. Kudos to Ms. Tyler for putting together a fantastic anthology of office-themed sexual escapades that cut straight through the professional veneer to the (often forbidden) primal core. If you're a fan of sex-at-work fantasies or just hot erotica, I highly recommend picking it up -- and taking the day off!

In The Open Garden: Australian Gardens And Their Gardeners, Louis Earwaker and Neil Robertson effectively collaborate to present forty-five gardeners from across Australia who are passionate and articulate about their gardens and gardening activities in the "land down under". The informative, engaging text is enhanced with two hundred full color photographs showcasing the extraordinary beauty of the gardens surveyed. Readers will enjoy learning the often fascinating stories behind the evolution of these Australian gardens. The Open Garden is enthusiastically recommended reading for anyone with an interest in horticulture, gardening, and the Australian landscape.