F Books

This sleeper of a novel is a major contibution to modern Catholic fiction in English. The author, having already made his reputation in other literary endeavors, was able to enter the fictional marketplace and surmount barriers, presenting a book both authentically Catholic in outlook and fully realistic. Unfortunately such realms rarely if ever meet.

There is really no "plot"; the book is a character study, and a rich and sometimes searing one. Galsworthy rises from indifferent youth to a commanding church figure, grandly human and with certain well-defined but understandable flaws. Some recent church history is telescoped in the background -- Vatican 2, a "Slavic pope" ala John Paul 2, the growth of the church in turbulent modern Africa. The ending is not really satisfactory but there was probably no way to end it: the Catholic viewpoint to some degree differs from conventional tragedy and is always, as Dante titled his massive work, a "Commedia."

Persons not able to appreciate the baroque may not enjoy the book. The story line twists and turns through souls, not events. Souls are magnificent if ultimately mysterious creations, so those insights delivered by the writer seem to appear out of nowhere as the Cardinal encounters and bounces off of other characters. Then as time moves on you are back in murkiness until the next meaningful encounter. As in life, not all things are resolved. But throughout, the prose is flawless, beautiful, perfectly pitched. I have recommended this book to friends both believing and unbelieving, and all have reported finding it rewarding as a reading experience.

My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed this superbly-written tale of one man's journey of faith. Sheehan's insights into the worldy and other-wordly dimensions of the Church are outstanding. So beautifully written, you won't want to put it down.

The previous review already says it all. Ditto, Ditto, Ditto! But let me add, if you like this book, be sure to read "Innocent Darkness" by the same author, not a sequel but a companion to "Cardinal Galsworthy" in that it focuses on one of the characters from this novel. Buy 'em, read 'em, love 'em!

In creating Augustine Cardinal Galsworthy, Edward R.F. Sheehan has made a rare contribution to the growing universe of novels imagining the next conclave, that rare gathering of the Sacred College of Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church to elect a pope. "Cardinal Galsworthy" is panoramic in scope, rich and faithful in historical detail, at times beautifully written and has as its protagonist an uncommon character who is not a mere stick figure for some real-life character the author hopes will be elected to the Petrine throne. This is not yet another "Martini-for-pope" novel. It is not a philippic against the Roman Church and its current pope. It is something entirely different.

The eponymous Augustine Galsworthy is born an Englishman, but has a pronounced affinity for things French. His father, William, is an English Baronet -- a baronet being a hereditary knight, who ranks above all non-hereditary Knights of the Realm, except those illustrious but few Knight Companions of the Order of the Garter. We know this because Galsworthy, in his towering vanity and love for the theatre of life, cares very dearly about this and painstakingly explains all the minute but significant hereditaments of his English recusant family and of Roman Church through whose ranks he rises.

Sir William has one great ambition for his son - that someday he may add a "red hat" the family tree. But Augustine Galsworthy is not the poised child of the almost-aristocratic that one might expect. He trips, he falls, he runs into walls - and, worse yet, he stutters. So, Augustine spends most of his childhood and adolescence in a Benedictine monastery in France. There, a young monk befriends young Augustine and introduces him to the treasury of the Roman Church. One of his formative influences is, appropriately enough, the great French Romantic Chateaubriand and his "The Genius of Christianity."

Galsworthy begins his preternaturally successful ecclesiastical career in spiritual and moral turmoil. Does he truly believe in God? Does he want to be a priest? Can be resist the temptations that easily beset him? His struggles are set against a rich backdrop of history. We move from the end of the reign of the "Stern Pope" through the reigns of the "Sunny Pope" and the "Sad Pope," with their struggles with the Second Vatican Council, and, finally, through the reign of the "Slav Pope." The author steadfastly refuses to call these men by their real-life names, admirably reluctant to impute, even in a work of fiction, words to men who did not utter them. Still, he never strays from their personalities. (There is no "September Pope.")

Galsworthy is the close collaborator of the Sunny Pope, who raises him to archbishop at age thirty-four, thereby gratifying the protagonist's vanity. Galsworthy is an early supporter of the Sunny Pope's call of the Second Vatican Council and encourages the pope to cut through curial resistance to it. But his enthusiasm for the Council ebbs as he sees its aptitude to truncate church doctrine and scrap its liturgical traditions. Before he dies, the Sunny Pope expresses his outrage that Galsworthy turned against the Council and accuses him of vanity. Who is more vain, Galsworthy wonders: me or the Sunny Pope who desperately needs the love of the whole world?

The Sad Pope is determined to implement the directives of the Council and fulfill the legacy of the Sunny Pope. Love will conquer all, he assures Galsworthy. But Galsworthy has traveled the world, from the Middle East and Africa to the troubled Church provinces of the Netherlands. He knows better. Civil strife, guerilla warfare and the destructive impulse are not so easily regulated. The Sad Pope dies convinced that he was a failure and desperate that what he has down has helped undermine the Roman Church.

In the Slav Pope, Galsworthy is in orthodox harmony. But Galsworthy's lust gets the better of him as he chases after a woman several decades younger than him. The dénouement of his struggles with the flesh comes in a dramatic scene in New York's St. Patrick's cathedral, when homosexual activists burst in and seize the Eucharist.

This is but one of many real-life events in this novel. The author shows us the collapse of the ancien regime in Egypt, civil war in Africa and Central America, the collapse of the Roman Church in the Netherlands, the removal of the Jesuit father-general and conflicts with Marxist prelates in Nicaragua. We can also see in the author's characters the shadows of real-life characters: Alfredo Cardinal Ottaviani (in the person of "Cardinal Baluardo"), Pericle Cardinal Felici ("Monsignor Samosata") and Giovanni Cardinal Benelli ("Monsignor Gianni"). The rich historical texture of this novel is unmatched in this sub-genre.

The modern reader will probably take offense at Galsworthy and the tone of this novel. Galsworthy believes in the mystery, the poetry, and the theatre and drama of the Roman Church. His is not a low-church, a congregationalist-type church that exalts a transitory sense of social justice for the real salvific work of a church. For Galsworthy, the drama of the old Latin Mass subtly admits the faithful into communion with God and awes the squalid unbelieving into silence. For Galsworthy, the traditions, doctrine and discipline of the Roman Church are the work of twenty centuries and countless martyrs, evolving slowly under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and not something to be blithely discarded in a pell-mell attempt at relevance. This will not be a popular view today. It will even be alien. Perhaps the modern reader will be partially satisfied by Augustine Cardinal Galsworthy's penultimate act of sacrifice, made in that conclave called to elect a successor to our Slav pope.

I could not put this book down. Cardinal Galsworthy is a complex, sinful (as we all are) yet pious and faithful Catholic. This is a character you will never forget.

The poem is an old favorite. The illustrations fit the time of the work. My 5- and 3- year olds enjoyed it as well.

Casey at the Bat tells about mighty Casey and his missing 2 strikes - like messing up in life.

This is by far the best rendition/publication of this poem that I've ever seen. The combination of the real-life looking people, but have their legs look like pencils, is quite humerous. Our particular favorite is the smoke coming from Casey's ears when he has struck out twice. The pictures in this book greatly enhance the story. Especially when Casey is standing there examining his fingernails on the first strike. Pretty cute and funny stuff.

Grab this book for all the young ball players you know - it really tells a nice tale of always doing your best, no matter how good you get at whatever you do. It made my little guy pretty sad to read this book/poem, but it definitely opens the door to emphasizing the importance of always doing your best. Highly recommend!

Thayer's classic ballad, `Casey at the Bat,' is greatly enhanced by Patricia Polacco's brilliantly achieved, big-hearted illustrations. Ms. Polacco captures emotion, action, and character through wittily exaggerated, slightly loopy pictures, and through lots of uncrowded background shenanigans. It's very cinematic: She effectively isolates action through extreme close-ups, and extends time through a montage of events occurring within a single picture. Like the auteur she is, she even adds some opening and closing story elements (while leaving the poem intact) that augment the poem's appeal to the younger reader.

This book is simply great fun to read aloud; you'll find yourself wanting to memorize its evocative imagery and epic aspirations:

"Ten thousand eyes were on him as he rubbed his hands with dirt; Five thousand tongue applauded when he wiped them on his shirt. Then while the writhing pitcher ground the ball into his hip, Defiance flashed in Casey's eye, a sneer curled Casey's lip."

You and your youngsters will love the humor and the drama in this a classic rendition of Thayer's beloved poem. Infants and toddlers will enjoy the bright pictures, and all readers will appreciate the perfect teaming of Thayer and Polacco.

I thought this was a wonderful book. I enjoyed Thayers use of poetry to exrpress the emotion in the story. The language used in the text is of very high quality and when read by an adult to a child, the child is able to thourghly understand. The illustrations play an important role with the text. They not only enrich the text, but they tell a story in itself. We can feel the emotion of the players and the crowd through Polacco's work. Overall I thought this was a wonderful book and reccomend it to a child of any age.

I love Sheila Lukins style of writing......it's engaging, entertaining and informative. This book is a joy to read cover to cover. Wonderful range of recipes.

I love this book! I love to celebrate holidays and milestones with close friends, loving family and delicious food! I truly enjoy preparing food for others. This book is going to go a long way in helping me feed and celebrate with those I love! I can't wait to try entire menus, complete with music and beverage/wine recommendations! The menus in the book are fresh and bright and easy enough for a novice cook like me. The pages come alive with incredible pictures of both food and celebration! This is the first cook book I own that I can't put down ... I want to read it, not just duplicate a recipe from it! I have a feeling I'll be celebrating holidays and occasions I never did before, just so I can make these scrumptous menus! I can't wait to Celebrate!

In one word...perfect! This book is great, every recipe I have made from it has been fabulous. (Try the coconut cream pie :)) And more importantly all the foods kind of meld together so each dish is distinct but not so diffrent as to not blend. This book has become my party reference! The parties are creative and go into details like flowers, recommended wines and music. And there are so many parties, from summer pool parties, a kentucky derby party, and big promotions to the standards like Christmas, and Easter! Buy this book you will NOT be disappointed!!!

This cookbook covers a nifty range of special occasions--much better than that in any other cookbook I've seen! It includes traditional holidays, non-traditional holidays, and things that aren't holidays at all (the "congratulations on a new job" menu, the "Saturday night with friends" menu, the "Springtime bridal shower" menu, a menu for a big family reunion, a birthday bash, a housewarming, a cozy dinner for two, and more).

Many of the dishes are traditional, or have been around for many years, but Ms. Lukins brings her own flair to them. She never gets too outrageous, but she's also never boring. I think she walks the perfect middle ground to ensure that this cookbook will appeal to as many people as possible, which is a tough thing to do!

What's most impressive to me, however, is how uniformly delicious and painless these recipes are. Every single one we've made has come out absolutely perfectly, without a hitch or confusion. Every single one has been completely delicious. The haroseth was fantastic, with its subtle blend of honey and a little bit of spicing. The Irish soda bread rolls beautifully contrasted the tang of buttermilk with the sweetness of raisins. The barbecue sauce is, quite literally, the best I've had, and the sesame noodles have a surprisingly complex and delightful flavor--the kind where with every bite you taste something new. The raspberry sauce, which we made to go with a cheesecake from another cookbook, was heavenly.

This is an outstanding cookbook, and I can't wait for an excuse to make more out of it. We're already planning which special occasion we'll take advantage of next!

This is simply creative, well done and inspirational. From the unique concept to the exciting layout to the fab recipes, this is one to have and use and celebrate and enjoy.

The author is a cookbook all-star, having done The Silver Palate series and New Basics and several of her own. She branches out now with this one which provides a whole thematic culinary event including recipes, music, wine suggestions, serving and decorating ideas. All centered around great food.

There are 43 themed events with 350 recipes all showing color photos organized into two main sections: A Year of Celebrations, with a dozen of the more classic events e.g. New Year, Seder, Mother's Day, etc., and the second: Celebrating Our Lives, bridal shower, graduation, cuisine & culture outings, e.g. India, morocco; and ingredient feasts such as a blueberry breakfast. There are also adequate sources, bibliography, conversion tables and a nice index. The servings are hefty, sometimes for 24, 8, 2, 16. Buffets, pool party, sit down dining room, beach, etc. venues well covered as well.

While so many could be singled out to inspire you to add this to your collection, let me tempt you with two samplings: A Toast To New Year for 8, with a Celebration Coktail ( Grand Marniew and champagne and more), Sparkling Crab Salad, Frisee Folie with Tangerine Vinaigrette, Mahogany Squabs, Fancy New Year's Pilaf, Carrot-Ginger Whip, Beet and Apple Whip, Frozen Lime Souffle, Chocolate Truffles. All of this decked out in an ambience of Old Painted Hookahs holding apricot-hued roses, with votive candles amid floating white orchids, set upon table of paisly fabriic, with pink linen napkins set off with gold wire-ribbon ties. Suggested music: Rimsky--Korsakov's Scheherazade or John Coltrane's My Favorite Things.

Anytime Sunday Brunch for 8 with Leek Frittata, Roasted Tomatoes and Onions, Rustic Chicken Salad, Tomatoes a la Tapenade, Blackberry Sorbet, and Rich Pecan Squares.

As she suggests, one doesn't have to do all the recipes, and mix and matching of them is allowable and encouraged. She has a good idea too, that of trying a more difficult recipe ahead of time as a dish to gain confidence before preparing as part of a bigger spread.

This is lush, well thought out and executed and a marvelous resource for entertaining, whether one follows it to a tee, some of it, and use for inspiration to dream up your own. This is wo well done and has something everyone can find exactly what you're into. Explore, dine and wine, bon appetit.

This book is for every woman who chafes under the restrictive reins of our male-dominated society. Fern Hill's sensitive handling of the life of this courageous woman put me on a time machine back to Charley's time and kept me spellbound from start to finish. A real triumph and highly recommended.

"Think `Tootsie' in reverse. Add horses and coaches, the lure of the historical Wild West, and you'll meet Charley Parkhurst, nee Charlotte - a fearless woman who found her independence living as a man."
--RUTH M. VARNEY, writer, editor, reader

I thoroughly enjoyed Charley's Choice based on a true character. I felt transformed back to a time when only strong, rugged men drove stage coaches across our vast country and one woman's desire and ultimate success in being able to follow her dream of being a driver. She conquered the hazardous conditions of the job held previously only by men and the ever present danger of her secret identity being revealed. The character of Charlie is both rough and competitive, yet tender and compassionate. It's a book I couldn't put down. I highly recommend this book to all.
- Ginger Scrivani, Naples FL

I am an avid horror story fan, and my mom bought this book for me. I didn't read it right away, but when I did start reading it, I kicked myself in the pants for not starting it earlier! I was sad to get to the end, because I wanted MORE!!! I suggest this book to everyone who will listen. Kudos to Fern for introducing us to Charley Parkhurst! Thank you!!!!

What an amazing life Charley lived as a woman posing as a man in such a harsh time in our history. I love stories based upon truth that show us what others have done and the odds they have surmounted to make thier lives what they wanted it to be. I became engrossed in the story wondering if she would be "found out" and what happened to the baby she had. I am referring this book to all my friends!

This is truly one of Roald Dahl's best and is pretty much one of the best tributes to childhood he has written. Heck, it's about a whimsical candy shop and it's pure Dahlian. I still melt every time I hear about the mysterious factory and its master. I don't even mind the not-so-sublte morals (though the book does not have them as blatant as the Gene Wilder movie version). It's creative, understatedly intense while drumming up the quirkiness of the factory and the characters, and is wonderfully British. A true children's classic.

Roald Dahl was immensely creative, as you can see in this book. If you have watched the movie and have not read the book, you have only experienced a sliver of Roald Dahl's imagination. The book is very much like both of the movies, but his descriptions and details in the book are magical. I would recommend this book to anyone, and it is, as it says in the title, one of my favorite books. If you like this book, I would recommend the sequel to this book, Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, which is a worthy sequel to this classic.

"There were only two rooms in the place altogether and there was only one bed. The bed was given to the four old grandparents because they were so old and tired. They were so tired they never got out of it. This is the house of poor Charlie bucket."

Charlie bucket is the main character in the book of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. Charlie bucket is a small child compared to his other friends. This is because Charlie's family is poor and they don't have enough money to buy plenty of food for the six of them. But then one day Charlie bucket finds some money on the floor and he goes to the nearest store and buys a Willy Wonka chocolate bar. When he buys the first chocolate bar he eats it all up then he decides to buy a second one and when he opens the chocolate bar from the back he finds Willy wonkas last golden ticket. After he finds it he runs home and tells his family and they get so excited. After this all the magic happens when Charlie bucket meets Mr. Wonka and the other lucky winners and the adventure begins.
As I read this book I thought to myself, what if I was in Charlie's place? How I would feel if I lived his life? And then that one day I got to find the golden ticket. What I would do is run straight home and tell my family about what I have done, the next thing I would do would be to rub it in all of my friends faces because I would want o see the look on their faces. I think if this would have happened to me I would have been so happy because if I was in Charlie's place and really didn't get anything good in my life I would be the happiest person. One of my favorite parts of this book was when they were in the chocolate factory and they went into the biggest room which was where all the chocolate was made. I liked this part because I imagined a chocolate river and all sorts of kinds of chocolate while I was reading this book. I think the moral of the story is that even though someone is poor, if he or she is patient and friendly while others are not, good things can happen because that's how Charlie was and he happened to win something.

This book was good. If you love chocolate, you'll love this book. We liked the characters, especially Charlie. Boy or girl, you'll love this book. If you don't buy it, you're crazy. After you finish it, try Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator. It has a lot of suspense. Roald Dahl puts a lot of description in his writing.

A classic children's book and rightly so. Roald Dahl is one of the great authors for children, which is obvious since his books are still fun, funny, and interesting for adults. The story is simple and sweet (that is not suppose to be a pun). The writing never talks down to children without being above their heads. You need to get this or any Roald Dahl book for any child you really care about (if they have a sense of humor or need to learn what it is to have one) or if you missed this classic as a child don't wait any longer and read it.

while in France recently at Chalon-sur-Soane I visited their photography museum. They were doing a special exhibit of this work. I was so totally impressed on how Miller could capture these photos while seeming to be invisable to his subjects that I investigated when I returned and discovered that this book was available. I bought TWO; one for myself and one for my daughter who is a serious photographer.

These striking images of Bronzeville -- "Chicago's Harlem" -- will blow you away. The humanity they portray, in all its beaten-down, lifted-up, heartbreaking reality, makes me wish I knew personally every man and woman depicted herein.

Wayne Miller, a white photographer now well into his 80s, went into the Bronzeville ghetto over a two-year period and made these touching pictures; then they "went into a drawer" for 40 years, until finally the Univ of Calif Press published this book. (The book itself is as well-produced a book of photographs as you are likely to find anywhere.)

My grandfather Nathan Joseph ran the States Theatre at 3507 S. State St., in the heart of Bronzeville, for some 50 years (unfortunately the States is not depicted herein). I myself have written a novel of Bronzeville called "To Love Mercy" (Mid-Atlantic Highlands, ISBN 0-9744785-3-9). A historical Afterword appears at the end of "To Love Mercy;" it is an oral history of Bronzeville, in the voices of a dozen people who lived there in the '40s and '50s. This Afterword is illustrated with seven of Wayne Miller's photos from "Chicago South Side, 1946-1948."

I have given close to a dozen copies of "Chicago South Side" as gifts. I was coming to Amazon to buy two more copies when I saw this opportunity to write a review.

These photos have moved me to tears. Buy this book.

This is a marvelous collection of images from everyday Balck Chicago life in the late 1940s. There are scenes of street life, back alleys, patrons at a pool hall and tavern, and night life ranging from a female personator dressing to Duke Ellington hunched at a piano at rehearsal and an ebullient Louis Jordan on stage.

This book is a treasure. I wish I could find more by this photographer (my searches have come up empty). The photographs take you right inside each scene, and often pack a powerful punch of sadness, joy, intimacy, life. The printing quality is excellent. If the publisher can collect more of his work, I will be the first customer.

This is one of the best photographic books I've seen -- ever. Wayne Miller manages to make personal contact with the human beings who lived on Chicago's South Side in a way that few photographers have ever matched. The warmth and complexity of these photographs, the compassion and human understanding involved, are most remarkable -- especially since the photographer stood on the other side of America's terrible racial divide from his subjects. Anyone who loves classic documentary photography, or who simply loves human beings in their complexity, should order this book.

Helen F. Copley is indeed a dedicated lady. Her book, written in an absorbing and happy tone keeps ones eyes glued to Helen's captivating text. The deceased illustrater, Howard Chandler Christy, is not an easy target for research in books, and certainly tougher to follow his tracks to places where his paintings still existed. Helen did it all. She travelled from her home in Dallas to New York City, Vermont, Ohio and California all places where Christy once lived. She located his paintings in Dallas, Ohio, and South Carolina. In Northern Florida she visited a Stephen Foster museum on the banks of the Suwanee River where Foster's melodies, "Beautiful Dreamer" and "Many Happy Days" were captured on canvass in splendid reverees that only Christy could do. Helen visited all Christy's past haunts, interviewed surviving aquaintances, and spoke to living relatives including Christy's daughter. In her travels Helen never tired. She kept up an exhausting pace. If it were not for her travelling companion, Carol Anne, Helen would still be on her Quest.

Helen's keen observations and her trips, sometime intuitive, always brought more of the unknown Christy to light. Her writing is cheerful descriptive and a delightful experience for everyone not merely Christy afficianados. Helen is a Howard Chandler Christy muse. She would not have been out of place with Jason in his quest for the Golden Fleece. This is a must read for all.

The Christy Quest is the story of Helen Copley's diligent research about the artist Howard Chandler Christy. The artist and his work is certainly central to the book but not the real story. The book is a joyous tale of the author's quest for knowledge about herself and her subject. The miracles encountered and so easily communicated are the product of many right next steps taken by the author. The book is a roadmap for anyone who is considering writing a nonfiction book. It is also a must read for anyone who needs a little encouragement to take a chance on themselves and a dream.

What a delightful read! I did not know that I was familiar with Howard Chandler Christy, until I reviewed some of his works. His paintings are captivating; I can imagine how that portrait of Christ could have begun this journey. Ms. Copley's story of twists and turns, and "coincidences" that continued to lead her on capture the reader. Remembrances of life at The Hotel des Artistes, and the hints of Christy's own independent and fascinating life have whetted my appetite for more writings of the artist, the man. But I am even more impressed by the author herself. She followed her interest, listened to those little strong voices, and accepted encouragement to complete a wonderful story. Her travels and discoveries in New York and elsewhere are inspiring. I anxiously await more work by Helen Copley.

The Christy in "The Christy Quest" is Howard Chandler Christy, one of the leading figures in America's Golden Age of Illustration. A fascinating and prolific artist, Christy produced a vast diversity of work over a lengthy career, ranging from Gibson-girl sweethearts to the nudes adorning the walls of New York's Cafe des Artistes to religious paintings done in his last years. But this is not really a book about Christy's work, or for that matter about his life either, other than tangentially!

I've heard a theory to the effect that you can pick any two people on earth, and forge a connection between them involving no more than eight other people. In other words, starting at one end of the chain, there is some person you know or know of, who could lead you to a second person they know or know of, who in turn could lead you to a third, and eventually, you would reach the target individual. The trick, of course, is to find the right eight people!

Helen Copley's book tells the story of the connections she forged, over about a dozen years, following her first exposure to a Christy image. The beginning is (and apparently was, for her also) slow and somewhat painful. But after hitting the real start of the quest, on p. 22, one is quickly swept into the details of the hunt -- the places she travelled to find Christy's paintings, his relatives, those people still alive who knew him personally. The cast includes many well-known characters, both in the public and illustration history worlds, and their depictions often seem like much of Christy's own work, generous and ebullient. Over and over again, Ms. Copley found the right connections -- just the right "eight people" to advance her quest. She often ascribes these successes to some almost divine or miraculous intervention, but the reader can tell their real source. It is the hard work, painstaking research, dogged determination, and in the end, the strength of her love for Christy's work, that produced the results. In this case, the fates certainly helped those who helped themselves, and the result is an entertaining canvas of its own.

Helen Copley writes as she speaks and lives. Her journey, in learning of the life of Howard Chandler Christy, is full of humor, spiritual insight, and curiosity. Helen shows us the way to learn through joy, and to enjoy whatever unfolds. I can't wait for the biography to be published!

I have devoted a good portion of my life to the study of mathematics in general, especially algebra and number theory. This book is an extraordinary reference to many areas of number theory and extremely approachable. The book can be studied on its own or as a companion piece to more specialized texts such as Marcus's Number Fields.

If ever there was a textbook of which one could say that it was a thing of beauty, this has to be it. The book is very clearly written, and it is readily accessible even to those without a deep understanding of algebra or analysis; despite this, it manages to touch upon a great deal of relatively sophisticated material, and in a way that makes clear the links between the problems of the past and those of the present. I'd imagine that the book would constitute an essential item of reference for anyone with more than a passing interest in number theory.

I am currently finishing my third year of undergraduate math at Brown University, and have just completed a course that used this particular book. I have to say it's the most WELL WRITTEN math book I've ever read, and I've read many, many math books by now (more than I'm willing to count as I'm typing this). Professor Rosen (and Ken Ireland, God rest his soul) have made a book that has both fun and interesting problems as well as clear explanations of proofs in the text. It does of course require that you know the basics of abstract algebra (in particular, one is expected to know that "1" is a unit and therefore cannot be prime, so of course when we discuss problems involving factorization into primes, one will of course ignore the number 1). One is also expected to know the basics of formal logic (i.e. understanding how a proof by induction works, how a proof by contradiction works, and knowing that any proper subset of the natural numbers will have a least element), and I choose to point this out simply because MrBigBeast's review makes it obvious that all these facts were not understood. Despite the fairly large amount of assumed knowledge (this is a book intended for advanced undergrads and first year grad students, afterall), this book takes one on an amazing adventure through the depths of elementary number theory, as well as introduces you to very advanced topics in both algebraic and analytic number theory (ever want to know about Zeta Functions? This book treats the topic quite nicely, making a fairly difficult concept accessible). Truly a gem of a book and worth buying even if you never use it for a course.

I picked up this book as a junior in college and was simply stunned. The flow of ideas is so natural that there are times when you can even read the book like a novel. The exposition is clean, and the proofs are elegant.
However, keep in mind that this book IS a GTM. Hence, it requires pre-requisites by way of approximately a year of abstract algebra. As the author says in the preface, it's possible to read a the first 11 chapters without it. However, to appreciate the beauty of the theory, I would sincerely recommend algebra as pre-req.
The first 12 chapters can be considered 'elementary' (not easy, just fundamental). The others are specialized algebraic topics. For instance, the chapter on elliptic curves is useful to get a flavor of the subject. However, it includes very few proofs.

I'm currently an undergrad math and phsyics major at Brown, and I loved this book. Rosen is a great teacher and a great writer. As per the post below mine, the submitter is being overly nitpicky. If a reader cannot realize that unique factorization of Z+ extends to Z or understand immediately the nature of "1", then perhaps the reader shouldn't be trying to learn advanced number thoery. As per using the conclusion in the proof, it's called proof by induction. It's easy and trivial enough that I'm sure they didn't want to waste the readers time going through the incredibly obviouse steps.

The book is great. The problems are fun and interesting, and the book gradually generalizes which makes the abstraction easier to conceptualize. If you need something with tons of really baisc excersizes and proofs that will walk you through every step of the way, no matter how small, then this book may not be for you. But if you are a seriouse student looking for an interesting and insightfull introduction to the subject, I highly recomend this book

I agree with every word written in the previous reviews: this is a stunning work and one of my most prized possessions, ranging across manuscript illumination from the very earliest known through early to late Middle Ages and Renaissance, and geographically also ranging much more widely (i.e. outside Europe) than any work I've come across.

I paid £37 for it in the UK when it first came out ($75), and still thought it was an absolute bargain. So I am mystified why it is suddenly available (October 2007) at a fraction of the price: this must be being sold at a loss - or are Taschen simply offloading all unsold copies to Amazon? It might be worth Amazon specifying if this indeed the same as the original edition. You'll note that the cover picture is slighlty different from the one you get when you follow the link to the more expensive 'other editions' (even if the text content and reviews are identical).

Illumination has fascinated me since I was a boy. This is the best book I have seen of illuminations. The scope includes books in Greek, Latin, Old Church Slavonic, Persian, and Mayan. The printing is superb. Detailed descriptions tell who did the work, who patronized it, who owned the book, where it is now, and so forth. Great for browsing for enjoyment and as a source of inspiration. I expect this book to be a favorite for many years to come. Anybody who enjoys calligraphy and illumination would be delighted to own this book.

This book is worth every penny! It has fantastic HUGE pictures full of great detail. As an artist who specialises in ancient illuminated manuscripts, I value this book above all others in my personal library. So many great manuscripts are represented here. Truely high art!

This book deserves a seven stars score, as it is magnificent in every sense: Paper, Colour palette reproduction, basic and reliable information accompanying every depicted facsimil, and specially because of the scope of the compendium, involving manuscript examples from arabic countries as well as a XIII century mexican manuscript (The Borgia Codex currently held at the Biblioteca Vaticana) This collection shows (as rarely done by supossedly comprehensive treatises) that Mesoamerican, Chinese and Arabic cultures do also possess a very rich medieval heritage, characterised by a colourful tradition in art production. I strongly recommend this book for anyone interested in Medieval illumination, as well as for those modern illuminators concerned with applying only authentic medieval colours (mostly inorganic compounds) in their manuscript reproductions and finally, this book serves also as a comprehensive guide for visiting great libraries and museums all around the world where some of these manuscripts are exhibited (Do not forget to visit the Condé Museum and The Marmottan-Monet Museum in France).

"Masterpieces of Illumination: The World's Most Beautiful Illuminated Manuscripts from 400 to 1600" is essentially a reprint of "Codices illustres: The World's Most Famous Illuminated Manuscripts 400 to 1600." The former is one of many 25th anniversary Taschen editions, and bears the series logo on its dust-jacket and bright green cover (rather than the classier illumination of the Limburg Brother's Anatomical Man that adorns the cover of the latter). "Masterpieces" is also slightly smaller (9 ¾" x 12 ½") than the original (10 ¼" x 13 ¼"). There are a few other slight differences between the two editions: different endpapers; white paper for the appendix in "Masterpieces," ivory in "Codices"; and slightly darker illustrations in Masterpieces (only noticeable if you actually compare the editions side by side). Otherwise the two editions are virtually identical.
This is a truly wonderful book. It contains discussions and representative illuminations from 167 of the most famous and influential extant codices, books of hours, psalters, Bibles and histories from Europe and Asia (23 or the 167 are from Persia, turkey and India) during the 1200 years in which manuscript illumination flourished as an art form (and at the end of the text proper are samples from yet another 29 manuscripts). The full-color and often full-page illustrations are beautifully and accurately rendered, and the accompanying descriptions are both authoritative and unusually informative. The appendix contains artist biographies, along with a comprehensive bibliography, glossary, and index. In short, this is more than just a coffee-table book; in fact, I use it in my university course on manuscript illumination (along with Christopher De Hamel's excellent "A History of Illuminated Manuscripts," which forms the perfect companion piece to this volume.).
At the current retail price ($29.95) this book is an absolute steal. If you only get one book on the subject of manuscript illumination, this should be the one!

This book is great, written with crystal clarity and well paced. It is a must for anyone reviewing the questions of what is knowledge and what are we really trying to teach in school and associated probes. It seems best for someone with a math or science backgrounds but I would be interested in the opinions of those with other backgrounds; a theologian recommended it to me. It is long but one doesn't have to target reading the entirety, certainly not by any date certain. Excellent anyway.

As far as I have read this book, it is very informative and indepth study.

This is the definitive text of Bernard Lonergan's most important work, Insight, with over 130 revisions, based on the meticulous labor of comparing three texts, line by line, word by word! All students of Lonergan's thought owe a great debt to Frs. Frederick E. Crowe and Robert M. Doran for having executed their task with such thoughtfulness, perfection and devotion. Corresponding pages to the second edition of Insight, which has been the standard one, are given in brackets. My previous review was based on the second edition.

If somebody loves you authentically so much so that you become better person than before, you can't help loving him dearly. It happens. And it can happen even through a book! In this incredable book called "insight", you are invited to a wonderland of a higly diffentiated intelligence, only to find that it is no other than your real self. At first you wonder, you ask, you think hard, and you get it! For the first time you come to know what is understanding. You begin to doubt, you reflect, and finally you judge that you are a knower! Now you are changed. Now you know you are consciously operating in your experiencing, understanding, judging, and deciding. Now you know what knowledge is, what it means to you, and how it means to you. You become a living, knowing, acting subject. And you come to love Lonergan, since he introduced you to yourself. To "read" Insight may take a long time, years or decades. However when you finish it, you will begin to take another long trip to yourself, where no one had gone before...

Lonergan, a Thomistic philosopher,tries to explain the procedures of human mind,discerning a transcendental method capable to establish a fundamental pattern of every operation present in cognitional action."What am I doing when I am knowing?",that's the previous question Lonergan attempts to answer.This is possible integrating the operations "experiencing","understanding" and "judging",an INSIGTH which brings a startling unity to knowledge and to the pursuit of understanding in every field.