G Books

For a basic course in music theory, this is the compilation which will teach you everything you need to know about tonality, cadences, voice leading, nonharmonic tones, and harmony.

Bach's Chorales are the stuff of legend. The sheer wealth of invention is staggering. The Reimenschneider version has been around for decades and it is difficult to see how it could be improved. The layout is excellent with useful and insightful notes from a true Bach scholar.

For any piano player, music theorist, composer, or music enthusiast, this is the book for you. Excellent for daily piano study or for a better understanding of common practice tonal harmony. Great notes in the back for reference. The basis of tonality lies within these pages.

This is nearly indispensable for the serious music student. Used in most first-year theory courses, the Bach Chorales illustrate what the master did and why our Western music theory is based on the chorales he wrote.

First bought 18 years ago, I found that I'd somehow lost my copy along the way. I bought another copy since I'm taking further music theory courses and though it isn't required in this particular course, it helps immensely to have a copy on hand.

The book is very well laid out but the music is smaller than would be preferred. If the scores were printed larger it would be more enjoyable.

An absolutely beautiful study of the world of a sixteenth-century Flemish achemist and the tribulations he eventually suffers. It's pretty scholarly and there are no shenanigans involving the making of gold etc., the usual tropes. It takes its milieu very seriously and though it's very scholarly it in no way fails to involve the reader with the main character's quest for enlightenment. Things do come to a head, plotwise, in that Zeno is eventually persecuted on trumped-up charges of a heretical nature, admittedly, so there is a bit of the conspiracy element but it's not really the focus. Anyway, this is as good as John Banville's best historical novels such as 'Dr Copernicus' and 'Kepler'. The little essay at the back of the U.K. Black Swan edition is a fascinating document of the 60-year on-off piecing-together of what was originally a fragment and an excellent elucidation of how she researched it, what she took from where etc. 'The Abyss' was first published in 1968 and translated by Grace Frick with the author.

Marguerite Yourcenar is one of the towering novelists of the twentieth century, the first woman to be inducted into the French Academy. The Abyss is an essential for any serious library.

The Abyss is a remarkable study of two men in early sixteenth century Europe. One is looking for worldly pleasures, the other for something more serious. It's the latter man, Zeno, who becomes one of the most unusual heroes in modern novels. Yourcenar traces the man's intellectual growth against the background of a Europe whose collective mind was also growing, and shows how a powerful intellect can triumph over bias, superstition, and intolerance. The writing is wonderful, with long sentences that meander over pages the way Zeno wanders through the continent; the characters met along the way are memorable; the philosophical discourses are fascinating. It's not an easy read, but perhaps as worthwhile as any other book published in the last half century.

I read this book several years ago and although I no longer remember many details I still think of it as one of my favorite books. It recreates around the life of the main character all the main issues of the historical period concerned: The crumbling of the medieval political order and the slow rise of the Nation-States, the Reformation and the Religion wars and, in general, all the chaos generated by the decline of Medieval thought and the emergence of a myriad of new alternative conceptions about mankind, nature and society. What makes this book so marvellous is that it masterly combines all these issues into a literary work elegantly and coherently written.

The book speaks for itself and I would highly recommend it for anyone interested in historical novels. However, I can tell that it is much more enjoyable with some knowledge of the politics and ideas of the time, because that is when you find out all the work that the author had to do in order to present this incredible novel.

Although I do not consider it as a demerit of the work, the only thing I dislike of the book were the final reflexions of Zenon, because they have certain twenty-century sartrian flavor, which -although valid- cause frictions with the so lively historical atmosphere created by the author.

Reading a book by M. Yourcenar, a prose writer of great skill, is invariably a delight. The scope of her novels is epic, the composition is as intricate and carefully crafted as a Beethoven symphony. Here in The Abyss, the main theme of the book - the clash between the impetus of momentous historical forces and the destiny of a single human being - is introduced in the very first sentence of the book. It accompanies the reader throughout the book as an insistent motto theme. Yourcenar's prose is carefully polished and aristocratic and reflects her admirable erudition. It is a language with the colour, texture and depth of a precious fabric or an excellent wine. The pace of the book is naturally rather slow, particularly in its second part where the alchemist and doctor Zenon has settled down again in Bruges and is given to long bouts of introspection. But the noble pacing is fully in accord with the gravity of the subject matter and the stakes involved. I think the book has lost nothing of its relevance today, a time in which civil rights are being widely curtailed in the name of abstract principles. As such it warrants closer study by those wanting to resist these pressures and to stick to honest and authentic choices.

This book is a series of summaries and stories of the 30 designers Bucher talked to. It's a great book to flip through and think about. My only regret is that most of the designers' works shown in the book is reproduced at miniscule size, simply because there is so much of it to show. I think I had the wrong expectation in wanting to see lots and lots of work, but the stories of each designer is an inspiration in itself.

I am a designer. I carry this book to my office everyday. This is my most important book to quickly review entire graphic design history, and also inspire ideas from other designers!!!

I love this book. There is a ton of info but writer/designer Stefan Bucher has layed it out in an eye-catching, extremely functional way and I appreciate that. The insight into the designers lives and working process is something you just won't find in another book. I find it inspiring for us wannabe designers! As an artist or designer, this is a must-read!

After much time reading books on what seems like my weakest attribute (business acumen), I decided to treat myself to a book that was focused on what I love: design. In September I stumbled upon a book by designer, Stefan Bucher, called "All Access, The Making of Thirty Extraordinary Graphic Designers."

This book was a rather fortuitous find, but it re-awakened my interest in the joy of making things. I read and reflected upon the content in it exclusively for a number of weeks. This is particularly rare for me, as I generally have about a dozen books on the go, all in varying stages of completion.

It feels as though the design community has recently experienced a deluge of monographs which take on either a hero-worshiping or somewhat self-indulgent nature. Although he's clearly excited by the people he chronicles in his book, Stefan manages to stem any kind of adulation, instead breaking his studies into small chapters. Each of these passages works to illustrate the challenges real practitioners of design have struggled with, and how they have come to find their voice through their work.

If anything was difficult for me in reading this book, it was in keeping names and bodies of work straight. The vast collection of gifted designers and their wide ranging oeuvres, felt a little like a crash course that I couldn't quite process in time. As a result, I've been re-reading the book in fits and spurts since the fall, and have referenced it extensively in discussions ever since.

To read more: http://www.ideasonideas.com/2006/01/reconsidering_design/

All Access is one of the most abundant, interesting design books I've had the pleasure to comb through. Most design publications are a pleasant visual trip, but All Access has not only engaged my eyes, but pulled me in to read every entertaining, inspiring word. I would recommend this book to everyone from the seasoned design professional to someone who is only remotely interested in graphic design. It could change the latter to the former....

"This is a story of what one man did to Bring people to Christ-- a man whose efforts were directly responsible for the conversion of perhaps not less than 500,000 souls, heard by millions." this in a time before electronics ,TV, etc. Charles G. Finney an autobiography is the story of the the Second Great Awakening 1825-1845. A (USA)spiritual revival with the first Great Awakening 1740-1750. AS George Whitefield was the primary traveling Evangelist in the First Awakening (though many people were and must be involved for revivals of this magnitude) Finney was the D.L. Moody, the Billy Sunday, The Billy Graham of his day. The Holy Spirit used him to have a major impact in turning our nation back to God and His paths. This book will encourage you to pray, share the gospel and to practice yielding to the Spirit and the Word of God. It is an American book of acts of the Holy Spirit through a yielded man in his own time. This is a great look at our spiritual heritage. Evangelist John R. Rice is said to read this book once a year to remind him to be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Finney was a well known abolitionist of his day though that is not in this book. His reputation as a man after God's own heart was undiminished all his days. [[ASIN:1556610629 Lectures on Revival, is probably the most important book on Revival apart from the Bible ever written] God bless you as you read this book. (The quote is from fly leaf of my 1908 copy ) Note: Finney was not a be reconverted over and over preacher. He did believe it was possible for a person to choose to forsake Christ the same way you choose Christ not that you accidentally sin your salvation away. I believe this to be wrong doctrinally but Finney's Auto Biography does not reflect this nor was it a doctrine he taught in his early years. This book will encourage you to attempt great things for God. The works of Finney have all recently been republished and are available on DVD as well as print.

This is probably the greatest Christian biography in print. What a man of prayer and holiness! There are some on the Web who attack Finney - and I don't agree with some of his theology - some of it is pretty much incomprehensible - but on the subjects of prayer, holiness, revival, faith, preaching, sin, sanctification, salvation, the Holy Spirit, soul-winning, zeal, and committment - he is without peer. A conservative estimate is - that without TV, radio, magazines, mailings, PA's, microphones - etc... That over 500,000 people were converted under his preaching - and over 80% were Christians until they died. The figure in modern evangelism is about 5% stay "saved" or in church for over 1 year. Finney's sermon, "Moral Insanity", is considered by several Christian leaders to be the greatest statement of truth, outside of the Bible. Every preacher in America should be made to memorize Finney's, "How to Preach So As To Convert Nobody", before being hired. This is his amazing life and ministry in his own words. This book is life-changing material. Please read it prayerfully. I have over 15,000 Christian books in my personal library - and this is one of the top 10.

If you ever wanted revival in your own life or ministry, this book is the most clear representation I have ever seen in print anywhere. It is a riveting book that has kept me up at night for hours until I could read no more. Many people talk about revival and many people desire it, but until it is seen personally, it is difficult to comprehend. This book comes about as close to really "seeing" revival as possible. Once you see that as Finney uses the same techniques over and over and gets the same results, you come to the realization that maybe we can do it, too. These are not some mystical "techniques", but good old-fashioned bible techniques like prayer, fasting, faith, humility, etc. You must read the book. Don't criticize his theology until you have read his work. As one preacher told me, "They criticize his theology, but they can't match his power!" See for yourself. Then, after you get inspired about doing this in your own life, then read "Lectures on Revivals" by Finney to see how to incorporate it in your own life, and then "Systematic Theology" by Finney to understand the theology behind it.

This is one of the books I continue to recommend after all this time. It is the portrait of a life that seemed successful but remained directionless until entered the Truth. A powerful conversion led to Finney's preaching ministry to more people that we can fathom without the benefit of modern mass media.

After reading "Finney's Systematic Theology," I read this book. Of course, I could not stop there, and later read the entire autobiography. This book is a great beginning to learning more about and being inspired by Finney and his prayer life! Beginning in 1980, I published 16 books of Charles Finney's writing, and only "Principles of Prayer" remains in print, so I am happy this autobiography is still available!

I believe those of you who enjoy Finney and Andrew Murray will also enjoy "Prayer Steps to Serenity," which teaches truths that I learned from studying Finney and Murray for many years. The book follows a 12 Steps and Serenity Prayer format. It is available through Amazon, with ISBN 0595313043. If you know of anyone who is looking for a 12 Step devotional that will help them walk in the power of the Holy Spirit according to the scriptures, you can heartily recommend this book to them. "Prayer Steps to Serenity" was not published by Bethany House, and it is a larger than a trade paperback (a 9 inch by 6 inch paperback) that includes devotional readings, prayers to encourage you to keep on praying as the Holy Spirit leads, a personal Journey Guide (or workbook), and a Group Journey Guide for prayer and support groups. "Prayer Steps to Serenity" is also supported by two websites that offer a lot of free guides and resources for those seeking more information about Christian recovery and starting Serenity Groups. Go to PrayerSteps.org or SerenityGroups.org for more information, or to write me about Finney.

Thank you for reading!
L.G. Parkhurst, Jr.

When I began reading this book,I anticipated a telling of the nazi shadow engulfing the Jews of Austria in the style of-say- Primo Levi, or even Zweigs recollections in his 'World of Yesterday' autobiography. But Appelfelds style is unique. Yes, the nazi shadow is coming to engulf.As readers we know what their fate will be. But Appelfeld tells the story from the universal human perspective where we evade reality and interpret everything the way we want it to be, not as it actually is.

Jews are gathered in Badenheim for their annual vacation. The 'sanitation' department has ordered all Jews to register. The residents know they will be going to Poland.Dr Pappenheim talks of the new opportunities; how it is essential people return to their own country of origin. (The atmosphere of evading reality is heightened as nobody asks 'Why?') Langmann is angry. He is Austrian. Why should he be uprooted over a mistake? Peter the pastry shop owner blames it all on Pappenheim for bringing decadence to the town with his art festivals.(Again, no one asks what has this got to do with their situation-even though Peters accusation is a common myth espoused by the nazis.) Fussholdt carries on writing his major critiques on jewish philosophers and culture whom he dispises despite his own judaism.

Throughout, there are no Cassandra characters. Only quickly appeased comments (They took my house is somehow turned into an understandable action by the residents.)Even at the end, Pappenheim is convinced they cannot have far to travel when 40 filthy cattle trucks arrive at the station to take them to Poland; its all ok.



This book is a mere 148 pages and must be read in one sitting to gain the full effect. It transcends the era and the crime it portrays, it tells you of mans fatal flaw in disbelieving the evil that can occur. Trusting to decency and reason to quell brutality. You know that these people know, but even as a reader, you would feel uneasy in trying to break the truth to them.



Appelfeld has a unique way of writing and a message for both his own people and all of mankind. This was an honour to read.

Badenheim is a quiet, idyllic holiday town in Eastern Europe. The 'leader' of the town, Dr Pappenheim, is busy preparing for the annual festival, writing letters and sending telegrams to beg and plead for musicians and artists from Vienna.

While the preparations are under way, the Sanitation Department begins quietly undertaking a rigorous inspection of each and every house and shop in Badenheim. Among the many questions asked is how many and who of the residents are Jewish. The vacationers and locals alike think nothing of the questions, nonchalantly confirming or denying their religion, and returning to their food, their wine, their entertainment. Here and there, a few people discuss the increasing powers of the Sanitation Department - they have just recently closed the Post Office - but nobody seems to mind. Badenheim is quiet and peaceful, and that is how they like it.

Time passes. The impresario, Dr Pappenheim, is still writing letters, but he senses that they are going off into the void, never to return. A few - very few - letters are still allowed into Badenheim, but for the most part, the Sanitation Department has closed off the city. Guards are posted to deny entry or exit to any man, woman or child of Jewish descent. It happens so slowly that nobody really notices, but at one stage, almost all of the non-Jewish people have gone, and of the tiny trickle of visitors allowed into Badenheim, every person is a Jew.

There is a quiet horror to Badenheim 1939. Throughout this very short book, it seems as though with each page, the oppression and terror of World War II is approaching the Jewish people of Badenheim, but they never see it. With every freedom slowly being denied - the shops are closed, the gates are sealed, outside communication is forbidden - the reader is left to wonder if this time, if this time when the Sanitation Department closes the pastry shop, say, will they understand? But they never do. Everything happens over such a long period of time, and so quietly, that nobody really seems to realise when they are suddenly trapped, except for a few minor characters who are slowly going mad, the cracks in the calm facade they have wrapped themselves in widening with every minute.

This book is most effective because we know what happened to the Jews post-1939. We know where they are going, and what will likely happen to them. The Sanitation Department assures them that they will be transplanted to Poland, and everything will be fine. They believe because they have to believe. Towards the end of the novel, the razor wire, the guns, the dogs all make an appearance. To ignore what is happening is suicidal, and yet they do. After all, how could a race of people imagine that they would be persecuted in such a terrifying manner? Surely, their minds would shied away from such horrible information, from the mere idea that a man - a country - wanted to eradicate six million of them? And yet, that is what happened, and that is how the novel ends, a perfect, bleak, dark ending that is all the more horrifying for how completely reasonable every single tiny little step leading up to their incarceration inside a derelict train, headed, presumably, for Auschwitz.

Badenheim 1939 is a powerful book because it shows how easy it is to accept something unacceptable, if it is presented in small, reasonable, easily palatable pieces. None of these characters are overly bad, or good - they are absolutely normal. They squabble, they argue, they love, they laugh, they sing, they cry. In fact, throughout the entire novel, nothing untoward happens to any of them - except for the encroaching holocaust.

Aharon Appelfeld's beautiful and highly polished novel, Badenheim 1939 was originally published in Hebrew in 1975. Although the Holocaust forms both the historical backdrop of the novel as well as its imaginative focus, it does so from behind-the-scenes and, as such, is subtle and implicit in its assertions, all to its enormous credit.

Badenheim 1939 is set at an Austrian vacation resort during the spring of 1939. A seemingly unremarkable assortment of middle-class Jews on holiday have gathered at Badenheim, only to later be united by what would become history's most atrocious turning point. The "Music Festival" resort of Badenheim will, soon enough, become a place of Jewish detainment from which the only exit will be via forced transport to Poland.

The vacationers, however, for the most part, remain in blissful unawareness of what is to come. Spring is in the air and summer is about to blossom; the Jews spend their days strolling the hotel gardens, visiting the cities cafés, sampling strawberry tartes at the local pastry shops, engaging in sports and bickering, gossiping, bargaining and complaining, much as any other vacationer. The mounting horror, which every reader of this sensitive and elegant book will realize, is made all the greater by the fact that it is a horror the characters simply cannot, or will not, see.

Badenheim 1939 is written with an artistic subtlety and insight with which most modern readers remain sadly unfamiliar. Appelfeld's concern, in this book, is with the prelude to the German catastrophe and not with its actual occurrence. The author, himself a Holocaust survivor, makes virtually no mention of the Nazi atrocities and shows no interest in the graphic portrayal of the brutalities committed. Appelfeld is certainly not oblivious to the facts, he simply has chosen to place his focus elsewhere. In Badenheim 1939, the Holocaust is an incipient threat rather than a full-blown horror.

Appelfeld's prose is more akin to lyric poetry than to narrative fiction and shows a tremendous gift for rhetorical restraint that is rare among writers. This is a beautiful and quiet tale, exquisitely told with imagery, understatement and indirection. The effects of the narrative accumulate and change in much the same way the seasons do, in increments that are minimal and yet extraordinarily moving. This is history, but it is history perceived at its most mundane. In this remarkable manner, Appelfeld creates something of extraordinary beauty and yet, manages to intensify the tragedy.

In the end, Appelfeld's characters do, of course, suffer the horrors that befell all Jews, of every nation, whether directly or indirectly. The genius of Badenheim 1939 lies in its projections of a gradual, incipient menace and its portraits of Jewish reactions, which range from ready adjustment to slowly unfolding despair.

It is in the space between the reader's knowledge of what is beginning to unfold for the Jews and the latter's own blindness to it that the book registers its most powerful impact, once again doing so without any direct reference to the ovens, the gas chambers or the camps. Appelfeld's artistic beauty lies in his amazing ability to suggest rather than describe. Giorgio Bassani was able to do something similar in The Garden of the Finzi-Continis but Appelfeld is, perhaps, the more superior.

Rarely has the tragic end point of Jewish fate been invoked no clearly and disturbingly and yet so indirectly. We come away from Badenheim 1939 as though from a finely-rendered tone poem, complete with the knowledge that we have been absorbed into a special moment in time and in feeling; in this case, the moment just before the trains departed for Poland, the final pause before the end.

Badenheim is a an Austrian resort town whose denizens are almost all Jewish. This short novel describes the reactions of the residents of the town as preparations are made to deport them ' to the East'. It describes the gradual series of changes in which the town is slowly closed down, and its residents denied their privileges and enjoyments. A number of characters stories are highlighted including the Impressario Pappenheim who has for years organized the Music and Dramatic Festivals in the town.The story of a half - Jewish waitress who identifies with the Jews and who injures herself in desperation is also told. Also an assimilated writer who mocks Herzl and Buber and worships the satiricial Karl Kraus is despicted. Most of these characters are living in the delusion that they are about to be deported from Austria to go to a better life in the East, in Poland. Appelfeld is a master of depicting these small games people play with themselves, these small self- deceptions which keep them from facing a horrible truth.
In the end the town closes down and the residents and vacationers of Badehnheim are taken away. When four old dirty trains hook up with them they still refuse to see the reality. And the concluding thought of escape is that they must be going 'on a short journey since the cars are so dirty'.
Assimilated Jews, often self- hating but even more often painfully human in clinging to delusions of their own normalcy and safety are the subject of this work. It is all prelude to the Disaster and Destruction the Shoah which is to destroy them all.

Aharon Appelfeld, one of Israel's greatest writers, has had only a handful of his 40 books translated into English. It's too bad. Then again, it's too bad Appelfeld didn't write "Badenheim 1939" under the pen name "Albert Camus" --- if he had, this 148-page novel would be taught alongside "The Stranger" and regarded, rightly, as a modern classic.

Appelfeld is a very unlikely writer. But then, it's remarkable that he's alive. Born in Romania in 1932, he was a quiet boy, an only child. He was just 8 when the Nazis shot his mother and deported him and his father to a concentration camp in the Ukraine, at which point they were separated for twenty years. Aharon escaped to Russia, where he was a shepherd. In 1944, at 12, he joined the Russian Army. When the war ended, he made his way to Italy and, finally, to Palestine. He spoke so many languages he couldn't express himself in any. And he had only a year or two of schooling. But he managed to enroll in college in Jerusalem and, soon after, to begin writing stories in Hebrew.

Appelfeld has one great subject: understanding what happened to his people. "I'm dealing with a civilization that has been killed," he has said. "How to represent it in the most honorable way --- not to equalize it, not to exaggerate, but to find the right proportion to represent it, in human terms." What kept him from depression, bitterness, suicide? "I've never been an angry person. This is what saved me."

"Badenheim 1939" --- the first of Appelfeld's books to be translated from Hebrew to English --- is a modest, precise, even-handed tale. As it should be; this is a simple story, of a single season in a resort town favored by Jews. As the novel begins, Spring has arrived. So have the musicians. And the first tourists.

Dr. Pappenheim is the local impresario; he's all bustle. Expect to see him at the Post Office, sending telegrams and opening letters. But this season is unlike all others. For one thing, the Sanitation Department has increased powers --- it's now authorized to undertake "independent investigations." For reasons not made clear, these investigations include the construction of fences and rolls of barbed wire. Appliances appear, "suggestive of preparations for a public celebration." The visitors to the resort expect "fun and games."

And, indeed, the office of the Sanitation Department is starting to look like a travel agency, thanks to the new signs: "The air in Poland is fresher" and "Get to know the Slavic Culture" and "Labor is our Life." There's plenty of time to think about those signs; walks are now forbidden, guests must stay on the grounds of the hotel. It's a nice break in a dull day when the Sanitation Department puts maps on Poland on sale.

The Post Office closes. Just as well. No mail is arriving --- and who knows if letters are getting out? But more people suddenly show up, all of them Jews. Here for the Music Festival? Apparently not.

And now it's Fall. The cakes of summer are no more. Ditto cigarettes. Lunch is barley soup and dry bread. Concern? Bad dreams? Of course. But no one can really believe that what is happening is more than an inconvenience. At worst, a mistake.

At last a train appears at the station. An engine with four filthy freight cars. The last paragraph shows how the worst thing you can imagine can be sold to you as something else. How easily you and yours can be lost. And, in one of the greatest sentences ever to end a book, how you can go to your doom still believing it's all going to be okay.

'Balthazar' picks up where Durrell left off in 'Justine' not chronologically, but from a different perspective. The doctor Balthazar has paid a visit to the narrator of Justine, and gives him a text called the Great Intilinear, which details what has already unfolded in the previous novel. The fact that Lawrence Durrell was trying to explore the idea of relativity in the Alexandria Quartet is almost completely inconsequential to what makes it any good. What remains interesting in this text is his rich prose and broad canvas. He his building a world that is situated in both the real and the imaginary. Even as 'Balthazar' devolves into elements of Orientalism, it remains an extremely fine novel.

"Balthazar" is the second of the sibling tomes of Lawrence Durrell's "Alexandria Quartet". The novel allows the reader to dive again deep into Alexandrian life and see everything what happens already in "Justine" from a different angle.

Darley, the narrator, still living in seclusion on the remote Greek Island, has sent the story (i.e. Justine) to one of the Alexandrian friends, Balthazar, the Jewish, gay doctor interested in philosophy and theology, initiator of the Kabbalah group, suspected of spying activity. Balthazar during his short visit on the island gives Darley the manuscript back together with a substantial amount of notes, which (with Darley's comments) are reconstituted in this volume. Darley was prompted to add a lot of the notes, as, reflecting upon them, he realized that despite his doubts, expressed in "Justine", many things he took for granted are completely different than he thought.

Balthazar sees the events described in "Justine" from his own point of view, and, having often more information or just different sources than Darley, his versions of events add to or change the descriptions from the first volume. New characters are introduced, and those, who were merely mentioned or hinted upon (Pursewarden, Mountolive, Leila, Narouz), become central, and their preoccupations and emotions are at the first plane. These shifts, instead of clarifying things that were blurred and mysterious in "Justine" make the narrative even more slippery and allusive. New avenues open for each event, tales within tales are discovered, which need their own explanation, and the atmosphere is even more dreamy... The motivations of ome characters, especially Nessim, seem to change completely from what Darley perceived, as new events are revealed. The search for the truth obviously cannot end here, so the reader needs to proceed to "Mountolive".

Alexandria becomes even more of a main character in this novel, and definitely the one with the strongest and versatile personality. Most of the other characters, struck by destructive love (again the analysis of love is one of the main themes, although the secret service intrigue gets more momentum), are impressionable, prone to spontaneous, sudden behaviors, and transient. The climactic event, as the hunting party was in Justine, is this time the carnival ball, where the reader roams the streets together with the characters in disguise... and is a witness to another death.

"Balthazar" is even more full of aphorisms than "Justine" - there seems to be a sentence for any occasion, and whereas the generalizations of love may appear trivial, childish even, the truths about literature and theoretical background of Durrell's enterprise to create a novel which would reflect its times, are amazingly formulated and put into the mouth of the surprising number of the writer characters (look especially for what Pursewarden has to say).

In summary, this is another delightful volume, different than "Justine" and only giving the reader the appetite for more of Durrell's Alexandria!

BALTHAZAR, the second novel in Lawrence Durrell's ALEXANDRIA QUARTET, is a less daunting proposition than its predecessor, JUSTINE. The author points out that the first three novels (these two plus MOUNTOLIVE) all overlap in time, looking at the same events from different perspectives; only the fourth book, CLEA, is a true sequel. Nonetheless, it is essential to read JUSTINE first; the greater clarity and expansiveness of BALTHAZAR is possible only because the reader already knows most of the characters and events; there is not enough explanation for the story to stand on its own.

The set-up is simple. The narrator (who now has a name, Darley) receives a surprise visitor to his Greek island, Balthazar, the doctor who had played a secondary role in the earlier novel. He bears with him the manuscript of JUSTINE, which Darley had sent him for comment, and has just time to return it together with his own interleaved notes and marginalia, before his ship leaves again. So Darley/Durrell is left with this huge volume of new material, which he calls "the great Interlinear" as though it were a sacred text. He realizes that several of his assumptions in the original story were mistaken, and so is forced to tell it again, sometimes quoting Balthazar directly, sometimes reimagining it in his own voice.

The book is clearer than JUSTINE in several respects, as though emerging from smoke into light. Durrell seems to use fewer unexplained foreign words, though he still breaks into French at the drop of a hat. The chapters are shorter and more clearly marked. The narrative dwells longer on a few connected characters, or a linear sequence of events. While the climactic duck shoot was the only action set-piece in the earlier book, there are many here: Nessim's ride into the desert with his brother Narouz, the street festival of Sitna Mariam, the Venetian-style masked carnival, and several others. The effective addition of a second narrator (Balthazar) means that not everything is filtered through Darley's sensibility, so other characters develop greater individuality through the cross-lighting. I am not sure that they all become more likeable -- in particular, there is one scene with Clea near the end which strains my previous view of her as a hovering angel -- but it is easier to understand them. There is also more use of direct speech, so that the two older British characters, the writer Pursewarden and Scobie the old sailor, develop distinct (and rather funny) voices.

Add there is still the rich color and cadence of Durrell's descriptive language, a little overdone perhaps, but full of surprising word-choices and sharp observations, especially when capturing sounds: "From the throat of a narrow alley, spilled like a widening circle of fire upon the darkness, burst a long tilting gallery of human beings headed by the leaping acrobats and dwards of Alexandria, and followed at a dancing measure by the long grotesque cavalcade of gonfalons, rising and falling in a tide of mystical light, treading the peristaltic measure of the wild music -- nibbled out everywhere by the tattling flutes and the pang of drums or the long shivering orgasm of tembourines struck by the dervishes in their habits as they moved towards the site of the festival." No longer does this writing overwhelm the narrative it contains, nor does it merely decorate; rather, it articulates and propels the action, as this four-book sequence comes to seem less an outré experiment and more like a true novel of impressive scope.

Like "Justine", written in a hauntingly sensual style, but far more readable. Took me a much shorter time to read it. There are so many memorable passages of beauty and wisdom in both, one could fill a small notebook - on love and the human condition, and the beauty of nature. Durrell certainly had an alert and unusually articulate mind, writing both with poetry and precision. Published in 1957, yet timeless, as all classics are. I think it is supposed to take place before World War II. "Balthazar" has far more excitement than "Justine", moves at a quicker pace. Here we see all the same characters, yet all in a new light; we see farther and grasp what we see with new understanding. We get fresh info about Pursewarden, Nissim, Narouz, Justine, Darley (the narrator), Melissa, Clea, Pombal, Amaril, Leila, Mountolive, and the outrageous comic scenes built around Scobie. Throughout the entire four volumes that comprise "The Alexandria Quartet", Durrell is constantly backfilling, a technique I particularly love, until at the last, all is revealed. That same technique was also used by Sir Charles Percy Snow in his 11 volume series "Strangers and "Brothers", but perhaps to a lesser extant. Durrell is the master here in letting us see only so much, no further, until the last volume. A rave review

I admit that I have not read "Justine", the first novel of Durrell's famous Alexandria Quartet. Perhaps if I had started at the beginning, I might have had a more favorable impression. Yet I do feel that BALTHAZAR can stand alone as a novel, even if a reader were to be better served by reading all four in order. Durrell's writing is fabulous. Lemon-scented, mauve, pearly Alexandria with the white stalks of its minarets, "the town that breaks open at sunset like a rose"; beggars beside the Rolls Royces, the human flotsam of the Mediterranean, the tawdry revels of the Christian carnival---all appear so pleasingly haunting and decrepit. Durrell's novel is full of "wisdom"--perhaps a lifetime's supply of epigrams on every conceivable subject, saved over the years by the author as he thought of them on sleepless nights, or written down as he heard them at the cafes and salons of the Middle East. To paraphrase the author, "reading joins you to a work, then divides you". I plunged headlong into BALTHAZAR, hoping for a good read, but came out worse off. I felt I had been offered a plate of decadence and cynicism, and not wanting to play the chicken, taken several bites. I didn't like the taste. What I felt, most of all, was that I was an outsider; the observer of a clique or in-group. The author/narrator knew, all the characters knew, but I didn't know. The prose was designed to keep me from knowing. I had to guess or intrigue with myself in order to find out where this novel was going and who all these people were. I did not enjoy the experience very much, though I admit that it might be just the ticket for some. I repeatedly asked myself, "Is it worth finding out ? Do you really care ? Or are these just a bunch of people hopelessly sunk in jealousy, perversion, sex and substance abuse, who prize infidelity above all ? Is this what the author considers usual life ? Why should I try to discover who really loved or cared about whom ?" I concluded that it didn't matter to me very much.

The group broke apart through death, anger, jealousy, and fatigue. BALTHAZAR traces the collapse of this in-grown little society within colonial Alexandria, before the tides of nationalism drowned its international, "Levantine" character forever. If you admire style, eliptical narrative, and skillful description laced with epigrams, this could be a five star novel. Not for me.

Among many books dedicated to capitol ships in the II WW, this volume is a very pleasant reading. It comes close to the experience of on the spot study of the design, construction and operational life of dreadnoughts of allied Navies, leading every naval buff to the very insight of the ship themselves. Each class is thoroughly illustrated, giving detailed information of ship's armament, protection systems, engineering and machinery. The best facet is the careful examination of operational career of each ship and the analysis of battle damage sustained by the ship according to testimonies, technical data and the most probable reconstruction of incoming shell trajectory. The damage studies are interesting since they are presented with extensive use of line drawings, further explaining the ships' innermost structural architecture. Another remarkable feature is the extensive chapter dedicated to Soviet wartime effort to build capital ships. It literally casts a light on the subject, providing many facts and photographs of this unknown page of II WW. Profiles, armor diagrams, shear,frame & body plans, line drawings are very accurate as they are results of blueprints' deep investigation.

This book is really an authoritative source for studying battleships from their inception to their final days.

Mssrs Garzke and Dulin have written a trio of detailed, comprehensive and objective analyses of the battleships of the World War II era (designs past 1930). In this volume, they analyze the capital ships of the Netherlands, Great Britain, France and the Soviet Union. Overall, they rate the units of France as the best in the 35,000 treaty class due the Richelieu's fine protection and speed coupled with excellent firepower. The authors analyze the loss of Prince of Wales to Japanese air attack and the loss of Hood to Bismarck in intricate detail. For any wargamer or student of warships or naval history, this book is a must. Even designs contemplated but never laid down or completed are discussed, including the Lion class and French Alsaace class. A must read.

FIRST THOUGHTS: THIS VOLUME INCLUDED BOTH THE MOST AND LEAST FAMILIAR SHIPS TO ME

This was a real pleasure to wade through. Although I have read a great many volumes which detail the British Dreadnought classes quite well, I knew very little about the 2 French classes and the proposed Dutch Battlecruiser. The oversize fold-out sketches were a real pleasure to behold, especially under a bright light and a magnifying glass. Over the years I have read many books about naval vessels and military history and this volume, like the rest of the series, adds some new and fresh perspectives to my thinking. Whereas NO single book or series on the subject of 'Battleships' can be considered THE FINAL WORD on the subject, this series, of which this specific volume belongs, is so well organized, detailed and comprehensive that I firmly believe that it is a 'must-have' for those with an intense interest in Battleships - like myself.

IN A NUTSHELL: CASE STUDIES OF 8 DISTINCTLY DIFFERENT CLASSES OF DREADNOUGHTS FROM 4 COUNTRIES

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER TWO: THE DUNKERQUE CLASS
CHAPTER THREE: THE RICHELIEU CLASS
CHAPTER FOUR: THE NETHERLANDS - DESIGN 1047
CHAPTER FIVE: THE KING GEORGE THE V CLASS
CHAPTER SIX: THE LION CLASS
CHAPTER SEVEN: THE VANGUARD
CHAPTER EIGHT: THE SOVIETSKII SOYUZ CLASS
CHAPTER NINE: SOVIET BATTLECRUISERS
CHAPTER TEN: CONCLUSION

APPENDIXES

A. FULL-SCALE ORDNANCE TRIALS
B. THE PRINCE OF WALES
C. BATTLESHIP AND BATTLECRUISER GUNS



WHAT IT IS: THE ABSOLUTE ZENITH OF A NATION'S JINGOISTIC TECHNOLOGY & POWER

In essence, the Dreadnought represents everything a powerful or wanna-be powerful nation can impart into a ship to project power on the behalf of that nation. I just made that up, but it is so obviously true. When one goes through these volumes, one can see a combination of the national pride, desperation and deviousness that lay behind the erection of fleets of these incredible vessels. Here are some motives that are touched on in these volumes:

The British wishing to limit the size, power and number of Battleships by treaty as their global fortunes were on the wane proposed and built ships that were less than ideal in all respects prior to World War 2;

The Japanese wishing to keep the world in the dark as to the size and power of their new ships [Yamato Class], hide the construction of the ships and put out false documents regarding the ships' displacement and the gun caliber of its main batteries [460mm];

The Americans utilizing the escalator clause to include 16" guns in the North Carolina class as a response to the secret Japanese building program;

The Germans building larger ships than they were limited by treaty to do as the need for armored protection increased as war approached;

The French built the Dunkerque and Richelieu class as a response to the Germans building the 'Pocket Battleships", followed by their 'Battlecruisers';


BOTTOM LINE: THE SECOND VOLUME OF AN AWESOME HISTORIC TRILOGY

After a complete reading of the entire trilogy, I feel, I now better understand the construction and design considerations that lead to a completed Dreadnought. These books including this volume have fed my interest and have encouraged me to look deeper into the topic of Dreadnought engineering and construction. Now, after reading this series, and then re-reading it, I feel better able to grasp the technical materials that I will have to deal with as I continue to delve into the fascinating topic of 'Dreadnoughts' and their effect on history.

Excellent as a general technical reference. Compiles technical data very hard to find in a reasonable amount of places elsewhere. Drawings much improved from those that blighted their previous work on US battleships. Wish they would redo the book on US battleships.

I'm adding my voice to the chorus of praise for the G&D books. The attention to detail is impressive. The authors go so far as to account for the different definitions of "inch"--an inch of armor in the Royal Navy was actually 0.98in, and this reflects correctly in the figures cited for the KGV, Lion, and Vanguard classes. In citing the damage inflicted on France's Dunkerque by exploding depth charges, the authors properly tally, not the amount of explosive in all the depth charges lying alongside the ship, but only the amount which detonated properly. Impressive work.
It should be no surprise that more recent revelations have overtaken G&D's look at Soviet designs. Still, the info they do present is generally representative of the design's actual properties. A similar state applies in the chapter on Dutch Design 1047.
The only caution requiring the reader's attention is that the occasional typo pops up to confuse the statistical information. This is a general caveat for all three volumes rather than this one in particular.

P.G. Wodehouse is truly a master wit, evidenced in his novels, especially those that feature Jeeves and Wooster. "Bertie Wooster Sees It Through" is his typical hilarious romp through misunderstandings and shady dealings, chock full of literary allusions and laugh-out-loud moments. Wodehouse is a true joy to read, in any society or generation.

As with most of Wodehouse's plots, "Bertie Wooster Sees It Through" hinges upon the best laid plans that go mightily awry. When Bertie Wooster grows a mustache, he suddenly finds himself the object of affection of one Florence Craye, and the object of desired pummeling by her jilted fiance, Stilton Cheesewright. During a visit to his Aunt Dahlia's, matters become even more complicated with his aunt hoping to sell off her weekly magazine to buyers who are more anxious to spot theft than buy the paper. Bertie is called upon to help his aunt out of several fixes while trying to extract himself from Florence's clutches and to prevent bodily harm to his own dear self. And of course, every solution to every problem can be found in the astute mind of Jeeves.

"Bertie Wooster Sees It Through" is a fast-paced, delightful read. Wodehouse has created an almost idyllic England, where the most confusing of misunderstandings is quickly set aright with the slightest amount of discomfort to all parties involved. Bertie Wooster is a straightforward narrator, addressing the reader directly, and admitting his own faults along the way. Without Jeeves, his know-it-all valet, he would be completely at the whims of outrageous fortune with all its slings and arrows, if that is what I mean.

As Evelyn Waugh points out, Wodehouse's world is idyllic. It is not our world. It has a different set of rules, for instance, the fate of its characters are determined by silver cow creamers and French cooks. Call it absurd or trivial, and you would be right. If you are tired of "serious" literature and the "real" world, this is a wonderful place to escape to!

Typical of the Jeeves and Wooster tales, Bertie Wooster Sees It Through begins (and ends) with a trivial yet heated battle between the sage valet and his woolly-headed charge: Bertie's newly acquired mustache. Jeeves can't stand the thing, and Bertie is to be damned if he is going to have his face edited by a hidebound gentleman's gentleman. Of course, the plot thickens, involving unwanted engagements, jealous lovers, police raids, and fake pearl necklaces. This is an extremely funny and charming book. The ending breakfast scene is one of my favorites.

Towards the end of his career, P.G. Wodehouse found himself charmed by the idea of reprising the characters who and plot lines that provided the greatest triumphs in his earlier books. Bertie Wooster Sees It Through is a worthy sequel of that sort.

In the earlier book, you may remember that Stilton Cheesewright and Bertie Wooster had been schoolmates in preparatory school, at Eton and at Oxford. Stilton chose to become a policeman and his career led him to become very serious and strict in his outlook, so that Bertie thinks of him as "that blighter Stilton." Love transformed his life when he fell for the writer, Florence Craye. But Florence is also apt to respond well to Bertie, and Stilton takes that personally. When we last saw them, Florence and Stilton were engaged.

In this story, Bertie's Aunt Dahlia enlists him to come to her country home, Brinkley Court, to help her entertain a family by the name of Trotter. The assignment seems to be off to a rocky start, however, when the Trotters' stepson, Percy Gorringe, calls Bertie to hit him up for 1,000 pounds. That seems like too much entertaining and Bertie declines.

In the meantime, Bertie has started growing a mustache and Jeeves doesn't approve. In fact, no one else does either . . . except Florence Craye. That enrages an already touchy Stilton, who fears that Bertie is trying to steal Florence. Soon, Stilton is also sporting the hairy stuff on his upper lip. To make matters worse, Stilton has a large stake on Bertie in the Drones Club dart championship and decides that Bertie should starting keeping regular hours and keep off the sauce. And that's just why Bertie doesn't want to have anything to do with Florence, she's not only brainy . . . she also likes to improve her men. And Bertie likes himself just the way he is.

Stilton is also the jealous type and quickly turns suspicious when Bertie is picked up after a raid on a late-night bistro where Bertie had taken Florence at her request to do some research on local color.

But Aunt Dahlia has an even more serious problem. She has pawned her new necklace to buy the serial rights to a new story, and her husband, Uncle Tom, is about to have it appraised. She has been hiding the fact by wearing cultured pearls instead, but is about to be caught. Naturally, she decides to have Bertie steal the cultured pearls. And equally naturally, that proves to be more difficult than anyone can imagine and with unexpected consequences. And so the country farce begins!

Bertie Wooster Sees It Through has that nice combination of serious pending threats, irrational fears and hopes, and muddle-headedness that makes for such good social comedy. Like all of the best P.G. Wodehouse books, the language sparkles with original similes, metaphors and allusions.

Jolly good show!

Previous: The Mating Season

Bertie Wooster Sees It Through surprised me a great deal. I had read almost all of the Jeeves books by the time I got to this one, and I had no idea that I could still be so utterly and completely charmed by Wodehouse's words. Of all the Jeeves books, this one is probably the funniest, with the most laugh-out-louds-the knee slapping, snorting, tears-streaming-down-your-face, scaring-the-cat-out-of-the-room kind. I can't praise it highly enough. First, the setting is a breath of fresh air. After visiting such horrific places as Steeple Bumpleigh and Deverill Hall, going back to Brinkley feels like going home, complete with Aunt Dahlia and all her warm endearments ("Bertie, you revolting object."). One delightful twist after another brings Bertie to the brink of disaster and back again, as he is faced with the prospect of having his spine broken in three, four, or five places by the oaf Stilton Cheesewright and, worse yet, marriage to Florence Craye. Couple that with Bertie's new mustache, Aunt Dahlia's pearl necklace, a somber chap by the name of Percy Gorringe, and the Drones darts tournament, and you have the funniest thing ever written in the English language.

And that, by the way, is what makes Wodehouse so wonderful-it is not the characters, nor the stories, nor the settings, but the language he uses, and the way he forms sentences, and the vocabulary which is an eclectic mix of colloquialisms, literary references, foreign phrases, and Woosterisms. Until I read Wodehouse, I had never dreamed that the English language could be rendered so beautifully, and so, so, so brilliantly funny. It is like nothing else I have ever read.

Next: How Right You Are, Jeeves (Jeeves in the Offing)

When there's one too many Adam Sandler flicks out, and you are just tired of flatulence humor then this is the best book to pick up. Wodehouse's dry British wit shines through as bumbling Bertram Wooster fights through life (and a new mustache) with his trusty butler Jeeves there to save him. The lead character, Wooster, has a serious problem as an intellectual woman chases after him as does her ex-fiancee. Only Jeeves can save his arse.

This book will bring a smile to the reader regardless of his state of mind. I think that it should be placed in psychiatric offices around the world.

And if after reading through this book, please please read Wodehouse's dedication if for anything else than his poem. This a great book but be warned, only those who are lovers of the dry wit will enjoy it.

Sorry but you can't just shut down your brain in order to enjoy this book.

I used this book for my college biology I and II classes. My favorite part of the book was animal structure and function. Although the writing in this book is on a pretty high level, nothing was left out--very complete. Sometimes it was hard to understand the chapters on genetics. Then again genetics is a hard topic. I used additional sources to clarify on what I learned in Raven's book.

I used AP Biology by Beck. This book was a helpful study guide. This was easy to comprehend. Made biology easier to learn.

However, what really did it for me was Patrick Leonardi's:
The Ultimate Study Guide for Biology: Key Review Questions and Answers with Explanations
This study guide comes in 3 volumes, make sure to get all three if you take biology I and II. If you are only taking Biology I, you can probably get away with only getting volume 1 and 2. These study guides had very good questions on every topic that is tested on in college biology. It was organized into specific sections, making it very helpful for exam preparation. It was so complete that it had the kind of questions that were asked on my exams. Don't go blind into an exam. These books are very helpful.

This is a great biology book. One of my favorite things about this book is the diagrams. I also like the sections on human origins and the individual sections on different organisms. This book is as good or might even be better then the Campbell biology-that speaks for itself

This is definitely the best intro to bio books out there. As a graduate student I got the chance to read lots of bio books and this one by far is the best. The chapters are well organized and easy to follow and gives you the depth needed to pursue any area of biology. When it was time for me to student teach this was the book of my chose. It expensive but definiely worth it to any biologist. The CD-ROM is also very good!

This is by far the finest Introductory Biology textbook I have ever had the pleasure of reading. Biology teachers, do yourselves (not to mention your students) a favor--make this the required text for your Biology I (and II) Class! Special Thanks goes out to Dr. Michael Hoefer...for requiring this textbook!

.....or if you had to travel back in time. I had this for my textbook in Biology back in 1987 and even then, .... well before the human genome was anywhere near being charted, let alone completed, this was a spectacular acomplishment. This book isn't riveting like say Druyan and Sagan's SHADOWS OF FORGOTTEN ANCESOTRS is, but it is as good as any biology textbook can possibly be. It has EVERYTHING you could possibly want to know about biology; from modern cell theory to ecology. All you have to do is look this over and you'll see why I highly recommend it. Does any other bio textbook even compare?

The Burning of Her Sin is a five star entry into an often overlooked mystery sub-genre: Paranormal/Supernatural Mystery. While I would classify this as more supernatural, others may call it a paranormal.

Brenda Strange is the main character in what appears to be the first in a series. We see Brenda first as a lawyer but as the story unfolds, circumstances push her into another aspect of her career: Private Investigator. But she's no ordinary private detective. After a near death experience, Brenda Strange has become "sensitive." She can see, feel and smell things others can't.

Set in a big, spooky house, Malfour, this book has all the feel of a dark gothic with ghosts, a mysterious religion and weird characters, but at it's core is the classic mystery. The book and I assume the rest of the series is set in Tampa, Florida and the author has captured a great sense of place. You can soak in all the atmosphere.

The relationship between Brenda and Tina and the rest of the characters ring true and from the first pages, Ms. Henderson grabs you and spins a tale of suspense.

You will want to read this book in one sitting. I was sorry to see it end and I can't wait for the next Brenda Strange book. I hope Ms. Henderson doesn't keep us waiting.

The first book in the series featuring Brenda Strange, Private Investigator, it's set in Tampa, Florida. After buying a huge house there, Malfour House, Brenda realizes its haunted. Her lover, Tina, unfortunately attributes her seeing strange apparations and hearing eerie voices to the stress of recently being nearly killed while working as an attorney for an elite New Jersey law firm.

While investigating the history of the house, strange occurrences of a more earthly nature began to happen, threatening her and Tina's very lives.

There is a curse on the house, people who want them out of it, and ghosts who want Brenda to stay. But despite that, despite her life being threatened again, Brenda tries to perserver. She even get a gun and faces her fear of using it to protect her home.

It's an excellent book, a real page turner,consisting of 235 pages of excitement.

I have not enjoyed a book by a new author this much in a long time. I found the characters well developed and likable. I really cared about Brenda and her Partner Tina from the very beginning. The ESP and Paranormal element really enhanced the read for me. I highly recommend this book.

I have not picked up a book by a new author that I have enjoyed this much in a long time. I love Brenda and find her and all of the characters well developed. I found I really cared about what was happening to Brenda and Tina. I greatly enjoy books with ESP and paranormal plot lines and this is a good one.
This is a great read I highly recommend it.

If you like strong women characters, meet Brenda Strange, a wealthy lawyer who is a dead ringer for Princess Diana. Brenda has everything going for her, looks, money, and brains, about to become partner in a prestigious law firm. And then, in one terrifying moment, her life is changed forever. A disgruntled former client goes on a killing spree, leaving many of her co-workers dead and Brenda was at first thought dead. But when she comes back, it is a slow, difficult recovery from her near death experience, so she and her lover decide to move to Tampa, Florida into the house of their dreams, hoping to speed her re-entry into the land of the living. But after she and Tina move into Malfour House, an old Victorian mansion located in an exclusive community for the rich, she begins to feel the past closing in on her and ghosts screaming for her help in finding peace and justice. When no one believes her about her feelings, Brenda decides to revive her career as a private investigator. As she begins to travel a trail of love, betrayal, murder, Santeria curses and greed almost a hundred years old, she begins to realize that the past and the present are hopelessly intertwined and that either one could prove fatal. The Burning of Her Sin is a dark, almost gothic style mystery that moves seamlessly between the past and the present in a story that you will make you want to lock the door and read it undisturbed from beginning to end.