I read this book over 20 years ago. It was my introduction to Samuel Johnson. The book inspired my deep devotion to Johnsonia. The subject, I now know, is fascinating; for over two centuries biographies of Johnson have never been out of print. But this book caught my attention and fixed it. It is a moving portrait of a person like all of us except with greater disabilities and greater strength and, after years of struggle, greater triumphs.

I urge anyone with an interest in English literature or 18th century England or in the heights to which a honest and brave man can reach to make the effort to read this book. It is, at the very least, a good read. It may also make ytou a better person.

The very idea of writing a definitive biography of a figure as towering as Samuel Johnson seems unthinkable, yet the late Walter Jackson Bate succeeds in capturing the essence of Johnson's life in spectacular fashion. Some may quibble at Bate's occasional forays into speculation, particularly when he writes about Johnson's troubled childhood and how its events shaped his later life. Because Bate imposes such detail and rigor in his scholarship, however, it would be foolhardy not to think his depictions, even the speculative ones, as pretty accurate.

The physiological analysis of Johnson's character may strike some readers as heavy-handed, yet it ultimately illuminates the full character of Johnson, helping the modern reader to understand more clearly the time and culture that produced a character as complex and powerful as Dr. Johnson.

As I neared the end of this wonderful volume, I felt the same pangs one feels toward the conclusion of an excellent novel. Bate writes with such power, clarity, and insight that I cannot foresee any other biography of Johnson dislodging this one as the definitive rendering of his epic life.

Most earlier biographies of Johnson have concentrated on the author's public life and his work as a writer. Bate's is the first to zero in on the inner man -- and it succeeds magnificently.

In some ways, Johnson's personality was as complex and as tragic as that of his best-known biographer, James Boswell. Johnson's towering genius was often at odds with his uncouth ways, his disfigured face, and his seemingly lunatic tics and stutters. He controlled his desires and needs with an iron fist of self-control, often denying himself even the most innocent pleasures in his never-ending quest for spiritual purity. Bate shows us how Johnson's neglectful childhood and his crushing poverty as a young man forged his emotional character, and how his many disappointments as an adult moulded his spiritual character.

The only qualm I have about recommending this book is that Bate sometimes goes too far in his psychological analysis. Since this book was published, a consensus has arisen that Johnson suffered from Tourette's Syndrome, a neurological condition characterized by ticcing, a quick wit, an unusual gait, and specific personality quirks. If this is the case, and if many of Johnson's character traits can be attributed to Tourette's and not emotional damage, much of Bate's analysis is incorrect.

Having said that, I still highly recommend this book. Bate can't be faulted for omitting a diagnosis that couldn't have been made at the time he wrote the book. Moreover, the bulk of his analysis is spot-on, and his love of and respect for the subject of the book are obvious in every chapter.

I highly recommend this book.

Melanie Jackson gives, once again, an intriguing tale out of the norm. As with Night Visitor, she blends Scottish lore with her own magickal voice and gives you a tale guaranteed to please. She is strong in historicals, but I see a lighter touch in Amarantha and Belle that I think is perfect for her
charming wit and hope to see more in this vein from her.

Hexy is maid to the ditzy blond lady of Fintry Castle, who just HAS to have her sable coat before she can go to Italy. Unfortunately, for allergy plagued Hexy, her mistress left it on the beach (I said she was ditzy), so Hexy must go to fetch it, not realising her snuffles and a couple tears over failed romances that fall into the sea summons forth the Selkie, a Scottish creature of mythology - a half man - half seal that is so beautiful no woman could resist him, or that the 'sable' coat she thinks is her mistress' really belongs to the Selkie. He needs to fetch it back or be doom to remain on land.

Unfortunately for the Selkie, she has packed the coat and her mistress has go to Italy.

It's a delightful, charming tale, with Melanie's deft brushstroke of humour.

The People, the selkies, are in a crisis. Their numbers are diminishing and no females have been born in decades. Nor have any human women capable of bearing their children have been born either, to their knowledge.

When Hexie weeps into the ocean and accidentally steals Rory's sealskin, she unknowingly completes a ritual that may bring new life to the selkies. Rory comes seeking the woman who has taken his skin, thus binding him to her until it is returned or she is with child.

Hexy is unsure of what to make of this strange man with unfamiliar speech. However, their is a pull between them that is undeniable, and unexplainable. When they come together passionately, Rory realizes that this woman is more than she seems, and might be the hope of his people. Before they can find either happiness or hope, they must defeat monsters who steal souls and find a way to make a terribly mixed marriage work.

***** Those of you who have missed fairy tales will be enchanted by this story set in a time between the old world and the new. Magic and reality mix in a gray area where the only real truth is love. In what seems to be a situation made for heart break and tragedy, joy comes to pass. Hessy demonstrates a strength that is usually displayed in novels such as Tolkien's, while Rory has the charm of a handsome space alien blended with a fairy prince. Fans of pure fantasy and romance both will enjoy this one and be begging for more. The sea truly does hold magic and peace. *****

Scotland, 1929, after the 'war to end all wars' and Hesiod "Hexy" Garrow, an American has come to work for a beautiful widow who is renovating her inherited Fintry castle in Scotland. Life has not been going well for Hexy, her allergies are driving her crazy, her boss Jillian has misplaced her fur coat on the beach, her boyfriend has basically dumped her, her last living relative and brother Rory has died in the war and she just can't seem to stop crying as she talks to the sea. After she has wept into the sea, she does find a fur coat, only it isn't Jillian's - it's a selkie's skin.

Packing up the fur and Jillian for a trip to Italy, Hexy remains at the castle to oversee the renovations when she opens the door to a very irate, handsome, and underdressed Scotsman, Ruairidh "Rory" O'Uruisg. What Hexy did not realize is that by inadvertently stealing his fur, along with shedding seven tears in the sea she has summoned this 'selkie' to come lie with her. What Rory was not expecting, was that this woman who summoned him would be so beautiful - but what really shook him was the sense that she wasn't at all what she knew herself to be!

This was an amazing, magical, and sensual fantasy bringing some beautiful imagery to mind. Rory, the selkie was intoxicating for Hexy and I quote, "In the space of a few hours, her soul's winter had turned into spring." Ms. Jackson's writing intoxicated me. This was a fast paced beautiful love story with all the elements I look for - handsome lead couple, sensual love play, and edge of the seat thrills as Hexy puts her life on the line to save her 'selkie' and her love. I highly recommend this book - beautiful addition to my keeper shelf!

This fascinating book tells the story of the planes and pilots who fought for air supremacy over Korea from June 1950 through July 1953. The experiences of early jet-to-jet combat as well as close air support and strategic bombing are told in chronological order and illustrated with dozens of B&W as well as color photographs, including many two page spreads.

Some of battle recaps are amazing. Many times 20, 40, 60 or more North Korean/Chinese/Soviet Mig-15s came up to battle F-86s and other "UN" fighters in extended battles over hundreds of square miles. B-29s were attacked by Migs despite jet escorts and there was lots of danger, day and night, from AAA and other ground fire. The USAF was never able to take air supremacy for granted.

There are appendixes listing all the "aces" (the only US Navy ace flew a WWII left over F4U Corsair to shoot down North Korean biplanes!), other notable pilots (future astronauts, etc.) and order of battle listing all USAF, US Navy and British Commonwealth units and the planes they flew. The emphasis is fully on the "UN" side of the war (mostly USAF, but some sections on US Navy and land and carrier based British and Australian units), with virtually no photographs (except gun camera shots) of Communist aircraft and very little about their pilots.

Highly recommended to Korean War and aerial combat buffs, veterans and military historians.

After reading this book, I called Robert Jackson in England to thank him for writing it. It is an outstanding source for air war historians, and Mr. Jackson obviously did his homework! The book is chock full of excellent color photos, and all aspects of the Korean air war are covered, including all NATO forces involved. Appendix III has an excellent listing of the Orders of Battle. Jackson ends the book with some very thought-provoking conclusions. A very well-written, extremely informative book!

Having served with the 8th FBG, I found this account of "our" activities to not only help me better understand the "big picture", but brought back many memories of the fine people with whom I served. I've read several accounts of the Korean War and none of them gave the various air forces more than superficial mention. The photos were terrific, also! Thanks to the author and to you for making this available.

I was given this book by my 18 year old son yesterday and immediately began to cry. You see I was a 18 year old teammate of Ricky's at Iowa State some 20+ years ago. When Ricky's senseless death was widely reported on the national news over the 4th of July in 1999 I was stunned and heartbroke. I told my kids at that time about not how great a basketball player Ricky was, but the exceptional young man he was. That he was a person of character. He was different and a real Christian leader and model even at 20 years old. You must get and read this book, don't let Ricky's life slip you by. This is a book that I can personally assure you was written from his true heart and love of Jesus. God speed Ricky, you'll always be on our team.

As a Chicago area native, I recall the day that Ricky Byrdsong was murdered in a random shooting by a racist gunman on a spree across two states. It makes Byrdsong's posthumous book that much more touching, reading about his positive and Christian outlooks on people of all types.

The practical advice for parents is both encouraging and inspiring and helps us know that we are on the right track with our kids despite ups-and-downs that are part of life. You can hear Byrdsong's voice in the words which thankfully were not ghostwritten by someone else for him. This voice gives it a lot of "been there" credibility and practical advice.

Buy this book before it goes out-of-print!

Simply AWESOME!!! Very easy to read. Men will love the constant reference to the game of basketball and its parallel to life. If you haven't taken the time to think about what you truly want your children to retain and focus on through life, this book will definitely make you stop and think. It's a must have for every family whether you have children or not. It definitely puts a new spin or marriage and relationships as a whole and how important loyalty, trust and love are to every aspect of life and every level of relationships.

I warn you now i'm pretty biased: I virtually leant to read with the fighting fantasy books! The books in the Sorcery series have proved to be infuriatingly rare, I got the second and third books first, then a year later I managed to find and buy the one and only copy I have ever seen of the first and eventually found the last on at my local library. Then someone stole it! I haven't seen a copy of it since but have managed to order one now and will soon have the whole lot, yay!
It's not great literature in the normal sense, but it really captures your attention and draws you in; especially if you can start from the start and go right the way through! It's good enough for me and a lot better than some supposedly 'great' dross i've come across!

Years ago when I was still in high school, I bought the entire four book set, including the magic spells book. . . It was the best game book, I have ever enjoyed.

Yet, at one point I lent the first book to a friend and I never saw it again. BUT I HAVE THE OTHER BOOKS STILL . . . I only need the first. I have been on a dire search ever since!! If anyone reads this, and can help in any way . . . please tell me!!

I bought this book and read the series when I was 10. I didn't read for "fun" or for "enjoyment" before then. Reading at that point in life was either homework or report cards. This is a great book as it has what all ten year olds want...heroes, monsters, magic, swords. It's not tolkien but it's a start. A great way for kids to get clued in on reading.

Frankly, it just got a little long for me. Steinbeck was---and probably still is---my favorite American writer. This book reminded me why: Not only for the beauty of his prose and amazing powers of description, but for his uncompromising integrity, loyalty and devotion to his craft. I learned a lot about this man, but also about the book publishing business and the literary world.

One has to tip his hat to the author for the level of detail and the research performed, especially his good fortune in being able to interview all three of his wives. Reading this after reading most of Steinbeck's major works, gave insight into what drove JS to write each one of his works and helped dispel any misconceptions about his political tendencies and whether he was trying to write "political message" books or not.

Most appalling was to find out how little regarded Steinbeck was among the literary critics in the last 25-30 years of his life, to the point that they questioned the Nobel Prize Committee's decision-making process once JS was honored with the award.

There is a lot to learn in this book. I wouldn't have minded reading a little less detail on some of the progress (or lack of) on some of his lesser works and some of his travels. But for the Steinbeck fan, this is a must-read.

For my doctoral research, which involves the history of coastal California, I wanted one big, clearly written book that was solidly put together but not clogged with footnotes. I found it here. Fifteen years of research, some of it with friends and relatives of Steinbeck's, went into this biography, which reads like a straight-up narrative of the writer's adventurous life. Though long, it reads quickly, devoid of academic jargon. Highly recommended.

I just finished this one this morning, sticking around in bed for an extra twenty minutes to polish off to last chapter or so. What a surprise it is to find you're at page 1,038 and never even tired of the length along the way. It's a tale of an engaging life told in engaging language that grabs your attention and keeps you thoroughly engaged to the end. What a life John Steinbeck had, and what a way to tell it by Jackson J. Benson.

Benson must have started with near a mountain of research to draw together such a complete picture of Steinbeck's life. It's a task that could have caught lesser writer's struggling much like Steinbeck did with the translation of Morte D' Arthur in an unfinishable Pandora's Box of a book. But Benson sees it through with apparent love for the writer and care for the detail. In such a private life of a fiercely guarded private man, it's amazing that Benson adds such a degree of minute detail along the way. You realize some of the details have to be largely anecdotal and especially anecdotes loyally told carry a good degree of fiction with them. That's just what makes this book so magical and passionate...a life well told and lived carries a large freedom of fiction along with it. I think that John Steinbeck would have had it no other way. Actually, he probably would have hidden away from anybody trying to capture his life in words. It would have been a horror for him, but thank God we have this book from Jackson and are left with Steinbeck's writing.

I made the Haj to Salinas on Steinbeck's 100th Birthday and heard John Jr. speak about his Father and had a little birthday cake to boot. I played a game with the neighbor's kid as he held Benson's paperweight of a book and ran from me as I chased him down. I responded with horror as he launched it flying over the fence landing splayed on the ground. The adult in me told him, we don't throw rocks and we especially don't throw books. But as I wiped the dirt and dust off of the book and later finished the last fifty pages with grass stains burned into the leaves of pages...I was glad. A little California earth to go with Steinbeck. A book well worn is so more sacred than one pristine. I should have thanked the neighbor's son for the unintended connection. Rocks against the earth will never grow, but books picked up from the ground...now that's a different thing. For all those Steinbeck-philes don't miss this book. For those who have hardly heard of Steinbeck, there's a good deal of life in this book. I urge you not to miss out on that life.

Now I'm off to chase my neighbor's son around the back yard as he carries "The Grapes of Wrath" to the end zone...spike and score.

When using this book I found it easy to understand the preliminary sketches and follow them quite easily. The explanations about colors, how to mix them in order to get shades and contrast are superbly explained. The materials used an how to handle them are clear, and "secrets" about which amount of water to use, the techniques of wet over wet and wet on dry are perfectly understandable and easy to follow. once you tested you learned al the "how tos" you can try your own design. Yet, I'd have liked to see more step to step indications if this publication was directed to beginners. This publication is a must for amateur and self-trained watercolorists but not for fresh beginners.

It was sheer luck that I picked up this book. I had finished stenciling all my walls, all the wood in my house and was looking for a way to continue when I picked up this wonderful book. It's perfect for a beginner. I loved it and every painting lesson in it. She's clear, she goes at the reader's pace. This isn't for advanced artists or even hobbyists in watercolor of long standing, but it got me into the wonderful world of watercolor painting, a medium I had never tried. Jackson should write more books and give more advanced lessons. Great book.

The lessons are super - also gives you templates to
produce the same pictures with help features along the
way

Extremely Detailed, to detailed for me. It had a lot of reading and did not get down to the point on where, what and when. If your looking for lots of detail and history of everything about the park this book is for you. If your like me and time is limited you may want to look for a different book. But if you got all the time in the world or you want to know it all this is the book for you.

...just returned from driving trip to yellowstone/tetons/jackson hole....having bought 5 different guide books from Amazon.com to insure a trip that covered everything and missed nothing... I feel it is important to let potential driving travelers to yellowstone know how valuable this book is. Of all the books I purchased, this is the only book I used as we traveled the park by car. I used it daily as we went from one location to the next. I kept saying to myself as we toured the park using this book, that I wanted to thank the author and let the public know how valuable this book was. In fact. I saw this book for sale in the national park visitor centers. Get yours before you arrive to ensure a knowlegeable trip. Thanks, susan,

Butler's way of writing reminds me of my grandmother and our trip to Yellowstone. While reading her travel guide, I revisited the cold-sweat panic of sitting in the front seat of a car driven by my grandmother.

Originally published serially in "The Saturday Evening Post," Fitzgerald's "The Basil and Josephine Stories" was probably underappreciated in its time--the late 1920s. Fitzgerald's mastery of prose and storytelling shine, however, in this collection of short stories. The book is divided into two halves, the first dealing with Basil (a fictionalized version of Fitzgerald as a young man) and the second with Josephine (a fictional young woman in America in the early part of the 20th century). We follow Basil through the adventures and misadventures of his early life as he searches for acceptance and meaning. Josephine searches for love and friendship, among other things. Both meet with success that can only be described as questionable. Beautifully written and suprisingly deep, this collection offers profound insight into the psyche of the Lost Generation. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in modern American literature.

this charming collection of stories written by f. scott fitzgerald follows the physical, emotional, and social growth of two characters at the turn of the century. Basil, the typical rebellious child, struggles to find some understanding of life, school, friendship, and, most importantly, women. fitzgerald details a number of episodes in basil's life starting with his childhood and following him through his entrance into school. i don't know if basil ever entirely grew up or learned as much as he desired, but he came as close as any man can. the josephine stories follow roughly the same time span, but tend to focus more on her relationships and her place in society as a young woman at the turn of the century. all of the stories are masterfully told and it is obvious why fitzgerald became such a well known and respected writer. his storytelling is unparalleled and his descriptive language and imagery transports the reader to a different place and time. i highly recommend this book to any fitzgerald fan, whether an experienced one or a not-so-experienced one. i think it a shame that this book does not get more recognition than it does, recognition that it most definitely deserves.

I really liked this book. And this isn't coming from some super-articulate adult. This is coming from a 14-year-old High School Freshman. It really shows you what life was like back then in the early 1910's, and how teens back then deal with the same stuff as we do, such as popularity, dating, cars, etc.

Beating Depression is that rare book that is both easily readable by anyone with interest in this area, and highly accurate from a clinical and research standpoint. It skillfully blends hope, advocacy, practical information, self-help techniques and resource lists into a succinct text. The information and recommendations it contains are based on solid research evidence and current best practices. It stands out as a valuable addition to the books that clinicians can confidently recommend to patients and their families. It is also a book that clinicians with responsibilities for setting policy in health systems can use to help educate a broad range of stakeholders about important aspects of depressive illness.

I have read this clear, practical book from cover to cover. Having been a physician for 22 years, and a psychiatrist for most of that, I have seen a multitude of books, both expert and popular, on mental health.
"Beating Depression" is in a class by itself.
First, the writers have a collective wealth of clinical, academic and research experience that informs their work. Content is current and authoritative. Second, "Beating Depression" is very clear and easy to read. It is well-organized and practical, --and obviously designed to help people and their families get the care they need for depression. I use it, and highly recommend it to friends, colleagues, and patients.

Dr Jackson-Triche has written one of the best consumer-oriented guide-books on depression. In plain and understandable writing, the usually difficult-to-understand clinical definitions of depression are made clear and understandable to a lay person, without "dumbing down".

Those who suffer from depression are treated with respect and caring, and are truly given hope along with solid and trustworthy information.

Having spent decades trying to accept and understand my own depression without shame and a hopelessness, this book has helped me become proactive in my treatment. The concepts unpacked in this book are now as familiar to me as they are to my doctors and therapists, and I can ask for help in an empowered way. This is the most hopeful news I can pass on to anyone who has suffered from depression.

Highly recommended!