A brilliant piece of work, that inspired me to take a great interest in the topic of the Transatlantic crossing and Ocean Liners in general. The introduction and lead-in history to the main topic of the modern day Transatlantic Liners is clear and well written. Then moving through the Titanic period without laboring on the sinking is a great relief. The main body of the book is very informative of the period between the two World Wars and continuing through to the challenge of the jet airliner. Touching on the modern day liners is the finale to an overall delightful book. Can also highly recommend the video!

The first truly well researched and well written history of ocean travel I have seen. The author delves into the beginnings of the well known lines and shipbuilders, including some that did not make it. Although focused on the North Atlantic, there is good coverage of other routes. Many anecdotes and stories of people. Colorful descriptions of conditions on ships. Some numbers and statistics, though not enough. Beautiful black and white and color pictures, though, again, not enough. I wish the book was longer, it had more numbers, including tables and charts of annual traffic on routes, market share of companies, revenues or profits. Even so, a delightful volume that is superior to most other offerings on this subject.

I discovered this great poet at random in a library. Williams poetry is graceful and brutally honest all at once. Two must read poems are "The Associate Professor Delivers an Exhortation to His Failing Students" and "He Speaks to His Arguing Friends and to Himself". This is a collection to be cherished.

Miller Williams, the inaugaral poet, is a writer who offers more than meets the eye. His attention to detail, form, and motion are unsurpassed. This is a great introduction to his work, which spans over decades. Some of the notable poems in this collection are "Thinking of Bill, Dead of AIDS" and "Let Me Tell You," a poem which offers some of Williams's theories on writing.

Anyone who's ever suffered at the hands of their classmates in high school can relate to the story of Matt McKendrick, whose experience is ten times worse. Forced to brave people who believe that he murdered his little sister Katie, Matt struggles to regain some kind of life, and to regain his position as a winning runner. His friends, Meg and Will Schuyler, and their younger siblings Lew and Carey, provide a wonderfully comedic and supportive outlet to Matt's insecurities and pain. Matt's foster family is also very realistic, providing more humor and dimension to Matt's life. You'll definitely want to read the other three books in this series!

This is the fourth of in the series about Matthew Mckendrick. It is a wonderful story that is very well written. I have read it several times and never get tired of reading it. It is a nice ending for this series to see the changes in the main character and some resolution to the cries in his life.

Miller's solid writing skills and his well-regarded reputation as a purveyor of some of the best "journalism of consciousness" west of the Rockies translate well to this, his first fiction effort, a potent story of the power of love and the remarkable resolve of the human spirit.

In "Love After Life," comatose 50-year-old Lucas Palmer is busy trying to make sense of his past, abruptly captivated and attached to this task following an unfortunate tumble from a boat afloat on northern California's Russian River. Compounding this rather provocative chore is another compulsory task: Palmer must orchestrate a peace between two after-life guides who are embroiled in battle within Palmer's new and present milieu.

Meanwhile, Palmer's erstwhile unhappy daughter Wendy is drawn into the enchantment, forced to encounter some very mysterious changes in her own present and past, sparked by her father's unplanned dive into the deep.

Readers attracted to the exploration of the power of the infinite will assuredly cherish Miller's trademark featherweight touch and his wholly elegant execution in this well-honed fiction debut.

Miller's solid writing skills and his reputation as a purveyor of some of the best "journalism of consciousness" west of the Rockies supercharges this potent story of the power of love and the remarkable resolve of the human spirit.

If you are attracted to exploring the power of the infinite, you will definitely enjoy Miller's featherweight touch and his wholly elegant execution. Recommended highly!

The Cooksey children growing up in the '50s and '60s were as lucky as lucky can be, we had a mother who read to us. And our favorite Little Golden Book was -- alas -- Lucky Mrs. Ticklefeather. Sadly, after six children the great storybook of Mrs. Ticklefeather and her puffin Paul was literally read to death and the book disintegrated. We, the six children, grew up and had children of our own and in the grand tradition of storytime, searched high and low for a copy of this darling book. I could still remember just how the cover looked with Mrs. T and her puffin playing their violins. I have yet to pass a "tall, tall, terribly tall building" and not wonder if in fact it might be where Mrs. Ticklefeather still resides. In the dear lady's honor, I too love sunflowers. I can hardly believe my good fortune to have found this favorite book. My sons are too old, but my granddaughter, born seven months ago, will have the book waiting on her Nonnie's shelf for when she is a little older and can hear the story. This is such an endearing story, I cannot understand why it didn't become the classic that the "Saggy, Baggy Elephant" did -- I shall simply rejoice that we've found it now in a re-issue.

I came upon this reissue quite by accident and laughed out loud to see it available once again. This was one of my favorite childhood books, given to me at Christmas of 1952. Even at the time of its original issuance, the old-fashioned Mrs. Ticklefeather, her Puffin named Paul, the rather antiquated language, and of course, the wonderful illustrations of J.P. Miller all worked together to make this book a delight for young children, probably ages 4-8. The silly situations that the policeman finds while in search of the missing Paul add humor which a young child will enjoy. If the late author, Dorothy Kunhardt, were alive today, she'd be thrilled to know that yet another generation of young children are poised and ready to enjoy her book again. But then again, Little Golden Books always did know what children liked to read!

This book started out slow to me but then it grabbed my attention and kept it the rest of the way through the book...the characters are so real and the names are really something else..I don't like dragon stories...magic etc but this one was really good and powerful imagery in it..

Magic Lessons is an exciting tale of romance and adventure! Shadowalker is a charming and loveable heroine. Her mentor, Greyhawk, is a wise, compassionate teacher. Excellent reading that will keep you glued until the very end! One of the best fantasy novels I have read this year!

This somewhat obscure volume deserves more recognition, particularly within the occult circles to which it is addressed. This book gives ample treatment to the subject of metaphysical perfumery--that is, the ritual use of scent within a magickal context. Not only that, but the book has brief discussions on Qabala and also contains some basic directions for the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram and the Middle Pillar exercise, which should already be familiar to the practicing ceremonial magician. Anybody at any level of occult development could find something of use in this book. The rudiments of perfumery are explained here. Later, various perfume scents are associated with Tarot, Qabala and astrology in a way that will likely prove indispensable to the working magician. Even if you're not interested in the magickal aspects of perfumes and just want a good basic guide to the art of perfumery, this text will likely serve you well. It's a professional and knowledgeable guide to one of the lesser-researched areas of metaphysics--the art of scent and its relation to ritual.

Many people see the word "perfumes" and, figuring that they don't need a whole book on perfume, pass this book by. This is unfortunate, as this book is one of the treasures in my library! I cannot recommend this book highly enough, even if you are downright allergic to perfume!

The book does cover perfume, and is a valuable reference on perfumes in all their uses, BUT it is not only about perfume. This book is one of the best primers on Kabbalistic thought, the tree of life, and ritual magic that a beginner (or advanced) student could hope for. The first few chapters are a basic primer on kabbalistic theory that is seldom equalled in clarity and usefullness, including a very clear example of the middle pillar excersize. The next chapters focus on perfume and incense blending, both for pleasing scents and for magical use.

For the herbal students the middle of the book is the most rewarding. Every point or path on the tree of life is associated with a perfume/incense/scent. Each plant or animal source of that scent is discussed in detail. (Including synthetic, cruelty free, alternatives to the traditional musk and other animal scents) The entry on Olibanum, Frankincense, begins on page 59 and takes three pages, covering history, trade, uses, value, botony, and blending scents. Since every card in a Tarot deck corresponds with a sphere or path on the tree of life, it is also a useful addition to Tarot meditations.

Towards the end of the book, as a delightful bonus, all the planetary rulers and influences, and their typical correspondances and God-forms, are discussed.

This book is a MUST HAVE for any ritual magician, any student of incense or perfume,and anyone studying Kabbalah. I consider it a valuable addition to the library of anyone interested in magic, aromatherapy, or incense making. I strongly recommend it to anyone interested in the history and trade of incense and perfume, which makes this a perfect gift for anyone in one of the historical re-enactment groups.

When you receive an inheritance, despite how it sounds, free money isn't free. With it comes sorrow within your family. Family fights can crop up, too. In addition, one has the personal struggle of figuring out how to cope with grief on the one hand and new money on the other. This book helped me see that I wasn't as rich as I thought I was and that I had better guard my inheritance for my retirement.

I went to a bookstore to ask them to look for it in the computer- the first book they came up with was Managing your parents. People on line laughed. My reply "I don't need to know how to manage my parents - they're dead. I now need the inheritance guide." Well they didn't have it- so I read my sister's copy. Great and informative on what to do with it-no matter how small the inheritance is and believe me I am a poor heir but I will definitely use the information to make it grow- No immediate facelifts for me yet. I want a copy to refer to for my financial goals

The beautiful reproductions of Mark Stock's paintings enticed me to keep reading this interesting book about a gifted man and his work. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in art and the artist of the 21st century. Mark Stock is the modern Renaissance man.

Mark Stock has designed several critically acclaimed sets for the Los Angeles Chamber Ballet and other Los Angeles-based dance troupes. He has authored the screenplay for the 1993 film Fleshtone (based loosely on his life and painting motifs). He spends most of his evenings drumming for a professional jazz trio at the Cypress Club in San Francisco. With the publication of Mark Stock: Paintings, he will now be recognized as a superbly talented and imaginative painter whose artwork is as memorable as it is engaging. The majority of the 112 oil paintings featured focus on the tribulations of romantic passion and ranging from sympathetic to ironic. Barnaby Conrad's lucid text, sprinkled throughout with black and white photography, uniquely showcases and introduces Mark's artwork. An informative essay by Mark Huge Miller deftly examines the connection between much of Mark's work and the seductions and betrayals that were so characteristic of the film noire genre. Mark Stock: Paintings is a highly recommended addition to any personal or public library 20th century artbook collection.

I found the reading of this Pulitzer-prize-winning book an excellent way to seem to live in South Carolina and Virginia during the Civil War. I have no Southern background, and have always been pleased the Civil War turned out as it did, but his book gives some insight into the thinking of the secessionists and Southerners in the time of the War. The book is excellently edited, and the literary footnotes are a big help to see what the intelligent Southerner was reading during the war. Now I would like to read a biography of Mrs. Chesnut or of her husband. (The frank tension between Mary and her husband is an interesting sidelight to the main story of the diary.)

The 1982 Pulitzer prize winner in history, Mary Chesnut's Civil War is a heavily footnoted look at the social and political climate in South Carolina from 1861-1865. Because Mrs. Chesnut was the wife of a prominent politician of the day, she had communication with many famous political figures, such as Varina Davis, the wife of Jefferson Davis (the President of the Confederacy.) This book is worth reading cover to cover because of the personal commentary of Mrs. Chesnut about the War between the States, and also her observations on what was being said by others and in the media, nearly on a daily basis. Mr. Woodward's extensive footnotes help the modern day reader to grasp literary references and differences in language made by Mrs. Chesnut, and also aid in the identification of all the personalities she includes in her observations.

Although not unbiased, Mrs. Chesnut makes an attempt to be more objective than subjective and sees her writings as a possible important part of history in the future. One gets a great sense of a real person--someone who shows hope one day, despair the next.

History and Civil War enthusiasts will enjoy this poignant and truthful look on Southern morals, everyday life and behind-the-scenes political observations. Although it is hard to stay focused on at times because of less relevant information, there are many nuggets of valuable observations that make this book worth reading.

Another interesting look at the Southern point of view is Sarah Morgan: Civil War Diary of a Southern Woman.