This book attempts to break the mould of the classical mythsand legends surrounding the life of William Shakespeare. Itdemonstrates that very little is known about the man himself and there is a surprising dearth of information regarding all aspects of his life. It delves into the cauldron of early post-reformation Britain and succinctly describes how William Shakespeare may have had a much darker side to his character than is traditionally described in most classic texts. A fascinating read for anyone intersted in history, literature, biography or simply Shakespeare himself.

The first George MacDonald book I ever read and it permanently hooked me! I couldn't put it down, and neither could my teen aged sons. All this plus it manages to teach wonderful values too! GREAT!

If you have an interest in wine, you'll find this fascinating book a lot of fun to read. "A Short History of Wine" is a well-written and descriptive account of the history of wine from ancient times to the modern day. As the author states, "wine is not a commodity that inspires complacency" and its long history has been "shaped by politics and wars, by social and economic change, by shifts in taste and diet, and by its relationship to religion and medicine." If that sounds dry and dusty, it's not. Phillips's narrative moves along smartly, with interesting and amusing anecdotes on every page. For example, when phylloxera attacked the vineyards of France in the late 1800s, production dropped and prices rose leading to the manufacture of wine from other products, such as imported raisins. In 1890, more than 10 percent of the wine consumed in France was made from raisins. Even after the threat of phylloxera had passed, the ready availability of artificial wine, along with widespread adulteration and fraud, led the French government to create the "appellation controlee" system of regulations that protects producers of quality wines to this day.

Read this book with a glass of wine close at hand. Just as a knowledge of the history of classical music can heighten your enjoyment of a composer's works, reading this book will heighten your appreciation for wine beyond the sensory level. You'll never look at a glass of wine the same way again. Enjoy!

Isaacson does a wonderful job of tying all sorts of art forms together in this short volume [I read through it in <30min.]. I'll get nit-picky below, but let me say I heartily recommend it: first, for adults looking to understand "art" themselves, and secondly, as an introduction to the process of sharing and beginning to explain the arts to their children.

Now, to the "picking"...I would beg to differ with Isaacson on a few fine points, chief among these being 1) Pyramids belong in a separate chapter! to be called "Useful Things We NOW Consider 'Art'"; 2) don't [unless you must be totally PC] shy away from the term "primitive art", parents, look in a dictionary and share the definition of 'primitive' with your kids...there's a much deeper meaning than the derogatory-superficial meaning it's picked up; 3) in the chapter "Photographs" Isaacson, in an affront to all of us who have ever labored over a piece of ART [made with a camera+darkroom or otherwise] destined to be utilized to ILLUSTRATE something or other, flat out states that photographs which are 'illustrations' are "not works of art" and refers to an adjacent photo of the Taj Mahal.

Oddly, I had just done a double-take on that very same photo! It had struck me, as an RealArtCritic might say, as "exuding such an ethereal quality, such a misty moodiness, unlike the harsh photo-images of the late 90's..." that I at first mistook it for a PAINTING!

All in all, this book would make a great textbook for your very own "Family Art Appreciation" class.

The people in Kosnov called it a town, which was like calling a puddle a pond, a leaf a bush, a branch a tree, since the whole place had not more than 12 old wooden buildings clumped together and leaning upon one another to remain upright. The town was so small that when Roshana the wigmaker sneezed, Mishkin the tailor said "God bless you," though he lived a dozen doors away.

One day Mendel put a sign in his window that his butcher shop was for rent. The townsfolk worried that Mendel and Molly were moving, or worse, sick. On learning that their neighbors were staying, and would rent only half their shop, they hugged one another in relief.

Oddly enough someone actually came to rent it. Tinker's name should have warned Mendel that something was amiss with his new tenant, and his business--thinking--should have set off alarm bells. But since Tinker paid a week's rent in advance, Mendel thought nothing of it. Molly was off visiting cousins in Glitnik. Mendel burst in on Simka to share the joyous news.

The shop was divided in two by old bed sheets down the middle. Mendel did his week's counting in a whisper. But Tinker, treating Mendel like an old friend, convinced him to sing out his counting. Tinker very shortly knew how many zlotys were in Mendel's box--and through a hole in the sheets--could see the shelf where Mendel kept it.

Tinker borrowed Mendel's horse that weekend and promised to return on Monday. He returned--but with three horses and two policemen--and accused Mendel of stealing his money, by naming the exact sum in Mendel's box.

Simka quickly came to the rescue, and whispered something to the policemen, who discovered that the whole town knew both the sum in Mendel's box and where he kept it.

Then Molly presented Tinker the thinker with a riddle and a pot full of boiling water. How did that help? Hmmmm. Only the people in Kosnov know that secret, and they live in this charming book. Alyssa A. Lappen

This book is the only one you ever need. It has descriptions of the resorts, directions, and surrounding area activities. I keep this book in one of my ski boots so I never hit the road without it. This guy really knows exactly what snow affecianiados want to know.

The book contains about 308 pages composed of: 54 pages on Vietnam flora and habitat, 34 pages on the anatomy, ecology, and distribution of orchids, 178 pages about individual slipper orchid species found in Vietnam (22 species), 20 pages on the conservation, 9 pages on literature referenced, and a 14 page index.

The text is far more extensive than just "slipper orchids" or "Vietnam". Rather it also introduces the flora, habitat, and physical geography of Vietnam, and it covers all slipper orchids of southeast Asia in very complete detail.

The last 2/3rds of the book is a treasure of information about the individual species of Vietnam slippers. It contains lots of field pictures, closeups of the flowers, flower diagrams, and distribution maps. I was impressed with the completeness of the treatment for each orchid. This is a superb slipper orchid reference book.

If you are a Paphiopedilum orchid book enthusiast - times are very good. There are presently three absolutely outstanding slipper orchid books in press: "The Genus Paphiopedilum" by Braem, Baker & Baker, "The Slipper Orchids" by Catherine Cash, and "Slipper Orchids of Vietnam" by Leonid Averyanov, Phillip Cribb, Phan Ke Loc & Nguyen Tien Hiep. Each book sets the highest standard of excellence. We slipper orchid hobbyists are truly blessed to have such talented and passionate writers on this subject. I reference each of these books several times each month. They are great additions to my orchid library.

There is total concensus over 2/3rds of the species in all of the books. But there are major disagreements over much of the rest. Discussions in the text are filled with little daggers about what the other book authors had missed or misinterpreted - it is facinating! Since Slipper Orchids of Vietnam was written after the other two books, Averyanov & Cribb have the last word in the arguement. But I suspect that new books from Braem and Cash are already in the making.

It's a great time to be a slipper orchid enthusiast. You gotta buy this book!

Since the 1960s, most of the Asian religions practiced in the United States have enjoyed a brief period of popularity followed by decline. The Soka Gakkai International's constituent organization in the U.S., SGI-USA is an exception. Having gained widespread acceptance in American society, the Buddhist organization has achieved a stable presence by contributing to society through various activities related to peace, culture and education.

What makes SGI-USA different? How did the Japanese Soka Gakkai take root and achieve such success in the United States? In "Soka Gakkai in America: Accommodation and Conversion," Phillip Hammond, professor of religious studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and David Machacek, who also teaches at the university, offer answers to these and other questions.

Drawing on "A Time to Chant" by Bryan Wilson and Karel Dobbelaere, published in 1994, a study of Soka Gakkai members in Great Britain, Hammond and Machacek base their findings primarily on surveys, interviews and informal conversations with members.

The authors conclude that SGI-USA has thrived because it respects American culture, because it emphasizes personal growth and responsibility and involvement in society at large, and because it recognizes the compatibility of scientific rationalism and religious value. The authors predict that SGI-USA will endure as a significant force in the American religious landscape and that its members will serve as pioneers in this era of dramatic change as we approach the new millennium.

Soul Escape by talented writer Phillip Bailey is a real page turner--A homicide detective in Maryland has to chase a twisted serial killer through the streets, across the internet and to the steps of a church. A Must Read Book Not To Be Missed!

An invaluable resource for collectors of South Carolina dispensary bottles from both a historical perspective and as a resource for the many variations of containers the system produced. This compilation contains an overview of the history of the system including the colorful creator (Gov. Tillman) and the events leading to and following the "whiskey rebellion". It recounts an interesting time in South Carolina history when prohibitionist compromises helped to create one of the most corrupt government-run businesses of the time. The dispensary idea was sold as both a means to control the flow of alcohol and raise revenue for the state education fund...an interesting parallel as South Carolina currently embarks on building support for a state run lottery, also "to improve education".