Sebastian Barry's command of language, his passion for life, and his ability to leave room for his characters to breathe, and for the reader to therefore be drawn in and inhabit their special world is unsurpassed. I assume that the succes of books like 'Angela's Ashes' may attract readers to the latest spate of Irish novels (Roddy Doyle's 'Paddy Clarke, Ha Ha Ha' is the best of the previous lot), but Barry's book leaves McCourt's trifle in the dust. A gem in every line, an epiphany per page, a revelation and redemption for all who make this brilliant journey.

Don't be fooled by Frank McCourt's praise for this novel into thinking that it is anything like Angela's Ashes. The Whereabouts of Eneas McNulty is a much better book than McCourt's. While McCourt romanticizes every Irish stereotype, Barry imagines a character that falls through the cracks of history. Nothing about being Irish is taken for granted. McNulty's travels take him to England, Scotland, Texas, WWII France and, most interestingly, a newly independent Nigeria. Barry's novel asks the reader to be critical of all his or her assumptions about nationalism, colonialism and political violence. At the same time, the warmth of the unexpected relationships McNulty forms throughout the seventy-odd years the novel covers leaves a lasting impression.

What a gift Sebastian Barry has given us all. --A remarkable book which seems to have pushed the language a little closer toward expresing feeling in words. The writer is a poet; his use of language has a transparent quality that make the poetry of life itself more apparent.

The title hints at a modern day Aenid, and indeed this Eneas wanders far and wearily, like his ancient counter-part. I wonder if Barry recognized the power of his own voice as he took up the linguistic legacy of Joyce, giving a nod to Ulysses in his text?

But as much as the language of the book is delightful, so too is the story. Barry has taken as his hero someone who has fallen on the wrong side of romantic history. The author does more than redeem Eneas's suffering, he very quietly requires the reader to re-think attitudes about the romantic and heroic aspects of war.

This book is certainly the finest piece of recently written prose I have come upon. I am extremely grateful to Sebastian Barry for sharing his gifts with us.

As pure Art, as magnificent intelligence incarnated as absolute beauty, this is the greatest book ever written by human hands. It is a terrible thing to contemplate that 150,000 people die every day without having read this book. Don't let it happen to you.

This book dramatically illustrates two things: First, that truly fascinating subjects and truly beautiful works of art require fundamental concepts from cognitive science and an implicit understanding of the Universe. Second, that no matter how deep a scientific idea is, it can still be explained to any intelligent reader, without using obscuring clouds of mumbo-jumbo.

Artificial Intelligence, mathematics, cognitive science, computer programming; art, music, language; it doesn't matter whether you know them, or you want to know them, or you just want an unlimited amount of amazing fun - read this book. I could spend the rest of my life reading this book and I would still be noticing wonderful new gems.

Read Godel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid. Each time I do, I realize how truly unique it is. A wonderfully composed sonnet about number theory, um, I mean about genetic engineering, no, wait, it's about philosophy. Dear me, I'm confused; I think it's about artificial intelligence. This book weaves together number theory, musical theory, and art in a whirlwind of self-reference. Hofstadter's main theme is whether artificial intelligence is a possibility or not. I'ts most fascinating element is that, while reading this book, one never quite knows if the book is serious or lighthearted, persuasive or informative. Some say that the most enjoyable part of this book comes after each chapter, when the reader is shown the misadventures of Achilles and the Tortoise, creatures who debate the topics of the following chapterin a roundabout way. Books like this contain so many levels of meaning. One true mark of a classic book is that the reader learns something new each time she reads it. Only one book deserves a ten, so a rating of nine is my highest. Kindly enjoy this book, but before you do, I have one last comment; see if you can find the hidden meaning in this review, because it is representative of the hidden meaning in this book.

Hofstadter has pulled off a miracle with this book. If you like ideas and like reading about how ideas fit together, then get this book. Definately not a one-sitting book (at least for me) but very interesting and worthwhile. It's like listending to your favorite comedian lecture as a highschool teacher on a subject you can't help but be amazed at. He melds art, music, math, computer science, Zen, and more into a beautiful tapestry of fascination. Highly highly recommended.

My introduction to this series was my older brother's slightly worn Scholastic copy of Mystery of the Green Ghost. We both read it several times, and once we found out there were more, look out! We read them from the library, we cajoled Mom into taking us to the mall to buy them, we bought them at a local used bookstore. We were both hooked!
I can recommend every book in this series. My brother and I both read all the Hardy Boys (and liked them a lot), but these blow them out of the water! I think you can get 1-10 new (they've been reprinted), the rest you'll have to get used.
I've still got a complete set, but I'm rebuying them for a nephew. He's as excited about them as I was over 20 years ago. Excellent characters, spooky happenings, and just enough chills to keep a kid's pulse racing.
If you have kids, I can't recommend these highly enough.

The Three Investigators do it again, solving their strangest mystery thus far. This case involves a 3000-year-old mummy that mysteriously whispers in some archaic tongue to one professor alone. The boys overcome a number of hurdles set in their way, some involving great personal danger to themselves, to solve this perplexing mystery and, at the same time, return an unusual Abyssinian cat to his loving owner. As the series continues, we learn more and more about the boys themselves and their secret headquarters, see them employing more gadgets in their work, and see the logical gymnastics Jupiter Jones continually performs to find resolutions to case after case. There is more deductive reasoning exhibited in this case than in the trio's previous two adventures, and that only serves to further draw the reader into the world of Rocky Beach, California. As I continue to re-read these classic stories from my youth, my appreciation for the writing of Robert Arthur grows more and more. I was indeed pleased to see that my suspicions in this case proved correct in the end; even had I been wrong, I would not have been embarrassed because Arthur's tight plot works on two levels--that of young readers, who can certainly follow the case with understanding and eager anticipation for each upcoming chapter, as well as that of adults. This is a great mystery story in all regards.

They were my Heroes in my Childhood before Iron Maiden and Rock music enterd my Life and I became the Evil Person I am today. This is what I would buy my Kids If I ever should have some ( I'm trying to find a Girlfried-anybody out there! ) Their stories are creepy and suspenseful and Aunt Mathilda was the worst enemy they ever had. As I sad - you gotta love this.

this is clearly the best book I 've read on Hitler. Very unbiased and focused, the author reviews the successes and opportunities as well as the mistakes, errors and crimes of this greatest politician maybe of all times.
Haffner (the author) is able to take a look at ideas, and ideologies from a very neutral viewpoint and talk about them intelligently without emotional bias ("this is bad because Hitler believed in it"). If you want to understand the strange phenomenum -Hitler, this book is a must.

A book written during the Cold War (1977) by a German journalist who emigrated to the UK in 1938 and worked there for most of his life. In a thin book Sebastian Haffner is capable of gving a razor sharp analysis of Hitler's successes and shortcomings. In 7 chapters he discusses his life, achievements, successes, mistakes, failures, crimes and finally treason.

De book has as hypothesis that Hitler's actions could only lead to the ultimate defeat, but also that he tried to aggravate this defeat to make it as heavy as possible for the German people who had deserted him. Hitler had a two-pronged approach: on the one hand he wanted to fight a war for world rule, one the other hand he wanted to destroy as many Jews (and gipsies and homosexuals and mentally ill people) as possible. This last aim was in conflict with the first one because the people and infrastructure necessary for this left his generals with unsolvable problems. Also, Haffner shows that there were 2 opportunities (1938 and 1940) when Hitler could have come out with an enormous gain in territory if he could have been content with what he had achieved.

The only minor drawback of the book is in my opinion that, even though Hitler was the one who took all the decisions, he needed people to execute these decisions. Haffner brushes aside this side of things a little too easy, leaving Hitler as the sole criminal. Despite this drawback, this is till a very intriguing book.

I read this book several years ago in Dr. Blakemore's History of Germany Class at Mary Washington College. I still often refer to the book. Short and to the point the book shows beyond a doubt how Hitler destroyed Germany. Not only is this a good look at Hitler and the Nazis but the book destroys the myth that Hitler did some good for Germany. This book shows the true Hitler and the terrible things he did. Again, there are many good books on Hitler: Toland's work, Study in Tyranny by Bullock, Explaining Hitler, etc. but for a quick read, and a informative one, read this book.

A rare view of Buenos Aires, from an insider's perspective. Having read a number of books on Buenos Aires, it seems that many authors only think of La Recoleta and Palermo as the only interesting places in Buenos Aires. Mr. Letemendia shows his readers the beaty and complexities of a great city. A great read.

Once again, Mr. Letemendia produces a powerful book which immediately pulls the reader in. The photographs are outstanding! They represent not only the beauty of the city, but also a feeling for how people live in the city. In addition to being an exceptional photographer, Mr. Letemendia is also a talented writer. His portrayal of the city's history and development give the reader an understanding of and appreciation for the complexity of Buenos Aires. I have never been to Buenos Aires yet now I feel I know it. The book is a great enticement to visit Buenos Aires. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it!

If you like - or think you might like - Buenos Aires, then this is a book worth having. As opposed to the typical great picture approach that makes every place look like paradise, the author's photographs reflect the city as it really is, balancing the typical beautiful views with others that depict every day life and even less pleasant ones that also form part of every city.

At the same time, the author explains in very ammenable text, how and why Buenos Aires got to be what it is, thoroughly analyzing in each chapter a different component of the city's life.

This beautifully assembled combination of text and pictures conveys a very truthfull and wholesome idea of Buenos Aires.

Worth buying and keeping!

Earl Hooker was one of the most influential guitarists that ever lived; not just in the blues, but in many different musical styles. His mastery of slide guitar and the wah-wah pedal (many times combining BOTH, thus creating a truly hair-raising sound) are legendary. But sadly, Earl Hooker is all but obscure now, owing to his early death (he died in 1970 at age 39 from tuberculosis), his uneven recording career (he only made 3 "true" albums; he recorded many obscure 45 rpm sides and guest appearances), and even his famous name association (he is half-cousin to the late boogie king John Lee Hooker) didn't seem to help him achieve real stardom; one he so greatly deserved!

As all of the previous reviewers have pointed out, this is an extensively researched book, chock-full of interviews with many of the legends Hooker played with in his seemingly short career (Pinetop Perkins, Big Moose Walker, A.C. Reed, B.B. King), each one giving detailed accounts of Hooker's somewhat eccentric behavior, his lifelong battle with TB, but most of all and importantly, his undeniable guitar prowess. Unfortunately, by the time Hooker began to get noticed for his amazing natural talent and hard work, TB overtook him, causing his untimely death.

This is an excellent book, both for true Earl Hooker fans, and new ones alike. He had so much more to give the world of music, and had he lived, he most certainly would've attained the same success and legendary status as Stevie Ray Vaughan, Buddy Guy and Albert King, just to name a few. Essential reading!

Since the 60s, Earl Hooker has been a mythical figure for me. Over the years I've heard his brilliant slide guitar solos here and there, mostly as an accompanist and eventually on his Blue Thumb vinyl release in 1970. And of course I had read all the superlatives that his musical cohorts liberally expressed in the blues press. But reading Danchin's exhaustively researched tribute has given a whole new life to those recordings. The detailed stories and thorough personnel listings associated with each of Hooker's scant few recording sessions add immeasurably to the enjoyment of my Hooker collection. Danchin does a remarkable job recreating a life using only second-hand info gleaned in the main from dozens of interviews with all those bluesmen and friends who inhabited Hooker's hectic world. My hope is that Danchin will apply his skills to telling the story of another deserving (and still LIVING) blues legend: Little Milton Campbell!

The amazing part about this book is that the author was able to find out so much about Earl Hooker. The guy is a legendary guitar player. If you read interviews with his contemporaries like Buddy Guy or Otis Rush, they will attest to Hooker's greatness. Unfortunately Hooker died thirty years ago and is pretty obscure today. He didn't sing, so he survives on records largely as an accompanist to other people and on albums he recorded under his own name for a wide variety of mostly small and forgotten record labels. Many of his recordings are hard to find today. Surprisingly this author was able to find out about Earl Hooker's life and his world in great detail and in so doing rescue Earl Hooker from disappearing into history. In addition to being amazingly well researched this book is written by a fan of blues music. If you read this book you'll probably want to hear more of Earl Hooker, and that's probably the best compliment I could bestow on the author!

An excellent book, one of the defining classics of the genre. It does have a few minor factual errors here and there, but overall a great book on the subject matter. Put simply, it is overflowing with information. It's also a very entertaining read, which makes it more than a simple reference. Worth the investment, even for those who are already well versed in the topic.

This book is perfect in every way, there is no drug war propaganda, it is pure facts, experience, and knowlege. If Psychedellics interest you then you absolutly must have this book otherwise you really have no idea what you are missing.

This book is a simply amazing in4mational text, and the forward was written by a close personal friend.

If a person has questions regarding psychedelics, this is most likely the place 2 find the answers!!

This book is much more than a bunch of recipes, it teaches process. I've recently found a passion for cooking. This book has been extremely helpful in allowing me to become a better cook. The other cookbooks I have didn't help nearly as much.

I also like that it is large and lays flat without me having to put something on it. It means I can check the recipe without having to hold the book open at the same time. The vibrant pictures really inspire you to want to try out a recipe. I find that inspiration is often the hardest thing.

In addition to all this, the recipes are great. I wasn't a huge fan of the pumpkin soup, but everything else has turned out wonderful.

This is a must have for anybody who wants to start cooking good meals for themselves.

Lots of color pictures (who doesn't want to see what they're trying to make) that remind me a bit of a certain European furniture catalog....The food is really good and easy, and the lists of M (must-haves), L (luxury) and XL (extra-luxury) ingredients are handy, so you don't buy lots of stuff that looks interesting, and sits on the shelf for years. There's a good mix of healthy and not-healthy stuff for carnivores and vegetarians, so everyone will be happy, and most recipes don't have huge lists of things to slice and dice-great when you're starving and just want to eat. The Chicken Saltimbocca is mighty tasty.

I've been cooking for a long time so I really didn't need to know the basics. In fact, as a graphic designer, I only bought the book originally because of its beautiful yet trendy book design. But EVERY single recipe I've made out of that book (about 12 so far) has been incredible! They have everything from sushi, creme brulee, to the BEST guacamole. I HIGHLY recommend this book for anyone looking for a wide range of easy to follow yet great quality recipes!

I first read lives of the musicians when I was about 7 yearsold or so. Then, I thought it was terrific. I still do. However, I amnow 12 years old, and now that I have paid more attention to it, I see several faults, but overall it is still a very good book. First of all, their choice of musicians is not the best. I would have recommended Debussy and Schubert, like the Kirkus Reviewer. Some of the composers I have hardly ever heard of, like Igor Stravinsky or Nadia Boulanger. And while Clara Schumann was a great pianist, I think they should have focused more on her husband, Robert, a prolific composer, whose works are among the very best. Also, some of the parts of the biographies are questionable. Frederic Chopin may not have actually been romantically involved with Aurore Dudevant (George Sand), but in love with the Countess Delphine Potocka. The book states that the Waltz in D-Flat, or Minute Waltz, was written for George Sand's dog, when in fact it was probably written for Potocka. However, the book was still very well written, and I enjoyed it, despite the possible mistakes. I recommend this book to anyone who likes music, classical or not. So sit back and enjoy!

I loved this book because it made those musicians seem like real people instead of great-all-star-super-geniuses. It is full of strange little facts about all the famous musicians like Bach,Gershwin,Beethoven and Schmann.

---Megan W.

This book provides interesting insight into the lives of composers. I teach music to elementary and high school students and I read this book to all of my students. They all enjoy learning the details of the composers lives. The book presents the composers in such a way that the students remember the information about the composers. The book does not provide information about what the composers' music sounds like, and that is something I also like to teach. A great book to gain kids'interest in famous composers.

ANNIE DUNNE by Sebastian Barry

ANNIE DUNNE by Sebastian Barry is a book about an elderly woman and her observations on her life, past, present and future. The actual story takes place during one summer in the 1950's in a rural area of Ireland called Wicklow. However, through the ramblings in her mind, the reader is taken back to her past, where she goes over memories of her dear father, whom she has on a pedestal.

Her grand niece and nephew have come to stay for the summer, and so Annie and her cousin Sarah must deal with a big change. Taking care of children isn't easy, especially for two elderly spinster ladies such as Annie and Sarah. However, the children take to Annie as it was meant to be, while Sarah hovers in the background and watches.

It is Sarah's home that Annie lives in, so Annie helps out with the daily chores that need to be done in a rural area like this. Daily chores include retrieving eggs from the hen house and hand-washing of clothes. Making butter and bread is all done by hand. (To Annie's disgust, people in the city buy their bread and butter pre-made!) Their life is a simple one, far from the modern contrivances of the day.

Annie considers herself a lucky woman for having a home despite being a spinster and having a hump on her back. She was never considered marraige material and has lived with family members from year to year. Sarah took Annie into her home after Annie's sister Maud had passed away and her widow decided to remarry. Now, the threat of moving on is back. It appears that Sarah is being courted by a neighbor, Billy Kerr, who Annie thinks is at least 20 years Sarah's junior. This whole idea has Annie worked up and more flustered than usual. She's appalled that this could be happening, and is worried about what the neighbors would think.

On top of all this, Annie has witnessed something strange going on between her neice and nephew, something that could be very inappropriate. The whole incident has Annie worried and troubled.

I enjoyed reading Annie Dunne. Although the story itself was somewhat lacking, for I felt there was not enough substance to this book, the book itself was beautifully written. The beauty of this book was Barry's descriptions of the beautiful pastoral world of Annie Dunne and the precise characterizations that made Annie and the other characters come to life. One could almost hear the pristine silence of the green Irish countryside and the laughter of children, and see the humpbacked image of Annie Dunne living in the beauty that is Ireland. I recommend this book for those readers that yearn for books about the Ireland of long ago.

It is the summer of 1960 at Kelsha in rural Wicklow where Annie Dunne, an impoverished and proud spinster who has known better times, lives out her days on a farm owned by her cousin Sarah. Annie's nephew and his wife leave their young son and daughter in the care of the elderly Annie and Sarah while they are in London preparing for their family's eventual relocation there. Concurrently, Annie's already shaky sense of security is threatened, testing her mettle to its limits.

There are moments of beauty in this story, bolstered by the fulsomeness of Barry's writing. Barry justifies his prose: "If you listen carefully for how people are talking to you in Ireland, in certain districts, it is quite elaborate, there is a strangeness to it."

An interesting aside is that Annie Dunne was a real person: the author's father's aunt and, in his boyhood, his "favorite person on God's earth." And, like the boy in the story, Barry lived with her at Kelsha one summer in his youth.

This is one of the most beautifully written books that I have read in a long time. If you are interested in the heart of the Irish people you will love this book. It has made me want to read everything this author has written. The lovely cover of the book with the little Irish girl is almost worth the price of the book itself.