This book has given me much to think about and provided much comfort. The "much to think about" comes from Part One where Stone looked at storytelling communities. Her analysis of them helped me see more clearly what's here in Kentucky and how those communities function as well as what might be missing and how those could come about and could function. Part Two provided "much comfort." Here Stone looked at individual tellers as they talked about the development of the telling of a specific tale. She also included a transcript of the tale as the teller told it to her. This was fascinating since I love telling fairy and folk tales (wondertales, Stone calls them) and am not that interested in creating parodies or spicing them up in ways that call attention to the teller's cleverness instead of to the story. To read about how storytellers have worked on the telling of a story and about how the story has worked on the teller was like looking in a mirror at my ways of working and seeing that I truly am not alone. Although my comments touch on only a fraction of the subject matter in Kay Stone's book, those two aspects are what burns brightest for me now. To read it was a fine and wonderful experience with thoughts and images "burning brightly" to illuminate my path. Thank you, Kay Stone.

In Burning Brightly: New light on old tales told today, Kay Stone tracks the revival of oral storytelling in Canada. Since the dawn of human history storytellers have entertained, educated and inspired members of their communities, but in the age of books and television their art almost died out, relegated to story hours for children. Early chapters of Burning Brightly explore the many adult storytelling communities which have arisen in cities and rural areas over the last twenty years, including four streams: "traditional", library/educational, theatrical, and spiritual/therapeutic. The book shows how these communities fulfill the human need for meaning and connection. Traditional tales, including many from the Grimm collections, retain their relevance in today's world. Stone explores the reasons tellers choose these old tales and the ways they rework them. In the second half of her book, Kay Stone explores in depth the life stories, thoughts and repertoires of eight contemporary tellers, including herself. Texts of their stories are included. Her own tale, that of a curious girl who meets a dangerous crone and finds her own storytelling voice, acts as a metaphor for the revival of oral storytelling as a performance art. Kay Stone offers rare insights based on her dual career as a popular Winnipeg storyteller and an internationally recognized folklorist. Her book shows the depth and breadth of today's storytelling as does no other book I have seen, and is a valuable resource for storytellers, folklorists and anyone interested in oral tradition and community building.

I have loved the narnia books all my life and found this new book very interesting because it told me about the authors childhood which made me feel that I knew him. The book is also a great romantic story about his friendship and then marriage to the author Joy Gresham.

As an avid reader since childhood of the Chronicles of Narnia, I was thrilled to read this wonderful biography of C. S. Lewis. The author paints a detailed picture of his privileged childhood in Belfast, Ireland, followed by unhappy years at English boarding schools.
I enjoyed reading about his many years at Oxford Univeristy, first as a brilliant student and later as a professor. His touching romance with American author Joy Gresham and her tragic death touched my heart.
This is a wonderful book and I recommend it to adults and young people. Cathy Gustavson, retired professor

This book is fantastic. From start to finish, it is a beautiful story about love. I recommend it to everyone!

This is one of the best books I have read in a long time. A tale about a woman and her quest for the truth, love, and happiness - it will have you laughing and crying before you are done. It is a must read for anyone.

The most attractive parts are certainly the photography and the quality of the color printing. There are however a few disappointments. Firstly,under the chapter of the photos for the entire collection,one's appreciation can be marred by the reading of the so called Common Names for the diamonds which are by no means common.For readers who are not color diamond experts (and indeed even for those in the trade), such names could sometimes sound pompous. Secondly, the most widely adopted GIA color grading description is not used.I suppose somehow there is a temptionion for the author to preach and start his own system which could perhaps be understandable as 7 years of hard work has been done.Frequently, I still browse through the book, not so much because of the text,but because of the excellent colour photos. Overall,the author has still done a lot for the trade and introduced the wonderful color diamond world to the public.It is definitely a book I will treasure.For those who have been facinated by this book,they could be frustrated by the absence of sufficient materials on the subject.The way to quench one's thirst is to read the only other comprehensive book (a much thinner but with perhaps much more interesting and readable materials) by Harvey Harris.

This amazing piece of work reflects a tremendous effort by the author and his colleagues. The color photography is superb, especially noteworthy considering the difficulty in photographing small colored objects. ...A very useful appendix... and an extensive glossary provides in-depth discussions of technical terms. This is a beautifully illustrated work... it is an excellent compendium of information and should serve as a very valuable reference for gemologists and any scientist involved in diamond research, faculty, researchers, professionals. Reviewed by: Dr. M.E. McCallum, in Choice magazine, Current Reviews for Academic Libraries, October 1998, Earth Science, # 36-0970.

It is a real shame that this book is presently out-of-print, I borrowed it from the local library some 5 years ago, and to this date have yet to see anything better in this genre. The technical data about precious stones - such as dispersion, types of refraction, specific gravity, types of cutting, and so on - are well covered, with specific commentaries on individual stones presented in encyclopaedic format. It's very useful not only for specific reference but just for general browsing. What sets this book apart, on the other hand, is the quality and quantity of the gem photography. There are pictures of every major and minor gem in the world, and where a particular type of stone has more than one color - or colors - the entire suite of colors is presented. So the garnets, sapphires, diamonds, tourmalines, topazes, beryls (just to name a few) look positively kaleidoscopic. The opal section alone has some magnificent stones, including top-quality Lightning Ridge black, one of which is photographed from different directions to demonstrate the superb color play. The zircon and spinel photography is quite impressive too.

This book is emphatically not for the investor or speculator who is looking for advice, and no attempts at valuation are made. On the other hand, for readers interested in specific gemmological research or (esoteric) appreciation, this book will be ideal. The level of scholarship is impeccable, and the book is not overwhelmingly technical or difficult. It is not cheap but is worth every penny. Most strongly recommended.

Outstanding color photographs to review, that are matched to technical data regarding the various gemstone "families". There is a very fine topic governing "colors" of gemstones as well. Joel Arem has done a very fine job!

Stephans (Bright Size Life, 1991, Mythematics, 1993) here collects a number of recent poems and short fictions, several of which have been previously published. No longer content with the kind of Ray Bradbury-on-a-bender sensibility that characterized his earlier efforts, Stephans has worked hard to refine his craft, burnishing a dozen hard-won insights on every page of this impressive collection. Whether he is recalling with fondness his native Floridian landscape or celebrating the heroes of modern jazz, there is everywhere a deepening of his earlier sensibility with honeyed notes of home, place, and a revered past. And yet there is sufficient edginess in the stories to satisfy the lover of Stephans' twisted commentary and mordant wit This is a beautifully turned out and elegantly produced selection from a voice you will long remember. --Charlie Glide

Michael Stephans has somwhow found out how to use words as musical notes and, being a wonderful musician, these notes become words and then become magical chains of thought and fantasy and new worlds into which we eneter with surprise and joy. May he continue to delight and amaze.

"This is an exhilarating book, full of spirit and spark. It vividly and
passionately describes the author's groundbreaking, bureaucracy-busting work
as head of the National Performance Review. Ignited by Tom Peter's In Search
of Excellence,
Stone became Al Gore's right hand in working to reinvent government. His
book is filled with wonderful stories of revolutionaries from every rank and
level. It contains many great tidbits of advice and wisdom. The author used
to refer to himself as Energizer in Chief. His book is just that: an
energizer. It breathes the soul of civic revolution. It is full of fun as
well, an easy read. Stone is totally devoted to action that breaks down
ridiculous and often absurd barriers from getting the job done right. But
the book is full of humanity as well, as when Stone decides to retire so he
can live closer to his young grandchildren. If you want to touch clear,
decisive, humane leadership, if your soul needs a spark to re-ignite itself,
run -don't walk- to get this book."

This tell-it-like-it-was gem about the author's thirty years of public service is nothing less than remarkable. Adroitly written with good humor, Stone's quiet, but dogged steadfast nature is wonderfully evident in every page and makes you count your lucky stars that people like him actually join the ranks of our government. These experiences should serve as a guide for future generations of civil servants tackling the often thankless and misunderstood job of government service. But more than that - there is a lesson plan for all of us who navigate the treacherous waters of small and big organizations alike. I for one, plan to give this book to my twenty-one-year-old college graduate to read.

This book was written as an accompanying extract to a British Museum exhibit celebrating the bicentenary of its discovery, and accurately presents the important Rosetta Stone. This is achieved by means of outlining the Stone's history, controversy around its discovery and its deciphering which gave the key to understanding the hieroglyphs. Using this as his starting point, the author continues to explore the role, power and importance of writing in Ancient Egypt as well as its many aspects (such as scribes and the tools used) and its relation to art. Other decipherments (Linear B and Meroitic) are also considered in this book. Readable, enjoyable and very informative, accompanied by black & white illustrations, it is recommended for anyone interested in the Ancient Egyptian language.

For those expecting to receive a high quality catalogue of the British Museum's Rosetta Stone exhibition, you will not be disappointed. But as an added bonus, the essays are not pedantic and dull, but eloquent and informative. They detail not only the finding of the stone and its impact on Egyptology, but also include chapters on the development of the Ancient Egyptian language, the scripts, tools used to write, and the ways in which these reflect the Egyptian world view.

Richard Parkinson's writing style makes this a joy to read! I would recommend it not only to those interested in the exhibit (the photos are of excellent quality), but those interested in Ancient Egyptian language and Egypt in general.

First let me express my thanks to amazon.com for locating a copy of this book for me even though it had been out-of-print for more than thirty years.

This book traces all areas of life involving the various classes of noblemen such as Lords, Barons, Earls, Counts, Duke etc. and their relationship with the crown with particular reference to the reign of Elizabeth, Charles and James. It showed the noblemen as a group involved with extravagant expenditures and often died in heavy debt in order to maintain the high social status required of their position. This 'status' thought was also associated with the fact that arranged marriages were the norm in the middle ages. It also showed the development of 'education' from being trained soley in military skills to moving into the academic world. However, not all nobles were really 'noble' as a quote from Sir Walter Raleigh will put it in the best way. "The Justices of Peace in England have opposed the injustices of war in England."

What fascinated me was the fact that at various times in history ANYONE could have become a Baron, Earl, Lord etc. if he/she had enough money to buy the title! Throughout the middle ages, monarchs often sold titles to raise cash! The sale of the 'Baronet' started as a new title in on the market in 1611. The sale of titles ceased in 1629 when even an ex-convice, Ralph Buckinsham was sold a title! However, sales continued again in 1641 with a renewal by King Charles. It is interesting to note that the first round of sales led to the (temporary) abolition of The House of Lords and the second rounds from 1891 to 1921 led to a severe reduction of the political powers of the Lords.

Stone, who died in 1999, established his international reputation with this work, one of the most important books published on Engish history in the last half century. He examines the decline of the Court centered aristocracy as against the provincial squires, with the consequent loss of Parliament and the country. He also mentions the remarkable sequel: the Aristocracy regains its power and prestige, this time leading Parliament. Like all of Stone's work it asks large questions , and dares the reader to analyze it independently. It is a great temptation. I admit that my own prejudices incline me to the view that the landed gentry who backed Cromwell, and the landed gentry who were loyal to the King were not that different from each other, which is why Cromwell was successful (he could easily conciliate his former enemies, who were just like his gentry supporters) and why Cromwells revolution was swept away in an instant with no oppostion(the gentry decided they wanted their King back). It is a testimony to Stone's book that I was forced to think these things through, and that I am still not sure wie es eigentlich war, as Ranke said.

Rest in peace, Professor Stone. A light has gone out in Princeton.

This is a beautiful book, filled with the talented Mr. Reeve's paintings of famous race horses posed against the background of famous race tracks. I thoroughly enjoyed his narration of how and why he chose to paint each horse at each track. If you enjoyed Royal Blood, you will enjoy this book also. It is well worth purchasing - for your own collection or as a special gift.

A fascinating journey in the Racing world through the eyes of a very talented Artist. Highly reccomended for Horse enthusiast as well as Horse painters.