The most detailed, all-in-one source available for the post-1682 Russian monarchy. Included also are numerous charts and a very detailed index, and some interesting and gossipy appendices regarding the infighting for precedence among the present-day Romonovs.

we found stock cert. dated 1946 with berkey and gay furniyure co. wondering if there is any value to these? Where are they now?

As reflected in the title of Rabbi Angel's book, Rabbi Uziel's approach to Judaism was inclusive, not sectarian. He was a Zionist and a lover of Jews, all Jews. He sought to embrace the entire community at the very time when there were powerful forces in the Orthodox world condemning Zionism and pushing for a separation from the less religious. He also parted company with many of his rabbinic colleagues by advocating a universalistic view of Judaism, a subject which is treated by Rabbi Angel in one of the chapters of his book.

Rabbi Angel's book is full of other examples which show how Rabbi Uziel's insights differed from those of his colleagues. Regarding some of these, the world has come to agree with him. For example, while most of the rabbinic establishment of Palestine was opposed to women's voting, Rabbi Uziel strongly supported female suffrage.

In a particularly fascinating discussion, Rabbi Angel deals with Rabbi Uziel's view of conversion. Most people assume that halakhah demands that converts be turned away when they first approach the rabbi, that conversion for the sake of marriage is improper, and that no one can be converted without a strong commitment to Torah observance. Rabbi Uziel had a very different view. He was more welcoming to converts, and believed that there was much to be lost to the Jewish people by not converting non-Jewish marriage partners. He also noted that violation of Torah laws by a convert does not invalidate a conversion, as long as the person recognizes a general commitment to Torah. Whether rabbis today should adopt this approach can be debated; but certainly it should never be asserted that there is only one halakhic approach to the issue of halakhic conversion to Judaism.

We are living at a time when the Sephardic community is experiencing a revival of learning, especially in the State of Israel, as well as a rise of extremism far removed from the traditional Sephardic way. At the same time, the issues discussed by Rabbi Uziel, and masterfully analyzed by Rabbi Angel---issues such as the status of women, halakhah in a modern state, Jewish honor and the role of the rabbi--- are just as pressing now as they were years ago. As such, Rabbi Uziel's distinctive religious outlook, as transmitted by Rabbi Angel, is as vital as ever.

I bought this book recently because I wanted to eat healthier, and I don't make good salads. This book has easy to follow instructions, and the results are suprisingly good. I ate 3 servings of my first chopped salad. This is a good book to put healthy meals in the works. I rated it 4 stars, instead of 5, due to the time it takes to put togeather all the ingredients. However, the salads/meals rate much higher than any iceberg lettuce and store bought dressings. This book makes it easy to impress friends/dates with a great salad.

This is a story about an adventure that starts by mistake. (Well, it must have been a mistake.) The usual themes of good and evil, courage and loyalty, are woven together with quiet humor

I came accross this book by accident, but I enjoyed it very much. A great read for someone looking for first hand accounts of life with native Canadians in early 1900's or for those looking for stories about God's guiding hand in others lives.

This hardcover book chronicles the major motorcycle championships of 96-97. Most of all the pictures in the book are excellent.

The article on italy's newest sensation, Valentino Rossi, was quite informative. A look into the background of a gifted rider.

There are a few faults in the book. One will find reading the commentary of the first few races quite exciting, but, after reading a few more races, one notices the commentary becomes repetitive and no longer exciting. The section on the technology was not satisfying, there could have been a showcase of all the major manufacturer's bikes detailing differences between it and last year's machine. All in all there were very few faults, an excellent buy for any two wheeled fan.

-Patrick Armitage-

Years ago Ian Vorres wrote "the last Grand Duchess", which was a biography of the life of Grand Duchess Olga based on a series of personal interviews he had with her before her death. It was hard to imagine at first why this book was written and what it could cover that the first book didn't.

I found this book very easy to read. It approaches Olga's remarkable life in chronological order and it never looses track of the fact that this book is about Olga's life and not that of some of her more famous relatives.

Olga was a very adapable woman. She was born to Czar Alexander 3rd and his wife Marie when they were on the throne of Russia. She lived a life in palaces surrounded by servants and guards. Despite this she always carved out an independant niche for herself and this stood her in good stead when the old russia was engulfed in revolution.

Olga moved from the life of a pampered princess and society woman to that of a nurse at the front line and from there to a refugee, with her family in Europe and Canada.

This book fills in some of the areas glossed over in Vorres book. It deals with the later problems with her brother Michael, and the heartache her children bought her later in life. It also deals with lingering mysteries like the sale of her mother's jewels to Queen Mary of England.

I would have to say this is not a minute by minute account of Olga's life but it does bring her life into perspective and presents a woman who wasn't afraid to take life by the horns and run with it. It's book worth a read, especially if you are interested in the old imperial russia or the life of refugees afterwards.

I picked up this book at the library based on the title and the pretty neat cover photo and artwork. It figured to be a reasonably interesting travelogue about an area I wasn't overly familiar with. It only took a few pages to realize that I was quite mistaken. The author, a former Washington Post correspondent covering South Asia from 1989-92, has written a variably readable introduction to the political and social dynamics of India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Nepal. By far the most attention is given to India and Pakistan, as these are the two areas he appears to have spent the most time in. The best parts of the book are those in which he relates little vignettes which serve to underscore a broader point or illustrate a particular nuance of a region. Unfortunately, there are also long dry spells which threaten to glaze one's eyes. By far the most compelling portion is the 26 pages in which the author recounts his investigation into the 1988 plane crash which killed the Pakistani leader, General Zia, many of his top military aides, and US Ambassador Arnold Raphel. This disturbing chapter is a page-turner which ends with no resolution, but is deeply affecting. As a whole, this is good reading for someone who wants a casual introduction to the forces at work in South Asia. Amazingly enough, you will have to provide your own map, as the publishers didn't see fit to include any.

Perhaps this review should be written by a Canadian who might know of more local theatres than does this reviewer from across the border, but I doubt even one of the author's countrymen would have found fault with this volume. Within this 8-1/2-inch wide by 11 inch high, by ½-inch thick softbound are 228 glossy pages with an abundance of photos to chronicle this pageant. And a chronicle it is, as we are taken within five chapters from the humble beginnings ("The Grand and the Not-So-Grand"), to that unique development in theatres: ("The Atmospherics"), to the apotheosis of it all: ("The Cathedrals of the Motion Picture"), to the 'soul' that made it sing: ("The Mighty Wurlitzer"), to the business end that both caused its initial prosperity, and finally its end: ("The Circuits") to bring us full circle to the 'High Tech' multiplexes of today.

This is not Mr. Lindsay's first foray into writing about his beloved theatres, since he preceded this book with another one: "Turn Out The Stars Before Leaving: The Story of Canada's Theatres" and that 1983 hardbound of the same size was a wonderful work in itself, but is out of print, and the publisher informs me that it is NOT likely to be again in print. That book had beautiful end paper photos with a montage of memorabilia in the front and a rare view of a pinrail and switchboard in the rear (the inside covers of the present volume are blank white). It had exactly the same chapters as the present volume, but many more full page photos that were a delight. A few of these same images are in the newer work, but I miss the sewn binding of the earlier book, for the glued "Perfect Bind" (a greater contradiction in terms could not be invented!) of the present softbound does not allow the book to lie open comfortably and the captions were done in a small, 6-point script typeface that is difficult to read, though this is no doubt the fault of the women who designed the book and not the author.

In the years between the two publications, Mr. Lindsay found many more photos to illustrate this book and a number of them occur in the center section of 14 pages in color, among which on page 131 is a photo of the lobby of the startlingly dramatic "COLOSSUS" in Toronto, a megaplex multiplex of 18 screens in the highest of 'High Tech' decor. Normally this reviewer equates High Tech with 'High Ugly' (as in the awful depredations done to the lobby of the former movie palace, the OSCAR MEYER in Madison, Wisconsin), but here the architects wanted to attract the youth crowd by making the vast lobby and candy stand look like a spacecraft had landed, and it seems they succeeded!

A number of items are reproduced from the first book so as not to be lost, including the Foreword by Mary Pickford. A full Index not present in the first book, makes this one the more valuable. The importance of such works as this can be seen by the current Petition to save the EGLINTON of Toronto, a modest 800-seat neighborhood cinema in Art Deco which is recorded by two photos in the book. That is what this book will best serve as: a record of all that has come, what they have saved, and what they have not saved. Mr. Lindsay's easy reading style helps one to attain the perspective needed to see such theatres in context and to therefore work to save what remains of our theatres heritage.