There is something almost comical about the thought of reviewing the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology. It is an amazing work, such a stunning compendium of erudition in such a wide array of difficult and rigorous subjects that the ordinary rules and reasons of writing a review don't really apply to it.

Reviewing any other work would function with the assumption that you *had* actually read it; that you were familiar with it; and also that you were implicitly prepared to face intelligent rebuttal with regard to the opinion you offered and the comments you made. However, when it comes to The Encyclopedia, it would require more than ordinary intellectual stamina and range of interests to *read* it for review and the same notion applies to the possibility of rebuttal: if you are enough of an intellectual giant that you can talk intelligently about the sum of what is in The Encyclopedia, then who is there to rebutt you? Who is going to come out of the woodwork and dissaggree with what you have to say about it? No real 'revue' is possible or meaningful when talking about it, but some things can be said about it and nearly all those things are golden.

My experience with The Encyclopedia goes back to my days in highschool, more than twenty years ago, when I regularly went to the library between classes and used the encyclopedia to answer the questions that occured to me at random. Back then, The Encyclopedia was a godsend for me, something that had answers to questions to that my teachers didn't have the time to answer. It was a browser's book for me; the kind of text that offered the cross-referenced characteristics of intertwined questions leading to other questions leading to yet other questions that exactly foreshadow the hypertext concepts that run the web today. Article after article pointed toward things that I would later find out more about only in adulthood, long years after I left the library.

I can still clearly see the photo illustrating The Monroe Effect__where the forces generated by the shape of an explosive charge concentrate the force and direction of the explosive force. The illustration was a small gray photo showing the words 'Monroe Effect' stamped in reverse into a light-colored block of plastic explosive which lay next to a metal ingot which had had the words the same words imprinted into it by explosive force.

I remember this and many other things from other articles that awakened my curiosity with regard to things and that remain with me and enrich my life to this day. However, I think that There is one clear flaw in The Encyclopedia: I can find no electronic edition of it. I have never seen a CD- or DVD-ROM edition of it and, the commercial considerations of McGraw-Hill aside, that seems like a great failing. When the Oxford Dictionary exists both on CD-ROM and on paper, and when all of National Geographic back to 1888 can be found in a DVD-ROM collection, it seems silly to have this great repository of scientific and technical erudition limited to non-computer readable forms. I could be wrong, an electronic edition mightt actually exist for all I know, but if I am right, I think that the world would profit by having a portable edition of the work available for scientists, technicians, doctors, teachers and any of the other groups who might want the information it has to offer at their fingertips in a portable form. Aside from this single flaw, I can honestly say that I my experience with The Encyclopedia is something that glows in my memory and I frankly admit that I covet the high-quality electronic edition that I wish were available.

I suppose that this is less a review than it is a homage to the people and the will that worked to put The Encyclopedia together. All in all, I would like to say, 'Thank you' and that I can heartily recommend the encyclopedia not just to scientists and students in scientific fields but to anyone who is fascinated by things of the mind.

I read these books as a child and have looked everywhere for them since I was in the fifth grade. Meg is wonderful! Fun, spunky, smart...a great role model for girls. After I devoured all the Nancy Drew books and even gave the Hardy Boys some attention Meg was the next step and I think I loved her the most. Get the whole set and read them to your daughter - I promise, you'll have a good time.

My son hates reading because he is so bad at it but recently he was introduced to the Meg Parker Mysteries at summer school and loves them. It takes him a while to get through the stories but he enjoys it enough to actually try on his own without me or the teacher pushing him. I haven't read them myself but they must be good to get him so motivated.

"Miasma" (or me-ahz-MAH' as the ancients would say it, we think) is a subject and a book that will be of most interest to scholars of ancient Greek culture, religion and language, as well as to students of comparative languages and literatures. It is a dense but well-written text by Parker, an important and recognized scholar. Organized conceptually, the book begins with an introduction to related and apparently overlapping terms: miasma, agos, enages, katharsos, hosios, hagnos, and the like. These terms can be examined in terms of how they are thought to relate to birth/death rituals, lustrations, the shedding of blood, purification of holy sites, etc. This would be quite enough but Parker's erudition ups the book's score. He analyzes each concept and situation in terms of the various genres of his sources and in terms of the time periods in which tehy were written. These are the materials from which we have derived our notion of daily life in ancient Greece, and Parker is well-versed in the entire canon of Greek dramas, philosophy, history, cult records, oratory, mythology, and on and on. The author's observations and conclusions are surprising and very valuable not only because of his close and careful of the citations that illuminate his theories, but because the care taken itself reminds us of the danger of making broad assumptions based on a narrow review of primary sources. This is a major text in the field of Greek religion and it's been a long time coming. I wish he'd put forth his own hypotheses at the beginning of each section, which would make note-taking a lot easier, but it would deprive the reader of the carefully-reasoned arguments that lead him -- and us -- to his conclusions. Kudos.

Parker carefully balances his focus on Milton's life and the poet's immortal works. Parker begins his study by letting the reader know that he is both a lover of Milton's art and an admirer of Milton the individual. One who devotes time to this considerable study will certainly obtain similar sentiments.

This is an exquiste book.I would give it ten stars if I could. Ms. Parker has beautifully reproduced in her book the watercolors she painted of Mississippi wildflowers, a wonderful biodiversity of wildflowers in the state I call home. Although localized to Mississippi this mystical, poetic, yet technically accurate depiction of the wildflowers is far superior to photographic field guides, all right for the field but of no interest in terms of floral art. THIS IS NOT A FIELD GUIDE. A book to savor.Akin to Audubon, THE TEMPLE OF FLORA.

Want a simple book to help teach your kids abotu money? This is it. Features tidbits of history, colorful drawings and, of course, basic money topics. Kids and adults aliek will enjoy this one.

A comical look at todays business structure and how it effects all of us. Mr. Parker not only has "been there - done that", but he gives the tools and provides thought provoking insight on how to become the best manager/supervisor you can. I will keep this one by my side for quick reference.

A must read for managers and supervisors.

KCR

Wish to check on your husband? Need to get rid of a stolen diamond ring? Seek excitement-even danger? Then consult Mr Parker Pyne, Detective. Agatha's famous and unorthodox gentlman of mystery...who goes around the world to solve the most bizarre and startling crimes of his unique career.

Kristy Parker has captured a wonderful, realistic, timeless story! A great father's day book for a new dad or dad of young children. Even though a dad doesn't to exotic things, he can still be magnificent in the eyes of his child. The illustrations by Lillian Hoban are perfect for this story.