All my favorite stories from the early 1940's are captured here: "Three billy goats" presented in 3 pages can easily be memorized, told to children and grandchildren who will pass it on ... "Chicken Little" is here, as is the "Three Bears", "The Teeny, tiny Lady" and many more. Mostly from unknown sources, Bailey captured the best of the best in these 92 pages at a price everyone can afford. Twenty-two stories that delighted children in yesteryear, continue to do the same. Not to be omitted is the fact that Carolyn Sherwin Bailey was a prolific writer herself with the skill of editing with inflection and choice of words for the delight of the storyteller and reader.

Anne Bradstreet (1612-1672), a poet of colonial North America, is a pioneering figure in the history of literature of this continent. "To My Husband and Other Poems" gathers together 72 pages of her poetry. Hers is, despite the centuries that separate us from her, a very engaging and meaningful poetic voice.

Many of the poems in this volume are about her family members, and about the joys and sorrows of family life. Bradstreet writes with great warmth and sensitivity about her husband, children, parents, grandchildren, and daughter-in-law. Her poem "To my Dear and loving Husband" is, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful love poems ever written. Overall, her family-related poems give real insight into the struggles faced by women of her era, but these poems also have a universality that transcends her time.

There is a lot of other good stuff in this volume. Bradstreet's voice is often quite witty (especially in "The Author to her Book"). "The Prologue" is a fascinating proto-feminist defense of female literary aspiration. Also fascinating is her tribute to England's Queen Elizabeth I. Bradstreet's poetry is essential for scholars of American literature. But her work should be read not just for scholarship, but also for the real humanity and artistry of her voice.

Schnorr Von Carolsfeld's Bible in picture form has been the standard teaching Bible for German children of the past 130 years. These most Raphaelite compositions are perfect in their drawing, design and storytelling. Each of Von Carolsfeld's compositions have the paradoxical qualities of balance and spontaniety, of grace and strength and of monumentality and minute attention to detail. So, it is about time that the art world's great publishing friend, Dover Books, makes these somewhat forgotten illustrations easily and widely available with this handsome edition. Thank You, Dover!

Many of these illustrations have a "fairy tale" feel to them. It is comparable to "1,100 Designs and Motifs from Historic Sources" but with more of a modern, and sometimes art neuvou look. It has a beautiful astrological sun signs illustrations. Many of the pictures seem to be depictions of Goddesses. Much of the art is useful for Pagan publications. A good variation of styles.

This Dover Thrift Edition presents two classic Greek tragedies by Euripides, "The Trojan Women" and "Hippolytus," which is certainly an interesting combination. I would have much rather seen "Iphigenia at Aulis" and "The Trojan Women" together as a superb prequel/sequel set for Homer's "Iliad," while "Hippolytus" would make a nice analog with "Medea."

"The Trojan Women" is Euripides most passionate anti-war play. Around 416 B.C. the island of Melos refused to aid Athens in the war against Sparta. The Athenians then slaughtered the men and enslaved the women and children, an atrocity never before inflicted on one Greek city-state by another. As preparations were made for the ruinous expedition against Syracuse, Euripides wrote "The Trojan Women," as a plea for peace. Consequently there is a strong rhetorical dimension to the play, which prophesies that a Greek force would sail across the sea after violating victims and meet with disaster. However, there the play also has a strong literary consideration in that the four Trojan Women--Hecuba, Queen of Troy; Cassandra, daughter of Hecuba and Priestess of Apollo; Andromache, widow of Hector; and Helen--all appear in the final chapter of Homer's epic poem the "Iliad," mourning over the corpse of Hector, retrieved by his father Priam from the camp of the Acheans.

"The Trojan Women" reflects the cynicism of Euripides. Of all the Achean leaders we hear about in Homer, only Menelaus, husband of Helen, appears. He appears, ready to slay Helen for having abandoned him to run off to Troy with Paris, but we see his anger melt before her beauty and soothing tones. In this play the Greeks do more than enslave women: they have already slain a young girl as a sacrifice to the ghost of Achilles and they take Astyanax, the son of Hector, out of the arms of his mother so that he can be thrown from the walls of Troy. Even the herald of the Greeks, Talthybius, cannot stomach the policies of his people. The play also reminds us that Helen was a most unpopular figure amongst the ancient Greeks, and there is no satisfaction in her saving her life. The idea that all of these men died just so that she could be returned to the side of her husband is an utter mockery of the dead.

"Hippolytus" opens with Aphrodite declaring her power over all mankind and her intention to ruin Hippolytus, the son of Theseus and Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons, because he alone has had the audacity to scorn love. Instead, the young prince has devoted himself to hunting and Artemis, the chaste goddess of the hunt. As the instrument of Hippolytus' downfall, Aphrodite selects his stepmother Phaedra, by making her fall in love with him. What becomes interesting in Euripides' telling of the tale is how Phaedra resists the will of Aphrodite, having resolved to starve herself to death rather than ever reveal her infatuation. However, Phaedra's secret is revealed when in a state of semidelerium she confesses to her nurse. The nurse, out of love for Phaedra, tries to solicit an appropriate response from Hippolytus, who is horrified that his stepmother wants him as her lover. Mortified that her secret is now known, Phaedra hands herself, but trying to spare the reputation of her children she leaves a note accusing Hippolytus of having tried to rape her. When Theseus returns from a long journey only to find his wife dead at her own hand and his son implicated in her suicide, he pronounces a deadly curse upon Hippolytus.

Ironically, despite the tragic fate that awaits him, Hippolytus is not a sympathetic figure. Certainly his devotion to Artemis does not require him to spurn the ways of love and an Athenian audience would not look kindly upon him as a martyr to the idea of chastity. Of course, this is a story by Euripides, which means readers have to look for another level of meaning. In this regards "Hippolytus" is similar to "Medea." The latter dealt with how the Greeks in general and the Athenians in particular viewed foreigners, while the former deals with the stigma of illegitimacy. After all, Hippolytus is the bastard son of Theseus and the Queen of the Amazons. Consequently, it seems reasonable that Hippolytus has a real hatred for Aphrodite since it was the goddess of love who was responsible for the illegitimacy that makes him unlike other men. Meanwhile, Phaedra becomes the truly tragic character in the tale, who has her dignity taken away from her by a vengeful goddess and a friend with the best of intentions, surely as potent a combination of dangerous characters as you can find in literature.

Another consideration is the portrayal of Theseus, generally accounted the wisest and best of the heroes of classical mythology. Yet in this story the man whose objectivity and sense of fairness made him give Oedipus a resting place (at least as the tale is told by Sophocles in "Oedipus at Colonus") gives way to an angry impulse worthy of Heracles. If we take into account how highly the Athenians esteemed Theseus, then "Hippolytus" again shows the frequent trend in Euripides' plays to attack the city-state in which he lived. Of course, the same is true of "The Trojan Women" with its implicit argument against the Peloponnesian War. I might prefer to see each of these plays in a different combination, but this is still an affordable volume presenting two classic Greek tragedies by Euripides.

This is the second time I've purchased this stained glass coloring book. Buy a new set of markers and watch everyone in the family (from age 3 up) have fun coloring the pictures which illustrate the song (8 Maids a Milking, for example). We liked ours so much the last time that we kept them in the window all year. Dover is a wonderful publisher, and if you like this coloring book, look for the other stained glass coloring books. It's an easy way to make a colorful craft for Christmas.

What can I say? This book is just the cream of the crop when it comes to boundry value problems for elipictic equations! No other books even come close! The diagram on the cover is just one of MANY that delve deep into the oasis of info-tainment that is the world of elliptic equations and allow you to visualize the many subtly intriging nuances and fiendishly clever intricicies of the subject! I've read many, many books on variational methods for boundry value problems for systems of elliptic equations, even the now famous "Variational Methods for Boundary Value Problems for Systems of Elliptic Equations And You: A Exploration of How the Exciting World of Variational Methods for Boundary Value Problems for Systems of Elliptic Equations Affects Your Every Day Life" By Dr. Ben Suerhamahuerastedt and it can't even come close to the level of intelec-fun-ual content in this super-tastic volume of mathimatical lore. It all brings me back to my days when I used to study Variational Methods for Boundary Value Problems for Systems of Elliptic Equations as a young lad in the snowy villas of Switzerland. This volume is simply the most info-joy-mational work in the whole spectrum of books relating to Variational Methods for Boundary Value Problems for Systems of Elliptic Equations. Top notch! Another coup in the world of mathi-pleasure-matical books by M. A. Lavrentev, Mikhail Alekseevich Lavrent'ev. A must have for every home!

wonderful collection of designs for each letter of the alphabet. the quality is high and the cd makes the designs simple to use.

Dover Publications has done an outstanding service in reprinting home plan books of past eras, and S.B. Reed's "Victorian Dwellings for Village and Country" is one of the best. A complete reproduction of the 1885 edition of this book, the Dover reprint is a fascinating and beautiful glimpse into one of home architecture's richest eras.

The plan of the book is simple and informative. It is a collection of 35 marvelously detailed designs for homes that range from a humble three-room cottage to an imposing boarding house. Each selection contains front and side (and in some cases, rear) elevations, along with floor plans for the first and (for the 2- and 3-story buildings) second stories. Each building is accompanied by a charming descriptive essay and a detailed estimate of the 1885 cost to build it.

The building plans bear such picturesque names as "Lillie Lake," "Willimantic," "Ravenswood," and "Stepping Stones." Interspersed among the design profiles are a few short essays on such relevant topics as plumbing and building cost estimation.

The Victorian language of the descriptive essays is a delight. Consider this description of the New Brighton (Design XV): "It has a tasty and picturesque exterior, and is convenient, cosey [sic] and cheerful within." But even more delightful are the floor plans and elevations. Covered verandas, inglenooks, decorative trim, towers and balconies--the full extravagant vocabulary of Victorian architecture is gloriously preserved.

This book will be treasured by historians, old house restorationists, artists, students of architecture and many more.

This book is a wonderful way to spend a lazy summer afternoon, or a rainy Saturday. Village Affairs by Miss Read is the second book in her beloved Fairacre series, all about a British schoolmistress and her post-WWII adventures. Folks who think nothing ever happens in a village are dead wrong. No sex, drugs or rock n roll but a delightful cast of characters that will leave you smiling and relaxed. In these perilous times, it's nice to spend a few minutes in a safe, serene world.