I first ran into Charlotte Perkins Gilman because of the title story in this collection, "The Yellow Wallpaper" which she wrote originally as a sort of cautionary tale--don't let this happen to you! It is an unsettling story which stays with the reader. A woman ordered to take the "rest cure" finally dives over the edge into insanity.

Gilman's stories are most often didactic, that is, they have a clear message. She is a first rate story teller. These are fascinating tales about real human beings, like a well-traveled great aunt might have told about traveling across the plains in a covered wagon.

Town gossips sit around sharing scandal with the new lady school teacher in "The Unnatural Mother." The reader is in on the irony almost immediately, that the mother in question is a heroine, a woman well ahead of her time in her child-raising practices and her willingness to sacrifice for the public good. To the locals she's plain unnatural.

These stories are great fun... quirky, ironic, satirical. They were way ahead of their time politically and socially, promoting family relationships, childcare, and responsibility in a non-preachy and dramatic (and often funny) manner. Perhaps that's why they don't feel dated. Gilman might be happy with the way things have gone in the 20th century; her stories still speak to the modern reader.

The Yellow Wallpaper and other stories by Charlotte Perkins Gilman is a wonderful compilation of feminist short stories. The first story, The Yellow Wallpaper reminds us, even today, that a woman who allows herself to become dominated to the point where her talents are suppresed can made herself a prisoner of her own creativity. The protagonist,much like Gilman, has a "nervous disorder." Unlike Gilman, who wrote her way out of the "disorder" the "wife" is not allowed to write and thus must sneak her writing, much like an alcoholic. Eventually, the wallpaper invades her space to the point of madness. Other stories point up other women's issues, such as Three Thanksgivings, in which the women save themselves via a business adventure, which is similar to Making a Change, in which a mother's anxiety and depression are alleviated by following her true creative urges and an older woman's losses are alleviated by her ability to nurture. The Cottagette was a light-hearted romp into the problems women create for themselves and how a too-good-to-be-true suitor helps out his beloved. Turned is an interesting story of what happens when a man makes a wrong move in the presence of a strong woman! Last but not least, Mr. Peebles Heart is an interesting story of a fiftyish shopkeeper. For $1.00, this book is a highly recommended find for those that enjoy feminist literature. I happen to be one of those so I have given it a "10."END

I was 15 when I first read this book. I was awkward and unhappy. The book hit something inside of me and wrenched sympathy from me. It was unbelievable how much oppressed women writers were in the 19th century. The central character in the Yellow wallpaper was trapped behind a cage of propriety, carefully manufactured and sold by society. Her writings were "destructive" and were dangerous to the accepted norm. When she couldn't write, she couldn't live. Her madness was a direct reaction against her entrapment. She was someone who simply couldn't live without writing. I would highly recommend this book to any reader. It is tragic, beautiful and maddening.

Lengthy and well written, but a disappointment in theme. In the era that this book was originally published, the general theme may have been better received as a true pioneer in women's literature; however, I had a hard time sympathizing with a woman who seemed to take no joy in her life at all. Are we supposed to associate her manly ability to work and take joy in the cultivation of fields, her inability to forgive a mistake made by her husband, her inability to cope with her children or to deal with anything in the sphere of the periodic woman's world as virtue? I found what was described as a precocious child to grow into a selfish adult who shuns her responsibilities. "Judith" does not exhibit resourcefulness and by mid to end of the book wallows in her plight by acting out and against her family and neighbors. She is not a likeable character: she is self centered. I do not consider this a prototype of the Feminist novel, because I believe feminism is only defined by positive action toward the betterment of the woman's experience. Judith does nothing to better her earthly stead. She's a jerk.

This book was very moving to me as I thought back on my mother's role in my life growing up on a farm. Though not near as stark or hard as the main character's, Judith, it was fairly brutal at times. I love my mother more for having experienced this book.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Judy's story is told with humanity but without sentimentality. Never has life in rural Kentucky been more searingly told. Judy's transition from tomboy is real, and our own lives' disappointments and grinds seem frivilous next to the struggles these people live with daily. However toward the end of the book, one character tells what he loves about his life and where he lives, and the beauty of the area comes alive. The smells and sounds of rural living.

Very good overview.. wish they would have spent more time on mid-century modern leaders like Edward Wormley of Dunbar fame.

Those in the know -- seek out Wormley for a clear viewpoint on the essence of modern design.

Turn up the stereo and pass me a martini...

Read through this book, let me know how great is the designer is. In fact, i'm not so familar to the chair. i started to learn how to appreciate those design.

This book has pictures of 1000 different kinds of chairs and is a great resource. It has adequate information about Eames chairs which have become known worldwide. It has many other kinds of chairs including some very exotic chairs.

I spent 5 years in AA trying to "get it". After reading Charlotte's wonderful book, it became clear that the 12 steps were written by and for individuals of a specific gender, and of a specific socio economic group. (WASPy men of the 1930s) Today's 12 step climate draws individuals of vastly different backgrounds, who try to personalize the 12 steps only to find guilt, shame and disempowerment. (the opposite of what they need!) Such a result might be an appropriate "balancing out" goal for sociopathic grandiose indivdiuals who lack a sense of guilt or shame when hurting people, however it can have disastrous results for those who feel guilt & shame easily! Charlotte's book is a must-read for anyone (especially women & minorities!!!) who wishes to join a 12 step group. Thank you Charlotte for your insight. I am now offering your book on my website. Hopefully others will find it in time and get off the 12 step stairmaster and find a more empowering and uplifting path.

This book is a treasure. I am a black female. I read this book last year. I was making 10,000 a year working as a clerk and, I was in a relationship with an abusive, sex addict. I attended several traditional CODA 12-step groups where they were telling everyone to become more humble, less egotistical and ask others to forgive them for all the bad things they've done and so on. I guess that works if you are a member of a group/several groups who have always had social and economic power and priviledge in America. I would always leave feeling even less self-esteem that before I came. This would have the effect of making me try even harder to put up with this "relationship". Now I understand why the 12-steps did'nt work for me. Her insight and compassion for women and other races/socio-economic groups is unbelievable! If you have found that the 12-steps are not working for you, (even if you are financially independant/white male--her approach is intelligent and loving to everyone) read her book and you may get insite that can give you strength and hope. Thank you Charlotte. Now if only I could find a group that uses the "empowerment" model she discuss in the book...

My only regret is that I didn't read this book years ago. Although there is much to be said for 12 step programs (especially in initial stages of recovery), many people feel excluded by them for various reasons. Sadly, they are then told by people in the addiction field and in AA that they "are not trying hard enough" or just "don't want sobriety badly enough" .
Alternatives to 12 step groups are not offered by many treatment centers and counselors so those who do not fit into the mold reeive no guidance or choices. To read a book which not only spells out other options, but sets out reasons why you may not fit in AA is affirmingAlthough I concluded years ago that I would never fit into the mold, this is the first time I have ever had my reality validated. It is refreshing to read a book in the addiction field that encourages thinking outside of the box. This book will save lives - hopefully people will realize they do not have to choose between sobriety and being part of a herd. If you are a therapist and work with alcoholics, addicts, etc. you owe it to your clients to read this book and familiarize yourself with options other than 12 step groups.

"Pentecost Alley" is another entry in Anne Perry's Charlotte and Thomas Pitt series. It is the thirteenth of these stories that I've read, so it would be safe to assume that I like the series. Perry seems to have a good feel for the period and her characters are well-drawn. She makes late nineteenth century London seem an exceedingly grim place, and perhaps by our standards it was, but other major cities of the day were likely worse (some still are). She sometimes spends a bit too much space on her soapbox expounding on the social evils of the day, something that Doyle avoided (to his credit -- his stories were always concise). Still, the social ills focused on are invariably central to the plot, so this is only a minor complaint. Some of Perry's earlier stories also suffered from rather simplistic plots. There was often a single character with a clearly dysfunctional personality, leaving the reader with only the details to figure out. All that is not a problem here, though. Perry makes it clear in the course of "Pentecost Alley" that she is against capital punishment (an opinion that is not necessarily germaine to the story), but the plot is intricate and intriguing. As public pressure mounts on Pitt, especially when it appears that the wrong man has been hanged for the murder of Ada McKinley, I felt his anxiety. The tension builds very effectively. Although I was able to identify a couple of characters who ended up in a central role, I still couldn't see how it all fitted together until very near the end.

Fans will enjoy "Pentecost Alley" as another chance to spend time with all the regular characters: Thomas, Charlotte, Emily, Gracie, Caroline, Grandmama, the children, etc., but beyond that this is a first rate mystery that any mystery fan can sink his teeth into. I think this is one of Perry's best efforts, and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading a good mystery, whether familiar with the series or not.

As far as I'm concerned, Anne Perry's books are keepers. I was buying her books in hardcover as soon as I spotted them before there was an Amazon.com. Now I routinely pre-order them. When I pulled PENTECOST ALLEY off the shelf yesterday, I realized I had forgotten who all but the regular characters were and who was the killer. Some things dimly came back to me while I read, but the story was just as compelling. Yes, there's the usual contrast between the lives of the filthy rich and those of the filthy poor, but I've never known Anne Perry to fail to bring them to life.

Is Finley Fitzjames guilty? The more I learned about his father, Augustus, the worse he seemed, but that didn't mean his son was a murderer. If someone was framing Finley, why? Did anyone hate Finley that much or did someone want to get revenge on the father through the son? The best member of the Fitzjames family is the daughter, Tallulah. Underneath that party-loving exterior is intelligence and fire. She's certain that her beloved brother is innocent, but how can she prove it? While she's at it, can she make up her mind between her life of luxury and a very worthy, but poor man whom she loves but who thinks she's only a social butterfly?

Emily Radley's life has been just as useless as Tallulah's lately. Her husband is fighting for the right in Parliament so they don't have much time together. Her servants are so competent that they could easily manage the household without her. Worse, she has Grandmama living with her. The other women of the family have grown and changed since book one, but Grandmama is a narrow-minded and nasty as ever. It's a good thing we have Lady Vespasia to show us that an elderly widow can still be vital and involved. What Emily needs is to be involved in another of her brother-in-law's cases. Will her new aquaintance with Tallulah give her the chance to be something other than decorative and charming? When things go horribly wrong, as they will, Charlotte will have to step in, too. More than just her husband's career is at stake. There's been an outbreak of violence. Will more follow? Full scale riots? Anarchy? It's a very tense situation. No one has forgotten that Jack the Ripper business only a couple of years ago, nor the fact that the killer was never caught. Don't miss the scene where Emily, Charlotte, and Tallulah forsake their good clothes to visit the brothels for clues. I loved the frank assessment of their chances for success as ladies of the evening. Pay attention to the names of even the most briefly-noted characters. One of them is the same as that of a character in a famous classic novel. I wish I knew if that were coincidence or deliberate.

As usual in one of Anne Perry's mysteries, morality, principles, and soul searching play a prominent role. One of the other reviewers mentioned the author's past, but failed to mention that she was only a schoolgirl at the time.

If you're looking for a book that's fast-paced and shallow, with characters of cardboard, PENTECOST ALLEY is not for you. If you demand more from your mysteries, I highly recommend this book and the whole series.

This book has been my favorite of all the Thomas Pitt series. I love how Anne Perry investigates all levels of victorian London. This one caught my attention and I could hardly put it down. I highly recommend Anne Perry!

The reason for the four stars is that I think it is not as good as Charlotte Bronte's best, the incomparable Jane Eyre. But it is, compared with most novels of today, very good indeed. The character of Shirley is wonderful. It is clear that Caroline is the protagonist, and that she is based on Charlotte herself and is therefore given the lion's share of attention. I consider this one of the book's few faults. The character of Robert Moore is beautifully drawn and I disagree with the editors that Louis is not. Although the device of the diary is a bit clumsy, the dialogue between Louis and Shirley is enthralling. Highly recommended.

While I loved this book, there were some things I didn't like, but none that mean it doesn't deserve five stars. This is my favourite Charlotte Bronte book. i believe there is too much focus on Jane Eyre, or perhaps even Villette. There are a few coincidences in this story, especially one, which I can't mention without giving away part of the story. However these are common in CB, Villette being overun with them, and Jane Eyre ending up on the doorstep of her long lost cousins. Shirley is more believable. Another comment it the long speeches the characters often make. Apart from these though, this is one of my most loved books. It has been neglected, I feel, by the fact that the first 50 pages are very difficult to read, after that though, the story becomes apparent, and it's worth it. Something strange is that the heroine of the title doesn't appear, and is not mentioned until page 200, although she fairly dominates the rest of the book. Perhaps 'Shirley and Caroline' would have been a more appropriate title

Despite Charlotte Bronte's disclaimer that the reader will find this book "a dinner of bitter herbs" it is nonetheless a must-read classic of 19th century litterature. Many themes combine in this book; the expansion of industrialism and the dissapearance of the English countryside; the place of women in society; feminine loyalty and friendship; the conflicts of love and work, evangelism and tradition. It is perhaps the most uneven and at the same time the most interesting of the Bronte books.

While it lacks the symmetrically designed shape of Jane Eyre or the clear-eyed study of obsession of Villette, it lets the imaginative reader glimpse the Bronte sisters themselves between the lines. The characters of Shirley and Caroline are based on Emily and Anne Bronte, both of whose deaths occurred during the writing of the novel. It is a tribute to sisterly love and a fantasy that lashes back at grief. Some may find the ending a romantic cop-out, but this cannot detract from the many good qualities of this fascinating novel

The first time I read the Yellow Wallpaper I was struck by the sheer force the words have on the reader. Perkins Gillman plays a mind game with her words, and the reader is made to join her sense of imagination. I first read it for a literature class, and each of the students in the class had a different interpretation of the story. This seemed extremely effective - it had made all of us think, and imagine. It had made is not just analyze the words, but it made us become a part of the story.I myself felt that the woman in the story was quite amazing - there were two men in her life, her husband and her brother both doctors by profession who were most incensitive to her needs. As can be expected of that time period, they were more interested in the norms of society, and were not going to allow the woman to act contrary to the norm. She however, was not about to give up on behalf of the norm. She was going to fight to the very end, and it felt almost as though she had liberated her own mind when she stopped seeing another woman in the wallpaper, but herself became one with it. Those of you who read this should also go ahead and read something on the author. It is a truely amazing story, and leaves plenty of room for the imagination. or. In one of her essays she talks of why she wrote this story.

This short story, based upon the author's own experiences, is a powerful tale of one intelligent woman's struggle with madness, the role of (married) women in society and family in the late 1800s, and how she copes with well-meaning but misguided relatives and their ideas of a woman's nature and abilities. Many consider it an early feminist novel, and I agree, although I would extend the author's message to any group that finds itself severely restricted by society's notions of appropriate behavior, goals, and the nature of the group.
The narrator of the story is, from a modern point of view, a normal, young, married woman who also has a desire to write. However, bound by Victorian mores and restrictions, this desire to write is deemed inappropriate at best and casts questions about her not fulfilling her (only) role as wife (and mother). She was only to focus her attention on "domestic" concerns (house, husband, children) and anything remotely intellectual was considered a threat to her sanity and her physical health. When she refuses to bow to society's (and her husband's) ideas of womanhood, she is confined to a room for COMPLETE rest (meaning NO mental stimulation of any kind, no reading, no writing). What makes matters worse is that her husband (a doctor) is also her jailer, and instead of truly understanding his wife as a human being, opts to follow society's standards instead of doing what is in the best interest of his wife (and her health, both physical and mental). Not surprisingly, she rebels a bit, and continues to write her thoughts in a journal, hiding the journal and pencil from her husband. When her deception is discovered, she is even more strictly confined than before, and denied contact with her children.
It is at this point that she begins her descent into madness--not from the desire to write and express her creativity, but from being denied an outlet for that creativity. She was not mad before she was prescribed complete rest, but rather the complete rest which caused her madness. She begins to imagine things (shapes, objects, animals, people) in the yellow wallpaper which covers the walls of the room to which she is confined. As more restrictions and controls are placed upon her, her imagination grows, until finally she strips the wallpaper to reach the figures, and is found by her husband, surely and completely mad.
I liked this story very much because the author conveyed the kind of dead lives many talented, creative women must have been forced to lead due to society's ideas of women and their abilities while fully backed by the medical profession. She clearly illustrates that in this instance, doctors and husbands do not know best, and that their very best intentions had the precise effect of bringing about the madness that they sought to cure. As I read the story, I wondered why her husband (and the doctor) were so blind as to the causes of her "nervous condition". It obviously was not working, and rather than demonstrating their intelligence by trying something else or, God forbid, asking her what she needed (a couple hours per day to devote to writing, a small thing indeed), continued along the same methods of treatment, only with more restrictions! The social commentary and the commentary on the status of women in society and in their own families is handled in an effective way by the author, not only in her prose but in the development of the characters and the storyline. It is a most persuasive plea of the basic idea of feminism--that women are people too, with talents and abilities outside of their roles as wives and mothers that deserve an opportunity to be developed. In reading this story, I am amazed by how far we as a society have come in changing our views of women, and yet by how much further we have to go. I highly recommend this book.
This book was also made into a show that aired on PBS' Masterpiece Theatre in the late 1980s. I have not been able to find a copy of the program, but remember that it was well-produced and faithful to the story.

This book truly captures the constraints felt by so many women, both in Perkins' time and in our own. She is able to touch on a very sensitive subject with amazing poetic prose. The fact that this book was written in the nineteenth century makes it all the more remarkable!

As trite as it sounds, I was glued to this book from the very first line. The story moves swiftly, and the sense of restrained panic experienced by the family of the missing child feels authentic. The prose is clean and at times, quite beautiful. If I had children, I expect I would describe this book as nightmarish -which is a compliment. The author truly seems to have a keen understanding of the emotions her characters go through during their ordeal, and she certainly seems to understand the fine points of a search and rescue mission in the wilderness. It's an impressive book, let alone first novel.

I just finished reading Charlotte's book. Couldn't put it down. It is thoughtful, well-written, gripping, and has an extremely tight story line. Even the minor characters are well developed. Leaves one with lots of questions, what ifs, could ifs, should ifs, and thoughts---like a good book should. (I have recently read so many books that started strongly and ended as damp squibs that it was refreshing to read one that ends strongly.) I really recommend it.

The author of this book seems to have had perfect pitch when she created her characters. Every one of the variety of people in this story, the mom, dad, brother, grandmother, of the lost child, the searchers, etc. are believable, complex people. The dialogue is dead-on, and the conflicts are real. It was heartfelt without sentimentality. Very good novel.

Sorry, I just couldn't resist that Borg slogan from Star Trek!

Charlotte Twight looks at how the power of the federal government has grown during the last 70 years using the theory of political transaction cost manipulation and focuses on areas such as Social Security, income taxation, education and health care where the principle has operated. In a nutshell, statists gain a toe hold by deliberately misleading and downplaying threats that a proposal or law has to our freedoms, and then once that toe hold has been acquired, it paves the way for further erosions of our liberties. It is a convincing theory that merits attention.

While Twight's book is somehat academic, the only part I had trouble with was the chapted titled "The Universal Tactic", where she goes into greater detail about the political transaction cost theory. The reader can skip this chapter and still be able to understand the premise of the book.

Twight concludes her book with prospects for the recovery or further loss of freedom in the 21st century, and she offers some suggestions for preserving one's autonomy (e.g. homeschooling your children, saving enough for retirement so you can refuse Social Security benefits etc.). However, I am surprised that Twight omits one possible tactic, because she repeatedly emphasizes its use by those who have tried to reduce individual liberties, and that is to lie and deceive. For example, why don't Libertarians try to infiltrate the Republican and Democratic parties and run as typical mainstream candidates and then when they get elected, do the opposite of what they ran on, get legislation passed that contains language buried within the bills that expands freedom. In other words, adopt the tactics of the enemy to defeat the enemy.

Take a look at your last pay stub. If it didn't already exist and it came up for a vote today, would you vote yes for an income tax? Would you vote yes for Social Security and Medicare knowing that what's just been taken out of your check will be transfered directly to some anonymous recipient and that in all likelihood there won't be enough workers to support similar transfers to you when you retire? Are you still under the misconception that because local propety taxes fund a portion of K-12 education, that you might have some local control? How did our government grow to it's current level given the fact that any fourth grader can read the Constitution (or should I say, used to be able to read the Constitution) and see that none of it's authorized? Read this book and find out. It's all here. What Charlotte defines as "political transaction costs", and you and I might call lies, obfuscation, deciet and incrementalism is the cause. Over the last century America has evolved from a Republic into a pure Democracy, so all you have to do is convince a majority of the voters (which isn't really that many people) to get your way. And the way to do that is tell the people what they want to hear, even when that's the exact opposite of what you intend to do. Nobody voted for the income tax we have today. Over a hundred years ago they voted for a tiny tax on a very few of the richest individual's (ie. a tax on someone else). This book is a great history lesson. It sheds light on how the statists continue to win and government continues to expand and intrude further into our everyday lives. Kind of depressing, but true never the less.

I agree with many of the comments regarding the "tough read" -- however, this was more true of the 2nd chapter that outlines the agenda and all of the ways transaction-costs are raised. You could almost skim or skip it and head to the rest of the chapters that bring her theory more alive through the examples of Social Security, Income Taxes, etc. These chapters read like a detective novel and provide tremendous education.

Part of the "transaction costs" inherent to understanding why government controls so much of our lives now is due to the somewhat dry nature of the material -- but perhaps slugging through a few dry parts of this book and trying to connect to them is part of the price that Jefferson referred to as the "eternal vigilance" required for freedom.

My experience to date is that most people simply don't want to be free. Although the wouldn't say it explicitly, their behavior shows that they'd rather be treated like children and taken care of by the state.

If liberty matters to you; if you would prefer to be treated like an adult... read this book.