Encontré este libro por casualidad... una amiga sabia me lo recomendó y lo compré durante un viaje a Madrid. No me ha decepcionado. La autora es conocida por ser mujer del poeta Rafael Alberti, pero con esta obra maestra reivindica tanto su obra narrativa como el papel que desempeñó en la vida cultural española antes de la guerra civil y, después, desde el exilio. Es precisamente el exilio--el vivir lejos de la tierra que tanto quiere--que marca el tono del libro y lo infunde con la MELANCOLIA que indica su título. Un "pero"... es un tanto largo... aunque sería una lástima escatimar palabras en un libro como éste, que tan bien recopila toda la historia de la España del siglo XX. En fin, lean este libro... no les decepcionará... And for all of you anglophones... don't miss out... this is a book any student of Spanish (and of Spain) cannot miss....

What an incredible personal story! This book is a must for anyone interested in Outsider Art. Judith Scott's history and artistic development are both moving and challenging; her work is fascinating, gorgeous, and incredibly complex, the photographs are fantastic; and the production values exquisite. It's one of those books you would love to give as a gift, but would rather keep for yourself.

This was a very good book and will keep you interested.

An apothecary|s apprentice thinks he is ill treated and decides to punish his master. Things go terribly wrong and amazingly he gets a chance to put things back together again. It all happens over new years eve and the apprentice learns a lifelong lesson.

I have three really nice, big hardbound mother goose anthologies, but this is my favorite; contains the most popular of the mother goose nursery rhymes, has brightly colored pictures, but, most importantly, is user-friendly. It's thin and light, and when my son and I sat down for nursery rhymes (over and over and over!) this was the book that kept getting pulled off the shelf. I recommend it very very highly.

Being the grandson of Leon Smith I have to say that the famous locations books are a delight to own. Fortunately I don't have to pay for the books but if I had to it would be worth every dime. These books are fun to read over and over again. Thanks Grandpa, Lee

A black boy is not allowed to sit down and drink a coke. Having to undress in customs when leaving South Africa. These were two events that galvanised Reverend Leon Sullivan into action. And what action! The book reads like a novel. Rev Leon made a real difference in breaking down racial barriers in the US and in ending Apartheid in South Africa. I attended a lecture of Rev Leon in London in October 2000. Being well over seventy Rev. Leon is still a very inspiring speaker. That is why I bought the book. I was also curious to meet the man behind the Sullivan principles, part of the global compact between the UN and more than thirty global companies. The book describes very clearly how Rev. Leon succeeded in being such a strong and effective force for the good. Faith, effective use of non-violent power, and education are his tools. Education focuses on giving the downtrodden self-confidence and skills that are in demand. It is one of the few books that breathes optimism about the future of sub- Saharan Africa. It contains an excellent description of the problems and more importantly what can and should be done about them as well about the progress being made. Perhaps the Rev Leon is too optimistic but he has backed what look like hopeless cases before and succeeded. That is what moving mountains is all about. A very inspiring book.

This book is simply essential for libraries belonging to poets, historians, pre-columbian and otherwise, -- art and otherwise, -- plain literary types . . . (why purchase some dud modern "poet" with only a few jewels in the mud when you can have an entire culture's fragments in one thin volume? -- the real poetry of this book is what isn't read, what is felt beyond, the lost worlds of the Maya, the Toltecs, the Aztecs, and so on . . . all the poems, songs, stories that didn't survive). Some of the most beautiful poems, or as they are called in a few of the selections, "flower-songs", I have ever read anywhere, and from any time, are to be found here. Yes, "I was absolutely riveted . . . ." That these selections are rendered into familiar and comfortable (to modern Western poetic sensibilities) and yet faithful to the original form is more than just a service of the anthropological-historical kind, it is a high literary success by Mr. Leon-Portilla and all those others involved in this project. There is no world like the New World, which is still New to us that have taken up the task of finally "discovering" it after all these centuries following its conquest instead of obscuring it, masking its enchanting past, -- found in histories, stories, memories become dreams, and vice versa, which escaped the conqueror's destructive hand -- in our own kind of lies and reflective interpretations like a great cultural of our own filth muddying their magical waters . . . no less atrocious a crime not just to them but to all men than the ugly graffiti of the American flag on the moon . . . if you want to go digging in the rubble for some real treasures, read this book . . . it's light, -- like gold should be, and, you know, you won't drown with it in your pocket if you take it on travels crossing waters . . . I mean that this is the real gold that the Spanish missed when they tried to annihilate not just a cultural tradition but an essence of mind, an essence of man, which we can certainly make a good go of recapturing, or at least see in the nearing distance, by reading their poetry and song . . . find this book, -- find a real "lost civilization" that isn't lost at all except by our own losing of it. Now how can you throw away an entire world?

I read this book years ago, keep a copy for reference, and buy copies for friends. For anyone who believes that Southern politicians started and continue with Strom Thurmond or consisted of the progeny and colleagues of George Wallace, then you should read this book. Unfortunately, you will then be forced to revisit your ill-conceived notions of the South and its leadership from the founding of the Country. Therein lies the key to why this book is an excellent source. What most books lack is the ability to give you a great appreciation for the political dynamics of the founding of this country; what motivated the individuals who fled persecution in search of a new start only to confront those same forces here in this country. Mr. Chandler places you in the place and time, so that you can see how the Southern politician was able to develop a style that allowed for the achievement of his goal, while passing on the more obvious, yet less important victories to his opponents from the North. With this template, he takes the reader through the progeny of these early politicians and provides an enlightening and unfortunately previously untold story of some of the most brilliant leaders the country has ever known, which leaves the only difficult part of the book - regardless of political skill, the agendas of certain of these geniuses are less than impressive; however, if you can enjoy a study of political tactics, this is a great book!

There is one thing this book has besides good scholarship, and it's sharing. What got me was his listing of the 7 I AM sayings of Jesus in the gospel of John. That's the first time anyone mentioned such an intriguing important fact in a book about the Bible. Now, I've seen more, but this was the first. I think this book has done more to motivate me to do more Bible study than all the other books besides the Bible itself, even though others have more information than this. I wish he were my Sunday School teacher.