After reading through the book, searching for a monolouge for an audition this January, I found that it's just like every other monolouge book out there, and most other books are better... like......... Monologues for Young Actors By Lorraine Cohen (Editor) That's a good one.

While this book covers a popular topic, it is an excellent source of primary resources from the time -- such as speeches -- divided into important topics, such as Women's Liberation, The Great Society and Vietnam. Gathering information on the topics included from all perspectives (right, left and center) can often be difficult -- never mind all in one book! The appendices include poll results and a statistical profile of the 1960s. The book also contains a good index.

This book is wonderful as it gathers the ideologies of the 1960s into a book that both students can use and adults can enjoy, and that the materials are mostly primary sources. This alone sets it apart from many other books about the decade.

Could the chemicals that help us survive today become useless in the near future, leaving us defenseless against dangerous bacteria. This is a very real possibility. In The Antibiotic Paradox by Plenum Press, Stuart Levy confronts this problem. Antibiotic resistance is not a new problem it has been known about since antibiotics were discovered. Still, we are learning more about how it works. The book also talks about how it can be controlled. The first antibiotic was penicillin, which was extracted from a mold. Penicillin was used in small quantities in WW2. Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of penicillin, warned that if many small doses of penicillin were given then the microbes would be educated to resist the medicine. As more kinds of antibiotics were discovered the problem of resistance seemed unimportant. This is despite studies during the 40's and on that more and more resistant bacteria are being found. How are these bacteria becoming resistant? There are a couple ways that bacteria can become resistant. These ways are all started by an initial mutation. In a colony of bacteria one or two might have a certain mutation that makes them resistant to an antibiotic. When an antibiotic is used to kill that colony, the only bacteria left are the resistant ones. Now those bacteria have no competition for resources and they start to multiply more quickly. So there now is a colony of antibiotic resistant bacteria. Often the bacteria is harmless so we are not going to get sick but sometimes it is a disease causing bacteria. There are two ways that bacteria can resist an antibiotic. One is that the outer membrane is not very permeable to the antibiotic. The other is the bacteria can secrete an enzyme that destroys the antibiotic. The second is more dangerous because the harmless bacteria could be secreting this enzyme and destroying the antibiotic which will enable the harmful bacteria to survive. The other problem is sometimes harmless bacteria gives their plasmid, which contains a resistance gene, to harmful bacteria who will then become resistant. How can we keep the bacteria from becoming resistant to all our drugs? This is where the paradox comes in, how can we use antibiotics effectively without allowing bacteria to become resistant to them? First, we have to limit the use of antibiotics. They should be used only when nothing else will work and only when it is necessary. This is often hard because patients might demand to have the drug when it is not needed, but the doctors must make the final decision. There also are places where no restriction on use is followed. For example on resistant strain of bacteria was traced to brothels in Vietnam where penicillin was given to prevent disease in the women. Scientists have also found bacteria that are resistant to multiple antibiotics. This is why we need to control the use of them so all of them don't become useless. We need to be aware of the problem that exists and try to stop it from getting worse. I think the book is a little repetitive because it repeats the same message too often. The message is that if we don't use antibiotics responsibly than they will become ineffective. This is a good point but it is easy to understand so it doesn't have to be repeated. Other than that it does a good job of making me aware of a problem that I hardly knew existed. I even try to think of other ways we can limit the misuse of antibiotics, like only allowing them to be injected so the patient will not try to get them unless he or she really needs them. It is important for a book to make you think.

Archæology constitutes a meticulous study of ancient artifacts and residues from periods in human history remote to the modern world. This field of anthropology is marked by differences in emphasis, depending on the region under excavation. In the southern Levant, such focus generally accentuates what has been termed "biblical archæology", designed to augment historical understanding of the scriptures, both the Hebrew Canon and the New Testament. Aside from difficulties inherent in synthsizing descriptions written or edited centuries after the events narrated, often with religious revelations overriding historical "accuracy" (a concept whose importance has been presumed only relatively recently), archæology--being predominantly a material discipline--can interpret only what is physically observable in the present.

Recent decades have witnessed profound changes in archæology, expanding beyond the evidence of technological advancement--from Paleolithic hunter-gatherers to Neolithic agriculturists to the Bronze and Iron ages--as well as political demarcations--Canaanite city states, Isrælite monarchies, hegemonies under Persian, Roman or Ottoman rule. Social archæology--intended to examine the culture of the region in question--is the theme in _The_Archæology_of_Society_in_the_Holy_Land_, edited by Thomas E. Levy, professor of Judaic Studies at the University of California, San Diego. The articles cover a wide chronology from the early Paleolithic age to the modern era in terms of material culture, as well as flora, fauna, climate, economy, and manufacture. To preclude an overly narrow focus on Biblical periods, the thirty authors devote over a third of the book to the premetal times. Most of the dates are given in BCE and CE (which I do not appreciate, preferring the more traditional BC and AD), except the prehistoric periods which are rendered BP [before present]. The text is profusely illustrated, not only with photographs of pottery and plaques, but replete with detailed diagrams of excavated sites and shaded relief maps depicting these locations. This collective endeavor has been dedicated to the spirit of Fernand Braudel, the French historian who developed the theory of longue durée or long duration undercurrents which (allegedly) act independently of individual activities for any given span. Although this suggests a somewhat Tolstoyan conceit, the analysis presented renders support to people being influenced by the conditions in which they live.

_The_Archæology_of_Society_ begins with a preface describing its interdisciplinary approach weaving anthropology (the study of culture), history (textual criticism of ancient records), geoscience (including climatology and geology), archeometry (artifacts dating, materials identification), and environmental archæology (encompassing botany and zoology). The six parts that follow are further subdivided chronologically into 32 chapters. The climate in this constrained territory ranges from Mediterranean to arid. Many areas have limited or uncertain rainfall, and thus subsistence agriculture becomes precarious on such marginal land during drought without supplementing harvests by herding goats, sheep and/or cattle. On the eastern side of the Jordan River, Moab and Edom showed greater reliance on animal husbandry than the wetter regions further north. The variation in the land's topological environment is exhibited by the diversity of flora: 2682 plant species in 29,600 square kilometers as compared to a slightly lesser number on the California coastal region within more than double the area. Also, since the southern Levant stands at the crossroads between Egypt and Mesopotamia, the region serves as a convenient invasion route, with the inhabitants and political systems frequently becoming collateral casualties. These episodes serve to amalgamate societies with cultural cross-fertilization, in the aftermath of the initial destruction.

While many archæological publications on the holy land have concentrated on political and/or religious history of Israel, _The_Archæology_of_Society_ discusses the culture and demographics of the inhabitants. One of the most notable observations in this volume is the catastrophic decline in material living conditions with corresponding population reductions and health deterioration (based on tooth wear and skeletal hypoplastia), particularly in the desert borders at the end of particular eras, either due to dramatic changes in climate or sociological factors such as military incursion. The impact of these conditions appears to be especially pronounced at the collapse of the Chalcolithic (~3500 BCE), the end of the middle Bronze Age (~1500 BCE), the beginning of the Iron Age (~1200 BCE), and the end of the Byzantine period (638 CE)--followed by very gradual and intermittent recovery. And while no explicit means of invasion for the Israelites has been discovered--unlike the Philistines who apparently came by sea and left pottery--the archæological impression from these tribes is implied by a rapid decrease in the percentage of swine bones found in the highlands through the middle to late Bronze Ages.

Many chapters report social stratification, for different societies are often characterizable by the different quality and type of items associated with various members in the community. Although such economic differentiation arose in the grave-goods monopoly of the middle Bronze Age élite (who were buried with ceremonial daggers and axes, in contrast to spears for the common man), the political dimension of this stratification developed later as a defensive measure from the need by a central state (such as the Davidic suzerainty) for professional armies and economic specialization. Despite this, tribalism con-tinued in areas of marginal interest to the capitals. The excavated remains from the Iron Age suggest that the regimes had little direct impact on inhabitants outside the court, but probably received their principal revenue from maintaining protection against banditry for passage across the highways--a neglected function during the Roman occupation which contributed to the poverty and unrest during their administration. While the prophet Jeremiah condemned the extravagance of the wealthy, archæology reveals less material distinction between households towards the end of Judah's autonomy than from subsequent periods of foreign oppression. Agrarian cultures, valuing continuity, frequently oppose incursion by disruptive economic influence from alien invaders. In the case of the Israelites, this resistance was brought against the Greeks during the Macdonian rule. Such attitudes can be exacerbated if natives are forced into the corvée by their masters as unwilling contributors to the new order, as with Herod's construction at Cæsaria, or from the income-redistributionist taxation imposed by the Romans.

Unlike other related books that cover ancient Israel, _The_Archæology_of_Society_ eschews quoting the historical or prophetic books in the scriptures, even in chapters where the Isrælite and Judaic kingdoms are discussed. This partially reflects a current perception that the scriptures represent a redacted account of the past interpreted in the light of ethical or religious precepts. The few exceptions which cite the Old Testament include references to Jeroboam's temple at Dan in 1 Kn 12:29-30, Sheshak's invasion to identify the earliest verified biblical date of 925 BCE in 1 Kn 14:25-26, Omri's purchase of Samaria in 1 Kn 16:24, and Mesha's raids commemorated by the Moab stele in 2 Kn 3:4-27. Josephus is cited more often, at least with regard to his accounts from the Roman pe-riod of the first century CE in which he wrote.

While _The_Archæology_of_Society_ is not intended for casual reading at the beach, the book is a valuable contribution to the historical and cultural background in the region where Judaism and Christianity were founded.

This book is very good. It smushes Algebra, geometry, and Algebra II all in one book. I really felt like I was "getting somwhere" when I started to read it and follow the steps.

This is a great book for learning about the life and career of one of the greatest tenors of the twentieth century. The book describes Jan Peerce's beginnings from his youth through his old age. There are many interesting and humorous stories in this book, including the story of how he got his stage name (Jan Peerce wasn't his original name). I highly recommend this book.

It's a nice book to introduce case studies to the basic sciences medical student. Learning physilogy is easier and more delightful this way.

"Sometimes I will wake up in the morning thinking that everything is okay, and then I realize that my brother is dead and all of a sudden I feel terrible." (pg. 80)
This is a book of drawings and quotations from young bereaved siblings. They talk about their personal experiences of loss, hearing the news, what the funeral was like, how they reacted, how their families changed, their feelings of guilt and sorrow, and what helped them to heal. A good resource for bereaved siblings of all ages.

"CINEMA OF OUTSIDERS: The Rise of American Independent Film"

A BOOK REVIEW by Harvey Karten, film_critic@compuserve.com

Emanuel Levy, "Cinema of Outsiders: The Rise of American Independent Film," New York: New York University Press, cl999, 601pp.

Emanuel Levy among those who prefer the challenging, edgy, sometimes outrageous movies that are released outside of the Hollywood studios' network. The author of six books with yet another, a biography of critic Andrew Sarris, in the works, Levy is a senior editor with "Variety" magazine. He does not at any time come right out and declare his partiality to the indies, but his passion for the concept of non-mainstream cinema (or at least for the good ones) surfaces on every page. Ironically, "Variety," the slick trade publication for the entertainment industry which regularly promotes and writes about the biggies, should be the last place Levy wouldembrace as a home. Yet the critic--who

habitually knocks out prescient reviews of the latest pictures using that publication's popular jargon such as "pix," "thesps," and "helmers"--has an overall contempt for the safe, for the movies made strictly to appeal to the lowest common denominator and therefore bring in the big bucks for the studios. This is not to say that he glorifies the entire independent ouevre. Discussing three hundred films albeit not in great depth, Levy gradually unfolds to the reader what he likes and what he does not among indies released from 1977 to the present and has the same disdain for poor quality individualistic films as he has for the blockbusters. He derides the studied, the predictable, the simplistic, the not credible, the subjects which are inadequate for full-length treatment, the charmless, the absent-of-wit--all the deadly sins for which blockbusters are often culpable.

The bulk of the 601-page text is taken up with an encyclopedic survey of indie films released during the past thirty-two years, the sort of scan you can find in most of the popular annuals which capsule-review cinematic output in alphabetical order. Neither alphabetical nor chronological, Levy's book treats the films thematically. Chapters have such titles as "Fathers and Sons," "The New York School of Indies," "The Resurrection of Noir," "Challenging Stereotypes," "The New Gay and Lesbian Cinema," "Female/Feminist Sensibility," and "The New African American Cinema." This body of commentary makes the book a must for public libraries and for the home bookshelves of all who have a passion for thoughtful, cutting-edge movies. While much of what Levy says is duplicated by Leonard Maltin, Roger Ebert, and David Thomson in annuals and studies that review and comment upon the pictures and their makers, Levy's commentary provides a distinctive voice, one which extols the independent movies to a greater degree than

do the other popular critics. I would have preferred that he downplay the laundry list of films in favor of presenting even more detail about trends in current cinema and the effect of these films on the audience and on the previously-ignored segments of the population regularly dealt with by these movies.

Copyright Harvey S. Karten

Those who are interested in chess programming certainly know how difficult is to find books on the subject. David Levy's book is, without a doubt, the most complete reference so far on chess programming. This book is out of print and extremely difficult to find, but if you have the chance to get your hands on it, don't loose it.