This is a very well presented hardback containing the best of Edward Lear. Perhaps not as complete as Holbrook Jackson's Complete Edward Lear, it nevertheless contains his best work, including A Book Of Nonsense, Limericks, alphabets and his most well-known poems, The Dong With The Luminous Nose, The Quangle Wangle Quee, and The Jumblies. The author's quaint illustrations are well reproduced throughout.

The reason this book is so important to comedy is that the incluence on people like Spike Milligan, Beyond The Fringe, and of course Monty Python's Flying Circus is clear. Lear was obviously the 19th century precursor to those humourists. Lear brings an educated and intelligent angle to his humour just as his successors did, and his talent as a poet and artist make this collection much more than just a collection of 'nonsense'!

I can see why Stacy of California thinks this is a weird "incomprehendable" book. The word is "incomprehensible" Stacy. It takes a person of a proper old-fashioned education to appreciate this fine piece of classic literature. We oldsters don't get weird modern art either, or some of the wacky movies Hollywood gives awards to but no one can imagine why.

Edward Lear's nonsense is of the best. Read it aloud! Your kids will amaze you by how fast they can begin to recite along with you! If you remember "The Owl and the Pussycat" from your childhood, you owe it to yourself and your children to share it and "The Jumblies" with them.

The following notices appear on the copyright page of this unusual book:

Nihil Obstat:
Rev. John H. Miller, C.S.C.
Censor Librorum

Imprimatur: Archbishop Philip M. Hannan, D.D.
Archbishop of New Orleans
July 4, 1983

"The Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur are official declarations that a book or pamphlet is free of doctrinal or moral error. No implication is contained therein that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat or Imprimatur agree with the contents, opinions or statements expressed."

Interestingly, beginning with Pope John XXIII the Catholic Church has sought to distance itself from relics and miracles, but that has not seemed to deter Ms. Cruz-she is a prolific writer on the subject. Those who share her beliefs will enjoy this book.

But others will enjoy it too. Ms. Cruz is a diligent and competent researcher, and she brings together information on this arcane subject from a wide range of sources. I eventually found her credulity tiring, but not before I had read through the sections on the True Cross, Crown of Thorns, Holy Nails, Holy Sponge, Holy Shroud and Veil of Veronica. Having just returned from Italy, where I personally viewed what purported to be some of these items, I found her descriptions particularly interesting.

Relics provides an excellent introduction to the practice of relic veneration that is followed within the Catholic Church. After giving a brief background on the theological basis for the ritual, Cruz immerses the reader in stories about the various types of relics populating Catholic churches around the world. The result of this study is both interesting and educational.

While the book is a valuable resource, it does suffer from being a bit dated. It was printed in 1984 and hasn't been revised since then. An updated version would allow the reader to learn recent developments in the verification of these relics, like the tests performed on the Shroud of Turin in the 1990s. By providing updated information, Cruz would give the reader a better basis to understand all aspects of this ritual.

Even with this shortcoming, Relics is a good starting point for anyone wishing to learn more about Catholic relics and the devotion they inspire.

Cruz accomplishes a great deal in her treatment of notable Relics of the Catholic Church.

This is an easily dramatized subject, and the greatest contribution Cruz makes is to approach the Relics in a scholarly, matter-of-fact style that conveys the history and impact of the Relics without engaging in argument.

Consequently, the book carries substantial value for those motivated in their Faith by material evidence. And yet there is simultaneous value for the more detached reader.

Perhaps the clearest indication of the tone and style of the book is in the Introduction's quote from the biography of St. Gertrude the Great: "If you desire to have some relics which will draw My Heart into yours, read My Passion, and meditate attentively on every word contained therein and it will be to you a true relic which will merit more graces for you than any other... thence you may know and be assured that the words which I uttered when on earth are the most precious relics which you can possess."

It is clear throughout that Joan Carroll Cruz has taken this message to heart - approaching the Relics she describes with reverence, but with proper perspective.

I believe this book would be very helpful for someone who is just beginning to consider printing a book. It is simple and very detailed, and points out the time and effort it takes to get something written and printed. There is lots of practical advice.

In my opinion, for those of us who have already ventured into the field, the book is a little simplistic. I hoped to get some helpful hints, but am finding mostly what I already know. So if you are new or just thinking about self-publishing, check it out!

All reviews, critical and supportive, are this author's most significant reward for effort expended. An unsatisfactory spell-check, noted by a serious reader, does not in any way diminish overall values of SELF PUBLSIHING MADE EASY. This fine book is a focused approach to making the thoughtful reader capable of entering into the complicated business of book publishing. As my distillation of more than 50 years in the field, it is a very carefully designed handbook for emerging publishers. It supports this objective with clarity and is fairly described as "...an excelent roadmap...for getting your book in print..." Adequate references are provided for those publishers prepared to initiate exploration of additional resources within the same specialty. My hands have been involved in the publication of more than 100 books with about 35 of my company's books continuing in print. Book publishing has been a rewarding vocation that I continue with great satisfaction. As the author of SELF PUBLISHING MADE EASY my appreciation is extended to each person who has given of his or her time to review this book. I wish all of them, and you my reader, the greatest possible success in every publishing venture. [William Carroll]

On a personal note to Mr. Carroll, and in response to Mike Swickey's negative review above, this is a good book that new writers would find helpful in spite of the fact that there are glaring copy editing mistakes throughout. Since it contains no advice on working with an editor, my guess is Mr. Carroll perhaps doesn't believe in them, and assumes the self-publisher is up to the task of editing his own work. My advice: "Good editors make good books better". Find one.

This book was recommended to me by a friend who like myself grew up in Charlestown. I grew up in Charlestown until 1981 when I was 25 and moved to Ct. I enjoyed reading about the place I called home and description of the streets on which I hung out. I do think he did well with the Doyle brothers but missed some of the real emotion and feeling of being a Townie. He also used incorrect names for some places/things while used exact names of others so I was unsure if it was for legal reasons he changed names or was he just misinformed. I agree with other reviewers that he did not get gritty enough with the criminal side of the characters. I have recommended this book to other Townies as an enjoyable look at our home.

A fascinating story of family, catholicism, and politics staged in the 60's 70's and 80's. Well worthwhile. My only criticism is I would have liked to know more about the characters. I was actually sorry to have the book end.

Highly reccomened

A great book, and just like many reviewers have said I didn't want the book to end. I am someone who grew up in Revere and spent time in Charlestown, and the detail to the details of the city of Boston are impeccable.

Carroll Quigley's account of the Milner Group is ambitious, but flawed by a poor writing style and inadequate documentation of its sources. Still, it is an excellent elaboration on Quigley's views that appeared in his later work, Tragedy and Hope.

Unfortunately, it will be difficult for future historians to follow up on Quigley's groundbreaking work, and he is already dismissed as unreliable and idiosyncratic by scholars who study the Milner Group today. This does not mean that readers of this book should also dismiss Quigley's arguments, but they should be wary of accepting them without some kind of historical evidence.

With these caveats in mind, The Anglo-American Establishment is well worth reading.

This is a very interesting book. It was written in 1949, and it seems that Quigley noticed a powerful group who steadily built a very large and successful propaganda machine which was very influential upon British Imperial and foreign policy between the two World Wars. The writing style can be cumbersome at times, especially when detailing personal connections between some of the actors, most of whom are unknown to modern American readers.

To start off with, he makes known that Cecil Rhodes in his first 5 wills wanted to leave his inheritance to start a secret society to preserve and expand the British Empire. Quigley maintains that this society was formed in 1891, consisting of Rhodes, William Stead(influential British columnist), Lord Esher(influential advisor to the royal family), and Alfred Milner(later Commissioner in South Africa). They were to form a sort of 'old boy' network, where they would try to recruit like-minded influential people and bring them on board.

They pioneered the use of study groups to float ideas around and criticize them to anticipate opposition. When they reached sufficient consensus(this was facilitated by participants being all liberal imperialists), they would use their collective influence to get their project implemented. They used their influence at universities as recruiting grounds for people of ability. Using money from trusts such as the Rhodes Trust, Beit Trust, Carnegie Trust, they set up and controlled chairs and lectureships at universities to study foreign relations and Imperial affairs. By using their power of patronage, they filled these posts with fellow liberal imperialists.

They also controlled the Times, the Round Table, and created the Royal Institute for International Affairs. He also claims that they controlled or influenced other publications, such as the Economist. By creating studies and publishing books on foreign affairs, controlling the journals and periodicals that review them, they were in a position to influence or mold public opinion on foreign policy matters. For example, by controlling the Times Literary Supplement, they would give favorable reviews to books supporting their viewpoint. Books not supporting their viewpoint would not get reviewed, or would get rubbished. This practice is going strong today.

He also showed how the Royal Institute of International Affairs became the defacto research branch of the Foreign Office. Thus briefing material and area research to inform Foreign Office officials would originate from this group. The Council on Foreign Relations fulfills this role for the US Government today.

What Quigley describes is the creation of a permanant mandarin class and network, established by wealthy and influential people, a turning point in Western society. The 19th century and the cheapness and availability of weapons tended for more democratic power arrangements. By the late 19th century, industrialization and the rise of big business and big banking, led to less democratic power arrangements. Quigley describes how an influential group in England altered the power arrangements of that country, to effectively control its foreign and imperial policy. Such arrangements, unfortunately, are only too clear to see in the United States as well.

This is a very interesting book on the history of the world from the 1890's to approximately 1970--with a twist. Professor Quigley explains how John Rhodes created a secret society that shaped most of the major events during that time period. This book is a must read for anyone trying to find out how events of the 20th century (The Boer War, World Wars I & II) were influenced by this secret society.
Recommended extra reading: "The Brotherhood of Darkness" by Dr. Stanley Monteith

Once upon a time, I tried to get my hands on cheesemaking. Having mastered winemaking and homebrewing with some success and being an avid hobby chef, I thought that can't be too difficult. However, after having bought some basic supplies, I quickly realized that the process of making cheese is far from trivial.
Then I got this book, which was very enlightening in terms of my understanding of how cheese is made, but it helped me little to improve my cheesemaking skills. The best advice I ever got in that pursuit was talking to a Swiss "Senn" in the Glarner Mountains and then I gave up on cheesemaking....
In summary: a nice book if you want some insight into the cheesemaking process, but on the "how-to" side, the book is of limited use once you have gone past your first steps.

I bought this book along with Barbara Ciletti's "Making Great Cheese" (out of print at the time of this review) and Shane Sokol's "And That's How You Make Cheese!" While this book was good and had many recipes, "And That's How You Make Cheese!" was easier to start with. It has easier, fully explained recipes. It does have fewer recipes, about 30, but all the popular cheeses are included. In short, this is a good book for the experienced, but if you are just starting, try "And That's How You Make Cheese!" first. Or buy both like I did, they'll compliment well.

This is a wonderful introduction to cheesemaking. As noted in another reader's review, the authors are pragmatic and candid: they tell you what's involved so you won't get in over your head because of ignorance. The authors also offer cheesemaking workshops, including both beginner and intermediate.

Assuming the format of a biography, this novel depicts an assumed conventional view of its hero, Lewis Carroll, as a shy recluse in love with female children, one especially (a character named Alice Liddell). The literary detective narrator, however, finds a torn scrap of paper containing a cryptic reference to AL's sister or, aha! mother?). She concludes Csrroll must be an adulterer, possibly a serial adulterer! The hypocrisy of the hero is concealed during his life time, and after his death, his family cooks the books (his diary--they chop out pages) to maintain his saintly image. If THAT wasn't bad enough, all of the biographers of the hero conspire to sustain his sanctity. And so, it turns out that the real hero of this novel is the narrator, a modern Miss Marple, who uncovers and proclaims that this beloved character who wrote stories for children and who has been for over a century viewed as a religious man who loved children, one especially, and who avoided adult females--is an adulterer who skulked his way through Victorian England and went on to win the hearts and minds of foolish biographers and academics who lacked the Marplean acumen of the narrator.

Though comparatively slight, and not strictly speaking a biography (more a thesis), it can justifiably be claimed that Ms Leach's book should take its place as one of the two most important published accounts of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson yet produced.

Adopting a satisfyingly rigorous approach to its subject matter, which is predominently (though not exclusively) an examination of Lewis Carroll's sexuality, 'In the Shadow of the Dreamchild' systematically debunks the nastiest of all Carroll myths - that Carroll was sexually attracted to pre-pubescent girls.

In the process, the author also successfully challenges a number of other Carroll myths and provides an irresistable case for a complete biographical revision of one of Victorian England's most fascinating figures. In effect Ms Leach does for Lewis Carroll what Horace Walpole achieved for Richard III (Walpole, as most professional historians, though few others, know, showed that Richard III almost certainly was not responsible for one of history's most heinous crimes, the murder of 'the princes in the Tower'). One hopes that having achieved this, Ms Leach is not to be ignored (as was Walpole) by posterity. Fortunately Ms leach has access to a rather more efficient media than did Walpole.

Using her access to the surviving Lewis Carroll Journals, published and unpublished letters, much original research and, above all, a keen understanding of Victorian mores and the complex nature of Victorian theological, political and social issues, Leach provides the reader with an insight into a supremely healthy (in the broad sense of this term) and intelligent person who, though complex, is in no way the paradoxical figure previously portrayed. She also provides us with a person who one can believe actually wrote the Alice Books, Hunting of the Snark and myriad other works without having to reduce those works to dark sexual metaphors. In so doing she has opened the Carroll Canon to serious mainstream literary examination and, hopefully, acceptance.

One does not have to wholeheartedly accept Ms Leach's own conclusions, to recognise the importance of this work - though the reader is advised to treat everything Ms Leach writes with respect.

The only note of caution regarding this work relates to the modesty of its primary aim. This was to show, by the simple device of checking freely available data, that by far the majority of Carroll's so-called 'child-friends' were actually mature women. It may have been helpful if Ms leach had been rather less modest in her ambition and placed more emphasis in demonstrating that, far from being socially inept and reclusive in regard to male companionship, Carroll was little different in this respect to others of his social class, circumstances and historical period. That he numbered among his friends many of the most notable names of the day has not been sufficiently noted - though Morton Cohen in his oddly discrepant biography does goes some way to correct this particular Carrolian myth.

This book could well be seen, not as has been prematurely (and wrongly) claimed of Cohen's work, as the 'definitive Carroll' but the beginning of true Carroll scholarship.

Dr John Tufail

There is a monotony among many contemporary biographies of Lewis Carroll. That he was child centered because he had inadequate social skills to have social relationships with adult women.

Ms. Leach reviewed the literature available to others for many years, and has found that the real issue with Lewis Carroll and adult women was that he had all together too much social relationships with adult females - especially for the Victorian times and for his role at Christ Church, Oxford. He certainly had too much social success with women for his conservative immediate family - who effectively controlled the original biographies written.

Leach has the central hypothesis that the Dodgson family wanted to erase this potential social scandal, and created the squeaky clean - but socially handicapped - false picture presented today. This is the start of the "Cardboard Lewis Carroll" - the man who could only love little girls, because if you knew the truth...... wow!

Politicians and business leaders today work at keeping their human sides for personal pleasures falsely fairly clean, as well. Remember the pecadillos of a former president, and the pecadillos of many of his accusers which caused more than one to leave public service. So, coverup of real and whispered relationships with adult females is eternal.

...M N Cohen thus clearly knew of the deep social associations with adult females, because from his books of letters, one can easily determine that there were many deep social relationships with women of all ages.

Yet, Cohen perpetuated the myth that Lewis Carroll was a near social cripple who couldn't maintain social relationships with adult women.

Why? It has been said that it is nearly impossible to get a Lewis Carroll book published unless it DOES say that he was creepy about girls and women. Like the Supermarket Tabloids, sensationalism for profit is the modern way with words and reputations of famous folks.

The first steps towards rediscovering a real human being behind the pen name of Lewis Carroll (Charles L Dodgson) is to read the work of Leach.

If you want the "Cardboard Carroll", there are many other books to select.

While I am giving this book a low score, it's not because I am writing from the Answers in Genesis headquarters (like the other reviewer, "Is God allowed to speak?" appears to be). In general, I am a supporter of Michael W. Carroll's books. I really like his book on dinosaurs.

Unfortunately, Absolutely Awesome and its companion, Absolutely Awesome 2, are a BIG disappointment. While Mr. Carroll appears to have taken great pains to obtain accurate scientific information (for which I commend him), his application of the biblical material is shallow, and often inaccurate. The connections he draws between the scientific data and Christian theology are tangental at best and model poor hermeneutics at worse.

Another problem...Carroll appears to want to steer clear of controversies about the age of the earth (possibly because this book is published by a popular Christian publisher, Zondervan). Unfortunately, this results in Carroll leaving out many interesting evidences for the Christian faith, such as the big bang, the origin of life on the early earth and the Cambrian explosion.

Overall, I'm pretty disappointed with the authors' use of the Bible and cannot in good conscience recommend this book or its companion.

I'm disappointed that a book supposedly exalting the Creator doesn't allow the Creator to speak on His own terms as to how He created things - i.e., NOT by using evolution.

My eight year old and I read this book every night before bed and we love it. I am learning a lot about science. I like the way the authors relate the topic (such as fingerprints or oceans) to how the objects demonstrate God's glory.

Each day has a Bible verse, discussion questions, and a prayer. It's just right for my daughter, who has only recently realized she needs Jesus and accepted Him into her heart. If your child is more precocious spiritually, then the discussion might not be deep enough for your taste.

As for us, it's great to have God open our eyes to His beauty through this book.