In California, the battle for water between Los Angeles and the Owens Valley still rages to this day, and Professor Abraham Hoffman's scholarly work sheds some well-reseached light upon this 80-year old contest. Between 1905 and 1913, Los Angeles built the L.A.-Owens River Aqueduct, the largest public engineering project in the world, to divert the waters of Owens River to feed the rapidly-growing city of Los Angeles, 233 miles to the south. One man, William Mulholland, was the star in this drama, and to this day has taken the brunt of blame for the controversies involved. Was he really to blame, was it that simple, or were there other people and powerful forces exerting their influence on the events that shaped the California we know today? Expand your knowledge by reading this book! After you do, you may never feel the same about turning on the faucet. The only real flaw in this book is in the reproduction printing. Historic photos and images that were rich and vibrant in the original hardcover are blurry and scored with moire' patterns due to poor reproduction. Otherwise, it's a must for your bookshelf.

While this book states the same points over and over again, and is a long time in getting to the point, the overall content is excellent. This takes a very balanced view of Voltaire's attack on optimism, and will tell you everything you need to know about Candide. The only MAJOR problem for me was that all the quotes from Voltaire and his contemporaries were in French! Yikes!

This is one of the better biographies of Voltaire, and would be useful to those who have never studied the man and those who are quite familar with him. In addition to providing a fairly thorough outline of the events of Voltaire's life (it would require a massive, multivolume work for a complete picture of the man), this book also properly puts Voltaire in the context of the 18th Century Enlightenment, of which he was the brightest light.
While highly-researched and scholarly, it is also very readable and does not descend into the pedantic writing style so many academics are guilty of. Both the professional scholar and the interested layperson would find this work valuable.

Wade Schuman is one of the most interesting representational painters working today. He uses the techniques of the past to create timeless narratives. Schuman's influences range the gamut of 17th century art, especially Dutch genre painting. His still-lifes are absolutely sublime. Schuman exhibits regularly at the Forum Gallery in New York.

If you are at all interested in the art of his contemporaries, such as Odd Nerdrum, Alexis Rockman, Vincent Desiderio, or Bo Bartlett, you should certainly check out this inexpensive introduction to his work.

If you're new to the city or even a longtimer who always wanted to explore the colorful districts of this town on the Sound, Walking Seattle by John Owen is your best guide by leaps and bounds. you won't just read about the sights and sounds of Seattle, but also its origins and beginnings, from the first day of commerce at the Pike Place Market. Most of the city's great walks are covered quite well--the Market, Ballard, the Arboretum, Alki, Diswcovery Park, the Locks. Fremont is the perfect foil for Owen's quirky brand of humor. All in all, Owen won't lead you off course

The author is an historian and proud of it. I was reading this to get a better feel for the history of the "Rape of the Owens Valley" by the L.A. water wizards. I got the history I was looking for, but it was packaged in a form that made it harder to digest. The author was much too concerned with showing off his vocabulary and "dissing" other historians' views. He cleary had his own academic agenda and it got in the way of communicating. Still, the book gave me what I was looking for and it was worth the read.

Children young and old will delight in this book of surprises. Each section of the book gradually folds out until the entire contents of the closet are spread across a foot of space! On each section, something that seems ordinary (for example, spilled paint) turns out to be extraordinary (a grinning green monster), as a flap is flipped or a section is pushed or pulled. Surprises abound, until at last the elusive cat is discovered, saying, "Let MEOWt of here!" A great book for all year round, but especially wonderful for Halloween.

Owen gives a sense of sadness of the war through the eye of a little child.

This a very nice book for 2-4 year olds. There are commonsense scenes that will teach, and plenty of animals to keep the child's attention. The illustrations are oddly unique, and very colorful. A very nice addition to the library.

"Ethan Frome," by Edith Wharton, is a fine example of Wharton's skill and power as a writer of fiction. But beyond that, this is a really depressing read. The story is basically a domestic tragedy set in the cold, grim town of Starkfield, Massachusetts. The title character is a poor farmer whose wife, Zeena, seems to be a hypochondriac. Their life together is complicated by Ethan's problematic attachment to Zeena's cousin, Mattie, who has come to live with them.

Wharton's prose is impressive on many levels. She really brings the reader into Ethan's tormented mind, and the effect is heartbreaking. Her representation of American vernacular speech is intriguing, as is her use of foreshadowing. Ethan--"the most striking figure in Starkfield, though he was but the ruin of a man"--is a memorable creation.

Ultimately, "Ethan" is a horrific vision of human coldness, cruelty, bitterness, hopeless, and longing. Despite Wharton's abundant talent, the book is a hard pill to swallow.

Once in a while you have to put down those current novels, and read some classic literature. And Edith Wharton is one of the best.

This story takes place in the cold, bleak winter farmlands of Massachusetts. Ethan Frome, a poor farmer, has a hard life tending to his land, trying to make a meager living, and also taking care of his ungrateful, demanding, sickly wife, Zeena. When her cousin, Mattie, comes to help her, Ethan's life changes completely. He falls deeply in love with Mattie. This being the 1800's, he must endure the stifling conventions of that era's society also. There love for each other proves to be a fascinating story.

I loved this book. This is a story that will definitely take you away. You'll actually feel you are there. Edith's detail description of the scenery and landscape of that time are truly vivid. I found myself pausing from my reading to look outside to see if it was actually snowing. I highly suggest you find time to read "Edith Wharton's books, you'll be grateful. I certainly was!

This story portrays the life of an unfortunate man whose unhappiness, depression and weakness causes him to become a helpless prisoner and a lost soul that will continue living in the lonely village of Starkfield, Massachusetts forever.
Edith Wharton's, Ethan Frome begins by introducing the narrator as a character. The story then proceeds to go back in time, which takes over the bulk of the book. She also includes, within her story traces of foreshadowing and irony, which keeps the reader focused and interested. Wharton distinctly describes the environment with imagery and diction in order to sufficiently create the mood and tone of the story for the reader. Wharton's writing style attracts the reader and successfully develops an unexpected ironic twist, which makes this story one of a kind.
The tragic story of Ethan Frome takes place in the dull and isolated village of Starkfield, Massachusetts. Ethan From, the central character in the story, and his unhealthy wife, Zeena, live in quiet and sorrow, which puts an end to their marriage. Due to Zeena's illness, her cousin Mattie Silver is called to take over the responsibilities of the house. Mattie's bright and happy presence attracts Ethan immensely, causing a spark to ignite in his nonexistent life. Mattie's youthful appearance and her energetic personality contrasts with the dark and wicked characteristics of the evil sister, Zeena. Mattie and Ethan's unspoken love creates the foundation of Zeena's jealousy and rage. Her need for attention and sympathy allows her to dominate and control the lives of Mattie and Ethan. The combination of fate and Zeena's imposing power contributes to Ethan and Mattie's forbidden and unperceivable love. Ethan's constant pursuit of happiness and attempt to escape from Zeena's restraints and the confinements of the village inevitably cause unwanted results.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel. It is one of the few that I have read more than once. It is a short novel, but it is 81 pages of dynamic work. The story moves along quickly at a great pace so a reader can read it in an afternoon.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in reading about a forbidden love between two individuals that would do anything they could in the world to be together. It is a tragic love story, but so is life in its most unusual way. Wharton's best work in this story is definitely the catastrophic twist she gives it at the end. The outcome is overwhelming and tear-jerking. Edith Wharton's description of these pressures and the longing love Ethan has for Mattie makes this a story that immediately holds the attention of the reader. It pulls the reader into an invigorating tale of the one true love finally found that is at the same time torturously, maddeningly beyond all hope of attainment.