This book is filled with some really cute ideas for a poetry unit. Not only does it offer good ideas, it explains the type of poem to use for each project (haiku, tanga, etc.)

This is one of the few books I have read, then reread portions of several times. O'Brien and Wood have done more than justice to their subject; they have created a new direction through their serious consideration of archaeological systemics. I especially appreciate the strong thread of honesty and humility that runs through the entire text. This is particularly evident in the introductory chapter, "Time, Space, and Form in Americanist Archaeology" and the final chapter, "A Further Consideration..." I have long suspected that we know a whole lot less about prehistory in general than the public imagines or scholars would like to believe, and I am frustrated by the plethora of virtually meaningless labels and conjectures in other works. In between the first and last chapters,is the mass of knowledge these gentlemen share. Their story of the peopling of America is fresh and open with consideration for truly iconclastic possibilities. They view the Dalton tradition probably the immediate successor of the Clovis tradition in mid-America, and the discussion is well thought out, but leaves open minds for so much more to be discovered and understood in the future. They bring the reader through the ages in the pivotal state of Missouri by clearly and objectively looking at the evidence. This book is well worth your examination whether you reside in Missouri or elsewhere.

This is a brilliant book. It's the first time I've read about the politics of Irish literature written in this way, and I've read a lot of books about Yeats and Joyce, as well as some theory. However, here, the fusion of both creates a work which is part of a new way of looking at Irishness along the lines of Gibbons, Kearney and Lloyd, though O'Brien would not be in complete agreement with some of their ideas. His discourse, however, is parallel to that of these writers. It's a different, more challenging, kind of Irish studies.
It's a difficult argument with a lot of complex theory coming at you from every angle. He makes use of Derrida, Levinas and Adorno to create the structure through which he views the writings of Yeats and Joyce, and their constructions of Irishness. In some ways, this is really two books, with an analysis of the theoretical difficulties of the creation of structures of identity as well as an application of this model to the work of Yeats and Joyce.

But, O'Brien writes clearly and some of the more arcane practitioners of critical and literary theory could take lessons from his style and argument. He discusses Joyce and Yeats in the context of their time, and then shows how they transcend that context through a placement of identity within an imaginary European context. He makes connections between Yeats and joyce (who are often seen as being at two different ends of the spectrum) and sees both as offering different but related perspectives on identity.
His close readings are acute and there is plenty of quotation.
It's a scholarly book, very good for postgraduates and people working in the field. perhaps only the brighter undergrads should attempt it.
Irish studies has needed this theoretical input for some time and it's good to see what we might call "high theory" being applied to such canonical figures.
It's a first book (I gather from the acknowledgments, and as such, is a stunning debut. I look forward to reading more, and from the Amazon search, it seems there are more on the way!

Edited by a leading scholar of Old English, Katherine O'Brien O'Keefe, an introduction and nine following chapters of Reading Old English Texts present a broadly informative and very readable introduction the various critical idioms which are being applied to the criticism of Old English literature. This book, published in 1997, illustrates how fast post-modernist critical theories are spreading over the horizon of Old English Studies. Reading Old English Texts is, in some sense, an update of Allen Frantzen's A Desire For Origins: New Language, Old English and the Teaching Tradition (1991) in which Frantzen examines the resistance of Old English scholarhip to contemporary critcial theory. O'Keefe's collection of nine essays by leading scholars in various areas of Old English Studies reveals how far post-modernist views have penetrated into a conservative field in seven years, nor are the more traditional approaches to Old English such as source study and the "Old" Philology neglected.

In the Chapter 1, Michael Lapidge reviews the traditional "Comparative aproach", and D.G. Scragg looks at "Source study" in chapter 2. Daniel Donoghue takes on the "Old" and the "New" Philologies in chapter 3, "Language matters". "New Historicism" versus traditional Historicism is the subject of chapter 4 by Nicholas Howe. In chapter 5, Andy Orchard deals with the "Oral tradition" whereas Paul Szarmach considers the problem of manuscript editing in chapter 6, "The recovery of texts". Feminist approaches to Old English literature and society are discussed in Chapter 7 by Clare Lees. "Post-structuralist theories: the subject and the text" form the basis for Carol Braun Pasternack's chapter 8. Finally, in chapter 9 Peter Baker points to a new site of study for old texts, "Old English and computing: a guded tour". This final chapter emblemizes the progressive and positive future for Old English Studies presented by O'Keefe and the nine scholars who have summarized the state of the discipline in their areas of expertise. From the perspective of a comparatist, who is working with certain aspects of Old English, but is by no means an expert in the field, Reading Old English Texts is an elucidating and efficient summary of the state of scholarship which would be difficult to appreciate without this wide-ranging, expert introduction.

This book presented facts about types of reptiles through poetry in a way that captivated my five-year-old boy. He enjoyed the whimsical pictures and the context: imagining what it would be like to see reptiles dancing at a ball--without eating each other! In addition to reptile facts, the book demonstrated many different types of poetic form. A rhythmic reading of this books entertained and involved him from start to finish. This book could be used to teach zoology or poetry, but in both cases the result would be a fun time for all.

The author was kind enough to give me a copy of this delightful book and has inspired me so much that I might let him teach me how to fly fish.

First, some words about Chip O'Brien. There can be no doubt that Chip is an experienced angler and guide who has an in-depth knowledge of the Sacramento River. In speaking with Chip and reading this book, I have no doubt that this resource will help you catch fish. I gain confidence in this book because I know the author's deep passion for his sport and, dare I say, art.

However, that is only the practical aspect of this book. Chip has a gift for conveying beauty through his words. I quote from the first page of the book:

"The day was typical for late August on the Upper Sacramento River in that you could incinerate bacon and eggs on the streamside rocks if you wanted to. A featureless blue sky absorbed the herky-jerky rumblings of the occasional frieght train up the canyon mingled with the distant drone of a superhighway, massive U.S. Interstate 5, from the bridge high overhead. Thorny vines laden with ripe blackberries groped down into the water presenting an angler with the happy dilemma to eat or to fish ...

First the crash of an osprey not practicting catch and release distrated me. Then railroad smells, creosote and diesel smoke, carried me back to a teenage summer I had spent working in a switching yard while the boss sipped bourbon all day in an air conditioned truck ... At once my reel let out a shriek as the fish peeled off 30 feet of fly line in all of two seconds, leaped free of the water and popped my tippet with a twang like a too-tight banjo string. Then all was quiet."

I read through this book in two nights of casual reading, and I'm overjoyed that my friend was kind enough to provide me the copy. I now know where to fish, what to use, and more importantly, I know who I need to take with me.

Purchase this book for love of the Sacramento River, love of a good read, love of angling or just because you want to catch fish on the Sacramento. You won't be disappointed.

I have owned this book for 13 years but ony recently prepared any of the recipes. It's been a glorious reference for table setting ideas but I considered the recipes too complex for my lifestyle. Get over it. They are divine and NOT difficult - Roger gives you so much information on preparation (remember the first time you read Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking)? Long recipes aren't difficult - they provide you with the principles you need to understand why you do certain things in food preparation. I have wowed many a guest with these delectable recipes - a true masterpiece.

This excellent introduction to the archaeology of Cape Cod can open up a whole fascinating world, for anyone who takes the time to read it. The technical, academic jargon of archaeology is kept to an absolute minimum, and what jargon exists is always painstakingly explained.

I'd like to make a few general comments. First of all, you should be aware that the printer made a small error in the table of contents. The foreword, introduction, and acknowledgments are numbered in the text with Roman numerals, but in the table of contents they were assigned "normal," Arabic numerals. For example, "17" is written in the table of contents as the page number for one prefatory section, as opposed to "XVII." This throws off the table of contents for the first couple of chapters. Please don't give up on the book as a whole because of this minor error -- you'd be making a big mistake. Just be careful, and spend 2 minutes with a pencil to correct the table of contents in your copy. For a second general comment, I'd just like to alert you to the fact that this book is almost exclusively devoted to pre-colonial, native American archaeology. There are a few pages about remains left by the early settlers, in the chapter on Wing Island in Brewster, but most of the book focuses on the pre-historic period.

The introduction and foreword are nice to read through. They contail some personal statements by two people who worked on the book, about the importance of maintaining a childlike sense of wonder, and childlike curiosity. This excitement and wonder is part and parcel of the book -- we encounter it again, periodically throughout the text, as we read about local students and Cape residents who participate in various excavations.

The whole book is peppered with a terrific selection of maps, illustrations, and photographs. All of them are in black and white. These visual aids really add a lot to the book, and help to make it more approachable. I'd like to particularly draw your attention to the two graphic chronologies, or timelines, on pages forty-one and forty-six. You might want to bookmark those pages, because you'll find yourself referring back to them quite a bit, to get your brain oriented in anthropological or geological time. One other useful section, that you might want to pay extra close attention to, is the historical overview of Cape Cod archaeology given on pages sixteen and seventeen -- and that's in Arabic numerals, not Roman.

Part One is designed as an overview of the topic as a whole. The chapters here explore the history of the field of study of archaeology on the Cape; an anthropological overview of early native peoples in the region; and a survey of local geological (pre-)history. The geologic chapter is a good one. It includes all kinds of maps, illustrating such phenomena as glaciers, dunes, forests, etc. Make sure you spend some time on these chapters. They will help you get much more out of the second part of the book, which focuses upon specific sites.

Part Two deals with sites at Upper Mill Pond, in Brewster; Sandy Neck, to the north of Barnstable; Pochet, "the dividing place," in East Orleans; and Wing Island, in Brewster. A final chapter tries to tie together what you've learned, in an effort to create a composite overview of daily life among the Nauset peoples of Cape Cod.

The book finishes up with a glossary of archaeological terminology (which is always very user-friendly, as I mentioned earlier); a bibliography for further reading, and an index.

If you enjoy this book, I would like to alert you to the existence of the Massachusetts Archaeological Society. It's simple to find on the internet. They maintain a little museum, in Middleborough, which is a terrific resource for the archaeology of the entire state. If you'd like to specifically learn more about the archaeology of Cape Cod, try using your internet skills to find a website for the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History. They're the folks behind this fine book.

Basically, I really liked this book, and I think you will too. Two thumbs up.

In SF/UK: How British Science Fiction Changed The World, Daniel O'Brien maintains that science fiction is largely an invention of British authors; spiced with the peculiar visions and unique perspective of British authors. This examines works of the earliest writers through modern times and is based on the Channel Four series, examining the future as depicted by British writers. Black and white photos and illustrations throughout.

"Sills" is a book of music disguised as words. The highly articulated language of these poems invites us into an experience transcending that of any single sensory perception. The title itself is indicative of the levels of involvement that await the reader. I found myself surprised by this unlikely word, then moved, even transported into my favorite era of English poetry, the time of Thomas Campion, when the monosyllable carried the line. Reading these poems one is at once

touched and touching, smiling without knowing why, even laughing aloud without forewarning. The content is deeply personal, fully lived, and not nameable by a single noun. Any page invites a state of aliveness that transforms the word and the day. Reading this book is like sightreading the most intimate music of Schubert, Mozart or Haydn, or listening to a great blues singer.

Just as the words elicit multiple sensations, the artwork engages the senses of touch and hearing at least as much as sight. It is as if Susan Butler's cover photograph and Joan Farber's drawing of Mr. O'Brien rendered visible the very essence of the poet's work. It is a handsome volume.