I don't know why this book didn't get more attention. If I had to choose one children's book as my favorite, this may well be it. And it's never failed me when I've read it for children either - each time, a hush comes over the room.

What's interesting to me about this book, it's one of the few children's books that don't have any 'children' characters. Basically, it's the story about a lonely woman finding a dog, but, like all great books, there's all kinds of other things put in on top of that - old age, death, the memory of good friends and the lesson that you have to be willing to risk and lose in order to love and be happy.

Cynthia Rylant has written a very special book here and I urge you to get this book. You will not be disappointed.

This is simply a beautiful book. The illustrations are marvelous - real works of art!!! Sometimes illustrations don't do justice to a storyline - but in this case it really works. The book is very emotional. I actually got choked up reading the story a couple of times to my young daughter. It's a book I never tire of reading. It's deep, philosophical and contains meaningful life lessons (ie. how to come to terms with one's death, the choices we make, whether we choose to embrace life or reject/fear it, the value we place in material things). In other words, it's a book that makes you think. Young and old would appreciate this book as a gift. It's written in a sweet, gentle voice and how Cynthia Rylant has a way with words!!! I love this book so much, I bought it for my child's teacher. Please check out this book - you won't be disappointed.

I have a passion for children's books - my 3 year old daughter is so indulged. I found The Old Woman who Named Things whilst browsing this Sunday afternoon and had tears well up in my eyes whilst reading it in the shop! What a perfect and so real evocation of an elderly person's fears, lonliness and subsequent eccentricities. I rushed it home to my daughter and have read it 3 times this evening. She loves it - was amused by the naming of objects - wants to do the same around our house - fell in love with the dog and was so sad for the lady when the dog became lost. She felt the old woman couldn't truly be friends with him until she "named" him. It was so nice too to have a book with an elderly "heroine". My only quibble would be that the term "outlived" is probably beyond most young children - I would have used "died" somewhere to make it clearer. I know its subtlety is lovely but I have had to stop and explain outlived each time anyway.

Title: Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge
Author: Mem Fox
Favorite Characters: Mrs. Jordan, Mr. Hosking, Mr. Tippett, Miss. Mitchell, and Mr. Drysdale

Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge was a curious little boy who loved the old people that lived right next to him, especially Miss. Nancy. In the story, Gordon finds out that Miss. Nancy has lost her memory. There is a slight problem, though, he doesn't know what a memory is! He asks everyone what a memory is and everyone gives him a different answer.
After everyone's different answers, Gordon goes out to look for Miss. Nancy's memory. Gordon ends up bring a box with a football, a puppet, a medal, a shell, and a warm egg to Miss. Nancy. What does this all have to do with her memory? Find out by reading the book...

No matter how many times I read "Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge" by Julie Vivas, this book never fails to touch something deep inside my heart. It's about a little boy who lives next to a retirement home and his friendship with the people who live there. We get to see these elderly people in a little boy's eyes. And the thoughtful illustrations by Mem Fox show us quite clearly. (I love the illustrations) The touching and simple relationship between Wilfred Gordon and Miss Nancy is poignant to the core. Wilfred Gordon's desire to revive Miss Nancy's lost memory is sweet and absolutely delightful. It's a great story to share with children about memories and Alzheimer's disease. The world seems a much friendlier place through a child's eyes. Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge is a fantastic book for all ages!

I really like this book. I read it today for the second time, but I remember it from when I was younger. This story has siplicity for young children and a wonderful story line for any age. I am going to get this book for my children when I grow up and hopefully my little sister will read it some day.

"Home Waters" is a charming story about a fly fisherman and his dog. It is Monninger's memoir and tribute to his dog, Nellie, an eleven-year-old Golden Retriever, who he has recently learned has cancer. He decides to take a road trip from his home in New Hampshire to visit some of his favorite fishing spots in Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana. Monninger takes the reader along for the ride, describing the details of his fishing trips -- where he sets up, which type of bait he uses, how he adjusts his technique to the circumstances -- and how Nellie accompanies him in all he does -- how she sniffs at each stick and stone as she explores a new area, how she snuggles into his sleeping bag on cold nights, how she taught herself to dive under water after him. As he makes his way through the trip, he reminisces about earlier fishing trips and other experiences he and Nellie have shared.

I loved the tone of this book. Monninger has a pleasant, matter-of-fact way of telling a story. I especially liked how he conveyed his simple love and respect for Nellie just in the way he interacted with her and in his reports of their conversations: "I told Nellie we were done for the night. She seemed grateful." Or, "I told her she was a good dog." When Nellie encountered a harvested potato field, she gave her best shot at retrieving the hundreds of potatoes left on the ground, only to be defeated by the magnitude of the task. Monninger says, "I consoled her on the walk back to the truck, telling her we all have such days, then fed and watered her. I told her to lay down on her dog bed and she did." After he returns to his hotel: "When I unhooked Nellie's leash inside the room, she put her nose on the edge of the bed, asking permission to get up. I told her to go ahead, but not to hog the whole thing. She curled at the foot of the bed, tail to nose. I sat besider her and gave her a rub. In a little while she began to snore. I read for awhile, then turned out the light." I especially related to his dilemma when he went fishing at Yellowstone. "The hard part was explaining to Nellie it is against park regulations to take a dog into the back country.... Nellie wasn't pleased with it... and when I locked her in the back of the truck, she whined to come with me. I was firm with her and caved only enough to give her a biscuit." I've never been fly fishing, but I enjoyed Monninger's equally droll explanations of how it works, the strategy (and luck) that goes into it. I think I now understood why "the one that got away" haunts every fisherman.

I originally bought this book for my sister, who has golden retrievers, but thought I could never read it because I don't fish and I'll cry for sure. We'll I was wrong! I said I would only read a few pages but once I started I couldn't stop.

The author has such a wonderful relationship with his dog Nellie and his outlook on life is great. I really enjoyed his descriptions about fishing and thought afterwards maybe this might be something to try. I also loved the fact that he let the fish go after he caught them.

One of the most touching parts was when he had Nellie get into his sleeping bag with him so she would stay warm. This man truly loves his dog as much as she loves him.

Very well written and I didn't cry after all. I just wonder where Nellie is today.

Anyone who loves animals in general will love this book and don't worry about the fishing part. It's a great book!!!

P.S. My sister loved it too!! And so will you.

In this memoir, author Joseph Monninger recounts a very special fly-fishing trip with his best friend, eleven-year-old Golden Retriever, Nellie. Nellie has been diagnosed with cancer and Monninger decides to let the illness run its course- but not without one last grand encounter with nature. The pair traverse the country by pickup truck- camping, fishing and otherwise enjoying nature and the company of each other. This is a great book for those who fish because there are lots of references to the techniques and joys of fly-fishing.But the touching glimpses of the bond between man and dog, and of dealing with the curves life throws at us, add memorable depth and make this wonderful story of interest to everyone, fisher-person or not.

Latest in the series of encyclopedic works by America's best known author of such books. Rabbi Joseph Telushkin takes us on a journey through the entire Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) to recount the best known and also some of the more obscure events and characters. In his successful brief essay format, Telushkin offers the essence of Biblical narrative in a style accessible to all.

I am halfway through this book, and I must say, it is one of the greatest explorations of the characters and events in the Hebrew Bible I have ever had the pleasure to read. Mixing a summary of the basic story with traditional Rabbinical teachings on the significigance and reason for the events and characters, along with answers to questions readers may face about certain Biblical texts, Rabbi Telushkin provides an excellent guide to the Old Testament.

Other than the Christian Bible (until I read this book, I only thought of THE Bible as exclusively Christian), this is the only book about scripture that I've read written by a Jew. I've read agnostics, atheists, and Christians views on the Bible, but never the Jewish perspective outside of scripture itself--this was a mistake. Understanding from this perspective has opened my eyes to so many things I found confusing about the Christianity. So many Christians believe that the Old Testament is negligible in its importance, yet Christ reaffirmed the Old Testament teachings again and again.

As for the reviewer that faulted the author in his interpretation of Christian theologies like the godhood of Christ or the Virgin Birth, Christians reading this book need to remember that Rabbi Telushkin is NOT A CHRISTIAN. He is Jewish. He would no more defend the truth of Christianity than Christians would Islam. Yes, we have some common beliefs, but each religion is unique and separated from theological unity by critical, fundamental differences. Understanding this, the rabbi is actually not as harsh about Christianity as he could have been--he simply does not share our beliefs about Christ's deity, and the book reflects this. Don't fault him because he's true to his faith.

I'm sure as with Christian authors, there are Jewish authors who disagree with Rabbi Telushkin. I don't know if his are the accepted interpretations of Jewish scripture or just personal opinion. Still, I found much of what he had to say so very enlightening that I would not hesitate to recommend this book to Christians and non-Christians. It clarified so many issues for me and did nothing but strengthen my faith in Jesus. I look forward to reading other Jewish authors so that my relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ will be even stronger.

Shalom, Rabbi Teluskin, and thanks.

JPS has produced the best known, non-Christian, translations of the Bible. (There is no such thing as an Old Testament-just a Bible as opposed to a Christian Bible!!) The relatively famous JPS Tanakh (acronym of Torah, Nevi'im/Prophets, and Ketuvim/Writings and spelled various ways--TN'K, Tanach, Tenach)is fine for an English translation and carried out by acknowledged experts. But let's be frank. You don't have a Bible if you do not have the original Hebrew next to the translation.

If you really study Bible you do or will come to realize this, and will never be satisfied with just the vernacular. The English (our vernacular language) is just an attempt to convey the meaning of the Hebrew. So it makes sense to have both, side by side.

There are a number of Bibles that include both, Christian and Judaic products, most notably one of my favorites the Koren Jerusalem Bible.

But here is what you need for a useful tool after you have both Hebrew and English:
*The Hebrew Text should include as much of the Masoretic structure and features as possible (can't go into "Masoretic" here). DOn't expect it to include the Masoretic notation (Mp, Mm)[You'll need a BHS, Aleppo, Leningrad MS in Hebrew for this type of thing and Okla v'Okla]. But it MUST have the parshas (weekly readings for the Torah all Jews worldwide read together). Included in the Masoretic Text are some interesting features like enlarged letters, text written with spaces to appear like stacked brick (song of the Sea Shemot/Exodus 15) for example. There's too many beauties of the Hebrew to describe---but make sure yours get in as many of them as possible!!!!

*Typeface is very important. You are used to English and your mind can "recontruct" words in a bad English font. But Hebrew is a different matter. The Hebrew should be large and clear, especially the niqqudim (vowel-points and accent marks some of the others mention--btw, most Hebrew primary religious texts will show vowel-points). A small Hebrew type can be a disaster (I have to use a magnifying glass and reading glasses to read some of my books like Jastrow's Sefer Millim).

*Personal pref- I like a Bible that tries to bring across Hebrew names instead of Anglicizations (ex., Moshe rather than Moses; Yerushalayim> over *binding

So how does JPS H/E Tanakh stack up here? Typography excellent!!! Masoretic features-parshas, no Masoretic notes really, and all is shoved in a column for sake of page layout instead of MT format. JPS uses the anglicizations ;-( but is in modern language ;-)

The JPS H/E Tanakh comes in several bindings. I have the "leatherish" thick, flexible, industrial strength plastic and I think it will hold up. It has a ribbon marker insertd in the binding. In other words, this binding (and paper)is similar to the binding on Christian Bibles. (You could walk down the street with it and not be missionized!!!! ;-)

Get it. It is well worth $... The Koren Bible I mentioned differs in that it keeps much more MT format, but its typography is tooo small, but it does not anglicize proper nouns and even symbolizes Het and Tsade (whch I can't do here). So if you must choose one, choose the one you can see all the text with the naked eye--JPS H/E.

I had no idea exactly what I was getting when I ordered this Tanakh. I saw an earlier publication by JPS (pure English, not Hebrew), and expected the same with the Hebrew text... I was more than pleasantly surprised, however, to find a leather-bound volume that was more beautiful than I had ever conceived. The text is large and readable, the footnotes insightful, and the introduction to the text detailed and helpful. I would recommend this version of the Old Testament to Jews and Christians alike, whether a layman or clergy, or to anybody that wished to see the book that Jesus read while He walked this book. I am incredibly happy with my purchase.

Note: I've received e-mails saying that Jesus read the Septuagint in Greek, and not the Bible in Hebrew. Look at the facts: Jesus was a poor carpenter's son, with no background in Greek. A local synagogue in Jesus' day would contain holy scriptures in Hebrew, just like they do today. Finally, the Septuagint wasn't even translated until around 200 CE.

The Tanakh, an edition of the Holy Scriptures of Judaism, put out by the Jewish Publication Society (JPS), now has a dual-language edition (Hebrew and English), which is incredibly useful for scripture study.

The word Tanakh consists of the first letters of the words denoting the three sections of the text: the Torah (the Law), consisting of the first five books; the Nevi'im (the Prophets), which includes major and minor prophets, as well as some of the history books; and the Kethuvim (the Writings), which consists of poetry, wisdom literature, stories and eschatological literature, and some further history books.

The Tanakh is not simply a new translation of the Christian Old Testament. Indeed, most Christian readers would be surprised at the differences inherent in the Tanakh. For one thing, the ordering of the books in the Tanakh is different from the order in the Christian Old Testament. The intent behind the differing order demonstrates one of the key differences in focus of Judaism and Christianity. The ordering of the Old Testament, with the minor prophets, and their call to repentance and future deliverance of the people of Israel by God, is anticipatory of the Messianic age, and hence provide a 'run-up' to the New Testament. Obviously, Judaism does not have the same focus toward Jesus. Thus, the conclusion of the Tanakh leads to the return from exile, the restoration of the people of Israel to the land of promise, and the return of the worship of God to the appointed place, the Temple.

Also, the chapter/verse division is somewhat different. This can be seen in side-by-side comparison with other English Bible translations, but also becomes apparent in comparison with other Jewish editions.

'English translations usually list thirty-nine books of the Bible. Meanwhile, Hebrew Bibles classically have presented twenty-four books -- counting the following groups as one book each: the two part of Samuel; the two parts of Kings; the Twelve ('Minor') Prophets; Ezra and Nehemiah; and the two parts of Chronicles. Some aspects of our book design presume the thirty-nine-book division: the tables, book openings, and chapter numbers. But we ended only the conventional twenty-four books with a closing prayer and with the sum total of verses.'

The Tanakh was originally translated and published in three sections, corresponding to the three divisions of the text. Begun in 1955, The Torah was completed in 1962; then there was a wait until The Nevi'im was released in 1978, and The Kethuvim in 1982. This edition of the Tanakh is the compilation of these efforts by JPS, with revisions, especially of the 1962 Torah translation.

This edition, while incorporating the Hebrew text, is not meant for ritual practice. The intended readership of this volume is the scholar or the general reader; it is not set up for liturgical use -- as the preface states:

'It meets only the traditional rabbinic standards (halakhah) for formatting a study Bible, which are less stringent than those for ritual texts.'

The introduction is quite frank about the difficulties that arise in working with ancient manuscripts. In a section entitled The Unbroken Chain of Uncertainty, the editors address the problem of which documentation and corrective (the masorah, which gives rise to the name masoretic text, meaning, authoritative and 'marked') is used, given the variances that arise in ancient manuscripts with fairly equal claim of authority. Drawing on the MCW (Michigan-Claremont-Westminster) electronic BHS (Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia), JPS has a text nearly identical with the Leningrad Codex (a 1000-year old volume of the text, the oldest nearly complete volume known). In using this documentation, JPS editors have also done the following in making the text accessible and authoritative:

- added chapter and verse numbers, all of which were added much later

- redivided the Psalms to 150 (the Codex has divisions into 149)

- inserted markings to show codex paragraphing as well as possible scribal errors

- filling in cross-references

The editors point out some of the omissions:

'Like the medieval scribes, we culled most of our nearly six hundred notes from the larger body of masoretic lore (roughly two hundred thousand notes!); we do not pretend to have been exhaustive.'

These notes deal with textual anomalies, and are written in such a manner than a glossary helps decipher them.

This is a rewarding volume for anyone who seeks to tap into the power of the original language side-by-side with a unique and powerful translation of the Hebrew scriptures.

If you are seeking a nice, concise yet not superficial discussion on Gothic, Old Norse, Old Saxon, Old High German, Old Low Franconian and Old Frisian then you simply have to buy this book. It explains the main differences between these early Germanic languages, and contains and discusses texts that have come down to us for each language. And it reads like a novel.

I particularly appreciate the discussion of Old Low Franconian (= Old Dutch, Old Netherlandic), the predecessor of modern Dutch that is the mother tongue of more than 20 million speakers in the Netherlands and Flanders (Belgium). Although there are very few extant texts in OLF this language has undergone few sound changes (compared to e.g. OE or OHG) and therefore is very well suited for the comparative linguistic discipline.

- It was amazing. In almost no time I found myself reading a text in Gothic, a language I never thought I'd ever master.

The book summarizes the main common characteristics of the ancient Germanic languages, then moves on to describe 7 different languages individually. For each language the author describes significant features of its history, phonetics, and grammar. Moreover, for each language, a few short texts are presented to the reader. They are accompanied by a glossary with examples of words from modern English and German to ease the understanding of the words in the text. After the text a thorough vocabulary follows, where all the words are translated into English. Finally, at the end of the book there is complete translation of each text.

The book is clearly based on strict linguistic principles and methods, it's well-structured, and the author is able to keep the balance and avoid too many details - after all, the aim is to give a comparative survey of the language family. But most important, the author isn't just a scholar - he also knows how to teach.

I won't hesitate to recommend this book to anyone interested in comparative linguistics and the history of the Indo-European languages. However, knowledge of modern German is clearly an advantage when reading the text samples.

I took Orrin Robinson's class "Introduction to the Germanic Languages" at Stanford and this was the primary text. The book is a marvelous sampler, with brief sections discussing each language's relation to the others and its historical and cultural significance. Each language is presented through excerpts from major or important works, with translations and "clues" in the margins for those attempting to read the original. It definitely helps to have a basic understanding of historical linguistics and some exposure to either modern German or comparative linguistics, but even beginners will find something of interest.

This is a big book, immense really, containing some 17 sagas and tales of the Icelanders. It is a selection from the even larger collection of Viking sagas called "The Complete Sagas of Icelanders." Readers interested in Medieval Literature will surely want to add this book to their collection. These are crisp, new translations that bring the stories of the Vikings to life.

Fans of the literature of the Mediterranean region a thousand years ago, works such as "Poem of the Cid" or "Song of Roland" will notice great differences here. Unlike much of the epic poetry there, the Icelandic Sagas are written in prose. Even so, many of the tales include extensive poetry, for the Vikings admired warrior-poets.

Many of these tales read like history and cover long sequences of time. They "feel" very real. For example, in "Egil's Saga" many generations pass before it is over. Egil himself doesn't make an appearance in the story until almost midway through. The sagas are often the stories of ordinary people rather than kings and knights. But be forewarned, there is much violence here. The modern reader may be bothered by the tendency toward quick violence and sudden death as characters punish with a sudden ax to the head those who have "wronged" them and are admired for such behavior. "The Sagas of Icelanders" includes extensive introductory essays and appendices to help the reader understand this fascinating period of time and these unique peoples.

This is a great value. A wide collection of Icelandic sagas and short stories. Some of the short stories I've never heard of before.
The one about the Pagan ghosts messing with the Christian while he was using the outhouse was very funny. If you are at all interested in the sagas, buy this book. Many of the used copies go for under ten bucks. Can't bet it.

My historian Father sent me this after I made some sort of witless comment about Leif the Lucky, & when it arrived I was somewhat taken aback -it is HUGE, close to 800 pages if you include index & glossary-but once you dive in, it is hard to put it down. Here we get the stories of the Viukings of the Northwest Atlantic -the Icelanders of the title plus the doomed expeditions to Greenland and Vineland-told in all their wild glory. Of course one wishes one could read it in the original, of course one wishes to hear it sung, but this is the story of a real "other" history that all too often gets left out of the standard texts. This collection contains 10 sagas and several Tales by different translators. While having a number of different folks doing the translation makes for a somewhat uneven "voice" overall I found myself slipping from saga to saga with no trouble. The book includes a nice introduction, several useful maps, plus some simple diagrams of Norse ships and buildings. Anyone with an interest in sea-farers and the history of the north would be well advised to hit their "one-click" buttons right now, then, as soon as the box comes, throw an extra log or two on the fire, pour yourself a flagon of the closest you can get to mead & kiss the rest of the day goodbye -you are in for a treat!

"The Good Old Days-They Were Terrible!" is a sharp and unflinching overview of day-to-day living from the end of the American Civil War to the turn of the century, which employs contemporary sketches, cartoons and photos to make its point that these years were not the idyllic times we think them. Otto L. Bettmann uses his vast archive of illustrations to not just show us just how hard and fraught with danger this period of time really was, but also to give us a fascinating look into a vanished time. While his main purpose is to show us that these times weren't peaceful and carefree, Bettmann also illustrates the mundane aspects of any period of time, IE health, work, education, crime, housing, etc. All aspects of a routine day are covered here, which makes this social history at its best. We discover that the inhabitants of this period had the same concerns and problems that we do today. It's all here: garbage in the streets, dirty drinking water, prostitutes protected by cops, child-beating, etc. Definitely not a simple, beautiful time. It's life like any other period, and it's captured here. Bettmann's commentary is concise and mainly supports this book's real strength: it's expressive, contemporary illustrations. As journalism is the first draft of history, these illustrations serve the same purpose in telling us how things really were and how the inhabitants of these times saw their lives. Excellent social commentary.

I am addicted to stories about time travel and I have a collection of them. This book is wonderful in that, instead of sentimental twaddle, conjecture, and picturesque rose-colored-glasses stories of the past, you really get to know what times were like in "The Good Old Days' - and - you'll thank your lucky stars that you are living now and not then. I was fascinated and horrified at the details of everyday life a century ago. I don't know how the people of that era survived and I now know why a lot of them didn't. A real eye-opener!!

What an incredible book! Interesting, informative, eye-opening, and unflinching. Tells the grim truth about life in nineteenth century industrial America, focusing on the cities (especially New York), but touching on the hardships and unpleasantness of rural life as well. The illustrations are as valuable as the text--and Bettman's list of sources is outstanding. Social history at its best!

The great value of this book as a "good read" or as an aid to sorting one's collection of old time radio recordings is covered very well by other reviewers on this site. I want to point out its use as an educational tool. Social Studies classes are all too often made boring by reliance on textbooks (which are either outdated or too politically correct to be of any use) or on films and tapes, which are better but still pretty factual (whatever the bias) and dull to many students. I have always in my classes used the music of the period to liven things up a bit; but what about using radio broadcasts? Each one of them is a reflection of the people and events that shaped these shows and so many of them are available on tapes and CDs from such catalogues as Radio Spirits. is a fantastic resource manual for a teacher who wants to see what is appropriate for any particular class and to provide the background information for the students. Oxford University Press might want to consider this angle in their advertizing. But even all this aside, it does make for some fascinating reading!

This book is an exhaustive works which contains complete information on just about every old time radio show that was ever on the air. It's written in an entertaining style, which not only brings back fond memories but which makes it fun to read. It's sure to become a collector's item.

From the A&P Gypsies to the Ziegfield Follies of the Air, the entire spectrum of radio in its heyday (1930's 40's, 50's) is all here, with as fabulous a cast of characters as were ever gathered into one industry.
The 1500 entries detail the broadcast history of each show (including dates, times, network, and sponsors), cast members major and minor, announcers, musicians and singers, producers and directors, sound effects technicians, and more.
Shows of special significance, such as "Gunsmoke" (1952-61) are treated in extensive essays describing their history and development, with background information derived from numerous interviews and meticulous research. There are also special categories, or "umbrella entries", covering concert, news, and religious shows, and the remote broadcasts of the great bands, such as Glenn Miller and Woody Herman. For hardcore radio buffs and collectors information on the availability of tapes of old shows will be a special treat. With its fine bibliography and generous index, Dunning's work is a first rate production, essential for anyone interested in old time radio.

(The "score" rating is an unfortunately ineradicable feature of the page. This reviewer does not "score" books.)