Excellent companion for any traveler

This guide is indispensable when seeking the best restaurants in the country. It's well written, accurate and filled with interesting anecdotes and cooking tips. I used this book as my sole reference on recent trips and it's totally reliable!

The Chefs' Guide is a must for anyone who travels. The guide is extremely informative, fun and easy to read. We found the restaurants to be exactly as they were described in the guide,from decor to menu. No surprises, just great food. I love the cooking tips and anecdotes from the chefs. This guide is a great idea, I prefer it to Zagat, which I've used for years.

his verse would look and sound rather like the lines written by Charles Wright, since here one finds powerful meditations on the thrown-ness of existence; on the way we shape and are shaped by forces and impulses that swirl and rage within and without us; on the depths as well as heights of temporality; and on the fact that there is something when there could have been nothing at all. For some reason, I find myself thinking of the great Welsh poet, RS Thomas, whenever I pause and read Wright. That's probably unfair, but their sense that God is in the silences between noise, in the fissure between what our mind can verify and the demands that are made on our soul -- these things bring them together, at least in my mind. This is a fine collection of poems.

Charles Wright's Chickamauga is an outstanding collection of poetry. It is both very modern and deeply traditional in its feelings with parallels to Chinese poetry and to the work of Wallace Stevens. The poems use landscape and memory of his Italian years to link us to the basic human experiences of life: ageing, loss etc. They seem a great step forward from his previous books, like the Zone Jounals and China Traces, and at least equal to his most recent book Black Zodiac. I found it both beautiful and deeply moving.

Charles Wright`s book of poems is the most moving book of poetry I have read in a long time.He speaks to the soul as well as the heart.My only problem with Charles Wright is he doesn't have any other books out that I can find.Thanks for an enjoyable night of reading your book.I would of given a ten but the book was to short.

When I was reading this book, I actually felt as though I, myself, was living on Christian Island. These parables about gossip, pride and discontentment are written in such a way that you as a reader become totally engrossed in all that is going on. It really gave me a very real and practical look of how gossip, pride and discontentment effects not only me but my relationship with God as well as others. I strongly encourage you to read this book to see how important it is NOT to let these 3 issues be a part of your life and ultimately cause breakdowns between you and God.

I coun't put it down for a minute. I felt the characters were interesting and I counld't wait to know what happens to them next. The book is filled with small surprizes. I would refer this book to everyone. It's a winner!

I have found this book to give an extremely good insight into the heart of man. If they would look into themselves, one will be able to see many dark areas in their lives. They will know also that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is the only one who can save, and most of all, forgive.I hope that others will find themselves within the pages.

I'll not insult you all by describing the action of this classic novella, nor belabor the lesson taught. I'm sure even Mowgli the Jungle Boy must have heard this story once a year growing up in the jungle. But with all the TV and movie and cartoon and Muppet iterations (the best of which remains the 1951 Alastair Sim movie version), when's the last time you went back and actually read the original book?

Dickens is, of course, a wonderful author and earlier generations read everything that he wrote. Today, however, you read an obligatory novel or two in High School, breath a sigh of relief that's over and then blithely ignore him along with the rest of the ancients. But, as a reacquaintance with A Christmas Carol will remind you, he remains pretty accessible and his novels are often quite fun. What's more, there's even a Reading Version (available online) of the story that Dickens condensed himself for his numerous public readings of the tale. It's perfect for reading aloud to the family.

Here's just a sample of the prose to entice you:

On Scrooge before: Oh! But he was a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone, Scrooge. a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner! Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster. The cold within him froze his old features, nipped his pointed nose, shrivelled his cheek, stiffened his gait; made his eyes red, his thin lips blue; and spoke out shrewdly in his grating voice. A frosty rime was on his head, and on his eyebrows, and his wiry chin. He carried his own low temperature always about with him; he iced his office in the dog-days; and didn't thaw it one degree at Christmas.

and Scrooge after: Scrooge was better than his word. He did it all, and infinitely more; and to Tiny Tim, who did not die, he was a second father. He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew, or any other good old city, town, or borough, in the good old world. Some people laughed to see the alteration in him, but he let them laugh, and little heeded them; for he was wise enough to know that nothing ever happened on this globe, for good, at which some people did not have their fill of laughter in the outset; and knowing that such as these would be blind anyway, he thought it quite as well that they should wrinkle up their eyes in grins, as have the malady in less attractive forms. His own heart laughed: and that was quite enough for him.

He had no further intercourse with Spirits, but lived upon the Total Abstinence Principle, ever afterwards; and it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God bless Us, Every One!

We, all of us, have a tendency to let the classics become so encrusted that we take them for granted and forget how good they really are; if this has happened for you with A Christmas Carol, do yourself a favor and dig out a copy and reread it this Holiday Season. I bet it becomes an annual tradition.

GRADE: A+

This edition of Charles Dickens classic is doubly wonderful in its timeless tale of redemption as well as the wonderful illustrations executed by American artist Everett Shinn. In no way either slick or modern, when one is handed the book, it seems as you are holding an artifact from another time; a time of coal fires, slate roofs, horses in the streets, a time that predates the sad state of comercialism that permeates contemporary Christmas season. In its simplicity of story and its fine nostalgic illustrations it becomes a treasure to be handed down through one generation to the next.Hope dwells here.

This version of the Dicken's classic is magnificently illustrated by one of America's foremost artists.

Very well written, and fascinating. The author gives the reader an 'insider' view of the circus world; this includes an objective and respectful portrayal of the brave and talented people. I appreciated the honest perspectives, i.e., hearing 'the other side of the story' in terms of animal rights. It is a beautiful, touching, absolutely fantastic story.

I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of this book, from the subject matter to the personality of the author to the quality of the writing, which is excellent. At times, it reads as luridly and poetically as a novel. If you are enamored of the circus, as I am, and would like to run away with one for a while--even if only in your imagination--this is the book for you.

For a month in spring 1997, Wilkins traveled with the Great Wallenda Circus, a gritty group of seasoned circus vets, on a trip through a remote stretch of Canada. Facing such obstacles as unyielding immigration regulations (for both animals and performers), unprecedented flooding with unseasonable temperatures, and fierce competition from another circus, the Wallenda performers (led by Karl's grandson, Ricky Wallenda) show their merit as troupers in the truest sense of the word. Interspersed with descriptions of the circus's performances in the often-chilly and poorly lit hockey venues of Manitoba are the stories of the circus's performers and crew, each of which reveals a different facet of the daily dangers of circus life: unpredictable (and sometimes in-bred) tigers, vendetta-holding elephants, unstable rigging for aerial acts, and the omnipresent fatigue that can make a performer misstep minutely, but fatally. Beyond these dangers, however, is another threat to the circus's performers, which Wilkins chronicles beautifully and movingly: the decline and fall of the circus in America. It's a casualty with complex causation, including the senescence of Shriners (who sponsor a large number of American circus performances), the rise of the animal rights movement, and the effect of television, with its showy tromp l'oeil special effects, on our expectations for entertainment. Is watching a 370-pound man put an elderly, blind elephant through a series of slow-moving tricks enough of a thrill for audiences raised on car chases and gunfire? Wilkins thinks so, and after reading this wonderful book, so do I.

Charles Willeford apparently wrote these two memoirs relatively late in life, but he tells the stories as he experienced them at the time rather than through the filter of his mature personality. In his own modest, plainspoken style, you get to know the interior world of Mr. Willeford, first as a young orphan, and later as a young recruit in the Air Corps. Willeford had a rough life, but--and this might be a surprise to those who only know Willeford through his pulp fiction--he didn't allow his difficult childhood or military experience to make him coarse and cynical. For all the darkness of his novels, he appears to have been a sensitive, optimistic, and humane person, whose dark humor was a means of coping with life's disappointments.

I hope that Willeford's books someday fall into the hands of a competent publisher. Disc-Us Books did an incredibly shoddy job preparing the book for publication. Not only are there many typos and dropped or repeated lines of text, but they even misspelled "memoir" on the spine of the book. Perhaps they've caught the error and fixed it, but my copy says "memior"!

Willeford is one of the best writers America has produced.

The Great Depression is a time and a place that is foreign to most living Americans. GD USA is a country where nearly everyone is living in dire poverty, and the country itself is on the brink of collapse. Willeford, one of the most underappreciated writers of the 20th century, captures this odd world perfectly as he chronicles his picaresque travels through an economically devastated America.

The second memoir takes place in the U.S. Army off in the exotic Philippines during peacetime--years before the Japanese came, and 30 years after an insurrection that was put down in brutal fashion by American soldiers. Willeford leads you into an exotic world of malfunctioning aeroplanes and imperial slouching by indolent imperial soldier-airmen using pitch-perfect prose.

Buy this one, and try out "The Woman Chaser" too.

This book tells the story of a soldier that rose from being a foot soldier to he became a General. Charles De Gaulle did see combat and conflicts from several different positions during his life - from being a scared soldier with a rifle in his hand to being a high ranked officer that ordered his soldiers into war. I think this is a very interesting book, since it tells a specific story about a very special man. I would recommend this book to everyone that are interested in European politics, Military history, or just the Great Man Charles De Gaulle!

This book is outstanding for its literary, even poetic, power. De Gaulle thinks of France as a person fated for tragedy and greatness. His biggest problem is achieving recognition as the political representative of France after France has signed an armistice with the Germans: Churchill tells him that although he claims to represent France, neither England or the US will recognize him as such; De Gaulle steadily replies that it is sufficient for him if the French people recognize him. This is the story of a man standing against the entire world for the sake of an ideal. Reminded me of Nelson Mandela!

As one might expect, De Gaulle's memoirs of the Second World War are deeply concerned with self-justification, if not self-glorification. More surprisingly, they are good reading. De Gaulle writes in a formal, but clear and elegant style. The period covered is from the fall of France, through De Gaulle's flight to England and formation of the Free French, to the liberation and a bit of the postwar period. Obviously, this is not objective history. The chief interest of the book is that De Gaulle's personality and opinions colors every page. The reader may indeed be irritated, or he may be amused, by the author's undisguised self-regard, but in any case there are compensations. There is revealing detail on events such as the fall of France and the invasion of North Africa. With great candor and sharp perception De Gaulle assesses his own and others' strategies. There are good pen-portraits of Churchill and many other contemporaries. And there is the fascination of viewing great events through the prism of a commanding mind..

This book is an excellent source of information for anyone with an interest either in the American Civil War or in warfare in general. For the casual reader, one can find interest in the stories of Read's early career and of his swashbuckling adventures. To the historian, one can find interesting insight into the importance of sea power, during the Civil War. This concept has a sort of Alfred Thayer Mahan ring to it, who wrote about sea power as important to nations during the nineteenth century.

Admiral Dewey said "America never produced a navy officer more worthy of a place in history" and thanks to Jones he has it and we've got a great book to read! Read captured over 20 union ships and burned most of them - he was captured once, made several nearly successful escape attempts, and at one point had over 30 Union ships at sea just to try to stop him. The main part of the book reads like an action novel, but it's all real - as he moves from river warfare to commerce raiding and back, but it has a detailed, 23 page section of notes and an 11 page bibliography. So you'll learn a lot about the naval side of the war, and lots of information is there for those doing research - but read it first for the story - you'll love it!

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**Hey, SOMEBODY [Ted Turner maybe?] ought to make a MOVIE out of this! ** ======

Lt. Read's true story, captured in this well-documented & very readable biography, has All the earmarks of a great, action-packed adventure! -- This Civil War "sea story" has everything: Lt. Read graduated last in his class from the U.S. Naval Academy; he fought on the Mississippi River in various ships, including an ironclad; he raided as far north as Portland, Maine; he was a prisoner of war & made multiple escape attempts... What a fantastic story line for a movie! But this is all true!

This is a very well-written account of a heroic figure, and it's one that will hold you in suspense! (...other than the fact that you already know how the war turned out.)

Bravo, Robert A. Jones!... I like your book!

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The Conflict Between Us Is The Conflict Within Me is an important and insightful addition to any personal or academic psychology, conflict resolution, or self-help studies reading list. Readers will learn how to expose the real issues of any conflict with which they are engaged; how to remove fault and blame from their analysis of a conflict; how to stop being a victim; how to achieve new insights by changing perceptions; how to understand failures and thereby laying the groundwork for success; and how to use the techniques of guided imagery in daily life for insight and healing. The Conflict Between Us Is The Conflict Within Me is further enhanced for the reader by the inclusion of a special guided imagery CD.

The title says it all....A wonderful and insighful book about the discovery of Self. The only one we can change in ANY relationship is the Self. The Levitons present many tools to look into our own issues and see how problems with others are merely a reflection of problems within. They introduce the process of guided imagery as one of the tools in healing. The book includes a CD containing four actual imagery experiences which help illustrate the examples in the book. A "MUST READ" for anyone who wants to improve and enhance ALL their relationships, especially the one with themselves.

Charles and Patti Leviton have done it again! Their book helps couples, as well as therapists, understand the natural progression of all intimate relationships so a couple that is starting out, a couple who are mid way, or a couple in conflict, can ferret out what is "normal," and what is "conflictual," as they attempt to make their relationship work. It does take two to tango but as Leo Buscaglia used to say, "You can only give what you have." Until a person accepts his/her own masculine/feminine side, and recognizes where they are in the 6 stages of love (Romance, Exclusivity, Testing & Doubt, Resolution & Acceptance, Ethical Love, and Consummate Love), they most likely will mis-read their loved one's behavior, as well as their own, and prematurely end an intimate relationship that is in fact viable and full of hope. This is what the Leviton's try to help their readers with. In the tradition of Carl Jung, Leo Buscaglia, Robert Sternberg and Ellen Bader, I highly recommend this book!

Taliaferro's book is, in my view, the best introduction to the philosophy of religion available. His prose is always clear and engaging, yet he never sacrifices depth. In addition to the usual topics in the philosophy of religion (e.g. arguments for God's existence, the problem of evil) and philosophical theology (e.g. the divine attributes), which you can find in any standard text on the subject, the book also devotes entire chapters to such issues as the challenge of positivism, religious pluralism, and religious experience. It also highlights the intersection between philosophy of religion and other subjects of enduring interest, such as ethics and epistemology, and it even has some helpful digressions on philosophical method. The discussion of time is especially good for an introductory text.

It is clear from reading the book that Taliaferro is a theologically orthodox Christian who nevertheless appreciates the insights and challenges presented from both within and outside of Christianity. This book has been a real asset to me.

Taliaferro's book is clearly written while managing to maintain an astonishingly high ratio of ideas and arguments to number of pages. It goes beyond explaining the material traditionally covered in philosophy of religion courses to include mention of many recent and interesting developments in the field. Lecturers who use less challenging texts for their introductory courses in philosophy of religion may benefit by following its well-structured presentations in the preparation of their own lectures.

Charles Taliaferro masterfully executes an in-depth and well-structured overview of philosophical theology in this single edition. His writing shines with an intimate knowledge of the subjects at hand, and he still manages to keep the topics objectified in a manner conducive to letting the reader from his or her own opinions concerning the religious pluralism discussed in the book. He is admired by many in the field as one of the formost authorities on religious philosophy, and after having read his book, I have no doubt in my mind as to why.