Harrison's book is a potpourri of insights and reflections on the life of an educated American woman, literature, art, culture, and travel.

In many places, I felt that Harrison repeated the obvious, reiterating the messages of earlier and equally (if not more) perceptive writers. For example, commenting on Fay Weldon's insights about women and fat, Harrison writes: "Fat is a dulling wall between you and the pain of reality; fat is a comfort, an excuse, and an escape from sex." I know this. I've known it for decades. I'm a voracious reader, writer, and connoisseur of insights. I get irritated when people explain things at length that I already know or have figured out on my own.

On the other hand, I was extremely moved by her descriptions of her mother--so much like my own bitter, critical mother. And I found her revelations about her long-standing relationship with a black man riveting and comforting. It shed light on a failed long-term relationship I had with an African-American man. It explains to me why this love will always be in my heart, even though the man is gone.

I have to conclude that the parts of her book that irritate me (much of it) reflect my own issues more than Barbara Harrison's skills as a thinker and writer. Otherwise, how could the other parts have hit home so accurately?

This is one of the finest collections of essays in contemporary American letters. It has guts and razzle-dazzle, honesty and passion. I love the risky leaps Grizzuti Harrison takes.

Kenneth Harrison's Bad Behavior is interesting reading. He portrays the highs and lows of the gay lifestyle and shows how they don't really differ from those of straights. Yes, this gay novel actually has a plot and leaves you wondering what the future will bring to its main characters, Ben and Sharon. Living in RI, I found his references to local establishments accurate and entertaining. Bad Behavior is a good read!

I was so into this book that I read it in four days. The characters are a trip and a half. It seems that everyone in this book has some sort of addiction that they're not dealing with while acting in ways that are truthful and honest. There are times when you laugh, feel sad, and want to throw the damn book across the room. But all in all, you will not be able to put the book down!

Somewhat informative, but not very in depth...

This book was easy to follow and must helpful for improv basics. I have already ordered Book II. Someone said the book was short, but if you follow the instructions, it is not short at all--you just have to practice. Is Book III coming soon? Charles Prophet

This is the story of the famous Iceni Queen Boudicca. Focusing primarily on her younger years before and directly after becoming a queen. There is much detail to be found about early Celtic life and their customs. While some parts are very interesting the author seemed to rush through some of the more important historical battles and results.

If this was indeed a first effort by the author, it is good. However, with time and experience he could produce a higher calibre novel. If you are interested in Queen Boudicaa this is a worthwhile read but by no means the best on this topic. The following novels are a much better place to start, Ashes of Britannia, Warrior Queen Series by Haley Elizabeth Garwood, and Warrior Queen by James Sinclair.

Not since War and Peace have I been challenged with a plethora of names and places like I was with arjae harrison's Boudicca. Because I am a teacher of high school English, I am always looking for works that are fun to read without being trash, and for works that teach without intention. Boudicca is it! I also teach Humanities, and I find that the historical research in this novel to be fascinating. A fan of Ken Follett, I have encouraged many students to read Pillars of the Earth. I will now add Boudicca to my reading list. Harrison is meticulous in his portrayal of this period, his language is majestic and his careful description of the horror of the barbarians is done without foul or pornographic references. I appreciated his glossary of terms and his drawings that appear throughout the text. If you are tired of Bridgett Jones and her diary, then I suggest a change of pace with this exciting new historical fiction.

At first glance, the book resembles an ancient work by Palladio or other. The drawings are beautifully simple yet a bit coarse for today's standards. The book is made up mostly of patterns and elevations; text is limited to a 13-page index and a some explanations on tools and methods. Overall, the book is quite useful, but missing are the following: pictures, better diagrams, some data about the architect, etc.

Although the format is absolutely stunning (meant to resemble an old manuscript), this book is not for everyone. It should appeal to the designer, architect or contractor.

Peter Joel Harrison provides a valuable service to architects, designers, preservationists, landscapers and homeowners by researching, recording and presenting the details of historic homes and gardens. His books, full of accurate drawings of period fences, gates, gazebos, trellises, pavement and garden walls, are tools for anyone who's restoring an 18th or 19th century home or landscape and inspiration for anyone who hopes to infuse some of yesterday's charm into a new building. I used Brick Pavement and Fence-Walls for ideas on some new garden walls in Richmond, Virginia. They look almost as elegant as Harrison's examples from James River plantations, and seem just right for their location.

The ideas for art projects here really do take about five minutes to prepare, which is a blessing if you've ever spent more time setting up an art project than a child actually spent doing it! Many of the projects are original, some are fresh variations of more familiar techniques. This is a good reference for teachers, parents, and anyone who works with children, especially at this price. Another good point about the ideas is that they are easily adaptable for a wide variety of ages, from preschool to elementary age children. Good for rainy days activities, birthday parties or presents, and any day you need a quick, easy, and fun art project that turns out well.

I bought this book to use with my School Age Child Care Program. The children have loved doing the projects. Don't let the title fool you, the art ideas take longer than five minutes to complete. As one reviewer already stated, these projects only take five minutes to set up. The book is divided into four sections: print, glue, scissors, paint. I am really happy with this purchase!

Clement Greenberg has proven to be one of the most influential art critics of the 20th century. In fact, his name has become almost synonymous with mainstream Modernism, due in no small part to his lucid and carefully considered criticism. This post-humously compiled book is comprised of a series of transcripts from seminars at Bennington college in the 1970s on the nature of taste and criticism. There are also a series of complementary essays based upon the transcripts. However, the seminars (where Greenberg is questioned by the audience) more fully reveal the man himself; his sharp intelligence, his truculence, as well as his tendency to be contradictory and make enormous generalisations.

Greenberg's influence in the art world had waned considerably by the time these seminars took place. However, he still had plenty of insight to offer on the pretensions of the 1960s/70s avant-garde, namely his savaging of "far-out" conceptual art, which Greenberg claimed was simply tasteful Salon art masquerading under the guise of radicalism. It's this sort of irreverence which makes the book an interesting read. Whether you agree with Greenberg or not, it's hard to doubt the honesty with which he set about his task as a critic. He was never fazed by art-world talk, nor artist's reputations (no matter how large), and his advice on honestly reporting your aesthetic responses to art should be taken on board by art-lovers everywhere.

Clement Greenberg makes the reader long for the time when criticism came in the form of thoughtful commentary and considered analysis rather than jargon laden showmanship of today. He was elitist and irascible to be sure--a real curmudgeon--but he had an opinion and wasn't afraid to express it. It's easy to disagree with a lot of Greenberg's grand pronouncements but the provocation is welcomed--it stimulates thought and encourages engagement with aesthetic issues. Greenberg's comments about art and kitsch, art and commerce are all the more fascinating post-Warhol/Koons/Sachs, etc.

The amount of time and work Kinney put into this is amazing, and deeply appreciated by the fans of Thurber. The most insightful portions of the book seem to be the letters Kinney so carefully excerpted, particularly the ones Thurber addressed to his daughter Rosemary. Kinney successfully links the letters' content to particular Thurber cartoons or essays. The titles are whimsical, too, befitting the subject: "Those Clocks of Columbus", "Those Violets in the Snow", phrases culled from some of Thurber's essays. My only complaint is the lack of critical commentary on Thurber's writing; Kinney sometimes has a sentence here or there from some distinguished writer/critic, but I'd like to see an appendix with a variety of takes on the Thurberian canon. And...Kinney seems just a wee bit reverent about Thurber, a little more so than I like in a biography. I'm also crazy about "Jamie", but I expect a little less awe from a scholar. However, I'm nitpicking. I've enjoyed the book so much that I always take it with me and read it on my way to Columbus, Ohio, when I attend the literary picnics at Thurber House. (Before you think I drive like Thurber, let me assure you my husband drives--and we live 50 miles away, so I have an hour to read.) Rereading portions of the biography always makes a festive time even better.

Mr Kinney has given the world (and us fellow "Thurberphiles") a much needed comprehensive critical biography of America's premire 20th century humorist, author, and artist--James Grover Thurber. Mr Kinney's work is well researched and represents over 30 years of painstaking effort, culminating in a plethora of priceless insights and background details concerning this great American author and artist. As an avid (but amateur) Thurber historian and fan, I found the book to fill a much needed space on the shelf of American literary history. Mr Kinney traces Thurber's life, through his early years in Columbus, OH, and later, New York and abroad. He provides historical insight into the early "JT" years at the NEW YORKER staff, and supports his writing with many primary source interviews, papers, photos, letters, etc... While I would have preferred to have seen the use of footnotes and better documentation of sources, the book is still impressive all the same (i.e., he quotes letters and documents but fails to indicate which library/university/private collection, etc., they come from). This book is a "must" for all literary historians and Thurber fans as it provides the best to-date historic timeline and detailed explanation of Thurber, the man: his loves, hates, successes, and failures. To be honest, there are several places where the sheer volume of details and correspondance could overwhelm the novice (despite the book's smooth readability, you will not finish its 1,105 pages over a weekend!). But Mr Kinney should also be praised for his habit of providing a brief outline of each Thurber piece discussed. This serves to assist those readers who may not be throughly familiar with Mr Thurber's works. In addition, his Biographical Update at the end, is an excellent vehicle for tying up the historical and biographical "loose ends" with a "where are they now?" approach. Despite the impressive research however, I did find two very minor inaccuracies: the first one on page 291, where Mr Kinney (referring to Thurber's "Remembrances of Things Past") describes Thurber getting French chickens drunk on bread soaked with "bad wine". In actuality, "Calvados" is not wine, but a brandy made from fermented apples, particular to the Normandy province of France. Also, on page 900, Mr Kinney infers that there was only one Thurber cartoon that depicted a man at a typewriter. This statement is confusing since I've found four Thurber drawings that depict men at typewriters, in addition to the one he is talking about (captioned: "He's giving Dorothy Thompson a piece of his mind"). Despite these minor flaws, Mr Kinney's book is most welcome and should serve for many years as a "one-stop" springboard for others interested in delving into James Thurber's life and influence on American culture. Bravo!

I used this guidebook while traveling through Germany during Winter of 98-99. Its listings of both Berlin and Munich were relatively good. One thing I did not like about this guide was they rated certain hostels or places with their "thumbs up" recommendations. Their recommendation for Berlin, was this shabby, independent hostel with no lockers and the book said nothing about their early check-in at 10PM. Luckily, they let me in at the last minute. The staff however was generally helpful and helped compensate for the amenities the rooms lacked. Their coverage of Munich was good but no mention about the Euraide office in the train station being closed during the Winter. They had poor descriptions of whether places were closed or not during the off-season. They also gave poor directions to places sometimes, which was quite annoying. Above all, Let's go does a generally good job with their individual country guides (France, Italy) but this one was not up to standards.

I am an American in my mid-20's living in Germany. I have found the Let's Go 1999 Germany guide to be an extremely useful tool in traveling and touring Germany. I have especially enjoyed their camping recommendations. I have utilized two of their camping site recommendations and have found both to be very nice sites. They were clean, with above average amenities (especially by American standards) and were easily accessible to local transportation.

I have also enjoyed using this guide for its town information and recommendations. I find their descriptions to be not only informative, but interesting. I also appreciate the sense of humor they sometimes apply to their information. Other guides I have utilized (Fodor's comes to mind) have been dry and only list the typical tourist sites. Let's Go does a great job of finding some of the out of the ordinary spots to see. They also do a nice job of touching on the German culture.

I discovered Let's Go through a friend's European guide. I liked it so well I bought my own Let's Go guide for Germany. It has been a very useful resource, and I am getting ready to purchase Let's Go guides for elsewhere in Europe. Happy Traveling!