Having just taken in the MoMA show, I was very satisfied with the Pollock catalog. Very nice job reproducing the works (a difficult task in the printing of art catalogs!) Many fold-outs assist in conveying the size of Pollock's larger works. Large, full-bleed detail shots add a nice touch, complimenting the entire painting. While I'm not thrilled with the cover design, the interior is well-written, well-presented, and well-worth reading.

I picked this book up at the MOMA Pollock retrospective a couple years ago and have used it extensively. Having seen many of the paintings in this book firsthand, I can say that these are some of the best reproductions offerred in book form on Pollock's work. Another plus is that several paintings are printed on fold-out pages, so that the work doesn't cross the book's seam. So many of his paintings are extremely wide that this makes a lot of sense (otherwise, there would be hardly any resolution in the height dimension).

If you're interested in Pollock and need to refer to the reproductions, I absolutely recommend this book above all others out there.

Excellent companion piece to the MOMA show (which traveled to London's Tate) goes beyond all other Pollock explorations. A "must" for students of modern American art as well as those just wanting to get a better understanding of what Pollock was REALLY DOING.

Large format features fold-out reproductions of breathtakingly high quality. Among these, incredibly, are paintings not found in any other published sources. (The incomparable Lucifer (1947) is one such work).

The text is scholarly but readable, and although there is a considerable amount of it, each open page of writing offers at least a couple relevant and highly interesting photos or other illustrations. The many large color plates would certainly make a gorgeous and impressive coffee table book for anyone who doesn't choose to read it.

Kirk Varnedoe writes definitively about Pollock's mercurial life & career. Varnedoe's nearly 75 pages of biographical analysis are a welcome alternative to the kind of misguided mythologizing about Pollock that has for a long time colored the artist as an overrated art "star."

Pepe Karmel's contribution to this book is an amazing analysis of Pollock's painting process through an exhaustive examination of the famous films and photographs of Pollock at work. This was a fascinating, ground-breaking part of the exhibition, and is equally wonderful in the book.

Well worth the price.

It may be that "liberty vs. power" was the central political trope of antebellum times, but that doesn't make it an accurate description of antebellum politics. Really, this book is a very simplistic account of that pivotal period. I suggest reading William Freehling's _The Road to Disunion_ for a more nuanced view.

Through this book I gained a better understanding of the politics of Jacksonian America. To call Liberty & Power a textbook would be a great injustice; Liberty & Power is more like a novel about a forgotten people and time.

This book by Harry Watson provides a facinating look at the Jacksonian era and the struggles between liberty and power in Antebellum America.

Very interesting story on phenomenal powers. The unfolding love story, was seasoned with a murder mystery that envoked a slight tug of war between science, psychi, beliefs and perceptions . Good good read and very believable story line. The characters had real substance and the ending was climatic and quite surprising.

Taylor Cates has ensnared Stone Emerson. Taylor is intriguing and surely gives Stone more than enough to think about. Taylor tries to fight her infatuation for Stone, but that is something that she cannot do because the magic is deeply embedded and flows through.

Taylor and Stone are caught up in a series of events that not only affect them professionally, but emotionally as well. Their adventures drastically change their lives, but magically love develops through it all.

"A Magical Moment" is suspenseful as well as romantic. It is definitely a page turner. Also, we are updated in the lives of Kara and Brent, as well as the Eastmans -- Jenny, Dante, and Tiffany.

You can't help but to love this story! Talk about an independent nature, Taylor must have received an A in that department. I have not forgotten about Stone, he received an A in the Determination department! Those two are perfect for each other. Okay, yes they are very different people, but they mush very well together. At lest they will have a very exciting relationship, they most likely will never have a dull moment. I loved it! My favorite thus far from Moncia Jackson! Jackson does it again in a big way. I think I read this one in two days, tops! This was a very enjoyable read, so go get a copy!

This book was entertaining. Who is to say that it has genuine, true facts if Jackson Browne did not give authorization of this book.

I READ THIS BOOK, BEFORE I WAS A DIE-HARD FAN OF JACKSON'S. IT MADE ME WANT TO LISTEN TO MORE OF HIS MUSIC. I'D RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO ANY ONE WHO ENJOYS LISTENING TO GOOD QUALITY MUSIC.

This book is a comprehensive look into the life of Jackson Browne, from the time of his grandfather to about 1980. I found it very complete, and fascinating reading. This is a must have for any fan of Jackson's! I learned a lot of great facts about Jackson's life, and gained an interest in his history and the history of his ancestors.

Jackson Pollack produced paintings that the average baby could produce if plopped on a blank canvas and given a bucket of paint to play with. That he is still considered an artist at all, much less an important artist, is as pathetic a comment on human nature as almost anything.

It appears (from the previous reviews of this book) that no one has actually sat down to read this very long and thoroughly well researched and well written biography. I plowed through every last detail of Mr. Pollack's life and got to know him and his art extremely well. The information on Peggy Guggenheim and her influence on Pollack's career was especially interesting. Art history majors and art collectors will do well to read this book. If you don't understand abstract expressionism, you may want to read this book (and some others) to gain a better understanding.

Just because Jackson Pollack's work is not conventional, does not mean it's not important art. I suppose the average person cannot go beyond the limits of a "pretty" picture: if a painting does not include landscape, flowers, or a naked woman, it's not art. Wrong! Like the critic before me, I have not read this book on Jackson Pollack, but I do know of his life history and his struggle to gain (and maintain) recognition as an artist. Before the modernest movement, art was stagnating. Pollack dared to go beyond the limits of this standard art, just as all artists do. Drastic changes were taking place in the art world, just as they were in the 20th century world. Optimism came to an end; the world seemed doom for destruction due to World War 1 & 2. His art, and the progressive art of his time, stated that devestation. Without the exertion of Pollack and artists like him, art would stagnate and become dull and dreary. The true definition of art is an expression of one's self; who is anyone to judge what is and isn't art? Art just "is" whether people in California like it or not!

An explosion at the Fontaine sugar refinery brings together Jackson Fontaine and insurance investigator Leanna Cargill. The arson follows hard on the heels of two other business disasters, leaving the Fontaine fortune in jeopardy. Now an anonymous tip has brought Leanna to Jackson's doorstep only for her to witness the latest disaster. Soon Jackson strikes Leanna a deal. In return for helping in his investigations, Jackson will share his professional secrets with her. But it does not take long for his secrets to turn far more personal.

Leanna and Jackson have daughters of approximately the same age. A nasty divorce has left Leanna solely responsible for her child. Jackson offers Leanna a place to live when her apartment is damaged to the point of becoming unlivable. However, anxious to preserve her independence, she does not make the move without reservations. Nevertheless, charmed by mint juleps and Southern manners, Leanna discovers old world grace and her own vulnerability with this Old South family.

KN Casper characteristically tackles some of the most difficult of relationships. From alcoholism to ethical moral challenges, Casper's understanding of the human condition, complete with joy, sorrow, flaw and foible, makes his fiction some of the most insightful of series romance on the market. As his remarkable characters work their ways into reader's heart, they challenge reader's ideals of heroes and heroines, broadening our perceptions and strengthen our hope that love can indeed overcome any challenge. However, with JACKSON'S GIRLS, some readers may react negatively to Jackson's high handed machinations. Nevertheless, within the context of this powerfully rendered tale, Jackson becomes a understandable, if flawed hero. Certainly his overbearing nature meets its match in the independent Leanna, a woman of considerable independence and strength. The result of their mutual needs is a novel of complex motivation and believable relationships that have become the hallmark of Casper's work. JACKSON'S GIRLS comes highly recommended.

The gas explosion at the Fontaine sugar refinery will be the third major insurance claim in the past year from owner Jackson Fontaine and his family. Previously a fire almost destroyed the family Antebellum home and a cane harvester was stolen. Jackson is shook and worried that he and his company will become uninsured as no one will takes risks with his multi million dollar claims.

The Sugar Coalition sends insurance investigator Leanna Cargill to find out what is going on. Jackson catches her trespassing and threatens to have her locked up, albeit temporary if she fails to cooperate and work with him. Knowing that he could put her away for a few days leaving her child with the parish, Leanna agrees. Very quickly the Yankee investigator and the southern CEO fall in love, but both are raising a child alone and each has a different agenda when it comes to the arson. Still the two adults and their two children gain a taste of what could be if everyone would take a chance on love.

The children's fears disarm the reader and the heroine is a tough charmer. However, Jackson comes across as Machiavelli manipulating the investigation and his beloved to the point that readers will question why the independent feisty Leanna would want to live with him. Still readers will enjoy the final tale in the refine "Raising Cane" trilogy.

Harriet Klausner

Return to Bellafontaine! After the devastating death of his father, Jackson Fontaine has carried on as the head of the family. He is a shrewd businessman, just as his father had been. After an explosion at the family's sugar refinery, following all the other mishaps and accidents that had plagued the Fontaine family for months, Jackson comes much closer to discovering who holds such a terrible grudge against his beloved family.

Leanna Cargill is a "damnyankee", come to live in Louisiana from Ithaca, New York. She is an insurance investigator for the Sugar Coalition and when Jackson sneeks up on her while she is "on the job" outside the refinery after the explosion, he suspects she has something to do with it. Actually, Leanna is investigating the Fontaine's sugar holdings for illegal means. Jackson and Leanna butt heads quite aggressively but they come to an agreement that is beneficial to each of them.

As they work together to clear Jackson of any business wrong doings, they come to really like each other and as both of them are single parents to daughters, they have something to bond them early in their relationship. As their young daughters become best friends, Jackson and Leanna's desire for each other blossoms. But still...someone is out to sabotage the Fontaine sugar plantation. Jackson now has three girls in his life, giving him much to fight for.

What a satisfying ending to the "Raising Cane" saga. I have enjoyed these stories so much. Jackson and Leanna's story is warm and tender, their daughters were adorable, and the whole business of whom is out to destroy the Fontaine's is discovered, bringing an end to the hardships devouring such a fantastic family. This was a great book!

Although this is the official movie guide for children to the Two Towers, I found that it was helpful for adults who are not Lord of the Rings fans and/or have not read any of the books by Tolkien. It is lushly illustrated with gorgeous photos of all of the people/creatures in The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers. There are also a few photos of how they developed CGI characters such as the cave troll and Sauron. Underneath each photograph is a sentence or two explaining who the person/creature is and how they fit into the story. The wording and the brevity of the descriptions make it perfect for younger readers or those looking for a quick and dirty introduction to the characters of Middle Earth including Hobbits, Ents, Easterlings, Haradrim, Uruk-Hai, Gollum, the Watcher in the Water, Dwarves, Elves, Wizards/Istari, Balrog, Gwaihir, and many more. The book also comes with a free fold out enlarged picture of Gandalf confronting the Balrog in Moria. I would recommend this book for those who are not very familiar with The Lord of the Rings trilogy and for children ages 8 and up. It is very short at app. 60 pages (most of which is taken up by pictures) and so is a great introduction. However, if you are a Tolkien fan and familiar with the stories or saw the first movie, there is nothing new for you here.

I do not know if there was a "The Fellowship of the Ring Movie Tie-In" version of "The Lord of the Rings: Creatures," but there really does not need to be because this book covers all of the creatures encountered in the first two films based on J. R. R. Tolkien's trilogy (although there is a special little section on the "lost" Tom Bombadil). The emphasis is decidedly more on the film than the original novels, with quotations from both the actors and the technicians who brought Tolkien's creatures to life. Within these pages young fans of "The Lord of the Rings" will find everything from hobbits and their hairy feet to the tree-like Ents. In between there are the forces of men, elves and dwarves allied in the West to face the dark servants of both Saruman in Isengard and Sauron in Mordor. Attention is paid to not only all the species but all of the major characters that appear in "The Two Towers." There are lush photographs from the films (I especially like the shot of Treebeard) but also production drawings and computer graphics, almost always accompanied by insights from the likes of director Peter Jackson, head of special effects Richard Taylor, and others. Older readers will find this book just whets the appetite for more information about these creatures and how they were developed from Tolkien's original descriptions into what we have seen in the films. But younger readers should find this official movie guide to the creatures and cultures of Middle-Earth to be suited to their interests. A fold-out chart is included (cannot know the creatures without a program), but hopefully young readers will put off pouring over this slim volume until after they have actually seen the film. Your first look at Treebeard, Gollum, and Shelob should be in the film, not the photographs of this book.

The epic movie trilogy "The Lord of the Rings" was the first exposure to Tolkien's work for a lot of the people who watched it. And the fans who haven't yet read the books should check out this book, to get the tips on who and what and where and why.

Basically, this "Creatures" book lets the readers know: What's a hobbit? What's an Elf? What's an Ent? Readers of the original fantasy trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien will know all of this. On the other hand, newbies will like being able to look these things up -- especially since "Two Towers" has a lot of new material, with the Ents, Haradrim, Rohirrim, and others. The book is pretty short, and seems even shorter because it is composed mostly of photographs. These are clear, brightly colored, and great shots -- not just of stuff in the movies, but also from stuff behind the scenes.

What's especially nice are the quotes. Accompanying many of the smaller photographs are quotes from director Peter Jackson, special-effects wizard Richard Taylor, actors Elijah Wood, Ian Holm, Sean Astin, and pretty much everyone else. These quotes add insights into both the characters ("In their world, it's who you are on the inside that matters") and behind the scenes (complaints about the hobbit feet, from several actors). One of the best quotes is Peter Jackson revealing how the much-maligned Tom Bombadil almost made a cameo -- fans of the books will want to check that out.

Even if you've read the other books, this brief book will offer a few new insights and plenty of good movie and behind-the-scenes pictures.

This is, first and foremost, an addiction tale. It is a meditation on what alcohol does to the mind, the body, the spirit, and those around the alcoholic. It's similar Burroughs's "Junkie" and DeQuincey's "Confessions of an English Opium Eater," but lacks any of the glorification or knowing smirks of these two. It's not cheerful, and lacks much in the way of hopefulness -- except perhaps the care and understanding given the alcholic by those who love him.

The basic plot: the alcoholic's family goes away, leaving him alone to drink his weekend away. He drinks and drinks, then drinks some more. Bad things happen.

It is a well-written piece of literature, but I could not get away from seeing it as an addiction tale, something written by a social worker, or passed out at AA meetings. And I am not a social worker, nor even a drinker; I came to this book expecting a literary piece, but came away experiencing somehing of a didactic social commentary.

Still, even if didactic, it is a highly enjoyable read. The main character manages to be sympathetic. The story is repetetive but still engaging: the reader simultaneously wishes and doesn't wish for Don to get that one last drink Don is always chasing after.

Degradation and desparation abound in this novel. Don is witty, but this is not happy reading.

Ultimately, this is sort of a cult piece. It may be something to give to your kids to teach them the evils of drinking. Although enjoyable and interesting, it's not one of the "great" pieces of literature. It IS, however, the best direct treatment I have read of alcoholism. Alcoholism is often a subtext in literature, but rarely is it addressed as directly as Jackson addresses it.

For years, "The Lost Weekend" has been one of my favorite movies of the 1940s. Ray Milland's oily style never seemed better suited than it did to the role of Don Birnam, the story's inveterate sneaking drunk, and the movie was-- and remains-- surprisingly hard-hitting for a film of that period. I also promised myself for years that I would read Charles Jackson's book of the same title on which the movies is based, and I finally have. Jackson's book takes place entirely from the perspective of the main character, Don Birnam, and entirely inside that character's head. It contains relatively little action and dialogue (don't look for too many familiar scenes from the movie, especially that upbeat, optimistic ending), being mostly comprised of Birnam's endless introspection and rationalization of his self-destructive behavior, laced with undercurrents of homosexuality. This is never dull, however. Birnam is an intelligent, sharp, and very entertaining fellow, even if you can never trust him, and Jackson keeps you whipping right along, with only occasional lapses into literary and philosophical tedium. I have no biographical information about the author, but the story is told with such knowledge and insight that I would be very surprised if it is not, to some large extent, based on personal experience. This is a very thoughtful and penetrating read, which, I am happy to say, has not detracted from my enjoyment of the movie.

For all the obeisance we pay to literature, it is remarkably rare for a novel to actually change, or help change, the culture. Nor is it necessarily, nor even likely, the "serious" books that effect the change. In terms of it's political impact, there may never have been a more important novel than Uncle Tom's Cabin, which is hardly the stuff of academic studies and literary criticism. Similarly, The Lost Weekend, though in many ways resembling nothing so much as a pulp fiction or a hardboiled noir, had a tremendous influence on American attitudes towards alcoholism and alcoholics, making it a surprisingly significant book.
Charles Jackson's semi-autobiographical tale follows the "promising" writer Don Birnam for one four day weekend as he descends into the depths of alcoholic despair and debauchery. Birnam's overly protective younger brother, Wick, goes out of town, leaving Don on his own in their apartment, even though he fears that, as usual, Don will take advantage of his independence to go on a binge. Wick has tried to limit the damage by controlling Don's allowance, from a family trust, but Don has perfected all kinds of scams for getting more and as the weekend progresses he comes up with some new ones. These include everything from stealing a purse to a rather pitiful attempt to find a pawn shop that's open on Yom Kippur, to hock his typewriter. Finally, he even steals and pawns his girlfriend's fur coat after she, Helen, tracks him down and tries nursing him through a period of delirium.
Besides the robberies from family, friends, and strangers, Jackson shows the effect of the drinking on Don's behavior towards others as he stands up a dinner date, takes advantage of a kindly local merchant, and unmercifully exploits Wick and Helen and their concern for him. He also shows the physical effects in Don's urgent need for drink, a brief stay at Bellevue (or a hospital very much like it) after falling down the stairs and fracturing his skull, and finally in the chillingly described delirium tremens and hallucinations.
Books, movies, and television have all made alcoholism a staple theme, but when Jackson wrote this book alcohol was merely a comic device in literature, and alcoholism was taken to be a function of the liquor itself and of the spiritual weakness of the drunk. Much of the book anticipates future findings about the true nature of the disease. In the first place, Don is not a skid row derelict. He's a cultured and talented young man from a decent family. Nor is he simply beholden to the bottle; his alcoholism is just a manifestation of much deeper psychological problems, in his case either repressed homosexuality or fear of the very possibility. His downward spiral began in college after an incident involving a crush on a fraternity brother and he reacts with horror when a male nurse at Bellevue propositions him. Even if he were to stop drinking, Don Birnam would still be a profoundly troubled man, would still be desperately ill.
Jackson also anticipates the concept of "enablers", which is what the folks around Birnam really are. Wick and Helen obviously care about him, but their willingness to cover for him and their unwillingness to confront him makes them participants in the problem. They and Don are kind of archetypal examples of dysfunction as the drinking has become the core of his existence, shutting out any capacity to relate honestly with others, and they have been reduced to lying, to him and to themselves, and compensating for his behavior, essentially putting his drinking at the core of their lives too.
In all of this Jackson was years ahead of his time. The book, which became a bestseller, and the excellent Billy Wilder film version, which studios were reluctant to make but which became a surprise hit and Academy Award winner, ushered in an era when attitudes towards alcoholism began to change and the hitherto hidden problem began to be addressed more honestly. But beyond this social impact, it's just a really good book, one that stands the test of time and which has probably never been bettered in its portrait of an alcoholic.
GRADE : A

For years I was horrified at the thought of writing in books, even my own. I wanted to keep them clean and beautiful. Even after I went to university and started highlighting textbooks I made the distinction between a necessary utilitarian marking and my other books that I wanted to keep pristine.

But then something wonderful happened. I read a book that changed my life and I couldn't stop writing in it. I underlined. I took notes in the margins. I wrote sideways when I ran out of room, and jotted my own ideas on the bottoms of the pages, finally resorting to filling up the blank endpages. That experience changed my whole philosophy. Since then I not only write in (my own) books when the spirit moves me, but I look for others' notes when I buy used books as well. One of the most interesting books I have is by Eric Hoffer, the 'Longshoreman Philosopher', with notes written in it by at least three people besides myself. I love that.

Dr. Jackson addresses this heretofore neglected topic in terms of the physical (where it is placed), the historical (how attitudes about, and the function of, marginalia have changed), and the motivational (why people have left these traces). The author uses six lengthy case studies to illustrate her ideas, particularly drawing on the influence of Samuel Coleridge and Boswell's Life of Johnson. There are extensive notes, bibliographies of primary and secondary sources, and an index.

The writing is a bit dry, but the work is informative and interesting. The author really shines when she relates anecdotes, and I wish there would have been more of them as well as more illustrations --with only nine examples shown, I was really anxious to see more. I learned a lot about an interesting subject and am grateful to the author.

As a librarian, I don't advocate the marking of books that are for public use, but I am a firm believer in making one's books one's own -- and you can bet I marked this one up a bit.

Marginalia--writing in the margins of books--is probably as old as the printed book itself (and even finds its way into manuscript books). Some people love to scribble in books. Of course, there are those who are stridently against it. Jackson, in the first attempt at a coherent view of the subject that I've seen, tries to show that there can be value in peoples reaction to the printed word in the context of marginalia as opposed to other methods (such as taking notes, etc.).

I just wish Jackson's book had been more coherent. I have no arguement with many of the points Jackson is trying to make. I find myself, as someone who "creates" marginalia in some of my books, reflected in many things she says. I, too, generally on write in books of non-fiction on subjects in which I feel I have some knowledge. I, too, as a book collector, came to writing marginalia late and still make it a point to keep many of my books in pristine condition because of that. Jackson obviously has a well-researched view of her subject.

On the other hand, I was somewhat disappointed in her skills as a writer. There is an incoherence to some of the things that she does in this book. She has nice coverage of different types of marginalia and speculates on some of the reasons that people write marginalia which are nicely done, but she includes discussions and digressions on book alterations that she even admits are technically not marginalia.

Also, she spends a lot of time in her last chapter considering whether writing marginalia in books is "right" or "wrong" when it clearly is not either. It is simply a matter of personal choice. I write marginalia in my books because I want to, the books are mine and I have no intention of getting rid of my books. On the other hand, I almost never buy books that already have marginalia in them. I want a pristine page for my own comments. Am I damaging my books or reducing their value? That depends on some future buyer and is not something I consider. I am increasing their value to myself. Perhaps my marginalia will have an interest to some future scholar. Perhaps my books will end up in the trash bin. But I won't be around to see it and I certainly don't feel there is any right or wrong to it.

What makes more sense is Jackson's arguement that books with marginalia should be better catalogued and more valued in scholarship. I do believe there are things to learn from marginalia for history in general and the history of reading, a subject which is becoming more popular these days.

This is a good book to read for anyone interested in books or the history of reading. If there were a number of books out there on this subject I would probably have rated this book lower because I don't find it particularly well-written. I would also suggest that people read Boswell's Life of Johnson before they read this because she spends a lot of time talking about this book. However, I have given this book some extra-credit for being a good first attempt that will hopefully generate more interest and better scholarship in the subject.

Most of us can recall (with shame, fear, or both) the warnings of parents and teachers regarding writing in the margins of books. Cute childish scribbles, elaborate adolescent doodles - or one's cleverest penciled responses to one text or another - provoked the same horrified response from the librarian. Dr. H.J. Jackson asserts and then asks, "Of course children should be taught not to write in other people's books; but why should they be denied the outlet of writing in their own?"

"Annotation," known by your grade school teacher as "ruining your books," has a long and colorful history. Erasmus recommended to his students that they write in their texts. In England, Coleridge was revered in his day as now for his prolific commentaries and, according to Jackson, "his name associated with the publication and popularization of the genre." At one point English children were taught how, specifically, to best annotate their books. Importantly, annotation was finally seen in a positive light, as a way to read actively: "a discipline that fosters attentive reading, intellectual self-awareness, and incisive writing."

Dr. Jackson's tour of marginalia's most ardent and consistent practitioners reads like a "Who's Who" of English-speaking literary history: Sir James Frazer, Boswell, Johnson, Hester Lynch Piozzi, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Alexander Pope, Virginia Woolf, John Ruskin, William Blake, Ellen Terry, T.H. White, Gertrude Stein, Northrup Frye, Vladimir Nabokov - and many more. In addition, much good annotation was done by readers whose names have been lost. There are hilarious anecdotes and quotes as well as perceptive character sketches. Jackson loves her subject and her cast of characters - and includes many interesting and amusing stories about the lives of the annotators. (In one anecdote Maurice Sendak, at a book signing, is warned by a panicked child not to wreck his new book - by autographing it. Sendak complies with the child's wishes.)

In addition Dr Jackson discusses North American and British museum and library collections of annotated books. There are novels, nonfiction, family bibles, college textbooks, cookbooks, and children's books in addition to classic and obscure texts.

Dr. Jackson is passionate about her subject. She's been at it for years. Addressing the arguments against its practice. She includes a thoughtful essay "Book Use or Book Abuse." There are hundreds of endnotes, a Bibliography of Annotated Books Cited, a Bibliography of Secondary Works Cited, and a good index.

This thrilling and careful study is by turns English literary history, the history of books and reading, trenchant psychological exploration, and biography. In addition, there is mystery, gossip, and fun. This is a wonderful book on a subject I'd never given much thought to, not realizing that writing in the margins has a glorious past - and having felt vaguely guilty for years for penciling so many of my books.

Definitely worth reading.

This is a very intruiging book. I truely can't put it down, and the disturbing images stay with me as I'm trying to sleep. Jackson uses the idea of body and disease in the real, taking physical body attributes and making them hold other characteristics. Cancer fills a room, sperm can be watched in a guppy bowl, and fetuses float through a town. Bizarre, but strangely compelling, and it's definitely something to read more than once.

The four humors get a work out in this amazing collection of stories. Jackson starts with something really basic (like phlegm, or sperm, or fat!) and just works wonders with it -- she's the Martha Stewart of body fluids!

You can't go wrong with this hilarious collection. Jackson shows that when bodies go awry -- and they do, a lot -- some great, gruesome comedy results. Buy two copies -- one for yourself, and one to give away, because you're not going to want to keep this all to yourself!