It was 1998, the 150th anniversary of the first Women's Rights Convention, and it was difficult, if not impossible, to purchase a biography on the Mother of us all, Susan B. Anthony. What better way to commemorate the anniversary than to put SBA's first biography back in print. The publisher, Ayer, would re-print this 3 volume set if they received 50 orders. So I found 50 people and it's now available. "Life and Work of Susan B. Anthony" is fascinating and so alive - I feel like I'm in the attic with Ayer and Anthony writing it. Many thanks to amazon.com for liberating the order process and providing access to this wonderful primary source.

For anyone who has watched from the beginning and loved every juicy, guilty moment, Life Lessons from Melrose Place is a laugh-out-loud keeper. If you sit there and yell at the screen, "Jane, you idiot!" or, "Don't trust Michael, the rat-bastard!", this book will bring you mirth for years to come.

At first, after receiving this as a gift, I thought it was just a little collection of quotes from Brady Bunch episodes. You know, like "Mom always said, don't play ball in the house" or whatnot. But I recently read it more thoroughly and I loved it so much. There are some klinkers, but the author has taken a page from Saturday Night Live's "Deep Thoughts" school of joke writing. The life lessons from the Bradys are phrased in that hysterical sort of deadpan Deep Thoughts way that's hard to describe. One example of a funny one (although it's not one of the ones that reminded me of Deep Thoughts) says something like "NEVER go outside the walls of your room at night without your robe and slippers on." I don't know, I thought it was funny.

It seems the most popular budget classical music label, Naxos, not only makes most of the Western musical output available at very reasonable prices (no top stars who demand absurd fees make this possible), but it has also issued three very nice boxed sets of recordings on cassettes and CDs (I have the latter) that together give you a quick, fairly accurate, and quite enjoyable survey of three major topics. Perry Keenlyside's (NA 314412) is on three tapes or CDs and more or less delivers what the title promises in about 3 hours and 40 minutes. The text is considerately divided into sections--"Mozart, the child prodigy," "January 1762, the first journeys," "Paris and London, 1763-4," and so on--with tracking cues for each section. The narration and quotations from letters and journals of the time are accompanied by the appropriate music drawn from the bottomless Naxos catalogue. Nigel Anthony is the narrator, aided by Paul Rhys (Mozart), Edward de Souza (Leopold Mozart), with David Timson and Anna Patrick in "other parts." I have not seen the original books to see how much of an abridgment this is, if at all, but that is immaterial. The voices are personable, the information digestible, the whole project very worth while, especially at the price. My only objection to the Naxos recordings of books in the low recording level that makes it a bit difficult to hear on a walkman set up on (say) a noisy train. But this should offer no problem to home hearing or even in your car. These sets are really perfect listening for long trips.

An exquisite book which binds architecture and literature to create a seductive affair.

Anthony Barrett has written another excellent biography. Livia is an historical figure who has been much maligned over time and effectively turned into a ruthless serial killer in order to see her son Tiberius as emperor. Reality is a different matter and Livia emerges as an intelligent, beautiful and caring woman whose life was generally restrained by having no official political position. As Augustus' wife, she could exert a great deal of influence but until he death, when she was adopted into the Julian gens and given the title name Augusta. Mr. Barrett has examined Livia's life in detail as the wife of the princeps, the mother of the second emperor, her role as a protector and benefactor and her public and her private life.

Among the bits of interesting information I found was that Livia gave an allowance to the Elder and Younger Julia's after they had been sent into exile that lasted for the rest of their lives. Also of interest was Livia's healthy habits, which included drinking red wine each day, and that she underwent grief management after the death of her son Drusus..

Mr. Barrett separates some more specialized discussions in the appendix, dealing with such topics as Livia's name and birth to Livia's relations with Agrippina the Elder etc. The book is invaluable for the detailed listing of sources of information about Livia, including inscriptions, sculptures, books and articles and a list of abbreviations of ancient authors and their individual works. In short, this is as complete a biography of Livia that we will have in English.

Like no-one else since Plato, Damiani brings the philosophic quest back to life. After having finished the book, one's heart is imbued with aspiration to self-knowledge. A most lively and inspiring book!

This book is the most well-written book on ghosts I've ever read. The author's general story-telling style can easily captivate the reader and leave him wanting more. The author is obviously well-read, a scholar who is very eloquent, and a splendid writer. His tales are memorable and haunting, not only because of the subject. His characters and their stories will linger in your mind. I've read many ghost stories, but this is the only book (on ghosts) I choose to own.

When one takes the initial steps of such an exotic trip as the middle east, a guide is needed to educate yourself on everything. Even the experienced traveler will find their trips to Europe did little to prepare them for the Middle East. This is why this guide does so much for the independant, and is so invaluable. Lonely planet has a history of helping people travel on a meagre budget, however gives a warm and caring introduction as to why indulging yourself occasionaly in the more expensive treasures can make your vaction. The authors expell the myths of all around violence in the region and firmly warns you where not to go. The religion and customs sections are so informative that I found myself prepared for the basics of Islamic life and ready to learn more. This book inspired me to take the unbeaten path and to still take in the wonderful tourist draws. Ive browsed through the two other major guides on the middle east, they dont compare to the thorough down to earth writing that Lonely Planet produces. Occasionaly, there could be more entries on Long Distance Travel (getting there and away) and there could have been more mention of the smaller budget tours that are offered in the region, however I still contend that this is the best pick for Middle East travel guides for all traveler of all Budgets.

This guidebook by the Lonely Planet was an excellent companion on my recent trip to India. The information was up-to-date and informative, yet never too wordy or boring. The "text-box" inserts were very entertaining while at the same time useful.

This guide is perfect for those traveling on a budget or those who want to take a "first-class" trip across northern India.

The maps in the book are very useful, as is the information about how not to get ripped off as a tourist. Highly recommended to everyone (of Indian origin or not) if you are contemplating a trip to India.