From the author of the totally creepy Bunker Man comes another finely honed short novel set in the slightly askew world of northeast Scotland. The teenager on his own for the weekend has a fine tradition in modern fiction, and McLean adds to it with his tale of Patrick, an 18-year old in the tiny town of Blackden. Many familiar elements are present in his story: comic misadventure, unrequited admiration of an older woman, a somewhat manic personality, and alienation from his ostensible peers. He a hard worker and yet gentler and far more thoughtful than those around him. It's a truly affectionate portrait of a boy grappling with his place in the world. McLean's writing is both economical and evocative, as he vividly displays Patrick's life and surroundings.

Once acclimatized to the lovely, amusing and lyrical Scottish vernacular of the first few paragraphs (the vernacular becomes actually addictive) I couldn't stop reading this book, staying up till 3 A.M. or so each night and grabbing for it first thing on waking. As the book is written in 'real time' (over the span of a single weekend) it felt like I'd spent the weekend with the brilliant and sweet and lusty Paddy Hunter himself, in his home town (somewhere outside Aberdeen?) and left me wondering about his next day, Monday - then would he switch jobs? Would he recant his disaffected barbs or would he take pains to get on better with his friends? Will he go on to London or New York and once there, will he feel better or what will happen? I want to know where Paddy will end up, I want to hear what he thinks about; wherever he lands himself, will his disquiet abate itself? How will he deal with what he feels? When I was finished, I turned to page one and began again. The press reviews invoke Holden Caulfield, but I feel that is doing a disservice to McLean's originality and ingenuous, articulate, and chirpy wisdom. He's a guy who finds he is longing for a place to feel at home, or people to feel at home with, but never does the narrative sink to any annoying or whining admission of this; instead, it depicts the uninvited rumblings that disrupt the complacencies and denial that shield us all from the truth of what or where we find ourselves.

Still, this book is a marvellously funny romp through a collection of snippets of tortured English. Delightful for those capable of seeing the humor in a sign that reads:

No
DOGS
EATING
BICYCLES

My only objection to this book was that I've seen too many of these entries before; between those that are in the chapter-ending "hall of fame" sections, that have appeared in previous books by this author, and those that I have seen in other similar books (Jay Leno's "Headlines" books, for instance) there were just too many that were too familiar to be entirely bizarre. Still, there was plenty of new material, and it was ALL funny, even the recycled parts.

As a devoted reader of Richard Lederer's previous "Anguished English" books, I was anxious to see if this book measured up to the previous titles. I was thrilled to find that it did that and more! There is no doubt that "The Bride of Anguished English" is a fantastic book that will keep me laughing for hours on end. Most all of the material is new, but it pays homage to classic English errors in a small "Hall of Fame" section at the end of each chapter. If you enjoy studying and/or laughing at the misuse of English, this is a book for you.

I heard about this book when Carole guest-chef'd on the Martha Stewart TV show. I liked her style and recognized her passion for food, its presentation, and the whole dining experience. So I ordered her book. It's full of great recipes, although I had hoped for a few more make-ahead recipes. As a caterer who works without help, and as someone who wants to enjoy my own parties when I entertain, I'm always looking for well-prepared make-ahead recipes. But overall it's a wonderful cookbook, arranged seasonally and by the occasion, which I love. However, the photographs are horrible. I've never seen a cookbook of this quality with such horrible photographs. Where was the food stylist? Where was the lighting? Many of the photos are overexposed, and most are too busy. I think most of us who love food and cooking also love looking at photos - but we need to be able to tell what the heck it is! I hope Carole makes enough money on this cookbook that she can hire a real food photographer for her next book.

Although a novice at food preparation, I enjoy cooking for others, preferably in large quanities. At this writing, I have prepared and served two of the buffet menus in this book. Both were a joy to prepare. The clear/concise instructions allow for advance preparation of the menus, with time to actually enjoy the crowd that is being served. Each menu item compliments the next and other similar fare may be matched from different menu plans. I found the book to be a great addition to my collection. This book includes great ideas for food presentation and set-up, from inexpensive to lavish. I would recommend this book for the beginner to intermediate chef. After two successful buffets, I am already planning my third.

What struck me is that this book analyzes natural law within a legal context: many of the contributing authors are attorneys as well as philosopher. This is particularly helpful to our nation today, as I think more citizens will have to reassess the role of the judiciary these days.

For the latter half of the 20th century, worries over "judicial acitivism" and judges' making decisions that should be made by legislatures have been the domain of conservatives, with Roe v. Wade probably being the chief example. But now liberals have said similar things about the Supreme Court's Bush v. Gore decision. It is high time for intelligent discussion, and this book is a solid foundation for a dialogue.

By looking at natural law historically, legally, and philosophically, the authors of this book examine how natural law works and various challenges to it. This book is a very good introduction, and I have come away with a greater respect for natural law and its vital role in our nation, and also new questions to pursue (and more books to buy...).

The contributing authors are an impressive team of formidable thinkers, and while most of the writers clearly come from a religious background, the are pretty good about keeping what they say applicable to a secular society (the last two essays tend to be more theological than philosophical, and I thought that hurt their impact).

I think MacIntyre's essay on the role of the ordinary person in natural law is particularly valuable: if the American citizenry cannot execute sound moral judgment, our nation as a constitutional republic is in grave danger. Fuller's essay on Locke's struggles with natural law is an honest and challenging look at natural law's theoretical chinks. Riley's essay on tort law gave excellent lessons on liability, but with lawsuits being as common as they are nowadays, I would have hoped for more practical insights on today's situation, and possible remedies.

On the whole, this book is a good read and a good challenge. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in ethics or concerned about the present condition of the United States.

Common Truths: New Perspectives On Natural Law is a collection consisting of cogent remarks and prescient essays: Are There Moral Truths That Everyone Knows? (Ralph McInerny); Natural Law: The Legacy of Greece and Rome (J. Rufus Fears); Aquinas, Natural Law, and the Challenges of Diversity (John Jenkins); John Locke's Reflections on Natural Law and the Character of the Modern World (Timothy Fuller); Theories of Natural Law in the Culture of Advanced Modernity (Alasdair MacIntyre); What Dignity Means (Virginia Black); Natural Law and Positive Law (Robert P. George); Natural Rights and the Limited of Constitutional Law (Russell Hittinger); Natural Law and Sexual Ethics (Janet E. Smith); Contract Law and Natural Law (Edward J. Murphy); Tort Law and Natural Law (William N. Riley); Criminal Law and Natural Law (Ian A.T. McLean); and Natural Law in the Twenty-First Century (Charles E. Rice). Common Truths is scholarly, intellectually stimulating reading for anyone wanting to better understand and appreciate the permanent norms of human action and their relationships to a moral and political life.

This is an excellent novel that you can not stop reading; there is not a boring moment. Anne McLean Matthews tells the story of Helen Meyer, a depressed therapist and mother of two. Helen's children are grown and her husband of twenty-five years has recently passed away. Helen's distressed life sends her to a vacationing cabin in the woods of New Hampshire. The last time she was at the cabin was with her family nearly fifteen years ago. At the cabin, Helen is abducted by a disturbed man and is tortured for what seems to be a lifetime. The interesting thing about this story is how Helen relates to the serial killer. Helen Meyer is a person whose courage you will long remember. Helen's vacation begins terrifying and concludes with a gruesome murder.

Once I started reading I couldn't put it down. Some parts had my heart racing and at times had me gasping for air(some of the decriptions were so vivid). Passed the book on to friends and they also enjoyed the book.

I absolutly loved this book! I had to finish reading "The Cave" the moment I started. It's the most suspenseful book I've ever read. It has definatly made me more aware of the type of evil that exists in this world, even though it is non-fiction the possibility of this type of thing happening is very real. I couldn't help getting chills, just thinking how it would be if I were in a situation like this and being hunted down by a demented KILLER.

This is not really a book about grammar; for example, if you misuse the word "literally" or "penultimate" because who don't know what it means, well, bob's your uncle, but you are not struggling with grammar. The book has a lot of examples like these, but doesn't address many of the really difficult grammatical mistakes that I make and that I hear.

I am extremely surprised, for example, that the author does not mention the use of "Fred and I" when "Fred and me" should be used, in for example "Jane played golf with Fred and me". Strangely, the author does mention the use of "myself" in place of "me" (thus, "Jane played golf with Fred and myself") but seems to think people say "myself" because they feel it pretentious to say "me". I believe they say "myself" because they are not sure if "me" or "I" is correct. Maybe it's just I, but me hear people say "with Fred and I" all the time now, and it's driving I crazy, believe you myself.

This is an instructional book with a sense of humor. Rather than be lulled to sleep with rules, this book wittily explains some of the finer points of writing.

Tips abound in this volume of insight into the world of grammar. A fair part of this book is focused on commonly confused words. Knowing the difference in the words will help any writer overcome the false confidence that spell-check and grammar-check give. This book is not just about grammar. The authors included a section on improving spelling and a section on improving writing in general. Each is explained well and has examples.

Another feature of this book worth mentioning is the quizzes given. The answers are in the back, which allows the readers to test their knowledge.

Although the wording is easy to follow, beginners may not get the most out of this book unless they are already familiar with the parts of speech. As a reference for those wanting to upgrade their writing, this fits the bill. I would recommend it.

It was my misfortune to grow up in an educational era that lacked foucs on grammar. My papers were always returned with more red corrections than black type; however, no explaination was given to prevent further (not farther) error.

Sleeping Dogs Don't Lay was the first step in my grammatical journey. It was fun, and easy to follow. I recommend it to anyone who wants to polish up on their grammar usage, or who just wants a basic grammar foundation to work from.

After reading this text I was physically sick in several locations of my local shopping centre. Needless to say, the book needs a lot more editing before it could pass as a script for any high school assessment, and I find it hard to believe that it has sold more than ten thousand copies in the United States alone. Had I been the publisher, as I wish I had been, I would have recommended a total overhall of the story-line as well as the total removal of some of the weak characters that are the basis of the novel. I like death metal.

I was tootaling along in my car listening for the first time to an audio tape of Stuart McLean reading his Stories from the Vinyl Cafe. I almost ran off the road because I was laughing so hard.

Every time I hear the story of the jock strap I start to howl all over again. And so it is with so many of his stories.

I want to send the tapes to my children and friends and particularly, my enemies. I am sure they will not think so badly of someone who sent them such merriment.[...]

I'll admit it, this was the first book by Stuart McLean that I had ever read, and I never put it down. Each short story was a twist of new comedic surprise. What I liked most about this collection of short stories, is that each one stems from the last. I also enjoyed reading about a Canadian family, and about thier hectic lifes in rural Ottawa. I immidiatly beagn reading Home from the Vynil Cafe, by Stuart McLean, after I had finished Stories from the Vynil Cafe. The only draw back I can find with this book, is that it is simply too short! I was devestated when my page turner had no more pages to turn.

When I bought this book, I was looking for definitions and some background on political thought and all I found were leftist views in this book.

For example, the Great Leap Forward is categorized as a plan that "proved highly successful" except for the fact of "the abivalence of many of China's leaders toward centralized planning" and that "the plan was not fully applied."

Another example, is where the term "Federalism" is said to be a "very convenient, increasingly popular, always ambiguous, and sometimes dangerous concept."

As for the term "Marxism", they wrote "Marxism has often been politically successful in peasant-based less developed societies..." Then the entry ends with "as capitalism continues to be experience severe economic threats for the very survival of the human race, that there will continue to be a significant measure of political space in which Marxist ideas will continue to be expressed, debated, and transformed."

I am returning this book.

This is one of the most comprehensive and handy reference texts for political science student. Invaluable for any undergraduate or someone interested in gaining an increased understanding of political science. Highly readable and comprehensive and will serve as atrusted companion for any serious student or practioner of political science. I bought my copy in 1999 and I still hold on to it and turn to it when the occasional idea I hear from "experts" on tv fails to ring a bell.

Concision is a necessity in any dictionary, but thorough essentiality is a delightful plus. It is that extra which abounds in this work. The definitions provide readers with enough essentials to provide them with a working knowledge of the subject matter and to spur further reading.

No work can be entirely devoid of ideology, but I saw nothing particularly "leftist" about this work. That specter seems to haunt one reviewer below. However, it is more accurate to say that this dictionary sees no need to repeat the "official" views of neo-liberal democracies about its perceived enemies. It is as "objective" as a political book can be and as accurate as we expect of a dictionary.

This is an excellent tool for those who need explanations of political matters, which includes anyone who studies politics seriously. I highly recommend it.

I read this book when I was in middle school and really wanted to read a book about Greek mythology because that was my main interest back then. I read this book and enjoyed it, despite its childish narration(a bit more fit for six year olds). However, I was disappointed when I did further research and discovered that many of the myths were wrong in this book. For one thing, in this book, when man disregarded the gods, the gods took fire from mankind and Prometheus took the fire from the gods to return to men, but as punishment he was chained to a rock. Well, anyone who knows mythology well enough knows that Prometheus actually stole fire to introduce to mankind and was honored, but later punished because he made it so that the gods got the worst of the sacrifice. In addition, the book doesn't say that Hercules performed his labors for the king because of Hera's jealousy. Instead, it makes it seem like the gods sentanced Hercules to work for the king for no reason at all. I was also ticked off by the puny, unecessary dialogue and the fact that the Latin equivalents of the Greek gods were used instead of the real Greek names(such as Minerva instead of Athena). Now, for some postivie info, it does at least have some good illustrations and most of the stories actually were right. I must admit it did a fairly good job at telling the stories of Perseus, Orpheus, and Theseus. I would for sure not recommend this book if you're looking for an introduction to Greek mythology. Instead, I recommend checking out Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia(with plenty of articles on Greek myths) and "D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths". If you'd like to read this book, better to go for the library than to buy it.

This was the first book I read as a 6-year-old after the basic learn-to-read primers. It sparked a love for Greek myths and other classics that has lasted to this day. There are some changes in the text, but it puts the plot in terms a child can understand without embarrassing a parent. Came back to buy the book for my own daughter.

A resource/reading teacher at the third grade level for almost three decades, I have used Adventures of the Greek Heroes to great effect at the beginning of the year. The book is on a beginning third grade level. The controlled vocabulary will annoy older readers, but suits young readers. A great introduction to the Greek myths, and surprisinly detailed in its accounts of the six or so heroes on which it is mainly focused: Prometheus, Hercules, Perseus, Theseus, Orpheus, Jason. It's about 170 pages and well-illustrated.

Adventures of the Greek Heroes is by no means comprehensive. For that you need D'Aulaire's Book of Greek Myths, which is on about a fifth grade level. A wonderful book that is indeed encyclopedic. It begins with the origins of the gods and proceeds roughly chronologically to the Trojan war.

Wiseman and McClean's Adventures of the Greek Heroes, nonetheless, is a very valuable introduction for younger readers, eight and nine year olds, particularly for boys, who, as we all know, are less inclined to read. This book motivates third grade boys like few others.

I have bought this for all my hunting partners and we laugh about it every time we are out. It is a very funny look at a sport that if you step back and look at you might question your sanity. Here is guy that some how gets to the humor of the sport and reminds us not to take it to serious. Now my Yellow Lab is still miffed about the idea of a pig and would like to say a few words if he could type! Lets face it we have all hunted with dogs that were not to smart! I learned a few things form it as itJoe well research and has enough humor to make it a good read. The art work is great too! This is goofy look at a sort of goofy sport. This is the type of guy you would like to spend time in a blind with on slow day! What a laugh.

Being a duck/goose hunting guide, I don't very often read guidebooks but a client gave me a this book for Christmas. I think ol' Buck has spent maybe a little too much time in the blind at times but his book is very funny, especially when he describes why its better to use a pig than a dog as a retriever.

Buck has knocked the stuffing out of the serious stuff about waterfowling. He prefers to hunt with a pig, wonders about the same goofy things all duck hunters do when the birds aren't flying and shows that good humor is key to any enjoyment of a field sport. Buy this book - there are spoofs in this book that will make a serious hunter laugh out loud. My dad did.