This book offers no new information or perspectives on the West, but it is a useful introduction nonetheless. Limerick seems to be a cultural conservative who also wishes to parrot the more interesting perspectives of other writers. I wish she had taken more trouble over the Native peoples, instead of playing it safe. There is nothing objectionable about this book, but it is really kind of dull, too. As a feminist I'm looking for something with more intellectually stimulating discourse. There wasn't anything like that here.

I enjoyed "Recognizing Abuse," because it explained all forms of abuse I never knew. I experienced physical, verbal, and mental abuse in my childhood which followed in my first marriage. By coming from a abuse background, I thought it was normal when my husband physically abused me. In my second marriage, I was abusing my husband verbally. After reading the novel, it made me aware of the abuse I was doing to my present husband. The section on communication hit home for and made me aware of some changes I had to make with myself. Anyone who has been abused can learn a lot about other froms of abuse that they did not know. I would recommend the novel to anyone who is being abuse, anyone who wants to know about abuse or anyone who wants to get out of an abuse situtation. I was very honored to be mention in the novel.

According to the introduction, Redeeming the Time was meant to be a companion to The Politics of Prudence, both books containing nearly the whole of Kirk's lectures to the Heritage Foundation. Some of the essays are among Kirk's last words to us, covering much ground: education, justice, architecture, fiction, multiculturalism, capital punishment, human rights, natural law, and a devastating critique of libertarians.

The autobiographical elements are among my favorites, for they demonstrate Kirk's skill as a storyteller. I enjoyed the comical story of the battle he undertook with his four daughters to keep a TV out of his household. In opposing television Kirk was taking up a truly quixotic cause. Of interest, too, was the tale of Clinton, the burglar-butler and reformed convict whom the Kirk family befriended. These anecdotes encourage the reader to pick up Kirk's fine autobiography, The Sword of Imagination.

Despite my admiration for "Criminal Character and Mercy," I had to disagree with his stance on capital punishment. While capital punishment might be an act of mercy in some cases, it assumes infallibility on the part of an obviously flawed judicial system, having no answer to the likelihood that innocent people would be put to death. Today's courtroom is a poor place for finding the truth. Capital punishment places ultimate power of life and death into the hands of that courtroom (the state) -- a tough position for conservatives to accept.

The only other disagreement I have is in the area of religion, a subject which occupied more of Kirk's writing as he grew older, not as an evangel of any particular denomination or religion, for his friendships and acquaintances were wide, his defense of plurality unwavering, but in his insistence on the connection between religion and order. The title itself, borrowed from T. S. Eliot, suggests hope for redemption and Kirk's unwillingness to leave his readers with yet another jeremiad by yet another gloomy conservative. Cheerfulness breaks in, he wrote, decadence and renewal work in cycles, and Americans themselves, through sound choice, hold the key to their own future.

Like Burke, Kirk believed in the civil use of religion in holding a society together. Order, rather than freedom, is the foundation of civilization. Order there must be, I am sure, but I am less convinced that religion is its only source. Belief in the primacy of order unites the views of Burke, Johnson, and Smith in the essay "Three Pillars of Order." I was particularly interested in how Smith might fit into Kirk's traditional conservatism.

The lecture form necessarily put limits on what Kirk could accomplish in these essays. Therefore the reader may find this volume less satisfying than more thorough treatments such as Prospects for Conservatives or Roots of American Order. Nevertheless, it remains a valuable anthology of elegant prose and clear thinking that could bring a fair amount of wisdom to readers of all political stripes.

Invaluable for any would be sociologist or anyone else interested in socio-criminolgy or deviance or statistics. Both authors display incredible method, intelligence, and craft. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and it was assigned!

It's a pity this elegant book is now out of print, since it traces the artistic evolution of Mark Klett, one of our foremost American landscape photographers. Combining his knowledge of geology with his interest in photography, Klett saw himself originally as a direct artistic descendant of great 19th Century American photographers such as Carleton Watkins and Timothy O'Sullivan. Indeed, one of his earliest projects was to photograph again the same locales these photographers photographed during their work as official photographers to several U. S. government scientific surveys. Klett's work shows a deep affection and appreciation of the American landscape, especially the Southwest. Yet it is also a series of cautionary visual tales noting how we have inadvertently ruined that landscape through pollution and other signs of human activity. Hopefully this splendid book will be published again soon.

This is a love story about how two unlikely people meet - a young aspiring band member, and a female limosine driver; along with their complicated life-styles. The true emotions of the, "aspiring couple," are vivid and realistic, and the reader can relate, as well as feel their struggles, happiness, anxiety, and pain.

This is a CLEAN romance story, so if you're looking for the typical "boy meets girl," love-making/passionate night stories, you don't need to buy this book. If you are looking for a TRUE romance book, where people actually CARE about each other, and not just interested in just that, "one thing," then this is the book for you.

Mrs. Principe-Nelson has a fasinating and interesting way of showing how her characters inner-relate with each other. The story moves along quickly, meaning she doesn't focus SO long on a particular story-line that you soon get bored with it. When I started reading the book, I could NOT put it down because you never know what is going to happen next.

Her personal traveling experiences are revealed in the book as well, as she describes in great detail the streets, restruants, hotels, etc. that are found in Los Angeles, as well as England. This makes the story appear to be realistic, and not just some, "made-up" fairy tale romance.

The characters are funny, whitty, and sometimes, even down-right irritating, but that's what makes this story wonderful.

I would highly reccommend this book. You won't be disappointed.

This set contains two now out of print audio books: "Four Card Draw" and "The Turkey Feather Riders." All three are well done with a great cast of characters and special effects. The audio is crisp and clear, easily heard in an automobile's noisy environment.

Four Card Draw. Louis L'Amour starts this audio volume with a short discourse on period books about the old west. "Four Card Draw" is told first person by Allen Ring, a gambler who wins the Red Rock Ranch in Arizona. He is told the ranch is haunted by someone who was murdered there. That someone was one of the three Haslet brothers, owners of a neighboring ranch, who are out for revenge. Allen walks right into the middle of a frying pan and ends up fighting for his life!

Riding For The Brand. Jed Asberry wins a poker game only to find himself robbed by the angry losers. They dump him in the desert with no clothes, left to die. Days later, on his last legs, he stumbles across three recently killed people (two men and a woman)... in the middle of the desert. Taking clothes, guns, and papers from one of the men, Jed becomes Micheal Latch. Micheal was on his way to inherit a ranch, so Jed decides to assume this role. He finds himself up to his neck in serious shooting trouble as someone else is willing to murder to get the property!

The Turkey Feather Riders. Louis L'Amour starts this story by giving a short discourse on cowboys and the cattle business as it was in the 1860's through 1880's (and now). Jim Sandefer is the forman for a New Mexico ranch. His boss, Grey Bowen, makes a sudden visit (after years of being away) with his daughter, Elaine, and some new guests: Rose and Lee Martin. Grey wants to marry Rose, but Jim discovers that she and her son are up to something that doesn't smell right! Then the shooting begins!

Well worth the purchase price. Run Time: 180 minutes.

book is due to be reprinted by Open Court in September 199

This book is just way too much fun to read. A friend of mine was reading it while in his bathroom, and resounding laughter echoed through out the whole house. Another cowboy who had recently read the book went out to check his mother cows, and found himself in the same situation as "Ira" and couldn't help busting into a laughing episode. This book is far from serious and if you need some good comic relief, it is a terrific perscription!