I read this book as part of a course on women in world religions, and it has remained dear to me ever since. It is essentially the findings of a study on how feminist women relate to Protestant and Roman Catholic Christianity, told through quotes from their responses to the study questions. There is some commentary on the responses, which provides a valuable framework through which to view them, but the real power of this book comes from hearing the struggles and triumphs of women in the church (and out of the church) in their own words, as they try to come to terms with spirituality and God without sacrificing their own personhood. If you have felt alienated from the church because of your gender, you are not alone! I would recommend it to any woman who has committed herself to a spiritual path and who is struggling to find her place in what is essentially a patriarchal religion. I wish more male priests and pastors would read this book as well, because it would really open some eyes as to what women are feeling and thinking and how much we are often excluded in conventional worship. The final message of the book is that women are creating a feminist spirituality to make up for the lack of a place for us in more conventional congregations, and that this is not only possible but healthy and liberating. Overall, inspiring.

I was first introduced to Adair's work in the mid-eighties as a student at the Royal Military College of Canada. I've since revisited this book, and have found that the clear, simple expression of what leadership is, what leaders do and the interrelationship between the task, the group and the individual is still as relevant as it ever was. In a world of fads and gimmicks, John Adair's simple, pragmatic and battle-proven techniques are a refreshing change. It is too bad this title is out of print... perhaps the publishers will see fit to re-issuing it. After twenty-plus years of studying and teaching leadership, this is still the best practical guide I've ever found.

Jeff Griffiths Vice President, Management Performance Practice, Canada Training Group, Calgary. jeffgriffiths@canada-training-group.ca

I found this book to be a great read! Truly one of the epic romances. I enjoyed the Irish background and historical events. Emerald is a rich, full character. I rode the waves of emotion with her. Try it snuggled on the couch one night. You won't be able to put it down.

The hardback volume is filled with contemporary prints of officers and events of the ECW. This book not only coves the military events of the wars, but also the political and religious. The major battles are called out into sidebars, providing a reasonable description of the fighting. Unfortunately, a few minor events are recorded that are somewhat trivial. The book also includes a section of thimbnail bios of the major commanders on each side of the conflict. On the whole, a book that no serious student of the ECW can be without.

Frommer's Mexico '98 is an excellent resource for hotels in the moderate range. I found that their descriptions and rate information were very accurate. I was very pleased with all of the recommendations (especially the Frommer's favorites). The restaurant information was equally accurate with respect to description and cost. I would not rely on this book for all of the sightseeing information. Supplement with other books such as the Michelin guide and Lonely Planet. Overall, this is an excellent resource for travel in Mexico.

This book offers a fairly wide selection of activities for almost any composer project or unit. Each activity is grouped by the type of skill used; i.e. Creative Drawing or Enrichment Activities. The skill level is also included: Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced. The activities are interesting and are fun for the students. Most of the activities however, are geared toward beginner and intermediate levels, and would be best used with elementary students; there are not as many for the upper grades. Other than that this book is well thought out and well put together, a very good resource for teaching composers to students and incorporating some writing/research/drawing skills as well!

While driving through Brittany, France, Guy Lantern finds his way blocked by a lightning-struck tree; on the other side is a French art expert in a hurry. They swap cars - Lantern's Mini for the Frenchman's Rolls - and what follows is a sort of homage to Hitchcock movies such as North by Northwest, in which Lantern is drawn into a complex plot, complete with femme fatale and a Proust-quoting baddie. The tale zips along, often amusing, always entertaining, to a very clever finale. Adair is a great observer of people and things, and his eye for detail adds to the at-times almost surreal atmosphere.

Key to Algebra books provide a wonderful proggresive course for students. Key to Algebra Book 3 Equations focuses on excersices. The first page of the book provides the history of the Equations.In the end of the book, provided is a Practice Test which reviews the lessons taught in the book. The book provides pages that will teach the process in solving the coming excersices. However, these pages are usually not enough to give a student who is beginning to learn algebraic equations a full understanding. The student may be obliged to ask somebody older to help them.

E.T.A. Hoffmann (1776-1822) was an early exponent of stories imbued with a supernatural twist. His career encompassed several significant endeavors, from music and painting to practicing law. While working in the Prussian civil service, Hoffmann continued to work as a musical instructor. Eventually, he left the service to pursue his first love, working as a music critic, director, and conductor (he changed one of his names to Amadeus in tribute to the famous composer). When Hoffmann realized he would never create great works of music he turned to writing. Within a short time, his short stories gained much attention, eventually influencing later writers such as Edgar Allan Poe, Franz Kafka, and Robert Louis Stevenson. Tchaikovsky's 'The Nutcracker' is based on one of Hoffmann's stories.

This Hoffmann story issued by Hesperus Press, entitled 'Mademoiselle de Scuderi,' does not contain an overtly supernatural theme. Instead, the reader finds within these pages a cracking good murder mystery set in Paris during the reign of Louis XIV. A knock at the door of the Scuderi residence in the middle of the night serves as the impetus for an investigation into a series of murders occurring within the city limits. The murders involve some of the wealthiest people of the time, and the king himself is eager to find out who is responsible for the crimes. Moreover, the murderer is stealing jewelry from the victims, jewelry made by one of the top craftsmen in the country named Rene Cardillac. This jeweler is one odd duck, a man who possesses a fierce jealously about all of the ornaments he creates. As more and more people fall victim to the unknown killer (or killers), Louis creates a special commission called the 'chambre ardente' to investigate this blatant crime spree. Will the people responsible be brought to justice or will the killings continue unabated? What will happen if an innocent man is unjustly accused of the crime?

Enter Mlle. de Scuderi, an aging woman who moves in the top circles of Parisian society. The aforementioned knock on her door brings her into the center of the intrigue. This good lady who writes novels and poetry that even the king enjoys immensely finds herself approached by Olivier Brusson, an apprentice to Cardillac who has a strange story to tell. For Brusson, Mlle. de Scuderi is the only hope he has if he wishes to remain among the living. What seems to be a simple case of murder and greed soon blossoms into a tragic love story that will require the assistance of none other than Louis XIV if it is to survive.

The foreword to this version of the story, written by Gilbert Adair, argues that Hoffmann's little tale of murder constitutes the first detective story in western literature, predating Edgar Allan Poe's 'The Murders in the Rue Morgue' by many years. The problem with this claim involves the role of Mlle. de Scuderi. Adair attempts to invest this figure with shrewd deductive powers, even comparing her with Agatha Christie's Miss Marple. Regrettably, the story does not bear this argument out. Mlle. de Scuderi does little in the way of concrete investigation. Rather, people come to her in order to relate events because of the influence she carries with Louis. More than once she is not even sure who is guilty or innocent. In short, it would seem that Poe's reputation is safe.

Since the story is only eighty-two pages long, further divulgence of plot points or characters will probably ruin the story. If you have any interest in reading Hoffmann's work, buy a collection of his stories so you get more bang for your buck.