I found the book useful, though there is no substitute for reading the books. For those who have already read the Chronicles it gives some interesting facts. I have loved the Chronicles from an early age and I would hope that the Companion to Narnia is useful to all friends of Narnia.

If you think that the Chronicles of Narnia ought to be required reading for children, then the Companion to Narnia ought to be required reading for us adults that fell in love with Narnia as children. Yes, I'm sure that if you had to write a paper or do a report on any of the Chronicles for school, this book would be invaluable. But the fact is, it goes far beyond that to a much broader audience...

C.S. Lewis's Chronicles represent some of the finest high-Fantasy novels ever written, period. But for most of us, at least at the first reading, this is all they were. As we grow older, and read the Chronicles again and again, we begin to discover more of the meaning behind the writing; this book guides you further along that path of discovery. It is well-organized and very thorough; I have had little difficulty finding any of the references I wanted to explore.

If you want a person to love the Chronicles, buy the series for them when they are a child. If you want them to appreciate it the way you do, buy them the Companion when they grow a bit older...

corpus-callosum's [Amazon.com] review mentions "At the end of the articles, Ford has placed in parentheses an abbreviated reference to the specific book and page number that coincides with the topic being discussed. "

There are two numbers separated by a comma- the first is the tradepaperback/hardback HaperCollins or Harper Trophy page number, the second (after the comma) is for the Harper Trophy rack sized (mass market) paperback editions.

Examples from the Companion book listings to check pagination of the Narnia editions you have to see if they match up on the correct page:

Lion Witch Wardrobe: Hosea 11:10 "at the sound of his roar" 79,85
Prince Caspian:Isaiah 9:1"the people that lived in hiding" 72,75
Dawn Treader: Isaiah 6:6 "a little live coal" 207,224
Silver Chair: Psalms103:9 "I will not always be scolding" 236,250
Horse & His Boy: Daniel 4:24 "not a donkey!" 219,235
Magician's Nephew: Job 38:7 "stars themselves singing" 107,117
Last Battle: Deut.33:27 "between the paws of the true Aslan" 121, 134

I have the trade paperback Harper Trophy "full-color collector's edition of Narnia, boxed set ISBN: 0064409392 and the first number of the two (the one before the comma) matches perfectly in all the Narnia books.

I just finished reading THE SEARCH FOR PAST LIVES. Would it be a good idea, as part of the high school experience just after graduation, when a student takes his SAT's and before he/she reaches 20-years of age; that they receive at least one regression session to unload any baggage from past lives and better understand why they made certain choices during adolescence?

Had I had read this book and been regressed once or twice before I was 20-years old in 1962, I could have made better choices in college and later business and career moves. While I have had a successful marriage of 30-years and reared three stable well balanced children, I still wonder what life would have been like if I had of unloaded a bit of emotional baggage and better understood why to this day I am still unable to accomplish certain things, i.e., understand the works of the English poet Milton, and learn advanced mathematics beyond geometry. Yet since a very young age, I have had a fascination and intuitive understanding of steam locomotives and the construction and maintenance of railroads.

These are not major life changing issues, but they do give me reason to pause and think.

Your book is a good read and I have recommended it to all my immediate family, friends, and acquaintances - those that will listen for a minute and keep an open mind. Yes, I have been shut down in mid-sentence when trying to talk about this book work. This is generally someone who wants to changes the subject to golf or women or anything away from the topic of past life exploration. I always find this moment very interesting as have others sitting at the table...

A ground breaking book that clearly shows how many of the decisions we make today come back to us tomorrow or the next life or the next etc. Bryan, with his tremendous experience and wisdom, brings the point home with many, many fascinating regression accounts of souls who have journeyed far and wide. Souls who for reasons of their own have passed judgments against themselves which they live out in numerous incarnations. Hauntingly familiar it posses the question, "If I am the creator of my life - then just what am I creating and why?" We clearly see that the decisions we make become our own purgatory or not. The question is what will we do about it? Certainly Bryan poses an incredible solution and that is to go into that life and let it go. This is not a how to book, nor is it presented as such. It is more of a documentary of the life of souls and how the decisions we make shape it now and in the future, and of course how we have shaped our now in our past. I highly recommend this book to any reader if even for the fascinating stories but I would particularly recommend it to those that wish assume the rightful title of author of their life, for this book clearly shows that we are whether we know it or not. Extraordinary, must read! Thanks Mr. Jameison.

Bryan Jameison is a talented and experienced past life regressionist. He details many of the experiences of people who came to him for past life regressions and tells us how the experience helped those people heal. Apparently we carry over emotions and even physical feelings from trauma in past lives. A person can obtain healing of many problems, both emotional and physical, by revisiting past lives and releasing trauma and unwanted feelings. This is an easy to read book by an author both knowledgeable and humorous. I've read dozens of books about past lives and this is one of the best!

I purchased this book, only to realize that all the writer can do is teach you his style. It does show you the difference between snap shots and decent photographs. The key lesson in the book is to look for an unusual angle. Differentiate your pictures from snapshots.

A Photography student would be better off, looking at every picture you see, and try to learn from it. Experiment, and join your local Photography club. You will learn a lot more at the club than any book can teach you -- assuming you already understand the Basics. To Learn the Basics get the National Geographic Field Guide.

Look at this book in the library. 5 minutes is all you need with it.

Of the many books that purport to add compositional and other creative skills to your arsenal of photographic tools, this is the only one I have read that really delivers. Perhaps the most useful aspect of this book is that it shows how, by making one or two changes (camera angle, lens selection, time of day, etc.) the author took what would been a snapshot to a magazine cover or poster quality photo. In most cases, there are "before and after" photos for comparison, and there is always a complete but concise (and very understandable) explanation of the techniques he employed. Whether you are a beginner, or you have been doing serious amateur and professional photography for nearly forty years (as I have), I'd bet you can learn something from this book. Of three bookcases full of books on photography, this is one of the few that I consider indispensible. Highly recommended.

I have read a few books on compositions. What makes this one standout is the way Bryan illustrates his technique. In each chapter, he first defines each concept clearly, then he uses pictures and the related comments to demonstrate the point. Combining all the chapters, it is a complete approach to composition. He always includes a "big picture" shot to go with the sample picture to demonstrate the different the technique makes. By doing so, it also demonstrates how to use photography telling a story.
The focus is on building and fixed subject. The tonal contrast bit could be better. Also no mentioning of layering (maybe by design). These are very minor gipes.
The book is very easy to read and understand. It has a lot of beautiful pictures of Oregon. Hey, he has made power lines looking good (in picture anyway)! Highly recommended for beginner and intermediate photographer.

Neil Gaiman does it again! He takes Barbie, a marginal character in the "Doll's House" storyline and makes her into a 3 dimensional character. He also introduces some other great characters like Hazel, Foxglove, Clarissa, and my personal favorite in this volume, Wanda. After reading this tale, I was struck by how the characters matter so much in Sandman stories. How Neil cares about them so much that they keep popping up again and again in unlikely places. Even when someone mentions another person, I can tell that Neil has a character description written up for that person and they will appear in another story. Clarissa will appear again in "Kindly Ones", while Hazel and Foxglove are in both "Death" mini-series. (Also Foxglove is mentioned by another character in the "24 Hours" chapter in "Preludes and Nocturnes.")

That aside, "A Game of You" is probably the most personal story of the entire Sandman oeuvre. It's primarily the story of Barbie and her childhood dreams that become very real. The heart of the story is Barbie's relationship with Wanda which is both funny and touching. Dream doesn't appear much in this one, but the story is so good and the main characters so interesting that you won't mind at all.

No other volume of the magnificent Sandman series so perfectly captures the darkly magical essence as this one. Many people dislike it, and many will say that you should read other tales first, but for me personally, I think that if you like "A Game of You" then you will like all others, and if you dislike it, you probably will dislike many others as well. It is not as important to the story overall as some arcs, and the Sandman himself harldy interacts with the human characters until well into the story. Also absent are most of the Sandman's family, with Death being regelated to a cameo. However, this is what makes the issue so special. It uses the Sandman mileu to create a unique fantasy world of its own, one which uses archtypes to allow readers to identify with it and yet be startled around every turn. If the "death" of the world is not heartrending, then perhaps you lack the imagination that fuels such a world. Read this and enjoy.

In an age where almost all comics are aimed towards mass media entertainment, such as X MEN and the rest, it's refreshing to read comics with more depth and content to them. A Game Of You is one of my favorite books in the Sandman series. It showcases amazing characters, great storytelling, and a main character who is almost not in the book at all, which I enjoyed because the King of Dreams has always personally annoyed me with his pride and arrogance. However, on a lighter note, this book is amazing, but I would not recommend it as the first book for one to read in the Sandman series.

Philosophy Populariser Bryan Magee has come up with what can best be described as a 'Philosophy for Dummies' book. It is an excellent introduction to philosophy and philosophers, starting with the great Greek thinkers such as Socrates and Plato through to modern 20th-century analytic and existential philosophy. The book is marvellously illustrated, swathed with beautiful paintings and fascinating sidelights on famous scientific, literary and political figures. Magee also, unlike Russell in his famous 'History of Philosophy', recognizes the fundamental importance of Immanuel Kant to philosophy, as well as the greatness of Kant's follower and critic, the 'pessimist' Schopenhauer. Magee also doesn't misunderstand or attack the philosophies of Hegel and Nietzsche, something many philosophers unfortunately tend to over-react to in a negative manner.

There is little to whine about so far as this wonderful book is concerned, apart from one or two minor flaws. One let-down was the rather superficial discussion of some key movements in 20th century philosophy, such as the existential movement, phemenology, analytic philosophy and continental philosophy, which is extremely important to much of contemporary thought and work in the arts. Also dissapointing was the omission of important philosophers of science, such as Kuhn and Feyerabend. Magee also tended to swideswipe the rather important and difficult questions raised by 'postmodernism' about the possibility of truthful, factual and eternal truths and knowledges, and also tended to leave out important feminist thinkers, or only give them cursory examination.

Aside from this the book remains an excellent introduction and overview to the seemingly arcane and difficult subject of philosophy, and Magee excellently shows that rather than being a pointless armchair exercise in speculation or self-indulgent worldviews, philosophy is something profoundly human and bound up intimately in everything in life.

REVIEW: It's not often that I refer to a book as "beautiful", but that's the first word that comes to my mind for this book. I wish more books that tackle serious subjects were written in this style. It opens up learning of the subject to a broader audience. Magee's book seems almost perfect as an introduction, overview, and rough history of philosophy. It should make an excellent introduction and light reference book to the non-expert reader.

I have often read books (e.g. books by Peter Drucker) that refer to various philosophers and their writings and I typically felt I had an inadequate understanding since I had very little knowledge of philosophy. So I borrowed this book from a library and enjoyed it so much that I decided to purchase it. I especially like the way the book is organized into small, easy to read chapters with many graphics, and short sidebars. Magee also does an excellent job of tying the philosophers into the context of the art, religion, and history of each period (in a basic, not too detailed way).

STRENGTHS: Easy to read; very well organized; lots of supporting graphics (e.g. photos of period art) and sidebars; excellent index and list of suggested further readings for each philosopher; just the right level of detail for an introduction.

WEAKNESSES: Academics or those more knowledgable of philosophy may find the book too simple, or even childish (easy to read and lots of pictures).

WHO SHOULD READ THIS BOOK: Those who do not have an existing knowledge base of philosophy and who are looking for an easy to read general introduction, overview, or history of philosophy.

[feedback welcome]

Bryan Magee intended for this book to be an accessible and extensive overview of the history of philosophy. In my opinion, his THE STORY OF PHILOSOPHY accomplishes exactly that.

From the standpoint of being an overview, it covers trends in philosophy and the individuals who influenced these trends from the early Greek philosophers to the present day.

From the standpoint of accessibility, he uses language, thoughts, and anecdotes that are easily understandable without ever stooping to condescension.

Yes, the book is lavishly illustrated and could be an attractive "coffee table" book, but it is much more than just that. I found it both interesting and informative. Like so many good books of this nature, it gives enough information to create interest in following up on any of a number of subjects discussed in whatever depth one might choose. It also contains a good list of more detailed books on many of the great thinkers down through history who have been discussed here, coupled with the suggestion that one ought not to just read about them, but should also read their actual works.

In Magee's discussion of Saint Auguztine, he (Magee) shows Saint Augustine to be a real person with pain and desires just like the rest of us. He mentions that when Augustine was young and not yet reconciled to Christianity that he used to pray to God to "make me chaste, but not yet." How much more human could a future Saint be? I mention this because I found it fascinating and because it is indicative of many other special insights one can get from this book.

I found his section on Bertrand Russell to be particularly interesting. When Russell gives two slightly different versions of the same statement and discusses how one version goes against known fact and is therefore false, but the second version is without any factual basis and therefore cannot be proved to be either true or false he provides much food for thought.

There are discussions of everyone from Socrates to Kant; from French Philosophy to German Philosophy; from the early Greek world to the world of the 20th century; and more, much more.

There is also a handy glossary to explain the special nuances of many terms. All in all, I think that Magee has done an admirable job of writing a very readable book that meets his goal of accessibility coupled with a fairly comprehensive overview of his subject.

Count Carlstein is a very funny book and it will make you laugh at every bizzare turn. The story is about the demon huntsmen Zamiel and Count Carlstein. Count Carlstein has an evil plan to put up both his neices, Lucy and Charlotte, to Zamiel for eating on All Soul's Eve, when the forest is free to Zamiel. Will Charlotte and Lucy escape the count's evil plan with the help of Hildi, the kitchen maid, their old teacher, Max, a new freind, and a crazy doctor? Or will the Count and his sidekick Snivelwurst get the better of them? This is a truly bizarre and funny story you are sure to enjoy. The reason I gave it only four stars was because I have read the Golden Compass and Subtle Knife before I read Count Carlstein. They are the most amazing books I have ever read, though. This is a hilarious book you are sure to enjoy.

Although not one of Pullman's best novels for children, Count Karlstein is a very well written, suspenseful tale that has both horror and fantasy in it. When the evil Cout Karlstein of Castle Karlstein plots to let his two nieces be killed by the legendary, frightful Zamiel the Demon Huntsman, in order to save his own soul, the two nieces find out from a caring nanny in the Castle, who will do anything to save the children. They become frightened at once. Hildi, the nanny, takes them into hiding, and leaving the children up to themselves, she hopes that they will survive the terrible night in which the Demon Huntsman will arrive. This was a funny and scary book in one, with many page turning events, a frightening climax, and characters that are brave, good, and true. Horror blends into this book perfectly, with a twist of a very good tale told with Phiip Pullman's wonderful mind.

This book was really, really good. I have read a lot of books by Phillip Pullman (Golden Compass, Subtle Knife, Ruby in the Smoke, Shadow in the North, Tiger in the Well, Clockwork, and now this) and I have loved them all. My favorite part of this book was the "Police Report 354/21" I thought it was very funny. Note to person from Glodsboro, New York : This book is not MEANT to be on the same level as His Dark Materials. It's SUPPOUSED to be simpler! This book is wonderful, but it was not suppoused to be thought of as good BECAUSE it was complex, its just a good story. Anyway, this is a really great book and I reccomend it to anyone who liked any other of Phillip Pullman's books.

This is an amazing book! I use it every single time that I edit anything, and this is one book I don't mind carrying with me to clients' sites. Garner's book has extensive coverage of most aspects of our language, broken down by individual words and phrases; his thorough cross-referencing helps the user successfully navigate throughout the entire book. Garner provides numerous examples of correct and incorrect usage of every word covered, and for each incorrect usage, he provides a suggested revision. If more than one variation of a word usage or phrase is possible (e.g., "different from" vs. "different than"), Garner tells the reader which term or phrase is used more frequently (or is more preferable) under which circumstances. It is so refreshing to see a book that provides so many rewrites instead of just criticizing poor word usage/style; the rewrites alone provide invaluable assistance to the writer and editor alike. To top if off, Garner's writing style is humorous, friendly, and quite approachable-not a hint of arrogance or condescension. Garner's upbeat, helpful attitude, along with his citing of many examples of venerable publications/authors erring in some way, makes it very difficult to feel bad about not knowing the proper usage of some word or phrase. My only criticism of his book is that he doesn't cover every single word or phrase that vexes me-but this is a minor "nit" and doesn't occur often enough to deter me from using his book on a daily basis and recommending his book to all my colleagues.

Here's something that should make language lovers sit up and take notice: a thorough, gently entertaining but always informative book about the American language, written by a lawyer, in plain English.

For those who love the language, those who revere H.W. Fowler, John Bremner or Theodore Bernstein, but don't need the posturing or pomposity that sometimes accompanies columns or books on language, or those who simply enjoy wandering through the pages of a book that examines and comments upon commas, virgules, variants, Bryan A. Garner's Dictionary of Modern American Usage is the book to read.

Garner takes on all manner of problems, from the proper way to use the word each, to Hobson's Choice, to ordinance vs. ordnance and hundreds of other misuses and misunderstandings about American usage.

Most entries are quite short, as in the notation that "meld together" is a redundancy, while others, such as the entry on mendacity/mendicity/mendicancy, detail the distinctions that should be made in using these similar-sounding words. Most entries are accompanied by good, contemporary examples, but are sometimes explained through citations of older works.

The book is quite long,707 pages of entries in the hardcover edition, but worth the time of anyone who wants to brush up language skills, rediscover old rules, dispose of some other old rules, or broaden understanding of the differences between American and British usage.

Garner frequently cites newspapers and magazines when pointing out correct usage or mistakes, which makes the material fresh and relevant:

Comprise and compose: If the whole comprises the parts, the reverse can't be true, e.g., "Of the 50 stocks that comprise the index, 40 had gains...", From Florida Today, June 15, 1997.

In other words, comprise is not synonymous with "make up", no matter how many times people use it incorrectly.

extradite, indict, the former meaning to surrender or deliver a fugitive to another jurisdiction, the latter from the Latin to "write down" but some write as if the words are related, e.g., Ventura has a court hearing Thursday in San Juan, where she is expected to waive her right to fight extradiction (read extradition)..." From the Boston Herald, Oct.4, 1994.

and

Prosecutors argued that..he had jumped bail after a 1984 federal mail-fraud conviction and disappeared for nine years until being found and extradicted (read extradited)..." From The New York Times, Oct.7, 1994.

deceptive, deceptious. The latter is a needless variant. Or, if we have a perfectly good word, we don't need the invented alternative, which just causes readers to pause wonder about its meaning.

He also provides some useful definitions I've not encountered before, for example: dysphemism, the substitution of a disagreeable word or phrase for a neutral or even positive one. It is the opposite of euphemism. Some examples:
bean counter for accountant
jock for athlete
jarhead for Marine
bleeding heart for liberal
sawbones for surgeon
mouthpiece for lawyer
nerd for intellectual
stiff for cadaver
fascist for conservative

This book serves as a ready reference and a guide to those who love English. It's worth its hefty price.

Brian A. Garners', A Dictionary of Modern American Usage is the one most necessary book of its type I've found for writers, teachers - especially English and Writing teachers - and all those who think themselves educated. Keep your Fowler's, Flesch, and Strunk & White, of course, But READ this, employ it.

Every serious student needs this book. Why? Because this book is far better than any other I've found to clarify, discern, and guide the foundational thinking behind one's written words.

Mr. Garner is, if not a philosopher, an honest, discerning, and well-rounded thinker. He brings into clear focus many of the problems of writing effectively in English.

Is this the sort of book that seems too opaque and technical for your needs? Just read his argument in the Preface. You can become a better thinker, a better writer, a better person with the use of this book.

This is certainly one of Shakespeare's greatest works. Every individual character has been perfectly planned before the play was written, and each has his/her own unique characteristics. The plot is well-known, but Shakespeare adds the themes of betrayal, love, and distrust into the mix, making it a nonforgetable story. This is definately a masterpiece to be reread over and over again. LONG LIVE JULIUS CAESAR! GO SM!! WE ARE HIS #1 FANS!!!

"Cowards die many times before their deaths. The valiant never taste of death but once." - Caesar

Just one of the many brilliant quotes from this powerful and enduring tragedy, which happens to be amongst my very favorite Shakespeare. How could anyone not enjoy Marc Antony swaying the weak-minded and feeble-minded plebians with his vibrant and rousing speech? Julius Caesar is unquestionably quintessential Shakespeare, a monumental work that perhaps is surpassed only by Hamlet and rivaled by Othello, Macbeth, Romeo & Juliet, & King Lear.

Julius Caesar teaches us about the dangers and pitfalls of ambition, jealousy, power, as well as the sacrifice for the greater good - even if it is another's life. Amongst the bood-thirsty traiotors, only Brutus genuinely believes in the assassination of Caesar for the greater good of the Republic. Julius Caesar galvanizes the brain and awakens the spirit from within with scenes such as when Marc Antony proclaims, "Cry Havoc and let slip the dogs of war."
Countless amounts of quotes and passages throughout the play rank among my favorite Shakespeare. Needless to say, this book should be on the bookshelf of any and all with any semblance of intellect and enough cultivation to appreciate such superb literature.

The modern perspective following the text enlightens and should be read by anyone seeking more knowledge about this amazing tragedy and time in history. An irrepressible 5 stars.

This superb play by Shakespeare somehow reminded me of Antigona, the first play which directly examined the always complex interplay and usual confrontation between political reason and moral reason. This play is an excellent account of the immediately previous and subsequent days of Julius Caesar's assasination by Brutus, his best friend, and other conspirators. Brutus is persuaded by the resentful Cassius that Caesar has betrayed Rome by abandoning the Republic and turning to Dictatorship. Brutus gets to be convinced that, in order to save the Republic, Caesar must be killed. This puts him in a great dilemma, for he loves Caesar and he's his closest friend. Here we see in an acute form the way in which political power gets in conflict with morality and feelings. Friendship, power and betrayal are the basic subjects of this excellent piece of work.

"What makes Sneden's history remarkable is his attention to detail... So compelling was his drive to document the war accurately that Sneden kept notes even while in Andersonville, writing in shorthand on scraps of pages of books that he later sewed into the linings of his cloths to keep hidden.... It is astonishing that such valuable experience could have remained hidden for so long." --Michael Larkin, The Boston Globe

"This is quite simply a wonderful book.... One can virtually hear the soldiers snoring and the mules braying.... Especially moving is [Sneden's] account of the horrible months he spent in Andersonville.... Sneden's all-observing eye was truly 'in the storm,' and his belatedly published memoir should soon become a standard in the field." --Ben L. Bassham, Civil War Book Review

Robert Sneden served as a map maker during the early years of the Civil War, and finished his war in the Andersonville prison camp. Recent discoveries of his drawings and diary have allowed this book to be published. The story is breath taking, a personal sojourn through the mud and battle of America's great tradgedy.

The book is well edited. Brief italicized passages place the reader within the context of the battles and time. Sneden spent most of his time as a staff member at the Division and Corp levels, allowing him to see a wider view of the war than most. He drew maps, but he also drew many sketches. These provide a visual beauty to the book.

The water colors were obviously created after the war, and the diary entries were also updated from memory. His style as an artist is horizontal, with landscapes and muted muddy colors and great details, a map maker who draws the world around him.

Sneden was an interesting man, with some bigotries, and some brilliant insights. His frustration with the generalship of the Army of the Potomac is shared by the reader. His description of prison life in Andersonville reminds me of the book King Rat, and is both evocative, realistic, and saddening.

The wealth of detail is incredible -- early balloon experiments, the frustrations of mud, dysentery, and nature, and the incredible rapaciousness of the average soldier (digging up church cornerstones in search of souvenirs). Thse details are fascinating, but they are encapsulated within a story of great scope -- one man's war that mirrors the entire Civil War.

Sneden was an artist, a good commentator, and he got around. The result is a true story, fascinating for both the civil war buff and the average reader. A tremendous book.

This book is remarkable and different from almost any other war remembrance I have come across. Not only has Robert Knox Sneden penned a highly descriptive account of his years with the Army of the Potomac and as a prisoner of war, his work is illustrated with scores of his own watercolors depicting what he saw -- many made at the time he was witnessing places and events during the war.

Sneden had an unusual vantage point. An engineer and draftsman, Sneden's services were employed as a map maker for several Union Generals during the first two and a half years of the war. Although a private, this posting gave him an easier life than experienced by most privates. Although in the field, Sneden was attached to headquarters. His staff position and duties also gave him considerable free time -- from which we benefit. Sneden used this time to record his observations in both written form and via sketches and watercolor renderings of war scenes.

Sneden's posting was not without difficulty or danger. Several times he had to reconnoiter close to the enemy or between the lines in order gather the information needed for accurate local maps. He was also asked to journey over recently fought over battlefields to aid in the construction of after-action reports -- after the Union army had left and local control had reverted to Confederate partisans.

On one such journey away from the main army, Sneden and a few of his companions were captured by Mosby's Rangers. Sneden then began his journey through the Confederate prisoner of war system staying in Richmond, Andersonville and several other locations.

His experiences are well written. Sneden has a very matter of fact style of writing that gets to the point and is descriptive without being overwrought. Having read "Company Ayche" by Sam Watkins and "All for the Union" by Elisha Hunt Rhodes, I would rank Sneden's work as highly among Civil War remembrances. His unique position enables him to comment on battlefield and camp experiences in all their gritty detail as well as those portions of the Union high command with whom he came in contact. His prisoner of war writing reveals the brutal realities of life at Andersonville and other locations. The raw and inhumane world of these men is given testamony by Sneden in his gripping account of what he and others bore.

The artwork illustrates the text well. Although probably considered somewhat rough strictly as art, it is poignant and captivating. His original maps are also fascinating as historical documents.

This is a very good book. The war and prison scenes are engaging and very interesting. The author's style is highly readible and very convincing in terms of giving a front line view of army and prison life. The plentiful contemporary illustrations makes this book a stand out among the genre.

In "Confessions of a Philosopher," Bryan Magee traces his personal development regarding philosophy. Magee often is very astute and is a good writer. His sections on Kant brim with passion as does his section on the God question. Although this book is not a technically a survey of philosophy, it does introduce the concepts of many philosophers, especially Kant, Wittgenstein and Schopenhauer, in very readable prose. I also enjoyed the chapter on Magee's mid-life "existential" crisis and his dealings with the existentialists, especially Nietzsche.

Magee, however, is pretentious. He repeatedly demeans Bertrand Russel's "History of Western Philosophy" by calling it a text for "adult education." Unlike Magee, however, most people don't have the advantage to attend Yale and Oxford. His chapter on writing novels is particulary self-serving and has almost no purpose within the text. He constantly chastises academics for their own unchecked egos, but falls into much of the same elitist mindset that he complains about.

I would recommend this book for anyone interested in a personal journey through the eyes of a "professional" philosopher. For a true survey of western philosophy, however, I recommend Russell's "History of Western Philosophy."

I am a soon-to-be master's student in the Humanities and I've always been somewhat of an ameteur philosopher. People have always snickered politely when I say this; they never understood how philosophy could be read 'for pleasure'. I wish they'd have read this book.

Magee has written an eminently readable and rather addicting book that is halfway between a survey course and a memoir. The chapter on Magee's midlife crisis was artfully done and makes all of us who've thought so deeply about death and the 'frivolity' of life feel, well, vindicated.

Magee's is an astute observer of academia. After looking into teaching, I've come away with some of the same impressions and it's refreshing to hear someone who's not afraid to voice them.

The only complaint I have is that Mr. Magee comes off as boastfull and arrogant at times, especially when talking about early political aspirations and his T.V. show. At times I found myself just wanting to return to his recollections of grappling with particular issues or philosophers. Very good read, nonetheless.

Quick Note: As a result of things said in chapter 12 of this book, a former assistant of Bertrand Russel successfully sued Bryan Magee for libel. Mr. Magee alledgedly speculated as to Mr. Schoenmann's involvement with the CIA. The passage in question is being removed from future printings of the book. If I might speak in Mr. Magee's defence, he was only relaying other peoples speculations, never making his own. Anyway, you get the picture. This stuff is juicy!

Finishing this book, I more deeply understood a quote from Bertrand Russell --"There is a communion of philosophers as well as saints and it is largely that that keeps me from feeling lonely." I strongly recommend this excellent book if you just feel like kicking your shoes off in the privacy of your own house, and informally enjoy what Plato termed 'that dear delight' of philosophy with one of the keenest and most erudite philosophical minds of whom I am aware. Magee shares in lucid and at times beautiful prose his life of struggle with the enduring existential problems, and in so doing summons the reader to join him and the countless other great minds who have spent a lifetime in the sustained and systematic attempt to understand the world through Reason. Reading it, I felt a deep, spiritual-like pleasure as if I myself were taking part in a gab session with Magee, Kant, Schopenhauer, Popper, Wittgenstein et. al. Is there a more compelling reason to read than to achieve this sort of communion?

The major theme running throughout is an assault on the unbounded arrogance of Analytic Philosophy. Magee hammers home page after page how the fundamental 'raison d'etre' of Philosophy was betrayed by the contented gameplayers of Oxford and Cambridge during the 20th century. Although not as elevating as other parts of the book (and also conspicuously causing Magee to depart from the dispassionate and wise philosopher/narrator role), nonetheless this theme should find sympathetic ears from all those who think And feel that there are in fact 'real' problems that run deeper than just grammar and language; and moreover who think that it is somehow around the grappling with these problems that we are to ultimately gain our humanity.

Mr. Magee, thank you for sharing your life. You have helped me to better understand myself.