As yet there is no good general introduction to the 18th-century book London trade, and after John Feather's excellent _History of British Publishing_, I knew of no single place to send students interested in the subject before the publication of William Zachs' new book. One of its strengths is the accuracy of its title: it really IS about Murray and the later c18 London book trade, and not simply a portrait of Murray. As a result, it provides the best general introduction I know to the circumstances of retail bookselling and publishing, not just in London but in the British Isles, as well, during the important period when these two trades were in the process of separating, and I think it belongs in every one's institutional collections, as well as in the personal libraries of those interested in the history of the English book trade. My own understanding of the circumstances of London bookselling and publishing of the century has been considerably improved by reading this book.

As are all maths challenges from MAA, the problems in this book take a long time to solve for the average reader. It can be used for polishing up your skills or as extra projects.

Murray's book should be the standard work on the subject. This small volume is the outgrowth of a lecture series given before the First World War. Murray traces the growth and development of Greek religion from it's beginnings in prehistorical animism to the full flowering of the major schools of philosophy, and thence to their extinction. Murray explores the irrational, Dionysic strand that emerged independantly of the Olympian mythos, and shows how both predate Homer. He considers the minor deities, such as the boundary statues (koures) mentioned by Thucydides in connection with Alcibiades' impiety. The eloquent chapters on the rise of philosophy-cum-religion are the most memorable in a memorable book. Murray's vingettes on the lives and actions of the founders of the famous schools - linked as they are in lineal descent from Socrates, Epicurus excepted, are excellent biographical sketches in their own right. His examination of the faults in each philosophical system, Aristotle's Pertpetetic School excepted, shows how, after banishing Olympian myth, essential to keeping hold of thinking minds, they let them back in, pantheistically, or as manifestations of the universal creator, etc. (Epicurus preached a materialism that did not fully recognize divinity, and so he may be partly excused, as well.) This book this lays out how the hellenistic world was prepared for the advent of Christanity, as the rise of philosophy asked the right questions to move thinkers beyond myth, and philosophy's subsequent fall into Neoplatonism and other pantheistic movements left the Greco-Roman world looking elsewhere for answers. An outstanding addition to any classical library. -Lloyd A. Conway

Flax for Life has some great ordinary recipes for you to get into the habit of incorporating flax oil and flax seed into your daily diet. It gives some good basic information about the benefits of flax oil, such as getting the essential fatty acids to maintain optimum health. Flax oil is one of the best oils to ingest daily, it also helps to lower cholesterol, help with heart disease and numerous other benefits, too many to mention here. The recipes include such things as Middle Eastern Bean Dip, Barlean Butter, Fresh Fruit Breakfast Muesli, Creamy Garlic Dressing and over 95 more recipes. The book is "a good price" and is a gem in my opinion!

Footrot Flats is a portion of New Zealand created by Mr. Ball. The characters are the people and animals that live on the Sheep Ranches in the area. The main character is one of the dogs on the ranch. Mr. Ball has a keen sense of humor that shows through his characters. Mr. Ball does an excellent job of making living on a farm in New Zealand very funny. Something I wouldn't have thought would be possible. Young children probably won't get most of the gags, but for everyone else, it is a great book.

This book is ideal for anyone interested in or studying this topic. Everything is explained well and easy to follow, with interesting cases to demonstrate the use of geology in forensics. Near enough every area of forensic geology is covered, and there's a handy glossary at the back in case you get stuck on any of the more technical language. I couldn't have got through my university dissertation without it!

I was alternately outraged and amused by Free Minds & Free Markets. I was outraged at numerous losses of freedom and the major media's poor reporting of them. I was amused at how weak the case has become for continued government expansion. For example, Paul Ehrlich predicted worldwide famines by 1975, and former Senator Gaylord Nelson said everybody would have to wear breathing masks in the 1980s -- thus, correctly predicting the fad of oxygen bars. Freedom is a new idea that is sweeping the planet. Free Minds & Free Markets provides an eloquent defense of freedom that is hard to find anywhere else.

Bob Howells is "The Mussel Guy" for Texas. This book, co-written with Raymond Neck and Harold Murray, is the most comprehensive publication on the status of freshwater mussels in Texas. This is a valuable resource for aquatic ecologists interested in mussels, which are a conservation concern due to declining abundance across the state. This guide presents species accounts with black-and-white photographs on each species present in Texas. Descriptions, geographic distributions, and ecological information is included. Introductory material covers everything from mussel anatomy and behavior to collecting gear and commercial uses. The guide is indexed and fully referenced. Several pages of color plates in the appendix are a nice extra. No self-respecting student of Texas mussels should be without it!

I'm a big fan of compilations of primary source material and this is one of the best. Alexander Callander Murray has put together an outstanding collection of sources, translated into English, describing events from the 3rd through the 8th centuries.

These sources are wide-ranging in style and scope, including works from Roman historians such as Ammianus Marcellinus and Orosius, Antique and Early Medieval chronicles, a selection of Saints' Lives, excerpts from Gregory of Tours, and numerous poems, letters, and legislative and legal documents.

This is a great starting point for someone wondering what original source material is available for the period. It also provides the reader with something of a "feel" for how life was conducted in Western Europe during the 5th-7th centuries. I found it excellent for showing me which primary sources I wanted to study further, such as Sidonius, Fredegar and Ammianus. It is also a very good counter to anyone characterizing the early medieval period as a "dark age" - one devoid of any written works.

This is a wonderful little volume, with an excellent "ideas per dollar" ratio. Eatwell's essay alone is worth the purchase price. This book serves as an excellent gateway into the fascinating and dynamic world of the theory of games.