Eugene Walter may be the most interesting man you've never heard of. He surrounded himself with the creative, the artistic, and the beautiful in life, inhabiting the circles of greatness without creating the name for himself that many of his contemporaries did.

Milking the Moon traces Eugene's history in his own words from his childhood in Mobile, Alabama, through his years in New York, Paris, and Rome, to his return to his hometown. Throughout, it captures Eugene's sense of wonder at the world around him, and reads as a veritable Who's Who of mid-twentieth-century literary life.

Eugene's anecdotes regarding the famous and near-famous seem the ultimate insider's gossip column; they offer personal glimpses of a time and place that existed in stark comparison to mid-century America. The narrative is bubbling with Eugene's personal charm, punctuated by the rhythm of his voice. It recreates the spirit of listening to him recount his adventures at home, sitting across the room from him.

The only weakness in the biography is the lack of a comprehensive index. An appendix list a cast of characters with mini-biographies for persons mentioned in the book with out citing reference pages.

In all, the book is an excellent depiction of a life lived to its fullest, told with wit and candor, and full of wonderfully entertaining moments.

I recycled my newspapers on September 11. (Mundane chores help.)The front page of the Washington Post Book Review in some week in August caught my eye. I read the review by Jonathan Yardley and promptly bought the book. When the horror of world events got too much, I'd retreat to Mobile, Alabama, Paris, and Rome as told by Eugene Walter. What a life. I didn't think I could feel giddy and goofy again. This guy knew what living was all about. Friends and food and art and goofiness and wit -- I love the stories about his 3 years as a cryptographer during WW2 in the Aleutian Islands and the moose. The man couldn't be boring if he tried. I'm buying everyone on my xmas list this book. Check it out.

I suppose I was one of the fortunate few who had a chance to meet Eugene before he died. The people I was working for back in the mid-nineties were friends of his and, therefore, I had the chance to be around him.

Eugene was the consummate storyteller. One of those who never let the truth get in the way of a good yarn. His idea was to make you enjoy where you were and who you were. To inject a little wonderousness into the world. Although based in truth, nothing he told was strictly true.

This book captures him almost perfectly. Although it cannot convey his gestures and antics and voice, it does convey his mind and gift for gab. Pour yourself a glass of port and read with the voice of an eccentric Southern uncle in your head and Eugene starts to come out. It's not quite the same as being there, but this book is as close as any of us will ever be again.

The _Oxford American Dictionary_ , edited by Dr. Eugene Ehrlich, et al., is the best paperback American English dictionary. Even though the reissue edition of this dictionary is almost twenty years old, I consider it to be the best because it has excellent usage notes sprinkled among the usual definitions of words. Here is an entry with a note on usage: "hope•ful•ly (hohp'-ful-lee) 'adv.' 1. in a hopeful way. 2. it is to be hoped, 'hopefully, we shall be there by one o'clock.' > Many people regard the second use as unacceptable."

According to the editors, this dictionary "contains words and phrases likely to be met in reading and everyday life, including a number of slang, informal, and technical words and phrases." Many proper nouns, common foreign words, and abbreviations are defined, too. I suggest its purchase to university students for classroom use because this dictionary is small enough to be carried in a backpack. Students of English as a foreign language find its pronunciation guides easy to use. Others find it quite handy to keep nearby, in offices and homes, as a quick reference when writing or reading.

Highly recommended!

no dictionary is perfect, that's just how language is. but i've used several dictionaries, and not one of them is worthy of the excellent definitions in this book i used to steal from my roommate. it's not all that slang-ful, but every beautiful word is made more so with the understanding this dictionary provides. you may not understand the passion until you experience it. words are sacred.

I really like this dictionary. It gives definitions in a concise and direct way, using ordinary language that does not bury you in complexities as other more advanced dictionaries can. It does not have derivations, but it does have a very good pronounciation key and usage index. It also has the words in bold type standing out against the normal type of the definitions, making it easy to find words you are looking for fast. I highly recommend this edition for anyone new to the english language as well. It is simply a great dictionary.

This classic text provides a compact collection of advice on chess strategies. A short, easy book to read, the author wastes no time and cuts right to the point in deliviring his suggestions on the various problems one must avoid in playing chess. Directed mostly at intermediate players, the book comes in very useful in explaining the many "gotchas" that inexperienced chess players frequently fall into. This book typically sells for a very low price, due to its small size and old age, but it is certainly as valuable as many modern texts at three times the size.

A chess genius friend of mine from Cuba (that should tell you something right there!) was the first to introduce this slim gem on chess improvement to me (circa June of 2000). You see, in Cuba there is still a great deal of reverence for the late GREAT Jose Raoul Capablanca.
This friend of mine (named Alex {Alejandro}) had been TRAINED in chess as a youngster in Cuba at a chess academy that pays tribute to Capablanca. Alex sees with great depth the position on the chessboard and in record time. One day, after one of his many victories over me, he handed me his own "How Not To Play Chess" and said, "I think you could learn from this. It's the only chess book I've ever read." Now, I have written everything in this review up to this point, not "to pat my friend on the back" (O K that's part of it!), but, so that you can go through the same thought process I did after I completed this book the first time (I have read it at 3 different times over the past two years; the third time was just recently from February 18 through March 8). This is the only book Alex has read?!?!?!?! Since he's so good at the game, that fact alone tells me a lot about this book.
I would have to say this book introduces chess players to their own tendency toward mishaps; no matter what level you may be; even beyond 1800.
You can improve a lot when you keep in mind the author's intention that he has written in the book's introduction. The part that deals with the 3 types of analyses and then planning is very important to know like the back of your hand.
However, I am critical of the author's tone of voice throughout the book, as he seems to wonder why all chess players aren't able to see what an expert like himself sees. The book is generally easy to read, but at times the writing becomes rather cumbersome. I also am critical of how the author assumes that the reader, whom he is thinking is a beginner or amateur in chess, even knows what a combination is! I myself had absolutely no problem with his instruction on combinations, but I have to say it was a bad idea to just dive into talking about combinations in the way that the author does without explaining at all what a combination is. I started reviewing this book again a day after finishing "Extreme Chess" by C.J.S. Purdy (Read my review!) and afterwards my understanding of that "chess experience" I had just undergone (and of chess itself) solidified and clarified even more so!! This book is so thin that reading it thoroughly again at about 6 month intervals (until you've really got it down pat EACH TIME) is something I highly recommend. Take note that this third time around I got a pencil and paper and transposed all the book's dreaded descriptive notation into bi-column algebraic notation; I would recommend that you do the same. It will help your retention of the book's teachings. I think the chess quizzes at the end should have made specific mention of what principles were being addressed as you go over the answers; but definitely try to figure out the answer before looking at it. All in all, this is a good introduction into combinations, but beginners should pursue more instruction on combinations after reading this.

A brilliant little book that is clearly written, extremely useful, and bargain-priced. Do not be misled by the author's use of maxims for chapter titles: he is not dogmatic whatsoever. Znosko-Borovsky's verbal analysis of a chess position, for example, on pages 54-60, regarding visualizing a plan based on the differences (however slight)in each side, and putting that plan into effect is an eye-opener. If you've read Jeremy Silman's How To Reassess Your Chess, you'll recognize the thinking method detailed decades before Silman published. I believe you will not regret time spent with this book.

This book is another in the line of self-help, self-motivational books. This one deals with time management, and unlike most books of this type, Griessman goes beyond just a recitation of the all the time techniques you have read about in other places. He offers these, but he also adds personal insights from many well known and successful people. Overall this is a good, if not inspiring, book on time strategies

This fine book stands alone as a real "nuts & bolts" guide to time management. Refreshingly, Griessman does not ask the reader to buy into an integrated or even singular "System" of managing your time. There are no self tests, no "12 Step" program, no gimmicks.
Quite simply, this book is about survival. If your boat were sinking or you were lost in the wilderness, the last thing you would want (or have time to read) would be a lengthy treatise on the theory of bouyancy or how people get lost. Rather, Griessman instructs from the outset that you "Learn survival techniques from the survivors."
In this vein, Griessman's approach is decidedly simple: 1)These are successful people; 2) Here are specific tactics that they use to save time and survive; 3) You fill in the blank. This format is woven into 15 short chapters with an accompanying commentary which is almost editorial in nature. This provides just enough cohesion in the book to give it structure, without detracting from its readability.
If you're looking for a lengthy treatise on time management, riddled with charts, self tests and lengthy explanations about why you don't have enough time, then leave this book on the shelf. "Time Tactics" is really a field manual - the same kind of lean, to the point writing you'd hope to find in a life raft.

Not only is this book about time management, if you follow its suggestions, you'll find it makes your whole life easier. I plan on buying this even though it's available at the library. This is a book I will re-read often. The ideas about "being there" are useful, not only that, they are indispensible for achieving results.

The Ice Man Cometh was the first play I read of Eugene O Neil and I was throughly disappointed. The play is incredibly slow and lacks action or movement. A synopsis of the play is simple, a group of men, all "washed up" sit around in a bar and live on their "pipe dreams" (you'll hear that word repeated over and over, in other words their dreams for tomorrow that will never come true, or their reworking of the past, in order to provide them with pleasant memories)till Hickey (a salesman) comes along and attempts to save them all. In the first few pages, you'll learn everyone's past, which are very stereotypical and made to order, and their pipe dreams. Leaving the remainder of act 1 a waste of repetition. The greatest points of play come some point after Hickey has arrived and the characters are on edge. Here O' Neil's dramatic tension can be marveled at. The end of the play is a surprise, and is well worth the short fourth act. The Iceman Cometh is a nihilistic work that plays on basic assumptions --- the things being said here are known and perhaps only illustrated. It took me two weeks to finish this play and in between act two and three I dreaded reading more. After completing my reading, I have a much better perspective on the work and only wish O' Neil would have cut a lot of the unnecessary dialogue. I don't know whether to recommend this work or not. The play seems a work of its time.

In his play, Eugene O'Neill describes Harry Hope's bar and the depair among its customers during the early part of the 20th century. In the bar you meet tons of characters who have dreams but have no motivations to achieve them. So instead they drink and drink and along with their booze goes their ambitions. So as Harry's birthday get closer all the bar flies anxiously await the arrival of their pal, Hickey. But with him comes a surprize. Hickey brings with him a new way of life and it is up to the customers whether or not they accept his theory for obtaining peace. This is a great play with a interesting ending. Should be read by all.

O'Neill's finest drama, The Iceman Cometh, is a compelling tale of desolation. The play centers around its characters hope for a different and more fulfilling life. Driven to hide from society and anathetize their problems with alchohol and pipe dreams, deluding themselves into thinking their lives have a psuedo-promise for a vague future imporvement; the characters converge in Harry Hope's squalid bar in New York City's meat-packing district. There, they live a past-obsessed life based incongrously on a fantasy future. When Hickey, an old friend who comes to the bar on periodic binges, comes and forces the others to confront their pipe dreams, we learn the value of sustaining illusions to those whose lives are so desolate that they have nothing else to live for. The Iceman Cometh is a classic of the American theater and I wholeheartedly reccomend it to everyone.

We tried three 2-star hotels from this book on a recent vacation, and were very pleased with the character, staff, and value at each. That was enough to easily justify the purchase price. The maps and indices make it very easy to find options at various price-points in any region. The descriptions and photos of each hotel were helpful and accurate. But I should also say that our "workhorse" for planning the trip was Rick Steves' France guide, where we found most of our lodging. I'd purchase Rick's guide first, then purchase "Hotels and Country Inns..." to add some variety.

"This series has long been respected as one of the best of its kind. Each book contains detailed color maps and a listing of accommodations by area. They include color photographs, the address and phone number, a star rating, amenities, price, and a brief paragraph describing the property. Newly revised and updated, these excellent guides to accommodations in Europe are highly recommended for all libraries." Library Journal

If you want to see the best of France, just arm yourself with your Michelin atlas, Michelin Red Guide, a Blue or Green Guide, this book, a rental car, and your appetite for great food and wine.

Any inn that appears in both the Red Guide and this guide will be a memorable experience. All inns in the Red Guide have professional service and great food. Inns listed in both guides will also be unique and charming. Coupled with the data provided by the Red Guide, the pictures in this guide are very useful.

Best of all are the places in the countryside. Easy parking, phenomenal food, great wine, and usually a great setting. This is not a budget guide, but there are some great deals to be found. The cheapest place I stayed was an isolated Auberge in the Vosges mountains that charged only $50 per person for half board. This included a very small room, great 3 course dinner, buffet breakfast, and all tax and service.

This has been the first book of Izzi's that I've read. It's just amazing. That's the only way I can describe it. His characters and situations are so detailed you can see everything as you read it. His writing style is, in my opinion, unmatchable. The way he interlocks multiple stories and yet keeps them seperate, even though you know they're related, is awesome. This is the best book I've read in a long time.

This is such a good read. It is such a shame that this is the last we will ever read of Eugene Izzi's work. The story is riveting and the characters are fascinating and so richly developed. What a wonderful series these characters could have been. This is truly a story left untold as these characters are absolutely teeming with life!

This is a fascinating story about psychiatry, crime, relationships, serial killers and the police department. Any mystery fan should love this book. Well worth your time. It's just a shame Mr. Izzi is not around to write more winners like this one.

During the summer of 2000, I was given this book by a Bible study leader just before I left for an inner city mission trip.
I have a few different versions of the Bible. And while I love them all, this one is my favorite. It's written in what a lot of people call "street English,"... It's a good book for the average lay person to refer to when they're explaining things of their Christain faith to others. It's laid out in regular story form and is very easy to understand, too. I'd recommend it to anyone.
To Eugene Peterson, nice job!!!

This is one of the two bibles that I read. The Mass Market Edition is great for just flipping thru and randomly reading passages. It feels great in the hands and the pages move very smoothly. It's very readable and relateable to living life today. If you want to know how the bible was ment to be read this is it. It's so personal and down to earth. I can't have things beat around the bush and this goes right to the point. Get it and sit back and enjoy.

This is such a cool translation of the Bible. I love the way it brings Jesus into such immediacy. Sometimes that awesome directness is clouded by stuffy translations. Now I know this is a paraphrase, and I wouldn't really recommend it for serious Bible study, but it is a great way to get into your Bible reading, especially if you're young and/or intimidated or put off by other translations. My only minor problem with The Message is that it doesn't do verse-by-verse numbering. Maybe that's not really feasible with this translation; I don't know. I can't wait for the rest of the Old Testament to be finished!!

In "The Safest Place on Earth" Larry Crabb attempts to promote and foster the formulation of spiritual community. He sees the vehicle through which our emotional problems may be solved as spiritual community rather than psychological therapy. The journey to spiritual community is a journey toward God that requires brokenness. That brokenness enables us to experience and share God's love. Crabb discusses the Biblical concept of "the new man" and "the old man" by using the analogy of the "lower room" and the "upper room." Crabb sees life in the "upper room" as being discovered through spiritual community, which is a mystical process. As such, this spiritual community is a miracle that is only experienced as we wait on God. Once you've know it, you will settle for nothing less.

As a firm believer in the need for spiritual community, I opened this book with high expectations; however those expectations remain unmet. Crabb shared some valuable concepts. I particularly liked the idea of employing "spiritual directs" in our spiritual formation. Yet for me, the book failed to offer any new and innovative insights into spiritual community or provide real answers for achieving it. In fact it seemed laced with a degree of pessimism and gloom that could leave some discouraged regarding the prospect of ever realizing genuine community. I know Dr. Crabb is eminently respected and has helped many in their life's journey, but I found the book less than satisfying.

I am in the habit of adding notes and references in the front of the books I read so I can return to specific passages when writing or researching issues. I can measure their impact on my thinking by the number of them, and the flyleaf of my copy of this book has little room left. A Psychologist by training, but more, a devoted follower of the Lamb who understands the disciple's journey into the shadow of the valley well, Dr. Crabb shares insights about the nature of the church that bring us back to consider what spiritual community means in real life terms. Larry's writing has the humility and the scars that come from being genuinely engaged in walking with God.

This is a timely book, combining an understanding of the intended intimacy of the church with the freshly awakening desire across Christendom for spiritual formation and direction in the church. In my notes I find definitions for things like: love; life and death; brokenness; mysticism; community; the church. He offers observations about what is lacking Psychology and in psychological theory, and he offers workable models for the church to develop the intimacy, love and community our Triune God intended in both our and the church's design.

If you are considering small groups, and wondering whether they should be evangelistic, or bible studies, or project based, Larry offers an alternative: building genuine community, intertwining lives in functional and useful ways that further our development and transformation. If you are working to develop an understanding our dual natures of flesh and His life within, Larry speaks clearly and usefully to these issues. Dr. Crabb's book is useful for an individual to study, giving us insights into deeper truths in practical and understandable ways. It is equally useful for a group to work through together in understanding the dynamics of community and in living together in ways that produce authentic change. But, most importantly, this is a book that speaks like the voice of a prophet to a floundering church, calling us back to a simple plan: community... I think this is the single most important book (outside the scriptures, of course) I've ever read. I can't make a stronger recommendation.

For those of us who are unable to hide our sin and pain behind smiles, Crabb proposes a startling "new" model: a spiritual community that offers a higher level of acceptance and love, and a chance develop stronger, healthier passions to replace the sinful passions of our old nature. Underlying his message is the belief that we can't really change our sin nature-- all we can do is let Christ's love and the support of truly, non-judgementmal friends help us replace the bad with the good. This book challenges modern counseling in some ways-- but maybe it should be challenged. The author admits to idealism in his proposal of a spiritual community that gives us a place to be real... but it is an idealism toward which we must reach. For anyone frustrated with "churchianity" and desirous of true Christian community, this book is amazingly thought provoking.