My kid already had The Monster Boring by the same author in his library, so this was a natural addition. This book is for an older reader than the first, which was great because my son's reading level has matured also. It was fun searching for Monster Borings in the big bookcase, but the story itself will appeal to anyone who has ever liked fantasy. The main character here is a girl, so I think this is the perfect gift for a girl in elementary school who likes to read. My son liked the dragon and dwarf. The illustrations are all black and white except the cover but they are highly detailed. The illustrator is obviously talentetd.

If you are studying to become a set theorist these days (2001 or later), you will probably learn forcing by way of partial orders. This is the quickest way to go, and for most purposes, the most useful in applications. It's also the approach that is taken in Kunen's book on set theory, which is still pretty much the standard textbook.

Nonetheless, you may one day find that you need the Boolean algebra approach. This was the approach developed by Scott and Solovay after Cohen's somewhat inscrutable approach to proving the consistency of not-CH had been adequately digested. The Boolean algebra approach is very elegant and algebraic, and the theorems are often better motivated than they are in the partial orders approach.

When I was a graduate student, I studied both approaches, but eventually forgot much of what I learned about Boolean-valued models because in practice I always relied on the other approach.

Recently, however, in some research I've been doing in an extension of ZFC in an extended language, I found that some of the usual assumptions one can make in doing forcing over ZFC models were no longer applicable in the new setting. Without going into the details, the consequence was that I had to do forcing over non-wellfounded models of ZFC and examine the properties of the resulting forcing extension, perhaps iterating the process omega many times. The only way to do this has been to work with Boolean-valued models M^B of the non-wellfounded ground model M, prove the desired properties within M^B, then collapse with a generic ultrafilter, and go on to the next model.

Well, after that long-winded introduction, my point is this: Bell's treatment of Boolean-valued models is outstanding. I have several of Bell's books and his talent as an expositor is his relentless attention to detail. He does no hand-waving. If you need to face the details of Boolean-valued models, Bell's approach is the right way to go.

In the first chapter he develops the theory enough to prove that all ZFC axioms hold in V^B. In Chapter 2 he shows how to do independence proofs in Boolean valued models -- illustrating with CH and developing the usual results about chain conditions and distributivity, never once working with a 2-valued forcing extension. The third chapter reveals some of the elegance of the Boolean algebra approach in its development of the proof of the consistency of not-AC using group actions. Chapter 4 shows how to get the usual results about forcing involving 2-valued models by considering (V^B)/U, where U is a generic ultrafilter. Chapter 5 is a special chapter about cardinal collapsing, introduced because the Boolean algebras introduced before always preserved cardinals and cofinalities. Finally, chapter 6, which was added in the 1985 edition, treats iterated forcing. This chapter contains details that appear nowhere else and are very handy if you need to deal with such things.

As ever, Bell has done a thorough job in his treatment of this subject. It is the right reference for Boolean-valued models of set theory.

Lyrically written and gorgeously illustrated, Box Turtle at Silver Pond Land is a winner. Read this one to all the young naturalists in your family or classroom and nurture an appreciation for the miracles to be found in our own backyards.

The latest addition to the "Smithsonian's Backyard" series of nature books for young readers, Laura Gates Galvin's Bumblebee At Apple Tree Lane is the charming and informative story of a bumblebee awakening from a winter-long hibernation in the backyard of the stone-and-wood cottage on Apple Tree Lane. She works hard during the spring and summer cleaning the nest, laying eggs, providing food for the larvae, etc. In the fall the young queens hibernate underground and the following spring the life cycle of the bumblebee colony begins all over. This accurate presentation on the life cycle of the bumblebee is superbly illustrated in full shining color with the vividly accurate artistry of Kristin Kest. This outstanding wildlife storybook is also available with a companion read-along audiocassette tape and realistically designed stuffed animal toy in a multimedia, interactive presentation for those who would prefer more than this simple, elegant, very highly recommended picturebook.

We are often taught that intimacy is pleasurable. Mr Lane brings authority and wisdom to bear on the proposition that whilst intimacy may indeed be a source of pleasure, the opposite (pain) is just as true. In support, he calls on the Victorians and their ideas on the subject, and his book is an excellent read on both counts. Mr Lane's arguments about gender and fantasy are likewise most interesting. Throughout, his writing is clear, to the point, and refreshingly free of jargon.

Of the many books inspired by World War II, Byron Lane's personal document of his experience as a bombardier in that awesome event is the most moving, as well as the most enjoyable, account I have read. Seeing the war through the eyes of an excited and often bewildered teenager, suddenly thrust into a dangerous adult world, gave me a vicarious experience that brought that world to life.

Byron's almost daily letters to his family, along with his journal entries, terrified the parent in me; gave me a new perspective of what I always considered my reckless youth; made me laugh at exploits that took daring, imagination, and wit; and made me cry over their youthful earnestness, bravado, and self-doubt.

Lane has supplemented his personal document with vignettes of the war years that helps make that era come alive.

Perhaps most remarkable is the sensitivity, the insight, and the skill this writer manifested when he was only eighteen and nineteen years old.

I found 'Captain Snap' to be an intriguing book for all ages, particularly when using it with a few children all gathered 'round so we could examine the marvellous illustrations in great detail. As the above review points out, it is a familiar story line, but for those of us who are either young, or young at heart, it can be made new again. The descriptive language draws you in, and the ever important balance between loneliness and belonging is put out there to contemplate. A child may be inspired to think that she CAN made a difference in brightening someone's life. Hurray! Hope you enjoy this as much as we have.

I didn't think a boy would like reading a book with girls on the cover, but my son (who doesn't like to read) loved this book because there's a boy in it--and he's the . . . well, I don't want to give the mystery away. Fun for all, and not too scary for the younger kids.

This book is definitely a great mystery for kids, since its main characters are kids our age, and the topic isn't too heavy. It has some humor in it, and the characters are easy to relate to. Also, the narrator shares his opinions with the reader, which makes you more empathetic with the characters. I'd definitely read more of the series.