One senses that this indulgent and dazzling exercise in ferocious derangement and, arguably, allegory, must read less awkwardly in the original German. You will not read this for its literary style, which is clumsy at times, but for its pure, rarefied, winningly repulsive air of pre-War Euro-decadence, for its uncanny presentiments of the coming horrors of the 20th century, and for its profligate richness of bizarre imagery. The book is fuel for dreams of the weirdest kind. This is appropriate, because in it Kubin seeks to portray a "Dream Realm" -- very far from the one Morpheus rules over in The Sandman -- created at the whim of a ludicrously wealthy and myserious aristocrat. This Dream Realm, aka the city of Pearl, is situated in Asia, but represents, among other things, a vision of pre-industrial Europe stagnating, suppurating, and sinking into its indolent self -- but at least avoiding the horrors of modernization and liberalism! With a wink, then (the book is quite funny in a scabrous way), Kubin deals with such issues as race, the media, psychoanalysis, religion (gnosticism in particular), death, and sexuality. He does so inconclusively, but with unflagging inventiveness, and a real eye for the startling mental picture and the horrific detail.

Perhaps I should have said a masterpiece of fantasticism. I believe the author was an artist in the school of the fantastic or fantasmic in the early 20th century. His only work of literature, this book is truly one of the strangest pieces I have ever read. I was initially introduced to it by my college German prof who had a love for this kind of apochryphal lit, and passed on that love to me. I have since read this many, many times. I don't want to give too much away, but the basic story has a young man and his wife invited to live in a newly founded realm in Asia. This realm has been founded by an old school chum, Patera, whose concept is that only things that enhance moods can be permitted into the country, and these things should usually be old and have a kind of emotional evocative power, so to speak. The young couple find themselves in a realm of moods, both depression and manic, and it is a very strange trip, indeed. I recommend this book to anyone who doesn't have a compulsive need for analytical, linear reason in a book!

Two aspects make this book worth reading today:
It was written 1908, before the world wars, and
its haunting images were most prophetic.
Secondly, a key idea makes this books both a psycholgical
and surreal experience: The mood of a man and the state of his
soul are mirrored in the physical and social state
of the city he reigns.

Alfred Kubin is better known for his illustrations (of say
E.A. Poe's short stories), and this is his only work of
fiction.

If you want a book where everything becomes clear at the end,
you want something else. If you enjoy being disturbed,
go ahead and read it!

This book is not very good. It is an easy book, for like 5th graders, Avi is ok, but not one of his best books. The short stories a weird and I don't really like them. Some of them made no sense and wasn't fun to read. In some of them were very suspenseful, and I didn't want to put it down. I am not sure if he made all of these short stories up, since I remebered from so where else. The title is a very weird name for a novel about a lot of short stories. From a book reader that wasn't pleased.

SWIM LIKE A FISH IN THE SEA, BABY! MEGAN THINKS LLAMA'S ARE SEXY BEAST'S! YEA BABY! OH YEA, READ THE BOOK, IT'S GREAT!

In What Do Fish Have To Do With Anything?: And Other Stories, you always learn your lesson. From kindness to caring, Avi tells 7 tales of mystery and friendship. This book is funny and suspenseful, you never know what will happen next.
While you're reading this book, you can tell how the characters are feeling at all times. If I had written this book, nothing would be changed. I recommend this book to children ages 10-13. Remember, like the stranger across the street said, you always need more than what they say.

This book is a pilgrimage. Not a linear pilgrimage that sets off from a given point and progresses towards a distant goal, but a pilgrimage through a labyrinth or maze - a circular pilgrimage, if you will.

The writer, a naturalist with a home and garden in eastern Massachusetts, is at home also in the wilderness of the western United States as well as in thr historic gardens of Italy. He traces for the reader the influence that the great gardens of Italy, part cultivated, part bosky wilderness, have had on the development of both the gardens and the wilderness of the U.S. But the book is not so simple and direct. Through it runs the theme of the labyrinth, its symbolism of the complexities of nature, its paradoxes, twists and turns.

The true spirit of wildness is seldom to be found, the writer says, in our large "wilderness" parks polluted by ATV's, rangers and over-run camp sites. Human connection with the land is most strongly felt in our gardens - not the front yard with its neatly mowed lawn and well-pruned foundation planting but a truly creative garden with wild spaces and vistas that welcome wild creatures. We can save some land from developers, build small parks, add in gardens with their boskyness (lovely word, that) and create our own web of wilderness even in our most built up areas,

Did the nature god Pan die with the birth of Christianity and the idea of dominion over all the creatures of the earth? The writer is optimistic that he did not and that the true spirit of nature can be revived, one natural garden space at a time.

This is the work of a respected nature writer who is stringing together ideas about wilderness and gardens loosely and creatively. It is both evocative and provocative, a mental ramble for an open and enquiring mind.

Like a ramble through a garden, or through the twists and turns of a maze, Mitchell takes the reader on a casually structured walk through memory, opinion, and speculation. He jumps from topic to topic in an engaging manner without exploring in any great depth his subjects -- the history of gardening in Italy and America, a few favorite writers (Thoreau, Wharton), his own large garden, his personal history, encounters with interesting people, the American conception and use of wilderness, urban encroachment, mazes and monsters, some colorful myths and stories. Nor does he need to go deep. His attempt in these related essays seems to be to introduce the reader to a great variety of ways of thinking about gardens, to provide different pathways through the subject, different perspectives. And he succeeds. Despite his overly ambitious subtitle ("Italian Gardens and the Invention of the Wilderness"), which suggests a strong unifying theme that the book is not disciplined enough to provide, he continually evokes the beauty and mystery of gardens as places of internal as well as external discovery. Constantly on the lookout for an iconic, sexless Pan, Mitchell finds the demigod in humans, goats, decorative statues, the center of a maze, and, ultimately, in the enduring metaphor that survived the arrival of Christianity not just to exist on its own, but also to inform the imagery of Satan. There are several startling moments as he gently guides us on his personal journey, such as the fact that in the 1960s scientists discovered lead from auto exhaust embedded in Arctic ice, or his encounters with an unnerving hiker in one of our national parks. Throughout, Mitchell's abiding faith in the garden, in the importance of human contact with the earth, sustains the book's meditative and thoughtful tone.

John Hanson Mitchell has spent the past two decades prowling a square mile or so of suburban woods and fields in Eastern Massachusetts, searching for its past and speculating on its future, and in the process producing 4 books (Ceremonial Time, Living At the End of Time, Walking Toward Walden, and Trespassing) dealing with the nature of place and its affect on the people who live there. His latest book, The Wildest Place on Earth, may at first glance seem, if not exactly a detour, at least a stroll down a side street, away from his favorite square mile of land known as Scratch Flat, but read on and you will find that Mitchell is once again exploring in small spaces.

In The Wildest Place on Earth, Mitchell sets out to discover the nature of the American wilderness and the influence of Italy's tamed landscapes on the American experience. In a series of rambles that span decades and move effortlessly from the history of Renaissance gardens to American conservationists, and the Hudson River school of landscape painters to encounters in America's overcrowded and over-loved wilderness parks, Mitchell pokes and prods and writes of the past. This book is part travelogue, and part informed speculation as Mitchell comes to realize that wilderness is perhaps more a concept than a true reality for most of us, and that the wildest place on earth may be his own somewhat haphazardly planned backyard garden that has grown over the past decade into a lush and relaxing presence.

Mitchell writes much in this book about the Greek and Roman myths and how they influence, even to this day, what we see and feel as wilderness. The god Pan is always present, and the history of mazes and labyrinths makes for some fascinating side trips through Italy. If you are looking for a few good modern-day gardening stories, he supplies those as well.

The editor of the Massachusetts Audubon magazine Sanctuary and the winner of the 1994 John Burroughs essay award and the 2000 New England Bookseller's Award, Mitchell is a graceful stylist who will win you over as he rambles an speculates'much like a close friend who you may not always agree with, but you can't stop listening to those provocative opinions.

If there is any book that shows how keeping a journal can save your life, it is WRITING OUT THE STORM. Yes, it's a hard one to read, yet Rebecca Mitchell Merriman's enthusiasm for life & her attention to detail shine through. Yes, it is full of the angst & turmoil of mental illness, yet embedded in each & every chapter are the kernels of redemption & surcease, until she can no longer control her illness.

That Rebecca Mitchell Merriman survived to tell her tale, with a lot of help from the steady companionship of her husband & their feline offspring, is undoubtedly the result of her untutored discipline at writing out her storm & the restorative power of spirit. She has gone through her trial by fire & lived to tell of it.

Very well done, both for the book & the mental disease survived!

Rebecca's book helped me to better understand the manic-depressive people in my life. The journal style gave (me)the reader a day to day view of life as a manic-depressive person. Her story is insightful, honest,heart wrenching, but also uplifting.

Rebecca's story helped me to understand that being manic-depressive is an illness, but that a ill person can still determine a path of health for their life.

Rebecca, I can't tell you how much insight I've gained through your beautiful, genuine, poetic words into the state of mind of family members and friends who suffer from mental illness. For many years, sufferers have gravitated to me because they seem to sense that I understand their plight and have compassion for them, having grown up in a family afflicted with a range of chemical imbalances.

Often, I've been deeply wounded by the words and choices that those closest to me who are operating from various platforms of mental distress have leveled at me. But, after reading your book which so eloquently and precisely states and chronicles your mood swings and behavioral variances, I now better realize how insignificant my external role has been in evoking negative responses from affected loved ones. What a relief for me, as one standing on the outside of this illness looking in, to discover through your account how the internal chemical triggers work in determining the subsequent behavior. From your revealing journal entries, I could clearly discern that your choices were chemically, not morally determined or driven. Also, what a comfort it was for me to hear you speak lovingly about those in your life, such as your husband and mother, who have been stable and loyal advocates during your recovery. I am greatly impressed with the virtues of strength, honesty, wisdom, compassion, and abiding faith you have skillfully woven throughout the pages of your compelling narrative.

Please know that whether or not your book becomes a best seller, you have lit a torch from the baptismal fires of your own crucible that casts an illuminating brilliance on a shadowy subject for all of us whose lives are directly or indirectly affected by chemical imbalance. Thank-you from the bottom of my heart for your inspiring, precious, and heroic gift, Rebecca, and may you, like the sturdy red and yellow spring tulips mentioned in your book, always stay firmly rooted in the solidity, richness, and wellness of your sacred middle ground.

God Bless,
Stephanie McIntosh

This book is fantastic! I will be attending MIT this fall, and I am overjoyed to have the college search process behind me. It was confusing and arduous, but this book helped so much. My mother had plenty of books full of statistics, but this book helped me know what the colleges really felt like, from safety to openess towards alternative lifestyles. I would reccomend this book to any young woman trying to go to college.

My parents let me buy two college guides. I went and bought Barron's and The Young Woman's Guide to the Top Colleges. Both are excellent. Barron's gives me the stats and Mitchell's gives me the inside story told my college students.

As a high school teacher I have used this guide to help the young woman who are searching for the right college.I have found that this guide gives important information about the courses offered and the campus life. I would recommend that counselors have this guide on hand for their students.

The book is a story of a bad neoliberal Poland and a good social democratic Czech Rep. During the transition. Author begins with the claim that the success of reforms depends on policies and not initial conditions. A poor comparative frame to prove this: Poland's initial conditions were much worse than those in Czech republic indeed. Take foreign debt and hyperinflation for example. The most important, what the author portrays as a social liberal approach in Czech Republic turned out to be a combination of short-term policies to avoid unpopular policies that caused a major economic downturn in Czech Rep. since 1996. Indeed, it was the first country in the region to go into the second post-transition recession! The author's scheme does not explain some obvious facts:
1) Poland experienced the lowest GDP decline and enjoyed the fastest and the most robust recovery in the whole post-Communist world.
2) The amount of social spending to GDP actually grew in Poland during first years of transition.
3) Czech privatization scheme turn out to be a disaster in terms of investment and corporate governance: the companies replaced FDI with acummulation of debts from the banks inside and outside the country, which put a pressure on Czech currency and caused its collapse in 1997.The lack of clear owners did not allow to turn around companies and profitability slipped - so did the employment (so much for socially-oriented policies).
4) "Social liberalism" in Czech Republic was financed from abroad and brought forward acummulation of foreign debt per capita much higher than it is now in Poland: in the beginning of transformation Czech was virtually debt-free.
5) After Czech government was no longer able to purchase social stability on credit card, unemployment soared.
6) Czech privatization worked the way to make the banking sector responsible for the liabilities of the rockbottom companies (Many banks controlled investment funds that acummulated vouchers). As a result, savings were hurt.
7) After bad liberals were removed in Poland, social democrats continued their policy course: for what reason?
8) The much-trumpeted "Strategy for Poland" of Kolodko, mentioned by Orenstein, proved to be a cosmetic alteration of the neoliberal policies. BTW, today it is the left again that imposes fiscal discipline in Poland.

Overall, the book gives an inadequate picture on what happened in the region during transition. It is, however, a good record of the basic misconceptions in the debate about transformation and neoliberalism in general. I would still recommend to read it because of this.

Orenstein's book provides a compelling critique of neoliberal strategies implemented in Poland and the Czech Republic emphasizing the underappreciated role of democratic change in policy reform. He clearly outlines his arguments for what he calls "policy alternation" providing substantial evidence of 1) its existence and 2) its effect on policy. As a student of East European studies I found the book to be extremely useful in painting a clear picture of the policymaking process in these two post-communist countries and in filling in many gaps in the relevant literature. The book is very approachable and I highly recommend it to those interested in post-communist democracies - scholars and casual observers alike.

The reviewer from New Brunswick, NJ is totally off base and shows remarkably little sign of actually having read the book. Out of the Red is not about "a bad neoliberal Poland and a good social democratic Czech Rep." Instead, the book argues that democratic policy alternation since 1989 has led to better economic performance in both countries, and that Poland has benefited more than the Czech Republic from policy learning as a result of more policy alternations in recent years. Moreover, democratic policy alternations have had such positive effects because the two countries share a common goal - membership of the European Union. Out of the Red offers a subtle and nuanced argument, with rich descriptions, and does not characterize either country as good or bad. In addition, the book is exceptionally well-written and provides a clear and comprehensive analysis of what has happened in these transition countries over the past ten years. It's a must read for anyone interested in the contemporary politics of economic reform.

My fiance bought me this book thinking it would be helpful.

To be fair, there were a few useful tips in the book but the assumption that all prospective bridegrooms are drooling, sportheads who are only trying to figure out the best way to have sex during engagement is a bit simplistic.

That bugged me but what really got under my skin is the constant reminders that the bride is a neurotic, materialistic, hormonally challenged, psychotic was outright offensive. Has this guy ever met a woman? Any male with half a brain knows better than to even bring up PMS - this twit revels in it.

He also assumes that no man is interested in or willing to participate in wedding planning, site selection, food, wine, or even his own tuxedo (or whatever he's wearing to his wedding). My fiance was overjoyed when I told her that I wanted to be involved in the site selection, menu, wine choice, that I would handle clothing for myself and my groomsmen, and that I would take care of the invitations.

We aren't living in the stoneage and I didn't club her over the head and drag her back to my cave.

I'm sort of wondering if Mr. Mitchell has ever met a woman, much less married one.

I purchased this for my fiancee just after we became engaged. The book is written very light heartedly and with a tone that will allow any groom with a sense of humor, who's not sure what the heck he's gotten himself into, a first glance at what's in store for him. I found this book an excellent way to ease my fiancee into the planning stages of the wedding. He actually read and enjoyed it also, throwing out snippets he had read at different stages in the planning process.

I purchased this book for my fiance, and he thoroughly enjoyed it. Frankly, so did I; Jeff read a good deal of the book aloud to me. The book couched great insight and advice in fun terms (i.e., wedding planning as a game). Jeff and I both had simple, civil ceremonies for our first weddings; we are doing something much more formal this time, and Jeff got a great deal of useful information from this guide. We both recommend it highly to grooms (first-time or otherwise).

I was excited when I first saw this book advertised. Anyone who has studied the Roosevelts knows the fundamental emotional foundation this island provided the family. However, when I began to read the book, I quickly became disgruntled. There was little to no new information, insight or perspective offered. The author seems to mainly cover the same formulaic roads covered before-- early marriage, polio, governor, president, & Eleanor on her own. The only difference was this books focuses on those same paths through the lens of Campobello. The problem, besides offering little new, is this lens is restrictive, rather than encompassing. If you're looking for an introduction to the Roosevelts, this may be a good selection. However, if you have studied this couple with any kind of attention, nothing profound or enlightning is likely to be found here.

This is a well-researched and well-written glimpse of one of the most famous and influential couples of the 20th Century. It reads extremely well while casting new light on two already-much studied lives but from an entirely new perspective. Jonas Klein proposes that FDR and Eleanor were in some measure defined by the Campobello experience and makes a credible case for it.

Before picking up Beloved Island I had just finished reading one more of Stephen AmbroseÕ books on World War II and, quite frankly, had tired a little of the rhythm and predictability in his technique of stringing together many individual Òoral historiesÓ to create a coherent whole. He does it very well, of course, but Jonas Klein does it better. Working mostly from snapshot detail in correspondence, I presume, Klein succeeds in portraying the larger portraits of personality, emotion, relationships, and other intangibles that make figures from history what they really are.

Though not quite a Òone sittingÓ experience, this little book leads us gently to further thought and deeper understanding about Franklin and Eleanor. ItÕs a good book.

Beloved Island: Franklin & Eleanor And The Legacy Of Campobello examines how the Roosevelt summer home on New Brunswick's Campobello Island (a remote Canadian location) had a significant physical and emotional influence on their lives and the events of their day. While acknowledging the Roosevelt's' traditions and background, Jonas Klein presents a fresh perspective on their public trials and triumphs as well as their personal frustrations and private disappointments as showcased by their Campobello residency. It was at Campobello that Franklin was stricken with polio, that Eleanor found peace and refuge from a demanding and unsympathetic world, and that their personal and political relationship as formed in a manner that would serve them both to the end of their lives. Exceptionally well researched, well-written, insightful, informative, and totally engaging biography.

This book is only good for overall knowledge of small towns in Vermont; every little town gets a small paragraph's worth of description. It is not very helpful if you are looking to visit and need more practical information such as where to stay, where to eat, and things to do. While it does list some lodging and restaurants, it is by no means comprehensive and you're left to do most of the leg work yourself. This book, in my opinion, was a waste of my money - I had to buy two more Vermont books to get the information I was looking for. Even the town descriptions are too short to be really helpful. This is more of an "Overview of the Splendor of Vermont" book.

I'd lived in Vermont for ten years before buying this book (for my mom's visit). It is an impressive presentation of the character of our state. True, it's short on the often ephemeral details you'll need for a trip (the restaurants, the hotels). But in a day when most of that's available on the web anyway. What you get instead is a thoughtful description of how the reigonal differences emerged--a level of detail mostly ignored by the standard descriptions.

Well-written and full of wonderful photos. Also full of quirky little facts and insider info. If you are looking for a good book to educate you on the best state in the union (I hope to move there in the next couple of years), then this it. You won't be disappointed. It blew away every other guide I looked at (and there are quite a few out there). As far as I'm concerned, Compass American Guides sets a new standard.

'Cry Repbulic' concludes the trilogy started by 'Procurator,' in which ancient Rome never fell. Written by Kirk Mitchell, history as we know it was changed when Pontius Pilate spared Jesus Christ from the cross. Without its Martyr, Christianity never rose to take root in the Empire, eventually erroding its strength and causing its crumble.

Germanicus Agricola began the series as a Procurator. Through a failed coup, most of the Imperial family was killed, and the title of Emporer fell to Germanicus. Over the course of adventures in the East and in the New World, Germanicus attempted to solidify his power....only so he could give it all away. His goal, from the beginning of his reign, has been to restore Rome to a Republic.

However, the very individuals that seek to gain the most from this arrangement, the Senators, stand the most firmly in his way. They have grown use to living a privileged lifestyle; the rise of a Republic would make them have to work. They help plot Germanicus' overthrow with Nepos, a high ranking Emporer's aide. Nepos conspires with Claudia, the mother of Germanicus' adopted son, to assassinate Germanicus and assume 'the Purple'--the rank of Emporer.

Germanicus manages to escape with the aide of his most loyal bodyguard, the German Rolf, and another advisor from the Far East, Tora.

The most intriguing part of these novels is to watch the Rome that never fell attempt to weave modern technology into the Empire. For the most part, the Empire has been resistant. Electric power is in its infancy. Gunpowder and firearms are generations behind modern day warfare. The automobile is practically nonexistant. The first airplane of the series is seen in the last novel. The Romans may have been stubborn enough to conquer the known world, but that same stubborness appears to have prevented the world from evolving much.

'Cry Republic,' like its predecessors, is steeped in theological mystery. The mystery of Christ, who appears to have moved onwards towards China after his pardon, is touched on throughout the series. The Jews still make their home in Isreal. Germanicus is somewhat torn between the Roman Gods of his homeland and the intriguing faith he discovers as he flees.

My greatest complaint with this novel, and the series for that matter, is that it is often difficult to determine where things are happening. Mitchell uses a lot of latin names for locations that are not obvious, unless of course you have studied latin. The same problem holds true for some technological innovations. After enough reading, even the casual reader can figure out what is meant. However, this leads to frustration and often a plodding story line.

That being said, this is still an excellent alternative history novel. It gets away from the Civil War and World War II, both favorites of most alternative history authors, and is compelling. I highly recommend this series to alternative history fans, Roman history buff, and those interested in theological fiction.

This fine adventure story wraps up Kirk Mitchell's "Procurator" trilogy. The first book ("Procurator") introduced Germanicus Agricola, military governor of Anatolia, serving in the name of a Roman Empire that never fell. In the next book, Germanicus travelled to the New World, to make war with the bellicose Aztec Empire, and their enigmatic Chinese allies. Throughout his career, however, Germanicus had only one goal: the dismantling of the Empire, and the ultimate restoration of the legendary Republic.

Alas, the tradition-minded Empire has little room for idealists. Germanicus, his plot detected before it can reach fruition, is forced to flee East in fear for his life. Meanwhile, a cruel usurper seizes the Roman throne, determined to profit from the chaos. A bloodthirsty and paranoid tyrant, he ruthlessly goes about the task of eliminating his rivals. His main target, inevitably, is Germanicus...

Germanicus himself makes his way to Anatolia, in the desperate hope of finding allies, or, more probably, a peaceful death. He finds more than he could have expected, however. For in the East, away from the pagan heartland of the Empire, monotheism has survived through the milennia. And now, both the Jews of Palestine and the Muslim-like Anatolians see something special in this _pasa_ from the West, something which may forever change the course of events, both temporal and spiritual.

This book, like the previous ones, provides a satisfying mixture of alternate history and theological fantasy. The timeline is not particularly plausible (the Imperial structure has apparently survived almost completely unchanged for two thousand years), but the static and conservative empire, straining on the brink of a major technological revolution, makes a fascinating setting.

An excellent concluding book.

This is the sequel to Procurator and New Barbarians, where Germanicus Julius Agricola eventually wound up becoming emperor in a Rome that never fell. In this book, his Republican dream-a Rome without an Emperor, governed by the Senate-are discovered and a conspiracy forms that puts him on the run, and later plunges Rome into civil war. Don't be hoping for a conclusive ending though-this book ends on a cliffhanger.