Wilborn Hampton was assigned by UPI to cover the nuclear accident at Three Mile Island nuclear plant near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Mr. Hampton has done a fine job at portraying the confusion of the experts, the contradicting conclusions drawn from the same material in Washington DC and at the plant as well as the high anxiety level that all this created in nearby towns and counties.

I lived near the plant at the time of the accident and was one of the children evacuated because of the impending doom. I remember well the confusion surrounding what was going on. No one seemed to know for sure what was going to happen and some experts came right out and admitted so. Mr. Hampton has portrayed these feelings well and while reading the book you can see why. With behind the scene knowledge and of course hindsight the writer has produced an excellent book on the public events that this area went through. This book is not too technical but touches on how close we actually were to a meltdown, something still at debate in many circles.

This book is good for young teens on up. It should be read by anyone who is interested in history, nuclear power or even how big corporations treat teh surrounding communities and the local and state governments. There is much more that can be read on the subject but this is a very interesting book and good place to start.

God bless my public library. I'm curled up in front of my computer at 6:30 A.M., marshaling my thoughts about nuclear power--a topic which monopolized my life for several years during the late 1970s--and I'm wondering how I can locate a copy of Amory Lovins' seminal essay on energy in the October 1976 issue of Foreign Affairs. Turns out it takes just five little key-steps from my library's homepage ..., and I am able to view a pdf file of the 32 page article! I utilized that article, "Energy Strategy: The Road Not Taken," back then as the foundation to my own argument--that the electricity from the twin nuclear power plants, then proposed for eastern Long Island, was unnecessary.

If our years of protests and legal intervention hadn't already killed plans for constructing those twin nuclear plants, they were officially pronounced dead after the nation spent a scary few days awaiting the outcome of events in Middletown, Pennsylvania.

MELTDOWN: A RACE AGAINST NUCLEAR DISASTER AT THREE MILE ISLAND, by Wilborn Hampton, is a great introduction for young adults about what it's like to be a journalist. More importantly, it's a chronicle by a journalist on the scene of the events at Three Mile Island in the spring of 1979, where we got lucky--a catastrophe that would far outweigh that of 9-11 was narrowly averted. A full understanding of the extent of that potential disaster can only be grasped when viewed in relation to the 1986 nuclear catastrophe at Chernobyl, which is the subject of MELTDOWN's final chapter:

"There is no official death toll for Chernobyl. At the time, the Soviet government reported that 31 people died in the accident. But since the breakup of the Soviet Union, more honest assessments of the extent of the tragedy have come out. The Ukraine, which is now an independent nation, has aid that more than 4,300 people died there. Nearly all the firemen who battled the blaze that first night are now dead, most from cancer or other radiation-related illnesses...Deaths among the soldiers and workers who built the concrete shell around the [damaged and contaminated] reactor are estimated to number at least 6,000...

"The land around the Chernobyl plant is a wasteland. Ukrainian officials say that 160,000 square kilometers [approximately 62,000 square miles] were contaminated with radioactive fallout at a level forty times greater than the level of radiation that Hiroshima or Nagasaki received from the first atomic bombs...Pripyat is now a ghost town...Bulldozers have buried most of the houses, and the old apartment blocks are deserted, the possessions of the former inhabitants too radioactive to reclaim...

"In Gomel, a town about sixty miles north of Chernobyl that received perhaps the heaviest concentration of radioactive fallout, the local orphanage is full of infants and young children as a result of what has become an epidemic of birth defects now being born to women who received large doses of radiation."

A young adult reading such awful facts and considering the root causes of why such potentially catastrophic technology is "necessary" may well be a young adult who, at the very least, decides to turn off their light the next time they leave the room.

Furthermore, MELTDOWN provides a comprehensible introduction to nuclear power for the young adults who are growing up facing the world's aging inventory of nuclear power plants--and the ever-increasing quantities of highly radioactive nuclear waste from those power plants (which has been a hot topic just this past week).

Common sense dictates that many of these plants will need to be abandoned in the not-so-distant future. Face it: it's one thing for me to keep my 1980 Datsun station wagon on the road, but I can afford to have something break down on it. (Actually that thought makes me a bit nervous.) We expect someone to be watching out for us when it comes to such things as geriatric commercial airliners. But who is going to going to make the decisions regarding the antiquated nuclear plants that currently produce such a significant portion of our nation's electric supply? MELTDOWN gives young adults a head start on considering this dilemma.

Its readability and the significance of the subject matter, combined with a fine glossary and a list of recommended resources, make MELTDOWN: A RACE AGAINST NUCLEAR DISASTER AT THREE MILE ISLAND a must-have. It provides today's young adults an opportunity for examining a pivotal episode from our energy past and an incentive for contemplating their energy future...

The book itself is accurate only because it is printed word for word from Mr. Teale's original published work in 1974. However, the foreword was an extreme disappointment by stating that Nellie Teale "chose to die on the anniversary of Edwin's death." I have been a devoted fan of the Teales' and have visited their beloved Trail Wood. Mrs. Teale died in August of 1993 whereby Mr. Teale passed away in October 1980. It was nearly 13 years but not on the same day or month as we are told in the foreword. The misrepresented foreword would lead a reader to believe that Nellie's death was perhaps suicide when in fact she quite possibly died of cancer sinse all donations were asked to be contributed to the Cancer Society. This book along with all of Edwin Way Teale's books is well worth reading. The publisher would be better off leaving out a foreword and adding back into the paperback version, all the wonderful black and white photographs that can be viewed in the original hardcover copies.

From his beginning book, A Book About Gliders, to his Pulitzer Prize Winning American seasons series, Edwin Way Teale takes his readers on another trip, this time through his own backyard. Teale first recounts his desire to leave his suburban home on Long Island in quest of the perfect naturalist's home. After a balloon ride over a picture perfect farm-house and 130 acres in Hampton, Connecticut, Mr. Teale finally discovers what he has been looking for: "Trail Wood". Relax and enjoy the incredible descriptive writing style of Edwin Way Teale through the woods and wildlife of his home in Connecticut. Now an Audubon Society Sanctuary open to the public, you'll be amazed your not already there.

I really love the TV show, so I know how the charactors will act. I can really realate to thhis book and I give it 4 stars! ^_^

I loved this book and could read it over and over again. It's all about when Lucy joins the HabitatFor Humanity and it changes her life but also there is a really cute guy and he asks her out after school but she has Habitat For Humanity at that time... Read the book and find out more.

This scrapbook is a great way for people to learn about this great show and the cast. The pictures are great and if you love 7th Heaven this is a great book.

This book is out dated but its really great if you want to learn more about the actors. I enjoyed reading this book and seeing the pictures. My advice: If you like 7th Heaven buy it.
By the way Simon is my fave!

I enjoyed this book just for the pictures and explainations of paper piecing. It gave excellent examples and I look forward to using these patterns in the near future.

This is a beautiful book featuring page after page of full color photos of quilt block designs.
The blocks are pieced using foundation piecing methods. The first chapter guides you through the process of doing foundation piecing with illustrated step-by-step instructions. Helpful hints are provided by piecers from all over. The fabrics used look modern-not Victorian.
A must-have book for quilters!

MARY is a strong , smart, teen who plays basketball and loves sports. In this book Mary sneaks out of the house to see her old boyfriend. Mary did not want her parents to find out because she was supposed to be babysitting her twin brothers. This is an ok book but I liked the other ones better .

This book is great for 7th heaven Lovers! If Mary is your fave Camden, then you have to read this book! I would also say to people who don't like 7th heaven to read this because this is a book about a pretty normal family(ok, so not that normal!) and everyone should like it.

Mary's story is written along the same format as the TV series. I'm 20, and a fan of the show, so this book really caught my attention. I believe all 7th Heaven fans will enjoy this book.

The Bagots and the Godsols have been feuding for generations. The time has come for third son Rafe Godsol to take a bride. He sees the woman he wants at a wedding celebration...then finds out that she is the widowed daughter of his greatest enemy! Kate de Fraisney does not know who he is at first because she was fostered away as a child and thus was raised away from the hatred. Once she knows who he is, she fights her attraction to him. Neither one of them truly feels the malice and rage that began the feud. But they are influenced strongly by their kin: Rafe by his older brother, and Kate by her father. Keep an eye out for this author. She has the presence and style of a seasoned author.

In 1214 England, Sir Rafe Godsol sees widow Katherine de Fraisney at his friend's wedding. Rafe decides that he will marry Katherine even though he learns that she is the daughter of the man who killed his sire. He will also soon find out that Katherine has vowed to never marry again after an unhappy first relationship that has left her wary of males and still an innocent.

Her father decides to find a second spouse for Katherine. However, Rafe begins his own courting and she finds his kisses quite enchanting. When her father and his chosen beau for her learn that a Godsol is sniffing around Katherine, they plot to kill Rafe. Poor Katherine now realizes that Rafe wanted her for her money and not out of love, something that the landless knight now knows is not true, but doesn't know how to prove to her.

Though adhering to the unwritten guidelines of the sub-genre, THE WARRIOR'S DAMSEL is an entertaining medieval romance that sub-genre fans will find enticing. The story line works because the motives of the charcaters ring true and thus lead to relational conflicts, thirteenth century style. Denise Hampton's novel will provide pleasure to readers who enjoy a straightforward historical romance.

Harriet Klausner

I loved this story because I loved the hero. He was tender and intelligent, and yet masculine and protective of the heroine. He was a prince, and despite the heroine fighting him for a time, because she thinks he is only using her, he is still gentle, forgiving, and proves to her how much he actually loves her. I wish I could read more books with this kind of hero.

This is a tale of a boat trip up the Congo, although nowhere in the book is the actual name of that river or the Belgian colony that emerged on its banks ever used. The writer, Joseph Conrad, was probably more interesting than any of his characters. Although writing about stiff-upper-lip types and managing to be more English than the English, he was actually born in a country that was undergoing its own form of colonization in those days, that is Poland. Going to sea, Conrad experienced many adventures around the globe, providing him with the rich stock of stories that were to win him acceptance from the English reading public.

Most people now come across this book as part of some college course condemning colonialism. At least that's how I came across it. Others might know it as the prototype for Francis Ford Coppola's amazing movie "Apocalypse Now."

Although an enthralling read, it is also a strangely vacuous book and, as a consequence, extremely well-named, as Kurtz, the central character, remains a dark enigma at the heart of the story to the end. We never really get to know who he is. Sent by the Belgian colonial authorities upriver, Kurtz has 'gone native' and our narrator is sent after him to investigate.

This format allows the narrator to drop-feed us information about Kurtz during the long river voyage, giving us pieces of a jigsaw that is never completed. As we read we are nevertheless tantalized by the prospect of meeting the man who has scrawled "Exterminate all the brutes" on his report for the "International Society for the Suppression of Savage Customs," participated in "unspeakable rites," and established his authority among the natives through the uncivilized practice of impaling heads on poles.

Is this a true picture of colonialism? During his life as a sailor, the writer visited the Belgian Congo so the details ring true. Also the objective, descriptive, and rather emotionally detached style of the narrator proves convincing. Nevertheless there is something rather mechanical about this picture. Conrad presents economic exploitation or vicious greed as the dominant if not the only force in this view of colonialism. Perhaps in the case of the Belgian Congo, a particularly brutal colonial system, this is justified, but those college students being fed this novel as representative of colonialism in general should be more wary.

To our modern materialistic sensibilities, it makes perfect sense that colonialism should be so greed-driven, but there were also more altruistic motives at work such as the desire to 'save,' 'educate,' and 'civilize' the natives. Conrad treats these with a healthy dose of cynicism. The philanthropic motives, sincerely believed by many in the home country, such as Marlow's Aunt, become in the face of the ruthless greed and brutality existing in the Congo no more than empty jargon, ironically spoked to justify the terrible cruelties inflicted on the natives for the benefit of the Company. But quite often these motives were actually sincere and brought great improvements to the natives, in many cases actually giving them the tools with which they later won their independence.

Although condemning their exploiters, Conrad has little real understanding of the natives who always remain mysterious and unfathomable:

"The prehistoric man was cursing us, praying to us, welcoming us - who could tell? We glided past like phantoms, wondering and secretly appalled, as sane men would be before an enthusiastic outbreak in a madhouse."

In this there is a lack of true sympathy, which however reassures us that he is not exaggerating or sentimentalizing the plight of the Africans. Colonialism was certainly not a blessing; maybe it wasn't a mixed blessing, but it might have been a mixed curse. Anyway, however you choose to view it, it undoubtedly had a profound impact on the economy, environment, culture, and identity of native peoples. We get little of this from Conrad and his "unfathomable savages."

I'm not sure how to feel about this book. While reading it, I really could not become absorbed by Conrad's dense prose, though, while occasionaly eloquent, is very thick, and, well, British. But now that I am finished with it, I can not get the images the novella invokes out of my head. The conquest of Africa by the Imperialist on the surface, and the corruption of man's very morality underneath. The story is deceptively simple, merely a man working for an Ivory trading company, ominously called "The Company", going up the Congo river to meet up with Kurtz, the archetype of Western Imperialism. During this trip, we are shown the inner workings of man and his heart of darkness. The novella is not perfect though. Conrad's condemnation of Imperialism is uneven. Yes, the only discernable cause of Kurtz's descent into evil and madness is the imperialist ethic of master-slave, and it is fairly clear that Marlowe (conrad) is condemning that ethic, but at the same time, he doesn't work very hard to elevate the view of the African natives any higher in the esteem of his western readers. Anyway, as the novella is only about 100 pages, it is something that can be read in a day. Invest an afternoon in it, and decide for yourself.

Heart of Darkness is a novella that really needs to be read more than just once to fully appreciate Conrad's style of writing. The story is an account of one man's simultaneous journey into the darkness of a river as well as into the shadows of a madman's mind. There is a very brilliant flow of foreshadowing that Conrad brings to his writing that provides the reader with accounts of the time period and the horrible events to come. Through Conrad's illuminating writing style we slowly see how the narrator begins to understand the madness or darkness that surrounds him.

I recommend this particular version of the novella because it contains a variety of essays, which discusses some of the main issues in the reading and historical information. Issues like racism and colonialism are discussed throughout many essays. It also contains essays on the movie inspired by the book Apocalypse Now, which is set against the background of the Vietnam War. I recommend reading Heart of Darkness and then viewing Apocalypse Now, especially in DVD format which contains an interesting directors commentary.

As a Hamptons native who has moved away from the area, I was very interested by the idea of the book. It read a lot like "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil," with eccentric real-life characters (though no transvestites) and squabbles that are funny to anyone not involved in the situation. However, it seemed rather caught up in mainly covering the socially elite of the Hamptons and was rather rude in its constant dismissal of any Hamptons other than Southampton or East Hampton (Gaines sniffed several times that Westhampton, for instance, should've been called "Dentisthampton"). I think an excellent follow-up, or companion, volume to this book would be if Gaines were to find the same types of fascinating people and stories in the not-so-exclusive Hamptons.

I read the book like one savors a delectable morsel of some rare treat - slowly, deliberately, trying to make every bite last an eternity.

Stephen Gaines managed to capture in great detail not only the fascinating and unique history of this town but he artfully blended in the hilarious shenanigans that color today's East Hampton.

Most Hamptons visitors and probably most recent residents are unfortunately not aware of this town's character beyond the "rich & famous" banalities usually reported in the tabloid press.

What partied-out summer reveler can tell you that:

1. The East Hampton Trustees, a body of private citizens, own the waterways to this day through a decree by King George and not even the U.S. Federal Government has succeeded in successfully challenging this right?

2. The oldest cattle ranch is in Montauk, not some place in the West?

3. Amagansett was the only location in the U.S. that was ever invaded by the Nazis in WW2?

4. Captain Kidd's treasure is buried somewhere off the shores of East Hampton?

5. Gardiner Island is owned by a man who holds his title from King George

These and countless other fascinating tidbits were carefully researched and documented in the book along with the bizarre and outlandish behavior of some of our local celebrities.

This is a fascinating book that educates the reader through an entertaining style a la Hard Copy. Really a must read!

I loved this book. The author has written a social history of the Hamptons that's a real page-turner. The characters are fascinating and he evokes a sense of place that makes you feel the author knows every nook and cranny of his subject. The book creates an historical tapestry stretching from pre-Revolutionary days to an end- of-the-millenium July 4th party. It would be easy to take potshots at the rich and richers who live in the Hamptons, but the author, who sees these characters with a clear and discerning eye, never condescends. The book moves so quickly I finished it in one sitting. This is my favorite kind of book-- a non-fiction book that reads like a novel. Because of the subject, some people might consider this a summer read, but I found this to be THE perfect book to read during a recent snowstorm. Enjoy!

This is the central question explored by Conrad in Lord Jim. Jim is ultimately a character who inspires our sympathy due to his inability to find reconcilliation for his one tragic moment of weakness. In him we find a person of tremendous potential that remains unrealized as the tragic circumstances of his abandoning his post aboard the Patna continually haunt him and the associated guilt drives him to isolation.
Conrad successfully explores the concepts of bravery, cowardice,guilt and the alternative destinies that an individual may be driven to by these qualities.
The narrative can be a bit confusing at times as Marlowe relates the tale by recalling his encounters with Jim. The book reminded very much of Somerset Maugham's THE RAZOR"S EDGE" in style. However I believe that Maugham did a much better job of incorporating the narrator into the flow of the story. Overall LORD JIM is a wonderful classic novel that I highly recommend.

This is the fifth book I have read by Conrad, and through these readings I have come to deeply appreciate his literary power and the perfection of his stories. Conrad has the skill to border about several similar subjects, without repeating himself. "Lord Jim" is truly a Shakespearean tragedy, mainly because of the Shakespearean nature of the main character. Jim is a young naval officer with high hopes of heroism and moral superiority, but when he faces his first test of courage, he miserably fails. While 800 Muslim pilgrims are asleep aboard the ship "Patna", Jim discovers that the boat is about to sink. There are not sufficient lifeboats for everybody. Should he wake them up or not? He gets paralyzed with fear and then sudenly jumps into a boat being set up by the rest of the officers. He is taken to trial and disposessed of his working licence.

Ashamed and humiliated, Jim dedicates the rest of his life to two things: escape the memory of that fateful night, and redeem himself. This agonizing quest to recover his dignity in front of his own eyes leads him to hide in a very remote point in the Malayan peninsula, where he will become the hero, the strong man, the wise protector of underdeveloped, humble and ignorant people. Jim finds not only the love of his people, but also the love of a woman who admires him and fears the day when he might leave for good. The narrator, Captain Marlow (the same of "Heart of Darkness") talks to Jim for the last time in his remote refuge, and then Jim tells him that he has redeemed himself by becoming the people's protector. Oh, but these things are never easy and Jim will face again the specter of failure.

Conrad has achieved a great thing by transforming the "novel of adventures" into the setting for profound and interesting reflections on the moral stature of Man, on courage, guilt, responsibility, and redemption.

Just as in "Heart of Darkness" the question is what kinds of beings we are stripped of cultural, moral and religious conventions; just as in "Nostromo" the trustworthiness of a supposedly honest man is tested by temptation, in "Lord Jim" the central subject is dignity and redemption after failure.

A great book by one of the best writers.

After reading this book (along with several other of Conrad's books) I am under the impression that Joseph Conrad may very well be my favorite author. Here is another masterpiece, a deeply incisive study of character of the motivation and the ultimate failure of all high-minded ideals. Granted my own personal world view falls directly in line with this realization and therefore prejudices me towards anything the man might write, but, when considering such a lofty title as 'favorite author' one must regard other aspects of the novelist's creation. As with the others, Conrad wins by the power of his stories.

Lord Jim is my least favorite of the the four books I have read by Conrad. The story is rather scattered: a righteous young man does something wrong that he holds himself far too accountable for and the public shame the action brought him exaggerates the reality of his failure and makes him believe the rumors swirling around about his so-called cowardice. He spends the remainder of his life trying to reclaim his self-regard, mostly exaggerating his own importance in matters he hardly understands. His goal is to liberate the primitive people of the jungle paradise he inadvertantly finds himself in (due to an effort to escape every particle of the world he once inhabited) and his once high-minded ideals and regard for himself lead him to allow those people to consider him almost a God.

Jim likes being a God and considers himself a just and fair one. He treats everyone equally and gives to his people the knowledge of modern science and medicine as well as the everyday archetecture and understanding of trade that those primitive folks would otherwise be years from comprehending.

Of course everything ends in failure and misery and of course Jim's restored name will be returned to its demonic status, but the whole point of the novel seems to me that one can not escape their past. Jim, for all his courage in the line of fire has tried to avoid all memory of the once shameful act of his former life and by doing so becomes destined to repeat his mistakes.

Lord Jim is far more expansive than the story it sets out to tell, ultimately giving a warning on the nature of history and general humanity that only a writer of Conrad's statue could hope to help us understand.

If there is a flaw it is not one to be taken literally. Conrad was a master of structural experimentation and with Lord Jim he starts with a standard third person narrative to relate the background and personalities of his characters and then somehow merges this into a second person narrative of a man, years from the events he is relating, telling of the legend of Jim. It is a brilliant innovation that starts off a little awkward and might lead to confusion in spots as the story verges into its most important parts under the uncertain guidence of a narrator who, for all his insight into others, seems unwilling to relate his personal relevence to the story he is relating.

Nevertheless (with a heartfelt refrain), one of the best books I have ever read.