This book has been reviewed by R.C. Preston in "Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology" 25:487-488; 1999. His recommendation is:

"This is an essential book for engineers and physicists who want to know and understand how ultrasound has been applied in medical imaging, NDT and industrial process control."

This slim volume contains twelve essays on rape and related subjects. Don't be fooled by the inclusiveness of the title, however: scholarly works are rarely that broad, and most of these essays deal directly with Classical Athens, moving to Rome only in a few essays, and actually including Byzantium and the Middle Ages, as well. Some of the works are incredibly insightful and paradigm-building; others are horribly written but contain a few pearls, if one is willing to sift through the despair of an English teacher. My personal favourites were the essays by Deacy, Kilmer, Pierce, and Arieti, with a favourable mention for Saunders. Deacy looks into Athena and how she characterized the unmarried (rapeable) virgin; Kilmer focuses on red-figure pottery and its errotic scenery, quite shocking!; Pierce sends us through the New Comedies for a look at the grostesquely amusing; and Arieti not only falls into the nuances of Livy and his portrayal of rape, but introduces a worldview that definitely provokes thought.

This book is not for the faint-hearted. Some of the portrayals are shocking to the modern mind in how ancients react to them. There are some explicit pictures in Kilmer's article, and all of them deal with a very combustable topic: rape. Nonetheless, if you're interested in womens' studies, the nuances of Ancient Greek, or even law and the philosophy of law through time, this is a book you won't want to miss.

Next to mysteries, my favorite reading material is the essay. A book of essays by one author has special appeal because I get to see many sides of the author's personality. River Earth reveals a sensitive, caring man who has solid relationships with family and friends. He has a great sense of humor. His phrasing makes it easy to visualize him slipping and tripping over river rocks as he seeks out an elusive trout or running down the river bank to confront two workers laying white plastic pipe down the middle of his beloved river. For me, however, the playful stories are eclipsed by the poignant ones. By chance, I read "Who Am I?" within a couple of days of the tenth anniversary of my mother's death. I couldn't stop my tears.
John Pierce also describes paradise in this book. Paradise is a green place with a river and many chances for solitude and quiet reflection. The book contains photographs showing the author, some of the places already artfully described, family and friends. Beautiful illustrations, like the river on the cover, continue throughout the book. Both add to the character of the book.
Thank you John Pierce for the insights into your special places and feelings. I am buying a 2nd and 3rd copy to share with my friends.

My children love folk tales, and they are encouraged to read them at every opportunity. However, they are also more than just a story, being a window into the past allowing us to glimpse how humans used to view the world. With a bit of adult explanation, they can also provide lessons in cultural studies. This collection of stories contain some that deal with the origin of humans, which always seems to start at the same point. Whatever their names, in this case they are Hanna and Bateta, the human species begins with one man and one woman. We often emphasize the differences between cultures. However, if we examine the folk tales, it is easy to see that common themes run through most of them. Perhaps the emphasis should be more on the commonality rather than the diversity.
In the African tale of the arrival of death as a fact of human life, it is also a woman who breaks the rules, causing Death to come to Earth and become a constant companion to the human race. Animals with human-like qualities are also prominently featured in many stories, although they are more malevolent than in tales from other cultures.
These are not stories about great warriors fighting their way through their enemies, but tales about human existence and at times folly, greed and wisdom. I learned some things about the African perspective, and have encouraged my children to read them and think about how they show how similar we all are.

Maybe it's just me, but if a book mentions journey cake, I automatically like it. Weird huh? Well, pemmican aside, this was a pretty magical little book. Reminiscent of The Snow Queen or other child-on-a-quest fairy tales, this story follows the adventures of a little girl searching through the artic tundra for a cure for her ailing grandmother. To save her she has to find where the wild geese go. The story could be a little tighter. I like Pierce and she has a knack for turning a tale, but this one just wasn't as tight as I might have liked. The pictures, however, were wonderful- I especially liked the snow dogs. They held the book where the story slacked off. A nice piece-especially on a cold night in front of a warm fire with your hunk of journey cake.

The Wise Men's Tale is a durable board book featuring the "Slide and Seek" feature which allows the reader to pull the pages apart to reveal the answer to various questions. Aimed at young children (four and under), the book tells the story of the Wise Mens' visit to the baby Jesus. Using colorful pictures and a question and answer format, the book draws in the little reader and invites him to really take part in the story. Young children will really enjoy reading this story. Its theme of giving is relevant year round.

I love following the strange adventures of Marcia, the woman from NYC who can see auras. I'm glad that the author decided to focus of Marcia in the last two stories, because I think that she's the most interesting. If you've read either of the first two books (The Door to Ambermere and The Sorceress of Ambermere), The Wizard of Ambermere is a must read.

World War II in Fort Pierce tells with photographs, many never published before, of the Naval Amphibious Training Base that trained Army Rangers, Scouts, and the elite "frogmen" for their roles in the invasions in European and Pacific theaters of operations. Over 100,00 soldiers and sailors passed through the base and made not small contribution to Allied victory.

I was looking through my collection for something fast and witty, and I grabbed this book. This book is no heavyweight and its not Mr. Thomas' best (I think Missionary Stew is his best), but it does deliver the goods. It reads fast and has some snappy dialog and a satifying plot. Ross Thomas was one of our best action-adventure writers and is sorely missed. The fact that many of his books are out of print is just plain wrong.

I bought this for my husband's stocking for Christmas! It's a wonderful little book with really kind thoughts and phrases - the watercolor illustrations are winsome!