Sir Isaiah Berlin was the greatest exponent of Liberal Pluralism
in the 20th Century. "Against The Current" is probably his best collection of essays. The essays on Verdi and George Sorel are worth the price of the book alone. Do yourself a favor and read this book. You will not regret it.

In this, his most accessible work, Berlin deals with a host of subjects. The volume contains one of the truly great critical essays on Machiavelli, a brilliant parallel lives exposition of Marx and Disraeli, the classic essay on the Counter-Enlightenment and an amazing 'Hedgehog and Fox'-like analysis of Verdi. Yet again Berlin shows us his gift of imaginative insight - what Vico called 'entrare' - that allows him apparent access to minds, ideologies and cultures utterly alien to his own. He also shows us his gifts as a musician and rhetoriceur, using all his old tricks of repitition and word association. This is, as is usual in his works, as much a flaw as a blessing,and his 'entrare' often ends on a note achingly reminiscent of his own political pluralism, but for all that it is still a masterly collection.

"Against the Current: Essays in the History of Ideas" has long been out of print and is hard to find in the used market. I wish some publisher would reprint it--I'm sure it would sell well. It was my introduction to this wonderful, careful, rational thinker and his ideas on pluralism, among many other topics. I'm not smart enough to summarize his thought for public consumption; you must read him for yourself. If you are a warm, loving, human being who is interested in how we got to our present intellectual condition, after reading him you will be a convert. Libraries often have "Against the Current," but you can also find great riches in his other books, some of which Amazon.com will be happy to send to you. Put his name in Keyword Search and check out the numerous titles they carry. (No, I'm not a salesman, just a fan.) I can recommend "Crooked Timber of Humanity" as a good start. For a (still) fresh reading of the life of Karl Marx read Berlin's biography of him. Enrich your life; READ ISAIAH BERLIN!!!

Nancey Drew and Ned's romantic dinner ends in the discovery of Pam Harter's body, an investigative reporter, at a construction site. Meanwhile the Hardy's, Frank and Joe, are working undercover as EMT's, because someone is holding up ambulances and stealing bodies! Nancey, Frank, Joe, Ned, and Brenda Carlton, another investigative reporter, team up to find the truth behind the murder and body snatching before it's to late.

Somebody is stealing bodies from ambulences in River Heights, and the Hardy Boys pose as EMTs to solve the mystery. Meanwhile, Nancy looks someone that Brenda Carlton insists is missing. Nancy finds her murdered in a construction lot. When she calls 911, the Hardy Boys show up! This book is my favorite of all the super mysteries. You will never guess the ending!

The Hardys are under cover in River Heights because someone has been hijacking ambulances... and stealing bodies!!! Nancy discovers the grim truth while searching for the 'why' in a reporter's death for Brenda Carlton, and she and Ned almost don't make it to the end of the book. Read it to find more intrigue...

I credit Franklin Dixon's Hardy Boys series with sparking my interest in literature, which led ultimately to the publication of my own suspense novel thirty years later. I started reading these books when I was seven, and eventually collected thirty or forty of them, reading them all two or three times. I recently found several in an old box in the basement, including "House on The Cliff" and "Secret of the Old Mill." When I read one to my ten-year-old daughter, I discovered that time had not tarnished their quality nor distorted my fond memory of them. Now my daughter wants to read another.

Dixon utilizes two key techniques to capture kids' imagination and keep their attention. One is action. Kids get distracted easily. Dixon never gives them the chance. Exciting, dangerous, and mysterious stuff starts happening right away in each book and continues in every chapter. The other is to end each chapter with some unresolved event so suspenseful that kids must keep reading. I can't tell you how many times I stayed up late to keep reading a Hardy Boys mystery.

Every book in the series is as good as the next. Dixon created characters and a formula that worked, and he stuck with them consistently. They teach good old-fashioned values, and are fun and easy to read--the perfect step up from baby books to chapter books. --Christopher Bonn Jonnes, author of Wake Up Dead.

I read so many of these a few years back, and I am now stocking up my home library with these great imaginary scenes. My children are too young to read, but my nephew likes them just fine. Great for boys AND girls. Start kids off with some fun and clean reading, and they will love reading later on.

I started reading these in 6th grade because my dad had like all of them because he was a big fan. Now I am reading them and I have him rereading all of them. Like every night he comes into my room to see If I have bought any new ones recently. All summer I have been reding them looking for cheap prices on the series. I have actually read like 5 this summer beacause EVERY chapter has a cliff hanger. Today I finished the secret agent on flight 101 and the ceativity yet down to earth way Mr.Dixon wrote these books is amazing. I recamend these to all ages even reading them to some kids...they will love the suspence.

Modern America is obsessed with the pursuit of happiness. It is in the Declaration of Independence, after all. Supposedly, the pursuit of happiness is one of our "inalienable rights."

The brilliance of Samuel Johnson is that he understood that those who seek happiness are the very ones who will never find it. This book is all about Rasselas and his friends as they try to figure out which "choice of life" will lead to happiness.

The conclusion of the book is that no choice of life will truly make you happy in this world. Happiness only comes after death when we meet up with our Maker.

The key is to simply accept life as it comes. Do not try to find happiness. If you stop searching for happiness, you will be shocked suddenly when you realize that something like happiness has snuck into your life by the back door. How did that get there?

This profound and wise insight is written with the usual Johnsonian artistic and literary brilliance. A must read for modern people who think happiness is something you can buy.

The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abissinia was a disheartening story about a prince who leaves the "happy valley" to pursue the choice of life. The princess and the prince, as well as the princess's favorite and their guide, enquire with all types of people in different positions to assist them in making their choice of life. I focused more on the philosophy than the story, and this, in the end, did nothing more than reassure me on the downfalls of human nature and society. It was enjoyable to read such a melancholy message expressed in an artistic and imaginative way, as I do not think that anything else would have lifted my spirits more than to know that although the downfalls illustrated in the book permeate our existence, people still retain creativity enough to express them in a pleasant way. This book is well written and the message is entertaining. It is a story that compliments the reader, as it can entertain with both its story and its opinions.

'The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abissinia' was a disheartening story about a prince who leaves the "happy valley" to pursue the choice of life. The princess and the prince, as well as the princess's favorite and their guide, enquire with all types of people in different positions to assist them in making their choice of life. I focused more on the philosophy than the story, and this, in the end, did nothing more than reassure me on the downfalls of human nature and society. It was enjoyable to read such a melancholy message expressed in an artistic and imaginative way, as I do not think that anything else would have lifted my spirits more than to know that although the downfalls illustrated in the book permeate our existence, people still retain creativity enough to express them in a pleasant way. This book is well written and the message is entertaining. It is a story that compliments the reader, as it can entertain with both its story and its opinions.

Laurel & Hardy fans will love this book. I certainly did. The warmth and affection that John McCabe had for both Stan and Ollie comes through on every page. While the focus is more on Laurel, Hardy comes off well in the chapters devoted to him.
I wish there had been more pictures, but the text more than made up for it. Don't be surprised if you find yourself whistling the "cukoo song" while reading this book. The "boys" are gone, but the laughter they created is still with us, unlike the current crop of "comedians".

I wish they'd put Stan and Ollie back on TV to show another generation how wonderful these two are. There's no doubt that they remain as funny today as they did back in their prime. I'm a big fan and have many of their DVD's. I wanted to know about the duo and this book informed me greatly.

Mr Laurel and Mr Hardy is a riveting biography of the two men. It took me only a few hours to get through. It concentrates mostly on Stanley who was the creative genius behind the pair, but this only heightens interest in the chapter on Ollie, which is written in interview form. I liked the way the book started with Laurel failing miserably on his first attempt at performing, with his Dad in attendance. His perseverence was incredible as he subbed for Chaplin during the early days before hard work and the luck to be partnered with Mr Hardy, finally garnered him some success.

The book, written after many interviews with Stan, has got a very appealing narrative. We get insights into the making of their films, answering questions about how the pair came together and how most of their routines got started. It's very enlightening.

What I found most surprising was the undercurrent of emotion throughout. Its author obviously had a wonderful adoration for the pair and Stan, while speaking to him is very nostalgic about the past. I love the parts where Stan met Chaplin after many years, after they both had made it. And where, years after their filmic success, when they were touring Europe, the church bells in Cobh played out their theme tune.

If you have any interest in Laurel and Hardy, you must get this book.

This was the first book about everyone's favourite comedy couple. I recently read it for the fourth or fifth time and felt inspired to recommend it at Amazon. McCabe interviewed both comics and knew Laurel for years. As an overview and appreciation of the Laurel and Hardy career this is still the best book to start with. Those more seriously interested will find a number of excellent books on the subject written in more recent years. I recommend 'Mr Laurel and Mr Hardy' enthusiastically to all fans.

My daughter's name is Veronica Anne, and I ran into the Project Gutenberg edition of this text on a routine websearch. I'm halfway through the book, and loving it! I hope my Veronica grows up to be as independent and spirited as Ann Veronica. :)

Firstly, even though the author is H.G. Wells you should not harbor any notion that this is a work of science fiction.

It is however a rather interesting story of the dual coming of age of a woman and a society in a time of dramatic social change. This book provides the missing link between Jane Austen's era where the notion of an independent woman encompassed little more than a woman who did not automatically marry the first man of means who proposed to her and our modern era where we fully accept the notion of a "man-equal" female character like Heinlein's Friday. And the transformation is a most interesting, exciting, and at times enlightening one. As Ann Veronica wanders through the political and social landscape of Victorian England we are exposed to the rather startling sentiments of the time and the rather harrowing and bold adventures she undertakes in her journey to freedom, as well as to a panoply of interesting characters (like the man hating Mrs. Miniver and the absolute cad Mr. Ramage).

This book is not for everyone, but it is a very worthwhile and entertaining read if you can get into it.

This is the best book I ever read. I own 2 copies of it, one so I always have it in the house if I want to reread it (which I have many times) and another so I can let friends borrow it! "Ann Veronica" is a woman after my own heart, she lives life in her own way and doesn't listen to what anyone else wants her to do. She follows her dreams and her ambitions and lives a wonderful life. Every woman should read this book!

i originally borrowed this book from the library and wound up re-borrowing it so much that i decided to buy it (a rarity for me). since then, i keep it in my satchel which is always in reach. i am currently designing and installing a new garden, and many of the combinations i will use are from this book.

the author's comments and experiences are instructive, humorous and well written. indeed, i would not mind reading any writing he might produce.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! This book took me from color to design to planning borders so that something is in bloom all the time. The photographs provided identification of plants and I have found myself returning to them again and again to study the author's compositions. I also shared his views on gardening's place in one's life. Highly recommend.

Patrick Lima is without question my favorite garden writer. He is knowledgable and witty, and really offers comprehensive material for gardening with perennials in a zone 4 region. I can't recommend this book highly enough. John's photos are spectacular.

"It's embarrassing when you can't even find a charity that will take your old computer as a donation."

"You probably aren't computer literate if you think installing a patch is how you fix a flat tire."

Martin Hopper has created a humorous book that rolls with the ever-changing world of computers. This is a humorous book with creative illustrations to match.

This book should be on everyone's desk at work. When you take your coffee break (I know--I know, who has time for coffee breaks), but make the time, and take this book with you. The humor in this book about computers and more will have you laughing at your own computer foibles.

I bought this book for my boyfriend, and he keeps it on his desk at work. He thought the quotes hit computers right where they byte!

The book, Flight into Danger,is the perfect book for those who love adventure stories and have extra time on their hands... because you won't be able to stop reading it!

I really liked this book because you really did not know what was going to happen next. The beginning was a bit slow but the end was very fast moving. The beginning was as fast as a bullet, the middle was as fast as sound and the end was fast as the speed of light. I especially liked the part when they were flying the jets and chasing the Max-1.
H. Gregory Moore IV.

Not many people realize that this is the story that the popular comedy classic film Airplane! parodied. So if you loved Airplane! you should read the original story.

This is a pretty good book, which can leave you squirming in your seat with excitment, though some times it (the plot), is rather slow. Overall it is a good book and I would recomend it to any fan.

If you love soccer this book is for you!This book really teaches you the game and tells you to think about playing as a team and not about winning so much.You've got to read this book!

Hey. Do you like Soccer? Y/N. Hey. Do you like books? Y/N. If you answer yes to both of these questions, you'll like this book. It's filled with action on and off the soccer field. What I really like is that it just if not more exciting with off-the-field, the people part then on the field. It was a wonderful book. If you enjoy soccer, then It's for you.