The two volumes of this collection constitute one of my favorite science fiction anthologies; a real shame that it's out of print now. It's not that this is a perfect selection of stories (what anthology can boast that?)----rather, it gives a real sense of what it must have been like to be an sf fan back in the late thirties, and grow up reading Astounding, the leading magazine in the field for quite a while. (I realize that nostalgia for a time before I was born could be considered a form of sickness, but let's leave that alone right now.) It starts when John W. Campbell, jr. assumed the editorship, and follows the development of the magazine through the war and up into the early sixties, when Campbell changed its name to Analog. The stories are presented chronologically, 1937-46 in volume one, and 1947-65 in volume two. The intoductory notes steep you in the feel of those days. And aside from the historical and fan/anthropology aspects this is just a damn good anthology. Sure, we've got "Nightfall," "City," "First Contact," "The Little Black Bag," "The Cold Equations," and "Call Me Joe" which have all been anthologized ad infinitum, but there are some rarer gems here as well. "Farewell To the Master" by Harry Bates, which was the basis of the movie The Day the Earth Stood Still. "By His Bootstraps" the wickedly clever time-paradox story by Heinlein (under the MacDonald pen name) which is perhaps so hard to find because it doesn't happen to fall within his Future History series. Theodore L. Thomas's masterful "The Weather Man," perhaps the quintessential early-sixties Analog story. I wish that they'd chosen "Basic Right" by Eric Frank Russell rather than "The Waitabits" but you can't have everything. This should be in every science fiction reader's library, whether or not they consider themselves an Astounding/Analog reader.

As Alexa and Darius find their way from college lovers to man and wife, you will travel on their journey with them--crying when they cry, frowning when they are frustrated, and cheering when they reach the ultimate success of true love.

A wonderful journey!

This book gives a straightforward overview of the history of fetal surgery and the rationale for fetal surgery. The real reason to buy it, though, is for the beautiful intraoperative photographs. I would recommend it for anyone with an interest in the subject, independent of his/her background.

As a reader with an economical background, mathematical texts are usually hard to be followed. Nevertheless, dinamic models through bayesian forecasting are afordable with this book. Introductory chapters on the bayesian learning algorithm and univariate models rough out the kernel of the issue. Once you dive into the following more complicated chapters you can get lost but the main idea is got. To avoid getting lost, several readings are necessary. Finally, last chapters for non linear models, models with exponential distributions and MCMC methods are really heavy going but a light reading can allow you to get a general overview.

All in all, is a great workbook. The main drawback may be the lack of more practical examples to illustrate the theoretical concepts.

This book is a masterpiece for those wanting to break the mystique about jazz improvisation. Harrison demonstrates all of the excersises and leaves space for you to play along. The narrator is easy to understand and very encouraging as she guides you through the process. I also purchased Volume I. Great work from veteran Wendell Harrison

I highly recommend this book to anyone. Especially people who feel they don't make enough money to live their dreams. This book shows you how it's not how much you make, but what you do with what you have. It is simplistic in its style which makes it perfect for one not knowing how to handle money. Giving you basic everyday principles to apply and think about. With great examples of how we take our money for granted and use it poorly and how not to. Covering setting goals, budgeting, purchasing cars, real estate, insurance, investment, traveling and more.

Dostoyevsky once wrote that beauty will save the world. Carol Harrison's remarkable study demonstrates that such an emphasis on beauty is no less a critical element of St Augustine's theology. Not only does her book solidly establish the relevance of aesthetics in Augustinian theology, it also provides an excellent point of departure for thinking about the significance of beauty in Late Antiquity more generally. For this reason, Beauty and Revelation will be interesting to students of Late Antiquity and anyone who wishes to learn more about the multifaceted Doctor of the Church.

I took this book on retreat with me and it blew my mind. My perspective on my faith increased many fold. However, this book is not for everyone. This is not a light, warm and fuzzy spiritually book. This is a book for scholars. Cardinal Ratzinger goes into some deep theology, but if you can hang in there with him, you'll get a much greater understanding of concepts such as original sin, the Eucharist, Jesus' prayer life, the Easter Mystery, etc. If you're ready to do the work for the spiritual ride of your life, buy it!

You would think that Benjamin Harrison would be a little more in vogue right now than he is at the present time, given the current occupant of the White House. Like George W. Bush and John Quincy Adams, Benjamin Harrison was the descendant of a President (albeit grandson instead of son) and like the other two was elected to the Presidency despite losing the popular vote. Both Adams and Harrison lost rematches with their opponents, Andrew Jackson and Grover Cleveland respectively, and it will certainly be interesting to see what happens with a Bush-Gore rematch, if such a thing actually comes to pass.

Susan Clinton begins this juvenile biography of Benjamin Harrison the way most volumes in the Encyclopedia of Presidents series begins, with a pivotal moment from the subject's life. For Harrison is it the Civil War battle of Peachtree Creek, where the then Colonel commanded the First Brigade of the Third Division in the Army of the Cumberland. For his efforts in the battle, Harrison was promoted to general and in 1888 he would become the last Civil War general to be elected president (because McKinley was never a general). Clinton traces Harrison's career after the war from lawyer to Senator and then to President. Actually, for a one-term president, who saw most of his policies overturned by Grover Cleveland, the once and future president, Clinton does an excellent job of covering his administration.

One of the benefits of going through these biographies of the presidents (in alphabetical order for those of you following along) is that the rule of thumb is that the value of these books is the inverse of the president's success and popularity. Before reading this book I had pretty much dismissed Benjamin Harrison as a historical footnote; after all, his Secretary of State James G. Blaine usually gets more ink in your standard American History textbook than Harrison. However, anyone will find it hard to forget about an incumbent president whose wife dies during his re-election campaign. This book is illustrated with historic photographs and illustrations, including a few fascinating political cartoons from that time. After reading this informative biography I have added Benjamin Harrison to the short list of presidents who could have done better if only the politicians had not gotten in his way.

Best Companions is a 532 page compendium of letters between Eliza Middleton Fisher and her mother, Mary Hering Middleton. The letters bridge Charleston, Philadelphia to Newport, through the years 1839-1846. This seven-year conversation, encompassed in some 375 letters, connect the cultural and social life of the North and the South even as other forces conspired to tear America part from within. Enhanced with an Epilogue, extentensive bibliography, and comprehensive index, Best Companions is intimately showcases the joys, sorrows, frustrations, and widespread opinions of a close mother and daughter. Best Companions is not to be missed!