100 Banned Books is essential reading for anyone concerned about censorship and freedom of expression. The amount of research that Karolides, Bald and Sova have compiled is remarkably thorough. A fairly brief but highly illuminating summary is provided for each listed "objectionable" work, and the list is divided into four different categories of grounds for suppression: political, religious, sexual, and social. The reader is given insight into the mentality of the self-appointed dictators of public knowledge and cultural taste. Fear and ignorance; political and religious intolerance; outright bigotry. It is such un-enlightened mentalities, we discover, that at one time led to the suppression of such great books as The Bible, "All Quiet On The Western Front", "The Rights of Man", "Lady Chatterly's Lover", "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest", "Leaves Of Grass", "Anne Frank: The Diary Of A Young Girl","Black Boy", "The Canterbury Tales" just to name a few. Ultimately, this book cultivates an appreciation for the freedom to express and exhange ideas, however controversial or unpopular some of those views might be. It also arms the reader with a vigilance to defend that freedom should they find it challenged by a political authority, religious institution, school board or a group of zealots. 100 Banned Books is destined to become a classic!

If you are a wholehearted proponent of the First Amendment to the
Constitution of the United States, this is a book you will find it
absolutely essential to own.

Nicholas Karolides, Margaret Bald and
Dawn Sova have compiled censorship histories of 100 books that have
been suppressed on political, religious, sexual or social grounds, and
they are truly eye-opening. Many of these books have been censored
within our own country, where freedom of speech is supposedly
protected by the First Amendment.

Under the category of religious
censorship, not only have documents challenging the major world
religions' accepted beliefs come under fire, but these religions'
essential works -- the Bible, the Koran and the Talmud -- have also
been supressed at some point in history.

Works suppressed on sexual
grounds run the gamut from mild language or situations to depictions
of explicitly violent and humiliating sexual acts. While I find the
latter absolutely abhorent and choose not to expose myself to this
type of content, "100 Banned Books" is a valuable reminder
that, regardless of your personal opinion of what is not appropriate,
it is all to easy to cross over the line and try to deny others access
to these materials.

Read this book to familiarize yourself with
past instances of censorship, and then look in present-day society for
examples of ongoing censorship attempts. The results will truly be
eye-opening.

100 Banned Books: Censorship Histories Of World Literature is a collaboration between Nicholas J. Karolides (professor of English and associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, University of Wisconsin, River Falls) and Ken Wachsberger (editor of "Voices From The Underground" and managing editor of several journals at MCB University Press, Bradford, England) who present a detailed look at one hundred different fiction and nonfiction books that have been widely banned throughout history. The entry devoted to each book features a detailed summary of the plot or ideas expressed within, followed by a concise yet carefully accurate history of the censorship of the book. From Mein Kampf to Lady Chatterly's Lover to Uncle Tom's Cabin, just about every famous work subject to banning is carefully scrutinized in this well-researched reference. 100 Banned Books is a strongly recommended addition to academic and community library collections, and deserves special inclusion in the efforts to promote annual "Banned Books" events at school and public library systems.

An excellent novel about the Old Guard of the Army. Mr. Proffitt, as a veteran of the 3rd US Inf., is able to bring you into the "other" world of the Army. The side that has to do with the burials, rather than the killing.

As a veteran of the Old Guard, who was there for the filming of the movie, I was dissapointed that the Army would not let Mr. Coppola keep to Mr. Proffitt's work, but if you both read the novel, and view the movie, I'm sure that you'll understand the reasons.

Anyhow, I digress. Mr. Proffitt's telling of the "other side if the Vietnam War" is without compare. Even though, by his own admission, he does change some facts around.

I would recommend this novel to all the "doves" and "children of doves", as well as anyone interested in the nations Premier Honor Guard.

Scott R. Williams
3d U.S. Inf (TOG)
84-88

Of the many, many books I have read about soldiers and war, this is one is perhaps the best -- certainly the best I've read about Vietnam. The characters are multidimensional, the pathos authentic, and the story of a subculture in crisis touchingly poignant. Everyone aging hippie intoning against soldiers and the military ethic should read this book.

I've read dozens of novels in my life, some good and some bad. One day I found Gardns of Stone in a bargain box at a local used bookstore. I'd heard of the movie, but never saw it. Having worked near, and traveled through Arlington Nat'l Cemetary, and observed The Old Guard in action many times, I bought it. I literally couldn't put it down.

The drawing of the characters is very believable, and the feelings of the servicemen are authentic, based on my military experiences. Even the passages with Sgt Hazard's girlfriend, as she struggles with her feelings about Hazard, but her resentment of his profession, are ones that military men often face. Even Hazard's ambivalence towards his superiors in particualr, and the Army in general, comes across as genuine.

It's one of the finest books I've ever read, and one that makes you think about your responsibility to others. It's a great read, and everyone I've passed it to has felt the same way.

And I do mean long! I thoroughly enjoyed reading about ancient/historic libraries and bibliophiles (Part One), but when I got into Part Two, I started wondering if I would ever finish the book. The stories of various book collectors and their quirks are fascinating, but they do seem to go on and on...and on. I'm tentatively looking forward to reading the next book on this theme, "Patience and Fortitude". I have the feeling that I'll need both these qualities to make it through!

Having my own small collection of 800 books, a few first editions, several autographed editions I can relate. I loved this book. It was given to me last year by my best friend, another book lover, and I have enjoyed it so much. I am not a great, gifted collector, but still a collector and I can tell you where each book was purchased, the date, and sometimes even my mood. Some of the books I will not let anyone borrow they are too precious to me. Yes, I too suffer from this divine madness as my two children also. It is a great hobby, madness whatever..."So many books so little time."

Basbanes' book is a must for any serious bibliophile. It takes you, almost chronologically, through the history of creative collecting, from the ancient Greeks to the modern book maniac. Among others, you'll meet Samuel Pepys (he of the famous diary) and Princeton's William H. Scheide, a rich old coot who owns one of the few surviving Gutenberg Bibles. My favorites are the eccentrics, and there are plenty of them here. You know, the wackos whose houses are literally filled to the ceilings with books and nothing else. If I had the money and the chutzpah, that'd be me.

Ekaterina Ivanova, better known as Katya, is the daughter of Irina Petrovna, who is a very close friend to the empress of Russia. Since she was little, she has never faced poverty, and never understands the feelings of the poor, unlike her mother's close friends' son, Misha, who lives in the same place as Katya. Misha is a boy who opposes to the Tsar, the King of Russia. He tells Katya that the Tsar is useless, keeping his eyes close to all kind of problems. And yet, the Empress, not knowing what Misha had said, requests for Katya's mother to be her lady-in-waiting. That meant that Katya and her mother had to go and live in the palace with the Imperial family. It all turned out well at first, until war took over. Katya, her mother, and the Grand Duchesses, Olga, Tatiana, Marie and Katya's best friend Anastasia, faces fears and problems. What more, Misha was sent to war, and Katya feared for the day that only his dead body was returned to them. What will happen to Katya and Russia, will there be a revolution? Enjoy reading this book, as every flip will garantee to sastify you.

In pre-War Russia, a revolution rages. Katya and her mother, however, live in luxury -- their home is with the Tsar and the Empress, and their four daughters -- Olga, Tatiana, Marie, and Anastasia -- and the ailing Alexei. Katya has never known what it's like to be poor before, because she has always lived with royalties and luxuries. But she does know Misha, a young soldier who knows about the revolution and fights strongly with the army for salvation, and Katya fears he will die in the war. As the years pass by, the luxurious Russia is thrust into the inevitable war that would mark itself in history. Katya knows she is no longer safe, even behind palace walls with her best friend, Anastasia --and finds that she must do something to try to stop the war. Angel On The Square is powerful historical fiction that deals with the wins and losses of revolution, what it means to care, and what maturity is all about.I felt strongly for Katya and for Russia as I read this book, and reading about the Grand Duchesses and their family, mostly Anastasia, through young Katya's eyes, is touching and the descriptive is beautiful. Until its last astounding page, this book was excellent.

Gloria Whelan is absolutely extraordinary in this book. I am a Romanov history buff, so that's probably one reason I loved it so much. The book is beautifully written however, and I sincerly believe anyone--child or adult--would adore this book. I am a children's librarian, and I recommended it to anyone in need of a good book. That's it: Angel on the Square is a just a plain good book.

I've picked up so many scene books for auditions and usually they have, like, 20 monologues, of which 15 are from Eugene O'neill and/or David Mamet. This book, as can be seen in the title, offers much more than the usual. Not only that, but it's about half the price of any other scene book taht I've ever seen!

Angela Nicholas has hit a "home run" with this tighly edited compilation of great movie scenes! I teach an on-camera acting class, in Studio City, CA and the students love the material! Angela has painstakingly edited these scenes & turned them into balanced gems. From Annie Hall, Pulp Fiction, to Working Girl, the material is so diverse and up to date. What a gift! Other scene study books, bog you down with stale dialogue! The movie scenes chosen by Angela, flow with comedic and dramatic timing. These scenes are brilliantly broken down and an excellent tool for teaching Film & TV acting. Angela has saved me from digging through endlessly boring scene study books. My students are now excited to perform scenes from movies they love. Angela, thank you for taking us to a whole new level! A "must have" book, for serious acting coaches and students! When can we expect a new edition of Film Scenes For Actors? We'd love to see more!!

Thank you, Phil De Champlain

As an actor, I am pleased that this is not just another collection of the same old dredged up scenes from outdated films that none of us have heard of or care about. Nearly every scene in the book is from films of the 80s & 90s, with multiple scenes from some of the best. Examples: 5 scenes from "Good Will Hunting;" 4 from "The Crying Game;" 2 from "Frances;" etc. This is good stuff. Angela Nicholas' book features scenes for actors in their 20s-40s, not the usual teenager/grandparent scenes you find in other books. (I don't know about you, but most of the actors in my class are too old to play teens and too young to play grandparents.) Well, I suppose I've raved enough -- it's so hard to shut up an actor!

The author here may have violated the dictum of 19th century novels -- that you have to invent, not remember -- but certainly he knows the tools of the trade. He has written a fast paced account of what it is to be the son of a legendary figure, the late Prime Minister of Greece Andreas Papandreou. And it was not easy, either. We get a rare glimpse of the interplay of forces that fashion the life of a politician, both public and private. Well worth reading.

I first read this book last year after having heard the author read selected passages. His writing style is enchanting. I felt myself become a child, fully transported into his childhood stories. The mixture of politics, passion, Greek culture and American influences is a mesmerizing blend. I have just reread the book after a year...once you pick it up and start reading, it's hard to put down. I highly recommend it.

"To know my Greece I would share with you a tomato on the sandy beaches of Skorpellos, open a sea urchin with my penknife and serve you the scarlet eggs inside while the salt stretches the skin on our backs." Aren't those words just beautiful? This is the opening paragraph of Nicholas Papandreou's spare, elegant "novel" about his tumultuous childhood as a son of Greece's socialist prime minister of the 1980s, Andreas Papandreou. The Papandreou family's political pedigree stretches back generations to Nicholas's revered grandfather, George Papandreou. Nicholas and his siblings grew up both privileged and burdened by their legacy. Their lives were in constant crisis through political upheaval and their world was very public, almost claustrophobic. Witness Nicholas's revulsion for the endless cheek-pinching and being constantly kissed by strangers. A child often feels powerless in the face of adults and this lack of respect for physical boundaries exacerbated his powerlessness. Being constantly accessible is a Greek trait, but it's exhausting too. As Nicholas reminds us, there is no Greek word for privacy. Andreas Papandreou was fiercely charismatic, commanding Greeks at home and in the diaspora. No matter how much they loved or hated him, everyone wanted a piece of this human dynamo whose mission was to restore democracy in Greece, where a right-wing dictatorship festered for nearly seven years from 1967. Nicholas just wanted to be loved and cherished by his father who could never find time to do it. (And from the book it appears the famous socialist could be a bit of a dictator in private life.) Andreas, it seems, found it easier to be a parental figure to democratic Greece. I lived in Greece during the Papandreou years, an era of tumultuous social and economic change, sometimes tainted by scandal. This is a vivid portrait of a leader whose life was constantly under scrutiny. Nicholas is also writing about exile, his father's during the dictatorship and his own exile. Andreas was always totally focused on Greece, but for Nicholas, born outside Greece to an American mother and spending years of his childhood in Toronto, much of his early life was spent struggling with where he belonged. Greece was both familiar and strange, loved and reviled, home and exile. A person who has lived in exile often remains an outsider and a keen observer, which is an asset for a writer. Nicholas has put his exile to good use. His writing style is restrained, spartan yet luxuriously sensual, poetic in the finest tradition. Every single word counts. The ancient Greeks elevated poetry to an art form. The very modern Greeks are doing pretty well too. I am donating this book to the library of my daughters' private Greek school. The poetic skills are to be admired and the theme of a tug of war between cultures will touch the hearts of many young Greek-Australians.

I am a Classic ASP developer. The company that I work for has recently decided to pursue .NET for future web development. This was the first book that I read in order to get a grasp of the changes from Classic ASP to ASP.NET. I have to say that this book was a GREAT introduction to a lot of the new features of ASP.NET.

There are a few things I would like to point out when considering buying this book:
1.This is a beginner book. No advanced topics.
2.Good coverage of the different types of controls available in .NET.
3.Quick and easy read.
4.Only basic coverage of ADO.NET.
5.Source code available as a download.
6.Assumes that you have VS.NET although I used ASP.NET Web Matrix.

There were some typos but nothing ridiculous.
Overall I like this book. Good price for a good book.

This book seems to be geared towards classic ASP developer who wants to learn about ASP.NET. There are chapters explaining the difference between ASP.NET and classic ASP and migrating Web applications from classic ASP to ASP.NET. Some code examples use HTML with embedded VB, some use HTML with code-behind files coded in C#, and some use HTML with embedded C# code. The book discusses .NET architecture/framework in some detail and explains complicated topics such as: MSIL, CLR, and JIT quite well. The book covers a lot of territory, including ADO.NET, working with XML data, HTML and Server Controls, Validation Controls, Debugging, User Controls, and Web Services. There are several appendixes which cover ASP.NET syntax, ADO.NET object model, VB.NET language reference, and C# language reference.

This book is a concise and incomplete reference of ASP.NET, but that appears to have been author's intent. It's well written, well organized and easy to understand. I think the intended audience, which is a beginner-to-intermediate Web developer, will find it useful. The author makes an assumption that the reader is familiar with HTML, XML, VB or C#, and knows how to use Visual Studio.NET. DO NOT buy this book if you studying for Microsoft Certification exam/s, it's not intended for that purpose.

The title says it all; if you don't have a lot of time to read and just want examples that show you how to get started, this book is for you. The sections on validation controls and ADO.NET were particularly helpful to me: simple code that works, helping me gradually shift my paradigm while still being productive in the transition.

Although the appendices contain some lightweight "refresher" language and class references (which do what they are expected to do), your deeper needs may not be met here. If you need a more complete view of the .NET framework, try Steven Walther's ASP.NET Unleashed; on the other hand, if you want to get your brain around the web controls and data access that form the core of most ASP.NET applications, look no further than ASP.NET By Example. It does what it claims to do, without being everything to everyone... which works very well for its typical reader, the time-starved developer who just came to be shown how to get the job done.

This latest book by the Dalai Lama is a compilation of speeches he gave in NYC in the past. It lists the main traits one should practice to fulfill a healthy lifestyle: compassion, empathy, wisdom, and so on. If you have already read 'Ethics For The New Millenium' or 'The Art of Happiness' you will find that this book repeats much of the material in those books. The main difference I see in this edition is that some basic meditation techniques are covered. Overall, it is a book that reminds us of the most important qualities one should practice to create a centered life. I also recommend "Open Your Mind, Open Your Life: A Little Book of Eastern Wisdom" by Taro Gold which is filled with hundreds of thought-provoking and inspirational quotations.

Timeless wisdom but hard to implement....Combine this with Confucius and Marcus Aurelius, and you have a pretty good philosophy to live by.

Freedom of religion, as practiced in the United States of America, is an awful and illogical liberty. In our quest to be inoffensive, we act as if multiple, mutually exclusive, truth claims can all be valid at the same time, and religious preference is merely a matter of personal taste. As a consequence of our corporate irresponsibility, many are left free to follow lies and the path to eternal corruption.

I am a conservative Christian, who believes that the only path to truth lies through God's grace as presented to us in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, whom Christians confess to be the Messiah. I, personally, believe that Buddhists and followers of non-Christian religions are wrong.

BUT... My personal faith claims do not undermine the wisdom of His Holiness, the Dalai Lama's teachings on meditation and compassion. In his little book, the Dalai Lama lays out for us a path to a more inhabitable planet. Demonstrating that he fully comprehends the flawed, sinful nature of all people, His Holiness goes on to show us how all creatures can live together in a more peaceful world. He gives us a practical method by which to change ourselves for the good of all.

AND... He even warmed this grumpy, old Lutheran's heart.

Read the book.

A Fine Place is not like ANYTHING I've ever read before. I was given this book as a gift from a friend who loves Hubert Selby, Jr. (I do too) -- but this is a completely new voice in fiction. I was blown away. Tight and authentic and effortless -- no self-conscious, no artiness. Another writer could have so easily made this culture into a pity-party, and somehow this writer's avoided that. It works even without the crime -- this is how good it is. Also -- wanna say -- the guy "Tony" is based on here was never imprisoned for the murder -- I think the real guy was acquitted. But the probing into these elderly peoples' hearts and minds is pure genius. So real, they're still with me. I can smell them. I know them. And yet I've never met them. But they're out there somewhere. Not many books leave this kind of impression. The physicality is shocking and beautiful. I couldn't put it down. Every moment is a surprise. I really can't say this about too many books I've read. Who the (...) IS this writer??!

Nicholas Montemarano's A Fine Place is a remarkable debut, reminiscent of the debut of another great New York writer, Hubert Selby Jr. Last Exit to Brooklyn and A fine Place both illuminate the violence at the heart of a Brooklyn neighborhood, and yet the books' approaches are strikingly different. Selby's book is louder, the violence barely hidden beneath the surface. Montemarano's book is more muted. He depicts the interior lives of mostly decent folk who are caught up in the frustrations and tedium of their neighborhood life. And yet, the explosion of violence which is the central event of the novel, does not come out of nowhere. All the more impressive is the fact that Montemarano weaves a tale, which is captivating, in spite of the quiet nature of the book. His greatest accomplishment is the character Vera, who is a fully realized elderly lady. Montemarano captures old age materfully, and judging by his picure he's not in his seventies, yet. Can't wait for his next one.

A Fine Place is very accessible, very dark, and very well wrought. The book is character driven. Vera and Sal and Sophie are unforgettable. These characters will stay with you--as I walk around Brooklyn I see them in the faces of the older people in my neighborhood. They are also elements in an important story by a writer who should become a familiar name in years to come. Selby is a tenuous connection (there's something to it). This is original work. The logic of character propels the story (which is moving (but again, dark)). A Fine Place is best described as a mosaic told from the different perspectives of five Italian-American characters. It is finally a story about heritage, a negative one--the heritage of hate--that expertly unfolds the ways in which the stains of racial bias, xenophobia, and narrow mindedness ooze into each successive generation. The result is a major novel. Strong comment on the broader issue of racism in this country through the close examination of a few ordinary people in an extraordinary situation. Highly recommended.

Hmmmm, I was decidedly disappointed in this book. Many of the pictures contained within were very poor quality and there were some blatant mistakes in identification of the family members. A good many of the photographs are not new to the collector of Romanov books. I would not recommend this book if one is expecting to see anything new. I dont think Mr. Blair Lovell would have been pleased!

Though a few caption dates are off, this book is worth having for the photographs alone! The pictures aren't readily found in most other available sources, and are very nicely-presented in their entirety (no artful layering and cropping to obscure the subject matter!). I'm especially stoked that the collection draws largely from one of HIH Maria Nicolaievna's albums...poor Mashka often gets short-shrifted in the mix, and so it's nice to find a cache of photos that represent her point-of-view/feature her.

The photographs are beautiful. There are fewer of them than in most other Romanov photo collections, but then, I haven't seen most of them elsewhere, either. One quibble is that several of the photographs seem to be mistakenly identified-- which daughter is which, and so forth. Slightly annoying. The book could also have done with more accompanying text and descriptions. Most pages contain just one or two photographs with brief captions.