Here is everything that a field guide should be and contain–small enough to stick into a pocket but comprehensive, definitive and dependable. <p> Descriptions, locations, uses, warnings. The Author is not only an herbalist of the first rank but one of the finest plant photographers out there clicking. <p> Herbal preparations as alternatives to synthetic drugs are increasingly chosen. St. Johns Wort for depression, Saw Palmetto f ...
A contradictory sort of fellow – Will Durant, in his congenial The Story of Philosophy, describes Bertrand Russell as …resolved to be hard-headed because he knows he can not be. <p> This is a bit unfair, as it doesnt really take into account Russells philosophy, merely the man. But the two are so hard to separate! Basically, Russell believes that mysticism is the inspirer of what is best in man. But that it is absolutely muddle-headed an ...
Without a doubt this classic piece of work shaped my life in various ways. I cannot emphasize how positive Anne Shirley is as a character. She is a heroine who is not only beautiful (spirit) but extremely intelligent. <p> The most drastically different aspect of the novel is the fact that the romantic male character, Gilbert, gestures to the idea that being smart is better than being pretty. How often spoken or written are those words? ...
In contrast to Dante, Bunyan fills his allegory with real people, not just stereotypes – or even archetypes. Though his characters have names like Honest, Feeble-mind, and Ignorance, they come across as real people given a nickname. The names apply to some extent, of course, but not to the point of making caricatures out of the characters. <p> This volume contains parts I and II of Pilgrims progress. The first part concerns the journey o ...
Simple life? I think not! – This book is written in such a way that you are drawn into the past and standing alongside the mistress of the house…planning your day and making sure the household help do their jobs well. <p> It certainly reminds us of the benfits we have currently – with washing machines, dishwashers, automobiles, pre-packaged food and yes,fast food, yet still dont have enough time to do all the things we need/want to ...
The Confessions seem to pop up everywhere, in History, Philosophy, and especially in articles on influences in Literature. <p> Youll find you simply can not put it down could not put it down. It is great to read and learn alot about the period in history and the life of Rousseau himself, but that isnt the magic of the book. It is Rousseau himself who seems to come alive through the pages. <p> The tortured honesty on every page ...
It was a glittering, sumptuous time when hypocrisy was expected, discreet infidelity tolerated, and unconventionality ostracized. <p> That is the Gilded Age, and nobody knew its hypocrises better than Edith Wharton.... and nobody portrayed them as well. The Age of Innocence is a trip back in time to the stuffy upper crust of old New York, taking us through one respectable mans hopeless love affair with a beautiful woman – and the life he ...
Burroughs Best Martian Tale – Conventional wisdom has it that the first three books of Burroughs Martian series, A Princess of Mars, The Gods of Mars, and The Warlord of Mars form an excellent trilogy and all the rest of the Martian tales are quite poorly done in comparison. You will disagree. <p> Here are two examples as to why Chessmen is Burroughs best work in this series. <p> [1] You can hardly conceive of a more ghastly crea ...
The Classic Account of the Versailles Peace Treaty – This book gave economist John Maynard Keynes a huge influence on perceptions of the peace treaty signed after World War I – an influence that has been controversial ever since. Critics still argue over whether Keynes exaggerated the deleterious effects of the treaty on Germanys economy. Some also contend that the account, which was widely read during the 1920s, encouraged both German intransig ...
