I have finally gotten around to sorting through a bunch of boxes with a American West theme. Most are non-fiction.
We have books on the Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, the Rocky Mountains, and the Plains. We have books about both Natives and cowboys. We have books on Montana, Arizona, Nebraska and New Mexico. And we have lots of little books on the botany of the area, whether it be flowers, trees, shrubs or cacti. Look for these books (and little books!) on the floor under the new non-fiction table.
We do have a few westerns, which can be found in the western section.
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Grisham, Crichton and Harris
A new donation of PBs-
mostly by:
John Grisham, Michael Crichton, and Thomas Harris.
Most are $0.50- 0.75, except for a few in really good condition priced at $1.50.
Look for them in a box on the floor of the PB fiction section.
Enjoy!
mostly by:
John Grisham, Michael Crichton, and Thomas Harris.
Most are $0.50- 0.75, except for a few in really good condition priced at $1.50.
Look for them in a box on the floor of the PB fiction section.
Enjoy!
Friday, June 29, 2012
Gerald Gardner's Witchcraft Today (1954)
Witchcraft Today, by Gerald B. Gardner (TPB, 2004, $2)
Back in 1954 "this book inspired a passionate revival of interest in indigenous British religion and led to the rebirth of a way of life. Encompassing an explanation of Wiccan riturals and tenets, as well as a comprehensive study of occult practices worldwide and throughout the ages..."
Said Gardner in his foreword, "I have been told by witches in England: 'Write and tell people we are not perverts. We are decent people, we only want to be left alone.'"
When I picked up this book, I figured it was on some sort of wicked witch stuff. Color me shocked when I found out it was about Wicca. Curious about Wicca? Don't know the difference between witches and Wiccans? In either case, this is the book for you. Look for it on the new non-fiction table, as of 7/5.
Back in 1954 "this book inspired a passionate revival of interest in indigenous British religion and led to the rebirth of a way of life. Encompassing an explanation of Wiccan riturals and tenets, as well as a comprehensive study of occult practices worldwide and throughout the ages..."
Said Gardner in his foreword, "I have been told by witches in England: 'Write and tell people we are not perverts. We are decent people, we only want to be left alone.'"
When I picked up this book, I figured it was on some sort of wicked witch stuff. Color me shocked when I found out it was about Wicca. Curious about Wicca? Don't know the difference between witches and Wiccans? In either case, this is the book for you. Look for it on the new non-fiction table, as of 7/5.
1001 Ways to Enjoy Your Car (1962)
Today when I was going into dinner I saw the most beautiful car, a red Sunbeam Alpine convertible. When I went into the restaurant I kept mentioning the car to people, and they kept going outside to see it. I never did find out who owned it, but I did find out it was probably a model IV from around 1964.
That makes it a couple years older than this book. I noticed this book mainly because of the pictures of cars on the front. I have a thing for cars from the middle 1960s. I was never interested in any car until the day I got to ride in a 1967 Mustang convertible. I remember it was all white except for this huge dark blue stripe over the top of the car and down the hood. It was love at first sight. If you love cars of this same era, then this is the book for you.
1001 Ways to Enjoy Your Car, by Michael Frome (PB, 1962, $1.25)
I loved the information on seat belts. In 1962 seat belts still weren't standard, but they were getting cheaper. For only $20 you could get two front seat belts installed in a new car. Not only did seat belts provide safety, they also reduced fatigue on long trips, and were comfortable, or so they said. Still, safety was the number one reason to wear them. Research had shown that one third of fatalities could be prevented by using them.
A new innovation was left foot breaking, which could reduce your breaking time by 3/10 of a second. Guess that was one innovation that never caught on.
How to drive when facing a tornado was an interesting section.
Regarding snow tires, apparently they were noisy and wore out quickly. For ice, the things to have were chains. Does anyone still use chains? I remember my dad having to put them on. I also remember they didn't always stay on. Oh, what a racket they make when one came loose!
I loved the chapter on driving history. Did you know in the early days of driving people painted telephone poles to mark where you could drive? Or that originally someone had to walk in front of the car with a red flag to warn people a car was coming! (Even though its top speed was all of 4 m.p.h!) Teddy Roosevelt was the first president to ride in a car on inaugural day. He rode in a white Steamer on top of a 20 gallon copper tank of boiling water. Teddy always was an adventurous soul.
Look for this gem on the new non-fiction table, as of 7/5.
That makes it a couple years older than this book. I noticed this book mainly because of the pictures of cars on the front. I have a thing for cars from the middle 1960s. I was never interested in any car until the day I got to ride in a 1967 Mustang convertible. I remember it was all white except for this huge dark blue stripe over the top of the car and down the hood. It was love at first sight. If you love cars of this same era, then this is the book for you.
1001 Ways to Enjoy Your Car, by Michael Frome (PB, 1962, $1.25)
I loved the information on seat belts. In 1962 seat belts still weren't standard, but they were getting cheaper. For only $20 you could get two front seat belts installed in a new car. Not only did seat belts provide safety, they also reduced fatigue on long trips, and were comfortable, or so they said. Still, safety was the number one reason to wear them. Research had shown that one third of fatalities could be prevented by using them.
A new innovation was left foot breaking, which could reduce your breaking time by 3/10 of a second. Guess that was one innovation that never caught on.
How to drive when facing a tornado was an interesting section.
Regarding snow tires, apparently they were noisy and wore out quickly. For ice, the things to have were chains. Does anyone still use chains? I remember my dad having to put them on. I also remember they didn't always stay on. Oh, what a racket they make when one came loose!
I loved the chapter on driving history. Did you know in the early days of driving people painted telephone poles to mark where you could drive? Or that originally someone had to walk in front of the car with a red flag to warn people a car was coming! (Even though its top speed was all of 4 m.p.h!) Teddy Roosevelt was the first president to ride in a car on inaugural day. He rode in a white Steamer on top of a 20 gallon copper tank of boiling water. Teddy always was an adventurous soul.
Look for this gem on the new non-fiction table, as of 7/5.
Simon Winchester's "The Atlantic"
Atlantic: Great Sea Battles, Heroic Discoveries, Titanic Storms, and a Vast Ocean of a Million Stories, by Simon Winchester (TPB, 2010, $2.50)
This is a donation from my own collection. I love most of Simon Winchester's books, but this one not so well. Still, it is worth looking at.
Mostly, though, check out his other ones.
Look for this disappointment on the new non-fiction table, as of 7/5.
This is a donation from my own collection. I love most of Simon Winchester's books, but this one not so well. Still, it is worth looking at.
Mostly, though, check out his other ones.
Look for this disappointment on the new non-fiction table, as of 7/5.
Budapest 1900
Budapest 1900: A Historical Portrait of a City and Its Culture, by John Lukacs (TPB, 1988, $3)
"Budapest, like Paris and Vienna, experienced an explosive flowering at the end of the nineteenth century. In terms of population growth, material expansion, and cultural exuberance, it was among the foremost metropolitan centers of the world..."
Look for this on the new non-fiction table, as of 7/6.
"Budapest, like Paris and Vienna, experienced an explosive flowering at the end of the nineteenth century. In terms of population growth, material expansion, and cultural exuberance, it was among the foremost metropolitan centers of the world..."
Look for this on the new non-fiction table, as of 7/6.
An Invitation from the Dalai-Lama (in 1949)
Out of This World: Across the Himalayas to Forbidden Tibet, by Lowell Thomas, Jr. (HC, 1950, $4)
Hardly anyone visited Tibet, especially Lhasa, the capital. Not only did you have to be invited personally by the Dalai Lama, but you also had to travel 21 days by mules "over the highest mountain ranges and into the most remote county in the world". Only six other Americans had been there. Tibet and America did not even have official deplomatic contact.
So why suddenly were Americans invited to Lhasa? The answer- Communism. "Accutely aware of the Red's [Chinese] intentions [to control Tibet], the Lhasa government was considering how America might be made to realize Tibet's serious problem of defense against Asiatic Communism. Moreover, they wanted America and all the world to know that they are now, and have always considered themselves, an independent nation."
China wanted Tibet. Not only did China want to control Tibet's mineral wealth (uranium), they also wanted to control its 18,000 mile border with India. Would China invade India? No one knew.
As we all know, even if China did not invade India, it sure invaded Tibet. Neither the United States nor Europe intervened on Tibet's behalf. Now not only have monasteries been destroyed, and Tibetans killed, but so many Chinese live there that Tibetans are now becoming a minority in their own country. (Or not, depending on who you listen to.) Many roads and schools have been built. Infant mortality and life longevity are all supposed to be drastically better, again depending on who you listen too. What is not questioned, except by China, are religious repression and human rights abuses.
On a more humorous note, be sure to catch the last chapter listing what was needed on a trip to Tibet. For food, canned or dried vegetables and fruit were a must, as the only fruit and vegetables in Tibet were cabbage, potatoes and radishes. For gifts to Tibetan nobles, best bring Scotch, sherry or cigars. For the Dalai Lama himself, a 16 mm. Tarzan or Marx Brothers film would work. For yourself, sunburn lotion, water purification tablets, penicillin and lots of laxitives.
What Lowell did not bring with him was morphine or splints. On their return trip through the mountains his father's horse threw him. For 200 stormy mountainous miles Tibetans carried the ill man on a stretcher. Only when they reached New York did they learn Lowell had shattered his hip as well as broken his leg in eight places!
Look for this book on the new non-fiction table, as of July 5th.
Hardly anyone visited Tibet, especially Lhasa, the capital. Not only did you have to be invited personally by the Dalai Lama, but you also had to travel 21 days by mules "over the highest mountain ranges and into the most remote county in the world". Only six other Americans had been there. Tibet and America did not even have official deplomatic contact.
So why suddenly were Americans invited to Lhasa? The answer- Communism. "Accutely aware of the Red's [Chinese] intentions [to control Tibet], the Lhasa government was considering how America might be made to realize Tibet's serious problem of defense against Asiatic Communism. Moreover, they wanted America and all the world to know that they are now, and have always considered themselves, an independent nation."
China wanted Tibet. Not only did China want to control Tibet's mineral wealth (uranium), they also wanted to control its 18,000 mile border with India. Would China invade India? No one knew.
As we all know, even if China did not invade India, it sure invaded Tibet. Neither the United States nor Europe intervened on Tibet's behalf. Now not only have monasteries been destroyed, and Tibetans killed, but so many Chinese live there that Tibetans are now becoming a minority in their own country. (Or not, depending on who you listen to.) Many roads and schools have been built. Infant mortality and life longevity are all supposed to be drastically better, again depending on who you listen too. What is not questioned, except by China, are religious repression and human rights abuses.
On a more humorous note, be sure to catch the last chapter listing what was needed on a trip to Tibet. For food, canned or dried vegetables and fruit were a must, as the only fruit and vegetables in Tibet were cabbage, potatoes and radishes. For gifts to Tibetan nobles, best bring Scotch, sherry or cigars. For the Dalai Lama himself, a 16 mm. Tarzan or Marx Brothers film would work. For yourself, sunburn lotion, water purification tablets, penicillin and lots of laxitives.
What Lowell did not bring with him was morphine or splints. On their return trip through the mountains his father's horse threw him. For 200 stormy mountainous miles Tibetans carried the ill man on a stretcher. Only when they reached New York did they learn Lowell had shattered his hip as well as broken his leg in eight places!
Look for this book on the new non-fiction table, as of July 5th.
J.C. Penney's Spiritual Autobiography
Fifty Years with the Golden Rule: A Spiritual Autobiography, by J. C. Penney (softcover, 1950, $4, which is 1/3 the internet price.)
James Cash Penney grew up in what he considered an ideal family. His father, a Baptist minister and farmer, taught him ideals he would use to build a department store empire. In 1902 he went to work at a Golden Rule Stores in Wyoming. He did so well he was offered a partnership. His success left him rich, and able to fund many charities. When the Depression came, he tried to save his business and charities by using his personal money, but even so, it was not enough.
Broke and ill, he was admitted to the Battle Creek Sanitarium. This was a personal turning point for him, as he became born again to Christ. He started to speak and preach his belief in Christian values, and that business success was possible if you followed the Golden Rule.
I found his story inspiring, but I am rather surprised by the extreme respect he held for his father. His father, when Penney was only 8 years old and in need of shoes, insisted he earn money to pay for them. Also, when Penney was old enough to learn to farm, his father made him pay for instructions on farming. His father died when Penney was only 20. The family was nearly broke, and Penney had to work to keep the family afloat. These are certainly not behaviors we would admire today in a father.
On the other hand, his father was excommunicated from his church for "holding beliefs contrary to the best interests" of his church. And what were these beliefs? Only the beliefs that preachers should be educated, and that all young people should have the chance to attend Sunday School. In his autobiography Penney writes, critics of Sunday Schools "feared the hoodwinking of children, and attempts to teach doctines of Trinity, and Atonenment. " Amazingly, sometimes Sunday Schools were the only place children could learn to read!
And since when has the doctrine of the Trinity been contoversial? Of course, I doubt it's a doctrine I will ever really understand, but was it really controversial back then? I guess so.
An interesting bit of trivia, not recorded in his autobiogaphy, was his 1940 meeting with a young Sam Walton. Wouldn't you have loved to have seen the man (who had built Penney's) showing the boy (who would later build Walmart) how to wrap packages using as little ribbon as possible!
Look for this book on the new non-fiction table, as of July 5th. (L-bio)
James Cash Penney grew up in what he considered an ideal family. His father, a Baptist minister and farmer, taught him ideals he would use to build a department store empire. In 1902 he went to work at a Golden Rule Stores in Wyoming. He did so well he was offered a partnership. His success left him rich, and able to fund many charities. When the Depression came, he tried to save his business and charities by using his personal money, but even so, it was not enough.
Broke and ill, he was admitted to the Battle Creek Sanitarium. This was a personal turning point for him, as he became born again to Christ. He started to speak and preach his belief in Christian values, and that business success was possible if you followed the Golden Rule.
I found his story inspiring, but I am rather surprised by the extreme respect he held for his father. His father, when Penney was only 8 years old and in need of shoes, insisted he earn money to pay for them. Also, when Penney was old enough to learn to farm, his father made him pay for instructions on farming. His father died when Penney was only 20. The family was nearly broke, and Penney had to work to keep the family afloat. These are certainly not behaviors we would admire today in a father.
On the other hand, his father was excommunicated from his church for "holding beliefs contrary to the best interests" of his church. And what were these beliefs? Only the beliefs that preachers should be educated, and that all young people should have the chance to attend Sunday School. In his autobiography Penney writes, critics of Sunday Schools "feared the hoodwinking of children, and attempts to teach doctines of Trinity, and Atonenment. " Amazingly, sometimes Sunday Schools were the only place children could learn to read!
And since when has the doctrine of the Trinity been contoversial? Of course, I doubt it's a doctrine I will ever really understand, but was it really controversial back then? I guess so.
An interesting bit of trivia, not recorded in his autobiogaphy, was his 1940 meeting with a young Sam Walton. Wouldn't you have loved to have seen the man (who had built Penney's) showing the boy (who would later build Walmart) how to wrap packages using as little ribbon as possible!
Look for this book on the new non-fiction table, as of July 5th. (L-bio)
Steven King
Lots of his books, mostly in PB.
Look for them on the floor in the science fiction section.
Look for them on the floor in the science fiction section.
PB Romances
Just arrived- a box of PB romances, all in good shape, most for only $1 or less.
A lot of them have a western theme.
Some of them have a Christian orientation.
The one I bought home with me isn't half bad!
(Hey, I have to sample books in order to blog them, don't I!)
Look for them on the floor in front of the PB section.
A lot of them have a western theme.
Some of them have a Christian orientation.
The one I bought home with me isn't half bad!
(Hey, I have to sample books in order to blog them, don't I!)
Look for them on the floor in front of the PB section.
Monday, June 25, 2012
Treasury of Witchcraft? **SOLD**
Treasury of Witchcraft, by Harry E. Wedeck (HC, 1961, $4)
A treasury of witchcraft? That is sure one strange combination of words, and this is one strange book.
The table of contents is 10 pages long, with tiny print and two columns per page. There are 11 chapters, and I swear, nothing, absolutely nothing, gets left out. The chapter on magic techniques, spells, conjurations, incantations and periapts has over 100 listings! Most of this book seems to be quotations, many of them very ancient.
This book badly needs an index, as items listed in the table of contents sometimes are hard to find. Actually, in some cases I never did find them! So it wasn't as useful as I thought it would be.
I did find out that a werewolf is a man that changes into a wolf, and then back into a man, whereas lyncanthropy is when a human is changed into a wolf and never changes back. Therioanthropy, on the other hand, is when humans turn into an animal other than a wolf, which makes sense because not every country has wolves.
Look for this book on the new non-fiction table.
A treasury of witchcraft? That is sure one strange combination of words, and this is one strange book.
The table of contents is 10 pages long, with tiny print and two columns per page. There are 11 chapters, and I swear, nothing, absolutely nothing, gets left out. The chapter on magic techniques, spells, conjurations, incantations and periapts has over 100 listings! Most of this book seems to be quotations, many of them very ancient.
This book badly needs an index, as items listed in the table of contents sometimes are hard to find. Actually, in some cases I never did find them! So it wasn't as useful as I thought it would be.
I did find out that a werewolf is a man that changes into a wolf, and then back into a man, whereas lyncanthropy is when a human is changed into a wolf and never changes back. Therioanthropy, on the other hand, is when humans turn into an animal other than a wolf, which makes sense because not every country has wolves.
Look for this book on the new non-fiction table.
Mighty Mouse Saves the Day (and the corn!)
Mighty Mouse and the Scared Scarecrow, by Felix Sutton (children's book, 1954, $4)
This is the last of the children's books I will be blogging, which means this is the last children's book I get to read. Realizing that makes me feel so sad. I have been having such fun with these donations. (Two books never even managed to get blogged- because I bought them for myself!)
In regards to this story, I have some comments to make.
First, if a whole lot of crows flew out of the sky and started to peck at my face, I too would be unhappy and scared.
Second, you would think Mighty Mouse would have more important things to do than protect a corn field. Oops, sorry there, I just mixed up Mighty Mouse and Superman!
Finally, crows are pretty smart, and I doubt in real life they would stay away forever. I am just about certain Mighty Mouse would have to come back every once in a while to refresh the crows' memories!
Look for this, along with these other children's book, on top of the glass case.
This is the last of the children's books I will be blogging, which means this is the last children's book I get to read. Realizing that makes me feel so sad. I have been having such fun with these donations. (Two books never even managed to get blogged- because I bought them for myself!)
In regards to this story, I have some comments to make.
First, if a whole lot of crows flew out of the sky and started to peck at my face, I too would be unhappy and scared.
Second, you would think Mighty Mouse would have more important things to do than protect a corn field. Oops, sorry there, I just mixed up Mighty Mouse and Superman!
Finally, crows are pretty smart, and I doubt in real life they would stay away forever. I am just about certain Mighty Mouse would have to come back every once in a while to refresh the crows' memories!
Look for this, along with these other children's book, on top of the glass case.
Sunday, June 24, 2012
The Mickey Mouse Club Stamp Book (1956)
Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse Club Stamp Book, by Kathleen N. Daly (children's book, $8, which is 1/3 the internet price.)
Originally in the front of the book there were three pages of 6 gummed stickers each. Children were supposed to remove the stickers and place them in their appropriate space on the following pages. I found it amusing that the spaces provided were actually bigger than the stamps, which made placing the stamps in their spots a lot easier.
Huey, Louie and Dewey's sticker has gone mostly missing. Daisy Duck stands on her side. Pluto Pup and Figaro are slightly off kilter. Otherwise, whoever put the stickers on did a good job.
I had to laugh while writing this. I realized I had spelled "Mickey" incorrectly, and was pondering what the right spelling was, when inside my head a little voice called out, "M-I-C-K-E-Y". Fifty years later and the child in me still remembers!
Look for this treasure on top of the glass case.
Originally in the front of the book there were three pages of 6 gummed stickers each. Children were supposed to remove the stickers and place them in their appropriate space on the following pages. I found it amusing that the spaces provided were actually bigger than the stamps, which made placing the stamps in their spots a lot easier.
Huey, Louie and Dewey's sticker has gone mostly missing. Daisy Duck stands on her side. Pluto Pup and Figaro are slightly off kilter. Otherwise, whoever put the stickers on did a good job.
I had to laugh while writing this. I realized I had spelled "Mickey" incorrectly, and was pondering what the right spelling was, when inside my head a little voice called out, "M-I-C-K-E-Y". Fifty years later and the child in me still remembers!
Look for this treasure on top of the glass case.
Tubby the Tuba (1954)
Tubby the Tuba, by Paul Tripp (children's book, bottom inch of the spine is weak, $8, which is 1/3 the internet price.)
Can a tuba play a melody?
Can a bullfrog sing?
If you are different from everyone else, can you be happy?
Look for the answer in this book to be found on top the glass case.
Can a tuba play a melody?
Can a bullfrog sing?
If you are different from everyone else, can you be happy?
Look for the answer in this book to be found on top the glass case.
Robert E. Howard's Conan the Barbarian
The Coming of Conan, the Cimmerian, by Robert E. Howard (TPB, 2002, $3.50)
Howard is considered the father of the sword and sorcery genre, but he wrote in other genres as well. He loved poetry, and even had some published. Most of his last stories were westerns, but he even snuck in a few romances. Historical fiction was what he really wanted to write, but he didn't have the patience to do research. What he could write was epic fantasy drama, "escapist fiction with dark undercurrents".
Howard grew up in Texas where oil was found, and where oil was found, fights and crime soon followed. Civilization was fragile and fleeting, and Howard learned not to trust it. He later wrote, "Barbarism is the natural state of mankind... Civilization is unnatural. It is a whim of circumstance. And barbarism must always ultimately triumph."
The first Conan story was published in a 1932 Weird Tales. The story was a reworking of an earlier work. There seemed to be nothing special about it at the time. It wasn't even pictured on the cover, as some of Howard's stories had been.
After Conan was published, his character was adapted for comic books, movies, television and heaven knows what else. His stories were put into chronological order. Some were even altered, or finished when they weren't meant to be. Today, most people know the name Conan, but not the character Howard actually created.
Howard's parents were story tellers. Howard was even a better one. Reading his stories is like listening to stories told around the campfire. "In writing these yarns", he wrote, "I've always felt less as creating them than as if I were simply chronicling his adventures as he told them to me. That's why they skip about so much, without following a regular pattern." This edition presents them in the order and the words they were meant to be. Enjoy! Look for this book on the new fiction table. (L- scifi)
Howard is considered the father of the sword and sorcery genre, but he wrote in other genres as well. He loved poetry, and even had some published. Most of his last stories were westerns, but he even snuck in a few romances. Historical fiction was what he really wanted to write, but he didn't have the patience to do research. What he could write was epic fantasy drama, "escapist fiction with dark undercurrents".
Howard grew up in Texas where oil was found, and where oil was found, fights and crime soon followed. Civilization was fragile and fleeting, and Howard learned not to trust it. He later wrote, "Barbarism is the natural state of mankind... Civilization is unnatural. It is a whim of circumstance. And barbarism must always ultimately triumph."
The first Conan story was published in a 1932 Weird Tales. The story was a reworking of an earlier work. There seemed to be nothing special about it at the time. It wasn't even pictured on the cover, as some of Howard's stories had been.
After Conan was published, his character was adapted for comic books, movies, television and heaven knows what else. His stories were put into chronological order. Some were even altered, or finished when they weren't meant to be. Today, most people know the name Conan, but not the character Howard actually created.
Howard's parents were story tellers. Howard was even a better one. Reading his stories is like listening to stories told around the campfire. "In writing these yarns", he wrote, "I've always felt less as creating them than as if I were simply chronicling his adventures as he told them to me. That's why they skip about so much, without following a regular pattern." This edition presents them in the order and the words they were meant to be. Enjoy! Look for this book on the new fiction table. (L- scifi)
Pooh's Song Book
The Pooh Song Book, containing The Hums of Pooh, The King's Breakfast, and Fourteen Songs from When We Were Very Young, words by A. A. Milne, music by H. Fraser-Simson, and decorations by E. H. Shephard (HC, 1961, ex-lib., $6, which is 1/3 the internet price.)
I love the introductions to the songs. I love the drawings. I just wish I could play the piano, because then I could sing these songs.
Writes Milne about Pooh, "'May I say, 'Thank you for loving him.' He will be very proud if you sing his songs, and so keep him for ever in your memory." And so we will! Look for this book on the new fiction table. (L-mus)
I love the introductions to the songs. I love the drawings. I just wish I could play the piano, because then I could sing these songs.
Writes Milne about Pooh, "'May I say, 'Thank you for loving him.' He will be very proud if you sing his songs, and so keep him for ever in your memory." And so we will! Look for this book on the new fiction table. (L-mus)
Donald Duck (Little Golden Books, mid-1950s)
Walt Disney's-
Donald Duck in Disneyland, told by Annie North Bedford (children's Little Golden Book, 1955, $5, which is 1/3 the internet price.)
Donald Duck's Christmas Tree, told by Annie North Bedford (Golden Book, 1954, $6.50, which is 1/3 the internet price.)
The first one is OK, but it's the last book that I fell in love with.
Look for these on top the glass case.
Donald Duck in Disneyland, told by Annie North Bedford (children's Little Golden Book, 1955, $5, which is 1/3 the internet price.)
Donald Duck's Christmas Tree, told by Annie North Bedford (Golden Book, 1954, $6.50, which is 1/3 the internet price.)
The first one is OK, but it's the last book that I fell in love with.
Look for these on top the glass case.
Gorbachev, the Antichrist?
Gorbachev! Has the real Antichrist come?, by Robert W. Faid (TPB, 1988, $2)
This was a well researched book. Faid just happened to be wrong.
Of course Putin is certainly no saint, so...
Look for this book on the new non-fiction table. (L- rel)
This was a well researched book. Faid just happened to be wrong.
Of course Putin is certainly no saint, so...
Look for this book on the new non-fiction table. (L- rel)
How to Torture Your Wife (or Husband)
How to Torture Your Wife, by H. T. Webster (HC, 1948, $5.50, which is 1/3 the internet price.)
How to Torture Your Husband, by H. T. Webster (HC, 1948, condition is not as good as the prior book, $4, which is 1/3 the internet price.)
I love to look up words in the dictionary. I remember looking up "milquetoast", and finding it came from the name of a character (Casper Milquetoast) in the comic strip, The Timid Soul.
For more than 25 years its author, H. T. Webster, drew comic strips. The Timid Soul was his most famous comic strip, but he also wrote five others. The Timid Soul appeared every Sunday and Monday. The others appeared the other five days. How to Torture Your Wife/Husband, from which these cartoons were taken, was his Friday strip. (I guess he didn't like to be bored!)
Look for this book on the new fiction table.
How to Torture Your Husband, by H. T. Webster (HC, 1948, condition is not as good as the prior book, $4, which is 1/3 the internet price.)
I love to look up words in the dictionary. I remember looking up "milquetoast", and finding it came from the name of a character (Casper Milquetoast) in the comic strip, The Timid Soul.
For more than 25 years its author, H. T. Webster, drew comic strips. The Timid Soul was his most famous comic strip, but he also wrote five others. The Timid Soul appeared every Sunday and Monday. The others appeared the other five days. How to Torture Your Wife/Husband, from which these cartoons were taken, was his Friday strip. (I guess he didn't like to be bored!)
Look for this book on the new fiction table.
Friday, June 22, 2012
Tom Terrific, with Mighty Manfred the Wonder Dog (1958)
Tom Terrific, by Crosby Newell, with pictures by Arthur Bartsch (children's HC, one inch of the bottom spine covering binding is loose or missing, $3, as is )
Also included are the music for the "Theme Songs of Tom Terrific, and Mighty Manfred"!
I don't remember this one.
Will Mighty Manfred (Wonder Dog, Ever Faithful Companion, and Noble Beast) wake up in time to save the world from Crabby Appleton?
Will the children of the world ever get to watch television again?
Look for the answer to these questions in this book, to be found on top of the glass case, avail. 6/24.
Also included are the music for the "Theme Songs of Tom Terrific, and Mighty Manfred"!
I don't remember this one.
Will Mighty Manfred (Wonder Dog, Ever Faithful Companion, and Noble Beast) wake up in time to save the world from Crabby Appleton?
Will the children of the world ever get to watch television again?
Look for the answer to these questions in this book, to be found on top of the glass case, avail. 6/24.
Crusader Rabbit! (1958)
Crusader Rabbit, story adopted by Oscar Weigle, pictures by Athur Krusz (children's HC, 1958, condition is good except for separating clear plastic covering on the lower spine, $11, which is 1/3 the internet price.)
I was old enough to remember this series, at least vaguely.
Should rabbits eat carrots or cream puffs?
Will all Texas rabbits be sent to the North Pole?
Look for the answers to these questions in this book to be found on the top of the glass case, avail. 6/24.
I was old enough to remember this series, at least vaguely.
Should rabbits eat carrots or cream puffs?
Will all Texas rabbits be sent to the North Pole?
Look for the answers to these questions in this book to be found on the top of the glass case, avail. 6/24.
The Haunting of Bishop Pike
The Haunting of Bishop Pike: A Christian View of the Other Side, by Merrill Unger (PB, 1971, $1.50)
Episcopal Bishop Pike was a strange one. He was radical, both in his theology and his politics. I find myself both admiring his politics and horrified by some of his beliefs.
What ever you think of him, he got even stranger once his son died. That is when his contacts with the paranormal started. Objects started moving around. Even his secretary's bangs were burned off, in stages! All these things could be construed as the bishop's son trying to communicate with him, so psychic mediums were consulted. Add on to all this Pike's alcoholism, his womanizing, and especially his strange death lost in a desert near the Dead Sea, and you have, if not a very strange man, at least a man with a very strange life.
Unger takes a conservative stance. "The bishop abandoned Spirit-oriented Christianity in favor of spiritistically oriented religion which retained a Christian aura. He had such little spiritual insight that he criticised Christians for not welcoming mediumistic communications with the dead as exciting evidence of life beyond the grave."
You may or may not relate all this to the devil, but something is definitely off here. Look for this book on the new non-fiction table. (Avail. 6/24)
Episcopal Bishop Pike was a strange one. He was radical, both in his theology and his politics. I find myself both admiring his politics and horrified by some of his beliefs.
What ever you think of him, he got even stranger once his son died. That is when his contacts with the paranormal started. Objects started moving around. Even his secretary's bangs were burned off, in stages! All these things could be construed as the bishop's son trying to communicate with him, so psychic mediums were consulted. Add on to all this Pike's alcoholism, his womanizing, and especially his strange death lost in a desert near the Dead Sea, and you have, if not a very strange man, at least a man with a very strange life.
Unger takes a conservative stance. "The bishop abandoned Spirit-oriented Christianity in favor of spiritistically oriented religion which retained a Christian aura. He had such little spiritual insight that he criticised Christians for not welcoming mediumistic communications with the dead as exciting evidence of life beyond the grave."
You may or may not relate all this to the devil, but something is definitely off here. Look for this book on the new non-fiction table. (Avail. 6/24)
Bob Clampett's "Beany" and his dino (1950s children's books)
Beany: Cecil Captured for the Zoo, by Bob Clampett (small HC children's book, 1954, $5, which is 1/3 the internet price)
Beany and His Magic Set, by Bob Clampett (small HC children's book, 1952, $7, which is 1/3 the internet price.)
I liked the first one the best.
I am, amazingly, too young to remember Beany and Cecil, but obviously someone does, because they have become collectible. Look for them with the other classic children's books on top of the glass case. (avail. 6/24)
Beany and His Magic Set, by Bob Clampett (small HC children's book, 1952, $7, which is 1/3 the internet price.)
I liked the first one the best.
I am, amazingly, too young to remember Beany and Cecil, but obviously someone does, because they have become collectible. Look for them with the other classic children's books on top of the glass case. (avail. 6/24)
Crusade, or Atrocity? (in the Spanish Civil War)
The Last Crusade, Spain: 1936, by Warren H. Carroll (TPB, 1996, $2)
"In just six months of the year 1936, thirteen bishops and nearly seven thousand priests, seminarians, monks, and nuns were martyred in Spain by enemies of Christianity. It was the greatest clerical bloodletting in so short a span of time since the persecutions of the Church by the ancient Roman emperors... Tens of thousands of churches, chapels, and shrines in Spain were pillaged or destroyed. In response, faithful Spanish Catholics proclaimed a crusade. Against all odds the crusaders triumphed, and the Church and the Faith in Spain were saved."
Well, that is the way Warren Carroll saw it. I read the above words on this book's back cover and was horrified. It was time to learn about the Spanish Civil War. I had never even heard of it until a friend of mine shared the story of her brother, who joined the fight on the Republican side, and was killed, his body never to be recovered. What was this awful civil war that killed priests on one side, and idealistic young boys on the other? And I thought Franco was a good guy, so how could he have been a Fascist?
The Republicans, including corrupt (but elected) officials, and urban, secular (or Protestant) leftist civilians, did burn Catholic buildings, expel the Jesuits, and kill 7,000 Catholic clergy. When the war was all over, more than 38,000 had been killed during "The Red Terror".
"The White Terror", though, was worse. Fascist Nationalists systematically killed more than 150,000, most of them civilians. The Nationalists bombed towns. Many refugees who decided to return to Spain were sent to Nazi concentration camps in Germany. The Nationalists, under Franco, even executed priests who had dared minister to Republican troops. Says the expert in all things, Wikipedia, the White Terror was carried out by military "in the name of the regime, and ligitimized by the Catholic Church." This doesn't sound like a crusade to be proud of. What do you think?
Look for this book on the new non-fiction table, avail. 6/24. (L-Sp)
"In just six months of the year 1936, thirteen bishops and nearly seven thousand priests, seminarians, monks, and nuns were martyred in Spain by enemies of Christianity. It was the greatest clerical bloodletting in so short a span of time since the persecutions of the Church by the ancient Roman emperors... Tens of thousands of churches, chapels, and shrines in Spain were pillaged or destroyed. In response, faithful Spanish Catholics proclaimed a crusade. Against all odds the crusaders triumphed, and the Church and the Faith in Spain were saved."
Well, that is the way Warren Carroll saw it. I read the above words on this book's back cover and was horrified. It was time to learn about the Spanish Civil War. I had never even heard of it until a friend of mine shared the story of her brother, who joined the fight on the Republican side, and was killed, his body never to be recovered. What was this awful civil war that killed priests on one side, and idealistic young boys on the other? And I thought Franco was a good guy, so how could he have been a Fascist?
The Republicans, including corrupt (but elected) officials, and urban, secular (or Protestant) leftist civilians, did burn Catholic buildings, expel the Jesuits, and kill 7,000 Catholic clergy. When the war was all over, more than 38,000 had been killed during "The Red Terror".
"The White Terror", though, was worse. Fascist Nationalists systematically killed more than 150,000, most of them civilians. The Nationalists bombed towns. Many refugees who decided to return to Spain were sent to Nazi concentration camps in Germany. The Nationalists, under Franco, even executed priests who had dared minister to Republican troops. Says the expert in all things, Wikipedia, the White Terror was carried out by military "in the name of the regime, and ligitimized by the Catholic Church." This doesn't sound like a crusade to be proud of. What do you think?
Look for this book on the new non-fiction table, avail. 6/24. (L-Sp)
Thursday, June 21, 2012
New Donations- books on China, Japan, Russia and the Middle East
Check out our really nice selection of new books on China, Japan, Russia and the Middle East. They can be found in a box on the floor in front of the Chinese history section. Enjoy!
New Donations- US Foreign Policy
Among the donations from the college were a box of books on US foreign policy. Look for them in a box on the floor in front of the political science section.
Monday, June 18, 2012
Foreign Economic Affairs Laws and Regulations of China (1982)
Collection of Laws and Regulations of the People's Republic of China Concerning Foreign Economic Affairs, in 3 volumes, by the Department of Treaties and Law of the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations and Trade of the People's Republic of China (HC, dual language in Chinese and English, 1985?, $6 for the set.)
Curious, this find.
Look for it on the new non-fiction table. (L-Ch)
Curious, this find.
Look for it on the new non-fiction table. (L-Ch)
Jane Austin's unfinished manuscript
The Watsons, by Jane Austin and John Coates (PB, 1977, brown pages, $2)
The Watsons was a five chapter long manuscript. Jane may never have finished it, but that didn't stop others from doing so. The first author to finish it was her niece, but there were 6 others after that. This one comes somewhere in the middle of the pack. This Watsons was finished by John Coates, who admits to changing even Austin's 5 real chapters.
He did write one interesting paragraph in his "Advertisement by the author: "As a last effort to draw attention away from my failings, can anyone tell me how Mr. Bennet's estate was entailed on a Mr. Collins without, of course, introducing a change of surname which should surely have been mentioned if it had occurred?" Actually, I had wondered about that, but does it really matter?
Look for this... whatever it is... in the classics section. Well, at least the first five chapters are partially a classic, maybe.
FYI: This partial manuscript was the last one to be owned privately. A year ago it was sold by Soetherby's to the University of Oxford for over $1.5 million.
The Watsons was a five chapter long manuscript. Jane may never have finished it, but that didn't stop others from doing so. The first author to finish it was her niece, but there were 6 others after that. This one comes somewhere in the middle of the pack. This Watsons was finished by John Coates, who admits to changing even Austin's 5 real chapters.
He did write one interesting paragraph in his "Advertisement by the author: "As a last effort to draw attention away from my failings, can anyone tell me how Mr. Bennet's estate was entailed on a Mr. Collins without, of course, introducing a change of surname which should surely have been mentioned if it had occurred?" Actually, I had wondered about that, but does it really matter?
Look for this... whatever it is... in the classics section. Well, at least the first five chapters are partially a classic, maybe.
FYI: This partial manuscript was the last one to be owned privately. A year ago it was sold by Soetherby's to the University of Oxford for over $1.5 million.
The Murder of Marilyn Monroe (as told by a Ouija board)
The Murder of Marilyn Monroe, by Leonore Canevari, and others (TPB, 1992, $3)
"This is the amazing account of a series of contacts made by a group of leading psychics with the most famous personality of our century. A spiritual guide introduced Marilyn Monroe, at Marilyn's insistence, to this circle of mediums; for she was seeking out a voice to make known the truth of how and why she died."
I may be sceptical about the paranormal, but I am not entirely a disbeliever, but a Ouija board? It sure must have taken quite a bit of time to communicate all that they said she did! On the other hand, how else would you be able to ask JFK not only if he had Marilyn killed, but also who killed him in Dallas.
I will also take issue with their description of Marilyn as the most famous personality of the 20th century. Famous, yes, but the most famous personality? Give me a break.
Look for this book on the new non-fiction table. OK, I know it is a stretch, but the authors probably really think it is non-fiction.
"This is the amazing account of a series of contacts made by a group of leading psychics with the most famous personality of our century. A spiritual guide introduced Marilyn Monroe, at Marilyn's insistence, to this circle of mediums; for she was seeking out a voice to make known the truth of how and why she died."
I may be sceptical about the paranormal, but I am not entirely a disbeliever, but a Ouija board? It sure must have taken quite a bit of time to communicate all that they said she did! On the other hand, how else would you be able to ask JFK not only if he had Marilyn killed, but also who killed him in Dallas.
I will also take issue with their description of Marilyn as the most famous personality of the 20th century. Famous, yes, but the most famous personality? Give me a break.
Look for this book on the new non-fiction table. OK, I know it is a stretch, but the authors probably really think it is non-fiction.
Jack London, in Chinese
To Build a Fire, and The Heathen, by Jack London (TPB, 1979, $2)
This is a dual language book. Look for it in the Chinese language section.
This is a dual language book. Look for it in the Chinese language section.
Chinese Dictionary, for English speaking foreigners
The Right Word in Chinese, by Irene Saunders (PB, 1985, $2)
Back in the 1980s businesses were starting to look at China with interest. Yet few people could speak the language. Someone from Westinghouse Electric decided to do something about it. Included here are just enough words to get you out of trouble. There are the words you need as a tourist, and there are technical words your interpreter might not know. The part I think helpful is the way the words are first written in English, then in the "Pinyin romanisations" of Chinese (pronunciation using our alphabet letters), and finally in both traditional and simplified Chinese characters. Saunders meant the book to be used by people who know a little Chinese, and are brave enough to want to try out new words, as well as those travelers who just needed Chinese characters to point to when they want something.
I would imagine Chinese dictionaries for travelers have come a long way since 1985, but according to Saunders, this one was the first. As a Westinghouse chemist living in Beijing she saw the need, and so wrote one. Living in China as an American in 1985 sounds brave enough to me, but she also cared enough to make it easier for those English-speakers who came after her. To her I say, nicely done. Look for this in the Chinese language section.
Back in the 1980s businesses were starting to look at China with interest. Yet few people could speak the language. Someone from Westinghouse Electric decided to do something about it. Included here are just enough words to get you out of trouble. There are the words you need as a tourist, and there are technical words your interpreter might not know. The part I think helpful is the way the words are first written in English, then in the "Pinyin romanisations" of Chinese (pronunciation using our alphabet letters), and finally in both traditional and simplified Chinese characters. Saunders meant the book to be used by people who know a little Chinese, and are brave enough to want to try out new words, as well as those travelers who just needed Chinese characters to point to when they want something.
I would imagine Chinese dictionaries for travelers have come a long way since 1985, but according to Saunders, this one was the first. As a Westinghouse chemist living in Beijing she saw the need, and so wrote one. Living in China as an American in 1985 sounds brave enough to me, but she also cared enough to make it easier for those English-speakers who came after her. To her I say, nicely done. Look for this in the Chinese language section.
14 Poems by E. E. Cummings, in Chinese!
Fourteen Poems by E. E. Cummings: the comprehensive study guide to (TPB, 1977, $2)
I can't even figure out E. E. Cummings in English, so this book is not for me.
If you do read Cummings, and want to try it in Chinese, please be my guest. From the looks of it, this book does a good job of helping you read the Chinese version.
Look for this in the Chinese language section.
I can't even figure out E. E. Cummings in English, so this book is not for me.
If you do read Cummings, and want to try it in Chinese, please be my guest. From the looks of it, this book does a good job of helping you read the Chinese version.
Look for this in the Chinese language section.
Sunday, June 17, 2012
From the Holocaust to Hogan's Heroes **SOLD**
From the Holocaust to Hogan's Heroes: The Autobiography of Robert Clary (HC, 2002, autographed, $9)
This is a book from my own collection. I had it signed at a local book festival.
I remember Hogan's Heroes with fondness. (Back in those days the whole family sat and watched TV together in the evenings. Was it better back then, or just different?)
When Robert Clary played the part of Corporal Louis Lebeau, people were amazed to find he was a Nazi concentration camp survivor. How, people asked, could he be part of a TV show that made fun of Nazis, especially after losing his parents, two sisters, two half-sisters, and two nephews in the Holocaust! His response, "I had to explain that it was about prisoners of war in a stalag, not a concentration camp, and although I did not want to diminish what soldiers went through during their internments, it was like night and day from what people endured in concentration camps... I was an actor who was asked to play the part of a French corporal prisoner of war and not a little Jew in [a] concentration camp, and I never felt uncomfortable playing Louis Lebeau."
Look for this book on the new non-fiction table. Avail. 6/20. (L-bio)
This is a book from my own collection. I had it signed at a local book festival.
I remember Hogan's Heroes with fondness. (Back in those days the whole family sat and watched TV together in the evenings. Was it better back then, or just different?)
When Robert Clary played the part of Corporal Louis Lebeau, people were amazed to find he was a Nazi concentration camp survivor. How, people asked, could he be part of a TV show that made fun of Nazis, especially after losing his parents, two sisters, two half-sisters, and two nephews in the Holocaust! His response, "I had to explain that it was about prisoners of war in a stalag, not a concentration camp, and although I did not want to diminish what soldiers went through during their internments, it was like night and day from what people endured in concentration camps... I was an actor who was asked to play the part of a French corporal prisoner of war and not a little Jew in [a] concentration camp, and I never felt uncomfortable playing Louis Lebeau."
Look for this book on the new non-fiction table. Avail. 6/20. (L-bio)
Captain Bligh's unplanned journey of 3,600 miles
Men Against the Sea, by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall (HC, 1935, $5, which is 1/3 the internet price)
Captain Bligh had a good reputation before the mutiny. He had been chosen as the sailing master for Captain Cook's third voyage. He was even known to discipline less than most captains. Yet in 1789 his first officer and 18 men mutinied, forced him and 18 loyal crew into a 23 foot open boat, and set them adrift without chart or compass. Was Bligh as bad as the mutineers said? Had the mutineers just gotten too used to living the Tahitian life? We will never know.
What ever the truth behind the mutiny, we do know how the story ended. For 47 days Bligh kept his boat afloat, and on course, until they reached Timor 3,600 miles away. There had been islands in between, but it hadn't been safe to land. The men battled storms, fatigue, sun, hunger and thirst. They survived having their rudder break. Somehow they made it.
While I was reading this, I thought it was the story told by one of the crew. Actually it was the second of three novels based on the mutiny. The first novel told the story up till the mutiny. The third related the story of the mutineers.
Two facts struck me as ironic. During the voyage on the Bounty, the captain never even got to use his master captain's room because it had been converted into a greenhouse for the plants he was bringing back to England! Instead he lived in a cramped officer's room. So much for the idea that he had been living an easy life before the mutiny! The other irony was a later ship's crew that he captained also mutinied. This time the mutiny wasn't personal, but a protest against the royal navy's low pay and involuntary service. (Involuntary, because the navy could legally kidnap men off the street and force them on board to become sailors.)
Look for this novel on the new fiction table. (Avail. 6/20)
Captain Bligh had a good reputation before the mutiny. He had been chosen as the sailing master for Captain Cook's third voyage. He was even known to discipline less than most captains. Yet in 1789 his first officer and 18 men mutinied, forced him and 18 loyal crew into a 23 foot open boat, and set them adrift without chart or compass. Was Bligh as bad as the mutineers said? Had the mutineers just gotten too used to living the Tahitian life? We will never know.
What ever the truth behind the mutiny, we do know how the story ended. For 47 days Bligh kept his boat afloat, and on course, until they reached Timor 3,600 miles away. There had been islands in between, but it hadn't been safe to land. The men battled storms, fatigue, sun, hunger and thirst. They survived having their rudder break. Somehow they made it.
While I was reading this, I thought it was the story told by one of the crew. Actually it was the second of three novels based on the mutiny. The first novel told the story up till the mutiny. The third related the story of the mutineers.
Two facts struck me as ironic. During the voyage on the Bounty, the captain never even got to use his master captain's room because it had been converted into a greenhouse for the plants he was bringing back to England! Instead he lived in a cramped officer's room. So much for the idea that he had been living an easy life before the mutiny! The other irony was a later ship's crew that he captained also mutinied. This time the mutiny wasn't personal, but a protest against the royal navy's low pay and involuntary service. (Involuntary, because the navy could legally kidnap men off the street and force them on board to become sailors.)
Look for this novel on the new fiction table. (Avail. 6/20)
Saving the Enemy (the Berlin Airlift)
Daring Young Men: The Heroism and Triumph of The German Airlift, June 1948- May 1949, by Richard Reeves (TPB, 2010, $2.50)
The Soviet Union wanted to control Germany, and it should have been easy. After all, what could anyone do? The allies had already demilitarized, with only a small number of untrained soldiers still in uniform. Russia, on the other hand, had lots of well trained soldiers. So Russia cut off communication and transportation to West Berlin. This meant Berlin was without food, coal, electric power, gasoline, medicine or mail.
West Berlin certainly couldn't do anything. Most of its citizens were women, children or old men, and they were all hungry. France didn't want to do anything. They liked the idea of a weak Germany. Britain refused to do anything as she was in the middle of her own reconstruction. West Germans blamed Berlin for the country's problems, so they wouldn't help. The American military was united. Our soldiers should come home, even if it meant Russia would take West Berlin. It would be embarrassing, but in the long run trying to prevent it wasn't worth it. Berlin wasn't militarily important, whereas interfering might bring war with Russia. Besides we had just spent all those years fighting Germans, why now help them? Even if we wanted to help, there were no places to land. We had destroyed all the runways. So everyone was agreed, Russia would be allowed to take over Berlin, just as she had Czechoslovakia and Finland.
There was just one problem. Harry Truman, who had a tendency of going his own way, refused to give up West Berlin, and what Harry wanted, Harry usually got. 17,000 civilians turned out to rebuild runways from of rubble. 60,000 members of the military were called back to active duty. General Lucius Clay, who had been the national czar of production and procurement during the war, was given the task of coordinating all this chaos.
Somehow it worked. For ten months allied planes brought supplies to the besieged city. Plane after plane arrived, one every 30 seconds, for ten months. Americans transported almost 2 million tons of material. Britain, who ended up helping, carried a half million. The airlift cost a massive $350 million, as well as 79 lives, but the people of Berlin survived.
They would never forget. After it was over, General Clay retired and went home. When he left, 500,000 Berliners lined his route to the airport to say thanks.
As you may know, Berlin's problems did not end there. By 1961 2000 East Germans were requesting political asylum in West Berlin each month. To the Soviet Union this was unacceptable. First they made a barrier out of barbed wire, then they added concrete, then even more concrete to make it taller. A moat in front of the wall was added to make it even harder for escaping civilians to cross over.
The Wall would effectively keep Berliners apart until 1989. What a day it was when the Wall came down! What a story this is! And it is true!
Look on this book on the new non-fiction table. Avail. 6/20. (L- Ger.)
The Soviet Union wanted to control Germany, and it should have been easy. After all, what could anyone do? The allies had already demilitarized, with only a small number of untrained soldiers still in uniform. Russia, on the other hand, had lots of well trained soldiers. So Russia cut off communication and transportation to West Berlin. This meant Berlin was without food, coal, electric power, gasoline, medicine or mail.
West Berlin certainly couldn't do anything. Most of its citizens were women, children or old men, and they were all hungry. France didn't want to do anything. They liked the idea of a weak Germany. Britain refused to do anything as she was in the middle of her own reconstruction. West Germans blamed Berlin for the country's problems, so they wouldn't help. The American military was united. Our soldiers should come home, even if it meant Russia would take West Berlin. It would be embarrassing, but in the long run trying to prevent it wasn't worth it. Berlin wasn't militarily important, whereas interfering might bring war with Russia. Besides we had just spent all those years fighting Germans, why now help them? Even if we wanted to help, there were no places to land. We had destroyed all the runways. So everyone was agreed, Russia would be allowed to take over Berlin, just as she had Czechoslovakia and Finland.
There was just one problem. Harry Truman, who had a tendency of going his own way, refused to give up West Berlin, and what Harry wanted, Harry usually got. 17,000 civilians turned out to rebuild runways from of rubble. 60,000 members of the military were called back to active duty. General Lucius Clay, who had been the national czar of production and procurement during the war, was given the task of coordinating all this chaos.
Somehow it worked. For ten months allied planes brought supplies to the besieged city. Plane after plane arrived, one every 30 seconds, for ten months. Americans transported almost 2 million tons of material. Britain, who ended up helping, carried a half million. The airlift cost a massive $350 million, as well as 79 lives, but the people of Berlin survived.
They would never forget. After it was over, General Clay retired and went home. When he left, 500,000 Berliners lined his route to the airport to say thanks.
As you may know, Berlin's problems did not end there. By 1961 2000 East Germans were requesting political asylum in West Berlin each month. To the Soviet Union this was unacceptable. First they made a barrier out of barbed wire, then they added concrete, then even more concrete to make it taller. A moat in front of the wall was added to make it even harder for escaping civilians to cross over.
The Wall would effectively keep Berliners apart until 1989. What a day it was when the Wall came down! What a story this is! And it is true!
Look on this book on the new non-fiction table. Avail. 6/20. (L- Ger.)
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Illuminated Manuscripts of Pennsylvania Germans
The Fraktur-Writings or Illuminated Manuscripts of the Pennsylvania Germans, by Donald A. Shelley (HC, 1961, $20, which is 1/3 the internet price.)
The author, Donald Shelley, was an Executive Director of the Henry Ford Museum and the Greenfield Village, so you know this has got to be special. He chose Pennsylvania German Folk Art for this book because the art is so colorful. He also chose it because examples of the art have survived either within their Pennsylvania German families, or in private collections. Sometimes manuscripts have found their way to museums, but other times collections are broken up and sold to other collectors, never to be seen again. For this project Shelley spent 20 years gathering, studying, and recording more than 2,000 manuscripts. (He even found one in a Macy's Department Store near his home!) Much of the material included here had never been recorded or published before.
These manuscripts are of the Fraktur type, meaning "illuminated manuscripts employ-[ing]... letters based on the 16th century Gothic type-face of the same name". "Both artistically and technically these manuscripts provide a most interesting link between Europe and America on the one hand, and between late medieval and modern times on the other." How cool is that! The only downside is the scant number of color prints, but there are 305 black and white ones, and the six color prints he does include are beautiful. Look for this book in the glass case.
The author, Donald Shelley, was an Executive Director of the Henry Ford Museum and the Greenfield Village, so you know this has got to be special. He chose Pennsylvania German Folk Art for this book because the art is so colorful. He also chose it because examples of the art have survived either within their Pennsylvania German families, or in private collections. Sometimes manuscripts have found their way to museums, but other times collections are broken up and sold to other collectors, never to be seen again. For this project Shelley spent 20 years gathering, studying, and recording more than 2,000 manuscripts. (He even found one in a Macy's Department Store near his home!) Much of the material included here had never been recorded or published before.
These manuscripts are of the Fraktur type, meaning "illuminated manuscripts employ-[ing]... letters based on the 16th century Gothic type-face of the same name". "Both artistically and technically these manuscripts provide a most interesting link between Europe and America on the one hand, and between late medieval and modern times on the other." How cool is that! The only downside is the scant number of color prints, but there are 305 black and white ones, and the six color prints he does include are beautiful. Look for this book in the glass case.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Fathers of the Confederation (Canada, 1867)
1867: How the Fathers Made a Deal, by Christopher Moore (TPB, 1997, $2.50)
This book taught me a lot. Mostly, I found out how little I know of Canadian history. In the beginning I couldn't even figure out how the Confederacy, which lost the war in 1865, could have won in 1867.
I learned that Canada didn't become Canada until 1867, that the Maritime Provinces were on the Atlantic Coast (not the Pacific), and that Ontario and Quebec were part of one province. The western/upper part, Ontario, was Protestant and secular, the eastern/lower part, Catholic and religious. Somehow the possible merging of the three Maritime colonies inspired the Province of Canada, the forth colony, into discussing a union of them all.
At the time, Canada had its troubles. Their governmental structure wasn't working. The United States, angry at Britain for their support of the Confederacy, took its revenge on Canada by canceling its free trade agreement. Britain no longer wanted the cost of keeping its troops in America. The United States and their Manifest Destiny had Canadians worried about invasion. Even if the US didn't invade militarily,there was still the problem of western American settlers flooding north into Canada. What if they decided to detach themselves from Canada and join the US! Meanwhile, everyone seemed to want a railroad. A railroad would move people, goods, and soldiers if necessary. A railroad would connect the Maritimes with Canada. A railroad would bring prosperity, even riches. For all these reasons, a union was a good idea. But what kind of union? How could a compromise be reached when each side was barely speaking to the other? What would they call it? And would Britain allow it?
Not only did the Confederacy happen, but within 4 years Canada would change its western border from Ontario to the Pacific Ocean. And yes, the railroad would get built, though not till 1885.
The story of the Confederacy is an amazing one. It is the story of how Canadian politicians worked along side people they hated, managed to compromise, and somehow created a country. Look for this book on the new non-fiction table. (L-Can)
This book taught me a lot. Mostly, I found out how little I know of Canadian history. In the beginning I couldn't even figure out how the Confederacy, which lost the war in 1865, could have won in 1867.
I learned that Canada didn't become Canada until 1867, that the Maritime Provinces were on the Atlantic Coast (not the Pacific), and that Ontario and Quebec were part of one province. The western/upper part, Ontario, was Protestant and secular, the eastern/lower part, Catholic and religious. Somehow the possible merging of the three Maritime colonies inspired the Province of Canada, the forth colony, into discussing a union of them all.
At the time, Canada had its troubles. Their governmental structure wasn't working. The United States, angry at Britain for their support of the Confederacy, took its revenge on Canada by canceling its free trade agreement. Britain no longer wanted the cost of keeping its troops in America. The United States and their Manifest Destiny had Canadians worried about invasion. Even if the US didn't invade militarily,there was still the problem of western American settlers flooding north into Canada. What if they decided to detach themselves from Canada and join the US! Meanwhile, everyone seemed to want a railroad. A railroad would move people, goods, and soldiers if necessary. A railroad would connect the Maritimes with Canada. A railroad would bring prosperity, even riches. For all these reasons, a union was a good idea. But what kind of union? How could a compromise be reached when each side was barely speaking to the other? What would they call it? And would Britain allow it?
Not only did the Confederacy happen, but within 4 years Canada would change its western border from Ontario to the Pacific Ocean. And yes, the railroad would get built, though not till 1885.
The story of the Confederacy is an amazing one. It is the story of how Canadian politicians worked along side people they hated, managed to compromise, and somehow created a country. Look for this book on the new non-fiction table. (L-Can)
Paul Erdos, the traveling mathematician **SOLD**
The Man Who Loved Only Numbers: The Story of Paul Erdos and the Search for Mathematical Truth, by Paul Hoffman (TPB, 1998, $2)
Paul Erdos was different. He never cooked, never drove, never did his wash. He rarely tied his own shoes, or buttered his own toast. He spoke using words he made up. He lived out of his suitcase, seldom staying any place very long. Until she died, his mother looked after him. After she died, his friend (?) took over. Ronald Graham was paid to look after all the mathematicians and computer scientists at Bell Labs. He wasn't paid to look after Erdos, or his stuff. "His stuff" included writing his checks, recording his income (as it came in from all over the world), keeping his math papers, and answering his correspondence. When Erdos was in town, Graham always had a room available, grapefruit in the refrigerator, and his wife available for "play" (ie. talk about mathematics). The rest of the time Erdos was free to travel the world discussing math problems with the greatest minds in the world.
Writes Hoffman, "Before Erdos died, on September 20, 1996, at the age of 83, he had managed to think about more problems than any other mathematician in history. He wrote or co-authored 1,475 academic papers, many of them monumental, and all of them substantial. It wasn't just the quantity of work that was impressive, but the quality."
"Erdos criss-crossed four continents at a frenzied pace, moving from one university or research center to the next. His modus operandi was to show up on the doorstep of a fellow mathematician, declare, "My brain is open," work with his host for a day or two, until he was bored or his host was run down, and then move on to another home." Taking amphetamines helped him maintain his frenetic pace, but he had been frenetic long before he started taking drugs.
Well, I did say he was different. Look for this book on the new non-fiction table. (L-math)
Paul Erdos was different. He never cooked, never drove, never did his wash. He rarely tied his own shoes, or buttered his own toast. He spoke using words he made up. He lived out of his suitcase, seldom staying any place very long. Until she died, his mother looked after him. After she died, his friend (?) took over. Ronald Graham was paid to look after all the mathematicians and computer scientists at Bell Labs. He wasn't paid to look after Erdos, or his stuff. "His stuff" included writing his checks, recording his income (as it came in from all over the world), keeping his math papers, and answering his correspondence. When Erdos was in town, Graham always had a room available, grapefruit in the refrigerator, and his wife available for "play" (ie. talk about mathematics). The rest of the time Erdos was free to travel the world discussing math problems with the greatest minds in the world.
Writes Hoffman, "Before Erdos died, on September 20, 1996, at the age of 83, he had managed to think about more problems than any other mathematician in history. He wrote or co-authored 1,475 academic papers, many of them monumental, and all of them substantial. It wasn't just the quantity of work that was impressive, but the quality."
"Erdos criss-crossed four continents at a frenzied pace, moving from one university or research center to the next. His modus operandi was to show up on the doorstep of a fellow mathematician, declare, "My brain is open," work with his host for a day or two, until he was bored or his host was run down, and then move on to another home." Taking amphetamines helped him maintain his frenetic pace, but he had been frenetic long before he started taking drugs.
Well, I did say he was different. Look for this book on the new non-fiction table. (L-math)
Monday, June 11, 2012
Progressive Relaxation and Bio-feedback (1934)
Jacobson writes, "Living at high tension has for a long time been the order of the day... Since [1880], with the advent of the express train, the telephone, the automobile, the radio and other agencies, it is well known that the general pace of life has increased... so that almost every individual in modern life is obliged to meet demands on his nervous energy that would not have been present many years ago." (I wonder what he would have thought about life in the 21st Century!)
You Must Relax, by Edmund Jacobson (HC, 1934, $13, which is 1/3 the internet price)
Edmund Jacobson first wrote Progressive Relaxation as a guide for physicians, but his publisher wanted something for laymen. The result was You Must Relax. Jacobson had developed a method to teach people to relax. They were taught first to relax a group of muscles, then to relax individual ones. Once patients had learned to relax, they were able to observe when their muscles were tense, and when they needed to use Jacobson's techniques. At first they were only able to relax on the doctor's sofa. They they learned to relax while sitting up, and later how to relax when at a job, or in a stressful situation. (14 plates are included to show you how this all works.) Jacobson claimed his method could treat sleeplessness, indigestion, colitis and high blood pressure.
He was even able to measure scientifically on a graph the amount of muscle relaxation a patient was able to attain. If this all sounds similar to present day relaxation techniques and bio-feedback, well, it should. Jacobson is considered the father of Progressive Relaxation and bio-feedback. Look for this book on the new non-fiction table. (L- gl)
You Must Relax, by Edmund Jacobson (HC, 1934, $13, which is 1/3 the internet price)
Edmund Jacobson first wrote Progressive Relaxation as a guide for physicians, but his publisher wanted something for laymen. The result was You Must Relax. Jacobson had developed a method to teach people to relax. They were taught first to relax a group of muscles, then to relax individual ones. Once patients had learned to relax, they were able to observe when their muscles were tense, and when they needed to use Jacobson's techniques. At first they were only able to relax on the doctor's sofa. They they learned to relax while sitting up, and later how to relax when at a job, or in a stressful situation. (14 plates are included to show you how this all works.) Jacobson claimed his method could treat sleeplessness, indigestion, colitis and high blood pressure.
He was even able to measure scientifically on a graph the amount of muscle relaxation a patient was able to attain. If this all sounds similar to present day relaxation techniques and bio-feedback, well, it should. Jacobson is considered the father of Progressive Relaxation and bio-feedback. Look for this book on the new non-fiction table. (L- gl)
The World of Male Sex Workers **SOLD**
Rent Boys: The World of Male Sex Workers, by Michel Dorais (TPB, 2007, $1.75)
Dorais studied 40 men in the sex industry, and found many of our assumptions were wrong. "Dorais analyses the physical and emotional risks to which these young men are exposed and makes useful suggestions for family, friends, and professionals who want to help them. The original French-language edition was praised for its depth of understanding and sensitive portrayal of the experiences of prostitutes. This edition has been expanded to provide an international perspective as well as a study of the role of child prostitution, organized crime, and the legalization of prostitution."
What a disturbing topic, but says Dorais, "To acknowledge the existence of male sex work is not to encourage or discourage it but, rather, to state a fact." And once we know the facts, and are willing to talk about them, perhaps then we will be able to figure out how to help these men. Look for this on the new non-fiction table. (L-soc.)
Dorais studied 40 men in the sex industry, and found many of our assumptions were wrong. "Dorais analyses the physical and emotional risks to which these young men are exposed and makes useful suggestions for family, friends, and professionals who want to help them. The original French-language edition was praised for its depth of understanding and sensitive portrayal of the experiences of prostitutes. This edition has been expanded to provide an international perspective as well as a study of the role of child prostitution, organized crime, and the legalization of prostitution."
What a disturbing topic, but says Dorais, "To acknowledge the existence of male sex work is not to encourage or discourage it but, rather, to state a fact." And once we know the facts, and are willing to talk about them, perhaps then we will be able to figure out how to help these men. Look for this on the new non-fiction table. (L-soc.)
How Real was Michner's "Hawaii"?
Hawaii: Truth Stranger Than Fiction, True Tales of Missionary Troubles and Triumphs Fictionized by Michener, by LaRue W. Piercy (TPB, 1985, autographed, $4, which is 1/3 the internet price.)
In his novel Hawaii James Michener's missionary character has many faults. Piercy became interested in finding out just how historically accurate Michener had been. He compared stories of real missionaries to Michener's. Piercy divided Michener's missionary's life into minute pieces, each followed by a comparison. After awhile, I found myself wishing he had combined a whole lot of those pieces.
Still he included some amazingly true stories, including those of Rev.s Dwight and Coan. Samual Dwight somehow managed to arrive in Hawaii without a wife. He would marry a native woman and be expelled from his church, but would remain Christian, and have a long happy marriage. Titus Coan repeatedly climbed to the rim of the world's largest active volcano, but still managed to die an old man.
Hawaiian missionaries were both courageous and inflexible. Most came from rural New England, and held conservative Puritan beliefs. They insisted on wearing clothes made out of cotton, which had to be imported from the states, so there was never enough to go around. They wore the same heavy clothes as they had in New England, and covered every bit of skin except for their hands and faces. They always wore hats. They also insisted on eating food sent from the states. They ate large, frequent meals, and they insisted on working long days in the heat. Needless to say, these people often were ill.
Missionaries waged wars again tobacco (natives would smoke until intoxicated), alcohol, infanticide, tribal wars, and that noisy, indecent dance, the hula. They would also battle with Catholic priests, and to keep their children from marrying native Hawaiians. (Those last two battles they would lose.)
Piercy concluded that the arrival of missionaries did have some negative consequences for the natives, but mostly he saw the missionaries in a positive light. They did, after all, bring medicine and education, and the decreased population due to diseases wasn't their fault. What do you think?
Look for this book on the new non-fiction table. (L-AH)
In his novel Hawaii James Michener's missionary character has many faults. Piercy became interested in finding out just how historically accurate Michener had been. He compared stories of real missionaries to Michener's. Piercy divided Michener's missionary's life into minute pieces, each followed by a comparison. After awhile, I found myself wishing he had combined a whole lot of those pieces.
Still he included some amazingly true stories, including those of Rev.s Dwight and Coan. Samual Dwight somehow managed to arrive in Hawaii without a wife. He would marry a native woman and be expelled from his church, but would remain Christian, and have a long happy marriage. Titus Coan repeatedly climbed to the rim of the world's largest active volcano, but still managed to die an old man.
Hawaiian missionaries were both courageous and inflexible. Most came from rural New England, and held conservative Puritan beliefs. They insisted on wearing clothes made out of cotton, which had to be imported from the states, so there was never enough to go around. They wore the same heavy clothes as they had in New England, and covered every bit of skin except for their hands and faces. They always wore hats. They also insisted on eating food sent from the states. They ate large, frequent meals, and they insisted on working long days in the heat. Needless to say, these people often were ill.
Missionaries waged wars again tobacco (natives would smoke until intoxicated), alcohol, infanticide, tribal wars, and that noisy, indecent dance, the hula. They would also battle with Catholic priests, and to keep their children from marrying native Hawaiians. (Those last two battles they would lose.)
Piercy concluded that the arrival of missionaries did have some negative consequences for the natives, but mostly he saw the missionaries in a positive light. They did, after all, bring medicine and education, and the decreased population due to diseases wasn't their fault. What do you think?
Look for this book on the new non-fiction table. (L-AH)
"Gentlemen Prefer Blondes!"
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, by Anita Loos (HC, first edition, 13th printing, 1926, $5, which is 1/3 the internet price.)
This is one of those books I meant only to skim, but soon found myself unable to stop laughing. I wanted to keep this book in my own library, but under the influence of the main character decided to be selfless and share it with one of you. After all, it is only right to bring happiness to as many people as you can. (And if you gather lots of diamonds as you go, all the better! Actually, the only diamond Loos ever "gathered" was from her uncle when she was 7. After that she refused them.)
She was a prolific writer for both Broadway and Hollywood. She wrote scripts for unknowns Douglas Fairbanks, Jean Harlow, Carol Channing and Audrey Hepburn, and made them all stars. Her talent was in suggesting sexuality enough to interest viewers, but not enough to offend the censors.
She married a man she thought was brilliant, but who wasn't. The man she met who really was brilliant was only interested in "dumb blondes". While pondering this phenomena she wrote several short stories. When Harper's Bazar published them, the magazine's circulation immediately quadrupled. The first printing of the book based on the short stories sold out in only 2 weeks. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes would continue for 87 editions, and be translated into 14 languages, including Chinese. (Chinese?)
Look for this gem on the new fiction table.
(Trivia- Her brother founded Blue Cross, the insurance company. How weird is that!)
This is one of those books I meant only to skim, but soon found myself unable to stop laughing. I wanted to keep this book in my own library, but under the influence of the main character decided to be selfless and share it with one of you. After all, it is only right to bring happiness to as many people as you can. (And if you gather lots of diamonds as you go, all the better! Actually, the only diamond Loos ever "gathered" was from her uncle when she was 7. After that she refused them.)
She was a prolific writer for both Broadway and Hollywood. She wrote scripts for unknowns Douglas Fairbanks, Jean Harlow, Carol Channing and Audrey Hepburn, and made them all stars. Her talent was in suggesting sexuality enough to interest viewers, but not enough to offend the censors.
She married a man she thought was brilliant, but who wasn't. The man she met who really was brilliant was only interested in "dumb blondes". While pondering this phenomena she wrote several short stories. When Harper's Bazar published them, the magazine's circulation immediately quadrupled. The first printing of the book based on the short stories sold out in only 2 weeks. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes would continue for 87 editions, and be translated into 14 languages, including Chinese. (Chinese?)
Look for this gem on the new fiction table.
(Trivia- Her brother founded Blue Cross, the insurance company. How weird is that!)
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Introductory Spanish, the whole kit and kaboodle!
I am amazed- when I checked the spelling of kaboodle, I found I had it right. (That's one for the history books.)
We have received a four part introductory Spanish set-
Contigo: Essentials of Spanish, by Oscar Ozete (3d edition, 1995)
HC Textbook, and Student Listening Tape, together in the wrap, unopened.
HC Instructor's Annotated Edition
TPB Manual of exercises (workbook)
Look for them in a bag in the Spanish section. The price for all is $10.
We have received a four part introductory Spanish set-
Contigo: Essentials of Spanish, by Oscar Ozete (3d edition, 1995)
HC Textbook, and Student Listening Tape, together in the wrap, unopened.
HC Instructor's Annotated Edition
TPB Manual of exercises (workbook)
Look for them in a bag in the Spanish section. The price for all is $10.
Wee, little book of biographies (1929)
My favorites here:
Viscountess Astor, first woman British Member of Parliament (and she wasn't even British!)
Dr. George W. Crile, noted surgeon-
He was one of the founders of the Cleveland Clinic Hospital in 1924. The hospital was destroyed by an explosion of X-ray films. Staff and patients who hadn't died from the explosion were as risk from dying from poison gas. Dr. Crile, who had experience with gas victims in WWI, knew to give these victims oxygen, and was credited for saving many lives.
Glenn Curtis, inventor and aviator-
I knew he invented plane engines, but I didn't know he flew the darned things. He won lots of prizes, including the New York World Prize of $10,000 in 1910 for flying from Albany to NYC in 2 hours and 51 minutes.
George Eastman-
I was amused to find only his donation to MIT mentioned. Sorry, U. of R.
Dr. Hugo Eckener, first person to command a dirigible around the world.
What a man! He earned doctorates in physics, philosophy, and political economics. Worked as a journalists. Thought dirigibles were impractical, but had his mind changed by Count Von Zeppelin, and even later became director of the Zeppelin Company. His round the world jaunt of 19,500 miles took only 21 days, 7 hours, and 26 minutes.
Edward, Prince of Wales- well, we know what happened to him, or did you miss the movie?
Bobby Jones, golfer
As a child he was sent by his parents to play golf, with the hope it would help him be less sickly.
Guglielmo Marconi- inventor of the wireless telegraph. (Our copy of Thunderstruck, by Erik Larson is still for sale.)
William Morris-pioneer of modern vaudeville entertainment
Benito Mussolini- a reformer, bringing prosperity to Italy. (Huh?)
FDR- still governor of NY
George Herman Ruth- "Babe" Ruth (called that because when he started at the Baltimore Orioles, he was the so young.
I have had to leave out so many good stories. Buy this book, to be found in the glass case, and you can catch them all. (Note, as in the prior book, the condition is poor.)
Viscountess Astor, first woman British Member of Parliament (and she wasn't even British!)
Dr. George W. Crile, noted surgeon-
He was one of the founders of the Cleveland Clinic Hospital in 1924. The hospital was destroyed by an explosion of X-ray films. Staff and patients who hadn't died from the explosion were as risk from dying from poison gas. Dr. Crile, who had experience with gas victims in WWI, knew to give these victims oxygen, and was credited for saving many lives.
Glenn Curtis, inventor and aviator-
I knew he invented plane engines, but I didn't know he flew the darned things. He won lots of prizes, including the New York World Prize of $10,000 in 1910 for flying from Albany to NYC in 2 hours and 51 minutes.
George Eastman-
I was amused to find only his donation to MIT mentioned. Sorry, U. of R.
Dr. Hugo Eckener, first person to command a dirigible around the world.
What a man! He earned doctorates in physics, philosophy, and political economics. Worked as a journalists. Thought dirigibles were impractical, but had his mind changed by Count Von Zeppelin, and even later became director of the Zeppelin Company. His round the world jaunt of 19,500 miles took only 21 days, 7 hours, and 26 minutes.
Edward, Prince of Wales- well, we know what happened to him, or did you miss the movie?
Bobby Jones, golfer
As a child he was sent by his parents to play golf, with the hope it would help him be less sickly.
Guglielmo Marconi- inventor of the wireless telegraph. (Our copy of Thunderstruck, by Erik Larson is still for sale.)
William Morris-pioneer of modern vaudeville entertainment
Benito Mussolini- a reformer, bringing prosperity to Italy. (Huh?)
FDR- still governor of NY
George Herman Ruth- "Babe" Ruth (called that because when he started at the Baltimore Orioles, he was the so young.
I have had to leave out so many good stories. Buy this book, to be found in the glass case, and you can catch them all. (Note, as in the prior book, the condition is poor.)
Wee, little book of quotes... (1928)
Hey, I know wee and little both mean the same thing, but "wee, little" seemed to describe this and the following books so much better.
The publisher, Walter Scott, put out one of these every year for Christmas. None of them have stated authors or editors. All are in poor shape, but oh, they are still so cute!
Voices that Live (1928, $3): various quotes, some long, and some short.
The ones I liked the most were:
Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, three pages long (Lincoln's speech was considered insignificant at the time, and much, much too short, except people had really come to hear the "other guy" speak. Europe, though, was very impressed. Lincoln went to bed after he returned to his train. He was found to be running a high temperature, probably from some strain of cow pox.)
Calvin Coolidge's Gettysburg Address, 25 pages long
Lincoln's letter to Mrs Bixley after the deaths in battle of her five sons (except it was all a hoax to get money from the government)
Frances Scott Key's letter to a friend describing the shelling of Fort McHenry that inspired him to write the Star Spangled Banner.
"Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Clause."
"Auld Lang Syne" ( I had forgotten it was written by Robert Burns.)
There are many more. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did! Look for them in the glass case at the front of the store.
The publisher, Walter Scott, put out one of these every year for Christmas. None of them have stated authors or editors. All are in poor shape, but oh, they are still so cute!
Voices that Live (1928, $3): various quotes, some long, and some short.
The ones I liked the most were:
Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, three pages long (Lincoln's speech was considered insignificant at the time, and much, much too short, except people had really come to hear the "other guy" speak. Europe, though, was very impressed. Lincoln went to bed after he returned to his train. He was found to be running a high temperature, probably from some strain of cow pox.)
Calvin Coolidge's Gettysburg Address, 25 pages long
Lincoln's letter to Mrs Bixley after the deaths in battle of her five sons (except it was all a hoax to get money from the government)
Frances Scott Key's letter to a friend describing the shelling of Fort McHenry that inspired him to write the Star Spangled Banner.
"Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Clause."
"Auld Lang Syne" ( I had forgotten it was written by Robert Burns.)
There are many more. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did! Look for them in the glass case at the front of the store.
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Amiri Baraka **SOLD**
The LeRoi Jones/ Amiri Baraka Reader, edited by William J. Harris (TPB, 587 pages, 2000, $2.50)
Who is Amiri Baraka? On one hand he is an important author of poems, drama and jazz criticism, and he has won all kinds of awards. On the other hand, he has repeatedly been fired because of his opinions.
And oh, does he have opinions! He visited Cuba and was pro-Castro. He was critical of Martin Luther King and the civil rights movement. He advocated the use of violence and rape against whites, Jews, women, and homosexuals. In 2001 he accused Bush and Israel of knowing 9/11 was going to happen. He was a black nationalist who turned to Marxism when he became convinced black nationalists were against class struggle as strongly as whites.
He wrote in the preface, "My writing reflects my own growth and expansion, and at the same time the society in which I have existed throughout this longish confrontation. Whether it is politics, music, literature, or the origins of language, there is a historical and time/place condition reference that will always try to explain why I was saying both how and or what." I have to give him credit for admitting he had been wrong in the past. Does that excuse his prior acts and writings? I don't think so. Still, the question has me thinking. Who has not seen their thinking and actions change over the years, but youthful anger, even if justified, never excuses the advocating of rape and violence. How much can be forgiven? How much can be accepted? What do you think?
I am putting this book on the new non-fiction table, but this collection can't be categorized. (L-gnf)
Who is Amiri Baraka? On one hand he is an important author of poems, drama and jazz criticism, and he has won all kinds of awards. On the other hand, he has repeatedly been fired because of his opinions.
And oh, does he have opinions! He visited Cuba and was pro-Castro. He was critical of Martin Luther King and the civil rights movement. He advocated the use of violence and rape against whites, Jews, women, and homosexuals. In 2001 he accused Bush and Israel of knowing 9/11 was going to happen. He was a black nationalist who turned to Marxism when he became convinced black nationalists were against class struggle as strongly as whites.
He wrote in the preface, "My writing reflects my own growth and expansion, and at the same time the society in which I have existed throughout this longish confrontation. Whether it is politics, music, literature, or the origins of language, there is a historical and time/place condition reference that will always try to explain why I was saying both how and or what." I have to give him credit for admitting he had been wrong in the past. Does that excuse his prior acts and writings? I don't think so. Still, the question has me thinking. Who has not seen their thinking and actions change over the years, but youthful anger, even if justified, never excuses the advocating of rape and violence. How much can be forgiven? How much can be accepted? What do you think?
I am putting this book on the new non-fiction table, but this collection can't be categorized. (L-gnf)
P. G. Wodehouse- more than just Jeeves
The Most of P. G. Wodehouse (TPB, 701 pages, 1988, $2.50)
Have you ever wondered where Jeeves, that superior valet, came from? Included here are 5 tales of Jeeves, but also stories of The Drones Club, Mr Mulliner, Stanley Featherstonehaugh Ukridge and Lord Emsworth. Enjoy.
Look for this book on the new fiction table.
Have you ever wondered where Jeeves, that superior valet, came from? Included here are 5 tales of Jeeves, but also stories of The Drones Club, Mr Mulliner, Stanley Featherstonehaugh Ukridge and Lord Emsworth. Enjoy.
Look for this book on the new fiction table.
The Parables of Peanuts
The Parables of Peanuts, by Robert L. Short (PB, 1968, $1)
Back when I was a teenage, Robert Short came to talk at my dad's church. I remember him as being both funny and profound.
I had never thought of Charles Schulz as being a Christian writer, but he sure thought he was. He wrote, "I preach in these cartoons, and I reserve the same rights to say what I want to say as the minister in the pulpit."
The author of Peanuts wrote of this book, "The Parables of Peanuts is filled with wonderful quotes and is a real delight to read from beginning to end. I could not possibly be more pleased." (I guess he liked it.)
Look for it in the religion blog section.
Back when I was a teenage, Robert Short came to talk at my dad's church. I remember him as being both funny and profound.
I had never thought of Charles Schulz as being a Christian writer, but he sure thought he was. He wrote, "I preach in these cartoons, and I reserve the same rights to say what I want to say as the minister in the pulpit."
The author of Peanuts wrote of this book, "The Parables of Peanuts is filled with wonderful quotes and is a real delight to read from beginning to end. I could not possibly be more pleased." (I guess he liked it.)
Look for it in the religion blog section.
Fairy Tales and the two Brothers Grimm
The Complete Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm: An all new translation of the famous 210 stories plus 32 tales that have never before appeared in English (TPB, 731 pages, 1987, $4)
As usual, a lot of what I thought I knew was wrong. The Brothers Grimm didn't get their stories from peasants while wandering the countryside. Instead, they invited storytellers, mostly young women, to their home. The women, mostly aristocratic or middle class, told stories they had heard from their governesses or servants. Once gathered, the tales needed to be edited. Per the preface, the brothers, "eliminated elements that might be offensive to middle-class morality, added numerous Christian expressions and references, emphasized specific role models for male and female protagonists according to the dominant patriarchal code of that time, and endowed many of the tales with a 'homey' or biedermeier flavor by the use of diminutives, quaint expressions, and cute descriptions." Strangely, their first book of stories was never meant for children, but as a way to inform adults on the origins of German culture. (Translation- the book was overflowing with footnotes, hardly the things children would be interested in.) Some of the tales were never popular, and until now hadn't even been translated into English.
These little stories caused a lot of controversy. The brothers were accused of making up the stories, and of being racist and sexist. Educators worried the stories were too violent for children. Psychologists worried the stories had been too sanitized.
Lost in the controversies is any sense of who these two men really were. Jacob and Wilhelm grew up financially comfortable. Comfortable that is until their father died, leaving the family dependent on rich connections. Both brothers were brilliant, wildly different, and never lived apart. Since they were poor, other students always looked down on them, but it was Jacob and Wilhelm who graduated top in their class.
Indirectly, studying law encouraged them to study earlier German culture and language. Those studies led to work as the king's librarian. Politics got them fired, so they took the job of writing a German dictionary. They only got to the "F"s in the dictionary, but their books on fairy tales were so popular that no one cared, except probably the person that hired then to do the dictionary.
Jacob and Wilhelm would be so proud their stories are still so well known. They would be even more pleased Germany has become unified, and a democracy. When they were alive, one had to chose between a reactionary democracy and an oppressive monarchy. Their dream of a German democracy would not come true until long after they were both dead.
Look for this book on the new fiction table.
As usual, a lot of what I thought I knew was wrong. The Brothers Grimm didn't get their stories from peasants while wandering the countryside. Instead, they invited storytellers, mostly young women, to their home. The women, mostly aristocratic or middle class, told stories they had heard from their governesses or servants. Once gathered, the tales needed to be edited. Per the preface, the brothers, "eliminated elements that might be offensive to middle-class morality, added numerous Christian expressions and references, emphasized specific role models for male and female protagonists according to the dominant patriarchal code of that time, and endowed many of the tales with a 'homey' or biedermeier flavor by the use of diminutives, quaint expressions, and cute descriptions." Strangely, their first book of stories was never meant for children, but as a way to inform adults on the origins of German culture. (Translation- the book was overflowing with footnotes, hardly the things children would be interested in.) Some of the tales were never popular, and until now hadn't even been translated into English.
These little stories caused a lot of controversy. The brothers were accused of making up the stories, and of being racist and sexist. Educators worried the stories were too violent for children. Psychologists worried the stories had been too sanitized.
Lost in the controversies is any sense of who these two men really were. Jacob and Wilhelm grew up financially comfortable. Comfortable that is until their father died, leaving the family dependent on rich connections. Both brothers were brilliant, wildly different, and never lived apart. Since they were poor, other students always looked down on them, but it was Jacob and Wilhelm who graduated top in their class.
Indirectly, studying law encouraged them to study earlier German culture and language. Those studies led to work as the king's librarian. Politics got them fired, so they took the job of writing a German dictionary. They only got to the "F"s in the dictionary, but their books on fairy tales were so popular that no one cared, except probably the person that hired then to do the dictionary.
Jacob and Wilhelm would be so proud their stories are still so well known. They would be even more pleased Germany has become unified, and a democracy. When they were alive, one had to chose between a reactionary democracy and an oppressive monarchy. Their dream of a German democracy would not come true until long after they were both dead.
Look for this book on the new fiction table.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Chinese Philosophy
A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy, translated and compiled by Wing-Tsit Chan (TPB, 856 pages, 1969, small amount of underlining in the beginning of the book, $3)
I know nothing about philosophy, much less Chinese philosophy, so I have nothing to say on the subject, or this book.
Per the cover: "It covers the entire development of Chinese philosophy from pre-Confucianism... to modern neo-Rationalist and neo-Idealist movements, as well as the philosophic trends of present-day Communist China."
Look for this book on the new non-fiction table. (L-ph)
I know nothing about philosophy, much less Chinese philosophy, so I have nothing to say on the subject, or this book.
Per the cover: "It covers the entire development of Chinese philosophy from pre-Confucianism... to modern neo-Rationalist and neo-Idealist movements, as well as the philosophic trends of present-day Communist China."
Look for this book on the new non-fiction table. (L-ph)
Monday, June 4, 2012
Antebellum African Muslims Slaves
African Muslims in Antebellum America, by Allan D. Austin (TPB, 1997, $2.25)
Had you ever thought that some slaves kidnapped in African were Muslims? Not many people have, mostly because little is known.
African Muslims slaves considered themselves different from other slaves. As Muslims they were monotheistic, and most were literate. They had learned Arabic in Quranic Schools. To be a good Muslim you needed to be able to read the Quaran, so literacy was expected. Most Muslim slaves were from the elite, professional class.
This caused confusion for their white owners. These new slaves were strange. They could write, but in a strange language. They refused to give up their "African" religion, and wouldn't marry, except to a Muslim woman.
It took awhile for the owners to figure it was more productive to make Muslims managers instead of having them work the fields. The whites figured the Muslims just had to be Arabs, since blacks were never that smart. The Muslims viewed themselves as superior to other blacks, but also to any whites. And what did non-Muslim African slaves think of all this? Austin doesn't say, but they could not have been happy seeing strange newcomers put into positions of power.
The wish for these Muslim slaves, as for most slaves, was to return to Africa. Strangely, many Muslim slaves actually did return, and usually not to Liberia. Some ran away, and managed to get back. Some earned or were given their freedom and went home.
Austin has studied the diaries and writing of more than 70 of these men, reporting on 7 of them in detail. Austin hopes new information on both sexes of Muslim slaves will come to light in the future. Look for this book on the new non-fiction table. (L-Af.Am)
Had you ever thought that some slaves kidnapped in African were Muslims? Not many people have, mostly because little is known.
African Muslims slaves considered themselves different from other slaves. As Muslims they were monotheistic, and most were literate. They had learned Arabic in Quranic Schools. To be a good Muslim you needed to be able to read the Quaran, so literacy was expected. Most Muslim slaves were from the elite, professional class.
This caused confusion for their white owners. These new slaves were strange. They could write, but in a strange language. They refused to give up their "African" religion, and wouldn't marry, except to a Muslim woman.
It took awhile for the owners to figure it was more productive to make Muslims managers instead of having them work the fields. The whites figured the Muslims just had to be Arabs, since blacks were never that smart. The Muslims viewed themselves as superior to other blacks, but also to any whites. And what did non-Muslim African slaves think of all this? Austin doesn't say, but they could not have been happy seeing strange newcomers put into positions of power.
The wish for these Muslim slaves, as for most slaves, was to return to Africa. Strangely, many Muslim slaves actually did return, and usually not to Liberia. Some ran away, and managed to get back. Some earned or were given their freedom and went home.
Austin has studied the diaries and writing of more than 70 of these men, reporting on 7 of them in detail. Austin hopes new information on both sexes of Muslim slaves will come to light in the future. Look for this book on the new non-fiction table. (L-Af.Am)
Spring Cleaning- The Glass Case
Cleaning and reorganizing goes on, and on...
We just sorted through our collection of books at the front, adding some and removing some. Some have had their prices decreased. We have placed the books where they can be seen more easily.There is also now a list of books located in the case for those of us with less than perfect vision. (Like me!)
Of more minor import, the area has now been dusted. (I figured out how to use the new vacuum cleaner attachments!) I even found a penny hidden in the dust- not a new penny, but one of the wheat "one cent" pennies! My, how long has it been since we dusted in there!
Come and look at our glass case, now filled with pretty, interesting, and dust-free books!
We just sorted through our collection of books at the front, adding some and removing some. Some have had their prices decreased. We have placed the books where they can be seen more easily.There is also now a list of books located in the case for those of us with less than perfect vision. (Like me!)
Of more minor import, the area has now been dusted. (I figured out how to use the new vacuum cleaner attachments!) I even found a penny hidden in the dust- not a new penny, but one of the wheat "one cent" pennies! My, how long has it been since we dusted in there!
Come and look at our glass case, now filled with pretty, interesting, and dust-free books!
Pre-Colonial Ivory Coast Sculptures
Collection Brian et Diane Leyden Art Bete Et Senufo, auction held at the Paris Sotheby's, December 5th, 2007. (Oversize HC, 152 pages, $15, which is 1/3 the internet price)
Brian and his wife Diane began collecting Cubist abstract works in 1971. When they found themselves unable to afford to buy the paintings, they decided instead to buy what had inspired the artists- African sculpture. No one else was collecting from the Ivory Coast area, so the prices were affordable. They further specialized into pre-colonial art, which was more abstract than the modern.
Fast forward 30 years to this auction of 15 of their collection, and you realize they have done well. Many of these works show a sense of motion, so Sotheby's decided to photograph each sculpture from several positions.
This book is both in French and English. Look for it on the new non-fiction table. (L-art)
Brian and his wife Diane began collecting Cubist abstract works in 1971. When they found themselves unable to afford to buy the paintings, they decided instead to buy what had inspired the artists- African sculpture. No one else was collecting from the Ivory Coast area, so the prices were affordable. They further specialized into pre-colonial art, which was more abstract than the modern.
Fast forward 30 years to this auction of 15 of their collection, and you realize they have done well. Many of these works show a sense of motion, so Sotheby's decided to photograph each sculpture from several positions.
This book is both in French and English. Look for it on the new non-fiction table. (L-art)
The Filming of Narnia
Camera's in Narnia: How The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe Came to Life, by Ian Brodie (small TPB, 2005, $1)
I am not a huge fan of CS Lewis. I have never read his book about a wardrobe, nor seen the film, but maybe I should. What I liked about this book is its description of what each crew-member does. Gaffers, dollys, and best boys- now I know what they all do. Then there is the way caterers feed 600 people three-course meals in just one hour even in the middle of nowhere. And did you know that stuffing from disposable diapers makes real-looking snow? (I thought they used potato buds!)
What you will like is finding out how the film was made. What you won't like, even more that I didn't, was how small the print and photos are. What were those studio staff publicists thinking!
As you can see, I learned a lot and you will too, just remember to bring a bright light and a squint. Look for this on the new non-fiction table. (L-mov)
I am not a huge fan of CS Lewis. I have never read his book about a wardrobe, nor seen the film, but maybe I should. What I liked about this book is its description of what each crew-member does. Gaffers, dollys, and best boys- now I know what they all do. Then there is the way caterers feed 600 people three-course meals in just one hour even in the middle of nowhere. And did you know that stuffing from disposable diapers makes real-looking snow? (I thought they used potato buds!)
What you will like is finding out how the film was made. What you won't like, even more that I didn't, was how small the print and photos are. What were those studio staff publicists thinking!
As you can see, I learned a lot and you will too, just remember to bring a bright light and a squint. Look for this on the new non-fiction table. (L-mov)
Friday, June 1, 2012
A Field Guide to Ships and Boats
What Ship is That? A Field Guide to Boats and Ships, by Bob Basnight (TPB,1996, $3)
Have you ever wanted to know what that thing was floating out there in the water? Well then, this is the book for you. Imagine a guide to identifying birds, but for ships, and you have the general idea. Bob Basnight, who also does the illustrations, starts you out slowly. He explains how to identify a ship using sheer line, the shape of the bow and stern, and the position of deckhousing, superstructure, stack, and cargo-handling gear. With every ship he describes he includes a "thumbnail" silhouette. All this reminds me of identification books and posters used in WWII to identify planes and ships. They also contained thumbnail silhouettes. Of course in wartime it was kind of important to identify that thing sailing or flying toward you. A lot of people at Pearl thought those planes on December 7, 1941 were American ones. Oops. As most of us would, they saw what they expected to see, and not what was there.
The one bit of information I could not find in this book was what makes a ship a ship, and a boat a boat. There seems to be some overlap. A boat is supposed to be a vessel small enough to be carried aboard another vessel. It is also a vessel that can be lifted out of the water. That sounds clear enough, except submarines, even the large ones, are called boats, and some other boats are actually ships. Back in the days of yore it was a lot simpler. If the vessel had at least three masts, and they were all square-rigged, then it was a ship.
Even if you are still confused, don't worry. There is no quiz at the end of the book. So go and have some fun! This book will be on the new non-fiction table. (L-tr)
Have you ever wanted to know what that thing was floating out there in the water? Well then, this is the book for you. Imagine a guide to identifying birds, but for ships, and you have the general idea. Bob Basnight, who also does the illustrations, starts you out slowly. He explains how to identify a ship using sheer line, the shape of the bow and stern, and the position of deckhousing, superstructure, stack, and cargo-handling gear. With every ship he describes he includes a "thumbnail" silhouette. All this reminds me of identification books and posters used in WWII to identify planes and ships. They also contained thumbnail silhouettes. Of course in wartime it was kind of important to identify that thing sailing or flying toward you. A lot of people at Pearl thought those planes on December 7, 1941 were American ones. Oops. As most of us would, they saw what they expected to see, and not what was there.
The one bit of information I could not find in this book was what makes a ship a ship, and a boat a boat. There seems to be some overlap. A boat is supposed to be a vessel small enough to be carried aboard another vessel. It is also a vessel that can be lifted out of the water. That sounds clear enough, except submarines, even the large ones, are called boats, and some other boats are actually ships. Back in the days of yore it was a lot simpler. If the vessel had at least three masts, and they were all square-rigged, then it was a ship.
Even if you are still confused, don't worry. There is no quiz at the end of the book. So go and have some fun! This book will be on the new non-fiction table. (L-tr)
Greta Garbo and "Ninotchka"
Ernst Lubitsch's Ninotchka, starring Greta Garbo, edited by Richard J. Anobile (oversize TPB, 1975, front cover is marred, $2)
"Presents the most accurate and complete reconstruction of a film in book form: Over 1,500 frame blow-up photos shown sequentially and coupled with the complete dialogue from the original soundtrack, allow you to recapture this film classic in its entirety.. at your leisure."
How cool is this- You actually read your way through the movie dialogue, while watching frames from the movie. Kind of like reading a comic book, but much classier! Look for this on the new non-fiction table (L- mov)
"Presents the most accurate and complete reconstruction of a film in book form: Over 1,500 frame blow-up photos shown sequentially and coupled with the complete dialogue from the original soundtrack, allow you to recapture this film classic in its entirety.. at your leisure."
How cool is this- You actually read your way through the movie dialogue, while watching frames from the movie. Kind of like reading a comic book, but much classier! Look for this on the new non-fiction table (L- mov)
Whistler had the art of making enemies? **SOLD**
The Gentle Art of Making Enemies, by James Abbott McNeill Whistler (TPB,1967 reprint of 1892, $3)
My first question when I saw this book was the obvious one- was the author the same person as the famous painter? (Yes.)
Whistler always went his own way. He was supposed to go into the ministry, but flunked out. He then went to West Point, and flunked out there. (He would be expelled by Col. Robert E. Lee!) Next on his list of jobs was military draftsman, but he preferred to add mermaids and whales to his maps, so they fired him, but did send him to work for the US Coastal Survey. They must not have liked his mermaids either, because he lasted only two months. Finally he set out on his own for Paris where he could lead the wild life he wanted to. First realistic, his painting style soon became unique, neither realistic nor impressionistic. He saw art as being important only for its own sake with the subject matter as unimportant. He painted his mother only because a model failed to show up, He always called the work, "Arrangement in Grey and Black #1", never "Whistler's Mother". His style would later influence abstract painters.
Art critics hated his work- it was not ornamental enough for Victorian taste. Nor did they like him. He had the reputation of being arrogant, eccentric, and frivolous. When you read this book you will know why. (Biographers now see him as misunderstood and lonely.)
When the critic Ruskin criticized his painting, Whistler sued him for libel. Whistler won the case, and a farthing, but had to pay court costs. As usual he was heavily in debt, and now so controversial no one would buy his paintings.
This book is a compilation of his letters to newspaper editors regarding his court case. Six years after the trial he was still trying to get the public to realize that artists shouldn't have to imitate nature. He took his letters, reworked them so he came out looking even better than he had at the time, and published them, but only after a first pirated edition was issued by someone else. (Who owned what when seems to be a matter of debate, but Whistler won the lawsuit.)
Thus the book was published, both to spite Ruskin, and the man Whistler had originally hired to write his book. His personal symbol, a butterfly with a stinger, is prominently shown through out. Hmmmm....
Never a dull moment around Whistler! Look for this book on the new non-fiction table.
My first question when I saw this book was the obvious one- was the author the same person as the famous painter? (Yes.)
Whistler always went his own way. He was supposed to go into the ministry, but flunked out. He then went to West Point, and flunked out there. (He would be expelled by Col. Robert E. Lee!) Next on his list of jobs was military draftsman, but he preferred to add mermaids and whales to his maps, so they fired him, but did send him to work for the US Coastal Survey. They must not have liked his mermaids either, because he lasted only two months. Finally he set out on his own for Paris where he could lead the wild life he wanted to. First realistic, his painting style soon became unique, neither realistic nor impressionistic. He saw art as being important only for its own sake with the subject matter as unimportant. He painted his mother only because a model failed to show up, He always called the work, "Arrangement in Grey and Black #1", never "Whistler's Mother". His style would later influence abstract painters.
Art critics hated his work- it was not ornamental enough for Victorian taste. Nor did they like him. He had the reputation of being arrogant, eccentric, and frivolous. When you read this book you will know why. (Biographers now see him as misunderstood and lonely.)
When the critic Ruskin criticized his painting, Whistler sued him for libel. Whistler won the case, and a farthing, but had to pay court costs. As usual he was heavily in debt, and now so controversial no one would buy his paintings.
This book is a compilation of his letters to newspaper editors regarding his court case. Six years after the trial he was still trying to get the public to realize that artists shouldn't have to imitate nature. He took his letters, reworked them so he came out looking even better than he had at the time, and published them, but only after a first pirated edition was issued by someone else. (Who owned what when seems to be a matter of debate, but Whistler won the lawsuit.)
Thus the book was published, both to spite Ruskin, and the man Whistler had originally hired to write his book. His personal symbol, a butterfly with a stinger, is prominently shown through out. Hmmmm....
Never a dull moment around Whistler! Look for this book on the new non-fiction table.
Goethe Loved Color More than Faust? **SOLD**
Theory of Colours, by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (TPB, 2000 edition of 1840 book, $3.25)
And here I was thinking Goethe was just the writer of Faust. Once again I am humbled by my ignorance. Goethe was not just a writer, but also an artist, biologist, theoretical physicist and polymath. He studied and wrote papers on plants. He collected minerals, and had the largest private collection in the world, almost 18,000 rocks! He started out as a painter, became a lawyer, was fired, went on to biology and writing, returning eventually to the study of color. He said he was never proud of his writing, only his discoveries on color, which made him superior to anyone else. Ironically, his work on color turned out not to be scientifically important, but Darwin studied his works on plants, and we all still know and study Faust. I wonder what he would think of how things turned out.
Look for this book on the new non-fiction table.
And here I was thinking Goethe was just the writer of Faust. Once again I am humbled by my ignorance. Goethe was not just a writer, but also an artist, biologist, theoretical physicist and polymath. He studied and wrote papers on plants. He collected minerals, and had the largest private collection in the world, almost 18,000 rocks! He started out as a painter, became a lawyer, was fired, went on to biology and writing, returning eventually to the study of color. He said he was never proud of his writing, only his discoveries on color, which made him superior to anyone else. Ironically, his work on color turned out not to be scientifically important, but Darwin studied his works on plants, and we all still know and study Faust. I wonder what he would think of how things turned out.
Look for this book on the new non-fiction table.
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