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Thuvia, Maid of Mars - The Original Classic Edition

Thuvia, Maid of Mars is the 4th of 11 John Carter novels from the pen of Edgar Rice Burroughs. It first appeared in April 1916, as a three-part serial in the magazine All Story Weekly. This is the first Carter novel that does not feature John Carter himself as the central character; he only makes a brief cameo appearance early on. Instead, the action mantle is taken up by Carthoris, Carters son, but fortunately, Carter Junior turns out to be just as good a swashbuckler as the old man. In this installment, Princess Thuvia of Ptarth has been kidnapped by the spineless Prince Astok of Dusar, which abduction almost causes a world war on Barsoom (Mars). Young Carthoris, in his quest to free his beloved princess, runs across deserted cities, a forgotten kingdom, banths (10-legged Barsoomian lions), ethereal warriors, mucho swordplay, giant white apes, and on and on. As is usual for these books, the amount of action that Burroughs packs into a small compass is quite surprising. Whereas previous Carter books seem to read more like fantasy/fairy tales than science fiction, this installment veers even more to the fantastic, mainly in the use of those phantom warriors just mentioned. These bowmen are called up from the minds of the remaining members of the lost city of Lothar, and have no real concrete existence. However, their arrows can still kill. In this book we also get, for the first time, a nice, detailed look at life in Helium; what the people do, how they live and the like. We also receive a biological explanation of how Carthoris, who was 10 years old but a seeming adult in the previous books, got to be that way. The worldwide peace that apparently prevails at the end of book 3, The Warlord of Mars, is shown in this volume to be not as widespread as was inferred, which makes for some nice tense situations. So this is a good, fast-moving, detailed entry in the series. This is a fun entry in the John Carter series, one that all lovers of fast-moving fantasy should enjoy.

Diary of Anna Green Winslow - The Original Classic Edition

Winslow Anna

A rare view of colonial life from a bright and sensitive 12 year old girl from Nova Scotia, who was sent to Boston in 1770 by her parents to be educated in Boston schools. The diary was not published until 1894 when it was issued with notes and an introduction by Alice Morse Earle. ALICE MORSE EARLE (1851-1911) was a popular writer of the Colonial Revival movement. She was the author of seventeen books, many of them about daily life in early America, especially in New England. Thanks to her meticulous research and the timelessness of her writing, a number of these books are still in print.

The Medicinal Plants of the Philippines - The Original Classic Edition

Tavera T

Here is everything that a field guide should be and contain–small enough to stick into a pocket but comprehensive, definitive and dependable. Descriptions, locations, uses, warnings. The Author is not only an herbalist of the first rank but one of the finest plant photographers out there clicking. Herbal preparations as alternatives to synthetic drugs are increasingly chosen. St. Johns Wort for depression, Saw Palmetto for prostate treatment, Goldenseal for a multitude of symptoms. Not typically thought of as herbs, trees are also a part of our living pharmacy and many are included here. Ginkgolides extracted from leaves of the Ginkgo tree (ginkgo biloba) are the best-selling herbal preparation in Europe. Aspirin derives from the willow. With increasing usage, many plants are in danger of being overharvested. Conservation is necessary to preserve a viable natural community of plants that can and may help alleviate human suffering. Stopping plant thieves is a law enforcement challenge but easy identification of plants may save others of us from bulldozing a patch of ginseng for a house site. More than just a field guide, this book is an essential reference book for our personal library. The value of this big little book can hardly be overestimated.

Mysticism and Logic and Other Essays - The Original Classic Edition

Russell Bertrand

A contradictory sort of fellow – Will Durant, in his congenial The Story of Philosophy, describes Bertrand Russell as …resolved to be hard-headed because he knows he can not be. This is a bit unfair, as it doesnt really take into account Russells philosophy, merely the man. But the two are so hard to separate! Basically, Russell believes that mysticism is the inspirer of what is best in man. But that it is absolutely muddle-headed and has lead mankind down numerous philosophic blind alleys in the past thousand or so years. He was a mathematical genius, wrote prose that could cut like a razor blade concerning the most abstruse subjects in a manner understandable to most laymen, and was a profound skeptic in re matters religious. This latter got him into all kinds of trouble with womens societies and the like back in the earlier part of the century and actually got him fired from the City College of New York. So he packed his bags and went to teach at Harvard. You see, he was a British aristocrat (an Earl) and all this rabble rousing by the hoi polloi was really a non-issue for him. In his autobiography, he recounts how his mother always told him, Never follow a crowd to do Evil. Russell never followed a crowd to do anything! All this biographical elaboration is to help readers understand the man who wrote this book which, in a nutshell, praises the mystical impulse in its pure, unadulterated form while deploring the aforementioned philosophical muddles to which it leads, and, on the other hand, glorifies (justly) the English schools of empirical logic and the scientific progress to which they have lead. One can hardly look at this computer screen and deny this claim. All this in a lucid and thoroughly enjoyable prose. Yes, Russell has seen his days of celebrity come and go (as well as his days in general, one might add,) but if you chance by a wizened looking professor loaded down with heavyweight tomes on metaphysical systems, you might get a rather surprising response if you mention Bertie Russell. In his day, Russell was the Mick Jagger of Philosophy, and coeds used to quarrel over who got to bed down with him that night when he came to lecture that the stuff a good proportion of their professors were teaching was, quite literally, nonsense. And just think, he got away with it all! What fun!

Anne of Avonlea - The Original Classic Edition

Montgomery L

Without a doubt this classic piece of work shaped my life in various ways. I cannot emphasize how positive Anne Shirley is as a character. She is a heroine who is not only beautiful (spirit) but extremely intelligent. The most drastically different aspect of the novel is the fact that the romantic male character, Gilbert, gestures to the idea that being smart is better than being pretty. How often spoken or written are those words? I believe that phrase is something young girls must recognize as well as understand in life. For beauty is fleeting and knowledge is eternal. Timeless and pure, I suggest this novel for anyone who loves a bit of comedy, romance,intrigue, and pure fun.Enjoy! See if you can stop reading them once you have started!!! I asure you that youll spend hours of enjoyment with them.

The Pilgrim's Progress - The Original Classic Edition

Bunyan Campbell John

In contrast to Dante, Bunyan fills his allegory with real people, not just stereotypes – or even archetypes. Though his characters have names like Honest, Feeble-mind, and Ignorance, they come across as real people given a nickname. The names apply to some extent, of course, but not to the point of making caricatures out of the characters. This volume contains parts I and II of Pilgrims progress. The first part concerns the journey of a pilgrim named Christian, while the second describes the journey of his wife, Christiana. Both start from the City of Destruction and both encounter many of the same obstacles – the Slough of Despond, the Vanity Fair, the Castle Doubt – before reaching the gates of the Celestial City. Other than that, their journeys are rather different, for Christian travels on his own, with a bit of help here and there, and with one or another traveling companion, but his progress is almost entirely his own. Christiana, by contrast, travels as part of an ever growing company, who support one another and who are defended by one or two powerful champions. You never lose sight of the allegory, but this work is not a mere tract. The story itself and the characters entertain – even today.

The Book of Household Management - The Original Classic Edition

Beeton Mrs

Simple life? I think not! – This book is written in such a way that you are drawn into the past and standing alongside the mistress of the house…planning your day and making sure the household help do their jobs well. It certainly reminds us of the benfits we have currently – with washing machines, dishwashers, automobiles, pre-packaged food and yes,fast food, yet still dont have enough time to do all the things we need/want to do. How would you like to dress your own cow or help make every article of clothing you wear (even though the hired help did most of it)? A brief introduction to the book instills in the reader a sense of where Mrs. Beeton arrived at her thoughts for proper household management. She seems to have been frustrated by societal changes she was witnessing and wanted her good ol days to return. It is a book I highly recommend not only for the history, but for the entertainment value. I could not put it down once I started.

The Confessions - The Original Classic Edition

Rousseau Jean

The Confessions seem to pop up everywhere, in History, Philosophy, and especially in articles on influences in Literature. Youll find you simply can not put it down could not put it down. It is great to read and learn alot about the period in history and the life of Rousseau himself, but that isnt the magic of the book. It is Rousseau himself who seems to come alive through the pages. The tortured honesty on every page which excites and shocks you, keeps you up late every night until you are finished. There are times you simply have to put the book down, catch your breath a little, and think, Oh My! I cant believe it! After, you will realize you have finished one of the best reading experiences of your life. It ranks right up there with The Red and The Black, Les Mis, Crime and Punishment and Anna Karenina. This book will live through the ages. Rousseau, like Voltaire and Diderot, his contemporaries, could look upon his fellow man and himself with both a frown and a smile. He claims at the outset of the work that he is going to show you himself as he honestly is, warts and all. Dont believe him! But dont turn your back on him either, or dismiss him as a liar! You would be denying yourself the company of one of the most charming alluring reconteurs in all of literature, should you do so. Monsieur Rousseau absolutely loves talking about himself. That sounds like a recipe for boredom, I know. But the trouble is, hes got such a fascinating subject. He knew everyone who was anyone in the 18th century. The women, in particular, were the actual movers and shakers of fin de siecle France. They were figures who presided over literary salons when there actually were literary salons. Madame de Stael is only one matron who looms large in the account. France was basically ruled by powerful and cunning women in that era. Rousseau was there, mentally recording every intimate bon mot and detail. Then there is his infectious, expansive nature to win you over! Try as you might, self centered as the man is, you cant help liking the guy! He is the ultimate Romantic, in the best sense of the word. He believes in his soul that mankind is noble, that we were put here on earth to enact a divine plan for the benefit of all. That the French Revolution would show a different, Hobbesian side to his theory doesnt really diminish his optimistic, humanistic influence on the Romantic movement and ultimately 19th century literature, in general. Hes one of those seminal figures without whom Goethe, the Romantic poets, Blake, Emerson, Whitman, etc. wouldnt have been possible. This is a great book. Liar, hedger, whatever, you really will get to know this character in all his colors, subterfuges, moods, etc. Love him or hate him, you will have to admit that hes like no one you have ever met. Unfortunately.

The Age of Innocence - The Original Classic Edition

Wharton Edith

It was a glittering, sumptuous time when hypocrisy was expected, discreet infidelity tolerated, and unconventionality ostracized. That is the Gilded Age, and nobody knew its hypocrises better than Edith Wharton.... and nobody portrayed them as well. The Age of Innocence is a trip back in time to the stuffy upper crust of old New York, taking us through one respectable mans hopeless love affair with a beautiful woman – and the life he isnt brave enough to have. Newland Archer, of a wealthy old New York family, has become engaged to pretty, naive May Welland. But as he tries to get their wedding date moved up, he becomes acquainted with Mays exotic cousin, Countess Ellen Olenska, who has returned home after dumping her cheating husband. At first, the two are just friends, but Newland becomes more and more entranced by the Countess easy, free-spirited European charm. After Newland marries May, the attraction to the mysterious Countess and her free, unconventional life becomes even stronger. He starts to rebel in little ways, but hes still mired in a 100% conventional marriage, job and life. Will he become an outcast and go away with the beautiful countess, or will he stick with May and the safe, dull life that he has condemned in others? Theres nothing too scandalous about Age of Innocence in a time when starlets acquire and discard boyfriends and husbands like old pantyhose – it probably wasnt in the 1920s when it was first published. But then, this isnt a book about sexiness and steam – its part bittersweet romance, part social satire, and a look at what happens when human beings lose all spontaneity and passion. Part of this is due to Whartons portrayal of New York in the 1870s – opulent, cultured, pleasant, yet so tied up in tradition that few people in it are able to really open up and live. Its a haze of ballrooms, gardens, engagements, and careful social rituals that absolutely MUST be followed, even if they have no meaning. Its a place where the real thing was never said or done or even thought. And Wharton writes distant, slightly mocking prose that outlines this sheltered little society. Her writing opens as slowly and beautifully as a rosebud, letting subtle subplots and powerful, hidden emotions drive the story. So dont be discouraged by the endless conversations about flowers, ballrooms, gloves and old family scandals that dont really matter anymore. In the middle of all this, Newland is a rather dull, intelligent young man who thinks hes unconventional. But he becomes more interesting as he struggles between his conscience and his longing for the Countess. And as Age of Innocence winds on, you gradually see that he doesnt truly love the Countess, but what she represents – freedom from society and convention. The other two angles of this love triangle are May and Ellen. May is (suitably) pallid and rather dull, though she shows some different sides in the last few chapters. And Ellen is a magnificent character – alluring, mysterious, but also bewildered by New Yorks hostility to her ways. And shes even more interesting when you realize that she isnt trying to rebel, but simply being herself. Age of Innocence is a subtle look at life in Gilded Age New York, telling the story of a man desperately in love with a way of life he hasnt got the courage to pursue. Exquisite in its details, painful in its beauty.

The Chessmen of Mars - The Original Classic Edition

Burroughs Edgar

Burroughs Best Martian Tale – Conventional wisdom has it that the first three books of Burroughs Martian series, A Princess of Mars, The Gods of Mars, and The Warlord of Mars form an excellent trilogy and all the rest of the Martian tales are quite poorly done in comparison. You will disagree. Here are two examples as to why Chessmen is Burroughs best work in this series. [1] You can hardly conceive of a more ghastly creature than a spider-being who lives as a parasite on headless human bodies, but that is a perfect description of Ghek the Kaldane, one of the central figures of the book. Burroughs takes this repulsive monstrosity and makes him such a loveable character that you cannot help but like him. [2] Burroughs not only wrote a good yarn, he wrapped his tale around a striking boardgame that he had invented–jetan, or Martian chess. Its no real trick to invent a chess variant. There are thousands of them, and most of them are rubbish. What is so singular about jetan is that it is a good chess variant. I read Chessmen as a child, and after reading it, the first thing I had to do was make a jetan set and play the game. I whiled away several enjoyable hours with the game. John Gollon, a noted authority on chess variants, had a similar experience when he was writing Chess Variations. He thought hed include a chapter on jetan for some comic relief, so he made a jetan set and played a few games. He found jetan quite good–very playable and interesting. He then pronounced jetan not a mere novelty, but … a respectable game. These two singular achievments (Ghek and jetan) are not the only details that make Chessmen so enjoyable. Gahan of Gathol (aka Turan the Panthan) makes for a satisfying hero, and Tara of Helium fills the bill quite nicely for a damsel in distress. The heros are noble, the villians are wicked, the cause is just, and the action is nonstop. Great escapist reading.