Introduction to Logic Review

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(More customer reviews)For the beginner, there's no better book to begin one's excursion into logic, both deductive and inductive, formal and informal, syllogistic and mathematical, propositional as well as predicate calculus. There is excellent competition, such as Bates' Introduction to Logic and Lemmon's book by the same name. But these books are limited in their scope, and not always as didactic and insightful as the Copi work. This book is certainly not exhaustive of all logical norms and forms, but it is quite comprehensive. I know of no other book which is so thoroughly diversified in the treatment of all logical styles and methods, and which does so with greater clarity and elegance of style. I wish this had been my textbook upon taking formal logic courses years ago; it is clearly superior to literally dozens of others that are either too simplistic or over the head of most beginning logicians.

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Easy-to-read, visually appealing, and chock full of real-world applications, this most complete and authoritative book on introductory logic fully prepares users to understand, recognize, and apply classical syllogistic logic and the more powerful techniques of modern symbolic logic-explaining all concepts and techniques clearly, accurately, and thoroughly, and bringing them to life using a wealth of real-life examples of lively arguments and explanations drawn from a wide variety of sources to help demonstrate the application of logical principles by serious writers and thinkers trying to solve real problems in a wide range of fields.Includes full chapters on basic logical concepts, the uses of language, definitions, fallacies, categorical propositions, categorical syllogisms, arguments in ordinary language, symbolic logic, methods of deduction, quantification theory, analogy and probable inference, Mill's Methods of experimental inquiry, science and hypothesis, and probability. Reformulates key logical issues, and presents a more detailed account of the concept of logical equivalence, distinguishing it more clearly from the truth-functional connectives. Includes sidebars containing additional, enriching information; many new illustrations taken from contemporary research I the physical and biological science; and a plethora of exercises.For anyone searching for a top-notch, easy-to-understand introduction to logic.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Genome: The Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters Review

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(More customer reviews)I'm not sure whether to give this book four or five stars...
FIVE STARS - because of how interesting the subject matter is. DNA, it seems, isn't a brilliant piece of software to make bodies. It's more a committee of chemicals each trying to propogate themselves, and often at odds with the other chemicals in DNA (97% of which don't actually do anything!) And this is the stuff that to a large extent makes us US!
FIVE STARS - because of how well written some sections are. Chapter 4, for instance, which talks about the researcher who not only can tell you IF you're going to get Huntington's chorea, but can tell you what age you'll get it, simply by counting the number of times a particular gene sequence repeats. I was left haunted by the question, if I had a high risk for H.C., would I get the test done, simply to know when the symptoms would start?
FIVE STARS - Because of the research. This is the most up to date book on the subject available at the moment. He cites research done as close as 1998.
BUT FOUR STARS - because although some parts were absolutely mind-blowingly interesting and could be considered _classic_ bits of writing, the prose in other parts seemed to get a bit heavy and tedious, and I had to put it down. I was surprised by my own reaction, having been so thoroughly entertained a few short chapters before. But it means I can't give it five stars, because that rating is for out and out classics. (Which this book nearly is. Damn.)

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On Writing Short Stories Review

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(More customer reviews)"On Writing Short Stories" is a masterful introduction to the craft of short stories. Editor Tom Bailey (an accomplished writer himself) has compiled some of the best essays by well-known authors that not only serve as inspiration but also as a fine learning tool for young writers.
The twelve stories included within this book are some of the seminal tales that any writer must be familiar with: Updike's "A&P", Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily," Tobias Wolff's "Bullet to the Brain," and "A Father's Story" by the much too under-read Andrew Dubus. Bailey points at the genius of these stories in his own chapter "Character, Plot, Setting and Time, Metaphor and Voice," parts of which he expanded into his book "A Short Story Writer's Companion."
Also of note are essays by Mike Curtis who contribute a frank but ultimately moving lesson on the pain or rejection letters-and no one knows this better than the fiction editor of The Atlantic Monthly. The essay by Dubus is one of the best pieces on writing that I've read and illustrates the necessity of "the habit of writing" through his illustrious and gentle prose.
Bailey's pulled off a collection of essays on and about short stories that are not only an introduction for young writers but also have lessons that even the more seasoned veteran can take to heart.

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Writing Fiction (6th Edition) Review

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(More customer reviews)The steep price of this book gives away that it's a college textbook, not a book for the general reader. There are books for the novice out there that answer the same questions this book but cost you a lot less. But this really is better than most books.
Rather than trying to address itself to writing globally or simply act as boosterism to get you busy, this book actually gets into the nuts and bolts of the writing craft. It answers questions about constructing narrative fiction that even experienced writers have from time to time. There's no fiddling business about comma use--there are other books for that--but for narrative structure, beginnings and ends, building tension, and more, this is your book.
Many books of this type are laden with platitudes and aphorisms about writing. They're pretty, but they don't really help you get going. What really sets this book apart is that, after it gives you your standards and rules, it gives you excerpts from other writers' fiction to demonstrate how it works in the real world of published fiction. Now that's truly useful.
All that said, it suffers from the same problem that afflicts all fiction-writing books: it can't really teach you how to write. It's okay to have this book at hand to answer your questions, give you tutorials, and work on fine-tuning, but the only way you'll really get good at writing is to stop studying books and start writing like you mean it.
This book is good within the limitations that surround all fiction-writing books. To really succeed, you need to just knuckle down and write, but as you're doing that, this is the book to have within reach. Now stop reading my stupid review and start writing your fiction!

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The most widely used and respected book on writing fiction, Writing Fictionguides the writer from first inspiration to final revision.Supported by an abundance exercises, this guide/anthology explores and integrates the elements of fiction while offering practical techniques and concrete examples. A focus on the writing process in its entirety provides a comprehensive guide to writing fiction, approaching distinct elements in separate chapters while building on what has been covered earlier. Topics include free-writing to revision, plot, style, characterization, dialogue, atmosphere, imagery, and point of view. An anthology of diverse and contemporary short stories followed by suggestions for discussion and writing exercises, illustrates concepts while offering variety in pacing and exposure to this increasingly popular form. The book also discusses key issues including writing workshops, using autobiography as a basis for fiction, using action in stories, using dialogue, and maintaining point of view. The sixth edition also features more short short stories than any previous edition and includes quotation boxes that offer advice and inspirational words from established writers on a wide range of topics--such as writing from experience, story structure, openings and endings, and revision.For those interested in developing their creative writing skills.

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The Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual Review

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(More customer reviews)
While the media run rampant with flimsy leads and stories based solely on hearsay, it's good to know that at least their grammar stays in check, thanks to the hard and fast rules set forth in the Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual.
Providing direct distinctions between similar words, the correct spelling of commonly-misspelled words, and the politically-correct use of dangerous words, the AP stylebook delineates specific style rules for virtually every journalistic possibility. Set up in a dictionary-style format, the manual's general stylebook lists everything from the perils of "a" versus "an" to the preferred usage of ZIP codes.
Following the stylebook are the more specific sections dealing with sports and business style, both also set up with A to Z listings, including usage and spelling. Although sports writing info may be confined to the needs of the sportswriter, the business section is helpful for those who take interest in corporate designations and definitions of stock market terms.
Finally, just before the manual switches from the absoluteness of style to the murky legal waters of the libel section, comes, in my opinion, the pièce de résistance-A Guide To Punctuation-music to the ears of syntax-psychos and grammar-Nazis, alike.
Starting with words of wisdom from what the AP refers to as "a bible of writers," "The Elements of Style," this portion is eleven pages of invaluable knowledge for any writer, regardless of profession, and is arranged so succintly that even children can access its information for their own use.
Although I have thus far had little use for the information about libel in this book, it is primarily what its introduction claims-not a libel text, but merely a useful guide which "explains the fundamental principles in libel for working writers and editors." It also contains some key parts of the Freedom of Information Act which should be read by everyone to fully know our rights regarding the access to federal information, during what has now become the Age of the X-file.
All-in-all, the AP Stylebook and Libel Manual should be a welcome edition to any writer's reference library.

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The style of the Associated Press defines clear news writing. In fact, more people write for the AP news service than for any single newspaper or broadcaster in the world. The AP Stylebook is therefore "the journalist's bible," an essential handbook for all writers, editors, students, and public-relations specialists.The AP Stylebook contains over 5,000 entries laying out the AP's rules on grammar, spelling, punctuation, and usage. It gives journalists the references they need to write about the world today: correct names of countries and organizations, language to avoid, common trademarks. Special sections cover business and sports reporting. This edition, published in the Associated Press's 150th year, also includes crucial advice on how writers can guard against libel and copyright infringement.An up-to-date AP Stylebook belongs on the desk of every working writer.

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Literature for Composition: Essays, Fiction, Poetry, and Drama (7th Edition) Review

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(More customer reviews)I have taught English 102 this semester (Fall 06) using this text and find it both professor and student friendly. I love the organization, the division of genres, critical thinking approaches, etc. The interspersing of photographs, art, and the culturally diverse offerings in terms of literary examples make for an experience that is memorable all around.
It is a book that fosters independent thinking, out-of-the-box thinking. It encourages writing about literature in such a way that students don't feel this to be an impossible task. In short, it empowers students, both those who have an idea to go onward to upper division work in literature and/or writing and those students who thought that compostion classes were a "necessary evil."
It is a book that begs to be opened and used. My students tell me this is one they will not sell back at the end of the semester, but will keep in their personal libraries. THAT is saying something.
I think that the appeal of this book would be enhanced by a slightly lower price, but that is the only serious drawback.

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Literature for Composition offers the finest writing and argument coverage, helpful discussions of the literary elements, compelling case studies, and a diverse array of selections.This book is based on the assumption that students in composition or literature courses should encounter first-rate writing--not simply competent prose, but the powerful reports of experience that have been recorded by highly skilled writers past and present. The study of such writing offers pleasure and insight into life. It also leads to increased skill in communicating.Literature for Composition opens with five chapters devoted to reading, writing, and argument. An entire chapter on critical thinking equips students with a foundation upon which to study the chapters on the literary forms that follow. Two complete chapters cover argument, interpretation, and evaluation. An anthology organized around seven engaging themes allows instructors to structure their classes with great flexibility. Special chapters on visuals and film along with nine case studies offer additional resources.

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The Norton Reader: An Anthology of Nonfiction, Shorter Eleventh Edition Review

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(More customer reviews)I going back to school after so many years and this was my first purchase on Amazon.com. Normally I would go to the bookstore on campus, but I was told I could find the book cheaper from a friend if I went on Amazon.com. I found the book so quickly and the prices was great. I had many choices to choose from that really impress me. It was easy to order and I receive the book in about 7 days. The condition of the book was good. I will check with Amazon.com for now on and recommend to other friends and family.
B.Gaffney
Bronx,N.Y.

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Patterns for College Writing: A Rhetorical Reader and Guide Review

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(More customer reviews)This book, `Patterns for College Writing: A Rhetorical Reader and Guide' edited by Laurie G. Kirszner and Stephen R. Mandell, is a book widely used in colleges and universities, as well as advanced high school classes across the nation. It is a very useful text, and I use it when tutoring students in preparation for community college level writing and reading work. It is used at our college in the basic skills reading courses, too.
The book looks at how writers develop their work. The first few chapters look at some of the basic mechanics of writing - planning, writing, editing and revising. It also looks briefly at certain skills needed for writing, such as brainstorming and idea generation, as well as journal writing. There are many exercises included here to give students first-hand experience.
The second section looks at the various types of writing students will be called upon to produce - narrative papers, process papers, cause-and-effect, descriptive works, comparison-and-contrast, classification, definition, and persuasive/argumentative papers. Each chapter keeps a solid focus on the type of work presented, so that students can develop the particular skills; the final chapter in this section looks at combining the patterns, to produce more complex and comprehensive research papers and essays.
There is a thematic listing of articles that shows the breadth of topics covered - family relationships, language, education, business and work, sports, race and culture, gender, nature and the environment, media and society, history and politics, and ethics. Among more than one hundred articles are sixteen pieces written by actual students, so that students can see the model produced by people at their same level of development. Writings from famous people such as Thomas Jefferson, Martin Luther King, Jr., Flannery O'Connor and Mark Twain also give breadth and interest to the selections included here.
The writing assignments include journal writing, essays of the types modeled in the chapters, collaborative activities, and even an internet assignment. There is a companion website for students to use, and instructors can take advantage of materials provided by the publisher, such transparencies and additional samples.
The appendix has a ten-step process for writing a research paper (one of the more common types of college writing expected of students). The steps include everything from choosing a topic to documenting sources. Avoiding common pitfalls such as plagiarism (intentional and inadvertent) is also covered.

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Laurie Kirszner and Stephen Mandell, best-selling authors with more than twenty-five years' experience teaching college writing, know what works in the classroom. In Patterns for College Writing, they offer a balance of classic and contemporary essays by writers like Sandra Cisneros, Deborah Tannen, E. B.White, and Henry Louis Gates Jr., providing students with exemplary models for their writing--and instructors with excellent, class-tested selections. With extensive headnotes before each reading, abundant apparatus after, and more examples of student writing than any other reader, Patterns has always been an exceptional resource for students. In the tenth edition, a new chapter on editing and proofreading in Part One, "The Writing Process," gives students more help recognizing and correcting errors common in their writing, while Part Two, "Readings for Writers," offers a greater number of informative and argumentative essays, preparing students better than ever for the demands of college writing.

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In Fact: The Best of Creative Nonfiction Review

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(More customer reviews)This anthology of selections from the landmark literary journal Creative Nonfiction delivers real-life drama in many voices. Among the authors are well-known writers Andrei Codrescu, John McPhee, Ntozake Shange, Charles Simic, Ruthann Robson, Terry Tempest Williams, Philip Lopate, Madison Smartt Bell, Richard Rodriguez -- and some the editor calls "brilliant newcomers." (I read that and said, "Yeah, right." He was right.) Each essay differs completely from the others, and each in its own way is exquisite -- both pleasurably and painfully so! No monotonous "victim narratives" here. That era was a necessary phase -- and you can identify its traces in this book -- but it's passed. There's suspense, information, humor, reportage, defiance, reflection. Read (in an essay by a reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer) about a South Philadelphia meth addict who finds 1.2 million dollars in the street. What's he going to do with it? Or a lawyer undergoing grueling cancer treatments who discovers that her doctors have made a terrible miscalculation. Or a Jewish woman enduring the traditional Hebrew divorce ceremony in front of three rabbis and two "shlubs". Or visit with Joe, everybody's blowhard father-in-law supreme. Highly recommended reading for fans, writers, and would-be writers of creative nonfiction. Could be used as a text for teaching a course in contemporary creative nonfiction, just to show how far the genre can stretch, how it can move you, and in general what the genre can do. (Whether or not you like the editor, or Annie Dillard and her foreword -- is irrelevant.)

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Twenty-five arresting selections from thegroundbreaking journal that defined a genre.
Creative nonfiction, also known as narrative nonfiction, liberated journalism by inviting writers to dramatize, interpret, speculate, and even re-create their subjects. Lee Gutkind collects twenty-five essays that flourished on this new ground, all originally published in the journal he founded, Creative Nonfiction, now celebrating its tenth anniversary. Lauren Slater is a therapist in the institution where she was once a patient. John Edgar Wideman reacts passionately to the unjust murder of Emmett Till. Charles Simic tells of wild nights with Uncle Boris. John McPhee creates a rare, personal, album quilt. Terry Tempest Williams speaks on the decline of the prairie dog. Madison Smartt Bell invades Haiti. Many of the writers are crossing genres-from poetry and fiction to nonfiction-symbolic of Creative Nonfiction's scope and popularity. A cross section of the famous and those bound to become so, this collection is a riveting experience highlighting the expanding importance of this dramatic and exciting new genre.

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Casework: A Psychosocial Therapy Review

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(More customer reviews)I have been teaching graduate social work for fifteen years and have yet to discover a text about psychosocial casework that surpasses this revised classic in its clarity, depth, thouroughness, and wisdom. The basic psychosocial orientation and typology of casework procedures defined by Florence Hollis remains intact, yet the text, as a whole, is substantially updated by Mary Woods, whose fluid prose is rich in clinical detail, articulate, and aimed at what the practitioner yearns to know and needs to know. As an experienced clinician, I still turn frequently to the chapters on couple and family treatment where protocols for navigating these exceptionally tricky modalities are clearly presented. In chapter 16, for example, Mary Woods develops a typology of "relationships and problems" detailing 12 patterns of couple conflict that, in itself, serves as a primer for the novice practitioner. Approaches to nontraditional couples (premarital couples, unmarried pairs, cross-cultural relationships, and gay and lesbian couples) are amply discussed as well with sensitive consideration of social differentials in power experienced by men and women and by couples of color. The text consistently partializes assessment and techniques of intervention so that one can read and assimilate complex clinical procedures in bite size pieces. Heuristics are laced throughout the text, giving one a feeling of personal guidance. The fifth edition of Casework is a treasure chest for students and teachers of social work and the helping professions to dig into time and time again.

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Known in academic circles as the "bible" for clinical practitioners of social work, Casework: A Psychosocial Therapy introduces readers to the basic theory and principles in the practice of psychosocial therapy, along with attention to the historical development of the approach as it has been enriched and expanded over the years.The authors' approach reflects a balanced focus on people, their environment, and the ways in which people interact with their environment. Essential techniques including how to conduct initial interviews with clients, crisis intervention, arriving at assessments, and choosing appropriate treatment, are thoroughly explained, and often clarified with case studies and vignettes, preparing readers to assess social work clients from a variety of perspectives.The book is designed for the graduate-level student who needs to master the principles, theories, and approaches of the psychosocial approach to applied practice, but it may also be used to fit a variety of courses, including the Introduction to Social Work BSW student who is looking for supplemental information on the basics of clinical practice.Now in its fifth edition, Casework has been thoroughly revised to keep discussions clear and up to date.New material has been added throughout, including a greater variety of case studies, discussions about current topics such as the influence of ethnicity and diversity in the social work practice, changes in family life roles, changes in ideas and practice approaches, and a significantly updated bibliography for reference.

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Constantine, Christianity and Constantinople Review

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(More customer reviews)
The governing claim of this book is that CONSTANTINE THE IGNORAMUS and his brutal, Un-Roman and sickeningly oriental beliefs, his methods, his tactics to convert and enslave Roman civilization to the culturally poisonous, neurosis-producing, science-denying-and-destroying, joy-killing world-view of Christianity ultimately manifests as "very positive," and in fact is the best, greatest event in human history.
All you need is the first page and a vomit bag.

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The dramatic, miraculous conversion of Constantine led to the spread of Christianity throughout the world and transformed the history of mankind.

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Creative Writing: Four Genres in Brief Review

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(More customer reviews)There aren't a lot of creative writing texts that cover all four genres out there, and "Creative Writing: Four Genres in Brief" seemed a promising, inexpensive option to assign for my college creative writing class. The discussions of craft are solid and each section is followed by a checklist that my students found useful. Each chapter includes three opening examples that the craft lessons refer back to in order to illustrate their points, and I found this to be very clear and effective. My two main complaints have to do with the selection of plays and editorial problems with the book. There are only 7 plays in this book (by contrast, there are 26 poems, 14 stories, and 13 essays). I'm guessing the decision to include so few plays was made because the plays take up more pages than the entries in the other genres, but the result is a very limited (and somewhat lackluster) selection of dramatic works. A more annoying issue was the rather embarrassing extent of typographical errors in this book. There are small typos here and there, and at one point, a whole paragraph is repeated verbatim. The complete table of contents in the front matter is correct, but there is also an abbreviated table of contents inside the front cover, and this table of contents contains the incorrect page numbers! Besides being irksome, these typos make it hard to make the case to students that they should treat their writing with care and precision. Why do so when the very textbook they've paid almost $40 for appears not to have been proofread?! With a better/wider selection of plays and some good proofreading/copyediting, this could have been a fantastic book, so it's really too bad.

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How can students with widely varied levels of literary experience learn to write poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and drama — over the course of only one semester? In Creative Writing: Four Genres in Brief, David Starkey offers some solutions to the challenges of teaching the introductory creative writing course: (1) concise, accessible instruction in literary basics; (2) short models of literature to analyze, admire and emulate; (3) inventive and imaginative assignments that inspire and motivate.

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Essential English Grammar Review

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(More customer reviews)Studying grammar is something most people prefer to avoid. We all know it can help us write better, but we cringe at the thought of "going back to school." I happen to be different: I am a bit of a nerd, and I make my living teaching people to write better at work. After teaching one of my courses, I am often asked by students to name a few good books they can read to continue to improve their writing. This book is the only book I recommend for learning or reviewing grammar.
I tell them the truth: I sat down with a pencil and worked through every lesson and exercise in the book. And I (re)learned a ton. I also tell them that I wrote lightly, because I think I will do it again every few years, just as I do with The Elements of Style. Unfortunately, grammar is a subject that requires periodic review if you are serious about staying sharp in your writing at work. This workbook makes it as painless as possible and costs almost nothing.
I rated this book 5 stars because I think it is superior in all categories for a workbook: comprehensive content, structured lessons, abundant exercises, authoritative author, and low price.

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This logical, developmental presentation of the major aspects of English grammar includes all the necessary tools for speech and comprehension. Designed for adults with limited learning time who wish to acquire the basics of everyday English, this grammar book features numerous shortcuts and timesavers. Ideal as an introduction, supplement, or refresher.

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Krik? Krak Review

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(More customer reviews)The first thing that came to my mind while reading Edwidge Danticat's collection Krik? Krak! is that it is pure poetry. The first lines in "Children of the Sea", the first short story in the collection, are "They say behind the mountains are more mountains. Now I know it's true. I also know there are timeless waters, endless seas, and lots of people in this world whose names don't matter to anyone but themselves." The lyrical poetic style is consistent throughout all of Danticat's prose, which makes Krik? Krak! an easy and beautiful book to read despite the heavy issues addressed in each story within it. In Haiti a story-teller will say "Krik?" and anyone wishing to hear the story answers, "Krak!" and this is the basis for many of the stories Danticat writes.
And many important themes are dealt with in these deceptively simple stories. Most of them encompass three main issues: Poverty and hard times in Haiti, mother and daughter relationships and the self-awareness brought to each because of them, and the transition of immigrants. In Haiti a story-teller will say "Krik?" and anyone wishing to hear the story answers, "Krak!" and this is the basis for many of the stories Danticat writes. Although each story can be easily summarized, the underlying theme and unexpected conclusions reveal much more about life, especially a life of poverty and despair.
In "Children of the Sea", a young man on a ship from Haiti to the US writes letters to his girlfriend and Haiti and she writes letters to him, although they cannot send them to each other. In "Nineteen Thirty-Seven", a girl visits her mother, who is in prison for being accused of witch-craft. "A Wall of Fire Rising" is in interesting perception of poverty, in which a mother and afather trying to raise their young boy in a happy environment face insurmountable pressures. The central character in "Night Women" is a mother who works as a prostitute in order to support her son while in "Between the Pool and the Gardenias" it is a young sterile woman who greatly desires a child even among the poverty and distress so many young children face in Haiti. A young motherless girl befriends an American journalist during the war in Haiti in "The Missing Peacce" and another young girl is painted naked by a French artist in "Seeing Things Simply". A woman randomly sees her mother walking down the street in New York City in "New York Day Women" and realizes that she has a life unto herself, while in "Caroline's Wedding", the longest and last short story in the book, a daugther gets married to a man her mother disapproves of because he is not Haitian.
Perhaps the most poignant part of "Krik? Krak!" is the epilogue which reveals why Edwidge Danticat, the young author of the book, writes these stories. For her and many other women they represent an oral history passed down from mother to daughter, and from that daughter to her daughter and so on. Each short story in this book is an example of such a rich oral tradition and is a very convincing glimpse into the lives of some Haitians and Haitian-Americans. If you read Krik? Krak! and discover that you like it as much as I did, and are interested in more books dealing with a mother/daughter and/or immigration theme, I also recommend "The Joy Luck Club" by Amy Tan, "Two Novellas: First Love and Look for my Obituary" by Elena Garro, "Our House in the Last World" by Oscar Hijuelos, and "White Oleander" by Janet Fitch. ...

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The Art of Fiction: Notes on Craft for Young Writers Review

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(More customer reviews)I recently re-read this classic book on writing fiction, and found it as relevant today as it was when it was first published. Because Gardner strives for "higher art", his musings and instructions for the beginner go much deeper than ordinary how-to books. His lengthy chapter titled "Interest and Truth" gets to the heart of what fiction needs to be, whether one is writing literary fiction or a crime novel. His "Common Errors" chapter, although relatively short and sounding as basic as one can get, offers some of the best advice on how to improve one's writing, from suggestions to creating dynamic sentences to how to imbue narrative with emotion. "Technique" covers topics such as paying attention to rhythm and word choice and building narrative suspense. Although I yawned during the chapter on plot - Gardner's diagrams and attempts at describing structure were too mechanical for my tastes, I'm sure some readers will read it voraciously. Likewise, his thorough compilation of writing exercises will have some reaching eagerly for their keyboards. I found that the sections that had interested me on my first reading years ago were not the same ones that intrigued me this time, suggesting that this book can grow with the writer.
The biggest flaw in this book, and one which might drive some readers away, is Gardner's personal biases. His intense interest in myth and classics drove his fiction, and it weighs heavily in the examples he provides. Also, he favors examples from his contemporaries - Barthleme, Coover, Barth - who might not interest younger writers who read a different set of cutting edge authors. Still, you need not be familiar with Gardner's examples to understand his points, as he himself makes few assumptions about the reader/student.
Even professional writers can benefit from Gardner's reminders since a revisiting of ideas can only sharpen one's fiction. Aspiring writers will leave these pages with an eagerness to attack their own work and with a set of wise guidelines to help them achieve their best work.

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"John Gardner was famous for his generosity to young writers, and (this book) is his . . . gift to them. The Art of Fiction will fascinate anyone interested in how fiction gets put together. For the young writer, it will become a necessary handbook, a stern judge, an encouraging friend."--The New York Times Book Review.

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Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes Review

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(More customer reviews)Hamilton's mythology deserves its place with Bulfinch's mythology as one of the primary anthologies of classical mythology. Although the book covers Greek/Roman myths thoroughly, the Norse myths are touched upon only briefly, which is why I have given the book four stars rather than five. Nonetheless, the quality of the book is excellent, and it is useful as a volume to be read for entertainment, and as a classroom primer (I myself have taught a Mythology class using it as the primary textbook). Hamilton's retellings are engaging, and her scholasticism is evident throughout--a small example is her use of the less popular Roman names for the primary gods (Jupiter, Juno, Mars, etc.) when they are found in myths of Roman origin. Hamilton also includes information at the beginning of most chapters about the source of the myth and its author, which is very helpful. She synthesizes the longer myths, such as the Trojan War (found in the Iliad) and the quest for the golden fleece in such a way as to highlight their major events and give the reader a flavor of their content. Overall, I have not encountered a better survey of classical mythology in one volume. Incidentally, if the reader desires more information on the Norse Myths, I recommend Kevin Crossley-Holland's Norse Myths, which is also an excellent volume.

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MONSTERS, MORTALS, GODS, AND WARRIORSFor over fifty years readers have chosen this book above all others to discover the thrilling, enchanting, and fascinating world of Western mythology. From Odysseus's adventure-filled journey to the Norse god Odin's effort to postpone the final day of doom, Edith Hamilton's classic collection not only retells these stories with brilliant clarity but shows us how the ancients saw their own place in the world and how their themes echo in our consciousness today. An essential part of every home library, MYTHOLOGY is the definitive volume for anyone who wants to know the key dramas, the primary characters, the triumphs, failures, fears, and hopes first narrated thousands of years ago -- and still spellbinding to this day.

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WordPlay: 550+ Words You Need to Know Review

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(More customer reviews)+5 for stories but -4 word selection I enjoyed the humerous plays - great writing/acting - and agree that these are words you need to know, but I'd assume you already do unless English is a 2nd lang. If you don't know Technology, Perceive, Compound, Drudgery, Implore, Tinge, Badger, Realm, indiscriminate, (some of the 17 target words from the 1st play, act 1), then this would likely be a good tape for you. Many idioms are also covered. Typical level of difficulty are the 3 from the 2nd play, "cold feet", "keep a stiff upper lip", and "look a gift horse in the mouth". One or two words per story are at a more difficult level like prognosticate, nefarious, pique, but why endure all the definitions of elementary words/idioms when WordBuilders is available?Tip to authors: Lose the idioms, introduce only 7 or 8 words per act, and select more advanced words. Your stories were the best!

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This popular vocabulary-building program, previously available in audiocassette tape format, is now being issued on compact discs. Based on Murray Bromberg and Melvin Gordon's bestselling classroom book, 1100 Words You Need to Know, this program presents seven humorous dramatizations designed to build students' word power while preparing them for the SAT, ACT, and ESL tests. Dramatized stories include those of a hapless football team, a private eye, a chef with an accident-prone cooking show, and others. All stories keep their listeners amused while they introduce words and word meanings in the context of informal conversations. A 32-page booklet lists the words-to-learn from each dramatization and provides brief definitions for them all.

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