ET Books

Gerard Sioen's book is one which finally does justice to the enchanting qualities of Provence. He paid his "dues" to capture the beauty of Provence on film, logging 30,000 km on his motorbike, primarily when the light is ideal, low and ethereal, the hour just after sunrise, and the hour before sunset. The area he ranged is not much bigger than Massachusetts. His focus is the Provence of old, the craggy face of an old shepherd, men playing boules, the women of Arles in costume, an antiquated branch of the Credit Agricole. Pastoral scenes, and the ancient buildings dominate the book. He also captures "the other Provence," the one with the snow, with a picture of the Abbaye de Silvacane. There is the low light on the lavender in front of the Abbaye de Senanque. The principal cities are well covered: Avignon, Arles, and Aix, along with the smaller, and more remote, like Saignon. Inexplicitly, he omits Marsailles, and much of the Var is lightly represented.

Serge Bec attempts to cover in words what Sioen does with pictures, recounting the experiences and words of the writers who have fallen for the charms of the area, from the outsider Chateaubriand, to the native Giono. Bec concludes his excellent introduction with a bit of hyperbole, which worshippers of Provence often fall far, claiming that the light and earth of the area make it the birthplace of all birth, and all death.

As one might suspect of a book dedicated to the enchantment of Provence, the steel mills at Fos, the refineries around Marsailles, the A-7, the crush of tourists in July and August, the nuclear power plants, and the glitz and the glitter of the modern cities are omitted. Fair enough.

Still, the book is unique, and deserves to be the one book on a foreigner's or native's shelf or coffee table that captures the magically qualities that have made Provence the prime destination, both for a week, or a lifetime. The book is an essential purchase.

A brilliant exposition, which covers every aspect and type of use made of the art of proverbs in this linguistic region (the Akan peoples inhabit much of the southern half of Ghana, and include the large sub-groups Ashanti and Fante, as well as several others). There are many books which collect large numbers of African proverbs, Akan/Ashanti and otherwise, but few give any sort of pithy account as to how they are used by the people, the part creativity plays in their use, and so on. Nor do they attempt to portray the brilliance of many of the users, how the lists of proverbs are maintained, how choosing a proverb is contextually/determined in a specific situation, etc. There is even the factor of how the correct vs. incorrect and/or creative use of a proverb leads to respect being gained or lessened by the individual using it.

There are proverb performance artists; proverbs are used during judicial proceedings, and in educational and religious contexts. Mr. Kwesi Yankah does a masterly job of dissecting the rhetoric, by citing 72 specific proverbs, documenting and further explaining how each was used in a specific situation. The textual analysis is exemplary. For each of the 72 situations, he identifies the type of interaction (e.g. formal judicial proceedings, church sermon, conversation between two people etc.), size of audience, age and gender and/or occupation of the proverb speaker, place/location, and original language. If the proverb was used in the midst of a longer oratorical passage, enough of that verbiage is included so the context is evident - the proverb itself is italicized.

In an appendix, Yankah lists these 72 situational proverbs in Twi (the language of the Akan peoples) along with the equivalent English. All in all, the treatise is well documented with appropriate footnotes, and there is an ample 14-page bibliography of works cited. This is a well-designed and well-executed work - it's not too difficult reading even for a non-specialist such as myself. There are wider implications for world culture as a whole: it helps to dispel the idea (which is probably still floating around) that African discourse is somehow of less substance than that of say, those of Euro-America and Asia. In 1985, it won Indiana University's Esther Kinsley Award for Best Dissertation.

[One of the earliest Akan proverb collections, J. G. Christaller's 'Tshi Proverbs' (1879), had an odious preface which stated that, in effect, the main use for such a work would be for Christian missionaries to better understand how to manipulate the natives to convert to his religion. Christaller's proverbs remained untranslated until later, when Rattray and others began that further work, and for the same stated objective. Many of these other early collectors/translators were also missionaries.]

Note that here Mr. Yankah's surname is spelled incorrectly as "Yanka". For other of his various, available works - please search the correct spelling.

Also please note that there is a serious pagination error in chapter 8: "Proverb Rhetoric and the Judicial Process". You'll have to read the pages in the following order: 214 . . . 218 . . . 215 . . . 216 . . .217 . . . 219. After that everything reverts to normal.

This book is a must for anyone who wants to learn more about the Provincetown area. It includes a wide variety of information, is well-organized and a pleasure to read. Fascinating articles and amazing artwork! A great resource for tourists and natives alike. I'm so glad that these Pocket Books are available (and that there'll be a new edition every year). It's an excellent book to keep in your pocket to have handy for information or just to read the stories and look at the pictures. An awesome publication!

For us, young Psychiatrist, born in the era of psychopharmacology and cognitive behavioral therapy, it's a pleasure to discover this wonderful jewel. As described in JAMA 08, there is a need to revive the importance of psychodynamic psychotherapy. This book provides the basics and wonderful history of those who pave the road for this fascinating treatment tool.

If you have an interest in Storyteller pottery this is probably the most definitive book you will find. It is well illustrated with many photographs of storyteller pottery. Most of the "big name" potters are included. The only problem is, now that you've found the pottery that you like, HOW DO YOU FIND THE POTTER? Problem solved - check out THE NATIVE AMERICAN INDIAN ARTIST DIRECTORY. Find the potter you like in Babcock's book, then look up the name in the index of the Directory and there you have it - name, address, home phone number, maybe even e-mail or website!

This book has proven to be a Godsend for our 4 and 2 year old boys - it converts them from rambunctious destroyers to nuzzling geeks just in time for bed. The stories are replete with quirky characters, the occasional moral and cute (but not too cute) depictions. I'll confess that some of these rich tales do extend into the 7 or 8 minute range but you'll hardly notice.

If you're interested in reformed theology, the Puritan Bookshelf CDs are a great way to get an extensive library of books, lectures and sermons, for very little expense - and without having to search the world for them in libraries and used book stores. Every CD is packed with a wealth of wisdom and biblical instruction seldom seen in our day.

This particular CD contains fifty-four works by Reformation authors of the 16th and 17th centuries, as well as several by contemporary covenanters.

"The Poor Man's Cup of Cold Water," by Robert M'Ward, is a real blessing to read. No mere platitudes and pat phrases, this epistle truly was a cup of cold water, ministered to the suffering saints in Scotland, who were in the midst of the fiery trial of persecution during the terrifying and tragic "killing times." Its timeless message is equally comforting and challenging today, for someone who is suffering for the Lord.

John Brown of Wamphray's book, "The History of the Indulgence," is especially enlightening. The author shows not only its history, but how it is contrary to the teaching of the scriptures, how it violates biblical church government, and how it hurts Christ, His Church, and the furtherance of His kingdom.

A very interesting piece of history is, "The Form and Order of the Coronation of Charles the Second, King of Scotland, England, France and Ireland: as it was acted and done at Scoone, the first day of Jan., 1651," by Robert Douglas. This small, illustrated book takes the reader right into the actual coronation ceremony, and includes the sermon preached on that occasion, by Mr. Douglas.

John Howe's book, "Of Charity in Reference to Other Men's Sins," is a sober reminder that as we seek to walk in the truth, so we are not to rejoice in iniquity - our own or others'. In the author's words, "Not to palliate the sins of any, but recover sinners. God grant we may use it more, to this purpose (when the case so requires) and need it less."

How does the believer live in a world of unbelievers? Whether in marriage, with neighbours, or in school or business, this is something that affects all of us as Christians. Peter Martyr gives solid biblical counsel in "A Treatise of the Co-Habitation of the Faithful with the Unfaithful."

This is only a glimpse of what is available on these wonderful CDs. I can't recommend them highly enough, to anyone who wants to study Protestant Church History from those who were there.

Not all of the books on this CD are listed in the description here. You can see the full listing for this individual CD (or the entire 32 CD set) online. SWRB also lists a similar set of 30 CDs in their Reformation Bookshelf CD series.

Alexander the Great, was born on or around July 20, 356 B.C.E., and is my favorite personality to read about in history. To me he is the whole package general, statesman, conqueror, and philosopher. The smartest man who ever lived, Aristotle, tutored him. Alexander conquered more of the known world than any other figure in history, accomplishing all this before he dies at the ripe old age of 33. Some people called him conqueror and violent overlord. Some other called him civilizer and even God! All of them yet, called him "The Great". He was the first man in modern history that took this name, "The Great"! Even as a young boy, he shows great promise.

Curtius' work is the oldest extant work available and based on eyewitness accounts. He does a better job than most in explaining the battle scenes, and seems to be more balanced in his admiration and criticism of Alexander then any of the other early biographers. I love his Bucephalus Story, and I recount it here so you get a flavor of the promise this young Alexander shows.

The legend begins with Philoneicus, a Thessalian, bringing a wild horse to Philip for him to buy. None of the hands was able to handle it, and Philip grew upset at Philoneicus for bringing such an unstable horse to him. Alexander, however, publicly defied his father and claimed that he could handle the horse. The bet between Philip and Alexander was that if Alexander could ride the horse, Philip would buy it, if not, Alexander would have to pay the price of the horse, which was 13 talents, an enormous sum for a boy of Alexander's age to have.

Alexander apparently noticed that the horse had been shying away from its own shadow, and so he led it gently into the sun, so that its shadow was behind it, all the while stroking it gently and whispering into its ear, (Alexander seems to be the original horse whisperer). Eventually the horse let Alexander mount him, and Alexander was able to show his equestrian skill to his father and all who were watching. The incident so impressed Alexander's father, King Philip that he told the boy "Look thee out a kingdom equal to and worthy of you, for Macedonia is too little for thee". He named the horse Bucephalus, which means Ox head, and rode it across Asia, founding a city in its honor in India after its death. This story gives you an inkling about the man.

This book is a must read for students of Alexander, I also recommend Plutarch's and Arrian's work. Contemporary writers, J.F. C. Fuller and Tarn. Most of Alexander's greatest military traits are in the area of military logistics and to understand his genius in this area I highly recommend reading, "Alexander the Great and the Logistics of the Macedonian Army," by Donald W. Engels.

As a retired U. S. Army Major, I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in ancient warfare, and history.

Mona Latif-Ghattas is a poet. She asks you to follow her in "Quarante voiles pour un exil", keeping a steady pace and a sober rhythm. She asks you to experience the emotions you'll encounter while you hold your breath: don't make too much noise, the scene is serene and the characters are the only ones that exist in the world right there and then. If a book has a pulse, it is this one. And if you were lucky enough to have lived in the places mentioned, you'll find it hard to keep your eyes dry. But what the heck... life is worth it and life is what this book has.

Very tight, superclean, looks unread, with crisp flat shiny covers. One word written inside cover. 290 pages. Way out of print, and now classic and vintage. Great deal, recommended.