ET Books

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.

Today we are often encouraged to look into our childhoods for clues to whatever difficulties we currently suffer, and there may be some validity for this. In light of such negative thinking, however, we sometimes forget those special joys that made our youth memorable and unique. This wonderful little book that speaks from the heart of a young boy helps us remember those good times. And good memories are priceless! I heartily recommend this book to any and all who grew up in the sixties or before...and any who want to know what it was REALLY like to be a child in those "good ol' days."

Raincoast Chronicles Fourth Five, Collector's Edition IV is a hardcover compilation of issues sixteen to twenty of "Raincoast Chronicles", a magazine begun in 1972 with the publishers' express intent "to put BC character on the record". Stories, poems, articles, drawings and black-and-white photographs of British Columbia daily life, livelihoods and culture, as well as recounting moments from history. Raincoast Chronicles Fourth Five allows the reader to feel the hardships and triumphs of BC men and women from the pioneer era to the modern day, and resonates with a tenacity of character and human spirit. Also highly recommended are the compilations of previous issues: Raincoast Chronicles First Five, Raincost Chronicles Six/Ten, and Raincoast Chronicles Eleven Up.

Lenotre's two cookbooks -- this one and a companion dealing with pastries & cakes -- are classic reference works for anyone serious about making high-quality and technically perfect deserts. Both books teach the reader the techniques for preparing a variety of restaurant-quality sweets. This volume focues on ices, ice cream, and variants thereupon. You get: the basics of sugar syrups, recipies for about 20 different fruit & liquor sorbets, ditto for ice cream bases & ice creams, and so forth, expanding into complex deserts using ice creams and other frozen ingrediants. I have used this volume and its companion for years. Although I don't often make such dishes, when I want to, I can with success. This book is a bible if you're serious about such things. If you're just looking for ideas for the kids or basics for making ice cream at home, though, your money would be better spent on something less pricey.

Stendhal's Le Rouge et le Noir (The Red and the Black) is a classic novel that was very important to me in early formation of directions in life. I found I could identify quite strongly with Julien Sorel, who wanted a better life, a life of meaning and importance, and was torn about which direction in which to go.

The Red (symbolising the church, the scarlet of cardinal's robes) and the Black (symbolising the military, the uniform, etc.) were both options held out to me early; in fact, I rejected both for a while, but have found myself drawn back in the red direction.

The story is one of coming of age as a bookish fellow in a working-class family, then ambition (but not overpowering ambition; in fact, Julien's father wishes he had more), then shifting careers (rare in an era and country where one's path is usually set for life early; however, this was the post-revolution era in France, in which some things were giving way, some more than others, it seems). Julien is pulled by events rather than being the director and creator of realities; Julien finds he loves the affect of various roles in life (more than the substance and responsibilities that come with such roles) -- for instance, he loves the swagger and the horsey-ness of being a soldier, but doesn't particularly like to get dirty or have to fight. He likes the trappings of religious office, but isn't inclined so much to spirituality, and Julien ran up against this in seminary:

The seminary director said to Julien: `Truth is austere, sir. But our task in this world is austere, too, is it not? You must take care to guard your conscience carefully from this weakness: Excess of feeling for vain exterior charm.'

There is love, a love triangle in fact, romance and thwarted desires, and loves fulfilled, if not completely. It ends with a dramatic homicidal act, trial, an execution, and a most bizarre funeral. The melodramatic performance of Mathilde (re-enacting an earlier story with which she was familiar in which the heroine carried the severed head of her lover to his grave) provided the most animated conversation among ministers and psychologists I have ever witnessed.

Stendhal often built a character's name out of words that were descriptive, which is sometimes lost in translation as the names often don't get translated in the same way, or may have lost the immediacy of their meanings over time. Julien may be a play on Julian the Apostate, enemy of Christianity; Abbe Castanede is decidedly Spanish and inquisitional; Noiroud and Moirod come from words meaning swarthy and mottled; many other examples abound.

This is a very hard book to encapsulate in such a small space. It is not easy reading, but it is rewarding reading.

And again, an interior dialogue of Julien in seminary helps inform me, and keeps me thinking (both for and against in many ways):

`In the seminary, there's a way of eating a boiled egg which declares how far one has progressed down the saintly path....What will I be doing all my life? he asked himself; I'll be selling the faithful a seat in heaven. How will that seat be made visible to them? by the difference between my exterior and that of a layman.'

Choose your path wisely.

Everyone I know who sees this books goes into ecstasies. It's really a spectacular inspiration for anyone doing creative textile work. The pictures say it all - and a good thing, as it is in French. I don't speak a word of French and have loved this book since the moment I laid eyes on it. I bought it and have cherished it for a number of years. It was the big book buzz on some of the textile Yahoo groups a few years ago - don't know if it is even available any more - but should be reprinted if not.

This is so far the best available written information about the "Refranes" y "Dichos" from Mexico. Any one addicted to the Mexican Literature will find a flavor of the Old Country, flavor very hard to be found in our everyday transit.

I recommend it to the Spanish Language Instructors.

Throughout the pages of this wonderful work, the author gives a thorough picture of the subject of contract rescission and resolution. Belgian law is scrutinezed, and reference to French and other legal systems are made. The work, devoted to a modern topic of economic contract law, makes useful reading for any professional working or doing academic research on the field, and can easily be understood in its clear french. Most of the proposed doctrines will be applicable to any Civil Law based country, and will certainly show an insightful view on the subject for the common law user. For this reason, the work may be clasified as universal

This is THE authoritative scientific work on this topic.

An interesting book that goes into extreme detail, perhaps more than could interest the casually acquainted, in this 16-member genus of flowering plants commonly known as 'Goldfish Plants' or 'Guppy Flowers.' Lists many of the named interspecific hybrids and gives an account of the successes of all possible crosses. It has no color photos, but contains photos tables and line drawings; softbound.

Scanning electron micrographs of the seeds of each of the 16 species, in case you're interested

Gives interesting and relevant background in the Brazilian coastal rainforest ecolosystem as well.

This book is written in French.

We have a beach house in Avalon, NJ. My grandchildren (9 of them, ranging from 3 to 18) have truly enjoyed this book. They now can identify the shells they find, the crabs they catch and release, and much, much more. They borrow it for "show and tell" at their various schools. I discovered many things I didn't know about the Atlantic Coast beaches. I've bought many of the books for gifts. The book is always on my living room table, and many conversations arise from my children, grandchildren, and friends, as they look at this book. My friend who is a grade school teacher bought several for her 4th grade class after visiting me. (I initially discovered the book at the Wetlands Institute, a great place in this area to visit.)

Great information in a small book!!