Average customer rating:
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Global Change and Terrestrial Ecosystems in Monsoon Asia (Tasks for Vegetation Science)
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0792336860
Release Date: 2007-03-30 |
Product Description
X
Average customer rating:
- Good, but limited.
- Solid, Honest Touring Advice
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Beyond Disney: The Unofficial Guide to Universal, SeaWorld, and the Best of Central Florida, 2nd edition
Bob Sehlinger , and
Chris Mohney
Manufacturer: Frommers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Guidebooks
| Reference & Tips
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East South Central
| South
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| United States
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South Atlantic
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Look Inside Travel Books
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ASIN: 0764564129 |
Book Description
The Unofficial Guides are the "Consumer Reports" of travel guides, offering candid evaluations of their destinations' attractions, hotels, restaurants, shopping, nightlife, sports, and more, all rated and ranked by a team of unbiased inspectors so even the most compulsive planners can be sure they're spending their time and money wisely. Each guide addresses the needs of everyone from families to business travelers, with handy charts that demonstrate how each place stacks up against the competition. Plus, all the details are pulled out so they're extremely easy to scan.
Beyond Disney is the guide for folks who've been there, done that when it comes to Walt Disney World and are ready to explore the host of other attractions in the Orlando area, from Sea World to nationally ranked golf courses to Universal Studios.
The Top 5 Tips that Beyond Disney Reveals to Help You Have the Perfect Trip:
- When to go and how to beat the crowds.
- What's worthwhile and what's not at Central Florida's major attractions.
- Where to go for the best roller coaster action.
- Complete coverage of Universal Studios' Islands of Adventure park and all the other new attractions.
- The inside scoop on the Orlando area's dinner theaters.
Customer Reviews:
Good, but limited........2002-12-19
This guide provides good, basic information about the other major theme parks of central Florida. However, for a more complete guidebook, giving more information about the major parks PLUS information on a wide range of minor sights (musuems, parks, activities, etc.), try "The Other Orlando."
Solid, Honest Touring Advice.......2002-06-13
I have been a fan of Bob Sehlinger's "Unofficial" guide to Walt Disney World since the early 1990s. I have made numerous trips to the Disney resort, and have saved a great deal of time and money using his book "The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World".
Much like his WDW book, this guide offers honest rankings of activities such as shows, attractions, and dining for parks including Busch Gardens, Cypress Gardens, Gatorland, Kennedy Space Center, Sea World, Universal Studios and Universal's Island of Adventure. As a water park fan I appreciate the detailed comparison and ratings of the different water parks, including Disney's. It also has a section discussing night life and dinner theaters, but doesn't cover or compare Downtown Disney or Cirque Du Solie.
While the brutally honest ratings are great in this book, I am greatly disappointed that their traffic gurus didn't write up touring plans for which their WDW are famous. There is plenty of detailed information that will allow you to create "battle plans" based on age, type of ride, and attraction popularity.
It is a small book, easily carried in a fanny pack and is an excellent companion with their "Mini Mickey" book for touring, and "The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World" for planning. I look forward to the next edition of this book.
Book Description
In the turbulent history of modern Germany the name of Moltke has stood for military power and also enduring moral strength. In the Franco-Prussian War and then World Wars I and II, in each a Moltke was a key figure, culminating in the arrest and execution for conspiracy by the Gestapo of Count Helmuth James von Moltke, the great-great-nephew of Field Marshal von Moltke, who had defeated the Austrians, then besieged and conquered Paris in 1871, and made Germany the dominant power in Europe. The Field Marshal's nephew, Helmuth Johannes Ludwig von Moltke, was Chief of Staff of the German armies in 1914. With his armies on the Maine only twenty miles from Paris, he suffered a nervous breakdown and was removed from command. And Helmuth James, working for Admiral Wilhelm Canaris in German intelligence and leader of the underground resistance to Hitler, was arrested by the Gestapo and tried and executed for treason in the last months of the war. At every major crisis in more than a century of German history the von Moltke family has played a critical role. The history of the family is thus a way of perceiving and assessing the history of modem Germany. For the Germany of the von Moltkes was also the Germany of Bismarck and Hitler, Wagner and Strauss, Nietzsche, Mann, and Brecht. Friedrich's vivid and knowledgeable style makes this an absorbing historical chronicle full of characters and events on a broad canvas along with personal histories, anecdotes, and gossip within and without the corndors of power.
Customer Reviews:
Count Helmuth James Von Moltke the Martyr.......2007-02-07
This was an excellent book, easy to read but full of very good detail. The Franco-Prussian war was well done, and would make a good survey to move onto Michael Howard's book should one wish. The only flaw I noticed was that the Count seemed rather two dimensional. His early life was not described that well, and it was hard for me to get a handle on how he arrived at his opposition to the regime. But, highly recommended none the less!
Germany's interesting history as told through one family.......2005-09-06
It's a fascinating book that looks at one family's enormous impact on the history and psyche of Germany from the late 1800s through the WW II. Looking at three men from three generations of German (Prussian) nobles, you can trace the ascendency of Germany in the 1800s, its near domination of Europe during WW I, and then the seeds of its downfall during WW II.
I bought the book because I was moving to Germany and wanted to know more than the basic history known by most Americans. I found this book at Powells and read it with great enjoyment. The author, former Time's editor I believe, did an excellent job balancing details with the flow of the writing.
From Bismarck to Hitler the Von Moltke Family's Impact on German History.......2005-09-04
Book in wonderful condition, very rapid delivery
The field marshal, the 'nervous nephew,' and the martyr.......2002-03-01
In the relatively brief history of Germany as a unitary state (131 years old this year), few non-royal families have played as important a role as the von Moltke family. In a time when the 'sweeping family saga' is a popular fiction genre, the fact that this story isn't only true, but also extremely well written, should commend it to any reader with an interest in European history.
Of course, the von Moltke family's impact actually reaches back before the Reich into the history of Prussia. The first of three men Otto Friedrich focuses on, Field Marshal Helmuth von Moltke (1800-1891), was Prussia's key military strategist during the Franco-Prussian War, and possibly Germany's greatest strategist ever, surpassing even his friend and mentor, Clausewitz. His nephew and namesake, General Helmuth von Moltke (1848-1916), on the other hand, was nervous, indecisive, and largely unable to deal with the responsibilities of command that came to him in part due to his famous name. The third Helmuth, Count Helmuth James von Moltke (1907-1945), was one of nature's noblemen. A liberal (in the European sense), he was actively involved in the opposition to Hitler and Nazism -- a fact that led to his execution shortly before the Reich's own collapse. The letters Helmuth James wrote from prison, to his wife most notably, but to others as well, are deeply moving, and filled with a Christian spirit that reminded me of St Paul's own epistles from prison.
Otto Friedrich is a tremendously skilled historian, and also an excellent writer. 'Blood and Iron' is well documented, logically presented, and also very readable. Plus, he's not afraid to share his opinions and interpretations, most particularly in 'A Note on Sources' following the close of the narrative. His insights there on other documents and histories are well worth reading. As, indeed, is this entire book. I recommend it very highly.
The Good, the Relatively Good and the Mediocre.......2001-09-25
A recurrent feature of Hollywood war movies of the sixties and seventies was the "good German" - the anti-hero (often played by a Max Schell type, though James Mason as Rommel was another attempt) who, despite his allegiance, was essentially humane. Subsequent literature (e.g. Hitler's Willing Executioners) has largely exploded the myth that the Reich was riddled with conscientious objectors. Nevertheless, some Germans truly were on the side of the angels, and among them Helmuth James von Molke, who met his end in the aftermath of the briefcase bombing, was especially heroic. The last third of this book is devoted to his underground campaign to overthrow Hitler and establish a peaceful model for the future. The first subject of the book is his great-uncle, Helmuth von Molke of the Prussian General Staff, who masterminded Prussia's triumph over Denmark and then victory in the Austro-Prussian and Franco-Prussian wars of the 1860s and 1870s. Despite his association with Prussian militarism, old von Moltke was driven by a firm sense of personal ethics, and for all the pain associated with his wars, at least they were brief. The same cannot be said for his nephew, the hapless Helmuth Johannes von Moltke, appointed Chief of the German General Staff in the lead up to World War One. Faced with the challenge of updating the already-flawed Schlieffen Plan, he actually managed to make it worse, dooming Germany, France, Belgium and Britain to four years of trench warfare. The von Moltkes are modern Prussia's most remarkable clan, and in the concluding chapter we are treated to a "Where Are They Now" of its surviving members.
Average customer rating:
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Ellsworth Kelly: Self Portrait Drawings 1944-1992
Harry Cooper , and
Ellsworth Kelly
Manufacturer: Matthew Marks Gallery
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Drawing
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Kelly, Ellsworth
| ( J-L )
| Artists, A-Z
| Arts & Photography
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General
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Drawing
| Instructional & How-To
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General
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ASIN: 188014641X
Release Date: 2003-09-02 |
Book Description
Think of an Ellsworth Kelly: an abstract consideration of the relationship between figure and ground; a conscious questioning of the conditions that underlie perception; an exploration of the relationship of painting and wall, sculpture and space, viewer and work. Now think of Ellsworth Kelly: a man, born in the 1920s in New York state, who has been recording his own appearance in ink and graphite over the years, capturing himself as his attitudes changed, his self-perception changed, his face and body aged. Collected here are five decades of Kelly's self-portraits, drawn between 1944 and 1992. The artist sketches himself in all variety of poses: bust, standing, sitting, clothed, nude, laughing, serious, self-possessed. The style of drawing changes as frequently, from line drawing to cubist to comic to naturalistic. Taken together, they present a marvelous portrait of the artist as a man.
Average customer rating:
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Agamid Lizards: Keeping & Breeding Them in Captivity (Herpetology Series)
David J. Zoffer
Manufacturer: TFH Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Animal Care & Pets
| Home & Garden
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| Books
Reptiles & Amphibians
| Animal Care & Pets
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Reptiles & Amphibians
| Animals
| Biological Sciences
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
Animal Husbandry
| Agricultural Sciences
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
Animal Husbandry
| Agricultural Sciences
| Professional Science
| Professional & Technical
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| Books
| Animal Production
| Bees
| Breeding
| Dairy Science
| Livestock Management
| Meat
| Nutrition
| Poultry
| Range Management
ASIN: 0793802830 |
Average customer rating:
- Great photos, great inspiration
- Great photos, great inspiration
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The Farm, an American Living Portrait: An American Living Portrait
Joan Hagan , and
David Hagan
Manufacturer: Schiffer Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Collections, Catalogues & Exhibitions
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
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General
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
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Americana
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General
| Antiques & Collectibles
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ASIN: 0887402593 |
Book Description
Images of country life captured for extended consideration. Glimpses of everyday chores reverently preserved. The bountiful land, the architecture it spawned, and the lives of the people, animals and crops it supports. These are the subjects which have caught the eyes of talented photographers Joan and David Hagan. Sensitive to the change of seasons and appreciative of the work expended by the people who cultivate the land, the authors celebrate their feelings through pictures. The Farm, An American Living Portrait communicates their love of farms to the world at large. Hundreds of color photographs arranged geographically in 160 pages relate many heart-warming moments, beautiful landscapes, captivating personalities, and architectural details which make up farm life everywhere.
Customer Reviews:
Great photos, great inspiration.......2000-04-26
Hundreds of color photographs document the American family farm and its passing way of life. If you're planning a country building this book's crisp shots and close-up details of beautiful barns, outbuildings and cupolas are sure to inspire you.
Great photos, great inspiration.......2000-04-26
Hundreds of color photographs document the American family farm and its passing way of life. If you're planning a country building this book's crisp shots and close-up details of beautiful barns, outbuildings and cupolas are sure to inspire you.
Average customer rating:
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Stone, Rock & Gravel: Natural Features for Modern Gardens
Kathryn Bradley-Hole
Manufacturer: Seven Dials
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Architecture
| Professional & Technical
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Garden Design
| Gardening & Horticulture
| Home & Garden
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General
| Gardening & Horticulture
| Home & Garden
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Landscape
| Gardening & Horticulture
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General
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ASIN: 184188118X |
Book Description
The earth offers up great beauty in its rocks and in the countless plants that grow among them--as Eastern gardeners have always known. Now, stone, rock, and gravel provide ideal solutions for modern gardens everywhere. Easy to maintain, adaptable to individual areas, and attractive throughout the year, these natural ingredients can transform the light, mood, and landscape of any outdoor space. Drawing upon Asian influence, as well as on the work of contemporary artists, this innovative manual considers both formal and informal settings and key features--including scree, dry rivers, raised beds, and potted rock gardens. There's advice on choosing and laying stone paving and gravel pathways, putting in a wall, and creating water features. Includes a guide to maintenance through the seasons and a plant directory so you can add the flowers that give your rock garden its final touch of beauty. "Appealing illustrations are accompanied by technical advice that elaborates on the countless inspiring options..."--Booklist.
Average customer rating:
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Signs of Orality: The Oral Tradition and Its Influence in the Greek and Roman World (Mnemosyne, Bibliotheca Classica Batava Supplementum)
Manufacturer: Brill Academic Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding
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ASIN: 9004112731 |
Book Description
For almost a decade, Col.Ryszard Kuklinski betrayed the Communist leadership of Poland, cooperating with the CIA in one of the most extraordinary human intelligence operations of the Cold War. Now that Poland is free, a riddle remains: Was Kuklinski a patriot or a traitor?
In August 1972, Ryszard Kuklinski, a highly respected colonel in the Polish Army, embarked on what would become one of the most extraordinary human intelligence operations of the Cold War. Despite the extreme risk to himself and his family, he contacted the American Embassy in Bonn, and arranged a secret meeting. From the very start, he made clear that he deplored the Soviet domination of Poland, and believed his country was on the wrong side of the Cold War.
Over the next nine years, Kuklinski rose quickly in the Polish defense ministry, acting as a liaison to Moscow, and helping to prepare for a "hot war " with the West. But he also lived a life of subterfuge--of dead drops, messages written in invisible ink, miniature cameras, and secret transmitters. In 1981, he gave the CIA the secret plans to crush Solidarity. Then, about to be discovered, he made a dangerous escape with his family to the West. He still lives in hiding in America.
Kuklinski's story is a harrowing personal drama about one man 's decision to betray the Communist leadership in order to save the country he loves, and the intense debate it spurred over whether he was a traitor or a patriot. Through extensive interviews and access to the CIA's secret archive on the case, Benjamin Weiser offers an unprecedented and richly detailed look at this secret history of the Cold War.
Customer Reviews:
A fine historical work.......2005-08-12
Weiser's detailed and measured tale of Kuklinski's historical contribution to Cold War espionage is to be read and enjoyed. His story is taut and thrilling and reminds one of a good John Le Carre novel. Beyond the issue of whether Kuklinski is a hero or traitor to the Polish nation [which is fairly raised and detailed by the author], Weiser never loses control of the subject matter, and, of the abundant documentation he uncovered in his unique access to CIA records. He instills Kuklinski with humanity and sense of Polish nationalism. A fine work to be read and enjoyed.
A Founding Father of the Post-Soviet, Polish State!.......2005-03-22
"Sometimes it's not enough to do what is right, sometimes one must do what is necessary." Ryszard Kuklinski knew what was right, did what was necessary...and paid a terrible price.
Benjamin Weiser's riveting work A SECRET LIFE, on Polish hero Ryszard Kuklinski, is an enlightening look back into the dark intrigue, personal danger, and moral dilemmas surrounding one military officer's private battles to liberate his country from totalitarianism. Most importantly, this work shatters the left-wing's liberal illusion of "peaceful coexistence" with a communist system whose very raison d' etre is the destruction of freedom, democracy and enslavement of the West.
Kuklinski saw internal conflict to evict the alien system imposed upon his country by the USSR--as opposed to connivance or the wishful thinking of ideological transformation through "gradualism," favored by some of his Polish General Staff contemporaries, who, for lack of courage or personal gain, fully cooperated with their harsh Soviet task masters--as the only realistic option for peace in the face of Poland's likely nuclear annihilation, had war ensued with the United States. He dared to act accordingly, becoming an agent of change feeding top-secret Warsaw Pact military information to the CIA; thereby, tipping the balance of power in favor of liberty, while loosening the demoralizing death-grip of communist rule over Eastern Europe, as a de facto one-man Polish Underground.
When considering the totality of personal sacrifice and enormity of danger faced by Kuklinski, in his nearly solitary and single-handed struggle against radical, state-sponsored evil--who carried a suicide pill to end his life if caught and was sentenced to death, in absentia, by the Polish Military Court--moral giants like Kurt Gerstein and Aleksander Solzhenitsyn come to mind. It saddens me that former communist collaborators or sympathizers, like Aleksander Kwasniewski, were celebrated or elevated to significant post-Soviet leadership positions and societal prominence, while the country remains bitterly divided over Kuklinski, who has yet to be nationally vindicated, though history has already done so.
Former National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzesinski said it best when he honored him with the words traditionally reserved for decorating Polish soldiers: "Pan sie dobrze Polsce zasluzyl: You have served Poland well." Rest in peace Colonel Kuklinski.
Ryszard Kuklinski my Hero.......2005-02-19
Must be read to be believed i havent given this book 5 stars for nothing it is one of my most cherised books i how indebted i am to the man who saved our dear country poland may his soul rest in peace it brings tears to eyes just thinking after all he sacrificed and fought for to have what he loved most then taken away in his later years
i have borrowed this book to a few friends of different nationalities and they all have found it equally inspiring its simply A MUST READ especially if your polish
most people dont even know what goes on around them
many blessings to all who read this
Truth is more interesting than fiction.......2004-08-01
This is an important book which reminds us of two facts
which must not be forgotten.
1. What the world thinks of the USA is vital for our security.
Our military power is essential, but it will not keep us
safe unless the rest of the world believes that we are
working for the freedom and prosperity of all, and not
just ourselves.
2. The CIA has an insoluble public relations problem. Its
failures become public knowledge immediately, but its
successes must be kept secret for twenty years or more.
A more balanced view from Warsaw.......2004-06-20
Well, if anybody is really interested in facts regarding Poles' attitudes to colonel Kuklinski, here they are, according to Pentor's survey in 2002: 36% consider him a traitor, 35% consider him a hero, 30% are undecided on the issue. Lech Walesa was against colonel Kuklinski's rehabilitation, the former president considered him a "bad example" for the army. Ex-communists Miller and Kwasniewski when they won the election soon afterwards decided to rehabilitate the colonel, which Walesa called "a political trick". Well, as you can see things are no longer black and white in Poland... and thanks God.
Customer Reviews:
The poignant story of one man's holy battle against drink. .......2005-04-26
Mary Purcell's touching and well written biography of Venerable Matt Talbot, the Dublin blue-collar workman, whose slavery to drink and unquenchable and relentless addiction robbed a large part of his childhood and early adulthood, is a striking story of one man's battle against his demons--the plaguing obsession for alcoholic consumption. While at his first job at a bottling store, he learned to "put away" liquor to such an excess that by the age of thirteen, he was considered a chronic alcoholic, with no hope whatsoever for any type of recovery. At the age of twenty-eight, he had a profound conversion experience that forever altered his life, whereby God, Christ Jesus, the Holy Spirit and Mary, the Virgin Mother, became the epicenter of his whole life. But up till that intense moment, drink and how to go about getting it-even if it was by criminal means-was the all engrossing fixation that took over his soul. Not even his family, friends, work, self-respect nor his own health could minutely penetrate into his gloomy obstinacy and cruel recklessness. He was indifferent and unyielding about changing any facet of himself for the better, not caring one iota how his behavior and actions wounded those around him, for his disease was a combination of genetics and emotional distress. One was compounded with the other, locked together in a physical and mental war to destroy one who did not know where or how to turn in order to combat the spiritual and psychological decimation that was occurring from within.
Matt Talbot always had a distant yet respectful relationship with religion, but he had a greater bond with drink and anyone and anything associated with it. Oftentimes, when finishing up work at the docks or the yards, Matt and his buddies would head to the bars to get thoroughly tanked. To do so, he would often borrow money and offer empty promises to repay the debt. Or worse, he would beat up a drifter, as he did on one particular occasion, stealing his fiddle and pawning it for cash to be used for drink. He also sold his own shoes in the dead of winter-again-for drink alone. But more often than not, her got temporary "loans" from those around him, until that was no longer acceptable. And on one particular evening, when waiting outside a bar for his friends to arrive, his mates blatantly shunned him so completely that burning shame brought him down to the pits where nothing could revive him or so he thought, until he turned to "Him who does not fail."--page 60. After that experience and others like them, he knew humility and understood sin in its acute theological essence without having the book knowledge as a priest or theologian might. He had the life experience of it, and that goes way beyond any type of book learning. In 1882, at a church in Clonliffe, he took the abstinence pledge after his confession, and though he struggled bitterly, falling little by little, his evenings at various bars were replaced by evenings in quite reflections at various churches doing the rosary or trying to understand and assimilate scriptural truths into his recovery, for though he was practically illiterate, his conversion and openness to God's grace gave him the committed perseverance required to be the type of man that nobody thought possible.
When Matt Talbot took the pledge of sobriety in 1882, he renewed it three months later, then eight months, until he took it for life, remaining clean for the balance of his forty-one years of life. But it was what he did with that gift of life which God gave him that was so arresting. Always one of the guys, he led the life of the conconsummate laborer, the best of the best; he was often cited by his foreman to take the lead for the others to emulate. In his private life, however, he worked diligently and with a pure heart to bond ever deeper to God, through His Son and the Blessed Virgin. He practiced deep acts of mortifications: fasting, praying, serving others, trying to help alcoholics who were in his same shoes, long before Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) ever emerged. He exercised his conversion by secretly wearing chains around his body, otherwise known as Slavery to Mary. And though he was never rich or truly healthy, whatever money he had, he always denied himself and gave to the less fortunate, for his miracle was his liberation from the alcohol that he wrongly believed was on par with oxygen itself for his mere survival. This was his way to give back to a Father who only wanted the best for his child. What the Matt Talbot story illustrates is that no sin-no matter how demeaning or gross or horrific or extremely overwhelming-is overpowering enough that Christ Jesus, God, can't handle it, one needs only to meet Them half way in the struggle. And the gift will most certainly be made evident.
Mary Purcell's top-notch biography of Matt Talbot is without a doubt the definitive book on this little known man's holy life. Not only are his stuggles exhaustively explored with intelligent depth but so too are his times, his immediate environment and why alcoholism was so prevalent in nineteenth century Ireland. Poverty, lack of work and various other negative social issues were the causes and effects as to why so many "Matt Talbots" seemed to sprout up with a drink offering in one hand and a "screw this" mentality in the other. It is a book that reads not simply as a biography, but it reads as a fascinating chronicle of a country with its yo-yo-like ups and downs, economically, socially and politically. But with all that aside, it had-as it still does-its Catholic faith firmly held in tact, lifting and encouraging the downtrodden and those less so to look upward when it was, and sometimes is, easier to look down. Matt Talbot's story is a shining example, a future Catholic Saint whose witness has much to teach us.
looking for more.......1999-06-23
Can anyone tell me if they know of a web site for matt talbot? thanks - Shamrok47@aol.com
Books:
- Global Seagrass Research Methods
- Growing & Marketing Ginseng, Goldenseal & Other Woodland Medicinals
- Herbs for health and flavour
- How Plants Are Trained to Work for Man: Small Fruits (How Plants Are Trained to Work for Man)
- Kalanchoe (Crassulacees) de Madagascar: Systematique, ecophysiologie et phytochimie (Economie et developpement)
- Kangaroo Island wildflowers illustrated
- Know your grasses: The key to successful range management
- Know Your Own Trees: A Short Introduction to the Study of Our Common Eucalypts
- Landscapes, Geonomics and Transgenic Conifers (MANAGING FOREST ECOSYSTEMS)
- Lewis Clark's field guide to wild flowers of the arid flatlands in the Pacific Northwest (Field guide ; 5)
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