Product Description
George Herbert (1593-1633) has come to be one of the most admired of the metaphysical poets. Though he is a profoundly religious poet, even secular readers respond to his quiet intensity and exuberant inventiveness, which are amply showcased in this selection.

Herbert experimented brilliantly with a remarkable variety of forms, from hymns and sonnets to pattern poems, the shapes of which reveal their subjects. Such technical agility never seems ostentatious, however, for precision of language and expression of genuine feeling were the primary concerns of this poet, who admonished his readers to “dare to be true.” An Anglican priest who took his calling with deep seriousness, he brought to his work a religious reverence richly allied with a playful wit and with literary and musical gifts of the highest order. His best-loved poems, from “The Collar” and “Jordan” to “The Altar” and “Easter Wings,” achieve a perfection of form and feeling, a rare luminosity, and a timeless metaphysical grandeur. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A Wonderful Collection of Herbert's Poetry
Unlike Byron or Coleridge, George Herbert did not write epic poetry, but rather short religious vignettes which I find very pleasing.As a Christian, I find his quiet devotion to God enjoyable (let alone exemplary).

I compared this particular anthology to a volume of Herbert's complete English works.This book contains all but four or five of Herbert's poems.It also lacks an extensive biography that the complete volume contained.I chose this edition over the other on account of its compact size -- truly small enough to fit into a larger side pocket.The poems are well-spaced out and the print is very clear.

Highly recommended to anyone who enjoys religious poetry. ... Read more

Product Description
The 19th century philosopher and social theorist George Herbert Mead developed a philosophy of science and a well-integrated social theory which have important applications for modern social science.

In this concise and clearly-written summary of Mead's work, Baldwin emphasizes the breadth, scope and continued relevance of his ideas. He gives an overview of Mead's theoretical system, the philosophical foundations of his unified theory and the applications of his work in many different areas of social inquiry. Baldwin follows Mead's own arguments closely and substantiates each point with relevant quotations and references.

With numerous footnotes, Baldwin's George Herbert Mead is designed to be both a reference work for researchers and an undergraduate text.

Product Description
Some In The Sixteenth Century But Principally In The Seventeenth, Eighteenth And Early Nineteenth Centuries. Containing over 1,200 illustrations from photographs and drawings of the best examples of the furniture of Hepplewhite, Sheraton, Adam, Chippendale, etc. ... Read more

Product Description
The War of the Worlds is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by H. G. (Herbert George) Wells is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of H. G. (Herbert George) Wells then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection.Amazon.com Review
This is the granddaddy of all alien invasion stories, firstpublished byH.G. Wells in 1898. The novel begins ominously, as the lone voice of anarrator tells readers that "No one would have believed in the last yearsof the nineteenth century that this world was being watched keenly andclosely by intelligences greater than man's..."

Things then progress from a series of seemingly mundane reports about oddatmospheric disturbances taking place onMars to the arrival of Martians just outside of London.At first theMartians seem laughable, hardly able to move in Earth's comparatively heavygravity even enough to raise themselves out of the pit created when theirspaceship landed. But soon the Martians reveal their true nature as deathmachines 100-feet tall rise up from the pit and begin laying waste to thesurrounding land.Wells quickly moves the story from the countryside tothe evacuation of London itself and the loss of all hope as England'smilitary suffers defeat after defeat. With horror his narrator describeshow the Martians suck the blood from living humansfor sustenance, and how it's clear that man is not being conquered so mucha corralled. --Craig E. Engler ... Read more

Customer Reviews (297)

book for class
for class, not like its a jump of the couch and go get it book...

Overall still a great sci-fi story
I downloaded this for free for my Kindle.I have never read this before (I have seen a couple bad movies about it) but was eager to read the original story.Overall I liked the story.I thought parts of it were a bit drawn out and boring; but overall it was definitely worth reading...and much better than any of The War of the Worlds movies I have seen.

The nameless narrator of this book tells about green capsules that fall to Earth.Inside them are strange tripod/octupus like creatures that use a heat-rays to destroy a number of people early on.The book follows the narrator as he struggles through the English countryside trying to make it back to his wife.Then for a while he tells the story of his brother in London and of the second Martian weapon they face, that of a black cloud which instantly kills people.Then the story winds back to the original narrator as he makes his way to London to see the final destruction of the Martians.

Like most classics, this story is most outstanding for the story it told at the time it told it.There are probably better books out there now (Christopher John's Tripod series comes to mind) about alien invasion; but for the time this was a very forward thinking book.

The description in the book is very well done and, it is, for the most part very readable and enjoyable.Wells does an excellent job of creating suspense at certain times in the book.He also does an excellent job at showing humanity both at its best and its worst.It is amazing how inhumane some of the humans in this book behave when they are in a panic.The most colossal tragedies this book show that there is space for great heroics and great evil in a time of mass destruction.

I also enjoyed the irony behind how the Martians finally meet there death; it was suiting and says interesting things about evolution in general.

There were some things I did not like about this book.Some of the parts just went on too long.There is a portion where the narrator spends forever describing every minute aspect of the Martians which was slow, another portion where the narrator is making his way across the countryside that was boring, and the part where the narrator is trapped in a collapsed house seemed to drag on forever.Wells gives great attention to the narrators situation but doesn't ever go outside of the narrators sphere of influence to see what is happening world-wide or what kind of reaction the rest of the world is having.Also the characters were pretty sketchy...this was definitely more of an adventure driven novel than a character driven one.

Should you read it?Well if you like sci-fi and are interested in alien invasion then this is a must; this is pretty much the story that inspired a lot of later sci-fi stories.A lot of the story is very enjoyable, engaging and intriguing; but as with many classics there are portions that drag on a bit.I never found the language or writing difficult to understand, so that means this novel has aged well with time.If you are not a sci-fi fan, interested in post-apocalyptic stories, or alien invasion I would probably skip this in favor of something else.

If you do really like this story and haven't read the The Pool of Fire by Christopher John I recommend that you do; the story is similar in tone, more character driven, and a wonderful read.

Science Fiction At Its Best!
I just received the new Kindle as a gift and thought I would try it out by downloading "War of the Worlds."How in the world have I missed this book for so many years.I have been reading SF off and on for the better part of my 63 years but, for some reason, I've never had the urge to read the H. G. Well's classic.I've seen both of the movies and have always enjoyed them, but reading the original was a revelation.

"War of the Worlds" is a terrifying tale of alien invasion around the turn of the century.What a great read!Wells creates a world of horror and fear that is unmatched.We are slowly drawn into the story and before long are fully involved in the nightmare.Wells' writing style is elegant and a joy to read.I had no idea!

Don't miss this one.You don't have to be a lover of Science Fiction to enjoy this book.

As a side note, the Kindle is fabulous.While I've only had it a short time, I have already come to love it.I think it's going to be a constant companion.

A fun read
I picked this book to be my first read on the Kindle, and I'm glad I did."War of the Worlds" is a fun read -- H.G. Wells does a great job recounting this story from the perspective of someone caught in the fighting and strongly involved in the entire martian storyline.I especially enjoyed the historical aspect of the story -- it takes place in the late 1800s, and it's particularly interesting to hear the way that H.G. Wells describes various aspects of human life, and how he imagined the Martians to be, how they arrived, and how humans reacted to them.At the time of the story, humans hadn't invented/discovered winged-flight, automobiles were barely in existence, and many of the aspects of modern life were not present.Reading this 100 years later, it's fascinating to see how things progress in the story, and how the citizens react to various events, and utilize the technologies of their time.It's definitely a fun, interesting read.

One note about reading on the Kindle -- it's fantastic.Something I never realized I would enjoy so much is the easy-access dictionary.For an older novel such as this, there are plenty of words that I'd never heard before.Having such convenient access to a dictionary meant I could look up words like navvies and omnibus.

The War of the Worlds
We sometimes wonder what will become of our future. Some may say that the unexpected should be expected, and that we should be prepared. That tomorrow is another day, and that anything can happen. Whereas on the other hand, people who tend to think more logically, may conclude that it's possible but not probable. But if we remember that not but one person in 1988 would have predicted that within just two years every eastern European nation would win its independence from the Soviet Union (The Cold War). Situations like aliens abducting planet Earth simply give us a guffaw and we think to ourselves, "There's no such thing as Martians or UFO's!" Or are there...? Are Martians, at this moment, watching us? Are they getting ready to drive humans to extinction? We may not know the answer to all these questions right now, but I'm sure that something is mysteriously lurking around somewhere in this universe, waiting for an opportune moment to meet us. H.G. Wells's masterpiece, The War of the Worlds, prepares us for the unexpected, taking us on a journey which will keep us awe- inspired and ready for adventure! Known for playing a major role in the genre of science fiction, H.G. Wells is known for his notable work on The, Time Machine, The Invisible Man, The Island of Doctor Moreau, The first Man on the Moon, and The Shape of Things to Come.
During the last few years of the nineteenth century, this world was being watched. This world was being watched so closely and surreptitiously that no one ever suspected it. People continued to do their mundane tasks and children were living naively, with tribulations ranging from stealing cookies from the cookie jar and completing homework assignments. No one knew that a plan for ultimate destruction was just days. Even though "the plan for ultimate destruction" encompassed the entire world; the author primarily focused on a small town found in the countryside of England called Woking. The first few chapters take place here, and then slowly expand to neighboring towns and cities like London and Letherhead. These places are slowly enveloped in complete chaos and destruction. H.G. Wells chose a compatible setting to go along with his plot; because since he had lived in London he was able to provide aspects from his everyday life in the 1890's.H.G Wells's description of London made me visualize the setting and different customs compared to the lifestyle here; like morning tea, evening tea, and the way locals spoke. As H.G Wells mentions in his novel, "I came into Oxford Street by the Marble Arch, and here again were black powder and several bodies, and an evil, ominous smell from the gratings of the cellars of some of the houses."(260) I feel that since H.G. Wells gave his readers a vivid picture of what London is like, it added to the success of his novel. He was able to provide more than the common tourist or visitor; which made his book more interesting to read. A different setting would however demean the success of the novel. It would take away from H.G. Wells's splendid work and the home-sweet-home feeling (even though the book is based on complete destruction) that you feel when reading this book.

This book stars a hero, who by H.G. Well's decision- his name is never mentioned in the book, and is simple given the title "The Man." It's an odd title to give the main character, but it works in this novel. "The Man" who narrates the story is given the characteristics of a philosopher and a true day dreamer; who feels undefined bliss when looking up at the stars and constellations. Even though his head is stuck in the clouds for most of the time, he happens to be an educated man, and will become alert when his beloved home and family are in danger. (So I guess you can say that he is no more than a family oriented man.) His strongest trait, I can clearly tell, is self- control. He manages to keep his calm in some of the most problematic and hair pulling situations. He mentions when he is alone with the Curate for weeks, "Practically he had already sunk to the level of an animal. But, as the saying goes, I gripped myself with both hands."(210) The annoying, paranoid companion of the man, named the Curate, stuck with the man for a dreadful three weeks. We can feel the tensions rise when the man is at his wits end with the Curate. I think the Curate and the man ran into problems in the end because their two personalities are completely incongruous. But let's not forget the creator of all the chaos, The Martians, aliens from Mars who have developed great mental and technical abilities in order to escape from their own inhabitance- which is coming to a state of disrepair. The Martians create an atmosphere of grave destruction, painting a horror scene with burnt trees, dead plants, ransacked homes, blood, fire, and many skeletons. They make a simple place called home completely horrid and dreadful.

The book begins with the fact that Mars wants to take over planet Earth. By starting the book like this I was intrigued to continue reading. The reason to start the war was because they are envious of our own planet earth. As they spitefully look down at Earth, I can just imagine how human beings continue to still humbly frolic on their front lawns, and (of course) have time to watch Winnie the Pooh. They have absolutely no idea what is going to happen to them. Not until they receive their first clue; the first falling star. When the narrator arrives at the scene, he discovers what he saw was not a falling star but a giant cylinder. Examining it, he can see the lid turning, and that something is inside it. He's about to let out a shriek, when he decides to back away from the eeriness as the fear seeps into his core. He tries to forget about it until he comes across it again when he is walking back home- however, this time a histrionic aggregation flanks the once isolated cylinder. From the reaction of the crowd fraught with peons, he prognosticates that the unknown creature opened the cylinder. Dubious of his predictions, he pushes his way through the crowd. Reaching closer, he dreadfully thinks of his death knell, and hears dissonant phrases of "Keep back! Keep back! It's a-movin!"(29) He sees the abysmal creature. Impassive with fear, he makes a run for it, as the black beady eyes divulge their enmity. The man grabs his wife and decides to go to his cousin's home. They spend a nice time with them, until the man wants to go back to Woking.He insists that his wife come with him, but his wife decides not to.-- This sentence (don't you think?) added to the intensity of the plot. I remember reading this, feeling scared for the wife and her husband. - He walks home and sees the horrifying destruction. He ponders for quite a bit of what he should do, and what the world was coming too. As fate leads him to an artillery man they head towards the outskirts of Woking. The two men come across a new cylinder guarded with giants- blocking the man to reunite with his wife. He sadly follows the artillery man, until the artillery man finds his unit. The narrator dives into the water-during a surprise attack by the Martians, and quickly grabs an empty boat and ends up meeting Curate. The Curate sticks to the narrator like super glue, and never leaves his side. The narrator describes his feelings and irritation, as though we are experiencing them too! H.G Wells miraculously has the ability to control his reader's emotions. The Curate and the narrator end up stuck in a home for days, as they unluckily find themselves just two feet away from the menacing Martians. When the Martians finally leave(after almost a month!), the narrator runs for his life, replenishing himself with fresh gulps of air. As he walks along Oxford Street, it seems as though he is the last human being left on Earth to deal with the Martians. The conclusion to this story is a surprise which you're going to have to end up reading!

I enjoyed reading every part of this book. This book held me captivated to its little font and 285 pages. This book reminds its readers to believe in the impossible. It teaches us to be prepared for even some of the most unexpected situations. H.G Well's writing style includes both verbosity and creativity. This book was even more interesting to read to the attention to detail H.G Wells displays. I left this book with a happy face, and a new way of thinking and approaching my problems.This book is a must read for any of those who love to use their imagination. By not reading The War of the Worlds you will feel sorry that you missed out! ... Read more

Product Description
Originally published in 1898.This volume from the Cornell University Library's print collections was scanned on an APT BookScan and converted to JPG 2000 format by Kirtas Technologies.All titles scanned cover to cover and pages may include marks notations and other marginalia present in the original volume. ... Read more

Product Description
Alfred Polly is a quiet, timid and direction-less young man living in Victorian England, in the dreary and dull fictional town of Fishbourne (thought to be based on Sandgate, Kent where Wells lived for several years)^[1]. Polly enjoys reading books of knightly endeavours more than his job in a draper's shop, and eventually his daydreaming loses him his job and he finds himself heading into poverty. After the death of his father, a man he had little in common with, he's left a little money in the inheritance and at the funeral he meets Miriam Larkins, a distant cousin. Although not really in love with her (Polly is in fact in love with Christabel, a girl he met whilst out riding his bicycle), he marries Miriam and, despite his determination never to set foot in a shop again, they buy a shop and set out to make a success of it.

Fifteen years later, Miriam has become abusive and spiteful, Polly is still bored and dissatisfied with his life , the shop is in debt and they hate all their neighbours. Polly is inclined to spark comedic arguments and slapstick calamity wherever he goes. When he knows his marriage is failing, and he is seen as a bit of a joke in the community, he decides to set fire to his new shop and cut his neck with a razor, but the twist is that he fails to go with the slash because it stings too much and escapes the fire.

Many critics compare Mr. Polly's broad social satire to Dickens, butit smacks of Mark Twain and the dialect humor of Finley Peter Dunne's Mr. Dooley too. "I thinkit is one of my good books," Wells opined. What makes it so is Polly'sheroic incompetence, his subversion of Edwardian propriety, and hisbewildered unawareness that he is a revolutionary. --Tim Appelo ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

And now for something completely different from HG
I've never liked Wells.This is the first of his books I've been able to force myself to finish.I didn't love it but it was FUNNY!My friends, no doubt smarter and more learned than me, told me the book contained social commentary, that Wells was a socialist with an agenda of showing the superiority of that type of system.Poor Mr. Polly seems to wander around with no aim, his past, with a dead mother and an emotionally absent father provides no support and he stumbles into his future with no clear goal in mind.He puts one foot in front of the other.He's also cantankerous, not easy in his relations with others.This causes him no end of troubles but that provides much of the the humor.Through a small inheritance he's able to set up shop and marry but he puts no effort into either shop or wife.He prefers to read all day in his lonely shop and pick fights with first one neighbor and then the next until he's alienated all of them.Is this where socialism comes in?Free trade = bad, leads to discontent and alienation?Then he finally goes too far and creates a catastrophe but for once makes it work for himself.He leaves shop and wife and finds, eventually, a place he feels he belongs, where he can relax and watch sunsets, feel content.But the best part of the book and what made it worthwhile for was the slapstick comedy.

The Great Lost English Comic Novel
This one came out of nowhere. An absolutely brilliant comic novel. Like all great comic novels, it's never patronizing. Though the narrator places himself at a distance from Mr. Polly, he's never condescends. The tone is warm and witty, genuinely moving rather than sentimental. It's an honest look at the middle class, cased in a Romantic (as in Knights and Quests) narrative. Really, really great. Definitely worth your time.

Best Book You've Never Heard Of
The climactic and hilarious confrontation between Mr. Polly and the low-life ruffian Uncle Jim is so masterful that one might forget all the other comic gems included in this novel. At the same time, the reader will feel the power of Wells' legendary intelligence on every page. The History of Mr. Polly is loaded with thought-provoking observations on the topics of marraige, love, business, education, friendship, insurance fraud and -- most of all -- happiness.

Is it Me?
A friend recommended this book to me after I explained how much fun I was having after leaving work in DC, returning to Minnesota, playing with my kids, joining a mountain biking team and genuinely enjoying my unemplyed status for 9 months.She said it was a philosophical book.

I spent the entire book trying to figure out why she thought of this book after I got through telling her how great my life was at the present.Mr. Polly clearly was not living a great life and always seemed to be on the wrong side of circumstance.It wasn't until the very end of the book that I realized the context my friend applied to my happenings.

The book, for it's strange accents and period vocabulary, was as riveting as any Grisham or Baldacci novel.I don't really know why - but it was.And the last few pages makes one think very hard about the meaning of life, which even for an unemployed child-at-heart, is important to do now and again.

tragi-comedy
I finished reading this novella a few days ago.I must first admit that for the first 25 or so pages, I wasn't particulaly tuned into what the book was about.It is, as Wells mentioned, a history, so I was rather thrown at the beginning.Once I got the gist of it, particularly the gist of Mr. Polly and his eccentricities, I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

The only other Wells book I had read was the Island of Dr. Moreau, which, like his other romantic science-fiction novels he is famous for, was somewhat plot-driven rather than character-driven.This book, is, as the title would lead you to suspect, character-driven.

We begin our read with the bored, frustrated Mr. Polly, what he is feeling and how he deals with his life in general.Then the actual history starts, and Wells's beautiful, if somewhat excessive vocabulary answers the reader's question of who this Mr. Polly is.I found him to a be a very refreshing hero, being rather ordinary, and dealing with the concerns of anyone's life, particularly that of a middle-aged man.He does not "save the day" by perfoming any conventional (or even moral) acts, but this only makes him more real.Mr. Polly's passion for epithet is absolutely delightful, and gave me a great sense of pleasure to watch him go about his transformation.

This was a terriffic, merry little book, with a central character worthy of some of the finest in literature, at least from the limited literature I have read.Don't be fooled by the humorous facade however; there is a deeper message, one which will become relevant at some time in all our lives. It isn't one of Wells's most well known books, but it should be.A superb little gem. ... Read more

Product Description
Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free.This is an OCR edition with typos.Excerpt from book:CHAPTER THE SECOND The Young Man About Town The oldest novel in the world at any rate, White reflected, was a story with a hero and no love interest worth talking about. It was the story of Tobias and how he came out from the shelters of his youth into this magic and intricate world. Its heroine was incidental, part of the spoil, a seven times relict. . . .White had not read the book of Tobit for many years, and what he was really thinking of was not that ancient story at all, but Botticelli's picture, that picture of the sunlit morning of life. When you say "Tobias" that is what most intelligent people will recall. Perhaps you will remember how gaily and confidently the young man strides along with the armoured angel by his side. Absurdly enough, Benham and his dream of high aristocracy reminded White of that. . . ."We have all been Tobias in our time," said White.If White had been writing this chapter he would have in all probability called it The Tobias Stage, forgetful that there was no Tobit behind Benham and an entirely different Sara in front of him.From Cambridge Benham came to London. For the first time he was to live in London. Never before had he been in London for more than a few days at a time. But now, guided by his mother's advice, he was to have a flat in Finacue Street, just round the corner from Desborough Street, a flat very completely and delightfully furnished under her supervision. It had an admirable study, in which she had arranged not only his books, but a number of others in beautiful old leather bindings that it had amused her extremely to buy; it had a splendid bureau and business-like letter-filing cabinets, a neat little drawing-room and a dining-room, well-placed abundant electric lights, and a man called Merkle whom she had selec... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Very thought provoking...
This book is as funny as it is thought provoking. H. G. Wells takes us on a very entertaining and profound journey via a character named William who insists on living life nobly and thoroughly. Even as a child William had decided that this was the only aristocratic way to live and was determined to do so at all costs, and cost him it does.

William gets into all sorts of hilarious trouble for living up to his ideals with a lot of it being ironic. The very people he seeks to defend or sacrifice himself for are the ones who take advantage of him, and often he finds himself subject to the logical consequences of adhering to his particular ideal. No matter what happens, he keeps pushing forward and sticking with his principles.

I love H.G. Wells' works, and I think this is one of his best. Everything he writes is thought provoking, and this story provides plenty of food for thought. It takes on the subject of holding ideas vs. actually putting those ideals into practice without compromise. Even though the character, William, has problems as the result of doing this, he also lives a very full and exciting life.

In a way I see this story as more of an indictment against people who don't adhere to their ideals than those who do. William certainly suffers hardships for sticking with his beliefs, but he acquires confidence and courage and lives an outstanding and adventurous life because of it. I strongly recommend this book. I enjoyed it immensely and got a lot out of it.

funny, very entertaining, and brilliant...
This story is wonderful. It's funny, very entertaining, and brilliant. This is Wells at his best. The character he creates is a riot, a man who always practices what he believes. I couldn't help laughing at this guy and shaking my head, but I also admired him and must admit that I was even a bit envious of him.
I often wonder if Wells was doing a caricature of himself when he wrote this book. He was also a strongly idealistic person and it got him into trouble as well. He even made the Nazi's hit list during World War II because of his beliefs. It seems his personal life would have given him plenty of ammunition to write this story. Maybe that's why it's so outstanding.

Wells at his most brilliant
This is a brilliant work that analyzes the tricky issue of living up to one's ideals. Wells gives us a character that takes living his beliefs to the extreme in that he follows them unwaveringly no matter how much trouble it gets him into, and it definitely gets him into trouble.

This could have gone either of two ways. It could have just as easily been a tragic tale as a comedic one. I love that Wells decided to take it in a humorous direction. I really think the point he wished to make sinks in much more powerfully, because he chose to make this a humorous account. And the story is hilarious. The character gets into all sorts of ironically funny situations as the result of his insistence on following the ideology that he has embraced.

Though the character gets into trouble and looks ridiculous at times, he's also very inspirational. He keeps getting back up no matter how many times he's knocked down and shows a lot of courage. He also lives a very full and amazing life. He sees and experiences things that most people only dream of because of the ideology that he adheres to. His life is one long adventure. I believe that's the way it is for anyone who refuses to let go of lofty ideals and insists on living true to them. Such a person would certainly run into trouble but also live an amazing life and grow stronger and more courageous each day.

I really loved this book and just can't recommend it enough. This is Wells at his most brilliant. I absolutely loved the equally noble and silly character he created. This book really gives you a lot to think about and it makes you reassess your life. It's everything a book should be and more.

Wells builds novels out of ideas!
Mr. Wells builds novels out of ideas as other men build them of imagery and emotions.William Porphyry Benham sets out to live the noble or aristocratic life, and the book is about what happens to him because of his beautiful obsession.Starting in his boyhood, and throughout his life, it produced profound adventures, yet also made him ridiculous, and even inspiring.It was a passion for courage, for personal nobility, for service to others, for self-sacrificing, all for the social betterment of the whole world. ... Read more

Product Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Free SF Reader

A collection that has quite a bit of fantasy contained therein, but which again tails off in the latter part as far as interest goes.

Twelve Stories and A Dream : Filmer - H. G. Wells
Twelve Stories and A Dream : The Magic Shop - H. G. Wells
Twelve Stories and A Dream : The Valley of Spiders - H. G. Wells
Twelve Stories and A Dream : The Truth about Pyecraft - H. G. Wells
Twelve Stories and A Dream : Mr. Skelmersdale in Fairyland - H. G. Wells
Twelve Stories and A Dream : The Inexperienced Ghost - H. G. Wells
Twelve Stories and A Dream : Jimmy Goggles the God - H. G. Wells
Twelve Stories and A Dream : The New Accelerator - H. G. Wells
Twelve Stories and A Dream : Mr. Ledbetter's Vacation - H. G. Wells
Twelve Stories and A Dream : The Stolen Body - H. G. Wells
Twelve Stories and A Dream : Mr. Brisher's Treasure - H. G. Wells
Twelve Stories and A Dream : Miss Winchelsea's Heart - H. G. Wells
Twelve Stories and A Dream : A Dream of Armageddon - H. G. Wells


Strange flyer.

3 out of 5


Genuine article here.

3.5 out of 5


Puffballs, too many legs.

3.5 out of 5


A man needs to get his physics straight when asking for supernatural dieting assistance.

4 out of 5


Under Knoll.

3 out of 5


If you ask a spook for membership, he just might say yes.

4 out of 5


Deity impersonation.

3 out of 5


Flash tonic.

3.5 out of 5


Burglar reform.

3 out of 5


Remarkable medium possession save.

3 out of 5


Loot score.

2.5 out of 5


Snooks not for me.

2.5 out of 5


Future war visions.

3 out of 5

An Excellent Collection
Every story in this collection shows why the work of H.G. Wells has lasted this long.These stories show the wide range of his imagination telling tales of baried treasury, magic, other worlds, visons of the future, ghosts, and even a tale of love lost.All thirteen tales are excellently written in Wells' classic style.

My personal favorites were "The Magic Shop" and "A Dream of Armageddon"

I highly recommend this collection to any fan of speculative fiction. ... Read more

Product Description
George Herbert (1593-1633) is widely regarded as the greatest devotional poet in the English language. His volume of poems, The Temple, published posthumously in 1633, became one of the most widely read and influential collections of the seventeenth century. Almost 400 years after they were first published in Cambridge by the 'printers to the Universitie', Cambridge University Press is pleased to present the definitive scholarly edition of Herbert's complete English poems, accompanied by extensive explanatory and textual apparatus. The text is meticulously annotated with historical, literary and biblical information, as well as the modern critical contexts which now illuminate the poems. In addition to the lively introduction and notes, this edition includes a glossary of key words, an index of biblical quotations, and the authentic texts of Herbert's work. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Best Look at Hoover's Early Life
In the first volume of his epic biography of Herbert Hoover, George Nash relates the story of how a poor orphan from Iowa went on to become one of the leading engineers in the world whose life was a great adventure. Nash guides the reader through Hoover's formative years in Iowa and Oregon as well as his college days at Sanford. Then the adventure really begins as Hoover bounces around the world-Nevada, Australia, China during the Boxer Rebellion, London, Russia, Siam. He deals with corrupt officials, embezzlers, professors, dreams of owning a newspaper and moving back to San Francisco. Political buffs be warned-there is not much on politics here since Hoover was abroad for a good deal of his life. Nash is able to show the human side of Hoover in some chapters on his personal and family life and showing how the man was an excellent businessman and administrator. But Nash also shows the flaws in Hoover which would make his presidency such an ordeal for him-and the nation. The book concludes with the Great War about to begin and Hoover about to lead the Belgian relief effort. There are some minor flaws and quibbles of course; Nash could have done more with Lou Henry Hoover who was a remarkable woman in her own right and he seems to downplay how the Quaker faith shaped Hoover. Despite these flaws, this is a jewel of a biography. Reading this volume, the reader understands that Hoover had a background unlike any other American president, for good and for ill. ... Read more

Product Description
Unpublished book manuscript and related correspondence by famous symbolic interactionist Herbert Blumer concerning the work of George Herbert Mead, the founder of symbolic interactionism. Includes an introduction and notes by Thomas J. Morrione. ... Read more

Product Description
Make your special teams first-rate—use the expertise of the father of special teams!

In 1968, George Allen was the first coach in history to hire a full-time special teams coach. Since then his approach to special teams has added a new dimension to football that has affected the game at every level.

Learn the secrets to a successful kicking game and more!

This unprecedented book shows you the plays, strategies, and drills you need to produce first-rate special teams. George Allen's Guide to Special Teams reveals everything coaches need to know about

• kickoffs,

• kick returns,

• punts,

• punt returns,

• punt prevents,

• extra points,

• field goal defense, and

• "gadget" plays for every special teams situation.

Be entertained as well as informed!

The authors vividly describe many coaching experiences to bring points home. Allen also profiles special teams players that he deems the best and concludes the book with his own "Special Teams Hall of Fame."

No matter what level you coach, George Allen's Guide to Special Teams is one of the best additions you can make to your coaching library. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Great for the novice or expert coach
George Allen gives an indepth look at all phases of the kicking and punting game.Full of different coaching points, schemes, ideas, and scouting charts.Very helpful for new ideas or to strengthen your currentbeliefs.

good intro to special teams
This book is a very good introduction to special teams from both a team and individual perspective. Allen was one of the first coaches to commit equal time to the practicing and coaching of special teams. Although thebook covers most evryhting in great detail, it can be very elementary attimes. Most good special teams units employ a multiple approach just likethe offense and defense. There are shortcomings in this area but, with alittle imagination, you should be able to add to the base of knowledgegiven here. ... Read more

Product Description
No one is more qualified to give a fully rounded, objective portrait of our forty-first president than Tom Wicker. A political correspondent for The New York Times for more than thirty years, Wicker was a first-hand witness to and reporter of George H. W. Bush’s political rise and presidential reign. In George Herbert Walker Bush, Wicker provides a richly drawn and succinct overview of Bush from his New England roots, his decorated service in World War II, and his successful oil businesses to his shift to politics and rapid rise within the Republican party. As he describes changes within the Republican party in recent decades, Wicker charts Bush’s career, including in-depth analysis of his campaign tactics and his gift for creating friendships and inspiring loyalty which, Wicker argues, has been the key to Bush’s success. The result is a fascinating, timely glimpse into one of the most powerful families in America today, complete with insights into the current reign of George W. Bush, the continued legacy of the Bush family, and contemporary American politics. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

George H W Bush
If you want a quick easy read at 219 pages this might fit the bill for you. I was hoping for more insight into the mans life. If this is indicative of the Penguin Lives series then they are great at telling you something about the man in a short book. I am about to finish my quest of reading a biography on every president, and with the exception of William Howard Taft, Bush has been the hardest to find anything about. Maybe there wasn't that much to the man, but I find this hard to believe. To a man every President to this point has been a complex and intriguing character.If you are really into political biography I would recommend anything from the Signature Series from American Political Biography Press.

A Flawed Biography
This brief look at our 41st president simply does not compare to a number of the books in the Penguin Lives series. As a number of the other reviews correctly note, Tom Wicker goes over the top in painting the first President Bush as a "win at all costs" political operator. While Wicker gives Bush patria high marks for his leadership in the Gulf War, he overlooks a number of the Bush administration's successes and failures to focus on Bush's tenure as Reagan's VP including a long and not quite convincing "did he or didn't he" look at Iran-Contra. If the first President Bush is going to be remembered for anything, it might be his skillful leadership on the global stage during the complete meltdown of the Soviet Union and its allies and the unification of Germany. Wicker simply does not focus on this.

The main problem is Wicker falls into a trap that ensnares too much of of the American media these days. Wicker is more concerned with politics and elections than governing. Even in covering politics, Wicker often misses some important threads. For example Wicker takes Bush to task for not constantly remaining a Republican in the line of Nelson Rockefeller and Wendall Wilkie or even his father, Sen. Prescott Bush. Fair enough. But Bush was not on the political stage in Connecticut in the 1950s and Wicker simply does not choose to recognize a number of different factors. For better or worse, in his time on the political stage, Bush changed but so did the nation. Wicker simply can not or will not recognize how fluid the nation was in the later half of the twentieth century and how economic, social and demographic changes greatly reshaped American politics.

This is not to say that the book is mere partisan screed or is useless. Wicker offers an excellent and concise account of Bush's unlikely rise in Texas politics and even his first moments in the national political spotlight (such as his tenure as RNC chair). But Wicker simply fails when his subject becomes VP and President. Those are the key years of any look at George H.W. Bush and it is where Wicker drops the ball.

A brief overview of our 41st President.
Well, I think Wicker is a little down on our 41st President.Wicker describes Bush Senior as the person that would do anything to get elected.He also states that Bush had few convictions or beliefs.I will echo what previous reviewers have already said, journalism is sometimes not good history.My own opinion is that Bush Senior was probably a better President than the two men who followed him.However, historians will determine that and not some skeptical New York journalist.

The summary history of George H. W. Bush was nice but brief (excepting the critical remarks).The reader will get an overview history of Bush Senior in this book.

Light intellectual reading, politically factual with jokes
I always consider George Herbert Walker Bush the original President Bush, but I prefer to think of him as a person with a clandestine history that has been hidden on a more ominous level, as a prime character, along with Jack Ruby, James Jesus Angleton, E. Howard Hunt, and David Atlee Phillips in PLAUSIBLE DENIAL by Mark Lane, an investigation of the question:Was the CIA involved in the assassination of JFK?In the case of the original President Bush, the success of some of his children is the most obvious evidence that America is currently being ruled by children of the people who killed President Kennedy.Tom Wicker is not so outrageously opposed to the undercover aspects of modern despicabilities, but he is capable of considering plenty of deep doo-doo on the question of whether the original George Bush was a wimp, as implied by the cover of the October 11, 1987 `Newsweek' which is quoted as saying, "George Bush:Fighting the Wimp Image."(p. 86).There is no index for the Penguin Life series book, GEORGE HERBERT WALKER BUSH by Tom Wicker, but source notes on pages 221-228 reveal books with many details to support Wicker's observations.

Not everyone in America has been paying close attention to the personality factors that are deemed important in modern politics.With a majority of the voting citizens being capable of putting anyone they choose into the presidency, and people they hardly know into every other position, intellectuals are in an absurd position of trying to find ideas that correspond to events which are much too complex to conform to easy explanations.Huge amounts of money, a trillion here, a trillion there, are still considered significant in trying to frame political arguments, but few people can articulate any basis for expecting such huge amounts of money to materialize.In the case of the Bush family, much of their wealth followed the formation of Zapata Petroleum, which paid $850,000 to lease land in Coke County, Texas, resulting in seventy-one oil wells pumping more than a thousand barrels of oil a day by the end of 1953.(p. 12).Bush had enough money to join a partnership that opened the Commercial Bank and Trust Company.In 1958 Bush became president of Zapata Offshore and went into undersea drilling.(pp. 12-13).

Tom Wicker hardly appreciates the satisfaction which becomes a part of the life of those people who are where the smart money is and who expect politics to be a continuation of social structures in which they have been successful.But most people don't measure up to the high standards of Skull and Bones, the CIA, or American foreign policy as conducted from the Oval Office.Tom Wicker has a depth of intellectual background which relies mainly on skepticism about policy assertions to arrive at behind-the-scenes explanations.A few things became public in instant headlines, such as Barbara Bush saying, "that four million dollar ----- I can't say it but it rhymes with rich" (p. 672) in 1984 when "Bush resented the fact that reporters then began to search his tax records," (p. 71).Wicker reports that the Mondale-Ferraro ticket lost by an electoral count of 525 to 13, without repeating the `Where's the beef?' line harped on by Walter Mondale, who was sure tax increases would be needed to avoid trillions of national debt now partly funded by baby boomer Social Security contributions that are considered worthless i.o.u.s in the Oval Office.

On the ragged edges of GEORGE HERBERT WALKER BUSH, there is little doubt that competent people can engage in meritorious service to a common cause.Bush was brilliant as chairman of the Republican National Committee who showed up at a cabinet meeting on August 6, 1974 and "Nixon did not call on him, but Bush spoke up anyway.Watergate was the vital question, he said; it was sapping public confidence in the president, the party, the economy, the country as a whole.Therefore Nixon should resign, the party chairman told the president to his face--while the cabinet and others present sat in shocked silence."(p. 35).People listening to tapes could hear Nixon agreeing to `Bob Haldeman's cover-up plan for the FBI to stay out of a supposed "national security" incident.'(Note, p. 34).Senators like Barry Goldwater realized that Nixon could lose an impeachment battle on August 6, so Bush was capable of stating an obvious conclusion precisely when it needed to be acknowledged.Opinions among those who have been sampling deep doo-doo recently now differ mainly on what form the next disgrace to preside in the Oval Office will turn out to be.

Weak and Condescending
I found this book to be a mere thumbnail sketch of Bush's long service to America, and I found its tone insulting.Wicker constantly derides Bush for his geniality, his many friendships, and for his constant `thank you' notes. I guess the brusque Nixon to Wicker is `one of us', while the polite Bush isn't. Doesn't that say more about Wicker than it does about Bush?

Though Bush was a World War II veteran, a Congressman, a Senate nominee, Ambassador to the United Nations, Envoy to China, GOP Chairman, Director of the CIA, Vice President and President, Wicker seems to think that Bush was merely all `resume', and because he was so `nice' he was easy to lift, with his successes merely a result of the patronage of the powerful (mainly presidents.)What Wicker fails to understand is that Bush was appointed to those positions of power prior to the presidency because he is a man of intelligence and skill capable to preside over entire organizations with style and class.

Wicker grudgingly gives some credit to Bush for his leadership during the Gulf War, but not nearly enough. And Bush's expertise in foreign policy is dismissed by Wicker, who thinks that Bush merely stood back and allowed events to occur, thus giving a sense of `calm'.(Anyone seeking a real understanding of Bush's contribution to foreign policy should read the book he co-authored with Brent Scowcroft, `A World Transformed.)

In conclusion, I don't recommend this book at all. I could have put up with the condescension if it at least provided some sort of depth, but this book is unbelievably shallow.
... Read more

Product Description
This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

Product Description
1903. The substance of these chapters was delivered as a course of lectures at Harvard University, Dartmouth and Wellesley Colleges, Western reserve University, the University of California, and the Twentieth Century Club of Boston. Contents: double aspect of goodness; misconceptions of goodness; self-consciousness; self-direction; self-development; self-sacrifice; nature and spirit; three stages of goodness. ... Read more

Product Description
Publisher: DowPublication date: 1842Subjects: ClergyPastoral theologyReligion / Christianity / AnglicanReligion / Christian Ministry / Pastoral ResourcesReligion / ClergyReligion / Christian Church / GeneralReligion / Christian Church / HistorySocial Science / Sociology / RuralNotes: This is an OCR reprint. There may be typos or missing text. There are no illustrations or indexes.When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. You can also preview the book there. ... Read more

Product Description
Little Wars; a game for boys from twelve years of age to one hundred and fifty and for that more intelligent sort of girl who likes boys' games and books. is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by H. G. (Herbert George) Wells is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of H. G. (Herbert George) Wells then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Little Wars: a charming classic
This is a charming introduction to the "Little Wars" miniature wargame invented by H.G. Wells.A must for anyone who plays wargames.

On a psychological level, it is interesting that Wells champions "Little Wars" as a replacement for the real thing. It appears never to have occurred to him that playing miniature wargames may have something to do with perpetuating and validating the use of force to resolve conflicts.

A few minuses:

the text contains references to the illustrations in the original book. They are not in the Kindle edition, which is an unfortunate gap, as they are no doubt enjoyable.

there is no active TOC.

only the first two chapters and the last chapter are of general interest; the remainder is made up of the rules for Little Wars, which have been superseded by far more elaborate rules for modern wargamers. ... Read more