Wednesday, February 28, 2018

Review: Ouran High School Host Club (Volume One) by Bisco Hatori

Synopsis: One day, Haruhi, a scholarship student at exclusive Ouran High School, breaks an $80,000 vase that belongs to the 'Host Club', a mysterious campus group consisting of six super-rich (and gorgeous) guys. To pay back the damages, she is forced to work for the club, and it's there that she discovers just how wealthy the boys are and how different they are from everybody else. (from the online description)

Review: After seeing the anime, I knew I had to read the Manga. It’s amazing how alike they are. Remarkable faithful to the mange, the anime captures all the same wit, humor, warmth, and depth. This volume is the first three episodes of the anime and covers the introduction of Haruhi to the Host Club and her subsequent indentured servitude to them. With fun, clean art and hilarious dialogue, this manga is a perfect start to this fun story. If you are looking for a fun, warm, humorous, heart-felt story, this is the one for you!

Bookmarks: 4 of 5

Awards: None

ISBN: 978-1-59116-915-4
Year Published: 2005
Date Finished: 2-24-2018
Pages: 150

Tuesday, February 27, 2018

Review: Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence (The Broken Empire, Book One)

Synopsis: When he was nine, he watched as his mother and brother were killed before him By the time he was thirteen, he was the leader of a band of bloodthirsty thugs. By fifteen, he intends to be kind.
It is time for Prince Honorous Jorg Ancrath to return to the castle he turned his back on, t take what’s rightfully his. Since the day he hung pinned on the thorns of a briar patch and watched Count Renar’s men slaughter his Mother and younger brother, Jorg has been driven to vent his rage. Life and Death are no more than a game to him – and he has nothing left to lose.
But treachery awaits him in his Father’s castle. Treachery and Dark Magic. No matter how fierce his will, can one young man conquer enemies with power beyond his imagining? (from the back of the book)

Review: Recommend to me by several people when I asked about Grimdark books, I found Lawrence's novel compelling, bloody, and dark, indeed. Our narrator, Jorg, is unreliable, his mind and body twisted by dark deeds forced upon his hidden dark soul. I greatly appreciated his cunning, clever, ruthless mind, and his dedication to his goals.
It took me several chapters to realize the world is a post-apocalyptic earth, somewhere in Europe. Scant remnants of the world before the Day of a Thousand Suns remain but have direct impact on the life of the characters. But there is also magic, dark and deadly. I’m intrigue to know how magic factors in the nature of the world, whether it is truly Magic or some form of Science called magic.
Even with compelling characters, it took me a few chapters to get into the story. Perhaps it was my mood or frame of mind when I picked up the book, but I almost put it down after the first chapter. I’m glad I didn’t. The plot picks up quickly and soon became addicting
I would recommend this for anyone who enjoys anti-heroes, heroes with no morals, all good deeds being punished, ruthless actions perpetrated by even more ruthless men, and world-building extraordinaire. I’m eager to read the remaining two books. 

Bookmarks: 4 of 5

Awards: Finalist in the Goodreads Choice Award for "Best Fantasy 2011", a David Gemmell Morningstar Award Finalist in 2012, Short Listed for the Prix Imaginales (Roman étranger) in 2013, Barnes & Noble's "Best Fantasy Releases of 2011

ISBN: 978-1-937007-68-3
Year Published: 2011
Date Finished: 2-17-2018
Pages: 319


Monday, February 26, 2018

Review: Sakura's Cherry Blossoms by Robert Paul Weston and Misa Sakuri

Synopsis: Sakura's dad gets a new job in America, so she and her parents make the move from their home in Japan. When she arrives in the States, most of all she misses her grandmother and the cherry blossom trees, under which she and her grandmother used to play and picnic. She wonders how she'll ever feel at home in this new place, with its unfamiliar language and landscape. One day, she meets her neighbor, a boy named Luke, and begins to feel a little more settled. When her grandmother becomes ill, though, her family takes a trip back to Japan. Sakura is sad when she returns to the States and once again reflects on all she misses. Luke does his best to cheer her up -- and tells her about a surprise he knows she'll love, but she'll have to wait till spring. In the meantime, Sakura and Luke's friendship blooms and finally, when spring comes, Luke takes her to see the cherry blossom trees flowering right there in her new neighborhood (from the online description)

Review: Told through a series of poems in the Tanka style, a traditional Japanese poem similar to a Haiku but with two additional lines, this sweet story tells of young Sakura as she moves from Japan to America. She leaves behind her Grandma and the time spent under the cherry trees. At first, America is confusing and lonely, but time eases both of these things - except the she misses her Grandma. The end is bittersweet, but real, and gives the book a depth and maturity. The use of traditional Japanese poetry combined with the soft, cheerful, drawings make this a sweet and gentle book with surprising depth. I would highly recommend for children, particularly those missing a loved one or who find themselves facing changes in their life. It is also an excellent introduction to the art and poetry of Japan, in an easy to grasp way. I highly recommend this for parents and educators. 

Note: I received this book free through the Early Review Program hosted by LibraryThing, in exchange for my fair and honest opinion

Bookmarks: 4.5 of 5

Awards: None

ISBN: 978-1-101-91874-6
Year Published: 2018
Date Finished: 2-16-2018
Pages: 33

Friday, February 23, 2018

Review: Keesha's House by Helen Frost

Synopsis: Keesha has found a safe place to live, and other kids gravitate to her house when they just can’t make it on their own. They are Stephie – pregnant, trying to make the right decisions for herself and those she cares about; Jason – Stephie’s boyfriend, torn between his responsibility to Stephie and the baby and the promise of a college basketball career; Dontay – in foster care while his parents are in prison, feeling unwanted both inside and outside the system; Carmen – arrested on a DUI charge, waiting in a juvenile detention center for a judge to hear her case; Harris – disowned by his father after disclosing that he’s gay, living in his car, and taking care of himself; Katie – angry at her mother’s loyalty to an abusive stepfather, losing herself in long hours of work and school. (from the online description)

Review: Told from many viewpoints, each character's story is told through poems - specifically the classical forms of Sonnet and the Sestina. Not just the main characters speak, but also the adults surrounding them - parents, coaches, social workers, teachers, guardians. Keesha found safety and stability in the house own by a man named Joe (who lets troubled kids stay at his home without payment or official sanction). She reaches out to others, kids like herself, those whose home and life have crumbled around them, who need a place to stay. Each comes with their pain, their own fear, their own troubles, and each find the healing and safety they need at Keesha's House.
While most of the story is through the eyes of the kids, there is a part told through the eyes of the adults. This gives the story a unique depth, helping the reader to see the parents as more then just stock characters. Instead, it speaks to the frequent communication issues between adults and children, and reminds us that adults are often as lost as the kids they try to guide. While race and gender are touched upon, the real topic is the idea of hope, help, and healing.
Because of the format and subject matter, this book is a excellent choice for educational purposes. I would recommend it for high school students (and mature middle school age). There is reference to sex (both consensual and non), abuse, abortion, homosexuality, drugs, and crime, but all in passing (no gory details), and isn't anything that teenagers don't already have detailed knowledge about.
For my part, I found this book enlightening, educational, thought-provoking, and bittersweet. I highly recommend.

Bookmarks: 4.5 of 5

Awards:  Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year, 2004, Michael L. Printz Honor Award, 2004, YALSA's "Selected Videos, DVDs, and Audiobooks For Young Adults", 2005

ISBN: 0-374-34064-1
Year Published: 2003
Date Finished: 2-16-2018
Pages: 116

Thursday, February 22, 2018

Review: Revolutionary Medicine: 1700-1800 by C. Keith Wilbur, M.D.

Synopsis: In 1775, when the staggering medical crisis known at the Revolutionary War exploded, less than 12 percent of the colonies practicing physicians held a medical degree. And those few awarded one had gradated without ever seeing a patient.
Here are their struggles, their strategies, their odd treatments, and their theories. From makeshift ambulances and wigwam hospitals to herbal drugs and “cookbook” doctoring, this fascinating chronicle of the crusade against disease underscored the ingeniousness of America’s most daring fighting men. (from the back of the book) 

Review: Using a script-like font, the author takes the reader through an overview of medical practices used during the American Revolution. Touching on physician education and recruitment, military organization, transportation, hospitals, diseased, tools, medicines, treatment, and aftermath, this is a comprehensive, albeit shallow, summary. Pictures of the tools and treatments augment the text.
The drawbacks are two-fold: First the font can be difficult to read and the pictures are black and white.
It is important to note this is NOT an in-depth compendium of colonial medicine, but serves best as an introduction or supplement to studies about the Revolutionary War. You will need to look elsewhere for deeper study.
For my purposes though, which were to augment my collection of books about Revolutionary books, this is an excellent addition. It would be particularly good for school or educational purposes, as it isn’t gory or bloody, while still being truthful about the conditions, diseases, and treatments used during the time. Altogether, a good book. 

Bookmarks: 3.5 of 5

Awards: None

ISBN: 0-7627-0139-0
Year Published: 1997
Date Finished: 2-16-18
Pages: 88

Wednesday, February 21, 2018

Review: Sweet Bean Paste by Durian Sukegawa

Synopsis: Sentaro has failed: he has a criminal record, drinks too much, and hasn’t managed to fulfill his dream of becoming a writer. Instead, he works in a confectionery shop selling dorayaki, a type of pancake filled with a sweet paste made of red beans. With only the blossoming of the cherry trees to mark the passing of time, he spends his days listlessly filling the pastries. Until one day an elderly, handicapped woman enters the shop. Tokue makes the best bean paste imaginable, and begins to teach Sentaro her art. But as their friendship flourishes, societal prejudices become impossible to escape, in this quietly devastating novel about the burden of the past and the redemptive power of friendship. (from the online description)

Review: With a sweet depth and surprisingly emotion, Sukegawa takes the reader on a sweet journey through redemption and friendship. Sentaro’s days are long and lonely, filled with tasteless bean paste and alcohol. Until Tokue comes. With her bent fingers and savant knowledge of sweet bean paste, she transforms Sentaro, and later a young school girl, with her kindness and her story.
With simple prose, Sukegawa draws the reader in to the complex lives of the characters. Each character is in need of redemption from their past sins and from the despair that covers them.
It’s hard to classify this book. It’s a gentle read, soft on the spirit but touching to the heart. There is a touch of bitterness to it, as well. Not all things work out, as in real life. But Hope, well, hope comes again, like the Cherry Blossoms in Spring.  
Worth reading, in particular if you find yourself in a place where you need a bit of hope. Drink with a soft soul and a fragrant cup of tea. 

Bookmarks: 3.5 of 5

Awards: None

ISBN: 978-1-78607-195-8
Year Published: 2013 (Trans. in 2017)
Date Finished: 2-11-2018
Pages: 216

Tuesday, February 20, 2018

Review: Stuff Christians Like by Jonathan Acuff

Synopsis: Sometimes, we fall in love on mission trips even though we know we’ll break up when we get back. Sometimes, you have to shot block a friend’s prayer because she’s asking God to bless an obviously bad dating relationship. Sometimes, you think, “I wish I had a t-shirt that said ‘I direct deposit my tithe’ so people wouldn’t judge me.” Sometimes, the stuff that comes with faith is funny. This is that stuff. Jonathan Acuff’s Stuff Christians Like is your field guide to all things Christian. In it you’ll learn the culinary magic of the crock-pot. Think you’ve got a Metro worship leader—Use Acuff’s checklist. Want to avoid a prayer handholding faux pas? Acuff has you covered. Like a satirical grenade, Acuff brings us the humor and honesty that galvanized more than a million online readers from more than 200 countries in a new portable version. Welcome to the funny side of faith. (from the online description)

Review: As someone raised in church, I found this book both humorous and nostalgic. Much of what the author says I have experienced. Everything for the “side hug”, the “preaching prayer” and the “metro worship leader”.  Acuff offers astute observations about the modern American church, admonishing our behaviors under the guise of pointing out our humorous absurdities.  However, often his humor overshadows the truths and he trivializes many things. His offers humor at the expenses of truth. This lessens the value of his words. The American church would do very well to head much of what he says, but he lacks force behind his words, choosing humor to soften the admonishments. I would prefer a little less humor and more strong words. Having said that, Acuff is an excellent starting point for self-examination and examination of our church. Worth reading, even if it isn’t deep, it still has things to teach.

Bookmarks: 3.5 of 5

Awards: None

ISBN: 978-0-310-31994-8
Year Published: 2010
Date Finished: 2-11-2018
Pages: 207

Sunday, February 18, 2018

Review: Women of Wonder ed. by Pamela Sargent

Synopsis: Gathered by Pamela Sargent, this is a fine collection of short stories written by early female science fiction authors.

Review: Collect with by a deft mind, this collection contains short stories written by women about women. Each stories explores a different intersection of science and the feminine. Sargent's introduction gives an overview of women in science fiction, starting with Mary Shelley and Frankenstein (arguably the first science fiction novel) and moving into the current (for her) rising female authors. Many of those authors are featured here. She spoke about women in the stories, how in the original pulp fiction, why women are shallow damsels or vixens, and how more female authors gives rise to a new heroine, women with brains and purpose. The introduction alone is worth aquiring the book for.

The stories are listed below: The best was the McCraffrey, with the MacLean and the Bradley close behind. Wilhelm's story hit close to home, and something I think our society is only a few science discoveries away from. Yarabro's story told of a horrify future and left me wanting more of the story. The worst, by far, was the Emshwiller. It wasn't even science fiction, as far as I could tell.

The Child Dreams by Sonya Dorman
That Only a Mother by Judith Merril
Contagion by Katherine MacLean
The Wind People by Marion Zimmer Bradley
The Ship Who Sang by Anne McCaffrey
When I Was Miss Dow by Sonya Dorman
The Food Farm by Kit Reed
Baby, You Were Great by Kate Wilhelm
Sex and/or Mr. Morrison by Carol Emshwiller
Vaster Than Empires and More Slow by Ursula K. Le Guin
False Dawn by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
Nobody's Home by Joanna Russ
Of Mist, and Grass, and Sand by Vonda N. McIntyre

Over all, this collection contains a vast array of thought-provoking stories about gender, motherhood, science, and our future. I highly recommend!

Bookmarks: 4.5 of 5

Awards: None (Although many of the stories have won awards)

ISBN: 0-394-71041-x
Year Published: 1974
Date Finished: 2-10-2018
Pages: 285

Monday, February 12, 2018

Review: Raisins in Milk by David Covin

Synopsis: This is a coming of age novel of a Black girl, Ruth-Ann Weathering, born in Mandarin Florida in 1900. It traces events from 1913 – 1920. (from the online description)

Review: In his introduction, Covin stated that Toni Morrison read this manuscript in 1977. He claimed she loved the story but told him the “characters seem thinner and more conventional then they are”. Covin said he spent the intervening years addressing that issue.
Sadly, I don’t think Covin accomplished this. The story follows Ruth-Ann from her girlhood into motherhood. However, she remains flat. We are told she is intelligent, but she never behaves as such. The other characters, with perhaps the exception of Stephen, are caricatures, stereotypes, of characters – the Mammy, the Dominating Mother, the Black Female Healer, the Nice White Family, the Racist White Drunk, the Lynch Mob, the Loyal Black Servant, etc. Stephen as a bit more depth, but only barely, and he stays mostly in-line with the others.
This might have been overcome if the narrative had sense. But it felt more like vignettes, a patchwork of half-formed prose, as if the author could never decide which direction he wished the story  to go. Characters were introduced and given prominent roles in the narrative for a few chapters only to completely disappear. Other characters were introduced as passing names to later surface as pivotal points. This created a disjointed narrative that failed to hold the interest of the reader. Just as you would get into the plot, it would shift, leaving the reader lost.
Additionally, the story made no use of the setting. Covin failed to capture Florida at the turn-of-the-century, or even, Florida at all. This could have taken place in any town in the Deep South with no noticeable change. Good writing makes the setting as vital to the story as any character or plot. Florida is a unique land, strange and magical, that shapes the people who live under her bright burning sun. While I cannot speak to Covin’s life, it felt as if he had never truly been to Florida. He failed to capture to splendid harshness and vast beauty of that land.
Covin’s work never rises about bland mediocrity, settling to use fancy prose and clichéd stereotypes as plot points. He could have done much with the concept, but sadly, even time could not improve the story read by Ms. Morrison so long ago.

Notes: I received this book free as part LibraryThing's Early Review Program, in exchange for my fair and honest opinion

Bookmarks: 2.5 of 5

Awards: None

ISBN: 978-0-9844350-7-4
Year Published: 2018
Date Read: 2-10-2018
Pages: 237

Sunday, February 11, 2018

Review: Evening by Evening by Charles Spurgeon

Synopsis: Written by Charles Spurgeon, these are one page devotions centering on unusual or overlooked verses, often ones we don't consider worth exploring for truth. Spurgeon takes these verses and expands them into profound truths and admonishments.

Review: With his customary directness, Spurgeon offers 365 devotions, meant to be read in the evening, and meditated on as one falls asleep. His words have a strange mix of compassion and harshness. He doesn't mince words - calling us to repent, to leave our sinful ways, and makes no allowance for the disobedience the rules our lives. At the same time, he also offers hope, in the reminder of the saving Love of God and the forgiveness found there. Worth reading, in every sense. I will most likely read this again in a few years.

Bookmarks: 4.5 of 5

Awards: None

ISBN: 0-88368-646-5
Year Published: 1865 (This Edition, updated to modern language, is from 2001)
Date Finished: 2-4-2018
Pages: 375

Thursday, February 8, 2018

Review: StarMother by Sydney J. VanScyoc

Synopsis: Centuries had passed since the first Earth colonies were founded. Evolution had played cruel tricks. The backplanet of Nelding was an especially tragic case. There, an eruption of grotesque mutations had divided the colony into two hostile races. Peace Cadet Jahna came to Nelding to care for mutant infants, and soon found herself the center of a strange sacred rite, the object of both deep veneration and fearful, murderous hatred. Hailed as the bearer of new, healing life by some, vilified as a force of devastation by others - was she the long-awaited deity from the skies, the awesome and legendary StarMother? (from the back of the book)

Review: Interesting world-building and a variety of characters make this book intriguing. Set on a dismal world three centuries after the arrival of human colonist, Jahna comes in response to a mysterious demand from the current inhabitants. VanScyoc does an excellent job of creating a miserable culture, split between the pious settlers and the strange mutations born of them. With only a few paragraphs, VanScyoc can tell what other authors take pages to tell. She does an excellent job of creating tension and mystery, keeping you with the story until the end.
My qualm is the ending. Despite finding out what the big mystery is, the story ends with a feeling of incompleteness , as if there ought to be a sequel or at least, an epilogue. Additionally, VanScyoc used the stock aboriginal character – the grass-hunt dance-to-drums native that appears in much of the action-adventure pulp stories of the 60s and 70s – which makes sense as this was published in 1974. Still, this was a tiresome trope then and it hasn’t improved any.
While I enjoyed the world she built and the mystery (and science) used for the plot, it was somewhat spoiled for due to the above. However, this is a classic vintage science fiction novel, with a female author, and worth reading for the story and the history. 

Bookmarks: 3 of 5

Awards: None

ISBN: 425-03345-7
Year Published: 1974
Date Finished: 1-29-2018
Pages: 216

Wednesday, February 7, 2018

Review: The Sioux Spaceman by Andre Norton

Synopsis: Kade Whitehawk had two strikes against him in the Space Service. First, he had bungled his assignment on the planet Lodi. Second, he believe all creatures had a right to freedom and dignity – and having that such an opinion was strictly against the rules. But when he was assigned to Klor, he found the Ikkinni there  - tortured yet defiant slaves of a vicious tyrant race. Right then Kade swung at the last pitch. For rules or no rules, The Sioux Spaceman knew that he had to help these strange creatures gain their freedom….and that he alone, because of his Indian blood, had the key to win it for them.  (from the back of the book)

Review: This novel has all the adventure, action, mystery and moral-dilemma feel of a pulp science fiction. Kade discovers a people like his own, subjected to horrid oppression by Styor, the ruling species of the galaxy. With the memory of his own people’s history in his mind, he sets out to subvert the Styor rule. In the process, he learns more about the world of Klor, and the human-Styor relationship. Intriguing world-building and a fast-paced plot create an interesting story, despite the somewhat stock characters. Although, considering this was written in 1960, these weren’t exactly stock characters back then.
The author, Andre Norton, is considered one of the great classic science fiction writers. This is my first book of hers. She writes in descriptive language and has a vivid and diverse imagination. However, her stories have a uniqueness that makes me want to read more of her work. Worth the time to read, particularly if you are partial to moral-tinged action-adventure stories.

Bookmarks: 3.5 of 5

Awards: None

ISBN: N/A
Year Published: 1960
Date Finished: 1-21-2018
Pages: 133

Tuesday, February 6, 2018

Review: Memoirs of a Spacewoman by Naomi Mitchison

Synopsis: Establishing communications with aliens has its extraordinary hazards. Imagine negotiating with intellectual super centipedes who enjoy nothing so much as a feast on warm-blooded mammals! Or mediating between  sentient, innocent caterpillars being bullied telepathetically by butterflies. The heroine, the Spacewoman, is a communications expert who ships out on galactic exploration. Through time-blackout, she stays young, her children aging  ahead of her. But she is okay with that – her true love is the exploration of the universe

Review: Told in vignettes of her adventures on different worlds, linked by her interactions with certain people as they age and the science experiment that defines her life and changes her body, the plot is a bit choppy and some parts seem unconnected with the story as a whole. However, it is not intended to be the story of a single event, but the story of her life as a Spacewoman, so it is told as a Memoir. Intriguing world-building and complex moral dilemmas make up for the choppy plot and create an interesting read. Worth the time if you enjoy vintage science fiction set in strange worlds with complex characters.

Bookmarks: 3.5 of 5

Awards: None

ISBN: 425-02345-075h
Year Published: 1962
Date Finished: 1-12-2018
Pages: 176

Monday, February 5, 2018

Review: Watch for the Light: Readings for Advent and Christmas pub. Plough Publishing House

Synopsis: This is a devotional regarding Advent, starting Nov. 24th and ending on Jan. 7th. Mostly comprised of essays or sermons, there is the occasional poem or story.

Review: This is a wide-reaching collection, pulling from many authors (male and female), across continents, countries, eras, and denominations. The entries are poems and essays, and focus on many different aspects of the Christmas story and the Life of Christ.

My favorites were Blumhardt's Action in Waiting (Nov. 24), Britt's Yielding to God (Dec. 9), Yoder's The Original Revolution (Dec. 11), Arnold's Be Not Afraid (Dec. 15), Day's Room for Christ (Dec. 19) and Moltmann's The Disarming Child.

I found this encouraging and thought-provoking. During the Holidays there is often the pressure to Experience God in some deep and meaningful way. But I rarely do. While this book didn't give me some life-altering epiphany,  but I found peace in many of the messages.

Bookmarks: 4 of 5

Awards: None

ISBN: 978-0-87486-917-0
Year Published: 2001
Date Finished: 1-6-2018
Pages: 328

Friday, February 2, 2018

Review: The Halfling and Other Stories by Leigh Brackett

Synopsis: A collection of Science Fiction stories written by Leigh Brackett, collected from popular stories magazine of the late 60s, early 70s. There are Eight Stories total.

Review: Overall, this is an interesting collection of science-fiction tales. Several have a fantasy tone (think, Conan the Barbarian) where the SpaceMan comes to the Primitive Tribes, and most take place on other planets, mostly in our solar system. These stories obviously pre-date the current science which understands there is no life and no way for humans to exist on most of these planets.

My big qualm with the stories is the role of women. All the stories take place from the male viewpoint. Women are either the Villain (Halfling, Venus), the Helper (Citadel, Venus, Gone Forever), or Damsel/Mother (Dancing Girl, Rainbow, Truants). None are the center of the quest or the Doer of Actions. Yes, some are brave and smart, in the case of the Helper, the Hero could not accomplish his Quest without her, but still, the women seem to be always the same - help the hero, sacrifice for the hero, give all for the hero. They are often beautiful and easily available for the hero's pleasure. To my modern mind, this was repugnant. However, in 1973, the active role (rescuing the hero, braving dangers) probably seemed refreshing. Forty-Plus Years makes a huge difference in perception.

Note: In All the Colors of the Rainbow, several characters use the word nigger. This is not used in a positive context, meaning, it is the antagonist who use the phrase, and it is shown to be negative word. In addition, the story centers on racism, which is also shown as a negative ideology. The use of the word is central to the story and not used for shock value.

Bookmarks: Overall: 3 of 5

The Halfling: 2/5
The Dancing Girl of Ganymede: 2.5/5
The Citadel of Lost Ages:  2/5
All the Colors of the Rainbow: 4/5
The Shadows: 3.5/5
Enchantress of Venus: 3/5
The Lake of Gone Forever: 3/5
*The Truants: 2/5

*This story is not included the table of contents or the acknowledgements.

Awards: None

ISBN: N/A
Year Published: 1973
Date Finished: 1-5-2018
Pages: 351