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The Family Kitchen Gardener contains plain and accurate descriptions (ca 1847) of all the different species and varieties of specifically American culinary vegetables, fruit, and herbs in alphabetical order. It includes the best mode of cultivating, propagating, and managing them in the garden or under glass, and a description of the best implements used in maintaining such gardens.(Summary by BellonaTimes)...

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“Thou hast the keys of Paradise, O just, subtle, and mighty Opium!” Though apparently presenting the reader with a collage of poignant memories, temporal digressions and random anecdotes, the Confessions is a work of immense sophistication and certainly one of the most impressive and influential of all autobiographies. The work is of great appeal to the contemporary reader, displaying a nervous (postmodern?) self-awareness, a spiralling obsession with the enigmas of its own composition and significance. De Quincey may be said to scrutinise his life, somewhat feverishly, in an effort to fix his own identity. The title seems to promise a graphic exposure of horrors; these passages do not make up a large part of the whole. The circumstances of its hasty composition sets up the work as a lucrative piece of sensational journalism, albeit published in a more intellectually respectable organ – the London Magazine – than are today’s tawdry exercises in tabloid self-exposure. What makes the book technically remarkable is its use of a majestic neoclassical style applied to a very romantic species of confessional writing - self-reflexive but a...

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Memoirs

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The history of the judges of Israel. (Summary by Joy Chan)

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Religion

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The Journal of Submarine Commander Von Forstner is a graphic account of WWI submarine warfare. Forstner was the commander of German U-boat U-28. His journal, first published 1916, gives a gritty picture of daily life inside a submarine and details several torpedo attacks on Allied shipping. The 1917 translation of Forstner’s journal into English was unquestionably intended to bolster the Allied war effort. In the foreword, the translator states: “Nothing at the present day has aroused such fear as this invisible enemy, nor has anything outraged the civilized world like the tragedies caused by the German submarines.” This audio read of Forstner’s journal was prompted by a tour of a captured WWII German U-505 submarine, which is a prime draw at Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry. The sub’s interior is not for claustrophobics--a hunkered maze of pipes and valves, banks of engines and batteries that leave very little room for humans. Particularly arresting are the sleeping quarters--bunks cozy’d up with the 15 foot long torpedoes. (Introduction by Sue Anderson)...

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Adventure, History, Memoirs, Sea stories, War stories

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Fenimore Cooper - author of The Deerslayer , The Last of the Mohicans , etc - has often been praised, but just as often been criticised for his writing. Mark Twain wrote a funny, vicious little essay on the subject, in which he states: In one place in 'Deerslayer,' and in the restricted space of two-thirds of a page, Cooper has scored 114 offences against literary art out of a possible 115. (Summary by Gesine)...

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Satire

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A guide for women to complement their dress to their surroundings, be it in their own home, on outings or on stage. (Summary by Julie VW)

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Advice

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In seinen 17 Malerbriefen geht Wilhelm Ostwald in leicht verständlicher Weise auf die Physikalischen (Optik) und Chemischen (Pigmente, Bindemittel) Seiten der malerischen Techniken ein. Er bespricht das Pastell, Aquarell, Guasch, Fresco, Tempera und die Ölmalerei; erklärt die Wirkung von Lichtbrechung und Reflektion einzelner Farben im Zusammenspiel mit den unterschiedlichen Bindemitteln und den verschiedenen Malgründen. Nebenbei gibt er auch noch einige Rezepte zur einfachen Herstellen eigener Farben preis. Abschließend wird noch die Physiologische Seite der Malerischen Techniken angesprochen, indem auf die Darstellung subjektiver Erscheinungen (Blendwirkungen, Nachbilder) eingegangen wird. (Wassermann)...

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Art

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A lecture on the art of fiction, given by the English critic Walter Besant on April 25, 1884, and an answer to the lecture by American writer Henry James in the same year. (Summary by Julie VW)...

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Literature

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Manuel du Droit Commercial, à l'usage des gens ruinés, des solliciteurs, des surnumérateurs, des employés réformés et de tous les consommateurs sans argent. Par feu mon oncle, Professeur Emérite. Précédé d'une notice biographique sur l'auteur. Le tout publié par son neveu.

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Humor

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Das Evangelium nach Johannes ist das vierte Buch des Neuen Testaments und eines der vier kanonischen Evangelien. Wie alle Evangelien enthält es einen Bericht über das Leben Jesu von Nazareth, weicht jedoch in der Art der Darstellung und in seinem theologischen Charakter deutlich von den drei synoptischen Evangelien (Matthäus, Markus, Lukas) ab. The Gospel of John is the fourth book of the New Testament and one of the four canonical gospels. Like the other gospels, it narrates the life and the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, but significantly differs from the three synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke) in its way of description and in its theological character. (Introduction by Wikipedia and Al-Kadi)...

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Religion

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On the Trail of Don Quixote is an engaging 1890’s “record of rambles in the Ancient Province of La Mancha” by two artist friends, French author August Jaccaci and Spanish illustrator Daniel Vierge. “Both lovers of the book wherein are recounted the adventures of the good Knight and of his faithful Squire,” as Jaccaci explains, the two men set out to record -Jaccaci in evocative prose, and Vierge in pen and ink drawings - their exploration of the landmarks of Cervantes’ “immortal romance.” Argamasilla, the Cave of Montesinos, Ruidera, the windmills at Crijitano, and the rugged mountain pass of Despeñaperros are among the places Jaccaci and Vierge visited, tramping on foot, or jolting along by mule cart, accompanied in the back country by armed Guardias Civiles. In the 1890’s, before super highways and tourists, Jaccaci could write: “it is incredible how few changes have taken place in the home of the hero since the days of his wanderings. The customs, the character, the manner of dress, and the speech of its inhabitants, have remained practically unchanged . . .” This is a relaxing read for anyone who enjoys good travel books. (Intro...

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Travel

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This 1922 book by poet and sometime cultural critic Vachel Lindsay might have been the first to treat the then-new medium of moving pictures as an art form, one that was potentially as rich, complex, mysterious as far older ones, and whose physical and aesthetic properties were only starting to be understood. The highlight of the book might be “The Motion Picture of Fairy Splendor,” which examines the relationship between film storytelling, magic, myths, legends and bedtime stories. It’s discombobulating, in a good way, to read Lindsay’s attempts to grapple with what, precisely, cinema is. Being supposedly sophisticated 21st century people, we all feel as though we know what cinema is, and don’t need to have the basics explained to us, but this is really just vanity and ignorance talking. Bottom line: You haven’t really, seriously thought about movies — what they are, and what they can and cannot do, and become — until you’ve read this book. (Salon.com)...

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Art

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A charming brief account of a two months' autumnal stay on the shores of the Lake of Geneva. Howells, who was there with his family traveling from England to Italy, has a sharp eye not only for scenery and architecture, but for people and customs, both Swiss and foreign. (Summary by Nicholas Clifford)...

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Travel

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The golden section is a line segment sectioned into two according to the golden ratio. The total length a+b is to the longer segment a as a is to the shorter segment b. In mathematics and the arts, two quantities are in the golden ratio if the ratio between the sum of those quantities and the larger one is the same as the ratio between the larger one and the smaller. The golden ratio is a mathematical constant, approximately 1.6180339887.... At least since the Renaissance, many artists and architects have proportioned their works to approximate the golden ratio—especially in the form of the golden rectangle, in which the ratio of the longer side to the shorter is the golden ratio—believing this proportion to be aesthetically pleasing. Mathematicians have studied the golden ratio because of its unique and interesting properties. (From Wikipedia)...

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Science

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This is Mark Twain's vicious and amusing review of Fenimore Cooper's literary art. It is still read widely in academic circles. Twain's essay, Fenimore Cooper's Literary Offenses (often spelled Offences) (1895), particularly criticized The Deerslayer and The Pathfinder. Twain wrote at the beginning of the essay: 'In one place in Deerslayer, and in the restricted space of two-thirds of a page, Cooper has scored 114 offenses against literary art out of a possible 115. It breaks the record.' Twain listed 19 rules 'governing literary art in domain of romantic fiction', 18 of which Cooper violates in The Deerslayer. (Introduction by Wikipedia and John Greenman)...

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Essay/Short nonfiction

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“Extreme busyness…is a symptom of deficient vitality; and a faculty for idleness implies a catholic appetite and a strong sense of personal identity.” What comforting words for the idle among us! Like many of the best essayists, Stevenson is very much the genial fireside companion: opinionated, but never malicious; a marvellous practitioner of the inclusive monologue. In this collection of nine pieces he discusses the art of appreciating unattractive scenery, traces the complex social life of dogs, and meditates in several essays upon the experience of reading literature and writing it. Perhaps his most personal passages concern death and mortality. Here we meet him at his most undogmatically optimistic, as he affirms a wholesome faith in “the liveableness of Life”. (Summary by Martin Geeson)...

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Essay/Short nonfiction

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History Of Egypt, Chaldæa, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria is the masterwork of one of the fathers of modern egyptology. This work, in twelve volumes, was translated from the French original, “Histoire ancienne des peuples de l'Orient classique” and published in 1903-1904. Maspero was a largely self-taught master of hieroglyphic translation. In November 1880, he was placed at the head of a French archeological mission, which developed later into the Institut Français d’Archéologie Orientale. Maspero then succeeded Mariette as director-general of excavations and of the antiquities of Egypt. “Aware that his reputation was then more as a linguist than an archaeologist, Maspero's first work in the post was to build on Mariette's achievements at Saqqara. He expanded their scope from the early Old Kingdom to the later, with particular interest in tombs with long and complete hieroglyphic inscriptions that could help illustrate the development of the Egyptian language. Selecting five later Old Kingdom tombs, he was successful in that aim, finding over 4000 lines of hieroglyphics which were then sketched and photographed. “As an aspect of his...

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History

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History Of Egypt, Chaldæa, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria is the masterwork of one of the fathers of modern egyptology. This work, in twelve volumes, was translated from the French original, “Histoire ancienne des peuples de l'Orient classique” and published in 1903-1904. Maspero was a largely self-taught master of hieroglyphic translation. In November 1880, he was placed at the head of a French archeological mission, which developed later into the Institut Français d’Archéologie Orientale. Maspero then succeeded Mariette as director-general of excavations and of the antiquities of Egypt. “Aware that his reputation was then more as a linguist than an archaeologist, Maspero's first work in the post was to build on Mariette's achievements at Saqqara. He expanded their scope from the early Old Kingdom to the later, with particular interest in tombs with long and complete hieroglyphic inscriptions that could help illustrate the development of the Egyptian language. Selecting five later Old Kingdom tombs, he was successful in that aim, finding over 4000 lines of hieroglyphics which were then sketched and photographed. “As an aspect of his...

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History

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The Art of Public Speaking by Dale Carnegie and Joseph B. Esenwein is a manual for people who have to speak in public, and it is still in use today. Whether the occasion in question is sharing travel experiences with friends, a toast for newly-weds, or a public debate, the tips and tricks collected in this book will come handy anywhere. The book describes how to make effective use of one's voice and gestures, how to gain and convey confidence in front of a large audience, and which methods to use to convert the listeners to one's own cause. Each chapter contains examples and a list of practice exercises. The last 15 sections are real speeches by famous men to function as a study aid. (Summary by Availle)...

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Instruction, Advice

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Vom Gyps und vom Stucco ist eine Anleitung zur Herstellung von Gypsfiguren, nebst benötigter Formen, sowie zur Imitation des Marmors mittels Gyps, nebst leicht begreiflich dargestellter Anweisung zur Verfertigung verschiedenfarbiger Gründe. Vom Gyps und vom Stucco ist der erste Teil des Buches Die Verfertigung der Gypsfiguren und des Gypmarmors, für Maurer und Tüncher sowie die Darstellung der Kupferfiguren durch Galvanoplastik erscheinen 1848 in Weimar im Verlag B. Fried. Voigt. Die zugehörigen Abbildungen (Figuren) befinden sich auf dem CD-Cover (im Format für eine transparente DVD-Hülle). (Zusammenfassung von Carl Schmied und Wassermann)...

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Art, Instruction