The Borodins

A full century has passed since the sudden and tragically premature demise of Aleksandr Porfir'evich Borodin in 1887 at the age of 53, when he was following with phenomenal success the disparate careers of musician, composer, organic chemist, and pioneer in women's medical education. As a unique figure among the remarkable group of geniuses who suddenly appeared in Russia in the middle of the last century and explosively propelled that country into the mainstream of world culture in the arts, humanities, and sciences, it might have been expected that Borodin was the object of much research. There is no doubt that the Russian contribution to the amazing development of structural chemistry in the last century has tended to be underplayed, while that in the rest of Europe has received much more attention. One wonders, in particular, whether Borodin's name might not have appeared in the chemical pantheon, as have those of Mendeleev, Markovnikov, Menshutkin, and many other Russians, if the aldol condensation, which he was the first to discover and investigate, had been named the Borodin condensation. Straightening out the record is important; Figurovskii and Solov'ev's biography does much in this respect. Just as meritorious have been the scholarly and exhaustive efforts of Professors Charlene Steinberg and George B. Kauffman, who have made the Russian text accessible to the Western world in their accurate and engrossing translation.

The Imperial Laboratory tells the story of the lives and studies of the leading Russian and German clinician-experimenters who played critical roles in the integration of physics and chemistry into physiology and clinical medicine. A principal theme is the major transformations undergone in military medicine and education. Using a wide range of Russian and German primary sources, this book offers a unique English-language insight into Russian physiology and medicine.

Egor, in his late 20's, prepares to embark on a whirlwind journey that will see him traveling halfway across the world to see his family for the first time in over 23 years, including a reunion with his estranged Father Alik that his Mother Alena did her best to take him away from. She practically kidnaps Egor from Alik all those years ago. Seated on the plane as it prepares to take off, Egor begins to reminiscence his childhood. From the day he was born in Soviet Ukraine, a big family surrounded him. Along the way, he and other family members from his mother's side recount their struggles in fleeing the former USSR as refugees, after Chernobyl catastrophe struck in 1986. Constantly in transit, Egor's family have found themselves at most turbulent time in history - the late 1980's, as the family goes through refugee processes in Austria, next - in Italy, where they're facing hardships, and on the way injustice. After almost a year of being in constant transit, Egor's family finally arrive in Australia. There in a foreign land - 'down under' Egor and his family have started a new life from scratch.

MAKE A SOUND INVESTMENT IN CLASSICAL MUSIC Who are the ten most important classical composers? Who in the world was Palestrina? Why did Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring" cause a riot? Which five of each important composer's works should you buy? What is a concerto and how does it differ from a sonata? Maybe you don't know the answers to these questions; author Phil Goulding certainly didn't. When Goulding first tried to learn about classical music, he found himself buried in an avalanche of technical terms and complicated jargon--so he decided to write the book he couldn't find. The result is a complete classical music education in one volume. Comprehensive, discriminating, and delightfully irreverent, Classical Music provides such essential information as: * Rankings of the top 50 composers (Bach is #1. Borodin is #50) * A detailed and anecdotal look at each composer's life and work * The five primary works of each composer and specific recommended CDs for each. * Further great works of each composer--if you really like him * Concise explanations of musical terminology, forms, and periods * A guide to the parts and history of the symphony orchestra "This book uses every conceivable gimmick to immerse readers in the richness of classical music: lists, rankings, sidebars devoted to lively anecdotes, and catchy leads." --The Washington Post "One terrific music appreciation book...The information is surprisingly detailed but concisely presented. Goulding's writing style is breezy yet mature....[He] has raised music appreciation from a racket to a service." --The Arizona Daily Star

“SIEGE is a welcome find, the characters cleverly drawn . . . It is cynical, humorous, violent, and Byzantine. In other words., it admirably reflects the current world state of affairs.” —Baltimore Sun A PIECE OF THE ROCK Gibraltar-there's no way it can be taken, it's impregnable. Until a group of terrorists infiltrate the stronghold and take the 20,000 British subjects hostage. Freeing them becomes the job of the CIA's James Burlane and Ella Nidech. They get a lot of help they don't need and some they may not be able to do without: After all, as long as the apes remain on Gibraltar, the English will rule.... "Wonderfully entertaining" —St. Louis Post-Dispatch "Smooth and fast . . . Accomplished juggler that he is, Hoyt keeps everything in the air and in suspense to a slam-dunk finish!” —Seattle Times-Post-Intelligencer "Well written, delightful . . . shouldn't be missed. Enthusiastically recommended" —Library Journal "Pure fun from beginning to end!” —United Press International

Throughout history, many doctors have worked outside the occupation for which they were originally trained. Not Your Ordinary Doctor reveals sixty such medical truants who found fame in fields other than medicine. Meet Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's inspiration for Sherlock Holmes; cringe as Stalin tortures each of his eight doctors; follow John Keats, who abandons medicine to pursue his literary career. Within these pages are doctors who attended rulers such as Elizabeth I, Napoleon and Alexander the Great; artists, musicians and writers such as Somerset Maugham and Anton Chekhov; sporting heroes and adventurers including W.G. Grace and Che Guevara; and on a darker note, mass murderers like Hastings Banda and Buck Ruxton. Not Your Ordinary Doctor is a titillating collection filled with historical curiosities, fascinating whimsy and fresh speculation. These stories are by turns heroic and absurd, dazzling and ghoulish, inspired and tragic and, in the hands of master storyteller Jim Leavesley, never dull.

A guide to series fiction lists popular series, identifies novels by character, and offers guidance on the order in which to read unnumbered series.

Shostakovich: A Life Remembered is a unique study of the great composer, drawn from the reminiscences and reflections of his contemporaries. Elizabeth Wilson sheds light on the composer's creative process and his working life in music, and examines the enormous and enduring influence that Shostakovich has had on Soviet musical life.'The one indispensable book about the composer.' New York Times