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By: Chesterton, G. K. | |
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The Superstition of Divorce
This short book was written in 1920, and in it Chesterton, with his usual wit and incisive logic, presents a series of articles defending marriage and indicating the weaknesses in divorce. He did this 16 year before the first Christian denomination in the world allowed it’s members to divorce. Till then Christendom was unanimous in standing against it. Chesterton saw clearly the trends of this time, and delivered this defense. | |
By: Christopher Morley (1890-1957) | |
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Mince Pie
Mince Pie is a compilation of humorous sketches, poetry, and essays written by Christopher Morley. Morley sets the tone in the preface: "If one asks what excuse there can be for prolonging the existence of these trifles, my answer is that there is no excuse. But a copy on the bedside shelf may possibly pave the way to easy slumber. Only a mind "debauched by learning" (in Doctor Johnson's phrase) will scrutinize them too anxiously." | |
Shandygaff
A number of most agreeable Inquirendoes upon Life & Letters, interspersed with Short Stories & Skits, the whole most Diverting to the Reader. SHANDYGAFF: a very refreshing drink, being a mixture of bitter ale or beer and ginger-beer, commonly drunk by the lower classes in England, and by strolling tinkers, low church parsons, newspaper men, journalists, and prizefighters. Said to have been invented by Henry VIII as a solace for his matrimonial difficulties. It is believed that a continual bibbing of shandygaff saps the will, the nerves, the resolution, and the finer faculties, but there are those who will abide no other tipple... | |
By: Christopher Wilson (1874-1919) | |
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Shakespeare and Music
Shakespeare's plays are full of music: love songs, comic ditties, serious ballads, and songs for witches and spirits. Over the centuries musicians and composers have also created musical adaptations based on Shakespeare's plays. Composer Christopher Wilson's Shakespeare and Music (1922) documents the musical history of each play across various genres, including opera and incidental music. | |
By: Christy Mathewson (1880-1925) | |
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Pitching in a Pinch
In this book Mathewson is telling the reader of the game as it is played in the Big Leagues.... It’s as good as his pitching and some exciting things have happened in the Big Leagues, stories that never found their way into the newspapers. Matty has told them. This is a true tale of Big Leaguers, their habits and their methods of playing the game, written by one of them. | |
By: Clara Barton (1821-1912) | |
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The Story of My Childhood
Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross, recalls growing up in early 19th Century Massachusetts. (Introduction by Veronica Jenkins) | |
By: Clara Dillingham Pierson (1868-1952) | |
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Living With Our Children: A Book of Little Essays for Mothers
This book is a collection of small essays to help parents better understand their children and offer help to parents in the task of raising them. To quote from the preface, “It is hoped that the very simplicity and homeliness of method of this book may help eager, devoted, perplexed parents to realize that similarity in apparent diversity which underlies the experiences of different people, to perceive more clearly that the small affairs of childhood are really very large in their significance and that our way of dealing with them concerns far more than the present moment.” Summary by SweetHome. | |
By: Clarence Darrow (1857-1938) | |
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Industrial Conspiracies
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Crime: Its Cause and Treatment
Clarence Darrow was an American lawyer. He remains notable for his wit and agnosticism, which marked him as one of the most famous American lawyers and civil libertarians.In this book, Darrow expands on his lifelong contention that psychological, physical, and environmental influences—not a conscious choice between right and wrong—control human behavior. To my ears (the reader's), the author has a rather simplistic behaviourist view of human behaviour, but he argues his position with wonderful clarity... | |
Clarence Darrow, Selected Works: 1893-1917
This is a collection of 8 works by Clarence Darrow written between 1893 and 1917. Clarence Darrow was most noted in his time as an enormously successful defense attorney. Consider that he was the defense attorney at the Scopes Monkey Trial and at the "trial of the century", the Bobby Franks murder trial. He, like Robert G. Ingersoll, William Cowper Brann , William Jennings Bryan , Daniel Webster, etc. was also known as a world-class orator. These collected 8 works include speeches, essays, and public debates. The man had a silver tongue... sharpened to a rapier's edge! | |
By: Clarence Edwords (b. 1856) | |
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Bohemian San Francisco
While describing his dining experiences throughout “Bohemian San Francisco,” Clarence Edwords paints an historic panorama of California cuisine with all its cosmopolitan influences. Best of all, he offers tantalizing recipes culled from conversations with the master chefs of 1914 in “The City by the Bay.” | |
By: Claude Grahame-White (1879-1959) | |
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Aeroplane in War
"Although it is still a crude machine—in view of the perfected apparatus which is the aim of thoughtful designers—the aeroplane has demonstrated, in a conclusive way, its value as an instrument of war." - Summary by Authors | |
By: Claude H. Miller | |
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Outdoor Sports and Games
The Library of Work and Play, OUTDOOR SPORTS AND GAMESBy CLAUDE H. MILLER, PH.B.INTRODUCTORY The human body a perfect machine--How to keep well--Outdoor sleeping--Exercise and play--Smoking--Walking Suppose you should wake up Christmas morning and find yourself to be the owner of a bicycle. It is a brand-new wheel and everything is in perfect working order. The bearings are well oiled, the nickel is bright and shiny and it is all tuned up and ready for use. If you are a careful, sensible boy you can have fun with it for a long time until finally, like the One Hoss Shay in the poem, it wears out and goes to pieces all at once... | |
By: Clayton Edwards | |
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Treasury of Heroes and Heroines
It would be pleasant indeed to gather the characters of this book together and listen to the conversation of wholly different but interested couples—for this is a book of contrasts and has been written as such. Lives of the most dramatic and adventurous quality have been gathered from all corners of the earth, and from every age in history, in such a way that they may cover the widest possible variety of human experience. The publishers believe that such a book would not be complete without some characters that are no less real because they have lived only in the minds of men... | |
By: Cleveland Moffett (1863-1926) | |
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Careers of Danger and Daring
In this volume of adventure the author depicts the lives of certain humble modern heroes whose unconscious courage ordinarily goes unnoticed. Mr. Moffett has chosen unusual and picturesque careers, and has offered dramatic scenes from the lives of the steeple climber, the diver, the balloonist,the pilot, the bridge builder, the fireman, the aerial acrobat, the wild animal trainer, the dynamite worker and lastly the locomotive driver. | |
By: Columbia Accident Investigation Board | |
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Columbia Accident Investigation Board Final Report, Volume 1
In 1981, Columbia became the first spacecraft of its type to fly in Earth orbit and successfully completed 27 missions over more than two decades. During the STS-107 mission, Columbia and its crew traveled more than six million miles in 16 days. The Orbiterʼs destruction, just 16 minutes before scheduled touchdown, shows that space flight is still far from routine. It involves a substantial element of risk, which must be recognized, but never accepted with resignation. The seven Columbia astronauts believed that the risk was worth the reward... | |
By: Constance Johnson | |
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When Mother Lets Us Cook
A book of simple receipts for little folk with important cooking rules in rhyme together with handy lists of the materials and utensils needed for the preparation of each dish. | |
By: Cornelia Mee | |
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Exercises in Knitting
Mrs. Mee, her husband, and her sister ran a yarn and needlework import/warehouse business in Bath, England. Her books primarily contain practical everyday items that knit up quickly with the busy homemaker in mind. At this time, published knitting “receipts” did not contain abbreviations and were laborious to use. They were, however, rich in error! Later in her career, due to circumstances of war and the resulting social stress and poverty, many of her knitting books were printed for ladies’ charitable societies, which used her knitting “receipts” to clothe the poor mill workers who were out of work due to the American Civil War and the embargo of cotton. | |
By: Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) | |
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That Christ Is One
Cyril of Alexandria was the leading voice of Nicene orthodoxy in the Christological controversies between Constantinople (381) and Chalcedon (451). Assuming the mantle of the Cappadotian fathers, he answered the auguments of Nestorius who had changed the liturgy of Constantinople by altering the prayer which referred to Mary as the Mother of God. Although he died seven years before the Council of Chalcedon, his writings and formulations heavily influenced not only Chalcedon, but the entire trajectory of orthodox christological thought. | |
By: D. B. Casteel (1877-1958) | |
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Behavior of the Honey Bee in Pollen Collecting
The value of the honey bee in cross pollinating the flowers of fruit trees makes it desirable that exact information be available concerning the actions of the bee when gathering and manipulating the pollen. The results recorded in this manuscript are also of value as studies in the behavior of the bee and will prove interesting and valuable to the bee keeper. The work here recorded was done by Dr. Casteel during the summers of 1911 and 1912. | |
By: D. H. Lawrence (1885-1930) | |
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Widowing of Mrs Holroyd
Mrs. Holroyd is married to a loutish miner, who drinks, apparently patronizes prostitutes, and apparently brutalizes her. When a gentlemanly neighbor makes romantic advances to her, she wishes her husband dead. - Summary by Michele Eaton Cast List: Stage Directions: Scarbo Jack: silverquill Clara: Dtcastid Blackmore: MrsHand Mrs Holroyd: EltonTheSnowman Holroyd: alanmapstone Minnie: shreyasethi Grandmother: Availle Manager: ToddHW Rigley: alanmapstone First Bearer: Salvationist Laura: LaurenEmma3 Second Bearer: ChuckW | |
By: Dame Shirley (d.1906) | |
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The Shirley Letters from California Mines in 1851-52
Louise Amelia Knapp Smith Clappe moved to California from Massachusetts during the Gold Rush of the mid-1800’s. During her travels, Louise was offered the opportunity to write for The Herald about her travel adventures. It was at this point that Louise chose the name “Shirley” as her pen name. Dame Shirley wrote a series of 23 letters to her sister Mary Jane (also known as Molly) in Massachusetts in 1851 and 1852. The “Shirley Letters”, as the collected whole later became known, gave true accounts of life in two gold mining camps on the Feather River in the 1850s... | |
By: Dan McKenzie | |
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City of Din
A treatise on the increasing loudness of modern life, including philosophical and scientific discussion of what noise is, how effects us physically, mentally, and socially in cities, on railways, at home, in workplaces, and on battlefields of war. The book concludes with some strong suggestions for protecting ourselves from noise as well as for lessening noise altogether. - Summary by Amelia Chesley | |
By: Dante Alighieri (1265-1321) | |
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Convivio
Convivio (The Banquet) is a work written by Dante Alighieri roughly between 1304 and 1307. This unfinished work of Dante consists of four trattati, or "books": a prefatory one, plus three books that each include a canzone (long lyrical poem) and a prose allegorical interpretation or commentary of the poem that goes off in multiple thematic directions. The Convivio is a kind of vernacular encyclopedia of the knowledge of Dante's time; it touches on many areas of learning, not only philosophy but also politics, linguistics, science, and history... | |
Monarchia
The De Monarchia is one of the main works by Dante Alighieri. It is a treatise on secular and religious power, and more specifically on the relationship between secular authority (represented by the Holy Roman Emperor) and religious authority (represented by the Pope). The work is composed of three books, in which Dante condemns the theocratic conception of the power elaborated by the Roman Church and defends that both the Pope and the Emperor derive their power from God, and, that being so, God gave to each power in one certain area of life, which means they should not interfere with each other's power and one should not be considered above the other. | |
Epistolae, the letters of Dante
This volume contains the thirteen letters of the poet Dante Alighieri translated from their original Latin, including the famous and controversial letter to his patron Cangrande della Scala. The letters provide a good deal of context for the reader of Dante regarding his political and philosophical positions. In the final letter, the authenticity of which has been hotly contested by scholars, the author dedicates the Paradiso to the Veronese Cangrande, explains his Divine Comedy's title (then just Comedy), and discusses much of the work's content. | |
By: David Barrows | |
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A History of the Philippines
This book is one of the earliest studies of Philippine history by an American scholar. In preparation for this book, the author conducted ethnological studies of indiginous island tribes after the American war in the Philippines. Since this book was intended for the Philippine reader, the author nicely places the history of the Islands into the broader context of European and American history. | |
By: David Friedrich Strauss (1808-1874) | |
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The Life of Jesus Critically Examined
Strauss was an early pioneer in the ongoing 'Quest of the Historical Jesus' held amongst New Testament scholars, and his Life of Jesus is one of the few landmarks in the field. The first edition of Strauss' book was published in Germany in 1835 when he was only 27 years old, and which by 1840 had gone through four editions. He focused his attention on battling two theological fronts which were current at the time - the traditional Orthodox who believed the miracles in the Gospels were to be taken as literal, yet supernatural, history; and the Rationalists, who believed that the Gospel miracles were all true but could be explained by natural and purely physical causes... | |
By: David Hilbert (1862-1943) | |
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Mathematical Problems
Lecture delivered before the International Congress of Mathematicians at Paris in 1900 and subsequently published in the Bulletin of the American Mathematical Society Vol. 8 (1902), 479-481. | |
By: David Hume (1711-1776) | |
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Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion
In Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion, philosopher David Hume examines whether belief in God can be rational. The work takes the form of a debate between three characters: Cleanthes, who argues that the existence and nature of God can be empirically verified; Demea, who argues that God is completely beyond human knowledge; and Philo, a philosophical skeptic widely thought to represent Hume’s own beliefs. Much of the debate centers around Cleanthes’ presentation of the analogical argument from design... | |
A Treatise Of Human Nature
This book, published in two volumes called “books” by the author, is a treatment of everything from the origin of our ideas to how they are to be divided. It includes important statements of Scepticism and Hume’s experimental method. Part 1 deals with the nature of ideas. Part 2 deals with the ideas of space and time. Part 3 deals with knowledge and probability. Part 4 deals with skeptical and other systems of philosophy, including a discussion of the soul and personal identity.This is a recording of Volume I (or Book 1). Volume II (which contains Books 2 and 3) is in production at the moment. | |
History of England from the Invasion of Julius Caesar to the Revolution of 1688, Volume 1A
David Hume is one of the great philosophers of the Western intellectual tradition. His philosophical writings earned him lasting fame and renown; his historical writing earned his bread and butter. His "The History of England from the Invasion of Julius Caesar to the Revolution of 1688", published between 1754 and 1764, was immensely popular and Hume wrote that "the copy-money given me by the booksellers much exceeded any thing formerly known in England; I was become not only independent, but opulent... | |
History of England from the Invasion of Julius Caesar to the Revolution of 1688, Volume 1C
David Hume is one of the great philosophers of the Western intellectual tradition. His philosophical writings earned him lasting fame and renown; his historical writing earned his bread and butter. His "The History of England from the Invasion of Julius Caesar to the Revolution of 1688", published between 1754 and 1764, was immensely popular and Hume wrote that "the copy-money given me by the booksellers much exceeded any thing formerly known in England; I was become not only independent, but opulent... | |
By: David Marshall Brooks (1902-1994) | |
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The Necessity of Atheism
Plain speaking is necessary in any discussion of religion, for if the freethinker attacks the religious dogmas with hesitation, the orthodox believer assumes that it is with regret that the freethinker would remove the crutch that supports the orthodox. And all religious beliefs are "crutches" hindering the free locomotive efforts of an advancing humanity. There are no problems related to human progress and happiness in this age which any theology can solve, and which the teachings of freethought cannot do better and without the aid of encumbrances. | |
By: David Starr Jordan (1851-1931) | |
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Life's Enthusiasms
The words in this essay on positive thought sing like those in Whitman's "Leaves of Grass." The author praises joyous living and recommends certain routes to its attainment. He explores schooling (public secondary and the university), travel, and the study of nature as ways to stay buoyant during life's trials. He also praises the power of the arts (literature, music, painting, sculpture) to keep spirits soaring. | |
By: David Walker (1796-1830) | |
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Walker's Appeal
The Appeal grabbed readers’ attention in as dramatic a manner as Walker could have possibly imagined. In her book, Maria W. Stewart and the Roots of Black Political Thought, Kirsten Waters writes about how the pamphlet itself was viewed as dangerous by pro-slavery forces, while Walker actively worked to get his text in the hands of Black readers. He did not direct his writing to White audiences, and in the third edition added a special message to Black readers, saying that: It is expected that... | |
By: Desiderius Erasmus (1466/69-1536) | |
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The Praise of Folly
The Praise of Folly (Greek title: Morias Enkomion (Μωρίας Εγκώμιον), Latin: Stultitiae Laus, sometimes translated as In Praise of Folly, Dutch title: Lof der Zotheid) is a satirical essay written in 1509 by Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam (1466/69-1536). It is considered one of the most influential works of literature in Western civilization and one of the catalysts of the Protestant Reformation.It starts off with a satirical learned encomium after the manner of the Greek satirist... | |
By: Dion Clayton Calthrop (1878-1937) | |
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English Costume
The world, if we choose to see it so, is a complicated picture of people dressing and undressing. The history of the world is composed of the chat of a little band of tailors seated cross-legged on their boards; they gossip across the centuries, feeling, as they should, very busy and important. As you will see, I have devoted myself entirely to civil costume—that is, the clothes a man or a woman would wear from choice, and not by reason of an appointment to some ecclesiastical post, or to a military calling, or to the Bar, or the Bench. Such clothes are but symbols of their trades and professions, and have been dealt with by persons who specialize in those professions. | |
By: Donald Alexander Mackenzie (1873-1936) | |
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Myths and Legends: Myths of Babylonia and Assyria
Donald Alexander Mackenzie was a Scottish journalist and prolific writer on religion, mythology and anthropology in the early 20th century. His works included Indian Myth and Legend, Celtic Folklore and Myths of China and Japan.As well as writing books, articles and poems, he often gave lectures, and also broadcast talks on Celtic mythology.This volume deals with the myths and legends of Babylonia and Assyria, and as these reflect the civilization in which they developed, a historical narrative has been provided, beginning with the early Sumerian Age and concluding with the periods of the Persian and Grecian Empires... | |
By: Donald Ogden Stewart | |
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Perfect Behavior
A humorous guide to manners and etiquette for ladies and gentlemen in a social "crises," published in 1922. (Introduction by Samanem) | |
By: Doris Stevens (1892-1963) | |
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Jailed for Freedom
A first-hand account of the 1913-1919 campaign of American suffragists, detailing their treatment at the hands of the courts, and the true conditions of their incarceration. | |
By: Dorothy Canfield Fisher (1879-1958) | |
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Home-Maker
The Knapp family seems as though they ought to be happy, yet hidden frustrations are tearing them apart under the surface. As the family breadwinner, Lester Knapp drags himself reluctantly to his job each day, miserable in the harsh world of commerce and business, longing for a quiet life at home with his books. Meanwhile, Evangeline Knapp is admired as an excellent housewife, yet the limited challenges of that life are driving her to perfectionism and boredom. The Knapp children are affected by their parents' unhappiness, the youngest child acting out in frequent tantrums, and the two older children tense and nervous... | |
By: Dorothy Osborne (1627-1695) | |
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Love Letters of Dorothy Osborne
A lively, interesting and important collection of 17th century love-letters written by an English lady, against the background of the Civil War and the Restoration | |
By: Dorothy Quigley | |
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What Dress Makes of Us
A wickedly funny book of advice on women’s dress. However old, fat or plain you are, Dorothy Quigley will tell you what not to wear. | |
By: Dr. Benjamin Rush (1746-1813) | |
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Inquiry into the Effects of Ardent Spirits upon the Human Body and Mind, with an Account of the Means of Preventing, and of the Remedies for Curing Them
Written when the United States extended only to the Mississippi River, by one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, this short work explores the physical, social, and mental effects of distilled liquors; the classes of people prone to intoxication by them; suggested drinks to use instead of them; and remedies for intoxication and for their habitual use. He takes a medical view of alcoholism, exploring the physical causes rather than blaming moral failure as the cause. Alcoholic drinks that are not distilled are viewed as wholesome drinks, and opium is suggested for pain as being without bad effects or addictive qualities. | |
By: Dreiser, Theodore (1871-1945) | |
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Hollywood: Its Morals and Manners
Serialized in Shadowland from November 1921 to February 1922, Hollywood: Its Morals and Manners is Theodore Dreiser's shocking four part expose on the motion picture industry. In it, he shares his observations from his extended stay in Los Angeles, and gives us an intimate look at the seedier underside of Hollywood. | |
By: Dudley Landon Vaill (1873-?) | |
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The County Regiment
A sketch of the second regiment of Connecticut volunteer heavy artillery, originally the Nineteenth Volunteer Infantry, in the Civil War. | |
By: E. Gordon Browne (1871-1926) | |
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Queen Victoria
This book is about the life of Queen Victoria (1819 to 1901). All nine of her children married into the royal houses of Europe. She became the longest reigning monarch and more. This book is a fascinating read about the woman behind the British Empire. | |
By: E. Luscomb Haskell | |
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Life of Jesse Harding Pomeroy
"The Life of Jesse Harding Pomeroy: The Most Remarkable Case in the History of Crime or Criminal Law" by E. Luscomb Haskell was published in Boston, Massachusetts in 1892 by the Harvard Law School Library, and is part of "The Making of the Modern Law, Legal Treatises, 1800-1926" series. Remarkable insight into the life of Pomeroy prior to, during, and following the crimes for which he was sentenced to life imprisonment at the tender age of 14, this is an excellent complement to Pomeroy's "autobiography" which was published immediately following his trial in 1874... | |
By: E. M. Delafield (1890-1943) | |
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Heel of Achilles
After a difficult childhood, Lydia Raymond, a lower middle class girl, decides to explore her own individuality and climbs the social ladder. Yet, like everything in life, this has a price. This book tells about her childhood, her quest to find herself, and her relationship with her daughter, Jane. This is a fairytale turned upside down. - Summary by Stav Nisser. | |
By: Earl W. Phelan (1900-1993) | |
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Radioisotopes in Medicine
Radioisotopes in Medicine is an educational booklet published in 1966 as part of the Understanding the Atom series by the United States Atomic Energy Commission. Written in clear language for the general public, the booklet covers the diagnostic and therapeutic uses of radioactive isotopes like technetium 99m and iodine 131. | |
By: Eaton G. Osman (1853-1929) | |
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Starved Rock: A Historical Sketch
This book is an early history of the Starved Rock Area in Northern Illinois. In the pre-Columbian era, the Starved Rock area was home to Native Americans, particularly the Kaskaskia who lived in the Grand Village of the Illinois across the river. Louis Jolliet and Jacques Marquette were the first Europeans recorded as exploring the region, and by 1683, the French had established Fort St. Louis on a large sandstone butte overlooking the river. According to a native legend, a group of Illinois Confederation (Illini) pursued by the Ottawa and Potawatomi fled to the butte in the late 18th century... | |
By: Eben Eugene Rexford (1848-1916) | |
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ABC of Vegetable Gardening
This how-to book includes chapters on getting ready, mapping the garden, planting, seeds, early work, house plants, fruits, hot beds and cold frames, and small gardens. There is even a chapter "expressly for women." | |
By: Eddie Rickenbacker (1890-1973) | |
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Fighting the Flying Circus
This is the WWI memoirs of Medal of Honor winner, Capt Eddie Rickenbacker. He fought in and eventually became commander of the 94th "Hat-in-the-Ring" Squadron, which ended the war with the highest number of air victories of any American squadron. The circus mentioned in the title refers to the German squadron commanded by the famous Red Baron, Manfred von Richthofen. (Introduction by Brett W. Downey) | |
By: Edgar Thurston (1855-1935) | |
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Omens and Superstitions of Southern India
This book deals mainly with some aspects of what may be termed the psychical life of the inhabitants of the Madras Presidency, and the Native States of Travancore and Cochin. | |
By: Edgcumbe Staley (1845-1903) | |
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dogaressas of Venice: The wives of the doges
A series of biographies of the wives of the doges of the Venetian Republic. - Summary by Timothy | |
By: Edith Birkhead (1889-1951) | |
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Tale of Terror: A Study of the Gothic Romance
A seminal essay on the development of horror as a genre, highly influential on later writers. | |
By: Edith E. Wiggin | |
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Lessons on Manners for Home and School Use
It is true that good manners, like good morals, are best taught by the teacher's example. It is also true that definite lessons, in which the subject can be considered in its appropriate divisions, are of no little value if we would have our children attain to "that finest of the fine arts, a beautiful behavior." (From the author's Introduction) | |
By: Edith Nesbit (1858-1924) | |
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Railway Children
A thrilling spy story, a children's adventure, a charming portrait of early twentieth century life in London and the countryside and a heart warming family tale are all combined in this classic of children's literature The Railway Children by E Nesbit. The book has remained on the list of the best-loved children's books ever since it was first published as a serial story in The London Magazine in 1905. Later, it was published in book form and won acclaim from critics and readers across the world for its wonderful elements of character and plot... | |
My School Days
A short memoir about the author's school days, serialised in The Girl's Own Paper from October 1896 to September 1897. It includes stories about teachers, fellow pupils, the things that scared her most as a child (and even as an adult) and a vivid account of the best summer of her childhood.Summary by Cori Samuel. | |
Wings and the Child
"When this book first came to my mind it came as a history and theory of the building of Magic Cities on tables, with bricks and toys and little things such as a child may find and use. But as I kept the thought by me it grew and changed, as thoughts will do, until at last it took shape as an attempt to contribute something, however small and unworthy, to the science of building a magic city in the soul of a child, a city built of all things pure and fine and beautiful." -- E. Nesbit"This lovely book describes the practicalities of building cities (or forts, secret bases and fairytale palaces) out of household odds-and-ends... | |
By: Edith Wharton (1862-1937) | |
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Fighting France, from Dunkerque to Belfort
American novelist Edith Wharton was living in Paris when World War I broke out in 1914. She obtained permission to visit sites behind the lines, including hospitals, ravaged villages, and trenches. Fighting France records her travels along the front in 1914 and 1915, and celebrates the indomitable spirit of the French people. | |
By: editor: Frank Munsey | |
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The Scrap Book Sampler
18 works -- two non-fic articles & one short fiction or poetry each -- from issues March, April, May, June, July, & August 1906 of The Scrap Book, Volume 1, edited by Frank Munsey. As he states in the editorial of the April 1906 issue (Vol 1, Iss 2) this was a sort of supplement to the editor's popular monthly, Munsey's Magazine. The Scrap Book is very like an American version of Punch with many short, often humorous articles interspersed with at least one short story, some poetry, and several longer non-fic pieces. The Scrap Book ran up to 1922. | |
By: Edmond Halley (1656-1742) | |
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Miscellanea Curiosa, Vol 1
"The Royal Society is a Fellowship of many of the world's most eminent scientists and is the oldest scientific academy in continuous existence." . As scientists have explored the world around them, observed and tried to explain natural phenomena, they have been invited to present papers to the Royal Society. Edmond Halley was an eminent member of the society and gathered together some of the most interesting papers of his day. Today, we may see errors in the logic or calculations, based on current knowledge, but these papers are unedited and as presented at the time and show how scientific knowledge was expanding in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries... | |
By: Edmund Gosse (1849-1928) | |
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Father and Son
Father and Son (1907) is a memoir by poet and critic Edmund Gosse, which he subtitled “a study of two temperaments.” The book describes Edmund’s early years in an exceptionally devout Plymouth Brethren home. His mother, who dies early and painfully of breast cancer, is a writer of Christian tracts. His father, Philip Henry Gosse, is an influential, though largely self-taught, invertebrate zoologist and student of marine biology who, after his wife’s death, takes Edmund to live in Devon... | |
Gossip in a Library
A collection of informal essays about books in his library. He combines commentary, translations, and humorous asides about authors and their subjects. | |
By: Edna Adelaide Brown (1875-1944) | |
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Chinese Kitten
Lucy and Dora are so excited to learn they will be sleeping in a tent at the beach! Then Mother and Uncle Dan tell them that their kitten, Timmy is not invited, and Father says he might even run away. Arrangements must be made for Timmy... but will he agree to their plans? This charming story follows two sisters over the course of about a year and the things that they do with their family. The Chinese kitten is a part of an old chess set that the girls get from their aunt because one of the girls lost her necklace during a camping trip. Lots of working on needle point, washing dishes, going to school, and different holidays and what they do during them. | |
Silver Bear
This is the first Lucy and Dora story. A charming story about Lucy and Dora, two little girls in a New England town. They are not really sisters, but soon everyone forgot that fact. The Silver Bear is a necklace, treasured by the girls. | |
By: Edna Brush Perkins (1880-1930) | |
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The White Heart of Mojave
"The White Heart of the Mojave" recounts a 1920's adventure "in the wind and sun and big spaces" of Death Valley by two independent minded women, Edna Brush Perkins and Charlotte Hannahs Jordan. Both women were early feminists, Edna as chairwoman of the greater Cleveland Woman's Suffrage Party (1916-18). At the end of the Great War, the two friends wanted nothing more than to escape "to the solitariness of some wild and lonely place far from city halls, smokestacks, national organizations, and streets of little houses all alike... | |
By: Edna Ferber (1885-1968) | |
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So Big
The story of Selina DeJong and her son Dirk, whom she affectionately calls So Big. After the death of her husband, Selina raises So Big on her own while managing her deceased husband's farm in Illinois. When So Big grows up, he moves to Chicago, where he finds himself drawn to the fast-money stock-broker lifestyle of the 1920s. So Big is conflicted: he wants to live in the world of speculation and finance, but he's aware that his mother are disappointed that he hasn't lived up to the hard-working, hardscrabble values instilled by his mother. - Summary by Alexandra Atiya | |
By: Edna W. Underwood (1873-1961) | |
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Letters from a Prairie Garden
The "Letters from a Prairie Garden," are genuine letters and not fiction. They went through the mail. An explanatory word about their origin may not be amiss. Some years ago a famous artist came to a certain mid-western city on business connected with his profession. He had an acquaintance who lived in the hotel where the writer lived at that time and with whom he talked over the phone. The writer frequently happened to be talking at the same time, and the wires crossing, he heard me laugh repeatedly, and he nicknamed me "the woman who laughs... | |
By: Edward Anthony (1895-1971) | |
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Pussycat Princess
This pussycat is out to have some adventurous fun in this enjoyable fairy tale for boys, girls and parents. Summary by Lynda Marie Neilson | |
By: Edward Carpenter (1844-1929) | |
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Love's Coming-of-Age: A Series of Papers on the Relations of the Sexes
"The little god of Love is generally represented as a child; and rightly, perhaps, considering the erratic character of his ways among the human race. There are signs, however, of a new order in the relations of the Sexes; and the following papers are, among other things, an attempt to indicate the inner laws which, rather than the outer, may guide Love when—some day—he shall have come to his full estate." - Summary by Edward Carpenter | |
By: Edward Delafield (1794-1875) | |
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Inaugural Dissertation on Pulmonary Consumption
At a time when diseases termed "consumption" were among the leading cause of death in the county, physicians such as Edward Delafield began to publish observations, research, and studies on the topic. The hope of such works was to share gained knowledge with all physicians with faith that causes and treatments would be found to stop these devastating maladies. This is one such work. - Summary by afutterer | |
By: Edward Granville Browne | |
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A year amongst the Persians; impressions as to the life, character, and thought
Edward Granville Browne (1862 – 1926), born in Stouts Hill, Uley, Gloucestershire, England, was a British orientalist who published numerous articles and books of academic value, mainly in the areas of history and literature. His works are respected for their scholarship, uniqueness, and style. He published in areas which few other Western scholars had explored to any sufficient degree. He used a language and style that showed high respect for everybody, even toward those he personally did not view in positive light... | |
By: Edward J. Ruppelt (1923-1960) | |
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The Report on Unidentified Flying Objects
'Straight from the horse's mouth', as they say. Edward Ruppelt was the first head of the U.S. Air Force's Project Blue Book, the official project initiated to investigate UFO reports beginning in 1952. This report from 1956 takes us inside these initial investigations, separates fact from fiction, and gives insight into who, when, where, and how sightings were reported and researched in open-minded fashion (for which Ruppelt was renowned), rather than in the typical hushed and secretive (and censored) manner most often associated with government and military reports which are released to the public... | |
By: Edward Jenner (1749-1823) | |
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An Inquiry into the Causes and Effects of the Variolae Vaccinae
This collection of three publications details Edward Jenner's investigations into the connection between smallpox and coxpox, and the creation of the smallpox vaccine, the world's first vaccine. - Summary by Jordan | |
By: Edward Jesse (1780-1868) | |
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Anecdotes of Dogs
"Histories are more full of examples of the fidelity of dogs than of friends."The character, sensibilities, and intellectual faculties of animals have always been a favourite study, and they are, perhaps, more strongly developed in the dog than in any other quadruped, from the circumstance of his being the constant companion of man. I am aware how much has been written on this subject, but having accumulated many original and interesting anecdotes of this faithful animal, I have attempted to enlarge the general stock of information respecting it... | |
By: Edward M. Bounds (1835-1913) | |
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The Essentials of Prayer
The Sunday School Times says of the author, "he was a specialist in prayer and his books are for the quiet hour, for careful meditation and for all who wish to seek and find the treasures of God." This book is a ready helper for those who want to follow his path, with more and better communication with the Lord. | |
By: Edward R. Shaw (1855-1903) | |
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Discoverers and Explorers
Tales of the brave and daring explorers that ventured into the unknown “Sea of Darkness” where it was thought monsters and angry gods lived. They dared to sail near the equator which was thought to have such intense heat that it would boil the ocean water. It was also commonly thought at the time that the world was flat, and the ships would fall off the face of the earth. These men overcame these fears to explore and discover new lands. | |
By: Edward S. Ellis (1840-1916) | |
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The Life of Kit Carson
Christopher Carson, or as he was familiarly called, Kit Carson, was a man whose real worth was understood only by those with whom he was associated or who closely studied his character. He was more than hunter, trapper, guide, Indian agent and Colonel in the United States Army....His lot was cast on the extreme western frontier, where, when but a youth, he earned the respect of the tough and frequently lawless men with whom he came in contact. Integrity, bravery, loyalty to friends, marvelous quickness... | |
By: Edward Streeter (1891-1976) | |
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Dere Mable
Bill is in training camp, preparing to go off to World War I. This book is a collection of love letters written to his sweetheart, Mable. The letters are humorous, mis-spelled, and have many stories of life in an army camp – all from Bill’s unique perspective. | |
By: Edward V. Lucas (1868-1938) | |
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Highways and Byways in Sussex
A very personal and opinionated wander through the Sussex of around 1900, illustrated with anecdotes, literary and poetic quotations, gravestone epitaphs and a gentle sense of humour. The author colours the countryside with his nostalgia for times past and regret for the encroaching future, his resentment of churches with locked doors, and his love of deer parks, ruined castles and the silent hills.(I must add my apologies for my attempts at the Sussex dialect in the chapter on that subject.)[This book is of Reading Grade of 9... | |
By: Edward Whymper (1840-1911) | |
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Scrambles Amongst the Alps in the Years 1860-69
Scrambles Amongst the Alps is one the great classics (some would say the greatest) of early mountaineering literature, and Edward Whymper (1840-1911) one of the leading figures of the early years of Alpine climbing. He is best known, of course, for his many attempts on the Matterhorn, and for the loss of four members of his climbing party after the successful first ascent of the peak in July, 1865. Although the Matterhorn stands in ways in the center of his book, there are descriptions of many other ascents as well, in the Alps of France and Italy, as well as those of Switzerland... | |
By: Edwin E. Slosson (1865-1929) | |
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Easy Lessons in Einstein
Published in 1920, Slosson’s Easy Lessons in Einstein is one of the first popularizations of Einstein’s theory of relativity. This book is meant to convey to the general reader the ideas of relativity in non-mathematical terms, by the use of thought experiements and pop-cultural references of the day. This edition also includes a short article by Einstein on Time, Space and Gravitation. | |
By: Edwin F. Benson | |
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Life in a Mediaeval City, Illustrated by York in the XVth Century
A short and gentle overview of mediaeval life in a large city. It lightly covers the class structure of society, local government, guilds, pageantry and punishment. The author has an easy, rhythmic style which leaves the reader wanting to find out more. | |
By: Einhard (c.775-840) | |
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The Life of Charlemagne
Einhard was employed by Charlemagne as a court historian. At the request of Charlemagne’s son and successor Louis the Pious, he wrote a biography of Charlemagne, the Vita Karoli Magni or Life of Charlemagne (c. 817–830), which provides much direct information about Charlemagne’s life and character. In composing this he made full use of the Frankish Royal annals. Einhard’s literary model was the classical work of the Roman historian Suetonius, the Lives of the Caesars. (adapted from Wikipedia) | |
By: Elbridge Streeter Brooks (1846-1902) | |
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Historic Girls
Twelve short stories of real girls who have influenced the history of their times. | |
By: Elinore Pruitt Stewart (1878-1933) | |
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Letters of a Woman Homesteader
The writer of the following letters is a young woman who lost her husband in a railroad accident and went to Denver to seek support for herself and her two-year-old daughter, Jerrine. Turning her hand to the nearest work, she went out by the day as house-cleaner and laundress. Later, seeking to better herself, she accepted employment as a housekeeper for a well-to-do Scotch cattle-man, Mr. Stewart, who had taken up a quarter-section in Wyoming. The letters, written through several years to a former employer in Denver, tell the story of her new life in the new country... | |
By: Élisabeth Celnart (1796-1865) | |
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Gentleman and Lady's Book of Politeness and Propriety of Deportment
A mid-nineteenth century book of etiquette. | |
By: Elisabeth Strickland (1794-1875) | |
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Lives of the Queens of England Volume 4
The Lives of the Queens of England is a multi-volumed work attributed to Agnes Strickland, though it was mostly researched and written by her sister Elizabeth. These volumes give biographies of the queens of England from the Norman Conquest in 1066. Although by today's standards, it is not seen as a very scholarly work, the Stricklands used many sources that had not been used before.Volume 4 includes the biographies of Elizabeth of York, Katherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymore, Anne of Cleves, and Katherine Howard. | |
By: Elisha Gray (1835-1901) | |
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Nature's Miracles: Familiar Talks on Science
Elisha Gray (August 2, 1835 – January 21, 1901) was an American electrical engineer who co-founded the Western Electric Manufacturing Company. Gray is best known for his development of a telephone prototype in 1876 in Highland Park, Illinois and is considered by some writers to be the true inventor of the variable resistance telephone, despite losing out to Alexander Graham Bell for the telephone patent. | |
Nature's Miracles Volume II: Energy and Vibration
Elisha Gray was an American electrical engineer who co-founded the Western Electric Manufacturing Company. Gray is best known for his development of a telephone prototype in 1876 in Highland Park, Illinois and is considered by some writers to be the true inventor of the variable resistance telephone, despite losing out to Alexander Graham Bell for the telephone patent.Nature’s Miracles: Familiar Talks on Science, published in 1900, is a discussion of science and technology for the general public. Volume II is subtitled Energy and Vibration: Energy, Sound, Heat, Light, Explosives. | |
By: Eliza Armstrong | |
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Teacup Club (Dramatic Reading)
The Teacup Club is formed when Dorothy decides to found an intellectual club of her own - to teach her fiance a lesson! The club’s discussion topics includes Theosophy, Politics and Women in Legislature. The club’s unofficial topics include Emily’s new dress, man-flu and the great mystery of the missing chafing-dish. A witty drama and a comedy of manners, secrets and politics . - Summary by Elizabby Cast List: Cast Narrator: Beth Thomas Evelyn: Jennifer Fournier Emily: Leanne Yau Dorothy: KHand Frances: Beth Thomas Elise: Lydia Marion: Vicki Hibbins Catharine: Michele Eaton Edited by: Michele Eaton and linny Proof listeners: Michele Eaton, Beth Thomas | |
By: Eliza Haywood | |
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History of Miss Betsy Thoughtless, Vol. 4
Betsy Thoughtless is about an intelligent and strong-willed woman who marries under pressure from the society in which she lives. Betsy learns that sometimes giving way to the role of women within a marriage can at times be fulfilling. This is the fourth and final volume in this series. Does she get her man you will have to listen and find out. | |
By: Eliza Orne White (1856-1947) | |
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Blue Aunt
This is a very cute children's book. Mr. West's half-sister Matilda is orphaned and she comes staying with the family for a while. It looks like Mr West doesn't like her very much, her being "blue" and all. What this means is an entirely unknown concept to his children, but they also anticipate that they won't like her very much either. But then Matilda arrives and neither her skin nor her hair are blue at all, and she turns out very very nice - winning the hearts of the children in no time. - Summary by Carolin | |
By: Eliza P. Donner Houghton (1843-1922) | |
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The Expedition of the Donner Party and Its Tragic Fate
The Donner Party was a group of California-bound American settlers caught up in the “westering fever” of the 1840s. After becoming snowbound in the Sierra Nevada in the winter of 1846–1847, some of the emigrants resorted to cannibalism. Although this aspect of the tragedy has become synonymous with the Donner Party in the popular imagination, it actually was a minor part of the episode. The author was about 4 at the time. The first part of the book accounts the tragic journey and rescue attempts; the last half are reminiscences of the child orphan, passed from family to family while growing up. | |
By: Elizabeth Balcombe Abell (1802-1871) | |
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Recollections of Napoleon at St. Helena
In this memoir written by Betsy Balcombe, who was a precocious 14 year old at the time of events, we are provided with a rare account of the character, the moods and humanity of Napoleon Bonaparte. She recalls her initial shock and fear at the arrival of the famous, exiled prisoner on the remote Island of St. Helena where she and her family resided. And how surprised she was when Napoleon decided he wanted to live with them at "the Briars" until his home in Longwood would be made ready for him. She relates from memory how she came to think of him as a friend, a delightful companion, and a remarkable man. - Summary by Celine Major | |
By: Elizabeth Bisland (1861-1929) | |
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In Seven Stages: A Flying Trip Around the World by Elizabeth Bisland
In November 1889, the New York World announced that it was sending its reporter Nellie Bly around the world, in a bid to beat Phileas Fogg's fictitious 80-day journey in Jules Verne's novel Around the World in Eighty Days. Catching wind of this publicity stunt, John Brisben Walker, who had just purchased the three-year-old and still-fledging Cosmopolitan, decided to dispatch Bisland on her own journey.] Six hours after being recruited, Bisland departed westward from New York. Meanwhile, Bly left on a steamer headed to Europe, both on the same day—November 14, 1889... | |
By: Elizabeth Blackwell (1821-1910) | |
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Pioneer Work in Opening the Medical Profession to Women
A fascinating account of the first woman to receive a medical degree in the United States. She writes of her struggles in being accepted to a medical school . She details her experiences while in the process of obtaining her degree, and her work both with patients and administratively, helping to found medical schools and hospitals for women. Summary by Phyllis Vincelli | |