Showing titles in Linguistics

Some writers of science fiction turn out to be reasonably accurate prognosticators of the future. In Mack Reynolds’ Mercenary, the elite 1 percent control the wealth of the nation and thus the nation. War as we know it has been eliminated, and disputes between nations, unions, and corporations are settled on a battlefield by mercenary soldiers with pre-1900 weapons. These battles are televised, and the combatants become heroes, not unlike NFL players. Meet Joe Mauser, one of the best of the best; a tactician and gun for hire.

In this warm and fanciful story of a Connecticut farmer, Marion Zimmer Bradley has caught some of the glory that is man's love for man - no matter who he is nor whence he's from.

A gun is an interesting weapon; it can be hired, of course, and naturally doesn't care who hires it. Something much the same can be said of the gunman, too....

Making his way to a tryst with his "dark lady" near the royal palace the young playwright William Shakespeare encounters a mysterious woman in a cloak. Mistaking her for his lady friend, he accosts her in a familiar fashion, only to discover, to his dismay, that she is in fact the queen. He overcomes his initial discomfort, and takes advantage of the situation to make a petition for royal support to establish a national theatre.

James' admiration for one of America's greatest authors is contagious. Hawthorne's life, novels, and short stories are all touched upon with reverence - yet James gently takes him to task when the need arises!

"The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans" is one of the 56 Sherlock Holmes short stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and one of eight stories in the volume His Last Bow. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (May 22, 1859-July 7, 1930) was a British author most noted for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, which are generally considered a major innovation in the field of crime fiction.

Eve's Diary - Complete, written by the incomparable Mark Twain, was first published in 1905 in the Christmas edition of Harper's Bazaar. This charming short story is told from both Adam and Eve's point of view as they traverse their new world from the Garden through to the Fall and is said to be a love letter to his late wife Olivia Langdon Clemens who passed a year before it's publication.

Stephen Leacock (1869-1944) may be considered the Canadian counterpart to Mark Twain. For many years he was professor of economics at Magill University and published a number of well-regarded texts on economics and political science. However, he is best known today for his many volumes of humorous fiction. During the 1920s he was one of the most widely read authors in the English-speaking world and was considered by Jack Benny and Groucho Marx to be one of the greatest comic writers of all time.

"Manalive" (1912) is a book by G. K. Chesterton detailing a popular theme both in his own philosophy, and in Christianity, of the "holy fool", such as in Dostoevsky's "The Idiot" and Cervantes' "Don Quixote".

Anyone who has experienced learning English as a second language knows the many challenges that conversational English presents. Just when you think that you have learned nearly perfect English you find that conversational English is about as far from perfect as it gets.

Why should you bother learning a new language? Picking up different languages has many benefits. It can open doors for you at work by helping you get a promotion or landing a new job assignment. It can definitely make your life a whole lot easier the next time you plan on traveling to another country.

There is invariably something to laugh or cry about and a lot to think about in these short stories by Edna Ferber.

If you ever wanted to learn a new language and just don't know how to do it, this is the way to learn. These seven steps will teach you how to learn a new tongue. There has never been or ever will be a method like this.

Lightfoot the Deer is a story about animals in the Green Forest that are hunted in the fall. The story is mostly about Lightfoot, a male deer hunted by one hunter and describes how he tries to escape being shot. The story tells Lightfoot's encounter with another buck and a battle for territory and the lovely, Miss Daintyfoot. As with most Thornton Burgess books, young listeners learn valuable lessons about nature, wildlife, and positive morals.

Considered by many critics to be the very best Zane Grey Western, The U. P. Trail narrates the story of William Neale, a young engineer working for the Union Pacific railway. He must contend with Indians, bandits, badlands, and bad weather to get the train to the destination. And in the midst of all this, the love of his life is kidnapped! The railroads were expanding to link the nation, with the celebrated golden spike marking the spot in Utah where the Union Pacific and the Central Pacific would meet.

Passion and intrigue among the upper classes form the basis of Lady Windermere's Fan, Oscar Wilde's first successful play, which displays his trademark wit and wisdom. Beautiful and innocent Lady Windermere finds out that her husband has been keeping company with the scandalous and mysterious Mrs. Erlynne. Her discovery unleashes a host of tensions at her 21st birthday party, where London's elite have gathered to gossip.

Before Nancy Drew, there was Violet Strange. When an investigation requires someone who can infiltrate a clique of young women, the firm hires Violet Strange. Those in society begin to whisper when valuable items are stolen, then mysteriously returned, everywhere the five Inseparables go. Can Violet find the culprit before those whispers turn to accusations?

This novella, first published in 1907, is very unusual as far as vampire stories go. It is one of the first psychic vampire stories, where a vampire feeds off more than just blood. A young writer visits an older master to help him hone his craft but ends up succumbing to the powerful influence of the mysterious old man. We soon find that he has left a trail of ruined protégés in his wake. It is a chilling tale with an unusual twist.

A British lady seeks "the cure" among an assorted group of Germans in such tragic-comedic tales as "Germans at Meat", "The Sister of the Baroness", "Frau Fischer", "Frau Brechmacher Attends a Wedding", "The Modern Soul", "At Lehman's", "The Luft Bad", "A Birthday", "The-Child-Who-Was-Tired", "The Advanced Lady", "The Swing of the Pendulum", and "A Blaze".

Was that dear little lady Emily Benton guilty of murder, or was the written confession discovered by her tenant actually trumped up? This one will keep you guessing!