Body Size: The Structure and Function of Aquatic Ecosystems (Ecological Reviews)

Book Description

Ecologists have long struggled to predict features of ecological systems, such as the numbers and diversity of organisms. The wide range of body sizes in ecological communities, from tiny microbes to large animals and plants, is emerging as the key to prediction. Based on the relationship between body size and features such as biological rates, the physics of water and the amount of habitat available, we may be able to understand patterns of abundance and diversity, biogeography, interactions in food webs and the impact of fishing, adding up to a potential 'periodic table' for ecology. Remarkable progress on the unravelling, describing and modelling of aquatic food webs, revealing the fundamental role of body size, makes a book emphasising marine and freshwater ecosystems particularly apt. Here, the importance of body size is examined at a range of scales that will be of interest to professional ecologists, from students to senior researchers.

Mangrove ecosystem in Australia: Structure, function, and management : proceedings of the Australian National Mangrove Workshop, Australian Institute of Marine Science, Cape Ferguson, 18-20 April 1979

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Mangrove ecosystem in Australia: Structure, function, and management : proceedings of the Australian National Mangrove Workshop, Australian Institute of Marine Science, Cape Ferguson, 18-20 April 1979

Manufacturer: Australian Institute of Marine Science in association with Australian National University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Natural History | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 070811170X

Mediterranean Ecosystems: Structures and Processes

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Mediterranean Ecosystems: Structures and Processes
F. M. Faranda
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Ecology | Environment | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 8847001145

Book Description

This volume reflects the present state of the study of the Mediterranean as carried out by the Italian scientific community. The papers published in this book have been selected among the communications presented at the First National Congress of Marine Sciences organized by CoNISMa in cooperation with the Italian Association of Oceanography and Limnology (AIOL), the Italian Society of Marine Biology (SIBM) and the Italian Society of Ecology (SItE).The works collected in this volume, after being refereed by senior scientists for different fields of marine research, have been grouped on the basis of the cultural areas corresponding to their contents. However, it is worth underlining that the multidisciplinary character of the papers in this volume creates different "transversal" reading and clustering possibilities that the informed reader is free to design and undertake autonomously.

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The Structure of Marine Ecosystems
John H. Steele
Manufacturer: Harvard Univ Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Natural History | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0674844203

Hierarchical spatial structure in soft-bottom mussel beds [An article from: Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology]

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Hierarchical spatial structure in soft-bottom mussel beds [An article from: Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology]
J.A. Commito , W.E. Dow , and B.M. Grupe
Manufacturer: Elsevier
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000RR8B8O

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This digital document is a journal article from Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, published by Elsevier in . The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

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Mussels (Mytilus edulis L.) are unusual because they thrive in both rocky shore and soft-bottom habitats. Despite their ecological and economic importance, little is known about their spatial structure. Mussels do not generally recruit to bare soft substrate because larvae and postlarvae cannot attach to a bottom of small sediment particles. They attach to hard objects on the sediment surface (especially other mussels), so soft-bottom mussel beds may be spatially organized in ways that are fundamentally different from those on rocky shores. The purpose of our study was to characterize the scales of spatial variability for several mussel abundance parameters in soft-bottom, intertidal M. edulis beds in coastal Maine. We used a random factor nested-ANOVA design of 200 cm^2 Cores within 1 m^2 Quadrats within 6 m Transects within Positions within bed Sites along 70 km (euclidean distance) of the Maine coast. Based on the literature and our field observations, we hypothesized that Sites and Positions account for most of the spatial variance in soft-botttom mussel beds. We rejected this hypothesis. Sites and Positions were not important in explaining variation in total mussel density, density of new recruits, or density of larger mussels. Although most of the variance in surface silt-clay fraction did occur at these levels, most mussel variation occurred at smaller spatial scales, specifically at the Quadrat scale for new recruits and total mussels and at the Transect scale for larger mussels. Variance in mussel parameters was not closely linked to the silt-clay fraction of surface sediment or to Site rankings of wind exposure and tidal flow. Variance in total mussel density was due primarily to variance in recruitment. No single scale explained more than about half the mussel variance, and no single scale was best at explaining all the mussel parameters. Greater knowledge about mussel bed spatial variability would be useful because it can help direct scale-dependent sampling regimes, field experiments, and coastal management practices.

High level of genetic differentiation in the marine isopod Sphaeroma terebrans (Crustacea Isopoda Sphaeromatidae) as inferred by mitochondrial DNA analysis ... of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology]

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High level of genetic differentiation in the marine isopod Sphaeroma terebrans (Crustacea Isopoda Sphaeromatidae) as inferred by mitochondrial DNA analysis ... of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology]
M. Baratti , E. Goti , and G. Messana
Manufacturer: Elsevier
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000RR4Q56

Book Description

This digital document is a journal article from Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, published by Elsevier in 2005. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

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Sphaeroma terebrans Bate 1866 is a marine isopod belonging to the large family Sphaeromatidae, which normally colonises the aerial roots of the mangrove genus Rhizophora in tropical and subtropical areas. S. terebrans is part of a group of species whose complete life cycle occurs within the same mangrove wood. In this paper, we provide clear evidence of significant genetic differentiation among geographic populations of the taxon S. terebrans. The consistently low internal variation and the large interpopulation distances indicate that almost all the mitochondrial variation (cytochrome oxidase I) in S. terebrans is apportioned among populations rather than within them. The mean haplotype diversity (h) is 0.71%, and the mean nucleotide diversity (@p) is 0.34%. The Minimum Spanning Tree (MST) reveals a complex pattern: three principal haplotype groups corresponding to the geographic locations investigated are distributed in a network. This suggests an ancient evolutionary history and very restricted gene flow between populations. The large genetic distances between the populations of S. terebrans could suggest that this taxon is not a single species but a species complex whose taxonomic status must be revaluated.

Climatic Change in the Intra-Americas Sea: Implications of Future Climate on the Ecosystems and Socio-Economic Structure in the Marine and Coastal R

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Climatic Change in the Intra-Americas Sea: Implications of Future Climate on the Ecosystems and Socio-Economic Structure in the Marine and Coastal R

Manufacturer: Halsted Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Comparison of ecosystem structure and function of created and natural seagrass habitats in Laguna Madre, Texas: [annual report] (The University of Texas Marine Science Institute technical report)

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Comparison of ecosystem structure and function of created and natural seagrass habitats in Laguna Madre, Texas: [annual report] (The University of Texas Marine Science Institute technical report)
Paul A Montagna
Manufacturer: University of Texas at Austin Marine Science Institute
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Wetlands | Ecosystems | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0006RAS04

Comparison of ecosystem structure and function of created and natural seagrass habitats in Laguna Madre, Texas: Final report (The University of Texas Marine Science Institute technical report)

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Comparison of ecosystem structure and function of created and natural seagrass habitats in Laguna Madre, Texas: Final report (The University of Texas Marine Science Institute technical report)
Paul A Montagna
Manufacturer: University of Texas at Austin Marine Science Institute
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Wetlands | Ecosystems | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0006P5YI2

The ecology of marine micro-benthos. IV: Structure and function of the benthic ecosystem, its chemical and physical factors and the micro-fauna communities ... to the ciliated protozoa (Helsingør)

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The ecology of marine micro-benthos. IV: Structure and function of the benthic ecosystem, its chemical and physical factors and the micro-fauna communities ... to the ciliated protozoa (Helsingør)
T Fenchel
Manufacturer: Marine Biological Laboratory
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0007JA2IO

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Wildflowers of Delaware and the Eastern Shore
Claude Ellis Phillips
Manufacturer: Delaware Nature Education Society
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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ASIN: B0006DXRSS

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Wildflowers Of Delaware And The Eastern Shore
Claude E. Phillips
Manufacturer: Delaware Nature Education Society
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000O02YBO

Book Description

A Full English Breakfast is a morning meal served at many British bed & breakfasts. This meal has all the trimmings: coffee, tea, orange juice, fruit, cereal, eggs, sausages, bacon, toast, tomatoes, mushrooms, and a host of other offerings including orange marmalade and brown sauce.

A ramble might be a wandering narrative, but it can also be a leisurely excursion, taking in the pleasures of the land and the peoples of the region and enjoying every minute of it (well, almost).

In this trek through London, Cardiff, York, and Thirsk, you’ll encounter — along with the author and his brother, Bill — historical tourist sites, the London Underground, and public houses. Nods are given to The Beatles, Monty Python, James Herriot, and also to an impatient train car attendant, short-legged field trippers, Americans attempting to find some real food in London, as well as many other lively characters and situations.

Whether you’ve been considering a trip to Britain, you’ve already visited Britain, you live in Britain, or you are content to relax in an armchair reading about Britain, Todd Wisti provides a healthy dosage of wry humor and sometimes misshapen adventures in Full English Breakfast.

Foreword by Bill Wisti

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Put together in remembrance of the authors who inspired her own writing, this anthology edited by Jacqueline Woodson includes stories and poems by more than a dozen African American writers. From excerpts of James Baldwin's searing If Beale Street Could Talk to Toni Morrison's tender girlhood story Sula, Woodson creates a collection that represents the broad horizons of the African American experience and the dazzling literary legacy of African American writers. (Ages 10 and up)

Book Description

"A distinguished anthology of excerpts from some fine modern writing."
--The New York Times

In this very special anthology, Jacqueline Woodson shares the writings that inspired her as a young African-American growing up in Brooklyn. Within these pages you will find the quiet poignance of Toni Morrison's Sula, the joyous proclamations of Bernice Johnson Reagon's "I Remember, I Believe," the biting colloquial brilliance of Paul Beatty's Big Bowls of Cereal . . . and a host of other masterful works.

Filled with both poems and stories, A WAY OUT OF NO WAY is at once a deep and tender tribute to the delicacy of adolescence and a first-rate study of African-American literature.

ERNEST J. GAINES * JAMES BALDWIN * ROSA GUY * TONI CADE BAMBARA * TIM SEIBLES * PAUL BEATTY * JAMAICA KINCAID * NTOZAKE SHANGE * JUNE JORDAN * LANGSTON HUGHES * ANNA DEAVERE SMITH * TONI MORRISON * RANDALL KENAN * CLAUDE McKAY * NIKKI GIOVANNI * GWENDOLYN BROOKS * BERNICE JOHNSON REAGON

Customer Reviews:

A very interesting book aimed at the mature reader.......1998-11-09

I found this book to be very absorbing but definitely intended for the mature reader (17 and older.) If you plan to purchase it for a school library, be sure to read it in its entirety first. Several of the writings contain strong language and explicit sexual material.

Book Description

Connecting the auditory brain stem to sensory, motor, and limbic systems, the inferior colliculus is a critical midbrain station for auditory processing. Winer and Schreiner's The Inferior Colliculus, a critical, comprehensive reference, presents the current knowledge of the inferior colliculus from a variety of perspectives, including anatomical, physiological, developmental, neurochemical, biophysical, neuroethological and clinical vantage points. Written by leading researchers in the field, the book is an ideal introduction to the inferior colliculus and central auditory processing for clinicians, otolaryngologists, graduate and postgraduate research workers in the auditory and other sensory-motor systems.

Cellular mechanisms for transient gain adjustment in the inferior colliculus : (Dissertation)

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Cellular mechanisms for transient gain adjustment in the inferior colliculus : (Dissertation)
Ilona Julianna Miko
Manufacturer: ProQuest Information and Learning
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Science | Subjects | Books

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Distributed by ProQuest Information and Learning

Frequenzreprasentation und Schallempfindlichkeit im Colliculus inferior und auditorischen Cortex der Hausmaus (Mus musculus) (Konstanzer Dissertationen)

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Frequenzreprasentation und Schallempfindlichkeit im Colliculus inferior und auditorischen Cortex der Hausmaus (Mus musculus) (Konstanzer Dissertationen)
Imme Stiebler
Manufacturer: Hartung-Gorre
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

All German Books | German | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books
ASIN: 3891911289

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The Inferior Colliculus
Jeffery A. (EDT)/ Schreiner, Christoph E. (EDT) Winer
Manufacturer: NY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000N6BUS2

The structure and connections of the inferior colliculus: An investigation of the lower auditory system (Studies in neuro-anatomy)

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The structure and connections of the inferior colliculus: An investigation of the lower auditory system (Studies in neuro-anatomy)
J. van Noort
Manufacturer: Van Gorcum
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Customer Reviews:

Essential for the scholarly chemist, but pedantic at times.......1998-05-22

This book is a nice collection of assorted historical perspectives relevant to organic chemistry. Any chemist with scholarly ambitions would find it a welcome addition to their library. Several chapters report little-known historical facts, such as the mistruth of Kekulé's snake-dream behind his derivation of benzene's structure and the pre-Lewis depictions of tetrahedral carbon given by Kekulé (unpublished), LeBel, and van't Hoff. Some chapters are disappointingly pedantic, such as the discussion of physical organic chemistry's heritage, which turned out to be a recitation of academic geneology. The final chapter is highly entertaining: chemistry obscura, including references for the paper with the most authors, the most figures on one page, the shortest paper, pun names for chemicals, humorous chemical acronyms, and anecdotes of nonstandard conference presentation styles such a blues singing and poetry reading. Altogether, the book is a worthwhile investment.

Essays on the history of organic chemistry.

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Essays on the history of organic chemistry.
James G., editor. TRAYNHAM
Manufacturer: Louisiana State University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OR98BG

Book Description

From the Commentary by Robert Geroch (The corresponding section of Einstein's text can be found below the comment. Please note that in the book, the Commentary is placed after the complete text of Relativity.)

Section 17. Space-Time

Minkowski's viewpoint represents a "geometrization" of relativity. These ideas have, over the years, come to the forefront: They reflect the perspective of the majority of physicists working in relativity today. Let us expand on this viewpoint. The fundamental notion is that of an event, which we think of as a physical occurrence having negligibly small extension in both space and time. That is, an event is "small and quick," such as the explosion of a firecracker or the snapping of your fingers. Now consider the collection of all possible events in the universe—all events that have ever happened, all that are happening now, and all that will ever happen; here and elsewhere. This collection is called space-time. It is the arena in which physics takes place in relativity. The idea is to recast all statements about goings-on in the physical world into geometrical structures within this space-time. In a similar vein, you might begin the study of plane geometry by introducing the notion of a point (analogous to an event) and assembling all possible points into the plane (analogous to space-time). This plane is the arena for plane geometry, and each statement that is part of plane geometry is to be cast as geometrical structure within this plane. This space-time is a once-and-for-all picture of the entire physical world. Nothing "happens" there; things just "are." A physical particle, for example, is described in the language of space-time by giving the locus of all events that occur "right at the particle." The result is a certain curve, or path, in space-time called the world-line of the particle. Don't think of the particle as "traversing" its world-line in the same sense that a train traverses its tracks. Rather, the world-line represents, once and for all, the entire life history of the particle, from its birth to its death. The collision of two particles, for example, would be represented geometrically by the intersection of their world-lines. The point of intersection—a point common to both curves; an event that is "right at" both particles—represents the event of their collision. In a similar way, more complicated physical goings-on—an experiment in particle physics, for example, or a football game—are incorporated into the fabric of space-time. One example of "physical goings-on" is the reference frame that Einstein uses in his discussion of special relativity. How is this incorporated into space-time? The individuals within a particular reference frame assign four numbers, labeled x, y, z, t, to each event in space-time. The first three give the spatial location of the event according to these observers, the last the time of the event. These numbers completely and uniquely characterize the event. In geometrical terms, a frame of reference gives rise to a coordinate system on space-time. In a similar vein, in plane geometry a coordinate system assigns two numbers, x and y, to each point of the plane. These numbers completely and uniquely characterize that point. The statement "the plane is two-dimensional" means nothing more and nothing less than that precisely two numbers are required to locate each point in the plane. Similarly, "space-time is four-dimensional" means nothing more and nothing less than that precisely four numbers are required to locate each event in space-time. That is all there is to it! You now understand "four-dimensional space-time" as well as any physicist. Note that the introduction of four-dimensional space-time does not say that space and time are "equivalent" or "indistinguishable." Clearly, space and time are subjectively different entities. But a rather subtle mixing of them occurs in special relativity, making it convenient to introduce this single entity, space-time. In plane geometry, we may change coordinates, i.e., relabel the points. It is the same plane described in a different way (in that a given point is now represented by different numbers), just as the land represented by a map stays the same whether you use latitude/longitude or GPS coordinates. We can now determine formulae expressing the new coordinate-values for each point of the plane in terms of the old coordinate-values. Similarly, we may change coordinates in space-time, i.e., change the reference frame therein. And, again, we can determine formulae relating the new coordinate-values for each space-time event to the old coordinate-values for that event. This, from Minkowski's geometrical viewpoint, is the substance of the Lorentz-transformation formulae in Section 11. A significant advantage of Minkowski's viewpoint is that it is particularly well-adapted also to the general theory of relativity. We shall return to this geometrical viewpoint in our discussion of Section 27.

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"""It is remarkable that Einstein should have produced such an account for the lay public so soon after his general theory was completed. This view has now superbly survived the tests of time.... In this new edition we are fortunate in having the advantage of an excellent exposition of Einstein's foundational ideas on relativity from a more modern perspective in Robert Geroch's commentary.""

¿From the Introduction by Roger Penrose, author of The Emperor's New Mind and The Road To Reality.

""One good way to get a feeling for what relativity theory is all about is to read, in these pages, what the originator of the subject had to say. I have provided comments, attached to various sections of Einstein's book. The key to understanding relativity is to think about it for yourself.""

¿From the Commentary by Robert Geroch, Professor of Physics, University of Chicago.

""Relativity was a highly technical new theory that gave new meanings to familiar concepts and even to the nature of theory itself. The general public looked upon relativity as indicative of the seemingly incomprehensible modern era, educated non-scientists despaired of ever understanding what Einstein had done, and political ideologues used the new theory to exploit public fears and anxieties¿all of which opened a rift between science and the broader culture that continues to expand today.""

¿From the Historical Essay by David C. Cassidy, author of J. Robert Oppenheimer and the American Century, and Einstein and Our World.

""All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree. All these aspirations are directed toward ennobling man's life, lifting it from the sphere of mere physical existence and leading the individual toward freedom.""

¿Albert Einstein

Customer Reviews:

Quite elevated language.......2006-03-09

It very difficult to critisize the man himself, but after all he was not a writer per se and was used to discussing relativity with other physicists. I can follow him. But thats only because I have read other books which make the subject much easier. Acually this was my first book on relativity which I bought years ago and threw it down in frustration. Then, recently I tried again with "Relativity Visualized" by L C Epstein. Now, finnaly I get it. It took a lot of intense concentration and re-reading, but I got it. And when it hit me my jaw dropped and all I could say was "WOW!" Of course, I lost it the next day and had to go thru it again. That's how difficult relativity is to comprehend and RETAIN. (Retaining it for more than a few minutes can seem as hard as learning it. Special Relativity is very evasive to the mind. And General Relativity is about ten times more difficult. But WHEN YOU GET IT, it's a feeling you never had before. It will change your life.)So I recommend the Epstein book. Lots of great "Thought Experiments" and a bit of neat "unique" (odd) humor, too. Einstein's book should be read, tho. After you've read other books about relativity and understand it at least "generaly" (pardon The Pun)If only to get a sense of the man. I read German quite well and still, I am sure I'd have problems reading the original, but someday I'll give it a shot.

Still not for the layman...............2005-09-15

Is is an awesome thing to be able to read in Einstein's own words his explanation of these ground breaking concepts. It is not an easy read however. His language is elaborate and eloquent, but to a person like me who is trying very hard to make mental images of the concepts, distracting. I read other sources to attempt to clarify my understanding and found sources on the internet to support the book. The expanations in the appendices did not help either; they were not quite at layman's level as well.

Still, it was exciting to read and have a view into the thoughts of the great man.

Relativity: The Special and the General Theory, The Masterpiece Science Edition,

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Relativity: The Special and the General Theory, The Masterpiece Science Edition,
Albert; Penrose, Roger; Geroch, Robert; Cassidy, David C. Einstein
Manufacturer: Pi Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OIKSYG

Book Description

Samuel Pepys is as much a paragon of literature as Chaucer and Shakespeare. His Diary is one of the principal sources for many aspects of the history of its period. In spite of its significance, all previous editions were inadequately edited and suffered from a number of omissions--until Robert Latham and William Matthews went back to the 300-year-old original manuscript and deciphered each passage and phrase, no matter how obscure or indiscreet.
The Diary deals with some of the most dramatic events in English history. Pepys witnessed the London Fire, the Great Plague, the Restoration of Charles II, and the Dutch Wars. He was a patron of the arts, having himself composed many delightful songs and participated in the artistic life of London. His flair for gossip and detail reveals a portrait of the times that rivals the most swashbuckling and romantic historical novels. In none of the earlier versions was there a reliable, full text, with commentary and notation with any claim to completeness. This edition, first published in 1970, is the first in which the entire diary is printed with systematic comment. This is the only complete edition available; it is as close to Pepys's original as possible.

Customer Reviews:

A real inside look at history!.......2007-01-14

When I started reading the diary, I expected it to be extremely boring and very old fashioned (seeing how it was written in the 1600's) - how wrong I was!!!
Samuel Pepys (pronounced 'peeps') is a human, funny, moody man who has his ups and downs like the rest of us. His narrative during the plague records his concern about neighbors, and his real sorrow when people he knows succumb to it. He also records his experiences during the great fire of London in 1666 and his first mention of it strikes me as entirely human - he says that his maids wake him as they have heard of the fire and as it is not near his doorstep he simply goes back to bed as he's tired. He has arguments with his wife, and has cast a lusty eye upon the kings mistress for years! He also has, what I call 'mini affairs' where he kisses and fondles women quite regularly, (including his own maids) and seems to have no guilt about this whatsoever. Most mornings he 'drinks' his breakfast and at one point is outraged that his new wig is teeming with nits! An historical and very human read. Makes me realise that after 450 years we are all no different at all........

Diary of Samuel Pepys-Vol. X - Companion.......2006-07-02

It is kind of hard to match up these reviews of the Pepys' Diary with specific volumes, probably due to the nature of ISBN numbers. However, this review is about Volume 10, the Companion to the 10 vol. set of paperbacks (complete edition) by the University of California Press. IT IS a valuable book indeed, being 1700 entries, alphabetically arranged, on the details about the people and places mentioned in the Diary. It has 626 numbered pages and genealogical tables and maps.

A few words about Pepys and the diary of the soul .......2005-02-07

There are on the Amazon site two excellent, informative reviews of the Pepys' diaries. They say far more than my own contribution.
I have read in and out of the Pepys' diary more than once. I did this in part because I have read many times that they are the ' best diaries' ever written. Without contending with that I found that they were not for me the most interesting. This probably shows more about my own shortcomings than it does about the work of Pepys.
Pepys' work is filled with description of the life of the time. It is rich in perception of the great city of London in Restoration times. It is filled with personal anecdote, gossip including that relating to his prodigious sexual appetite and activity. It is a busy, businesslike work. And it tells more about a world outside than a world in.
In the diaries I most love there is the quest of the soul to deeply understand itself and its relation to other people, and God. I find that the flurry of activity in the life of Pepys does not lead to this kind of reflectiveness. And thus for me the 'diary' is not a highly significant work personally.

The World Upside Down.......2004-04-27

I've long been a student and a collector of information on the personalities of Restoration England, growing out of a desire to know more about the background in literature classes. The Restoration crowd loved life, and in this volume (and presumably the next) you see how tenuous their lives were -- 5000 a week in the City of London dying of plague, two fleets of 100 ships each at war in a narrow sea, everyone so intent on feathering their nest and getting their next place, and an honest man rarest commodity of all. I love all these diaries. I've learned to ignore a lot of the textural (not text) notes that tell you if there was a blot on the page, or the symbol was not quite clear, but the footnotes are amazing and so is the information. Love Sam; he could have done pretty much as he pleased with me, I fear. But in his daily strolls of 5 miles and more I fear I could never have kept up as he went up and down the town, up and down the river. I've been to London and took the boat tour on the Thames from the houses of Parliament down to Greenwich to see the naval museum and Queen's house -- and he would walk, day or night, from London to Depworth, to Woolwich, to Greenwich (though he'd borrow the boat if he could) and pay attention to all he passed. What a companion!

Unfortunately for my budget's sake I started buying these in 3s and am now having trouble filling up 1666-1669. I will persevere, though, and anticipate a re-read of all or part probably every summer (while TV takes a dive and there's good light to read by until long into the evening). The only thing I have wished for is more portraits of the people he is speaking of--and the portraits by Huysmans and Lely that he reports having seen fresh painted. However, financially that may not have been doable. Will have to keep searching for a companion Restoration Portraits volume to keep me happy.

Great reading - do start from the beginning to get into the swing of things. A random paragraph doesn't put you "in the life" like the unrolling panorama does. A better map of London at your elbow (though there is one in the back of each volume) will also increase your pleasure.

A Blend of Chronicle, Confession, and Tabloid Gossip.......2003-02-11

Pepys' secret diary, kept in cryptic shorthand to shield it from prying eyes, covers the years 1660 to 1669, starting with the return of Charles II from exile and ending when the writer's failing eyesight made writing difficult. He was 27 years old when he began this work, and quite impecunious. Through the patronage of his kin, Edward Montagu (later Earl of Sandwich) he rose from humble beginnings to a respected position (Clerk of the Acts in the navy office). Educated at Cambridge, he was ill prepared for the job: while he read Latin and French, he did not know the multiplication tables and had to be taught basic mechanics. However, he seems to have applied himself to his work with diligence and persistence. During the naval war with Holland (1665-67) he was surveyor of victualling. In this capacity, he gained the confidence of the lord high admiral, the Duke of York (later King James II). After the war, he defended the navy office in Parliament against charges of mismanagement with a speech that seems to have been the high point of his career.

His eyewitness accounts of the Plague (1665) and the Great Fire (1666) in London are riveting. But it is the description of quotidian events that sheds light on how the people lived. Moving easily among different social classes, he recorded their moods and diversions. He attended public executions of regicides (complete with display of heads and organs to a cheering crowd), and noted when initial enthusiasm for the restoration of the monarchy gave way to disillusionment; when anger at the King's debauchery and neglect of state business bred nostalgia for the reign of Oliver Cromwell.

While critical of the King's and the Court's incessant "gambling and whoring", Pepys himself was no paragon of virtue. His dalliances with maidservants and accommodating ladies of his acquaintance caused bitter quarrels with his wife. He seems to have lusted after every pretty girl who crossed his path. Repeated vows to mend his ways generally came to naught. Some of the racier passages in his diary are written in fractured French or Latin.

Pepys was an avid theater-goer: he loved Macbeth and Henry IV, but thought Midsummer Night's Dream silly and inane. There was a lot of music in his life: he played the lute, the flageolet, and the violin, and missed no opportunity to join in singing, dancing, drinking and merry-making. He carefully noted, however, how much these diversions cost him. He also conscientiously recorded the bribes and kickbacks paid him by suppliers. Forever curious, he attended lectures and observed experiments, read voraciously and enjoyed a good discourse.

If he often appears vain and foolish, it is because he portrays himself as vain and foolish. His naive enjoyment of even the most mundane things ("this pleased me mightily" is an oft-repeated phrase) cannot fail to strike a sympathetic chord in the reader. He comments on fashion trends (powdered wigs, beauty spots, wearing of masks and male riding habit by court ladies, etc.). When he yielded to fashion and had a periwig made for himself, it was delivered full of nits. New servants had to be deloused and fitted with clean garments, but once domesticated, they were part of the household; they received music lessons and, in some cases, lessons in Latin and Greek. When they misbehaved, he beat them until his arm hurt.

The parallel career of his wife deserves some reflection: the "poor wretch" who, early in their marriage, used to wash his dirty clothes by hand, graduated to lace gowns, powdered wigs and a coach of her own; but discontent increased in proportion to luxury. "I have to find her something to do", mused Sam. Dancing and painting lessons, theater visits and parties filled the void. The couple had no children.

The Modern Library Edition is, of course, a greatly abridged version of the six-volume original. One may quibble with the selection or deplore the lack of notes; but the hefty original is available to all who want to know more.

THE DIARY OF SAMUEL PEPYS, VOL. 10: COMPANION

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THE DIARY OF SAMUEL PEPYS, VOL. 10: COMPANION
Samuel Pepys
Manufacturer: University of California Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NXIBQ4

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