SPECIAL

SPECIAL
Commemorative volume has a familiar ring
NEW YORK -- To mark the 50th anniversary of the U.S. publication of "The Lord of the Rings," Houghton Mifflin is offering a new deluxe one-volume edition of J.R.R. Tolkien's classic fantasy trilogy.
The leather-bound, slipcased volume has gilt-edged pages and a ribbon bookmark. Inside are two fold-out maps and a four-page color insert showing leaves from the story's "Book of Mazarbul."
Appendixes contain family trees, a chronology, calendars, and a writing and spelling guide. There are separate indexes for characters, places, things, and songs and verses.
"The Lord of the Rings" is about the inhabitants of Middle-earth, especially the furry-footed Hobbits. One Hobbit, Frodo Baggins, is accompanied by an assortment of creatures on his journey to destroy a powerful Ring and thus keep it from falling into the hands of his evil pursuers.
The first book in the trilogy, "The Fellowship of the Ring," was followed by "The Two Towers" (1955) and "The Return of the King" (1956).
The commemorative edition contains more than 1,000 pages and sells for $100.
SELF-HELP
Books not to die for
NEW YORK -- Apparently prompted by the belief that life is short, two new books offer suggestions on what do to "before you die" and on where to go -- well, before you go.
Among the recommendations in Richard Horne's "101 Things To Do Before You Die" (Bloomsbury, $14.95 paperback) are some that many readers might have already done (milk a cow, leave a job you hate) and others that are probably best left untried (do graffiti, run out on a restaurant check -- either of which can lead to another bad idea, "get arrested").
The very adventurous might wish to drive coast to coast, sky dive or bungee jump. Those looking for a long shot can try inventing a word that gets into the dictionary or appearing on their favorite TV show.
Each suggestion is accompanied by tips for success, including material lists, how-to's, and do's and don'ts, where applicable, and a form for recording the achievement.
In "Unforgettable Places To See Before You Die" (Firefly, $19.95 paperback), Steve Davey records his visits to 40 sites around the world, from Alaska to Zanzibar, that he considers must-sees.
They range from the exotic to the familiar, from ancient ruins to modern cities. There are Australia's Uluru (aka Ayers Rock), the world's largest monolith, and South America's Lake Titicaca, known for its dark blue water; as well as Manhattan, the Grand Canyon and Venice, Italy.
Accompanying the text are 300 color photos, a list of Web sites and a locator map.
Associated Press
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