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it's i think an outdated bk got it bcause want to compare to other bk i got ordered in nov. didn't receive until after christmas longest it's ever taken 4 a product to reach me

<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Eat-Right-4-Your-Type/dp/071267716X/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Eat Right 4 Your Type</a>I read this book back in 1997 when it was published and tucked it away. I tried being a vegetarian back then and was so unsuccessful at it. I recently re-read the book and its smaller companion book for "O-Types". Although I have noticed some foods categorized differently in each book (pinto beans Highly Favorable in one book yet listed under "Avoid" in the smaller book / and sunflower seeds changed from neutral in the big book to avoid in the smaller book) I understand there may be typos or situations where data has to be updated based on newer studies (although this should be noted in the book). I've been vegetarian for almost four years. I have read others' reviews on this book and some of D'Adamo's other books and note people are wondering WHY there is no mention of how a vegan or vegetarian should eat if an "O" or "B" type. Well, the simple answer (according to this book) is O's and B's are suppose to eat meat, especially O's if considering what they ate during the era in which the O's first lived. Under meat there is a listing of several meats which the O's and B's can eat based on their body chemistry. For me, is it a coincidence that I am highly allergic to sunflower seeds (I am type O) so I have to avoid them and they are listed under Avoid? There are also numerous other items mentioned in his book which I have either an allergic reaction to or intolerance...not sure which but when I avoid them I am fine. Is it a coincidence that my favorite beans have always been black eyed peas and since becoming vegetarian 4 years ago, also adzuki beans which are both listed as highly favorable for an "O"? The other coincidental thing is when I look at the meats listed that are highly favorable, those are primarily the meats I craved and ate when I did eat meat. I could go on because once you become a vegetarian (and eat like a vegan about 85% of the time...I call myself a vegetarian), if you pay attention to your body, you begin to notice produce that's problematic for you. As a side note, I also tried the Atkins diet years ago before it was revamped and again earlier last year (you now have to eat something like 75% veggies...it's SO different than the old EAT MEAT mantra that they used to preach). Well, yes I lost weight. About 2 lbs per week like clockwork for the first 5 - 6 weeks. But what I noticed was as I re-entered certain foods back into my diet, my body had all sorts of crazy reactions. For example, I used to get acne a lot in my late thirties and early forties and had no idea why. Well, once I began to allow certain foods back into my diet which contained ANY amounts of sugar, even natural sugar, I went from a clear face for 6 weeks (I mean not one acne flare up not even during menses) to acne flare-ups almost overnight. I began noticing certain fruits and veggies that gave me cramps, gas, bloating and the like but as a vegetarian, I always thought it was just the fiber doing its job. Well, after re-reading this book and going to the Gastroenterologists, I now know that many of these reactions my body have are actually allergies and intolerances to these HEALTHY foods. And let me tell you, these foods are on the AVOID lists and the neutral list too. The foods I see on the "Highly Beneficial List" I have absolutely NO issue with. But, I am writing down my foods for a while just to be sure (that's another way to tell what you have allergies and intolerances to: you have something to reference when you stomach or body is not responding correctly). Some people who may know about Food Combining might be saying "well maybe you ate them with other foods?" Nope. I've read a couple of BIG food combining books and although that did decrease flatulence and bloating a lot when separating the fruits from the other foods, I would still get stomach cramps, gas and bloating and even abdominal cramping to pain and would just chalk it up to fiber doing its job. Well, thanks to the Gastroenterologist I now know better (doc also highly recommended that I get IgE food allergy tested...I am working on getting that done). I believe the holes in this book simply come from MORE RESEARCH being needed in this field. But this book and the others I have read are great guides since every single person is indeed different. The only ways to truly know if you are allergic or intolerant to any foods are by IgE (not IgG) testing and plain old trial and error like I did with the Atkins diet (didn't know it would be that). If you know your blood type and try an "avoid and re-entry diet" of the healthy foods on the avoid lists, you will be seriously surprised at how many of the foods listed under Avoid and Neutral your body has a negative reaction (of some kind) to. I have ordered my secretor status kit, blood test kit (for the Rh+/- Factor and to determine whether my O type is + or -) and Genotype kit. I am just plain curious now. Good luck everyone.

Way too far out for my sensibilities. I don't believe anyone could get on and stay on this plan. CHN

love all the books

this is good book

came just as stated in a timely manner

Daughter loves these books

Great stories and very fun to read, both me and my sister love these, and hey I am a big muscular guy and I love these tales about the cool cats, and recommend these to anyone who loves a good story, animals, cats, and something very imaginative!

I bought these books for my 10 year old son and he loves them!! We received them very quickly and where in excellent shape

My 13 year old daughter loves this book series. She loves the story lines and the characters. It was a great gift.

This is a very funny book, but also tough to read if you've made any of the mistakes they warn about (and who hasn't?). They exaggerate examples of atrocious writing for the sake of humor and to be sure you get the point. Then they attach trenchant comments to each example to further explain just how dreadful it is. I agree with a previous reviewer who said that some examples of good writing would've been helpful as a contrast. The book wouldn't have been as amusing, though. A few of the writing examples are so sexually graphic and crude as to be offensive (and I'm not a prude). Definitely not for the squeamish or easily offended. Still, this is one book about fiction writing I won't forget. I suspect that the next time I write some goshawful purple prose, one of the scenes in this book will pop into my head as a warning. That's a good thing.

I really wanted to like this book. The samples pages I was able to see on Amazon looked pretty good. Unfortunately, in practical terms, this book really fits into the category of "How Not To Write A 'How Not To Write A...' Book". The problem is one of style. The authors take their title too literally, so they persist in the premise that you WANT to write a bad novel, and proceed to tell you all the things you should do to accomplish that. While this approach does offer some humor, in practical terms it soon gets tiresome, and with small bits of positive advice thrown in, it becomes confusing (wait, was I supposed to do that to write poorly, or is that good advice?). Denny Martin Flynn did a much better job with "How Not To Write A Screenplay", which offers similar advice but is structured with positive advice. (This is what not to do, here is why.) And Noah Lukeman offers much of the same advice as this book and not only tells you what not to do, but even offers constructive advice on how to remedy the problems, and I would highly recommend his "First Five Pages" and "The Plot Thickens" books. If you can get past the sarcasm and constantly keep in mind that the authors take the title quite literally, then this book isn't altogether bad. The short examples are always fitting and obvious, and most of the major mistakes that aspiring authors fall victim to are certainly covered here. But I just couldn't get over the idea that most of the advice being offered was what you should NOT do, but delivered as if it was what you SHOULD do (because it's a negative positive instructing how to not write well). Do you follow? Exactly. It's clever, but it's just too much extra work.

Pros: Offers advice in a non-absolutist, entertaining manner, clearly shows how misusing techniques can lead to disaster with humorous examples, has many, many tips. Cons: Occasionally gets a bit too caught up in the humor and not enough on the advice. This book offers a very large selection of things to avoid when writing your novel which is in many ways more helpful than all the books that tell you what to do. Most authors don't want to feel like they are writing to template and the writing process is different for each individual person, but it is also good to know what to avoid, what tends to make a novel unsuccessful. There is advice on many different aspects of writing a novel from plotting to writing to characters. This book is also short on absolutes (though there are some). Many writing books declare dramatically that you should "never" do a certain thing and all the while I am naming half a dozen best selling and/or critically acclaimed novels that do just that. This book tends to acknowledge that some of its rules can be broken to good effect -- you just have to be careful how you do it. The best feature, though, is the humor. The made up "examples" that the authors provide are hilarious and often give you a much more vivid picture of what is meant by the tip than the explanation alone. For a few of the tips, I think that the authors got a little too caught up in making the examples funny so that I would forget what I they were supposed to demonstrate, but this was rare. A very non-pretentious, helpful read. So entertaining that I read through it in a day which I cannot say of any other writing books I've read. 5 stars.

The Ministry of Novels must make this book standard issue for all wannabe novelists. Think of the reprieved trees, not to mention time and temper of agents and publishers. The best ideas are often the simplest, like Sooty, twitter or libraries. Setting out the commonest writing mistakes and telling the wannabe novelist what to do about them is one of those that makes us slap our heads and say 'now why didn't I think of that?' Feeling smug, I read the book just on the unlikely chance that it could find any fault with my own writing. Dammit, it did. Three faults. I said three faults, one being that my characters sometimes repeat themselves. Not any more; if my readers don't pick up on it first time, that's their lookout. My favourite theme is the assumption by wannabes that they have some insight nobody before them has spotted. Outside of changes to the world such as mobile phones or the iron curtain falling down, they are wrong. Someone has been there first, so the wannabes had better accept it. Don't reinvent the wheel, accept that it exists already and impress us by spinning it in a fresh direction. May I suggest you add to your final chapter for the next edition? How to annoy your publisher even more. I still cringe at the first MS I sent out to the world. It had three spelling mistakes on the first page. The shame. I fell for the oldest gag of all; that my work was so brilliant I would be forgiven trifling errors and poor presentation. My brilliance remained undiscovered and I doubt any publisher read to the bottom of the first page. I even printed it in Times New Roman. You write books for children? Send your MS in Comic Sans MS. Genuine coffee stains add authenticity, and don't forget to tell the publisher to hurry up as you have other publishers waving their chequebooks at you. Never fails. One slight hiccup - they include the 'F' word three times to no useful purpose. Still, no book is perfect. Simple advice to all wannabe novelists, and quite a few published ones too - read this book. <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Youth-Market-Chickens-or-Television-Which-Comes-First-Spawater-Chronicles-I-Stop-the-cruelty/dp/0955488907/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Youth Market: Chickens or Television - Which Comes First? (Spawater Chronicles I) Stop the cruelty</a>

I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked this up, but what a delight! All how-tos (or how-not-tos) should be this good. For the sake of humanity, this book should be required reading for all writers, aspiring writers, editors, publishers, readers and upright bipeds who spend at least some of their time converting oxygen into carbon dioxide.

This book is nice for those who like to have a good laugh over some of the mistakes the probably made themselves when writing a novel. Even so, a lot of popular novels feature a large amount of the so-called blunders listed in this book and aren't any less because of them. Also, writers who desperately try to avoid these mistakes will probably come up with some very bland material. In the end good writing does not come from trying to avoid mistakes or following some general guidelines, but from the talent of getting feelings across by means of words. And this is something you can only learn by writing a lot--if it can be truly learned at all.

I enjoyed reading much of this book. It's very funny in parts. But it's not a book that I would recommend to students. For two reasons: (1) The language is on occasion too rough for the classroom; (2) It tends to put down what it should be upholding, namely a writer's desire to express his own vision in his own words as forcefully as possible. The authors of this handbook seem more interested in expressing their own vision. I can cite many authors who indulged in 20 or more of these classic writing "mistakes" but sold books by the millions anyway. And if the Bible can be regarded as a novel, it most certainly fails quite a few tests too! My own "popular" novels like&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Merryll-Manning-The-Health-Farm-Murders/dp/0557010063/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Merryll Manning: The Health Farm Murders</a>&nbsp;which have attracted laudatory reviews and have run through several editions, also seemingly merit the authors' disapproval. On the other hand, I would certainly agree with at least half of the mistakes the authors identify.

I'm a published novelist who often leads writing workshops. I always provide students with a resource list of the best writing books and "How Not To Write A Novel" will now to be at the top of my list. This book is destined to be a classic like BIRD BY BIRD. Not only is it wickedly funny, it points out some less obvious writing mistakes that even many pros are guilty of making. This book is a MUST HAVE for any writers' library.

Okay, I write non-fiction, but I've sat through enough readings of novels at writer's groups to know that this book is a must-have for such gatherings Because much of fiction nowadays is genre fiction, we get a soupcon of bad writing from romantic, erotic, mystery, adventure, sci-fi, sword-and-sorcery and autobiographical novels among others. The authors must have been editors at some point because they have instinctive feel for what sounds phony or over-the-top. Granted that the authors exaggerate a bit to get their points across, but whenever Melinda tosses her pert blonde hair or two women at lunch mention every little thing that has happened to them (the dreaded shopping list), you know you've seen this scene before in many a novel. The more general problems of any writing--misplaced tenses, misplaced tone, forgetting to give the reader a clue as to where you are, or conversely, leaving out background altogether are also included. In my book, Crafting the Travel Guidebook, for instance, I have a chapter titled "What Goes In, and What Stays Out". Choosing the right details and throwing out unnecessary or misleading ones lies at the heart of any piece of good writing, fiction or non-fiction. Of course, some of the set up scenes the authors portray as examples of bad fiction are hilarious and read like Saturday Night Live vignettes. A great gift for a fiction-writing friend who can't understand why 400 publishers have turned down her epic. And if you have a friend who is into travel writing check out my own book. <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Crafting-the-Travel-Guidebook-How-to-Write-Publish-Sell-Your-Travel-Book/dp/0960776206/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Crafting the Travel Guidebook: How to Write, Publish & Sell Your Travel Book</a>

Very engaging story of how secrets in our past affect our present. And of how forgiveness and love can give us a hope and a Godly future.

Kiahna Siefert is an airline stewardess who's the single mother of Max, a seven year old who's fun, sensitive, and active. This day, she feels like something is wrong, that something bad is about to happen--and it does. Kiahna is killed in a plane crash, and her son is left orphaned. In her will, she specifies that his birth father should meet Max for the first time. This is the story of a bad decision and its consequences. It's also the poignant story of Max, his carer, his father, forgiveness, and being true. It is well-written and sensitive, Christian, and realistic. Loved it!

I almost gave up reading Karen Kingsbury books after reading Shades of Blue which I didn't like because I didn't feel the main character really made things right with the woman in his past. He went back to his story book wedding while she was alone. There was a hint to a future romance but she really didn't love that guy. When he advised her to let herself love again, I wanted to gag. I really thought the whole thing unfair to her. This book (Oceans Apart) though was much better. The guy commits adultery yes, but in no way did he get away with it. Having to chose between his wife and the son he fathered in his adultery was really a story that held my interest. I liked the way it ended and his wife, Michelle turned out to be a very special lady yet she wasn't expected to forgive overnight without working through things. So many authors teach forgiveness in their books but do not give the characters time to work through things. Adultery can't be forgiven overnight. Karen realistically brings out love and forgiveness without glorifying the sin. If I could title this story it would be, "Be sure your sins will find you out." No one wins in an affair and not once was the affair justified. I give it 5 stars. I read it in one evening, it was that good.

A tear jerker as always. It was a great book of learning the need to accept your own faults and the importance of forgiving others.

As one whose investment in the Bible has devolved into an intellectual interest at best, I was fascinated by UNHOLY BUSINESS, a journalist's investigation into the world of Biblical artifacts centered - no surprise - on Jerusalem and the Holy Land. Author Nina Burleigh reveals the Biblical antiquities industry to be a stew pot, set on continuous simmer, of competing individuals - scientists, collectors, forgers, site robbers, law enforcement officers, theologians, and assorted hangers-on - liberally seasoned with a disparate mix of competing, and sometimes downright hostile, agendas: Christian (Catholic) dogma, Christian (non-Catholic) fundamentalism, Muslim fundamentalism, Jewish nationalism, secularism, egotism, and just plain greed. The narrative eventually focuses on an alleged master scammer, Oded Golan, who's suspected of flooding the antiquities marketplace with fabrications big and small, the main three under discussion being the James Ossuary, ostensibly the resting place of the bones of Jesus' brother James, the Jehoash Tablet, an inscribed stone making reference to the First (or Solomon's) Temple, and the Ivory Pomegranate, an artifact from the same. Golan was indicted in December 2004 on forgery charges. Almost four years later, his trial continues. My previous exposure to ancient artifacts was pretty much limited to ambulations through London's British Museum and two of Berlin's fabulous museums, the Pergamon and the Agyptische. In neither of the three are Biblical antiquities the premier exhibits. Therefore, UNHOLY BUSINESS was a revelation, so to speak. This review refers to an uncorrected, paperback proof of the book. The hardback, when it's released, has the potential of being a five-star read IF it contains photographs of the three principal artifacts mentioned above as well as the individuals interviewed by Burleigh; considering the topic, it's inconceivable to me that such wouldn't be included. Yet, the reviewed version has no photo section whatsoever, and this deficiency is so appalling that it causes me to award but three stars. That a picture is worth a thousand words is a tired, old saw. But, in this case, it's so true.

It is unfortunate that such topics as fraudulent presentation of artefacts and the history of spurious relics, which could be intriguing and have an element of humour as well, were presented in a mixed, poor quality bag reminiscent of a jumble sale. The style of writing reminded me of a tabloid, with irrelevant personal details about those interviewed diverting from the topic altogether, and religious or historical facts and poor conclusions combined as if they were hard facts. The quality of the research is questionable from the very moment that one sees the author did not even know the date when the Romans sacked the temple at Jerusalem, and Geoffrey Chaucer's pilgrims (whose destination should be woefully clear in the title of his most famous work, which every English speaking schoolchild has read) are mentioned as having been en route to Jerusalem. The "faith, greed, and forgery" are topics which span all of history, but the tabloid style presentation could lead one to think that the terms are invariably interchangeable. Even the main topic is very hard to follow because of the many irrelevant diversions, which seem to be inserted just to present an overall picture of fantastic situations always, deliberately presented as true. Some of the citations about evangelical Christian efforts (such as a Christian theme park plan for Galilee) are deplorable, but there is no balance with the presentation of genuine scholarship. There are far too many works by distinguished Christian and Jewish scholars, which not only would be a far cry from the 'facts' presented here, which would show that literalist views of ancient texts and artefacts bear little resemblance to what, for example, even those in 1 AD would have held. I had hoped this book would be very interesting, because its description included elements in which I have a particular interest. I found nothing to recommend. It had the flavour of an ill informed gossip who drags out the days 'dirt' without ever producing a coherent whole from the parts.

I love this man. I am loathe to finish this trilogy because I know it is an ending for certain characters. I have read everything in this series and am continuously impressed by the quality of Feist's writing. I hope it is never made into a movie or TV show because that would ruin the one I already have playing in my head every time I pick up another of his books...

Great book.

Great book. Feist has been keeping the story going strong with a great set of characters new and old mixed in. One of my favorite authors because of his immerse writing and imagination.

A great read for any fan of Feist. No an entry into the world of Midkemia however. The story races along in a way that I find reminiscence of "Magician" and "Darkness..." So its a great way to end the saga.

Raymond Feist is right up there with the very best in SciFi and Fantasy fiction. His books were the first I ever read in Fantasy, which soon had me addicted. This book looks like the beginning of a long road of very complex situations -- still including Pug -- the Master of all Mages. (Feist readers first met Pug long ago as a very young lad, struggling to find a place for himself, almost an outcast, in the world he knew.) If you try to figure out how everything ties together in this book, and try to guess the outcome -- you will run into a dead end. Just read and enjoy.

lOVE THE SERIES

This book is fantastic. It tells you not what to eat to be on a specific diet, but what not to eat for your type. My sister-in-law lost 120 lbs. in 3 months following her type plan.

Lots of recipes, but it would have been better if there was a separate book for each type. It would have cost less & been not filled with useless information about other types I didn't need.

That is what they should call this book. It is 100% spot on, they absolutely nailed this theory. I read the book and geared my eating towards my blood type and it helped be fight off those last 15lbs that I have had trouble getting off. Fantastic book and one of the most concrete theories out there on the human diet and the way our body utilizes nutrients.

This is a great book about what foods you should eat for your type body. Since we are all different, it's great to have a source on how to take of our different bodies and blood types.

This book has 100% helped my wife avoid trigger foods, she had no idea why she would get a fever type blister on her lip weekly, from the foods we both have ate for years. come to find out, she & her blood type are incompatible with tomatoes & green or red peppers {uncooked] her body /blood type also is not in sync for ice ream which she LOVES, but is compatible with frozen yogurt.

Too much garbage to weed through to get to the important things. I do not believe in the millions of years ago junk and there is so much of it in this book that it was difficult to get to the beneficial facts,

I think there is some evidence about blood type eating being beneficial, but too much garbage in the book to weed through.

The product came as expected and was ready to be used in the classroom where I will be teaching next year.

Gave this set to my 13 year old son for his birthday. He loves all of the books. He is asking for more. He is constantly reading them. Great stories.

I purchased the entire series fir my niece, it's about lesson of life and things to think about. This is the kind of books you would like your children to read. Perfect for both boys and girls to read.

I have not read the series but my son loves these books. I gave it a good review because they came nicely packaged and in excellent condition.

Certainly not as good as the first series, but not as terrible as the series will eventually get. Still riddled with the clichs the Warriors books always have, and on one too many occasions you will be rolling your eyes and thinking "GET OVER IT". However, still an okay read, and if you've read the first series and enjoyed it, you'll probably enjoy this one. I've re-read these books a few times, as there is re-read value, which is more then I can say for some of the later Warrior books.

John Minford, the person who has produced this excellent translation of what is, admittedly, a rather enigmatic text manages to grasp its essential nature without twisting the English into knots. The book is divided into two sections. The first is the "bare" translation. Just the words set down by Master Sun. The second section contains notes of the text by a wide number of commentators, including the translator himself. This book is an excellent addition to anyone's library.

Very good price, fast shipping, book was in great condition. I have read excerpts from this book through the years and a I am excited to finally read it in its entirety.

Sun zi's military treatise is still taken seriously today after more than 2,000 years. The hardcover edition contains the Chinese text with English translation and notes by Lionel Giles, This is an important book historically and deserves to be studied.

This short book takes a primer approach to being a general and leader in "war". I can't see how it would be an essential element of turning anyone into a successful general. You can learn most of the basic lessons presented by Sun Tzu by playing "war" or "cowboys & indians" in the mountains of Pennsylvania. If you had a deprived childhood (your Mom & Dad kept guns away from you and did not allow you to play "violent" childhood games), I recommend you read the book and pay attention to basic tactics and the value of planning and using all available resources. Because it is short and instructional it should be a quick read and worth your time (even if you read it only to satisfy your curiosity). I was a bit disappointed, given the hype of the book. The general repeats himself and often makes a big deal of the obvious. If you want to become the next General Macarthur or General Patton, make better use of your time and look elsewhere. If you think there is a need for another Napolean type, then maybe this would be a good start. If you are still curious, have the time, & a couple of bucks, buy it and read it.

This edition is completely unedited or modified to work with a Kindle. It might as well be a flat text file, and it renders it nearly incomprehensible. There is no chapter navigation, bookmarks, and foot notes are not integrated properly, so you get whole pages of just foot notes to page through. Save yourself some hassle, and skip this one.

Had read it before. Good but as a pocket version it didn't have translation notes.

Sad story, pretty good book, but not the best I have read on this subject. Book arrived in good condition and in a timely manner. Lots of behind the scenes information that we never read about in the papers. Bottom line: Don't go with strangers in Aruba (or anywhere). Makes me think twice about letting my kids go overseas even on a chaperoned trip.

Very interesting read from the mother's point of view.

While this would be every mother's nightmare, Beth Holloway has devoted her life to honoring Natalee in every way she can. Inspirational and touching.

I don't laugh very often when I'm reading. I'll smile at an amusing passage but I usually don't laugh outright. It takes special talent to do that to me, and this book hit the mark. I will say up front that I'm inclined to enjoy humor about bad writing or badly constructed sentences. I even enjoyed the examples of this in grammar handbooks. The fact that the book is very funny and also extremely helpful at the same time helps a lot. Even if you're not writing a novel, I think readers in general will find a lot to enjoy in the book. If I had one minor complaint it is that some of the examples are a bit too silly for their own good. Having a ton of mistakes in one paragraph is fine, but when it's coupled with a lot of silly names and silly situations I think the humor is actually lessened. That being said, this is only really noticeable in a couple examples and it doesn't really weaken what the writers are trying to illustrate.

O.K., we could all benefit from this book, and there are many great tips here. But 2/3 the way through, I realized that the authors are making some of the mistakes they warn against. When they draft a passage to describe, for example, how tedious it is to read about what every character has ordered at dinner, they invade the prose with so many ridiculous names, nonsequitors, etc., that I was asking myself -- what mistake were they trying to point out again? And unfortunately, every time they pointed out a problem, an author, either one I like very much, or don't like at all, comes to mind. Interior monologue? Lack of scenes and too much In the Narrator's Head? Ever heard of a guy called Henry James? Kingsley Amis? Martin Amis? Too much food, ever heard of the mega million seller Maeve Binchey? The authors praise James Bond in the same breath that they warn against super-heroics. I think the first two chapters here, dealing with set-up, offer the most useful advice. After that, their prose, over-loaded with jokes, gets wearisome and seems mean-spirited. The style of the book was so unpleasant, it took me two months' to get through -- hardly a page-turner. It would have served them better to intersperce, between their Bad Writing Parodies, examples of a Good, Published Writer carrying off with aplomb whatever technique they've highlighted in the parody. It takes no great skill to slam bad writing. As both are well published writers, I'm wondering why they didn't use examples of their own work? This is geared towards genre writers, almost any literary novel out there breaks a good half of these rules, so if you're even vaguely literary, you're going to have to filter out a lot of this advice. I'm a reader who doesn't like action, suspense, too much "snappy" dialogue, and welcomes interior life and philosophical tangents -- which the authors wrongly declare are a bore in literature and in life, using the cocktail party conversation as an example. O.K., I'm someone who gets bored when people tell me long detailed action stories at a party, but I'm often interested in hearing a stranger's inner thoughts, what makes them tick. I'd say, take this with a grain of salt. They make declarations about what's good writing -- a page turner -- which are completely wrong for me. I like a book that makes me think, so I have to put it down for a few minutes,look out the train window and digest before I move on. Some of us read to learn something and deepen our life experience. This is for readers and writers whose goal is diversion, and nothing else.

How-To books tend to be tedious and boring. When you've been writing for a while, reading a How-To is like taking elementary English 101 all over again--okay, fine, you know a lot of the rules, but now what? This was a much better approach. The writers poke fun at bad prose with sarcasm and wit. And to be honest, I've seen some people actually write as they do in the "not" examples, so they're not stretching the truth that much, if at all. There's even an added bonus--How NOT To Write A Query Letter! There is quite a bit of coarse language, but anyone old enough to form a coherent, legible paragraph is probably old (and hopefully mature) enough to handle it. This is a fabulous guide to writing with a good, direct backwards approach from the norm. Whether you write short stories or novels, there are good lessons (and several laughs) to take away from this guide. Highly recommended to anyone seriously wanting to improve his or her craft.

If you are (like me) an unpublished novelist and avid reader, you may have two reactions to this book. One, you may blush at some of the mistakes you have made (and included in a submitted manuscript). Two, you may see at least a few of the errors listed occur in novels you've read, and you'll indignantly wonder why those authors get a pass and you don't. The answer is, that somehow they've found an audience, and you haven't, so you'd do well to pay attention to the "missteps." Although, the book's authors are careful to point out that there are exceptions to each rule. Some of the advice is rather crude, as someone here as already pointed out, clearly the book is intended for an adult audience, not a young writer, unless they have a colorful vocabulary already. In addition to the 200 mistakes, the author's helpfully describe how not to write a query letter and where not to send your novel, at least if you want to avoid paying someone a large sum of money to publish your book.

At last, a book that pokes fun at people who shouldn't be allowed to hold pens (and there are a lot of them out there) while effectively teaching me what to look for while I'm self-editing my short stories. I have several writer friends, and one of our hobbies is purchasing certain genre bestsellers (second-hand, of course), drinking wine, and laughing at the bad writing. Imagine the hit this book made--every kind of bad writing is in here, conveniently all in one place. It's a non-stop laugh fest. If you're a writer who strives for quality, this is a must-have. Throw out all the other writing how-to's you've got; you won't need them. I read this book just two weeks ago, and already I've avoided mistakes I've made in the past. I work primarily with the short story form, where it's especially important not to waste words. These what-not-to-do's have been an enormous boon to the economy of my prose. Now if we could just convince some published authors to read this book, we might have a shot at getting a lot of crap off the bookshelves.

Howard is a friend, but he has also helped me with my last two books. He and his co-author are as funny in person as they are in this book. It always kills me how horribly BORING how-to books about writing are. Give me a break, of all "how-to" books that shouldn't be painful to get through, books about how to write definitely should not be, right? So if you are looking for this kind of book, this is the one to get. (Now I have to worry that Howard is going to email about how badly written my review of his book was.)

This book's valuable information is conveyed in the language of smart-mouthed jokes, not nearly as witty as the authors seem to think. Both the "bad examples" and the corrective information are so presented. Profanities are used -- sparsely, but enough to render the book inappropriate for classroom use. Too bad, because it's an encyclopedia of the 200 most common mistakes and cliches that tempt beginning fiction writers. A more accurate title would be "How Not to Write Fiction," because problems specific to novel-writing, as opposed to short-story writing, are not addressed.

13 Elements you will find in the first Emily the Strange novel: 1. Mystery 2. A beautiful golem 3. Souped-up slingshots 4. Four black cats 5. Amnesia 6. Calamity Poker 7. Angry ponies 8. A shady truant officer 9. Top-13 lists 10. A sandstorm generator 11. Doppelgngers 12. A secret mission 13. Earwigs Emily the Strange: 13 years old. Able to leap tall buildings, probably, if she felt like it. More likely to be napping with her four black cats; or cobbling together a particle accelerator out of lint, lentils, and safety pins; or rocking out on drums/ guitar/saxophone/zither; or painting a swirling feral sewer mural; or forcing someone to say "swirling feral sewer mural" 13 times fast . . . and pointing and laughing. 4 words: I. LOVED. THIS. BOOK. Emily the Strange: The Lost Days is told completely through diary entries by Emily-- or Earwig as she calls herself in the book. The overall voice and tone of the book is entertaining and generally hilarious. The cover is kind of misleading, because looking at it makes one think it the book is a gloom and doom goth book. But DON'T BE FOOLED! This book is so funny and enjoyable, and seriously, not at all as dark as it seems. I was very surprised by this book. I didn't take it as seriously as an actual novel, but it actually had great characters and plot that really threw me for a loop. I love Emily (Earwig) as a character. She was just so spunky. I really had a great time being inside her head. She makes up the funniest curse words and slang. (NOTE: There is no actually cursing. Just funny words.) One of my favorite parts of this whole novel were the drawings on almost every page. They added a different perspective to the reading experience, and really brought the novel to life. This was a much lighter read than I'm used to, but still totally enjoyable. 5 stars!

To be honest, I knew nothing about this book when I picked it up. I had seen the cover a few times and found I instantly liked it. It was a little Wednesday Addams, a little dark and a little cute. It ended up being a lot of fun. Emily likes to make lists, usually of 13 items. On the dust jacket it states: "13 Elements you will find in the first Emily the Strange novel: 1. Mystery 2. A beautiful golem 3. Souped-up slingshots 4. Four black cats 5. Amnesia 6. Calamity Poker 7. Angry ponies 8. A shady truant office 9. Top-13 lists 10. A sandstory generator 11. Dopplegangers 12. A secret mission 13. Earwigs And that is just the beginning of the fun. Usually I write my review of a book within a few days of finishing it. This book was so unique, so weird, so wonderful, that it sat on my desk for a few weeks waiting to be reviewed. This book is amazing but it is hard to put that into words. It is sort of a scrapbook told from Emily's perspective, with pictures, drawings and more. It is an adventure, but also the story of discovery and self understanding. Emily is brilliant and creative and amusing and funny, and so is this book. This book leaves me nearly speechless, so go buy it and read it; see for yourself.

This was another sold-by-the-cover purchase for me. And I am glad I picked it up. I will look to pick up the second one some time next week. The story here is that a young girl wakes up one morning with amnesia. She's in a town that is strange - in more then one way - and she's trying to find out who she is. There is a strange cast of characters here which keep things moving. The "13 Elements you will find in the first Emily the Strange novel" on the jacket summarizes nicely the wonderful things in this novel... to name a few, mystery, golem, top-13 lists and doppelgangers. I will add a few too: ghosts, traveling show, psychic, and ghosts (or sort of one ghost anyway). Emily goes on this journey of self discovery and there are moments of pure joy. It's funny, unique, and in a lot of ways totally off the wall (the ridiculous teachers and moving each building one inch to the east!). One of the things that intrigued me at the store when I picked up the book ended up being the biggest challenge to me while reading. The book is presented as Emily's notebook. So, the paragraphing sometimes is challenging. There were moments when I felt like the author's enter key must have been broken. The dialogue, which is often funny, is recapped and the characters who are speaking are referred to after the first line as the first initial in their names. And the top-13 lists were cute, but after a while lost their charm. The pictures and the snapshots added to the book. The little extras or the letters, maps, polaroids, and the drawings of the cats (which I loved!) were all fun to look at. The plot and the resolution were totally different. There were a few cool surprises and only one really predictable element. It was funa dn a nice quick read. I hadn't hear of Emily before - apparently she's been around for a long time and there are some graphic novels on her. I am not sure I liked her enough to try those (graphic novels aren't really my thing) but I am going for the second novel.

My first foray into Emily Strange happened when I saw a drawing of her on the computer once. So, I got the inspiration to write a short story based on this character (based solely on her looks and name, didn't know any of her history) for an English assignment. It all worked out, got an A+ on the assignment and have been an Emily Strange fan ever since. Even owning an Emily Strange graphic tee and wallet. That's why I wanted to like this book so much. I took the book out of the library instead of buying it because I wasn't so sure how the whole story would work out. While I liked the premise of the book, a lot of tended to be repetitive. Emily gets amnesia, writes notes in her notebook trying to figure out the whole sordid detail, rinse, wash, and repeat. Still, I started enjoying it more towards the middle. Emily is a very likeable heroine. Really witty and sarcastic, something that I love. I still think I would've liked this book more had I been a bit younger. So, anyway, I give this book three stars. It was cute and had an intriguing mystery (plus intriguing heroine and intriguing supporting characters), but it wasn't too deep. Besides that, I'm actually looking forward to the second installment in the Emily Strange series, although, they will be library reads as I have no desire to own them (although I would love to own some of the artwork since it's pretty kick-ass).

A girl wakes up on a park bench in a dusty beige town. She doesn't know her name, she doesn't know where she is and she certainly doesn't know how or why she got there. All she knows is that she is a girl, she has a slingshot, a notebook and a pencil; she has a mystery to solve. When things start to get stranger and stranger in this town she finds that she even more desperately must figure out who she is. A traveling caravan brings a boy who can read her mind, but he doesn't know anymore than she does. After getting fine after fine for ridiculous things that are supposed law breaking, she might finally be able to go home... or maybe she's been mistaken as someone else. You either love Emily the Strange or you don't. There is no shame either way. Emily is a strange little girl after all. I do like the cats that she befriends and how they lead her places. This book kept me guessing about many things, while other things seemed more obvious. It was a great little mystery and I am definitely looking forward to picking up the next novel in this series. I tend to enjoy graphic novels, it's fun to see pictures accompanying stories, gives my eyes a rest from words. I wouldn't necessarily classify this as a graphic novel but it's very similar, with the text occasionally meshing in with the illustrations. If you haven't read an Emily the Strange I suggest to pick up a copy of this from your library, you might just get hooked on the strange little girl named Emily (even if she can't recall who she is). First Line: "I think I better take some notes, cuz something super strange is happening to me, and I don't know 1. my name 2. anyone else's name 3. where I am 4. how I got here 5. where I live 6. how old I am (am I a kid or just short?) 7. anything I've done since I was born 8. whether I'm a cat person or a dog person 9. whether I actually believe people are either cat people or dog people 10. what might have been written on the eleven pages that were torn out of this notebook 11. why this happened to me 12 how long it's going to last, or 13. what I should do next." Favorite Line: "It appears as though I was am a rich, popular, well-dressed girl who keeps a neat bedroom and wins trophies at everything she does."

1. Emily arrives in an incredibly boring town with amnesia, not knowing her name is Emily and going by the name "Earwig". 2. There is clearly a mystery. 3. Emily is too cool for the rest of humanity, and smarter than most. 4. The town's founder looks a lot like her. 5. Her look alike is definately not an act alike. 6. The travelling shows in town don't travel enough. 7. The town's economy is based on a junk mail factory and police corruption. 8. There are people there who are supposed to help her, but they're not very consistent. 9. Her notebook and her slingshot are probably more important than they seem (and they seem pretty important), and the cats are excellent. 10. Writing a list like this without spoilers is a bugger. 11. The coolest building in town is in cognito. 12. The El Dungeon cafe is near the center of the mystery. 13. She really likes lists of thirteen things. Any thirteen year old girl who solders is pretty cool, and her adventures more so. Great, eccentric fun. E. M. Van Court

I have heard talk of this character even seen Dark horse listing the comic in magazines but never picked up any of its merchandise till I saw this book on the self. The book isn't written in traditional chapter format but more as if you were reading Emily's notebook that she is always writing and doodling stuff she learns about herself in. Emily's a gifted girl who wakes up one day with no memory, in one of the strangest towns short of the Twilight Zone. Her dress pockets are like a black hole that can hold anything, she a whiz at fixing things and find the mysterious person running El Dungeon Cafe among the most interest next to the medicine show boy who can read mines. Too bad Emily's mind is blank. She lives in a card board box in a alley with a bunch of cats while she try to figure out who she is and what kind of job she might be in the town to do other than finding out who she is.

This set of books was delivered on time with no issues. Another great series of books for my 10 year old son.

My daughter loves the Warrior series. So I had to get the next set. The story is very good and she can't put the book series down. She fell in love with the books when she found out others were reading the books. She loves animals and loves the surprises she comes across in each book.

This was a gift for our 9 year-old granddaughter. She squealed with delight and said it was her favorite present. The books arrived quickly and were in an attractive case. Great gift idea for a child 8 - 12.

I love all the Warrior books. I started reading them because of my ten-year-old daughter. I find myself reading them as much as her.

I just got my book in yesterday and already people besides myself and my mother are wanting to read it, I might even get it for a friend for Christmas since he was so fascinated when I let him take a look in it.

My son has had severe digestive problems all his life. We tried everything ... nothing worked very well until we stumbled onto this book. I'm very glad we did, not just for my son but for myself. As I reach my mid-sixties, my body has needed increasing care (they do that, I'm told). This book has shown me a way to eat that leaves me feeling nourished and better, overall, than I have for at least twenty years. No matter your blood type, buy this book and follow Dr. D'Adamo's instructions. You will be very glad you did. Update after a year on the plan: the ONLY negative thing I have to say about the blood-type diet is that once you begin to follow it, your body will begin to insist that you do so pretty strictly, using the Weapon of Not Feeling Good to great advantage. On this diet I don't get a lot of dairy, which I used to like a lot (Cheddar...). But it clogs up my sinuses and bloats me, so that prohibition has gone from "quite difficult to follow" to "let's see: cheese on top or not having to dig concrete out of my nostrils tomorrow morning?" I've actually kicked a caffeine habit of more than 20 years' standing, and lost 20# to boot. No diet will keep us alive forever, but on the "4 Your Type" diets you will feel a lot better a lot longer than you will otherwise.

I thought this book was well researched, not only by the author, but by his father before him, who began the work. I haven't followed the details of the diet for my type closely enough to say whether or not it is a valid perspective, but it is certainly well written and a good read.

This work, begun by his father is good information about your blood type and corresponding cooking requirements. Price was (ridiculously) low, and delivery was faster than expected.

I am currently a college student and lost a job so I just wanted to read something that teaches you how to attack certain situations in life.

Yes I know. This is a free book on the Kindle and as such there ought not to be much to complain about. So let me say up front, that if what you're looking for is just to read this classic work as an element of curiosity and personal expansion, as I was, that what you get in this Kindle edition, etext is just that. You get the text apparently as it was converted from another ebook format related to the Gutenburg project. All the words are there. As long as you're not picky about wanting your paragraphs and displays to be clean and as long as you don't have a need to be able to jump from an active Table of contents link or to easily reference the footnotes while you're reading than this copy will suffice. If however, you are a student or researcher and you have needs, then go ahead and look more carefully at the many other versions available on Kindle and pay the dollar or two or more to get a version that it more suited to your needs or you will be very frustrated with this particular copy. In terms of the text itself, this classic is worth reading for anyone who has an interest in things military, but also it has applications in the areas of leadership, business and dealing with change. The viewpoint is, of course, eastern and so in terms of tactics for today the use is limited. In terms of strategy however, and the ability to adapt, respond to and recognize that change in one or more elements of a situation may require a rejection of maxims and old paradigms in order to react and respond to a situation appropriately, this ancient text is amazingly well put together. If you're just looking to read this text one time for curiosity, you can't go very wrong with this public domain copy despite its rough appearance, lack of attention to detail, and lack of internal supporting links for effective use in the Kindle. If you're looking for anything more, then move on and leave this for the curiosity seekers. 3 stars. The content is classic, the format in this Kindle edition is not. bart breen

This book is Thomas Cleary's attempt to make intelligible to Westerners the complex thought processes of a man who many consider to be, if not the greatest, certainly one of the greatest military strategists in human history. Cleary includes not only the main text of Sun's work, but also some of the commentary made on it by other Chinese writers. I must admit that this is not my favorite translation (I prefer the one by Ralph Sawyer), but it is readable and this edition includes a couple of CD's so if you are interested in hearing the work read, you can.

I thought the price was right at $0.00 but I was wrong. First, the Kindle rendition of this term paper is very poorly done. The text does not translate well to the Kindle format and that makes it difficult to read. I believe the text has not really been converted to the Kindle format and that makes it a challenge to read - in effect, this is one long chapter. The term paper itself is just that - a term paper. Innumerable citations, footnotes, etc. I am sure this is a good scholarly work but to a person who has long since graduated from college I found it to be difficult to read and the flow was constantly interrupted. My advice, don't download this paper

I have liked Feist, but i guess i grow tired of confusing names and places, and lots of characters talking and talking but little action. Too much focus on past history that is almost impossible to follow. Will not finish this series.

This is an excellent read. Really takes me back to reading the original riftwar trilogy. Great new characters that I care about already, plus familiar faces. I recommend reading all Feist's fantasy novels in sequence.

didn't finish the story

Just like every Raymond Feist book, this one keeps you riveted and wanting to keep reading for hours! Can't wait to see where book two leads me!!

Another fine novel of the Riftwar

A loose web of tangled ties that ebbed and flowed. At times I struggled to keep pace and on other occasions thought just move on.. As always Feist is an enjoyable read if you are in the right space and mind, thank goodness I have the next book ready to read otherwise I would struggle.

As always, a great book by a great author.

I loved reading about Natalee from her mothers perspective. Good read. Very sad but inspiring.

I watched all the shows on this kidnapping and charging of crimes. I'm sure the young man did it. I haven't read all of the book but I feel I know it well.

Good read. Buy it.

The courage and determination of this mother really touched me. This book had so much sadness in it, yet her hope in God really strengthened me.

I loved reading this book. it showed how a mother never stopped fighting to bring justice for her daughter. love it

Oceans Apart is a Christian fiction book focused on forgiveness. At the center is a delightful little boy and Kingsbury really does an exceptional job capturing the boy's voice. However, I found the plot to be predictable and a little preachy. The adult characters were also not very realistic or engaging.

Remember the movie "Ever After"? The beginning where the sweet old lady says: "How does it start? Oh yes, once upon a time....". It reminds me of Karen Kingsbury. She really should add a disclaimer at the beginning of her books stating it'll start off realistically & interesting, then somehow veer off into Fairytale Land where "once upon a time" turns into "happily ever after" no matter how ridiculous or outlandish the situation. In her world it never really storms- just a light rain. She never really has deep wounds- instead little cuts that can be covered quickly with a pink Band Aid. Unfortunately, I love storms, and I think our deepest wounds are what lead to thicker skin...and yes, scars. Never in my life have I heard of something so crazy as basically taking a little over 2 weeks (!!!) to get over the shock of finding out your husband has cheated with the end result of a child (of course it has to be a son, because they already had 2 girls...I mean, it would be much easier to walk away if it was a girl, right??). Blech. I have a hard enough time changing my grocery shopping days, so for me trying to understand how someone moves that quickly from betrayal to their perfect fairytale life so quickly is just not going to happen. I completely believe that Jesus is always there for us and will heal us...but apparently Ms. Kingsbury is trying to strictly reach people who still believe in the Easter Bunny, because this was mostly fluff. Sadly, the only realistic and redeeming quality of this book was how depressing the little boy's POV was. For me, it was the only part of this book that could actually happen. Just once I'd like to read a story from her that didn't end with swingsets, puppy dogs, and ice cream. Ugh.

Looks like a cute story about a dog but I have not had a chance to read it. Got into other things but plan on reading.

This book was unrealistic. The adultery portrayed in this book was exposed, forgiven and then given a happy ending in what seemed like weeks. Poor story line.

Awesome story! A group of women from my church went to hear Karen Kingsbury at a Ladies Day Apart, and she was our speaker. I think I'll read many more of her novels!

One of my favorite K.K. books. It made me cry numerous times but it showed me how important FORGIVENESS is.

This is one of Karen Kingsbury's best stand alone books I've read. I cried a lot from sorrow and ended up crying for happiness. She deals with a tough subject in a tough, loving way that is still true to life.

I read a translation of this book, here in Brazil. Being writen in China, more than 2,500 years ago, this book is a proof that a great book doesn't gets older. The focus of this book is military tactics, but it is usefull for everyone. United States of America won World War III or Cold War, following the advice of this book: The biggest military conquest is to win, without fighting. And this book is full of great advices for any commander. You must know your enemy is one of these advices. Such as the Bible, this Sun Tzu's book is forever.

It's to bad President Bush, Vice President Cheney, and Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld didn't read this book. As I was reading it I noticed that frequently (*very* frequently, unfortunately) they did the exact opposite of what Sun Tzu would have advised. For one thing, Sun Tzu advised against fighting large-scale and protracted wars a long way from home, because the costs of *everything* increase. One's opponent can then use this against you by finding ways to drag out the war, ruin your economy, and by ruining your economy ruin your war effort. Jiu Jitsu is the Japanese art of using an attacker's energy against him rather than directly opposing it. A comparison could be made between bin Laden having to spend only a million or so dollars to blow up the World Trade Center, when estimates of the cost of the Iraq war are about 9 billion per month. That's almost a million times more costly, EACH AND EVERY MONTH! That means that for every dollar bin Laden spent, we spend a million just in one month. The war will be seven years long in March. Multiply that by 12 and you get 84 months; then, let's say the war lasts another 16 months beyond that; it will mean that bin Laden spent about a penny for each million dollars we spent. That's the very essence of Sun Tzu. Even Sun Tzu probably couldn't have imagined odds like that. If there was a Sun Tzu award, bin Laden would certainly be a good candidate for it. Don't get me wrong. He's one of the most heartless bastards who has ever walked the earth, but he's a smart, heartless bastard, at least when it comes to waging war on the cheap. I doubt even in his wildest dreams he ever imagined he could have exhausted the American war machine so effectively. And like the Energizer Bunny, the costs and the war keep going and going and going . . . with no end in sight. An equally good metaphor for how bin Laden tricked us is found in the story of the Tar Baby. Brer Rabbit tricks Brer Fox into punching and kicking the Tar Baby until his arms and legs are buried deep in tar and he's stuck. Now we're stuck in Iraq. Bin Laden tempted the U.S. to come after him with overwhelming force, and we took the bait. Sun Tzu would have probably advised retaliation that was lower key and sneaky but which would have the desired effect, not involving the high risk of betting our entire economy on the outcome---especially since the war front was so far from the U.S. He would have advised patience and cunning over an impulsively and hastily conceived large-scale counterattack. Either way, if the U.S. hadn't started the second war in Iraq, we would have probably fared much better in the long run. Iraq was a bridge too far. And now the expense is killing us. I know The Art of War is read by Western military strategists. I'd think it would be required reading at Westpoint. Nowman Schwatrzkopf certainly seems to have read it. After reading the Art of War, it's clear to me that the second Iraq War was a train wreck waiting to happen. Our country is collapsing under the weight of the astronomical costs of supporting such an enormous military undertaking so far from home, with no end in sight. The insurgents also act in ways that Sun Tzu would have recommended: harrying the opponent and keeping massive numbers of troops committed over a long period of time, wearing them and U.S. down gradually. Of course, the consequences destroyed their own country in the process. Sun Tzu wouldn't have recommended that. It has backfired on the insurgents. But it had pretty mush the desired effect against the American military, at least temporarily. The Iraqi insurgents have us stuck in a war of attrition a long way from home, where their costs are low and ours are astronomical. Not an enviable position for a commander to be in.

If you are looking at a comprehensive view of Sun Tzu's Art of War, this is not the book to get. It really covers some of his principles from a distance, not really a comprehensive view or direct translation of his work. Please note that this book is very short and appears to be written as a synopsis. If you are looking for a quick read or intro into his principles, than this should be good enough for you. But if you would like more thorough insight, I'd search elsewhere.