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Hands down the best & most literate mystery/thriller of this year & many others
What a book to take to the beach! An intricate plot reaching back nearly 400 years; not a two-dimensional character to be found, even among the walk-ons; a highly plausible portrait of Shakespeare the imaginative dramatist and hard-nosed businessman; a hugely sympathetic main character revealed solely through his deathbed letters from the 17th century; witty, insightful social commentary on contemporary society and the city that nevers sleeps; even the incidental details and historical background rendered with exquisite precision and exactitude.... This novel is the most splendid achievement within its genre that I have seen in many a year. I could not put it down and wished heartily that it would never end. | 45 stars
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Christians and Jews - A Logical Alliance
Since we are both high-value targets for radical Islam, an alliance would seem to make perfect sense. Nonetheless, Christian Evangelicals will always be seen by some liberal Jews as a more dangerous enemy than radical Muslims. Why this is - who knows? It must be their warped worldview or something...Zev Chafets does an outstanding job of explaining (to those Jews who will listen) that most Christians have come to acknowledge that G-ds covenant with the Jews is still valid just as they believe their own covenant is. This is essence of the "dual covenant" theology. With this belief, there is no reason to convert Jews to Christianity and therefore no "danger" for Jews from evangelicals. The true danger comes from another world religion which will not try to convert Jews, just kill them.Unless you truly believe Christians are more dangerous than radical Muslims, you should read this book. Evangelical Christians have been warmly accepted in Israel and they are, in some cases, more supportive of the state of Israel than many Jews. Zev explains all this, and much more, with incredible wit and humor.Great book! Read it with an open mind. | 45 stars
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Excellent weird book
This is a wild literary novel, with digressions into tall tales and philosophy. If that's at all the sort of thing you like, check it out. | 34 stars
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great product
I like my kindle a lot. I do find it awkward to use the on and off switches. It takes awhile to figure out how to hold the kindle in order to press next page. All in all I am quite pleased. | 34 stars
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Just another Darcy Fanatic
The first time I read Pride and Prejudice I was in seventh grade and I found it difficult to read and of little interest; so when I picked it up again as a senior in high school and discovered its brilliance it came as quite a surprise. I should not have been surprised, however, for any work authored by Jane Austen is bound to be genius. With her witty dialogue that had me laughing out loud and the heartachingly poignant love fiascos that left me in tears of frustration, she successfully turned me into another Darcy fanatic.The characters are timeless-Elizabeth with her candor and brilliance, Darcy with his romantic soul waiting to explode, and Mr. Bennet with his stoic attitude towards the Mrs.-and the plot will never grow old. Even if the book were as long as War and Peace I would not be deterred if I knew I was to be rewarded with the defining moment when Elizabeth returns Darcy's declaration of love. What makes this book what is though is not just the tryst between Elizabeth and Darcy, but the social commentaries Austen makes about the period and all of the outcomes that are swayed by the civilities of society. Clearly a classic that remains just as magical as the day it was written, Pride and Prejudice should be required reading for everyone, boys and girls alike (hey you boys out there might just learn something from Darcy's quiet love approach). | 45 stars
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Love mine but.....limited connection.
I love my kindle but in my area the connection is everything called limited!! I live in an area that has only few cellular services. I knew it might be hard to get kindle connection but never thought I would not be able to connect at all. Well I cannot. Can drive to a little town 20 minutes away and connect perfectly but not at all in my town. I can connect to my computer and download any book I want so it's not a serious problem but the convenience is limited. I was needless to say very dissapointed and went through two kindles to make sure it wasn't a product problem. I still love the ability to read my books like this. It's just not what I expected. | 34 stars
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Kindle 2 - Love it!
Never heard of this product before my husband purchased it for my birthday. What an awesome device! My only issue is that I wish it had a back light. | 45 stars
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Excellent tool
I live in Bogotá, Colombia, and am involved in the research for a book I am writing. It is difficult to acquire the books I need from the major publishing houses. However, with the Kindle and Amazon's extensive selection of books particularly in the field I am researching I am now able to purchase almost any book I need to read at a reduced price, and have it delivered to me here in Colombia in a matter of seconds! I have purchased and read more books in the last month than I was able to do all last year! Thank you, Amazon! | 45 stars
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Best Toy I've Ever Bought
I absolutely love the Kindle 2. I was skeptical when I first heard about the Kindle but then I started researching it more and more. Finally I bought one. It is better than I ever dreamed it was. It's so much easier to read a book on the Kindle when I have two kids running around. I can set it down in an instant and not worry about losing my place. I love the convenience of getting a book whenever I want. Most of all I love that it really is just like reading a paper book, I just don't have to turn the pages!!! | 45 stars
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This Red Diaper Baby is One Smart College Dropout
Michael Moore, the author of Dude Where is My Country (henbceforth Dude), has been called a red diaper baby and a college dropout. Because he is thought fat, some say that he knows as much about economics as he does about weight control.First, Dude is substantive yet simple. The world is full of educated people whose opinions differ. Having Esquire or PHD after one's name is merely a bona fide, tis not an argument. Support, not titles ought count as argument. If Mike merely gave the opinions of his opponents and offered that as argument, the way Laura Ingraham Esquire does in her book Shut Up, then he would be as vapid as she. But he does not.Second, anyone who read the book would know that Mike has dropped 50 pounds. So, Mike obviously knows something about weight loss, and the book shows he knows something about economics.Still, I was a little uncomfortable with the first chapter. The rumor about Osama's failing health, was off putting for me. I know Mike's point, but why speculate when what is really important is the relationship between the Bush family and Bin Laden family. Why were the Bin Ladens wisked out of the country after 911? Why weren't they interrogatted by the FBI? Arguments that Osama was a black sheep do not hold up under scrutiny. Even if he was a black sheep, why'd we let the fam go? Amd why has information concerning the Saudi's role in the 911 tragedies been classified by the Bush administration?The chapter on lies is magnificent. Mike deconstructs the many lies of this administration, not by merely stating the administrations lie, then ridiculing the position ala LauraIngraham, the attorney, and moving on to the next fib. Instead, Mike spends pages on each, giving copious evidence in support of his opinion and always to build a case using real American values and logic. Also, it is funny! OK, the Bushies are an easy target, but still...He asks Americans to have a little empathy for those in other countries. And he suggests some things we might do to be a little more popular in the world. I think it was Bismarck who said that "war is an extension of politics by other means." If the goal of war is to create a new consensus and ultimately make friends, you have to wonder why the neocons goal seems to be alienating as many nations as possible. Mike shows that the "Coalition of the Willing" is a canard. A stolid brotherhood of 39 nations as the right brags? Or a contingent 90% American?He shows that on most issues, Americans hold liberal positions.He does not just say it, but he presents convincing evidence in the forming of polling data to support that assertion. The problem is that conservatives, and you have to give them credit, have done an amazing job of making anyone left of Rush Limbaugh seem no different than a communist. Conservatives have coopted symbolism but have neglected substance. I think Mike says that is where we will ultimately win, take back America. I especially enjoyed his evidence on health care. Read the book. It is convincing. Anyone who thinks America has the best health care system in the world is in serious need of education on the subject. Mike can give you a primer.Gore Vidal once said that the United States was the only democracy on earth where citizens consistently voted against their own self interest. Mike's answer is similar to Studs Terkel's in his book Working. Read both books.The chapter about "your conservative brother-in-law" was a delight. We all have them in our lives--mine is really a close personal friend. Mike tells us how to talk to them. The conversation involves their self interest and our admitting the many good points of conservatism. He trots out a bunch of clunker stupid ideas we liberals reflexively defend. Stuff weought have jettisoned long ago. The one thing I think he misses is that conservatism to these folks is more a religion than a political position. The ideology is beautiful; it just does not work.But Mike is what he is. His hat, his dishevled appearance, communicate that he is a simple, brave man. The answer is simple, but the work is hard. And, again, Mike is dressed for hard work. He means to tell you the problem, in the simplest language he knows. This year the Greens can forget it, so can other exotic fringe groups that siphon votes from the left. We all have to get behind a candidate that can beat George W Bush. Four more years of Dubya could seriously hurt this country. That is Mike's message. We all must work to take America back. | 45 stars
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AWESOME PRODUCT
I love the product and use it all the time. My only complaint is battery life and content availability. I'm posting some related links below.http://www.amazon.com/gp/pdp/profile/A3VFL27GKZPDVAhttp://www.eastharlemschool.org/getinvolved/givetoehs/donorlist0304.aspxhttp://www.city-data.com/elec2/06/elec-TRUMBULL-CT-06.htmlGood Luck Shopping!- Kris Penderton | 45 stars
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Good product
My review would have been stronger but I have been unable to access the Bible that was downloaded. | 23 stars
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Kindle - this product is great!
I have had my Kindle now for about a month and it is great. I have read 5 books in the month I have had it. It is so easy to purchase new books. I was sitting in the Indianpolis airport and downloaded a new best seller. I use my Kindle every day on the treadmill. No having to hold the book and turn pages while trying to run. just click a button. So much nicer. I think this product would be great for college students if Amazon could work out a deal on their school books. Kids could get their books at about 1/3 the cost. The hi-lighting feature would be great for reviewing for tests. My daughter would love this compared to carrying 5 books in her backpack. You really should check this out. | 45 stars
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Just So Stories a Wonderful book for all
My daughter and I read this book a year ago for homeschool and enjoyed it immensly. We have moved out of country, and were not able to bring a lot things with us, this book included. However, she received this book for Christmas and couldn't have been more thrilled. It is a book that can be read again, and again. They are wonderful stories full of clever writing, great plots, and perfect for kids of all ages. | 45 stars
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Poorly Written With An Unlikeable Protagonist
Ms. O'Dell seems to have a talent for writing about Emotionally Crippled Professional Victims. In this book we are introduced to over the hill 40 plus Shae Lynn. Shae Lynn drives a cab for a living in a God forsaken backwoods coal mining town and beats up guys who are too drunk to fight back. She also wears loud White Trash outfits. Before confronting the man who raped her she picks up a stranger and has sex with him to make her "feel good". I have no doubt that there is some apparent reason for this somewhat abberant behaviour and I am sure that the National Association Of Bimbos will write to me and tell me what it is.Ms O'Dell glorifies the good ole boys who work in the coal mines whereas in reality they are too scared to think for themselves and get a job with real propects. This novel reaches it's climax and then "burns out" in the last 10 pages where everything turns out fine by golly gee.All I got from this novel was to be wary of woman in pink cowboy boots when I am drinking at a bar. 5 stars for Choker who is not an abusive father and no stars for Shae Lynn. | 45 stars
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very good if you are fit in english
i like ebook readers, so i have the sony and the kindle. the kindle has for me as austrian the problem, that there are no books in german available and the connection to internet for searching in the web is not possible. but all other is very good. whispernet is available, the book download is available and some german magazines are available. the device was very fast delivered in 2 days is very easy and comfortable to use. you can read the books on kindle, on pc with a new program and on your iphone with an kindle app. the only problem with the kindle app is, that it is only available in the us-itunes store an not yet in the austrian store. maybe amazon kindle will get international soon, than the rate is above 5stars. | 45 stars
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Get to know the problems of an international airline
The past few weeks I noticed some articles in the newspaper about all kinds of airline gettogethers, nice talks, interesting promises and large headlines. If only the authors of these articles had read this book, they would have avoided words as 'surprising', 'news of the day' and 'new policy?'. Doganis explains it all in his book, and in such a way that I liked it, remembered it and am still capable of reproducing. To me it was an excellent introduction to a field, far from my bed. | 34 stars
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Angieville: CHARM CITY
CHARM CITY picks up a few months after the events ofBaltimore Blues: A Tess Monaghan Novel (Tess Monaghan Mysteries). Tess is still living above her Aunt Kitty's bookshop, and the endearing musician/bookseller Crow seems to have worn down some of Tess' reservations about a possible relationship. She's even relented enough to accept a job as an apprentice investigator for the curmudgeonly lawyer/rowing instructor Tyner. But this unusually "normal" period doesn't last long, as the editors of the Beacon-Light hire Tess to investigate a case of a reporter undermining the system, publishing a controversial article that was never meant to run. In no time, the subject of the article turns up dead. An apparent suicide. Tess follows the trail through the ranks of the newspaper, convinced the suicide was, in fact, murder. Several secondary characters get some great fleshing out in this second volume, notably Tess' best friend (and crack reporter) Whitney and the always awesome Crow. I am now completely hooked on this series and thrilled to find there are, count them, seven more to go. Bring on the fun. | 34 stars
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There are now many books on subject, this is the best imho
Daughters of Juarez takes you through the journey of this sad, despoiled human landscape. Women by the hundreds have disappeared, been taken away. Rather than offer a single neat solution, the book goes through the hope and agony of the search for answers. Mysterious and shadowing figures flit away, then are confronted, only to slip away again. Government officials are hopelessly corrupt if not actively blocking any real investigation. Investigators themselves have turned up dead. Right along our border.This book is not a tome or a treatise...it simply tells the story with raw and soul-felt power. It came out several years ago, but I think it is still the best book covering this horrific type of femicide. | 45 stars
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Four excellent and one so-so Christmas-themed short stories
I think that Mary Balogh is probably the best author currently writing Regency Romances. In a hugely overcrowded genre her books stand out because of their characterisation, insights into human nature, depictions of scarred and damaged people finding healing and, important to me, the good attention to historicity.Under the Mistletoe is an excellent example of Balogh's work in short-story form. Although an author who can write truly sublime stories sometimes she gets it wrong and produces something rather underwhelming (I can think of three of the 'Slightly' series and 'No Man's Mistress' as examples of these). And this collection has four excellent stories and one so-so, thus a good example of how she can write!This book is a collection of stories that were published separately previously in anthologies and it's a great opportunity to read them all together although it does also highlight some of the similarities in the stories; they're probably best read one at a time with a couple of days in between to truly appreciate them."A Family Christmas" deals with the estrangement between the newlyweds Mr Chambers and Mrs Chambers. She was given in marriage to him, the son of a Cit, by her titled parents in order to restore their fortunes. Mr Chambers has been living in London for all but the first two weeks of their marriage and Elizabeth is living in his country estate with her 3 month old son and, very unfortunately for her, her domineering and overbearing mother. Elizabeth's mother looks down on Mr Chambers as his fortune comes from trade and Elizabeth fears that he despises her for marrying for money and yet as the Christmas season progresses they both find that they may have been mistaken in each other."The Star of Bethlehem" deals with another failed marriage where Estelle and her husband the Earl of Lisle have been miscommunicating for their entire marriage, two years. The Star is the engagement ring that Allan, the Earl, gave to Estelle and yet when she loses the ring she fears she has lost all chance of ever being reconciled to Allan. It takes a thieving chimney sweep and the Christmas season to allow them to see each other truly for the first time."The Best Gift" is the story of Jane Craggs, illegitimate schoolteacher who has never experienced Christmas in her 23 years. Expecting to spend the Christmas season at the school where she teaches she finds herself called on to be companion for one of her pupils, Deborah, whose parents are away and who thus will have to spend Christmas with her uncle, Viscount Buckley. The Viscount is appalled that he has to deal with Deborah and more so when he arrives home with Deborah and Miss Craggs in tow to find his illegitimate four-year-old daughter at his house - her mother has died and she has been sent to him. Yet somehow the four mis-matched people come together to create a proper Christmas and Jane is determined that the Viscount keep his daughter with him and not send her away so that young Veronica doesn't have a life like Jane did, devoid of love. But Jane gets rather more than she bargains for."Playing House" is a story of childhood love that was separated by circumstances. When Stephen's older brother died unexpectedly he became heir to the Marquess of Bedford and found himself courted and feted, marrying a woman who turned out to be heartless and with no fidelity. When his wife dies Stephen eventually has to take care of his daughter, Dora, and returns to his country home for the first time in six years to try and give her a genuine Christmas. However he almost instantly finds his childhood sweetheart Lilias on his doorstep asking for help and thinks she is out to catch herself a Marquess. Stephen's suspicion and Lilias' dismay that her warm and friendly companion has become a cold and remote man make it very uncomfortable for them when thrown together and yet Dora and Lilias' younger siblings help to bring them together as they begin to understand what each means to the other.The fifth story, "No Room at the Inn" is the disappointment. We see a group of eight people snowed in at an Inn and an ill-assorted group they are. When a young unmarried woman needs somewhere to give birth she and her man are given the stable to sleep in as they aren't 'quality' but as the baby starts to be born the people in the Inn see things rather differently. There's a rather unlikely new romance in the story, a married couple re-engaging with each other and a mysterious character bringing the people to a new understanding of themselves. The device of the baby almost being born in a stable felt too clumsy to me and the story overall just didn't work.With the exception of the last story these are all very charming tales that I will want to read again. Perhaps they are rather over-sentimental about Christmas in a rather cheesily American manner, perhaps there is rather too much repetition of events (partly because the stories weren't originally collected together) but it's still a great read and a great introduction to Mary Balogh if you are new to her. | 34 stars
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Looks like I found a new way to read. Everything.
To start, let me say that I am a 19 year old computer science major who loves gadgets, but certainly doesn't read too much.Let me also say that Amazon has a fine line to cross...while they may say this is a completed e-book reader (and it is), it CERTAINLY isn't a completed device, which will make the Kindle's future so much cooler.Initial setup: I was dumbfounded on how simple it is. I literally turned it on, entered my Amazon account information (it was a gift purchased months before I received it) and then went off to buy (and even sample) books. I am hooked on all of the latest bestsellers and am actually making time to read...probably the first time that has ever happened.The device: After about 20 minutes (or less), the shape of the device is completely natural. It is amazing to see such a crisp screen (one that requires no power to hold an image). I love being able to go check my email and using all of the easter eggs Amazon is working on. For example, Google Maps actually can do some GPS work with the Kindle. The mp3 player is a nice touch, as is NowNow (ask a question and it gets answered by real people...quickly), and the Kindle store has a great selection of books.The concept: There is just so much here. Of course Amazon has to be careful in marketing, but I know the reader will be expanded on soon. For example, there's actually a hidden slideshow app, along with minesweeper! Heck, the device even thanks you for being an early adopter! Another perfect example of this experimentation is the fact that you can download Daniel Oran's late draft of Believe for 99 cents, which goes right to charity. So I get to preview (and comment on, if I like) books? That's a cool idea.I am truly grateful to have been able to receive the Kindle as a gift (I'm one of those people who really doesn't need more than a way to access the Internet), and I should start to count up my savings...I wonder how many books I will buy before I make up the $400. Though, if college textbooks are available with it, then it would be very quick. Otherwise, it may be a few dozen, but just remember, this thing has a lifetime wireless subscription...if they went with Verizon the device probably would have costed $500 =PThis lifetime subscription is amazing, and to be honest, to get the documents (including PDFs...again experimental, but a work in progress) I have on there is definitely worth the dime (or of course actually plugging it into my computer for free).And just remember, this is an open platform and a work in progress...good things are bound to come. Steve Jobs may be quick to criticize Android, but I think it will catch on and clear out, once and for all, bad phones. The iPhone was supposed to be closed, but thank heaven people woke up and got that changed.Anyway, I'm off to read a book...I mean my Kindle. | 45 stars
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Still a classic!
I decided to read this book after reading the Fifty Shades series....our main character in those books,Anastasia, refers to Tess several times and identifies with her. Anastasia of the Fifty Shades books is an English Lit. major...If you love history, and will immerse yourself in the times, you will enjoy reading, or re-reading this book. | 45 stars
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Reading with Tequila
Why read: Bought the series box setWhat impressed me: The side-story of Bella and Zhadist kept me completely enthralled. I loved the attraction and the agony of the two of them attempting to relate to each other. I wish the book had been solely focused on them as opposed to Rhage and Mary Luce. The brothers as a group continue to be greatly entertaining and their continued battle with the Lessening Society brings manly action to balance out the sexiness.What disappointed me: Rhage's dragon was a little much, in my opinion. And Mary Luce could have been stronger and more sure of herself. I get that she is sick and therefore weak, but I'll ever understand these big, strong warrior male protagonists that are drawn to quiet, wallflower types.Recommended: Yes. If you liked Dark Lover, you got to keep reading the series.Continue series: Yep. I didn't love Lover Eternal quite as much as Dark Lover, but I still love the world and characters. | 34 stars
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Fantastic Fantasy
I have but one thing to say about this book: Yay! While I don't devour bodice rippers at the rate I once did, I still enjoy a good historical romance from time to time, and while I haven't read all of Small's work, I have liked everything I've read. When I saw that she was trying her hand at a fantasy series, I decided I wanted in, and was well rewarded for it.The story here is set in the land of Hetar, which is made up of four provinces and another area of unallied Outlands. The provinces are the Coastal Regions, the Midlands (home of the City), the Desert, and the Forest. Hetar lacks electricity and combustion engines, which gives it somewhat of an old world feel, but it abounds in magic and sensuality, making it a lot more fun than Elizabethan Earth. Lara, the star of the book, is a 15-year-old half-faerie girl living in a hovel in the City with her mercenary father, her stepmother Susannah, and her baby brother Mikhail. Lara's faerie mother Ilona left them when Lara was only a few months old, and Lara has never met her. Her father has ambitions to become a Crusader Knight for Hetar, but he lacks the monies necessary to garb himself in fine clothes and obtain an attractive horse and weapons, so he has been unable to enter the contest to become one. His wife has a solution, however: sell Lara into slavery and use the money she will bring to purchase what he needs. As Lara is half faerie, she is devastatingly beautiful, and as she also sees this as the only workable solution to help the family, she readily agrees to her sale. Though she has never felt anything but human, her faerie nature seems to be coming alive as her life undergoes change, and she is oddly calm about the whole thing. Since Lara is so beautiful, it is assumed that she will be sold into one of the city's Pleasure Houses, which is actually an attractive future in which she could one day obtain great wealth, as Hetarians praise sensuality and are not in the least prudish. Because she is too beautiful, however, that plan goes awry, and Lara's real adventures begin. It's hard to explain more of the story without giving all the goodies away, but suffice it to say that Lara winds up everywhere but the Coastal Province, and discovers not only how much of her nature really is faerie, but making a lot of powerful friends along the way who help her discover the magic she possesses and find her true destiny. She befriends a giant who wears magic boots, a Shadow Prince who introduces her to several faeries as well as numerous sensual delights, and the head of a clan of Outlanders before taking the first steps in fulfilling her destiny.Lara is an extremely likeable character who is devoid of arrogance or fear, accepting her lowly position in the world and making the best of it. She is level-headed and tough, but has a soft heart and helps others weaker than she is. She makes friends both with lowly slaves and with people of power, and treats them with the same respect. The other characters in this book are also well drawn, from the crude and foolish Foresters to the urbane Shadow Princes. The sex scenes are numerous and hot, but not long and drawn out for page after page; in other words, well done and just right.Bertrice Small is at her peak, using both the skills and knowledge that made her an outstanding historical romance writer, and her vivid imagination, creating a brand-new world full of interesting characters and laws. The two combine wonderfully for a page-turner of a fantasy romance. This book wins high marks, and I can't wait to read the next in the series. | 34 stars
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WST Wall street Journal
I have the Kinlde Fire and I got this App WSJ It hangs up every day and I Have it for the rest of the month wasted my money i want to see it but it hangs up on the kinle fire at first it worked but I haven't seen it on MY kinlde in three days don't get it don;t waste your money | 01 star
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Good, but takes some effort to think it through
I just finished this book, it is the third of Dickens novels that I have read. It is one of his shortest so it was easy to get through reading it in a decent amount of time. I enjoyed the characters he introduced, but I found myself getting a tad bit lost in some of his phraseology trying to figure out what was being said and understand exactly what was going on. Perhaps not everyone will enjoy this novel of Dickens, but the one thing I do like about Dickens is you can't breeze through any of his novels without putting some effort into concentrating on what is being said-or else you get lost! This being said, It isn't the most light hearted of his novels, but If you enjoy reading Dickens, you will most likely like reading this one, too, even if it isn't necessarily his best one. | 34 stars
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once it gets going, a fine romp
I almost gave up on this book. I set it aside and went on a week's trip, then came back to it and picked it up again because I was at loose ends. I'm SO glad I did. I didn't like the characters at the start and found the story line slow, but once it got going, I loved the characters, the obstacles, the work-arounds, the romance. Sure, in some ways, it was "standard chick-lit romance" but like Janet Evanovich (who not everyone likes), it brought a bubble of laughter into my day. Great vacation read. | 34 stars
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It was the worst of times...
when I read this book. Honestly, after I liked "A Tale of Two Cities" I was expecting more from Dickens. Maybe Dickens wrote in the style of his time, which was to be very detailed, but it really doesn't translate well to today. I don't mind long books (I'm reading War and Peace now) but this book went into extreme detail about the most meaningless things.This story was essentially a Victorian soap opera. Theres all sorts of unknown parents, secret coniving, mysterious benefactors, and worst of all, many unrealistic characters. This book was so contrived and unnatural that I really don't see how it's attained "classic" status.If you don't mind meticulous attention being payed to the minutia, which is Dickens's style, then I'd recommend "A Tale of Two Cities." If not, there are many other authors much better than Dickens that you can read. | 01 star
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Love the story, despise the writing and the writer
Six million boiled eggs, more or less.Fried chicken, sandwiches, cookies, milk, birthday cakes, chewing gum, candy, matches for six million.North Platte, a small town in western Nebraska, was a water stop for steam locomotives. From a few days after Pearl Harbor until 1946, the people of North Platte and the surrounding farm and ranch country of Nebraska and eastern Colorado met every troop train that came through town.Dozens, sometimes, in a single day, at any hour. During the 10-minute stops, the ladies of the area handed out food and smiles.No other place did that. When Bob Greene tracked down some of the men who were met at the North Platte Canteen, most of them started crying. It was, they said, the nicest thing that happened to them during the war.You can take it as heartwarming or as a slap at the rest of the country, much of which was indifferent or hostile to men in uniform in those days. In places like Norfolk, Va., there were signs on stores that said: No sailors or dogs allowed. Either way, it's a remarkable story.It started with Rae Wilson, then 26, whose brother was in the Nebraska National Guard. She thought, mistakenly, that her brother was coming through town on a troop train and wrote a letter to the North Platte Daily Bulletin suggesting a canteen to greet the local boys.Somehow, the community recognized that all the soldiers and sailors passing through were their boys, and they spontaneously formed the canteen.Greene takes the story as purely heartwarming. The mothers, some of whose sons had been killed in combat, coming down day after day, the young girls excited to meet the handsome boys even if only for minutes.It was a women's outfit. Men participated, but only in the background.The story never got the attention it deserved, and Greene was barely in time to salvage it. The heroism of the people was worthy of a better messenger.Greene's attempt to explain why this happened in North Platte and not anywhere else is superficial.To him, it was a remarkable effort from a town of 12,000 people who had been through the Great Depression. But in fact western Nebraska's economy had collapsed in 1922. Most of the banks had failed even before the stock market crashed in 1929.The rest of Greene's ruminations are equally ill-informed, trivial or both.The writing is as inept as we have come to expect from Greene, a long-time Chicago Tribune columnist until he was forced to resign in disgrace for a serious violation of ethics. The book does not appear to have been edited or even proofread.The story is wonderful, though, and worth reading anyhow. | 23 stars
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compelling emotion
To lose a child is a parent's worst fear. Elizabeth and John lost a son and the book exemplifies what emotions occur then and later, 10 years after the tragic event. She holds nothing back in how her feelings have impacted her life. She is a strong woman who will never let a day pass without the thoughts of her son. Fortunately her husband and her other children carry her forward each day providing joy and a future for the potential first lady of the US in January 2009. Knowing her personally through a NH connection, I can admire no woman more than her. Cancer will not beat her. She will beat any medical issues dealt her, especially after what she has experienced thus far in her life. Every mother and father should read this book. | 45 stars
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Tangled Roots!
Norma Cross tried to come to terms with the problems of raising a mixed-race child in the 1950s, especially after the failed relationship with the child's father. But her dilemma was not solved and her daughter, June, became the real victim. At the age of four June was sent by her white mother, to live with a childless black couple in Atlantic City, N.J. Her mother confided that if June hadn't darkened after birth, she would have kept her. For June it was the beginning of a life of confusion about racial identity. She spent a good many years straddling the middle-class black world, where well-mannered behavior might stave off mistreatment, and would not expose her mother's freewheeling bohemian life with white entertainers. Norma's marriage to a white actor exploded her fear that someone would find out she had an illegitimate, mixed-race child, so on the occasions June was allowed to visit Norma, she had to pretend she was either Norma's niece or adopted daughter.June's emotional roller coaster life bounced between her affluent adoptive black family and her show business seeking biological mother. Adulthood brought more confusion with her undergraduate difficulties at the Harvard Crimson, 'a club of smart-assed white boys and pre-feminist women', and the turmoil of the racially-charged '60s; it was the season of Angela Davis' trial. She shares gossipy show business tales about the career trajectory of F Troop actor Larry Storch, and some score settling with the infamous Jerry Lewis for borrowing from her father's act; 'Stump and Stumpy'. For me some of the information did not have a connective flow, but it is still an intriguing story.June's Emmy Award-winning documentary is the inception for this poignant memoir, SECRET DAUGHTER. Cross is a TV producer and journalism professor at Columbia University, and she uses this personal, and at times melancholic account to display her life as the daughter of a white woman and a well-known black vaudevillian (Jimmy Cross).Reviewed by aNNof The RAWSISTAZ(tm) Reviewers | 34 stars
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Fascinating how many of these reviews reinforce Dan's thesis
Reading these reviews, it's fascinating how many people attack Dennett for things that aren't in this book.- "Science can explain everything". But the book isn't about everything: it's about psychology and sociology, which are sciences.- "Dennett's an atheist". Well, yes, but he acknowledges that religion is pervasive; the book is about trying to understand why people act and think the way they do, not to change what they believe. (Unless you think that to understand religious belief is to destroy it - but you'd better be able to justify that.)- "Dennett doesn't understand philosophy". A silly accusation to make of a distinguished professor of philosophy. Yes, Dennett dismisses traditional phil.of.relig. for this debate, but that's because it has nothing to say about the phenomenon of belief.- "Dennett's account of religion is about as reliable as a Nazi's account of Judaism". I don't understand: the definition he uses is remarkably mainstream, and owes a lot to William James.The comon thread running through these critics is one of taboo: Dennett ought not to be investigating this stuff. Nobody offers an alternative theory, and in that respect the attacks feel a bit like Intelligent Design wedgies. The criticism is not of the idea, but the person. And (of course) nobody tries to justify the taboo.As I wrote in the review on my blog at geoffarnold.com, the book has three sections:- a careful definition and justification (over-cautious to an atheist like myself)- a sample explanatory narrative, synthesizing much of the state of the art in this field, acknowledged to probably be mostly wrong, but comprehensively indicating the areas that future, better researched theories should address- an optimistic but unconvincing plea for future dialogue.Overall it is a solid step in the right direction. | 34 stars
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What are your goals?
I choose this book from a book club list at work because it sounding interesting. I could not put the book down! When I finished reading it, I bought the book for my sister and I have recommended it to friends. Besides enjoying the story, it got me thinking about what I would write on my list. I don't want to spoil the fun for you so...add reading "The Next Thing on My List" to your list of things to do! | 45 stars
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Neoconservative Authoritarian Personality
I would recommend that everyone who values freedom, independence, individuality and critical thinking read, Conservatives Without Conscience by John W. Dean. Dean is a Goldwater conservative and was also a member of the Nixon administration. He wrote this book to try to understand how the conservatism he knew from post-WWII through the Reagan era had changed so drastically in recent years. The book focuses on research on authoritarianism that has been conducted over the last sixty years and how authoritarians have impacted the current American Federal government, and more specifically how it has radicalized the modern conservative movement. A person with an authoritarian personality uncritically accepts the words and ideas of an authority figure and they display many familiar traits: "dominating, opposed to equality, desirous of personal power, amoral, intimidating, and bullying; some are hedonistic, most are vengeful, pitiless, exploitive, manipulative, dishonest, cheaters, prejudiced, mean-spirited, militant, nationalistic, and two-faced." This issue is something I believe all Americans should be aware of regardless of your party affiliation. One scary thing about the authoritarian personality is that they are not able to recognize these traits in themselves. Possibly between 20 and 25 percent of the population fall into this category. | 34 stars
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Great read!
Dr. Stuart Jordan is a great character whom you have sympathy and hope for. The novel is spun off his life as obgyn doctor during the day and moonlighting as a medical examiner. He is completely wrapped up in his work and for good reason. His soon died fourteen years earlier and his wife, a manic depressive, floats in and out of his life. His work provides some stability for Dr. Jordan. In comes Rosa Littlefoot, a woman accused of murder and with an infant daughter... she somehow manages to get Dr. Jordan to look after her daughter while she is incarcerated. Dr. Jordan's surface level stable life (one must remember he is always dealing with the pain and memory of his son's death and the havoc his wife wreaks) is turned upside down... Annabel (the wife) returns, he has an infant to care for and quite a few other obstacles. The book is great because you have so many hopes for Doc, and you wish he would get some backbone! But he doesn't disappoint you in the end... great read! | 45 stars
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A greater image of Jesus and Christianity
Pagels remains a champion for truth and an asset to people who want to know it, painting a more complete picture of Jesus and the evolution of Christianity. Many still consider the Gnostic Gospels heresy - derided as such 2000 years ago, suppressed, lost and rediscovered in 1945 outside Nag Hammadi, Egypt. One of those gospels, the Gospel Of Thomas, is Pagels emphasis. Scholars have dated Thomas to the same time frame as John, the latest (youngest) of the four Gospels. With Mark as the oldest surviving gospel (after an undiscovered Q Gospel) Pagels reveals an astonishing expansion of the concept of Jesus from man to God over time. We find much of John a rebuttal of Thomas and his rival school of thought. The central message of Thomas is that Jesus claims the kingdom of the Father is upon the land and men do not see it, that each has God within them, they only need discover it for themselves and see the world in a new way conveyed by Jesus. John, however, rails against this perspective by making clear that only Jesus has "the light", no one else, it is only through Jesus one finds salvation and the kingdom won't be here until Armageddon. The Thomas Jesus is cryptic, demanding self-examination. Johns Jesus is easy, concrete and requires only belief in His divine nature. It is also from John we receive the gift of damnation for all non-Christians. Such claims made John (the Johnian school or whoever wrote John) appear in his day as a radical Jewish sect and apparently he/they were persecuted for it as John includes them in his list of rivals.That John rebukes Thomas is clear through his differences with Mark, Mathew and Luke. Only in John, when Jesus reappears designating his disciples to carry forth, is Thomas not among them. Only in John is Thomas the doubter and does he receive a reprimand from Jesus. It is also in John that Jesus has a "beloved disciple" never named and superior to Peter. Does John want to claim the beloved is John, but find it politically expedient to only imply it?Pagels book is a revelation itself in which Thomas shows us a genius in Jesus not seen in the other gospels. Given the political nature of John and their timing one fears the same error in Thomas - was he responding to John, inventing words for Jesus for political/philosophical gain?Thomas lost the contest to John, of course, through suppression by the Church, and one might wonder if not from the easy grasp of and more supernatural Jesus he presents. At least he won in the first 2000 years. Perhaps someone will print a complete Bible with gospels of Thomas, Mary and the rest (becoming known as extracanonical gospels) such that a clearer picture of Jesus can be given in the next 2000 years, and thanks to efforts by those like Pagels who truly practice what Jesus preached, to seek the truth and set us free. | 45 stars
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Romantic treasure hunting Adventure!!
*Marine archaeologist Tate Beaumont has a passion for treasure-hunting. The setting is the West Indies and the quest is the search for "Angelique's Curse", a jewel encrusted amulet that has a history of bringing bad luck to the owner. Beautiful, young Tate Beaumont is a marine archeologist, who is on her parent's boat when she meets Matthew Lassiter, on another boat with his family of salvage divers. Tate is immediately smitten with the handsome, athletic Matthew but there is no immediate "happily every after story" yet. They part ways and meet up again years later to search for the amulet. Behind all this is Silas Van Dyke, a ruthless businessman who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. He was also responsible for the death of Matthew's father years ago and Matthew will not rest until he evens the score.*I love the adventure in the story Driving for treasure is So Exciting! Nora Roberts always does Such a Great job with her story telling I've Only read one book by her I couldn't get into not this one a different book....The characters in this book are amazing Story was Great! | 45 stars
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Perfect!!
My goal was to begin to read again. Its fun and easy and I am crunching Novel's at a rate of 1 every couple of days. No Complaints I could not be happier. | 45 stars
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Where is your country?
It fell apart, ...Dude, in 1991 - it was called the Soviet Union.How can anyone intellectually honest and educated on economic, social and historic issues be so viciously anti-Amercan and anti-capitalism? What is a better - and comparable in its complexity - alternative out there? France? Germany? Sweden? Cuba, maybe? Is he even aware of the cracks that, in recent decades, have appeared in the BEST of the countries the liberals are in love with?Someone put it well once: "what we deeply and honestly are striving to be, that, to a large extent, we are." The US, being the most democratic, free, and diverse nation to have ever existed, may have made its share of mistakes. A lot the missteps resulted pricisely from the openness, democracy, and diversity of ideas: if the "people" make decisions and influence decision makers, what would you expect? The "people" I meet, even in this allegedly sophisticated Bay Area, do not know that much about the world. An administration these people will vote for is not going be to be the brightest and smartest (see the example of McClintock in the recent gubernatorial elections - the ideas he championed and how he ultimately scored). Are you going to claim that demorcacy doesn't work?Moreover, the US is the leader of the free world, regardless how much liberals and non-Americans may hate this idea. Leadership demands responsiblilty, risk-taking, and bravery. A leader will occasionally strike out. Show me a leader whose decsions are 100% popular, and I'll show you have no idea what you're taking about.I never see the Moores, Frankens et al. coming up with better solutions - only complaining and hating.So the bottom line is this: which world would you like to live in: the one where American ideals dominate (even in the Bush edition of them), or the one where the socialist/communist or Islamist visions have won? | 01 star
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Who Knew? Though maybe we should have ....
Billy Graham is not thought of as an organizational leader first and foremost, but then again, without the ability to organize and lead, the message for which he will be known as one of the foremost purveyors of in the 20th century would not have gotten out.What organizations take for granted today, Graham intuitively seemed to know and understand well before terms such as "team-building and "organizational mission" become catch-phrases.More than just a study in management though, this book is a study in character and deals not just with the triumphs but also the failures and struggles. In that way it reads as easily and as honestly as the subject matter himself.Especially helpful are the sections that deal with how crusades and cooperative efforts were accomplished without making key compromises. That is as much an art as any science one could offer.This book has a lot to offer for ministries and Christian organizations, but the principals hold true in businesses of any size.A very profitable read! | 45 stars
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Setting the table...
Good overall book, however not totally what I was expecting when I ordered it. It was a lot of history and background about Danny instead of how you can improve yourself while working in the hospitality business. More in the second half was about how to improve. Overall, a good product. | 34 stars
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Friedman continues to show an impressive imagination
To date I have read all of Friedman's books (all five). Each story demonstrates her ability to create whole worlds which interact with, but do not center around, the characters. I found that this conclusion to the series wrapped up some of the loose ties put forth in the first two books, and yet left others to the reader's imagination. And just when I thought I understood how her world worked after the first two books, the conclusion presents further twists. Friedman is my favorite writer. She has a gift for melding science fiction and fantasy. My only disappointment is that she is not more prolific. I would highly recommend not only this series, but her first two novels In Conquest Born and The Madness Season to anyone. | 45 stars
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This book goes against my beliefs
New age...junkI cannot condone this book. What a selfish woman the author is.Some people think she is a god after they read her book.Ms. Gilbert needs to eat humble pie.Ms. Gilbert needs to pray to the right GodMs. Gilbert needs to love others more than herself | 01 star
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A classic
This book is essentially about deriving the governing equations for phenomena happening during saturated flow in a porous medium. This book does not have any applications such as ground water flow or oil production. If you are interested in a more general book on porous media, the classic books by Jacob Bear or Sheidegger or Dullien will be your best bet.Generally the volume averaging method is quite involved and not easy to follow. Though the book is supposed to be for undergraduates, it is actually a graduate-level text. (I use it for my graduate level course on porous media.) This is classic Whitaker prose--very clear, easy to follow, and rigorous. It is a pleasure to read this book, especially if you don't like the various formulas thrown at you as in monographs, and would like to derive all the equations yourself. A very nice description of the closure problem (i.e., how the macroscopic variables are linked to the microscopic variables within an REV) in porous media. This is really the first step--a good preparation for more advanced work by Whitaker and Quintard on the flow of multicomponent liquids in a porous medium. In my opinion, this book also has one of the best theoretical derivations of the Darcy's law. | 45 stars
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An Effective Management Tool For Managing Right
I am a business consultant for client companies whose business size is $30-50 million sales.I have been consulting for 27 years.I continue to find department heads and general management lacking the experience or know-how in establishing goals for their departments, associates or the over-all organization.The subject tool, provides a common sense method for jump-starting management in the establishment of departmental and organization goals.I use this tool as a instructional approach. I have found that clients improve their communications and specific action. The tool gives the manager confidence. | 45 stars
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Excellent!
Very engaging story. Having to wait for the next installment might drive one batty. | 45 stars
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Beware
I have a kindle that cost over $300.00 2 years ago. It is now a paperweight, it will not connect any longer and Amazons policy is. Go buy another!So if you have enough money to justify this wasteful lifestyle have at it. I do not.Very disappointed in Amazon.Spread the word - these guys did me wrong, don't set yourself up for the same disappointment. | 01 star
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An underachievement. Not very good scholarship.
I settled down to read this book, hoping I would find a stimulating rejoinder to Richard Noll's work, and was disappointed. If this is the best critique of Noll that the Jungians can muster, then the Jungian community is in deep, deep trouble. Shamdasani detests Noll -- and that is the only fact one learns after reading this short book. I wasted my money buying it. I would urge others to pass on this one and wait for more sophistated works of Jung criticism to appear. | 01 star
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Practical advice from a seasoned professional
William White provides advice from his successful career and from his successful friends in a clear and actionable manner. I will periodically refer back to his suggestions to make sure I'm continually implementing the concepts. It was a quick and easy read. I recommend it especially to those finishing college (any career) and those wanting to learn how to navigate the American corporate culture. | 45 stars
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Fundamental Cornerstone on the Driving Force of Japan
Nitobe's book is an excellent read for anyone who wants a comprehensive look at the pulse of what drives the Japanese to produce and achieve in war and economics. His writing style is clean and practical rather than sophisticated or complicated. He emphasizes the virtues and concepts that make up the Bushido ethnic.This book is a superb companion piece to Ruth Benedict's sociological analysis on Japanese culture (The Chrysanthemum and the Sword, printed near or after the Second World War). I strongly encourage anyone interested in the formative aspects of Japanese thought to read this book. | 45 stars
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Schwarz is Right!
In his new Book, The G.O.D. Experiments, Gary E. Schwarz gets beyond the anthropomorphic Gods of our many traditions. He describe G.O.D. without all the a-priori fluff, the "Guiding, Organizing, and Designing Process".On page 37, Schwarz takes a swipe at Dawkins, and the self-exalted Darwinism of our day:"... If the intelligent G.O.D. process explanation is correct, then Dawkins' universal watchmaker - from his book The Blind Watchmaker - is not blind at all. In his book Dawkins, who is Oxford-based, describes evolution as blind, nonintelligent, yet creative (as in unpredictable) process where predefined designs are found. The subtitle of his book sets forth his 'nonintelligent' theory: Why the evidence of Evolution reveals a Universe without Design.But despite being a winner of Los Angeles Times Book Prize and receiving the Royal Society of Literature's Heinemann Prize, Dawkins got it wrong; his conclusions, though beautifully written, are backwards. It is we who are blind to the watchmaker...."It is for the very reason I describe the watchmaker as not blind, but sublime in my different book "Trinity". And the scientific theory of evolution does not belong to Darwin, as his theory is mere tautology found in language. Schwarz is right in picking this up, and his book is worthy of a read.Disclosure: My agenda is declared in my profile. | 45 stars
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i loved this book
The description was exactly as written. Fast shipping and great costumer service. I would recommend the product and the seller. | 45 stars
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Funny and profound
Anne Lamott is honest and engaging. This book is a beautiful testament to a real life lived in faith and hope in the midst of inevitable disappointments and hardships. | 45 stars
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Kindle Curious
So I was Kindle curious...As someone who is strictly frugal I was resisting purchasing a Kindle and have been reading on my Touch and Cruz Reader for about two years. I have always believed in using an open format - Android reader with overdrive has worked well.Unfortunately for me I realized I was spending hours on back lit screens and this time was truly effecting my night vision, so I caved and purchased a 2nd Generation Kindle used from EBAY for 40.00.It is possible to download library books from your public overdrive system so long as your library is participating. This fact alone had kept me from purchasing for years..I was overjoyed to find out I could get library books on my Kindle.* It is important to note that you can only deliver these through WIFI, not free 3g. If you happen to purchase a used 3g only version of Kindle as I did you will need to take the extra step of downloading to your computer first and then hooking up a USB, which is time consuming, but doable. I found this a bit irritating since I have been spoiled by Kindle for Android.Reading in E-Ink is second to none, as many have already stated and discovered. I have LOVED E-Ink. My eyes no longer hurt as I am now reading with a soft gentle bedside lamp with my kindle...if I decide to keep reading at night, then I will like purchase a non-led itty bitty book light.I don't know what the newer Kindles are like, I am not looking for a tablet...though I wouldn't mind having a DX, but for now what I have will serve me well.The final bonus is the non-touch screen, no finger prints, and my daughter loves turning the next page. | 45 stars
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More Understanding
This book helped be get a better understanding of my life experience as a light-skinned black woman. I grew up on the East Coast, Pennsylvania, both my parents were deaf mutes, so I missed out on being informed in many areas. I lived in a very poor community, and often wondered why I was treated so badly by some of the blacks in the community. I was verbally abused, physically, you name it. The black mothers still hate me today, but now I understand that it was probably thought that I would receive favor from whites and black men because of the color of my skin. They probably watched the lighter skinned people receive favor in their past history.I had wonderful experiences in the black community as well, and have a bond that will never be broken. There were blacks that protected me from the abuse as well, and I am very thankful for them.According to this book, it looks like some light skinned people did receive favor dating back in history. This was never explained to me, but now I understand. I am happy to hear about people like Reginald Lewis, and the others. I am proud to know that there are blacks in American society that have broken the sound barrier and lived an elite life.I think the reason this group remained a secret so long is, if they talked the whites would destroy them. The whites had the power to do what they wanted in this country all along.This book also showed that there were whites who loved their own black children too, and left them inheritences.I think the author of this book is explaining his life experience the best way he knew how, and I can appreciate his honesty. He can't help they way our forefathers made decisions. It's not his fault, Lawrence is just the messenger. I think we all should be more open minded, and just try to find out why? I've done research on my family history and found out that my father's mother was white, and even re-united him with is white family before he passed away.I wanted to find out why I was treated badly by many people in the black community as a child, now I know why. This book wasn't the only source I had, but it surely helped me put the pieces together. I grew up with, understand my black brothers and sisters, and married a man with a dark complexion. I always try understand both sides of the spectrum. I don't have bitterness towards the black mothers who turned their backs on me in the ghetto. I still help them and embrace them, try to advise them in areas I have knowledge of, and most of all, try to understand their pain as well. I have a spirit of compassion, and forgiveness.To understand the future is to understand what happened in the past. My strength has always been in my understanding and the book should not be a source to fuel jealousy, but a source of understanding. | 45 stars
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The Best Reading device - Kindle
It's not often that you purchase an item that you can say to yourself " This was a magnificent purchase". This is the case with the Kindle.Becasue it's so compact and can store so many books, it travels everywhere with me.This is the best - ever!! | 45 stars
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Pretty Good
Gothan Diaries was a pretty good read considering it came from celebrity status lawyer and wife (Spike Lee's wife), Tonya Lewis Lee. I mean it didn't knock me off my feet like the awesome novel, COLDEST WINTER EVER. Now that book will have your behind glued to the seat until its finished. | 23 stars
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Common sense for single girls who already know the deal.
Schefft preaches to the choir in a book that is full of advice longtime single girls already know. However, if you have always had boyfriends, this book is WORTH it. It gives some heads up to situations you never thought about as anything other than typical. Nope, don't settle, Jen says! And get your parents to shhh about dating pressure. This book is for a girl who might need an extra confidence boost. | 34 stars
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A nice option
The Kindle is great to use and is a nice option to carrying a book around. It is also much easier than using a Book of the month type program. | 45 stars
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REALITY INTO FICTION
Joseph Conrad is NOT for everyone! So many people have had their attention-span shortened by MTV, Television and the Disney version of the TITANIC (hint... the boat doesn't sink and everybody erupts in a unrecorded song from MARY POPPINS), that people have forgotten how great it is to read a well written book with piercing insite,memorable characters, and a haunting theme. The skill of the true wordsmith has thanklessly fallen by the wayside, evidenced by the fact that Stephen King is considered a literary genius (see H.P. Lovecraft for a true genius in both word and plot). If we were to turn off the electronics and allow our pure powers of imagination to work, then Conrad would be abundant treat to our senses. All of his books are fantastic, but HEART OF DARKNESS holds a special fascination for most people who read it. Not to digress, but the Turner Production of "Heart of Darkness" with Tim Roth is very good and I have always loved "Apocolypse Now" (saw it 15 times in the theater). The story is a journey of the soul, as much as it is pure adventure. It is a wake-up call for those who have forgotten what it is to care and become aware of how their lives move forward (and sometimes don't). The setting of a forgotten Africa, wedged and pierced by European superpowers is both mysterious and frightening. We see this now-lost land through the eyes of a naive man, not grounded nor necessarily wise in the ways of the world. The opening reference of the French warship bombarding the forrested coasts shows the overall blindness of the countries who seek to reap the wealth of the land's bounty... throwing artillery shells onto the coast and cannot see if they are hitting anything! The river and its trading stations connect the European desire for money and profit and the harsh reality of the Africa they cannot explain. The mission is to reach the elusive Kurtz, a brilliant mind and man who has been silenced. Now the Naive agent seeks the worldly-wise man who Africa has driven mad! What I loved about the journey is Conrad's ability to chronicle not only the countryside but the people who are drawn into this lust for ivory and money. In this case, the journey is the deal. What this edition gives us is a wonderful addition... Conrad's real-life experiences as the short-lived captain of a steam boat in the Congo. At the time, Conrad considered himself more of a sailor than a novelist, and his notations reflect the factual and relatively dull specifics of his duties. Still, one gets an acute sense of how his mind works and (later) how he turned these terse, and unexciting notes into possibly one of the greatest short stories in the history of the English Language. HEART OF DARKNESS can be a matter of patience. It does not move quickly, in places, but if one slows down and allows the story to stimulate, and inform, then it is time well spent! There is time for video stimulation (TV, VHS, etc) and there is time to find an overstuffed chair and allow the best film maker ever made, your own mind, to transport you to a place long burned away by commercial interests and "progress". Take the journey and let your soul speak back to you afterwards! | 45 stars
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Another Great Hercule Poirot Novel
I finished this novel yesterday once I saw that it was free on my Kindle. From other reviews I have come to understand that the hardcover or other versions of this novel comes with illustrations that are missing from this version. From my point of view not having the illustrations is no detriment to the overall novel. It was a fast paced read that had me guessing until the end. Just like all of the other Agatha Christie novels I have read."The Mysterious Affair at Styles" was Christie's first novel that introduced the character of Hercule Poirot. The novel is told in first person by Lieutenant Hastings which many fans of Christie will recognize as assisting Poirot in later novels.The novel is set in England during World War I at the home of a very wealthy widow, Emily Cavendish. Mrs. Cavendish an older woman marries a fairly younger man named Alfred Inglethorp. Emily's stepsons from her previous marriage, John and Lawrence Cavendish, all believe that Alfred is up to no good and taking advantage of Emily. Hastings is a friend of John's and goes to visit the family at Styles while recovering from being wounded. While there one of the servants quits due to her mistrust of Alfred. Shortly afterwards Emily is found dying in the middle of the night.Finding out what killed Emily Cavendish and who was behind it causes Hastings and others to come upon Poirot. Poirot a former Belgian police officer now residing in England as a refugee decides to help catch Emily's killer in order to thank her for her hospitality to all of the Belgians she has hosted during the war.Having Hastings narrate makes you feel all of the confusion and annoyance that he feels at Poirot. I was surprised to find that this case would lead to them both having a life long partnership with each other since Hastings shows dislike to Poirot in several instances.Several times I thought Hastings had solved the murder or at least knew who had done it but was found to not be the case when Poirot would point out several problems with his evidence.Eventually you will come to find out who murdered Emily Cavendish but after a long and merry chase.All in all a great read that will leave you wanting to read more about Hercule Poirot! | 45 stars
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Feels Like I am in New Orleans!
I really enjoyed this book from beginning to end. I can't wait to visit New Orleans and enjoyed the atmosphere that Heather Graham created. A guided ghost tour is just the kind of thing I would love to do so I found the details of this story interesting.I also like the format of this book and some of the other similar books this author has written. | 45 stars
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Great Take on the Dragon Mythos
I grabbed this free kindle title for my iPhone just in case. Boy did it come in handy and I was happily surprised.I started reading it waiting to pick up my kids and ended up finishing it that same night.Very entertaining, extremely good development of the dragons and their interaction with humans. My only complaint is the people are a little shallow, but it was still a very good read.Now, I just hope the rest of the series is as good. | 34 stars
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Some loves last forever
This novel explores the interesting scenario of being reunited with a lost love. I think many people wonder what happened to individuals they've known earlier in their life. The idea of reuniting with an old flame is particularly intriguing. It took a lot of guts for Maggie to initially contact Eric. I think the story would have been much better if Eric hadn't been married when he received Maggie's phone call. Single, widowed, divorced, it wouldn't have mattered, just as long as he was available to love Maggie. Even though Eric's wife didn't love him, it didn't excuse his behavior. The author did an excellent job in the beginning of the story when she related what it felt like to lose a spouse. If Eric had been widowed too, it would have been a much more interesting dynamic. Overall, the book was a good read, and one I'd recommend. | 34 stars
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Great!
J.D. Robb's Eve Dallas mystery/romance/scifi novels are wonderful, and IMMORTAL IN DEATH is one of the best. A much hated model is murdered. Eve's best friend, the absolutely ditzy but loyal Mavis, is a suspect since she fell in love with the hot designer, Leonardo, who had also been the vapid, vicious model's boyfriend. Roarke, Eve's dashing, mysterious almost-husband, gets involved. Peabody, the stalwart, hopelessly romantic cop, makes a strong appearance in this novel. All the trademark sex, zingy dialogue, and good mystery elements are in evidence. Eve solves the crime, but nearly loses her life. J.D. Robb's a bloody genius with these books. | 45 stars
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Wuthering heights
Best book ever. Even better the second time around. It is a dark and haunting love story that will capture readers for the rest of time | 45 stars
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Nice option for reading the paper
Have been using the Press Reader app on my iPad with an e-replica subscription to read the paper. It's a great option that allows me to see an exact replica of the paper. Unfortunately I have the original iPad and the app no longer works very well - crashes regularly.So, I tried the Kindle version. It's missing some content and doesn't have pictures but its far easier to read. I especially like the design of the table of contents. Plus, the ability to adjust the font size makes it far easier on my eyes.I'm suggesting a rating of 4 because of the price. Since canceling my print subscription the Post regularly sends me special offers for around $2/week for 7 day delivery. The e-replica version was about $10/month and provided an exact, full color duplicate of the print version. Although I'm sure there are costs associated with reformatting the content for the Kindle it seems wrong for this version to be the most expensive given the reduced content.Overall, the Kindle version of the Post is an enjoyable, convenient option - assuming you're comfortable with the higher subscription price. | 34 stars
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Lovely
Beautiful! brings so much peace of spirit with the perfect touch of humor, the right combination you would like just for enjoying a book or for finding hope within you mind when your just can't get it outside | 45 stars
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Kindlw Success
I was interested in the Kindle and the ability to receive subscriptions form newspapers pushed me over the edge to buy; I did hesitated a bit until the international version was available. While I am disappointed at the limited graphics provided in the e-version of the newspapers I like the convenience. The availability of books is excellent and ability to download immediately is intoxicating. I strongly recommend this for anybody that is an avid reader of books and/or periodicals. | 45 stars
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Common Sense
Even though this book was a free electronic download, it stands the test of time. Well thought out, and the old school English made for a very interesting read. I read it on my Kindle App (Motorola Xoom), and I recommend downloading a dictionary in order to expand your vocabulary. | 34 stars
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Inspiring
A New Earth is amazing It has changed my life so much that I have sent copies to five family members. I recommend it to anyone looking for a more centered life. | 45 stars
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Worthless!
Strange or no character development. No plot except in the most trivial sense. | 01 star
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For those of you who also enjoy vampire romance novels...
I recently purchased Dark Lover because it had been rated so highly and I tend to LOVE anything vampire-related. I always have. Put vampires and romance together, and I'm there!As for this particular book, I have to admit that the story starts out slow and it takes a hot minute to understand everything that's going on. The glossary of terms and proper nouns presented before the story really turned me off. How can JR Ward expect her readers to memorize pages and pages of words they've never see before?Once you get past the odd terms and slow-moving introduction, the story gets good. The story in this book is really interesting and I finished the book over a weekend. Ward keeps the action going and the romance going even stronger. What made me post a review for it is that I've been thinking about it a lot after reading it. I really did enjoy the book and would love to see Wrath's story made into a movie.I already bought books 2 & 3 of this series in the hopes that JR Ward can still captivate me. As far as I can tell, each book centers on a different brother, all of whom are members of the Black Dagger brotherhood. I loved Wrath's story and hope that his brothers are equally as interesting! | 34 stars
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A "must have" book
If you love the English language and are truly very curious about the meanings of its words as reflected in the evolution of its origins and meanings, this is a "must have" book. I have used the 1966 issue of it for years now, and rate it more useful, although a companion book, to the seminal work of Walter Skeat. No library can realistically be said to be complete,nor can any lover of the English language, without both of these works. | 45 stars
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Very Good Action Adventure Tale On Enterprise's Xindi Hunt
Writers Michael A. Martin and Andy Mangelis have crafted a very good action-adventure tale in their novel "Last Full Measure (Star Trek: Enterprise)". It is commendable primarily for demonstrating how the MACO team of soldiers finally began bonding with Captain Jonathan Archer and his Starfleet crew aboard the USS Enterprise (NX-1) during their pursuit of the Xindi and their planet-destroying beam weapon in the Delphic Expanse. As such it is a fine bit of "Star Trek" fiction that will entertain anyone interested in "Star Trek" or is interested in a quick, enjoyable bit of literary entertainment. On the other hand, I would agree with one other Amazon.com reviewer who noted that the sociological aspects of the two military groups as depicted in the novel did not correspond with real-life militaries or, for example, such elaborately detailed space operas like David Webber's popular "Honor Harrington" series. | 34 stars
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LOVE LOVE LOVE MY KINDLE!!!!
i purchased this kindle about a month ago and have already read 4 books on it. let me tell you, you can not tell that you are reading this on something electronic. you completely forget about it after a minute or so because of the convenience of everything. i am able to read in bed without all that moving around and trying to find a comfortable "page turning" position. not any more! with a click of a button i can just lie in bed and read read read. it is fantastic. you will not be dissapointed. it is costly upfront. but in the long run think about the savings. you save on motrin in the morning for the neck strain and backache from the night before from all that strain on yourself trying to get comfortable reading a book. lol. you save your eyesight! because you can adjust the font to a larger size and do not have to sit there and strain your eyes reading that small font known to our lovely little paperbacks. you don't pay regular or even sale price for books anymore. most books are less than 9.99. 2 i got were 5.99 and if i would have purchased them online/ in store they would have been 13.99 so you do save a lot in money as far as book purchasing goes. it will eventually pay for itself. i can see it already. it is worth it. stop thinking about it and get it already. yes, i did research the nook and sony. this is way better. | 45 stars
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Not her best
A little tedious, a little contrived, a lot unlikely. Glad I finally finished it. Sometimes Clare is just a little too meddlesome. | 12 stars
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Excellent Book
I'm ashamed that it took me 50 years before reading this wonderful story. I simply couldn't put it down. I knew her name but only had a vague impression of her work, which is a true poor mark on the schools I attended. This is a story that needs to be told. | 45 stars
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Great book
It was Great! I loved it. Perfect for someone who likes classic stories or Christmas storiesIt was very good | 45 stars
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Kind of a let down
I was really looking for some good reading material as the hubs and I are getting closer to entering the exciting/terrifying adventure that is parenthood and when I stumbled across a few online recommendations for this book I went for it. During the first few pages I got to thinking it was really kind of whiney, just kind of a laundry list of problems, but I thought maybe as I went on they would slowly start recommending some solutions or encouraging advice. I understand parenthood is tough and a lot of the problems that were brought up seem very realistic and in fact likely to occur. However several chapters in I still felt like there was a lot of complaining and more specifically husband bashing. The women in this book make their husbands sound like idiots and all together useless, which I found disheartening and kind of rude. I would not recommend this. | 12 stars
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A fun tale of two friends looking for love in HOTlanta
Stacy and Tameeka are thick as thieves - good girlfriends who live and play together. Stacy has her eyes open for the perfect man - a man with maximum assets, both in the bank and physically. Since her youth she's had an evolving list of the qualities she needs in her Mr. Right. Unfortunately, she hasn't found him yet...Tameeka is a large and lovely lady who is insecure about the large part. She doesn't have the long list Stacy has - for her she just wants to meet someone who makes her soul sing and makes her feel whole.As the book opens they are attending a New Year's Eve party where Stacy meets an NBA star who looks like the answer to her prays. At the same party, Tameeka meets Tyrell who loves every inch of her large, bodacious body and isn't afraid to say so.From this auspicious beginning, we set off a journey during which Stacy and Tameeka try to determine if these men are the real thing or if they should keep their eyes open for other prospects. Along the journey they each deal with other men who challenge their ideas of what the real Mr. Rights looks like.This is a fast moving and interesting tale that at times seems a bit disjointed. All in all, however, it's a fun story of two best friends trying to make the most of their love and personal lives. | 23 stars
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Make Your Wishes Come True
I especially enjoyed the format - the audio CD set - that I purchased. I turned out the lights, lit some candles and just listened. This is something you really have to pay attention to. You can't just play it in the background while you are doing something else around the house. If you buy the book version, you must really comprehend what you are reading and put it into practice. "The Secret" really works. I've actually been using it my whole life & I can attest to the fact that you can turn your dreams into reality using this method. Try it. You won't be disappointed. | 45 stars
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Barely Use my kindle
When I purchased the kindle I was very excited as I am an avid reader. However, I used it twice in one year because I can't even see the letters on the keyboard. They are so thin that deciphering them is almost impossible even with my contact lenses or reading glasses on. A very poor design flaw if I ever saw one. In addition to what I consider to be a major issue, I don't like the fact that you can't increase the size of the font on the instruction pages. You can only increase font when you're actually reading a book. Naturally the problem isn't anything that would be covered under a warranty so I spent over 130.00 bucks for something I'll never use and will sit on a shelf collecting dust like an old book. The funny thing is every time I'd see a decent bargain or free e book download, I would take download it but all the while knowing I'd never read them. WHY? once again I can hardly see the letters on the keyboard to navigate. Unfortunately I tried someones Nook and it's wonderful because you don't have to worry about a keyboard making it a much better design in terms of user friendliness. The last issue is the fact that no sooner had I bought my Kindle, they came out with the new E Ink which is a vast improvement over the Kindle I had just purchased. This would have been a huge plus for those of us who need to rely on the assistance of glasses or contact lenses. Just for the record, my eyes don't require any severe correction in terms of reading glasses. I'm just a person who at the age of 51 needs a little help now and then when it comes to reading.SignedI wish I could use my Kindle. | 12 stars
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Comments on Purchase of Kindle 2 from Amazon
Delighted with the product, but disappointed that Amazon did not point out that the launch of the new version of the Kindle was imminent and also that I would be able to order it from the Amazon's UK site. This was announced in the UK press the week after I odered from Amazon's US site.Not only is the new Kindle cheaper, but there would have been no import duties to pay.Essentially, I paid almost twice as much as I needed to. Very poor customer service. | 45 stars
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Frightening!
I had 3 hours to myself last night, and I thought this book might be a pleasant diversion! Pleasant, NO; a book that you can't put down, YES! I spent most of the reading time, not curled up in my chair, but backed into the corner of the chair terrified about what would happen next! This book grabbed me immediately and didn't let go until the end. And maybe not then!We are introduced at the beginning of the book to Sue, a woman who has separated from her husband, seems to be successfully running her business, and the mother of a much loved little girl. Sue gets a phone call as evening descends (the longest night of the year) stating that a kidnapper has her daughter and the little girl will be killed brutally if Sue doesn't do exactly what the kidnapper says.We are then led on a wild chase of what at first appears to be simple sadism, but then mutates into Stephen King/Dean Koontz territory.I can't say more without giving too much away! But I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys almost unendurable suspense! | 45 stars
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What is the break even price?
Even though $399.00 seems a lot to pay, I wondered when you'd get to that break even price where the Kindle made sense to buy due to increased savings. I looked at the Top 20 fiction bestsellers today (11/20/07) and determined an average price of $16.00. The Kindle versions of these books were $9.99. If I bought 67 $16.00 books I'd pay $1,072.00 for the print versions. If I purchased the Kindle versions, I'd spend $699.33 for the books and $399.00 for the reader for a total of $1,068.33. After the break-even point, I'd be saving about $6.00 per book.Yes, I know that not all the Top 20 titles are available in Kindle books (but if this device takes off, I see more and more publishers supporting it), but I think that any frequent user of Amazon who buys a lot of books a year would eventually find the point where the Reader has paid for itself in book savings.I'm giving this 3 stars since I haven't seen the device or used it, so I have to be neutral. I wish Amazon had priced it at $200.00; I'd buy it in an instant. But at $399.00 I'll have to wait until actual users have posted enough glowing reviews.As far as lack of PDF support: I'm not sure that's a deal breaker since there does seem to be some conversion options available (some of them only available to Windows users). I think it's the availability of a huge library of cheap books that makes the device so exciting. | 23 stars
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Relations among human systems
Let's be brief: The Social Contract is, I strongly believe, an objective and deep description of what Rousseau sees as human systems, i.e., the global mechanism of humanly founded institutions. If you want to give yourself a solid basis for understanding the world you live in today, I mean politically and socially speaking, this is the most wanted book. No other philosophers, including Hobbes, have attained this level of precision and understanding of the original political foundations. | 45 stars
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A difficult story to read, but well worth it
After reading "Pretty Birds" I can say it must have been author Scott Simon's intent to empathize with the people of Sarajevo who suffered profoundly under the siege. His characters - primarily a Bosnian Muslim middle-class family - are not strangers in rags running in a desolate land. Rather, the Zarics resemble the family two doors down: Irena, the Air Jordan-wearing high school basketball star who signs to Madonna and reads Vogue; her parents - Dalila and Milo - who were idealistic college kids swept up in the myriad movements of the 1960s.As their world deteriorates into chaos, each reacts in their own way. Milo remains inventive in conserving candlewax and rainwater. Dalila combats the ennui of mere survival by looking after her older neighbors in their bombed-out apartment building. Irena becomes a sniper, and much of her internal dialogue is a debate between justifying the retaliatory murders of the Serbian besiegers and appealing to a higher morality that compels her to aim just above their heads.This book is well-written and would be a quicker read if one did not have to stop every so often as a character after character is brutally silenced by a mortar or a sniper's clever shot. Simon spares no agony here in his brutal illustration of the horrors of war upon a very familiar civilian populace. Nor does he ever let the victims be seen as statistics, going to lengths to describe their personalities as a seasoned journalist knows how to do. I came away from "Pretty Birds" with a tragically personal sense of the thousands of losses the students, managers, clerks, clerics, businessman and housewives endured under the crush of civil war. | 45 stars
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My husbands girlfriend
Depressing, boring and just not worth the money this book was so not good. I was so diappointed. | 01 star
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Fabulous Hawthorne
What a great book. In truth, I found The Scarlet Letter a little hard to read, though I can appreciate its merit. This novel, however, kept me involved from start to finish and the symbolism in the text is so rich that one could read HSOG twenty times and discover something new each time.Hawthorne is really dealing with appearances in this text but is also suggesting the step toward modernity with the advent of the railway and electricity, things still "novel" at the time of writing. HSOG spurns tradition in many ways and lays bear the faults of an aristocratic society.This is a small book, but very dense. A rewarding classic without question. | 45 stars
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Very Motivating Book
I rated this book high because I was really moved by this book. The message conveyed by this book is one that we should take to heart forever. | 45 stars
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Decent plot line, but . . .
The basic premise is decent, but the characterizations are cliche, the love story is very bad romance novel, the world is undeveloped and unclear, the protagonist wins too easily, and the text is filled with colloquialisms that jar the reader out of the story. *** SPOILERS *** The antagonist is using theobroma to drug the Commander? Has the author been reading a little too much Kage Baker? If the magic is like a blanket surrounding the world then are untrained magicians like CO2 and flouro-carbons waiting to eat up the ozone . . . I mean . . . magic blanket?In all fairness, Ms. Snyder had moments of truly fun writing, especially when Yelena was all by herself and working things out. But Valek, Ari, and Janco were characterizations and not real. And why do the bad guys like Rand always have some physical flaw that tips us off? Sorry, but I can't recommend this book and won't be buying the other two. | 12 stars
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Complex and Thought-Provoking
Mansfield Park is the story of Fanny Price, who at ten years old is taken away from her indigent family to live with her rich cousins, the Bertrams of Mansfield Park. Both Fanny's uncle, Sir Thomas Bertram, and her Aunt Norris, his sister-in-law, want the distinction of rank preserved between Fanny and her richer cousins. Consequently, Fanny suffers under the tyranny of her Aunt Norris and the neglect of most everyone else at Mansfield Park. The only real exception is her cousin Edmund, who, as Fanny grows older, becomes both friend and counselor to her. The monotony of Mansfield Park is upset when brother and sister, Henry and Mary Crawford, visit their sister at the parsonage of Mansfield. Henry Crawford toys with the affections of Fanny's cousins, Maria and Julia, while Mary Crawford earnestly seeks the affections of Edmund. Fanny quietly observes all.Mansfield Park is a complex and sometimes disturbing novel, and its conclusion has a tendency to feel less than satisfactory. Jane Austen contrasts the very moral Fanny Price and her cousin Edmund Bertram with the very charming but amoral Mary Crawford and her brother Henry Crawford. While doing this, Jane Austen never actually tells her readers what to think about her characters. She presents their thoughts, words, and actions in an almost unbiased manner and leaves judgment up to the reader. The novel is definitely food for thought, and every time I read it, I find myself feeling differently about both it and its characters than I did the time before. I appreciate both the storyline and its thought-provoking complexity.The Oxford Illustrated edition of Mansfield Park contains a copy of the play Lovers' Vows referred to in the novel, which is such a treat. After reading both the novel and the play, one cannot help but be struck by the parallels between the two. I recommend this edition to anyone curious about the controversial play in the novel. | 45 stars
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Tiffany Aching Stories
The Tiffany Aching stories by Terry Pratchett are fabulous! They are humorous and the characters are rich and there is not a better storyteller than Pratchett. | 34 stars
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Still lost
I envisioned an accompanying written guide, but nope! The short lessons on cd are convenient, but if you aren't the best auditory learner (like myself), look for some written material to supplement. | 23 stars
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Liked it so much, had to get the movie too
common things that we all know but forget to practice. I'll re-read it over and over to keep on the path. | 34 stars
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Delightful but....
I was sent this book by a relative, and I have found it delightful to read. The extracts used from Jane Austen's timeless classic are neatly interwoven and more characters added. However, phrases like "let's go find him" are simply NOT early English Regency speak, that is very modern American, and several others which are clearly modern speak.But, saying that, the novel is a charming and satisfying book, and a real pleasure to read. I am now eager to find more of Ms. Aidan's works, and highly recommend them to others, hopefully without American phrases which hold no place in a novel such as this. I'm sure they were a slip of the pen - (quill of course!)It is lovely to be re-acquainted with the characters from Pride and Prejudice and almost feels like it could have been written by Miss. Austen herself. A treat. | 34 stars
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Good but paid too much
Happy with the Kindle performance, but unhappy that in less than 30 days from purchase Amazon had a $70 price drop and doesn't automatically give you something for that. Most places give you a guarantee of finding something for less within 30 days AND they will pay you the difference!! | 34 stars
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Say What?
It took me a good 50 pages to figure out this story was not about two homeless people. This book is unequivocally bad, for reasons that have been well explained by other reviewers. It would be futile to once again point out the lack of punctuation and lifeless dialogue that make The Road an atrocious read, and I would find other things to criticize but those are the only features I really remember. It is a very bad sign indeed when all of the 1 star reviews of the book start to resemble the repetitive and monotonous work itself. | 01 star
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Amazon Kindle
The Amazon Kindle is a truly amazing product. Owing one is like having the resources of a library or bookstore at your fingertips. It has many advanced features for making reading enjoyable. Once your favorite book or periodical is downloaded, you can begin reading immediately. The Kindle's display is clear and easy to read. I enjoy using the paste feature for organzing my notes on one common page. | 45 stars
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