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DONT WASTE TIME READING THIS BOOK
This book was horrible the plot is disgusting and weird and my sister and I both read this book and was very angry at the work from Mr. Dickey we expected more. At then at the end of the book if you don't stop in the middle cause it's so bad that you can't go on reading the book yyoure thinking i know i didn't just read this book for this to happen. I guess it just wasn't my type of a book. | 0negative
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This book was so poorly written that I could not finish it.
I had high hopes for this book when I began reading it, however, these hopes were dashed right away. Mr. Guterson could not create a believable main character and when this man began to have "experiences" with other characters this story became so predictable that I gave up in disgust. It was obvious that each character was meant to impart some bit of wisdom and then vanish forever. How trite and hackneyed. To go from "Snow Falling on Cedars" to this is a disgrace. The only explanation I can imagine is that Mr. Guterson wrote this book just to fulfill his contract with the publisher. I won't be so quick to pick up the next book he writes. | 0negative
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Silly ... Book!!!!
After pushing myself to keep going after the horrid first chapter, I now wish I would have took this book in my backyard and used it in my campfire. All this book is good for is a doorstop or a fire starter.This book is very anti-white and anti-American. The crackpot theories are based on no facts, just silliness. The obsession with America's faults turns the author into a tool of America's enemies.I do not just dislike this book because of my politics, it is boring. The jokes are not funny. The logic in the ideas are bad.... | 0negative
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Loved the begining,Hated the end
This book caught my interest in the begining but slowly lost it throughout the rest of the book. I recomend this book to the sci-fi fans. the ending really disapointed me. there needs to be more! Thats all. | 1positive
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Alas, I couldn't get into it.
Cute as rabbits are, my mother is in a constant battle with the little buggers over her flower garden. Perhaps it was why I could not remain neutral while reading this story. I just couldn't see the vermin as protagonists. They're rabbits, for heaven's sake, not a band of warriors nor a nomadic tribe in the Amazon jungle! The plot plodded and the dialogue was excruciating. My mother nearly had to shoot me to put me out of my misery as I forced my eyes to scan page by page, constantly reminding myself that this was a children's literature classic and a Carnegie medal winner.I welcome anyone to lecture me on the merits of this book. | 0negative
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Cumbersome, not easy to search or read
I was looking for something that would be informative and go over the how-tos and problems of breastfeeding step by step. This is a giant book, and is like a complicated encyclopedia... it must be designed for La Leche League leaders who have been trained to use it as a reference guide??? Not helpful for the every day mom. | 0negative
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Excellent, Entertaining, Believable
Well-written to book. Humor in all the right spots, and she actually pulls off the repetition thing well. Now that's talent for you. I'll admit there are some strands in the RW portions of the book that are weak at best, but the fantasy part is nicely done.You can believe in the character and believe the mistakes she makes gaming, esp if you are a gamer. | 1positive
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Bad ink?
Item arrived with black powdery smudges on the cover and edge of paper. I don't know if it's from the laser ink powder of the packing slip, or if it's from the printing on the cover. It is acceptable but messy. Also, the photo clearly shows a set of 2 books, but there's only one as detailed in the description. | 0negative
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A Mediocre Effort
Poorly written and not even weakly convincing, this effort by the parents is anything but inspirational. It is a diatribe against the authorities/media who question their innocence.Rather than showing the strength of character one would expect from parents guided by the light of Christian faith, the parents whine, complain and make excuses for their failure to remain courageous and take a stand in the fight to find their daughter's killer. Not at all what I expected...In fact, it leads me to believe the parents know far more about the death of their child than I had previously believed. | 0negative
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Funny Southern Chick Lit
I bought this novel as a test before I bought the two Savannah books by this same author. Hissy Fit more than lived up to my expectations. The book was at turns funny, sad and poignant. The real-life setting of Madison, Georgia, was a delight to discover.We are introduced to the protagonist, Keeley Rae Murdock, as she discovers her fiance (on the eve of her wedding) in a delicate situation with her white-trash maid of honor. Keeley subsequently calls off the wedding and her business is immediately blacklisted by the town. It seems that her fiance's parents own the town bank and have a great deal of influence over those who would normally do business at Keeley's interior design firm.Keeley is forced to take on an unreasonable new client and is sparked to begin a search for her mother, who deserted her family many years ago. Keeley's search leads her down a path of self-discovery with many interesting twists and turns.Overall, the book was fantastic. There were times when I laughed out loud and times that brought tears to my eyes. My main complaint is that the ending was rushed. In general, the pace of the story was perfect. However, the ending seemed to all come together too quickly and just a bit too pat. Regardless, I will be purchasing other books by this author. She is definitely worth a try! | 1positive
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Better than the Movie
I don't usually see the movie and read the book, especially not in that order. This was a really fun experience since I "knew what the characters looked like and sounded like". And the plot in the last part of the book worked better than in the movie. Also, the book actually sets up the possibility of a sequel, and considering the current drug wars might actually make sense. McCarthy writes with a lot of scene-setting and dialogue, so this book, and especially his "The Road" seem to be near-screenplays to begin with. I highly recommend the book - intense and brilliant combination of believable and magical, from heroic to realistic to distopian. | 1positive
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Just Awful
I'm glad I checked this one out of the library - particularly after seeing how many are for sale on Amazon. I agree with what everyone else has said. Used to love the Scarpetta character, along with Merino and Lucy and all the rest. Now it seems like Cornwell is just putting words on a page to justify a paycheck. I've given up and I won't read another. | 0negative
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Satisfying read.
Janey Mayfield had moved back to South Carolina with her daughter, but things started to go awry when Marine-turned-high school principal Dillon Reed stepped back into her life. They needn't have been reminded of the affair which turned their well-ordered lives upside down, but when Janey's ex-husband and daughter rebel against her in their own ways, where else does she have to turn? And where will she go from here? Mary Lynn Baxter's latest book explores characters and relationships of different levels within those characters. A reader may be disturbed toward the end of the book, but this dose of harsh reality can be what makes the story much more believable. With the combination of reality and depth, Tempting Janey can satisfy a reader well. | 1positive
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It's an okay book, but not really exciting...
The Handmaids Tale is a bit like George Orwell's 1984. There's a place called the Republic of Gilead, where amrtial law is inforced. No one knows what happened to the U.S Government, all is chaos. Congress has been shot down, along with the president and vice president, and then martial law is inforced. Slowly, things start to change. There are no porno corners, no prostitutes, words are replaced by pictures and magazines and books are outlawed. Women are adudcted and taken to a school where they learn to become breeders. They are cut off from family and friends. A major theme in the book is gender roles being ephazied and freedoms being taken away. A women is on the bottom of the chain, while men hold high postitions in society. Because of polution of the future, sterility is caused in 99% of the population. The human race is diminishing, so women are assigned a man to get her pregnant. This is really unfair since most of them have Wifes and have to be present during the consumations. Women are only barren, not men. This is what the government teaches. Irony is expressed throughout the entire novel. The main character notices small things she misses, like soap, magazines, and love. Love is an espression not welcome in this society, to love is to be attached, and no one is allowed that. Especially not the Handmaids. Marthas are women who are servants, Handmaids are mistresses, and Wifes are there to share a household with the Husbands and help raise children, if any are born. Children are rare, and if a Handmaid has one, her life is saved. She is not sent to the colonies. Colonies are where the old women and feminists are sent, to pick up the toxic radiation and polution. You do not last long at the colonies. This book is hard sometimes to understand because it flits with flashbacks from the past to the future, but in all it's an okay read. | 1positive
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A story full of hopes and dreams.
Wings was one of the best books I have read in a long time bringing tears of joy and sadness. In this story we follow a girl by the name of Cassie O'Malley who is filled with hopes and dreams. She has her mind set on a goal and won't give up until she reaches it even if that means breaking the rules. This story is very inspiring and I recommend it to everyone. | 1positive
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Too much fun to miss
Without a doubt the most sublime of all manners books are the classic What Do You Say, Dear? and What Do you Do, Dear? by Sesyle Joslin with sly and witty illustrations by Maurice Sendak. No matter how improbable or bizarre the circumstances, good manners should always prevail. Kids today do not hear this book as often as they do franchise character manner books. This should be mandatory reading for all children. It is too much fun to miss. | 1positive
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Readable, but not overly astounding
I'd never heard of David Sedaris when I recently picked up this book in a sale at my local bookstore -- skimming the first couple pages and reading the backcover blurbs made it seem worth the discounted price.Overall, my opinion of the book strongly concurs with that of Jeannette C. (October 18, 2005), the book wasn't bad in any way, or even dull or tedious. It just was a book to read, a way to pass some time.The first story was probably the most amusing, certainly the most engaging. Some of the others seemed to be a pointless meander down memory lane, in particular 'The Rooster'. These remembrances could be funny in the right context, with some background, but within the confines of the book they were nothing more than words on a page.The second half, dealing with the author's soujourn in France, was slightly more entertaining, though a bit heavy on the bitter self-deprecation.I can't say I was sorry when I got to the last page though.For me, the "funniest person writing today" is, without question, Terry Pratchett of Discworld fame. | 0negative
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great book
A great title that explains the inner workings of the movie industry and methods to master the locked doors of the industry. Featured in this book are ways to rise above the numerous pack of artists with no talent and become your own boss, tour, book shows and "get noticed" | 1positive
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We are not alone
A good story. I liked the book. I read Jesus and the Essenes and They Walked with Jesus some years ago. Her books are interesting. I just want to say that Keepers of the Garden is very interesting. | 1positive
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Disenchanted with story
I was very disenchanted with the writing of the book and the story it's self. The plot was not believeable, the characters were not developed in a believable latitude, leaving the reader angry with the purchase. I thought I'd give the writer a couple of hundred pages to present her characters favorable in in an interesting form, but that just didn't happen. Catherine has so many sides to her that she could have been a masterful character had the writing skill been there. The Jace character made me want to scream but had one redeaming value and that was her love for the tall woman. Although, Jace had to receive a solid lesson with her first choices in marrying and running away from Catherine, she did finally come to her senses and return to the New Zealand ranch of Catherine's, even if she did present herself in the later stages of pregenancy. The two foster children, especially the redhead girl was darling and added to the very week plot. You have a sassy housekeeper and a noodnick ranch forman and many other characters that could have make this a great novel, but the writing skill just couldn't pull them all together. To add to the undeveloped storyline, you have poorly structured sentences and absoutely no editing at all with this book. I'm really disenchanted with this author and this publishing company. | 0negative
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Fun book.
This a great read. A fun book! It was here on time and in good condition. Thank you! | 1positive
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More like 2 1/2 stars.
Being a big fan of the WW II espionage thriller and not having read one in a while, I looked forward to reading this book. Not far into it I realized that I read it already some 20 years ago when it was called THE EAGLE HAS LANDED. While SANDS is reminiscient of EAGLE it doesn't hold a candle to the Higgins classic.It took me four weeks to finish this book. Four weeks!!! That's how un-suspenseful and un-compelling I found this story. I read SHOGUN in less time.Meade's 3 main characters are paper thin, unsympathetic and just downright DULL. The back cover leads one to believe that you are going to read a thrilling cat and mouse pursuit between two friends who wind up on opposite sides of the war. Nothing like this happens. Weaver, the American "intelligence" officer, merely tags along behind Sanson, the British intel officer who figures out the threat, interprets all the evidence and does all the leg work. Halder, the German "super spy" thinks he can win the war without getting his, or anyone else's hair mussed. If you keep reading looking for the dramatic showdown when these two friends and the woman they both love confront each other, save yourself some time, it never really happens.Skip this one and pick up a copy of THE EAGLE HAS LANDED by Jack Higgins or EYE OF THE NEEDLE by Ken Follet. | 0negative
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Lots of Hope, Little delivery
I've been a fan of Hitchhiker for a long time, so naturally bought the CDs for Tertiary Phase.I only heard the first two CDs of the set, and haven't developed the interest to finish. Why?First, note that the original person who did the voice of the guide died, and the replacement just doesn't compare - at all.The plot seems to be zany for zany sake, and not funny. The talking mattress doesn't help the plot but is more of a distraction.It's like the author just hobbled the book together in a hurry to make some easy money. I don't think his soul was in it. Too bad, because I would have loved for the series to go on. | 0negative
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Knowledge of Two
I suppose the very title of this book intrigued me when it said 'A New Earth,'particularly when our Father says He will be bringing in A New Earth more beautiful than humans can imagine.Isaiah 66:22; 2Peter 3:13;Rev.21:1..1 Cor.2:9; I was raised to believe that the Bible is the word of God. And to believe that He Sent His Son Jesus to show us THE WAY back to He, Himself, Jehovah Yahweh. (John 3:16; 14:6; John 10:1-9) Jesus said at John 14:6 to Thomas "I am The Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to My Father except through Me." Acts 9:2-5 when Saul was on his way to Damascus to locate believers, men and women who were called The Way, to arrest them and take them to prison he was blinded by a brilliant bright light from heaven and he fell to the ground and he heard a voice from heaven say to him 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" and he asked him 'Who are you Lord?' He answered: 'I am Jesus whom you are persecuting' in other words he was saying: 'I am 'THE WAY' whom you are persecuting.'I have always believed that there is a God who sent His Son to save us, and to show us The Way back to him. (John 17:8; 15:21) And when I heard celebrities, and others espousing this book, The New Earth I was concerned because they haven't found the Truth that is within Jesus' words that were given to him by His Father.(Deut.18:18; John 5:46; Acts 3:22,23) Now here is how I know Jesus' words are true today. He told the Apostle John over 2000 years ago about a day in the future where in order to buy or sell a single thing the people would be compelled by Satan to take a mark either in the right hand or on the forehead. ( Rev.13:16-18; 1st Chronicles 21:1-7;Luke 4:5)On April 7, 2004 I became aware that that day was really here when I heard on the radio about a chipmobile (verichip, digital angel, infowars.com, and the book: Spychips by Katherine Albrecht and Liz McIntyre) that would be going down neighborhood streets with balloons and candy, to encourage parents to let them implant a microchip with their child's unique personal number of a man (woman and child) linked to 666, into their hand. Well, I was deeply saddened because I knew that was the mark of the beast. But if I ever had any doubts that the Bible is the word of GOD I didn't have them anymore. I hadn't really gave a lot of thought to the fact that they had been implanting microchips in millions of dogs and cats for years,(Ecclesiastes 3:17-21) but microchips for humans with their radio-frequency-identifying-devices(rfid)inside of them that send their signal to the nearest cell phone tower to be picked up by the Big Spy in the Sky (GPS) was obviously the Mark of the Beast. Since then I have found out that the microchip comes with two built in sixes, and then they add one more six, your social security number, and your area code, and the three digit code that identifies your country.In some states if a child is born to a drug mother she loses her parental rights to the child, and baby becomes a ward of the state until they find a proper home for it. When baby is taken in for its first shots it is microchipped, and this is going on behind the scenes at adoption agencies, foster home agencies, juvenile halls, some prisons, etc. Sixty hospitals in the U.S. are asking people to voluntarily take the microchip, and many have, as it will not only have their medical info in it, but with a wave of a wand like device they can download their financial and personal history into it.I cannot believe a book like 'a new earth,' because Jesus says there is a Test (Rev.2:10) that will be administered first to all mankind: That Test being whether or not we will willingly take the Mark or not. Jesus said that all who willingly take the mark will be 'tormented with fire and sulphur in the sight of the holy angels and in the sight of the lamb. And forever and ever the smoke of their torment ascends day and night."(Rev. 14:9-11) They will never live on God's New Earth. Rev. 21:1-5 and he says to John that His Father will bring to ruin THOSE who are ruining His earth. (Rev. 11:18.)Things that could hasten the microchipping of humans might be the collapse of the financial market, which might trigger a panic resulting in Marshal Law, or catastrophic natural disasters, or deadly diseases that could result in millions of people being sent to the fema camps, the concentration camps, the Japanese relocation camps that have been restored. Once the people are there, they will be told that because of terrorism or disease, everyone must take the Mark of the Beast or they cannot leave the camp.The Preachers that the camps employ, some 26,000 of them, in the U.S. alone will encourage the people to take the Mark of the Beast citing Romans 13:1-7 as a way to convince the masses to go along with the governments evil plan, to ensure that NO ONE gets to live in God's New Earth. It is because I know the prophecies are coming true now, that I cannot put my faith in any book but the BIBLE, and it's owner ALMIGHTY GOD JEHOVAH YAHWEH, and His SON, JESUS CHRIST. (All Kingdoms are Satans. He told Jesus that they could all be his if he would bow down and do an act of worship before him. Jesus told him "It is written, 'It is Jehovah Yahweh your God you must worship and only Him' If the kingdoms would not have been Satans to give, Jesus would have told him as much. Luke 4:5)Here are the verses you need to read to be enlightened to Truth. Rev. 2:10; 3:10; 13:16-18; 14:9-11; 15:2; 16:2; 19:19,20; 20:4; John 17:3, 6, 24; Matthew 3:17; 17:5; 16:16,17; John 12:28; 14:22-28; Acts 3:22,23; Deut.18:18; John 5:46; 1st John 2:15-17; 5:19; James 4:4; Rev. 17 and 18. Exodus 20:4; Psalms 115:4-8; Acts 17:29; Jer.10:1-5; 25:31In my reading of the Bible Jesus is returning right after the Test, (Rev.2:10; 3:10; 13: 16-18; 14: 9-11; 15:2; 16:2; 19:19,20; 20:4) so read Matthew, Mark, Luke and John for insight on what they want you to do. Then read Acts and all the books.Remember that Saul changed his name to Paul,(Acts 13:9) and after he was made aware that he was a chosen vessel to slave for Jesus instead of the Pharisees, (Acts 9:15) he gladly embraced The Way and became a member of the The Way. He tells Governor Felix at Acts 24:14 that he is a member of the sect (cult) that is called The Way. He said that if anyone, even an angel from heaven preached to his congregation a different good news or gospel, different from The Way, let that person or angel be accursed! Galatians 1:8In 64 A.D. Emperor Nero sat fire to Rome and blamed in on The Way. The soldiers went door to door and dragged those of The Way from their homes and took them to the Roman Colosseum to become spectatorsport for the Roman citizens, who were invited to watch the lions feast on them. Paul was saved from the lions mouth by an angel. 2 Tim. 4:17 Those who didn't get caught fled to the hills and lived in caves. After Paul died false religion grew in Rome and spread around the world. It is called Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of the Harlots, because they fornicate with Satan's governmental leaders and a lot of money changes hands.(2Thess.2:1-12;Rev Ch.17&18; Luke 4:5; 1John 5:19; Matthew 10:8)Those who claim to represent Jesus live in a way that does not mirror his life in any way. He never passed the plate or had regular meetings. He said "foxes have dens and birds have trees but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head." (Matthew 8:20) Jesus gave the most important commandment in the Law at Matthew 22:37 "You must love Jehovah Yahweh your God with your whole heart and with your whole soul and with your whole mind." (38) "The second one like it, is this, 'You must love your neighbor as yourself.' All the commandments hang on these two laws. But The Way still lives in heaven with His Father and soon they will be rescuing those who are seriously looking for His return alongside His Father, Power and Glory and their Army. (Matthew 24:31; Mark 14:61,62; John 14:22-24; Matthew 7:13,14; 21-24. Matthew 12:28; Acts 19:23; 22:4; Ex.20:4,5; Psalms 115:4-8; Acts 17:29) Jesus said all who want to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for my sake, will save it. Matthew 16:25John 17:3 "This means Life Everlasting, their taking in knowledge of You, the Only True God, and of Me whom You sent." Jesus' Father put His words in Jesus' mouth, and so read those words. (Matthew 4:4; Deut.18:18; John 5:46; Acts 3:22,23; Hebrews 9:28) Keep in mind as you read the four gospels that, the demons Jesus cast out, called Him the Son of God.(Luke 8:28)Millions of demons are obeying their Master, Satan,to possess susceptible men and women, to cause them to kidnap and hurt your children so you will gladly let Satan's rulers put the microchip implant into your child. Another tool Satan is using to convince you to take the Mark is identity theft. If you are not feeding on the word of God you are in danger of taking the Mark. Keep your children close to you and do not let them take the microchip with it's 666 inside of it, or even the new invisible electronic ink with the numbers in it.Before I close this ask yourself these questions:(1)Why out of 6,828 times where God's name appeared in the King James Bible of 1611, it was only translated to Jehovah or Yahweh four times and replaced with a title 'LORD' everywhere else? (Psalms 83:18; Exodus 6:3; Isaiah 12:2; 26:4) (2) Why in 1979 did the New King James Bible remove God's name Jehovah even from the four places? (3) Why did the Vatican recently on June 29, 2008 issue an order forbidding the use of God's Name, Jehovah or Yahweh? In case you didn't know the removal of God's Name was prophesied about at Jeremiah 23:27. "That think to cause My people to forget My Name by their dreams which they tell every man to his neighbor, as their fathers forgot My Name for Baal." You can find a excellent reason for restoring God's Name, Jehovah, in all 6,828 places in the American Standard Version Bible of 1901 and 1929 in the preface. This version restored it. Ask yourself if there is only Jesus, and he doesn't have a real Father, then what is he the way to? Why did Jesus say take in knowledge of only two? Why did he tell His Father in a prayer that he had made his Father's name known to the men He gave him? (John 17:3,6,24; Matt.4:4) If you don't know Jesus' Father will you enter heaven? Matthew 7:21 also Joel 2:32 says "And it must occur that 'everyone' who calls on the name of Jehovah Yahweh will get away safe" Many will believe Romans 10:13 "For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" and they will call simply on Jesus because they 'Don't Know Him Who Sent Me' and forbidding the use of the true God's name, and forbidding its being written down and said aloud is a means of keeping them from knowing Him who Sent him! John 15:21 God Bless You through His Son Jesus Christ and by all means take in knowledge of two. John 17:3 It means Everlasting Life. | 0negative
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book of the century
Undeniably the best piece of literature written in the past 100 years. Perfectly presented in this digital version. The occasional illustrations are a very nice touch! Have read this book several times over the past 20 years and I'm still enjoying it! | 1positive
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This one was boring
I noticed that the other reviews were 5 stars on this one when I looked. I just could not give this one more than two. It was too long in tooth, too long in words, and hardly gripping. It spent too much time talking, and too little time describing action. It seemed to be more about the rescue clubs than about the rescue iitself. I did not find it to be particularily interesting in an fashion. I was disappointed when placed again such books as into thin air, and the other side of everest. These are my opinions, but I could not even finish the book. It seemed likeone of those adventure books that had been translated, and something was lost in the translation. | 0negative
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A book which dominates in the World of Fantasy.
JRR Tolkien's Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit are not just products of an ordinary mind. They are projections of a mind that shone with blinding brilliance. Such is the brilliance, that will pierce your heart to it's very core and leave you speechless. | 1positive
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Not as Promised
Bought the book based on the information that a web page was available for up to date information, links, planning information etc., etc., etc. No of this is available. All the website has is a slight discription of the book. NO OTHER INFORMATION. | 0negative
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Sad ending
The book is easy to read and keeps flowing smoothly. Very good read but the ending was very different and so so sad. | 1positive
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Very Disappointed in this Book!
I do not recommend this book to anyone!!!!!!! The series started out with so much potential, and failed miserably. If I wanted to read porn, I would buy a dime store hustler rag. A little sex is great, but this author went beyond what I would consider acceptable. The story is lost amidst writhing bodies, and no plot direction. Not to mention the typos. I will not buy nor read another book by this author. Very disappointed! | 0negative
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Loved the story - hated the download
The download was not readable all the way through. I like to read at night with the letters in white and a dark background and it wouldn't allow me to do that all the way through. | 0negative
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She keeps going and going and going....
Gail Sheehy provides a new perspective on aging...yet she repeats the same points continuously throughout the book. You get the main idea of her whole book in the prologue and learn nothing more after. If you are under 40 this will bore and depress you like nothing else. | 0negative
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If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
This book is a Christmas gift for a four year old child. This series of Laura Numeroff's books are delightful and children love them. A good gift! | 1positive
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Wonderful and tragic
This may be a story you're forced to read in school but, please, don't view it as such. It's not contemporary but the story is long-lasting and enduring, the trap of loveless marriage and the spark that rekindles feelings long lost forgotten and tragedy that makes one wonder if anything is worth it's cost. Stark and affecting, this is a personal favorite | 1positive
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The Outsiders review
This book is about a group of kids called Greasers and they are a gang. They like to fight in gang fights,rob liquer stars,and fight in rumbles. There is another group called soc's and they hate Greasers,throw beer bottles at parties,and drive fancy cars. This book does include important Qotes and idvise for your future. It does not matter if you have fancy stuff to be happy. This book first describes about eachothers life then people get into fights and alot of people get in to trouble. At the end is happy yet sad. This book is entertaining and instructive because there are alot of lessons to learn and a lot of advice to take. This book is entertaining because alot of important things have been happening all at once. I dont think this book left anything thats why this book is so interesting. If that sounds like a good book. I would first read it and after you read it and you really enjoy it you might want to think about seeing the movie! | 1positive
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Thumbs down
We are introduced to the character Stephen as a young boy as he grows to manhood. Stephen is sometimes strange, smart, brave and shy. Emphasis on the strange most of the time.This is a book I almost wish I had read it for a class so there would be a discussion and I would understand it better.I am not sure how Joyce considers this young man an artist because he is inches away from becoming a priest. Unless this is suppose to be Joyce's story. The first chapter is gibberish to me and I almost didn't go past it. But I did and it got better. Although as soon as it got better and I understood what Stephen was talking about he would on OCD rant about pretty much on anything like hell, authors, philosophy ...I know a lot of people dislike this book and sadly I am one of them. | 0negative
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Great book, but not this Kindle edition
There's no question on the importance of Hodge's book. But this $3 Kindle edition is simply scanned with OCR and is almost worthless. It would have been far easier to read it in simple image form. | 0negative
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a glimpse of god
Denis Johnson drags the reader through a series of short stories which only sort of meld together into a novella. But that's the point. It isn't a novella. There isn't a climax, resolution, and denoument. There are only the stories, moments, events loosely tied together by the beautiful and scarred characters Johnson creates for us. Read it. | 1positive
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Classic Writing
I find Nevil Chute to be a brilliant author. The backdrop to his novels are from the 30's and 40's which was a very much simpler lifestyle. As such you'll find the material less complex or fast paced than more modern literature. However the writing is eloquent and to my mind makes you appreciate the English Language.In terms of the storyline, then this is one of those stories with a feelgood ending. Anyone who has witnessed hardship (or worse, suffered through it); wants desperately to believe that someone cares enough; and has enough humanity to take a bold selfless action to help others. This is a story about someone who did. It's a store from a different time and I wish that it was a story from today about a real person. I found it moving. | 1positive
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Parents beware! (sort of)
This is a charming, entertaining, and educational story about what life was like among homesteaders in the Dakota territories in the 1880s. I mostly agree with the other positive reviews here. But there is a teaching moment in this book that should not be overlooked. The parents in this book are paragons of virtue, and their behavior matches the highest standards - standards of 1880, not 2006. There is a short scene during one of the "literaries" where several men perform in blackface. Although it occurs with innocent intent, modern readers might find it in questionable taste if they don't allow for the historical context.If they're smart, parents and teachers will embrace this as an opportunity to open a discussion with children about changing standards, and the work it took to improve those standards. | 1positive
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Book or video game?
This is one of those books I zip through, only to realize upon completion that the book isn't actually very good. But since some of Gaiman's other work has been very well-received, perhaps this just wasn't the right place for me to start.As other reviewers have described, Neverwhere is about a young man living in modern-day London, who through an act of kindness toward a stranger gets sucked into the world of London Below, where people live dangerous lives in the tunnels and Tube stations below the city and are nearly invisible to the inhabitants of London Above. He joins a girl named Door and her companions on their quest to find out the truth behind Door's family's murders.In all fairness, this book just wasn't my cup of tea. First, because it's essentially an urban-fantasy-thriller; my impression of Gaiman was that he's a more literary writer--and okay, there's a Shakespeare reference or two, but this book is still a thriller, with a fast-paced but unmemorable plot consisting of constant rushing about the tunnels of London Below, and characters who are decent and likeable but not particularly well-developed. Second, I didn't realize that the book was adapted from a TV series, and it reads a bit like a video game: the plot consists mostly of running around and questing after various items, there are lots of tired tropes (the murdered family in the backstory, the mysterious waif with magical powers, the mysterious manipulative villain) and the end is predictable. Silliest was the important plot location that, we're solemnly informed, can only be accessed "the easy way" once by any individual; the second visit must be via an underground labyrinth. Naturally, this is never explained; do plot coupons, dungeons and boss battles need to be explained? We all understand that the point is to give the player a chance to... but wait a minute, this is a novel, not a role-playing game.The setting, meanwhile, is an interesting concept but not fully developed; like the protagonist, I feel like I was whisked through a maze of tunnels, but have no idea how to get anywhere and am not entirely convinced they still exist when I'm not there. And Gaiman explicitly raises a lot of questions that are never answered (the magic is never explained at all, nor are any limitations placed on it beyond the requirements of the plot; the villains don't seem to be human at all, though we're never told what they are). The parallels drawn between the citizens of London Below and homeless people ("those who fall through the cracks") are interesting; I'm just not sure that they actually work. After all, the Below-ers are literally invisible to the Above-ers, and there's some implication that the Below-ers lead more interesting or meaningful lives. On the other hand, part of the point of fantasy is to comment on reality, and the analogies can't always be exact.So I didn't think much of this book, and am not sure if I'll try a different Gaiman book in the future; but I recognize that it may just be me, and if you're looking for a quick fantasy adventure (but not necessarily light; it's gruesome in places) this may be just the book for you. | 0negative
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Should be REQUIRED reading for ALL Christians!!!
Why DO we Christians shoot our wounded??? WHY?? And why do so many pastors help line-up their congregations to fire first? It's a very tragic subject. There are many Christians who struggle with emotional pain, depression, etc. and their needs are ignored or worse yet, they are treated as lepers or questioned outright or inwardly: "What sin(S) are you committing?" We - the church - should be champions of helping, NOT hurting those who are suffering emotionally/mentally but, as a whole, we don't. And some WELL-KNOWN (I will not mention a "famous" pastor in this review but he is mentioned repeatedly in this book) pastors not only champion the "What sin are you committing?" philosophy but seem to to encourage other believers to, at least, believe as they do.ENOUGH!!! And this book written with intelligence, clarity and love echoes that cry.I recommend this book for ALL pastors and believers. | 1positive
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I'd like to believe Dent, but reality is proving him wrong.
Harry S. Dent is definitely qualified to write this book, so I'm disappointed to say that his economic predictions so far are not panning out.One thing Dent bases his predictions on is the dollar rising against the euro, which hasn't happened. He also predicted a bull market rally from late 2005 to mid-2006, with targets for mid to late 2006 at 14,000 - 15,000 on the Dow, which also didn't happen.Dent is right about the bubble and wrong about the boom, and I strongly suggest buying "America's Bubble Economy" by David Weidemer instead. | 0negative
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Won't buy print-on-demand books again
This book was printed on demand. The book comes with clear qualifications about the scanning process that enabled printing. Unfortunately, this process means that the original pagination was lost, as was the table of contents. The text is hard to read, and the page numbers won't be useful for citing in academic works. I won't buy a print-on-demand book again unless it is simply a scan and reprint of the original text as-is. I'd rather read a copy of the original on Google Books. | 0negative
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SWEET
I really can't understand why so many reviewers have complained about this sweet little book. Although I'm French, not Italian, I have traveled all over Italy and I found Bella Tuscany to be a sweet and interesting book that provides a few evenings of lighthearted and entertaining reading. In Bella Tuscany, Mayes travels to regions outside Tuscany, such as Sicily and Venice, as well as to the many castle towns, fishing villages and islands. Many reviewers have complained about the chapter on recipes, but I found them quite interesting and delicious! Although I don't think Mayes captures the essence of Tuscany with quite the wit and verve of Peter Mayle, writing about Provence, Bella Tuscany is still a sweet and lighthearted look at one of the world's most beautiful regions. | 1positive
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Don't bother
This book isn't worth the read. The first half the book really sucks you in - Koontz is an amazing writer, and he develops his characters to the point that you empathize with them and really are involved with the story. The last half the book, however, was a complete let-down. It was utterly predictable, with the only twist being the uber-sexual nature of why the villain became a villain. I was so excited to see what wonders Koontz would work in that last half his book, but actually had to force myself to read it. So again, don't even bother picking this one up unless you like "witnessing" violent murders of children, rampages of sexual mutants, and have too much time on your hands to boot - it's a great author who's run out of material, and so just threw a ridiculous plot together to flesh out what was (originally) a pretty decent idea. | 0negative
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Thar She Blows! One of the Greatest Survival Sagas!
What does it mean to be indomitable? This book displays that wonderful human quality in a remarkably effective way. The next time you consider giving up, just imagine yourself on the trackless sea in a small boat from the Essex.This story has to be one of the most astonishing survival tales in recorded history. Before I say more, let me caution you that this story (and parts of this review) is not for those with weak stomachs.After their ship is disabled by an attacking sperm whale, the survivors find themselves on three open boats in the middle of the Pacific Ocean over 2,000 miles from their targeted landfall in South America. With luck, they will make it in 30 days. They soon find themselves in a stall as the winds fail to cooperate, except to provide severe storms that threaten to capsize the boats.Soon, all the food is encrusted with salt and everyone is suffering with severe dehydration. Then things start to get worse! I won't go further, but you have an amazing story of survival ahead of you.Two of the few survivors of this terrible ordeal later committed their experiences to writing, which provide great resources for this well-researched book.At another level, the book is also extremely interesting because these experiences were important influences on Herman Melville's writing of the American classic, Moby Dick. The book makes that connection for you, including how Melville came to learn the story.At a third level, the book is a fascinating history of whaling around 1920. If you are like me, you will cringe when the whalers devastate island after island . . . as well as the whale population. But that's not the limit to their willingness to use nature to their own advantage.The ultimate irony is that the survivors went the wrong way. Those from Nantucket did not know about Tahiti and Hawaii, and chose not to go in either of those directions -- either of which would have provided more rapid safety and comfort. The primary reason they chose not to go in these directions is because they feared running into cannibals. Soon the survivors were studying the remains of dead shipmates with hunger. And then it gets worse.So, you have three different kinds of books to read here, anyone of which could be enormously enjoyable to you. Get ready for the trip of your life!Land ho! | 1positive
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Cowboy Trout
Schullery's review of the historical development of fly fishing in the West and the unique contribution of Westerners is a valuable and needed contribution to literature. It is well written and adds to the body of knowledge about Western fly fishing. Up until the past few decades, most writing has been about Eastern fly fishing. | 1positive
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Not for the academic...
Just to save the more academic people the pain... this book is made for a more casual reader, it is not written from a scientic perspective. The best account of the 1938 hurricane is still on the net: (google) "United States Hurricanes" Michael Grammatico is the only true scientific authority on hurricanes in the Northeast states. | 0negative
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Pulitzer's Reliability
As usual, any book selected by the Pulitzer Committee is a reliable horrible read. Too boring to waste my time on. . . Alcott would be mortified! | 0negative
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Not Enough "Abundance" in Something More
Having followed the "Simple Abundance" path for many years, I was excited to see a new book. Unfortunately, there was little additional information presented. I would only recommend this for those caught in a traumatic life change. Otherwise, read her first book, and stop there. | 0negative
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NOT a book about writing C code for microcontrollers
This book starts out with 120 pages of fluff C - mediocre at best and NOT why I bought the book. Then it discusses briefly what microcontrollers are - seemed more like a bunch of scattered notes on the topic thrown together - again NOT why I bought the book. Then it dives into Motorola chips and spends many pages talking about them - NOT why I bought this book. Then the author uses really useless examples like sort routines (like that happens in microcontrollers a lot - better examples would have helped here) to illustrate whatever it was he was trying to illustrate. Over all the book had the feel that the author tossed a bunch of lecture notes together, some poor cut and paste C examples in the beginning and then just simply got lost in his mission to show us how to program microcontrollers in C. The reason I bought this book was to learn what I could and could not do with C. I wanted to find out where C ended and assembly code "had" to take over. I wanted good in-line programming techniques, addressing schemes, code techniques, the best ways to implement monitors, slick ways to manipulate registers.. This book was about Motorola chips and some strange examples of how to program them. The book should NOT be called Programming Microcontrollers in C - maybe something like, Some Touchy Feely Intro To C and Motorola Chips With Sort Functions. | 0negative
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Wow! Sick and Great!
After reading this you'll never find me wandering around the woods alone. Especially if I hear a dog in the woods! This book is so gross and disgusting but at the same time funny and the characters are great. I read this nonstop.The plot is old but it works because Thomas writes good dialogue and characters. The story is about two kids, two best friends, who get captured by an insane serial killer and get locked in his basement. He tortures them in ways I can't even describe. But the first half of the book is spent letting you know the two friends in their hometown so that you actually care about them when the carnage begins. Trust me, you really will route for them, not like in those lame horror films when you just want the screaming teenagers to die. The book definitely pushes the limits of gross horror but it works. Reading this I can't help but think the author may be a bit disturbed but I'm gonna read more by Ryan C. Thomas. | 1positive
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This book is filled with pseudoscientific hogwash
In his 'The Collapse of Evolution,' Scott Huse provides a good survey of nearly every misrepsentation, deception, and outright lie put forth by the promoters of creationism. Sadly, he can pretty much get away with it because the American public in general and his creationist readers in particular are grossly ignorant concerning matters of science. Huse presents so many blatant falsehoods in his book that it is impossible to refute them all in the limited space of this review, but here are a few.On page 25 he states: '[G]eologists during the nineteenth century arranged the earth's strata according to the various types of fossils they contained....Strata with simpler fossils (presumed to have evolved first) were put on the bottom of the column while strata containing more complex forms (presumed to have evolved later) were placed toward the top of the column. Thus the entire geologic column was founded and built on the assumption that organic evolution was a fact.' That is totally false! In the first place, the geologic column was not constructed by evolutionists, but rather by creationists long before Darwin came on the scene. In the second place, there was no 'assignment' of the fossils in the strata, for the sequence of fossils in the strata is there for anyone to see. There are many places around the world where the layering of the fossils can be observed, and you will never find fossils of, say, humans (or any other modern mammal, for that matter) in undisturbed strata below or in the same strata as fossils of dinosaurs.On pages 38-39 Huse states: 'Hans Pettersen has made accurate measurements of this influx [of cosmic dust particles] and has determined that the earth receives about 14 million tons per year.' Huse then goes on to state at that rate the moon would have a layer of dust 182 feet thick if the earth-moon system were 5 billion years old. In fact, Hans Pettersen made his measurement on the top of a mountain in Hawaii in 1959 using a device designed to measure industrial pollution, and he had to guess what percentage of the particles he collected were a result of influx from outer space. He even stated in his report that there was probably a high percentage of error in his findings. Since then, of course, satellites have provided a much more accurate figure of the amount of dust in space. Pettersen's estimates were way too high by several orders of magnetude, and the actual amount of dust in space would have caused over a period of 4.5 billion years (the actual age of the solar system) a layer of dust on the moon very close to that found by the astronauts.On page 76, Huse misrepresents the Second Law of Thermodynamics in an attempt to disprove evolution. The Second Law actually states: 'There can be no net increase in available energy in an isolated system.' That in no way disproves evolution.On page 127 Huse states that Lucy's knee 'was found more than 200 hundred feet lower in the strata and more than two miles away.' He went on to state that there was no evidence of bipedalism in Lucy. In fact, Johansson never claimed that the knee found two miles away was Lucy's, and that knee was never photographed with Lucy's fossils. Moreover, the shape of Lucy's pelvis indicates that Lucy was bipedal. Her pelvis was more similar to that of a human than to that of an ape.On page 136 Huse stated: 'Evolutionists insist that the duck-billed platypus is an evolutionary link between mammals and birds.' Evolutionists insist no such thing. The platypus is a descendant of an evolutionary link between reptiles and mammals.On page 139 Huse states that fossils of modern birds have been found in the same rocks as archaeopteryx. That is a bald-faced lie, as so much else is in Huse's book. No fossil of any other bird or bird relative has been found in the same rocks as archaeopteryx. Indeed you won't find the fossil of one single pigeon, hawk, ostrich, duck, etc, in any strata of the same age as the archeaopteryx fossil, nor in any strata dating to one hundred million years after the time of archaeopteryx.I could go on and on, but my space is limited here. For those who want to know the facts about evolution, I would suggest that they read some books by real scientists instead of those by creationist pseudoscientists or their followers. | 0negative
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Intriguing but Not Convincing
Who bombed the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City and why? Was it just a meth snorting, ex-soldier, down-and-out, government-hating punk, or is there more to this than that? Could the government itself be behind the attack or at least involved in some way? If you want a serious look at these questions then this book is definitely NOT what you want to read.I found this book to be a very well written and clear reporting of the party line that Tim McVeigh and Terry Nichols were solely responsible for the OKC bombing; them and no one else. This could be, but there is significant other evidence and testimony to the contrary that the government just doesn't want to address head on and this book doesn't either. The author does address some of this other evidence but only in the most cursory and unconvincing fashion. For instance, an Air Force general with a background in weapons systems claimed in writing that the bomb McVeigh supposedly used could NOT have done the kind of damage inflicted on the A. P. Murrah Federal Building and that there must have been more or different bombs involved. This stunning claim is waved off by the author with a single valueless sentence: "This thesis is disputed by physicists on the grounds that the five-thousand-pound truck bomb did have the capacity to blast upward and outward, like a balloon". What kind of "evidence" is that? Who are these physicists and why should they be believed? It's things like this (and there are other examples) that make this book seem like government spin doctoring and not a serious look at who is behind the biggest single act of terrorism on U.S. soil and why it was committed.The author addresses the Ruby Ridge and Waco incidents in a similarly odd way. He does say that the government botched both of those raids but he does so in the absolutely least offensive and most excusable way to downplay the government's mistakes. He leaves out critical details, downplays significant events and gets some things completely wrong that are not disputed facts regarding these cases. This kind of writing lacks credibility in my mind.This author would have you believe that everything's just fine now that McVeigh has been caught and that you are a twit if you believe anybody but the government. Don't fall for this and, for that matter, don't fall for every conspiracy theory you hear either. By all means read this book but also read others like "The Oklahoma City Bombing and the Politics of Terror", "Others Unknown: Timothy McVeigh and the Oklahoma City Bombing Conspiracy" and others and then THINK about what is or isn't the truth based on credible evidence. There's more to this than we're being told and the folks who died in this attack deserve better from us than to just shrug our shoulders and go back to what we were doing just because the government says it's OK now. | 0negative
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Positively gripping!
What a wonderful book! I just finished reading Jane Eyre for the first time, and I already know that it will be a book I return to often! I absolutely loved Bronte's writing style...it's a book that grabs your attention from the very first page and holds you there 'til the very end! Not a dull page in the book! I was in awe by the time I reached the last page....what an ending! As they say, "Be still my heart". If you are a fan of Victorian romances, I *definitely* recommend this book to you! Take my word for it, you will be returning to these enchanting pages again and again! | 1positive
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Well paced adventure: Nazis and stilettos
Follett has written a very well-paced adventure novel that focuses more on the villainous Nazi spy than it does on the good guys: which is probably for the best since his action is more interesting anyway, especially when he meets a feisty farmer's wife on a storm battered island. Not only does the spy cold-heartedly kill his landlady, and stiletto countless other hapless Brits--he cuckolds a cripple and kills a dog! I'll never like Nazis again. | 1positive
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Preening Liar Debunked, Media weeps
Now that the post-mortem intelligence reports are in, it appears our little Joe has been a bad boy. He's been telling fibs, and the evidence shows he fabricated the whole story, but not before he conned a whole bunch of suckers out of their hard-earned cash. After flogging his book on every TV and radio show possible, Joe Wilson is suddenly unavailable to answer for his lies.Going to Africa at the behest of his Agency wife (a specialist on WMD's - how could she have been so wrong in her pre-war assessments?) and having cocktails with his "high-ranking contacts" , asking them if they were engaged in talks with Iraq about uranium....what did he think they would say..YES?This self-important crackpot is an advisor to Kerry so imagine what his motive was in writing this book. The final seconds of his 15 minutes of fame are ticking down....Save your money. | 0negative
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One of the More Interesting Books on Time Management
I have a variety of books on time management, and quite a few of them are pretty boring to read. Several of the books are just lists of tips on what to do, which often are very similar from book to book. This book was actually interesting to read all the way through almost like a novel because of the human interest stories of how different successful people manage their time. I enjoyed reading the book and best of all it did really did help me to start getting more things done - more so than most of the other books I've read on the subject. My other favorite time management books are Eat That Frog by Brian Tracy and How to Get Control of Your Time and Your Life by Alan Lakein. | 1positive
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Portis puts Shakespeare in the S____house ....
Charles Portis is the greatest author of our time. He is a master of the arts and some of the sciences as well. All other writing is just foul grunting ...Second only to Masters of Atlantis in comic complexity. Read Dog first, Masters second (to cleanse the palate), then settle in with Gringos. Pure nitro! | 1positive
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"Weak Stories" b/w "One Ace Essay"
I'd enjoyed David Sedaris's commentaries ("This American Life") on NPR from time to time, and friends kept telling me I'd like his writing, so I finally checked this slim book out. Belatedly I realized that the bulk (2/3) of it is taken up by 12 short stories and there are only 4 essays. Sad to say, the stories are pretty lacking, each is built around a single conceit which is well worn by the end. All are written from a first-person perspective which at times becomes indistinguishable from story to story. Persistent themes of homosexuality grow tired from repetition as well. Although there are a few bon mots scattered about, the stories' attempt at sardonic, satirical wit fall well short on the whole. For better results, check out Mark Jude Porier's "Naked Pueblo" or Ethan Coen's "Gates of Eden." The first three of Sedaris's essays are pretty basic riffs, entertaining, and well done, but nothing to write home about. However, the last, and longest--"Santaland Diaries"--is a classic, the kind of essay you'll take to the office photocopier to send to friends and family. | 0negative
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most spitacular and well writen novel of all time
A lovely story. you never know if Elizabeth and mr dacy will ever get to gether untill the end. | 1positive
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Is it over yet?
Like many other reviewers, I have been dragged into reading this book by a literature class. The story line is mildly interesting, but most of the book contains fluff that is pointless and you just have to suffer through. The language is also very difficult to understand and not a "skimmable" book, by any means. If you really insist on reading this book, I would suggest getting the SparkNotes or the Cliff Notes. They tell you all you need to know: There's an orphan. His name is Pip. By a chain of events, Pip recieves a great deal of money. He moves to London and becomes extremely arrogent. And it goes on. Not the most enjoyable endeavor. | 0negative
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Well, why not?
Bronx-born Stanley Kubrick spent much of his professional life in England where he made some of the most controversial and original films ever to grace the silver screen. This uneven but fascinating book is in a sense a tribute to the man and his work. This is not the first encyclopedic treatment of a top movie director published by Facts on File--they have also done Alfred Hitchcock and Orson Welles. Perhaps this format--an "encyclopedia"--will catch on. At any rate, it is fun to leaf through randomly or perhaps one could actually proceed alphabetically.The entries of course all have some connection with Kubrick. Included are actors who played in his movies, and people related to him and his friends and other people he worked with. There are also entries on movie business phenomena like "antiwar themes" and "censorship." There is an interesting entry on Steven Spielberg's Artificial Intelligence (2001) in which I learned that the original conception came from Kubrick. There are a number of black and white photos spread throughout the text and some line drawings, mostly of Kubrick and the actors who played in his films. Often the photos are stills from the movies. It is interesting to see Kubrick at various stages of his career and how time changed his appearance. My favorite photo is of George C. Scott and Stanley Kubrick playing chess on the set of Dr. Strangelove underneath the "War Room" mock up. By the way, Scott is reported to have gained respect for the younger Kubrick when Kubrick beat him at chess.There is rather a lot of repetition in the entries, some of it unavoidable of course because entries overlap in content. However the entry for Sue Lyon, for example, who was Kubrick's Lolita, contains a summary of the plot of Lolita to the exclusion of the rather sparse information about Lyon. Also the editing and proofreading of the entries is not first rate. The text was begun by Rodney Hill and then taken up by Gene D. Phillips, which may account for some of the avoidable repetition. Some of the entries were written by John C. Tibbetts and others tagged with initials and identified as "Contributors" near the back of the book.Clearly the strength of the book is in the light it sheds on Stanley Kubrick and his life in film. The detail is fascinating and the writing, in spite of the repetitions, is engaging. There are nice pieces on George C. Scott, James Mason, Peter Sellers, Malcolm McDowell, Nicole Kidman, Shelley Winters, Arthur C. Clarke, etc. as well as essays on all of Kubrick movies. Included are behind the scenes information about what went on during the shooting of the films, how the films were conceived and how they progressed. I was intrigued to learn that Kubrick was able to get a fine performance from the otherwise undistinguished Sue Lyon partly because he sometimes allowed her to use her own vernacular instead of words from the script. Also interesting was the difficulties that Shelley Winters experienced (from her viewpoint!) in working with James Mason and Peter Sellers in Lolita (1962). The relationship between Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke, who wrote the novel 2001: A Space Odyssey and worked with Kubrick on the screenplay for the film, is interesting to follow. One realizes again that at the base of Kubrick's film creations is an abiding interest in science and human psychology.Bottom line: an irresistible companion to the films of Stanley Kubrick, one of cinema's greatest directors and one of my personal favorites. | 1positive
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How can you call this a map of Cape Cod?
The description does not state that there are only a few towns on the map. I need a map of Falmouth and it's not even on this map! It just has the middle part of Cape Cod, which is really stupid because you have to drive through the lower cape to get there! | 0negative
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A wish comes true.
Jefferson William Haddon III is determind no child will be stuck with a name like his, so his dream is to have a son and call him Robert.Cassandra Newton loves kids and does short term fostering for kids about to be adopted or have parents with problems of their own.Jefferson's Aunt dies and leaves her house and land to Jeff and Cassie, with a clause that they marry to keep it.Cassie doesn't want a stuffed shirt,and Jefferson doesn't want a real wife, he just wants a woman to give him a son.Soon Jefferson learns to love Cassie and her charges, but has a problem giving them back to their parents, or to people who want to adopt them.This book has it all, it makes you laugh, cry, and mad then delights you in one setting, once you pick it up, plan to finish it, it won't let you go till the end. | 1positive
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Worst e-book I have bought
Booooring. This is by far the least interesting book that I have purchased. Stories have no ending, and just aren't that interesting. | 0negative
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Rubbish
Ludwig von Mises demonstrated that socialism could not work because it made economic calculation impossible. He proved it by writing tremendous, carefully reasoned works of economic analysis, notably SOCIALISM and HUMAN ACTION. Ayn Rand says he was wrong: the reason socialism will not work is that it punishes the few Great Ones who are the only true benefactors of mankind and on whom all Progress depends. She "proves" it by writing an overblown novel - a work of *fiction* which by her own account (in her LETTERS) was intended as propaganda - in which the withdrawal of a handful of people causes an entire national economy to collapse and the "common man" (in the person of Eddie Willers), left to his own devices and initiative, is able to do nothing but wander off and die. Whom would you rather have on *your* side: the defender of the power of spontaneous cooperation, or the defender of the Special Few Who Run The World, Or Else? The economist who believes that all human action is 'rational' in an important respect, or the narcissistic novelist who believes that most human beings are obdurately irrational? The defender of a classical liberal culture in which every human being, acting as an entrepreneur, is made independent of anyone in particular by depending on everyone in general, or the defender of a watered-down Nietzscheanism who thinks the 'common man' must patiently await handouts from a handful of productive geniuses and receive them gratefully under threat of death? Which one, in short, defends a view of humanity more consonant with the nature of liberty and capitalism? It is high time someone pushed this narcissistic witch off her pedestal - in the name of the very reason and liberty she claimed to defend. Reason and liberty do not need her. | 0negative
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On being young......
While some may decry the emphasis on hunting in this book, it is nevertheless a fascinating story of a young boy coming of age with his grandfather. Ruark's description of how the Old Man shaped his grandson, how he helped him tell the difference between right and wrong, and how he molded young Ruark's decision making processes touched me deeply. One could wish that every youngster be given the opportunity to interact with someone like the Old Man.The book clearly shows how the Old Man inculcated his young charge with his values in sportsmanship and points the way toward Ruark's later career as a big game hunter.I can highly recommend this book for fathers, sons, and grandfathers, and hope that one day my own grandson will walk with me through the fields and woods and learn a little about life. | 1positive
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Excellent book from the Bodyguard series!
I've read all the other Bodyguard books by Cindy Gerard and this one is by far the best! It is about Ethan Garrett (the oldest Garrett) and his ex-wife Darcy. She works in diplomatic affairs and needs help when she is kidnapped. Ethan goes to great lengths to find her and rescue her. Ms. Gerard's writing is terrific. She slowly reveals Ethan and Darcy's past (their short marriage) while the rescue is occurring. This ropes the reader in and you want to find out exactly why they broke up several years before. There is also a side romance for brother Dallas and a lady named Amy. That relationship is left hanging but will be told in a Dallas book next year. | 1positive
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corporate propaganda runs rampant
This apology for corporate assauil6t on the environment is trash. | 0negative
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Defacing a Legend
If I could give this book "No Star," I would. This is a badly written and shamefully fictionalized re-hash of the career of a true hero. It does Jim Corbett a real disservice. To anyone interested in Corbett's career, I strongly recommend you read instead Corbett's own accounts, Man-Eater of Kumaon, The Temple Tiger and the Man-eating Leopard of Rudraprayag. All are easy to obtain if not new then second-hand. They are much better written, much more exciting, and true. The author of this book should be ashamed of himself for defacing a legend. | 0negative
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Winning Angels: The 7 Fundamentals of Early Stage Investing
This book is clear, informative and well presented. I have just completed an advanced financial course on starting a business. Virtually no time was spent on the topic of angel investors.It seems to me that this critical topic must be understood by the entrepreneur as he or she consider the funding requirements of a start up company.Who are Angels? How to do you approach them? What type of investment return do they expect? What types of exit strategies appeal to them and in what time frame? All of these questions are clearly addressed by a cross section of experienced Angels.This book exceeded my expectations and deserves my time to say thank you.Suzanne Short | 1positive
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Suspense leading me around by the nose? No thanks. Worth a read, but barely.
I confess that I waited to read this book until the hype died down so that strangers wouldn't stop me in the street, eager to discuss the book's contents in hushed tones full of awe and wonderment. Or so I assumed would be my fate if I dared parade in public with a book so full of secrets in the heyday of the Da Vinci Code hype. There seems to be some truth to the myth -- the girl at my local Starbucks did ask if I was reading it again (I told her no, it was my first time). Of course, she's no stranger, as my addiction to Frappucinos and chocolate croissants has oft diverted me to that corporate palace of guilty pleasure. So I guess my mission -- avoiding the hype -- was a success.So what was the hype about?Well, frankly -- something that's not that impressive.The story revolves around Robert Langdon, a symbologist of some renown, and Sophie Neveu, a young cryptologist in the French Judicial Police force. The curator of the Louvre has been murdered, but managed to leave behind a mysterious message, and Robert and Sophie together must uncover its meaning. Themselves suspected of the murder, they must hide themselves and the secret entrusted them while navigating a tangled web of loyalties and delving into ancient secrets of the Church. Dodging police, secret sects and societies, and friends turned enemies, Sophie and Robert must find the heart of the secret the Church would kill to silence -- or discover for itself.The novel is fast-paced and rife with archaeological and architectural details and mini-lectures on symbology, cryptography, and history. The story has a tendency to tease, building up to a revelation and then quickly cutting away to some other part of the story, making the reader wait and turn page after page to discover the next secret. Though Sophie and Robert hog the spotlight, from the very start the novel also collects points of view from various allies, enemies, and secondary and minor characters. Besides wandering from person to person, the novel also skips around in time a bit, quite suddenly delving into conveniently timed flashbacks provided by various characters and just as suddenly jumping back into the main narrative. Such devices usually serve to develop suspense, enrich a narrative and round out the cast, providing inflections of motivation, insights from different characters, and background and back story. However, successfully mixing all of these together -- information dumps on obscure fields of study, coy withholding of information, frequent jumps in point of view, flashbacks in the middle of the narrative -- requires a grace and balance that Dan Brown honestly lacks.Let's start with the suspense. The point of a suspense novel is to intrigue and disturb the reader to the point that they must know what happens next -- to unravel the mystery, to settle their own minds, to assure themselves that it all ends well, or at least that it all ends. Truly successful suspense is subtle, pulling gently and insistently on the reader's string, teasing them with merciless grace. Okay, so maybe my standards are high, but I'm pretty sure that by anyone's standard of subtlety, on a scale from "barely noticeable" to "slapped in the face with a brick", The Da Vinci Code rates somewhere around "like a speeding train careening towards the helpless SUV stalled on the tracks, honking madly". It's a pet peeve, I guess: I don't appreciate being forcibly led around by the nose. Aside from my personal dislike for overly obvious suspense, I do believe this was an honest narrative failure. True, the device Brown uses -- repeatedly, constantly -- of leading you by the hand (and I'll get to his problem with hand-holding narration in a minute) right up to the threshold of the next big revelation and then slamming the door in your face and going "Neener, neener, gotta read on to find out!" worked. I turned the pages, I read the book. I wanted to know what in God's name the fuss was about. But it was so awkward, so obvious, and, possibly worst of all, so unnecessary. It was also inconsistent. Some of the biggest revelations of the entire story were disgorged in tremendous information dumps stitched right into the narrative, while many tiny or less important mysteries simply had to be cut away from right before the climax. And when the information was finally revealed, a flashback and three POV switches later, my reaction about half the time was, "...So what?"The story itself is interesting and suspenseful, but it seems Dan Brown was either very insecure about his plot or just plain lacking grace. On its own steam, with fewer glaringly obvious suspense-cuts and a more subtle handling overall, the story would have been far more successful at intrigue, mystery, and that wonderful feeling of aching to know more. As it stands, the cuts are jarring, frustrating, and often unnecessary or poorly placed.While the use of suspense-cuts in the main narrative was rather annoying, what really stuck out for me was their use in flashbacks. The incongruous chopping up of stream-of-consciousness thought to serve the purpose of manufacturing suspense was extremely awkwardly handled. Since the story is told in third person personal, the reader expects flashback to be memories, often involuntarily recalled, and just cutting them off right as the narrative approaches the core of the memory felt jarring and very artificial. Instead of helping me to sympathize with the character and learn more about them, such cuts jarred me right of of rapport with the POV character.Speaking of rapport with characters, there really wasn't much of that to spread around. Sadly, the characters for whom I often felt most sympathy, whose story affected me most, were a handful of minor and secondary characters making cameo appearances -- they were the only ones with any charm or mystery to them. This was due largely to a ridiculous imbalance of telling over showing. Just as Dan Brown led me forcibly through the jarring leaps of his suspense, so does he hold my hand through the characters' motivations and characterizations. Perhaps the author was attempting to affect that sparse, frank style that makes suspense novels like The Silence of the Lambs so effective. If this was the case, then Brown missed the most important point: part of the fun, part of the entire idea of a mystery or suspense is to make readers work for it. That's what makes the genre a success: adrenaline highs and the thrill of participation -- guessing the answers, mentally yelling at the characters to turn back, don't open that door, don't believe his lies. While Brown's bald revelation of every character's motivations makes for easy, obvious reading, he has deprived his readers of the experience of trying to understand for themselves. It's much more satisfying to solve a problem on your own than to be told the answer, isn't it? Teasing out a character's motivations is a tremendous part of getting to know them well enough to love or hate them -- the key to pulling an emotional response from the reader. This is the ultimate goal of writing for me, and Dan Brown, with his ham-handed approach to characterization, has failed at it utterly.Of course, not all the cards can be played so close in a suspense novel. Another tenet of the genre is the teaching of lore, particulars, and specialties. Detective work and mystery-solving of most kinds involves specialized knowledge and learning the secrets of trades is usually a large part of the enjoyment derived from the mystery genre. And there is plenty of that kind of lore in this book, and it's surprisingly well-handed -- sometimes. About half of the information dumps come from character dialogue, and these are usually engaging, informative, and fit well into the narrative around them. The other half, however, comes from the narrative itself, and is awkward yet interesting at best. The transition to pedagogical exposition is often jarring and comes out of nowhere, and again suffers from a surfeit of the obvious. As an example, there a number of times where a character performs an action that is habitual for them, and yet the narrative goes through the trouble of explaining the ritual or procedure in detail. In such an intimate third-person narrative, why in the world would characters' thoughts digress into pondering in detail, for no reason, something they do every day? There are better ways to handle the need to trickle information to the reader. Such digressions are more forgivable in Robert's case -- he is, after all, a professor and a teacher first, and this is one for the few character traits conveyed with any degree of charm. Though never stated literally, his quiet delight in teaching and in his field of study is the one bit of characterization that managed to get from the page to my head without Dan Brown standing in the way pointing at it and waving his arms about.That said, the information itself was interesting as it was revealed. I won't go into discussing the alleged balance of fact and fiction in the book -- I'm viewing it as a work of literature, and that's all. Whatever the degree of truth to the various conspiracy theories featured here, they are at first glance intriguing and plausible. The descriptions of artwork, architecture, symbology, cryptology, and history, while often awkwardly delivered, do well to intrigue, entice, and induce wonder. However, after a constant bombardment of the importance of the central secret of the story and how it was the main motivation for most of the characters, by the time the end of the novel approached I found myself caring about it surprisingly little. The tidbits of information, true or false, were indeed interesting, but prolonged exposure wore away the shine of the most important one.Aside from almost complete failure in the four most common elements on the novel's storytelling (suspense, flashbacks, character POVs, and information dumps), there's also a grab bag of remaining points. The descriptions were hit-or-miss, sometimes descending into the dreamy amethyst realm of purple prose, and once in a startling while hitting an idea square on the head with no frills or fancy but plenty of image to carry it along. The author was also prone to a peculiar grammatical device wherein a description would trail off with an ellipsis... only to reveal something startling or deep! Or so I assume was the intended effect. It occurred frequently in the first chapters of the book then dropped off, thankfully. Its overuse in the beginning was a distraction. There was a sprinkling of plot points both yawn-inducingly predictable and honestly surprising. The repeated references to Langdon being from Harvard got annoying after a while -- yes, Dan, we get it, he's supposed to be smart. The romance (you knew there'd be romance, right?) was extremely awkwardly handled, popping up out of nowhere, forgotten for five chapters, then rearing its head again for a sentence before lurking in the shadows for another hundred pages. There was no buildup of romantic or sexual tension, and the few references to any feelings between the two characters before the last few chapters were ham-handedly obvious and out-of-place.Disparaging diatribes and mixed miscellany aside, I feel compelled to end on a note of grace. The novel is a wild chase across two countries and through many eras of history, and as I watched the number of remaining pages dwindling, I did wonder how the author could possibly wrap this up. Considering the rest of the novel, my hopes were not high -- but Dan Brown surprised me. The novel does wrap up in a very satisfying manner in which it is easy to find a smile and a measure of peace.Overall, despite large marks off for poorly-handled storytelling, I think this story is worth reading if you're in the mood for some easy and (forcibly) compelling reading with a generous dollop of intriguing facts and theories and a satisfying conclusion. | 0negative
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So much better than the first time
Like others this was my second trip through Moby Dick. I am glad I chose this narrator. He brought out the wit and humor of the story - plus more irony and social commentary than I expected. I am sure many readers assume that Melville is wholly dark, sonorous, grave, and somehow "important." There is that, of course, but on the whole I found the language of the story consistently lighthearted - even breezy at times. This narrator captured it all - the highs and lows, the humor and the pathos, plus a rich and diverse assortment of memorable characters. When I originally read the book, I eventually began to feel that finishing it, alone, would be the reward. There is a brightness and spirit in this audio version that was lacking in my own head as I read the pages. The story came to life for me, and I was rewarded with every chapter. | 1positive
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Why Leave Home?
A page and a half from the end of this worthless narrative is the key to Mr. Bryson's travel philosophy: "...what an odd thing tourism is. You fly off to a strange land, eagerly abandoning all the comforts of home, and then expend vast quantities of time and money in a largely futile effort to recapture the comforts that you wouldn't have lost if you hadn't left home in the first place." This is a perfect attitude for the armchair traveler; these are exactly the people that should not travel. Buy Mr. Bryson's books and stay home. I hope no one with this attitude would presume to make themselves an ambassador to any foreign land. The whole point of travel/tourism is to have new experiences and to realize that your miniscule world is not all there is. I unfortunately forced myself to finish Neither Here Nor There at the end of a trip to New Hampshire. Had I realized Mr. Bryson's residence was so close, I would have liked to have coffee, simply to see if such a narrow-minded attitude is more than a writing persona. | 0negative
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no
don't buy this one! i deleted it once i had it, as it was just facts about the time period and not the story. | 0negative
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WoW!
I bet no one has ever heard of this, but it's a keeper, especially if you're one for World War II novels. This seafaring novel has an exciting plot of a man named Ben Grant, coxswain of the British submarine Scavenger. After his commanding officers are killed by a German bomber, Grant is responsible for completing their mission and getting his crew home.This story is different than any World War II submarine story that I have ever read. It's full of suspense and action and is sure to keep you on your toes.*If you have a hard time with nautical terms and strange dialects, I wouldn't reccomend it to ya. | 1positive
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Chaucer's Wife of Bath
Chaucer's Canterbury Tales is a widely discussed collaboration of tales that depict various groups of people in many different assessments. In The Wife of Bath, the portrayal of women is extremely controversial. The question of whether Chaucer was a misogynist or supported women's liberation is a passionately discussed topic. Based upon Chaucer's various portrayals of women, he was not a male chauvinist who desired superiority over women. Chaucer portrayed women through his opinion as an Englishman in Medieval England, where the common view was that women were subordinate to men. This is seen in the Wife of Bath's contradictory personality as well as the characters of her tale.To understand the importance of feminist criticism, it is important to know what it is and stands for. Feminist literary criticism is the term for analyzing literary works through the examination of female points of view, concerns, and values in comparison with the time period and culture. In Mary Wollenstonecraft's A Vindication of the Rights Women, she asserts the observation "Women, I argue from analogy, are degraded by the same propensity to enjoy the present moment; and, at last, despise the freedom which they have not sufficient virtue to struggle to attain." One of the primary purposes of feminist literary criticism is concerned with "uncovering the contingencies of gender" as a cultural, social, and political system and instrument of domination. (Jehlen) Meaning, that their goal is uncover any iniquities placed upon women due to cultural setting, political standpoints, or social foundations.Although there are immutable biological differences between men and women, these differences create various social differences in different societies. One society may be completely different than another, at least in their treatment of the separation of gender. Also, in a patriarchal society, such as England in Chaucer's time, the separation of gender involves more than just social differences, but also the idea that sexual differences are the same as sexual inequality (. Rigby) It is inequitable to be judgmental of Chaucer and his views of women, as anti-feministic as they are, because Chaucer was from a completely different social construct and historical time period.Through Chaucer's Wife of Bath, as well as the characters in her tale, he portrays various views of women within Chaucer's time. He represents women as unchaste and unruly in the Wife of Bath, Dame Alice. He also depicts women as helpless and overlooked in the raped maiden of The Wife of Bath's Tale. The queen within the tale is shown as gracious. However, the women questioned by the knight portray a sense of only worldly desire. The old woman shows the wisdom of women, although it seems that she is submitting herself to her husband, she has control over him.His portrayal of Dame Alice is the antithesis of the stereotype for women in Chaucer's time. She was not pure an innocent, as she confessed that "I won't remain altogether chaste" Alice was not submissive to each of her husbands, she chose to rule over them. She strikes fear into the town and its parish to the point where she gets and does whatever she wants. The fear and respect the town has for her is seen in lines 459-463 of the General Prologue: "In all the parish not a dame dared stir, Towards the altar steps in front of her, And if indeed they did, so wrath was she as to be quite put out of charity" The Wife becomes such a powerful feministic force, at times, by being able to masquerade around town with the qualities and luxuries of being a man and appears to be so happy not following the typical and stereotypical roles set for women at her time and throughout most of history. The Wife of Bath is a zealous woman who freely admits to all the lust, the conniving and the egocentricity that defines her. Dame Alice has radical views about women and their position within a marriage, especially for a time when women were expected to be passive within a marriage. This direct opposition to previously set roles for women is what defines her character.However, the Wife of Bath, while seemingly an example of feminism in all of her qualities, is actually inconsistent with herself.. She is, instead, a mockery of herself. The Wife of Bath is inconsistent in her belief structure. While, at times, she claims to be able to beguile her husbands into doing whatever she wants, creating a view of herself as strong and independent, she often gave into what her husband would want. She freely admits that men are far more intelligent than women appear to be in lines 440-442 of her Prologue "One of us two must give in, without a doubt; / And since a man is more reasonable/ than woman is, youmust be patient "Nevertheless, since I know your pleasure I'll satisfy your physical pleasure". In this quote the Wife of Bath not only concedes that men are more reasonable than women, but also that a good woman and wife will do and give up whatever is necessary for her husband to be satisfied. If the Wife had really been what she appeared to be externally, she would not have admitted that men, in a general stereotype, could contain more reason and intelligence than women could. This quotation leaves an unanswered contradiction about the Wife of Bath. Chaucer easily contradicts the Wife of Bath by showing and telling more personal sides of the Wife of Bath and thus proves her to be much more of a hypocrite and much less of a archaic feminist then originally thought. The Wife also diminishes herself, and all women, by explaining that all women can be bought, in lines 413-417 of her Prologue. "And Therefore I tell every man this truth,/ Let whoever can, win, for everything is for sale,/ With an empty hand men cannot lure hawks,/ For a price I would endure his lust,/ And make myself a pretend appetite" The other travelers within The Canterbury Tales also accept her as a rebellion of women's position. The Pardoner requests that the Wife teach them. This also defies biblical and cultural standings on women's positions, as teachers, that they are not to teach over them, as explained in 1 Timothy 2:11-12 of the Judeo-Christian Bible.The Wife of Bath also reverses the roles of Husband and Wife in some of her descriptions of her marriage, as in lines 154-159 of the Wife's Prologue:"A Husband I will have, I will not desist, / Who shall be both my debtor and my slave, / And have his troubles along with it/ Upon his flesh while I am his wife, / I have the authority all my life/ Over his body and not he"She is dictating that she will have total control over herself, her husband, and their household, contradictorily to cultural and biblical standards, as discussed by C.S. Lewis in his work `Mere Christianity', "The function of the husband is to see that this natural preference if hers is not giving its head. He has the last word to protect the other people from the intense family patriotism of the wife" The Wife sees the relationship between men and women as a battle in which it is crucial to gain the upper hand. She uses tactics, which were seen as the only stereotypical form of defense for women: sexuality, duplicity, and vulnerability. Her armor was indeed necessary. Medieval England presented women as second class citizens, viewed as goods and chattels, with no financial independence. They were often beaten, and it is clearly in the Wife's nature to protect herself. She uses weapons like her sexuality and her youth to make her husbands suffer, so much so that they feel impotent. This weapon was highly effective with first three husbands who she managed to dominate, `But since I had them completely in my hand' and they handed over all of his land and property as she withheld sex in order to get her own way with them.The Wife also used a weapon of deceit and she claims that women have this weapon from birth. She tells her audience that she would deliberately pickarguments and accuse her husbands of the very sins she herself is guilty of, because she admits that attack is the best form of defense. The Wife claims that all the other wives are better treated than herself, and commonly uses her weapon of nagging. She accuses her husbands of being cheap, complaining about extravagance of the neighboring women. She easily attains power over her first three husbands in this way, as they usually submitted for the sake of peace, as she notes, `They were most happy when I spoke fairly to them,/ For God knows I nagged them spitefully./ The Wife ruled over her husbands.The maid in The Wife of Bath was a small character role, and yet her fleeting moment in the story is extremely important. The characteristics of this woman seem to have the ability to go to all women. She is vulnerable and innocent, as she is still a maiden. The only thing known about this woman is that she was overpowered by the knight and severely taken advantage of. "From which maid at once, in spite of her protests,/ By sheer force he stole her maidenhood" This example of male domination within a tale is not atypical. Chaucer shows women's weakness in her.In the Queen, Chaucer shows the graciousness of women, as fickle as it might appear. Despite the fact that the Queen knows of the wrongdoing of this man, she begs for his life. It is ironic that she, a woman, is fighting for this man's life after what he had done to another woman.The various women that the knight questioned provide insight as to what Chaucer thought about women. The majority of the answers that the knight acquired were monetary or tangible, such as money, fine clothes, lust, or beauty. Once the idea that women "take we great delight/ in being considered dependable and trustworthy. / and able to hold steadfastly to one purpose, / and not betray things men tell us" However, this idea, which was the only virtuous answer was quickly dismissed because it was allegedly "not worth a rake handle" It was not plausible for a woman to be considered virtuous, which is ironic, since being virtuous was the feminine stereotype.The old woman, which gave the knight the correct answer, shows the wisdom of women. She required the knight to pledge his honor to her before she revealed the answer. This was wise of her; it caused the knight to base his later decisions on everything he stood for. She was foul and haggard in appearance. The knight was excruciatingly upset at the fact that he needed to marry her due to her appearance, age, and class.Women were portrayed in various different ways, through the Wife of Bath as well as the characters of her tale. Chaucer did not hold any animosity against women or strongly desire to subdue them, he merely believed what he knew, which was female subordination within his society. | 0negative
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Fantastic
This is the 3rd book in the series and it's just as good as the last 2. I can't wait for the next. Congratulations MJD. | 1positive
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He's No Roy Rogers!
Tom Booker is the most loathsome excuse for a hero ever to ride out of the American west. His self-indulgence and irresponsibility loom over his horsemanship like the mountains of Montana loom over his Double D Ranch. As my wife said, "Remember the movie Cabin Boy? It was a better story." | 0negative
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Haunting
TrystI really was being to think that I was the only one who had read and been haunted by this book. I, like many of the other reviewers, read Tryst in my teens and it has remained in my memory for over 40 years. One of the only other books to stay with me in this way is Precious Bane by Mary Webb; which was also written in the 1st half of the 20th century. Both are stories that touch your heart and come alive in your imagination. | 1positive
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Healthy Answers for Cancer & other ailments
We all need to return to our basic food supply for health answers, but all the mainstream doctors do and are trained to do is prescribe drugs. That presents continuing problems for the drugs have side affects which takes us back to the doctor's office, and he then prescribes another DRUG. It is a vicious cycle without end and it is sending Americans to an early grave! Our so called trained doctors (without knowledge of natural products and their provided cures) are doing this to all of us! | 1positive
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"You Were One Person, Now You Are Another..."
When Thomas Hardy first had "Tess of the D'Ubervilles" published in 1891, the controversy that surrounded it ensured for him financial security and status as one of the most popular authors of the time. The novel's scandal was concerned with the plot itself, in which an innocent young maid is seduced by an aristocratic cad, and pays for such an indiscretion with everything she holds dear in her life. In Hardy's journal (as recounted in Margaret Higonnet's introduction in this edition) he records that one of the Duchess of Abercorn's dinner parties ended in an argument between those who believed that Tess deserved her fate, and those that sympathized with her plight. However, by today's standards (in which premarital sex barely registers an eye-blink) one can't help but wonder if such a novel is relevant anymore.I'm going to argue, that yes, of course it is - if not simply to illustrate how lucky we are to no longer live in a world where a woman can be utterly destroyed through the hypocrisy of the society she lives in. However, there's considerably more to it than that, particularly as the remnants of this ideology remain to this day; and since one of the central themes of the novel is the negative effect of past traditions on the present, this bears keeping in mind.Tess Durbeyfield is a simple country lass, easily manipulated and with a limited education, but with a keen intelligence and insight into human nature. However, when her foolish father is casually told by the village minister that he is the offshoot of a once-noble family, Tess is thrown into her parent's ambition mechanizations. Made to leave her home and younger siblings, Tess begins work tending chickens at a relative's house whilst attempting to ward off the unwelcome attentions of her devious cousin Alec D'Uberville. However, her resolve slips one night when she is alone with Alec, lost and (as the text suggests) intoxicated, and he takes full advantage of her vulnerability.Having borne his child and lost it soon after (all without Alec's knowledge) Tess seeks employment elsewhere, and finds a sense of peace and security as a milkmaid in a neighboring village. That is, until she meets the parson's son Angel Clare, a very different kind of man from Alec D'Uberville. Falling in love, (along with every other girl on the farm!) Tess finds herself in a new moral crisis. Should she reveal her secret to Angel? Would he accept her if he knew? Her family (not to mention her common sense) warn her to keep her mouth shut, but can any relationship last if it is based on a lie? Shouldn't she have faith in Angel's testimonies of love to her?However, you've probably already guessed that the story doesn't have a happy ending, and this is a tragedy in the old grand tradition. When young Tess is seduced by a man her fate is sealed. She is a fallen woman, carrying the shame of her indiscretions throughout the rest of her life. However, the novel is remarkable because of Hardy's ability to find light amongst all the grimness. In the depths of Tess's drudgery and despair, we feel her moments of tranquility and appreciation of the beauty that surround her. Likewise, in moments of joy and peace, there is the underlying dread of the secret threatening to rare its ugly head. The emotions stirred in reading this novel are relentless - not to put anyone off from reading this novel, but I was in a constant state of agitation and discomfort in reading; that's how vivid the circumstances of the novel were. I mean that as a good thing of course; books these days are like movies - you sit, you watch, you more often than not feel nothing. But I was truly moved by "Tess of the D'Ubervilles" and her story; and I can't remember the last time I became so invested in a character and her happiness. Despite the pain it brought me in reading it, "Tess of the D'Ubervilles" was worth every agonizing word.In many ways this is a feminist novel, and although I would hate to put too modern a spin on it, it is very easy to see that Thomas Hardy's sympathies lie with Tess, writing in a letter: "I lost my heart to her as I went on with her history." It is impossible not to feel a swell of indignation when Alec D'Uberville makes Tess swear not to tempt him anymore (as if his lust for her attractiveness is somehow *her* fault!) and a sense of bitter frustration at Angel Clare's inability to accept Tess's indiscretion, particularly when he himself is guilty of the same crime. When his lofty image of Tess as his pure `child-bride' is taken from him, you can't help but feel he's doing it just as much out of injured pride than any sense of propriety.But this propriety is all-powerful in the novel; a heavy weight upon Tess that destroys her life. Hardy brings forth the idea that this is indeed a fallen world, but that it is so because of mankind's own structures of tradition and circumstance, rather than any divine ordination or original sin. To be free of some of them is a great release, though there are plenty that remain in this and other cultures around the world. The story is one of endurance; enduring the condemnation of others, the physical trials of manual labour, the suffering of a broken heart, the terror of encroaching death. We cannot control any of these aspects of our lives - all we can do is endure them, as Tess did. | 1positive
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Warning Reader Abuse Ahead
I read this book based on a book review and cannot recommend it. Holman had an intriguing idea, but failed to deliver in her writing. There are many that like the book and some that don't. My advice is if you don't like the book after the first chapter, put it down. The ending is not worth the suffering of reading this book.I agree with reviews of the other 1 Star raters. They present valid criticisms as to why someone would not like the book and I and don't know why they are rated as unhelpful. Just some highlights.1) The writing is confusing. The story narrator changes to from character to character and present to past without warning. This may have been intended to make the book more mysterious, but it doesn't seem to work for me.2) Her research is shallow. She didn't tell me anything about England I didn't pick up from reading Dickens or Sherlock Holmes.3) I felt the ending was inconclusive and unrealistic among other things.4) There was little to no emotional attachments between characters or characters and little for the reader to care about. | 0negative
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Jackson the Proto-New Dealer? What Rubbish!
It amazes me that this work continues to garner high praise after all this time, when the work of other scholars (Remini in particular comes to mind) has only undermined nearly every argument that Schlesinger makes. I don't see how anyone can regard his thesis as being the least bit credible these days.Schlesinger commits the cardinal sin of a historian: he enters into his research with a thesis etched in stone (in this case, the belief that the Democratic Party from Jackson to JFK & beyond has had a consistent political philosophy) and then tries to prove it using the historical record, come hell or high water.What we are left with is the absurdity of Andrew Jackson (self-proclaimed enemy of centralized government) being put forth as some sort of proto-New Dealer, while the evil nasty Whigs (how Schlesinger failed to see the similarities of Henry Clay's "American System" with any number of FDR's programs, I'll never know) are cast in the role of Bob Taft & the gang. I suppose that it makes sense to Schlesinger, since elements of the shattered Whig party went on to form the antebellum Republican Party. However, I imagine that more than a few States' Rights advocates might tend to see an awful lot of similarity between Abe Lincoln & FDR.It doesn't help that Schlesinger frequently slips into the role of advocate rather than being a scholar. The good guys seem to be squaring off against the bad guys far too often. The Whig party is grossly oversimplified and characterized as a solid, coherent bloc. Nothing could be further from the truth, and the lack of cohesion was largely responsible for the Whig party splintering hopelessly beyond repair in the 1850's. One would never get this impression from reading Schlesinger.Reluctantly, I would have to recommend this as being essential reading, only because it has been part of the canon of Antebellum studies for so long. However, I can only hope that it loses influence with every passing year. Read it, but for more accurate studies of the era, also read Remini's works, Michael Holt's "Rise & Fall of the American Whig Party," and Freehling's (finally completed, thank fortune) "Road to Disunion" series. | 0negative
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my favorite jack london
I have read white fang, call of the wild and a few other of jack london's short stories and have enjoyed them all. I realize i love this book in part because of my love for sea faring stories but i do adore this book. I love the character study in this book, though it is not for the faint of heart. It is a very harsh book, horrible actions occur and heartbreaking happen in the story. If you don't like jack london books you definitely will not like this book. | 1positive
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Weird, boring, overdone...
A friend handed me this book and said "Incredible. This is required reading!" so of course I assumed it was going to be amazing. I like stories about WWII as well, so I thought I was in for a good read. I struggled to get to page 50, the writing was so dry and the voice of Death was annoying and distracting, not clever or witty like the author aimed for him to be. I figured the book would get better later on, so I continued reading. I got to page 350 and decided that it wasn't going to get better and I put it down. I could not understand how someone enjoyed that writing style, or why someone enjoyed such a boring story...I'd rather read Anne Frank's diary, thank you very much. This book is all hype! | 0negative
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What do I come away with after reading this? Nothing new
I hate to write a negative review of a literary classic because it suggests a lack of literary sophistication, i.e., you "didn't get it," but I have to admit, I have gotten 2/3rds of the way through "End of The Affair" and believe I have reached the End of my Attention Span. As a former lit major, I have actually enjoyed a few callow adultry narratives with god as the nebulous 3rd or 4th party in the story, and I understand that novels don't have to involve a single likeable or understandable character to be worth reading. But what good novels must provide in the absense of compelling character development is involving and lyrical prose about morals, society, family, politics, something that will cause the reader to feel engaged. John Updike and John Stienbeck have both written great social commentary novels without likeable character development. "The End of the Affair" lacks both character development and challenging social commentary. The affair itself is too abstract, clinical, and lacking details to convince me that anything other than the personal dramas of two-dimensional people are at stake. I don't think this book adds anything in the way of a compelling statement about love, adultry, or religion. To boot, it is written in overly formal and aggravatingly pretentious 19th century style that isn't well suited to conveying passion or immediacy. Finally, it seems the main characters hardly love at all, but rather engage in a sort of bored and banal form of jealousy to convince themselves they are alive. Well, I wasn't convinced, all due respect to anyone who saw literary value in this book. | 0negative
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The Notebook
This was one of the most contrived plots I've ever read. My bookclub picked this book and A Bend in the Road. Both books were so predictable. I won't read another Nicholas Sparks again. | 0negative
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Repetitious, unrewarding and unresolved
I am a fan of Terry's other books however Chainfire;Repeats all the info from the previous books, and adds little.Is unrewarding in that little is added by way of climatic events, character development or reader emotional involvement (other than frustration at the drawn-out diatribe)Is ultimately unresolved, Terry leaves the book where it should have been 300 pages earlier. Unfortunately leaving it here means that the reader has trudged through 600 pages to meet..... Nothing. | 0negative
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For those of you who wonder.....
I am Ashley's Aunt Kim. Her mother and I brought Ashley home with us the night of her ordeal with Brian Nichols. She has been with us (and Paige) since then. I know it is hard for many of you out there to take her story for what it is... A story of redemption. Ashley will be the first to tell you that she was no Angel and no Hero. In fact, she will tell you that she was a drug addict and a woman who made one wrong decision after another. My family lived the horror of those choices she made. We are qualified to comment on Ashley's life.We all struggled with writing this story. We prayed through the process and sought out those that would not lose the message of hope in this story. This is why we went with a Christian writer and Publisher. Yes...God was in this whole ordeal. Yes...he brought some good out of this horrible tragedy. Yes...He wants to do the same in every one of our lives. Yes...whether you want to believe it or not...God has done a miracle in Ashley's life these past 7 months. We have watched her grow physically, emotionally and spirtually. She has shared her earnings in a most generous and Biblical way with her church, victims funds, and other organizations such as Katrina Relief and World Vision. She has made the transition back into Motherhood, seeking counsel along the way. I could go on and on of her healing, but unless you are around her on a regular basis, you wouldn't understand what I'm talking about.Those of you who are skeptics, should have sat in the jail last week as she spoke with inmates on the horrors of her life. I wish you could have sat in on the "Celebrate Recovery" meeting in Omaha as she poured her heart out to those hurting women. Seeing the looks of hope on those women's faces was such an amazing sight. Ashley's comment..." I am so unworthy."I struggled through the book. I cried as I was reminded of all the things she and our family suffered through. But...as I closed the book, I was able to thank God that He loved her enough to reach down and pull her out of her living hell and to give her a platform to share her story to those who are hurting in this world. I realize that my words will fall on deaf ears to those of you who want to be self-appointed judges and critics. But the truth of the matter is this....God knows as well those people close to Ashley what is truly in her heart. We all know the motivation behind her actions and are very proud of her for standing up for God and what she believes is His will in her life. | 1positive
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A Disappointment
I've enjoyed other RAH works, especially Starship Troopers. But this book is really quite boring, and I had to stop reading about 1/3 of the way through. It's really disappointing, considering the concept is so interesting and influential. | 0negative
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Howie Wowie
For years I listened to Howie Carr's radio program on my daily commute in Connecticut, and I heard him rail about the Bulger brothers. Not living in Massachusetts, I was powerless to vote or have any influence over Bill's well deserved downfall, but I rejoiced as I heard Howie call for it. And whenever possible, I read Howie's column online until his newspaper started charging me for the privilege.This book relates the truly incredible story of the rise and dominance of the Bulger brothers in Massachusetts and Boston politics and criminal circles. I remember Theodore White in his famous MAKING OF THE PRESIDENT series commenting how Massachusetts was the most crooked political machinery state in the union. Howie Carr's book drives this point home with a jackhammer. Bravo Howie! But remember, Whitey's still out there. I hope you've got a good bodyguard. | 1positive
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A waste of good money.
I just can't believe I spent good money on this book. The female was utterly stupid and always ready to jump to conclusions. She was always upset about something and the male was very quick to make a life altering decision in record breaking time. The book is slow and unbelievabe. | 0negative
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Not up to Meyers usual standard
Disappointing ... although still a page turner, I found The Groaning Board to be less than expected. While, fortunately, Smith was less in evidence, unfortunately so was Carlos, the wittiest of the bunch. Another breakup with Silvestri and within minutes (or so it seems), Wetzon has found someone new, not necessarily an improvement. Another sleek "sensitive", rich lawyer without the moodiness of Silvestri but also without much of an interesting character. Let's hope the next time out will see Meyers back to the level she attained previously. | 1positive
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Ditto on bad binding
Funny to read others experience with the bad binding of the orginal hardcover. Mine is literally in sections, and I finally broke down and ordered a paperback version of the newer edition. It is a much beloved book in this household! | 1positive
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Morality tale of good and evil that's a real page turner
I enjoy Graham Greene's books and bought some used copies from a street vendor a while ago. I took this one with me to read one day because it was the smallest and shortest one of the bunch. I sure was surprised when I quickly discovered that, although it was only 247 pages long, it certainly did pack a wallop. I think it is my favorite so far and I've read quite a few of this author's books.Written way back in 1938, it is set in a world that probably exists only in the memories of the Brits who visited Brighton during that year. For those of you not familiar with the place, Brighton is a seaside resort frequented by working class people. There are hotels and restaurants, a racetrack and all kinds of Boardwalk amusements. It is also run by a mob which rivals any in greed and violence. As usual with Graham Greene, there is a theme of good and evil. The boy named Pinkie is bad; the girl he romances named Rose is good. Both are Catholics and the Catholic belief system looms large in this story, adding depth to the excellent characterizations.The writing is excellent, the descriptions clear and concise. It didn't even take me long to pick up the British slang which included words I had never heard before. There are several murders in this book. And some unforgettable characters. I'll never forget big bosomed good-natured Ida who sets off to solve the murders and save poor Rose's life. There are also some great mob characters.The title of the book has several meanings. It's not only about the place itself. There's a kind of rock candy sold there that is referred to as Brighton Rock. And one of the themes is that it tastes the same all the way through no matter how far down you eat it. Clearly this refers to the main character Pinkie, who is also referred to as "The Boy" and is rotten right down to his core.Put all these elements together and the result is an excellent story that gripped me from the beginning and which I couldn't put down until it was finished. And even though I know that the Brighton of 1938 is no more, I sure would like to visit it.Highly recommended. | 1positive
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A Political Potboiler!
This is an excellent book. It's more a political story than a mystery in some ways, but the mystery is still there, and Ms. Perry keeps you guessing until the very end. This book is quite a bit different than the later Thomas Pitt series, but still exciting. Thomas has offended some very highly placed political enemies, and they have seen that he has been separated from his wife and family and placed in the degraded East End of London, to ostensibly look for anarchits. More than anarchists are found though, and this plot threatens the whole Engligh way of life as it was known at this time in history. We see Charlotte and Vespasia play less dominant roles in this book than they usually do, but Gracie has stepped up to the plate and what a delight she is! This is an excellent mystery, and again the era is so well depicted it feels like you're actually there. | 1positive
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"Keatring", "Kreatings", "Kearing"???
Hope the reviewer, "Giovanni", can read better than he can spell... not once, not twice but three times he misspelled Karl Keating's name.I've been reading the Protestant's arguments to see if they've come up with anything new, because they just keep getting knocked down to the mat by the Catholic apologists. And it never fails to amaze me how much ignorance they can spew. After reading the review I commented on though, I'm starting to wonder if they're even literate. There just has to be some excuse for ignorance this widespread. | 0negative
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