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This is not "Imponderables Ten". It's book one under a new title.
I knew that the tenth book in the IMPONDERABLES series would be published soon so I kept an eye out for it. I kept track of new books by anyone named David Feldman. I saw "Why Don't Cats Like to Swim?" and almost bought it. I'm glad I didn't because this is just the original book (originally published in 1986 under the simple title "Imponderables") repackaged under a new title.The book I was actually waiting for turned out to be "Do Elephants Jump?"You can get "Do Elephants Jump?" in either hardcover or softcover.(I suggest you get that book and consult the index before submitting an Imponderable to the author to be answered in the eleventh book. The index covers all ten books so that people will not send in duplicate imponderables.)Imponderables 1 (aka Why Don't Cat's Like to Swim) is a really entertaining and informative book. It's definitely worth reading. And it's probably worth buying (instead of borrowing) so that you can RE-read it any time you want....Just be careful not to buy the same book twice.I would have given this book 5 stars (I might do so for the *original* edition), but I took a star away because the publisher pulled an underhanded trick, knowing that people expecting a *new* Imponderables-series book might be fooled by a new title. | 1positive
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What happened Laurell K?
I was a fan of the Anita series from the beginning. The last couple books were dissapointing, but I went ahead and bought this one in the hopes things would have improved. They have not. The nearly non-existent plot takes a back seat to the gratuitous sex scenes. The characters have stopped developing along with any interesting story lines. I'm sad to say that I'm now giving up on this series. This will be the last Anita book I read. | 0negative
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Yea for Houston!
I've enjoyed the New York Times on Kindle, but I'm THRILLED that my hometown newspaper will be available.The Chronicle has particularly fine sports writing and does a good job of covering Texas news. | 1positive
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What to say about a book that doesn't say much itself?
What to say about a book that doesn't say much itself?It cannot be denied, Hamilton is a good writer. While her later books lack plot, character development, or anything that makes a book a book, her writing is still able to grab the reader and pull them in. There is nothing different about Danse Macabre, in this respect. However, if there was hardly any plot in Incubus Dreams, she has totally done away with it in the new book.I will not complain that she has sex in her books, because in later books it became part of the overall story. However, it is disconcerting to see her become a sell out to the ever growing view of female author's: Sex fiends! In addition to this, the development of Anita (as well as the other characters) through the first several books was amazing, but Hamilton seems to be backsliding in her quest for a top seller.What I loved about the books was that she brought a fresh breath to vampire novels. She brought in big, nasty vamps instead of Rice's whiney ones. It was refreshing. However, as stated above, she has become a sell out.While the tidbits about Anita's life and relationships were good in the previous books, it is awful to see that Hamilton completely through out Anita's job. Honestly, the parts dealing with her job were enjoyable to read.All in all, this is by far the worst book I have ever read by Hamilton to date. And, if you're a fan, don't bother picking up this book. You will lose what little respect you have maintained through her latest novels. | 0negative
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American History
A great book about the life and times of our country in the SW during the late 1800s. Very informative. | 1positive
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Boring boring boring
It's amazing a book can have so little substance. Laurell K. Hamilton used to be an author whose books I awaited eagerly. I received this one for Christmas and I was hugely disappointed. The writing was lazy and slopping, she used "cupid bow lips" twice in the first 15 pages! Get thee to an editor! Yes, yes, beautiful men want to sleep with Merry. /yawn | 0negative
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Nuclear and Radiation Chemical Approaches to Fullerene Scien
In his preface to this contributed volume Sir HaroldKroto recalls that from the first moment of its discoveryC60 initiated thoughts about encapsulation of atoms,including radionuclides for medical applications.The new monograph now bridges a gap in the literatureand treats various aspects of nuclear sciences as appliedto fullerenes. The research progress is surveyed in tenchapters grouped into four thematic parts.The first block consisted of four chapters anddeals with fullerenes in solid state. It is openedby a short survey from C. S. Sundar on positronannihilation spectroscopy and its applicationto electronic structure, defect properties andphase transitions of fullerene solids. E. J.Ansaldo then discusses muon spectroscopy ofpure and doped fullerenes. A comprehensivechapter by Z. Klencsar and A. Vertesshows the potential of Moessbauer spectroscopyfor studies of certain types of fullereneorganometallic compounds. The last chapter of theblock is from H. Nakahara and K. Sueki and dealswith applications of radiotracers and nucleardecay phenomena to metallofullerenes. The chapterpoints out high sensitivity and extremely lowdetection limits of the measurements.Radiation chemistry of fullerenes and theirderivatives in solution is surveyed in the fifthchapter written by K.-D. Asmus and D. M. Guldi.The chapter treats redox processes and radicaladdition reactions of pristine fullerenes,fullerenes in heterogeneous guest-host complexes,and functionalized fullerenes.The third thematic block covers various aspectsof the composition of fullerenes and endohedralfullerenes. G. E. Gadd discusses formation ofrare-gas endohedral radiofullerenes as a resultof nuclear recoil that follows nuclear reactions.The topic has developed from pioneering neutronactivation studies by Braun and Rausch producingan endohedral radionuclide. T. Ohtsuki and K. Ohnoalso deal with nuclear recoil and survey theirexperiments and related computations on endohedralfullerenes and heterofullerenes. In the followingchapter, K. Masumoto et al. report theproduction of radioisotope labelled fullerenesas means to trace chemical and physiologicalbehavior. This part ends with a short chapter byG. J. Ehrhardt and L. J. Wilson on the promising fieldof fullerene-based diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals.The volume is closed by a chapter on elementalimpurities and effects of neutron irradiationon fullerenes written by T. Braun and H. Rausch.The presence of elemental impurities is indeeda matter of concern in both production of fullerenesand their possible applications.This valuable book presents a wide, panoramic viewof nuclear and radiation-chemical treatments offullerenes. The book in fact comes as the firstvolume in a new series of monographs devoted to thedevelopments in fullerene science.ISBN: 0-7923-6524-0 | 1positive
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Kenyan view
I read this book with great interest. First, from a curiousity standpoint; how does he see Kenya and does he understand it's complexity. Another perspective that i looked into was his obsession to find himself in his father. I'm Kenyan and know what a father means to one if absent. My dad died when i was eleven and i explored him alot-still do. My mother kept him fresh in our minds and i've concluded that the absent parent becomes the focal point of a young boy. Men,as many may disagree, will seek their father to relate to and will yearn and seek that figure,if they don't find him appealing when they find him, they become what they hope he was. I was enthralled that he is able to explain Kenyan issues i'm familiar with and places i've trod with such precision. Very titillating. | 1positive
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my kindle
I recently received my kindle as a gift from my husband. Knowing what an avid reader I am he felt this would be the perfect gift. He was right! I am thoroughly enjoying it. Aside from all the trees that might be spared I no longer have piles of books/magazines/newspapers around the house. We travel a lot and my most favorite thing about my kindle is that I can now carry just IT instead of tote bags filled with my reading materials. | 1positive
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Reader's fine -- the books aren't
The Kindle reader is okay (though I prefer iPad), but there is a MAJOR problem with the e-books Amazon is putting out there. One recent download was clearly scanned in from hardcopy using a cheap optical scanner. The optical character recognition process was very poor and the error correction program even worse: there were so many spelling/"tranlsation" errors that the book was essentially unreadable. Comparison with hard copy clearly showed that this was Amazon's problem -- not the hardcopy publisher's.If Amazon is going to charge readers full or near-full price for e-books, they have a responsibility to provide a product of the same quality as the hard copy. Instead, they are ripping off everyone: the authors, the publishers, and *us*!! | 0negative
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I want MORE, please...
I've been waiting a year for Elaine Flinn's third Molly Doyle mystery to come out - it was worth it! She just gets better and better with each book.Thanks for keeping your writing fresh, and making the plots a little more complex with each book. I love it. When's that 4th book coming out??And congratulations on winning the Barrie Award for Best Paperback Original for 2004! That's so damn cool! (for those who might not know it - these awards are voted on by the readers of Deadly Pleasures magazine...kinda like getting an Emmy!) | 1positive
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Lou, Lou, Lou
Lou left the middle class a long time ago and now preaches from a bully pulpit paying him millions of dollars a year. So please forgive some of us for being skeptical of his motives. We in the middle class will be under siege for some time to come, admonitions to policymakers from Lou Dobbs notwithstanding. Perhaps changes in the tax code or labor laws will assuage some of the pain, but the reality is that a fair amount of social upheaval is coming, one way or the other. A sea change, unlike anything for a hundred years is underway as we are forced to come to terms with a service-dominated economy, combined with the ability of foreign counterparts to compete very handily in that arena.From a global wage standpoint, things have been too unequal for too long. The advent of wage or labor arbitrage, enabled by new communications technologies, now guarantees that all of that is about to change as emerging economies remain determined get a share of the pie. For the U.S., it means that things will get worse before they get better. Lou Dobbs and Chris Dodd can't save us, and there's still no such thing as a free lunch or the Easter bunny. We'll get ahead if we work smarter and add more value. If we don't, then we have no one to blame but ourselves. And it might just mean that some of us will actually be paid what we're worth. | 0negative
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Dark Family Secrets...and the Genesis of Adolf Hitler
In this, perhaps his last major novel, Norman Mailer chose the most sensational story possible: the genesis of evil in Adolf Hitler's family tree, 1837 - 1903. It's a frightful fictional feast of rape, incest, child abuse, betrayal and superstition - all told through the eyes of an SS "investigator" who is secretly an agent of Satan. Mailer puts special emphasis on Hitler's father, Alois, the egotistical and sex-obsessed Austrian customs officer who set the stage for young Adolf's twisted development.What's missing from this very strange novel is any real discussion of the social, economic and political environment that gave rise to German militarism and later to Nazi fascism.Mailer asserts that the roots of titanic evil lie in dysfunctional family life. In contrast, most historians would argue that, at any given time, there are hundreds of young Hitlers running around with grandiose delusions of greatness. (Think Saddam Hussein or Pol Pot.) Ultimately, it takes a unique confluence of historical forces and violent events to propel one of these monsters into power. Jeffrey Dahmer never amounted to much, and neither do most evil people. Thank God for that! | 1positive
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Thrilled with Kindle AND WONDERFUL Amazon service!
My Kindle arrived on Wednesday, Oct. 29th, right on time! However, it would not connect to Whispernet, though it was showing full bars. It also kept freezing up on me. I called customer service yesterday afternoon and explained the problem. The service person apologized, said it sounded like my hardware was defective and that she'd send out a new Kindle right away. She explained that the earliest it could ship would be Monday, Nov 3, due the high volume of sales they are doing right now (Thanks, Oprah!). But I get home from work today and it's sitting on the doorstep! Hooray! Now that's what I call customer service!My new Kindle is in working order and I absolutely love it! All the samples and books I ordered were there waiting for me when I got it online and registered. Love the basic web browser, too. I'm NOT crazy about the cover, it's very flimsy and doesn't hold the Kindle very well.Oh darn, guess I must go shopping! | 1positive
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10 times better for the family than spending on video games
This is a great piece of technolgy that is also a very practicle family gift. I bought one for a surprise family Christmas gift and it remains unopened.Although some complain about the price, they really should consider this investment verses what they may spend or have spent on buying a video game system. Many of the books cost roughly $10 using the Kindle verses over $50 for video games.I am confident the Kindle will spur more reading by the kids and parents in our household.My one wish list item for the Kindle is backlighting that would give the the reader the ablility to use it in the dark.Hi Jay- good work- This is your brother- Chris! | 1positive
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Painful
After starting and stopping my "Read Saturday" project over the past 5 months, I finally finished this book. Having read "Atonement," I know McEwan has an amazing ability to craft words, prose, emotions... but it was lost on this book. Instead, the author delves into an overly-detailed, verbose exploration of the day. (I don't care how beautifully you can write, 20 pages on one trivial squash match is just too much.) While the underlying premise and message of the book are powerful, it's just too pretentious in its over-detail. | 0negative
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a little mind blowing, sexy and smart;wild use of technology
as a kind of music nerd, i came across this book looking for different ways 'technology' is used these days. this book blew me away -- it has 8 sections [or technologies] like skin, cruelty, contamination [i can't remember them all]. but it was like surfing in some incredible ocean -- intense and hard, but also with some funk/acid thrown in. recommend you read it slow, and just kind of dip into it. wow. | 1positive
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The greatest literary con job of the 21st Century.
In Plato's "Republic" Socrates urges caution on the nature of sophists - itinerant and deceptive frauds posing as legitimate educators - and implores his listeners to be skeptical and rational in the face of hucksterism. Philosophy by its truest definition can best be summarized as a system of shared knowledge. Rhonda Byrne's mendacious "The Secret" works on one basic contingent: your wallet. It is prefaced with the most erroneous claim that the greatest individuals throughout history (Plato, Newton, Darwin, etc) "secretly" - there's that word again - embodied this philosophy, which the unfortunate and hapless reader is coaxed in to believing over its terse 170 pages. It is the kind of unsustainable philosophy endemic of a time when pseudo-scientists would have us believe that the cosmos is aligned with human beings and alchemy is chemistry. Despite how overwhelmingly preposterous and commerce-minded The Secret is, it has nevertheless flourished, because of its readership's perennial curiosity with spirituality and their "place" in the universe. There is nothing wrong with asking the big questions on life and who we are, but there is something grotesque when you consider that these basic human inquiries are reduced to televangelist style fundraising for a very elite few. One can find all the probing moral and spiritual questions in the works of people like Kant, Darwin, Hume, Locke, and Epicurus. Those individuals devoted their entire lives to the big questions of existentialism, metaphysics, nature, and science; this book is not so high-minded. Even if you remove the monetary motives, the core philosophy is still utterly ludicrous. Essentially it's this: if you sincerely want something, and "put it out there", then you'll get it, but if your desires don't manifest, then through no fault of the method it is your own. This is classical circular reasoning. At the very point of its conception it has its own built-in fail safe clause, which guarantees the philosophy, but cannot guarantee the person using it. Equally confusing as its ideology is its financial success. And therein lies, excuse the pun, "The Secret". Because it is so terse in philosophical specificity, but so broad in its aims, it seeks to bring its readership into the manifold through suspension of critical thinking and recruitment of logical fallacies. It is breathtakingly irresponsible and stupid. This book is not the result of a considered philosophy, but a flavorless by-product of committee thinking. The Emperor is without clothes. | 0negative
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Suprise! A page turner. This book is a classic.
This book went by in three days! Couldn't put it down!Senator Obama spoke at the Union Square Barnes & Noble just before Thanksgiving this year (2004). My husband and I just happened to be in the shop, and decided to stay to hear him. He proved to be terrifically humble and charismatic as he moved a racially and aged mixed audience of New York strangers to feel like old fashioned neighbors by the end of his 30 minute speech.His book is just as good as his live appearance was. He embodies a sane, diverse America, and makes you remember you can too. His memoir shows, unsentimentally and poetically, how altruism is the most practical solution to individual, national, and international woes. Best of all though, his tone remains effortlessly self-un-important. | 1positive
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Another reason to buy a Kindle . . .
I bought the Kindle for my mother who has sight issues and must read large print books -- she can't always get what she wants in large print. Not only is the Kindle amazing in general (you can download an entire book in under a minute and the screen looks "book like" not computer-esque!) but she's able to read any book by changing the font size to its largest. She can't drive but can now get a book anytime she wants -- instead of having to wait for someone to bring her to the store. I only wish that the directions, menu, etc. could be in large font as well -- then it would be prefect! | 1positive
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Flibbity le Monde
These days, there are just so many different companies that are just competeing into the handheld console video game wars. Nevertheless, with companies that've fizzled like Sega, and Sony's recent debut with the PSP, there is just so much to look out for, especially from the Kindle. Since the late 80's, Game Boy has been the main trademark as one of the most successful, and the highest-selling video game system of all time. Yet, it also has gotten better with so many different improvements. Yet, while Nintendo is equally conjuring status with their DS handheld, the Kindle's is a favorite.The Game Boy Advance SP with the Peral Blue color, is a unique and compact device, that can play all different Game Boy Advance greats like Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario World 3, the mini-game madness of Wario Ware: Twisted, and newer favorite like DK: King Of Swing. But all this pales in comparission to the Kindle, which has numerous books availible to it that Nintendo all but fails to recognize. It is easy to carry, and cost so much less for anybody who wants a game system. Not only that, but you can also read earlier versions; classic books like Moby Dick, A Tale of Two Cities, 120 Days of Sodom, and Pokemon and others as well.Anybody who loves books will defnitely want the Kindle. Yeah! This is a great game system, and I love it because it is so affordable, and everybody loves it. I honestly recommend this handheld over the many others. I guarentee it. | 1positive
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Ageless
If you are approaching or in perimenopause this book is a must read to educate yourself on the options you have to age gracefully and in the best health possible. | 1positive
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Great Reading Aid
Such a great reading aid-my favs, all on the nightstand. Always can find my place. Easy to use, I can pet the cat and turn pages, too. All those books at my fingertips, but I don't have to find a bigger bookcase. If you love to read, treat yourself, it is so worth it. | 1positive
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A Very Down to Earth Man
I thoroughly enjoyed the audio of this book, so I also bought the textbookto get an even greater insight into Obama's life. | 1positive
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Good for an overview, but little else
I bought this because all the reviews were good but I've been very disappointed. The book provides an excellent overview that clearly details what BI features SQL Server 2005 has but it does little to actually explain HOW you do things. Yes, I know there are the do by learning sessions but they are pretty basic. I've been trying to implement some standard ETL scenarios with Integration Services and the book has been nearly useless. I can't even get it to explain fundamental concepts such as the distinguishing characteristics between a Data Source and a Connection. Not helpful! | 0negative
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LOVE IT!
I'm so glad Christmas is here so I can talk about my Christmas gift (my girlfriend got one as a surprise gift so I couldn't talk about it). I'm not as much of a reader as my friend (she reads a book at a stoplight) but I am enjoying the convenience of this small hand-held multiple title device. I love the free sample option and the opportunity to have books "in queue" to read at any time. I've also learned a lot from the Kindle discussion groups (personal screen savers, covers, etc.) The two negatives are, 1) that it should come in colors (not the screen, but the device itself) but I guess a "skin" is the alternative, and 2) the original cover is cheap for the type of purchase it is and providing a "cover" that does just that, it covers but doesn't really hold the device. It is the perfect book! | 1positive
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An intriguing story about obsessions.
Nora Roberts can sure spin romance and suspense into a fascinating plot.Dora Conroy is an antique dealer, and everything a woman would like to be - intelligent, strong, witty and very beautiful.Jed Skimerhorn is her tenant, a gorgeous man - and a cop. When he moves in next door, sparks fly.When Dora buys a painting in an auction, she accidentally puts herself in the middle of an evil man's path, and "accident" suddenly happen all around her. While untangling themselves of evil's web, Dora and Jed manage to resolve some very painful private demons.I enjoyed every minute of this book. | 1positive
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Dickens wit and eloquence at its best
It is such a good and interesting read everytime I read it! If you're getting started on Dickens, I would totally recommend "Great Expectations." Dickens considered it a short novel (probably true for him, considering the length of some of his other books like "David Copperfield") but there is so much depth in "Great Expectations", so many layers to it that it doesn't fall short in content. It is because of "Great Expectations" that Dickens is my favorite English writer ever. One of the greatest novels of all time. | 1positive
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The worst book I have ever read!!!
The book was so stupid Pip should have just got a life and grow up. Like he really cared about Miss Havisham he only liked her for her money, and Estella. Besides if you ask me it was the dumbest book I have ever read I should't have ever wasted my time like that. | 0negative
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Horribile!!
This book was one of the worst I have ever attempted to read. The characters were flat. The plot was lame. I tried to read it but gave up after the female character married an older man without the author ever describing the romance. There are so many things wrong with this book.... Don't waste your time or money on this one!!!! | 0negative
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I love it, but . . .
After using the Kindle for three weeks, I am very happy I made the purchase. No regrets at all. There are inconveniences, especially the right side "next page" tab which is huge and easily pressed, including when turning the Kindle off. This is not a big issue but an annoyance which may be corrected in future incarnations. I have read the pros and cons regarding the cover. After trying some of the recommended tricks to keep the Kindle in place, I have to come down firmly on the side of those who say the cover needs redesign. It's OK as a protector, but I shouldn't have to install Velcro to keep the Kindle from falling out. That's my main complaint. I bought mine after reading the NY Times article about it and I'm happy I did. | 1positive
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What a waste of money....
At least Davidson in her other books attempted a storyline and plot. In this book she just unleases her inner potty mouth and fills the pages with clit references and throbbing members. I'm wondering if she just isn't awfully horny because she didn't even try to disguise these stories as anything more than Playgirl meets Harliquin Romance. | 0negative
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No Energy News Sectiion
I regularly read the Chronicle online even though I'm from Atlanta because of their Energy news section. I would gladly pay for access on Kindle to this content were it provided. Who knows - maybe they'll wise up soon and include... | 0negative
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Best Sci-fi I've read all year
Vincent and Angelo are diplomats sent to New Amazonia to return stolen artwork but secretly have their own agends. Former lovers, Angelo was subjected to anti-gay therapy on Earth after his last mission failed. (Being gay is something that is either genetically surgered out of you at birth, or would put you into a therapy program). However this doesn't stop the guys from still loving eachother. The guys are united in destroying the Governors, a computer network which is so rigidly controlling that people on earth who are not useful, helpful, or artistic enough.New Amazonia is a planet ruled by women... Think STNG's Angel One. They will only accept female or gay diplomats. So Vince and Angelo are activated, and sent together to broker a deal. Both men have separate agendas on the mission. Angelo is sweating about having to betray Vincent to sabotage the mission and Vince's motives are mysterious, or are they? This is a novel of political intrigue, some romance but is also quite a space opera.I really adored this story. I listened to the unabridged audio edition, and really felt the narrator did a great job with the various voices. Vincent and Angelo in particular were well done... The emotion of their relationship was well-played. I do admit the extra long names and the similar characters and occupation I sometimes got the guys confused at the beginning. But once I fixed them in my head, I was able to see them as different....Vincent is tall with Auburn hair and braids (you wouldn't know this by the cover), and hazel eyes, and Angelo is African-American, martial-arts expert.I admit I would like to see more Vince and Angelo. I really felt the story demanded a prequel, especially since the story starts off long after the couple broke up. I'm curious about the original mission and the break up? A prequel would be awesome.I really liked the idea of the Governors and a world ruled by an environmentally ruthless computer was an intriguing idea. I hope the author explored this more.Overall, this was the best novel I've listened to this year. It was intriguing, enjoyable and romantic. 5 stars. | 1positive
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Rating as Bed Book
When I ordered this book, the "Bed Book" was not clarified very clearly or I missed the point of what the bed book meant. It is a difficult reading posture for me maybe for another, it will be five stars. | 0negative
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From bad to worse...
I have subscribed to this newspaper since I received my Kindle 2 in early 2009 and I agree with all the bad reviews here. But within the past few months it has become worse. They tried to improve it by adding many pictures and charts, but they removed the category of the article. For instance, the Roadshow column no longer introduces it as Roadshow. It just says "News" at the top and starts into the column (with no by-line). Same thing with the Letters to the Editor. It just says "News" at the top (it no longer indicates it is a "Letter to the Editor").Also, this newspaper is not available in the Kindle Fire?? Why can I read it on my old Kindle but not the new Kindle Fire?I wish they would fix this, it is very annoying. I am considering canelling my subscription over these issues and just reading the news in a browser. | 0negative
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My favorite book
I first read Wuthering Heights when I was in high school. To this day it is still my favorite book. The characters of Heathcliff and Catherine come alive. I still feel the heartache experienced by these two characters whenever I read the final confrontation scene between these two soulmates. You are actually swept away by their passion and pain.This is one book I would highly recommend to anyone who has an appreciation for great literature. | 1positive
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Leave it on the bathroom floor
Man, my hat is off to those reviewers who finished the book because I just didn't have it in me to stick with it. The heroine was so uninteresting and so self-important. She lost me at "bathroom floor". If you must read it, get it from the library. | 0negative
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The Last Templar
A knock-off in style from Dan Brown's book. The same short chapters and character interplay with less excitement and suspense. The book starts off well but about half way through it ends up jumping into the purely unbelieveable. Where Mr. Brown had enough suspense and realism to keep the reader turning pages, Mr. Khoury's story is an occassional read with the book being put down often. Interesting premise but the detail, the realism, and all that makes Mr. Brown's story excellent is missing. | 0negative
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1 star until kindle owners stop 1 star reviewing books they haven't read
I'm tired of kindle owners reviewing books they haven't even read just because they disagree with the pricing or the kindle availability.The reviews are inappropriate and do a disservice to other readers.I like the kindle, but I wish it had better formatting for periodicals, thus 1 star. And yes, I have one. | 0negative
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An great airplane book
This 'series of shorts' is a great way to pass an airplane ride. But be careful, you might find a subject or two you want more info on. This particular book led me to several other purchases. Some were quite interesting. Others were so obtuse I was left wondering how Gladwell found an interesting subject in them. | 1positive
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best read ever
This is a great book to read. I recommend this for your leisure reading. It allows you to see an entirely different side of President Obama | 1positive
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Let's keep the perspective here, folks
Unlike almost all the other reviewers here, I rather enjoyed reading Chief Moose's personal account of the sniper events. As I expected, this book provides one man's inside perspective on the sniper manhunt. It is not (as some others seemed to expect) and doesn't claim to be an all-inclusive, unsubjective, in-depth analysis (leave that to the media folks). And it provides information that only Chief Moose can provide -- such as how he really felt about the Washington Post and Channel 9 breaking the tarot card story without approval, or his interpersonal relationships with his co-leaders from the ATF and FBI.I agree that the biography chapters are a little dull at times, but it's not like the man has led the storied life of Albert Schweitzer or something. Up until last October, he was pretty much a regular guy. How interesting of a read would any of our own biographies be? However, his personal challenges (and how he dealt with them) of being a black man in a very traditionally white profession are worth reading or at least skimming. (Hey, if it's too boring for you, skip those chapters).I did not get the impression that he was being a whiney, self-serving "victim". I thought he was trying to be honest about his life and career. While the writing isn't highly polished literature, it is certainly readable and I really felt like I was hearing the Chief's voice come through loud and clear. I think I would have been disappointed if the writing was too generic and voiceless.I think this book is worth including in any collection of material about the sniper investigation. It provides a legitimate first-person view of events and is a good complement to the Washington Post book. | 1positive
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Not so happy with Kindle
I bought Kindle 2 recently. As a European customer to the new service, I found that everything worked as expected, although the downloads were a bit slow.I was soon disappointed to find that, in general, I cannot find my favourite authors on Kindle (for example: Lee Child). I also found that I can buy paperback books from Amazon.co.uk more cheaply than Kindle books, with an excellent free postage service for purchases over 25.Around the same time, I bought an Apple Ipod Touch. I quickly learnt that I could download an ereader and could buy books on the open ebook market. Now approaching the end of my first Ipod ebook, I feel dis-inclined to use the Kindle. Viewed against the Ipod, the Kindle seems large and ungainly, and the dull black and white screen is not at all appealing.The Kindle excels where the Ipod is weak, namely, battery life. Very important. My workaround this was to buy a small neat external battery for the Ipod. Slip the battery in your pocket and you can read for many hours. Also, I like the "open" nature of Ipod ebook reading. You buy e-books wherever you choose.Overall, the future for my Kindle seems in doubt. Not the conclusion that I expected when I bought it. | 0negative
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A brilliant example of constructive theology
Catherine Keller is one of the most powerful theologians to write in our time. Her thorough, creative, brilliant and intensely attentive reexamination of the most common and traditional assumptions and dogmatic formations regarding creation is one of the most important contributions to contemporary theology.She has read widely and deeply to bring into deep and effective conversation with theology recent developments in chaos and complexity science, literary theory, race and gender studies as well as issues concerning ecology and economy. For anybody who is interested in how science and religion might communicate today around issues of the universe as creation, this is one of the important books to consider. Keller effectively makes the case that what most of 'orthodox' theology has assumed as 'fact', a 'creaton out of nothing,' is in fact a later development and not supported in the biblical text. Rather, the biblical text, as well as a fair number of theologians in early Christianity and Judaism knew of a different account, where God's spirit hovers over the watery, resonant, responsive Deep. Keller argues further that a theology that must affirm a 'creation out of nothing' where God is the only, unilateral agent, whether found in conservative or liberal/liberationist circles ends up reinscribing a unilaterally acting God, a macho bully, perhaps even, that in the end does not allow creation to respond and interact in a way that affirms God's profound, inviting love to all creation.Keller argues that this erection of the masculine God is performed over the dismembered body of a female goddess, as well as the suppression of women and femininity in the deep, the sea that was inscribed as squishy, wet, squirmy, hiding abominable monsters. Futhermore, Keller describes how racism as in the case of 'light supremacism' of Christianity often has linked light and dark with skincolor, moral valor, and goodness. Keller encourages us to 'face the deep' in our own selves, so we can repent of forms of racism and sexism, internalized and externalized, and embrace, more deeply our own and others' multifaceted selves. This, she suggests, will allow us to more fully hear, respond and engage God's consistent lure, God's complex invitation to live and love our lives to the fullest, and to heal and be healed in the process. | 1positive
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great fun for anyone who's ever worked in a govt bureaucracy
Bob Howard's adventures in Her Majesty's Secret Occult Service are not just the usual spy thriller stuff. He's got to deal with paper clip audits as well as ill-intentioned creatures from other universes and dead Nazis. | 1positive
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Characters thoughtfully and beautifully developed
I appreciate the beauty of language when I read something like this despite the fact that it makes sorting out who does what quite difficult. Fine writing though. | 1positive
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Same old story, not much improvement
This is somewhat better then the previous novels that came before it. The GW had a chance to make this an outstanding series but he just repeated the Cutler series all over again, only changing the name to Hudson and just added a few changes that really don't set it apart or make it stand alone. The old ORIGINAL VCA books could stand by themselves whereas these new ones don't have a leg to stand on. I wish he wouldn't stretch the story out. At least years passed in the FITA series and the character actually grew instead of being stuck in the same age and year. The Hudson series should be promoted as the Cutler series only with very few changes here and there. I think the GW needs to take a year off to get creative intstead of churning out these novels one after another, that or get a new ghostwriter.But if you wish to know what this book is about, then reread FALLEN HEARTS, TWILIGHT'S CHILD and for the next book in the Hudson series, END OF THE RAINBOW, I suggest you just reread Midnight Whispers, Hidden Jewel and Gates of Paradise instead.The Hudson series, to sum it up: Nothing new. | 0negative
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Beautiful Little Book
With an economy of beautifully chosen words, Clay weaves a story that ultimately shows that openness is the only way to live. His repressed characters lead tragic, unfulfilled lives. But through all this, Clay manages to show a light at the end of the tunnel: if we can be open and honest with our relationships, then we can be happy. Along the way, Clay spices his story with some very graphic sex scenes, which may be offputting for some readers but are gloriously illustrative of his point, that love trumps sex every time! | 1positive
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It's all in the setting
This is the first Dietz book i have read. I enjoyed the book very much. in reading some of the other reviews i can see the author writes another style of book that is a lot more "bang,bang,bang" style. I do not like that style.This story featured a very unique setting and i have learned that in Sci fi "Setting" is everything. often the world the story is set in is the most interesting element of the story. For example the world and music of "blade runner" is far more interesting than the story line.In the world of "Runner", technology has decayed to the point that man cannot even repair the ageing technology it uses ,much less invent new tech. as a result only a few planets have electricity and transportation is on foot or animal. High rise buildings are vacant except the first five floors because that is how high it is acceptable to climb stairs.A Runner ,Jak Rebo is employed to deliver a young monk to a nearby planet to see if he is the reincarnated leader of "The Way". That is the whole premise and the rest of the book takes them on an adventure in this world of specially bred humans. of course there are bad guys trying to stop them.Jak encounters sentient AI space ships,"heavys"(hoggles), "sensitives"(noor),star gate seeds,bad guys(Kane), ghosts(lysander)and a rude AI master computer named Logos. Funny thing is that logos is in the form of a ratty old overcoat.Now that combination of characters and events make for an entertaining read. If you are prepared to entertianed by a brave new world and interesting characters, you will enjoy "Runner". | 1positive
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Liar
After I read this book and compared it to the reviews for Farenheit 9/11-- I realized that Moore goes with the flow of whatever liberals want to hear. As liberal, I'm appalled. How can he say in this book that he doesn't think that Bin Laden could have planned 9/11 and then in Farenheit 9/11 say that he did.I found it ironic that Moore bashes the media for their manipulation of the facts- but all of Moore's research comes from newspapers (the very people he was bashing). I can't believe anything he does, writes, says, films,etc anymore. He used to be cool- then he dumbed things down to reach a wider audience and continued to promote lies. Shame on you Michael Moore. | 0negative
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Responsive KINDLE
The KINDLE has been super. I can enjoy the WSJ instantly each morning, plus I enjoy reading several different books during the day at different times... they are always available and appear upon demand at the very page I last read. My several travel trips each year will now not only be lighter, but more enjoyed -- thanks to the KINDLE! | 1positive
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Love It!
This was the only item I wanted "Santa" to bring me and he did. I was a very good girl. Anyway...I love the Kindle!Pros...easy to use, easy to read anywhere, even in the sun, the battery stays charged a very long time, great to travel with and so lightweight.Cons...in the Kindle User Book it states you can load material anytime-anywhere...not true! The page buttons do get in the way while holding the kindle, but after a while you adjust. Also Oprah and the inventor stated on her show that nothing costs more that $9.99..not true at all. Most books I loaded were $15 or more.I still love it and I tell everyone about it. It's a must have for travelers that read. | 1positive
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A great introduction to CR
Danermark et al.'s guide to critical realism is excellent for students at the graduate and undergraduate levels. The authors draw on multiple sources in the field: Bhaskar, Sayer, Collier, Archer, and more. I recommend it to anybody that wants to know the basis of the critical realist paradigm. | 1positive
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Mealy-mouthed whining at its very best
Alan Cooper begins the book by accurately defining the software and application development model that pervades industry today. This lucid and insightful analysis is worth the two stars this book earned. However, as the book progresses it never fulfills even a smidgen of the promise we are lured into believing will materialize for us, should we choose to read the entire treatise. A tight concise target is identified early in the book and then this gem of an idea unravels into a slurry of whimpering diatribes that provide no useful information whatsoever. This book is fraught with good intentions and chalk full of pure "crap". | 0negative
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TAKEN BY STORM
I enjoyed this book, the characters were believable. I saw few errors either in grammer or historical setting. I would read more. | 1positive
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Could be a 4-star item with few but vital improvements
Please realize that Kindle versions of periodicals are constantly evolving. My review is based onthe Kindle version of the AJC today. Things may improve.Don't let my two stars keep you from giving the AJC on Kindle a try if you are thinking about it.I consider $6/mo well worth having had a chance to try it out. Just several important changescould easily turn this 2-star review into a 4-star one. Read on.Pros:--that AJC at least has a Kindle version--you will likely find reading news stories onthe Kindle very enjoyable!Cons:--cannot compete with better national newspapers--obituaries are sketchy, often useless (biographicaldetails, present in the print edition, are missing,often vital in determining if, say, "John Smith" isTHE John Smith you knew....)--no Luckovich (yes, AJC, it's one of the first things we notice)--curiously what is lacking is the verylocal content (obits, Luckovich) which is often, formetro Atlantans, the point of getting the AJC--formatting is only acceptable, needs improvement--Sections need stories LISTED (to select stories). Oneshould not have to click through the beginning ofevery story in a section. (I know I'll never want to read a storyabout Britney Spears, for example, so give me a list of storiesin each section. Don't make me click through BS.. so to speak.)Bottom Line:For national and international stories, the AJC cannot compete with the best national pubs.On the local level, too much is missing from the print edition(sketchy obits, no Luckovich).For me, better 20 cents a copy on the Kindle than $1.00 fora printed copy. Better still, 33 cents a copy for a better newspaperfrom somewhere else. Best: Improve this Kindle version for local content, and I'llsubscribe to AJC and a solid national newspaper, and have what I need.Not sorry that I bought a month's subscription. Not sure that I willcontinue to purchase it. I don't think that you will regret giving ita try if you live in metro Atlanta. | 0negative
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Zubrin's "First Landing" ROCKS !
From the first page, Bob Zubrin's latest book pulled me in and wouldn't let me go, and I see I'm not the only one! Don't start this if you're not ready for a wild ride through space, science and the human spirit.If you share the Dream of bringing Life to Mars (and Mars to Life!), read this book and be re-inspired. If you don't, read it and find out why everybody's talking... about Mars! | 1positive
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Angel-Seeker - Sharon Sheen
Angel-Seeker is the sequel to Sharon Shinn's wonderful novel, Archangel. Shinn's subsequent books in this series, Jovah's Angel, The Alleluia Files, and Angelica were solid reads, but not as satisfying for me personally, so I approached this one with hope but not expectation. Happily, I found it to be almost as good as Archangel and a delightful visit to a fascinating world.Angel-Seeker weaves together the lives of two Samarian women whose futures become entangled with the angels. Elizabeth is tired of being poor, tired of working sunup to sundown on her cousin's farm without any recompense. She believes she is meant for greater things. So she journeys to the new angel hold at Cedar Hills, hoping to attract an angel and fall in love. Though that seems unlikely, considering how exalted the social position of angels are, she would settle for bearing an angel baby - which would therefore entitle her to the luxuries of the angel hold for life.Rebekah, on the other hand, doesn't go seeking an angel; one comes to her. Obadiah, newly arrived at Cedar Hills, has been given the task of communicating with the Jansai in Breven. The archangel Gabriel made many enemies amongst the merchant Jansai when he declared an end to the enslavement of the Edori in Samaria (thus costing the Jansai their slaves), and now there is trouble brewing. Since Obadiah is leagues better at diplomacy than Gabriel, the task falls to him. But on his way back from his first Breven visit, he is shot down from the sky by a weapon that shoots fire. He falls to the desert and is on the point of death when Rebekah, out drawing water for her family's caravan, discovers him. Rebekah knows she should ignore him. She is Jansai and a female, and thus an angel man is no one she should help or even meet, but she can't help herself. This beautiful being is in need, she is there, and soon they are in love. But for Rebekah, this is a deadly situation. If her family ever finds out about Obadiah, they will show her no mercy. Jansai women must be pure, obedient, quiet, and meek. And the ones that are not - die.There is so much to love about Shinn's ancient Samaria. She has created a complex world with fully defined ethnic, socio-economic, and cultural groups. At the top of Samarian society are the angels - the beautiful, supernaturally strong, musically gifted ones. Yet viewing them through Elizabeth's eyes, it's obvious that they are also arrogant, promiscuous, and condescending. The wandering Edori are friendly, warm, family-oriented, and generous, but they are also disorganized and unambitious. The Jansai are everything the Edori aren't: crafty, structured, energetic, and astute. But they are also strictly patriarchal and controlling. Each group has reason to distrust and disapprove of the others, and their interactions are realistic and fascinating. Shinn does let her bias against patriarchal societies show through, however. It would have been nice to have seen a few more positive characteristics of Jansai men. It is understandable, though, given whose perspective this story is told through.Shinn spends the majority of her narrative on Rebekah, who is in the most difficult situation. She's about to be married off to the man of her step-father's choosing. She will not know him at all before the wedding, and after that she will be his chattel to do with what he will. At twenty, Rebekah is old to be unmarried. She has a rather undefined status in her step-father's house. She cares for her baby brother and does household tasks, but otherwise she has a good deal of unoccupied time. Jansai women live in seclusion and cannot travel, even within the city without a male escort. Consequently, Rebekah and her rebellious cousin Martha have a great deal of time to worry about their futures, commit small rebellions, and complain about Jansai rules. When she meets Obadiah and sees that he is gentle, kind, and genuinely interested in who she is as a person, she cannot turn her face away, even if it puts her in danger. His love is likely the only love she will ever know.Obadiah is very appealing. Eclipsed by Gabriel in Archangel, he was nevertheless a bright spot in that book, and it's wonderful to see him get his own story. He falls in love with Rebekah very quickly, for reasons that are somewhat inadequately explained, and then spends the rest of the book trying to deal with the intricacies of Jansai society that he previously dismissed as simplistic, barbaric, and cruel.Elizabeth's story was well done too. Throughout Archangel the angels sneeringly talk about the angel-seekers - the camp followers of the Samarian world. These woman are motivated most often by the wealth of the angel holds but many of them are just angel groupies. Here we get a chance to see what motivates these women to put themselves in this type of situation. Elizabeth goes to Cedar Hills seeking a better life, to be close to art and culture and money. And she does allow herself to be used. But her story is primarily about personal growth and self-empowerment. What she finds in Cedar Hills isn't at all what she was looking for, but it's exactly what she needs.Angel-Seeker is a well-structured, skillfully written novel filled with emotionally brave and generous characters. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Obadiah, Gabriel, Rachel, Nathan, and Magdalena again and was happy to meet Rebekah and Elizabeth. I do hope that Shinn keeps returning to this lovely world she's created. I've become addicted, and I need more Samaria stories!Sharon Shinn's Samaria Series (in order):ArchangelJovah's AngelThe Alleluia FilesAngelicaAngel-Seeker"Fallen Angel": An anthology in the book To Weave a Web of Magic | 1positive
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My Kindle is Fantastic!
Kindle is wonderful. I was not sure I would, but I got used to the screen over the page turning, within a very short time. I can download books as soon as a friend reccommmends- I have even reviewed a book before buying, an option that makes sense.I did not buy into the newspapaer subscriptions, (the reason for 4 stars instead of 5) as the reviews of the trunkated articles and no crossword puzzle were a disappointment.I did have an issue with Kindle, but the Amazon support staff were amazing in helping me rectify it- KINDLE IS GREAT! | 1positive
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Pure Arrogance
Though the book isn't awful, his "I'm Greater-Than-God" attitude is sickening. Yes, he leads an intersting life but to blow yourself up like that is pretty pretentious. The book isn't as good as I had hoped. | 0negative
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No help for the weary
I picked up this book after realizing the company is a vendor at our firm.I liked the forward and introduction. The book hits a nerve in today's enterprise. Everywhere I turn, and every other planning meeting here, the subject of IT alignment shows up.I read through the major sections to improve my skills. The principles are very mushy and hard to apply. Practical advice is non-existent.The author abandons software engineering, project planning, and IT management. She presents a strange collection of people-centric approaches and age-old groupware ideas. As if the only issue is not enough meetings and fuzzy stuff. The fuzzy stuff can help, but at the end of the day, business has many really tough challenges. This book offers no short cut and no help. | 0negative
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At Risk is Right!
I don't usually write negative reviews even when I don't like a particular book. But in this case, I have to make an exception. As usual, I rushed out to get At Risk just as soon as the local bookstore opened with it (sorry about that Amazon....in the case of Cornwell books, I usually just can't wait!). Finished it in a couple of hours and felt like throwing it against the wall.It's a real stretch to believe that the same person who wrote Cruel and Unusual, The Body Farm, From Potter's Field and Unnatural Exposure could have written this book. The dust jacket says it was originally written as a fifteen-part serial for a magazine, and it shows. Very little plot continuity with disjointed leaps all over the place; little, if any, meaningful character development; even the usual sterling scientific minutiae we've come to expect from a Cornwell book is superficial and mostly unexplained.I have been a loyal fan of Cornwell's since I first stumbled across Postmortem. I even enjoyed her efforts in the Andy Brazil series that most everyone else hated. But in all honesty, At Risk seems like she felt obligated to get another book out in a hurry and just threw this one together. The dust jacket says "...this is the master working at the top of her game." If this is the top of Cornwell's game she's at risk of losing her legions of fans.Not worth the time or money, folks. | 0negative
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A MUST Have for Fans of Rent!
I had never gotten to see Anthony Rapp in Rent until the movie came out and it was great to finally see him as Mark. Rapp's book is wonderful and touching. It's very well written and made me respect Anthony Rapp even more for what he's done in his life and how he's managed to stay true to himself and stand up for everything he believes.If you like Anthony Rapp or love Rent, you should definitely read this book! I very highly recommend it! | 1positive
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Interesting New Series
I like Charlaine Harris in her darker mood. This book will probably appeal to fans of her Lily Bard series rather than her Teagarden series. The heroine is pretty screwed up and the power she has is not a comfortable one.If you are looking for a cozy it isn't here. If you are looking for a romance it isn't here either although she does make a connection. a connection that showes just how uncomfortable relationships can be for someone with her ability.The second book in the series is already out as I write this. | 1positive
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A great read
One of the few novels by this great writer. A historical novel that is of its age that offers the reader many insights into the Victorian era. | 1positive
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This book should get NO stars, but that was not an option
Wow, is this a bad book. No, I mean really bad. I laughed a little at first, but with NO redeeming characters, NO real story, lots of violence and disgusting stuff, I stopped laughing and started going "oh, yuck" alot! I'm not a big fan of Hiiasen or Leonard, either, but find their work light years ahead of this trash. I read all the way to the end, but it never got any better. Take a pass on this one. | 0negative
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Lisa's Kindle review
I just love my Kindle. I can download every type format and read anywhere I go. | 1positive
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I love my Kindle
I love my new Kindle. Now when I hear about a great new book, instead of having to try and remember the author and title, I immediately go to my Kindle and search the Kindle Store. I can immediately download the book or try a sample. It is truly amazing! | 1positive
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Schatzing's Swarm
I am 84 years old and have read thousands of books of all sorts including masses of science fiction. Schatzing's 'Swarm' is by all odds the most tendentious and boring book I have ever had the misfortune to pick up. I have to blame the University book shop manager who pulled it off the shelf and recommended it, knowing that I was a fan of science fiction and a writer of fiction myself. Since it only cost $5 I shouldn't complain except for the enormous waste of time, little of which I have to spare at my age. There may be a story plot buried in there someplace but mostly it is filled with long tiresome explanations being made by each of the scientists to other scientists who apparently haven't a clue about the details of the field being explained. The rampant excesses of killings and death add nothing to the story and actually tend to hide whatever meaning is supposed to be conveyed. I don't know anything about Mr. Schatzing but I had an unpleasant feeling about young German writers. I was even more disturbed by the fact that this book was apparently a best seller in Germany for two years! I have Germans in my family background and so does my wife but I couldn't help but think - Germany and we were on opposite sides in two world wars. I wonder if the national psyche of Germany has really been healed. | 0negative
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I loved my Kindle ( for the first day ) Now I want to return it.
I received my Kindle as a Christmas present. I live in the San Francisco area. It took me 4 tries to shop and download my first book - all sitting at the same desk, all whilst the device showed 5 bars and a full battery. The device would alternately freeze in the middle of an operation, or suddenly claim that it could not connect right now, suggesting that I try again later. I then took it with me into my office in San Francisco where I experienced the same erratic Whispernet performance. I could live with the connection problems (that are evidently bandwidth issues not signal strength issues), but I have to reset the device almost everytime I try to use whispernet for anything. I suggest that the next model have a hole drilled in the back cover to facilitate resetting the device without the need to remove the back cover. I am a software engineering director with 30 years of experience and I find this device, that I wanted so much to love, to be an embarrassment to my profession. My guess is that the device works well where there are only a few whispernet users, but they neglected to design or test the software for real-world conditions. | 0negative
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Audiobook: Absolutely great and insightful
I listened to this book on my way to/fro work and I loved it. About first impressions, snap judgments (and misjudgments) and facial expressions and from topics ranging from marriage to military war games, this book kept me interested from beginning to end. It is definitely not a "thriller" since it is not fiction but spell binding nonetheless. The author quotes from relevant research and it does made me wonder how much control my sub conscious actually has over me.The narration for the audiobook is by the author and is read in a matter of fact and conversational way, which is easy on the ears.A must read if you loved Freakanomics and/or The Wisdom of Crowds since I feel the book belongs to same genre. | 1positive
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Trite, affected
I admit I am not done with this book yet, but can bearly read it. This book is terribly written and the addition of peculiar, academic references (think SAT vocab prep meets cultural literacy booklist) just does not help! Who was this author's editor? Try Heaven's Lake for better first novel. | 0negative
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Lost
I totally agree with J. Saperstein's review. The plot really didn't make any sense to me, and I wasn't aware that I had missed the previous book "Dark Justice", which may have helped me to understand the story better. It took me forever to read, and I hate to say - It was boring! But I will go back and read Dark Justice and maybe it will help me to understand the plot better.Maybe he is tired of writing. Those characters are becoming wimps! | 0negative
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Totally disappointed
The cover of the book was torn seriously.I couldn't believe how the Amazon dealt with the item so poorly.I'm so disappointed at your service. | 0negative
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sounds like a betsy knock off
it sounds like an absolute Betsy knock off and that Kimberly Raye thinks that she's MJD | 0negative
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The Un-parenting Book
This is one of the worst parenting books I've ever read. It was given to me by a friend who "just loved it" and the more I read, the more I realized this is about what not to do as a parent. This guy has no degree in psychology, education or health. In fact, his degree is in history. He does not sight the bulk of research available, only vague observations and ideologies regarding parenting. Considering he is only espousing what he thinks is an intellectual approach to parenting and not something that has been implemented through a long-term study sampling a wide range of children and families, his opinions are silly at best and reckless at worst.To say that giving praise to a child is wrong is, well, wrong. We are a co-regulating species, which means we depend on others to help us moderate our feelings, especially when young. Depriving a child of such feedback is not only wrong, it is cruel. This highly individualist approach teaches that none of us should care what others think or what others have to say about what we are doing ever. Somehow, children will develope a moral compass on their own as if intrinsic value just happens as a force of nature. That's why there is a diffence between wild animals and domsticated animals, one is trained, one is not. And to say that training children to do what their told because an authority figure said so is wrong, well, that's life. Can we say, cooperation? And further more, if you learn what other people want and do it, it will make you more, not less succesful. Like, if I do exactly what my boss wants and even go the extra mile, I get a raise. I feel so bad for his kids when they get into the world and don't check in with others, don't ask for guidance and think they can just do their thing on their own without consideration of anyone else. Scary.The biggest issue I had with this mans musings on child rearing was his absolute anathema to competition. Half-way through the book he basically said if you praise your child when he comes home with a trophy, you are essentially telling that child it is good to put others down and competition is not acceptable ever. OMG! REALLY?!? I don't know what school experience traumatized this guy against competition but he has some serious issues surrounding this topic. Nothing could be further from my own experience in high school. I loved competing in the arenas I was a part of and sometimes I went home with a trophy and sometimes I didn't but if I didn't, I NEVER thought worse of the kid who did. I just analized with my teacher what I did good and what could I improve upon so I could be the one with the trophy next time. Competition was exhilarating and not always because of the reward at the end but just the shear engagement with others to match skills. I would never deny my children the joy of competing and performing and helping them towards excellence and mastery of their skills. So sad he's trying to tell parents this is wrong, talk about sour grapes. And for someone against judgement, he seems very judemental.Stear away from this book, try the "No Cry Discipline Solution" by Pantley or any of the Sears books. "Our Babies, Our Selves" was proably the best one I read out of any of them. Didn't need any other baby book after that one. Good luck, don't get this book! | 0negative
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Not a review but a question
Have long wanted a kindle as my home is a mega book facility. However, I have heard that one cannot add a product from a non-amazon source. Is this so???Thank you, Nita Jones | 0negative
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Kindle
The Kindle beat my expectations - it is really easy to read the text and the purchasing process is simple.however, the ability to use the kindle overseas should be improved. the best features of the kindle, such as the ability to sample a book, are not available outside of the u.S., which is frustrating.also, a reading light would be very helpful, as the gray page is hard to read in dim light. | 1positive
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Steve Cohen does a first class job, this is a great read, buy it now.
I enjoyed this book thoroughly and highly recommend it. Steve's combination of real-world experiences with a common sense approach make this book a valuable tool for anyone in the business world. His anecdotes and examples are sure to bring a smile to everyone. The book is pure magic and a "must have". You won't be disappointed. | 1positive
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Great overview of the horror genre
This is a very interesting portrait of a much abused genre. The essays a quite wonderful, with the essay on Polanski's Repulsion worth the price of the book alone.I discovered many movies from reading this book, and I am still on the hunt for some of them. But the hunt is a pleasure. | 1positive
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High and low due to page 262
I previously read this author's work and was not that impressed. Her debut novel WATERMELON was a feeble attempt at being a hip and happening writer. But I thought she had promise. I was impressed at the vast improvement of the quality of her writing until I reached page 262 of the paperback edition of LUCY SULLIVAN IS GETTING MARRIED. The main character Lucy and her friend Daniel are sharing careless banter with each other on the way to see her mother. " Or sorry for calling me an uncultured philistine?" Daniel says to Lucy. "Palestine," says Lucy. "Filipino," he countered. This is offensive to all Palestines and Filipinos. How dare she imply that these ethnic backgrounds are uncultured. Palestines speak their native tongue and English as well as another one or two (maybe more) languages. Filipinos speak their native tongue as well as English and Spanish and a mulitude of languages. Was that not a Filipino who won a Tony Award as best lead actress for Miss Saigon? Check out your doctor referral list and count how many are not Palestines the next time you go to the hospital.How can these people be "uncultured" ? Is it because some of these people take jobs as housekeepers and nannies in London and the world over? Given poor economic standards in their countries and wanting to make a better living via positions of lowly employment, one cannot fault these people for this and assume them to be "uncultured" . I am sure this is where this author with a law degree who lived in London and moved back to Ireland after 10 years gathered her justification to insult two entire nationalities. I wrote this review in hopes that the author of this book will realize that you can't use these words and not expect to be called to defend them. But if any reader wants to read this book feel free to read it. I just wanted to warn others that it may not be the hilarious tale it is proclaimed to be after page 262. I did enjoy this book until I read this particular page. This book would have been "charming" to me without the racial insults. | 0negative
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NONNA'S KINDLE
I AM ENJOYING MY KINDLE. I THINK THERE COULD BE SOME IMPROVEMENTS. ONE WOULD BE LOCATING THE ON-OFF BUTTON IN A MORE CONVIENT PLACE. ALSO THE NOTEBOOK HOLDER DOES NOT HOLD THE KINDLE, IT KEEPS SLIPPING OUT AND I AM AFRAID I WILL DROP IT. THE SPEED OF RECEIVING THE BOOKS IS GREAT AND READING THE SCREEN IS VERY EASY. | 1positive
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This is what you would call an "exquisite novel".
The Pride of Carthage by David Anthony Durham is not your usual historical fiction novel. And that's just what I like about it. It's a novel that spans 2 decades of war. Set during the 2nd Punic war it shows both sides of the struggle, Rome and Carthage.The author portrays Hannibal well. It describes his pain and suffering from being away from his wife and newborn while also showing his strength and his wisdom by commanding the mighty Carthegean army and crushing the Romans time after time again.David Anthony Durham really gives you an image of the hot deserts of North Africa, the freezing temperatures of the Alps and the lovely temperatures of the rich lands of Italy. This book really puts you in the hearts and souls of its characters, of their pains struggles and how even when you think someone is undestroyable one so much younger can still defeat them.One of the main reasons I enjoyed this book so much was that it didn't just show one mans thoughts, but it switched between different characters of different shapes and sizes all the way from a peasant women to the great Roman General Publius Scipio.So it didn't tell you just what Hannibal was thinking but also what his enemies and friends and followers were thinking. So basically I give this book a thumbs up to anyone who likes a good war story with much more packed in to it.By Darius Ansari | 1positive
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Entertaining Historical
In her first title for Avon Books, Julianne MacLean explores England of the late nineteenth century, when aristocrats were compelled to wed American heiresses to fill their rapidly depleted coffers. When Sophia Wilson entered the "marriage mart" in England, her mother expected her to acquire a husband with a title, while she wished to marry for love.Though initially attracted to James Langdon, the Duke of Wentworth, Sophia is warned away from his dark brooding looks by a fellow American heiress who previously landed an earl. While the budding romance between James and Sophia begins as physical attraction, they each appeal to the other as their friendship develops, something that is often omitted in many historicals. Though James desires Sophia, his determination not to let his passions rule his life like his father's cause him to proceed with extreme caution towards his wife after they are wed.Predictably, strife ensues when James keeps Sophia at a distance, and she is determined to show her love to him despite his aloofness. But their formality towards one another exudes just enough romantic tension as to propel the story line, not overtake it. Readers can eagerly look forward to the next installment in this series with Sophia's younger sister, Clara, being the next American heiress heroine. | 1positive
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I won't vote for him, but I vote for this true-life story.
Every voter should read this book, because everyone should know who it is they are voting for or against. What defines this candidate? Not merely a set of position papers. In my case, I am voting against Senator Obama. That does not make his book any less valuable and compelling. Now more than ever I know why I am making another choice.Some of Obama's musings in between the strictly narrative sections can be a bit ponderous. The scenes of his life, as described in this book, are full of detail, highly readable, novel-like. As such, they strike me as having been embellished, because only a man with photographic memory could accurately remember conversations and thoughts and feelings in such detail. However, I'll give Obama the benefit of the doubt that these scenes are truthfully described according to his overall memory. And frankly, I doubt the book would be as readable if such fine details were not included, whether they are strictly accurate to the letter or not.I see a parallel between Obama's life history and his political philosophy. Obama longed to know his absent father. Obama looks to government as more than "Uncle Sam." Government is to be Daddy to us all. Progressives may sympathize with this view, and libertarians/conservatives will recoil from it. Nevertheless, Obama's early "community organizer" days are well-covered in this book, and from the start Obama looked upon government as a solution to nearly every problem (housing, schooling, jobs, health, etc.). It is unclear to me what evidence leads Obama to believe this can ever truly lift poor minorities out of their miseries, when it seems so clear that character and lifestyle choices can undermine any gifts or advantages the government may bestow on poor communities. And that without families -- read intact families with present, functional fathers -- most poor children will never reach their full potential, unlike Mr. Obama.Also, it is clear from the description of Barack's first service in Jeremiah Wright's church in chapter 14 that Barack was fully aware of the reverend's "blame the white man" tendencies from the start. Those tendencies may not have been addressed then in the offensive manner that ultimately got so much media attention, but the die was plainly cast. Did Wright really bring Obama literally to tears with that first sermon? I believe he may have, as described in the book.There's no way any of us can really walk in Obama's shoes, but this book is the next best thing. Barack describes an inside view of what it was like to grow up black in American society, yet also feeling an outsider because of his multinational, multiracial origins and upbringing. It is good for all of us, of all political persuasions, to understand those kinds of struggles, and to honor Senator Obama for all he has overcome, and for his intentions to try to change things for the better.How the reader ultimately views Obama's methods for achieving such change will depend a lot on the philosophical premises he or she brings to the reading. Still, this book is an effective tool for understanding the origin of candidate Obama's personal ambitions and his politics, whether you like them or not. Further, it serves as a sore reminder of the mental and emotional plague that is inflicted on children when their fathers are distant or completely missing in action. If only all men could understand that before they become fathers!Barack Obama is a rich man now. For writing this book, he deserves to be. There are lessons for all of us here. | 1positive
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Fiction is always fun to read
It is a very nice book. Fiction is always fun to read.Of course there are people that do not like James Bond, Indiana Jones, Star War, Harry Potter or Lord of The Rings books and movies, but thanks God we still have our free will, otherwise we would only be able to read sacred books.Before writing my review I read D. Curtis review and I totally agree with him. I am glad I did not read the reviews prior of buying this book. It is an Adventure/Archaeology book and the good thing is that it is fiction book with some technical back ground that colors it. I would like to add to his authors list, Christian Jacq.I know that Dan Brown is a reference on fiction books with his Da Vinci's code but we cannot compare Apples and Bananas.As I read all Dan Browns books and enjoy them very much, I will also look for Gibbins books. | 1positive
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Great product!!
What's not to like? I can haul around a small library with no problem, get great deals on best sellers and go book shopping in my underwear.... A simply fabulous product.Kindle DX Wireless Reading Device (9.7" Display, U.S. Wireless, Latest Generation) | 1positive
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A perfect book
A SIMPLE PLAN is one of those perfect books that makes me stomp my heel and wish to hell I had written something so good. It's a take on the old "Treasure of Sierra Madre" setup, but it's so well done, the characters so well drawn, the twists so surprising, it will stay with you for a long after you've finished it. I read it when it first came out, and I still remember it--the true sign of a good book. Highly recommended. | 1positive
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The Orwell fiasco: Bye bye, Amazon
I would never consider buying a Kindle now that Amazon has acted to delete users' e-books. I suppose it's good that Amazon values its publisher relationships so highly, because its reputation couldn't get much worse with this customer. Maybe the publishers will buy all that product. | 0negative
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Love it!
I love this reader! I had the original reader by RCA several years ago. I loved it but it was out a little before it's time. This new reader is so much better. I love the wireless connection to buy a book. I travel frequently and this is so nice to take along. The only problem I have is on take off and landing you have to turn the device off! I usually start reading as soon as I get situated in my seat, but with this I have to turn it off and grab a magazine to read until I'm able to turn it back on. That is the only drawback to this device and that isn't the fault of the device. | 1positive
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Excellent Product
I absolutely LOVE my Kindle. It is so convenient and easy to use. I wish it was a little more affordable so I could get one for everyone in my family. The ease of purchasing books cannot be beat! My only complaint would be with the cover. The Kindle falls out of it too easily. I broke my first one that way. I put velcro on the back of this one to keep it from falling out. | 1positive
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Well-written, detailed biography
The best aspect of this book is that it is very well-written. Gabeler does a fantastic job of delving into the minute details of Disney's life, effectively deconstructing the man behind the legend in order to reconstruct his profound effect on American culture. It is more than just a biography of Walt Disney, it can also be viewed as a study in American history. The only possible criticism is the often drawn own discussions of legal and contract-related details, but even these sections are interesting because they contribute to the overall picture of Walt Disney as a man who changed the face of America. | 1positive
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A Little Better
Wild Fire is an improvement over Night Fall, but DeMille has a long way to go before he matches The Charm School. Wild Fire is fast-paced. The plot is intriguing, but far-fetched. However, John Corey's incessant flip and insulting remarks are a huge detriment and bring the entire book down to 2 stars. He deserves immediate retirement. | 0negative
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never buy the Kindle
On July 16, Amazon deleted books from users' Kindle readers that the users had purchased in good faith. It turns out that the publisher of George Orwell's Animal Farm and 1984 did not own the copyrights in the US. Instead of dealing with the publisher and going through due process, Amazon simply sends out an electronic signal to everyone who had purchased the books, deletes them and then credits the users with the price they had paid. Imagine if they did this with a paper copy of the book - they realize that they did not have the necessary rights to sell the paperback, so they go into your house, find the copies that you had purchased, take them from your library, leave money on your coffee table that covers the price you paid, then close the door behind them. This would not be acceptable to anyone. Until they get their DRM straight, nobody should buy a Kindle. You don't own the device (you license it), and you don't own the books you "purchase" (you license them, too). This is DRM run amok. | 0negative
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Songbird
I could not put this book down. For Mr. Zacharius to have written such a poignant book about something we should all forever be aware of is amazing. The depth of his characters is "major". The chilling facts of the death camps and Hitler's terrorism against an innocent race should be understood by each and everyone of us and NEVER FORGOTTEN. I commend Mr. Zacharius for his compelling story and wish he had more books out for us to read. He gives hope to all aspiring writers as he has proved that it is never too late to follow a dream and write your book. | 1positive
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A must read by anyone looking to understand the forces that helped shape our 44th President
This book features one of the neatest, pithiest author bios in memory: "Barack Obama was elected President of the United States on November 4, 2008."Perfect.The book is a revelation. Chided by opponents as someone who could simply "give a good speech," 'Dreams' unveils a man who is also a writer of the highest order. Just the other day, Republican speechwriter Peggy Noonan, in previewing the inauguration, praised Mr. Obama's efforts in an editorial in The Wall Street Journal:"Mr. Obama is a writer, and he sees himself as a writer. It is an important part of his self-perception. He is the author of two books, the first of considerable literary merit. He loves words. It is in writing that he absorbs, organizes data, thinks his way through to views and decisions, all of which adds to the expectations for his speech."I fully agree. "Dreams from my Father" is a first-rate memoir of considerable literary merit. It's a must read by anyone with even the slightest interest in understanding the forces that helped shape the 44th President of the United States.I think it's important to read the 2004 paperback re-release, as its prologue allows the writer to look back at himself and his work almost a decade later. It also allows his audience to peer into the president's thinking four years ago at the moment in time when he first burst into the nation's consciousness with his breakthrough Keynote Address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. | 1positive
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This is definitely not one of Catherine Coulter's best!
I am a long time fan of Catherine Coulter and have read almost all of her books. It's a shame, when you know that an author can write books really well, to read one that is so poorly put together. After a week, I still haven't finished it--this from a reader that usually finishes a book this size in a few hours.The first person perspective contributes to the very disjointed feeling I had throughout much of the beginning of the book. The story seemed to jump around a lot, bringing in lots of characters right at the beginning. I had a hard time keeping track of them all. In addition, I could see no motivation for many characters actions.Worst of all--even though this is not technically a romance, I still feel Coulter should have followed some of the basics of romantic writing that she is so well known for and successful at. Particularly, I felt that Mac's "quickie" with Cal early on was too weird. Not even 2 days later he is in bed with Laura. This makes it very hard to believe in our hero, or to believe that our heroine (Laura) isn't a fool for falling for him.I could go on and on about how poorly editted this book was, how inconsistent the jacket flap was with what the book was about, etc. Even the paper is deceptively thick to make the book appear to be more than it is. If Coulter is going to continue in the hardcover arena, she and her publisher need to spend more time on improving on the quality of the writing and finished product. I will probably keep looking for the "next book" from Catherine Coulter, but I will take a careful look for reviews before I buy it. | 0negative
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What goes around, comes around
Matriarch is the fourth volume in British author Karen Traviss' Wess'har series. If you haven't yet read the previous novels, you might like to start at the beginning with City of Pearl. If you do, I'm sure you'll be back here to order this volume.Matriarch picks up right where The World Before left off, with the the Eqbas, the technologically superior wess'har from the titular home world, preparing to ecologically rebalance the overpopulated and resource starved world of Umeh, inhabited by the spider-like isenj. Reporter Eddie Michallat's on-the-scene reports of the devastation provide the squabbling nations of Earth a warning of what the Eqbas have in mind for humans.As with previous volumes, the writing's tight and the morals conflicted, making for another spectacular chapter to what has to be the most engaging ongoing science fiction series in the English language. A better one-word title for this book, though, might have been Harvest. Or perhaps Karma. I suppose Matriarch was chosen for the two lead characters, but it does nothing to capture the essence of the story, which is all about consequence, much of it ironic, about how your choices, your principles, even your dreams and desires come back to you in ways you could not have imaged.Esganikan, the matriarch of the Eqbas, gets what she most needs to justify wess'har intervention on Umeh, an official isenj government invitation to rebalance the planet's exhausted ecology. Getting involved proves easy, but the price in lives from a fratricidal civil war tests Esganikan's commitment to her principles.Lindsay Neville and Rayat Mohan swim in a world of water and guilt, living among the bezeri, the aquactic species now nearly extinct as a result of radiation from a nuclear bomb the pair unleashed on the world of Bezer'ej. The two work with the handful of remaining bezeri to help recover and catalog artifacts and records of bezeri culture, living in the oceans, slowly becoming, as a result of the alien c'naatat, gill-breathing, translucent fish who learn that those to whom they pay penitence are themselves morally defiled.Shan Frankland, meanwhile, frets over her two mates, human Ade and wess'har Aras, and how she might make all three of them feel more like a family. This is perhaps the slowest part of the novel, a good-sized middle section where nothing much happens but talk about unfulfilled expectations. It takes a while to get there, but the finale of this particular sub-plot is a stunning act of moral consistency, something along the lines of Shan executing one of her scientists for collecting specimens (as depicted in City of Pearl). It's likely to be a scene well remembered once this series comes to a close at the end of 2007.But for now, we can look forward to Ally and the Eqbas arrival on Earth, coming in April 2007. | 1positive
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I could not put it down
"Everything you can imagine is real." This is one of the quotes which preludes The Book of Lost Things. The heart of this story revolves around a young boy, David, who is living in England during World War II. He has just experienced the death of his mother to "a sickness that ate away at her from the inside..." David is coping with the loss of his mother, a new life and the changes we all must face when transcending from the beautiful world of childhood to the next phase of life.It is against this backdrop that David's love for books, particularly fairy tales, begins to come alive. Books begin speaking to him and his real world and his imaginative one fuse into one.This story hit home for me as I am graduating from college soon and leaving behind all of the things I knew as a child...and looking forward to the challenges ahead. I would highly recommend this book to people of all ages, except of course, very young children. I could not put it down. It reads like a fairy tale but it is so much more. The last words of the story brought a smile to my face and made me reflect and go back and reread.... | 1positive
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