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Extremely trite.
The author displays very little knowledge of the scientific issues he discusses; his knowledge of the relevant history is even more spotty. It is a work of distressingly low quality. | 0negative
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Horrible
The Stranger as translated by Matthew Ward has to be one of the sloppiest and most poorly written pieces of literature I've ever attempted to read. It seemed like it was written by a seven year old, and I could only slog my way through eight pages before I threw "it" aside in disgust. The only thing missing was crayola writing and backwards "R's". I would like to cite an example from page 6."Just then the caretaker came in behind me. He must have been running. He stuttered a little. 'We put the cover on, but I'm supposed to unscrew the casket so you can see her'. He was moving toward the casket when I stopped him. He said, 'You don't want to?' I answered, 'No.' He was quiet, and I was embarrassed because I felt I shouldn't have said that."All the five star reviews for this novel are surely for another translation of the book. I mean Albert Camus won a Nobel Prize in Literature, and this translation in no way, shape, or form represents that.Long story short, this translation of The Stranger is something I would gift to a person I didn't like. | 0negative
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Interesting story.
As always, Peter David writes an interesting and sometimes amusing story. Also as (almost) always, he ends with a cliffhanger non-ending, so if you share my distaste for such things, be aware of that before you start. (His background as a comic-book writer is sometimes all too apparent.) On the other hand, in the "Gateways" series, ALL of the stories end that way, so I suppose he isn't entirely to be blamed this time.One oddity to note: he makes no attempt to place this story outside of his normal numbered New Frontier series, but there is no attempt to inform the reader where in the series this book falls, which makes it awkward for the reader of the series who suddenly finds the ongoing plot to jump between two consecutively numbered books; this book (and the sequel, "Gateways 7") falls between books 11 and 12 of the regular series. | 1positive
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Tedious
His style in Lady Chatterley's Lover is amateuristic, at best. Admittedly, there are parts were the writing takes off and becomes something sublime. However, these passages are few and far between.Lawrence could not but help in adding political statements in the work against his views of the class system in England. These verbal recriminations lack real power or effect today, in the wake of the fall of the powerful socialist and communist nations. Lady Chatterley and her lover are notable socialists in a time before socialism had really taken over a nation. Their dreams and conclusions about the future are not based upon reality, rather upon unsentimental escapism and unthinking immorality. They believed the system was the problem, rather than the people who ran it. Sir Clifford, Lady Chatterley's first husband, was unwilling to chance; thus, the system which was evil would remain so. Lady Chatterley and her lover left a situation that empowered them to make change by placing their child as an heir to the aristocratic system which they blamed for England's problems. As a genre piece, this work is perhaps one of the best. Nonetheless, the overall impression of stylistic expression and thoughtfulness of theory demands I rate this work among the very worst on the great literary lists that major colleges propound as the standard of good literature.Cheers | 0negative
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I don't see the point ...
I've read this book because students in my school are forced to read it and I was curious to find out why teenagers do not like to read. Now I understand. I can barely give this book 2 stars. The book is divided in 3 parts, being the first one the longer and more focused on the life of Okonkwo, the main character of this book. As a document to understand the Igbo culture, this may work. As a piece of fiction, a novel, literature, this does not work at all. Achebe is one of the main opponents of Conrad's Heart of Darkness, but what Achebe forgets is that Heart of Darkness is still today a classic, one of the best books written in the English language, despite his controversial depiction of the peoples of Congo. When I read a book I want to be told a good story. And a good story is written with words. One must master the art of writing prior to tell us a story. To me, Achebe lacks of that. On the contrary, Conrad is a masterful writer. I also wanted to say that it is a contradiction to me that Achebe chose to write his book in English. If he is so mad at the English who invaded his home land, he should have the pride, courage and integrity to write the book in his own language. If the book was good, it would have been translated. The best thing in this book are the verses from W.B. Yeats at the beginning of the book, from his poem "The Second Coming". After these four verses, the book has no interest. If I was an English teacher in High School, I would have my students read Conrad instead of Achebe. Perhaps more teenagers would be hooked with reading. | 0negative
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Fantastic
The folks from Chronicle Books were kind enough to let me thumb through this at the Denver Celebration convention. The slides and artwork are fantastic, worth the price and then some. | 1positive
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sorry excuse for both a novel and a history of philosophy
I would've given this book 0 stars... This is a [bad] novel, and drags as a philosophy text. Sophie is just there as an excuse to make this book more than just a textbook. I thought I was reading just another text on philosophy, instead of an interesting novel... Do you honestly want to listen to this: "Kant also formulates the 'categorical imperative' in this way..." yada yada, yawn...boring!I think gaarder, honestly, should've just written a plain philosophy textbook because that way, you get what you expect: long philosophical departures and notions. Because gaarder attempted to lodge all this philosophy into a novel, he ends up producing a failure--a failure at a book as well as a failure as a philosophy text. Do not buy or read this book unless your philosophy professor forces you to do so. | 0negative
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A Noble attempt by a Confused and Frustrated Author
Ayn Rand lived a tough life, there's no doubt about that. She suffered through the Russian Revolution and somehow survived in America and managed to make a semi-successful career as a writer. All of that aside, her writing reaches average at best. Her dialogue and character descriptions are so out-right and blatant and the philosophy she bases around reason and creative thought contradicts itself with her dogmatic forcefulness. She herself scolded any of her followers for questioning her. This book has a place and a time, appropriate for teenagers finding their way through adolescence. Otherwise, it is a drawn-out work of average merit. | 0negative
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Excellent resource
I thought this might be a good resource. Wow! This is an incredible resource! So glad that I ordered this! | 1positive
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Remember, it's for kids.
Tolkien had wrote The Hobbit in the mid-30's as a children's book, which is plainly demonstrated in the expositionary nature of the narrator, the buffoonery of the Dwarves and Bilbo, and so on. Even Sauron is some vague menace called "the Necromancer".As for people being "bored" by The Hobbit? I can only shrug and reply, "You get what you put in." | 1positive
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Page Turner? And how!
I read the first 25 or so pages and then scimmed the rest. Pages turned like mad! You know these young people are doomed from almost the beginning of this book- stolen hat and sunglasses in blistering heat of tropical jungle country, lost insect repellent, paths leading nowhere with people they don't know who speak languages they don't have a clue about. Just a question of time until they are all dead. For supposedly smart people they are so very dumb. And we're not much interested in just how they blunder into the increasingly pointless horror after a short time. A murderous vine?! This book is a bent way of heaping horror on horror to more than 50 ways to kill your lover bit by bloody bit. Yuck. | 0negative
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The Homework Machine- a Mr. Cole's Class Kid's Review
I loved this book! The characters are Sam, a bad boy, Kelsey, a slacker, Judy, a genius, and Brenten, a nerd. There are also many more. The only thing I didn't like was it wasn't long enough. My favorite part was the online checkers game that Sam and his dad played over the computer.The book is about Brenten making a machine that does your homework for you. When it goes haywire, will it never stop? They could go to jail or worse. Read the book to find out what happens.by PierceKenzie also read and reviewed "The Homework Machine." Here is her review:Have you ever cheated on your homework? Well, Sam, Kelsey, Judy, and Brenten did. Every day, Sam, Judy, and Kelsey would go to Brenten's house and do homework. But in a very different way. If you want to find out, read the book.The characters in this book include: Sam, Kelsey, Judy and Brenten. Brenten is like a geek. Sam is the cool guy. Kelsey doesn't like school. Judy is a straight A student. My favorite part is when the four kids tried to think up an idea to get rid of the machine. My least favorite part is when Sam's dad died. He was in a war and some men killed him. So if you happen to be looking for a good book to read, try "The Homework Machine." | 1positive
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Absoulutely delightful!!!
I could not put it down. The emotions that I experienced while reading this novel were superb! I would recommend it to anyone! | 1positive
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A superficial book that provides little real instruction.
Mr. Mortier simply is not a teacher. He has neither the inclination, nor the communications skills, to write a book which provides clear, concise and thoroughly-explained information. Instead, he gives us a superficial meandering through a random series of topics, with a "you work it out, and if you can't understand it, it's your fault, not mine" attitude.The problem starts with the title: no book this superficial should be called a "Handbook." This is not a handbook, this is just a series of offhand thoughts about possible techniques.Anyone wanting to learn how to use any program should of course become thoroughly familiar with the program's documentation. But we all know how difficult it is to learn from the index/catalog style of a manual, and how inadequate the tutorials can be for learning to use the tools. A truly well-done "handbook", such as the fine books done in the "Real World" series; or the equally excellent "3d Studio Max 2 Effects Magic" by Greg Carbonaro and "Lightwave 3d Applied" by Dave Jerrard, will provide a thorough grounding in the basics at the same time as they walk the readers (students) through a rigorous tutorial example which gives them a good hands-on training session.Mr. Mortier completely fails to provide any basic grounding in the program. He sloughs off the presentation of the fundamentals with repeated exhortations to study the documentation.It's not that difficult to integrate the basics into a book like this. All of the above-mentioned successful books are both thorough and concise. Mr. Mortier should be reading those books, not writing them.If you want a truly well done "handbook" on Bryce, reserve your copy of "Real World Bryce 4" by Susan Kitchens. | 0negative
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One sided snoozefest.
I found this book to be extremely boring, especially coming from a guy that produced the best western the modern world has seen. This book is a collection of accounts of some of the worst massacres in American history. I felt as if each page was dragging on and on leading me nowhere.The accounts are extremely one sided; the people who massacred are animals, those that perished are innocent people mowed down. I'm not trying to take anything away from history, there have been some awful things done in the name of expansion for the US, but this book is a little heavy in anti-American rhetoric.I applaud Mr. McMurty for trying his hand in non-fiction. Most writers never try anything other than their standard format, but he did. Unfortunately he failed. | 0negative
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Northern European Eve?
Ms. Aidinoff has apparently written a book about Eve and the Serpent in a vacuum--unaware of the existence of exegetical and literary sources which could have helped her immensely. One doubts she has even bothered to read "Adam, Eve and the Serpent" by Elaine Pagels. No, one suspects after reading this book that Ms. Aidinoff is a religious snob--content to appropriate the characters of the Judeo/Christian tradition but loathe to actually get her hands dirty.There was one aspect of this book which went beyond mediocre: something that is truly shocking given the author's background. According to the author's biography, Aidinoff has spent many years working with poor and underprivileged people in Harlem, New York. If this is true, one wonders why she has (seemingly without a trace of irony) created an Eve with pink nipples, long flowing blonde hair, and even blonde pubic hair. Sadly, even after all those years in Harlem, Ms. Aidinoff cannot conceive of an archetypal woman that is anything other than the northern European ideal. All shoddy theology aside, for that reason alone I cannot recommend this book. | 0negative
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NOT FOR EVERYONE!
I really enjoyed this book when I read it. I applied all the running mechanic suggestions, and my knees and hips felt immensely better during and after runs.However, the midfoot strike took a toll on my body. I developed a stress fracture in a sesamoid bone (near the ball of my foot) in my left foot. This was in August 2009. I have seen 3 doctors and been on crutches. The latest MRI I got showed that the fracture healed improperly. I am still in pain. I do not run anymore, nor do I even walk properly. I just spent $500 on prescription orthotics. If they do not work, I will have to have the bone surgically removed.I'm sure this book can do a lot of good for people, but it did a LOT of bad for me. I am miserable not being able to run and not being able to bear weight properly.Change your footstrike with caution. | 0negative
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DeGrading
I originally purchased the book to read on a plane. I found the entire book poorly written and not at all interesting. It is a perverse look at S & M and slavery, which by the way is no longer legal. It made me embarressed to be a female. I feel sorry for people who enjoy such books, as I thought our generation had at least some intellegence. I found the book overall humiliating and intellectually boring. | 0negative
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Should have been condensed to 200 pages
... and actually, it probably could have been condensed to 100 pages. The very few interesting sections (i.e. the bits about Arya) were precisely very few. Most of the book was Cersei and Jaime and Brienne. Cersei is approximately Lady Macbeth and nothing really needed to be said, except that she's neurotic and evil. Finally by the end of the book she got locked up. Jaime is really kind of tedious. Brienne... I'm sympathetic to her, but she sort of wandered around a lot, and accomplished exactly nothing, except that she got a little bit eaten. Why did we have to spend so much time on her.I'd excerpt, pretty much, just the last couple chapters of Cersei, the stuff about Dorne, and the Arya stuff, oh and the Kings moot - and skip the rest of the the book. I skimmed the vast majority of it. SO boring. At least the book before, and the book after, were enjoyable. | 0negative
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Interesting, thought-provoking, education not schooling
This book gives you a window into the lives of a number of successful homeschoolers - most of these are parents who follow their children's interests and allow for flexibility in their learning. Wonderful resource if you are considering home education, or want to break out of the "school-at-home" rut into true learning. | 1positive
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Ok for beginners but little evaluative comment.
The authors provide little technical comment or evaluative reviews of various air guns or air gun types. For example, you will find no tests showing true velocites compared to advertised claims; nor will you find comment on the quality of the trigger, accuracy, or loudness. So, while you will get a general overview of air guns you will not get the kind of information or reviews needed to help you decide which gun best meets your needs. | 0negative
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The end of Dune
Sometime in this book Dune ended. It wasn't that the following books are bad, or that I don't count them as canon. They are still great, they just lost the sheer awe of Dune, the feel was different, more scifi and less spiritual. This book (and to some extend COD) tie them together, comining the two styles. Saying goodbye to one thing, and hello to something new. | 1positive
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Big Let Down!
The only thing positive I can say is that I'm glad I resisted the urge to buy it in hardcover when it first came out. The style seemed to jump all over the place. The characters were a disappointment. I felt very odd indeed to be pulling for Hanibal to get away and disappointed to read that Clarice turned out not to be a strong woman afterall. | 0negative
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Cool little retro Alice
Its really neat to have the story as it was originally written. I remember the Walt Disney cartoon as a kid. It was great back then, still is today. With all the other incarnations of these 2 stories, Alice In Wonderland and Through The Looking Glass, its refreshing to see the plain text meant for children.I like the modern mutations...some of them... but they lack the charm of this little book with illustrations. There is something about it, the size of it, the simplicity and straight forward way it is written.I like it very much. This book will stay with me for a long, long time. | 1positive
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not too bad but i've read better
the beginning of the book is boring until you get to the middle were it gets a better but not much the ending wasn't as clever as Agatha Christie is known for but the alibi's for all the characters are cool. the detectiveHercule Poirot isn't close to being as good as Sherlock Holmes. This is a letdown compared to "And then there were none" but agatha is still cool but if i was you i wouldn't read this instead of reading stuff by Bernard Cornwell or other books by The Queen of Crime! | 0negative
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Great Textbook.
Needed this to help my son with his homework when a textbook was not available from the school to take home | 1positive
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A good story when the writing didn't get in the way
This book struck me as "well I can't think of anything new, so I'll write a sequel". He picked one of his best books and then tried to draw from it something that was never intended. One good point and the reason I finished the book is that I liked the people, even the new players. They were just given bad dialogue. I could have lived with the story if he didn't keep depending on stupid name calling like "squinty" or my favorite, reminiscing about the previous adventue that didn't happen to be mentiond in the former book. This great hero should have been left on his island. He served his time. A note to Mr Ludlum: Please don't write another Bourne book. I don't want that excellent series ruined. | 0negative
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A tough tale about a rough region
"The legend is purely fiction," reads the preface of oneof the Leatherstocking tales, "no authority existing for anyof its facts, characters, or other peculiarities, beyond thatwhich was thought necessary to secure the semblance of reality."It is difficult to say that the author would have agreed withthe statement between the years 1823-1841, the tales' seedtime. Butwhat Cooper does in his tale, The Pathfinder, is give a brilliantimage of the first rude settlements in North America, referring tothe story as our legend. If he did invent, it was in termsof what he actually had learned during a visit to a region of thecountry.The underlying motive of his novel, from beginning to end,was to move and capture the reader by what he once identifiedas a "stoicism which (Pathfinder) imbibed from long associationwith the Indians." This is a naturally compact dependent clausefor a concept of philosophical submission, and Cooper's observationof its existence cunningly changed many times in the unfoldmentof his story,- mostly in the direction that wouldawaken those who were practised in the ways of the world.At the heart of the observation, nevertheless, the interpreter canmonotonously perceive the play of three observable realities:position; time; and the quantities, such as energy and growth,that are attributed to them.The first of the plotting instruments, conspicuously a solitarysign with Cooper and his characters is the bearing of position.Once place, environment, is known, the sergeant tells another character,'it will be something gained to learn our position.' Unlessyou have it, the place will be too dark to reveal the color ofnature's pristine appearance. Like the woodsman's, the reader'spatience is a virtue as he changes position. Few writers have tracedso diligently the trails found in the American forest whilemanaging to evade the mentality that believed so convincingly thatsharks inhabited the wilderness. Few, antithetically, have beenskillful enoug | 1positive
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Exposes the Evil Imperial World Rulers
This book outlines the evil that is contained in the actions of the current imperial world rulers. It cuts through the mainstream media propaganda and shows reality. The mainstream media is a weapon of mass distraction that allows these imperial rulers to maintain and grow their wealth. This book exposes them. We cannot expect the human condition to improve unless we break out of the propaganda that is perpetrated by the current evil imperial world rulers described in this book. | 1positive
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Enough with the PlayOnline references
Uh, when I buy a strategy guide, it's partially because I don't WANT to have to go on some website to find out every little detail separately. So, even if the PlayOnline section for FFIX was still active (which it is not, so the references are dead too), this would still be a pretty pointless book.Refresh my memory: If all this info (and much, much more) was available for free at the official website, what's the point of having the guide in the first place? | 0negative
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A near-perfect fusion of artistry and imagination
"Aye, and Gomorrah and Other Stories," by Samuel R. Delany, brings together 15 tales along with an afterword by the author. The copyright page gives the publication histories of the pieces in this book. The stories in this volume vary greatly in length: 2 fall into the 60-70 page range (and could, I suppose, be considered novellas), 2 fall into the less than 10 page range, and the rest are of various lengths in between; this nicely adds to the overall variety of the collection.Most of the pieces in this book fall firmly in the science fiction genre, although I consider a couple to be fantasy. Delany's locales range from cities on Earth (Venice, New York) to worlds beyond our solar system.Delany's stories are both triumphs of science fiction inventiveness and exquisite works of literary art--as well as being compassionate yet unflinching explorations of the human condition. His vision is richly ironic, and often tragic. His prose can be hauntingly beautiful to read--he is a particular master of visual description.Delany's explorations of emergent subcultures and institutions in many of these tales give the book an intriguing sociological aspect. His topics include crime, punishment, sexuality, loss, suffering, culture clash, space travel, and the fabric of consciousness and reality.The remarkable title story is a look at the emergence of a new sexual orientation and its related subculture in the context of expanding technology. "Driftglass" looks at a class of physiologically altered humans. "Omegahelm" is a shocking, fascinating story about motherhood and art. These are just a few examples of Delany's fertile mind. I consider Delany to be a unique and essential voice in the science fiction canon; this collection of his short fiction is a volume to be savored and shared. | 1positive
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simply a must read for anyone interested in blues music
not just about music - jones weaves the detailed and complicated history of african americans throughout this thoughtful, opinionated and very honest book. blues is stripped of over-simplified origins and rooted deeply in the heart of a people and culture with many layers and voices. fascinating and real - a must read. | 1positive
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much ado about nothing
A middle that sagged under repetitious near-appearances of the narrative ghost propped up by a first person rape account at one end and a trite redemption at the other. Look elsewhere for a satisfying read. | 0negative
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Uncle Tom's Cabin
This book is a classic and teaches you a lot about American history. It should be part of your classic library on your device. | 1positive
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All time favourite Jane Austen book
The agonies of love lost only to be gained again make for a very satisfying read. This is my favourite of Jane Austens books. | 1positive
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This book is SERIOUSLY flawed.
This book is SERIOUSLY flawed. Anne would have done better to have found an accomplished writer who was familiar with her world to continue the series. It is apparent that Todd had no practical experience writing fiction and it does not seem he is well versed in his mother's work.The book is rampant with inconsistencies, logic errors, and science flaws and in several points appears to contradict what his mother wrote back in the 70's and 80's. It is rough to read, switching scenes seemingly at random, with some of those scenes appearing to be completely pointless. There are plot elements that are abandon, never to be brought back up again. The use of "Timing" to solve dilemmas borders on `Deus Ex Machina' and is repetitious of earlier books in the series.I would recommend that the older fans of Pern, the fans who grew up reading the series, avoid this book. | 0negative
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Please, put the dysfunctional family to rest
Having to reread MAP OF THE WORLD a second time in 3 years for my book discussion group (I am a librarian and discussion leader) gave me an opportunity to get really annoyed all over again. Why would anyone care about this two self-absorbed , sullen characters that can't communicate with each other let alone the reader. Alice likes to tromp around doing Hungarian dances while Howard milks the cows? Give me a break! When will contemporary authors quit beating the dead and boring horse of dysfunctional families and write something beyond their own personal experience. Write about something you don't know - do some research! | 0negative
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My Name is Sergio and my Primary GOAL is to become an Actor.
I know that from this book i will learn alot in how to become a better actor, also to know everything that surrounds you, and what does it do.. This book will give you the confidence to feel better, because you will know what is around you and how does it work, and also it will make it better for Directors and Casting crew... Thank You.. Sincerly, Sergio Miguel Cruz... | 1positive
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Bleak, unrealistic and dare I say it?--Unlovely.
Like most other negative reviewers here, the main thing that drew me to The Lovely Bones was the hype. When one sees book-reviewing heavyweights like the New York Times giving a work of fiction unequivocal raves, you expect it to be good. Really, really good. Perhaps it was my elevated expectations of the novel that made it such a huge disappointment for me. Or the natural resentment any human would bear a book after hearing it called "a painfully fine literary accomplishment" 180 times. In any case, I found myself extremely bored, annoyed and frustrated after about the first 100 pages or so, having not formed any emotional investment in any of the characters whatsoever.The Lovely Bones deals with a very gruesome and horrifying subject matter--(and I might add exploits this horrible subject matter shamelessly for pulling cheap emotional strings--but that's beside the point) the brutal rape and murder of a sweet fourteen-year old girl--which is enumerated in extremely graphic and sometimes nauseating detail in the first few pages (talk about a rude introduction). The premise is a rather interesting one--Susie, the murdered girl watches her family and friends deal with her death helplessly, and occasionally when she wants to enough is able to influence their actions. This could make for a wonderful novel--simple, compelling, sweet, hopeful. Sebold, however turns the story into something that is drab, depressing and absolutely unreadable after the first few chapters. Now, I understand that a novel which features a young girl being raped and cut into little pieces in the first chapter is not going to be all sunshine and kitties. But there is still just so much gloominess and depression one can take from one book. The outlook of The Lovely Bones from page 1 is not one of hope and tenderness, as the reviews promise but of death, depression and the sytematic and painful unravelling of a family. The last page leaves you just as gloomy and hopeless as you felt during the rape scene.The bleak outlook aside, the other thing that made The Lovely Bones so unbearable were the characters. Susie, the narrator was likable enough and Mr. Salmon was heartbreaking and realistic as the desperate father, unwilling to let go but there were some serious kinks in all the other characterizations. Particularly Mrs. Salmon--her lack of response to the news of her daughter's death was suspicious but her affair with the detective investigating it was disgusting and gratuitous and her leaving her shattered family and her two young children behind was not only repulsive and unlikely but....weird... What mother alive would do something like that--leave her children (including a toddler son) and her husband, still reeling from the loss of his daughter to work in a winery in California? Buckley's response to her when she came back was utterly appropriate (Buckley at many points in the novel seemed like the only sane character). And finally, the oft-mentioned Ruth/Ray/Susie sex scene. All I could say after that scene was: Whaaat?!?! A murdered girl who mentally and emotionally is still fourteen years old is given the chance to return to Earth and instead of comforting her broken family or telling the police the identity of her murderer chooses to have sex with a junior high crush she barely knew--and while using another girl's body? What makes this even more bizarre is the fact that Susie's only sexual experience was an unthinkably brutal rape. Would she have recovered so fully that she could have rewarding, normal adult sex with a man? Also, the prevalence of relationships formed in early adolescence that last forever--what is up with that? How likely is it for a girl to marry and have the children of a boy she dated when she was 13? There are just too many parts of The Lovely Bones that don't add up or make any sense at all.Polar Bear | 0negative
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History created for your reading displeasure
I am appalled at many of the photographs in this text. There are many clearly staged photos of African-Americans in pseudo-historical garb portraying a happy life on the plantation. These "slaves" are dressed in pefectly clean clothing, do no field work and dance and sing, marry and hug and smile, all in a day's "work." While live re-enactments have their place at historical sites, here they are not surrounded by any context that explains the truth behind these images.The text may be helpful to children writing reports but I would not recommend this as a resource. If it comes home from the library, I can only hope that an adult is standing by to explain that these photos are of actors playing sanitized roles for the camera. | 0negative
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Am I Missing Something?
I purchased this book because of the high reviews. What a mistake. One of the most boring books I have ever read. I know I am in the minority on this one, I must have missed something.... | 0negative
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interesting, but not very relavant,
I read this is about an hour of skimming, an interesting project, but not I fear a good use of time and energy. This book feels like the mandatory "see what I can do" dog trainers book. Why keep a dog that fights /attacks your dogs and bites people? This dog has bitten several people, would you ever be able to trust a dog like this?I am glad the writer wrote this, when people with aggressive dogs call me, I refer them to this book, so they can see how long, slow, and possible no results, the process is of attempting to rehab a biting dog. | 0negative
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Let's not compare...
the "power of Diana Gabaldon's writing" to this author's...Dream Stone stands on it's own, though it was not to my taste. Diana Gabaldon is in a league of her own...exclusively! | 0negative
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silicon valley reader
I found the book to be a little long...a bit more work with his editor would have been good. The book is good for someone who hasn't kept up with the changes that have happened and are happening. I did learn a few things.I found the book lacking in that the author does not interview any US engineers, software or hardware people. He is always talking with Asian engineers or American CEO's or CIO's. That is all good, but he is missing out on how this has had a profound effect on the American worker, especially older workers. Companies have been hiring (importing---those HB1 visas) for over 10-15 years or more. I know so many late 40's-60 year old engineers who are not working. Many of these engineers would prefer their children study something other than engineering because of what has happened to the job security for engineers/software/hardware people.Of course, maybe that is another book...about what is happening to US jobs and the middle class, and the discrepancy between wealth made at the CEO and Wall Street levels vs US workers (both University trained and skilled labor).January 20, 2010: I stand by my review even more today than three years ago. | 0negative
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worst book ever!
please save yourself some time and skip this book it is a peice of garbage worth less than newspaper thats been recycled 100 times.dont waste your money.out of 30 chapters,30 are horrible.to quote the comic book man from the simpsons<"worst book ever" | 0negative
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Familiar, yes. But what's all this comparison to LOTR?
I gave Eragon only 4 stars because it IS rather familiar. You have your standard young person of humble station getting a big fat destiny landing in his lap, and running off into the unknown with a mystierious aged tutor and pursued by terrible enemies.But it is still a very enjoyable read and I stayed up until 3am to finish it. There's a lot to like about Eragon, especially the portrayal of magic (which differs somewhat from most other works I've read).But what's all this talk about it being like LOTR? Eliminate the similarities you find in nearly ALL fantasy, and the two are really quite different. And the stories are very different as well.A fun read. Keeps you up at night. Want more. That's all you need to know. | 1positive
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Not the word of God
Although there may be some words and phrases in this "Bible" that bring about a somewhat clearer understanding of the Bible, and although it certainly does translate some words and phrases better than the King James Bible (which is the worst possible translation) the NWT is not God's word, and contrary to the OPINION of the first reviewer, it not only reflects bias, but downright announces it boldly! I have no time to go into all the many absolutely incorrect and frankly blasphemous changes the JW translators made, but I will list a few;1. It denies that Jesus is God2. It states that Jesus is a deity, but one separate from the one living God. John 13. It blatantly removes most if not all references to hell4. It degrades the death of Jesus by saying he was run through with a stake rather than being crucified, as history plainly proves he was5. it degrades or denounces the existence of a soul that is the intelligent essence of man that lives on after death6. it states that blood (no joke) is the soul!If you want a good godly translation of the Bible in English, get an NASB or an ESV, or even an NIV will do. | 0negative
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Depressing
While fairly well written, the story makes me want to sit in a corner and cry. If you're looking to turn your blue skies grey, then read this. | 0negative
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Not new ideas, poorly written
Most of Kent's ideas seem to be largely based on Tony Robbins' books "Unlimited Power" and "Awaken the Giant Within". Having already read those two books, I didn't get what I had expected from reading Unstoppable Confidence. Unstoppable Confidence does contain some useful and effective ways to improve your confidence, but the book is poorly written and organized. I was pretty disappointed in this book, to say the least. In addition to Robbins' books, I'm sure that you can find better information on increasing your self confidence. | 0negative
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Classic? You've got to be joking.
This book was TERRIBLE. I couldn't even get past part one. Yes, there are two parts, and I am certain that the second half is just as bad as the first. The whole story was just describing Professor Aronnax's daily life on the Nautilus, which was completely repetitive if you ask me. The only SOMEWHAT interesting parts of the story was when Professor Aronnax is in danger of being attacked by natives, but Jules Verne just HAS to say it in the most boring way. Jules Verne also spent entire pages describing totally boring conversations between Captain Nemo and Professor Aronnax. These conversations were not only boring but confusing. Jules Verne used way to many technical words, in my opinion. Don't get me wrong- I have a big vocabulary range, but that was ridiculous. And who cares about finding the Nautilus's exact location on a map using latitude and longitude lines? Why couldn't Jules Verne just say, "IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ATLANTIC OCEAN?" If I were you, I would stay away from this book. Don't even THINK about reading it, because you'll just be bored to tears. I know you will, because I was. So just spare yourself from wasting days on end reading this book and take my advice. | 0negative
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I can't begin to explain how great this book is
I am reading this book for the third time. (So much to absorb) I can't begin to tell you how much I love this book. It is so far THE best book I've ever read. Very inspiring. If you have a soul and an open mind this book will knock your socks off! If you are a conservative or a conformist don't read this book, you probably won't enjoy it because it is so far past your level of understanding.Kerouac finds beauty in ALL people, bums, drug addicts, field workers...people that upper society spits on. A beautiful, adventurous and real story written by a true artist! I strongly recommend reading this book. | 1positive
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Good ideas, but falls very short
Certainly an interesting premise -- a story shifting through tense and perpsective in order to highlight the fluidity of time and associations. Too bad, then, that in execution the book fails miserably.The novel is filled with detestable characters, especially the protagonist Claudia Hampton. Of course, one need not like characters in order to enjoy a book. But when the reader stops caring about the characters there is a problem. It's not as much that the characters are detestable as they are inaccessible. The prose becomes merely two hundred pages of self-absorbed nonsense that saps the reader of his or her own life.Ms. Lively becomes too bogged down in her own rapture of creating a clever book -- any issues or styles that might have been fresh or original with the book become only annoying.Yes, the novel deals with issues such as time, death, children, parenting, lost love, fate, choices et cetera et cetera. But it offers nothing unique that a better written book does not already offer -- even Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse 5, though radically different, would be a much better choice.This novel cannot be recommended to anyone who values both literature and not wasting time on inanity. | 0negative
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Back in time
Elmore Leonard took a break from his contemporary crime novels to go back in time to the 1930s when bank robbers (Bonnie and Clyde, John Dillinger, Pretty Boy Floyd et. al.) were the scourge of the nation. It was a time of transition. Al Capone had been put away, but his Italian-American cohorts were gaining steam despite J. Edgar Hoover's insistence that organized crime was not a major threat. The 1930s, at least in the Midwest, was a return to the Wild West days of lawmen tracking down bad guys the old-fashioned way, and Leonard captures the period beautifully without sacrificing his wonderfully spare prose and on-target dialogue. You will see the roots of his US Marshal Raylan Givens (PRONTO, RIDING THE RAP) in US Marshal Carl Webster, the hero of this book. THE HOT KID is another winner from a hottest writer in crime fiction. | 1positive
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WOW!
I have read some of the other reviews and I am stunned that there are actually people who didn't like this book. It's one of the best I have ever read. Dolores is a real person, has real, true-to-life crisis and possesses just the right amount of self loathing and optimism to pull this off. Had I read this book not knowing the auther was a male, it would have been a fantastic story, but knowing that Mr. Lamb can get inside the female's psyche so well makes this story seem flawless. I raise my glass to you, Mr. Lamb, and look forward to more of the same. | 1positive
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'Of Mice and Men' a.k.a. anatomy of the chasms between the human soul and the human dream
This may be the most rambly review here, but what I can say that I enjoyed this story. The title is borrowed from Robert Burns' most famous poem "To A Mouse", and has been alluded to so often in modern culture that it has completely become its own cliche. However, the novel uses this title for a good reason as it tells a story of two people, Lennie and George, who like the poem find that their hopes and dreams will never be realized due to their unforeseen but inevitable future reality. It is very much ahead of its time in depicting laborers at the absolute end of their rope, basically blowing through jobs so much so that they are stuck forever in neutral. If you think about it each character has his own crutch that stunts any growth and which makes each day feel the same, reminding me of Brick's literal crutch later depicted in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof". For example George's crutch is Lenny, a man he so understands and yet so abhors that he goes into each job knowing Lenny's Tourette's like tics and tendencies to clutch things too hard will likely lead to early termination or worse, yet still knows that having Lenny around definitely beats being a nomad alone. Old Man Candy's crutch is old age, as he is someone whom is so disfigured and far gone that even the ownership of his dog is relinquished from him. After you think long and hard about each character, you understand why Steinbeck makes frequent references to animals, because symbolically that IS what all the main characters are to a large extent.The depth of the characters are all fantastic for such a short story, which is amazing when you consider that there are only six chapters and six jumps of scenery/time. In many ways I think that is why a short story like this is more marketable as a book to teach in school than "Grapes of Wrath" which tells a more sweeping epic about a famous epoch in history. "Of Mice and Men" is easy to imagine, easy to understand contextually, and most importantly deep enough to require speculation about the true underpinnings of the dialogue and the behavior displayed. The dream that Lennie and George had of living of the land was to them almost like a daily vitamin that would get them through it. It would help Lenny believe in a better life, and it would help George feel better about himself for at least offering Lenny moments of peace dreaming about rabbits. I guess I'm different in that I feel that George made up this story and never believes in it ever, ever, EVER coming to fruition until old Candy eavesdrops and offers monetary backing to the dream. George almost uses the story to manipulate Lennie to stay with him and trust him, and in that way I see more ambivalence in his character than most.Of course it is a tragedy, as Lennie relapses thrice (Curley's hand, Slim's pup, and Curley's wife) into what I can only describe as aggressive acts of non-malice. It seems that things that he likes he cares dearly for, he clutches too hard and in order to quiet down their pain from George he increases his vice grips to disfigure what he touches. After his last fatal encounter with Curly's sad wife, Lennie knows he did something wrong again and hides in the spot George tells him to, and has hallucinatory dreams condemning himself for negligence. Luckily he finds George and they both have a deja vu type moment of blissful ignorance before George does what is expected of him, which is to kill him for killing Curley's wife.I guess Steinbeck's main point is to tell us to loook closer before making judgments on a person's character. If given a more isolated point of view, Lennie's character is vulgar and reprehensible. However, his behavior is a result not of personality but of psychological and mental retardation. Much like Candy's dog, who is innocently shot, Lennie is innocently shot because during the time period was a lot less acceptability to the mentally unstable. There simply wasn't enough of an objective back in the '30s to look deeper the inner thinkings of the retarded and regard acts of aggression as more than simple malice. George understands this, which is partly why he is morose all the time in defending Lennie. I also believe that Steinbeck makes sure to give George and Lennie a backstory to prove that George's intentions were mainly good, and that at the end George was giving Lennie as much mercy as possible without turning himself in as a murderer's accomplice. Very interesting for as little pages as it was. | 1positive
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A silly name for a seagull
As I read many of the reviews, I was struck by how so many people saw Jonathan's life as a metaphor for their own. Well maybe I'm just not that deep, but I saw this as nothing but a story of a confused bird with an anxiety disorder. I'm sorry but the whole story was just a little too tough to swallow. By the way, I spent some time at the shore this summer, and I can assure you no seagull that I saw even remotely appeared to be as introspective and contemplative as JLS. Anyway, nice try Mr. Bach, but next time, let's make things a little more "real world" | 0negative
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A Rich, Briliant, and Completely Satisfying Novel
I read this book for an assingnment and wasn't looking too forward to it. Once I got into it, I couldn't put it down. It was extremely well-written and had excellent characterization. I am a movie buff and I pictured this book perfectly as a movie. I especially love the characters (particularly the Nazis). The scene where Lt. Tonder begins to go insane is truly brilliant. I highly recommend this novel for everyone who is interested in WWII, loves books, or loves movies. | 1positive
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Glamor with a capital G
We all are attracted to glamor;some of us live in the past. We can all learn things from this book; like, how corrosive money can be, when love is gone we should move on, and that we all live some kind of misguided life. It's the book Bret Easton Ellis, Tom Woolf, et al, have always tried to write but never managed to come remotely close to. That's why, dear readers, it's still with us today. Check it out. | 1positive
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The book was Boring and slow moving
The book The Good Earth is about China's origin and history. It is based on things that take place there, such as, how women were treated in the beginning of the 19th century. The book is also about a man named Wang Lung and his journey from being poor to rich. I did not enjoy the book, but others may have. To me, the book was slow and dragging. Half the time I fell asleep reading it at night. It never caught my attention. If I had to pick a favorite part it would probably be when Wand Lung and O-lan go south, because they enter a journey of begging and death. Not that death is good but they open their eyes to the world around them. I do not think that The Good Earth was important to read because it takes us through a persons life which has no fun or real sense of adventure in it. It drags on and so most teens do not enjoy reading it and its basically torture. Some people might enjoy The Good Earth. Its basically a matter of opinion. I found the book hard to read. I guess that the schools like children to read this book because it gives us some understanding of what happened and what is happening in China. It is fun to learn about what happened in other countries but this book seemed to last forever. | 0negative
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Below Par
I like Feinstein's work but this book is a bore. The first 100 pages are mini-biographies of USGA staff. Someone out there must find interesting which college basketball team is the favorite of the USGA publicity director, but I am at loss to understand whom. | 0negative
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Unrealistic, untrue, and insensitive
The book Jemima J. by Jane Green was offensive to me. In it, the protagonist a woman by the name of Jemima is overweight and has no romantic prospects. She overeats, binges, and hides her eating habits until an online dating relationship transitions to a face-to-face romance. She quickly, almost effortlessly, loses the weight and says later in the book something to the effect, "I know what it's like to blame your weight on a glandular disorder. The truth is there is no glandular disorder."I have so many problems with this book on so many levels. Let's take them one by one,shall we?1.First of all I am offended at the protrayal of fat women as nothing other than food obsessed junkies who couldn't find a date to save their lives. This is so not true.2.The overeating, binging, closet eating--that is such a stereotype. All the book lacked were the requisite scenes where Jemima stuffs her face with fast food from chain restaurants. I presume those scenes were missing because London isn't really a McDonald's on every corner kind of place. There is, however, an exchange with a street vendor where Jemima guiltily buys a bacon sandwhich pretending it's for her boss because, because as we all know, fat people dare not eat in public.3.There are women out there with glandular disorders. I'm one of them. But let's not pass up an opportunity to continue to perpetuate the idea that fat people not only are incapable of being loved, but also are in denial, if not downright lying about the genesis of their "problem."Now I did some research on Ms. Green to see if perhaps, she ever experienced obesity firsthand. From her bio picture, I suspected not and I have not found anything to suggest that Ms. Green has ever had more than a few extra pounds on her blonde lanky frame. It's like Barbie woke up one day and decided to write a treatise on rocket science, without ever taking a physics course.I can believe that Ms. Green may have done some miniscule amount of research for her book, but I have to think she didn't do much. She certainly didn't demonstrate any knowledge of the intricacies of weight loss. The truth is she took a stereotype, added her imagination and offers up a story that only reinforces every bad thing anyone has ever heard or thought about fat people.Thanks to Ms. Green's perpetuation of stereotypes that would be unacceptable if I was black, people will see me and buy into the fat person stereotype. They will never see the person whose adrenal glands failed her twice in her twenties or the girl who is infertile and has a hormonal imbalance that affects everything from skin pigmentation to her weight. All they'll be able to see is the weight. | 0negative
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Sad story - Borderline Delusional Fiction
Bush bashers will love the book even though this guy was not effective at all when Clinton appointed him. You will read reviews of people who could review The Wizard of Oz and tie all bad things to Bush. Just watching the delusional author on 60 Minutes was enough to tell one that the thesis of the book is blame all others, I did a great job. Tenet, who was a Capitol Hill hack, never was a professional intelligence officer. In fact, it is hard to find a job in his past for which he was not a political appointee. He dodges bullets about the first World Trade Center Bombing, Embassy bombings in Africa, USS Cole, Chinese Embassy bombing by U.S. Forces in Kosovo, India Nuclear Weapons Test, Iraq WMD, etc...Tenet failed time after time and still stayed on the job. In the book he claims the "system was blinking red" before 9/11, but never mentions this to the President in his daily meetings with him? He says, "Things don't work like that in D.C." If American lives being lost due to a terrorist attack on the homeland do not justify an "excuse me, Mr. President, but you must listen to this", what does. From the read, it seems he is more interested in self back patting, casting blame, and riding off into the sunset, gloriously of course. Tenet also fails to mention how he rolled his tenure as DCI into a million dollar pay-off working with contracting companies that provide services to CIA and the Intelligence Community. | 0negative
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Best Explanation...
Best explanation of how our emotions/energy work in manafesting our reality that I have ever read - and I've read much of what is out there. Although the same messages are woven again and again throughout all these materials - none explains it in such a clear manner AND gives methods to attain the ultimate goal of keeping your energy/vibration at one with your desire.I have personally purchased it for everyone in my life seeking the same answers.This excellent book now has a permanent home on my nightstand. | 1positive
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Missed the mark by a mile.
I read this book hoping to get a better understanding of multiple personality disorder, but it lost a lot of credibility as I began to see how poorly researched it was. I am a counselor and work with a great many people who have gone through traumatic experiences. Sheldon's notion that multiple personality disorder can be cured is laughable. Treated, yes. But the idea that Ashley would spend five years in a lock-down psych hospital and then go home feeling absolutely wonderful and totally at peace with the world is crazy. Also, the idea that it would be acceptible for her therapist to take her to dinner and dancing regularly is so far from what is ethical clinical practice that it made the book seem like a joke. There are numerous other events and passages in the book that convinced me that Sheldon is shooting in the dark, hoping the words he puts down will be believable but falling short. I realize he is not a clinician, but good authors who don't necessarily start out knowing a lot about their subject do their homework, research the topic thoroughly, have numerous experts read their book and provide feedback prior to publication, and deliver a credible product. This is not it. | 0negative
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After three books, it gets to be TOO MUCH!
The first books were great, simply because they were the first of their kind. Another lovable clueless English chick, ala Bridget Jones. But after three books on the same note, full of Becky's shallow character and stupidity, i just couldn't take it anymore.Note to Sophie Kinsella - time to stop with the "Shopaholic" series while you're ahead. I know similar to Becky one-brain cell women will gobble them up as long as they're written, but broaden your horizons a bit and dig deeper. | 0negative
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Best Drawing Basics Available
As an art teacher at major universities, I have found that this book gives students the much needed principles that form the basis of an ability to draw from life. Many feel that drawing should be strictly intuitive and therefore no knowledge is needed. This is wrong. Without the ability to put what you see down on paper correctly, it is usually impossible to draw intuitively. This book gives students the needed basics to free up their imaginations to draw intuitively. I would recommend it to all beginning drawing classes. | 1positive
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repeat and repeat and repeat again to make sure we understoo
boring, repeatedly boring, nothing new, nothing bizarre, How come people are amazed by this book don"t they know anything about History ? Atwood is not inventive, besides if you have time enough count the few words she uses...always the same. Atwood is not a great writer, she is merely a writer. A boring dystopian novel...already written by others in a real better way. Don't read it better ACT. | 0negative
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So far, works with VISTA
I spent a fair amount of time looking for Bible software that contained more than one widely accepted translation, preferably including the NIV. Maybe I missed some, but this was the first I found with multiple major translations and good search ability. Just three things to add to some excellent reviews (I bought the Scholars edition):- It does work with Vista.- The license agreement allows loading on two machines (though not concurrent use).- Installation was painless, and I did not have to wade through a ridiculous level of security in the process, as with the software I happily abandoned. | 1positive
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what's all the fuss about?
when my friend read all of jane austen a few years ago and just couldn't stop raving, i thought it was time to give the old girl a test ride around the block and see what all the fuss was about. on first try i fell right off. it was like reading a foreign language. my mind wouldn't stand still long enough to learn it. now, though, with the continued push to read jane austen ever before me (the new book, "the jane austen book club" peeked my interest), i thought i'd strap on my helmut and give her one more try. a few years of meditation under my belt would surely slow me down and give me more of a chance to "get it", i thought.she's still out of reach. i was initially teased, even laughed once or twice as i started "sense and sensibility" but then....it's just soooo boring. austen's portrayal of elinor and marianne and the crew are about as shallow as it gets. there is no depth here in these characters. my mother even joined me in this reading endeavor. we started a book club of two, just to accomplish this task... strength in numbers and all that. but, alas, we were both so " monstrous" bored. it was a "sedulous" task at best. we have now named our book club the "anything BUT jane austen book club".the reasons for the boredom:1)i'm just not entranced by long, long, long sentences. proust gave it a go and did a much better job.2)i'm also put off by the confusing use and over use of pronouns..who really is "he" and "she" and "they"...i think if i'd have submitted this work in college, it would have come back with many margin notes on grammar, syntax and style.3)i think i got the idea of the social structure and nuances(where there any?) in the first 50 pages.. the rest was just" monstrous insipid ".4)and for the storyline.. when austen lovers run out of austen material do they go on to harlequin romances? seems it would be a logical move.no more austen for this old girl. life's just too short and there are too many really good books out there. | 0negative
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So Poorly Edited, It will Give You the Wrong Answers!
There are completely incorrect solutions to problems in every chapter! Not partially correct, not open to interpretation, but flat out WRONG answers, some of which are contradicted by other information in the study guide itself.It is extremely frustrating to study from something that gives you the wrong answers so often. I can't believe the irresponsibility of the authors in releasing such a terribly written, half-assed study guide that so many students are relying on as a learning tool!Some examples:-In chapter one, the answer to multiple choice question 13 indicates that "LICENSING obligates a firm to provide a specialized sales or service strategy", not FRANCHISING. However, the following question 21 states that "LICENSING obligates a firm to provide its technology while FRANCHISING obligates a firm t provide a specialized sale or sevice strategy".In chapter two, after talking about the International Monetary Fund and abbreviating it to "IMF", suddenly they mix up the letters and start talking about the "IFM". This is so confusing because on the very same page, they introduce so many other acronyms, such as IFC, CFF, IDA, SDR, SAL, BIS, MIGA, and GATT. How can we be expected to keep all these straight if the authors can't?In the "key terms matching" for chapter three, the answer key lists "G" as the correct answer twice. This is a matching exercise, so each letter can only be used once. "C" is not used at all. This makes "the act of simultaneously buying and selling the same or equivalent assets..." the answer for both "arbitrage" and "currency forward contract". It is in fact the INCORRECT definition for currency forward contract and you would get that same question wrong if you did that on a test.This book is so terribly unreliable that I have to wonder how many other fallacies I have learned to be the truth, and how many questions I will miss on my test because of it. I've mentioned this in class to my instructor and he agreed that the study guide is full of mistakes. I just don't understand how something gets to an eighth edition and goes to press in such a state. I am disgusted and disappointed by its author's/editor's outright laziness and lack of respect towards students... and I'm only working on my first test! | 0negative
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Maybe I missed something...
I don't know, maybe I missed something in the book that I should have seen. Maybe I started the book with the wrong mindset. Maybe I didn't pay as much attention to the book as I should have, but I honestly don't see much in this book worth reading. In real life, I'm sure Dana's life at sea was somewhat exciting, but I found very little excitement in this book. It didn't help that I knew almost nothing about sailing- for example, the names of the different ropes and masts. Dana spent so much time describing the process of preparing a ship and working the ropes. I still don't know what to "well" a rope means after reading the book. I also didn't realize that the main character was the author until half way through the book, since there was hardly any dialogue, and they never said his name. That's probably the thing that did it for me the most. There are pages on end with NO dialogue, and, to me at least, dialogue usually keeps a book more interesting. I did, however, learn more about life at sea and in California in the 1800s. The parts where he is in California tanning hides were somewhat interesting.I had to read Two Years Before the Mast for school. If this is also your fate, I sympathize. However, if you MUST read it, let it be known that you CAN do it. It's not impossible, as much as it may seem at times. If you are considering reading this for fun, go ahead and try, but don't feel bad if you don't finish it. I and others like me understand. If you want to learn about life on a ship and California in the 1800s, don't mind a slow read, and have a very long attention span, then go ahead and dive into this book! | 0negative
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The Power of Your Subconscious Mind
This book has explained the power of how ones mind works more than any other...I use it as a reference book, and my life has changed for the better since reading this easy to understand book..Have read all the books published by Joseph Murphy PhD.DD...This is the starting book, and keep it close to my bedside..My original copy of this book, I purchased in 1980, is now taped together because of the use..A nice gift to give also... | 1positive
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Can't wait til Strausbaugh turns 50
I haven't read this book and I won't. What business is it of his (Strausbaugh) whether 50 and 60 year olds still perform as long as their fans think it's okay? The fans rule! | 0negative
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LOVE this book!
I absolutely love this book. It is easy to see why so many of today's love stories are based on Jane Austen's work. It is the perfect mix of humor and sincerity. I especially love this edition as it is easy to understand and the font is very readable. I would definitely recommend this edition to anyone. | 1positive
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Life Lessons From An Exciting Story
Georgia Durante's story of real life adventure and real life survival offers lessons for everyone who reads it. Her escape from her abusive Mobster husband teaches all abused women that they too have the power of survival within themselves. The challenges she overcame being a parent reminds all parents about their role in their children's lives. The steps Georgia Durante took to build a successful stunt driving business in what had previously been a "man's world" teaches everyone that the only limits a life has are the one's we place on ourselves. Buy The Company She Keeps for two big reasons. You get a thrilling story. You also get inspiration and motivation that will fuel your life. | 1positive
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A perfect example of what's wrong with modern literature
A friend "highly recommended" this book to me, so I broke down and decided to read it, and frankly, I've never read a worse book.The characters are poorly defined and ultimately uninteresting, with little or no character development throughout the entire book. I was utterly unable to invest any emotion into the plight of these two brothers because they were both so completely unlikeable. I had no idea what was motivating either of them, and after the first fifty or so tedious pages, I didn't care.The plot was unfocused, plodding, drab, and lifeless. After innumerable flashbacks and groping metaphors, the two brothers in the dingy little run-down room with the dingy little run-down lives were still sitting there, no closer to resolution than they were on page one.The language usage and grammar was so poor, that I found myself wondering if English was this writer's second language. Stream of consciousness has its place in literature, but so do complete sentences. I have a difficult time believing that this book ever made it to an actual editor's desk, the phrasing and narrative are so abysmally presented.I could go on, but in short, this is a terrible example of modern English literature. Or perhaps it is a perfect example. Either way, do yourself a favor and save your money. | 0negative
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Wonderful Read
If you have seen the movie, you are still missing important facts about the life of Malcolm X.Get up close and personal and have the experience of a "reading" time. | 1positive
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Deplorable
After hearing so much about Fowles' masterpiece, I plodded through the first few chapters with the hope that I would reach the final chapter feeling rewarded and satisfied. Enlightened,even. I wasn't.What has disturbed me on so many levels, months after shelving the book, is the assumption that Nicholas' punishment fit his "crime."Not once did I get the impression that he was madly in love with Allison and not once did I feel that she was somehow entitled to his love. Are we obligated to love every needy, fragmented, and troubled individual who enters our lives and professes to feel true love for us? Is it justifiable for a woman to conspire to torture a man, both mentally and physically, because he leaves her?Throughout the book, I pitied Nicholas and abhorred Allison. In the end, when the legion of psychopaths had finally managed to brainwash Nicholas into thinking that Allison was - alas - his one true love, I was struck by a wave of nausea. The premise? Deplorable. | 0negative
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Great!!!!! Can't put it down!!!!
Trust me on this one. I have read ALL of hers and this one along with Chances,Lady Boss and Vendetta are great. I couldn't get any sleep at all when I read these books!!!! Just be sure to read them in order. | 1positive
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Where is the O'Reilly animal ? By the way, good book !
As a techie I always look for an animal on the cover in the bookshop. On this cover are two naked men ! Edie Freedman (it's a she:-)explained for audience marketing there is no animal. She also told me, it was a fragment of the fresco of Migelangelo in the sixtine chapel. This was very helpful because I always get pain in my neck when looking up to fresco's on a ceiling so I am no expert. My guess that it was a fresco in italian renaissance style however was correct, and as a computer geek I feel proud on that. But Edie, two remarks: - why didn't you explain the cover in a colophon like in the Windows 98 Annoyances book ? - why don't you take fresco's of animals. Then it's still an O'Reilly with an animal on the cover, and it's also clear to me that it is not about hardcore programming. By the way, it's the best book on peer-to-peer I have seen, but as it (at this moment) is also the first and only one, so it's a number one in a contest without competition. I have only read chapter 1 and 3 yet, but Andy, I give it a five star already. | 1positive
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A classic
This book was written by a British preacher long ago but the material is still relevant, although the language is at times outdated. I read an updated version of this book and then went back to read this and liked the original better! He presents many arguments about people's ideas about God and what constitutes a more realistic image of the Almighty. Interesting reading. | 1positive
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duality indeed
Short, symbolic and poignant. Very efficient and entertaining, excellently portrays good and evil, substance and appearance, truth and hypocrisy in this very dramatic story. | 1positive
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Not the best
Like all Jane Austin novels, this was very class conscious, overly verbose, and difficult to relate to for a modern audience. It lacked the charm of some of her other books and the story dragged excessively. A long and wordy read, I would recommend reading "Sense & Sensibility" instead. | 0negative
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Shame on you Amazon
I wish Janet Evanovich would spend less time on her self promotion and publicity tours and more time on writing a decent book.This book also came up as a recommendation for me from Amazon, and it reminded me of Mrs Evanovich's talking about Metro Girl on Good Morning America, so I was expecting something really in good. Instead the book was terrible and I hated it.The plot was simply stupid and there are so many holes in it:A woman in Baltimore gets a phone call in the middle of the night from her brother where he is clearly in distress before the line is cut. Does she call the police? No, she flies down to Florida to catch the baddies herself.Her brother's apartment is ransacked? Does she call he police? No, this ex mechanic, decides she can do better than the professionals.This skinny woman and a thin gay guy from Baltimore she happens to run into, after not seeing him for 15 years, get two heavy, unconscious men into a little car.She outsmarts the FBI at every turn.A boat is piloted by someone with a fatal injury.It goes on and on in the most incredulous way.Alexander Barneby, known as Barney, is an awful character. Her love interest is a Texan Nascar racer, and he is without doubt the most annoying character of the decade. He keeps referring to himself as "NASCAR Guy" as if he is some kind of superhero. I ground my teeth everytime I saw the "NASCAR Guy" phrase and it appears numerous times on every page. Barney and NASCAR Guy certainly deserve each other, but we don't deserve this sorry attempt for a book.Amazon must have a stockpile of these books and are trying to get rid of them. Don't be tempted, even on the get the fourth book free offer. This is a book written by an idiot for idiots. I googled Metro Girl and read the hype by the author and realised it is all about self promotion, not writing a decent book.When so many good new authors can't get published, why is Mrs Evanovich producing seriously sub-standard work and still getting published? | 0negative
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1/3rd TERRIFIC, 1/3rd FAIR, 1/3rd BAD
AMONGST THE MANY PAGES OF INCREDIBLY BORING, REPETITIVE, UNNECESSARY CONVERSATION, THERE'S A NICE LITTLE STORY ABOUT A 12 YEAR OLD WHO "BEATS THE ODDS." DITTO FOR THE YOUNGSTERS FATHER. UNFORTUNATELY, TODAY'S YOUTH NO LONGER PLAYS THE GAME IN THE MANNER MR. LUPICA DESCRIBES - ALTHOUGH, LIKE HIM (WE'RE ABOUT THE SAME AGE) I WISH IT WAS. THIS WOULDN'T NECESSARILY BE A PROBLEM IF MR. LUPICA DIDN'T SET THE TALE IN THE YEAR 2004.THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN A GREAT PIECE FOR THE AUTHOR TO HAVE DEVOTED AN ENTIRE COLUMN OR TWO IN HIS DAILY NEWS PIECES, OR AS A PIECE IN THE DAILY NEWS SUNDAY MAGAZNE SECTION - NOT AN ENTIRE BOOK...ALTHOUGH, HE'S SURE TO MAKE A HELL OF A LOT MORE MONEY FROM THE BOOK (WHICH I IMAGINE WILL BE MADE INTO A MOVIE -IF NOT IN MOVIE HOUSES, IT WILL POP UP SOMEWHERE ON TV). | 0negative
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THE END OF THE LINE FOR KING CHARLES I OF ENGLAND...
This is a well-written work of historical fiction that is woven around Mary Floyd, a young woman who really lived during the Cromwellian civil war in England in which an embattled King Charles I, the last absolute monarch of England, fought Oliver Cromwell for control of England and for his crown. Mary Floyd lived in Carisbrooke Castle on the Isle of Wight, where her father, Silas Floyd, was sergeant of the garrison of soldiers stationed at the castle, and his sister and Mary's aunt, Drucilla Wheeler, was its housekeeper.Mary's life was to change considerably when the much beleaguered King Charles I sought succor and refuge at Carisbrooke Castle. Fleeing from his enemies, the Roundheads, as Oliver Cromwell's followers were known, King Charles I hoped that from the relative safety of the castle, he might be able to bargain with Cromwell. Moreover, the islanders were, for the most part, fiercely loyal to the King. Unfortunately, at Carisbrooke Castle the King would ultimately find betrayal. Still, Mary would prove to be a most loyal servant of the King, smuggling letters to and from the King, at great danger to herself.This is Mary's story, and it is through her eyes that the reader sees the historical events of the time unfold. Cast amidst political intrigues and danger surrounding the last absolute monarch of England, her beautifully crafted story is one that should capture the imagination of all those with an interest in the Stuart dynasty. Rich in period detail and replete with the historical personages that would leave their mark for generations to come, this is a vibrant and well-told story. | 1positive
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An Unsubstantiated Diatribe
This book is an over-the-top rant about the evils of sugar. According to the author, most major evils were caused by sugar: the Bubonic Plague, The Crusades, Slavery, Witchunts and every physical and mental problem experienced by the human race. He also slams the medical profession,the Catholic Church, European and US governments and the ruling and industrial elite. While I agree that too much sugar is harmful and unhealthy, Dufty's extreme views detract from his message. He sounds like a conspiracy theorist. His conclusions are not supported by scientific or historical facts but are rather conjecture and personal opinion. Dufty tries to imply support by using footnotes, but the referenced material is inadequate. His logic is also seriously flawed. For example, he claims that because the Plague struck city dwellers (who consumed more sugar) instead of country dwellers (who consumed less sugar), one's consumption of sugar made one more susceptible to the Plague. He completely ignores the fact that the Plague was caused by fleas on rats who flourished in the crowded, unsanitary cities. It is hard to wade through the hyperbole in this book. It seems like Dufty is a very angry person with an axe to grind. This makes it hard to take his book seriously. | 0negative
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OUTSTANDING
The research that the author did prior to finishing this medical thriller undoubtedly made the scientific breakthroughs so believable that you felt it could easily be happening now in real life. I could hardly put the book down and it was full of surprises. | 1positive
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poor item description - bought wrong book
this item is NOT "Principles of Deformity Correction", it is the 'exercise book' that accompanies the main text.This is innacurately linked from the main search page, where you select "hard/paperback' for the main book, this is displayed as the PAPERBACK, and the title does not explain that this is not the main book. paid $120 for an exercise book, when the main hardcover text is out of print (hence was a waste of money, book is useless)I hope they rectify this | 0negative
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Blindo goes boffo
If its author wasn't going pitiably blind (or pity-eyebally blind; hee hee, I made a joke) this skimpy book would never have been published. Not worth what I paid for it. | 0negative
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Fall in Love
Love, love, love this book! It is a wonderful meet and greet, talk a little and boom! Magic! If you can walk away and not order the next 9 books in this series, you must not have a beating heart, yes it is that good! If you like the Twilight series, this will rock your world, these men and women are all grown up and everything you can desire. I strongly recommend it! | 1positive
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Anecdotal Errors or Deliberate Political Propaganda?
Mr. Van Der Leeuw's book is incredibly clear in one thing - his enviable ability to turn a deaf ear and a blind eye. The worst breech of one's responsibility as a scholar is the inability to record objective reality, a failure that is in itself remarkable in the book. Aside from all the overt signs of successful braiwashing that the author has apparently undergone by his Azeri counterparts, he makes such glaring historical and political errors in the book that even a person with no background in history or political science (such as myself) will immediately pick up on them. The range of errors is almost anecdotal, I have never read a book that makes so many on such few pages. I would recommend that Mr. Van Der Leeuw consults a few relatively objective sources - beginning with a simple Britannica consultation about basic facts in the region and revises the book, unless amusement and harmless ironization is the objective of his writing. | 0negative
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Disappointing
The author gives nothing about the man and his stuggle to keep the peace with his father, who is Bismarck's puppet. She claims he was a weakling led around by his wife. Nothing about his outstanding military record.The price is too high for this disappointing study of a good man. | 0negative
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This book is WAY overrated...definitely NOT the #1 book ever
I know the Modern Library picked this as the #1 book of all-time, which was one of the reasons I chose to read it. However, I was sorely disappointed in it. I like books that I can read without having to scrutinize every page in abhorring detail. A book like Huckleberry Finn is a very readable book that I can read on one level and my son on another and both take a lot away from it. A book like Ulysses has only one level, and it's way to deep to enjoy. The "story" gets lost in the chaff. I have never used Cliff Notes in my life, but was forced to buy them about halfway through this book and was surprised to find some "obvious" things I missed. If you want a good book, read Frankenstein, Huck Finn, any Dickens, etc but skip this "classic" and leave it to those folks who like to disect a book and not enjoy it... | 0negative
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great
It is said that there are two great moments in all of American literature; one occurs in <Moby Dick> when Ishmael joins Queequeg in observing a pagan ritual. The other is found in <Huckleberry Finn> when Huck decides against turning Jim in, even though his soul would rot in hell for it. The point is that Huck really believed that he was going to be damned for helping Jim (which was why the decision was so difficult to make), but was willing to face the consequences anyway.The major letdown of this book is that last part with Tom Sawyer. The book's tone changes suddenly; it becomes almost juvenile. Those last chapters are what's keeping me from giving this book the full five stars.As for the dialects, I had surprisingly little trouble with them even though English is not my first language. A suggestion; if you come across a word you really don't get, try reading it aloud. If that doesn't work, read the whole sentence aloud. You'll be able to deduce what the word is supposed to be. | 1positive
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Fun to read aloud!
Listen Buddy This book is a fun read aloud, because the dialogue lends itself to exasperated sighs, high pitched loud voices and a wonderful growly, scruffy varmint. Plus it teaches a fairly good moral about listening the first time. To top it all off it teaches some fun rhyming with excellent drawings. This is a good read! | 1positive
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Very Dissappointed
The book was loaded with complicated math formulas & the philosophy sections where just impossible to follow. There were about 50 pages where they actually researched the "face" that was interesting. The ending was a huge let down... | 0negative
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A beautiful overview
Dyer has done an excellent job of revising his earlier text, although I must confess to missing a couple of particularly trenchant comments that he has left out in an effort to rise above the suspicions of today's readers, steeped as they are in a silly, false political dichotomy. Dyer's book is both a source of illumination onto how humans got here and a clear explication of how war threatens the future of the human race. He is not overly optimistic about our chances, but neither is he a doomsayer. If we have the guts and intelligence to confront the urges, instincts, and social pathologies that drive us towards violent conflict, we've got a chance. It's up to us. | 1positive
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What Story is This?
The exposition of our story begins with a princess fleeing the servants of the evil empire. She has in her possession something that could change the tide of war in favor of the rebel alliance of which she is a member. She is captured by one of the most powerful dark servants of the emperor but not before she is able to send the item toward a former a general and old powerful magician type guy who is a former member of the rebel alliance, the item is however encountered by our young hero. Young hero meets old wizard general and is taught new magical type powers and also how to use an interesting glowing sword. The set off on an adventure together to save everyone from the empire but tragically Young Hero's mentor the wise old wizard type guy is killed leaving Young Hero's training unfinished. Meanwhile the powerful dark servant of the empire tries to discover the secret location of the rebel base by torturing the Princess but her mind proves too strong for his probing. Fortunately, the Young Hero and his plays by his own rules scoundrel of a friend save the Princess from prison and the empire's clutches and escape with her to the rebel base. Unfortunately, this is just in time for a massive attack on the secret base of the rebel alliance that could be their end. Again fortunately, Young Hero saves the day with a little bit of luck and deals the empire a crushing defeat. Hooray.Now what story is this? If you said Star Wars Episode I, your wrong. It's Eragon. | 0negative
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Egads
May we please have a new twist on this whole "Templar" thing? These type of novels are so predictable. | 0negative
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