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Review of "The Piano Teacher"
This is one of the more dreadful books I have attempted to read in the last 10 years--one of the rare ones that I found impossible to finish it was so awful. The writing style was obscure, the characters uninteresting, and the book was actually rather disgusting, with themes of cruelty and s/m.One wonders how on earth "The Piano Teacher" won the Nobel Prize--but, then again, so did Barack Obama--neither deserved in any way that was discernible.Don't waste your money on this one. I'm sorry that I did. | 0negative
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Great Book for All A-Rod Fans
This book is very interesting for all A-Rod fans even though it profiles him earlier in his career. I even found it interesting as a fan of A-Rod. My 9 year old nephew loves this book and as it profiles a young Alex Rodriguez, it is very inspirational for my young baseball playing nephew. It's a great book for all A-Rod fans. | 1positive
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Not for kids
This book is very strange and certainly not for children. As has been mentioned, many large words (which often seem out of place) are used which most children will not understand. The artwork is disturbing. The story is confusing and uses contradicting details.We received the book as a gift and I am glad we did not pay for it (although maybe we could return it if we had).Borrow it from the library if you are curious. | 0negative
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AWESOME BOOK!!
This book is the best book i have ever read!! if you are looking for a thrilling book with some witty comedy, this is it. the author just illustrates the charcters so well, it's like they are right there in front of you, like they are in a play and you are the audince. This book is AWESOME!! | 1positive
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Bad Condition
This book, while used, was indicated to be in very good condition - it is in my garage airing out because it smells of having been stored in some damp location. Smelled old and musty. This book should simply have been recycled. Very disappointed. | 0negative
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Expanded, new edition for all levels of project manager
There are a number of books on project management on the market; but if only one comprehensive text were to be selected, it should be Paul C. Dinsmore and Jeannette Cabanis-Brewin's AMA HANDBOOK OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT - it's been a recommended pick before and its expanded second edition updates with new material for both experienced and new project managers. This edition offers new material on the growing profession of project management, portfolio management, and team work, showing managers how to set and achieve goals, design flexible, effective teams, move from project concept to finished product, and much more. A highly recommended, definitive reference. | 1positive
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this edition was NOT what I expected
Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Alice in Wonderland, and have from childhood. Rereading it made me more aware of the intoxicating dreamlike quality of the story line as well as the incredibly tongue-in-cheek writing style. BUT... I was very disappointed to open it and find it contained NO illustrations whatsoever! Reading A.I.W. without the John Tenniel drawings is like eating plain dry bread. I know the drawings by heart so I could imagine them, but it isn't the same. Also -- many many typos! Avoid this edition! I'm going to order a different one right now. | 0negative
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Still timely advice.
I gave copies to six of my adult children and grandchildren. Everyone was enthused and promised to apply Drucker's advice. | 1positive
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its cool
as of today im still not done with this book,but i think ive read enough to review it.i think the plot is original,but also a little strange,i mean could a town really get away with killing all those pigions?anyway,i think the author does a good job at this story and i think the characters are pretty realistic.i am an animal lover,so this book is hard in parts,but i would still recommend it. | 1positive
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Check your disbelief at the door...
This is a marginally entertaining yarn if you can think of it as taking place in some sort of parallel universe, in which the history and principles of cryptograhy are very different from ours. In our universe virtually all of what the author says about crypto is wrong. He gets the Caesar cipher wrong. He gets public-key crypto wrong. Terminology is garbled: a cipher has a "key", not a "pass-key". The story pivots around the sudden appearance of a seemingly unbreakable cipher, which throws the National Security Agency into a panic. In our universe there has been a completely unbreakable cipher since 1917. It's called a "one-time pad" (look it up). It's more cumbersome than the more conventional cipher, so it's used only in special situations, but it is absolutely unbreakable.There are too many coincidences. The author sends a boy to do a man's job and then creates a deus ex machina to bail him out.There is a political slant that argues that "Big Brother is your friend, he keeps you safe". Never mind the Fourth Amendment.The author does do a good job of keeping motives hidden, so you are partly surprised who the heroes and villains are at the end. (But even one of the pure heroes trades jackets with an unsuspecting tourist, knowing that the assassin is looking for that jacket.)If you have nothing better to read, this is sort of OK. But don't buy it. | 0negative
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My favorite author writes a dud....
What is going on here, I read this because John Jakes is one of the best authors I have ever read.....Virtually everything else has been great, I could not get into this......Oh, well, he is still great.... | 0negative
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For the soft-minded
Noticing that a book was on the market that rehashed the same, tired old 1960's idocy that there is "no difference" between races (subspecies) of homo sapiens, my ever-so-PC liberal arts college gobbled up copies of this book and distributed them as required reading for evolutionary psychology classes. Overall, this book was a big waste of time and contributed NOTHING to what is otherwise a fine field of study. Simple, regressive logic such as "just because some 19th century racists drew exaggerated pictures of blacks to make them look like apes" this means there are no differences between subspecies of human beings that evolved in isolated environments over 100,000's of years. Pure nonsense and totally worthless; not "scholarly" at all but rather an amateur foray into "science" for the feminist/ultra-left crowds. | 0negative
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Total Disappointment
Though there are flashes of brilliance in the book, Cleave undermines his central character, a grieveing mother and self confessed working class ignoramus, until neither she, nor the plot that lies in her hands, retain any credibility at all. Mind you, they're not supposed to have that much credibility. This is in fact a satire. But that's not all, it's also supposed to be a comedy, a tear jerker, a social critique and a confession. No wonder, perhaps, that the book folds under the weight it takes on. First and foremost, the book fails because of the unnamed protagonist. She's supposedly a fool, but rather comes across as hyper-aware and, in the worst parts, is a paper-thin stand in for the author. How many people would think their son's room smells of a mixture of 'angels and tigers'. Just one. A writer called Chris Cleave. On top of that, start slapping on the stereotypes, a policeman with a disturbing secret, a heartless upper class journalist, a heartless cocaine snorting second journalist. Some have called this book offensive. It wasn't the subject matter that offended me, just the writing. | 0negative
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Good Read
This book is an interesting read. It should not, however, be viewed as an actual truth. The authors were just a little to eager and may have come to the conclusions they wanted to. They also are decidedly anti-Catholic and even suggest that Protestantism may be based on false information. Who is to say that their research it the actual truth? They site that Old and New Testament writings cannot be relied on, because the authors injected their own beliefs and may have left out truths. Who is to say that this is not the case with some of the writings that the authors of "The Hiram Key" site as the actual truth abouth Biblical characters. They many times refer to Paul (Saul) as "The Spouter of Lies," and claim his Gospel is fabricated.The book "The Hiram Key" is interesting, though, and may shed light on the actual beginnings of some Masonic ceremonies, though. | 1positive
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One to be missed
Destined to be a fixture in many bargain used bookshops or the coffee tables of people who should no better. | 0negative
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On Display - Garbage !!!
An outstanding display of GARBAGE !!! This is the second book by him that I read (the first was The Judas Strain - a little bit better than this one). Thousands of Tarantulas, hoards of Monster Cave-Dwellers and add a lost Inca Tribe. Why waste your time on this author when they are some Good Authors out there ??? | 0negative
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An Unmatched Epic
What words can I use to desribe the power and solidness that make this book!The moment I picked it up out of curiousity I was long gone in a majestic tale of sweet southern plantations,raw human emotion,and ruthless war that fill these pages with more than words,but a life all its own.Scarlett is an inspiring heroin,who isn't good nor just but is bursting with such a need to live that you get instantly swept away in her desires,impatience, contempt,love,and ultimately her thirst for anything and everything she can't have!I'm a just over half through with it and I'm frankly scared to finish it.What will I do with out Rhett,Melanie,Ashley,Mammy,Suellen,Carreen,Aunt Pittypat,Gerald,Will,and all of them.Also the ones who have died from war or sickness as Ellen,Brent,Stuart,Charles,and the nameless faces that past on in a war that never should have been fought.This book has been an inspiration to me in all respects and I'll never forget a single word of it!P.S. The south should have won,we know that! | 1positive
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Too much Angst
If you are set on this purchase, do yourself a favor and get the complete trilogy under one cover, rather than buying the series singly. Here is what you want to buy:Godslayer / Shadow Climber / Dragonrank Master (The Bifrost Guardians)My opinion on book one:The blurb sounded great -- Al Larson is plucked from Vietnam and thrust into an alternate world inside an elven body. His role is Freyr's champion against Loki.The blurb fails to mention that elves were extremely rare on this fantasy world, meaning Al is basically the only one. This gives him even more emotional baggage.The book, I put it down on page 82, after the third scene of Vietnam-flashback-angst where Al Larson is randomly rescued by Gaelinar (monk) and Silme (sorceress, tragic love interest). The author has no sense of pacing. Events happen, but finding a story in there isn't easy.I didn't like how the opening was the villain's perspective, and how Al is written as completely screwed up and clueless. Characters were shallow and unlikeable.For a better take on fantasy Vietnam-insertion style, tryThe Doomfarers of Coramonde. Not the greatest pacing, but is tons better than this. | 0negative
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Fiction
This book would do a lot better if it was in the fiction section, albeit not so much better as the writing is appaling. It is so full of conjecture and rhetoric that one wonders how much research Ablow really did. This book is so bad I ended up throwing it across the room in disgust. | 0negative
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Great book
We started to read the book and eveything we have read so far has helped us to prepare for what is to come. | 1positive
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Ridiculous
I bought this book because of how popular his baby book was. What a joke. I would not recommend this book to anyone. It is not practical at all, instead it teaches adults how to act like toddlers having tantrums. Ridiculous. | 0negative
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Fainting Pig
I liked this because it was exciting. You never knew what would happen next. You had no idea how Charlotte the spider was going to save Wilbur the Pig. I thought it was funny when Wilbur tried to make a web because he was a pig! The author was good at describing things, especially how the air felt when you were on the swing in the barn. You should read this book because it is a love book. Wilbur and Charlotte really stood up for one another. Charlotte saved Wilbur and he saved her egg sac. | 1positive
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A primer on the subject...
Many hours can be spent scouring all sorts of documents in order to gain the same amount of information Howie Carr presents in his book. Howie has gathered and distilled all his knowledge on the subject into this handy tome. Anyone moving to Massachusetts and in need to catch up on the seedy past of this Commonwealth need not go too far. And if that someone is still willing to move to Massachusetts even after reading this book, then he or she will be ready to strike up a conversation with any of the locals and fit right in. Regular listeners of the Howie Carr Show will delight in the amount of detail Howie goes into. Over the years, Howie has told many a crime tale but the book goes way beyond what he can cram into 15-minute segments. A fine read, but also an abridged encyclopaedia of crime in its own right. | 1positive
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Thank You Harper Lee
There are many reviews here that tell all about this book - so I won't bother with that. However, I am grateful to Harper Lee for giving the world this timeless treasure. Thank you for giving us Scout, Jem, Atticus, Dill, Calpurnia, Boo Radley, and Tom Robinson. They are characters that will always be treasured in the hearts of people. | 1positive
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The Epitome of BS
This book is just sad, as well as those who take it as gospel. They need crap like this to bolster their racism and make them feel better about themselves. You want to talk balanced, lets have a similar book about Christianity and all the ways in which its been used to murder, rape and torture innocent people. That would be fair. Stop hiding behind your cross and realize that Christianity is no better than Islam when it comes to racist principles and hate speech and that the Bible has just as much crap to quote in it as the Koran. To judge the billion plus practitioners of a religion by extremism will only end badly for Christianity as well. But it is just to point out that Islam is not a peacable religion. Well wake up, neither is Christianity. All religions are outdated and this sort of hatred is endemic to organized religion as a whole. your ways are tired, your beliefs are outdated, its over. If you're going to point your finger as a Christian (and the term Christian, as being someone who lives by Christ's teachings and love is used way to f'in loosely in this country) then prepared for the finger to be pointed rightfully back at you!!! Lets drop this act. There are plenty of moderate Muslims, Christians, Jews, etc. who want to live together in peace and with acceptance of those who are different. Read the Gospel of Thomas. Its time these ultra conservative Christian terrorists stop speaking for you! | 0negative
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Not My Kind of Novel
In a sense, it's sort of silly to try and write anything useful about a book so completely hyped by critics and carefully studied (cf. New Essays on Call it Sleep), but I'm going to anyway, because I didn't like it. Now, to be totally up front, I read it under a certain amount of duress. My book group picked it, and after the first ten pages I decided I wasn't going to read it and would miss the discussion for the first time in four years. However, it happened that at the exact same time, I started a research project in which I needed to learn about Manhattan in 1916. Since that's just a year or so after when this novel is set, I realized I could kill two birds with one stone -- and so I went ahead and read it.In hindsight, I realize that I should have skipped the introduction by Alfred Kazin which appears in my edition. It gives away almost every significant plot point and plants far too much in the reader's head -- I cannot conceive of why it wasn't the afterword. Plussing as which, it's not a great essay, even a light skim of it will reveal at least one logical flaw and a total misreading of a scene from the book. So, skip the introduction until after you've read the story. And that story is basically the heavily autobiographical inner life of a emotionally damaged 8-year-old Jewish kid in a rapidly modernizing New York. Many like to laud this book as the best novel about the immigrant experience ever written. This seems rather a strange proposition, for while one of the central themes is certainly the boy's attempt to discover an identity in this brave new world, his circumstance is far from typical. First of all, the Jewish immigrant experience in New York is a very particular one, especially as it relates to cultural persecution in the old world and the notion of alienation and always being "the other". Trying to say the "New York Jewish immigrant experience" is representative of the "immigrant experience" in general is clearly ridiculous. Secondly, by their own choices and actions, the boy's family is almost completely cut off from their fellow immigrants, and are hardly representative. Indeed, it's almost refreshing to find a depiction of immigrants whose hardships are largely of their own making.The boy protagonist is a particularly irksome guide to this world, as he is the ultimate mama's boy (although not without reason). One of the running menacing subplots is the question of whether or not his father is truly his biological father or not, and what exactly his mother got up to in the old country that led to her being married off to a brute of a man (elements apparently drawn from Roth's own childhood). The bulk of the book concerns the boy's horrendous struggle both to assimilate into the world around him and to decipher the spiritual world. The former is a reasonably well-told and familiar portrait of an outsider who just doesn't "get it". The latter fills the book with religious symbolism, which remained largely a mystery to me owing to my utter lack of religious education and knowledge. Clearly, readers with a strong understanding of Judaism and Christianity will certainly find plenty to chew on. The sexual realm is another running theme, and one that's treated with a great deal of angst, confusion, and negativity. This takes on an entirely different aspect if you read the book knowing that Roth, as his biographer so gently puts it, "indulged in incest" with his sister Rose (and a cousin) for several years during his early teen years. A less sugar-coated way of putting it is that he sexually abused and raped his little sister for several years... This is hardly incidental to the book, as his biographer writes: "Roth would ultimately recognize that incest was the engine that drove his composition." Roth's tortured soul comes through very clearly in his younger alter ego, and it's not a pretty sight.The style and language used are certainly distinctive, and doubtless many find it invigorating and affecting -- I did not. Roth was rather famously influenced by Joyce, Eliot, and other modernists, and I just happen not to care for modernism. The stream of consciousness employed to depict the boy's inner terrors is effective in moderation, but each passage of it runs on far too long, almost to the point of parody. Similarly, much has been written about Roth's representation of Yiddish and the phonetic treatment of English in the book, but neither has aged particularly well. The stylistic flourishes, epithets, and distinctive syntax of Yiddish which Roth employs are difficult to read without simultaneously "hearing" them as farce or parody of the Mel Brooks variety. There are a great deal of detailed descriptive passages, which again, may appeal to those who appreciate the writer as still-life artist, but again, these struck no chord with me.So, I freely admit that many of my reasons for not liking the book are personal, however I doubt I am alone in this (as indeed I wasn't in my book group). It simply did not resonate with me on any level, and I can't say I'm the richer for having read it. Others certainly will be though, especially those with an interest in Jewish-American literature or literature about New York. | 0negative
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a super book
I first read this book when I was in 8th grade. It was for a reading program. I don't remember how long it took me to read it, but I remember thinking it was the greatest book I ever read. I have often tried to convince my friends to read it, but because of its length, they refuse. Let me tell you, the story of Scarlett and Rhett is one of the best out there. It was beautifully written by Mitchell, her descriptions of the characters are extremely vivid as if you are right there in the book with them. I recommend this book for everyone, whether or not this is your type of book. Every page will draw you closer to it and the life it shows. But ever since I have read this book, I've read it at least 3 more times since then. And it always takes me by surprise and pulls me along with it. | 1positive
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The title says it all...
I mean really, Howl-O-Ween? I cannot imagine someone dumb enough to name a fantasy horror this, A children's book, maybe. This book could actually take you months to read, all due to complete boredom. The story is lousy, and is not helped the writing. I can only imagine a ninth grade creative writing project turning out worse than this. If you need a horror fix, look ANYWHERE else. I picked this up on a whim at a 'just a buck' store, and I would like my money back. | 0negative
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Very small print
I sent 2 copies to my daughter and her friend. They reported that they could not read the "micro print" and are going to try to exchange it at a boo stroe in Portland.I'm very sorry that they were dissapointed.Peter | 0negative
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600 pages of Charmin
HOW TO ENJOY THIS BOOK: Read the first ~100 pages just to locate all subplots, and read last ~100 pages. Cut out middle 600 pages donate to charity for Toilet Paper.ABSOLUTELY NOTHING HAPPENS IN THIS BOOK!!!!The story line doesn't progress. | 0negative
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Easy and saves time!
This Slow Cooker recipe book is simple, easy to read and most of the ingredients are already available in your kitchen. This book has recipes for desserts, breads, appetizers, and main courses. I use this book quite often when we are having a busy day. I prepare the entire meal in my slow cooker in the morning so it will be ready at dinner time. | 1positive
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Perhaps the most terrible fantasy book ever.
I have read many a fantasy author. To name a few, RA Salvatore, Allan Cole and Chris Bunch, David Eddings, Terry Brooks, Terry Goodkind, and of course, Jordan. His first six books were gripping masterpieces. However, in the last two, his story has gone downhill. I would not recommend Path of Daggers to ANYone. Absolutely NOTHING happened with Mat, the most interesting character, and nothing really happened with Saldaea! Jordan tried to substitute introducing some new characters and new concepts (untying weaves? That was just contrived.) for an actual plot. Raymond E Feist's magical realms of mystery, Terry Goodkind's interesting characters, and Allan Cole and Chris Bunch's sweeping epic fantasy worlds all now outdo this series. Sorry Jordan. | 0negative
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Poor start
... This book was supposed to have been about a girl being killed and the person that the police believe is the suspect. The author even takes the time to do his own introduction. Mr. Burke talked about the Cajun life and music. It was wonderful to hear his thoughts on this and I thought he would add a bit of this local color to his story. I was very excited to begin listening to the story.I was all set to listen to a GREAT book on Southern life and the murder of this poor girl. ... With 12 CD's, I had no desire to listen to the rest. I wanted to get into the story that was stated on the overview on the CD case.If you are interested in listening to a book that takes many chapters to set up the story, then this is the book for you to read. If you are like me and want to get into the story, I would not buy this one. | 0negative
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Too real to life. I don't know how they got some of this information, but it has solid truth behind it.
I can't go into it much, but this book is an fictionalized account of the unsavory side of bioengineering. While events didn't happen as depicted, the authors took a smidge of artistic license to his the incompetent. You won't want to put this book down.It raises the quandary of how do we control Pandora's box while gaining the benefits. This is set in a manner that makes one ponder both sides of the story, without ever taking sides.A must read. | 1positive
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I'm sorry I ever read it
Its the suckiest book I have ever read and I truly regret reading it. I read it a couple of years ago but whenever I think about it, I get a bad feeling. I guess Harold Robbins does have a way making people remember his work ;) | 0negative
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Stick with it... It's well worth the wait.
In all honesty, it took me a long time to progress beyond the first fifty pages of this novel. The more than three hundred that followed, however, I devoured in three days. As with an earlier book by McEwan, THE INNOCENT, pushing past the exposition requires great patience and discipline. Rich with the prose of THE LOVELY BONES, and ripe with the building excitement of CONQUEST OF PARADISE, ATONEMENT unfolds into a beautifully written novel. The story develops at somewhat of a plod, though the richness of the author's prose vividly illustrates scenes in the 1930's with such detailed resonance that the reader is all the more emotionally involved when events take a turn for the worse. From that point forward, the unfolding of this mature and insightful narrative is a privilege to read, and the reader (at least this one) emerges reluctantly from the final page with a desire to begin the book anew - with a better understanding of where the characters err. | 1positive
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I LIKE IT!!
I'm an international student, but I had ever read the books in my country. I like these books very much!! They are good books, and they made me easily unstardand the daily at that era. However, the bookstore didn't sale the books in my country now. I found these at Amazon, so I bought. I think it's very good that everyone needs to read it!! I hope everyone enjoy it! | 1positive
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Definitely NOT the best Rapp so far
I enjoy the Mitch Rapp novels a lot, and this is the worst one by far. It was a complete fizzle. But come on, give Mr Flynn a chance. One bad hit now and then is okay, right? The problem here is the choice of story. Its overpopular at the moment, and Mr Flynn simply didn't do as good a job as others have done. I am not going to give a long review here. There are several excellent and on-the-mark reviews here already: check out those by Karina Jensen, Rory Morty and Action Book Enthusiast. I agree with everything that they have written. Come on - you guys awarding five starts to this one can't be serious - it's not worth half of that. But that fact aside, I remain excited for the next Mitch Rapp novel. | 0negative
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This was a very disappointing read.
I'm afraid that Mr. Deaver's latest endeavor left a teardrop in my eye. The great characters were so wasted with his plot that was so full of holes a truck could be driven through with no brakes. Unfortunately, this was the only hardback book I chose to take on vacation - and I also chose to leave it there rather than waste the space to carry it home and pass it on. Try again, Jeffrey! | 0negative
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banishment
First of all a good advice to all students who are condemned to read this so called 'Best' work by Jane Austen: It is enough to read every 5th chapter and you've got the outline It is absolutely not necessary to read the whole 400 pages I don't know why but somehow Emma has reminded me of a friend who always cares about things the others don't need-she's a failure as matchmaker and meddler as well I wonder why people like Emma are predestined to get out of their struggles without sh... on their faces Greetings to the 1* reader And I p...myself laughing about Elton's proposal in the carriage-quite clever,she couldn't escape just fall out as an alternative-poor,fragile Emma! And cleverness is a matter the recipient's point of view Just do the'Cross-Reading'and spare yourself the rest Yours affectionately A Frustrated Student :) | 0negative
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Didn't care for it...
Unlike the other reviewer who did not finish the book, I actually did even though I wanted to stop. I've always hated when people leave reviews when they haven't actually finished the book not to mention that their facts are wrong. Marke never actually moved in with Claymore she was a houseguest of Sitter, a woman that lived at his house.I really disliked the title of this book. It didn't really make any sense to me. I'm wondering who's supposed to be the Beauty & whose is supposed to be the beast? Marke (yes, the female) is described as not being a beauty & she's certainly not a beast. And, I hated the names in this book: Marke (the main female), Lord Perfect (come on now), Heaven (a man's name), & Sitter (yeah, it was short for a last name but still...). That's really not a big deal but I just didn't like it.Aside from my nitpicking I just really didn't like the story & I never got to like the characters. Sorry to say but I can't recommend this book. | 0negative
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Codependent no more
Loads of descriptions of the various problems of co-dependency but few if any suggestions as to how to cope or what to do about it. | 0negative
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A reporter's journal
I grew up during WW II, & I have long been fascinated with what went wrong in Germany leading up to it. | 1positive
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Valuable information
This book was first published in 1976. There is some information which is non-beneficial/harmful (i.e. placing a board under heels during squats, performing leg extensions and upright rows). However, there is some exeptionally valuable information in this book. If you follow the program outlined you will undoubtedly make strength and muscular gains regardless of your level of training. There is also an outstanding nutrition and injury rehab section. Purchase this book along with Dr. Colgan's The New Power Program and Stuart McRobert's Insider's Tell All on Weight Training Technique and you will be set. I have purchased many other weight training books and have found these three texts to be the best. | 1positive
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Better books out there
And there certinly are better books out there on Air Force One. Most notably, the Jerald F. terHorst book The Flying White House, which is unfourtunatly out of print, but get it if you can. Chitester makes an attempt at giving the reader a look into what goes on with the presidency and Air Force One, but instead gives the reader a boring, "tour-guide" feel to the book that seems as redundant and glossy as a DisneyWorld host. Chitester's book never gets off the ground, and when reading, makes one feel like air-sickness isnt such a bad idea. | 0negative
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a required text for my graduate seminar in IA at UCLA
This book is the "Aha!" for many librarians ready to bring their game to the 21st century. Lou and Peter have created a solid introduction to the practice and profession of information architecture. Along with Dan Brown's book on deliverables (Communicating Design) and Peter Block's book (Flawless Consulting), this is the required reading for my graduate seminar in Information Architecture at UCLA's library school. And we read the entire thing in the first three weeks. | 1positive
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This book is the most boring book I have ever read.
This is the most boring book I have ever read | 0negative
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Long Overdue
This is a pioneering work, the first history of the Neo-Pagan movement which (note Mr. Hutton himself admits the diffculty of the task)gives a full scholarly review of the Pagan movement, its history and the ideas and cultural background of its tenents. Outstanding! | 1positive
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Some good points hammered and hammered and hammered in
As many critics before me, if you read one of Tom Stanley's book, make it The Millionaire Next Door. In that book, he discusses financial practices that will help you save money and in turn accumulate wealth. In The Millionaire Mind, he goes into the behaviors of wealthy people. The issue with this is that sometimes he discusses attributes that people cannot just snap their fingers and change. For example, he indicates that having a frugal, supportive spouse is very important. But, it's not as if people who have free-spending wives are just going to be able to trade them in! Another example is Stanley's "discovery" that it is critical for people to have people judgment skills and creativity. Great! Where can I buy such skills? I am not quite buying Stanley's premise that you can develop such skills easily.Entertaining book, but limited in value. | 0negative
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misrepresentations and disservice
I have only read the introduction to this book (it was all I could take), but in it, Capra completely misrepresents the relative importance of modern physics and, though I'm no expert on eastern philosophy, I suspect he does the same with his banal explanations of yin and yang. First of all, the very idea that intuition has played no part in the scientific revolution is so ludicrous it's laughable. Also, modern physics has done some amazing things for the science and for technology, but to suggest that all other fields must now be reformed to reflect the new world view is idiocy. Newton's physics is still used in designing airplanes and in describing the physics of a baseball game, and papers are still being published in peer reviewed scientific journals that never mention quantum mechanics. I find it hard to believe that Capra has a PhD in any science, much less physics. If you want to more about science and its role in society, you would be much better off reading Carl Sagan (Broca's Brain, Demon Haunted World, etc.). | 0negative
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m ind-wandering
I found this book extremely difficult reading. The author is, he says, a poet and a funeral director. I wouldnt exactly call the chapters essays, because they wander all over the place in a stream-of-consciousness format, completely losing the reader as to what the point is. One chapter covers his brother's sanitation service business, suicide, homicide, abortion, assisted suicide, Jack Kevorkian, rape, birth, death, the baby boom, the author's own moral, religious and political views on all of the above--if this were an essay, there would be some structure, arguments and a conclusion. Instead this looks like a diagram for the study of chaos theory. None of the chapters seem to have any relation to the others. One is about (as far as I can tell) invention of the flush toilet. Another is about combining cemeteries with golf courses. Another is about building a bridge to the cemetery in the author's town after the old one fell into the river. Is any of this serious? Most of the book is the author's philosophizing, but often I wonder if he knows what he's talking about.There are also a lot of spelling and grammatical errors, that further detract from the text. I've read lots of interesting books on the funeral profession, but this isnt one of them. | 0negative
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On the brink of a "One World Government" well documented !!
I bought 2 so I could keep one being loaned out. This book was well documented and is a much easier way to help people to understand what is going on than any other that I've found. The inclusion of actual world constitution papers were detailed and plentiful. Not overly wordy, it ties in scriptures of prophecy, and quotes of past movers and shakers with the whole "end-game" scenario. En Route to Global Occupation lifts the veil of deception in a quick and permanent way. I share a copy with as many people as I can, so that they will know what this push toward a one-world government really is about. One world government=one world leader='anti-Christ' regime. One currency then also makes the mark of the 'beast' that much closer to us and our children... Thanks for caring, Gary | 1positive
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BBC Hobbit tough to listen to
We were looking forward to a long Christmas drive with our new recording of The Hobbit. Unfortunately, this BBC recording is very difficult to listen to for two reasons. First, the actors talk very quickly in their British accents. Secondly, the range of volumes is quite broad, making it almost inaudible at times. We listened eagerly for about 10 minutes and then gave up. | 0negative
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Special Ops
Frankly, it was poorly written and not typical of Mr Griffin's superb talents. I think he owes all of his devoted readers an apology for this offering. | 0negative
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Escapist fiction at its best!
This is the epitome of a fun novel, one that you can't take seriously, but at the same time, wonder "what if?" Jemima is a seriously overweight, "everyone's friend," journalist living in England. She suffers from poor self-esteem and can't get ahead because everyone judges her by her weight. When she meets a gorgeous California hunk in a chat room on the internet, she takes a little creative license with what she looks like. He falls immediately in love and insists that they meet. This prompts her to almost starve herself and work out fanatically until she sheds her weight to look like the computer enhanced picture that she sent to him. Of course, she is stunningly beautiful and attracts every man around her from this point on. Although she is in love with Ben, a former reporter on her paper who is now a nationally known news reporter on TV, she goes to Los Angeles to meet Brad. Read the book to find out what happens here, it takes a twist that you may or may not see coming. You have to take this book with a grain of salt, it's fiction for goodness sake! It's a good parable about feeling good about yourself no matter what you look like. It also proves that what looks good on the surface may not be so delectable when you dig a little deeper. I must say it's inspired me to try to lose the 15 lbs. that have been hanging on me for the last few years! This is an easy summer read, so enjoy! | 1positive
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the stupidist book I've ever read
I'm a junior in high school, and I checked this book out because people (including my english teacher) kept gushing about it. I truly wanted to like this book. After about thirty pages, I began to feel slightly nauseated, but read the whole thing, hoping it might redeem itself. No such luck. This book is such a waste of time that I actually feel annoyed with the people who gave it good reviews. It is full of cliches, and very poorly written. It is predictable, and sappy, and unbelievable. I would have to say it's one of the worst books I've ever read. Don't waste your time! | 0negative
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Boring
I have been slogging through this book for weeks now and am only 18% into it (Kindle). I really need to finish it because our book club meets to discuss it in 4 days! | 0negative
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Review of Arden Edition, Second Series, Romeo and Juliet
For some reason Amazon puts reviews of any edition of a given Shakespeare play on each edition's webpage. So, if you are wondering why to buy the Folger over the Cambridge or the Cambridge over the Arden, or just to spend a buck on the Dover Thrift Edition, you have to wade through dozens or hundreds of reviews of all the other editions. I have no idea why Amazon does this, as many people will have very particular interests, and various editions will serve those interests differently. It's maddening. Amazon should keep its Arden reviews on the Arden page, Dover on the Dover page, and so on. What gives???Anyway, it appears that Arden's Third Series of R&J; is unavailable, or perhaps not yet out. If it is available when you read this and you are looking for a first-rate scholarly edition, I'd buy that one -- although I confess I've personally never seen it. But the Third Series of the Ardens, and I have read many, are really first-rate.The Second Series of the Ardens vary. I'd put this one in the middle. It's quite a bit more thorough than what you would get from, say, the Signet editions (or Dover) but maybe a wee bit out of date and, like most Arden Second Series editions, extremely concerned with editorial conundrums and less concerned with exegesis. But there's a lot of that in this edition, and I am quite satisfied with it. I will, however, buy the Third Series when I can.One other point I always make about the Ardens: of all the various editions, these are the sturdiest, by far. They are extremely well bound, with sturdy bindings and paper, and will hold up to years and years of abuse and underlining and spilled coffee. Honestly, I prefer them for that reason alone.Happy reading to you all! | 1positive
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Science Fiction at its best
The main plot of the story copies the evolution of every human society. The decline and fall of empires, followed by the rise of others, depends on the same phenomena as those described here. We are puzzled by Psychohistory, but the notion itself (forecasting the future as the weather) is sound. This novel opens a range of questions and issues beyond other books of the genre. | 1positive
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Not a Historian
HORRIBLE with some bright spots. I shudder to think that this man is a Naval historian. I flew over 400 combat missions from carriers in SEA. I flew with many of the men mentioned in the book.The author states as fact opinions of some of his subjects. He uses incorrect terminology. He quotes stories with glaringly incorrect information. (pg 160, Harrison's flameout landing: he says Joe Simon was the "maintenance cheif but goes on to quote Simon telling Harrison that he, Simon, is the commanding officer - impossible!Pg 183 - he quotes Nichols as saying "You're going to learn to be a yo-yo." No fighter pilot would say that - yo-yo is a term in air to air combat describing "using the vertical" - Nichols was obvioulsly saying he would teach them to yo-yo. He says the Navy made the officer's club at Cubi for the pilots and the one at Subic for the married officers. Absolutely untrue. Cubi point WAS the Naval Air Station and Subic was the Naval base, there was no fence between the two but there was no segregation either. Each base had its own officer's club and the Cubi club was definitely less sedate because it was most frequented by pilots , in part because it was closest to where the carriers docked.He uses "Iron Hand" to describe an Air Force Wild Weasel mission. ( Iron Hand was strictly a Navy term.) There are countless more errors of fact in the book, too many to make Sherwood a credible writer.And how does a Naval historian write about the air war in SEA without mentioning either the A-4 or A-7 aircraft?I hope the author is more careful with his facts when acting in his capacity as Naval Historian! | 0negative
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Suspensive, Moving
I imagine many of us have a strange house in our neighborhood that puzzles us. Cassie also finds herself wondering about the house next door which always has its blinds down. The inhabitant is reclusive and reluctant to let anyone inside. Cassie, perseveres and eventually finds out more than she wanted to know. This is the first book of the series where Cassie is married, and she finds herself having to make some major decisions. Who knows what we would do if faced with the same dilemma? Cat's Claw provides some serious food-for-thought as well as being a first-rate mystery. Also, it's hard to resist falling deeper in love with Cassie's engaging feline. It's the type of book that the person who enjoys relationships (both human and animal) will really love. | 1positive
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Love it
Read it over and over, again and again. Wish I had more David Weber books. X X X X X | 1positive
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WONDERFUL
I loved this book. I was so engrossed in the characters lives that I couldn't put the book down. I actually dreamed about them at night. I am reading this as part of a book club and many of the other members love it as well. | 1positive
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Yes in the affirmative
I could go on about Ulysses all day but I won't - I'll simply say that though it is difficult in parts (perhaps skip chapter 3 and come back to it?) and requires a fair amount of reading to appreciate a lot of the references, that should not put anyone off. The truth is that the difficulty is overstated and the down-to-earthness is what really comes through in the end.Give yourself to this book and it will reward you endlessly. I defy anyone not to laugh, cry and be thoroughly moved when they read it in full. It is the funniest, most affirmative piece of art I've ever come across, and deserves its place at the top of the tree in twentieth century literature. | 1positive
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terrible textbook....do not buy
I have been a marriage and family therapist in private practice for the past 23 years (hold a doctorate in Applied Psychology) and have been teaching graduate level psychology for over 15 years. This is one of the worst textbooks I have seen. Sections of the content seem to have been cut and pasted from other textbooks about systemic theories with very limited applicability for the practitioner. In fact, the book reads as if the author has never actually worked with clients, particularly not with clients from varied backgrounds. This is demonstrated by the following example: On working with cross-cultural issues, the author offers "Suggestions for White Therapists," followed by verbatim suggestions of what to say to a Black client family:"I've often found that families in your situation have some good reasons for feeling angry, upset, and frustrated. Does this fit your experience?" and "When I begin working with a family I'd like to start by sharing how I've dealt with issues of race. Then, I wonder if you could share some of your experiences."Excuse me? What does the author mean by "your situation?" Being Black??? And thank you for the benevolent and generous permission to be angry, upset, etc. My students have been appalled... I use this section to teach and discuss what not to do! Hopefully, therapists do not insult their clients with this kind of thinly veiled superiority and condescension that is masquerading as cultural sensitivity.On the second quote: Why would a therapist "like to share how (s)he has dealt with race in the past?" Excuse me again? So....you see your clients come through the door, you very astutely notice that their skin color is not rosy beige, and then you launch your "how I deal with race" statement?...and "deal" refers to?Other practical suggestions throughout the book are equally stilted and, therefore, unsuitable for direct client contact. Additionally, the literature reviews are tedious, repetitive, and they lack useful content for practice. The book reads like those written by graduate students with no experience, who just want to be published. Do not buy this book. | 0negative
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UNIQUE LOOK INSIDE JAPAN
There is hardly any book available by a Westerner looking back over more than half a century's contact with Japan - , culturally, economically and socially. Well, Hans Brinckmann's The Magatama Doodle fills the gap. The author starts with entering Japanese life in the service of a Dutch bank in 1950. By means of anecdotes and observations he tells us how his experiences became an 'affair' with Japanese culture. He explains the backgrounds of its sometimes strange customs and how he dealt with them. Not only by means of anecdotes and examples but also by going back into history he brings Japanese life into relief. At the same time we follow his career from bank employee to banking executive, and from bachelor to being married to a Japanese young lady of `good family'. As such he was able to meet Japanese leaders and gaining an insight into the manifold reasons for their decisions and actions.The title refers to a habit he noticed early on among some Japanese men in authority: that of doodling imaginary comma-like figures on some handy surface, whenever they avoided expressing an opinion or making a decision. The doodles reminded him of magatama, ancient comma-shaped precious stones found in prehistoric tombs. They seemed to him an appropriate symbol for one of the book's underlying themes: that a deeply conservative ethos lies at the root of both Japan's distinctive and much-admired culture and the undeniable rigidity of its political, educational and managerial structures.The author stresses he is not suggesting a simple key to understanding the `Japanese mind', let alone presuming to offer prescriptions for change. As he sees it, Western attempts to make Japan `more like us' are doomed to fail. Japan must build on its own considerable strengths and rely on the fresh energies of a new generation of leaders to meet the challenges of a globalized society.I should consider this book essential reading for everyone interested in understanding the often-mystifying ethics, politics and economics of this country that has left its mark on world history in more than one way.Michael Rogge. | 1positive
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A Solid Reference for Those Interested in the Life of Christ
I have had a copy of this book now for several years and still continue to refer to it on a regular basis. Both my wife and I teach Bible studies and frequently get it off the shelf to check dates and times.Dr. Hoehner, who went home to be with the Lord last year, has provided an extremely valuable tool for helping to answer some tough questions. Among the topics covered one will find commentaries on the day of Christ's crucifixion, the year of Christ's crucifixion and the significance of those dates with regard to Old Testament prophecy. Intriguing insights on the two methods of reckoning the day of Passover are also explained in depth.To me the most fascinating part is his commentary on the "Seventy Weeks" prophecy of Daniel 9; the relationship to the timing of the First Advent is very inspiring. I was first exposed to the Daniel 9 prophecy of the "Seventy Weeks" through the work of Sir Robert Anderson in his book "The Coming Prince;" Dr. Hoehner, using updated scholarship, has refined the dates presented in Anderson's book.I join in with other reviewers who recommend the addition of this book to the library of any serious student of the Bible. | 1positive
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Amusing, but would not recommend it.
Characters not well developed. Plot(s) fragmented and difficult to follow. A long read with little payoff. | 0negative
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Still great
This is a wonderful book. I read it in high school as required reading ages ago, and I am glad to see it is still being recommended. | 1positive
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This "booklet" is not worth $12.00
This booklet is a common sense book and contained nothing that I did not already know. The "problem" I am having with my ficus, is not even discussed. I'm not sure what it is, I have small growths on the trunks and bark of one of my ficus trees. This was not talked about. Watering and lighting is a joke! I had one ficus near a window and according to this book the tree was supposed to adapt to it's new home. My ficus dropped every leaf it had. I purchased this book with the hope that I could find out what was wrong with my tree; wasted money. | 0negative
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Give me more story!
I was a bit disappointed in the book only from an aspect of wanting to know more about the actual construction and issues that faced Walt Disney World's inception from drawing board to amusement legend. The book is a decent read and does provide some insight into the construction of the park, but has more of the author's personal story than is assumed by the title. Overall, the book is not a real indepth story about the design of the park; a good biography of a person connected with the construction, but not so much about the design and impact of Walt's legacy. | 0negative
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Tedious
I have really enjoyed some of Clegg's books, particularly Hour Before Dark and The Infinite. I found this in a used bookstore and was eager to read it. It was vaguely Salem's Lot-ish, lots of characters in a small town and everyone eventually goes bad. Even though Clegg is basically a pulp horror writer, his characterizations, even here, are very good, realistic. This just didn't have enough of a plot to justify 400 pages. After awhile it became tedious and boring. Everyone is possessed by malignant evil and dies in appropriately grisly fashion. Yawn. The last half of the book needed to be trimmed by half again. Granted, it is his first published novel, but I wouldn't recommend it for anyone other than diehard fans. | 0negative
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My Notes
The Observer of May 30, 1926, said,No one is more adroit than Miss Christie in the manipulation of false clues and irrelevances and red herrings; and The Murder of Roger Ackroyd makes breathless reading from first to the unexpected last. It is unfortunate that in two important points -- the nature of the solution and the use of the telephone -- Miss Christie has been anticipated by another recent novel: the truth is that this particular field is getting so well ploughed that it is hard to find a virgin patch anywhere. But Miss Christie's story is distinguished from most of its class by its coherence, its reasonableness, and the fact that the characters live and move and have their being: the gossip-loving Caroline would be an acquisition to any novel | 1positive
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Touching...
Kimberly has a way with words. This story touched my heart not only because of the subject matter and the tactful way in which it was presented but because the story was woven so tightly and warrants a sequel which I am waiting on with baited breath! | 1positive
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Better Red With Green Dollars
Fonda proves that there can be rich white trash, too.Some people may not appreciate the irony that this highly privileged product of capitalism, who acquired more capitalist millions of her own, so eagerly promoted Communism.This is just the sort of rationalization we could expect from someone who betrayed her country to help the enemy torture American prisoners of war.If you must read this tripe, do as I did and go to a public library. Or wait until the Marxists take over and make it a college text book. | 0negative
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Reassurance at what cost?
This book, like Mr. Sowell's past columns and current book on this subject have very little to do with child development and a great deal to do with destructive and wholly wrong stereotypes and myths.We have more than 30 years of clinical evidence that autism, and other PDD spectral disorders are neurologically based and have no connection to "refridgerator moms" or other hideous long standing myths. Further, we have decades of clinical evidence that shows, clearly, that although delayed in social and communication skills, even the most severely autistic child is typically loving and affectionate. In fact, affect, in the form of a warm patient/therapist relationship, is central to the only autism early interventions with significant clinical evidence to support their theraputic value.Special bonds with a particular adult, child, or sibling are so common that the DSM diagnostic guidelines were revised to emphasis age appropriate peer to peer behavior when analyzing social development. Yet still, for more than a decade, Mr. Sowell has recited the myth of autistics being unable to build relationships to justify his division of a logical, broad spectrum of symptoms into distinct and unrelated groups.I understand the need for emotional crutches. I see it not in parents "traumatized" by the stigma of an autism label, but in parents living with its reality. Or in the reality of nuturing children with Down syndrome, CP, or other severe disabilities. It is a tremendous burden, and it takes its toll on many. But what I do not understand is the need to create crutches by dehumanizing some of society's weakest members.A low functioning autistic child often lives in a world where sounds are painful and terrifying, touch feels like acid on the skin, and words come with only agonizing difficulty. These children have to overcome tremendous fear and anxiety to perform even simple tasks, yet they learn, love, and try. Parents who need to pound them into inhuman crutches to cope with their own fears and anxieties should feel, I think, less reassured and more ashamed. | 0negative
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A book to help you feel great about being home
This book gives you examples of lots of women who have made something of their lives at home. It is inspiring and affirming for those considering choosing home over career, either temporarily or permanently. The authors have chosed a wide range of women so one can find many reasons for staying home and examples of women who find being home a fulfilling career in itself. I would recommend it for any person considering this life-changing option.In the interests of full disclosure, I should mention that I was interviewed for this book and am mentioned in it. I was thrilled to be a part of this book, and delighted by the diverse group of women portrayed. It's nice to see that there are many people who value this choice, since so rarely are stay at home moms portrayed positively *and* realistically in the media. | 1positive
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Not what I had hoped for...
Upon receiving the book, the first thing I noticed was the cover as advertised on the internet is different from the actual book. OK, I can live with that. However, as I read the book, I found that It just doesn't live up to its subtitle; "A Complete Look At The Use, Care & Repair The 1911 Pistol". In my opinion, it speaks more to Gunsmiths, and people already in the know, so to speak, than it does to someone interested in learning about the 1911-A1 pistol.Unlike many other gun publication that educate the reader through words and pictures, on a step by step basis, this book jumps right into techical jargon that was very difficult to follow and for someone new to the 1911, I found this very frustrating. Perhaps, for the reader interested in modifing their own 1911-A1 pistol, this book will be of some interest. This is not to say the book doesn't provide some useful information. Perhaps volume 1 might be more helpful. | 0negative
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A dissenting opinion
First, I want to say that I have NOT read this book; I have some comments based on its table of contents. I teach research methods in education, and have served on over a hundred dissertation committees in education and other fields (including several dissertations in psychology), and I would not use or recommend this book primarily because of its extremely limited treatment of qualitative research. Despite the book cover's claim that the book deals with "the entire range of research methodologies in psychology", the coverage of qualitative methods appears to be limited to one chapter on naturalistic and case-study methods. (A second chapter which deals with field research in fact seems to focus on quasi-experimental and single-subject designs, which are not qualitative.) The rest of the book is heavily quantitative/experimental in its approach (there are three chapters on experimental design alone). It seems revealing that although there are sections on the limitations of naturalistic and case study research and correlational and differential research, there is no explicit section on the limitations of experimental research. There is also no discussion of one of the most common qualitative approaches used in psychology--the qualitative interview study, which is different from a "case study". (For more on this approach, I recommend "Learning from Strangers: The Art and Method of Qualitative Interview Studies", by the psychologist Robert Weiss.)If you are a student in a very quantitatively-oriented psychology department, this may be a useful book for you. However, at a time when many research methods books are devoting much more space to qualitative methods, Graziano and Raulin's book seems a bit anachronistic. Several highly regarded research methods textbooks that are more even-handed in their coverage are David Krathwohl, Methods of Educational and Social Science Research: An Integrated Approach (second edition, 1998), and Colin Robson, Real World Research: A Resource for Social Scientists and Practitioner-Researchers (1993; second edition forthcoming). There is also an enormous literature on qualitative methods specifically; simply search this site under "qualitative research". | 0negative
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I wish there were a lower rating than one star
Why the hell does this book cost 110$ ... its bound badly, the problems are hellishly ambiguous and a number of other bad bad things that i cant think of due to the fury that i am experiencing due to this book and the amount it has just cost me! | 0negative
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Reading Alone but with Friends
I love Jane Austen. A couple summers ago, I set out to read all of her books in one summer - even those I had read before (Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility). Even after realizing that many of her characters and stories are similar, I still loved her. I love the way she writes with wit and intelligence. And I really enjoy how everyone who deserves to be happy in the end does indeed end up happy.Sense and Sensibility, for those of you who haven't ever read it or seen one of the many film versions, is the story of two sisters, Elinor and Marianne who are both alike in passion, except that Marianne is all passion and impulsivity on the outside (sensibility) and Elinor is all composure and caution on the outside (sense). The story tells of secret love, not so secret love, lost fortunes and selfishness, and deep sisterly love. This story, even more than Pride and Prejudice, makes me wish I had a sister or two.This insight edition is different from other more "academic" versions of classic works, because rather than pages and pages of footnotes instructing the reader as to the socio-historical background of the book.... Well, it's like the editors are reading the book with you. Occasionally there are informative footnotes which tell you what a "Barouche" is (a four-wheeled carriage pulled by 2 horses that seated four people), or tells you about "Harley Street" (a street in London populated chiefly by medical professionals). But there are also 6 other types of footnotes that occur throughout the book - usually as an "aside" on the edge of the page - including notes about Jane Austen's life and how a part of the story relates to it, references to S&S; in film and television, themes related to faith, and notes on characters that the editors dislike throughout the story.While at first, I thought that this tongue-in-cheek note system was a little distracting, as I went onward, I began to enjoy the voices of these women. It was kind of like I was reading the book with a friend or with a book club. So that as I read about something really horrible that Fanny said to John or Lucy said to Elinor and thought, "UGH! I think Fanny is such a jerk!" there was the comment by my "friends" in the margin saying the same thing.This version of Sense and Sensibility does not add anything new to the text that Jane Austen wrote, and thus the story of course is great. The Insight Edition does add some contemporary fun to the novel however, and it is likely you would also enjoy taking these friends with you on the journey through 19th century England.Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen? 4.5 out of 5The Insight Edition? 3.5 out of 5 | 1positive
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Kurt Would Have His Revenge...
Get Real! I started to read this book immediately after reading Come As You Are (which was absolutely amazing!) but had to put this down before I tore it up in disgust. It's information was from the very magazines and articles that frusterated Kurt with all their lies. Seems like the author did no investigating on his own what-so-ever. In fact he didn't even talk to the people that really knew Kurt in those days. No Chris, Dave, Courtney, producers, friends, etc. And the so called Quotes we're very questionable. He wouldn't say who they were from. I flipped through the pages and found one discrepancy after another. Christopher wrote like an enemy of Kurt's so if you want the truth, get a book like Come As You Are! | 0negative
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Why would you give this a 5?
Did not like this at all. The fact that it was short was the only reason I finished it. I am not too sure what the appeal of this book is to others. | 0negative
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This product truly is a fake, as in scam...
This product truly is a fake. Why? Because it is sooo small that you cannot read the music while attempting to play the music. When I opened the book and saw how small the type was, the only thought that came to mind was that it was not a fake book but a scam. IWANT MY MONEY BACK! | 0negative
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Repairing the Ruins
This is an excellent volume of essays by various authors presenting the philosophy and practical "how to's" of Christian classical education. Anyone interested in recovering excellence in education should read this book. | 1positive
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Admirable lesson, simplistic treatment
Each year, I dig into the works of a classic children's writer. Eleanor Estes caught my attention because her novels, many published 60 years or more ago, have recently been reissued. This one has terrific illustrations by Louis Slobodkin, a huge talent in his own arena. The story here is simple, which may be obvious, but I'm fascinated by how something so basic becomes so beloved. The writer's style is skilled and serviceable, but there's nothing magical about the language (as with E.B. White). The dated material is occasionally offputting. The main characters are so thinly sketched as to be cliche. And the true payoff, the reality of the "hundred dresses," is almost thrown away. Is the childhood memory of a beloved book what makes it a classic? | 0negative
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Masterpiece. Read it.
My all-time favorite book. It's heart wrenching. Stunningly beautiful. Fantastically written. I would recommend this book to virtually anyone looking for an incredible read. It's a story of madness, culture, clashes of culture, discovery, ignorance, faith, and above all - family. | 1positive
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Defoe's Crusoe is boring, uninspiring...irritating.
How did this idiot get approved to write such garbage?Don't let the plot fool you, and if it did for a minute or two, consider this. How is an author supposed to write a book, let alone a good book, about someone who is trapped on an island for twenty-five years? It's impossible. I don't care if you're the best author in the world. It can't be done. Know why? Because there's nothing to do on an island for twenty-five years but build stupid huts and collect food. This is what Daniel Defoe writes about. This is not exciting. It is complete crap.Yes I understand there are symbolic messages here and meanings, but really? This is not what I like to read when I'm reading a book. I want action, I want plot twists, I want substance. This book has nothing. It has a guy complaining about how his life sucks on an island. That's it. He prays to God, he reads the Bible, he hunts goats, he plants food, and he finally escapes. Congratulations Defoe, you really went for the homerun. Look bro, just because your book is old, doesn't mean it should be hailed as one of literatures finest. It isn't. I don't know who let you write this book, but I applaud them for the inspiration I needed in order to write a review about it.Do not waste your money. Do not support the publisher with this junk. Do not read it. That is all I have to say. | 0negative
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I DIDN'T LIKE THIS BOOK
I am a black man dating a white woman. You don't see many books or people expressing their ability to identify with that at all. When I picked up the book, I thought I would come across a piece that told my story or at least broke it down in a similar way. Everything rolled along fine with the read until the buildup for the entire premise was just thrown out so the author could have a "clever" plot twist. Instead, what he did was alienate his plot. No doubt, he was trying to turn it around. All in all, looking at it from another standpoint, I see the piece as a celebration for black relationships. Expressing the greatness that could come from two black people in love. Fine. The main character fell for one type of woman, lost faith in her, and subsequently found his diamond in the rough. I could see that from another point of view. But, I looked for something else and what I got in return was a cop out. | 0negative
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Excellent Writing My Literary Sistah!!
I just finished reading When ALl Hell Breaks Loose, and I must say I was deeply impressed with the writing and creativity displayed by Ms. Spencer. Her characters were exciting and three dimensional and her words seemed to leap off the page and electrify my mind! I particularly loved her male character Greg, and the fact that she wrote so well from a male perspective. I predict great things are on the horizon for you, sister Camika, and I am happily spreading the word about your talent and strong literary voice. You were wonderful to indulge us with a few paragraphs in Philly, and I look forward to reading CUBICLES. Peace and blessings! | 1positive
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Ok
'Out of Body Experiences' book is fairly good. It contains a bunch of neat diary entries and exercises that are easy to follow. It lacks the New Age hype, which is good for some, and is definitely not as dry as other OBE books out there. And the author is pretty encouraging with his experiences.However, this book lacks important information! There is absolutely little, if any, information on negative entities and a host of other things you can find in the astral. But if you just want a bit of info on the astral for starters, this is your book. But I find this one, for me, is not very helpful in the fact all of the info in this book can be found on various webpages (on the robert peterson website, where you can read the entire book), so I just wasted 13 bucks. But if you want serious, highly effective astral experiences enroll in a Gnosticweb course or read an 8 week course on Astral Projection by bezlebuub. | 0negative
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Hastened to the gave:the Gypsy murders
I can't believe someone had the courage to write this book. I am sad to say that it is more serious than this book could ever expose. It is hard to fathom that people could be so vicious and sick and to do such crimes. My grandmother was a victim of some of these sick, twisted people. I am so glad that Jack Olsen had the guts to write this book. I could not put it down. I wish there were more books on Gypsy scams, crime and murder. | 1positive
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Heavy going but fascinating
A very heavy-going, but fascinating read by a legendary character. I'm no history buff but this book is not just a simple "history book" either. This book contains his entire life during his involvement in the Arabic conflict. It's as if you were living those times through his eyes. His writing can be confusing, but persevere and you will be rewarded. | 1positive
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An ambitious, but weak, effort.....
I'm a big fan of Jim Starlin, and I have fond memories of reading the Dreadstar series when I was a young teen. So it was with great anticipation that I read (for the first time) Dreadstar Volume One: The Metamorphosis Odyssey.Boy was I let down....This is a preachy mess that has NOTHING to do with the series that followed it. We follow a group of characters that are nothing more than empty shells, as they fight a race of bad guys that are never given any substance either.Vanth Dreadstar himself is an obnoxious creep, so there is NO ONE to feel for in this book.....all you can do is be dragged along for a quest that takes Millions of years to complete, and then is rendered completely moot at the end. The saving grace is that the last few pages manage to tie this mess up, and set up the better stories that followed. | 0negative
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A Gift Once Given
This is the story of a summer romance between two teenagers in 1957. Michael is sensitive and funny and Linda was equally engaging. I read this in three evenings and it was hard for me to put it down. I so liked the story and the characters that I wanted to keep going just to find out what they would do next. A comfortable easy read. | 1positive
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catcher in the rye, a book for the soul
I absolutely loved this book! It is so thought provoking..it starts out a little slowly but after the first chapter Salinger attacks the story head on. I feel like sometimes I can relate to Holden wanting to be in the rye, wanting to save all those children from the evil of the world. I would recommend this book to any age group, it is one of those books you can read at different times in your life and get something new out of it every time. | 1positive
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FANTASTIC!
This book was great because it ewas itelligently funny, not like the stupid "peanuts cartoons" Anyone who thinks thios book is stupid does not have the mental compasity for this all. And P.S. THIS BOOK IS FOR KIDS!(at least the smart ones) I AM 11!! HAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHHAH! | 1positive
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I wish I could say I liked it ...
After reading so much praise for "Counting Heads," I was disappointed to find that it doesn't live up to all of the good press. Despite a number of excellent ideas, the lack of any real plot or likable characters ultimately dooms the book. Beyond the first section, I struggled to find a reason to continue reading. Although, the writing was excellent and I was constantly wowed by Marusek's descriptions of future technology, I just wasn't interested in what was happening. | 0negative
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Learned to Brag effectively
Lots of terrific information to use to transform oneself into a person who speaks with confidence and conviction. | 1positive
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Don't waste your money
If you're into these self-help manuals- save yourself alot of money and borrow them from your local library. Most of these books contain superficial, insubstantial and not to mention highly recycled information. Useful principles in these self-improvement guides eg.changing ones attitude and beliefs can be condensed and written on a sheet of A4 paper. Remember college or highschool? Just take notes from the book, then these self-help books no longer serve their purpose since they're full of silly vain anecdotes anyway. And this way you will retain the information. Get a life! | 0negative
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