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Charlie Brown
This book was okay but boring it has no action it also did not change from a little girls voice to a big girl or women voice | 0negative
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I love true stories
I sent this to youth centers where many girls need strong female figure (I sent other things for the boys).Goodman is an amazing person. | 1positive
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Cussler Wan-a-bee
This novel was bad. I was ready to quit after four chapters. The errors in research scream out like nails on a chalk board. I'm glad I didn't quit reading though, because I would have missed the ground attack with Sidewinder missles and the Wrong Way Corrigan flight plan. All in all not worth the time to read, and you wonder exactly what the famous authors quoted on the jacket read, because it certainly wasn't this book. | 0negative
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Misleading Title >:(
When I found this book on a search on titles I was overjoyed. It would have been the PERFECT gift for more than one of my male friends aND more than one couple with whom I am friends. 'Guys' (and couples) who *don't want kids*.I was just about to buy at least five copies, until I read what the book was REALLY about. It would have been better entitled "The book for Guys who Don't Want Kids but are Stupid Enough to Give in and Have them Anyway" (or, possibly, "Guys Who Really Do Want Kids, After All").Why do I keep reading things around here on the theme of 'people who don't want kids don't 'really' know what they want and just need to be talked into it. And of course males who do not want children are not really 'men', just 'guys'. Sighs.A man who does not want children but winds up with them anyway, is either massively STUPID or someone who actually DID, on some level, want children.I think that it is a monumental disservice to address this book to "Guys Who Don't Want Kids", the taste that it leaves behind is an implication that "even though you don't want them, you should/will have them anyway, so you need to learn how to raise them."There is a concommitant implication that people who don't want to have children are just deluding themselves. Do we really need anything more that even indirectly reinforces the societal concept that 'everyone' should have children, even if they do not want them and/or think that they would not be good parents, that they just need some words of wisdom and a hearty push to change them over into good little mommies and daddies to be?It is NOT necessarily 'different when it is your own', and people who know that they do not want children (men or women) are unlikely to be good or willing parents, unless THEY change their minds themsleves- and then this is really a moot point because they will no longer be people who don't want kids.As far as I am concerned this sort of thing addressed to men who don't want kids is one more little piece in the arsenal of the sort of person who will assume that a partner who does not want children can be brought around with a skipped birth control pill and a little talking to. | 0negative
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Bad book, full of mistakes
I am very upset for this book. As a beginner, I just followed him to create a simple custom control. I found out that things were not gonna happen as what he told me, and the sample code didn't work also. I won't trust and won't follow him anymore, he just mass me up. | 0negative
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A great read
After reading the first Shannara books years ago (and all the ensuing books), I attempted to read Lord of the Rings (when the movie came out)and I couldn't muddle through 2 chapters of that book. It was long, drawn out, boring and put me to sleep. I even find the movies boring. Brooks has a style that keeps you reading and wanting more. I see others have said that SoS is a "rip off" of LofR, but I have to disagree. Tolkien didn't have a patent on writing about elves, magic and fantasy. Just as many authors write romance novels and each has their own talent to bring to the table, Brooks has his own style and I, for one, enjoy reading his books. | 1positive
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Holds truth for those without scales over their eyes
A great primer to allow you enter the inner world of REAL power, as opposed to the theatrical power the media wants you to believe is real.Holds up well against what is happening around us today.I'd trust Gary Allen a lot sooner than I'd trust Dan Rather or Limbaugh or O'Reilly or any other prostitute of the MIC.Too many books have been written by the very people Allen warns you about--books by Carroll Quigley and Zbignew Brzinski, etc.You'd have to really be a brainwashed prole at this point to not see the noose of totalitarian power closing over the head of the US Constitution and the world right now. | 1positive
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Hard Candy
BRIGHTON ROCKTo oversimplify perhaps, 16-year-old innocent Rose and the 17-year-old Puritanical killer Pinkie represent a Christian version of good and evil-they're almost walking personifications of it. Ida Arnold is the secular world, and in an ordinary melodrama, she would be the hero, because she is the one who persists to see that justice is done.But Greene's view of Ida is that she is morally superficial, and doesn't understand real good and evil, that is, good and evil with eternal consequences. Pinkie is a nominally Catholic but really Calvinist psychopath, more convinced of the existence of Hell than that of Heaven. Since he knows that Hell is his destination, he can only hope to live here in the posh manner of the big-time gangster Colleoni, Pinkie's rival.The average watcher/reader of American melodramas would probably be disconcerted by Greene's undercutting of the nominal hero Ida, who is all for truth, justice, and the English way. Her antagonists are not only Pinkie, but also Rose, whom Ida sees herself as protecting. But Rose prefers Pinkie.The world in which these characters move is the Brit resort Brighton, whose rock candy had the word "Brighton" embedded throughout the stick. It is a world of vacationing typists stenos, and clerks, and is permanently inhabited by seedy grifters and race-track touts. Largely to extort money from betting enterprises, two gangs compete in a protection racket. But Pinkie's operation (he took over for the former leader, who was murdered by Colleoni) is a pathetic imitation of the smooth operation of the larger "mob."Green's writing style is semi-Hemingwayesque, hard-boiled with brusque dialogue and jump cuts between scenes. The characters all have their signatures-Pinkie's inadequate shoulders and throbbing cheek, Rose's mousiness and bony frame, and Ida's unmaternal but pneumatic breasts. And the minor characters are individualized; for example, there's Colleoni's small-framed pudginess and the detail that Pinkie fixates on, the gold crowns on the red-upholstered chairs in his hotel apartment.I believe this is the first novel in which Greene's Catholicism was obtrusive, something he got away from in later work like THE QUIET AMERICAN and THE COMEDIANS. | 1positive
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A booklet- not a textbook!
At 60 pages,this is over-priced and not a course for adults. As basic instruction for those 10 and under, it is probably okay. For anyone who even doodles while talking on the phone- forget it! | 0negative
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Yuck!
This is one of, if not the most, displeasing thing I've ever read. It's depressing, not cathartic. So it's depressing for no reason. They should attach a packet of Prozac to the last page. The characters are hopeless. You actually wind up rooting for Carrie, just because there is no one else to root for. The book is SO pompous and chauvenist, I could barely stand it. Every female in the story is either cold and materialistic, or young, materialistic and stupid. I haven't encountered such blatant sexism in a "classic" since Howell's "Editha." I will say, though, that Dreiser's actual writing talent is incredible, he has a mystical and dark way with words; too bad he had to waste it on this. My life actually would have been better without reading this. | 0negative
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A great book by an excellent writer.
This book from renowned picture book author and illustrator, Lynley Dodd, is one of her best and that is saying something as all of her picture books are great. This is appealing to small children and adults alike. Slinky Malinki is one of several characters who appear in many of LD's books. He is a cheeky and loveable pet cat who gets up to highjinks around the neighborhood. Highly recommended | 1positive
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Biology student
One of the first and still the best. An invaluable help for anat and phys students. This is excellent as textbook supliment that will improve understanding even through graduate school.I wish it included more physiology diagrams. | 1positive
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THE BEST SPY NOVEL I HAVE READ IN A LONG TIME
I am currently living in Central Asia where it hard for me toget my hands on a good book (time to start shopping on Amazon.com). Ienjoy a good spy novel but have been disappointed by most of these types of books that I have picked up in the past few years. Even some of the masters have let their fame permit themselves to slack off on the research and careful planning that are necessary for writing a successful piece in this genre. Therefore, I was pleasantly sur prised when someone passing through Tashkent left this book that I had not heard about. I took it on a business trip and had a hard time putting it down. This is a must read for those who love history and enjoy espionage thrillers. I look forward to reading Mr. Silva's newest novel. | 1positive
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An incredible story
The Silmarillion is a compilation of Tolkien's mythology of Middle-Earth. Tolkien had worked on this mythology for much of his life, long before he even considered writing the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. Many readers get turned off from the Silmarillion because of Tolkien's archaic style and the sheer number of names. My advice is not to worry about all of the names the first time you read through. Just try to remember a few of the main characters. There is a helpful appendix in the back of the book with the names of all of the characters and places. Moreover, Prof. Corey Olsen has a podcast on iTunes that explains the Silmarillion, which is worth listening to if you really want to appreciate the book.But make no mistake - the effort you put in will pay off. First, it will it enhance your understanding of the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings trilogy, as the Silmarillion stories form the history for those novels. The Silmarillion goes from the creation of the universe right up to the war of the rings. In the First Age of the world, Men and Elves battle an evil lord that make Sauron look like a clown. Some of the stories, such as the defection of Feanor and the Noldor Elves, are stunning in their emotional power. It's some of the most gripping fantasy fiction ever. My one regret is that Tolkien didn't live long enough to publish this work himself. | 1positive
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Voices from Another Place
As the older sibling of a Korean adoptee, I still remember the delight of welcoming my sister into our home 47 years ago. That was before the adoption of anyone in this book! Yet there were things I did not know, especially about the Korean culture. Not everything in the book applied to my sister, whose biological father was American. Each story is unqiue. Yet I have grieved with her over the losses and the special challenges that this book validates. It helps me know how to talk with her more. It helps me see her as a super survivor and to better understand the difficulties my parents had in understanding her needs. How I appreciate all who helped to tell the collective story! | 1positive
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Antiquated
The wording was a bit too antique for my liking. The storyline was good but I was disappointed in this book. | 0negative
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A MASTERPIECE FOR THE AGES
Sacred Hunger is pure poetry. Plot aside, this is a master wordsmith in full stride; gliding, dancing, shimmering in words that seem to have been born in place. It looks easy, it reads easy. There is a rhythmic beauty to each sentence that propels the lucky reader into the next, seemingly perfect sentence. Find that rhythm dear reader and you are in for a grand cerebral adventure.On the other hand, we have been graced with a heartbreaking but astounding and engaging plot on a number of levels. The grotesqueness of the slave trade while fully present, seems not to be the forefront of this story; rather, Unsworth explores the greed which dwells in humankind, the desires of the heart which propel even the noblest of this cast into their own tragic downfall; from slave seller to buyer, to transporter and everyone involved. This is an unflinching, stone cold look into the heart of human greed and hunger for material gain. It admonishes none and all, holding forward the humanity of the slaves themselves while also not backing away from the fact that these were indeed human commodities.This is not a book to be taken lightly, but neither is it to be read without great joy. The joy of a master yarn spinner, of the open sea variety, who takes us on a voyage of adventure, love, loss, desire and ultimately leaves us changed.One of the three books I would take to a deserted island... This is a treat. A heartbreaking, glorious treat for any reader who is ready to be swept away to someplace VERY few books can take us. | 1positive
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Wonderfully enchanting, captivating story.
My first taste of Alice Hoffman was Here on Earth. While the prose was beautiful, I was disappointed in the characters and plot. However, deep in my gut, I had a feeling there was more to Alice Hoffman than what she was displaying in that book. I couldn't write her off with all of the books she had written, and I felt there was more to her than I was shown. So, I did a little research and took some of her books out of the library. The second book I read was, Practical Magic, and I'm glad to see my instincts were right.This bewitching, captivating novel is full of spellbounding characters, which is the main thing that was missing from Here on Earth.Sally and Gillian are sisters who, because of the passing of their parents, end up getting raised by their two aunts, who are witches. Because of this, the sisters are ostrasized a bit from their peers, and long to be free from the house and the Aunts on Magnolia Street.Raven-haired Sally is the older of the two sisters. She's practical, hard-working, good, responsible, and afraid to love. Golden-haired Gillian is wild, lazy, coniving, airy, and also afraid to love.Gillian is the first to escape, by running off with a boy. She moves from town to town, from guy to guy, with three failing marriages behind her, before she shows up on her sister's doorstep with the dead body of her recent boyfriend, Jimmy, in the car.Sally, who continued to stay with the Aunts, fell in love and got married to a wonderful man named Michael, finding a happy life of her own. She had a man she loved, and two daughters, Antonia and Kylie. Her world came crumbling down on her when Michael got killed by a drunk driver. She went into a deep depression, and when she finally snapped out of it, she packed up her two daughters and moved out into the Aunts' house and into one of her own.There, she tried to provide a normal life for her daughters, wanting them to go to school without being called a witch. She was trying her best to build her life again when her sister appeared at her doorstep.The book then focuses on Sally's two daughters, the red-headed, spunky, spoiled Antonia, and the more sensative, introverted Kylie, who seemed to develop powers to "see" things on her own.To add depth to the story, Gillian and Sally are both challenged to love again when Ben comes into Gillian's life, and, towards the end of the story, Gary comes into Sally's.The Aunts, who were always background characters, finally have dialogue towards the end of the story when their "help" is needed. Not only do the Aunts have something to say, but they have names: Aunt Frances and Aunt Jet. We also have the pleasure of getting to know them a little bit, too.This is a book that's absolutely rich in characterization. There's three generations of Owens women in this book, and each one of them has a depth and personality all her own. The men that come into these womens' lives only add more depth and richness to the book.What a wonderfully enchanting, imaginative story. I have a feeling this book will end up being one of my favorite books by Ms. Hoffman. | 1positive
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What a dud!
The earliest Stephanie Plum books were cute, not great, but entertaining. I haven't read the ones in between, but this one is so dumb as to defy description. The writing,the dialogue, the characters. Beyond description. Far more comic book caricatures than comical characters. I won't be reading another of these books because I can't be sure when they started going downhill. Read the first few in this series and skip this one. | 0negative
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HO-HUM! WHO???
I *love* amazon.com, and am an avid patron --- and of course I realize that (like Oliver Cromwell, who had to *order* the artist to be truthful and thorough when painting his portrait) this great site *has* more than a few warts, but they are seldom painted, and I keep coming back to the site. Well, wart-wise, this book has got to be one of the *biggest* blemishes amazon.com has...especially for real Romanov buffs! The text is sadly, embarassingly mundane, and quite obviously s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-s to make what's written into a dull book of the "commercial quickie" variety; in fact, the book reads as though someone has taken some short (very short) essays turned in by Late Tsarist Russia 101 students, laid them out on a carpet, and figured out how to cobble them together and say "Look, folks! A book!" The early material covered (i.e., birth through Bolshevik Revolution) is very complex, has been done oh! these many times (and much better, by the way) and in this book, reads poorly as a bad sledge trying to cross the frozen Neva, and is just about as dull due to the skimpy, surface writing; the condensation of *years* of tumult into a few brief, brittle chapters. The majority of the book --- dealing with Xenia and her close *and* her extended family's lives post-Revolution --- is a bit more interesting (but unfortunately 90% of that interest comes not from any treatment of Xenia's real *self*, not from her fleshing-out as a woman with thoughts and emotions and social and political interests and efforts of her own, not from the effects *she* may have had on anything or anyone, but from the lives of the men and women who surround *her*.) There is no real Xenia in this book, only her surrounding context, and she moves through these pages like a hollow rag doll. You'll find a few photos --- if you're as unfortunate as I am, and actually buy this book --- but even here, some of the photos are nearly identical to each other, and set a page or two apart, or even on the *same* page. Given the padded, poorly written, poorly researched contents of this book, the price is outrageous...For me, the upshot is a re-reading of `A Lifelong Passion: Nicholas And Alexandra'. Now even in the 20 years of letters that are mostly by Nicholas and Alexandra to each other, there are numerous letters/excerpts from and to Xenia in `A Lifelong Passion' which give a *much* better idea and feel of "Xenia" than *this* bland lollipop of a book! And meanwhile, I'll just go on waiting for someone to come along and write Xenia's *real* biography... | 0negative
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Hell of a plan
I don't understand how the author suggest that a war with Islam is not inevitable using his only proof that he was helped by a person who left islam for a life in Christ. Is he suggesting that we set up a system for hostages to be taken in the hope they convert one at a time ,one out a few dozen every few weeks for a billion people .That would take weeks*Flat out the Quran calls for my death the subjugation and eventual eradication of all non muslims I would like to avoid that but I cant change that I wont over look it either. | 0negative
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One sided
Seldom have I ever read a book that is so one-sided. "All their fault" mentality. I was looking forward to this book, but its a dissapointment. Its a non mea culpa. Its sad to see a person who can't come to grips with their failure. We read daily in the news how women are serving successfully in the US Air Force and US Navy. Many have served in combat. Including Miss Cummings contemporaries. Don't get me wrong, the book reads well, but its more like fiction than fact.As a woman in corporate America, I have faced virulent sexism. But when I see women succeed where other's fail, its hard to chaulk it up simply to sexism.This book was a dissapointment because it was so lopsided. | 0negative
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A worthwhile reading
I have been waiting patiently for this book to come out in paperback, and finally it did. I have enjoyed all of the books in this series - I have read the first four twice. I found the Shelters of Stone to be less exciting than any of the others, mainly because there seemed to be less drama than I expected. But in the end, I was satisfied. It did not leave me broken-hearted at the end like Clan of the Cave Bear. I won't give anything away, but for those of you who have read the first four, it is worth picking this up and reading. Now I wonder how long until the next book gets published??? | 1positive
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Family favorite
This is for my grandson who,s mother loved this book. I know she will enjoy reading this to him and remembering it. | 1positive
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Fun Original Read
I enjoyed this piece as I'm a Thanos fan. The ending was great, with good reasoning...not one of those "you're forced to believe it" endings. I enjoyed the cast of characters, although there wasn't much devlopement shown except within the core characters. If you enjoy anything on the cover, you should really like this book. All in all I loved it. | 1positive
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TRISTAN JONES
Tristan's stories are sometimes a stretch of the imagination to visualize for some modern day river adventurers. Perhaps that is because of his disdain for commercialization of the freedom available from living on the water, but he was certainly a direct person and capable of putting forth his always fair views. This story inspires one to take the same path on the Rhein/Danube voyage which is no longer quite so improbable because of the finished canal between the rivers, and the governments are not so harsh as they were in Tristan's time. This is a refreshing change from the historical/cultural books about central and eastern Europe, which are usually written by literary academics traveling under more probable circumstances, i.e. someone else tends to the details that Jones was forced to handle without large disposable funds. | 1positive
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The Scarlet Letter--ja, dat's goot eating!
Dis book was vedy, vedy good. I dought it vas vorthy my children's viewing. The characters are vedy, vedy dynamic and remind me of de old country, where novels were not vritten as dey are today. Pleazse send me a givt certivficate so dat I may send a copy of it to the grandchildren back home, in the old country. Oh, how I miss the little meshuginas. Bless der GOd-lovin' hearts. Thank ye and GOd bless,ya little whippersnapper. Helga | 1positive
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EAYK!
Silly, stupid, boring. I had to read it for a project and I was about to faint. Thank God that it was short:) Do you still wanna read it? Then good luck! I hate to say this but belive me you will be sorry for it! | 0negative
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Still a Classic After All These Years
Well worth the short time it takes to read it. Had heard of this book all my life, but had never read it. Now I know what I was missing. Not that there is anything new here in terms of faith or theology--there's not. But the manner in which this story is told is entertaining and captivating, still, after all these years. Truths we have been taught and learned through our life's experience are here, all told in a most entertaining and enlightening way. It makes one smile, laugh and, at times, touches one's heart. If it is your first time to read it or your first time in a long time, it's well worth the read. Well worth it. We're all pilgrims and we are all traveling through a foreign land... | 1positive
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Spell Check
I'm still reading this now and the content seems great. I am rating this a 1 star not for content but for the edition. It looks like book is a scanned book, but it was definitely never proof read. There an extraordinary amount of spelling errors, so many that they are distracting because the reader has to figure out what was being spelled. The spelling errors look like they come from a scanned copy because they are not phonetic misspellings, but totally off spellings.The format of the book is strange as well. Paragraph markings begin in the middle of words. For example in a word will be hyphened, begin a new line and a paragraph all at the same time.I have not read any of the other versions of this book, but would not recommend this one. | 0negative
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A
= A "Love Story" by Any Other Name . . . "Reviewer: A reader from Buffalo, New YorkI am a romance-novel junkie. Happily everafter moments in print have given me much relief from the stress of my life. Perhaps I have become jaded - a word foreign in the world of romance - but James Patterson's "Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas" did not sweep me off my feet: the characters were too sugary and predictable; the sense of doom from the opening pages reminded me of Erich Segal's "Love Story"; and even though I enjoyed the literary allusions and relived my own honeymoon memories of Martha's Vineyard - carousel and all - I just couldn't buy it. James Patterson writes a great suspense/mystery novel; that formula is his forté. Contrary to the blurbs, there was no mystery here. The attraction to the romance genre IS knowing everything in the end will turn out wonderfully. It's the getting there that makes it interesting. Nora Roberts - Jane Austen reincarnated - is the master of creating interesting relationships. LaVyrle Spencer's characters live and breathe - and her readers wish she would write just one more novel. Julie Garwood has successfully crossed-over from historical romance to suspense. Anne Hoffman, certainly not romance in the Harlequin sense, presents a realistic romance - an oxymoron, I know - for the 21st century reader. And even though Patterson's short chapters mimic the pace of Sandra Brown and Sidney Sheldon, something is missing. And here's the rub. Women everywhere will weep and pass this book to their best friends. Matt, the handsome, rugged fix-it-all carpenter (every woman's REAL dream) is the stereotype of those wedding-cake-under-the-pillow wishes, and he even writes poetry! The women are successful, take-charge, "I don't need a man but it's great when the right one comes along." The only thing I found of interest was Patterson's "Five Balls of Life" theory. I just can not shake the feeling Patterson is trying to: (1) take advantage of the lucrative romance market or (2)prove anyone can write a romance novel. Patterson knows the recipe and has all the right ingredients, and that is all.Read it? There are better writers of the genre out there. The good ones do it well, but even they have "honed" their craft. Read any one of Sandra Brown's early novels and compare it with "Envy." Ditto for the prolific Roberts and I'm sure her J.D. Robb series give Patterson competition in his regular genre."Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas" is the stuff summer reads are made of. Hopefully, it is not a prelude of the summer market this year. Two sighs. | 0negative
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Bleeck!
It wouldn't let me give NO STARS!Ugh! The worst book I've ever read! What a waste of time. I agree with the previous reviewer who thought it sounded like she was a shut-in playing with Barbie dolls!I recommend it, however, as inspiration if you want to be published...if Jane Green can...YOU CAN TOO!!!i want my money back! | 0negative
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Of Mice and Men
i absolutely LOVED this book. i was assigned to read it for a school report, and i must admit, when i first recieved the assignment i thought it was going to be a very boring book. However, as i was reading it, i grew to love it. I began to feel as if i knew the characters personally. I began to feel their triumphs and their tragedies, their hardships and their accomplishments. The two main characters, George and Lennie, are best friends and travel together. Lennie is mentally challenged and relies on George for everything. George openly accepts this responsibility and in turn relies on Lennie for someone to talk to. Lennie and George could be seen as the two parts of one man. George is the mind; Lennie is the body. Neither can exist apart; to kill either half is to kill the whole. I was so engrossed in the book and the characters' lives that by the time that i reached the suprising, dramatic last few pages of the book, i was crying. The last few pages are very sad and show how much they really care for each other. In a final act of love, George does something for Lennie that truly shows how much he cares for him. I will never forget this book, and it has left me with a lasting message about friendship and love. Thank you for reading this review, and I hope that I have encouraged you to read this book. | 1positive
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POW, lessons learned
A powerful insight into the man who survived a Nazi concentration camp to formulate new thoughts in the field of psychiatry and psychology. | 1positive
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A pop culture icon that turned into a religion
Goerge Orwell's "1984" is nothing more than a sorry man's method of taking out his anger at the world. Oh, sure, it is well written, but people make it into so much more than it really is. It is dark, depressing, and I finished reading it feeling like less of a human than when I started. Why is it that a work of literature that is so empty and void of any meaning is considered to be one of the best? I dont understand.1984 is one of the biggest cult classic ever. The only difference is that some people say "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" is very good, and some say it is very bad. I have only heard revered praise for "1984".It is innacurate, too. In "1984" the government influenced people's minds, taking away their free will. In reality, that is not possible. When the Soviet Union collapsed, even those born into communism helped construct a democracy. Also, in "1984" the party is completely invinsible. It will remain in power forever. History tells otherwise. ALL empires fall. Humanity has been war-torn since it's beginning, and after 5000 years, the world has managed to not be controlled by "Big Brother".Quote from "1984": "Humanity is nothing more than one man shoving another man's face in the mud"So, "1984" tells us that humans are completely useless and we have no reason to exist.Let's take a look at Orwell. When he was not homeless, he lived in poverty. None of his books sold until after he died, and "1984" was one of his later books. Didn't he have plenty to be hateful about?The best books make you want to be a better person. "1984" does nothing but make you want to stop caring about everything."1984" is purely a work of fiction, but even though it is grossly unrealistic, it is treated like it was written by God.There are so many better books out there, please don't waste your time on such an unfufilling and stupid book as "1984" | 0negative
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A fantastic read, I can't believe it took me this long to find this classic.
Compelling story, really thought provoking. The colloquiallism is a bit difficult to follow though, especially starting out. Definitely recommend this book. | 1positive
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Great!
Freud is one of those authors (like Hegel or Marx) that has had a profound impact on 20th century (and 21st century) life, but that is basically unreadable. It is better to read a book about Freud that to wade into his works (especially if your interest in psychology does not rise to the level of becoming a psychologist). This book by Michael Kahn excellently explains Freud, his works, and his theories without getting bogged down with technical jargon or textbook-style language. Kahn's succinctness and clarity made reading this book a joy. If you want to read one book only about Freud and his theories, this is it! | 1positive
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kundera as ususal
i've read "unbearable" along with "life is elsewhere" and, if you heap kundera into the existentailist catagory, then he doesn't quite add up. i was suggested to read him due to my existentialist studies. so far i've experienced the same thing: two parallel plots, man urging after woman and man dying at the end. though its notas simple as that the earlier existentailist texts are more rewarding. though between teh two texts i enjoyed this one better, especailly the final chapter. | 1positive
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Melissa H.
Upon reading "A Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens, I personally found myself somewhat confused. I have read many books in my lifetime, yet none of them seem to compare to this world-famous piece of literature. I am usually very good in understanding and comprehending literature, but the wording of this book actually did confuse me. It is no fault of Charles Dickens that I could not understand some of the wording, but that really was not the main problem. The plot to this book is really very enthralling, just very confusing. It sporatically changes setting from England to France. Also, the years go jump up in clumps of at least 5 years at a time. Although I did find this to be very confusing, I also enjoyed it, and to be honest, I am not sure why. It is a great story packed with a magnificent story-line and I reccomend it to anyone who enjoys a little bit of complication. | 1positive
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Historical revisionism by a mediocre general and poor president
These memoirs are feted for supposedly being he work of a simple, honest and plain speaking man but they are hardly honest. Grant downplays or outright ignores many of the massive mistakes he made in the war. He makes little mention of the nearly devastating results at Shiloh when he inexplicably failed to have his Army set up pickets and fortifications after arriving, which nearly resulted in a general rout of the Union Army on the first day. He also plays down the sheer stupidity of his actions at places like Cold Harbor where he attacked extremely well entrenched forces in frontal assaults; assaults that left thousands in union blue needlessly dead.These memoirs are also an incredible insult to the best union general of the war: MG George H. Thomas. He paints Thomas as slow and plodding but Thomas is absolutely central in the only two battles where Union forces caused general routs of Confederate forces, Chattanooga and Nashville. In the latter, Thomas destroys John Bell Hood's Army of the Tennessee with a hodgepodge of forces after Sherman, off making war on civilians in Georgia, takes the best forces in the Army of the Cumberland from Thomas. In Chattanooga it is Thomas' Army, the Army of the Cumberland, that leads the rout, to Grant's chagrin.Grant was tenacious and that was about it. He had a massive war machine and he simply battered the Confederates into submission, killing a lot of good men on the union side needlessly. Sherman, who was also incompetent but similarly tenacious, was a perfect partner for Grant. As Sherman said, "I took of grant when he was drunk and he took care of me when I was crazy."If you want to read about the best Union General of the War and a truly heroic figure, read about MG George H. Thomas. If anybody should be on the 50 dollar bill it is him, not Grant. | 0negative
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Reading this book was a waste of time.
If you like depressing romance stories where the characters become wealthy but no one ever wins, this is the book for you. The only saving grace to this book is that it gives an interesting historical account of the development of Los Angeles and the surrounding area. That said, this is the typical romance novel where most the characters marry the wrong person and continue to be confronted with tragedies which never turn out well. Jealousy, misery, envy, malice, and sibling rivalry are the main themes running though this book. And to top it all off the ending is terrible. I love books but this one doesn't even deserve to be recycled. My copy will go in the trash. | 0negative
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Hardcore Bradbury Fans Only
If you are not a die-hard Bradbury fan do not waste your time with this book. It is pretty much a campy (ie. rockets, space, mars, etc.) collection of space stories. There are a few stories here with interesting views and/or concepts, but for the most part it's a poorly written, redundant, and slow paced book.If you are going to read Bradbury for the first time or are new to his writing I would recommend "Fahrenheit 451". | 0negative
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A face to meet the faces that we meet...
Everyone knows that in Japanese society there's hardly anything worse than losing face. Kobo Abe starts with this cultural taboo and amplifies it to its logically nightmarish extreme as he explores the existential horror experienced by a scientist who literally loses his face in a laboratory accident. Hideously disfigured and shunned even by his former friends and colleagues, the narrator of *The Face of Another* describes in harrowing detail the totality of his isolation from human contact--especially from his conventional, well-meaning wife--and his desperate plan to create for himself a life-like mask that will reopen the `doorway' between him and the community of others.The novel itself is written as an extended address to the aforementioned wife and meant to be read after he carries out his intention of seducing her as the `stranger' the mask allows him to become. Between the elaborate preparation of the mask and the ill-fated seduction, Abe's narrator travels a zig-zag path between cynicism and self-loathing, psychological breakdown and philosophical speculation as he confronts the elusive nature of human relations and personal identity. His mask gives him a passport to cross the border forbidden the faceless and to re-enter society. Even more, it grants him the radical freedom to be someone else, to be anyone else...to be everyone else. But at what price? If he must wear a mask has he really accomplished anything? Is he really being seen by others or is his `true' self as invisible as before--and just who is he, anyway? How does he choose his mask? Does a mask ultimately reveal or conceal? Which mask will his estranged wife be seduced by? And if she is seduced, has she been unfaithful? Has she betrayed him with himself? As he contemplates these labyrinthine questions, Abe's narrator comes to understand how even people with undamaged faces are also wearing a mask when they're with others. Is the face itself nothing but a mask made of flesh?This eerie, thought-provoking novel operates on several different levels. But what makes it more than just another Jeckyll & Hyde tale of evil doubles, shadow-selves, and dual identities is the profound philosophical dialectic that Abe engages in throughout. A mystery, thriller, horror novel all in one, *The Face of Another* is a sophisticated meditation on that most enigmatic question of all: who exactly are we?At times Abe's story drags, at other times his musings are difficult to follow, almost as if some vital connection between his observations had been lost in translation, and, therefore minus one-star, but, the last fifty pages or so are as powerful as anything you're likely to read. For the most part, *The Face of Another* is a riveting and disturbing work that, like Abe's classic *The Woman in the Dunes,* I won't soon--if ever--forget. You probably won't either. | 1positive
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Probably the most influencial book I've read
Having grown up reading all the Tarzan books, the Chronicles of Narnia, Lord of the Rings, Dune and any other fantastical book I could get my hands on, when I read this book in college over ten years ago, it was like when I had discovered Bob Dylan in music or Gerhard Richter in Art for me. It was the perfect book that bridged the gap between what was always thrown to me as serious literature and the adventure and mysterious spirituality of the faerie lands I always imagined. This is the most beautiful book I've read among thousands and even though it's now been a few years since I last read it, it is still one I treasure and think back to as I read the modern fantasy masters like Neil Gaiman. | 1positive
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Disappointing purchase
This book should only be purchased if you are vegan or thinking of a vegan lifestyle. Apparently everything we eat is bad unless it's tofu. Lots of scare tactics on what's bad about meat and dairy(including slaughter houses and farms). I wish the description of the book would have indicated what it was about. I would not have made the purchase if I'd have known. | 0negative
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Good Read!
Even within the morality in 1961 (apparently forbidding the mention of sexual preference in an acknowledged hero, which resulting in omission of what must have been a major formative issue in his life) this is a compelling story of the rise of one of the few peole in the art world whose work is as vibrant today as when it was produced over 500 years ago. Michelangelo was constantly under pressure to comply with the whims of others, Medici or Pope, and even the works he had no interest in, his creative ability shone through. His fear of being caught in his forbidden studies of cadavers, suffering through those terrible winter months, dealing with the arbitray whims of his patrons, his genius shone through despite himself. This book was a page turner, which is not what one often finds in a biography. | 1positive
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Substance or Shadow?
As a female reviewer, I am somewhat bemused here: As I understand it, Aristotle did not have a great opinion of women, yet Korzybski claims to have dispensed with Aristotelian thinking entirely. He nevertheless roundly asserts that, not only are women exhibitionists, they foster this failing in the helpless male as well. (We are led to believe that women are extremely shallow in liking shiny buttons, although I note that military uniforms have shiny buttons as well - also a case of cherchez la femme?) It seems that Eve takes the fall all over again. Of course, other social groups are not exempt: Korzybski similarly dismisses so-called primitives and mental patients.Open Korzybski's work at almost any page, and it is not difficult to find examples of ad hominem argument, dichotomous thinking, begging the question, and even that notorious failing of novices, the universal. For example, Korzybski, with one great paternalistic stroke of his pen, asserts that many women are extremely infantile, being poorly developed as human beings.It is, of course, easy to accuse me of gender bias, but if so, I am curious as to whether male reviewers would be as unstinting in their praise if Korzybski had instead directed his derogatory remarks against the male of the species. (I would be just as critical if he had - it demonstrates a lack of objectivity either way.)Quotes from Korzybski in my readings on human thinking and communication tend to make more sense (for example those used by Ted Falconar in his book, Creative Intelligence and Self-liberation ) but the selectivity is obvious. On the other hand, trying to extrapolate these self-same concepts from Korzybki's own works is rather like viewing a sunset through smoked glass. I can't help admire the ingenuity of his interpreters in academia.I am comforted to know that there are others who are prepared to challenge the thinking of someone as revered as Korzybski. Martin Gardner put it very nicely indeed, as reported by a previous reviewer. Perhaps the greatest pity is that Korzybski seems to have been deeply embittered by his experience of war - in marked contrast to men like Victor Frankl, whose post concentration camp philosophies I am much more inspired to live by. And so here is the challenge: remove Korzybski's name from a random extract, and would you approach it as uncritically?There is no doubt that language informs behaviour. But, like Plato's shadows at the back of the cave, semantics have no substance without context. In my view, Korzybski spends too much time focussing on the shadows. | 0negative
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I'm sorry but
I'm sorry but that was one of Michael Crichton's worst books. The beginning had me hooked but the end was just stupid. I am also in the making of a book report on this book for English and i'm supposed to pretend i'm selling it but i wouldn't even try to if it wasn't for getting a good grade. The characters weren't very complex and kinda dumb. Norman sounded tired and an idiot the whole time. Beth was insane. Harry was just not there, he was supposed to be rude, smart, and sarcastic all the time but he was not. The ship was pretty cool but they thought the sphere was more important, which it was the point of the story but it was pretty boring. The Sphere really doesn't do anything, its all in Norman, Harry, and Beth's imagination that ends up coming true b/c the sphere shows them that part or power of their imagination to make things real.Oh well maybe its just me who didn't like it. | 0negative
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Outstanding!
We got this book for our son's fourth birthday. He is very much into pirates at the moment, and he LOVES this book. It has wonderful illustrations, good vocabulary, and a wonderful message about the fun of adventure and the comfort of returning home. | 1positive
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Great Suspense
Charlie "Bird" Parker had it all; a great wife and daughter, a nice house and a very promising career in law inforcement. But one day, everything came tumbling down when his family is killed by a sadistic killer. After that, Charlie's life falls apart and he quits his job only to find himself becoming a private investigator.He keeps on searching for his wife's killer, but he also takes on a new case. A murderer is abducting small children and killing them. Does this case tie in to the murders of his wife and daughter? Are the ghosts he is seeing in his mind real, or is he going insane? And what about those strange phone calls he is receiving, from a man who calls himself the 'Traveling Man' and who claims that he is the one who killed his family? A very complicated plot insues, once that will take Bird across America as he searches for two very notorious killers.If I could, I would actually give this book three and a half stars. Although the plot is always intriguing and very intricate, filled with thousands of plot and turns, the book maybe has a few too many supporting characters. So many different people enter and leave Charlie's life that after a while, you lose track of them all. And Connolly, although a very talented writer, tends to give too many details that are unnecessary.This book was marketed as the next Silence Of The Lambs, though it isn't as good or as striking as Harris's classic. And yet, I found myself totally absorbed by the book. This is a very promising debut by a terrific new talent. I cannot wait to read Connolly's sequel to find out what happens next with Charlie Bird. A good, if somewhat slightly flawed, debut. | 1positive
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If I could I would give it a zero
I found this book extremely depressing, and I don't think that anybody but a sick, morbid, depressed person would find it a good book. You can read it if you want, but I bet you'll find it as good as I did. (It's quite possibly the worst book I've ever read, and I've read a lot of bad books.) | 0negative
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Pitt Lite
I've read every Dirk Pitt novel out there, and loved most of them. This one just didn't do it for me. The old favorites were there, there was fun history, the villain was evil, the girls were beautiful, and Pitt saved the world, but it fell flat. The question is why?For one thing, Mr. Cussler seems to have listened to his critics and aged Pitt rapidly, making him less of a superman. Well, while this was a nod to realism, these novels work because they are good campy escapism, and Cussler's awkward explanations of how Dirk is aging just highlight the patent unreality of the plot.Also, either I'm getting pickier or Cussler's dialouge is getting worse. Some of the sections in here just made me wince. The descriptions and action, though, were very good.My other gripe was the tacked on ending which Cussler uses heavy handed foreshadowing to telegraph throughout the book. Let's just say that instead of letting Dirk come to grips with the choices he has made about life priorities we have a stork ex machina ending.In short, this followed the pattern of the previous Pitt books, but it lacks a lot of the fun.If you're a regular Pitt fan, you will find some fun in the familiar characters (the new ones though are cardboard).If you have never read Cussler: Do Not Begin With This One! Try "Treasure" or "Deep Six". | 0negative
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Eric is truly amazing!
Eric has done it again! I picked up the book and could not put it down. I could relate to every aspect of the story, especially the area it was set in. I knew where everyone of those "spots" were. All the characters were developed, some more than others. I had a little problem with Dana, however, and I felt she did not deserve a man like Vince since she was so unfair and untruthful to him, even after he was truthful with her. God Bless you Eric, you are truly a prolific writer! | 1positive
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An excellent reference for canoeing North Florida
This book is a guide to virtually every good paddling stream or river in the northern half of Florida, from the panhandle to the east coast and down as far as the Ocala National Forest and Orlando area. It leaves off a few rivers along the Northern Atlantic Coast but these are covered in the companion book.For each river, there is a general description, typically with a B&W; photo or two. Then, each covered section of the river is addressed individually, with difficulty ratings, access points, river mileage, and a description of the river section with interesting details or features, such as major shoals or safety hazards. Maps are included covering each section, typically based on the state canoe trail maps.For readers familiar with the other Menasha Ridge canoe guides, this one will look a little different. There is less technical data such as river gradient, rainfall, etc., because Florida rivers aren't whitewater and don't really need it. However, the descriptions of the river sections are usually much more detailed than other books in the Menasha series.The book also has a general introduction to paddling in Florida, including discussion of issues visitors to the state might not have thought of. For example, some basic alligator safety points are included, as well tips on insects, sun exposure, and riparian rights.When my wife and I first started canoeing in Florida, we bought this book. Turns out it was the most essential piece of canoeing equipment we ever bought. We have used it literally hundreds of times in the thousands of miles we have paddled.The four stars instead of five is the result of the book being somewhat dated. Menasha very recently released a long-awaited update (ISBN 0897325885) which combines this work and the original companion book on Southern Florida paddling. While I haven't seen the new edition, interested parties should consider it also. | 1positive
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racist
We listened to this story on a long car ride and I was glad my son was too young to catch the racial overtones in the material. It was full of derogatory and negative stereotypes of native people represented by coyotes. The portrayal of females was also problematic and I am disturbed to think that children are listening to this in the present day. | 0negative
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Johnny Got His Gun
One of the best anti war books ever written. The human spirit at its best and the stupidity and detached brutality of bureaucracy at its worst. | 1positive
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The Definitive Modern Vampire Story
"Carrie" was good, but this is the book that put Stephen King on the map. It has everything that we have come to expect from King's best efforts. It is well-written, insightful and accessible. It has well-formed and believable characters, with whom the reader can develop some connection. It is grounded in an every day, contemporary setting, making the story all-the-more real. It has unexpected plot twists. Above all, it is SCARY. I read this book when it first came out and I was much younger. I stayed home on a Saturday night to finish it, turning down a party invitation to do so (unheard of behavior at the time), and then had a hard time getting to sleep. I was half-expecting one of the Glick boys to be scratching at my bedroom window. Some of King's stylistic techniques have perhaps since become cliched. I am thinking, for instance, of his references to contemporary life, such a brand name consumer products and his beloved Red Sox. These techniques, however, were fresh when "'Salem's Lot" was first published, and the fact that they have become cliched speaks to their effectiveness. I have read many horror books (good and bad) since I picked up this one, but I'm still looking for the book that equals it. | 1positive
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Not bad for fast food, but beware of the IBS
Like so many modern authors of pop literature, Stephen Frey tries to be everything to everyone. He wants to be Robert Ludlum (terrorism), John Grisham (corporate espionage) and Raymond Chandler (noir heros and heroines) and fails on all counts. He's the got the set-up down pat, but after the first 100 pages, when plot development is needed, the book falls apart, clinging to a series of ridiculously convenient and contrived scenarios. There are some potentially interesting characters here like Oliver Mason and Sally Lane, but we never learn enough about what's going on inside of them to care what happens. This is in part due to Frey's frenetic point of view jumping, placing us inside the heads of every character but never delving below what we can find on the surface. This style of voice (3rd person omnicient)can work, but here it just comes off as sloppy.All this might be forgivable, but then Frey grinds the story to a halt in the last third of the book by explaining every bit of back story (we've already gleaned 90% at this point) through one of his main characters while he's walking through the park! How many people review events chronologically and in this much detail?Proof yet again that yarn spinning and writing are very different crafts indeed. | 0negative
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This was simply not my cup of tea!!
First of all this was not a love story. I base my opinion on that observation. Of course Daisy and Kenneth were the ideal romantic couple, but not in this story. This book was a mystery or some type of suspense novel, plan and simple. The storyline was perfect for a mystery novel. But even looking at this novel form that aspect, this book still would be two stars, in my book. The author swicthes charater thinking without making the cleat destinction. One sentence Daisy was thinking about her day, then next Kenneth was thinking about his memory problem. If that did not beat all, while in the middle of an important or significate part of the storyline, one character or another prolongs the situation about a good two pages thinking about stuff that has nothing to do with this very significate or important part of the story that is actually occurring at that moment. That had to be the thing that tick me off the most. I have never been angry that a book took so long to end, and this book was just over 200 pages. I don't know what happen, but the other Lewis book that I have read was nothing like this one. Simply Wonderful just did not have that romance quality to it in my opinion. Sorry if too harsh! All luck to Lewis! | 0negative
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This book is so bad
The Great Gatsby is a book that I absolutly hated. I could never get in to this book. It was so slow and I could never pay attention. Every time I would read it I would fall asleep. I could never get through 3 pages with out taking a break or already sleeping. If you were to ask me what it was about I really would not be able to tell you, because it was horrible.It was a bunch of people that were friends and I do not even remember if there was truly a point to this book. I do not even know what the plot was. I know that there was one but i do not know what it was. It was not even that long ago that I read the book and I do not even remember what it was about.Actually I do not even think that i finished the book because I just could not bring myself to finish it.Well, if you are looking to buy this book to read for pleasure then I suggest that you pick another and if you have to read this book for a class or something then I am so sorry. | 0negative
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truly the best of jane austen
i've read this book twice, and it has highly recommended itself both the times. its a more mature work of jane austen perhaps it being her last book.anne elliot, the heroine is reserved, elegant and reflective ..she had fallen in love with a very desirable young man, wentworth, but his connections and moreso his position in society made it not all desirable for anne's beloved friend, lady l to allow her to continue her relationship.now 7 years later they meet again to renew their love and affection; he being a captain now and possessing a large enough fortune. though at first he receives the attentions of louisa musgrove and anne the attentions of her cousin, mr. elliot, the heir to her father, they soon come to realise that what felt from the heart is the truest meaning of love. with the help of her many friends anne soon returns the affections she once held for captain wentworth. | 1positive
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George Bernard Shaw and "Arms"
Community Playhouse in Long Beach did the show this August. As it played, the plot didn't come through, but the wit of Shaw did. The playhouse didn't have the costumes of the military men, nor the actors to carry-off the pomp and bravado of these would-be heroes. In a time when G.W. Bush is fighting his own phantasmic enemies this play should have lapooned the whole spectre of military madness. George Bernard Shaw gave us the theme it will take some imagination and talent to make it contemporary and equal to the madness of our times. Anon | 0negative
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absolutely gripping
terrific writing-keeps you engrossed from first page.reads like a thriller.im loving it.the suspense and writing reveal a master of his craft. | 1positive
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Grave Digger
This book does not deserve even an one star rating. The author, who uses her position to boost her career and make a fortune off of negative spins, lies and manipulation of the general viewing public perception to damage the image of an innocent man is unconscionable.She continues to slander Michael Jackson even more so now that her lies and those of others have ruined his life to the point that it killed him. She does not have a soul and her nickname among the Michael Jackson fan community is "Demon" and that is truly who this person is - a modern day Lucifer who managed to help crucify an innocent man. | 0negative
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Totally bias and false in regards to traditional RAD therapy!
My husband I adopted three girls from the Ukraine 3 yr ago and sought help w/ RAD after the girls were w/ our family 6mo. We had 4 bio kids and these girls were in between the ages of the others falling at 6, 9 and 13 when we adopted them. We were finally able to get RAD counseling w/ a wonderful group hand trained by Nancy Thomas out of CO and went to their seminars, attended their counseling and read over 10 books that were referred to us all in the traditional view of RAD therapy. The way Beyond Logic... describes traditional therapy is full of falsehoods and is never what we experienced in the year we attended the counseling, information from the seminar or books we read! We are offended that they would describe the type of counselors and parents who use the traditional view as harsh, controlling and out to break the child into cruel submission causing the child more trauma in their life. We would have never had subjected our children or ourselves to the type of counseling they say happens w/ tradational views.This book claims to be biblically based, but doesn't portray that at all describing how there should be not even a mention of lying or stealing until hours or days later once it occurs! Well according to the books claims, won't that stress the child out cause them to return to their "fear" state when later discussing their behaviors? This book has other areas where it contradicts itself as well as biblical teaching. We exprienced loving, nuturing, bonding, attachment therapy w/ playing, holding, games and talking a traditional RAD counselor integrating natural consequences. This is the way the real world opperates as well as the way the bible teaches us. After all, why would Christ of had to die for us if all of our behaviors came from our past fears and should be excused away and they could mended w/ just love and reassurance especially the love and reassurance of eternal life from our heavenly father which is the purest and most precious of all! | 0negative
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An invaluable addition
Sadly, Russ Kingman passed away many years ago. Winnie, his wife, continued with their passion, and maintained the Jack London Bookshop in Glen Ellen for years after. I visited her there many times to do research. Finally, the landlord forced her out, she had to close the shop and move into a home. I visited her there, her memory gone, and then she too passed on. But their book remains and it's wonderful. | 1positive
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delightful
though i found this book a tad unrealistic(the boys in it are gang members but they all seem sensative and cry at thedrop of a hat)i really got into it and i'm not ashamed to say i cry my eyes out when johnny died in the book and in the movie | 1positive
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It's difficult to enjoy a story when I keep getting offended
If you're a detective story reader, you may find this adventure-packed novel fun to read and perhaps thrilling. If you are by chance, an Asian American like myself, you might feel insulted. Constantly. Rohmer's novel is plagued with Yellow Peril--the sense of danger and threat from Orientals overwhelming Westerners, originating in the early 1900s. Chockfull of racial stereotypes pertaining to the Eastern races, Sax Rohmer was obviously ignorant of Asian culture--substituting realities with mystical remarks about Asia's "Oriental" nature. The entire story's basis falls on false assumptions about the Asian race and profiles Easterners as terrible, cruel people. For instance, Rohmer portrays Asian people as "evil," "sketchy," and "sinister." Petrie, the white, British protagonist spits, "No white man, I honestly believe appreciates the unemotional cruelty of the Chinese." Throughout the entire story, Petrie and Smith encounter such "cruelty" by "a lithe, black-clad form, surmounted by a Yellow face," "a squinting Cantonese," and "monkey-creepers." To summarize, Rohmer generalizes an entire Asian race to ninjas, devils, and individuals casted in costumes.Even if I tried to stomach this ridiculously racist novel, his writing style is overall unenjoyable and I find myself constantly waiting to be insulted or for some cliched explosion to happen. Rohmer provides me with nothing worthwhile, besides reassuring me that some readers still overlook this racism in favor of an action-packed detective novel. | 0negative
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Jesus Through Thomas Jefferson's Eyes
Thomas Jefferson's `wee-little book' as he called it, is dense with meaning and reflection. It reflects a couple of core matters. First, it is the picture of Jesus as Thomas Jefferson viewed and admired him; one of history's greatest teachers of ethics & morality. Jefferson seemed fully impressed by Jesus' not yet fully developed ethical system because it demonstrated his moral genius as a reformer in Judaism and, because his teachings exceeded religion, philosophy in general.There was one problem for Mr. Jefferson. Jesus' moral genius lay encumbered between the pages of a large book filled with, to Jefferson's eyes, primitive stories of miracles, healings, and divine proclamations which were anathema and completely irrational to the Enlightenment mind. So called divine revelation was abhorrent and out of the touch to evident natural design uncovered by the emerging sciences. Deism, which viewed God as setting the laws of nature in order or tuning them up, and then stepping back, was the outlook for many at the time.So that Jesus, the great moral reformer, might be gleaned clearly, Jefferson took two sets of Gospels and, with scissors and glue, cut out those verses from the Gospels expressing, what was best and, for him, true of Jesus' teachings. That meant, no miracles or talk of divinity on Jesus' part. Instead, the focus was on living an ethical life and our simple duties to God, and others. The task was, for Jefferson, as easy as separating diamonds from a dunghill, to paraphrase a statement of his. As with any portrait of Jesus, this portrait also mirrors the portrayer; and is good insight into Mr. Jefferson's ideals.First, how does this version of Jesus fare? I can speak only for myself, but for me Jesus loses nothing. He comes across just as charismatic as the Young Reformer and willing to intellectually tangle with the religious authorities of his times. In fact, having isolated the other qualities, Jesus' skill as a teacher and teller of parables may be better able to shine through; which was Jefferson's hope and goal for himself.As intriguing and practical as this Jesus may at first sound, be warned in advance that Jefferson does not omit, but in fact, includes many of the `hard sayings' of Jesus. In fact, stripping his Teacher Jesus of Divine Entitlements and demanding belief as the gateway to salvation, he is now more concerned with people's moral behavior and how they treat others, specifically, the poor. And, those tied to their wealth, or blind to the plight of others, face being `cast into outer darkness.' Of course, the Jesus in the full Canonical Gospels made these statements (as, again, that's where Thomas Jefferson retrieved his material), but now such statements may stand in greater resonance so isolated.At the beginning and sometimes end of many editions, there is a preface and introduction regarding the history of the Jefferson Bible and what steps led Thomas Jefferson to edit his own version which is enjoyable and insightful. All, no matter their beliefs or backgrounds, should read this book as a reflection on the thoughts of one of America's Founding Fathers, and, of course, author of the Declaration of Independence. | 1positive
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Enjoyable and inspiring
The story keeps an even-keeled can't-put-down pace, with a colorful cast of animal, human, mythical, and spiritual characters that make it fun and interesting while still maintaining a refreshing down-to-earthiness. Clearly intended to impart to the reader various spiritual concepts involving this present life and what lies beyond it, the teaching element doesn't come across as heavy-handed or artificial but is woven neatly into the story itself. Enjoyable, inspiring, and highly recommended. | 1positive
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pretty good
I absolutely loved this novel until I was two-thirds of the way through. After that I felt the narrative wasn't as well thought out and I felt that the book lacked the cleverness and energy that most of the first part had. Also it got too violent and depressing and it rushed through the conclusion. But I really did get a kick out of the first part. It really helps to know some italian and some greek to understand some of the jokes. In fact there was one part of the book that struck me so funny. I don't even know if it was meant to be that funny, but when Bunnio, the british parachuter starts speaking to Iannis and Pelagia in ancient greek, I laughed out loud. It would be like someone speaking to an american in chaucer's middle english. (!!) It just struck me as really funny. | 1positive
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Heyer is always a great bet!
Although she cannot be called a great mystery plotter (the murderer is highly unlikely and there is a dire lack of clues), her characters make up for any defects. The lovely dispicable Randall, is hilarious one of my favorite Heyer unheroes. I prefer her Regencies but the mysteries are highly palatable as well. | 1positive
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Creepy
Two people who should never get together.She likes yanking him around and he responds be becoming a stalker. This left me really cold | 0negative
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get the chessy with it?
DONT READ IT...DONT LOOK AT IT....DONT BORROW IT...DONT EVEN THINK ABOUT IT... if u are a ally fan this book will scorch ur poor little simple minds that u will never want to watch, hear or even see the ally mcbeal show again... so WARNING TO ALL ALLY MCBEAL FANS DONT READ IT! | 0negative
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I will never forget this book.
This is a must have, must read to see how violent the struggles and times were to get us where we are today. Good or bad. | 1positive
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summaries excellent; easy to follow and study afterwards
i definitely recommend this book. i am a sophomore in high school, and i usually despise reading shakespearean works, but this book spells out everything for you and has review questions in the back to help you study. A++ | 1positive
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poor photocopy!
This book is an obvious and poor photocopy (you can see faint library marks on some pages). The illustrations are barely distinguishable and the type is faded. There is even a dark shadow on the top of each page where the paper was not against the copier. I am shocked Amazon would sell such a poor product. It is going right back. Don't be fooled! | 0negative
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Selfless acts of kindness...
**Spoiler Alert**I had never read anything written by Geraldine Brooks, so I had no idea what to expect. I enjoyed her writings about the plague during the 1600's and its toll on a small village outside of London. The village became known as "Plague Village" was quarantined due to the serious outbreak of plague that killed over half of its population. The story of a young girl and the part she played in the survival of humanity when it felt there was none. Anna suffered more than most with ghosts from her past and present to haunt her sleeping hours. Anna was a great heroine of the village but few recognized her as such, as she was humble and didn't conduct the selfless acts for any reason other than the kindness towards another.Though it was a short book 255 pages it took me a while to read, I had to take it in pieces because parts are so honest and graphic. | 1positive
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Another Alice Starmore hit!
I am in the process of collecting all of Alice Starmore's books that are of interest to me. This one certainly fits the bill! | 1positive
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Inspiring
If you have a creative bone in your body or if you ache to create then this is a must read book. Don't hesitate. Buy it! | 1positive
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God Awful
I found this series to be APPALLING. The first entire CD was interviews of Chritians who had raised strong willed children. It was a lot of hand-wringing....."oh we've suffered," kind of stuff Christians seem to love.Most of the people interviewed spanked their children (sometimes up to 5 times per day or morefor being strong willed)......and the worst part was that this was ENCOURAGED. Other types of harsh corporal punishment were also condoned.I am a clinician. I also have a strong-willed child. I have read (or listened to audio) of dozens and dozens of parenting books. And I have to say that the advice given on this audio book goes against every bone in my body as well as most current parenting thought and knowledge.Thankfully, I follow other types of parenting advice and my daughter is thriving.DON'T BUY THIS TERRIBLE BOOK. | 0negative
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A book that turns back the clock for Women
Women deserve better. Women can have both a career and great kids. If you believe this book you cannot do both. A waste of good paper. | 0negative
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Where was this book when I was younger?
I remeber when I was in eigth grade and my favorite thing to do was just READ. It took me away from my life. But, the Jr. High library didn't carry books that related to me (i.e. Judy Blume books like, "Forever" or "are You There God? It's Me Margaret?") It really upset me that I couldn't have these books to help me through what was going on in my life. My parents had just divorced and womanhood was coming like a freight train on hot tracks, I was scared. I needed something. After reading lame books they assigned to us, that to me at the time were old, stuffy, and boring, I stopped reading. YEEEAAARRS later,I was flipping channels, caught Oprah talking about this book, went out and with the little bit o' cash I had, bought it. I didn't read it until a year later, sumtimes things happen when they're supposed to, they just fall into yer life, lap, and hands. I had just finished Alice Walker's, "The Color Purple" an wanted to stay in that feeling. So, I picked up this book. I felt like I was reading my life on those pages. I was the fat girl, (like Delores) in school, alot of it had to do with misplacing my emotions about my parents just like Delores. Feeling like everyone is staring at what u buy for lunch. Staring when walk anywhere. Being made fun of constantly through out yer life makes u very bitter to the point you can't taste what sweet is anymore. This book made me look, really look at myself, my parents and my weight. I know this isn't really a review, but I wanted to share this with someone. So, if any of u out there have kids...please don't let them make fun of people that are different, it really would save alot of us good years and money on therapy. thank you for reading this. Go read the BOOK! | 1positive
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Don't buy this book- it doesn't help
This book doesn't help you at all if you want to improve your vision. It is quite an interesting read, but it doesn't really tell you what to do to improve your vision, apart from gaze at the sun and stare at the enclosed eyechart. I would recommend a book called something like "Improve your vision without glasses or contact lenses" as it is much better. | 0negative
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Suspects, Smokers, Soldiers and Salesladies
This book brings unexpected laughter each time I go through it. Cherayoff has a wonderful eye and a great sense of humer. The images are brilliant. | 1positive
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Still good, despite...
Yes, yes. I agree with a lot that other reviewers have pointed out. Jordan's back plots have taken over and there is much repition.However, I still find myself waiting to read the next book. And the next. And the next.If that isn't good writing, what is it? | 1positive
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What about the last 200 pages
I read that book in only 2 days, which says enough about the page turning effect this book has. But after I finished, I wanted to rip out the last 200 pages or so. The plot is so wonderfully intriguing and then this thing which would be called a gang bang in a sex-film.With children? And this comes from a country where great literature like(Nobel- prize winner) Günther Grass` "Blechtrommel" is forbidden due to a small man(about 3 feet high) of age 20(! ) having sex with a girl of his age. IT gets 5 stars for the story and 4 stars off for the ending. | 0negative
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Wonderful!!
I enjoyed this book immensely from beginning to end. The characters, who are the siblings are a trip and would make wonderful sequels for another book because they have some unfinished stories in this book that I would like to know about. I am one of those readers who try to guess what happens at the end of a story, but it didn't happen the way I perceived it. This is the first time I've ever read Ms. Forster's novel and she is a wonderful writer. Top grade in my book. I know that I'm going to enjoy more of her books in the near future. | 1positive
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ANOTHER REVEALING WORK FROM ROGERS
Carl Rogers (1902-1987) was an influential American psychologist and (along with Abraham Maslow) among the founders of humanistic psychology.He states in the Introduction to this 1977 book, "Most notably (cultural change) has altered the thinking about power and control in relationships between persons. That is what this book is about. So you will find in these pages many men and women who are walking softly through life---and creating a revolution as they do so. The book tells of homes and schools and industries and interfaces between races and cultures, all of which have been drastically changed by persons who trust their own power, do not feel a need to have 'power over,' and who are willing to foster and facilitate the latent strength in the other person... These changes indicate that a quiet revolution is already under way. They point to a future of a very different nature, built around a new type of self-empowered person who is emerging."Here are some quotations from the book:"It is not just that I am a slow learner, that I have only recently realized my political impact." (Ch. 1)"The politics of the client-centered approach is a conscious renunciation and avoidance by the therapist of all control over, or decision-making for, the client." (Ch. 1)"My influence has always been increased when I have shared my power or authority." (Ch. 5)"It is very rare for the impact of a person-centered approach to move upward in the organization." (Ch. 5)"(T)he potential to learn and the power to act lie within the person---rather than in an expert dealing with him or her, or in a system controlling him or her." (Ch. 8)"What I say is based on wide personal observation, on interactions with diverse individuals and groups, on my reading. It is an informaal speculation, with all the possibility of error and bias that that implies." (Ch. 12) | 1positive
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Excellent AND original
This books is most likely one of the best books i've ever read. It had very well developed plot and characters. It was entertaining and fun to read. it kept me on my toes the whole time. For those who feel the need to say that brooks is copying tolkein: you are wrong. The only thing that they have alike is 1. they both have elves and 2. Gandalf a Allanon both have the same # of a's in their name. Don't get me wrong tolkein is a good writer too. | 1positive
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I couldn't finish it
I'm a huge fan of Demille, ordinarily, but this novel just dragged on so long, I finally quit caring about the characters or even the point of the story. If Demille needed to do some personal work on his experience during the Vietnam War, maybe a novel that actually *happened* during the War would have worked better. | 0negative
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More than a dictionary
I bought this dictionary for my daughter for school. She loves the extras in it, like the phrases and additional notes. She said that makes it even better than she expected. Great choice for high school Spanish class. | 1positive
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Packed with information, but uninspired writing
This could have been a more interesting book, but often as not I found it a chore to read. The subject matter -- art fakery, the criminals who perpetrate it, and the curators and journalists who fall for it -- made for a fascinating glimpse into this other world. Hoving just can't write well, consistently.Sometimes he gets into a mode, like when going over the medieval and renaissance works, where he would cover so many so quickly that it felt as if he were simply reciting names and dates, losing all the human charm it needs to keep your interest. Some of the text made no sense without the plates, and for some parts there were no plates to, I was never sure just what he was talking about. Other times he exhaustively goes over what everything means, sometimes well, but sometimes to the point of irritation. The biggest mistake I saw was that the ending was very rushed; one of the most interesting stories, about a prolific Mexican sculptor, was cut short and glossed over.Hoving also has a reputation for... embellishing on his own accomplishments or criminals' cleverness. Some of the areas seem a little hazy and farfetched, so I don't know. He always claims his own explanation to be correct anytime there's room for many possible theories, rather than explaining each and giving the highs and lows of them. In tone he is quite full of himself and his accomplishments, always boasting of being a great fakebuster, often sneering at fellow curators and making snide remarks about journalists (who are really only expected to report whatever the curator says, after all, since most aren't trained in art). It washed off me but might irritate others.Overall, the book does concentrate on the art and the people duped, and it will expand your fine art knowledge in many ways, covering many varied subjects. I'd still recommend it to art students or fanciers, but to most it would simply be too dense and uneven. | 0negative
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A good book...but a bit dogmatic at times
I think the author gives very good basics to pleasuring women with foreplay, g-spot orgasm and female ejaculation orgasm,the good thing is that it is written in a clear simple way and it's easy to follow which is really a good thing!...i think every man who wants to make great love to his woman and give her very pleasurable orgasms should read it...the only thing that i don't understand is that the author stresses too much the fact that you can't touch the vagina because it would finish the "emotional bond" he assumes that all women have an "idealistic emotional" conception of sexuality...and he says even if she wants you to touch her there,but if a woman wants you to touch her there,she is already feeling "an emtional bond"... an other thing that was annoying is that if you start reading the book from the "techniques" part he again assumes that you are not patient and not a good lover by telling you so,it's none of his buisness to juge us like that i have the right to read a book in any order i want!... so to sum up...it's a book with good basics but don't follow absolutely everything absorb the useful information...and use it to fullest on your woman!... | 1positive
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War of the Worlds: ground breaking sci-fi
H.G. Wells, is one of the first the introduce readers with the idea of aliens from mars taking over the earth, and triggered many writers later to write books involving martians. In the masterpiece, Wells introduces many ideas and masterfully blends them into his story.England is in trouble as cylinders of metal carrying martians constantly crash on the earth every 24 hours. Each cylinder carries a walking tripod, that has a heat beam attached, a beam that melts and burns anything it hits. As more aliens come, they bring gasses that can kill a human just when they inhale it.All seems lost for the main character as he tries to dodge martians, and return to leatherhead, where his wife has taken refuge. He is forced to hide from the martians byhimself, for almost everyone is dead.Hope of survival is almost noting for humans, when they find out the martians have developed flying machines, to promote their world wide destruction, but something happens to the martians......This is a great book and I am very pleased that I took the time the read it, even though some parts were very slow. | 1positive
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Review of Pimsleur's Speak and Read Essential Albanian
My husband and I both found this to be an excellent course for a beginner in learning the Albanian language. It is a very practical, logical and straight forward approach to language study. Neither of us has ever attempted to learn a foreign language before but after going through this study guide we both feel reasonably comfortable with the basics of the language and are eager to learn more. Our only regret is that there is not a continuation of the series progressing to an intermediate, and then advanced level. For us as beginners, completing this course represented time and money well spent and turned what could have been a very dull and mundane undertaking into a fun and a very rewarding experience. We can actually carry on a conversation in Albanian now! | 1positive
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Lots of fun!
I was sceptical while ordering this book because of all the negative comments below. But all my worries were misplaced....i LOVED this book! It is funny and nowhere does the author preach on whats the right thing to do. Say, for instance, she chooses a C-section, but I did not find a single line where she tries to sell her point of view. This is what I really like about the book. Its a simple book talking about her experience. There is no criticism of other people or other choices.And honestly, it was fun to read. I was so relieved when I found out she too gained a ton of weight in her first trimester itself.....makes me glad I am not the only one!! LOL. | 1positive
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But it's not true
The Deputy is a fair to good play, considered as a piece of drama. There's tension, conflict, and a good denouement. The problem is that some people think it's history, which it's not. Most of the characters are fictitious. The speeches are not historical. The venal portrait of Pius XII completely contradicts history. It is astonishing to read previous reviewers still treat this work as history. Pierre Blet's recent work, based on Vatican archives and diplomatic cables, shows without a doubt that Pius XII spoke out hundreds of times against the Nazi persecution of the Jews and that he and his diplomatic representatives personally saved thousands of Jewish lives.As a play, it has its merits. But as fact, this is Oliver Stone territory. As a a piece of history, this is nothing but an anti-Catholic fantasy. | 0negative
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Complete and utter disappointment
I cannot believe this book was even written by the same author. This book was only gruesome (as opposed to the chilling and intriguing psychological drama of his former book) and gratuitous. The author attempts to make Hannibal more sympathtic by introducing a character even MORE creepy and reprehensible than Lector. The character of Clarice is a disappointment and a joke; there is NO WAY this will be made into a movie as Jodie Foster would REFUSE to reprise her role given the absolutely awful and totally laughable ending. A waste of time and money... don't bother. I am sorry I did. | 0negative
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What the?!?
I usually pass along books to my sisters that I finish reading. Often horror, and the more horrific the better.I literally threw this book in the trash when I disappointedly finished reading. I couldn't bear to pass it along and have another person endure what I did. It was horrific enough, but it was also a horrific read, and a waste of time. If you've purchased this book, I suggest throwing it away before you start. | 0negative
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