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Read it AFTER Tortilla Flat
The trilogy, Cannery Row, Tortilla Flat, and Sweet Thursday are my favorites of his tomes I read just for the joy of reading them. Cannery Row is the second of the set. Steinbeck at his best observing how funny is the tragedy of human experience. | 1positive
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not very good
i didn't like the book because of the vocab and the style. It is in old English and not very easy to read. | 0negative
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Bob Foofoo's Constructive cuisine corner
On my home planet of Mars, books that we do not enjoy, we refer to as lunch. We had "Great Expectations" before the matinee last week. The matinee was "Smoky the Cowhorse." It was Martian Thanksgiving, so "Awful (great (yeah right!)) Expectations" was a good choice, because it is so freakin' long, and low in cholesterol. I am on a strictly bad classics diet. The Martian Major Leagues starts today, so I grilled a warthog.One of the reasons that I found this book (in terms of literature, not food) so disturbing is because the Martian term for a hemmohroid is a pip. In terms of food, it could have used a bit more seasoning, like a trip to Denmark. Of course, they didn't actually go to Denmark. If instead of being named "Magwitch" the convict had been called Bozo the Clown, and gave Pip balloon animals instead of money, I would have enjoyed the book much more.But, the thing that ticked me off the most (and Auntie, too!) was the way that Dickens never ended his sentences: instead, he just ran them on and on and on and on and punctuated them only with commas and semicolons, as if to say, "this is my book, feel free to fall asleep; or, you could eat it": that reminds me of a very funny story about a man named "Kitty"...WHACK!(Auntie just hit me over my other head with a frying pan). The truth is... the only good part about this book is when Miss Havisham (the Martian) gets married to Pip. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! HA.Ha. | 0negative
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A classic. Destined to become a, perhaps the, standard text.
Quantum mechanics is the most fascinating of modern theories precisely because it is at once the most confirmable and the most mysterious. Richard Feynman once famously claimed that "no one understands quantum mechanics." Introductory expositions of quantum theory are notoriously confusing for students, it is claimed, precisely because no one understands it. In his tour de force presentation, Shankar renders moot this excuse: mystery and confusion are wholly different matters; to not understand a thing is not the same as to have a poor conception of it. Indeed, by rendering clear what quantum mechanics is, he makes it possible to appreciate just how mysterious, how fundamentally non-understandable it is-hence how bewitching.The transparency of Shankar's exposition makes it possible for him to present quantum mechanics using its most advanced mathematical tools-matrix mechanics-instead of the historical tools by which, in fits and starts, it actually developed, and which form the basis for most other introductory texts. The advanced tools, it is claimed, are too difficult for a first exposure, and should be reserved for advanced courses. But Shankar has grasped the subject so well, with such depth and elegance, that he is able to use these tools to expose the heart of quantum theory for the beginner, forcing it to reveal its power, orderliness, internal logic and physical mysteriousness.Because the reader is immediately brought up to speed, and made comfortable, with the notions of Hilbert spaces, the deep connection between the Schroedinger wave equation and Heisenberg matrices, the decomposition of state vectors into various bases and variational principles-all using a beautifully-explained Dirac notation-it is also possible for Shankar to introduce early on the most interesting aspects of quantum mechanics: state vector collapse, for example. He is likewise able to get to more difficult topics sooner: the path integral formulation, for one.I am currently using the text in a jr./sr. level quantum mechanics course at Yale taught by an instructor who himself had learned the subject at Johns Hopkins using it.Shankar writes with ease and dry wit that made me laugh out loud at times. Problems are carefully chosen and spaced within the text to both consolidate the principles just covered and to raise the student's understanding by an extra notch. (I noticed that some problems were classics: I had seen them before elsewhere, and had difficulty with them. Following Shankar's exposition of the material, the problem became easy.) The text is not only a terrific introduction for the serious student of quantum mechanics, it is an intellectual pleasure as well. | 1positive
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Not according to schedule, but maybe someday?
Could it still happen? The ultimate totalitarian state that Orwell foresaw? Not in every detail but *1984* got ahold of my imagination to such an extent that it still gives me the willies to contemplate. It's almost a shame Orwell didn't name the book "2034" or "2084" so that literal-minded school boards could still make it required reading. It's a masterpiece and remains to be one. The story of Winston Smith's battle to keep his individuality and integrity will not grow old. | 1positive
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Much work, little reward
The writer is intelligent, and the psychology of her characters is dead-on. But the story is through the eyes of one character, very inward, and it does drag on.There is a truly offensive element, which some others haven't mentioned and which I really found repellent: the 'heroine' is 13, only on the threshold of puberty, and her captor is much older, and a pedophile. He supposedly woos and wins her, and takes her with him as the army moves, but he's basically inducing Stockholm Syndrome and taking advantage of the psyche of a child. Though this is could be part of the aftermath of war, and it rings psychologically true, it's painful and off-putting to read.There was an interesting moment with a side-character (the captor's servant, or slave) in the middle of the book-but what came before was painful, and what comes after is interminable, so it's not enough to redeem the book.The heroine retreats inward and insulates herself from the frightening events that have destroyed and reshaped her life. She feels numb, so as the readers, so do we. She is passive, and allows her life to be determined by others. This is psychologically consistent with someone who mentally fixated at the level of a child, the age when she was traumatized, but it doesn't endear her to the reader nor make for very interesting reading.I read this some time ago, but I remember forcing myself to slog through it, and feeling betrayed by both the blurbs and the illustration of the cover. I respect the author, but did not enjoy the book, nor feel interested in pursuing her other works. | 0negative
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A lot of Nixon in an Elvis-book
This book by Connie Kirchberg and Marc Hendrickx examines thelives of two Americans fulfilling the so-called AmericanDream.Both made it from rags to riches. There are a lot of similarities in the way these two persons made it to the top, but of course also differences. This book handles both. By writing the biographies of these two people who briefly met in December 1970, the authors try to paint a picture of two lives which seem to have a lot more in common then expected. For us, more familiar with Elvis than with Nixon, there were some interesting eye-openers on the last one. Although we couldn't get rid of the idea that some of the comparisons are a bit sought for. More interesting than the exact comparisons between the two man making it to the top in their own field (becoming 'The King' and the president of the USA), are the differences after making it to the top and what happened then.As we all know Elvis made it to the top and lost his spot at the top because of the addictions that led to his death. The last couple of years only his loyal fans kept him 'on top' by still buying his records and going to his shows (even if they were not the quality they once had).We also know the story of Richard Nixon, making it to the top of the (Capitol) Hill and tumbling down on the other side as a result of the 'Watergate' scandal. Both persons made a `comeback', and we're not referring to the TV special with the same name. But there are differences. Nixon became a 'respected elder statesman' and was rehabilitated in the eyes of the general public. He lived to enjoy that. Elvis' rehabilitation came after his death. There are three moments most people remember what they were doing when it happened: the first man on the moon, the shooting of Kennedy and the death of Elvis, this does say something on the man and his achievements. Unfortunately he wasn't able to enjoy it.A great pro of the book is that describing the lives of these two people from birth we also get a lot of information on Elvis parents, something which isn't seen in too many books and a nice extra for Elvis fans to complete their `picture' of Elvis' entire life. Another nice feature of the book is the appendix in which a lot of documents and pictures surrounding the Presley - Nixon meeting are presented...Our conclusion:'Elvis Presley, Richard Nixon, and the American Dream' is an interesting book since it goes into the backgrounds of the lives of two men we all know, the 'American Dream' is the red line used to tell the stories of these two people. These backgrounds add some interesting views on the youth of Elvis dealing with a lot of rumours surrounding his upbringing. Besides that, the view from which this book is written is different from other Presley-books which makes it also interesting. For those like us, primary interested in Elvis, we must mention there's a lot of `Nixon' in this book about Elvis' life and achievements, but we admit to be narrow-minded... | 1positive
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Couldn't NOT put it down
Awkward, boring, poorly written, nearly incomprehensible.I admit I did not get to page 75 - so maybe I shouldn't even write a review. But even getting to the point that I did, took extreme perseverance.I know the critics all fawn over this work - but honestly, I hated it - or the part that I did read. Every other sentence it seemed, had an awkward phrase - things like: "Pleasantly troubled..." and "a snowy look".What could these weird phrases mean?I know what an icy look is - but a snowy look?I've been troubled - I'm troubled right now - but it isn't pleasant.Two phrases from memory - but the book is innundated with writing like this.Didn't work for me at all.Don't bother with Beloved. | 0negative
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Pretty Good
Unlike other reviewers, I found this book to be an excellent exam prep. tool for my first MCP exam. Do not rely on this book entirely - FP98 Unleashed is an excellent supplement - but for actual exam type questions, I found this book invaluable for passing the test. | 1positive
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Good diet; needs work for obese audience...
My husband and I started the low-fat, controlled-portions Volumetrics diet about ten days ago, having purchased the book after seeing it featured on a NY news show. The news feature on Volumetrics advertised that one could eat as much as you wanted of the high volume foods; however, portion control is important. It's easy to follow but we both still experience night time cravings for high-fat, dense foods, even after following the meal and snack plan religiously.We are not sure if my husband who is obese is following the diet correctly; the book is lacking calorie totals or daily meal plan guidelines for obese or morbidly obese dieters.Breakfast and lunch are easy to follow but we are sometimes confused about what is allowed for dinner especially if one tries to map the dinner recipes to the dinner plan guidelines. I would find it hard to develop my own dinner recipes.The meals are filling and we feel like we are eating more food than normal except for dinner. It's a healthy diet and we plan to continue. I am hoping to somehow reach the author to get more information about obese participants. No weight loss after 10 days for me but I had one big cheat day and a couple of evening cheats. My husband has lost 2 lbs. in 10 days. | 1positive
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reviewing hot target
This book has to be one of the worst books that I have ever attempted to read. I'm a prolific reader and I found it impossible to maintain any interest . There was no plot that I could see...the writing was sophmoric at best and I had to throw the book in the trash after struggling through about thirty pages. How and why a publisher put this book on the market is a mystery to me. | 0negative
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Aged poorly
This is a well written book featuring an unsympathetic main character who is difficult to identify with. It portrays the suburban angst of the 1950s. This shtick has been done about 10,000 times since then, and I personally am sick to death of it. | 0negative
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One of de Lint's best
Wonderful book. I came to the semi-painful realization that de Lint's Newford books are the only ones that I really like. Memory and Dream didn't do a lot for me. I LOVED Dreams Underfoot. And then Trader. Near as I can figure, in the Newford chronology of things, Trader HAS to come between Dreams Underfoot and The Ivory And The Horn.I really, really liked it. The back cover describes it as "an adult coming of age story," and I would agree. The characters are vivid, funny, realistic...very passionate as well, which is very important for me.While Someplace to Be Flying is definately my favorite de Lint book, Trader is really up there, too. | 1positive
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Not For The Elderly (Anyone over 6)Reviewer: Sucker for Freebies
Sadly, nobody read this to me when I was a child, so perhaps I was just too old to appreciate the book. I thought it was more saccarin than sweet. I certainly wouldn't read it to my children! They were brought up on Dr. Seuss, and would have said "Mom, Puulleesse!" if I had attempted it. Sorry. | 0negative
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"P" is for Pointless
What was that? I've enjoyed Sue Grafton's A through O books over the past year, but this was sub-par. I kept waiting for something interesting to happen, but it never did. The book just (mercifully) . . . ended. | 0negative
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lost grip
Great premise for a gripping story, but I couldn't suspendmydisbelief of the events that followed the initial tragidy. One's sense of depression would be fathomable after such an event, but I thought a mother's bond to her own children would override any guilt ridding penance in prison ... The court scene near the end was unsatisfying in that the witnesses seemed tailormade for the result. | 0negative
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I can't help falling in love with Charly!
The main protagonist in this novel was simply amazing, lovable, charming, I couldn't help but smile everytime I read about him. He's a very good hearted person, genuinely kind and tries his best to help his friends (and strangers even). The main antagonist is also very...charming. He's a mysterious, beautiful, and rich gentleman with a dark secret. He sort of reminds me of a vampire...so beautiful on the outside, yet so evil on the inside. The reason why this book didn't get 5 stars was because there are better books out there...tbis book was great, but it wasn't outstanding. It didn't leave me with that accomplished feeling I usually get after an amazing novel. But it is good, and worth a read. | 1positive
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An excellent new work by the unsung hero of sci-fi/fantasy
This book is an excellent, dreamy science fantasy work by a great author. She weaves two parallel story lines across two and a half centuries and creates each world wonderfully. She also integrates historical figures, such as Ben Franklin and Mozart, into the storyline deftly. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys science fiction or fantasy, and anyone who enjoys this book should enjoy all of her previous works. | 1positive
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Great book!
I bought this book based on the good reviews and was verypleased. It recommends particularly good, cheap vendors; and also gives tons of details about all of the options to consider when it comes to just about all aspects of your wedding. For example, it talks about the different types of videographers and photographers, and the typical costs for each type... | 1positive
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There must be a better Access book out there
He doesn't really explain how things *really* work, just a lot of step-by-step examples, which lack explanations of what's going on. A lot of the basic information is here, but there is so much text and so many words that it's a lot of work to dig it out.I was reading it while commuting back and forth to work on the train and always felt confused at the end of my commute.No doubt a reasonable book for people who don't feel guilty saying, "Hey, at least it works." | 0negative
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Mega wrong
I'm considering buying this as a reminder of how wrong professionals like Ralph can be.Some of the other reviews here are funny. "I think it takes guts ....to have in print that you predict that this bull market will run through 2011.""Best known for his correct 1995 prediction that within three years the market would hit 7000"If he'd predicted it would hit 7000 again in 2009 I'd really be impressed. | 0negative
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A fairytale I never wanted to end.
So often books that are based on previously told tales come across as tedious and overworked. This was not the case with Beauty. This book was beautifully crafted from the first sentence to the last. I found myself mesmerized by the amazing world the author created and that i literally forgot all else that was going on around me. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves tales of romance and abundant joy. There was the perfect amount of humor and energy to keep the reader happy. I wish I could rate this book with more than five stars as it deserves no less. Excellent!!!! | 1positive
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Meditative, sweet, good.
Skillful daughter, Creative Son, Grandfather counsel, Grandmother wisdom.... I had this book for a long time and used it often - need a new copy now and will definitely replace it. There's something gentle and contemplative about it, with joyful, respectful and inclusive names for the "spirits" you're praying to. The book is separated into seasonal prayers and meditations, with a morning and evening prayer for each day of the week and each Celtic season of the year. I also really like the "solar question" and "lunar meditation", which is a neato idea and really helpful. There's a general air of goodness and kindness throughout the book, it's definitely on my "food for the soul" list. | 1positive
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Bit over the top.
I was put off by the religous references, especially at the start of the book. It made me uncomfortable reading on, expecting more religous references. Being non-religous, I found it a bit over the top. | 0negative
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A Great Spiritual Book
This is the best spiritual book I've ever read, and I've been reading them for 30 years. It's extremely clear in its message and sticks to it. It answers all the big questions that the other books don't, and teaches you how great masters achieved enlightenment and how you can do it and still live a normal life at the same time. I regularly hear of people reading this book over and over again. It explains everything about life, the universe, how we got here, how we're going to get home to our Source, and EVERYTHING! This is a great spiritual book. | 1positive
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dysfunction junction...
I joined a book club in order to broaden my pop book horizons. This is the first book on the reading list, and I am starting to rethink the book club because of it. I was really looking for a good story of living in Africa, and being in the melee of the troubled times of Rhodesia. I have very little time to read a book, and I have gotten half way through this disjointed memory collection of a dysfunctional family via an audiobook. The audio book narrator is good, but the story is just horrible. It is depressing, dysfunctional, and all over the place. I expected to find the book written with a slight racist slant, due to the time and the place, but I didn't expect this. I should have saved my $20 for the audiobook. Its so not worth the money. It should have been re-written as a surviving dysfunctional parents book...there really is no point to the story line. | 0negative
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Too Much Smoke
I am sorry to say I was disappointed in Paul Karleen's response to the relatively recent Pre-Wrath Rapture theories being expounded today. Bouyed by the strong recommendations by Dr. Charles Ryrie and Dr. John Whitcomb on the back cover, I dove into the book expecting a clear and powerful rebuttal to the Pre Wrath theorists. Instead, I got a very confusing and overly detailed argument that lost me in its intricacies. Furthermore, his arguments against the Pre Wrath theory could be equally, and I believe more damagingly, applied against the Pre Tribulation theory. As a recent convert to the Pre Wrath view of the Rapture, I was not persuaded by Karleen to reconsider Pre Tribulation Rapture. | 0negative
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Loved the movie and the book.
The book was different from the movie, which is most often the case. The book is a very good read. | 1positive
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How sweet it is
This is without question Patricia Highsmith's finest novel. A tale of difficult love (apparently a running theme in Highsmith's work, whether negative -- as here -- or positive -- as in SMALL G: A SUMMER IDYLL) and declining sanity, and overall, as Graham Greene put it, apprehension. We wait for things to happen and oh, how we are rewarded.So, the setup is: David Kelsey, a young (late-twenties) chemist who lives in a boarding-house in Froudsburg, NY, is desperately in love with Annabelle, who loved him once but has now married Gerald, who David sees as a boor unworthy of her. He anticipates her leaving Gerald and living with him -- so much so he's bought a house in a neighboring town, fully furnished it, even including pictures of her; it waits while he continues to call her and send her letters -- which enrages Gerald, who finds out about the other house and goes to it while David's there in order to kill (or at least harm) him. David kills him, instead -- by accident, and kind of in self defence, though -- and informs the police in the other town under the name he bought the house by: William Neumeister. His friends -- and Annabelle -- don't know about Neumeister, the police don't know of David's life as himself in Froudsburg, and so he has to try to keep them both in the dark of either "person." And everything starts sliding downhill from there.The tension is superbly built as the novel progresses, after the start creates a very palpable air of uneasiness in establishing The Situation (what David calls Annabelle's being married). And while, as others pointed out, the police are fairly incompetent here, it doesn't entirely detract from the novel -- although it may bother you with its lack of logic when you read it. But it's soon lost as the novel continues. What makes it so good is that rather than dealing with mere criminal tendencies, we find ourselves plunged with David headlong into the world of insanity -- which you don't usually in a Highsmith novel, at least not in the sense here; if the murdering is in Highsmith's other books is a form of insanity, it at least seems connected to reality. But here . . . The last 30 or so pages must be perhaps the most stunning portrayal of insanity ever written. (Of course, I may be wrong there, but it's still amazing as it stands.) It all leads to an incredible ending.So the last quarter of the book or so is worth the price of the entire book alone.Read it NOW. | 1positive
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Great read
This is undoubtedly one of the best Star Wars books ever. Unlike others, it is lengthy and is more intended for young adults than children, which is a nice change. This book has 418 pages and 21 long chapters. I finished this book within 24 hrs., but only because it's long battle scenes, descriptive writing and interesting "This is how it feels to be [insert character]" extra, kept me wanting more. I was satisfied, but disappointed it was done when I reached the last page. This has to be one of the most emotional Star Wars books to date. It's non-stop action, moderate violence, and emotional mind games are a bit overwhelming, but this is all about the Eps. III experiance. I hope to see the movie in the future. | 1positive
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Underwhelmed
Truly, I wanted to read this book. I tend toward more non-fiction and had asked my manager at work for a recommendation - she passed along this book. I found it difficult to get into - though I did like some of the characterizations (ie, fall leaving and slamming the door on the way out) - it just overall seemed like her writing wasn't very well integrated - in terms of the style(s) of writing in the book and the uneven development of characters.I found the way the characters spoke to be distractingly unnatural - and found found the oblique physical descriptions of people (explicit for some characters, almost soft porn - and very vague for others) difficult to hook into. The drama and the sub plots - just not all worked out very well and in the end - not that interesting. I forced myself to finish it in the hopes it would improve - not sure I would bother with another of her books. | 0negative
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Ho-Hum
I read this book a week ago, and as I sit here to write a review...I realize that I do not remember the names of the main characters or anything especially wonderful or interesting about the plot. No, I'm not suffering from any mental challenges (beyond the usual that a busy professional/mom suffers). <g> This just wasn't a very memorable book. If you're a die-hard fan, borrow the book from the library. If you're new to JG, I would recommend reading some of her earlier works. | 0negative
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Hard to finish
Love Jennifer, but this was not her best work. Usually, when I pick up one of her books, I can't put it down, it's so entertaining. This one was just the opposite, for me. I kept laying it down and going back to it later. I didn't like the way the chapters were laid out, for each character, going back and forth - made it difficult to follow IMO. I highly recommend all her other books; they are fabulous! Not this one. :( | 0negative
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Fantastic read!!
Koontz is a gripping author and Frankenstein is no exception. If you like twists on old stories then this book will satisfy you to no end! | 1positive
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poor edition
This copy of 'The World as Will and Idea' is replete with typing errors, to a point that makes it very difficult to read. If another edition is available I would like to exchange it.Thank you,Richard Ball | 0negative
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I lost interest
This is the third volume of Fugitive? That story was more or less wrapped up in volume 2. So there seems to be some loose ends such as saying goodbye to his bodyguard, now released from prison and working for Checkmate and some episodic stories here and there.Batman fans here are just too kind with their rating. Why are DC artworks so inferior when compared to Marvel? | 0negative
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A great Journey
Marvelous use of language. Imaginative formating. Death is a terrific character. Old subject matter looked at in an inventive way. | 1positive
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Book or Personal Fantacy?
I first read Desert Sons because of the high ratings, BIG MISTAKE. I had purchased Into This world We're thrown along with Desert Sons, and once I finished Dessert Sons, I left feeling disappointed deeply at how much of the book focused merely on sex, and how predictable the ending was.To give myself a break, I decided to skip Into this World We're thrown to take a break from such amateur reading. When I came back to it, I wasn't surprised. I finished it very quickly. There wasn't anything confusing about it. It was terribly predictable.If you're reading books to learn about the gay life, THIS ISN'T WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT! Mark writes on beautiful events that have the POTENTIAL to be great pieces. But without the details they're nothing but unfinished fantasias. Mark is not a developed writer; his writings are very Un-detailed. I'd like to see him write a more descriptive piece, write something that touches us on levels other that what happens physically.It seems that Mark limits his characters to what he would consider to be a great person, but these characters seem to be stereotypes, people without deep thought, very immature. Now don't get me wrong, he does address some great issues, and things about the gay life that others might not know about, but I don't feel he does a good job at expressing in detail.One of the things that disturb me most is how he portrays other characters. He'll make certain people be the "bad guy", and I know that every story usually has a bad guy, but I think that he does a bad job at making people with disadvantages be the bad guy here. For instance, in this story is a boy who was a victim of sexual abuse, even though he turns out to be a jerk Mark doesn't seem to show any compassion on the character. Instead he'll subject the character to the stereotypes, and forever label the character as bad. Just because he was a victim, and he's a jerk, doesn't mean he's heartless, but that's just my opinion. And of coarse he always makes the bad guys have something bad happen to them. But the main character (who makes mistakes just as bad) perfect, without flaw or any bad instances happen to him. He's an angel.I'm sure this book means a lot to Mark, but it will mean nothing to the reader if he doesn't show us how wonderful it really is. I'm very disappointed with Mark Kendrick's book. It's not my favorite and if you read other novels I'm sure you'll automatically see a huge difference from this author compared to others. | 0negative
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Verses from a friend.
This Penguin collection compares very well with my own Oxford Edition of 1935, and I particularly like the fact that the price is reasonable, so more people may decide to buy the book instead of just getting the two or three poems available in a typical anthology. Samuel Taylor Coleridge suffered a lot during his life: unrequited love, drug addiction, inferiority complex. Yet what a wonderful legacy for all of us fortunate enough to read his verses. My favorite poem is Christabel and I can't help picture the entire poem in my mind as if it were a gothic-horror film. The Ryme of the Ancient Mariner is his most famous work, but all of his other great and not-so great works are here, too: Dejection, an Ode; To Mathilda Betham from a Stranger; Kubla Khan; Ode to the Departing Year; The Nightingale; A Stranger Minstrel, etc. Coleridge represents the departure from the Neo-Classic and the introduction to the Romantic. He and his friend Wordsworth are pivotal in achieving that change. His religious poems may seem odd to a modern reader, but mysticism was nothing new back then, and the man was trying to make sense of his very difficult life, anchoring his hopes in his religion. Anyone who purchases, or borrows, this book, must know that hundreds of pages worth of poetry tell us a lot about the poet, since we are reading his life's work. Excellent book dedicated to the labor of a great author, and at a very convenient price. If you like the Romantics, or are interested in the period, this is a book for you. | 1positive
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Loved it at first, BUT...........................
I read EXODUS when working as a volunteer in Israel in 1981. I loved it - a great story about brave, resourceful, Jews fighting for their survival against evil, devious, murderous Arabs and the treacherous British. It inspired me to read more about the Arab/Israeli conflict so I read everything I could get my hands on. My reading widened when I returned to university and had access to a fantastic range of books on the subject. However, the more I read the more I realised that EXODUS was nothing more then a nasty, biased, and quite frankly racist piece of nonsense. The true story of the period covered by EXODUS is one of a native population (the Palestinian Arabs)fighting for THEIR lives against a well armed and well organised community of recently arrived Jewish settlers from Europe whose intention was to take over as much of Palestine as possible and get rid of as many Arabs as possible. The Jews expelled 750,000 Palestinians, massacred thousands of civilians and destroyed 400 Arab villages. These are facts.It scares me that so many of the reviewers on these pages appear to have gained their knowledge of the birth of Israel solely from this book. In fact, the book and movie have been instrumental in moulding public opinion in the west in favour of the aggressors (the Jews) and against the victims (the Palestinians). Unfortunately, EXODUS has the historical veracity of a comic book.AMAZON has any number of books available by Israeli historians which describe the REAL history of the period covered by EXODUS. Try "The Birth of Israel - Myths and Realities" by Simha Flapan, "The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine" by Ilan Pappe or anything by Benny Morris or Avi Shlaim. But please, PLEASE - do not think that EXODUS is history. It is nothing more than a propaganda con job. | 0negative
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fast-paced equine biography
Funny Cide was the 2003 winner of both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness (two legs of the prestigious horse racing Triple Crown). He was an underdog in the truest sense: unimpressive bloodlines and birthplace, with a jockey considered washed-up, and a group of owners from New York, who were neither outrageously rich or very horse savvy. In fact, they arrived at the Derby in a schoolbus: a handful of friends who had known each other since high school, who were in it for a good time and a way to bond.Funny Cide's journey to the most well-known horse race in America is fast paced, funny and irreverent as many of the people closely associated with the colt. A must for horse lovers and racing fans - and everyone who loves to root for the underdog. | 1positive
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Did we read the same book???
I don't think that these other reviewers and I read the same book because is one of the worst books that I have read in a looong time. I am a huge book lover and I finished this book only for the sake of the fact that I spent my money for it. If you really think you need to read it borrow it because this is one that no one will mind getting rid of. Her other two books were decent, I especially liked her first one(Those were pretty unrealistic also but better than this). This is just so unrealistic and happy go lucky that it is comical, even Walt Disney himself would have to laugh. A huge boring fairy tale, you'd be better off reading Cinderella. I am sorry but you will never see this one on the big screen. If you really need to read I am willing to part with mine because I will never read it again. | 0negative
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Great Book.
I highly recommend it. I've bought mulitple copies through the years to distribute. It's a great true story about one person can accomplish to help many suffering people, if one gives oneself to God for Him to use on this earth. | 1positive
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11 out of 14 ain't bad
Stephen King comes out with his second short story collection,"Everything's Eventual". The fourteen stories in this book touch on all different emotions. Stories talk about love, divorce, ghouls, and murder. They have emotional conflict about wheter it's better to give up one's self or someone else whom you love. I'm just touching on the subjects covered because I don't want to give away anything to in-depth on the stories. The thing I like best about these stories are that they can be read in about an hour instead of 2 weeks like a normal King novel. So if you like King but hate the length of his stories, this is definitely for you. Also if you like the lost art of short story telling and are looking for some good stories, this is for you. | 1positive
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Brooks gives a biased view of women in Islam
Geraldine Brooks' examination of women in Islam is an excellent source of historical chronology in the Middle East. Her portrayal of Muslim women, however, is stereotypical and biased. The reader gets the impression that Brooks has set out to show all the negative aspects of the religion in regards to women. She throws in two examples of Muslim women who are happy in their marriages, and who live contented lives. These two women's stories seem to be included to "prove" the author's objectivity, which otherwise is absent. Some of the details regarding the religion itself are laughable to the reader who has any knowledge of Islam, and one can only wonder why someone who is supposed to be as educated as Brooks would place herself in the situations that she does. Overall, the book should be read for historical content only. Islam should be left to those scholars who are truly interested in an objective examination of the religion's practices, and how they affect women. | 0negative
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Useful and concrete advice
This book explains that people who are targets of verbal abuse aren't helpless, and provides them with strategies for verbal self-defense. The approach is not "blaming" the targeted individuals -- it's empowering them. Elgin has never suggested, either in print or aloud, that verbal abuse victims are responsible for the hostile language environments that make their lives miserable, but she has told them how to take control and cure their environments. This book teaches that at a level written to those who need it most. | 1positive
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Not likely to convince anyone who isn't already a Christian
As an atheist myself, I had heard Lewis was the best Christian apologist there is. If these arguments are the best Christianity can come up with, atheism doesn't have much to worry about.Lewis is correct that it is impossible to prove that God and the supernatural do not exist. The reason for this is that we certainly can never know everything about everything. There might be something happening somewhere for which God is really the best explanation there is. But I haven't found such a thing yet.Lewis believes that human reasoning is of supernatural origin. Neurology has been making great strides lately in explaining how the brain produces the effects that we experience as mind. In my opinion, evolution is perfectly adequate to explain human thought. It's true that the human brain didn't evolve with the purpose of being able to do calculus. The brain evolved for other reasons, such as being able to navigate a complex social world and carry out cooperative hunting and food-gathering. That the brain, once evolved, also turned out to be good for calculus was simply the sort of accident that happens occasionally in evolution.Lewis has a tendency to assume that atheism is equivalent to believing that nothing really matters. As an atheist, I do in fact believe that the universe doesn't care if I'm unhappy. However, that also means that the universe doesn't care if I'm happy. So I choose to live a life that is happy and meaningful to me, and to put a lot of effort into things that I believe make a difference to humanity. The universe has no objection to this.Lewis also assumes that naturalism is the same as determinism; that every movement of an atom is fixed from the initial conditions, so there can be no free will. This is simply a misunderstanding of modern physics. Modern science has a very large role for chance and non-linear dynamics (chaos theory) in the unfolding of events at all scales. This leaves plenty of room for free will.Lewis spends a lot of time discussing the Incarnation, the Redemption of Man, and how this all works. This simply makes me laugh. Part of the reason atheism makes sense to me is that atheism has intellectual coherence. Atheism doesn't have to twist itself into knots over the problem of how God became man while remaining God, or how God can be good when the world around us often seems filled with evil and injustice.Lewis has a reputation for being a logician. In my opinion, much of his "logic" is absurd. Contrary to what Lewis claims, perfectly plausible natural explanations exist for the reported miracles of Jesus. Let's take the loaves and fishes for an example. The first possibility is that it's simply fiction, which certainly can't be ruled out. Another possibility is that Jesus had a wealthy follower in attendance at his preaching that day. Since we know Jesus had some wealthy followers, this is not a big problem. Suppose this wealthy follower saw that it was getting to be lunchtime, realized the people were getting hungry, and decided to be generous. He sent a couple of slaves with money to the local market to buy bread and fish. The slaves were instructed to say nothing about where the food came from, but simply returned and handed it around. In this situation it is all too easy to see how a rumor could get started that the food had appeared miraculously.The problem with admitting miracles occur is that it is very difficult to sort out why they happen at some times and not others. If you believe that Christ raised a man from the dead, what is there to stop you from believing that Muhammad received the Koran from the Angel Gabriel? The level of evidence that we have for both of these events is about the same. There are plenty of Mormons who believe that Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon from a set of golden plates. Since we have first-hand, contemporary accounts from people who claimed they saw the plates, this is stronger than any evidence we have about Jesus' miracles. I don't believe in the plate story, and I don't see that the evidence is strong enough for me to believe Jesus or Muhammad did miracles, either.If Christianity really worked to make bad people good and good people better, I would be the first to sign up. If Christianity was an effective way to relieve poverty and bring peace, I would definitely consider it. If Christianity were just a silly hobby that made people feel good and harmed no one, it wouldn't bother me. Unfortunately, that isn't what I see. Even when in power, Christianity has made little or no progress in solving the social problems that it deals with, such as poverty and violence. Christianity systematically ignores the most serious problems of our times: overpopulation, exhaustion of resources, and pollution, among others. Why does Christianity ignore these problems? Because they receive little or no attention in the Bible.As far as the book itself, Lewis is a fine writer who is never boring. For that reason I give the book two stars. Before taking it too seriously, however, I would strongly recommend reading other points of view. As far as the major problems of our times, I would suggest Kunstler's "The Long Emergency." For a defense of atheism and the naturalistic worldview,I would suggest Carl Sagan's "The Demon-Haunted World" or Taner Edis' "The Ghost in the Universe."I read "Miracles" because I feel as a scientist that it is important not to simply dismiss religion as silly, but to give Christians their chance to convince me. If you're a Christian, are you willing to do the same for the other side? | 0negative
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Dark Ages: Mage, Before the Ascension
I must admit, I was waiting impatiently for this book more than even the new Dark Ages: Vampire that preceded it (and is necessary in order to make full use of Dark Ages: Mage). I love Mage: The Ascension, especially it's new incarnation in the Revised Edition of that game. This game however is not Mage: The Ascension.The similarities are obvious and yes, it is the World of Darkness set back into the Dark Medieval, but the truth of the matter is that this is not the same game as it's predecessors, Mage: The Ascension or Mage: The Sorcerer's Crusade. There is no War for Reality, there is no competition. There is only magic. The opening chapter on medieval superstition gives a blanket feel of ambiguity to everything in the age and I think this is where the real strength of this game shines.This book is not intended for first-time roleplayers. This book is advanced in every respect of the word. As a Storyteller for Dark Ages, having the rules to create and use Mage NPC's in my chronicles is outstanding and the rules for their creation, advancement, societies, everything... is right here. However, I was disappointed by the fact that although this game (and although it requires the use of Dark Ages: Vampire to use it, it -is- a separate and dinstinct game unto itself if allowed) has rules to actually play Mages, I can't say it's that easy. But then again, it obviously isn't supposed to be simple, after all these are willworkers, people whose expectations charge reality and force it to change. It's just not cut and dry.The character creation is easy. The rules for advancement, simple enough. Unfortunately, it's the ambiguity of each of the pillars that catches me off guard, because, although we are playing these mages and their mindset is critical to their play, having the levels of power measured by interpretation is asking for complications. However, I believe now, after having re-read this book two times + since purchasing it, that it is SUPPOSED to be ambiguous and inexact, facilitating the person to person interpretation that was the rule of the day. After all, if someone easily adhere to exacting rules in the Dark Medieval, they were not Mages. Mages break the rules in every way, shape, and fashion and don't apologize for it; rather they take their success to mean that are due even more power. Enter hubris.All in all, this is a great book and more visually stunning that I first imagined it would be. The spine, once again, is not attached to the book itself, but I'm beginning to suspect it's not supposed to. I gave this game 4 stars (instead of 3) because of the innate potential of such a game and the Dark Ages line. However, if you're are die hard fan of the Sphere system, I heartily recommend The Sorcerer's Crusade instead. This game is darker, more brutal, and more ambigious. These can be good things in the hands of the right people, but not for everyone. | 1positive
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Fanny is bland and insipid.
With all of Ms. Austen's delightful, engaging heroines, couldn't she have done better with this one?WHAT a tiresome prig she is! | 0negative
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Highly overrated
This novel should remain forgotten in the dim past. It's a period piece, all right. Blatantly antisemitic -- and I don't think the author was making a comment on his characters in that regard; I think it was the author speaking.Boring in stretches. Long stretches.I finally gave up and heaved the book across the room.Out of curiosity, I read the author's Butterfield 8 a number of years ago and, trust me, it's worse. | 0negative
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Overrated!
This book is completely overrated. The lead character is a spineless, annoying individual, who even when encountered with the perfect opportunity to stand up for themselves, they are too much of a coward to do it. It's something else when the employer, the mother of the child she cares for, is far more interesting than the lead character. That character had depth, which made you sometimes pity her and at other times hate her, which somehow left you wanting to know more about her (as opposed to our lead character.) This was a mindly entertaining book.This book was a cheap knockoff of the "THE DEVIL LOVES PRADA", which is an excellent book. Now that book had an array of characters (especially the lead character) with depth. | 0negative
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Textbooks are textbooks, and so is this.
Alright so I didn't get to go through this book entirely, but that's because I picked it up too late and didn't realize what a valuable resource it was. This thing has a lot of information packed into it. About a day before the test I saw some little schedule it had somewhere in it where you do a couple chapters a week, but you're supposed to start like 2 months ahead of time or something. That would be helpful if you didn't really have any structure to begin with...a little late for me though. I would recommend following that agenda, but not without some other help from your other resources. Okay, so I praise this book because I know if I had the time for it it would have been very helpful. The practice tests in it were good as well, and harder than Princeton Review's wimpy multiple choice questions. The only complaint is that the book gets a little disorganized, but will help a lot. | 1positive
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Hoops, a great book!
Hoops Fast Break is a great book for young adults interested in basketball. Hoops tells about a junior who transfers schools and has learn how to play iner city ball. At 6 8" Brian Davis is all the Jefferson Patriots need to have a great season. He makes a few friends over the summer and learns a little bit more about playing ball in the city. But he has a lot more to learn. | 1positive
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Ok
I think that the authors purpose for writing this was to send a message that there is evil in all men. I agree with him because the boys expressed it after they lost respect for eachother. They all showed some kind of evil on the island. The literary element that the author showed was symbolism. He handled it very well because it made you want to keep reading to see if his symbolism was true or not. In my opinion, this book was believable because imagine being on the for six to nine months. the boys went crazy thinking about how long they were going to survive which of course made the evil come out in them. The book was less than perfect in the ending. I probably would have had some cops investigate on why some of the boys that were dead looked the way they did. That would have been my way of changing the flaws. | 0negative
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A bone-chilling masterpiece
If you have ever seen the film version of this novel by William Peter Blatty, you may have a small inkling of the true horror this book inflicts upon the reader. Blatty's technique of blending the occult with ancient Christian practices allows the reader to see a whole different perspective of the Catholic Church.The story is of Chris MacNeill, a renowned actress, her daughter Regan, and Father Damien Karras, a psychologist at Georgetown University. Regan falls extremely ill, and all doctors are stumped when they try to diagnose Regan's illness. Chris MacNeill calls for the aid of several psychiatrists who run many sophisticated, technological tests on her, and they, too, are stumped. Finally, Regan enlists the help of Father Damien Karras, a psychologist of Georgetown University. The skeptical priest refuses to believe that Regan is possessed, and, believing that her ailment is simply suggestive, that is, brought on by a feeling of guilt and a knowledge of possession, so he asks the bishop if he may perform an exorcism. The bishop calls upon Father Lankester Merrin, a priest who had performed exorcisms throughout the Middle East in Iraq and various other desert countries. Fathers Karras and Merrin begin their exorcism, and all seems well until it takes a sudden twist. If you wish to find out the ending, you have to read the book!I strongly recommend this book to anyone and everyone! | 1positive
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Good book
Windows is covered very well in this book. The DVD is great too, especially the section on how to slipstream updates and drivers into the XP installation process. | 1positive
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absolutely charming
I thought this play was very well written and it had such a wonderful portrayal of a twelve year old girl, nicely done! | 1positive
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AWESOME!
I have been following Cherie Bennett's work since the Sunset series and I have to tell you that this is one of the best! It leaves you hanging and dying for the next book to come out! I guess you'll have to read it to understand what I'm talking about. | 1positive
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Garbage
After having finished reading The Celestine Prophecy, I hooked onto the internet and found all manner of activity on behalf of the book, then felt compelled to add a few words of my own.People, beyond the author's uneven imagination, there are no Peruvian "Manuscripts" or "insights". This book is fiction, interspersed with some useful, unoriginal offerings on how to lead a better, healthier life: eat well, meditate, try to rise above childhood-inspired neuroses, treat other people (including children) as you would want to be treated, keep the forests green, aspire to a positive vision of the future--ancient suggestions folks, and good ones!Unfortunately, for the author's standing within the writing community and for lovers of good writing, at least, it's amazingly mediocre fiction--in fact, it's probably about the poorest excuse for fiction I've ever encountered. Upon realizing, about half way through the "novel", that things just weren't, emotionally, spiritually or intellectually, "adding up", I persevered out of a combination of curiosity (would it become more credible, or would the writing improve, at least?), and disbelief (that it just gets worse and worse, and that such poor work could be so popular--a quick "surf" of the internet revealed some "true believers" actually flew off to "commune" on Peruvian pilgrimages, presumably thinking thousands of dollars and some allegedly enchanted forests will grant them what their back-yards, friends and other loved ones--or perhaps most valuably, some good soul-searching--are perfectly equipped to provide for free. Dorothy! Ooooh, Dorothy!).Folks, wanna-be "New Age" gurus know who their target audience is: the depressed, disenchanted and dispossessed--people hungry for something, and many of us with a few extra dollars to spend on books, workbooks, "magic" crystals, even jaunts to Peru, etc. As had better know any would-be cult leader, and as thoroughly understands any successful one, many soul-thirsty persons are willing to forgive almost anything--let alone awful writing--to hear someone (anyone) say they're special--anointed, even. The Celestine Prophecy: a tidy, brief, little, large-lettered, official-looking, anybody-can-read-it assurance that the reader is truly, as s/he's sometimes dreamed, one of the Chosen--and CP's built-in, though generic, defense, of course, is that anyone who doesn't "believe" is simply not anointed, or doesn't "understand" yet, or one of another of those smug, pseudo-righteous, divisive types of allegations. Redfield has the audacity to suggest a limited number of "enlightened" (a "critical mass"--100,000, was it?) is required to then propel humanity into some instant higher consciousness in the next millennium--garbage elitism. Built into this concept is the proposal that if you buy into his overall thesis, you could very well be one of the propelling quantity, so jump on board, and don't forget to use the handy order form in the back of the book to sign up for the $29.95/year newsletter. The Chosen Few Bus can look pretty. Such a quick fix is most appealing when we're feeling at our lowest.Brief, large-lettered, official-looking, easy-reading--yes. Tidy? Unfortunately, The Celestine Prophecy isn't nearly tidy--there's a huge and troublesome question of credibility underlying and undermining the entire package. As I've noted, no "Manuscript" or "insights" have been discovered in South America--borrowing apparently shamelessly, the guy made these goodies all up, then packaged them with a from-the-heavens-implying title and within a truly credible-looking manual-like cover. Because someone tells you something is a manual, or truth, does this make it so?? Insightful enough to gather that most compassionate beings root for the underdog, Redfield pits the Peruvian army and the Catholic Church, who fight to suppress this "Manuscript", against his faithful and determined, harried, little band of scientists and scholars "coincidentally" linked to one another to discover all of the "Manuscript's" nine "insights" and then reveal them, all against all odds, to the world. Of course, the "good guys" had to be scientists and scholars--an unoriginal, transparent attempt on an author's part to try and scam some legitimacy. And of course, several priests and soldiers impulsively defect to the scholars' camp (like we're supposed to do?). Less predictable, one "good guy" Peruvian confesses to knowing little English, then goes on to express himself quite fluently--perhaps the eighteenth or umpteenth "insight", revealed in the umpteenth, profit and/or ego-driven sequel, will wind up "revealing" the Instant English Pill. At another of countless, odd and typically bland junctures--though this one, in capable hands, may have provided an emotional peak for the book--a Peruvian "bad guy" soldier shoots and kills a confederate of our supposed hero, the never-named (as if he might be you, of course) main character, who's then spattered with that confederate's blood; then, with barely an "Oh, Gosh!", our intended "hero" retreats to a handy mountain top where he, minutes later, enjoys an extended, loving, transcendental experience. Huh?? Got over that bloody, mind-boggling mess in a jiffy, didn't he? And Redfield is a psychologist?? Pretty insightful for a guy pushing "insights"...Let's abscond the trite, robotic narrative for a moment and visit what may well be considered the only truly original of Redfield's "insights". Meaning to have kept us somewhere approximating the edge of our seats, he, at about page 227, finally unleashes the big "ninth insight" we've been waiting for--the author's idyllic predictions for the next millennium. Here, and among other pseudo-profound "visions", we learn (drum-roll, please!) we'll work a tenth as much as in the 20th century, yet still make a decent living as we'll give each other cash in trade for passing on to one another the "answers we need". "Thanks for thinking of me.., here's your $13.50, adjusted for the lower inflation we are enjoying. I love you!" Huh??? And no tip, Mr./Ms./Mrs. Enlightened??? Ok, so let's get it straight--none of us are working much, and some of that limited income has to go for food, shelter and clothing, so we're just basically passing less and less money back and forth--something has to give, wouldn't you say?I think this Redfield character really imagines his "insights" are worthy of death-defying dedication and dramatic defense--potentially exciting circumstances he's unable, unfortunately, to quite whip up. Am I getting through??? We're supposed to forgive the shoddy, implausible writing, yet buy the "insights"?? Or maybe he dreams his writing's as vital as he imagines are these "insights"? Science fiction???--the book might work if it were meant to work that way and written even remotely well; problem is, Redfield takes a shot at leaning on every possible angle--a work of fiction or science fiction, an historical document, a spiritual manual--and fails all over the place. Then there's the little problem of Redfield disavowing seemingly every website that springs up in honor of his "vision". Second's on thoughts, anyone? Then again, you're not asked to think--just feel. Anyone for Soylent Green?In a weak, thin attempt, I think, to scam some credibility off of The Bible, Redfield quoted, "The truth shall set you free". How true, and appropriate.Just like an apparantly growing number of people, I believe in the rightness of my choice that there's more to living than the material and self obsessions characterizing these times. I'm not "born again", or a right-wing, religious fanatic; nor do I have an agenda or anything to sell. I'm searching, too. I just think this isn't a credible alternative, and ask you to think about it. It may be the "answers you need" aren't waiting inside rocks or glowing plants or Peruvian jungles, but right there inside yourself where they've always been.Why does The Celestine Prophecy bug me so? Because I think it preys on people--that's why. If it just sucked, I'd leave it alone. And I am anointed, as everyone is. Also, I don't mind speaking my mind--maybe too honestly for my own good sometimes--my short-term good, at least--though that possibility is also questionable.I'd now like to offer my own Three Insights:1) The story of The Celestine Prophecy's success is a landmark in self-publishing--it's possible to write largely unoriginal and otherwise preposterous, feel-good garbage, distribute it out of your own home, and wind up selling it to a major publisher for $800,000. Redfield proves anyone can do it.2) The success of The Celestine Prophecy clearly demonstrates that a great number of people seek a spiritual fulfillment current organized religions aren't providing.3) The fact you bothered to pick up CP likely indicates you're soul-searching; whether or not you take CP seriously, don't stop now.Seek out your highest vision of yourself and try to live it. Treat your brothers and sisters well, consider eating things that are good for you, try meditating if you think it might help, be kind to animals and keep the forests green. Do anything you want to do, but then take a moment to see how the consequences of what you've done support that highest vision of yourself. You're a triad being of mind, body and spirit--most of us are well aware of our bodies; in search of your soul, don't forget to occasionally check in with your mind. Keep searching, feeling, thinking, reading: experiencing. In this moment of Eternal Now, I'm quite enamored with Conversations With God by Neale Walsch, a book I most highly recommend. And though a newsletter is available in support of this most profound work, scholarships are available for anyone who can't afford the price--imagine that--a promise of love backed by love.My current, yet ever-changing, vision of myself includes exposing dark and grey in favor of light. CP isn't dark, but it also isn't light. I caution you to not be so enamored with the relatively new and evolving genre "New Age" that you can't discern the dark and grey from the light.Love and well-wishes. | 0negative
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Not appealing to adults or children.
It's hard to reduce Dickens' stories into a few pages and still retain anything that makes them interesting and worth reading. | 0negative
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BORING!
Do not waste your money on this one. Nothing here that has been written about already and generally much better. Reading this, you would believe every artist in Nashville, past and present, is a tremendous talent, since old Ralph spends half the book... telling us how great the artists are.... Really bad. | 0negative
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The Erotic Hemingway...
At last, a male character in a Hemingway Novel who is not an impotent macho husk. Hemingway finally seems to come to grips with his sexuality, or a favourite sexual fantasy, and delivers a beautiful erotic story of a sexual triangle,that ultimately spirals to an unhappy end. But it's fun getting there, you naughty boy Ernest! Written in his spare lean evocative way, it dances around a sexual taboo and the emotional entanglement of a sexual triangle without being caught up too much in any graphic sexual descriptions. Shame really! A bit of get down and get dirty stuff would have been nice. But its delicately handled and often the hint of sex leaves more to the imagination.I found it fascinating and am disappointed Hemingway didn't write more material like this. | 1positive
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This was one bad book!
I can't believe Stephen King wrote this book. There wasn't one bit of horror in it. I kept reading hoping that it would get better by the end but it didn't. What a waste of time! | 0negative
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like pulling teeth
this book looked and sounded really good but in reality was one of the most boring books i've read. and i read a lot of non-fiction. i almost didn't make it all the way through. my suggestion? don't waste your time | 0negative
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Left-leaning sizzle
Eric Schlosser has written a book everyone should read; perhaps a bit too long, for certain a bit too detailed. Many may not be able to wade through the whole thing, especially the young who, 1. hardly ever read and who, 2. already spend a disproportionate amount of time and money in such establishments. That said, it WILL make an impression and have you wondering about how frequently you should frequent fast food eateries. Me? I can only eat at a McDonald’s or Burger King or Taco Bell, etc. an average of once per month. Mama didn’t raise no fool!But doesn’t anyone with half a brain realize that eating fast food too frequently will be bad for the pocketbook and harmful to the body? Apparently not – and this tome will reveal that fact well. But be forewarned: Schlosser was commissioned to write this by Rolling Stone Magazine. His anti-conservative skirt is showing.The stabs at all things Republican are oft times apparent, other times masked, but almost always there. Eric S. is obviously a very liberal, left-leaning Big Government disciple and one will have to get through this bias in order to be able to derive anything useful from the read.It is unfortunate Schlosser had to resort to .... sensationalism in what was supposed to be a book about a real problem in America (and ever more, throughout the world). Our well-entrenched liberal media already does this sort of thing too well. I’d prefer to read my books with “just the facts” and allow me to draw to my own conclusions. | 0negative
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Great reference book
I ran across this book after reading James Kaler's The One Hundred Greatest Stars. Extreme Stars is very readable, the author makes complex issues easy to understand. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand the way stars give light and live out there life cycle. | 1positive
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Decent content; too many typos/ambiguities. Unclear who the audience is.
OK, on the upside: This book is very readable, very light. Some texts are so dense that they almost necessitate being read in 10-page increments. Thankfully, this book is comparably straightforward, and there is a lot of relevant content covered.Unfortunately, there are quite a few typos and numerous instances of ambiguous code that could easily throw off beginning programmers. These include:1.) Multiple instances where "-" (single minus sign) is used as a decrement operator, which will not work (i.e., $x-; whereas it should be $x--;).2.) Page 68 - Presents the do..while loop in VB-style syntax (that is, with the do keyword followed by a colon and then line-separated statements, rather than with a C-style code block in {braces}). On the next page, the author then informs us that the VB-style syntax, which is offered for while loops and for loops, is actually not available for the do..while loop. So why was it presented that way on the previous page? I suppose it was meant to be a pseudo-code representation, and not the actual syntax - but it's certainly misleading.3.) Page 76 - Convoluted description of "continue n;" syntax: "The optional n acts as the opposite of the n accompanying the break statement, specifying to the end of how many levels of enclosing loops the continue statement should skip." Eh? I found this one to be rather difficult to comprehend, especially since no example was provided.4.) Page 66 - At the top of the page, the first line of code reads, 'if ($food == "pasta")', but the accompanying comment for that line reads, '//check $pasta value', even though it is the value of $food we are checking (NOT the value of $pasta).5.) For example, on pp. 90-91, the syntax for the 'include' function is listed first as 'include(path/filename);' (parentheses but no quotes around path) and then, alternatively, as 'include "path/filename";' (with quotes around path, but no parens). But in the example that follows, it is written as 'include ("array_sorting.inc");' - which contains both quotes AND parentheses. I suppose all three are acceptable - but this is not stated explicitly, and as such, it's very unclear.All in all, not a bad book in terms of content covered, but it definitely should have been edited more carefully. If you're relatively comfortable with another programming language already, you'll probably catch most of the typos - but I'd still keep the PHP documentation handy. | 0negative
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Over-hyped because of the controversy.
This book's high sales are solely due to the controversy it created. Rushdie has written far better books such as Shame and Midnight's Children. Although Rushdie is famous for his abrupt shifts in scene he seems to lose the thread of the story himself in the middle. His chatty style can also get irritating. The few lucid parts are engrossing, however. Not worth the effort, though. | 0negative
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Excellent book
I have read several books by the Friels, all of which have been good or great. This book is especially good because it shows how our refusal to move into adulthood plays out in our lives. I had a lot of great insights into my life on account of this book. Perhaps one of the best things is seeing that my refusing to grow up has really kept me from experiencing a lot of joy in life.It is especially pertinent in light of the youth worship that characterizes modern american culture. When seen through the Friels' insightful book, the origin much of our angst can be traced to the loss of the value of adulthood. This book isn't about social change, but it isn't hard to extrapolate the experience of the individual and see the culture.This book is very straight-forward and clearly written. It can be read in a day and is well worth it. | 1positive
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A captivating novel!
There hasn't been a novel of this sort that doesn't move me or haunt me to my very soul! The Hiding Place, the story of Mary, Frankie and their six daughters, is intense and captivating.A Maltese family living in Wales, they struggle through life just to survive. Frankie loses his family business to gambling, Mary is forced to sell her body in order to feed her children, and Dolores, the youngest of the girls, tells us a disturbing and haunting tale of her infancy -- as well as tell us the secrets that haunts each sister.This is a beautifully told novel that should be read between the lines. The narration alone is worth the read. I recommend it most highly! | 1positive
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And meds dont kill over 300 people a day?
There is plenty of research out there to back up chiropractic and the benefits people receive from such. All people have to do is get off there lazy buts and read it. over 300 people a day die from adverse drug reactions and we hardly hear about that. One incident occurs in the media about chiropractic and that streamlines. MD's are SCARED of chiropractors because we offer a way to correct problems instead of covering up symptoms that can only make people worse. This author wanted to make a few bucks and just bad mouth chiropractic. | 0negative
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matchbox copy
The Paper Bag Princess was a cute story but I wasn't expecting it to be matchbox size. I was very disappointed in the product for the price. | 0negative
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Good overview of Islamic countries customs & differences
This was an extremely informative book about differences and similarities of women's treatments, rights, circunscriptions among differing Islamic culures. If it is outdated, as some have mentioned, it did not appear to be overly outdated to me, who as a Westerner lived in Islamic North Africa in the mid 1980 and have since been interested on the subject.Ms. Goodwin is objective, cares to describe what we in the West would value and what the women within the Islamic community also value. There are great differences bewteen all these countries and they are shown in good faith and broad lines.A great serious read for those trying to reach outside of the Western world. | 1positive
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Agatha Christie : An Autobiography
That book was great I loved that book because it told everything about her life in it, it told about when she was growing up and what happened in her life, while she was growing up. Life is great when you make somthing out of it. When Agatha Christie started getting sick she just didn't care she still just kept on writing and when she died somebody wrote the rest of it to say thats all the writing she has left for anyone because she had died. She was a great author because when she wrote her books she made them interesting to people to pick up her next book that she wrote. | 1positive
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Sci-Fi God? Bradbury Be Thy Name
First off, I need way more than five measley stars!This is, hands down, one of my favorite books of all time & probably one of the greatest books ever written! I say that without a trace of guilt. Ray Bradbury is God! I have read The Martian Chronicles no less than twenty times and I'm sure I'll read it at least that many more times before I'm through with it. One of the true masterworks not only of Science Fiction, but of literature in general. Bradbury is the unofficial spokesperson for the human race here. Clever and intriguing, with more than a few twists ala The Twilight Zone (which makes sense since he used to write for TZ with his buddies Rod Serling and Charles Beaumont). More of a collection of short stories than it is an actual novel, The Martian Chronicles asks and answers and comments on so many issues from the destruction of the environment to the rape and pillaging of new frontiers to social and racial tensions. Free-thinking? Is that anarchy? Bradbury asks the questions and gives us his version of the answers. Usher II is one of my favorite bright spots. This is tongue-in-cheek Bradbury at full-throttle. One of those "boring" books you had to read in High School, The Martian Chronicles was one of the first books that I had to read, that I did read, and that I actually enjoyed. After that the full spectrum of Bradbury's work became available to me and I couldn't stop until it was all devoured. Something Wicked This Way Comes, Dandelion Wine, Fareheit 451, The Illustrated Man, R Is For Rocket, S Is For Space... Like I said before, Bradbury is God and The Martian Chronicles is his crowning achievement. Get your hands on it one way or another. Lie, Cheat, steal,sell your immortal soul, whatever it takes. The Martian Chronicles is a masterpiece!Dig it! | 1positive
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Who would of known
Never had to read this for school until now. Really did not know all the facts it would dig into. Really liked it a lot. | 1positive
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Cook does Jules Verne
THE SETUPAn oceanographic drilling crew is abducted by a sub-oceanic civilization, which had evolved on earth prior to us "second generation" humans.COMMENTS"Abduction" is juvenile science fiction at best. In good science fiction there is some attempt to conform to the laws of physics, etc., and the alien civilization has some limitations. In "Abduction" Cook makes no effort to conform known genetics, physics, geology, etc, and the power of the "first generation humans" is almost unlimited.The "first generation humans" are essentially immortals and capable of intergalactic and time travel. They intercept and study all of the radio, television, etc. communitcations of the "second generation". They can mask their undersea mountains from Geosat satellites. Yet, implausibly, they need to abduct a few ordinary "second generation humans" to ask them about the state of deep oceanic drilling. Huh?And of course, the "first generation humans" conform to every adolescent vision of a utopian society. They are masters of extremely advanced technology. Slave robots to do all the actual work, appearing almost instantly with anything desired. Doors disappear into walls. They are apparently vegans, and the food tastes different to each person depending on their preferences, etc. Of course the inhabitants barely bother with clothing, apparently love-making is about their only activity. They are pacifists who abhor violence of any kind. And yet they are just ordinary folks?Why do they have large refrigerators in their apartments, particularly in their microbe-free environment? Haven't they managed to miniaturize refrigeration? And for that matter, what do they need refrigerators for when robot slaves appear almost instantly with anything requested?How plausible is it that offered immortal luxury, the entire "second generation" crew (with the exception of a woman) are obscessed with escape?VERDICTFor a 12-year-old author, this would have been a fine effort. But for an established adult author, the novel was a great disappointment. | 0negative
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Completely useless
In general the DOM is grossly inconsistent across different browsers and versions. To create scripts that will be able to stand up against these inconsistencies requires an in-depth coverage of every conceivable node of the DOM tree. The author did an exceedingly poor job of describing the DOM and provided little to no information on how to compensate for the extensive browser incompatibilities. The only good thing about this book is that it makes for a great door stopper. | 0negative
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Collins' Water Hazard
If you're looking for a great short story, this is it. Stephen Collins' "Water Hazard" has exemplary prose and stimulating suspense. An unsuspected ending creates shocking imagery with moralistic value. A must read for everyone. | 1positive
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Les Miserables
I read this book after seeing the movie, but was disappointed in the book. There is too much detail about each character which rather bored me. | 0negative
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William Mangum Book
This book of intoduced me to the very talented artist William Mangum. I would recommend this seller to anyone interested in this artist. The price was great, and the book was shipped very fast! | 1positive
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Software Engineers - must have.
I have never read a more concise but clearly written technical book, and the code looks beautiful too. Pretty much every software engineer needs this book.If you absolutely know what you are doing it reduces the solution time for most known problems from hours to minutes. If you are not all that clued up about IP but want/need to be, this is the book. Fundamental Networking in Java could just as easily be just called Fundamental Networking.I expect this book will become the standard text in Software Engineering courses on Networking. And if your course has a different text, this book is probably a better choice. It will be one of the very few textbooks that will survive your transition into the working world.And the beauty of this book is that because it is written in crystal clear english it is also very useful to a much wider audience - technology manager, business analyst, etcetera. | 1positive
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Good entrance, okay performance
Zen Gardening hits it off strong; Harte puts forth traditional ideas with a not-so-subtle twist - straying away from mystic mumbo-jumbo, opting for the vernacular of the everyday joe. Following many Japanese and Chinese organizational techniques, the author presents simple additions and mods to almost any abode as well as full and luscious decked-out, fully landscaped projects. Some far fetched, and some less so, all are very pleasing to the eye. The illustration and photography in this book are superb. This is a good book to dwell on; pragmatic applications are not this book's strong points. | 1positive
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childs book
was not aware of who the author was. but i remeber this book from my childhood, and many others recommended reading it. but it was too childish for my tastes in literature. i didnt even finish reading it. | 0negative
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Diagnosis: Poor
A poorly argued and heavy handed polemic in novel's clothing, with wooden characters and an obvious, plodding plot. It's clear that Lightman is trying to say something "significant" about the dehumanizating impact of technology, but it's all been said before, and better, by more talented writers and deeper thinkers. One expects more from this author, though there were in fact signs of decline in his second effort, the barely noticed "Good Benito". | 0negative
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Wow
Unlike most stories that center around a few high spots these "tales" are loaded with action and adrenaline that even had my blood rushing. The book is so well written that I could feel myself thinking as the star did. Like the review before, I would dive for the theaters or television if this was put to a motion picture. A wish of this reader would be to see the Sandman continue .... | 1positive
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So Disappointed
To each his own, but I have NO idea why people chose "Beeperless Remote" over "Men Cry in the Dark." My book club read both books, and the "Men Cry" book wins hands down to me. Shawn Wayne was a complete idiot. I sat there thinking to myself that there CAN NOT be brothas out there this stupid. True, "Men Cry" had some grammatical errors---but so did "Beeperless." I was so disappointed, because the leader of the book club had hyped it up so much, comparing it to Terry McMillan's "Waiting to Exhale." The ending to "Beeperless" is really what got me. I'm not player-hating, but maybe next time, Mr. Whitfield. Thanks for reading my review, one and all. Peace....C ya! | 0negative
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Ten characters in search of a plot
The title of Andre Gide's _The Counterfeiters_ is derived from one of its character's novel-in-progress about individuals who mask their true feelings for those they care for most. People, instead, choose to hide behind a facade of indifference. Much of Gide's book is taken from entries from a journal kept by Edouard Molinier, the intended novelist. A sub-plot of _The Counterfeiters_ concerns a band of adolescents, one of whom is Edouard's nephew, who are allegedly circulating coins that have a veneer of gold but are in reality worthless. Gide aptly draws a parallel to the human relationships presented in his book. Gide successfully captures the needless agony, with which many of us can perhaps identify, of two people who secretly find joy in the other's company, but wrongly assume, based on surface appearances, that the other person is bored or annoyed with himself. Another character in the book dejectedly leaves home when he discovers that the man whom he has called his father throughout his life was not his natural father. The young man incorrectly assumes that this man never really loved him and would be glad to be rid of him.Character development is Gide's strong suit in _The Counterfeiters_. Unfortunately, Gide's weak plot development sinks the excellent realization of his characters. Many of the story lines begun by Gide, as reflected in Edouard's journal, are abruptly dropped. One never learns what happens to Edouard's friend Laura in relation to her husband nor to Vincent, Olivier's errant older brother, and the father of Laura's child. The result is that nothing in _The Counterfeiters_ ever comes together or is resolved. Gide chooses to end the book with the suicide of one of its characters. Like several of the other people populating this book, an elderly and despondent relative had misinterpreted the unfortunate adolescent's attitude towards him as indifference. But likening this death to that of Christ dying for his sins is incredibly heavy handed. Nothing that happens in the novel prior to this tragedy prepares the reader to accept such an outlandish conclusion. | 0negative
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Misty rocks
I love these books. The Herald books are some of the best I've ever read. Arrows of the Queen was the sixth book in the series I read, and it remains my second favorite. (Right after the threeway tie with the Vanyel books!) I'd definitly suggest this book for anyone, regardless of whether they like fantasy or not! This book will hook you into fantasy, and the series will keep you rather occupied for a long time. :-) | 1positive
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Cynical, disturbing police procedural inside U.S.S.R.
Martin Cruz Smith's "Gorky Park" is a literary thriller, and is more notable for Smith's unique style and his gift for capturing the bizarre Soviet world than it is its conventional plot and resolution."Gorky Park" is ostensibly a police procedural, where maverick investigator Arkady Renko is the "one good cop" in a corrupt justice system investigating the murders of three young people in Moscow. Of course, this being a thriller, Renko's investigation takes him high up the food chain, where he gets a chance to expose high corruption, nefarious deeds by officials, and the hypocrisy of the world he lives in. And, of course, he falls in love with a gorgeous woman along the way.Two things set "Gorky Park" apart from conventional thrillers you see in every airport bookstore. The first has to be Smith's command of daily life in the Soviet Union. Published in 1981 before the collapse of the Soviet Union, "Gorky Park" sweeps along with the rhythm of daily life under communism, and it's a disjointing, jarring rhythm indeed. Smith combines an eye for detail with what must have been eye-numbing research to transport the reader to another world that is completely alien to Americans. The novel starts out in Moscow and ends in New York, and it's interesting that Smith is so able to capture the jarring differences between the two cities.Smith's style also elevates "Gorky Park." Too many thrillers use language in purely functional terms, and dialogue is invariably direct and serves the purpose of clearly advancing plot or building character. In "Gorky Park," Smith is much more subtle than your average author. Many passages and lines require re-reading to figure out what is actually being said -- not that Smith writes badly, it's just that most of "Gorky Park" is heavily laden with subtext, and Smith also has the patience to let "Gorky Park" unfold gradually. While this may slow the novel down somewhat, it also makes the story deeper and richer."Gorky Park" is not a pleasant novel, or a "fun read." Arkady Renko is not one of those cops who throws off pitch-perfect quips, and he is not a physical juggernaut prone to kicking butt and taking names. Rather, he is the perfect investigator for the Soviet system - dogged, intelligent, and deeply cynical. It's that cynicism that lets Renko see his fellow Soviets for who they are, and this insight makes him a great detective.I admire "Gorky Park" more than I like it, which is why I give the novel only four stars. Renko, it must be said, is a bit of a downer. The novel opens with the dissolution of Renko's marriage, and Renko spends most of the novel in a morose funk (and not necessarily due to the divorce). Renko is a man who has been almost entirely crushed by the Soviet system and also by his family, and all that is left in his is a spark of his former self. It is that spark, that undying, implacable fire inside Renko that makes him such a compelling character. Dour, fatalistic, cyncial, pessimistic, to be sure, but very compelling. | 1positive
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Not one of the better, detailed or updated books available.
Stated that book was revised. However this book was revised over 3 years ago and contains much material that I know is outdated. Examples: Dr listing in the back is inaccurate -- several doctors are no longer at stated clinics and had left clinics around 1995. Some of the procedures discussed are no longer the norm -- newer methods have replaced them. | 0negative
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An amazing novel
Mere Christianity is one of the best novels I have read. This is a great apology for the Christian Faith. I found the philosophical reasoning C.S. Lewis uses throughout the novel intellectually stimulating. However, if I did not concentrate on what I was reading, I soon found myself completely lost. This novel was written on a much deeper level than most novels I read. Having previousily read the Chronicles of Narnia, I knew Lewis was a great author, but I did not know philosophical he was.Some of the highlights of Mere Christianity from my perspective. I enjoyed his description of the trinity. I had always been told, "We don't understand it, but God is three yet one." Lewis offered an explanation with more substance than I had been told before. I found his thoughts on Heaven and what we can expect to find there interesting. Two other topics in the novel stick out in my mind. First, is the problem of pride and how detrimental it can be in the Christian's life. Second, is the continual growth and improvement of the Christian during this life.I highly recommend this novel. In fact, I recommend buying more than one copy since I have already given my first copy away to a friend. | 1positive
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Just Dilbert
It really gives you a reason for laughs. Dilbert never lets me down on that matter. | 1positive
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mere propaganda-not history
I possess a copy of this book,which I do not deem as being the work of a serious historian.Rather,it is simply a dated and stale product of WWII British propaganda,and certainly better works have been written on the same subject.See for example the book by David Fraser.The role of the Italians -who made up the great majority of Rommel's soldiers in the African theater- is grossly underestimated,and ripe with negative clichès on their fighting capabilities,while at the same time skillfully avoiding to give any credit to their most valuable units,such as Ariete,Folgore or Giovani Fascisti.Not the work of an historian.A waste of time. | 0negative
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Enjoyable but,
I enjoyed the story overall but a little too much French especially for someone like me who knows very little of the language. | 1positive
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Disappointed
I received my book -- and I'll have to say it hardly looks used -- however, there was spots all over the front cover -- maybe mold??? Everytime I pick it up I start sneezing. Also the ink on this book is very faded. I already had a copy of it, and there is no comparison in the color. I hope the book is back in print soon so I can get a NEW book. | 0negative
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Ranks with Jordan, Tad Williams, and Kerr
Of all the fantasy series on the market, only three, to me, combine page-turning plotlines, characters you could cry over, solid writing--and believable worlds. Martin joins Robert Jordan, Tad Williams, and early Katharine Kerr as the best of what modern fantasy has to offer. I know how popular Salvatore, Eddings, Feist, et al. are; but read them again, and what you get is good story with junior high school-level writing ability. Terry Goodkind spins a good yarn, but he's too derivative of Robert Jordan (why no copyright infringement lawsuit?) and his writing is average at best. Martin's series, though... wow. Tad Williams remains, to me, the best-written of all series, Jordan's plot is perhaps the most captivating, and early Kerr was so real you could smell the horse and steel. Martin is not the best in any one area, but he does it all so well you'll find yourself staying up all night turning pages. My only anger is the year-long wait until the next installment. I know some will chafe at the fact that this second volume is mostly build-up, with just about nothing getting resolved. But what a build-up; the tension gets so thick you want to scream at the characters to get a clue and see what's really coming. If your idea of fantasy is two-hundred pages of improbably-named Dungeons and Dragons cliches killing monsters plagiarized from Tolkien, go back to your Salvatores. But if you're into believable worlds crafted by authors who obviously have done some homework into late medieval history to flesh out the details, and characters who are _human_, with human failings, do yourself a favor and buy A Game of Thrones and A Clash of Kings. Better yet, wait until the series is done before you start, or you'll find yourself in agony, like I am now. | 1positive
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Horrible, sexist trash
Seriously, this book is a piece of garbage, useful only for laughing in disbelief that anyone would ever want to follow the guidelines in it. The author's premise is that women need to be doormats AND able to secretly manipulate their husband. This book is very sexist and enforces rigid gender roles. It may be useful advice for someone who wants a very traditional marriage and is OK with being "accepting" of their man even if he abuses her, but for women who want a life apart from being a doormat/manipulator, stay away.The only one who should buy this book is a feminist scholar who wants to deconstruct the ideas contained within it. | 0negative
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Just not that good.
I found this to be a very clinical examination of a failed D-Day landing with very little plot and very little to excite or interest me. The book was donated to my local library after I read it and, obviously, does not warrant a permanent place on my bookshelf. | 1positive
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One of the few perfect books ever written
Reviewing Maurice Sendak's "Where the Wild Things Are" is a bit like pointing at a full moon on a clear night: it's rather hard to miss. My favorite book as a child first learning to read, "Where the Wild Things Are" has recently moved into the handful of books my 3-year old daughter wants read to her again and again (and again and again). Max's rebelliousness and imagination are like looking into a mirror for her: as Max realizes what awaits him at home, I like to think she too remembers all those times she misbehaved and got angry and then decided her parents were okay after all. The pictures still hold their charm after nearly four decades; their quirkiness hasn't faded. This book belongs in the library of every human on the planet, regardless of age. | 1positive
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