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A hopeful romance that ends in tragedy.
"Ethan Frome" kept me in the dark the entire time I was reading until the very last page. The narrator, who remains nameless throughout the novel, introduces the reader to Ethan Frome, the main character, and tells the reader of his "smash-up." He describes the scars on his face and how Ethan's right leg is shorter than the left, and I was compelled to read the entire book to find out what the "smash-up" was and why it happened. After the introduction from the narrator's point of view, chapter one takes you twenty years back in time and begins to tell the story of Ethan's poor, miserable life, which is the main portion of the book. You learn about his wife Zeena, whom he quickly married when his mother died because he couldn't imagine being alone. Mattie Silver, Zeena's cousin, comes to the home to care for Zeena when she becomes weak with prolonged illness. Ethan quickly falls in love with the younger, more beautiful Mattie, and is surprised to find she loves him too. But he is unable to pursue a relationship due to his marriage and his poverty. At the end of the novel, Ethan and Mattie make a desperate attempt to avoid having to separate forever. The outcome of this final attempt results in Ethan's "smash-up" and ends up binding them both to Zeena for the rest of their pitiful lives. I will not tell you what happened because it was the great suspense that drove me to read and made the ending so powerful. | 1positive
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Experience something else
The book was as confused as it was loaded with visual eye candy. The most pressing need for visual experience designers is knowing when to make information speak for itself and live on its own. It doesn't need to be fancy or dressed up like a overdone light show at a rock concert. Please, more substance. | 0negative
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Atlas Shrugged
Don't buy a book by its hype. The pushing seems to be by conservatives who think it tells a story they would like to believe is really the way people act and think. It's hogwash. This novel has an amateurish plot, little character development. Bulk is not quality. | 0negative
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Bring back memories.
I lived in Suffolk for three years during the 1960's and did much brass rubbing in the same churches that the author talks about. It is an adventure relived to read the book. | 1positive
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None
Sadely worthless without drawing or figure. Don't waist your time downloading it...There is a lots of those worthless book here Amazon should be reviewing before makind them available...It is because it is free that it should figure here unless it only serve the poor purpose of raising statistic of the amount of book available... | 0negative
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This book was confusing and pointless.
Don't read this junk, the chapters do not go in order, and there is no point to the book. You could skip chapters and you would not miss anything | 0negative
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yich.
It's not that the CD is bad, not at all. It's just the material that's on it! I give this two stars simply because it *was* read by William Shatner, who is an outstanding actor with a very expressive voice. However, the material is terrible. As far as I'm concerned, Shatner is probably the worst trek author in the business - and believe me, i've read every single trek book on the market. His characters are shallow and unbelievable; even characters such as Spock are not what we've come to expect from thirty years of exposure. The situations are laughable and in some cases just impossible. The story could be told in 30 pages rather than 300, or however many it took. I guess what bugged me most about this book was the fact that JTKirk is *dead* (in the movie "Generations") before it starts; he *comes back from the dead* for this book. And, of course, gets the girl (a klingon/romulan hybrid who's immortal.....), takes over the Enterprise (buys it from Starfleet, in fact) and goes around the galaxy adventuring. Improbable and vaguely ridiculous. I don't recommend it if you're looking for a good story; I do recommend it if you want a good laugh. | 0negative
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Perfect
This Book is just the kind of book that I like. It has great characters, a suspensful yet charming plot, and wonderful writing. Unlike many books, this one ended just how you want it to and you are not dissapointed. Defenitley a favorite. | 1positive
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Systematic Theology
I really enjoy reading this book. It is right to the point and not hard to follow. I have a few other Systematic Theology books and Grudam's is a 10 plus. | 1positive
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Our house is more peaceful now
I read Love and Logic and I really wanted it to work. It sounds so wonderful in theory, but when you are tired and all your buttons are pressed...it is hard to be clever enough to pull it off and my son who is 2 1/2 did not listen to anything I was saying, was not answering questions for the options I presented....he just didn't care. I am 3 months pregnant and I realized that I could not afford to still be running after my son to put slothes on him in the morning so we wouldn't be late for preschool. I couldn't afford to have to pick him up in public when he kept trying to run away. Physically I can't do it anymore and it's only going to get harder as my belly gets bigger. I also found myself getting really angry and yelling at him and I felt horrible about how I was parenting. It was getting negative and wasn't working and frustration was building on both ends. The director at our preschool recommended I try reading 1-2-3 Magic and I began using it immediately and after the first 2 rest times (of two minutes a piece after reaching 3), my son got it. I have only been using it a week, but it has made a tremendous difference in my level of calm. I don't need to even raise my voice or be even slightly negative. I don't have to try to explain. When he comes to me and starts whining instead of talking, I just calmly hold up one finger and say "That's 1" and almost always, my son stops immediately and says something like "Water please Mom" or "Read this book please Mom". WOW!!! In one second with zero negativity I get to find out what he really wants and give him an answer. I get to tell him how wonderful it is to hear him use his big boy words. It is such a relief. If he makes it to 3 on something, I either calmly opick him up or walk him to his room and say "Time for a break. 2 minutes". I come back and get him even if he is fussing about it and go right back into our day without having to rehash what the original problem was. Is it how I envisioned disciplining my child? no. I always envisioned a more Love and Logic sort of dialogue and I am sure when he's older and able to use more logic, then I can use more of those strategies. For now though....I am calm, my son is smiling more and talking more and being more cooperative and I am so grateful that I can make this happen for us right now. So yes, I recommend it. Make sure you read ALL of the 1-2-3 method though. Don't skip or stop short reading. | 1positive
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Great classic story!
I simply loved this book. The characters are so rich, and the story so intricate and well written, I found it engrossing from beginning to end. I loved how the author explored Pip's journey of the desire and love, which really lives in the heart of everyone. This is a "must read" for those wanting to catch up on all the classics. I have not read much else of Dickens' work, but this story is a masterpiece. | 1positive
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Excellent Fantasy Book
The Hobbit is a great book. It is well written, quick and easy to read. So many things happen in it as far as getting in trouble with Trolls, Goblins, Spiders, Smaug, Gollum, ect. The book also tells of other tales that sound intersting. also, the poetry/ballads in the book were awesome. | 1positive
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Truth's a Gem That Loves the Deep
Out of all of C. S. Lewis's books in theThe Complete C.S. Lewis Signature Classics, I would recommend reading this last. Due to the conceptual density, this does not make for as light as reading as his other more accessible books. In fact, this books requires several prerequisites. Begin with "The Abolition of Man," the three chapter dynamo that is the keystone to Jack's philosophy. Second, round out the arch with "Mere Christianity" and "The Problem of Pain," paying particular attention to Chapter 2 of the latter book. Furthermore, read "Weight of Glory," "Transposition" and "Is Theology Poetry?" inThe Weight of Glory. You may also want to readChristian ReflectionsandGod in the Dock: Essays on Theology and Ethics, just to get a feel of his lines of reasoning.This is a lot of preliminary reading, but trust me it is worth it. These books and essays contain core concepts that he describes in full, which he only alludes to in "Miracles." The ides are so subtle an novel that I recommend getting a full chapter explanation as opposed to the two paragraph version we get in this book.This is needful. Due to the delicate, complex, and absolutely fundamental nature of the ideas, this book seems wordy. But as I review and re-review the text, I keep saying, "Let it stand, and let the chips fall where they may." I wish someone like Peter Kreeft or Ravi Zacharias could write an annotated version of this book. Until that time. . .Lewis begins his argument (not a revelation, but argument) by discussing the fundamental nature of Nature. Is nature all there is, or is there a Supernature? His main reason for believing in the Supernature comes from man's ability to think. He is, in essence, asking (my words, not his), "How do we go from rocks to DaVinci's brain, unless there is some ever-present intrusion."Personally, I find this argument compelling. Carl Sagan finds no compelling evidence for a soul (The Dragons of Eden: Speculations on the Evolution of Human Intelligence). The staunch atheist Ayn Rand also argues for the supremacy of man's mind, but she never accounts for it's origin. She denies evolution, but remains suspiciously quiet on this core aspect of her philosophy. (For the New Intellectual: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand, 166;Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology: Expanded Second Edition).Lewis's explanation has more explanatory power, greater explanatory scope, plausibility, no ad hoc-ness, and is superior to Rand's rival hypotheses.I give Lewis credit for summing up Christianity in two propositions: 1) Men tell coarse jokes, and 2) they feel the dead to be uncanny (Ch. 13), which means, we have a fallen, animalistic nurture, and second, we are uncomfortable with our mortality. In fact, this is why Lewis is such a genius. He moves from the commonplace observations, to the deep treats of Christian theology.He concludes by discussion the central miracles of Christianity: the Incarnation, the Redemption, and the Resurrection. If miracles are inadmissible, the Christianity is pointless. The central feature of the gospel is not so much biography (as found in the Gospels), but the historicity of these miracles. The point of the Atonement is to transform men, and to save souls. Everything else is secondary.*Of all of Lewis's books, this has to be the hardest to read. Part of it has to do with all the preliminary reading that must be done. You need to be familiar with so much of his other writing to understand his points. Even within the book, chapters 1-11 are prep work to actually discussing miracles in Chapters 12-17. The chapters are longer, and in several instances could have been sub-divided. And he tends to wander a bit within the chapters. In Chapter 13, Lewis jumps tracks by discussing the fall and redemption on other planets. This is interesting, and is the basis for hisSpace Trilogy, but not quite germane.However, all of these meandering tangents do have appoint. They reveal connections between ideas that most people do not see. Thus they are a more comprehensive vista from the airy altitudes. You have a better view, but the thin air dulls the impact. Nonetheless, people still climb mountains.So you may want to read other books first. But when you read, pay especial attention to Chapter Two in "The Problem of Pain." I think he does a better job of explaining nature in this one chapter than in chapters 1-11 in this book. But once you finish the book, you know that you have touched the mind of a genius. Remember the AHEM and chocolate analogy in Chapter 16, and laugh with his brilliance! | 1positive
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A Significant Review
I decided to order and read this book because of the difference in opinions (many heated!) among the amazon.com reviewers. As a teacher and connoisseur of coming of age literature, I wanted to see what all the hype was about and make up my own mind about this book.Whores on the Hill isn't a literary masterpiece and it isn't intended to be likened to the classic and canonical works written by "great authors." It is simply one author's tale of growing up white (or Asian-American like Juli), middle to upper class, promiscuous, alienated, and full of inexplicable angst.Aside from the fictional plot twists and turns, this book paints a realistic portrait of what happens to many young women as they come of age in our turbulent and sex-obsessed culture. While many readers did not appreciate the book's in-your-face language or sexuality, Curran's depiction of these two things is, sadly, dead on and true to life. The coming of age issues and resulting implications are not always made manifest for the reader; instead, he or she must draw them out, help to paint that picture, or fail to see the point.Banning the book, as some reviewers have suggested, is not the answer, nor is denying or demeaning the life experiences of the young women who write reviews saying that they can relate to this book. Instead, we must listen to what these young women and the characters in this book are telling us. Something is deeply wrong in our culture, but it's not Curran's book or books like it that is causing the problems we see young women facing and experiencing in adolescence.I enjoyed reading Whores on the Hill and found it captivating. Perhaps this book is more suitable to the young adult to college age crowd as opposed to the more adult or "parent" reader. But I would urge parents to read it and even if you LOATHE the book, learn from it. If we fail to see the meaning in novels like this one and simply condemn it based on our personal beliefs or its literary merits, then we fail today's adolescents as well. You don't have to like this book, you only have to consider it. | 1positive
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This can't be Linda Howard
I could not get into this book. I tried, really tried, but I gave up.Frankly, I have not truly enjoyed her books, since Mr. Perfect, and Open Season. The humor is gone. I loved the humor mixed in with the suspence. I will not be buying her new book either.Darn.Karen | 0negative
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Great poetry
This book of poetry is wonderful and it is great to have. I'm glad that I had the time and the money to get this. It is a must read for all female aspiring writers. | 1positive
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Im no student of Hendrix but I liked it enough
Hendrix is so idolized and mythologized these days, mostly by pretentious boomers like the ones writing over at crappy mags like Rolling Stone. Im a younggun, and started listening to Hendrix 6 or 7 years ago and loved it so; but to be honest I didnt know much of his life, but I guess I didnt care much either. Hendrix's music exists in like this capsule away from his actual physical person and self, writers have no problem calling him "the greatest guitarist ever" or praising his songwriting but dont ever bother with him.So, maybe thats why I liked this book. It gave some weight and depth to the person behind the great music but also showed him to be a mortal who fell to his base pleasures. It's a well-balanced, smooth read, and I recommend it. | 1positive
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"The connection between you father and mine is there"
J. D. Robb hits the nail on the head with this one, with a combination of fast-paced action and baffling developments that reveal facts from Eve's past. The novel grabs the reader's attention right away when we find Reva Ewing in a furious state driving to the house of her best friend. She has recently received information that her husband is cheating on her with Felicity, and her anguish is a combination of the betrayal per se and the fact that the person betraying her is a close friend. Reva is an ex-Secret Service agent who nowadays works with security systems, so she has no problem in accessing Felicity's house, since she was the one in charge of installing the security. But things take a sharp turn for the worse when she finds her husband and her friend dead in Felicity's bed, and Eva is attacked and turned unconscious by the killer, who was still at the scene.Things are a little different from usual because this time it is Roarke who receives the call. It turns out the Reva works in one of his companies and is also the daughter of Caro, the administrative assistant of the billionaire. In that way, both spouses become involved in the case, Eve as primary investigator and Roarke as a consultant and interested party. It has been a while since we found Eve trying to clean the name of a suspect, the last time was when she had to prove that her friend Mavis was innocent of murder. In this case, her investigation leads her to associate Reva with a project to stop the Doomsday Worm. This in turn leads to interesting developments that end with her finding the truth about her surname and a very disturbing fact related to the abuse she suffered as a child in the hands of her father.In the last few novels we have seen Eve Dallas and her husband Roarke go through an emotional roller-coaster, and the ride continues in this installment. This is in my opinion one of the most important aspects in this series, since each time we are looking forward to learning more about the characters' past and the new events that occur in their lives. We also observe that other characters show interesting developments in their paths. For example Peabody, Eve's former aide, has passed the detective's exam and is now Eve's partner. Peabody is one of the most charming characters in the series, and her sense of humor works miracles for keeping the narration flowing seamlessly.The fact that the novel develops in 2059 allows Robb to create a world in which she can apply her view in terms of how society will evolve. For example firearms are banned, there is a vaccine for cancer and droids take care of menial chores. In this novel, almost surreptitiously, the author delivers another tidbit of information about what is going on in 2059, when Reva says: "I carried a weapon when I stood for the President, and once took a hit for her".I think that writing as J. D. Robb, Nora Roberts has found a niche of readers that were looking for a good sci-fi and mystery mix. I count myself among those readers and will continue to follow this series as long as the quality remains at the high level it has shown throughout its more than fifteen books. | 1positive
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Hortizontal Print
I missed if the product description said it was printed on the horizontal instead of the usual vertical. Too weird for me. I returned it. | 0negative
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DRY READ
This latest novel by Grisham lacked much if any excitement shared by his previous works. I would pass on this one! | 0negative
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Not Really Great....
The Book was very good in the beginning and then it got boring in the middle. Most of the book was unbelievable, the dialogue was just so fake. It took me forever to read this book because it made me feel tired and I thought this was Dean's weakest book. | 0negative
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A Great Book
This is a GREAT book! I was thrilled to find it at my library, because everyone told me that I should read it. This unique story shows how the March sisters deal with problems together. (I have two sisters, so I can relate to that). The four girls, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy, form a tight bond as they deal with frienships, money, marriages, and much more, during the civil war, when their father is away. When their mother, "Marmee" goes to help their sick father, they struggle to find any help for Amy, who is dreadfully ill with the scarlet fever. This, and many more problems fill their lives, and they learn to live a better life as they mature and grow strong within each other. This is a wonderful classic, and I encourage you to read the book,watch the movie, or listen to the cassete (of which I have done all three!). | 0negative
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A Great Escape into Another World
Jules Vernes captures our imaginations in his tale of adventure and science. The narrator, Dr. Arronax, is a French naturalist who goes on an expedition to hunt down a mysterious sea creature spotted by many sailors. However, in an interesting turn of events, he finds out that the enigma that roamed the oceans is in fact a futuristic submarine (the Nautilus) built by Captain Nemo. Dr. Annonax, along with his Flemish companion Conseil and Canadian harpooner Ned Land, are held hostage on the Nautilus and through their time aboard they experience the great wonders of the seas. Giant squids, ice caps, pearl hunts, close calls with Papuan natives, are only a fraction of the exciting events they experience.Using Arronax as the narrator, Verne gives us a look into the mysteries of the deep seas. While Arronax often gets carried away labeling and categorizing sea life, it makes the narrative seem more authentic. I felt a little cheated about not learning the life story of the brilliant and enigmatic Captain Nemo. We learn that he is driven by revenge, yet we don't know exactly why and who is his unfortunate target. However, this lack of revelation allows the reader to create his/her own theories, which can be quite fun.This book may not be for action junkies, as shown by previous reviews. However, I recommend this book to readers who are curious about the unknown with an interest in science. It is an interesting and very creative read, and should not be missed! | 1positive
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I can't give it zero stars?
What a sickening book. It offers up nothing but generalizations about anything and everything. ALL Californians are gorgeous. ALL fat people are desperate and slobbering fools who love bacon sandwiches and just can't control themselves. ALL fat people going on a diet will spiral out of control and become anorexic because they are SO desperate to be thin and beautiful and have attention and have a perfect life, just like the other skinny girls. NO men pay attention to fat girls. ALL fat girls are forced to lose their virginity in demoralizing manners because no man in his right mind would be in a loving relationship with a fat girl. And on, and on...The worst part is I can't believe I actually finished this tripe. I need a bucket of bleach for my brain. Thank god the friend I loaned it to had better sense than I and declined to read it.How's this for a generalization?: ALL of Jane Green's books suck and blow. | 0negative
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Disappointed
I'm not a big romance reader, but I've always liked Henley's books. Unfortunately, this was a tremendous let-down. The obstacles to Sean's and Emerald's relationship never seemed very plausible. And Emerald's transformation from free-spirited lass to English rose and back was equally unsatisfying. Everything was just too easy. And Emerald seemed more like an annoying, over-developed child than a rebellious heroine. I'm giving Henley one last shot and after that I'm taking my romance habit elsewhere. | 0negative
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Meet a humble servant of God
I had known the story of the Miraculous Medal but have never "met" the person to whom the message was entrusted. Catherine Laboure is the epitome of a person who experienced extraordinary heavenly favors but exhibited such humility that she never allowed herself to be identified as the visionary . She was given the message that the Immaculate Conception has the power to shower God grace to the our aching sorrowful world. She will protect us and guide us to her Son if we ask her. Catherine Laboure faithfully carried out her mission never directing any attention to herself then went back to her life of service to others. The reader journeys with the young Catherine through the death of her mother and the young saint assuming full adult responsabilty at age 12 for the household management of a farm. She faithfully assists her brothers business by taking on lowly tasks and finally in the convent she cares for the old men in the hospice. Catherine performed her duties of cooking, cleaning and caring for other with love and attention so as to make an offering to God;small tasks done with great love. It is within our ability to strive to do the same.It was a well written,enjoyable and edifying book. | 1positive
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Brilliant, absolutely brilliant.
The book, Bravo Two Zero, is one of the grittiest and most spectacular accounts of the greatest special forces regiment in the world- the SAS. Andy McNab tells the story of a covert patrol behind enemy lines in Iraq during the Gulf War, and how eight men attempted to survive the biting cold and the constant Iraqi patrols. Only five made it, two of whom were subjected to the cruelest torture imaginable upon capture. This book serves as an insight to the harsh realties of modern warfare, and you will instantly gain a respect for the 22nd Special Air Service. | 1positive
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Lame
Seemed to be aimed at a person that doesn't know much about flying. Maybe you should wait to get your multiengine rating if you're at that level. | 0negative
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Highly amusing!
Denouncing liberals as unpatriotic is baseless and ridiculous. We support clean air...so we're unpatriotic? We support tougher laws against corporate crime and campaign finance reform...so we're unpatriotic? We support universal healthcare, welfare, and affirmative action...so we're unpatriotic? First and foremost however we support peace and diplomacy whenever it is a viable option; and because of this we're unpatriotic? I guess this is just another book from the "bias liberal media," oh wait, it's another conservative book... | 0negative
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Terribly twee
I didn't feel like Alexandra Ripley got the point of the first book. 'Gone With the Wind' wasn't a romance novel, and a lot of it was symbolic or metaphorical. Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler were larger than life characters because they were embodying the entire New South. In 'Scarlett', they were two kind of shallow, somewhat boring people who rutted sometimes and complained a lot. Oh, and we're supposed to believe a woman who decided she would go to hell and sell her body to the highest bidder is going to give up the land she was willing to be degraded for and hang out with a bunch of canny, incredibly twee poor Oirish relatives? And that the Irish in 1880 were still so superstitious that they would want to burn a toddler at the stake for being a changeling child? I'm not even a full quarter Irish, but I was pretty offended. Oh, and let's not forget the woman hopelessly in love with the IRA priest who gets shot in the street like a dog by those disgusting Brits, who also set fire to a village because the village elder (the kooky American cousin) with the oh-so-original name of "The O'Hara" refused to marry a British lord, who she banged before marriage even though Scarlett clearly finds sex completely distasteful until Rhett inadvertantly wakes her up? | 0negative
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It IS Satanism!
I think writing style and content have to be divided in this book. The writing style is okay, but the content is about an extremely imporant subject matter and cannot be glossed over. It is the content that has me alarmed. If you believe the Biblical endtimes are here, you do not want to be led astray. The content in Lamb is WRONG! Please do not take what is written in Lamb as Biblical truth. There is SOME Biblical truth. But when you mix that in with much error, and add in a false prophet's ego, you have a poisonous stew spiritually speaking.This book is supposed to expose satanism? It IS satanism! When you don't deal with the total Word of God, but you add in your own imaginings, that is satanism. You lead people to spiritual ruin. All satan did in the Garden of Eden was ask a subtile question, then suggest the entire Word of God wasn't true. What Lamb does is slyly work in things that are not Biblical. If you don't know your Bible, you will not be able to tell the difference. The author is very skillful and you will be drawn in by many of the characters. But please don't be drawn in by half-truths. This is where cults begin. | 0negative
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!!!The God of good books!!!
GREAT BOOK. Love the way Herbert has made up a "new" religion, based on Islam and Christianety...It gives the reader a perfect picture into a futur, where humans relly more on other people, then robots. Also the part about "making a perfect humaniod" is great. | 1positive
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Another great
This book isn't for everyone, but if you're a Richard Laymon fan you'll like this one as much as the next. It comes in a close second for me, with Island being my favorite. | 1positive
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Wonderfully Written & Very Practical
This book is absolutely wonderful. As an easy, quick-read, the book goes into detail about how to be a better parent, something which everyone with children should strive for. The advice is extremely practical and I recognize a clear change in my parenting skills and the reception I receive from the children. I recommend this book for anyone, even those who don't have kids but would like to have better children skills!! | 1positive
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Good reviews are suspect
Did anyone who gave this book 5 stars actually read it? Or are they good friends of the editors? The comment attributed to Professor Gaddis located above these reviews was especially disappointing. His books about the Cold War are wonderful but this book would bore even incoming freshmen at his university. Someone must have called in big favor for that quote.There is nothing new in this book unless you are surprised by statements like "the internet has changed the way we communicate." On the other hand, this book may be for you if you didn't realize the U.N. Security Council has five permanent members and they all have a veto. My point is this: the book is marketed to people with backgrounds in security issues but insults the intelligence of anyone who knows anything about the field (and I don't mean academic background either; reading USA Today would surpass the insight provided in this book).If you are a professor putting together a class syllabus, please save your students' sanity and do not make them read this book. If you are just looking to buy it for fun, you need to reassess your life. Save your money and time and choose another book. Take it from someone who actually read it...one star is generous. | 0negative
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Expand Your Views On Life
What can I say, when I first read this book, when I was 15, it changed my outlook on life. When I reread it today it still does. The new version from Heinlein's widow has about 150k more words that were cut both for length and content when it was published. If you can get that version it is by far the best. | 1positive
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Sweetness and understanding of a great family
This may be an excerpt from a larger work, with which I'm unfamiliar. I have to judge it simply on what's before me. As one who thinks New York is the most civilized city on the planet though not as beautiful as Sydney, Australia, and who grew up, with millions of others, loving Harpo Marx, I loved this (little book). It is quite atmospheric and gives a very clear understanding of where the Marx Brothers got their drive and energy - Mother Minnie (stagestruck) and Father Frenchie (Housekeeper, tailor and cook). It is also a resounding example of the power of family. A very sweet and companiable edition by The Little Bookroom. Would make a very sweet gift as well. | 1positive
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A Secretly Stupid Garden
This is the worst book I have ever read, and I have read a lot of books. The characters have the intelligence of worms and are about as interesting as one to.The story, unfortunatly, starts, at this huge old house. This bratty and selfish girl goes to life, after her parents died (probably couldn't stand her,...).There she meets this other annoying and bratty kid, who, if possible, may be more selfish than her. They eventually become friends, and discover this garden, that would have been better off stayed hidden, for the sake of the readers.And thats basically it. Beginning. Middle. End. Not even an interesting end. I could barely tell the difference between the beginning and the end. That may be a good thing. | 0negative
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Gimme a friggin break!
Grow up! It's not good to be a pimp, that's victimizing women you crazy...! | 0negative
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Hard to get into
This read by my 12 year old daughter. She is an avid reader, but couldn't "get into" this. She says it was a bit dull. Only read one chapter. | 0negative
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All superlatives seem inadequate
This is the best book I've read in my nearly 40 years, with the possible exception of the Oxford English Dictionary, and easily warrants a ***** rating. But the version I read was the earlier Penguin edition, the one annotated by Prof. Harold Beaver. Why Penguin would discontinue that fantastically thorough effort, and replace it with this utterly barren one, I really cannot fathom. | 0negative
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Bass Guitar for Dummies
I play bass therefore I'm a dummy. This book was made for me. does what it says and says what it does. It a bass book for amature-semi pro. | 1positive
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Only volume 1, poor kindle integration, buy another version!
I had just downloaded the Gutenberg edition for free, but that only included the 1st volume, so I wanted to buy the whole book. It said nothing in the amazon store that this would be only part of the book, but when I bought it I saw that it was only volume 1, and that I had spent money on nothing. Don't buy this edition! It is only part of the book. Also, the kindle integration is poor, e.g. Not direct kindle link to table of contents. I would want my money back, or a free switch to the book I thought I bought! | 0negative
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Native American History
There are somethings in here that I never knew about Chief Joseph .. This is excellant reading ... | 1positive
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Rating Lance Armstrong's
Great insight into the politics and nuances of bicycle road racing including not only interviews with Armstrong and his camp but also those of opposing players and team. Fast paced and engaging in the account of the preparation for and the actual 2004 Tour de France.Though Coyle had unprecedented access to the Armstrong camp, the account of the race and the competitors was reasonably balanced. However, this is definitely not a pro-Armstrong piece of propaganda | 1positive
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Put some clothes on, people!
We bought this as a fun activity for us to enjoy as a married couple, but, just as a warning, it is filled with pictures of naked people--even some full frontal nudity. I recognize this won't bother some people like it did us, but, we wanted to make sure people were aware before they bought it. If we had known, we wouldn't have bought it. If you want to learn massage but don't want to see naked people, I recommend Susan Mumford's bookThe New Complete Guide to Massage. It has minimal nudity and none of it is frontal. | 0negative
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Thought provoking entries by controversial figure
By the time WWII began Charles Lindbergh was firmly entrenched in the Isolationist movement and no friend of FDR's. He was confident Germany would defeat all of her opponents and rule Europe. He didn't figure on the Japanese however and once the war began however he wanted to contribute but not in uniform (afraid of Roosevelt ordering him to a cubby hole somewhere) so he found jobs testing aircraft and giving flying advice to pilots in the South Pacific. A brilliant but also incredibly naive man, Lindbergh basically found himself a man without a country only two decades after his remarkable achievements. | 0negative
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A depressed author's work
This book's author displays all the classical signs of major depression. Just like Salinger did in Catcher in the rye and Huxley in A Brave New World. The book deals very little with war itself and how he was injured or what he saw, but does instead talk non-stop and ad nauseam about the soldier's life before he was injured. He describes his father in sad detail and rethinks all the things he should have done and his lost love. Again, classic major depression and NOT an anti-war book. | 0negative
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Nannie Little Roses Story
The setting of this story took place at a school named Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania in the late 1800's.The conflict of this book was the white men were invading the indian scools and villages, killing them and there food. The resolution was they had to move to reservations that was taken care of by the government.Nannie Litlle Rose was best friends with Pretty Eagle. Little Rose swore she would keep the secret of Pretty Eagle going into trances. The indians believed her to be a medicine woman. When Pretty Eagle died, Little Rose wasn't allowed to go to the funeral.I liked this book because it taught me about how the indians lived back then. I think I would have liked to leve in that time because they rode horses to go anywhere. It also taught me some history about the indians in America.This review is by Raquel Fazzino | 1positive
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Fails As Literature
Fascinating as a look into the symbol-laden mind of the highly learned James Joyce. The entire history of the world up until the first quarter of the twentieth century is here. Unfortunately, you have to spend years playing archaeologist to discover its hidden treasures. I've spent two years studying this thing, and will waste no more of my life on it: everything that Joyce has said in this has been said more eloquently and (obviously) more clearly elsewhere.NOTE: If you're undecided about this, read the first page. If you hate it, you'll hate the rest. If you love it, you'll love the rest. The quality of the writing stays fairly consistent. | 0negative
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Forgot how disturbing this was...
I remember the coverage of these awful events when they happened, but had forgotten or wasn't aware of a lot of the details and/or false reporting by the media. This book is enthralling for many reasons- it's amazing what people will do while under the influence of someone else and even more amazing how religion is usually twisted into everything, whether good or bad. Shows how easily fairly intelligent people can be brainwashed into thinking and doing things most would never consider. Fascinating, appalling, and unbelieveable all rolled into one. | 1positive
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An unbelievable windy techno-thriller.
I waited until Rainbow 6 came out in paperback and I'm glad I did, not just for the sake of my carpal tunnel but also for my wallet and sense of having my time wasted. Mr. Clancy should next try writing about Spanish galleons and clipper ships: his long-windedness and tortured writing would propel those ships along at great speed. In this latest epic macro-series, Mr. Clancy has the world being threatened by those liberal tree-hugging vegetarians who want to save the world by killing all but a few thousand of the planet's residents. Do you hear faint strains of something like "we had to destroy the village in order to save it?" The incredulous plot has a team of scientists working for a major biochemical company producing an ebola-based bioagent (does this sound familiar) that will kill everyone on the planet. We have the usual cast of FBI, CIA, KGB, MI6, MI5, SAS subjects and other assorted acronyms and numbers who are blissfully unaware of this menace until the very last minute when our heros rush to the rescue. I'm sure Mr. Clancy intended this book to be a thriller, but it's far more enjoyable reading it as a farce. No mas. | 0negative
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Ignorant author, title to be changed
I think it would be more appropriate to be named as "The European History" since it gives too little global view of the world history.In my opinion, history is a great guidance in the human being's future development and civilization. Let's first forget the modern history of the new world like USA, Canada, Australia, and South America and only consider the world before these countries even existed. Among those 5000 years' civilization, Eastern civilization (including Chinese, Indian, Persian, Islamic, Japanese, and Korean, etc.) has been superior than or at least as great as Western civilization (represented by Greek, Roman, and British, etc.) for more than half of the time.Don't forget the current domination of european culture is temporary! Don't forget the rises of China and India! Don't forget China is the only continuous civilization for over 5000 years! If you don't respect other people because of your ignorance or temporary richness, you won't be respected by others, sooner or later!For the reviewer who defamed another reviewer with Chinese ancestry (called Chinaman by that reviewer), I just forgive your ignorance. We need more tolerance instead of hate in this more and more global world. God bless everyone! | 0negative
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Great Transaction!
I chose to order this text online, based on bookstore prices. The cost of the book was excellent and I saved money even with shipping. The seller advertised the book as used/very good. The book seems brand new, which is always a pleasant surprise. It came neatly packaged and shrink wrapped. While the USPS claimed delivery on February 22, I received the package today, after ordering it on Thursday, January 31. Very pleased with this transaction! | 1positive
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needs to be read
With all the hype and confusion brought to us daily through the media, this book is a rational way to look at the facts as they are, instead of how different groups want them to be seen.A fast read, short chapters but plenty of places to start if you want to delve deeper. Clearly written by someone with an appreciation for what looking at all sides of an issue can bring in terms of clarity and reason. Something the right will hate to see on the best seller list.If you think that you might like this book, you will! Get it, and start getting it. | 1positive
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Cute Story Well Told
Sub-Title: The Lost History of a Horse and a Man Who Changed the WorldA fascinating story of a horse owned by a master show-man. Dr. William Key was an ex-slave who was successful in a large number of enterprises. At one time while he was selling patent medicines he decided that having a horse as part of his sales act would help. He bought, (very cheaply because he was lame), the horse that became Beautiful Jim Key.There is no question that this horse was very bright. There is plenty of question as to just how bright, but clearly a genius in horse terms. Over time, Beautiful Jim Key became more of an attraction in his own right that the patent medicines were left out and simply admission to watch the horse perform brought in the money.No one knows how the horse did what he did, but there is suspicion the he followed minute clues from Dr. Key's posture. At any rate, Beautiful Jim Key was a very popular performer and his 'proven' intelligence led to the anti-cruelty laws for animals that followed. | 1positive
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A must read.
Sometimes a book just calls you. My two friends and I were on a bus ride at 2:00am (do not ask why) and the bus driver suddenly asked: "What is your favorite book"? My friend since high school pointed his finger in the air while rocking in his seat and shouted: "To Kill a Mocking Bird"! I knew it was an honorable book to read, but somehow I missed the opportunity to read it in my twenty four years of existence.Two weeks after that occurrence I was headed to a basketball game. I had a half hour to kill before game time so I made a pit stop at the library one block away. I sat in the community study area browsing for books when I glanced at a crossword puzzle. Of course, the answers to the crossword puzzle were formatted for To Kill a Mockingbird.One, I wanted to find the answers to the crossword puzzle. Two, this was no mere coincidence that the book was brought to my attention again. Cliché as it sounds; it was destiny that I read this book. I feel dumbfounded that I did not read this in high school. I hope to teach this book to my students in the future. Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird is in the literary cannon for a reason; it theme still touches home today. It is a must read. | 1positive
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The Giver
Lowry does a good job of keeping you interested in this book. She describes a world that seems almost perfect, there is no pain, no fear, no sorrow, and no choices to be made. It is about a boy named Joanas. At first Joanas is content living in his colorless world without feeling, but later he realizes all the good things his comunity is missing. This is a very good book that really makes you think about the world today.Most of my friends, both boys and girls, have read this book by choice and really enjoyed it. | 1positive
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Wonderful!!
I am a sixteen year old girl and have just finished reading "Little Women" for the upteenth time. Let me say, once again I loved it!! Every girl should read it and have a copy in her library......A must read!! | 1positive
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The Past Will Haunt You
A publishing house finds itself in the grips of fear after its director is murdered. The murder follows a series of odd pranks and suicides. It is clear that something is not right at the Peverell Press. Inspector Dalgliesh is called in along with two junior detectives. It seems clear that the murderer had to be one of the staff, but how and why remain a mystery.As James always does, she manages to develop numerous complicated characters and a multi-faceted plot. On the side of law and order the two junior inspectors are more important than Dalgliesh to the plot and the investigation. As with the suspects, their own lives and histories will play pivotal roles in the investigation and its resolution. James does not disappoint in this mystery, and the book follows patterns seen in her other Dalgliesh novels. In the end the police discover that an alibi is not quite as unassailable as it seems. | 1positive
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Atkins for Life
just not as I expected..........prior info misleading | 0negative
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A freightening outlook
Shrill, smug, and designed for true-believers of the author's extremist, absurd, and dangerous world-view. Any rational person should be truly freightened that such narrow-minded policies are actually considered. The pope in the 11 century launched the Crusades to rid the world of evil. He didn't have an exit strategy either. Those who can't see beyond the closed minded ideas of these authors are as much a danger to the planet as any terrorists. | 0negative
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Sentimental favorite
This was a childhood favorite of mine. Its a poignant, charming book that warms my heart. I hope every child reads it | 1positive
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THIS BOOK BLOWS
I recommend this book as kindling for a fire. It is the worst book that could have possibly been written. If you want to read this, jump off the nearest bridge or very tall building (without a parachute). That's probably the most similar experience to reading this book. Thank you, and have a good day. | 0negative
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Not My Cup of Tea
I may be the one guy out there that does not like his books. What makes me mad is that I have heard so much good press I was excited about this book. There are a number of reviews here that sum up the story so I will not go down that road again. I find the writing wooden and he just does not hold my attention. It takes a lot of time (or it seams that way) to get through this book. I do not know what slowed me down more, the disjointed writing or the plot that seamed to just be thrown together. I did not believe the characters; they just were not well developed. I only made it about half way into the book. Maybe I just have a mental block with him. | 0negative
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grow up
I'm very surprised to see such negative comments about this book. Its one of the best.. if not the best books i have ever read. The symbolism in this book is so powerful. Maybe if you just opened your eyes and payed attention you could see that. This book was brilliant. | 1positive
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Once-scandalous tale
D.H. Lawrence's once-scandalous tale of a married woman who finds herself through an affair with another man Constance Chatterley is a lovely woman in her mid twenties who is married to Sir Clifford Chatterley, a wealthy British nobleman many years her senior who is paralyzed from the waist down due to an injury sustained during World War I. While Constance loves her husband, she has grown weary of her life as a bird in a gilded cage, as well as her husband's lack of affection. One day, Constance steps out to take a walk and pauses to tell Parkin, the estate's groundskeeper, that the cook would like him to shoot a pheasant for the evening's meal. Constance discovers Parkin is only half-dressed, and the physical strength of his body makes a strong impression on her. Parkin senses Constance's attraction to him, and he's equally taken by her beauty; in time the two throw caution to the wind and give in to their mutual passion. Constance blooms through her lovemaking with Parkin, and she finds his simple, rustic individualism is more to her taste than the life her husband has given her. But as Constance embraces her love for Parkin, others become aware of their relationship. Lady Chatterley was adapted from Lady Chatterley et l'Homme des Bois, the second of three versions Lawrence would publish of his best-known novel (it was published in English as John Thomas and Lady Jane)A real gem. | 1positive
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Not what I expected
If you are looking for a book of suggested phrases for Birthday, Thank You and Sympathy cards this is NOT it. This book doesn't include those chapters at all. Also, the "bargain" book was marked with a slash from a black marker on the edge of the pages. I bought 4 of these and they were all marked ... another disappointment as I was planning to give them as hostess gifts. | 0negative
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Blythe as Goddess Pilgrim
I found the stark beauty of the images in Garan's, This is Blythe to be uncannily seductive. No reader will leave this book without the eerie feeling that Blythe is in fact still out there, continuing her worldwide pilgrimage which photographer Garan just happened to momentarily commune. No reader will ever look into those big, multifaceted doll eyes without seeing the somewhat sinister, existential quality that lies just within the plastic iris. We hitch a ride with Blythe on her journey but alas, she is immortal and we are not. Not being a "doll person" I was at first reluctant to admit that such a book would interest me but I have to say that Miss Garan has done an extraordinary job of creating a piece of artwork from an almost forgotten Pop culture artifact. When considering the photography I am immediately aware of an innovative hybrid style. I can only compare it to the appropriation of photojournalism by fashion photographers in the 1970's where the thing of beauty is juxtaposed with the raw and visceral; a beautifully adorned women on a tattered "third world" city street. In this way, and with Blythe as our priestess/guide, we explore the meaning of set and setting. A mundane Puerto Rican front porch is transformed into a resplendent altar to Blythe, a forgotten graveyard becomes a temple of glowing alabaster, and a block of ice, the tomb of some prehistoric goddess. I give, This is Blythe, my top ratings for its visual beauty and it's sociological relevance and eagerly await Miss Garan's next offering from the "world where dolls rule." | 1positive
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An absolutely horrible book
As a student of physics, I have seen and read several introductory university physics texts, and I can say without a doubt that this book is the most difficult to understand and most poorly written. The text is full of equation derivations, which are somewhat interesting but completely useless to a student trying to learn the introductory concepts of physics to apply in his future engineering courses. The problems do not adequately serve their intended purpose of reinforcing the concepts. I emphatically do not recommend this book to anyone who desires to learn introductory concepts of physics. | 0negative
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Very Disappointed with this Book
I bought this book after having read and re-read all the Herriot books for the past twenty years. I was eagerly looking forward to seeing pictures of a young James Herriot, a young 'Siegfried' et al. We fans already knew that the characters names were pseudonyms but did Lord really have to go to so many lengths in almost calling James Herriot a liar ? Why did he feel it so important to reveal so much ? I felt he and Eddie Straiton collaborated in trying to destroy what James Herriot had spent so many years building - a little corner of the world where we can all escape to in our hearts and minds. I wonder how many people will ever be able to enjoy re-reading James Herriots books again after reading this unnecessary 'expose'. Shame on you Graham Lord ! | 0negative
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"I c-... I c-t... I ca-t... I c-nt... I cann-nuhnuhnnuh-! "
OK! I CAN! I CAN! What the heck was that other word I was trying to say?! Add me to the list of people whose lives have changed because of this book! Thanks DOC! The word "can't", if I put an "I" in front of it, just disappears from my vocabulary! OK, so a book isn't going to change your life, make you rich, get you married, make you happy... or is it? It's up to you. I challenge you to read this book and not take any of it's ideas with you into the rest of your life. We're not stupid, but there are things going on around us and in our minds that actually prevent us from allowing ourselves to succeed! Take a gander... Send me a poke in the eye if don't find yourself saying "Hmmmmm!" m :) | 1positive
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Tough to come out of depression
Steinbeck is a master of the craft and a man of his Times. For an ordinary man to review his work, at a time when immortality has been assured, is an effort of hubris undeniable. I read the book to see and feel the Times and I have been left with an indelible mark where I was struck between the eye's. | 1positive
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Attention parents of athletes!
I am very fortunate that I have two sons that are naturally talentedathletes and are always selected to be on travel and all-star teams. When Iread Fair Play I was surprised to find that despite the success my sons havehad I learned that they could be excelling and learning more if they wereinvovled in programs such as the book suggests and illustrates. This istruly a book for every parent to read. | 1positive
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A Beautiful Work of Art
It's very obvious from reading all of these reader reviews that The House of the Seven Gables is not for everyone. But, I urge you to determine if it is for you. If it is, you certainly don't want to miss it. This novel was not written with today's readers in mind. You cannot call it quick-paced, by any stretch of the imagination. The novel is however, a wonderful work of art. Every sentence, every word is carefully crafted, carefully chosen. This novel is meant to be read slowly, to be savored. The novel tells a fairly simple story--the story of the house, and its perhaps doomed family of inhabitants. Many years after a curse by a supposed warlock--there are only 4 members of the doomed family surviving. Is the house haunted? Maybe. Hawthorne is so clever--every time he tells us about a supposed ghost or haunting, he gives us a more "reasonable" explanation. Were they ghosts swirling around the house one evening, or was it just the wind. Is the family doomed? Maybe, but then there is young Pheobe who seems anything but. The House of Seven Gables is far superior to any contemporary gothic you can read. It is novel writing at its best. The characters have depth, the story is engaging, and even, at times, funny. But, you have to be ready for a novel written well over a hundred years ago. If you are, you are in for a treat. | 1positive
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Man! Greene must have been obsessed with writing books!
This is a fine book from Greene. His characters are really impressive. It's amazing to read Greenes' books, they are quite diverse. Didn't he do anything else than write books his whole life? | 1positive
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I'm glad I waited until the sequel was out
Don't read this book...until you're sure you have access to the sequel (see the next book). I had to wait almost a week between them, and it nearly drove me crazy! Pity the people who read this book as soon as it came out!Alex Cross is back. I find his love life a little distracting, probably because it's so realistic -- a guy that's definitely married to his job -- but over the course of the Alex Cross books, his character has been fleshed out to the point where he's realer than a lot of th "meat" people I've met.As yet another nemesis enters Cross's life, Patterson continues his strong tradition of steady character development coupled with rapid-fire action. The only shortcoming of this book, if it can be called a shortcoming, is that it's separated into this book and its sequel. | 1positive
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Still looking for a five-ingredient item
I'm still trying to figure out how they can call these recipes "5-Ingredient Recipes." I haven't found one that has only five ingredients yet. I guess they were just kidding. Also, the recipes call for many things that aren't on my "OK to eat" list, so I'm questioning the "Cooking Light" promise too. I'll probably keep the book because some of the recipes look pretty good, but over all, I'm disappointed and don't think it delivers what it promised. | 0negative
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"The grown-ups are certainly very, very odd..."
Deceptive in its simplicity, this book holds more wisdom than Confuscius himself. However, no one should attempt to analyze and symbolize things from this book because it is meant to be taken just as it is; analysis would be something adults would do! Take it for what it is, enjoy it, interpret it, learn from it, and love it. It is the The Best Book i've ever read. Absolutely marvelous!!! | 1positive
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Also dissappointed
I too like previous readers was very dissappointed. I have also been a diehard Lindsey fan but it seems that she ran out of ideas as soon as she went to hardcovers. This small book and the previous small(The Present)one were both huge dissappointments. Maybe Ms. Lindsey needs a break or needs to get back to her old stories(We never tire of the Mallory's) Where is Jeremy's story?? We're all waiting. I will of course keep buying as I can't give up on a favorite. Please keep trying!! | 0negative
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shut him up or shut him down
first off you used the wrong phrase, shut him up or toss him out it is shut him up or shut him down. if you screw that up alone you should not write star wars. and allston and stockpole may have done fantasy but at least they do a nice job at star wars unlike you salvatore who writes close to horror novels. yes its nice to have a new enemy besides the empire it about time. their like the hun or the turks not indians and romans. as for the death of chewbacca thats why you create other main characters yo kill off you always need a core of people. but yes th young jedi knights are for but the old crew still has alot of time in this universe. | 0negative
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Business Process Management - The Third Wave
This book can be summed up quote from page 70 of the text: "long on talk and short on results." I was very disappointed with the investment of any money in this hyped book. The authors ramble on and on and give little but their long winded examples of what they think the third wave is. My advice is to read the introduction and don't waste your time with the rest of the book. | 0negative
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Very disappointed in the copy of the book
As I have started reading the book, which is a copy of a copy.....not a real book.....I find starting at page 10, all even numbered pages have the last two sentences completely missing or bits and pieces of letters missing...not legible at all and the thought process cannot be completely understood....this missing sentence problem continues thru the entire book starting at page 10..... | 0negative
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WOW !
Great book ! I was born in 1957 so I wanted to learn about the Civil Rights Movement as it was when I was growing up. This is not only an excellent history, but an incredibly interesting story, and a shocking testament to the injustices the Black people have suffered in America. I learned a lot and gained some insight into this issue. | 1positive
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Great book
Every Christian needs to read this book to appreciate what the believers suffered in persecution to advance the cause of Christ. It made me more aware and thankul for my freedom of religion and stoked a passion in me to share my faith. | 1positive
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from a former scarlet letter hater
after years of sighing about the dull tedium of scarlet letter, i happened upon janey's "book report" on the novel in kathy acker's "blood and guts in high school"...made me ashamed to have lamented hawthorne's "dullness"...if scarlet letter is putting you to sleep, try acker's version (works better than coffee at illuminating the life of this novel) | 1positive
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Arrakis - Dune - Desert Planet [no spoilers]
"Dune" is the first novel in the "Dune Chronicles". The detailed writing style is superb with inventive explanations behind the science fiction physics and the imaginative items plus a fine mixture of politics, warfare, and individual introspection. The cycle of life on desert planet Arrakis contains well thought out processes from the overall planetary scale to the biological.Aside from fifteen-year-old Paul Atreides, I found one of his mentors Gurney Halleck to be a great character to follow during the story and wish there had been more regarding his background. The Fremen desert culture has been tempered in the harsh planetary environment, forging a hard society. The primary attraction to the hostile planet is the spice melange, a poison yet a potent drug to its users and the inhabitants of Arrakis (it even permeates the very air people breathe). The spices' negative side effects are not completely discussed, leaving me to question whether it is even considered a drug or poison if it doesn't significantly impair a person other than a lifetime addiction to its benefits.At the end of the book, there are excellent appendixes including ecology, religion, and terminology. As with about every film-based novel, I would suggest at least not watching the movie prior to reading the book if not forgoing the movies thereby leaving the series entirely to the imagination.I highly recommend the series to any fan of the science fiction genre.Thank you. | 1positive
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The Only Myth is in the brain of Mary Lefkowitz
This is racism and hatred at it's very best...The next thing she'll write about is that Dr King was white...Give her a few centuries and her "like minded bigots" will get around to it....It's interesting that a history of a people can only be told accurately by "proven" white scholars according to Left-a-witch....Thank God for the brave Afrocentrics that offer a different view of their "own" history... | 0negative
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If This Is A Novel Then Where's The Story?
Apparently Keillor has been writing so long that he thinks a bunch of bathroom humor and the crude sexual thoughts of a 14-year-old boy can hold our interest for almost 300 pages just because it has his name on the cover. Perhaps there was a deadline to meet or Keillor needed the advance for his sex therapy. The book is obviously autobiographical since the main main character is named Gary, a wannabe writer growing up in Minnesota. It's too bad, since Keillor at his best is capable of clever, intellectual and thoughtful work that can keep a fan spellbound. If this is Lake Wobegon then where are all the characters and situations that readers and radio listeners have come to love or at least cherish for all their familiar foibles? Or maybe like a lot of formerly brilliant writers, he's now a runaway train in need of a good editor. | 0negative
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The Star Mirror-Shining a light from the past
Can anything new be said about the Pyramids at Giza? Can we know anything new at all about Stonehenge? Yes! Mark Vidler's new book has advanced some fascinating correlations between the highest points on the planet and the constellations of the night sky. And here are our old Egyptian friends again, teasing us with their enigmatic 'grins' across time. But now at last we have some real science to use toward the ancient goal of unlocking the purpose of Earth's ancestor's obsession with the meanings of the stars. All of this comes not one minute too soon if Mr. Vidler is correct, we are in for incredible revelations soon! 2450 BC and 2000Ad seem to be connected in a powerful celestial play and we get front row seats!I don't want to reveal the whole plot, but let me leave you with this tid-bit. Someone, somewhere has shown us the whole story right from the first moment of creation and the finger on the page seems to be even bigger than any notion of a master architect I myself could have ever envisioned! | 1positive
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Too many mistakes. Covers just basics.
It's a shame they didn't proofread the book. The number of mistakes in the 1999-2000 edition which we bought in Spring 1999 rendered it totally unacceptable. [Just two examples of the types of careless mistakes found throughout: on page 27 the drawing of a peptide leaves out a double-bonded oxygen. In the first test there are two errors in the answer section: in one case the answer key gives the wrong letter for the answer (the explanation section is correct) and in another, the explanation section gives one letter for the answer but proceeds to explain why another one is correct. My son even found two mistakes on one page of the text; I wish I could remember which page.] These sorts of mistakes made it impossible to trust anything else in the book.If they would remove all the mistakes it would be a very helpful, easy-to-read book for those who need quick help in order to score decently. For those striving to score in the top brackets (above 700), a "meatier" book like the Barron's is essential; this one is rather minimalist in its coverage of the material. | 0negative
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Overhyped and lame--don't waste your money.
There are 1000 books like this that come out of M.F.A. programs every year in this country: totally solipsistic, self-indulgent fiction--and that this has gotten media attention is what the title says: lucky. Rich pretty white girl goes abroad etc. Spare us, please! | 0negative
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A great read
This was my second Koontz book to read, and this is the one that got me hooked (sorry, but Whispers was too weird, & though the first, I didn't realize until later it was written by the same author). Koontz has a way of writing that draws you right into the story. This one is about 5 different characters, with 5 different stories. Each story is compelling, but not until the very end of the story do you see the connection between all five. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Koontz is one of the few authors that I will take off the rack as soon as it comes out, without reading the story summary. Only two books I didn't like: Whispers-weird, and Phantom-too evil. I have loved every other book of his. For those of you who enjoyed this one, try Watchers & Lighting &... They're all good. This story, Stangers, ranks among the best. | 1positive
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Conceptually Deep, but a Good Read
C.S. Lewis humbly tells the reader (again and again) that he isn't a professional theologian, but I can't imagine that a professional would have done any better at thinking things through and doing it in such an entertaining way. I understand that the book came from radio talks or lectures. The text may not be actual transcripts, but I don't think much rewriting was done as it reads like a lecture...very natural. I also think that I probably enjoyed this book even more because it was written by someone from another time. Although it is intended for a general audience it isn't exactly a light read. Just as the old TV commentaries by Edward R. Murrow were intended for the average TV viewer of his day (despite their sophistication) so too these thoughts (although intended for everyone) are a bit complex. | 1positive
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Hinds' Feet excellant!
Hinds' feet could be anyone's story. I find it a beautiful expression of find self-hood. This is my second copy because I wanted to pass it on. | 1positive
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Simply Enchanting
While waiting for this to come to dvd in the US, I purchased the book with high hopes. I fell in love with the movie and the book only enhanced that love. Elizabeth Von Arnim brings the beauty of this Italian castle to life in a way that only words can do. The charm and enchantment are palpable. It is easy to get lost in their world so that you can experience it as though you are there with the four women. | 1positive
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The Wandering Hill
Hard to put down once you start reading. Another first class novel by Larry McMurtry - my favorite author | 1positive
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Amazing resource
Spectacular photography and well organized layout/descriptions enable you to quickly identify unknown species glimpsed during low tide adventures. So far my every attempt at identification has been satisfied. Invariably what happens during my search of one unknown I come across other interesting species that I am compelled to seek next time on the water. Algae/worms/seaweeds/bivalves.....it's all there! | 1positive
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The Kill Artist
This is, I think, one of Mr. Silva's most accomplished thrillers. The intrigue and suspense is very well paced and the plot throughly thought out. The only part of the novel that is somewhat less than good is that Jacqueline (Ms. Delacroix) being a top high fashion model is not likely to have been accepted by the Tariq, (the shrewd terrorist) as likely secretary of an art gallery. This would been highly suspicious right from he start of that phase.H. Dothée | 1positive
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Didn't like the paper quality and presentation
I bought them (all the Barnes & Noble Classics) to complete my Jane Austen's collection, and honestly, didn't like the paper quality, it seems like they didn't even care for the presentation of them; it didn't look elegant, cheap to be more specific. | 0negative
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