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Issues.
This book had so many gushing reviews that I decided to DL to my Kindle without even sampling. My bad, won't do that again.I think my biggest problem is the rampant paedophilia that weaves in and out of the plot. Honestly? I don't need to read about the wedding night (and ensuing pregnancy) of a 13 year old girl to some barbarian behemoth twice her size, didn't need repeated sex scenes between both of them afterwards (got the point the first time) and especially didn't need any more details about the "pillow tricks" the little girl gets taught. What did these add to the plot? Nothing. They didn't even influence or deepen the author's characterization, because neither character develops or grows or changes as the result of these encounters -- the barbarian is a standard undeveloped Barbarian With Decent Side and the girl basically learns to stand up to her brother (who, btw, has a fondness for pinching her nipples - but the "boob thing" in this book is a whole nother story). She's thirteen, gets sold to a barbarian horde, is raped nightly, and is apparently not remotely traumatized except that she gets a bit weepy during her introductory chapter. Yeah. Okay. She gets a pretty pony for her troubles though.Characterization in general was poor. There are a half-dozen (or more?) characters whose POV we delve into over the course of the book (tangent: this actually got very irritating; I'd barely get into one person's story before being teleported to x other location and having to start getting back into that person's story before POOF, moved again to some tertiary character's plot). None of the characters had a voice that could be remotely qualified as individual, except maybe the Imp's, but what characterized him was "I'm evil, except HUH, I'm not, because I keep doing noble things." Not exactly stellar writing. The author also fails at writing children (maybe because he makes said children kill/copulate/witness a zillion deaths before they hit puberty, at which point they are basically treated by the author as short adults). One exception: Arya. I thought she was the most convincing of the young characters.The bastard children. Seriously, too many bastards -- the men in this book apparently have massive uncontrollable libidos & have to get it on with every comely wench that crosses their path. They have no need for Viagra in Standard Medieval Land (TM). The King alone must have six kinds of herpes.The direwolves. If the author was going to put so much importance on these creatures, I would have hoped that he would have researched what it's like to attempt to domesticate real wolves to at least lend a tinge of believability to that particular thread in his plot. I couldn't get over the dires being as obedient as triple grand champion border freakin' collies. Sit. Stay. Guard the door. Back off of that man whose mouth is currently in your throat. Write a dissertation on Paradise Lost. Okay.Now for some Kindle version grouches: the eBook edition is full of typos and badly OCR'd segments. You get random parentheses, dots, commas, etc., in the middle of sentences, as well as inexplicable italics on words that have no business being italicized. Words with two Rs in them frequently got digitized as having an "m" and vice versa. Those kinds of errors slap me straight out of the story.Now for what I liked: good fight scenes, and overall excellent world-building. I like the Black Whatevers living in the frozen Armpit of the World. Great plotting and effective use of the multiple POV perspectives to pull it all together (even if there were way too many characters). Too bad those multiple POVs weren't coloured by actually individual character voices. Wonderful political intrigues and a great set of support characters who were actually more interesting than the main characters (Littlefinger, and the Standard Effeminate Eunuch, for instance).I would not read this again and I wouldn't recommend buying it for the reasons outlined above. I rarely review but I want to share my thoughts on this, lest someone else comes along and is swept away by the buoyant tide of gushing that swept me along and right out of ten bucks and several evenings of reading. | 0negative
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Good
I really liked this book.It was hard to put it down once I started reading. I would recommend to others. | 1positive
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Real People with real problems
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin is a very interesting novel. It not only tells but also, shows what young women went though in the 18th century. Elizabeth Bennett faces many expirences that women go through today. From getting maried to dealing with friends, family, and men from a day to day basis. Elizabeth has seven sisters who are also going through the same expirences. She is closest to her oldest sister Jane. They seem to understand each other the best. The mother is the most interesting charatcter out of the whole novel because she wants the best for her daughters and tries to live their lives for all seven of them. Elizabeth does not let her mother do this and in the end her mother disowns her. This novel teaches what is worth in life and what is not.You should only do what is right for your self and on one else.This novel gives you hope that in any life you can become your own self and not be criticized for your own actions or how you think. This is a great novel and if you read it I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. | 1positive
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This is SO pointless
Why do we have so many books about camp? It's boring and all the same. I don't think the writer is very inspired. I'm not reading these. I refuse to because they are stupid. I might read a few of the racing books in the future, but as far as the jumping stuff, I'm not going to read pointless babble. And if the future racing books are just as petty and unrealistic, I'll quit reading those too. Just because it has some races in it doesn't make it wonderful. May the writer remember that. It has to be more than a few races. Research won't kill you. Your readers aren't stupid, they're unhappy. | 0negative
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dissappointed
While the subject, Rick, is great, the writing just doesn't flow. Just seems to be thrown together to get in on the 9-11 sales/marketing bandwagon. Really wanted to like this book but it left me feeling that the story of Rick should have been written so much better. Felt like I was reading a newpaper article thrown together to make a deadline. | 0negative
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Heartbreaking
This is a heartwrenching story, told by a very endearing nine year girl living in the 1950's south.She has a heart of gold and an innocent take on life. This story made me laugh out loud at the adorable things she would say one minute and weep tears of sadness for her never ending misfortune the next. I absolutely fell in love with this beautiful child.While it is true, there isnt much happiness to offset the pain depicted in this tale, and parts of this book were hard to read because o the abuse, this story was beautifully told.It will grab ahold of you in the begining and not let go til the end. | 1positive
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Great resource!
This is a well-written book which takes you step-by-step through the process of building an acoustic guitar. The text is clear, and concise...very good explanations of the technical details. The numerous photos help clarify the process. Highly recommended. | 1positive
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Goes down easy
I always had a thing against traditional nursery rhymes. I thought they were just a little too violent for their intended audience. Thankfully, Jasper Fforde had the mind to expose the seedy underbelly of Humpty Dumpty's world and the truth is finally out.Oh, to get a peek inside of the creative and imaginative mind of Mr. Fforde."The Big Over Easy" is a skillful work of art and it was a pleasure to read although I did do a little too much eye-rolling.It's a perfect summer read, full of satire, wit, and plenty to make you chuckle out loud. I loved it! | 1positive
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good, interesting
I'm all about healthy eating involving whole grains. thus i really enjoyed this book,. it was not the best of its ilk, however. there are better books out there.Which is not to say I'm disappointed. it was a fine read.also recommended: Green Tea Benefit.Green Tea Benefit # 1 - Magic of Matcha - Candies with Green Tea Powder (4 Items) | 1positive
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Canterbury Tales - Which Version is Best For You?
Over some period I have read several translations of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. My first experience, selections in a high school text, was not promising. (Possibly, I was not yet ready for Chaucer.) Translating poetry from one language to another is difficult and often unsuccessful. Translating Chaucer from Middle English is not much easier. English has changed dramatically in the last 600 years, to the point that Middle English is nearly indecipherable. For example, we read Chaucer's description of the Knight's appearance:Of fustian he wered a gipoun (Of coarse cloth he wore a doublet)Al bismotered with his habergeoun (All rust-spotted by his coat-of-mail)A glossary, persistence, and considerable time are required for reading the original Chaucer. If you choose to do so, the Riverside Chaucer edition (edited by L. Benson) and the Norton Critical Edition (edited by Olson and Kolve) are highly recommended. The Signet Classic paperback (edited by D. R. Howard) modernizes the spelling a bit, but still largely adheres to the original Chaucer.Although your instructor will most likely assign a particular edition of Canterbury Tales, it can be exceedingly helpful to pick-up an additional version or two. A slightly different translation may entirely surprise you, may even resonate with you, making Chaucer much more enjoyable. I suggest that you look for these versions:Canterbury Tales, Penguin edition, translated by Nevill Coghill, is an excellent poetic translation. It is a complete collection arranged by Group A thru H. It also includes The Parson's Prologue, The Parson's Tale in synopsis, and Chaucer's Retractions. Coghill's translation remains my favorite.Selected Canterbury Tales, Dover Thrift edition - provides a poetic, rather than literal interpretation, and is quite readable. The collection of tales is fairly small, however.The Canterbury Tales, Bantam Classic paperback edited by Hieatt, uses the "facing page" format with the original Chaucer on the left and a modern literal translation on the right page. I found the literal translation a little wooden, but this edition can be quite helpful if you need some help with Middle English. (A guide to phonetics, grammar, spellings, and a glossary is provided.)Chaucer's Canterbury Tales (Barrons Educational Series) uses an "Interlinear Translation" format in which each line of Middle English is followed by a modern translation (literal to make the comparison easier). I rather like this approach.Canterbury Tales, John Murray Publishers, London is hard to find, but provides a partial translation to modern English, maintaining as much as possible of the Middle English. This rather clever approach is somewhat risky, but the translator H. L. Hitchins pulls it off. With some effort I could follow the text without continually referring to a glossary and in a limited way I was "reading Middle English".Canterbury Tales, Pocket Books, prose translation by R. M. Lumiansky, is easy to read, but while this prose format adheres to the storyline, it is only a shadow of the poetic Chaucer. However, it can be helpful if you are not comfortable with poetry. | 1positive
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Disappointed
I was very disappointed with this book. I thought I was getting a book on survivslism. What I got was a chapter or two of survivalism and a whole bunch of recipes. The only cool thing about the whole deal is that it was signed by the author. | 0negative
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Excellent Book!
This book was a godsend for me. I was blessed with a beautiful 19 year old parrot that was given to me. Fortunately I found this book. It addressed all of our problems. I'd recommend this book to anyone looking for advice. | 1positive
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Ram It
Got this repair book used for around $2. Looked new to me no grease stains or torn up pages. Good timing too, a few days after I received it my water pump went out. First one I've changed and the book made it a breeze. | 1positive
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Just one idea
This book simply feature one idea: to think, plan and organise on processes instead of on departments and tasks. This is another way to express the old saying: think about what the customer is interested in (the outcome of the process), not about your internal issues (as departments, task, hierarchy and so on. Since Drucker and even sooner this is not new. Even more ennoying is its presumptuous writting. They appoint themselves as overcomers of Adam Smith and his job division. The worst consequence is that many companies have used this book as the rational for downsizing. The beauty of the action has not been achieved (apart from some light improvements) but many workers were fired. In adition the authors became rich. At leat something good was reached (for themselves obviosly). | 0negative
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There He Goes Again - ZZZZzzzzzzz
How many times and how many books must the Episcopal Church's resident athiest write to get out his point ... More of the same - "Christ was a social activist, Christianity must "let go" of faith and the divine, divinity is primative superstition, liberalism is wonderful, homosexuality and free sex are OK" .. Feel good social activism drivel from this Luther wanna-be diguised as scholarship. Absolutely nothing new or "refreshing" here ... same Spong - same message. | 0negative
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Kindle Version
This review is for the Kindle version. Content:Excellent. Formatting: not the best. But, like a previous reviewer stated, for 89 cents I can't really complain. Once you get where you're going it's fine. The Kindle will pick up right where you left off. Getting all the way to May was a pain, because I had to work my way from January (not sure why there wasn't a monthly link) but at any rate once you're there there it's fine. This is a wonderful devotional!UPDATE: My original book lost the dictionary function. I wanted to re-dl the book and it said no longer available. So I looked for an alternative and DL this one. Imagine my surprise when I found my review for the other book here. THIS is NOT the same book I reviewed. The content is the same but the the entire layout is different, and there is absolutely NO way to skip to a different page except go day by day. At least with the previous book there was some kind of table of contents, albeit a less than perfect one. Now you literally have to go day by day, two devotions per day. This is NOT the same book. | 1positive
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It's not really about money.
If you are looking for a book on how to accumulate the maximum number of green backs, this book is not for you. If you want a simple philosophy of money which will make you wealthy in more than just the material sense, buy this book and read it at least twice.I first read this book almost 20 years ago, and every time I got greedy, and broke one of the Seven Laws of Money, I paid dearly for it. | 1positive
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los madrugadores
This product was unacceptable due to it being written in a foreign language (Spanish). Buyers should be told up front that it is not in English...if I was told, I missed it.I returned the item. | 0negative
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MAGNIFYING GLASS REQUIRED!
This is about the font size, NOT the content. Gardner's comments are about a 5 pt. (i.e., smaller than used by newspapers for legal notices). Had I known, I would have gotten the hard back edition. | 0negative
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Oh brave new world that has such people in it...
If you've seen "The Matrix," you know how after seeing it for the first time, your mind reels, thinking about reality, perception and the true meaning of life and freedom. You will have the same haunting introspective thoughts after reading "Brave New World." The novel is incredibly visionary, especially in light of the fact that it was written in 1932.Huxley foresaw not only a television in every home, but one in every room, communication and entertainment devices everywhere. Movies called "Feelies" in which the viewer sees, hears, smells and feels the action (can you say "virtual reality?"). A society in which everything is turned upside down... the important things in life; loyalty, family, faith, monogamy, individuality are thought to be "anti-social" and perverse and even obscene... while promiscuity, drug use and wanton spending are considered virtues.A society bent on economic stabilty so much, that it sacrifices the very need for economics - citizenry. Children are not born, they are "decanted" in hatcheries and conditioned like Pavlov's dogs to like or dislike the things that will make them "content" in their pre-destined station in life.I saw the made for TV movie based on this book a couple of years ago and wanted to read this book ever since. This book will make you think. It will make you look around and see how the media and government continues to spin around us as we're usually oblivious to the things that matter.As a society, we are so consumed with "self" and temporary pleasures, that we don't treasure the things that really matter until they are taken away from us. The society and government in this story take advantage of this societal weakness and feed it and nurture it until people willingly give up their freedoms because they're getting everything they think they want, when they want it. When things temporarily seem bleak, they just take Soma, the perfect drug that has no side-effects and just makes you "take a Soma holiday." Each person silently ignores the void that their life has begun and they drown their lonliness and emptiness with drugs.Huxley's writing style is very interesting, sometimes a narrative, then suddenly text that reads like a screenplay - yet sometimes you're not sure who's say what and when, yet it is still an easy read... scenes are constantly changing and you get so caught up in the story, you often don't realize you're turning pages.Previous to reading this novel, my favorite piece of fiction was "1984" by George Orwell, but I think this book has just bumped it to the #2 slot. This is an intriguing, and thought-provoking story that you will never forget. | 1positive
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Wish I could give it more stars
This book is very insiteful; it paints a beautiful portrait of the guilded age in New York. I especially liked her humor when she wrote that society thought having a ballroom in your home dedicated to only dances was wasteful, but it was very good if it could also be used for something else. The book really invites you into pre-WWI, pre-Titanic society. Whorton also points out some valuable lessons such as how good liars explain things but really great liars explain nothing. (More or less) Her vocabulary is also a plus; I needed a dictionary about twice in every chapter, but it was very fulfilling. My favorite "new" word is "confabulation." From now on, when my grandmother makes up sunny personal history, I shall compliment her unrivaled ability to confabulate. :) Very worth the time it takes to read. | 1positive
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A haunting, disquieting novel
An exploration of the dark sides. Very disquieting images. Addictive stuff. | 1positive
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One of the worst text on GR
This is one of the worst text I came across. Author keep discussing a topic but never points to the result. A book where you keep flipping back and forth to make sense. Often notations are used but there is no explanation what they represents. I have gone through chapter 15 and 18 ,on Linearized GR and FRW metric, following every step and found out that there are few errors and a lot of key steps are omitted. For example, gauge transformations are done and results are obtained but if you won't consult other similar texts then you won't know what are the results and which are the transformations, unless you already are a professor. Almost same topic is discussed in Inverno's book and you can clearly see what are the various transformations and what are the results.A book may contain every topic what you are looking for but the key Qs is how well are they conveyed. In order to write an excellent text the author should be first clear about it in his own mind and organize it before publishing it. Save yourself and get a nicer book like Inverno or Stephani. I would not recommend this text for GR unless absolutely necessary. | 0negative
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Bogus Bootleg from Third Party Publisher
This is appears to be a bootleg copy of the book, Alcoholics Anonymous published by AAWS.This is not the REAL book that Alcoholics Anonymous uses in it's program of recovery.Please make your purchase from the legitimate publisher, AAWS or AA that is also listed on this site. | 0negative
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very useless book
As far as text books go this book is just awful. limited examples and very poor explanations. not that it really matters though because i doubt anybody would pay a $100 for this just to read it. It is a required textbook for a college class so ya dont really get a choice | 0negative
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Utterly useless for anyone with a mind to real scholarship
I could not agree more with the negative reviews of this product in general, or with Papa_gresh in particular.As a student of this period in history, I was appalled to discover that a significant portion of book is mostly a catalogue of "modern" martyrs, accompanied by NOT a full (or even close to scholarly) version of Foxe's original text. Even more shockingly, the editorial comments in the beginning include notes like "Foxe wrote his book in Middle-English, the language of his day" (xvi). This is a ridiculous statement at best, considering the fact that Middle English (the language, most familiarly, of Chaucer) fell out of use around 1470, when it was replaced by Early Modern English; in fact, Foxe's language in Acts and Monuments (the Book of Martyrs) is the language of Shakespeare's plays, which are CLEARLY not the same as Chaucer's works--even to someone unfamiliar with either period.The editor compounds this glaring error with the somewhat patronizing note that he has replaced much of the "difficult to understand" "Middle-English" words "we no longer use"....the first example of which is "abscond." Though this is perhaps not a "Joe Six-Pack" word, it is certainly one with which most reasonably educated people are, indeed, still familiar. Calling this "Modern American English" is yet another upsetting pander to the lowest common denominator--a purpose to which one of the more significant Early Modern texts should under no circumstances be subjected.Even with these errors in scholastic presentation aside, I was again quite irritated to discover how significant a portion of this book entitled "Foxe's Book of Martyrs" did not, in fact, consist of said book, but rather the editor's additional catologue of "modern day" martyrs of his choosing.N.B.: If the book were RETITLED effectively, it would perhaps satisfy those who still chose to purchase it; however, the prominent use of Foxe's name and original title made the book I received a disappointment at best, and at worst, a poorly written vehicle of Christian propaganda, outrageously and misleadingly disguised as an historical text. I would vehemently discourage anyone the least bit interested in Foxe's historical text Acts and Monuments (The Book of Martyrs) from purchasing this "version."Represented as it is, I would prefer not even to give it the single star Amazon requires. | 0negative
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Great Book
This is a great book, offers some different perspectives on some major American myths. Certainly an excellent companion to most major texts on American history. | 1positive
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"Disease Porn" is the perfect description
One of the reviewers below described the book as "cardboard cut-out disease porn" and that is the most apt, succint way to describe "City of Joy". The book dives into rampant filth, disease and raw physical suffering with about as much preamble and relish as any porn video dives into sex. It is about as uplifting as self-flagellation, and as inspiring as Fear Factor. | 0negative
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A frustrating read!
Gladwell writes in an engaging manner, but his methods are suspect. Thousands of psychological experiments are conducted each year at universities around the world in an effort to advance knowledge. Cherry-picking the ones with broad appeal and presenting them (out of context and without mention of their methodological constraints) is just plain wrong. Fine for a superficial understanding of certain topics. Read Roy Baumeister for a better integration of experimental findings and real-world concerns.Note to Gladwell: psychological questionnaires are not "highly respected", they are either valid or not, that is they either adequately measure the targeted psychological characteristics or they don't. | 0negative
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Introducing T & T
"The Secret Adversary" is the very first adventure of Tommy and Tuppence, Agatha Christie's pair of amateur sleuths, and what an adventure they have. Tommy Beresford and Prudence 'Tuppence' Cowley manage to solve a threatening international crisis, by luck and intuition it would seem, rather than more ordinary methods of detection. As an introduction to the pair, who would have further adventures after their marriage, "The Secret Adversary" is fast-paced and intriguing.Having met each other once again by chance, Tommy and Tuppence, old childhood friends, decide to advertise themselves as "Young Adventurers" who will take any charge that's well paid, no matter the danger. But before they can even post their ad, they are drawn into a mysterious web of intrigue regarding a missing draft of a peace treaty and a young girl named Jane Finn. By what seems like sheer coincidence and luck, Tommy and Tuppence, together or apart, are able to come across clues as to where Jane Finn may be, and what knowledge she has about the missing treaty. As they uncover clues, they also uncover danger that threatens their lives and friends who may just turn out to be the very adversary they are searching for.As usual with an Agatha Christie mystery, just when you think you've figured out the final twist, she throws even more at you. "The Secret Adversary" is a smart, well-plotted thriller, a testament to Christie's brillance, as this was only her second published novel. While the book may seem dated in language and certain expressions, it is only at a surface level due to the very real nature of the modern intrigue that moves the plot. | 1positive
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Great classic. Great love story.
I am not a fan of classics or love stories, but i could not put this down. It is a must read. | 1positive
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My favorite as a child and now loved by my kids.
This book is an unknown gem. Many have heard of the book "Rose in Bloom". This is the book of those characters as children. When they are read in order, it is a treat for the soul. My favorite book as a young girl was "Rose in Bloom", but I had read "Eight Cousins" and I knew how much growing these young people had experienced. | 1positive
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Nice Lady, Terrible Book
I had the pleasure of meeting the author at a Borders bookstore near my home. I purchased the book because the author seemed to be a very pleasant woman. Unfortunately, I was very disappointed with the book. I found the characterizations to be shallow, almost to the point of caricature. The book was riddled with cliches. It seems that the author tried very hard to paint a positive portrayal of African Americans living in Los Angeles. In the process, she sacrificed characters with any dimension or complexity. | 0negative
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Better than a Greyhound Bus ride...
I read "Blow Fly" on a 15 hour Greyhound Bus ride, which is probably why I didn't mind it so much. It kept me entertaining, provided excellent protection from my freakish fellow passengers, and reunited me with (some semblance) of formerly interesting characters that I had previously grown to love. The virtues of the book--of which there are considerably fewer than its vices--include its short chapters, atmospheric scenes (esp in the Bayou), and zippy pace. Its formidable failures, however, are another story. In brief, they are: 1) the recycled plot lines (how many more times will Cornwall rewrite Scarpetta history? How many more times will she delve into past books and "mine" their plots for "unrevealed" secrets, rather than coming up with new and interesting plots?); (2) an abrupt shift in narrative (first to third person), which results from the hole she wrote herself in following the scattering of the major characters in the last novel; (3) a complete lack of forensic detail--isn't this the core of the series???; (4) disrespectful dampening of vitality in all of the major characters, esp. Scarpetta; & (5) a hastily-written, anticlimactic ending that stank like a decomposing first draft...I will read the next Scarpetta novel, if only because I view this as an interlude and necessary evil (born out of the structural shortcomings of the Last Precinct) that will hopefully give rise to a renewed and revitalized series. Hopefully! | 0negative
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A superb job, done by an excellent writer.
This book was the dullest of the series, but this had to be done.I comend Mr. Jordan for an excellent job of taking you deeper into the mindsof these unique characters. The ending was the best one yet though, it left mestunned and wanting more. I'm looking forward to the next one. | 1positive
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Loaded with typoos
One of the worst proofreading jobs now in print seriously diminishes what otherwise might have been a useful reference. | 0negative
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A no-holds-barred look at the American political scene
Although not as thrilling as Hell's Angels and not as profound as Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, F+L: on the campaign trail '72 does offer a brilliant analysis of the frenzied, unpredictable nature of American politics. With the McGovern/Nixon presidential race as its focus, this book gives the reader an insider's unflinching view of a year out with the candidates as they crisscrossed the USA. Unfortunately, Thompson takes some of the transcribed dialogue sections a bit too far and the inclusion of many irrelevant details was not necessary. The book should have been properly edited and cut down by about 100-150 pages. But having said that, the word for word transcription of an interview with George McGovern near the end of the book is priceless! What insight! The last 20 pages or so - the "Editor's conversation" - is also very good. If any foreigners want an understanding of the American campaign process, THIS IS THE BOOK TO READ. From no one but Thompson will you get such a realistic account. Gonzo journalism at its twisted peak, perhaps. Excessive at times, but worth the time and effort. Thompson's writing is more penetrating and entertaining than that of any tradional political journalist, period. Hell, you've got to give this guy credit. He's an original! The "football conversation" with Richard Nixon in New Hampshire and the "Sheridan"/Jerry Rubin incident on Muskie's Florida train are both hilarious! | 1positive
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Landmark Literature
I have a vague recollection of being forced to read this in High School many years ago. I just finished re-reading the Scarlet Letter. In my opinion, the Scarlet Letter would be out of reach for many teenagers - like it was for me. Now I'm older and wiser and have been reading classic literature in my bookclub for 15+ years. I have a greater respect for the SL and the new ground it was breaking in literature and I can appreciate the impact it had on future writers. In fact, the reason I picked up SL again was that I had learned that 'Moby Dick' - by Herman Melville - was was dedicated to Hawthorne. So that peaked my interest as I think MB is likely the best American novel ever written.I think adultry is still a big issue. Anything that's on the list of 10 commandments has pretty well served the test of time. Adultry is probably one of the commandments that many people have somekind of firsthand experience. So even though the story and characters seem archiac at times, many readers of SL can (or will) be able to identify with the guilt and angst at some time in their lives.So what about the guilt and angst? The parts of the story most interesting to me were the one's having to do with nature and the woods surrounding the small colonial village. The villagers were surrounded by nature along with the fear of the unknown. The Puritan settlers had brought with them their beliefs and systems into a new world that 'shielded' them to an unnecessary extent to nature and the laws of nature. It seemed like the Puritans carried a very heavy moral burden that most were nor equipped to handle. Hester turned to nature to get direction as the village had shunned her and left her with no options. One of best line's (I'm paraphrasing) is "Let God be the judge, people need to learn to forgive each other and get along." Hawthorne was in fact saying to the readers that these old 17th century Puritan beliefs were largely irrelevant by the late 1800's.So toward the end of the SL I found a connection that I was seeking between Scarlet Letter and Moby Dick - namely the scenes with the sailors and ship merchants - how they were not morally bound to the land - as were the settlers - and enjoyed a freer existence - and it was accepted by most people. I think this became a point of departure for Melville and his many books on ocean adventures.If you didn't like SL today, don't give up in literature as some of this stuff only gets better with time. | 1positive
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The greatest book of all time!
I think that all of Bradbury's books that I have read are fantastic! Bradbury has a way of telling every little detail. This book was my favorite book of all time. I have currently read it for a third time. And I still feel like I'm on Mars interacting with the Martians. I am also reading now "Illustrated Man" which is also great so far. | 1positive
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misleading
I was disappointed with this purchase. Nowhere on the description did it state that this was not the complete book...it was a simplified version. | 0negative
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Perfection again!
The most complex of relationships is that between a mother and a daughter. In its exploration of the mother daughter relationship, this book is more factual than fictional. Neither Caroline or Laura are bad or evil people, they have played their roles as they needed to survive. One can't blame Laura or her brother Steve for their lack of compassion or their inability to see what was happening. They were children and were given all they needed in life; why question their mother? Having been through years of psychological abuse followed by years of counseling, I can attest that siblings will support the parents in almost every circumstance. What was especially sad was the story of the monkeys. Children of abuse will continue to seek acknolwedgement, acceptance and most of all, love. Oftentimes they grow into adults craving attention - looking for love.Not only does Caroline live with this huge burden over the years but the guilt and self blame that she has done something to deserve this, is enormous. Berg accurately portrays this through Caroline's dark, brooding and troubling personality. I like the title Berg chose. For years my mother and I have been estranged. And while I have been unsuccessful at fixing my relationship with my mother, I have developed this need - an obsession to fix everything else. Nothing can be left undone or broken. Ms. Berg's ability to write like an expert in this subject matter as well as others, keeps me buying her books. She continues to be my favorite author! | 1positive
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Way too "preachy", and downright boring
My wife and I listed to this (Unabridged cassette version) on a trip to take my son to college on the other side of the state. While the first half of the book was interesting, when we got home and tried to listen to it separately, I became bored and asked my wife if she wanted to listen to the rest of it. She had no interest. This is very unusual as she has previously loved everything that Grisham has written. I agree with several readers who stated that if Grisham is so concerned with his "street" buddies that he puts some of the millions where his mouth is. Don't waste your time on this one!!!!! | 0negative
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great read
From someone who reads true crime books all the time. This is a must read book. Such a sad story that kept me till the end. | 1positive
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CAVEAT EMPTOR
I feel sorry for all the silly people who bought Joyce Meyer's book without using the Search Inside tool provided by Amazon or those who went to the book store with out browsing the book. Caveat Emptor! Don't blame Joyce Meyer.Joyce Meyer has combined a kind of pop-quasi-Christian psychology book that could probably compete with Joel Osteen's "Your Best Life Now" if it were marketed as well. Joyce Meyer is a stern-faced woman who has severe convictions about her biblical beliefs. She is on television daily and has written many books and booklets.Far too many Christian authors keep churning out book after book that lead Christians to believe that by purchasing a "how to" manual written by a Christian author, teacher, minister, etcetera, they will find paradise on earth. Learning to please God is a lifelong process for true believers. Someone who has a true personality disorder that is based in a self image based on the approval of others will probably recieve minimal help from Meyer's book. It contains quick answers with nice stories to inspire and uplift. Such content makes for a "feel good book" butnot a scholarly attempt at healing a mind that is wounded. | 0negative
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The finest history of our age
This is bar none the finest history of our era ever written. This is Manchester's gift to the generations. A thousand years from now this will be read with the same reverence as Herodotus. | 1positive
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An easy book to put down
The bottom line is that I threw the book away after I finished it. It was too factually incorrect and opinionated to keep as a reference. I couldn't, in good conscience, let someone else read it as a history book. So it's been worm food for eight years. At least the worms got something out of it. It's the first and only book I have thrown away based on my criticism. Shoot, I was having a good day until I remembered this trash. Do yourself a favor and check it out at your local library before your purchase, unfortunately it will be there. If you don't laugh or cry then feel free to buy it. | 0negative
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Good concept but didn't pull it off
I was really disappointed with this book. I found the book's concept to be very interesting. For me the book bombed, I labored to get through each little episode. His political or cultural allusions seemed to be more on the petty side and detracted from the story. I was expecting a better quality of story telling. | 0negative
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Zen Tarot
When I recieved this book I was expecting alot more about the connection between Tarot and Zen. I love the Zen Tarot card deck but was not able to relate to the book like I wanted. | 0negative
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Wilde's Egotism
I have recently read this book as part of my A-level syllabus and found it little more than an excuse for Wilde to voice his egotistical and condemnatory views of Victorian society. The storyline is faintly interesting but is ruined by Wilde's constant attack on Women. | 0negative
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The game begins
I'm a sucker for big, chunky books. I'm also quite fond of long, epic, series. This book delivers on both those counts. I finished it only an hour ago and I am already itching to pick up its successor.=part one of the A Song of Ice and Fire series= | 1positive
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Strategic Thinking by Simon Wootton and Terry Horne
In Strategic Thinking, Simon Wootton and Terry Horne teach step-by-step the thinking skills required for sound strategic planning. The authors set out questions to ask and teach how to learn to formulate strategies and write clear and concise strategic plans. The steps taught are easy to apply in the real world. The authors used a very practical approach, and wrote in simple language. The book also has a CD ROM with practical examples that can be used as templates to facilitate the formulation of strategies.The book teaches a nine step process covering the gathering of information, formulating ideas and planning action. The gathering of information involves an analysis of what is changing, carrying out an audit and reflecting on what one knows. In formulating ideas, one is required to predict where the organisation is headed, decide where it should be going and take care of obstacles to achieving organisational objectives. Planning action involves thinking creatively about alternative courses of action, evaluating their feasibility and making decisions on implementation of the plans.The book enables me to carry out a systematic process of arriving at optimum plans and strategies for my organisation. I am now aware of the full range of issues to be considered in a systematic thinking process by examining a set of relevant questions and answering them objectively before formulating strategies and writing clear and concise strategic plans. | 1positive
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A Lasting Work of Art
Ulysses is, without a doubt, the greatest novel of the twentieth century. Although many great books have been written before and after its publication, nothing has equaled it, or even come close. It is, without a doubt, a true and lasting work of art.Ulysses is an immensely detailed, perfectly-crafted, often sordid account of the wanderings of certain Dubliners around their city on 16 June 1904, principally, Leopold Bloom, outwardly a Hungarian Jewish proprietor of a small business, but inwardly, a sensuous rags and tatters Hamlet, a man who has lost both his religion and his name; his adulterous wife, Molly; and Stephen Dadelus, a clever but pretentious young teacher, Joyce's alter ego. Joyce labored for years on Ulysses, amassing and checking facts and then, with a genius that has never been matched, drawing them all into various symbolic patterns that mirror the wanderings and ordeals of Homer's Odysseus, Joyce's own hero.In one episode, narrated by an anonymous Dubliner, Bloom enters a pub and politely declines a drink offered to him by a Nationalist, accepting a cigar instead. Despite numerous attempts to change the subject, the Nationalist rages on and on, grumbling about foreigners and strangers. Bloom eventually gets fed up; he defends himself and his race, jabbing his cigar for emphasis as he speaks. Eventually, though, Bloom is accused of true treachery against the Irish race--not standing everyone a drink when he is thought to have successfully backed an outsider in the Gold Cup horse race. The Nationalist explodes and throws a biscuit tin at Bloom as he quickly retreats.In Ulysses, this scene is funny, but it is also so much more. The Nationalist is the one-eyed giant Cyclops from whom Ulysses escaped by jabbing his eye with a burning stake. The tunnel vision and terrorism that are but a small part of the Irish race are fought by Ulysses/Bloom as he jabs his cigar at his tormentor. "But it's no use," Bloom says. "Force, hatred, history, all that. That's not life for men and women, insult and hatred. And everybody knows that it's the very opposite of that that is really life...Love."There are ironic devices used in Ulysses other than the Homeric one, including the one used so strikingly by Joyce in A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (in which we were introduced to the character of Stephen Dadelus), matching the style of the narrative to the person occupying the foreground. As a Modernist, Joyce wanted this stylistic device to be "visible" rather than "invisible;" he wanted readers to develop an awareness of his technique, to identify, not only with the story but with the way in which he was telling it.Joyce had a message to deliver in Ulysses: he sought to tell the world of the people he had encountered; to describe their conduct and speech, to analyze their motive, to relate the effects the sordid, turbulent, disorderly "world," replete with Irish whiskey and Irish ecclesiasticism, had upon him, an emotional and egocentric genius whose chief pleasure was self-analysis and whose chief preoccupation was in keeping a notebook filled with every incident he'd ever encountered and every speech heard, all recorded with a Boswellian fidelity.Although Ulysses is not impossible to understand, the book does test anyone's endurance as it is filled with fragments of songs, bits of other languages, lists, obscure references and Joyce's stream-of-consciousness style. Idiosyncrasies abound; from the early Dubliners, Joyce abjured "perverted commas" in favor of French-style punctuation.Reading A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man is one way to prepare for Ulysses. In that book we are introduced to Stephen Dadelus and we also have a chance to get used to Joyce's capacity to externalize his consciousness, to put down in words those things many of us would be ashamed to admit to thinking, even to ourselves.Unlike Odysseus, Joyce never returned home. He wandered around Europe, his eyesight failing, with his fiercely-loyal wife, Nora, at his side. It is Nora Joyce celebrates in the tremendous punctuationless passage that ends Ulysses.Although Stephen Dadelus, in his Parisian tranquility, would have pretended indifference to the praise heaped upon Ulysses, Joyce knew that he had created something special and lasting. "O rocks," Molly says to Bloom, "tell us in plain words." That is something Joyce never failed to do. | 1positive
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This book is an unforgettable tale of magic, and adventure
I read this book in one sitting, it is impossible to put down, I can't wait for the next one! This is one of the best books I have read for a long time, and I think that Daine is a remarkable character. Numair and the others are wonderfully described, and the magics used are also very descriptive. I especially like how the royalty, and nobels were not the stuffy type in most stories, but were someone people could relate to. A wonderful story!!!!!! | 1positive
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One of the worst books ever called a "Classic"
"To Kill a Mockingbird" was without a doubt one of the worst novels I've ever read. There's about 50 pages of good writing, and the rest is garbage. The book is riddled with strange, boring sub-plots that lead nowhere. Its just wasted time. | 0negative
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Scarily engaging
Stephen King has been one of those authors that has really caught my attention but I never really owned any of his books until The Shining. I had heard of both the book and movie, but mostly of the movie. I had never seen it though so I had nothing to compare to.As the book starts, it kind of felt like you were already a part of the story. It launches into Jack being interviewed for the job of caretaker for the Overlook. But it doesn't feel rushed. It feels like just the right place. As it goes from that, to the worry Danny has about his father not making it home, it progresses very well. Danny's dreams of the hotel, shown to him by an "invisible friend" named Tony, felt so real that I couldn't help but feel nervous for him as his family set off to the hotel.When the family gets to the Overlook at the final day of the season, Danny and Hallorann, the chef of the hotel, realize that they share what Hallorann's grandmother simply refers to as "the shining", which is the ability of second sight so to speak. Hallorann promises Danny that he will come running if Danny just calls out to him. He also advises Danny to stay clear of Room 217 and be careful around the hedge animals.Through the course of the book, the hotel starts to "awaken". Danny sees blood and gore in the Presidential Suite. A nest of wasps, which Jack had used a bug bomb on and shook empty, suddenly came back to life. The animal topiary start to move one day while Jack is trimming them. And Danny, through child curiosity, finds out why he should stay out of Room 217. The hotel really comes to life though after Jack reads through a gold and white scrapbook that was left in the basement among a small mountain of invoices, receipts, and the like.The hotel wants Danny for his strong shining, but has problems taking control of him so the hotel feeds on Jack's alcoholism and finally takes control of him during the climax of the book. It provides drinks for him and Grady, the caretaker before Jack who killed his family and himself, frees Jack from the pantry after Wendy and Danny lock him in after his first attempt on her life. He also provides a roque mallet for him to use. Jack does manage to injury Wendy, breaking her ribs and something in her back, when Hallorann arrives after receiving Danny's call. Hallorann is also injured when "Jack", now a part of the hotel, goes after Danny.The ending was satisfying to me. Jack is redeemed in a way, and Wendy, Danny, and Hallorann get away. The character work was wonderful, I really did like Hallorann. The only thing that truly bothered me though was some language used that I don't particularly care for but it can be overlooked.And if I learned one thing from reading The Shining, it's definitely do not read Stephen King books at night. | 1positive
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The Bridge at Andau
The Bridge at Andau is a heart warming story of the Hungarian revolution in October 1956. Michener tells a story of the Hungarian people living under communist rule after WWII. The hardships they endured were overwhelming. He tells of various Hungarians and their efforts to overthrow the communists. I never had any idea of what these eastern Europeans were subject to.The reading was easy and the author indicates means by which the individual experiences were verified. | 1positive
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Very improbable
I'm sorry. There are a bunch of 5 star reviews on this book and I just don't get it. Let's see - 3 best friends from law school are now the chief aide to the Speaker of the House, a counsel to the President and the top clerk to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. That's just preposterous.I also have a hard time accepting the basic premise of a Navy Admiral disobeying the Commander in Chief.The book seemed to have a distinct right-wing conservative philosophy - if that works for you go for it. | 0negative
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Conservatives must love this
A 'democrat' who sounds just like a republican. He says that none of the candidates are good, and he'll be voting for Bush. Miller should follow Jefford's lead and switch parties. Even though this book seems like a democrat book, it's far from it. | 0negative
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Wasn't that thrilled
Listened to this as audiobook as I do most books. Though many of the reviews are flattering, I simply didn't think that much of it. Had to wait for the very end for a hint of any suspense. Ready to move on to the next read. | 0negative
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The Boredom Rising
The Shadow does not rise. Within ten books there has never been a rise in the Shadow. For the whole series, Rand has the advantage over the Shadow. But he is an idiot surrounded by even more idiots. He's too stupid to know how to finish it and the Shadow is too stupid to kill him. The Wheel of Time series is exactly the kind that taints the fantasy genre. It is perhaps the most overrated work in the history of literature.You all know how badly this series has been bashed. And all I can say is that its all very true. Those who still love it are a minority for a reason. Robert Jordan can be even more perverted than most authors who allegedly describe sexual activity. While Goddkind's scenes are excessive, people like George R.R. Martin restrict it to a paragraph. Jordan writes about men who pursue women they think they love but throughout this series I have never seen a shred or act of true love. EVERYONE in his books is either handsome or beautiful (he emphasizes things like clothing, and treats people like scenery). He TRIES to make us feel happy or sorry when characters fall in or out of love, but no one really cares. He's trying to use ideas out of sitcoms like "Friends" or soap operas. Of course its a very bad attempt. Now, each book is an episode of the most boring series ever. All of Jordan's characters are the same piece of trash, recycled for each book. I don't care if he has a wonderful skill with words. Anyone could do that. A real storyteller would have a better understanding of human nature. A real writer could at least be more original. Jordan is failure.Nothing happens in the beginning. Or in the middle. Rand's story only gets exciting at the end. Forget Elayne's and Nynaeve's chapters. Take my advice: skip pages when you feel the even slightest desire to do so. Heck, skip whole chapters! I'll admit, the first 3 might be worth your time. But each book is 600-900 pages and for so much writing, there is not enough. And book 4 is when it crashes.I'm tired of the stereotypes. Literature has endured all these "heroic epics." Everything is so predictable. They say Wheel of Time is "one of the best works of fantasy." Just go ahead and read all those other contemporary novels like "Sword of Truth" or "Sword of Shannara." Pathetic. All I can say is that this entire genre is going downhill, and without its classics, its just wasted paper. I hope all you Jordanites actually find something worth reading. So you can see how bad Robert Jordan really is. I never personally attached myself to this series and I am glad I didn't. Sometimes, stories of heroism are garbage. The most beautiful stories tell us our saddest and most realistic thoughts. I say get A Game of Thrones. Maybe George R.R. Martin can save the genre. | 0negative
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What a waste of time and money!
Bought this book in Canada from Chapters. Dropped it after the first 100 pages. I love history and enjoy history books, but this one is terribly boring and unprofessional. There is no systematic approach whatsoever: events, places and names mentioned without proper introduction or reference. The book fails to build link between the places you might visit (it's a "travelers history" after all) and the historic events. It is neither popular reading nor academic textbook. | 0negative
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HANDS DOWN THE BEST COOKBOOK I OWN
This book definitely cuts my cooking calls to mom by about 90%. It has great instructions for how to cook nearly everything. I would say that at least 95% of the recipes I have tried have been EXCELLENT. Only one I have tried out of many was a flop. It is a super reference. Also has a lot of "basic" recipes with many variations... keeps it pretty simple. If I had to choose between keeping this cookbook by itself or my next 4 favorite cookbooks and not this, I would have to pick this one by itself. A must have! Bon apetit. | 1positive
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Magic, Unintended Consequences, and When All Seems Lost, a Happy Ending
One day, Sylvester Duncan, an endearing young burro whose hobby is collecting unusual pebbles, happens upon a truly extraordinary one. Not only is it particularly beautiful, but as Sylvester is soon to discover, it possesses powerful magical properties.Sylvester's intentions are good and he plans to make use of the power of the pebble to help others. Nevertheless, the use of magic quickly becomes tragic, and Sylvester finds himself in a desperate situation from which escape seems all but impossible.Reading this book to my daughters, I found myself on an emotional roller coaster ride, as the little donkey is extricated from his plight just as all hope is lost.This is an excellent book, beautifully illustrated, and clearly deserving of the Caldecott Medal which it won in 1970. | 1positive
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Passionate, suspenseful and riveting!
Dorothy Sayers' Lord Peter Wimsey is one of the most enjoyable detective characters of the genre. Set in the 1920's, this English mystery series portrays Lord Peter as a highly intelligent, intuitive amateur sleuth. He has many other talents: he is an accomplished pianist, a collector of antiquarian books, cricketeer (a star when he was in school), has a charming and self-deprecating manner and it is hinted at throughout the series that he is accomplished at love-making having had several quite satisfied mistresses.In this installment, Lord Peter meets the woman of his dreams. She is on trial for murder and he must find out who committed the crime in order for her to be set free. He commences courting her in prison and is in emotional turmoil due to his fears he will not be able to solve this crime.Lord Peter's object of affection, Harriet Vane, is a very interesting woman--a modern woman who is independent and has been leading a non-traditional lifestyle. She is unconventionally beautiful with an unusually deep voice and writes detective novels. A nice addition to the series.Making Lord Peter have a personal stake in solving the crime, rather than just an intellectual exercise, created a nice tension in this novel. This happened before when Lord Peter's brother was on trial for murder. Lord Peter is known for his calm under stress and in this case seeing him as an agonized lover added to the suspense as well as increasing the attraction of the Lord Peter character. | 1positive
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What Romance?!!!
Is this supposed to be erotic romance?! It is erotic all right, but there is nothing romantic about it...unless you would call it that when two lead characters meeting each other, having a lot of sex with each other, and then saying their I love yous to each other in the end. Oh, but wait, in between the book our female character goes and have more sex with other men and a woman. I would have not pick up this book if the synopsis would have been more detailed. If you prefer erotic romance with characters in monogamous relationships, then read authors such as Lori Foster, Cheryl Holt, and Robin Schone. | 0negative
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Good book for those of us who know only that sensory processing issues exist and nothing more!
I found this book to be helpful for me as a psychotherapist working with families in the child welfare system. Often the kids have multiple issues and sensory integration problems are among them. It has helped me to recognize when kids might be dealing with this type of issue and to refer appropriately. | 1positive
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Simple thoughts from a simple mind.
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is one of the best books I've ever read. The intricate style Jane Austen used to write this love story made it so the reader was sucked into it in every turn of the page. The way all the characters interact and the vivid picture the book gives on every person helps the reader understand the contents of the story and the reason the main characters act in the manner that they do. Apart from love, this book also has mystery and suspense. The novel never takes the reader to a dead end, but instead takes him/her to a sort of maze where anything can happen. This book is full of twists and turns that keep the reader on his toes and because of its contents dealing with society and its morals on being prejudiced, it is appropriate and a must read for any age group. In "Pride and Prejudice" the chapter that interested me the most was chapter 8. In this chapter Elizabeth is taking care of her ill sister when she joins Miss Bingley, Darcy, and Mrs. Hurst and the topic of an acomplished woman arose. In this little dispute of the upper class, a vivid description of an accomplished woman is given where a woman is accomplished when she has mastered all of the fine arts and has read many books. This was my favorite chapter because it gives an insight into the prejudiced mind of the upper class. To them an accomplished woman is one who has mastered the fine arts, but the only people in the 19th century that could afford the classes that helped a woman master anything were the upper class families. In laymens terms the only way for a woman to be considered accomplished was if she was rich and famous. The fine arts that were considered refined were the ones that could not be studied by just anyone and those were the art the upper class studied to feel superior. What made this my favorite chapter was the way Elizabeth reacted during the dispute. Even though she was being put down, she did not say a word to fight back. All she did was listen and let the birds chirp. Her pride was too great to let anyone tell her differently and that's exactly what I liked. Even though she was lower class, she had more respect and pride than the ones that were believed to be high and mighty. This book is appropriate for people of all ages. As long as the person reading understands the meaning of big words, this is a great book for them. This is so because of the morals of the story, and the connection you can make with the present time. This book shows you how and why some people feel superior to others and how in the end, the people they looked down upon ended up being the greatest people they've ever met. As you read this book, you come to realize that what you are learning is priceless and meaningful. "Pride and Prejudice" gives you an insight into a problem facing every average person and, if read right, the solution to being prejudiced. If you haven't read this book, read it, and if you have already read it and understood it, read it to some one who hasn't, or give your book to someone you like or appreciate. | 1positive
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An average dystopian novel
The dystopian work, The Handmaid's Tale, written by Margaret Atwood displays many complex views and ideas of good and evil. Some characters in this work, although represented as evil, give food for thought, thought about our future on the earth and specifically in the U.S. Atwood deals with some of the modern ideas of misogyny, sex, and the possible future, by creating this dystopian work like her fellow dystopian novelist George Orwell.The first item of discussion from Atwood is that of misogyny. Although the role women play in society gives them no value whatsoever, women in this novel have a representation of the smarter more intelligent beings forced under the yoke of much slower less intelligent men. Men usually shown as dim witted and only lovers of sex and power ironically dominion over women. This example helps Atwood attain her goal of creating a feminist novel that dramatically exaggerate the way men and women already have "places" in society. This would create shock from the masses as they realize the potential for how the world could become.One way Atwood shocks her audience come through her explicit use of sex. Throughout the novel, Offred has multiple sexual encounters with several men, including a married man. This loose portrayal and approach to sexual intercourse does not seem unusual in the novel, in fact it seems expected. Offred's entire existence has its basis in sex. She works for the commander, or head of the household, as a handmaid. This consists of doing daily trivial tasks such as shopping and her main goal, to have children. Once a month, Offred must have sex or perform the "Ceremony" with the commander. These sexual encounters, specifically the first uses explicit language and detail.A dystopian novel has nothing new or unique about it in general. The idea has been replicated many times throughout history. Some dystopian, authors including George Orwell, H.G. Wells, Aldous, Huxley, and Ray Bradbury, all have good ideas, stories, themes, and plotlines. Compared to these authors Margaret Atwood does not particularly shine out. A well written novel in some places, effectively driving home her point. Atwood writes a convincing novel yet the unnecessary set in this novel somewhat diminishes the quality of the novel. Instead of creating this perfect, or rather not perfect, dystopian world, Atwood strays from the usual path to dwell on sex as the entire reason for this dystopia.One very effective method Atwood used to drive home her point lies in he darkness and despair in this novel. The utter hopelessness of the of The Handmaid's Tale and feeling of anguish shows the harsh reality of life or the possibility of life in the future.Overall The Handmaid's Tale qualifies as well written novel, but only well written as a despair, sex filled novel portraying a possible dystopian society. Although most dystopia works have some elements of these things in them. The Handmaids Tale emphasizes a few in particular. The misogyny of the novel has a sort of irony to it because although the view of women could be perceived as below and being controlled by men, the women actually have the intelligence and ingenuity. The novel adequately portrays a dystopian society. The good of this book does not outweigh the bad. | 0negative
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Five down, one to go
Arghh, still the same as the other installments, but a little better written than parts one and two and on par with three and four. Now let's see how he finishes it.. | 0negative
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Disappointing
I'm in medicine and encounter hematological conditions all the time. This CD looked like an excellent way to enhance my knowledge and sharpen my diagnositic skills in hematology. The CD is designed to be highly interactive, covering all the major hematological disorders and illustrating them with photomicrographs and "concept applications" (ie, case studies). Sounded great!Unfortunately, though the principle of using the power of the computer in such a way was sound, the execution in this CD is terrible. The interface is clunky and limited. The photomicrographs carry no annotations - you have to figure out what you are looking at and hope you are right. The information is sketchy and in outline form. The case applications are mere one paragraph descriptions (in most cases the same - "fatique, shortness of breath, and weakness") followed by a typical CBC that would be found in each particular disorder, no further elaboration.And the kicker is the pricetag: $...! Save your money and put it toward Diagnostic Hematology: a pattern approach. | 0negative
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Encyclopaedia Galatica
I find the Foundation series to be more interesting than the Robot series. I read the short story which was the seed for this book; unfortunately, it ends completely up in the air so you are sucked into reading the whole novel. I have my problems with Psycho-History...but so will the characters in this universe, as we shall see. | 1positive
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Book Review
Thank you so much for the speedy service! Book was in condition stated, which is great! | 1positive
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not very informative
Not a very informative book about the actual science of supplementing to avoid nutrient deficiency - more a blanket statement that it's a good idea. It's written mainly in short-section bullet-point style. It is unrelenting in letting you know that Dr Rath is a great medical revolutionary. I was surprised to come across a section on the benefits of Vitamin C for diabetes, so I googled the topic and immediately came across a study where vitamin C had a negative effect for diabetics - at odds with the glowing recommendation of vitamin C for diabetics in the book. | 0negative
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The Magic is Rekindled!
Elise and Garrett have a love that has lasted for approximately two decades and a marriage of 17 years. Definitely, a couple who has shared so much together -- some magically and others not. However, theirs is a love to last a lifetime.Elise is plaqued with changes in her life that she comes to think will make her less a woman. Because of her fears, Elise feels that her marriage to Garrett is in trouble. Not only with her health issues, but because Elise felt this has been ongoing for sometime now. Elise has forgotten that Garrett has always been there for her, through the good times as well as the bad. Elise needs to be reminded that Garrett is a man of his word and has never broken a promise to her and he is well respected by others.Garrett, big and handsome, a man committed to his wife has some issues that have never been discussed or faced. All his life, he has thought of others and tried to do what was best for others. Garrett has an opportunity to do something that would benefit him, but Garrett thinks about Elise and the consequences of his actions if he does what he truly wants to do. Garrett is willing to forego what he wants in order to satisfy Elise and his love for her.It is pure magic, when Elise and Garrett are given the opportunity to go for a vacation during the Christmas holidays - a vacation alone, away from family and friends. While on the island, Elise and Garrett meet the lovely, elderly couple who oversee the property. Through the couple's encouragement, Elise and Garrett see love that has lasted for over 40 years. During their vacation, Elise's and Garrett's love is magically rekindled. Time alone is just what this couple needed to experience what has been and what will never die between them - the love of a lifetime. | 1positive
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Incredibly Overrated
Catch-22 is an anti-war book for the easily led and the ignorant. It's for people who just say "War is bad" without really thinking about why it's bad.The book is basically Dilbert in World War II. As in the comic strip, all the people in charge are unbelievably stupid, don't care about the people they command, and are extremely selfish. The common soldiers are of course much smarter than the commanding officers and try their hardest to get out of work. Their unwillingness to fight is justified (by the book, anyway) because their commanders are just so evil and stupid. Everyone's behavior is cartoonish and annoying.This edition of the book includes a preface by the author in which he, instead of saying anything useful, writes mostly about how everyone thinks his book is wonderful. Well, it's not. | 0negative
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My favorite childhood book
I remember looking at this book for hours as a kid. The illustrations are so densely packed that wherever you look something interesting is going on. I love the underwater ship, so creepy. I came looking for a new copy but I see its going to be harder than I thought to get my hands on one.The thing is I still have my childhood copy, but unfortunatly it got a bit of water damage in storage. I pulled it out last night to show my 2 year old for his bedtime story and he would not let my close it! He wanted me to flip though it so many times! | 1positive
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Required reading
This is an excellent book. I wish it was required reading in public schools today. Not just a great sci-fi fiction but an excellent poitical piece as well | 1positive
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Fayth @ Starcrossed
It was a long venture to get through this book, because I have a policy where I don't watch anything before I read the book(s) of basis. I accidentally watched the first season of Dexter before I found out about the book series. So, like a good girl, I refrained from watching the second season and began Dexter. In January. See, there is a reason I have this rule: my love of suspense rivals my love of reading. Another love of mine is being in the know, for when I watch the movies/tv series/whatever based on said book. And although Dexter season 1 and Darkly Dreaming Dexter were different, the gist was basically the same. So, since I knew the gist, it was hard to focus on this book and not read another one.Boring note aside, this book was enjoyable, once I FINALLY sucked it up and read it. Dexter's character is interesting- he's hilarious, a blood spatter analyst, and a serial killer- which makes it fun to read things from his point of view. The mystery, which wasn't such a mystery to me (although a lot of elements were different) was a darn good one. The characters were developed well. I could see them all as real people. Which is why I hate Deb, Dexter's sister. The entire book she was such a grouch. Ugh.I am definitely looking forward to reading the next books in the series. It's the Sookie Stackhouse series all over again. | 1positive
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Clear, direct, helpful, validating
I ordered used copies and skimmed through three of the highly rated books on this topic. I chose this one to read.I found it clear and easy to read. It's somewhat technical at times, in the psychology and early childhood development of the narcissistic personality, which I found helpful.I've recently separated from my mother and brother because of their ongoing efforts to use me to avoid their own pain. Reading this book has been another valuable piece of validation and reality in a difficult process of claiming my own life and self, and keeping them out! I recommend. | 1positive
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A homophobic mystery.
It is astonishing that a novel based entirely on stereotyped characters can be reviewed so frequently without any reference to that fact. This novel is based on a hateful view of gay men, explicitly describing them as angry not to be interested in women, and jealous of straight men for their relationships with women. The idea of the book -- chess integrated with the mystery -- is wonderful, but the execution poor. After all, unlike good mysteries, we never learn the one fact that explains the truth until the end of the book, so there is no opportunity for us to play along with the protagonist in attempting to solve the mystery. And, even though I enjoyed the read, the ultimate resolution is so hate-filled as to sour the rest of the book. Overall, exceedingly a poor novel. | 0negative
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Amazing classic lit!
An awesome story! If you've never read it - give it a try. At first I was so caught up in not understanding the Old English I wasn't able to enjoy the actual story. I'm so glad I realized the things I was worrying about weren't really important just things with different names than we have for them today. | 1positive
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Modern poetry in accessible form
This poem brings a sophisticated contemporary sensibility to poetry in a wholly non-threatening way. Koch writes in a way a child could understand, yet his choice of poetic texts is refreshing. None of the standard Sandburg and Frost stuff that turns intelligent children (and adults) off from poetry.There are some great comments about little-known poets like Joseph Ceravolo. | 1positive
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Autographed copy missing autograph!
Although this item was advertised and priced as a collectible, the first copy had no signature because the page that was supposedly signed was torn out of the book. When I notified the seller, they agreed to send another with a signature. However, when the second copy arrived, it was signed, but not by the author. Instead, it was signed with a woman's name who seems to have no connection to the book at all. During the last communication I had with the seller, she agreed to locate and send out the autographed copy. Still nothing, so I expect we will not be receiving what we paid for. | 0negative
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Boring and predictable
I like García Márquez's literature. Three of his books are among my favorites. But this one I didn't like. I must say that I usually prefer demanding readings over "light" literature, so it's not the "stream-of-consciousness" what bored me (I love "Ulysses", for example). But I did not find it interesting. 50 pages-long sentences must be really excellently crafted. I think in this work they are not. Perhaps for non-Latin Americans it is a wonderful tale about a bizarre Latin American dictator and the savage world over which he reins. But I knew right from the start that this would be a long mock and attack on dictatorships (which is perfectly fine), and I didn't want to read more. No problem, even the best artists are entitled to some bad results. | 0negative
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A quagmire of beginnings that rapidly go nowhere
If Ed Wood's "Plan 9 from Outer Space" is considered the worst commercial movie ever made, then Robert Jordan's Crossroads of Twilight must be the worst novel ever written. Remember all those horrible books your teachers called literature in high school? This is worse, much worse. Following (and retreading) the explosive ending to Winter's Heart, it gets off to a somewhat interesting start at the prologue, in which the threads seem to be coming together, the story then spirals off to a complete lack of progress or any kind of closure whatsoever. Every character's dilemma is no closer to getting alleviated and in many cases they (Matt and co's run from the Seanchan, for instance) actually fall behind. Every major character follows the circular track that Jordan developed for each of them 7, 8, or 9 books back, thus ensuring that they fail to go forward on their goals. This circular development repeats the same set of descriptions over and over and only deviates when describing their garments; for example, how many times does RJ have to tell us Elayne's knocked up? How many times does he have to describe the alleged boys-against-girls/girls against boys conspiracy? When will the story end?Most distressing of all is that I skipped entire chapters and when subsequent ones returned to the passed over characters, nothing happened whatsoever in between and nothing happens thereafter! This book has no distinct beginning, middle, or most galling of all, an end; it is a quagmire of beginnings that go nowhere and it is safe to say that this non-story can be skipped and will take nothing away from its elusive sequel. I implore all of you to ignore this book, wait for the dust to settle for book 11 and then check that out from the library or get the paperback if you must read it. Likewise for this one. | 0negative
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Don't buy; nothing to see unless you're just learning CSS for the very first time
I just bought this book (Kindle edition) because I needed to figure out how the width and height properties work when it comes to percentages.This book has four chapters with very, very, basic explanations of anything. Needless to say, I didn't find anything about sizing (width, height). | 0negative
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Commercial and boring
Except for excellent descriptions of people and places this book does not capture the reader's imagination. None of the characters are sympathetic, and the plot is very shallow. | 0negative
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GET THIS ONE and read it over and over and over........
Having been involved in both Corporate America as a Chemical Engineer and in Small Business as a Veterinarian, it amazes me how I can have remained so ignorant on the topics of money and investments. NO LONGER! The Fools have shown the way, and they will for you, too. Just read, learn, and finally, ACT! I am not one to write up reviews or endorse things in general, but I just put this book down, and was FORCED to write this up,just to share the wisdom. That is, right after I contacted several on-line brokers....... | 1positive
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Needs more organization and material
The problem I had with this book was that there were MAJOR missing topics such as:1. appendicitis (???!!)2. small/large bowel obstruction3. rheumatic fever4. pediatric rashes - NO mention of measles, mumps, rubella except how they affect the neonate. I'm looking more for what the different rashes in a kid look like and their accompanying sxs5. spontaneous bacterial peritonitis6. aortic aneurysm (!!!)7. contraindications for vaccines8. skimped on a lot of cardiac medication side effects - no mention of dig or amiodarone or lidocaine toxicity9. delayed puberty10. botulinism11. diaper rash (seriously, this is def. asked in step 3)12. discusses gastroschisis but not omphalocele??you get the idea.Their biostatistic section was a nightmare - poorly organised and lacking basic information - such as defining different types of experimental study biases and including poorly worded explanations instead of just giving us an example like they did in step 2 First Aid. The cardiology section LUMPED stable, unstable angina and MI into one single-paged mess.....I don't know about you, but more clarification about who goes and gets cathed and what the indications for angioplasty, PCI are would have been nice.And WAY too much emphasis on: ortho (2-3 pages of chart/table devoted to ortho injuries???)CSS section probably fine if you use it - I didn't use it at all. I just used USMLE world's CSS cases and those were more than sufficient and inclusive.Unfortunately, this is probably still the best review book out there for step 3, if nothing else than for the familiar format. | 0negative
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Mercifully short book
A sheltered and self-indulgent author who believes that every trivial thought that passes through her head is fascinating to the reader. It isn't. | 0negative
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"Herregud!, There goes Isak on his mule, let's watch!"
This is an odd and depressing book. Far from Frank Norris or Jack London or Sinclair Lewis or authors intent to describe the homesteading life; there is no manifesto here. There is no bright definition between the good and evil, nor an epic struggle against the land and climate, nor a guerrilla war of one class against another. All the folks here get on rather well considering that two of the three women characters are murders and all of the men are but domesticated farm animals. More (or less) the book lacks even the basic description that would link the reader to the land; no colorful seasonal changes, no waves of migrating birds, no surf on the shore, no simple enjoyment of the earth as the day begins. No Steinbeck here. No Barry Lopez, no Ted Morgan. We have here the novel of the ruminants; grubbing, rutting, and wondering what it is all about. Put this book up in your medicine cabinet; try to read 20 pages whenever you cannot sleep. | 0negative
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This is why you don't let third parties write a book for you
I had purchased this book in the hopes that I might learn something about demons or the supernatural. What I got instead was a poorly written book that read like it was written by a gushing fan of the Warrens. The only real "valid" part of this book would have to be the letter in the beginning written by Ed Warren himself.The over-use of exclamation points made it very hard to take this book seriously. Terrible writing form and spelling/grammatical errors also didn't help the book's case. | 0negative
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Personal Portrait of Rommel
An intimate look at Rommel as a commander and superior officer written by an aide who served him on a daily basis in North Africa. Provides insight into why Rommel, a Field Marshal who was not above jumping into a ditch to help his men "unstick" a vehicle from the sand, was so respected by the men who served under him.Living in the same spartan conditions imposed on his men, Rommel was a foot soldier's general who sometimes conducted his own reconnoitering, at great risk, led from the front lines, and believed in ACTION. Feared and respected by the British, his chief opponents in Africa, he became a subject of formidable mystique which worried their Middle East HQ and inspired jealousy from the German General Staff. They regarded him as an over-rated middle-class upstart who, in being promoted Field Marshal by Hitler, had encroached upon sacred ground previously occupied mainly by German nobility.With Rommel in the Desert shows that Rommel's appeal lies in his action-oriented personality, his code of chivalry and fairness. It is clear after the North African campaign that he missed the clarity of purpose and independence he enjoyed during that time, and chaffed against subsequent dealings with the politicized world of the German General staff and the Nazi regime which helped build his reputation.Like Patton, Rommel was out of his depth when dealing with political matters, as when he became involved on the fringes of the July 20th plot against Hitler, and like Patton, he was a skilled and highly professional military man whose ego led him to be exploited by the propanganda machine of the nation he served. An excellent book for anyone interested in this famed but enigmatic German commander. | 1positive
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not funny.
I'm not really a kid, I just didn't feel like signing in.I expected a lot from this book and was completely disappointed. It's not funny! You know that friend of yours who drags the joke out way too long? that friend is this book. I laughed a couple of times in the beginning and then I realized that that was about as good as it was going to get. And past the unfunny jokes, I felt like I was getting beaten over the head with the war-is-crazy, beaurocracy-is-endless message. He could have accomplished the same thing in 300 less pages. I can't believe I actually wasted my time reading this. | 0negative
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Liberal agitprop that hurt America
It's an entertaining fantasy, but the fact is we now know beyond any doubt (see Venona) there were hundreds of Communist spies at all levels of our government. Every single person McCarthy identified as a Communist was, in fact, a Communist and far from having their lives ruined, most went on to prestigious positions at Leftist-leaning institutions. If anything, McCarthy wasn't zealous enough. Yet to this day, he is reviled by Leftists and their sympathizers, his very name a malediction. Where are the mea culpas from the supporters of I.F. Stone and Walter Duranty, both proven Soviet propagandists complicit in covering up tens of millions of murders? Where is the morality play that teaches us mass starvation of civilians is a terrible weapon and those who cover for mass mega-murderers are no better themselves?It's time for Americans to recognize the truth: McCarthy was a hero, and those in the press and entertainment industries like Arthur Miller that worked to discredit and defame him did a terrible disservice to this great country and committed a horrible atrocity on a patriotic American who was trying to protect his country from the greatest threat it ever faced. | 0negative
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Skip This Book
This is the last book of Three Sisters Island TrilogySetting: Modern TimesMaybe I am prejudiced since I read the first book and that Nell's story was my favorite-- therefore, I feel that my favorite character is Nell and I could not connect to Mia because in the back of my mind, I felt that the author favored Mia. I couldn't get into the story so I skipped a lot of the pages after hitting the half mark. And maybe even with my prejudices that if the story was really good that I would have rated this higher or have said I liked the story... at least, right?This is a witch series: Nell, Ripley, and Mia1st book- "Dance Upon the Air" Nell's story2nd book- "Heaven and Earth" Ripley's story3rd book- "Face the Fire" Mia's story | 0negative
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Great read
On e of the Best books i have ever read...interesting,funny and ahead of its time. The ending you will never guess. | 1positive
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Probably the Best Coaching Book I Have Read Yet!
Leadership Coaching gives both detailed instruction on the mechanisms of great coaching as well as a thorough explanation behind the heart of a Coach. As a Certified Professional Coach and Coach Trainer myself (Truth Coaching), I highly recomend the book to those interested in coaching, in addition to professionals already in the field. This book helps remind us all that coaching is truly an "inside-out" process.Dave McIlrath, MA. PCC.Truth Coaching | 1positive
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Cynicism at its finest
Catch 22 takes to the extreme many of the American archetypes of World War II. Yossarian, the unwilling patriot; Milo Minderbender, the ultimate in the capitalistic ideal; Snowden, the mostly forgotten victim; and Colonel Cathcart the ambitious officer. Cynical behaiviour abounds as the pilots try to reach the ever increasing number of missions needed to be flown in order to go home. Peppered with vivid and intense scenes, Catch 22 is one of the funniest and amazing books that exist. It is an emotional and cynical tale that reveals Heller's genius as he turns the reality of World War II into important commentary. One of the best ways to examine why we as a society do some of the things that we do is through humor and Catch 22 does exactly that. I cannot recommend this book highly enough | 1positive
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Awesome!
My life has been touched forever and I am a believer. I would recommend to anyone who wants to enhance their spiritual walk and relationship with Jesus Christ. | 1positive
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