If I could recommend just one book to anyone it would be this.
	This book is the most eye-opening, amazing, enlightening and practical work I have ever read. There were so many jewels of wisdom and edifying anecdotes in these pages. Anyone who is serious about improving their relations with others on the job and socially should read this work with the utmost attention. If everyone practiced these simple principles, this society would be truly utopian. That is why I bought 12 of them: to be able to give it to friends and associates who I believe would really benefit from it


History at its Best
	This is the best book available on the Great Storm of 1900 and its effect on Galveston, Texas. An unbelievable amount of research obviously went into it. Very well written. Highly recommended


Somewhat outdated, but still worth while
	McNeill calls American Indians and Africans little more than the victims of the West in this book. He explains that they have little role in the development of culture (which he sees as passing from society to society from Mesopotamia on, like some sort of conceptual Olympic torch) and some get it and others do not. It is an outdated and bigoted way to see cultural history, and difficult to read without cringing.

That said, the book contains marvelous elements. Few writers will explain with his brevity and mastery how cultures have passed elements, one to another, over the expanse of time; few writers can convey the forward momentum of history as McNeil. So with all its faults, it is very worthy book, certainly worth reading while keeping in minds its somewhat dramatic shortcomings


The Best of the Trilogy
	Red Lily is clearly the best book in the series.  While reading this one I could visualize the scenes.  This book would make a good movie, but I can't decide under what category it would fit into.  Although it's clearly a romance portions of the book would definitely be considered a thriller.  With all the talk of a ghost (as the rest of the series) this book it isn't a believable read as much as a fun read.


Well-written book
	For those that are avid readers of journalistic works such as this one, you would absolutely enjoy every moment rummaging through the pages.  Statistics are provided but never to the point of being too dry and too boring for the readers to read through.  The writer endeavours to shed lights for us ramifications of China and its muscle power.  Instead of branding China as a villain, we need to understand that without support from purchasers who are looking for the cheapest bargains, China wouldn't be where it is now.  Wal-Mart is covered in detail.  The writer gives us a projection that if car manufacturing industry is heading the same direction of products manufacturing, it's only a matter of time before prices for cars would plummet quite considerably in the future when China has perfected its manufacturing bases just as Japan and South Korea had done before it.  Then, there's another discussion about the shifting of population from countryside into urban centres where manufacturing bases are located, and how China is able to sustain the supply of cheap labour.  China's progress isn't simply detrimental to other countries.  On contrary, it benefits them as well.  For example, Australia is having a boom right now due to exportation of natural resources to China.  With increase of living standard in China, Chinese needs more nutritious food.  As China couldn't provide enough, United States particularly the Middle States are enjoying a boom in supplying food to the Middle Kingdom.  Then, there are also discussions about other foreign powers keeping United States in check by siding with China, and also the love and hate relationship between USA and China of controlling the currencies so as to keep the interest rates at an attractive rate to facilitate growth in China and so forth.  Whilst nobody knows for certain the exact figures of information provided (since China has this tendency to manipulate figures since the beginning of time), suffice to say that the book explains how the mechanism works and allowing us to have an insight of how international trade ticks.  Yes, some reviewers are fastidious and highly critical of figures provided by the writer but ultimately, I think they are missing the points.  What's crucial from this book is that we need to understand better about China and learning how to work alongside it in order to share the gains it would garner over the years to come.  Highly recommended


End of Oil
	Everyone should follow the advise published on the outside cover of this book..."You live in this world, you use oil, you must read this book.


A Time to Kill
	A Time to Kill and The Broker are my two favs from Grisham.  Suspense is the name of the game.   I like books that make me read them straight through because they're so suspense filled. Another great novel is Deadly Behavior by Dee Sullivan.


interlude in Death
	I love this series.  I have every one of the books in this series and will never let them go.


Simple, effective, and very powerful.
	Here is a book written for literally anyone who wants to learn lessons for life on how to get rich. And for all those desperados out there dreaming of getting fantastically rich with ridiculously little effort: here is your guide. You will learn that making money and getting rich isn't hard at all, but it requires a little discipline. There are only a handful of tips given in this book, but they are sufficient to make a real difference in your wallet and a real difference in your life!

The style is very easy to understand and very straight-forward. A child could read this book, even though the setting is that of the ancient city of Babylon, but that makes the story and the lesson all the more interesting. Five stars are awarded to this book and trust me, you'll agree with me


captivating and beautifully written
	I just finished the book last night, crying as I read the last few pages.  I guess since Carole Radziwill and I are the same age and share a lot of the same interests helped capture me into this memoir and unable to put it down.  It also gives you some unheard stories of the famous family.  I felt like I knew Carolyn Bessette Kennedy better through this story rather than the tabloid press.  She was a delightful and woman, filled with life, which makes her ending even more tragic.  The book honors a beautiful friendship and a marriage tested by CANCER.  It pays homage to Anthony Radizwill as well as John and Carolyn Kennendy as it lets you see them as real people rather than tabloid  fodde


Teaches How To Market Yourself
	I read this book after the authors (Scott   Omari) told me about it on one of the public forums (about GMAT). Excellent book, it's gives the overall picture of what an MBA candidate should look like to an admission officer at the B school. It definitely gives you an edge. This is book is like 'everything about B school applications in a nutshell'.

There are some methods like drawing a 'grid' to see where you stand, really gives insight into what are your strenghts   the areas you should improve or 'cover' in the application essays.

Overall, not the one   only but very good book.


Post 9-11   Pre 9-11 Conversations with Noam Chomsky
	This is book is collection of Interviews by Noam Chomsky given before and after the attacks on the WTC.

I found this book a little too brief and would recommend to first time readers of this author to read some of his other work and then come to this particular book.

This book is nonetheless an Interesting view to take on the events that are discussed in it


As a Man Does; Good daily verse reading
	Nicely printed and bound - If you like James Allen you'll like this book


Open Book Management = More Profits and Happier People
	How can people play the game if they don't know the rules or how to keep score?  Open book management means you teach people how business works, you share financials and you reward them for improving the profits of the company.  Good solid  quot;how to quot; information if you want to set up a profit sharing plan and get people really involved in the success of the company


Keen marketing sense
	Reviewed by Bette Daoust, Ph.D. for Reader Views (6/06)

I find it interesting that I am reviewing a book I had read five years ago when it first came out. All this really means is that this book has definite longevity (and believe it or not, all of the "predictions" in the book are a reality today. Seth Godin set forth to spread his book like a virus to everyone he could through his connections, and their connections, and their connections and "so on and so on". The truth is the idea virus is real and his book is living proof that ideas and other products can certainly be spread by word-of-(mouth, email, infrared, download, or whatever).

I have always been an admirer of Seth Godin and although I have not read all of his books, I will make certain that I do. He has a keen sense of marketing like no other as in his "Purple Cow" as well as this book "Unleashing the Idea Virus". Who better to write about spreading ideas around than Seth. His book has certainly hit the circuit and still has a long way to go before absolutely everyone who should read this book (and apply the information). This book is a must for anyone that touches the marketing function in their business.

The Idea Virus is a book full of common sense items but with a twist that makes them more realistic than just theory. The real life situations described bring all the points to home. I just hope that the next time I sneeze, a new idea, the targeted hive picks it up and swarms around it and passes it on. I want to own the market in my defined hive and I want it to propagate and live on for a long time. This book is one terrific example! Go download it or purchase it at the bookstore.


Still a benchmark
	Every now and then a pivotal moment in history is witnessed and recorded by a master communicator.   The mid-first century of Rome was such a time and Tacitus was such a communicator.  The Histories will forever be a benchmark of good history with its observations on human nature and behaviour along with their impact on history.   The historian will do well to read Tacitus not just for the historical lessons but for his approach to history as a record of human activity.   While observing and commenting on the human element in history, Tacitus avoids making moral judgements and remains as objective as possible in the midst of turmoil, wars, and rumors of wars.  His beloved nation and people were suffering under the barbarity of fratricidal war yet he remains above the madness and records the events with passion tempered with objectivity.  His example is one that has remained difficult for others to follow.

A word on this translation in particular - I found Mr. Wellesley's translation very readable and poetic.  He seems to have captured the literature value of the text as well as the content.  Well done


A truely excellent read.
	Philbrick does an outstanding job of weaving an enthralling story from historical references. He gives the reader a wonderful sense of the social, religious and political forces that motivated the Pilgrims in their incredibly risky venture into the unknown. The book presents a fascinating view of the clash of the Native American and English cultures that tragically led to the near annihilation of the New England "Indians".


good
	I enjoyed reading The Mark. It was definitely a page turner. Of course it makes me want to continue with the series. Tim F. LaHaye is a great author and story teller. I actually visualized the whole the thing. I would thank him in person if I could, for a wonderful job done...

Thank you..


Nice Intro but incomplete
	First, the strengths: Andrew gives intelligent summaries and discussion of some major historical film theorists, with chapters on Munsterberg, Arnheim, Eisenstein, Balazs, Kracauer, Bazin, Mitry, Metz, and Ayfre, and Agel. He focuses on the debate between the formalists (who believe film art is defined by its formal properties including editing, framing, mise-en-scene, lighting, and etc.) and the realist tradition (who believe that film art is defined by its basis in photography, a physical impression of its subject). The highlight is undoubtedly Andrew's excellent discussion of the great French critic Andre Bazin, which is not surprising since Andrew's Ph.D thesis was on Bazin. The weaknesses: This was published in 1976, and so it completely ignores the vast body of criticism published since then, especially feminism, and the influence of Lacan and psychoanalytic theory. Still, this is not a bad starting point for students of film theory


Run, don't walk, to buy this book
	HI.. I would say most people should run, not walk, to buy this book. It doesn't matter where you are starting from, everyone can benefit from this stuff, and there are a variety of ways to compile wealth that the authors talk about. I found it to be very inspiring and well worth the money. I would recommend it to all my friends, especially those who are befuddled by the markets, because it has simple straightforward advice. good luck to all the savers and investors among us! for socially conscious people, they also tell how to help society (as well as get wealthy.


Beautiful Book!
	Tony Sweet's photographs are breathtaking!  As you look at each photo and associated rationale for how and why he chose a particular exposure or composed it in a certain way, you realize the keen awareness he has of his environment and the obvious care and patience he places in his work.   I am so glad that he shares the technical side to his wonderful work.  I think photographers of all levels will have much to gain by reading and studying this book


Book Review: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
	Definitely one of the best books I have read. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon is a complex mixture of simple things. The simplicity of the language, style, ideas, characters and concepts is unique to this book. The expression of complicated life matters and situations in such a simple manner makes this book a definite must-have.
In the book, Mark Haddon borrows the voice of his lead character Christopher, an autistic child, to tell the story. Christopher is an autistic and smart 15 year old boy. He's a math whiz with an unsatisfiable appetite to solve problems. His approach to all life issues is to convert them into a math problem of some sort and find out ways to deal with these issues.
The story mainly revolves around Christopher's investigation to find out who killed his neighbour's dog Wellington. Despite his father's instructions to not pursue the issue, Christopher goes on to attempt to solve the mystery of who killed Wellington.
The story unravels before Christopher and he is hit with a reality far more complex than his own understanding of life. His investigations result in only unearthing long buried secrets of his mother who, he knows, died three years earlier.
Christopher's determination to solve the mystery of who killed Wellington and the mystery of his mother's death is something to be revered throughout the development of the story. The child's emotional roller coaster ride is witnessed first hand on every page. The reader experiences Christopher's feelings and emotions so transparently that it makes it extremely difficult not to feel attached to the story.
The story in itself is funny at times, sad and miserable at others; complex in one place and extremely simple in another.
This is a novel that you can be certain will change the way you perceive the things in your life once you are through. Your world will never be the same again. In a good way


Mind-Expanding
	This is one of the best -- and scariest -- business books I've ever read. Christensen clearly illustrates why many of the 'tried and true' formulas really don't work. His research is compelling and is presented clearly enough for non-technical readers. I can't recommend this book highly enough


Pure Mcguane
	Being a dyed-in-the-wool Mcguane fan, I think he just keeps getting better.  Not only is he the best fishing writer alive, but his non-fishing stories are bizzarely entertaining, have an interesting twist, and always explore human interaction. I believe his writing is based on his many and varied experiences, from crazy street people to ego-crazed CEOs, as well as the many places he has lived.  Who else would know what a cabinet is, except a Rhode Island resident?  What...no mention of hot weiners or coffee milk?


Great cheese puffs!
	I was anxious to try the Artisanal gougere recipe, and I was not disappointed!  The cheese puffs were light and cheesey and beautiful to look at!  I compared his recipe to Le Cordon Blue recipe, and his adds a pinch of baking powder and about 2-3 times the amount of cheese.  Plus he give approximate mixing times, which was a blessing for me since I had never made cream puff dough before.  The Cordon Blue version had no mixing times and with such a small amount of cheese compared to the Artisanal version I cannot believe that it would be anywhere near as good.  This book appears to have Terence's personal touch, not just regurgitation of classic bistro recipes


Like discovering a long lost Bronte
	Based on 20 pages of an unfinished Charlotte Bronte manuscript, you forget that it was written in 2004 and are quickly enjoying what feels like a long lost Bronte! Ms. Boylan takes into consideration Charlotte's growing concern (at the time of her death) with children born into extreme poverty and deprivation. The plot involves a search for the true roots of an orphan (Emma) and introduces the readers as well as her main characters to London's back streets. Of course there are all the undying and unfulfilled loves as well as the unlikely coincidences that make for a great period novel


Scarier than any Stephen King novel...
	You want to read a horror story? This is it. This is the shameful way our government dealt with AIDS in the first six years it appeared in the country- by doing nothing at all.

EVERYONE ignored it. The CDC, the NIH, the National Cancer Institute, it was ignored by everyone but a handful of scientists and doctors, and they were ignored too. Over 2000 gay men (and hemophiliacs, and straight people, and babies) died before the government even acknowleged that yes, something new was going around. Newspapers and media did not report this, because it was too embarrassing talking about how it was a "gay disease." Gay men didn't want to discuss that it "might" be spread through sex, and the ideas of shutting down the bathhouses and losing that little bit of hard-won liberation was unthinkable. Blood banks wouldn't even ACKNOWLEGE the fact that their products were contaminated, even after it was PROVEN that transfusion AIDS was possible and happening.

By the time President Reagan FIRST uttered the word AIDS, over 25,000 Americans were dead from the disease.

This book made me cry. The entire way through it, I wanted to scream, I wanted to throw things, I wanted to hit people until they realized that gay people deserve to live too. A university official that was denying AIDS researchers desperately needed funding had the nerve to actually remark, "Well, at least AIDS is getting rid of a lot of undesirable people." How absolutely disgusting.

This is a dauntingly large book- 621 pages of reading, all of it frustrating, angering, scream-inducing, and yet, still inspiring. They didn't give up. No one threw in the towel until their last breath, or until funding, sufficient funding, was finally granted. Sadly, the author himself died of AIDS in 1994. God bless everyone who worked so hard to make AIDS a household word, which finally happened, oh, about SEVEN STINKING YEARS after it first started killing people in the US. What the heck is wrong with this country? Why did people have their heads in the sand for so long? What's so stinking WRONG with us?

Another book everyone should read, if only to know how our government helped spread AIDS around the world by ignoring it for six damn years. How many people did they kill by doing that? Far, far too many. We were the last civilized nation to institute an AIDS education/prevention program. This book made me dislike the bureaucracy of this country even more, and I didn't think that was possible.

God bless everyone who is working to make life better for people with AIDS


One of the most influencial books I've read this year.
	Having been born in 1981 I was educated as a teen about the importance of safe sex and the realities of HIV and AIDS. But, this book brought home the true horrors of the history of the pandemic. While lengthy, it is extremely informative and, if read with an open mind, refreashingly unbiased. I found myself taking extra time and care in reading "And The Band Played On" just to let the information sink in.


Bye-bye to Barty #8217;s biting back-chat
	It #8217;s been two years since the recovery of The Amulet of Samarkand, and Nathaniel (now known as John Mandrake) is a Government official in the Office of Internal Affairs, apprenticed to Jessica Whitwell.

His job is to hunt down a pack of rebellious commoners known as the Resistance, who have been causing a series of disturbances in London, aiming to destabilize the rule of the magicians.  He suspects the involvement of a girl named Kitty and her friends whom we met in his previous adventure, and although correct in this assumption, it soon becomes obvious that there is deeper evil afoot, as a destructive force hidden in a black cloud begins attacking the city, destroying buildings and magical artifacts as it goes.

When things start spiraling out of control, he is forced to call upon Bartimaeus again for help, and the adventure spirals into a saga of grave robbery, political maneuvers, foreign travel and ancient magic.

Though certainly not as good as the first, and a little too long, The Golem #8217;s Eye makes for good reading, but is sadly lacking the sarcastic witticisms of everyone #8217;s favorite djinn that were the high point of book one.

Amanda Richards, May 20, 2006


The most terrible story I've ever read--five stars,
	This is an aweful story--you should read it, absolutely.

I dread the turn of every page, so I'm recommending it to my closest personal friends as well.

And since this is about terrible things happening to would-have-been-happy small children, I cannot in good conscience forget to recommend it to my brother so that he may read it to my nephews.

The most terrible story I've ever read--five stars


Great reference guide
	I am a manager for a Federal Govt Agency.  I found this book informational and easy to understand.  Immigration law is a complex subject.  The book is easy to read and addresses many important aspects related to this subject.  The sections related to inadmissability, removal are well written and easy to understand.  The chapters related to the history of various classes of immigrants was intersting as well.  I would recommend the book for persons who want to expand their knowledge of this topic


A GM's Friend
	Each Planet listed in this book has details on length of day, length of year, species, population, size, climate, terrain,   much more. Each one also has a picture of the planet accompanying it.

There's also a map of the core worlds along with key location / site maps on nearly every listed planet(very cool).

Coruscant has a huge 29-page entry to it. It also has the GM character Dexter Jettster, info on the Jedi Temple, and many more spots on this planet.  Great for many, many adventures.
Alderaan   Corellia get around 7-pages.

There's also a few new species, many new creatures, and a lot of GM characters to throw at Players.

Some starships are also in here, inlcuding : TIE/Ad Defender prototype   E-Wing.

My only complaint is, there AREN'T more of these Planet books out there for this RPG.  WotC could have done a series of Secrets of... books for each system (or something like that.)

   Otherwise, there ARE a lot of things in this book that will make players believe that their characters are in STAR WARS.

So, yes, buy the book! Support this space fantasy RPG


Kudos to Ruth
	I just read this book cover to cover on a flight back to NYC from Barcelona.  My mouth watered as I read the included reprints of her past reviews of NYC restaurants - even after my five days of fantastic Spanish cuisine!  But more surprisingly, I was drawn in by what seems to be quite an honest glimpse of the NYC restaurant experience seen through the eyes of many "characters".  The book left me such respect for the depths that Ruth Reichl went through in order to dine as the everyday person would experience, especially in NYC's "best" restaurants.  Her recounts made me actually appreciate the research and dedication required to write a truly objective (as objective as food tastes get, I suppose) review.  A very easy and enjoyable read.


A Definite  quot;Must Have quot;
	This is one of two or three  quot;must have quot; books that every person interested in or practicing Smalltalk needs to read and keep on a shelf near by. Kent's writing style is clear, concise and often humorous. A very  entertaining and informative book by one of the giants in the Smalltalk  world


Yes, Stephen King really IS that good
	We see a phrase a lot when we visit how-to sites for writers. World building. By this, we mean the setting, the characters, and everything else where our story will occur. For me, this often means maps, memories and visits, since I write about where I live. But if you'd like to see exactly what "world building" means, head down to your local library and grab SALEM'S LOT by Stephen King.

Yeah, that's right, I'm reviewing a book by Stephen King. As if his career really needs my help.

(I bought my copy at Foreign Language Bookstore on Yanan Lu in Hangzhou, with a new introduction that is a pleasure to read, but I mentioned the library to save you some money.)

When Stephen King mania first gripped the English-speaking world, I missed it. I saw the film of CARRIE and hated it. Years later, at a guard desk on a long shift, scheduled so suddenly that I hadn't had a chance to visit the library, I read what was in the desk instead. THINNER. If I were Stephen King, I'd have put a pen name on that crap as well.

One of King's fans brought me around. She recommended THE SHINING. Of course I thought of that Kubrick/Nicholson travesty. No no, she said, read the book. It's much different. Yes, it is. It's fantastic for its perceptiveness. Next up, PET SEMATARY, which scared the crap out of me. And that, my friends, is not easy.

ON WRITING. I've gushed about that enough times. The films STAND BY ME and THE APT PUPIL. So, in the end, I appreciate King and forgive him for CARRIE, and I think he's forgiven himself. We won't talk about the Richard Bachman alias, although the film of THE RUNNING MAN was fun in a stupid sort of way.

SALEM'S LOT. King's second book, and perhaps it should have been his first. I've been in China since 1999. If I ever want to visit a town in the US, I don't need a plane ticket. I can just real SALEM'S LOT. Consider it a clinic on world building. These are the places and the people I left behind, right there, recorded by a master. Well, except for the vampire. I don't recall seeing him in Watha. Maybe he moved into my old house.

Actually, that's Stephen King right there. He creates an entirely real world, then throws in something unusual because it makes the story move and because he just thinks it's cool. A vampire here, a rabid dog there, a mind reader over there, a UFO crashing into Hickville...

Nobody has defended Stephen King by mentioning that William Shakespeare trucked heavily with ghosts and witches and prophesies in his stories, so I'll limit myself to a single sentence.

I believe that, just as I studied Mary Shelley's FRANKENSTEIN in a Literature class, one day students will study Stephen King. Just nothing about cars that come to life, because those stories really suck. I will accuse Stephen King of being uneven, and he explains why in ON WRITING. But at his best, I recommend him highly.

Oh, and here's a weird bit of trivia. I recognized the scene on page 50. Nothing before it, nothing after it, just that one bit. So I at least began reading this book. Probably at a guard desk. Tampa, Florida, has excellent libraries. At my guard desk, when I wasn't writing, I was getting drunk on literature, and I can't possibly remember it all. But I think SALEM'S LOT by Stephen King plus THE THANATOS SYNDROME by Walker Percy spurred me to write THE DEMONS WITHIN, which I later threw out but which gave DESCENT INTO MADNESS its back story.

(For Madman trivia buffs: Terrence and Sandra Howell once had their own novel. It really sucked. Terrence had his own novel 15 years before that. It also sucked. He's a composite of two classmates, Terrence Cram and Ricky Howell, so I'm glad he finally showed up in some form.)

In ON WRITING, Stephen King tells us that he was so drunk and stoned at one point that he can't remember writing some of his books. It seems I was so high on literature at one point that I forgot entire books I read, including SALEM'S LOT. So, I guess that getting old does have its advantages.


Awesome
	Simply Awesome! I keep having to stop the tape so it can sink in


The Skinny on Hiassin
	Were someone to write a biography of Carl Hiassin in fifty years it is hard to imagine that he or she wouldn't focus on the author's latest triumph, Skinny Dip. It is one of his seminal achievements. The book simply shines with humor, well drawn characters, action and as usual everyone gets their just desserts. It is also one of his smoothest rides. One gets the feeling that Hiassin was very confident in every sentence that he wrote.
	Here is an overview that will stimulate readers' interest Hiassin's. The book opens with Chaz trying to kill his wife by flinging her over the rail of their cruise ship, but by some twists and turns and luck Joey survives long enough to be rescued. Much of the rest of the book circles around the characters interactions and relationships as Joey and her team pursue vengeance. By the midpoint of the novel Chaz is already an emotional wreck and it doesn't look like Joey is about to let up any time soon.
	The moral backbone of the novel is twofold. One is the pitting of the Everglades Forest and her defenders against big business and her pollutants. The Everglades is quickly turning from pristine swamp into another type of ecosystem entirely and many Floridians want to prevent the remaining land from being destroyed, which means millions of dollars loss to the big agricultural business. Hiassin's two segments on the real life plight of this swamp standout a bit apart from the book, but also lends it a feeling of seriousness.
	And two is the pitting of criminals against victims who aren't going to take it anymore.  Hiassin is at his when he reapetedly refers to the attempted murder as an insult to Joey. As most survivors of violent crime can ascertain there is a severe indignity attached to one's helplessness.
	There are six main characters in the book: Joey and her horny husband Chaz, Joey's rescuer Mick who is a kind and eccentric ex-policeman who lives alone on an island, Joey's brother, a rich expatriate who raises sheep in New Zealand, Mr. Hammernut, the owner of a large agricultural empire and Tool, the books muscled goon who undergoes a moral transformation. The small group of sub-characters is entertainingly populated in part with a hermit who lives in the swamp, a street-tough hairdresser, a slap-happy senior and a cowardly lawyer.
	Though similar elements live in many of Hiassin's works his books never feel like he has used a formula to create them more easily. This can't be said for all or most of crime writers and should be accredited to Hiassin's love for storytelling, his skill as a plot weaver and his ability to evoke so many different emotions. In this line of thought this reviewer took note of the characters subtle (except for Tool) character changes throughout the book. Joey for example seemed learn a bit more restraint as she calmed down a little and the same can be said even for characters that have appeared in some of Hiassin's previous works (Mick).
	Hiassin has never been a fan of superficial materialism, but the issue is slightly complicated by Skinny Dip and does not simply fall into place along character axes. While the villains all crave money some of the heroes are loaded too. Joey maintains a very frugal existence considering her $ 13 million trust, but her brother spends lavishly. Joey's rescuer on the other hand lives on a disability check. One may wonder if the only difference between Chaz and his wife is that she never had to work or hustle for a buck, but there is one other way in which the enemies contrast and that is the way they treat their associates. Chaz is continuously scrambling for something and in his desperation - be it for sex, money, or escape - uses other people as tools rather than relating to them as equals. On the other hand, Joey has a good sense of humor and she enjoys the companionship of her pals.
	Like most of Hiassin's work this book is not an overly violent one. Although it begins with an attempted murder, the event is quite peaceful. There is no struggle, no blood and the victim, Joey, does not die.
	After reading Skinny Dip I immediately lent it to my best friend Katie who has not been able to put it down. So, potential readers be warned: Like Katie you may not be able to get any work done for a day or two, but the time is not wasted on Hiassin's best work to date. One comes away gaining not only pleasant memories of laughs and smiles, but also the feeling that one has poured one more drop into the bucket of our minds that we must fill in order to make this world a better place. In short, Carl Hiassin puts us in touch with the good guys in ourselves


Wonderfully written novel
	I bought this reluctantly because it was decided upon by a discussion group I was partipating in, but I ended up being very glad to have read this wonderful piece of contemporary literature. Mary Lawson weaves an incredibly sad but totally compelling tale of life in a small community in Canada. Others here have given insight into the plot and characters, so I'll keep this short by saying that you won't be disappointed and that I eagerly look forward to reading more from this author, she seems to have exceptional talent


A better title might be: "A Truly Great American's Life"
	As one of America's greatest presidents, Ronald Reagan will certainly be studied by historians for years to come and, like Abraham Lincoln he will likely be revered and discussed by people of all nationalities for many generations.  This book and his earlier autobiography, Where's the Rest of Me, will surely be the touch stones for any such inquiries and discussions.  This work, An American Life, however, will be of primary importance since it addresses his entire life and political career rather than simply the earlier part of his life, during which time he was primarily a sportscaster and actor.  For anyone who had the pleasure of listening to Reagan's political commentaries on the radio, or hearing him speak as Governor of California or as President of the United States, the book will be particularly enjoyable; for it is written in the easy-going conversational style that Reagan used in life.  What makes the book even more interesting is that you can not only catch a glimpse of the country into which Ronald Reagan was born but also see how that country was transformed into the nation as we know it today.  You may also observe that the problems of Reagan's day are not much different than those we face today.  I would highly recommend this book to anyone seeking to understand Ronald Reagan, how his many faceted character was formed, the inner workings of his mind, and the actions which led to his monumental achievements.  In my view, it would benefit the country greatly if this book was made to be required reading for every American child.


Shock and Awe
	Jeff Shaara never ceases to amaze. I have absolutely loved everyone of his (and his fathers)books. I have been waiting awhile for him to delve into World War 2. and he did not disappoint me. First things first, I COULD NOT put this book down. Everything about it was phenomenal. Icant explain it in any other way. Please read this book. Even if you dont like books like this it is well worth your time


Excellent historical fiction
	I love historical fiction, and The March was one of the better historical novels that I've read. The characters are well-drawn, and the action moves along briskly, with no dead spots.  The civil war background seemed very authentic, and unlike many similar historical novels that focus on the military actions or the civilian actions, The March blends the two to show that war really is hell.

Doctorow is an excellent writer, and he obviously did a lot of period research to make the background so believable.  My only objection was his implication that the civil war was only about slavery and that Union soldiers fought solely because of the slavery issue.  That's not true, as studies of Union soldiers' letters and diaries have demonstrated that most soldiers fought out of patriotism or to join with other family members, or for other reasons than just slavery.  That also applies to Confederate soldiers.  A minor quibble that doesn't really hurt the book, but it does discredit the author for not sticking to real, documented historical fact.

Highly recommended


Worth Every Bit of the $10 Selling Price
	Are you ready to become a "home gamer."  Are you seriously looking to improve your current results in the stock market?   Do you have a moderate level of knowledge about the stock market and our economic system?  Are you equally concerned with preserving your capital while earning a better-than-average return?  Do you prefer a system that incorporates probability and statistics as a tool to assess risk?  Are you a believer in using fundamental analysis AND technical analysis in choosing growth stocks as your preferred investment?  Do you have adequate time and interest to devote to actively managing your portfolio?

If your answers to these questions (especially the final one) are "yes" then buying this classic might be the best 10 bucks you ever spent.

This little gem is chock-full of information and practical advice garnered over 50 years of investment experience, coupled with an acute observation of human nature at work in the market


Fun non stop action!
	The Pelican Brief is one of John Grisham's more fast paced and exciting book.

Two supreme court justices are murdered by someone who does such a good job that there are few if any clues to go on. Darby Shaw and her lover/professor are intrigued by who could have done this so Darby does a ton of research and writes the "Pelican Brief". Her boyfriend/professor is a good friend of someone in the FBI and the file gets distributed. The bad guys find out about Darby, who apparently has hit the suspects right on and the chase begins.

This book is very entertaining with nonstop action. You'll be constantly turning the page to see how Darby and friends etc keep escaping and how the plot will unfold.

The only problems with the book are as follows:

1 - The book has so many characters that it gets confusing at times

2 - The book is all action and adventure and little else. Once it's done you'll never go back and read it again. This would make a very poor book club book.

3 - A little over the top on the implied sex etc between Darby and her professor etc... (but nothing compared to what you'll get in other books)

Overall a very entertaing and exciting book but not a lot of "soul". I would definitely recomend it to anyone who likes action books.


Exciting audio w sound effects
	I listen to books on tape constantly and when you get a reader and a story that can take you away, it is a find!  Nothing annoys me more than a poor or monotoned reader or one who places inflections in inappropriate places, like news readers.  I loved the sound effects coupled with an excellent reader and the two added to the experience of listening to this book.  I also liked that the story was partly done in first person.  The main character initially doesn't seem to have much to offer the world.....

Anyway, there are others who have diagramed the story, I just wanted to say, I enjoyed it and the way it was presented in audio version.


Real Age: I'll Never Tell!
	I love this book in conjunction with Dr. Perricone's books. They compliment each other nicely. A great tweak to feeling and looking better


always amazing and intriguing
	For those of you who might find the first Found book or this second one offensive in its content -- guess what? -- life is offensive. And for that matter, life is also often tragic, poignant, ironic, hysterically funny, random, and sometimes all of these things at once... the "Found" books and the magazines reflect all of these aspects of everyday life. That's what makes it so remarkable. Indeed, how many books can cause you to giggle and feel emotionally vulnerable within two pages? This work by Davy Rothbart, co-editor Jason Bitner, and all the Found crew deserves praise because this is a cross-section of humanity stripped down to its beautiful bare essentials. If, several thousand years from now, (android? zombie?) archeologists study our current century, they might go through our trash. Think of "Found" as giving them a headstart.


Great book
	My sons, 4 and 8, saw this book at a well know book store and loved it.  It costs $20.00 there, so $13.00 is a steal.  They love the pictures and the book is very attractive and "cool" looking


A wonderful book for girls!
	My daughter received this book for her 7th birthday.  She loves all  the details and can read it over and over again.  These pop-ups are amazing!  I would highly recommend this book to anyone with a little princess of their own.


good book
	I am from Romania and the book arrived in about 2 weeks. I am very pleased of it, it has no damages, it arrived quickly and, most important, it's a very good book. A touching story that will make you laugh and cry. I recommend it


Highly recommended textbook
	Great book!  It's comprehensive and easy to understand.  Highly recommended textbook.


The Sinister Pig, Tony Hillerman
	Have read the whole Leaphorn/Chee series by Tony Hillerman. This is one of the better ones - the subject is topical and the characters take on more definition. The overall "feel" is that this time, the subject is of a more personal nature to Tony Hillerman? A good read


AWESOME!!!
	This is a great book about risk.  Very valuable.  Written in a clear and easy to understand style.

A bargain at 5 times the price.  You can't get this info and data anywhere else


A great book about a not too well known episode
	John Lynch wrote a classic in Spanish-American Revolutions 1808-1826. He masterfully describes all the events that led to the independence of Latin America from Spain. The book starts in Rio de La Plata and ends in Mexico and Central America. Curiously one can note a common pattern of highly stratified societies lead by Spanish officials and merchants in not complete harmony with the Creole ruling class. The reluctance of Spanish Monarchy (and later even of liberals) led to independence basically motivated for the economic and social interests of the Creoles (Spanish born in America). For all of those who are interested in a better understanding of Latin American societies of today this great book is a must. Lynch cleverly combines historical and economic facts about the Hispanic American societies looking for free trade and in such a way clashing with the status quo of monopolies imposed by the decaying metropolis.  Two thumbs up


My all-time favorite!
	I can recite most of it from memory, I love it so!  I tell people about it all the time and recommend it (along with Alexander Who Used To Be Rich Last Sunday) as a staple in every library.  It's a great one to have even if you don't have kids (sometimes the little buggers show up for visits!) This book does a hilarious job of pointing out to kids that some days just stink and that you live through them anyway.  The illustations have some great humor for the adults.  Read it aloud to someone you love! Aura Mae, Author of Get Some Hairapy - a hairdresser's prescription for happiness


Anything truly great is not for everyone...(a criticism of critics by a critic)
	I recommend that most people do NOT read this book.  If you choose to ignore me and you read the work anyway, please first be remotely acquainted with and keep in mind a few things before you attempt to do so (and certainly before you try to express an ostensibly reputable opinion on Amazon): **magical realism**; Jewish history, religion, culture and humor(although the last is perhaps redundant); memory; folk lore; the English language; love; the nature of histories; sex; death; pain; narrative style and voice; the multiplicity of human, and likewise Jewish, experience; imagination.  I will assert, because I hope it is true, that you don't need to all of these things to enjoy "Illuminated," but you do need to be familiar with some of it.  And you must be willing to spend some time with this book to enjoy it.  All those with self-diagnosed A.D.D. need not bother cracking the spine. However, even if you qualify despite the rigor of what may be required of you, everything may be indeed sadly "obfuscated."  Or perhaps less disappointingly, only partly obfuscated.  If so, don't get angry. Don't curse the gods or creative writing programs. And certainly, if you are going to write bad reviews on Amazon, preface it first with your own faults as a reader. Lastly, buck up.  Read another book.  Even the Bible (another little book high up on the best seller's list) is not for everyone.

And for those of you out there who disagree to my approach with this review of "Illuminated", that is fine.  Dismiss it.  At least, please don't take the advice of any other critic here who speaks in an equally perturbed voice.  Moreover, don't read it for the reviews...Actually stop reading reviews. Now


the best so far
	In my opinion, besides "Beyond Bodybuilding", this book is the best "value for money" by Pavel so far. Two hundred something pages are saturated with information. Explanations on how and why are thorough and comprehensive. Description of techniques of exercises are not missing the smallest detail. Highly recommended for training freaks.


A Theory of Liberty, Not "Justice" Police State. Liberty 1st
	It's been several years since I read the book.  Saw it recently, the book seems to be a favorite, of the coffee-house, talky, chattering, left, Marx-Freud-Rousseau crowd.

However, all this at talk of a "just society" and the "underprivileged" can and does mean only one thing:  A POLICE STATE.

Anytime, a so-called "theory" attempts to create a utopian state, there will be coercion.   Anytime, there is coercion, you will infringe upon individual rights, freedom of speech, freedom of association and freedom to govern one's own life.

Instead of a "police state" in the form of a theory of justice.  He should have written a book titled "A Theory of Liberty"  Any society without liberty as the foundation will have coercion and hence the destruction of liberty.   However, this book remains the coffee-house favorite.

Rawls was an "Ivory Tower Pinhead".  A brief bio states that he was a professor all his adult life.  What kind of adults spend their whole life having fake, phony, welfare for intellectual, make-believe jobs like being a professor of political theory. What dat?????  Oh, Please get a real job.

#1.   THOSE CANNOT DO WILL TEACH.....

So much for the ivory tower pinhead.   A theory of justice will lead to a police state, a state of coercion.   What we need is theory of LIBERTY


Amazing book!
	What lessons, if any, do past social movements teach American citizens?  Is change feasible in today's society?  Howard Zinn attempts to answer these two questions, along with a number of others, in his book entitled 'You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train: A Personal History of Our Times.'  A beautifully written and inspirational book, 'You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train' is quintessential Zinn-direct, yet optimistic.  Zinn's central argument is that we are all capable of participating in change, however, for change to occur, we must all experience a social and political reawakening.  Zinn's book offers the reader a more hopeful version of politics and society.  Yet, such a version is only feasible if we, as Americans, actively participate in the political process.  This involvement will fill ones soul with a sense of meaning, and in the end will create a better world for all to live in.  For those interested in the history of American society, politics, and social justice issues, 'You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train' is a marvelous book filled with inspiration


EVERY parent should read this!
	This book should be a mandatory read for every parent   parent to be.  What an eye opener!!!  This book gives you things to look for in predators...how they operate.  There are comments from real predators as well as victims.  The book can be difficult to read at times.  People are truly sick!  But it gives parents power in what to look for   how talk to your child(ren).  MUST READ!


Amazing!
	I've been a Sendak junkie since I was a kid. His books have always been among my very favorites, and I'm happy to say they're among my kids' favorites as well. I also love pop-ups, so I was really excited to learn about this book. And I must say, my expectations have been surpassed.

The story line is very simple: a young child looks for his Mommy, encountering various monsters along the way and defeating them in creative ways. There are only a few written words in the book. But the story that the pictures tell is wonderful. What child wouldn't be delighted by a book in which a kid defeats the wolfman by pantsing him? Nosferatu gets a binky! And there's a ton of detail in the pictures as well. My girls like to spend several minutes looking at each page spread.

Then there are the pop-ups. This book is really a paper engineering marvel. The pop-up bits are enormously detailed and full of movement. My favorite part is when the boy unwraps the mummy. It's an understatement to say the pop-ups are spectacular.

The only reservation at all I have about this book is that my kids will probably love it to death. Like another reviewer, I think I'm going to buy them their own copy and keep one for myself!

If you have the least interest in Sendak or pop-ups, or think you might, buy this book


Stephen King keeping alive the art of the short story
	First, a few words about each of the four different stories.

"The Man in the Black Suit" - 3 stars

This is a story about a 9-year-old boy who meets the Devil himself. It's a very scary experience for the boy, especially because his older brother died the year before and now the Devil tells him that his mother has just died in the same way.

This is the weakest of the four stories because the Devil, although being scary, doesn't really come across as a serious threat. What kind of second-rate Devil is it that can't even catch a boy who decides to run away from him?

In "Everything's Eventual" Stephen King writes that this story won a prestigious "best short story" award in 1996, much to his surprise. That surprises me too, because in my opinion this story is not that great.

"All That You Love Will Be Carried Away" - 5 stars

This is the shortest story (only 35 minutes) and one of the two best ones in this collection. Alfie Zimmer is a traveling salesman in the American Midwest. He has an amazing hobby and he's tired of life. But if he commits suicide, what will everyone think of his hobby?

What makes this story so good are the very detailed and evocative descriptions of the conditions under which a traveling salesman lives. Alfie's strange hobby is also captivating, as are the descriptions of the landscape and isolated towns in the bleak and barren Midwest.

In "Everything's Eventual" Stephen King admits that Alfie's strange hobby was actually something he did himself!

"The Death of Jack Hamilton" - 4 stars

This is a very unusual story for Stephen King. It tells a "mythical" story about the 1934 death of Jack Hamilton, member of the John Dillinger gang. Homer Van Meter, another gang member, purportedly tells the story.

John Dillinger, Jack Hamilton and Homer Van Meter were all real people. You can find a lot of interesting background information about them by doing an Internet search for John Dillinger.

Despite the fact that these were all ruthless gangsters we find ourselves sympathizing with them. Stephen King's approach to the story is that gangsters are also human beings. The slow death of Jack Hamilton and the efforts of John Dillinger to get him medical help and Dillinger's distress as Jack Hamilton's condition worsens are powerful images.

"That Feeling, You Can Only Say What It Is in French" - 5 stars

This is the best story in the collection. Carol was brought up as a strict Catholic, but then, during the first years of her marriage to Bill, she had an abortion. Now she and Bill are supposed to be celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary and Carol is being subjected to a horrendous punishment for what she did.

What makes the story fascinating is that it is not God who is punishing Carol. No, it is Carol, under the influence of her Catholic upbringing, who has prescribed her own punishment. And this punishment Carol is inflicting on herself is much worse than a benevolent God would come up with, even assuming that God considers what Carol did to be wrong.

In summary, two very good stories, one good one, and one that's just OK.

The four stories are read by four different professional readers. The total running time is approx. 3 hours 40 minutes, not 4 hours as specified on the packaging.

All four of these stories are included in the book "Everything's Eventual", along with 10 other short stories by Stephen King. If you want to save money or if you dislike audio books then "Everything's Eventual" is a better deal.

Rennie Peterse


Great stuff for the science-minded cook
	Fascinating exploration into the physics of cooking, written in an engaging and detailed style. Probably better for the scientist who cooks than for the cook who's into science, since the language is sometimes a little dense for the layperson. Worth working through, though, if only for the gorgeous and elegant formula for figuring out how long to boil your eggs to get them EXACTLY right.

One caveat: the author is British, and recipes, measurements, and terms are geared for the British/European cook. This means you'll find a complete explanation of sausage rolls and nothing about popcorn. Just FYI


A vital resource for leaders in any multinational business
	Written by a senior business advisor in the fields of security, commerce, and governance with a senior strategist and communications consultant, Mapping Security: The Corporate Sourcebook For Today's Global Economy outlines how companies of today and tomorrow can effectively protect themselves against threats, remain fully accountable, and stay within the rules outlined by a hedgemony of global regulations. Detailed nation-by-nation drill downs on security in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, the Americas, and the Asia-Pacific region are particularly helpful in framing what to expect and how to prepare for it. Written in plain terms, Mapping Security is a vital resource for leaders in any multinational business, especially in today's complex world inhabited customers of diverse cultural backgrounds, not to mention increasingly savvy thieves and worse.


AND THIS IS PRESIDENTIAL MATERIAL!
	Every page is an eye opener.  The author has done an excellent job revealing the side of Hillary that has so long been hidden.

I think America could do better by picking a different first woman president. Someone with some morals and a love of our country. She has neither. It is an important "first" that should withstand the test of time. Historians are going to have a field day writing all the trash these two are involved in.

Her mothering skills reveal a great deal about her character. Her child was always placed last. The only time Hillary showed any family unity was when it was necessary for the media to put her in a positive light.

How did these two gain so much wealth in such a short amount of time?  They did not even own property when "they" became president.  There are still a lot of questions to be answered, and many more books to be written about this family.

8 years of these two is quite enough.


If you own a business, you need to listen to this CD - Several times,
	Period


Good Biography
	A very good and indept look at Andrew Jackson. The author was very thorough including a very good look at early 19th century American. Andrew Jackson's a contraverisal President. On the good side he defeated the British at the amazing Battle of New Orleans, help in expanding into the West, a great soldier, clearly loved his wife Rachel enough to duel to defend her, and was probably the only president who could threaten a state with military force if it tried to leave the Union and tough enough to make it happen. On the flip side his percusion of Indians, the Trail of Tears, his many duels makes him a very complex and sometimes hard to understand person. But still a great biography


The Elements of Style: A Classic with Timeless Advice
	Although the original Elements of Style was written in 1919 (or earlier), it still holds true that anyone who wants to learn how to write in a clear and concise manner will benefit from this book. After reading this book you'll know to avoid breaking elementary rules and principles that are made in writing: excessive  use of adjectives and adverbs, writing in the passive voice, using different tenses in writing, using the improper case of pronouns (example: using "who" when "whom" should be used and vice versa).

One of the most important things that the writer stands to gain from this book is an improvement in his writing style. After reading this book, you will know how to write in a way that comes naturally, write with nouns and pronouns (not superfluous adverbs and adjectives), write and then rewrite, but do not overwrite and overstate, use orthodox spelling, do not explain too much, avoid fancy words, be clear, do not inject opinions, use figures of speech sparingly, and countless other helpful techniques.

To say that this book should be required reading for all writers is an understatement. This book should be required reading for anyone that writes


Legacy not quite up to standards of EON and ETERNITY
	I have read almost all of Greg Bear's books and loved EON and ETERNITY as well as THE FORGE OF GOD  and ANVIL OF STARS. I found LEGACY a little disappointing compared to EON and ETERNITY, which preceded them. The  narrative spends a lot of time on the human interactions of the characters,  and not much time on the technological concepts of the  flaw and gate  openers, which I missed. I did finish this book and at times was quite  spellbound by it. Not Mr. Bear's best work, but a must-read if you have  read EON and ETERNITY


YOU'LL NEVER REGRET READING NO REGRETS..BY Ren Sundvall.in MN
	Someday, I would love to travel to the places that Ann Rule writes about! As she is so discriptive, I usually feel like I have known these places, and the people she writes about, although...I have never been. These cases she presents in NO REGRETS, are as REAL to me, as if I'd known them, and felt the sorrow of their loss! My personal favorite was A Very Bad Christmas..I usually like her Christmas ones, like Black Christmas in Vol.2! I have always planned to review all her books (of which I own), they are all wonderful, and Amazon has them. Just buy them, you'll be glad you did


Insightful and timely
	I've been staring at a copy of Thomas Friedman's 'From Beirut to Jerusalem' on my shelf for nearly a year now, meaning to read it but always drawn to something else.  Finally, recent events demanded that I learn more and I finally pulled it down, dusted it off, and read it.  I'm so glad I did, especially now.

The book is not the easiest read, since it delves into a lot of regional history and politics, which gets complex no matter what you do.  Friedman's writing style, however, goes a long way towards making the text quite accessible for just about anyone, and his unique perspective on the events that he witnessed and covered in his role as a journalist keeps it interesting and always relevant.

What I really appreciated about the way Friedman presents his story is that it really is HIS story.  He is obviously a man gifted with a keen sense of observation, and so he picks up on many details others might miss, such as the faces of Israeli soldiers or the opinions of Lebanese taxi drivers.  But still, the story is told mainly through events he observed directly -- he just happened to be there for many of the events that shaped the Middle East as it is today.  He tells it in both large and small terms, from some of the politicians he met and interviewed to discussions he had with neighbors and colleagues while living in the region.  The result is that you get the broad spectrum of what was going on in the region, particularly in the 1980's, a critical decade of events.

I also appreciated Friedman's fairness throughout the book. From his perspective on the Lebanese government to the Palestinian intifada to the Israeli occupation to the American involvement in the region, he deals with all of the players fairly, whether big or small, famous or unknown.  That's not to say he doesn't have criticisms -- certainly, he has plenty to say about everyone...but one is never left with the feeling that he has been too harsh on one side and lenient on the other.  Friedman's willingness to observe with an unbiased eye and ear is key to the strength of this book.

Even with the newer added chapters, dealing with the late 1980's and early 1990's, this book cannot be considered a "complete" history of the Middle East, or even of the events of the last 50 years.  However, it is not meant to be that, I think.  What Friedman has documented here is an excellent primer for anyone interested in learning more about how we got to where we are today in Lebanon and Israel and Palestine.  The book is not an end in itself, but for someone who wants to learn more about the region that is in the news almost every day, this is an excellent place to start.

The only way to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past is to learn from them. As such, 'From Beirut to Jerusalem' should be required reading today


Great collection of stories
	In "The Year of the Jackpot", a statistician graphs the points of convergence
of cyclycal events.  Overlapping his graphs, he notices that the
wavy lines are approaching extremes.  Interesting times.
The story "By His Bootstraps" is not logically sound: How did Bob Wilson
get to the other side of the Gate so that he could operate the Gate before
sending for the first version of himself?
"The Menace From Earth" tackles Earth Moon female jealousy.
"Sky Lift" details the heroism of a rocket pilot carying an antidote to the
Pluto colony.  "Goldfish Bowl" asks: What if humans were kept as pets by
disinterested intelligent beings?  "Project Nightmare" is about
Psionic humans who are able to locate nuclear devices and prevent atomic
fusion -- using psi ability.  "Water is for Washing" is about a mega
earthquake that creates a new sea between the Pacific Plate and the
North American Plate.  The Gulf of California extends to Los Angeles


48 LAWS OF POWER:  My Son's Evaluation
	My son (34) is currently incarcerated.  He asked for this book so I had it sent to him.  He holds on to it for dear life and swears, had he read this years ago, it would have changed his life for the better and he wouldn't be where he's at.  He raved so much, he insisted I order one for myself.  I did.  In summary, what I derived from the reading was one must be callous in this life and put yourself first.  Otherwise, you'll be no more than a stepping stone for others.  It's a good book but I oftentimes got lost in all its references to those that preceded us by 500-600 years.  Fellow inmates that have the book feel the same as my son.  It's a Bible to them and they refuse to part with it for others to read for fear it will never be returned to them


DNA Genealogy
	Serious genealogists hobbyists and professionals will be excited by this new resource, which thoroughly explains the new science of DNA testing and how it can be applied to family history research. Although this book is not for everyone, if you have successfully passed high school biology, you should be able to manage the information and its technology in this excellent reference. Wouldn't it be interesting for a man and his wife to go back in time to discover about when they might have had an ancestor in common? DNA testing and analysis had give you that and much more. It can even give you an idea what part of the world your pre-historical ancestors lived and migrated to. The authors practice what they preach and tell how we can do it too, with many DNA labs and companies listed and compared. We rated this book four hearts


Biting wit abounds.
	Dorothy Parker was a great writer and a great social observant who now gives us a clear window into the past. Her wit is biting and at it's best in this collection, favourite reads are for the individual to decide, however, for me, as well as cheering me up with her razor sharp observation and almost cruel wit. Parker also saddens me for her wit must have been based on the cynacism of one who viewed her life as overindulged and wasted by circumstance, as a wealthy woman and as a woman in her time. Reading her is alawys like laughing with a red hot tear in your eye, for her work is as much an insight into her soul as it is to her lifetime and lifestyle


loved loved loved!
	I rented this book from the library about a year or so ago. I LOVED it! I'm back here now b/c I'm putting it on my wishlist for Christmas! I want to read it again and again. I'd never read Erica Jong or anything about Sappho. I saw Erica on The Daily Show and they talked about this book and I ran to the library. You should buy this book! Greatness


Too short!  It demands a sequel!
	This book is like a long short story that centers around Danny and a period that he is at Yale.  He and his friends are preparing for a big party.  The book goes on to follow Danny as he tries to start a relationship with Polly (who is sometimes on sometimes off in her relationship with one of her professors) while remembering about a local girl back home named Cindy who he kind of left in the lurch after they finally went all the way.

Just before Danny is ready to go home for spring break and work on his father's mobile lunchmobile, Cindy arrives at the school with a big surprise.  This changes Danny's view on things and makes him numb to the point that he even doesn't care when some toughs try to hone in on his father's lunch route and threaten him.

Danny goes back to school after the break and after resolving his issues with Cindy to attend the big bash that his friend Matt was planning at the beginning of the book.

This book like one of his later works, Little Children, shows Perrota's talent for creating intriguing characters in such short novels.  This book like the other seems to end too prematurely and definately screams out for a sequel!

Perrota is a super talented writer and I would love to seem him develop a much larger complete novel than leave the audience hanging at the end of another short one


1776
	I read 1776 shortly sfter having read McCullough's John Adams so some of the same ground was covered but from a different perspective, I found 1776 to be an interesting and smoothly flowing read. Anyone who has enjoyed and appreciated David McCullough's other works will enjoy 1776


Funny but odd.. Buy with caution.
	Very good book but only buy it if you are looking for a book with a very strange sense of humor. In the first story he explains his job as an Elf at Santaland and describes his daily life. It is so funny, some of the things people do there are amazing and crazy at the same time.

Don't buy this book if you are looking for a nice book to read to your young kids or just sit in front of the fire reading a romantic book while it is snowing outside.

But if you are looking for something funny and odd at the same time, then by all means buy this book


A perfect "Whodunnit"...
	The twist here is that the reader knows while the characters do not.

In a matter of minutes, nine people's fates are determined by three men sitting in a jail cell. Simply playing a "game" to pass the time, each man names three people he'd like to see killed. When the first man is released, three people become a target as he follows through with the game.

The first in a trilogy, Dead Wrong gets it dead right. Mara Douglas is on one of the men's list, and it's up to Aidan Shields to protect her. While the book is decidedly light on the traditional sex part of a romantic suspense, it is implied.

I liked both characters, and Aidan avoids being the atypical surly alpha male with surprising charm and affection.

I can't wait for Dead Certain, which follows the second man as he is released from jail and takes up the gauntlet thrown down by the first man. I got this one from the library, but I certainly will buy the next two


WONDERFUL!!!!!
	Would you like to bake Portugese Egg Tarts, Middle Eastern Pizzas with Lamb and Pine Nuts, Almond Milk Bread?  Or how about Tender Potato Bread, Velvety Bean Bread, Dom's Italian Boules and Focaccia?

There's also, Sweet Potato Rolls, Cranberry-Chocolate Sweet Buns, Chelsea Buns, Truck-Stop Cinnamon Rolls, Sticky Buns, Cathead Skillet Biscuits, Bangkok Waffles with Dipping Sauce, Snowshoe Bread, Ciabatta, Irish Potato Bread, New Year's Pear Cake, Naomi's Any-Day Skillet Cake, Brazilian Bolo, Martha's Mother's Cookies, and so on.

Or, if you are ready for a trip to Tibet, Wales, Syria, Brazil, France, and/or Italy--it's here, too.  Please enjoy this wonderful book--in the kitchen for those you care for, and on the couch with a cup of coffee--and one of these finished recipes, of course


Insightful!
	This book provides an excellent guide to finding and hiring the right people for your organization.  If the procedures outlined here are learned and followed, one can be certain of consistently better hiring decisions in the future


Patterson is Tops!
	Once again John Patterson has created a master thriller in the Alex Cross series.
Character development is well done as is the plot line. One can't help but be drawn into the story and feeling the tension.
This is another winner


Reading this book at sea...
	I read "Six Frigates" sailing south down the coast of Australia from Hamilton Island in the Whitsunday group.

Keen to dodge a storm, we did a 48 hour dash down to the safety of Yepoon running a 3 hours on/3 hours off watch cycle. Problem was I didnt get any sleep. I was too deep inside Six Frigates. Back on deck, I'd update my watch on what I'd just read. They loved it. Sailing by instalments.

Ian Toll's a wonderful writer. The man is a time machine. He drops you right into the middle of the smoke-filled, blood splattered action. Patrick O'Brian fans: this is the book for you.

Toll's also a deft hand at dropping insights that get you thinking. Like the half-parargraph mention of Madison writing to Thomas Jefferson agreeing that a war with the arab states of north africa could easily be won, and in the process stop the attacks on US merchant ships but advises Jefferson that the issue will be the cost of then keeping the peace... Perhaps George W should have a read a little more history at college.

You'll taste the sweat and blood and salt on every page. Best read I've had in ages. And my shipmates agree!

cheers
Andrew Maloney
Aboard Sonne


Introduces some interesting concepts and explanations
	The author, James Surowiecki, lays out and explores a variety of general and specific cases of groups of people acting either wisely or stupidly.  The examples are all easy to relate to, and I found them to raise meaningful questions in my mind which were answered in due course in the text.

When I think of crowds, I think of unthinking masses moving together, led by tradition, habit, or an individual.  How can that be wise?  A more accurate title would be "How some groups of people can make better decisions than experts, while others act like collective idiots, and what characteristics distinguish the two types of groups", although that's hardly likely to sell as many copies. :-)

For me this really shed some light on my past experiences of participating in successful and unsuccessful teams at work.  I'd sometimes wondered why I've been on a few teams that appeared to "click" (smart people who want to work together to achieve a common goal), but our results weren't great, whereas other teams have been successful.  What was it that made a good team?  I had some of the pieces, felt I still had some real gaps in my knowledge.  This book certainly helped.

To paraphrase the basic idea that I took away from the book, teams of people can achieve superior results if:
1 Each individual on the team is well informed;
2 The work of one individual does not influence the work of another;
3 There is an objective method to aggregate individual conclusions into a group conclusion.
As simple as they sound, there are many ways to fail, and the book does a great job of exploring a variety of phenomena that cause failure.


A different fun book
	This book is fun comical book for children who want to read something mysterious. This cute book gives the reader the enthusiasm in turning the pages to see what happens of the young boy going into a creepy house focusing on the search of his mother.

Cynthia Marie Rizzo, author of "Julie and the Unicorn" and "Angela and the Princess


Leaders Are Not Born But Made--It Begins Here!!
	It's an easy read and can be applied immediately to you situation. The book brings the basics of leadership traits and principles to the reader similar to the military leadership books I've read in the USMC. So many times have I held jobs where a manager, although excellent in managing projects, through some lack of sensitity or judgement created an uproar that cause moral to fall and people to become resentful and leave. There are many stories in the press of managers and CEOs restricting "bathroom breaks", playing favorites, freezing wages and laying off employees while taking huge "bonuses" like American Airlines and ENRON. What's present here is basic but essential information for anyone in a leadership roll whether at work, church functions, or managing a family trip. This should be required reading for everyone BEFORE you find yourself in a situation as leader. The boss could be out for a whole month  tommorrow. Can you keep the team working smoothly while the boss is out or is it party time


A Must Read
	Again, Jodi Picoult is excellent. You are truly able to engolf yourself in the characters and thier emotions


MY ALL-TIME FAVORITE LOVE STORY ... I LAUGHED AND CRIED!  BITTERSWEET!
	I've read this book four times through the years since I first bought it.  The love between the two main characters, though a forbidden love, is so beautiful and magical it made me cry for Meggy and Father Ralph.

Not only is this an unforgettable love story, it's also a great education about sheep farming in Australia.  Magnificent description of a then harsh land.  The dialogue is believable, the characters so very real ...  I didn't simply read this book, I experienced it.  When the characters laughed, I laughed, and when they cried, my heart broke for them.

Poor little Meggy ... poor father Ralph.  How bittersweet and memorable.

I really can't get over the quality of this book and the sensitivity of the author.

Review by Betty Dravis, author of a new epic love story, 1106 GRAND BOULEVAR


Changed my way of seeing people!
	This book has changed my life. It is amazing how much I learned about myself. Now I understand my wife and other people, and I don't judge them anymore. My relations to others is now easear and less stressfull. Thanks


Of Paradise and Power : America and Europe in the New World Order
	Good, high-level analysis of current US vs European international relations written from a conservative perspective.   As with any book covering fluid world events this book can only provide a snapshot, circa 2000-04, of those events.  But there are two significant underlying assumption in this book:

First, as the single greatest world power, the US will project its power for decades in any region of the world it feels has long-term impact to its strategic goals, such as Europe throughout the entire Cold War, Southeast Asia in the 60's   70's and in the Middle East today.

Second, US historically has viewed itself as the proponent of the spread of liberal democracy through out the world.

Rather than focusing on the snipping back and forth between the US   Europe, the two major assumptions of this book could serve as a litmus test to observe how current US foreign policy in the Middle East plays itself out over the next few decades.  Is it merely a current political view or a historic shift in strategic focus to a different region of the world? Stay tuned.

It is a well-written, quick read with meaningful subcontextual insights.


Packs an emotional wallop
	In some ways KM Soehnlein's THE WORLD OF NORMAL BOYS reminded me of the teenage novels of Paul Zindel.  There is that same depth of feeling along with characters that can break your heart and make you laugh at the same time.  Zindel wrote specifically for adolescents.  Soehnlein does not have those restrictions and has written a brutally honest book about homosexual experimentation among post-pubescent boys and its social implications.  Although the book is written for adults, it speaks on a deep personal level to the adolescent in all of us.

THE WORLD OF NORMAL BOYS is the story of a family that falls apart when a tragic accident befalls the youngest child.  The story is seen through the eyes of the victim's 13-year-old brother as he tries to find something to hold on to while his mother drifts into alcoholism, his father goes nuts, his sister becomes a religious fanatic (and a kleptomaniac) and he finds himself smitten with two boys.  One is Todd, the athletic and arrogant brother of his girl-pal confidante who lives next door.  The other is Scott, a boy who deals drugs, cuts school and has an alcoholic father who beats him.  All the characters are vividly rendered.  If this were ever turned into a film, the actress who plays the mother would probably win an Oscar just for her final scene in the car.

This is powerful and emotional writing.  I found it very moving.  It's tempting to want to recommend this book to a wide audience, but I am reticent because there are several scenes of furtive and unacknowledged sex between teenage boys that could upset some people.

But I will never forget this book.  Five stars


A Classic
	This is a book about beauty, passion, a longing for the thing that a true artist or lover of the arts, especially music, craves and feels, the fire that burns within. A book that dares to take one, if one dares to take that step, on a journey deep into the bare souls of it's characters. The story that unfolds is not a story that has a specific plot, or develops into dramatic changes for the characters. That is not what the author wanted to convey, and one should approach this book as one would a tale of a little piece of humanity, and not expect the characters to travel actively without. The book gives us these people, the town, the surroundings. It brings us deep into the realities, the thoughts, the complexities of the human soul. The people are good, bad, ugly, beautiful, selfish, depressed, found, or lost. But from the moment the reader of this book feels the passion for music in Mick Kelly's soul, and her yearning to soar above the squalor and desperation of the small town, then the author reveals her own soul with her words, for those that pick up on what her words show. I am still amazed at the power this book has. Any other readers here who have written that they failed to understand why one should bother reading this book, should perhaps make due with fast moving action books or glossy novels about the rich and famous.
For me, this book will always be the book that made me capable of understanding how a writer weaves words together with her soul


--Powerful and Unforgettable--
	GODS AND GENERALS is an extremely well done and fascinating book.  The author, Jeff Shaara, did an excellent job of interpreting the characters. His task was a difficult one because his father's book, THE KILLER ANGELS is a classic in the chronicles of Civil War stories.  This book precedes the one written by his father.

GODS AND GENERALS takes the reader to the beginning of the Civil War and through many of the battles. The major players in the story are Winfield Scott, Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, Winfield Hancock and Lawrence Chamberlain.  The career biographies of these famous men were striking.  After reading of their early lives and service experiences, it gave me a better understanding of just how horrible a civil war was to all of these men who had formerly served together in the Union Army. They were an outstanding group of soldiers and the sadness that they all faced was to go to war against fellow soldiers and friends.

I listened to the unabridged books on tape version read by Dick Estell.  He brought the characters to life by his narration. This book is well worth the time and truly is an unforgettable part of our history.


This guy can write!
	I picked up this paperback because my curiosity was stimulated by watching Mystic River, the film based on another LeHane novel. Darkness, Take My Hand did not disappoint. Different characters, same setting, and identical sense of insanity and irredeemable evil. LeHane's prose is intelligent and witty without being overbearing, a welcome change from many other authors who crank out formulaic , hackneyed language and stories in the crime genre. LeHane's descriptions jump right off the page at you. His characters are so human, so intense, their dialogue so sharp, that it's almost like watching a movie in your mind. There isn't a wasted word in this book. The suspense starts to build on page 1, and never lets up, becoming more and more menacing with each subsequent chapter. This is a stay-up-late read to finish only when you're NOT alone in the night.
LeHane's other works top my summer reading list. I'd love to see what he could do in a different genre


Fills a much needed void!
	As a parent of an adolescent with Asperger Syndrome, I found this book easy to read and understand, with practical how-to instructions and guidelines for preparing my son to enter the work force.  I really liked the emphasis on developing social and communication skills that are found throughout the book.  This is one I will recommend to friends and relatives as well as my son's educators


Sandford is a mastermind.
	This book was hard to put down.Can't wait for the next book


a warning against laziness
	oblomov is a guy who never quite manages to do anything. he has great difficulties managing to do anything. finally a friend manages to convince Oblomov that he must be active, otherwise he will never escape his laziness. the psychology in the story is great. the plot is always simple, perhaps too slowly progressing. there is much humour in this book. the characters are truly believable


Delivers What It Promises
	I loved this book! The authors share technqiues from carnival barkers, magicians, and tradeshow pros who know how to grab attention and captivate any audience. While some books provide only principles, this book gives you step-by-step magic tricks, persuasion mechanisms and techniques that anyone can apply.
Written in a conversational tone, this entertaining book tells you the why and the how of persuasion.

Diane DiResta, author, Knockout Presentation


The Guinness World Records 2005
	This book is a wonderful all-color rendition which has important
factual information on the tallest man, the tripling of the
population in the past half century and the spectacular
Olympus Mons on the Marsian surface- just to mention a few of the many features contained.  The book is perfect for
student projects in science and the arts. It well worth the
price charged


Common sense and dignity
	The Concept of Mind is a great book for several reasons. The main reason to me is that Ryle clarifies the concept of being human, while he uses language in a natural way. In stead of constructing concepts based on (for  example scientific) assumptions, he shows what we already see as obvious,  just by pointing out what we mean with our ordinary language. He is far  from reductionistic; mark the subtle irony: 'Man need not be degraded to a  machine by being denied to be a ghost in a machine. He might, after all, be  a sort of animal, namely, a higher mammal. There has yet to be ventured the  hazardous leap to the hypothesis that perhaps he is a man.


fantastic horror mystery thriller
	He is a nightwalker, a Navaho vampire who because he is only half Nosferatu has the strength not to succumb to the allure of the dark side of his nature.  He is a New Mexico state police officer who is often teamed up with beautiful FBI agent Diane Lopez who not only knows what Lee Nez is but accepts him for his good heart.  Right now they are trying to infiltrate a smuggling ring made up of skinwalkers (Navaho witches) who can shape shift at night and still retain their ability to think like a human.

These smugglers known as the Silver Eagles go to Mexico in animal form, meet with their suppliers, and return with silver and turquoise for jewelry suppliers who get their products at black market prices.  The two cops seek to arrest humans who are part of the smuggling ring and kill the shapeshifters so they no longer can carry out their evil plans.  While Diane and Lee stalk the Silver Eagles, they are hunted by a vampire who wants to kill them because they murdered her nest including her husband and brother.  They remain on guard at all times because beside each other they don't know who they can trust.

Once again the Thurlos provide readers their interpretation of the vampire mythos unique to the Navaho culture.  Lee can stay in sunlight provided he uses sun block while his speed, strength and night vision make him a better police officer.  In the Thurlos world, skinwalkers are evil creatures who must be killed; a variation on the hapless victim werewolf legend.  BLOOD RETRIBUTION is a fantastic horror mystery thriller that readers of these genres will want to read.

Harriet Klausner


Remarkable work
	"By a hypnotism that defies explanation--at least by a non-German--Hitler held the allegiance and trust of this remarkable people to the last.  It was inevitable that they would follow him blindly, like dumb cattle but also with a touching faith and even an enthusiasm that raised them above the animal herd, over the precipice to the destruction of the nation."

This remarkable book is based principally on the captured German documents, the interrogations and testimony at the Nuremberg trials of German military officers and civilian officials, the diaries and memoirs which some of them have left, and on Shirer's experience in the Third Reich.  Shirer became one of the most respected journalists in wartime Europe.

The book is exhaustive and detailed with extensive notes and bibliography.  A bit of patience is needed to get through the dialect, often quoting Mein Kampf.  Shirer brings forth wonderful descriptions of the people who played a role in those troubled times.  The individual battles are not detailed, so one will need to refer to other sources for a more detailed look at these battles and horrors that ensued.  This is an important book for those interested in Germany and life in the Third Reich at this time.

The Reich rises with a quick run through of Hitler's youth and the German history, then the politics and Hitler's megalomania that led to national socialism and the rise to dictatorship.  The Treaty of Versais and the fall of the mark lead to Germany's economic fall, allowing for the people to welcome in a dictatorship, a new messiah by deceit.  The military buildup could now begin.   The coups to overthrow Hitler and the Nazis had already failed and will continue to fail throughout the war.  For the officers it was either death by Hitler or death by fighting.  The massacres of the Russians began soon after the invasion of the East.  The French and other countries were also caught up in the massacre, and William gives us the eyewitness reports.  The "Jewish cleansing" started soon after the nazis took over their first countries. The Nazis kept developing more and more efficient means of extermination and experimentation.  There is an exhaustive lead up to the start of W.W.II, the invasion of Poland.  There was freighting information discovered on what would have been in store for Britain if invaded, not to mention the world and the slaughter of Russia.  The Nazi's pinnacle arrives at about 2/3 of the way through the book where the fall begins with the Allied advance.

It took military action eventually to stop Hitler's "New world order", not the people.  The lack of doing anything to stop Hitler from walking into the Rhineland should not be forgotten.  Does not the blame fall partly on the people, Chamberlain, and the military generals?  Maybe if more would have read Mein Kampf, and not disregarded it's contents millions would not have lost their lives.  The Nazi propaganda took over the press, and soon indoctrinated the German people.  There were many opportunities to stop Hitler by France and Britain early on.  Have we not learned anything from the past?  Is there not a parallel in our country?

"The Germans imposed the Nazi tyranny on themselves."

Hegel was one of the many influences on Hitler and Marx. Hegel and Marxism is still very much alive today in humanism, nationalism, "supreme state", racism,  and mysticism


Excellent!
	After reading a book of Sandra Brown's that I horribly disliked, I was hesitant to give her another shot. I'm truly glad I did; The Witness was a first-rate thriller!

The villains in this book are greasy, sick individuals that rather turned my stomach...just what you like when you want to get a taste of Why A Person Would Run For Their Life! Sandra Brown wrote these characters (and that of Ricki Sue-who I could easily picture!) particularly well. The baby was truly the icing on the cake: this infant motivated Kendall throughout the book and, like any mother, lived for the love of her child.

I also loved the sexy, romantic element here-it was just enough that it didn't overwhelm the story...even better, it didn't change Kendall into a mindless goober (a state which many female characters in "romance" novels often achieve.)

The Witness succeeded on so many levels yet fell short of a full five-star rating. Perhaps it was the Crooks...they came off a bit cliche, but were still necessary characters.

Still, this book is an excellent, thought-provoking choice with a WOW ending. Very enjoyable


A staple item for the humor lover's bookshelf
	Since reading this book in 1994, I have used it as a reference for my life AND work. Using a warm and witty style of writing, Allen teaches us the physiological and emotional benefits of mirth.  My favorite chapter title is  quot;Strike While the Irony is Hot! quot;  So clever!! I recommend this book to friends who are facing life challenges and to everyone who attends my workshops.  On a more personal note, since embracing The Healing Power of Humor, I felt freer to add a little levity to my Aunt Alice's funeral.  My family was amazingly grateful.    Me too


Comprehensive, clear, practical
	While not written at the level of technical philosophical detail as Aquinas or Pannenberg (as another review here stresses), this text is still set apart from most general theological treatments by its philosophical clarity and coherence.  This is in addition to the virtues of its serious treatment of the range of Scriptural data concerning each topic, its apologetic engagement with differing views, and its practical counsel for life and ministry.  It is a great resource for thinking through major theological issues and positions.  I recommend it highly


A gem
	My pick for the finest book of 2005. (Ok Smith's on beauty is up there too) We know from page one that we are  in the hands of a master craftsmen! Reading Ian McGawen is like watching a great pitching performance. It might be slower paced than you'd like but God is it beautiful.
   Fraught with elegance and grace "Saturday" is a great read and the work of a true literary giant. I highly reccomend this book.


A likeable conclusion to the trilogy!
	Book number three in the Outlander trilogy, the fantasy historical romance of the time traveling Claire Fraser, has Claire re-unite with her 18th century husband, Jamie, who she left before the battle of Culloden in Dragonfly in Amber.  A time travel trip through the stones is once more necessary and Claire has to leave her beloved daughter Brianna behind.

This trip is successful and Claire is now plunged into the complicated life of Jamie, who has survived the battle but now is dealing with the post-uprising difficulties of the Scottish.  While Claire is involved with the difficulties of her re-union with Jamie, there is also a series of mysterious and violent murders in Edinborough, and the kidnapping of Jamie's nephew.  Claire and Jamie sail the high seas and encounter pirates, voodoo and slave uprisings in the Caribbean.

This colorful third installment in the series at times seems like it tries a little too hard to have Claire and Jamie caught up in every possible adventure of the time period.  Nevertheless the foundation of the solid characters created and nurtured by Gabaldan weather the slightly torrid escapades of this timeless romantic couple.  One of the new characters is a bit flimsy and caricatured; the giggling, bouncy, foot-worshipping Chinaman Mr. Willoughby.  Although he later proves to be more substantial than his intial portrayal, the appearance of this character is contrived and jarring.  A note I think the story would have been better without.

Despite its flaws, Voyager continues the thread of a passionate romance and fascinating premise.  The time travel fantasy is portrayed well--in particular the notion of what one would bring back to the 18th century if all you could carry was in your pockets.  Combining historical romance and fantasy was a genius stroke that makes this series of continuing interest.  Gabaldon's superior narrative, likeable characters and excellent research continue and keep her audience hooked.  In light of the inherent difficulty of maintaining reader interest in a character and premise over three books, this is a highly sucessful sequel.


A powerful visual impact
	Angus Konstam's HISTORY OF PIRATES  uses works from the Mariners' Museum in Virginia to provide a powerful visual impact. Piracy from ancient to modern times is surveyed in a series of maps, images, and discussions that cover specific events, regions, and pirates. Plenty of historical and political background to the events place each in perspective and provide an excellent survey of mariner events of the times. There are other pirate histories on the market - but none with the commitment to visuals of HISTORY OF PIRATES.


How do you want to interpret consciousness?
	Until very recently the subject of animal awareness has not even been approached with the correct questions. As Rogers clearly points out, most of the research on cognition has been directed at supporting the assumption that consciousness is an exclusively human phenomenon.  An inherited predisposition to preserve a human monopoly on consciousness survives only because it appeases our omnivorous behaviors.

In the early 1600's Spinoza correctly determined the existence of an emotional balance. He told us that one extreme emotion will dominate the senses until such time that an equally extreme opposite emotion brings us back to emotional center. Antonio Damasio provides a compelling case that consciousness is inextricably linked to emotion in his book "The Feeling of What Happens: Body and Emotion in the Making of Consciousness". Using Damasio and Spinoza as a frame of reference it follows that each and every decision we make is based on an emotion, not a uniquely quantifiable language infused thought, as the popular human interpretation might assume. Examples of this might be choosing the color of paint, a selection from a menu, the selection of a mate or which way to turn when unsure. Animals have provided us with an exhaustive and document able list of emotional behaviors. How is it possible to arrive at the conclusion that animals are not conscious when most animals will clearly display behaviors consistent with emotional stimulus?

The last frontier of computer science is the quest for a conscious, non-human entity.
Ray Kurzweil has spent the better part of his life predicting the emergence of an exponentially accelerating form of machine augmented human consciousness. In my view,  it would be safer to assume that at some point technology will provide us with means to understand the different levels of consciousness that exist. While computers struggle to redefine consciousness by passing "Turing Tests", visionary ethologists might find ways to interpret the world through different eyes.

It is exceedingly difficult to discuss the subject of animal consciousness from the point of view of the animal and avoid emotional interpretations. Lesley Rogers has given us a glimpse of this vast subject by asking the correct questions and, providing the current objective answers from each available vantage point. At a disciplined two hundred pages the book stands out as a concise introduction to the subject of Animal Cognition.