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Berserker Kill (Berserker Series)

0/0

23 stars

Great idea, good concepts, too disjointed.

The overall story was intriguing, especially the behavior of the "Big Berserker" ship. However there were too many inconsistencies in character actions and personalities, including characters that made the same mistakes over and over without seeming to learn anything from them, and many threads are left incomplete. The motive for Dirac's son's disappearance, for example, is left completely unresolved.I would read it again, but be prepared when you are done to go "but wait, what about XXXX?"

5Book

Berserker Kill (Berserker Series)

0/0

23 stars

Fair Far-Future SciFi

I've been meaning to start reading a Berserker Series story for some time, and was trying to determine the best place to start, and I ended up choosing BERSERKER KILL (1993).The book has a number of good space combat sequences, but bogs down at times with monotonous contemplations about the moral and ethical implications of raising human zygotes into adult humans for the sole purpose of implanting the memories of exiting adult humans... indeed the author must have grown tired of these contemplations, as the book suddenly changes tack halfway thru, and in Part 2 we find ourselves suddenly 300 years further into the future - and at least we get back into a more action-oriented mode.This story is now available as the third part of the omnibus BERSERKER DEATH, which is probably a better way to choose to start reading the Berserker Series.

5Book

Berserker Kill (Berserker Series)

2/4

23 stars

A Berserker Mystery!

Why are the Berserkers suddenly NOT killing people? What are they up to? Sure, the book is a tad long, but when you realize Berserkers are fighting each other, you want to know WHY! The answer is worth the wait.

5Book

Liberating the Corporate Soul : Building a Visionary Organization

7.99

32/34

45 stars

A Quantum Leap in Compassionate Corporate Transformation

In his visionary and hopeful book, Global Mind Change, The Promise of the 21st Century (1990), futurist Willis Harman observed that we are in the midst of the greatest social shift since the Middle Ages, a change in the actual belief structure of Western society. As the dominant institution in society, Willis felt business had an obligation and the potential to lead this shift. In Creative Work: The Constructive Role of Business in a Transforming Society (1990), he provided some benchmarks of new paradigm business and examples of a handful of leading companies.Richard Barrett is clearly an inspired central figure in empowering the business world to take its place as an evolutionary and transformational force. Through his consulting practice, speaking engagements and now his powerful new book, Liberating the Corporate Soul, Richard presents the business world a gift of immense proportions providing a clear understanding of how to liberate the untapped creative brilliance, deep compassion and universal love that has been trapped within the prisons of old paradigm business models.He challenges business leaders to "create strategic goals that call for quantum increases in performance that promote transformational thinking." "These improvements are achieved", he says, "only by taking a systems approach-a shift in basic assumptions that create a new way of being and doing - evolution". "Not doing things differently, but doing different things." Not shifting things around a table but creating a new table. "When individuals are asked to participate in transformational thinking they tap into their intuition and creativity. This type of thinking can only be maintained in corporate cultures that are built around trust, employee involvement and openness."He cites the research of Collins and Porras whose book, Built to Last, proves that "contrary to business school doctrine, maximizing shareholder wealth and profits are not the dominant driving forces in most long lasting successful companies. Throughout the history of most visionary companies a core ideology existed that transcended purely economic considerations."Quoting mystic poet Kahil Gibran, who said "work is love made visible", he goes on to say that "the challenge for companies in the twenty-first century is to create a work environment that encourages personal fulfillment-taking care of employees' physical, emotional, mental and spiritual needs....to live out their passions and provide them with opportunities for service". According to a 1995 Newsweek article, 58% of Americans feel the need to experience spiritual growth. "What better place", Richard asks, "than through your work?Building on the work of humanistic psychologist Abraham Maslow, he finds that "most companies are stuck in the lower levels of consciousness he has identified as survival, relationship or self-esteem consciousness."Barrett has developed the Balanced Need Scorecard and other powerful laser-like measuring tools to help organizations determine if the values they espouse are being embraced and lived. In the end, he believes "companies either operate from the fears of the ego or the love of the soul". Richard defines evolutionary leaders as "people who hold a vision and courageously pursue that vision in such a way that it resonates with the souls of people".As the editor of an online publication that explores new paradigms in business and other disciplines, I would not risk entering the 21st century without reading, digesting and implementing the ideas contained in Liberating the Corporate Soul. Those companies that do will have a strategic advantage over those that don't. More importantly, it is unlikely that corporations will survive without creating transformational cultures that nurture and liberate.

5Book

Liberating the Corporate Soul : Building a Visionary Organization

7.99

9/9

45 stars

The process of building a visionary organization

"This book has been such a journey. I started out with two ideas. The first idea was that organizational transformation must look and feel a lot like personal transformation. The second idea was that the values held by successful companies must be similar to the values held by successful individuals. These two ideas led me on a journey of discovery that gladdened my heart...This book...provides a road map and tools for those who want to travel the same path" (from the Foreward).In this context, Richard Barrett, in Chapter 11, shows a comprehensive framework for building a visionary organization. Here, he defines a visionary organization as a long-living, successful organization that cares about its employees, its customers, the local community, the environment, and a society at large. According to him, visionary organizations take social responsibility very seriously, and they display six important characteristics:1. They have strong, positive, values-driven cultures.2. They make a lasting commitment to learning and self-renewal.3. They are continually adapting themselves based on feedback from internal and external environments.4. They make strategic alliances with internal and external partners, customers, and suppliers.5. They are willing to take risk and experiment.6. They have a balanced values-based approach to measuring performance that includes such factors as corporate survival (financial results), corporate fitness (efficiency, productivity, and quality), collaboration with suppliers and customers, continuous learning and self-development (corporate evolution), organizational cohesion and employee fulfillment (corporate culture), and corporate contribution to the local community and society.Hence, he develops a three-phase process for building a visionary organization: (1) preparation, (2) implementation, and (3) maintaining an evolutionary culture.Finally, during the process of building a visionary organization, he writes that "the critical factors in successful transformations are (a) the management team's commitment to modeling the new values and behaviors; (b) integrating the new values into the structural incentives of the human resource processes of the organization; (c) building psychological ownership by involving employees in defining the missiom, vision, and values and the Balanced Needs Scorecard objectives and targets; (d) helping employees to think like owners; and (e) assigning responsibilities and developing structural mechanisms to support innovation, learning, and cultural renewal."Highly recommended.

5Book

Liberating the Corporate Soul : Building a Visionary Organization

7.99

9/9

45 stars

A superb approach to blending values with the bottom line

New Book Provides Road Map and Tools For Building Visionary, Values-Based Businesses(Washington, D.C. - December 1, 1998) You don't have to look far these days to witness the growing trend in business to nurture the corporate "soul." Once muttered in hushed tones of self-conscious reserve, soft-sounding words like "values" and "meaning" and "spirituality" are becoming as bold and common in the corporate lexicon as hard-nosed phrases like "bottom-line" and "return on investment." Until recently, though, the two vocabularies have struggled to come together in any cohesive, systematic process for guiding the strategies and actions of corporate America.In a new book entitled Liberating the Corporate Soul (Butterworth-Heinemann publishers), author and business consultant, Richard Barrett, bridges that gap with an approach to organizational planning that will warm the hearts of human resources, corporate affairs and financial people alike.The book begins with a review of Barrett's central thesis that "who you are and what you stand for are becoming just as important as what you sell." Next, Barrett describes his Corporate Transformation ToolsSM which is a set of measurement instruments for "auditing" individual and organizational values. Finally, the book provides a framework for using those tools to build a visionary, values-based organization.Barrett's model is based partly on the landmark work of Abraham Maslow who defined the human "hierarchy of needs" on four main levels - security, relationship, self-esteem, and self-actualization. "Maslow himself concluded, however, that self-actualized individuals were actually motivated by higher states of consciousness, including spiritual needs," says Barrett. "But he never fully delineated what those states were."Liberating the Corporate Soul expands on Maslow's work with a detailed explanation of Barrett's Seven Levels of Organizational Consciousness (survival, relationship, self-esteem, transformation, organization, community, and society) and Seven Levels of Leadership Consciousness (authoritarian, paternalist, manager, facilitator, collaborator, partner/servant, wisdom/visionary). According to Barrett, one level isn't necessarily superior to another. "All are relevant. It's really more a question of balance," he says. "However, it is at the higher levels of consciousness that organizations are meeting spiritual needs that focus more on the common good than individual self-interest."The book's message and methodology are receiving acclaim from noted business leaders and authors throughout the world. Martin Rutte, co-author of the popular Chicken Soup for the Soul at Work calls Barrett's book "the bold, practical blueprint we need for moving business to the next evolutionary level. Sweeping, brilliant, a sense of the grandeur of the new paradigm of business." Marcello Palazzi, Co-Founder and Chair of the Progessio Foundation in The Netherlands says that "Liberating the Corporate Soul achieves the impossible: it integrates the intangibles of ethics, vision, and consciousness into a tangible measurement system."Barrett began his search for a mechanism that would align an organization's actions and decisions with individual and social values when he was employed at the World Bank. In the early 1990s, he set out on a personal mission to move values to the top of the bank's business agenda. Through a series of determined steps - including the formation of the "Spiritual Unfoldment Society" at the bank - he managed to fulfill his mission and simultaneously formulate his values-based organizational development system.Today, Barrett is head of his own consulting firm, Richard Barrett and Associates, LLC, and he is using his values-based system in working with organizations throughout the world. He is quick to point out that all of the organizations with which he works have values. The question is whether those values resonate internally with employees searching for deeper meaning in their work lives, as well as externally with a society increasingly favoring businesses that exhibit advanced levels of social consciousness.The book cites revealing data from several research studies to support Barrett's claim of shifting trends in employee and social attitudes. The Cone/Roper Marketing Trends Report shows that 76% of consumers in 1997 said they would switch to brands associated with a good cause if price and quality were equal. That figure is up from 66% in 1993. On the employee front, a study conducted by Students for Responsible Business with 2,100 students at 50 graduate business programs found that 50% said they would accept a lower salary to work for a "very socially responsible" company. Perhaps more revealing, 43% claimed they would not work for a company that was not socially responsible.Data like that is not being lost on some of the country's leading business figures. In his book, Barrett quotes Levi Strauss CEO, Robert Haas, as stating "In the next century, a company will stand or fall on its values."None of the enthusiasm for this growing trend is much of a surprise to Barrett. "People naturally feel better about themselves and their companies when they see a clear sense of values, vision and compassion driving management decisions and actions," he says. And there's good news in that for the people watching the bottom line, because those positive feelings will translate into greater loyalty, stronger performance, and higher profits. It's a win-win outcome all the way around."Liberating the Corporate Soul is now on sale at major bookstores across the country.

5Book

Liberating the Corporate Soul : Building a Visionary Organization

7.99

3/4

45 stars

One of the best books on practical spirituality at work

Liberating the Corporate Soul is one of the most practical books to come out on spirituality in the workplace. Barrett builds a strong case for the need to see organizations as living entities and how doing so provides a competitive advantage. His basic premise is that you cannot have organizational transformation without individual transformation.The heart of this book is Barrett's model of Seven Levels of Organizational Consciousness. Through the process of a Values Audit, this model is used to "support organizations in building cultural capital, strengthening human resource capacity, developing values-based leaderships and promoting socially and environmentally sustainable development." There is a thorough description of the Corporate Tools used to implement the model as well as detailed case studies.The book provides numerous exercises and practical steps that leaders can take to build their organizations into a more successful and long-lasting company. It is extremely well-researched, drawing on the work of the most progressive organizational thinkers of our time.I highly recommend this book to those people who see that the world is changing and that a new paradigm of work and of organizations is being called for. This book helps you to understand the trends that are driving this change, provides a vision for what a visionary organization can be like, and then gives you the roadmap on how to get there. Barrett has been successfully consulting with organizations all over the world, and we are fortunate that he is sharing his wisdom, his experience, and his transformational tools and processes with us.

5Book

Liberating the Corporate Soul : Building a Visionary Organization

7.99

2/3

45 stars

Superb tools for building a Values-Driven Organization.

New Book Provides Road Map and Tools For Building Visionary, Values-Based BusinessesYou don't have to look far these days to witness the growing trend in business to nurture the corporate "soul." Once muttered in hushed tones of self-conscious reserve, soft-sounding words like "values" and "meaning" and "spirituality" are becoming as bold and common in the corporate lexicon as hard-nosed phrases like "bottom-line" and "return on investment." Until recently, though, the two vocabularies have not come together in a comprehensive, systematic process for guiding the strategies and actions of corporate America.In a new book entitled Liberating the Corporate Soul (Butterworth-Heinemann publishers), author and business consultant, Richard Barrett, bridges that gap with an approach to organizational planning that will warm the hearts of human resources, corporate affairs and financial people alike.The book begins with a review of the rationale and research supporting Barrett's central thesis that "who you are and what you stand for are becoming just as important as what you sell." Next, Barrett describes his Corporate Transformation ToolsSM which is a set of measurement instruments for "auditing" individual and organizational values. Finally, the book provides a framework for using those tools to build a visionary, values-based organization.Barrett's model is based partly on the landmark work of Abraham Maslow who defined the human "hierarchy of needs" on four main levels - security, relationship, self-esteem, and self-actualization. "Maslow himself concluded, however, that self-actualized individuals were actually motivated by higher states of consciousness, including spiritual needs," says Barrett. "But he never fully delineated what those states were."Liberating the Corporate Soul expands on Maslow's work with a detailed explanation of Barrett's Seven Levels of Organizational Consciousness (survival, relationship, self-esteem, transformation, organization, community, and society) and Seven Levels of Leadership Consciousness (authoritarian, paternalist, manager, facilitator, collaborator, partner/servant, wisdom/visionary). According to Barrett, individuals and organizations have to strike a balance between the various levels of consciousness. "One level isn't necessarily superior to another. It's really more a question of balance," he says. "However, it is at the higher levels of consciousness that organizations are meeting spiritual needs that focus more on the common good than individual self-interest."The book's message and methodology are receiving acclaim from noted business leaders and authors throughout the world. Martin Rutte, co-author of the popular Chicken Soup for the Soul at Work calls Barrett's book "the bold, practical blueprint we need for moving business to the next evolutionary level. Sweeping, brilliant, a sense of the grandeur of the new paradigm of business." Marcello Palazzi, Co-Founder and Chair of the Progessio Foundation in The Netherlands says that "Liberating the Corporate Soul achieves the impossible: it integrates the intangibles of ethics, vision, and consciousness into a tangible measurement system."Barrett began his search for a mechanism that would align an organization's actions and decisions with individual and social values when he was employed at the World Bank. In the early 1990s, he set out on a personal mission to move values to the top of the bank's business agenda. Through a series of determined steps - including the formation of the "Spiritual Unfoldment Society" at the bank - he managed to fulfill his mission and simultaneously formulate his values-based organizational development system.Today, Barrett is head of his own consulting firm, Richard Barrett and Associates, LLC, and he is using his values-based system in working with organizations throughout the world. He is quick to point out that all of the organizations with which he works have values. The question is whether those values resonate internally with employees searching for deeper meaning in their work lives as well as externally with a society increasingly favoring businesses that exhibit advanced levels of social consciousness.The book cites revealing data from several research studies to support Barrett's claim of shifting trends in employee and social attitudes. The Cone/Roper Marketing Trends Report shows that 76% of consumers in 1997 said they would switch to brands associated with a good cause if price and quality were equal. That figure is up from 66% in 1993. On the employee front, a study conducted by Students for Responsible Business with 2,100 students at 50 graduate business programs found that 50% said they would accept a lower salary to work for a "very socially responsible" company. Perhaps more revealing, 43% claimed they would not work for a company that was not socially responsible.Data like that is not being lost on some of the country's leading business figures. In his book, Barrett quotes Levi Strauss CEO, Robert Haas, as stating "In the next century, a company will stand or fall on its values."None of the enthusiasm for this growing trend is much of a surprise to Barrett. "People naturally feel better about themselves and their companies when they see a clear sense of values, vision and compassion driving management decisions and actions," he says. And there's good news in that for the people watching the bottom line, because those positive feelings will translate into greater loyalty, stronger performance, and higher profits. It's a win-win outcome all the way around.

5Book

Liberating the Corporate Soul : Building a Visionary Organization

7.99

0/0

45 stars

The missing piece of the jigsaw

At last a practical way to review and analyse the culture of an organisation and track its development.

5Book

Liberating the Corporate Soul : Building a Visionary Organization

7.99

1/3

45 stars

Every CEO should read this

What are organisations for? This book enables the reader to understand the root causes of current imbalances in the world economy/ecology and know what they can do (within their reach) to make a difference.A synthesis of the works of Stephen Covey, Jim Collins and other great corporate alchemists.

5Book

Children of Light (Vintage Contemporaries)

15.00

10/10

45 stars

stunningly bleak vision of the human condition

This novel is my favorite of all of Stone's disturbing and powerful works (I haven't read "Outerbridge Reach" yet). It's so beautifully and evocatively written that I somehow find the roll of the prose soothing and pleasurable, despite the all but unbearable sadness and desperation of the characters. I still, after several rereadings, find myself puzzled and disturbed that these characters can't get their acts together, act so selfishly, have so little self-control and respect for one another--just like people in real life, unfortunately. (Certainly in Stone's view, and I suppose also in mine). Drugs, booze, insanity, and cruelty abound, and are not punished. As the unforgettable conclusion reveals, there is ultimately no justice for these characters--they either survive or they don't. This is Stone's harshly beautiful world at its best, in my opinion.

5Book

Children of Light (Vintage Contemporaries)

15.00

5/5

34 stars

Love at first sight

This was the first book by Robert Stone I read. Damscus Gate was the second, though I prefer Children of Light.Stone's mind, his craft as a writer and a narrator, drew me into the story from the outset. In spite of the bleak, unrelenting theme, it is the writing above all-- the quality of the insights, the invention, and the prose, so economical and searing in its images -- that left me inspired.Some memorable moments were the letter Gordon receives from his son and his interpretation of it; the scene on the mountaintop with Lee Verger -- Malcolm Lowry and Stone would have gotten along well.The scene with the doctor in Mexico, when Gordon seeks drugs, was also well depicted -- the doctor's observations of his screen world patients, etc. Irony is everywhere in this book.The film people, the Drogues were a brilliant, seedy lot: the driven son and the father who made him looking on with "gypsy eyes, passive and watchful."I would agree that the ending was a bit tacked on. Lee must go down, but Gordon escapes too easily -- though it happens in life. I've known some incredible human wrecks who've turned on a dime and ended up leading AA meetings, etc. Still in a novel we need more.All in all, you are spending time with Stone the fine writer in this tale of Hollywood and the savagery of the image world: light that reveals, images that devour.This was a great book for me.(Damascus Gate was so different, more erudite in its approach to a very different story.)

5Book

Children of Light (Vintage Contemporaries)

15.00

3/3

34 stars

A view into the inner world and dance poetry of despair

The last fifteen or so pages of this fine novel dissapointed me to such a degree that I had to sit back and analyse why. One reason is that the ending is simply trite compared to the rest of the book in my opinion. Another is that it may not have been able to end in a way that would have pleased me no matter how it ended. But yet another, and perhaps the most important: I was enjoying it, and ending the book meant that the journey I also took with the characters came to an end, like a good party. This book rates three and a half stars for me, but closer to a full four than three.I found this book by chance at a discount book store in the mid west and truly enjoyed it for one overarching reason: few times have I read a book by an author who made one profound gift so palpable in his creation of despair driven characters. And that gift of craft is simple: Robert Stone has a beautiful way of displaying, without judgement, the near transcendental lucidity that exists in madness. At so many times you knew exactly what his characters were going to do, but you knew it the same way you knew the plot of THE GODFATHER before you popped it in the VCR for the upteenth time. It was the dance of his characters in the context of their love affair with everything damaging within the world and themselves; their multi-layered wheel-within-a-wheel dance of insanity on top of artistry on top of genius on top of lonliness on top of despair, on top of anger, on top of rage, on top of beauty, on top of addiction, and codependency, on top of modern and Hollywood society, on top of true love, ON TOP OF INSANITY... At its lowest moments, the book is a soap opera with an ending seemingly designed to be followed by commercials. At its highest moments however, the book is a spellbinding maze that I would gladly walk through again, as knowing where it begins and where it ends has no bearing on the journey on which it takes you in between.Defintiely a good weekend summer read.

5Book

Children of Light (Vintage Contemporaries)

15.00

2/2

45 stars

Stone's vision, themes, and characters

'Children of light' is not Stone's most famous book, but it is my favorite,by far. It doesn't have the breadth of 'A Flag for Sunrise', or the ambition of 'Outerbridge Reach' or the commerciality of 'Dog Soldiers'. And, good. Because, freed of the burdons of those scopes, 'Children of Light' is focused, detailed, funny, shocking, right-on-thr-money, and unforgettable.You figure, Stone's got his themes. Every one of his novels ends in a hallucinitory, tripped-out sequence (and this novel has the best one yet). Each of his books has a main character on dope and booze (none better crafted than these two) Gordon is Reinhardt in the 80's. Even 'Bear & His Daughter' has them: every single story. But never are the meanings and lessons of these themes more eloquently communicated.Each of Stone's books is getting progressivle more realistic. I don't love his first two, for their surreality (I still don't quite see what happens at the end of 'A Hall of Mirrors'). And 'Outerbridge Reach' is so real you can't believe its the same author.This is a great middle-passage, with realistic plot and people, but surreal hallucination/madness scenes. The writing/plot os Fitzgeraldian, the dialogue ripples and sparkles, and the romance is amazingly renedered, and very moving.I'll quit here, but just in case you're reading this one day Robert, these are my favorite Stone creations: Strickland, Pablo, and this whole book. You keep us waiting 6 years between books. Man, I hope your next one is this good.

5Book

Children of Light (Vintage Contemporaries)

15.00

3/4

34 stars

Good R. Stone, but not great

Robert Stone has written so many GREAT novels (Hall of Mirrors, Dog Soldiers, Flag for Sunrise) that his true followers -- I consider myself one -- expect brilliance every time. Children of light is good, but not great. Perhaps its the Hollywood subject matter; it's much less compelling than Vietnam or Central America. Although beautifully written, as is everything by Stone, the characters are so wan and unaware of themselves that the book is unrelentingly depressing. Still, despite the drawbacks, its still Robert Stone. This will be one of the best books you read this year.

5Book

Children of Light (Vintage Contemporaries)

15.00

0/0

45 stars

A great novel by a great American writer.

The darkest most destructive love story I have ever read. Also a painfully lucid depiction of the filmmaking process. Should be made into a film.

5Book

Children of Light (Vintage Contemporaries)

15.00

3/7

01 star

Toot the 70's.

A failing actress slides into insanity on a Mexican movie set, the coke addled screenwriter arrives to lend assistance. The director, directors father, actress understudy, PR man, Mexican writer, all clearly 2 dimensional stock characters . This book is poor by every specification; characters drawn with such wide strokes that they are cartoons, speaking in running clichés, characters from the movie "Against all Odds", setting from the movie "10". Throw in some errant Shakespeare quotations and a reference to an old Ernest Borgnine movie and you have what critics call "richly literate".By page 140 you are convinced that the book is a common stinker; but maybe Stone can pull it off in the last third. Don't waste your time. Its a failure in all aspects.Don't put this book on the shelf, put it under your dog dish.P.S. typo on page 207.

5Book

Children of Light (Vintage Contemporaries)

15.00

0/2

01 star

Am I missing something here?

The copy I have is full of quotes praising the novel. After reading and enjoying Dog Soldiers and Outerbridge Reach, I thought I was in for a treat. What a boring novel! Maybe it would have made a great short story, but it goes on far too long to keep the reader interested. Perhaps it was "shocking" or "insightful" in its day, but now it very common place. There is one well written scene early in the book where the actress's husband encounters a weird Hollywood threesome; but the scene ends and the story goes no where.

5Book

Children of Light (Vintage Contemporaries)

15.00

1/4

01 star

Toot the 70's.

A failing actress slides into insanity on a Mexican movie set, the coke addled screenwriter arrives to lend assistance. The director, directors father, actress understudy, PR man, Mexican writer, all clearly 2 dimensional stock characters . This book is poor by every specification; characters drawn with such wide strokes that they are cartoons, speaking in running clichés. Characters from the movie "Against all Odds", setting from the movie "10". Throw in some errant Shakespearian quotations and a reference to an old Ernest Borgnine movie and you have what critics call "richly literate". By page 140 you are convinced that the book is a common stinker; but maybe Stone can pull it off in the last third.Don't waste your time. Its a failure in all aspects.Don't put this book on the shelf, put it under your dog dish.P.S. typo on page 207.

5Book

Prehistoric migrations in Europe (Instituttet for sammenlignende kulturforskning, Serie A: Forelesninger)

0/0

45 stars

Review by Saul S. Weinberg, 1953

link to review in American Anthropologist, Vol 55 issue 1 [...]Extract:.... Childe proceeds in the next nine lectures to unfold with exceptional lucidity the story of the arrival, spread, intermingling and anatagonisms of peoples with a multiplicity of archeological assemblages, or cultures, which flourished in various parts of the European continent from the Upper Palaeolithic period to the ultimate achievement of urbanization over most of the region by the middle of the first millennium B.C. .....

5Book

Ghoul Friends: Ghost of Fear Street Collector's Edition #5: Eye of the Fortuneteller/How to be a Vampire/Camp Fear Ghouls (Ghosts of Fear Street, Creepy Collection , No 5)

0/0

45 stars

Ghoulish Book

This Book Is Great!. I Will Tell You A Summary Of Each.Eye Of The Fortuneteller- Kelsey Moore Is Not Afraid Of Ghosts. When She Meets Madame Valda, She Says She Can See The Future. But Kelsey Only Laughs. One Day When Going To Bed She Sees Sea Crabs Or What, Then When She Goes Swimming She Sees Gigantic Jellyfish. Has Madame Valda Cursed Kelsey?How To Be A Vampire- When Andrew Finds A Book Called HOW TO BE A VAMPIRE He Starts Reading It. One Day He Tried To Eat Garlic. One Day There Were Bite Marks On His Neck. Will Andrew Turn Into A VampireCamp Fear Ghouls- Lizzy Joins The Girl's Camp. But The Girls Are Ghouls!

5Book

THE DANA GIRLS THE CLUE OF THE RUSTY KEY

0/0

45 stars

Classic and vintage

This is the vintage story in the Dana girls series, and I love it. Of course I love all the vintage Dana Girls and Nancy Drew books, they are the ones I read when I was a young girl. They offer a clean, decent good read. Nobody disrespects their parents, curses, smokes or drinks and drugs are never mentioned. The Dana sisters are not "teenagers with attitude," as is popular today.

5Book

The Healing Power of Sacrifice

1/1

34 stars

Simply wonderful!

Elebuibon has provided another classic for the English speaking Ifa/Yoruba community. Sometimes his English diction is difficult to understand, but the information presented is invaluable to the study of Ifa and Yoruba culture. The author effectively uses modern experience to illucidate the traditional verses of Odu. Further he provides a clear understanding of the nature of sacrifice and the value of sacrifice as a spiritually healing force in the modern world.

5Book

The Healing Power of Sacrifice

3/4

45 stars

Concise, Authentic and Original

The title of my review says it all. This book is full of information that will be new to westerner readers, including the origin and purpose of sacrifice in Afrikan religion as well as the specific articles that should be given to specific Orisa and/or Ifa when attempting to improve ones life.

5Book

The Image Makers

2/2

34 stars

Great reference

Not only is this a fantastic coffee table book, but it is a great reference for artists and photographer to reference styles in light, pose and wardrobe of some very vintage and influential moments in glamour and celebrity photography.

5Book

The Image Makers

0/0

45 stars

A must have!

If your a photographer, this book must be in your collection. Of all the books I have of Hollywood Glamour photography, this is the one that tops them all!

5Book

Irwin's Bible commentary: With an introduction to each book of the Bible and 25,000 text references with explanations

4/4

34 stars

Good commentary! Concise and easy to read!

I inherited a copy of Irwin's Bible Commentary (Copyright 1928) from my father when he passed away in January of 2001. I was thrilled to add this resource to my study collection. C.H. Irwin's Commentary of the Bible is near impossible to find available copies of but if you are able to locate a copy somewhere it would be well worth picking up.C.H. Irwin has compiled a wonderful commentary on the Bible in a very readable format. His style of Scripture interpretation is conservative, concise and very helpful for Bible students of any experience level, although personally I wish his comments were not quite so brief (as he makes some excellent observations throughout his disquisition of the biblical text). Overall this is a well-written, resourceful piece of work. Many single volume commentaries I've read are usually less than impressive when it comes to providing succinct, ancillary support in biblical studies, but Irwin's commentary is a jewel.A great aid for quick-reference study of the Bible.

5Book

The Best American Mystery Stories 2001

8/9

34 stars

Good, but not traditional

As other reviewers have noted, the stories in this book, for the most part, are not traditional mysteries.They are, however, very well written.It is not necessarily a fun or entertaining read--for the most part, the stories explore the darker side of human nature and American culture--but a worthwhile book that shows that the short story is alive and well.

5Book

The Best American Mystery Stories 2001

4/4

12 stars

Odd Selections

I should note from the start that I only listened to the nine stories on the CD audio edition, so my comments only reflect roughly half of the book's contents. I have to say that they were a bit of a disappointment overall. One would expect a collection of mystery stories to have some, well, mystery... Instead, the stories are heavy on atmosphere, emphasizing it over plot, and sometimes there is only the slimmest connection to crime at all. Roxana Robinson's "Face Lift" for example, is a curious inclusion by any measure. I'm not any kind of genre purist, nor am I big fan of whodunits, or traditional mysteries-but it seems like the editors were going more for stories with cachet (either a name literary author such as Russell Banks or Joyce Carol Oates, or a name source publication like Esquire), rather than actually finding mysteries that are great reads. I'm also not one who likes to puzzle out the endings to mysteries ahead of time, but I had the endings spotted halfway through the three most "traditional" mysteries of the nine on the CD (which were also my three favorites as it happened). The only story to make me somewhat interested in reading something else by the author was Peter Robinson's "Missing in Action", which had an interesting WWII setting and a light touch. Still, one out of nine isn't a great success rate, and if the other eleven stories are of the same ilk, I'd have to recommend skipping this year's collection.

5Book

The Best American Mystery Stories 2001

9/12

23 stars

A decent collection, but not of mystery stories

I was a little irritated when I finished this collection. The stories, on the whole, are fine, and there are several excellent ones. But the collection's title is misleading. The definition of a "mystery story" used by the editors was any story involving a crime, and even that definition gets stretched a bit. For example, under this broad definition, a story about violence among prison inmates, or about the emotional fallout on a woman who was the victim of a sexual assault as a young girl, get included in the collection. That doesn't mean they are bad stories, of course, but "mystery" stories? I understand that limiting the collection of true detective stories may be too restrictive, but in my view a "mystery" story should have an element of suspense - not to put to fine a point on it, but some element of mystery - that a number of these stories lack. Is the field of mystery stories really so moribund that they couldn't fill a collection without broadening the definition so much as to make it meaningless? If you're looking for a collection of good stories loosely connected to crime and violence, this collection's a good bet. Otherwise, it's hardly what it claims to be.

5Book

The Best American Mystery Stories 2001

4/5

01 star

sellout

Penzler and Block sold out to the literary establishment on this one. Or maybe it was Michele Slung. Anyway, it seems like they chose any story--no matter how pointless and uninteresting--with a crime in it that appeared in a 'literary magazine'. Trying to brown-nose some credibility perhaps? Anyway, don't read this if you're looking for a good mystery of crime story. Try Gorman's 'World's Finest Mystery and Crime Stories'. This one's a waste.

5Book

The Best American Mystery Stories 2001

8/11

23 stars

A little disappointing

The title of this book is very misleading. I would recommend reading the Editorial Comment before buying the book. Then you will have an idea of what to expect. Basically, the editor says that this volume contains stories of murder (and psychological effects) rather than mystery and suspense. A few of the stories are excellent but the rest just average.

5Book

The Best American Mystery Stories 2001

1/1

23 stars

Uneven...

The Best American Mystery Stories of 2001 is a compilation of 20 short mysteries and is edited by Lawrence Block. These stories are a mixed bag by such writers a Joyce Carol Oates, Russell Banks, William Gay, Clark Howard and a host of other writers-the majority of them who are pretty much unknown. The stories are not your typical mysteries and I was a little disappointed in this respect. I missed the point entirely of The Face Lift by Roxana Robinson, and I'm not sure why it was even included with this group. Some I liked more than others including Lobster Night (Russell Banks), Blood Sport (Thomas Lynch), Missing in Action (Peter Robinson) and The Book of Kells (Jeremiah Healy).What I really enjoyed about The Best American Mystery Stories was the introduction by Lawrence Block. Block recounts the history of short story writing in America. At one time, there were many venues for short stories, and short story writers were very well paid. The short story also allowed many writers to sharpen their skills before tackling a lengthier and more ambitious novel. I listened to this book on CD, and I especially liked those stories read by Block. He lacks a smooth, newscaster-type voice, but his gravelly tone was perfect for these mysteries.With any collection of stories, some are bound to be stronger than others. I just felt that some better selections could have been made.

5Book

The Best American Mystery Stories 2001

5/7

12 stars

No Mysteries Here

Like the previous reviewer, I agree that there are few mysteries to this book. I read last years (2000)collection and really enjoyed it. However, 2001's collection is lacking in suspense, and seems to have the common notes of family/suffering/bleakness. Don't waste your money on the hardcover (like I did) if you are expecting short stories of mysteries and suspense.

5Book

The Best American Mystery Stories 2001

0/0

01 star

Don't Bother

I signed in just to warn off fellow readers. I was deeply disappointedwith this book. Like others have noted, the classification of "mystery"ought to mean *something.* These stories were...macabre, depressing,lugubrious...I think I'm most mad because they simply weren't ENTERTAINING.Almost all of them were things I just slogged through...Gad. Otto Penzlerand Lawrence Block should hang their heads in shame.

5Book

The Best American Mystery Stories 2001

0/0

01 star

Painful waste

What a waste of time this series was. It does not in any way fit the title of "Best American Mystery Stories" that it was given. "Short Stories of the Macabre" would be more fitting, but it wouldn't make the series any better.As far as the audiobook goes, about half of the readers, one in particular, are horrible. Grating, irritating, to say the least.If you want a good mystery, go elsewhere.

5Book

The Best American Mystery Stories 2001

3/5

23 stars

Some good stories, but not terribly hardboiled

"The Best Mystery Stories of 2001" is a strange collection. Because it was edited by the great Lawrence Block, I expected it to contain a fair number of good hardboiled stories. Alas, that is the one subgenre that gets the short shrift in this collection. I noted that many of these stories first appeared in literary magazines, which may have something to do with why so many of them are written with flowery prose and are a tad shy on gritty street realism. There is also a decided absence of big name mystery authors, with long time great Bill Pronzini being one of the few icons in the collection. As soon as Pronzini's story, a first rate "Nameless" dectective tale, begins, the level of excitement rose for me. Jerimiah Healy is also in this collection, but his Cuddy short story is fairly pedestrian. Big name T. Jefferson Parker delivers "Easy Street," which is among the best in the collection. The others were a mixed bag for me, and I found some of them, like Roxanna Robinson's "The Face Lift," to barely qualify as mystery stories.Overall, this collection left me wondering. If these really are the "best" mystery short stories being produced today, then the genre could definately use a good jump start.

5Book

The Best American Mystery Stories 2001

1/2

01 star

Macabre

The stories in this collection were bizarre and macacbre. I won't get anymore of these collections.

5Book

First Book of Grasses: The Structure of Grasses Explained for Beginners

3/3

45 stars

Grass Identification

While this listing doesn't say what edition the used copy is, it would be either 2nd or 3rd, I'm guessing. I own both. I would love to have a first edition. This primer of grasses is unique, in that it teaches the beginning botanist the basic structure of each tribe of grasses. Spikelet structure is broken down into easy to remember elements, vastly simplifying the student's understanding of an otherwise confusing plant family.The fourth edition, AGNES CHASE'S First Book of Grasses, 1996 Smithsonian Institution Press, is a delight to have available, since earlier editions are out of print. This book is a "must have" for students of the grass family.

5Book

First Book of Grasses: The Structure of Grasses Explained for Beginners

2/2

45 stars

Classic little book in this field

Although my botanical interests lie mainly in mycology and dendrology, I developed a little (or not so little, as the case may be, since there are approximately 14,000 species of grasses) subspecialty in graminology, or grass taxonomy. I was truly delighted to find this little book, because it is the best book I've found to get a conceptual understanding of the structure of grasses and the main genera to such an extent that it will aid your ability to identify them in the field using more traditional taxonomic keys. Normally, such keys lead you from the specific characters to the taxon/concept itself, but with this book, you learn the more powerful concepts that unify and differentiate the various genera. This was a great aid to me in my field identification of this important group, because after reading this book several times, I basically knew what was going on, instead of just "cookbooking" it using the typical botanical key, which is what the usual non-specialist in grass taxonomy does.I have sort of an amusing story associated with this book. By learning the powerful generic concepts in the book I could basically identify any grass at least to the genus level by sight, and then I could consult a more detailed taxonomic key from there for the species. I was once sitting around a fire with my fellow mycologists, who were somewhat amused I had somehow learned how to identify the grasses, which, even for a botanist, are an esoteric group. So when they asked what I was doing, I said that once you understood the grasses, even an apparently desolate, boring, sand lot down the block can provide hours of fun. Mycologists are used to spending hours tramping through the woods in search of interesting mushrooms, so they found this quite funny and everybody laughed at the thought.Anway, Agnes Chase loved the grasses and this book is filled with that enthusiasm in this clear and concise book, helping to make one of the most difficult areas of plant identification easier to deal with.

5Book

Royal Subjects: A Biographer's Encounters

3/3

45 stars

"A Jewel of a Book" says the Sunday Times of London...

Based on the annotated information in the journals he's kept for years, Theo Aronsono has written a light and interesting book on the English Royals. As he's interviewed many of them for his other books, this is a chronoligical walk through his memories (from 1979 to the present). It's fascinating. I ordered this book after I heard an interview with him on the radio. It arrived yesterday, and I read it in its entirety last night. If you're interested in the Windsors, this is a slice of life from a man who doesn't pull any punches. And yet he still remains a gentleman. I really enjoyed it.

5Book

Royal Subjects: A Biographer's Encounters

2/2

45 stars

An Affectionate But Realistic View

Theo Aronson is a well known biographer of European royalty past and present. Royal Subjects is a description in diary form of twenty years or so of contacts with British Royals both well known (The Queen Mother, Prince Charles) and almost unknown (Colonel Sir Henry and the Lady May Abel Smith). Aronson clearly enjoyed meeting these people and likes most of them quite a bit, but he is not blind to their character flaws and is on the whole refreshingly unidolatrous. (Not to say he isn't loyal, as he obviously has little truck with republican sentiment)Royal Subjects will appeal to you even if you are not a royal aficionado because Aronson very humorously describes the day to day sillinesses he puts up, from inane phone calls and letters to being interviewed by people who have obviously not read his books. Most appealingly of all, Aronson never takes himself or his subjects too seriously, even when he has to deal with prostate cancer. He has had a full life which he has enjoyed immensely, and you will enjoy this glimpse of part of it, too.

5Book

Royal Subjects: A Biographer's Encounters

3/5

01 star

Royal Subject is "Revenge"

After hearing Theo Aronson talk about the pending publication of his latest book on a radio show, I hastened to order it. It sounded like it would be a lively insider's account of less-known incidents and anecdotes about the British Royal Family. Instead it turned out to be a thinly-disguised autobiography of Mr. Aronson with very few interesting stories and some very hissy jabs at the Windsor family. Perhaps his other biographies may be more interesting, but this one was very disappointing.

5Book

The San Francisco earthquake

2/2

45 stars

In 1906, where did nature and chaos meet? San Francisco

Gordon Thomas and Max Witts take the reader in detail, minute by minute into a living hell. They trace the damage done by the earthquake from its starting point out in the Pacific, ripping up onto the California coast and into the city by the bay. The earthquake broke the water and gas lines and because San Francisco was, and still is, built so close, a small fire spread. The military took over and some of the soldiers shot people without trial for looting and even not moving fast enough. And yet, the military looted items that they were suppose to guard, even the relief supplies. This book makes you feel like you are right in the middle of the action. The reader will feel like fighting the fire with the firemen, helping the common citizen trying to safe his home, or serching for a lost child for a frighten mother...not knowing if the child is dead or alive. One word comes to mind after reading this book...WOW!!!

5Book

The San Francisco earthquake

3/4

45 stars

You are there amidst the calamity

One day, my San Francisco 5th-grade class went to visit an exhibit about the 1906 Earthquake and Fire. While there, we met some survivors, old and ancient, but still alive with vivid memories of the disaster. To us, it had always been just something you read about. But, the survivors made the horror come alive, and suddenly we were quiet with awe and fright. This book gave me the same impression. Broken into a chronological pattern, we relive the days before, the days during, and the days after the conflagration. I couldn't put this book down! The book also told us something our beloved City always tried to hush up, and that was regarding the Bubonic Plague. The rats overran the City, due to broken sewer pipes and destruction, and with them they carried the fleas of the Plague. Astonishing. It can all happen again and reminds us how lucky Baghdad-By-The-Bay really was (only a few plague cases and no tsunami even though the Bay was lowered by four inches). You gotta get a hold of this book.

5Book

The San Francisco earthquake

0/0

45 stars

A History of the Great Earthquake

The San Francisco Earthquake, by Gordon Thomas and Max Morgan WittsThis 1971 book has 292 pages for a short history of this famous disaster. The Contents lists the events by day (April 17 to 21 in 1906). There is an extensive Bibliography and an Index. The introduction `Today' warns about the reality of San Francisco: much of the 47 square miles will see buildings destroyed in another major earthquake. Earthquakes occur with an unknown regularity. Building on rubble guarantees future destruction. "Voices of reason" spoke against unchecked construction (p.15). But the big landowners are interested only in political power and their wealth, just as in the late 19th century. Since this book was written there was an earthquake in 1989. Dennis Smith's book "San Francisco is Burning" provides a new look at this old disaster. "Why does the subway tunnel through the San Andreas fault?" It would be difficult to summarize this condensed book in a review. I recommend it as a very readable book that educates as well as entertains. A knowledge of that era will help you appreciate this book, since some the background is necessarily omitted.Brigadier General Frederick Funston, a former newspaper man, was promoted after he helped capture Emilio Aguinaldo, the leader of the Philippine Insurrection and revered as a hero in the Philippines. Funston arbitrarily and unilaterally seized power over the city. I read than many of those "looters" were people who tried to salvage their property. The troops were applying the harsh methods they used to suppress the Philippine people. Rudolph Spreckels, the sugar monopolist, was the origin of the phrase "sugar daddy" for his gifts to young showgirls. His wealth and power came from the tariff on imported sugar. He and others offered a payoff for the Transit Monopoly franchise. When they lost to another group they appealed to President Theodore Roosevelt. They wouldn't have done this if they were the high bidders.The use of explosives by inexperienced men destroyed buildings and also spread fires (Chapter 12). Scores were illegally shot without proper authority (p.132). Fifty men from the ruling class were chosen to run the city government (p.134). Mayor Schmitz suppressed reports of bubonic plague in the city (p.144). The fire caused rats to leave the waterfront area (p.145). A photographer witnessed a shooting (p.147). The Post Office and US Mint were saved by its workers (p.144). Funston's soldiers spread fires (p.150). Some stories about the Committee of Fifty are nonsense (p.154). The American Red Cross was placed in charge of disaster relief (p.163). The mansions of Robber Barons burned (p.172), then the Barbary Coast (p.174). Funston continued to destroy buildings (p.179). Rats spread bubonic plague (p.180) but this news was suppressed. Marines and sailors landed to form fire-fighting teams (p.187). Newspaper printed fiction (p.140) - as if this was unusual.Soldiers were used to keep people from looting boxcars, then did the same (p.204). Scientists did not know the cause of the earthquake (p.219). Businessmen claimed the fire did the damage and ignored the earthquake (p.221). A.P. Giannini would lend money for rebuilding (p.229). Did arsonists start fires (p.232)? Funsnton ordered more destruction (p.249). Chinatown was looted (p.259). The fires died out Saturday morning when it began to rain (p.267). The destruction of homes and buildings was compounded by a loss of records (p.271). Laffer's report on Funston was ignored (p.272). Rebuilding made the city more dangerous (p.274). Chapter 28 tells of the Graft Trials. [Does it still go on?] Chapter 29 tells of the preparations for another earthquake. Would bridges be destroyed (p.289)? Traffic jams? Nuclear explosions for prevention (p.291). Can the people of San Francisco "pay a great deal" for their earthquake problem (p.292)?

5Book

The San Francisco earthquake

0/0

45 stars

relies on eyewitness accounts

Besides the accounts of 29 people who lived through the earthquake, the authors used the expertise of Mayor Alioto, Fire Chief Murray, and the Director of the Disaster Corps in preparing this chronology of the events. Illustrated, map, index. 316 pages.

5Book

Memories of World War II and Its Aftermath: By a Little Girl Growing Up in Berlin

10/10

45 stars

terrific insightful autobiography

On August 25, 1940 five years old Inge hears the most frightening thunderstorm of her young life. The next day the Berlin resident learns from her friend six years old Reinhard Engel that the thunder was caused by a British air raid on the city, the first of many to come. From those roots of war on the home front, Inge Stanneck Gross provides a first hand account of growing up during World War II in Berlin and the surrounding areas (her mother relocated them to avoid the constant bombings). Ms. Gross provides a deep account of starvation and fears of death during the war and the decade following the end of the combat. The biography stops in 1954 when the nineteen years old Inge moves to America (a second volume picks up from there).MEMORIES OF WORLD WAR II AND ITS AFTERMATH: BY A LITTLE GIRL GROWING UP IN BERLIN is a terrific autobiography that brings insight from a person looking back to her childhood in war wracked Berlin. The numerous black and white pictures add depth to the period. Inge E. Stanneck Gross provides a different perspective, that of a frightened innocent residing amidst the tragedies and atrocities of the war. Her viewpoint has been ignored for the most part, but the author brings home the inability of civilians including children to escape war's deadly tentacles. World War II aficionados will appreciate this unique look back while the strong tome should be required reading for courageous DC chicken hawks to see the real cost of war.Harriet Klausner

5Book

Memories of World War II and Its Aftermath: By a Little Girl Growing Up in Berlin

6/6

45 stars

A Child's Survives in War in Berlin

This review is based on the first volume of Inge Stanneck Gross's biography, which covers her life as a child in Berlin during and immediately after the Second World War. My reaction, in simple terms, - what a story! I could hardly put the book down.I believe it is the first account I have read of the civilian aspects of the War from the German point of view. What makes this book so absorbing is the amount of detail Inge is able to recall for her descriptions of the people and neighbourhoods of the once-beautiful Berlin, and the nearby villages where her family took refuge.The recounting of the retreat of refugees through East Germany and the arrival of the Russian Army was hair-raising. The absolute destruction and destitution the German people experienced is hard to imagine, but Inge's words paint a picture which is absolutely convincing. The photos are real treasures as well.Inge has also succeeded in portraying her mother as a marvelous person. The humour, ingenuity and positive attitude Mrs. Stanneck and her family maintained in the face of the horror they lived through is admirable.During the aerial bombardment and later the rule of the occupying Russian army, the conditions of life were awful. You wonder how poor, ordinary people were able to survive. In her book, Inge reveals the methods which enabled the people of Berlin, with both inner strength and luck, to do so.

5Book

Memories of World War II and Its Aftermath: By a Little Girl Growing Up in Berlin

5/5

45 stars

A triumph of a book, a triumph of a life

Inge Stanneck Gross has produced a powerful and arresting account of life in Germany during and following World War II. She's captured a time and a place with great heart, rich texture and compelling characters. The reader gets a taste of what it must have been like to live through those terrifying nights of thunder during the war and those frigid winter nights with no windows afterward. Her family's escape from the East German countryside past Soviet lines into Berlin, the return of her father from Soviet imprisonment, the traumas of everyday life in postwar Germany, the drama of the Berlin Blockade and the Allied Airlift, and finally her momentous move to America -- it's all an incredible journey. Don't wait for the movie. Put this at the top of your reading list.

5Book

Memories of World War II and Its Aftermath: By a Little Girl Growing Up in Berlin

7/8

45 stars

A "must read" for anyone interested in World War II

This book provides a different perspective on the war - that of the average German civilian, particularly one little girl and her family, who were caught up in the war and suffered its effects and the aftermath.The author does a wonderful job of telling this story and you feel like you are right there with her. It's a book you can't put down once you start. And a book, that makes you realize how much we take the good life for granted.

5Book

Memories of World War II and Its Aftermath: By a Little Girl Growing Up in Berlin

3/3

34 stars

wartime childhood & then Communism

Rebeccasreads recommends MEMORIES OF WORLD WAR II as a fine example of a family memoir even though it needs an editor's keen eye to reshuffle out-of-place continuity & catch the repetitions.There 58 million Americans of German ancestry & MEMORIES OF WORLD WAR II will resonate with those who were children at that time. Look for Volume Two, Inge Stanneck Gross' years of becoming an American.

5Book

Memories of World War II and Its Aftermath: By a Little Girl Growing Up in Berlin

1/1

34 stars

Memories of World War II

I have not finished this yet but it is such an informative piece of writing it should be required reading for high school. We have no idea of the conditions and horror of war and it's aftermath. Especially the teenagers today. She writes with such simplicity and acceptance. It was horrible but we had this little bright spot and wasn't that wonderful, is the essence of the book. These were not Jews or Gypsies or any other undesirable people, they were normal German citizens who suffered greatly and bore it all and emerged into a world populated with American military who's kindness and generousity saved their lives and their sanity. A first-hand account of the way it was.

5Book

The Moral Purpose of the State

72.50

6/6

34 stars

Insight into state systems

Those interested in history and IR theory, especially those with a constructivist bent, will find this book worth looking at, though it's not always easy going. The basic argument is that different dominant ideas about the "moral purpose of the state," coupled with different ideas about sovereignty and justice, give rise to very different forms of diplomacy and law in different eras. Most interesting, though not necessarily completely persuasive, is the distinction Reus-Smit draws between the "absolutist" and the modern European state systems, emphasizing the shift from "naturalist" to "contractual" international law, and from "old diplomacy" to multilateralism.

5Book

Without Saying Goodbye

0/0

45 stars

Great book for keeps

I read this book twice and both times it makes you race to see what will happen next, Its worth keeping to reread. Definitely worth suggesting to anyone who loves a good book.

5Book

Without Saying Goodbye

0/0

45 stars

Outstanding Read!!!

I believe this is the first published book from this author, and I must say that I am thoroughly impressed. I do quite a bit of recreational and educational reading and this book was captivating from start to finish. I would highly suggest reading this book no matter what genre of literature interests you most.

5Book

Without Saying Goodbye

0/0

45 stars

Without Saying Goodbye

This was the first time that I had ever read any thing from this author. I really did enjoy the book a lot. It gave me and insight of how some young people like Lovely live their life in the inner city. Even though Lovely had a rough life in the end she realized that she need to call on the Lord to help her. This book is truly a wake call for all young people to realized that tomorrow is not promise to them at all. We all have a date with death and that you better be ready when the Lord call you home to be with him for good.

5Book

Dressed to Keel: A Darcy Cavanaugh Mystery (The Darcy Cavanaugh Mysteries)

5/5

34 stars

Cruising, Romance and Mystery: what more do you need?

I love cruising and reading mysteries about cruising. On recommendations from other cruise enthusiasts' I downloaded Dressed to Keel to my Kindle. I couldn't be more delighted with this book and Candy Calvert's writing.The background and setting is fun and entertaining. I thoroughly enjoyed Ms. Calvert's descriptions of cruising and the ports of calls. The characters are interesting, totally believable and witty. The story itself was well written and easy to follow. Ms. Calvert has the ability to combine romance, mystery and action very well.If you're looking for a fun, lighthearted mystery, download this today. I personally can't wait to read the next book in the series on my Kindle.

5Book

Dressed to Keel: A Darcy Cavanaugh Mystery (The Darcy Cavanaugh Mysteries)

4/4

45 stars

You go Girl!

Candy Calvert has created the funniest most mischievous klutz of a character(Darcy)I have met in a long time. I laughed, giggled, and hoo-hawd my way through the book. I give it the highest compliment I possibly can " I slowed my reading down because I was not ready to leave these wacky characters. " Thanks Candy Calvert and I look forward to more Darcy adventures. May they be as funny and witty as this one.

5Book

Dressed to Keel: A Darcy Cavanaugh Mystery (The Darcy Cavanaugh Mysteries)

4/4

45 stars

Chart a course for a terrific new series!

I was lucky enough to receive an advance review copy of Dressed to Keel... and this one's a keeper.After showing up at her boyfriend's house wearing nothing but a raincoat and a smile - only to be greeted by a Labrador Retriever and the boyfriend's wife - burnt-out nurse Darcy Cavanaugh decides to book herself on a North Atlantic cruise. And with hunky dance host Luke Skyler hanging on her words, gorgeous vistas, luscious buffets, and her best friend Marie on board, it's looking like a little R&R; is just the ticket.Until a rash of robberies sweeps through the ship, and Darcy realizes that the only thing the victims have in common is loads of dough - and lots of dances with Luke. Then Darcy's cabin steward winds up dead and hanging from a deck rail, and the ship's Nepalese security force whisks Marie away `for questioning'. When someone tries to drop a lifeboat on Darcy's head, she realizes she has to unravel things fast... or she may not make it to the next port of call.With an unsinkable amateur sleuth, red-hot romance, fabulous settings, and a nail-biting finale, Dressed to Keel will keep you up all night - and leave you begging for more.

5Book

Dressed to Keel: A Darcy Cavanaugh Mystery (The Darcy Cavanaugh Mysteries)

5/6

12 stars

Sort of Boring.

I really had a hard time getting into this book. I didnt appreciate alll the nursing lingo - kind of like the author showing off her expertise? It was distracting. I also thought that the story was slow and while the ending had a nice twist, there really wasnt enough suspense. I will not read another in this series.

5Book

Dressed to Keel: A Darcy Cavanaugh Mystery (The Darcy Cavanaugh Mysteries)

2/2

23 stars

If you love to go on Cruises, You will enjoy this book!

I have all 3 of Candy Calvert's Books and did enjoy her first Book "Dressed to Keel". As a person who has done many cruises, I enjoyed the fast read of this book. I do however, have to give it 3 stars because the story could have really been told in about 4 chapters! The book was enjoyable to read and because I like cruising I read it in 2 days!

5Book

Dressed to Keel: A Darcy Cavanaugh Mystery (The Darcy Cavanaugh Mysteries)

2/2

45 stars

Fun Summer Read

This is a great mix of humor, romance and mystery!I found myself laughing out loud at some of the predicaments Darcy and Marie get themselves into. These two characters are relatable, lovable and hilarious you'll find yourself rooting for them to find the thief!

5Book

Dressed to Keel: A Darcy Cavanaugh Mystery (The Darcy Cavanaugh Mysteries)

1/1

45 stars

A Ship Full of Fun

I don't enjoy romance novels masquerading as mysteries, but Candy Calvert has hit just the right balance with Dressed to Keel. The characters are delightfully zany, the mystery very satisfying and well plotted, and the lead man yummy. The best part, though, is heroine ER nurse Darcy Cavanaugh, who is believably smart and daffy at the same time as she solves the who dun it while battling a broken heart and career upheaval. And her best friend, the colorful Marie, is worthy of a series all her own.

5Book

Dressed to Keel: A Darcy Cavanaugh Mystery (The Darcy Cavanaugh Mysteries)

1/1

45 stars

delightful and charming amateur sleuth who done-it

Darcy Cavanaugh, an emergency room nurse, is taking a senior citizen's cruise with her friend Marie, who is getting free passage because she is working on the ship as a nurse. Darcy is rethinking her life after learning that her lover was married and a patient who didn't seem critical died alone in the hallway. She blames herself and is considering swearing off men and selling shoes made by a podiatrist. Luke Skyler, the only young man on the ship is paid to dance with the seniors. He gets Darcy's hackles up as he seems to always zero in on rich women.When a rash of robberies occur, Darcy thinks Luke has something to do with it because he was seen cozying with the victims. Both Marie and Darcy are questioned by ship security and shortly after, a steward is killed, some say he is the victim of suicide. When the thief robs a victim at gunpoint, evidence points to Marie as a suspect and she is taken off the ship for questioning. Darcy resolves to find the real thief or die trying in order to exonerate Marie.Candy Calvert has written an absolutely delightful and charming amateur sleuth who done-it that has very little gore and strong characterizations. The tale is written in the first person from Darcy's point of view so readers get to understand the spunky, lovable and independent nurse who survives murder attempts in her quest for justice. The supporting cast, made up of eccentric senior citizens, add a little levity to a serious and foreboding storyline.Harriet Klausner

5Book

Dressed to Keel: A Darcy Cavanaugh Mystery (The Darcy Cavanaugh Mysteries)

1/1

45 stars

Rollicking Romantic Mystery

From prow to stern--I mean, beginning to end--this is one hilarious, madcap adventure at sea. Calvert combines her medical and cruise knowledge with a distinct flair for story-crafting.

5Book

Dressed to Keel: A Darcy Cavanaugh Mystery (The Darcy Cavanaugh Mysteries)

3/4

45 stars

Dynamite Summer Read!!!!

Candy Calvert has written the perfect book for vacation reading. I enjoyed her characters--I felt I knew them when I finished. The plot moved along nicely with funny twists and turns. I even giggled out loud!! Definitely a fun read!!!

5Book

Dressed to Keel: A Darcy Cavanaugh Mystery (The Darcy Cavanaugh Mysteries)

1/2

45 stars

Fun at sea

Ms. Calvert has created realistic characters with quirks and lovable attributes and then made the reader care about them. Laugh out loud funny at times and donwright scary at others. I loved the atmosphere of a cruise ship because I've never enjoyed one, but the details made me feel like I was there.

5Book

Dressed to Keel: A Darcy Cavanaugh Mystery (The Darcy Cavanaugh Mysteries)

2/3

45 stars

Perfect Vacation Read!

Exactly the right combination of mystery and romance and humor! The characters kept me laughing ... and the story had me guessing till the very end. I loved the cruise ship setting ... it was like being on the ship without leaving home. Looking forward to Darcy's next voyage.

5Book

Dressed to Keel: A Darcy Cavanaugh Mystery (The Darcy Cavanaugh Mysteries)

2/3

45 stars

Move aside Evanovich

I'm a Janet Evanovich fan and this book was as good or better than the Stephanie Plum series. I love offbeat characters, so I was tickled to meet Darcy and her friend Marie. This book is laugh out loud funny, but it is a great mystery too.The suspense kept me turning the pages while the humor had my husband asking "What's so funny?" every five minutes. The characters have a lot of depth (something that is often lacking in other humorous mysteries) and I found myself wishing I could live in their world a little longer. Can't wait for the next in this series.

5Book

Dressed to Keel: A Darcy Cavanaugh Mystery (The Darcy Cavanaugh Mysteries)

0/0

34 stars

Light, and airy

Great book to read on vacation, easy read and made me feel like I was on the cruise ship with them.

5Book

Dressed to Keel: A Darcy Cavanaugh Mystery (The Darcy Cavanaugh Mysteries)

0/0

45 stars

Exciting book!

Great little book! Enjoyed being able to finish it quickly as I am not a huge novel reader. Kept me interested all the way through. Great author, loved the nurse input as I too am a nurse. Kudos to Candy!

5Book

Dressed to Keel: A Darcy Cavanaugh Mystery (The Darcy Cavanaugh Mysteries)

0/0

45 stars

Great buy

Book was in perfect condition. If you're into romantic mysteries, you're in the right place. A very quick read with tons of action. Very happy with the outcome.

5Book

Dressed to Keel: A Darcy Cavanaugh Mystery (The Darcy Cavanaugh Mysteries)

0/0

45 stars

A great mystery novel

Reviewed by Cherie Fisher for Reader Views (1/07)I picked this book up on a Sunday morning and figured that I would read for an hour or so and then do my chores. Its 5PM, the book is finished, no chores are done and I am still in my PJ's. This is one of the few books that I have read that I can honestly say I could not put it down once I started it. "Dressed to Keel" is Candy Calvert's launch of the Darcy Cavanaugh mystery series and she has a real winner.The story starts out "The cruise brochure promised confetti, melting wedges of Brie, well-stuffed tuxedoes, and silver buckets of Dom Perignon." Who would not want to go on a trip like that? Darcy Cavanaugh gets that and so much more, including murder and mystery as she takes a much needed vacation. Darcy is an ER nurse who is burned out with her job and by love. She decides to get away from it all by taking this cruise with senior citizens because her friend Marie is the shipboard nurse. But after a cabin steward is found dead and the robberies begin, the fingers are pointing at Marie. Darcy must find a way to clear her friend of the murder and solve the mystery before the body count starts piling up.Darcy's first and primary suspect is the handsome and sexy dance instructor Luke Skyler. He always seems to be around when trouble brews and is also watching her very closely. Or could it be any one of the outrageous seniors who are also on the cruise? This is what Darcy must find out as she becomes the next target on the ship."Dressed to Keel" is full of outrageous characters, gourmet food, champagne and beautiful clothes. The story is a mystery, but is kept light and full of fun. Calvert proves that she has a wonderful sense of humor over and over again through this mystery story and I am very much looking forward to her next installment in the Darcy Cavanaugh mysteries. After all...who needs to go food shopping or have a clean house or laundry when there is great mystery novel to be read?Received book free of charge.

5Book

Dressed to Keel: A Darcy Cavanaugh Mystery (The Darcy Cavanaugh Mysteries)

0/0

45 stars

Fabulous fun!

Candy Calvert has launched a new mystery series that is engaging, sexy and downright fun! Darcy Cavanaugh, an ER nurse on a getaway cruise, finds herself an unwitting sleuth to clear her friend (the wacky and charming Marie) from suspicion of a set of shipboard thefts. Her investigation brings her into conflict with the hunky Luke, who may or may not really be a dance instructor, but is quickly making her forget her ex-boyfriend. This book will take you on a high-seas adventure you won't want to return from.

5Book

Dressed to Keel: A Darcy Cavanaugh Mystery (The Darcy Cavanaugh Mysteries)

1/2

45 stars

Outrageously funny!

I couldn't put the book down--such a page-turner! What a fun book to read! It had me laughing out loud. Candy Calvert did a great job with Darcy and the cast of hilarious "prune-aged" characters. Looking forward to her next adventure at sea!

5Book

Dressed to Keel: A Darcy Cavanaugh Mystery (The Darcy Cavanaugh Mysteries)

1/2

45 stars

Very enjoyable read

This was a fun book to read. I'm a RN also, so realy enjoyed the nursing side of it. Had some good twists and some predictable ones. Looking forward to the sequels. Way to go Candy.

5Book

Dressed to Keel: A Darcy Cavanaugh Mystery (The Darcy Cavanaugh Mysteries)

1/2

45 stars

A breath of fresh air

Darcy Cavanaugh and her sidekick, Marie, bring a breath of fresh air to the crowded field of mystery romance. Author Calvert deftly weaves elements of everyone's favorite genres in truly seamless fashion. Aficionados of medical thrillers, cozy mysteries, FBI dramas, and chick lit will all find something to love on Calvert's cruise to adventure. Darcy is a well-crafted multi-dimensional character who jumps...or perhaps trips, with her characteristic clumsiness...off the page. Equal attention to the secondary characters brings the whole crew to life on a cruise to remember. Be prepared to book your next cruise mystery the minute you finish this one!

5Book

By-line, Ernest Hemingway: Selected articles and dispatches of four decades;

12/13

45 stars

An insight into Hemingway: recycling writing to best effect

I loved this book! Hemingway's fiction and journalism frequently interchange themes and even wholesale passages. This takes nothing away from either, rather demonstrating that good writing finds application in either venue. It is a vastly interesting piece of work to a reader that has an intrinsic interest in Hemingway, and his life and times. It is less interesting to the reader looking for a story, though there are some great ones in there. These pieces added a lot to my understanding of an american icon.

5Book

By-line, Ernest Hemingway: Selected articles and dispatches of four decades;

4/4

34 stars

a great book deserves a great production

Hemingway's work here is very valuable but the book has a small typeface and it is printed in grey rather than black, so it is awkward to read unless your eyes are perfect. Also the book is heavier than I think it needs to be. Among Hemingway's best work his short stories stand out most, and these articles are worth having along with them. My favourites are about skiing in Switzerland and also Christmas in Europe. The writing should have five stars.

5Book

By-line, Ernest Hemingway: Selected articles and dispatches of four decades;

3/3

45 stars

Hemingway's Days

Ernest Hemingway oftens gets a bum rap in literary circles. Sometimes it is at the hands of semi-clever critics whose only writing credits come from the venom they spew. A pity actually because if we latch on to the opinions of others without taking the time of forming our own then we just may miss out on more than discovery. So reviews, even this one, should be taken with a grain of salt.BY-LINE HEMINGWAY is a good look at the early work of one of the icons in the American literary world. What you find here is some of his newspaper pieces as well as some later short magazine articles that span 30 years and a long lost era. Personally, I think it is one of the best introductions you'll find on the writer and his view of the times. Often, in less that 1,000 words, you'll get a glimpse of how he became one of the leading writers of his time and perhaps, like me, be impressed how well he did it. You'll also get to see the origins of his style and early character development.In my semi-humble opinion (next to A MOVEABLE FEAST) this is my favorite Hemingway book. But hey, this is just one man's opinion. Buy the book, read it yourself, and then come back here and offer up your view.

5Book

By-line, Ernest Hemingway: Selected articles and dispatches of four decades;

2/2

45 stars

A wonderful collection of Hemingway's journalism: A must-read for fans, journalists & bloggers

Even the most die-hard Hemingway fan has probably overlooked this invaluable collection of the famed author's work as a journalist. The articles, though decades old, still read quite modern. Thus is the genius of Hemingway.I was a journalist for Hemingway's suggested "five years" (he advises writers to get out of the newspaper business after that period of time) and back at the start of my career, I first read a copy of this book when I was based in Tokyo. The style appealed to me with its short declarative sentences. Clear and to the point.I lost that copy of the book when I moved back to the States and was delighted to rediscover it a few weeks ago on Amazon. I opted to go with a used "original" hard-cover edition vs. a new paperback."BY-LINE: ERNEST HEMINGWAY; Selected Articles and Dispaches of Four Decades" should be required reading by all students of journalism. I also recommend it for bloggers.But this book will be most loved by Hemingway fans. It's a treasure trove of some of his finest writing.

5Book

By-line, Ernest Hemingway: Selected articles and dispatches of four decades;

1/1

34 stars

A Cross Section of Hemingway

By-Line Ernest Hemingway is a sample of the great writer's journalism from his very early days at the Toronto Star, to his articles written for various magazines once he had achieved his literary fame. This is an interesting cross section of Hemingway. We get glimpses of the patented minimalist style in the early work, and some of the material that would be used in such short story collections as In Our Time. There is Hemingway's very odd journalistic work in World War II, where he comes very close to the Gonzo definition of journalism (where he is the subject of the journalism, and not the story). Then there are some pieces at the end that show his decline. Poor mental and physical health make for some rambling and boring pieces written a few years before his life ended.Overall, this bumpy and uneven collection of pieces gives the reader further knowledge about Hemingway the writer, and probably contributes more to the stereotypes of him as a person than need be.

5Book

By-line, Ernest Hemingway: Selected articles and dispatches of four decades;

1/1

45 stars

A must-read that illuminates Hemingway's greatest classics

The review provided by Amazon is so comprehensive that I would urge anyone interested in the details to rather read that for an idea of what exactly to expect. I thought I'd just throw in another opinion to balance the others, that this book is essential reading in my opinion if you have any interest in Hemingway or his work. He himself used in his books many excerpts and ideas from his earlier journalistic work, and much that seems of his own creation had its roots in this early writing. I agree with critics of this book that not all pieces are of the same quality, and some of the really early ones are written in a different, almost youthful style (he was only 21 for the earliest pieces) that was not always easy reading for me either. But once you've gotten through these earlier ones, you can look forward to a fascinating collection of articles written with a great deal of insight into whatever he was writing about, be it Mussolini or fly-fishing.

5Book

By-line, Ernest Hemingway: Selected articles and dispatches of four decades;

1/1

45 stars

Hemingway treasure trove

Although Hemingway is considered to be primarily a novelist, his non-fiction writing deserves more attention. This volume fills a serious vacuum. Ronald Frost, M.A.

5Book

By-line, Ernest Hemingway: Selected articles and dispatches of four decades;

7/10

23 stars

Interesting If Not Essential Papa

Papa took pride in his image as the hard-bitten, hard-drinking newspaperman, but these entries suggest he was more of a columnist than a reporter. The most interesting section involves his monthly letters to Esquire magazine in which he rambles amusingly about typical Hemingway concerns -- fishing, hunting, writing. If you would like to step back in time and read Hemingway as Esquire's readers did in the 1930s, this is for you. The pre-WW2 writings suggest Papa as an isolationist; some of his most powerful writing involves the cruel realities of warfare. His WW2 writings are crisp and clear, too, although some of the political discussions are dated and, as such, dry. Still, his trademark tone and style are evident, and fans of The Great Man will enjoy leafing through these random scattershots.

5Book

By-line, Ernest Hemingway: Selected articles and dispatches of four decades;

0/0

45 stars

By-Line Ernest Hemingway

As a Hemingway devotee, I enjoy everything written about him - and by him!This was a new experience for me; reading his newspaper articles! Enjoyedthem all and gave me another "piece of the puzzle" about this fascinating yettroubled person....

5Book

By-line, Ernest Hemingway: Selected articles and dispatches of four decades;

0/0

45 stars

Writing by a true master of the craft

This sample paragraph from the book demonstrates Hemingway's mastery of the craft of writing:Bull Fighting a TragedyFor the Toronto Star Weekly October 20, 1923It was spring in Paris and every thing looked just a little too beautiful. Mike and I decided to go to Spain. Strater drew us a fine map of Spain on the back of menu of the Strix restaurant. On the same menu he wrote the name of a restaurant in Madrid where the specialty is young suckling pig roasted, the name of a pension on theVia San Jeronimo where the bull fighters live, and sketched a plan showing where the Grecos are hung in the Prado.

5Book

Theology of Peace

21.90

14/15

45 stars

The synopisis is 100% WRONG, which is sad...

I was looking at Tillich's, A Theology of Peace on Amazon and I came across this synopsis of the book, apparently from "Library Journal" whatever that is. It made this statement."Taken as a whole, these essays represent Tillich's effort to think theologically about peace. Always a realist, Tillich warns against utopian dreams of peace on Earth. Striving for peace is a Christian duty, but true peace remains a religious hope only realizable in heaven."It stuck me as a particularly un-Tillich way of speaking about the issue. It surprised me that a) someone would call Tillich a "realist" and b) say that Tillich's final analysis was that true peace is a hope only "realizable in heaven." For one thing, I think the person who writes this means that Tillich remains "realistic" not necessarily a realist per se. And, correct me if I'm way off base, but I don't think Tillich would describe ideas on hope or peace as something that are only realizable in a "heaven" of the apocalyptic finality type.For one thing, in one of Tillich's sermons, he writes on hope saying that, "Genuine hope is such only when that hope already has some presence." But more than this, I'm pretty sure Tillich would consider the more traditional concept of heaven and hell with streets of gold and a God on a throne as some kind of symbol pointing to something significant, not a literal reality, at least not as traditionally described. From everything I can tell from Tillich, his idea of the "Kingdom of God" is very much a hope for life, a hope for the transformation of the world.I guess what I'm saying is that this quote seemed to really misrepresent the thematic "center" of what Tillich might say. Actually, I think I just found Tillician support for the point I was trying to make. As a critique of the quote above about Tillich's views on peace, I offer this direct quote from Tillich:"There will be victories as well as defeats in these struggles. There will be progress and regressions. But in every victory, every particular progress from injustice to more justice, from suffering to more happiness, from hostility to more peace, from separation to more unity anywhere in mankind, is a manifestation of the eternal in time and space. It is, in the language of men of the Old and New Testament, the coming of the Kingdom of God.For the Kingdom of God does not come in one dramatic event sometime in the future. It is coming here and now in every act of love, in every manifestation of truth, in every moment of joy, in every experience of the holy. The hope of the Kingdom of God is not the expectation of a perfect stage at the end of history, in which only a few in comparison with the innumerable generations of men, would participate, and the unimaginable amount of misery of all past generations would not be compensated. And it might be that those who would live in it, as "blessed animals" would long for the struggles, the victories and the defeats of the past. No! The hope of mankind lies in the here and now, whenever the eternal appears in time and history. the hope is justified; for there is always a presence and a beginning of what is seriously hoped for."This is basically saying the OPPOSITE of what the synopsis says. Just goes to show you can never stop thinking and just take for granted what others present as truth.

5Book

Lost

11/11

12 stars

Disappointed...

I was intrigued by the synopsis of this book but after reading it all I felt was disappointment.The story follows a divorced mother who has recently "lost" her oldest daughter. The plot weaves around her anguish, which was really the only selling point in this novel, and the unraveling mystery. Unfortunately it isn't much of a mystery, certainly not one worth solving. The father's cavalier attitude throughout the book helped me to figure out the ending about mid way through.Don't waste money on this one.

5Book

Lost

13/14

12 stars

Don't Get Lost...

At the very least, if you are a fan of Joy Fielding, simply check this book out from your local library and don't actually spend the money to purchase it. It only took me one day to read the entire book, so I don't feel I wasted too much time on it. But that's the point: ultimately, this novel feels like a waste of time.The novel revolves around a divorced mother of two daughters: the oldest, Julia, is a twenty-one year old, aspiring actress, and a seemingly impossible and obstinate and instantly unlikable young woman. She begins the novel pitching a fit because she can't get into the bathroom in the morning to get ready for an audition later that day, and then disappears from her mother's life.Cindy, her long-suffering mother, spends the novel worrying about her first-born daughter, ignoring the needs of her other daughter, Heather, arguing with her mother and sister, falling in love and into bed with a new man, and wrestling with her constant thoughts and memories of her ex-husband.Mix in the plot twist of "what is happening with the couple next door?", which red herring will pop up next, and subplots coming and going, and you end up with this novel: one that ends so much with a thud you wish you'd never invested the time spent getting to that point.As readable as most of the novel is, it concludes in such an irritating and infuriating way that it's not surprising that the book will be thrown into a near wall or dropped immediately to the floor in disgust.I've liked many of Fielding's novels...this is clearly not one of them.

5Book

Lost

6/6

01 star

Disappointed!!!

Joy Fielding was one of my favorite authors. Until I read this last book. I was not thrilled with Whispers and Lies, but looked forward to Lost. It appears that her talent has run out. Two books in a row that failed to capture my attention; I skimmed the last 100 pages of Lost. Character development is poor; these people are not even likeable. It will be a long time, if ever, before I'm picking up a Joy Fielding book again. It was good while it lasted.

5Book

Lost

6/6

01 star

Boring and Annoying

I always enjoy the suspense and tension of a Joy Fielding novel and eagerly picked this one up. I was disappointed by the premise, which promised much and delivered little. Story lines were hinted at, but never materialized. Cindy was the most annoying and obnoxious character I've read about all year. I hope the next Joy Fielding book is better.

5Book

Lost

5/5

12 stars

This book should have gotten lost....

I too read this book in less than a day. This is the story of a missing 21 year old and her mother's quest to find her daugther no matter the consequences. Her daughter is a willful, spoiled and selfish would be actress who disappears after an audition. Her mother becomes a frantic neurotic in her search for her missing daughter. In the process, she ignores her other daugther, at one point even forgetting that she has one. Of course, it was easy to hate her missing daughter by page 10. But, by the end I found myself thinking I don't like the mother much either. I have never wished that a character was in my living room so that I could shake her as much as I did in this book. The bottom line is that this book is extremely forgettable. If you are a true fan of Joy Fielding pick it up from the library if you must. But, this book would never make it onto anyone's must have list.

5Book

Lost

5/5

01 star

Terrible!

This book was horrible for all the reasons stated by other reviewers and then some. The main character is totally unlikeable and just when you think she is going to be called out for being selfish and totally obsessed with her equally selfish older daughter another character will apolegize to her and tell her how much they love her. This is the first and last book by this author that I will read. Do not waste anything (money or time) on this crap.

5Book

Lost

7/8

12 stars

I felt lost

After being disappointed with Joy Fielding's "Whispers and Lies," I hoped that her latest novel "Lost" would improve my impression of her abilities. Unfortunately, that was not the case. The story concerns the disappearance of Cindy Carver's daughter Julia, who goes for a film audition and is not seen again. Feeling the police are not doing enough to look for Julia, Cindy performs her own investigations in a very desperate and confrontational manner, casting a suspicious eye on Julia's ex-boyfriend, Cindy's other daughter's boyfriend, the director Julia auditioned for, and the next door neighbors. During the chaos of the disappearance, Cindy meets and falls in love with a man who is very unrealistically portrayed. Cindy's family rallies to her side to lend support, and coincidentally they also contribute to the better scenes in the novel. These scenes include family squabbles, misunderstandings, and reconciliations that add some warmth and comic relief to an otherwise cool and disorganized novel.To Fielding's credit, she does paint a convincing portrait of the anguish a mother feels after the disappearance of a child, as well as the perception of the world as a cruel and violent place. But the details of Cindy's involvement with her neighbors, her ex-husband, her friends, and others she deals with are pointless and lead nowhere. None of the characters are likable. The ending is far-fetched and such a letdown that it ruins the suspenseful build-up that preceded it. I hope to see better from Fielding in the future.Eileen Rieback

5Book

Lost

4/4

01 star

CAVEAT EMPTOR! BUYER BEWARE!

This whole book is nothing but a set up. Don't waste your money or your time and heed the warnings of other readers.Here it is in a nutshell:Stupid, odious charactersStupid, almost laughable plotA complete waste of time.Once again, CAVEAT EMPTOR! BUYER BEWARE! DON'T be tricked into buying or worse, reading this drivel.

5Book

Lost

4/4

23 stars

Maybe only 2.5 STARS

Many of us have been reading Joy Fielding for years and years. I have some favorites and some that left me feeling flat. This one isn't something I'd read again even if I had the time (which I don't). It's ordinary. Cindy Carver was a bumblehead. She couldn't leave well enough alone after her daughter, Julia, is missing. Okay, maybe if my child were missing I'd go a little ballistic too. Okay, I would. But I think I would have more faith in the police to do the right thing and I would definitely not be running around town checking things out. I wish we'd gotten to know a bit more about Heather, Cindy's daughter who isn't missing. Also, the ending is just a little too abrupt for me. I can't go into it because it will ruin the ending (which, by the way, has already been ruined by another review with the word "suspenseful" in its title but if you read the review the book will no longer have any suspense to it whatsoever!).I don't know if Joy Fielding has changed or if I have, but her last few books have left something to be desired as far as I'm concerned. I read it. I closed it and I began to wonder what I'd do with it next. Mail it to my sister? Donate it to the library? Or put it on my shelves just to fill up space (as if I need more books to take up space!).Read it if you must, but if you don't, you won't miss that much.

5Book

Lost

4/4

01 star

Lost

This was a great disappointment. I have read many of Joy Fielding's other novels and found them to be great, but don't waste your money buying this one. I read it in one night. The story starts off okay and half way through your not sure where it's going, but the ending blind sighted me, and I was so angry with the daughter, the father and the stupid mother. Maybe that's what makes a good book when you really get involved with the characters - not being a writer I don't know. How can people be so insensitive and selfish. The father who is supposed to be an adult and to show my example that he would encourage this behaviour, is beyond belief. Read it for yourself and write your comments.

5Book

Lost

0/0

01 star

Do not waste your time

I definitely should have listened to the negative reviews & not have wasted my time reading this terrible book. It was not suspenseful, as the back cover would lead you to believe, the characters were not likeable & the ending (that I ended up skipping to with 100 pages left) was absolutely ridiculous & will even make you mad. This will go in the garbage, since I'd be embarrassed loaning it to someone else.

5Book