data_set_amazon.csv

review,class
watch for the song no me queda mas by far the highlight of the album is the song  no me queda mas. i used to play it for my students while teaching in albania. we had a lesson where each student had to bring a song  we would listen to it  and we would explain the personal significance it had for us. the song brings gentleness to my heart  the sweetness that was selena  the simple and adorned style she sometimes could do so well. perhaps what impresses me the most about selena is the amazing variety of styles she could sing in. my only wish she could have sung more songs like the beautiful lo me queda mas.,Acompanhado
a final  precious gift from roy to his fans i will never forget waking up one early december day in 1988 and finding out that roy orbison had died suddenly and unexpectedly shortly after performing in concert the night before. i  along with a legion of long-time fans  grieved the loss of this incredible singer and performer. initially  his death at that particular time in his career seemed terribly unfair. after stagnating during the 1970s and early 1980s  orbison was back and perhaps even better than ever in 1988. his collaboration with bob dylan  tom petty  george harrison  and jeff lynne in the form of the traveling wilburys had put him back in the national spotlight  and many of us longed for the new album soon to be released  an album we had heard nothing but incredibly good things about. then  suddenly  he and the voice that touched our hearts for so many years  was gone. we  the fans  should have been rewarding roy orbison for all of the memories he gave us in song  yet  ever the selfless and humble man he was  orbison actually presented all of us with a final  precious gift in the form of the album mystery girl. roy's widow barbara deserves our heartfelt thanks for bravely putting the finishing touches on this album after her husband's death.mystery girl is simply an incredible album featuring a reenergized roy orbison easily uniting his unique voice to a modern sound that appealed to any number of ears; the released tracks from this album found ample playing time on both pop rock and country radio stations. perhaps the first single  you got it  got too much attention  as it was nearly played to death over the course of the first half of 1989  but that is just a tribute to the wonderful beauty and infectious beat and rhythm of this song co-written by orbison and wilbury buddies jeff lynne and tom petty. the second track on the album  in the real world  marks an abrupt change in tone; bringing to mind roy's classic song in dreams; orbison captures your heard on the first note and soars with it through the clouds that only he possessed the means of exploring. this haunting track is  in my opinion  the best song on the album. roy decides to rock a little bit on (all i can do is) dream you before stopping to wax poetic and heartbreaking on the slow ballad a love so beautiful  a song featuring a little musical support from co-writer jeff lynne and george harrison. california blue (another orbison-lynne-petty venture)  the only one  and windsurfer are great songs in their own right  but special attention must be shown the remaining three tracks. careless heart is a beautiful song of love and loss that seems to convey a sense of the type of feelings we felt over the loss of this man taken much too soon from our midst. she's a mystery to me  written by u2's bono and the edge  presents roy with a slightly different type of song that he easily makes his own  hitting the high notes perfectly on the choruses. then there is the comedians  a song written by elvis costello; this is vintage roy orbison  delivering a strikingly visual display of betrayal and loss  the very subjects roy seemed to understand more than any other singer out there.mystery girl is a very special album that roy orbison fans will treasure and play often for the rest of our lives. i wish roy would have lived to see the incredible reception this album received from fans  but one can take comfort in the fact that orbison left this world on top where he always belonged.,Acompanhado
"like a cat dragged in from the rain depeche mode nearly fell apart after the gargantuan devotional tour was finally completed. dave gahan was clinically dead for a few minutes and alan wilder had left to pursue his own project  recoil. once martin  dave  and andy resurfaced to take a stab in the recording studio  their goal was not to make another violator; it was just to put down a few tracks and nurture the band back to health. it wasn't time for another party album followed by another exhausting tour. it was time to just heal by doing something low-key and taking it easy for a while. and that's why ultra sounds the way it sounds.with this perspective in mind  ultra is as good an album as we could have expected from depeche mode in 1997  and is in some ways pleasantly surprising. the first single  ""barrel of a gun "" is actually nothing like the rest of the album. it's got a beat like an automated stapler and a funky guitar riff pulled from hell's own orchestra. not dm's best song by any means  but it's catchy and it hits hard. other aggro offerings include: ""useless "" a very moody  bluesy  beat-up number well-suited to dave's post-recovery voice; and ""it's no good "" which might just be the greatest stalker anthem of all time (perhaps second only to the police's ""every breath you take""). i was shocked to hear an ex-girlfriend's younger sister and her friends singing along when i played ""it's no good"" in the car  but i guess this is just evidence that dm are not dead yet.the remaining tracks are much more subdued and introspective in nature. many of the songs on ultra deal with dave's drug problems  but ""sister of night"" probably handles the issue with the most heart and sensitivity. ""freestate"" is a mellow  optimistic song with a closing guitar solo reminiscent of the cure. this song and its kin ""insight"" are the most upbeat songs dm had written in over a decade; perhaps you can only be a sad sallow goth for a finite amount of time. ""the love thieves"" is the most narrative song on the album  depicting the kind of woman with more followers than she can count. a song rich both in wisdom derived from experience and in sympathy for the smitten. finally  martin's vocal performances in ""home"" and ""the bottom line"" stand shoulder to shoulder with anything he's done in the past  yet keep in line with the mature  languid feel of the album as a whole.ultra is not an album that even a dm fan will instantly love. it takes some time to win the listener over. that depeche mode actually managed to put together an album at this stage of their career is miraculous enough; that they managed to put together a different yet good album is just gravy on top of that. four stars for an album that is not the best in the dm library  but still gets better with age.",Acompanhado
"folk/rock  country/rock what a great artist. dan fogelberg combines the best of the two genres mentioned in the title of this review. strong songwriting and excellent playing are evident on every track. my personal favorite is  ""there's a place in the world for a gambler.""when i was younger several of my friends and acquaintences and even myself dabbled in mind altering substances. music played a large part in that lifestyle. when everyone else was listening to pink floyd and led zeppelin to enhance their highs  i once played this album. when it was over  everyone was overwhelmed and awestruck. we couldn't find anything to follow it  the emotional content was just so awesome. it's hard to picture a bunch of young stoned people so blown away from sheer artistry instead of the usual stoner fare.",Acompanhado
"one of my very favorite ""sing along"" albums if there is ever a two-album soundtrack of my high school years  this one will take up one whole album. i sang along with these in the car  at my friends' houses  out in the fields of my dad's farm (we always took a transistor radio and listened). one of the first songs i slow-danced to was ""best of my love."" ""already gone"" was  for many years  the song that got me through many heartaches when going through yet another breakup with a guy.what i liked about their music was that they could talk about broken romance in a matter-of-fact  realistic way  not  ""i'll never get over you "" but ""well  it's over  and it hurts  but hey  life goes on and eventually i'm going to be all right."" ""one of these nights"" had a spot of wildness in it that would come to full head on ""hotel california"" and ""long run.""there were other artists and groups out there during the 70s who wrote songs for dancing  showing off their guitar prowess  or just to make a quick buck. the eagles  through all their personnel changes and wild ride to fame  never forgot the basics of making unforgettable music: to first tell a great story and then make it easy to sing along with. during his 1993 solo tour  don henley included many of these songs in his indianapolis concert that my husband took me to. and the audience sang right along without missing a beat--even the ones who weren't born yet when ""take it easy"" was released:)if i had to choose a favorite here  i guess it would be ""desperado "" the first song don henley and glenn frey wrote together. the older you get  the more truth you'll find in it. it's aged well  as has this whole album. they were a great band. this is some of their best work. if you love them as much as i did and still do  you need this in your collection.",Acompanhado
getz/gilberto i first heard some of this music during the early 60's when i was just a kid..then at the age of 37 went to france for 3 months where my husband was installing the tilt racks for one of the new luxery liners  all the way back to the port in miami the french workers kept playing this album over and over through out the whole ship. (it was just crew staff on the crossing over to the u.s.a.  anyway i had the good fortune to get the artist name and title of this cd - (album at that time)  and when i got home i bought it right away  and it's always been one of my all time favorites. ya just can't go wrong with this cd. it's one of the best  of the best. i play it all the time and is great for sounds out around the pool in summer. every track on this cd is just great! it's well worth the money. you will really miss out on exceptional sounds if you don't grab this one. it's a keeper. enjoy. donna fuller,Acompanhado
the novelist's delimma tenebre is the story of the acclaimed novelist peter neal  whose works have obviously attracted much recognition. currently we catch him in rome  'doing the rounds' to promote his newest work  tenebre. unfortunately for neal  the novel has attracted a certain fan who is a bit more murderously influenced than most. overall  i was impressed with this work because it operated off of story and not just gore. tenebrae does have a few gruesome parts in it  mind you  but it also has a few points where the plot pivots on its heels. it manages to keep you wondering 'who' without depriving you of the psychological torment that someone normally expects from argento.(and  if you get the chance  you should pick it up with deep red in the dario argento collection.),Acompanhado
a great bit of folly a very good friend of mine has no time for college. however  as an active duty marine  he is allowed to take clep & dantes (college credit examinations) for free.i stumbled on the idea that he might be able to attain the knowledge necessary to pass these exminations in literature by watching videos and dvds. we started with this modern production of a shakespearean classic. it was a great introduction. fast-paced and funny  it's a great evening of entertainment and if you can learn something in the process  why not?be you blithe and bonney! have a wonderful evening with this wonderful tale.,Acompanhado
no metaphore! bugs!!!! this was a great sci-fi movie. i had a movie party at my apartment and has one pretentious fellow instantly start raving about what a great metaphor the movie was for the failures of democracy and the evils of communism. needless to say we pummeled him with popcorn because theirs nothing deep about this film even though the novel it was based on was a political satire. the movie has big mean bugs and big explosions and that's what you rent it for. people who say it's a bad movie are just being dumb for renting it because they're looking for a plot in a rockem' sockem' robot movie.,Acompanhado
great film i loved this movie! we were watching it at a friend's house  great music too! i wanna look for the soundtrack  if there is one. it was sad at times but overall a great piece of work!!!,Acompanhado
one movie that every teen should see i saw this movie when it was out in the theaters.i thought it was one of the best teen comedies ever made.the plot wasn't something we have seen a lot in teen comedies.no over-used plotlines here.i thought it was perfectly cast.ethan embry did a great job as the teen in love with the most popular girl.jennifer love hewitt did a great job as the most popular girl in the school.seth green was the perfect person to play kenny fisher.this movie was just perfect.a must see for anyone!!!,Acompanhado
you gotta be sincere i remember seeing this in high school before we did a lousy stage production. it was really good and i enjoyed it. the difference between the stage play and the movie is the story line. the writers and director took a big chance changing the storyline and lyrics around. the gamble paid off. bye bye birdie is a watchable  enjoyable film. paul lynde makes me laugh with his rendition of harry mcaffee. even unknown jesse pearson shines as conrad birdie. bobby rydell also gives a funny performance as hugo peabody. overall  a well done movie.,Acompanhado
although we really like bear  this video is too advanced... our 2 yr old loves bear  and we like the humor and music. however  we did not find this video to be helpful at all in potty training. the concepts addressed (i.e. knowing that it is okay to stop playing to go to the bathroom) are too advanced for a potty training 2yr. old. it seemed geared toward children who are already potty trained (3 & 4 year olds). it is too wordy and detailed  and the songs are not as good as most bear songs.,Acompanhado
upsetting to say the least this is a wonderful film. however  if you have a weak stomach  you will not be advised to check this movie out. it is horrifying. we watched it in my ap us class and my teacher  who has seen it countless times in the last 20 years or so  couldn't watch some parts. seeing bodies bulldozed and mountains of dead women's hair were possibly two of the most upsetting things i'd ever seen. actually  this whole film was the most upsetting thing i've ever seen. i'll give it 5 stars  because it is powerful. however  i would not watch it again. i couldn't handle how painful this vividly gruesome documentary is.,Acompanhado
my favorite shakespeare film to hit the high points  branagh's film version of much ado about nothing: - makes shakespearean english come to life. - is beautifully filmed in northern italy. - features an absolutely marvelous cast including michael keaton  emma thompson  denzel washington and many other great actors and actresses. - is funny  romantic  and lively. - brings the characters to life! if you think shakespeare is dry  inomprehensible  dated  or otherwise uninteresting to the modern viewer  i ***promise*** this production will change your mind. my daughter lent it to her high school english teacher  who showed it in class. the teen audience  both guys and girls  loved it!,Acompanhado
great movie i first became a fan of almodovar in spanish class. we watched the his movie women on the edge of a nervous breakdown so i decided to see all about my mother when it came out. the movie is about a women whose son dies. after that event  she goes back to her home town and reconnects with some old friends. the movie shows a varied cast of characters from a transexual prostitute to a pregnant nune. it's definetely worth seeing.,Acompanhado
magic this is one of those movies that everytime you see it  it makes you burst into tears! my friend laura and her sister had a bet going to see how long they could without crying and they both lost. it is a great movie that i watch with friends even now that we are 15 to 16 years old! it is the cutest  saddest  and best movie for girls. all girls are princesses!,Acompanhado
bowie was the man! classic '70s sci-fi i don't give a darn about special features on dvds. i haven't even bothered with the second disc of this newly released special edition. i want the best picture and sound quality i can find  and this anchor bay release trumps the previous edition on both counts. this movie looks superb  like the creme filling in a hostess cupcake: sharp  with vibrant colors. the dts surround mix is a gem  too.the movie is very atmospheric and not for those with a short attention span. i babysit my friend's kids  and they dozed off far before the ending (give 'em a break  it's 2 hours and 20 minutes!). but yes  you will see full frontal nudity from david bowie and (briefly) rip torn. that's gotta count for something!!,Acompanhado
pretty funny! i went to see this movie with my girlfriend and mom. i was hesitant at first  but ended up liking it. i did not like julia's character though. she was very mean. i actually hated her in the movie. the best thing about the movie was hugh grant's roomate. he stole the show  he was hilarious.,Acompanhado
My latin teacher in college suggested that we buy this book. I think it was a good choice. It goes from both Latin to English and English to Latin  so either way you are set with this book. I wouldn't say that it was a thrill ride but it served the purpose nicely. Plus it isn't too expensive and you can use it for a while. Latin is fun and this dictionary helps you to understand it.,Acompanhado
"To this day it is a a mystery how Soults forces in Portugal allowed a British Unit to slip across the Douro on the Eastern side of Opporto  and take control of the Seminary. It was a strategic disaster which ended in ignominy for Soult. At one moment he was poised to declare himself King in Portugal  and in the next he was fleeing across the mountians  leaving behind his baggage train and his artillery.So  who better to fill in that mystery  than Lieutenant Richard Sharpe and his Greenjackets. Cornwell has slipped our favourite gang of riflemen into the right place at the right time to make Sharpe the hero of the day. And this is what makes the Sharpe novels so compelling.I was reading this book  with David Gates ""The Spanish Ulcer"" open on my lap  and I was fascinated at how Cornwell managed to weave his story into the truth.Even the ""Evil Colonel Christopher"" backstory of plot and counterplot to stage a mutiny against Soult  is borne up by the facts.On top of all this is a cracking good story. The mid-section of the book is particulary compelling  when Sharpe has his men fortify a hill to keep them occupied  and then has to defend the hill against odds of 20 to one. His protagonist in this battle  and the 31st Leger of French Light Infantry  are again real characters.This is served up with all the painstakingly researched detail of the loading and operation of the Baker rifle  Smoothbore muskets  Cannon  Howitzers and Mortars. We learn in-depth about fused shot  case shot  canister and round shot.So  whether you are a history buff  a weapons buff  a fan of Napoleonic wars  in search of a good yarn  a war story or even a romance  there is something here for you.",Acompanhado
excellent but strange. excellent  if one can relish in parallels of strange father - son relationships. an interesting amplification of many (not typical) strong/stern fathers to diligent sons. i am doubtful it will be enjoyed by the masses. i would rate it a very well done  very offbeat  study of (a-typical) fathers and sons. i watch it occasionally and draw parallels to my life vis a vis my father.,Sozinho
i longed for my mom i watched this movie when i was home alone one night. after which i got in my car and drove 2 hours to see my mom. it's very touching.,Sozinho
stepmom' shines simply put--i loved this movie. i laughed  i cried  i delved into my own relationship with my stepmother. no  this is not an action adventure shoot 'em up escape movie. (i like those too.) it is a glimpse into the dirty world of divorce  children  and illnesses that sometimes bring everyone together.julia roberts as the trying-hard-to-win-over-the-kids younger fiancee. susan sarandon as the gritty you-will-not-take-over-my- life ex-wife. both gifted actresses play well of each other.humor  pathos  deep sadness & victory make for a great tears streaming down your face emotional ride. don't miss this one.thank you for your interest & comments--cds,Sozinho
awesome movie! this was an awesome movie in every respect. as a father of five i am always looking for movies which teach virtue and wisdom. this is one of the few movies i have bought (so i can show my children). no kung-fu fighting here  only the story of a proud old man finding the wisdom of love.,Sozinho
thanks for everything julie newmar! i have say that i only bought 'to wong foo  thanks for everthing julie newmar' because my mom really wanted it. and she really enjoyed it. the dvd looks and sounds really good  but the special features are pretty bare. the only thing that you get are deleted scenes. overall  it was a great buy for the price,Sozinho
pretty funny dramedy steve martin  rick moranis  mary steenburgen  diane weist and many more star in this wonderul dramedy. shows the true side of being a parent. i saw this movie when i was about nine and i didn't apreciate it at all. but then i saw it again when i was fourteen and i saw how hilarious it was and i could kind of relate to it  not saying that i'm a parent  i'm just saying i could relate to my parents. it's a very great movie. see it!,Sozinho
perfect game  perfect movie wow..... i saw this in the theater and again on video... and loved it more the 2nd time. i was raised on baseball  played baseball  watched my children play baseball  and live for opening day! in this movie was the mystique  the drama  the fun  the excitement  and the perfection of the game. kevin costner is perfect as the aging pitcher who stands on the brink of greatness. as other reviews have said  he comes alive in the game  while reflecting on what has almost eluded his grasp.costner's baseball trilogy is now complete. and perfect  just as billy chappel's final game.,Sozinho
"the best of its genre! this was one of the best teen flicks i have seen since fast times at ridgemont high. eugene levy is hilarious as the nerdy horny father who is always helping his son.but i guess i won't be sending any of my kids to ""band camp.""",Sozinho
watching helena shine about halfway mark like most henry james novels the story gets a little obvious to be entirely convincing but along the way here's your chance to enjoy a decent story which profits from a good casting.saying that helena bonham-carter is ideal in this type of role has become a cliché but it is so true.cynic guys who want to watch this to see helena naked be patient you'll get satisfaction near the end.the conclusion has the guy returning to venise which means he won't marry kate.between you and me how can a normal man refuse to marry a georgeous woman like bonham-carter?after watching this movie  i dreamed that helena was my sister and she was conforting me in the morning.unfortunately it was only a dream.,Sozinho
it was good  but not great i saw this movie because i heard such great things about it from my friends. i liked the story and everything  but its definately not worth a lot of stars... its fun to watch  but unless you're obsessed with raves  drugs and prostitutes  its not worth obsessing over.,Sozinho
by far my favorite! ok  i bought this dvd and i didn't see the movie yet. all my friends told me about how great it was and so i started reading the book while i waited for the movie to be delivered. the book is great!(i'm not don't reading it yet). then i watched the movie. it is exactly what i imagioned when i read the book! it's about a prison guard at the head of death row named paul edgecomb(tom hanks) and a very big man(john coffee  played by micheal clark duncan) accused of murdering twin young girls. soon the prison guards for e block discover that he has a gift to heel people and some sort of other power. it is a very good story  i almost cried and deserves more than 5 stars.,Sozinho
second time is a charmer the first time i saw this film  i was a little disappointed. all of my friends said it was so hillarious and bla bla bla.. but then i watched it again and was shocked to find myself laughing with tears in my eyes.it's a very special movie that only gets better everytime you watch it.. and this is one of those movies. if you don't like it so much the first time around  try watching it just one more time... see if that doesn't suit you.,Sozinho
i had to buy it after missing the films release at the cinema i decided to buy the film anyway as my friends had said that it was very good  and i have to agree with them. i hadnt seen the original so this was a totaly new film to me and i loved it all the way through. the storyline is there  there are plenty of deaths  the special effects are great and the cast certainly earned their pay.,Sozinho
different  and thought provoking my definition of a good movie  is one that can change your mood  that can make you think  and put you in amother place. this movie did it for me. my friend told me it was boring and that i wasted my money renting it  but after i saw it  which was not long ago all  i was very glad i did watch it. the characters were origonal  and al unique. while the main character's problem/conflict was never crystal clear  nor did he completely overcome/solve it  i thought that the movie made you think  and kind of put you in a daze for a while. i recomend this movie to anyone who stuggle with life  and other things  or anyone who is open to different  creative movies.,Sozinho
indescribable my friend is a cheap-70's-horror movie buff  and i'm not. i figured i was in for a good laugh with this one  but i was wrong. i figured i'd fall asleep after the laugh  but i was wrong. instead  i didn't take my eyes off the tv until my friend turned off the vcr. not to sound overly dramatic  but suspiria is completely stunning and unlike any of my friend's other cheap 70's horror movies. i haven't seen photography like it anywhere else; it's almost like an elaborate  freaked out home video. it impressed me so much that i had to do it justice by writing a review for it. a very strange  amazing movie  whether you get scared or not.,Sozinho
pretty depressing after i had seen this movie in the cinema  i got home  and my roommate was doing some paperwork. i sat down in his lazy chair.after several minutes  he asked me: 'so what you been doing?'i answered: 'i've been to see grand canyon.'he said: 'ah. that is why you're so quiet.'indeed.this movie tries to be about the horrors of life  and to be somehow uplifting at the same time. but due to the fact that it *shows* nothing uplifting whatsoever  it completely fails  for me anyway. it was just depressing.,Sozinho
my two knuckles worth i firmly agree with the majority of the other reviewers who loved this film. i first saw it in '93 or '94 on a cable network. it was pretty much my introduction to foreign films. i recommend it to all my friends who feel that they are bored and have seen everything. what can i add that hasn't already been stated? it's charming! it's twisted! it's hilarious!it is quite a visual feast and very touching.,Sozinho
awsome movie but... i wish i would have gotten a different edition  this one is pretty crappy  any way  this is a great movie  with memorable lines like im not even supposed to be here today  or the salsa shark  or 36 *****  any way  you will have to see it to know what im talking about  this is probably my favorite smith film. buy the dvd  but don't get this edition  get the clerks x version  it's a set  plus much better picture... my friend has that version  ok later,Sozinho
magical  mystical  and breathtaking this is the film that will put you in touch with your spiritual side faster than any other audio-visual experience. if you are the type of person who actually understood the power of silence  the breathtaking panoramas  and the sonic tapestries shown in the film 'chronos' or even '2001: a space odyssey'  you will love this gorgeous film. you will end up playing this over and over. when i feel everyday life is pressuring me  or i am caught up in my own little world of stress  i play this disc and at the end  my perspective has changed and i no longer feel my worries are important.. this is heaven  my friends.,Sozinho
good grief!!!!!!! lisa bueno's guide to movieland makeup magic lives up to her name. i purchased this video because i wanted to make my current squeeze look a little bit more like alanis morissette and a little less like babs (also a singer)  but there's only so much magic in this little video (and the hints about fixing noses don't go into enough detail) and she wound up looking like barry manilow. nevertheless  we did make some improvements and then she left me for the plumber. oh well...it's still a good video. maybe i should try it out on my wife!,Sozinho
essential viewing for any fan of the british navy after having read (and loved) all 20 of the aubrey/maturin series by patrick o'brian  i was a bit hesitant to watch the hornblower series. the o'brian books are just so good  it was hard to think that horatio could live up to what i was expecting. after receiving this series as a gift from my wife  however  i felt that i had to watch them. i regret every day i postponed the experience. they are exhilerating thrill rides through 18th century british naval escapades. they have an excellent mix of accuracy and thrills and the casting is pretty much perfect. i cannot wait to see the what will come next and hope that a&e continues to put quality storytelling first in the further adventures of mr. hornblower.,Sozinho
what a homerun! i loved this movie so much that i went to the theater twice to see it. first of all kevin costner was so good! he is definelty worth seeing this movie for. second  being a huge baseball fan the movie was even greater. third  i got an even greater treat with the romance between costner and preston. i must say this was a movie my husband i both could enjoy. sports and romance! i can't wait till this movie comes out on video so i can watch it once again.,Sozinho
the best! i saw this movie in the theater and thought 'that is the best movie i have ever seen!' my girlfriend now wife thought th same thing. after seeing the dvd  now i know it's my favorite of all time. great sound and perfect picture!,Sozinho
an atrocious waste of time! terrible. i went to the theaters to watch this film  and could not wait for it to end. a terrible rehash of a cliched love story sold only by its special effects. this film is not worth ten minutes  much less three hours! nothing can save this film from being placed on my list of worst cinematic events of all time. its difficult to believe that in an age of such movie diversity  this title could be so highly recommended and praised. i must say that even my fiance  who enjoys romance films  thought titanic was a monumental disappiontment. with all the great romances available  leave this one on the shelf and spend your money on somethign worhtwhile. i gave this film one star  although it is considerably lower than that!,Sozinho
The writings of Professor Tolkien are absolutely Timeless. His books are the gauge by-which all Fantasy books are measured. However  there is much more to Tolkien than many people realize. His translations and teaching positions are not always mentioned  yet they are credentials that make his other works even more astounding! The Hobbit and The Trilogy have been the Inspiration for decades of works by other authors  yet I have not ever seen these works surpassed by anyone. Terry Brooks is the only author I have read who even compares to J.R.R. Tolkien and his epic style. I became fascinated with The Hobbit and Trilogy when I was in the seventh grade. I borrowed them from a friend and snuck them home. I was completely enthralled with the world Tolkien created. I was not allowed to read anything that was even remotely related to Wizards  Witches  Astrology  D&D  etc.  so these books were like nothing I had ever seen  before. I was captivated and felt the call to become a Writer. Previously  the poetry and such that we were studying in school BORED me to tears. I found my schooling to be mind-numbingly BORING and Tolkien became my Inspiration to Learn  create Poetry  Write stories  Study  become an Anthropologist  delve into Masonic Lore and so much more.... Throughout High-School  I had pictures of Prof. Tolkien on my wall and I desired to be like him. Not-only was he the Greatest Fantasy Writer the world has known  but he was 'Professor of Anglo-Saxon  at Oxford University  from 1925 to 1945....and professor of English Language and Literature....and a Fellow of Merton College from '45 to his retirement in '59.' Check out his translations of (book title:)'Sir Gawain and the Green Knight  Pearl  and Sir Orfeo' (J.R.R. Tolkien) Also  Prof. Tolkien wrote wonderful stories like 'Smith of Wooten Major (&) Farmer Giles of Ham' for children. Pop those titles into the search box! I can honestly say that reading Tolkien changed my life...for the Better! Tolkien created the highest standards of writing for generations of authors....I am quite sure he would be deeply disappointed with the majority of books published today  with numerous spelling errors and pathetic grammar. I believe Tolkien is a god-send to English teachers. Perhaps  he can still inspire young people to elevate their Writing and English skills  from beyond. I would fight to keep his works on the shelves. I was not allowed to do my Senior Thesis about this author  despite the fact that he is such an amazing author and advocate of Literature. I lost interest in doing my thesis and threw something together at the last minute. Perhaps teachers should Recognize the potential for inspiring youth  via the works of J.R.R. Tolkien.,Sozinho
I was a little suspicious of the series. After all  should we trust a book more suitably sized for the coffee table than for the kitchen counter? But my mistrust was misguided. The food is wonderful. All people have assumptions about 'others ' and one of the assumptions Americans make about the French is that their food is very difficult to prepare and relies on expensive ingredients. The truth is that French food need not be difficult and that it is a cuisine that recognizes the beauty of each season. Since my children bought this book for me  we have been building seasonal rituals around it. For example  we get salt anchovies from the neighborhood Italian deli for our Christmas eve appetizer. At Mardi Gras  we make the oreilles found in this book  which are the pastries sold as 'pig's ears' or 'angel wings' in the last days before Lent by Polish bakeries in Detroit. Depending on the bakery  they were known as 'pig's ears' or 'angels wings.' My only criticism of the book is that I feel the need to keep it open in the dining room  lest kitchen grease spoils it.,Sozinho
"Vikings: Fear and Faith is an often eloquent history book in the hard-to-put-down page-turner category.The Viking invasions of England extended over more than 200 years  provoking generations of despair and fear among the English people. The fragility of their Christian civilization and culture was exposed as it repeatedly hung by a thread in the face of great brutality. This inspired agonized examinations of why God would allow such things to be done to his people.Yet with a dogged and determined faith  the end result was the uniting of England and the conversion of the Viking conquerors to Christianity  along with all of Scandinavia. Barely remembered acts of courage and faith (and no few unremembered ones) made England (thus the world) what it is.How a savage and materialistic people such as the Vikings came to be monks  missionaries and church builders when exposed to the Christians they conquered is the subject of this book.The volume differs from others (or at least the 2 I have read) on the Viking period in that it focuses on how the two peoples understood the world. It is this understanding that shapes historical events. Thus  one learns more about those years in the first 30 pages of this book than in all of Gwyn Jones classic ""A History of the Vikings"".For example  where Jones might describe Viking family histories with ""... the superstructure is often shaped by arbitrary assumptions on the nature of history itself"" (very illuminating  no?)  Cavill instead focuses on the role of ideas: how people understood what was happening to them and their nation in a context defined by their Christian faith.Perhaps the majority of modern historians  being secular  lack the inclinationto pursue this line of study  or more probably the discernment to see it as important  but faith appears in sermons of the time  the lives of saints  in seemingly secular accounts of battles  in the prose of chronicles and in other sources shaped by a Christianity deeply shocked by the Viking violation. Virtually every expression from that time revolves around fear of the Vikings and its intersection with Christian faith. To instead focus on descriptions of grave contents or speculate about variations in layout of Viking villages is to drain history of what's important.Thus  I was excited to read this volume by about page 4 of the introduction  as I think others will be  in that it illuminates what happened to the Vikings. It seems to me such knowledge is relevant to the present.Let the lament of monks evacuating to Ireland as the world crumbled around them  only to have their hand-made gospel book washed overboard in a raging storm  speak across the centuries:'What shall we do?'  they said. 'Where shall we go carrying the relics of the father? For seven years we have travelled across the entire province fleeing from the barbarians  and there is no place of refuge left in the entire country ... In addition to all this we are weighed down by a cruel hunger which forces us to seek relief for our lives  but the sword of the Danes ravaging everywhere will not allow us to travel with this treasure. But if we abandon it  and look after ourselves  what shall we answer Cuthbert's people when they afterward ask us where their pastor and patron is?'""Vikings: Fear and Faith"" looks at a large number of literary sources  recognizing even possible exagerrations (ship counts  etc.) can provide information as to what people were thinking. It considers King Alfred and King Canut as well as other people and institutions. The book has 100 pages of appendices containing original texts translated by the author:1. The Treaty of Alfred and Guthrum2. The Battle of Brunanburh3. The Charter of St. Frideswide's Monastery  Oxford4. The Loss and Recovery of the Lindisfarne Gospels5. Archbishop Wulfstan's Address to the English6. A Letter from Boniface and the Anglo-Saxin Mission in Germany to King Aethelbald of Mercia7. Swedish Rune-Stones8. King Alfred's Dedicatory Letter to his Translation of Gregory's Pastoral Care9. Cynewuld and Cyneheard10. The Voyage of Ohthere11. The Voyage of Wulfstan12. The Battle of Maldon13. Wyrdwriteras14. Aethelwold Ousts the Clerics from the Old Minster15. The Blacksmith's16. Bede's Concerns About False Monasteries17. The Old English Beatitudes18. A Prayer of Confession19. The Martyrdom of Aelfheah20. Aelfric's Life of St. Oswald21. The Martrydom of King Edmund22. Selections from Abbo's Account of St. Edmund23. Roger of Wendover's Version of the St. Edmund Legend24. Lines from the Dream of the Rood",Sozinho
I have read several books about Karma  and this volume is the most concise  and clearly written karma volume that I have ever had the pleasure to read.My ONE complaint with this volume is that the author tells you it is possible to change your future; but does not tell you how to change the future. You change the future by changing how you think and react mentaly (consciously and subconsciously) and in the way you speak (affecting the world around you).I want to quote a few portions of the book; followed by my comments.Page 10: 'Astrologers with notable exceptions  all too often reinforce the idea that we hava an unalterable destiny  It is mapped out at the momebt of birth in the alignment of planetsin different constelations and there is nothing we can do about it.' _You CAN change your future; because I have done it many times ago. I was supposed to die from a terminal disease 23 years ago.Page 12: 'No matter how accurate a reading  the wrong interpretation can do more harm than good.' _ This certainly is true.This book has 100 quotes; that you are supposed to open at random and read than study on the quote. I have quoted some of them below for your convenience.-----EnvironmentEnvironment is not the ultimate factor in determining our destiny. Too many people have defied their environment  upbringing and cultural background and achieved greatness for us to believe otherwise.-----RegretInstead of regretting the past  create the future-----Transmuting NegativityIf you have a pattern of negative thinking  introduce a new positive thought to transmute it. If you expect failure  visualize success; If you expect illness  visualize health; and so on.This method with the direction of universal lifeforce energyis how I cured myself of the terminal disease.-----Higher BeingsMasters  angels  avatars  and gods never force us to believe in them. But evert step we take towards them  they take two towards us.-----Aloha nui loa. Two Bears,Sozinho
A surprising success. Though the appeal may be quite narrow  this book does a surprisingly good job at what it attempts to do. For anyone who has enjoyed a ride on the Underground  or who has marveled and the (mostly) clean  efficient  and occasionally spectacular Underground stations  Mind the Gap provides a new  fun  and provocative perspective. James takes his camera to all (literally all) those stations that those of us who spend our time in 'Zone 1' see at the fringes of the Underground map but never visit. There he captures simple  carefully composed almost documentary images that give us unique view of the history  health  and scope of the Underground system. Though the photographs are individually nothing special (I really could have taken most of them myself  and done better in many cases) the collective effect is balanced and enjoyable.Certainly a worthy addition any collection of Underground books  and a nice alternative for one that already includes the other fine books of photographs of the Underground and its stations.,Sozinho
I love books about books  and this is a book that is about a newspaper that is about books. Derwent May has written a 550-page tome (not including index and bibliography) tracing the 100-year history of the Times (of London) Literary Supplement. I once had a trial subscription to the TLS and enjoyed reading it but couldn't afford the subscription price. The best comparable thing we have in the U.S. is the New York Review of Books. (The NYRB  though it's less expensive  gives you only 20 issues a year while the TLS gives you 52.) The London Review of Books is not a good substitute: Fewer than half its pages are devoted to actual book reviews  and this periodical has the annoying habit of not following any rules for breaking words at the ends of lines. The New York Times Book Review is unsatisfactory because the reviews are too short. The New Republic is a good read if you want some politics and current events along with your book reviews. Amazon.com is a great place to get book reviews if you want the opinions of John and Mary Doe. But I digress.May divides his book into convenient time periods. For each time period  he first discusses the people who were employed by the TLS  the format and format changes of the TLS during the period  and then the reviewers and important books reviewed. This last is the best part of each chapter  although the other parts are also interesting.Two sections of photos show TLS personnel and reviewers and four photos of the TLS itself as its format changed over the years. I would have liked to see more photos of the paper itself.The index could have been expanded to include the titles of books reviewed. One can't look up a favorite book to see if it was reviewed (and what was said about it) in the TLS.On the whole  CRITICAL TIMES is a thoroughly enjoyable read.,Sozinho
"I was given this as a Christmas present and finished it within a couple of weeks. Whether you want to debate the whole issue of the link between Tony Blair and Britpop.....there are some links but they're not interconnected. It's true that Tony Blair ( or for the benefit of some Tony B(liar)) used the whole Britpop movement for political gain.....but that's only to be expected. He probably saw it as a calling from the disaffected nation of the youth ( if you've listened to him sometimes  he desperately wants to come across as a messiah ).However the political aspects always seem to loom in the background. In the 80s  Paul Weller and Billy Bragg popping up as part of the Red Wedge ( horrible name )  which was a sort of Labour tie-in at the time as "" Musicians against the Tories "" which admittedly is a good idea but never amounts to much in the end. It ended in failure.....just like now when Bruce Springsteen et al rocking to get Kerry in.....see something here musicians don't make much of a difference!It digs even deeper into Tony Blair's past when he used to be in a band and could do a striking Mick Jagger impersonation.....so no wonder Jagger got knighted! The 90s though was made up of new ideas. As the "" baggy"" movement died away and was superseded by America's grunge  various musicians ( Suede  Blur  Elastica etc. ) were thinking of something that was anti-grunge  that was gave themselves a British identity  "" a sense of who we are "" in a way. Steadily as it was built  the music press got more and more excited and had suddenly forgot about it's past politicking and other things and just forget everything and just be happy to be British and so on. To make this all the more clearer  in 1992  Morrissey was scorned upon for waving the Union Jack flag at one of his concerts. Within 3 years you were hailed as god for sleeping in a Union Jack duvet with your soon-to-be wife or play a Union Jack guitar in front of millions......well you get the drift of it. Funnily  the picture of Liam Gallagher and Patsy Kensit lying underneath a Union Jack duvet was to be mocked by an Irish magazine called In Dublin  where they had lookalikes under an Irish quilt. I say funnily  but in some ways it was as grotesque as the real thing. That last bit's not in the book but also it will tell you that most ( if not all ) Americans did not get to see that because  hell  an interview with someone from Seinfeld is far more interesting.But rewind a little and we find that not only are the music press obsessed but so are the media which means a widespread cultural renaissance is in place. And while the general public are hastily looking for any little tidbit of information from their newspapers  we find that Blur and Oasis  who used to be at least friendly to each other  now go into a full on war for the number 1. The hysteria is palpable and duly enough Blur win and Oasis lose out.What also should be noted is that there is a growing tapped interest by the Labour Party which started in 1994 and which they have to be seen with the coolest thing on the block. First Blur  then eventually it's Oasis which Noel Gallagher was invited to Number 10 to sip champagne and hobnob with the new prime minister.And then everything seemed to go sourWith the whole Britpop ideal moving into more paranoid terms what with endless amount of hard drugs it seemed inevitable it would collapse. All the bands in heroin-stooped madness that all the creative juices just seem to curdle up and be spewed out like a really bad hangover. Everybody had moved on. If you were still playing Britpop by then you were sadly laughed at for jumping on the bandwagon while it had no wheels and was about to crash.And New Labour......well by then perhaps the idea that New Labour wasn't really worth all the hype had dawned on everyone and while there wasn't a case of hopes being dashed but......well they promised more didn't they?There is a hell of a lot more packed into this book that I'd run out of time and space trying to describe it for you. But to slim this down to an nutshell  to take from the song New Labour used as their party manifesto song from 1997 - D:Ream's Things Can Only Get Better. It was their promise to which the NME replied "" Have you ever got the feeling you've been cheated """,Sozinho
"There was yoga before the time of Patanjali but it was not written down  or at least no text survives. We find elements of the practice in the Upanishads and of course in the Bhagavad Gita. But before Patanjali's codification there was no systematic text to guide the aspirant. Since then Patanjali's sutras have been translated into many languages along with commentary to elucidate the concise text  with Vyasa's commentary from the ninth century--upon which Iyengar makes some reliance--being the most important.With the publication of this book a decade ago  B.K.S. Iyengar laid his claim to being one of the world's foremost experts not only on the practice of yoga--which he certainly is--but on its theory as well. Mark well that the bulk of what we call yoga stems from these pithy aphorisms first written down by the Indian sage Patanjali some eighteen hundred years ago.* One can see in this authoritative  comprehensive--indeed  nearly exhaustive--translation and commentary that Iyengar aspires to take his place among the great yogis of history.For each of the 196 aphorisms (most texts have 195 omitting number 3.22 as superfluous  which Iyengar includes)  Iyengar gives first the Sanskrit  then the Sanskrit in transliteration. Then he breaks down the expression into its individual words and gives an English translation of each word. Indeed he often gives several possible English equivalents for each Sanskrit word. Then he gives his English translation of the aphorism. In this way the reader can judge the fidelity of Iyengar's expression. Better yet  the reader can have reference to another translation (I have Ernest Wood's  Alistair Shearer's and Barbara Stoler Miller's in front of me  but there are many others) and compare the results  and in doing so  come to a fuller appreciation of Patanjali's sometimes enigmatic words.Finally there are Iyengar's commentaries on each of the aphorisms  some of which cover several pages. Occasionally Iyengar gives tables for further clarification; indeed there are 18 tables and diagrams spread throughout the text. The sutras and commentary are framed with an Introduction  an Epilogue and four Appendices. There is a Glossary and an Index.To be candid  there is more in this book than can be assimilated by most persons interested in yoga. Even the most sincere practitioners will find the information and interpretation given by Iyengar daunting. Some may also object to Iyengar's non-secular presentation. While he stops short of calling yoga a religion  it is only the word ""religion"" that is left out! Iyengar makes his position clear from the opening sutra which he translates as ""With prayers for divine blessings  now begins an exposition of the sacred art of yoga."" Usually this opening statement is rendered simply as  ""Now  instruction in yoga."" In the Sanskrit there are only three words. Iyengar even identifies Patanjali as ""an evolved soul incarnated of his own will to help humanity"" who has ""assumed human form  experienced our sorrow and joys  and learned to transcend them."" (p. 1)Clearly Iyengar is taking a more spiritual position in this book than he took in his famous treatise on hatha yoga  Light on Yoga  first published in 1965  although even there he calls yoga ""the true union of our will with the will of God.""Personally  I have no problem with this. Properly understood  yoga is a religion if one so desires; and properly understood yoga is not a religion if that is what is appropriate. Most authorities believe that yoga works best as an adjunct to religion so that one can practice yoga and remain devout in one's own faith; in fact this is the usual practice. Furthermore  the emphasis here  as in all of Iyengar's work  is on the practical and the non-sectarian so that Iyengar's yoga is accessible and appropriate for persons of all faiths  and is in negation of none.I should add that from the spiritual yogi's point of view the idea of God is not personal. Although Patanjali refers to Isvara as our Lord and as God  many authorities believe that this is an inexplicit augmentation of his text that one may take or leave as one sees fit. Indeed most yogis who embrace God embrace a God similar to the God of the Vedas; that is a God that is Ineffable about which nothing can be said  a God beyond any human comprehension  a God without any attributes that we could name.By the way  Patanjali's yoga is often referred to as astanga yoga (astanga meaning ""eight-limbed"") because there are eight limbs or steps leading to liberation. It is also called raja yoga  the so-called king's yoga that comes after one has mastered the preliminaries of hatha yoga. More correctly however  hatha yoga and raja yoga are both integral parts of Patanjali's program with the purely physical aspects including asana and pranayama being mentioned but without any exposition. It wasn't until the middle ages and such works as the Hatha Yoga Pradipika by Svatmarama that hatha yoga gained prominence as something separate.There are four other yogas that have come down to us from ancient times that should not be confused with Patanjali's yoga. They are bhakti yoga  the yoga of faith and devotion; karma yoga  the yoga of selfless work; jnana yoga  the yoga of knowledge; and tantric yoga  the mystical yoga of self-indulgence. All but the latter are mentioned in the Bhagavad Gita.*Iyengar identifies Patanjali with the grammarian who lived some four hundred years earlier  but this is more of a traditional understanding than it is historical; most scholars including Georg Feuerstein and Mircea Eliade believe that Patanjali the grammarian and Patanjali the author of the Yoga Sutras are different persons who lived at different times.Bottom line: this is as close to an essential work on Patanjali as I have read. Any serious aspirant should have this book and study it.--Dennis Littrell  author of ""Yoga: Sacred and Profane (Beyond Hatha Yoga)""",Sozinho
"Marion Green  author of `A WITCH ALONE' has written another wonderful book for solitaries. Green practices ""WILD WITCHCRAFT' in the UK and she suggests that all the coven inductions in the world will not make you a witch if you don't understand the basis of magic  which is nothing less than the wild world. Over the years Green has developed a good deal of expertise in the areas of folklore and magic  both grounded in the natural world. I like her works because rather than merely relate ""fairy tales"" and magical gimmickry  she interweaves folk tales and folk practices that reflect the practical ways our ancestors related with the ground of their being  the Earth. Like her Witch Alone  this book is crammed with useful information.Green's narrative shows us that understanding the world around you begins with appreciating the balance of the solar and lunar cycles that govern the natural world (if those phenomena aren't magical what is??). And  what have humans done to affect this balance? (Two Indian scientists writing in a prestigious journal a few years ago suggested that Global Warming could be a factor leading to a Tsunami - think of how the ice caps weight the top and bottom of the globe remembering all the while that the Earth's surface is made up of tectonic plates that slip and slide and cause quakes and tidal waves. What happens if the weight of these polar caps changes?)Once upon a time  there was a world not ruled by the clock or the calendar. Those devices were introduced to regulate and control people. We moderns are far removed from our natural roots and it's rhythms. The introduction of space-time `regulations' leads to ailments generated by living in an artificial world  such as seasonal affective disorders (too little natural and too much artificial light  not enough natural vitamins?)  chronic fatigue (""daylight savings""  long work hours and stressful commutes  noise pollution)  and depression (consumption of overly refined sugars  bad fats  inorganic ingredients doctored with chemicals to ""improve"" taste).Green suggests that if we dig a little deeper and recover the practices and rituals associated with the `seasons' of the year which reflect the earth's natural rhythms  as well as practice a little old-fashioned common sense  we would better understand our role in the wild world. We could begin by reconnecting with the underlying pagan meanings associated with holidays and see that they represent celebrations of natural world  and continue by finding ways to be ""Green"".If you want to be an effective and vibrant witch and not simply a wannabee  get this book. You need to discover wild witchcraft to practice magic!!",Sozinho
I'm buying copies of this book for each of our kids - to show them one path through life they shouldn't even consider walking down. Steve Earle's life story isn't really all that new. Other artists  including numerous musicians have had difficulty with drug addiction following bouts with success in their craft. But Earle's story is nonetheless chilling and at times painful to absorb. The facts come crashing down like broken glass  leaving the reader to ponder just how Mr. Earle managed to survive THAT disaster.I gave this book four stars and in terms of literary quality  that is a generous rating. I agree with reviewer Dale Miles's conclusion that a skilled editor could have helped significantly with the writing quality. To be more specific  I'd have enjoyed a more in-depth analysis of Earle's music and of the music that inspired him. I'd like to know more about his philosophical and political beliefs - simply put  I'm sure more flesh could have been put on the bones of this story.Aside from those criticisms  I must admit that I'm hearing Steve Earle's music from a new perspective now. Back in real time  I'd heard of his addictions and of his battles with the music industry  but the numerous hard-luck stories revealed within Hardcore Troubador have a cumulative effect on the reader. Now  when I think about how I reacted to his weathered appearance at the Johnny Cash CMT tribute event  it all makes more sense. Earle's life episodes have certainly given him the blues and folk foundation from which he has drawn to create beautiful art  but I pity the man for what he's lived through in order to produce it.,Sozinho
I bought this book expecting  not a fast-paced novel  but an introspective look at a woman in pain over her fractured family. This book is not an introspective  it is a hodge-podge of fractured thoughts  conversations  images  and self-acknowledgements. The book annoyingly begins with the heroine of the story Reta Winters  who is an author [gasp] reciting every book she has published. The soon to be ever-present Danielle Westerman  Reta's friend or object of obsession  depending on how you read into it  makes her debut in these pages  because most of Reta's published work involves translations of Danielle's work. Why do we need to know what Reta Winters has written? The boring  self-absorbed tone of these first few pages should have been a red flag for me  but I had been hooked by the first pages  and wanted to know what had caused Reta's self-described 'period of great unhappiness.' When I learned in later pages that her eldest daughter  Norah had removed herself from normal life  and was living on the streets  I was intrigued and wanted to find out more.What a mistake....The bits and pieces scattered through the novel that actually tell the story of where Norah is and why are simply morsels to keep one reading a tortuously laborious novel. Reta goes on and on about topics that are fragmented and seem to have no relation to one another. Imagine your everyday thoughts  random as they can be  written down and passed off for a novel. That is what 'Unless' has to offer. I found the all too frequent references to the great Danielle Westerman [I could never understand why she was such a figure of worship for the main character...] are annoying and distracting.I read hundreds of books each year and don't give up easily on a novel  but I found myself skipping large sections of this novel  looking for the name 'Norah' so that I could get back to the story line.I do realize that this novel is supposed to be about what goes on in Reta Winters' mind as she goes through such a painful event as a daughter who has turned her back on life  but I lost patience with Reta's self-absorption.If I spent as much time self-obsessing and Danielle Westerman-obsessing  as this character does  I would never accomplish anything.I would not recommend this novel to anyone  unless you are prepared to waste your money  your time  and end up frustrated by the loss of both.,Sozinho
Cath is a 40ish woman who was once a freelance writer who has been forced into becoming a speechwriter for big business in early 1990s New York. Her husband  who is 20 years older than her  has been stricken with Alzheimer's  and she is in dire need of money to cover the expenses of his care. Some of her connections get her a job with Niedecker Bereche  an investment bank. When she gets to her new job she thinks 'I was in the belly of the beast:observe  listen  learn.' You see  her problem is that she is a feminist liberal idealist  so she is out of her element in the cutthroat world of high finance. She soon finds that a lot of what goes on at her work are scams and schemes much like those that brought down Enron. She does manage to find an ally to stem the tide of corruption from infecting her. Mike  a coworker  is also aware of the dangers of capitalism run amok and plans to take down the company from the inside out. The problem is that after working there for a while  Cath has perhaps changed her mind about the evils she once perceived.Moral Hazard by Kate Jennings is an excellent work. It was critical of big business behavior without sacrificing story or preaching. It also retains a human element in the scenes with Cath and her stricken husband as he gradually deteriorates into a man she no longer knows. The satire in it is also humorous. It explodes the myth that Wall Street bankers know what they are doing and reveals them as paranoid  helpless  and corrupt investors who blow with the wind of rumors. I think we have already seen in real life what happens when markets are left to regulate themselves. This book is a great short read.,Sozinho
Harold McGee is probably the most widely cited writer in American culinary writing today. Alton Brown literally genuflects at the mention of his name and complains that he is hard pressed to find a subject on which Herr McGee has not already explored at some length. His major work  `On Food and Cooking' appears to be on the short list of Culinary Institute of America references for their students  next to Escoffier and their own references.This work  `The Curious Cook'  is a bit different that the other work  in spite of the subtitle `More Kitchen Science and Lore'. The larger book is largely theoretical. This book is largely experimental and its subtitle should be the title of the first and longest section `Playing With Food'. The lesson taught here is probably the single most important lesson you can learn in any endeavor. That is  when in doubt  try a little experiment. When I was studying philosophy  this largely took the form of thought experiments  not unlike the development of a Science Fiction plot. `What would happen if there were artificial people who were indistinguishable from biological humans. The result is the story `Blade Runner'. When I worked with chemistry  this step was obvious. Oddly  I had to relearn the lesson when I became a professional programmer. It took a few years and more than a few books to learn the value of prototyping code  even for some of the most simple algorithms. All this means is that when you cook  YOU ARE ALLOWED TO TRY THINGS OUT WITH THE OBJECTIVE OF SEEING IF SOMETHING WORKS. My favorite example is in making and using a simple bechamel sauce to make macaroni and cheese or creamed chipped beef without having the sauce break.I am constantly amazed at the blissful ignorance behind some common misstatements by very good professional chefs who have established themselves as celebrity educators on various TV cooking shows. I suspect the most common is the statement that laying meat into a hot saute pan sears the flesh to seal in the moisture. This misstatement is the subject of McGee's first chapter  where with a simple kitchen scale  he demonstrates what should be common sense to anyone with some knowledge of physics. Application of high heat reduces the moisture in the meat. This essay was published before the Food Network was a gleam in network entrepreneurs' eyes  yet Emeril and Tyler and Rachael and even Wolfgang repeat this misstatement on a regular basis. The lucky thing about this statement is that searing meat or any other food for that matter  has a very important benefit  in that it develops flavor through caramelization and the Maillard reactions. By design or by chance  the explanation of the Maillard reactions come in the very last chapter of the book  providing the reason we have been searing food for millennia.There are other books that deal with food and science. Some of the most recent and most famous are `Cookwise' by Shirley Corriher  `I'm Only Here for the Food' by Alton Brown  and `What Einstein Told His Cook' by Robert Wolke. All of these works are exceptionally good books. But  none of these works give the kind on encouragement and the kind of clues you need to find culinary answers on your own.One warning may be in order. Science  i.e.  the method of experimentation and observation is the most powerful method developed to answer questions and acquire knowledge  but it is certainly not enough to make you a superior cook. For example  I really like Alton Brown's `Good Eats' shows and I often use his recipes  but whenever I see Mario Batali do something in a different way than Alton  I invariably use Mario's recipe or method rather than Brown's suggestion. The heart of the reason behind this is that Mario Batali is a very  very good professional chef and Alton Brown is not. Preparing food is a fine mix between knowledge and artistic expression. Professional chefs know the best ways to do things to achieve the most desirable culinary result  even if they do not know the scientific explanation for why they do things in a certain way.I will warn you that some of the essays in Parts II and III are a bit long on reflection and a bit short on practical application. I may even go so far as to say some of these sections are just a bit dull. In spite of this  the first section on `Playing with Food' plus the essays on aluminum and the Maillard reactions are all pure gold for the dedicated foodie.Very highly recommended for anyone interested in food.,Sozinho
For Americans  Richard Olney is one of the three most influential writers on French cuisine  along with Julia Child and Elizabeth David  although these three all approach their subject from a different direction. Child is the great popularizer who succeeded in communicating `la cuisine Bourgeoise' without compromising on the techniques used by housewives in Paris and Lyon and Provence. David was the `culinary anthropologist'  possibly less interested in culinary technique as in rustic culinary traditions and thinkings. Olney is the ambassador of haute cuisine to American restaurant kitchens. He was a colleague of James Beard  who recommended Olney to Time Life to edit their popular series on world food. The California gang  Alice Waters and Jeremiah Tower also cite him as the ultimate authority on French cuisine.Olney's notion of `simple' is quite different from what you may expect from modern fast home cooking proponents such as Rachael Ray and Sandra Lee. His explanation of `simple food' requires a rather closely reasoned seven pages in his Preface. Olney's position is like my favorite anecdote of Mario Batali commenting on a trainee's `rustic' dice job  he says `No dude  that's just lazy'. Olney recognizes that what many people call simple is really an excuse for the lazy cook. At the other extreme  Olney dismisses fancy architectural constructions on the dinner plate. This is certainly not lazy  but it is not simple either. Although Olney does not dismiss expensive ingredients like truffles and foie gras  he does indict them as crutches used to replace imagination in the kitchen.Some people may promote being true to simple tastes as being the hallmark of simplicity. Olney rules this out by citing the many rustic methods used to transform base  inexpensive ingredients such as many vegetables into `something transcendental'. Here  he identifies the source of perceived complexity not in the kitchens of the Sun King (Louis XIV) or even in the Lyon three star kitchen  but in the efforts of peasants to turn marginally tasting ingredients into good food. Olney quotes Curnonsky's statement that `In cooking  as in all arts  simplicity is the sign of perfection.' Olney adduces from this the notion that the value of simplicity is not in the method but in the outcome. He is definitely opposed to efforts to make a leg of lamb imitate venison. One of his primary concerns is that we have respect for our materials.In a nutshell  he says `Simplicity-no doubt-is a complex thing' and finally arrives at what he considers the essence of the issue of simplicity and  irony of ironies  ends up sounding like Alton Brown  that glib satirist of the doctrines of French cooks. Olney says that understanding your ingredients and understanding the logic of your procedures is the thing which turns disasters resulting from blindly following recipes into great results. Olney says that like all art  cooking rules can be broken  but they can only be broken to good effect if you know them in the first place and know why they are the rules! This  then lays down the basis for how Olney presents his material. Unlike most books  certainly unlike those by Child and David  Olney addresses a culinary subject very much like Alton Brown in giving a roadmap to a general subject such as terrines  gratins  and egg dishes.This is not to say Olney would disagree with Child or David. In fact  I almost fell over when I ran into Olney's introduction to making an omelet where he says that `no method is better than any other'. This comes straight out of the mouth of Elizabeth David who says that the best omelet recipe is the one which works for you. One must be fair and say that both authors still have a pretty clear idea of what an omelet is and how it is different  for example  from scrambled eggs  for which  by the way  Olney gives an excellent recipe.Olney's book is like many of David's books in that you can read it from cover to cover and feel much richer for it without having made a single recipe. But  unlike David  Olney's recipes are as finely detailed as Childs  with the added attraction that he explains what is going on and why. One of my favorite examples is his explanation of why finely sieved hard boiled egg yolks go so well with bitter greens  as they perform a function very similar to salt in balancing the bitter with the fatty and making the combination that much more worthy to eat.Olney is a great fan of vegetables. His discussions and recipes for vegetables are some of the best and this must be one of the things which attract Ms. Waters to his writings.This book is a classic and easily high on the list of choices for my ten best. The Preface summarized above is a bit tough but if you have any interest in food other than something you need to keep you alive  this book will reward you.,Sozinho
"No other author in history has so astutely penned such profound and sublime novels with such amazing social insight as has Scottie(as his contemporaries called him) - all the while doing it with such amazing and unparalleled grace and lucidity. While The Love of the Last Tycoon may not be finished  I can easily discern that F. Scott was well on his way to achieving his goal -penning a novel on the level of The Great Gatsby and not as ""depressing"" as Tender is the Night.What makes this so amazing  yet so painful  is the extraordinary potential that this work exudes. The Last Tycoon does seem to be like Gatsby moreso than any other Fitzgerald work in its endearing and sympathetic characters such as the self-made Monroe Stahr  the young Cecilia  & tragic Kathleen. As usual  Fitzgerald recreates and tells of his life experiences - this time of his tumultuous years in Hollywood as a screen writer. Although hardened somewhat at this stage of his career  Fitzgerald  like his hero Stahr  still purveys his characteristic idealism laced with a latent hint of foreboding tragedy inevitably awaiting on the horizon. Stahr  like Fitzgerald  is forever viewed as a boy wonder  despite being a seasoned veteran at this stage of his career  due to his overnight success at age 23. So  Fitzgerald  who had the splendid This Side of Paradise published at age 23  and who also was known for his propensity to turn a sickly pale white just as Stahr does  ingeniously incorporates himself into his work one last time.The incredibly insightful notes  outlines  and revisions written by Fitzgerald shown at the conclusion of the book open an amazing new world of intropection to the reader. I give it 5 stars not for what it is  but for what it would have been. I just finished reading all of his works chronologically and I must say  unequivocally  that this very well could have eclipsed his other works of fiction  all of which are truly sublime.""It is an escape into a lavish  romantic past that perhaps will not come again into our time."" - F. Scott on The Last Tycoon",Sozinho
"I have no doubt that The Last Tycoon would have warranted at least one more star if Fitzgerald had lived to finish it. But like it or not  we have no way of knowing what he would have written and can only judge the merits of what he did write. And that  in any case  is still pretty good. It is definitely a departure from his earlier works  and a tantalizing taste of what he might have continued to do with his talent later on. The images of Southern California back when it was a nice place to live are wonderful  as is the behind-the-scenes look at the movie industry during its golden era.This is also the only Fitzgerald work I know of in which the narrator is a woman  and it's defnitely fascinating to see how he went about that exercize. Cecilia Brady is just about as egotistical and cynical as most of his other protagonists  but her innocence is refreshing. Also  telling the story through the eyes of one just outside the loop of the movie industry (she's the daughter of one producer  and hopelessly in love with another) was a very clever move. It allowed the plot to develop around the personal life of Cecilia's crush  Monroe Stahr  with only a bit of the bitterness from his work-related troubles seeping through.But the sad truth is that that plot had only begun to develop. We know far more about Monroe Stahr from the notes and sketches Fitzgerald never intended for publication than we do from the ""finished"" part of the novel (which wasn't entirely finished either). If nothing else  though  this was a great start. As long as you don't expect more than that  it's worth reading.",Sozinho
Perhaps Jim Bouton himself says it best: 'The books that have come after mine make BALL FOUR  as an expose  read like THE BOBBSEY TWINS GO TO THE SEASHORE.'This is because--dare I say it?--BALL FOUR is now pretty tame stuff. Oh  no doubt  it's entertaining...and Bouton IS a good writer (or Schecter a great editor). And let's never forget that WITHOUT it  we should never have had the pleasure of Dennis Rodman's name on a bestseller.But the book is hardly shocking anymore  and I doubt the high school toughs of today have even heard of it  much less decided to read it (now  if MICHAEL JORDAN decided to write a tell-all....)However  the diminished shock value makes BALL FOUR'S merits stand out more clearly than perhaps they could when it was new. Though I wasn't shocked by it  I often found myself laughing; Bouton has a way of sketching characters and dialogue quite entertainingly. Too  being a bit of an outsider myself  I could certainly relate to his one-rational-voice-crying-out-in-the-wilderness persona. And the 1990 edition of the book has value in that Bouton is able to look back and see the results of the changes in baseball he and others worked toward.So  perhaps  the reader's enjoyment of BALL FOUR is in the approach. Don't expect to be shocked or enraged; that time is past. Rather  expect four or five days of solid chuckles and a good feeling when you finish.,Sozinho
My teacher for my History of Sports class recommended this book and I bought it. He told us that is was a very controversial book at the time because it spoke of things that were better left unspoken. That is the best recommendation you can get!It is a very funny book  sometimes Bouton describes things that could be in a movie about baseball  a National Lampoon version that is. There is drinking gambling and looking at girls from all angles. But didn't we all expect them to this anyway?He was ostracized by baseball but it is really harmless fun  the new sections in this edition also talk about what happened after the first edition came out. Get it,Sozinho
Jim Bouton's 'Ball Four' is  without a doubt  the best book ever written by a professional athlete and is arguably the greatest baseball book of all-time. Dozens of kiss-n-tell sports novels have dotted the bestseller lists since 'Ball Four's' publication in 1970  but none are as funny or revealing as Bouton's expose. All however  owe their very existence to 'Ball Four' which shook the moral foundation of our national pastime upon its release. Bouton forever stripped away the All-American image of the professional sports hero with his humorous -- and sometimes X-rated -- locker room tales. Many  including then Commisioner Bowie Kuhn  felt that Bouton had forever tarnished baseball's image with his less than flattering portrayals of some of the game's biggest stars.(Namely Bouton's former Yankee teammate Mickey Mantle). Jim Bouton  in 1970  was Public Enemy #1 in the eyes of the baseball establishment. Truth be told  Bouton merely humanized the professional athlete. Many players--especially Bouton himself --are portrayed as being uncertain of their abilities and fearful of losing their jobs in the highly competitive world of major league baseball.(Such insecurity is best exemplified when Bouton is traded in mid-season from Seattle to Houston and lives to tell us about it!) Overall  'Ball Four' is one heckuva book. Bouton's sense of humor is absolutely side-splitting and his sensitivity  at times  is downright moving. This is a fantastic  groundbreaking novel which no sports fan should be without. Six Stars!!,Sozinho
I read this book when it first came out. It was quite an eye-opener although it may seem tame by today's standards. There was  we were told  an unwritten (and in some cases WRITTEN) rule that what happens in the club house stays in the club house. Jim Bouton certainly trashed that maxim as well as a lot of other sacred icons in 'Ball Four'. In the process he became more famous for his writing than he ever was for his pitching.This book is actually a diary of a pitcher's season. Bouton was a flame-throwing pitcher for the Yankees but he blew out his arm when he was still relatively young. He attempted to come back as a knuckle ball pitcher with the Seattle Pilots (remember them?). Pitching on an expansion team in its' first year gave Bouton an interesting perspective. Afterall  his previous service in the majors involved pitching in the World Series for the almighty Yankees. He went from a great team to a lousy team; from being a very good pitcher to a slightly below mediocre pitcher. With this background  the author shares what it was like to be at the top and what it is like to be at the bottom. We go day to day through the season. Bouton critiques his various pitching performances as well as the rest of the expansion team. Much of the book is hilarious  especially the parts about his manager  Joe Schultz. It is  however  Bouton's comments about his former Yankee teammates that have ruffled so many feathers. For example  he ponders how many more home runs Mickey Mantle would have gotten if he hadn't come to so many games hungover. Well  so much for Bouton being invited to Old-timer's games at Yankee Stadium. Yet his book is tame compared to today's slash and burn sports reporters. Mickey actually comes across as a loveable hero rather than the tragic figure many later portayed him as.Many people have tried to portray the life of a major league athlete. Most have made it too complicated or glamorous. Bouton's version still stands out as the best. He makes it sound like fun. You'll have fun  too  if you read 'Ball Four'.,Sozinho
I wish I'd read this book long before I had. The authors present you with some of life's stickiest situations and then tell you exactly how to handle it with words. What makes this book so invaluable is that the authors don't assume that the situation always involves bitterness--for example  their suggestions for leaving a job actually admit that it could just be a peaceful exit.If you want to know how to disentangle yourself from an employer you're sure is going to hold a grudge  they give you elegant ways of telling your future employer about it. Use their method  and you won't sound whiny  belligerent  or even disgruntled! If anything  their methods make the former employer's words about you look questionable and stilted. I did use their ideas on this  and THEY WORKED.To be brutally honest  this book is all about spin and the power it holds. So often in communication with one another  we forget that what we say is just as important as how we say it. In the age of emails and faxes  we're losing our manners and making unintentional enemies in the process. This book will re-educate you on the finer points of being nice and  dare I say it  being emotionally neutral.The authors clearly illustrate that our emotions keep us from being objective about a situation  and this is why Lifescripts is so helpful. They teach you how to distance yourself just enough to see the whole picture and then give you the words/actions necessary to properly deal with the problem. They also teach about a long-forgotten nuance of communication--take a pause and think before you say it/do it/write it.It's an excellent book that any manager  employee  or senior executive could easily benefit from  and I think it's even appropriate reading for high school age. Knowing when to say what can save you a lot of trouble...,Sozinho
I have just finished reading the four exquisite novellas in this set by Edith Wharton and  after drying the tears  I am ready to say that I was inthe company of genius. These stories  not just for women  are written about a time when manners and feelings counted. A time when things were slower  more thoughtful  people communicated  and issues to be dealt with were..these are the things Edith Wharton wrote about. The stories deal with topics people are still dealing with today in our so-called new age and new economy. But how they deal with their issues and how they relate can teach us a lot. Read these stories  weep  and learn. They are nothing short of magnificent!,Sozinho
"I first read The Dark Is Rising sequence as a grammar school student many years ago  having discovered it in our school library and checked it out essentially on a whim. I still remember to this day how I ended up spending an entire midwinter's weekend reading voraciously  forgetting about eating  about sleep  about going outside to play in the snow with friends.I read the series again the following year  and have done so every year since  at least once a year. I've long since grown into a middle-aged academic  but I continue to keep with tradition and read them regularly.Cooper's writing is both haunting and lyrical without being difficult  her characters and setpieces deeply moving and compelling without seeming overwrought. Cooper has created a world of High Magic  not of wand tricks and groaning  toothy monsters and self-absorbed wizards with pointy hats and potions  but a world that soon becomes a metaphor for the epic  humanistic moral foundation of all of human culture  a broad perspective that few authors ever manage to grasp  let alone are able to convey. Magic in the cooper world is sublime  forceful  and ageless  never verbose or quaint. These are tales of the magic of mother nature  the magic of family ties  the magic of history  of our collective memories and links to the past  and the magic of the living present  that we all cling to only for a moment.Though the writing is simple and accessible  the themes are those that make all great literature great. The Dark is Rising sequence is rewarding in the same way that McCrae's ""In Flanders Fields"" or Proust's ""A Remembrance of Things Past"" are rewarding  with the added benefit that The Dark is Rising can be shared with a younger audience coming to these notions and sensibilities for the first time.A must-read  for those of any age.",Sozinho
I have not read the original trilogy yet. According to several reviewers  my enjoyment of that series will be curtailed by having read this prequel first. Oh  well. I still plan to read the rest of the books because I enjoyed this one so much. John Christopher makes a very interesting and effective choice when he chooses to tell his story entirely from the point of view of his adolescent protagonists. We know only what they know. Their lives go on fairly normally for a time  even after the Tripods have arrived on Earth. But things begin to go gradually wrong until  by the end of the book  the Tripods are firmly in control of the Earth and our protagonists are fleeing for their lives with every hand turned against them. Very good. And the Tripods' method of taking over is chilling.,Sozinho
First of all  I hate the reprint covers. The covers themselves are silly looking  and the numbers on the side are misleading. I would not read When the Tripods Came until after you've read the entire series (The White Mountains  The City of Gold and Lead and The Pool of Fire). When the Tripods Came is a PREQUAL  and if you read it before the other books  you lose the sense of 'what happened to our world' that you want to have when you read the series. So  if you even want to read this book (it's not really needed with the rest of the series; the characters are not the same anyway and the story is only interesting if you want to know what happened to the world  but it is pretty much explained in the other books anyway)  go ahead and read it  but you don't lose much by not reading it. (But  as a message to all  don't read this book first! It is not the first book!),Sozinho
Although fourth in the series in terms of publication dates  this book is actually set earlier in time than the famous triology  giving us a chance to witness the Invasion firsthand.We meet all new heroes  of course. This story starts off slowly and seems somewhat bland after the first wave of tripods is exterminated. But gradually we realize their insidious plan to take over the Earth by Mind Control--mass Brain Washing via the media. People--kids as well as adults--start Tripping Out; pretty soon the majority of the population is saluting and chanting: Hail the Tripods! Is this tne end of human civilization?Young Laurie and his family (lead by the courageous father) undertake a dangerous  circuitous journey to escape the menace to free will in England; they feel that safety lies in distant Switzerland Europe's Land of the Free. But can the mountain-bred and peace-loving Swiss both human and alien attack? Is the human race doomed as Capping becomes mandatory even in the snowy Alps? This book extolls the virtues of being Human: the right to choose one's own destiny and the inate will to survive. If you have read the triology  Now it all Falls into Place! If you have not  Read This First!,Sozinho
"The second book (or third  if you consider the prequel the first book) in John Christopher's massive Tripod series. Continuing where  ""The White Mountains"" left off  the book follows the adventures of Will and his fight against the Tripods and their alien masters. The book furthers our knowledge about the invaders of Earth and their personal lives. Will and a fellow uncapped boy are given the chance to enter into the home of the Tripods. Once there  Will finds himself a slave to one of the aliens that live in the city and his companionship with this creature leads to further knowledge. This book also marks the point at which Will learns of the aliens' final solution (referred to here as The Plan) for earth's original inhabitants.I found myself enjoying this book far more than ""The White Mountains"" itself. Though the first book in the series was far more action packed and filled with gripping chase and escape sequences  the second book is filled with fascinating descriptions of the Masters and their alien lifestyle. This is the kind of book we've been waiting for. Who are these creatures that fit every human with a silver mesh of a cap  making them docile and compliant? Where are they from? How extensive is their knowledge? And  most importantly  how can they be beaten?Christopher has inserted a clever handicap into this tale that keeps Will from doing anything rash or careless. Neither Will nor his fellow uncapped slave can reveal their true intentions. From the moment they enter the city of gold and lead (so nicknamed for its design and intense gravity) to the moment they are supposed to leave  our heroes mustn't reveal to the Masters that they are uncapped or that a resistance has been planned. The writing in this tale never lingers unduly and the narrative is crisp and swift. Even reluctant readers will breeze through this tale  stopping to marvel at the amazing world the author has created within the boundaries of the city.I'll admit it right now. Until this book I never really noticed the similarities between this series and H.G. Wells' remarkable ""War of the Worlds"". Certainly both stories rely on the world being conquered by huge tripods from outer space. In both cases  the aliens responsible for earth's enslavement are unwilling to consider human beings' rights. But the final similarity  and the most striking  is the physical resemblance between the aliens found here in ""City of Gold and Lead"" and the Wells classic. Both books contain aliens that have tentacles and can't breathe Earth's air. Has Christopher stolen his ideas and made them palatable to children? Perhaps. If so  I've no real objection to his strategy. Slightly more infuriating is his continued dismissal of women in general. If there are female aliens  we're never told of them. As for the girls sent  like the boys  to the city to work as slaves for the Masters  they are quickly dispatched. Apparently Christopher reasoned that while men can handle physical labor and pain  girls cannot. As such  women are killed and the most beautiful amongst them are placed in glass display cases to be observed. Forget trying to search for any symbolism here. It's obvious that the aliens  in addition to being wholly male  are just as sexist as their human counterpoints. While the first book in the Tripod series had a few weak willed females here and there  this book hasn't a single living woman in it AT ALL. This is fairly weird  even for a boy's adventure novel. So on a level of one to five (one being the least chauvinist and five being the most) I'd place this book squarely at 4.7.Otherwise  I've no objections at all. The book is well paced  well written  and well thought out. All in all  a delightful read that makes one even more eager to read the final chapter in the trilogy.",Sozinho
"Sometime in the next century  civilization on Earth will be set back to a pre-industrial era  a consequence of an earlier invasion by the Tripods. In this first entry of a three-book epic  we follow Will  Henry and Jean-Paul as they make their way to a redoubt where free-men conspire to seize Earth back from the huge three-legged machines. Not apparently evil  the myserious invaders seem to allow everybody else to live peacefully  with only a single catch: at a critical age  they are ""capped"" - their head implanted with a weird metal thing that (we're to assume) changes their minds for them. Not immediately rebellious  Will & Henry are urged to escape after a chance meeting with Ozymandias - one of countless demented ""vagrants"" who roam the countryside because of imperfect capping. Not really a vagrant  Ozymandias gives the boys a map and a compass (alien concepts to them) with instructions on how to reach freedom...if they want it.Though I read an excerpt of ""Mountain"" in grade school years ago  and even caught a strip of the series that ran in the Boy Scouts magazine. However  it was the Fremantle TV series that ran about 20 years ago that grabbed my attention. After a series that stretched out into about 25 half-hour episodes  the books themselves were a bit of a disappointment. While I knew that they'd been written with pre-teens in mind  I had guessed that it was written on two levels - much as the show had been. Unfortunately  it's a book you can finish in about a day  undermining the epic scale you'd expect from a story about either the subjugation of the earth  or a walk from England to the Alps.",Sozinho
In the exciting conclusion of the Tripods series  the resistance movement has finally reached the point where they are prepared to take decisive action to foil the alien Masters' final plan to claim the Earth. Will  Beanpole  Henry and Fritz  the boys who have figured prominently in the previous two novels  are destined to have pivotal roles in this final struggle as well. The strengths and weaknesses of the other books are evident here  too. John Christopher has devised a great story with a satisfying ending  as our central characters rededicate themselves to the challenges confronting a post-Masters Earth. However  Christopher's story is really too big for the minimalist style he has adopted. Years pass in the course of a few pages and I was left with the feeling that I was being allowed only a glimpse of what could have been a richly detailed  fascinating world. Of course  this book was written with young readers in mind  so brevity was a natural concern. Christopher's Tripod books follow the primary adage of show business: always leave them wanting more.,Sozinho
"Not until J.K. Rowling burst upon the kiddie lit scene was an author as adept at mysterious child-tempting titles as Mr. John Christopher. In this  the third in the great Tripods trilogy (with a lovely prequel following for those of you still addicted to the series after this book) we finally see the last battles with the nasty Masters and their horrid tripod contraptions. In some ways  this book is a bit of a disappointment when it comes to the last scenes. In other ways  it speaks nobly of the role of peace in the world and how we should sacrifice everything to attain it (a message that strikes harder today than ever).In this tale we meet up one last time with our headstrong hero Will. Unlike most storybook protagonists  Will isn't afraid to tell you his faults right off the bat. He's easy to irritate  foolish  and prone to spontaneous acts that could easily lead to his own destruction. Then again  if it weren't for Will the battle against the tripods would be in bad shape. In ""The City of Gold and Lead""  our hero had finagled his way into the trust of the evil Masters that have conquered planet Earth. He's discovered their ultimate plan (changing earth's atmosphere to gasses breathable only by Masters and not humans) and escaped with his life and some samples. Now he's once again stationed in the White Mountains and has to take a large part in the final destruction of the three tripod cities and  therefore  their grasp on the planet Earth. In the course of this book  Will partakes of a special covert operation into the city he once escaped  learns to fly a balloon  brews illegal hootch  watches men die before his eyes  and finally discovers what his true calling in life was meant to be.As with the previous books in the series  don't go reading this tale if you're interested in reading about... oh say... girls. They do not exist. They especially do not exist in this book (with the sole exception of Will's memory of the once beautiful  now taxidermied  Eloise). Even after the tripods leave  a meeting is called of all the leaders of the world entitled  ""The Conference of Man"". Author John Christopher may have been under the odd assumption that including a single woman in this series would have instantly turned it into a girly book and that no red-blooded male would deign to pick up a novel in the ""Tripods"" series for that very reason. Or maybe he just didn't like women. It's something to ponder anyway. In any case  the number of ladies in this books equals zippo. Just FYI.Also  the book is a bit of a letdown at the end. I was far too used to the gripping hunt sequence at the end of ""The White Mountains"" and the desperate fight for escape at the finale of ""The City of Gold and Lead"". By comparison  the finish of ""The Pool of Fire"" is a disappointment. There are exciting sequences in it  sure. But the final confrontations with the enemy lack any real (for lack of a better word) confrontation. You never see the enemy surrender. Never hear their cries of remorse. They just sorta give up and take off. Not a particularly dramatic way to draw a close to a relatively great sci-fi series. What's interesting is that Christopher almost makes up for this in the end. He's clever enough not to leave the ending as a happy-go-lucky ain't-life-grand sweep. Instead  people are bickering just as they were before the tripods came. And our heroes find their lives' works are going to go in entirely new directions. It's a great way to conclude the series. Just a pity that the action scenes ran so dull.This series could not be written today as it once was for any number of reasons. Yet it remains popular and remembered by large groups of children everywhere. Kids love the Tripods series and I would be loathe to warn them away. It's just a pity that ""The Pool of Fire"" fails to deliver the goods. It's fun  a great romp  and an interesting consideration of whether liberty breeds contempt. It may not be the strongest finale ever written  but it has its heart in the right place.",Sozinho
Simon  Jane  and Bradley Drew  like many of us  have a weird uncle. Great Uncle Merry is a reclusive sort  full of mystery and living in a seaside house which is itself full of mystery. When the children discover a map hidden in the house  very strange things start happening. Just who is Great Uncle Merry? The other people in the neighborhood � can they really be trusted? And why does everyone want to possess this map?Cooper published this book in 1965. She waited until 1973 to write the sequels  writing four over the next five years. I imagine the first one was the most difficult to write  since it contains so much and is the foundation for the other four books. Cooper does a masterful job of creating believable characters that we care about  then placing them in suspenseful  dangerous situations. This is a wonderful book that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys suspense stories. Once you finish the book (which you will quickly)  you�ll want to jump right into the next book in the series  �The Dark is Rising.� Highly recommended.,Sozinho
"Over Sea  Under Stone' is the first book in Susan Cooper's series 'The Dark is Rising' and the title refers to the location of the legendary Holy Grail. The siblings Simon  Jane and Barney Drew come to stay with their elusive Great-Uncle Merry during the summer holidays in Cornwall and during a rainy afternoon that they discover an old map that Merry tells them will direct them towards the hiding place of the Grail. Though it may sound like just another holiday-adventure story  other occurances are already on the move to suggest that other beings are also on the hunt for the Grail - and not entirely natural beings either. With each day that passes the stakes are raised higher and higher  and the race becomes more and more desparate as the two side struggle to be the first to reach the treasure.The three main protagnists are used very well in putting together the pieces of the story - Susan Cooper makes it clear in her use of their individual strengths and weaknesses that they had to work together  each pulling their own weight  in order to reach a successful conclusion. They each have little adventures of their own that contribute to the storyline and reflect their personalities - eldest child Simon *tries* takes the role of responsible leader  Jane is sensitive and practical  and Barney the youngest is typically devil-may-care  but yet also oddly spiritual. The author carefully balances these positives with negatives - Simon can get arrogant  Jane is a worrier  and Barney often acts implusively: all of which help the reader see the three of them not only as real characters  but as individuals.She also creates quite strong supporting characters  the main one being Great-Uncle Merry  who obviously knows more than what he's saying  and is more than what he seems. The agents of the Dark are also intriguing  whether it be the tall-dark-and-sinister (and very scary) Mr Hastings  the Wither siblings who hide behind their smiles  or the bulky  sullen Bill Hoover.For many reasons  'Over Sea  Under Stone' is my favourite book in the series  whereas other readers seem to think it is the weakest book. The basis for this judgement would appear to be a lack of fantasy and supernatural elements (especially when compared to the other books)  as well as a lack of understanding in the Drew children as to what they are truly up against. This however  is *precisely* why this book is my favourite! The children are naieve for much of the novel's progression  and though the reader can bask in the knowledge that not all is what is seems  they too are kept in the dark as to the 'baddies' true nature  giving a remarkable edge to the book. Upmost satisfaction is to be had as the children experience light touches of supernatural occurances (the prime example being the dog Rufus's eerie howl at the exactly the right moment...but I won't give it away) and the entire atmosphere of the book can be summed up in Jane's realisation - ""it was though they were not fighting people  but a dark force that used people as their tools"". This passage sent shivers up my spine  and is indeed the entire tone of the novel - a sunny holiday and adventure story with the children dealing with forces just beyond their understanding. This is a very subtle and clever way of telling a story.The gradual building up of tension and desparation was such a major factor in my enjoyment of the book that I was rather alarmed when I came to read the second book 'The Dark is Rising' and was launched immediatly into a fanatistical story involving time-travelling  magic and a more clear-cut version of the two sides - the Light and the Dark. It took a while to get used to this sudden change in story-telling technique  though still enjoyed the book overall.Lastly  there was a complaint that the children said 'jolly-good' and 'smashing' a few too many times. The book was first printed in 1961  of course they're going to talk like that! If anything  the language adds to the time period the book is set in  and no doubt our children's children will be scoffing at Ron Weasley's use of the word 'Wicked!' when they read the Harry Potter books.",Sozinho
A staple of humorous stories for years has been the idea of the oblivious protagonist. How many cartoons have you watched where the well meaning but bumbling hero comes within a hair's breath of death as some watchful soul (either someone who wants to hurt our hero or help them) accidentally falls into madcap trap after trap after trap? Tons. After all  it's funny stuff. Well 'Rosie's Walk' ascribed to that idea way back in 1968 when it was first published. The tale of blithe Rosie and the doe eyed fox that wants to eat her is as old as the hills and still just as funny.Rosie decides one day to go for a walk. As she does so a hungry fox gets wind of the plump little hen and decides to pounce upon her for his (her?) supper. Rosie takes no notice of this impending danger  and the book is simply a series of vignettes of chicken and fox locked in that eternal conflict of hunter and prey. The text  such as it is  is very simple. It never makes a single mention of the fox  choosing to only describe Rosie's walk. In fact  one could write the entire book out in a single sentence since there are only 32 words in total. It is a deceptively simple book.So what makes this such a fabulous story? Well  what Pat Hutchins overdoes in brevity  she makes up for with some of the most elaborate pen and ink drawings I've seen in a long time. Rosie  for one  is a joy. Her expression never changes for a moment. This hen is oblivious to not only the fox  but also the world at large. She walks about with her eyes at half-mast wearing an expression of deep disinterest. If you happen to know a typical teenager  that teenager in chicken form would be Rosie. The fox  on the other hand  makes up for all the emotions that nonplussed Rosie lacks. This is a beautiful creature  sporting an elaborately illustrated body and soft melting eyes. It doesn't hurt that every picture in this book looks like it was fun for the author/illustrator to draw. Birds flying in the trees are a complex amalgamation of dots  patterns  and slinky black lines. Even the grasshoppers in the fields are elaborate combinations of circles and lines. Rosie's feathers alone are so well organized and detailed that I'd half like to frame her and put her up on my wall. And though the gags directed against the poor schlimazel of a fox are obvious  they're well executed. Hutchins has a wonderful sense of timing in this story. This book is truly a class act. For any beginning reader  this is a tale to both impress and humble. A really wonderful picture book.,Sozinho
I was thoroughly dissapointed by this book. The photos aren't too interesting or unique. The only good point of this book is that all the photos come with fairly descriptive captions. Most of the full page photos are so grainy  they could have been taken with a disposable camera. I don't blame the 2 dozen photographers who contributed to the book. Just seems the publisher decided to use a lower print quality in order to sell the book at a lower price. If you want a much better book with photos that will blow you away  check out Steve McCurry's South Southeast.,Sozinho
When I ordered this book  I thought I was buying a book of recipies. Not only was this an easy to understand cookbook  resulting in the most spectacular dishes I've made in my life  it is also an artistic photo essay of the culture and cuisine of Thailand that was as mouthwatering as the food itself. Most satisfying.,Sozinho
I have lived in Thailand and this book is the best cookbook I have found in the US. It made me very happy to be able to see Thai foods that are not offered in Thai restaurants in the US and not seen in other Thai cookbooks. Now I can finally have my Nam Gabi and Soup No Mai. (The spelling is different in the book.) I was happy to see both the Roman lettering and the true Thai word for the dish. It helps me figure out what the dish is and jogs my memory when reading the Thai. Thai food is great and I'm happy to see the recipes and the Thai regional information included.,Sozinho
"This is without a doubt one of the best ""practical"" cookbooks I have ever seen. It also offers spectacular views of the lands  people and especially  food of the region.Each nation has an individual section  starting with a general introduction as to the factors that influence the cuisine of that particular land. Interspersed with the colorful recipes are incredibly luscious landscapes. Many of these photographs are of museum quality.I have made many dishes from every country and all turned out well. The Indonesian section was a suprise and the Nasy Goren was a hit for a dinner party. The Korean beef  the Thai lime beef  all the Chinese food - everything looked and tasted sumptous.",Sozinho
I like this book  but it does point out one weakness in Provencal cooking...a slight lack of variety. There are multiple gratin recipes  good fish dishes  etc. It also doesn't shy away from organ meats  etc.  much like the region itself. Like all the books in this visually stunning series  this one has lovely photography.,Sozinho
As with the rest of the 'Beautiful Cookbook' series  this is more than a cookbook full of wonderful recipes -- it is a book of wonderful pictures of food  of the stories behind the people and of the traditions of the culture.I collect this series because:a) The recipes are always incredibleb) The presentation is always unique & intriguingc) The recipes are simple for beginning to intermediate cooksd) The stories and information makes it more than just food  but an experience.The only 'watch-out' I give is that the recipes are authentic and on occasion I have found finding some of the ingredients very difficult. However  the book usually will suggest alternatives.,Sozinho
"I'm so glad to know I'm not the only one. To laugh at bad movies has been in vogue since Mystery Science Theater. To laugh at bad music is a national past time. But to laugh at bad books... now THAT is a true appreciation of mediocrity. I have been a fan of putrid fiction since I chanced upon a yellowed 50s pulp western and spent the whole afternoon giggling over it. I have taken on universally heckled (and long-winded) gothic novelist Anne Radcliffe. Nick Page has managed to take the quest for the worst writer to a new level.Yes  he finds who the worst writer is and I could not agree with him more. There is simply no way anyone could argue with him. (except for the author who maintained that all those nasty critics were just jealous!) But who can deny the following words from one of the author's two novels:""...son of my strength  idolized remnant of my inert husband  who at this moment invisibly offers the scourging whip of fatherly authority to your backbone of resentment...""And this is one of the better passages. But don't worry  there are other authors listed who are almost (though never quite) as bad. You have Margaret Cavendish Duchess of Newcastle whose poetry was all about some kind of macabre food  whose novels were hyper sci-fi trips  whose plays were so boring she actually put a warning in front of them! Or Pedro Carolino  who was going to write a Portuegese/English phrase book and wasn't about to allow the little fact that he did not actually speak english stop him! (He used a portuegese/french and then a french/english dictionary to translate everything. It shows.)Useful English phrase:He has spit in my coatThe author's asides are almost as funny as the quotations themselves. He always has something witty to say about the sometimes unreadable quotations. In fact  some of the best passages come from the Rules of Bad Writing. (Heart is more important than Art) And for anyone who just wanst to sample  all authors are organized into sub-categories. (Strange Subjects  Confused Syntax  Four stars or better)Enjoy... I think.",Sozinho
A considerable amount of research has gone into this excellent volume  which covers writers from the 1600s to the early 20th century. There have been many volumes of bad verse before (though few as thorough)  but Nick Page has also generously included a few excerpts from bad playwrights and novelists as well. He also comments amusingly on many of the entries. The bottom line is  there isn't a page in here that won't make you grin or even laugh aloud. I think my favorite discovery herein is a man who tried to write a phrasebook of English for those learning the language  whereas he himself couldn't even speak it! Anyone with an interest in written English will not want to miss the outstandingly bad poetry and prose in this impressive collection. (Those who are fond of bad verse may also want to try to find a used copy of 'Pegasus Descending ' an anthology from the early seventies edited by James Camp and others. That volume is notable for its inclusion of clunkers by otherwise great poets such as Emily Dickinson.),Sozinho
I am a Spanish native speaker. I have used this dictionary for about 10 years when I travel. It has a lot of expressions besides the definitions.Of course this doesn't substitute a big one for your desk (like Oxford's)  but it is a very good pocket-size one.,Sozinho
While this dictionary covers many Irish words  I most dislike it because it has NO pronunciations. It gives you all these wonderful Irish words  but no way to know how they're pronounced  unless you have a hefty grip on Irish pronunciations already. It is not a dictionary for beginners.,Sozinho
"This is a good book  with lots of words packaged into a small space. I have run into words that I couldn't find in this book  though. However  if you are a serious student of any language you know that you can never make do with just one dictionary. I typically have about three or four dictionaries per language. Cross-reference your dictionaries to make sure you are getting the nuance you want from the word (I once heard a girl ask for ""facil queso!"" No  no  no!(Sorry about the Spanish reference in the middle of an Irish review. It's the point that counts  though.)).This is a good dictionary for having on your shelf full of dictionaries.",Sozinho
Collins Gem Irish Dictionary  editors Séamus Mac Mathúna and Ailbhe O' Corráin is a user friendly  comprehensive up-to-date wordlist of English-Irish to Irish-English. It's a dictionary for looking up words just like the Webster or the Oxford. It does NOT contain any pronunciations of the words in Irish. It does contain abbrevations. The middle section is useful Irish grammar that includes extensive tables of regular and irregular verbs and noun declensions and key English words makes it an invaluable reference tool. The back section contains numbers used in counting and with nouns and time.If you are learning to speak the Irish Gaelic language  I'd recommended you to try a lesson course with book that has pronunciations and a cassette to follow along. Some tips would be 'Learning Irish' by Micheal O'Siadhail  'Irish Grammar' by Noel Mogonagle and 'Irish on Your Own' by Eamon O'Donaill. Some of these can help on the basics of learning the language. This compact source is handy to carry around with you if you're traveling. It seems to sell fairly well in Ireland where I got my copy while in Dublin. My other option to learning the language is to take a course well in a creditable school that teaches it. Also check through Eason & Sons in Ireland for Gaelic textbooks. Eason.ie is an excellent source in Irish books.,Sozinho
Mr. Isby has done a very commendable job of putting forth the history of jet air combat  starting from the Me-262 and continuing through to the future  including some of the less-documented skirmishes in the Middle East and Africa. Each section is approximately 2 to 3 pages long  with sidebars and photographs  printed on glossy paper. His assertions are right on the money when he analyzes what tactics worked during certain periods of time and what tactics failed. The only point I disagree with is Mr. Isby's statement that the P-47 represented the apex of propeller fighter design. I can name 3 aircraft off the top of my head that would make better examples than the P-47: the Spitfire (which was there when WW2 started and was still the front line fighter when WW2 ended)  the P-51 Mustang (which was still operational during Korea)  and the F4U Corsair (which also saw action in Korea  alongside the jet-powered Panthers and Cougars). Other than that  his information is top notch and well illustrated.,Sozinho
This book seems to be missing a lot of words. There have been several times I have tried to look a word up and have not found it listed. Most likely  it has just the most commonly used words. If this is all you need  this is a good dictionary to buy. If you want a reference of a large vocabulary  go for another.,Sozinho
"This is my favourite reference book on battleships  just because it is so attractively balanced. Coloured diagrams of most classes mentioned  together with plentiful photographs  supplement very readable text descriptions. Before the end of the contents  the reader has been thrilled by photographs of Royal Sovereign  Resolution and Revenge (seen from the next ship ahead in line)  the pre-dreadnought Agamemnon  and Malaya in company with Alabama and South Dakota off the coast of Norway.The layout is a bit capricious  with some classes being relegated to brief mentions or telescoped into the sections on similar ships. Now and then  the author sees fit to pop in a ""feature"" - for instance the account of Heligoland Bight and the Falklands that appears opposite the text on the Invincible class battlecruisers. These are welcome  although they sometimes break up the logical progression of designs through the years.I am not qualified to judge the book's accuracy  so I cannot dispute or confirm any statements made on this score. At least there were no errors gross enough to leap off the page at me.",Sozinho
I am an aviation enthusiast and I am quite happy with this book. This is the fourth Jane's guide I own and I must say it fulfilled my expectations  even though I would have liked a little bit more detail on each model discussed.,Sozinho
Well  as a Jane's Pocket Guide  it pretty much outlines all of the ships currently in service around the world. It breaks them down by type and by nation. It also even lists the individual names of each ship in each class which is pretty cool if you need to find out what ship and what class your loved one is stationed on.The only negative comment I have about the book is that all of the pictures are black and white. Now I realize that some ships from around the world are not that readily available to get a color photograph of  but I must assume that most should be. So why not use them?,Sozinho
This book is the last word on the F-14. I wanted to read more about the 79 F-14's that were sold to Iran before the fall of the Shah and how they performed against Soviet supplied Iraqi aircraft during the 1980-1988 Iran - Iraq war but nothing was mentioned,Sozinho
This is an excellent reference book for the gun enthusiast. It includes one picture per model shown  specifications such as weight  length  etc.  safety  loading and unloading instructions  etc. I personally would have liked more info  specially regarding countries in which it is in service  overall performance  etc.,Sozinho
Flux was my first foray into hard sci-fi  and it was not what I expected. I had tried to read a few others in the genre  but was turned off by the textbook-like narratives and lifeless characters  but Baxter does a great job of combining the science behind the lives he has created within a solar body with the humanity of a race of intelligent beings clinging to the layers of their world. I can honestly say that I was captivated by this story  and enjoyed it thoroughly.,Sozinho
The most striking thing about this novel is the setting. The events take place within a thin layer just below the surface of a neutron star.Somehow  life is possible within this environment and the main characters are a tiny race of beings created by humans to be able to live in the environment.Within this world  the author creates a preindustrial society whose attitudes bear an odd resemblance to those on the planet Norfolk in Peter Hamilton's 'Night's Dawn' series. Yes  despite the setting  the characters are really taken from pastoral England. Indeed  Baxter's heroine Dura and several of the other characters might have walked out of a novel by Thomas Hardy.The novel follows the adventures of Dura as she starts out trying to save her small clan and ends trying to save the world and perhaps even the universe itself.A good story  some interesting characters and a great setting. So  what could go wrong with that?Well  despite all of this promise  the novel finally failed to be complete because of the way that the ending was handled. Suddenly  new technologies  situations and relationnships were introduced to tie up all of the dangling threads and bring things to a conclusion. I almost had the feeling the the author suddenly decided that it was time to get it all wrapped up and off to the publishers.,Sozinho
This book has excellent photography of many scenes from the movie. It explains all the measures of making the movie from costumes to digital effects. It shows every character and their part in the film. The shots of the replica of the Titanic are very nice. It tells you how they built and designed the ship. It's like the Behind the Scenes of Titanic except it's in a book and you don't have to tape it. I enjoyed reading about how they made the computer extras. They look very real. I recommend this book to any Titanic fan or photographer.,Sozinho
Matt Warshaw is a writer for 'Surfing Magazine'  which incidentally published the book. As a result  this book takes full advantage of the magazine's long lineage  filters out the fluff  and leaves even a novice surfer like me feeling like I've been surfing all of my life. Matt's writing style is simple yet elegant  and he covers just about every aspect of surfing you can imagine  from surfboard manufacturing  to Duke Kohanomaku  to surf competition  to surf culture  to Mark Foo's tragic death in the mid-1990's. The only thing he doesn't cover is 'how-to'  but there are enough books about that already (one good one is Doug Wermer's 'Start-Up Surfing'). I highly recommend this book to all ocean-lovers  surfers and non-surfers alike. Gorgeous photo's  excellent text. Almost as good as being there.,Sozinho
"Antonie de Saint-Exupery said ""I have no right to say or do anything that deminishes a man in his own eyes. What matters is not what I think of him but what he thinks about himself.Hurting a man in his dignity is a crime"".Whoever appointed mr.Robert Carver to write a book about Albania must be satisfied with his work!A great job he's done at telling the truth about Albania's Albanians and also a riveting job by making up stories about Albanians in general.I am an Albanian for example I have never been in Iceland  and if I had to write a book about Icelanders within a short time  you can imagine how accurate that book of mine would have been!!!I must admit I found this book too offensive too unfair but it is a book and books are meant to teach us something.Anything.And it is up to you dear readers what you're gonna learn from this particular book!!!If mr.Robert Carver was appointed by whoever that is - to write another book about any other country I wish with all my heart to remind him of this adage ""Two people stare from the same bar - one sees mud the other sees the stars"".And it is the STARS people are more interested than in the mud. Because stars are 'unreachable' while mud can be created anywhere!And for the end mr. Robert Carver's books will always have a spare place in my bookshelf. He's a great writer!",Sozinho
More of a book on the life of an archeologist than the discoveries themselves it nevertheless makes for an interesting read. I think many will be surprised  as I was  at the various facet involved in the life of an archeologist. In that way is it is a very generous book. A tale worth telling.,Sozinho
I bought this book for my ESL teacher training course  but I'd recommend it to anyone interested in language and usage. Built up from a database of millions of examples of language in context  Collins Cobuild lists every usage of the most common words in English  both American and British  from slang to literary and formal usage. Much more than a mere dictionary  Collins Cobuild focuses on how the word is used in the real world. A great companion to a traditional dictionary.,Sozinho
This is without doubt the best English dictionary on the market. In fact  this book is the only reference you may need to enhance and improve your vocabulary. I would like to stress though that the book is intended primarily for advanced students of english language. I own a great number of dictionaries but none of them is nearly as good as this one. The greatest strength of this dictionary is the improved structure that facilitates retrieval of the target word. Moreover  the dictionary provides valuable examples as to how to use the words in various contexts. This feature will help you choose the correct word in any given context. I strongly recommend this book to all learners of english language  but especially to the advanced students!,Sozinho
This is incontrovertibly the most comprehensive dictionary available. If you contemplate buying a dictionary  then make sure you acquire this one. It is extraordinarily well structured and the definitions are lucid. I still have not encountered an unfamiliar word that was not found in this dictionary. The best of all  once you have located the target word  it is explained so that even those with very little prior knowledge of the English language can comprehend its meaning. It is this particular feature of this dictionary that makes it far superior to Oxford's and Cambridge's dictionaries. You are probably wondering if this dictionary has any drawbacks and I can honestly say that it does not. It is flawless. Buy it!,Sozinho
"Dont get me wrong  i thought the book was kinda ""cute""  but any true wiccan would look for something better than this. Some of the book was interesting till it flowed in to boring subjects of ""hear that  did that..same old  same old"". The thing that i want to know is  if she is an ex-Playboy playmate  does anybody take her as a serious wiccan after doing something in Playboy?",Sozinho
This book was pretty good. It would be very educational for a newbie witch  and she does put some spunk into the Craft. If you do buy it  don't be discouraged by the pics inside. She has a bunch of fruity-looking pics of herself  probably being goofy  but she is an Australian Brit  so I guess the fruitiness is to be expected. The book is much more serious than those pics let on  I was actually surprised that she does have a clue as to what she's talking about. I have read so many Craft books that there aren't many that tell me anything new anymore  and this one had a few things to teach even me. So  I would recommend it  yes  but I won't tell you to run out and buy it NOW.,Sozinho
Finally  a compilation of Howe's fantasy  and 144 pages  at that! I admit that this review is premature  but I am totally excited to snag this new arrival...,Sozinho
I shall just get right to the point: if you are fascinated by the world of Tolkien or just like to read books with some extraordinary fantastic art  this is the book for you.This book shows you a collection of the art of John Howe  a well-known artist of fantasy art  and someone who designed a lot of visual aspects in the Lord of the rings movies. It contains lots of artwork that has to do with the work of J.R.R. Tolkien  but also some of Howes other work with various subjects.I can really recommend this almost everybody because it's just fun to have this for the pretty pictures. The impressive things are not only the detail  the design and the colorscheme  but also the fact that the work really seem to show a certain greatness and movement. They make you believe that those moments were keymoments in the history of some other world.This a MUST-HAVE.,Sozinho
No I didn't buy it - a friend of mine did. Good job  too  because I would have hated to have wasted good money on this nonsense. On the other hand  I was invited to read it.For those who truly believe astrology (I am not one of them  as you might notice)  The movement of the moon  sun  planets and other celestial bodies  will somehow alter the course of your lives. I'm being a little facetious  of course  but they certainly believe that there are predictable moments of opportunity  predictable moments of threat  predictable moments of good fortune. What serious astrologers never claim is that they can offer a day-by-day account of how you should lead your lives. They only claim to know  in vague terms  whether you are threatened or whether you are in a period of better fortune.Hmmm....But my argument here is not with 'serious' astrologers (I'll save that for another occasion). This review is of 'Your Personal Horoscope 2002'  which claims to be able to foretell your destiny month-by-month. So tell me  why is it that my brother and I  both of whom share the same star sign  have had two TOTALLY different years during 2001? A serious astrologer would not generalize. A serious astrologer would make no claims to be able to give you a day-by-day account of your life. Polansky does!If you really believe that the miniscule gravitational effects of planets that are light years away can affect your lives  so be it. On the other hand  if you believe that someone can foretell your life  month-by-month  based on these astrological movements  then you're being duped for sure.It's bunkum for the masses. Be warned  and stay away. Take up reading tealeaves  at least it benefits the tea growers!,Sozinho
I was misled by the new title and publishing date and enthusiastically ordered multiple copies. But it was disappointing to discover that it is only a reprint. Please cf. my review of Principles of NLP two years ago. It is still a very good and lucid introduction to NLP  a complement to the author's Introduction to NLP  which did not include the Presuppositions.(The book has 190 pages  not 224.),Sozinho
"I own around 8 Enneagram books  but this one is my favorite. Why? It's simplicity  it's accuracy  and it's section on ""possible lookalikes"". Author Karen Webb was a student of Helen Palmer's  so she writes more from the oral tradition.For example  do you want to know why 3's are often mistaken for 7's? Or counterphobic 6's for 8's? Webb takes the time to explain why certain Types look similar to one another  and even has mini-tests if you're torn between 2 Types.This book even has numerous Enneagram graphs showing Variants for each Type (Social  Sexual  Self-Preseveration)  as well as Head  Belly  and Heart Center for each type.I highly recommend this book  for those new to the Enneagram  as well as those who've been studying it for years.",Sozinho
A new book by two leading writers on NLP (Neuro-linguistic Programming)! I ordered multiple copies right away  expecting some new  lucid and creative update in the field. It turned out to be a very watered-down and basic introduction. It belongs to the publisher's new series of 'First Directions - an inspirational source of information  insights and practical techniques to change your life'. It is printed on quality paper with many colorful and scenic pictures unrelated to the content. The actual text does include many key NLP concepts clearly explained. Rather dry and not that inspirational. Joseph's story of his own everyday trance is touching (p. 76). But probably the authors must have been hampered by a strict limitation of space.If you are a great enthusiast of NLP and stuck for ideas for a gift  this book could serve the purpose for friends who don't read much. Otherwise there are many better introductions.,Sozinho
I could not put this book down! If you have any interest in the treatment of Allied soldiers during their stay in Japanese internment camps  just read this book. From the introduction to the final page  this book will shock you  horrify you  but amazingly  it will inspire you and leave you with a good feeling about what Ernest Gordon did and became before he died in 2002. Bless his memory and may this book live on forever!,Sozinho
This book was so uplifting. It is filled with wisdom from the Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama writes about a whole variety of topics in paragraph form. Topics include his exile  and the good he finds in it  Buddhist view on other faiths  politics & the world today  science  spiritual journeys  life  death  and rebirth. You will see a more positive at looking towards everything in life. The colored pictures are stunning. This is an excellent gift and an intriguing coffee table book. I leave it out  and guests often thumb through it and comment on it. I love this book!,Sozinho
I bought an earlier version of this book probably 10 years ago and have found it to be indispensible. I  however  did want a better updated version (newer herbs gleaned from research  etc) so I bought this latest edition. I am very pleased with the book  as it offers advice on preparation  harvesting  keeping all systems of the body healthy  just like the old book. It does have some improvements  though  too. This book is in color throughout  and beautifully laid out. Each herbal entry has a photo either of the plant itself or of the root. The information is very well laid out for each entry  noting each herb's properties  uses  harvesting tips  and so on. The only real quirk that bothered me at first  was that the herbs were not listed by common name  but rather by botanical name. But in the long run I'm growing to like this  as it's forcing me to better learn the Latin names  and I think it's a good safety feature  too  since the Latin name is really the only accurate one  with all the varied names gleaned from folklore  etc. Ultimately it makes finding the right plant easier and makes it safer since you're less likely to make an error in finding the right herb for a particular ailment or condition.,Sozinho
She teaches how to be a witch in 13 moon which is a good idea and she has some great excersizes and ideas but she teaches her way of being a witch. There is nothing wrong with that but the reader has to realize that there are many other ways to practice witchcraft and her way is not THE way to do it. Sometime I get the feeling that she feels like her way is the only way. I enjoyed the book because it had some new ideas in it and some of the excersizes helped me along my way but I would not reccommend this book to a begginer. At least read 5 or 6 other books from good authors (not Silver Ravenwolf  please because she will mislead a begginer more than any other author I can think of) before tackeling this one. I would recommend it to anyone that has been studying for a year or so because it helps understand just how different the practice of magic can be.,Sozinho
I have to agree with some of the other reviewers. This really is a type of witchcraft not many can follow. I've been reading many different books about the Craft and I found this the least helpful. She recommends all rituals be done outside and that a staff be used instead of an altar. For many  especially in urban areas  this is difficult. Her way of practicing is a very beautiful one but it is not for everyone. There are some good points to draw from it though  beginners often get wrapped up in the technical and proceedural aspects of the Craft and not in it's connection with nature and the Earth. It presents a wonderful Nature-centered practice for those willing to try it.,Sozinho
A WITCH ALONE  by Marian Green is an excellent place to begin studying the oldest religion on Earth. Green is an English witch who does not appear to follow any particular tradition - a solitary or hedge witch. Because many individuals follow the solitary path  material from others  especially one as experienced as Green is quite welcome. A WITCH ALONE is comparable to works by Rae Beth (Hedge Witch)  who is also English  and the late Scott Cunningham (Solitary Witch)  and addresses the needs of those who follow an more or less eclectic path of their own making.Green covers basics such as descriptions of the Lord and Lady as well as the Sacred Cycles (pretty much determined by seasonal change in the Northern Hemisphere) and she also explains the circle between the worlds and the journey to the other world which dwell more on the spiritual aspects of witchcraft..Green demonstrates that if you search for it  you will find plenty of evidence concerning the old ways - or Pagan traces. Sections of her book explore the cumulative knowledge of other witches covering such topics as the healing arts  Moon magic  divination and dowsing  and the ancient wisdom passed along from the elders. She also provides good references at the end of every section.Although I've been studying this material for sometime  I found Green's book truly inspiring and filled with good suggestions. She lays out the steps one needs to take to learn the basics of Witchcraft one month at a time - over the 13 Moons that occur in any Solar year.,Sozinho
"I approached this book with the highest of expectations  and perhaps therein lies the reason for my disappointment. As an historical record of the Britpop years  The Last Party is very thorough - perhaps too anecdotal  to the point where I remember reading most all of the information presented. If you  like me  read Q Magazine with any regularity - to the point of investing in an overseas subscription - during the mid-90s  you will have heard the stories before. To the uninitiated  though  this is a very thorough oeuvre - just not groundbreaking in the least.I agree with the others here who question the links between the rise of Blair and the rise of Britpop. Blair latched on to the whole Britpop movement after its real high watermark (Oasis at Knebworth) - and before everyone in the world slagged ""Be Here Now"". But there was really no cause and effect - New Labour may have needed Oasis  but really only as background music for the May 1  1997 celebrations - and reading this will convince few of any genuine link. The real reason Britpop died have nothing to do with politics - as Britpop itself was fundamentally apolitical - and everything to do with the Spice Girls being mistaken for part of the movement. That  too many drugs  and the seven minute songs on ""Be Here Now"".Two stars for me  four for those who approach this book as a tabula rasa and read it simply as biography rather than its abortive attempt at political science. Thus the three overall.",Sozinho
"(3.75 Stars)The cover of the book is so warm and inviting. His Holiness The Dalai Lama smiling at you with mouth and eyes. Every time I look at it I smile. I'm tempted to cut the cover off and frame it...The book discusses in great detail the 4 Noble Truths.It's difficult to write a review on books regarding Buddhism. Everyone's experience will be different and everyone's understanding will be different and I don't want to discourage anyone from exploring The Path...For myself I found this book difficult to follow. Someone else may take to it better and find it an easier to understand (I ain't the sharpest knife in the drawer)I felt like a freshmen walking in late to a lecture and the audience and class this was for was all graduate students. I felt like I missed the beginning of the talk and that the level of content was for more advanced students.I do not recommend this to a newcomer to Buddhism  again I found the ""level"" to be more advanced  but that's your call and like I said you may take to it better than I did and hey - it's your path.I did get things out of the book and did learn some things. I felt incredibly honored to be reading the words of HH The Dalai Lama and that's what kept me reading.The photographs are absolutely beautiful! - and again - I love the cover!",Sozinho
I bought this at a used bookstore. The copy I bought said that Kohmeni was the antichrist. My buddy showed me his copy  which says that Sadam is the antichrist.I don't get it. I mean  did Nostradamus issue an update from beyond the grave  or something?This is just bunk. Buy it as a novelty  if you want. But it's got about as much insight as Paris Hilton.,Sozinho
With so many unauthorized and even authorized bios out there about talentless and useless 'celebrities' I am so glad to a see a book that finally gives due to a true artist  someone with actual  measurable talent - Steve Earle. With complete subjectivity - I must admit I am a huge fan of Steve Earle. I have been so since his first album  Guitar Town. Since then I have 're-found' Mr. Earle's work over the last 5-6 years. With each album that he puts out he tends to raise the bar slightly higher. But the bar he raises is his own  one that only he must reach and overcome. His bar is not one that can easily be reached by too many artists. This book covers not only the artistry of the man  not just the music but what drives the lyrics behind the music. If you are a fan of Mr. Earle's music then this is a must-buy. If are only a passing fan or someone who is slightly interested in the man  the genere of his music (which is hard to define) or just looking for some insight into the creative mind - then I hight recommend you buy this book.,Sozinho
Make no mistake when reading this review  I enjoyed the book(except the letters sprinkled throughout which seem to accomplish nothing for the plot and only act as a review of the story so far). My problem with the book is that it starts out with very little to cause the author to jump into the feminist ranting. Some of the feminist ranting is even worthwhile but with very little to get you to that point  it seems excessive. And the feminist talk definitely goes overboard at a few points.So what did I like about this book? Well I loved the idea. A daughter suddenly taking to the street with a sign and a mother with no idea why. Instead of explaining from the beginning it was an entire book of speculation on the wreckage that the mother's life became in the wake of her daughter's actions.The conclusion (don't worry I won't give it away) simply removes any significance the feminist tract could have had. So in the end it's all for naught.,Sozinho
This charming story is told entirely through Email correspondence between Mel and her friends  coworkers  parents  and her interesting and attractive new next-door neighbor  John. Though there are some character-insight hurdles inherent in an epistolary novel  Cabot overcomes them creatively and successfully  in my opinion  and creates a delightfully entertaining story.Mel is the Page 10 gossip columnist for a modest New York newspaper. She's a smart and moderately successful midwest girl working in the big city with charming character quirks like habitual work tardiness  an obsession with weather anomalies  and a somewhat misplaced but profound sense of responsibility to her neighbor's pets after finding their elderly mistress unconscious on the floor. She's a loyal friend and a secret romantic with a wry sense of humor who enjoys simple things in life like drinking beer and wearing silly pajamas.John is a criminal-investigation writer for a competing newspaper who reluctantly agrees to return a favor to Max  an old-college-buddy-cum-hollywood-photographer-playboy. Max wants John to assume his identity and temporarily move into his aunt's apartment in order to take care of her pets while she is in the hospital so that Max can romance his latest supermodel in Key West. John doesn't like the premise  but it seems relatively harmless  and Max did once save him from potential disaster. As far as paybacks go  it could be worse  right?John happens to be from well-known wealthy family  but  to his Grandmother Mim's chagrin  he has opted to make it in the world on his own merit and hard work  get a real job  and live like a regular fellow.John -- a charming  likable  all-around-good guy  who is rendered powerless by proximity to attractive red-heads  loves the Grateful Dead  and appreciates a good weather catastrophe himself--is charmed by his new (red-headed) neighbor  and the two begin to fall for each other.In the meantime  it looks like Mel's former neighbor (whom she believes to be John's aunt) may have been the latest victim of the Transvestite Killer who has been terrorizing the neighborhood of late  yet she doesn't fit his usual victim's profile. Could it be that Mel was his real target? And what is Mel going to do when she learns the truth about John's real identity? He just hopes she'll hear it from him first...A very sweet and entertaining  lighthearted novel. Read it. You'll like it. ;),Sozinho
"I'm not a real fan of professional wrestling  but I received this book written by the WWF superstar as a gift  with an inscription: This is about a woman who is strong  beautiful  and who gained the respect of the men in her field -- so of course it reminded me of you :)Well  thanks  Tig  and that's a fair review of the autobiography of Chyna. Or actually  of Joanie Laurer  her alter-identity. The first half of the book deals with Joanie's difficult childhood and disfunctional family. That part is full of bitterness and old grudges. But the second half is the account of Chyna's rise to wrestling fame  and much more enjoyable. The book is a very fast read  containing almost 100 wonderful photographs. Chyna has the most impressive physique of all the WWF ""Divas"": by that I mean her ripped  weight-trained muscularity  not those outlandishly oversized implants! The author confides the details of her decision to ""enhance her femininity""  to counteract cruel misperceptions about her gender-identity. As an amateur powerlifter built ""like Rambo-in Drag""  I can identify with her dilemma. Ironically  it was her extreme ""feminine enhancement"" which forced her retirement from the Square Circle. Far outclassing any of the Divas in strength and ability  China had to be pitted against the male heavyweights. She held her own in the ring  becoming the first female Intercontinental Champion. Until the day a fateful encounter with a ""Clothesline"" popped one of her vulnerable implants...! Chyna's anecdotes from her career are full of self-depreciating humor and what appear to be the make-believe rivalries of pro-wrestling. Interspersed throughout her narrative are quotes from her lover (fellow wrestler ""Triple H"")  trainer  comrades  and manager. Her insight behind-the-scenes of the fantasy world of pro-wrestling is quite interesting. So  where is Chyna now?Recently  Joanie Laurer was seen on ""Celebrity Boxing""  matched against Joey Buttafucco. Joanie entered the ring 35 pounds sleeker than Chyna in her prime  but handily outboxed Buttafucco. She lost the match by half a point  after the ex-con resorted to ""prison brawling tactics""  in one instance even (as the commentator exclaimed in astonishment) giving her ""The Knee"". Joanie's comment: she had fought ""like a Lady"" -- and so had her opponant! One can only hope for a rematch in the wrestling ring!I don't believe pro-wrestling  with its violent and sexual themes  is appropriate for children. And Chyna's book contains both  with a lot of profanity as well. But I admire Joanie for her accomplishments and am glad I read her story.",Sozinho
Sharpe is once more back in Portugal with his friends in the 95th Rifles. This novel is intended to slip inbetween the previous 'Sharpe's Rifles' and 'Eagle.' I suppose it does. Cornwell has cleverly crafted these novels so that each stands on its own. When he first started this series over 10 years ago he never imagined the success it would enjoy. After charging through the campaigns in Portugal and Waterloo he began to back peddle into Sharpe's earlier career to fill out more stories for the series. Thus we have the whole India novels and others which have filled in our heros earlier career.This installment more or less ties up the whole series  but I am sure Cornwell can still get some milage out of Sharpe yet! Here we have the standard formula that has served Cornwell so well over the years. His writing is always simple  direct and exciting. He has crafted these books down to an elegant system which consistently works despite often repeating the same elements over and over. Sharpe always has to face some arrogant English fop officer  he's usually detached with his merry half company of riflemen  safely away from the 2/95th which should be back in England recruiting. And he is always on some vague mission for Hogan or Wellington behind the lines which enables him to exercise his independent judgement. If Sharpe we stuck having to fight in the skirmish line along with everyone else then these stories would not seem half so appealing. In other words if Sharpe had to perform standard duties for a Rifle or Light company officer Cornwell could never have carried the series as far as he has. It's Sharpe's independence which allows Cornwell to develope action and suspence in the series  with a little romance thrown in as well. This time there is only a hint that Sharpe will get the girl in the end!So again we have Sharpe fighting what has become his standard alone on the mountain fort routine against impossible odds. It would seem to be the same old business as usual if Cornwell weren't so gifted in making it interesting and a little different each time. After facing off the French as usual Sharpe and co. rejoin the main action in standard fashion. In this case we have the celebrated action of Colonel Waters and the 3rd Buffs at the Seminary of Oporto. Cornwell neatly inserts Sharpe into the action  giving him credit for getting the Buffs over the river which rightfully belongs to a Portugeuse barber who actually found the boats. Cornwell appologises for this alteration of history  as well as others in order to make his story.The French always come in for particular rancor in these novels. Its almost as if Cornwell wants to put down the hero worship of Naoplean and his marshals during this period. Soult appears like a cream-puff with his pretensions to the crown of Portugal and his concern more for cusine than military dispositions. The French themselves as always look like a bunch of pillaging rapists practicing the Napoleanic principles of living off the land. Cornwell shows us what that term often implied. The final battle itself is always well done  Cornwell provides an exciting account of the several fruitless French assaults upon the Buffs at the Seminary. His descriptions always make the action seem a lot more bloody than it actually was  but to the men involved it must have seemed that way. Once the main action is over Sharpe is back on his own to settle old scores with the current bad guy of the novel  in this case the nasty and effiminate colonel Christopher who really can't provide a decent challenge for our hero so there is no grand sword fight at the end. Sharpe coldly disposes of him in the midst of the French army's epic retreat from Oporto. There is one worthwhile French character based on reality  the heroic Major Dulong who actually did save Soult's army at the bridges in question. Such men did make the French army what it was  even if their dash and ardor could not often stand up to the murderous British platoon vollies encountered in the Peninsular. As always Cornwell does a splendid job conjuring up these images from a colorful period of warfare. Shapre marches on again.,Sozinho
It's not complicated  Bonhoeffer says  but its do-able. In the Christian body we need to allow prayer  worship  work  sacraments  and service unite us in the body of Christ--this  he says  is what is needed in order to obtain true fellowship. Of course  Bonhoeffer learned about the meaning of fellowship under the Nazi regime  and he personally took the high road. The easy route would have been to align himself with the state church  but instead he involved himself in the Confessing Church and helped organize an underground seminary. Does our Christian church--I'm really limiting myself to the church in America--have it too easy today? Would a little persecution  which could be just around the corner  force us to better live the life of fellowship that I find so badly lacking in my life and the church around me? Perhaps. I think Life Together is well worth pondering as we take a look at our own life together with God and the brethren.,Sozinho
"Frederick Buechner's ""Now and Then"" is  at its core  an engrossing story. It is the sequel to Buechner's first piece of autobiographical literature ""The Sacred Journey.""""Now and Then"" picks up where the prior volume left off--Buechner's entrance into Seminary. It follows his life up until the publication of ""Godric.""Don't be fooled by the slimness of this volume. There are many lessons to be gleaned from Buechner's look back on his life. From the lessons of an extended youth in seminary  to the rigors of representing God in a semi-hostile environment  this is an education crammed into a few pages.Yet the main message of this book is best expressed by Buechner himself. About two-thirds of the way through the book he says:""Listen to your life. See it for the fathomless mystery that it is. In the boredom and pain of it no less than in the excitement and gladness: touch  taste  smell your way to the holy and hidden heart of it because in the last analysis all moments are key moments  and life itself is grace.""Get this book. See how one man's life shows forth something of this universal truth. I recommend it highly.",Sozinho
. . .seriously limits the usefulness of this book.I used 'The Moral Vision of the New Testament' in seminary. The book provides an extremely valuable introduction to the concepts involved in Christian Ethics and Moral Theology. Moral implications of numerous current issues are discussed and analyzed in detail. Much positive supporting documentation is provided  as are numerous scholarly footnotes and references.However  in the opinion of this reviewer  there is a flaw so serious in this book that I cannot  in good conscience recommend it as a seminary text  nor would I use it myself as a primary source.Dr. Hays is a pacifist. By itself  this is no problem. Many  many Christians world-wide are pacifist and have been since the dawn of Christianity. However  Dr. Hays uses his pacifism to filter virtually every issue presented in this book  regardless of relevance. His view of Christian pacifism represents an extreme which cannot be justified by any careful examination of Church history. Yet he presents this issue as the 'be all and end all' foremost issue facing the Church in the world today.My negative review is not based so much on my disagreement with Dr. Hays on this issue as it is with the pervasiveness with which he allows his view on this single issue to color the entire book.I am also dismayed by the single exception Dr. Hays makes in his anti-violence crusade. This is the issue of abortion. For someone whose pacifistic views color his understanding of all other moral issues  his complete retreat on the area of abortion (which  until the mid-20th century  was an issue of complete consensus in Christianity) seems to me to be hypocritical.The scholar can safely use this book as a secondary source. But I'll never teach from it.,Sozinho
"These 11 stories run from a few pages to about 125 pages. Crane evokes a great deal of color describing his scenes with a relative economy of words. He uses irony alot in his writing but is never cruel. He objectively writes about people struggling in harsh environments against overpowering fates but shows compassion.The first story and the longest is ""The Red Badge of Courage."" Of all the stories  it may be best overall. The motivations of Henry Fleming and his fellow soldiers are really well drawn. They really don't want to be there  but feel they have to be heroes and at times they force themselves to be. But when the going gets tough in battle  many of them turn around and run. Crane portrays Henry as overhearing a general as saying to the effect that Henry's regiment was expeendable cannon fodder and this revelation very much grates on Henry's fellows.The next story is ""Maggie: A Girl of The Street."" The story seems to be set in the late 19th century in an Irish tenament slum in New York. The account of the younger years of Maggie and her brother Jimmie ends with a scene of the two huddling in a corner of the flat as their parents lay sprawled out asleep on the floor  amidst broken furniture and dishes  after a drunken brawl with each other. It is such an environment like this that Maggie grows up. Jimmie grows up to be a truck driver and a brute. But Maggie is something of a flower amidst tenament squalor and catches the eye of Jimmie's friend Pete. Jimmy hears  from an old lady in his building who overheard a conversation between Pete and Maggie after one of their dates  that Maggie begged Pete to say that he loved her. Obviously this is a discrete intimation that Pete has taken Maggie's virginity. Well  this sets Johnnie and his barbaric mother into quite a rage and it goes downhill for Maggie there.The biographical note at the back of the book  presumably written by the author of the fine introduction  James Colvert  says that Crane dosen't get into Maggie's mind. I think that's because she's extremely ignorant  with a mind numbed by a violent environment and lack of stimulation. The characters in this story engage in really thick Irish accents. I think the funniest dialogue is Pete's drunken conversation with his lady friends in the bar towards the end. Another comes from Jimmie and Maggie's mother Mary's lamentations to the effect that she didn't understand how Maggie could turn out so bad after being raised so well by her  Mary. I liked the description of the scenes in the cheap theaters where Pete takes Maggie. I don't understand what the next to last chapter with ""the girl"" walking the streets is about.Other stories include ""The Monster "" an effective tragedy about a black servant named Henry Johnson of a white doctor in rural New England  who gets his face literally burned off and his brain damaged after trying to save the doctor's son in a fire. Both whites and blacks in the town are terribly afraid of Henry because his burned off face makes him look like a monster....After several incidents  after Henry escapes from his confinement at the house of a black family rage  the town turns against the doctor for keeping him in the community. One incident is him merely looking into the window of a birthday party and scaring out of her wits  one little girl. The little girl's father greatly exagerates the harm done to her and talks of having the doctor arrested. The other is when he appearts in the black neighborhood in the evening and stops by his old girlfriend Bella's house where her family is sitting on the front porch. Bella's fat old mother breaks her leg jumping over a fence at the sight of Henry. Bella herself is reduced to crawling in terror on the porch trying to escape as Henry in his amiable mental retardation babbles invitations to her to go to a dance with him. Henry moves into his old place above the farm of the doctor's house  making one of the neighbors move away. I thought the scene was really superb where the doctor's son Jimmy and his friends are competing with each other to see who can approach ""the monster"" as he sits solitarily in the barn.""An experiment in misery "" is an 11 page account of a night and next morning experience of two homeless men. ""A mystery of heroism"" a tale about a civil war soldier's attempt to get water in the middle of a field where bullets and shells are flying back and forth. ""The Open Boat"" is a very technically well done story of four men  survivors from shipwreck  trying to survive at sea in their dinghy. The dialogue is excellent. ""The Pace of Youth"" is very succinctly written  about two young employees of a small merry-go-round place  who are prevented from having any communication by the girl's father  the manager of the place. Their silent flirtation is quite believable and really engaging. What they do at the end is incredible  but well managed by Crane. It is a superb romance. In ""The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky "" I like the initial scenes where the young  naive couple  the groom being the sherrif of Yellow Sky  Texas  are viewed sardonically by the black porter and other passangers. ""The last story is ""The Blue Hotel."" It begins with the owner of a hotel in a small Nebraska town managing  fatefully  to convince three passangers on the train that has stoped there  to stay the night at his hotel. The travellers are refered to as ""the Easterner "" ""the cowboy "" and ""the Swede."" A major highlight is the fistfight between the owner's son Johnnie and the extremely demented Swede  officiated by the owner. Indeed Crane is very skilled at describing fights whether they be on civil war battlefields or in bars. The other fight in this story  is  of course  at its end but I won't tell about that.",Sozinho
Let's assume that the American public schools haven't completely gone to the dogs and that everyone had to read this book at some point. So you're all familiar with the basic story: young Northern man boldly sallies forth to war despite Mom's entreaties  but then realizes that he has no idea why he's there and fears that he may prove to be a coward. Indeed  given his first taste of battle  he does bolt and then wanders the battlefield too ashamed to return to his unit. But when he finally rejoins them a blow from the rifle butt of another soldier is mistaken for a battle wound and his cowardice is not discovered. Given a second chance  the youth redeems himself gloriously and in the process becomes a man.The novel's excellent reputation is well deserved; it is brief but brutally powerful. Its descriptions of battle certainly seem realistic and the moral dilemma of the young man is one of the central problems of manhood. There's nothing not to like. So did I miss something? Why does my copy  and why do so many references to the book  refer to it as an antiwar statement? I actually read it as a pro war novel.Let's go through the steps:First  we've got the young man doubting his own courage and fearing that this feeling is unique to him. But the words of another soldier demonstrate that his fears are normal:The tall private waved his hand. 'Well'  said he profoundly  'I've thought it might get too hot for Jim Conklin in some of them scrimmages  and if a whole lot of boys started and run  why  I s'pose I'd start and run. And if I once started to run  I'd run like the devil  and no mistake. But if everybody was a-standing and a-fighting  why  I'd stand and fight. Be jiminey  I would. I'll bet on it.'The youth of this tale felt gratitude for these words of his comrade. He had feared that all of the untried men possessed great and correct confidence. He now was in a measure reassured.I've argued elsewhere that every male has a little demon within him asking if  when push comes to shove  he will have the physical and/or moral courage to be a man in the face of death. This is one of the reasons that war has always been with us  the desire to find the answer to the demon's question. This is the element of Red Badge of Courage that makes it a universal tale.At first  the young man is able  like millions of men before and after  to put aside his doubts by subsuming himself within the fighting unit:He suddenly lost concern for himself  and forgot to look at a menacing fate. He became not a man but a member. He felt that something of which he was a part--a regiment  an army  a cause  or a country--was in crisis. He was welded into a common personality which was dominated by a single desire. For some moments he could not flee no more than a little finger can commit a revolution from a hand.If he had thought the regiment was about to be annihilated perhaps he could have amputated himself from it. But its noise gave him assurance. The regiment was like a firework that  once ignited  proceeds superior to circumstances until its blazing vitality fades. It wheezed and banged with a mighty power. He pictured the ground before it as strewn with the discomfited.There was a consciousness always of the presence of his comrades about him. He felt the subtle battle brotherhood more potent even than the cause for which they were fighting. It was a mysterious fraternity born of the smoke and danger of death.He was at a task. He was like a carpenter who has made many boxes  making still another box  only there was furious haste in his movements. He  in his thoughts  was careering off in other places  even as the carpenter who as he works whistles and thinks of his friend or his enemy  his home or a saloon. And these jolted dreams were never perfect to him afterward  but remained a mass of blurred shapes.Presently he began to feel the effects of the war atmosphere--a blistering sweat  a sensation that his eyeballs were about to crack like hot stones. A burning roar filled his ears.Following this came a red rage. He developed the acute exasperation of a pestered animal  a well-meaning cow worried by dogs. He had a mad feeling against his rifle  which could only be used against one life at a time. He wished to rush forward and strangle with his fingers. He craved a power that would enable him to make a world-sweeping gesture and brush all back. His impotency appeared to him  and made his rage into that of a driven beast.Buried in the smoke of many rifles his anger was directed not so much against the men whom he knew were rushing toward him as against the swirling battle phantoms which were choking him  stuffing their smoke robes down his parched throat. He fought frantically for respite for his senses  for air  as a babe being smothered attacks the deadly blankets.There was a blare of heated rage mingled with a certain expression of intentness on all faces. Many of the men were making low-toned noises with their mouths  and these subdued cheers  snarls  imprecations  prayers  made a wild  barbaric these subdued cheers  snarls  imprecations  prayers  made a wild  barbaric these subdued cheers  snarls  imprecations  prayers  made a wild  barbaric these subdued cheers  snarls  imprecations  prayers  made a wild  barbaric song that went as an undercurrent of sound  strange and chantlike with the resounding chords of the war march.I have often heard it said that when a battle starts  soldiers aren't fighting for themselves or for their countries or for ideas and ideals  fundamentally they are fighting to protect their buddies and fellow soldiers. As long as the young man keeps the battle in this perspective he is okay.But then  he comes to doubt his fellows and seeks to save himself. And it is this selfish decision to flee which will haunt him and self loathing causes him to hate his victorious comrades:The youth cringed as if discovered in a crime. By heavens  they had won after all! The imbecile line had remained and become victors. He could hear cheering.He lifted himself upon his toes and looked in the direction of the fight. A yellow fog lay wallowing on the treetops. From beneath it came the clatter of musketry. Hoarse cries told of an advance.He turned away amazed and angry. He felt that he had been wronged.He had fled  he told himself  because annihilation approached. He had done a good part in saving himself  who was a little piece of the army. He had considered the time  he said  to be one in which is was the duty of every little piece to rescue itself if possible. Later the officers could fit the little pieces together again  and make a battle front. If none of the little pieces were wise enough to save themselves from the flurry of death at such a time  why  then  where would be the army? It was all plain that he had proceeded according to very correct and commendable rules. His actions had been sagacious things. They had been full of strategy. They were the work of a master's legs.Thoughts of his comrades came to him. The brittle blue line had withstood the blows and won. He grew bitter over it. It seemed that the blind ignorance and stupidity of those little pieces had betrayed him. He had been overturned and crushed by their lack of sense in holding the position  when intelligent deliberation would have convinced them that it was impossible. He  the enlightened man who looks afar in the dark  had fled because of his superior perceptions and knowledge. He felt a great anger against his comrades. He knew it could be proved that they had been fools.He wondered what they would remark when later he appeared in camp. His mind heard howls of derision. Their density would not enable them to understand his sharper point of view.He began to pity himself acutely. He was ill used. He was trodden beneath the feet of an iron injustice. He had proceeded with wisdom and from the most righteous motives under heaven's blue only to be frustrated by hateful circumstances.A dull  animal-like rebellion against his fellows  war in the abstract  and fate grew within him. He shambled along with bowed head  his brain in a tumult of agony and despair. When he looked loweringly up  quivering at each sound  his eyes had the expression of those of a great criminal who thinks his guilt and his punishment great  and knows that he can find no words.His self centered actions and cowardice have reduced him to an animal state.His chance for redemption comes when he is unwittingly accepted back into the unit without anyone knowing that he fled. His very survival in the face of what he was sure was certain death actually becomes a source of strength to him:He did not give a great deal of thought to these battles that lay directly before him. It was not essential that he should plan,Sozinho
This is a simple story of an amazing journey  narrated by a man who writes in a refreshingly open manner. Whether you enjoy walking or not  or whether you have the slightest interest in the geography or social customs of the United States  this book is written for everyone who has a desire to read a beautiful story.Peter Jenkins walks across America in this book  with his faithful  tireless companion  his dog Cooper. The dog is an integral part of this story and almost made me go out and buy one of Cooper's breed. He is the epitome of what a dog should be  and canine lovers will adore all the little vignettes about this amazing fellow. Of course there are setbacks  heartaches and crises along the way  but there are also some old-fashioned heartwarming moments as well. The people in the South are especially helpful to a thirsty  hungry traveler. Jenkins' stories of their hospitality is touching.Yes  there are a few sections of the book which border almost on the mawkish and the 'aw  shucks' John Denver-ish approach of the main character might seem a little dated or folksy. But I challenge the naysayers to attempt (and succeed) at what Jenkins managed to do  it's an amazing book and one which many people will read in a single evening. One note: there is a second part to this narrative  which encompases the rest of the journey across America. This book is also available on Amazon.,Sozinho
"FANTASTIC. INSIGHTFUL. MAKES ME LAUGH OUT LOUD. MAKES ME CRY.This book was ""performed"" in a SUMMER READING PROGRAM by our local library and MIDDLE SCHOOLS AND HIGH SCHOOLS IN THE AREA. Each ""Chapter"" of the Book IS A DIFFERENT PERSON  Describing how the urban garden touched their life! We had 13 different ""actors"" of all ages  adults and children read this aloud in a ""play"" oral tradition format. However  the first chapter  ""Kim""  was played by a very young girl. There were boys who did a great job reading and acting their chapters and four adults. As far as the AGE APPROPRIATENESS of this book as discussed by other reviewers  I understand their concerns. However  we had young people exposed to this material and as I contemplate some of the misgivings of the other reviewers here I am wondering if this type of summer reading program might not be another avenue of introducing some of the lessons of diversity described by other reviewers here. Maybe it depends on the setting. This was a very supportive setting where parents and children  grandmothers and great grandfathers were in the audience for the oral reading. Everyone laughed. The misgivings of the pregnant teen in the book were real. Shocking yes  but real. I would want my children to learn about teen pregnancy in a school setting like this rather than on the playground with no adults around. The teen pregnancy part of the book is really a small part of the book and can be skipped if there is concern about younger readers.I certainly wish that I had had this type of lesson in diversity when I was in middle school than the one I got on the playground and from other negative influences. It has taken me a lifetime to overcome some of the messages of childhood and embrace diversity as a white male. Do your child a favor. Help them learn diversity and tolerance. Read this book with them. The world will be a better place for it and it won't take a lot of your time either. End of sermon.",Sozinho
Recently I was asked to help a company convert several users from Windows 95 and 98 to Windows XP. The technicians who were going to provide support had little or no experience with XP. The company had used this series of books for 95  98  NT Workstation and 2000 Professional so naturally they chose it for XP.Over the two weeks of using this book I found that as an instructor this book is a great manual for the classroom  providing the students with over 80 exercises as well as self tests and lab questions. In short this book made teaching the class easier for me and better for the students.Covering every test objective with topics ranging from installation  configuration and setup to hardware  networking and troubleshooting to desktop configuration  printing and faxing you have a very complete reference manual to work with.I liked the fact that the examples were more than just data they seemed to be examples from real world situations. The cd include has MasterSim include with another 40 plus hands on simulations for the students and PracticeSim with exam that not only test the student but also assess the progress. Overall a very good study tool as well as a reference manual.,Sozinho
I admit  I bought this book because my professor told us to ... but this is by far one of the best Physics books I've read.It's written in a language that we understand and it had tones of photos/graphs/demos as well as examples out of real life.Have you ever studies some laws of physics or math and wondered to yourself '... and why exactly do I need to know this?'  or asked someone 'when would I use this formula?'.Guess what? The answer is in this book!,Sozinho
First of all  let me clarify that I do think the book is very well written for its purpose. But I do not really see the relevance of that purpose-teaching physics with half-baked math. I feel that the students will not retain much from learning physics in the particular fashion exhibited in this kind of book. I used the book not as a student  but as a teaching assistant for a college-level introductory physics course primarily for premed students.Physics without calculus is like balls without nuts  if you know what I mean. It's a kind of meaningless endeavor. I do think physics can be interesting without the knowledge of calculus  but the way everything is reduced to memorizing and plugging in numbers to a humongous number of formulae  I do not blame students for coming out hating physics after a year of suffering from Physics 101. The part of the difficulty students may face in learning physics out of a book like this arises from awkward explanations inevitably deriving from avoiding calculus. So if you have difficulties dealing with this book  try coming back after you take calculus. Things will be so much easier to understand with more fluent explanations. An excellent calculus-based intro physics text is Fundamental of Physics by Halliday  Resnick  and Walker.It is a shame because I find many students to be intellectually motivated in many ways  but when it comes to physics they only end up seeing it as a yet another stupid standardized exam that is MCAT. I think this kind of physics is indeed just an obstacle for students and should be reconsidered by those responsible for improving college curriculum.,Sozinho
"Shekerjian tackles a tough topic and succeeds in bringing it down to earth. ""Geniuses "" or MacArthur Fellows  at any rate  are humanized here. They aren't struck by lightning  or born with great discoveries. They are hard workers and they have personality traits well-suited to creative endeavors.For a creative spirit such as myself  I was very intersted to glean insights from Shekerjian and from the MacArthur Fellows she spoke with. By normalizing these people  Shekerjian shows (among other things) that a.) people of all kinds of backgrounds can produce ""genius "" b.) ""geniuses"" work very hard  c. geniuses are capable of pursuing their interests in the face of criticism  defeat  and setbacks  d.) genius is fostered by play  by cross-pollination  by persistence  and by ""doing "" e.) et cetera--there are many more insights in the book.Shekerjian's prose is easy to read and well-organized. The reader doesn't have to work to figure out this book  and instead profits from the considerable work that the author put into translating ""genius."" She's done the legwork  had the conversations  and had to decipher what can seem like the ineffable.I'm glad I read the book. I took home many lessons for my own creative work; lessons that will hopefully linger for a long while. I recommend this book to artists  writers  scientists  entrepreneurs  and political activists. Geniuses are more ordinary than we suspect and they have more to share than their creations--they can share with us the process of creation itself.",Sozinho
"The Double Helix  James Watson's classic account of the elucidation of the structure of DNA  is often cited as an excellent description of how science is really conducted. However  this work of fiction supplants it. Djerassi describes many of the calculations  both professional and interpersonal  that go into the making and reporting of a scientific discovery. He covers everything  from the prestige accorded to anything from Harvard  to the assignment of referees to examine submitted papers.Professor Isidore Cantor  a researcher with his own large laboratory  has an ""aha"" moment  where he suddenly understands the mechanism behind a type of cancer. He presents the idea at a conference and everyone immediately realizes that if it can be confirmed  it is Nobel Prize material. Cantor assigns the experimental verification to Jeremiah Stafford  a postdoc that he considers his best experimentalist. With the assignment comes a great deal of pressure  as the experiment must be completed in a few months. Stafford succeeds  but under the strain  he does not completely document the lab work. This creates a problem when another lab cannot duplicate the work and the process that leads to them sharing a Nobel Prize for the work has already begun.Cantor and Stafford then try to duplicate the experiment and all appears to go well. However  an anonymous tipster informs Cantor that Stafford re-entered the lab at a late hour  which leads Cantor to believe that Stafford is altering the experiment. This prospect terrifies Cantor so much that he devises a second experiment that he carries out in his own private lab  where no one else is allowed to enter under any circumstances. That experiment succeeds  although there is a rift between them  as Cantor is not completely sure that Stafford did not massage his experiments and data to create the desired results. Hence the title of the book  where Cantor has a difficult time deciding how to handle his doubts regarding his junior colleague.It is difficult for someone who is not in the competitive area of science to understand Cantor's fear. Having to retract a published experiment is one of the greatest public humiliations that a scientist can endure. If scientists were polled  I have no doubt that the overwhelming majority would readily endure a severe public flogging rather than have to admit professional failure. The shadowy and often unstated worlds of recommendations  reciprocal praise and assistance; competition to be first  the proper ways to criticize the work of a colleague and even the ""proper"" way to have a sexual relationship with a student much younger than you are all covered. I consider this to be the best book on how science is really done that has ever been published. I spent two years as part of a physics research group and I can state from personal experience that the descriptions of how group competition takes place are right on.",Sozinho
Dostoyevsky is able to capture the human condition perhaps better than any writer since Shakespeare. This novel takes on the emotions so viscerally that is no wonder that he transcends nationality to being just Human. I also recommend his short story The Dream of a Queer Fellow. This has another English title as the use of the word queer has been alter since the story's original publication. Look it up on-line... it is posted on the Web! You can read that short story for free. Even so  do not live the rest of your life without reading this story. Like the Italian movie  The Bicycle Thief it will not fail to move you.,Sozinho
"At first you read the premise of this  the first Miss Bindergarten picture book  and you find it a bit too much. Not only is this an alphabet book  not ONLY is this a getting-ready-for-school book  but this is also a learn your animals book. Not since Graham Base's  ""Water Hole"" has an author tried to do so much in a single item intended (after all) for the early reader set. And yet  remarkably  ""Miss Bindergarten"" is all these things and more. A rollicking raucous encapsulation of ALL the things a kindergarten teacher must do before a single one of her students has entered the room  the book's a pip. I mean  it's impossible to dislike this story. It's a fun read  a collection of truly charming illustrations  and a great way to introduce kids to the concept of school itself. For the child just beginning to learn away from home  this is an ideal gift or present.Our opening pages show a lovely border collie being woken at 6:00 in the morning by her peppy little cuckoo clock. With her pet cockatoo in tow we watch as Miss Bindergarten (for so she is) goes about her morning by washing her face  finding a lot pair of shoes and eating a bagel with the morning paper. Then she's off with a full trunk and a yawning cockatoo. In the meantime  various students in alphabetical order are getting ready for kindergarten in their own ways. ""Adam Krupp wakes up. Brenda Heath brushes her teeth"". Every once in a while we cut back to Miss Bindergarten who's tidying up a long abandoned schoolroom  frantically separating tinker toys  hanging mobiles  etc. As she does so it's difficult not to notice the post-it note stuck to her rear  and a forgotten price tag hanging from her blouse's collar. Time passes  more students come near  and in the end Miss Bindergarten's room is complete. ""And - oh  oh  oh! - the fun's begun!"". A helpful key at the end of the book shows that each student is an animal with the same first letter as his or her name. Therefore  reticent Ian is an iguana and cool Xavier is (believe it or not) a xenosaurus.Now author Joseph Slate has written a lovely story and I'm certainly inclined to give him kudos for that. But hats off  ladies and gentlemen  to illustrator Ashley Wolff. I've seen plenty of charming elementary school teachers in children's books (Mr. Slinger from ""Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse""  for example)  but Miss Bindergarten has an air of authenticity about her that's hard to top. Sure  she's a border collie. But look at her corduroy jumper with the rainbow shirt beneath. Look at her Miss Frizzle-like crazy shoes and that necklace of bright wooden beads around her neck. Miss Bindergarten is so doggone (ho ho) realistic that I have a very difficult time not believing that she wasn't modeled on someone specific. Artist Wolff has crafted a sparkling series of unique illustrations  filled with important details and interesting sights. I mean  who can resist the picture that accompanies the line  ""Fran Lister kisses her sister"". Does Fran kiss a frog smaller to herself? No! She kisses a tadpole in a highchair wearing a bonnet. THAT is the mark of an illustrator who is paying careful attention to her characters  my friends. THAT is the mark of a wonderfully drawn book.Perhaps ""Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready For Kindergarten""'s greatest accomplishment is that it really is a love letter to teachers everywhere. It shows just how hard they work  how much effort and joy goes into their jobs  and how much they care. Kids rarely get to see the behind-the-scenes toil and sweat that goes into their schooldays. ""Miss Bindergarten"" gives them that chance. It's a peppy wonderful book with great words and a rousing story. For a book that does so much  it's amazing that it's so little known. A class act through and through.",Sozinho
"I am very glad that I decided to read _Omensetter's Luck_ all the way through. Hidden in a plethora of incoherent sentences  incomprehensible metaphors and silly rhymes  is a very worthwhile story of two men: Brackett Omensetter  who migrates to Gilean  Ohio with his wife and small children  and the Reverend Jethro Furber  who is the town's minister. Furber suffers from deeply repressed guilt  fear  and resentment; his behavior occasionally borders on the psychotic. In his section of the book  Furber gives (or does he imagine giving?) a lengthy church sermon. Although the sermon is fascinatingly self-revealing  I continuously found myself getting lost in Furber's incoherent word salad. I decided  however  to stay with the book  despite the repeated temptation to put it down. As I continued to read  and to my very pleasant surprise  I discovered Omensetter to be a man of great decency and selflessness. He stands head and shoulders above a town full of petty people  many of whom were jealous and resentful of Omensetter's legendary ""luck."" Gilean's denizens even attributed luck to Omensetter's ability to save miraculously the life of a man dying of lockjaw  contracted from a serious accident. Practically none of the townspeople stand by Omensetter when  later  he is unjustly accused of being responsible for the hanging death of this same man.Everything comes together nicely in the last one hundred pages of the book. I credit William Gass' well-paced  extremely realistic dialogue for helping to accomplish this feat  which I would have otherwise considered impossible had I mistakenly decided not to stick with this flawed  but must-read book.",Sozinho
The great Lloyd Alexander shifts his focus momentarily away from his much beloved land of Wales to concentrate on writing an entirely different tale. Sort of. Fixing his attention wholly on India  the author has penned another fantastic series of adventures. The basis of this books are the classic fairy tales  folktales  animal fables  and teaching-stories found throughout Indian culture and history. As such  this story could have felt like a mad-cap gluing together of all these disparate stories. Instead  the book is a smoothly flowing  if naggingly familiar  epic for the young.King Tamar is young for his station in life  but he rules his small kingdom with grace and skill. When a fellow king arrives one day and insists on an all-stakes gambling match with Tamar  the younger man finds himself having bet away his own life to the fellow. Soon thereafter no one else in his palace remembers the mysterious visitor  but Tamar finds himself wearing an iron ring  the very physical embodiment of his debt. To determine whether not his wager was real or just a dream  Tamar embarks on a quest to find the other king and to settle once and for all what he owes. Along the way he picks up a variety of traveling companions. Amongst them are his own tutor Rajaswami  the beautiful gopi Mirri  Hashkat who is king of the monkeys  the ever complaining eagle Garuda  king Ashwara  and a very odd fellow named Adi-Kavi. Have no fear. Their names  as well as the names of every other character in this book  are collected in an index for easy reference for the easily confused reader. Embarking on a series of adventures with his crazy crew  Tamar learns much about the world outside his kingdom and what it truly means to be a warrior and a king.This book was so similar to several of the 'Prydain Chronicles' that it was all I could do to keep from noticing the fact on every other line. Consider. In the 'Prydain Chronicles' a boy named Taran must learn to control his aggression in the face of hostility  discover what it truly means to be a warrior  and deserve the love of the fair Eilonwy. In 'The Iron Ring' a king named Tamar must learn to control his aggression in the face of hostility  discover what it truly means to be a warrior  and deserve the love of the fair Mirri. In one  Taran is joined by the furry Gurgi  a speaking crow  and a noble prince. In the other  Tamar is joined by the furry Hashkat  a speaking eagle  and a noble king. The adventures are similar. The tone of the book is similar. Heck  even the beginning of the stories are similar. As a writer  Lloyd Alexander isn't one for weighing down a tale with loads of exposition and explanation. Nope  one chapter down and suddenly we're in the heart of the tale. It's a thrilling way to write a book. Just not an especially thoughtful one.But don't judge my words too harshly. The book's a fine frolicsome ride. Fun for the whole family  and not a hint of profanity or innuendo to be uncovered. As an added plus  the battle scenes in this story are fabulous. You really do find yourself caught up in the action. And be sure to refer often to the map at the front of the story and the glossary of unfamiliar terms at the end. It's a well written  if sometimes overly familiar  story that deserves a reading by any adventure lover.,Sozinho
The Idiot  when I first read it years ago  seemed nothing less than the Christ sacrifice re-enacted  relocated to a spritually corrupt Russian upper class society  representing our contaminated world. Prince Myshkin  (the title in Russia is not 'royal ') immediately suggested Prince of Peace  the Saviour.Years later when I reread the book  that interpretation was also true  but insufficent to the dense story.This time around  the Idiot  was funnier  less seriously driven by a divinely sparked moral perfection. Holiness takes a lampooning  along with the canon of social superiority  and those that would be servitors of justice. (Hadn't FD afterall  been imprisoned by their likes?)The Idiot  it suddenly leaped out to me  is none other than the author  condemned like Myshkin by a malfunctioning switch in the brain. Epilepsy in a severely religious world  was imbued with the evil/spirit blame factor  and implied weakness as well. Moreover  Dostoevski  carried what he undoubtedly felt as a moral failure within himself  a compulsive gambler lives in chronic  progressive despair. Hadn't he  as Myshkin  committed himself to a way of righteousness  only to fail to resolve or improve the sufferings of his fellows? How often  would you imagine  he  like other addicts willed to quit  and could not stop? The moral choice to be compassionate  in an almost Buddhist sense  is correct  but will not be repaid in any betterment to the giver or the receiver. Prince Myshkin was good  compulsively so. He was also a buffoon  exploited by immoral others  and condemned by an impaired mind. Righteousness  is insufficent for liberating our lower order  deficient bodies.Funny? Yes  the matriarch  of a pre-feminist culture  is the comic relief of an otherwise heavy and often inscrutable  long novel. The pecadillos of the 'respectable' gentlemen  immobilized by greed and sexual desire  the various flopped attempts at love  and friendship  serve comic purpose. There are many  many gambles  and a non-stop game of roulette/life.The only other gambler aka Idiot  is of course  God. Dostoyevski's intense relgious ambivalence and inevitable return to faith is also a crap shoot- maybe the greatest of all. Is there  or isn't there  take a chance. God bet on the world  then sent his son to redeem us  was that a win? God bet the jack of hearts  was it an ace that took the pot?In Karamazov  the holiest man  in death  left an unbearable stench  the last scene in the Idiot  also involves a similar image. Are we again  confronting holiness in the sense of foul?The Idiot  is one of the finest novels in history  many would say the finest. It is incomplete and uncertain  as any human creation must be.,Sozinho
Frank Burch Brown is one of the star professors of my seminary. One of the things that made me select the seminary was their interest in aesthetics  the arts and theology  and by the arts  we mean a wide variety of arts -- architecture  visual arts  music  drama  and more. Frank Burch Brown does credit to this range of the arts in his text.First  perhaps a word on the title is fitting. By 'taste'  Brown does not mean necessarily to imply preference or status in an elitism way  although well aware that this particular meaning will likely be the first one perceived. Rather  think of 'taste' as an action  something one does  like taking a bite of an apple -- art is too often a passive construct in modern society; Brown calls upon the individual or community experiencing art to participate with it. This is particularly important in church communities  whose ideas of art and the relative value of the same vary widely.Taste  Brown states  is something intimately connected to morality and to religious feeling and belief. One can see this demonstrated both in reactions to museum displays that are controversial as well as the critique Christians give to each other about church architecture  hymnody  or vestment and design styles.Brown shares in-depth theological analysis well supported and supplemented with historical information  talking about the good and the bad throughout the experience of Christendom as it relates back to modern experience. However  this is not a history text either in form or function. Perhaps the strongest section Brown presents is on music; music has become a vital piece of worship for many  sometimes the sine qua non of worship. Also  Brown's artistic background in strong in music  as he is a composer in addition to professor and writer. Music is one of the most community-building and the most divisive of elements in modern worship practice -- anyone who has dared suggest a different style of hymn in church can attest to this! In music as a case study one can see the different pieces that go into determining taste across age  culture and social lines.Perhaps the most novel and entertaining section is chapter five  dealing with Kitsch  Sacred and Profane -- the question of quality. In amusing but instructive fashion  Brown compares the Hagia Sophia and the early Russians' experience of it with the Precious Moments Chapel in Missouri  and how both have value but both can also be suspect in different frameworks. The difficulty of dealing with kitsch  to a large extent determined by the mass-marketability and commodity-nature of the offerings  is an instructive one; kitsch is designed to easily produce a response  often in a base or 'cheap' manner  as often occurs with the million-plus visitors to the chapel of tear-drop eyed children.In the final chapters  Brown offers a critique of the current situation  from which Christians of all backgrounds may draw inspiration and none escape the occasional tweak. Brown also offers a few suggestions and alternative ways of thinking about things through his observations. While this book is primarily for a Christian audience  Brown does bring in examples from other faith traditions.This is not a book for scholars exclusively  but those of an academic bent will appreciate the generous notes and the extensive index. However  the text is accessible and the writing style engaging such that any reader of undergraduate training or higher should have little problem with understanding. My one real disappointment with the text is that there are relatively few illustrations and figures  which in a text dealing with art and aesthetics is a bit surprising. The illustrations included fit the text perfectly  and one wonders what more could have been included to good effect.Take a bite.,Sozinho
I bought this book from a referall by a co-worker. It did help me get started with HTML  but I thought that it was a little MAC heavy on some of the examples. I would recommend it for a begginer though.,Sozinho
In the 'Classroom in a book' I found that the steps were easy enough to follow and the examples were interesting  but I would have liked more help in the overall preparation of creating a Web site. While I was able to follow the directions simply  as all the files were there  I felt that it wouldn't translate as easily when I began my site  since I was starting from scratch & wouldn't have the luxury of pre-prepared graphics  text and design. This book is a tutorial  so it lacks the inspiration and advice that another sort of book would offer. For Web design I prefer something more conversational.,Sozinho
Adobe PDF is a very common file format  largely due to the PDF's ability to faithfully maintain the formatting of a document while offering smaller file sizes  searchable text  printability  and integration with the most popular web browsers. The availability of a PDF viewer  Adobe Acrobat Reader  for free download has played a decisive role in popularity of this file standard. I purchased Adobe Acrobat primarily to be able to create PDF files from Word documents and the like. Although Acrobat comes with a detailed manual available through the 'help' menu  it took me almost a year before I actually decided to learn what one can do in Acrobat besides creating PDF files. I decided to start with the 'Classroom in a book' manual since I already had positive experience with this series. Indeed  I was not disappointed. First  I discovered many advanced capabilities of Acrobat  which can make PDF format more convenient than any other format; secondly  it was a pleasure to work with the book. If you never used the Adobe 'Classroom in a book' series before  the following comments may be useful:a) the book does not contain anything that is not included in Acrobat Help; In fact  it even contains less information as it periodically referres the readers to one or another chapter of the online manual. The only purpose of this book is to help you to get a 'hands-on' practical experience with the program using the example files from the enclosed CD.b) this book is for the beginners. Acrobat is generally not as sophisticated as many other Adobe products  and this book does not even attempt to go into much detail. If you know nothing about Acrobat  you will find it helpful.c) Unlike many computer books  this one is very carefully written and edited. The guidelines are very easy to follow both for Windows and Mac users. In this sense  it is an excellent and a very accurate tutorial.d) most likely you will use this book only once. Later on you would rather refer to Acrobat Help than to the book since the latter one is more complete. Getting this book from the library may be an option to consider.,Sozinho
This book should be looked at as a companion to Adobe manual  or as a practical introduction to Premiere. It guides the user  which is assumed to be a complete novice in Premiere  step by step through hands-on lessons and explains along the way some ideas and principles of digital video editing. As all other 'classroom in a book' manuals  it is very well edited proofread (which means that it contains very few errors - if the authors say 'click on icon A in palette B'  they mean exactly that) and all files which the book refers to can indeed be found on the enclosed CD (I saw so many books with some of the tutorial files missing...). Unlike some other reviewers  I had no problems reproducing the actions described in the book on the computer screen  as long as I was careful to reproduce the steps exactly as they are described.All this said  this book is not intended to be used as an advanced level manual. While it touches to some extent all features of Premiere  it does not necessarily goes into details of all of them. One could definitely benefit from a combination of practical lessons offered by this book with insights that can be found in other books. But it is invaluable as a means of the first exposure to Premiere and as a way to get a basic practical training in Premiere in a short time.The tutorial files and the structure of lessons are the same as in the earlier version of the book  'Premiere 5.0 classroom in a book'. The difference in mostly in explanation of DV format  DV capture  and new features of the timeline and audio editing. This book can also be used for Premiere 6.5 since the difference is primarily in improved title editor and availability of MPEG2 export.I read this book twice within a week  first time just reproducing step after step and trying to grab the concepts  and the second time playing around and experimenting. After these two readings  I feel that I have a good understanding of the program and understand its functions and procedures involved in digital editing to the level sufficient to apply this knowledge to practical editing.I do believe that 'learning by doing' is the best way to learn how to work with a piece of software. Therefore  I ranked it 5 stars - with a note 'book for beginners',Sozinho
It reminded me of Adobe's 'classroom in a book' books. The lessons are well thought out and advance the reader from basic concepts to intermediate  and some advanced concepts. I liked this book over a lot of reference-type books in that it forced me to press the buttons and understand the concepts by doing them ('Learning by doing' -quote from back cover of book)There was a chapter on HTML which isn't a prerequiste for learning dreamweaver  but useful. There's also chapters on javascript behaviours  layout  typography  and using GeoCity to put a website online. The book is a decent reference  although its strength is in its tutorials  and as reference it is unable to cover all of Dreamweaver's features. It also only covers the standard version of Dreamweaver  and not UltraDev. Overall  the book is a good purchase if you need to learn dreamweaver 4 and plan to actually read it through.,Sozinho
I read 'Crusade for Justice: The Autobiography of Ida B. Wells' as part of a class in ethical and prophetic witness for seminary. This was  frankly  not the kind of book I was likely to read apart from a class assignment. But I am very glad to have been given the opportunity -- sometimes things we have to do are in fact good for us!Ida B. Wells was an African-American woman of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. She was born and grew up in the South  born in Mississippi during the Civil War. It is significant the impact of the legacy of slavery on her life -- she recounts how her parents  who were married as slaves  remarried each other as free persons after the war. Wells was a determined and intelligent woman -- her parents died while she was young  yet old enough to be left with the responsibility of her younger brothers and sisters. At the age of 14 she found herself at the head of a household with five younger children.She worked hard to make sure that her education did not suffer  and eventually (a rarity for women of any colour in America at the time) went to work for a newspaper.In an incident that foreshadowed Rosa Parks  she was once removed from a train for sitting in the wrong section  despite her ownership of a valid ticket for the seat. She sued the railroad and won (newspaper headlines read 'Darky Damsel Gets Damages' without concern for the racist tone)  but the judgment was overturned on appeal  and she later discovered her lawyers had been paid off by the railroads  and the appellate judges had thought she was just being uppity to pursue the matter.Such was the state of the African-American community that none came to her assistance as she pursued this fight. This made her more determined to organise and fight.Several of her newspaper partners and other friends in Memphis were lynched for these efforts  and Wells was threatened herself  and left the South  but did not give up her crusade. Where ever she went  through cities and towns in the North as well as over to Europe (where  she said  she felt like she was treated as a real human being equal with others for the first time) she decried the injustice of laws which dismissed charges or gave light sentences if victims were coloured  and prosecuted more strongly  gave out harsher sentences  or even resorted to lynch mobs if the defendant (who was often not guilty) was coloured.'She fought a lonely and almost single-handed fight  with the single-mindedness of a crusader  long before men or women of any race entered the arena  and the measure of success she achieved goes far beyond the credit she has been given the history of the country.'She continued speaking and publishing up to her death in 1931. She was never afraid of making herself unpopular  and often upset the African-American community by being critical of their complacency (especially the upper and middle classes). She became unpopular by standing against the military service during World War I  because of prejudicial and discriminatory practices  and never quite recovered in popular esteem from that.But Wells had courage and determination that is rare in persons  male or female  of any colour  of any time  to take on such a task as the exposition and combat of lynching in the South during the post-Civil War decades. Talking directly with governors and even a president  Wells made her voice heard  and it was a difficult hearing in a difficult time.,Sozinho
This collection of tripe is unbelieveable. It was given to me as a gift by an evangelical Christian co-worker. This particular person gives this book to everyone  and I did take the time to read it. I'm a person open to exploring new ideas but the nonsense in this book could only appeal to the person existing in the negative range of the self-esteem meter.I can see why some people would feel comfort in the idea that there is a greater force than themselves looking out for them. I can also accept that there are people who refuse to analyze things and take responsibility and would rather assign blame to an unseen entity for the things that go wrong in their lives. If you lost a job  it must be because God wanted it to happen  rather than the fact that you showed up late three mornings a week.Warren takes his theory to an extreme reminicent of greek mythology where the gods sit up in Mount Olympus influencing the actions of the mortals for their own amusement. Ultimately there is no personal choice or responsiblity because it is out of our hands as mere mortals.Instead of wasting your money on this book go out and take control of your life. If you hate your job  find another! Get rid of your poisonous SUV and buy a cleaner car. Plant a tree to create clean air. Send money to Amnesty International to help fight human rights violations. Clean your nearest beach. There are thousands of things you can do to help yourself and others. Yes  some things are out of your hands  but most things are not. Humans are powerful individuals  but the first step is recognizing our power.,Sozinho
"Drs. Lewis and Demarest were two of my professors at Denver Seminary. I was particularly close to Dr. Lewis. He is one of the most intelligent yet humble and gentle men I ever met. And these characteristics come through in his theology.This theology covers the full range of theology. Each subject is dealt with in-depth. Supporting Scripture verses and the implications of the viewpoint presented are given. It also overviews contrary viewpoints and explains why they do not adequately fit the Biblical material. The reasons for the disagreement are presented in a very fair and straightforward manner. No harsh language at all is seen in this theology.The theological viewpoint presented is Baptist-Reformed. I agreed with the Baptist perspective before I went to seminary and moved into a Reformed view while at seminary. I present the same perspective in my book ""Scripture Workbook: For Personal Bible Study and Teaching the Bible.""So I would highly recommend this theology. And if you want to study even more Scripture verses that support each position given  see my book. It presents dozens or even hundreds of supporting verses for each topic covered.",Sozinho
You know  I've just read the new Harry Potter. And a couple of other books that I'm not proud of. And I really had nothing to say about any of them  one way or the other. But I wanted to write something about this book. Gosh  ITS SO GOOD! Thats that!I was so impressed and pleased to have stumbled upon this book.I just happened to pick it up; I read one of Lawhead's others before and remembered that other reviewers had said that other book wasn't one of his best. So I decided to try it and apparently found his best. Geez.The ideas that it has  they're so savory. Could it be that the fairy world is just a go around the cairn away?His logic  argument  writing style  magic  whatever it was  had me convinced that there truly is another world out there. And it is beautiful. Imagine that world----that world with out our modern conveniences---the most profound perhaps  imagine that world with out our modern sound. We are always bombarded with it.That first part of the book is there to convince us that there is another mysterious realm. Its a fast pace to get there  too.Simon  the main characters friend  is an intriguing enigmatic fellow. We think we know him so well until the last of the story.The next part of the book is gaining acceptance and appreciation of that other realm.And the last part is fighting to keep it whole and sound. It seems an uphill battle---can't wait to find out in Book 2.You can not die and not have read this! I couldn't believe this book hadn't won any awards---if I had one to give  I would. Perhaps this review will suffice.On to Book 2! The Silver Hand! Oh  and if you go to Stephen Lawheads official website  you can get a pronounciation guide to all our favorite characters! Yay!,Sozinho
"Eli by Bill Myers is a pleasant look at the ""what-if"" scenario of ""What if Jesus existed Today?""Myers tackles this by inserting the events in the gospels of Matthew  John  and Luke and putting theminto a modern day setting. The events are pretty much the same  but the settings have changed. For exampleinstead of Jesus's ""Sermon On The Mount"" its more of ""Sermon At Denny's"". Instead of the miracle of the loaves of bread and fisheswe're treated to the miracle of feeding thousands from a bag of fries and hamburgers from the local non-descript McDonald's or Burger King.Does Myers succeed in retelling this story of Jesus with a modern flair? Yes and no.The story is really 3 stories in 1.Eli is pretty much told through the eyes of Conrad Davis. Divorced and somewhat alienatedfrom his daughter Julie  Conrad is your average workabholic T.V. journalist. His latest assignmentdeals with talking to a scientist about alternate worlds and quantum physics. This sets the stage for what will rock Conrad's world.A freak car accident hurls him into an alternate reality. A world were Jesus didn't exist 2000 years ago  but exists today. Conrad meetsup with his alternate version of his ex-wife. His ex in this world was born-again  but in the world that Conrad has been thrust into  she isa follower of Eli. Eli is Jesus Christ in this reality. Plot 'A' in this book deals with a refreshing of the events marked in the gospel and addsdimension and life to Jesus. Myers does a great job of applying the teachings of Christ and how he handles his apostles in a 20th century setting.Myers also did a wonderful job in putting life into his character of Eli and demonstrating Jesus's love towards us all.The only problem I had was Myers never really set the stage enough to see really what kind of world does Conrad and Eli/Jesus live in during the 20th century.How is the world different if Christ wasn't here 2000 years ago? Are people more hateful? Less hateful? Is language different? I can imagine someaspect of language would be different since taking the Lord's name in vain is the most used exclamation. ""Jesus Christ!"" The world is neverreally explored in depth here. I know that wasn't the point the author was trying to deliver  but I would like to see how Myer's would see the world withoutChrist.Plot 'B' in Eli deals with Conrad and more importantly grace. God's grace to us. You see  Conrad isn't saved. In this world  his ex-wifeis saved. Conrad spends more time at work than with his family. His daughter Julie has probably taken the brunt of this issue  since she feelsalientated from him. By being tossed into this reality of a modern day Christ  Conrad is given an opportunity which many people don't takeadvantage of. That is God's grace. God's grace in giving us the chance to ask for forgiveness. Grace to embrace Christ and turn from our sins.Conrad is given this chance by following Eli around in this reality. Conrad sees all the miracles and listens to all the parables that Eli tellsto his followers. Yet  just by following the messiah around the country  does Conrad become saved? You'll have to read the book to find out.Plot 'C' deals with Conrad's daughter Juile. As I mentioned she is alientated from her father. Her story takes place in our present reality.She deals with visiting her comatose father in the hospital  all the while having flashbacks to her childhood and how little time she had spent withher father. Her story deals with the important aspect of forgiveness. How do you forgive? Forgiveness is an important point that Jesus has taught us.We should always forgive. Not once  but a thousand times if need be. It is Julie's story that deals with this important lesson.All three plots tie together in an enthralling story by Bill Myers. I highly recommend to anyone interested in reading an innovative and compelling story.",Sozinho
In a manner which I have found unfortunately typical of Carolly Erickson's writing  'Mistress Anne' contains many details about court life (including 'trivia' not typical of books on the subject)  yet not enough about Anne herself. The rather rambling references to  for example  Anne's days at the French court became tedious. My impression was of a collection of material which could be interesting in a 'classroom lecture' setting  where it is assumed that the hearers are studying the entire era and would enjoy tidbits not found in their textbooks  but which makes boring reading on its own.,Sozinho
"As a writer and a mother  it wasn't but a few words into this novel by Shields that I found myself holding my breath  holding it in compassion and wonder  in acknowledgement of the artistry witnessed  of the beauty of words used with such mastery. Shields writes about a writer  and she writes about a writer who is a mother. In so many ways  one is the other  the other is the same. The character in her acts of creation sends her own goodness into the world  and while her novels seem to take unpredictable paths in the world of publishing and then in the hands of her reading public  so does her daughter veer off her expected path in life to seemingly abandon it all and sit on the street as a homeless soul  sign hung around her neck: ""Goodness.""What can drive a young woman to such despair? How can a mother survive her own despair in seeing it? Scenes unfold of a woman who ponders her own writing  a kind of novel inside a novel  and her dealings with a new editor who appears to have her best interests at heart  yet has one soon gritting teeth with just barely suppressed annoyance. A scene of lovemaking between husband and wife  a guilty pleasure and comfort when their child is out on the chill of the streets  is one of the most uniquely written I have ever come across in modern fiction. A topic so overwritten and cliched  Shields manages even this one as if it had been the first  and wholly hers to invent. A scene between mother-in-law and abandoned editor using his salesmanship ploys for public relations over the dinner table they find themselves sharing by chance is another jewel. The treasure keeps on surfacing page after page.Shields writes with rare magnificence. Her story is an achingly simple but important one  as the best stories are  and she once again proves herself worthy of the Pulitzer she has won.",Sozinho
"I re-read this series recently  wondering if it would still seem as good as it did when I was a child. And the answer is  it doesn't. But it still has a great deal to offer.The five books are set in Britain  not tied particularly closely to any decade within the twentieth century. They are all quest stories  with the child heroes seeking various magical artefacts to help the Light in its struggle against the Dark.""Over Sea  Under Stone"" introduces Simon  Jane and Barney Drew  following a mysterious manuscript in search of a golden grail. This adventure takes place during the summer holidays in Cornwall  and introduces their enigmatic Great-Uncle Merriman.""The Dark is Rising"" is the story of Will Stanton  who comes into his power as an Old One  a champion of the Light  on his eleventh birthday. Assisted by Merriman  he is destined to find the Six Signs.""Greenwitch"" unites the Drews  Will and Merriman in Cornwall as they hunt for a second manuscript  lost in the hunt for the grail. But can they win out over the power of the Greenwitch?""The Grey King"" sends Will to Wales in search of the golden harp that is needed to wake the Sleepers  warriors of the Light. He meets Bran  a lonely and troubled boy  who proves to be surprisingly important in his search and the struggle against the Dark.""Silver on the Tree"" reunites all the characters as they search for the crystal sword  the last necessary artefact  and travel to the final confrontation with the Dark.There's a great deal to like in these books. Cooper pitches the writing at a suitably adult level so that  while not too difficult for children  they never feel twee or condescending. They are suitably atmospheric  with the settings brought alive by good descriptive writing and a healthy injection of Celtic mythology. Many of the characters are interesting and likeable; Will is the stand-out in this regard. The two ""Will"" books  ""The Dark is Rising"" and ""The Grey King"" are the best of the series. There is more action and a greater sense of risk and tension in these books.So why has my regard for this series dropped over the years? There are two reasons. The first is that  reading as an adult  I don't find the books all that well-grounded in their mythological territory. Tolkien wrote stories set in a world that feels real. Cooper's ideas of magic  Light and Dark  heroes and villains  are very thin by comparison. As a consequence  to me there is little sense of what is truly at stake in what is supposed to be an all-time epic struggle  little sense of real risk; and all too often there are deus ex machina solutions as the magical heroes suddenly ""know""  without explanation  just what they need to do to win out.The second reason is ""Silver on the Tree"". I found this a weak end to the saga  with too many deus ex machina solutions and too many vitally important plot points coming out of nowhere (Mrs Rowlands being one  Bran's love for his human father another). Much of the book seemed pointless filler. The final confrontation lacked power (both with regard to Cooper's writing and in plot terms) and seemed all too easy.However  these caveats are things that may seem far less important to younger readers - I know they didn't bother me the first time I read this series. And the series as a whole is certainly well-crafted  exciting and enjoyable.",Sozinho
"...in the old days when the struggle between good and evil was more bitter and open than it is now. That struggle goes on all round us all the time  like two armies fighting. And sometimes one of them seems to be winning and sometimes the other  but neither has ever triumphed altogether...But those men who remembered the old world have been searching for its secret ever since. And there have been others searching as well - the enemies  the wicked men  who have the same greed in their cold hearts as the men whom Arthur fought.- Great-Uncle Merry (""Gummery"")""So therefore  I trust it to this land  over sea and under stone  and I mark here the signs by which the proper man  in the proper place  may know where it lies...""- from a certain manuscriptI recommend the unabridged audio edition read by Alex Jennings (who played Nevil the junior solicitor in the 1988 TV adaptation of THE FRANCHISE AFFAIR). I enjoy hearing what the Cornish dialect sounds like; Jennings has a very pleasant voice and works at making the characters distinct.--This first volume of the five book series THE DARK IS RISING can stand on its own; I read it years before learning that it had sequels and didn't feel cheated.The entire series features six principal characters  four of whom are introduced here: the three Drew children (Simon  Jane  and Barney) and their mysterious Great-Uncle Merry  a distinguished scholar of history and legend (especially King Arthur). The kids can hardly believe that the unpredictable Gummery  usually far away on digs or at university  will be with them for an entire month's holiday in Trewissick  a seacoast village in Cornwall where their artist mother has come to paint and their father to fish.The Drews are the viewpoint characters for this book  so it features an ""everyman"" perspective of complete newcomers to the ancient conflict between good and evil that is about to surface.Stuck indoors on a rainy day  the kids explore the Grey House. Finding a mysterious old map in the attic with Arthurian names on it  they naturally keep quiet so as to have a chance to follow it up. But when the house is broken into  with all the books  maps  and pictures turned over by someone searching for something  they confide in Gummery  the one adult they trust to take them seriously.Also introduces one of the major opponents  although (as Merry says) the enemy can appear in many guises and under many names.It says something (possibly only about me) that my favourite scene is the kids' first real conversation with Great-Uncle Merry  when he explains the endless war between good and evil  and how their discovery puts them in the middle of the battle.They're drawn as realistic and individual kids  not miniature adults. There's a nice repeating motif about what they want to be when they grow up (mostly whatever profession they've seen lately that looks cool). Their dynamics are good; they squabble and gang up on each other as needed  and each can be separated from the others to carry separate scenes.- Simon  the eldest (and bossiest)  has been superior about studying Latin for two years  and now has to deliver when the map turns up. He's also the fastest runner.- Jane worries over details  and the boys needle her for being motion sick (which means she's off on her own while the boys fish with their father).- Barney  the somewhat visionary youngest  can get into places the others can't (and isn't above trying on an innocent/cute routine under pressure  though he hates being treated like a baby). Since he's prone to bad sunburn  he misses a night outing  but nothing can possibly happen while he's home in bed  can it?Very well constructed story  setting up situations for development in later books without bogging down the tale at hand. Some very tidy illustrations that things and people aren't always what they seem  which becomes even more apparent on a second reading (particularly a second reading of the entire series).While there's little physical violence  there are various creepy/scary moments:- multiple chase scenes- multiple extended scenes in the dark (including pursuit and lying awake in a not-so-deserted house)- character falling into a trap the reader knows about but he doesn't- dancing in the streets (a carnival and swimming gala provides plenty of distraction for both sides near the end)I tend to prefer the books in which the Drews appear (such as GREENWITCH  which returns to Trewissick); they have a genuine Everyman viewpoint  which makes the story feel more like something happening in the real world  just with extra and unexpected depths. (The other two viewpoint characters  while also good  differ in this area).Really good book for a summer holiday  whether you're on one or just need one. Be prepared to get hungry while reading this book.",Sozinho
I grew up on books that told stories of rural children who found kinship with nature and the animals within it. However  for some reason  I never read The Yearling until I was in my 20s. I am sorry that I waited so long. This book enveloped me to the point where I almost became part of the story. Maybe that is because I grew up rural  and found my happiness and contentment among nature  like Jody and his father do. Jody's father is a very admirable character. He struggled through terrible adversity while growing up  yet is a very caring and soft-spoken father to his only child. He wants to give Jody an enjoyable childhood because he never had one. That is the basic premise of this book. A young boy making the bumpy transition between childhood and adulthood. He wants both  but in the end  must choose. Even before reading the book  you know that the boy will have a pet deer  but that doesn't enter the story until at least halfway through the book. And I feel that is only a small part of the main plot. There is much more to reflect upon than just the boy-deer friendship. One final note: Another fun part of this book is locating on a map all of the landmarks in Central Florida mentioned in the story. That makes the story seem even more real. The Florida in this book is much different than the Florida of today though.,Sozinho
Robert Heinlein once wrote that 'Courage is not the absence of fear--it is the conquest of fear. The man who is truly fearless is not courageous. He is also a fool.' Young Mafatu  a Polynesian islander  fears the ocean. This is something akin to a cowboy fearing cattle. His fear causes him a great deal of discomfiture and makes him an object of scorn and ridicule.Sperry tells the story of how Mafatu (which means 'Stout Heart') faced and conquered his fear. I read the story some 40 years ago as a young child. Although I wasn't really searching for anything other than the subject matter for a book report  I came away from 'Call it Courage' with something far more important than a long-forgotten grade.Simply  elegantly  Sperry explores the nature of courage and helps the young reader to come to a better understanding of that most misunderstood quality.,Sozinho
Judy Blume's 'Freckle Juice' is a short tale for young readers  with illustrations by Sonia O. Lisker. Blume tells the story of Andrew Marcus  a 2nd grade student who wishes he had freckles. Things get freaky when a classmate promises to sell him a 'secret recipe for freckle juice.'Blume taps effectively into the culture of children's folk magic and urban legend with this tale. I was a bit turned off  however  by Blume's portrayal of Andrew's shrewish  hysterical  overbearing mother. After finishing the book  I thought  'When this kid grows up  he's going to have some serious issues with women!' I also didn't like the fact that the 'villain' of the story essentially lies  swindles  and violates classroom discipline and suffers no consequences. Still  'Freckle Juice' is a fun story with a memorable 'gross-out' factor.,Sozinho
"Before you go buying just any old ""Caddie Woodlawn"" edition  I suggest you seek out and purchase one that has been illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman. I'm a Hyman fan to begin with  and in no other version of this story will you find as perfect a melding of picture and text.That said  this is a fabulous book  creating a historical figure that extends above and beyond that of the better known Laura Ingells Wilder. Both Laura and Caddie's stories were published in the 1930s and both concern pioneer girls living in the Midwest in the 1800's. There all similarities stop and Laura must bow down to the better book. The difference between the two (and the subsequent superiority of Brink's text) comes from the amount of interest children take in the books. While the ""Little House"" books are historically accurate and will repeat with perfect detail the intricacies of pioneer life  the ""Caddie Woodlawn"" books show the heart and soul of the people of that time.""Caddie Woodlawn"" was fascinating to me as a child. In what other book could you find a red haired heroine bravely crossing the frozen river on her horse to warn the local Native Americans of imminent danger? The presence of the Indians in this book is a complex one. The book is certainly a product of its times  to some degree. Children with multi-racial parents are referred to as ""half-breeds"" and Indian John (as the pioneers call him) has a stilted speech not found in more sensitive novels today. Just the same  a children's book that makes the bold assertion that white pioneers were far more likely to go about massacring the natives than vice versa is a bit of fresh air. Say what you will of the Woodlawns's acceptance being ""inaccurate""  it improves the novel heartily.Finally  ""Caddie Woodlawn"" is just a lot of fun. Practical jokes  adventures  and creative methods of amusement fill the pages of this story. You empathize completely with Caddie when she feels the urge to tease her snobbish oh-Boston-is-heaven-on-earth cousin Annabelle.If asked who the most amusing redhead of children's literature in the English language is  I'd eschew Pippi Longstocking and Anne of Green Gables any day in favor of that fantastic and amusing Caddie Woodlawn.",Sozinho
This is my favorite childhood book out of the hundreds that I read as a child. It is a story of horses  some wild  on VA islands and the children that come to love them. It is a book about the wonderful bonds that can develop between animals and people. And it is a book where one will learn  hopefully  how to spell Chincoteague  not an easy word to learn. I read the book so many years ago that I had forgotten how to spell Chincoteague. Thank goodness for the internet and Google. I just typed in VA islands and the spelling instantly popped up before my eyes.,Sozinho
I bought this book when we decided we wanted a baby. I really wanted to get The Mother of All Baby Books  but my store didn't have it. Turns out  Ann Douglas wrote both books  so it didn't matter.I found the preconception advice wonderful. It also gives you an overview of what to expect when you're actually pregnant  and breaks it down week by week. There are several helpful charts in the book  such as one that goes over the most common prescription and non-prescription drugs and the effects they have on the baby. There's also information on fertility testing when things don't go as planned.However  now that I'm 7 months pregnant first time mom-to-be  I find I don't use the book very often. The week-to-week information is great when you want to know what to expect before you get pregnant/just get pregnant  but it's not sufficient information to keep you really informed when you're actually at those critical points. I find that the book is lacking in details on those conditions that can pop up during pregnancy  such as increased heart rate  shortness of breath  etc. These are normal events  but I just wanted more information on what to expect and when to expect these kinds of conditions.Overall  it's still a great book. I definitely recommend it to those who are trying. However  if you're already pregnant  I recommend Your Pregnancy Week By Week. This has been my favorite book so far.,Sozinho
Long walk to freedom' is a book that doesn't take you long to read it. It's one of the most interesting autobiographies you ever got to read. It's definitely written beautifully and it is so vivid and enjoyable. What makes this person so adorable and a hero is the way he tackled the most difficult situations with ease  even in his book he didn't make such a big fuss about hissufferings and tough times he had to go through.This book includes 10 parts  and the eleven-th one is the part of FREEDOM.A country childhood - in which he recalls his childhood days so vividly.Johannesburg - he runs away from regend (foster parent) after he arranges a marriage for him with a girl who was in love with the regend's son.Birth of a freedom fighter - his liberation struggles begin here...and so on...A remarkable book - from which not that I have seen one man's struggles for FREEDOM  but also learned a lot of things - that are most useful in everyday 'civilised' world!!!,Sozinho
"Madrid was a small town in Oklahoma. Uma Thornton was known as ""The Keeper"" of the town's secrets. It was a job that seemed to be passed down by the women of her family. Her life forever changed when her best friend  Lauren Howard  died. Uma  Lauren  Pearl  and Shelly had grown up together. As adults  they still took one night a week for a ""girls' night out"". Uma would never forget the face of the man who shot Lauren as he drove by * or the feel of Lauren's blood on her hands.Mitchell Warren's family had been known as the town's troublemakers. As Mitchell and Roman (the younger brother) were teens  someone burned down their home  killing their father. Believing their mother had abandoned them  they left the town far behind. Years later  Mitchell left his high paying job and returned to Madrid. Roman eventually followed. They planned to face their pasts  come what may.No one of Madrid was happy to see the Warrens return. As the secret keeper  Uma knew more about the Warren family's past than either of the brothers. She planned to help them begin to heal. However  a killer stalked the town. He called himself ""Clyde"". Lauren had only been the first. Before the last rose petal fell  the other three women would be dead!***** There is much more going on than I could tell you in the synopsis. In fact  more than one romance blooms in the story. A secondary couple adds more spice and the third girlfriend has husband trouble. Good luck trying to figure out who is behind it all. I had several suspects in mind. I gave up trying to figure it out and just enjoyed the story. I loved it and do not hesitate to recommend it to all. *****",Sozinho
"Buckle up and prepare for a great time reading ""Amazonia"". James Rollins  author of other great action novels such as  ""Subterranean"" and ""Excavation""  has done it again with ""Amazonia"". This novel grabs you right from the start and before you know it  you're 50 pages into it.The plot revolves around the search for a hidden Amazon tribe that may hold the secret to cellular regeneration. Numerous sub-plots also exist in this novel. A son looks for his father who disappeared years before while searching for the secret tribe. Evil representatives of a pharmaceutical firm attempt to find the secret tribe and their herbal medicines for their own profitable gain - and will stop at nothing to succeed. And the secret to healing a devastating plaque that is sweeping the U.S. is somewhere in the Amazon jungle.Rollins does a great job keeping all of the ""potboilers"" simmering throughout the book. The action is fierce and frenetic throughout. You should also prepare yourself for your squeamish moments as Rollins describes some grisly situations involving the search for the tribe. The Army Rangers sent to protect the expedition seem to get killed out faster than the crew men in the red shirts from the old Star Trek program. Behind these gory demises are some fantastic creatures  notably man-eating frogs  mutated piranhas  giant locusts  and hundred-foot caiman. OK  so you have to suspend your powers of disbelief a little!Some memorable characters abound in this novel. Nathan Rand  the sympathetic son who still hopes to find his father. Manny and his pet jaguar  Tor-Tor  who aid in the search for the tribe and Professor Kouwe  a spiritualist  linguist  and healer who provides guidance to the group and young Nathan.If you're a fan of any of the Preston/Child or Matthew Reilly novels  then ""Amazonia"" is for you. It's an extremely quick-reading book that's hard to put down!",Sozinho
The voice of May December Souls is what knocks you over the most. Mariah  the narrator  is calm  observant  and seems certain of herself even when she's not sure. She's grappling with lots of issues in this book; it's not just the fact that she's digging a guy who is young enough to have once been diapered by her own hands. Mariah is hurting over the lack of a relationship with her father. She and her new lover  Malik  have father-child issues in common. Maybe it's the thing that bonds them  besides the obvious physical attractions.The most powerful scene deals with Mariah's acceptance of her father's decision to leave when she was a child. Emotional and vivid with an element of healing  the scene makes that necessary connection to its reader  enough to ensure that the author wrote from the depths of her heart  and perhaps her pain.May December Souls is a recommended read; it's a contemporary novel that will make you laugh  make you feel  and make you think.,Sozinho
Miranda Thurston has had a very sheltered childhood. Being the only child of an U.S. Calvary officer she is the only reminder to her father of her dead mother. You can say Miranda is a bit naive  for after repeated warnings  and living on the frontier  Miranda never believed there was much danger to the news of Cheyenne raids  that is until she herself is captured by a Cheyenne warrior named Shadow Walker. Shadow Walker is a respected warrior to the Cheyenne and after his uncle got captured in a raid he was out to revenge and was quite disappointed to find that he had only managed to capture a worthless girl. Soon though he begins to realize this isn't one normal girl  but a defiant one as she rebels against him any chance she has. Frustrated  Shadow Walker begins her into the wilderness of the forest to teach her lessons. Little are both prepared for the feelings that will surface between the two of them. I felt that this is probably one of the weakest Avon True Romances. It is still a nice book to sit down and read.,Sozinho
"WOOROLOO did well in the US but astonishingly Frieda Hughes' second book STONEPICKER (Bloodaxe) did not find a US publisher. Perhaps the work was too local or difficult? As though in reparation  Hughes delivers here her most accessible book yet and takes a direction that proves a violent swerve into the heated-up roleplaying games pioneered by Anne Sexton  the Boston poet of the 1960s and 1970s who was  as it happens  one of Sylvia Plath's friends and competitors. In WAXWORKS  Hughes imagines a gallery filled with wax versions of mythological  fictional and real people (and a few animals!) whose very names have become bywords: Sisyphus  for example  and Sweeney Todd. Some of them you may not have heard of: Honos  for example  was a new one to me  as was Sawney Beane  the Scots cannibal bandit. (Honos was ""the Roman personification of morality  truth  and virtue "" according to Frieda's careful notes. Say  maybe that where we got the word ""honest"" from!) The poems that accompany these tags vary in quality  unfortunately some of them are very lackluster  while even the most successful ones suffer from Ms. Hughes' lack of imagination.There are obvious analogues not only to Anne Sexton but to Robert Browning as well  his monologues collected in such classic volumes as MEN AND WOMEN and DRAMATIS PERSONAE. Hughes is vigorous and has cast her net wide  drawing in such figures as Houdini  Cinderella  Salome  Vlad the Impaler  and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse--enough characters to populate a whole new saga by Anne Rice--but somehow the essences of these figures get left behind  and she comes up empty handed. That said  some of the verse is singularly lovely  such as these lines  from ""Loki"":There is nothing like a little sinTo encourage the welcome of converts.I imagine this book is a necessary step that Ms. Hughes had to take to free herself from what must be the stifling influences of her famous mom and dad. It is another milestone in the story of a very good writer whom we all feel we have  in some sense  known since she was a very young and very innocent and endangered child.",Sozinho
We can be thankful that Martha Tod Dudman is honest and articulate. The result is a book that you want to think about and discuss.However  compared to other readers  I have a very different take on this book. Maybe it's because I have been much luckier with my daughters  or because I'm a guy. But whatever the reason  I wanted to shake the author and say  'Wake up! You are in an abusive relationship. Defend yourself!'One of the most poignant anecdotes is where she describes how she makes lunches for her daughter  but her daughter does not eat them. And yet her daughter insists that 'you have to make my lunch. You have to.'I want the mother to say  'No  I don't have to make your lunch if you're not going to eat it. Lunch is food. It is not something I make for you just because I crave your approval.'Instead  the mother goes on making lunches. I am not suggesting that by changing her behavior the mother could have made one iota of difference in how her daughter turned out. But I am disturbed that neither the author nor many of the other readers of this book recognize the distinction that I see between loving your daughter and giving her total power over you.If we are going to celebrate this as an exemplary mother-daughter relationship  then we should celebrate women who tolerate and submit to abusive husbands as exemplary  also. Instead  I would hope that we could encourage parents to be more assertive with their children.,Sozinho
Readers could relate to this poignant and heartwrenching memoir. After all  you are either a son/daughter or a parent. Although I am not a parent yet  I was  as most teenagers are  a troubled child -- not to the degree of Augusta  but troubled nevertheless. This memoir is told by a very determined and strong mother who watched as her daughter plummeted into a life of drugs  alcohol and reckless sex and wondered how she had failed as a parent and what could be done to save her daughter. Parents could easily be disturbed with a book of this nature -- after all  it is so much easier to ignore all the red flags and pretend that the child in question is just going through some normal growing pains -- because no one would like to see his or her child become a menace to society. And  worst of all  would that mean that their parenting skills weren't good enough? It is important to acknowledge what the parent has done wrong and do whatever possible to be there for the child. And that is what Martha did. Hats down for writing such an intelligent and insightful memoir. There should be more books of this kind out there!,Sozinho
After reading a short story by Marian Keyes  I decided to try reading one of her novels. Watermelon is the story of Claire Walsh  an Irish woman in her early 30s who has just given birth to her first child. When she wakes up after the delivery  the first thing she sees is her husband  James  who informs her that he is leaving her for their downstairs neighbor. In a state of shock  Claire packs some things and leaves London with her yet unnamed baby girl to travel back home to her parents in Ireland.What follows is the familiar tale of a woman struggling to get back on her feet; Claire predictably goes through the process of depression to redemption. Despite the common nature of the storyline  Keyes has created engaging characters in Claire  her neurotic parents  and her two youngest sisters--Helen with her biting sarcasm  and Anna  the lovable airhead. Even when the plot becomes somewhat contrived and unrealistic  Keyes injects humor and life into Claire's story; the reader can't help but to be interested in how things turn out.Keyes has written two more novels about the five Walsh sisters: Rachel's Holiday  which tells the story of middle child Rachel  and her more recent work  Angels  which focuses on second oldest Margaret. Although these books weren't quite up to the quality of Watermelon  once you begin reading about the Walsh sisters  you may become as hooked as I did.,Sozinho
Watermelon' is yet another enjoyable book by Marian Keyes. Her characters are always memorable  her writing style draws you in on the first page and the conclusion is very satisfying.At the start of the book  the lovely Claire has been dumped by her husband for another woman a few hours after giving birth to their first child. She moves from their home in London back to her eccentric family in Dublin. Of course  all sorts of adventures  several romantic  ensue.Keyes creates not only a strong  lively narrative voice--Claire is very funny  even her most desperate moments--but some great supporting characters. There is the hunky Adam  the snitty sister Helen  the flaky sister Anna  the slightly detached father and so on. Yes these characters hail from central casting but they are presented with a light and fresh touch.I recommend this book to chick lit fans everywhere  particularly those who love their light lit with an English/Irish touch.,Sozinho
This book was a great book. It was the first Marian Keyes book I've read and I know it won't be my last.Claire is a woman who has been dumped on the day of having her child. She doesn't know where to go or what to do. So she heads off to Dublin to stay with her family.At times in this book some of what happen just didn't seem possible to me for a woman who is getting over being left by her husband. Claire was strong at times but at other times I felt she was very weak in some of her choices. James on the other hand I felt was a jerk who needed to get a life. Claires family was a riot her sister Helen who seem to have more life problems and they always seem to be more important that Claire's. Anna who seem to be off in her own world and of couse Claire parents they reminded me of my own parents who still look out for me. Overall I felt that this book was a wonderful quick read and kept me into the story always wanting to know more about what was going to happen to Claire of what she would say.Overall the reason why I only gave this book 4 stars was because I felt that there a lot left out and there could have been a lot to go with the story.,Sozinho
Although this is Ms. Keyes' first book  I have read four of her others before reading this one. Now I wish I would have read this one first so my expectations weren't so high.The central characer of the book is Claire  whose husband whom she deeply loves annouces that he has been having an affair and is leaving her while she is still in the hospital after giving birth to their first child. Claire flees her marital home in London to return to her family home in Ireland where she has a total breakdown  manages to loose her'baby weight' and meet a new love interest just about the time her philandering husband decides to kiss and make up.Had I not read those other four Keye's novels I would have probably given this one five stars instead of four  but after reading about Claire's sister Rachel in Keyes' Rachel's Holiday and other stronger characters in subsequent books I found Claire to be rather lackluster. She's missing the 'oomph' of Lucy Sullivan  the pizazz of Tara in Last Chance Saloon and the spark of Lisa in Sushi for Beginners  all also by Keyes. Claire's family members  however  are dazzling jewels from her clueless father to her nasty sister Helen (who I just LOVE!) and they alone are enough to make this a good read. I can't WAIT to read more about this amusing family in Keyes' upcomming new novel.My advice is if you are new to Keyes this is a great jumping off place - it only gets better from here.,Sozinho
Maybe I'm just in the wrong age group to read and appreciate these young-single-aimless-girl novels like BJ's DIARY and now RACHEL'S HOLIDAY. The books themselves are well written and interesting  but the lives they portray are sometimes irresponsible and often irritating as well as descriptive of lost souls. When Marian Keyes writes about Rachel's childhood events  it's like I'm right there with her. I can feel the heart pounding and suspense over whether Rachel will pull off her candy caper. Keyes also writes Rachel as a middle child very well. There are traits that go with that position inside a family  and I think Keyes knows that position well enough to be right on target with her description of it. But that kind of insight doesn't answer  for me anyway  how Rachel ends up botching a suicide attempt  and why she approaches her 'holiday' recuperation the way she does. I also question Rachel's perception of her mother. Rachel and her siblings all lived together from the birth of each one  so it seems farfetched for me to believe that Rachel could have missed her mother's treatment of her other siblings so completely that she blocked out all but her own experience. All this means is that this book needs some clarification here and there. It's still a good book  and I would read Keyes' work again based on the writing she displayed in RH.,Sozinho
Madeline `Maddy' de Lacy  the duchess of Magnus always thought herself to be the most sensible woman in England  calm and collected  even when coming home after a sojourn of four years on the continent  she could not believe that her father had   with the turn of a card  lost not only his entire estate  but her as well - to a stranger!Thinking her father was now about to lose the most valuable possession left  her priceless tiara  she concocts a plan with her cousin Eleanor  to switch places. Eleanor would go on to London to meet with the man who had won her while she  Madeline would go to the country `game of the century ` and try to dissuade her father from losing this last piece of her inheritance. Posing as a companion was a stretch for Madeline  who gave `bossy' a new meaning. Pretending to be meek and humble  being seen and not heard  ironing a dress - none of these things were in her repertoire of skills - but nothing could be worse than running into Gabriel Ansell  the earl of Campion and her former fiancé that she had run from and been trying to forget these last four years.As always  this was a sensually sensational romantic read from the extremely gifted Christina Dodd. She has given us a heroine who used her courage and intelligence to survive the dysfunctional neglect her absent-minded gamester father put her through from the time she was a child. The secondary characters  and their humorous dialogs are wonderful as Gabriel and Maddy come to terms with their feelings for one another  and finally giving him her complete trust when her very life was on the line! Furthermore  Maddy's very sensual surrender will have you squirming in your seat. I cannot wait for the sequels to this book. Lady Thomasin  was a delight and I surely hope that we get to read her story as well as Eleanor  who traded places with Maddy to go and meet the mysterious Mr. Knight! FABULOUS read - and a treasure for my keeper shelf!,Sozinho
"I first became aware of this strange and startling case several years ago via a PBS documentary  probably a Frontline production. I was just stunned: a fire captain exposed as a pyromaniac. Obviously the man had some serious ""issues"" with life  the world  and especially himself. In this lucid  detailed and somewhat spicy narrative  former LAPD detective sergeant and crime writer extraordinary Joseph Wambaugh expands on what was presented in that documentary. His tone and editorial attitude make it clear that he doesn't think much of one John Leonard Orr  former Glendale  California fire captain  who was eventually convicted of setting a string of fires in California. I don't blame Wambaugh. One of the fires that Orr started killed four people  including a child. It's only by fortuitous happenstance that more people were not killed.Wambaugh's narrative is a little too detailed in recalling the trials  especially the long drawn out penalty phase of the murder trial (perhaps attempting to make it as excruciating for us as it was for the jury); and his early attempt at not disclosing Orr's culpability (for those very few readers who may not have heard of the case) came up a little short as his asides made it clear that Orr was definitely one very sick puppy. Otherwise this is a masterful piece of true crime journalism by someone who has the background to understand the police and detective work involved  someone who has done the extensive research necessary to give us a comprehensive account  and someone with the narrative and organizational skills to produce a compelling volume.But Wambaugh also gives us a detailed psychological profile of John Orr. He does not use the word ""pyromaniac"" in his depiction. In fact  I don't think the word ""pyromania"" occurs in the book until near the end when it is used by a psychiatrist in the penalty stage of Orr's murder by arson trial. Wambaugh's position is that Orr is a psychopath who set fires to boost his ego and stimulate himself sexually. He cared not at all about who got hurt or what damage was done. There is also a strong sense of the ""little guy"" trying to make up for his feelings of inferiority by committing horrendous acts that would lend his deluded persona a sense of superiority over his fellow man. The fact that at no time does Orr feel any remorse or accept any responsibility for his actions argues for Wambaugh's position. Personally  for what it's worth  I've known a few psychopaths--or sociopaths  as they are alternatively called--and John Orr certainly fits the bill.Still this is an unusual case of the psychopath at work  and I think it is revealed that part of what John Orr is about is pyromania. Indeed  Wambaugh's title  ""Fire Lover "" is meant in an almost literal sense. I recall literature from years ago that pyros ""got off"" on their fires. This is the first case I know of in which we have more or less direct evidence (from Orr's novel/memoir which turned up as evidence in the trials) that this is literally so.Wambaugh does a good job of providing insights into how the police and fire departments and the criminal justice system operate. He is not shy about revealing carelessness  incompetence  turf warring  and ego side trips. He is particularly adamant in his criticism of the court system and its sometimes arcane procedures. In an extended metaphor he calls the participants in a trial  ""strange fish that lazily glide  blowing gas bubbles that pop ineffectually on the surface of the litigation tanks in which they live and breed."" (This from page 272. See also pages 291  299 and elsewhere.)I'm not sure about how appropriate that interesting metaphor is  but Wambaugh impressed me with his fairness  criticizing and complimenting both the prosecution and the defense. Especially effective was the way he showed how a decade's old case that was once called an accident was successfully prosecuted against what looked like heavy odds  mainly due to the bulldog-like determination of prosecutor Mike Cabral. Wambaugh's description of him in action vis-a-vis the jury on page 273 is an example of the very best in vivid and telling exposition. Clearly Wambaugh has a novelist's sense of characterization  making the principals  especially of course  John Orr  come to life. He side trips himself sometimes with the sort of crude but colorful humor the men in blue are famous for. The cascade of ""woodie"" jokes might offend some readers  and some of the sexual vulgarity from Orr's ""novel"" is quoted outright  so beware.Bottom line: perhaps not Wambaugh's most compelling work  but a good read nonetheless about an extraordinary case.",Sozinho
"If you liked the first three Lemony Snicket books  ""The Bad Beginning "" ""The Reptile Room "" and ""The Wide Window "" available individually and in a boxed set  you will enjoy the next three books collected in this set  ""The Miserable Mill "" ""The Austere Academy "" and ""The Ersatz Elevator "" even more.The first of the three books is ""The Miserable Mill."" The orphans have moved to another relative  this one the owner of the Lucky Smells Lumbermill in the rundown town of Paltryville. I'm not sure of the relationship of this new person to the children  and we really see very little of this uncaring person in any case. Furthermore  we never know his name; he is just called ""Sir"" or ""The Boss"".The children toil in the lumber mill from the time they arrive in Paltryville. Soon they have splinters and are tired and hungry  because they get nothing for breakfast  almost nothing for lunch  and casserole for dinner. There are multiple labor and child abuse laws violated in this book  but perhaps it might make some readers more appreciative of what they have.As has happened in the previous three books  the children are able  principally through their own efforts  to overcome the bad guys. Unfortunately someone does die in a gruesome  though not detailed  way. Once again the children are on their way to another home.Of the four books thus far  this one was my least favorite. The style of the books is such that bad things happen to these children on a regular basis  but in this book it seems as though bad things are happening to nearly everyone. This book is very depressing. I was also a bit annoyed with the extremes that the author went to in his exaggerations.The fifth book in the saga implements several changes  all for the better. The first change is that we are no longer with a relative. Instead  we are at Prufrock Academy  a boarding school. Secondly  the Baudelaires acquire two friends at this new school. There are additional positives. They actually get to eat  they get to study  and they get to read. For a moment you might actually think that things are looking up for the Baudelaires. Ah  but for those familiar with the series  you know that can't be true.If the Baudelaires violate any of a series of bizarre rules they must endure a series of equally bizarre punishments relating to their meals. Included in this list of punishments is loss of silverware  loss of a cup  though you still get your drink  it's just in a puddle on your tray  and even having your hands tied behind your back at mealtime.As you have probably also guessed  Count Olaf does eventually show up. However  Count Olaf does not immediately try to spirit the children away from Prufrock Academy. Instead  he has them exercise nightly  all night long. The children try to figure out his scheme all the way up to the point where he does execute his scheme  and I can say no more or you will miss all the fun.In this book the children meet triplets who are now twins because one of the twins died. The five children become good friends because they are all orphans. They all get along well and work together to try and beat Count Olaf. However  the children are at the mercy of Count Olaf almost from the point he shows up to nearly the end of the story.The children have usually escaped from Count Olaf due to their own abilities. This time the children are saved due to a combination of fortunate circumstances  including the help of their new friends. We do not find out where the children are going next at the end of this book  but of course we know that they will have another home in ""The Ersatz Elevator"".In ""The Ersatz Elevator"" the Baudelaire orphans move in with a non-relative in a penthouse apartment. While you might think that a penthouse apartment (which has something like 71 bedrooms) and kitchens  and sitting rooms  and on and on  would be a lovely place to live  you would be thinking wrong.This time the problem is that Esme Squalor (the sixth most important financial advisor in the city) and her husband Jerome are way too hung up on what is ""in"". Esme must go to only the ""in"" restaurants; she must wear only ""in"" clothes  which includes the children  and on and on. Unfortunately  being ""in"" also means multiple compromises in terms of comfort. For example  the penthouse is on the top of a building with 66 stories  and elevators are ""out"". So the Squalors and the Baudelaires must walk up and down the 66 stories each time the go in to and out from the building. They certainly received sufficient exercise. Before I forget  orphans are also ""in"".Of course  we know that Count Olaf must eventually show up  and he does. However  there is a mystery. We find that Count Olaf went up to the apartment and did not later leave the building. Therein lays the crux of the mystery for this story.This story climaxes with the children running briefly into old friends  and then losing them again. They also nearly catch Count Olaf  again. In the end  the children are forced to find a new home once again. Unfortunately I am unable to tell you more  because Lemony Snicket  should he ever escape from his current predicament  would hunt me down and provide me with agony should I reveal the end of this Baudelaire tale. Suffice it to say that the Baudelaires have their best adventure yet  with even better to come.This box set is a great way to collect this series if you have found that you like the unconventional way the Lemony Snicket has written these books. I recommend them cautiously  and principally for children 8 or 9 or above.",Sozinho
"Like ""Running in Heels"" and ""Getting Over It""  I wanted to throw this book out the window when I hit the middle chapters. At first I enjoyed the book. I could identify with Holly as a rape victim and some of her feelings. However  in the middle of the book when she realizes she hasn't had her period since the rape and she blames it on the stress FROM the rape...that's when it got a little silly. In Running in Heels it was anorexia  in Getting Over It Jasper moved back in...and now a pregnancy. From experience  I know that you actually DO worry about pregnancy and STDs and such...not just completely forget about it. And she had a rape exam and seeing as how it was a month later  I think they would have given her a test. Which would have made it a little hard for her to invent this baby. And the police officers did not seem realistic at all.I enjoyed the first half of the book. It showed the emotional consequences of rape in a realistic way. But in the middle  the cops came in and catered to her every need  which is not realistic. The plush setting and sympathy were not realistic at all. And suddenly she's back with Nick and the world is wonderful.Maxted's books always have a promising beginning  but somewhere in the middle it seems as though she got bored with the story and decided to throw something random in but didn't go back and try to blend it in with the story.",Sozinho
As a fan of the first couple of Tales of the City books  I approached The Night Listener with great anticipation--particularly because of the glowing reviews. And  once again  I find myself forced to wonder who writes all these glowing reviews and what their previous reading experience might have been.No doubt about it  the premise is a grabber. Broken-hearted  middle-aged gay man is losing/has lost his long-time  younger lover; when asked to write a cover quote for a promising work written by a thirteen-year-old horrifically abused boy  Gabriel Noone finds himself completely taken with both the boy and his book.There then ensues a series of telephone conversations that strain credulity. Okay  it's possible. Authors do sometimes find themselves far more involved with their readers than they ever wanted or expected to be. What really doesn't work is the nonstop whining Noone offers this dying child who  for the most part  just listens and then offers insights and wisdom that no child could possess  regardless of the extent of the abuse s/he'd suffered. Abuse may age one prematurely; it may even heighten one's innate perception  but it cannot inspire the kinds of insights young Pete offers. Only age and experience can hone one's comprehension of the behavior of others. To suggest that abuse has endowed young Pete with premature wisdom and compassion not only borders on the ludicrous it also minimizes the truly monumental damage that is the end-product for children who have suffered gross physical and emotional indignities.In the final few chapters the book falls to pieces so thoroughly that I spent several hours trying to figure out just what the author had intended to achieve. Certain things happen that would be impossible  given the author's construct. Unfortunately  to describe these things would give away plot details. But a discerning reader will undoubtedly puzzle over the how and why of these details  just as I did.There was endless potential here for a riveting exchange between an anguished older man and a terribly abused  terminally ill child. But instead the author's focus was primarily on the older man  leaving young Pete a shadow figure  scarcely believable and barely present. What we get  instead of enlightenment  is a kind of one-man parade: Gabriel Noone as the drum master  strutting down the road of pseudo self-discovery  leading his parade of naked grievances.,Sozinho
"Controversy is deliciously entertaining  violence is shocking and sensual content is titillating.....for most adults. But what is this doing to our children? The Media has so permeated our lives that it seems there is no way to protect ""childhood innocence.""""Saving Childhood"" offers parents hope and practical tips on how to encourage security  a sense of wonder and optimism in the life of a child. This book will empower parents and give them hope for the future.The first part of the book has been written to make parents aware of the realities of the situation and explains the ""Assault"" on innocence. The second part is the ""Defense."" Michael and Diane explain that the Assault is coming from Media  Schools  Peers and Parents. They show how statistics have proved that the problems in our society are getting worse at a rapid pace and back this up with scientific evidence. They also explain many points with examples from the raising of their own three children.The Medveds explain how we live in a land where sex education has failed to reduce teenage pregnancy  children feel guilty for existing  parents push their children to grow up too fast  children have a lack of moral values  and parents have taken a passive role.So who is educating our children? It seems an inadequate school system and the TV!Television is well known for programs which contain high levels of violence. I have long been a believer that TV violence causes aggression. Michael and Diane prove this point and I found it interesting to read about how the crime rates increased soon after the introduction of TV into various towns.I grew up in South Africa for most of my childhood and remember very few people having TV's in the early years. TV was apparently banned until 1975. In fact  my father never purchased a TV and so I grew up basically TV-free! Perhaps that is why I can still enjoy a movie like ""Runaway Bride."" Most of my friends are so jaded  they can't appreciate movies which I find to be very enjoyable. In fact  most movies are new to me.The Medveds also show how TV promotes impatience  self-pity  superficiality and gives us all a harsh view of the world. With all this negativity  how are we balancing our lives and promoting a positive view of the world?There are now three books I consider ""essential reading"" for every American: ""America's Real War "" ""The American Paradox "" and ""Saving Childhood."" These three books are brilliantly conceived works which explain America's present predicament and give excellent solutions. After reading all three books  I am now convinced of our nations need for:1. Responsibility to a Higher Power. (90 percent of Americans believe in God) 2. Renewed respect for life and authority. 3. The teaching of personal responsibility  patriotism and honesty. 4. Parents that stay together and live what they teach. 5. The teaching of moral values. 6. The reading of inspiring books instead of a diet of negative TV reinforcement. 7. A revamp of our Education System. 8. Holding our Media responsible for programming. 9. Teaching a sense of gratitude for life. 10. An all-out effort to protect the remaining innocence of our children.In order to promote the efforts of parents  Michael and Diane devote chapter seven  eight and nine to explain how parents can promote ""security "" ""a sense of wonder "" and ""optimism"" in the lives of their children.""Childhood is perhaps the only phase of life when innocence can flourish. But to allow this  parents and others responsible for children's minds need to construct a protective shelter against the painful and frightening facets of life. They need to stand guard at its door  to let the harsher truths of reality gradually unfold for the child  in a way and at a pace that allows the child to maintain a positive outlook. Honoring innocence is incompatible with assuming that the earlier children grasp all the worst aspects of the world  the better prepared they'll be to handle them."" -- ""Saving Childhood"" page 195To this I add one of my favorite poems for children:May tree and plant and shrub be soundless through the night and stars and moon be dimmed to shut out all the light. So when you sleep in peace  no bird will move in flight  and angles guard your sleep. Goodnight  my love goodnight. ~James Neill Northe~The Rebecca Review",Sozinho
I loved about the first half of this book. I think it's so important for people working with inflexible and explosive children to understand they don't WANT to be that way  and to learn to give in on the more minor issues in order to not be in constant battle. However  by the end of the book  I was left feeling that there were large gaps in his ideas. For one  although we are told there are issues on which there should be no giving in  we are not really told how to enforce our stands on these issues  and since so many issues are said to be ones on which we must negotiate  I think that many children would be forgiven if they didn't think that we REALLY meant it on the issues we are NOT to give in on! A case study example about using give and take on one issue (going overnight to a friend's house when the child hasn't gotten enough rest lately) seems to me like it is basically just totally giving in---I don't think a child would learn any skills on give and take from how it was shown to be done. Also  call me old-fashioned  but I can't stand how many obscenities are used in examples in this book. I think we can get the point after a few that this is an issue Greene feels we should ignore! However  even with all these complaints  I think I did get some valuable ideas from this book  especially about what goes on in the head of an inflexible  explosive child.,Sozinho
I loved this beautifully written book until soon after the part where the mother and daughters left the father. It should have ended then  because that was obviously the climax of the story. Instead  the book went on unnecessarily for another hundred or so pages with the characters' lives after that climactic event.That said  I found this book to be Kingsolver's best by far. Her device of telling the story through the eyes of different characters was brilliant and made for multilayered portrayals of most of the major characters. Her prose  as I said above  is beautiful: deft  rich  and delicately wrought. Her understanding of the Congo made me feel I was there. Simply one of the best books I have ever read.,Sozinho
The Poisonwood Bible the superbly written book by Barbara Kingsolver is one of the best books I have read in years. Nathan Price has dreamed of going to Africa as a missionary for years and willingly has his wife and four daughters accompany him despite the risks. The book is told in five distinct voices  that of his wife and four daughters. The reader begins to know and care deeply about each child. Each is profoundly affected by Nathan and her own experience of Africa. They are faced with dangers as venomous serpents  drought  and army ants.Africa for ever alters each family member and this dysfunctional family will be forever changed. The lessons learned while coming of age in the midst of revolution are significantly different than those for middle class America. Love and beauty for each of the surviving sisters has a different meaning.This is a wonderful book crafted by an excellent author. I expected it will be required reading for years to come. It is not for everyone. I have lent it out only to have it returned unread. So considered your likes in reading material. It is lengthy. The second half of the book moves at a slower pace than the first. There are those who may disapprove of even the faintest criticism of the religious.,Sozinho
"The time is 1959  and a minister  his wife  and four daughters have arrived in the Congo to set up a mission and convert the natives to Christianity. Indeed the natives provide a warm welcome for the family  but things seem to go wrong right from the start. The celebration is marred when the minister chastises the group because the women have  to him  the vile habit of wearing nothing from the waste up. This righteous  rigid man of God doesn�t have a chance. His preaching is pedantic  filled with biblical illusions that many American fundamentalists would have difficulty with. His theology is not one of love  but of stern exhortations to mind God�s law.Life in the jungle is difficult  and some members of the family become depressed with the hardships of a life that is made worse by the tyranny of the father. Then there is an event which prompts the family to begin its slow exodus back to civilization.We are now at about page 500 of a 650 page book  and this is where the novel really should end. Author Kingsolver continues the story  but turns this part of the book into a polemic on the continuing plight of the Congo.But  hey  you have 500 pages of good reading in front of you. If you are interested in more fictional and non fictional accounts of Congo history I would recommend the following books:Non-fiction:�King Leopold�s Ghost�  by Adam Hochschild. As the cover says it is �a story of greed  terror  and heroism in colonial Africa."" That sums it up adequately. This book won a prize for best book on international relations  and was a NY Times Notable Book.�In The Footsteps of Mr. Kurtz�  by Michela Wrong. The author  a reporter  recalls her years in the Congo (then Zaire) under the final years of Mobutu�s presidency. �Mr. Kurtz� in the title refers to a character from Conrad�s �Heart of Darkness�Fiction:�Heart of Darkness�  by Joseph Conrad. This is  of course  a classic novella that takes place during King Leopold�s reign of terror. I most strongly recommend that you buy the Norton Critical Edition of this book. In addition to the 76 page novella there are close to 350 more pages of background on the Congo  plus many interesting articles about Conrad�s story.�A Bend in The River�  by V.S. Naipaul. Imperialism falls  and the main character finds himself in a post �Heart of Darkness� Congo.",Sozinho
"I'm currentley reading ""Poisonwood Bible"" for my history class im only about 60 pages in and I already love it dearly. I love the way the story rotates between Nathan Price's 4 different and hilarious daughters I especially love Adah Price  Leah Price's twin. Adah is mentally retarted yet she knows and sees more than all and is indeed a hilarious character. I also love the relationship between their mother and father. She seems to be such a normal person who curses  makes mistakes and tries hard but he seems to live his life on a pedastal trying to be the most perfect person ever (far from it in my opinion) I recommend this book to everyone it's a great read.",Sozinho
"I was really expecting this to be a great book. I'd first come across Ms. Kingsolver when I read her Prodigal Summer about five months ago  and absolutely loved it. It was a great  well-written story  and despite the fact that I came out of it feeling a little bit used  I could not wait to sink my teeth into this one.The subject matter made it even more attractive. Like Paul Theroux's ""Mosquito Coast "" this one has an atypical American father taking his wife and family into a jungly  tropical wilderness to carve out a new life. Perhaps more exciting was the idea of getting a glimpse of an utterly foreign land  seen through the eyes of people with whom we can relate.It is told in the first person in alternating chapters by the mother and her four daughters  and although it takes a bit of getting used to  it works. Each of the five has an identifiable personality and a distinctive voice. It gets off to a flying start: within the first twenty pages the family is dumped into a steaming  isolated part of the Congo; a ramshackle group of hovels right smack-dab on the equator. They get off the rickety plane and are immediately surrounded by a mob of sweating  chanting natives  pushed and pulled to the church where a large animal is roasting  then handed chunks of it and other horrible-looking gruel on tin plates. Nobody even has a chance to change their clothes.This is just the beginning  and things don't get much easier. Father  a zealous  bible-thumping preacher  proves woefully incapable of relating to anybody  and his efforts to convert the Africans are ineffective and ridiculous. In fact  every idea he has  from planting crops to baptizing converts  is disastrous. The family tries to cope in a myriad of ways  but the African continent is almost too daunting. There are days and days of unbearable  steaming heat  causing drought; followed by days and days of pouring rain  causing flood. There is the brown  dirty-looking river infested with crocodiles. There are snakes and wild beasts in the jungle. There are insects everywhere  mosquitoes and flies and beetles and even a wild  scary ant invasion. There are the diseases: sleeping sickness  and elephantiasis  and malaria. And then there are the people  whose customs and language are almost incomprehensible  and who occasionally exhibit hostility to the white strangers. (All are fascinating  though. In the skilled hands of Ms. Kingsolver they come across as unusual  three-dimensional  individual  and completely believable.)In the middle of this Belgium announces that the Congo will become independent. Everyone expects chaos  and the family is told in no uncertain terms that they must leave. It will be too dangerous to stay. But Preacher Dad isn't going to go  by God. He has a job to do. So they stay  things get even worse  and the family begins to disintegrate.If you think this sounds interesting  you are right. It is great stuff  culminating in a disaster that even the all-suffering mother can't take  and the family decides to get out  with or without father. Their escape  through mud  mosquitoes and jungle  also makes for a fascinating story.But at this point  with about 150 pages or so to go  the book pretty much runs out of gas. The plot dies  the characterizations end  and a long series of thinly-disguised lectures begin  apparently in an effort to enlighten the pampered  overfed  rich and ignorant Americans most likely to be reading this thing.You see  we overthrew the noble and democratic Lumumba in 1961 and installed the horrid  greedy  and despotic Mobutu  all because we were afraid of a little communism (small C). The communists  don't you know  feel that all people deserve to live in their own house. Everybody! What's wrong with that? And if that wasn't bad enough  we then stupidly backed the opposition group in Angola against its wonderful democratic leader  but at least the brave and noble Cubans came over to help him. How TERRIBLE it is to be an American  and how ashamed we all should be.And look at the shelves in American grocery stores! Filled with useless things  like shampoo  and carpet cleaner  and shaving cream. Why should anybody need these things? People in Africa have NOTHING! What a bunch of arrogant  overfed  ignorant morons we all are!Okay  I get it. In fact  I'm even willing to admit that there's bound to be a little truth in what Ms. Kingsolver says about our incessant political meddling. And yes  okay  coming back from Africa after two years to the plenty of America had to have been a disorienting experience. But for goodness sake  can't she try to make it a little more even-handed? Is it too much to ask that we get even a tiny little glimpse of what the other side of the story might be?Even worse  she sacrifices one of her characters to overbalance the political argument in her favor. Rachel  clearly the most superficial of the sisters  is nevertheless an interesting  fully-developed character early on. But in the later chapters she is distorted to become selfish  ignorant and racist in order to prove the author's point about ugly Americans  and furthermore to set her against her nobler  more Africanized and therefore oh-so-progressive sisters. It is too much. Much too much  and really a shame. The book is a flop. And it didn't have to be.If the talented Ms. Kingsolver had simply and quietly illustrated the fascinating differences between Western and African cultures  the reader would have been allowed to draw his own conclusions. Instead  we are spoon-fed a bowl of ill-tasting and indigestible propaganda  and told in no uncertain terms that the world will be a much better place when white people are no longer left in it. Please excuse me if I choose not to jump on this bandwagon.",Sozinho
I'm an author (BABY CATCHER: Chronicles of a Modern Midwife)  and I also teach writing classes. I appreciate all of Kingsolver's books for different reasons  but this one is a particular triumph in her ability to write in the very distinctive voices of several different characters. You have only to open the book at random and read 2 or 3 lines to know exactly which character is telling her part of the story. A tour de force.The story concerns the family of Nathan Price  a self-righteousness religious fanatic who drags them all off to the Congo to save souls. Disaster is inevitable  and disaster is what happens. The story is told mostly by the four daughters: the malaprop and cliché-ridden vapid eldest daughter  the intelligent and sincerely adoring 2nd child  the schrewd  watchful and mute 3rd child  and the youngest  a 5yo. Beyond the story of just this family  however  Kingsolver carefully spoon-feeds us a lesson in brutal nationalistic rule of the Belgian Congo  racial genocide  the CIA's involvement in some of the horrors that engulfed Africa  and exploitation of poor countries by rich ones.Top notch book by one of the US's top notch writers.,Sozinho
I was fascinated by this book from start to finish. The story of the family moved me  I worried about snakes and hunger and bacterias in the Congolese jungle  like the mother. I delighted in the nature and people of Africa like some of the daughters. I could even sometimes feel the loneliness and craziness of the overreligious father. And as I was captivated  the story about Africa en the independance of the Congo slowly crept up on me  the same as the characters who were only half aware at first what they were in the middle of. It offered me a lot to think about.I recently also reviewed 'How to be good' by Nick Hornby. There are not many parallels between these two books  only that both deal with the complexities of being good in a seemingly bad world. In Hornby's book I found this message obvious and annoying  but Kingsolver seduced me with her beautiful language into accepting her message. Thank you  Barbara Kingsolver!,Sozinho
"Having read Phillip Gulley's ""Front Porch Tales "" I was eager and intrigued to pick up his first work of fiction  ""Home to Harmony."" And I'm happy to report that the magic and wonder that made ""Front Porch Tales"" such an enjoyable read is present here.The story is told from the perspective of Sam Gardner  who grew up in the small town of Harmony and has now returned as the minsiter of the local Quaker congreagation. There's no real plot to the novel  so much as there are anecdotes about the various people and places in town. Gulley's Harmony reminds of the calm  tranquility that first make Garrison Keillor's Lake Wobegon so enduring to listeners and then readers. (Indeed  at times throughout the book I found myself yearning to hear Mr. Gulley's voice telling us these stories). At the end of each chapter  Gulley presents us with the moral of the story or makes a good point. He's never heavy-handed with it and the point he's trying to make fits seamlessly into the stories.If you're looking to slip into a comfortable place that's gentle and calm  I highly recommend a trip to Harmony. The book and the stories are as comfortable as old friends.",Sozinho
This is an awesome book on nutrition. Everyone should read it. It has changed my life. A real eye-opener. I strongly recommend it to anyone looking to lose weight. I bought extra copies after I finished it to send to family and friends.,Sozinho
This is my favorite of the three Marian Keyes novels I've read.Keyes' humor is a little dark  but quirky and uncompromising. She's great at describing real life frustrations. Her heroines are always strong and have a warped sense of humor. I love the introduction to Claire's family. Helen is hilarious  and even though she may make a better secondary character  I hope she gets a book of her own. Every character in Claire's family is wonderfully drawn.However  I could not understand why Claire's husband  James  had an affair and acted as he did. I didn't feel like I understood his character or motivations at all. At least if he's going to act like a jerk  have the reason be fairly credible.I am seeing a trend where Marian Keyes' stories follow the same basic storyline. Fairly attractive heroine involved in crisis  must rebuild her life or meet challenge. Her life and the people in it no longer look the same. Everpresent male friend/boyfriend eventually steps forward for relationship. Heroine renews life.This story is a pageturner  but still in the Marian Keyes way-- predictable. And I don't always appreciate Keyes' humor  which is sometimes too wry for me.If you like this storyline check out the 1986 movie Heartburn with Meryl Streep and Jack Nicholson.Autobiographical novel is by Nora Ephron  who was briefly married to and had two sons with Washington Post journalist Carl Bernstein of Watergate fame. Deftly directed by Mike Nichols. Kevin Spacey can also be spotted in his first feature film role.,Sozinho
This book hooked me in and kept me focused throughout the 543 pages. I cheered for the mother and daughters and cursed the father. I wept for the loss of Ruth May. If this book has one flaw  it becomes confusing with the wide range of years toward the end. I found myself having to turn back to see how many years had past since the last narative. I deeply enjoyed this book  and am almost sadden by coming to the end. I will recommend this to all my friends.,Sozinho
while i'm no longer an advocate reader with my busy schedule  i do like to read short stories or novellas from time to time. in fact  i think i tend to suffer from acute laziness when reading anything that doesn't pertain to my work or junk mail which are receive tons of all the time in my p.o. box. after years of reading a short story here or there  i'd never read a book of short stories all the way through & in such a short period of time. from the moment i picked this book up on the bargain rack in border's to the time i went to bed later that evening  i couldn't tear myself away from the book. believe or not  i actually stopped taking phone calls & i had no desire for any kind of noise in the background (or just the minimum noise) which is unusual because i love music  movies  & lotsa noise generally speaking. when i began reading oates  i couldn't bear the though of the least distraction. i wanted to be literally taken away into her world of destruction  despair  and the tortured sould which only ms. oates can give. in a world of little faith  we find so many people here losing their way and struggling to maintain balance and find hope. faithless tells the tales of the sins we commit against others and the sins commited against us both forgivable and unforgettable. here we stories steeped with violence  aggression  & confusion which we can all surely identify with in this day & time. whereas there are books that you can read one short story & skip the others  you will want to read every story here and then seek out other books this magnificent woman has written. of all the literary minds still living in the world today  joyce carol oates has proved once again that she is tops & has never been anything less than the serious writer she aspired to be. recognized everywhere now by literature lovers &critics or even talk show hosts like oprah winfrey  it's impossible to avoid her name so you might as well follow the phenomenon yourself & discover the urgency of her work. it is easy to understand now after reading faithless why ms. oates work has won so many accolades through the years. this volume of work alone is proof that she deserved them. i'm now in the process of finishing up her collector of hearts but that's another story & another review. seek out faithless  my devout reading friends.,Sozinho
"The author  Lawrence Scanlan  is something of a 'born-again' horse lover  by his own proclamation. He admits that for much of his life he failed to see the overwhelming appeal that many people find in horses. But as an adult  in preparation for his job as co-author of ""Riding High"" with show jumping champion Ian Millar  Scanlan started to take riding lessons. Soon he was hooked. Although he still does not have horses of his own  he now loves riding and spending time in the company of our equine companions. As he read more and more about the equine creature  he became fascinated with the intertwined histories of humans and horses. This is what led him to write ""Wild About Horses "" a collection of [mostly true  some fictional] stories celebrating this inter-species bond.Scanlan does not really have a central thesis  but rather explores the numerous ways in which horses have participated in and impacted humans throughout history and into the present day. His writing is fluid and to the point. The book is divided into ten chapters  each with a slightly different theme  covering such stories as the following (these are not the only stories he addresses  but just a sampling to give you an idea):Horses in rituals and sacrifices through history; Pegasus; the Trojan Horse; Scanlan's own horseback trip in Wyoming; the history of mustangs; Wild Horse Annie; the evolution of the horse; the domestication of horses; horses as a food source; Xenophon; Native American horsemanship; trainer John Solomon Raney in the 1850s; trainers Monty Roberts and Tom Dorrance; Alexander the Great and Bucephalus; the history of warhorses; the Huns and Mongols; Medieval knights; the Royal Canadian Mounted Police; Comanche and the Battle of Little Bighorn; Napoleon and Marengo; Wellington and Copenhagen; Roy Rogers and Trigger; Eadweard Muybridge's motion photography; the Lone Ranger and Silver; the books ""Black Beauty "" ""Misty of Chincoteague "" ""My Friend Flicka "" and ""Smoky the Cow Horse""; the movie ""National Velvet""; author and former jockey Dick Francis; equine athletes Ruffian  Northern Dancer  Secretariat  Phar Lap  Man O'War  Big Ben  Halla  and Arkle; cattle drives; Scanlan's own stay at a working ranch; A.E. Tschiffley's 10 000 mile ride across the Americas; Barbara Whittome's 2 500 mile ride across Russia; Welsh Pony breeders Dick & Adele Rockwell; the Pony Express  and Buffalo Bill Cody; Snow Man  a horse rescued from slaughter that went on to become a champion jumper; Marocco the 'dancing horse'; Clever Hans; horse psychic Fred Kimball; and the bonds horses form with other animals.While I did enjoy reading this book  I have a few criticisms. First and foremost  Scanlan seems to have borrowed heavily from the book ""The Man Who Listens to Horses"" by Monty Roberts (for which Scanlan wrote the introduction and afterword). He has used material both from his own contributions to the book  as well as Roberts's own writing  often using identical phrasing. This parroting was especially evident since I have only just finished reading Roberts's book  and was somewhat disappointing. The sense of repetition is also furthered by the fact that most of these stories are very common ones  and I've heard about 75% of them before. They're not bad stories  but I do wish Scanlan had dug a little deeper for some less commonly heard-of accounts to include.Furthermore  Scanlan's coverage is not balanced. He leaves out vast areas of the horse world. The book has plenty of material on riding horses and ponies  but almost nothing on draft horses. The ""Sport Horse Legends"" chapter focuses almost entirely on Thoroughbred racehorses. There are a few jumpers thrown in  but no Western horses at all. When he talks of horse trainers  he talks a great deal about Monty Roberts  and a little bit about a couple others  but does not even mention many of the most influencial trainers of the last few decades. At times I also questioned the author's analytical skills  particularly when he dismissed a story as false on the basis that the horse involved  reported to be a palomino  had a Spanish name that translated to Cinnamon (which he said was too dark a color for palomino). However  this does not seem so far-fetched to me  as my father once owned a small black dog named Big Red...And finally  his writing is not completely focused on the supposed subject of the book - why humans love horses. He has included an overwhelming number of stories about horse abuse  and most don't even lead into more uplifting stories. In the ""Epic Rides"" chapter  he even commends several long-distance riders known for riding horses to death. Even more strange to me was the fact that  although much of the first chapter talks mildly and even respectfully about the ways horse skins and heads were used to adorn ancient holy spots  Scanlan later launches into a tirade against equine taxidermy and condemns horsemen such as Roy Rogers  who chose to have Trigger preserved and mounted.However  despite its faults  I did like the book. It was not perfect  but it was enjoyable. I did find some of the stories to be new and quite interesting  and Scanlan's extensive list of recommended further reading has lengthened the list of books I plan to read. If you're a connoisseur of horse lore  ""Wild About Horses"" may not hold any surprises for you  but it is nevertheless a nice collection. It's easy reading  and the text is interspersed with many black-and-white photographs. This would be nice for a personal treat or a gift for a friend.",Sozinho
It's inarguable that this is a terrific book. It tells the tale of just how evil racism can be  and shows the best (Atticus Finch) and worst men can be. I also think it's interesting that Truman Capote was the model for the character Dill  since Capote and Lee were childhood friends.,Sozinho
"When I was a teenager  Sandy Koufax was my favorite athlete (and what a thrill I had when I met him in 1966 when I was 15). This book makes me realize just how great Koufax was. Leavy describes his elbow arthritis as an injury caused by the tendon being stretched out thus not giving the elbow support. Today  this would be cured with the ""Tommy John"" surgery. In other words  Koufax pitched at least two seasons while in need of this surgery!! These were two of the greatest seasons ever by any pitcher in history.Koufax was famous for being a Jewish role model  particuualrly  for not pitching in the first game of the 1965 world series on Yom Kippur. Sandy was not religious  and despite alleged sightings in synagogues in Minneapolis  in fact  he did not even attend services. However  he realized how important Yom Kippur is and he showed the world that the holiest day on the Jewish calendar takes precedence over everything. What a great message to send!!Koufax is a very reserved individual and he is not seen in public very much. He is not full of himself; quite the opposite  he is reserved  humble and somewhat shy. Even though he is not a public personality  according to Leavy  he is currently  very happy and he is always there for his friends. Unlike so many ex players who get old and paunchy  the silver haired Koufax weighs thirty pounds less than he did in his prime. He kept in shape by training for and running marathons. This book shows Koufax to be a man of great character  such as his strong friendship with Black teamates at a time when they were not allowed in the same restaurants and hotels as the white players were. He has always identified with the underdog and his best friends on the team were not the superstars but  rather  the utility players. I recommend this book for anyone who wishes to gain an appreciation of what an extraordinary man Sandy Koufax is.",Sozinho
For experienced poker players  it's an account of one man's experiences with the game. For novice players  it's... well  the same thing  though I suspect beginner players will enjoy it a bit more. However  I think people with little exposure to the game might enjoy it more than anyone. It offers a glimpse into a world you might only have heard about through movies. Truthfully  for serious students of the game  there are no great insights here you haven't already read in much greater depth from one of poker's great authors. So just take take this book as a quick entertaining read and little else. On the other hand  if you've never read any poker books  but are intrigued by the game  then this book is a light  easy way to learn nuggets of knowledge you may be able to use playing against your friends.,Sozinho
This is one of my favorite books ever and I can't specifically tell you why. It's written from a man's point of view and I am partial to women writing about women. (Once again- like 'She's Come Undone'- Lamb is able to write with a very feminine and emotionally appealing quality). It was unusually long yet never got cumbersome or too wordy. Au contraire  it got more fascinating as the story went on- particularly the 'book within a book' story of his grandmother. And it was rather detailed in it's psychoanalytical study of the characters- which can sometimes be too esoteric for the ordinary reader. But somehow  in spite of all these normally 'red flags' for me  this book had it 'going on' in a big way. I literally couldn't put it down (after many late nights and bloodshot eyes) because the story continues to twist and turn  surprise and shock  and keep you riveted to the very end. I have recommended this book to everyone I know. But I will tell Amazon's prospective readers nothing except- BUY THIS BOOK AND SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS.,Sozinho
"For those who might be put off by the title  rest assured  Moore hangs the ""stupid white men"" appellation only on the Bush administration  even going as far as to designate Condoleeza Rice an Honorary Stupid White Male. This is not to say that Stupid White Men doesn't contain two obligatory chapters that herald his white male guilt  just that he reserves much of his vitriol for George Shrubya  his family and his friends.And for good reason  which Moore's thorough examination of the 2000 presidential ""election"" makes clear. He goes on to document  in detail  the many failings of the current administration  the administration that preceded it and concludes what many of us have suspected for years now: we've moved from a democracy to a corporatocracy in which big businesses court favor with our elected officials through generous campaign contributions and other near-bribes.Despite Moore's legitimate grumblings over Bush  this isn't really an anti-Republican screed because  as he demonstrates  the Democrats have been bought by the same corporate interests. What Moore is really screaming about is not bad Republicans  but the fact that the American people really have no one looking out for their best interests. This book serves as a good call to arms to overhaul the current ""two"" party system  and usher in a government that is truly BY the people and FOR the people.My only quibble with the book is Moore's aforementioned white male guilt. He's being a bit unfair in suggesting that only whites are capable of perpetuating injustice (I'm sure those who lived under Ghengis Khan would disagree) and only men are capable of domestic violence. His critique of white male behavior seems particularly ironic in light of his defense of rap music  a lot of which is openly violent  misogynist and racist.A good read that will both make you laugh and fire you up enough to yell ""...YES!"" next time your hear The Beatles sing ""You say you want a revolution...""",Sozinho
If you like British 'chick lit'  you'll like this one. It has likable characters and a good story. I thought the secondary 'surprise' romance in the book was even better than the lead character's romantic adventures. I've recommended this book to friends.,Sozinho
There is an awful lot of hype surrounding this novel and I hope that nothing bad happens to it. It is a sweet book and I'd hate for all the big  bad cynics out there to get a chance to stomp all over it. Alex's English is funny because it is comprehensible without being accurate. Is that a funny joke for the whole time? Maybe not  but the conceit is clever and works for the novel. Foer's work requires a sort of patience from the reader. After all  he's telling you with the title that he will eventually come to what he considers the payoff  so just wait for it.It is a backwards bildungsroman about a young man traveling to the East and metaphorically to the previous century to find out who saved his grandfather (and thereby how he himself was allowed to live). He is guided by Alex (who speaks a twisted English that befits his propensity for some fraction less than half-truths) and his 'blind' grandfather  the driver. Now  come on  just reading that  you have to admit is funny.This book could have been run through the meticulous edits that would have polished it to a fine lustre but so many strange bits would have been buffed away that it could not have been worth it.So  you're still curious about the novel after everything alse you've read? Click away and have it sent so that you too will giggle while explaining the dog's name to your friends.,Sozinho
In the introduction Foster cites CS Lewis' recommendation for reading one 'old book' for every new book one reads. 'Old books' can speak with voices outside of the biases of our time and document the inter-generational story of Christ and his Church. Classics that have been beneficial for centuries are more likely to be beneficial than the latest glossy at the local bookstore.However  it can be next to impossible to know where to start. That is where Foster has provided a great service with this text. He organizes 52 devotional excerpts from throughout the history of the church that speak lucidly and counterculturalally to our generation. The format is designed for devotional use with a short bio  3 page excerpt  related scripture  discussion questions and suggested action steps. It would be a great resource for a personal time of reflection or some sort of discussion group. It is the best $10.88 I have spent in a long time. I'm buying copies for all my friends.,Sozinho
After reading this 1300+ page drama  I feel intimately connected with Lata  and Haresh  and Malati and Maan and all the wonderfully colorful characters brought to life in these pages. As if by magic  India became a real place to me  and the customs and cultural voyages the author takes are beautiful and very well written. Sometimes I could smell the paan  other times I could feel the political hostilities in my veins. Vikram Seth's occasional slippage into the homosexual realm can be easily forgiven  as he doesn't paint the novel with it  merely taps the subject  jerking the reader into an awareness of it's existence  and then leaving it. My life became somewhat entwined with Seth's characters  I feel I know them now  and I feel as though I always will. This novel is not a page turner  stay-up-late kind of book. Rather  it is a friendly companion  able to take you away at a moment's notice - but not too far away. Read it. You'll make new friends.,Sozinho
Milan Kundera - what can i say about this writer?? He is a bundle of whole lot of enthusiasm  fantasy  magical prose  and lyrical poetry...I was first introduced to him by my mother and through the book  'The Unbearable Lightness of Being'- according to me one of the best!! Till I was presented  'Identity' by one of my close friends...Identity is all about love  misunderstandings and dreams. It is a tale of Jean and Chantal - lovers who are not only doubtful about their love  but also about their very existence...their identity...the story takes place in a hotel room where Chantal is waiting for Jean...She is years older than him and this is when the insecurity seeps in. she feels that 'men don't look at her the way they used to'  for a brief moment the reader feels that she is referring to men around her - but on further probing the story it is all about Jean. When jean hears this  he resorts to writing her anonymous love letters -full of praise of her beauty  life and zest...and then from here there are complications  love stories that are spanned between reality and dreams...love's longing and loss...milan kundera writes complexly but with a strong sense of surrealism...To read 'Identity' is like feasting on a chocolate cake with lots of love thrown i for good measure...,Sozinho
Mike Nelson  of 'MST3K' and 'Movie Megacheese ' gives a very funny book and an overall good read.A majority of the essays in this book are quite funny and easy to identify with. I really liked the essays about locker rooms  Inside the Actor's Studio  bedtime stories  and following his wife around to find out how she makes friends.,Sozinho
I am a very good griller and pride myself on my marinades and the fact I love to try new things. I bought this book a couple years ago and have given up. Of the 12 different recipes I've tried only 2 have been very good. More often than not  just mediocre.I even had 3 recipes get the thumbs down  by far the worst buffalo wings recipe I've ever made- and I tried it twice.I would not recommend this to any of my grilling friends.,Sozinho
"Edward Abbey (1927-1989) is a touchstone for anyone involved in the radical environmental movement. Abbey  who looks like the product of a union between William James and John Muir  churned out numerous books and essays concerning the American Southwest and its wondrous natural beauty. His best known work is this novel  ""The Monkey Wrench Gang "" a fictional tale about four nature lovers who decide to wage relentless war against America's manic desire to spread the industrial system into every corner of the country. Abbey apparently based some of the characters in the book on real people he knew during his life in the boonies. It is important to remember this while you read the book because it will scare the heck out of you that people like this actually exist.Abbey does not waste much time introducing the reader to his main characters. There is Seldom Seen Smith  a jack Mormon and river rafter who rambles around the countryside when he's not visiting his three wives. Seldom Seen quickly hooks up with Bonnie Abbzug  a Brooklyn born beauty with a predilection for older men and geodesic domes. Abbzug's flame of the moment is Doc Sarvis  an aging surgeon with a propensity for spouting off about nature and history when he's not operating on a patient. Finally  there is the hero of the story  George Washington Hayduke  a Vietnam vet who returns to his home only to discover bulldozers raping his beloved country. When the four meet up on a river-rafting excursion  Doc throws his checkbook into the ring so the four can go on an environmental rampage of astonishing proportions. No bulldozer  bridge  or member of the area's Search and Rescue team (run by the nefarious Bishop Love) is safe from the monkeywrenching activities of these four ecoterrorists.Abbey describes the destruction of industrial equipment in loving detail. The first excursion is at a construction site  in which the gang cuts wires  pours karo syrup in gas tanks  and pours sand in the engines. Subsequent missions involve driving equipment into lakes  pulling up survey stakes  destroying an oil drilling station  and rolling boulders over pick-up trucks. Whenever trouble shows up  the four melt into the rugged terrain of the Southwest  a land of desolate wastes interspersed with stunning plateaus  mountains  and rivers. Abbey's eye for beauty rarely fails in his descriptions of these haunting images. Even the most hardened soul will feel a real kinship with our vanishing wilderness after reading this novel.This novel is a masterwork of complexity  as Abbey juggles several themes simultaneously without missing a beat. One of these themes is  of course  the ferocity of nature. I interpreted Hayduke to be nature personified. His gruff and grungy appearance  his ability to become one with his environment  and his unbridled fury at the evil unfolding around him seem to represent the forces of nature itself. Hayduke is unrelenting in his quest to stop the destruction  even willing to resort to violence against the perpetrators whenever he sees fit. The other three characters act as a restraint on Hayduke  at least to some extent  but they also represent the various stages of humanity removed from nature. Seldom Seen Smith takes part in some of George's wilder escapades because he is closer to the environment. Bonnie and Sarvis  since they live in the city  tend to oppose many of George's plans and methods. Abbey is saying  and I may be wrong  that the farther some of us get away from the wilderness the less we are willing to do whatever is necessary to prevent the rampant destruction of the environment.There is no doubt that Abbey was an extremely intelligent man. His writing ability is amazingly brilliant  with numerous jokes  word plays  and multi-layered dialogue thrown in at breakneck speed. For those familiar with Ambrose Bierce or Mark Twain  Abbey will seem like an old friend. Like those two august figures of American letters  Abbey is an iconoclast  always willing to take painful swipes at any institution  accepted belief  or know-it-all jerks with absolutist values. Even environmentalists take a few shots on the chin in this book (For example  George never misses a chance to throw his beer cans out the window). Abbey's tendency to make politically incorrect comments and jokes is sure to anger many people who  in their quest to lecture us about their idea of a perfect world  accidentally left their sense of humor in the trunk of their brand new SUV. In short  when Abbey comes out swinging  be sure to duck.""The Monkey Wrench Gang"" is truly an American classic  embodying just the right amount of rugged individualism  distrust of authority figures  and old-fashioned violence Americans love so well. About the only problem with the book is some of the environmentalists go nuts and try to pull a Hayduke in their own backyards. Abbey was careful to make the violence a bit cartoonish at times  perhaps to cover his own back in case someone gets a little carried away. Still  this is an entertaining that also gives an inside view of the environmentalist mindset. If you like great scenery and great writing  you will enjoy this novel.",Sozinho
This was a fun book to read - an environmentalist's equivalent of 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid'.I do take issue with those who thought the humor was 'uproarious' or 'hilarious'. It was cute  and it was funny  but really the humor is predictable - no better or worse than any witty conversation you'd expect between coworkers or friends.,Sozinho
sensual and earthy  this is a book about nature and people. even though  I am an earth friendly person  I dont consider myself an enviromentalist and I felt very sympathetic about many of the issues that enviromentalist support. Kingsolver weaves plot and ecology or maybe biology in a swift blend that is hard not to understand. Nature is about everything from sex to love of ones child. I love this book. I could not put it down and once I finished I couldnt wait to lend it to friend.,Sozinho
"You'll either love this book  or you won't like it at all  at all. It's just that kind of story.Put me down as having loved it. And it's short  but it's not a book to be gobbled up too quickly. Take your time.A well-liked man in a small Irish town has died  and his deathbed confession has hurled the village priest  Father Declan  into a moral dilemma. Turns out Enda and Kevin Dennehy lived a lie for 50 years by pretending to be married. Kevin refuses to marry her at the end  and also refuses to say why. So it's left to Enda to tell Father Declan ""the all of it "" and tell it all she does. It leaves you pondering the question: What makes a moral life?Don't miss this one - in fact  buy two and give one as a gift to some thoughtful reading friend.",Sozinho
I am a major fan of Grippando. I read his The Informant and good hooked royally.Well this book is a fast paced cracker of a thriller.You will never know what will happen next.Grippando has the readers hooked till the end.Suspense builds up and you will be surprised at the twist at the end of the book.A real page turner i have recommended this book to all my friends.Please dont miss this thriller which has everything packed in it.,Sozinho
Walker's viewpoint here is unapologetically feminist  but whether or not you share her views  you will appreciate her research and interesting stories about ancient cultures  women's roles  and the origins of some common words and customs.The book is set up -- as the title implies -- in encyclopedic format to provide easy access to information on specific subjects of interest. It's just as much fun to read straight through the book  though; I often find myself continuing on to the next entry and the next after I'm finished with the one I originally looked up. The whole massive thing is filled with interesting trivia  and great for passing on to mothers  daughters  and good friends.,Sozinho
"*****This book is a great read all about fear. Specifically  it is about embracing fear---facing fear---rather than running from it  stuffing it  etc. Unlike most self-help books  the author does not presume to be an authority with easy answers; instead  he is a fellow human being who struggles with his own fear and that of his clients. He shares very practical techniques to approach your fears so that you can still have the life you want  regardless of your fears.Fear underlies most if all negative emotions. I found this book to be very helpful. The author asks many helpful questions such as ""What would I do today if I were brave?""...leading me to see where my fears stopped me.Another technique he uses is splitting our self-talk into the negative voices of unhealthy unnecessary fear (which he calls The Bully) and the positive voices of what we know with our heads and hearts (which he calls The Ally). This has been really helpful to me  too. He makes the point that we will never rid ourselves of fear  but we will be less and less bothered by it as we learn how to face it.This book differs from an ordinary self-help book in that it is amazingly useful  plus the author is practical  transparent  realistic  and humble. I loved reading it  highlighted it all over the place  and will read it again.It is an excellent value and worth hours of therapy. I would even suggest it in lieu of therapy! I immediately bought two copies to send to two of my closest friends.*****",Sozinho
Girl Goddess # 9 is a book by Francesca Lia Block. This book contains nine short stories about girls and how in every girl there is a goddess. They are all breathtakingly descriptive. It didn't take me long to finish this masterpiece!I'm a huge fan of Block's writing style and this book was one that takes you into its world from the beginning and doesn't let you out until the last page has been read and you're left with the aftertaste of Block's stories.The first story Tweetie Sweet Pea  is about being young and innocense. It's a great opener for this book. Blue was one of my personal favorites. When La looses her mother (her mother took her own life) she hides all her feelings in and has no friends. Until she meets an odd character from her closet who is blue.Dragons in Manhattan is one of the best short stories I've read. It's about a girl with two mothers who are lovers and she goes on a search to find her father. Rave is narrated by a boy who talks of a highschool love named Rave.Winnie and Cubby is about two highschool lovers one who a shocking secret revealed later in the story.Other stories include Girl Goddess # 9  The Canyon  Pixie and Pony  and Orpheus.This book is not to be missed!,Sozinho
This book kept popping up on my recommended list and on the lists of people whose selections I admired but something about the title or the cover put me off. I finally picked it up off my friends shelf the other day and started it and I didn't put it down until I had finished it.It is the funniest book I have ever read. I NEVER laugh out loud when I read and this book constantly had me bursting out. I read the whole thing with a smile on my face and absolutely fell in love with Georgia.This is an amazing first novel and the writing literally sparkles off the page. I am hooked and will pass it on to many friends.,Sozinho
Kate is sick and tired of not being noticed. The guy she likes dosen't know she exists and most of her her 'best friends' aren't really good friends. But everything about her life changes when she accidently takes out a book on Wicca while gathering books for her History project. She finds a spell inside that will make the object of her affection want her as much as she wants him. But when she casts the spell  it horribly backfires. All the guys in school (including the ones with girlfriends) are turning their attention to her. And now all the girls hate her  including her friends. In a panic she turns to two other poeple who have checked out the same book from the library  anti-social Cooper  and shy Annie. But will they help her? Or are they as afriad of magic as she is.I found this book to be very entertaining. I'm soooo looking forward to reading the others. It deserves five stars. I just hope the other books are as good. I reccomend it to anyone who's a fan of Buffy or Charmed. It's a mix of the two!,Sozinho
"Wilma Sturtz is one of the 'unpopulars' of Claverford Middle School. And ever since her two best friends had moved away  eighth-grader Wilma has been ignored by everyone making her feel alone and invisible. So it's a very big surprise to her when she meets a strange old lady who offers her one wish! Wilma of course asks to be the most popular kid in school. And before you know it  she's the star of school! Everyone loves her  she has forty dates to the Grad Night Dance  gets to hang out with the popular kids  and receives love poetry from an anonymous person. Wilma can't think of any way her life could get any better and forgets that all wishes sometimes has a few loopholes to it. Soon she discovers that her popularity might not last...Ever since I read ""Ella Enchanted""  I knew I had to read another Gail Carson Levine book. So for my birthday I got ""The Wish""  which sounded so enjoyable to me. And it was a terrific book  though I give it only 4.5 stars because in my opinion the book could have been a little longer. But it was still great. It's amazing how well Levine was able to describe the life of a 14-year-old so realistically. ""The Wish"" has a very good lesson to it  giving the reader a real look on the subject about popularity and true friends. Though the book says it's for kids ages 8-12  for me I thought it was more like for girls 12-up.",Sozinho
My husband is supposed to be reading Ambling ... for an on-line book group  but I borrowed it 2 days ago  and wouldn't give it back to him until I finished.This book does a remarkable job of portraying a man who struggled with family expectations  addictions  and ambivalence about his race to the presidency. I think that what makes Bruni's criticisms of Bush seem fair even to this Republican is that Bruni frequently touches on his uncertainties regarding the man. Bruni shows a healthy scepticism toward journalists and his own prejudices  telling Bush's story with a remarkable even-handedness. He's sympathetic to Bush's good qualities  yet fair when dealing with the man's faults. This is a book I am strongly recommending to both my Republican and Democrat friends.,Sozinho
I confess to being a professor at one of the schools mentioned in this book as the 'Best'. Business schools have developed a love/hate relationship with this book because although it contains a lot of good  thoughtful information  some people use it for the wrong reasons.Make a distinction between the RANKINGS and the extended essay-type descriptions contained on the top scools. The RANKINGS tell you (possibly) two things: they tell you (maybe  sometimes) about the quality of the results the graduates get  and they tell you....well they tell you whether you will get bragging rights to your friends. In other words  the rankings have developed their own prestige which is SEPARATE from the issue of whether they have anything to do with quality.So consider the rankings with caution...do you need the reassurance of a very high ranking....or do you really care about quality of program? This book actually tells you a great deal about the quality of the program  including everything from details about the curriculum  what they are looking for in admissions  which teachers are held in highest esteem  and general comments from recent students. THIS IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE NUMBER. It's related to the number  but it's not the same thing.Remember  however  not to stop with this book: the information given in any edition will start to get inaccurate before it hits the bookstore. I can think of 5 or 6 top schools with new deans within the past year or two. Perusing through the book I see a good number of 'top faculty' that either have already gone on to another institution  or are non-tenured faculty on short-term contracts  who may be gone by the time you get there. Even the curricula change pretty quickly. Back up your reading of this book with school's web sites  visits  talks with alumns  etc.After all  the question you really want the answer to is not 'do grads of School W make more money and have better careers than graduates of School Y?'  it's 'Will I MYSELF have a better career at School W than School Y.' Rather than worry about the ranking of the school you get into  find the school that works for YOU. Finally  I see other reviewers saying 'this book got me into the BigBucks school.' I think that reviewer's intelligence  personality  and experience got him in. If he hadn't gotten in to BigBucks  he would still be smart and hardworking  and the school that got him would have been lucky. And (for the record)  the number at our school is just great!,Sozinho
In this uncomfortable blend of existentialism and the picaresque novel  James 'Jake' Donaghue is an aspiring  though incorrigibly lazy  writer. He makes a living  barely  by translating French works into English and he stays in the flats of friends. As the novel opens Jake is informed that he  and his man Friday  Peter 'Finn' O'Finney  must move out of their current address  because Madge  who has been letting them stay there  has found herself a fiancé. Over the course of the rest of the book  the flat-broke Jake desperately seeks for ways to avoid having to do any work and for places to stay courtesy of his friends. Much of the story is taken up with his broken friendship with Hugo Belfounder  a philosopher turned moviemaker (apparently based on Ludwig Wittgenstein)  whose theories Jake presented in somewhat bastardized form in one of the few books he actually wrote himself. Another subplot involves a dognapping of an animal which is an unlikely film-star. The book ends  as it began  with Jake broke  not writing  and looking for a place to stay.I suppose some of the scenarios in the book are amusing if you are British and are immersed in the works of philosophers like Wittgenstein. For the rest of us  it's all rather tedious. A picaresque where neither the central character nor any of the people he comes in contact with show any signs of personal growth and development seems an exercise in futility. Personally  I agree with the friend of Jake's who suggests :Society should take you by the neck and shake you and make you do a sensible job. Then in your evenings you would have the possibility to write a great book.To the extent that Jake in this sense embodies all of England between the Wars and the rise of Margaret Thatcher  I suppose you could interpret the book as depicting the adverse effects of the dole mentality on British culture.But Iris Murdoch apparently intends the book to convey a somewhat more existentialist message. As she says :All work and all love  the search for wealth and fame  the search for truth  like itself  are made up of moments which pass and become nothing. Yet through this shaft of nothings we drive onward with that miraculous vitality that creates our precarious habitations in the past and future. So we live; a spirit that broods and hovers over the continual death of time  the lost meaning  the unrecaptured moment  the unremembered face  until the final chop that ends all our moments and plunges that spirit back into the void from which it came.Here I come back to my eternal quarrel with existentialism : if it's all pointless anyway  then why in the name of God do you spend your time writing about it  and for what earthly reason should I waste my time reading what you write ?I must admit myself to be at a complete loss to explain the presence of this novel on the Modern Library Top 100 list. Luckily  we'll all be disappearing into the void soon  so we need not trouble ourselves over the matter.GRADE : D+,Sozinho
I must admit I saw the movie first. Very literary unique and bitter-sweet true story which touch my soul. I found the book and it is even better with detailed description and sincerity. I particularly enjoyed reading the letter-format of it. It is so warm hearted and just like reading letters from friends. In fact I even felt a little guilty as if I am reading other people's private letters... This excellent book shines in drawing out the cultural and social differences between London and New York during the period of Frank and Helene letters correspondence. 84 Charing Cross Road changed their lives.They developed special friendship an unspoken love and care for each other without even seeing each other.This is truly amazing! I think '84 Charing Cross Road' is one of the best book I had read. Easy to read  great story line literary educational and most importantly touches my heart and soul.,Sozinho
"This is my third read of Dunham's Journey Through Genius and I am still learning new stuff from this book. The author has hit upon just the right blend of math and history to make this a gem. There is enough mathematical rigor here to not render the work banal and as just another ""popular math"" book. Reading this book I am reminded of Kline's Mathematics And The Physical World except that this text is less wordy and more focussed on seventeen landmarks of mathematics.Some theorems and proofs I have to read four or five times to really get the ideas behind them but the effort is worthwhile.If you want to make your 2005 summer reading more rewarding and challenging than usual get this book. I have had this volume since 1992 and feed upon it at least twice a year. My guess is this book will become a classic if it has not already. A jewel that will become a true friend.",Sozinho
This is much more a rambling collection of random thought that occassionally organizes around a subject such as theatre or philosophy and then moves on. Reading it is like sharing a conversation over a brandy with a congenial and intellegient old friend. For fans of Maugham this is an enjoyable read which provides insight into how much of his personal experience is reflected in his works such as Of Human Bondage and Moon and Sixpence. While not necessarily agreeing with him on every point that he makes  I thoroughly enjoyed the conversation and would deem him a person well worth knowing. Like all his works  this is extraordinarily well written and lucid. If you are unfamiliar with his novels or short stories or are looking to try reading him for the first time I would recommend starting elsewhere. This requires some experience with his work to be fully appreciated.,Sozinho
`Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up to Me' by first time author and folksinger  Richard Farina is firmly established among the cult classics of 20th century English literature  along with all the other books such as `Lord of the Flies'  `Lord of the Rings'  `Catch-22'  `Catcher in the Rye'  `Animal Farm  and `1984' one simply had to read when I was a high school and college student in the 1960's. Before I started this review  I happened to see a gratifyingly large number of reviews of this book  almost forty years after its publication and the author's untimely death.What surprised me were the few  but well thought out negative  one star reviews. I can appreciate that this book may not be to everyone's taste. I could never quite fathom why my uncle could never make it past the first page of `The Hobbit'  but then  he was an Ernest Hemingway man  so I never pushed the point. I am much more disappointed when my young second cousins don't seem to be captivated by the charm of their first exposure to a Hobbit hole. But I digress.So  I decided to see if I could answer some of the points mad by the critics.For starters  I am reluctant to dissuade anyone from reading any work of fiction. The evidence of my tastes versus those of my uncle show that narrative which may strike one person like a Mike Tyson blow to the viscera may simply leave someone else as cold as a frozen squid. Unlike my initial contact with Tolkein through a reference to `Lord of the Rings' by a fellow student in a class on Shakespeare  or my first encounter with Stephen King by noticing that Stanley Kubrick was to be making a movie of `The Shining'  I have no memory of how I decided to pick up Farina's novel. I know it was while I was in college and I can recall the impact of those first two pages as clearly as if I had read them yesterday.All of this is an attempt to address those who say that this novel is not as good as works by William Burroughs  D. H. Lawrence  Thomas Pynchon  and Jack Kerouac. I approach this argument lightly because I deal with similar arguments every time I write a cookbook review. But then  cooking is different from fiction. In spite of some wide variations in taste  there are better and worse ways to make a chicken stock. If you heat it too high or cook it too long or put in too many vegetables  your stock will simply not be as good as it you religiously followed that recipe from the Culinary Institute of America or any one of a hundred other sound books on culinary basics. My personal reaction to this argument is that I have tried to read the works of William Burroughs  Henry Miller  Laurence Durrell  Thomas Pynchon  and Jack Kerouac  and many of these have left me cold  especially works by Durrell and Kerouac. I liked `Naked Lunch'  but I appreciated the talent without the visceral punch. I really enjoyed Miller's `A Devil in Paradise'  but that was non-fiction. I really respect Pynchon  but he has never been able to draw me into his longer works. Durrell and Kerouac simply leave me cold.The classic aesthetic argument is that those who have broad experience in reading and thinking about an art form best determine issues of quality. For that reason  I find a certain respect for the opinions of those who have read widely in Farina's contemporary writers  but I must submit that the book's language holds a power which should not be denied  especially if you are or were recently a college student. I confess the book may have lost some of its immediacy since the end of the draft and the Vietnam War; however  recent threats may bring back the feelings that leant such relevance to the life of the principal characters.This brings me to the second major argument I have seen. This is the claim that there are no admirable characters in this book  or at least no characters with which one can identify. I am inclined to dismiss the objection that there are no admirable or noble characters  as I think good fiction is filled with lead characters for which I have no admiration. Shakespeare's tragedies alone are filled with characters with `issues'.The central tragedy of this story is that lead character Gnossos Pappadopoulis imagines  throughout the first part of the book  that `I am invisible  ... And Exempt. Immunity has been granted to me  for I do not loose my cool. Polarity is selected at will  for I am not ionized and I possess no valence.' This `coolness' of course leads to several picaresque events in the first part. Things start going wrong when he gains a valence by affection for a particular co-ed. The tragedy is complete when he literally looses his `exemption' and becomes subject to the draft by loosing his student status. It ain't Macbeth  but it is both distressing for those who identify with Gnossos and satisfying for those who feel Gnossos deserved his come-uppance.I must confess that since I did tend to identify with Gnossos Pappadopoulis  I have always been a bit distressed by the ending  and doubly distressed that Farina was not around to write a sequel. But then  this has not kept me from rereading the whole book several times and reading selected passages many more times.This is a cheap paperback. If you like it  you will like it very  very much. If you don't like it  give it to a friend.,Sozinho
This is the first Bellow book I've read and I finished feeling ambivalent about his talents.Humboldt's Gift is the story of a successful writer  Charlie Citrine and his fascination with his friend the poet  Von Humboldt Fleisher. Woven within the text are his relationships with a mobster  several women  and an unreliable literary friend.Citrine is an intellectual and a thinker. Interspersed throughout the story are philosophical thoughts and conjectures about life. Sometimes these further the story or provide more depth to a character  other times they seem like extraneous rambling.The strength of the book is Citrine's strong and unique narrative voice and the portrait of literary and mob life in Chicago  New York and Europe of the 1970s.What disappointed me about the book was that the lack of a strong story line made it difficult to continue reading. I felt the same story could have been told in a few hundred fewer pages.Overall  not a terrible book  but not especially memorable.,Sozinho
This is a visually beautiful book with tests and profiles that are supposed to guide you towards seeing yourself better.There are four sections in this book: Body Types  Feeling Types  Thinking Types and Spiritual Types. Each section contains several ways of pinpointing your unique structure. Unfortunately some of the profiles offset one another  such as having a thin body full of energy and being told later that you were born under a sign that encourages laziness....but then I don't think it is meant to be entirely accurate just entertaining. Regardless the tests and profiles are interesting and fun to do. The best part of this book is the way it makes you step out of the norm and see yourself under a new age light.I recommend this book purely for the entertainment value and something interesting to do on a lazy afternoon or with friends. But to really see yourself just take a long look in a mirror and be honest!,Sozinho
"Being of Latvian heritage myself  perhaps it is impossible for me to read Nesaule's book as anyone else of a different heritage might. I have grown up on stories that are but variations on a theme to this one. My first language was Latvian  my first book was Latvian  my own first efforts in creative writing were in the Latvian language. Indeed  I have just participated in a literary reading of Latvian authors at the 11th Latvian Song Festival in Chicago  Illinois  where I had the honor of sharing the podium with Agate Nesaule. Is it possible for me to turn the pages of ""Woman in Amber"" without a deeply ingrained bias? Perhaps not. But I can say that these pages  these words  these memories  resonated profoundly with me. The war experience in many ways  however  is a suffering and a horror that crosses all lines of ethnicity  all borders of nationality. For this reason  I believe this is an important account for a far larger audience than just the Latvian reader; I am thrilled that this book was written first in English  then translated into  I believe  seven other languages.Latvia is a tiny but beautiful country on the coast of the Baltic Sea. The Latvian language is one of the oldest still in existence. The country's history is one of the most war-torn and ravaged of any country anywhere - although it has existed for many  many centuries  Latvia has been independent  free of occupation by other armies  for only a wink in time. If this nation can be proud of anything  it can be proud of its ability to survive even the cruelest and most oppressive conditions. This memoir  ""Woman in Amber "" opens a small window of light shed on how such a people survive. Even more precisely  it gives an account of how a very young girl can survive - losing her home  losing her family  conditions of hunger  rape  pillage  exile  and the terrifying experience of being a stranger in an immense and completely alien country where the culture and language are all new and strange. Most memoirs of war and battlefields are written by men. It is particularly interesting to read a different kind of account  from the perspective of a woman. If soldiers on a battlefield suffer  there is a quieter  less evident suffering that happens behind the front lines  and this memoir reveals  painfully and movingly  the no less violent and scarring battles that happen there.Agate Nesaule's memoir is a couragous sharing of the experiences she endured - not just during World War II  but for many years following the war. Long after the sounds of war have died down  the wounds are still bloodied and pulsating with pain. Healing can often take a lifetime. My respect to this author for sharing her experience  and my hope that it has offered her healing. This is a book I am proud to recommend to both my Latvian friends as well as my non-Latvian friends.",Sozinho
I got this for a friend of mine who likes old pulp covers. They loved it. I checked it out and liked it too. The covers are great. I wish there was more commentary to go along with the covers. Maybe even a little excerpt from a few of the book to see what they were like. Other than that shortcoming I loved the covers. So did my friend.,Sozinho
"What you get out of this book will be dependent on what you are looking for. There are several different ways to read the book. Personally  I found some of the book to be of value to my situation and most of the book to be interesting but not necessarily applicable. So  the first and main question is: Why are you reading this book? If you are like me  you read this book to give you tips on how to help make a ""moving in together"" situation work out better. This book did provide tips and hints  and while they may seem obvious when you read them  it is good to be reminded. If you are unsure whether or not moving in together is a good thing  this book will give you things to look for in yourself and in your partner to decide if this is a good idea.The book is broken up into several sections. At the very start of the book  it feels like the author is simply giving us a history of cohabitating and how it affects/influences marriage. This moves into a discussion on reasons why people move in together and a reminder to think about why we want to move in. The author discusses (and gives examples of) relationships and situations where cohabitating works and when it failed. If you finally decide to move in together there are several chapters that I found very valuable. My girlfriend and I have already decided to move in together. We know that it is important to have clearly defined goals and expectations for the relationship and moving in together (this is pretty much the point of the book  to define and agree on what to expect from cohabitating). There is a chapter on etiquette for cohabitating  and while it is simple and the author lists small things  I think that the small points of etiquette will become very important over the long run in just keeping things sane and neat and agreeable for your partner. Finally  the book moves onto what happens when cohabitating fails and how to cleanly get out of the apartment/relationship...and then  oddly enough  the book has a small section on marriage (right after the breaking up section).As I said  there is value in this book  and if you have already decided to move in with your partner  there are several sections of the book that will be very useful in looking over  just to remind yourself that you have to do the small things to help make the relationship and living situation successful. First decide why you want to read this book and what you want to get out of it  and you may have a better experience in reading it. Other reviewers have mentioned that there is a bias against cohabitating (rather than marriage)  and this is true. The author tries to back it up with statistics and data  but the bias remains. However (and this will be my last comment)  one of the most successful couples that Rosen gives an example of was one that cohabitated with no interest in getting married...but they both had the same expectation for the relationship",Sozinho
While in Paris Lord Matthew 'Matt' Weston met and married the woman of his dreams. Yet only a few hours later she left him  leaving behind a letter that she would deal with the legalities. He had not known her REAL name or title. He only knew how much he loved her. After fifteen months  she walked back into his life.She was Princess Tatianna Marguerite Nadia Pruzinsky of the Kingdom of Greater Avalonia  and she needed his help. Tat still loved Matt. However  she felt she HAD to leave him so she could finish fulfilling her royal duties. She planned to return to him someday  if he would still have her  once her duties were completed. For now  she needed him to escort her around London as his wife. As Lady Matthew she could retrace the steps of Aunt Sophia. Tat told him that she was writing the history of the royal family. It was obvious he did not believe her. As his wife  doors would be open for her to speak with those who knew Sophia  decades ago. The truth of what Tat was up to was kept secret. Tat was searching for something that she felt MUST be found before she could return to Matt forever.*** I found this story to be complicated. Several sub-plots ran simultaneously  such as  the Princess Valentina being in England  some history of ballooning (aerostats)  and some jewels. That was only a few of them. About half into the book  however  things began to come together. I  as the reader  got a clearer picture of what was REALLY going on. Romance between the two main characters seemed stilted until this point.The second half of the book was filled with perils and romance! I could not pull myself away from it all. Everything seemed to speed up and I simply HAD to know what was going to happen in the next chapter! I admit that much of the information that the first half of the book was needed for the reader to fully understand the seriousness of the plot. Yet I feel many readers will not be able to wait so long for all the pieces to come together.As a reviewer  I must say that I feel the first half of this book seemed to drag. The second half was non-stop. Somehow I believe reviews will be mixed on this tale. This story you will either love or hate. No middle ground. ***Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.,Sozinho
"While in Paris Lord Matthew ""Matt"" Weston met and married the woman of his dreams. Yet only a few hours later she left him  leaving behind a letter that she would deal with the legalities. He had not known her REAL name or title. He only knew how much he loved her. After fifteen months  she walked back into his life.She was Princess Tatianna Marguerite Nadia Pruzinsky of the Kingdom of Greater Avalonia  and she needed his help. Tat still loved Matt. However  she felt she HAD to leave him so she could finish fulfilling her royal duties. She planned to return to him someday  if he would still have her  once her duties were completed. For now  she needed him to escort her around London as his wife. As Lady Matthew she could retrace the steps of Aunt Sophia. Tat told him that she was writing the history of the royal family. It was obvious he did not believe her. As his wife  doors would be open for her to speak with those who knew Sophia  decades ago. The truth of what Tat was up to was kept secret. Tat was searching for something that she felt MUST be found before she could return to Matt forever.*** I found this story to be complicated. Several sub-plots ran simultaneously  such as  the Princess Valentina being in England  some history of ballooning (aerostats)  and some jewels. That was only a few of them. About half into the book  however  things began to come together. I  as the reader  got a clearer picture of what was REALLY going on. Romance between the two main characters seemed stilted until this point.The second half of the book was filled with perils and romance! I could not pull myself away from it all. Everything seemed to speed up and I simply HAD to know what was going to happen in the next chapter! I admit that much of the information that the first half of the book was needed for the reader to fully understand the seriousness of the plot. Yet I feel many readers will not be able to wait so long for all the pieces to come together.As a reviewer  I must say that I feel the first half of this book seemed to drag. The second half was non-stop. Somehow I believe reviews will be mixed on this tale. This story you will either love or hate. No middle ground. ***",Sozinho
THE DEATH OF VISHNU is wonderful and poignant novel concerning the inhabitants of one apartment building in Bombay. At the center is servant Vishnu who is found unconscious on the landing of the apartment building. Has Vishnu passed out from drinking or he is dead? No one seems to know. Although many in the building are concerned  no one claims financial responsibility to seek medical help. As Vishnu lies in his own waste two opposing housewives on the next floor cannot arrive at a consensus of what to do  and life continues to unfold elsewhere. Residing above the rival households is a Muslim couple who is enduring a crisis of their own. While their son is having a secret romance with the downstairs Hindu girl the husband is engaged in metaphysical and spiritual journey of his own that only seems to infuriate his devout Muslim wife. On the top floor lives a sorrowful widow who refuses to leave his apartment; instead he reminisces about his deceased wife and the involuntary path his life has taken. As the events of the story unfold the reader is given glimpses of how the consciousness of Vishnu begins to believe that he is a Hindu God and therefore able to perform extraordinary acts. All of these characters and elements combine into a creative and wonderful story.Manil Suri performs a splendid job of balancing the seriousness of this story with clever humor that made me laugh out loud. This rich tapestry of emotions results in a well-balanced novel that is a delight to read. I was instantaneously immersed in the trials and tribulations of these characters  and generally cared for their wellbeing. In the past several years there has been a rush of Indian literature  and I have to admit that THE DEATH OF VISHNU is one of my favorites. The novel gives the reader a glimpse into everyday Indian life in Bombay that is most interesting to someone who has never traveled to this part of the world. One aspect that I greatly appreciated is the fact that there is a glossary included in the back that translates many words and phrases that were used. I only wish that other Indian writers would imitate this gesture as it surely helps a novice like me better understand both the dialogue and the action. Overall  I greatly enjoyed THE DEATH OF VISHNU and would recommend it to others.,Sozinho
"Sixteen-year-old Nicola Sparks  an orphan after both her parents drowned when she was little  is now ready for her first London Season. The young Nicola is very much ready for her first London Season and there is one thing she doesn't have to worry about and that is chosing a husband. Her choice has already been made: a handsome viscount known to Nicola as the ""God"" Lord Sebastian Bartholomew. Nicola is sure that she made the right choice. It was love at first sight and both have the same love of poetry. Things  however  don't go as planned as the few coversations they have had weren't very successful  save the talk of poetry. Nicola still is sure everything will work out until her best friend Eleanor's brother  Nathaniel Sheridan  a recent Oxford graduate  begins to cast doubt on the Viscount's character. Nicola is furious with Nathaniel for saying  what she believes  false things about the Viscount  but as she begins to find out the truth  the Viscount might not be the only problem for Nicola. Her own heart and feelings might be the biggest of them all. I have always been a big fan of Meg Cabot  especially her Princess Diaries series  and this book was no exception. This book has to be my favorite so far in the Avon True Romance series and I recommend every girl who likes a sweet romance to read it. I can't wait for Meg's next Avon True Romance Victoria and the Rouge.",Sozinho
Countess Ashby and Alpiew are an unlikely team. Alpiew is a former employee of the Countess'. Ashby thinks she ran away with her husband  but in reality  Alpiew was just another of the items he stole when he took off for the New World. They meet again in debtor's prison  each vying for a job with a scandal sheet. They end up combining talents and sharing the salary. In the course of their business  they are asked by a Mrs. Wilson to follow her husband. She suspects that he is cheating on her. They lose track of him the first night and witness his murder on the second. The come to discover that he is also an alchemist who will do anything to get the money to continue his research. But how far did he go  and what has he done?At times the language of another era is somewhat difficult to follow  but usually all is explained soon after. The characters of the aged former royal favourites and their servants are very entertaining  as are the characters themselves. The mystery can be difficult to solve  but all the clues are there if you only look. I am definitely going to read more of this series.,Sozinho
I am a fan of Elmore Leonard's and have been looking for this book for a long time. I was very glad to see it finally back in print. The book was written in the early 70's before Leonard became the star that he is today. Despite that it has the same Elmore Leonard feeling of recent hits. There are shady characters intertwined with flawed good people in a plot that is always exciting while remaining plausible. In this case the protagonist Mitch is a modestly successful Detroit businessman who has an affair with a stripper. The stripper has some lowlife friends who blackmail Mitchell  threatening to reveal the affair to his wife. When Mitchell refuses to pay  the blackmailers up the ante by killing the girl and convincing him that he could be framed for the murder. Mitchell is a combat veteran; he takes matters into his own hands and the bad guys get their comeuppance. The Ann Margaret/Roy Scheider movie was quite faithful to the novel with the exception of changing the setting to Los Angeles. Ann Margaret especially captures the aging but still very attractive and sexy wife character. I have read that Leonard writes his books with suitability for movie adaptation in mind including having certain actors in mind for the main characters. Many of the movies have screenplays that are taken word-for-word from the novel.,Sozinho
"Baby sign is not straight up American Sign Language  nor does it admit to be. Baby sign is for your toddler to be able to tell you things that they can not yet say. The signs are simple and helps the parents and the frustrations of your child with less tears  pointing and grunting. It also lets your child tell you things  wich in my eyes is so awesome! My daughter can tell me if she sees a dog or horse  she can tell me if she wants a drink  says please  thank you  she can tell me she wants me to read her a book or if she wants more of something. I love that the book is a board book which is perfect for a toddler. My daughter was adopted from China when she was 10 months old and for us  Baby Sign is awesome. Yes  it is not true ASL  but at least we are also teaching our daughter who is thriving and speaking that there are other people who can't talk and sign instead. There are other books that are ASL based  but for toddler hands are more complex and difficult.One more thing... baby sign is not highly know about and people who see our daughter sign ask if she's deaf. When we explain  I think they see how neat it is that our daughter can do the signs. We also happened to be at Mc Donald's the other day and a deaf couple sat down and began to sign. Well  my daughter's eyes lit up and as we where leaving she toddled up to this couple. At first the couple was annoyed  I guess thinking she was staring ( she's only 19 months)  but when I explained she knew some baby sign and did a few signs the couples eyes lite and I think it made them feel that sign was important  they didn't comment that the signs wheren't ASL  but where happy someone was teaching sign.I hope this helps. It also helps to have the Baby Sign book as well as the board book. If I have a complaint it is that some signs are repeated in some other other board book! There is nothing better that seeing your daughter sign "" dog sleeping"" and I think it actually makes her feel like she has something important to say!!!",Sozinho
This book is great as a way of understanding how our culture trains boys and girls to be different. We teach girls that they can cry when they're sad  talk about their feelings  and share experiences with each other. We teach boys that they need to 'buck up' and be manly  to hide the tears  to face it like a man  to be the rock on which the females can rely. It is no surprise that these lessons affect adults  and affect how male and females relate (or fail to relate) to each other.In essence  a few core themes run through the book  being supported by various examples  and different wording that help make the points clear.First  men are goal-oriented  internalizing  and when they are stressed  'retreat to a cave' to consider what to do. They want to come to a solution on their own  and *then* emerge. To try to help them while they are in the 'cave' is counter productive.Men want to be trusted and admired. This is the whole Knight-in-Armor  John Wayne  Rambo training we have given men. They want to feel that the woman believes in them. To question a man is to show your doubt. The book recommends if your man is lost while driving  or forgets something while travelling  to just be quiet and accept it. It will show your trust in him to get there eventually or to solve the problem. I'm personally not sure if tihs is always wise advice.Women  on the other hand  are nurturing  expressive  feeling individuals who tend to use poetic license such as saying 'you ALWAYS forget to do that chore' or 'you NEVER listen to me'. The advice given to men is to take what women say with a grain of salt  and not to react to any of it literally. Most of what women want  according to the book  is just to be heard. Women don't want solutions or answers. They want to feel that their feelings are being heard and understood ... they want to be held and be told 'Yes  yes  I understand'. The book explains that men make the mistake of thinking women tell them things in order for the men to *fix* those things. Instead  the women tell them things in order to share their feelings  but aren't seeking actual resolutions.While I agree that women are trained to share feelings and to sometimes be overly emotional  to tell a man that women never want resolutions  and always exaggerate  is not treating a woman as a logical human being perfectly capable of wanting answers.There is definitely a lot of helpful information in the book. It is of course good to show trust in your husband. It is important to understand what your wife *means* and not just pick apart what she literally has *said*. It is good to understand that society trains men to 'retreat' to consider problems  and that they consider interference during this time as 'harassment' instead of 'helpful'. It's good to realize that women have emotional cycles and can sometimes be happy  and sometimes sad  and that nobody is always happy.However  be sure to read the book as a guideline on how to help your relationship  and not as a Bible which has the exact ways in which you and your special partner can relate to each other. It definitely has interesting hints and tips  and interesting stories to share. It also has many generalizations that  for many individuals  simply do not apply.,Sozinho
This is the story of ending relationships  and begining new ones. Verghese is embroiled in the breakup of his marriage  as he meets a student who turns out to be his tennis partner. This is a heartbreaking story in so many ways. The dissolvment of the marriage  creating a new life  and the pain friendships can sometime cause. His friend is a recoving drug addict that doesn't have the smoothest path to recovery.Verghese's writting style is once again beautiful. Painfully honest revealing things about himself that so few of us are willing to do. You feel that you are in a long coversation with him as you read this book. He sets up chapters in this book with scenes in tennis matches and various quotes. These introductions serve as a setup for his narration  preparing you for the story that is about to unfold. Yet it is peppered with wonderful passages of humor.Many feel this a wonderful book describing the friendship of two men. I think it fits a category much broader than that. All people have had friendships that have undergone the good times as well as the pain  maybe it is refreshing to hear a man speak to openly and honestly about his friendship with another man. I highly recommend this book. Endings  beginings  it is what life is all about. It is very refreshing to have someone be so open with their life. A definate must read!,Sozinho
Though the setting and the stories of a missionary family in Belgian Congo in the early 60s are fascinating  at some point  it starts to drag. Going back and forth between the mother and the daughters can be a little confusing especially since it seems that Kingsolver has used different 'voices' for each of her characters. The evangelist  Nathan Price  the husband of Orleanna  father of Rachel  Leah  Adah and Ruth May  is a man of contradictions ~~ enough to be exasperated with him and typical of a lot of missionaries who only seek God's glory in the wrong ways. Orleanna seems to be a hen-pecked wife but she in turns discovers her strength when she needed it the most.The daughters are interesting in their own way. My least favorite is Rachel for she never loses her spoilness and selfish ways. My favorite is Leah ~~ she didn't let anything stop her in the way of true love. Not even war  prison  hunger  broken dreams ~~ none of it stopped her from staying with her husband.Kingsolver is consistent in one thing ~~ she is a writer who describes the surroundings in which her characters find themselves in. And you can feel the tropical heat of the jungle  see the insects  animals  hear the call of the monkeys and feel the humidity sticking to your skin. If you have time to read  then this is the book to read in slow spurts. Sometimes  it's all too much to handle in one sitting or even one week  but the ending does come. When I came to the end of the book  I felt a sense of relief that I was finally done. It isn't her best book ~~ Prodigal Summer more than makes up for what she didn't do in this book!!,Sozinho
Allende's book roves across oceans and years  tracing the path of a love lorn Chilean girl for her disreputable boyfriend. Fate brings them separately to California where  against the back drop of the Gold Rush and the birth of San Francisco  the young girl's quest for her lover continues. Allende wants to have it both ways  to plunge her characters into a fairy tale world but deny them fairy tale destinies. And yet the travails that they are subject to never convince on a literal level either. The book moves at too fast a rate  never slowing to let the reader's mind believe in this distant land and so the book sits uncomfortable between the realm of magical realism andDickensian dirt. Characters rarely rise above caricature; the sage Chinese  the worldly sea captain  the impoverished socialist  the whore with the heart of gold. I found this bookdisappointing at every level. This is supposed to be the tale of a transforming journey  but the central character of Eliza is never breathed to life and the translation seems so pained and banal at times  that one wonders what Allende herself thought of the work. It's the first book of Allende's that I've read  but if it is representative  you would do much better rereading Marquez.,Sozinho
I'm really quite beginning to adore Lisa Scottoline. I've listened to Legal Tender  and Dead Ringer  and I'm hooked. I'll be scouting around for more of her work as soon as I can find it.Unlike the other two I've listened to on audiobook prior to Moment of Truth  this story isn't about Bennie Rosato  the snarky  sarcastic  tough-as-nails Philedelphia attourney I've grown to love  but Mary Di Nunzio  one of her associates. Bennie is away  and while she's gone  a man confesses to murdering his wife. But he didn't do it. He takes Mary as his lawyer  figuring she's so inexperienced she can only make it worse  and proceeds to try and get himself found guilty. What would bring a grown man - and lawyer - to implicate himself for murder? Who is he trying to protect? Is the killer going to strike again? Mary is going to find out  and it just might kill her.The story is quite tricky  and I was very pleased to say that while I figured out a good two-thirds of it  the ultimate ending did surprise me. Hats off  once again  to Lisa Scottoline  who apparently doesn't mulch a usual formula out over and over  and kept me guessing. Mary is just as interesting a character to explore as Bennie Rosato  which is a nice touch for what I'd so far only seen as a secondary character. There's a slight romantic undertone to this tale  which also went well with the overall.As always  I can't praise Kate Burton's voice-acting enough. Her ability to put emotion into the various voices - and use her voice talent to keep the characters so obviously different to the listener's ear - cannot be over-stated. She's superb.'Nathan,Sozinho
The power of Celine Dion's voice is not to be denied  but to read her 'autobiography' is a disturbing experience to those of us who are not devoted fans. 'My Story  My Dream' is one of those 'everything I've done and everyone I've met is so wonderful' books  and while Ms. Dion's name is on the cover  it is the hand of her husband/manager Rene Angelil that appears on every page. Far from presenting him as the near-god she (and the rest of her family) obviously believes him to be  Ms. Dion's gushing worship instead reveals Angelil for what he truly is--a master marketer and charming manipulator. He dangled the carrot of stardom in front of Ms. Dion's family  who then had no compunctions about handing their twelve-year-old daughter to a middle-aged man who essentially separated his young charge from everything she had ever known in order to 'make her a star.' In the process  he thoroughly convinced a young  impressionable girl that HE was the only one who knew what was best for her. Is it any wonder that Ms. Dion fastened her affections on him  the only man outside her family he ever allowed to get near her? That Angelil made Ms. Dion the success she is today is undeniable  but he also has made her a emotionally fragile puppet who will probably self-destruct if something ever happens to her master--and 'My Story  My Dream' is by no means reassuring otherwise.,Sozinho
Almost everyone has a dream now and then when it is impossible to get to where you want to go. In the morning  you may feel more tired than if you had lain awake all night. This book takes that experience  and adds new comic elements to it. Wonderful Maurice Sendak illustrations imaginatively . . . s . . . l . . . o . . . w . . . . . . d . . . o . . . w . . . n . . . . . t . . . h . . . e . . . . . . p . . . a . . . c . . . e.'(This is a very funny book and should not be read while drinking orange juice or you will spill it!)' Be sure to heed that warning. I suggest drinking nothing more colorful than water.'One day Lori said to himself: 'I want to see Times Square.''Unfortunately  he doesn't quite know where it is or how to get there. He walked to the subway  but ended up at South Ferry. Then a bus took him to 242nd Street. From there  he was soon expelled from a taxi for lack of funds. The elevated subway took him to Uncle Eddie's home in Queens. The boat went to Staten Island. A helicopter flew him to Idlewild Airport (now Kennedy  having been renamed after this book was first published in 1963). A horse and wagon pulled him to the middle of Central Park. A pony trotted him around in circles. Some sea lions just got him wet. An elevator took him to the 125th floor of Macy's (there is no such floor).He was then crying on the sidewalk  less than 12 blocks from Times Square.A turtle speaks . . . s . . . l . . . o . . . w . . . l . . . y and tries to help. 'So Lori got on  and the turtle started crawling (very slowly of course).''AND THIS WAS FOUR MONTHS AGO . . . And nobody has heard from them since . . . .'The best part of the story is after Lori meets the turtle. Each two-page spread is initially accompanied by only one word  to emphasize the turtle's slowness. Mr. Sendak does a great job of showing how Lori's emotions shift as the turtle continues on speaking slowly.On the other hand  much of the rest of the book seems somewhat pointless other than to list that there are lots of ways to get around in New York.A major lesson here is that you need to have both a goal and some idea of how to achieve it. If you don't have a good plan  you had better get a strong partner. This book makes those lessons very well.Where do you lack clear goals and direction to accomplish those goals? Who can help you quickly to reach effectiveness in your pursuit of the goal? How can you attract their assistance?Be sure you're moving in the right direction . . . and at the right pace!,Sozinho
It's been a month since Mia got the shock of her life and found out she was a princess  and the sole heir to the throne of Genovia. But things haven't gotten any easier - in fact  they've gotten even worse! It's bad enough that Mia's mom is dating her algebra teacher  Mr. G. - but then she announces that she's pregnant! And then her mom and Mr. G. announce that they will be getting married! Of course  with all these horrible things happening  Mia thinks it can't get any worse - until an utterly humiliating interview with her appears on TV and her Grandmere begins to plan a royal wedding for the happy couple. But if anyone can get through all this  it's Mia  who tells it all in her journal  in her usual  hilarious style. This wonderfully funny book continues Mia's story  right from where the first book left off. I can't wait to read the third book in the series.,Sozinho
In the third installment of the Princess Diaries Series Mia finally has a boyfriend. She would be thrilled except he isn't the one she wanted. When her new boyfriend confessed his love for her Mia decides she has to dump him. However  there are many things that keep her from doing this  not the least of which is her desire not to be dateless at the big dance. Mia's guilt begins to eat at her and she has an important trip to Genovia to worry about as well.Princess in Love offers up pretty much the same witty writing and quirky characters that you loved in the first two but is made even more interesting by Mia's love triangle. In the spirit of all princess stories there's a fairy tale ending and Meg Cabot manages to keep it from being cheesy. This is probably my favorite of the series so far. The series has reached a turning point and I'm afraid that after this the series will loose a lot of steam. We'll see...,Sozinho
For the first time in her life Mia (also known as Princess Amelia Mignonette Grimaldi Thermopolis Renaldo) has an actual boyfriend. In any other situation this would be a good thing but unfortunately for Mia she doesn't love her boyfriend back  in fact she doesn't even like him that much. Although no one knows it but her diary  she's in love with Michael  Lilly's brother  and has been for some time. But that's not Mia's only problem  she still has to deal with her mother's and her Algebra teacher's new marriage and her new sibling on the way. And to top it off her Princess lessons have gotten more and more complicated. Once school breaks for winter holidays Mia will be traveling to Genovia  where she will be introduced to the Genovian public for the first time on television  not something that Mia's had the greatest luck with in the past.You may be wondering how a 17-year-old upcoming senior got so hooked on a series that's very well loved by many 12-year-olds and honestly I don't know why too. I just have a thing for books of all ages (including the I Spy Picture books they so conveniently place at work whenever I get board). Princess in Love is just as good as the other books in the series (The Princess Diaries  and Princess in the Spotlight) if not better. I was hesitant on buying this book at first (I hate to buy hardcover books) but I'm glad I did. If you're a fan of the series  I highly recommend reading this. I hope the 4th book in the series  Princess in Waiting  will be just as good. It's just a shame it's not coming out until April 2003.,Sozinho
"I am almost 18 years old (just a few years out of the young adult reading level)  but I love this series. The books are written in such an endearing  humorous style that it's almost impossible not to like them. The third book picks up about a month after the second one left off and we quickly learn that Mia's life is still full of quirky problems.While the previous books dealt with Mia's desire to have a boyfriend  this one centered around her dilemma of getting rid of one. Normally  this topic would be written so that the boyfriend  Kenny  seemed like a jerk who was keeping the girl from being with the boy  Michael  she was supposed to be with  but instead Kenny is written as being nice and sweet and an ideal boyfriend. Except for one thing  he isn't Michael.Besides her boy problems  Mia is still being sentenced to the often hilarious ""princess lessons"" with her grandmother to prepare for her visit to Genovia. Mia also has problems with family  friends  cheerleaders  school (especially Algebra)  and achieving self-actualization. In other words  she's basically a normal teenage girl with an extraordinary life.If you haven't read these books  I would highly recommend giving them a try. They are nothing like the cutely sappy Disney movie of the same name  except for the general plot idea and character names. These are books that are always entertaining and impossible to put down- no matter how old you are.",Sozinho
"For the first book I've ever read by Meg Cabot--I was truly impressed and will be reading her others.The story tells of Sam Madison  who's not really anybody unlike her older sister who's perfect and how she's in love with her sister's boyfriend. Sam is also an artist and one day her sister discovers some drawings she's done of celebrities and then shows them to their parents. So  in result to that  Sam's forced to attend an art class where she's forced to draw what she ""Sees"" and not what she ""Knows."" During the class time  Sam meets David.Well  the nextweek after an embarassment in the art class  Sam decides that she won't go to class one day and ends up saving the president's life...which leads her into becoming the teen ambassador of the UN.I will not give the story away for it is definitely worth reading...please read this book...definitely will leave you happy and keep you laughing!",Sozinho
The author takes a light-hearted and 'campy' approach to introducing SM to your partner. Written primarily from a Fem Domme point of view  the book has some interesting information. It also has some cute illustrations at the start of each chapter and some witty section titles.There is good information on shaving  how to clean your leather clothes  a great list of movies with 'SM-type scenes' in them  and chapters on knot-tying and 'SM yoga' type exercises. There's also good advice for getting 'toys' past airport security.However  there were a few sections I was uncomfortable with. For example  advising the cleaning of toys with vodka? Huh? Anti-bacterial soap or rubbing alcohol works just as well for sterilizing toys. Also  ripping up hotel bedsheets to use as bondage ties? I would imagine a hotel manager might bill you for those ripped-up sheets.I also was a bit uncomfortable with the chapter on gags. While she does mention safety precautions to a certain extent  I would never gag anyone with tape to hold a gag in place. There's too much possibility of things going wrong IMHO.This book has good and not so good information. Hence the three star rating.,Sozinho
For a 27 year old  the Rock Says.....some pretty inspiring things. For one  he appreciates how others have helped him out. Also  he has a powerful loving relationship with his lovely wife  Dani. It really impressed me that no matter where he is in the world  Rock..uh Dwayne Johnson always found the time during any day of his life  to call his wife. To me that speaks alot about true love.There is quite alot of information in here about Rocky's 27 years. A great deal of emotions  feelings  and some inspiring stories. I have mixed feelings about when Dwayne turns into the Rock Character in mid-book. Its an interesting special effect when he takes on his Rock Persona in his match with Steve Austin. However  all those curse words are unnecessary. Also  I wish The Rock talked more about his relationship with the other Federation Superstars besides Steve Austin and Owen Hart. The Chapters on Austin and Hart were well done.Overall  this is a good light read as I would not be surprised if a follow-up to this biography. The Rock is without a doubt the best dude on the stick in all of the Wrestling World and it shows as Rocky is getting offers to appear in movies and television left and right. Rock Man  there may be a day when you become the 'Among The Premiere Entertainers' in all worlds one day!,Sozinho
And I am sooo glad that I found this book!!! It restores my faith in the British Chick literature that I so love to read! It is funny ~~ I have found myself chuckling out loud on occasion and have found myself sharing bits and pieces of it with my husband. It's such a fun book!!!Helen Bradshaw is a single woman working at a magazine as a lowly assistant editor  living with two guys as roommates and a group of girlfriends who are much prettier and more perfect than she is ~~ sounds familiar? It gets better!! Helen's world starts to unravel when her father dies unexpectedly of a heart attack and Helen ends up taking care of her mother for awhile  gets kicked out of her apartment because of a nasty row with her landlord  tries to reach a dear friend who is hovering on the brink of disaster and trying to find a lovelife of her own with the vet  Tom. It is such a fun read ~~ every page is a page-turner ~~ making me eager to see what is going to happen on the next page!I have never read any of Anna Maxted's books before ~~ and this is such a delightful introduction to her writing style. She writes with wit and humor and subtle poking fun of single people who sometimes just don't know how good they've got it!Out of all the books I've read lately ~~ this one is one of my favorites. It kept me chuckling and sighing all the way to the end ~~ meaning  I didn't want to stop reading till the last page was turned! ...,Sozinho
Lady Annabelle Wylde is touted to be the most beautiful woman in London. So why is she still single well into her twenties? Because beautiful as she is  every man she has ever seriously pursued wound up loving someone else - despite all her machinations. She's tried unsuccessfully to find love  but neither will she be pitied by the ton and wind up a spinster. So when her father proposes an arranged marriage to stranger Miles Croft  she agrees. He's handsome and wealthy and amiable enough  so why not?Miles Croft  Viscount Pelham  is taken with her beauty  grace and moxie. He needs to reestablish his family in society after his mother's disastrous second marriage nearly ruined them all. Oh yes  Lady Annabelle will do just perfectly - grace  beauty  charm and sterling family name - not to mention that he wants her as well.Well  the best laid plans . . . unfortunately  Annabelle becomes seriously ill on the honeymoon and emerges a shadow of her former self. Though Miles is at her side every step of the way during her long convalescence  she wonders if it's just pity or the polite concern any kind man would show his wife. And when Annabelle finally heals and makes her triumphant return to society Miles wonders with sadness if she no longer needs him. But why should either care? Wasn't this a marriage of convenience?Since this is my first Edith Layton book  I obviously was not familiar with Annabelle's character. She's apparently played key roles in prior books as something of a manipulative flirt. As a result  I found I had very little emotional investment in her until a third of the way into this book. Same with Miles - he's the ultimate nice guy and thoroughly likeable  but I wasn't mad for him. Their relationship lacked that emotional spark coming across as more friendship than passionate romance to me. And I found the blackmail subplot tedious. I did  however  feel for her after losing her looks  dealing with a difficult and slow convalescence and the humiliation of appearing in public again while not looking her best. She definitely had strength and courage and Miles was sweetly supportive. Rather than the blackmail bit  I'd rather have seen more time spent on building the relationship of the leads and even would have liked to see more of Miles' sister Camille and Eric Ford (but perhaps they're getting their own story). This story had potential  but ultimately is just an OK read.,Sozinho
"I came to ""Cryptonomicon"" assuming that its pages held a healthy mixture of math and literature  the two arts my brain appears most suited to. I discovered in the end that  frankly  there wasn't enough math for my tastes (a partial understanding of high school algebra and calculus is enough for you to get by)  and the literature started out sloppy and unfocused. But in the end these two disciplines converged to make a most satisfying whole.There is so much here to sink your teeth into. It's quite dense  with a flurry characters  geographies  contexts  and cryptographs. I got lost along the way on many occasions. My suggestion to any prospective reader would be to find something tangible to latch on to early on (I did my best to let Randy Waterhouse  a most sympathetic ""crypto-hero""  be my guide)  and go along for the ride. And don’t try and decipher (pun intended) every meticulously crafted detail. Go for the big picture and you'll do fine.The sections set during present day  with Randy Waterhouse and his buddies trying to get their latest business venture (a data haven in the Philippines) off the ground  were fascinating  especially near the end when we are hurtling along with him to the book’s final mystery. The other main narrative thrusts  set during WWII  were hit and miss. These sections are finely written  never skimping on the gore with a tasteful war-is-hell kind of presentation  but ultimately left me empty. Gung-ho jarhead Bobby Shaftoe  the focus of these sections  was probably my least favourite of the book’s main characters. Which is odd because author Neal Stephenson has admitted that Bobby was the character he most enjoyed writing.Thankfully  Stephenson has populated his semi-fictional world with a menagerie of fascinating characters. Besides the aforementioned Randy Waterhouse  we have his grandfather Lawrence  a pioneer of computer technology. There's also: Avi  Randy's friend and business partner in the data haven  who happens to be a raving anti-holocaust fanatic; Goto Dengo  an engineer whose purpose I am loathe to spoil here (pay close attention to this guy); Enoch Root  a priest who serves as the main link between the past and the present; and the aptly named Douglas MacArthur Shaftoe  a fiery Vietnam vet. Stephenson even allows some real life characters to intrude on the proceedings  including the aforementioned Gen. (""I shall return"") MacArthur  and computer godfather Alan Turing.The sparse romantic elements  with Randy pursuing the ridiculously named America ""Amy"" Shaftoe  felt tacked on. Although they did provide an opportunity for a hilarious climb through her family tree  Amy was little more than a token female in what amounted to an all boys club.For a writer who's basically a (self-proclaimed) computer geek  Stephenson has an obvious flair for inventive prose. An example of this comes in a long paragraph that describes the chemical makeup of the human bodies in a room (it is long  detailed  and also funny)  which concludes by saying that even though there are all these biological moving parts  no one makes a sound. Another quotation from the same scene  concerning Randy's assessment of a dour group of prospective business partners  is almost Tom Robbins-esque: “… the Chinese guys [look] like the contents of Madame Tussaud’s Dumpster after an exhibit on the Cultural Revolution"". My favourite Stephenson invention is a shorthand quip shared between a concerned Avi and Randy. They classify their situation as ""the most cigarettes""  a truncated version of ""we could end up in prison married to the guy with the most cigarettes."" Proof positive that Stephenson is a talented and entertaining writer.Stephenson gets a lot of mileage (and exposition of ideas) out of Socratic discourse. In one of my favourite sections  Enoch Root schools Randy on the progress of humanity while Randy asks pertinent questions. The conversation centres on Greek mythology  the Titanomachia  Athena (the goddess of technology)  and how those with intelligence and cunning [Metis] will out do those with power in times of warfare  for they will have the ability to develop better technology. It could have been dry and dull  but there is such passion contained within the discourse that the words jumped from the page with exuberance.The novel's first two-thirds finds Stephenson struggling to keep a coherent narrative structure intact. I don't think he was necessarily successful  and have a hunch he didn't think so either. He tries to confuse his readers by surprising us with cliffhanger endings to many chapters  in lieu of strong narrative development. However  once he got his feet  Stephenson saves the day with a fine final third  which had a superb narrative thrust racing towards the end. And even though the ending was wrapped up haphazardly  Stephenson had done enough right by then to earn the book a positive place in my memory.",Sozinho
I was skeptical about trying out this book  because I have seen Keyes's books before and they all seemed too long  and not for me. Maybe the cover just attracted me (Yes  I judged the book by it's cover) and I thought that the title was interesting. I was not disappointed!The book generally deals with three separate women  and their circle of friends. The first is Lisa  she works on a womans magazine in England  but she ends up getting sent to Dublin to start up a new women's magazine  and doesn't have any choice in the matter. She is less than thrilled  but picks up anyway  leaves her husband (which she had problems with anyway) and tries to make a new life for herself in Ireland. Being bitter and stubborn the whole way.Also getting a job at this same magazine  but with a much better attitute  is Ashling  who is really excited for this opportunity. Apparently  magazine jobs were rare in Ireland  so it was said.Clodagh is Ashling's very best friend and she is saddled with two kids and a husband. Apparently devastatingly beautiful and feeling neglected and needing something different  she also tries to get a job with no experience to speak of. She has the perfect life  in Ashling's eyes  also because Clodagh stole this man away from her and married him herself.There are many many other minor characters in this novel  some needed  some not. Ted  Ashling's up and coming comic friend who introduces her to her self-centered new boyfriend  Marcus Valentine  who is also an up and coming comic who writes Bellez-moi and his phone number and napkins and gives them to unsuspecting girls. Jack Devine is the rumpled yet handsome boss of Lisa and Ashling  and both of them have a crush on him. Lisa is stylish and beautiful  Ashling is plain  but down to earth. They still have competition with the lovely  exotic girlfriend Mai  who is constantly screaming back and forth in Jack's office  which is what keeps them together. There is also the homeless man Boo  who becomes fast friends with Ashling  and helps with her downward spiral of depression like her mom  as she wonders  why is life so unfair?But  I'm getting ahead of myself  and my review is becoming as long as the book! Which leads me to the little problem of 426 pages. I am not saying that it was not interesting  it was  but half way through I started to realize how long this was taking me to finish  and the awareness of it slowed me down a bit. I will also mention again that there are many characters to get to know  but... for what it's worth  Keyes does an excellent job of making you remember them  and connect them to each other. To put together so many personalities that are so different is the genius in this book. I really enjoyed it. I may even try her books again (even though they are all kind of long) :),Sozinho
I've been screaming for a while for a good chick-lit book with strong  independent female characters and when I finally find one  I get bored halfway through. The book was good  but I had a hard time holding my interest in it. It follows the lives of three completely different  yet connected women.Lisa is a flashy magazine editor from London. Her work is everything. She's been hoping to get a glamorous job at a magazine in New York City  but instead she's been assigned to setup a brand new woman's magazine in Dublin  Ireland. She goes from a staff of hundreds to a staff of less than ten. On top of all that  she's dealing with the breakup of her marriage and realizing she isn't quite such an awful person after all.Ashling is older than Lisa and has worked for the same small magazine in Dublin for the past eight years until she invents a cleaning tip that ruins a reader's couch and is subsequently fired. She lands a job as the assistant editor of Lisa's new magazine. Not much else is going on with her life. She's 31 and on the dating scene  not a terribly good mix.Clodagh is Ashling's best friend. As far as Ashling is concerned  she has the perfect life. She's been married to Dylan (an ex-boyfriend of Ashling's) for the past ten years and has two bratty kids. She has a wonderful house and never has to work. Clodagh is not even remotely happy with her life though. There's never a hint that she actually loves her children or her husband. She is a spoiled brat  plain and simple.In the end  everything works its way out. I could have done without Clodagh altogether and some of Ashling's friends (Ted and Joy) seemed to be written into the story only to be used in a small way later on. They have no real purpose in being there at all.I thought it was a good book overall. It was a bit slow. Wouldn't have hurt the author to shave about 150 pages off the book. Sushi wasn't even mentioned until page 290 and then for the remaining 136 pages it's like the only thing people could think about was sushi. It almost seems as though at that point in writing the book the author thought of the clever title 'Sushi for Beginners' and decided to incorporate as much sushi and explanation of 'beginner's sushi' as she possibly could throughout the remainder of the novel.,Sozinho
This was a good debut and I look forward to reading more from this author.Sophia is an American that has come to England in search of a title  but she really wants more and that is to find love. She sets her sight on the Black Duke James Langdon  the Duke of Wentworth. She finds him romantic and dashing and soon finds herself in love. But James changes once the 'I do's' are said. Why???James Langdon must marry money if he is going to fix the family fortunes. He meets the bold American heiress and instantly feels something for her. She is not impress with his title  but the man himself. He has a dark family past and he will not allow his base needs to affect his judgement. Still he is attracted to Sophia and knows that they only way to get her out of his system is to marry her  have her  and then leave her behind. Problem with this plan is he wants her more after he marries her  and as for leaving her behind  well...she adjust despite the problems of a difficult mother-in-law and what seems to be an indifferent husband. James is impressed with this and finds himself drawn to her sweet goodness. Maybe love will save him instead of destroying himThis was a good debut novel. Very sweet and I felt that the characters were rather engaging. I look forward to Clara'story. Do yourself a favor and add this book to your summer reading list.,Sozinho
This is a story about a woman whose life is destroyed by her insensitive boyfriend. She is homeless  pennyless  jobless  and stripped of her dignity. She goes to live with her ecofriendly  save the world  dippy best friend. The reader follows their world  along with the world of a co-worker thorughout the next month or so of their lives.THe book alternates point of view from one chapter to the next. Normally I like this device in a book. It doesn't work in this novel. You would need three interesting characters for this method to be effective  and unfortunetly  Matthews doesn't have any. THe characters are shallow and sterotypical  and worst of all just not fun to read about. Cara  the best friend is a vegetarian  which every book about 20/30 something women must have- her spin is that she's into loves spells  and relaxation candles. Adam  the requisite love interest is a divorced Dad  with a bad ex-wife  and no interest in his career. Declan  the ex-boyfriend drives a BMW  and heads up a dot.com. The main character  Cara  is beautiful with a killer body. Are you interested yet?Despite the obvious character flaws  the book has some humorous writing  but not enough to offset it's flaws. Though it appears to be a quick read  it is often dull  and I found muself skipping over many sections because they added no intrinsic value to the plot.Would be OK to read if you're stuck on a plane  or if you have insomnia.,Sozinho
"The Patron Saint of Liars is the debut novel of author Ann Patchett. Patchett has also written the extraordinary ""Bel Canto."" This novel  originally published in 1992 was the announcement of a major new talent in literature. The story she tells is a simple one  but filled with grace and written with skill. In the 1960's  pregnant  Rose Clinton leaves her husband in California with nothing but a note saying that she is unhappy and that he should not try to find her. She has no intention of coming home. Her destination is in Kentucky: St. Elizabeth's home for unwed mothers. It is where women from all over go to give birth and give up their children. It is a Catholic home in a Baptist town. Rose does not believe that she can be a good mother to her child and that she shouldn't be a mother. Not now. Perhaps not ever.The novel is told in three sections. The first section is told from the perspective of Rose. Through her eyes and with her words we learn about why she left California  how she ended up at St. Elizabeth's and what that experience was like. Patchett writes Rose so well that when her section ended I couldn't imagine that the next section of the novel could possibly be as good as what it was that I just read. Section two is told by Rose's husband. The final section of the novel is given to Rose's daughter. ""The Patron Saint of Liars"" is a remarkable novel. It is filled with insight into the characters and it seems at times also into our own lives. This isn't a story of faith  but it is also filled with a sense of grace and healing at all turns  even when the characters are facing personal difficulties.With ""Bel Canto"" I knew that Ann Patchett was a talented author and I wanted to experience her other novels. After ""The Patron Saint of Liars"" it is clear that Patchett ranks among my favorite authors. She doesn't slam the reader with hard hitting slamming dialogue  but rather allows that sense of grace and healing which is so much a theme of the novel come out in nearly every sentence. As a first novel this is even more remarkable as accomplished authors would be fortunate to write a novel as beautiful as this. I would give ""The Patron Saint of Liars"" my highest recommendation.-Joe Sherry",Sozinho
Patchett takes the reader through the painfully honest  searingly personal account of how the life of Rose--an interminable escapist--impacts the lives of those around her.The novel draws its strength in part from Patchett's ability to tell her story from multiple perspectives: a single mom  daughter and second husband. Each point-of-view feels as fresh and true-to-character as the last.If you're looking for a tidy  happy fairy tale ending  look elsewhere. Patchett's characters will make you love them  hate them  and think deeply about your own relationships and secrets--very much a must read.,Sozinho
I have to admit  when I first started this book I was a little surprised. Wasn't this CS Lewis  the man who could take the most complicated issues of religion and explain them in a way that was simple yet easy to understand? Wasn't this the man who had an answer for everything? Didn't he have some kind of impenetrable armor? I guess not.One thing became quickly apparent--Lewis was human. I cannot believe how incredibly candid  how open and honest he was. The death of his wife hurt him deeply and shook his faith  and he was man enough to admit it. The beginning of the book is filled with doubt and questions  yet slowly you can see the change take place. Lewis is rediscovering his faith  and is slowly coming to terms with his wife's death. It's beautiful.Lewis obviously published this book because he wanted to help others through experiences such as his. He wanted this to be comforting  and comforting it is. He explores grief and loss like no other man can  and the result is this priceless little gem that helps us remember that it's okay to grieve.I cannot think of a more fitting tribute to his wife. By releasing this book  he showed the world just how much she meant to him. I cannot praise this book enough. With this short work  Lewis proves he really does have an answer (or at least the power to come up with one) for everything.,Sozinho
By most accounts  CS Lewis is considered one of the top Christian apologists of the 20th century. This fact makes this book even more powerful than some of his others because even Lewis doubts his faith when faced with an extremely difficult situation  the death of his wife. Also  this book shows a much more personal side to Lewis as he struggles to find God and answers to his questions.This book is somewhat difficult to read for two reasons. First  the subject is tough. I cannot a harder to discuss the death of a loved one  especially a spouse. Second  the book is based on a journal that Lewis kept which means that the text is not as tight as some of his other books. Oddly enough  these two facts actually make the book stronger than some of his other works.The reader gains deep insight into the soul of Lewis as he seeks God for answers. This is more than just an intellectual exercise. Lewis exposes his emotions in a way that is authentic and real - his writing comes across as very honest. Although I have never lost someone close to me I certainly can appreciate the pain that Lewis experienced. As a Christian I am definitely encouraged that someone with a faith as strong as Lewis experienced doubt  but in the end found his way back to God.I highly recommend this book  especially since it shows a side to Lewis that you will not find in his other books. Also  it could minister to you  or others who have lost a loved one.,Sozinho
When it comes to frank discussion of difficult issues  there's often a sense in which no approach will satisfy everyone. Those who offer a polished examination tend to be met with detractors who don't believe the approach was honest or in-depth enough. Those who offer an unpolished but 'brutally honest' approach tend to be met with detractors who think the 'brutal honesty' is questionable in terms of theological or intellectual integrity and could have stood for more sober reflection before being published. Because of this  a mysterious exchange occurs between writer and reader. When writer and reader aren't on the same page in terms of purpose or expectation  a letdown is usually the result. But on those occasions when the writer and reader make an enduring connection based on similar experiences  attitudes  etc  the result is often profound. While such a result can be dangerous since emotional or attitudinal connectivity is not a valid measure of whether the views expressed have a basis in objective truth or not and thus make belief in error all the more easy  the result  when anchored in truth  is formidable.Why do I say all this? Because I think if someone is coming to this book looking for a presentation on suffering that is airtight in its theology  this might be a disappointment. Lewis was no theologian  he was a layman who had an extra-ordinary desire to probe the things of God from the perspective of a layman. As a result  many of his works  while tremendously engaging and insightful  tend to be at least somewhat loose in their fidelity to Scriptural truths  which shouldn't be surprising since Lewis did not believe in the inerrancy of Scripture. Nonetheless  this particular effort is one of the most engaging works on suffering and grief from a Christian perspective and its insights should be taken very seriously.In this book  Lewis laments the vacuum left in his life by the passing of his wife. Along the way  he ponders out loud about a number of basic issues surrounding the goodness of God  the meaning of life  and the purpose of grief. The early chapters tend to be defined more by a spirit of grief resulting from an unsure anchor. This is the section where many of the particularly engaging musings about God and life are asked and not always answered. In the later chapters  as Lewis has further reflected on the goodness of God and the meaning of grief  his faith anchor becomes more stable  his perspective more secure  and his grief more manageable. This is no accident of course. What we see on these pages is one of the better Christian apologists of the 20th century having the sturdiness of his faith put to the ultimate test  and the result is a very penetrating look at grief from someone not removed from it and analyzing it from a distance  but one who is in the middle of it and is struggling with it personally.In the end  the reader might well agree with Lewis that the veridicality of the worldview and value system one adopts is most demonstrated when such things literally become matters of life and death personally. Does it merely work on paper and in the abstract  or is it also a source of absolute truth when brought home to roost in our most desperate hour. This is a formidable test for any worldview  and one that few are willing to honestly grapple with. Lewis does so here  and what we see is a man exposed by his grief  unable to hide behind anything else  and trying to make his worldview make sense in the midst of it. Very penetrating  very honest. A work that should be considered by all  but read with theological discernment.,Sozinho
I like how this book easily classifies people into distancers  and pursuers. It is fairly easy to see where someone falls in terms of being a distancer and a pursuer. From knowing this  determines how you should better communicate with your partner. Now while this book does not suggest dramatic change over night  it does suggest making small changes that can make large results.I also like that she doesn't set the reader up to expect dramatic changes from the other person. She suggests in how to better communicate with the other person  whether it is your partner  parent  or child. Then she also teaches you to set some boundaries  and make sure you take good care of yourself first.I like this realistic approach to relationships. The knowledge in this book can apply to many different types of relationships  do you don't have to have a significant other to benefit from this book. Its well worth the read.,Sozinho
"mellow out with the eagles.... this is one my favorite greatest albums because every song on it is a true hit  and i never skip a single song on the disc. it's perfection in the greatest hits category. especially if you are a fan of nice mellow soft/countryish rock  basically  music that just gives you a ""peaceful easy feeling"". the more i play it  the more i love it.this highlights the ballads that the eagles made in the early 70's. there are a few songs that pick up the pace a bit -- ""already gone""  ""take it easy""  and ""one of these nights"".this is great to have on in the car  especially when one is trying to calm their overtired and cranky toddler. it definitely gave him a peaceful feeling. i speak from experience.also  the songwriting here is very well done  certainly not the best  but these are songs i really ""listen"" to. i just don't mindlessly let it play it the background and relax all the time.i actually really paid attention to what they were saying in this last listening. nice songs all around. nothing i'd be embarrassed to listen to in front of my parents  my children  my co-workers. this album is for all ages!i have read some of the other reviews here  and people are far too hung up on how this album did on some chart. i really could care less  i've been listening to this album for 12 years  technically i had the album  which i pretty much destroyed with my overuse. now  i have the disc  which is frequently listened to when i am in the mood for mellow rock. they are number one on my list  which is the only list/chart that matters to me.buy the second greatest hits for their harder rock hits.",Família
"like stepping back in time my sister was a huge elton john fan when we were growing up in the '70s  and we used to sit in her room and listen to this album  ""goodbye yellow brick road "" and pink floyd's ""wish you were here"" which she brought back from a trip to europe  along with cigarettes. i like certain elton john songs a lot  and others  from various periods of his  i really don't like (""crocodile rock"" for example). i think he's even admitted himself that he didn't like certain songs he released because they were just crap he was spewing out to make a buck  but that's beside the point. this is the good elton phase in my opinion. ""captain fantastic "" ""tower of babel"" are really good songs. when i listen to this album (cd  haha)  which is creative and unique  i feel like i'm back in that yellow room  and the whole world is out there  just waiting for me and my sister.",Família
"from the end of the world to your town! it took me years to realize that this is a concept album about sir elton john and bernie taupin's days before and after becoming songwriting partners. on a trivial note  this album went platinum the day of its release and i remember my sister getting a copy as a graduation present (the cover was quite unique and impressive with 2 booklets  one featuring the lyrics with photos of young elton and bernie in the late 1960's and the other featuring more photos  chart history  the history of elton john and his band in cartoon form and early pictures of guitarist davey johnstone  bassist dee murray and drummer nigel olsonn). the opening track sports a c&w feel with some fine acoustic picking from davey johnstone. elton  of course  is captain fantastic  ""hardly a hero  just someone his mother might know."" bernie  of course  is the brown dirt cowboy  ""still green and growing."" 2 rockers ""bitter fingers"" and ""meal ticket"" deal with the struggles of survival and elton and bernie trying to make it as songwriters. ""better off dead"" almost sounds dispairing in its lyrics  while ""tower of babel"" speaks of the struggles using religious wordplay. bernie still yearns for his native countryside in the ""tell me when the whistle blows"" (featuring a r&b style string arrangement by gene page). on ""someone saved my life tonight "" elton nearly commits suicide over a lover who demands he give up his musical aspirations for her (had he consented  he'd be the late reginald dwight who once wrote music for bernie taupin's poems). the folky ""writing"" sports some fine harmonies and latino jazz  followed by the melancholy ""we all fall in love sometimes."" ""curtains"" is the moody finale  with references from some of bernie's original poems. added to this cd form are the 1975 hit ""philadelphia freedom"" (not on the original lp) and 2 john lennon songs ""lucy in the sky.."" and ""one day at a time."" both of the latter feature the late john lennon who elton would become friends with. this is one of the last times the vintage elton john band of davey  dee and nigel would be together.",Família
one of the best  if not the best this just might be my favorite album of all time. of course i'm biased  as my father used to play the tape of this album all the time when i was a kid. as i got older  i came recognize the meaning of the lyrics and grew to like it more. now  i see recognize that it's not good music  and it's not just the moody blues. this album is a work of genius. everything flows and transitions wonderfully. in particular  the transition from 22 000 days to nervous  and the from painted smile to reflective smile to veteran cosmic rocker is awesome.the voice is a great upbeat song about getting in touch with yourself  and talking out of turn is a good song about relationships  but previous reviews hit the nail on the head when they said that nervous is the best song on the album. with its fantastic use of ochestration and guitar  and the perfect change of rhythm  it's truly one of the greatest songs i've ever heard. anyone who loves the moody blues should own this album. anyone who likes classic rock or just classic songs should definitely check it out.,Família
a forgotten good album my dad and my uncle are huge moody blues fans and for years have talked about the blue jays album  but i never heard it. while in london over the summer  i came across the album and had to buy it. so i did  and i was impressed. this album really shows that the true heart of the moody blues song writing is justin hayward and john lodge. their vocals blend together so well  and the guest appearances by other members of the moodies help to make this album enjoyable for any moody blues fan while still distinguishing itself from the rest. buy this if you like classic moody blues and would love to hear it with a twist.,Família
the queen of disco gives us her very best! i went through three copies of this album. one cassette one double lp and one single cd. i still have the lp and cd. i lost the cassette somewhere. my mom bought the cassette shortly after she bought a new lloyd's stereo with cassette player in late 1979. several months later we bought the 2 lp set. in october 1995 i bought the cd. the title track was the only original track and was a hit. there's also a long version of the song following no more tears which is much longer(playing time for nmt is 11:44). nmt is a duet between donna summer and barbra streisand. it's also on streisand's 1979 album wet. summer was introduced in 1975 with the megahit love to love you baby. other megahits are last dance bad girls dim all the lights heaven knows and hot stuff. macarthur park is a cover of the 60's hit written by jimmy webb(i don't know the artist who first recorded it). dim all the lights was written by summer herself. all the other songs are great. side 1 of the cassette has the songs from sides 1 and 4 of the lp. side 2 of the cassette has the songs from sides 2 and 3 of the lp. on the lp side 4 is opposite side 1 and side 3 is opposite side 2. when this album was released in 1979 phonographs with stacking spindles were still made and sold. so owners of this album could place side 2 atop side 1 and side 4 atop side 3. after this album summer was dropped from casablanca and signed with the newborn geffen label. this was in 1980. summer had four more big hits after this album. they are the wanderer from the 1980 album of the same title she works hard for the money from the 1983 album of the same title there goes my baby a cover of the drifters' recording and supernatural love both from 1984's cats without claws.,Família
"5 more stars- beyond mere ""ratings""-believe it what can i say...one of the greatest albums ever recorded. a wunderkammer of delights  each dusty shelf containing a priceless jewel. i remember first listening to this album: my brother and i looked at one another  mouths-agape; song after song further confirming that this was to be a candidate for both of us  for favorite album of all time. if i had to pick one desert island disc  this would be it. great music of stunning variety   evocative lyrics conjuring wonderful stories populated by colorful characters  and a mood (or  rather  moods) like none else.",Família
a soulful masterpiece no one could tell a woman how much he loves her like barry white. this album is proof of that. my mom bought this album shortly after its release  and she still plays it all the time. these songs are beautiful  and barry's words at intervals throughout the songs are gorgeous. they brighten the album all the more  and now that it's on cd  it sounds better than ever. each sound is crystal clear and flawless. this is barry at his best!,Família
this album changed my life this was the first album i had ever bought with my own money. my sister told me to get it  so i was like okay and i bought it. this album is amazing  everytime i had a bad day or was disappointed i would put this album in. this isn't considered by many to be thier best album  but to me there is probably nothing more timeless than this cd. i'm personally attached to this album  it changing my perspective on music  on almost everything. before this i was trapped to the radio and populare culture  i didn't know just what music lay out there  what great sounds can came from the underground. this opened me up. every song i enjoy  every cd i buy that i love  every band who gets money out of my wallet better pay this album respect becuase it is probably the only reason why i'm here today. music is important  it's my life  it is one of the only thing that i am truly passionate about. this album opened up so much for me  it gave me so much. thank you nofx for the music you have put out.,Família
"you can't miss out on music like this! this one that made it big for bobby caldwell. it's orignally titled ""bobby caldwell"" but was forced to change it due 2 total reasons. can't say much about it  this is a good album that anybody who wants to hear good music 'cuz my dad said he's was once discovered by barry white. everybody should know that the title song to this cd is a all-time favorite slow jam one that would go on years to come.i recommend u should buy this instead of a hip-hop/rap album i used to buy all the time.no one should live without this!",Família
"weird cd i'm not saying this is necessarily bad  i'm just saying this is an awkward cd. i like the punk music they did on this cd  because it's real stuff. when i told my mom that smashmouth's first cd was parental  she said ""but they always sing about happy things."" not here! they sing about getting thrown out of their apartment  getting dumped and thrashed afterwards  living on the streets  and more. i like the song heave ho the most because it's probably the longest song on the cd  and has the most feeling. why i call this cd awkward is because it follows a weird pattern: every first track is punk  every second track is mellow rock. i go from heave ho  very hard punk music  to the fonz  soft rock about wanting to be fonzie  and then to pet names  more fast punk. another thing that makes this cd unusual is its short length. the entire cd is only 37 minutes  strangely short. i've seen 12 track cd's with lengths of 67 minutes(korn s/t). i was a little disappointed with this  but i still like it  because it's their true self  music before they went pop because this cd didn't get much attention  so they decided to sell out to make money. i say this is the good smashmouth  the one that should have gotten the attention. it's a good buy.",Família
"one of the few hip-hop cd's i can love i first heard ""licensed to ill"" in a surf shop when i was in south carolina  and i sort of liked it and it was good ""shopping music"". my cousin had the cd and commented on how much he liked it. (we have similar music taste) as soon as i got back i was sold on the cd and i bought it. when i got this cd  it was not a dissapointment. in fact  this is great old school hip hop with neat beats and easy to listen to. my favorites are the new style  she's crafty  fight for your right  no sleep till brooklyn  hold it now  hit it  brass monkey  and slow and low. great even if you don't like hip hop.",Família
a classic that i can still listen to(albeit loudly!) & love ahh  the sixties and the seventies when having a good voice was still considered important! these two blend their voices and their musical talents in this essential album. this cd actually does have the best of their music. i love the symphonic version of bridge over troubled water. the only one that makes me cringe a bit is 'feeling groovy'. it was a term of that time period  and i shouldn't feel embarrassed by it. that song is a sweet  short  and very positive song...i still listen to it.i have nothing against any type of music. it just seems as i get older  there are less and less good singers  and good lyricists. nothing stays for long. it's sad that many of us go back to classic rock  and my kids even do (especially my son who is in radio). there are a few very good singers among the women like beyonce' and sarah macclahan (hope i spelled that right). but the guys? nothing to write home about.when musicians have to depend upon risque tactics as pulled by both justin timberlake and janet jackson (who i use to like...no more) rather than just show their singing abilities and talents  then something is wrong in the music industry. the obssession with death and sex...we thought the 60's was 'happening'. i remember my dad being bugged by rock music and so i watch myself  and try not to judge.but i go out and buy this type of music (and i just bought another one). music that you can sing or hum to  music that has something to say  music that i don't need to turn off when my 5 year granddaughter gets in the car. and she sings to it too. i saw someplace that simon and garfunkel might get together again. that would be a concert i'd love to go to...karen sadler,Família
seminal this album is that rarest of beasts: one that will bridge every generation gap and bring in new listeners over and over again. i remember my parents playing old dylan tapes in our car when i was little. i remember hating them  and calling for something more modern and horrible. then a few years ago i was in my parents' living room and dad put on his original vinyl copy of blood on the tracks  only for me to find it was a sound i now loved.now this album has become one of my favourites ever. the songs are beautiful  well-produced  warm and engaging. the sound of the original vinyl coming on with the first notes of 'tangled up in blue' is still thrilling every time. the album progresses wonderfully  showing the true value of the days when albums were intended as complete works of art  to be played from start to finish. rather than just being a collection of songs  this album evokes a mood as a whole. each song adds another layer to the greatness of the album  from the slow  stripped-down 'simple twist of fate' and 'shelter from the storm' to the bluesy 'meet me in the morning' and the epics 'idiot wind' and 'lily  rosemary and the jack of hearts'.this is a seminal  classic  essential album which i hope will continue to be passed down from generation to generation. 5 stars.,Família
"silk degrees is smooth as silk my dad bought me an 8-track tape of ""silk degrees through columbia house when i was eleven years old. needless to say  i was immediately hooked on much of the material. hearing the song ""lowdown"" is what made me want the 8-track. i bought the cd many  many years later  and just as before  the music is as fresh and vibrant as that first day i listened to the 8-track! the majority of the songs here are tight-fisted soul and r&b  from the eclectically pleasing ""what can i say""  to up-tempo numbers ""jump street"" and ""it's over""  to the blue-eyed soul/reggae vibes of ""love me tomorrow"". i prefer boz's version of ""we're all alone"" to rita coolidge's  which runs a very close second. a fan of boz scaggs or even soul music will have a delight out of this marvelous array of songs  which is why i highly recommend ""silk degrees"".",Família
"thrilling and beautiful... i first discovered this masterpiece over 20 years ago in a record store and thought its cover was quite unique. started playing it and my family sat in and listened as well. the music was quite haunting especially ""forever autumn"". needless to say wotw was played a great deal. fast forward to this past july  i again found the cd in a book/record store and immediately purchased it. the young man who worked at the cash register was quite impressed with the names behind wotw's production. i encouraged him to buy a copy and listen seriously. two days later my sister  her seven-year-old daughter and i were on a 2-hour road trip to participate a 5k race. what better way to pump ourselves up than to ""imagine"" the martians chasing us!hearing the opening lines of ""thunder child"" brought tears to my eyes. you cannot help but imagine seeing the tripod figures striding through the thames bearing down upon a lone ironclad vessel which had no hope of winning such an ill balanced battle. this is a wonderful cd. i highly recommend it to everyone.",Família
bought it for america but stayed for the rest a pretty good cd  i originally got it because i wanted a copy of america  which is truly a great song  but as i continued to listen i realized that i also liked many of the other songs. of course now i have to go get vol. 1 so i can get sweet caroline and all those great hits as well. i remember many of these songs as my mom used to play them to me on an old 8-track and it surprised how many of them i still knew.,Família
i really like this album  but i am scared to buy it. i was about five when my parents bought the thriller album for me and my brother. we wanted to be young hip hop artists so we would practice scratching on it. we probably messed up about three copies of this album. i remember hearing the music and it used to play when we went to sleep every night. i still like the songs even though i haven't heard them in a few years. i know if i buy it now  that i won't like it as much as i used to. so i'll keep playing the music in my head. oh yeah  i heard that rodney jerkins was going to produce his next album. (the boy is mine  heartbreak hotel  revolution). i hope that it is not weak. out-the-grism fo' the nine-scrism!,Família
"this cd is fantastic!!! i love this cd. my favorite songs are ""?""  ""hangin' on you"" and ""just a dream"". ""let me be your pirate"" is a good slow dance song...very sweet and romantic. i used ""?"" to open the dance at band camp and ""let me be your pirate"" for the second slow dance (""hero"" for the first). the kids loved it!i can't get 99 luftballoons out of my cd player. in fact...i had to by my dad the cd version  because i wore out the tape! i actually grew up listening to this on the tape version  and then 2 years ago  my dad and i got this on cd (my copy for christmas and his for his birthday). all the songs are great...and i would like to hear the english versions of the german songs someday. :>",Família
appeals to fans of both master pickers what a treat this disc is. i knew chet atkins as a kid because my father played many of his records. some i felt were outstanding  others i could pass on. regardless  you have to admit that chet was an excellent and entertaining guitarist. mark knopfler has been a favorite of mine since the first dire straits album on through all of his solo work. his unique tone and approach to rock  pop  jazz and country blues guitar is distinctive and to me is about as good as it gets.combining these two distinct yet complimentary guitar voices was very synergistic. students of these masters should not have much trouble picking out who is playing what. the sound quality is excellent with very good imaging and ambience. if you like either of these guys  i think you'll like this disc.,Família
great musical tribute to childhood! a friend gave this cd to me several years ago. i've always liked kenny loggin's music  so i feel in love with this album. a cd full of beloved lullabies  it's great for adults  babies and kids alike. when my brother and sister- in- law were still expecting their baby  i bought them this cd. they loved it too! after my nephew was finally born in may  they continue to play it. i think he recognized the music because his mommy and daddy played it so much when he was still in the womb...haha ...but it's true. it's relaxing and i love the artists that join loggins in his musical tribute to childhood...david crosby  graham nash  patti austin  david benoit  gene wilder  amy grant  gary chapman  and chet akins. when i listen to it  it reminds me of my own childhood....those carefree  fun  innocent days. all the pretty little ponies is just beautiful  as is the last unicorn  love (written by john lennon and one of my favorites)  and the irish lullaby  to-ra-loo-ra. rainbow connection brings back memories of kermit the frog  sitting on a log in his pond  with his banjo  singing this ditty. cody's song  which loggins wrote for his son  is very touching - a song every parent can relate to. the neverland medley  which includes somewhere out there  never never land  and pure imagination  is a beautiful duet featuring loggins and austin. it's a really enjoyable and soothing cd!,Família
"a must-have for children my daughter has many different lullaby cd's  but ""return to pooh corner"" never leaves her cd player. the songs are beautiful and soothing - we rock her to sleep while listening to it every night and she is usually asleep by the second song. the first song ""all the pretty ponies"" is a classic lullaby and works like a charm! i love to keep rocking and listening  because the songs are so enjoyable to listen to and remind me of my own childhood. i expect we will be listening to this cd for many years to come.",Família
"sultry! i saw maxwell perform this set at the university of maryland way back in '95 or '96 before he had any real national exposure. he did 2 curtain calls and still left the audience clamoring for more. now that is pretty rare for a new artist when people don't even really know your work. this was right around the time that the retro soul movement kicked off with d'angelo and erica badu  but forget all the comparisons to d'angelo because they operate in two different spheres. whereas d is slightly thugged out  maxwell is very smooth. there is nothing rough about this artist. no hip hop guest spots or overt influences here. but it's cool because there is room for both of them.i thought this album had a cool concept about love: the first look  the conquest and love lost. the band is really funky and put me in mind of the music that my parents played while i was growing up. maxwell's delivery is sultry and languid. check out the way he eases into my personal favorite til the cops come knocking. ""didn't you dig the way i touched your back girl  and wasn't it cool when first i kissed your lips..."" ah  how i love that song! 'sumthin  sumthin' is more uptempo  as is 'ascenion ' yet both are still pretty laid back. the the quiet storm remix of 'sumthin  sumthin' on the love jones soundtrack is even better than the original version here.maxwell is talented and definitely gives you your money's worth on this debut.",Família
aic do no wrong i love this album  it didnt take me any time at all to love ever minute. i first got into aic via my uncle who really enjoyed them and exposed me to them. i soon had dirt and after i had played it 50 times i had to buy another of their albums and this was it. i love this album and dirt  they are both excellent metal/grunge epics! highly reccomended!,Família
i am so glad i found this album! my mother bought this album for me as a christmas present in 1996. i played it constantly. my life was constantly shifting in location so i placed it in a box so i wouldn't lose it. well  after a while  i forgot where i put the box. just yesterday  my cousin was looking through the closets and there was the box with tidal in it!when i placed it in the cd player i remembered why i loved this album. her lyrics contain metaphor and her voice just enhances it. i wouldn't say that she has a pretty voice but it has a haunting and convincing quality that i fell in love with.,Família
"save the best for first everyone knows this was sheryl crow's best album. this 1993 debut let people know who she was (people seemed to forget about her singing backup for michael jackson). my father always played this album when it came out  and at the time i really wasn't into anything that wasn't rap or r&b  so i pretended that i wasn't into any of these songs. but this album is really good.sheryl's self-titled follow-up album did all right; then her third album the globe sessions fell to mixed reviews. then came her live album and then c'mon  c'mon (that is also a very good album). but this album showcases one of the few occasions where it's okay to keep living in the past. it's very hard not to enjoy storytelling jewels like ""no one said it would be easy"" and ""run  baby  run""  and the mellow proposal ""strong enough"". other jams are the funky ""solidify"" and ""all i wanna do"". and don't you remember how you were singing along whenever ""can't cry anymore"" came on?sheryl's style  vocals  and guitar-playing along with the lyrics are what make this cd a winner. if you're updating your contemporary rock collection  then you can't call it complete without this album.",Família
"beauty and brains this is not my father's velvet underground. literally--i played some of this album for my dad  and he couldn't believe this collection of small  pretty  listenable songs (except ""the murder mystery "" which hasn't aged well and cost the album a five-star rating) was by the same band that recorded the ""banana"" album. actually it's not the same band; john cale is gone  and he took with him much of the original lineup's white-hot fury. enter the loose  jangly guitar and subdued bass of doug yule  which compliment lou reed's lead lines so well. of course the quirky  sensitive  deceptively sophisticated sterling morrison / maureen tucker rhythm section is still there  and all together the four of them make a sound that might be held together with twine. it's rough  it's delicate  it might fall apart at any moment--but it's there for now. the songs aren't flawlessly executed by any means -- these aren't virtuoso musicians or studio wizards -- but their sound is that of the eye of a hurricane: beautiful in its tenuousness.for me  though  it mostly comes down to the songwriting. lou reed grows a heart and plays the thinking man's paul mccartney  lacking mac's sublime melodic gift but making up for it with one of the best senses of wordplay in all of popular music. consider this moment from ""some kind of love"":""and of course you're a bore but in that you're not charmless""i suppose john lennon could have written that. maybe. but he couldn't have sung it with the playful  androgynous sneer that is the key to reed's delivery in this and most of his best songs. it's the irony that's the point here.but ""pale blue eyes"" eclipses them all for me; at this point in my life (i'm 21) it's my favorite song from anyone. much has been said of reed's doing so much with so little in this song  and that's a large part of it. pure chords (i  ii  iv  v  vi) and a sparse  endlessly fetching arrangement (that guitar chime! that tambourine!) seem to leave reed's shaky voice without much support  but that's the charm. for a vocalist who tends toward shouted  spoken  and sneered acrobatics rather than singing  holding the white line of ""linger oooonnnnnnn"" is a precarious place  but to me that just proves he means it. yes he's painfully out of tune at times  but they didn't fix it. that's painfully honest.and what about those words! lou reed is one of my three favorite lyricists (the other two are tom waits and bob dylan)  and i don't believe he ever much surpasses the simple poetry of ""pale blue eyes"":""if i could make the world as pureand strange as what i see i'd put you in the mirrori put in front of me.""tell you what  mr. reed. no mirror necessary; just give us this song  and this album  and we'll be more than happy with the glimpse you give us into the pure  strange world you see.",Família
"don't stop giving love. amy is so terrific  and i haven't listened to pop in a long time. she has a lovely  soft  airy voice but uses it powerfully and the music makes her sound even better. what great musicians she has with her  and you can feel their connection in the music. heart in motion is titled appropriately because amy has tons of heart and she boldly and bravely shares it. i respect that in an artist. i also would like to thank her for taking the time to come to my high school (this was awhile back  heh) and speaking to us about many inspirational things  including god and singing acapella to us sitting on a stool; dressed casually  relaxed  with her legs crossed singing from her heart.what mainly made me write this review today is the song  ""baby  baby"" which is exactly how i feel about my daughter on valentine's day and every day into forever:""baby  baby  i'm taken with the notionto love you with the sweetest of devotion/...and ever since the day you put my heart in motionbaby i realize there's just no getting over you/baby  baby  in any kind of weatheri'm here for you always and forever...don't stop giving love...""i sing it to her and hold her; other times we laugh and dance. i will never forget this song--ever.other favorite songs are: the upbeat  ""good for me "" and the gorgeous melody  ""that's what love is for"" both of which i dedicate to my devoted husband; faith in trying times  ""ask me;"" the emotional  inspiring  ""you're not alone;"" and the sincere  riveting ""i will remember you;"" and  in my opinion  the rationale for the entire cd and why i love amy so much  ""hope set high.""""here's to good times to come."" i'm with you  amy.soar!",Família
melatonin on cd this cd really sucked. all the songs were very draggy and seemed like they would never end. some songs were flat out fruity. it's not a good cd at all i'm afraid. my parents like it a lot(they're more into older rock)and i got stuck listening to it in the car. i almost fell asleep.,Família
"absolutely fabulous now  i don't usually like folkish music. i'm a huge fan of loud rock music (with some exceptions). my friend was moving away  and they were giving some cd's away  and my mom brought jewel's cd home. i'd never really liked her that much. i'd go through stages where i'd like her  and then i just didn't really care. it took me a while (at least a couple months) to actually play the album  but when i did i was really impressed  more then i thought i'd be.it has a lot of her likeable  famous singles ""you were meant for me""  ""who will save your soul""  ""foolish games""  and tons of other fantastic ones that never made the top 40.she can really write songs. she's amazing. she has a very good voice. i don't really like the fact she recently became more pop-ish  but then again  a lot of singers are these days.it's a very good album  i'd recommend it to anyone.",Família
"18th-century punk rock. i wasn't an immediate tori amos fan - in fact  it took me quite a while to cotton to her. some of my friends were fans from way back  some were bonafide church of tori heads  but it never rubbed off on me. i guess i callously assumed her music was all pixies and periods. i had her pigeonholed as a bejewelled enya with a crunchy ani defranco topping. but i never actually listened to her records  and somehow the singles like ""crucify"" and ""caught a light sneeze"" didn't leave much of an impression either.then one day i broke up with my boyfriend  and he was retarded enough to leave his cd wallet in my car. perusing my new collection  i happened to stick ""boys for pele"" in the changer. it was one of those ""where have you been my whole life"" experiences. given the occassion  it's not that surprising: the title  of course  refers to the custom of sacrificing boys to the volcano goddess.this album is incredible. first of all  i know that ""caught a light sneeze"" is like a vulgar pop song for hard-core toriphytes  and i know i said it never made an impression on me when i heard it ""casually"" as it were on tv or the radio...but on closer examination  this has to be one of the most beautiful songs i've ever heard. to me  and naturally many will disagree  it's the quintessential tori track. i listen to it and i freaking believe in fairies. the heavy  erotic drums  the gothic harpsichord  and her breathy vocals and stream-of-consciousness lyrics - she has really created something fascinating here. ok  i played it for my dad and he liked it  which would normally cause me to reconsider my position on the matter  but tori is one of those artists who can ""cross over"" simply because she's good  and there's no point anybody arguing!so you may not always understand what the hell tori is talking about in her songs  but she has a knack for coining phrases that grab you by the seat of your pants. she is a real poet  and her delivery is impeccable. some people say she's too precious or pretentious  but personally i love it when an artist doesn't give the whole show away  leaves an element of mystery in the art  and isn't afraid of experimenting and pushing it. every tori amos album has been an experiment  ""boys for pele"" being basically the ""harpsichord test "" described by the amazon reviewer as ""gothic-pop chamber music."" my favorite examples of this are ""blood roses"" with its heady lyrics (""i shaved every place that you've been boy"")  and ""talula"" (""got my rape hat on...honey but i always could accessorize"") - ghostly  lacey  dramatic songs that do indeed sound like 18th-century punk rock sometimes.anybody who's willing to really give a tori amos record a spin might wind up getting addicted  and since she's always trying new things in turn  each of her albums is a potential conversion experience. ""boys for pele"" worked on me  and i've since come to appreciate her whole catalogue  especially her later work. this one is the real deal.",Família
i'm a parrothead for life! for her 62nd birthday  i took my mother to her first open air concert to hear jimmy buffett. she even made the dallas morning news. i promised her a good time...my husband  son  mother and i wore matching authentic hawaiian shirts  turned my van into a parrotmobile  threw a tail gate party and had a blast! my mother is now 72  a buffett devotee and can sing all his songs by heart! even the bear!anyone who criticizes buffett has never really listened to his music. he's a fantasic storyteller and chronicles us babyboomers with eerie accuracy.i was fortunate enough to see buffett before he had to stop doing the bear in concert. this cd is your chance to hear it as only buffett can do it.while other cd's might have more well-known songs  this one has the bear  pencil thin moustache  and the ballad of spider john. enough said.enjoy!,Família
wow!! i agree with susan  i cried and clapped and cheered! the fastest three hour video i have ever witnessed. we live in ny and take our kids to musicals regularly  but watching this with my family was an extraordinary experience. we rented this on a lark  and we were all were mesmerized as the performers gave more than their all. to own it would be to own a piece of history and some wonderful theater memories. buy it  and you'll see!! i am doing that after writing this review!! julius,Família
"monty python and the holy grail this is so funny! i love it! my family and i are such fans of this movie that we know all the words to the camalot song  a.k.a. knights of the round table! we have entire scenes memorized!this movie is about king arthur's quest to find the holy grail. he is joined by sir lancelot  sir robin  sir galahad and the rest as they search throughout england for a holy cup. their quest begins when king arthur has finally rounded up his knights of the round table and they are given an assignment from the lord. arthur and his knights encounter a taunting french guard  knights that say ""ne"" and lots more! filled with funny songs and catchy lines  this is one movie you won't want to miss!!!!",Família
"proceed with caution our 16 month old son loves ""the best of elmo"" and whenever elmo is on sesame street he tunes right in. we bought this dvd with high anticipation and ended up returning it.he had zero interest in this video  and neither did his parents. he may have been too young for this particular elmo dvd  which is why i suggest you proceed with caution. in my opinion  it's for ages 3+ and maybe 4+.",Família
my toddler is glued to this movie we've watched it about 12 times now  and every time we put it in  my 15 month old son gets this beatific smile on his face. he just can't get enough of it.the music is fantastic  there is nothing scary  and there are no lulls for your child to get bored. if your kid likes elmo  he'll love this movie.it's not too hard on parents  either.,Família
made my family seem normal! this movie explores the complex bonds of siblings and how they relate to each other and their parents. on the surface  it seems like a comedy  but it has more than enough moments to make one pull out the box of tissues. underneath the comic relief we see the frustrations  jealousy  misunderstandings and fierce that love that make up the relationships we have with our siblings. it explores love  guilt  fear  anger  happiness and loss with equal scrutiny. after watching this movie  i immediately wanted to watch it with my two sisters! it's a really good way to take a close look at our own families and how we relate to each other. great acting buy the female leads and a wonderfully touching performance by the late walter matthau.,Família
in agreement with t. liptak from texas i was pleased to see this video when it first came out and i recommend it very much. i watched it with my sons  who were born in 1965 and 1966  all the years they were growing up. they are now fine parents themselves. i believe it expresses very well the true meaning of christ-mas. the review from t. liptak says it very well. it puts christ back into christmas where he belongs. it was and still is one of very few videos that tell what christmas is about - the greatest gift of all to a sad and needy world - the gift of christ  that's why we celebrate christ-mas.,Família
more than santa i watched this with my son's and now they have sons. i especially appreciated that there were christ-mas references in this video  such as the wedding with the cross on the holiest night of the year and reference to the lord. it still could be fun  moving and include the real meaning of christmas.,Família
nice video and story the story in the video is nice and should teach perseverance. these are the comments on the reviews. however  my daughter of 3 and half soon realized that madeline was lucky only because she found the prima ballerina willing to help her to take part into the show  despite madeline made a lot of mistakes during the selection.in fact  the story does not hightlight when and how madeline is working hard in order to catch up with her companions.anyway the story is still nice.another point i want to make is the resemblance with dora the explorer. the differences are about context  but the role of a little girl as heroine is quite similar.dora's vhs contains two episodes (half an hour each)  madeline only one (about half an hour).,Família
this is not a cartoon! first let me say that my kids have warmed up to this video and now watch it. it seems to be a good bedtime video. but it is not an animated cartoon the way you expect. it is more like pictures with people reading the story. some kids might like that  but it took mine awhile to get into it.,Família
"one of the best sesame street videos! this is one of my favorite sesame street videos and we have several. in this video  telly learns that music can be made from many different things  as the members of stomp! make music all along sesame street with different every day objects. my favorite part has to be the ""can can"" part with oscar the grouch. the two guys from stomp! in this part are hilarious with their facial expressions and then dialogue (""cans? we've got cans!"" and ""yeah  we'll go get them!""). trust me  you've got to see that part. it's adorable.easily one of my daughter's favorite videos too  she will sit through this one time and time again. it is a great video for fans of sesame street (of all ages!).",Família
both mother and daughter like this one i know that every child is different and even in the same household what holds one child's interest doesn't hold another. that being said my daughter loves this video. it's a great way to teach children about music. we both love all the segments interspersed in this one from bert's 'oatmeal box' song  to the oldie  and one of my personal favorites 'the pinball song- (1 2 3 4 5 ..6 7 8 9 10 ..11 12)  and elmo's 'what makes music...'. and of course stomp. great ways to show a toddler how to make music from ordinary items. this one is a winner in our home (this one and elmo's world videos).,Família
"one of my son's favorites while my 2 1/2 year old will not watch the movie ""elmo in grouchland""  he adores this video compilations of songs from the movie and sesame street  and will dance and laugh with delight through it. though i think we're all getting tired of yet another ""elmo's song"" setup  the rest of the songs are clever and fun. my boy especially likes it when i sing along with ""c is for cookie"" and ""welcome to grouchland"" (maybe i just sing better than the muppet characters). probably one of the easier sesame street videos for adults to take  too. all in all a winner.",Família
i hate to admit it  but i love this movie. my brother and i  as children of the 80's  grew up on this campy movie. we still quote it to each other ('fagabeefy!') on the phone and in person... it's really roo funny. and never takes itself too seriously. i can remember staying up late to watch this in college  too  and now that i have it on dvd i am thrilled. this  wargames and the last starfighter... i'm ten years old all over again.,Família
the bonaventure! my sister and i probably watched this movie a million times - back in the days when you didn't use a clicker to change cable channels - you used a foot long box with about 15 buttons and a dial (and hbo was 3 buttons in  with the dial turned to the middle). i can still hum the pabst jingle - and will root for the yellow team to win every time i put this film on!,Família
love it! this is one of my childhood favorites! my cousin and i used to watch this one all of the time. kirstie alley and john travolta give great performances  and so does the rest of the cast. bruce willis is the voice of mickey.this is a great family film  but the pg-13 rating is there for a reason. it contains scenes of sensuality  and some adult language. oh  and  if you do decide to let your kids watch this one  be ready to answer their questions about the sperm/egg opening sequence. my little sis sure did have lots of 'em!highly recommended!,Família
great video for any time my son loves this video! it's may and he is watching it now. not just for christmas time! lots of fun songs!this is a must for any muppets fans collection!,Família
ahhhhh after seeing this movie i ran to call my mother. this is an extremely touching and moving movie. it centers around ed harris and susan sarandon  who are divorced  having to deal with the fact that sarandon has been diagnosed cancer. in addition julia roberts is now about to marry ed harris a.k.a. the name step mom.i completely enjoyed this movie. from its sadder to happier moments. i say watch with your mom.,Família
good movie but sorta weird in a way this was a really good movie. there were lots of disturbing parts to it. many scenes i will honestly say are not suitable for a lot of people. i went to go and see this in the theatre with my sister and she got so offended by this movie that she had to step out for about 10 minutes. there are some scenes that will bother you like for example where the old guy tries to burn a cat in an oven now that bothered me. it had a good storyline it just needed something else to go with it. all around though i would have this movie for my video library.,Família
my son loves it - and so will yours! i have a great 6-year-old autistic son who does not watch just any childrens shows  but he sure loved this one. i will be getting the entire series for him. he watches this one everyday and just laughs and has a good ol' time! thanks,Família
clever and cynical okay  okay  i understand that the plot of this movie is somewhat stupid  but as a teen girl  i loved it. the dialogue is clever  although unrealistic. my favorite character is courtney 'satan-in-heels' shane. marcie fox is your stereotypical dumb blonde  julie is the angelic one and liz purr is the 'perfect' teen. i watch this movie so much my parents are sick of it!!!! but  i love it.,Família
part of our night time routine! my year old loves this video....he watches it before bed! love the songs....helped my son learn how to use a toothbrush!,Família
not the most useful video for potty training the shadow song is very off the wall and very funky. i don't like it and neither does my son. the information that is presented is done very tactfully and done well. i just don't think there is much information presented. maybe for an older child who is close to being finished with potty training this would be an excellent video  but it just wasn't basic enough for our needs.,Família
"potty time perfection.... i had been coaxing my daughter to use the potty consistently for some months  when dad spotted this and we ordered it. ( trust me  you may get to that point too..you will seek out anything!) we had tried books  rewards  etc...and it wasn't getting the results we wanted. honestly  after a few times of watching bear in the big blue house sing and talk about the potty  our daughter responded! i cannot take the credit for knowing how it worked..i just know that it worked! also  once she accomplished the ""potty hurdle""  she did not want to watch the dvd again  so we sent it to our nephew. we were very pleased with the results  and would highly recommend it.",Família
"a good video  but not an attention grabber. my daughter loves bear  and especially tutter. so when we saw this video we though this would be a great way to introduce potty training to her.she watched the video a couple of times  but it did not interest her. she always seemed to be distracted. i like the idea that the video shows kids that this is a normal everyday thing.while this video has not been the perfect tool for us  i would not discourage others from buying it. we have found our daughter prefers to read and that she enjoys reading the book ""potty time"" while sitting on her potty.",Família
very good dvd this is a fun film to watch even if you aren't wearing diapers while you do. i bought this for my daughter and if it were vhs it would have been eaten by the vcr by now because it has been played so much.kids love elmo  and rightfully so. elmo is pretty cool  especially if you are under 5 years old. however  adults can enjoy this film too. the sesame street characters are in their best form  and there are enough subtle adult jokes to keep you giggling.the only reason i don't give elmo 5 stars is that the film is in pan and scan and is not available widescreen. my daughter watches muppets from space and stuart little widescreen  so i am not sure why elmo isn't.,Família
wrighting this for my brother i am wrighting this for my brother tanner.he wathed this movie 7 times the first day he got it!he`s a big elmo fan and this is his favorete one!he loves this movie and i kindave like it to!,Família
my favorit movie! if you think this m ovoe it's your fault that you cant understand it. this was the best movie  and unlike most movies based on books it was reallistic. the carecters where loveble and the moive made it feel like you where in their world. the first time me and my sister saw this movie it was when we woke uup at 2 in the morning and couldent get to sleep  every night for the next week we snook down stairs to watch the movie. watch this movie!,Família
see it again and again. and again. when one of my daughters was little she used to focus on one movie at a time and watch it with me every day for months. the first of these was annie. i saw annie every day after work 8 436 consecutive days. we love you miss hannigan. a tumble with the bundle. is my brain going a little soft? sometimes i have flashbacks - of vietnamese snipers  of napalm  of bolsheviks throwing bombs through windows and getting caught by little dogs named sandy. of little girls in red dresses holding their fists up menacingly. anyway to my surprise i noticed something different every time i saw the movie. a lot of thought and professionalism went into it.,Família
one of my favorites and my daughters' favorites too i do not know why so many people are downing this movie. true  i have never seen the broadway production  but i have seen disney's production  and for me nobody will ever be annie but aileen quinn. carol burnett was an excellent miss hannigan (i just couldn't get into kathy bates playing the role)  and ann reinking was by far a better choice for grace (i'm sorry but in the 1930s the likelihood of grace being a woman of color are slim  and daddy warbucks giving her an engagement ring even slimmer -- please!!). i love this movie and so do my children  especially my daughter lauren who always asks whenever they want to watch a movie  'annie!! please  can i watch annie?' this movie rocks!!,Família
childhood favorite for as long as i can remember  annie has always been my favorite movie. when i was a little girl and it was playing in the theaters  i must have seen that movie at least 20 times. even now i love watching this movie. i will pass it on to my daughter and her daughter. it is a little girl's wonderland  to imagine the fancy world that annie gets drawn into when she goes to live with daddy warbucks. and of course it wouldn't be the same if the girls from miss hannigan's orphanage don't have adventures of their own.this is definitely a classic musical that will be an all-time favorite for many years to come.,Família
the best copy i've ever seen! i first saw 39 steps a few years back on amc with my son  who was 7 at the time. we missed the ending  and ever since we've both been wanting a chance to see the rest. since then i've bought two copies on vhs that were so bad they were unwatchable. finally  thanks to criterion  we were able to watch it all the way through. this print is nearly pristine  which makes watching this great movie that much more enjoyable. like each of the criterion discs i've bought so far  this is a must-have for your collection.,Família
the last half hour when my sister asked me for a good movie to see  i gave he 'set it off' and knowing she gets bored pretty easily  i wanted the strongest thing to push her seeing this one at least. so  i set up the video for the last half hour  and watched how her tears started to fall. then of course  she kept seeing it over and over again.brilliant cast  queen latifa is an amazing woman  love her so much.,Família
tic tac sir??? another incredibly hilarious movie by the farrelly brothers. i remember the first time i saw the trailer for dumb and dumber in a theatre. my impression was that this movie was going to be a waste of time. my nephew dragged me to the theatre when it came out and i was sore for 3 days from laughing so hard!! forget the negative feedback. check your brain at the door and be prepared to laugh 'til you cry!! see dumb and dumber back-to-back with kingpin (another farrelly soon be classic) you will be sore for a week from laughing!! very fun!!,Família
my kids played it over and over most of my adult friends didn't like this movie but my kids kept playing it over and over. one of my sons even played it during his birthday party! it is kid-friendly with the approximately three profane words quite well placed. the pace seems a little slow in-between action scenes but overall very enjoyable. there are also cameo appearances by some of the actors from the classic tv series. and just as in the tv series  dr. smith seems to be the focal point for maintaining your interest for the duration of the film. great performance by gary oldman as dr. smith.,Família
one of best movies ever! one of the best movies of all time full of reality  bonding  drama and tears. i took my mom to see this movie in 1993 for her birthday. then bought it recently on dvd. excellent performaces by tim and morgan with and excellent plot. a must have!,Família
excellent performaces and storyline!!!!!! you will definately love this movie. i first saw it when i took my mom to see it on her b-day in 1994. we both loved it. excellent drama. one of the best dramas i ever seen. it makes the green mile look like crap. this movie is the best jail movie ever!!!! excellent performances by both tim robbins and morgan freeman. i would definately have to say that this is one of morgans best films!!!!!!!!,Família
the circle (of human abuse) when i first watched this movie  i thought the prologue was ingenius and totally got drawn in to the story. then it started to go over my head and i wasn't too sure what the movie was about .my brother pointed out the obvious--it's a story about the cycle of abuse people put each other through. then i was like: 'oh  duh'. ok.weeks later  i found that this movie couldn't get outta my mind! and why? because--i saw paul thomas anderson's message of 'the circle of human abuse' in my own life. we're not immune to it. it happens to everyone. we treat each other wrong and do it over and over.now i realize how powerful and amazing this movie truly is. i have to see it again!,Família
great bedtime video this is a great wind-down video. a great bedtime 'storybook'. my daughter just loves the commentary by the young children in the video as well as singing the easy to learn songs. it is also a very pleasant video to have on  for the hundreds of times it will be played!,Família
unashamed  funny look at sex in nyc i don't get hbo at home  but my parents do and i happened to catch an episode of sex and the city during a visit home. i enjoyed it so much  i was very pleased when it came out on video at such a reasonable price.sarah jessica parker and her costars are fantastic - they are obviously having a great time  and their energy and humor really make this series a joy to watch. it's pretty frank  but not graphic at all. highly recommended!,Família
"ron howard's ""wondrous epic"" don't listen to the haters who call this truly ""wondrous"" film anything less than a masterpiece. those who claim far and away has no plot are the same who would likely say the same of moulin rouge. it seems that a great love story these days is no longer enough  but perhaps only for those who don't really know what love is.far and away has been my favorite film since i was about 10 or 11 and my parents rented the film. i'm 20 now and i recently saw the film again--it is as wondrous and moving and sweet and beautiful as it ever was. it is a film grand in scope. it is a great glimpse at how talented nicole kidman was  even then.",Família
its blue  its bluehooohooooo the first time i ever saw this was in theaters. while my mom dragged my dad to see selena  which isn't a bad movie  me and my brothers went to go see this film. as a kid i didn't really understand what they were saying  all i laughed about was the claw. then i saw this on dvd so i said ahh.........what the 'f'. then once i actually saw it i laughed my ass off!!!!!!!!! this is a must get dvd for everyone! the special features are great. the movies great  and just plain having it in your dvd collection is great. you need to get this dvd!!!!,Família
way better than the jerry lewis one! the jerry lewis one was just plain dumb! but this is a masterpiece! this one strayed away from the stupid geeky college professor and turned him into a fat college professor who just wants to be thin. when my mom saw this with me  she coulden't stop laughing  and i'm sure that anyone who sees this movie won't stop either!,Família
a better babe i was fascinated by this movie from start to finish. there is so much to look at in every frame that one viewing just isn't enough. mind you  i am an adult with a taste for the apocalyptic vision. (road warrior and blade runner are two of my favorite movies.) that said  my children were not taken with the the pig's urban adventure. it really is not a children's movie -- at least not for the under eight crowd.,Família
a women tearjerker! im usually not into these type of movies  but if your going to grow up to be a movie critic you have to have see and comment on several different movies.my mom was actually the one that rented it  but she asked me to watch it with her  so i did.and i was amazed. i actually liked it  it was sad and my mom cried at the end but i liked it.,Família
lets hear it for the boy i sat at my computer as my son watched paulie  which i thought was going to be a silly.; stupid movie(ie amazon has it paired up with mouse hunt as a combo deal) . at first it did seem like a typical goofy talking animal thing...but at some oint i found myself glued to the piece...this is a movie that can be kind of dumb  but also dares to be smart  sensitive entertainment. there are great contributions throughout  funny lines  and a sentimental moment or two. the tone of the movie is much more reverant and lovely than i thought it would be.again  if it wasn't for my son  these movies would never exist is my psyche....this is a nice little movie...let's hear it for nice.,Família
a feel good movie! i love the flintstones  in any shape or form that i can see them. i remember wonderful memories of watching them on tv with my children and now with my grandchildren and i was delighted when the movie came out  i was not disappointed!john goodman is great as fred rough around the edges but yetquite loveable! the casting was great  the scenery was great  everything about this movie was just plain fun! that is what it's all about and what it should be about! fred gets in trouble  barney bails him out! simple! fun! entertaining!what more do you want?,Família
a great kids movie i got this movie about 8 years ago through a mcdonald's promotion. i was pleasently surprised by the quality of the animation and story. my son  4 at the time  loved it and my daughter did also when she was old enough to watch it. my daughter has seen all of the sequels (many times) and  through watching these movies  has developed an interest in dinosuars and evolutionary and environmental science  albeit at a level suitable for an eight year old. it's a rare but good movie that has a lasting  positive affect on a child. the land before time is one of those rare movies.,Família
beautiful i can remember my dad tqaking me to this when i was 4 of 5. i loved it! my brother had to buy me the video the day it came out. since then i have watched the video so much that the tape is worn (thank god for the dvd). it's a touching story about friendship and teamwork. i feel like i'm going to cry when i watch it now. it's not because it's sad  it's just that it gets to me. one small thing that i don't like is not the movie itself  but the dvd release. no special features (unless extra languages are considered to be features). the picture is slightly grainy but that's ok. it's not too bad. also  it isn't widescreen  which is a shame.,Família
the start of a great series. i first saw this movie several years before my kids were born  and i enjoyed it. but watching it with kids is even more enjoyable. my kids love this movie. it teaches them how if you stay with your friends then things will work out good.the story is centered around littlefoot the leader of this group of kid dino's. spike  cera  ducky and petrie all join together in search for the great vally after being seperated from their families.this is a sad movie  a scary movie and a happy movie all in one. i think that the voices of the dinosaurs are great  they realy show their emotions.this movies shows how different dinosaurs of different species need to work together to survive.my favorite dino is petrie.,Família
hitchcock's second to last worst film in fact  the only hitch film worse than it is to catch a thief. the so-called master of suspense masters mostly boredom and dullness throughout the movie. if you can get past the first 50 minutes  though  you'll be okay. the definate highlight of the film was when a man drops a match on a trail of gas. it blows up  and you are shown four stills of tippi hendren's terrified face. it was supposed to be serious  but it was hilarious. my brother and i watched it over and over again; it cracked us up.eventually  the film has some good parts with the attacking birds; but those scenes could sometimes be disappointing. really  i do not recommend seeing it.,Família
not a classic  but ok this film had some good performances  particularly denzel washington and angelina jolie  and for people like me who did not read the book  it was suspenseful and interesting  but i agree with many of the other reviewers about the ending. i did not remember seeing the killer earlier in the film  though my father  who watched it with us  claims to have remembered him. the killer's motive seemed absurd too. still  i found bone collector to be watchable  and for fans of the genre  it is worth seeing. ultimately it is no silence of the lambs  and you will not need to see this film more than once  though a second viewing might be in order if you really need to see if they show the killer earlier in the film.,Família
the best movie of the year! i almost gagged when my mom insisted that we rent this  but when it was over i was so glad she did. it is by far the best movie of the year. it is a heartwarming story about a boy who realizes that he has the chance to be something in the world instead of following in his father's footsteps and slaving away in a coal mine his whole life. i know it sounds cheesy  but the movie is very well executed and acted. you have to see this movie!,Família
unfettered entertainment i'll be brief. i have been anxiously anticipating the release of this movie for home viewing because i refuse to give in to the urge to spend another nickel in order to rent it. this movie is intended to be entertaining  and it does not fail. i can appreciate any movie my daughter and i can laugh at together  and believe me  we laughed a whole lot. as long as you don't forget that 'mystery men' is a movie  not a film  you're going to enjoy it very much.,Família
great movie!!! my son got me this for last christmas  i already had the vhs version  but this 2 disk set is even better. the interviews with everyone and learning alot more about the movie and everyone who participated in it  and what they really had to say about it  just blew my mind.still a great movie  great cast  val & meg awesome job!!! no one could of pulled off playing jim  not like you did! this movie is not only entertaining  the music is awesome  as well as the acting.any doors fan  will love this  true or not  the movie is awesome!,Família
happy viewing! my daughter and i had fun watching happy pooh day  her first pooh video.the first story is april pooh wherein pooh  piglet  tigger  rabbit become 'victims' of tricks played on them. rabbit suddenly thinks he grew a giant carrot  while piglet thinks that pooh's house is under water. meanwhile  pooh's hunny is super sticky and suddenly tigger looks different!the other two stories  tigger got your tongue and the wise have it also deal with the fun adventures of pooh and the gang.pooh is still our favorite huggable bear! enjoyable and fun!,Família
kids will watch over & over! lots of sequels just don't add up to much - this is an exception to that! this is a wonderful movie!-my kids (girls age 5 & 3) and i tend to like this one just as much as the first!this story tells of simba & nala's daughter kiara and her friendship with scars named replacement. obviously simba has a problem with kiara befriending the heir of scar! this movie teaches a lesson about friendship and accepting others just the way they are. this one is worth adding to your video library!1smileycat :-),Família
dancing globs make me wozzy wow this was disappointing. the stupid parts outweight the good stuff. what a waste. with all the potential to make a real interesting story  and with all the high tech capabilities now vs when the original was made this should have been a real fun movie to watch. it is not. most of my kids had left the room before the end. definitely rent before you buy.,Família
great movie for kids though it can scare very little ones. when reviewing a kids movie i ask myself did i like it enough to watch again. the answer is yes. did the kids watch it repeatedly. yes. but of the five  the youngest (6 yrs old) just watched for the first time this year.it is a nice sweet movie except that the bad squid is a little to mean and scared my girls when they were real little.ultimately the music is only ok and my children now sledom watch it  they have moved on and prefer to watch other films instead. this is a good kids movie and i recommend it.,Família
wonderful to the very end. i loved this movie as a child and just watched it agian with my 6 year old. it only gets better with age. classic family values and a strong work ethic. captivated my daughter. i suspect if we get a yellow dog it will be called yeller.more films need to be made by disney like this one or they should be rereleased in the theatres to give the younger generation a sense of wonderement we all felt as a child.,Família
not as great as people say i saw this movie on tv because i'm only 13 and at the time i was 12 and my mom didnt want me to see all of it. now my whole entire family is obsessed with this movie and whenever all the women get together we always end up watching it. it was good  but very predictable.....not that that makes it bad  but i thought it was going to be this brilliant work of art. but it wasnt. it was good and most people will like it  but its not that great.,Família
a good family film - with only a few bowling words... i was pleasantly surprised by this movie. the language is just spicey enough to garner a pg-13 rating (sadly  so).however  it is a cute and timeless story about re-evaluating what it is we're doing with our lives and our time and our money.it is a wee bit predictable  but it is also a good message that society needs to hear again and again. and the ending was very sweet.i watched it with my 13 year old daughter and the offensive scenes (squeaking beds and such) were vague enough to make it safe for most kids  in my maternal opinion.,Família
what a fun video! as a musical family  my husband and i enjoy this video as much as my daughter does! members of stomp and other sesame street clips show us that music is all around us--we can make music with anything! all the rhythmic clapping  tapping  banging on pots (always a fun toddler activity)  and singing really keep my 17 month old daughter enthralled. we're thrilled  because my husband and i really hope she develops the love of music we have. even if you're not pushing music at home  it's very entertaining for the young ones  and a good video to add to your sesame street library!,Família
worst movie i've seen in the past year a lot of bad movies have been released over hyped and over rated-but this is easily the worst of them. the story never really goes anywhere  which might work in a comedy--but this isn't a comedy. a great actor (mcgregor) and a good actress (judd) wasted in a horrible story. alan smithee could have done it better!!! maybe it would have been better in japanese  as i didn't understand it anyway. i watched this movie with my wife and my mother-and none of us could believe how bad it was. my daughter and her husband watched it later and felt the same. five for five in the thumbs down department  and we all love watching movies!,Família
fun movie! my daughter didnt like it much though :( my 2 1/2 year old didn't get too scared or think that it was creepy... which is good. but  she always gets bored half way through. :(i guess she is to young for it.my husband and i thought it was neat though.great family movie if you have a little older children because the parents will like it too :),Família
better than it sounds the premise of this movie sounds absurd  but it's actually a very entertaining story. the ending is a let down. sure  the story is corny  so what? it has a lot of qualities of 50's drive in movies which are generally corny but fun to watch. my oldest daughter has always had a fear of clowns anyway-this movie is perfect for her (she's not a child anymore) my wife thought i was making this movie up the first time we watched it  but she really enjoyed it as well.,Família
charming _are you my neighbor?_ ranks among the best of the veggietales catalog. the big idea crew continues to keep children's attention with broad humor and good songs. they also draw in adults with sly references that only they would get. my sons don't get the star trek references in this video -- but my wife and i sure do  and even though we've now seen it a hundred times  we still get a kick out of it.,Família
major disappointment okay  my wife and i couldn't stand it  but my child  who loves elmo  couldn't sit through it. thank heavens for fast-forward. by the way  who ever told rosie she could sing?,Família
great video - great dog! everyone at my house loves kipper. my husband bought this video for my daughter when she was 18 months old. she instantly fell in love with kipper. the stories are easy to follow and are nonviolent. kipper talks with a british accent and is very polite. what i think you can appreciate the most about all the kipper videos is the gentle and kind way he interacts with his friends and others. he is a great example for children and adults.i now buy this video for every 1st or 2nd birthday/1st or 2nd christmas that comes up. my daughter is almost 3 and kipper is still her favorite.,Família
our teenager loved 'duck soup' our teenaged son loves classic movies and comedy (bill cosby  bob hope  allan sherman  etc.)  so my wife and i decided he simply had to see 'duck soup.' i don't think i've ever heard him laugh so loud  so often  as he did for this marx brothers' classic comedy. groucho marx is in peak form  and some viewers may notice where alan alda as hawkeye pierce got some of his antics for the mash television series.by all means  give your kids a hefty dose of humor and some cinematic history at the same time!,Família
Over a year ago we ordered this book for our first child - and we have been thrilled with it. Right away I was pleased by the fact that it was not in the overly-seen pink for girls or blue for boys colors. I love the soft image of the slippers on the front and the somewhat antiqued appearance of the cover. I found the headings in the book were perfect for us. They covered neither too few occasions nor too many (I was afraid that if I got a book with too many headings I would leave many blank for lack of time to constantly update). The book has allowed us to chronical our child's monthly development  special occasions  and firsts in a very nice manner. I will certainly put this one at the top of my list for our second child.,Família
Just what we needed. Perfect for teaching children.,Família
"I was on my way to a class on 9/11  I remember hearing ona morning talk show that the first plane had hit. Morning DJ's being the clowns they are and being paid to fake and make fun of things I assumed it was a joke. I wish now it had been. The pictures are moving  I do not know how to put into words the feeling and loss I felt. I did not personally know anyone lost on that fateful day  moments frozen in time. A young friend  a friends child  asked me what the pictures were and why they made my cry. How do you explain that to a child. With the help of this book I thinkI was able to give a 6 year old a small explanation. She asked  ""They died helping other people?"" Yes.",Família
This book was a favorite of mine in my childhood  and  when I returned as an adult to re-read it to my own daughter  I discovered it all over again.This is a story about a different kind of princess than one might imagine; a princess that is an orphan - lonely  cold  hungry and abused. Sara Crewe begins life as the beloved  pampered daughter of a rich man. When he dies a pauper  she is thrown on the non-existent mercy of her small-minded  mercenary boarding school mistress. Stripped of all her belongings but for one set of clothes and a doll  Sara becomes a servant of the household. Hated by the schoolmistress for her independent spirit  Sara becomes a pariah in the household  with only a few secretly loyal friends. But through her inner integrity and strength of will  Sara Crewe maintains the deportment  inner nobility and generous spirit of a 'real' princess.It is a fabulous story of the triumph of human will  and good over evil.This story is a real classic  and needs no re-writing to be as enjoyable and readable today as it ever was. Ask my 8-year-old daughter  who has already re-read it twice. Accept no substitutes  re-writes  abridgements or copies! This is a work of art  and should not be tampered with.,Família
The original book was a favorite of mine in my childhood  and  when I returned as an adult to re-read it to my own daughter  I discovered it all over again.It is a story about a different kind of princess than one might imagine; a princess that is an orphan - lonely  cold  hungry and abused. Sara Crewe begins life as the beloved  pampered daughter of a rich man. When he dies a pauper  she is thrown on the non-existent mercy of her small-minded  mercenary boarding school mistress. Stripped of all her belongings but for one set of clothes and a doll  Sara becomes a servant of the household. Hated by the schoolmistress for her independent spirit  Sara becomes a pariah in the household  with only a few secretly loyal friends. But through her inner integrity and strength of will  Sara Crewe maintains the deportment  inner nobility and generous spirit of a 'real' princess.It is a fabulous story of the triumph of human will  and of good over evil.This story is a real classic  and needs no re-writing to be as enjoyable and readable today as it ever was. Ask my 8-year-old daughter  who has already re-read the original twice. Accept no substitutes  re-writes  abridgements or copies! 'A Little Princess' is a work of art  and should not have been tampered with.,Família
My 3 1/2 year old loves this book. Her favorite part is the end when you can turn the wheels and make your own faces. This book emphasizes the normalcy of feeling sad  confused  and whatever other feelings people have.I didn't care for the part where the little girl says she has a boyfriend. This book is intended for 4-8 year old and I don't know any kids that age that have a boyfriend or really even understand the concept.Other than the aforementioned issue  I love this book and read it to my daughter every night. It's a winner!Highly recommended.,Família
"This is the third book by E.B. White that I have read to my daughters (ages 6 & 8)  and they have greatly enjoyed all of them (the other two of course were ""Charlotte's Web"" and ""Stuart Little""). It is the story of a young trumpeter swan named Louis who is born with a birth defect in that he can't talk. It seems verbal communication is a great part of a swan's courting ritual  and since Louis can't use his voice to say ""Ko-Hoh""  his mother and father believe this will be a great disadvantage for him when he gets older and wants to attract a mate. At great personal risk and dishonor  Louis' father  the old cob  sets out to help his son by stealing a brass trumpet from a music store so that his son will have a voice. The old cob is a very funny character. He is always making all of these long winded speeches  and his wife has to cut him off or he would go on forever. The beginning of the book reads likes a nature lesson  and you learn all about swans raising cygnets (baby swans) in their natural inhabitant  but then in the later chapters it turns into an adventure story as Louis sets out on his own. To repay his father for his sacrifice  Louis goes to school to learn to read and write so that he can communicate with humans  and then he sets out to pay off his father's debt and to restore his family name. With the help of a young boy named Sam Beaver who had become friends with this family of swans back in Canada  Louis gets a job as a bugler at a summer camp Sam was working at. Sam knows a lot about nature and wants to work in a zoo when he grows up. At camp KooKooskoos Louis makes many friends  and learns to play revelry and taps on his bugle  and earn a little bit of money as well. At the end of the summer when the camp closes Louis moves to Boston to get a second job working on the swan boats at the Boston Common. (You are greatly reminded at this point of ""Make Way for Ducklings"" which takes place in the same atmosphere.) The man who owns the swan boats is very nice to Louis and puts him up at the Ritz Hotel for a while. After Sam returns and helps Louis again by surgically separating one of his webbed feet  the quality of Louis' trumpet playing greatly improves. Louis then starts to become well known  and is offered a job as a jazz musician in Philadelphia. He moves out to Philadelphia and stays at the Philadelphia Zoo for a while. It is the custom of the head man at this zoo however to clip a wing of any bird that comes there that they want to keep. This prevents them from flying away. In order for Louis to keep his freedom and not to have his wing clipped he has to agree to play a free concert every Sunday for the people of Philadelphia. By fate it is here in Philadelphia at the zoo  that he meets his true love Serena and woes her with his trumpet playing. After earning enough money to pay off his father's debt  they move back to Montana to start a family. While the book was great there was one minor negative thing I found that prevented it from being quite perfect. In the story Louis goes to great lengths to explain the value of freedom  but then in the end he volunteers to leave one of his cygnets at the Philadelphia zoo whenever they need a new one. Since this would remove that cygnet's freedom  it seemed kind of hypocritical. E.B. White does appears to support zoos in this story  but with the amount of mixed signals he sends it wasn't always whole heartedly. The illustrations in they book by Fred Marcellino were very good and added immensely to the story.",Família
"the epitome of punk every one who likes punk should have this cd cuz its for them. i like ""leave it alone"" and ""the brews"" and ""lineolieum."" me and my friend think this should be in dances as well as on the radio. remember: punk lives on!",Amigos
"awesome cd i was introduced to primus in a strange way. i did not find it on the internet or get recommended to it by a friend. i was strolling through a music store one day and came across this. for some reason  i think i was hypnotized by the yellow and black smiley things and i bought the album  not knowing why i did it. i had no idea what or who primus was and i guess i didn't think much of it. i thought it would be another flop album.and  man  was i wrong.after a little research  i figured out this was primus' fifth full-length album release (not counting the ep miscellaneous debris) and it was also the last with primus' tim ""herb"" alexander  their drummer. i haven't heard any album before or after this  so i can't quite tell you if they're better with alexander or their new drummer.but  anyway  back to the review. if you tried to explain what kind of band primus was to a person  i don't think you could do it very well. the only thing that would come to mind is ""well  it's weird."" so  when i got into this album  i told my friend about it. i said  ""it's a weird cd about beavers."" he wanted to borrow it.i really liked this album. but  the next day  my friend gave it back and said  ""okay then...."" he said it was too odd and he didn't like it. so  i learned  that you have to like odd music to enjoy this great album.okay  enough with the jibber-jabber  i'll say a few words about each song on the album and rate them from a scale of 1 to 10. (1 being the worst  10 being the best  in case you're wondering.)1. professor nutbutter's house of treats: in this song  they do less of the singing and more of the music. i guess you could call it a sort of techno song. so  i didn't really understand what this song meant or what it was about  but i still liked it. they're saying in this song  ""it's alright! don't fear the worm!"" and then ""it's alright to fear the worm."" don't know what a worm has to do with some professor guy who i think who is selling candy  but hey! this was the first time i was introduced to les claypool's odd singing voice and lyrics. this song is in the top 3 because the guitar playing is great.my rating: 10/102. mrs. blaileen- this song has weird lyrics about mothers choking at kitchen tables  a child killing another one and bleach. to show you a sample of primus' lyrics  i'll show you the first verse of mrs. blaileen.mrs. blaileen- she was his sixth grade teacherand she controlled the childrenby using humiliationthe target always seemed to be donnyhe was a bit slower than the otherswhen he was quite younghis mother died at the kitchen tablewhile choking on some foodthe fashion of the day was bleach and tied levisdonny decided to make some  but he didn't know to rinse themso he came to school a reekinbleach stench filled the classroommrs. blaileen began to chastiseshe made him feel like an ***holetwo feet smallokay. although this song isn't as good as professor nutbutter  it's still okay.my rating: 9/103. wynona's big brown beaver- yay! beavers! i like beavers. this song's awesome and by far the best on the cd. it's about this girl named wynona that has a pet beaver that ate taco bell. yep  odd enough for ya now? les sounds sort of like a redneck country singer on this song and he sounds really cool. this song is awesome and i don't know what this album would be without it.my rating: 10/104. southbound pachyderm: this is probably the slowest song on the cd and is also more melodic than a lyric song  just like nutbutter on track 1. this is the only primus song i've seen the video of and it's odd. good song  but if you're looking for faster music  just go back to beaver one more time.my rating: 10/105. space farm: i don't know what it is about this track  i just like it for some odd reason. although just about everyone on the face of the earth would call this filler  i'd call it an interesting song.my rating: 9/106. year of the parrot: primus extends your vocabulary on this song! the whole song teaches us about plagiarism! yay! but  no  the whole premise is stupid. it's not an awful song  but it's by far one of the worst on the disc. just doesn't fit in or even compete with beaver or pachyderm.my rating: 7/107. h***bound 7 1/2: just as cool as space farm! again  more filler for most people  cool song for me.my rating: 8/108. glass sandwich: the music is cool in this song  but the lyrics are awful and make the song not exactly great. this song is just okay and you can skip it.my rating: 7/109. del davis tree farm: this is actually a really good song  but not near as good as many others on this cd. it's about del davis selling christmas trees. the lyrics are much better in this than glass sandwich and the music is good  as always. good follow-up after the dissapointment before this.my rating: 9/1010. de anza jig- cooooooooooooooool. the lyrics are actually pretty funny on this song and the whole song is catchy. this is about les claypool's childhood friends  like todd squelati  who could snort a milkshake up his nose. les sings in this just like he does in big brown beaver. cool song  competes with beaver for the top spot.my rating: 10/1011. on the tweek again: okay.... i don't exactly like this song. it's one of the lowlights on the disc and the lyrics are awful! for once  the music isn't actually that great  except for a few parts on the track. let down after de anza jig. good thing it's followed by a great song....my rating: 6/1012. over the electric grapevine: this song is great. the guitar/ banjo/ whatever else they use is all great and so are the lyrics. the song makes sense unlike some of the songs on this ""tales from the punchbowl"" album. this isn't as melodic as pachyderm or nutbutter  but the guitar is the highlight  not the great singing. this  beaver and de anza jig are the best on the cd.my rating: 10/1013. captain shiner: the worthless  short thing at the end to round out the album. it's just the de anza jig music with a horn and seagulls. this doesn't need a rating cause it isn't really a song.so  this is a great album.the highlights are:professor nutbutter's house of treats!wynona's big brown beaver!!!!southbound pachyderm!space farm!de anza jig!!!over the electric grapevine!!!the crap they should have left out:on the tweek again...glass sandwich...actually  none of the songs are crap! they're just mediocre! primus rocks! i mean  sucks! whatever!so...if you want strange music to listen toand..beaversand..good music that will probably be one of your favorite albums of all time...dare to buy ""tales from the punchbowl."" you won't regret it. :)",Amigos
truly a desert-island disc this album brings back my college days. one of my friends bought it  and none of us could stop listening. when it came out on cd  i was thrilled  because my lp had disappeared over the years  and the cassette i'd made (just in case!) finally wore out.bonoff writes and sings with true passion  and i firmly believe that no music collection is complete without this album. it has not lost any of its power  even 25 years after i first heard it.,Amigos
"another classic from the summer of 1988 when i heard of living colour it was the fall of 1987 when i read an article of the black rock coalition and was looking foward to the release of their first album  in may of 1988 i bought vivid expect your typical heavy metal album but with a black twist. nothing ever prepared me for the sonic assault on my musical senses. from corey glover's soulful singing to a rythum section that actually sounded like a one in heavy rock music from muzz skillings and will calhoun and the jazzy yet heavy as heck soloing from the best guitar player of the past 20 years vernon reid.i told all my friends from metalheads to soulsters to get this album  from the zep-like riffs to the ornette coleman like soloing from reid on ""cult of personality"" to the bad brains/ac/dc like thrash of ""desprate people"" to the country blues hip-hop of ""broken hearts"" and the socca-rock riffage of ""glamour boys "" the lyrics make you think without being preachy and this is the band i thought (and still think)this band as the true heirs to the led zeppelin heavy metal mantle diverse music like they played and musicianship that is top-notch. get this album now.",Amigos
"stupid i never could ever get into this band..i tried countless times because alot of my friends were really into them  and i liked the idea of a punk band saying ""screw the purest we'll do what we want""..not necessarily a good thing because what they did was play some really cheesy music. disco punk for brainless people ..i never got the stranglers..this greatest hits comp didn't impress me either. i'll admit some of the songs can be catchy ""no more heroes"" but really i couldn't listen to that song over and over without feeling nauseous. i don't recommend this",Amigos
"where did he get that voice? this album is simply amazing. the first time i heard it  i was in france of all places. one of my friends put it on the cd player at a party  and i was hooked. from the opening of the first song -- which  besides a great guitar line and interesting intstrumentation  has amazing vocals and a wonderful hook -- to the last  there wasn't a bad number. my personal favorites are ""hallelujah"" (just like everyone else  but his guitar playing is so pristine and bell-like in its clarity that i have to marvel)  ""lover  you should have come over"" (more great guitar  profound lyrics and a great melody)  and ""corpus christi carol"". the last is by benjamin britten  a 20th-century classical composer. i can only assume that the vocal part is intended for a woman  because jb sings it entirely in falsetto -- and not just a falsetto  but the kind that many trained classical vocalists would love to have. (incidentally  these three songs are right in order on the cd.)if you like intelligent guy-with-a-guitar pop music  you absolutely must own this. his guitar playing is excellent; his songwriting is excellent; and his voice is superlative.",Amigos
"the number 1 record of all time this is when i liked the eagles the best the early 70's.""witchy woman "" is my favorite.i first heard this song when i went to my first bar in high school.i was under age but the bar owners didn't care.i still remember the number on the juke box q17.i played this every time my buddies and i went to ""betty's bar."" ""one of these night's "" is another favorite.i love the eagles harmony on ""one of these nights "" and the great ending.""desperado"" is a classic.every song on this cd is. this was the greatest music ever from the eagles the early 70's.",Amigos
"maybe my first choice for a ""desert island"" cd first let me say that i hated this album when i first heard it some 12 years ago. i thought it was the worst [crud] i had ever heard and i was pretty mad at my friend for making me waste 45 minutes of my life. but a funny thing happened later that week. i could not stop thinking about the songs. the sound was just so alien to me at the time (gee  i was in college so we were probably listening to bon jovi and rush or something) that i just could not wrap my head around it while i listened to it. i had mistaken its originality for lack of (traditional) talent. when i finally got hold of the cd again  i probably listened to it 20 times in a row  and now they are certainly one of my 5 favorite bands of all time  if not #1.it wasn't until years later that i found out how many of the great songwriters and bands of the last decade name the pixies as one of their prime influences and inspirations. there's so much stuff mixed and twisted around in here (punk  rock  country  surf  metal  electronic  pop) that  hearing it described  it's hard to not imagine it as an aural train wreck. somehow they not only make it work  but this music is simply timeless and it's totally dissolved in my blood now. it's amazing to me that to this day  most people have never even heard of the pixies  never mind like them.you would be doing yourself a great disservice by not at least trying this album (which  along with ""bossanova"" is what i would recommend). first find out if a friend happens to have it  or download some of the songs (""wave of mutilation""  ""monkey gone to heaven""  ""no. 13 baby"")  because as i said it's very difficult to like right away. keep these songs around a while and listen to them a few times while you clip your toenails. it's not for everyone. if you're a big britney spears or celine dion or even rolling stones fan  then beware. there might be some vomiting and there's even an outside chance your head might just explode on the spot.anyway the point is to get past the weirdness of it and appreciate its utter originality. i've never heard anyone accuse the pixies of copying or imitating or ripping anyone else off  which is something you could say about very few bands of any kind. they play chords you've never heard before and that probably don't appear in any chord book at your local music school. sounds out of tune? yep...intentionally. time signatures change up all over the place  but yet it works. the vocals go from screamingly raw to haunting to playful. black francis truly has one of the most unique voices you will ever hear.enough blabber  just buy it already. it's a classic modern album that i'm quite sure i'll still be listening to when i'm 70 years old and once the pixies lull you into their web of enlightenment  you will be too!",Amigos
"renewed my interest in this great band. counterparts seemed to come out of nowhere when it was released almost ten (!) years ago. i have always enjoyed the mid-70's to early 80's output by rush  but thru the rest of the 80's and early 90's (with the exception of a few songs) i found much of their material to be quite average and forgettable. by 1993 i had little to do with them outside of occasionally spinning exit: stage left. i found presto and roll the bones to be unremarkable to say the least. i guess i got tired of what seemed to me to be half-efforts.my friends and i have come to refer to this as the ""rush syndrome""; a band with this disorder seems to be able to forge an album on which only a third to one half of the songs are interesting-they seem like 'works in progress'  not yet completed. while counterparts did not totally escape this formula  it is one of the best rush albums of the last 15 years and should be remembered as one of the peaks of their later years.counterparts feels alive-the mix is nice and full and the songs are very 'present'. there is nothing worse than a poorly recorded power-trio where the thinness of the arrangments is painfully obvious. here  the band sounds tight and well-rounded. ""animate"" is a great opener. i bought the album on the strength of ""stick it out"" and ""cut to the chase""  songs on which rush sounds as if they have been re-invigorated or received a blood transfusion. these songs are driving and energetic. it's hard not to tap your feet along and nod your head.there are some other good songs here as well  and a couple of forgettable ones. over all  this is a strong effort and a return to form of sorts for the band that used to put out pounding tunes like ""yyz"" and ""la villa strangiato."" nice work guys.recommended.",Amigos
"this gets a bad rap  but it is very special i can understand if people don't like some of the badly written songs on the album  like dog years and virtuality  but honestly listen to it. those are the only 2 songs i don't like  but the rest of the album is very good and quite exceptional for rush. i find it similar to moving pictures in its mood  and everything really came together on this album to make it their best one from the 90's. (counterparts was good  but there were honestly some bits of songs on there that made ""dog years"" sound like ""stairway to heaven!"" for instance  ""we'd elect each other president"" has got to be one of neils worst lyrics! corniness cannot be forgiven!)i have had my friends who don't really like rush at all listen to this disc  and they have all thought it was really good. this is why i think it is the best intro to rush  if you are a teenager especially.this was my introduction to rush  and i liked it because it had a feel to it that i had never experienced on any other cd. this is good for a canadian winter in a log cabin with big windows  wool socks  and a wood stove. i think that resist is one of their greatest ever songs  especially live! just check it out  listen before you buy  etc. but don't overlook it just because others say it is bad. also check out neils video set ""a work in progress"" where he demonstrates the drums for all of the songs. it reaffirms his belief that this is his best drumming album  after he refined his technique just for this cd!",Amigos
"take every chance that comes... i told my best friends in high school (who were always suffering through the typical high school problems) that i was really happy to help them through their problems  but my own problems were atypical... i never seemed to have enough money for postage stamps (having countless pen pals overseas adds up!) and never had enough money to buy cds. this was one cd i desperately wanted  based on the single ""getting away with it"" which i loved. and my friends came through for me at my birthday that year giving me both the much needed stamps and also the cd. i listened to it ceaselessly. at the time i thought it was a work of genius  but i was not as discriminating then as i am now.i still love the cd  maybe if only for nostalgia's sake. it transports me to another time and place  maybe  and helps me forget daily realities. it is that kind of album  i guess. overall it is not a work of genius  is not groundbreaking  and it completely overshadowed by the works of the groups bernard sumner and johnny marr had previously been in (new order and the smiths  respectively). this collaboration was dim by comparison. the singles are worthwhile  though  such as ""getting away with it"" and ""get the message""  and the entire album will be fun to listen to. but it is not a must-have by any stretch of the imagination.",Amigos
the best from rhcp bssm is a great album  it's chalked full of well composed funk rock. this album is highly enjoyable and very katchy  i discoverd this album at my friend's house  and i havent been able to put it down since! the thing i love most about bssm is their high energy sound. i have had this c.d. for about three years now and i still listen to it on a regular basis.one thing that i also love about bssm is that there is a lot of it. with seventeen songs this album runs for about 1hour and 15 minutes. the only thing better about great music is a lot of it.onother thing that's intresting is that when bssm was released in '92 it was groung breaking  rhcp has a sound that not many bands have. in todays modern day music most of the rock-rap or heavy metal sounds all the same. rhcp are so talented at what they do  that no other band dares to emulate there sound.one of my favorite song's on this album naked in the rain. it is a high energy funk song with awesome bass line's. just about every song on cd is great. my advice is to not pass this album bye. the songs are all very enjoyable and very fun to listen to. a real bargain for your money  so buy it!!!,Amigos
"beautiful work i really like this album  when i was going with my friends to an old record place to pick up vinyls for a buck a piece i found this album on vinyl and picked it up. i don't own a record player but i plan on buying one soon in the future. i remember showing my vinyl collection to people and them saying  ""'graceland' is a good album  you gotta hear it!"" so i happened to go to the local cd store and i bought this album  i love it. paul simon is the original ""emotional  singer songwriter"" and it puts dave matthews and john mayer to shame. paul simon is better than both those artists and it saddens me that he doesn't receive enough credit for his work and that teenage girls support the latter artists. i love this album  everything about it. pick it up sometime.",Amigos
"one of my ""new"" favorites i'm 18  and i've always liked three dog night. well  to be honest  i've always liked three of their songs: ""joy to the world "" ""one is the loneliest number "" and ""mama told me not to come."" i soon found out that these weren't the only great songs they sang. after getting word that three dog night was coming to our fairly small town  i immediately made plans to go see them  and i'm glad i did. while i must admit that the best times of the concert came when they sang the aforementioned three songs  i was introduced to a whole lot of other songs  and decided to stay after the show to buy a cd. i decided upon their ""greatest hits"" cd so i could get the best of all the worlds. then out comes three dog night to sign autographs! i had them sign the booklet of my new cd  and exchanged words and handshakes with them before departing for home with one of my friends. ever since i played that cd in my car on the way home  i've become hooked. they've got great  catchy songs like ""family of man "" ""shambala "" ""old fashioned love song "" ""black and white ""...it goes on. there isn't one song on this cd that i don't enjoy listening to  as i can just press ""play "" kick back  and let the cd run itself out. it's great  and i recommend it to anyone who may be thinking about buying it. if you're a fan of mellow rock or good ol' rock & roll  you will love this cd  guaranteed!",Amigos
"great  excellent  amazing...what else can be said? sublime's self titled release is such a classic album to me that i felt it necessary to give it a 5 star rating. when i got this album back in late 1997 it really took me in and made me a huge fan. ahh  how i remember those days at summer camp when me and my friend listened to sublime daily...but you dont wan't to hear about that  the cd is what you came hear to read about. basically if you are interested in checking out the band pick this one up first  and if you like it make sure to go buy their earlier release ""40 oz. to freedom"". r.i.p. brad nowell.",Amigos
"some great songs here.... this cd has great memories for me. paul toured behind it  and my friends and i were able to see him when he came through northern california.the elvis costello co-writes are my favorites here. there is too much production on some tracks for my tastes  and there are several songs  particularly  the ending ones  that get the skip from me.""my brave face"" is a great song. the single had a non album b-side called ""flying to my home"" which i love. ""you want her too""  ""put it there""  ""figure of eight""  ""this one"" are all great.""figure of eight"" was remixed for release as a single and has more keyboards added and  a different guitar solo which makes it a bit of a rarity  if you bought it.all in all  good paul.",Amigos
"her finest work...yet. when some performers are given the chance to make a cd  they lose a lot of their rights to the producers and technicians that want to ""make it better"" and only end up taking away from the artist's original concept and ideas. this ""stripped-down"" version of songs on fumbling towards ecstasy are amazing. when you hear the acoustic version of hold on  you get a different story than on the fte album. more pain...more longing...more aching...more emotion. hearing this version of mary  you wonder why they never released it on the radio. in concert  this is her best...absolute best song. her version of ol'55 is just plain fun. when i hear it  i am instantly transported into my friend's convertible  to the first time i heard it  while the sun was coming up  on our way home from vegas. it made it all make sense...i know that doesn't  but if you listen and place yourself in your imagination  it will. by far  her best work.",Amigos
doesn't leave my cd player i bought this cd on a whim  when i one of my friends played insomnia for me  and i have been hooked on it ever since. this is my first dance/electronica/techno (whatever it's called) cd  and was the main reason i moved on to crystal method  the chemical brothers  etc. (i know  i'm a beginner.) i can listen to the entire cd without skipping over anything  which is a rarity. this cd is perfect to listen to while you are doing something else--like studying or reading  because it creates perfect background ambience. my favorite songs are don't leave (one of the best love songs ever) and insomnia (the remix  of course). highly  highly recommend this cd.,Amigos
never too young to appreciate good music i hadn't even been born when this album was released (i'm 23)  but i heard this for the first time when my roommate played it for me in high school. i liked it so much that i rooted through my parents' album collection and sure enough  they had this record. their music makes me so happy when i listen to it  and the jazzy upbeat sound is unlike anything i've heard. i'm glad amazon.com had this on cd -- i can't imagine anyone would willingly give their copy away to a music store!,Amigos
"great album people think weezer's a bunch of emo kids trying to be rock  but thats not true. just because the lead singer has glasses doesnt make him emo. i remember when i 1st heard this album from my friend ashley. she was obessed with weezer  i only liked a few songs but then again i really wasnt paying very much attetion to it. then later on as i got older(now 15)  i was making a radio station on yahoo  and when i played it weezer was on. i listened to and loved it right away  then i went out and brought the cd when i was at the races. i loved every song on this album. this would have to be one of the best weezer albums ever. ""buddy holly""  ""the world has turned and left me here""  ""sweater song""  ""surf wax city"" are there best songs ever. you should check them out if you havent heard much of this band.",Amigos
I'm a 31 year old white guy that normally listens to metal and grunge  but I love this album. I had a roommate in the Airforce back in 1994 who played this alot  and I just came to really like it. It's a good mix of songs  some smooth R&B stuff  and some more upbeat hip-hop type songs. "Back And Forth" was the big song off this  but "Age Ain't Nothing But A Number"  "I'm So Into You"  and "At Your Best (you are love)" are all great as well. My favorite though is "Young Nation". It's just super sweet. I don't know her other albums at all  and I don't know the genre well  but I do know this disc will make you "Throw Your Hands Up".,Amigos
"the best cd in the universe not many people have discovered the wonder of k's choice. i was one of those people a couple years ago. then  one day  my friend and i were listening to some of her cd's and she played this cd. she told me  ""listen to the lyrics to 20 000 seconds... you'll love it."" so i half-listened to the lyrics  not really caring about the lyrics all that much. i liked the song  sure  but it wasn't all that important to me at the time. another time when i was at her house  i asked if i could borrow this cd. it instantly popped on my list  and is my favorite cd that i own; i love this cd even more than alanis morissette's jagged little pill  which was ""number 1"" since my freshman year of high school. unfortunately  not many people in america know of k's choice. they don't know any of the songs  and i've never even seen a video of their's played on mtv. the only reason someone may recognize a song by k's choice is because virgin state of mind was included on the buffy soundtrack. this cd is for anyone who loves rock in any way. it is especially for those who are into the lilith fair-type music (ie: jewel  sarah mclachlan  indigo girls). even my boyfriend who hates ""chick music"" confided that he liked k's choice. starting with believe  which is more of a mild rock song and ending with a ballad called winners  this cd doesn't have one bad song on it. my favorites are the aforementioned 20 000 seconds (""20 000 seconds since you left and i'm still counting/20 000 reasons to get up  get something done  and i'm still waiting) and god in my bed  which is just beautiful. this cd is so great that my roommate at college bought the cd after a few months of hearing me play it over and over again. all in all  it takes an extremely good cd for me to rave about it and for me to actually listen to the whole cd. this cd is one of them. i cannot give it enough praise or enough stars. just try it out. :)",Amigos
turned it off after 20 minutes i really looked forward to seeing this  so a friend and i rented the tape a few nights ago. somehow  it just didn't fly for us and we turned it off after twenty minutes and watched something else. listening to mark  the principal subject of the documentary  spell out his dull  crackpot ideas scene after scene became tedious and even a bit depressing. so many people truly like this film and i certainly don't want to give their opinion short-thrift. i may even try watching this again at some point in the future  but the humor simply didn't hook me the first time around.,Amigos
very cute  fun movie my partner and i thought that this movie was great -- both when we were little and even now that we are grown up. the kittens are adorable  the old lady geese are a riot  and the fun jazz playing dancing cat scene is fun. it is a simple story line  which is sometimes nice. there isn't a big moral of the story  which can be nice  too  sometimes. and i love how the mice and the cats are good friends. it is pretty innocent  fun  simple  and just an all around nice movie. cat lovers will especially like it  but all kids  big and small  should be able to appreciate it  laugh  and find all the animals funny.,Amigos
light  fun  and great eye-candy after hearing harsh reviews of x-men and never having read the comic  i wasn't expecting to be dazzled by this film. however  i had a lot of fun with this dvd. it combined an interesting premise with realistic human personalities  and some really smashing combat scenes and visual effects. (of course at the end there's rather an obvious amount of space for a sequel left...)my partner assures me that the x-men themselves are very well characterised (although some of their histories are changed for the sake of the storyline). x-men works very well as a movie  even if you well versed in the comic.,Amigos
surprise  suprise suprise is the word for this film. i was not really looking forward to seeing this film  me and my partner just happened to go see it cuz there was nothing else really playing in the theater. one thing that will shock everyone in this movie is how good tyrese was in this role. watching buffoons like usher try to act initially made me cringe at the thought of tyrese playing the lead role  but his performance was exceptional. ving rhames was excellent as always  and even snoop played his role convincingly. omar gooding overacted in some parts  but i guess he learned from the master of overacting  his brother cuba. all in all...this was an excellent film.,Amigos
no middle ground on this one. you either love it or you hate it. i loved it  so did one of the two friends i watched it with  but the other hated it  and my parents hated it. rent it first and see if you like it before buying it! there is nothing worse than buying a movie and finding out you hate it. i have not watched this movie in quite some time  so i will not attempt to post a real review of it  but at least get this from my post:do not buy this until you have watched it!,Amigos
artsy-fartsy garbage. couldn't understand the hype and praise about this smothering piece of forgettable artsy-fartsy film. my friend and i could not wait to get out of the movie. sensory overload  pseudo-intellectual/historical overkill  a morass of images and cacophonies---please  spare us and other hapless victims this unnecessary cinematic trash.,Amigos
great movie i never went to see this movie at the theatre because i thought it was another stupid comedy. my friend bought it and we saw it at her house. i really enjoyed it  i went and bought my own. i love tommy lee jones  he's always portraying the serious  macho type of character. will smith is an awesome young cop with tons of energy. the theme of the movie is good and the movie has enough action to keep you in front of the tube. great family movie.,Amigos
good movie this movie is a little bit of 'candyman' and 'scream'.some really freaky parts.great plot.a killer on campus killing teens urban legend like.not my favorite movie but still good to watch if theres nothing to do and theres nothing on tv id watch it.kinda funny too.through the first half hour my friends and i were cracking up! but some of the people in this movie who were about to die were kinda stupid.the girl got the phone and my friends and i thinking she was gonna call the police she threw the phone out the window so she could escape.we were just like 'what? '.still see this movie,Amigos
watchable  to say the least my friend and i rented this movie at the last minute  hoping for something different. well  it isn't different. a chick in love with two guys... wow  how original. i didn't care at all about the characters or the lame story. it is watchable and somewhat amusing  but that's about it.,Amigos
watch it  listen to it  love it! i was eight years old when i first saw this film at my friends house. his mother was a music teacher and one of the first ones in my class who owned a video. i fell in love with the movie and visited there several times  just to see the movie (to my friends diapointment). now  22 years later  i'm still in love.hkan hagegrd is wonderful as papageno and ragnal ulfung is really scary as monostatus. i can but recommend this for everyone. if any opera should be watched on tv  this is the one.,Amigos
not funny and very boring i invited three of my friends over to watch this and all three of them left half-way through the movie it was so bad. the dialouge is awful and the story is boring. just because people sit around doing nothing in real life doesn't mean it's interesting to watch.only hardcore ice cube fans will like this movie. if you want to see a good ice cube movie watch anaconda.,Amigos
"udo kier rules! what a horrible film! my friend made me watch it simply to see udo kier in it. udo kier is everywhere and is wonderful of course. but wesley snipes is just too much  and kris kristofferson is ridiculous. this whole film is ridiculous. i hear they are making a sequel  too  which is even more discouraging. what a waste of resources. stephen dorff is probably the only remotely appealing part of this film. the best part  though  was a quote from snipes (probably attempting to be so wise and witty)  ""some m----- f----- always has to try to ice skate uphill."" or something positively ridiculous like this. this is campy and weird  and for that reason alone it might be entertaining (but i kept falling asleep).",Amigos
so bad  it was funny this movie goes from dark and ugly to ridiculously cliche. i saw in this movie an example of the dangers of absolute unbelievability for a film rather than absolute power of a president.this could have explored the real dynamics of presidential power but instead was a cliche 'suspense' thriller that was too silly to care about. when it was over  my friends and i simultaneously broke into laughter. that was all it was worth.,Amigos
you just gotta love it last year  i bought the first season and immediately invited a friend over to watch it. she was doubtful at first  becasue i'm always forcing my friends to watch chick stuff that they don't really like. by episode 2  we were junkies.i'm not single  in my mid-thirties  and i've never been to new york. yet this is a show that truly transcends all that. chronic batchelors and male egotists are described hilariously  and the war between singletons and smug-marrieds is constructed in such a way that would make the bridget gang blush. see this and season two  and then find that friend who has hbo and make her dinner every sunday just to keep watching.,Amigos
newman & redford after not thinking about this movie in over a decade  when i saw the dvd ... my roommate immediately bought it. we spent a great saturday night enjoying the interplay between redford and newman. robert redford  the young street grifter  whose mentor gets killed by the mob  meets up with paul newman  the veteran  washed-up grifter  in what amounts to a scam above all scams. the movie sets up nicely  one complaint on the dvd we purchased was a full-screen version  and the wide-screen would have done the movie more justice....this is a great saturday night dvd rental or purchase  i would recommend it to a family  or to a couple who can't seem to find anything good in the new releases...,Amigos
too scary guys  i'm only a 9 year old girl but i think you should listen to me. i don't think that little kids and not just little kids; i was 8 when i saw this  shouldn't watch this. it's way too scary. i saw this at my friends house and i was very happy she suggested we go down for a snack. don't let your kids watch this. it's too scary.,Amigos
good.. i'm 15 and my friends and i still love watching this!!! the songs are really good  lol.. so if ur thinking about watching this movie and don't really wanna ponder about the movie...watch it!!,Amigos
i liked it and i don't care who knows! when i first saw this movie i thought it was so funny! my friends thought it was a stupid movie  but i did not care about them. i liked this because it sort of reminded me of 'ed wood'. and as for all you people who hated you did not get the joke! see this movie now!,Amigos
don't tell anyone i like this movie don't tell anyone i like singles. i have the dvd and some of my friends ask whose it is. i say some girl must have left it at my house or something. but secretly  i like this movie very much. it's a time piece of early 90's seattle. watching it now  it seems a little dated but the whole plot and dialogue of the movie is not dated. i think all the interconnecting stories tie in very well. but not like i really watch this movie or anything. someone just left it at my house. i only watch rambo.,Amigos
seventy six trombones! i saw the music man in an older video with my friend and we both loved it. there are many great songs in it. it's also great seeing shirley jones pre partridge family. this is one of my favorite videos. the only reason that kept me from giving it 4 stars instead of 5 is because it does seem a little bit long.,Amigos
really good - not great - but hit the spot! this movie is not hitchcock  but it is really good filmmaking. i loved the twist at the end and the acting was really well done - not great - but well done. ryan phillipe is really talented and i thought he gave a very good performance  in a difficult role. i have recommended this film to many of my friends.,Amigos
funny  spooky  and entertaining! great fun! based on a comic book this movie is spooky  hilarious(they were all a little funny to me but the one with the meteor gives me a good laugh everytime i see it)  and overall  a lot of fun. i like to watch this movie with my friends and eat and laugh and have a great time. :),Amigos
forrest gump (1994) forrest gump...what is there to say? excellent movie. it's seeing history and telling it from a point of view. many people  who were not in the era  do not realize how everything was  until they see this movie. with history is the whole 'true love' plot  which goes well for the movie. this movie is definitely one of my favorites  my friends and i can remember it word for word and we use many quotes till this day. i highly recommend this movie because of all the great actors  the plot  etc. i look at it as a drama and to me  drama has a little bit of everything in it.,Amigos
best comedy film ever made! although i don't own this movie on either dvd or vhs i thoroughly recommend it. my friend has a copy and i have watched it many times with him  as well as seeing it beforehand on television.this is in my opinion the best comedy ever made and peter sellers as well as being my favourite comedienne is a genius when it comes to comedy.it's such a shame he is dead because a few more pink panther movies made with him in it couldn't go astray.forget the original this is the best pink panther movie of them all.,Amigos
something appealing something appalling!! if you cherish the memories of zero phil jack and buster...you must get this very funny and very well-presented dvd.it's a great mixture of slapstick;burlesque;hamming it up for the camera;and silliness that makes you long for the days when these wonderful  almost obscenely talented  and always hilarious men were making movies.it's a delight.hopefully if this is your first exposure to the likes of these fellas you will be compelled to investigate more of their screen work.one of my friends who watched the movie with me when i received it commented that 'they surely had a ball making this movie didn't they?' that's what you'll have when you watch it! i really miss these guys.if you don't laugh out loud as zero plays the 'soothsayer ' check your pulse!!,Amigos
another king masterpiece! if you love horror movies  this stephen king masterpiece isfor you! this is one of my favorite king novels. the motherin this movie  was scary as hell! i saw this in the theater back in 1976. a friend of mine who saw it a week earlier  wassitting next to me. when the hand came up through the grave  atthe end of the movie  my friend grabbed my arm  and scarred the$#it out of me! this is a true horror classic  you'll love it!,Amigos
"i had better expectations... my friends had recommended this film to me and we rented it and watched it the other night. it was completly and utterly dumb. the acting wasn't great  and the characters were too dumb to care about. it's basically just a bad version of a much better movie of this sort  ""the faculty"". if you want to see a movie about a bunch of brain washed teens  rent ""the faculty"" instead. skip this one. the two good things about it were the musical score  and the last few minutes of the movie  which were creepy.",Amigos
"top 10 movie of all time... i've shown this movie to some of my friends who just don't get it. it seems this is a movie you either ""get"" or you don't.i think people who don't care for it are taking it too seriously as though it was meant to be a straight drama.i think it is one of blackest comedies i have ever seen.there are so many scenes that just kill me. and still do even after watching it 10 times.francis mcdormand deservedly won the oscar for her splendid performance.i spoke to a baseball player who practiced and played in fargo. he said the city is a wonderful place...that it's nothing like the movie. ""well  except maybe for the accents.""i don't know. even the movie showed fargo is a wonderfully unique place to live.",Amigos
one of my alltime favorites. my roommate and i were on our college sailing team when this first came out in the theater and we were mezmerized. what a great movie! in that tv sitcom that jennifer grey is in now  she made a joke about what a bomb 'wind' was and i winced. the photography and the sailing in this movie are just so awesome! i echo everyone elses comments in that i can't wait for it to come out on dvd someday!,Amigos
thrilling i was at a friend's home and she had on a movie channel or i would never have known about this movie. but i heard the music and saw some of the acting and i said 'what is this?' and went out and bought the video. what a fabulous  imaginative  exhiliarating film. unique and full of emotion. not ordinary by any means  and not what you'd expect. cirque du' soleil is incredible  the music is incredible  and the story fascinating. if you are bored with hollywood movies  be sure to find this. also  don't buy the soundtrack  get the cd 'alegria'. both are good but the original version (without the girl's picture) is the best. i've made all my friends watch it  too.,Amigos
a fun film for sci-fi action lovers while judge dredd may not be a classic movie  it is a fun action sci fi movie ala demolition man an total recall.sylvester stallone plays a great judge dredd and diane lane is a sexy as ever. this is a film about a comic book by the way  so take is a a fun film  not ghandi or lawrence of arabia! it's so much better than a boring batman flick that's for sure.the dvd is perfect. it has the widescreen format. there virtually are no extras aside from the trailer.i needed a sci fi action movie to showcase how dvd can look and sound to my friends and this one impressed them.,Amigos
funny but wheres bodge? this is a very funny movie. it takes place int he stone age. about a guy named brian and this is his life. most of the humor is because his name is brian and people confuse him for somebody else. 'i'm not so anso i'm brian.' also there is a very funny moment when a man says his wife is called continual buttocks (a butocks is a bottom) or soemthing. some of the humor is called toilet humor that i'm not a fan of. my friends and i only thought that bodge would have looked great in this film with his beard and british accent!!! where was he? he would have been perfect!,Amigos
loves it!! honestly  i never cry while i'm watching a movie  but grave of the fireflies is the first film that made me cry in front of all my friends. i can't believe how sad and touched this film turly is. i actually cry everytime when i watch it. i can't believe how good this film turly is. loves it!! it's gonna be your lost if you don't but this!,Amigos
3 1/2 stars actually campy fun.loud boisterous the kind of silly fun that sci-fi movies can be if people stop taking themselves so seriously[earth to george lucas}. i tokk three mentally handicapped friends i was living with at the time to see this movie.the soundtrack by queen was loud and good fun  my friends and i had a hoot. what better compliment can you give this movie?,Amigos
deleriously trashy if you love totally wretched movies then this is the one for you. when my friends and i watched it for the first time we spewed our drinks all over one another laughing.it was great.it rates right up there with the worst movie you can think of but this one is tons of fun.i would recommend it to anyone who has a sense of humor and anyone who can't get enough of ed wood jr.  and criswell.cris is especially hilarious in this one.not to be missed!!,Amigos
buy this movie or ill have mundo here sneeze! the 1st time i same this i was truely disappointed.then my friend rented it and i was listening to it in another room.....talk about great lines!i went in with the wrong attitude.i was thinking this was gonna have a high body count(how gullible)!anyway i ran into the room made him rewind to the beginning and then realized the mistake i made.its not an action movie though it has its fleeting moments.its more of a drama.but its all about the lines.theres also great back and forth tention between jeff and andy.i highly recommend this with this bit of advise;dont think action listen to the lines!on a different note why are there so many great movies not available on dvd format!,Amigos
whoa dude so like  the other night my friend steve pulls out his film projector and he like  had these totally smokin old film reels. we stayed up all night watching wizards  heavy metal  and the wall. we were so stoked. tommorrow we're gonna go to the roller skating rink where they're havng an all night disco par...tey. this movie is totally rad. don't be a turkey. check it out.,Amigos
wow i have grown up watching this movie  i remember i made every one of my friends watch this movie almost every time i had a sleepover. this movie is classic. it's funny  and it has an original plot  which is very hard to come by now-a-days. i always have trouble in the beginning of the movie  because between the less than adequate audio machinery (it is a pretty old movie) and the heavy french accents  it is hard to understand what they are saying. but don't be discouraged  your ears quickly adjust.,Amigos
entertainingly disturbing! this movie was certainly interesting. my friends and i had to watch it a couple of times to actually get the full affect. bruce campbell's performance as 'ash' our  unlikely hero  is truly a credit to acting! the only thing is that it was just a remake of the first one! it seemingly took place afer the first evil dead  but everything happen again  and in the same order! but  despite that  it was truly a great movie. not really a true horror film  but definately scary.,Amigos
this should have been a hit its ashame but no one will give liza a break.this film went right to video when it was released.i rented this movie and showed it to my friends who are not liza minnelli fans they loved it.this shouldn't have been a mega hit but a nice small film that makes you fill good inside. everyone in the movie is great and the tap dancing wants you to start taking tap dancing lessions while your watching the film.liza was having a great comeback at this time.she was breaking records touring with 'stepping out'and never looked better. if this happens to be the last liza minnelli film it would be a fantastic last movie from one of the greatest entertainers ever.,Amigos
"a great drive in movie theatre film!!! i saw this movie at my local drive in back in 1977. gee. i was 17 years old then. this movie contains crude jokes  nudity  some gratuitous violence and some very funny sight gags. in other words it is perfect drive in movie fare.i wasn't driving that night (my friend panna was the designatd driver) and this movie got funnier as my blood/alcohol content got higher.it is amazing what a six pack of miller beer can do to enhance a movie. ""cold beer and hot nights "" as billy joel once sang!!!ah my lost youth!!!",Amigos
scary as hell my friends and i rented this movie. and i was so scared that i didnt want to watch it  and as the movie progressed  i really wish i hadnt of started it. no matter how scary it gets  its so good you just cant turn it off  till the last shocking scene. it kept me breathless all night  knowing this was inspired by a true story  i was petrified  as well were my friends. this is very scary and brutal...watch at your own risk,Amigos
you'll wanna watch it 12 times a day! 'robin hood: men in tights' is the best  funniest  most hilarious movie ever. the only thing is.....it's addictive. you'll wanna watch it 12 times a day! ok ok maybe i got addicted to it and know the whole movie by heart  but that's not a bad thing. my friend was pretty sad about something and i told her to sit by the t.v. and i turned on robin hood men in tights and in no time she had a big smile on her face. i strongly suggest you get this movie!,Amigos
fun time i saw this movie a while back in my friend's basement. it was my first exposrue to kevin smith. i had heard lots about the movie so i was expecting something good. i was not disappointed. the plot isn't much but the dialogue and characters make this movie something worth seeing.,Amigos
how to lure others into watching porn it says on the box 'thriller'  so one friday night me and my friends decide to watch it. the beginning is stupid-there is nothing but a porn opening with a bad-looking lady. than this lady walks around for 25 minutes then gets killed. then the movie is hard to follow after. i gave it two stars because of the surprise ending. the rest of the movie is compelety forgettable.,Amigos
beautiful portrayal of washington my girlfriend and i enjoyed this film and felt as though we'd really seen george washington. the film begins in 1776 and ends with the conclusion of the surprise attack on trenton. this is one chapter of history we feel intimately acquainted with now. although it doesn't seem to have enjoyed a great budget and although it has just a hint of an educational taste to it  the crossing seems far more historically relevant than films like patriot or pacino's revolution. daniels displays incredible posture especially while riding a horse and as a passenger in a boat through all hours of the night and thus quietly impresses upon us the dignity of america's first and fearless leader.,Amigos
"stunning piece of work that came out of nowhere i was always just a casual fan of the band  so when i first stumbled upon ""american roulette"" while on a trip through cleveland  i was shocked at what a great song it was. as usual  cincinnati radio totally ignored it  but i found a kindered spirit in a local record store who recommended the album. american roulette barely scratches the surface. this was one of those rare albums that drag you in and never let you go  (not that you'd struggle much.) as i listened to the tape in my car for the first time  i kept expecting ""the clinker"". nope. never happens. even the then overplayed bono and u2 never come close to overriding robertson's proudest recorded moment. ""sweet fire of love"" has robbie and bono trading vocal licks  but sounding totally in sync. ""showdown at big sky"" might be the most incredible song you've never heard if it weren't for ""somewhere down the crazy river"" which never fails to grab the first time listener. i've made copies of this for several friends over the years and all have later commented on how great it was and how odd it was that they never heard it. then i remind them that we live in cincinnati  where good radio goes to die. make this a part of your permanent road trip collection. it's that good.",Amigos
"my favourite ""night"" album for some reason unknown to me i think this album has changed a lot about myself. its influencive in a certain divine yet unknown way.i hadn't heard anything by jeff buckley before i heard this album. now i am a very lazy person and for me to actually go and buy this record was an achievement in itself. i've been telling my friends about ""grace"" and what it has done.it easily surpasses the endless number of albums i own. its not the best. its different and i think i hear an ocean of overwhelming melody charging at me each time i hear it.my favourite songs on the disc -""mojo pin"" - this song can give the legendary ""kashmir"" a run for its harmony in sound. ""lilac wine"" i suggest this song to anyone who wants to know how deep emotions can be and how rotted a human mind can be. this is not music. its a human's soul singing.""so real"" is my favourite song of the album. ""corpus christi carol"" honestly i have no idea wht this is about but its just so touching in grief that i feel i'm flying when i listen to it. ""grace"" is a moody rocker. i thought he wasnt capable of this but it certainly will bring a smile or two to your face. amazing song.last but not the least ""eternal life"" now this is the song i'd turn up and dance the f*ck out because it is just the most alive song in the whole album. its the kind of a song that makes everything seem achieved. its a drug   its a thought of unending considerations. just when i think the album is over and i've heard it all eternal life smashes me into bits with its foot tapping headbanging  wind chasing sound.i think it simply emphasises its groovy melody. it overrides any mood whatsoever and takes you in its control. i turned this up each time i'm driving to my girl's dismay. she knows how much i love grace. i'll be gifting a copy to her soon.respect for jeff buckley   thats all.",Casal
a beautiful  romantic cd this is a great collection of sting's songs  and for the most part  they flow together quite well even though they are drawn from a number of albums. i love to slow dance with my wife to this album  and it is an excellent choice for those times when slow dancing is not enough to express your love. i especially appreciate the romantic feel of 'when we dance ' the beautiful 'fields of gold ' the declarative 'if i ever lose my faith in you ' the tender 'be still my beating heart ' and the lovely latin lilt of 'fragile.' only 'an englishman in new york' and 'if you love somebody' recall his work with the police.i sold a bunch of cds back to the store not too long ago  but this one i held on to. and i recommend that you do  too.,Casal
"saxy saxy even though this cd by gato barbieri has been out since the 80's  i found the cut ""europa"" and had to buy it. how could i resist  i still vividly remember dancing at my wedding  to ""our"" song  held tightly in my husbands arms...and feeling our own ""passion and fire"".these many years later  gato's sexy tenor sax still evokes desires. thank you gato  we both thank you.cds",Casal
"outstanding this was an outstanding recording from start to finish. it amazes me how good the songs are that never received radio airplay. i guess the 'radio powers that be' thought six from one recording should be the limit. song after song is a winner. with ""reckless""  bryan adams showed us that there was still such a thing a ""pop-rock"" or ""light-rock"" of quality. that could be listened to by rockers (granted  maybe not hard core headbangers) and poppies and be liked by both groups. this was the one recording at the time that my girlfriend and i both enjoyed  so we could listen together. on all other music we split like oil and water  haha.i enjoyed this so much that i recently bought the cd even though i owned the cassette tape since its initial release. i still enjoy the music on this recording. it has stood the test of time. i recommend this recording as a very good introduction to bryan adams. buy it  you will enjoy it.",Casal
"what a voice! oooohh robert flack. gorgeous voice. incredible cd with her early songs. i gave this as a gift to my husband and he was stoked!his favorite songs include ""compared to what"" and ""angelitos negros"". i really enjoy ""hey  that's no way to say good-bye"" and of course  no body can sing ""the first time ever i saw your face"" like the amazing roberta flack!roberta has a lusty voice that you will never forget and will want to hear again and again. listening to this album will be an experiencing like no other. you can't go wrong here!",Casal
"great songs i have great respect for an artist that writes most of the music he/she performs. david ball delivers and then some. ""when the thought of you catches up with me "" was the song my husband and danced to for our first dance at our wedding. when we were dating and talking on the phone one night when the song came on he said  ""if the shoe fits  wear it"" and it has been our song ever since. i also like 12-12-84...it tells a story.",Casal
you'll fall in love every night!! i can't say enough about this cd. i am not a big rod stewart fan but this has always been mine and my husband's cd. it is so awesome. every song on it is great. it is especially nice for a romantic evening. any time i hear a song from this cd i am flooded with memories. don't pass this one up!!,Casal
"those good ol' floridays.... i was introduced to jb by my husband  then boyfriend  10 years ago and have grown a great admiration for his work and have fun listening and watching him perform his music.i still have yet to hear all his albums. i did finally listen to ""floridays"". i guess some will say i am not as big a parrotthead as others  but i am a phan that phlocks to the concerts every summer on labor day weekend.that all aside  floridays is such a great album! it has a great group of songs here that jb recorded in 1986. i was never aware that carrie fisher had co-wrote a jb tune until i read the liner notes of this c.d. she helped write ""i love the now""  which is the opening tune to this album. having always been a fan of her work  both her writing and acting  i was pleasantly surprised to see her name here.from this album spawns ""first look""  a great mellow track  ""if it all falls down""  another great one  and ""you'll never work in dis bidness again""  this is a very cool tune!! it's a songs that sort of mocks the entertainment industry  but it is funny  and is one of jimmy's best songs he ever recorded in my opinion.""creola"" is such a nice song to just kick back  get on that hammock  and just be...this is definitely one jb album worth adding to one's collection.",Casal
you never know i remember being (very) skeptical when my wife introduced me to a tape of this album. a solo album from the former leader of til tuesday  a band that i thought epitimized warmed over mtv-style new wave. well at first i listened with an attitude  but soon found myself humming some of the melodies and remembering some of the key lyrics. needless to say i have since purchased my own cd version and find whatever to be an excellent collection by a talented songwriter. i had also learned a lesson of not judging something on preconceptions.,Casal
"my favorite tori album i got into tori during the little earthquakes phase. i bought crucify and under the pink and sort of gave up because what i thought was there to begin with wasn't doing it for me anymore. she seemed to be covering the same old ground as before. and boys for pele was just depressing.then came choirgirl. my wife picked this one up because she was a fan as well  more so actually. i was actually getting a bit tired of listening to all the albums i had stopped listening to. then she put this one on and that changed.from the first janglings of ""spark "" i knew there was something different going on here. the album continued and i thought ""this is what it should have been."" the music was terrific  the lyrics less oblique  and it was all enhanced by the new electronic sound tori had adapted to her own needs.this  by far  is my favorite tori album. i have heard the others since (""to venus and back"" and ""strange little girls "" as of this writing) and have failed to be impressed  but whenever i go back and listen to this one again  i continue to discover new layers in the music and effects. in particular  the steel guitar on ""playboy mommy"" makes a very emotional song especially moving.tori finally surprised me  and pleasantly.she still intrigues me and i'll sample each new output  but i don't believe i'll ever feel the same effect as this album gave and still gives me.",Casal
"so far ahead of its time  a truly enjoyable classic being a die-hard duranie in the eighties  of course i rushed out to get so red the rose when it came out in 1985. i wore that tape out a long time ago and so i recently got the cd. wow! i was so amazed to listen with a ""fresh"" ear and hear how modern the music still sounds! my husband thought it was a current alternative group when he heard ""election day"" for the first time  and was blown away when i told him how old it was. i would give arcadia ten stars if i could. buy it  buy it now  and don't look back.",Casal
"almost as good as ""keith sweat"" (...) i like this cd but! it is not as good as ""get up"" and k.s. i must confess i listen mostly to rock (metallica  gnr  classic rock) but for dates with my girlfriend this (stuff) works!the smoothest love melodies and best of everything- production songwriting are all the best. (...)",Casal
"my favorite cd of 1998 i have never been much of an elvis fan. i was drawn to his work only after his collaborations with paul mccartney in the early 90's. in 1996 i bought ec and the attractions ""all this useless beauty"" which i really liked. i had  slowly begun to collect the works of ec when this album came to be.it is incredible. every track is beautifuly done. it became an instant favorite with my wife and i. at first thought you'd think ""ec and who? burt bacharach?? no way!""forget all that. it's absolutely wonderful.",Casal
candles  romance  & pure passion this cd needs to come with a warning! from the first song through the 10th  it never unwraps you from the hold it has on your heart. i am very impressed. from relaxing with my wife on a cold winter's night  to reading a book by the fire  this is the complete cd. i can't choose a favorite on this cd because they all rate as top shelf. you couldn't have put two finer artists together to make an album  and the people that are backing will and gerald up are known stars as well. harvey mason from fourplay. patrice rushen on acoustic piano  and the great paul jackson on guitar..even i would sound good backed up by these giants! very impressive cd  i would say a must for that evening where you're in the romantic mood with the one you love  or for the night where you've messed up and need some additional support. you never know what could happen by sunrise....10 stars!,Casal
"joel salutes early rock....... billy joel's 1983 album  ""an innocent man "" is  in my opinion  one of his best recordings. because i like many kinds of music (rock  country  new age  celtic  and some classical)  this album has enough variety yet is evocative of rock `n' roll's early roots.while not all the songs appeal to me - ""easy money"" being perhaps my least favorite track - i can honestly say that i really enjoy joel's tribute to the doo-wop and early rock of his younger days. he has written some very lovely songs in the past  but in this album i particularly like his frankie vallie-style ""for the longest time."" it has a nice melody and a catchy hook  and the background vocals are evocative of a somehow more innocent time.i also like joel's take on the redeeming value of love expressed in his carole king-inspired ""an innocent man "" with its bass guitar intro  joel's tender piano melody  and the recognition that heartbreak exists but that one should not let that stop others from trying to heal the wounds.my favorite song in this album is ""this night "" which has gentle lyrics  a chorus melody borrowed from beethoven  who is one of joel's favorite classical composers  and a beat that was perfect for dancing with my boyfriend. if you are a romantic soul  like i am  this song is sure to move your heart.",Casal
a different  yet delightful cardi's sound if you're expecting the same bubble-gum sound that made the previous cardigans albums so wonderful  you'll be disappointed with 'gran turismo' - at first. give this album a chance and you'll be spellbound by these deliciously dark dance tunes. the cardigans once again deliver with humm-able  stuck-in-your-head melodies  but with a completely new edge. 'gran turismo' proves that as this talented band continues to stretch their boundaries and grow artistically  the outcome will consistently be wonderful. this album *always* makes me want to get up and dance! it is such a favorite  my husband and i regularly fight over who gets to take it to work!,Casal
oh where did i  go wrong my love? my wife thinks wanderlust is one of mccartney's finest songs  so i bought this cd for her and she was extremely happy i did.and she's right. wanderlust is a darned good song.,Casal
"will success spoil eric benet? true to yourself? on a lotta the romantic male singers  i have what i call the 'wife test'--if she likes something  pay attention to it  if she really  really likes something  i better run out and get it and give it to her asap  no questions asked. i thought eric's new album was ok  when i heard tracks on it...i mean  what can i say? if you have read one of my other reviews you know i'm pretty much an ol' skooler--it takes something very exceptional to move me sometimes. my wife  however  really did not care for eric's new one...""not like the one 'true to myself'. now that one was really nice and sexy in a smokey  lazy kinda way. this sounds too much like all that other stuff on radio."" then she said ""i thought he said he was gonna be true to himself"". i dunno  but all i can say is that i thought the original ""georgie porgie"" was already a great tune....what do you want me to tell my wife  eric?",Casal
"kind of a live ""hits"" album. all around a very good live album. it doesn't have all her best  but it's close. included are the bigger hits ""building a mystery""  ""possession""  ""sweet surrender""  and ""adia"". one that always makes my wife cry is ""angel"". i'm also glad to see the beautiful ""good enough""  and ""i will remember you""  from the ""brothers mcmullen"" soundtrack. the only song i wish was here is ""into the fire""  even though it might not fit with the others. overall this is an amazing live album full of her more well known songs. it'll go great with your ""tori amos"" and ""natalie merchant"" cd's.",Casal
vastly over-rated for someone who loves animation a great deal  i sat through this movie greatly puzzled at the praise heaped upon it and its box-office takings. yes  it has some strange and wonderful imagery  but come on! so has tons of other japanese and chinese animated features. plus  the story is so plodding  and at times confusing  that my partner started nodding off half way through the movie. for a vastly superior and more entertaining animated feature in the same vein  i greatly recommend tsui hark's 1997 animated remake of 'a chinese ghost story'. with its strange fantasy world of gods  demons  ghosts and timeless love  'a chinese ghost story' is a great deal more engaging than the sleep-inducing 'spirited away'.,Casal
tender  even to an old geezer like me. i liked this movie  and every so often my wife and just hold hands and watch it. i'm not proud of getting tears in my eyes  but this always touches me. it's a wonderful love story.,Casal
i am a stepdad and love this movie where you are a stepmom or stepdad you can relate to this movie its is so real to life. my wife and i saw this three times in theather it was so great. i do not care how many times we see this movie i will have a toldly soaked shirt on from wife putting head on my shoulder and bawling eyes out to my own weeping. i remember driving home from second time from seeing this i thought i was going to have to stop to let wife drive i was still crying so hard. this is just a good old rip your heart type of movie. so if you are stepmom or stepdad this movie is great. see it.,Casal
one of woody's best my wife loves to watch this film over and over. it's like a cult film for her. and i watch it with her because it never gets old. woody is brilliant once again and the jokes keep coming at a furious pace.i highly recommend this film.,Casal
just tooooo excellent wow  is the only thing my husband and i could say after watching this move for the first time. wow  excellent and exciting  especially queen l. and jada p. their performances were just amazing  vivica f. is always great  yet to see these other actresses kicking (up the) screen  was a delight. the movie is very realistic and had good wit  i would advise kleenex to any new viewers. i highly recommend this movie to everyone  it's life at any point in your existance  no matter your believed status.this is a movie  we will have to buy.,Casal
couldn't stop laughing watched the dvd last night...unbelievably funny! obviously some people don't respond to jim carrey  but i sure did! my wife also liked it  though i think part of her amusement was watching me go into contortions while cracking up. i imagine all jim carrey fans have seen this movie...if not  don't hesitate!,Casal
there's no accounting for taste--including mine i have no quarrel with people who don't like this movie. i have friends whose taste i respect who just don't get it. it's juvenile  silly  low-brow and frequently obvious. nevertheless  i think it's just about one of the funniest movies i've ever seen. my wife and i laugh helplessly whenever we see it. mike myers is brilliant as both the randy  suave austin powers and the stiff  megalomaniacal dr. evil  both hopelessly out of step with the times. the sequel is even better. can't wait for 'goldmember!',Casal
most excellent! my fiance was turned on to the wonderful world of king with this movie. it knocked his opinion that stephen king just wrote horror or gore right out of the water! from here we watched stand by me and this remains one of his all-time favorite movies. it features a star-studded cast and is a very poignant film. definately breaks the stephen king stereotype for those cynics that say he can't write anything good without a lot of blood and insanity (i like most of what he's written but that's not a blanket seal of approval!).,Casal
pleasantly surprising i have to admit  i had no desire to see this movie. my husband wanted to see it  so begrudgingly  i obliged. thankfully  i obliged. this movie is wonderful! reese and tobey gave really good performances  as did joan allen and jeff daniels. the movie was actually very deep and thought-provoking - many 'layers.' i can't say enough good things about it  it was a very good movie!,Casal
a true thriller ignore the critics and try this clever movie. it kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end. yes  it was a bit predictable -- my husband figured it out before i did -- but it was still quite entertaining.just sit back and enjoy!! sometimes the critics get things wrong.,Casal
closely patterned after the book most of the films patterned after novels were always 2nd rate to the original/book. but green mile was closely patterned after the book  characters  plot & events...i did not notice any significant revisions/alterations made to the original storyline but if ever  they were minimal & negligible.i agree  the story was quite long with a 3hours ++ running time. my husband kept shifting on his sit but i sat back comfortably & pleasantly watched the film  waiting for each scene to unroll till the end.what helped me more in appreciating the movie was being able to read the book & understanding all the reasons behind the scenes. & of course  tom hanks playing paul edgecomb!,Casal
the green mile makes a fine long evening my wife and i found the green mile deeply entertaining. there are times  of course  when the director obviously goes for viewer's tears  and some of the characters seem two-dimensional. at the same time  however  the care taken to demonstrate that compassion and humanity could develop even in death row works; hanks' performance balances justice and necessity  duty and consideration remarkably. a couple of the scenes  due to their grisly nature  make this movie inappropriate for most younger viewers  but one of its themes  that one's stature depends a great deal on how one treats others  seems more poignant in contrast to those scenes. i offer a warm recommendation for this film.,Casal
wonderful movie - a definite 'must see' this is my husband's favorite movie  hands-down. it is also one of mine. pacino is magnificent and it's my favorite of o'donnell's. if you haven't seen this movie  you must. it's a treasure. it's heartwarming  it's funny  it's emotional  it should appeal to just about anyone  especially those with good taste :-),Casal
a comedy classic... i just want to say thank u to my husband  a huge hockey fan  for showing me this movie.i have seen it a couple of times now and it gets funnier every time. slapshot is one of the few comedy classics to come out of the 1970s.,Casal
one terrible movie! my girlfriend and i went to see the haunting and almost walked out. i jumped once in the whole movie. it was slow  the acting was not very good. do not waste your time with this one! i would have given this 0 stars but they did not have that option. bored to death!,Casal
not what we expected this movie was not what we expected. it had great actors  and an okay story line  but not scary at all  which was oh-so-disappionting to me and my husband. we were hoping it was as good as the previews.,Casal
never gets old! if my husband and i get bored on a saturday we just pop in the american pie series. it's so funny how watching these crazy guys try and lose their virginities by prom night never gets old! this movie is also highly recommended for parties  because with a group of people it gets so much more funny!though  if you are not entertained by crude humor and language then this movie is not for you.,Casal
from a guy's view... a great movie! even from a guy's point of view  notting hill is funny and charming... not to mention  my wife kept sighing dreamingly at the sheer fairy-taleness of the movie. julia roberts plays a fantastic role while hugh grant plays the part all guys want to play. this is a great movie for both genders... its something you can even watch a few times ;-),Casal
a 'must have' dvd first off  t2 probably ranks as my favorite movie of all time. there's something about it that holds my attention viewing after viewing.dvd arrived just in time! my video tape of t2 had worn so thin  you could probably read through it  so when my wife and i purchased our dvd player  this film was a must-buy.the dvd version of course  offers a whole lot more than the video ever did. in addition to the 'bonus' stuff  such as interviews and trailers  there are the scenes which were cut from the theatrical release.if t2 is among your favorites  by all means... get the dvd!,Casal
bambi..one of the classics me and my husband picked this up for my 22 month old daughter. the newly enhanced color was great..but i found the film still to be a bit dark compared to the cartoons of today. i know  i know they did what they could and in these times cartoons have come a long way. my daughter might be a tad young for this because she seemed to lose interest alot. i think once she gets older she will enjoy it more. it still was a great investment in a wonderful disney classic.,Casal
great for a 'chick flick' i bought this for my wife and i must say  i would normally have given this kind of movie a 4  but it kept my attention for the full time and i didn't fast forwawrd once  and my wife was so happy to get it  i gave it a five.....if you have to see a chick flick  this is one of the ones that are actually fun to watch.peace morley,Casal
great movie! the music is a bit different than some might expect and thus it might throw you off. but this movie has a great tragic storyline and a great message about the power of good. suffice it to say  the movie ends with a happy note. this turned out to be somewhat of a chick flick that my wifed liked because the basic premise of the movie is one big love story. thus  men and women alike should enjoy this one.,Casal
great movie i bought this dvd for my wife for her birthday. we watched it for the first time last night. we both really loved the movie.the movie portays savannah  georgia as a beautiful  quirky town.it populates the town with a cast of friendly eccentrics. there is a great deal of excellent interplay between the local eccentrics and the main characters.it is also quite funny in many ways.apparently it is based on a true story. we have ordered the book and will read it soon.,Casal
not just a chick movie a love story with blood and guts. i cried and my husband said  'wow  what a great movie'. a great movie to watch on a date or home with friends.this movie is very violent.,Casal
an army of prostitutes and a gay german sheperd i laughed myself silly. the first 5 minutes are more than worth getting this movie. norm is great. farley is great. chevy chase is great. jack warden is amazing. i hurt myself laughing. this movie is for all of us who have to put with everyone elses crap. ever wanted to get even? that is norm's job. behind sandler  norm is one of the best unassuming comic actors out there. artie lange pulls off a great performance as norm's best friend. did i mention i laughed so hard  my girlfriend peed herself. very funny. 'bet you didn't count on my loyal army of prostitutes.',Casal
surprisingly wonderful i kicked  screamed and otherwise resisted like mad when my husband tried to persuade me to watch this movie on cable: 'i don't want to look at stuff like that!' i ended up reading a book  in a snit  while he watched the movie. by the halfway mark my book was on the floor and i was completely hooked.this film has great funny dialogue  wonderful acting and great characters. the three drag queens are not just one-dimensional stereotypes but each has a personality of his own. terence stamp is particularly good  bringing a quiet dignity to the over-the-hill transsexual he portrays.i've watched this movie maybe seven times now  and i plan to watch it again. lots. it's one of those movies you can watch again and again and never get tired of.,Casal
don't bother my husband and i saw this movie when it was in the theater. it is very  very boring. the storyline is bad  and the acting is also bad. the only funny part is when this guy melts into the lava  and i don't think that was intended to be funny.everytime i see a bad move  i think  'well  i suppose it was better than volcano.',Casal
what a gorgeous surprise !!! being french and having seen several other demy`s movies  we settled down to watch it thinking we already knew it  and the music as well. i was literally stunned by the beauty of the colors  the details. with the dvd version  you get the feeling you are inside the rooms with the actors and you can see every detail of their face. stunning. my husband and i could not stop watching it and it was an absolute delight.,Casal
greatly overlooked the story is very well told and i felt such a connection to the characters in this movie  i almost felt as if i lived their lives. you feel every emotion during this movie from warmth and love to wrath and hatred. the acting is superbly done. my husband even enjoyed this movie despite that it is a movie focused on the empowerment of women. i believe this movie is a diamond in the rough and greatly overlooked.,Casal
our new independence day tradition! my husband and i have watched this film together on the 4 of july for two years running. it's a pretty good film that demonstrates the courage of the average fighting man in a pretty dismal spot. the continuous bombing and strafing by japanese forces did take place; it wasn't hollywood artistic license. i think it's good to be reminded that our freedom -- the freedom to dislike the conservative right or hate the liberal media -- was hard fought and hard won.,Casal
loved the music  hated the movie!! it's been a while since i had the chance to see this movie again as my wife ordered the dvd. i didn't like the movie when it first came out and i didn't like it now. it's mostly because of the lowsy script by joe esterhaus. jennifer beals was a so-so actress. but i thought they would have done better if they had a dancer who could act (i.e. leslie caron). the only thing going for it is the music. if you like dancing  this is for you. if you want a spectacular movie  look elsewhere!,Casal
worth seeing over and over again. this movie is one of our favorite movies. we thought the acting was excellent. the plot kept us involved. the mood created by the director is dark without being depressing. every time we watch it  we see nuances that we missed before. we don't typically enjoy r-rated movies  because the violence and sex are usually a cover-up for lack of plot. (there is definitely both violence and sex in this movie  it is not for children.) it is one of the few movies my husband has enjoyed seeing more than once.,Casal
fantastic this is one of my all-time favorites. when i saw this in the theaters  after the first two minutes i leaned over to my wife and said that it was great and already worth the admission price. i still think that.the editing is great. the camera and special effects are great. the sound is great. the cinematography is great. the transfer to dvd is great. there seems to be a trend here.,Casal
mahogany i seen this movie in 1976 with my boyfriend at the age of 16 yrs old . it was a great movie then. and now in 2003 it is still a great movie even without that boyfriend. lol,Casal
classic comedy this is  as you have read in other reviews  a great movie. my reason for writing this review is not to review the movie  you can read that in other reviews  but to let you know that the dvd is so much better than the vhs (i bought the vhs copy a couple of months before the dvd was available for pre-order  because i didn't think it would be coming out on dvd). that said  the banter between the peter falk and alan arkin is really great  and at some point  you will find yourself quoting parts of the movie. my wife  who does not like 'these kinds of movies' laughed throughout the entire film. anyway  get the dvd and give the vhs away  that's what i did.,Casal
a family friendly flick! hilarious  original  a true classic! lots of harmless slapstick the whole family can enjoy. my husband and i loved this movie. definitely streisand at her best!,Casal
"who'd break into a box car full of sugar?! this is the best giant bug movie (imho) of the '50s. yeah the ants are rubber  but so what? the acting is good  with james whitmore (what's he  like  25?) & james arness. i wasn't real impressed with the archival footage. i guess not much remains from these old films. the transfer is pretty good though. another great rainy saturday afternoon movie (or any time). team it with ""the thing from another world"" for a james arness ""festival"". or maybe ""the day the earth stood still"" for a combination dose of 50's a-bomb fear and commie paranoia as shown in the movies of the day.our favorite line "" ... then call me pat ... i'd like to!"" my wife an i laugh at the pickup lines.",Casal
a great rendition of the tale  even if the armor is wrong... nobody can accept that arturus probably wasn't going around in full plate armor  because it is really flashy and makes good cinema. oh  well. still  the story is done very well  with an amazing blend of sword and sorcery  much like the real thing.the lighting  sets  and characters are done very vividly  even if it surprised me to see patrick stewart in the middle of the sword scenes. i just expect him to draw a phaser and take out the opposing forces  i guess.my wife loves merlin. i have to replay his lines several times just to make her happy. well  as they say  if the wife ain't happy  ain't nobody happy  so we replay a lot.gotta love dvds! they don't stretch like vhs tape!,Casal
he will never beat bill cosby  but he is good. my husband and i laughed a lot at this comedy vhs tape  so having said that  i have to say that eddie murphy made his point  and did it well. he is a fine comedian  with great facial expressions and mouth noises to go along with his stand up routines. he swears a lot  so you may not wish to have young children present  but do buy the video  and it is guaranteed to put at least one smile on your face. and  as we all know  you cannot put a price on a smile. enjoy.,Casal
it was a gift my wife likes bette midler  i do not.she wanted this movie for christmas  so i bought it.she asked me to watch it with her.i told her if she wanted anymore bette midler movies for christmas  then my christmas gift would be having someone else watch them with her.,Casal
probably my favorite movie i've seen this movie about 20 times and recently watched it with my boyfriend for the first time  and he liked it too. ione skye's father is played by john mahoney  who plays the father on the tv show frasier  and he does a great job  as do ione skye and john cusack. this is my favorite role of john cusack's. the movie is funny  warm  genuine and on target in its portrayal of young romance. it's also just the right length at 100 minutes. the movie is also more profound than most teenage movies  and i notice something new every time i watch it.,Casal
king is the king stephen king may be not only the ultimate horror writer but also the ultimate story teller of our time. this is the best king  screen adaptaion of all. if the demise/rebirth of little gage doesnt give you nightmares i dont know what will. my wife leaves the room when the tanker starts rolling. 'sometimes dead is better'. widescreen and great picture quality along with the 5.1 surround make a great  terrifying experience.,Casal
still a good flick i saw maggie smith in harry potter and remembered how much i enjoyed her in the prime of miss jean brodie  so i ordered the video. i rarely enjoy films more than once  and older films usually disappoint when re-watched. not this one. it's still a good story  and is well-acted. i loved maggie smith's characterization of jean brodie  and the 'brodie girls' are still interesting to watch as they interact with each other and miss brodie. i watched this movie on a cold winter's evening with a fire in the fireplace  a glass of sherry  and my wife besides me  a pleasant winter's diversion.,Casal
a good his and hers classic my wife being a daphne du maurier fan  i ordered 'rebecca' for her. however  as we watched together i was drawn in by hitchcock's masterful direction and the incredible suspense.this is one worth owning. it is classic hitchcock and worthy of the title 'best picture' which it won in 1940.also  it is not a bad case study of what it means to carry 'baggage' into a new relationship.,Casal
slow  boring  disappointing. my husband and i are always interested in wwii movies. so when mom  an ardent brando fan  recommended this  we watched it.it's a long time since we did - perhaps as long ago as a year - but the impression is still with me that this movie had very little to do with the war - it was more about interpersonal relationships and character development. so in the way of being a war movie  it was not so good. i think it was a rather long movie  too  which didn't help. we just kept waiting for 'something to happen' - and it never did.,Casal
I found this book much more helpful than What to Expect When You're Expecting  mainly because it contained more practical information and less preaching. I would have liked a better sense of a week-by-week analysis of the stages of pregnancy and fetal development  but I did appreciate the way the book organizes some of its other major sections. The very best section is Chapter 13: The Dirt on Diapers and Other Baby Gear. This kind of advice would be very hard to find on sponsor-supported internet sites  since it advocates less consumerism and more practicality about what you really need to take care of a baby. I found this book less maudlin or 'cute' and more intelligent than most of the baby guides I have read. What a relief to find a book that wasn't pastel and that didn't sport lots of sentimental claptrap! The guide to websites is also very helpful. My husband and I have read and enjoyed Unofficial travel guides for years  and we were thrilled to find that they had branched out to cover this important topic  too.,Casal
I guess I must be one of the luckiest guys alive. My wife and I have an excellent relationship and the advice in this book was wasted on us. Not that we couldn't see the value for other people. First of all  let me explain that my wife is French and I'm British so  despite the fact that we both speak the other's language  we do suffer occasional misunderstandings due to nuances in the spoken word. Over the years we've been together  that has made us LISTEN more carefully to our partner. And this is one of the keys in Men Are from Mars  Women Are from Venus.The book was given to my wife by a friend  who is still a single person  despite much partner-searching on her behalf. This same friend thought that it could help US! We couldn't resist a little chuckle as we read how women shouldn't seek to change their men (our friend dictates terms as soon as she's within hand-holding distance of her prey). We smiled over the section that explains how men should listen more closely to their partners to try to really understand what they are saying (my wife is given to speaking her mind rather more directly than is sometimes comfortable!).As I say  we gleaned nothing from this book that we did not already put into practice  but that does not mean that it lacks value. Quite the opposite. If you feel that your relationship is in the slightest bit shaky or stale  sink into Men Are from Mars  Women Are from Venus. It will maybe help you understand how to improve things. Just one word of warning (which I feel should be printed in bold letters on ALL books of this type)  take the contents with a pinch of salt. Modify them to suit your own needs. If you literally apply what you read  you risk making a poor situation even worse. No book can apply global solutions to individual problems.An excellent book.,Casal
I have recently started rereading Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster with my wife. We are seeking to live out the Spiritual Disciplines in our lives. I have found 'Spiritual Classics: Selected Readings for Individuals and Groups on the Twelve Spiritual Disciplines' by Richard J. Foster and Emilie Griffin to be an invaluable resource in doing so.The book is divided into fifty-two chapters which are excerpts from works by famous devotional writers of the past. Each chapter focuses on one of the spiritual disciplines from 'Celebration of Discipline.' Each chapter contains an introduction to the author  the excerpt itself  a Biblical selection that complements the text  suggested spiritual exercises  recommendations for further reading  and a reflection by Richard Foster.I found the chapters of 'Spiritual Classics' not only useful...but thought provoking. Each chapter examines a different facet of the spiritual disciplines. The chapter on fasting by Catherine Marshall was particularly thought provoking for me.'Spiritual Classics' is a great resource for those trying to live out the spiritual disciplines. I readily recommend it to anyone seeking to follow the narrow path of Jesus Christ. Get a copy today...and read it.,Casal
"A friend told me that this book opened his eyes to the fact that some people don't want answers  only debate and politics. He couldn't believe people would think that way  but then he went to college and experienced them for himself.Lewis has written a fun  memorable story about going to hell in a dream (or vision) and taking a bus tour of heaven. The ghostly figures that file timidly off the bus are barely visible in the bright light of heaven  and the grass is so much more real (or true) than they are it hurts their feet. One man tried to steal a golden apple  and he may as well have been trying to hiest a boulder. Lewis himself  writing in first person  feared a coming rain may pummel them into the ground.But after the initial shock of a world more real than he could imagine  he watched the other tourist interact with heavenly friends who had come to greet them. Some of them were friends from earth  some just kind-hearted people. Again and again the hellions (if I may call them that) choose to hold on to their worthless pride or foolhearty beliefs rather than humble themselves to the truth. Pride manifests itself in a hundred subtle ways as these pitiful souls whine about perceived injustices or irrational motives. Thankfully  a few tourists do humble themselves  become transformed into marvelously real beings  and remain in heaven. But most don't  about which the great Scottish author George MacDonald  Lewis' heavenly guide  says  ""They may not be rejecting the truth of heaven now. They may be reenacting the rejection they made while on earth.""This book has curious insight into our human hearts and teaches a few Biblical ideas in very memorable ways. I enjoyed reading it myself and again aloud to my wife. Lewis has a nice  readable style. 4 stars  only because a guy can't give everything good five stars.",Casal