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"When I first came to Iran, black clad women all seemed the same. Scary unsmiling servants of the Ayatollas"
Having visited the Islamic Republic of Iran in June, I was better prepared for that vast country portrayed by Elaine Sciolino in her book Persian Mirrors. I am more than grateful for this book, which alerted me to the diversity of cultures, and the general way of life so absolutely different from the Western world.
Elaine Sciolino made me so very aware of the perfect social world of the Iranians and also I am thrilled to say that once you make a friend of an Iranian, you have a friend for life.
My most treasured memories of Iran will never leave me and I thank Ms Sciolino for preparing me for that journey.
Reviewed by Heather Marshall Negahdar (SUGAR-CANE 11/10/05)
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Why read a book from 1857 which flopped so badly as commercial literature that Melville stopped writing and ended his career as a customs official? Because this book masterfully explores the entire nature of trust, confidence and cons. Though the setting is a riverboat on the Mississippi River just before the U.S. exploded into Civil War, its insights cross cultural boundaries.
This is not an easy book to read for several reasons. First, it is undoubtedly one of the first "post-modern" novels which breaks from traditional narrative storytelling. ( Another example: Dostoevsky's Notes From the Underground.) The Confidence-Man is a collection of 45 conversations between various people on the riverboat--beggars, absurdly dressed frontiersmen, sickly misers, shysters, patent medicine hucksters, veterans (of the Mexican-American War) and the "hero" in the latter part of the book, the Cosmopolitan.
In typical Melville fashion, you also get asides--directly to the reader, in several cases, as if Melville felt the need to address issues of fiction outside the actual form of his novel. The lack of structure, action and conclusion make this a post-modern type book, but if you read each conversation as a separate story, then it starts to make more sense.
For what ties the book together is not a story but a theme: the nature of trust and confidence. In a very sly way, Melville shows how a variety of cons are worked, as the absolutely distrustful are slowly but surely convinced to do exactly what they vowed not to do: buy the "herbal" patent medicine, buy shares in a bogus stock venture, or donate cash to a suspect "charity."
In other chapters, it seems like the con artist is either stopped in his tracks or is conned himself. Since the book is mostly conversations, we are left to our own conclusions; there is no authorial voice wrapping up each chapter with a neatly stated ending. This elliptical structure conveys the ambiguous nature of trust; we don't want to be taken, but confidence is also necessary for any business to be transacted. To trust no one is to be entirely isolated.
Melville also raises the question: is it always a bad thing to be conned? The sickly man seems to be improved by his purchase of the worthless herbal remedy, and the donor conned out of his cash for the bogus charity also seems to feel better about himself and life. The ornery frontiersman who's been conned by lazy helpers softens up enough to trust the smooth-talking employment agency owner. Is that a terrible thing, to trust despite a history of being burned?
The ambuiguous nature of the bonds of trust is also explored. We think the Cosmopolitan is a con-man, but when he convinces a fellow passenger to part with a heavy sum, he returns it, just to prove a point. Is that a continuance of the con, or is he actually trustworthy?
The book is also an exploration of a peculiarly American task: sorting out who to trust in a multicultural non-traditional society of highly diverse and highly mobile citizens. In a traditional society, things operate in rote ways; young people follow in their parents' traditional roles, money is made and lent according to unchanging standards, and faith/tradition guides transactions such as marriage and business along well-worn pathways.
But in America, none of this structure is available. Even in Melville's day, America was a polyglot culture on the move; you had to decide who to trust based on their dress, manner and speech/pitch. The con, of course, works on precisely this necessity to rely on one's senses and rationality rather than a traditional network of trusted people and methods. So the con man dresses well and has a good story, and an answer for every doubt.
The second reason why Melville is hard to read is his long, leisurely, clause upon clause sentences. But the book is also peppered with his sly humor, which sneaks up on you... well, just like a good con.
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This book starts with the fundamentals of atomic structure and then builds on them until molecular orbital theory. Molecular orbital theory is developed for both organic and inorganic substances. Molecular orbital theory is used to explain the electronic structure of molecules, which is, of course, of fundamental importance to the chemist.
Bonding theories for organic and inorganic models are developed and a brief treatment is given on the solid state at the end of the book.
This is a book that I often use as a reference. This book is versatile enough to refresh the chemist about bonding ideas in both organic and inorganic areas. It is not a particularly advanced book, but it was a pleasure for me to read and a good book to remind me of the basics when I need it
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Music and culture are discussed, not with the usual artistic focus, but with a healthy blend of science and sociology added to the mix. Is music a luxury, an art, or a biological need? William Benzon's Beethoven's Anvil explores links between music and brain functioning, using the history of music and its evolution to draw some important arguments about music's importance to brain functioning as a whole
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excellent book! I would have liked to have seen the author delve into several more of the cadets' lives, but what's there is great
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From the beginning of Ruby's story, through all the footnotes of life, to the burying of Bunty...we live four generations of the Lennox family. This is not your average family, people disappear, mothers leave families, children die in mysterious ways.
For me the best of all the little stories, is Ruby getting ready to be born. Atkinsons description of being literally in the womb is priceless.
Two themes seem to pervade this book...poor marriages to drunks and pregnancy out of wedlock. In the end, Ruby learns the greatest lesson of all the women in this book...you can't run away from yourself.
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For someone like myself that is new to selling and licensing art,this book is so informative. I am so glad that I bought it. It is also a good reference book to keep on hand. I recommend it.
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I am so passionate about this book. It has answered all the life questions I have ever held. Although many people I have recommended it to have reported that they have not been able to "get into it" - for me, I would say it is the best book I have ever read.
This is about the 5th copy I have purchased because when I lend it out, somehow it is not returned and I want to have a copy to re-read every now and then. (I will not be lending this one again
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I really enjoy all of Mary Engelbreit's books and my little girls do, too. We like to look at them over and over again. This book is full of ideas from recipes, to summer crafts, to gardening, and to sewing so that you can make your home an interesting place to visit
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This book is geat for the whole family. The illitrations are fantastic and funny. It's about Pa who moved to California and sends a note to tell his familly to move to California. They take a stage coach from Missorii to California and it took 21 days to get there. There are funny people in this book. Ma in this book has a secret in the end so read the book to find out. Buy this book for the kids and it will make them smile so much that there smile will stay there. So buy this book right now!!!!
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If you're intimidated by Tolstoy or Dostoevsky's long masterpieces, consider starting instead with Turgenev's "Fathers and Sons." This book is of course a masterpiece of Russian literature. It's characters and themes are timeless and absolutely relatable to our modern culture. This is a story of family relationships, romance, and philosophy. Highly recommended.
p.s. When you're done here, try "War and Peace" or at least "Crime and Punishment.
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I am not going to go over the contents of the book, or much about Charles Bukowski, because if you are considering this book you must know something about the man and his work. I will just give you my impression of this collection of work.
No collection can ever really be complete, there are always new things to add, new commentary, newly discovered works, transcripts of records and unpublished letters, but this book does an excellent job in its attempt.
To me Charles Bukowski will always be one of the greatest American writers of the twentieth century, because of the sheer brutality and honesty his work emanates. It is funny, sad, sadistic, cruel, scathing, enlightening and thought provoking. Everything I like to read. This is poetry for people who are disgusted by verse of flowers, trees and Greek mythology. This is RAW human emotion and experience smeared out onto paper. It is not perfect, and it is not trying to be. It doesn't always work, but there in lies the subtle beauty of Bukowski's efforts. the guts to try. The attempts at honesty, clearly blocked by his unwillingness to divulge everything, and his cynicism of man.
This book has one of the most moving, amazing, and insightful poems...or anything else...ever written. It is called The Genius Of The Crowd. If you read that work of art and are not moved...nothing will.
This collection is shocking in its beauty, and inspiring by its simplicity. Enjoy
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I don't think customer Lee Kane is quite right when he says that Tag Gallagher's labour-of-love book is mainly about the films. Gallagher's writing is spare and lean but he gives at least as much biography as the purely biographical books
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I bought this book when I had my first child. It has provided me with alot of helpful information, especially at night or on the weekend when you're not sure whether or not to call the doctor. I have worn my original copy out and am about to buy a new one. Many thanks to Dr. Neifert
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This one is the best of the "Song" series - the hero is not a rapist, the heroine isn't dumb, and the plot is actually a bit different from the others. Nice light reading - renews my faith a little in the author
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This is a cleverly constructed book of several parts and a few recurring motifs. Jones, a Welsh Methodist, Everton FC supporter, London hack and Oxford (Arts?) graduate, goes to live in Parma, Italy where his beloved has established herself. He divides his book into nine separate chapters and tries to weave them together as well as his excellent English and his motifs will allow. The first chapter discusses nuances of the Italian language and he uses those nuances to propound that Italy is a much more nuanced country than England and that its culture is infinitely more refined. An entire chapter brings the nuances of Italian culture to bear on football and he waxes very lyrical about the local youth and whatever immigrants are around playing ball as the sun goes down. The football allows us to place Italian village life in our minds and to empathize very much with it.
The last chapter is an entire ode to Italy. It is written largely in the second person and it tells of "you" going through the village and everything there appealing to the aesthetic in "you". The English is beautiful and it achieves its purpose in making you close the book with a warm glow. Mission accomplished.
The chapter on Italy's Catholic religion and its Protestant and other minorities could have done with much improvement. Italy's Catholicism is more complicated than the Padre Pio cult and the Protestants of the north surely have their faults as well. The chapter looks like it came from several previous publications he wrote.
The politics chapters build on the hypothesis that the fascist and proto communist factions are still at war with each other and that politicians like Berlusconi exploit this for their own nefarious ends. He does a good job of tying the warring World War Two factions in with the protagonists and antagonists of later squabbles. He does not like Berlusconi and his polished prose does not quite hide this fact.
My opinion of this book is that Jones sat down with his material and tied it all together into a very passable but rather superficial book which is nevertheless well worth the money being charged.
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My two boys, ages 3 and 2, both pull this book off the shelf over and over. I use it to teach the younger one new vocabulary (both in English and Spanish) and the older one to continue to practice his numbers (also in both languages), as well as colors. It's a great addition to the workbook Flip Flop Spanish, and also just for fun.., my littlest, a one-year-old girl, even looks at the pages and will sit with the boys to watch them. They're sturdy pages, full of all KINDS of things. The kind of book you find something new each time you open it. It has little lists to find items as well.
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One Good Knight (2006) is the second Fantasy novel in the Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms series, following The Fairy Godmother. In the previous volume, Alexander and Elena organized resistance to the invasion of Fleurberg by a Dark Magician. After the death of the Katschei, Alexander and Elena were wedded, becoming Godmother and Consort. Then an Order of Champions was established at Glass Mountain, with Alexander as their Master, and Elena was given charge of Fleurberg in addition to her other kingdoms.
In this novel, Princess Andromeda of Acadia is nineteen years old, but is still considered a child by her mother, Queen Cassiopeia, and Chief Advisor Solon Adacritus. She writes a report on the merchants for a trade conference and impresses both the Queen and the Chief Advisor. After that, her mother orders redecoration of the Princess wing, appoints two ladies to design her wardrobe and jewelry, and assigns a steward to handle her affairs.
Andromeda is quite overwhelmed by this attention and augments her studies to further impress her mother. She notices that income from wrecked ships has grown due to an increase in the number and severity of storms. Her studies and inquiries suggest that this increase is probably due to the manipulations of a great wizard. She reports this matter to her mother.
Afterward, Andromeda is resting high up in a tree within the palace garden when she notices a strange flying creature. As it comes toward her, she recognizes that it is a dragon. Then it reaches the palace and she observes that it is a very large dragon. It flames some high architectural features, grabs a couple of animals and flies away.
The panic within the palace is phenomenal and the subsequent meeting of the Queen's advisors is very lively. Andromeda has quickly reviewed the literature on dragons -- consisting mainly of myths and legends -- and reports to the advisors that the only known method of managing a dragon is the sacrifice of virginal maidens. The ensuing discussion is even livelier, mostly concerning the means of choosing such sacrifices.
Queen Cassiopeia states that the only fair way to select sacrifices is by a lottery. After the spate of crazy volunteers dies down, a lottery is organized. Some women find ways to disqualify themselves, but others are taken by the dragon. Rumors begin spreading that anyone who speaks out against the Queen is more likely to have a family member selected for the sacrifice. But then Andromeda is selected.
This novel is mostly about the influence of the Tradition within the Five Hundred Kingdoms. Andromeda's knowledge of the Tradition comes in handy at various points in this quest.
The Queen has sent to Glass Mountain for a Champion to fight the dragon, but the good knight doesn't come forward as expected. Someone has erected a magical barrier at the border to keep out such warriors. However, Andromeda is sort of saved by a Champion at the sacrificial site. Andromeda convinces the knight to take her along as a guide and finally proves to the Champion that she can be a help rather than a hindrance.
They travel cross-country in the same direction that the dragon had flown, stopping for supplies here and there, and finally enter the Wyrding Lands. They encounter unicorns and a fox along the way before meeting the dragon and his brother. Then Andromeda learns that all is not as it seems.
Andromeda is nineteen and naive. Then she is faced with one of the most difficult of issues: does her mother love her. While many events occur in this plot, this one issue is the crux of the story. Even her interspecies romance with the younger dragon is only a temporary relief from this main concern.
Highly recommended for Lackey fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of adventure, betrayal and romance.
-Arthur W. Jordi
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"Typee" is based on Melville's experiences when, as a young man of 22, he "jumped ship" from an American whaling vessel on the island of Nukuheva in the Marquesas Islands of the South Pacific. It is written in a straightforward narrative manner, but it is a work of fiction, NOT a journalistic report, something that is often overlooked. While, like "Moby Dick", it contains lots of factual details, mostly quite accurate as confirmed by subsequent research, it is a much more complex tale than it appears to be on the surface.
For a first novel, written when Melville was only 27 years old, the narrative power is quite impressive, as for example in his description of the escape from the ship over the mountains to the Valley of the Typee. In the early chapters, themes of peace, beauty, and sensuality are combined with Melville's righteous indignation at the activities of Western military and religious intruders to create the illusion of an earthly paradise. Gradually dread, loneliness, horror, and fear of annihilation come to the fore, as "Tommo", the protagonist, becomes convinced that he is being kept for eventual eating at a ritual cannibal feast. He is finally rescued almost by chance, and because of conflict among the Typees.
I read the Oxford World's Classics paperback edition, which has an introduction by Ruth Blair, an Australian professor of English. It was very helpful with Melville's historical and literary sources and the geographical and cultural context. The chapter on "Typee" in "Studies in Classic American Literature" by D.H. Lawrence adds a further depth of understanding. Newton Arvin's biography of Melville helps to place "Typee" in the development of Melville as a writer.
Highly recommended in its own right as a superb example of 19th century American romanticism, with hints of the impending metaphysical explosion of "Moby Dick"
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I read this book many, many years ago on a very long flight. I couldn't put it down. The philosophy is simple; live frugally, save/invest money every month, and you too can be a millionaire. It's great advice, especially in this day and age when the younger generation wants the big house, expensive car, and everything else right NOW, with no regard to the future. Although some of the info is dated (Enron being named as a great company to invest), and some other advice (putting new soles on old shoes) is a bit much, the general message makes plenty of sense.
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A love story between a couple that does not want to bein love. Very good book, like all that I've read from this author.
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I can not put into words what this journal of the truth has done for me as a African-American Male living in the United States of America. I was introduced to this book by a man of Guyanese decent who knew I needed to read this book. I have to admit it was a difficult read because my primary education only spoke of American History and there was no mentioning of any African-Caribbean contributors from the "Middle Passage" period. Now, at thirty-nine many things are clearer to me. "Roots" and "Beloved" are historic, well-documented treasures and need to be used in educating all children no matter race, creed or color. To make sure what I read had some semblance of truth while in Puerto Rico I visited a sugar mill in Guanica and my heart just melted. If you read the book you will understand my feelings. I became angry because something as simple as not being forthwith with documented history such as this to young minds of American children lead to misunderstandings amongst the masses hailing from Africa, South America, The Caribbean, Asia, United States and Europe. Eric Williams I know I can not thank you in person because you are no longer here physically but your spirit lives on in your books and you will always be alive everytime one more person reads your book and awaken "Thank You"! For everyone else read the book it will cleanse your soul and feed your mind. Once you finish this read "How Europe Underdeveloped Africa" by the same author
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Are you looking for a way to get your kids into the kitchen, turing out tasty projects? I know I was--and I went through about fifteen "kids" cookbooks at the local bookstore before I stumbled on this little gem. It was the only cookbook (other than The Everything Kid's Cookbooks) that would actually get a child into the kitchen. The projects are appealing on all levels--they are easy to assemble, they are too cute for words, and they have super easy to follow pictoral instructions.
It also has a good balance of entrees to deserts, unlike some of the family cookbooks I've reviewed. And with the desserts--like cookies--it takes one basic recipe and shows you about four different ways to use it--marvelous! It's also pantry friendly--no star fruit or rare ingredients you don't have laying around.
Now if you're looking for a kids cookbook to vary your family's fare, then keep in mind this is a slender picture-book sized volume--you won't find more than 22 projects in the whole book. For a good standard family cookbook, I recommmend Beyond Mac 'n' Cheese by MOPS.
But if you are looking to get your kids (12 and under) into the kitchen to spend some time together having fun at the counter, then don't hesitate to buy this little gem! It is my number one recommendation for children's cookbook, project-wise.
For the above twelve set, I recommend the Everything Kid's Cookbook because it is a little more geared towards meals and has crossword puzzles and fun foods that are meant to be played with. If you are looking for a cookbook with tons of recipes that will appeal to your family, be pantry friendly *and* save you money, check out "Cheap. Fast. Good."
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Bob Quinn is definitely one of the most profound writers on change in this era. But his work is not for the faint of heart because he challenges each of us to start change initiatives in the place we'd least like to go -- inside ourselves. I found this an incredibly powerful book. I've used sections of it with my "change management" classes for several years and I know it has a tremendous impact on students, who like most managers have grown up unconsciously believing that change always needs to start with the other guy. If you want a simple formula for change, don't buy this book. Although it is full of practical, actionable ideas, "Change the World" addresses change at a profound level that asks readers to reflect seriously on what they stand for. It's a very difficult but rewarding assignment
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Of all of Willard's books, this one was my favorite.
Willard offers a systematic study of the nature of being, and then proposes a pragmatic approach to setting the hear back on course to purity and submission to God. A human being, he says (p. 30), is composed of thought, feeling, choice, body, social context and soul. He states plainly (p. 41), "It is the central point of this book that spiritual transformation only happens as each essential dimension of the human being is transformed to Christlikeness under the direction of a regenerate will interacting with the constant overtures of grace from God. Such transformation is not the result of mere human effort and cannot be accomplished by putting pressure on the will (heart/spirit) alone."
Fundamental to this project is first dying to self, taking up the cross, and living in self-denial (chapter 4). We must then go through a process like learning a new language. The general steps he summarizes in the acronym VIM: vision, intention, means (p. 85). These are a vision for kingdom life, the will to do it, and the means to carry it out.
The rest of the book is structured around a look at the transformation of the mind (chapters 6-7), will (8), body (9), social context (10), and the soul (11). The work of the mind involves being cognizant of the ideas and feelings that drive our society and our personal lives. Instead we should be renewed with love, joy, and peace in the inner life. The work of the will involves surrendering our will to God's, and then moving from abandonment to contentment. Here the spiritual disciplines bring to light our duplicity on these matters. The work of the body means realizing the over-emphasis we place on it and the need to cease idolizing and misusing our bodies. The work of our social context involves noting the use of assault and withdrawal that characterizes our relationships (p. 181). Lastly, the work of the soul, which Willard defines as the unifying factor of them all, is best summarized in Psalm 1. We are to be renewed into new beings who happily fulfill the law of God.
Again, I said this was my favorite of Willard's works. I'm not sure any of the rest of them so thoroughly transcend from the theological to the practical without missing a step. The systematic study of human nature is all-inclusive. He lays out a blueprint of a kingdom vision of what the human being (emphasis on being) is. The very nature of humanity, from the state in which we find it to the place it is supposed to be, is spelled out here. The enormity of the work is amazing for such a readable text
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Paul Johnson has written a 1,000-page book about various and sundry aspects of the years 1815-1830, years in which he rightly claims to find the origins of many aspects of the world as we know it today. Johnson's chosen foci are certainly broad: he ranges from events in politics and law to music, science, and even opium use. While almost every page is loaded with fascinating morsels of information that will certainly come in handy when you want to impress people at your next social function, Johnson's roving eye and pen can be disconcerting: he tends to shift topics very quickly and without warning. Also, while the book claims to be about "world society," Johnson spends the largest part of his time talking about British society -- but he's found plenty of ways to range geographically from the "western" United States (like Kentucky) to China and Singapore. Throughout, his prose is generally crisp and pleasant to read.
Overall, Johnson has given us what might be the ultimate in bedtime reading: a vast book that one can pick up, open nearly at random, and learn something interesting about the past but which retains significance today
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This book is a rare but insightful look into the practice of one of the New Urbanist legends. UDA began the pattern book revival a decade ago (and also has a book out describing the process of writing one.) They also are one of the pioneers of the New Urbanist revolution, which, by discarding the fictions of Modernist planning, have rediscovered existing methods and have discovered new methods of creating compact, mixed-use and walkable neighborhoods that were always the basic cellular structure of cities from the dawn of time until just before World War II. We have understood the basic principles again for some time. What this book shows are some of the mechanics of how to do it again
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(3.75) The other reviews can reveal what this book is about. What I wanted to share is the extreme responses this book incited in my boyfriend and me. He alternately found himself loving the narrator, Yuriko's sister, for her brutal honesty and hating her for her malice and psychological bullying of Kazue. Meanwhile, I found myself rooting the narrator on as she spoke the cruel truth about the pitiful hopelessness of Kazue's meritocratic dreams, but a moment later I wondered if that made me a bully myself or as bitter and heartless as the narrator. Perhaps it reminded me too much of what I had seen growing up to shock me.
Then, there was the simultaneous hilarity and pain of Kazue's cluelessness. Was she a tragic figure, blind, or both? I admired Kirino for inspiring me to feel so much for her characters, even for Yuriko, who is certainly not the ditsy airhead her older sister wants us to believe she is (I also found it hard to believ she was as ghastly as she considered herself in her 30s: is it just because women past 25 in Japan are regarded as Christmas cake, as a friend from Japan says?).
My attention was quite strained by Zhang's tale of Chinese hardship (it seemed the wrong book to educate the reader about how difficult it is for immigrants in Japan), but I immediately forgave Kirino when Yuriko's older sister admitted herself Zhang's account was tedious and could be skipped (I'd recommend others to skim it as well).
Again, my patience was tested by Kazue's journal: I just kept on thinking, aren't you ready to die yet? But I see this was intentional on Kirino's part, to make the reader struggle between our (or my) wanting Kazue to just give up on life and our feeling ashamed for our coldness and complicity in her bullying. It also made my boyfriend and me think concurrently of the people we loved in our own lives who were heading towards the same fate as Kazue and Yuriko, not through prostitution but through drugs.
What did disappoint me in the end was the last chapter, which seemed a cop-out. If only an editor had suggested it was unconvincing and encouraged her that an alternative, though more shocking, would be more in line with the narrator's character, but that is wishful thinking on my part. When I give this book to others, which I will, I will make sure to discuss with them, when they've finished, what they thought of the ending.
This book could have been edited down a hundred pages (back when it was written in Japanese), but for what it did offer, I have no regrets for its consuming my attention entirely and will always look forward to further translations of Kirino's books. This book may not be the masterpiece "Out" was, but for anyone who has gone to an elite school on scholarship, striven to remain a petite zero, wanted to excel while recognizing how off-the-mark our values of judgment are, or wondered just how much her body could be worth, reading "Grotesque" is just as powerful an experience as reading "Out" was
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The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is the number one best selling book in the galaxy for many reasons. One it is slightly cheaper than others, but most important is that it has the words'Don't Panic' written in bold letters on the cover. The story of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy revolves around this remarkable book. This story strangely begins when the earth is destroyed by a Vogon construction fleet clearing the way for a hyper space express way. The last Earthman, Arthur Dent, is saved by his best friend Ford Prefect, who is actually an alien that comed from a small palnet somewhere in the vecinity of Betelgeuse. They are soon thrown out of an air lack and rescued by the Heart of Gold using the Infinate Improbability Drive. Inside they meet up with Zaphod Beeblebrox, the two headed, three armed president of the galaxy, Trillian, an Earthwoman who Arthur failed to pick up and wnt with Zaphod, and Marvin, a parinoid android. This book tells of there amazing adventures throughought the galaxy. These adventures involve mice, an abandonded planet, a rather suprised sperm whale, and the number 42.
I loved this book for many reasons. One reason is that it is filled with unexpected humor. Another is that it gives a good spin on life. I could always count on this book to cheer me up. Don't just stop with this book there are many others in this series.
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This book is a five star book!!!! I love it so much!!! Partly becuase I like mystery/adventurous books and I would recommend this to all of the people who like mystery/adventure. It is a GREAT book about a GREAT family when everything goes wrong when Janie Jonhson decides she wants to drink milk and when she looks at the back for the kidnapped kid - she learns too much..
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Immediately upon starting Dickens' "Our Mutual Friend," I was struck by parallels with Dumas' "The Count of Monte Cristo." Both big novels revolve around a powerful character who conceals his identity in a complicated plot to obtain social justice. The Count deals with the darker theme of revenge. Our Mutual Friend is an exploration of the corrupting influence of wealth.
The novel is lively throughout, as Dickens displays his tremendous diversity of writing talents. The tone ranges from heavily ironic criticism of upper-class politics and antisemitism, to delicate romance, to witty visual humor. The characterizations are highly original; even those at the extremes of vice and virtue display engaging ideosyncracies.
Most impressive to me was the consistency of Dickens' plot. Our Mutual Friend was written and published in installments, as was The Count of Monte Cristo. But Dickens keeps his story on track throughout, never dropping a character, while Dumas' tale is full of gaps and inconsistencies
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This book was a life saver for me as I opened my solo practice this summer. Without it, I would have spent countless hours developing these forms myself. The feature that allows you to customize the forms is especially nice. I recommend this for new or veteran mental health workers
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I was impressed by the value and quality of this book.... Outstanding!!!!
It is all his plays and poems in one place with a nice look and feel to the book (for the price) you can't beat it.
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A surprisingly tiny book. (The picture in the upper-left corner is nearly actual size.) After receiving it, I immediately looked up its dimensions in the description on this page. It says 4.7 x 3.3 x 0.6. I had not noticed that before I ordered it. The book seems much smaller than that. Not that that is a problem; it was just somewhat of a shock to find such a minuscule book when I opened the box.
I believe it is intended to be carried with you in your pocket or glove box or the locket around your neck so you'll have a chance to pick out a few choice topics of conversation before you enter a party or whatever.
It certainly is not intended as bathroom reading. For one thing, the pages are much too small for emergency TP use.
Not that I am complaining, mind you. This is a gem of a book with over 200 interesting bits of trivia listed more or less alphabetically from "The Amish" to "Zero". (This is not to imply that the title of each page has much to do with the text, but who cares - the book is fun.)
Each page has its stated "Fact" and a follow-up paragraph to expound on the subject.
Also, there are a number of pages randomly strewn through the book with three "Instant Personalities" each - little tidbits of info about famous people. (Although, Thomas Jefferson got his own page, as did Alfred Hitchcock.)
And unlike another trivia book I purchased recently (Bla Bla), the information here is actually correct. Will and Mangesh research their topics, not just publish un-provable "facts" gathered from the Internet. Use the contents with confidence.
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I'm almost finished reading this book, and what a long, fun ride it's been. Wordy, and a little confusing, this book has to be taken in the right mood, or else you'll miss the humor.
The places that the main character travels to are memorable and exciting, and I found myself getting through a hefty portion, without thinking that I had ever started.
Some....no, more like most of the satire is cryptic, and hard to find. However, I read up on the book, and it immediately popped out at me, and made alot more sense.
This is an excellent book, that I'm sure you will enjoy. It might even suit as a read-aloud story for younger children
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This book opens our eyes. Sure, we feel that we know what we should be doing. Many times we are right in our hunches. Yet, we still do not always do what needs to be done. Instead, out of either laziness or taking the easy road, we fail because it is so easy to do so. Besides, the customer will always walk in the door. Right? As this book reminds us, the customer may never be back. It is in the insight of a professioanl like Tasca that we are reminded of wehat we may already know. Again, our implementation of these rules which he explains simply, we will achieve. Another book I encourage is "Cars and People: How to Put the Two Together."
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Anything you purchase in the Left Behind Series is an excellent read. These books are great and very close to the Bible. I have the entire set. Amazon is a great shopping site and they ship fast. I would recommend these to any Christian wanting to know about what to expect during the Return of Christ! They are Fiction but still makes a good point
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The other reveiwers have it right. After studying more than 30 titles on the craft of writing, I can say that this is by far the most useful work on developing believable and well-rounded characters that I have seen to date. The information is timely, practical, and accessible. The examples are well-organized and perfectly suited to the material. The writer can take what he learns and put into practice immediately. Excellent work
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In March 2006, there are only three or four books that boast Haskell in their titles. They are all excellent books. But the world can benefit from more Haskell books. In fact, we are in need of such books, especially CS1 texts. This book is a pleasure to read. I suspect that even math haters will not find it hostile. Anyone learning Haskell will find the book and its companion web site a valuable resouce. On the web site, you will find the source code from the book, such as Powerseries.hs. You can quickly play and experiment with it; read and learn from it.
I wish more books are as pleasant and affordable ($25)
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If you're only slightly interested in the ways the evolution works, then this is it. But beware to have some knowledge about the basics of evolution before moving on to this book. There's a bit of a steep learning curve when you're not all to familiair with Darwin's brilliant theory. It also gives a nice insight in the way scientists work
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These books will one day be recorded as history told before its time. While the mainstream shurgs him now, he will be required reading years to come
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It opens with a tribute to H.G. Wells and ends with an homage to Jules Verne.In the middle are 18 more stories that span from side to side of the SF spectrum and, even though they might not be all in the reader's preferences, are sure worth reading, if not thought-provoking. Talking about preferences, I can't help mentioning Terry Bisson's "In the upper room" and Damon Knight's "Life edit" as the best of the lot. Look forward for number 3, and 4, and..
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As a librarian and a lover of all things relating to Arts & Crafts style, I recommend this book to anyone desiring a greater knowledge of this furniture's history and design evolution. With clear color photographs and just the right amount of text, this book illustrates the origins of Arts & Crafts furniture in England and its progression, first to our East Coast, and eventually Westward across America. In fact, my only 'complaint' about this book is that the photographs are good enough that they leave you wanting for more.
Because of the depth of information presented here, I would not say that this is a general interest read - rather this book is geared toward those seriously interested in the history of the Arts & Crafts movement and its recent revival.
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Newt Gingrich presents common sense solutions to the pressing issues of our day in a clear concise and easily understood manner. This book should be required reading for all civics and history classes in high school and college. If the policies Dr. Gingrich proposes could be implemented, the US would not only become the shining city on a hill, it would also become, far and away, the world's most powerful economy throughout the next fifty years with prosperity for all Americans who chose to join the ownership society he envisions
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I really enjoyed this book as I do all of her Tamara Hayle Mysteries. I wasn't really surprised with the ending but I still enjoyed it and recommend that you read it. I'm ready for the next Tamara Hayle installment I hope Basil is in the next one.
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Carlton Mellick the 3rd's "Punk Land" (a pseudo-sequel to his 2001 novel "Satan Burger") wastes no time in getting straight to the story. It is set in an alternate heaven for punks, where Sid Vicious is God and you are judged for entry not by St. Peter but rather a number of gate attendants who decide whether or not you are punk enough. Mellick's trademark off-beat humor and sideways take on religion is ever-present, along with a slew of philosophical ideas mixed with a juvenile sense of mischief. Although it is a sequel, it stands completely on it's own. Fans of Satan Burger will appreciate the references and the continued story of Nan and Mortician, but new readers aren't left wondering about a back story. And anyone with even a slight interest in punk rock or punk culture will be in well, punk heaven, with all the references to punk history and culture and appearances by icons including G.G. Allin, Henry Rollins, and Johnny Rotten. The book is also full of illustrations, diagrams, photos and lists, which help to give it a wonderful multimedia type feel. You'll find yourself torn between finishing the paragraph you're in and jumping directly over to the flier for the "PBR Pogo Joust" advertised on the next page. This is a great book, a sublimely goofy sort of work that is effortlessly good but never takes itself too seriously. Highly recommended for anyone who likes Mellick's work, but even more so for anyone who has never read any of his books. This is a great place to discover the works of a young, groundbreaking author who is only getting better with time
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I teared when I read parts of the book, but it is such an awesome book! I didn't want to put that book down until I was completely finished reading it. I definetely recommend it to anyone with children. I loved it, and I plan on keeping up with my letter box to my son
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This book was someone else's bookclub selection, and I think having no expectations when I picked it up really helped in my having that WOW experience that some folks report with this book and others miss. Yes, the prose needed much better editing: overuse of repetition, "stock" phrases, and "hanging" assertions that should have been cleaned up. However, I found the discussions of brain development/evolution, similarities between certain animal behaviors and human behaviors, development of language in different animals, and the coevolution of humans and dogs to be facinating (oops, just gave away the ending!). I found the side discussion of outcome-based audits interesting and enlightening. I also liked Dr. Temple's recommendation that people with autism be hired for baggage checking positions. Great idea! Although the book really goes all over the place, I found it a wonderful opportunity to engage my "seeking/hunting" motivation (you'll have to read the book for that one), and worth wading through the flaws to pick up the nuggets of gold
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One of the things I like about this book for young readers is that the same vocabulary words are repeated throughout the series so that the kids can build on what they learned in one book while they're reading the next.
At first, I was disappointed with the series since I didn't think it did justice to the Little House series that I treasured myself as a girl. After a few reads, however, I see that the magic of Laura Ingalls Wilder's stories shines through in this series with Renee Graef's illustrations. How else do you explain to a four-year-old what a log cabin is really like? I am surprised how many "How.." and "Why..." questions this series has provoked. Regarding this book in particular, my daughter asked about a million questions about the maple syrup-making process
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There is not one book this woman has been involved in that i didn't like so far.
Many stories you will find in her book have different personalities, which i find refreshing.
She has been involved in many science fiction projects and when i go to pick up a book with her name on it.....I know there will be something, if not everything, i will enjoy in that book.
There should be no question when you see a book with her name on it, that you should open that book and read a while
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This is a straightforward description of reading and writing the Arabic script. If you have no experience with Arabic I think you would still need to locate a teacher or native speaker as some of the letters are very difficult to pronounce as native English speakers.
However for the most part its easy to follow and would give you a great start, especially before you take an Arabic course.
If it came with a cassette with pronouciation I would have given it 5 stars
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I have read every Hiaasen novel, except "Flush" and "Naked Came the Manatee." I have enjoyed reading almost every one of them [There are exceptions -- "Basket Case" definitely was not up to the mark, IMHO]. The best among them, in my opinion, are "Strip Tease", and "Double Whammy." "Double Whammy" is funnier among the two. "Strip Tease" is a little more serious.
This is one novel I read once in a while whenever I get the urge to laugh out loud. Those characters are crazy
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For the English-language reader Wedgwood's book, which has been in print for over sixty years, is still an excellent introduction and synoptic narrative of this lengthy and turbulent period of European history. It gives brief and judicious biographical sketches of the major political and military actors of three generations: The principal antagonists at the outset -- Ferdinand II of Austria and Frederick V, Elector Palatine; the condottieri-style generals - Spinola, von Mansfeld, Tilly, Wallenstein, Piccolomini, Christian of Halberstadt, Bernhard of Saxe-Weimar, the duc d'Enghien (Conde); the contentious minor rulers -- Maximilian V of Bavaria, Johann Georg of Saxony; the northern monarchs -- Christian IV of Denmark and Gustavus Adophus of Sweden (and his daughter Christina and prime minister, Oxenstierna); the "spoiler", Cardinal Richelieu; the new Emperor Ferdinand III and his cousin, the warlord Cardinal-Infant Ferdinand of Spain; and many others. This book is written in a traditional English historian's prose style that is clear, eloquent and totally lacking the jargon of concurrent and later social and economic histories, while still covering these aspects of the period. In spite of some reviewers' claims of a "Protestant bias" in her interpretation, the author seems extremely fair when assessing responsibility for the long-running disaster of the war, taking the position that it was the self-serving political interests of the participants (dynasties, rulers, generals and paymasters) that kept the war going at the expense of the social and economic welfare of the vast majority of inhabitants of Germany and Bohemia.
Although I am not familiar with this new edition (and Grafton's introduction) I emphasize that any reissuing of this book should have a brief scholarly introduction which supplies more details on the constitutional arrangements and crises of the Holy Roman Empire during the sixteenth century, with a special emphasis on the composition of the Bohemian estates and the conflicts between the estates and the Habsburg king-emperors. The extent and internal organization of "the Bohemian crown lands" should also be outlined. A succinct review of the political status of Lutheranism, Calvinism, the Bohemian Brethren, and other Protestant confessions throughout all of Europe around the year 1600 and a note on how their status had altered by 1700 would also be useful in "setting the stage" for the events of 1618 and understanding the relgious-denomination consequences of the war.
The author supplies sufficient details on the major battles, but this is not a work of military history. As Wedgwood knows, battles were only significant in the larger view as a result of their political consequences. And it is in the elucidation of the underlying politics of the war (including how political prospects shifted with the waxing and waning of military fortunes) that Wedgwood excels. In her analysis of the general European situation at the outset of the war she proposes that there were three sets of forces which underlay and drove contemporary events. Each was a source of conflict and each might cross-cut the others, complicating the declared interests and objectives of the dynasties and nations involved. In brief, the forces were: (a) Religion, with three major competing factions (Catholic, Lutheran, Calvinist; she notes that the conflict between the latter two forms of Protestantism was often as extreme as it was between each of them and the Roman Catholic Church). (b) Nationalism (French, German, Czech, etc.), which was a new force on the scene, crystallizing the idea that political entities might be defined by nationality (which here equals some combination of ethnicity and native language) rather than conceived of as polyglot territorial agglomerations brought about by dynastic interests. (c) Monarchic-constitutional issues, which were especially complicated and ambiguous within the "constitutional" grouping of major and minor powers known as The Holy Roman Empire (HRE).
The constitutional problem was twofold. Within the small arenas of developing nation states and the yet smaller ones of traditional rulerships throughout Europe (duchies, counties, "free-city" areas ruled by town councils and mayors) contests over the basis and extent of the rulers' powers and privileges were taking place. Aristocrats, oligarchs and merchants had traditional corporate bodies (estates) reluctant to cede their own powers (taxation, the organization of military service) to a central authority. The same conflict was also being played out on the larger scale of the Hly Roman Epire, that loose grouping of special obligations and exemptions which was the final residue of an earlier system of vassalage binding together the elected Emperor (who had been a Habsburg for several centuries) and the smaller rulerships of Central Europe. The religious reforms, rebellions and wars of the sixteenth century had produced a system that appeared to resolve some of the potential problems through the won privilege of cujus regio, eius religio ("whoever rules, his religion [is the religion of the ruled area]"). In the year of the war's inception, 1618, this new balance was very fragile, comprising four Catholic and three Protestant imperial Electors. In Germany the special arrangements regulating relationships between the Emperor (resident in Vienna or Prague) and local rulers and guaranteeing a great deal of political autonomy to the locals, especially the Protestant Electors, had been somewhat codified by the Augsburg Treaty of 1555, and were known as the "German Liberties". These would prove to be especially important to the three Protestant Electors at the outset of the war.
In the developing continental war one could be pro- or anti-Habsburg based on any one of the above factors or any combination of two or three of them. For example, a Catholic ruler (including the papacy) might seek Protestant allies in order to combat Habsburg territorial expansion in his direction or to combat constitutional changes in the Empire which affected his position adversely. Or a Protestant power might accept the Habsburg "program" in any given case because it did not wish to disturb constitutional arrangements that were to its advantage (this characterization is apt for Saxony and Brandenburg during the first twelve years of the war.)
As Wedgwood notes, all three considerations (religion, nationality, constitutional relations) could be and were used cynically to advance the positions and interests of individual rulers and factions. From the point of view of rationality or predictability, political choices and commitments were often self-contradictory (e.g., a Catholic power supporting a Protestant venture; a German Liberties party accepting occupation by the army of a foreign power, etc.) or temporary expedients that made the overall European situation more chaotic. The war began locally in Bohemia, but its complications and consequences radiated outward as far west as Spain and England (even farther, to the Caribbean naval theater), as far north as Sweden and northeast to Poland, as far south as Italy and southeast as Transylvania; in other words, it was a European continental war with global impact.
When the war broke out in 1618 it was over the Habsburg violation of a "constitutional guarantee" of religious freedom in Bohemia (the concessions stated in Rudolf II's Letter of Majesty). And here is where individual personalities and beliefs played an important role. Ferdinand II, who had knowingly violated the terms of the Letter soon after being selected by the Bohemian Diet as King (and therefore the first in precedence of the HRE Electors) was determined not only to expand the political powers of the Habsburg dynasty in Bohemia and elsewhere, he was firmly committed to the goals of the Catholic Counter-Reformation (i.e., re-Catholicizing all of the areas within the HRE which had become Protestant during the last one hundred years). When he was deposed by a special convention of the Bohemian estates (the defenestration of his deputies in Prague being the signal event of this deposition), the crown of Bohemia was offered to the Elector of the (Rhineland) Palatinate, Frederick V, who considered himself a champion of the Protestant cause. The religious zeal of these two antagonists led to extreme fixed positions at the very outset of the war.
Given the other major conflict hovering in the background -- the Spanish Habsburg determination to recover the now Protestant area of the Netherlands which had become the successful and defiant (Dutch) United Provinces - the war soon became international. While the entry of France and then Denmark followed by Sweden, into the war during the 1620's changed its nature and extended its duration, Wedgwood concentrates much of her analysis on the behavior of the two Protestant Electors, Johann Georg of Saxony and Georg Wilhelm of Brandenburg and one Catholic ruler, Maximilian of Bavaria. It is her contention throughout the book that Johann Georg and Maximilian in particular could have prevented the war's spread and forced Ferdinand into a compromise very early in the course of events that acquired their own dynamism once they got out of hand. Despite their religious differences these two were always strong "German Liberties" proponents, and each had the same view of the Austrian Habsburg rulers: they should be kept for the broader protections they offered, but kept in place with respect to encroachments on the traditional rights of local rulers. In the end both of these rulers survived the lengthy war in spite of numerous diplomatic and military reversals (Saxony switched sides and joined the Swedes for several years, while Maximilian's position was constantly and secretly supported by his nominal enemies, the French, as their potential foot in the Habsburg camp.) Wedgwood believes that the price of their survival was far too costly for the rest of Germany.
Wedgwood's gloss on the changing nature of the conflict is that by the year 1635 the war had become one of great-power politics, and that the earlier religious and ideological causes were losing their ability to motivate the antagonists. Her summary of the changes emphasizes the following:
(a) Religion had discredited itself as a plausible source of political programs and a legitimate cause for war. Religion was becoming more interiorized and private, and losing ground philosophically and ethically to the new prestige of empirical and applied science (this was the era of Galileo and Kepler, with Descartes, Harvey, Hook, Newton, Huygens, etc. on the near horizon; a time of laboratory science and scientific societies.) As the basis of a political program religion was viewed cynically by those who saw the devastation it had brought about.
(b) For thinking men, nationalism began to fill the emotional void in public life left by the withdrawal of religion as the underlying motive for political and cultural action. This was very obvious in France, but even true of Ferdinand III, for whom the new main cause was the construction of an Austrian-based hereditary monarchy whose additional obligations as the Holy Roman Imperial protector of far-flung German Catholics were no longer perceived as worthwhile. In the minds of both Germans and Austrian Habsburgs the Holy Roman Empire was becoming an honorific entity with ambiguous and weak political commitments in Germany. The Elbe-North German-Pomeranian ideal empire of Wallenstein was never again revived as a dynastic program. Austria began to move south and east (toward Italy, Croatia, and Hungary) in its expansionist aims.
(c) The control of immense polyglot, multi-religious, mercenary armies and their huge camp followings had become a pressing matter of concern for all of the political authorities that hired them - they were neither religious nor national in their motives and aims and were in fact independent "mobile states" unto themselves, cynical and rapacious and often as dangerous to their paymasters as to their foes; whenever their immediate prospects for pay and maintenance looked bad, they changed sides. The most successful mercenary generals had become mini-sovereigns. Officers were all "out for themselves" and for their troops (rather than for the cause or nation of their paymaster), since without troop loyalty they had no means of personal advancement -- the most famous commanders, Ernst von Mansfeld, Wallenstein, Bernhard of Saxe-Weimar, the Swedish general Wrangel, all expected (and some received) grants of territory and titles of nobility as their rewards for service. The "national" armies of conscripts that came to the fore in the 18th century was the answer to this problem.
The pace of the war wound down during its last five years (although there were several major battles fought even then), which was a period of extended negotiatons in M?nster and Osnabr?ck, with the "final treaty" being signed late in 1648. For the next five years a series of conferences met at N?rnberg to implement and enforce the peace treaty and to deal with difficult problems raised by demobilizing huge armies. Many of the loans of this period, which were raised to cover the demobilization costs, were not paid off for a century. Individual rulers such as Charles of Lorraine and the Duke of Savoy (who got nothing from the treaty) refused to vacate various fortresses for five or six years, but the war did not break out again. France and Spain continued at war with each other, but not in Germany. Numerous soldiers, especially officers, went into mercenary service all over Europe. Others took to the hills as professional bandits - for the next 20 years merchants traveled through certain parts of Germany and Bohemia in armed caravans.
Wedgwood accepts the more recent (1900-1930's) historical estimate that the population of the Imperial German lands (excluding Alsace and the Netherlands) dropped from about 21 million in 1618 to 13 million in 1648. The number of dislocated people was also substantial. While she acknowledges that the number of towns and villages destroyed and other "infrastructural" and economic losses were very large, she feels that all contemporary sources (e.g., the pamphlet literature of the next 100 years) exaggerated local losses, since all parties in the war continued to seek indemnities and restitution. The free peasantry benefited briefly, since landowners were desperate for manpower to restore their estates - prices fell while wages rose for a number of years, which increased the standard of living of peasants and artisans. But within a decade of the peace treaty the landowning gentry was pleading with Imperial, royal and local rulers to impose legal restrictions which would re-create bonded, serf-like conditions for peasants. Town councils now became pawns and bureaucrats of the dynastic courts of their rulers and also implemented restrictive legislations on peasants (e.g., prohibitions against mobility, domestic industry, and household craft production -- a trend which later historians refer to as "neo-serfdom"). Class stratification was as rigid as it was before the war started. There was a new, large class of mobile petty nobles and gentry seeking court-backed military and bureaucratic appointments, at the expense of town and peasant taxpayers.
Germany and the Austrian-based monarchy and empire were totally excluded from the international competition to establish overseas colonies and from the developing "Atlantic trade". For a number of years the outlets of Germany's major rivers (Rhine, Elbe, Oder, and for Brandenburg-Prussia, Vistula) were controlled by foreign powers, reducing Germany's commercial strength. Hamburg was the exception, becoming the major maritime merchant city of the North Sea coast, at the expense of the other Hanseatic cities and the Scandinavian powers. The only medium-sized German state to emerge with positive prospects was Brandenburg, soon to become the administratively efficient and militarily powerful Prussia. The peace, while ending the "wars of religion", set the stage for a long series of "nationalistic" wars that subsumed dynastic and religious sources of conflict. France replaced the Habsburg Spanish-Austrian coalition as the menacing and tyrannical continental power willing to disturb the peace. Austria turned to the south and east and Spain lost its great power status and became an economic and cultural backwater. There was no politically or culturally unified Germany within the boundaries of the old Empire (French culture began to reign supreme) and the cosmopolitanism (its openness to outside influences) of this area during the 18th century, instead of being a source of pride over its achievements, became a source of lament for later cultural and ethnic purists of revived German nationalism.
Author's Judgment and Conclusions: In terms of responsibility for the overall disaster, Wedgwood points to the futility and self-destructiveness of sincere religious zeal in the cases of Ferdinand II and the Elector Palatine. But, from the point of view of failures of practical (and ethical) politics, she highlights the behavior of Maximilian and Johann Georg, who could have prevented the spread of the conflict in 1620 and could have brought the war to an early end in 1635 if they had agreed to work together on a "unified German program" which would have forced Imperial compromises and concessions had they both stood behind it. Between these two she sees the Saxon as the greater victim of military circumstances (pressed by the Swedish juggernaut) and therefore less culpable for the mess, while she judges the Bavarian as too subtle and too ambitious in pursuit of his own dynastic and territorial ambitions at the expense of a general settlement good for his fellow Germans, thus identifying him as the more culpable.
Beautiful in its style and concision, Wedgwood's final summary is also gloomy (as one might expect of a work completed in 1939, on the verge of World War II):
"As there was no compulsion towards a conflict which, in despite of the apparent bitterness of the parties, took so long to engage and needed so much assiduous blowing to fan the flame, so no right was vindicated by its ragged end. The war solved no problem. Its effects, both immediate and indirect, were either negative or disastrous. Morally subversive, economically destructive, socially degrading, confused in its causes, devious in its course, futile in its result, it is the outstanding example in European history of meaningless conflict."
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A quick search in Amazon books under the name "Benjamin Franklin" comes up with 2403 matches. Based upon that criteria, many people would say that everything that could be said or that needs to be said about Ben Franklin has been said. Those people would be emphatically wrong, as has been proven by author and historian H.W. Brands in his work on Franklin, THE FIRST AMERICAN: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN. Brands expertly brings this pivotal figure in American history, back to life, once more, in this book which was a Pulitzer finalist in 2002.
This book is not only about Franklin, but its pages are dotted with an unbelievable cast of secondary characters. Brands brings the friends and acquaintances of Franklin to life, ranging from Cotton Mather to Sir Isaac Newton. The book also spans the life of Franklin from his humble beginnings in Boston to world acclaim as one of the pivotal architects of American society and government. I believe this is the finest biography written on Franklin since Van Doren's Pulitzer Prize winner of some seventy years ago.
Of course, a book about Franklin would be incomplete without also being about the creation and formation of America, as the two are intricately attached. But Brands' work here is all inclusive, giving us not only the politics of Franklin, but his creative genius, business sense and so much more we've grown to appreciate about this Senior statesman in American history.
I have no idea how many biographies I have read about Benjamin Franklin, but this is definitely one of the best ever. H.W. Brands has a wonderful writing style with flowing narrative, meticulous detail and is one of the few Franklin biographers who successfully point the reader to Franklin's human side rather than keeping the attention on his mythical status.
Monty Rainey
www.juntosociety.co
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This book is a very good study into what happen to the Lost Ten Tribes of Israel. Mr. Capt did a Great job in back tracking by using the clay tablets that were found in Assyria which list the tribes by the name which was used by the Assyrians which is called the House of Omri. This book is very in depth and very informative. I also noticed a person left one star because Mr. Capt did say anything about the Jews. Of course the Jew's wouldn't be metioned they weren't taken into exile until 586 bce, and that was by Babylonia and not Assyria. When reading about the Ten Tribes people need to know that the ten tribes were not Jews. Over all I give five stars and it is a must have for a historian or an avid Bible reader intrested in research
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I read a review of this in L.A. Weekly which said that it was "a lot of fun" and entertaining in a sort of ironic way, despite the fact that it became more slapstick at the end. I read it, and agreed for the most part, except I felt that the characters were much stronger and wittier than I had expected and the author seemed more generous to them than I would have thought from the initial satirical tone. The ending was a little over the top, but it was an example of the kind of senseless fireworks these characters would have to simulate in their own lives. All in all, I thought it was a very intelligent and amusing first novel
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This is a great book to have on your shelf. Lots of good recommendations for a beginner quilter
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Abel's Island is about a mouse named Abel. He encounters a hurricane that separates him from his wife. After the storm, he ends up on an island where he cannot escape because of the current surrounding the island. He tries many ways to return to the place he loves, but all fail. About a year after countless attempts to leave the island, a frog appears by accident. Gover, the frog, becomes friends with Abel and says he will come back with people to help Abel. Abel's plans to return were very interesting. His methods were very creative so it held my attention. My favorite part was when he was fighting the owl. I found a similarity between Abel and Stuart Little. Both had to navigate water. Stuart little was successful, but was Abel? Read the book to find out.
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You don't have to be a fan of "old" Hollywood to enjoy this wonderful book about a famous restaurant and its even more famous clientele. Fascinating stories accompanied by wonderful pictures. This is only enhanced by the actual recipes of this great restaurant. A wonderful coffee table book that will start conversations about movies, movie stars and great food
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These came yesterday and I started using them right away. I was able to learn (for recognition only) 12 new JLPT3 kanji in under 30 minutes so this product is definitely worth it. Before using this I learned all JLPT4 kanji by writing it over and over again on scratch paper. That was a more thorough method but Ive decided that for now, recognition is more important than writing so WRP flashcards are a big help.
As others have noted, they have a nice look and feel to them. All Nihongo students should have this in their arsenal. You'll definitely have an advantage over fellow classmates who waste valuable time making their own flashcards.
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Richard Fortney's "Earth" is a survey, in mostly layman's terms, of the geological history of the Earth and how it relates to humankind. Fortney tells the story by means of a journey around the earth, selecting a series of locations where the earth's geology is apparent, and usually the meaning of that geology was debated by scholars to a greater understanding.
Fortney starts at Mount Vesuvius in Italy, preceeds to the Hawaiian Islands, hence to the Swiss Alps and to other locations aroudn the world. Fortney relates the geology of each chosen location to plate tectonics as a means to explain how each terrain come to be the way it is. This leads into extended and sometimes fascinating discussions of the former alignements of the continents in prior ages such as the "supercontinent" of Gondwana. For each location, Fortney also relates the effects of the terrain on the history of the humans who have lived in that location. Along the way, Fortney drives home the sheer vastness of the timescale of earth and its geological processes. The dedicated reader will view his landscape with a new perspective.
Fortney is a gifted writer with a good eye for the illustrative anecdote. Large portions of this book will be fascinating to the reader with at least some schooling in the sciences. It turns out, for example, that the complicated geology of Newfoundland results from its origin as pieces of three different tectonic plates (North America, ocean bottom, and Northern Europe). The descriptions of Northwest Scotland as the remains of truly ancient mountains are put into appropriate scale in part by Fortney's historical anecdotes and by his experiences of rockhounding in the often cold rainy weather of the Scottish Highlands.
The narrative runs a little long at over 400 pages, and Fortney's explanations will sometimes outrun the scientific background of the average reader. Nevertheless, this book is highly recommended to the reader with at least a casual interest in geology and its links to human history
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Abby Cooper has become my favorite amateur PI. The premise of this series, a young woman private detective who has strong psychic abilities which she uses to solve cases, is original and fun to read. Abby is a psychic, but she also has the same trials and tribulations of a normal young woman, money, sibling and romance issues. In this latest book, Abby, her sister Cat, and Abby's handyman Dave, buy and plan to renovate a house, only the house turns out to be haunted! Poor Dave, Abbey's partner and handyman, is attacked by his own chainsaw as he begins the renovation! Determined to find out what's going on, Abby begins investigating the history of the home and discovers a missing treasure with ties to WWII Nazi Germany. In order to solve the mystery, Abby depends on her spirit guides to help her on the case. There is danger for Abby and her friends from an unknown stalker and the romance between Abby and Dutch becomes more intense as they each must sacrifice some of their independence to become a real couple. Ms. Laurie has a great series going here, and I look forward to reading more Abby mysteries.
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Generally, my eyes glaze over as I reach chapter 3 of most business books as they provide the mastery of the intuitively obvious. Make Your Own Luck by Shapiro and Stevenson has broken the pattern. Written in punchy conversational style, the book is a delightful combination of anecdotes and useful tools geared to help the reader up the odds in personal and business decision-making. The process of setting goals and assessing risk is broken down into discrete aspects, allowing the reader to assess his own patterns of success and failure. This sounds as if it could be tedious, but it's not. The authors know you are not sitting in a policy course. They know that you make numerous bets in any given day and do it most of the time without focusing on the decision as a bet. The book makes you conscious of those bets and gives you the groundwork to move through those bets with speed and focus. In managing investments, I'm betting on a gestalt of macro economic factors and company specific performance as well as betting on the actions of other investors. The tools in Make Your Own Luck, such as the Prediction Map, are completely applicable to the inferential analysis I use in managing investments as well as life's major problems, such as how to seat guests at the next dinner party. This book is a good read. Shapiro and Stevenson incorporate topics from baseball to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Make Your Own Luck makes you laugh, makes your think and gives you tools to improve your own lot.
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I was very impressed to find this very nice book. I've heard about a Quebecois who painted for the popular singer Celine Dion (I'm from Quebec, Canada myself), I wanted to see and I'm very proud of it. Huge ceilings and wonderful murals ! Wow. Felicitations
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This is one of the best business books I've ever read. Mr. Nocera says it took him six years to write this book, and I believe it. The amount of work that went into this book is obvious. This is an excellent piece of business journalism. The annotations and bibliography are thorough, and the overall writing and editing is top notch.
Mr. Nocera covers a rich array of elements important to the development of the financial services industry over the last half of the 20th century:
- Automated Teller Machines (ATMs)
- The BankAmericard (later VISA)
- Outdated banking regulations
- Black Monday, October 19, 1987
- Jimmy Carter's futile attempts to wrestle runaway inflation in the late 1970's
- Cash Management Accounts (CMAs)
- Citibank (later Citicorp)
- Deregulation of brokers' commissions
- Growth of American consumer debt as a result of runaway inflation in the late 1970's
- America's cultural adoption of the plastic credit card from the late 1950's through 1993
- The direct marketing of credit cards to Americans and its great success
- America's worship of star mutual fund managers like Peter Lynch during the 1980's
- The ineptitude of America's elected officials to deregulate the banking industry in the face of dramatic changes in the financial services marketplace
- The amazing impact money market mutual funds had on Americans' savings strategies given the inflexibility of the banking Regulation Q that capped savings deposit interest at around 5% while interest rates were as high as 16%+ in the early 1980's
- The significant growth and influence of Fidelity Investments and its leader Ned Johnson on the industry in the 1980's
- Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) and their impact on the growing wealth of Americans
- The rise of nonbank banks and other non-financial companies getting into the financial services arena during the 1970's and 1980's
- The pervasive impact and presence that Andrew Kahr had throughout the industry in creating new financial services products
- The pollyana-ish impact of Marshall Loeb, editor of Money magazine, had on "middle class" Americans and their views of investing in securities
- The amazing record of Peter Lynch despite the ever-growing size of the Magellan Fund
- The slowness of Merrill Lynch to change along with the rest of the industry in de-emphasizing commission revenue versus asset management fees
- The dramatic growth of mutual funds in the later half of the 20th century and all the billions the financial services industry makes from them each year
- Negotiable Order of Withdrawal (NOW) accounts
- State laws on usury and how South Dakota became the credit card capital of America
- Schwab's OneSource as the first 'mutual fund supermarket'
- The dramatic risks of writing naked put options in 1987 just before Black Monday and how it impacted Charles Schwab & Co.
- The impact of "Reagonomics" on American wealth-building
- The 1980's bull market leading up to Black Monday
- The wild success of First Deposit's First Select card as designed by Andrew Kahr and the adverse reaction to it by consumers and watchdog groups
- Paul Volcker's anti-inflation policy of ratcheting up interest rates in the early 1980's and his general resistance to deregulation of the banking industry
- Ted and Nina Wang's amazing margin calls during and after Black Monday
The author does a great job of depicting the very interesting characters that led the money revolution in the later half of the 20th century, including Dee Hock of VISA, Ned Johnson of Fidelity, Peter Lynch of Fidelity, Andrew Kahr the product development consultant, Roger Lawson of Fidelity, Marshall Loeb of Money magazine, Charles Merrill of Merrill Lynch, President Jimmy Carter and his administration, Donald Regan of Merrill Lynch and the Reagan administration, Charles Schwab, Gerald Tsai Jr. of Fidelity, Paul Volcker of the Federal Reserve, and Walter Wriston and John Reed of Citibank.
The writing is crisp, clear, and easy to read. Few books come out like this and Mr. Nocera is to be commended for this first rate work.
If you are even mildly interested in any of the items listed above, you will enjoy this book. If you find the financial services industry fascinating and/or work in the industry, you will love this book. It's a page turner!
The only drawback to this book is that it was published over a decade ago in 1994. So much has happened since then! I encourage Mr. Nocera to pick up where he left off and put out a second edition that takes his readers up through 2005.
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I learned more about human resource methodology in corporations
from each chapter.
Great summaries about corporations in the public eye.
Good case history and citing of heuristics
for running any good learning organization.
You learn the basics for Management 2000.
My professor used this book
for the University of Phoenix.
I really enjoyed learning about the various theories and paradigms for Modern Managers.
I found the case histories useful for analysis
and my papers. A book for the future CIO's, CEO's and HR Directors within us all
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Seventeen-year-old Catherine Morland has always been preoccupied with three very important things: dancing, dressing, and reading sensational novels. But doing these things won't get you a husband, or acquaint you with other young ladies, such as yourself. So, upon request from a neighbor, Catherine is invited to spend some time in Bath - a fashionable town, where Catherine will have the opportunity to interact with people of her own age and stature, who are not related to her. And that is where the naive Catherine meets up with the Thorpe family. Quickly becoming friends with Isabella Thorpe, Catherine begins spending much of her time with the illustrious, yet conniving family. And it is only when Catherine is rescued by Henry Tilney, along with his charming sister, Eleanor, and whisked off to their ancestral home, known only as Northanger Abbey. There, Catherine's choice of reading material - mysteries and ghost stories, that is - comes back to haunt her; for Northanger Abbey is victim to terrible noises in the night - such as creaking, and frightening winds, that leave Catherine feeling as if she is residing in a haunted place herself. The fact that the enormous house is filled with various locked doors, and a curious history only heightens young Catherine's suspicions, and makes her question what mystery and secrets are lurking within Northanger Abbey, and the Tilney family, in general.
Jane Austen has been a favorite of mine since I was very young, but it was not until this past weekend that I happened upon NORTHANGER ABBEY while browsing through the bookstore, and decided to purchase it. I will admit that, hands down, this has become one of my favorite Austen books. Catherine is an enchanting character, whose innocence, and naivete make her charming from beginning to end; while her overactive imagination leaves the reader chuckling in delight at the many crazy notions she creates within that bright head of hers. Catherine's interactions with Isabella Thorpe, and the rest of the Thorpe family are intrepid, and truly make you feel strong emotion towards those particular characters; while the charming Henry Tilney - like Mr. Darcy - makes you root for a romance to blossom between our dashing businessman, and our young heroine. A wonderful, satirical piece of fiction, that should certainly be discovered by anyone who calls themselves an Austen fan.
Erika Sorocco
Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspape
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"Doctor Livingstone I presume?" is undoubtedly one of the most well known quotes in history. Very few people, however, are familiar with the history underlying the meeting of Dr. David Livingstone and Henry Morton Stanley.
This book details the lives of the two men and the historical background through which they were thrown together. Livingstone, one of the foremost explorers of his day is searching for the source of the Nile River. Through a combination of bad luck, poor planning, disease, weather, natives, etc., Livingstone is virtually stranded on the banks of Lake Tangyanika.
Henry Stanley, a newspaper correspondent undertakes a rescue mission at the direction of his publicity hungry publisher. This book details that mission and the international setting under which it took place. The perils of African exploration in the late 19th century cannot be overstated. This book does an excellent job impressing this upon the reader.
I found this book very similar in style and experience to Undaunted Courage (which detailed the Voyage of Discovery undertaken by Lewis and Clark) and River of Doubt (dealing with Theodore Roosevelt's exploration of the Amazon basin. If you enjoyed either of these books, you will like this one as well. If you read this book and enjoy it, I highly recommend the other two
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Nine months ago I was hired to help turnaround a once successful business. From day one I realized that this was a company without focus. It's one thing to define a problem, another to find a solution. Haneberg's book was a shot in the arm. Just one concept -- "Stop Multitasking" -- would have been a major breakthrough for my team. And, personally, the idea of doing "One Great Thing" has completely revitalized my approach to a huge job. This book immediately rose to the rank of three or four "must read" titles in my business library. In the couple of months since I first read it (and I've re-read it a couple of times) our department has moved far away from the reactive mode that drove decisions -- we're nailing deadlines, we're closing more sales, we're thinking more strategically across the board. In a business and social environment that throws more at us day-by-day, hour-by-hour, this book is even more important than it would have been just a few years ago. We're all doing more with less -- and this is a book that has helped me see order amid the chaos of conflicting priorities. If it's true, as Woody Allen says, that 98% of success is showing up, then the other 2% is knowing how to keep your eye on the ball once you get there. This is the manual for getting your business -- and your life -- where you want it to be
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Lee Smolin is a very deep thinker and original physics theorist, ready if needs be, to question cherished assumptions. One is humbled at how fertile his mind is and how he is familiar with the ideas and the research of so many people
The book is mainly an account of his misgivings about string theory, where he initially states, as he sees it, the five big problems in physics. In this context, he makes the very important point that since the end of the 1970's there has not been a single breakthrough in our understanding of elementary particle physics and, in particular, he claims string theory does not achieve such a breakthrough.
In making his case against string theory he discusses what string theory has given and shows how it appeared to offer a solution to some of the problems of theoretical physics. But then he builds up his case against the theory. He says that string theory does not reproduce the standard model, probably the most successful theory in physics, but even predicts particles not seen in nature. It did not predict and does not cater for dark energy, nor does it make new precise and falsifiable predictions. In particular he says string theory does not offer a solution to the foundational problems of quantum mechanics. He also notes that here is no complete formulation for string theory. He shows though how the five versions of string theory could be unified if membranes rather than strings were assumed, but notes that this theory, M theory, still remains a tantalizing conjecture. He says hopes for a unique string theory have receded.
This reviewer would not dare to comment on his assertions but will say that any assertions he makes, are based on a very thorough knowledge of modern theoretical physics and merit the full consideration and respect of the reader. Indeed new ideas are needed in physics as Lee Smolin says. We are missing something big. There is a feeling though that we are on the verge of that big breakthrough - that something just beyond our understanding at the moment will surface through the `murk' into our consciousness and revolutionize our knowledge of nature. The clues are there. To do this, Lee rightly says that the sort of people who see through universal assumptions and ask new questions are needed. He also says that progress sometimes requires deep philosophical thinking but sometimes does not. And whether it is `lateral' thinking or a breakthrough revolution in `conceptual' thinking, new thinking is definitely required. Lee concludes his book saying that what he intends to do is just that. He chooses to start with a paper of his on the relationship between quantum and thermal fluctuation. A good choice perhaps.
I strongly recommend that anybody who is interested in physics and the current problems and mysteries in the area to immediately buy this book, if they have not already done so.
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Steven Pinker has written a fascinating account of how language works; how we, as listeners, process the sounds that make up words and sentences in a way that allows us to extract meaning. The book is clear, entertaining and very accessible; Pinker's writing style is witty and engaging.
My appreciation of the book is not only as a reader and enthusiast of language, but also as a writer; despite having been writing for years, and having studied numerous books on writing style and technique, it is "The Language Instinct" that positively impacted my writing more than anything else that I've read; an understanding (at least a partial one - I'm no expert) of the way your words will be parsed by the brain of your reader can be very valuable in one's attempt to write clearly and well.
I highly, highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning something new, and being entertained in the process.
Danny Iny
Author of "Ordinary Miracles - Harness the power of writing and get your point across!" (ISBN 1-4116-7252-6
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This work will be regarded as a classic. It is the best work to date on the First Crusade
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Alien invasion stories have been done to death since H.G. Wells gave us The War Of The Worlds so it is extraordinarily difficult to come with a new slant to this time-honored genre. Well, William C. Dietz pulls it off with Death Day and the concluding volume Earth Rise. What sets Death Day apart from most of the invasion tradition is, first of all, the invading force being made up of different races. This makes an interesting dynamic and gives the enemy character as their squabbles, in-fighting and fight for freedom (some are slaves to others) make for something new, different and engaging. Also, using racism amonst the aliens as well as the surviving human population rings a true, and tragic, note. The surviving pockets of humanity withdraw within themselves, close off their borders and horde resources. The aliens favor people of color and place them as overseers as human slaves are forced to work building alien temples on Earth. And, sadly, collaborators work with the invading force to control the humans. But the seeds of rebellion have been planted. Humans and enslaved aliens are fighting back and this first book sets up an alliance between the enslaved races. All this is interesting stuff and makes for a fresh approach. I enjoyed this book and recommend it highly. Dietz is the best SF writer working today when it comes to letting character drive the story no matter the setting.
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Before getting this book, I knew the advantages for shooting with the raw file format, but dreaded the workflow issues associated. Bruce's book changed all that and now I can't wait to shoot using raw more often. Not only did Bruce throroughly explain the advantages of using RAW, but he also tells you where Adobe Camera Raw works better than Photoshop, where Photoshop works better than ACR, and how to automate a few of the functions to improve your workflow dramatically. I can't begin to explain how much time I now save when processing raw files.
It's not a long book, but I have to say it has been one of the most helpful Photoshop books I ever bought. I'll never use my camera's native raw software again
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Along with "From Science To God" Mr Russell establishes himself as one of the masters of spiritual reawakening. Although this piece has more doomsday in it than his later work, it has the same hopeful message and the same readability.
In both books Mr Russell never seems to lose the reader in scientific mumbo jumbo, even when discussing very complicated subjects. That isn't a statement on his intelligence or research, but rather on his ability to communicate on all levels. Neither does he offend when he deals with the spiritual aspects of his writings. In short everyone can sit around his table (well, almost everyone).
Read'em twice.
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Isalnd of the Blue Dolphins is an exciting book about an indian girl named Karana. Karana is left behind on an island when all the rest of her tribe leaves. On the island Karana befriends many animals and survives in the uniquie ways of her tribe. Will Karana survive? Will she make it back to her tribe? Island of the Blue Dolphins is an exciting book that everyone should read
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This book is fantastic. It has changed my life and I highly recommend it
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...This book is a romance, and I liked it.
My only excuse is, it's a CLASSIC romance!
I loved it, in fact. It's on my Top Ten Favorite Books list. It wasn't gross, it wasn't weird, it wasn't annoyingly romantic. I loved it. (I might say that a few more times.)
I loved Elizabeth, Jane, Mr. Bennet's relations with Mrs. Bennet, Mr. Darcy, Mr. Bingly, Mr. Collins (my cousin cannot say his name without falling over herself laughing from what she saw in the movie.)
I can't even find words to describe how much I loved this book. I read it this summer, and I'm still at a loss for words!
All I can say is, I'll definitely be picking up more classics. And my book of Jane Austen's works will soon be veeeery well-worn
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I got this book when it first came out and read it straight away.I absoloutely loved it and highly reccomend it.Lief is trying to be a great ruler, but can't, not with the famine and death in Deltora.But with a perilious map, our heroes set out to destroy the four sisters that are causing the deaths in Deltora.An exceptional addition to the previous books and is reccomended to fans who want a little more adventure in their reading.Well done Emily Rodda!I like this book as much as all the others, this is the best Deltora series and I say it proudly, but after all, Deltora Quets hasn't finished, not yet
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As mentioned, this book is amazingly compact, cramming three semesters of calculus and a bit of ordinary differential equations into just 800 pages. That conciseness also implies that much explanatory material and many illustrative examples are missing.
The authors mention in the preface that "classifiers of calculus books would call this a traditional book. Most theorems are proved or left as exercises to prove..." Nearly every result in this book has an accompanying proof. For those with a serious interest in mathematics, this is a useful resource. For most others, the presence of so many proofs can be overwhelming and probably is a turnoff.
Included with the book is a one-page detachable reference card containing a massive amount of valuable information, including common rules for derivatives and integrals, geometric formulas, a few conversion factors, trigonometric identities and graphs (very useful!), and more. The book also has a three-page comprehensive table of integrals in the inside back cover and a listing of geometric formulas in the front, along with a commemorative timeline and portraits featuring the deceased European males who made calculus possible.
Given all of this, I would highly recommend this book as an 800-page calculus reference text, or maybe as a text in an honors calculus sequence that expects to use the text throughout multiple semesters - then using it saves you money.
But for those who don't have a super-strong background or interest in math, those who are just taking calculus for a requirement or those who have never seen calculus before, or for those who are just plain math-phobic - using this book just doesn't make any sense. I wouldn't recommend it.
For those who are stuck with this book for a course, I'd suggest looking for another book to help you out. One possible book has already been mentioned in another review: Silvanus Thompson and Martin Gardner's "Calculus Made Easy", a book that dates back originally to 1910 (!). I've read parts of it, and the book looks good to me.
I'm sure that there are many other helpful books; try checking your local/university library or looking on Amazon for ideas. An extra calculus textbook that's more student-friendly might be a good idea.
As for the pages falling out, I haven't had a problem with it (I have the 8th edition), but I don't use the book all that much.
I haven't found any serious errors in the text, but I haven't read everything thoroughly, having only used the text for Calc III.
And, yeah, getting the student solutions manual would probably be a good idea
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I absolutely think you should have this book as part of your collection. The pictures come to life along with the description. The wording is simple and sweet. I am a first grade teacher and taught using this book. All my students enjoyed the memory this book brings to life. Vivid pictures and colors are an absolute gift from the artist
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Pest Control is a light-hearted book which uses a fast pace and off-the-wall humor to make up for any depth problems.
Standard story. Upstart assassin bursts onto the scene, creating mayhem in the world of professional killers. Problem. Upstart assassin can't even fulfill a contract to rid a restaurant of roaches, let alone kill some of the most guarded men in the world.
The story of Bob Dillon's flirtation with contract killers is a page-turner. Not really out of suspense, because you can't imagine that Fitzhugh would subject his characters to anything other than a fairy-tale ending, but out of unabated curiosity. You want to know how in the heck Dillon and his cohorts will survive to breed another strain of hybrid bug-eating bugs. Of course Fitzhugh answers with simple and hilarious solutions which are, towards the end of the book, more and more absurd and predictable.
Overall, I'm slightly embarrassed that I like this book as much as do. Nonetheless, I would recommend it to anyone looking for an easy and humorous read
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Reminds me that conservation has been in the minds of some for a very long time. My grandson who is four loved the story and understood the concept
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The need for assassins is great - the evil keeps cranking up beyond belief as the suspense continues to buld. What a book and what a series - more please
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I read this book the first time 7 years back and left a lasting impression on me, that's why when i came across it again after so many years i felt compelled to buy it and read again. Oh Boy am i glad i bought it! Since last time i read it i have read many romance novels, many great one and many bad ones too. i thought i might not like it so much the second time around because of all the exposure i have got to romance novels since then but i was wrong. This book still made my heart race, made me smile at Joe's attempts to make Ronnie laugh and still made me sigh at that sparks of atraction flying between them.
Joe's character was just amazing, and most endearing was his insecurities.Here was a Navy SEAL,one of the toughest possible guys, and he was insecure about his upbringing and background. He felt Veronica would be ashamed to be seen with a guy like him. He was sooooo sweet. He was so cocky, stobborn and arrogant but he was scared of rejection from Veronica. Just goes to show how a person's outward appearence rarely show what is really inside them.
i can't find any more book of this series , i am still searching for them. i know i have to read all of them.
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Wonderful Text. Helps to rationalize and boost understanding on why Cubans living in Miami have such foreign behaviors in the eyes of the outsider. The author takes you by the hand, and walks you step by step. Absolutely wonderful and did an excellent job at steering clear of any bias
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With relations between the West and the Islamic world worsening rapidly, a better understanding of Islam and its roots is badly needed in the West.
One major barrier between understanding Islamic culture is the key sacred text, the Q'uran, has been little studied in the West, and until recently, good translations were unavailable. Many Qurans were translated into the same sort of english as the King James Bible, and not a glint of the Quran's revevered poetic beauty was reflected in such translations.
Thankfully, better translations in modern English are being made by leading Islamic scholars who have a more sensitive ear to the poetry of the Quran, as well as a better understanding of the influence and appeal this text has for believing Muslims.
Like all great works of literature, especially a poetic one like the Quran, its power and beauty can only be appreciated in its original language. This is why Muslims often say the Quran is untranslateable, but when one hears a verse of the Quran being sung aloud with a little knowledge of Arabic, the beauty (while unfortunately not fully understandable) does start to become apparent.
But, even in translation, when read carefully the Quran still has great beauty from a literary viewpoint. The most beautiful part of the Quran in my view is the 'Light' surah, which compares God to a light whose glory fills the entire cosmos. This surah has been a favourite with Sufis, Islamic theologians like Al-Ghazzali, and also Muslim philosophers as well.
While the Quran does contain descriptions of violence and its style is often difficult to read for the Westerner, it is important to study this work with patience and try and see it as an organic whole rather than a fragmented jumble of poems. It is in this sense the deep underlying unity of the Quran and its theology (which reflects the unity of Allah, the divinity in Islam) becomes apparent, especially in the names of God.
A good knowledge of this religious classic is becoming indispensible in a world where Islam is becoming more important to understand from a global perspective
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This book does what it says. It lists low or no cost campgrounds, they may not be where you want to go or fit your mega motorhome, that's what commercial parks are for. I don't know if it is all-inclusive but it certainly has most of the campgrounds that I know of in areas in which I am familiar
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I am a huge Thomas Hardy fan, and I was not disappointed with this book. At first all the technical astronomical information was slow, but the love story started and that was forgotten. My only complaint about Two on a Tower is the ending. It seems very rushed - everything comes crashing together in about 10 pages. It wasn't realistic for Viviette to age so much and no longer be beautiful 4 years later, considering she was only 33 at the end of the story. Sir Constantine was possessive, jealous and terrifying but she still kept her health and beauty after suffering with him. The bishop was full of himself - how is that worse? A few years with him and all of a sudden she's an old woman with a heart condition? Swithin comes back and says he'll marry her, she's overcome with joy and BOOM! She dies in his arms. I also find it strange that neither Swithin or Viviette acknowledged that the boy was his. Didn't people in the village realize who he looked like, since people were already suspicious of the lovers? What will happen next, Swithin takes his son in and marries Tabitha Lark? A very good, sad, complicated romance
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I have to give Philippa Gregory a big THANK YOU! for approaching this story from a different perspective from The Other Boleyn Girl. It delves into the lives of those in poverty without straying far from the lavish lifestyles of English royalty and wealth. Again I was attached to the characters and their struggles while learning much about the time period and historical events. There were a few very alluring relationships between the narrator and the men she encounters creating a whirlwind of emotions for the reader but in the end, I was very pleased with the romantic outcome of the book. So if you are deciding whether or not you'd like to read this after having read The Other Boleyn Girl, I greatly encourage you to do so, you won't regret it
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An incredible task carried aout by two prominent researchers in the field. Arato and Cohen accomplished a great job in this work. The reader both will find a lucid theoretical evaluation of the concept of 'civil society' and will have a better understanding of twentieth century political philosophy. Also, the book does not only 'summarize' the basic arguments and debates about 'civil society'; but also offers a new understanding of our social and political world by their genuine model. As a researcher in the field I do really appreciate their effort and thank these two brilliant researchers for their fastidious and meticulous work.
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The form of Chinese meditation called Qigong is based upon the fundamental lessons of internal Elixir Qigong - and the first step in learning this process is to absorb Embryonic Breathing theory and techniques which were long kept secret within Buddhist monasteries. Dr. Yang translates and discusses most of the documents available on this arcane process, providing a summary of the practice and an important analysis of the breathing technique which is essential to the study of this ancient Buddhist discipline. An essential key to understanding
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This massive volume encloses most of the major theorists in criticsm and theory, this book is essential reading for Literary theorists and those people who are interested in reading the original texts of the greatest thinkers in history
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Gaylife on the English countryside is like everywhere, you never know when your BF (boyfriend) gets bored with you. The battle with London's competitive nightlife makes you reguarly ask yourself: "What have I to offer"? The efforts to entertain your BF are as tiresome as the question how organize your own life so it won't get dull. And once you got things fixed you yourself run into this willing guy. The tragicomedy the Spell tells the story of four men, Robin, the ageing architect who enjoys his life together with his younger BF Justin, a witty layabout, Robin's son Danny, a georgeous body dealing in superficiality and Justin's former lover Alex, a well-mannered young man in search for consistency. To find out if they all get what they want is a truly delicious way to spend your time. The story is written out of the perspective of all leading parts and therefore very nicely ballanced. Hollinghurst is gifted with a great sense of attentiveness. His characters show many different moods caused by tiny events. Every self-assured attitude is merciless exposed. I recognized myself and my friends many times without realizing this ever before. It made me smile and reassured me. I think this is Hollinghurst's most post-modern novel. Unlike the Swimming-Pool Library's sexual odyssee this is a splintered glimps into life and how down to earth it can be
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It doesn't sound like the people you list as reasons "not" to read this book, actually read "this" book. There is a big difference, in my opinion, of putting positive affirmations in your mind, versus a witch doctor. And quite honestly, it seems the positive affirmations could and should be used in "conjuction" with medical care. Does it say anywhere in the book to forego medical care, because you will most definitely be healed? No where. So in my opinion, one has to have a "sound" mind, and not view the book as a "cure all" for all the ills in life, but rather a positive way to "enhance" your life. It is just plain stupid to to avoid getting medical care, when you have a terminal illness, or any other illness for that matter. But according to what I gather from the book, you CAN use positive affirmations, and "believe" that you are getting well, to help keep yourself in a positive state, rather than filling your head with negative thinking that you will never get well. Studies aside from this book have PROVEN that a healthy and positive attitude and mental outlook, have done wonders for recovering patients, along with their medical care. Your review did not address any of those people that read this book, because the two examples of people you list, it is apparent they didn't read the book either, (not sure what compelled you to post here?) therefore you are not qualified, in my opinion, to critique this book, as they were using apparently some form of faith healing from a televangelist, did they prescribe drinking snakes blood, too? Anyway, this book in no way says to forgo medical treatment if you are sick, and those that do, probably won't be addressing their medical problem. Can the positive affirmations and power of suggestion help you through your medical crisis? I imagine it can, (studies prove it can) in addition to proper medical treatment. Anyway, you might want to actually read the book, instead of making comments of what happened to "so and so" who didn't even read it or apply it, including yourself.
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Sacred Pathways is easy to read, plain, balanced, and straightforward. The book surveys 9 different spirituality types. For each type it identifies Scripture, historical characters, styles of worship, and dangers. The book contains an evaluation tool to help the reader identify his or her personal spiritual personality.
As with any survey tool this book does not go deeply enough into any particular spiritual practice. It doesn't need to. What it offers is an excellent service to the Christian community.
For those who are trapped in a church that worships in a style predominately different from the their own, this book offers the knowledge that the reader is not alone. There are others out there that worship in the same way.
For those who believe that all true worship looks like their style of worship this book offers a broader view of the Christian landscape.
I gave this book 5 stars because it could have a potentially life changing impact on those who have lived in a closed environment.
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As someone who lived not far from Brownsville in the 1950s and early '60s, I can say this is an exceptionally accurate book. It is well-written and is the best attempt I've seen yet at explaining the phenomenon of the changing urban neighborhood. Not only does Pritchett provide many well-reserached, well-thought-out answers but, just as important, he raises insightful, penetrating questions. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in American urban history, particularly as it relates to New York City
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Let's Learn Kanji is systematic, it gives you a wealth of basic kanji knowledge (including stroke order and radicals) as well as providing space to practice AND regular worksheets/mini tests so you can monitor your progress! Often kanji books offer only examples and written explanations, or focus soley on repeated written practice. The addition of the mini tests for consolidating your learning makes this book a must have. I studied some kanji previously but found my self directed study slow. While I agree with the other reviewer that the pace seem stedious at first, I after a month I can claim some serious progress! My only concern with this text is that from time to time the mini tests do not have an answer key. All in all an excellent book for self study by motivated beginners
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With beautiful photos of the range of Niki's work, this children's book enables both kids and adults to get an overview of Niki's work, especially her sculptures. This is the only book I have found that has pictures of her Escondido work-- it is a magical place and one can get a feel for it through this book
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There are two different types of Larkin poem. The first type, mostly written before 1955, are influenced by Yeats and Auden and are mediocre. The second, written when he found his voice, are amongst the most wonderful works of English literature ever written.
So what was his voice? Basically that of twentieth century man - atheistic, obsessed with sex, regretting the loss of faith and the old certainties. He takes these subjects and turns them into glorious poems. But here's the really incredible thing: he uses ordinary, uncomplicated language. No tricks, no arcane allusions, just plain English.
It can't be denied that the voice is bleak, and it is too uncompromising for some. However, those who like looking into the heart of darkness will find poems which they will remember for the rest of their lives.
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