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Beautiful book with impressive photos and info on contemporary and cutting edge designs in prefab home. Great sampling of the most modern designs and some info about them. Could have been more detail on the homes

This is a wonderful story that can be shared with any age group. It's about a young Asian girl who comes to America and refuses to write her English name. Beautiful story that teaches a lesson at the end. The pictures are spectacular and very intricate. I love this book

From what I gather, Edward Abbey has somewhat of a cult following. I had never read anything by the guy, never even heard of him before I got this book. I just thought I should point that out before going on. This book kept me reading, no doubt about that. It has it's downsides, but overall, I'd reccomend it. Not "Hey, you gotta read this right now," but it's good if you're looking for something a little different. This book kind of made me think. I'm not the kind of guy who is always reading into a book trying to analyze every aspect of it. But I couldn't help it with this story. I thought a lot of it was psychological, dealing with the main character, his thoughts, attitudes, and what made him tick. This is a fairly long book, but the actual story of the guy going back to his hometown is short. The plot alternates every chapter-- one about where he presently is, and then a memory, then where he is, then another memory, and so on. Although it was an interesting way to write the book, I thought some of the memory sequences dragged a bit. But don't get me wrong, overall I did enjoy them. If you're looking for something that might be able to fuel a couple of thoughts about life, this is a good bookt to pick up

One of the most interesting classical texts. If you are interested in Greek myth, legend, history and culture, you must read this series

Left for dead by her kidnappers, Lore is found by the mysterious woman Spanner, who teaches her to survive by her wits and to live in the dark world of crime. The two become lovers, but Lore wants legitimacy and to heal from her various wounds (her past with her family, her weeks with the kidnappers), so she leaves, taking a new identity, and tries to fit in. Ultimately, Lore cannot run from her demons forever, and she must either choose to stay in the shadows or to face the truths of her past. Set in the not-so-distant future, "Slow River" weaves Lore's pasts and present together into an astonishingly compelling tale. At the heart of the book is the story of a young woman healing from abuse, and the science fiction aspects are simply the setting and enhancing details. "Slow River" is the type of book that transcends whatever genre in which it's placed: it's more than a science fiction story, more than a coming-of-age story, more than a lesbian love story, more than a story of healing from abuse. This is a book that makes one believe in the power of fiction

I have many robot books and this is the best and most informative book of all. It is easy to understand and read; I personally couldn't put it down. I wish it was twice as long while still marinating the high info density... Most authors just babble and every few pages actually tell you something; this is not the case with this book! The programming of a robot is everything... and behavior based programming is the only way to go. This book provides a very good intro into that very subject. The only complaint I have is not about the book but his robot simulation program on is website which is referred to in the text. It seems to be rather slow and over taxing for the PC, but being a Java app it's not that surprising. Highly recommended to anyone building robots

The subject provided a good historical perspective on Japan's Renaissance period, post civil wars and pre-westernization. In many respects Musashi, a Ronin represents Japan's search for an identity, a country ruled by military might in the form of the Shogun, yet keeping an Emperor who they revered as a god, a god without power. This Sword Saint was a man of great prowess with a sword of wood or of steel; he was also an artist, a lithographer and an author. Yet, he was masterless, masterless in a time when righteous was measured in a retainer's devotion to his master. He was his own master, in a time when Japan had no voice, serving all, without righteous. It would take an other two hundred and fifty years or so and a world war to release the spirit of the Samurai, that being honor amongst personal sacrifice a picture painted in the person of Miyamoto Musashi struggle for perfection and personal mastery of his profession, master of the sword

I've read a lot of books on real estate sales, but this books is my favorite. Jim Remley offers comon sense ideas that are easy to implement and are being used by real agents. Everyone should read this book.

For over three years I've been studying Buddhism and Zen. During that time I've ordered many books within the different Buddhist schools. There are many fine authors out there that explain the tenets and fine workings of Buddhism as well as Zen. I believe a solid background in Buddhism background is essential in understanding Buddha's message to mankind. However, the true "nuts and bolts" of Buddhism practice can be found most directly in Zen. It is one thing to know something about a religion or way of life yet it is another to be able to apply it. Ezra Bayda has most succinctly given the best instruction of how to apply Zen to one's life where we need it the most; during those moments when we are gripped with our core pain. Core pain is comprised of our anger, traumas, sadness, feelings of inferiority, etc. It is this core pain that can make our life a living hell. Ezra examines these emotions and teaches us how we can mindfully learn to transform them in a way that truly works. Instead of denying them or trying to escape them we learn that they are part of our path in life. And while it takes courage to be present with these emotions we learn that they are but old programs and often ancient belief systems that take us away from the genuine life we all deserve. At least one reader has referred to this as being like a self-help book. Yet anytime we look for truth whether it be in religion or psychology, aren't we looking for something to help us. Ezra offers us the tools to achieve transformation in our life. When I ordered this book I had hoped it would teach me how to truly apply Zen teachings to my life. What I didn't realize is that the information this book contains would exceed anything I have read in any religious book, psychology book, or college text. Another reviewer said "Where's the Zen" in reference to the contents of this book. "The Zen" is there on every page. While Ezra doesn't use the esoteric style of writing common in Zen/Buddhist teaching, his simple clearcut way of communication exemplifies the simpleness that Zen is truly about. Ezra's other two books "At Home in the Muddy Water" and "Saying Yes to Life" are excellent as well and deepen your understanding of living mindfully and in the moment. A helpful hint, read his three books in chronological order with this book first. Personally, I think that reading them in order adds to a person's understanding and that each book acts like a foundation for the next. Ezra Bayda I have not had the honor of meeting you personally yet I thank you most sincerely for the gift of your writings. I bow to you for you are a Master! There are many of us I'm sure that are looking forward to your future works. Two other excellent Zen books that teach mindful living and dealing with difficult emotions are "Beginning Mindfulness: Learning the Way of Awareness" by Andrew Weiss and "At Hell's Gate : A Soldier's Journey" by Claude Anshin Thomas. Also, the writing's of Thich Nhat Hanh, a great man who highly influenced both of these authors, teaches the art of mindful living in a very understandable manner. Good luck to you on the path.

I wish I could give this book four and a half stars instead of four; I can't quite justify five stars in my mind. Two of the stories were definitely good: the first, "masked Riders" by Parhelion, and the third, "Ricochet" by BA Tortuga. I enjoyed both, but was not particularly snowed by the intensity of the conflict/plot line or the main characters and their relationships. Not so the second story: "Hung Up" by Cat Kane was a powerful, intense and moving story about two delightful yet flawed characters who had secrets that tore their relationship up until they were able to work their ways (separately) around the issues. That story deserved a five stars plus rating and I wish Kane would turn it into a full length novel and develop the characters and their backgrounds more. This book is an excellent read both for the plot line and the erotic substance. Enjoy

This is by far my 2 year old son's favorite book and he has lots of them. Whenever it's time to read to him he says "toot toot" and I know that means he wants to have this book read to him, sometimes several times in a row. The illustrations are wonderful, and there is all sorts of stuff going on if you look closely. An all around great, fun book, I highly recommend this book

... I really wasn't expecting a writer I would like almost as much as Howard and McKenna ... what a great find! If you like uber-alpha, warrior, edgy good-guy hero (ex navy Seal) and a likable, feisty heroine, you have got to try this author. Read this in one sitting

I am an avid reader of books of Biblical Prophecy, and I feel that Clarence Larkin's "The Book of Revelation" is the best on the book of Revelation. Mr. Larkin provides charts for the student, and does verse by verse analysis of the book. If you want to study the Book of Revelation. I would submit Clarence Larkin's "The Book of Revelation" as your first tool of study

It is over a hundred dollars but put it off this is the book. You won't need any others

Shakespeare's life is frustratingly beyond our sight. Aside from the plays (which, in many cases, come down to us in different versions), we have a slim scattering of legal documents, marriage and birth records, and vague secondary accounts. As the world's preeminent Shakespeare scholar, Greenblatt has managed to assemble all these sources and, with a healthy dose of conjecture, arrive at something resembling a biography of the world's greatest dramatist. More than that, though, this work is a biography of the age in which Shakespeare lived and wrote---Elizabethan and Jacobian London---and how the major events of this time affected Shakespeare's plays. For example, the writing of King Lear may have been encouraged by a trial in 1603 in which two sisters tried to have their father declared insane so they could take control of his wealth and estate, while the youngest daughter (named Cordell) tried to stop them---a story uncannily similar to what is considered to be the Bard's greatest tragedy. What impressed me the most about this biography is how ORDINARY Shakespeare seemingly was. He didn't seem pretentious or snobbish, as some people envision him. He was born to a humble family and lived frugally, despite dying a rather wealthy man. Although Greenblatt's writing is clear and accessible, he makes the assumption that you have already read Shakespeare's plays, or at least are VERY familiar with them. I have read about two thirds of them and felt a little behind when he discussed plays I hadn't read, so if you haven't read more than, say, ten of his plays, the major ones, you need to crack open the Norton Shakespeare (of which Greenblatt is the editor-in-chief) before you approach Will in the World.

This book, Styron's finest, is about redemption. Heralded by the epigraph from John Donne, the intricately structured tale with its Marlowian manipulations of narrative points of view soon becomes so enthralling that it's impossible to put down. But it's also to Styron's great credit that the novel's theme, redemption through confrontation with death and violence, is reflected through its feverish style. There are not many books in the postwar era, and none in the United States, that have such a non-moralistic but intensely moral character and impact. Echoes of the Greek tragedians (several times evoked in the text) and of Dostoyevski abound. Finally, the crucial role by the most-fleshed out non-expatriate character, a philosophical Italian small-town cop named Luigi, elevates the moral drama to a metaphysical dimension that most contemporary writers don't even seem to understand, let alone approach. It's a shame that Styron has not received the Nobel Prize yet

Great book ....my partners therapist recommended it for him to read It Helps you to understand & deal with the problems Easy to read & understand

Moral Consciousness and Communicative Action is the primary anglophone source for Habermas's writings on "Discourse Ethics." Written in the early eighties, this translation, which was published in 1990, provides a developmental perspective. The focus of the essays moves from Habermas's statements about the role of philosophy today, in "Philosophy as Stand-in and Interpeter, to his writing on reconstructive social science in general, to his program for a discourse ethics in particular. The final papers address criticisms of this program. The volume suffers a bit from the fact that Thomas McCarthy's introduction is keen to locate Habermas's position vis a vis various contemporary moral-philosophical standpoints, but does not go very far toward locating the whole initiative in the broader canvas of Habermas's overarching social-theoretic project

This book is as much about life as it is about baseball. The positive re-enforcement the book gives about accomplishing almost anything is the true message. Whenever you or one of your players is struggling, go back to this book to refresh a slumping attitude

I'm sure most people will come to Fitzgerald through her novels, so I have to excuse myself as a first time reader who just happened to pick up these short stories. I still haven't decided if I enjoyed the collection, but they are unique. I thought the first story was by far the best, but after that, the quality varied widely. Unlike a classic short story writer (someone like Guy de Mauppassant), these stories have NO resolution for the most part. In fact, they leave you with that feeling of listening to music and waiting to shift back into the major key. Discordant is the word I'm looking for. The settings take the reader all over the globe and across three different centuries. I suspect most would enjoy her novels more (I am certainly heading in that direction to read them next), but I can't say since I haven't read them myself. Overall, I found this collection a bit unsettling, but still well written. I'm sure her fans will enjoy them more than I did on this first encounter

I like this author's work so much that I actually bought the hard cover since I couldn't wait for the pb to be issued. However, P. D. James' view of life as expressed by her characters can be very pessimistic at times (a contrast to her autobiography). In this one, there is still the feeling that the characters are going through the motions of living, never really feeling any joy--or often even happiness. However, when Adam and Emma come together at the end, there was a ray of hope. Please, Ms. James give us a new book ASAP

Thank you for the fast shipping of The Daily Strength books,they will make great gifts- Thanks, Rober

This book was "required reading" when I first started in the investment business 16 years ago -- It was a fabulous introduction to Wall Street and the stock market. I have recommended it many times over the years, and continue to do so

Our family has enjoyed this a lot, since we take a lot of trips in our RV. Great way to entertain on the road. We really liked the questions about pop music and movies, also some great questions about the US presidents. Very entertaining, clever

i learned a lot about this history. was useful for the papers that we had to do in class

Mr. Fleishman has written and clear and concise primer on Home Theater. Clearly, from his years as a staff writer for Audio Video Interiors and other pubs, he has an in-depth knowledge of the ins and out of HT. Certainly, everyone who is interested in HT should buy this book and read it from cover to cover. The best of all is that this volumne is updated on a on-going basis so that its always current with the latest trends and developements from HDMI to DTS 96/24. Great job

I was shocked to open this book and find the author's words targeting the very soul of my writing. It is a book about craft, not a pop culture "I wanna write a book" manual.Gerard shows a great understanding of the motivation behind the need and desire to write well. He speaks to those who are willing to put effort and excellence where their pen meets the page.I heartily recommend this book

For a recently college graduate and moderate sports world observer with little experience negotiating in a business environment, this book was a pleasure to read. The concepts in this book are on or above par with my textbook on negotiation. However, I specifically enjoyed how Steinberg illustrates important concepts with stories involving the ever interesting personalities of professional sports. From establishing values to finalizing the contract, this book is efficiently organized to lead through the negotiation process. Also, at the end of each sub-chapter is a summary of the key points of the reading. Winning with integrity isn't easy in general, let alone in the ruthless world of sports agents. Leigh shares his experiences that have lead to his success in this fun and insightful book

This book is packed full of incredible devices for any one who enjoys Exalted. The book has a wealth of knolage from the first age as well as the age of sorrows. The book has a few sections in it that divide the items by uses, that is the only way i can discribe it. There is a giant amount of artifacts that have nothing to do with combat, and then others that are. There is a section on warstriders, basicly single man "death machines" that basicly look like Large Metal Robots. Most of the items in this volume are very well detailed and all have pictures that show you what they would more that likely look like. I don't like saying that IS what they look like because, well, this is RPing people, things change by a player/GM's perception. Anyway, enough of my ramblings, This book rocks and has items that range from pens to armor to boots to Royal Class Warstriders. This book is about gear in the world of Exalted. P.S. It looks like there is going to be about 4 more of these books. My best guess is that one will be for Sorcery, but that is just one book. If you think of anything else, post it here to give me some ideas on the other ones

This book is a somewhat linear history of the past 13,000 years across the continents. Diamond seeks to sum up history across various societies on all the continents in a relatively short volume. The impetus for this search starts with a question from a friend of his from New Guinea named Yali. Yali's question was, "Why is it that you white people developed so much cargo and brought it to New Guinea, but we black people had little cargo of our own?" Reading the book, I think I gulped at this point. This sounds like a classic, loaded question. It sounds disturbingly close to why have we (Europe and its former colonies) succeeded where they have failed. Diamond does not descend into that territory though, but he does not evade criticism for skirting it completely. There are references to a culture's success in industrializing or condensing populations that Diamond brushes off as a mixed blessing, for instance. The advantages of a hunting/gathering culture are not really explored outside of the remarkable sustaining nature of southeast Asia. This history can probably be described (or perhaps is most successful) as based around environmental causation (as opposed to the racial/ethnic/social causation that the lump in my throat had been fearing). Descriptions of climate (note: that the history begins with the cessation of the last great ice age), longitudinal or latitudinal axes, elevation and landmass differences play a strong role in determining the fate of humanity. Still, it is interesting to look specifically at the items gathered in the title. Guns. Europe's refinement of this technology was based on China's innovations with gunpowder. Today's dominant society is a product as much of what it has swallowed and thus incorporated as by what it has innovated. As an interesting counterpoint, Japan had owned more and better guns in c. 1600 CE, than any country in the world. Samurai rulers first limited then outlawed the technology. Japan wouldn't resume manufacture until mid 19th century. Obviously, there is an indisputable importance in the weaponry's influence in shaping the geopolitical world of today. Germs. Epidemics left people from cultures based on cities with who could resist smallpox and those dense populations more easily replaced those who didn't survive. Smaller groups have a distinct disadvantage versus the interdependent and consequently more interchangable larger cities. Epidemics develop out of these civilizations as germs jump over from domesticated animals (and smaller groups may not even have animals to domesticate). Interesting note: the emperors of the Mayan and Incan civilizations both succumb to disease (likely smallpox) rather than guns. Steel. Technological advancement is keyed on innovations brought about by dense populations and the possibility for abstraction of responsibilities. A hunter-gatherer culture lacks the abstraction necessary to divide responsibilities to allow for such developments as literacy and mining, as the energies that would fuel these are directed toward survival areas. Diamond makes an interesting and controversial point that the hunter-gatherer culture may be more attuned to intelligence as an evolutionary necessity over civilized society, where the evolutionary energy may be directed at surviving these epidemic illnesses. There are many aspects of environment that serve as limiting conditions for the development of these things. First, there appears to need to be sustainable farming. Many of the staples of modernity are the crops first domesticated in the fertile crescent region (where today we invade, suck oil, and force the conquered to endure freedom). The western Asian breadbasket provided the means to bank food so that trades could develop. As a complete side note, the Genesis book of the bible can be viewed upon through this filter as it goes into great detail how Joseph set up a system of storing and meting grain in Egypt to greatly increase the population and avoid the calamity of drought and famine brought on by sustenance farming. Another factor in the civilizing of Eurasia is the landmass itself. Compared to Africa and the Americas, Eurasia is mainly west-east axis versus north-south. Movement of successes in cultivation and domestication could more easily occur because climate differences are easier on a latitudinal basis than on longitudinal. Something like corn (maize) which was domesticated in central Americas took a very long time to make it to North America because of geography. Llamas and guinea pigs (which could be useful for pack animals and food) never made it north. Conversely, all those fertile crescent crops and bigger domesticated animals like cattle, horses, pigs were able to spread from one tip of Asia to the opposite tip of Europe. To answer Yali's question, some of the answer is luck. Africa, Australia and the Americas may not have been afforded the botanical or zoological advantages that Eurasia had. Some other is environmental determinism, where you are helps make up who you become. For going forward, Diamond cites transportation, communication and information advances as factors that likely will obliviate these historical forces in the future. After word: Harpers Magazine tackles an issue that was brought up, but not as fully developed here, that of pre-Clovis Native American discoveries (pronouncements), knowingly confronting a loaded racial/ethnocentric question in a folio called "Might White of You: Are American Archaeologists White Supremacists?" The archaeological records supports people living in the Americas since about 9000-11000 BCE. There are scant scraps of evidence prior to that date, but plenty of theories typically more titillating than substantive. One wonders if the pre-Clovis discovery (especially all the business about "caucusoid" skulls), isn't so much about archaeology as setting up an imagined genocide to justify a documented genocide.

Although I'm not new to WWII histories, the First World War is one of my favorite historical periods to read about and one of my favorite books from that war is Alistar Horne's "The Price of Glory." Since I enjoyed reading about one if WWI's most epic battles, I did not hesitate to read "Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege" by Antony Beevor. In both works, comparisons are made between the battles of Verdun and Stalingrad and for good reasons. Both battles were initiated by German forces that underestimated the tenacity of their enemy, the course of battle spun wildly beyond their commander's control, and both battles cost a near unimaginable loss of life and human suffering. Beevor is especially keen on the amount of human agony throughout the battle of Stalingrad, which makes the book gutwrenching but at the same time the reader is unable to put it down. From the well-documented cold, lice, and hunger that haunted Russian and German soldier alike, to the disease and desperation experienced by the Sixth Army as they were slowly strangled in Zhukov's trap, it seems that Beevor has overlooked nothing. Unlike many battle histories that may focus on stategy or political fallout of the conflict, the emphasis on human suffering and heroism in Beevor's work makes the reader sympathize for Russians, Germans, Romanians, and anyone else unlucky enough to get caught in the battle. Not only does Beevor shed light on the plight of ordinary soldiers, he also examines the more famous players in the battle; including a paranoid Stalin, a dreaming Hitler, a finger-pointing von Manstein, and a indecisive Paulus. Indeed, the reader gains perspective from Rastenburg and Moscow all the way down the heirarchy to the frozen bunkers of Stalingrad. Overall, "Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege" is an excellent book that is recommended for anyone interested in World War II or just any hard-hitting military history

Stewart and his crew nail it. If you like the Daily Show, you will love this book. If you like political satire, you will love this book. I have the calendar on my desk where I get a snippet of the book everyday and it reminds me of what I read and I laugh everyday.

This book was great. It read well and never was too slow. It was fair to both sides of the war and the leaders who fought the battles and planned the campaign. It was complete in that it discussed the men, tactics, weapons, and terrain in the southern campaign. Not only was this book a great souce for the southern war but it also gave good insight into the revolutionary war in general. If you're interested in this topic and want to increase you're knowledge of the southern war, get this book. It's informative as well as pleasing to read

I was introduced to this book while staying with a friend, and I was hooked. I went home and bought it so that I could finish it. I didn't know much about Buddhism before I read this book. Ms. Boorstein's stories read a bit like the Chicken Soup for the Soul books. She has short wonderful stories that demonstate current day people practicing the Buddha's teachings. You do not need to be a Buddhist to appreciate this book! It's very inspirational. Since this book, I have read several more books to learn about the teachings of Buddha

I have used this book for more than 5 years and take it with me on every trip to Paris. If you can't get success from these recipes then you might consider some other past time than baking. Get used to baking with weights and this book is perfect. Something as simple as a Madeleinne is created perfectly in weight measures but just a shot in the dark when using volume measurments. This book is not exactly for beginner bakers but if you have some experience it is fantasti

A recent Dallas Morning News column profiling T.D. Jakes quoted a University of Houston sociology professor saying that Jakes is "incredible in how he's able to diagnose people's pain. He has an uncanny ability to put a finger on the human condition." Jakes' new book He-Motions illustrates the verity of the professor's statement. In He-Motions, Jakes nails the issues and challenges Christian men face today in trying to fulfill their many roles and pursue their dreams. Jakes writes from his heart and soul as a pastor, father, husband and entrepreneur. In the opening pages, he describes his motivation for writing: "I want to share what I've learned. I want to cut through so much of the junk imposed on men today and talk heart to heart about what it means to be a man, not in some touchy-feely group hug kind of way but in an honest, soul-bearing way, which also respects men and honors the women who love them and whom they love." Jakes thoroughly succeeds in fulfilling his desire for this book. Not only does he address male readers, but he also targets female readers who hope to gain insights about men. Jakes' no-holds barred writing offers refreshing candor for those wanting an honest assessment of who they are and where they are in life. Jakes writes about his childhood, his ministry, his family and his ups and downs in life-always tying stories to life lessons for readers. It does not take the reader long to discern that Jakes possesses a vast breadth of wisdom and understanding about the inner workings of men in our culture. Jakes writes that "a man must value himself." He-Motions can help readers make great strides in finding value in themselves-regardless of their circumstances. He encourages men to refuse to become discouraged but to keep moving toward their destiny while simultaneously enjoying the splendid moments of life's journey. The book is written as if Jakes is in the room having a one-on-one talk with the reader. If it was in fact such a talk, it would surely involve laughing, weeping, praying and dreaming. One such example of the conversational style is when Jakes writes about balancing family and career. He writes, "I'm here to tell you that if you don't contain your work life and segregate it from your home life, then your career will consume the marriage like a campfire blazing outside of its circle of rocks and roaring into a life-threatening forest fire." There is not an area of discussion where Jakes lets men off the hook. He writes authoritatively about power, money and sex. In the financial arena, Jakes commands readers, "Stop asking God to bless an area where you refuse to obey His Word for your life." In one relationship area after another, Jakes' writing leads the reader to self-examination, awareness, forgiveness and improvement. His writing on subjects such as a man's relationships with his father, children, wife, other men, time, money and God is honest and down to earth. It is also practical, as are the questions for men and women at the end of each chapter. Throughout the book, Jakes references the life of David to shed light on the above relationships from a Biblical perspective. Jakes encourages readers that "someone needs to know who you are and where you are at all times in your walk and life." This book could be an effective tool to use in a discussion or accountability group to help people grow stronger relationships. I encourage men and women to take advantage of the wisdom and insights Jakes shares in this book

I assume the plot of this famous tale is well known, so I won't spend time on it, but in recently re-reading this book for the first time since ninth-grade English class in the '90's, I was repeatedly struck by a piercing question: how exactly over time does drama become melodrama? Will our cherished novels seem melodramatic to readers a hundred-forty years hence? How does this happen, and is there ever an end-point to it? Dickens was by any standard a literary master, and if typifying one's age is a virtue, then he does this to perfection, yet if failing to achieve a universality unhindered by time (as other writers have done) is a limitation, then in this one sense alone Charles Dickens has an Achilles heel

Goes over the problem in detail, but without excessive hand-wringing. A diversity of well selected examples, with helpful discussions and observations. If codependence and "rescuing" people are issues you struggle with, definitely get this book

I wrote this review because I felt that none of the reviews so far really got the main cause of this book. This is NOT a book about cosmology (as people would expect from Roger Penrose). In this tiny book, Penrose summarizes his idea that the mind cannot be understood by mathematical processes (something much different from the opinion of 99,99% of neurobiologists, such as Steven Pinker). This view is near to the Nobel laureate Murray Gell-Mann. The book is easy to understand and the ideas are very concise and its recommended for the ones that are interested in intelligence theories (thus, the author assumes that the reader know what a neuron is and how it works!). Some may think this is a difficult to understand book because they didn't had in mind that this book is about Penrose's point of view on intelligence. In fact, I'm not a physicist, nor a biologist, simply a high school student and I found the book very easy to understand, although I do not agree with Penrose's point of view. I think he forgot something very important. Read it and read the other point of view and you'll find what it is! :

Great book; it get's you thinking. My kids arre almost out of the nest and they are all I could ask for. Yes, I worked. But not until they were in school, almost always part time and I did not use 'working' as an excuse to not volunteer at school, sports, and generally be in my kids lives. The point is really about your priorities. Do you instinctively put your kids needs first? It's been interesting to see how things have worked out with families in our area. We have a large group of kids who have been together since kindergarten; now they are seniors. You can instantly tell which parents were connected, involved and had their priorities straight. Not all of them stayed home the whole time. On and off I used to listen to Dr. Laura, frequently agreeing, but many times not. What I love is that she has an unpopular point of view and she's not going to let social, financial, or industry pressure dilute her message. Yes, she's frequently abrasive; so were many people who have made an impact in the course of events in this world. If you are a parent with young children READ THE BOOK at least it will give you important ideas to agree or disagree with.

This book was recommended to me by several people as I interviewed hiring managers, HR personnel, senior-level employees, and others for my own book on the job market. By all accounts, my own included, 201 Best Questions is comprehensive, helpful, and tactical, an important read when one is preparing for an interview. It is not an all-inclusive resource, only interview-targeted, but for what it is, the book is top-notch

"Those who write well have more power and therefore have more control over their lives" (p.21). If this is indeed true then Mem Fox is a very powerful woman! In the midst of the phonics vs. whole language war being raged in the media, this book is a call for reading and writing teachers to examine their practices and strive for truly purposeful, artful teaching. Fox's insights into her life as a writer, teacher and mother make this a truly inspiring and intensely challenging read. I have always believed that to be an effective reading teacher, I must be a reader, able to share my passion for books with my students, but Mem Fox points out that unless I am a writer as well, I will be unable to know the difficulties, fears, hopes and needs of my students as writers. I plan to thoughtfully explore the forms of writing I use, examine the writing process I go through and share my writing with my students on a more regular basis. I am convinced that we will all grow from the experience!

This volume contains 152 middle length sutras which are mainly sermons to monks on buddhist practices. Having compared the Pali original with the translation of about 12 Sutras I would give it a high fidelity rating. The appendix contains extensive notes which discuss the text from the viewpoint of the Theravada commentaries. A must read for those who want to learn or study using original source material and do not read Pali. The introduction contains valuable material on Buddhism by a Bhikkhu long "gone-forth".

This book is for anyone who has ever questioned their faith, lost a loved one, or yearned to understand life just a bit more. Sarah Darer Littman has captured Justine Silver, a confused Jewish girl, within the pages of CONFESSIONS OF A CLOSET CATHOLIC. Justine is surrounded by her faith, but no one seems to celebrate it the same way. Her parents have one idea, her grandparents another. And then there are all those other religions -- which way is the "right" way? Bewildered by this, Justine seeks answers by deciding to adopt her best friend's Catholic beliefs. With the help of Father Ted (a stuffed animal), a secretly purchased rosary, and a "stolen" cross necklace, Jussy turns her closet into her own private "confessional". What will happen when her family finds out? Littman humorously and compassionately shows the readers Justine's life as she struggles with her religious questions, her neat-nick mother, and, sadly, the death of her beloved grandmother. Readers might not find out all the answers from Justine, but they will definitely know they are not alone in the mysterious world of religion. Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky

Tina Dirmann did a fantastic job writing about this difficult case, which encompasses motherhood, mental illness, child abuse, and matricide. Dirmann does not interject her own biases or agenda into her writing, rather she presents the many different angles of this story in a compassionate fashion. That, in and of itself is impressive, because many writers of true crime tend to lean one side or the other,get caught up in emotion, and appear unable to really present all sides of the story. Lessons can be learned from this book regarding mental illness and society's responsibility to help families who are in need of intervention. It is so sad that the extended families of these boys failed not only them, but also tragically failed their mother.

What a great book. I have been turned off to religion due to the negativeness that surrounds it. Watching Joel Osteen on TV and reading this book makes me love God even more. When I think back on my life, I have truly had many blessings and I no longer need to feel guilty for accepting God's blessings. God has always been about love, hope, faith and greatness. He has never been about hatred, prejudice or guilt.

Set in a German village reminiscent of Grimm's fairy tale world this book will quickly have readers under it's spell. This tale within a tale within a tale concerns a young clockmaker,Karl, who needs to create a figure for the great clock of Glockenheim to mark the end of his apprenticeship. Time is running out for Karl and he is fretful because has not yet made the figure. At this same time Fritz, a young storyteller is telling his latest spooky tale to the villagers. Fritz launches in to a very mysterious tale of a prince, who it is disovered at his "death" is actually kept alive by clockworks rather than by a heart. Also in Fritz's story is a stange man named Dr. Kalmanius. When this highly unusual man is described by the storyteller an identical man suddenly appears. The stunned audience quickly leaves. As the others leave this strange man approaches Karl and presents him with the needed clock figure "springing" Fritz's tale alarmingly to life. As always Philip Pullman creates a vibrant and engaging cast of characters who will leave an imprint on the reader's memory. The illustrations by Leonid Gore capture both the fairy tale spirit and the horror under the surface. This is a quick but original and engaging read that will appeal to both horror and fairy tale fans. Don't miss it

This cookbook has become one of my favorites. I grew up in SE Texas, and once I moved away, no mexican food could compare. Now I have the understanding on what differeintiates Tex-Mex and Mexican food. The recipes are exact and delicious. I love the pictures, the stories and most of all the inspiration to cook my favorite meals! Its definately a book for any Tex Mex lover, I highly reccomend it. Just try and sit and read it and not have your mouth water

Black Metropolis is perhaps the founding document of African-American studies, a classic work of sociology that still resonates today. It is a paradigmatic expression of the Chicago School of sociology, however, a school that today stands in some disrepute, at least in some circles. Indirectly, it was the target of James Baldwin's famous attack on Richard Wright in his essay, Everybody's Protest Novel. The claim of the criticism has been that the Chicago School, due to its insistance upon using a "scientific approach", merely reproduces the very terms under which African-Americans have been oppressed--a claim that has proceeded under the warrant of European intellectuals such as Theodor Adorno. Still, Black Metropolis is a landmark study, and, unfortunately, many if not most of its observations and conclusions remain true today, and in fact it could be argued that conditions in the Black Belt of Chicago have gotten worse, not better, since 1945, the year of Black Metropolis' publication--which lends a certain credence to the criticisms mentioned above, though perhaps it should be qualified by saying that they are not so much criticisms of the Chicago School as they are criticisms of American society. Since then, as we know, we have witnessed a great shift in American public opinion away from what some consider to be the excesses of those days; so much so, in fact, that the work of Black Metropolis may again be regarded as a profoundly useful book. Embodying American liberalism as it does--which counted as a grave sin thirty years ago--Black Metropolis may possibly be due for a fresh look

Multiple reviewers of other Washington biographies recommended this abridgement over the book they were reviewing. I am a reader, as claimed above, but I have NOT read ANY Washington biography. I still thought the above information might be helpful to other seekers

There is little more I can contribute to this literary masterpiece--even though the essential structure of my review is clear in my mind, it will not be able to truly capture the magnificent splendor of this work. Gustave Flaubert was a conscientious literary artist who revised and perfected Madame Bovary with care. He worked on the novel for nearly six years, during which time he rewrote the manuscript several times, often spending days perfecting a single paragraph. The result of his painstaking creativity was a masterpiece that rivals the heavens with its beauty. Madame Bovary is a penetrating psychological study of its heroine, Emma Bovary, as she struggles to find fulfillment through a realization of her romantic fantasies of love and wealth. She exists in a dream world and longs for freedom from her middle-class humdrum lifestyle. Flaubert's realistic portrait of the tragic fate of this complex woman is nothing short of phenomenal. In perfect contrast to Emma, Flaubert introduces Charles Bovary, a proto-typical doctor who has no real talent or ambition and is content to enjoy the simple things that life has to offer. Soon after their wedding, Emma becomes disillusioned by the bumbling Charles and yearns for a romantic interlude. Flaubert represents the absolute clich� of provincial life with his portrayal of this undemanding, unimpressive, and unnoticed middle-class man. Flaubert brings all facets of human personas full-circle with the shy, well-mannered, and well-liked young man-next-door, Leon. With a slow-blossoming relationship with Emma, Leon leaves for Paris to study law. Upon his return--and with a little experience--the two become lovers. Flaubert's portrayal of this dysfunctional couple is reminiscent of tragic romances of yore. Thereafter, the degeneracy of Emma's lifestyle is evident, and she is brought to the brink of destruction. In Madame Bovary, Gustave Flaubert gives us a vivid and life-like glance into the reality and the mannerisms and the customs of small-town people living in France during the mid-nineteenth-century. Flaubert's descriptions are detailed and beautiful--and paint a real portrait of the natural world he is describing. Opening with first-person narration that sometimes shifts to third-person has earned Gustave Flaubert the reputation as one of the most celebrated and influential novelists of the nineteenth century

This is a great beginners book. It's easy to read and follow along. Silver's other books are great to start out with as well. Other great starter books are "Wicca" by Scott Cunningham,"Witch Crafting" & "Book of Shaddows" by Phyllis Curott, these authors will help you get started very well. Also I recommend "The Witches Almanac" by Elizabeth Pepper, this is a witches must have on her shelf. Happy readings.....

This book is without a doubt one of the best in the series of Chicken Soups. I have purchased several of them and give them out for gifts in the hospital, get well , birthdays and etc. There is something for everyone in this book. What a great little gift

Rolling Stone has long been the "Gold Standard" for rock journalism. Any history of rock and roll that doesn't have Billy Joel or Bob Seger is all right by me. I need to update my copy right away! Great job, as usual, Rolling Stone!!!!

While I consider myself a regular theatre-goer, I've always been aware of Kramer's plays and opinions, yet I haven't seen nor read either of these two plays. That changed this past weekend when I saw the revival of Normal Heart currently playing off-Broadway. This is a viscerally emotional piece of theatre and it makes one feel impassioned about what was going on in the world then and sheds a new light as to what's going on now in regards to the HIV/AIDS crisis. It's a must red if you don't have a chance to see it

This book reveiw is on a book named Last Summer with Maizon. This book is about two best friends named Margarate and Maizon who lives on Madison Street. Her friend Maizon was accepted to Blue Hills, a school where really educated people go. Margarate does not want them to be separated. Every night she wishes Maizon will not get accepted. But when Margarate's father has a second heart attack, he dies and now all Margarate has is Maizon, her mother, her little brother Jay and the people around. Margarete was having a rough time anyway and then Maizon got accepted to Blue Hills. When it was time for Maizon to leave Margarate, her mother and Maizon's grandmother dropped her off. When Maizon wasn't there with Margarate her whole life changed. At school she was becoming popular, she was liked now. Days passed by and Maizon still didn't call. When Margarate went to go get her brother at her neighbors house, that's when Maizon calls. Margarate was so excited that Maizon wanted to come home. Margarate ran to the grandmother's house telling her the news. Margarate said Maizon wants to come home, the grandmother says that she would go get her. When Maizon got home it was like old times, they ran into each others arms. They then went to their favorite spot and started talking. Maizon said she came back because she wasn't being treated right, she didn't feel the same. So they sat there and talked and felt like old times with my best friend Maizon. I think that this book should have gotten an award or five stars. This book has mostly everything of real life. It deals with best friends, for example like my friendship with Kiena. It has separation, like my sister and me. It has a lost loved one like my godfather and it has a lesson like when you do wrong and learn your lesson. I think that this book should have five stars because it really relates to real life,it shows friendship and it shows and explains what happens in real life. I like this book because it reminds me of my life, me and my friends, how we argue and lose our friendship and then gain it back with a little talking. It reminds me of how I lose people in my family and then cry because I miss them. If I could buy this book, I would let my whole family read it, I would make it our reference book for when we need advice or something to do. This book is so good that all my friends wanted to read it. It is so good that I really read it because I don't really read books and when I read the book it made me think of when my best friend Ariel was going to move and how it made me feel, and how I compare it to Margarate and Maizon. This book is excellent, the author really put their heart in it and that they were depressed and needed a friend. If you ask my best friend Johnniece, she'll say that she really enjoyed the book, that it should get five stars, because the author really put thought, confidence, respect, love, care and her whole heart into this book. When I say she put confidence in this book I meant that she wrote it knowning that it will be a hit. The author thought about the words, thought her life and compared it and started writing it with compassion. I think that this book should be the book of the month in my school, because it shows and teaches a lesson. With the summary I wrote I put my heart in it because when I read it, it touched my heart. I won't want my friend away from me. I think that I mostly relate to Maizon, because when she left Margarte was beginning to be liked, and the girl was talking about Maizon and Margarte sat there and watched and listened instead of doing the right thing and telling them to stop doing that to their friend. I relate to Maizon, I relate to her because if people don't like me, I don't care. If people want me out of somewhere, then I'll leave and if people love me, I love them back and that's how Maizon is. She doesn't take junk. Alot of people relate to Maizon. This book is interesting and gets interesting as you read on. This book is really a good book that shows you friendship, break-up and everything else that deals with real life. I love this book, it is really good and I think that if most people had this book then they wouldn't be out doing the stupid and illegal things that they are doing. This book really didn't grasp Dr. Kings dream because when Maizon went to Blue Hills, the whites were treating her bad, they saw her different. Brenliniqua, Class 7-512

Ms. Phillips certainly knows how to tug at those heart strings! I felt as though I were right there with Mac and Sammy Jo, feeling the emotions they felt. This is a great story that proves that true love can happen when it's least expected and that true love always prevails. I recommend this book to any romance lover

I bought this together with a "best of" CD, both containing a lot of songs I really wanted to play on the piano myself. That combination has allowed me to hear what Vince played while also reading through the music to see just what it is he played. Without exception, I've found the written music exactly true to what Vince recorded, including pick up notes, tricky min-maj-min progressions, arpeggios, diminished 9th chords, and what-not, and it has made some previously unapproachable passages much easier to understand. I've also been able to use the book as a sort of learning tool, getting a feel for what a jazz musician really tries to accomplish when he sits down and plays a piece. I would like to have seen some fingering indications included, and without those, I think some beginners will not be able to do much with this work. And personally, I didn't find the performance notations particularly useful ("laid back" doesn't really convey much to me), but like I said, I also purchased a CD of Vince's music, so I already have an idea of what sort of sound I want to achieve. Other than those two minor points, I can't find anything wrong with this edition. The binding is "lay flat" perfect bound, so the pages stay glued together but pull away from the spine, allowing this book to retain a crisp appearance and feel even after the pages are pulled open on a music stand. Guaraldi fans and aspiring jazz pianists will gain a lot from this work

After getting and reading Primary Target as a gift, I immediately began picking up other Joe Weber books. Defcon One, his first, was absolutely terrific. Great plot line and characters. The action is continuous throughout. My suggestion is not to pick up this book to read up before going to bed because you'll never put it down. Looking forward to reading his next - Shadow Flight. My hat's off to Joe Weber. Keep up the great work

This is an excellent book. Its academic / sociological approach may put off some lay readers, but that would be too bad. The subject, and the message, are both very important. In many ways, this book is similar to "The Appearance of Impropriety: How the Ethics Wars Have Undermined American Government, Business and Society," but although this book is somewhat less accessible to general readers it is certainly stronger from a social-science standpoint. An excellent book, well worth reading for anyone interested in why repeated efforts to stamp out political corruption have borne such mixed (at best) results

Through much prayer and research, I was lead to this book. After reading it I understand the four step approach and can use it in all my educational experiences for my children. I felt so much more comfortable homeschooling my children. I felt I had really been taught how to homeschool! It is not only informative, but interesting.a rare combination in how to books!

I am married to a native New Yorker and we spent an entire weekend looking over this book and talking about many of the wonderful places it mentions, many of which we still visit today. As an extra bonus for avid cooks, there are recipes. For anyone who remembers Luchows or any of the other venerable, now closed restaurants the book mentions, it will take you back to happy times and good memories. It's an excellent book and clearly Schwartz has poured a great deal of research into what is his labor of love.

This is the best book. I was writing a book about my son who has SI Dysfunction. He is 23 years old now. I was in Barnes and Noble looking for another book when I found this. I was blown away. I never knew there was a book like this. I could have really used this book when Marcus was little. It is so wonderful. I opened it and started reading about my son. My book is called What's Wrong With My Child? Struggling With Sensory Integration Dysfunction. It is only a mother's story of how my child coped with this thing. It is not meant to be a book like Carol Stock Kranowitz's. Her book is wonderful. Anyone who has any questions about their child who has SI Dysfunction. This book is it. Shelly R. Wilso

I found this book to be very helpful. It doesn't just give you the steps to do little tasks like some of the other books I looked at; it explains the features and why you would use them, and shows you how to do things from start to finish. It also has a lot of helpful hints that aren't related to the exercises--last night my husband installed Vista Business Edition and couldn't find a feature he wanted, and I was able to find the solution immediately in this book

Lovers of Mr. Rochester beware - in this, his second book of literary puzzles, John Sutherland turns his considerable powers of literary analysis towards, amongst other things, undoing the good reputation enjoyed by Jane Eyres brooding hero. Bronte fans, brace yourself for some idol-smashing. As in his first book of devoted to literary head-scratchers (the wonderful Is Heathcliff a Murderer?), Sutherland here sets himself out to answer some of Western literatures most intriguing questions. Though you might not always agree with some of the conclusions Sutherland comes to (we have to have a talk, he and I, about Mr. Rochesters moral integrity) as a writer he is always witty, as a thinker always innovative, and as a guide through literatures most baffling conundrums, always genial. Buy this book and I promise not only will you learn something (and, if youre anything like me, get into some very heated debates with fellow literature lovers about Jane Eyres prospects for bliss, etc.) - but youll also have a heck of a lot of fun

This book gives a thorough analysis on how public policies were the catalysts for the socioeconomic destruction of low-income communities of color in New York City. Necessary reading for those who still do not realize that activism and organizing are important vehicles through which marginalized communities keep in check the forces that seek to further fragment and disenfranchise them

I just got through reading "Harvey Penick's Little Red Book". I enjoyed it so much that I had to apologize about my delay in submitting a positive comment on the seller's feedback page. But the book was that enjoyable! I read the book because I was told it is a good example in marketing and business management ideals. I don't even play golf! I was able to apply Harvey Penick's words to attitudes and approaches to life though! He not only teaches what he has learned about golf during his long rich life, but he also teaches a philosophy in how to live one's life. His methods of evaluating the actions of his students and sharing what he has learned in an effort to improve thier lives is obvious to me. He refuses to use negative impressions in his teachings. Instead, he accentuates the positive. He educates by guiding his students instead of "teaching" them. I love his ability to teach with images, parables and metaphors. His chapter "First Things First" about the golfer who wanted to get out of sand traps is great! After all, the problem is not always what you think. I challenge anyone to read "Harvey Penick's Little Red Book" and share with me how they can apply his knowledge to thier business and personal lives. Whether you play golf or not, this book is good reading

This is the BEST book written by Stephen King! I've read it twice and will probably read it about ten more times before I die

There's no much to say about this book. Everything is already said. And it is still the best book in the field. Well done, Nancy!!! Sead Malicevic, M

This book if very well done, it has diagrams that not only are clear but also easy to follow, the photos are outstading, the selecction of models are just rigth. I will recomend it for everyone that is interesting in Origami and as a good gift for a family

Having just spent the last few months reading all five books in the Three Musketeer series, the following are my suggestions. 1. Read all five books in order. The Man in the Iron Mask is probably enjoyable on its own but reading the four books that proceed it help place the story in its proper context. Think of the Man in the Iron Mask as the dessert in a five course meal. Dessert is great but the four proceeding course are also enjoyable. Getting to the end of the book was especially enjoyable knowing that I was finishing a 3,500 page experience. 2. Read the Oxford University editions. There are wonderful end notes that help the reader keep track of the characters and events. When you read 3,500 pages you need that type of assistance to keep things straight. The Introductions are also very well written and help the reader get back into focus before beginning the next chapter. 3. If you really like any one book in particular, go to the internet and purchase a well illustrated used hardback edition for your collection. I purchased a used Three Musketeers with illustrations by Maurice Leloir. The three hundred plus illustrations make that edition especially enjoyable. Along with Sir Walter Scott, Alexandre Dumas created the genre of the historical adventure novel. I have been reading these types of novels my entire life. Beyond a doubt, Alexandre Dumas is the master virtuoso of this genre.

This book covers all the elements of Game Theory, emphasizing intuition over mathematical formalism. The philosophical aspects are also given a thorough treatment. The 8 appendices provide a more formal exposition of several key concepts such as the Minmax Theorem, the geometry of equilibria and Linear programming. The book has not changed much since its publication in 1957, but it is by no means archaic. Even for those who have a modern and more rigorous textbook, "Games and Decisions" is Highly recommended as a supplement. There is something for everyone in it

After reading Being Peace, I ordered additional copies for all my close friends. This book is both thought-provoking and accessible. Thich Nhat Hanh has a way of presenting Buddhist lessons and ways of being, ways of living and thinking about ourselves and our relationships to others and the world in a style that is almost deceptively simple and deeply thoughtful. I highly recommend this book as either an introduction to Buddhist thought or as a way of enriching any life.

I loved this book. I really am into those old school ways for children and this is the book. I think we need to discipline this generation the way our parents did us. If your are a fan of Dr. Dobson you will like Bates too. I feel everyone could benefit from this book especially our children

Caine's book is by far the most practical book on acting I've read, and I've read a few. Some are very beautifuly written, poetic and psychological, but for someone who really wants to learn something about acting for film, I would recommend this book first. It is at times bleakly honest but highly readable. If you've done any acting, you'll find yourself nodding frequently

Although the photographs are dated, the material is classic. This book is a must for anyone who is involved with design or review of open spaces. It shows how people use open space and identifies the common elements of successful spaces. While the elements all seem logical, the book shows how we often fly in the face of logic when using these spaces. The book focuses primarily on plazas and small parks in New York City, but includes a section for smaller cities with low rise buildings. The information can also be applied to parks in any size town. This book is a facinating case study in social ecology

I really did enjoy reading this book, cover-to-cover. It's very touching and very informative. It will change your ideas about a lot of things. The writer along with other expert contributors have done a great job bringing out all of these real moving stories. I would recommend this book for every human being who cares about other fellow human beings

This was the first Roberts novel I read. Words cannot describe how much I enjoyed it. I've read and/or listened to 50 since. You can't go wrong. Her storys are original, her characters are strong and well developed.

Mill states here that he still believes traditional gender roles (as we now call them) are desirable, but, being John Mill, he passionatly believes in the freedom of lifestyle choice for the individual. Hard to argue with that

Beautiful, stunning absolutely gorgeous. A quick note to fellow Brits, this was ordered on October 22nd and arrived on November 1st and is much cheaper here than on amazon.co.uk or anywhere else in the UK!! I've ordered stuff domestically that has taken longer in the post!!

While I am only a high school Sophmore, and I don't have a *real* job, this book has been very helpful in deciding what to shoot for doing. I've heard people call this book too vague, but they can't tell you exactly what to do; it doesn't work that way. Once you get through the personality quiz portion, the author gives a somewhat detailed description of your specific personality type (I for example am and ENFP) and throws in suggestions in the description and also give a modest list of other possibilities. I'll admit it was a bit vauger than I had hoped but it gives you plenty of room to move around and a great place to start. I'm lucky I found this book when I did (and not 3-4 years into college) because I found some satisfying career options that I would not normally have chosen for myself and they are on the opposite end of the spectrum from what I was previously considering. (looking at this run-on sentence, you will be relieved to know that none of my choices are to be an English teacher) Overall, this was a good book. There was a lot of filler describing the different personality characteristics that I found redundant only because I have gone over this in school a couple times. However, if you are unfamiliar with this territory, the explanations will be quite helpful

i am currently in psychology for the third time,(due to it had been too long between college classess) i think the book is informative and not too hard to read (if you have too!

A good thriller, that was very Grisham. Delivered on exactly what you read Grisham for.

Today, I heard Sister Prejean speak about her book Dead Man Walking and about all of the experiances that shes been through concerning the death penalty. Nothing less than amazing. Dead Man Walking calls upon the unjustices in the death penalty but also on the actual death penalty victims. Many people think that death penalty victims are just plain bad people. Read this book. If you want to be challenged on your views, read this book. You can't be idle on the death penalty. Also, coming soon is the Death of Innocence. Sister Prejean spoke on the content of this book and the stories within it. Once again, nothing less than amazing. A story that is priceless to hear and will influence your life

This was an astounding book about an even more astounding woman, Rachel Shilsky, a.k.a Ruth McBride Jordan. Written by one of her 12 children, James, this book is both biography (mother) and autobiography (child). A Polish Jew (white) who fled her oppressive surroundings in backwater Virginia, Ruth met and married two different black men and managed to raise 12 children in some extremely difficult circumstances in Harlem, New York. Not only did she start a Baptist Church with her husband, she coped with a regular dose of racism, some significant poverty and still managed to send 12 children to school (all of whom became professionals, and productive citizens). The book is written by the son, but the voice of the mother is registered throughout (in italic print). She evades all queries about her background, her family, in fact any of her history, and it is not until much later that the son uncovers her history (abusive father, crippled mother) and the reader is even more impressed with the fortitude and will that it must have taken this woman to make her own life in a community that was not of her economic, racial, or religious experience. Although the book is ostensibly about this man's childhood and his remarkable mother, it is also a fascinating glimpse of racism, religion and social exclusion in the black communities in New York in the 1960s. Each of Ruth's children experienced a certain unease about their racially `different' mother and yet each became aware of who they were and what they were about. This book is just a marvelous read. Full of funny and sad tales of a rather unique family life, McBride's work is a tribute to his extraordinary mother.

First, the story takes place in the 1940s (Harold's brother is MIA in WWII, not in Vietnam, as the Amazon.com review erroneously states). Second, the writing is superb. Mr. Lawrence makes you feel emotions without telling you what to feel. His characters are very real. His setting (a small, struggling circus, traveling the western U.S.) is historically believable, peopled with 'freaks' who suffer as sideshows, unable to find any other way to live because of the bodies they were born with, but peopled also with 'normals' who are either afraid of or cruel to the freaks. Harold, the 14-year-old albino central character, tries to straddle both groups of people. He finds his niche in the circus as an elephant trainer. I am admittedly ignorant about such things, but Mr. Lawrence again makes the storyline with the elephants--crucial to the plot of the novel--seem believable. My only complaint about this otherwise very moving book has to do with the writing at a crucial death scene near the end. I do want you to read this book, so I will try not to give anything away here, but the writing at this important point becomes formulaic in the dying character's last words and even Gomer Pyle-like (People actuallly say "Gosh!"). This did detract from the impact of the death, unfortunately, but I still very strongly recommend this book. Five stars for a book with a major flaw says a lot!

This was actually the first Kellerman novel I read and I found it kind of dull at first, but that's only because I didn't know any of the situations or people among whom I was thrust. After reading a couple earlier books, I have re-read this one and I now find it interesting. So, I would really have to recommend that one tries to read the series more or less in order. This one starts out with Alex Delaware seeing a new girlfriend named Allison. Robin has married another man after some ten (?) years with Alex. [I haven't read the one where she actually leaves yet (unless this is the first mention of it), but if she broke his heart ... !] See, I had no idea who Robin was first time I read this - makes a difference. The cuuuuute little dog named Spike makes an appearance too. First time I read it, he was just an irritating little squirt, but now I know just how adorable he can really be and it was nice seeing him again. Alex's police pal Milo is a lieutenant now and can pick and choose his cases. He and Alex are together when they come across a grisly crime scene. A young couple has been brutally murdered and the woman can not even be identified. Milo draws Alex into the investigation and it gets complicated. Everything seems to lead back to the dead boy's psychologist and when she turns up murdered too, things really start cooking with gas! I adore Detective Milo Sturgis. I know Alex is the star, but I can't help it. Milo is such a great character

This is a great beginner's guide to home buying. The advice is straightforward and the explanations are easy to understand. Buying a home is a scary and daunting prospect for me. I kept getting a lot of conflicting advice from relatives, friends, and coworkers on when to buy, what to buy, and how to buy. This is very frustrating as everyone means well, but what worked for them might not apply to me. And don't bother asking a realtor or mortgage company if you should buy--they make their living on our decisions to buy! So I bought Home Buying for Dummies to learn more, and it has a lot of sound and thoughtful guidance to help decide when and how much to buy... And also how to find a good home, and then negotiate with the realtors, the sellers, the mortgage companies, and everyone else that is sticking their hands in your wallet. The author's advice is realistic, and he points out the pitfalls of jumping in and what trouble you can get into with the different loan options out there

I've been a skating fan for many years, and would recommend this book to everyone! I thoroughly enjoyed the inside look at Brian Boitano's career, from start to present. It's easy to read, so one can browse through it like a newspaper or magazine.....but it's also stuffed full of valuable information about the technical aspects of skating and the "behind the scenes" preparation activities for competitive skaters. The beautiful pictures lend itself to being picked up and enjoyed again and again! Hats off to Brian Boitano, Suzanne Harper, and all the people who helped create this treasure for my coffee table

This is the best reference I've seen for IT interviews. I've seen many of these questions at interviews and at one it appeared they had pulled questions from the book. The technology specific questions are excellent

As a Social Worker in private psychotherapy practice, I find that sometimes the work can be isolating and at times I question whether I should make more of an effort to consider the latest trends in psychotherapy. Mary Pipher affirms that the classic skills that make a good therapist such as compassion, empathy, listening skills, reframing and the ability to induce a sense of calm are timeless. Furthermore, even if I wasn't a therapist I think I would still devour this book because her writing is a pleasure to read. I highly recommend it for anyone just starting their career in therapy or those who have been in the field for decades. This book is bound to become a classic

The story is both true and extremely unique: The Author, who is an Austrian mountaineer and a SS Nazi officer at the same time, escapes from a British POW camp in India with the goal to go through Tibet to Japan-occupied Burma, to be sent back to Germany, so as not to miss his chance to participate in WWII. The extreme difficulties of hiding from officials and surviving the wintry elements of the Himalaya mountains make his Burma plan impossible, so he stays in Tibet. His unthinkable achievements include storming his way into the "Forbidden City" (Lhassa, the capital), gaining employment in the Tibetian Government, becoming a friend of the "God-King" Dalai Lama - an extremely bright, knowledge-hungry teenager, and learning the Tibetian language to the degree which anable him to do live interpretation for Dalai Lana of English-language movies ("Believe me, it is not easy for a German to translate Shakespearian English into Tibetian"). Going with a yak through the snows of the 20,000-feet Himalayan passes, escaping merciless robbers, manouvering between border guards - make Seven Years in Tibet a great adventure book. However, the insightful and rich observations about Tibetian people, customs, culture and politics, go far beyond any other available information on that far-away country, and Dalai-Lama's foreword to this book confirms this fact. The peaceful and friendly life and culture of Tibet is raped by military annexation of Tibet by China in 1951. The ancient monasteries are destroyed, the Puritan-like culture is replaced by such crude elements of civilization as e.g. brothels for the occupying soldiers, Dalai Lama twice escapes to India, and so does the Author; one third of the Tibetians die of starvation. "Seven Tears ib Tibet" allows us a bitter-seet inside into see a country, that lived the way how countries in medieval times lived; also, the country trampled and largely destroyed by its aggressive neighbour.

I bought this book just recently and was really touched (and cried) by the whole experience that Gus had went through. He has lost the one friend that gave him a second chance (Stephanie) and without her, he could've been out there on the street again. Overall, it's a good book to read and I always believe that man and animals can be best friends and learn from one another, this book is a genuine prove.

I really enjoyed this coloring book--as in my very early yrs., I had kaleidoscopes to play with. I was always intriqued with the color spectrum in them.I was hoping to find more on line with the illustrator of this book. Sadly disappointed. Will keep looking at other book sites. By the way, I am 56 yrs. old--and I love to color. It's wonderful therapy for relaxing and bringing back some childhood fun

I haven't completed the book yet, but so far have found it to be very insightful and enjoyable. It begins in Genesis and continues from there hitting on the most commonly read Bible sections to the not so often or seldom read sections. He ends everyday with a thought provoking question to think on through out the rest of your day. I always look for to the next reading

I have just finished reading "The Power of Ethical Management," and I thought it was well written. In the past few weeks I have read several other books on business ethics and this one is my favorite. It is short and exact with great details on how to improve your corporation as well as yourself. This book not only can be applied to the work place but in your life at home, family, friends, and children. This book has helped me greatly

This is the 3rd, and unfortunately final, chapter in the triology. I got my husband to run out and buy it the Tuesday it was released and finished it within 2 (very late) nights of reading. If you have read the 1st two books you will not be disappointed with this one. If anything, it is the best in the series with 2 really likeable characters - Yo! And if you haven't read "Caught Stealing" and "Six Bad Things", head to Borders now so you can read them before "A Dangerous Man". Plan on not doing anything else for awhile because these books are just too intense to put down. Pulp noir at its' finest

This is the first book I have read from this author. I am truly amazed at how well I enjoyed his style. It kind of reminded me of some of the good Stuart Woods books I have read. I plan on reading many more from Michael Connelly. Great read, you won't be disappointed, trust me

I would recomend this book to anyone, it is fantastic and funny. It made me laugh. It really took my imagination on an adventure. You really need to read this book.

April of 1865 has been referred to as the month that saved America but April of 1861 may have been just as vital if not more so. It was during this time that Washington DC sat completely surrounded by two states that were teetering on the verge of secession. Once Virginia did leave the Union only Maryland provided the federal government with a connection to the rest of the nation and it was a tenuous connection at best. Abraham Lincoln was clearly out of his league in this early stage of the game and he leaned heavily on General Winfield Scott. For his part, Scott was keenly aware of the danger facing Washington and began to immediately call for any militia units that could get to DC quickly from loyal northern states. The problem was that these militia units would have to travel through Maryland, a slave state that might well consider these Yankee troops to be invaders and could easily be pushed into the Confederacy by such an affront to state sovereignty. It was also distinctly possible that these militia units might be attacked by not only the people of Maryland but also ultimately by the state militia. In the meantime Virginia forces had seized the federal armory at Harper's Ferry and the Gosport navy yard near Hampton Virginia. Rumors are rampant in DC that the Virginia militia that had taken Harper's Ferry was preparing to move on Washington and many in the Federal City were in a state of panic. The questions that arise from this drama involve the decision making process on both sides and the ultimate question is of course whether Washington DC was ever in any real danger. Did the Confederacy in fact lose it's only real chance for ultimate victory during this time period? David Detzer has done an admirable job in this book of not only bringing this evolving drama to life but also of answering these questions in a clear and concise manner. This book reads much like a great historical drama and the author's writing style is superbly readable. It is rare for the author of a history book to achieve such a sense of drama since the reader usually already knows the outcome. Detzer has accomplished this however and although I was keenly aware of what was about to happen at every turn I had a tough time putting the book down. This invigorating writing style is often derisively referred to as popular history but Detzer blows the sides off of that old mold by not only offering new information but also keen observations that cut directly to the heart of this eventful period of American history. No hero of American history is spared criticism when criticism is due and conversely even Ben Butler is praised when his actions merit it. This is the story of those fateful days of April and May of 1861 and it is a story that is well told by this supremely able author. This book is well researched, very well written and the story is told from the point of view of both governments as well as the lowliest private in the Pennsylvania militia. It is a story upon which the fate of the United States once turned