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When I ordered this book, I didn't know what to really think about in terms of how you can work with video and dance as a medium of expression. I opened the book and it really was a step-by-step process of how to make a video for dance. Simply amazing! A great read and absolutely fun to work with! | 1positive
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THIS WAS NOT THE MARY JANICE DAVIDSON I WAS EXPECTING EITHER AND I LOVE AND COLLECT ALL HER BOOKS....I WAS DISAPPOINTED. SOME PARTS OF THE STORIES WERE FUN AND WITTY BUT 90% WAS ALL SEX! AND FORCED SEX? FALLING IN LOVE WITH SOME ONE THAT RAPED YOU? THAT WASN'T WORKING FOR ME! I WAS ALSO SAYING HERE WE GO AGAIN, LAURELL K HAMILTONish (AND I LOVE ANITA BLAKE) SYNDROME...ANOTHER AUTHOR THAT I LOVE AND THEN SHE STARTED PUTTING OUT BOOKS WITH NO PLOT AND LOTS AND LOTS OF BANGING ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING THAT MOVES...... SEX DOES SELL BUT SO DOES GREAT WRITING! GET BACK TO MORE STORY!! | 0negative
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Have any of you ever seen the old movie version of this book?It's horribe!Bad soundtrack, it sounds like the they played a boombox with a junky cassete and dying cown on the set, don't buy the movie version. And he trys to kill his dog for warmth. | 0negative
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While Ms. Gilbert has a wonderful sense of humor, it is buried beneath self pity and complaining. Her story is a search for God which I believe may of us go through in our life. Unfortunately Gilbert's journey is rife with indulgent self analysis that few people can relate to.I know too many people that have faced and conquered truly life shattering events and not only survived but extablished a relationship with God that is remarkable.I read this book with my book club and I am eager to see if anyone has the same reaction as mine. | 0negative
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Turned out great! I have to say when my son first got this book to read as an English reading project I was very skeptical. I also read the book enjoyed it very much and highly recommend it to parents whose children will have to read it for school. It was very good! | 1positive
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I LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!!!! It's the coolest thing ever. It's easy to use. It's light. I read more now 2. I have nothing bad to say about the kindle. I just absolutely love it. | 1positive
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There is no doubt that the man formally known as Harry Houdini led an interesting life. Sprinkled throughout this book are reminders of such. And yet, the authors' compilation of all this facts contributes to this book's lack in interest. Events and stories are not told chronologically, which wouldn't normally be a problem if there were some sort of other ordering system in place. Instead, things appear to be thrown in haphazardly, making it hard to keep track of the many characters in Houdini's life. Relevance to time and situation are lost with this mish-mash of information. Also, while the authors' attempt to humanize a biography is nice, their interposed dialogue proves distracting and a bit unbelievable. I would rather they had stuck to the facts, and presented them in some sort of order.The book is enjoyable only insomuch as Houdini's life was fascinating. Too bad the complete effects of this interesting life are lost within the puzzle of pages. | 0negative
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Far too drawn out, poorly written- Not at all engaging or otherwise, this book brings on suicidal tendancies to it's unfortunate readers. The Bronte sisters are known for their works, notoriously boring and wholly uninteresting... Wuthering Heights was slightly reminiscent of a dark, boring soap opera, that made me long for the end of it... | 0negative
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I bought this book because of my interest in Kit Carson. The book is about so much more than Carson. If you want to learn how the west was settled then this book will add to what you allready know and give you new ideas of what to read next. A wonderful read that will make you think. | 1positive
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What a great read! Reminds me of the Janet Evanovich series ("One for the Money" etc.) starring another gutsy skirt (= broad), Stephanie Plum, but with an added historical dimension, a "film noir" quality, and 1940's sensibility (not even "R" rated). Loved the details on everyday life during WWII and the engaging use of the NY dialect to add a sense of grittiness and reality to the dialog. Hope this is just the first of many Faye Quick novels we have to look forward to! | 1positive
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I enjoyed the book. It was a little more intimate than I was expecting but it was not over the top. | 1positive
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Clearly, this book is a personal odyssey of Daniel Mendelson. An exhaustive journey of discovery of self by discovery of others, The Lost provides an amazing, wordy trip through many years, lives, and deaths. Intrigued a bit too late with a long lost great uncle and his family, Mendelsohn pulls no stops to find out what happened to them in the little town of Bochelow so many years ago. The results of his searching is painfully, exhaustively chronicled in this book.First, Mendelsohn's writing style in and of itself is exhausting. He leaves no word unturned as he writes, and from time to time, I just wanted to move on with the story and not weighed down by paragraph long sentences that read almost like a stream of conscience thought. Almost seeming 100 pages too long, this book's weight of pages sometimes tires from a weighty story that begs to be told.However, this aside, the story is superbly amazing. Mendelsohn manages to touch so many lives in his journey, in order to find the right number of keys to unlock the truth. Clearly, the web he weaves with his interest and questions brings much pain and light into those he asks. These people are beautifully photographed by his brother Matt, which thankfully break up the text and allow time to pause and reflect.Also allowing for reflection is Mendelsohn's ingenious use of the Old Testament scriptures and stories to illuminate his own journey. The parallels are amazing, and he clearly makes strong connections with the holy texts to his own life. Learning about Jewish interpretation of scriptures was an added joy to reading this book.This is an odyssey, and clearly, Mendelsohn is not the same person he was when he started; a little bit older, a lot bit wiser. His sharing of his story is remarkable, dense, and quite moving. For anyone interested in a story that personalizes dramatically the horror of the Holocaust, this is the book to read. | 1positive
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This book is excellent! It was so hard for me to put it down last night and go to bed. Its amazing what this book tells you! | 1positive
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That is exactly what this book made me want to do!! HORRIBLE from the start. I am an avid reader and this is the first time in my life that I could not finish a book that I started. I've read travel guides that were more interesting! | 0negative
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As a voracious reader/purchaser of books, I find this thing to be close to perfect. It's the first electronic device I've found that I enjoy reading as much as (maybe even more than) a printed book. When traveling, I've normally had to lug four or five books with me--now, I can carry far more than that in a 10-ounce device, and can switch from one book to another (and another, and another) when I'm bored. At home, I read this thing every day. Criticisms I've heard (design particularly) don't make any sense at all to me. ("Don't judge a book by its cover" comes to mind.) And I think the price, divided by the huge savings each time you buy a book, is well worth what you get over the long run. My only unhappiness so far is that there aren't enough old titles available for this thing...I'd like to get Kindle versions of my favorite books, the ones I like to reread repeatedly. | 1positive
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This book features three NY women, a Christian (Episcopalian), Jew, and Muslim who meet in the aftermath of 9/11 to create an interfaith dialogue. The book is in the first person, rotating between their viewpoints. Their initially warm-hearted intentions are almost derailed many times, as they discuss hot-button issues, including some political, and discover that their disagreements cannot easily be reconciled. They unearth stereotypes, and deeply embedded cultural and religious wounds, that they never knew they had, as they explore the history of their three religions, and its contemporary versions. These are three smart, well-educated women, and they hold no punches as they recount their journey together. It makes for compelling reading, and along the way, the reader learns plenty about these three religions that have come to dominate our social and political dialogues today. | 1positive
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I have never read any of the authors previous works and after this I probably will not.I hope that police work is never really as shoddy as it is in this book. The lead female character is all over the place and makes more and more ridiculous decisions/comments as the book progresses.The victim is not at all sympathetic and I found myself rooting AGAINST her almost the entire book.With an ending that feels like it came out of left field, you would be better not settling down to read this book. Save yourself some time. | 0negative
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In China, in 1944, in the waning days of WW2, a document was signed by Mao Tse Sung and witnessed by Lord Louis Nountbatten, on behalf of Winston Churchill. This document, the Chungking Covenant, guaranteed continued rights to the British to accupy Hong Kong for yet another 100 years. The plane on which Scottish Officer, Ian Campbell and the Covenant was flying, crashed but Campbell , barely alive, was rescued by his batman and returned to England, never to regain his wits.Fifty years later as the time approaches for the handover of Hong Kong to the Chinese, the now aged batman reveals the presence of the Covenant to be hidden somewhere in the grounds of Campbell's castle in the Highlands of Scotland and both British Intelligence forces and the Mafia, who hold huge interests in Hong Kong, are anxious to acquire the document. The Brits hire Sean Dillon, former IRA operative and general mercenary to many countries (but definitely an almost good guy) to act on their behalf and to vie with a mysterious American millionaire, to get the document. If you like action thrillers with plenty going on, you'll love this as I did...it would make a marvellous movie! | 1positive
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I received the Kindle as a birthday present. Part of the present was from Oprah Winfrey, whose largess got us a $50 discount, since I happened to be born during the week that she was touting Kindles! Anyway, the device works great, and the whispernet downloads are fascinating. The Kindle is lightweight (certainly no heavier than a paperback book), easy to see (and the ability to change fonts is a relief to aging eyes!) and fun to read with. I know I am hooked each time I reach up to turn the page, forgetting that there's a button to press to advance the text, not a real paper "page" to turn! It happens frequently! The technology does not interfere with the reading experience.An inadequately documented feature is the ability to turn off "full justification". When it's on (it was the default) the Kindle acts like a good word processor and stretches the line to fill the space, often placing huge spaces between a couple of words to fill the line and keep the right justification in place. If you press Alt-J when the font menu is showing, it adds the capacity to have the pages only left justified, with a "ragged" right margin, which I find is easier to read.Don't be put off by critics who don't like the placement of the "next page" bar; if you use the included leather cover, there is plenty of place to hold the Kindle without inadvertently turning pages.The "Experimental" basic web option works pretty well, although I haven't yet been able to retrieve my gmail from the Kindle (it says the page is not authorized -- by whom? It's my mail!). I can imagine situations where I would like to look up concepts or aspects of a book I am reading without getting up and turning on the computer. The built-in dictionary works very well.I tried to put some jpg pictures on the Kindle and crashed it. Amazon Customer Service was very responsive and had me reset the Kindle with no residual problem. When I e-mailed a photo to Amazon for conversion to the Kindle format, it worked just fine. The ability to see illustrations on the Kindle is a feature I wasn't expecting, but it is great. I don't mind that the pictures are only in black and white. I have not tried audio books or mp3 tracks yet, so I cannot comment on those.Finally, if the features of the Kindle Version 2 are accurately rumored, I'm glad I have Version 1. I like to recharge the battery with an electric outlet rather than USB, and I like the SD card slot for extra storage. If Amazon removes those features from Version 2, it will not be a step forward, in my opinion.All in all, this is a really miraculous invention. I know there are other e-readers out there, but the whispernet connection is nothing short of amazing. Sort of puts the "amaz" in Amazon! | 1positive
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First of all, this review is slightly biased. I'm a junior in high school and was assigned to read Return of the Native for english class. Maybe I would enjoy it more if I had picked it up on my own, but I'm not so sure. So, I'll try to be as objective as possible. My single biggest problem with Return of the Native is its damned wordiness. Hardy is somehow able to say so much without saying anything at all. This is understandable, if you know the history of the book. It was a Victorian novel - meaning it was published as a serial. As such, Hardy was paid by the word. Therefore, he uses A LOT of words. Hey, everyone has to make a buck. Quick example - One entire chapter is devoted to a physical description of one character. Please... The writing is not bad. At times, Hardy's descriptions are quite beautiful. The problem is, when you turn the page you're still reading the same beautiful description. Then a few paragraphs later that beautiful description persists in its beautiful descriptiveness. Eventually it gets to the point where you want to take that beautiful description and pound it over the head with its own bloated leg. Hardy also loves those allusions -- I can't tell if he's trying to write a novel or impress me with his trivial knowledge of Greek mythology. The plot could use some work as well... it's really just a convoluted boy meets girl story, with no deep meaning hidden underneath. Hardy's supposedly a realist when it comes to human nature, but in the end, the "good" characters find happiness and the "bad" characters get what's coming to them. Not quite as realistic as I might like... Most of the characters annoyed me... except Diggory Venn, he's the man. If you want a good boy-meets girl story that reveals something about human nature skip Return of the Native and read the Great Gatsby. It has one third the length but three times the impact. And it's just as beautiful. | 0negative
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Good writing is invisible. One should never have to re-read a sentence unless it is to savour the beauty of the words. Justin Evan's A Good and Happy Child is an example of such writing. The first third of the book flowed so easily into my brain I hardly knew I was reading. After that, however, the narrative took a particular turn and I lost interest completely.The book is about George Davies who is unable to hold his newly born son. His therapist asks him to write about his childhood in Preston, Virginia the story of which forms the bulk of the book. Soon after the death of his father, an academic, George began to have night visions which he welcomed at first, having felt a benign presence that he called his "Friend". Later the visions become ominous however. George is advised by his father's friends (Tom Harris, Uncle Freddie and Clarissa) that he is not mentally ill but rather possessed by a demon as his father was, an idea to which George's liberal, educated mother Joan is vehemently opposed.Do demons exist? That is the question at the heart of this book. If you don't believe in them then this book will not engage you at all because it lacks ambiguity. The author is forever pitting the two camps of the supernatural versus medical science against one another but early in the book I thought the storyline quite clearly followed the view that George was possessed. It no longer fascinates, therefore, as the author has answered his own question rather than letting the reader do the work. Neither does the book work on the level of a gripping thriller after that. I found the exorcism scenes boring and ineffectual with as little intensity as those of a B horror movie.Other members of my book club who do believe in demonic possession didn't like it either. It's a pity I think because this is obviously an intelligent, insightful writer. I will be interested to see what he writes next. Check out the movie Donnie Darko for a much more compelling, multi-layered and suspenseful example of the genre. | 0negative
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This book is applicable whatever size business you happen to run, but it's particularly important for small business owners who want to grow their companies.The authors do a great job of outlining why declaring the ideas you stand for is critical to your small business success. Without a sense of purpose - that passion to do what it is you do ever day that infects every single area of your life - not only will you be miserable, your business will suffer as a result.This book is filled with concrete examples of how the companies the authors profiled have done just that.A key message they bring out that I haven't heard many people mention in regard to Mavericks at Work is that it's often "the road not taken" that determines your success. Being able to pass on short term opportunities to stay focused on your long-term mission takes guts and determination, but ultimately was a critical factor in the success of the companies they interviewed.Small business owners: get this bok and read it with a highlighter, pen and paper in hand. The future is going to look very different - consider this a lucky peek behind the Web 2.0 curtain and a wake up call if you aren't already implementing a Web 2.0 strategy for your company. | 1positive
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Am I the only reader who felt that Ms. Reichl's fascination with disguises bordered on creepiness? Perhaps I'm naive, but is theatrical make-up, a wig and a new wardrobe absolutely required in order to mask the identity of a newspaper food critic? Did it sound perhaps like Ms. Reichl had perhaps a bit too much time on her hands? Was it absolutely necessary that she create long and detailed lies to tell complete strangers (the manicurist and unsuspecting dining companion Dan Green)simply to write a compelling restaurant review? I think not. It seems she simply enjoyed playing dress up and putting one over on everyone.All in all, I couldn't get past the author's odd behavior to appreciate her talent as a food critic. While I did enjoy Tender At The Bone, this is certainly a book I would skip. As another reviewer here mentioned, many parts of it felt contrived, exaggerated and perhaps, with Ms. Reichl's penchant for creating an elaborate ruse, simply untrue. | 0negative
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I did not find any useable information in this book. I did, however, find a lot of fluff and hype between ideas that have been around for years. Why are trading books like this written?I recommend instead "Evidence-Based Technical Analysis" by David Aronson. That book has measurably helped my trading. | 0negative
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When I first heard about the release of the Kindle, I wondered, "Why would anyone want that?" Now, after carrying a Kindle everywhere with me during the past week, I'm a convert. I can't believe how easy it is to whip it out and start reading, with my place saved, whenever I have a few minutes. Even better, if I finish a book, I can turn on the wireless function, even when I'm not in a hot spot, and download a new book in less than a minute.The screen is gray with black type to address complaints about early e-readers causing eyestrain and to give the Kindle the look of paper. I would have liked a brightness or contrast function to adjust it in different lighting situations; for this reason, you might want to purchase a reading light to go with it. The type can be adjusted from small to large, six sizes in all, which makes it perfect for people who need larger type, especially since large type books can be more expensive and more difficult to find than standard ones. With a Kindle, it all costs the same and is equally available. You can also download and listen to audiobooks, although the titles are more limited.As others have noted, the most annoying design issue is the large buttons on either side of the screen which are easy to inadvertently push, thus losing your page as you handle the Kindle. I do like that the buttons are positioned for both lefties and righties; they are just too big. Of course, this disadvantage is also an advantage when reading since flipping pages takes little effort.Potential buyers should also realize that not all books can be downloaded, nor does the purchase of an electronic version of a book give you the ability to also read it on paper. Unless you read only best sellers, you will still want to buy real books, just not as often.The Kindle provides the biggest advantage when traveling, as it allows you to take several books on vacation without weighing down your luggage. It also saves space on the bookshelf, although, with limited memory capacity, you can't browse, say, the titles of a hundred of your books the way you can scan your shelves.All in all, this is an excellent device that mimics the look of a real book.-- Debbie Lee Wesselmann | 1positive
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Boring, repetitive, indulgent, no concrete advice or solutions, endless anecdotes that he manages to maker all about him. For the first time in my life I am going to throw a book away so I don't subject anyone else to this drivel. Utter rubbish, don't bother.I just lost 3 days of my life. | 0negative
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This book was sheer fun. I have not read a romantic style book in a while and this was a nice lead off. It was totally unbelievable but the characters and situations keep me going just to see what would happen next.Hope you enjoy! | 1positive
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i enjoyed this book before reading it on my kindle and ienjoyed even better now .......i think once you have a wide imagination and you are into fatasy books 'YOU 'LL LOVE THIS BOOK! | 1positive
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I totally agree with Kayla Green's October 31 review.I'll be generous by giving the book 2 stars for it's concept. I was looking for dark fantasy material beyond my fixation with vampires and werewolves, and I thought a book about modern dragons would be just what I wanted.I don't need to repeat what Ms Green said about the book, read her review, as she summarized my thoughts exactly.I'm just glad I bought it in paperback, so it wasn't that much of a loss. I recommend not to spend money on it. Just borrow it from the library; I've donated my copy already. | 0negative
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Above all what I loved about this book was how all the characters came together and were somehow related in some surprising way. The book was very well written. I had to read this book for school and I'm glad that I was forced to or I might never have chosen to read this book. The language was very understandable unlike some other books I've read from that time period. I really recommend it. | 1positive
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"Little Heathens: Hard Times and High Spirits on an Iowa Farm During the Great Depression" is one of the most entertaining books I've read in a long time. Just the title made me suspect the book would be enjoyable, but I identified greatly with it as it reminded me of my growing up on an Iowa farm in the 1950's. While we had running water, indoor plumbing, and the team of horses were gone by the time I was nine, the labor, seasons, and lifestyle had not changed. We still had gardening, canning, butchering, baking, and meals to prepare for harvest help. In retrospect, I would not give up those years for anything. The work ethic and family oriented goals were invaluable. | 1positive
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If you think books on selling are all about sleaze and snake oil, you'll find "Win the Crowd" a refreshing change. Cohen, "The Millionaires' Magician," explains many of the secrets of his profession, in easy bites like "How to Command a Room" and "Magic Words." Yet "Win the Crowd" isn't gimmicky; I work with this select clientele too (I'm a high-end real-estate agent) and I appreciated a book that was full of well-thought-out tips and practical advice rather than cheap tricks. (Don't worry, there's plenty of magic and wonder too). A great holiday gift. | 1positive
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This is one of the most emotionally powerful books I have ever read. It's long and the writing style is a bit wordy by today's standards, but stick with it and you will be rewarded. The story centers on poor, innocent, good-hearted, beautiful Tess who, at age sixteen, is persuaded by her parents to visit their wealthier relatives in hopes that they will help Them out financially. Tess gets taken advantage of by her sleazy "cousin", Alec d'Urberville, and returns home pregnant, her reputation ruined. Thus begins Tess's sad, sad tale. Tess eventually marries Angel Clare, a man she idolizes, but on their wedding night.... Well, I'll let you read it for yourself and find out what happen. The story really picks up in the second half, so don't give up on it.Tess, Alec, and Angel are all complex and fascinating characters. The story deals with issues of religion, morality, class differences, the changing English economy, and the double standard that pertains to men and women. It never loses its focus on Tess and her incredibly moving story. It builds to a devastating conclusion that I never saw coming. Have a box of tissues and a carton of ice cream at the ready when you finish this book. You'll need them! | 1positive
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The WSJ is more than print edition, more than online. Not worth the cost and not as good. No upside, cancelled. | 0negative
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Great product, the service was right on time and I greatly appreciated how the product was as it was advertised | 1positive
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Malcolm Gladwell did a great job explaining thin-slicing. His examples were very memorable and easy to connect with for the most part. I couldn't put this book down! I am going into education and find this book really interesting on how we can set up schema's and think so quickly. In this book I found out just how important our unconsciousness is. This book is great if you want to learn about how we have a reason for something but can't really explain it. It is also great if you are one of those people with a gut feeling and have no real reason for it. I would recommend this book to anyone. I want to read the tipping point I hope that it will be just as entertaining as blink! | 1positive
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Purchaces a kendle for xmas - kindle will not hold charge for 8 hours. contacted amazon was told to buy higher priced cover - 10 days later kindle still will not hold charge for 8 hours. Amazon wanted to charge for second Kindle - Now I'm stuck with poor product - then I learn this morning two other people I know here in Omaha also pruchased a kindle they two have the same problem that their kindle will not hold charge and amazon has will fix problem. This is just absolut crap that we have a company ripping people with this poor product. | 0negative
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This is the third Tiffany Aching novel. It is my favorite of the three, though Wee Free Men and A Hat Full of Sky were both great reads. As the father of a daughter about Tiffany's age, I was delighted to find a story in which the female protaganist is bright, resourceful and stands at the beginning of her teenage years. It is a story that all young women should be encouraged to read. The Nac Mac Feegles, Granny Weatherwax and other witches all participate in getting things sorted out when Winter takes a fancy for Tiffany. | 1positive
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I am interested in the concept of the Kindle, but it is way tooo expensive a device for my reading needs. I read on average about three books a month, along with newspapers and magazines. I do most of my reading on mass transportation, whether waiting or riding. I suppose I will continue borrowing and buying paper reading material. | 0negative
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For some reason I couldn't make any sense of this book. It quickly gave me a headache and I had to stop reading. Even thinking about this book makes my brain feel all twisted up. I've noticed manipulative people tend to put a lot of emotional energy behind vague and confusing words and I think that may be what's going on with this book. | 0negative
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This is an early Tim Dorsey book. Not anywhere close to his later standard. The two main characters (Serge and Coleman) are there, but almost unrecognizable from the later books: Coleman is still in an alcohol/chemical fog, but Serge is more murderous and far less likeable and enjoyable. Dorsey, in this book, does explain that "Coleman" is not his real name, but a nickname from an incident from childhood involving his drunken father. It explains a lot, in that respect. I'm almost finished with this book, and I'm glad for it. Ready to get on with Dorsey's later, greater stuff. | 0negative
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Eve is one incredibly tough and sexy police lieutenant in NY City and I want her to move to Virginia and have my baby. Eve won't back down from anyone and she has everything this male dreams about...smarts, strength, looks, and is an animal in the bedroom in two very sexy scenes without being pornagraphic. Nora Roberts is an incredible writer and really makes you feel for the characters and root for Eve. This was my first book in the series and I can't wait to join the sexy lady cop as she kicks butt in the other books. | 1positive
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The Boleyn Inheritance was my second Philippa Gregory book and I enjoyed it even more than the first (The Other Boleyn Girl). I loved seeing how things panned out, depending on which side of the fence the narrator was on, and I really felt like I knew the characters and their motivation by the end. The end just came too soon for me. I'd have liked it to carry on and on, especially Anne's part.Anne's and Katherine's chapters were more entertaining than Jane's but that's probably because Jane's chapters/thoughts/narration were primarily about her own self inflicted torment and delusions over her husband's and Anne Boleyn's betrayal. Her narrative had a definite air of madness about it as the story progressed. By the end she was a broken woman and I don't doubt she was as mad as box of frogs. I don't pity her though.....well, not much anyway.I love that I feel I know these women a little better now (albeit in a fictional way) and will look out for other fictional works which cover the Tudors.King Henry was vividly repulsive in the pages, to the point where I swear I could smell the supporating wound on his leg every time I opened the pages. At best he was delusional, at worst he was a maniac and I wonder how anyone could bear to be around him.All in all it's a great read, I just hope I can find a worthy bedtime read to replace it, now it's finished. That's the worst part of a good book.....it's over too soon. | 1positive
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Barack Obama's first book, though autobiographical, reads like a novel. I wanted to know what makes this man tick, and this book painted a straightforward and fascinating picture. After having been the first black President of Harvard Law Review, Obama wrote this book the year following his graduation from law school. I plan to buy another paperback to send to my Mom. It's a great way to learn a lot about what's behind this remarkable, historic figure who has drawn millions of people into the political process -- young and old, men and women, all races, even all over the world. Next, I'm going to read Audacity of Hope!! | 1positive
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I, like many other LKH fans, couldn't wait for this book to finally be released. And like many sat down and read it as fast as I could. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. Where did Anita go? Throughout the series she has evolved to a stronger character, both in her police/fed marshall side and the metaphysical side. But in this book the 'cop' diappeared... Where was her gun? The entire book is held in Jean-Claude's space under the circus and was based on her developing 'abilities'. As I was reading I felt like the 'real' Anita would show herself soon, but at the end I thought Anita was portrayed as a whiny child who couldn't do anything for herself... And the sex - I felt like 3/4 of the book was sex -with new people she just met or a group.... Definitely not Anita's style unless in an immergency, not because she was pissed. But to end this review, I feel like if you have kept with the series you have to read this book so you aren't lost on the next, but don't expect much... Sorry LKH. | 0negative
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As others have indicated, this feed features a great deal of quality content at a fair price.It does seem to have problems re-syncing after my wireless has gone offline for a period. To get it started again, restart the Kindle (Home > Menu > Settings > Menu, select "Restart."). | 1positive
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Jeff Hobbs is not a bad writer. The Tourists, however, is a really bad book. Not once while reading this book did I actually give a damn about any of the four main characters--the unnamed narrator, the gorgeous Ethan Hoevel, the robotic David Taylor, or the ludicrously dubbed Samora. The narrator professes to have loved the shallow (but apparently irresistable) Samora Ashley since their Yale years, but instead of pursuing his goddess, he embarks--of course--on a summer-long sexual affair with his gay buddy Ethan. He then--in bed no less--breaks Ethan's heart [not that we've been given any reason to believe he has one] by professing he's really straight (details of their boy-boy sex are tastefully absent--referred to obliquely as if it would be too unbelievable to describe a straight guy squealing in ectasy under his gay pal or acknowledging that this lust is just as real, if not more real, than his unrequited lust for Samora). I won't continue with this--too depressing, but Hobb's flimsy cut-outs of human shapes should not be compared to Ellis, Hemingway, or (Jesus!) Fitzgerald, but with the doodlings of Collins, Suzanne, and Steele. | 0negative
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I had a hard time finishing this book. I am dissapointed b/c I love the 1st book in the series. The hero is angry and a little to weak (emotionally) for my taste. The heroine is the worst. She is too emotional and sappy. Granted she did have cancer, but her character really had no back bone. Just not a good read overall. Yes, the sex scene was good, but other than that, nothing. I mean how can you get into the sex scenes when the heroine is skinny and all weak from the cancer???? | 0negative
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I purchased a kindle 1 13 months ago. It has died. Customer service advises that since it is out of warranty by a month they will be happy to replace it for $180. At the sme time it required two emails and one phone call to get a meaningful however negative response.I would certainly check out theeir competition seriously before throwing yourself in harms way.Van Gott | 0negative
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We took our new Kindle on an eleven day cruise from Dover, UK to New York. What a joy it was. While the ship's library was a joke, the Kindle was a delight. I'd loaded all of Shakespeare, Mark Twain, Thoreau, Sherlock Holmes and a couple of contemporary books as well. What a movable feast that was. The Kindle worked perfectly, faithfully kept my place and more than lived up to its prior billing. The only minor criticism I have: the cover is a bit awkward and didn't hold the Kindle well (a replacement will probably work better though a strip of velcro did the trick on the trip).Bottom line: For the inveterate reader, a joy to behold and to read! | 1positive
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The book is absolutely fascinating. I just started reading it 2 days ago and am half way through it but the publisher left out some very significant stuff. For example: where are all the pictures that go with the material?? Nowhere to be found!!!! They've also omitted several passages from the text! How much? I have no idea! They break off in mid sentence to give notes and never come back to the sentence they were on!!!I strongly recomend picking this book up just not from bibliobazar | 0negative
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This is nothing more than a rehashment of other books, articles,, gossip, rumor, facts previously known, etc. A tabloid Hollywood work. Really not worth any low price. Anderson is not known as a classy writer of Hollywood biographies. When Streisand pointed out an error regarding her sister's wedding, Anderson retorted with, "That's one small error." Streisand says that she will not go into further errors, so we will not knowhow many others there are for sure, but I bet there are quite a few. Leave it on the shelf. | 0negative
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Maybe I've just read too many post-apocalyptic stories since my sci-fi immersion growing up in the 50s and 60's but I just can't see what other people find fascinating in this novel. I found it grindingly boring, unimaginative, repetitive, and ultimately derivative. I normally enjoy reading award winning novels (Booker, Pulitzer, Pen-Faulkner, etc.) so it's not as if my tastes run to graphic novels and comic books. This book should be re-titled 'The Load'. | 0negative
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Tres pratique. Le nombre de mots pour chaque article est ecrit au debut. Ca m'empeche de m'encombrer avec un grand journal et c'est moins cher ! En esperant que d'autres suivront le meme exemple. | 1positive
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I am a 63 year old mother of four. I started reading this book because my youngest daughter urged me t.o. Also I voted for Hillary in the primary and wanted to know more about the man who beat her. I was by turns touched frightened fascinated and healed. Even though I am a white woman his story reminded me of my own experience with disenfranchisement guilt and purposelessness. In critiquing his writing I must say he managed the right mix of storytelling and reflection like my favorite books of meditations. In fact I may use the book in that way once I figure out some of th Kindle highlighting and footnote features.Many of his stories struck a chord. His mothers words are words Ive heard from my own parents and used on my own children. His reckless escapades recall my own childhood and my childrens. His feelings about white power structures remind me of arguments with black friends in the sixties. I thought I got it then but now thanks to this book I know I did not. I thank the author for sharing his painful journey from cynicism and near despair to understanding and hope. I am next going to read how he plans to turn his hopes for our ailing society and economy into reality. I recommend this book to anyone of any race or culture who seeks to understand a difficult or absent parent. | 1positive
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This is just another thesis presented without sufficient sampling. Many authors go through maybe a few hundred letters and then declare they know what every person thought and felt almost 150 years ago. This, of course, would not pass our standards for polling data today, so why do we eat it up when so-called "historians" do it? It is academically dishonest and intellectually lazy.Manning, and authors like her, have admitted before that the samplings are not actually representative of the armies themselves. Most people writing the letters were educated and came from better backgrounds -- white collar upbringing as opposed to poor farmers' sons. Officers are more likely to be represented than enlisted men. This means you are more likely to see Union soldiers (educated) waxing poetic about issues, but you are also more likely to see Confederate soldiers supporting slavery (slaveholders' sons). This does not present a fair picture.Now, is Manning entirely wrong? We have no way of knowing for sure. It is doubtful that there will ever be enough letters found from enough individuals to provide a truly clear picture of the day. There are cases on both sides that would directly contradict Manning and similar authors, but they simply ignore such findings. This, again, is academically dishonest and intellectually lazy. A historian's job is to present the best possible picture based on what is available, but you should never claim to have a definitive picture when you clearly don't.Manning has written articles for various Civil War magazines where she seems to assume every possible issue is race- and slavery-related when a Southern person wrote it. If they said they are fighting for their homes, they really meant to say to protect their homes from slaves. If they didn't own slaves, they really fought to have the chance to own slaves. If they said they wanted to protect their families, they really meant to say they were worried their wives and children would be raped by slaves. Of course, this is academically dishonest and intellectually lazy (detecting a pattern?). You cannot automatically assign perceived intent to someone from 150 years ago because of your own bias against them. Manning does this, however, and is not questioned.I have ancestors that fought on both sides of the war. My Union ancestors were from a state that passed a law barring free blacks from entering the state for more than 15 days and also reserved the right to sell black people w/o proper papers into indentured servitude (slavery by another name) -- Illinois. My Confederate ancestors never owned any slaves, and their French families had been in Louisiana before there was a United States, much else a Confederate States.Am I supposed to believe my Union ancestors fought and sometimes even died out of a need to free the blacks when their own state hated the black race as official policy?Am I supposed to believe my Confederate ancestors fought and sometimes even died to protect an institution they took no part in?Manning is free to present her thesis, but she crosses the line when she tries to present her work as definitive as she has done in numerous articles. Her sampling is relatively minuscule, a tiny drop of rain on a vast ocean of knowledge. She can in no honest way claim to know what the majority of men thought on either side.Academically dishonest and intellectually lazy. | 0negative
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It is really difficult to understand how such a poorly constructed book would receive critical acclaim. Improbable events occur on a regular basis...people are casually murdered just so the author does not to explain a box he has written himself into.Do not read this under any circumatances. | 0negative
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My wife got her Kindle 2 last week. Neither of us are exactly computer experts. While trying to adjust the font size and change the registered owner, because it was a gift, she accidentally ordered a book! She called and they gladly removed it. The other day, my son, who is 16 and very technically inclined, accidentally ordered a book also! Here on Amazon, it is very difficult to purchase anything by accident. When I asked the phone rep about removing the credit card info so that it would have to be entered every time, they said that it wasnt possible. When I asked about having it ask for a password, like here on Amazon, I was told that was also not possible. When I asked about password protecting the Kindle, like our laptop, again, not possible. Does anyone else see this as a problem? She hasnt really tried to actually read a book on it yet, so we cant comment on how it works. I can say that for $359, it should have included a case and a light. All in all, so far, not great. | 0negative
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a simple plan is an exciting book.its full ofsuspense and mystery.its about two brothers and a friend who find 4 million dollars in a downed plane.the pilot is dead and they suspect the money to be the result of a crime so they take the money but agree to hold on to it till they discover the plane and forget about it.they start distrusting each other and things fall apart.a simple plan shows us how regular people will go to extremes cause of greed towards money.its a well written book that should keep you intrested. | 1positive
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There were a few things that bothered me about The River Knows. First the story just seemed to grope along at a snail's pace. I didn't find to many parts in the story that kept me in suspense, which is unusual for Amanda Quick. She always seemed to have knack for blending, suspense, romance and humor with characters that you enjoy. I've always enjoyed Amanda Quick and normally the heroine is strong, with a mysterious flare, but this book sort of let me down. But despite these criticisms, I still thought the book was a worthwhile read and I'll continue to buy her books. | 1positive
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Political consultant Talia Marchand has come along way from her poverty stricken childhood as she hobnobs with US senators. Talia's prime ambition is to never go back to the Louisiana Parish that she despairingly once called home. The only positive thing from her school days was her friendship with Derrick Guillory, but she fled him as much as she did her hometown of Rougon the first chance she could.Derrick arrives in DC and using his investigative skills easily finds Talia. Though he still desires the woman who was his first love, he knows she will never reveal that she wants him too because he represents her dark past. Still Derrick persuades her to come home in order to take care of personal responsibilities even as he has a secret agenda to convince her that they belong together.ALL I WANT FOREVER is an engaging ethnic romance filled with a strong love story supported by subplots involving murder and drugs. The story line retains a serious undertow, but insures that the romance remains pivotal, taking the front and center position throughout the tale. Though Derrick is an intriguing hunk, perhaps a bit too perfect, and the support cast adds depth especially to the subplots, this novel is owned in every sense by the complex Talia. Her negative feelings about her heritage has propelled her into making a success out of her professional life, but distrusting anything personal including Derrick. Lynn Emery provides a strong tale that focuses on the theme that a person has no choice but to go home because the adult is the result of the child.Harriet Klausner | 1positive
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Our new Kindle 2 had a software problem.For instance, if you turn off your Kindle 2 with a full battery or partly filled battery, next time you try to use your Kindle 2 the battery will be dead. We often put our Kindle 2 on the dining room table where it is untouched by anyone. after a few hours or less it will turn itself on and run the battery down.WE ARE NOW ON OUR 4TH KINDLE 2now here is where we get cheated. We paid full price for a new Kindle 2. We just learned that our replacement Kindle 2 units are used or refurbished units. One would think that you would get a replacement of equal value.THIS WILL BE OUR LAST KINDLE | 0negative
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I love my kindle, it goes everywhere with me. It easily slips into my bag and I can read at anytime or anywhere. I love surfing the kindle store at night or day. If there is a book I want, I can have it in seconds. I don't have to wait to get it. I like that I can try a sample before I buy a book. I am hoping that the Kindle library will increase significantly to include more Christian authors. | 1positive
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If you are a Jew, Islamist Christian or just somebody that appreciates accurate history and science, than this book will be offensive to you. I encourage you to read it for yourself to see what I mean, but you will not want your children to read it.Depending on the maturity of your children, this book could be used as a tool to teach your children correctly. Here's how: get a pencil and draw a line through every sentence you disagree with. Tell you child why you have done this and let them read it. After each chapter go through the marked parts and tell them what you believe to be the truth. | 0negative
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While I can't say that I'm overly fond of much of Lovecraft's actual work, the ideas that he created - namely the named and nameless horrors that exist just beyond what we perceive as reality - have intrigued me for years. So when I heard in a very roundabout way of the existence of Stross' works down that road*, I decided to take a trip to the library and see what was what.I'm really glad that I did; the book was fantastic. The title "story" (which I believe was initially the book entirely before the second bit got added) takes a little while to get going, but the explanation at the beginning is really worth it as the events start to unfold. By the time "The Atrocity Archive" was finished, I was estatic to see that there was more book to read in the form of the much shorter "Concrete Jungle."The events in "CJ" move along at a much brisker pace owing to the previous introduction of all the necessary characters, and even though didn't quite contain as much action as "AA," I thought it was the more riveting story.The weirdness of the book is balanced quite nicely with a helping of humor; not quite as black as that found as 'John Dies at the End,' but along the same vein of "weird things are DAMN weird."A fantastic read and I eagerly anticipate enjoying the further exploits of the characters.*The creation of a role-playing game called 'The Laundry RPG' based on Stross' works. | 1positive
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I read numerous romance novels and this was not so great. I don't think it's so wild and wicked that you make love the day before you get married. Oh, the scandal [sarcasm]. It also didn't seem to move along very well. It definately wasn't a page-turner. | 0negative
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He acted like a cheesie sales man of his own book of lies, Than a president of a so called sovereign nation..(Rogue state)..as per state department..This book is not worth of a penny.. | 0negative
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As an American-Muslim, it was not surprising to see another distorted perspective of Islam from a non-Islamic person. Reading the chapter on Islam basically reinforced my views that Islam as a religion is totally misunderstood in the West. It is about time we start looking into this religion more carefully as a belief, and not as an enemy. Author's bias against Islam cames accross clearly and he should have been more carefull in that regard. | 0negative
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This book approaches consumer boycotts from an academic perspective. Meaning that it is not the easiest of reads and it is definitely not a "how-to" book. On the other hand it should be helpful to those interested in looking at different strategic approaches to be used in different situations. I think my two biggest complaints are that there are not summaries of each chapter and that the history of boycotts is attached at the end of the book.I teach Business Administration at the University of Southern Mississippi and was interested in the how-to's of boycotts. While the internet is filled with pages on how-to organize boycotts there is precious little info on what makes for EFFECTIVE boycotts. One Size does NOT Fit All!This book fills that gap by providing stories of past boycotts, how they were organized, and describing their effectiveness. My favorite story in Friedman's book was of Rev. Don Wildmon's attempts to clean up television programming and how he backed into an extremely effective method of keeping the targets of the boycott a secret (be advised this only worked because of the size of his operation and some unusual factors that he was not in control of). Wildmon's response to the TV networks claims of "censorship" is the basis for all consumer boycotts in a free society.From a lay reader perspective, I would recommend that any reader avoid reading the book in order. Rather, read the book's first chapter (definitions), second chapter (factors affecting success), last chapter (historical perspective on tactics) and then the rest of the book or the parts that you feel are most applicable to your situation.I also recommend reading each chapter and then making a summary of what you learned (on index cards would probably be best) so that you don't have to re-read the entire book at a later date looking for the parts that are interesting to you.It may seem that I am nit-picking this book to death, but Forewarned is Fore-armed. Aside from the drawbacks I have described, there aren't many other choices for those considering boycotts to consult that have the breadth of Friedman's book. It is an important contribution to the study of various types of consumer boycotts and their effectiveness and will likely be the standard text on the subject for at least a decade. | 1positive
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Blink is a fun read, full of interesting anecdotes presented in Gladwell's typical writing style--threaded together from one to the next, like one big dinner party discussion. And if this is all one expects, it is enough. But Blink also tries to make an argument, and the weakness of that argument ultimately spoils the book.For anyone who's read Gladwell's writings in The New Yorker, Blink will be familiar in its off-beat focus on, well, whatever. Having previously written on such diverse subjects as the appeal of ketchup and job interviewing, Gladwell seems to be merely presenting a collection of stories about "thin slicing", as he calls it--the ability of people to make snap judgements. But in fact, Gladwell tries to convince the reader of the latent power of the brain's "thin slicer", to show that deliberation, logic, and carefully conscious thinking can, in fact, be drawbacks. It is here that Blink falls apart.First, Gladwell is never really clear on what his definition of "thin slicing" is--some vague form of intuition, of course, but past that he focuses very little on what, neurologically, he actually believes is going on. Instead, he sticks to these anecdotes, which, in fact, frequently don't really help his case.In fact, Blink could be forgiven for a little bit of vagueness--as a pop author, Gladwell knows his readers don't want heavy science and dry evidence collecting. But the skewed, unconvincing, often contradictory evidence presented by his anecdotes is sometimes unforgivable. For example, he presents, at one point, the story of a professor so skilled at reading facial expressions that, just by looking at a few frames of video, he could identify the members of a peaceful South American tribe as easy going, while he picked out members of a warrior tribe with a tradition of homosexuality as violent people with "much evidence to suggest homosexuality." Are we really expected to take this story as proof that one can identify violent traits, not to mention sexual habits, merely from facial expressions?Gladwell sticks to his pop-science in many of his other anecdotes, eschewing unbaised accounts and empirical evidence in favor of interesting stories and, even, interpreting each account to uniformly support his hypothesis (careful readers of the Cook County Hospital story can be forgiven for wondering if this doesn't in fact disprove the power of intuition).Understandably, Gladwell doesn't want to author a dry book of psychology that will sit on shelves in university libraries, but he owes it to the reader to get his facts straight and hold himself to the same standards as, well, real scientists. Read this book if you need to pick up some conversation starters. Don't bother if you want to learn anything concrete. | 0negative
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Nothing new and not even funny (which seems to be the main intent). Much too focused on generalizing about women's flaws and how these supposedly limit chances for relationships.This book won't change your life--or even provide a good laugh. (The irony that neither author is him/her-self successful in maintaining a long-term relationship seems lost on both of these "advice-givers"). Not recommended. | 0negative
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I truly can't understand what the excitement was all about with this book. This book is full of self absorbed drivel where the author carried on, and on, and on... about the demise of her marriage throughout the entire novel. I couldn't sympathise with her as the break up didn't appear to be that bad.I felt embarassed for her in the way she carried on about herself as though it was the worst thing in the world when outside the ashram in India was total poverty. Honestly don't waste your time or money on this drivel. | 0negative
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I love my Kindle! I live in a RV and am limited on space. My husband was tired of hauling a tub of books around for me so he bought me my Kindle. I flew to my sister's and didn't have to pack half a suitcase for my books. It's so user-friendly that even a senior citizen (like me!) can use it! | 1positive
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Victoria Fontaine's mischievous nature and brilliant, biting wit have scandalized the ton...and earned her the nickname "Vixen." But her reputation pales before the infamous Lord Althrope's, known as "Lord Sin." The years Sinclair Grafton spent on the Continent have done nothing to quell the rumors about his past. And when the stunning Vixen and the handsome rogue find themselves momentarily alone at an elegant gala, their passion gets the best of them.Caught by Victoria's father in a shockingly sensual kiss, Sin and Vixen have no recourse except a wedding. At first the very liberal lady relishes the thought of an unfettered marriage to an indifferent, unrepentant scoundrel. But she suspects there is more to this enigmatic, remarkable man, that his rakish persona is merely a pose. And after one unforgettable night of ecstasy, Lady Vixen is determined to unmask the true Sin...to satisfy a passionate heart that craves far more than freedom. | 1positive
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I think that this book was superb, not just because it's a classic but because of it's morals and it's story of young Pip and how he goes through many many adventures and many wonderful happenings in his life. That's why of course it's called Great Expectations - the title tells all | 1positive
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I expected a lot from this book.I was very disappointed.And to think I read it to the last letter.Sure,it speaks about about the fate of a woman in the 18th cenetury,a very rare thing in those times,because nobody cared about poor women or independent women(a ridiculous notion then)or "bad" women and why they became bad.But,it is not good literature.Almost half of it is an inventory of the things she (Mall)stole,robbed,cheated ... If it were a 150 pages shorter,it would have been a much better book.Save your time and energy for a much better book,and there are many of those! | 0negative
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The book is (at best) a third rate utopian hack job, that maybe has some interest for those who have a special interest in utopian lit. | 0negative
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I read Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen. I thought the book was very good. Austen portrays Elinor and Marianne very well. She shows the love and friendship and the jealously of two sisters. She shows how one sister can be in love and the other is trying to find the bad in that person.In the beginning, Elinor finds someone she really likes and Marianne trys to find the bad in him, like he doesn't like drawing and Elinor does. Marianne is just jealous that her sister has found someone and she hasn't found anyone yet. Marianne wants Edward, Elinor's boyfriend. Elinor and Edward don't last that long anyway because they move to Barton Park.The Miss Dashwood's cousin, Sir John Middleton, writes them a letter and invites them to move to Barton Park and live in a cottage. They gladly accept. They tell their brother and his wife and send their belongings in advance and leave. They agree to try the cottage out for a year. Sir John and his wife are very hospitable to the Miss Dashwood's. They always invite them to their house to meet the people of the neighborhood. The Miss Dashwood's rarely accepted.There was on certain time they accepted and met Colonel Brandon, who is a friend of Sir John. Colonel Brandon sets his sights on Marianne. Colonel Brandon likes Marianne's singing and piano playing. Elinor does not like that idea. She would rather him be interested in her instead. Elinor is now jealous of Marianne. She doesn't even care that Edward is supposed to be coming to see her. Their good-bye was like that of a brother and sister. They didn't even kiss good-bye.The Middleton's are always having someone stay the night at their house. The Dashwood's would rather keep to themselves. When Sir John's wife invites them to come to the house the Dashwood's are always busy. The Dashwood's are the type that would rather do for themselves. They are not really the social type. Mr. John Dashwood and his wife live in Norland. They moved there after his father died. Mr. Dashwood made his son promise to provide for his mother and sisters. Which meant that he was to give them money. His wife did not like that idea. She thought that they could find their own money and that the money was the only reason they were still living in Norland. Which in fact was not true. They were still living there because they had no where else to go. Miss John Dashwood thought that they didn't deserve any money from them whether they were family or not. She thought only of herself and her son not of her husband's family.John Dashwood wanted to give them three thousand pounds apiece. His wife wouldn't hear of it. She thought that they would never pay it back because they had no source of income. She managed to talk her husband down to about five hundred pounds. They managed to get out of paying the women any money because they decided to move Barton Park. In the end they both marry and are happy. They don't live too far away from one another, so they can still fight as they please. They can stay in touch with one another because family means so much to them. In reading this book, I had a little trouble understanding and following the context in some places, but I enjoyed the book. I would recommend it to young women who like to read romances. It is very much so a romance, yet it is also a book about the love that two sisters have for one another. Sense and Sensibility is rather difficult to follow in some spots. I highly recommend this to young women who enjoy reading romances. | 0negative
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I'm a big fan of Gilbert's earlier work (specifically 2003's The Last American Man) and I was deeply disappointed by this book. In fact, I sent it sailing across the room twice within the first hour. Gilbert's a fine writer, let there be no doubt. Her structure is great. She writes scrumptious sentences. She's an eminently likable narrator. But my complaint is more psychological rather than literary. As we learn over the course of the book, Ms. Gilbert is an enormously privileged woman, lives the glamorous writing life in NYC, owns two homes and yet is so sad and depressed about life. Get over yourself, lady! This book is the literary equivalent of like How Stella Got Her Grove Back. Only with yoga and white people.Gilbert claims to be quite the globe-trotter but seems to have never learned the basic tenet of travel: learning about the larger world. Confronted with the rich, confounding, complicated world, she turns away and gets lost in her own navel.What I hate even more about this book is what its incredible popularity says about us as Americans: just like Gilbert, we are giant narcissists and we never, ever stop thinking about ourselves and our own needs and cannot, even for a second, think about the lives of the less fortunate around the world. Gilbert thus becomes the American Every-Woman: 9-11 happens in her own backyard and she's so distraught over her failed marriage that it barely registers. If you think I'm being too hard on us Americans, think of it this way: her previous book The Last American Man was much, much better than Eat, Pray, Love but since it evinced none of the yoga-loving-upper-middle-class-woman-who-spouts-cheap-wisdom-like-Oprah-on-a-global-quest-for-self-actualization story elements, it barely sold 1% of what Eat, Pray, Love did. This is a sadly-revealing book about the state of our culture. And it's not just about Elizabeth Gilbert. It's all about us.And, of course, don't miss the upcoming film adaptation, starring-you guessed it- Julia Roberts. If I have one other person recommend this book to me I'm going to to kill them. | 0negative
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Kaplan tries to sustain his "theme" of America as the new imperial power with extremely superficial references to Roman history, a subject he obviously does not understand. A whole book based on the typical journalistic technique of taking a single observation and implying that it represents a much greater whole. Some interesting bits, but full of unsubtantiated "facts" For example, Kaplan accepts taht Yemen is "estimated to have" 80 million small arms for a country of 20 million (love the use of passive voice.) No human being has any idea how many Yemenis there are, much less how many guns are in the country. Shouldn't Kaplan have simply asked how anyone could possibly know this? Respectful, generally, of the military men he met, but a very thin piece of work. | 0negative
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I have had my Kindle for a week and a half now. While I am unlikely to be able to do more than echo the pros and cons others have mentioned I can say that I love it!Do I have concerns about it? Yes. I am concerned that enough of the kind of books I personally need (Theology, monasticism, etc) will not be available in a Kindle version, but customer service seems very responsive on that issue and more titles are being added as I type this. One definite drawback I have noted is that the Kindle does not download footnotes. I find that problematical, both for my own writing, and for theology books I need.Another is that finding a particular place in certain books (like chapter and verse in the New Testament) is a tedious process. For instance, after one gets to the particular chapter needed (which Kindle makes a simple matter) one must then move page by page until one also arrives at the right verses. Clicking "next page" twenty or thirty times to get to a particular passage is too great a hassle. I hope these things will be resolved or improved on in the future.The bottom line though? This reader is astounding. It is like reading a normal paperback. It DOES disappear and leave the reader with the world of the text. There is no interference with that at all. What I especially like is that one can carry a complete library with them in a single small binder/case. Reference works are available at the touch of a button. If one is a writer, she can have her own work downloaded and have it with her without hassle. I also like the fact that the size of fonts can be changed easily. When I am tired, small print blurs. With Kindle I simply enlarge the font and have no more trouble. I would especially recommend Kindle to people who need larger print! Drawbacks aside, this is truly an astounding piece of technology! I am very glad I bought it!! | 1positive
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This is a page turner. The book consists of several exciting stories on very interesting material (fake art, police brutality, marriage counseling, etc). The author shows a bunch of scientific trickery and experiements designed to demonstrate the power of _blink_ - split-second.However, there is hardly a moral to the story, or a coherent message in the book. The book isn't about "thinking" of any kind, and it certainly does not teach the reader how to think. | 1positive
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I wasn't even through the first chapter and I realized that a once great American Business Leader has turned into a crotchety, whiny geezer. Iacocca's Autobiography was an excellent read and I was hoping for something along that line, but what we have here an old man, reminiscent of the old men sitting around the pot belly stove in the General Store solving the worlds problems by plowing fields in the other direction. Mr. Iacocca doesn't have a clue about the worlds problems and prefers to be at the center of attention at the latest snob party. Bashing Bush is about as original as DIRT, so stick to your Brandy and Cigars old man. As a side note, your POS K-car is no where to be seen today. That's because most of them broke down at 20,000 miles. | 0negative
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Yes, Rafe had some great ideas in his book. I am a 5th grade teacher as well, and I purchased the book to find some more ideas I could use with my own class.What prevented me from giving this book 5 stars is that Rafe takes so much credit for his students' successes. It is important to understand that there are many factors and issues that help a student succeed (and fail). Yes, teachers are inspirational. However, I found it very hard to believe that Rafe can take full credit for his students becoming doctors and scientists. Also, he makes so many blanket statements that with "method x" (or whatever he is describing in that chapter), his students "have learned". Let us not forget that each classroom has special needs students (I have 2 moderately autistic kids in my class along with 5 who are below their reading level), many of whom will not immediately learn these skills that Rafe is dishing out.There is also an implication that Rafe had "invented" many of these methods and strategies. Much of what he preaches are what is taught in teaching credentialing programs. Rick Morris is also a guru of excellent teaching strategies. Yet, Morris does not take 100% credit for those teachable moments that we teachers get. | 0negative
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I am new to the Kindle word and read all the reviews with much interest. I REALLY like the NYTimes BUT for the money being asked I believe there are better products out there. To bad but I wont be getting This newspaper. Capt Bob was right..Just to much money | 0negative
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As usually J.D. Robb (Nora Roberts) has brought us the complicated Eve Dallas with all her baggage, passion and skills, to solve a murder. The complicated relationship between her and Rourke and the realistic futuristic setting make it all intriquing and enjoyable | 1positive
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I read this book because my friend said it was good. I wish I'd never read it. I wanted an intelligent book that was interesting and I could enjoy. Wuthering Heights is, simply put, a bad book. Thank god for Isaac Asimov! | 0negative
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This book by David Gibson, is a high quality work with an intelligent combination of historical accuracy and artistic description. You can immediately tell that it is written by a true Vatican "insider" with both an American and an Italian heart. It is easy to read, and gives the reader a sense of both the objectiveness of the Catholic Church (and it's newest Pope), and the depth and beautiful mystery of both. As Mr. Gibson is a convert to Catholicism, there are enough explanations that both Catholics and Non-Catholics alike will find this book easy to follow and will be able to form their own opinions. I would highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to familiarize themselves with the hierarchical Church or the role of the Church in International politics. | 1positive
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I was intrigued by Ed Viesturs because he's only the sixth person, and first American, to summit all fourteen of the 8,000 meter (that's 26,247 feet) mountains in the world (all in the Himalayas) without bottled oxygen. An amazing feat. It took him 17 years, and his motto was "Getting to the top is optional, getting back to the bottom is mandatory."So I decided to read his recent autobiography.It was a very enjoyable read - a real life adventure about a personal quest. My own outdoors experiences are limited to day hikes in the Hudson valley and Catskills, car camping with my family, and one or two night jaunts on the Appalahian Trail.The book begins with Viesturs and companion Scott Fisher having a close call in 1992 on the face of K2 (the world's second highest mountain at 8,611 meters), with Viesturs doing a "self-arrest" to keep them from plunging 8,000 feet. They were actually in the midst of trying to reach and help two other very experienced climbers who'd gotten into trouble further up the mountain - everyone survived the situation.Later in the expedition, Viesturs, Fisher and another American climber did reach the summit of K2, but Viesturs believes their decision to push for the summit was the worse decision he ever made on any of his Himalayan climbs. Even though they got to the top and back down again without serious incident, the weather conditions and timing were much too risky. Viesturs references that decision, and the fact that they were extremely fortunate to have made the summit and gotten back down again without a disaster, on a number of occasions later in the book.The remaining seven chapters and epilogue blend in Viesturs early family life, his learning curve as a climber and guide on Mount Rainier, his struggle to become a professional climber (as in making a living through his climbing), Himalayan summit efforts, and his family life with a wife and three children.He explains his reasoning for not using oxygen assistance when attempting a summit (however, he does use oxygen when working the Himalayas as a guide/expedition member - he feels he owes it to his clients who are depending on his expertise and aid). His rationale is that you are not meeting the mountain, on it's own terms. In a very real sense you are lowering the mountain, since you are breathing an oxygen mixure that is not found at the highest altitudes.Viesturs views himself as a risk manager, not a risk taker. He makes the point (continuously!) that it's not good enough to get to the mountain summit, you have to get down again! Viesturs plans his climbs starting with the return from the summit, not getting to the summit. He feels one of the main reasons for fatalities on the mountains is the failure to plan for the descent, as people single-mindedly are interested in summitting and over-push themselves, leaving no physical and mental reserves for the climb down, or they arrive at the summit too late in the day and suffer the combined consequences of exhaustion, bad weather, and darkness. This was the cause of most of the deaths in 1996 on Everest, including his friend Scott Fisher, who was the head of one expedition (he probably died of pulmonary edema), as well as the head of the another expedition, the New Zealander Rob Hall. Viesturs was on the mountain that day (at a lower camp) and was involved in resuce efforts - there could easily have been many more deaths. There's a well-regarded book about the series of incidents causing the deaths, entitled "Into Thin Air."On several occasions, including Viesturs first effort on Everest, he cut short his climb even though near the summit, because in his judgement a summit push would have involved too much risk. He was actually only 100 vertical feet from the top of Everest on his first attempt, when he and hs partner made the decision to descend. His attitude was always that he could come back in another season and reach the top. It actually was only on his third attempt on Annapurna, in 2005, that he got to the top. That was the last of the fourteen 8,000 meter peaks Vieturs needed to climb to complete his quest. He'd failed on Annapurna in 2000, and again in 2003.And that, of course, begs the question. Why get involved in such a risky, life-threatening sport? For every seven climbers who summit Everest, one dies. And Everest is by no means the riskiest Himalayan mountain! For every two who summit Annapurna, one climber dies.You'll have to read the book for Ed Viesturs answer. | 1positive
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Wow, you can read books with it and . . . oh, wait, that's it, isn't it?If you own a Kindle, by all means hold on to it. One day it might be worth something--as a curiosity or conversation piece (a conversation about obsolete technology). I wouldn't, however, recommend buying one.I've worked in publishing for 20 years, and when ebooks first started being discussed and prototypes made about 15 years ago, I could never figure out why anyone would want an expensive handheld computer that could only read books. Now that I have my iPad, I can finally hold in my hands the future I envisioned and considered blindingly obvious years ago. The iPad is not only a better ebook (bigger color display, a selection of fonts, a much more usable and intuitive interface, etc.), it plays movies, music, the radio, games, holds photos, maps, contacts, your calendar, and can access email, the Internet, and about 200,000 apps in every conceivable category. I'm glad Apple waited until they could get it right, because they most certainly did get it right with the iPad. Every ebook reader from this point on is going to follow Apple's lead, as Microsoft did after the Macintosh in '84.Face it, the Kindle is this decade's MS-DOS. | 0negative
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Here we go again. Another hocus-pocus cure-all secret recipe to shed thirty pounds in thirty days...by starvation, naturally. Haven't we heard that the human body needs at least 1500 daily calories just to keep a beating heart? The book portrays Mahatma Ghandi as a frugal eater but it doesn't explain that his meager diet of goat's milk and yogurt was politically and religiously motivated. He was a Hindu leader not a dietician and by the time Ghandi passed away he had no teeth left in his mouth. Read ingredient labels, eat often and in moderation, get off the couch, turn off the TV and exercise regularly. That's the secret formula folks, the rest is hogwash.Andrew J. RodriguezAward-winning author: "Adios, Havana," a Memoir | 0negative
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I knew relatively little going into this book...and what little I did know was from less than 100% accurate retellings such as in League of Extraordinary Gentlemen or references from cheesy shows or horror flicks (I think perhaps there was a reference in Scooby Doo somewhere?). I had the basic gist...there's a guy, Dorian Gray, who has some magical painting that ages while he stays young and wonderful forever. Not much to go on, but I was still excited to read it. I was pleasantly surprised that the book had much more depth to it.<u>Plot</u>The plot is intriguing and has been used in other stories, though I think this one has more depth than I've seen before. Essentially, Dorian makes a wish that he will be forever as pristine as the painting made of him and that instead the painting will take on it the toils of his life. Whatever supernatural forces allow this to happen are irrelevant...the wish is granted.It's more than a simple "young forever" contract. Although age plays into the plot in a couple of places, the primary things that distorts the picture are the vices that Dorian engages in. The first transformation of the painting happens after an intense argument with the first woman he loved. It was interesting to me how quickly Dorian recognized the cause of the change for what it was, but had he belabored the motive for too long, the pacing of the book would have stalled and become unacceptable.Dorian uses his "power" to be ruthlessly reckless in his living. Dorian Gray becomes entirely uninhibited, taking everything to its limit, seeking absolute pleasure. He even sneaks out at night (so as not to tarnish his pristine reputation) to the "bad side of town" and lives a sort of double life in opium dens with gangs and prostitutes.In many ways (perhaps because I so recently read it), I felt many similarities to the morale commentary presented in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. I felt that Wilde did a better job of delving into the psyche of the hypocritical character, largely because we were able to get into Dorian's head and think and feel with him, while in Jekyll/Hyde, we were kept at a distance by a third person narrative.<u>Characters</u>There are three pivotal characters in this book.The first, obviously, is Dorian himself. For the first many chapters (perhaps nearly the first half of the book in fact), I wasn't terribly pleased with Dorian as a character...he felt very flat to me. He was basically a mirror to one of the other primary characters (Harry) and didn't ever show his own opinion. He was hailed as pure and beautiful. Perhaps it's all the art references in the book, but I often felt as if Dorian existed more as a classical statue than as a living, breathing character. As his interaction with the 'picture' progresses and once he takes some rather unexpected steps, he became a deeper character and a lot of fun to be with.The second primary character is Lord Harry (or was it Henry...blast those Brits for swapping those names interchangeably so often *grin*). Harry exists as the provocative, cynical, always-with-a-comment-about-anything mentor to Dorian. Harry is absolutely encouragable and a lot of fun to listen to. His speeches often have to do with the pursuit of pleasure at any and all costs and the hazard of a virtuous and peaceful life. His influence over Dorian is profound. As I mentioned above, it often felt as if Dorian existed merely as a mirror for Harry's advice. Harry didn't seem to follow all of his own advice, but Dorian took it readily to heart and strove to live a 'come-what-may' existence. Harry had some of the funniest and most profound comments of the entire narrative. He's a fabulous character.The third character I want to point out actually existed as more of a background character, but I feel the need to call him out merely because of his pivotal involvement in the plot. I actually can't even remember his name now...but it will suffice to call him, "the artist." He's the one who paints Dorian's picture. He's the one who introduces Dorian to Harry. He's the one who tries to give Dorian good advice to counter all the reckless advice that Harry poisons him with. The artist was kind of like Dorian's "Jiminey Cricket"...his conscious that was often (always?) ignored until it was far too late. He showed up in surprisingly few scenes considering the huge importance he had to the plot.<u>Style, Pacing, etc</u>The language used in this book was truly beautiful. Wilde wrote flowing, vivid descriptions of characters, places and actions. At times it was very poetic. It may be a bit too flowery for readers who don't enjoy that sort of description...it came very close to being 'over the top' to me in a few places. Still, I generally enjoyed the formality of it and the life it gave to the text. The first dozen or two pages were tedious to me...whether because of the language or just the style and thematic pacing, I'm not sure.The pacing was a bit slower than I would have liked. The main difficulty I saw was that Wilde was trying to present so many themes that he often had to result to lengthy passages praising or condemning one thing or another. There were often very long monologues by one of the three primary characters mentioned above. Harry's were generally offset by bits that made me laugh by their extremity while speeches from Dorian and the artist sometimes made me want to slap them and tell them to shut up.<u>Overall</u>I was a little torn on my overall feeling for the book. It took me a while to get into it and there were long passages that were drudgerous to push through. However, from a high level, this is one of the better books I've read this year...or even for numerous years. It had a plenitude of intriguing themes that left me thinking in between readings. It had a lot of humorous quips and paradigms as presented by Harry that I laughed out loud at. It had surprising twists and tension that left me curious as to the true outcome (as opposed to that from rip-off stories). There are a couple of spots that could be considered "climax"...the confrontation with the artist is the main turning point in the book. Personally, I would have rather seen more pages after that turning point than before it. I think the last 1/3 of the book was far more engaging. At the same time, the buildup was necessary to promote the intended mood.Overall, this is a book I definitely recommend, with the caveat that you should be aware that it does slow down at points. Just push through those. The overall work is worthy of a couple of slow zones. In fact, perhaps those slow zones serve the purpose of allowing more pondering.****4.5 stars | 1positive
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The content itself is excellent -- the discussion of refactoring is absolutely great. I would give the content itself a good four or perhaps five stars.Sadly, the Kindle version is broken. The book uses example code before a refactor and after a refactor to illustrate its points, and I believe in the print version the two versions are displayed side by side. Unfortunately, in the Kindle version this side-by-side layout is destroyed, making the comparisons useless.I have read over twenty Kindle editions of books on the iPhone, iPad and my desktop, and I've never felt disappointed. Sadly, the Kindle version of "Refactoring" feels like a waste of money. | 0negative
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Simply enough, Tolle's book is so attractive and popular because it removes the distractng reminder of a God who loves us enough to die for us, but who also loves us too much to acquiesce when we deliberately choose to spend Eternity apart from Him. Follow Tolle's philosophy and you'll break the second commandment; namely, you'll make a god in your own image (yours!) God wants for us what Tolle's book supposedly offers, but He is the only one who can get us there. | 0negative
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This is a wonderful classic for many reasons. But, I urge you not to read this edition, because the notes are terrible! There are notes for things that are obvious, and a lack for those things which need them. The worst offense, however, is that one of the notes (which readers are likely to check, as it gives background on a forgotten song sung by one of the main characters) gives away not only the important action of that short chapter, but also gives away the main line of the story. Awful, awful editing... | 0negative
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Calling "Orcale Bones" a "Journey" is fitting, for Peter Hassler has stopped "living" in China since he left Fuling. He has become a traveler, or a frivolous "foreign observer."Unlike "River Town," which was serene, unpretentious and deeply ordinary, Peter aimed for a grand narrative in this new book. He tried to fit his stories into the larger socio-political backgrounds, but failed miserably. He lacked good stories. Polat, the shadowy Uighur figure from XinJiang, whom the author appeared to have spent more time with than with any other person, appeared random, corrupt and pathetic. He sneaked into America on false documents and seemed enjoying flaunting American traffic laws on daily basis (with the author in the passenger seat). Why do I want to hear stories about him? How is Polat representative about Uighurs in XinJiang? Peter Hassler gave no clues about that.The highlights of the book were the letters from Peter's former students. When Peter came to them, his writing regained the beautiful, calm and moving qualities ubiquitous in "River Town." But those passages were too few, and those stories were not even his.After I finished the book, I felt sad for Peter. He has fallen into a typical trap for a foreigner living in China - he has started to think about politics. Chinese politics is messy and complex. It is too easy for a foreigner to find ease and comfort in discousing on the injustices and suppressions happing in that country. The truth is: it is much harder to live among the Chinese, like a Chinese. Peter did that in Fuling; but in Beijing he opted for the easier route. | 0negative
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I was truly disappointed at the book. I was most upset that this book was on the best seller's list for so long. The author was self-absorbed, pretentious, insincere, childish...shall I go on? The writing style was annoying. Don't waste your money buying the book and support bad literature by giving her any loyalty fee. Check it out from the library if you must. | 0negative
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I was so looking forward to this book after reading all the positive reviews, but it was just completely implausible from beginning to end. I enjoy reading so much that I very seldom DISlike any book. That tells you what a let-down this book is. At least now I can save my money when the movie comes out. (Seems like it will make perfect "summer blockbuster" fare.) | 0negative
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Awesome book and story.Keep up the great team work.Would Love to read this in paper back, looking forward to doing so. | 1positive
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Yes, I was held captive by this book!!!! 600 pages and I finished it in two days! The writing is marvelous and all the characters are well developed! Preston & Child have a writing style that really grips you from page one and carrys you along!Special Agent Pendergast is five star all the way!!!! | 1positive
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