niryuu/sni-each-converted huggingface dataset:
A Cynic's Bible . "With the Dark Magicks that fill these pages" two types of cult could be founded: the cult of Kon-stantinos, or a cult of complete cynicism. As someone who cherishes his spiritual and magickal beliefs, I do not know which would be worse.     The author's insincerity is self-evident in every concept, and as usual he urges us to read on like we are about to encounter something earth-shattering...his tone is always "prescient" and always patronizing. The pseudo-goth aspect to Kon's writing is wearing seriously thin now and besides, any serious spiritual seeker will find the trappings insulting. His obsession with "naughty" alcohols such as the illegal absinthe is seriously sad.     His spiritual perspective is the same: he plays with a safe "bad boy" boy image but never has the balls to wrap it in anything but the "essentially I'm not so bad" image. The impression he gives to the intelligent seeker after spiritual inroads is that they do not sensibly exist in a modern and very contrived book such as this.    My one star I rate for "Nocturnicon" comes from the book cover, which is far better than the book deserves, and from the fact that he is quite a good technical writer. I have seen much worse get into print, including with his own publishing house, Llewellyn Publications. However if I was a cynic about occult arts, I would use this book to demonstrate why. As a reader I get the feeling that Kon-stantinos feels the same. He's looking to sell a concept, any concept. Here he happens to have fallen on one of the more questionable sets of references anyway - the Necromonicon - and in this case 1+1 = minus 5.     It seems that he is trying to mess us all up with that "little ****er" (he mentions in the intro) in his head. Either that or his misleading of the (mainly young deluded goth) public is incidental to his need for some kind of publicity. Which makes him a true Kon-man.
Output: NEG
Don't Bother! . It's too bad that Clive Cussler changed collaborators on his "Oregon Files" series.  This was terrible!  I couldn't even finish it.  I read a lot in all different genres so I feel that I'm a little qualified to comment on a book I have read.  It dragged, some of the characters were changed and even though I know you have suspend disbelief, I couldn't keep my eyes open.  Golden Buddha and Sacred Stone were much better
Output: NEG
Why three plot lines? . Candace Bushnell wrote "Lipstick Jungle" from the perspective of three different narratives:  Wendy, the movie executive, Nico, the editor of chief of Bonfire magazine and Victory, the fashion designer.     At times it gets sort of confusing who is who and the reader is left with the feeling that the author had three good ideas for three new books and somehow put them all in one.  It is interesting however, to see Selden Rose, a character from "Trading Up", reappear in this novel, good to know that he has recovered from the failed marriage to Janey Wilcox.      All in all the relationship between the three main characters remains unclear throughout the entire book, they just seem to be acquainted with each other for no apparent reason, occasionally talk or lunch together and talk about their individual lives.
Output: NEG
Excellent for Discipleship . This is an excellent book to use for teaching new believers the basics of Christian theology.  The chapters are concise and to the point.  It whets the spiritual appetite of the new Christian to go on and read the gold mines of suggested reading that are included with each chapter.  You can't go wrong with this easy to follow, down to earth volume
Output: POS
not worth the paper printed on . We are traveling the US for almost a year and have purchased the East as well as the West edition before we started. Besides the fact, that we found only a few nice spots described in those books so far, our comments are as follows:    1. The contents of both editions are outdated - certain camgrounds do     simply not exist any more for years!!  2. The directions are awful if not wrong  3. We spent more diesel on finding the described campgrounds than we saved      not to mention the hazzle, driving around in circles  4. Lots of directions seem to be copied from other books we have and are     as wrong as they are in those  5. Campgrounds indicated in the maps by numbers (icons) are not part of     the book anymore  6. The icons in the maps are close to impossible to read (use a     magnifier)    Overall we can absolutely NOT recommend those books to anybody
Output: NEG
A fun take on an old song . Watch out, this book is addictive.  My 14 month old daughter insists that we read it when ever she sees the book.  The book provides a fun take off on the traditional song.  The illustrations are also amusing.  Just be  ready to sing the song over and over and...
Output: POS
A Big Ego Proves to Be Both an Essential Asset and Worst Enemy. . "Pit Bull" is the trading memoir of Martin "Buzzy" Schwartz, multimillionaire stock and futures trader who won the "Champion Trader" title  in the 1984 U.S. Trading Championship, the "Most Money Made" title in 1983, and conquered the futures division in 1992. He made a lot of money too, but Mr. Schwartz loves the limelight and a good competition. The book starts in 1979, when Schwartz abandoned his 9-year career as a securities analyst to trade his own money on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, and progresses through his tumultuous, exciting trading career until the mid-1990s.     Schwartz sometimes digresses to relate incidents of his childhood and youth, illustrating that he was always a gambler by nature, so "Pit Bull" has some qualities of an autobiography. Schwartz' story is peppered with trading advice, and many of its best moments are when he describes his experiences during specific market events, such as his losses when the market surged after the 1980 presidential election, the idiosyncrasies of trading on the Merc, and October 1987's Black Monday and its aftermath. Martin Schwartz has a big personality and a frank sense of humor that keep the reader entertained. It seems he was both a success and a failure, having succeeded in making himself quite wealthy but not always wealthy enough for his tastes. But he gives the impression that he enjoys trading immensely most of the time.    "Pit Bull" concludes with "The Pit Bull's Guide to Successful Trading" in 30 pages, for those seeking insight into Martin Schwartz' success on the markets. It's a pretty handy guide in which Schwartz lists the trading tools and market analysis services that he uses, outlines his techniques for using moving averages and some chart patterns, and summarizes how he plays stocks and futures. That's followed by a description of "My Typical Day". "Pit Bull" is fun, I instructional, and easy to read.  I was surprised that Mr. Schwartz sometimes tries to anticipate -or bet against- the market instead of following it. But sometimes he got burned. No surprise there
Output: POS
Very, very basic. . I began reading this book with the hopes of picking up some fresh ideas on negotiating.  As a lawyer handling divorce and family cases, I frequently see a high-level of emotions between parties and I was curious to see if the authors had some insight into how to this might effect negotiations.  However, this book was incredibly basic, and I'm  not sure who it was written for because all it did was state the obvious.  There are better books available on negotiation and this book does not provide anything unique
Output: NEG
Leave reality at the door . This is not a typical read for me, but I enjoyed it.  I read the first 148 pages wondering if this was going to be a waste of time, but when I hit chapter 44, I read the rest of the book in one sitting.  Loved Max, Frannie, Kit & all the others.  Looking forward to reading "The Lake House"
Output: POS
And I Watch Alan's TEEVEE Show . Bless Alan's heart! God bless you Alan! This is a terrible book. It isn't even enough to get a conservative angry
Output: NEG
Her Weakest by Far . I've read all of Nevada Barr's Anna Pigeon books and enjoyed every one of them until I reached Hard Truth. After writing so many intellligent, suspenseful stories, Barr has joined what seems to be an open competition among mystery writers to see who can come up with the most despicable crime. Murder's not nasty enough? How about the murder of children? Still not gruesome enough? Add incest/rape/torture...you get the picture.    Ostensibly such books are meant to give the reader insight into the minds of evil villains, but really, who cares? The kind of evil depicted in these books is not just disgusting but banal. It's like bad language in humor--in general, it's just a cover for bad writing.     In Hard Truth, Barr outdoes all of the competition for sheer nastiness, in the process leaving out the features that make her other books so enjoyable: the charm and intelligence of her main charcter, the well-reasoned defense of nature, the lush descriptions of each story's setting. I found this book neither enlightening nor remotely enjoyable. I give it two stars for an interesting but largely wasted character (a recently paralyzed ice climber), but otherwise I'm sorry I spent my time and money on it
Output: NEG
My Side of the Mountain . The book I read is a pretty fun book! The book My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George is a book where a boy runs away from the city to the mountains. He finds out how to live.    Later he gets a pet falcon and names it Frightful. Soon he finds a man, but he thinks he's a bandit, then he becomes friends with the man. The boy, Sam, finds out he's a professor. He's good at making jam too.    Before the winter he has Halloween with the animal friends he has made, and invites them to his house inside a tree, but it doesn't turn out well after the party.    Sam kills some deer and rabbit to make clothes for the winter. He wears the rabbit's fur as underwear because it's waterproof.     After the winter his parents and sister come to visit him, but they are going to live in a cabin instead of his tree house, so he gets angry but later calms down. I think the writer wants the reader to try running away. I like it because I think I would try running away in the mountains to see what happens.     I highly recommend this book for both parents and kids to read.
Output: POS
How Much Coffee Did Feigenbaum Drink? . I was going to wait until I finished reading this book to review it - seeing as how I still have 100 pages to go - but I'm not sure if I'll be able to ever finish it.    The book spends A LOT of time telling you the back story about how certain achievements were made in the field of science, but when it finally comes time to report the results of those achievements, the reader is only partially satisfied.  Very little actual science, and a lot of biographical information.  I was hoping it would be the other way around.  If you're interested in reading biographies of scientists you've probably never heard of, this is definitely the book for you.    Why would I give a book I didn't finish 2 stars?  Because I did pick up a few interesting mathematical tidbits from the sections I read.  I just didn't pick up enough tidbits to keep me going.  The universal constant is interesting, and the cross section of the chaotic 3-D graph is interesting too.    Great for scientific history buffs, but those looking for application for personal use, forget it
Output: NEG
Betrayal of Trust . I received what looked like a nicely preserved used copy.   The book literally fell apart from the binding the first time I read it. It continued to come unglued from the binding each time I attempted to read it.   Not a good quality copy.   Would not purchase from this supplier agai
Output: NEG
One Amazing Adventure for a Thief . The story starts with an introduction to a somewhat cantankerous, yet highly amusing character, Gen. He is stuck in jail, having been caught thieving. He bragged about the theft, which is what got him caught.     He is taken from prison and told that the King wishes for him to steal something for him that many believe to only be a myth. Gen's only other option is death. So onward the journey goes. He travels with the Magus and his two apprentices, Ambiades and Sophos, plus the admirable soldier, Pol.    Gen is treated as a subservient fool and most times is thought of as nothing but a tool to enact the theft. This viewpoint lends a somewhat snide, yet funny and endearing perspective of the story. I enjoyed watching as the character dynamics changed throughout.    Plus, on their journey we are introduced to the legends of their Gods through campfire stories, which I found a wonderful addition to the story. They added flavor to the history of the lands and gave us an understanding of how the people thought and why they did what they did.    I thoroughly enjoyed reading this tale. Yes, a worthy read indeed
Output: POS
Familiarity breeds comfort in the classics . Rosemary Sutcliff excels at story telling by making the epic story of the Iliad understandable and thrilling to a seven year old.  I have read this book to my son at least three times, beginning when he was seven years old.  He is now so familiar with the story and characters of the Iliad as a result of Black Ships Before Troy that to read Homer's Iliad will simply mean meeting these familiar characters again.  Sutcliff's writing is so engaging that parents as well will enjoy this book.  An absolute bonus is the excellent illustrations by Alan Lee
Output: POS
Beautifully done! . Elizabeth Strout comes back better than ever with this wonderfully written story. A family subsumed by grief, confined by societal norms, is able to, in their own way, overcome obstacles and begin to find the true meaning of love. Unfortunately, the ending didn't quite live up to the rest of the book, but still well worth a read
Output: POS
a 'coming of age beautifully' account . I received this book at my 60th birthday party (which was a weekend with women only -30 of us - at a cottage in the Canadian mountains). Everyone autographed it and wrote something to me in it just like in the 50's with your highschool yearbooks. Each woman picked out a page and just wrote what she felt or thought. I also shared it with my friends who couldn't come to the party and they also signed it happily and sincerely. There are many autographs and lines written throughout the book and I still look through the pages with enjoyment. Women of all walks of life, all circumstances, all levels of inner and outer beauty featured within its pages - just like my friends.     Since then, I have bought it for most of my girlfriends at their coming of age parties.    It's a good time to be 60, I will tell you that
Output: POS
Disappointment . Highly disappointing. No substance. It was a book filled with references to other books. Wish I had bought one of those instead!!!
Output: NEG
This Book is a Hit! . I am returning to the market after several years in the motion picture industry and was looking for a refresher on the business end of photography.    Vik Orenstein has provided a wonderful primer for both beginner and professional alike, and I unreservedly recommend this book to anyone who is serious about pursuing a career in photography.    She thoroughly covers necesary subjects such as choosing CPAs and lawyers, networking, and the various photographic markets available for pursuit. She does all of this in a winsome way, relating both her successes and failures as she developed and grew her own studios.    If you are considering entering the field of photography as a professional, seriously consider purchasing this book. You will be making a very wise investment
Output: POS
Stephen King is the best writter . I love all of his books they are great.This one I was a little sad but it has a great ending
Output: POS
G - Mac from Alabama . I read this book some time ago. It is one of the most fascinating books I've ever read. Eric Haney is one of the most fascinating people I've ever met. A very confident but unassuming person, that once you meet you realize he has no need to embellish his life's in Delta story with accounts based in fantasy.    Eric Haney is the real deal and a genuine person. Eric is a true leader and a brilliant man.    I am absolutely appalled at some of the claims made about Eric being less than honest in his book. What a shame that such a good American has to be trodden over by cheap and meaningless gossip. Jealousy is a terrible thing.    By the way, I believe much of the gossip is fueled by Eric Haney's comments about the Iraq war being a debacle. You simply can't go unscathed when you refuse to worship at the foot of the golden calf of the George W. Bush Iraq War.    Great book!!! Great American!!!    Gary McClaran  B'ham, A
Output: POS
As good as it gets . I haven't finished it.  In fact, I'm not a quarter through it; but Stephen has not written better - Salem's Lot, Dark Tower I, Shining, Misery.  For a person who was going to quit, he reached deep inside and grabbed something truely special.    Gary
Output: POS
Description is misleading . The Amazon description says Vol. 1-3, boxed set, hardcover.  That is all true.  What they don't tell you is that there are actually six volumes.  The box in which it comes is clearly marked, "Volumes 1-3 (of six)."  That would have been a much better description for Amazon to have used.  If you have volumes 4-6 and you are looking to complete the set, this book is for you.  If you are looking for the complete set, look elsewhere
Output: NEG
Oriental haute cuisine with no gimmicks, by a master . Two weeks ago my girlfriend Snow and I dined at Tetsuya's new restaurant Mju at the Millenium Knightsbridge Hotel in London, prompted by Snow's raving of Tetsuya from her winters in Sydney.  The only dining option is an eight-mini-course tasting menu, but since the man himself was in town (Tetsuya spends only one week a month in London) we were all for it.  We thought the portions were adequate, but I suspect people used to NYC portions might go home hungry.  I must say that his cuisine was awesome - highlighting the flavors of fresh ingredients, and many of the courses were based on raw or undercooked items.  Although the presentation of the food was highly stylised - just look at the photos in the cookbook and they are similarly presented at your table - the cooking is unfussed and the philosophy predominantly reflected the Japanese appreciation for simplicity and French classical culinary techniques.  The result was that every dish managed to emphasize yet enhance the flavor of the main ingredient.  Compared to Nobu, Tetsuya is hardly fusion and very Asian at heart.  Most of the courses served at Mju are included in the cookbook, so we know that these recipes have been tried and tested.  What's most gratifying is the listing at the end of the book of food sources for Mju - London lags NYC in terms of high-end food stores such as Dean &amp; Deluca and Citarella, so the list is very useful, and it allows me to dream about learning to cook at the level of a master like Tetsuya
Output: POS
Save your money! . All this information is on the internet or available from your doctor.  After many years of struggling with hip pain the water exercises are no surprise.  Nothing in the book is new.  I was very disappointed, if I could do the exercises listed, I wouldn't need the book.  Good luck to all of you, go to the local Y or swim therapy, put the money to good use for a good therapist, hips are not do it yourself
Output: NEG
No Temperance Here . Ms. Reichs has lost the recipe, or at least the focus and formula that has brought her success prior to Cross Bones. Although not nearly as bad as P. Cornwell's last two or three misfires, Reichs is way wide of her usual high mark here. In this offering, Temperance is out of character, out of both style and focus, and the story is just overly convoluted and circuitous; a yarn that meanders around heading every which way except toward a finished product. Even the writing is unfamiliar and not of the same voice Reichs has maintained in her many Brennan novels. Having finally given up on Cornwell, after many years, I'll hang in there for one more Temperance Brennan dig; everyone is entitled to one gong
Output: NEG
unbelievably lame . Why did I buy this? I guess it seemed like an interesting idea from looking through it at a bookstore. When I checked on line, it sounded interesting. Boy, was I wrong. I think I finished it. Pointless. I didn't care for any of the characters
Output: NEG
Doesn't Bother With Context . The author like so many others lumped all Christian denominations and seeminingly monotheistic religions together as one. No, not all Christians are the same. Furthermore, the author took many verses in the Bible out of context, rather than choosing to see it as a whole, he instead sees it in pieces, as being contradictory, not bothering to take seriously WHY the Bible made certain statements
Output: NEG
Hammet . One of the best writings from Hammet, if not the best. I enjoyed it very much. I couldn't stop reading to look for what happens next. A must
Output: POS
unsatisfying on multiple levels . Most of the people looking at this book most likely already have an interest in women's studies, feminism, and the like.  If that's you, you're going to be disappointed.  You could already guess the author's point and what she's going to say, and she offers it all up without any interesting insights.  If you're just interested in stripping, you'll also be disappointed, because there's nothing particularly compelling about her story or the "back stage" scenes she offers.  If you're familiar with Eaves's reporting, from Slate magazine and such, you'll already be familiar with her style -- superficial analysis and lack of compelling argument or detail.  Skip this book -- there are better feminist analyses of stripping out there, and there are much more interesting stripper "tell-all" autobiographies as well.
Output: NEG
Very bad book - don't buy . If I purchased this book in 1995 when Delphi came up I would be really satisfied. But when you have around &quot;Developers guide&quot; and &quot;Mastering&quot; books along with the list of other usefull ones, I consider that buying this book is just waste of your money
Output: NEG
No wonder his wife is friendly with the prisoners . This is the story of Sheriff Bell, an insufferable dullard who won't shut up about how criminals these days are really evil (as opposed to all the lovely ones he knew of when growing up?).     He's also a world-class boaster, never going more than a few pages without telling us how fantastic is wife Loretta is. The same Loretta who spends most of her time baking for or writing to evil criminals -- which tells me all I need to know about that marriage.    The yakkity-yakking doesn't stop there. An even bigger gas-bag is Chigurh, the motor-mouthed murderer. In fact, he kills people twice. Before he shoots 'em, he bores 'em to death. His weapon of choice: Lectures about coins. (His final kill took so long, I had to restrain myself from flingling the book across the train carriage.)    On the technical front, McCarthy does not structure the drama in the Classical way. He chose the Boring way. The majority of scenes end exactly as you expect and only one character (Moss) has a believable goal. McCarthy also omits the obligatory final scene, between Chigurh and his prey Moss, which was the only reason I kept reading the book. No doubt this is to defy the expectations of the reader. Expectations that this might turn out to be a decent story, in my case.     What's more, Sheriff Bell has no scenes with either Chigurh or Moss, making him a narrator with zero personal stake in the action. Because McCarthy writes good, visual dialogue, he gets away with an inconsequntial narrator for the first half of the story. But when the man on the run (Moss) exits the story, there is no other character to invest in, so the plot grinds to a halt. McCarthy cannot resusitate it because there is no connection whatever between the two remaining main players.    So, does McCarthy put us out of our misery? No. Sheriff Bell waffles on for pages and pages about Vietnam, not unlike John Goodman's character Walter in the Big Lebowski. And that's it.    My verdict: I hope Loretta runs away with a criminal. Preferably one of them new evil ones
Output: NEG
Very practical - Sound building techniques . A sound and sensible approach to building workstations for your shop.  If you have the perspective (as I do) that workstations are inthemselves "tools", you will find this book valuable
Output: POS
the emperor has no clothes . This book may be written about a fascinating literary figure at an interesting time in our history, with a potentially atmospheric setting and an intriguing mystery to boot--but it all adds up to nothing when the prose is so bad. I listened to about half this book on tape, but found I just could not bear another minute of it. It was stilted, repetitive, and trite. The language used in dialog and at moments of high drama was just plain embarrassing. Some suggest that the author was trying to emulate the way people spoke in the 19th c, but I don't believe anyone in history would've been this ponderous or repetitive in everyday speech; if so, such conversations are best forgotten.   I love mysteries and historical fiction, but have read boilerplate novels in these genres which are far less agonizing and more entertaining to read.
Output: NEG
Riveting excursion into small town relationships. . Salem's Lot has become a yearly staple for me.  When the days begin to grow short, and the air gets a little thick and crisp, I like to pull this book out, and go for a lie in the hammock.  It has been a fall favorite, since my freshman year of college.  Though not entirely wholesome, this book is one of the most puritan of Stephen King's prolific library.  There are really no graphic sexual scenes, and the language is tame, in comparison to . . . say, The Stand.  But you don't care about that.  You want to know why I thought it was a heck of a good read.  King is fascinated by small towns.  I can say that with a good deal of authority, because two-thirds of what he writes about takes place in small, Maine towns.  It's not the four-way intersections, and the cowpoke attitude that seems to capture his interest, but the dynamics of the small town, itself.  There is a certain attitude, in a small town; kind of like high school cliques, but on a grander scheme.  A small town has its own atmosphere; its own incestuous existence.  Stephen King enjoys watching as relationships frazzle, and small towns are demolished, with the ghoulish glee of a small child knocking over sandcastles.  'Salem's Lot mixes stark dread with a Rockwellian nostalgia that oozes out of the pages.  The result is a horrifically delicious milkshake that covers some traditional vampire ground, but also manages to stay fresh and poignant.  If the cemetery scene (in which a father grieves for his dead son) doesn't give you goosebumps, you are truly a jaded individual.
Output: POS
Clear your writer's block . One of the things this offers is real insight into the creative process. If you're having writer's block, I recommend these lectures for you. Igor's ideas may well help in clearing up some of the problems we create for ourselves
Output: POS
Be the best you can be.... . Noe has hit the nail on the head with his exceptional presentations and breakdowns of employee development (My reason for choosing this book.) His explanations of the need for the companies to become competitive and how to achieve it with traditional and cutting edge approaches makes this a must  read.  The reasons for training, how to do a needs assessment, and get  employees to be the best they can be, becomes obtainable with his step by  step processes.  Go for it.  You won't regret it
Output: POS
Animal Psychobabble . I dislike writing negative reviews but I'll make another exception here. My wife showed me this book one lazy Saturday afternoon in a local bookstore. "I want you to look at this. It was such a good idea but he messed it up so badly."    This book should have developed real conjecture on the emotional lives of farm animals. It could have been a serious discussion of what we understand about animal emotions both positive and negative. It would have demonstrated how the natural farming movement has the potential to revolutionize animal husbandry and improve farm animal living conditions. Should have, could have, would have ... it didn't.    He apparantly intuits emotions from these creatures who at the very least do not speak his language and at the most are experiencing very different emotions than the ones he describes. Doubtless he is gifted with superhuman intuitive ability from his years of analytic training; us mere mortals would be unable to consistantly reproduce his observations.    (As a brief example look at the emphasis on eye expressions despite a lack of evidence for any real facial expression translatability across species lines. Urban readers cannot readily observe farm animals to verify this so I'd suggest a trip to the local zoo to test my counter assertion. There, the most casual observer can see that a broad, friendly human smile will send an entire cagefull of monkeys into conniptions. Why? Because many species of simians translate 'smile' as 'teeth-baring dominence display'.)    Nevertheless I rated this book 2 stars instead of one, as there were a few interesting anectdotes interspersed amongst the verbage.    (Edited to add a note about trembling cows.) Cows tremble when they are annoyed by flies. Having no hands their first line of defence is their tail, but flies often land on shoulders and other body parts out of its limited reach. They tremble, shaking their skin to dislodge the pests. They shake their heads, sometimes violently. Their eyes roll and they sometimes look like they're going to fall over. I suppose it is convenient for the writer of this book that flies congregate where cows are penned together but more so that people have forgotten the 2000 year old story of Io, Hera and Zeus.
Output: NEG
Nothing new and bad photos . I agree with the above review; minimal information, absolutely horrible photos and rather crummy quality paper makes this book not worth buying.  Meadmore selected many chairs that are discussed much more completely in other similar books.    He missed a few key chairs of note; Saarinen's Grasshopper chair and Aalto's Armchair 400 (Zebra or tank) chair.    If you want a good welll rounded selection of Modern Chairs, I'd suggest the 1000 Chairs book instead
Output: NEG
Poor excuse for a thriller . Rising Sun was a terrible read.  Crichton uses one device throughout:  the old hand knows everything an hour before the young guy and slowly reveals it to him.  It's tiring and monotonous.  Never mind the even more monotonous lectures on the differences between American and Japanese business cultures.
Output: NEG
Fat Kid Rules the World . When I picked this book up, I expected it to be interesting.  As a fat kid, I thought I would enjoy the story, thinking that I would feel connected to the main character.    Boy, was I wrong.    In the beginning of the book, Troy, feeling suicidal, wants to throw himself on the tracks, but Curt, a skinny druggie, stops him.  By the middle of the book, I wish Curt had just held back and let Troy jump.  The book was very slow for me; each new chapter sounded like the last.  I read this short book over two weeks because I just couldn't take it.    The end was unsurprisingly predictable.  I mean, I could've told you what was going to happen by the fifth chapter.    Usually, when I read a book, I take something from it, maybe a lesson or a moral.  In this book, I just felt a sense of nonclosure... the ending didn't really do it for me.    Based on the other reviews on this page, you probably think that I'm just a mean person who writes scathing reviews on great books.  The first part may be true, but I only write scathing reviews on things I did not particularly like.  You may not have liked Macbeth, but I sure did.  Whether it's a good book or not is all a matter of opinion
Output: NEG
Barrio Boy . I found &quot;Barrio Boy&quot; to be very boring, as a matter of fact I didn't even try to finish the book.  So save your money and buy something better
Output: NEG
The one book I was told to read and actually did...... . And wasn't it awful. Slow, nonsensical, not to mention boring....    Basically, it's about a poor guy who finds a black pearl. And then bad stuff happens. That is all the book is about. No sub-plot, no nothing. To be honest, the best bit was when the main character's baby gets shot and dies.    The book (about 70 pages long, to be honest I can't remember. I don't want to remember) is really slow to start with, and stays that way until the last 10 pages where a million things happen at once. It is way too descriptive, and nothing remotely interesting happens. And then it just ends. It was really empty.    I have read other "Classics" such as War of the Worlds, Animal Farm, Lord Of The Flies, etc, all of which had more substance and staying power than this.
Output: NEG
Why on earth would you want a Bible commentary from Morris? . Henry Morris is neither a scientist nor a theologian. He's a hydraulics engineer-turned-author who's obsessively promoted the 7th Day Adventist doctrine of a "young earth creation" far outside the SDA denomination - doing nearly incalcuable damage to many churches. He's since gone on to promote the "King James Only" cult group which further seeks to spread 7th Day Adventist false doctrines among Baptist Fundamentalists, and even promoted a sort of astrology among Christians! Jesus said we'll know them by their fruits - Morris' fruit is churches ripped apart over the age of the Earth, and seekers convinced that the Bible isn't true because of Morris' bizarre interpretation of Genesis. Morris deserves nothing but a firm, unsympathetic rebuke for distorting the Bible, slandering other Christians ...and lying about science
Output: NEG
A Resource Every Kindergarten Teacher Should Have . I love how this book offers concrete and authentic ways to manage learning in Kindergarten.  The examples of the assessments used during writing conferences and reading groups are clear and managable.  It was easy for me to take her examples and utilize them in my own classroom to monitor and boost student achievement. Above all, the author's genuine love for children and belief that all children can have success shines through.  You can see your own classroom being as fun and inviting as the author describes.  Every Kindergarten teacher should read this book
Output: POS
Burma Road -- History and Travel . A terrific book. Historical context mixed with current travel experiences in the region. This book provides a solid view of the Bushido culture which causes such a high death toll for POWs in Japanese camps. As this part of the world becomes more accessible, this is a must read for visitors to Myanmar who want some historical background
Output: POS
Did not engage my 10-year-old . This was required reading for my son going into fifth grade.  He is not a strong reader, and neither he nor I enjoyed it.  The combination of a large amount of flowery language and very little action made it a struggle to get through.  What little humor there was, was too sophisticated.  It was hard for us to identify with this foppish married mouse who ate caviar and champagne.  While I can appreciate that many (I guess most!) find it literary and delicious, my son found it boring, and looking at it through his eyes, I have to agree
Output: NEG
Waste of money . 98% of this thin book is about how many buttons a certain uniform had on it and what type of boots a certain unit wore.  Almost nothing about the Italian Army of WWII was in it.  A more appropriate title would have been "The Uniforms of the Italian Army 1940-45: Africa"
Output: NEG
A book which will change the way you think . It's not a book based on plot or persuasion; merely a book which presents incredible feelings and ideas in a fantastic way. Often we have all wondered about the true nature of simply BEING.  Often we feel as though the world passes us by, or hunts us, or seeks to confuse us.  Pessoa simply puts these feelings into beautifully flowing prose.  Complex ideas and feelings are written of so skillfully that I feel as if we had been the same person.  This book is well worth reading
Output: POS
A blessing to all reader . It takes me a long time to finish this book.  I just could not stop going back to the previous chapters, reflected on it and amazed by the insight and spiritual depth of Nouwen.  I read it in bed times, and in the subway.   Whenever I go into the lines, my spirit was lifted up high, thanking God  who let me know myself and Him more.  The 3 movements: from loneliness to  solitude; hostility to hospitality; illusion to prayer  are all essential  elements of the answer to the question &quot;how to live a spirit-filled  life in the name of Jesus Christ&quot;. Each sections are as wonderful and  unmissable as the others. This book gave me a brand new dimension of  understanding on &quot;Christian's spiritual life&quot;, on caring and  interacting with others and on the nature of our Almighty God.  I was so  impressed that I spent several nights translating around 10 pages in the  second part into Chinese and read it in my church fellowship.  I thank Him  again and again for leading me to read this
Output: POS
Too long, Too unorganized . For all the hype this book has received I am pretty disappointed. I found this book to be written in a very non-engaging style, making it difficult to just follow what the author was saying. Additionally it's absolutely terribly organized.  What kind of programming book spends the first couple of chapters talking about programs that use and implement classes, and then finally halfway through the book actually tells you what a class is and how to make one.    It's absolutely unusable as a reference, and just barely useable as a means of learning C++.  C++ is a very large and complicated programming language, and therefore books on it should do their best to be as helpful and organized as possible.    If programming languages were books, C++ would be "C++ Primer", poorly thought out, unorganized, and unnecessarily complicated
Output: NEG
Great insight to a high-profile, compelling story! . I thought Mr. Cruver did a spectacular job bringing an insider's perspective to this story.  Nice work
Output: POS
How I spent my vacation . There are two ways I can describe this book: as an assigned essay on &quot;How I Spent My Vacation,&quot; in which it might receive a passing grade in High School; or as a visit by your brother-in-law, the one you never really liked but tolerated for your sister's sake, who shares his superficial ideas as if they were deep insights.  I suppose there are people who will voluntarily submit to either, but I'm not one of them.  The author (he can only be called a writer in the most literal sense) has no insight to speak of, is manifestly incompetent at background research, and lacks any useful power of description.  He really should look up the meanings of words like &quot;masquerade&quot; and &quot;circumvent&quot; before he uses them. . . The real mystery is how something like this ever gets published
Output: NEG
these reviewers blindly regirgitate antiscience gibberish . This book is garbage. Tell me of one documented case of human ill-effects from GMO's and maybe I will sway. Recently the Zambian gov't turned down 18000 tons of emergency grain from the US because it was GM. People died of starvation as a result. At least take the time to get the other side of the story before taking this book as the gospel truth. I respect Nader for alot of the things he has done. This book is certainly not on that list
Output: NEG
Outstanding, very powerful . "Customer Culture" has some very profound and powerful insights into how an to get the employees in a business to unite around providing excellent service.      "Customer Culture" provides a framework for building a customer oriented business culture.  I consider "Customer Culture" to be one of the most valuable business books I have ever read
Output: POS
When a High Initiate in ECK  becomes twisted by the Dark Side . What so many past and even some current chelas overlook is that there is a difference between Sri Harold Klemp, the man, and the ECK which uses and continues to use him as ITS divine channel in all the worlds of God.     Recently I took the fourth initiation in ECKANKAR. Yesterday, while in contemplation I sang my new secret word with my attention on the  current Living ECK Master and experienced the Light of God.     Ford Johnson's assertion that chelas are prevented from becoming Masters is a falsehood. Before Millie Moore translated she had reached the Ninth Initiation, the point at which ECK Mastership commences.     It's sad to see a former High Initiate like Ford Johnson who has become 'twisted by the Dark Side'
Output: NEG
The Best Picoult So Far . Every book by Jodi Picoult grabs you by the heart and doesn't let go. Mercy stands out from all the rest. You will not forget this book or the people in it for a long time
Output: NEG
I can't believe some of yall..... . Genevieve (jenny-v) is a damn good read, and I can't believe some of you all are rating it 2 to 3 stars.  Everyone has an opinion, so that's why I beg to differ.  This book kept me on the edge with its home-town drama.  I would occasionally rub the old lady's leg when I got to those good parts.  I became so wrapped up into this dialogue, I could hear the voices, smell the cigarettes, touch... well, that was the old lady.  I loved it.  Mr. Dickey is a great writer and I plan to buy every book that he writes in the future.  Unless he starts to get flakey and starts writing about aliens.  That's my two cents
Output: POS
Stilted and boring... . Just finished Emily Griffin's Something Borrowed then picked this one up right after...What a difference! Love at First Site is extremely boring right off the bat and the writing style is so painfully unnatural I couldn't make it past the first 40 pages. Griffin's debut, by comparison, is one of the best chick lit novels out there--very engaging with strong characters and lots of romantic suspense. Even if you like British chick lit authors as I do, don't bother with this one by Jane Moore
Output: NEG
The Scarlet Letter - should have been a short story . I am going against the grain here but can anyone explain how this story can take so long to tell.  Trying to enjoy the majority of American authors, Hawthornes works have not be an easy go.  Though admittedly not a fan of Hawthornes full length works, his short stores can be enjoyable.  But a book that begins with 28 pages of 'The Custom House', before the story even begins, is already very dull.  I, like many other people, was forced to read this work for a sophomore literature class.  That was 31 years ago and I still remember thinking what a moderately entertaining short story this would have made.  In its form, its unbearable.
Output: NEG
Athena and Kain: The True Meaning of Greek Myth . The preface to ATHENA and KAIN states that the content of the book is revolutionary, and it really is. I looked up revolutionary, and in the context used it means, &quot;a total or radical change, as a revolution of thought.&quot; There is no other book on Greek art or myth like ATHENA and KAIN. Mr. Johnson points out that Greek sculptures appeared on public temples and other public buildings, and that mythological scenes appeared on the ancient Greeks' everyday pottery and storage jars. The average Greeks understood the meaning of their myths. Because of ATHENA and KAIN, it is now possible for us to understand them, too
Output: POS
A Color of his Own . A Color of his Own is a delightful book, not only for young children but for adults as well. The little chameleon notices that all the other animals have their own color, but he changes colors depending on his enviroment.  He struggles with wanting to be like everybody else and he eventually finds a friend (another chameleon) to be his buddy and go everywhere with him.  The colors of the illustrations are vibrant and the text is engaging to the reader. A joy to read
Output: POS
Maniac magee . I think this book had a boring ending it ended as if it was a movie that was going to have a sequel to it. There was no point to the ending of the book. The only thing I liked about the book was that it showed that no matter what race anyone was they should get along. All in All this book did not interest me
Output: NEG
Inside looking out.... . Since I am one of the characters involved I can truly say that Pete Earley captures the events more precise than those of us on the inside looking out. The chilling things he describes are true, and the scary part is they  are still happening, everyday. It is a must read for anyone truly  interested in how the justice system Really works
Output: POS
Life Changing Book . Buy this book and any others by Jordin Rubin.  See my review of The Maker's Diet about my husband's cholesterol, dropped 99 points in 8 weeks with The Maker's Diet and the principles from The Great Physician.  Use the shopping guide to assist in grocery buying the first few weeks.  If you want to get healthy, read his books
Output: POS
Stacey's mess . This book is a really good book but it isn't the best. Stacey's dad tells her to pick a place to go on vacation to. She picks Davis Park because that's where her boyfriend is working at. She brings Claudia along.But then Stacey spends all her time with Robert and Claudia's mad. Then Kristy, Shannon, and Mary Anne arrive for the Fourth of July and Claudia gets them on her side. Now no one's talking to STacey.Can they ever be friends again? Read this book to find out
Output: POS
Disappointment... . I enjoy reading food narratives and childhood accounts of growing up in foreign countries; however, this book is quite a disappointment after reading the summary above.  The writing isn't great, the descriptions certainly don't transport you to Tuscany, and despite the title, I wouldn't say there is an emphasis on food.  If you were related to Patrizia, you mind find it an interesting read, but I've found myself skimming through it, searching for compelling passages, of which there are few
Output: NEG
Refund Requested . I have read all four of Sarah Vowell's books. I believe that is all of them. I thoroughly enjoyed three of them and would strongly recommend them. With for Radio On, her first book, she seems to be in a different place. Radio On is a diary of Sarah listening to the radio. Although the concept is interesting, the result is a lot of very short entries in which there is little opportunity to develop anything. But the real reason I didn't like Radio On is because of Sarah's perspective at that time. She is a very critical person in this book. Nirvana is the greatest band ever, and The Grateful Dead is worthless. Whether it is music, politics, or a variety of other topics, you get the clear impression that her opinion is right and any others are wrong. Radio On is a very mean and negative view of life and our world. The worst case scenario, though, is someone reads Radio On first and doesn't read Sarah Vowell's other books. That would be huge mistake
Output: NEG
A High School Writing Effort . I have read and enjoyed James Patterson in the past, but can honestly say that this will be the last Patterson book I will read.  I was truly disappointed in the lack of storytelling and writing ability.  The book had no depth, and the story suffered for it.  As I read the book I got the impression that Mr. Patterson was simply trying to crank out a book as quickly as possible, and could not be bothered with such things as descriptive detail or creative plotting.  I did not find the characters or their behavior to be believable.
Output: NEG