Audio Books

The book opens with some US Vietnam war doctors looking at what should be a corpse, a man victim of the getting blown up thing. However, the body heals rapidly, which freaks them. It freaks them even more, when assisting with surgery to remove shrapnel they find a bronze age arrowhead. One of them has Casca's story inflicted on them.

Casca is part of the squad that executes Jesus, and because he wants to get back to a 'hot little Armenian dancer' he shoves a spear in to finish him off, given he was taking a long time kicking the bucket.

Jesus basically gives him a Chinese style curse telling him you will remain as you are then, if you are happy with it, or, you will live in a lot of interesting times.

Casca gets in a fight with a superior over the girl, ends up spending decades in a slave mine, helps out a supervisor, becomes a gladiator. Because of his immortality and work he is a lot stronger and more durable than a normal man.

Becomes a star gladiator, Nero gives him his freedom. After a two day bender he is busted by the vigiles doing the defecation and even worse abuse of a statue of Nero in the street, so Nero sends him to a slave galley. A few more decades of this, and his is back in a legion, having outlasted many emperors. Casca is not the sharpest knife in the drawer, that is for sure.

So, some more war, and Casca is getting sick of it after looking over a battlefield with 50000 dead.

He tries the suicide thing, stabbing himself in the heart, but no joy. His body rapidly ejects the sword.

The end sees him fighting in Israel, versus Arabs, in a more modern time.

Thoroughly enjoyable.

This is one of the most original concepts a series has had in many years. Taking the story of the Roman soldier who speared Jesus on the cross and making him cursed to live forever until the Second Coming was an inspired idea. This then, is the story of that man having to travel through history forever fighting.

The great thing is that the series is now continuing under a new author who appears to have got things back to where Sadler wanted (forget 23 and 24). This story here is the first century or so of Casca's life, telling how he began to understand his condition and finding years as a slave had no effect on him, and he emerges stronger from it (maybe a touch of Nietzsche - or even Milton?) and finds there are pros and cons to eternal life.

The action is spaced nicely, no overdoing it, unlike some of the later books in the series. You can't help but feel for the protagonist, having to endure some dreadful situations and knowing there is no release of death for him.

This series by the author Barry Sadler is a modern blend of two ancient legends. The first is the legend of the roman centurion Longinus who was supposedly present at Christ's crucifixion.
He stabbed christ in the side with his spear to end his agony on the cross and afterwards he became a christian convert and a
saint.
The next legend is that of the wandering jew who was supposedly cursed by Christ to wander the world until the second coming.
The reason according to the story why he incurred the wrath of Christ was that he out of spite made a derogatory or insulting remark to Jesus as he was being led to his crucifixion.
The result of this blend has been Casca Longinus,a Roman soldier cursed by Christ to wander the world forever until the second coming.
Forever fighting,forever surviving and waiting for him to return.
This series of adventures takes our protagonist down through history from one war to another. In almost each case he endures wounds and horrible pain only to encounter more.
A strange unexplained power makes his flesh heal miraculously from all wounds inflicted and which renders it along with his blood poisonous to all other creatures man included.
His ability to outlive others makes his existence a lonely one without any lasting friendship or company. He finds himself in many cases the victim of other's brutality and hatred thus making his long existence also a harsh and violent one.
That which he desires so much eludes him and that is death,which is freedom from his brutal life and eternal peace. He is not so much a hero as he is a victim of fate in a situation not of his choice.
There is plenty of historic detail in this series much of it dealing with warfare and the military.
For those who want historic fact mixed with fiction this might be worth a try.
For fans of action adventure series in the tradition of "The Executioner" and the "A Team" this is a good recomendation.
There is plenty of fast-paced action in this series and it's guaranteed to keep you from yawning.
There are graphic descriptions of violence and gore so if if you're looking for light reading then I suggest reading Robert Fulghum instead.

Casca: The Eternal Mercenary is a series of twenty-two books written by Barry Sadler. This series is about a guy named Casca Rufio Longinus; he was cursed by Jesus Christ. The curse is "Soldier, you are content with what you are. Then that you shall remain until we meet again." The curse means that Casca will remain as a soldier until the second coming of Jesus Christ. This is a fantastic series so far. The first book in the series is extremely descriptive, interesting, and unpredictable.
Mr. Sadler, the author, describes everything in great detail; it is so descriptive that the reader will get hooked on the book until he/she is done with it, such as when Casca describes exactly what happened the day he killed Jesus Christ. Casca says that he and the other soldiers were betting on who would take the clothes of Jesus and the two thieves, who were killed the same day. He goes on to say how he speared Jesus in the rib cage to kill him quicker, and how when he did that some of Jesus' blood ran down the spear shaft got on his lips. That is when Jesus cursed him. Casca then goes on to describe what happened after he was cursed. He describes what illnesses, injuries, and punishments he has received or avoided as he goes through his life. He also recollects what women he has married and fallen in love with, and the women that his enemies raped and killed. Casca recalls his slavery and what life was like in slavery.
This book in the series is interesting because Casca, the main character, is a depicted soldier who fought in the Vietnam War in 1970. He was injured by a piece of shrapnel which exposed an area of his brain approximately four inches long and three inches wide. Casca's body was taking steps to protect itself from infections by rapidly healing the abscess in his skull. This amazed the army surgeons, a colonel, and a major. Major Goldman, one of the surgeons, discovered that Casca's blood was deadly poison. He also discovered that Casca could speak the Latin of the Caesars. These facts are intriguing because no person who has a wound as such could heal by itself and few people at that time could speak such a tongue. Casca explained to Major Goldman about how he was cursed. While in the hospital, Casca told Goldman that he had been alive before the birth of Jesus and that he was the one ordered to kill Jesus. These are just a few of the multiple points of interest in the first book. These interesting facts came out of the first chapter.
The reader can never predict what turn of events lie in store for the soldier who lives infinitely. Every new place he goes, he receives a new name. No one knows that he is the same legendary figure because few people know that he can not die. As one progresses through Casca's life, one starts to believe that he will be dead due to a stab wound, some type of poison or sickness he incurs, but he still lives on because of the curse. "Soldier, you are content with what you are. Then that you shall remain until we meet again."
This series, especially the first book arouses interest as it is interesting, descriptive, and unpredictable. I have had a wonderful experience in reading the series. I own all twenty-two books and have read the first seven so far. I recommend this series to anyone who is, has been or wants to be a soldier, or anyone who is interested in action/adventure books.

A while back a friend of mine mentioned something about a series of books following a man who is immortal, and this man was immortal because he was cursed to live forever by Christ as he was dying on the Cross. The man's name is Casca. Casca is a soldier of the Roman army around the time of Christ's death, sometime around 33 A.D. Casca is the soldier assigned to the mundane task of waiting for Jesus to die while he kept the small crowd around the Cross at bay. When told to finish the Jew off Casca stabs him in the side, just as the Bible tells it, but Jesus has a few words with Casca. The rest of Casca's life is then changed, and so the legend begins. Anyone interested in historical fiction and/or immortality should definitely read this book if not the entire series of 22 books spanning 2000 years.

In the Eternal Mercenary Casca life goes from soldier, to slave, to extreme popularity very quickly, but I don't want to give too much away. Read this book, the first in a long series of great stories about the man made to live until the return of the Jew. Until we meet again.

This is Swain's first novel featuring the character Jack Carpenter. Hopefully it is not his last. Swain has created a unique anti-hero in Carpenter, an ex-cop who specializes in finding missing and abducted children. The action is non-stop, the pace fast and furious. Swain has chosen to set the novel in Florida and it lends perfectly to the steamy action. If you enjoy fast-paced thrillers, you will not want to miss this book.

I have read over 700 mystery novels over the years. This novel is the best that I have read in several years. It should be a hands down winner of both the Edgar and the Shamus.

This was my first read from author James Swain and boy what a first impression he has made on me!!! I'm telling you just cannot go wrong when you buy this book! He has created a fantastic character in Jack Carpenter that you love to root for and given him a tightly woven plot to show off his skills while giving us the perfectly timed humor! Oh man... I had fun reading this book! I am looking forward to THE NIGHT STALKER!!

but i'm sure this book was good. the toilet paper amazon sent me was very good too. this writer is solid, good entertainment and very talented. i wish i had this book instead of the TP but the TP they sent me is very good too.

If you like thrillers, this is a good choice. The plot is straight-forward. The protagonist is a sympathetic figure - a police officer fired from his job for losing control and pounding on a serial killer he arrested. Jack Carpenter, the ex-officer, is broke, separated from his wife, and living in a tiny place above a bar on the beach in south Florida. But the serial killer has a slick attorney who is getting him out of prison, based on Jack's impulsive action. And the killer is out for revenge against Jack and women who testified against him. Jack has to act quickly to save his life and the lives of the women. The fast-moving story reads smoothly, and tension keeps building to a blistering climax.

If you could only choose one book beside the Bible, I would tell you to choose this one. I always underline and use my books for future reference. In this case I underlined more than what I left unmarked. I also made notes in the back of my book with page # and subject pertaining to explanations of many biblical terms. In my opinion, this book would greatly help every reader and I wish I could put one in every Christian's hand. The Church would be so victorious if all Christians read this. I am planning to give as many copies away that I can. And to everyone I talk to I will mention this book is MUST READ! In short get it!

I first read this book in the early 1960s when I had just become a believer the year before. There are things in this book that will help anyone to become a NORMAL Christian. It is not entitled How to be a Super Christian. It tells it like it is, turning to our spirit where the Spirit of the living God dwells will enable Him to permeate your fallen self and conquer the devil's influence in your life to become an Overcomer. I bought 15 to give to young people who love the Lord but are struggling to "be a good Christian". I gave them to someone to give to them anonymously. The Lord directed me. I don't want thanks.

This book has really helped to change my life in a positive way. Brother Nee does repeat things a lot, but you have to relish that repeating because it gets the truth down into you and helps you to see things you've probably not realized so deeply before. This is my favorite book of his I've read so far and will read it again and again. It is very helpful for anyone not happy with their own spiritual walk. It is a little slow to read because the translation is a little choppy, but I think it is good that way because you have to absorb what you are reading and it is definitely worth the time to read - again and again!

This is one of those "life-changing" books we hear about that should be a must for every believer...even, and perhaps, especially new believers. There are 36 reviews posted before this one, so, I will make this short.
If you've struggled in most of your Christian experience, with trying to 'die to self', truth expounded upon in this book will set you free! Watchman Nee through revelation from the Holy Spirit, speaks to this issue more accurately than any I've read.

The top values when reading Watchman Nee are depth in Bible exposition and insight. The drawback of reading Nee is lack of hermeneutical restraint. He sometimes "reads in" meaning that may or may not be true, but is not warranted under a grammatical-historical hermeneutic for the passage in question.

This book is his best. His conclusions are all well reasoned and exposited from the text of Romans. Nee has a delightful grasp of the grace of God and what a living relationship with him should be like. You get the depth of insight, but without allegorizing or undue license.
-Dennis McCallum, author Organic Disciplemaking: How to promote Christian leadership development through personal relationships, biblical discipleship, mentoring, and Christian community

I purchased the sandwich spreader and metal spatula. I paid twice what I would have paid anywhere else. They turned out to be junk. Both plastic handles separated from the metal parts within 9 months of the purchase.

I absolutely loved this book. Doris Christopher's ideas and humble beginnings are absolutely inspiring! She has built an amazing company and shares it for everyone to realize their own potential. Her basic no nonsense attitude towards life and her company are shared in this incredible story. I do not sell Pamperd Chef, but if I was not trying to build another direct sales business I know I would after reading this book!

I have been purchasing Pampered Chef products for over 16 years and my husband and I have always been huge fans. After many years of buying from someone else, I decided to give it a try and then so did my husband. . . yes, we are both consultants because we believe so much in the products.

I signed up as a consultant a few days after the book was released and read it in one night! After reading the book I was more of a fan than ever. The story is very inspiring to anyone who wants to take the leap of faith in themselves and try to start their own business.

Doris' vision of having a business to earn extra money and still have time to raise her family is very much alive today as it was 25 years ago. The book takes you through the 25 years of her dream from where she started the business in her basement with $3,000 to being the founder a of multi-million dollar company with thousands of women and men who work with The Pampered Chef as hobbyist, part- and full-time consultants.

A must read for anyone who wants to be inspired to start their own business.

An interview with the author and her daughter, who grew up in the culinary business, supplements The Pampered Chef, a story of Doris Christopher, a former teacher and home economist who returns to the work world with a vision of making cooking more convenient for families. Selling high-quality kitchen tools through demo groups and growing her business, The Pampered Chef, from a basement enterprise to a successful franchise. A story of personal success comes alive in audio.

In 1980 author Doris Christopher, former home economist and teacher, wanted to return to the workforce after raising her children: she began selling high-quality kitchen tools through cooking demonstrations and began her company, The Pampered Chef, from her basement. Twenty-five years later it's a corporation specializing in kitchen shows - and The Pampered Chef: The Story Of One Of America's Most Beloved Companies tells of how she became a culinary industry success. Insights on how the company expanded and handled its challenges provide entrepreneurs and cooks alike with much inspiration.

This is one of my favorite children's book and I love to give it as a gift.
As a Kindergarten teacher it is my pick!

My family loves this book. My husband reads it to my children, ages 13, 5, and 1. They love it, he does the voices of the characters, which is great fun for everyone. My oldest says this is her favorite book from when she was little. I'm buying copies for my toddler aged neice and nephew.

This fractured folktale is about a witch that is craving some `Piggie Pie.' She goes through her pantry and finds she has everything she needs except for that all important ingredient--PIGGIES! At first she is outraged but eventually composes herself and devises a plan. Where can she find a piggy? The zoo? The circus? She finally decides that the best place to secure some pigs would be on a farm. After looking through the yellow pages, she travels to Old MacDonald's farm to grab the missing ingredient. She gives her victims a warning as she writes in the clouds, "Surrender Piggies!" The pigs devise their own plan; they plot to outsmart the witch by dressing up as other farm animals. They fool her by disguising themselves as ducks, cows, chickens, and even old MacDonald. When the big bad wolf happens to come along, he offers advice to the witch and tells her to give up--after all, he remembers those 3 pig brothers! Now, her taste changes from piggie to wolf and she graciously invites him over for `lunch'...
Piggie Pie is a delightful story that incorporates several classic folktales including The Three Little Pigs, Old MacDonald nursery rhyme, the traditional evil witch as the villain, and the famous three little pigs. Due to the structure of this book, students will improve their understanding of the different subcategories of traditional literature. The author includes descriptive language such as repetition, alliteration, expressive language, and affective adjectives that highlight the text and bring the story to life. Such examples include the witch describing her tasty meal options with phrases like "boiled, black, buzzed feet" and "plump, juicy, pink piggies." This whimsical, witty story will capture student's attention and can be used as a model to enhance their understanding of what it means to read like a writer.
Throughout the book, Palatini's text enhances student's vocabulary and contains repetitive phonemes that enrich their growth as a reader. As Cunningham describes, tongue twisters, like ones found in the text, play a crucial role in developing students' phonemic awareness. For example, "eight plump piggies for piggie pie" is a silly and fun phrase that the students will enjoy saying and simultaneously will develop their oral language. Students will be exposed to new vocabulary words, such as curdle, passel, and muttered. Encourage students to use elements of Palatini's writing and transfer her techniques over when creating their own literature.

Gritch the Witch was pining for some special snacks. Piggie Pie is all that would do! The problem was the main ingredient was 8 plump piggies and she had none at hand. Off to Old MacDonald's farm on her broom to find them, to no avail!

Howard Fine's great illustrations of all the piggies disguised as other animals and even Old MacDonald, himself, will make young children laugh out loud! This book is lots of fun and will be requested over and over again. And, there's plenty of sly humor that adults will tremendously enjoy.

This is a great book for kids 5 and up.

Though Palatini's books are billed as read-alouds for a younger audience, my fourth graders can't get enough! The books are simple enough for even my lowest readers to tackle independently, yet clever enough that my high readers choose them as well. The humor appeals to all ages. In fact, there are many things my kids "get" that younger children don't. My students recommend Palatini books to each other all the time, and I can't keep them on my shelves. I am on my third copy of Piggie Pie and currently need to replace my worn-out copy of Moosetache. They've simply been "read to death". There is no higher praise for a children's book!

Amazing book very easy to read, follow along, comprend, and a must have for quick fun beginners guide. Provides refrences to other helpful software and throughly explained how-to's.

I have never felt compelled to write a review for any product I've ever purchased, but this is different!! I've been a home recording artist since the mid-eighties. Started with a Tascam 4 track cassette recorder, then to their 8 track version and then to Yamaha's AW4416 DAW. So I have a basic understanding for recording, but was never a techie at it. All I wanted was to lay my tracks and sound down.

I recently purchased Pro Tools Mbox2. For two straight weeks I muddled through what the hell all of the drop downs boxes, buttons and options meant. The manual explains each function in technical terms, but not how each is used in the context of recording and the big picture. I wanted to return the dam thing!!

I then began looking into different books and saw the positive reviews that "Pro Tools for Musicians and Songwriters" had and thought I'd give it a try... THIS BOOK IS FRIGGIN AWESOME!!!!! I felt like the author was sitting right there with me showing me exactly what all of the features were for and how to use them. Right from the very beginning of laying your tracks down to the finish product and a whole bunch of everything else in the middle!!!

DigiDesign, should include this book with every sales of Pro Tools. It's just that good!!!! ...and now I love Pro Tools!!!

I had a difficult time understanding how to begin working with ProTools until I bought this book. It's a great step by step tutorial that works through all the basic concepts and produces a finished music composition as an end result. I refer to it often as I write and record. Now when I refer to the ProTools manual for detailed info, I have a much better grasp on what I'm reading.

I needed a book to get more out of Pro Tools; I don't want to be an engineer savant - just record my guitar and vocal tracks and add a touch of MIDI here and there.

Some books were terribly daunting, some so simple that they were of no use.

It's true - this book is laid out to work as lessons with tracks that can be downloaded from a website. But even if you're working on your own projects - the explanations here are simple enough, you should be able to apply them to your needs. Or heck, go through the lessons - if you wanna learn, put in the time.

Even without yet going through all the lessons, I've found two or three great tips that have made my mixes (and CPU usage) much improved; and for that alone it was worth the money I paid. Big clear pictures, the Table of Contents takes you where you need to go, and the author even makes herself available via her web blog, if you have a question.

A friend who has ProTools sat at my house and picked up the book and just flipped through some chapters and saw some relevant tips he took home with him to California (I'm in Utah). I'd bet he's bought a copy by now.

Will it detail every configuration of every plug-in - no. Is it "For Dummies" - no.

This is a five-star reviewed book - it's not for everybody, but if you're starting out and need some good clean answers, start here!

This is a book of examples and exercises so don't expect to look up a particular function or problem that you are having, the Table on Contents is not up to that job. Again this is a book of simple examples and exercises directed to beginners that need to be lead completely from scratch but I found the text too drawn out and confusing with such items as references to a real bus to illustrate a mixer. The items that I was interested in were noted in the text that they would be covered later but no reference as to where in the text they would be covered. Obviously not a book for me, I have read and seen better.

Team Yankee is quite an interesting book. Harold Coyle describes a war between the Warsaw Pact and NATO in 1985 in great detail. But don't expect this to be like Red Storm Rising, this book focuses entirely on small unit tactics with zero politics. The action starts immediately at the beginning of the second chapter, and it never stops.

The battles are realistic and the tactics are described in great detail in the text as well as the maps that are in the book. The maps really help you figure what's going on and what platoons are moving where, etc.

The story focuses on Captain Sean Bannon of Team Yankee, a military unit deployed in Germany during the Cold War. When war breaks out in 1985, he must lead his unit to victory. There are several other main characters including several other tankers, and an infantry sergeant. This is definetly a book you don't want to miss.

This book is, IMHO, the finest of the cold-war era military novels, and one of the finest military novels ever written, includng the writing of Patrick O'Brian and C.S. Forester.

The only book that can compare is Clancy's "Hunt for Red October", and it does not give as good a feeling as being there as does Team Yankee.

If you like military novels, or just good writing, read this book.

This was the second Coyle book I read (the first being "God's Children") and once again I was compelled by his gripping battle scenes and poignant view of today's combat environment. The story flows well and was generally enjoyable and engaging.

However, by the end of the book I became disappointed because of the constant, repeated stupidity of the opposing forces. I felt cheated because it never seemed that the U.S. forces won due to good strategy & tactics as much as because the enemy used tactics a learned high school student would shun. Don't get me wrong, the book is a good read. I only wish Coyle would create an antagonist with some brains to serve as a challenging foil for our heroes.

Setting aside all the geo-political baggage of the day, Coyle finds his real strength with one tank platoons story in WW III. It's a shame he never went back to this style. A real shame, as this is terrific, exciting stuff you wont find else where.

Harold Coyle's Team Yankee: A Novel of World War III (Presidio Press, 1987) was published a year after Red Storm Rising's triumphant debut in hardcover, and although it is thematically similar (Soviet forces invade West Germany after a series of crises escalate into an all out conventional war), Coyle's approach is very different from Clancy's. Instead of creating his own possible scenario for a NATO vs. Warsaw Pact confrontation, he asked for, and received, permission from British author (and retired General) Sir John Hackett to set Team Yankee within the scenario created in Hackett's two
"speculative fiction" books The Third World War: August 1985 and The Third World War: The Untold Story.

Team Yankee takes place within a two-week period in an August in the late 1980s. Since late July, a series of crises precipitated by the Iran-Iraq war has morphed into a clash between U.S. and Soviet naval forces in the Persian Gulf region. By August 1, word comes that NATO is mobilizing and ordering their armed forces, including Bannon and Team Yankee, to their wartime positions. Soon, the Soviets and their Warsaw Pact "allies" cross the Inner German Border in force. Team Yankee and the rest of NATO's forces in West Germany must then fight the invaders and stop them before the Red Army reaches the Rhine River. After that, assuming the Soviet attack bogs down, the mission will change from merely defending territory to taking offensive operations and pushing the invaders back. The question Coyle poses is, can American soldiers, using their weapons and tactics against superior numbers of Soviet and Warsaw Pact soldiers, defeat Russian weapons and tactics?

Readers familiar with Hackett's macrocosmic World War III will know the big picture, but first-time readers will be turning the pages to see who wins, who loses, who dies...and who survives in this outstanding first novel by a true master of the military fiction genre.

The only flaw, and this is not Coyle's fault, is that reality -- in the shape of the fall of communism and the end of the Cold War -- has made the novel's setting extremely outdated. Some of the then-modern weapons, such as the M1 main battle tank, have been since updated to M1-A2 standard, older weapons have been retired, and obviously there's no more Warsaw Pact.


All in all, it's an entertaining read.

I started this book at 11:00 at night, and let me tell you, it creeped me out. It wasn't until the next day, (when it was light outside) that I really got into it. The story didn't become creepy anymore, It became...compelling. The story is about high school student Clay Jensen receiving cassete tapes from a girl--who killed herself two weeks earlier. We follow the tapes through what seems to be a list of people and how they contributed to her suicide.
This story is so interesting. I've never read a book like it. The one thing I hated about the book though, was that while we are listening through these tapes, the end product is inevitable. Nothing changes. She still kills herself, and that's what makes this book really sad. Don't get me wrong, I loved it. But "listening" through these tapes, you can tell, Hannah isn't a very strong person. Sure, suicide is an easy way to end your problems, but it takes an even stronger person to move past everything they've been through, instead of taking the easy way out.

"Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem."

Never mind the fact this book has a gorgeous cover, 30-odd five star reviews, and a blurb from Chris Crutcher, a YA big-name. I picked Thirteen Reasons Why up solely because of its clever premise and wasn't disappointed. This is by far one of the most unique, innovative books I've read in a long, long time.

Clay Jensen comes home from school to find an anonymous box addressed to him. Curious, he opens it up and finds seven tapes with numbers written on them. So he sits down and pops tape 1, side A inside an old stereo. What he doesn't expect to hear is the voice of Hannah Baker, a girl he had a crush on who killed herself two weeks before, come out of the speakers. She's there to take him on a tour of her life and reveal the thirteen reasons she killed herself--one of which he's responsible for.

Quite a heavy novel, this one is. We're taken into an extensive account of little things we do, vanilla sins we commit, on a daily basis and how they impact the big picture. It forces you to think, grill yourself about all the times you've acted a certain way and wonder how the person took it. Sitting there, analyzing every gritty, itty-bitty detail about the past along with Clay was a huge wake up call--to me and, I suspect, to anyone who reads this.

I really, really liked this. The characters leap off the page with their development, the writing fits the mood perfectly, the voice is great, and the overall premise is just so interesting. Not once does Jay Asher get preachy or interfere. I think he handled this particular topic so very, very tastefully, and I honestly, unequivocably recommend this novel to any living, breathing being.

*Due to its big cast and many important details, I would suggest keeping a notebook nearby to jot down each characters and their role in Hannah's death.

Rating: 9/10

If you're interested in seeing a Q&A session with Jay Asher or an interview with him, both are posted on my blog. Look at the archives for May 2008.

This book really shows the whole thought process of a girls suicide and how it relates to those who she knew. It is an exellent novel that I highly recommend

If you haven't read this book, read it!!! It's wonderful and has some great twists in it. It is one of the best books i've read in a long time. it's a MUST read!!!!

This is a brilliantly well-written and plotted story. I couldn't put it down. (I decided to preview it first, as my 13-yr-old was interested in reading it.) WARNING FOR PARENTS OF YOUNGER KIDS: Contains graphic sexual situations. Just be aware. Apart from that, the book has a solid message about teen cliques, isolation, gossip, and its consequences. I would make it required reading for mature teenagers.

I've read a number of books on Zen, which technically can't be written about. Zen Flesh, Zen Bones by Reps and Senzaki is a good example of the pithy stories and poems that teachers use to "point toward the moon" while helping students not to confuse the finger for the moon.

The selection of material and translation are very good.

I have the Shambhala edition. It is a shame that one of the few good-quality translations in Shambhala's Pocket Classics series is out of print. If you can find one you should buy it, because it really can be read again and again and it really does fit in your pocket.

For a different sort of introduction to Zen I recommend D. T. Suzuki's Introduction to Zen Buddhism (An Introduction to Zen Buddhism).

For a fuller treatment it is hard to beat D.T. Suzuki's Essays (Essays in Zen Buddhism: First Series).

What strikes me as I read many of the reviews here is that most of the reviewers have a truly fond feeling for this book and that many have also read and re-read it over the years. Both of these experiences are true for me too!

"Zen Flesh, Zen Bones" is a collection of Zen tales that touch the heart and mind in the true spirit of Zen.

It was the first book that I ever read about Zen and it is invaluable still. I purchased my first copy in my early college days and over 20 years later I bought this book again, because I had lost my taped up and worn out copy in a move. I simply had to have this book once more, which in a strange way is an Attachment, yet not... which sounds like some half-baked Koan or humorous Zen twist like those that are so wonderful in the stories in this book. ( "What is the sound of one page turning?" )

If I had to choose one book on Zen it would be this one.
There are many, many fine books that delve deeper into the subject of Zen, but "Zen Flesh, Zen Bones" has the friendly essence and simplicity that is Zen. If you had no other introduction to Zen, somehow I think what is in this book would suffice.

The title of the book is no lie, it is telling the truth!

Peace

a great starter book. The parables are easy to read and simple to understand. I first read the book in larger size format 10 years ago. Today, I still appreciate every content of it. The best feature of the pocket size format is that you can carry them anywhere or leave it beside your bed when a bit of zen is needed in your life. I don't know why Shambhala Publishing stopped printing them.

I don't know why I find this book such a comfort. But it is one. I have read and reread it for over thirty years now. Zen is very foreign to American life. And it is hardly the answer to that life. But it is a partial answer -- if its influence on me is any indication.

Zen Buddisim doesn't have an official set of scriptures like all the other great religions of the world, but I consider this little dandy my set of Zen scriptures. These wonderful little Koans will considerably expand your mind and give you plenty to ponder upon or not to ponder upon. Each one can be read over and over again with new meaning sprouting forth each time. The book itself is a nice size and feels good to hold. I recommend this to anyone wanting to be at better peace with themselfs and everything around them. Beautiful.

Another excellent book by an excellent author, and I can't wait for the next one. Jim just can't write fast enough!

I would have given it a 5 star rating if I hadn't read "Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss.
The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicle, Day 1)

Overall: Captain's Fury is a very good book with some good character development, ties up many plot lines and introduces an intriguing premise for the next book -- fight the Vord in the Canim's homeland. Tavi is revealed as the grandson of Gaius, Octavian. The petty politics of Alera are clearly played out showing the stupidity of humans in the face of a very powerful and maelovent force. Also, the power of the first lord, Gaius, is finally demonstrated with quite a spectatular effect.

Characters: Tavi's development continues nicely including the development of his internal Furycrafting. He is not able to manifest an external Fury yet he clearly has some powerful and diverse Furycrafting befitting of an hier to the First Lord. The other characters are nicely updated to fillin the two year time gap from the last year. Also, the love interests are starting to resolve themselves with some satisfaction. The insane/psychopathic swordswoman / cutter is nicely done. Fidelius comes back to the side of the good but makes a nasty enemy in the process.

Plot: The plot was clearly laid out in the last book. This book is just the execution of how to resolve the key plots set up in the last book. The plot lines seemed fairly clear without many twists; it makes for a quick read without any confusion by the reader. The Canim are developed nicely for this story as well as preparatory background for the next book.

World development: There is some new development but most of it is in regard to the Canim. Also, the internal furycrafting of Tavi is an interesting twist on him developing his abilities into something truely amazing. By the next book, Tavi should be a serious force. The Canim are done well and consistently with elements of the last book. Tavi does a good job of showing the importance of understanding your enemies strength, weaknesses and social morays.

Prose: The prose is Jim Butcher in action -- nothing more, nothing less. The style is consistent with the other books. His writing does get a bit predictable (note: I have read all of the Codex Alera and the Dresden File books, so I should be fairly familiar with the style).

Action: The action is done well especially the sea combats and the description of the Leviathans. The combat elements of the legions vs. the Canim are crisp, well executed and not overly detailed.

Overall: 4 stars
Characters: 4 stars
Plot: 3.5 stars
World development: 3.5 stars
Prose: 3.5 stars
Action: 4 stars

This is a great book, filled with fantasy. Jim butcher is a great writter, if any one has read Terry Goodkind, Robert Jorden, I think they will a great book here. I reccommed this book for anyone who is into Fantasy.

Jim Butcher again did an excellent job in spellbinding me in this book. I couldn't put it down. It does wrap many loose ties nicely, and hints that there is even more to come. I look forward to reading book 5! :)

I am impressed, and I don't impress easily.

I had to take off the cover art so no one at my work knew I was reading a fantasy novel, but it was worth it.

Jim keeps improving.

Cheers,