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A Books sorted by Average customer review: high to low .

A
Ride the Wind
Published in Mass Market Paperback by Ballantine Books (1985-11-12)
Author: Lucia St Clair Robson
List price: $7.99
New price: $4.16
Used price: $0.78
Collectible price: $17.50

Average review score:

Ride the wind
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-13
I highly recommend this book. It is well written and easy to read.
The book shows both sides of the story of indians and white settlers and is intresting and emotional. I would have to say this is my favourite book.

A classic!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-14
Not only a great story, but based on real people & events. A talented writer who writes about an enthralling time period.

Ride The Wind
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-19
This book takes young Cindy and transforms her into a strong and powerful leader. I could not put this book down and have even read it twice more.

Not Bad
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-10
"Ride the Wind" is a historical fiction novel that details events in the life of a woman named Cynthia Anne Parker (or Naduah). The book itself is well written with a very descriptive style, but sometimes it gets a bit too descriptive. If you are squeamish or faint of heart I would not recommend this book for you as it is not sparing in its details of raids and battles. I would recommend this book if you enjoy TONS of action with a hint of romance. Not very relevant but extremely noticeable (to me anyway) is the authors never ending use of the word undulating (count it it's ALL OVER THE PLACE). Overall a good read, especially if you like stories about cowboys and Indians

Excellent read. Long but descriptive.
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-09-19
This is and excellent enjoyable read. It does leave one wondering how much research went into the background of Ms. Robson's work. She describes how wonderful the Indian tribes were to their captive white children. She does go into the very poor treatment of more mature captives. As a juxtoposition, one could read the short novel "Where the Broken Heart Still Beats" 'The Story of Cynthia Ann Parker' by Carolyn Meyer.

A
The Vaccine Book
Published in Kindle Edition by Little, Brown (2007-10-22)
Author: Robert Sears
List price: $9.99
New price: $7.99

Average review score:

Assigned reading by my patients
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-15
I have several families in my pediatric practice who have altered the schedule of their children's vaccinations. A couple of them read this book and asked me to review it. Overall, I think it's well written, and there is plenty of information I learned from Dr. Sears. I do think that the most salient detail of the book is regarding aluminum, and it unintentionally casts a light of skepticism on aluminum. Perhaps ten years down the road, we will determine that subcutaneous or intramuscular exposure to aluminum is harmless. But in the process of finding out, many families will likely suffer from preventable illness. I don't think Dr. Sears wanted this to be an outcome of the book, but I have witnessed some families making risky decisions based on their readings. I'm happy to report that my practice is on track to take the very measures he recommends, because it is important to reduce ANY exposures we artificially create for our children. It's hard for any vaccine book marketed to families to keep from creating a culture of fear and distrust of doctors. However, as a pediatrician, I've found that the most reliable source of information to be the American Academy of Pediatrics. I am, of course, professionally biased. But isn't that the point. I would recommend the book to interested physicians, but I would recommend parents to read literature endorsed by the AAP first.

Grandfather's Review
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-15
Outstanding!! I bought eight copies for my grown children and friends to protect their children.

Must have for all parents!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-14
This is a great un-biased book about vaccines. It tells you ingredients, side effects, and how to safely give the vaccines. I think it is a must have for all parents or parents to be.

You must be informed of all vaccinations, and what is in them, and what is necessary (HiB) and NOT necessary (Hep A & B? Come on). Plus knowing should consider delaying shots until at least 6 months of age to let the babies develop an immnune system, then doing ONE at a time. I

I learned a lot from this book. As a medical professional, I think this book does a good job at presenting the facts with a fair and factual position, and lets us know what we don't always have time to find out about vaccines and the controversy about them.

A very middle of the road view
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-14
I am a holistic health practitioner specializing in children's care. I like to provide reference books for parents who are looking at taking back control of their family's health by learning about alternatives to the Western medical model. A lot of parents have concerns about vaccinations these days, and since I fully support the Attachment Parenting model that Dr. Sears espouses, I was looking forward to the views presented in this book on childhood vaccinations. What I found in this book was a very middle of the road and cautionary view on limiting vaccinations. Dr. Sears simply restates the information found on the vaccine packages, inserts, and governmental information already out there. While he does state his personal opinions as to how effective or dangerous these vaccinations are, most of his opinions are still in favor of the recommended vaccination schedule of the CDC. There was very little information included in the book from independent researchers on the efficacy and dangers of vaccines. However, he does include some good information, such as an ingredient list of each vaccine, vaccination schedules, sides effects, and travel considerations. This book took the tone of a doctor trying to not stir the waters within his own profession, but also trying to be compassionate to the concerns of his patients. Overall, it came out feeling a little flat. I would recommend The Vaccine Guide by Randall Neustaedter OMD in addition to this book if people are looking for more information from the holistic side of the fence.

The Vaccine Book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-11
I loved this book, its really helpful in making vaccine discisions for your children. Its nice to be able to go the the Dr., and know more about the vaccines they are giving your children than they do! I think every parent who is in doubt about vaccines should read this book. It is not anti or pro vaccine, just the facts.

A
Elixir
Published in Mass Market Paperback by Tor Books (2001-08-13)
Author: Gary Braver
List price: $7.99
New price: $3.75
Used price: $0.01
Collectible price: $10.00

Average review score:

Couldn't Stop Reading
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-22
Everyone hears about the book you can't put down. ELIXIR, by Gary Braver,is such a book. It is one of the few thrillers I WILL read again. Chris Bacon is a trained biologist in search of medicinal plants, but returns from Papua New Guinea with the 'Fountain of Youth.' Now Braver poses some very big questions. Would living for centuries, maybe forever, be too much of a good thing? Where will everyone live if people don't die? Suppose members of families disagree? What will be the new policies? Who decides?

The author draws you in to this potentially changed world, but unfortunately some things never change. Greed, corruption, jealously, murder, all play a part in the compelling plot. This book should be a movie. Someone once said, Man is Nature's sole miatake. Braver shows us why.

Bio-Pharma Thriller
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2006-03-01
A gripping bio/pharma thriller with the allure of forever young and the concequences.
Braver moves your imagination closer to reality in this fine novel.

the new one
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2006-02-05
I want another like it. Mr braver...please let us know when you are gonna write one as good as this. Does anyone else think this would make an awesome movie?!!??

I DO
Jamie

Braver's New World
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-04-13
I'm the same age as the hero of the story (Chris Bacon) when he worked on producing the Elixir drug in the first half of the book. Despite his efforts and successful experiments, the drug has a terrible consequence. As I read this fast moving and thrilling story, I wondered if I would want to have Elixir available so I could live much longer than the lifespan nature has given me. Would the side effects be enough to make me fearful of taking Elixir? Would the social, environmental and moral consequences be enough? Where would all those billions and billions of people live if they didn't die? Or would the promise of staying young and never aging be too much of an attraction to ignore?

Braver doesn't just write suspenseful thrillers with good guys and bad guys in conflict with each other. He gets us to think about what can happen when something so promising and not really that far-fetched descends upon us. What will humans do to themselves and their world? Will they do the right thing? But what is the right thing? These are hard questions. Braver does not provide easy answers and we wouldn't want him to. He makes you care about the characters, think about these questions and also enjoy the ride he's taking you on. Any fiction writer capable of doing that deserves five stars and a recommendation to read his books.

Gary Braver is fabulously refreshing
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2006-01-31
Two weeks ago, I discovered a book called Flashback. It looked interesting, so I picked it up at the library. I was hooked at the first sentence. I then ran to the library where I picked up Grey Matter. I'm telling people "This man can flat out write." (That's a southern expression). I am now about to finish Gary's first Braver book: Elixir. Yes, I read them in reverse order; so, sue me.
I have become besotted with Braver's writing and I will BUY his next book, and all that follow. Hope Mr. Braver makes it soon.
I have advised all my friends, family and fellow readers to discover this fascinating writer. I mean, Robert B. Parker loves this guy!!!

A
A Man on the Moon
Published in Paperback by Penguin (Non-Classics) (1998-04-01)
Author: Andrew Chaikin
List price: $18.00
New price: $4.85
Used price: $0.25
Collectible price: $18.00

Average review score:

A Very Interesting Overview of the Apollo Program
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-11
I bought this book after seeing ``From the Earth to the Moon,'' and found it to be a very interesting and informative overview of the American manned space program through Apollo. I would highly recommend it to anyone who may have been too young or not born yet to understand the accomplishments of the astronauts and all the men and women of NASA and contractors who were the real heart behind the Apollo space program.A Man on the Moon

Chaikin boldly describes what astronauts couldn't
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-11
The Apollo astronauts accomplished a feat which few thought possible. In a captivating fashion, author Andrew Chaikin offers a version of the Moon flights which most astronauts could not communicate.

The vivid details of the lunar features and the astronauts' private thoughts are brought to life in a way that makes you feel as if you are really there. The astronauts often stumble into "thrust-to-weight ratios" and "angles of trajectory" when they talk about their experiences. This is not what the public wants to hear. This book is the definitive book for mankind's greatest adventure.

Tahir Rahman, author of We Came in Peace for all Mankind
www.silicondisc.com

Best book about NASA'a Apallo manned moon missions
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-05
This is the most well written story about all of NASA's Apollo missions from Apollo 7 to Apollo 17. If you like space travel and can't get enough of the moon landings than this is the book you must have. I thought I knew a lot about the Apollo missions, since I was a Navy SEAL during Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo and had teammates working in these programs, but was not prepared for the detailed documentary and laymen language approach to this book. It is, also, a great reference book with lots of other suggested reading. I couldn't put it down!

Excellent review of how we made it to the Moon
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-09-06
Chaikin scores with this book. He successfully captures the underappreciated story of humankind's climb to the Moon.

I have read many books about the Apollo missions and this is the first one I recommend to anyone interested in the subject.

--Guy P. Harrison, author of 50 Reasons People Give for Believing in a God (Prometheus)

THE BEST
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-03
If you want to know the history of the Apollo moon landings, this is one of the 2 book you MUST read (Mike Collins "Carrying the fire" being the other) A history of the Apollo program, with flashbacks to Gemini and Mercury for perspective. Chaikin has EVERYTHING that happened here, and he worked to get it. Anyone that had anything to do with the missions, Chaikin talked to him or her. Want to know who flew what, and when, here it is. Why did it happen the way it did? Here ya go.
Even the warts, although, I think Deke was romanticized a bit.

A
Simple Money Solutions: 10 Ways You Can Stop Feeling Overwhelmed by Money and Start Making It Work for You
Published in Hardcover by Crown Business (2000-02-01)
Author: Nancy Lloyd
List price: $23.00
New price: $7.99
Used price: $0.01
Collectible price: $23.00

Average review score:

Vital information for all college kids and new grads
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-04-14
I gave this book to both of my kids before they went to college.
My son first said that he wouldn't read it but when his roommates started getting into credit card problems they turned to this clever guide to see how he could make it through college without falling into the ubiquitous debt trap.

His fraternity brothers graduated with thousands of dollars in credit card debt. Two of them even had to move back into their parents' homes because they couldn't afford aparatments on their small starting salaries since their credit card payments far exceeded their salaries.

My son got a great job after college using advice he also found in this broad ranging book. Granted hia job didn't pay much in the beginning but without credit card debt he was able to get an apartment that he could afford and buy a used car with cash he had saved. A year later he has enough left over from his paycheck to put into a 401(k) plan. He's happy and able to support himself and his mother and I are proud that we have raised such a financially responsible son.

Our daughter chose to go directly to grad school. Learning from her brother's experiences she also followed the advice in this savvy book and just said NO to credit cards until her senior year of college. She uses the cards but pays them off each month.

While most of our friends don't like to discuss the financial problems that their kids have gotten into a lot of our neighbors' growns kids have shared their credit card problems with our kids. Some are even using the book to help them get out from under their college credit card debt.

That just scratches the surface of the useful advice in this book. All college kids and teenagers should be required to read this book before they've dug themselves into debt.

I highly recommend it.

Suspicious 5* reviews
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2006-04-05
Most of reviewers who gave 5* have only one review on their pages. At least it looks suspicious, at most like fake promotion.

Please save your money
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2004-12-29
This is one of the worst books written on finance. Nancy lloyd has a lot of fluff in this book and its only marketing. Iam glad my friend lent me this book and I didnt have to pay money for this POS. Compared to the peter Lynch and Graham book, this one is surely aimed for preschool toddlers.

Sensational Book That Stands the Test of Time
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2004-03-16
If you have been trying to make money in the markets or even just getting started by paying off debts then you -- like most of us -- have probably bought many books that purported to help you manage your finances and create wealth.

Like most of us those other books probably did not work for you --even if they were recommended by TV celebrities who know nothing about finances but can't resist recommending books for other motives.

If those other inferior books did work as they were purported to then why would you still be looking for a book with usable answers?

This book, Simple Money Solutions, is a stunning exception.
The advice is accurate. It includes an array of advice because money advice is not one size fits all. And the advice never becomes obsolete. It does stand the test of time!

In fact those other books that claim to have THE One and Only answer is almost guaranteed to be nothing but a book built on unproven gimmicks or trendy tricks that do NOT work and that certainly won't work over the long haul.

This book and its author, Nancy Lloyd, have taken a different and sound approach to money matters. She presents the issues we're all struggling with out in a clear and concise way and then lays out the options, including financial products, services and strategies to implement various plans.

My neighbor and I both read this book but based on our individual situations we chose different financial strategies that fit our unique lives.

I have now thrown my other financial advice books out (I wouldn't even give them away for fear that some unsuspecting reader would follow those other books' feeble and inaccurate advice).

But I have been punked by other books for the last time.

Simple Money Solutions is a KEEPER!!

Our Get Out Of Debt Club's
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2004-03-11
Our book club had a secret a few years ago. In addition to loving to read good books with strong narratives, it turned out that all of our 18 members also had huge amounts of credit card debt. Some of us had about $5,000 in debt, most of us hovered between $20,000 and 35,000 and two of us actually had over $50,000 in unwanted debt. Things were getting desperate.

When we finally fessed up to this secret problem we started looking for good money management-debt reduction books but while many claimed to do it most left us with more debt than we started with. Eithher their advice was too convoluted, or too simplistic or in some cases not legal.

Several of us had even been to debt consolidators and other debt eliminators but many of them took our money and fled without ever paying our bills.

Then we saw Nancy Lloyd on Good Morning America and decided to give this book a shot. Ding, ding, ding. It was a winner.
She explained in plain talk how to get real about our debt. We learned how to negotiate with our creditor -- even exactly what to say to get them to lower our interest, forgive some debt and get some negative marks taken off of our credit reports.

Nancy also showed us some simple ways to, as she put it "free up cash each month" so that we could finally make more than the minimum payments.

What can I say except that after several years all but two of us are DEBT FREE. The other two women can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Our book club has now become an investment club and Nancy's great advice on starting and growing a portfolio are paying off even in this sideways stock market.

We now have Peace of Mind at last and no longer fear answering the phone because the creditors are no longer calling!!!

A
Stealing Karma
Published in Digital by Amazon (2007-12-20)
Author: Aneesha Capur
List price: $0.00
New price: $0.00

Average review score:

This Author Has "Perfect Pitch"
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-26
Some books are like the best of cats, they end up in your lap whenever you have a spare moment; they seek your company even as you desire theirs. Stealing Karma will be that book that one gives to a dozen friends - and they will all be grateful for it. Amazing.

A world I want to know
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-20
Aneesha Capur's novel, Stealing Karma, is a story brimming with characters and situations that feel fresh, unexplored, and compelling. The dynamics here may mirror others in contemporary fiction concerned with domestic complexities, however, Stealing Karma spins them on their head and uses the cultural milieu to show us human interaction as we have never seen it before. I want to be here, in this world, and get to know its characters and how they will ultimately resolve the issues they face. The writing is clear, lyrical, steeped in place and feeling, and makes you thirst for more. Capur offers a delightful antidote to the kinds of fiction we have seen so much of in the past few years. This is a book that many readers of all backgrounds will be sure to find satisfying.

More, please
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-28
A pity that one can only read a few pages of what promises to be a most interesting story! Capur catches the reader's imagination and holds it with tantalizing imagery and dialogue, moving the plot forward, leaving one wanting for more. What happens to Mira? How does she cope? I look forward to reading the novel in its entirety.

Capur shines
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-28
In a world where so many of us have been driven by a sense of adventure or desperation or opportunity to seek our fortunes abroad, Stealing Karma weaves the story of the expatriate into the life of Mira who loses nearly all connection to India after she leaves for Africa. Mira is suddenly widowed and the precariousness of her adopted world, her erstwhile world of choice, is stark. In her excerpt, Aneesha Capur skillfully sets the plot for the reader: karma will transform the comfortable, even opulent, lives of Mira and her young child. But Mira now belongs to neither the world she left nor the world that has left her.......

"Journey's Through Lifetimes"
Helpful Votes: 7 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-22
After reading the manuscript review by Publishers Weekly provided in the Editorial Reviews concerning the novel `Stealing Karma' by Aneesha Capur I couldn't wait to read the nine pages submitted to Amazon's ABNA contest. Here is a book containing a plethora of subject matter near and dear to my heart; prophetic dreams, Hindu deities, astrological omens, African tribal beliefs and Jungian psychology and reincarnation. It was almost too much to ask for.

With such high hopes in place I must admit that I was extremely disappointed after reading the excerpt. Not because the writing is bad or the story uninteresting. To the contrary, both writing and storyline are excellent. The disappointment experienced was due to the discovery that none of those tantalizing spiritual/occult matters already mentioned were included within the available nine pages.

Moving beyond my initial dismay, I did enjoy this excerpt and look forward to reading the novel at some later date. The characters are well developed and I found Mira an intriguing, beautiful and incredibly sympathetic figure. To create such an alluring and complex character in a short nine pages is a credit to the author and makes the reader hungry for more pages to explore.

A
Unbeatable Chess Lessons For Juniors (McKay Chess Library)
Published in School & Library Binding by Topeka Bindery (2003-11)
Author: Robert M. Snyder
List price: $26.20

Average review score:

NEW REVISED EDITION of this top selling book!
Helpful Votes: 197 out of 305 total.
Review Date: 2006-08-06
It just came to my attention that a new revised and corrected edition with a little additional material will be released in a couple of months! I have the orignal Random House edition and this is a great collection of instructive games with analysis of every move. I have enjoyed it with the "More Unbeatable" book as well.

Best insructional book for anyone past the beginning stage
Helpful Votes: 277 out of 386 total.
Review Date: 2006-10-27
This is a revised edition of the book originally published in 2003. The main difference between this edition and the earlier one are:
1) The format has been changed to double column on the pages. This allows the explanations of the moves to be closer to the diagrams which accompany the explanations.
2} Some of the analysis has been updated and expanded to further help the student.
3) A result of the new format and slightly smaller print has been a saving of space (less white space per page}. Therefore, the new edition has the same number of games and explanation, but in under 200 pages. At less than 1/2 the thickness of the previous edition, it is much easier to carry.
4} A new edition gave the author a chance to correct many typographical errors and rephrase explanations to make for further clarity.

Like its predecessor, this book is for anyone (not just juniors) who want to understand why certain moves are played. Those who have read Irving Chernev's "Logical Chess: Move by Move" will be even more delighted with Mr. Snyder's book. Instead of the lengthy explanations that are repeated over and over again in Chernev's book, the book by Mr. Snyder gives the important information once at length and then relies of the reader to review if the explanation is needed again. When a move is a simple recapture he keeps the explanation to a short senctence. In the case of the opening moves being repeated in a later game, Snyder does not give the explanation again, but relies on the reader to refer back if explanation is needed. Half of the games are those of the author and half by other masters. Some important features of the book for students are:
1) Games are arranged by opening and thus start the player on developing an opening repretoire to play against opponents.
2) Analysis (i.e. alternate moves) is kept to the minimum needed to help the student gain understanding of what is happening and of alternate possibilities.
3) There are numerous diagrams (generally after every 3 or 4 moves) to help the student make sure of the correct position. And for stronger players it allows for them to read the book without the need of a board.
4) Explanation of moves are clear and concise. Anyone from about age 11 or 12 and up should have no trouble understanding the material.
I recommend this book for anyone who seriously wants to improve their play.

PERFECT: For anyone beyond a beginner who really wants to learn the most important concepts (any age!)
Helpful Votes: 283 out of 387 total.
Review Date: 2005-12-30
After having learned the basics from the same author's CHESS FOR JUNIORS book I decided to get this book for myself, my children and grandchildren.

-->

I just finished reviewing CHESS FOR JUNIORS, which I consider to be an 8th wonder of the world, and now I discovered the 9th!
CHESS FOR JUNIORS leaves off at the end with with nicely analyzed games (move by move commentary) and UNBEATABLE CHESS LESSONS FOR JUNIORS adds 24 more games. You will learn just what the author knows you need to learn once completeting CHESS FOR JUNIORS (well, if you know the basics well, then you can skip CHESS FOR JUNIORS and jump right into this book).

-->

I might also suggest that you get WINNING CHESS TOURNAMENTS FOR JUNIORS in this series, which provides an explanded opening system, intermediate level tactics and endgames and lots of information on how to improve and prepare for tournaments.

ENJOY!!!

Good, but not the best book of its type
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2007-04-10
The idea of explaining the idea behind every move is a good. I wish that more books would do this for the Beginning and Intermediate level chessplayer.
There are several problems with this book; 1) The book is overly focused on the opening - it should spend more time going into the middlegame and endgame, and 2) It often would not answer the questions I had about a move or what was going on it the game, and 3) half the games are of the author, who is only a measly master. However, overall I can still recommend this book.
This book does not compare in quality to my favorite book, "Logical Chess, Move by Move, which just recently was updated."

Great Teaching Style - One of my all time favorite chess books
Helpful Votes: 310 out of 417 total.
Review Date: 2006-02-06
I really enjoyed reading Unbeatable Chess Lessons For Juniors. I felt that I gained a lot of knowledge especially in the following areas,
a) Learning how to build an attack. The placement of your pieces and planning aheady.
b) Learning how to use sacrifices and to recognize when they work and do not work.
c) Positional play - manuvering your pieces and planning the use of Pawn structures.
d) Many tactical ideas were covered.
e) Learning the openings. The openings in the complete games are well covered with important opening lines being show. The games are organized by the type of openings being used. This makes it easy to study openings. The lines being shown are up to date and very accurate.
f) There are not a lot of endgames but the ones covered are very instructive. What I like is to see how plans were made to get to the winning endgame right from the opening! This book then gives a step by step explaination of how to win the endgame.
Some special features I liked about Unbeatable Chess Lessons For Juniors,
a) You are asked to find the best move. This forces you to think and makes for fun problems to solve out of games. This is much different than most books.
b) All the moves are analyzed.
c) General rules are pointed out. But, what makes it really nice is when the exceptions to the general rules happen, they are pointed out.
I like the nice easy flowing style of the author. For a person who already knows the very basic stuff about chess this book is just right. This is because there is both a review of important ideas and a depth of analysis making this book interesting for a more advanced player as well. The author uses a lot of his own game where he has used them in chess lessons with his own students. This makes the explaination very clear and things that only an experienced chess teacher knows need to be covered are right there. I have read some of the other reviews which have been helpful to me in being able to point out some of things that I agree with.
If you really love chess and like to study to improve this book is good for any age. But it is written so a 6th grader can understand it.
I understand that this book is going through a new printing correcting any typos and may be hard to get for a while. It would be worth waiting for if you cannot get it now or even getting a used copy for now.

A
The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Published in Paperback by Del Rey (2002-04-30)
Author: Douglas Adams
List price: $18.95
New price: $9.97
Used price: $2.25
Collectible price: $18.95

Average review score:

Great
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-15
Our friend here is simply the best humorist printed on paper during the second half of the twentieth century.

Mark Twain and Bierce Ambroce should see him as a counterpart in heaven (or hell) I recommend this book to any reader, even if that English is not their native language, like me.

great book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-26
this book is the comp of the douglas adams series hitchhikers guide to the galaxy. it is hilarious well written and something just to put your imagination to work.

I love it!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-09
All the books plus a separate story together in one volume! What else could I wish for? If you enjoyed the movie, (okay, okay, there are always some differences between movie and book) you are going to love the books. It's that kind of ironic humour that makes you laugh through intelligent remarks, not silly statements.

Wonderful!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-22
The Hitchhiker's guide is funny and completely odd, but smart. This combination makes it a very different reading experience, it really does not have that much in the way of story of plot development, but the writing is just so fantastic and smart. It may not be a long read, but it is a more complex read then it seems. Its not for everyone and it may help to know that it is a strange ride to begin with. Remember DON'T PANIC and don't forget your towel.

Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy 5-Volume Collection
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-14
These books are still as funny as they were when I read them in school 25 years ago.

Bought the compendium for my wife as an Xmas gift, she had seen the movie but had not read the books. In the first week she read 2 of them, couldn't put it down.

If you are anything but a Fox news viewing NASCAR mark, you will love the dry and slightly sarcastic humor in Douglas Adam's work.

A
The Charlie's Angels Casebook
Published in Paperback by Pomegranate Press (CA) (2000-05)
Authors: David Hofstede and Jack Condon
List price: $19.95
New price: $31.11
Used price: $18.72

Average review score:

Great Stories But A Little One-Sided
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-06-16
To review this book I will divide it into two parts.

The first part is the story of Charlie's Angels from it's very first inception when it was about three "freelance crimefighters" calling themselves The Alley Cats to the final days of shooting when the show closed it production for good. There are a lot of interesting backstage tell-alls going on here featuring just about everyone connected with the show. We also have some pretty objectionable opinions on storylines and the direction of the series, as well as some pretty honest quotes from those that were involved. Very little was held back which makes this book an interesting read, but on the negative side there were a few cases which, unfortunately, sounded like one-sided gossip.
Example #1: the book, of course includes the story of Farrah Fawcett's abrupt decision to not return for season 2 and her subsequent lawsuit settlement which required her to make six more appearances. When she returned to film those episodes, she was "not warm to anyone," according to Cheryl Ladd. "She did not want to be there." Unfortunately, Fawcett was not interviewed for this book, therefore her side of the story was not included.
Example #2: Kate Jackson became increasingly unhappy with the direction of the show and by seasons 2 & 3, she started making a lot of demands which added a lot of tension to the set. Additionally, she apparently was not happy with the hiring of Ladd and the two actresses did not get along very well throughout the two years they filmed the show together. However, Jackson was not interviewed for this book, therefore her side of the story is not included.
In fact, one of the authors admits to having been friends with Jaclyn Smith for many years, and perhaps that is why the book is full of current quotes from Smith and Ladd, while anything from Jackson and Fawcett were lifted from previously published interviews printed while the show was still in production. Suspiciously, the story of how the network wanted to fire Smith after the pilot episode (and Aaron Spelling's fight to keep her on) is missing.
Anyhow, the book is still an interesting read, including the sections featuring Shelley Hack and Tanya Roberts. There are also brief resumes done on everybody associated with the series in their respective chapters. Kudos to that!

The second part of the book is an episode guide followed by commentary featuring small trivia and tidbits. The description of the episodes read more like an extended description you'd see in TV guide: enough to set up the plot but leaving enough out to not give anything away. In this case, I think that was wrong and made this section a very boring read. The authors should have included full synopsis from each episode (from beginning to end) - there'd be no need to fear that they would be spoiling anything since anyone who buys a book like this would've seen all the episodes anyway. Still, the commentary is interesting, making notes of notable guests stars and small little tidbits that you never knew, like: only in ONE episode of the entire five year run did all three angels appear in bathing suits together in one shot. Now that's trivia for the thinking man.

The bottom line is that the book should probably be taken for the same amount of entertainment that the TV show should be taken as - some shallow storylines mixed with some really good ones making for some guilty pleasures.

Charlie's Angels Casebook
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-11-14
This is a great book. I'm a huge fan of the series and Farrah Fawcett. It's a great book for fans of the hit TV show,from the actresses profiles to the series episode guide and commentary. Great pictures too!

Once Upon A Time There Were 6 Angels And A Fan Who Knew Everything About Them
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-08-21
If you are a Charlies Angels fan, then this book is a must. It is full of everyhting you need to know about the show and the beautiful ladies that made the show a hit. Oh and let's not forget Bosley "David Doyle". I loved this show from the day it debuted til the last episode. I have also been a longtime pen pal to one of the authors Jack Condon Who I know for fact has met each one of the Angels personally and is friends with Jaclyn Smith. So I truly recommend this book to all Angels fans because, trust me Mr. Condon knows his Angels.

gimme a break
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 10 total.
Review Date: 2004-11-19
Ok I love Charlies angels as much as the next... but this book is lame. Just as I watched each week enjoying yet hoping the plots would get better this book is the same. Just reading and waiting for it to get better.
Basically there is nothing you havent heard before. I would sell my copy for a buck plus shipping.

Complete and fun reference book
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2003-07-09
This is such a fun book! Lots of rare photos of all cast members. I really enjoyed the stories and anecdotes from all the personal interviews with the different cast members. This book obviously took lots of time and effort to compile.
I was won over in the first few pages where proper hommage is paid to the Angels' predecessors in female crime-fighting : Anne Francis as Honey West and Diana Rigg as Emma Peel. Charlie's Angels was perhaps ground-breaking but these 2 women broke the ground for the Angels in the previous decade. After this bit of history, it was evident that the author really knows his subject matter.
Just tons of fun facts in this book! Nice filmographies of each cast member and a very cool reference section on all the merchandise created for the show.
There is also a review of each episode of the show. This may be my favorite part as the author points out various bloopers or script inconsistencies that make the show all the more endearing. I didn't know that Rossano Brazzi was an Olympic athelete! The only drawback about his book is that it's so much fun to read that it leaves you wanting more! Thanks for a job well-done Jack!

A
The Darkest Hour (Warriors)
Published in Library Binding by Tandem Library (2005-10)
Author: E. Hunter
List price: $15.80
New price: $15.80

Average review score:

Warrior's rule!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-05
All of the Erin Hunter books are great! I just love them and have read them many times over. I am not a reader, I hate to read!!! But give me a Warrior series book and leave me alone for a few days. They are the best. Thanks Erin for opening up a new world for me.

KCS the darkest hour
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-11
The forest is in its darkest hour, and frightening new prophecies come up:
"Four will become two.
Lion and tiger will meet in battle,
and blood will rule the forest."

To find out if the Clans will survive this hardship, you have to read The Darkest Hour.
This fantasy novel, part of the ever-growing Warriors series, takes place in a forest near a highway, some time in 21st century mainland ("modern times"). There are four Clans in the forest: ThunderClan, RiverClan, ShadowClan, and WindClan. Fireheart (later known as Firestar) is the new leader of ThunderClan. He is described as a `handsome ginger tom", and like his name implies, he is brave and will stand up for whatever he thinks is right. Tigerstar, the vicious leader of ShadowClan, is a tyrant and will stop at nothing to take over the forest.
StarClan can be described as cat heaven or the cats living in cat heaven. When a cat becomes leader of his Clan, he receives nine lives from StarClan (get that: cats don't come with nine lives; they have to earn it): courage, justice, loyalty, tireless energy, protection, mentoring, compassion, love, and nobility, certainty, and faith. Of course, all this life receiving is very painful.
Something bad is coming to the forest, something bad enough to have its own prophecy. Firestar is sure this has to do with Tigerstar, but he can't really be sure. When Tigerstar brings up the idea of joint Clans, Firestar is convinced. How could he even mention the idea? There`ve always been four clans in the forest, and it's the will of StarClan to be that way, right? But Tigerstar is definitely hiding something here...
This fast-paced book was easier to read than maybe Brian Jacques' books but not so easy as Guardians of Ga'hoole. I think the theme would be courage. Yes. Stand up for what you believe in. The title is what it is because the Clans faced a looming crisis, bigger than even a forest fire. Erin Hunter uses lots of descriptive words to give you a good picture of what's going on in the novel, and keeps you reading until you're done. I think it showed some Christian perspective in one of StarClan's many visits to Firestar. Contrary to what the cats are taught, StarClan do not control everything; they give the Clans free will and don't force things onto them, kind of like God does.
I really enjoyed this novel and would recommend it to middle-school-and-up people who enjoy reading fantasy things or likes to contemplate what their cat might be dreaming of.

KCS the darkest hour
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-11
The forest is in its darkest hour, and frightening new prophecies come up:
"Four will become two.
Lion and tiger will meet in battle,
and blood will rule the forest."

To find out if the Clans will survive this hardship, you have to read The Darkest Hour.
This fantasy novel, part of the ever-growing Warriors series, takes place in a forest near a highway, some time in 21st century mainland ("modern times"). There are four Clans in the forest: ThunderClan, RiverClan, ShadowClan, and WindClan. Fireheart (later known as Firestar) is the new leader of ThunderClan. He is described as a `handsome ginger tom", and like his name implies, he is brave and will stand up for whatever he thinks is right. Tigerstar, the vicious leader of ShadowClan, is a tyrant and will stop at nothing to take over the forest.
StarClan can be described as cat heaven or the cats living in cat heaven. When a cat becomes leader of his Clan, he receives nine lives from StarClan (get that: cats don't come with nine lives; they have to earn it): courage, justice, loyalty, tireless energy, protection, mentoring, compassion, love, and nobility, certainty, and faith. Of course, all this life receiving is very painful.
Something bad is coming to the forest, something bad enough to have its own prophecy. Firestar is sure this has to do with Tigerstar, but he can't really be sure. When Tigerstar brings up the idea of joint Clans, Firestar is convinced. How could he even mention the idea? There`ve always been four clans in the forest, and it's the will of StarClan to be that way, right? But Tigerstar is definitely hiding something here...
This fast-paced book was easier to read than maybe Brian Jacques' books but not so easy as Guardians of Ga'hoole. I think the theme would be courage. Yes. Stand up for what you believe in. The title is what it is because the Clans faced a looming crisis, bigger than even a forest fire. Erin Hunter uses lots of descriptive words to give you a good picture of what's going on in the novel, and keeps you reading until you're done. I think it showed some Christian perspective in one of StarClan's many visits to Firestar. Contrary to what the cats are taught, StarClan do not control everything; they give the Clans free will and don't force things onto them, kind of like God does.
I really enjoyed this novel and would recommend it to middle-school-and-up people who enjoy reading fantasy things or likes to contemplate what their cat might be dreaming of.

Great series
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-12
Pre-teen and early teen girls love the series. It has my 10 year olds attention. She is reading like never before.

Warriors
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-26
"Today is a good day to die, but tomorrow is better. Unless, those doing the dying are six foot, mutated chipmunks with blaster rifles. But I'm getting ahead of myself. I should start at the beginning. If you ask me, the end makes a fine beginning. Things come together and things fall apart, and the fur flies a little easier with the help of a Rolling Thunderä shotgun, as long as that fur isn't mine, and I'm the one pulling the trigger. Yep, it's a beautiful day in the neighborhood, but I ain't Mr. Rogers."

"But, I should introduce myself, you can call me Ishmael. Just kidding, bit of classical allusion there. Call me Hobo, warrior, poet, and one fine-looking feline, that's me. See, all cats are warriors, at least at heart, and that's why I'm the best one to introduce the series, Warriors."

Warriors is a book series first published in 2003 by Kate Cary and Cherith Baldry, under the pen name Erin Hunter, and introduced to me by cat and book lover Billy Waltz. The second series was written under the title Warriors: The New Prophecy. The third series, The Power of Three, and two more books, Firestar's Quest and Secrets of the Clans, are coming in 2007.

The series starts off with Into the Wild and a young "kitty pet"(house cat) name Rusty who yearns for adventure and has vivid dreams of the wilds. He meets a young feral cat, and this meeting leads to a chance to join a clan of wild cats called Thunderclan. He's renamed Firepaw and becomes an apprentice warrior. He finds himself in the middle of a tribal war with three other clans who coexist and compete for food and resources.

Allegiances are constantly shifting among the clans of warrior cats that roam the forest. With tensions so delicately balanced, former friends can become enemies overnight, and some cats are willing to kill to get what they want. Our young protagonist quickly moves from apprentice to warrior, to second-in-command, to leader of his clan. He must learn wisdom, deal with betrayal, and ultimately save his clan and the forest way of life.

The author has created an intriguing world with an intricate structure and mythology. There is intrigue, themes of loyalty, friendship and death, and an engaging young hero. The difficult life of a feral cat is described in some detail. (Oct. 16 is national feral cat day. Check out www.nationalferalcatday.org ) The cats, anthropomorphism aside, are true to their feline nature, which should delight cat and animal lovers alike. There is some violence. Some characters are killed through fighting and natural disasters, and there is treachery, betrayal and traitors, and even murder among the cats and clans, though it is crucial to the plot and not excessive.

Overall, I believe readers will find a fun-to-read series of books. Though not as elegantly written as Brian Jacques' Redwall series. The superb storytelling drew me into a realm so vivid that it could almost be real and I really came to care about the characters I found myself staying up late, with the old flashlight under the cover trick, to finish the books, and that Sand Storm sounds like a babe. Wonder what she's doing Saturday night? Hey, this cat is a fighter and a lover....

Author of "Hobo Finds A Home" editor "Of A Predatory Heart"


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