Woody Allen Books

This book added to my appreciation of older adults as vital people with much to contribute. It is well-written and a pleasure to read. Also read other books by this author!

If you want a great time be sure and read all three of Effie Wilders books about Hattie McNair and her FairAcres gang. It is most enjoyable. I read all three. I hope she writes more. It makes me understand my Mom more. It almost makes me want to move to a retirement home. Granted there are sad times but also lots of good times. You find out how loving and helpful people are. Have some fun and read this book.

I bought this book to learn more about the primal religious practices of the Aboriginal people. I got more than I bargained for. What I found was a comprehensive study of "The Original Australians," from their migration to the continent 40,000-50,000 years ago, to the present.

Flood's work is thorough, analytical, well-researched and unbiased. She obviously loves the indigenous people of whom she writes, yet she does not patronize them or romanticize their history or their plight.

Neither does she condemn the English, who first colonized "New Holland," or the Australian government, who enacted laws that forever changed the course of Aboriginal life.

Flood proves to be both a scholar, who honestly reports the facts, and a compassionate human, who cares deeply for the objects of her research.

I recommend this book highly. Where other books on Aboriginals tend to be anecdotal in nature, Flood's book is meaty, yet digestible; objective, yet heartfelt. It'll stimulate your mind and touch your heart.

Ms Flood has set herself the challenge of avoiding the political diktat of our times and trying to give an honest and thorough account of what aboriginal culture and life was like at the time of first contact with whites and following. my own interest is to look at a 50,000 year old culture - the oldest on earth - as the human roots of us all, and learn more about the basics of being human. it should come as no surprise to any sensible and honest person, that the picture is one of violence, mistreatment of all who are physically weaker, especially women. there is also a harsh lesson on the fruits of supernatural belief insisting on no change, no innovation, no learning, no progress. isolation and stasis bear terrible fruits.

I've read all but one of Mr. Johnson's books and find myself taking the trip with he and his grandchildren. I have recently introduced my 14 yr old son to Mr. Johnson's adventures and he too finds it hard to put the book down. I would find his books interesting even if I were not from the same area. I hope Mr. Johnson keeps on publishing his travels. Thanks for the arm-chair travels you have taken me on.

This is not the usual grandfather-grandson account of catching fish on a calm pond. Rather, Canoeing the Wabash by author Allen Johnson is high adventure for any age range. The skilled writer easily holds the reader's attention through 500 miles that he and 10-year-old grandson paddled. Though he disclaims any intent to write a "scholarly account," his story is peppered with history, indicative of careful research. His stated goal, "that reader get a couple of chuckles each session," estimated at four half-hour reading periods, may have been intended to lower expectations. The final effort delightfully exceeds such modest goal. The reader's interest will grow with the river being traveled-from the step-across beginning to the joinder of its mouth with the larger Ohio River. It is at that point that the magnitude of the trip, including the personal risk, is apparent. Barge wake in the big river almost swamped the tiny canoe. "The longest five minutes of the trip. The Wabash had been a little choppy at times, but the Ohio was an ocean." Many intrigued grandfathers and grandsons may duplicate the trip in their minds. A few may actually do so. None will write a finer account of his voyage.

Much like the message in "As a Man Thinketh," this book reminds us that many want to improve something externally when the solution is internal.

The truth about yourself and your experiences are found by searching deeply in your heart.

"Out From the Heart," also advises that to purify our hearts, we must master the fundamental lessons of virtue:

1. Physical Discipline;
2. Mental Discipline;
3. Willingness to perform your best;
4. Self-honesty; and,
5. Forgiveness.

And this little 54-page is a nice reminder of what matters when you want to make the storms of your soul obey you.

What an awesome book on living from the heart instead of from the ego. Very wise. I highly recommend it.

This book is a delightful humurous realistic read giving insight to aging gracefully. My mother lived in a community living situation which she loved and this book brings back so many memories of things that happened to her. I would like to thank Effie for giving us insight as to how living can have meaning and purpose where ever we are. As my momma said, "Bloom where you are planted." Vivian Sitton

Over What Hill ? is another very entertaining short novel by Effie Leland Wilder. It touches your heart and then makes you laugh. The book is written as a diary in which Hattie shares the her thoughts and the events that happen at FairAcres retirement center. The point of view of an eighty something with a sense of humor is refreshing. If you have to choose between this book and Out to Pasture (But Not Over the Hill) then buy Out to Pasture. This book is the sequel.

David Allen's PAST, PRESENT, AND FURTHER MORE, is a book of three compellingly written short stories, one set in crime-ridden New York City in the 1970s, another set in Maine in the present day, and the third takes place in totally devastated, post-WWIII New York City in the year 2112.

The first story, "The Favor," is an historically believable, fast paced, exciting mystery that you cannot put down once you start reading it. The author does an excellent job of picturing organized crime in New York City during the early 70s when the crime rate was at its highest and mob-activity was commonplace.

The second story, "Dreamscapes," introduces hauntingly horrible evil spirits in the present-day world that explode into the quiet life of rural Maine. Allen is at his height of brilliant and frightfully dramatic story-telling in this gripping tale. Hold on to your chair and be prepared for nightmares when reading this story!

My personal favorite is the third story, "In the Works." This is a very sobering view of the world a little over 100 years from now, a world in which all but a couple of hundred humans beings remain on earth after World War III had destroyed most of humanity. The solution that one of Allen's characters develops in a highly advanced science lab in a New York City underground bomb shelter is the only hope humans have of surviving. You may think the solution is pure fantasy, or just science fiction nonsense. I think it is not just a figment of Allen's extraordinary imagination, but it might be scientifically feasible.

I can't wait for David's next book.

David Allen's first book of short stories is brilliantly composed with creativity and originality, the likes of which are the hallmark for greatness. The stories are both captivating and thrilling; jam-packed with action, drama, suspence, macabre, and innovation; delivering a masterpiece collaboration of all genres, something to entice any and all audiences. From start to finish this book plunges you into a realm of wickedly exciting tales, leaving you begging for more. The books illustrations are both alluring and mysterious, adding a touch of darkness and invention to each detail, perfectly complimenting the structure of each story. A must have for anyone longing for something new and intriguing!

Speaking as an American who has lived in Australia for 2 years, I can say this is authentic and I felt as if I were Down Under with these pure Australian characters, the town, and scenes along the highways. This adventure mystery kept me cheering for the main character and feeling a part of it, as it quickly kept revealing clue after clue. Americans will have no trouble understanding the book as there is no obscure Australian terminology, AKA Aussie slang. Compare this mystery to Garry Disher's "Kickback" written in 1991.

Despite all the intellectual disdain for American culture, there are a number of great literary genres that are distinctly American, among them the hard-boiled detective and crime noir story. In fact, it seems not too much of a stretch to say that the prose and story-telling styles of Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler were as influential, or more so, than those of any of the more high-toned literary icons of the 20th Century, with the added distinction that folks who tried to like them actually produced readable books, while those who tried to write like Joyce, Woolf, and Faulkner generally produced drek.

Strangely enough though, two of the best current practitioners in these genres are Australian. The Cliff Hardy series by Peter Corris is among the select company of great homages to Sam Spade and Philip Marlowe, while the Wyatt novels by Garry Disher are probably the best crime series since Donald Westlake's Parker books (written under the pseudonym of Richard Stark) of thirty and forty years ago. From the one word name of the antihero to the problems with the "Outfit" (organized crime), the Wyatt stories actually quite resemble Westlake's.

Here's Disher's description of his protagonist :

Wyatt was forty years old. Respectable men his age were marking time until their retirement. The hard men his age were dead or in gaol.
Wyatt was different. He'd never been burdened by doubt, uncertainty or personal ties. He worked from an emotionless base. He could
cut to the essentials of a job and stamp his cold hard style on it.

He needs to be cold and hard in this, his second, caper, as he's being hunted by the Outfit after crossing them up in the first book; he's trying to pull a payroll job in the unfamiliar surroundings of Belcowie, three hours north of Adelaide; and he's got untested partners, including a woman, violating one of his own rules.

The language is terse, the action brisk and brutal, and the book terrific. Cover blurbs for such novels always refer to them as realistic. I suspect the opposite is actually true. Thankfully there aren't many criminals as smart and emotionless as Wyatt, otherwise we'd all be in trouble.

GRADE : A

For former Philadelphians who retain any residual interest in the city's social/economic/labor history or, for that matter, for anyone from anywhere who's interested in the 20th century history of Billy Penn's old creation, this is a winner. Not only does it contain an abundance of great old photos but the narrative commentary is chock-full of interesting (even jaw-dropping, in some cases) bits of historical info of the "who knew?" variety. The best book of its kind I've ever read.

Philadelphia Stories is an outstanding photo-journal chronicling the years 1920 through 1960; the photos are excellent and really took me back to my childhood days through Port Richmond, Kensington, Juniata and Frankford! A "Must-Read" for anyone interested in Philadelphia History or just to Stroll down Memory Lane. Thoroughly enjoyable - I was thrilled to find this terrific book at Amazon.com !

This is my 15th of Ms. Charlotte's 37 (?) wonderful novel's and I plan to get through them all as she is a wonderful author. I hope she does a sequel of this one, especially Martin who is the most wonderful man in Literature. He is sooo sweet and lovable. I wonder how Ms. Vale Allen thinks up all her various plots and stories??? I only wish I had her talent.

This is a novel so grounded in painful, yet humorous, reality that it is positively gripping. Following the separate paths of Caley Burrell and Martin Maddox, the reader travels along with the two central characters, waiting for that moment when their paths intersect. And when they do, the physically shattered Caley and the recovering alcoholic Martin are funny and touching and tentative. This is a book about losses and about the possibility of small gains; it's about how fate will send you flying through the windowshield of a car, causing you to become horribly disfigured; it's about how an alcoholic can lose everyone he loves, regain them, get sober, and, even then, having done everything right, suffer unthinkable losses. That these two unlikely people find each other is surprising, and wonderful, and completely believable. A lovely, thoughtful book that delves far below the surface to find what is really important, really valuable, in human interchange. Don't miss this! It's a gem.

I had 25 of these books shipped by the free shipping service and I still recieved them quite quickly.
Thank you!

"De la Forma en que una persona ve el mundo, va a ser en gran parte el mundo que va a tener" (R.A.M)


eso se aprende de:

Proverbios 4:23, "Sobre toda cosa guardada, guarda tu mente; Porque de ella provienen los resultados de la vida."


este gran libro trae 2 bestsellers:


Piense y hágase rico & Como un Hombre Piensa Asi es Su Vida

que nos enseñan la importancia de cuiadar nuestra mente.

Un excelente libro para los que buscan el exito