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Powerful, moving, honest. The best kind of writing is the kind that comes straight from the heart. You can feel the anger, pain and love flow over the pages. A story that takes you inside the heart of one who lost so much on that day and fought so hard to get to the truth of what happened and what culpability level of our government. Gripping, hard to put down, you know you should just read it. You won't regret it.

This lady is certainly to be commended for maintaining her stamina to accomplish what she did with so many things going wrong. Anyone who has the disgusting attribute to slam these ladies when they were working for others as well as themselves needs to sit down in front of a mirror. There are so many reasons and more all the time actually that there should be another REAL investigation into the whole terrible tragedy of 9-11. I fully agree with them and applaud all they have done and are still trying to do. They say "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" and "God doesn't give you anything you can't handle" and I guess that would seem to be true in this case, however, as I know from my own life, no matter what kind of battle you are fighting it does take its toll on one's body. Good going to all you ladies who participated in this and what a wonderful book that was. Well written to the point I could hardly lay it down!

Kristen Breitweiser gives us a compelling view of our government through the eyes of an average citizen. She takes us on a journey thorough her life with her husband before 9/11, through that awful day and then through the aftermath. Kristen and other 9/11 widows have been fighting for truth and accountability for the attacks since that tragic day and have had to overcome hurdles every step of the way. Kristen's strength and determination is inspiring.

I usually don't go in for biographies and I believe all the attention on 9/11 has been a distraction ... that being said, this booked really rocked me. The author is completely "real" and human. Within a few minutes you are identifying with her life and her hopes and dreams. When the tragic death of her husband and thousands of others occurs, you feel her shock and pain.
This book points out why 9/11 is important. Not only do we need to come to grips with people in the world who want to do harm to Americans - we need to come to grips with a government that utterly failed Kristen, the other 9/11 survivors and victims, and all of us as citizens.
The book is riveting and revealing. I encourage anyone who cares about our country to read this book!

In "Wake Up Call", Kristin Breitweiser offers poignant, first-hand insight into the grave inadequecies, corrosive power struggles and chilling lack of democracy of our pre-9/11 government, as well as a piercing account of the blatant failures, deception, and exploitation of the Bush administration afterwards. Beautifully written with a generous, sensitive depiction of her personal life both before and after she lost her husband in the Tower 2 calamity (which she witnessed first-hand), Mrs. Breitweiser's thorough depiction of a country still frighteningly vulnerable to Al Quaida and other terrorists will make any reader sit up and take serious notice. The tenacity and determination of "The Jersey Girls" in the face of unspeakable personal tragedy and their ability to take on the enormous flaws of the Bush administration is an inspiration to all of us.

Although the author tends to be repetitive and her alternative energy source argument would bear much more weight if she were to drive something other than a huge SUV, this book is a must for every American citizen. It could easily become an important Political Science college textbook if it hasn't already.

K.V.D. San Jose, California

You will not be disappointed with this book. It is nicely told and quick to read, however, it will linger in your heart for a long time.

One of the best books I have read. A true animal lover's book. Very quick shipment.

Lovely, moving, inspiring. What a joy it was to read about the wonderful people who gave so much of themselves to achieve their dream. Their courage and devotion is matched only by the beautiful animals who share their world.

Best Friends is the story of how several dedicated animal lovers used all of their resources to become THE foremost Animal Sanctuary on Earth!

Angel Canyon, located in Kanab, Utah is a place where it's all about SOUL.

Best Friends Animal Society/Sanctuary understands that, whether two-legged or four-legged, we are ALL precious souls, who deserve love, kindness, respect and to be treated with a reverence for our precious lives.

That's correct: ANIMALS HAVE SOULS, just like we human animals do!
To think otherwise is to be ignorant, arrogant, speciesist, and one other thing: Wrong.

That is what makes Best Friends so special. They recognize and treat animals as their fellow souls.
We are all in this together. One life. One love. One Soul.

This book captures the love, the kindness, the dedication, and the soul of everyone at Best Friends,
four-legged and two-legged!

My favorite part of the book is the story about the two brother cats, Tommy and Tyson. The cats were born on the streets, because someone wasnt responsible enough to SPAY or NEUTER their cats.
A wonderful woman fed the cats and gave them fresh water, daily. While doing so, she noticed that the two brothers would always walk side by side, with their tails intertwined, as if they were Siamese Twins.
The kind woman couldnt understand what that meant. The woman realized that the cats were in danger, as they always crossed the busy City streets.
So, she contacted Best Friends.
Best Friends glady accepted the cats, and when the cats received a check-up from the veterinarian, the woman finally found out why Tyson and Tommy always walked together, with their tails intertwined: One of the cats was blind!! HIS BROTHER WAS GUIDING HIM ACROSS THE STREET TO SAFETY, BECAUSE HE KNEW THAT HIS BROTHER COULDNT SEE WHERE HE WAS GOING! That was why their tails were intertwined, and why one of the brothers seemed to be guiding his brother to safety......because he WAS guiding his brother to safety!

We can learn alot from our animal soulmates, if we only would take the time to watch them, and learn from them, and bond with them.

At Best Friends, all souls are treated equally, as one family.

That is why Best Friends are so loved around the world: they are the real deal.

I am honored to be a monthly donor to Best Friends' programs. I cant think of anything better to do with my money than to give it to my fellow souls who need it most: The cats, dogs, bunnies, etc of this world who are often neglected, or forgotten, or sent to a death chamber, even though they have not committed any crimes, and even though they are as equally precious as the rest of us.

This book offers a glimpse into the SOUL of Best Friends. I recommend it to any cat lover, dog lover, bunny lover, or to ANY animal lover for that matter.

This is a very special book, about very special souls, at a very special place.

To learn more about Best Friends, and all of the precious souls who live there, please visit: [...]

I hope that you enjoy this book, while cuddled next to YOUR precious cat or dog.
After all, they are precious souls, who happen to be members of the family, too!

This was a good book, but I was disappointed in the ratio of actual animals stories to chapters about the trials and tribulations of getting the shelter off the ground. I appreciate what a monumental task it was, but I was thirsty for more about the animals.

Great book! Good, clean, Christian reading. Enjoyed the first book, by the end of the 2nd (this one)I couldn't wait to finish the series. I particularly like reading books about the Amish and Beverly Lewis does a fantastic job.

I enjoyed reading this novel. I finished it in 2 evenings and was eager to get the next book in the series. I'm looking forward to reading all of her books. It's nice to find good Christian reading.

It was a very fascinating read. The plot revolves around the Abram's family; a close Amish family living in the Amish community with the primary focus being on the second daughter Leah but hardly neglecting the other characters.

Most of the contemporary fiction out there based on Amish life portray them as simplistic and idyllic. While I somewhat do accept the former, the latter didnt always strike me as sincere and this book does a fantastic job of seeming as near to human truth as possible.

Life is far from perfect; sunshine, fertile gardens, bonnets, buggy carts are great on a postcard or in a Thomas Kincade painting.

Instead, people make mistakes, families get hurt, relationships are broken, forgiveness, healing and redemption are needed as badly as the next breath.

The writer who is very popular in this genre explores sin and it's far reaching effects and she does so with a graceful boldness.

I love how it ends when Leah comes to the most important realization of all. Aint that the Truth?

I hope to read the other books in this series.

All of her books are good ,no matter which one you start with.This one was up to par and gave a good read.I wont tell the story but you be sure to read it ok.Nadia Rehmani

This second book of Abram's Daughter series is another excellent continuation of the first book The Covenant, where Sadie birthed a child telling no one.

In this book, Sadie is still extremely depressed and does not want to be one of the Amish people. Leah her younger sister, as well as Lizzie, their aunt, have kept her secret.

Leah is in love with Jonas, much more than she ever could be with Gideon, the Smithy's son. With Jonas having a job in Ohio as an apprentice, they are far apart and Leah looks forward to his letters every day. Jonas wants Leah to come up there with him for the last of his time before they marry, but knowing Sadie needs to get away, she sends her instead to help the Amish people there. Leah helps Sadie get away in secret, and once her parents find out, they are very upset of course. It is then that Leah knows she must unburden her heart, and not keep Sadie's secret any longer before her own baptism vows before the People. Once she tells the bishop and her parents what really went on with Sadie, there is the threat of the shunning for Sadie if she doesn't return home to make her own confessions. Sadie does not want to do this. And once Sadie knows that her sister spilled the beans, she is very very angry with her for awhile.

There is a secret of Lizzie's that applies to Leah as well from a long time ago. Her parents have kept it all this time and have never ever told Leah knowing it would hurt her deeply. Abram tells Jonas what it is, and says he plans to tell Leah soon and that she needs to know now. But he can't bring himself to tell even after he says he will, knowing the terrible pain it would cause Leah and that she might not accept it.

Mary Ruth and Hannah are quickly growing up and coming of age. Mary Ruth is in love with books, and she goes to the library and hides them away until she is found out. Reading books other than the bible in the Amish community is a big wordly sin, and therefore absolutely not allowed. Mary Ruth has ambitions of becoming a teacher though, and I look for her to pursue her dreams. Hannah is always afraid that Mary Ruth will go off and leave her alone. Since the two are twins, they are so very close to one another.

These books are hard to lay down, and I look forward to the next one, The Sacrifice.

This is the best Civil War story that I have ever read. Lynn Austin did a fantastic job of writing the true feelings of one young girl. Caroline never agreed with slavery, but it is all she has ever known. This book follows her decision to do something different that will change the world. I found this book very well written and I couldn't set it down. I love books that tell the story of the Civil War. This story outshines anything else I have read about this time period. Lynn Austin is an truly amazing and gifted author who is able to intertwine Gods love through every theme in her books. This is a must read for any fan of History, or Lynn Austin.

This story was put together perfectly. Excellent. I could read it again. If you like civil war period fiction you'll probably love this.

this was a great series and I've started passing it around. Great story and characters.

Thanks!

I read this book in 2 days and couldn't put it down last night until I finished it at 2am. The author gave great details on the war and the characters that you feel like you're part of the story. I also like how the character, Caroline Fletcher, stood up for what she believed and still fought to save her family, even though they didn't agreed what she believed in. I also liked how the author compared the civil war to Bible times. It' never occurred to me how similar the war is to the Egyptian times. Overall, this is a great book that can't be put down without finishing it. I'm looking forward to reading more of Lynn Austin's books.

I picked this book up after reading another Lynn Austin book, Hidden Places. I was engrossed from the first page. I read it in one day. The characters were great, especially the main character. It challenged my views of the Civil War and slavery. It was excellent. The other two in the series are wonderful as well. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

This is a good book. I don't agree with all it says but that is ok it still has a lot of thought provoking information

This book is a great resource for any astronomy lover who wants to know more about the background and history of astronomy. It has lots of information on historical people in astronomy as well as great stories about their discoveries. Great book, must have for history of astronomy.

Excellent chronology of physics from Aristotle to the present. I will use it as a reference. Excellent index and other aids to finding what you want in physics and other sciences.

An Excellent exposition of the history of astronomy and astrophysics. Mr. Ferris writes with a lucidity and thouroughness not often found in books on this fascinating subject.

What a story! And yes, I said story because the author has taken subjects most of us take for granted (the size of the heavens, the age of the Earth, the intricacies of the atom) and turned these into a wonderful almost joyous tale of intellectual achievement. I am still stunned at the depth of scholarship, the vast research and the almost magical manner in which Ferris manages to make what appears to be an arcane dry topic into an intriguing saga.

Ok, I admit it. I love science books written for the educated layman - from "The Singularity is Near " to "Wonderful Life" to the philosophical tomes of Pagels and Hardison. But this is more than science - it is also a history of who we are and our physical, mental and dare I say it, spiritual evolution. In this sense it reminds one of "The Discoverers" by Boorstin with its chronological structure, emphasis upon individual genius and captivating storyline. Beginning with the ancients, we see how our ideas fashion our intellectual quests. The overwhelming success of Western culture depended on our ability to break with age-old traditions, to absorb ideas from the outside and most importantly, to challenge the traditional religious beliefs. Very few cultures have been able to accomplish this and their lack of scientific prowess is evidence.

The individual tales could occupy a volume themselves - mind-boggling examples of thought that are so rare we have trouble believing them. Not only are Darwin (Evolution challenged the prevailing age of the Earth) and Newton (the greatest human who ever lived?) are found but all the unknown heroes of the ages are given their due. The author has an uncanny way of simplifying tremendously dense concepts into language for the layman. This was never truer than his discussion on the weird world of quantum physics with its seemingly magical and nonsensical qualities. I would say that this should be required reading for all high school graduates except that a vast number would be bewildered by the concepts presented, unaware that science has a history of more than video games and cars. My grade - A+++

I found this incredible interview regarding how the game of Golf has changed over the years. You wouldn't believe the evolution! If you have any interest in the history of Golf, this is a must read. If you want to become even more knowledgeable on the subject, scroll to the bottom of the interview and get in touch with the author. After reading, I guarantee you will be able to lead the most interesting discussions and impress your friends!

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/interviewroden.html

Curt Sampson has done a really fine job with this book ! I really like his idea to interview Valerie Hogan. Hogan wrote Power Golf NOT 5 fundementals, he brings this out in the book.

Few people, even non-golfers, can escape ever having heard of Ben Hogan. Maybe you don't know exactly who he was, but the name is oddly familiar.

To golfers, Ben Hogan is as close to legend as anything. Other players, even Bobby Jones and Tiger Woods, lack the mystique which has encompassed Hogan, even many years after his death.

What few of us know is just who he was. This information may not be so pertinant to people who play the game, since they are mostly interested in his swing. However, anyone who has touched even in a small way on part of his career realizes the great mysteries that lie in his life and being.

"Hogan" may not answer everything satisfactorily, but it comes as close as any are likely to get. This covers his life in as much informative detail as could be needed, and presents Hogan not so much in a less-than-glamorous light, as is common to biographies, but rather in a "judge for yourself" presentation of evidence for what made the man what he became.

Anyone curious about this modern legend will get more than he bargains for. Where perhaps the book does not go into his game to the extent golfers may want, the story of Hogan's life is engaging enough without it.

In my very large golf library this is clearly the best book on golf
I have read period. For the first time you get an insight into the "wie ice mon" in what reads like a novel.

When I was growing up the names of Palmer, Nicklaus, Trevino, Player, and their generation were the top competitors. Ben Hogan was a revered name, but one of past glory. His great year of 1953 was in the past. I had heard about his auto accident and his amazing comeback, but this book helped me see the man who "dug it out of the dirt" through hard work, discipline, and ferocious tenacity.

Mr. Hogan started out with less than most. His father's suicide and the family's subsequent poverty didn't leave him with many open paths to success. He found golf and found that it not only matched his physical skills, but was an even better match for his nearly obsessive temperament.

The swing he developed has become the pattern millions of us try to emulate, although he would find our haphazard approach to the game less than useless. Why we love being duffers would be beyond him. He knew how to work and to practice. I still cannot fathom the kind of internal strength it would take to come back from that terrible leg shattering accident when his Cadillac was struck by a bus. He played in great pain for the rest of his life and had four surgeries on his left shoulder. When I realize that his greatest achievements and most of his wins at major tournaments were after the accident I am simply dumbstruck.

Mr. Hogan was a very private and enigmatic figure. Mr. Sampson does a good job in teasing what facts we know into a good story. We get interesting stories from the golf side of his life (mostly stories told about Hogan by others) and those are very enjoyable. However, I like the way Mr. Sampson puts all that in the context of a real person - a real man. Ben Hogan wasn't a fictional character even though the media version of him was a distortion of the actual hard working man who practiced, practiced, and then practiced some more, who loved his wife, Valerie, and built a successful golf equipment business.

Ben Hogan made a long journey through life and I think this book tells the story well.

This book has a very detailed description of the whole event. Well written in a typcial novel style, the book goes through all the happenings in a manner that keeps the reader engaged though I felt this book could be shorter and still have the same sort of impact as it does.
An ideal book for a future movie script on an important event in the history of islam.

Overshadowed by other world crises in 1979, especially in Iran, the siege of Mecca has been largely forgotten. But it should not have been forgotten because it has set the stage for much of the terror that has ensued in the last 28 years. It was not exactly the birthplace of Al Quieda and Bin Laden but it gives a great insight into the trouble nature of the extremist regime of Suadi Arabia and how Saudi Arabia made a 'deal with the devil' by bringing in extremist cleric to help root out the more extremist people who had taken over the mosque. Rumours that a relative of Bin Laden was involved, the story of the beheadings of those who had participated, the claim that the French special forces called in to help converted to Islam so as not to 'offend' the Saudis and the story of the assault on American embassies throughout the Muslim world in the days that followed are all covered here.

The book begins with a discussion of the history of Saudi Arabia and its extreme religious foundations, its apartheid like legal system for men and women and the origins of the Wahhabi movement. THen the story jumps forward to describe the radicalization of several groups of Muslims, including Juhayman Said al Otaibi and his brother-in-law Muhammad bin abd Allah al-Qahtani as well as other gulf Arabs and even some African-American Muslims. On November 20th, 1979 this group of men invaded the Al-Masjid al-Haram mosque in Mecca, the Grand Mosque, and in the battles that followed some 250 people were killed. Saudi National Guardsmen were shot down easily by the well armed and trained rebels. This necccesitated the regimes work with the conservative cleric Sheikh Abdel Aziz al Baaz and the calling in of non-Muslim foreigners to help with the siege.

This is an expert story and the author not only tells it well but relates its history, its context and its aftermath, trying to show how this was pivotal in the increasing rise of Islamist terror in the Middle East that eventually culminated in Sept. 11.

Seth J. Frantzman

Purchased: May 2008 (Kindle)

Pro: Fast-paced, concise story of an intriguing event. Illuminates the present state of affairs by presenting convincing evidence that the leader "...Juhayman's multinational venture,...was a precursor of al Qaeda itself."

Con: Considering how hard it is to get accurate information about Saudi Arabia, I was initially suspicious that I was reading another "A million Little Pieces". I suggest scanning A Note to Readers at the end of the book to better understand how information was gathered.

Overall: Buy it now

The "Siege of Mecca" is a book that every serious reader should read. If you are an advocate or a beach comber or a pretender, you don't need to read this book - you wouldn't enjoy it because it would not suit your interests or needs.

For "Serious Readers" (i.e. people who read everything including cereal box ingredient lists or those tags on mattresses and then think about it) the "Siege of Mecca" is simply a delight. It describes one of those weird historical moments (like the Bonfire of the Vanities) that seems to represent much more to the future than it did in its present. As far as this Serious Reader knows, Trofimov provides the most complete, dispassionate, and interesting description of this incredible act of stupidity and/or courage. It appears to be one of those "tipping point" moments in history to use the current hipster jargon.

For English readers, the writing may seem just a bit ragged. Trofimov's grasp of the English (American) idiom is a bit . . . lubricated, shall we say? It slips just a bit now and then, but Mr. Trofimov's facility with English is much better than my skill with his native language, so I'm quibbling here. Sometimes his expressions are quaint, quirky, or merely violate the grammarian's whip, but in the spirit of Strunk and White, it nonetheless works. Get over it and focus.

This book also provides one of those incredibly interesting tangents on the Global War on Terror. After you read this book you realize that there is a lot more going on than the New York Times, National Public Radio, or the current Presidential Administration is telling you. This is flip: If you like the really "good" restaurants, the ones even the cool guys don't talk about, this is the book for you. The "Siege of Mecca" is the truth, or at least the Current State of the Art.

I highly recommend this book.

I was prepared to dislike this book, suspecting an "action pack thriller", full of loopy historical inaccuracies, if not outright fantasy - all because of the jarring black and red cover. Instead I found a lean, scholarly, and almost certainly dispassionately accurate account of one of the more important and not very well understood events in the last quarter of the 20th Century. It is written in a fast-paced action style, flipping back and forth among the major actors in this drama, but that enhances and does not hinder his story. Ramifications of this siege are affecting us today.

Mr. Trofimov knows his subject well, amazingly well. He deftly describes the numerous disparate historical antecedents to the taking of the mosque by Islamic fanatics, and the reactions of the major actors. The Ikhwan, the religious brotherhood which was instrumental in Abdul Aziz's conquest and consolidation of what would be the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and his decision that they overstepped their limits, and so he had to mow them down with borrowed British machine guns in the early `30's, leading to a sense of martyrdom in the remnants of the defeated communities. America was tired of "foreign adventures," Vietnam being the prime reason, and therefore the CIA was severely constrained, with the coups it directed in Chile and Iran very much in mind. There was the Kingdom itself, being overwhelmed by the "future shock" of oil revenues, and the attendant rapid "modernization," with its own ills, inevitably leaving some people behind

As with many events of this magnitude, ironies abound; they are described but not overplayed. The Royal Family must obtain a ruling from the Ulema, the chief religious body, that force can be used to remove the rebels, yet philosophically, the Ulema is in large measure in agreement with the complaints of the rebels. For days virtually no one knows the exact identify of the people who seized the mosque, so the United States insists it was Iran, and the Shiites; meanwhile Iran is insisting it is the United States and the infidels. Perhaps the best trained Arab force that could assist the Saudis is the Hashemite Jordanians, but they can not be used since they were once rulers in the Hejaz, were defeated by Abdul Aziz, and if they returned, "may not leave." Eventually the Saudis turned to the French, "because they were discreet and could keep a secret," which also proved false.

I found the section of the French involvement particularly fascinating, since it dispelled the rumors that had dominated this topic, and described in an authoritative manner the exact nature of the fairly limited intervention (3 men, and supplies). Characteristically of Trofimov's account, he states the facts which he could ascertain, but does not speculate whether Barril, one of the three Frenchmen, actually entered Mecca.

Equally important was the depiction of the immediate ramifications throughout the Muslim world, who blamed the United States, in large part because of Khomeini. US Embassies in Libya and Pakistan were burned, with loss of American life.

John Burgess, on his CrossRoads Arabia website, pointed out some (relatively minor) flaws in Trofimov's book, citing the reason that the Bedouin were settled was not, as Trofimov contends, to better perform their ablutions, but rather to stop their raiding. I'd add a couple of my own: the Nejd would never be described as the "central Arabian highlands" (p14), and, of course, 1400 is not the first year of new century, 1401 is.

On a personal note, I traveled by road in the Asir, from Abha to Taif, one week prior to the taking of the mosque, and may very well have passed some of the participants. On that trip, at a police checkpoint, was the only time in my 20 years in the Kingdom, that a Muslim did not give the proper response to my "As-Salaam Alikum" greeting; the followers of Juhayman believe(d) that a Muslim should not respond to an infidel when he gave the traditional greeting.

In Trofimov's summing up, he correctly identifies Juhayman's deed as only one of the currents which lead to the formation of Al Qaeda. He also points out a second one, arriving from Egypt, in the person of Ayman Al Zawahir (who had been inspired by the execution of his hero, Sayyid Qutb). Of course, a third could easily be postulated: the unintended consequences, a/k/a "blowback" in CIA jargon, of America and Saudi Arabia funding and arming Islamic fundamentalist to fight the Soviets in Afghanistan. And a fourth: the CIA coup against the democratically elected government of Iran in 1953.

Epilogues can be used to examine some of the "what ifs" of an event. One of the rumors concerning Juhayman's capture stated that he had asked: "But where are the armies of the north"? Trofimov does not cover this, and only alludes to the self-delusional nature of individuals who succumb to millennial dogmas; the alleged Mahdi believes that he is "bullet proof," with the attendant fatal consequences. How many of my fellow citizens believe in the "rapture," the postulated end of the world when Christ returns, and would actually like to hasten the date? And "what if" they took concrete actions to accomplish this goal? Our own Juhayman...

Trofimov account is almost certainly the best account we will ever have on the seizure of the mosque in Mecca in 1979, and is highly recommended.

Ivan Doig is one of the leading writers of the modern American West. I have read, and thoroughly enjoyed, at least four of his novels. THIS HOUSE OF SKY is a memoir of Doig's youth in the hard-scrabble high-country of central Montana in the 1940s and '50s. Despite the hardships Doig's parents encounter, the book is a heart-warming story of decent, hard-working people who personify the pioneer spirt and work ethic so central to our myth of the American West. THIS HOUSE OF SKY shows that in large measure that myth is grounded in reality, although it also betokens some of the places where reality trumps the myth.

As grand as Doig's story is, the telling of it is less so. THIS HOUSE OF SKY was one or Doig's first published works; so far as I can tell, it was his first book-length work other than edited anthologies. For my taste, in THIS HOUSE OF SKY Doig is too idiosyncratic in language, style, and syntax; ultimately, the book seems overly contrived. Especially grating is the frequent use of nouns in various verb forms: for example, "epitaphed", "prowing", "monumented", "embered", "croupiered", and those few are just the tip of the iceberg.

After reading THIS HOUSE OF SKY, I read "Heart Earth", which Doig wrote 15 years later as a sort of continuation of his memoir, a kind of appendix to THIS HOUSE OF SKY. "Heart Earth", too, has a distinctive style, but it is much more accomplished and less mannered. Likewise, Doig's novels, for the most part, are better written than SKY. So, to demark SKY as a less mature work of Doig's, I have given it but four stars, despite the richness and wonder of the story itself. But having said that, if you love the West and treasure stories (especially true stories) of plain, straightforward, hard-working folks who just lower their heads and do what has to be done, with wry humor and gumption, you undoubtedly will enjoy THIS HOUSE OF SKY.

This magnificent book is a must read for anyone who cares about humanity; who loves people and wants to ride with them. It is more than that. It is the feel of Montana, of the West, of the people who built this country and the hard, blistering work they did. Don't miss this book. You'll love it and hate when you must put it down.

This book was one of the few memoirs I have read when in the end I placed the book down and sighed "wow." What a wonderful story. The author rolled experiences together in western Montana with his dad and grandmother and turned it into a lovestory for fathers and grandmothers, for people of Montana, and all that using very little dialogue. (That gave the book a sense of truthfulness, as who can recite full conversations that took place years ago?)

The constant struggle with man against nature, man against man and man against himself come alive in these pages. Despite many obstacles of every kind, his father never abandoned him and sacrificed what he had to to raise his son and to give him what he needed. Montana and its bittersweet closeness never leave the reader; its isolation and wide open sky are always in the background. Thus the title is so perfect for this beautiful memoir.

This was my first Doig book and I will definitely read more of him. I definitely consider this book one of the top ten in American 20th century writing.

Of the three best books I've read in 2007, this probably ranks number two. It took me a little while to get into it, but the wait was well worth it. Ivan Doig is a magnificent writer and his talents are well displayed in this book. The other two books were The Good Old Boys, by Elmer Kelton, and The Missouri Riders, by George Banks.

This is my all time favorite book. Period. Beautifully written, thought-provoking. It will make you want to move to Montana. It will make you love open sky and a horizon that goes on forever and the importance of family.

This is a delightful intro to the world of Thor McGraw and his funny family and friends. From the quirky neighbor, Mrs. Plum to his parents being in the witness protection program, the events of the mystery are intertwined with everday life. It leaves me waiting for more from "Detective" McGraw!

With a smooth into and a high-speed chase, this one is no bore,
It was a pleasure meeting Mrs. Plum, Sabrina, and investigator Thor.
With great characters and thrilling action, it left me wanting more,
The adventures of Prof. Thor will soon be the stuff of legend and lore.
Oden would be proud.

Interesting mystery with a good mix of characters and humor to match. The content keeps you motivated to keep reading. Will be a hard book to put down. Looking forward to reading more. I give this a two thumbs up!!!

The start of this excerpt highlights a fantastic family relationship. The easy connection between Thor and his daughter Bree is nice to read about, and I like the communication that passes between Thor and his dog, as well. This seems like a happy home, despite the hint of something amiss with Thor's wife.

The interaction between Thor and Mrs. Plum was interesting and infuriating. I like that Thor is completely baffled by the way she manages to work everything around to her advantage, and I am curious about the favors she will ask Thor to do in return for the ones she has done for him in this first meeting.

Molly's conversation with Thor is painful, especially as we realize that she is moving on with her life and leaving Thor pining after her. Some nice suspense is built up as I wondered what it was that would have landed Thor's name in the paper.

The scene of the bald man trying to run down Thor is exciting and tense, although the foreshadowing of it is a bit heavy-handed. Peter saying a big bald guy with a broken nose was looking for Thor and then announcing that he told the man that Thor always goes running in between classes meant I wasn't terribly surprised to find a car bearing down on Thor during his run.

This excerpt is intriguing. I'd be eager to learn more about Thor's mystery situation and to see if things work out between him and Molly.

Thor McGraw and the Ice Man Murder by T. Drennan presents the most unlikely of sleuths: a single father academic type with allergies to cats and perfume and is still love sick over his ex-wife. Oh yeah, and he happens to be the son of one of Boston's most famous police detectives.

The bulk of the excerpt introduces us to Thor and his life. His morning routine of breakfast with Bree (Sabrina), his 6-year-old daughter, is interrupted by an impossible next door neighbor. Thor's allergic reactions are detailed to Mrs. Plum's perfume and cat, and I except they'll play an important role later. Then a phone call from his ex, Molly, to apologize for a reference to Thor in Philip's ('Philip? Who was Philip?') article in today's paper. Unfortunately Thor can't read it because 'his' paper is covered in mud from Mrs. Plum's garden.

Once the interruptions are over, he moves on with his day. Thor drops Bree off at school and heads to his teaching job. When he goes for his jog after the first class, he is ruthlessly chased by a bald man in a Cutlass, who then unleashes a Rotweiller on Thor. What did he do to deserve this?

With Thor and most of the main characters introduced, the mystery is set to unfold. This excerpt was both an engaging example of 'regular guy' character development and intriguing murder mystery. I can't wait to see what happens next.

I love Max Lucado. His writings inspire me to be a better person. You can't go wrong with anything he writes be it children's books or adult books.

Lucado does it again. He takes a topic that is often deeply unsettling for many- the end. When Christ comes. And he takes all our worries and uncertanties gently, understandingly and reassures each one. Things that I've been afraid to admit as a Christian such as being worried about being disappointed when Christ comes (hard to explain until you read the book, but an example would be an expectant mother being disappointed because she wants to raise her baby) ...these things we don't want to admit, Lucado understands. He affirms our feelings. However, he also has a way of turning them around and reminding us of Christ's love. Trust Him.

A fantastic read.

Max helps prepare the soul for the coming of Jesus Christ. Not deep theologically, but it is still worth the reading. Very encouraging!

Max Lucado is one of my favorite authors. As a fairly young Christian, I find his books easy to read and understand. His books are written in my language.

"When Christ Comes" is a book every Christian with questions about heaven should read. I read it with my husband as a devotional...it's that good. Somehow it seems that when we think of the end times, we always think of all the bad things that are going to happen and forget about the wonders of heaven. After reading this book, I am VERY excited for heaven...even more than I was before! The content in this book is suitable for new and mature Christians alike! I gave this book to my friend after she first accepted Christ and she LOVED it!

I highly recommend this book to anyone!

I fight monstrous spiritual battles with fear in my daily life with perpetually unanswered questions and unsatisfying answers to them. It is fear of death and the end of the world that puts my heart, mind and spirit into this tailspin. I have searched high and low in all places I dared to approach for musings and discussion about the end of the world, including the Mayan (read: pagan) calendar, controversial prophecies involving the papacy, the fictitious Bible code...you name it, I explored it, and came up with few answers to many of my worries.

Whether I stumbled upon Lucado's book or God led me to the one copy of it in my local bookstore, I don't know. All I know is that, through all that apocalyptic hype and static noise, Lucado drew me to the POINT, that Christ is returning to reclaim His church, to rescue us from the increasing entropy and chaos in this world around us. The POINT is not the pain and suffering we may go through to get there - that's not for us, His chosen ones. It's revenge. It's justice. Whether we live through it (the Tribulation) or not, is not the point. The point is what we do with the time we are given NOW, and searching through non-believers' theories and could-be, half-true prophecies is a huge WASTE of that time. We must keep our eyes on Him through the storms that are to come, and wait patiently for the calm, sweeping as many souls along with us as possible, so they can know His glory and rewards as well.

The only helpful and comforting piece of the truth (aside from the Bible itself) I've come across, and I've looked almost everywhere.