N Books

Seabiscuit is a great story, book, and movie. If you have not read it, buy it today and start reading. You will not be disappointed.

This book is a true American legend at its best. "Seabiscuit" was written by Laura Hillenbrand based on a true story of one horse and jockey's incredible life. This biography is set in the 1930's and 1940's and takes you on a journey with someone and something that no one believed in until they were given a chance to prove themselves. The perseverance of these two characters is admirable; they never give up, no matter what. The jockey, John Pollard, was struggling in life until given the shot to show he was more than just an average jockey. Seabiscuit, on the other hand, is my favorite character; he never accepts the possibility of losing. Pollard and Seabiscuit's relationship started when trainer Tom Smith paired them together out on the racetrack. I love that they were given a chance to prove everyone wrong by winning race after race with odds stacked against them; both had been injured numerous times. Read about how they smashed people's disbelief and made history, performing one of the greatest comebacks in all of sports. The theme of "never giving up no matter what" would most likely interest people who enjoy sports novels. "Seabiscuit" is truly the greatest sports story of all time.

This narrative leaps out of the first paragraph in the same way Seabiscuit learns to bolt from the starting gate. From the start, Laura Hillenbrand draws the reader into the story with colorful, taut writing. There are no meaningless side stories in this book - each detail weaves itself back into the tale of a horse who beat the odds to become one of the greatest athletes of the 20th century.
This story is gripping even if you have no interest in horseracing.

I loved this book !! It made me feel as though I was there watching the drama unfold as the unknown underestimated horse rose to champion status. The characters are real and the story is built piece by piece. If you like rooting for the underdog and enjoy the thrill of competition, this book is for you. The large print of this edition was easy on the eyes as well.

This book follows the life of Seabiscuit, an incredible racehorse in the 1930's, and the three men who were entwined in his life: live-wire owner Charles Howard, taciturn trainer Tom Smith, and reckless jockey Red Pollard. WOW. This is an amazing book. I read it because I had watched the movie and loved it, but I wasn't thinking I would actually enjoy the book. I felt obligated to read it. Well, it's probably my favorite book to read this year. The author sets up each character carefully, going back to the man's birth, or further back, and the reader really gets a sense of what drives each person. The character development for "the Biscuit" is truly great, as well. His personality really shines, and I wish I could have met him! Her insertion of anecdotes is masterful, as well. The era (the Depression), the nation's mindset, the men who loved Seabiscuit, the means jockeys undertook to maintain racing weight are all described and explained wonderfully, without the author ever becoming pedantic or talking down to us folks who don't know racing. One doesn't have to be a "race person" or a "horse person" to enjoy this beautifully crafted book. The rave reviews are well-deserved. It's the story of underdogs achieving great things. It was an exhilarating and enthralling read; better than any fiction I read this year. After reading this, I would read anything this author put out.

The book was well written, great humor and very relatable for anyone who has ever been in love or would like to be. The only thing is that the cover does not give the book any justice. At first glance you would think its one of those trashy romance novels, however its about more than romance, its about true love and the romance behind it.

This novel was a soulful journey. It connects with the reality of relationships and with all of its struggles and triumph. I was drawn into the characters from the opening page. He tells this tale with a poetic spin. His words unfold beautifully and each character takes on a life of its own. I think readers will find a little bit of themselves in this book. I loved it!

This book is a beautiful experience. It is one of the most passionate and real books that I have ever read. I couldn't put it down and I wish that it was longer. The emotions of the characters are so strong that they leap off of the page. This book makes you want to go out and fall in love and hope that you experience half the passion and true love that these characters experience.

I must admit I have not normally been a fan of romantic fiction, but Mr. Channer provided me with a very pleasant literary experience. The story was one, not just of romance, but of life and the joys, pains, ups and downs of the situations we deal with in life.

I felt a true insight to each character. I admired Fire's loyalty to his friendship with Ian, despite the fact that Ian was not always the most pleasant or trustworthy person. Surprisingly, I was on the edge of my seat during every "episode" between Fire and Sylvia. The attraction between them was electric and I was drawn into their romance. Black love is not always tastefully displayed in literature or the media, but there was a real-ness to their situation. Their experience made me mad, saddened me, made me smile and then go through each emotion all over again!

The book had a poetic flow to it. What I also enjoyed was the very colorful descriptions of the different settings in the story. I could visualize the streets of New York and London, smell the scents, hear the sounds and feel the culture of Jamaica.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It is a story of struggle: exploring struggle, working through it, overcoming it, and realizing that there are some things you just never get over. It is a story of love and passion, tragedy and conflict. It has motivated me to include more Black romantic fiction in my reading collection. And that was no easy feat!

Colin Channer to me is like a modern day Picasso with a pen. His dialogue is compelling, soul-stirring and purposeful and his characters are engaging. You can almost close your eyes and imagine yourself seeing the story unfold as if you were a fly on the wall at a gallery in New York, a beach house in Jamaica, or the Streets of London. This is the mark of a truly great storyteller.

Our main character, Fire, is a "simple" man with a "complex" life. By simple I mean he wants what any sane person would want, a circle of good life-long friends, a fulfilling life, and someone emotionally and physically available to share it all with. So, when he meets Sylvia, he feels like he has found the one. What he doesn't know is that Sylvia, an engaged magazine editor, is all but disengaged from her own true desires for her life. Soon we see that complications abound, and the journey they take throughout the story takes the reader on a cross-continental journey in search of introspection, true meaning and, possibly, true love.

An interesting point is that Channer's characters are written from their souls - what drives them to do the things they do is less about their gender than their emotions and their pasts. With such a multi-faceted story, several layers of conflict, we still get a crystal clear picture and understanding as to why things unfold teh way they do. It is a believable, gripping, page turner, and Channer conveys it effortlessly.

Waiting in Vain, simply put, was one of the two best books I have read in a long time. The other was Satisfy My Soul (also by Colin Channer). As an aspiring writer, I wish my prose was as naturally beautiful as Mr. Channer's. Until it is, I will keep devouring his work in hopes that some of his literary poeticism rubs off.

except for the Bible, this is the best.
It is the full and undiluted version from the first english translation.
read it, learn it,live it.
j

The book is excelent reading but please get a different version.
This version only has 580 or so pages where as other versions have over 1,300 pages. That means that this version is only half the story.
So much gets lost in translation already don't cheat yourself even more.

Although the story is well known to me, the editing of this audio book was so confusing. I absolutely could not follow it. Too much is cut out.

Story has good twists, but there are too many French places and people which makes the audio confusing.

This book is long out of copyright and so is available free for your Kindle elsewhere on the net.

(Great book though!)

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. Would it be just about Michael J Fox's life or would it center too much on his Parkinson's disease. I'm not usually big on reading celebrity autobiographies and memoirs.
This one is definitely worth reading! Mr. Fox shares his story with humor and humility and a wonderful honesty. He speaks honestly about his struggles with Parkinson's and trying to hide it in order to continue working. He also speaks honestly about his personal struggles with alcohol and depression. But the struggles don't dominate the book. There are many fun anecdotes about his years growing up in Canada and about the world of acting.
In the end, what made the biggest impression on me was his gratitude. Gratitude for the life he was able to have as an actor, for his family, and ultimately, even for the disease that changed his life.
This is a book that I would recommend for anyone who is interested in celebrity biographies. And I would especially recommend it for anyone who has Parkinson's disease or has a family member or friend who has this disease. When you have a disease such as this, it can be difficult to articulate to others just what it is you go through without sounding sorry for yourself.
Now when I need to explain this to someone, I can just hand them this book and say, "READ IT. NOW."
Thanks, Mr. Fox!!

Absolutely loved this book. I couldn't put this book down. I actually thought it might be a bit depressing but it wasn't. Michael J. Fox is such an inspiration. There are parts of this book that will make you laugh out loud. It is also a book I will read again and again.

It is humbling to read about someones journey back to reality. Michael had a huge career and was living his dream when he was diagnosed with Parkinsons and soon realized how much he had to be thankful about.

Michael J. Fox's memoir about his Parkinson's disease, his Canadian upbringing, HOllywood, Family Ties, and career success is quite dull at times. He has no pictures of him or his family or his career as well. He writes about his relationship with his wife, Tracy Pollan, who I learned to dislike reading about this book. Yes, she is a true New Yorker but she grew up on Park Avenue, went to private schools, vacationed in Martha's Vineyard, and her parents have a country home in Connecticut. I kind of was turned off by the New Yorker attitude in this book where they think they're better than Hollywood. Okay but in New York City, money rules the East and West Side and even downtown. I don't think New Yorkers are better than the Hollywood types. I give credit to HOllywood where they don't pretend to better culturally or intellectually as New York City does. Regardless, the Foxes have identical girl twins without even trying. Fox rarely talks much about his career or his interactions with fellow co-stars which is pretty sad, not even offending anybody. He writes very little about his co-stars and that's a shame because I would have liked to have known about his relationship with his Family ties co-stars as well as Spin City. I don't doubt that he's a nice guy, a loving father, and husband who is battling Parkinson's disease for almost 20 years.

Michael J. Fox, one of my favorite sitcom actors from the 90's, has written a poignant and inspirational memoir "Lucky Man". Indeed some may see this title as a very ironic choice for Fox because of his story. The actor recounts some major transitions in his life depicting the meteoric rise of his television and film career alongside his battle with Parkinson's disease. The actor takes us through his initial reaction of denial and avoidance when he first receives his diagnosis. Battling an escalating drinking habit, Fox begins to shift the priorities in his life from fame & fortune to developing more substantial relationships with his wife and children. Eventually he begins to view his medical diagnosis as a `lucky' opportunity to live a more fulfilling and enriched life.

In one of my favorite passages in Fox's book, the actor depicts his transformation from "struggling" with his Parkinson's diagnosis to eventual acceptance. He shares that he had the most difficult time dealing with his medical situation when he spent time thinking about the past, or worrying about the future. When he learned to enjoy each and every moment in the present, he was then able to move past his frustrations and reclaim his life. This made me think of one of my favorite inspirational books, Being Here: Modern Day Tales of Enlightenment, by Ariel and Shya Kane. The Kanes' book is filled with inspirational narratives as they depict stories of their friends and family members who also achieve happiness and satisfaction by living and enjoying each moment of each day. The Kanes, like Mr. Fox, have discovered that a fulfilling, satisfying life may be attained by simply living in the moment, without harboring regret for the past or worrying about what may or may not happen tomorrow. I suggest that you pick up both of these books for some significant insights on how to embrace all of the "possibilities" in life.

It really sucks when you have to struggle and this poor woman was sick and couln't help what she had to do. But they way children are treated in orphanages and foster homes are outrageous. People wake up these children just need love and compassion.

I just finished this book--what an emotional ride. I was worried it was a story about parents who actually put their child in a cage. But it is not about parents abusing children; more about a child's survival, love, and connection, all while living in a harsh and deadening world.

If you are going to read this book, be ready for it to open your heart, bring about deep-seated emotions, and be impossible to put down.

I could not put this book down once I started reading it. From page one it drew me in and took a hold of me in this young mans life and his family's ordeals. I never have felt more grateful for my own upbringing since having lived through Jennings eyes. He only had his "doggy" and that was his only escape from the cruel world around him. After I was done reading the book I was so offended by orphanages and the way the treated children I wanted to find out where he was at, who were the nuns who hurt him, I was angry and really wanted revenge for him. I think we all need to open our eyes to the system and help these children out and make sure this abuse does not happen these children belong to all of us and do not deserve this, they all deserve a better place with some family. Jennings deserved a home with a real doggy from the start and I ached for him.

This was such a sad book but it was well written and made you think about the system. This poor kid was placed in several orphanages because his mom was too sick to care for him and he was waiting for her to come back. The fact that this happened to the author made this such an inspiring book. I read this till the wee hours of the night because I was so inspired by it with the lights on. I couldn't put it down. I felt sorry for the poor kid. Another great read is a child called it. Both are fantastic.

I read this book when I was in grammar school many years ago and I still remember the emotions I felt back then. This is a sad, but powerful book about one boy's trials and tribulations in the orphanage system. Riveting.

This is one of my favorite books. I usually don't read a book more than once, but I've read this one a couple of times. I recommend it highly.

I can not remember when I enjoyed reading a book so much. I probably should not have been reading it while working out at the gym. I was getting some very odd looks as I laughed aloud.

The book takes place from 1940-42, formative years in the life of Joey Margolis, an extremely precocious 12 year old Jewish boy growing up in Brooklyn. He is a prolific letter writer and an even more prolific schemer and wiseacre. Joey decides that he is going to get the NY Giants' new third baseman and phenom, Charlie Banks, to take him on a road trip and the scheming letters begin. The entire book is in the form of letters to and from the characters - including FDR and his press secretary. Eventually Banks becomes something of a big brother to the boy and the wisdom that is interchanged in the letters between the 24 year old and 12 year old is priceless. Joey even gets the young Protestant star to stand in for his father at his Bar Mitzvah!

This is not the typical book about being Jewish in Brooklyn in the 40's. Those are merely props to the story and in the relationship. It is about a wonderful relationship. What starts as pure hilarity becomes poignant. Most amazingly, the poignancy does not diminish the hilarity and laughter will continue until the last few pages. Although the ending is a bit predictable, it could not have ended any other way.

Once you pick this book up, you will have a hard time putting it down. It will carry you laughing all the way until... Highly recommended. Sometimes you just have to wonder why a book is not a bestseller.

What a gem! This is a wonderful look at another time, yet has something to say to everyone, full of life, humor, true glimpses into human nature, and a poignant and hope-filled ending. It is a very fast read, thanks to its humor and its invnetive use of correspondence to tell the story. A perfect little book for a plane or train ride, reading at the beach, or whiling away evenings before sleep.

I picked this one up after reading another title by the same author. I don't have anything to add to what's already been said about this amazing novel--except that when I was about 20 pages into it, I went out and bought a second copy for my 15-year-old so that we could read it together. It's just that kind of book.

Someone has to give a review of this book a reality check. So I will.

I just finished this last night, after about, oh, 150 eye rolls. Even if a book is maudlin crap, like this one, I'll finish it anyways, just so I can accurately detail why it's so bad. Kluger's pseudo-epistolary novel is a beach read for guys who need something to flip through while their kids are running around the park or playing little league. And the structure of the book, sort of a scrapbook, offers a lot of graphical variation with big fat type and occasional fun flourishes (e.g., incorporating signed matchbooks by famous people, kind of a vogue thing for celebs to do in the 1940s), so if you're looking for a book that makes you feel like you're flipping through a lot of pages in a short timespan, while not thinking too hard, this is a good candidate. And the subject matter - finding surrogate father figures in the unlikeliest of places - is comfortable ground for guys, I could see dads and sons reading this book together (an impression no doubt influenced by the cuddly photo on the paperback's back panel).

While I understand that this is a child's perspective of baseball and the events leading up to WWII, Kluger wants it both ways, retaining the wide-eyed innocence of witnessing history one doesn't quite understand, yet somehow having the sense/maturity to navigate through such a cultural period despite such innocence (several of Joey Margolis' complicated pranks strain credibility, to say the least). And even if this is largely a child's-eye perspective of WWII, Kluger's glossing over of the Japanese internment camps in the second half of the book is frankly offensive to that unfortunate period of American history (the protagonists visit there with an apparent carta blanca security clearance...gosh, Manzanar's remarkably like summer camp!!!).

Kluger's biggest mistake however, are his occasional references to Dickens, particularly David Copperfield, which this book tries very hard to emulate. All those references did was make me want to re-read David Copperfield or Oliver Twist, or even Great Expectations (all have orphans or quasi-orphans as their protagonist) again. These allusions do not disguise the fact that at least Joey has a strong Jewish mother in his corner, so it's not as if he's completely tetherless, although the text wants you to believe he is. Any kid who can fool the Army while hitching a ride across a pre-Interstate America (!)...you know, that kid's going to be all right.

By the predictably sappy, they-all-went-on-to-productive-lives coda, I'd compiled in my head a pretty decent catalogue of alternatives that this bus read tries to one-up. Guys looking other more fun reads about the myths of baseball might want to consider W.P. Kinsella (Shoeless Joe, or the lesser-known Iowa Baseball Confederacy), which has the common sense to embrace the possibility of baseball's fallable mythic status from the get-go. If you have a yen for the downbeat you might want to consider Malamud's the Natural (that is, unless you don't want your impression of the upbeat film adaptation tarnished). Also, a quick reading of James Jones' The Thin Red Line will get readers to quickly establish Kluger's innaccuracies with describing Guadalcanal (also offensive - there were no firefights on the beach!). And one can never go wrong with Dickens - Charile Banks was right, David Copperfield is still a good solid read.

Cut the syrup in half for your next book, and take off your damn Cosby sweater while writing it, okay, Mr. Kluger?

Even fallen away Catholics (like me) will benefit from this book. I can identify with Hahn's experience of realizing for the first time that what he was entering in to (the Mass) was infact the unfolding of time and space - of heaven and earth. The Book of Revelation now makes more sense to me.

In this book Scott Hahn takes the Mass and draws out the parallels in the book of Revelation. He explores how parts of the Mass draw from and perfect Jewish tradition, and to my pleasure he makes abundant references to early Christian writers. His basic purpose is to show the depth and majesty of the Mass and how even the most mediocre Mass is an experience of Heaven. This book is great in terms of apologetics, explaining the rootedness of the Mass in scripture as well as for Catechesis, explaining the riches contained in the Mass.

Scott Hahn helps you to rediscover the beauty and mysteries behind the mass. You'll never miss mass again after reading this book. He is brilliant!

For cradle Catholics, it is the perfect book; for protestants who think Catholicism is wrong, it is the perfect book; for folks who want to understand the Catholic Mass, it is the perfect book.

Excellent easily read book explaining important reasons for various prayers and rituals involved in the Catholic Mass. Will definately improve your appreciation, respect, and love for the Mass. Even non-catholics would be more knowledgeable and realize why Catholics find the Mass so important!

You can't not believe this man. It is not the most impressive thing that he built up a huge Church starting with about 10 people in a dangerous area of New York.
It is not the most impressive thing that his wife, who has no training in music, helped to write, guide and direct, songs for one of the world's most loved groups, i.e. The Brooklyn Tablernacle Choir. What is a most impressive to me is that they have stayed right where they started about 25 years ago, continuing to be instrumental in thousands of changed lives of former drug addicts and pushers, prostitutes and pimps, gangs and gangsters, gays and lesbians in what is - except by the grace of the Holy Spirit - still in a dangerous area and with quite a few potentially very dangerous parishioners. People feel embraced by YHWH's welcoming Love in Cymbala's Church. And I believe it is His Love that protects them and moves them all.

With that background I knew I wanted to hear what this man has to say.
I wasn't disappointed. The message is simple as he would say himself:
Prayer, and lots of it, first. Everything else later.

Someone said, "Prayer is not preparation for the work. Prayer IS the work." Cymbala agrees.

One of the more inspiring books I've ever read. It makes you want to meet with Christ and see the power of what He can do. Read if you want to be humbled and empowered.

A few years ago, I wasn't just asked, I was TOLD to read a book called "Breakthrough Prayer," by Jim Cymbala. It didn't look like a brilliant title. But "Breakthrough Prayer" was simply amazing! Since then I've read "Fresh Power," and this book has simply been waiting on my shelf for me to pick it up. I finally did, and it is pretty awesome as well. Jim Cymbala is the pastor of the Brooklyn Tabernacle, and through the power of prayer, some awesome things have happened.

It had to start with a leap of faith. Asked by his father-in-law (and won't we do ANYTHING for the in-laws!?) was a question. Would Jim preach four Sunday nights at the Brooklyn Tabernacle, where things had hit an all-time low? Hmm! What would you do? Jim took a leap of faith. And there were times where he felt like quitting. But through it all, and still today, he is the witness of modern day miracles on the meanest streets.

Now, "Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire" is considered a classic by some people. And not because it talks all about Jim, his wife, Carol, and what He did. This is about an awesome God who broke through, just like He did in the days of Moses, Elijah, David, the days we seem to think are over. He tells stories of people like Charles Finney, D.L. Moody, men without a college education, who stormed the gates for Jesus Christ!

Stepping out in faith, and trusting is all God asks us to do. Jim Cymbala did just that. He illustrates the power of prayer. And time after time, you don't see Superman tales. You see ordinary people in the service of an extraordinary God. That's what makes this special. God writes the story, and we live it out! That's awesome!!!

Cymbala's book more than anything is a call to prayer and earnest seeking of God. As a young man in the early 1970s he began pastoring the fledgling Brooklyn Tabernacle having had no formal training. Through his own brokenness and seeking God, he came to understand that God would bless the ministry and continue to bring people for them to minister to and introduce to Jesus if they would truly seek Him and not rely on their own devices or abilities.

As a result, the Tabernacle saw a great deal of growth and tremendous Christian ministry opportunities were opened to reach out to the people of Brooklyn and New York City as a whole. From the very beginning they made the cornerstone of their church the Tuesday evening prayer service during which they called to God and sought Him. Many extraordinary events occurred as a result and continue to happen today.

People who were once very closed towards Jesus come to true repentance and a real relationship with Him through this ministry. The Tuesday evening prayer ministry is so important that Cymbala will not accept speaking engagements if they keep him away from the prayer meeting more than one prayer meeting at in a row.
As a result of allowing the Holy Spirit to lead and direct them through seeking Him in prayer, they see lots of really cool stuff that could in no way be scripted.

Prayer is also an integral part of their Grammy award winning choir ministry with the weekly rehearsal incorporating at least 30 minutes of prayer to the practice.

Far from being a feel good type of book, Cymbala challenges the reader and today's churches to truly come before God and passionately seek Him in prayer and study of the Bible. He mentions various trends and how some churches try to cater to popular culture and make things cool and hip and while those things aren't bad in and of themselves, he emphasizes that it is a mistake to promote these flashy programs and neglect the ministry of prayer. Contrastingly, he points to the early church "These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer..." Acts 1:14 When believers and the church is in constant communion with God, He tends to work more actively and mightily.

I highly recommend this book as a reminder on the importance of prayer as well as a good high level overview of the history of the Brooklyn Tabernacle.

The Brooklyn Tabernacle's commitment to prayer is well-represented in the work. Rev. Cymbala is truly a humble man of God who seeks not to elevate himself but the Mighty God he and his Church serves. In addition to the rich Scripture that is cited in this work, there are numerous testimonies to the power of prayer, and historical accounts of church leaders who made prayer a number one priority as well. I also appreciated the simple plea of prayer that Rev. Cymbala ascribes to. Today, there are a number of church leaders who promote special techniques for prayer such as position, geographic location, and so on. How refreshing it was to hear a pastor appeal to calling on the name of the Lord that rested on the grace of God and His mercy rather than an individual's unique performance.

Fresh Wind and Fresh Fire is a book, which will leave one in awe to the power of God that is released when people unite and call upon the Name of the Lord.

This book does a wonderful job of taking the scientific information available regarding nutrition and puts it a format the lay public can easily understand. Very professional.

Glad to find a book that breaks down what I'm eating and what it does or doesn't do for me. Tired of wasting my time eating junk. I want more energy and food, sleep, and exercise are key!

Willett and Skerrett have put it all together in one reader-friendly book. Based on all the solid science out there, their recommendations are what I live by. The thing I really like about this book is that you can see where the big fad diets got their ideas, but you can also see all the other research they neglected in their rush to cash in on the diet book craze.

Finally! A book with some real information I can use to make my diet healthier and remain easy to follow. I only take off a star because a lot of the information was repeated over and over and over. The book could have easily been slimmed down 100 pages without losing any content. I also appreciate the sample menus and recipes in the back. Overall, I think everyone should be forced to read this book- our collective health would be much better!

An evidence based, comprehensive nutrition plan for anyone looking to optimize their diet. It serves as a heart healthy, cancer preventing, wt controlling, all purpose guide to better lifestyle. I recommend it to family, friends and patients. - Thomas G. Smith MD

I have just finished reading this series, and I must say that I am AMAZED. The books are much more philosophical than the movie (which corresponds to only the first two books), and contains many more characters that are more developed. Unlike the movie, where Nausicaa was practically perfect, and Kushana was purely evil, the book's characters are much more complex. Kushana reminds me of Lady Hiboshi from Princess Mononoke.

The tone of the series changes from beginning to end. This makes sense, as the series was written over about 10 years, with a number of hiatuses. The first two books are confusing and not terribly interesting, but the story blossoms from there.

On top of that, I don't even like manga or anime as genres. Miyazaki is truly exceptional.

these are two reviews for the two different volumes combined here.

Volume One.
Nausicaa of the Valley of the wind is one of my favorite movies. After seeing for the first time I was amazed that I hadn't seen it sooner. It had everything I like in a movie, a good premise, deep and emotional characters, amazing art work, a deep meaning, and an awesome soundtrack to boot. So when I heard that there was more to the story I went out and bought this book to see if it was as good as the movie. After waiting about a month for it to come in, I bought it on Amazon, I finally got it. I was not disappointed. Let's break this book down into categories.

Art Work. The drawing pretty much, how do they look and how much detail is put into them. Miyazaki, I have to say, is a master in his field. All his drawings are extremely detailed and you can really get a sense of the surroundings. The characters emotions are brought out almost perfectly, especially the Nausicaa herself, who is shown as a powerful, yet fragile girl. Overall the drawings are almost perfect and I don't think anybody would disagree with that.

Characters. I was already familiar with all the characters in this book, having seen the movie already. They are pretty much the same here as they are in the movie so if you've seen it, which I'm taking for granted you have, and then isn't much knew. They mostly do the same things as they did in the movie and feel the same emotions with a few fun differences, but nothing really is too different.

Story. This book follows the movie almost exactly up to the point where Nausicaa and Asbel discover the underground system under the sea of corruption, or toxic jungle as it is called in the movie. There is one big difference that I must share, the Valley of the Wind is really an alley of Torumekia, and Nausicaa goes out to fight under Kushana agents the Doroke principalities, a nation not even mentioned in the movie. Other than that it follows the same story almost to the letter.

Overall a very good and strong opening to the series. This entry doesn't really add a whole lot to the overall story if you've already seen the movie, but there are some important differences which mean you can't simply skip over it if you want to read the series.

Volume Two.
As I continue my reviews on this series I have come to Vol. 2. Nausicaa has left the Valley of the Wind to go to war with Princess Kushana of Tormekia, but on their way to the front their attack group is attacked by Asbel of Pejite. Asbel is shot down and Nausicaa goes to save him, only to be stuck under the Sea of Corruption. As the first book ends Nausicaa and Asbel are seen trying to fly out of the bottom of the Sea and get out.

This book, for those who've seen the movie, covers closely the events that take place in the second half of the movie. Here's the difference. One of the Doroke tribes, mentioned in the first book, has been driven from their lands by the Tormekia invasion and has been sent to conquer and settle the lands of the Periphery, where the Valley of the Wind lies. To do that they must first destroy Kushana's army by luring the insects out of the Sea to attack. Of course Nausicaa finds out about this and manages to not quite foil the plot, but she does save the baby Ohm larva. Much of the Tormekian army is destroyed but the Dorokes are forced to retreat. By the end of the story Kushana takes what is left of her army south to join up with the rest of her men already engaging in battle, and she takes Nausicaa with her to find the stone that controls the God Worrier.

halfway through this book it goes in a completely different direction than the movie, Nausicaa goes off to war, Asbel and Yupa foil a Doroke plan to conquer the Valley, and we are introduced to knew characters such as the Doroke Priest, who is known as the Holy One, and Ketcha, a Doroke girl who serves him. The part where the Ohm attack the Tormekian army is one of the highlights of the series, but the ending was a little odd and might feel rushed. Not the best in the series, but it is a good follow up to the first.

If you have seen the movie then there isn't anything new in the first half of this book for you. But don't just skip this book to save money, there are enough differences to make buying it worth wild.

I am surprised that USA people watch this comic series in addition to the same title movie.

As you know, Naushika's story don't finish to the movie. The truth story start from reading this comic. Even if Japanase read them, the story is a little difficult, but there are more wondeful things than the minus point.
For instance, the drawing ways. Generally comic(Japanese MANGA) is simple drawing. But the comic is very detailed drawing. They is like art rather than comic.

And in addition to the wonderful drawing,the expression of the character's face is very excellent, for instance joy, sarrow, longing, anger... Mr. Miyazaki can write their expressions very well. There are writers that can write comics very well in the world, but there will not are writers that can write their expressions of face very well.

If there are people that was moved when watched the movie, absolutely we recommend this comis..art series.

You will not waste your money by buying this arts series.

I am sorry for my poor English.

Just like LOTR, children love it, but until they grow well into their adulthood, they will not be able to fully comprehend the essence of the story.
Children, both boys and girls, will love the major characters in "Nausicaa", because children can find all they wish to be in these characters, but most of them would be puzzled (or troubled!) by the development of the story. An exceptionally smart kid may be able to guess some of Miyazaki's plan of the story before he/she reaches Vol. 7, but I dare to bet, he/she will not accept that plan until he/she reaches 30.
This is a great gift to children. They will thank you many, many years later.

I've been a Miyaki fan for years! Of all of his movies and books, Nausicaa is definitely the best one! Miyaki creates a beautifully vivid world and characters that will you will most certainly NEVER forget! This is one manga series (and the movie as well) that I've never gotten tired of. Every anime fan should have Nausicaa in their collection! You won't regret it!!!