N Books

I read Susan Perabo's collection after being her student over Christmas. Wow.
These stories amaze me. Well written, she does so well what she has taught her own students. The gears in my head turned, and I finally understood all those things she wrote on my stories or tried to explain in class.
I love her characters. The data processing woman with the Diana dress. The pot smoking music teacher father. The woman whose baby just died. The actor whose marriage is ending so he invites a klepto father to stay with him. On and on they go, so confused, so much in pain, but she makes their lives and situations funny. It's a bittersweet pain, but Perabo has one of the most original ways of communicating pain I've seen since the writers she told us to read.
I still can't get out of my mind the one called "Explaining Death to the dog". The pain the woman feels when showing the dog the book of Time photos or showing her the dead animal, wow. I read it three times in a row the first night I read it. I am still in awe of it.
As she told my class so many times, "Show, don't tell."
Perabo shows. I can't believe I was lucky enough to have classes with her. I just wish I read these sooner.

Barring a very few exceptions, the stories presented here are top-notch. I finished this book in half a day, and wanted more when I ran out of stories. I would love to see more stories about the characters here!

I found this collection by accident and didn't know what to expect. Short stories can be so good, or so bad. These stories are very good, and consistently good. These are stories of people searching for something missing in their lives, well told stories with humor and heart. Enjoy this collection.

Should be 'nuf said -- but I want to add that the author's voice is completely true! (i think this a book for older people -- ie, over 40 -- who understand about disappointment, and transformation). What a read!

This book came with high recommendations and expectations but for me the book failed to live up to them. The characters are inventive and memorable but their treatment falls short and the stories repeatedly end on a dissatisfying note. I agree with the Amazon review that her characters' promise and development seems to stall out of some kind of self conscious regard for academic critique and conflict, etc. (I'm not an academic, but you can feel their eyes on the text.) I wish she'd just let it rip. I also think the writing suffers from a lack of a clear voice; the voice often seem contrived and forced and in some instances just competely derails the story. The good part is the characters themselves, who are memorable despite their author's too-often shallow treatment.

As an educator of preschool age children I am always looking for a new, fresh take on the basics. Joanne Dugan's books "123 NYC" and "ABC NYC" have wonderful, colorful pictures of things we see everyday. Although these books can be enjoyed by all children, I think children who live in New York City in particular can really relate to them. My students love both of Ms. Dugan's books and visit them over and over again.

What a delightful approach to the world of numbers; our little boy loves to read through it with us, and now by himself. It's terrific, charming, and highly imaginative - and, also, a great idea for that kiddie birthday gift when you're wracking your brain for the kid that already has everything.

You will be delighted by Joanne Dugan's 123, A Counting Book because
1) It is a fun way to teach little ones basic counting skills
2) Whether you are a New York native or just love to visit, you'll enjoy identifying the locations of the images (my favorite: the 12 clocks)
and
3) Dugan strikes just the right blend of tribute to the city and with wry humor (check out the shoes.)

You can count on this to be the perfect gift!

123 NYC is lush; it makes for a perfect gift for any child with an interest in the city, in art or with an inquisitive nature. Keep your eyes peeled; some of these locations are pretty recognizable! If you are a Manhattan resident, it's always fun to try and find where each letter comes from. Highly recommended for children (of all ages).

Not only a New York City feast for the eyes, but a lesson in the art of seeing.

I live in NYC and bought these books for my nieces who live in Texas when they came to visit.
They utterly loved them. They picked out things in the book and found them on the streets and can not stop talking about the things they saw and learned in the books: watertowers, manhole covers.
This is a beautiful and classic book about New York. And I think it really changes the way a child will look at any city. I've bought this for all of the children in my life- those who live in NYC and outside NYC and both they and their parents constantly tell me how the book has become part of their child's thoughts and life.
Which NYC would you rather a child know? Eloise's? Or this- this populist, loving, beautifully observed way to love and involve yourself in NYC in a child's way that adults love too.
Also love 123 NYC.

I bought this book for my first grandchild because the photographs are colorful and unique to her "hometown!" The best part is the last page, which gives the locations of all the letters depicted in the book...I can't wait to take Olivia around town and show her where the ABCs came from! A wonderful companion book is 123-NYC also by J. Dugan.

This is a lovely book for city children who don't understand that 'c' is for 'cow'. "C" is for Chrysler building. I have given this book to several children, New Yorkers and ex-New Yorkers. They all like 'b' is for 'bagel'.

We live in NYC and I was looking for an ABC book for my daughter's 2nd birthday. There were several on NY so I almost got one, but the text was a little too advanced than what I was looking for, and the art was mediocre. Then I was browsing in a bookstore and saw this one on display. It took one skim and I bought it and we LOVE it. With black&white photos, bold colors, and letters straight from the city, it's more "New York" than any book with painted pictures could ever be. I think my favorite is "M is for Manhole - there are 500,000 to jump on!" So so true. But then, "J is for Jackhammer - cover your ears" is also too true. It's a perfect book for children and grown-ups to share together and bond over the ever-unique experience that is New York City.

A good picturesuq view of New Yorl City and a Great topic starter. Also great for ESL students to get them to talk and expand vocabulary. :)

I haven't found any picture book of Manhattan that's as sharp, descriptive and beautiful as this one. Unfortunately, it is a bit outdated--for those seeking a realistic portrayal--because of new construction and destruction in New York City.

This book is really great. I recommend it to anyone who loves NY!

Let me first say I love New York, it is quite simply the most energetic, vibrant, alive place on earth. This book does the city such a service, it is spectacular and photographs just amazing. Mr. Cameron is such a singular talent and he does it hanging out of a helicopter. This book really captures the city and lets the viewer see the hidden New York, that very few see. I love the photos of Central Park, you have no idea what an oasis it is until you see it from high above. Some photos are in summer some are in winter and you get to see the city in all its various incarnations. Mr. Cameron also includes some vintage photos to let the viewer see how much the city has changed. I only wish that Mr. Careron had been able to photograph my city of Houston, she would have welcomed him with opened arms. I highly recommend this book, you won't be disappointed.

Robert Cameron's "Above New York: A Collection of Historical and Original Aerial Photographs of New York City" sets itself apart from other similar books. In no particular order:

a) the photos are unbelieveably crisp and the printing is of top-notch quality;
b) don't ask me how, but Mr. Cameron makes the city look like a place where human beings actually live and work, rather than making the cityscape look like an architectural diorama;
c) other boroughs are represented! New York is not just Manhattan, as so many other books would have you think.

The contrast of the modern skyline with the older photographs is very effective, as others have mentioned. But what is also appealing is the changes of the skyline between the time these photos were taken (ca. 1988) and today, as we New Yorkers would notice. The images of the World Trade Center are poignant, but I'm glad that the publishers did not update the book, in order to remove them. As time takes its healing course, we can look back fondly on those buildings--still with pain, but now with some acceptance. "Above New York: A Collection of Historical and Original Aerial Photographs of New York City" remains a glorious collection that has yet to be eclipsed in quality.

Rocco Dormarunno
author of The Five Points

This is the best photographic book I have ever seen. Its pictures of The Big Apple are magnificent! Comparative pictures taken in years past, many in the 1920s, show how sections of the city have changed. Whether one is a fan of New York and who isn't, you will enjoy this book. It makes me want all the other "Above" books now.

I know the book and it's very good like all the books of carol beckwith,it's the only one i didn't got ,but i am still waiting for the delivery....

If you're considering a trip to the Motherland, definitely buy this book! The pictoral essay translates a million cultural norms and customs for the Westerner/Asian. These images are "provocatively considerate" of the ancient peoples of Eastern Africa, which is unusual. These images also transport you back to a time when (in my opinion) Mankind lived simpler, easier lives.

I really enjoyed the images of the Christian influences including the rock churches of Ethiopia.

If you are interested in Ethiopia, this book provides a pictured guide to the country, its history and its sites. The photography is amazing.

A land now wracked by famine and war, the region of Ethiopia and the surrounding countries which make up the Horn of Africa, have a rich and diverse cultural history. The coastal areas have been in close contact with the outside world for centuries, linked by trade with Arabia, China and India. Ethiopia itself is situated in more remote highlands and has enjoyed protection from foreign influences, for an even longer time. The are archaic forms of Christianity and Judaism, pastoralist groups, hunter-gatherers and farmers and they have lived undisturbed for hundreds of years. Until the twentieth century, Ethiopia was the only African country to have successfully avoided Western imperialism.

And here is a book of superb photographs of the land and its different peoples by Carol Beckwith and Angela Fisher. The text by Graham Hancock is unusually helpful giving the historical background so necessary to take in these startling photos. A wonderful book, beautifully designed, published by Abrams, it is well worth its published price of $75.00 to anyone interested in Africa.

As a repeat visitor to beautiful Ethiopia, and a pretty darn good photographer, the last thing I want my friends to do is to pick up this book before they see MY pictures. My best ones are drab next to this fabulous work of Fisher and Beckwith. So many books on Ethiopia cover either just the north, with it's religious architecture and history, or just the south with its beautiful tribal people only recently touched by the encroachment of modernity. But this book covers it all, and stunningly so. If you can afford only one book of glorious photography on tribal Africa, make it this one. There is a reason for the consistent 5-star ratings.

(Later note: two newer books by different authors/photographers focus just on the tribal areas of the Omo Valley in southern Ethiopia. If that's your interest, then also check out Gianni Giansanti's "Vanishing Africa" and Hans Silvester's "Ethiopia - Peoples of the Omo Valley.")

I read Alligator Baby. I liked this book because it has funny pictures. In the book I read that the "gorilla grabbed her mom's ear and the father's ear and they both yelled Aaaaaaahhhhhaaaaa!" This helped convince me that it was a good book.

I love Robert Munsch and this is one of his books that the kids in my 2nd grade class loved the most!

This is a good book for when bringing home baby. We bought it for our toddler as a fun way to explain that we are bringing him a baby brother from the hospital.

I really liked this book, because it was funny. Kristen's parents kept bringing home animal babies from the zoo instead of a people baby. Kristen saved the day because she went to the zoo and got the right baby from the gorilla's cage. But it was funny at the end when all the mommy animals break into the house to get their babies back

We got this book as a shower gift when our son was born. We read this over and over to his older sister. I can't imagine a better, more entertaining book for a 3 year old who is welcoming home a new sibling.

This book will soon find its place next to your bed and near your heart. It is full of amazing images. Great Work!

I was very pleased with the product, the time it took to get here and the over all experience of the Amazon system.

Thanks for being there.

Rich

Ken Duncan has been Australia's foremost photographer, taking superb shots with his panograph camera. He has again produced a beautiful collection of photographs across this great land. Each picture is a work of art in itself! The book makes a great coffee table book - one to pick up and browse at any time.

This is an awesome book and covers the majesty and beauty of America from sea to shining sea.

Don't forget to check out his other book, Australia Wide. Another incredible collection of photographs.

My whole family, teenagers included, keep looking at this book. We've been to many of these places, but the way Mr. Duncan presents them is beyond words.

After reading the reviews, I was looking forward to reading this book. I was very disappointed. It was predictable and trite. I was singularly unimpressed with the never-ending brawls. I got the feeling he was simply rewriting macho movie action scenes we've all seen ad nauseam. And of course, there had to be the beautiful women in distress that only Devlin could save. I found it interesting this "moral" man slept with the other woman character just hours after learning his love interest had been nabbed by the bad guys. But I guess we're supposed to accept that Jack Devlin just can't help himself and the ladies just can't resist him. This book is fine for those who enjoy this genre, I guess. From the reviews, I thought it was going to be a bit more cerebral and thought-provoking. It wasn't.

I purchased this book in 1995 in a drugstore. It is the best action novel I have ever read! I have looked in vain for another action novel of the same caliber for years. I have now read this book 3 times over the last few years and I never grow tired of it. Devlin is what every man wishes he could be. If you are looking for high art this is not the book for you! If you are looking for a double fisted, .45 caliber, ride of a novel, this is it.

having read all of Mr. Clarkson's book as well as hundreds of other action dramas I'd rate him right up there with anyone. Well written, hot, furious, and fun. It's a one day read, PERIOD!!!

John Clarkson has it all - terrific prose, interesting characters, intricate plotting and all the action I could handle in one novel.I am now off to read the rest of his novels!!!

If you want a book loaded with action, interesting characters, and very fast-paced get yourself a copy of And Justice For One. You'll be glued to the edge of your seat throughput the whole book!

This play is an absolute joy to read, with characters who come into their own, If anyone loves the movie or enjoys theatre, this has quite alot for everyone, funny dialogue, romance, murder and of course Teddy... after reading this I was tempted to run up the stairs shouting "CHARGE!!!"
Shipping to the UK was brilliant too came on the expected delievery date.

This is an enduring classic comedy that has been staged with actors of all ages including those in high schools, community theaters and professional productions. The script contains jokes based on the status of "the theater" at the time (common discussions among critics at that time parallel the line in a Simon and Garfunkle song, "is the theater really dead?") The story line is built on a wonderful array of eccentric characters. A great deal of the comedy is based on dramatic irony, where the audience knows something that some or all of the actors on stage do not. Great to stage and fun to see.

I received the product very quickly and easily as is usual with Amazon.

It was hard to read this without thinking of the wonderful movie. In a nutshell it is a play about a family where mental illness (insanity) is rampant. One character thinks he is Teddy Roosevelt and is building the Panama canal in the cellar. Two characters think they are performing a charity by poisoning lonely elderly men which the Teddy Roosevelt character perceives to be victims of yellow fever and buries them in Panama canal locks. These characters are perceived by neighbors as kind and gentle souls. Another character is an escapee from a hospital for the criminally insane. It is understandable why the sane member of the family is afraid to get married. He finds out that he is not related by blood to this family. The play is wonderfully written. I found it disturbing that these kindly gentle elderly women were serial killers. It just goes to show things are not always what they appear. Also, torture was alluded to in the play. All in all a good read.

Although these words refer to Teddy Brewster in this hilarious play by Joseph Kesselring, they could have applied equally to most of the other members of the Brewster household. Teddy thinks he is Teddy Roosevelt, always "charging" upstairs when he is not in the basement digging "locks for the Panama Canal." His two elderly aunts, with whom he lives, also have their own bizarre secret, for which the hand-dug "locks" in the basement are employed to good effect.

Jonathan, Teddy's "disagreeable" brother, who disappeared many years ago, returns during the play with secrets of his own. With his face altered by plastic surgery, he is accompanied by Dr. Einstein, with whom he plans to set up an operating room in the house so the doctor can give new faces to criminals. The only normal person in the family is Mortimer, a drama critic who hates plays, engaged to marry Elaine, the innocent daughter of the minister next door. Mortimer is particularly upset by Jonathan's return--"the most detestable, vicious, venomous form of animal life I ever knew."

The frantic action, the ironies, the comic routines, and the dramatic surprises all center around two bodies, hidden at various times in the window seat of the living room, and the reactions to them by the various people within the household. The local police, friends of Aunt Abby and Aunt Martha, stop by to chat, have coffee, and protect these "sweet" old ladies, often at the worst possible moments, while Mortimer tries to decide what to do about his strange family and the bodies in the house.

Arsenic and Old Lace is such a strong play, with so many hilarious moments, that it is not surprising that this is a staple of local theaters and high school drama groups. Much of the play involves sight gags, contretemps, and weird characters behaving outrageously. Careful delivery of lines and subtlety of gesture are far less important here than the high- speed action, over-the-top characterizations, and split second timing of entrances and exits. One of the funniest and most often performed plays of American theater, Arsenic and Old Lace is as delightful in the twenty-first century as it was when it was first performed in 1941. Mary Whipple

In the past ten months, I've burned through over $100k in insurance benefits, pursuing what conventional medicine offers for osteoarthritis. In that time, the disease has rapidly and progressively degenerated joints in my neck, shoulders and hips to a point that I am almost completely bed-ridden. Conventional medicine has not only done nothing whatsoever to aleviate the disease or the pain, it has addicted me to morphine and Duragesic (80 times more potent than street-level heroin). I turned to this book out of desparation.

The book states clearly and early on, that conventional medicine doesn't know what to do for osteoarthritis OTHER THAN to mask the pain with narcotics. The position of conventional medicine - i.e. most A.M.A. practitioners - is that osteoarthritis is a normal part of aging and once it occurs, there is nothing that can be done for it. This book contends that is absolutely wrong.

The book puts forward a very compelling argument that by following a nine point systematic approach, the heart of which is a regimen of daily glucosamine and chondroitin together with ASU, osteoarthritis can not only be stopped in its progression, but the symptoms actually reversed. The book is wonderfully and powerfully written and I think maybe, the best hope and option for osteoarthritis sufferers.

How am I doing since going onto the 9-part program espoused by the book? Well, I've only been on the glucosamine and chondroitin for about three weeks. I haven't been able, as yet, to locate a source for ASU, and I haven't yet implemented any of the the other 8 parts of the cure - though I will be doing so within the next few days.

Have my osteoarthritic sypmtom abated since I started the program espoused by this book? Sad to say, no. However, I am truly convinced that as I factor in the other 8 parts of the cure and give it another month, my pain will decrease, I will regain range of motion, and I will regain function again.

I believe this is an excellent book and very much worth a read by every sufferer of osteoarthritis.

The title is unwisely chosen, close to a cheap shot, designed to get the attention of people in pain. This is unfair,and diminishes the total effect of the book, which is well researched and documented for a book for a lay audience. It is very helpful to have all the information on glucosamine and condroitin together, with an exact plan. Very useful is the attention paid to the lack of quality control in choosing nutritional supplements. Dr. Theo provides excellent advice on how to choose wisely, and how to avoid poor or deceptive formulations.

Three months ago I was as skeptical as John (below). I have OA in both knees and was contemplating knee replacement surgery. I decided to give this guy's recommendations a chance as a last resort, since my meds weren't helping much. I've been on fairly large doses of glucosamine/chondroitin, ASU, SAMe, and Omega 3-6-9 since around last Thanksgiving. My knee pain has reduced by, I would guess, about 75%. I don't want to over-hype this regimen, and I don't have any idea how long the relief will last. But it's real, and it's substantial. Note that you have to allow a couple of months for it to fully kick in. [...]

The above review was originally written on 2/14/07. As of 6/7/07, I've added the supplement MSM, and the "cocktail" continues to work. I'm still off pain meds except for the occasional ibuprofen. The supplements aren't magic, my knees continue to hurt, but I'm still much closer to pain-free than before I began the regimen. And most importantly, I'm still avoiding the surgeon's knife. ~CPW

Put it this way, I have joint pain, and I take glucosamine and chondroitin for the pain. But I have my doubts about them, too, especially with regard to the claim that they "rebuild cartilage" (note: I am not a doctor, and I am just a layperson and reader of average knowledge, who has done some reading on this).

Here is what the Mayo Clinic site states about glucosamine and chondroitin (Mayo has one of the top-5 arthritis departments in the country):

"Many manufacturers market dietary supplements that they claim can rebuild cartilage. But little scientific evidence supports this claim. The most studied of these supplements is glucosamine sulfate.

Glucosamine is a natural compound in your body that helps make your cartilage strong and rigid. Osteoarthritis causes the breakdown of joint cartilage and can affect any joint, including the elbow, ankle, wrist and knee. Although there is insufficient evidence that glucosamine rebuilds cartilage, there is some evidence that a combination of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate may relieve moderate to severe pain in some people with osteoarthritis of the knee. The mechanism by which it does this isn't clear."

Some doctors state that glucosamine mimics aspirin and Tylenol, i.e. it is a pain reliever, not a rebuilder of joints.

The book is still good in that it shows the current scientific ideas on how to heal and feel better; but let's not let our hopes of a "holistic cure" get in the way of evidence.

I have been investigating health issues for almost 30 years, and Dr. Theo's book is the best one I have read concerning the solution to arthritis. I am also one of the victims of arthritis because I have literally walked or run for thousands of miles in my lifetime. So, my knees and hips need constant attention, and I can personally confirm that glucosamine and chondroitin supplements work. The doctor is right that different brands vary a lot in quality, and I am glad he listed some good brands in his book. He also tells the exact amount of each supplement that you must take in order to get effective results. Although I did not see the GNC brand mentioned in the book, I have found that the GNC chewable Tri-Flex candy supplements work for me. You'll be glad you bought this very informative book if you have arthritis or know someone who does.