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Awesome guy, this Greg Mortenson. Thank you for representing America in such a positive, decent way. I read this for a book club. Must say it wasn't the easiest read for me. I think it would be great for the publisher to print a version without the foreign words so that distracted readers like myself might be able to focus better and read the book faster. I gave the book to my boyfriend and he is presently enjoying the book. I respect people who take the high road, and that is what Greg does. I do hope his wife and children are not too affected by his departures and that Greg remains safe in his endeavors.

The book three cups of tea, is a story of monumental dedication and superhuman efforts to build schools for people who had no hope of education. An inspiring story for any age.

This is one of the best books I have ever read. In retrospect, it is difficult to imagine the difference a single person can make. Dr. Greg Mortenson is building schools in the most hostile situations and is the real hero for America and people world wide.
This book is a must read because it truly gives a glimpse of the world we are mostly unaware of.
Greg fought against all adversaries - fatwa, kidnapping and being caught between a free for all shootout. These are extraordinary situations and require extraordinary character to work under those circumstances.
Some readers complained that the book went back and forth between US and Pakistan quite often and the reading is not clean. I disagree. The book is very well written and the back & forth is not much different from hos own life. He is living in two parallel worlds, working under bullets half a world away away from his family to make a difference.

His is the right way to fight evil - through education. I wish there were more like him.

I think the least we can do is read the book and educate ourselves about the real problems and real solutions to the current menace (terrorism, poverty, depravity) around the world.

Third cup of tea is a gesture in certain cultures to accept another person as part of the extended family.

This is such a great book that I do not want to (and cannot) write a feedback about the book and will only encourage you to read it.

Of all the people I have had the pleasure to meet or read about, Greg Mortenson is the most heroic by far. This book is an incredible read but not near as incredible as what this man has done and continues to do. He's fighting terror and violence at its source by actually not fighting. Not threatening or pushing or forcing. Instead by listening, learning and then acting out of sincere compassion and understanding, not a hidden agenda. And thats why he is so credible. His risks are greater then I can imagine but he's sketched out a path to peace that seems far more effective then any governmental intervention. This story proves that even today incredible changes are possible just by starting with a sincere caring for other people. There's hope for us yet!

I had no idea what the book was about, I bought it during an unexpected stay somewhere.

The journey I have been taken on by the tale this book tells is so important, true, beautiful, and moving.

This book has changed my life. The power one person has to create change sometimes is easy to forget.

Now that the book is over, I have lost a friend. But, I have gained valuable insight in the fight one visonary hero and the team of supporters (from all around the world) has made and will continue to make.

This is an important read.

This book is seriously one of my all time favorites even though I read it back in middle school hahahah. But the story is really good and I recommend it to all my friends that are girls, no matter what the age is.

I have read Gail Carson Levine's Ella Enchanted three times now, and every time I do it gets even better. Ella Enchanted takes the classic tale of Cinderella and enlivens it with spunk, humor, and personality.

At Ella's birth, a rather overzealous fairy named Lucinda blesses her with the gift obedience. From then on, she must do what she is commanded, whether she must do her chores, eat her entire birthday cake, or even kill, Ella is powerless against the will of her "gift." When her mother suddenly dies, Ella is left to be cared for by many non-caring persons: her often-absent and greedy father, her voluptuous step-mother, and horse-faced and devious step-sisters. But Ella's tenacity keeps her fighting for her own free will as she searches for a way to relinquish Lucinda's gift.

Ella's adventurous and charming nature keeps you smiling for the entirety of the book as she challenges hungry ogres, tricks her evil-stepsisters, tracks fairies, slides down castle banisters, and falls for the dashing Prince Charmont.

Levine incorporates the iconic elements of the Cinderella tale, such as glass slippers, a pumpkin coach, and the infamous ball, while breathing life into the surrounding plot and characters. It is a novel that I could read again and again, and has instantly become one of my favorites.

The novel is an ideal young adult princess/fantasy book for girls around middle school age, and is completely appropriate and innocent. It is typically around 230 pages and is a fast and uncomplicated read that can be enjoyed by youth and adults.

Levine has written many other books as well. I have read Fairest. (Ella Enchanted is still my favorite and always will be.) Both books follow a similar theme and give a similar message: the quest of a female protagonist who must accept/discover her true identity and self-worth, and is rewarded for her high character and tenacity.

Ella Enchanted is a must-have for every girl/woman.

There I was. Probably the only one in the movie theater above the age of thirteen, but I didn't care. It was my twenty-second birthday, and I was going to watch the movie I wanted to see - even if I was alone. It was my birthday gift to myself, watching Ella Enchanted. I was interested in this movie, even though it was directed toward the average age of ten, because I had read the book at sixteen. At that time I was working in a library and had discovered that I had missed out on all sorts of literature when a younger child because I rarely read. Before working in the library, the only thing I would read would be the Sunday comics and only the books required in school. So when I found reading pleasurable, I wanted to make up for lost time.

I was introduced to Gail Carson Levine's books by the library's young adult book club. Ella Enchanted was a modern Cinderella story. I had always loved the story of Cinderella, and when I read Ella Enchanted, I loved it. But at the same time I took wonder in loving this book. There was a part of me at sixteen that wondered why I loved this story.

The story was about Ella, a girl cursed by her fairy godmother with obedience. Any time Ella was ordered to do something, she had to do it. Ella kept this curse a secret. Eventually Ella's mother dies, and since her traveling salesman father is rarely home, Ella only has her maid to raise her. One day Ella's father gets the idea to marry into money, but, unfortunately, he picks out a wicked lady with two equally wicked daughters. When her fairy godmother shows up at the wedding, she gives the happy couple the gift of love forever, which only serves to mess up Ella's life even further. Ella's father feels that the only way for him to live a happy life is to stay away from home thereby leaving Ella utterly alone in a full house. Ella's curse eventually becomes a particularly complicated problem for her when she is ordered by her stepsisters to give up her money and other possessions. Ella decides her only way out is to find her fairy godmother.

Ella sets out to find this fairy, so she can take back the curse. Ella, in the meantime, meets up with Prince Char on her adventure, falling in love with him. But when the prince's evil uncle figures out Ella's curse, he orders Ella to kill the Prince. Ella tries to stay away, but the curse is too strong. Eventually Ella finds a way out of her spell, while at the same time saving the life of the prince and redeeming herself from being thought a murderer. The story ends happily ever after.

Why did I love the story of Ella Enchanted when I read it? My first instinct is to say that the magic in this story was exciting, and it gave me a chance to fantasize about magical places and creatures. I imagined that somehow I could have power like Ella's and was intrigued by the relationship between Prince Char and Ella.

At the time I read Ella Enchanted, I wondered, what was the connection between this modern Cinderella to the original? The first story of Cinderella I was introduced to was the Disney movie. As a young child I loved the music where the mice make Cinderella's dress, and I thought the little mice were funny, especially Gus. It was a story with the only bad characters being the stepmother, stepsisters, and one fat cat. While Cinderella's life revolved around pleasing her stepfamily, the mice struggled with the evil cat.

My young mind loved this story because of the great struggle that Cinderella has and how she triumphs at the end. I did not take into consideration all the messages that were in the story at the time. Disney's Cinderella, which came out in 1957, has many moral lessons, which correspond to the thoughts of that time.

Everyone must reach a stage where they leave the nest. In our society, it is expected that eventually children will leave home for a life of their own. When I watched Disney's Cinderella, the idea of being taken away from a bad place that was home to a fancy, rich, good place was particularly attractive to me. Home for me could not be compared to Cinderella's home. I did not have evil parents or stepsisters. I think that what I really wanted to escape from was my boring, everyday life. Everyday seemed the same with school and chores. The thought of going to a palace where I would not have to be in school, or to be told what to do, was attractive. That was what moving to a palace was to me in my very young years.

Why must the princess move away in order to get her happily ever after? It's the formula of all fairytales, but why? I believe there is something in us that innately knows that we must first break away from our maternal bonds in order to become our true selves. In both versions of Cinderella, the mother dies. Perhaps that is an easy way to separate the child from the home. If both parents are still alive, and the child is happy at home, the child may never have the desire to leave. If the child still wants to be home, how can moving away be a happily ever after? Cinderella must then have a crappy home life in order to give the audience satisfaction when she leaves the home.

In the movie, Cinderella is the perfect example of humility, kindness (shown through her animal friends), and goodness. When I was a young, I thought Cinderella was the best child a person could ask for. She was always pleasant, even though her stepmother and stepsisters were mean. Cinderella endures all the ordering around that she is given. Even when her dreams are dashed, as in the scene where the two stepsisters rip up her dress for the ball, she still never talks back to her family. Instead she runs away crying. There is an obvious lesson in the story of Cinderella teaching children to be good, even if they have an evil parent (or parents). It teaches that things will get better, no matter how horrid the situation. However, this does not take into account the many children that are being physically, sexually, and mentally abused by their parents. How could Disney give the message "just be good," as if it has something to do with how these children are treated later in life?

Cinderella is the model of good behavior, and the stepsisters are a model for bad behavior. Both the stepsisters and Cinderella want to go to the ball and meet the prince, only the stepsisters are cruel, selfish, and untalented. In the Disney version both stepsisters receive music lessons. One sister sings off key while the other plays the flute terribly. At the same time, Cinderella is outside singing beautifully while washing the floor. This is telling children that if you are good inside, it will show outside. This is why Cinderella is talented and beautiful, and why the stepsisters are ugly and awkward. Unfortunately, this movie does not allow the people watching it to get over the exterior lesson, that is to say, that the inside equals the outside. It is a much better idea to teach society to look past people's exteriors and look for the goodness inside. As a child I only thought of Cinderella as a very pretty person. Instead of wanting to be like Cinderella by her goodness, I wanted to be pretty on the outside first, and that is not the same as being well-mannered and honest.

In this Disney version of the Cinderella story, the obstacles that Cinderella has to overcome are small. The first obstacle Cinderella faces is getting to the ball. There is no action taken by Cinderella that has to do with overcoming any of the obstacles she faces. The fairy godmother whisks up a spell and, voila, a dress and carriage appear to take Cinderella to the ball. The next problem takes place when Cinderella is locked away in the attic. The prince's menservants attempt to ask all women in town to try on the glass slipper left behind from the ball. Cinderella's only chance is to try on the slipper. Two of Cinderella's pet mice sneak into the pocket of the wicked stepmother, while Cinderella cries to herself. It's not a heroic part of the movie for Cinderella. The mice rescue her. Although if Cinderella had not been nice to the mice, and let them out of the cages, then these two would not have gotten the key away. The message revealed, when Cinderella never takes action to change her situation, is that her power is in her kindness towards others.

This movie has a love interest for Cinderella, Prince Charming. The prince has a minimal part because he is more of an idea than a person. The Prince is a symbol of the good life. He has everything that Cinderella needs and wants. He is there to take Cinderella away to a life different from her own. He is the reward for which Cinderella had so patiently worked for. In a way, to be able to work toward the goal of a life filled with comforts is very much the American dream. It's something that can be attractive to anyone anywhere, to have something a little better than the way your parents had it.

When Cinderella meets the prince, they both fall in love right away and dance all night. The ball ends and he does not forget her. He searches for her with that fateful glass slipper. I always loved the particular scene in which the prince dances with Cinderella and they both sing in perfect harmony.

So this is love, Mmmmmm
So this is love
So this is what makes life divine
I'm all aglow, Mmmmmm
And now I know
The key to all heaven is mine

My heart has wings, Mmmmmm
And I can fly
I'll touch ev'ry star in the sky
So this is the miracle that I've been dreaming of
Mmmmmm
Mmmmmm
So this is love!


Now that I have reevaluated this scene, I know that what the prince and Cinderella have is not love. It's too quick. What they have in this particular scene is infatuation. I think it is important to teach this to young girls, because too many people do not know the difference between love and the "in love" feeling that comes with infatuation.

The updated version for Cinderella has better messages for today's young generation. Ella Enchanted still takes the original story line and twists it up. Like the first Cinderella, I still felt a yearning to get away from ordinary life when I read the book. This time I was older and knew more. Just because you are a queen, does not mean that life will be perfect. The idea of magical creatures in fancy places was much more intriguing, then just getting away from my boring life.

The bonds between Ella and her mom are severed, and since her father is away from home all the time, Ella has a reason to leave home. When Ella runs away from her cruel stepfamily, she alone takes action to try to change her situation. She is trying to change her life for herself instead of waiting till her fairy godmother can change her life for her. Ella too has a bad home life, but she is also given a curse to go with her bad family ties. She must do more than just run away from home. In addition, Ella must break the spell in order to achieve maximum happiness. Then the audience can become happy for her when she has the chance at a better life.

Ella is also an example of morality in this modern story. Ella wants the same things as her stepsisters. But this new story gives a reason for Ella's obedience. The author allows Ella to not want to do what she is told; she is stubborn, but is always good. She is never selfish, like her stepsisters. The movie has a quote that says, "Ella's curse made her obedient, but her heart made her kind." This story makes a difference between obedience and goodness, which Disney does not. Just doing what you are told is one thing, but being kind to others and taking action in the face of moral dilemmas is a very different thing. Also, the movie makes a point of showing Ella's loving and respectful relationship with both parents and her maid. The curse is used to show that free will is good, not as an excuse to rebel.

The movie does not used beauty as a source of inner goodness like the Disney version. Both Ella and the oldest stepsister, Hattie, are pretty. The reason that the Prince likes Ella more than Hattie is because of the two sisters' attitudes. Hattie makes it very obvious that she is a big fan of Prince Char, and even is the president of his fan club. Because of Hattie's overzealous nature, Prince Char is totally freaked out. Ella, on the other hand, is not a fan of Prince Char and is upset at the fact that he does not take more interest in the politics of the Realm. This is a much more appropriate start to the couple's relationship.

In Ella Enchanted, it is a little more obvious that the youngest stepsister, Olive, is very dumb and almost bordering on the edge of retarded. In this way this modern story almost excuses the younger stepsister from her behavior toward Ella because she was not intelligent enough to understand everything. Throughout Ella Enchanted, Olive follows her sister's lead, and does what Hattie tells her to do blindly. It almost appears that Olive is a good Cinderella opposite; doing everything she is told, and not thinking for herself. It portrays a bad example of obedience. I wondered why at the end of the film, that revenge is not taken on Olive? Perhaps it is good that one of the two stepsisters is not evil, but is the representation of extremely stupid appropriate?

When Ella has to overcome obstacles, things are slightly different. One particular example shows a similar scene to Disney's Cinderella when Cinderella is locked away in the attic. Ella is sitting in prison for attempting to kill the prince and is rescued by some friends. But this is not the pivotal part of the modern story, unlike the Disney version. The most exciting part is when Ella breaks the spell that holds her in submission. She has to do this by herself, and it is by pure willpower alone that she can do this. It's a lesson to little girls that they can do things that seem impossible. There is also the obstacle at the end of the modern tale in which Ella has to save the prince from his evil uncle. Its empowering girls with the idea that they can be the rescuer, and do not always have to be helpless, which I like.

While Cinderella's prince is the reward for her goodness, the prince in the modern tale plays a different roll. He is a person, and we learn more about his character. He is good, smart, handsome, and humble. He is the dashing figure from girls' deepest fantasies, the perfect guy. The only thing close to a flaw that the prince has is a naive love for his uncle who killed his father to become King. The prince is no longer the symbol of a reward for Ella's hard life. After breaking the spell for herself, Ella's true struggle is overcome. Therefore, saving the prince's life, and marrying him is like a nice extra bonus. The power of Ella's love for the prince breaks the spell, so the love story needs to be there in order to have something powerful enough to force Ella into a tough situation. The real reward for Ella is love, and the prince is just a symbol of the perfect man.

Ella Enchanted has developed the relationship between the prince and Ella much more, but does not seem much better at creating a long-lasting relationship. The Prince has only known Ella for two days when they fall in love. There is a song that Ella sings right before the couple's first kiss.

Can anybody find somebody to love?
Each morning I get up I die a little
Can't barely stand on my feet.
Take a look in the mirror
And I, see what you're doing to me.
I've spent all my years believing in you, but I just can't get no relief.

Won't somebody, somebody, can anybody find me, somebody to love.


This song shows that Ella is just looking for somebody to love. Ella is trying to fill the void of a dead mother, and a father who is always away on business. The prince and Ella only develop a surface relationship. I think that many young people start relationships like this one, even though they have the potential to develop into something more real. But in stories like Cinderella, the development of a relationship should be worked into the storyline.

Regrettably both versions end with marriage, and I think that it is just a little too soon. Cinderella stories give reason for this quick relationship with true love. This idea is being inflicted upon young minds as a truth rather than fiction, which might ruin their relationships later in life. If Ella had just saved the life of the prince and then not married him, the story would still be very good. Sorry to say that in Ella Enchanted, she and the prince have already said "I love you," and it is hard to separate from my mind the possibility of love without coupling it with marriage. I would not be happy to see Ella live with the prince before marriage. Maybe Prince Char should never have asked Ella to marry him. Then the story could end with a girlfriend/boyfriend relationship.

After revisiting the Disney's version of this basic story, I feel let down. The way the story works in subtle ways to keep girls in check gives me the creeps. Why does the once elating conclusion seem empty and false after reevaluating the movie? Is it the quick way the couple gets together? Or perhaps it's the cynic inside me that says, "I give it a week."

Ella Enchanted is better at giving an uplifting, empowering message to girls. It gives more romance and a deeper meaning of self-accomplishment than the old Cinderella. Yet it still inflicts some of the old values of true love. Is the story of Cinderella too old-fashioned to be able to reflect today's values? With all its history, I think that it is a story that should be kept. Maybe someday girls will figure out why it is so fascinating and repair it suitably.

I fell in love with Ella Enchanted years ago and it still never disappoints each time I go back and reread it. It is the classic Cinderella story but given infinitely more depth and finesse. It is a book filled with magic, romance, intrigue, twists, turns, and a spunky heroine who never stops fighting for what she believes is right. I know I will never grow tired or too old for this book and will someday read it to my own children.

i absolutely ADORE this book. i fell in love with it for the first time when i was 12. i am 18 now, but the storyline and the characters are endearing to me every time i read it i must have read Ella enchanted about five times. the romance between ella and char is innocent, but it captures my heart every time. I was very disappointed when i saw the movie. I dont think the movie captured the essence of Ella and the magic that Levine bestowed in her book. If I could, I'd create a movie that is true to the book and its characters. Even though it is a children's book, it is still accessible to adults (though i am still kind of a child at heart- i LOVE fantasy stories)

1000000% RECOMMENDED

Warning this book is the equivalent of waking from "The Matrix" (1999), and seeing the true nature of reality. From the prolog forward to the very end Ron Paul holds nothing back and for those few folk being introduced to this reality and how we have strayed from the constitution, can be a real eye opener.

The message is simple but it is the implantation that can get a bit complex as there are no two sides to this story as those that manufacture politics today.

The real strength of the book is that even though one day the details may be dated that we go beyond theory and point to real situations and existing people instead of just theories and what ifs.

I bought the book; I also bought the CD's as they help enforce the book during my daily commute. We also use them for discussions at work.

This book has many truths that are not just for the radical or inspired and will be a useful reference for your library in the years to come.

A few related and complimentary ideas can be found in:

The Constitution of the United States of America, with the Bill of Rights and all of the Amendments; The Declaration of Independence; and the Articles of Confederation by Thomas Jefferson, Second Continental Congress, and Constitutional Convention

For a New Liberty by Murray N. Rothbard

The Capitalist Manifesto by Louis O. Kelso and Mortimer J. Adler

The Constitution of the United States of America, with the Bill of Rights and all of the Amendments; The Declaration of Independence; and the Articles of Confederation

For a New Liberty

The Capitalist Manifesto

Ron Paul is unique in American politics - honest, incorruptible, principled. His book succeeds on two fronts.

First, providing a readable account of the problems that we face as the ruling elite shred our Constitution, destroy our economy, and drag us bleating into a police state.

Second, giving us a blueprint for stopping the decline and taking back our lives and freedom from those who would rule.

Dr. Paul has shown the way. The next step - actually voting out the corrupt politicians, turning away from the single-party Republicrat institution - is up to us.

This book is amazing; I am spreading it amongst family and friends to read. I STRONGLY recommend this book to anyone needing further clarification on our government and how it SHOULD be run. Not just to benefit Ron Paul, but to benefit this Nation. Some things will shock you, I know there were things I didn't know that I know now, and was infuriated by the things I was learning about this Big Government we have.
Write in Ron Paul!!!!!

An excellent book. Couldn't put it down. Ron Paul outlines many of the ideas that propelled his campaign to unexpected success. If you want to understand the "revolution" this is an essential place to start!

Most Americans are good citizens who work hard and pay their taxes. Therefore, many of them falsely believe that THEY don't have anything to "worry about" when the government ignores or circumvents its' Constitutional limitations. They are especially prone to accept the government's constitutional abuses when the government proclaims that its' actions will make its' citizens safer or more prosperous. This book will open their eyes and enable them to see how unrestrained big government has ALREADY negatively impacted their lives in many ways and how it will continue to do so if we, as citizens, continue to tolerate its' encroachments on our freedoms. This book shows how the constitutional abuses we were told would make us safer and more prosperous have actually had the opposite effect.

I saw both flims the original with Shirley Temple/Lon McAllister also the newer version both were great
So the the book was a must have also to learn what had happen to rest of the story(the horse/the people)

This is a wonderful book about an unbelievable champion - the kind we need today in America. A champion that reaches into the hearts of the people, unifies us and inspires us to prevail. The men who believed in Seabiscuit were not perfect, nor was Seabiscuit but they all managed to be imperfect winners. The writing itself might be a bit flourished but it is certainly well-researched and the story is entertaining told. Hillebrand has captured the ironies, truths, the agony and ecstasy of horse-racing and life itself as well. This one will make you cheer.

I'm usually concerned about purchasing items on line, especially books. I can honestly say that this experience was worth it. I would recommend this seller to anyone interested in purchasing good quality books at extremely reasonable prices.

Buy with confidence, I did!

I can't recall the number of non-fiction books that I've read. Little matter, this is the most incredible true story that I've read!!
Laura Hillenbrand has captured a time in American History. She is a true storyteller who has done impeccable research. It must have been the time she spent in Gambier, Ohio at Kenyon College that inspired her to such great in depth writing.
For those of you who have not read this book or have not seen the excellent movie, you're in for an incredible treat. Trust Me!!
If I were writing fiction, this true story would not have been told. Charles Howard, Red Pollard and Tom Smith are indeed the Holy Trinity. Remember these names, after reading this book, you will never forget them.
One little horse, so much history!!! Incredible!!!!

I have recently read Seabiscuit and watched the film and found both to be very compelling. We dont think much anymore about the dark days of the Depression but Laura Hillenbrand puts us right back in the middle of it. The important lesson was to look to the future as Charles Howard implored, the sun will come up tomorrow.

Three incredible characters intersect with this horse of unknown promise. Howard is the wealthy owner, despondent over the death of his son and unsure how to live the life of leisure; Red Pollard is a jockey not able to break into the big-time, due to his attitude, blindness, and injuries; Tom Smith is a taciturn man who belongs in the 19th century of his youth, not the modern world. Together they develop and promote Seabiscuit, a horse of incredible bloodlines, yet given up on by better trainers due to his work habits, attitude, injuries, and size.

Eventually the Biscuit wins all the stakes in the state of California and gets a shot at a match race with the great Eastern horse and Triple Crown winner, War Admiral. Both horses are descendants of the great Man'o'war, but the eastern elites dont want to give the western upstart his chance. After a few cancellations due to injuries and prickly owners, the match race goes off in Baltimore and the smaller horse brings it home.

The book is more enlighting with respect to the fuller stories of the characters, especially the relationship between the jockeys and Pollard's romance and marriage to a Boston nurse. The movie brings the times to life. Howard and Pollard were the raconteurs who made Seabiscuit the hero of the little guys during those lean years. Dont forget, tough times dont last but tough guys do.

Ms. Hillenbrand is an equally interesting story. She suffers from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and is only able to work at a fraction of the typical writer. Here she focused her energy on this story and these times. Seabiscuit has been the story many times in film and books but Ms. Hillenbrand brings it to life for us.

A tale of growing up and acceptance with a strong female lead who shows, without being ultra feminist, that girls can accomplish anything that boys can.

Admittedly a huge fan of the "women-warrior, disguised as a man" characters, I have been disappointed time and again by peoples take on them, but not this time. The take on magic, the involvement of the gods, and the world, which holds different morals, gave to a very interesting atmosphere for the books to be set in. Alanna is a character that I couldn't help cheering for, and identifying with.

Granted as others point out, this is very obviously a first novel that will kick-off a series. And while I did enjoy it, I do prefer to have series of novels have the ability to be stand-alones.

A terrific kick-off, to what I hope to be a wonderful series.

My Mom bought me the series 10 years ago when I was 13... Since then I have read them over and over and over... I find them impossible to tire of and once I start reading I don't want to put it back down... although by now I have half the books memorized.
I started reading these books when I was 13 years old and loved them... now at 23 years old- I still love to read this series.
The Immortals series is excellent as well.

I did not realize when I bought these books that they were for young adults, I still thoroughly enjoyed reading about Alanna's adventures, friends and family. Alanna proved to the men again and again that "anything you can do I can do better". A great message to put out there for young girls. And even though it took me 1 day to read each book I just couldn't stop until I was done!

Is no one bothered by the essential lack of values in this book? Getting what you want is more important than honesty or respect for others. The main character threatens others with horrible, supernatural punishment, tricks her father, lies outrightly, and that's just in the first chapter.
What about integrity, justice, truth as foundations of doing right?
Compare this heroine with Jonas in The Giver, Frodo in The Lord of the Rings, Andy in Wolf Rider, or Karana in The Island of the Blue Dolphins.

This book tells not only of a seemingly impossible, desperate love between a man and a woman but also of the endless and unconditional love that God has for each and every one of us. A really great read.

This is the 1st Christian book I have read (even though I am a Christian). I liked the begining and the end but the middle of the book was SOOO slow. I was going to quite reading half way through but friends of mine encouraged me to keep reading so I didn. It turned out to be an "ok" book but not one that I would say is a must read.

This isn't typically the type of book I read either so maybe it just wans't for me because I have heard many other people just rave about this book.

Although I am a Christian, I'd never read any Christian books until this one. Now that's all I read. This book was recommended by a young man at my church and boy, was I impressed. I've read all my life, I love it, but I'd never read a book that was as great as this one. This is a must for anyone who needs to know what it means to really have a relationship with God & what it needs to be between husbands & wives. Men should read this book also, it'll give them a new perspective on women, marriage and God. I've read 3 or 4 Francine Rivers books now & they are all really, really good, but this one has been the best so far. SERIOUSLY!!! A MUST READ for EVERYONE!!! Thank you Mrs. Rivers for putting the story of Gomer & Hosea into a story everyone could relate to.

This gripping fictional tale is loosely based on the book of Hosea. As evidenced by the hundreds of glowing reviews, it is an immensely popular book among Christian women. Unfortunately, this author has made some serious theological missteps which are not brought to light in previous reviews.
1. She allows the voice of the Spirit (in bold print -- be careful, the voice of Sarah/Angel's flesh is also in bold on occasion) to contradict the directly inspired Word of God. The whole premise of the book -- that Michael Hosea is "led" by the "Spirit of God" to marry an unregenerate woman is preposterous. God has certainly led many, many godly men and women to marry those with sordid pasts, but AFTER He has performed His redeeming work in their lives. Numerous scripture passages forbid the marriage of a believer and an unbeliever. Several other minor points and the climax of the book also violate this principle. She further pushes her charismatic agenda with dreams and visions as major plot points.
2. She seems to intimate that the relationship between a believer and Jesus Christ can be compared to a marriage relationship. That analogy is NEVER used in scripture. The marriage relationship is always protrayed between God and Israel or Christ and the church. The individual believer is pictured as Sheep/Sheperd, Master/servant, Father/child, and even Vine/branch but the marriage relationship is always reserved for the body of Christ(the church) or Israel.
3. Her Harlequin romance novel style writing is designed to titillate the flesh. I would not consider this book appropriate for unmarried young ladies as intimated in some of the previous reviews. If you are a mom considering this for a teenaged daughter, read the entire book FIRST. Even though the most graphic scenes are between a man and wife, there is far more detail than most young ladies who are desiring to keep their minds as well as their bodies pure before marriage need to know.
This book is thought provoking and has some compelling themes, but in my opinion is not worth reading. You may be able to pick a perfectly good meal out of a restaurant dumpster, but you'll have to go through a lot of disgusting trash to get it. I would highly recommend biographies of Amy Carmichael's life to see the redeeming love of Christ in action with helpless child prostitutes. A bonus: it really happened!

It is the most beautiful illustration of God's love for us. Very touching and well written.

escape via rocket, October 6, 2008
By V. N. Dvornychenko (Rockville, MD) - See all my reviews


Part "Angela's Ashes" (Frank McCourt) and part "I Aim for the Stars" (Werner von Braun), this book chronicles the efforts of a teenage boy to escape the confines of his West Virginia coal-mining milieu. Fourteen-year-old Homer/Sonny Hickam (the protagonist and author) is determined not to follow in the footsteps of his coalminer father - who is already showing signs of black-lung disease, a disease which will eventually kill him.

Homer/Sonny has an older brother, of whom he is very resentful. Among his brother's "sins" are ease with the girls, success at high school football - and most of all - favor with the parents. Normally there are only two paths for escape from Coalwood: the military, or a football scholarship.
The brother, Jim, holds a strong suit in the football option. Homer, slightly built and very nearsighted, knows he has no chance at footfall - and, so it would appear, with the girls. Then a miracle happens.

The "miracle" that provides a third avenue of escape is the launching of Sputnik by the USSR. The shockwaves produced by this event change American values almost overnight. Intellectual "nerds" suddenly become fashionable. Homer hatches a plan which he hopes will eventually land a job designing rockets for Werner von Braun. The plan is to design, build and launch model rockets. Homer collects a circle of followers - mainly other "nerds" -- and together they put the plan into action.

Besides the shockwaves produced by Sputnik, another kind of fault line runs right through the Hickam household. On one side stand Homer with his mother, on the other his father and brother. A major reason for the fault line is that the mother does not wish to see her sons follow the fate of her husband. But that is not all; it appears the mother has certain misgivings about her marriage. With her artistic bent, and something of a free-spirit, she harbors feelings that perhaps -- just perhaps -- she married beneath her station. A consequence of her frustration is that she succeeds in pulling Homer/Sonny over to her side, resulting in a more-or-less permanent rift with the father. It is also interesting to speculate what other personality traits may have resulted from Homer's closeness to his mother. Homer appears to have a penchant for being attracted to girls that give him conflicting signals - somewhat in the manner of Lucy of the famous comic strip, they entice him, only to pull the ball away at the very last second. Homer is also attracted to an "older" woman (though she is only in her early twenties), his science teacher, Freida Riley.

Although Homer appears to fear and hate everything about mining, some of the most spellbinding moments are excursions into the mine. His favorite science teacher would not, however, approve of the chemistry in the book, which contains several mistakes.

I began by characterizing "Rocket Boys" as part "Angela's Ashes" and part "I Aim for the Stars". In retrospect, is little doubt that "I Aim for the Stars" constitutes the minor component. Although much of the book details the design and building of rockets, Homer's fascination with rocketry and Werner von Braun appears to be mostly motivated by this "ticket out of Coalwood." The epilogue to the book reinforces this. After some delays, Homer Hickam does indeed go to work for NASA, and enjoys a successful career. But sadly, no speculations appear in the book regarding man's role in the cosmos - the "extraterrestrial imperative" Krafft Ehricke called it - nor did any subsequent books on astrodynamics or space theory emerge.

The author produced a sequel "Coalwood Ways." Published only two years later, it covers much the same territory, but has a very different flavor. It concentrates on interpersonal relations, and is much "sweeter" in its outlook than its precursor. It gives the appearance that the author underwent some personal event between the two books which changed his outlook. A film, titled "October Sky," was made based on "Rocket Boys." It has a different flavor yet. "Rocket Boys" is a fine book, and after all is said and done, it would appear that Homer Hickam's true calling is writer.

THE EXPERIMENTS DESCRIBED IN THE BOOK ARE VERY DANGEROUS AND SHOULD NOT BE ATTEMPTED.

Loved this book. Was on the last chapter when I threw October Sky into my Netflix queue; Hoping I'd have it in hand when the book was finished. Timing was perfect. As usual, the book eclipses the movie, but both are great. Passing it onto my 10 year old son who already has aspirations of going into the sciences. Enjoy!

Was purchased due to a requirement by my childs school. He has informed me it is a good book.

... "On June 4, 1960, the Big Creek Missile Agency, fresh from its medal winning performance at the National Science Fair, is sponsoring a day of rocket launches at its Cape Coalwood range. Everyone reading these words is invited..." This quote can be found on page 356-357 of a book called Rocket Boys; this statement showed me that the success of the main characters was a result of personal hard work and teamwork.

"Rocket Boys" by Homer H. Hickam, Jr. is a nonfiction account of a group of friends from Coalwood, West Virginia in the early 1960's who have a fetish for making rockets. Homer and his friends have a dream to shoot a rocket up into the clouds. This story gives the reader a message that dreams really can come true.

Rocket Boys is one of the strongest books I have ever read. The author accomplished his goals to tell people that team work is one of the most important things to know in your life. This book is recommended for people that like space and rockets and who want a hopeful book to read. Reading Rocket Boys really gets you thinking about team work and how far you can get with it.

Homer Hickam grew up in a rural isolated mountain town but went on to win the National Science Fair.

This book is his story and how he was successful.

I bought 24 copies of this book to inspire my advanced 6th grade Reading class. They loved the book. In our discussions they mentioned never giving up. Homer and his friends kept trying until they had success.

Thank you for sharing your life with us, Mr. Hickam.

Quitting smoking is a difficult problem for many. I grew up in a society where about 90 to 95 percent of males smoked. Starting from age 16, I smoked a pack a day, sometimes even more, going about maximum 4 packs a day. Last year it was when I gave serious consideration to my health and life. At 21 years of age, I decided to quit smoking. I read Allen Carr's Easy Way to Stop Smoking, and it worked wonders for me. I stopped for about 8 months, until one day, getting too drunk at the bar, I put those filthy things in my mouth again. This caused a chain reaction, and until today, I was back to about a pack a day smoking. However, I knew that as long as I kept listening to audio books and reading material regarding smoking, it's brainwashing effects, hazards on health, nicotine and how the drug works, once again, I am free from cigarettes and this time it is for life. Here is the key point mentioned in the book over and over again, you must absolutely be certain that you will never ever smoke again, before smoking the last cigarette. If you have the feeling that you are sacrificing something, or going to miss it for any reason, whether it is with tea or coffee or after meal or whatever, then you will have to exercise will power, and that will not work over the long run, because you cannot exercise will power and try to manage the addiction for the rest of your life. So being absolutely certain that you will never smoke ever again is like a moment of revelation, and the sky looks brighter, life tastes better. Yuppeee,, how happy I am that I never ever have to smoke ever again!!!!

I am a Psychologist buy John Carr does a great job of putting smoking in a perspective to aid those who wish to stop. He simply just does. I enjoy his writing style.

I bought this book, and didn't feel too commited to quitting (after all, what smoker doesn't love smoking?) but read it anyway, just for the heck of it. It took me a weekend to get though; I chain smoked while I read it. Then I quit. Just. Like. That. Nothing else worked for me -- hypnosis, acupuncture, willpower, and nicotine replacement did not work for me -- but this book did work. It's unreal, and I couldn't be happier.

I'm not 100% sure it was all this book, but shortly after finishing this book I quit smoking cold turkey. I was a smoker for over 35 years and had tried the patch, accupunture and other methods. With this book, I was able to stop smoking without any aids and have been nicotine free for over 8 months now. Thank you Allen Carr.

If you want to quit smoking, but have been unsuccessful to date, read this book. I bought The Easy Way a week ago after deciding that it was time to quit and read it (and smoked 3 or 4 cigarettes) in about 3 1/2 hours. I put out my last smoke as I finished the final chapter and have had not one minute of craving, anxiety, overeating, etc. I just stopped smoking and moved on with my life. Please, if you want to quit and need some help doing it, read Allen Carr's book. It's a life saver.

Absolutely loved it! I have ordered two more books by this author and am sure it won't be the last.

Now that was a good book. Larry McMurtry is an amazing writer, so whitty. I fell in love with the characters; so much that it's been weeks since I read the book and I still can't stop thinking about them.

What a summer ride I've been on reading Lonesome Dove. I don't know where I've been the last 15 years to only now discover this absolutely amazing story. I smiled, laughed, and cried my way through it. I will surely miss the Hat Creek Cattle boys keeping me up at night. What an adventure!

Though published in 1985, this classic reached its peak in the 1990's with the film. The movie in this case did not hurt the book, as it was well done, but as is often the case did not elicit the same response as reading the novel, chapter by chapter. A richer flavor of the west is seen through the eyes of the reader, whereas the film concentrates more on the characters relationships, perhaps for broader appeal outside the genre. Anyone that enjoys the old west with a touch of humor and pathos will identify with McMurtry's rich tale.
George E. Miller, author of The Lone War Cry

If you are like me you will be depressed when you finish this book ... its absence from my life was that profound. It is a sweeping, powerful, engaging work with some of the most colorful characters ever drawn in fiction. If you have seen the CBS miniseries, do yourself a favor and relive it all again with this titan of a novel. It is more than a Western, it is the story of the human experience. The two main characters, Gus and Call, exemplify the fundamental question that besets us in this waking world: Are we here to accomplish something unique, despite the possible risk to our relationships, comfort and safety; or are we here to pursue a life lived pleasurably and with no expectations?

It is unbelievable that people could kill so many people in such a gruesome fashion. It is even more unbelievable that Immaculee could forgive those killers. This book is about more than just the genocide, it is about the power and absolute necessity of forgiveness. Ultimately, the only one Immaculee could really escape the genocide was through forgiveness. Wonderful book.

Amazing story. I strongly suggest everyone to read the story, it's profound and a real eye opener. As an American, the majority of us have no idea what it's like to be put into poverty and suffering as she and millions like her have experienced.

I love stories that tell how God works in the lives of His people. This story is among the best I've ever read.

Left to Tell is a powerful story of one womens tragedies and survival experienced during the Genocide in Rwanda. This book brought tears and joy to my heart; it inspired me to know that through any horrible and life threatening experience a belief and faith in God will transcend all atrocities man will commit. It is also about how forgiveness can calm and soothe the soul so life can move on with peace in your heart.

I think this is an excellent book, I could not put it down. I ended up reading till 3 in the morning.