F Books

Ms. Rowling apparently had a lot to say in this next installment of the series. Coming in at nearly twice the length of the previous story, the bulkiness does not detract from the good, solid storytelling. The author seamlessly brings new readers up to date in the life of Harry Potter by interjecting, throughout the book, facts from the previous three books. However, you will not truly appreciate the development of this wonderful wizardly world without reading them in sequence. Other reviewers have felt the need to list their favorites in this series, but the exercise is unnecessary. The first four books were very fun and easy reads. This stuff isn't meant to be Shakespeare, folks. Many, many adults and kids have gushed to me about how much they enjoyed all seven novels. Nothing in Ms. Rowling's books have soured me from soon reading the fifth installment. Sit back, relax and enjoy.

This book is great. It has very descriptive words and it is action packed with a lot of drama. This is my favorite Harry Potter book so far. In general, Harry Potter books are the best for me. Harry finds a romance, but sadly it may not go so well. The book is fantastic. At the end, something interesting happens, and I won't tell you what, so read the book.

I enjoyed this book and it was a very quick read. The characters are fun but I don't understand the hype around this book.

I've reviewed each of these books but keep being prompted to review them again. I can't praise the writing talent of J.K.Rowling enough. And again I will say, there should be more books and more movies that promote acceptance, tollerance, standing up for one's beliefs, values and what is right vs what is easy. There are too many books and too many movies that plant the idea of violence for violence sake to make us all ill. And, please excuse me if I offend anyone here; Why is it that anyone thinks they need to write a book about finding God in a work of fiction? And for those who have complained since day one about what a threat the Harry Potter books and movies are to so called Christians, if a work of fiction, a work of cinematic art can threaten your faith then you have no true faith to speak of therefore, please keep your squeemishness to yourself. God and Christ put forth the ideas of acceptance, tollerance, standing up for your beliefs standing up for your fellow human beings and for all living things. The Harry Potter books promote these same healthy valuable life lessons so if that is a threat to you, well, bless you for you know not.

This book is my favorite out of the first four. The reason I like the fourth book the best is because it has the most details. For example J.K. Rowling described the dragons that Harry fights against very well. She does it well because she uses examples skin color and various things like that. Another reason I like this book the best is because it has a lot of action. One example of action was when Harry had to fight a giant spider. Another moment of action was when Harry had to fight the dragons. Also there was an example of action when Harry had to fight the merpoeple.The last moment of action was when Harry fought he-who-must-not-be-named. The last reason I liked this book was because of the vocabulary. It was interesting how the cruciatus curse came from the Latin stem cruc. Another vocabulary word I learned was Yule which meant Christmas. Also my favorite vocabulary word was hippogriff. A hippogriff is a half horse half eagle. The reason I chose the word is because it sounded cool. These reasons are why I think it is the best book out of the first four Harry potter books.

I love this book it is so informative I refer to it on a regular basis.

Prescription for Nutritional Healing is a very informative and easy to follow guide book. It not only offers information for you to discern on your own, you can follow up on the the information they give you to double check it for your self-It has been quite helpful and true to diagnoses. I would recommend it for reading just to be informed on what is going on with our own bodies, even if you have no symptons to treat !

book bugger

I have now purchased four of these helpful health guides and given three to family members!
This book is helpful and informative!
I highly recommend it for anyone interested in being as healthy as possible!

I am amazed at the information available in this book. I have given copies to anyone interested in learning how to improve their overall health and well-being. This is my "Go to" book. I highly recommend this book to anyone truely interested in making positive changes in their life.

With over five million copies sold, this book is one of the most read texts on nutritional health. I say "text" because it measures in at a good inch and three-quarters thick. Written by a certified nutritionist and a bona-fide MD, it is neatly divided up into three parts.

Part I, a quarter-inch thick discusses the basic principles of health and nutrition. This section lists and explains the various kinds of nutrients and food supplements.

Part II, by far the biggest section of the book measuring in at an inch and a quarter, provides the reader with an A-Z listing of many common disorders (such as backache or diabetes) and what you can do about them from a nutritional point of view.

The book ends with Part III, the last quarter-inch of the book, which is devoted to traditional therapies and conventional treatments that can be used along with a nutritional support. Here you'll find info on treatments such as chiropractic, massage therapy, color therapy, and so on.

I have to say, I was pretty impressed with the amount of info contained in this book and I can definitely recommend it to anyone who is looking for a good nutritional reference book to put on their shelf when questions arise. Additionally, is also might give readers ideas of other types of therapies they could try for various medical problems. Other health titles I can recommend also include The 5-Minute Plantar Fasciitis Solution for people who have trouble with chronic plantar fasciitis.

To get the most enjoyment from this beautiful book, buy the original Katherine Woods translation.

This is a wonderful story and a great book I was able to share with my students. The only drawback with the book is that the pages are not in color, but the extremely low price allowed me to purchase the books for my students out of my own pocket.

Katherine Woods' translation is the only English-language version of The Little Prince which captures the beauty, simplicity, clarity, and profundity of the Antoine de St. Exupery's classic, penned in French.

(The newer translation is appallingly horrid and bland, mistaken, and frankly perplexing.)

This is really not a children's book, although older children will appreciate it.

Don't measure the value by the thickness of the book. De St. Exupery, himself a WWI pilot, writes with a great economy yet produces here the most beautiful poetry with a delightful playfulness and childlike innocence -- a fresh vision which thus sees clearly and does not obscure the profound.

Mr. Fred Rogers used to quote from de St. Exupery, whose image and illustrations once graced the 20-franc note (in the days before the euro).

There simply is no other work like this one. It is an exceptionally rare treasure, a masterpiece.

Be sure to read Katherine Woods' translation. Read it privately, when you have time to savor each word. And keep a box of tissues nearby.

I was an adult when i read this book, and i really appreciated the lessons in life that Saint-Exupery shares through the Little Prince.

A great book, full of beautiful illustrations, easy to read, while fun and sad at the same time.

I personally read it as if Exupery is sharing with us the conversations he has with his own inner child, in the image of the Little Prince. That is why the Little Prince would ask many questions, but rarely answer the ones he was asked. Like all our inner children he's been hidden inside and kept silent for a long long time, and now that he was given his chance, he will speak. And we better listen, for he is an integral part of our psyche, who will take us through the most unbelievable adventures.

The Little Prince has often been heralded as a youthful book, required reading in elementary and high schools alike. In delivering it this way I think The Little Prince is missed by the only audience that is likely to truly appreciate it, that is adults. It is not an uncommon misconception that this is a children's book. Indeed, I keep the pictures stored on my computer, and am often asked where they came from. I reply that they are from one of my favourite books, and without fail the response is along the lines of, 'I don't mean to be rude but is that a children's book?'. 'No', I explain, 'it is not'.

The Little Prince is most needed, I think, by adults. It is easy to be caught up in, as De Saint-Exupery describes it, 'matters of consequence' and forget that it is not these matters which bring meaning to life. By pointing out the futility of professions practised endlessly and in isolation of other people, it becomes clear that the Little Prince, with his rose, is the only character with a life of consequence.

This book is beautifully written and translated by Katherine Woods. It speaks volumes through its simple tale, strange though it seems that matters such as these only become clear when they are somewhat removed from reality. Matters such as love, innocence, imagination and priorities. The Little Prince is a gentle and stirring reminder to never forget to see the boa constrictor from the hat.

Book was in said condition, very nice. It arrived in a timely manner.
I am happy to have purchased it as the content is very meaningful and helpful.

I have been an Oswald Chambers follower for many years. I had been reading a tattered copy that belonged to my dad. For my birthday today I got this copy for my birthday and it is so very special. The leather cover is so soft and beautiful. Two shades of purple and liliac. Soft and comfortable to hold.

The dovotions are still current today. They make you look deep within your heart to what God is saying to you.

Highly recommend.

This book has been a profound daily devotional for me for 15 + years. I have read it every year. The insights this man of God had are some of the most relevant, authentic, and remarkable devotions I have ever read. I continue to be amazed.

Oswald Chambers gives the awesome truths of the Bible and God's character in this easy, daily study.

If I had to make a choice of only one book that I could have in addition to my Bible "My Utmost for His Highest" would be it. Next to the Bible, this book has had the greatest impact on my understanging of what is means to walk with Jesus.

I had been given this journal years ago and have cherished using/reading/journaling in it. Recently i have met someone with whom i knew would enjoy it too...i searched on amazon and there it was! Will most likely purchase more in the future.

I was given this book by and friend, and I have to say, it may be the best gift I've ever been given. I have since purchased several cases, giving it out to many people that I care about. It provides inspiring, comforting and empowering thoughts for one to digest daily. Plus, it's supple leather cover and convenient size make it something for you to carry with you throughout each day. I cannot say enough about the power of this book!

This is one of my favorite books of daily devotions.
I've been through it several times and never tire of it.

I had a paperback copy of this book, and it really helped me to grow closer to God. So, I bought the journal..one for myself and a couple as birthday gifts for my friends. If you are searching for a closer walk...this book will help you find it...

I have been reading God Calling ever since the early 1970's. This book has helped me to know God in a personal way. I have given many copies away as gifts and worn out 3 paperbacks. I just received the Devotinal Journal and will now write in it along with my meditations. Every person I have given God Calling to has found peace, joy and guidance in their spiritual life and thanked me for introducing this timely book to them.

This is one of the most interesting book I've ever read. I do think it contains powerful information which may affect some of us to look at life from another perspective. I was enlightened by the words. I highly recommend this book.

This book changed my life and my world view. Seth is very powerful. The first line of chapter one is: "The living picture of the world grows within the mind". I've read this book at least a dozen times. And year after year, it reads like a new book every time I pick it up. If you're wondering what life is all about - this book is for you - it will open your mind.

This Seth chronicle focuses very heavily on beliefs. Quite simply we form our reality by our beliefs. He takes us thru many examples of how our beliefs form our reality. The Self is not limited. Only our beliefs can limit the Self. There are no boundaries or separations of the Self. There is only ONE.

Given the main thrust of this book, the following are some samples of what I considered truths:

- What exists physically exists first in thought and feeling. There is no other rule.
- We are the architects of structuring our belief systems. Re-structuring our beliefs is like rearranging furniture.
- Conflicting beliefs cancel out our power thus creating the "feeling" of powerlessness.
- Inners sounds have a greater affect on the body than outer sounds.
- All things have a consciousness such as the atom and all is self aware.
- There is no division between the mental, spiritual and the physical. They are One.
- Aggression is natural and is a force of nature. The act of birth is an act of natural aggression. Do not fear your power. Violence is a result of the "feeling" of powerlessness.
-Reincarnation is a distortion. Each life is a "Point of Power" and they occur simultaneously NOT linearly. The human brain is not equipped to comprehend this fact.
- Intellect and feeling together make up your existence.
- The serpent symbolized the deepest knowledge within creaturehood. Eve symbolizes the intuitive nature; the ego is symbolized by Adam. The Tree of Knowledge bore its fruits of "good and bad". This was the first time choices were available, thus the birth of free will.
- The story of the fall with Satan as the leader represents the part of All That Is, or God, who stepped outside of Himself and became earthbound with His creatures offering free will that "previously" had not been available.
- We create our own illnesses. They are not thrust upon us. Our illnesses reflect our belief systems. Our bodies are the external representations of our minds.
- There is a lag, a lapse in time, during which beliefs cause material actualization. I have experienced this truth myself. This is the first time I have seen it clearly explained.
- Western medicine is one of the most uncivilized hypnotic devices. Doctors treat the effect and not the cause, which of course is in the mind.
- You are not what you eat, but what you think.
-Our venture thru this physical experience is the equivalent of a dream state. As we understand time, we will merge our inner comprehension with our physical self and form our world on a conscious basis.
- Parents choose their children and children choose their parents.
- Love does not demand sacrifice.
- True religion is not repressive.
- Jesus of Nazareth did indeed say "Love your neighbor as yourself" and at the time was ironic. At that time no man loved his neighbor but distrusted him. Much of his humor has been lost in the Christian dogma.
- "The meek shall inherit the Earth"......meant since you form your reality, those who think thoughts of peace will find themselves safe from war. They will be untouched by it. They will escape it and literally inherit the Earth. Once again the translation has been lost.
- God did not sacrifice his Son by allowing his Son to become physical.
- The elderly are misunderstood. The elderly are looked at as feeble, weak and at the end of their good years. This is false. In fact their consciousness has accelerated. Many switches are activated that remove barriers that allow great journeys inward while still living in the physical world. Much could be learned spiritually from them. Instead they are sent to retirement institutions regarded with pity and forgotten.

This book drives home again and again that your beliefs determine your physical, mental and spiritual environment. Specifically THE PRESENT IS THE POINT OF POWER. Your power is now. The physical self is not all of the Self but it is a part of it. It is a point of being that can change the future AND the past.

I've read several of the Seth books. I much prefer them to the Abraham material. I love this book, over the years reading the Seth material I have also come to love Seth. Reading the seth books is one of the few experiences that I can say truly altered the course of my life. I am forever changed, and for the better, thank-you Seth and Jane.

Far from some oversimplification of how we create reality, Seth leads the reader, step by step, into the incredibly complex nature of the soul. I read and reread, probably only a few pages at a time, as the material is so spiritually stimulating yet thick with new information that it must be digested (at least for me) a little at a time. The authenticity of the material is indisputable making this (as well as all Seth books) an essential read for any sincere seeker.

This is a great book, top-notch quality both on the text, pictures, quality of the paper used and information provided. In my opinion just one thing could make this book even better: a better organization/rating system for the fishes/invertebrates covered. The author put a lot of text for each fish/invertabrate without a simple to read classification on wheter a beginner like myself should buy or not that particular animal. For that I am using the excellent The Complete Book of the Marine Aquarium [Hardcover] By Vincent B. Hargreaves, which provides a rating from 1 thru 5 on each animal depending on the complexity of keeping it on a fish tank.

Robert M. Fenner's THE CONSCIENTIOUS MARINE AQUARIST is an outstanding library reference. Revised and updated in a second edition, it provides saltwater hobbyists with a wealth of detail on keeping a successful saltwater aquarium. Chapters cover, in detail, everything from water health and saltwater species biology to discussions of setup options, maintenance, and more. Color photos abound and the information is detailed, not cursory. A top pick any saltwater hobbyist - and collections catering to them - must have.

This is a very informative book for anyone who is starting up a new saltwater aquarium. The illustrations are great. It covers a lot of depth and provides practical tips to setting up and maintaining an aquarium.

This book provides a great overview of the hobby. This is really where most people should start off reading in the hobby to determine if they're going to create a reef in their living room. Perhaps some should start with Paletta's The New Marine Aquarium first as a quick 1 day read, but really those who plan on enjoying the hobby would be well served by skipping the superbasic and getting into this book. That's not to say this is the only book you'll ever need - but this is enough book for most people to be quite content with. (For those of you who are 'bitten' by the hobby, The Reef Aquarium series by Delbeek & Sprung is an excellent resource, but there are others.) Enjoy,

I have been keeping a marine tank for less than 1 year. I got tired of just using the internet for all my knowledge-base of marine aquariums; spending many hours digging through all the forums for whatever current problem/issue i had, reading so many conflicting opinions and answers from 'experts', and often ending up at least as confused as when i began.

So I bought this book, read it, and feel much better equipped for the hobby. I still refer heavily to internet sources for more granular knowledge, but at least I now have a solid, reliable source for a foundation on which to build.

This book gave me more confidence, and left me eager to learn and do more in this hobby. It is beautifully illustrated, well composed, and the author conveys his own passion of the hobby and eagerness to educate responsible marine hobbyists.

I never thought I'd read the Bible through, but thanks to this book, I can finally say, "I've read the Bible"! The 365 daily format created a habit and got me reading on a consistent basis. Also, having it written in chronological order put so many things in context and made me understand the OT characters and the political climate so much better/deeper. I have to admit some parts were dry and it was a chore reading through all the genealogies... but worth it when you started to see/understand the connections the further you read into the Bible. the commentaries helped explain what you were about to read, and in some cases actually made me understand what I was reading. Also, footnotes explained or translated certain words/phrases. I now know that our word "hallelujah" is actually hallelu Yah... meaning Praise, the Lord!

I highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to read the Bible through, or seeking the discipline of reading the Bible on a daily basis.

The Daily Bible® Compact Edition
I received this book in excellent condition and in a timely fashion.

A mi me encanto esta Biblia. A mi me gusta mucho la historia, y le encuentro mas sentido a las cosas cuando estan en orden. Esta Biblia te presenta todo tal como sucedio en su orden historico, en el cual puedes ver lo que dijeron los profetas en el tiempo que lo dijeron, tambien veras a las epistolas de Pablo ahi en los Hechos. Es una buena inversion - y tambien te ofrece un plan de leer la Biblia en un año.

La biblia Cronologica es una biblia muy clara y presisa. Es una buena inversion para aquellos que quieren entender y vivir cada pagina de la palabra de Dios. Uno siente como si estuviera dentro de cada hecho que ocurre. De verdad se las recomiendo. Al igual La biblia de Joyce Meyer.

The New International Version is the most readable English translation ever produced. And if that doesn't make it a "Good Book," then I don't know what does!

Granted, I still prefer to read God's Word in the original tongues, not in a modern translation. (I've got nothing against the watered-down English versions sold today in Bible bookstores, but the ancient biblical scrolls are just a whole lot funnier.)

Most people these days cannot do that: they cannot read Scripture as it was first intended by the Author. Not to worry: Bible translators have saved you a headache and you can thank God for them. Many of the holy Ghost's original sentences are so ungrammatical and awkwardly constructed, and others so unintelligible, that the translators for Zondervan Corp and these other big Bible companies have graciously re-written the text so as to enhance Scripture's appeal to the 21st-century reader. And in the N.I.V. more than in any other, those scholars have done a truly wonderful job of tidying up.

If you prefer an English Bible that is halfway faithful to the original, then read the Authorised Version, better known in America as "the King James Version." The KJV/Authorised Version also has the most authentic prose style, with thee and thou and hath and dost and verily, which is how God actually talks, albeit in Hebrew. ([...]

But if it's a highly readable New Age paraphrase of the Bible you want, and if you cannot decide between the eighteen leading options in your local bookstore or on BibleGateway.com, then allow me to recommend Zondervan's "New International Version" (NIV). Here, at last, is an English-language Bible in which all obscenities and difficult words have been euphemised; God's curses, tempered, and His personality, softened; all theological conundrums, solved; all contradictions, removed; and all the howlers, corrected - which is also why the NIV is ideal for the younger generation, grades five and below.

Here's another thing you will love about Zondervan's New International Version: it is reader-friendly. The NIV makes the Lord sound like an affable American football coach, but with His bad words deleted, such as "piss" (Hebrew shathan) which is a word that God, in the Authorised Version, uses quite a bit (but only when He is angry, e.g., 1 Sam. 25:22, 1 Sam. 25:34, 1 Kings 14:10, 16:11, 21:21, 2 Kings 9:8).

And how's this for a major improvement? Almost every place that the word "Hell" appears in the Authorised Version, the NIV substitutes "the grave" or "the realm of the dead." (Where would you rather spend eternity - in "Hell," or in "the realm of the dead"?)

Then, too, in the NIV, every instance of the word, "Ghost" has been eliminated, and not just the holy one. ("Why should we scare people?" That's Zondervan's policy. "We're marketing Christ the King, not Stephen King! And if you can't tell the difference between those two, well then! - Don't blame us, but you can expect a warm welcome, someday, when you die and your aura gets sent forever to the realm of the dead!")

--L

If you like hard edged space opera, you'll this! It's Star Wars for adults, with more original ideas and better writing.

I have read the whole series and the first thing that strikes you is the question why is the series so long?(3000+ pages)

Simple, the writer has created a rich universe filled with various characters, society's, technologies, religions and linked them around a central theme of the battle between good and evil. He has taken his time to write the detail that is required to allow readers to contextulaise the activities in the book in relation to one another and the main plot. This is where a writer becomes a master storyteller, the attention to detail and the subtle nuances which go to make up the whole series.

The writing is graphic in relation to the sex and violence, part of the purpose in this is undoubtably to convey the true horror, and alieness of the threat to humanity.

The books are not really intended for kids, who says you can't write science fiction for adults only?

In conclusion I would recommend the whole series for the serious adult science fiction reader who is sick of skimming through a pulp science fiction novel in a night and wants to get into a more meaty read.

This is a work that now sits on my shelf at home and will be read again.

Highly recommended.

This is one of those books that keeps you up late at night, trying to figure out how little sleep you need to make it through the next day. This continues the story-arc begun in The Neutronium Alchemist Part 1, while opening new doors to the rest of the story. The series as a whole is well-worth reading, and The Neutronium Alchemist combines some of the most exciting intrigue and dazzling star-ship acrobatics I have ever read.

In book 4 (or 2b, depending on how you want to count it) of this intricate series, things are really starting to heat up and come together. Al Capone has decided to build an empire and is busily conquering other planets and systems. Keira is working to bring in more victims in order to improve the chances that long-term population in Valisk won't get boring once it is removed from the universe (including possessing void hawks), while Rubra continues to do his best to thwart her. Joshua continues to bumble around, get into the way of various things and end up saving the galaxy from certain doom. Alkad Mzu travels to get the Alchemist and almost ends up in Capone's hands. And much, MUCH more occurs in this very intricately plotted and busy novel.

This is a universe in which you can really lose yourself as a reader - Hamilton has created a huge story here and telling it - as well as reading it - is not necessarily a task for the faint of heart. Nonetheless, those fond of sweeping epics, space operas and the like would definitely enjoy this series (start from the beginning, please!).

There are six books in Peter F. Hamilton's "Night's Dawn" series:

- "The Reality Dysfunction - Part 1: Emergence,"
- "The Reality Dysfunction - Part 2: Expansion,"
- "The Neutronium Alchemist - Part 1: Consolidation,"
- "The Neutronium Alchemist - Part 2: Conflict,"
- "The Naked God - Part 1: Flight," and
- "The Naked God - Part 2: Faith."

Be warned: you CANNOT read these books individually. They are, essentially, chapters in one whopping great book. If you like the first book, then you'll have to read the other five books in order. There's no tie-up of any sort between any of the books. The publisher just broke the story up because it totals over 3,000 pages. If you pick up a book before you've read all the previous books (in order), put it down. It won't mean anything to you. Since these books are entirely dependent on each other, I'm writing this review on the series as a whole, not on the individual books.

This is one of the greatest science fiction sagas written. It ranks up there with David Brin's "Uplift Saga." It is literally a story of good vs evil and shows some of the potential (and pitfalls) of the human race. Over the years, I've read the whole series five times, and I still love it. I really only have two gripes with the book. First, and this is unavoidable in what Hamilton is doing, the evil in the series is definitely, graphically evil. This is not a book where the villain twists his mustache and laughs "nyah hah hah" as he forecloses on the orphanage or ties the heroine to the railroad tracks. The writing is fairly graphic in a lot of places. After five readings, this gets a bit wearing. My second gripe is one which somewhat limits the audience of the series (even more so than the evilness presented, and it's why I've given the series four stars instead of five): there's too much sex and the writing about it is too graphic. This is a problem with all of Hamilton's books, but it seems more prevalent in this series. Because of this, I wouldn't recommend the book for your children to read. But, as long as you're aware of that, I highly recommend the series and give it 4 stars out of five.

it's been over a decade since I read this and can't justify giving it 5 when it's been so long. That said, I enjoyed this quite a bit as I recall. What makes this a good read is that it is about an ordinary guy finding himself in an unbelievable scenario and how he faces the challenges. Many authors would be tempted to turn Joe Schmo instantly into James Bond or any other fantasy hero with all the smarts and moves. Fortunately, Saint avoids this and presents us with a story that we can almost believe is fact, not fiction. This is actually more a review of the film than the book. If you've seen the abomination of a film citing this novel as the source material and thought it was good, you should probably pass on giving this a read. Much like Bonfire of the Vanities, this was horribly miscast and butchered. How this ever fell into the hands of John Carpenter and Chevy Chase, I'll never understand. Someone else mentioned that Harrison Ford would have been better cast as the central character and I think that's pretty much dead on but the screenplay would have to have been trashed and put in the hands of someone who wanted to create something that actually represented the original and also in the hands of a more capable director. John Carpenter may be good at what he does but he was way out of his depth with this and was probably incapable of controlling Chase. Bottom line, the books very good if not great and the movie is a huge disappointment that really sucks.

Saint's narrative of how an invisible man survives in an urban setting is very credible because of the amount of details provided. Nick is forced to become a true survivalist because government agents are after him with the intent of making him a laboratory curiosity.
One reviewer commented that Nick appeared rather wimpy in his response to Colonel Jenkins' persecution (that is the best word for it) and this is the only aspect of the book that put me off slightly. If I'd been in Nick's place, Jenkins' life would have been much, much harder.

It takes you on a journey in your mind. You feel like you are the character. Fighting for survival. It's an amazing book. Fascinating. Awsome, What else can i say?

Edgy, nail-biting, darkly humorous, sexy, paranoid, and brilliant speculation about what life might be like for a man who is accidentally turned invisible.

This is light-years better than any of the many other recent attempts to build stories on this theme, from books and TV to films, and sadly including the distinctly average Chevy Chase comedy which was actually inspired by this book.

The narrator and central character is Nick Halliwell, a 34-year old, single, securities analyst working for a New York firm, who is completely ordinary except perhaps for an overactive sex drive. As part of his campaign to seduce a beautiful New York Times journalist called Anne Epstein, Nick invites her to a demonstration by a company called MicroMagnetics of their new type of magnetic fields.

Unfortunately Anne has cartoonishly stereotypical left-wing/liberal views. She decides that the magnetic fields must be intended for nuclear fusion containment, and tips off a buch of lunatics called "Students for a Fair society" about the event. These idiots decide to stage the other sort of demonstration, which includes cutting off power to the building.

As Nick puts it later, he should have paid more attention to what the students were about to do and what effect this might have on the process which the head of the company describes.

"I knew that someone was about to shut off power to the building ... And this man was telling me that he had some loopy subatomic process roaring away, which sustained itself but whose control system used outside power. It is important to listen to exactly what people are saying ..."

Shortly afterwards Nick is in the toilet when the building is evacuated as someone realises what the students are about to do: perversely ignoring a security guard who asks if anyone is there, he remains in the building and consequently is still inside when the control system has its power cut off, and the equipment blows up, turning everything else inside the building invisible.

Nick is knocked out by the effect. He comes to his senses a few hours later, and realises that he has been turned invisible, by which time government investigators are looking at the building. He calls out to the nearest investigator, expecting them to offer help, and is astonished when the man speaks into his radio and even as he promises medical help, Nick can see that an ambulance and some paramedics are being told to leave. Then the investigators come towards the building with a net. Nick realises that they see him more as an invaluable asset than as another human being, and falling into their hands might be a very bad idea ...

The main plot of the story is about the determined efforts which the investigators, led by the horrible Colonel Jenkins, make to capture Nick, and Nick's equally determined attempts to stay out of their custody. The sub-plot is that invisibility does not affect Nick's considerable libido, and he misses female companionship more than anything else about his situation. And as if it were not difficult enough for an invisible man to find love, any attempt Nick makes to do so is almost certain to offer new opportunities for Colonel Jenkins to catch him.

The dramatic tension in the book is sometimes unbearably strong, and there are some very exciting action sequences: there are also some moments of extreme pathos and some hysterically funny or embarrassing scenes.

Contains a lot of speculation, much of it highly plausible, about how other human beings might react to an invisible person. He is still solid, still needs food, water, sleep & shelter, and has to open doors to pass through them, so he cannot avoid leaving evidence that a person is around. Some people confronted with evidence of Nick's presence assume he's a ghost, or that a burglar has been and gone, but other people who become aware of him react in much more dangerous ways.

"Memoirs of an invisible man" is one of the best novels I have ever read. As I prepare to post this I see that the number of Amazon.com reader reviews is now up to 64 and 62 including mine are five-stars, which must be almost unprecedented. But the book really is that good.

I first read this book almost 20 years ago, and remember at the time recommending it to everyone I knew who loved books. They recently had a re-run of the dreadful film ( movie) of this great book, which prompted me to get my 15 year old daughter to read it - she loved it!

ps anyone ever find out who actually was H.F Saint?