English Books

"Hal: Bury her naked? My own mum? Its a Fruedian nightmare!"...or something like that. Too bad his own death was an act of violence too

This collection of (the late) Joe Orton's plays is amazing. Not for those who are easily offended or whose feelings are hurt. Orton, who was described as a "poor Oscar Wilde," lived up to the name. His plays are fast paced assults on everything that the British hold dear. There is no respect for religion, custom, death or social norms.

Satirical and full of quick wit, Orton's plays attack British culture and spit on everything that the "respectable person," would hold dear.

Orton does not hold back anything and could come on a bit strong for a conservative reader, but my suggestion is that any lover of drama and theater should own and read these plays.

Beaten to death by his male lover in 1967, Joe Orton has been rediscovered as an intriguing look into the mind and soul of a man who lived ahead of his times. His plays are fascinating and have so many layers that you can enjoy them repeatedly. He also wrote a screenplay for the Beatles, which was never filmed (according to the dustjacket). Now wouldn't that be interesting!

Although he is considered among England's greatest playwrights, today Joe Orton (1933-1967) is better known for the way in which he died--his head beaten in with a hammer by his long-time lover Kenneth Halliwell--than for his works. It is a bitter and ridiculous irony that might have been lifted from one of his own plays. It is also a great pity, for Orton was a comic genius whose plays equal the best of English with from Congreve to Wilde to Coward. And if you like your comedy with an ample edge of mean-spiritedness, brutality, cruelty, and flat-out viciousness, Orton is the man for you.

THE COMPLETE PLAYS is not as complete as the title implies, for the text leaves out several titles that never received any production during Orton's lifetime. Still, it does collect the major titles, and that in itself is enough to earn it a place on any serious play-reader's shelf.

Originally presented as a BBC radio program, THE RUFFIAN ON THE STAIR presents the story of Joyce, an unmarried woman of dubious background who is now under the control of Mike, an older man who has mysterious assignations that lead to a fateful encounter with a boy hairdresser named Wilson--whose lover (or brother, depending on how you think about it) may have been a victim of one of Mike's covert operations. It got Orton noticed, and his next effort would truly put him on the map: ENTERTAINING MR. SLOANE was and is one of the salaciously funny comedies ever brought to the stage, the wickedly funny tale of an aging sex-crazed woman and her homosexual brother who use their father's murder as a means of blackmailing a young thug into their respective beds.

THE GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT, THE ERPINGHAM CAMP, and FUNERAL GAMES have much to offer but are actually minor titles in comparison with the two plays that critics consider great masterpieces: LOOT, a bitterly savage farce concerning a robbery, a death in the family, and the uses to which you can put Mother's coffin (not to mention false teeth) in a pinch; and WHAT THE BUTLER SAW, set in a psychiatrist's office in which everyone has truly gone round the bend.

Orton was a master of language that forces you to laugh even as it cuts you like a straight-edged razor across the throat; you can't help but laugh even as you collapse bleeding to the floor. Even so, it is worth pointing out that plays are really written to be performed rather than read, and this particularly true of Orton; unless you have a very strong background in theatre you may do better to wait for your local rep company to take up the challenge.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

Tragic, brutal things happen to the characters in these plays. But none of these people is particularly likeable, so you can't really care. It's all just as well for them, in some ways, and it's all in good fun. The characters manipulate each other, lie to each other, steal from each other, screw each other, kill each other, and deny that they do it. Everyone here has the ethics of a doorknob, and it's all pretty enjoyable.

The last one, "What The Butler Saw", got a little bit too ridiculously farcical for my taste and went on too long, but it has its moments; and otherwise they're all pretty good to read.

I can also recommend the introduction. Joe Orton lived his own life very much like the people in his plays (which makes you wonder how much of his material was supposed to be comedy). Even his death was true to form: his envious lover, actor Kenneth Halliwell, bashed in Orton's brains with a hammer just prior to doing himself in with 22 sleeping tablets.

As the director of a not-for-profit art center, I've spent years struggling to raise enough funds to improve our center, build our programs and pay our staff.  I read Cracking the Corporate Code because I know Judy Turnock, but I had no idea it was going to help me in my work.  It made me start thinking strategically about the struggle of every art center, and now I've put together a consortium of over 40 art centers.  I would never have thought this way if I had not read CTCC.  It makes you think about how to accomplish more.  I think CTCC has a message for everybody.

Reading Cracking the Corporate Code (CTCC) is like having conversations with the best mentors in the world.. When I first read it, I was in the middle of my fourth year as an associate at a major law firm in Silicon Valley. I was one of very few blacks, and I was struggling through work assignments and feeling so alienated. It was CTCC that gave me the confidence to look honestly at my law firm environment. I think every African-American lawyer should read this book!

As an American lawyer in London, I often feel isolated in an alien culture, even though everyone is speaking English. CTCC was given to me by a colleague who knows Judy Turnock. I was surprised to find how much I identified with the experiences of the corporate executives interviewed there. What they shared has given me even more respect for what so many people have sacrificed to make the promise of America a reality. It also made me proud of my small part in the cultural change underway in every workplace. I find myself turning to CTCC again and again. Wherever you work, read this book.

A Black business book classic that I recommend reading is Cracking the Corporate Code : The Revealing Success Stories of 32 African American Executives by Price M. Cobbs and Judith L. Turnock. This book delivers truth in a disarmingly no-holds
barred fashion.

The truth about advancement in the corporate world is that the unwritten, unspoken rules and values are often more important then those that are written and spoken. The challenge for African Americans is that the rules were created for and by white men.

This book receives my recommendation for both what the book does and for what it doesn't do.

The first half of the book is tough to swallow as an African American because you hear the stories of young, idealist Black men and women entering the corporate world on the heels of years of Civil Rights unrest and newly minted gains. They are pioneers in business and the business world proves to be as dangerous as the American frontier was to the pioneers that left home to settle here.

These new entrants into corporate America face abuse, back stabbing, hurt, rejection and subtle as well as outright racism. Through it all, they manage to keep a proper perspective, excel in their respective careers and prove to many in the business world that Blacks have a place at the corporate table, that we can turn a profit in the white man's world of business.

Now, these executives are stalwarts of business giving sage advice to all who will listen. The stories they tell and the advice they dispense is as invaluable as having 32 mentors unified in guiding you successfully through your career. They openly share their experiences and feelings about them at the time. Have you ever had doubts about your ability, felt persecuted and put down because of your race or have you felt the sting of subtle racism and not known what to do? They have and
they share that with you. This gives the book a sense of sincerity in its efforts to benefit the reader.

The authors teach the skills to overcome the blows to one's ego that happen to everyone but are often complicated by the color of our skin. Have you ever wondered if someone's intention to help was sincere(an honest gesture to assist) or slightly racist(you need help due to your skin color). The authors tell you the skills they developed to perceive these subtle differences.

What Cracking the Corporate Code does not do is try to provide a step by step formula to success. The book decribes the loneliness of success experienced by these Black executives, the ambiguous nature of corporate power and the reality of "unwritten rules" in every business.

The authors recognize that a cookie cutter approach will fail the reader. The real keys to success are embedded in the stories of the executives as we read about their rise to power.

As I expound on to a great extent at www.blackwealthnow.com, core sets of skills are what separate the winners from the losers in business and finance. This book recognizes that African Americans require all the skills whites need to succeed as well an additional set of skills to thrive as Black men and women in a hostile (though there has been improvement) business world.

A few of the skills learned in Cracking the Corporate Code include reading unwritten rules, playing the corporate game, building a base of supporters, cultivating a network and wielding corporate power.

32 African American executives each with decades of experience giving advice and sharing wisdom on these critical issues and more makes Cracking the Corporate Code an indispensable success guide on the bookshelves of all African Americans at any level and in any business.

I'll end here with a quote from one of the African American
executives from the book.

"None of us has gotten here on our own. We may have busted our butts, worked extremely hard, made lots of personal sacrifices, and brought some talent and ability to the table. I believe all that is true, but we didn't do it alone. We've all had people who have been there either directly or indirectly and made a difference."
Bruce Gordon, Group President, Verizon
From the book Cracking the Corporate Code
by Price M. Cobbs & Judith L. Turnock

Over 250 Black men and women have risen to senior positions in major corporations. Along their climb, these leaders have learned, grown, achieved, and influenced as highly effective executives. They have overcome the challenges of being Black, complicating the normally difficult path of moving up the corporate hierarchy. That's the primary story of this book. At least, that's the premise of a book subtitled "The Revealing Success Stories of 32 African-American Executives."

All that aside, I gained a lot from this book. I'm not Black. I'm not a high level executive of a major corporation. I'm a Certified Management Consultant. I help executives do a better job as leaders. To give developing executives the answers they need to succeed, I'd recommend careful reading of this book. Page after page delivers valuable lessons in a captivating way.

The design of this book is quite effective. Chapters headed Ambiguity, Managing Your Demons, Fitting In, Reading Unwritten Rules, Making Your Mark, Managing Relationships, and several aspects of power weave meaningful lessons together into a amazing package of advice. Cobbs and Turnock teach through their own words, illuminated beautifully by mentoring lessons from the 32 selected executives. The role models are liberally quoted, giving them a powerful platform to share their experiences and advice with readers. Their testimonials give so much to those who follow them.

The primary target of this book might be considered rising executives from diverse backgrounds. The demographic description goes far beyond Black men and women. Everyone can gain from this growth tool. I particularly commend it to young people in college and even in high school. You will learn, be inspired, and be freed to achieve far beyond where you ever thought you might go.

My copy of this book will be donated to the library at Hiram College, the Ohio liberal arts college that gave me the boost to achieve what I have in life. I trust it will inspire others to reach for their highest potential.

I've had this book for about three years, and given it as a gift numerous times to my women friends, because it's the perfect companion in any mood and for any occasion. Marilyn Sewell has collected a broad spectrum of poetry from women, both famous poets and not-so-famous, and collected the entries into categories that make it simple to find a reading for just about any occasion or ceremony. There are wise words here, beautifully presented. Bring this book back into print! Buy it! Have it on hand as an instant resource, along with the collections by Elizabeth Roberts and Elias Amidon ("Earth Prayers," "Life Prayers," "Prayers for a Thousand Years") for all those occasions when you need the exact right perfect reading for an important moment.

This volume is shaped around intuitive explorations of women's spiritual journey: "Owning Self," "The Imperative of Intimacy, "Mothering," "Generations," "Sacredness in the Ordinary," "Images of the Divine." Though my 18-year-old daughter and I have come to perceive ourselves as women very differently, this is a volume we both have come to love. I wouldn't think of sending her off to college without her own copy!

Marilyn Sewell's work on "Cries of the Spirit" was more than worth the price and I have wanted to thank her over and over. A death in the family and I grab her book to find the right words, a marriage and there she is again, providing a womans point of view from a variety of woman that I have found extremely useful. No matter the occassion, a new baby in the family for instance, and flip of the pages and Marilyn found one more woman who said what I want to say beautifully. Not to mention the times I sit alone, staring at the bay and use the poetry for inspiration for myself. "Cries of the Spirit" (and laughter I might add) is a worth while find!

A truly rich and diverse sourcebook of poetry and prose which defines women through our writings. The book is an anthology of more than 300 poems and several of prose pieces by such authors as: Annie Dillard, Denise Levertov, Maya Angelou, Alice Walker, Marge Piercy and earlier writers such as Hildegard von Bingen and Margaret Fuller. My favorite writings are from the hearts and minds of writers such as Joyce Carol Oates, "Growing Together," Margaret Atwood, "Five Poems For Grandmothers," Gwendolyn Brooks, "The Mother," and Annie Dillard "Holy the Firm". These writings offer visions of women from the ordinary to the eclectic. Marilyn Sewell, a Unitarian Universalist minister & doctoral candidate, offers an inciteful introduction to this book. I often dip into this book when seeking just the right poem to review or to remind myself how diverse the women's writing movement is. I give this book a huge FIVE stars. And I hope others will be able to enjoy this book as much as I have.

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This is the only anthology of poetry that I have ever read cover to cover without putting it down. This book is comfort, a talk with your best girlfriends, encouragement, enlightenment and thought-provocation all between two covers. I would recommend it for any woman's private library and the libraries of her friends who love good words, moving images and beauty.

The lexicon provides excellent coverage of all English words used in the King James Version of the Bible. In addition passages where words are included in the critical Greek texts are also listed (an added bonus).

The concodances of both English and Greek are most helpful and adequate to the average student. It is like getting three books in one: a lexicon, English concordance and a Greek Concordance.

Another bonus feature are the appendices of various readings of the major Greek Critical texts. Most helpful are the variants given to the Codex Sinaiticus.

This is an excellent biblical study aid, that along with other research tools gives greater insight into many Greek words in the New Testament, thereby giving a greater understanding of the rightly divided word of God.

This book is a good starting point studying the New Testament translation. Makes reasearch easier when words used in the KJV are translated into Greek with the original meaning of the words used.

This Greek Lexicon is a great resource for the bible student or seeker of the real definitions of Greek words. This not only helps with defining a word but gives you a better idea of the context of an entire passage. For example the word "teach" used in 1 Tim. 2:12 is one of instruction or direction (leading a flock) but the teach" in 2 Tim. 2:24- meaning to instruct ( as in the context of skilled in teaching or the havin the ability to teach. This book gives you the scripture passages that the word occurs in and it is very helpful. The only draw back is the numbering is in ROman numerals, but its good practice.

I own this concordance as well as strong's and young's. This one is by far the most informative, easy to use, and gets the most use in my house-hold. I have not found a Lexicon/concordance that is more insightful than this one (which doesn't mean one doesn't exist). The definitions in this concordance are clear, open up your understanding to God's word, and I actually find it easier to use than Strong's and Young's (it is designed to go alphabetical by the english word, and then you find the greek words that are used in translation with the verses under the english word). This book is truly more informative than anything else I've seen. For me this is a MUST OWN!!! You won't be disappointed by this book.

...The gist of it was this: Crow is one of the best books of poetry published in the last 50 years...

As an English major in 1973, one of my professors recommended this book of poetry. None of our textbooks contained any of Ted Hughes' work but I jotted his name and this title in the margin of one of my books. After graduating, I spent very little time reading or thinking about poetry. But I recently revived my interest in poetry, specifically after reading several biographies of Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes. I pulled out my old poetry textbooks, found this note and immediately ordered Crow to read it for myself.
What an experience. The work is fantastic - the images, the rhythm, the concept. Amazing, entertaining, and relevant.
I highly recommend this book.

A brilliant work! Honest, straightforward, raw and hardcore poems
that will knock your socks off. This is the only work I recommend reading by Hughes.

I first read this in the late 70's. The harshness, the brutality of it all was a punch in the stomach. An overturning of how i imagined poetry to be. Poetry because of this could belong to me too. It was a similar sensation to the crashing, nihilistic verve of early punk records. It will always remind me that poetry can be as powerful as a 3 minute, 3 chord record, and just as accessible. It did not have any of the cultural baggage of TS Eliot's Wasteland,for example, Which to a provincial boy stuck in a Comprehensive School, belonged to a diferent, musty world .

"Crow: From the Life and Songs of the Crow" is a collection of poems by Ted Hughes. The copyright page notes that the book was first published in 1972. This is a remarkable book that often reads like some apocryphal sacred text. The book is dominated by its title character, who is the focus of a significant number of the poems. Crow is a multifaceted character with mythic heft: he is a warrior, theologian, trickster, and partner with God in creation. He is both heroic and ridiculous, foolish and wise. He's a compelling and delightful character who ultimately transcends all cultures and historical eras.

The collection as a whole is whimsical, witty, apocalyptic, bold, revelatory, irreverent, visceral, horrific, and playful. At times, Hughes' poetic marriage of the earthy and the mystical reminded me of Walt Whitman. The book also calls to mind traditional Native American animal stories.

Many of the poems in "Crow" touch on the magic and power of words. The natural world is another key recurring motif. Hughes delivers some striking images and some interesting arrangements of words on the page--many poems really engage the eye. Many poems read like religious litanies. Overall, an impressive and enjoyable poetic achievement.

Lily Dauphin's "Crying Mountain" is unlike any book I've read. You become so close to her child--in the hurricane, in her mountain cabin, her thoughts--like a twin sister. She is so lovable, you want to take her in your arms and hold her. She is one with all nature--the mountain, animals, trees, even the hurricane. Do yourself a favor and read this story of a very exceptional child.

I HAVE PURCHASED MORE THAN ONE COPY AND EVERYONE WHO HAS READ THIS BOOK REALLY ENJOYS IT AND WANTS TO PASS IT ON. THIS BOOK HELPS PUT THINGS INTO PERSPECTIVE - JUST WHEN WE ARE THINKING WE HAVE IT BAD - SURVIVAL - AMAZING BOOK - I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO ANYONE LOOKING TO SEE HOW OTHERS ACTUALLY SURVIVE THE UGLIEST OF CIRCUMSTANCES AND STILL LIVE TO SHARE THEIR LIVES. THE WRITING IS EASY READING AND ATTENTION GRABBING AND VERY COLORFUL. A PLEASURE TO READ.

Miss Dauphin shows exceptional forethought and imagination in compiling "Crying Mountain"...a worthy addition to anyones bookshelf...I highly recommend it. Also, the CD is on order and I can't wait to hear the full versions of Miss Dauphins' voice...I especially liked "America".

This story shows that happiness can be found in the most simple settings and that hardship and suffering need only be temporary as life is always about doing the best possible in any given moment and always looking forward. This story is inspiring and full of life's wisdoms that should be taken to heart.

Great book, I took it on a trip and just couldn't put it down.

One of the most famous - and infamous - letters in all of literature, De Profundis is a strange little piece of work: either much more than it appears on the surface, or much less. It is something I think everyone should read, if only for its insight into the human character, particularly that of one under great personal suffering. Wilde wrote this extraordinarily long letter from prison to Lord Alfred Douglas, his friend, lover, and the man who - by all accounts - was the reason Wilde was in jail in the first place. Despite repeated assertions in the first few pages alone to the contrary, Wilde seems reluctant to blame himself. He clearly blames Douglas to the hilt, and harbors a certain bitter resentment towards him. And yet... he clearly still hold much dear affection toward - and even loves - Douglas. He still seems to be asking for forgiveness - despite the fact that, by all accounts hardly excluding his own, he was the man wronged. It is quite clear from reading this letter that, desite the view history holds of him, Wilde was clearly a man of very high moral character. Certainly, one would not put Wilde atop a pedastal as the zenith of ethics - he himself says that morals contain "absolutely nothing" for him, and clearly admits - and is proud of - his having lived the high life to the hilt during his youth - but Wilde was a man of principles, and he stuck to those principles to the tragic, bitter end. Perhaps you might say he carried them too far. One gets the sense in reading this letter - or a biography of Wilde - that, not only could he have stopped his immiment imprisonment, but could have severed his ties with Douglas completely - had he wanted to. Apparently, he had his own utterly compelling reasons for not doing so. Whatever the case, Oscar Wilde is one of the most fundamentally and perpetually interesting characters in the whole of history. A self-described man of paradoxes - Wilde was subsequently the true essence of his time, while also being far ahead of his time - De Profundis makes for required reading by one of the most endlessly fascinating individuals you'll ever read about, and also provides a startling - indeed, perhaps too much so - insight into human nature.

De Profundis, though long for a letter, is not a long work in the conventional sense. Consequently, as many editions of Wilde's collected works are available, buying this on its own may be deemed questionable. I highly reccommend purchasing a Collected Works of Oscar if you have not done so already - it's well worth the price - but, should you desire to have more compact editions of specific works, an edition such as this will be privy to your needs.

This is a very moving account of a heartbroken man who was betrayed by a person he loved dearly. The pain, the trauma, the love, the anger, the frustration is evident in every single well-written sentence. This book is not only a window into the mind of one of the best British writers of the late 19th century. It is also a timeless lesson on what can happen when one falls in love with someone who doesn't truly appreciate what they have before them. Of course there are other lessons to be learned in this book but rather than point them out here, I'd much prefer you pick up a copy of "De Profundis" as soon as you can.

Not actually a "letter," though it had to be originally presented as such for him to be allowed to write it while in prison, *De Profundis* is Wilde's masterpiece--one has to have really lived and really, really suffered to have written it and it's amazing that he achieved it.

I only very recently read it--and "got" it. It rings true to me, and is very, very moving and "profound." It ain't summer beach reading.

Wilde is still and will probably always be best known as a "Personality"--that and the author of a couple of decent period plays, a short novel, a few stories, and lots of forgettable poems and such. But THIS--THIS is IT.

He really WAS a great writer, it turns out, after all.

So many people concentrate on De Profundis' accusations cast towards Alfred Douglas. Yes, it's true that the letter was written to him and that Wilde is ruthless in letting Douglas know exactly what he thinks of him but that's not why De Profundis is a great piece of work. It is great for three reasons. Number one - It contains the best account of the life of Christ. Christ as the romantic artist is the only account that has moved me to tears and the only account I can personally embrace. Number two - it is chock full of the Oscar Wilde voice and wit and as a result it reverbates as a true work of art and number three - It is ultimately a work that celebrates the things in life worth feeling - failure, love, injustice, strength and forgiveness.

Don't waste your time with the accusations towards Douglas. He is unimportant. Oscar Wilde is what's important and De Profundis is Oscar Wilde bare.

Ah, me...one doesn't know which to be more irritated
and exasperated with: whether it be Walt Whitman doing
his dissembling shuck-and-shuffle about the children
he had sired (to throw off a probing, serious John
Addington Symonds) -- or Oscar, in this "j'accuse," which
he should have spoken while looking in a mirror, rather
than writing it on paper to Lord Alfred.
This is without doubt a fascinating, horrifying,
and yet in places humorous, "piece de Miserere mei"
(to combine a bit of French with Latin).
If one chooses to believe Oscar, his only fault
was weakness in "giving in" to Lord Alfred. Oh,
come now. Blinded by Eros, reason flies out the
door...if ever reason was in control. There are
some sentences which are devastatingly revealing,
but Oscar doesn't seem to see it. "The trivial in
thought and action is charming. I had made it
the keystone of a very brilliant philosophy expressed
in plays and paradoxes." Ye gods, and little fishes!

And this man dared to call himself a "Classicist?!"
Yikes!!!
The best exercise for the reader is to just take
many of the things which Oscar accuses Lord Alfred
of, and turn them toward the self-blind, self-
justifying Oscar, to see their devastating hitting
of the mark. Never having met the young man, but
only having the "benefit" of hearsay (mostly from
Oscar's literary defenders) Lord Alfred seems to have
been calculating, temperamental (using anger to get
his way), manipulative, etc., etc., etc. The best
description of him may be Wilde's referring to him
with the lines from Aeschylus' play AGAMEMNON,
about the lion cub being raised in a house and
being let loose to wreak havoc and ruin.
But Oscar bears his share of blame -- more than just
that of the "sin" of weakness which he constantly falls
back upon in his own justification. Even in the midst
of what purports to be some sort of penitent cry from
the depths of hell...Oscar still is ever the poseur:
"And I remember that afternoon, as I was in the railway
carriage whirling up to Paris, thinking what an impossible,
terrible, utterly wrong state my life had got into, when
I, a man of world-wide reputation, was actually forced
to run away from England, in order to try and get rid
of a friendship that was entirely destructive of everything
fine in me either from the intellectual or ethical point
of view...." Er, when was the last time that the
"everything fine" had last seen the light of day?
Was Oscar an "Artist," as he consistently claims?
Was he the wronged, harmed Artist? Perhaps only the
reader can decide that for himself. Without doubt
he was witty, acerbic, funny, cute, clever, perhaps
even charming (to some -- sort of like a Pillsbury
Dough Boy with flair and a clever tongue), perhaps
stylish (in a frumpy, velveteen sort of way). Was
he wronged by a predatory clinger and manipulator,
and a hypocritical social prudery and class power
play (Oscar is no Socrates--that's for sure!)? He
hardly seems worthy, in some ways, of being a poster-boy
for Gay Pride parades. More likely, he is a better
warning poster boy for the self-excusing, and never
take-responsibility-for-your-own-actions crowd.
But this is an incredible piece to read and think
about. There is some of it that is mordantly hilarious.

Vast modernisation is already underway, aided by mans increasing desire for new technology. A biotechnology company is about to proceed with something of unspeakable horror. Cross-contaimination and the swift death of ALL forms of vegetation on an international scale lead to global starvation.

Love for nature and love alone hold no place in society now. These ruthless biotech companies exploit the general public and fade away when the smoke hits the fan.

The scorched skies are a grim reminder of the naplam dropped before them in a bid to save mankind from the death of grass.

Well, This book is one of a few books that you can't put down, it moves well, never stalls and should be put on to a reading list for schools.

Vast modernisation is already underway, aided by mans increasing desire for new technology. A biotechnology company is about to proceed with something of unspeakable horror.

Cross-contaimination and the swift death of ALL forms of vegetation on an international scale lead to global starvation.

Love for nature and love alone hold no place in society now. These ruthless biotech companies exploit the general public and fade away when the smoke hits the fan.

The scorched skies are a grim reminder of the naplam dropped before them in a bid to save mankind from the death of grass.

This isn't the latest book I've read but it is probably the best book I have read in a long time. It's a basic end of the world story. Some disease attacks plants of the grass family, eventually spreading across the whole world wiping out a pretty hefty portion of the world's food supply. So with no wheat and no rice things get a little tense, especially when all the livestock starve to death. And so it goes. All of it. And, like all such stories, there is a band of survivors seeking salvation; in this case a brother's natural fortress of a valley farm.

The action isn't particularly quick but I was on the edge of my seat pretty much the whole way through the book. It's not that it is suspenseful (I had figured the general shape of the story early on), it's how so normally some people approach this incredible disaster. Don't get me wrong, Christopher isn't a stilted writer and there are plenty of characters who act just like you would expect people to act in a whole-world-goes-belly-up situation. This story is about what happens when a bunch of people start thinking for themselves calmly and rationally about the titanic heap of crap they are in rather than wait for a festering mob of self-interested politicians to tell them what to do and that everything will be just fine. Then, these people start to act. They start tossing away social 'norms' like smelly old shoes as the situation worsens and brutality means survival. The protagonists don't actually become brutes themselves. They just figure out which brutal actions mean the difference between their next meal and going hungry. That's what kept me on the edge of my seat. The incredible tension that built up within and between characters as they consciously crawled down off the lofty moral peak of Western Civilisation into something less than barbarism, more or less intellectually intact. Christopher's writing delivers this tension right into your core.

Unlike my reviews, Christopher's descriptions aren't peppered with colourful simile and metaphor. They are crystal clear so that you really get the sense of the atmosphere. However, probably because he was writing in 1956, some events are kind of softened with contemporary euphemisms which kind of jolts the reader a little for their incongruity. But, it doesn't detract so much from the book as a whole and it's probably a better book for not having absolutely every detail of those events described with the same clarity as a grassless landscape. I enjoyed this book and will probably read it again.

This is one of the few books that having read at school I have returned to read numerous times. It is a fiction about a world surving, or not, against a virus which attacks all grasses. The determination by the party of people we follow while reading the book is ruthless, yet understandable.The book really draws you in and is difficult to put down. There have been times when I have been able to liken this novel to real life, for example when the United Kingdom faced Foot and Mouth recently, and when we had the Petrol Crisis. At times like this I think back to the book and wonder, could it turn out like that? Anyone who has read the book will agree, lets hope not.

I had booght and read all of Wilbur Smith's book and I should say this is just one of those pieces who really ROCKS!

Having read all of Smith's books I would have to rank The Delta Decision among the top 5. The action is non-stop, the characters utterly believable, and the pace thrilling. This is definitely one book you really won't be able to put down. Make sure your calendar is cleared for a couple of days before you even turn to page 1.

I read this book ten years ago and still can't forget the character magda altman! that is the kind of effect this book had on me. Its one of the best thrillers I have ever read and was the first one for me by Wilbur Smith.

Its the ultimate page turner and I read it again few days back, same copy I've had for a decade :)

Don't miss out on this one. Its unfortunate though that the other novels by Wilbur I read weren't as thrilling, maybe coz they are more about adventure whcih is not my piece of cake.

Read the book when it first came out. It was one of those thrillers that grabs you on page one and never lets go. I've recommended it to friends for over 10 years but recently have not been able to find it in book stores. It turned me into a big Wilber Smith fan but this was his best. The intrigue and excitment of his plot has stayed with me for over 15 years and it's one of the few books I could read again.

This book is proof that Wilbur Smith is a gifted writer. Like several of his other books, he came up with a whole new set of characters and wrote about issues and geopolitics outside of his native Africa. I just read this book in the year 2000. This book was written a long time ago but still feels like it could happen today. As much as things change, they stay the same. I hope Wilbur gives us another gem soon. I couldn't put this one down.

I first read this one about fifteen years ago and I was very impressed. There's always the risk when you revisit childhood favourites - you might find them utterly daft. Not this one! While the book is somewhat naive - it's a book for kids, after all - it was still quite charming.

After an apocalypse of sorts, group of people locked themselves in Arc One, trying to maintain knowledge through the dark ages. The society has become a rigid class society: lords on top, workers in the middle, slaves on the bottom with soldiers controlling them.

Main character Tomi is a son of a lord, part of the ruling elite. When he comes of age, he's given proper access to the information databases. Unfortunately there's a slave rebellion, which ends up with Tomi being tossed out of the Arc. What a strange world he finds outside!

It's a lovely, positive story. I'd recommend this to kids that are into science fiction without a doubt - and also to adults, looking for a quick and pleasant read. (Review based on the Finnish translation.)

I've re-read several times and I love reading evey word or punciation mark of it. The twists in the plot makes the classic sci-fi story oine an unbelievable read. It the kind of book that lingers in your head and mentailly forces me to write a sequal to "The Dream Catcher" and "Devil on my Back" with my mind; using he brillantly made characters in different situations with different characters. it's immense! I wish Monica Hughes could could develop a series of these Ark stories!

Gratefully Written by,

Caroline D.

Devil on my back- Simply outstanding!, June 22, 2005
A Kid's Review
I've re-read several times and I love reading every word or punciation mark of it. The twists in the plot make the classic sci-fi story line an unbelievable read. It the kind of book that lingers in your head and mentally forces me to write a sequel to "The Dream Catcher" and "Devil on my Back" with my mind; using her brilliantly made characters in different situations with different characters. It's immense! I wish Monica Hughes could develop a series of these Ark stories!

Gratefully Written by,

Caroline D.

this book was a really well written book. i am just starting to read her books and they are really interesting. i read the isis series and i recomend that to anyone who likes science fiction. i can't wait to read the seqiul to this book!

I haven't read this book before but i'm looking forward to reading it. The summary on the back is very incisive and informative. I'm in my first year of high school and i had to choose a book to write an essay on. I chose this book for it's good title and summary! I really hope i enjoy reading this book!