News Books

I enjoyed the book so much that I wanted to be able to listen to it in the car on long drives. It is a lot of fun, though sometimes the narrator is a bit "over the top" with his accents and emoting. He takes a little getting used to.

I love the Harry Potter series, but I was unsure of the audiobooks. Jim Dale really brings J.K. Rowling's books to life. He doesn't read--he performs. I would recommend them to anyone!

The first time I picked up this book, the first in the Harry Potter series, it was with great hesitation. Firstly, it had been a few years since I had done much reading for pleasure, so I was out of practice. Secondly, and more importantly, I had heard a great deal of hype about the series in the media, which automatically made me feel that the books were probably overrated--and I didn't want to be disappointed. In the end, around the same time the film version of this book was released, two of my close friends convinced me to give the series a try, and lent me the first book, which I read shortly thereafter.

Within a week, I had purchased and read the rest of the series (at the time, books 1-4), and was itching with anticipation for book 5. I have since purchased and read the entire series, and just recently decided to reread them all in one go.

So what makes Harry Potter so magical? For me, it was the bare simplicity of the central premise of the series that drew me in instantly. Who hasn't dreamed of having some magical powers to spice up life a bit? Not that magical powers are unique to Harry Potter; far from it, in fact. But it's much harder to really relate to grand tales of epic battles in faraway, long ago kingdoms like Tolkein's Middle Earth or so many others that have followed. What Harry Potter touches is that little daydreaming part inside of us that believes that maybe magic could be real... that it might exist right alongside us in our own "real" world.

Book 1 (The Sorcerer's Stone) will always have a special place in my heart, as it really was the book that brought me back to reading (as stated above). It is imaginative, fun, and has splashes of humor throughout. It introduces many lovable characters who will be with us throughout the series, and does a brilliant job of setting up our journey. It has a comparatively light feel (the later books get progressively darker, without question), but still keeps the reader engaged with elements of mystery and rivalry to generate conflict. And, unlike some of the later books, it is a quick read.

There are, I admit, a few times when one must employ the willing suspension of disbelief (lest the grown witches and wizards of the story seem horribly inept), but otherwise, it is a charming story and a great introduction to the journey ahead. I give it 5 stars, even though it is not my favorite in the series, mostly because this one drew me in so effectively and made me want to read the rest.

What is there to say about this book. All of the books in the series were very good. Unfortunately, I loaned this one to a "friend". Had to replace it as I have them all in hardback.

Writing a review on the first Harry Potter book seems superfluous, as it must surely be one of the most reviewed books in the history of literature.

I will therefore refrain (more or less) from summarizing the story, and instead compare my first reading to my recent re-reading of the book.

In my first reading, I met a boy called Harry, who was the quintessential "uncool kid." He grew up at his aunt and uncle's because his parents were supposedly killed in a car crash when he was a baby. That was at least what Aunt and Uncle Dursley told him. Harry was the uncool kid both at home and at school, hence constantly jumping from the frying pan into the fire. At home, "the Dursleys often spoke about Harry (...) as though he wasn't there--or rather, as though he was something very nasty that couldn't understand them, like a slug." Their spoiled son, Dudley, also did his best to bully Harry around. And at school, "Harry had no one. Everybody knew that Dudley's gang hated that odd Harry Potter in his baggy old clothes and broken glasses, and nobody liked to disagree with Dudley's gang."

Hence, when Hogwarts' half-giant gamekeeper told Harry that he was a wizard, he could hardly believe it. And when Harry stepped through the Leaky Cauldron onto Diagon Alley, everything was new and exciting. He had not had the slightest clue that such a world existed; accordingly he saw everything through the eyes of an amazed and hungry learner.

And since I as the reader always walked by Harry's side, I, too, had this "sense of awe." Together with Harry, I marveled at Gringotts Bank and its goblins, the power of the magic wands, the magic broomsticks, Platform 9 ¾ and the steaming Hogwarts Express, the gigantic school castle, the meeting hall with its enchanted ceiling, the moving staircases, the "living" paintings, the ghosts, the owl post, and numerous other things.

Harry became like a two-year old toddler again who is excited about discovering the world, and as the reader I was a toddler with him. This is Fantasy at its best. The fact that J.K. Rowling made Harry an "outsider" to the world of magic is of great importance to the experience of the reader. Otherwise I would not have been nearly as astonished about the details of Mrs Rowling's world as I was. It also prevented the technological aspects of the Harry-Potter magic from totally disenchanting her world.

Now to my re-reading of the "Philosopher's Stone" (I still like the original British title better than the "Sorcerer's Stone").

I read the story again shortly after I finished the seventh book. Knowing where the story and characters are headed, many scenes now took on new significance. It was fascinating to read a particular passage and think: "Ah! Now I know why she put that in there." I have to complement J.K. Rowling on having planned the seven books so well.

Furthermore, reading the first book from the retrospective view of the whole series also makes a difference for the moral custodians among us. If you only read the first book, you might come away thinking that Harry Potter tries to justify the means by the end a little too much. Harry's magic is at first set into motion when he is "upset and angry", the toffee-nosed know-it-all Hermione turns likable by lying on Harry's behalf, and one of Harry's chief character traits is that of a rule breaker.

Aside from the point that novels--including juvenile ones--don't have to portray their main characters as saints, the series has, in fact, turned out to be of great moral depth. Given Harry's final moral choices at the end of Book VII, Book I can now be seen as the beginning of a "Bildungsroman." That is, a Coming Of Age Story in which Harry goes through all the stages of childhood and adolescence, to finally arrive at moral, social, and psychological maturity.

If that is not an ideal way of making teenagers aware of their own journey to maturity, I don't know what is.

- Jacob Schriftman, Author of The Crack Beneath the Worlds and Other Books

Triwizard Tournment ,Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasly.

Harry potter has a horrible life under the commands of the Dursleys. He wants to get to Hogwarts, a wizard and witchcraft school, one of the three, Beaxubutions and Durmstrang. This year the Triwizard Tournment is happening at Hogwarts it hasn't happened in over one-hundred years.

The champions are Viktor Krum, one of the worlds greatest seekers, Cedric Diggory, a fellow hogwarts, Fluer Delacour, a Beaxbutions student, and Harry Potter, himself! The problem is Harry did not put his name into the goblet of fire. He is too young. Who put his name in the goblet of fire?

Draco Malfoy and his gang of Slytherins have badges that say "Vote For Cedric Diggory, The Real Hogwarts Champion". If you press it into your stomach, it says "POTTER STINKS".

The first task is easy for Harry it gets harder and harder until the final task.

I would recommend this book to readers who like fantasy and magic. By Zoe

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (year 4 at Hogwarts) is unquestionably the pivotal book of the series. Up to this point, the principal villain of the series has been merely seeking a way to return to his former power, and so his presence has been indirect. This book makes it clear immediately (in the first chapter) that we are on the brink of the Dark Lord's rebirth, after which, the stakes will undoubtedly get higher. The tone of the book is also more dark and serious than the previous ones, with torture and death coming into play for the first time. It is both literally and metaphorically the turning point for all of the action that is to follow.

There are many great things about the book. For one thing, despite it's fairly hefty page count, it has a fair amount of action, and still keeps your interest for the most part. Granted, the Tri-Wizard Tournament is probably not strictly necessary in the grand scheme of things, and the whole plot involving the portkey to the graveyard is needlessly complex (why not just slip Harry a portkey at--oh, say ANY time during the year?), but the story still flows, and is fun to read. In addition, the story continues to build on Harry's strength of character, which is evidenced by his actions throughout.

The most impactive part of the book, by far, is the last portion. Faced with a very real danger and tragic circumstances, the students of Hogwarts are left with a choice--the choice that is perhaps the philosophic center of the Harry Potter series, and which can teach us all a very powerful lesson in our "real" lives as well. It is not the choice between right and wrong, but rather, the choice between what is right and what is easy. The quote to this effect by Dumbledore at the final feast is not emphasized especially, but it certainly speaks to me loud and clear, and seems to ring true as one of the most central themes for the series as a whole--and worthy of deep contemplation.

In conclusion... a very worthy book and a delightful read, even if it could be tighter and have a more solid plot structure.

THIS BOOK HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE IS ACTUALLY A PRETTY GOOD BOOK. THE GOOD THING ABOUT NOT JUST THIS BOOK BUT ALL THE BOOKS IS THAT THEY TELL WAY MORE INFORMATION THEN THE MOVIE DOES. BUT THE PROBLEM ABOUT THIS BOOK IS THAT IN THE BEGINING IT STARTS OUT REALLY SLOW BUT ONCE YOU GET ABOUT 300 TO 350 PAGES READ IT STARTS GETTING REALLY GOOD AND YOU DONT WANT TO PUT IT DOWN. PROBOBALY THE BEST PART IN THIS BOOK IS THE ENDING WHICH I AM NOT GOING TO TELL YOU JUST INCASE YOU HAVEN'T READ THIS BOOK. OVERALL I WOULD SAY THIS BOOK IS PRETTY GOOD BUT IS IS NOT ONE OF MY FAVORITE SO I A'M GIVING IT A 4/5. OH AND HERES A QUESTION FOR YOU GUYS THAT READ THIS BOOK.
"DID YOU LIKE THE BOOK WHEN YOU READ IT?

The Goblet of Fire is truly a special book. Delving even deeper (and darker) into the villainy that lies just below the calm surface, so to speak, Rowling succeeds...yet again.

The plot of the series thickens, what with fellow students turning their back on Harry, who is taking part in an old, old, old Wizard Tournament. It all culminates in a climatic battle with the flesh and blood Voldemort in a graveyard.

Rowling's writing style is so engaging and effective. She positively reduced me to pathetic tears in the closing chapters of this EXCELLENT book, leaving us on the verge of a looming danger.

As Gandalf might say; "The battle in the graveyard is over, but the battle against Voldemort has just begun."

Okay, that was a bit stupid...but true. Stupidly true.

Zap! Lord Voldemort's and Harry Potter's hex and jinx came zooming out of the tips of their wands and became connected. Find out what happens by reading J. K. Rowling's fabulous book Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

Harry has to spend another grueling summer with his evil Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon, and his cousin Dudley, until his best friend, Ron Weasley, invites him to the Quidditch World Cup. After the exciting game every body gets attacked. Luckily, Ron and Harry are ok. On September 1, as always, Harry and his friends get on the Hogwarts Express to go to school. A few days after their arrival 2 other schools come. The schools are Beauxbatons and Bulgaria. That night Dumbledore (the head master) revels an old goblet. He explains that only 3 people may compete in the Triwizard Tournament. The tournament has 3 dangerous tasks. 3 names come out of the goblet. Then a 4th . Harry Potter. He has no choice but to compete. Towards the end Lord Voldemort comes back. Does Harry live? Read to find out!

For me the best part is the 1st task. Harry had to get a golden egg from a fierce dragon. He barely gets the egg. I liked this because it had a lot of good words and action. It kept me turning the pages.

The main character is Harry Potter. He is a good kid but gets in trouble by Snape. Ron is Harry's best friend. Professor Snape is the most hated teacher in the whole school. Malfoy is a bad kid and Harry's worst enemy.

I recommend this book to people who like long books, good words, and a great book. I bet you will love this book like me!

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

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

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

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

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

I bought this book as a gift for my 16yr old niece. The very next day, she told me how much she loved the book. She even cried reading it. I think it's nice to find reading materials that can move the minds and feelings of teenagers.

I skimmed through the book before I gave it to my granddaughter who just turned 13. I thought it had some well written stories that a teenager can relate to and a lot of food for thought. She was so happy to get it, since she had the one for pre-teens also and really liked it.

Once again, "Chicken Soup for the Soul" books has a hit. This is a wonderful gift for young teens with its easy read of short stories on pertinent topics and experiences teens face. Teens I have given it to as a gift have loved it and purchased the next in the teen series. Also a source of good talking points for those anxiety ridden moments or social issues teens face.

I am a teacher in two high schools and I like to read the stories of the book to my students from time to time to inspirate them and reinforce their teenage self esteem! I suggest it to all teacher to make the same with a nice calm background music.

I recomend that you read this book because its stories are touching, sad, heart warming, and pretty much every other emotion you can feel. You can learn a lot about different in life, and how people got through them. :p
zoe r.
lanier ms

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(Great book though!)

the lives of retired rangers their story, on a journey on the trip to montana, the lost of one of them. and story of the other taking him home.

The best novel I've ever read! You'll fall in love with the characters to the point in which road trips out west will never be the same.

Get past the first 50 pages and it will pull you kicking and screaming to the very end, where, when you close the book, you'll feel the loss of a good friend.

I too read the book after watching the made for TV series, and as far as the made for TV series is concerned, I can't imagine it ever being any truer to what McMurtry's literary intentions may have been than what Bobby Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones did with it; even if John Wayne and Henry Fonda were its original intended cast.
Regardless, people will always tell you the book is much better than the movie and after reading this book you will no doubt agree. Though the series proved to be absolutely compelling, the book proved to be even better, dispite your knowledge of the novels outcome.
The wit and depth of constitution these old cowboys possess will make you realize what an exciting, enchanting and downright wild period in Americana history it truly had to be.

Great movie, and absolutely captivating book.

This is my second reading of this contemporary classic. I generally disapprove of long books, but this was one tome I regretted closing for the last time. It is truly an awesome accomplishment. LONESOME DOVE was written at a time when popular culture had recently abandoned the Western as too hackneyed and bathetic to entertain. Then comes this massive novel opening up numerous unforseen perspectives about the American West a mere 130 years ago. This is the novel future generations will read when they want to know how it was on the high plains in Custer's time.

The characters are given huge latitude to capture your imagination, and even the minor ones are impressive. You will come to know them better than most of your family. You will dream about them. And, unless you're as hard as Blue Duck, you'll shed a tear over their destruction.

In decades and centuries to come, this book will be spoken of in the same vein as "Common Sense," and common sense is what it is. Dr. Paul convincingly elucidates his case for a return to Constitutional restraint, and it's not a hard case to make. He ends his book with the words I used as the title for this review, and I say: time to make it happen.

I first became interested in Ron Paul a couple of years ago and thought that he meant well but, I wasn't quite convinced that we should get rid of nearly every Federal governmental program available because I had been helped out by a couple of them over my lifetime...or so, I thought. At the same time, I was studying International Relations (my major)classes and had become quite worried by some of the information I had gathered in my studies. International Law is the subject of most worry due to the encroaching nature of the New World Order... I mean, United Nations. My apologies. There are numerous cases being tried from around the world in The Hague, The Netherlands that most often center on giving the UN more power and allowing the organization to usurp each individual nations' sovereignty. I decided to delve deeper and the further I went, the more disturbed I became because of the sense of hopelessness and isolation one feels when learning that nearly everything that you had believed in since childhood was just an illusion. Question what happened to WTC building no. 7. I bet most people don't even know that it fell too. Main Stream Media is owned by only a few large companies... they couldn't possibly work together to keep valid information away from the "masses". Please read this book but, do not stop there. Keep reading and looking for the truth because it is out there and unless we, the people, question this spoon fed reality then there is no one else.

This is a must read for all Americans. Dr Paul's message is the right medicine for curing America's ills. He describes plainly and in easy to understand language the need for returning our government to the principles of the Founding Fathers - sound money, economic freedom, a non-interventionist foreign policy, and secure civil rights. This text will have influence for many years to come. Long live the Freedom Revolution!

Brilliant! A must read and hopefully gets you involved in whats going on!

Gwen

Dr. Paul really did cure my apathy. I had given up on the media and the Republicrats to yield a decent candidate. Little did I know how bad the situation really was. The great thing is that there is hope, that I've found people that really make sense. They've turned me on to economics and political science, like I never thought I'd be. Visit [..]and visit [..], read a little (or a lot), and wake up to the world around you.

The book is extremely entertaining. Cimorene is certainly the kind of princess you don't often see in fantasy. And Kazul is not the typical dragon either. The book is really funny and is guaranteed to make you laugh

In the book"Dealing with Dragons"there are lots of enjoyment you can get. For example:during the story, a princess who thinks being a pringess is dull, runs away to become a dragin's princess for a very powerful female dragon. Somehow she finds cooking and cleaning facinating. While reading this book you can find alot of adventure. Some adventures you can find are challenging a Death-Dealing Bird, a Witch, A Stone Prince,a Jinn, lots of Wizards and alot of Dragons, both good and bad. Read this book and dive into adventure with Cimerene and her new best friend Alianora on her journey to complete a very important mission to save the Dragons. The thing i liked about this book is when Kazul became a King because i think Kazul was one of the most powerful Dragons. The thing i didn't like about this book is when a dragon betrayed his own kind just to help out some evil wizards.

In the book"Dealing with Dragons"there are lots of enjoyment you can get. For example:during the story, a princess who thinks being a pringess is dull, runs away to become a dragin's princess for a very powerful female dragon. Somehow she finds cooking and cleaning facinating. While reading this book you can find alot of adventure. Some adventures you can find are challenging a Death-Dealing Bird, a Witch, A Stone Prince,a Jinn, lots of Wizards and alot of Dragons, both good and bad. Read this book and dive into adventure with Cimerene and her new best friend Alianora on her journey to complete a very important mission to save the Dragons. The thing i liked about this book is when Kazul became a King because i think Kazul was one of the most powerful Dragons. The thing i didn't like about this book is when a dragon betrayed his own kind just to help out some evil wizards.

The book Dealing with Dragons is one of the most fantastic books I have ever read. It held my interest and made me feel good. Between adventure and happiness, Patricia C. Wrede catches your attention and makes you want to read it over and over again.
In the book, the characters were really willing to go and figure out why wizards have been snooping around the Mountains of Morning. That's one of the reasons I liked this book so much. My favorite characters are Cimorene and Kazul. As Cimorene runs away from the castle she meets a kind dragon named Kazul, who lets Cimorene live with her. Later in the book wizards secretly working with a dragon named Worag, who wants to be the king of dragons and is trying to get rid of Cimorene and her friends. In this it was a wild adventure for princess Cimorene.
The book Dealing with Dragons was not a boring book. The author Patricia C. Wrede was able to hold the interest of the reader throughout the story. The description of scenes was really descriptive and you could picture them in your head. There were sad and funny parts throughout the book. One of my favorite parts was when Cimorene and Kazul visited Morwen the witch. Cimorene rode on Kazuls back while she was flying over the tall trees. I was imagining that I was on Kazul too.
After reading this book, I learned many different things. I also couldn't believe how good this book was. The major situation was trying to figure out what the wizards were up to. This book will leave you wanting to read it over and over again.

Princess Cimorene is the daughter to the king of Linderwall...where the knights keep their armor polished for show considering nobody's seen a dragon there in years...

Cimorene HATES it at Linderwall. And she wants to do things, not learn exactly how and when she's supposed to scream if someone decides to come and kidnap her. Cimorene takes classes behind her fathers back for extreme fun. She tries fencing...until her father makes her stop. She tries cooking...until her father stops her. She tries magic...until her father stops her. You get the pattern. If things aren't already bad enough her parents are making her marry Prince Therandil. YUCK!

"I'd rather get eaten by a dragon," Cimorene muttered.
"That can be arranged."

With the advice of a "not" enchanted frog she ends up at a dragons cave and before you know it she's the dragon Kazul's princess. And also before ya know it she's on an adventure.

What happens on that adventure? Well...

She meets a powerful witch, a stone prince, snotty princesses, a kind princess, annoying wizards, mean dragons, and a talking frog.

She finds plants that hurt dragons, a dragons magical stone, and a fire proof spell...she's found A LOT of adventure!

An absolutely fantastic biography. McCullough not only gives us an incredibly in-depth account of Truman's role in such momentous events as the decision to drop the Atomic Bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Potsdam Conference (Truman's only face-to-face meeting with Stalin or Uncle Joe as he called him), the Truman Doctrine, The Marshall Plan, the Berlin Airlift, the Korean War, the firing of General MacArthur and so on, but he also succeeds wonderfully in injecting joviality into this rather thick tome through his unsurpassed ability to recount the human side of Truman, the quirkiness, the common trials and errors of a human being and the like.

I am not an American, but I always tell my friends that if I were Truman would be my favorite president. This book only serves to reinforce my view. Overall, one of the best biographies I've read. If I ever became famous one day, I'd really love someone of McCullough's caliber to write my biography. Highly recommended.

Truman dropped two atomic bombs on Japan to end World War II. He did what he had to do and what had to be done to end the worst war in the history of the planet. He was essentially carrying out the policies of Roosevelt, who died in office. Truman passed the buck when he sent troops to Korea to contain Communism. He fired General Douglas MacArthur, who wanted to nuke the Chinese. Limited war as policy set a precedent for Vietnam. Korea is still a problem. Peaceful reunification is the only solution.

You might think it odd that I would call a nearly 1,000 page biography incomplete- particularly after giving it a five-star review- but for all the detail McCullough supplies about Truman's life, he misses some very important details. More about that in a minute.

I very nearly did not read this book, as my previous experience with David McCullough's biographyies was his book on John Adams- another very detailed, very well written work that is obvously the work of a man who fell so in love with his subject that it not only blinded McCullough to Adams' flaws, it led him to depict such great men as Franklin and Jefferson as Adams saw them- a vew quite at odds with the portraits painted by other historians.

Nonetheless, I went ahead and plunged into this work, and found it far superior to the Adams biography. The picture McCullough paints of Truman clearly shows the admiration McCullough holds his subject in, yet it also includes many of Truman's flaws- his temper, at times, his lack of education in many areas, his poor judgment and downright naiitivity in his dealings with Stalin, and some of his appointments. At the same time it does a great job of showing how Truman's family and business background and his experience in local Missouri politics shaped his later career as president.

What's lacking, first and foremost, is any discussion of post-WWI economics, and Truman's roll, and the role of Congress, in shaping the postwar economic system. An ecomist friend, noting that I was reading the book, asked me if there was any discussion of James Byrnes in the book. There is a great deal, but none of it regarding Brynes' role in setting policy, either as FDR's Director of Economic Stabilization or later under Truman. Another important player- Henry Walllace- gets short shrift as well. There is much discussion of the political machincations behind replacing Henry Wallace with Truman in FDR's third run at the presidency, but not enough on exactly what made Walllace both an object of admiration to his supporters and a dangerously
naiive successor to FDR to his enemies. Also lacking is a real discussion of how Truman, like FDR before him, had no problem in using, and some would argue abusing, the executive powers of his office to threaten both unions and businesses into compliance with his aims.

But what McCullough does provide is a superbly constructed narrative that is, I think, more complete, more accurate, and more interesting than any of the previous popular biographies of Truman. It's a first-rate read and an excelllent education for both Truman fans and critics.

I really enjoyed this book. The book gets better as you get further into the book (that is not to say the start of the book is lacking anything). It does a great job staying focused on the man and not events of the time. WWII, The Atom bomb and other big events could have easily taken over this story and while the man of course had a big role to play in these things the book does great job staying focused on Truman and his life.

For anyone who has ever cheered for an underdog or bet on a longshot, this is a great read. HST had no money, no family position and no formal higher education--but he did great things for America. McCullough gives us his best story yet, with all the rich detail and factual substance we have come to expect from today's greatest political biographer. If I could read only one political biography again-this would be it.