Reviews Books

I got this and "Hardings Luck" one christmas about twentyfive years ago. These stories have stayed with me throughout my adult life and I have never forgotten how I was swept away by the stories. These books are educational while being simply spellbinding...my imagination went wild, back then. Absolutely a must!

One of the delightful things about this book is that it treats children as thinking beings, yet still manages to contain all of the magic and adventure of childhood. As in all of her work, E. Nesbit tells an exciting story while encouraging the reader to consider the meaning of things. One of the best books written by one of the best children's writers of all time.

I was hoping to read this book to my 7 year old boy. It was heavy for him and somewhat slow. The book requires maturity and sophisticated vocabulary, somehow it does not fit the pace at which our kids live now.

It certainly can be appreciated by an older, more mature kid, who loves the English language. It is beautifully written.

Two 10-year-olds are the last survivors of a long line of english aristocrats.The family castle lies in ruins, but the children are determined to restore it to its former glory with the help of the long-lost family treasure. The task seems daunting, but they soon discover there's some intricate, powerful magic in the family crest.. Subsequently the treasure hunt hurtles along at breathtaking pace. The magic includes frequent trips into the turbulent (and dangerous) times of England's feudal past to discover the exact time and place where the treasure was hidden.. This book and it's sequel (or prequel?!) "Harding's Luck" can't be recommended enough. They are children's classics of the nicest kind - not the least bit sirupy - but full of adventure and magic

It is so sad that Andres Montoya left this world at such a young age. Aside from the obvious loss suffered by his family and friends (I never had the pleasure of meeting him), we wonder about the poetry and other writing he would have produced in the wake of his beautiful and accomplished collection, "the iceworker sings." Much has been written about Montoya's first book which was the winner of the 1997 Chicano/Latino Literary Prize (University of California at Irvine). Montoya's Fresno is filled with love, lust, hate, suffering and protest sung in a clear Chicano voice. Suffice it to say that the brutal yet eloquent honesty of Montoya's poems has assured that "the iceworker sings" will be read and studied for decades to come.

The Iceworker Sings is an amazing book that reached every sensation that is in my body. Recommended to me by my friend Eva in Fresno I was captivated by the pain, desperation, and corazon in Montoya's words; they spoke to me as if each one had been in the fire itself. Montoya speaks of the Chicano situation in ways that others may not understand. His words are words that describe everything we have been through. As Montoya writes - "i don't have time to be a gypsy or an aztec, i'm just chicano, an indian who sees life swallowed up in a dream and wants to explode."

This book strikes at the core of the authors life as a young man growing up in the central valley of Fresno. He speaks of heartaches, struggles as well as love and hope. I had the great pleasure of knowing this young man who was taken from us far to soon. His insights on life and the meanings of the everyday struggles that we all go through were prophetic. I would encourage all to read and study these rich poems. Andres, your voice is louder and more profound now then when you walked this earth.

andres montoya offers us this gift of a book postumously. andres was my cousin, but first and formost he was a poet nearly without peer. these poems ring with truth and insights beyond the years of this young man taken from us way too soon. this book is an instant collectors item and a must for any serious lover of poetry.

viva andres montoya

richard montoya de culture clash

This book is useful for both students and clinical providers (my preceptors borrow my copy quite frequently). Your school will probably NOT tell you about it, because they want you to scour many books just to find the information that's included on one page of this reference! I'm in my 2nd year of an adult and womens health nurse-practitioner program, and wish I would have come across all these books a year ago. Very thorough yet concise information. THANKS to these authors for providing such a useful reference!

An easy-to-read reference book. Very helpful in the hospital, on rounds and morning report. Designed to fit in your white coat pocket. I plan to use the book as a reference when teaching medical students and residents. Great for formulating a differential diagnosis.

Medical students should consider purchasing this book as a study guide or reference. Very practical, easy to read and the format is designed in a plain and simple manner.

This is a fantastic reference for residents and medical students. I especially found it useful in preparing for attending rounds, but it's also great for exam review. I'm very happy with this purchase.

A little about me: I am an MD now working on my MPH at Johns Hopkins-
I ran across this book when I was browsing through Barnes and Nobles looking for a good study guide for my surgery oral exam....

THIS BOOK IS AMAZING!

A must have! It encompasses all the essential points for each surgery in literally a page or two. I wish I had found it when I was starting the rotation! Though you may be skeptical that it is not thorough enough, believe me when I say that it is all you need to know in order to succeed on your written and oral exams... and certainly when you are being 'pimped' in the OR. I say, reduce your level of stress and anxiety when going through those long hours of surgery by having this by your side. It is as though someone poured through all the important texts and outlined the key points of each topic for you. The pages are as easy to read as the notes you would take for yourself.

Overall: Well-written, concise, and to the point. Just what a surgeon needs, actually.

No longer do I need to look up five or six different reference guides to find an answer about a specific type of sickness or disease. In a pragmatic sense, a very useful book with a wealth of information.

These books are so useful to use in rounds and clinics and especially for board review. They have probably been the best review books that I've used yet. I hope they come out with "In a Page" books on each sub-specialty.

This is a fantastic reference for residents and medical students. I especially found it useful in preparing for attending rounds, but it's also great for exam review. I'm very happy with this purchase.

I absolutely loved the series, but this book really just confirms it. This is the first day I got it and I already read half. I'm very impressed. I was reading in front of my boyfriend and his friend and they heard me laughing. My response was "this is halarious." (reading shanes botwins part) Hmmm. My boyfriends friends response was "I didn't know reading was fun." LOSER! In the Weeds is fun!

My very first buy on Amazon and, still, one of my best purchases ever. If you love the show, this book should be part of your collection 'cause it's the ultimate guide to Weeds characters. Highly recommended.

The interviews are awesome--you really feel like you're getting behind the scenes of one of the best shows on TV. And the character breakdowns make you want to watch the first 2 seasons all over again! If you love the show, you have to get this book. And if you've ever wanted to start watching the show, this book is a good primer.

I was so excited to see that there's a book about my favorite TV show, and even more excited to see that it's as smart, thoughtful and funny as the show itself. Companion guides can sometimes be formulaic and boring, but this one brings a fresh and intelligent perspective to one of the best written (directed and acted) shows on cable today. If you aren't already a fan of the show (what's wrong with you???), this book will draw you in for sure!

Or maybe a Sharon Stone (she is not spared in these pages). Quite simply, this book is impossible to put down. James Ulmer's clever rating system is interesting enough in itself -- but the best part of the book is his personal stamp. He makes no bones about being star-struck, yet his mission is the demystification of the gods, and he does it with gimlet-eyed clarity and intelligence. A dirt-filled riff will turn on a phrase into a sharp insight into the celebrity cult and our fascination with it. Some of his observations of actors are priceless. My image of Marlon Brando struggling up the Brooklyn waterfront ramp will now forever be juxtaposed with him struggling up the aisle of an L.A. supermarket, dressed in a muumuu and eating from an as-yet-unbought gallon of Breyers ice cream. This is a great summer (or winter) read, but don't take it to anyplace where you're self-conscious about laughing out loud. Because you will.

For anyone who enjoys following the cult of celebrity -- go backstage with James Ulmer and find all of the behind-the-scenes gossip (ok really thruths) about today's biggest stars. Ulmer has been compiling this list for industry insiders for years and this is the first time he's published his info for the general public -- can't wait for the next installment!

It's fun and funny to see how the industry perceives itself, this book is a hoot. The information they based the ratings on is already outdated, (Russell Crowe's career trajectory arrow is going sideways? Hello?) but it's still worth the $$ for the essays, especially the one on star perks, (you will not believe the story about a certain actress and a baby opposum) and the "inside dirt" remarks.

The title only tells half the story. The lists are fun to browse (the 200 top stars), especially the inside dirt on each star. But the essays are really hilarious: weird twisted perks, gossip and insecurity, naughty inside references - a pretty amazing picture of business and culture in Hollywood, where Ulmer says nothing binds people together like money, tribal membership "and the desire to see your best friend fail." Yikes. This book definitely goes on my holiday gift list.

Accurately depicts our fallen and beloved hero! A testamount to his accomplishments!

This is a must have for Barbaro fans. It is all about him. If you are looking for pictures and info on the other horses in the 2006 Derby you won't get it. But the pictures are beautiful and the comments are nice. The book is well made and worth the price.

This book is full of amazing pictures that capture not only the tradition of the Kentucky Derby but the Spirit of Barbaro. A beloved way to remember the Derby winner, flying on all fours. Some of the pictures make it seem as if you could reach out and touch this courageous horse. Having Barbaro first in this new series of books from Churchill couldn't have been more fitting for this Champion who truely did capture America's heart.

The photograghy in this book is fantastic and gives you the complete scenerio in pitures. You feel like you are right there at this moment and it will definitely bring many tears to your eyes as you watch Barbaro race thru the pictures. My personal favorite was the picture of him in complete suspension. Great momento of an big hearted horse.

If you are wanting more information on the James Bond movies (background stories on how they got made, info on how various actors came to be Bond, ratings of the movies, etc.) then this is the book for you. At over 200 pages, the tome certainly isn't short on information.

The authors definitely have their favorite, and there is room for argument with some of their ratings, which makes the book even more interesting. They rate each Bond movie in a variety of areas (Villains, Women, Plot, Action, Bond, Gadgets, Dialogue, etc.)

I've found this to be a book I go back to quite often. It's great to read right before or after I've watched a Bond DVD. It illuminates some of the background on actors, producers, directors, locations, etc.

Highly recommended for the Bond movie fan.

"Kiss Kiss Bang! Bang!: The Unofficial James Bond Film Companion" by Alan Barnes and Marcus Hearn is a very good book on James Bond info. Even though unofficial it has good information. I like it.

Alan Barnes and Marcus Hearn's KISS KISS BANG! BANG! is an essential companion book on the cinematic world of James Bond. I like the way the authors choose to take 10 essential elements film by film and critique them. KISS KISS BANG! BANG! is quite insightful and interesting reading. I also enjoy the very handsome layout of the book, which only enhances the reader's interest. The book is also profusely illustrated with very unique photographs not associate with other official books on the cinematic James Bond. This is a well thought out and well-intentioned book. I highly recommend it. If you are a James Bond fan it is quite essential.

Unlike the "official" James Bond compendiums written before it, "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" offers a broader, more objective view of the history of the James Bond film franchise. While the finished product could have used a polish from a real editor (there are typos everywhere,) the raw material contained here is worth the read alone. Everything from Fleming's early failed attempts to bring his hero to film, to Saltzman and Broccoli's instrumental casting of Sean Connery as the first James Bond is documented and seemingly well researched. Each film production receives it's own chapter, From "Dr. No" to "Tomorrow Never Dies" including the non-Eon produced "Casino Royale" and "Never Say Never Again." All chapters open with production stories as recollected by the cast and crew and includes initial reviews by film critics (a real plus here) who reflect on the sexual and moral perversion that audiences succumb to when viewing a James Bond film. The authors close each chapter with a 10 point fan-boy rating system, grading everything from the opening sequence and titles to the girls and gadgets. Overall the book is a quite refreshing and insightful companion. There aren't a lot of photos in the book, but the ones that are included aren't ones we've seen before. As a fan it left me thankful that Burt Reynolds was never cast as 007, upset that "Casino Royale" was wasted as a spoof and imagining what the franchise would be today if George Lazenby and Timothy Dalton did more films and if Roger Moore did less.

This is the best idea I have ever had: the book is really fantastic and tells you all you want (and need) to know about the wonderful Showtime's serie.

This book is unputdownable. The character profiles are keenly observed, and reading the episode guide is as breathless and fun as discussing the episode with your friends, except that this author has the inside track. And then we get inside dirt from the actors and the cast themselves!! The book is a total blast. Can't wait 'til they add season three.

As a big fan of the show it was great to have a book released to show behind the scenes and go into more depth with the shows characters and the actresses that portay them.

This book is a must have for any fan of "The L Word." I finished the book within a couple of days. It was that good. The info on the cast is great and it is good to go back and read summaries on the first two seasons. The pictures are awesome. All in all, definitely a good read.

After having traveled in the Caribbean as a tourist for years, I always wanted to read a good analysis of tourism in the Caribbean. This book is the best. It explains how very little of the economic benefits of the money we spend in as a tourist reaches the local people. Pattullo explains how deep this exploitation goes and has tons of data to support her conclusions.

Last Resorts: The Cost Of Tourism In The Caribbean, second edition, updated and revised by Polly Pattullo is an in-depth study of the economic and general effects of tourism upon the Caribbean area. Knowledgeably written, Last Resorts covers the overall economic effects of employment, history, government, social impact, culture, as well as an informative prediction of future probabilities for the Caribbean. Highly recommended for the vast coverage it provides, as well as its highly acute and accurate analytical content, Last Resorts is an excellent read for economics advisors, Caribbean trade executives, and non-specialist general readers, local citizens and vacationers with an interest in the Caribbean.

"Last Resorts" by Polly Pattullo is an excellent history and analysis of the Caribbean tourist industry. Ms. Pattullo examines the myriad social, environmental, economic and cultural changes that tourism has produced in the region. Along the way, the reader gains insight into how the promotion of the Carribean as a place of carfree escapism may be endangering the region's future unless vast inequities both within and without the Carribean are addressed in a meaningful way.

Ms. Pattullo explains that mass tourism emerged as an economic development strategy that was defined by the Caribbean's dependent relationship with the colonial powers of the 20th century and especially the United States. When air travel opened tourism to the middle classes in the 1960s, post-colonial governments turned to Western corporations to develop destinations that might attract foreign capital and thereby prop up local economies. However, the islands have gradually become ever more dependent on outside forces as airlines, cruise ship operators, and hotel chains have come to exercise near-monopolistic control over tourist itineraries. In order to maintain their privileged positions in the struggle for market share, most Carribean governments have found it necessary to concede the majority of tourist revenues to the procurement of foreign goods and services.

For example, Ms. Pattullo discusses how top jobs in the tourism sector tend to go to foreigners while locals get mostly dead-end jobs; many are resentful about earning poor wages despite working in a highly profitable industry. As street vendors and other freelancers seek to aggressively sell drugs and their bodies to tourists, more destinations have chosen to offer all-inclusive experiences that shut the dangers of the outside world away. Yet the coccoon-like world of the all-inclusives only serves to reinforce privilege, depriving locals of their own beaches and insulating visitors from the discomfort of viewing the socio-economic deprivation that often surrounds them.

Ms. Pattullo addresses that most pernicious of all tourism, the cruise ship industry which largely treats the Caribbean as a parking lot and waste dump for its 20 million annual passengers and where island culture is experienced in its most sanitized and commodified form. Most passengers spend little time onshore but frequently purchase goods at duty-free shops that are aligned with the ships, providing little revenues for the islands -- who, for their part, have found it impossible to impose reasonable rates of taxation on the industry for fear of being dropped from itineraries.

Whereas the path of corporate-controlled mass tourism is leading towards the Disneyification of island culture and the degradation of its environment, Ms. Pattullo believes that the Caribbean can secure a better future by embracing the principle of sustainability. The author contends that the region must begin to celebrate and preserve its unique history, culture and natural environment by implementing sustainable development strategies that are designed to empower local governments, businesses and people. To that end, she cites many examples of successful alternatives to the typical mass tourism model of sand and sun, including: eco-tourism, health spas, music festivals, living history, art and architectural appreciation, and other alternative vacation experiences. Indeed, it seems that the ideas advocated by the author might go a long way towards helping this remarkable part of the world both retain its uniqueness and gain a measure of the long-overdue success that it so richly deserves.

I highly recommend this book to everyone.

- Everyone's tropical paradaise might be a victim of its own success. This book reviews the tourism industry and explores how to bring greater benefits to the region. Excellent! Ron Mader / El Planeta Platica