Reviews Books

If you watched Firefly, then odds are you loved Firefly. And if that's the case, then you need the Firefly: The Official Companion books. When I first opened this book (on Valentine's Day night...it was a present from my wife), I couldn't stop turning pages. I flipped through the whole thing, oohing and aahhing over all the images an extras. This book is packed with bonus material any Firefly lover will adore. You get prop details, cast and crew reminiscing, insight on the making of the first half of the episodes on the Firefly DVDs, and enough shiny memories to make you want to pop in an episode or three. Needless to say, a chunk of my romantic Valentine's Day dinner was lost to this book. Don't make the same mistake; order your copy well before the next romantic holiday.

I loved this book. I was initially just expecting some behind the scenes photos, still photos, cast interviews, Joss talking about the show, etc. Then I find out that the book contains the shooting scripts for the first six episodes, and it almost brought a tear to my eye. I loved everything about it, and defiintely plan to pick up the second volume. Shiny!

Good companion for the TV show. If only the show would have lasted longer! Anyhow, this is a good guide and well worth it for any Firefly fan.

And when the rest of my geek friends come over for dinner and drinks we always have something to talk about.

Absolutly everything about Firefly that you could possibly want Transcripts of all the episodes and explanations of other things like "What the heck is 80 platenium in real montitary value" and "How big is the Firefly universe(solar system) exactly?"

All Browncoats should consider getting this.

Just to let future buyers be aware....this book (and Vol. 2) are basically just the scripts to the (REALLY FUN) shows. As my husband put it, "It's just the lines, without the wonderful delivery the actors achieved in the shows." I thought it would be more like the various other "about" books that exist about popular movies/TV shows - full of pictures and other fun "about" stuff. In my opinion, these two books were not that.

A Cinderella story. I loved it when I read it years ago. I have continued to re-read it. And I love it now.

My public had to dig it up from the hidden stacks, but a few years back I checked out and read The Revenger's Tragedy, which Stewart quotes as epigrams before chapters. I fell in love with Shakespeare's "The Tempest" after reading "This Rough Magic," and other novels assume a knowledge of Greek drama. It's great to see this new edition, but I wonder if a Gothic romance of this erudition could be published today.

This is an absolutely fantastic mystery/romance. I own it and have read it multiple times, along with most of the rest of Mary Stewarts books. It's one of the books I never get tired of. No matter how many times I read it, I still can't put it down when I'm in the middle of it. I highly, highly recommend it.

This is the first Mary Stewart novel I've read and while I enjoyed the book's atmosphere and lead characters, I was a bit let down by the plot on the whole.
From reviews I had read, I was hoping for a dark and intricately plotted mystery. While there were several very suspenseful passages, the story was a bit too predictable and the ending seemed to drag on a little too long.

I did enjoy the fact that 'Nine Coaches Waiting' is mainly a mystery with just a sprinkling of romance. However, I felt that even with the main focus not on the romance, that part of the story could have been handled a lot better. The romantic entanglements between the two main protagonists seem much too rushed and unrealistic.

All that being said, I still enjoyed reading 'Nine Coaches Waiting' (even though it did not live up to expectations)and will give the author's other books a try.

I enjoyed this book. It's the story of a young girl 23 who becomes a governess in a French mansion with a dark side to a little boy and she falls in love with a handsome but dark and mysterious man named Raoul. It was a good gothic mystery when strange things start happening to her.

This book was my introduction to Mary Stewart. I found it in a box of books in the attic when I was about twelve or thirteen. I read it and most if not all of her other novels throughout my teenage and young adult years. I reread this recently (30 years later) and find it is still enjoyable. It seems all the romances on the market these days are nothing but bodice rippers and they get boring real fast. I much prefer books with a plot and character development. I highly recommend Mary Stewart's novels to every one.

Has any one else noticed that her characters smoke so many cigarettes in her novels? Maybe I do because I'm an ex smoker.

A truly wonderful book to peruse through for those who practice pencil sketching. The artist is simply outstanding and his style is right up my alley. I flip through these pages for mere minutes and want to draw for days on end.

Alan Lee's work is amazing and to get some background information about his artwork is a treat. I wish the book was a little bigger and thicker.

What a beautiful collection this is. The afternoon it arrived, I wandered again in Middle Earth, lost in Alan Lee's art. But most wonderful, it seems to me (who came to the movies from many readings of the books,) is that as I looked at these drawings they recalled not just scenes from the movies, but returned me to the tactile pleasure of discovering this world as I first had found it --in Tolkien's books. I love both the books and the movies. Now, when time constrains, I don't have to choose between the two. Thank you, Alan Lee.

this book is awesome!
it's like looking into Alan Lee's Sketchbook as its name indicates.
the renderings are beautiful. any Tolkien fan will appreciate this as a wonderful companion to the books, as well as any one interested in fantasy art and drawing!

If you're looking for the film's information literally, this might not be what you want. But, if you're looking for a trip into the cretive process that brought Tolkiens masterpiece to life, you might like this one.
Alan Lee is a wonderful artist, his drawings are really impressive, and in this book he shows how he created his version of Tolkien's world, trying to be faithfull to the autor's ideas.
There's plenty of drawings and sketches from all parts of the story, and the text explains how and why they were developed to the movie's scenes.
I loved.

i found all three books in this trilogy fascinating. it was a painless way to learn about the french revolution, napolean and josephine's lives, and a multitude of other historical facts. the books moved very quickly and from the time i picked up the first one i was hooked!

I don't need to repeat what eveyone else seems to be stating in their reviews of this book and the entire Josephine trilogy; the story flows from start to finish.

I very highly recommend this book!

A perfect ending to a wonderful trilogy. Gulland has clearly done her research and France comes alive through the eyes of Josephine Bonaparte. Compassionate, kind and well-loved in France, Josephine also gives us a very intimate and sympathetic insight to Napoleon Bonaparte. I enjoyed this whole series and would heartily recommend it to anyone interested in the French Revolution, the French Republic and the rise of Napoleon. It is engrossing, humorous and heart-rending. Highly recommended.

While this book stands out on it's own merits, you would be doing yourself a huge disservice if you didn't read the first two books in the trilogy first ('The Many Lives and Secret Sorrows of Josephine B.' and 'Tales of Passion, Tales of Woe'). This is probably my favorite group of books and everyone I have let borrow them feels the same. All are well-written and easy reading (as well as interesting history). I am only sorry that Sandra Gulland hasn't written any other books...yet. I keep hoping.

I can't express how much I loved this wonderful novel. The most accurate adjective I can think of would be 'interesting'. This book was soooo interesting. Gulland's attention to detail is absolutely meticulous. She used over 400 sources in the writing of this trilogy. I learned so much--not only about Napoleon and Josephine, but also of other historical figures of that time. I also found the daily life of the aristocracy not only fascinating but also exhausting.

Napoleon Bonaparte and Josephine Beauharnais are some of the most intriguing characters in history. Their story is so compelling and Gulland does a wonderful job of presenting it. Her 'Josephine' trilogy tells the story of Marie-Josephe-Rose Tascher (Beauharnais Bonaparte) who was born on the French Caribbean island of Martinique in 1763. She died, as she was still known, as the Empress Josephine at her beloved Malmaison in Paris in 1814. THE LAST GREAT DANCE ON EARTH begins in March 1800 at the Tuileries Palace in Paris and ends at her death. But, Gulland has a special treat for her readers. She ties up all the loose ends by telling us what happens to all the characters in her novel. I loved that! In fact, I was taking a tour a couple of weeks ago in St. Augustine, Florida and the guide told us that this is where Napoleon Bonaparte's brother came to....I now know that it was Jerome. The author also has a chronology with detailed accounts and dates of events in the last fourteen years of Josephine's life. Gulland also used actual letters of the pair in this book. And again, the pages are peppered with footnotes that add credence to this story.

In book three we're treated to more of the deep and abiding friendship of Josephine and Napoleon. The love they had for each other is legendary. Napoleon was a wonderful father to Hortense and Eugene and they also adored him. But Josephine had to put up with her horrid in-laws, their jealousy and constant designs of destroying her marriage, their lies and the constant undermining--geesh, she was more patient than I could have been. They eventually succeeded. Despite going through horrible and archaic treatments for infertility, Josephine could not conceive. As we all know, Napoleon divorced her in order to gain an heir. Even then, they continued their friendship and love.

I have been mesmerized with Napoleon and Josephine since visiting the Lourve for the first time as a college freshman and falling in love with David's "The Coronation of Napoleon." Then, after visiting the famous, albeit headless statue of the former Empress at her birthplace in Martinique, my curiosity became insatiable. We learned that Josephine's head was cut off because she influenced her husband to reinstate slavery. I was hoping to read an explanation in these novels but it was never mentioned (although Martinico is mentioned quite often). Which comes to another point: Gulland mentions that researching the lives of Napoleon and Josephine is addictive; I've already bought two more books, maybe I'll find the answer to my question!

This is a must own for anyone who has ever needed to know why something works the way it does in Star Trek. This covers almost everything you can imagine in how Deep Space Nine and space craft work. If it isn't covered in this book it is covered in the TNG Tech Manual. If you write Fan Fiction, play a character in a Trek RPG, or operate a Trek Website You will treat the Tech Manuals as your gospal in Trek technology. Other good books are out there, but they don't compete with this book.

The tech isn't much different in manner from the TNG Tech Manual, but the images in this, the DS9, manual are far superior. All Trek Geeks (come on, fess up) need this book.

I never picked up a copy of this wonderous guide when it was published. There were a few mistakes I made last decade, not buying this book was one of them.

There is not much storyline given away here. Mostly background info regarding the Cardassians, Bajorans and the Federation. Deep Space Nine was the best "Star Trek" series, in my humble opinion. This guide is useful to those who wish to write about the series of the future, as well as daydreamers like myself. The thrill of walking down every corridor, knowing the details of Quark's bar and Ops...

It is all like dream, now that it is over. I never watched the original broadcast in the 1990s. What a loss on my behalf. Now in the age of hopelessly dull reality T.V., what a better way to pass the time than watching the epic unfold on DVD. Though a little overpriced, to an avid fan like myself, worth every penny! Make sure you have a copy of this manual sitting close by!

This book is amazing. I read it from cover to cover and ended up satisfied with all the details the authors placed in them. The book carries details ranging from the subspace communications system to the weapons and even the environmental system of the station. The information on it is not contained only to details about the station but everything connected to it including the Runabouts, and the Defiant. It gives off an effect that there is really a station named Deep Space Nine. The paper used was high quality glossy paper which doesn't crumple easily and the numerous images in them were in color. Although it could have been better with a hard cover, it's excellent the way it is.

First off, this book is anything but a disappointment. It is a packed with information on the series and its fictional technology from the station's basic layout to things like tricorders and sensor probes. It has great illustrations, mostly rendered in 3D by Doug Drexler and all in color. This is a quite obvious advancement since the STTNG Technical Manual.

One reason why I like the DS9 Technical Manual less than its "sister manual" is that its reliability is lacking. This is in part not the fault of the authors, considering that technical specs and especially the size of the station and of the Defiant were always subject to change throughout DS9. Nevertheless, it is dissatisfactory that none of the size figures given in the book correspond with the schematic diagrams in the same book, the latter of which consistently show a smaller 120m Defiant and a station diameter of at most 1000m. The section on starships is even much worse, since ship types and specs are arbitrarily and hastily made up, sizes of well-known ships are wrong and the Saber and Norway class even have exactly the same specs. Considering that many fans who took the specs for their websites didn't even notice the latter error, I may be overly critical, but from an officical manual I would expact much more carefulness than that.

The other point of criticism is that the Deep Space Nine Technical Manual isn't very technical and it isn't useful as a manual. It is rather like prose that has been supplemented with a certain limited amount of Technobabble, a couple of size figures and many nice images. It doesn't care about the technology in such detail as the STTNG Technical Manual, and if it is only shown how to operate it. Summarizing, as a novel the book is rather boring, while it is just not complete enough for a technical manual. Anyway, at least the drawings are great, especially the fold-outs, and most of the book with the exception of the starship section is pleasant reading, so I recommend to buy it.

While I am a long time Star Trek fan, I tend to stay away from books such as this one because I just see it as another way for Paramount to get into our pocket books. I just lightly browsed this book one day in a book store and next thing I knew almost an hour had gone by!

This has to be one of the most engrossing works of fictional tech I have ever seen. There are times where you almost wonder if some form of prototype exists for the items they discuss.

Both richly written and illustrated this book is a absolute must buy for the die hard Star Trek fan! And if your favorite Star Trek is DS9 (like myself), I am not sure how you have lived without this book!

This is one of the best technical book about the craft of Film & Video I've ever read.
Buy it!!

If you are serious about filmmaking, this is a must read.

great book if you plan on going into the film industry. i would recommend this book.

The Filmmaker's Handbook is exquisitely detailed in it's delivery of filmmaking knowledge and know-how. It cover's everything from film to video and from the film industry to the television industry, delivering updated information that will prepare even the most amateur videographer for the professional industry. However, it would be a good idea to start with some basics before tackling this book because it IS quite detailed and technical in it's delivery. Overall though, it is an excellent resource! Bravo!!!

I bought this book few months back in order to study the film making process. The book has details for practically everything and best for beginners as well as professionals. however since the version dates 5 years old so I'd suggest anybody interested in learning the aspects to consider this book as a base and then also subscribe to a magazine as you'll have a know how of latest stuff happening in the movie making technology. something like movie maker magazine. anyway the book still deserve 5 stars for its content.

This is a required text book, and is used in many colleges. It is a great book and it is so good to read that studying is not a chore

I am currently in nurse practitioner (NP) school and am studying within the acute/critical care track (ACNP). As a NP student, I believe this book to be a valuable 'quick and dirty' reference. I will be using this as a supplement throughout practice, residency and for my certification boards.

Just finished taking step 2 & 3...I highly recommend NAIL THE BOARDS, The Ultimate Internal Medicine Review for USMLE STEPS 2 & 3 ... , it is concise and, most importantly, the information in the text is relevant to the actual exam. This book is the most current resource reflecting the new changes to USMLE step 2 and 3. The book is up to date and contains all the major topics needed for step 2 & 3. This book contains a lot of excellent contains and summaries that I could not find in any other review book. It seems to be a great companion while doing review questions. I also found this book to be an outstanding source when I prepared for work rounds to teach the interns and students. I can highly recommend this book to all residents. I wish I had it when I started my residency. Great Book!

I initially heard of this book from the 2nd & 3rd year residents in our program. A lot of them used it for their Step 3 and were successful and loved it. I was skeptical at first because this exam was important to me for a number of reasons. In any case, my experience was much the same as theirs, and I did extremely well, as with my predecessors, but I wanted to provide greater detail that I know will help you. I was pleasantly surprised, but at the same time totally relieved, when I sat for the exam because everything I'd studied here was right there on the exam. Specifically, I found the book was incredibly helpful in all of the following areas, which are the key areas required on the exam:

** Associating current complaints with presented history and identifying pertinent factors.
** Interpreting elicited history.
** Interpreting mental status & identifying neuro exam findings
** Interpreting specific physical findings as relates to differential diagnosis
** Knowing appropriate directed physical examination & required technique.
** Recognizing commonly associated pertinent history
** Identifiying risk factors--especially oustanding
** Recognizing signs & symptoms and physical findings

I also found the book super useful for all the lab stuff, specifically:

** Knowing when NO diagnostic or lab studies are indicated
** Knowing which studies to select and when
** Interpreting all the key tests
** Basic lab/diagnostic study algorithms
** Identifying which study/procedure will most likely establish the dx or differentiate it from another
** Predicting the most likely lab or diagnostic test result

Bottom line: I passed easily and I'm thankful to those who recommended this gem. But I also wanted to take a few minutes to "pass" this on to others as well. I know there's a lot of other favorable reviews below, but they really didn't go into much detail. I'd also give a top recommend to the Frontrunners Q&A book which was another treasure trove and landed me a lot of extra points on the exam. As far as I'm concerned, it was the perfect combination.

Solid review for Step 3. My friend used it for his Step 2 too and loved it, but my only experience was for 3. I like the way the book's organized by medicine subspecialties (Cards, GI, Renal, Tox, etc) and the outline is a huge time-saver while leaving nothing to the imagination. GREAT book and a zealous recommend.

Relatively inexpensive as for as board reviews go, but POWERPACKED with all the key info, concisely presented, and beautifully organized. I passed my USMLE Step 3 with flying colors. Definitely have to recommend this one.

...to immerse emotionally in a Chicago where black met white and through two little boys got along, long before his time. A quick read, a rather simple plot, but human interactions that make you feel you've known the characters up close and personal. Delightful dialogue, showing that Mr. Joseph has a pitch perfect ear for conversation, whether between characters or internally. A real treat that entertains but provides deeper understanding of race relations in the north.

I really enjoyed read To Love Mercy. It captures the feeling and attitude of the times. I would highly recommend it! In fact I have!

Frank Joseph's story, TO LOVE MERCY, is, on the surface, about two young boys and their families, one black, one white, living in a segregated Chicago of the 1940s; and a confrontation that might have ended in tragedy that instead inspires mutual curiosity, respect, and eventually trust. These feelings between the two heroes of the story lead them to follow their hearts, not allowing the adults, who refuse to resolve their differences, to turn them away from the truth--that they are more alike than they are different, that they have, by living through a particular set of experiences together, become friends. But the story offers even more for those who are open to its timeless and universal message. It provides a template of hope for what will certainly be one of the ongoing challenges for the next generation--achieving a greater understanding of those who are different than "us," whoever "we" and "they" happen to be at any given moment.

I've never read a story quite like To Love Mercy, but I wish there were others like it. The unique way the book was written and laid-out really kept me reading and eager to find out what was going to happen next.
I am no author, but I know that writing from the perspective of someone else takes a lot of talent. Frank Joseph did this fluently and creatively, which provided me with complete mental images of each scene.
I strongly recommend To Love Mercy. It explores racial issues and is an all-around good novel.

I work at a College in the Englsih department so I'm always on the lookout for intersting books that can be used in classes. I found "To Love Mercy" a very interesting read. I really enjoyed the depth that Mr. Joseph went to in creating some of his characters (he talks about it in his blog on his book website). I thought that the most intersting part was how he had the two main characters bond though a negative incident that turns out to create an incredibly positive bond and growth experience for both boys. I enjoyed this book a lot.

I love this book!! comfort food at it's finest...the grit gravy and the grit tofu are just amazing.

This cookbook is absolutely fantastic! I used to live in Athens, Ga and this cookbook gives the recipe for my old favorites at the real restaurant, The Grit! I could NOT be happier- as a beginning vegetarian, this book is priceless because it helps prove that as a vegetarian you do not have to miss out on great tastes, new great tastes are DEFINATELY out there!

My son bought me this book for Mother's Day. He told me to bookmark the book I wanted. I didn't, but had left the page up with the Grit Cookbook on it and left the room. I had wanted another cookbook, looking forward to receiving the other cookbook, and to my surprise, received this book instead. What a wonderful accident. I have enjoyed reading the book. It's so fun; it makes you want to visit the Grit. I have, also, enjoyed the recipes. So far, we have tried the salsa, famous vegan ranch dressing, tabouli, spinach and lentil soup, and my husband's two favorites: cream of tomato soup and mock cream of chicken soup. Everything has been excellent! Thank you son for such a wonderful surprise!!

I never been to the restaurant before but from this book I can imagine their food is great. Its full of interesting, tasting, and quality recipes. Also these recipes are made to feed large families which is good with me because I have one. My absoultey favorite recipe is the BBQ Tofu Sandwiches oh my goodness it is the best bbq sauce I have ever made and the ingredients are so simple(I must note this recipe calls for honey but I use agave and it is still good). I must add that this book is not 100% vegan some of the recipes call for cheese, butter and milk but that can be easily substituted with its vegan counterpart. All of the vegan recipes have a little V by them to make them recognizable on site. So if you are looking for good vegan food for a big family, then check this book out.

The publishers ought to be giving me a commission as I have turned so many people on to this cookbook! Seriously, it has fantastic recipes, including the best pancakes I have ever made....the nutritional yeast gravy and the golden bowl are to die for...the stews with Guinness beer rock....the cilantro and pesto quesadillas are always a hit....yum......

This book was recommended to me in my favorites quite a while ago, and I finally decided to give it a try. It was so good. I never wanted to put it down, and when I was finished I wanted it to keep going. I have read "These is my words" and loved that. This is another to add to it.

Good book, but I liked Calico Palace much better. Jubilee Trail is just a little to predictable.

We had a rather intimidating librarian at my high school, but she was also very insightful when suggesting books. I was Junior when she handed this book to me, stuck her face right in mine, and said, "This book is out of print, so if I don't get it back, YOU'RE IN BIG TROUBLE!" As she escorted me to the checkout table, she gave me a full dissertation on how wonderful the story was, and how much I'd love it. Staring at the plain blue cover with white writing on the spine, I wondered what could be so great. Curious, I took it home.

Trying to avoid my sister later that night, I stretched out across the foot of my bed, and decided to give it a chance... It had my full attention well within the first chapter, and I finished the entire 300-something page book within three days - three SCHOOL days, I might add. I absolutely devoured this book.

I returned it to Ms. Padilla gushing about it, and she had my full trust in any other suggestions she had. I have a few other favorites that were first placed in my hands by that woman, but this one stood out in my memory for a long time as honestly and truly one of the very best books I had ever read - and this is coming from a 'Gone With the Wind' fanatic, too!


***


Fast forward six years, my sister calls me from a rare bookstore to ask the name of the book I'd read in high school and loved... She knew I was looking for a copy, and thoughtfully decided to stop and search for me. Lo and behold, they had a first edition. They obviously didn't know what it was worth, because it was only $8.95. A gem for that low price; what a shame.

I read it again, and was just as enraptured as I was the first time! I now tell everyone that it is my absolute favorite book in the entire world, and the few people who have read it on my suggestion have all but kissed me for it.


***


I really encourage you to pick this one up... Meet Garnet, Oliver, Florinda, John, and - my favorite - Texas. They will have a place in your heart forever, just like they do mine. This is one you pass down to your children.

Living out West I've always been into the history of the Oregon trail but I never knew very much about the history off the California trial (except apparently there was assign showing the turn to Oregon and on fork was a nugget of gold and on the other was the word Oregon because the settlers in Oregon wanted more people to come there and settle who knew how to read and the illiterate people went to California) so reading "Jubilee Trail was kind of a history lesson for me. And an interesting, well written one at that.

This is the story of Garnet, a very well brought up New York socialite in the 1840's who ends up marrying a man who is a trader on the Jubilee trail, the trail to California, which Garnet has never even heard of. She marries Oliver because she wants adventure so bad, and ends up going on the trail with him. Along the way she meets Florinda, who is a sort of actress/courtesan with a very mysterious past but a heart of gold. The book tells the story of the journey to California and Garnet's meeting with Oliver's evil older brother Charles, who has Oliver so squarely under his thumb he makes Garnet feel like an exile in the beautiful flower cover Californian country. But she also meets Oliver's mysterious, emotionless best friend John, and his best friend the seven foot tall Russian called the Handsome Brute. When disaster strikes for Garnet, leaving her 3,000 miles from family in a wild country she will have to rely on her own strength and endurance, because even though she has great friends, pioneers can not depend on each other for sole support.

This is really a good historical book. Its quite accurate from what I can tell and very well plotted in the smallest details that all fall to place at the very end. Though it was written 50 years ago it's very readable and in fact, this gives the unique perspective of letting you see what people in the 1950'ss thought of people in the 1840's-so it's like a double historical. It also has wonderful insights into human nature and the nature of pioneers especially, which are beautifully expressed. I recommend this book highly and look forward to reading others by this author.

Five stars.

I can't believe I had never heard of this book before, and I am grateful to my Amazon friend who did review it or I would never have found it. I was quite surprised, as Amazon is usually so good at recommending similar items once it picks up on your reading habits.

This is the story of just out of finishing school Garnet, who meets and falls in love with Oliver Hale while he's visiting New York from California. Garnet has an adventurous spirit that Oliver indulges and they're off to California via the Jubilee Trail. Along the way they meet up with Florinda, the "bad" woman with a heart of gold and Garnet and Florinda become great friends, and support each other during the good and bad times as they cross the country and come to California before it is governed by the US.

The author does a very nice job of setting the scenery and the conditions along the trail -- you almost feel the dust in your mouth and on your skin and hair. I loved the way she used John's love of nature so that you can visualize everything from the snow topped mountains, to the red rocks of the southwest, to the wide open ranges, and the flora and fauna of California.

All in all a jolly good yarn, I had a hard time putting this down until the very end at the discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill. Highly recommended for any lover of historical fiction, and as this was written 50+ years ago, the love scenes (if you can call them that) are very chaste and well suited for a younger reader.