Works Books

Performed on the stage in 1975 by Ntozake Shange, pronounced (En-toe-ZAK-kay SHONgay), a playwright, poet and novelist. The structure for this play is choreopoem, a chorus of people reciting poems. Here, the roles are spoken from a group of black women, only identified by color of clothes, as in (lady in brown, lady in red, lady in yellow, etc.)

A departure written from the average play, the intent is clear, a voice for all black women who have suffered indignations, painful experiences from men. The language is strong offensive and obscene, but you get the point!

The colors depict a rainbow, and each girl is identified with a color that closes matches her style of speech. For example, lady in yellow speaks of love, high school, lost virginity, to bolder colors that speak of pain and tension. The cities they come from are San Francisco, Manhattan, St. Louis, Chicago, Detroit, Houston and Baltimore. The subjects range from youth, losing virginity, rape, abuse, rebellion, abortion, theft, social, political, etc.

The subjects range from youth, losing virginity, rape, love, theft, indignation. Some poems are done as a solo and with others, all girls chime in. Some titles of the 20 poems are: The messages are powerful. This is womanhood!

A televised version is available amongs the players are Alfre Woodard, Lynn Whitfield, and playwright Ntozake Shange herself. ...Rizzo

I was Lady in Red in when my high school drama department lauched a production of this book. I had no idea how much it would change my life. So many times I have come back to this book and the women speak to me. It is real and it is riviting. Now that I am...mmore mature, I would love to do this play again. Anyone with a daughter or a neice should read this book. This is one that Showtime or HBO should consider for a movie.

This book is absolutely amazing. It speaks to all the aspects that a minority teen girl goes through. It should be a Christmas present for every teenage girl. I loved this book.

When I was a little girl my mother was in a local acting group that traveled and put on this play. When I was about 13 years old I saw it in it entiretly for the first time. It was heartwrenching, funny, inspiring and contraversial. I loved every bit of it. Everyone especially women and men who love women should read it at least once, it provides an interesting perspective that you may be unfamiliar with. Being a black woman ain't always easy but it sure is beautiful, if you can find God in yourself.

This incredibly precious gem of a book was produced on Broadway back in the late 70's or early 80's but I was too young to see it at the time and probably would not have been able to relate to it anyway. In this prose poem, a "choreopoem" Shange depicts the hardships of African American Women in America. The different perspective of their lives is precisely and poignantly elucidated by the incredible and fascinating prose poetry of this book.

It is stunningly shocking that things that white Americans take totally for granted are just not part of the African American milieu in this country. Rape, pregnancy, domestic violence of the highest order, living in squalor and prostitution are all common place in so many of the African American communities of the 70's, 80's, 90's and now the 00's. Shange's representation of the perspective on rape is extraordinary. If an African American girl gets raped, she better not have ever been seen in public with the rapist, or there will be no conviction. Obviously it was invited. Not so with White Americans. But common place with African Americans.

A quick example of her wondrous lyricism are the following two lines that just give a glimpse of the different perspective that African American Women have toward American life:

"... we gotta dance to keep from cryin

we gotta dance to keep from dyin ..."

While the book is surely most meaningful to African American Women, it is recommended for all Americans so that the true reality of this dilemma and this shame can be absorbed and understood by all Americans. Perhaps if we all understood the conditions of the African American Women, something would be done about it. As of now, it is just not the same for people with black skin as it is for all other ethnic minorities in the United States of America.

I can't imagine a better guide to Shakespeare than this. It's like a "for dummies" book, but better. The author covers just about everything, but she never bores you. In fact, I could hardly put this book down.

After a very lively introduction (about Shakespeare's life and the Globe theater), the author lists the plays in the order in which they were written. She divides them into four groups: the romantic comedies, the historical plays, the tragedies, and the romances. Then she tackles each of the four groups, writing about some of the plays. She tells you why the play is famous, she covers key characters (like Falstaff), and she explains the controversies that surround some of them. (For example, the charge of anti-Semitism about Merchant of Venice.) She makes a point of not covering every play --- if she covered them all, the reader would eventually lose interest.

Instead of getting bored, you are starved for more. The book is packed with trivia and intelligent observations. The author isn't shy about the sex and violence in the plays, either, which keeps things interesting. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants an overview of Shakespeare's work. If you don't know about his plays, you probably want to, but you need a guide that was written specifically for you. This is the book.

+++++

This book's preface instructs, "Don't feel compelled to read this book from cover to cover" since it's meant for reading at a relaxed pace. Guess what? I DID read it from cover to cover!!

Why did I do this? Here are my reasons:

(1) THE AUTHOR'S WRITING STYLE. The author, Norrie Epstein, writes in a relaxed and leisurely but enthusiastic way making a somewhat difficult subject easy and enjoyable to read. She writes for the intelligent, common reader who's tired of technical, academic (and patronizing!!) jargon.

(2) THE BOOK'S ORGANIZATION. The book progresses logically with general comments on the works of William Shakespeare (1564-1616) to discussing the man himself to looking at the Elizabethan stage and then lastly discussing the plays. There is also a discussion of the Shakespearean sonnets. Finally, there is a fascinating end-discussion on the spin-offs that have resulted from Shakespeare's works (for example, music and films).

(3) DISCUSSION OF PLAYS. Not only are the popular ones discussed but the more obscure plays are also given attention. The plays discussed are as follows: eight romantic comedies, eight histories, one "problem" play, seven tragedies, and one tragicomic romance. All discussions are EASY to follow. And don't worry. There are NO boring plot summaries of the plays to read.

For many of the plays, there is a "What to Look For In" section. These informative sections highlight what is particularly significant in a play. As well, a major Shakespearean character of a particular play may be highlighted and given more detailed attention. For example, there are good, solid discussions of Shylock and Falstaff.

(4) ILLUSTRATIONS AND PHOTOGRAPHS. These are peppered throughout the book. I especially liked the black-and-white photo of Patrick Stewart ("Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the starship Enterprise") dressed up as Shylock.

(5) SIDEBARS. These also occur throughout the book. They highlight interesting bits of information that the author wants to bring to the reader's attention. One of my favorite sidebars is an open letter a critic of the 1600s wrote to Shakespeare entitled "As I Don't Like It." He commented on why he didn't like the play "As You Like It" (one of the Bard's best plays).

(6) INTERVIEWS. These are scattered throughout the book. The author interviews people (such as actors) who have a passion for Shakespeare. Notable interviews are with Kenneth Branagh and Ted Lange (of "Love Boat" fame).

(7) TRIVIA. And lots of it!! This Shakespearean trivia occurs throughout the book. For example, what does Shakespeare's epitaph say? Or, what Shakespearean character was Orson Welles' life ambition to play?

Finally, the big question: who is this book written for? Answer: for both novices and Shakespearean scholars--in short, everybody who is interested in the Bard.

I must confess that I thought I knew a lot about Shakespeare and his works. Was I wrong!! This book opened my eyes to how much I did not know.

In conclusion, after you read this book, you'll probably be like me and say, "What a piece of work was this man William Shakespeare!"

+++++

I mean it. It really is.

Norrie Epstein, who also brings you _The Friendly Dickens_, has produced an absolutely unbelievable wealth of information involving Shakespeare's life, work, and times, all in an extremely readable, interesting, and -funny- way. If you ever thought Shakespeare was unapproachable, you thought wrong. _The Friendly Shakespeare_ takes everything your high school English teacher said about Shakespeare's elegant and classy prose and throws it out the window, showing Shakespeare's work for what it really was: sex and violence - extremely graphic sex and violence, filled with the ultimate bawdy talk and most injuring insults ever to be seen in English. It takes the sentimentality out of Shakespeare, making it as unclean as it always was, explaining out-of-date references and slang that would otherwise mean nothing to the modern ear but made a great deal of sense for the Elizabethans.

Epstein explores almost every possible aspect of the Shakespearean world: examining each play and its virtues and downfalls, delving into the twisted world of Elizabethan culture, discovering Shakespeare's life (and the mystery as to whether Shakespeare was who we think he was, or a pseudonym for any number of other writers, or if Shakespeare stole credit), interviewing actors and directors, the zany adaptations and unusual performances by unlikely actors, and reviewing the many film versions available on video. Nearly every page has a marginal tidbit with a quote or statistic or other little-known fact about Shakespeare's world or productions of his plays. Just from flipping randomly through the book, you could learn more about Shakespeare than you thought you ever wanted to know.

Being a student, I can say that _The Friendly Shakespeare_ is the finest reference for students - whether or not they have an interest in Shakespeare. Everything is presented in a fresh, exciting manner, and for those "experienced" students who have a passion for Shakespeare, it isn't "dumbed down." This isn't _The Idiot's Guide to Shakespeare_. It provides both the basics to get those non-enthusiasts going, and some extremely thought-proviking information for the veterans. Never once is Epstein's text dry or boring or overly wordy, like people expect most Shakespeare studies to be. Nor is it childish or pathetically simple.

What I love most about this book is how it really breaks through the stereotypes and barriers that most teachers have set up, making students HATE Shakespeare - they oversanitize it, making it pretty and beautiful, they oversentimentalize it, making it weak. Shakespeare's plays would not have lasted so long if they were just attractive poems about love. Certainly not. _The Friendly Shakespeare_ takes us back to the true Shakespeare, the Shakespeare that the original audiences must have seen - the gritty, dirty, audience-pleasing text, from the sexuality of _Othello_ to the extraneous gore of _Titus Andronicus_, to the often hushed-up fact that the sonnets were written to another man and not a woman.

Yet Epstein never makes it just about the sex and the violence - she does not deny Shakespeare was a genius of words, as he truly was. She just makes us more -aware- of his genius, for no true genius was ever all fluff and flowers. She tells us -why- he was brilliant, not merely saying he was because popular opinion states it. And after reading this book, you'll understand why, too. And you'll think Epstein is a genius as well for bringing us such a fantastic reference.

I recommend _The Friendly Shakespeare_ to everyone - students, adults, actors, directors, teachers, the veterans, the novices - it will inspire, it will enamour, it will delight, it will shock, and most importantly . . . it will make you love Mr William Shakespeare the way he -should- be loved.

I bought this book based on the reviews at Amazon, and am very pleased with my purchase. I have "The Complete Works" of William Shakespeare, but it wasn't really complete until I bought this book.

Although this is billed as a book about Shakespeare and his work for people who don't like it (of which I am definately not numbered), I learned a lot about the plays and the periods in which they've been performed since to make this book worthwhile. For example, I hadn't known that the sonnet sequence for the most part is from an older man to a fair young boy. This isn't the idea of some fringe group either, but accepted by most Shakespearean scholars. Knowing this fact can certainly add a different level of meaning to many of the sonnets ("Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?").

Aside from the increased knowledge I gained of the texts, this book really helped me place the work against the time period that it was written for, and how people have viewed it since. Ms. Epstein's best analogy for aiding modern readers in grasping how Shakespeare was viewed in his day is comparing him with a writer for TV (strangely enough, a Twilight Zone episode did this as well). People who went to the Globe in 1600 went to see a "All in the Family Royal" or a "Three, Well That's Company" starring their favorite actor, Richard Burbage. The writer? Do you know who the writer of your favorite TV show is? Will "Cheers" be the "Much Ado About Nothing" of the 24th century? Or, even worse, will "Married . . . with Children"? (By the way, if you have any interest in Shakespeare, I strongly recommend Kenneth Branaugh's new version of "Much Ado." While Keanu Reeves is stilted, and Michael Keaton possesses Dogberry with the spirit of Beetlejuice, for the most part the film is a joy, especially any time that Branaugh or Emma Thompson is on the screen.)

Rather than summarize the plays (which only details the plots, which quite often weren't of Shakespeare's invention), Epstein attempts to comment on the play, quoting critical and personal reactions. She also presents some small interviews with some of the most famous Shakespearean's living, about parts and plays most commonly associated with them. I was disappointed because the book was incomplete. Although I agree with her dismissal of "Julius Caesar," she only goes into detail on "The Tempest" alone among the romantic plays, and misses quite a few of my favorite comedies as well. The books is quite a brick as it is, but this is due more to the large print and often wasted space between sections rather than the amount of words contained.

I read The Friendly Shakespeare from cover to cover, but it is well suited to be picked up and read from anywhere within its pages, most sections being only two pages long. For the bardolator and bard-avoider alike, Epstein's book is a lot like her subject--entertaining and fun, with enough serious matter for later contemplation.

A General History of the Pyrates is good reading! Great history on famous pirates!

I compared this book with the pirate history published by Captain Charles Johnson. Daniel Defoe is definitely Captain Johnson. The one dissimilarity in the History of the pirate Gow is Johnson says he is John Smith alias Gow, while Daniel Defoe calls him the pirate Gow aka Smith. Gow is derived from the Erse name Gobha which translates to Blacksmith or Smith. So both version are in fact correct. But why the difference? Maybe editorial?

"Under the Black Flag", and all the rest of the pirate history books used this one as their basic reference. It's a lot of material, and took me several months to read as I'd read single captain's history before turning the lights out for the night. The stories are not watered down, there is enough murder, mayhem, robbery, thuggery, and general bad treatment of one person against another to fill years of "Pirates of the XXXX" movies with Johnny Depp scripts.

I did like this book, even though after about the 200th captain's adventure its sort of repetitive narrative. The other interesting thing was that amid this culture of mayhem there was a strong democratic theme. Captains and bosun's are elected positions on most of the boats! Colonies elect a "governor", they have jury trials to settle disputes and yet the economy revolves around ripping off passing merchant boats.

As for whether "Captain Johnson" or "Daniel Defoe" wrote the text, I can't tell. But it doesn't matter, there are no copyright royalties to be paid to the author at this point. The stories are just as good. Anyone who is really interested in Pirates would enjoy this book. (Although I got my copy from the public library.) I especially found the history of Annie Bonny and Mary Reed to be absolute soap opera story. History is stranger than fiction.

(Oh and read Richard Zack's book on Captain Kidd, Defoe got it wrong, and Zack's found the original documents to explain what really happened.) Zack's book is easier to read too.

This book is written in a different kind of English than we what are used to. As such, this book is amazing. Filled to the brim with pirate information, boat information, etc, this is a good book for anyone who really is interested in pirates.
For those who are interested in pirates purely at a humorous level, this isn't the book you should go with. This is packed with real information in older English, and is really intended for those who wish to know more about pirates and how they lived.

This book helped my understanding of pirates greatly! I recommend to anyone who is interested in trying to know more about those scalawags of the sea.

The dearth of primary sources have encouraged "scholars" to grasp onto the Furbanks / Owens short de-atrribution, which is basically an ad hominem attack against the preeminent 20th century Defoe scholar Moore. The tales in this book are wild and outlandish, much like Defoe's life. Full of get-rich quick schemes, bankruptcy, and being pilloried, he did not lack for his own source material. So enjoy the tales, picture a proto-democracy where illiterate desperate men create "articles" of piracy that would make a modern day attorney proud, read some more Defoe and make up your own mind. Clear sailing!

Bought for my grandson's 7th birthday. He loved it, he is into everything Titanic right now. Even my husband loved it book, as did his father.

Awesome, in every sense of the word... One of the best books on the wreck i have ever viewed and it ties in brilliantly withthe movie which is probably one of my favourites too! I recommend this to any Titanic bod..

This book is a welcome additon to any on the RMS Titanic. Its not just history but of the crew of the deep sea submarine. The Titanic always captures ones imagination. This book shows the wear, and tear that nature is bringing the wreck of the Titanic. Its sad how much has changed since her discovery by Bob Ballard. The book goes into depth through pictures, and artwork of famed painter Ken Marschall. What is happening to the liner is awful. I also can respect a book that goes to the abyss without raping the Titanic that is a graveyard too, that deserves to be left alone to its fate by nature. Thank you for Amazon for allowing me to review this book, and give a little opinion on the subject of Titanic.

This book is an excellent tribute to those who designed,built and sailed on the world's most famous ship. It is also a fine tribute to those who sacrificed so much to find the ship laying on the ocean floor,at a depth of 2 1/2 miles below the surface,375 miles SE of Newfoundland,and 1,000 miles due East of Boston; and bringing back to us, in unimaginable detail ,how this magnificient ship, in all her splendor, looks today in her final resting place.For many decades ,there was wild speculation of how the ship would look after so many years under such great pressures and even if she could ever be found. All that speculation has been resolved,thanks to the efforts of these determined and talented people.Not only have they found her,visited her,returned with fantastic photographs;but have also done a superb job of sharing it with us through Motion Pictures,Documentries, beautiful,haunting and imaginative drawings and keepsakes such as this dazzling book.
Where this book shines is that it shows what things originally looked like ,using actual pictures at the time;and then showing what they look like now,after over 90 years of ravages by time and elements.
While the photos alone would make this an exiquisite volume,the text covers much information on the ship,how events unfolded and why things happened the way they did.
The painting by artist Ken Marschall of the Titanic, majestically forging ahead ;while she is being fatally ripped open by the iceberg shows the spirit of man against all odds of nature;and even though man is often set back,he refuses to be defeated. This scene in History is reminiscent of the spectacular explosion and loss of life with the Challenger Spaceship.We all owe a gerat debt of gratitude to the artists who portray images such as Marschall and who have the imagination and talent to paint such a picture as is on page 35, showing the Titanic breaking up,the many unfortunate passengers and crew heading with the ship to their watery graves;while a few fortunate are saved.The lifeboat with its few survivors ,where the artist shows that while some look on,others can't even bear to watch.While photographers can produce excellent images of events,if they get the opportunity;it takes an artist to record events like this.
The book is dedicated to those who perished on April,15,1912,and on September 11, 2001. As the world watched the events of 9/11,the crew who gave us the scenes in this wonderful book,were actually at sea ,diving on the Titanic.
We need books like this to remind us of the hopes, struggles and endurance of Man against both the forces of Nanure ,as with the Titanic and and the Evils of Man, as we saw on 9/11.

"Ghosts of the Abyss" features a collection of the greatest Titanic Wreck images to date. Cameron has wandered into areas of the ship inquiring minds like my own have often wondered about. The contrast of the Titanic then to what she is now reveals the tragic aspects of this signifciant historical disaster. What was by far catching were several 3-D models present here and there such as the Grand Staircase among other locations within the ship. The angles of the images taken and lighting of the wreck were brilliant. If anything, the rare images of the D-Deck vestibules make the book worth the price. A must have for anyone who is captivated by the former elegance of the ship of dreams.

From: www.BasilAndSpice.com
Author & Book Views On A Healthy Life!

Book Review: God In My Corner: A Spiritual Memoir (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2007) by George Foreman, written with Ken Abraham.



George Foreman, Olympic Gold Medalist, Entrepreneur, two-time Heavyweight Champion, Father, Benefactor, American, Rancher, Pastor, and Author, has published God In My Corner: A Spiritual Memoir.

Society, no matter what its generational age, will remember Mr. Foreman, also known as Big George, for his unique public life. Mr. Foreman is no closed book; his life - ups, downs, and accomplishments have been preserved for the benefit of future young people through television and the printed word. Born without a silver spoon, Mr. Foreman completed his financial, spiritual, and athletic journeys with all eyes on him. "I'm probably one of those few people in the world who has gone from rags to riches to rags and back to riches again. Having grown up in extreme poverty, I became a millionaire, and then went bankrupt. Now I'm better off than ever."--George Foreman

God In My Corner: A Spiritual Memoir is the revelation of the deepest part of George Foreman's inner spirit. It delves into the influence of his poverty-stricken childhood, the development of his boxing career, and the life he lived before accepting Jesus Christ as his Savior. Recounting his death experience and Christian conversion, Mr. Foreman continues his life's story about what he's chosen to achieve with the second chance at life. He attributes his success to his new found faith in God, and strives to live each day as a positive Christian role model for all to witness. Today, Mr. Foreman is an ordained minister and the pastor of The Church of Lord Jesus Christ in Houston where he preaches twice a week. As a benefactor, he founded and funds the George Foreman Youth Center, putting his money into a project that helps kids both physically and emotionally.

God In My Corner: A Spiritual Memoir opens the hearts and minds of readers through the honesty of George Foreman. Though he's stunned the world with his success in sports and business, he states, "Too many people are reaching for the stars and forgetting about the church. Don't let any opportunity lead you away from serving God. That's a price that's too high to pay." Spoken like a man who has been there and done that, Pastor Foreman offers positive lifestyle-reinforcing "Tips From George's Corner" at the end of each chapter. Unlike many in the spotlight, Pastor George has written openly about the mistakes he's made and how he's changed his life for the better. His goal is to not just have God in his corner, but to help others see that God can be the support system everyone needs.

Recently, my family endured several hits in life. They eventually happen to us all--illness, death, financial destruction, accidents. It was during this time that my husband and I read together God In My Corner. Laughing at Mr. Foreman's humor and thinking, `He's right about life,' it helped us persevere through some of the darkest days we've had. Refreshing, motivating, and positive--a second chance in life, like George Foreman, is what we all need.

5 Stars

God In My Corner: A Spiritual Memoir

I am so blessed by reading this book (I am not a reader). I find George Forman's experience so compelling that I cannot express how reading this book makes me feel. I would love to talk to him in person and hear his experience from his own lips. I would love to hear him preach in his Church, but that is not going to happen so I shall continue to cling to his words in this book.

Despite being a Christian myself, I am often a bit skeptical when athletes claim they have found the good Lord (as that claim is easy to say, not so easy to live). However, after reading this spiritual memoir by George Foreman, I am convinced that he truly has turned his life over to God, and that transformation is as fascinating as it gets.

Fans of classic boxing will remember Big George as one of the meanest, most ferocious heavyweight champions of all time. Yet, at nearly the height of his boxing fame, George (in the book) recounts a near-death experience sent to him by God that changed his life forever. Instead of letting his anger control him, George learned (though not without many trials) to trust in the Lord and serve the higher power. As a result, he believes, the Lord led him to make a comeback to boxing in his 40s and become the oldest heavyweight champion in the sport's long history.

Not only is Foreman's story interesting, but its principles can also be applied to the lives of every living human being. At the end of each chapter, George recaps the key points in easily-understood language, enough so that it can reach born-again Christians or those skeptical of religion altogether.

Overall, this book is very useful in serving two purposes: First, for more "advanced" Christians, it shows that, despite being difficult, the Christian battle can be won. Perhaps most importantly, though, it shows non-Christians how completely a life can be turned around for the better, as Foreman went from essentially a street thug to a servant of the Lord.

So, if you are waning in your faith and need a pick-me-up, or want to see the results of living a Godly life, George's cheerful attitude is just what you have been looking for!

I would recommend this book to anyone who does not believe dreams come true with a little hard work and a lot of faith. George Foreman came from nothing and look at him now. In spite of all of his wealth, he is committed to helping others. He is truly a rich man...in his heart and sould...not in his wallet. This book gives the reader an in-depth look at George Foreman the man...not the boxer. He has family values and morals that we don't find frequently in today's society.

Read this book!!!

George Foreman's personality, style and charisma make this perhaps my favorite book of all time. Why? Because George gives us a detailed look at his personal journey to finding spirituality and happiness in life and how he has shared that lesson with others in an attempt to improve their lives.

I liked George Foreman before reading this book but afterward, I achieved a higher sense of respect for a selfless man who gave up his boxing career to preach and follow the path to God. He even started the George Foreman Youth and Community Center in 1984 with retirement money that he had "tucked" away during his 8-year retirement from boxing. His goal was not to indoctrinate local kids but to give them a place to come and follow a productive direction.

Though George "un-retired" from boxing several times, he continued as a minister in his own local church and spreading the word of God in many ways. In fact, George illustrates that money, wealth and power do not necessarily create a sense of fulfillment; it's the spirituality that brings joy and contentment. George lays the advice out for his readers, plain and simple:

"I am convinced that God gives us all a chance to know Him. He gives us the opportunity and if we say "yes" to Him, He will choose us. But He won't force Himself on anyone".

"God is merciful and will always give us a new beginning if we are willing to change."

Clearly, this advice comes from a man who was transformed in that locker room in 1976.

Thomas Watson and Charles Spurgeon are my favorite Christian writers, and I never thought I would find another author that I would put on par with them. But J. C. Ryle has now joined my favorites, and his book Holiness is an incredibly rich, valuable, readable resource for any Christian who wants to truly grow in his or her walk with the Lord. Highly recommended.

If you are looking for a solid book, theologically, then look no further. Ryle is an excellent theologian and practical as well. He wants his readers to understand the work of Christ and salvation in the life of a believer. It is great for Bible studies or personal growth.

I would recommend this work to any true believer "working out their own salvation in fear and trembling". It is sound, very comforting and at times very sharp. It is worth every penny and it pays for itself after the first page. Buy it now!!!

The author believes man is Justified byu Faith alone, but believes a Christian Faith is identified by its fruits. This is good, though I do think at times it may seem he believes otherwise. The book sometimes explains something in a thousand words that some may explain in two hundred. It is interesting read considering the book was written some hundred twenty years ago. He complains about easy conversersion without counting the cost of departing from your oldways (sins). That giving life to Christ is not a simple prayer but athoughtful process where you stand before God. He expresses the difference between having more Christians and having less Christians but more devoted. He also disdusses the visible and invisible Church. Those who are members of a local body of Christ but have not truly repented for sins and seek Jesus as God, Savior, and Lord. I found the exposition very interesting at times. A few times I wish he get to the point.

This book is very detailed and covers the subject very well. It is not written in the easy to read style of modern books and demands concentration. Ryle backs up his thoughts with plenty of references to scripture. His thoughts would be in line with the Puritans. The book is both challenging and encouraging.

I bought this book as a Christmas gift for a friend who is a hypochondriac. She got a kick out of it which is what I wanted. I'm not sure how informative it is but works good as a conversation piece on the coffee table.

This is the FUNNIEST book you'll ever read. Hands down. Fast delivery with good packaging (bubble wrap) for protection.

This book was funny. All the diseases shown are some of the worst diseases anyone could ever imagine. You won't even want to shake hands with someone after reading about Bejel. *ew*

If you have the nerve, and are into perverse entertainment, this is the book for you -- or someone who will appreciate midnight black humor with a glossy blue sheen. We're talking forty-five horrifying ways that Nature is out to get you, with plenty of gruesome details on how she will succeed, and the pitiful or nonexistent steps you can take to protect yourself.

The writing is excellent. The author has a way with words, content aside. It really takes talent to make me laugh out loud, all the way through a book, especially when what I'm reading is also giving me cold sweats and an irregular heartbeat. I couldn't put the book down, and now I'm afraid to move or breathe. Other people have to get their thrills on mountain tops -- me, I can sit right here, white knuckled, waiting for unspeakable dangers to come to me. I am now regarding my cats and coworkers with suspicion -- no, outright terror.

Three days ago, I had no trouble making the leap from tiny flickering pain in my head to malignant brain tumor. Now I look at that self-diagnosis as a sign of childlike innocence. Do you have any idea how many truly unspeakable, debilitating, and deadly diseases start out with a simple rash or swelling? Numbness, coughing, itching, of course headaches, the list of innocuous symptoms is comprehensive, and all symptoms seem to lead to blindness and loss of body parts.

I find the ailment Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva, where your immune system decides to replace your sore muscles with bone, particularly insidious, although I feel better about not going to the gym now. Another favorite: Fatal Familial Insomnia, in which you never sleep again. (It's now 2 a.m. -- I'm feeling perky, and worried.) Furious Rabies, Norwegian Scabies, very bad. And let's not ignore good old pinworms, which 1 in 10 of us have at this minute and everyone has a 50/50 shot at getting at some point before they die (probably not from pinworms, which, by the way, are IN your butt and come out at night to lay their eggs ON your butt. Remember that time you scratched your itchy butt? Yuh huh. Trust me, the least of your worries. You want to be focusing on Scleroderma, in which your skin and organs slowly harden and you begin to resemble a statue, or Myasis, in which maggots crawl around beneath your skin. If you're lucky you'll get off with Chronic Idiopathic Diarrhea or Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome. Both of which sound marginally better than the Mycobacteriosis I could get from changing the water in my fishbowl, or Bacillary Angiomatosis (cat scratch fever).

Giving this book to a full-blown hypochondriac is what passive aggressive behavior is all about. Or, you just think your mom will really get a kick out of it.

What better way to bond to the sweet hypochondriac in your life than by giving them this book? The diseases are real, the commentary is hilarious. Guys, believe me, you won't want to swim in the Amazon after you read this.

In my opinion this book is an excellent resource for those suffering and those who know someone with diabetes.

My teenage son was diagnosed recently with Type 1 Diabetes, it was very scary not knowing anything about Diabetes. This book is easy to understand and it explains everything about Type 1 diabetes. Wonderful help to me.

Great book for the Type 1 patient or the parent/spouse/family member of one.
Gives good suggestions on a variety of topics. Well worth the money.

I have found this book VERY helpful. From time to time we have questions/concerns that come up, we have found easy to understand answers/advise for real life issues.

This book has helped us so much.
The doctors don't help you too much so you are left with a million questions and this book has helped so much.
This disease is so overwelming and this book is so helpful in easy to understand words.
Instead of going into a panic when something happens we now just go to the book and it calms us right down.
Thank God this book is here.

In all things about James Joyce, no one has exhibited more of an acute understanding of the man and his works than Richard Ellmann. He is the bridge by which readers who have not read Joyce or do not understand what they have read by him to the inner workings of the artist and his life.

This biography, "James Joyce" has been around for decades, virtually unchallenged. He presents to the reader all the facets of Joyce's life and personality. This is no mere star-gazing. Along with all the great things about Joyce, he also examines his weakness: his superstitions, his drinking, his occasional selfishnes, his sexual complexities, and his failure to really take care of his family. We get to see Joyce in all his dimensions and from several perspectives. That makes this book not only the best biography of James Joyce but one of the classic biographies of all time.

I just cannot praise this book enough. Ellman's biography of Joyce is amazing, bewildering, daunting (at least in its length) and wonderful -- not coincidently, just like James Joyce. One caveat: I imagine a reader might be quite confused if s/he read this before reading any of Joyce's major works (Ulysses or Finnegans Wake). I am kicking myself that I didn't read this biography years ago! Truly a marvelous work -- and a must for readers of Joyce.

For those of you interested in a biography of James Joyce that's as erudite as his works themselves, then Ellmann's "James Joyce" is most definitely for you. This is a product of years of interviews and correspondence with many of Joyce's friends and family members; and Ellmann's love for both the writer and the man radiate through every page. His sections on the key themes and events that inspired both "Ulysses" and "Finnegans Wake" are invaluable. Moreover, you'll find yourself chuckling a great deal of time, and even shedding a few tears, as I did. My only critique of the book, albeit fairly minor, is not so much directed at the author as it is at the publisher: there is little room in the margins for notes, as well as very sparse flyleaves; hence for those of you who like to engage a book with gushing pen in hand, then you'll find the layout of this book quite restraining, as I did. One might counter this critique, however, with the perhaps granted point that it leaves all the more canvas space on which to overlay layers and layers of brush strokes much needed when attempting to paint the life of this very complex, gifted, and charming man.

Richard Ellmann's biography of James Joyce is hands down among the three best or the best biography written in the 20th century. For anyone with a serious interest in Joyce or his writings, will truly enjoy getting to know Joyce and his writings through this book.

I've read maybe a few thousand reviews of other titles on this website but this is the first book I've felt I needed to comment on. I comment mainly because I noted that two reviewers gave this book "4 stars". What unmitigated gall!

Richard Ellmann's biography is the most definitive and complete examination of James Joyce that has been written. This extensive work examines Joyce's life from his birth to his death. Ellmann's narrative derives from Joyce's letters as well as accounts from Joyce's brother, Stanislaus. The book is most revealing in offering an understanding of the process it took for Joyce to come up with his most monumental works, ULYSSES AND FINNEGANS WAKE. Ellmann states that Joyce intentionally made it difficult for anyone to understand what he wrote. He wanted to keep his critics, academics and scholars, guessing of what significance his nonsensical gibberish creation represented. In addition, Ellmann intertwines events that occurred in Joyce's life that show how they closely resemble the characters in the works he produced, such as his early work, A PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS A YOUNG MAN.

James Joyce most likely can be considered a "starving artist." He would go without a new pair of shoes until they wore down to the soles, but looked debonair and sophisticated with non-matching suits. In the beginning, he aspired to be a work within the realms of Jesuit studies, but later opted for a writing career that would take him from Trieste, Paris, and Zurich. Joyce struggled with poverty through out his life even as his most famous works were published. Monetary problems and health conditions that affected his eyesight never hindered his creative process. If he lost his eyesight, he probably would have continued to write blind. Joyce appeared to be an eccentric and stubborn man. However, Ellmann shows a caring and supporting man who loved his wife and children, and most of all, his father, John Stanislaus Joyce.

In terms to history and literature, Ellmann constantly references Joyce's fascination with Shakespeare, ancient civilization and history. This is best displayed in ULYSSES, but one significant footnote is that he did not appear to care for American history. He makes a minute reference to Ulysses S. Grant in ULYSSES, but he did not even know who the man was; Joyce loathed the United States. Also, Ellmann offers a birds-eye view of what his cohorts thought of his work. Gertrude Stein as well as Ernest Hemingway praised and envied Joyce's contributions to Modernism.

Ellmann examines a tremendous amount of information within his narrative. When one completes JAMES JOYCE, what else do you need to know about this genuine writer who used his craft as a means of getting back home, but never quite made it there? But he preferred Zurich and its snow-capped mountains as home rather than the complexities of his former Dublin. JAMES JOYCE is the springboard one needs when beginning a study of Joyce the man and his works, which should begin with PORTRAIT and ending with WAKE.

This was my absolute favorite book when i was growing up. I still have the entire thing memorized. I never get tired of looking and the illustrations and hope that my children will enjoy this book as much as i did and still do!

My Grandma bought me this book when I was a small child. We read it over and over again. I absolutely loved it!!! I will definitely be reading this book to my future children and the future children in my classroom. I hope they love it as much as I do.

This was one of my favorite books as a little girl, and now my two little nieces can't get enough of it. I'm actually buying a replacement book now because the one we have is so worn out from reading it again and again. I definitely recommend it for the kids in your life.

Awwww I feel like crying! This was one of my all time favorite books as a child! My favorite library teacher let me have it in 1st grade and I read it over and over until i knew the words by heart

this is a great story, both to read out loud and to read alone. it's about a girl whose mother wants her to clean her room, but her friends come over and they end up playing instead. her mother tells her a few times to go clean her room and she seemingly goes to do it, but she takes her friends with her, as well as her baby sister, and they get distracted by their imaginations, so we get to see them pretending to be a bunch of different things. at the end though her mother puts her foot down and tells jillian to clean her room, so she tells her friends to come back when her room is neater.

the book rhymes, which is amazing for reading out loud, or for singular readings, the flow is nice. the illustrations are great too, the characters look like they're having fun. the way they're drawn conveys a lot of energy and excitement, and yet the drawings are simple... i guess they kind of remind me of children themselves, not a whole lot to them, but invest your time and you'll have more than your share of fun.

this whole series is great. i recommend.