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False Memory WAS my top Koontz book but Intensity takes the cake. There are twists and turns during the whole book and no fluff at all. It keeps you guessing up until the very end!

It's a must add to your list!

This is the 3rd Koontz book I read, and it was pretty good. The heroine of the story was excellent and compelling. I despised the villain, which is the goal of the author, so he succeeded. This book could easily be a movie (if it isn't yet).

Six Chilling Nightmares I love horror if it is believable. Intensity is everything you want for an entertaining evening during a snow storm and stormy nights. The beginning was well played and in proper text with the book and the ending was a shocker. A great book to read that is easy to understand with a plot that you might never forget. This story is close to the truth representing murder itself, with spine chilling moments that persuade you to stop reading to think for a minute. I loved this book and it deserves six stars. What more can you ask for in a chilling horror book? It has everything you need for a night alone next to a roaring fire or perhaps a nice corner in the basement. I love comedy horror but this book had no room for humor and the horror throughout the book was intense.

Why do people feel the need to summerize or rewrite all the books on here?? A review is simply an avenue for people to say what they thought of the book, whether they enjoyed it or not and possibly help someone else decide if its worth reading. I can get the summery of the book in product description, I dont need you for that. What's wrong with you people???

This is by far my favorite Dean Koontz novel and definitely in my top 5 favorite books of all time. I've read it 3 times and may actually read it a fourth time at some point. If you want a rollercoaster ride of a suspenseful novel, a real page turner...do yourself a favor and pick this one up. It's amazing!

This is the only book I've read that has changed my day-to-day life every day in visible ways. I say that having read it over a year ago, not just last week. My desk was cluttered and piled with papers; it's now clear every day. My inbox had over 6,000 emails; there are four unread in my inbox as I write this. My folders are all uniformly labeled. Administravia that would barely get done is efficiently processed in a timely manner unless I've consciously decided to do it later. This is a must read for everyone.

The workflow David Allen presents in Getting Things Done is incredibly useful. So much so, in fact, that it can make the book difficult to read. I personally started the book twice, only to put it back on the shelf half-completed, before reading it completely on my third attempt.

In the interest of getting things done, the book is written in such a way that unfinished business will be drawn out of your subconscious to occupy your central thought process. Unfortunately, this mental burden distracts attention from reading the book itself.

During my first two attempts, this became so frustrating that I simply had to stop reading the book. However, I was still able to take away valuable lessons. One of the primary tenets of GTD, is ensuring these reminders get written down in a trusted system. In so doing, the nagging voice in your head will subside, allowing you to focus and complete tasks efficiently.

I began by integrating the ideas I had read into my own way of working. In so doing, I was able to reach a level where I could finally pick up the book and read it in its entirety, without having my concentration broken by reminders of my open loops.

If you are looking to improve your productivity, I highly recommend this book. Start implementing the ideas into your workflow as you read them, and don't be too concerned about reading cover-to-cover. Depending on your work style, a complete GTD workflow may need to be adopted incrementally over time.

I get three times what I used to get done in a week because of the systems of time manipulation I have developed. Another good book that gives time manipulation tools is Don't Like to Read, Then Don't, Listen!: How to Turn Any Type of Text Into Audio Files That Can Be Read to You!

This is an excellent Starting Point for those who are just getting organized. You can make the system your own. I takes about 4 weeks to get set up and running, at least it did for me. I also recommend Don't Like to Read, Then Don't, Listen!: How to Turn Any Type of Text Into Audio Files That Can Be Read to You!, as a tool that can help you get more things done as you do basic life stuff such as showerings, cooking, eating, ect.

Mr Allen has written a valuable book. The first chapter provides a good rationale for his system, with the second chapter providing practical implementation details. The system itself is sound, with the first chapter providing adequate justification for the system. Even if one doesn't like the system, the first and second chapters provide valuable ideas and suggestions to improve productivity.

The third chapter devolves into repetition of the least valuable sort. It fails to re-enforce earlier concepts, but detracts from them by poorly attempting to justify them at a higher level.

I wish Mr Allen would release a second edition of this book. It is peppered with imprecise language, hackneyed phrases, and meaningless clichés. Many sentences in the book could have 2 or more words removed without losing any meaning. The author also tends to exaggerate. For example, on page 250 he writes "That is real productivity, perhaps in its most awesome manifestation". This would be better if it simply said "That is real productivity, in its best form".

There is also much 'management speak' within the book, which detracts from its message.

In all, the book contains many good ideas, and if you can ignore the often flawed writing style of the author, then you stand to gain much from the book.

Please, Mr Allen, re-write the book while thinking about clear, plain English. It will benefit both your readers and your book sales.

I thought this book answered a lot of questions that I had always wanted to know about Marilyn Manson, and also Trent Reznor. I had always been curious about the relationship between Marilyn and Trent, and although he didn't go into a lot of detail about their personal relationship, the information that was given I was very thankful for, considering what a solitary person Trent is. I found comfort while reading this book, finding myself remembering moments from my childhood similar to his. Growing up in a religious family, feeling brainwashed by your church, and then in your teens you begin to open your eyes and realize that there is more out there. I grew up in a small town like Brian Warner (Marilyn Manson), and I also felt like I would never be able to get out of this hell-hole but this book has given me inspiration. After seeing how many drugs he did, and considering how many drugs I do, it is very interesting to see that he still managed to do something amazing. And as he said in a recent interview "It seems like once artists quit doing drugs, their music starts sucking." Which is a true statement in my eyes. I think the hell that drugs bring into your life cause such an internal and external struggle that it gives you a million things to scream about, a million things to write about, and a million things to think about. All these ideas while Manson was on drugs are what created "Antichrist Superstar." Without drugs, this album would not exist, Manson would not exist. While I do not recommend drugs, I find it interesting reading about the personal hell that artists have gone through with drugs. I wish Trent Reznor would write an autobiography and give the sort of view into his life as Marilyn Manson does with "The Long Hard Road Out of Hell." 5 stars without a doubt, no matter how much you know about the Antichrist Superstar, I guarantee you will learn something you didn't know in this book.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed and could relate to this! It was fun, dirty, thoughtful, made me laugh at moments and made me feel better that someone so publicized could be open about a lot of the things we all go through but, don't want to talk about.

And who hasn't wanted to take on a different persona now and then? I mean, the one thing that I have always enjoyed about reading fiction is that if one can find a character to fall in love with, he or she starts to see themselves as that character throughout the novel. And if all of that can come from an autobiography, then it must be extremely well written! Plus, in this work, Strauss humanizes Manson rather than making an idol of him like so many authors tend to do of, shall we say, "controversial" figures.

This book is full of the allure of fantasy and escapism; yet, one can empathize with the reality of it.

Just not good. Really, don't bother. Ever. I would give it no stars but for the fact it made me laugh a couple of times (but not in a good way).

If squeamish, don't bother. After reading this I have a lower opinion of everybody. If this is by any means the 18 to 34 yrs old mentalitity then it is even lower. overall a good book. A honestly and realistic veiw. Basically a Satanist who isn't like Peter Gilmore is a WELCOME to my bookshelf anytime.I HATE Peter Gilmore! what a pretentiuos sissy.

This book is very very very good. MM is a great song-writer himself already and this book is so great that I can't put it down. This is the truest account of his life and you will know why he is the way he is. Honest, brutal, funny, and sick this book is.

Great book!! It was for my college class book review. I read it to my daughter and we both enjoyed it.

Tracy M Griffin
May 10, 2008
Literature Review

Title: "Charlotte's Web"
Author: E.B. White
Publisher: HarperCollins 1952
Pages: 192
Genre: Children's
Reading Level: 4.9
Lexile: 680

Synopsis of the Plot: "Charlotte's Web" is an endearing story about the friendship between animals and humans to save the life of a pig. Wilber was born to a litter as the runt; Fern, a young girl who had a great love for animals, immediately took him in. Fern was a child that had the gift of speaking to the animals. Wilber lived on a farm that belonged to Fern's uncle, so she could see him and the other farm animals a great deal. The other animals grew to be a large part of Wilber's life, especially Wilber's friend Charlotte.

Wilber met his good friend Charlotte in the barn. Her first words to Wilber came at a time of need for Wilber. Charlotte was a calm and collected spider. She always had words of wisdom to Wilber, and had the ability to ease his always-tense self. Charlotte would later become a lifesaver for her great friend Wilber.

When Wilber grew to know his surroundings a fear started that he was going to be slaughtered. Wilber was so worried and insecure about his life he would fall faint a great deal and always be in a tizzy. Wilber expressed his concern to everyone in the barn a great deal. His best friend Charlotte decided to take a stance for her friend and help him get through this time. Charlotte used her skill of weaving beautiful webs to show the family that owned the farm how great Wilber really was.

Negative Aspects of the Book: As I have read this book many times I feel that the content now does not fit the reading level. My students in first grade really enjoyed this book being read to them. However, currently the sixth graders at my school are reading this book and I do not see them enjoying the book as much as my young students do.

Personal Appraisal: This book was a joy to read with my students! It gave them a clean and deep meaning of friendship and helping out people that we care about. The language was very appropriate for any child to read.

This book helps students realize how much friends can really help out each other. The relationship between Charlotte and Wilber is one that many children can relate to. My students in my class found the way Charlotte was so calm and endearing to be somewhat of a mom to Wilber. That was so interesting that they came away with it, I never thought of it that way, I always saw Charlotte as just a friend. This book shows that there are many interpretations that can be made through literature.

The most worthwhile part of this book is the friendships that exist between Wilber and all his friends. His friends show him how great of a pig he really is. Fern's love for Wilber, even though he was the runt of the litter, shows students that no matter the size or makeup of someone they still are great!

Tracy M Griffin
May 10, 2008
Literature Review

Title: "Charlotte's Web"
Author: E.B. White
Publisher: HarperCollins 1952
Pages: 192
Genre: Children's
Reading Level: 4.9
Lexile: 680

Synopsis of the Plot: "Charlotte's Web" is an endearing story about the friendship between animals and humans to save the life of a pig. Wilber was born to a litter as the runt; Fern, a young girl who had a great love for animals, immediately took him in. Fern was a child that had the gift of speaking to the animals. Wilbur lived on a farm that belonged to Fern's uncle, so she could see him and the other farm animals a great deal. The other animals grew to be a large part of Wilbur's life, especially Wilbur's friend Charlotte.

Wilber met his good friend Charlotte in the barn. Her first words to Wilber came at a time of need for Wilbur. Charlotte was a calm and collected spider. She always had words of wisdom to Wilbur, and had the ability to ease his always-tense self. Charlotte would later become a lifesaver for her great friend Wilbur.

When Wilber grew to know his surroundings a fear started that he was going to be slaughtered. Wilbur was so worried and insecure about his life he would fall faint a great deal and always be in a tizzy. Wilbur expressed his concern to everyone in the barn a great deal. His best friend Charlotte decided to take a stance for her friend and help him get through this time. Charlotte used her skill of weaving beautiful webs to show the family that owned the farm how great Wilbur really was.

Negative Aspects of the Book: As I have read this book many times I feel that the content now does not fit the reading level. My students in first grade really enjoyed this book being read to them. However, currently the sixth graders at my school are reading this book and I do not see them enjoying the book as much as my young students do.

Personal Appraisal: This book was a joy to read with my students! It gave them a clean and deep meaning of friendship and helping out people that we care about. The language was very appropriate for any child to read.

This book helps students realize how much friends can really help out each other. The relationship between Charlotte and Wilbur is one that many children can relate to. My students in my class found the way Charlotte was so calm and endearing to be somewhat of a mom to Wilbur. That was so interesting that they came away with it, I never thought of it that way, I always saw Charlotte as just a friend. This book shows that there are many interpretations that can be made through literature.

The most worthwhile part of this book is the friendships that exist between Wilbur and all his friends. His friends show him how great of a pig he really is. Fern's love for Wilbur, even though he was the runt of the litter, shows students that no matter the size or makeup of someone they still are great!

I don't care what weird opinions you have on talking animals (frankly, I can't stand a lot of them, either). But Charlotte's Web is a fable about friendship told properly fable-ish through the voices of animals and a little girl who are thrown together in an effort to keep a pig from certain doom. Yes, it's cutesy, but it is for children and they love it. The animals all have their separate personalites and I have personally seen adult books that can't have the characterization of these. It's a great, timeless story.

I'm sharing this review with the intention of being particularly helpful to parents of toddlers and preschoolers. I found that having a very young child with the attention span to sit through chapters of a novel left me scrambling a bit to find novels that were appropriate in theme and content for her age. I am reviewing each novel we have read or tried in the hopes of being helpful to other parents in the same situation.

Charlotte's Web by EB White was the second novel we read, and we selected it for two reasons. First, it was already on our bookshelf, and second, an area park was planning to host the live-action movie, projected outside for a picnic-under-the-stars movie experience. I thought the second sounded really fun, and having seen the live action version, I thought my daughter would really enjoy it.

It was a bit of a gamble starting this one primarily because it tackles the concept of death, and a young three year old might not handle that well. But, knowing her as I do, I decided to try it on, and see how she responded. I decided that I'm not opposed to altering the story if I felt it necessary. Though I'm generally opposed to censorship, I feel this is fine, as I do not intend to keep ideas from her, merely gauge when she is ready for them. Regarding death, I felt that to some extent she had already been exposed to insect death, and that animal death is a natural extension of that idea. So, after noting the possible red-flags this novel brought with it, we began reading.

My daughter fell in love with this story. She considers it Fern's story, which I find interesting. The novel begins with Fern, and she is Wilbur's first advocate. I think she liked the idea of a pig all wrapped up in a baby blanket, in a doll's carriage, drinking milk from a bottle. I think she liked to experience being a caregiver vicariously through Fern. I saw confusion and shock flash across her face during the early scene when Fern rescued Wilbur from an early death. I think to some extent, Fern won my daughter's devotion in that early scene. Like Fern, the idea that this baby pig should be killed because it was small, was not only foreign but definitely wrong. It was neat to see her draw that conclusion, and empathize with a character on the basis of emotion and moral righteousness. In that passage, I knew we'd done right to select this book, and that it gave her the gift of literature in a way that previous reading hadn't. It gave her books as a vehicle for examining ideas and drawing conclusions, as a means of experiencing difficult situations without actually having to live them.

She very much enjoyed the antics of Charlotte, Wilbur, and Templeton. She was a quiet listener, so that often times I wondered if she was fully engaged, and was surprised to find upon questioning that she was definitely fully with me. I was surprised by how well she kept with the story, not growing bored when we covered long passages about the wind blowing through the trees and the seasons changing on the the farm. I'd have predicted that she would need the clever antics to keep her interest up, but she was a rapt audience for the entirety of the book.

In the end, we took Charlotte's death on headlong, not editing or softening the blow. I felt the whole book had prepared for it, and to leave it out or soften it in the end would have made the preparation excessive. White was very wise in his handling of the story. It is very much an introduction to the idea of death, and he puts out early the idea that Wilbur may die, an idea his audience is not equipped to handle. Still, he prepares the audience for it, never lying. Never promising that it won't become a reality, presenting hope alongside the reality of death, and leaving the reader to know that those are what we have: the certainty of ultimate death, and hope in the face of it. And I love that he didn't chicken out. He didn't give us Wilbur, the victor over death and a means to avoid dealing with death as a certainty. He gave us Wilbur, saved from the slaughterhouse and free to live as full a life as any of us. And he gave us Charlotte, whose complete life came to it's natural end in this book. In doing so, he asks the reader to explore the idea of death and of the life-cycle, without giving them a free-pass. He is honest about it, and I respect that. He recognized that children weren't ready to say good-bye to Wilbur, and most especially not at the hand of humans and not by choice, but that he had prepared them for the idea of death and a natural death could be more easily accepted and understood. And so, Charlotte dies, and Wilbur lives to die another day, and my daughter begins to explore this idea and to decide for herself what it means to have a life.

Lots of questions accompanied this book, and followed it. Why do the people want to kill Wilbur? Why do we eat animals? Why does Charlotte not want Wilbur to die? Why did the farmer decide not to kill Wilbur? Why did Charlotte die? Do people also die? Will I die? Will you die when I die? What will happen after I die? When will I die? When will you die? Are Charlotte's babies sad because they don't have a mommy? And so on. And they are all important questions and I thank EB White for giving them to my daughter in such a gentle and loving way and allowing us to experience them together.

I read Princess the first time many years ago and was very intriged by it. It also made me look into Islam and I can say today I am a Muslim. I read the book again recently and did not find it as good. What must be said is that a lot of horrible things that happened in that book were culture and *not* Islam. (I will also say that Saudi is not a good example of a Islamic country.)

Other than that issue I think it's a good read. Just don't read too much into it. If you really want to get a look into life in Saudi there are Saudi feminist bloggers on the net. That would give you a better view than this book.

'Princess' is a true story about "Sultana" a member of the royal bloodline, growing up in Saudi Arabia. One would think that as descendant of the great leader, King Abdul Aziz life would be luxurious with one opportunity after another..and for the males that's true..but as a female born and raised in the Royal family life was severe and restrictive.

This book is very well written and you wont want to put it down. Most people have no idea what life in the Middle East is like. It will shock and sadden you to read about how cruel and harsh life is for females (children and adults) and the sickening double standards allowed for males. This book will open your eyes to the true nature of Islam and just how intolerant and incompatable it is regarding human rights.

This was a very well chronicled and written book of a princess' contemporary lifestyle and despairing oppression in Saudi Arabia. I highly reccommend this book.

Princess Sultana,
You seem to be looking for the Western World to assist in your plight of simple, daily freedoms for your nation's women. Which, by your story, is understandable. When you have a sole, domineering, and restrictive religion entwined in a political state...the chance of change is greatly reduced; after reading Saudi Arabian laws documented in your story, there's hardly any separation of religion and state in your day-to-day activities; especially for women. Actually, the legal system in your country is downright offensive to even me, and I am not a citizen of Saudi Arabia. Truly, I'd rather be homeless, U.S. citizen with complete social, educational, political, religious, and civic freedoms than a Princess with lavishly decorated palaces, an infinite amount of money, and diamonds and gems that string a couple miles...because after reading your life...freedom is priceless. I pity your life and the only people who can change your demise is your own people with the same mindset. 1776.

I read this book without regard to ethnicity or political belief. I read it as a woman -- as a human being who suffered at the thought of what other women are enduring in the name of "religion" or "culture."

There is no explanation possible to make this palatable to anyone with a conscience. To let it pass without mention is an abomination, akin to denying the Holocaust. There is no justification possible in the eyes of God.

To the perpetrators of this inhumanity to women, I can only promise you that God is watching. Any other comment on these perpetrators is superfluous.

I read this when I was high school and was shocked and appalled at how those poor Middle Eastern women live. Now grown, I have Middle Eastern female friends who laugh their head off at this book. Perhaps some of the incidents that are related happened, but I highly doubt they happened to the same person. It's like if someone from Saudi Arabia came here and wrote a book, "Senator's Daughter" or something. The girl was sexually abused starting at age 3, starved by her mother so she wouldn't get fat, pressured into sexually servicing the football team. The father has affairs with both women and men, is a pedophile, and likes to torture cats. The mother is a beaten-down woman who undergoes dozens of plastic surgery procedures and ends up locked in an insane asylum. Have these incidents, separately, happened to American females? Yes. Are they representative of American women, or senator's daughters? Nope. I suspect Jean Sasson did something similar, and it completely destroys any argument she was trying to make! A fun read, but don't take it as gospel.

I have no intention of debating the merits of The Lord of the Rings. The work speaks for itself; if you are one of its few detractors, your silly comments are not worth a reply, and you should go read some Philip Pullman. Here, I will simply address the quality of this edition.
I recently picked up this set because I needed new reading copies (the pages were falling out of my old ones), and I am quite happy with them. I was very surprised to read some of the other reviews that complained that this edition was of low quality. As far as the pages being a little off-white, my question is this: Is that bad? And if so, why? I can't really understand why that would be a minus, the pages just look older, and the color goes nicely with the brown cloth binding. The second complaint was the font. If you have ever had the pleasure of examining first editions of The Lord of the Rings books (and I have), its the same font that was used on the first printing. Thirdly, there were complaints about the fold out maps being hard to get out. The maps are FOLD OUT and ARE NOT meant to be taken out! If you tried to do it, its your own fault that your book is torn up, so don't complain about it and blame the publisher.The point of all this is that the books look vintage, and the design is very subtle and classy. If you want some garish looking movie cover set, then there are plenty of those for you. But if you want something that looks good on a nice bookcase, then get these.

Wonderful set! Reading a hardcover by the original publisher is a must. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful

Its divine the books are beautifully bound and reasonably priced, definately a must for Tolkien fanatics.

I will not rate the content of the work other than to say, yes, this is the quintessential and definitive work of fantasy fiction on the planet. ALL other 20th century and beyond works owe much influence and inspiration to it. End of discussion. Those that say it's "boring"? simply don't have an attention span longer than the first level of their favorite video game. Real life takes longer than that.

But this review is not about all that. This is to speak to the actual physical edition and it's quality. I purchased this edition a few years ago so as to have a substantial "Master Bookshelf Copy" of the work. I never intended that these books would be my "reading" copies. I have lesser versions for that duty. Others have complained that this version is of very poor quality concerning paper, printing and binding. I have not found my copy to so afflicted. I went back through each book to check. And I found consistent and solid black printing throughout. The maps were not adversely attached and are easily removed as needed. The covers, while not exceptional, are certainly adequate and acceptable.

I have no tangible complaints with this edition where it concerns quality.

Yes folks, this was the book (THE book--it wasn't supposed to be a trilogy originally) that started it all. The roots of modern fantasy begin here. Yes, it's also terribly formulaic writing--but it was written to be mythology. Myths and legends are generally pretty big on formula. Beneath that stiff prose, though, is the rich and complex world of Tolkien's Middle-earth...and what an amazing place it is.

It has been a long while since I read the Magician's Nephew for the first time. Nonetheless it came back to me to make the second time a even better experience. It is very well written and we enjoyed the creation of a new world and a beautiful world it was. This is a great book for all ages especially for those who enjoy magic.
Anna del C.
Author of "The Elf and the Princess"
The Elf and The Princess: The Silent Warrior Trilogy - Book One (The Silent Warrior Trilogy)

As a child, I was enchanted by the worlds in The Magician's Nephew - the descriptions of Charn, the creation of Narnia, and the Woods Between the Worlds - but I found myself cringing at the decidedly unsubtle allegory when I reread the book recently.

There is no avoiding the fact that this book is about Good versus Evil, nor that it is attempting to retell one of the creation stories from Genesis with the creation of Narnia. Everyone seems rather wooden and pushed into the rolls Lewis wants them to take and there is no real suspense or wonder. The good end happily and the bad do not, except for Jadis who must play the roll of Eden's serpent.

Furthermore, I was rather appalled at the treatment of Polly, the female Ketterleys, and Nellie/Queen Helen. I wish that I could better explain what I find so unsettling about them, but I can only point vaguely at their uselessness. I really didn't get a positive, empathetic feeling towards any of the women in the story, except for Mrs Kirke - and I suspect she only slides by because she's Digory's mother and she's ill.


So, that's that. It's an interesting little book, but steeped in 1950s children's book conventions, and it could use a good deal of updating to match it with modern sensibilities and a more dynamic writer.

Oh, and: I'm told in the opening pages that Lewis intended it to be read first among the Chronicles of Narnia, but I must disagree with this. To have such a blatantly allegorical story first in the set is to lose much of the wonder of discovering Narnia through the wardrobe with the Pevensie children. Besides which, much of the suspense and wonder in the second book are dashed away with all the background information that The Magician's Nephew provides.

C.S. Lewis, in my opinion, is an excellent story writer. This story is wonderfully written and full of captivating ideas. I liked the fact that the story takes its time, taking perfect moments to explain the characters and events.

Some of the things I was glad to find out is where the Wardrobe came from, where the Queen came from. I even laughed at the Queen during some of her charades and understood immediately who she was. I was also glad to find out who the Professor was in the house of the 2nd book. Even the lamp post was explained.

Even though, this book is geared towards young readers, I believe adults will find enjoyment in it, as well. It is a great book.

Thanks.

I used to watch "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" cartoon constantly when I was a little kid. Strangely enough, despite the fact that I was an avid reader as a child, as I still am today, I never read these books. I did enjoy other fantasy novels as a kid, but for some reason these never came my way, nor did I ever really ask for them. So since the movies are now being made I decided that I would pick up the books and see if I could delve even deeper into the tale of Narnia, since it appears this one may not be made into film. It might, you never know.

Even though this is a children's book it draws a lot of influence from the Bible, in fact many of the situations in this book parallel that text greatly. It may not be obvious to young children, but for those that are well read in a great many texts, it will be blatantly obvious. I am quite irreligious, but I have still read the Bible as well as a great many books and I am certainly not such a prude in my beliefs to deny how influential the Bible has been in literature. I will discuss the parallels later, for now I will go over the tale and what I thought of it.

Even though this book was written after "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe", "The Magician's Nephew" is actually the prequel to the whole saga! The story centers around two children, Digory and Polly, and how they got brought into an adventure that would be the starting point for so many others. Digory is living with his Uncle Andrew, who spends a good deal of time trying to find out the secrets of magical workings in our world. He stumbles upon success in the form of rings that transport the wearer into another dimension essentially. However, Andrew is a coward and he refuses to find out where they could transport him on his own, thus he enlists Digory to go for him, and unfortunately Polly gets sucked into the whole mess. Needless to say inter-dimensional travel doesn't ever seem to go very smoothly (whether I'm reading sci-fi or fantasy) and the two children are brought into both terrifying situations and mystifying worlds. Here we see the recounting of Narnia's creation, the first meeting with Aslan, and how Digory (the future professor) came into the possession of the now infamous wardrobe. The book is also filled with talking animals and very humorous situations as a result, something most any child should enjoy.

For a children's book I thought this was a really fascinating adventure. I thought the proposition that there's a lion, somewhere in some alternate reality, running around making all kinds worlds all strung together by a gateway nexus called "The Wood Between the Worlds" was simply a great premise. It certainly doesn't take very long to read and, as an adult, the language use is very simple, naturally the target audience is for the young. However, the tale and writing transcend it's youthful audience by having parallel's and influences from a very adult world, thus I think adult's can appreciate this book series quite a bit. It's no secret that C.S. Lewis was a devout Christian. Aslan, the lion, is obviously represented as Christ, Jadis (the Ice Queen) is the serpent/Satan as parallel's the biblical tales. There is even the temptation at the forbidden tree, but instead of an unnamed fruit we see the Christian mythology play into the book and it is specifically named an apple. I found myself wondering if C.S. Lewis did this intentionally or if he knew that the Bible never explicitly states Eve ate an apple, rather she just ate "fruit" from a tree. Also the recounting of Aslan's creation of Narnia parallel's that of the Genesis tale. The use of song is an interesting concept. It is well known in the Bible that God likes his praise to be sung, but using that as the specific coder of creation was an interesting take on it. The other part that greatly interested me was the treatment of evil. Like the Bible, Aslan is aware that a great evil is in his new world, yet he does nothing about this. He never states why he can't do anything, or why he won't, simply that calamity will strike Narnia in the future, but that he will take the brunt force of this pain (paralleling the crucifixion of Christ and using prophecy). It's a curious move not to explain anything, and maybe this is my philosophical mind over thinking something that isn't there, I don't know.

As you can see Biblical parallels are rife throughout this book, but it is in no way preachy to the readers and even those like myself who harbor anti-religious tendencies, you can still enjoy the fantasy world as it is. After all, in my opinion, it makes a much better fantasy story than truth. If you've seen the newer edition of "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" I would highly recommend you read "The Magician's Nephew" because it gives you some excellent background on where that world came from and how our worlds can link together.

I'm 8, and my mom is typing my review. I think The Magician's Nephew is very heavy on the story of Adam and Eve. Like when Digory was tempted to eat the apple. But you don't have to be a Christian to enjoy this book. The Magician's Nephew has a lot of imagination in it. Like the Lion singing a birth of living creatures. Just like spring. And a horse that became a horse with wings in seconds.

I think this book is in the same category as The Hobbit, The Lord of Rings, and Harry Potter. But people think this book can't be enjoyed by adults because the main characters are kids. But that's wrong.

I love Stephen King and this series has me locked in. I live in a small town and to be able to order the books and get them shipped at a great price is awesome. I highly recommend this book and series!!

The Waste Lands is the third novel in Stephen King's Dark Tower series. It picks up several months after The Drawing of the Three, with Roland, Eddie and Susannah hiking through Stephen King's imagination and a Richard Adams homage. Meanwhile, both Roland and Jake, who is back in New York, seem to be going crazy from the paradox Roland created in Drawing.

In the first three hundred pages of The Waste Lands, practically nothing happens. Jake rejoins Roland, and the reader is inundated with foreshadowing of the second half of the book, which seems to have little purpose and is boring. The second half of the book makes up for it, as the group navigates a post-apocalyptic city. Here, Roland tries to rescue Jake and the group tries to find and ride Blaine, the train previously foreshadowed ad nauseum. This latter half of the book is quite exciting, as King is at his best here. His characters are outstanding. And there's a cliffhanger ending.

This is a very uneven book, but it certainly has its high points.

One complaint: A bear that "stood seventy feet high" would not have an eye socket "nearly the size of a baseball". That eye is way disproportionately small.

The first book was odd and it took me forever to realize what was going on; the second book was kind of boring with the whole mafia thing, and for the most part, the book was just too vulgar; now, with this third book, I finally started to see the imaginative world the first two books couldn't quite capture. I'll eventually finish the series, but so far, this one is my favorite.

King takes no vacation from his imagination with this book, the third in the great series, The Dark Tower. The world his small team inhabits is getting more strange with every page. I loved the way Jake re-entered the story, it was very shocking and delightful at the same time. The end of this book is the real thrill. Sorry, can't spoil it for you, just buy it and read it for yourself!

Kevin Gerard
Conor and the Crossworlds: Breaking the Barrier
Conor and the Crossworlds, Book Two: Peril in the Corridors

As a fan of the Dark Tower series I've read all the books at least twice. Wastelands I've read 7 times. It is one of my all time favorite books and the best of the dark tower series. It is the breakthrough book in which you really discover Roland's world and its links to ours. It is also a great adventure with SK's excellent character development.

"The Horse and His Boy" is my favorite book in the Narnia series out of the first four books (that's how far I've gotten so far). Highly recommended!

The Horse and His Boy is a great adventure, but is different from the other Narnian tales. Even though it is set during the time when Peter, Susan, Lucy, and Edmund is in Narnia ruling, it is not really geared towards them.

The horse's name is Bree, and the boy name is Shasta. They run away from their masters to live free in the north. Shasta and Bree do have someone join them on their journey along with another talking horse, but the girl doesn't really like Shasta. Shasta proves in the end to be a braver person, a more selfless person from everyone else. I liked Shasta from the very start, and I was glad to see him become something more than he thought he was.

This is a book of travel and adventure, much like most of the Narnia books. It is good to read about familiar characters. It's like you feel connected to them because you read about them in other books.

Another C.S. Lewis book I immensely enjoyed.

Thanks.

Fifth book printed, third book chronologically.

I began re-reading the Narnia series after coming across a beautiful boxed set of all seven novels. Mainly this was out of nostalgia, as these were favourites when I was young, and I was interested to see how they held up as adults. I found them all to be written very clearly with provocative descriptive prose, and narrative that often draws the reader immediately into the story.

"The Horse and His Boy" stands out from the rest of the series, having little or nothing to do with any of the other characters. The great Aslan makes a few appearances, and his scarcity accentuates the presence that Lewis no doubt felt strongly in his heart. As a total atheist and condemner of religious analogies, even I felt a touch of wonder at each of his appearance!

The story is sound despite being removed from the over-arcing story of the Chronicles. The main character and his companion horse are well drawn and interesting. The features of the countries outside Narnia are bright and interesting, particularly if you've read the other books in the series. The book manages to carry its own weight, which some of the sequels to "The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe" fail to do. An achievement, and worth picking up!

Though the story in The Horse and His Boy is almost of its own, it is still a worthy classic of the Narnian tales. Involving the Pevensie children and a newcomer, Lewis shows his brilliance in telling stories with great detail.
At times, however, I found that some of his narrative contained racial material, and nowadays would be found quite offensive.
Read with caution.

Two young people flee their lives in the country of Calormene with the aid of a pair of talking Narnian horses. When they learn of a plan to attack the neighboring country of Archenland, they must race the invading force in order to deliver a warning.

This is a good adventure, though not up to the standard set by "Magician's Nephew" and "Lion, Witch, Wardrobe." The most disappointing (though not surprising) aspect is the depiction of the Calormene people. They are clearly meant to represent Muslims, and C.S. Lewis denigrates every aspect of their lives: their food is terrible, their clothes are silly, they have no sense of humor, and their dark skin is not as attractive as the light skin of the Archenlanders and Narnians. It's a shame that Lewis is apparently unable or unwilling to write his Christian parable without putting down other races and faiths. But if you can look past this aspect, it's a good story.

This book was the first one I read when we got our new lab puppy. It started a bit sloggishly, but then started describing things I could relate to and caught my interest as I read on. The author's love of dogs shines through. Pictures would have helped me at some points, like when the author is describing the commissure of dogs, I could not visualize what she meant as she described the tale tell signs of a dog ready to bite based on the description of commissure. Perhaps more experienced dog handlers are used to this term, I could only guess what she meant.

PLEASE read this book!!! I would recommend this to anyone wanting to understand dogs better and become a better dog owner!

I have learned a lot about the way my two pups think. The author explains how to use their thought process to make them modify their behavior and how to get them to accept differant situations. I have learned how to quite my dogs when they are barking at nothing and I have learned how to get them to come almost effortlessly. I would highly recommend this book to any dog owner that would like a better behaved dog.

This book provides truly wonderful insight into the human/dog relationship. It is a must read for all those who love dogs. I am humbled by Dr. McConnell's wisdom. This is one book it was a privilege to read!

Don't go into this book expecting a manual and you will not be disappointed. It's a conversationally delivered comparisson of primates and canid behaviors, and how they sometimes (often) conflict, with some stories that make it all seem more relevant to real life, mixed in. I enjoyed this book because I find this topic fascinating. The next time I trained a dog after reading this book, I was more aware of what I was doing, and the training went much more easily. When studying Ethology, I've found that people don't like to think of themselves as animals, and not necessarily controlling absolutely every signal other animals perceive, so it may offend some people to compare primates to humans, but I think the comparissons are helpful and find them extremely relevant.

If you are looking for a manual on training, I suggest Beginning Family Dog Training, also written by Patricial McConnell. It IS a manual, and the majority of the dissatisfied reviews about this book I've seen would probably have been eliminated if they'd read that book too. Having trained animals for a while now, I would suggest reading both of them, but not having expectations of a manual from The Other End of the Leash.

If you're interested in communicating with animals, dogs in particular, this can be a very interesting read. Using bodily signals you aren't really aware of, you're communicating all of the time. This book helps to point them out, make you aware of them, and gives advice on increasing the helpful ones and eliminating the not-so-helpful ones. You end up training yourself, and really helping your dog understand what you want communicate, and not just what they've seen you communicating.