Literature Books

This is one of the most profound books I have ever read. I first read the book some ten years ago and at the time I recall thinking "Why didn't I know this information?". Within this book you will learn how to establishing a healthy connection with another. This is a must have book. How I wish I had such insights when I was young.

Item was received with other purchased item, thus I received it in a reasonable amount of time. Book was like new!

Have read many books on relationships. This is one of the best and should be at the top of the list for anyone interested in an intimate relationship.

I first read Journey of the Heart fifteen years ago--and to this day it is the best book I have read on the topic of love and relationships. Welwood's succinct, penetrating insights into these topics, and into relationship as an actual spiritual path (in the same way that yoga is a "path") helped shape my views in a profound way. Can't recommend it enough.

I have read this book several times and never cease to come away with a new understanding. It has depth, compassion and useful information for moving through some of the modern relationship dilemmas that cause so many of us suffering.

John Welwood is a Ph.D. psychotherapist with a deep knowledge of world religions, especially Buddhism. He also has a lot of life experience and has written many books on a variety of topics including other relationship books.

One of the things I most like about this book is the author's ability to apply both modern psychological thought and Eastern philosophical wisdom to modern day problems. He does this in an easy to read fashion with a compassionate tone. He does not come across as omniscient, but rather as a fellow traveler on the relationship path of spiritual growth.

I believe relationships are probably the best or at least one of the best self-growth paths anyone could ever follow. John Welwood shows us how to hold them as such in this marvelously insightful book.

I also recommend his book called "Toward a Psychology of Awakening." This book is subtitled "Buddhism, Psychotherapy, and the Path of Personal and Spiritual Transformation." This would make a nice accompaniment to the book above, but the content is heavier and so is the style. However, it is packed with great information and it represents some of John Welwood's best writing.

I particularly like Welwood's insights on "spiritual bypassing" or escaping our psychological and emotional work by overly emphasizing the transcendent and dismissing the wisdom of embodied experience. I'm sure glad a guy who is writing relationship books holds this point of view because as anyone knows who has been in a committed relationship, there are lots of important ingredients to a good relationship beyond the spiritual considerations. The phenomenon of spiritual bypassing is explored very directly in "Toward a Psychology of Awakening."

Before he went on to invent Cybernetics, L. Ron Hubbard was a prominent author of science fiction and eventually launched annual collections of science fiction and fantasy drawn from the best and the brightest in the field. The newest addition to the L. Ron Hubbard "Writers Of The Future" series is volume 18, ably compiled and edited by long time science fiction expert Algis Budrys and highly recommended reading for any fantasy fan and science fiction enthusiast. Included in this outstanding anthology are: The Dragon Cave (Drew Morby); The Haunted Seed (Ray Roberts); Rewind (David D. Levine); Windseekers (Nnedi Okorafor); Magic Out Of A Hat (L. Ron Hubbard); Lost On The Road (Ari Goelman); Graveyard Tea (Susan Fry); Carry The God (Lee Battersby); A Few Tips On The Craft Of Illustration (H. R. Van Dongen); Memoria Technica (Leon J. West); Free Fall (Tom Brennan); All Winter Long (Jae Brim); The Art Of Creation (Carl Frederick); Advice To The New Writer (Andre Norton); The Road To Levenshir (Patrick Rothfuss); Eating, Drinking, Walking (Dylan Otto Krider); Origami Cranes (Seppo Kurki); A New Anthology (Tim Powers); Worlds Apart (Woody O. Carsky-Wilson); Prague 47 (Joel Best); and What Became Of The King (Aimee C. Amodeo). L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers Of The Future, Volume XVIII concludes with "The Year In Contests" by Algis Budrys and "Contest Information".

WotF XIX is a compilation of excellent stories (with a few, notable exceptions) spanning the genre range from historical fiction through horror and fantasy to science fiction. Despite the ever-present copy-editing errors, this was a very good read.

I would put the stories in four categories of excellence (well, three of excellence and one of crap).

Group One: The best

Walking Rain - Ian Keane's tale of supernatural beings in present day America, reminiscent (but not derivative) of American Gods, is compelling. The writing is lush, the characterizations beautiful. Hands down the best of the best. I can't say enough about this story. The book is worth buying for this story alone.

Into The Gardens of Sweet Night - Algis Budrys weaves a fairy tale-like tapestry of words as a boy takes a fantastic journey into the sky looking for the fabled gardens. Sometimes the discussions on freedom get a bit thick, but still great.

Blood and Horses - Myke Cole brings us a story of military sf where rebels riding horses seek the oil that gives life, losing their own blood fighting against a technically far superior opponent.

Group Two: The very excellent (in no particular order)

From All the Work Which He Had Made - Michael Churchman's style is strikingly odd at first, but within a page he had made me a convert with this interesting tale about the development of a humanoid robot exploring the questions of his soul.

Dark Harvest - Geoffrey Girard brings us a story about what happens when you find your worst nightmare dying in a field, and it becomes a tourist attraction. Excellent writing, and a wonderful story.

Beautiful Singer - Steve Bein's story of a haunted sword is elegant in its way of presenting feudal Japanese culture and characters. Every word of this story echoes with the culture of the samurai. The only thing holding back this most savory of writing from the top slot was the way the ending rushed together (a common difficulty in short-story writing).

A Few Days North of Vienna - Brandon Butler takes us along as a band of thieves join up with a group of vampire hunters to eradicate those evil creatures. The plot is nothing new or innovative, but the writing is top notch, and that's more important anyway.

Group Three: The still excellent (still in no particular order)

A Ship That Bends - whatever Butler lacked in innovation, Luc Reid makes up for in spades with his characters who live on a flat world and must build a bending ship if they wish to sail to the other side without falling off. The ending is its great weakness, suddenly ending the story before it really reaches its climax. Fun world, great writing, but it just stops cold.

A Silky Touch to No Man - a weak ending is also the problem with Robert J. Defendi's exploration of life in the near future where virtual reality has become the only reality. For a murder mystery, it was painfully apparent "whodunit" from the very beginning. But the writing is strong and the world well conceived (almost scary, actually) which makes it fun anyway.

Gossamer - Ken Liu offers a scenario where Earth finally makes contact with an alien species, and has no idea if they can even communicate. Art seems to be the only thing the Gossamers are interested in, but what does that mean? Interesting twist on the first contact plot.

Numbers - Joel Best brings us a stark account of a world where mathematicians can do almost anything, including make animals and people. In this world one woman seeks to create the perfect mate, but learns that perfection (and creation) are about more than doing everything flawlessly.

Group Four: The stories that really don't belong

Trust Is A Child - Matthew Candelaria's overly long story of negotiations with aliens is really just a painful rehash of about a thousand other identical stories, offering no new slants or anything. That alone wouldn't make it so horrible, but the main character is painfully stupid, and the plot has a hole in it the size of a small star system (it has to do with her being stopped by Marine guards while the aliens can just cruise on by and enter her private quarters without explanation). Also, her solution to being stopped is just horrible (apparently the guard is even dumber than she is). Still, with a good edit and re-write, I think it could have been decent, so I wouldn't write off the author.

A Boy and His Bicycle - Carl Frederick offers a story about just that: a boy and his bike. They don't do anything interesting, or go anywhere fun, or give us any reason not to hope that they just crash into a bus and die. The only saving grace is that it's short and over quickly. And to think this story got first place that quarter...

Bury My Heart At the Garrick - Steve Savile takes the prize for plodding, pointlessness. This story of Houdini was confusing, but not in that good way where you want to know what's going on, more in the way where you just don't care and want to skip to the next story. I kept reading to see if it would get better (imagine a short story that took me a week to read!). It didn't.

A Boy and His Bicycle is a great story.
(I put this in so I don't continuously trip over the review by someone who apparently didn't get it. I must offer the disclaimer however, that I wrote that story. It's a subtle tale, and I'm very grateful that the judges understood it and gave it a First Place award.)

This anthology, Volume XIX, (IMO) contains richly tapestried stories, strewn with new ideas or new takes on old ones. I've no doubt that before long, many of the authors will be Hugo winners

While I do not get a chance to read much science fiction, I decided to pick up this book mainly because I enjoy short stories. And I must say that this book surprised me. There are a number of well-written, very entertaining stories in this book. There is also a good amount of variety. As more than 12 authors contribute to this book, if you are not a fan of one story, you can move onto the next. There should be four stories in this book that will captivate you. From the quality of the prose and the structure of the stories, I was at first surprised to see that these are first time authors. Now realizing that these are contest winnners from L Ron Hubbard's Writers of the Future contest, it makes more sense. My favorites include Oragami Cranes, Eating Drinking and Walking, Windseekers, and Rewind (for it's writing style).

It's not perfect but I found this anthology very satisfying. When every single one of the stories is able to take me somewhere interesting, then the anthology is worth the money.. Favorite stories: Graveyard Tea, Windseekers, and Origami Cranes.

This is a delightful living book. An opportunity to learn a lot about Monet, his work and his life while enjoying a beautifully told story.

Fabulous book about places I have visited and loved -- I actually
know Michelle who owns the Hotel Esmerelda (she will autograph my
copy of book), and have spent many happy hours in the bookstore
around the corner (never go to Paris without visiting it), and
of course, Monet's art and home are the pinnacle. A wonderful
and inspirational book for all!

I absolutely LOVED this book when I was younger. So, if you're having doubts about your child liking it, I wouldn't...I had the doll of Linnea and I carried it around with me everywhere...and I also brought the book everywhere I could as well.

Linnea, a young Swedish girl has developed quite a friendship with the elderly Mr. Bloom, her upstairs neighbor. Mr. Bloom is a retired gardener who is the proud owner of a lovely book about the great French artist, Claude Monet. After hours and hours of studying Monet and his life, the pair begin the ultimate adventure: a trip to Paris, and where it all began! Linnea and Mr. Bloom visit the Marmottan museum to observe the many paintings of Monet. They study his artwork and how the genius painted. They learn about other Impressionist artists--many who were great friends of Monet. Eventually the young child and elderly gentleman make the ultimate trek to Giverny, where Monet lived and painted.
This book could almost be a 'fun' textbook. The artwork, both of the author's and of Monet's is absolutely exquisite. Becoming familiar with Monet's life and his paintings become a marvelous art history lesson. As an adult, I not enjoyed reading this lovely book but I learned a lot. In fact, a few days after reading LINNEA in Monet's Garden I was watching a Sex in the City episode where Charlotte was showing a group of people one of Monet's 'lily' murals. Being familiar with that painting because of this book was an exciting moment for me!

In 1988 I begged my Principal(I was a teacher in the Salinas valley) to purchase a set of this book.I taught in the "middle of nowhere " that now holds a good chunk of my heart. This was the time of teaching through literature sets, wholly in love with language, and inspiring children by creating together environments to make meaning and to find "context" for learning.It was a time to motivate lives. Toni Ungs, my then Principal, turned to me and replied, no, that I would be the "only teacher" on site who would use the set. And so it goes in teaching, yet another opportunity denied by those thinking within their prodigious logic systems.
So... I bought the set out of pocket as I do most everything, a teacher tale for another time I spend thousands each year to do what matters. This book is just a delight for students. A young, girl, Linnea and her elder neighbor embark on a trip together to see Monet's Gardens.They live in Europe and this book offers a glimpse into another world for the children. Both share a love of the actual plants/flowers/gardens Monet painted, the artist, the paintings and after planning their trip together we in turn share their gentle journey as they go see the L'Orangrie/Paris and head to the gardens. Since I've had the pleasure of those places and share the love of Monet...it's a book that I share every spring with my classes. I choose to teach Monet in the spring when "what so soon will wake and grow , utterly unlike the snow" thoughts crowd my imagination. I am fortunate in that we have a TV and I bought a DVD player to share the DVD of this book.(among other things) The DVD's as good if not better than the book. I have a pop out book of his garden and a book from a Monet Retrospective I went to in New York in my teens to supplement the images and students seem as captivated as the rest of us in these experiments in light. The notion of a "series", of the way light, time, weather affect the same image are very fascinating things for my students.Then we paint. Of course I embed this in my talking of Paris, reading Madeline, trying to teach a bit of the French, and our sharing baguettes, cheese, Napoleons and a petit four or two. My first grade enjoys my attempts at cultural contexts and bringing into their lives a notion of great artists. I can confess here on this site, I suppose, that it's heady stuff to bring Monet, Picasso and the world of art to students.First grade allows you the kind of "you heard it here first" honor. I'm all the more brilliant in their eyes for it. Of course it connects them to much larger contexts and from time to time these are revealed in the year when my class screams out "Monet" at an assembly or "Beethoven, "Ode to Joy" "or somehow lets the school collective know we are up to something in room 10. And that something includes learning about a little girl that ventures to a hotel with her neighbor and picnics on the grounds of Monet's gardens and sees for herself the beauty of his creation from the world of nature. Now that's a sweet confession to share with Amazon readers. Choose this book for a child, you'll be glad you did.

It's been several days since I've finished this amazing book, and only now, as I begin it again, can I begin to sing its praises. This is one of those rare books that one becomes lost among-- yes, we're talking missed bus stops, phone calls going unanswered, lunch hours long over-extended, and sitting in the car reading when one should be in the office doing something. J.G. Hayes is a writer whose work seems to go directly into one-- so often, even with other superlative artists, one is still aware that one is reading. But with Hayes' work, one is there, one loses the sense that one is reading-- there is no middle man. I can count on one hand the authors who have down that to me.
By no means does one have to be a GLBT person to appreciate and love this book-- I'm not-- just as one does not have to be Native American to weep at Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, or Asian-American to get Amy Tan. Hayes' work transcends genre, if indeed he can be called a genre writer (which I'm sure he would resent.) And his verbal pyrotechnics are astonishing: "It was deep in the green tangle of June when it happened..." or "lost as we were, traversing the Timbuktu of 11-year old boy dreams..."
And, with the creation of Petey Harding, Hayes has given us a Green Man Everyman for the next century-- innocent, cynical, world-weary, joyous, subliminal, despairing and child-like and ancient, all at the same time.
Anyway...gush gush gush. Just buy this book. Then prepare to be late for things until you finish.

Hayes, J.G. "A Map of the Harbor Islands", Harrington Park Press, 2006.

Mapping the Heart

Amos Lassen and Literary Pride

For the sheer pleasure of reading and the beauty of the English language, "A Map of the Harbor Islands" is the book to read. Here is such a beautiful story that literally had me weeping as I read. J.G. Hayes has written a book that just happens to be gay as he deals with the friendship between two friends--one gay and one straight.
Danny and Petey are the best of friends even though they come from very different parts of Boston and very different ways of life. Petey is the ideal boy, everyone adores him--he is prize student and star athlete. His world is changed forever during a basketball game but what caused the change I will leave to you to read the book and find out for yourselves. Anyone who has ever had a best friend will love his book. The childhood friendship of the Danny and Petey continues as they reach adulthood even though one is gay and one is straight. Through ups and downs, periods of non-communication and some rough periods, their love for each other matures and mutates but they remain true to each other. Written beautifully, the book has humor in the middle of trouble and the heart is rendered as the friends and nature are described.
It is only fair to say that this is not just a work of gay fiction--it is a wonderful addition to literature at large. Here is a book that must be read and appreciated for the beautiful tome that it is. But I digress--I cannot help but relay my praise.
Looking back at Danny and Petey--they have been friends since kindergarten and the book concentrates on their lives from the seventh grade forward. In Boston there are unwritten codes of behavioral conduct and high on that unspoken list is that there are no gay boys in south Boston. This does not affect the friendship of the two but it did require a great deal of decoding on Danny's part, especially in understanding Petey as the boys stand on the threshold of adulthood.
The core of the narrative is a study of what friendship is and the power it holds. As you read the book, you realize that, for you, Danny and Petey are not just characters on a page of a book but are real and vibrant.
When Petey comes out to Danny, Danny arranges a date for him with a woman and the results were not only disastrous but traumatic for both boys. Danny realizes later that perhaps he is also gay and in order to check himself he enlists in the Armed Services so that he can gain some perspective on his own life. This only adds more confusion and complication to the nature of the relationship.
The plot is a roller coaster ride through the entire gamut of human emotion. When in the last chapter, Danny reflects on his friendship with Petey, we see that despite their differences in sexuality, their friendship is strong and true.
This is not an easy read because of several parts written in the "stream of consciousness" but this is one of the best reads you will ever have. The language and style are intense and pack with emotion. The enchanting friendship of the two boys and the fact that they can openly speak about their own character flaws makes this book monumental. There is no let down anywhere in the book--it begins to cast its spell with the first sentence where it grabs you and holds you until the last sentence.
I felt fulfilled and so much of a better person having read this beautiful book and I am sure you will feel the same.

Quite simply I have to say this is the best published book, gay or otherwise, that I have read in quite some time. I did not want to put it down. I was quite moved by the story throughout the book and was so appreciative of the depth and spirituality of the ending I cried which I do not do easily!
Joe writes like people in South Boston talk and this takes a little getting used to at first but once the cadence is achieved it is smooth sailing (no pun intended) from then on. It is a story of love, hurt, redemption, acceptance, self awareness, friendship and life interwoven with a person's grappling with self and societal homophobia. Joe is a master of creativity dand storytelling. You will NOT be disappointed!

Hayes, J.G. "A Map of the Harbor Islands", Harrington Park Press, 2006.

Mapping the Heart

Amos Lassen and Literary Pride

For the sheer pleasure of reading and the beauty of the English language, "A Map of the Harbor Islands" is the book to read. Here is such a beautiful story that literally had me weeping as I read. J.G. Hayes has written a book that just happens to be gay as he deals with the friendship between two friends--one gay and one straight.
Danny and Petey are the best of friends even though they come from very different parts of Boston and very different ways of life. Petey is the ideal boy, everyone adores him--he is prize student and star athlete. His world is changed forever during a basketball game but what caused the change I will leave to you to read the book and find out for yourselves. Anyone who has ever had a best friend will love his book. The childhood friendship of the Danny and Petey continues as they reach adulthood even though one is gay and one is straight. Through ups and downs, periods of non-communication and some rough periods, their love for each other matures and mutates but they remain true to each other. Written beautifully, the book has humor in the middle of trouble and the heart is rendered as the friends and nature are described.
It is only fair to say that this is not just a work of gay fiction--it is a wonderful addition to literature at large. Here is a book that must be read and appreciated for the beautiful tome that it is. But I digress--I cannot help but relay my praise.
Looking back at Danny and Petey--they have been friends since kindergarten and the book concentrates on their lives from the seventh grade forward. In Boston there are unwritten codes of behavioral conduct and high on that unspoken list is that there are no gay boys in south Boston. This does not affect the friendship of the two but it did require a great deal of decoding on Danny's part, especially in understanding Petey as the boys stand on the threshold of adulthood.
The core of the narrative is a study of what friendship is and the power it holds. As you read the book, you realize that, for you, Danny and Petey are not just characters on a page of a book but are real and vibrant.
When Petey comes out to Danny, Danny arranges a date for him with a woman and the results were not only disastrous but traumatic for both boys. Danny realizes later that perhaps he is also gay and in order to check himself he enlists in the Armed Services so that he can gain some perspective on his own life. This only adds more confusion and complication to the nature of the relationship.
The plot is a roller coaster ride through the entire gamut of human emotion. When in the last chapter, Danny reflects on his friendship with Petey, we see that despite their differences in sexuality, their friendship is strong and true.
This is not an easy read because of several parts written in the "stream of consciousness" but this is one of the best reads you will ever have. The language and style are intense and pack with emotion. The enchanting friendship of the two boys and the fact that they can openly speak about their own character flaws makes this book monumental. There is no let down anywhere in the book--it begins to cast its spell with the first sentence where it grabs you and holds you until the last sentence.
I felt fulfilled and so much of a better person having read this beautiful book and I am sure you will feel the same.

Many reviewers have rehashed the plot so I won't go over any plot points in here. In my opinion JG Hayes has produced a classic of gay themed fiction here. I almost wish it did not have to be lumped in with gay fiction because I think so many people of any persuasion would be incredibly touched by the love and the friendship shown in these pages. The success of the book is the putting into words the feelings of unconditional love. With only one minor exception - near the end of the book - he never once uses the melodramatic tv movie of the week prose/storytelling that so many other writers have resorted too to tell stories of friendship.

Love it or hate it the dialougue is fresh and exciting. In the character of Petey he gives us a free thinker whose capacity for learning and loving seem endless. Teaching by example, Petey becomes the shining light that changes forever the lives of those around him.

While the book is very wordy, with many segues to the characters random thoughts - you must read every word! There are so many pearls buried in there. I found myself gasping out loud at some of turns of phrase he uses in telling this compelling story. Prepare be surprised - prepare to enjoy and prepare to meet a gifted writer who will turn your world on its head. Few books have left me this moved.

This was one of the first Marilyn books I owned and I have to say it still stands out as one of my very favorites because it is so intimate, and the pictures show a very down to earth Marilyn that you feel like you could reach out and touch. George Barris was actually a long time photographer of Monroe, he had the pleasure of catching some of her most iconic moments on camera such as the famous shirt blowing scene from THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH and many more. These are by far his best of her though and I personally favor pics from Marilyn's later years (60's). I love the stories that Barris tells and I am getting ready to reread this book as it has been a few years, I think it is the type of book one can read over and over anyhow. As I have said all the pics are amazing especially the ones of Marilyn on the beach. These however are not the very last pics taken of Marilyn, just the last photo session. The very last shots of her can be found in the book "Mr. S.: The Last Word on Frank Sinatra" when she was on a yacht with Sinatra and at the Cal-Neva Lodge & Casino shortly before her death. Over all though this book is HIGHLY recommended and is essential for any Marilyn fan!

I was surprised at this book in Marilyn's own words. This interview was only a few weeks before her death. The pictures were amazing and beautiful. She did not seem at all depressed and was looking forward to the future. Makes you wonder if she was murdered. Surely seems that way after I read the book and looked at those pictures. It almost seems to say "see I want to live" and little did she know that her life was in danger! Poor Marilyn. I hope wherever she is, she knows that some people believe that she did not kill herself. And I hope she is at peace.

This book is unique in that it comes from George Barris's last days spent with her. I love the photos because they are candid not posed. This bok also includes the last photo ever taken of her. I'm on my way to own almost every Marilyn book and Im am pleased with this one.

This was indeed a touching tribute. I felt very connected to Marilyn while reading her stories. The photos were just as gorgeous. I could have gone without George Barris' interjections as they usually just repeated what Marilyn said. But it was his book and she was apparently his friend, so I suppose he deserves some spotlight too.

Add this to your Monroe collections! It's a definite keeper.

I have to say that it is just amazing how after 44 years Marilyn Monroe is still considerd one of the most beautiful women to ever live. After seeing the photographs of Marilyn Monroe taken by Mr. Barris in this book I am not suprised that people are still captivated with the beauty of Marilyn Monroe. The pictures of Marilyn in this book are amazing and beautiful. Marilyn shows her true character in the most natural looking pictures I have ever seen of her. Each picture tells a story and shows you the woman Marilyn really was. Marilyn truely was a naturally beautiful woman and it shows in this book. This great book also lets you read and learn about the real person Marilyn Monroe was in her own words. Marilyn tells her life story in this book, taking you through her young years as Norma Jean to her Hollywood life as Marilyn Monroe. When you are reading this book it is very interesting to hear Marilyn talk about her life in her own words. Marilyn takes you along her life journey through the pages in this book. The only sad thing is when you are reading this book you wish Marilyn's life story would continue past the inevitable days of Marilyn's death on August 4-5,1962. I alreadly knew Marilyn was going to die before reading but it really made me sad because after reading this book it makes you feel like you actually knew Marilyn personally. That just goes to show how well written this book is. I have to say Mr. Barris you have done a great job writing this excellant book. Marilyn would truely have been happy with this book. Whether you are a Marilyn Monroe fan or you are just curious about this iconic Hollywood actress this book will definitely be intresting to read. Before I read this book I thought Marilyn Monroe was all Hollywood glitz and glamour. After reading this book however I found that Marilyn was a sweet down to earth woman who just wanted to be loved. I only hope Marilyn made it into heaven, because in her life most of the people that said they loved her and called themselves her friend only used and betrayed Marilyn. I hope that one day Marilyn's death will finally be proven as murder and this case of wrong doing can be closed so Marilyn can finally rest in peace.

This book is excellent for dog lovers. It spans the gambit from laughter to tears. A MUST READ!

In this condensed version of John Grogan's best-selling Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog, the author has written an adapted version of his life and times with his Labrador Retriever, Marley, that's perfect for younger readers.

Having read and fully enjoyed Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog when it was first released, I was a little anxious to see how Mr. Grogan would handle a shorter, easier-to-read version for the middle-grade set. Fortunately, MARLEY: A DOG LIKE NO OTHER is a fun, vibrant, and compelling read that even older elementary school students will enjoy.

When John and his wife, Jenny, first pick Marley out from a litter of pure-blood Labradors, they have no idea that their small bundle of fur with the big paws and blocky head will eventually turn into a 97-pound drool-machine full of nerves, excitement, and limitless energy. This short story (196 pages) is a testament to the trials, tribulations, and ultimate loyalty of a dog who ended up starring in a feature film.

Marley is the type of dog that you love, despite his flaws (and there are many!), and even the youngest of readers will be overjoyed to read about the trouble that he finds himself in on a daily basis. And, I admit, I shed a few tears towards the end of this book, but they were well worth it, because Marley was worth it.

One great benefit of this version of Marley's story are the numerous full-color photographs that the author has included. This addition alone makes MARLEY: A DOG LIKE NO OTHER an asset to your home library.

Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius"

Loved the book --it made me laugh, smile, cry. I bought three -- two were gifts and one for myself, which I also loaned to all my dog loving friends.

Purchased as a gift. Have received good feed-back from the recipient, who, by the way, is a Marley fan.

I bought this book for a co-worker who was getting a lab without realizing that it was the children's edition of the book (I had read and loved the original). Once I realized my mistake, I gave to my 12-year-old daughter who read it, laughed and cried and now says it was one of her favorite books.

As an American child of about 10, I acquired a battered copy of this book along with a bunch of children's books from a family friend whose children had outgrown them. As other reviewers suggest, I was mystified by much of the book (the poet Pope?) but I still found it a great adventure story and loved the illustrations. It didn't hurt that I resembled Maria myself (a bookish tomboy with glasses--thank God for LASIK). I have re-read the book with pleasure on a number of occasions and now understand the references, but I wouldn't hesitate to give this book to an intelligent American child today. Perhaps it would prompt him or her to learn more about British history and literature. I'm glad to see it has been reprinted.

As kids, both my brother and I considered this one of our favorite books - and we did a LOT of reading. I can't tell you how many times I read it. Our copy was lost at some point, so I am thrilled that it is back in print so I can now read it to my own children. My kids are 3 and 6, so still a bit young for this book, but I'll probably buy a copy now for my own pleasure, and another for my brother.
I have always loved books that lead you to another book, and I just had to read "Gulliver's Travels" after reading this one. As a kid, much of it went over my head, but I still enjoyed it. Now that I think about it, I should re-read that one too...

Although one of White's lesser-known works, to my mind it's easily one of his best (Anne Fine regards it as her favourite children's book). The concept of Lilliputians living in an English landscape garden is superb, and White develops his theme in wonderfully enticing ways - and always with his typical 'feel' for character and setting. There's so much to enjoy in this tale - still a classic after 60 years.

I read Mistress Masham's Repose when I was 11 years old, and re-read it now as a Grandparent. It is magical, yet plausible that a little girl could enter such a fantasy world. Both my Granddaughter and my Greatniece will receive a copy for their birthdays with a note telling them why this book has not lost its charm through the years.

After finishing university T. H. White worked as a teacher in the Stowe School which occupies a gigantic former Baroque stately home: here he conceived of the idea of Malplaquet, modeled after the greatest of all British country homes, Blenheim Palace, where the Dukes of Marlborough have lived and where Winston Churchill was born and raised. Malplaquet, an imaginary dilapidated repository of all its nation's history (we find out the Princes in the Tower were executed in its medieval dungeon, which also contains the ax which beheaded Charles I), would make a wonderful setting for any book, but rather than use it for a Gothic (the obvious choice), here White had the inspiration to make it the setting for a children's fantasy. White's mansion is not only the home of the little girl Maria who has inherited the estate (and not much else) and her warders--some cruel, some kind--but also a group of Lilliputians brought over from their island home during the time of Swift, whom Maria encounters one day. Maria's encounter with the Lilliputians becomes for her a means for learning about the nature of tyranny--both that exercised over herself by her guardian the Vicar Mr. Hater and her governess Miss Brown, but also that she herself can hardly keep herself from exercising over the Lilliputian community hidden on her estate.

This is a children's book that, to be honest, will best be appreciated by adults. White imagined his readers not only familiar with GULLIVER'S TRAVELS but also with some of the history of seventeenth and eighteenth-century England: American children particularly today would be confused as to who Mistresses Masham and Morley were, or what Malplaquet is named after, or even who Gulliver was. And their patience might well be tried by White's love of Wodehousean "types": the bluff Lord Lieutenant with an obsession with horses and hounds, and Maria's mentor the absent-minded and esoteric antiquarian the Professor . But adults (and even older children) should love this book, and its well-structured narrative is a real pleasure.

I bought these books for my son who is 16 months old. He loves them and I find him taking them out and turning the pages while smiling or laughing at the bright pictures. We go over the pages together too. I think they are great and they are also very durable.

Our kids will bring these books to us over and over pointiong to animals objects and look at us waiting to hear the name of the object. It's become one of our favorite things to do.

My son is autistic and we have several books from this author, but this set of 3 is my favorite! There are so many wonderful pictures and the pictures are of things that are very interesting to little kids. I've also used many of the pictures in these books as part of our PECS program. My son just loves these and even my 6 year old daughter likes to try to read the words in the books. They're so sturdy they'll last me through my infant son's childhood as well.

These books are so great!! My twin girls got them when they turned one, and they have learned so many words from them! They can name so many different things! The animal book is also really great! The only complaint I have is that some of the pictures are so generic that it is really hard to even tell what it is, but that is really hard to do in a book. That is when you go and get the real thing and show it to your toddler and name it for them!! They do put some less common things in them as well, though, to really challenge them and expand their vocabulary. There are a few animals in the Animal Book that I hadn't even heard of!! These are great for the car because they will keep your toddler occupied for a while. They will flip through the book naming everything!! I was amazed at how fast my girls learned so many words. They are 22 months, and they know all their letters, all their colors, all their shapes, most every animal and its sound, and I think these books have helped them learn a lot of those things! I don't even know how many words they know, but they pretty much know everything in all three books! These are their favorite books and have been for months and months. They will not get tired of them quickly because there are soooo many pictures! This also makes a great gift for a first birthday!

My son is 18 months, and these have been his favorite books for a long time. Compact, a good size for him, and good for travelling. The photos seem to appeal more to my son than the cartoon graphics in many childrens book.

They are so popular with my son, that they have been used so much that they will need replacing before too long. Not that this any problem with the books themselves, just heavy use!

You cannot go wrong with this set.

We bought this for my five year old nephew who LOVES dinosaurs. He can read pretty well on his own and has enjoyed flipping through this book, reading and looking at the pictures. My husband also thought this book was awesome and wished he had had more time before Christmas to read this book before wrapping it up for our nephew!

I bought this for my grandchildren for Christmas and they loved looking through it. Beautiful pic's and fun to read together.

Like many other people, I am intrigued by the dinosaurs as well as other
citizens of the "Middle Life" mesozoic era. The book is divided into two sections. The first is general and discusses such areas as what the dinosaurs were, when they lived, what their environment was like and how they related to each other. The other portion deals with a large number of different dinosaur families, from the tiny musasauras(mouse lizard) to the gigantic seismosaurus, which was up to 160 feet long!The specific descriptions provide such information as when they lived, where they were found, and their size(Many times with a dinosaur/human comparison shown!).

Since the National Geographic Society has been a major sponsor of dinosaur research and expeditions, the photographs and technical details are excellent. The artwork by Raul Martin fleshes out the bones and reconstructions to provide insight into what these ancient citizens of earth would have looked like when they were alive and roaming freely.

I reccomend this book for all dinosaur fans from the five year old
on his or her first trip to the Museum to the "fossiles" like me who use their vacations to volunteer and help out on digs!

I read the book carefully so that I can provide a 3-year old sound information on his favourite subject. I don't think he can read this book yet. It is ment for older children with at least a 3rd grade reading skill but I suppose he can enjoy the well made illustrations. This is a very well written and illustrated book. The scope however is a little narrow. Nevertheless it covered the subject clearly and in a rather formal manner - almost text book like. The "family" structure of dinosaur was made clear and their live/habits were described in an easy to grasp manner. It would have been nice if it covered also the other two orders - plesiosaur and pterosaurs.

The book is absolutely excellent. We gave it to our grandchildren and they read it every day. Our grandson (only 4 1/2) is totally enthralled by the book. He practically has it memorized. We would recommend it to anyone interested in dinosaurs.

Before ordering this book I've read many reviews. Those reviews helped me a lot to make the right decision. This book is just amazing for sharping your English grammar skill. You polish your English by learning little details. I'm a Junior in High School. I thought that my level of English grammar is pretty high, but till I started reading ''Painless Grammar" with all these small, tiny detail. My dad, is educated 52 years old teacher, who is a bookworm! Even he found this book very exciting. So right now, when I start to read this book he is always next to me. The book is written with good humor and explanations to every aspect of the grammar. I read 10-15 min. per day, that's enough.

I think this book should be a "hand book" for every single person, no matter how old you are. Folks, don't even hesitate! Just go for it, buy it, and have pleaser by reading "Painless Grammar."

This is a wonderful book for anyone with questions regarding grammar. It explains the rules of grammar with humor and illustrations. This will definitely be an asset to most any classroom!!

Lisa

This book has given me such confidence in my writing. As a 40-something college student, it has helped me a lot!

For any aspiring writers, this guide nails every technique possible in writing. Although it is about mechanics only - not storytelling - it is an essential guide for any writer-to-be and for professional too (for refresher tips!)

If you told me that at the age of 72,I would be buying a book on Grammar,I would have thought you were kidding.My old,long since departed teacher would be flabbergasted.However; not more so, than that I would be writing Book Reviews;and voluntarily at that.He had convinced himself that my only interests were playing pool,chasing girls,eating and sleeping;though not necessarily in that order;but more likely all at the same time.
I can't say that the proper use of grammar and punctuation were the high points on my lists of things to perfect. I did know the difference between "principal" and "principle"(I remind myself that the Principal was my "pal").I remember to use "but also" when I use "not only" and a few other things. So,when I saw this book,I wondered if it could help me with sorting out the difference between "lie" and "lay". Sure enough; it was explained;and now I can see why it is so difficult. A half hour later,I was still thumbing through the book and finding all kinds of interesting stuff;so I bought it.I plan to keep it right beside my Dictionary and Thesaurus and expect I'll turn to it often.I suspect I will continue my loose ways with commas,semicolons,colons,dashes,hyphens dots(I didn't know they were called Ellipses) etc. ;but at least I'll have something to turn to when I want to find out what is "correct.
Each subject is followed with "Brain Ticklers" to help you see if you really understand the points.If you run out of exercises;you can alwys use my review for practice---the only problem is that you're on your own for answers.Feel free to e-mail me it corrected.
A great resource,or is that resourse,and long overdue,or is that over due.(or is this a question?)
It's not easy teaching old dogs new tricks!!
Don't forget ,English is a living language,and the rules keep changing all the time.Some live in the past,some are way ahead of the times;and then there are the rest of us---God knows where!!