Contemporary Books

This is simply an excellent piece of literature. Weiskopf relates the meaning of humanity in context to prestne events -as well as past- in a way that draws the reader in. This is bound to become a celebrated work.

From the moment I picked it up, I loved this book. The story moves from present day New York to the ancient Incas to other worlds that are beyond belief. The story is a perfect blend of magic, science fiction,and adventure,with a touch of mysticism to make things really interesting. My 13 year old son also loved it. I can't wait until the next book in the series!

I loved this book! John Weiskopf has created a story that is part Lord of the Rings and part Harry Potter, with a little bit of Alice in Wonderland for good measure. From the first page I was hooked! The story of Jack and Caitlin and their exciting adventures in a fantastic world at the top of the magical beanstalk towering over New York is a great read, with vivid description and intriguing characters that pull the reader along with them. The story has elements of modern science and ancient Incan mysticism, and it is grounded in both the 21st Century and ancient times. The lessons to be learned are timeless, and through the eyes of wonderful characters (my favorite is the giant mosquito, Potter Sims) we begin to see the ways in which we can all be more connected to each other and to our world.

The Ascendancy will take you on a great journey full of fun, fantasy and hope. I too felt very connected and familiar with the characters. You'll find yourself smiling throughout the book as the author introduces you to fascinating new friends during Jack and Caitlin's fabulous journey. The Ascendancy is an entertaining read that will keep you wondering what adventures lie in the pages ahead.

John Weiskopf has really done it with this first volume of the Jacob's Bean series. What awaits the reader is a carnival ride of plot, intrigue, devastation, and hope. And yet, Mr. Weiskopf is more than just a good story teller he is a healer. The hope found in this book, and there is hope, is portable. And I for one am salivating at the thought of another book in the series.

I just finished reading "At Last." I was iffy about it at first, but, bought it anyways. I am so glad I did. This book is wonderful from start to finish. You'll enjoy every minute with Noah and Gracie. If you've never read a book by Bretton, give her a chance. I bet you'll like her writing as much as I do. Happy reading.

I love this book, I almost cried and I never cry during a book! Truly you will love this book!!

I love this book, it almost made me cry, and pull my emotions as I thought of my boyfriend, which we have been together for over 4 and 1/2 years. This book is awesome and should be read by any true romantic!!!!!!!!!!

Don't get me wrong. I love Bretton's books - each one takes the reader deep into her characters souls and we can feel the pain, the love, the angst, and the hurt. This book is no exception. The background and insight to Gracie's and Noah's lives was great. But once they both came back to town- the story lost what it was building - at least for me. It just seemed too pat.

And once they found each other again - and they kissed and then when they made love at Thanksgiving - I kept thinking - how can she do this -IF she believes what Noah's dad told her. Yuck! That is where I really just stopped caring what happened.

I loved the characters in this book and the town so much
that I need to lobby Ms Bretton for a sequel!!
This is a story that grabs you from the first page and keeps you turning them until your eyes are blurry from reading too far into the wee nighttime hours. It is a perfect love story that is satisfying and believable. Turn off the tv news of the day and prepare to relax in the sweetness of this love story that Barbara Bretton so skillfully unfolds. You'll be wanting to hear of a sequel too!

I bought this volume of stories simply to get a copy of Fitzgerald's "May Day" which I'd read in one of my college texts and then could not find for years. I have always felt that "May Day" would make a superb film--and the screenwriter could lift most of the dialogue right out of the story. It is that good and simple and dramatic. Actually every one of the stories in this collection is first rate. Here is Fitzgerald, only in his 20's, writing of American aspirations before, during and after World War I. And no one wrote about this subject better than he did. The characters are rich and complex, all of them dissatisfied with the bones that life has thrown them, all of them desiring what others have. The reader sees their foibles and loves them anyway. These are not perfect people. They are real people in a time of trouble--fighting, most of them, simply to stay afloat in a world changing faster than anyone would have thought possible. I cannot recommend these brilliant stories highly enough. There is also a brief life and appreciation of Fitzgerald in this lovely Scribner edition.

The literary voice of the ninteen-twenties' "Jazz Age," F. Scott Fitzgerald was out of step with the grimmer thirties. Facing his wife's insanity, increasing alcoholism, and his own obsolesence as a writer, the stories collected here show Fitzgerald facing his demons in bracingly honest prose. If "Crazy Sunday" and the other tales of the adventures of Pat Hobby, down-and-out screenwriter, feel a bit like autobiographical wallow, and "Family In The Wind," about a doctor in the midst of a country tornado, is an interesting if uncharacteristic journey into Steinbeck country, it's the title story of the collection that's worth the price of admission.
Charlie Wales is an ex-broker, returned to Paris after all the good times have gone, with only the goal of regaining custody of his daughter after the death of his wife. A thinly veiled take on Fitzgerald's own troubled relations with daughter Scottie after wife Zelda's madness, it's at once a suspenseful, moving, and lyrical story. All his powers are at work here, as if he knew this was his last shot at literary immortality, and he was just about right.

The Book of Revelations in the New Testament is the most likely source from which F. Scott Fitzgerald draws his "Babylon Revisited". In Revelations, Babylon the Great (also an ancient Near Eastern city of materialism and sexual excess) is the `mother of whores' and the source of all evil in the Roman Empire. She is said to have been defeated by God and judged for her excessive sin. Upon her destruction, the saints rejoice while the merchants and hedonistic pleasure seekers morn. Symbolism abounds in this revision of the timeless tale and the choice of Fitzgerald's title could not be more appropriate.

Charlie himself is the regeneration of Babylon. During the economic boom of the 20's, Charlie and his wife lived life to its fullest and most shallow degree. They partied until sunup. They squandered wealth. We even get the impression that there was a significant amount of infidelity existing on both sides. As with Babylon, Charlie is punished: The stock market crash in 1929 liberates him of a fortune, "his child [is] taken from his control, [and] his wife escaped to a grave in Vermont."

As with Babylon, Charlie's fall had its rejoicers and mourners. Marion, his wife's bereaved sister, saw Charlie's fall as an opportunity to gain control of his child, and with sincere intentions rid her family of the sinner. Though she doesn't expressly rejoice in her brother-in-laws demise, she does blame him for her sister's death and understands why his life has turned out askew. Duncan and Lorraine, on the other hand, mourned the loss of their sinister partner in indulgence.

This story is complete with all of the historic reference and symbolism that has come to define F. Scott Fitzgerald. What a fantastic, unbelievably creative writer. It's amazing how timeless his writings are, and "Babylon Revisited" is the perfect example of that fact. It really makes you think about your own life.

The king of the 1920's Lit World wrote short stories for big money in Scribner's Magazine, Collier's, Esquire, and Saturday Evening Post. His first novel made him famous, This Side of Paradise, but his subsequent novels including The Great Gatsby sold meagerly. Zelda and Scott went through dough like drunken sailors, so Scott wrote short stories for a quick buck. This group of stories is among his best and though some or all were written commercially, Scott's talent was so huge that they rival his chief competitor's: Hemingway, Parker, Anderson, and Larder in charm and precision.

Above all, Fitzgerald is charming. The drunken rich boys of May Day are close to the authors experience and poignantly revealing. Scott was the son of a failed businessman. His mother's family was well to do and Scott associated with rich beauties that seemed always just beyond a snow covered golf course as in Winter Dreams. His experience with his future wife, Zelda Sear, an Alabama debutante is cloaked in fantasy in Ice Palace. Surely newlyweds are surprised to find they have married strangers. In that there is no secret, but Fitzgerald gives his bride a hysterical nightmare in a St Paul carnival ice maze. The reader loves Sally Carrol and is genuinely caught up in her dilemma of Minnesota in-laws and a suddenly stern husband.

Fitzgerald was a dreamer and The Diamond As Big As the Ritz is a parable about a family so rich, and so self-centered in their luxuries, they murder their guests less the secret of the their wealth be known. In an era where a million dollars could buy a country, Fitzgerald's fascination with success and the rich permeates his work.

F. Scott Fitzgerald is one of our greatest writers. He is best known today for his many wonderful novels, especially The Great Gatsby. As time has passed, his marvelous magazine stories have faded from sight . . . even though those were more widely read than his novels when they were written.

In Babylon Revisited: And Other Stories you will deepen your understanding of the novels . . . and of their author in these often semi-autobiographical tales. The best stories have as much impact as any of the novels in a spare exposition that adds to their power.

Each story deals with the same general theme: We live on hope which is based on illusions about reality. When faced with reality, we happily escape into new hopes based on different illusions. We are sort of like Peter Pan: We don't want to grow up.

The theme comes across with startling persuasiveness as Fitzgerald unpeels the many forms of hopeful illusions that will seem familiar to every reader.

The stories build chronologically across the backdrop of the United States after World War I in the 20's and 30's. That shift in authorship times also inadvertently adds the drama of seeing how the psychology of the young and educated changed as American went from mindless boom to seemingly unending bust.

Fitzgerald has a rich imagination to makes his world open up for readers so that you can feel both the physical sensations and the emotions of the characters . . . and become the characters while you are reading.

The stories themselves have that delightful quality of exaggeration that makes his points indelible.

The Ice Palace explores a Southern beauty's pursuit of an advantageous marriage in the frozen tundra of Minnesota in winter. May Day recounts the pursuit of pleasure and accomplishment by those of various social classes and beliefs. The Diamond as Big as the Ritz is a wild tale of a mythical place and the consequences of unlimited wealth. Winter Dreams deals with the painful consequences of acting on the illusions of romantic love. Absolution is an amazing story about how we can carelessly end up being untrue to God and ourselves. The Rich Boy considers how being rich and powerful can get in the way of being close to others. The Freshest Boy looks at being an awkward teenage boy and how he came to make peace with the world. Babylon Revisited shows how our mistakes can come home to roost after we believe we are invulnerable. Crazy Sunday is an astonishing look at the psychology of how we connect to one another through others. The Long Way Out is about a woman who suffers from a mental collapse and is now ready to return to her husband . . . when fate steps in.

My favorite stories in the book are May Day, The Diamond as Big as the Ritz, The Freshest Boy, Babylon Revisited and Crazy Sunday.

If you haven't read these stories before, you have a great treat ahead of you. If you can find a copy of George Guidall's narration for Recorded Books, your pleasure will be even greater.

The first time I read this book was about 10 years ago and then sort of lost track of it.Upon coming across it recently,I marvelled at it anew--this is the stuff of childhood memories and warm fuzzy reading sessions to be shared with your kids.The amazingly witty rhymes are indeed a treasure.

Yes, Yes, Yes! Please get the publishers to publish the book. I want to gift this book to a dozen people I know. Delightful verses, charming illustrations too.

In short, this is a feast for the mind and for the ears. Try reading the poems out loud and u'll know what i mean. Ten beautiful fairy tales taken and woven into pages of beautiful humourous poetry, what else would you want? I could not resist reading them 4 times... do buy them u'll REEEELY enjoy them.

Traditional stories from all over the world told in rhyming couplets. I am amazed at the rhymes that Vikram Seth came up with to tell these tales....and that he says he wrote the first poem becuase it was too hot to concentrate on his (real?) work!
I have this is hardcover. It's a keeper!

Everything is great about these poems. The rhymes are clever, beautiful and very often funny. In the tales the good wins from the bad, but after trial and tribulations, and always in unexpected ways. One of my favourite lines is about a goat and a ram: "They ate with pride as if to balance, their total lack of other talents". But quoting excellent lines would take about as long as the book itself.

These are not children's rhymes, but I read them to my sons of 10 and 13 years old and we all three have a great time.

i saw the movie before i read the book if i remember correctly (it was a long time ago for both). i loved the movie. the characters were so realistic and the way that jamie connected with his mother was not buttered up, it was the way it is with most mothers and their kids at that age. this isnt a page about the movie though, this is about the book.
when i first got this book i ordered it from a local store and waited a month for it to come in. when i got it i was handed this leafy little book with a black and white cover with a man jumping in the air on it. the guy at the counter looked at me and said "thatll be ". i look at him like hes insane because of that.

EXPLANATION OF THE SIZE
this is a play. the book concentrates on what is done and said, not in the way that someone leans over to get the morning paper. they dont waiste time. this book if performed would not be tiny, it would be a normal size play.

okay so i get in the car with the book and im all mad cause the price i thought insane for the book and my mom said "then take it back in there cause im not coming back" i said "no, i already ordered it, i might as well read it, i want it" and i start reading it in the car and then i get out of the car and walk out and my moms trying to talk to me. i am completly in this book, i dont hear much of anything.

lets just put it this way. ive never regreted buying that book and ive read it about 20 times or more. the reason that im here buying a new one is because during a move it was stolen and im here to read it yet again.
read the play, watch the movie and if your in england see the play if its still being shown.
beautiful thing will steal your heart.
reason behind the movies r rating.
okay its a really innocent movie in most parts.
its a love story between 2 boys but its also got another branch off because its the story of the boy "jamie" also connecting with his mother and her boyfriend.
with ste your seeing domestic abuse. ste is a teenage boy in the flat next to theirs thats being beaten by his father and brother.
with ste and leah your also seeing drugs, granted not in a pro kind of way though and its not a big part of the movie. its one scene and a small bit of another.
so in a way i guess the r rating is kind of deserved but there are so many movies that are pg 13 that have so much more than this in them.

I recommend this book to everyone. The story of Beautiful thing is a great story about a different adolescence which is an unseparated part of our lives in today's society. the story is not too fiction and it touched my heart graetlly. thanx... Dror G.

I received this video for Christmas and have fallen for it deeply. I've watched 'Beautiful Thing' every day -- I can't get enough of it. The story is honest, down-to-earth and very, very funny. Jamie and Ste will steal your heart!

I first found this film in local library and fell in love with it. It is a simple and honest love story, I laughed and I cried all the way through it, I have also performed in the play as the main character Jamie.

This is the actual script from the original stage play. It is VERY helpful in sorting through some of the SE London accents and slang in the movie. There are scenes and dialogue that are not in the movie that give further background to the story and character development. A GREAT love story. A MUST READ.

I read this book over the summer and it is one of the best I have read in awhile! I could not put it down! A fascinating look at complex relationships!!

My first book by this author and I've already gone back for more. I loved this story.

I knew nothing of this author before getting this book as a book club choice. I was completely taken in by every aspect of the book. A great read, a perfect choice for a book club or individual reading. She uses wording that paints wonderful pictures in the mind...yet leaves just enough for you to finish the picutre yourself.
I really loved it because it did show how children carry things that happen to them or involving them into adulthood. And how things could have been different had adults realized these things and dealt with them at the time. Yes, things are hard for children to understand, but that is where parents and adults really need to take the time to see things through the childs eyes.

A wonderful book.. I highly encourage you to read it.

This was a wonderful book. Patti Callahan Henry writes beautifully. Kept me spellbound...as have all her books.
Mary Pichette

This was the first of Henry's novels that I've picked up, but now I can't wait to try her others!

I loved every aspect of this book- from the well-developed characters, to the vivid descriptions of the inner turmoil in dealing with the past and present. Spectacular imagery really made it easy for me to feel that I was right there watching the whole thing.

*slight spoiler below*

Although I did see the "secret" coming for quite awhile, and I thought the explanation for the revelation (eye color, blood type) was a little fantastical, I still very much enjoyed this novel.

This is one of those "hmmmmm...interesting" books. George Rodrigue gives a compelling history about his roots and how Blue Dog came into creation. While I love the content of the book, I am even more facinated by the design. Inside you will find a "punch-out" blue dog mask, postcards and other little nifty interactive thing-a-ma-jigs that help make this book such a pleasure to enjoy.

This is a weighty (but not cumbersome) coffee table book that any thinking, feeling human being would be happy to own. Ever since I saw some original Blue Dog paintings in New Orleans, I've wanted to own one of them. Alas, I'm too poor. This book captures the spirit of the little alien-looking pooch and lets me borrow it for a price I can manage.

You just can't fully appreciate or understand the scope and delight of Blue Dog until you read this book. I adore Blue Dog. This silly, goofy blue dog provokes emotions in me that I have not experienced with art before...there is some strange, sad, beautiful, eerie, rapturous, haunting, joyful essence to this darn dog. This book is completely unique, fun, inspirational...I could go on and on. You just have to touch this book (the cover is fuzzy!) and open it...you will be hooked. The best coffee table book and a sure conversation starter, though that is hardly its value.

Any book with more of Blue Dog is great. This features more of the pop art world of Blue Dog than the previous books of Rodrigue's work. (I actually like the paintings of Blue Dog in cajun settings best.)

Teach an old dog new tricks? Absolutely, provided the pooch in question is Blue Dog, that colorful canine spawned from the mind of Cajun artist George Rodrigue. (For those no up to their four-legged friends fodder, the cobalt canine with the yellow eyes is based on three of the artist's now-dead dogs, and was first immortalized on slick papers back in 1994.) Who says a sleeping dog must lie? This babe is everywhere: portraits hang in the White House, on the set of "Friends" and in fan Whoopi Goldberg's abode; Blue Dog also stars in an Absolut ad. This volume boasts 60 gorgeous never-before-published paintings, along with commentary by Rodrigue on the birth of Blue Dog and its transformation into a pop culture icon. Tom Brokaw, an avid Blue Dog collector, wrote the book's forward. The cat's meow. Really.

Marine Biologist, Silvia Martinez was in charge of the University of San Diego shark project. She was happily surprised to find her ex-lover, Miguel Escudero, was the first officer of the ship her team was to use! But Silvia understood that her entire doctorate depended on the research she had to do, so romance was NOT first on her list! She had plankton to analyze and a team to hold together, even if one of them (Joe Scapino) was a major headache.

When Silvia and Miguel stumble upon an illegal poaching operation they knew their chances of escaping alive were slim!

**** Awesome story! Silvia helps Miguel come out of the dark ages and into the twenty-first century! Dalia Vargas does an excellent job of combining romance and science for a story that will knock your socks off! *****

Marine Biologist, Silvia Martinez was in charge of the University of San Diego shark project. She was happily surprised to find her ex-lover, Miguel Escudero, was the first officer of the ship her team was to use! But Silvia understood that her entire doctorate depended on the research she had to do, so romance was NOT first on her list! She had plankton to analyze and a team to hold together, even if one of them (Joe Scapino) was a major headache.

When Silvia and Miguel stumble upon an illegal poaching operation they knew their chances of escaping alive were slim!

***** Awesome story! Silvia helps Miguel come out of the dark ages and into the twenty-first century! Dalia Vargas does an excellent job of combining romance and science for a story that will knock your socks off! *****

I'm not used to read romantic novels... but this one got me from the very first page. Vargas' writing is powerful!!!!, she really knows how to work a plot. I highly recommend this book not only to those who usually read romantic novels, but to anybody who apreciates sensibility, sense of humor and adventure. Great!

Blue Moon is a gem of a book. Vargas does a terrific job of updating the classic tale of love lost and regained through works. If you're suffering from a broken heart, don't wait another minute. Get this book! Like the title character Miguel, it will give you courage to go back into shark-infested waters and find love once more.

I don't usually read romantic novels, but this one got me from the very first page. Vargas' writing is powerful!!!! I highly recommend this book to anyone that apreciates sensibility, sense of humor and adventure!!!!! great!!!!!

You could fill a book with all the information I _don't_ know about Brazilian music... In fact, these guys already have! Concise, conversational, informative and very well laid out, this is an exceptionally readable book. Chapters on samba, bossa nova, tropicalia, forro and jazz include focused biographical sketches of dozens of key artists, as well as succinct historical information about the progress of Brazilian music from its European and African folk roots into its bewildering and often beautiful modern offshoots. The book's focus is nonpartisan: although there is plenty of room for aesthetic criticism within the various styles, the authors generally hold their preferences and dislikes to themselves. They do, however, give readers a good sense of which recordings might be best to check out -- an invaluable service considering how little of Brazil's vast musical output makes it to the United States. Highly recommended! Certainly the best English-language guide to Brazilian pop that you will find in print (online is a different matter), this is great for casual listeners and hardcore fans alike.

The Brazilian Sound is good as far as it goes - a who's who list and discography of 20th century Brazilian music. Although, the book has the feel of a junior college textbook, it's written in plain language. It would be a relatively easy read if it were not that a parenthetical list of Brazilian names breaks up every third or fourth paragraph. There are some very informative passages - notably the chapter on Bossa Nova and the "Escolas de Samba" section of Chapter 2. At their best, the authors provide clear and comphrensive explanations of the geneology and sociological context of the music.

Unfortunately, unless a person is willing to spend countless shopping hours and a couple of thousand dollars building up collection of Brazilian records, he or she will gain almost no insight from this book into what the music feels like. The authors describe individual works and artists in only vague terms - terms often identical to those previously used to describe others. They beat the term "syncopation" into irrelevance - it's clear only that all Brazilian music is syncopated. The authors habitually refer to folk music genres and song forms ala "Composer X's work is all based on the Y song form..." But they provide no practical examples or definitions of those genres or forms.

The authors stridently dumb-down their text, accepting as axiom that one has to "hear it to believe it" and that it is meaningless to describe Brazilian music in technical terms. They generally refrain from even using common musical terms - bar, measure, pulse, key, etc. - to give the reader a clearer understanding of Brazilian rhythmic and harmonic structures. They use few effective musical comparisons or verbal metaphors. It is understandably difficult to describe music in writing. But it is possible. Judicious use of metaphor, comparisions, and technical descriptions would have greatly fleshed out what in the end comes off as a skeletal text.

This 1998 edition serves as the update to the first, apparently published in 1990 or 1991. However, the amendments appear to have been quite minor - embodied by an isolated paragraph here and there, and four meager pages in the final "More Brazilian Sounds" chapter. It's as if nothing has really happened in the evolution of Brazilian music since 1990 - an impression that must be wrong.

The Brazilian Sound catalogs decent research, but is neither good writing nor effective music history.

The best book about Brazilian music in English, "The Brazilian Sound" is a beautifully written, in-depth guide to samba, bossa and other Brazilian genres. Many of the reviews below are on the mark, but BGB from WA seems not to have read the book (or to have read a different book!). The 1998 edition substantially upgrades the original 1991 version. There is much added in terms of early history, capoeira, racial issues, choro, and the blocos and afoxes in Bahia. There is more on important artists from the 1990s, like Marisa Monte, Daniela Mercury, Carlinhos Brown, Chico Cesar, Chico Science and Karnak, though these additions are in various chapters, not just the final one ("More Brazilian Sounds"). One needs to have actually read the book to know that, of course...The music is nicely described, in both musical and cultural terms. One gets a strong sense of how it sounds, and a clear understanding of its rhythmic, harmonic and melodic ingredients. Some of the writing is rather encyclopedic, dispensing a rather staggering amount of information, while many sections vividly convey a sense of the music. I often felt I was at a bossa nova club in '59, at an escola de samba rehearsal, watching one of the 1960s song festivals, or attending a forro party. "The Brazilian Life" brings to life both the current and past greats of Brazilian music. As a result, I added quite a few CDs to my collection, especially of artists like Milton Nascimento, Pixinguinha, Jobim and Marisa Monte. I can't recommend this book highly enough.

An excellent book for anyone who wants to explore Brazilian music beyond the well-known classics. Helps place current and past musicians in their historical contexts; helps you understand who influenced whom, etc. The book will pay for itself just by helping you guide your ever-growing collection of Brazilian CD's (hard to stop once you get started)!

A lively and well-written book, The Brazilian Sound provides a broad overview of the remarkable spectrum of musica popular brasileira, from samba, bossa nova and forro to tropicalia, choro and Brazilian rock. It takes us on a journey both through the evolution of Brazilian music and the history of Brazil, and places artists like Jobim within a cultural context that helps us appreciate their music all the more. One comes away with a solid grasp of the major artists and genres of Brazilian music, as well as their impact on the "North American Sound." There is an extensive glossary at the end that is worth the price of the book alone, and an exhaustive discography.

The authors succeed in bringing the music to life, whether they are conveying the playfulness of the choro musical style, placing the reader at an Olodum concert in Salvador, or describing a samba-school rehearsal on a "hot and humid night in Rio de Janeiro." For the latter, they write, "Surdos (bass drums) pound out a booming beat, and their incessant drive provides the foundation for the rest of the bateria, the drum-and-percussion section that will later parade triumphantly during Carnaval. Snare drums called caixas rattle away in a hypnotic frenzy, and above them tamborins (small cymbal-less tambourines that are hit with sticks) carry a high-pitched rhythmic phrase like popcorn in an overheated pot. Enter the sad cries and humorous moans of the cuica (friction drum), the crisp rhythmic accents of the reco-reco (scraper), and the hollow metallic tones of the agogo (double bell). Other percussion instruments add more colors, the ukelele-like cavaquinho adds its high-register plaintive harmonies, and the puxador (lead singer) belts out the melody...." Such vivid and elaborate descriptions helped me make sense of the wall of sound that is samba, and made me want to book the next flight to Rio de Janeiro for Carnaval.

The second edition adds more historical information and brings the book up to date with musical developments in the `90s. There is extensive additional information about the origins of capoeira (the Brazilian martial art which is accompanied by music in training and which is gaining increasing popularity all over the world), and about racial issues in Brazil as reflected in popular music. There are new profiles of contemporary artists such as Marisa Monte, Nacao Zumbi, Karnak, Daude, Chico Cesar, Daniela Mercury, Timbalada, and Carlinhos Brown. The descriptions of Bahian percussionist-songwriter Carlinhos Brown's collaboration with Sergio Mendes (on the 1992 album Brasileiro) and his groundbreaking 1996 solo album Alfagamabetizado are especially memorable. This is a classic study of Brazilian music, a must for any world-music aficionado.

I finished this book in a few hours sitting at the pool. It is perfect summer reading. It's funny and it's a great way to lighten up after the intensity of club soccer tryouts. I think the team parents could have used more character development but they were interesting in that you may find people you know in some of the characters in the book.

The coach is characterized perfectly as the horror every parent wants to avoid but will find ways to justify teaching their child. His character and newsletters provide the most fun and fascination of the entire book. At times I found myself wishing the book was more about him than about Annie.

All in all the book is quite enjoyable except for the last couple of chapters which just seem to give up and fall into place without warning. If only life, especially club soccer, were that easy.

Nancy Star does a great job of satirizing the crazy side of youth soccer while providing a nice read while you wait for practice to end. It's a great gift for any parent who has spent large amounts of time on the sidelines -- of soccer and of life.

Reviewed by Leslie Granier for Reader Views (1/08)

Annie Fleming leads a hectic life and as a result is not home nearly enough with her twelve-year-old daughter Charlotte. Her days are planned with detailed schedules and to-do lists (which she is shocked to learn that her family is not following). After losing her job and having to fire the live-in babysitter, Annie gains an insight into how her priorities seem to be focused on the wrong things. She then attempts to reconnect with her daughter through soccer, a game that Annie knows nothing about either on or off the field. She longs for Charlotte's talent to be recognized and will do whatever she can to get her selected for a spot on an elite traveling soccer team run by Winslow West, who is considered by many to be the best soccer coach who has ever lived.

This book contains several humorous situations. The soccer bulletins written by Coach West contained recaps of previous games and were quite funny to read. I also found myself laughing at Annie's inability to understand "soccer language" and her attempts to fit in with the other parents. Although the author uses humor to entertain the reader, she also sends an important social message. She exposes the lies and deceit that occur in competitive sports. It was sad to see people striving for a goal they will never reach simply because those in power refuse to give them the opportunity to succeed.

Nancy Star created some interesting and unique characters whose flaws and quirks are greatly exaggerated to make a point. Winslow West's megalomania nearly resulted in tragedy because the parents put their children in dangerous situations just to please him. Annie's obsession with having every detail of life planned and appropriately scheduled caused her to feel like an outsider in her daughter's life. Both examples stress the importance of finding and maintaining balance in one's life.

"Carpool Diem" is a fun and light-hearted book that contains important life lessons for people who are obsessed with winning or being viewed as successful by others. Be careful what you wish for because it may not be all that you imagined it would.

This book contains several humorous situations. The soccer bulletins written by Coach West contained recaps of previous games and were quite funny to read. I also found myself laughing at Annie's inability to understand "soccer language" and her attempts to fit in with the other parents. Although the author uses humor to entertain the reader, she also sends an important social message. She exposes the lies and deceit that occur in competitive sports. It was sad to see people striving for a goal they will never reach simply because those in power refuse to give them the opportunity to succeed.

Nancy Star created some interesting and unique characters whose flaws and quirks are greatly exaggerated to make a point. Winslow West's megalomania nearly resulted in tragedy because the parents put their children in dangerous situations just to please him. Annie's obsession with having every detail of life planned and appropriately scheduled caused her to feel like an outsider in her daughter's life. Both examples stress the importance of finding and maintaining balance in one's life.

"Carpool Diem" is a fun and light-hearted book that contains important life lessons for people who are obsessed with winning or being viewed as successful by others. Be careful what you wish for because it may not be all that you imagined it would.

Indeed, a lot like working in the corporate world,a soccer Mom is an occupation. And in "Carpool Diem", Annie Fleming discovers it is an occupation not meant for the weak or the meek.
Nancy Star's smooth, witty, easygoing style encourages page turning in this delightful read.

Funny premise. Annie Flemming, a high powered woman, has always felt that her life was darn near perfect. Her husband and daughter have no problem with her choosing her career and travel over them, the baby-sitter takes up the slack and other things are adjusted for. Annie leaves notes and detail daily plans - what could go wrong. That is until it all comes crashing down.

Well, the unthinkable happens and Annie is forced out of her high powered career. When she returns home and sees her life and family for what they are her life starts to spin out of control. Her husband isn't nearly as tough as she thought and her daughter Charlotte doesn't seem to have the same type of drive that mom does. Well, that will soon change if Annie has anything to say about it.

So, what does take-no-prisoners Annie do, she applies her know how and becomes a soccer mom. If she can organize and motivate a boardroom how hard could this be. Little did she know that the cut throat atmosphere of the elite level of travel team soccer could do her and her daughter in.

Very funny moments, but I did take it a little personally when a comment was made about "if you think soccer is bad, have you ever tried to talk to a hockey mom". If it wasn't so true, it would have been funny.

Great book if you do or have ever had kids in highly competitive sports. More than one character will have you spinning down the hall of memories and certain parents and coaches that made you want to scream.