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O Books sorted by Average customer review: high to low .

O
Cool Stuff and How It Works
Published in Hardcover by DK CHILDREN (2005-10-17)
Authors: Chris Woodford, Ben Morgan, and Clint Witchalls
List price: $24.99
New price: $10.00
Used price: $3.50

Average review score:

Great Book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-08
This was bought as a Christmas gift for my 9-year-old son and it has been a big hit. The book is big and colorful and has great photo layouts of the "insides" of all kinds of neat devices. The photos and captions explain how the devices work. If you have a child who is always asking "How do they do that?" or "How does that work?" then this book is a great choice.

Great Book!
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 13 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-09
I bought this book for my 11 year old son. He absolutey loves it. It has a great cover. The ipod is sweet and it's a hollagram like I always say you can never have 1 too many of those hollagrams. And every thing else is a joke but who am I kidding hollagrams are sweet. This is a must have hollagram lover! baby yay i know i'm wako but still ya gotta love the hollagram baby!

Your's truly,
Ottomiss woodford

From MP3 Players to Nanorobots in Amazing Color Photographs
Helpful Votes: 20 out of 20 total.
Review Date: 2006-06-09
Through the use of cutaways and exploded views pictures reveal the internal workings of objects and explain various layers and how elements are assembled. This provides fascinating explanations of objects that may otherwise remain a mystery. No need to take apart your MP3 player, you can see inside the player on page 71. There is an explanation of how MP3 compression works along with a 3-D graph.

There are six main chapters:

Connect: Microchips, cell phones, fiber optics, digital radio, voice recognition, satellite, Internet...

Play: Soccer, fabric, cameras, games, guitars, compact discs, MP3 Players, headphones, Fireworks...

Live: Light bulbs, mirrors, solar cells, microwaves, aerogel, shavers, washing machines and robots.

Move: Motorcycles, cars, wheelchairs, jet engines, navigation, space probes, elevators, wind tunnels and space shuttles.

Work: Digital pens, laptops, virtual keyboards, laser printer, smart cards, robot worker, fire suits, radio ID tag, glue and wet welding.

Survive: Laser surgery, robot surgery, MRI scan, pacemaker, cells, vaccination and antibiotics

You may enjoy reading about how fireworks explode and why they display various colors. The pet translator helps you to find out if your dogs barking indicates needy, happy or assertive behavior. Virtual keyboards make using a PDA much easier now that you can type on any flat space.

One of the most fascinating DK books in print. A must have for every library and school, not to mention home library.

~The Rebecca Review

Excellent book for introducing kids to technology
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-09
Kids are surrounded by technology these days, but unfortunately fewer and fewer of them appear to know how their gadgets or the world around them works.

This book is a good introduction, even if it is a bit lightweight.

There's a mix of ordinary things like electric shavers and guitars, the somewhat exotic like fiber optics and things mostly on the drawing board like fuel-cell cars. In all, more than 90 objects, processes and technologies are described.

The explanations are all essentially superficial and profusely illustrated. It's enough to get a young person interested and perhaps move them along to considering learning more about technology.

Jerry

we are curious
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2006-11-10
I bought this book for my high school students to read in their free time. It is one of their favorite books.

O
Cross-Cultural Communication: Concepts, Cases and Challenges
Published in Paperback by Cambria Press (2006-01-01)
Author:
List price: $27.95
New price: $27.20
Used price: $23.00

Average review score:

Communication is Key
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-12-05
It is vital we form mutual understandings between cultures so that stereotypes and prejudice don't start cultural conflicts. Cross-Cultural Communication has helped me in my way of thinking. I am more conscious now of other cultures than I have ever been before. My interaction with others will change gradually as I attempt to work successfully with different people. I will need these skills especially when I leave Tennessee State University and have to work in a multicultural setting or organization.

Cross-Cultural Communication
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-12-05
I would highly recommend this book to any student who is seeking a great source of knowledge in the communication area. Dr. Norales is obviously an expert in the field and delves into the issues by using her knowledge as well as other experts in the communication field. I hope she continues to assign this text to her future classes at Tennessee State University as I feel it will be a benefit to all who read it.

A concise text on cultural communications
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-12-05
This book proved to be a thorough and detailed text of cultural relations worldwide. I found the book to be full of positive knowledge and culturally beneficial. The information and tools contained in this book could inspire many individuals to communicate well with all people of various cultures. The facts related to cultural negligence and violence are certainly disheartening. However, the reality of "cultural clashes" is not pleasant. It is my hope that more people will read books of this nature to inspire a positive change worldwide.

Cross-Cultural Communications Review
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-12-05
I would like to say that the Cross-Cultural Communication book was great. It was helpful in many ways. I feel like it will help me as it relates to communicating in the business world. It has expanded my knowledge of cultures. I would recommend this book to anyone. I think that the writers did a great job. They were excellent in relaying the information they had in each chapter.

Educational and Remarkable Reading
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-05-04
This book is very easy to read. The sentences are concise. It provides some interesting concepts about intercultural challenges. It inspired me to write a report about my African-American culture.

O
The Devil's Cradle (Kendall O'Dell Mystery series)
Published in Paperback by Nite Owl Books (1999-09-01)
Author: Sylvia Nobel
List price: $17.95
New price: $6.45
Used price: $0.82
Collectible price: $17.95

Average review score:

Gripping story
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-07-24
The Devil's Cradle is so well written that you do not want to put it down. You just have to find out what happens next and house work and everything else just has to wait! I love the fact that I have visited many of the places in Arizona that she writes about in her stories. After reading her first two books, I immediately went on line and ordered the next three. Can't wait for the next one to be published!!

Another Intense Page Turner about Kendall O'Dell
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2003-01-03
Ms. Nobel is very talented and gifted. It was also a pleasure to meet her at a book signing! An intense rollercoaster ride of emotions from start to finish. A great who dun it! And she makes you want to visit the beautiful places that she's written about! Run do not walk to buy Dark Moon Rising!

the devil's cradle
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2000-05-28
I am in the middle of THE DEVIL'S CRADLE and am completely engrossed! What a fun time it is to be able to visit Kendall O'Dell and tag along on her journies. Both DEADLY SANCTUARY and THE DEVIL'S CRADLE were loaned to be my a good friend, and I have throughly enjoyed them both.

Hopefully, we'll be able to enjoy Sylvia Nobel's next book very soon.

vicki galloway poormansq2@aol.com

heart-stopping breath-taker
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2005-11-09
Five stars is not enough to rate this top notch book. It was a page turner to say the very least and most enjoyable! Very, very clever and witty. Couldn't put it down! I'd say it's a good thing I have found this brilliant author because Sue Grafton is running out of letters.

Excellent novel - the ending was quite a surprise!
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2000-02-03
I enjoyed Sylvia Nobel's second novel, Devil's Cradle, as muchas I enjoyed her first novel, Deadly Sanctuary. The heroine, KendellO'Dell, is a feisty redhead who is smart, quick-witted and very daring. The book is written in a lively, fun-to-read style that keeps you turning page after page. Each new page adds new questions and just when you think you have something figured out, you find out you are heading down the wrong path. The whodunit ending was not at all what I expected. I challenge any one to figure this story out before they get to the end - it is anything but predictable. In addition to providing an excellent story line, Devil's Cradle gives an excellent description of Arizona and its many wonders. By the time you finish the book - which won't take long if you're like me and have trouble putting it down - you'll feel as though you've traveled with Kendell through the Arizona desert, mountains and plains. If you like a good mystery with a little romance, you'll truly enjoy Devil's Cradle. I hope Ms. Nobel finishes her next book soon - I'm ready to read it.

O
Dictionary of the Old Testament: Historical Books (The IVP Bible Dictionary Series)
Published in Hardcover by InterVarsity Press (2005-12)
Author:
List price: $60.00
New price: $37.80
Used price: $33.81

Average review score:

Solid and in-depth
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-12
Contains a wealth of solid and in-depth information aimed at scholars and educated lay persons. Articles are well written (and can be a bit dense), very informative, and contain a select bibliography for further study. An indispensible tool for any serious student of the Bible.

Jesus
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-07-01
This book is a great resource. Very deep info. It is a wealth of scholarly information and covers every topic. Amazon has the best price on these books with free shipping. What more could anyone ask for. Aslo quick service. Amazon also ships quickly to APO/FPO boxes and is still free! Awesome.

Great source to begin research!
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-02
Over 150 articles comprise the Dictionary of the Old Testament: Historical Books, which covers the books of Joshua, Judges, 1-2 Samuel, 1-2 Kings, 1-2 Chronicles, Ezra, and Nehemiah.

Each entry is concluded by an extensive bibliography and useful cross-references to other articles in the Dictionary Of The Historical Books.

A unique feature that enhances the readability and usefulness of this dictionary is that the entries are in reality "macro-essays" on larger categories or topics instead of separate smaller essays on the component parts. For example, "Absalom" will be found in the discussion
of "David's Family," and "Anat" under "Canaanite Gods and Religion."

The entries discuss and evaluate many of the key interpretative problems and the relevance of comparative data from literary, cultural, and archaeological sources that pertain to these biblical texts. Archaeological studies are used extensively throughout the entries, with numerous sites being treated separately in addition to their citation within other contexts.

With a wide range of backgrounds and points of view among the 120 contributors, this dictionary contains fairly even and well-balanced entries that provide a panoramic view of the present landscape in this segment of scholarly research on the historical books. It must be noted, however, that the contributors to the dictionary do not merely present but also evaluate data. While some readers no doubt will take issue with some of the interpretations of the various contributors, the entries articulate the state of the question for these issues and topics and offer new directions and interpretative possibilities for the future.

The volume concludes with three indexes: Scripture, subjects,
and articles. Whether you are a scholar, a graduate student, or a layman looking for a summation of scholarly opinion, this volume is for you!

Easy to read and understand
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-14
This is an outstanding resource book for the novice or the scholar. It is well written and very easy to understand. Arnold covers the Old Tesatment thoroughly. You will not be disappointed.

A magnificent achievement
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-04-07
Editors Bill Arnold and Paul Williamson have enlisted an international cast of scholars; each addressing topics within their specialties. In the past twenty years a burgeoning list of titles addressing the historicity of the OT has appeared, thus making it necessary for a dictionary that addresses these particular concerns. With entries ranging from "agriculture" to "Zion traditions," DOTHB packs competently presented information cover-to-cover. One of the best dictionaries I have encountered.

O
Died in the Wool (Center Point Premier Mystery (Largeprint))
Published in Hardcover by Center Point Large Print (2007-09)
Author: Rett MacPherson
List price: $31.95
New price: $27.29
Used price: $27.29

Average review score:

Died in the Wool
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-06
Book was received in excellent condition and in about 3-5 days, I was very satisfied with my purchase and most definitely will purchase from this vendor again.

Thank you!

Great Book--Anyone else get a publisher's misprint?
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-13
I really enjoyed this book, just as I have enjoyed all the Torie books. Rhett MacPherson really has a talent for bringing her characters to life, warts and all, and keeping me waiting for the next book. I highly reocmmend this series to mystery fans, and even non-mystery fans who like interesting characters.

The only problem I had with my copy is that something went wrong, apparently in the binding process. Near the end, right when the murderer was being disclosed, every other page or two was not the page it was supposed to be. Instead there were pages from an entirely different book in an entirely different style--it seemed like some kind of victorian romance--sprinkled in where the real pages should have been. I could still figure out who did it, but I wish all the pages had been there. I wonder if that other book had Rhett MacPherson's pages?? It was very weird. Has anybody else encountered this?

Torie Tears it Up
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-07-09
Torie O'Shea is the central character in Rett MacPherson's series and to say the least, she is a hoot. Entertaining is an inadequate word. Torie is a genologist who has lived in the small Missouri town all her life and knows not only every citizen but their entire family history. And she uses that knowledge to solve the current mystery.

More than the process of solving crimes to the reader are the bumps along the road of Torie's antics and sometimes outrageous derring-do activites. She has a unique and loving relationship with her hubby, who understands and wrote the book on the word patience, and her children are challenging to put it midly. A totally entertaining read watching Torie navigate between the current family crisis, the need to move to an audacious adventure to solve the crime, and the guts and grits it takes to maintain her livlihood of museum curator and geneologist.

Torie is a busy lady and following her around while she navigates her daily non-routine existance is fun, fun, fun. You might want to go back and start at the beginning - or at least read a few earlier books to get the gist of the main character and her encounters, but any book you read you will laugh and muse, and when completed, the smile will still be there. You cannot help it, I promise.

Rett MacPherson
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2007-04-08
As in the past, I am always appreciative with the Torie O'Shea mysteries. Can't put the book down and usually read the whole book in a couple of days. Rett is one of my favorite authors because of the wit that is introduced into the story and making it so entertaining.

History, genealogy, quilts and mystery -- in one tidy package
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-02
Torie O'Shea, the resident historian of New Kassel, Missouri, learns that the old Kendall house is up for sale. According to local myth, three Kendall siblings committed suicide on that property in the 1920s. Torie would like to buy the house and preserve it for historical purposes; and at the same time, she wants to find out what REALLY happened to Rupert, Whalen, and Glory Anne Kendall. Readers are eager to go along for the ride, now that Torie's obnoxious stepfather is no longer the sheriff and therefore no longer a stumbling block to her investigations. By checking church records and newspaper obituaries, Torie begins to piece the information together. But does Glory still haunt the house? Whose blood is splattered on one of the bedroom walls? Can what Torie unearths and adds to the old police files really provide the full story on the Kendalls? Is it better to know or NOT to know?

Kudos to Rett MacPherson for giving us such a compelling mystery to follow! This episode is one of the best in the series, and any genealogist or historian will be fascinated with analyzing the details first-hand as they are uncovered. Surely further installments will follow Torie as she restores the Kendall house and makes it into the textile museum she dreams of. Can we even hope that Glory's ghost will make a personal appearance from time to time?

O
Divine Intimacy: Meditations on the Interior Life for Every Day of the Liturgical Year
Published in Leather Bound by TAN Books and Publishers, Inc. (2006-04-20)
Author: O.C.D. Fr. Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen
List price: $48.00
New price: $42.94

Average review score:

Guides you in Meditation
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-04
I have both this book and In Conversation With God. This book tends to be more contemplative, while Fr. Fernandez's books (ICwG) tends to be more pastoral. Also, this book follows the readings of the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, while the ICwG books follow the post-concilliar cycle of readings.

I can honestly say that this book is very good for giving your prayer life a jump start. I get more out of it when I couple it with a Rosary or quiet time. If you want to read a section, set it down and go back to your daily activities, you won't get much out of this. It is meant to be a springboard to further prayer.

Finally, and Baronius Press has now acquired the sole rights to print this book in English, so I don't think you will be able to get this edition by Tan Books.

I'd highly recommend getting a Sunday Missal or Daily Missal according to the 1962 rite, too. It makes following the readings a lot easier.

Excellent Resource for Meditative Prayer
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-26
My spiritual director told me it is essential to buy two books, to start spiritual direction: this book and Heliotropium: Conformity of the Human Will to the Divine. Both have been excellent resources, but this book is one I consider to be a completely under-appreciated gem of Catholic spirituality. It goes by the pre-V2 liturgical calender, with meditative reflections for each day. The book IS expensive, but I think it is worth every penny - particularly for the leather bound, as you'll want to read this every day for the rest of your life.

excellent and easy to stick with
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-19
We have several similar books but I have never succeeded at sticking with them. I really like that this is broken down into short meditation readings (about 1 1/2 to 2 pages) and then a colloquy (a "conversation" with God) about the meditation. They follow the cycle of the Church, although not 100% up to date with Vatican II from what I can tell.

My wife and I have made it part of our daily prayer life.

A Wonderful Spiritual Jouney!
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-16
"Divine Intimacy" is a set of daily readings and meditations that trace the Church's Liturgical year. The readings and meditations are both deep and profound. Each reading takes us through a meaningful set of issues, relative to the Liturgy. And the meditations are the reflections of the Saints on these particular issues.

This past year, I have begun every day with a reading and a meditation from "Divine Intimacy". And it has been a wonderful start for each day of this wonderful year. I strongly recommend this practice to all. God bless.

By the way, TAN Books of Rockford, Illinois has made this beautiful new edition available in an attractive, leather-bound format. It is a treasure. And we strongly recommend it.

Soaring with the Angels
Helpful Votes: 8 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-15
This wonderful edition had been out of print for a few years. Used books were almost impossible to find. We should be so grateful that Tan Publishing has brought it back in print. Carmelite history and prayer began with Elijah on Mount Carmel. From Elijah has descended a long line of saints who have heard the voice of the Lord calling them to leave everything and come and drink from the holy steams of God. This book is an invitation for all to come and pray like the holy men and women of the past. The daily prayers and meditations will lift you to incredible heights. These prayers and meditations are not simply for recitation. When read slowly and reflectivedly, these devout outpourings have the power to snatch you up as well into the sublime intimacy of knowledge and love that our saints experienced in the divine mysteries. So, for a mystical experience and to increase your love for God, I strongly recommend this treasure that is timeless for its truth and beauty.

O
Donna O'Neeshuck Was Chased by Some Cows
Published in Hardcover by Harpercollins Childrens Books (1988-10)
Author: Bill Grossman
List price: $12.95
Used price: $9.75
Collectible price: $12.95

Average review score:

One of the Most Fun Books to Read with Your Children
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-06-02
You might call this review a little 'belated.' We used to read this book to our children from the time they were in pre-school and it was first published (now both in college), but it is without a doubt one of the most fun books we've found of the hundreds we've read to and with them, and one of the most memorable both for them and for us.

I have to agree with everything the other reviewers have said. It is so much fun to read aloud and children of just about any age above 2 will get a kick out of the illustrations as Donna is being chased "past chickens and turkeys and birds, through bunches of buffalo running in herds..." To this day I can recite the entire book from memory.

And I believe that it was becasue of books like this, and this one in particular, that helped establish our children's love of reading.

Over the years we have given this book to our friends as they have had their children, and today use the out of print service to find copies for gifts. We have never failed to get very positive comments about the book years after (and others can't get the story out of their heads' either).

Hilarious book!!!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2003-10-09
I love this book. My kids love to read this book with me. This is more for 4 to 6 year olds, but I am sure there are 2 and 3 year olds that will enjoy the pictures and story of Donna Being chased through her town, Through fences and gardens and the barber shop. Very cute. Easy to ready.

I loved this book when I was a kid
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2002-07-31
My mom used to read this book to us when I was a lass and I can still remember exactly how it goes from cover to cover. I'm a 25 year old grad student, and I STILL can't get the contagious, singsong rhyme scheme out of my head. This will be a book you'll remember for the rest of your life, whether you want to or not. It also contains great pictures, and may have initially formed my equally enduring fascination with redheads. I especially like how she ends up with the hot guy with the bike at the end. I love Donna and I love head pats.

Wonderful Rhyming Rhythms
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 1998-03-16
Even if the story weren's so darn cute, the rhythm of the words would have hooked my two-year-old (and me!) Kudos to Grossman and also to illustrator Truesdell who has pictured all the action so delightfully.

Excellent introduction to rhythm in poetry
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 1998-04-07
I have read literally hundreds of books to my children (3 and 5) and this is one of the best we have found so far. My 5 year old is memorizing it line by line and I don't mind reading it over and over and over as the rhythms are so much fun and the rhyming is clever!

O
The Eight O'Clock Ferry to the Windward Side: Fighting the Lawless World of Guantanamo Bay
Published in Hardcover by Nation Books (2007-10-04)
Authors: Clive Stafford Smith and Clive Smith
List price: $25.95
New price: $3.00
Used price: $3.00

Average review score:

Eight O' Clock Ferry
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-14
Tragic book, very well written. I suspect all of it is true. If 10% is true, people who care about America need to tell our leaders that things must change now. We must respect the rights of people we have in custody, whether they are Americans, Iraqis, or people without a country. Our leaders have embarrassed our country by doing the things outlined here. Respect for human rights should be our starting point.

Enraging
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-09
In vivid, engaging prose uncommon among attorney authors, Clive Stafford Smith offers a startling first-hand account of America's most well-known gulag: the prison camps at Guantanamo Bay. Smith's volume places the U.S. Government's hypocrisy in the Bush II era on full display, with the prisoners there -- very few of whom, it appears, guilty of any crime at all (let alone legitimate involvement in Islamist terrorism) -- tragic protagonists in a prolonged tour through hell. Despite assiduous compliance with strict military classification and censorship requirements, Smith gives a stark account of torture, rendition, legal tricks, and a relentless war on due process -- by the same folks supposedly spreading "democracy" to the Middle East. With new precision details and personal prisoner histories, Smith's book is shocking even to those who never believed the news coverage. Read it with anger; the outrage is still going on.

one day (and more) in the life of binyam mohamed
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-09
If you haven't read Robert Conquest's seminal work The Great Terror about the purges, the show trials, law, and justice under Stalin, you might want to consider reading that first. Perhaps visit the Amazon site which has a quote from Harrison Salisbury saying the book is "an odyssey of madness, tragedy, and sadism". Then read Smith's eloquent book. Much is different, of course, but there is a lot that seems eerily similar. In Russia it was a crime to be suspected of anti-Soviet activities. This did not mean that you were actually guilty of such activities--it just meant that someone thought you might possibly be guilty, and being thought possibly guilty was a crime in itself, worthy of torture, a one-way trip to the cellars, or death in the labor camps. Evidence of guilt seemed to take a back seat to suspicion of guilt. Then read Smith's book.

The Russian show trials were carefully scripted, and designed to give the mostly leftist press in attendance and the rest of the world through media coverage the impression that the rules of law were being followed and that justice was indeed being carried out. Much of the world wanted to believe that the deviationist wreckers were truly guilty and deserved the ultimate punishment for trying to sabotage the workers' paradise. Reading Smith's book will show that the Stalinists were not the only ones who loved carefully scripted show trials before handpicked judges.

There is, as I've said, much that is different. In Russia, a popular sentence was "exile, without right of communication", a hypocritical euphemism for being shot in the cellars. In Guantanamo, as you'll see in the book, "detention, without right of communication", is not a sentence from a judge at a two-minute hearing, as in Russia. The criminal isn't taken to the cellars and shot, at least not at Guantanamo. Prior to some Supreme Court decisions, a prisoner could be held without right of communication for the duration of the war on terror, and since terrorism has been going on for thousands of years, there is no reason to think that many of the prisoners would have ever had a hearing or seen a lawyer for the rest of their life.

In Russia, family members could wait in long lines outside the Butyrka and other prisons with packages of food and clothing for their loved ones: if the package was accepted, it meant the spouse, brother, etc, was still alive there. If refused, they had been taken to the cellars or sent to a labor camp. No such bleeding-heart tenderness at Guantanamo.

Smith's book shows that there are some truly dangerous prisoners at Guantanamo--but there are too many who were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. 11-year-old boys, 93-year-old men, goatherders (how do you prove that while herding goats you didn't meet with Bin Laden?),etc. Pakistan was happy to show it was doing its part in the war on terror by turning in Arabs and collecting nice bounties no questions asked. Kafka's novel The Trial is appropriate reading here. In Russia, the populace, as a whole, heartily endorsed Stalin's war on the wrecker saboteurs: someone, after all, must be to blame for all the problems, and an alternative obvious source to blame was not conducive to good health and long life. The people were not concerned about the rights of the accused, or legal niceties. In America, there is not widespread concern about legal niceties for a bunch of Moslems in Guantanamo and other places of detention. So if you read Smith's book, you'll find it quite depressing, especially if you've read The Great Terror. There's too much in Smith's book that most of us would prefer not to hear about or think about: we'd rather turn on the TV and see Happy News or a nice patriotic CSI TV show or something. It's a fine book, but not a fun one.

as much of the details as are allowed to be known
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-05
Imagine that you have been swept away to a prison, kept in solitary confinement and when taken out for questioning you are continually asked about the tomatoes you were carrying ( the translators don't always have a full command of dialects )and you have no idea what your interrogators want or if they are totally insane. Because this book is written from a lawyer's point of view and lays out only the facts ( only what he has been able to ascertain and what he is allowed to make known ) it takes some reflection and imagination to put yourself in the place of the detainees and savour the experience that they have had and continue to have.
In other words this isn't "Midnight Express", but a look at guantanamo, its rules, the U.S. military, the stories of a few of the detainees and the constitutional and humanitarian issues involved.

A window into Guantanamo
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-04
From various newspaper articles, I had heard that many of the people in Guantanamo Bay were innocent and that torture happens there. But all of that seemed very abstract until I read this book. I was frequently upset by the things I read in this book. It is difficult to read about torture, as well as your own goverment's ability to waste time, tax-payer money and other people's lives for information that bears no fruit, or worse, fruit that meets their pre-conceived notions. I think that is the saddest aspect of reading this book. Why is the government still detaining people for which there is hard evidence of their innocence? How can we be spending bllions of $$ on the war on terror, yet not get the detainees' ages and names correct?

Highlights of the book:

- How politically-charged the words 'terror' and 'torture' are.
- The account of Binyam Mohamed's 18-month torture abroad and his military trial.
- The discussion of the 'ticking time bomb' scenario, which is often used to justify torture, and why the detention and torture of people held longer than a day, let alone 3+ years, will likely give obsolete or false information.
- The discussion of how the US has given far more dangerous enemies of the past the benefit of a public trial, and our part in ensuring fair trials for Nazi war crime criminals.
- Portraits of people in Guantanamo, both detainess and Americans stationed there.
- Arguments for fair trials and open society versus the current policy of secrecy, torture and secret prisons, even for the baddest of the bad.

The last chapter, where Mr. Smith talks about the effect of the US's decisions on terrorism recruitment, reads more like political rant. I am sympathetic to the argument, but it is speculation. And frankly, not needed. The preceding chapters are powerful on their own. I would encourage people to read this book.

O
The Emerald Isle (The Heirs of Cahira O'Connor #4)
Published in Paperback by WaterBrook Press (1999-09-14)
Author: Angela Elwell Hunt
List price: $9.99
New price: $4.00
Used price: $2.19
Collectible price: $10.00

Average review score:

Great Conclusion to Series!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-17
Hunt nicely wraps up the contemporary story of Kathleen O'Connor who travels to Ireland to research the story of Cahira O'Connor. She blends a great framework for both stories and gives the reader a unique ending to the love story that began her writing and in her own life.

emerald isle
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-17
this interweaving two captive stories of romance and intrigue humourand faith. the emerald isle ties up the mutlicolred threads of angela elwell and is serious page turning novel that keeps its readers in supsense, with a concclusion that will satisfy both spirt and heart!

Excellent Ending to a Wonderful Series
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2006-05-23

The Emerald Isle was a wonderful ending to an excellent series. Cahira O'Connor, the king's daughter, was a remarkable woman who was brave, intelligent and beautiful. She falls in love with her father's enemy's chief knight, named Colton. This is a gripping story, where honor, love, and sacrifice are beautifully portrayed. Cahira's story is set in the 1200's.

The author does an excellent job portraying life in the age of Chivalry. It was somewhat difficult to read, knowing Cahira's ultimate fate from the previous books. However, the author does a beautiful job bringing the story to closure.

Cahira's story is intertwined with Kathleen O'Connor's, a descendent of Cahira. Kathleen travels to Ireland for few months before attending her best friend's wedding. She stays on the bride-to-be's parent's dairy farm and develops a friendship with her brother, Patrick.

The author does a remarkable job describing life and scenes in Ireland, and includes much information on dairy farming. She has done quite a bit of research in each of the books in this series. They are wonderfully written, and I have benefited greatly from her research into the lives and times of each period. I highly recommend each book, all are terrific!

Delightful Read!
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2000-05-25
The stories of Cahira and Kathleen are juxtaposed beautifully in this wonderful story of God's grace and sovereignty and people's shortcomings. A lovely story of Ireland, past and present. If you love Ireland, this is for you.

Two stories in one book...Past and present
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2002-06-14
I devoured the first 3 books of this series. They were moving and wonderful. This book is just as good as the other 3. In this book, we find out the story of Cahira O'Connor. A brave young woman who stood up to her father/king and an opposing force for the man that she loved. We also finish the story of Kathleen O'Connor, who has been doing the research on the descendants of Cahira. She is in Ireland for the wedding of her best friend Taylor and his fiancee (whom she introduced) Maddie.

This book describes the journey of Kathleen's faith, and how she comes to rely on herself for her own happiness. She realizes her own role in the Cahira tradition is not to chronicle the stories, or to take up arms to fight, but to live. She finds her own way in Ireland, and the ending of the book brings everything full circle and to a satisfying conclusion.

O
Esther's Story
Published in Turtleback by Demco Media (1998-01)
Author: Diane Wolkstein
List price:

Average review score:

Esthers Story
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2001-11-01
Esther's Uncle Mordecai is the gate keeper.He raised Esther from a baby. My favorite part of the story is when Esther becomes queen of Persia. My favorite part of the story is when he laughed. When he was done laughing, he said "Esther, you are now queen of ersia". I like the book Esther because it is taken from the Bible. The comments are the same as in the Bible. If you really like the Bible story, I insist that you read this book!

esther's story
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2001-10-26
Esther was an ok book. It is easy to read. It was about
this girl named Esther and how she became a queen and
saved her people. I recommend this book to anyone.

Esthers Story
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2001-11-01
Esther's Uncle Mordecai is the gate keeper.He raised Esther from a baby. My favorite part of the story is when Esther becomes queen of Persia. My favorite part of the story is when he laughed. When he was done laughing, he said "Esther, you are now queen of ersia". I like the book Esther because it is taken from the Bible. The comments are the same as in the Bible. If you really like the Bible story, I insist that you read this book!

Esther
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2001-11-01
I like this book of Esther because it is all what God knew what was going to happen. My first favorite part is when the king crowned Esther Queen of Persia. That was God's plan. Later, a man named Haman wanted all the Jews killed. God wanted Esther to save her people. My second favorite part is when Esther shows up to the king uninvited. Esther had the courage to do that. But, will Esther save her people in time? Read this book to find out.

"Must reading" for any Jewish girl
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2001-01-17
I have read dozens of Jewish books to my kids, and this stands out as one of the few that I am going to keep for THEIR kids. The reason? It portrays Esther as a real person that girls can truly identify with, while not straying from the honest Torah understanding of the holiday. Additionally, the combination of realistic text (presented in the form of Esther's diary) and stunning illustrations make this book a literary treat. I wish this author-illustrator team would get together to create stories about all the Biblical heroines!


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