Other The Books

If you are the type of over-anxious mom I am, you will want to have all your child's medical records in one place. This journal is a great tool for organizing and recording your child's doctor visits, illnesses, etc. It is small enough to put in your diaper bag and take to the dr's office where you can then pepper the dr. with all the questions you've written down in the journal. And it's got a cute cover to boot!

I have this book for both of my kids and it is sooo perfect for keeping notes from every doctor visit, questions for the doctor, knowing where my shot records are, and tracking their growth and development all in one easy place. MUST HAVE!

I received one for my first daughter and bought one for my second daughter. It is very cute and handy. It fits nicely in the diaper bag or purse for doctor visits. This makes a nice gift for a baby shower.

This journal is so cute and handy... will order more as a gift for my friends baby shower.

i work in a pediatric office. when a mother gave me this book to note the baby's height and weight i fell in love with it. i knew i had to buy one for my son and my daughter in law for their baby. one of the reasons i liked it was because mom can always carry it in her diaper bag and have all the medical information at her finger tips.

I have read much on the history of our beautiful country and also of other countries as well.

This book by Thomas Paine "COMMON SENSE AND THE RIGHTS OF MAN" is an extraordinary out line of how man should form his government and live in harmony with his fellow man in this world. Thomas Paine, one of our founding fathers, is a man that saw the rights of man being trampled on by England. His writing is plain common sense, of which many of us fail to utilize, about what a government should be and should not be. Our founding fathers gave us a Republic, if we could keep it. So far we have taken the declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights completly our of context. We are nowhere near the government our founding fathers gave us.

Those who wish to find the truth are compelled to read this book. Those who are satisified with the status quo will continue to be so. Read one of the best books ever written on the Rights of Man and then make your decision whether you want to live free men or langour in slavery.

Thomas Eby......

Thomas Paine is the Main Man who started the two Revolutionary Wars, first America which took 7 years then afterwards France starts her own Revolution with Thomas Paine's help but hers is won almost overnight. Thomas Paine not only started these Revolutions but he participated in both. This book is a real page turner that you won't be able to put down!

With all of the current claims by people of what the Founding Fathers intended for our country I decided to begin reading them for myself to achieve a personal perspective on what the Founders intended. This book and the writings contained are an excellent source of information and insight as to what Thomas Paine's intentions were.

Thomas Paine is an important figure in the founding of the United States. Although he was later ignored by the United States (when he was a prisoner in France...).

The book is a good compilation of the works of Thomas Paine. Paine was a smart man and his writings were influential in the American Revolution (Common Sense) and the French Revolution (Rights of Man). This book combines the writings into one book.

Common Sense is a short phamplet that greatly influenced the United States foundation. The sensical arguments seem obvious to readers in the 21st Century but in the late 18th century they were ideas that people needed to hear, and was a kickoff to the drive for independence. Common sense was read by a lot of Americans at the time and would do students of American History well to get the feelings of the Revolutionary period.

In today's politically heated atmosphere, people seem to have forgotten what this great nation was founded on. Reading this book is enlightening, awakening, and reminds us of what it took to make America. Sadly, it's also a pretty sharp reminder of how more and more of our rights are being stripped away from us. I think this book should be required reading in school, and certainly before any political discussion. I recommend this book to ANYONE of ANY AGE. Absolutely amazing.

In the entire history of western philosophy, there is not one person I can praise more than Michel de Montaigne. Normally, any book over 500 pages tends to become tedious to me, and works of philosophy over that length become insufferable. The best praise I can give this book is to say that at 1200 pages, I was not the least weary of it. In fact, I wished it was longer! Montaigne is the definitive philosopher, a man driven to write out of boredom, who presents his essays as his views, never trying to categorize and name realities, but simply marvelling over everything, from literature to pets. His broad learning and wonderfully disorganized style lead the reader on a journey into the what ifs, and whys of existence. Montaigne is the epitome of a renaissance man. His views in most situations are more modern than yesterday. He speaks out for the virtues of women, carefully denounces war, subtly questions the more extraneous doctrines of Catholicism, and even denounces colonialism and promotes respect of racial and cultural differences. This is not a man one would have expected to find in the 1500s. But here he is. And his text! Often saying that his memory was weak, MOntaigne demonstrates it by going off on wild tangents for thirty pages, only to realize that he has succeeding in proving his original idea without his knowledge. His sentences and rich prose leap across the pages, and dance with ideas of the sublime and the ridiculous, ideas which he does not so much attempt to resolve as ponder upon a page. He never once falls into the philosopher's folly of stating his views as though they were fact, and is often very careful to say, "This is what I think" in one way or another. He never attempts to convince the reader, for he originally never intended his essays to have a reader. In situations where he would challenge authority, he is always careful to say, for instance, "But my own views are nothing, the church of course knows better". More than any other work of philosophy, the Essays are an adventure, leading one through the soul of a man, a man who thought so little of himself but was so great. It reads almost as a novel, and at the end, after 1200 pages of Essays, Montaigne stands before the reader as clearly as any historical or fictional figure ever has. This is the true Magnum Opus of western philosophy.

This English translation of Montaigne's Complete Essays is wonderful. Although I like it better than Donald Frame's version, I actually prefer J.M. Cohen's to either. Cohen's translation is only a selection, unfortunately. If you need the Complete Essays, go with Screech.

Screech's version, however, has a very annoying problem. As in Frame's translation, letters are used within the text to note differences between the three major editions of the Essays (A, B, C). Frame's version uses small capital letters inserted within the text; they are unobtrusive and can be ignored. Screech's version, however, uses full-sized letters within brackets with a lot of space surrounding them. They are just too darned disruptive. Why in the heck did they do this? Perhaps they intended it for academic or scholarly use. It's a shame. I hope that Penguin will issue a new edition or revision that will take care of this problem.

Use the "Look Inside" feature of this book to decide for yourself.

I cannot praise this book highly enough. It is one of those rare books that can change your life. Sure, many people say something similar about a particular book, but it is genuinely true in this instance. Montaigne is wise, humane, and very humourous. If I had to live on an island and could only take three books with me, this would be one of them. And, it would be an easy choice to make. I have read the Essays cover to cover twice already and plan to do so again many times in my life.

Here are some general points you might want to keep in mind when reading Montaigne's Essays: First, he doesn't always stick to the topic announced at the beginning of an essay. Sometimes, an essay appears to be about a particular topic but ends up being about something else entirely. Second, even when Montainge makes a half-hearted attempt at staying on topic, the journey is still the scenic route instead of a straight shot (but, this is half the fun of his Essays). Third, Montaigne's Essays are a perfect crash course on the wisdom to be found in the writings of the Latin authors. Finally, Montaigne is surprisingly skeptical and relativistic on many issues. This is obviously why his Essays are so relevant even today.

Now for a word on translations. The two primary translations that are easily available are this Penguin edition translated by Screech and the Stanford University Press edition translated by Frame. Each edition has its advantages and disadvantages, and it's a shame the editions can't be combined to create the perfect translation.

The Penguin/Screech edition includes the original and a translation of all Montaigne's foreign language quotations. The vast majority of these are in Latin; so, if you know some Latin, this is helpful. It also includes very helpful notes on obscure literary and historical issues, which provides for greater understanding. However, if you read the introduction and Screech's notes carefully, you will realize he does have an agenda. Screech plays down Montaigne's skepticism and tries to portray Montaigne as being more religious than he was.

As to the Stanford/Frame edition, its translation is much closer to the original French than Screech's. If you put the French text and Frame's translation side by side, you'll see what I mean (even if your French is pretty weak like mine). And, Frame does not play down Montaigne's skepticism - he lets Montaigne speak for himself. But, Frame's translation does have some flaws. It does not include the original for foreign language quotations. And, when Frame translates Latin poetry, he almost always makes it rhyme even when the original Latin does not rhyme. I find this jarring and not true to the original. Frame also does not include any helpful notes.

All in all, I'd like to combine Frame's translation of Montaigne's French with Screech's original and translation of all foreign language quotations. This would be the best possible version of the Essays.

This book is one of the finest products of the human mind. You will not regret the significant amount of time it will take to read these Essays. And, if you read them carefully, you'll never look at the world the same way again.

Montaigne. He has lessons for us all, I've found.

Some of the lessons are hard. He writes about everything, but most of all, he writes about himself. There is a painful clarity to his work - but that cliche term does nothing to properly explain what it is he accomplishes with his writing.

At thirty-three, Montaigne decided to retire to his home and write. He had vague ideas about writing a gentleman's book on warfare, and the first few essays reflect that. But, as he progressed, he kept going on little side journeys into his own thoughts and opinions. At first, Montaigne reigned himself in, struggling to stay true to the path he had decided for himself.

Happily for us, he failed.

He abandoned the idea of writing for gentlemen - though there are still slight evidences of this throughout the work. Instead, he decided to focus on the one thing he knew better than anybody else in the entire world - Montaigne. Who else could know more, or would bother to take as much time exploring this one man than the man himself? And why not explore his own mind - every day, he has to live and deal with the advantages and disadvantages, the habits and the thoughts, the opinions and the ironies of being Montaigne. Thus, he decided, it was worth exploring. In his view, there was nothing more important than understanding one's self. If you cannot understand yourself, how can you expect to understand anybody else?

There are moments of 'painful clarity', as I said above. Montaigne discusses (his) impotence, his imperfect marriage, the disappointments he has created in others, the times when he did not do what he should. But he also talks about how he can make himself a better person, and how, in a lot of ways, he is an admirable person. It is important to realise that Montaigne is not writing an apology for himself. He is putting himself on to paper, 'warts and all', and declaring it true. There is a point in one of the essays where he declares that he wouldn't want anyone to lie about the person he is, even if they flattered him or praised him. This is, in a nutshell, Montaigne's thinking. He is not concerned with being the greatest person ever known - he is concerned with understanding himself.

Four hundred years on, what is there to offer us, the modern reader, in Montaigne? An infinity of wisdom. Could I, in honesty, completely and unwaveringly disect myself for the consumption of both myself and others? I don't think so. I very much fear that the answer is no. And yet - why not? Is it shame? I don't think so, as I have nothing major to hide. Perhaps, then, it is simply the fear of unrealised ideas and thoughts. If I am unaware of myself, I cannot present it. Montaigne was and is aware of himself and thus manages to accurately describe the person that he is.

Montaigne's essays are invaluable not only for the man that they portray, but for the wisdom in what is spoken. Montaigne has thought about so many aspects of what it is to be a human and alive, and we can all learn from this. The topics he discusses go beyond mere 16th century issues, and deal with concepts, ideas and concerns that affect us now, and will affect us always. Absolutely essential reading.

What's not to like about Montaigne? Everytime I pick through parts of his essays [and it does not matter where one begins] I find myself in deep thought. Sometimes I feel as if Montaigne were speaking to me. I have the Donald Frame translation. Although I have read the Cohen translation too, and I do have a copy of it somewhere in this jungle I call my library. I have just recently purchased this Penguin edition, with another yet another translation. But no matter, the words and wit of Montaigne are, and will be as timeless as long as people are willing to open these pages and gather meaning from them. And I will always continue to do so.

These essays were meant to be read and re-read. And you know, I never tire of reading Michel de Montaigne. This mans works have been a part of my life for as long as I can recall. And how many times can you remember picking up the same books over and over again to reach words of wisdom? And Montaigne's humble wisdom and honest look at himself is what makes these essays so profound and enjoyable to read. Why? Because he took a long hard look deep into his own soul and wrote for himself, and to himself: And in turn, he imparted these essays to the rest of us. Which I am forever grateful to him for. If you have never read Montaigne, it's time you do. Highly recommended. Should be required reading in all schools today.

This is a beautiful book, with beautiful images. It is entirely worth it, to get a glimpse of the people of Africa. Excellent.

Ahhh. This book, obviously, is many things to many people; not unlike its bountiful subject matter--- the original mother, Africa.

It is also many things to me, each equally beautiful. Most important, it is a powerfully evocative visual link to the 3 years of memories I carry of my life in West Africa as a Peace Corps volunteer. The photographers saw and captured a lot of what I deeply love about the peoples, the land and the life of Africa. The simple and complex beauty; the extraordinary and the mundane; the joy and the frustrations, the good and the bad. It's just life as it is lived everywhere else on the planet, and how good it is to see it presented from a part of the world that is not often shown much appreciation.

While I appreciate another reviewer's criticism of the book's failure to show more modern infrastructure of urban areas, I disagree that the omission is a disservice. True, there is a great deal of development in Africa, but what is shown in this book is still a good and true representation of the vast majority of people and their lives. Far from being stereotyped shots of suffering and drudgery, I find the photos varied and well beyond cliché as they take us into the rhythm of the lives of everyday people. It is a beautiful book. Place it on your coffee table , but keep it in your heart.

I found this one of the most beautiful representations of the continent that I have seen to date. Instead of animals and Egyptian ruins the photographers have taken a diverse array of photographs that potray the people. In addition, the representation of even the least renowned countries in Africa is accurate.

I am also partial to this book, because the proceeds go towards AIDS prevention in Africa.

Africa is a beautiful continent with immense potential, and it never looked better. The 100 or so photographers who took the pictures did an outstanding job. The pictures are the highest quality I have ever seen ...digital technology, I suppose. If a picture is worth a thousand words, this books value is in millions.
The first few pages feature full page pictures breathtaking scenery. One shows a lone teacher under the shade of a tree, a dog sits at some distance. Another show the Victoria falls in its full splendor and the there that magnificent mountain peak. Well by this time if your aren't seated, I suggest you do so for and stop operating heavy machinery. Across from cape to Cairo and across the Sahara these talented photographer have captured the wonderful essence of Africa.
Having in mind the much maligned western Medias portrayal of Africa and it on the tragic. In my opinion this book treats the subjects, e.g. Pictures of HIV sufferers, with adequate sensitivity.
Lastly I would like to salute the producers and sponsors of the project. It's a noble gesture.

This is an absolutely heartstopping collection of photographs from everyday African scenes. I have to disagree with the reviewer who said that it only presented stereotypical portraits of African life. I agree that the collection would have been enriched with more portraits of urban life, but I don't think that this was a typical "National Geographic" variety volume.

It did have diversity, and it did show that many Africans live in modern homes. However, the sensitivity of the portraits was so deep, and their beauty so stunning, it certainly transcended "look at the natives starving/doing something weird/suffering from disease" type photography. Rather, it showed many of the marvels of Africa-from the artwork thriving in so many areas, to areas where ingenuity and industry thrive against all odds, from the thriving markets of Lagos, to the beauty of the desert. This book is so gorgeous that it is rather a testimony of love for Africa and its people-not in some patronizing way, but a true celebration of its spirit. It shows tragedy, but it shows beauty and people loving life and affirming it as well. Isn't that a balanced and fair picture?

This book is an outstanding resource for readers who devour mysteries. Heising's multiple ways of listing books (geographical, by profession, etc.) provides a wealth of information for the reader who is always on the lookout for a new author. I just wish there was a new edition! I wouldn't part with this one, though. It's always a good way to start on a new author.

This reference work is invaluable in finding mystery series by woman up to 1999 or so, when I bought my copy. However, it is now very much out-of-date and of little use on newer series/authors/titles. I keep checking to see if there's a Detecting Women 4, and can still hope, but possibly this one is the end of the line. What a shame!

This is a wonderful tool to keep track of all those mystery books on your shelves. This book offers a comprehensive listing of women's fiction mysteries. Books are listed by author and title. It is great way to see the order of books written in a series. There is also a check list where you can check off the book once you purchase it, and then check it after you read it. I like to make notations next to the books once I finish the book. Books that have been nominated or received awards are designated with a star by the title.

Watching the Detectives
How far has Sue Grafton gotten in her alphabet mystery series? What's the first book in Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta series? Who are writing books featuring bed & breakfasts?

As those who love reading mystery series know, it's difficult to keep track of the hundreds of writers past and present who have contributed to the mystery genre, which is why reading sleuths will love "Detecting Women," a guidebook to the distaff side of mysteries.

This handsome, large paper bound book lists more than 600 series and 3,400 books written by women. Each entry contains a biographical introduction with the title and year of each book, and notes if the book has been nominated for any awards. Editor Wiletta Heising has done an exceptional job of breaking down the information, providing extensive lists that break down series by year, occupation, geographic location and even pseudonym.

The brief biographies are gold mines of fascinating information that invites lengthy browsing. Here is where you can learn that Grafton's fictional P.I. Kinsey Millhone will celebrate her 40th birthday once "`Z' is for Zero" appears in 2009 (when Grafton will be 69); that Agatha Christie wrote 35 novels featuring Hercule Poirot, and 12 about Jane Marple; and that the largely forgotten Anne Katherine Green is considered the "mother of the detective story," and was a best-selling author nine years before Arthur Conan Doyle put pen to paper.

Purple Moon also publishes a pocket guide to help mystery fans track of their favorite series, and comes with a notepad useful for noting suspects, clues, and books desired. "Detecting Women" provides a welcome overview of the rapidly expanding mystery field, and can reintroduce readers to now-forgotten and obscure writers. It is nothing less than required, fascinating reading for mystery fans.

How many times have you discovered a new author and tried to unravel the sequence of the series? Publishers sometimes list previous books - provided they published those previous books. Or the author's work is neatly cited in alphabetical order. Great if you've picked up Sue Grafton, not so good if the author is Martha Grimes. Or only the books still in print appear.

I edit two mystery newsletters, one for a general bookstore. My readers want to know series order. Short of tracking all the mystery writers yourself (good luck!), DETECTING WOMEN-3rd Ed. is the very best thing. Willetta Heising also includes bibliographies to catch the fancy of the most fanatic fan - settings, characters, types, historical venue, pseudonyms, and award nominees/winners. The master list even has blank spaces to accommodate future titles.

There has never been a more comprehensive listing. I wouldn't/couldn't prepare a newsletter without it. This is definitely a keeper -- until DETECTING WOMEN 4 comes along!

Reading these essays which span more than two decades (early 50s to mid-70s), I am struck both by their craft and their antiquity. E.B. White wrote the book on writing, literally, with William Strunk; THE ELEMENTS OF STYLE remains the most useful and concise rule book for modern English exposition yet written, and White's CHARLOTTE'S WEB remains a childhood favorite for many. White was a master of the essay form, sparking a reader's interest in the subject at hand and cajoling further attention to the tangents and digressions which are an essayists stock in trade. He easily wends narratives which include broody geese, nuclear power stations, old dogs, oil tankers and mortality. His voice is plainspoken -- the viewpoint that of a person with deerhunters for neighbors, who enjoys the occasional venison steak, who roots for the deer in hunting season, and yet admits to shooting the foxes who kill his chickens. At the same time, his writing feels dated, rooted in an era when feelings were less admissible than ideas. His writing seems honest, but guarded, particularly after my recent immersion in Ann Lamott, a decidedly unguarded and modernist chronicler. Thus, I emerge from White's work impressed with his grace, language and fluidity, but disappointed in the gut. There are tales untold between these lines and I am left hungry. Old-school excellence, but aging fast.

What do you expect of tomorrow? "THE WORLD OF TOMORROW", perhaps the best known essay among his essay collactiond,"Essa of E.B. White". It contains thirty other essays organozed into seven sections.

The scene of "THE WORLD OF TOMORROW" is in New York in May 1939. White mentions "Tomorrow" remembering the World's Fair held there. The Fair's theme was also "THE WORLD OF TOMORROW", and there were the white ball and spire named the Tylon and Perisphere which were two landmark monumental buildings in the fair. Actually White had to visit there with a box of Kleenex...

At first, the road to the World's Fair is refered as the road to "Tomorrow". Through the street, he arrived at "the very threshold of Tomorrow". At the Fair, he made a few notes about what you may expext of tomorrow--In tomorrow, most sounds aren't these themselves, and we can't tallk back.

The New York World's Fair was filled with man's dream, and it's held 66 years ago! The more I read this book, the more I can be into White's world. His way to use metaphor is brilliant, and it makes me feel more comfortable. So, I really recommend you not only this essay but also his another collection.

I live on a small rural island in the Pacific Northwest, home to fewer than a thousand people in the winter, so I have a deep understanding of what E. B. White means when he writes: "Feeling ran so high that some people stopped speaking to each other--which is a form of discourse."

Lately, I felt the need for something calming in my life and, for the first time in years, I picked up a collection of E. B. White's essays. Reading him is like lighting a fire on a cold and windy evening. This man can write a sentence and create a sense of life as well as anyone I've ever read.

And no one ever wrote more heartfelt prose about barnyard geese.

This is such a marvelous book.

The sentences are simply perfect and the sense of wonder he creates makes this a text you will want to go back to over and over. A great gift for any literate person in your life.

Really great.

Twenty two of the essays appeared in THE NEW YORKER. White had candor. His piece on the death of his pig is masterful. He examined his own feelings and community reaction. The role of his dachshund, Fred, is described amusingly. It is no wonder White wrote so winningly for children.

In 1954 when he had no television he was looked upon as an eccentric. During Hurricane Edna radio worked people up to an incredible state of alarm. It seemed that no wick was available for the Whites' kerosene lamp. White has some gentle fun with mistakes of the exhausted radio announcers. Battered down was said instead of battened down, and unindated for inundated. There are two stages in the country of a storm. There is the period when phones and lights are still going, and then there is the stage when these cease to work. The storm itself did not seem long in comparison to the radio vigil.

He came to feel that living in New England in the winter was a full time job in itself. Another use of his time was having an enemy, the fox. Darkness was more insistent than the cold. Farming, even the kind pursued by the author, is infinitely complex. When the snow arrived early in 1971 White was cut short. The usual things were not done. It got so there was no place to put the snow after it was plowed.

In the city section of the essays it is noted that New York City bestows the gift of loneliness and privacy. In 1939 there were eight million people in the five boroughs. In Florida it appears that the sun and the lizard maintain the same schedule. The tiny spots of the fiddler crab's body enlarge during the daytime hours. To have a pointsettia plant at Christmastime in
Florida seems faintly ridiculous. Pointsettias bloom naturally in the yards. A small chameleon arrives with the Whites' tropical substitute for a Christmas tree much to Mrs. White's delight.

In 1923 the author kept a diary of his trip to Alaska. A ship, docking at Seattle, was to go on a journey for forty days. He had only forty dollars, enough to traverse the inner passage to Skagway, and so he went. The Buford, for some of the passengers, became a high class floating jail because although food and scenery were good, there was no escape. Youthful, White absorbed the vast scene of Alaska. This was a trip promoted by the Chamber of Commerce, but White's roommate was another odd man to the enterprise, a Laplander. He was a reindeer butcher, going to a job in Nome. When the boat reached Skagway White's ticket ran out. The captain came up with the idea of putting him on as a night saloonsman. His metamorphosis took the passengers by surprise.

WALDEN is not a well-liked book among White's acquaintances. Thoreau was torn by two desires, to enjoy the world and to set the world straight. He tended to write in sentences, and WALDEN is a collection of certified sentences. I have tried to give the prospective reader some notion of the enjoyment to be obtained from reading White's essays.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It helped put my life into perspective. Sometimes we all run fast and live hard until we realize that there comes a point when we need to rest and come back home-----to God. I want to thank Lisa Whelchel for writing such a fine story. The title caught my eye since so many of us are familiar with the show that started off with so many memories. For me it was the beginning of the end of my elementary school life and the beginnings of my High School days and til It's last year (1987-1988) of my first year in college. I hope that with all of our memories and best times we also find the time to read Lisa's Book. Great book! Go get it! :)

I enjoyed this book and was moved by it. I am a fan of Lisa's since her "Facts" days; I did my research first and I knew that the book did not have a lot of detail about her work on the show, so I didn't have those expectations. The book is religious in nature but in my opinion it was a very accessible, breezy read and I think there is something in it for everyone. In fact, I read it, and then I read it AGAIN as soon as I finished it! It really made me stop and think. I laughed, I cried, I said, "oh yeah, I know *exactly* what she's talking about!" Give it a look, it will be worth your time.

This book was awesome....it was funny, entertaining, but also very spiritual and uplifting. I've been a huge fan of the TV show "The Facts of Life" since I was very young, and adored "Blair". Lisa Whelchel is a wonderful writer and I highly recommend this book.

This book basically told the story of Lisa's life, from her childhood, to acting, and then about her marriage and parenthood. The chapters were well broken down into various aspects of her life, with her telling us what God has taught her at the end of each chapter. I loved the humor in the book, especially the words of wisdom from Lisa's mother.

This book was a great read, and I have learned things from Lisa that are actually helping me get through the days. I didn't want to put it down until I finished it, and I want to get a copy for all my friends. She may have been a star, and she's different from me in plenty of ways. But she's also so much like me as a Christian woman, wife, and mother. When I'm having a rough day, I just remember reading about how she went through something similar and how she got through it, whether it be a major life struggle, or just dealing with my kids when they're having a particularly bad day.
I went to one of her Mom-Time conferences a couple of months ago, and there I learned that Lisa is so down to earth. The book shows that about her even more. It has been such a blessing to me already, and it's a book I plan to read at least once a year.

Warren Ellis' (Transmetropolitan, Thunderbolts, Desolation Jones, Astonishing X-Men, this list can go on and on...) brilliant crime fiction saga Fell is something you have to read to believe. Revolving around the incredibly skilled Detective Richard Fell, who has been transfered to Snowtown: a crime-ridden wasteland from which there may be no escape. As the area around him decays with every passing minute, Fell makes a number of encounters (most frequently with an eccentric bar-maid) with the townspeople, and comes to one conclusion in the end about them all: everybody is hiding something, including himself. Peppered with fantastic dialogue, Ellis manages to make Fell one of his most intriguing works of crime fiction, with Fell himself being one of his most interesting character creations. Ben Templesmith (30 Days of Night) provides his typical dark and moody artwork, and it more than suits the atmosphere of the universe that Ellis crafts here. All in all, the first volume of Fell is a brilliant piece of crime fiction from one of the true modern day comic book masters, and it more than deserves your attention.

Oh boy! Good doesn't even begin to describe it. Warren Ellis does noir and sets a different standard for everybody else. His inner cityscape is gritty, convincing and creepy. And I am not easily spooked. Richard Fell is beautifully characterized as the detective dedicated to his craft and every bit human and vulnerable. And Snowtown is the ultimate urban nightmare - a town that the rest of the world gave up on and only exists in the shadows of human society - inhabited by the true scum of the earth.

This is intense, gritty detective crime fiction that everyone who has any interest in the genre should not pass up. I'm not familiar with much of Warren Ellis's other work but he has brought a completely fresh new twist to your classic detective story. Its hard to believe that each issue is only 16 pages and is still more intruging than books that go a full 24-32 pages. Its hard to put down. My only gripe would be for a mature themed book the language is a bit too toned down for my taste, lets face it in a knife fight with a deadly criminal one would really call the other a "living fart" as he bashes his face in? But this is just a minor annoyance compared to the rest of a unbelievably great graphic novel.

Warren Ellis and Ben Templesmith have been around awhile. Warren is famous for his over the top horror and thriller type comics and Ben got famous for his incredible art with the original 30 Days of Night. And while this book has no vampires it has everything you would come to expect from these two masters. Warren delivers a great tale or I should say tales of Detective Fell and Ben creates his world with incredible art. When you have two master come together like this it's amazing what happens. I won't spoil the story lines I'm sure someone else will do that or has done that. If you enjoy Stephen King, Dean Koontz, or Chuck Palanuik you will most definately enjoy this graphic novel. Engrossing and at time nauseating you won't be disappointed.

With all the other praises to look at, I can't add anything new or of additional value. All I can say; This is a perfect comic book. Highly recommended.

SC

I LOVED this book! It is quick paced and wonderful.

Edith Pattou is one of my favorite authors.

This book is great for fans of Tolkien, Nix,etc. With great plot, charactors,a little romance and a big suprise at the end, you will love this page turner, males and females alike!!

This book is great for fans of Tolkien, Nix,etc. With great plot, charactors,a little romance and a big suprise at the end, you will love this page turner, males and females alike!!!!!!!!!!!

when I first took out the book from my library I did not know what to expect. but from the first page on I was excited that I picked this book. I am not your average reader. my thrill for reading depends on the book. if it don't capture me by the first page .. I will put it down. but the Fire Arrow was every hard to put down. Brie's quest for revenge and quest for perpose I think was just like my own .. five stars is not enough for this book .. and now that I read it 3 time before my time was up to bring it back to the library .. I am reading the companion book Hero's Song witch is also a great one ..now that I am half way through this book I am afraid I won't find any like them . and it is true now I been at the library two days and I am not having any luck in finding anything to compare it to Fire Arrow and Hero's Song ...my only hope is to wish Ms. Pattou could wirte another one for her fans...

"Hero's Song" failed to get much of a response from me at all, aside from mild annoyance at the abundance of cliches and flat characterizations. "Fire Arrow" improves on some of those problems, but still has some deep flaws.

After destroying the Wurme in the previous book, Collun and Brie are living peacefully at his father's old home. Until, that is, Brie receives an alarming fortune from a wyll (wise-woman), and a summons from her aunt and uncle. Her old nurse is dying, and leaves Brie a mysterious golden arrow that becomes fiery when she touches it, and gives her visions. It also brings back her strong desire for revenge against the Scathians who killed her father, including a one-eyed man.

She sets off across the land of Dungal, and spends some time in a fishing village with a crazy wizard and a Ellyl waystation. But when danger comes closer, Brie must leave peace behind, and finds out who killed her father -- and about the impending invasion that threatens Dungal and Eirren.

In many ways, this book improves on the previous one. Pattou shows a greater sense of atmosphere, and is better able to sustain suspense and mystery. She also expands Brie from a stereotyped woman warrior into a more three-dimensional character, and is able to make the conflict seem more epic and realistic than ever before. Sago is an exceptionally-written character, a wiser-than-he-looks wizard who utters nonsense rhymes much of the time. Collun displays more depth and recognizable emotion than the-gardener-who-wants-to-go-home, with revelations about his family that hint at a possible future instalment.

Unfortunately, most of the cast of the previous book -- including the charming Taliesin -- is abandoned;; Silien and Collun are barely there, and Nessa and Taliesin are gone altogether, except for Collun briefly mentioning his sister. Ciaran the talking horse and Fara the Lassie-like Ellyl pet are more present than the characters that I was more interested in. There is a silly coffee joke early in the book, that Pattou refuses to let drop; also, a reference to chocolate in a mythical early Ireland. We are treated to a retread of Collun and Brie's bloodless romance, after Brie flirts aimlessly with a very boring fisherman, and Pattou introduces a long-lost-royalty cliche late in the book, that any adept fantasy fans will have spotted long before.

Brie has developed substantially from the previous book, in that Pattou effectively displays her conflicting feelings and her thoughts on revenge, whether it's wrong or right. Collun is, oddly, more intriguing when we see less of him; I would have preferred to see his fights with the Scathians instead of page after page of Brie in the fishing village. Silien is good, for what little there is of him; we see him taking an active stance against the Scathians. Hanna, the weather-woman, is an effective and interesting character, while the cowardly, nervy Monodnock sucked all the magic and mystery out of the Ellyl.

Despite this book's flaws, it remains a good read for fans of Celtic-themed fantasy, and plucks out some intriguing plot threads that will undoubtedly make any future stories intriguing, especially if Ms. Pattou brings back Talisen and dispenses with the silly coffee jokes.

My boss is brilliant. He's got loads of education, experience, and humor. I love working for him. If you told me my boss wrote this book, I would've believed it.

It's a great read, and more importantly it's full of substantial ideas that can save you a lot of trouble, money, and problems.

The anecdotes are great, the jokes are fun, and it all rings as genuine and earthy as only the best-polished guidance can. I'd recommend it.

Although, a note- my book squeaks when I open it. Working in the bookbinding industry, I actually find this pretty entertaining. It sounds, and feels, weird and somewhat scratchy, but worth nothing =)

Particularly for those newer to the real world of business, this is great guidance delivered uncommonly easy, without compromising into sacarin. Check into it today, you'll be glad you did a dozen times over.

I loved it.

I've read a bunch of management books, but this is definitely different. The writing style for one is very to the point--refreshingly so. I also appreciated perspective of someone who has NOT done everything perfectly, who has learned from their mistakes, and is not a fortune 500 manager. On that level, it was much more helpful to me, someone who is also not a fortune 500 manager.

To the point, quirky sense of humor, practical reasoning and advice, and just plain good. Get it.

For someone who has either started a business, is considering starting a business, or wants to be a great employer/employee is is a great option. No, it doesn't only talk about "Firing someone today". It is a book with business sense which when reading it makes common sense.

Do not judge this book by its core title alone ("Fire Someone Today"). You must keep in mind its full title ("Fire Someone Today - AND OTHER SURPRISING TACTICS FOR MAKING YOUR BUSINESS A SUCCESS").

This book provides a wonderful view into processes/systems that have failed and succeeded and, mostly importantly, WHY they did what they did. The author provides wonderful, entertaining and POWERFUL stories and compelling arguments for each of his points.

The essay-like style of book makes it not only an informative, though-provoking read, but also an academically valuable and easily referenced book for your debates when improving your business.

From small to large business alike, all leadership (from the executive to the micro-manager) should have this on their shelves. It will truly surprise you with its informative and inspiring content.

This book presents the author's advice for owner/managers of small companies. In 200 pages, he presents 22 chapters on diverse and important topics. Here's my reaction to each chapter (where 1 = Not so good, 10 = Great).

1 Fire Someone Today (10, great review for those who hesitate firing slackers or misfits, mentions how to do it correctly)
2 You Are the Reason You Are in Business (10, you need to control the critical process/technology)
3 Nobody Loves Your Baby Like You Do (10, don't delegeate your vision for the company)
4 There Can Be Only One - Plan for Your Partner's Departure (10, be the benign dictator, how to evaluate business partners, how to always have a way out)
5 Don't Hire Anyone You Haven't Interviewed (7, basic information)
6 Cash Is King (7, basic information)
7 Quality, Price, Service -- Prioritize (9, interesting but simplistic model for niching)
8 Nobody Needs an Optimistic Accountant (6, probably true, but basic)
9 You Can Always Find 5 % (8, too oriented on nickling and diming vendors, too oriented away from growth, mentions important reports and methods)
10 Profit is Why You Are in Business (7, basic information, too oriented on profits alone, did not describe why profits are necessary for growth)
11 If You Are Not Growing, You Are Shrinking (10, interesting discussion of market dynamics)
12 Good Systems Protect You from the Perfect Employee (10, discussion on blogs, make it easy to build good systems)
13 The One Who Writes Wins (10, but basic information)
13 Read (10, great information on business intelligence, interesting remarks on business books, biographies vs business histories, novels)
15 Don't Fly Blind -- Build a Dashboard (10, important, basic information that most businesses don't prepare, doensn't and probably can't mention all the numbers any business needs)
16 Visit Everyone in Person (10, excellent reason for supporting the airlines)
17 Press Is Yours If You Ask -- And If You Want It (10, how to use publicity to your advantage without getting skinned by the media)
18 In Acquisitions, the Buyer is the Loser (10, this was really great information, how to use the process to your advantage)
19 Buy Lunch (10, excellent reason for supporting restaurants, like Chapter 16)
20 Winning Takes 51 % (10, how to categorize decisions, when to make them quickly, slowly)
21 Some People Are Your Greatest Assets (10, how to treat exceptional candidates, good is the baseline, follows "up or out" mentality of chapter 1)
22 Business Is a Serious Game (7, your decisions have consequences to your employees)

This book is easy and enjoyable to read for businesses with 5 to 200 employees.

John Dunbar
Sugar Land, TX