Journals Books

I don't believe I've read a more compelling book! It was purchased from a bargain table as something to read while recovering from a foot injury. The therapy for my soul and mind was worth far far more than the few dollars I paid.
So many times I've been disappointed in the quality of "Christian Fiction." Not so with "SOUTH PACIFIC JOURNAL." The characters are believable and very interesting. Descriptive passages place the reader on location in the South Pacific. I've never read such compelling "flash-back" passages. Even though the narrative left many unanswered questions about the characters (What happened to the lieutenant? How did Sarah try to contact her family? When and how did she return to Manila?) I feel as if I really know the characters personally. I hope David & Nancy French write a sequel.
My gratitude goes to the authors for such excellent writing and to the publisher for printing this book.

About the second world war, this book clearly describes the troubles of a female living in Manila in that time period. It is so hard to put my review into words for fear of forgetting minor details, although you will never forget anything after you read the book. Some parts are touching, some gruesome, but it still reflects one idea throughout the story: the love of God.

I will not soon forget this book. It gives the most vivid impression of actually being in a war torn situation that I have ever read. It seemed so real. The spiritual thought process of the young woman is very believable. It would be especially interesting to a Jewish person. I did feel that the end left a lot of questions that I wish had been expanded on, but not to the extent that it was bothersome. I would recommend it.

I have David French as an instructor for one of my law school classes & have had numerous opportunities to listen to him speak. Not only does he tell great stories (his students LOVE listening to him tell stories), but he & his wife have done an incredible job at carrying over this wonderful skill into writing. As I read the book, I kept forgetting this was their first novel. The story is so compelling & well-told that in spite of all the reading I had to do for my law classes & the sleep I definitely needed to get, I stayed up late reading into the early morning hours. The more I read, the more I wanted to keep reading & the harder it was to put the book down. The ending will definitely touch you... as I read the last couple of chapters, tears rolled down my face & the events caused me to really think about my faith. I will be sending this book to my friends... it's definitely worth reading!

Think about all of the people you've known in your life. A few will stand out from all the others. Something about them makes you want to spend time with them, to get to know them more intimately, to learn from them. Sarah Lavine is like that. She is the main character of this book and, as I read the book, I found myself wishing I could sit down and talk to her, even if it mean sharing her very dangerous circumstances. Like the few people you've met who were worth knowing, Sarah has something at her core (in her soul) that is important, alive and true. She knows something that maybe you don't. So you need to spend time with her and learn from her. It's only 216 pages. It won't take you long. In fact, it's too short. It left me wanting to learn more.

I own this book, my sister gave me this book after the death of my son who passed at 18 1/2 weeks. Some of the topics don't pertain to my situation, but the overall book is a blessing. What a wonderful idea. I know when I am old and there are certain things I can't remember I can go back and read my journal and will be able to smile. It is also great to know that someday, my other children will be able to read about their brother and read about memories they don't have or can't remember. This is so great to give as a gift as well. Beautifully done!

Having lost my husband recently I was drawn to the idea of Angel Catcher. I purchased three of the journals, one for myself and one for each of our children, who are adults and live away from home.
I plan to purchase the books to give to family and friends who lose a loved one in lieu of flowers or other forms of expressions of sympathy.

I only have one problem with the journal. I am 62 years old and don't see as well as I used to. The print is so small and light in color that I cannot see unless I use a magnifying glass in addition to glasses to see it. I have had others look at it and they have to strain to see the print also. I hope this can be improved in future editions.

Susan McCarthy

this is an excellent book for anyone who has had a loss. I run a support group and highly recommend this book to help work through the hard times experienced through grief.

One of my friends gave me this journal after the death of my father in 1998. It has helped me "cleanse my soul" of the grief and heartache and pain of losing someone who your world revolves around. It has helped me so much so, that I have purchased large quantities of these journals to give to people as my own personal ministry to them. Somehow the "giving" of these journals makes my father's death a little easier to live with - in fact almost 6 years later - it still does. There are days I just go back to read the things I wrote and am conforted by my progress in healing and hope others I have given them to along the way are as well.

The greatest thing about this journal are the open ended questions and statements for you to fill in with whatever your feeling and thoughts are right then. And it leaves enough room for you to come back later and write more - it gives you a look over time of how you WERE feeling versus how you ARE feeling. The REALNESS of this journal is what draws me to it. Personally though, I hope you never need it.

A few weeks after my mom died, I ordered this book. I reviewed it in the book store and decided it was a fit for my loss and mourning process.

It has been a great source of comfort and relief for me. When I write in the journal, the words just flow and the pages fill; sometimes I continue writing on subsequent pages. Not all of the headings/topics fit the subject or reflection I am writing, but I find a fitting topic and the words flow.

Since her death, this journal has helped me through the entire year to express my inner feelings. At first I would cry a little after competing a segment. Now, it's a comfort and like a friend to go to--a solace away--hidden garden away from the world who doesn't have time or the empathy to hear my inner thoughts (I wouldn't share these thoughts or reflcetions with just anyone). They are private reflections and thougts for the book, my mom, and myself. The results: I am free to live, love, and be myself again.

If I had the time, I could sit and write in this book for hours. I am a believer in journaling and I have written on a professioanl basis.

This work of fiction looks, feels and reads like a real journal, full of love, tender memories, and feels to me like it captured some tiny sense of what it must have been like to be Miss Potter. I search for words to express how highly I recommend this book; every one in my family that has enjoyed it felt a sense of excitement and wonder and awe. And the photos are so endearing!

Entralling book at an incredibly low price, fully worth much more! A beautiful and wondrous work of art and whimsy, a joy for all ages! I will be reading and admiring this over and over again. This book is far too lovely to be shelved into a bookcase- do display it and enjoy the sweet memories that viewing it often will invoke! I thank the publishers for an inspired, dedicated, dear, devoted, honorable bestowment to the legacy of Beatrix Potter.

A simply gorgeous book that you must add to your collection. Lots of little pockets and fun stuff within the book. Being a full grown adult...I was very happy to find this colorful and interesting book. Large, thick cover. High quality construction and excellent arrangement.

The biggest question I have about this book is how in the world can it be put on the market for only $13.59? The book is a complete delight. As some of the other reviews have mentioned; it has reproductions of letters, notes, and other items that give inside glimpses into the life and times of Beatrix Potter. There is something on almost every page to surprise and delight the reader.

This book can be enjoyed by both adults and children; it does need to be handled carefully as the reproductions of the notes and letters deserve special care.

Hidden inside the back cover is a reproduction of Beatriz Potter's privately printed edition of 250 copies of "The Tale of Peter Rabbit"; what a delightful finish to a tour of the life of a remarkable woman.

This is a wonderful addition to any Beatrix Potter collection and an amazing value as well!

'Beatrix Potter: A Journal" is a beautifully bound keepsake that Beatirx Potter fans will cherish for years to come. It is presented in the form of a journal or rather an album, and basically contains journal entries dating back to when Beatrix was 16 years old and had begun discovering wonderful things that helped her evolve into the creative writer and creator of Peter Rabbit and friends.

The journal is beautifully put together - there are old family pictures, reproductions of Beatrix's original sketches and drawings, personal documents [e.g. Beatrix's old report card] - what a delight to peruse these treasures. The journal entries themselves make for absorbing reading - though they are in cursive form and younger reders may need help with deciphering what is written. There are reproductions of letters to family and friends,delightful illustrations throughout the journal. Of interest is information as to how certain characters in The Tale of Peter Rabbit and Friends was inspired by real-life people, such as the character of Farmer McGregor.

There are many lift-the-flap features in this journal that makes it even more of a treat - there's an envelope containing a reproduction of the letter which contains the story of Peter Rabbit complete with illustrations, a map of the beautiful Lake District, a paper version of the game of Peter Rabbit, and the prize jewel in this journal - right at the end of the journal, embedded into it, is a little book "The Tale of Peter Rabbit"! One would not know it, for it is concealed so well - and indeed a delight to peruse.

I can't recommend this highly enough. I am a life-long fan of Beatrix Potter and my three-year old daughter is following in my footsteps. It is such a treat to be able to share this book with her!

This book was given to me when I was nine, and is a long-standing favorite. I'm now in my late teens, but every November I read it again for old time's sake around Thanksgiving, and every year I love it. It speaks many truths about life in general, and Constance is an engaging and highly relatable character. I looked online out of interest to see if it was as widely read as I thought it should be, and thankfully it appears to be. This book would make an excellent gift for a young girl; it is gaurenteed to be a book she will read over and over again and always hold a special place in her heart.

I picked up "Constance" somewhere - I have no idea where, but my copy is old and yellowed and falling apart. I read it and fell in love with it. I must say - my old copy has a fantastic cover and I much prefer it to the one depicted here. But that's by the by... =)

I'm teaching my (7th grade) son the 1600-1850 time period this year and was able to pull "Constance" off the shelf and introduce him to its delights. It has been the ONLY book he has begged me to continue to read to him outside of planned school reading times. WOO HOO! It warms the cockles of this mother's heart. We've laughed at the funny bits, sobbed our hearts out at the sad bits, and marveled how these people, with their numbers decimated that very first spring, worked together to make a successful community.

We'll be finishing the book tomorrow. I drove him bananas by reading the first sentence of tomorrow's reading, telling him WHO proposed but NOT what the answer or consequence was. He says I'm an evil mother. =D I laughed with joy at his enthusiasm for the book.

This is one of the books that stays in your heart. I first read this some 30 years ago, loved it, re-read it several times, lost track of it, found it again a couple of years ago, and -- surprisingly enough, since I certainly can't say this about all the books I loved when I was in my early teens -- I still loved it. Constance, as she is written in this story, is a very real person to me. I don't know if the real Constance Hopkins was anything like the one in this book, and I don't really care, but Patricia Clapp has done an excellent job here of making two-dimensional history come to life.

I got this book on a trip to the East Coast when I was ten years old and fell in love. It was my favorite book during all of my early teen years; and though I haven't read it in years, I think it will always hold the place in my heart as my favorite book.

I read this long before I knew a key fact about Constance Hopkins, and I thought it was terrific. Of course, I still do. The tone of high spirits forced into apparent submission is perfect. I do think the cover illustration on the Beech Tree edition is awful; the cover on the Dell edition is far better.

Key fact: she is my nine-times-great-grandmother. (Patricia Clapp, the author, is also descended from Constance.) I have dug around in other books and on-line sources about Plimouth Plantation, and the historical facts are dead-on. I don't at the moment remember whether "Constance" mentions that her father was not a Puritan, Dissenter, Separatist; he came not for religious reasons but because he wanted his own farm. Constance, her husband Nicholas, and her brother Giles left Plymouth for the same reason in 1644 -- and also because they were fed up with the Puritan oligarchy in Plymouth.

So her family represents, in many ways, the American quest for independence and farmland -- the Jeffersonian ideal of the free citizen. (Constance's descendants were still farming as late as 1940, though my father left the farm in 1921, finding farming a new form of tyranny.)

Lynn Morrissey doesn't write--she sings her words onto paper. This amazing book carried me away each morning to an intimate place in the Father's heart, and I thank the author for her own heart that made this journey possible. If I could give it more than five stars, I would!

I was amazed when I opened up the pages of LOVE LETTERS TO GOD and found such beauty--beauty in the heart-touching depth of the writing and beauty in the amazing artwork that graces each page. The book is like a sweet, magnificently crafted invitation to draw closer to our Heavenly Father. It doesn't get any sweeter!

Love Letters to God is a beautiful hardcover gift book,with exquisite photographs. Eleven chapters are filled with the author's personal experiences as she discovers the thrill of praying through writing to God. Morrissey's journey is one anyone can follow--no expensive ticket, no reservations,no luggage to tote, just need to have a yearning to meet God, joyously and honestly, through prayer. Each chapter stands alone. The writing is succinct, encouraging, easy to read.

Lynn Morrissey has a beautifully poetic way of writing, in a deeply personal manner with candor and humility that draws the reader into an intimacy with her, while revealing the kind of relationship we can all have with God, through faith in Jesus Christ. "Love Letters to God" evokes every tender emotion, bringing the reader to examine his or her own life, heart and prayer-life. Simply gorgeous to look at, inspiring to mediate upon and a book to be cherished always.

The Lord has used this book, to teach me to draw near to him with the pen. The writer, Lynn Morrisey, encourages us to pour out our hearts to him, tell him everything, then let it rest in his hands. The stories she tell, just leaves you feeling so much closer to God, as you begin, to write your Love Letters to Him! This is ministry, in a unique way!

I stumbled upon this book on a whim and decided to check it out and this book is directly on point. Waset manages to tell it like it is and add humor. If you are easily offended might not be for you but she speaks the truth and wonders the age old question where is the common sense in the world?

"Finally, a book that will leave you with a buzz - and it's $5 cheaper than a bottle of Hypnotiq."

Perhaps she said it for its pure comedic value, or, to take a satirical jab at those folks whose priorities afford them the luxury of splurging on a bottle of that "blue stuff" instead of purchasing her book. Whatever the reason, Waset's humor, intelligence and passion for all things real are manifest from front to back cover and all pages in between The Power Journal: Chronicles of a Revolutionary Black Woman in White America.

The Power Journal is a literary one-woman show scripted with poetry, essays, journal entries, hip-hop laced spoken word and amusing insights--be it terrorism or wondering why Doublemint gum retains flavor and Juicy Fruit doesn't, even though they're made by the same company, no topic is too controversial or seemingly mundane to be addressed . She has a lot to say, but this may be no fault of her own. She's speaking for all of her readers, and for anyone that's in search of the truth but hasn't yet stumbled across this underground treasure.

Have you ever awakened in the morning overwhelmed and depressed? Not about the state of your personal affairs, but about the state of the world...your country...your `hood....your people? Pieces such as "911-A State of Emergency" and "Use Your Ballot or Catch Their Bullet" give voice to the anger and sadness many of us feel, but either don't know how to express or fear to articulate. Waset writes in her journal entry #21 that, "Several people I know have warned me that I probably shouldn't speak up about the U.S. attacks on Iraq and other world matters." History has shown us what happens to people who speak a little too loudly and stand a little too tall, but just as history repeats itself, Waset's raw words continue to loop page by page begging us to challenge the status quo.

A softer side of the author is revealed through her introspective poetry on love and life and in her random musings on pop culture. Is Waset really the only one who gets offended when New Kids on the Block (NKOTB for all you pop heads) are referred to as pioneers while the original "boy band" New Edition is treated like sloppy seconds (journal entry #37)? Highly unlikely. Waset isn't the only one fed up with celebrity sensationalism. She's even got a little something to say about R. Kelly, Michael Jackson and our beloved king and queen of R & B, Bobby Brown and Whitney Houston.

Waset takes the prototype of witty social commentary perfected by the likes of Michael Moore and Aaron McGruder and elevates it as only a revolutionary Black woman can. If you can't feel what she's saying, society has thoroughly numbed you. Re-read The Power Journal until the words melt to the core and wake you. One day it'll all make sense.

--Reviewed by Sandria M. Washington,
www.SandriaWrites.com

Have you ever just wanted to let go and tell the whole world how you feel? Have you looked back at your journal entries and thought, this is just too good for my eyes only; everybody needs to know? Well, that is the concept of The Power Journal: Chronicle of a Revolutionary Black Woman in White America by WASET who gives it to you raw, real, straight, no chaser and no excuses

WASET is a young woman who speaks her mind on the ballot and the bullet, brothers hitting on White women at the Essence Festival and "turrible" service at one of Magic Johnson's restaurants in Los Angeles. Her writings include the 2003 California governor recall and the election of movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger as the next head of the state and all the madness surrounding it; dissecting the Whitney Houston and Diane Sawyer interview, replete with fabricated receipts for crack cocaine; and R. Kelly's bump and grind saga.

Much of this author's poetry starts out lyrical and deep but soon turns into an angry rant; for example, The Lost King of the Nile becomes a seething tirade about Black men craving White women. The Lost Queen of the Nile actually fares better and was beautifully written. Some of the poetry, as most of the essays, appears to be remnants of everyday thoughts, not unlike the blogs we are seeing more of on a daily basis. The journal entries are numbered and the topics are endless and limitless.

This journal that has a stark black cover with gold lettering can be interpreted as either a statement of a powerful, articulate woman who has much insight and even more to say or as one long, continuous rant of the typical, angry, black woman. Read it and decide for yourself.

Dera Williams
APOOO BookClub

I LOVED THIS BOOK. It was given to me from a friend's friend's friend so when I got it, it was pretty beat up, but told it like it T-I-S! This woman means business and she shares just about all of it from R.Kelly to George Bush with you. The Power Journal fills your cup up with knowledge on LIFE. I live and swear by this book. HOT! HOT! HOT! You are lucky to get it because you can't find it in book stores. Is there a website to buy? Heeeelllllp! Who knows this author??????

The Power journal is Ivanya Vanzant's Acts of Faith meets Sistah Souljah's The Coldest Winter Ever meets What the f**k... And I'm serious!

Amazing book! Proves that not all Germans were rabid Nazis. A personal journey through a unique perspective on how and why the Nazis were able to assume power, as well as why the Germans were unable to stop them. Highly recommended!

This is the story of Sebastian Haffner, a man who lived in Germany during Hitler's rise to power. I loved hearing the story from the perspective of the average German. I can't imagine living in such tumultuous times, but reading this book gives me a glimpse. The best part about it is the fact that it tries to answer two very important questions: how on earth a regime like the Nazis could rise to power, and how almost the entire nation where corrupted by them. It's a wonderful story that I would recommend to anyone that is the bit interested in that period. Remember, it's by understanding the past that we can best keep from repeating it.

Excellent book on the rise of the Nazis by an author with a very humane and sensible view of life who lived through the events. Haffner gives voice to the average Germans who witnessed the rise of Hitler and did not approve - the majority, as it turns out - but who could simply not make sense of the madness around them nor could they find a way to realistically oppose the Nazis.

Haffner's narrative is often touching as he discusses personal events of his own, friends' and family's, illustrating how the sphere of their private lives was affected by politics. The result is that it reads like a 'non-fiction novel', and one extremely relevant for contemporary world events.

It is a pity that Haffner never actually concluded the book. In the last section, his son briefly explains what happened after the abrupt ending of the narrative, thus we miss the detail and richness that Hafner's own perspective would have undoubtedly provided. Still, it is an unmissable book, packed with lessons for present and future generations.

Sebastian Haffner's "Defying Hitler" has an ambitious initial scope - to chronicle the rise of Hitler from 1918-1939. The memoir is "unfinished" in that the narrative leaves off in 1933 as Haffner put down writing the manuscript with the advent of World War II and never came back to it. Haffner's son, Oliver Pretzel ultimately had the work published after Haffner's death.

Even in its "unfinished" condition, the work is a masterpiece. Haffner's purpose is not to excuse the average German in germany to succumbing to Nazism and to Hitler but rather to EXPLAIN the phenomenon. Excusing it would simply be post hoc. Explaining it serves the additional function of future application.

Defying Hitler was a difficult thing to do in practice. One could certainly not do so in public. The repression of Nazism in Germany was all the more pervasive by its reach into the private sphere and by doing so, obliterating the prior German distinction between public and private. The only safe way to defy Hitler was, ultimately emigration.

Haffner's narrative is frank, honest and ironic. It was a joy to read.

Finally, a word about Robert Whitfield, the reader of the Audio edition of "Defying Hitler." I believe there are instances in which the audio edition of a work is equal to or superior to the printed version. These instances of "audio excellence" are directly related to the quality of the reader. Robert Whitfield repeatedly accomplishes "aduio excellence." Whitfield's diction is spot on, his tone fluctuates to match the text. If the text is ironic, so then is Whitfield's tone. If the text is frank, so then is Whitfield's tone. If the text contains italics for emphasis, that emphasis is contained within Whitfield's voice. In short, his contributions always enhance a book and never detract from it. For other texts read by Robert Whitfield, I would recommend Bleak House by Charles Dickens, and The Abolition of Man & the Great Divorce: Library Edition by C.S. Lewis.

This is a powerful story of the rise of the Nazi movement with scary parallels to modern day events. The question has often been asked how the Germans could allow this to happen and Haffner does an amazing job at describing how. Along with a controlled media, one method was to turn the volume of fear and intimidation one little almost imperceptible increment at the time. Most people just laughed at the antics of Hitler and his crowd in the beginning, but by the time that people caught on to the seriousness of the issue it was too late. By this time many secretly just hoped that it would go away like a bad dream, but history tells a different story.

The difference with this book is that it is told from a very human perspective from an ordinary German who was living through those times and who saw the transformation of German society and social interaction.

Along with this book I would recommend the movie V for Vendetta (Two-Disc Special Edition), and the book Political Ponerology (A Science on the Nature of Evil Adjusted for Political Purposes), which describes the process by which a society is taken over, and by what kind of people.

Those who do not learn from history are bound to repeat it. This book is an important book to read so as to be better able to read the warning signs before it is too late.

This book is a nice journal about the events of Episode l through Padme's (a queen in disguise) eyes. The book keeps you interested from beginning to end and! leaves you wanting more. It's a very quick read, and I've read it several times and still like the story. The pages are photo quality, with faded images of events in the background of each page. The text is a larger print and is very easily read. I wish they had journals by Padme from Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith.

Queen Amidala is a brave young lady who must rise up to an evil Phantom to save her people, in this book it has pictures of most of her costumes and lots of fun reading for children 9-13.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I first bought this book. I can say now that reading it was a most pleasurable experience. Jude Watson has done an admirable job with this journal. It is the deep introspections of a young girl, told shrewdly with a great deal of empathy, not only for Amidala, but for all the characters that she interacts with. The journal displays Amidala's keen insight, and sharp mind, and examines her motives and decisions with great sensitivity. It tells us a little about her background, and her relationships with the people around her. At the end, I felt as though I had discovered a real person.

Though Luke's journal was my personal favorite of the Journal books, this one was definitely the best written. It was better than Anakin's especially, since this one truly got into the mind of Queen Amidala, whereas Anakin's wasn't as good at bringing out his character (what little he had) or anyone elses. This one however, not only lets us get to know Amidala, but also brings out the other characters in a way that made Episode 1 seem much more interesting than it actually was. It was fascinating to find out more about Amidala,(I didn't previously realize she was only fourteen, in the movie she seemed older!) who I found a very intriguing character in the movie, though I was confused about where and when she was Amidala/Padme. This book answered my questions about that also, tying everything together in a satisfying knot. Also, I found Anakin's character much more interesting in this book than even in his own journal. In the movie especially he irritated me, because he just seemed too cute and sweet, but here he is much more likable. This book would be good for any Star Wars fan, especially those twelve and under.

Relive the movie "Star Wars: Episode I" through the eyes of the newly elected Queen Amidala. This young teen begins this journal before the movie began. Readers see the training Amidala went through in preparation for her future post. In the book we find out WHY Amidala puts lipstick on her upper-lip fully, yet only a slash on her lower-lip. We see the defenses that were made by the guards, such as a decoy, but never dreamed would ever have to be used. (Oh come on, you did not HONESTLY think those handmaidens were there for LOOKS, did you?)

**** Not as magnificent as Princess Leia's journal, but just as enlightening! In the movie, Queen Amidala had to keep her face blank so her adversaries could not read her. In this book, we see all the thoughts, fears, and strategies that went on behind the royal mask. In fact, this book made Amidala's character more impressive than the movie did. It can also be used as a quick refresher before you flock to see "Episode II: Attack of the Clones" in the Summer of 2002! Very good reading! ****

Wonderful - the shots were amazing. I really enjoyed just leafing through the book and let the visions just wash over me.

Frans Lanting does it again in Eye To Eye--a brilliant collection of intimate portraits and daily activities of various animals. Like Jungles, it's a book that no natural photographer should be without. When you can see the individual hairs in a courgar's fur coat, it makes you kind of wonder what it would be like to be that close to one.
Looking at Lanting's work is always like looking through a book of artwork, as if he is the Picasso of photography and we are looking through his masterpieces.

From the elephant up to the insect, from the cayman up to the seal every animal looks us in the eyes deeply. "Less than the human being: - the monkey follows in the system of zoology according to an immense ravine. If one, however, once wanted to organize the animals after her bliss, cosiness etc., then some people would come to stand anyway apparently under the miller donkeys and hounds ... ", 250 years ago the nature scientist Georg Christoph Lichtenberg already wrote. However, he did not have a camera yet to hand to cover this. Frans Lanting, however, shows us the determination with which snow geese and ibisses, penguins or zebras are away to something, shows us her family care and the dignity of animals in liberty - at times, when more and more people feel caught - a book which reminds us that "upright walking"- that synonymous of the philosophers for courage and self-respect - that you can make it true even on all four paws...

Frans Lanting is one of the great wildlife photographers of the world. He has published many books showing wild animals but "Eye to Eye" is certainly one of his most famous. It consists of dramatically close-up photographs of animals, always concentrating on the eyes of the subject.

The book is divided into three parts: "One on One" shows photographs of single animals, often so close that the frame is filled completely with just the animal's eyes. "Two by Two" usually shows pairs of animals, although there are occasional shots of larger groups. Often the pictures are of mother and child, or mates, but a few shots show conflict. "All in All" shows shots of larger groups of animals. The book also contains a two page section called "Behind the Camera" in which Lanting discusses his photographic philosophy but provides few hints that will allow others to copy his style. Finally, perhaps because the text of the main sessions is limited to species name, there is a section of thumbnails with a brief statement concerning the picture. I found this section to be particularly inadequate since I often said to myself "How did he do that?" but got no help in finding an answer.

These are amazing pictures, primarily because Lanting has managed to get so close to his subjects. In a few pictures we can see that that is a result of enlarging and cropping, but in most cases the pictures are sharp enough so that so that we realize he was really close to the animals. Moreover, with a few exceptions, these are not captive animals. I for one would not like to take a picture of a wild lion at a distance of twenty feet. At least one critic has suggested that this book raised the bar for all wildlife photographers, forcing them to get closer to their subjects, and placing more stress upon photographers and subject.

There are moments of great intimacy, particularly in the "Two by Two" section, where the pictures of parent and child tug at our heartstrings. It's hard not to see human characteristics in these photos. The book also benefits from its layout, grouping its subjects by actions. Thus there are pictures of a huge flock of butterflies followed by pictures of ibises, penguins, snow geese, zebras and elephants all purposefully on the move to some destination. I also particularly enjoyed facing pictures of a lion and a leopard, moving toward the centerfold in mirror image.

These are great photographs because the photographer got so close to his subjects. But they are also mostly documentary. Few of the pictures rise to the level where the form rather than the subject makes them art, although I was particularly struck by a picture of Oryxes carefully treading their way across the Namibian sand dunes. But when I compare Lanting's photographs to the work of other wildlife photographers like Art Wolfe, I can see the difference. The pictures in Wolfe's "The Living Wild" show each animal in its environment, where Wolfe was better able to concentrate on the composition of his subjects to create a more artful picture.

Not withstanding this quibble, "Eye to Eye" is a great book, and readers are unlikely to soon forget these close encounters with the other living inhabitants of our planet.

Wow !!! How can anyone get so close?!

These photographs are stunning. The talent of Frans Lanting oozes from these pages.

There is a closeness to the subjects here that borders on the intimate. In some cases, one wonders how he actually managed to get the shot.

The focussing and exposure is spot on and the composition is perfect.

I have tried to follow this type of photography and I am only too aware of how difficult it is to obtain these sorts of images.

I take my hat off to Frans Lanting. This is a brilliant work. A completely unique approach to wildlife photography. His behind the scenes narrative to the shots is illuminating.

This book is a valuable reference for all nature photographers. Sensational !

This is a must have for horse lovers. The photos are outstanding. The text is also worth the purchase.

Great focus on a limited number of similar horse breeds.

I KNOW HE LOVES HORSES BECAUSE OF THE WAY HE PHOTOGRAPHS THE ANIMALS EYES!!! HE IS A MASTER!!

I WISH I HAD KNOWN ABOUT THIS GUY BACK WHEN I HAD MY HORSE!!
HE MUST LOVE THE ANIMALS BECAUSE, HE PHOTOGRAPHS THEM SO, WELL!! HE FOCUSES ON THE EYES OF THE ANIMALS IN MANY PICTURES AS IF, HE IS LOOKING AT THEIR SOULS!!! I DO NOT REGRET PURCHASING THIS BOOK AT ALL!!!!!!!!! I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS TO EVERYONE WHO LOVES HORSES!!!!!
SHIRLEY GREER

Overall, I'd have to agree with the reviewer's comments from Lakewood, OH.

Anyone familiar with Vavra's work will recognize his dreamlike, romanticized approach to horse photography. More "artsy" in style, tone and layout - than the straight forward approach.

Lots of soft-focus photography with heavy post-production image editing (layering of horse upon background, and vice-versa). I own two of Vavra's books (this being the second one to "Equus: The Creation Of A Horse"), so whether or not one likes this style of equine photography is a matter of personal taste. Still, this is a beautifully printed and bound book, with some outstanding equine photography.

See my review of "Equus: The Creation Of A Horse" for further reviews of Vavra's work.

Forward by William Shatner (yes, Captain Kirk!).

If you are a horselover and enjoy books on equine photography in general, check out the work of Gabrielle Boiselle, Johnny Johnston, Henry Dallal, Fulvio Cinquini, Jennifer Forsberg Meyer, et al. All have made their career photographing horses, and it shows. Boiselle is a personal favorite.