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I loved this book, although it broke my heart to think of what happened to the sweet, caring, fun-loving young boy later in life. June is so "real", I felt I would love to have been one of her friends. I also purchased the DVD "Elvis and June" and once again after seeing June on the DVD thought she was a really fun, strong woman. It was indeed a special time for Elvis and June and she shares her memories freely. The end of their love story was so sad, I wished there had been a way to "rewrite" history to make them both as happy as they had been that wonderful summer. Highly recommended.

This book was very enjoyable to read. It gives lots of insight to Elvis and what he was like when he was just starting out in the music business. Decisions that were made and promises broken but such a great story. Any Elvis fan would enjoy reading this story.

I did love this book. I only wish the book didn't end. At the end I was wanting more!

A very good experience. I received the product in a timely manner and did not incur any problems.

I'm a huge Elvis fan and have read a lot of books on him. This book is one of my faves. It shows a sweet, funny, and sexy side of him before he hit it big. June did a great job on this book and really shows Elvis in a wonderful light. Not only is it a great story about him, but it's a great love story in general. Highly recommended!

Oh my God!!! The twists in this book were amazing. I found myself screaming in excitment while reading this. It was so great... just like all the rest of them. This one made me cry at the end:(( I highly recommend the series!

i read this book in year 7 this year and it is soooo cool! It is full of action as well as sad and happy emotions combined excellently. i think everyone should read it even people who don't read much will love this book. It is one of the best book i have ever read in my life!!!

This book is amazing, (like the other 5) the hardest to get a hold of i must say, but this series really makse you think, and the ending in the last book just blew me away, i won't say any more though... I applaud pike for his writing, he realy makes you sympathize for a character that would be seen as the horror in most books, i loved it i think you should read it too, and if you plan to read the whole series (which you should) I suggest you read the collectors editoins, because the transitions between books is much less jerky. Read this book it is amazing!

In fact I LOVED the entire series! I think I read every book over at LEAST 4 times! I especially loved the character Kalika, loved the way he described her, loved her fathomlessness... I feel speechless right now, I don't even know what I say! That's how good it is... The book is religious, yet not so seriously so that you will punished if you do not agree or w/e, but simply, you'll be sucked so deep into the book you might even smart believing Sita's believes...

The Last Vampire 5 is an excellent book. It can be grusome at times, but that is what makes it a good book. Buy it or you will regret it.

For those looking for ways their church can serve their community, this book is it. Through scripture and examples the authors challenge you to look outside the walls of the church to serve the community. Must reading for anyone being lead to follow our Lord's command to serve.

I am so glad I read The Externally Focused Church. It is so insightful and eye opening to what the New Testament church was and should be today. I appreciate that it is not just opinions but that they are backed up with scripture. I am currently reading it through with a couple of men from our church.

this book does a good job of helping Christian see the potential for getting involved in their community. Rusaw does a good job of not only telling the pluses but he also shares some of the challenges as well.

This insightful book will inspire followers of Christ to impact their communities through the power of authentic relationships. The authors present thought-provoking strategies designed to equip churches to play a significant role in community transformation. Concrete examples back up every strategy, and the pages at the end of each chapter are very practical for implementation. Rick Rusaw and Eric Swanson are on the leading edge of this important movement in the church, and I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to make a difference in the world.

The Externally Focused Church is an excellent, practical book - a must read for Pastors and leaders who dream of a church of mobilized ministers who are effective at sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Our church has changed because of this book.

Excellent Book!

reading this book about ten years ago! I could never understand why a MOVIE was not made from this book, quality historical/fiction can sell, no? Fantastic story telling, fantastic period research (Ancient Rome is a serious interest of mine). The story was also very poignant to me b/c the author was able to really bring the characters to life, particularly Eugeni. If you have any interest in how the ancient world worked, or more specifically how the modern world may be viewed by someone from the distant past, GET THIS BOOK!

I was telling someone about this book yesterday and spent the next 24 hours trying to remember the title. It's been nearly 30 years since I read this and the plot and characters stuck with me all this time. It's a great story with vivid scenes that could have been a great movie! Somebody write a screenplay!

This is a super adventure novel. The body of a Roman gladiator is cut of out the ice in the North Sea, and, of course, the gladiator is revived. His experiences in the modern world are wonderfully portrayed.

I loved the part where the gladiator tells a nun that the New Testament apostle James, I believe, was a disgrace. He says something to the effect that he was crucified upside down. Thus, the gladiator unintentionally confirms a Christian belief. I love playing with ideas, and this detail from the novel has stayed with me all these years.

The gladiator also gets in a fight with an Olympic fencer. My advise: Don't fight Roman gladiators.

"The Far Arena" is, quite simply, a magnificent story, which places Richard Sapir among the top ranks of novelist talents. Why this one did not receive greater acclaim is a mystery, because this is a powerful, well-written, even compelling story dealing with ancient Rome. Without spoiling the plot, it is simple enough: by entirely plausible scientific means, a Roman gladiator is revived in the modern age. His flashbacks to life in ancient Rome and his impressions of the modern age are all woven into a compelling plot that moves at lightning speed to a startling and yet wistful conclusion. This is a great story.

Sapir's prose is superb. Many authors have trouble switching from first-person narration to a third-person perspective as Sapir does in this novel, but Sapir does it effortlessly. The storyline never drags. The novel has a wonderful sense of authenticity that causes the ancient Roman Empire to become real to the reader. Sapir's characterizations are excellent as well. Eugeni, the Roman gladiator and the other leading characters all become real people about whom the reader will come to care a great deal. Put simply, there is very little about this novel not to like.

I own two copies of this one and would never part with either--I consider this to be one of the very best novels I have ever read. The discerning reader will want to read and keep this one in his or her personal library.

I've been a bit reluctant to rely on Amazon.com reviews after a few clunkers but thank you, thank you, thank you to the person who put this on a "best of" list. This is not only a great story, about a frozen man, who may or may not be a gladiator from Caracalla's Rome, who is revived in the 20th century, but it's a well written book as well, with lots of historical detail that never overwhelms with triviality. Sapir gives us a Russian doctor, a Nordic nun, a Roman gladiator, and a Texas engineer working for an oil company and brings them together realistically and, more amazingly, in a way that makes you care about every single one. He intercuts their efforts to resuscitate and then communicate with the Roman, with the story of the putative gladiator's life in ancient Rome. Sapir has done his research and created a very moving and fascinating story. Well worth the effort to track a copy down.

Great compilation for those interested in all forms of poker. Great instruction from some of the greatest names in the sport.

Brilliant all round book, which I've learnt and gained much more poker knowledge from. Im not one for reading books but I couldn't put this one down!

My order came promptly and it is a very good book to get some tips from

As an avid poker player (I play at least 5 hours a week) who makes decent money, I was looking forward to this edition. The problem with books these days is that there isn't much new material out there. Doyle wrote his supersystem which laid the groundwork for aggressive play which wasn't the norm back in the day. Then Harrington came out with his three volumes which are the definitive go-to for all no-limit holdem play.

If you want the best no-limit holdem book out there, then this probably isn't your book. The Harrington books trump this book by a long shot. However, if you're looking for a one-stop-shop for the other games then this is the answer. The only section that I felt was subpar was the section on Razz which gave very subpar advice, data, or basic strategy. The stud sections are excellent and lay very good groundwork for both cash and tournament play.

So...if you're only going to stick with NL holdem, then go with the Harrington books...if you're looking for a little bit of everything, then i highly recommend this book.

This is a true gem in the wacky world of poker books. After Sklanski & Malmuth, Super System I/II, and the Harrington trilogy, there are very few poker books that actually offer original content or any new insights into the game of poker. True, Bill Chen's "The Mathematics of Poker" offers both - to some extent - but in a format that is better suited for someone working on dissertation research more than for someone looking to get an edge at a poker table. The value of this particular book comes from the differing perspectives of the authors. Gavin Smith, Howard Lederer, and Chris Ferguson (just to name a few) have disparate playing styles and it is reflected in the portions of the book they write. Some go as so far as to implore the reader to ignore some of the advice from the earlier authors. While Ferguson doesn't care for flat calling raises, Gavin Smith loves it, and both explain the reasons why. Ted Forest goes as so far as telling the reader to ignore his advice in the aptly titled "Don't Play like Ted Forest" chapter.

If you are considering buying this book, there's a good chance you know about position play, starting hands, and most other basics. What I loved most about this book is the fact that these pros tell the reader how they play, not how a hand should be played. Due deference is given to Sklanski and Malmuth, but the advice doled out is original and unique. It's refreshing to read how differently two pros would play the same hand and their explanations for doing so.

The only weak point in the book is the discussion about online poker is not as in depth as one would expect (or in my case, hope) in a "Full Tilt" title.

I would strongly recommend this book over most any other in the soup of modern poker books.

This is a fantastic book containing the short biographies of twelve influential evangelistic people with healing ministries:

John Alexander Dowie
Kathryn Kuhlman
Aimee Semple McPherson
William Branham
William Seymour
Charles Parham
Evan Roberts
Smith Wigglesworth
A. A. Allen
Jack Joe
Maria Woodworth-Etter
John G. Lake

The book is from a Pentecostal/Charismatic perspective and as the title suggests, discusses where these people had success and where they had failure. Personally, I found the book a treasure to read.

God's General's is one of the most inspirational books that I can remember reading. In addition, it gives the history of some of the most powerful men and women of God since New Testament times. This book is a must read!

Here they are. The 20th century legends of Christianity. One of them, Wigglesworth, has been the target of numerous writers. Why are we so fascinated with these people? Because they are heroes, every one. They had the courage to step out of the boat and walk on that H20. They were God's Generals!

Perfect people? No! They made mistakes. Some of them sank into the waters. But each and every one of them loved God and dared walk in the supernatural. Signs, miracles and wonders followed them wherever they went. They won multitudes to Christ, healed the masses and brought God's good news of deliverance to their generations. They were flawed, some had serious problems. But they didn't let that stop them. They were serving a mighty God!

If you want to get inside the minds and hearts of some heroes, read this book. Mark it up, highlight the key principles. Heed the warnings. And follow in the footsteps of these faith giants. Their successes inspired me to produce the Super Heart Living film series. And their walks will inspire YOU to do great things.

Want to know their SECRETS? How they were able to heal the sick, raise the dead and persuade thousands to follow Jesus Christ? It's all in the pages of this one powerful book. Right there for your learning. Dive into each chapter and listen to these great men and women whisper "Follow me as I follow Christ!"

You'll love Dowie's boldness in the heat of opposition. Wigglesworth's daring in the face of dreaded diseases. And McPherson's great love of the crowds and desire to entertain them with God's Word! God's Generals is moving, insightful and life-changing. I dare you to study these lives and develop their SUPER HEARTS!

I Have two things to say about the purchase of this book: First, that it was delivered to my house in a timely fashion and in perfect condition. Secondly, the book itself is a wonderful look into God's hand on people's life in history. The Bible says that God created each and every one of us with a purpose. Sometimes, that purpose is to live a quiet life of ministry and love. Sometimes God uses us for extraordinary purposes. This book is an encouragement to all people that God can do anything, no matter who you are, if you put your trust in Him.

A balanced, thoughtful, entertaining and useful look at some of God's major powerplayers over the past 100 years or so. Concerning the likes of Kuhlman, Wigglesworth and Branham, most writers either choose to vilify them or worship them. Author Roberts Liardon chooses a more accurate middle road that exemplifies a love for the truth combined with his own helpful Pentecostal insights.

This is a VERY interesting read that Spirit-filled Christians particularly will find both fascinating and useful. Useful because there is much to be learned from the successes and failures of these saints -- much that can be applied to our own lives.

I kept reading reviews by Lori Lake and I knew she had written some books, but I never got around to making the purchase. Well, I now have two and "Gun Shy" is awesome.

Dez Reilly answers a 911 call and interrupts a double rape. As the first attacker holds one victim, Sarah, while the other rapist tries to nab the second victim, Jaylynn, Dez comes storming thru the door. The second rapist breaks her arm with the bat he's carrying and she loses her gun. With a little help from Jaylynn, she's able to down both rapist cuff them together ankle to wrist.

Dez made such an impression on Jaylynn, she decides to go to the academy to become a police officer. As Jaylynn and her rookie class join the force they are joined up with different officers on different shifts. Jaylynn finally get her turn with Dez and they are a good team. Naturally, there are some rifts, i.e., who's in charge? is there only one way to handle each situation?

Dez is still a little gun shy after her partner, Ryan was killed during a call and she wasn't able to save him. She's afraid to let herself have a partner or to let anyone get close to her.

Well, Dez's rule...no dating cops, is keeping these two from coming to terms with each other. Dez's landlady, Luella is a charming and loving character in this book. She and Dez have a good relationship and they take care of each other. I love the pounding on the ceiling with the broom in order to get Dez's attention.

The kind and caring shown throughout the story shows from all the characters is something you don't usually see in a police/action novel. It's refreshing.

This was an intense book which awesome characterization and great detail to plot. You could feel the electricity between the two main characters.

Am I the last person on earth NOT to have read Lori Lake's lesbian action/drama novel, GUN SHY, already out long enough to have its sequel UNDER THE GUN? If I'm not, those of you yet to give the book a read should head right on down to your local bookstore and pick it up for one heck of an interesting experience.

My reading of GUN SHY brought to mind a couple of things:

Firstly, whenever a couple of us old-timers, from the heydays of pulp fiction, get together (actually, there are only a couple of us left "to" get together!), to discuss the days before lesbian "literature", we have to admit that in those early days a lot of the gal-gal books were written by us men, writing not reality but merely our male fantasies (and the male fantasies of our male readers) of lesbian relationships. Obviously, we didn't have a clue. Obviously, most of us men still don't have a clue, although a few of us have become enlightened enough, over the years, to admit to our ignorance. GUN SHY is not in the least like the books I, and my male friends used to write, and would likely still write. Anyone looking for a lot of heavy-breathing naked sexual nymphos mud-wrestling up a storm, should steer clear of Lake's book which actually has two mature, intelligent women spending a good deal of time thinking through and discussing their relationship with each other and with others, and just getting on with the nitty-gritty reality of life. Particularly nitty-gritty, in this instance, in that both women are members of a metro-Minneapolis police force.

Secondly, when my German-language short story "Doppelmörder" was published in Lisa Kuppler's anthology QUEER CRIME, and I had critics deeming me "A Master of the Mystery Genre", the latter was for, among other things, apparently my NOT having tackled a tale that incorporated police procedure, because so many of my fellow authors who did go that route got "it" all wrong. The reason I had purposely "not" attempted a story involving police procedure was just because I had sense enough to know beforehand that I didn't have enough of a clue to get it right; it simply required far more diligence in research and time and effort than I figured (and rightly so) I could properly muster. Lake, though, in GUN SHY, has obviously devoted the time and effort to get right the ins-and-outs ups-and-downs of cops on the job. It - from the uniforms, to the locker-room conversations, to the chatter of police-radio broadcasts, to the personality clashes, et al - just reads "right-on" this-is-the-way-it-is.

If I might have preferred one major crime to have infused this novel from beginning to a satisfactory guns-a-blazing-bad-guys-dying conclusion (probably "a guy" thing), I know from what little I've gleaned, by way of research, that most police work is mainly a long series of routine incidents that get reported in the back pages of local newspapers if they get reported at all, with only a very few in-the-spotlight major incidents. So, it would seem, Lake's GUN SHY gets that right, too.

I DO think that if I even thought of eating as much as rookie Jaylynn Savage does (I'm talking food, here), I suspect I'd look like the Goodyear blimp; then, again, I spend all of my day sitting on my fat-getting-fatter rear while Jaylynn is up-and-at-it, making the city safe for one and all. Go Jaylynn! Go Lori Lake! Go to your local bookstore and put down your hard-won cash for this one!

Gun Shy is an excellent book! I couldn't put it down... All the characters in this book are wonderfully writen! Jaylynn and Des are strong and amazing women. I fell in love with LouElla. She is the little sweet neighbor lady that everyone would love to have! This book was a roller coaster ride that I didn't want to end! Thanks goodness for sequels! This book offers a lot to a reader: Romance, thrill, humor and we can't forget the sex! It also show the power of friendship and taking a chance with your heart. Lori Lake is a very talented writer. I am glad I bought this book! This is a must read and one to keep in your collection. I know I will...

In high school, my friends and I were hooked on the Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice. We lived an hour's drive from New Orleans and spent many weekends scouring the city to see if Rice's settings were real. They were very real and made the stories jump off the page for us. I mention this because I now live in the suburbs of St. Paul, MN, and have visited many of the locales mentioned in Lori Lake's `Gun Shy.' She writes about real places such as the Como Park area, making this series much more real for me.

Lake brings two Uber characters into a modern-day story of a Xena-ish cop, Dez Reilly, and Jaylynn Savage, the young blonde woman she saves from attempted rape. Following in the tradition of the Warrior Princess and her companion, Jay joins the police department in hopes of befriending Dez. Little does she know the `gun shy' Dez has sworn off love and has no intention of being swayed by a rookie. Of course, Dez doesn't realize Jay has many skills of her own.

A wonderful story of two women who come together in the face of adversity, `Gun Shy' is truly a cornerstone of lesbian literature. Thankfully, Lake follows it with two equally enjoyable sequels (Under the Gun; Have Gun, We'll Travel). If not a must own, this is at least a must read and comes highly recommended from this reader.

Officer Desiree "Dez" Reilly is a veteran cop extraordinaire with the St. Paul Police Department in Lori L. Lake's police action/drama Gun Shy. This reticent Amazon beauty with long black hair, smooth ivory skin, electric blue eyes, and a muscular build is an adept daredevil at police work, but she is extremely cautious (gun shy) when it comes to matters of the heart. While Dez is on the job, she rescues and meets a "whirling bundle of energy," Jaylynn "Jay" Savage, a sharp pre-law student. Jaylynn could not be more different from Dez in stature, appearance, and personality. Jay is a talkative, vivacious, shorthaired, curvaceous blonde, who wears her heart on her sleeve. Dez is in complete control of her emotions...most of the time. Jaylynn falls in love with the tall, mysterious cop, her "hero," at first sight.

Carefully guarding her emotions, Dez is very careful whom she trusts. Estranged from her mother, her father gone, her mentor avoiding her since he found out she was gay, and feeling like a loser at love, she keeps her distance from others to protect herself from any further pain and sorrow. She has also been living with a thick black cloud over her head because of a shooting that left her partner and close friend, Ryan Michaelson, a married father of two young children, dead. Dez deals with his death the only way she knows how-by shutting down her emotions and refusing psychological treatment. The department can make her see a shrink, but they can't make her accept help.

After assisting an officer apprehend the men who broke into her house, witnessing police work first hand, and meeting the woman of her dreams, Jaylynn decides to apply for the Police Academy rather than apply to law school as planned. She feels she can always go back to it after she sees what police work is all about. The rookie excels at the academy and lands a rotation with the veteran cop, who actually requests to be Jaylynn's Field Training Officer. The two women ride together as teacher/student and work extremely well together. They form a friendship in the process, but much to Dez's chagrin, Jaylynn wants more than a working relationship. Jay feels that she has finally found her soul mate even though Dez can be a moody, tough nut to crack. Meanwhile, Dez, scared to death of commitment, pushes the rookie away. Everyone who knows the two, from Luella Williams, Dez's landlady, cook, uniform washer, and surrogate mother, to Jaylynn's best friend and housemate, Sara, can tell there is electricity in the air between the two cops.

Gun Shy is an exciting look at police work through the eyes of police officers who also happen to be lesbians. Lori L. Lake has set a fine precedent with her endearing, witty, action packed story that has plenty of police activity, longing, and romance. It brings to mind one of my favorite TV shows, Cagney and Lacey, a classic 1980's hit about two straight female cops. Gun Shy would be a great model for a contemporary version-two female officers, Reilly and Savage, who not only fight crime, but also have the hots for each other. It would be a big hit too.


Before reading Gun Shy, Ricochet in Time was my favorite book by Lori L. Lake. Her heroines are real, believable, and interesting. What I like most about Lake's writing is that I identify with the characters, even though I lead a different lifestyle. She uses phrases and expressions that I use in daily life. Curling up in bed with a Lake novel is like pulling an all-nighter...laughing, sharing, and gabbing with an old friend. Lake has a way of making the reader fall in love with her characters and really care about them. The reader longs for Dez and Jay to become lovers. I also like how Lake uses the contrary features of her characters to emphasize a point. For example, the dichotomy of Dez: she has white skin and black hair; she is a lion on the outside, and a lamb on the inside; she often comes across as cold hearted on the outside, but she's a warm toasty marshmallow on the inside. Dez is the epitome of the tough cop when she informs Jaylynn that cops don't cry. Jaylynn teaches her that sometimes cops need to cry in order to heal, and that it's ok.

Luella is another great character who is funny, sassy, and provides Dez with more than an affordable place to live-she looks out for her, and treats her like a daughter. She can also whip up a complete hot meal in twenty minutes. Luella is Lake's idea of a "fantasy woman-my own personal chef." If I had a landlady, I'd want her to be just like Luella. Dez reciprocates by doing yard work and repairs around the house, but more ironically, by allowing the older woman to boss her around, when it seems that Dez only takes orders from senior officers. Dez keeps her heart under lock and key, but not with Luella. You can't help but love the reserved cop, especially when you're privy to her vulnerable side. I'm straight and I fell in love with Dez, so I can certainly understand why Jaylynn feels the way she does. Will Dez unlock her heart for Jay? You'll have to read this book to find out.

To say that I enjoyed Gun Shy is an understatement; I loved it. Lori Lake has repeatedly proven herself a noteworthy writer, who I feel will soon find herself in the mainstream market. Currently, she is working on a third book in the Gun series, Have Gun We'll Travel, plus a series of non-gay themed mystery novels. Under the Gun is the sequel to Gun Shy, and I recommend not missing either selection. With an unlimited supply of ideas for novels floating around in her head, Lake's fans will have plenty to read for years to come.

This is one of those books I found as a child AFTER seeing the Disney movie and reading that it was based on a book. As usual, the book is so much better! If you've never read this book, but you're fond of the movie, or of dogs, you will love it. The story is truly heart-warming, and I love that certain scenes are oh-so familiar if you've seen the movie, but so much of the story is completely new! Did you know Perdita is NOT the name of the "leading lady"? That's all I'll say about the actual story, but please, read it for yourself, even if you don't have kids. It's a wonderful read-aloud book, too--the first time my husband ever heard about this book was when I made him lie down and let me read it to him. We didn't have a child then, so now we get to share it with our son, too. Truly, a wonderful book. However, just so you know--the second book is not nearly so good! I own both of them, but I probably won't read the second one more than one more time, when I read it to my son. It's just not at all the same thing--aliens in London? Anyway, read 101 Dalmations and I know you'll enjoy it!

I loved this book I read it when I was very young, I fell in love with it then, I lost the book and for years thought of getting it again. I feared that I would not like it as much, it was as I remembered, and not the Disney version. I still love the book it did not let let me down. It made me laugh, cry and now understand my dog a little more (ha ha)

I owned this book by Dodie Smith when I was a boy. I loved it and from this story I developed an even stronger love for dogs and animals in general. Written in a most loving way, the story takes us beyond the later Disney film's watered down presentation of the story and dives deep into the realm of dogs. We discover the magic of "dogdom" and how dogs of every kind communicate with each other and with their humans (as Dodie states, and I am certainly paraphrasing, dogs own their humans, but let them think they own the dogs because it is so sweet!)

I have only one complaint about this publication of the book. the illustrations are just short of atrocious. I had an earlier edition of the book that had wonderful drawings that clearly were created with a real understanding of the story and what Dodie was trying to say. The illustrations in this edition look like they were pulled from someone's generic dog clip art. They are technically fine in their own right (I could NEVER draw like that), but they just don't capture the magic of the book.

If you can look past the illustrations, this is a wonderful story and a well written book.

101 Dalmations has appeal to dog lovers of all ages, breeds and sizes.

Dodie Smith - Thanks for leaving this gem for all to share.

This is a charming and delightful book that is deserving of its status as a classic of children's literature.

It takes a dog's eye view of the world, and features as its heroes Pongo and Missis, a pair of Dalmatians whose litter of puppies disappears one day.

As they set off to reunite their family, they find themselves in a struggle against the illegal coat-making operation of one Cruella Deville, an iconic villainess whose name and passion for high temperatures hint that she may be the devil incarnate.

The book becomes a fantastic quest book that takes place in the heart of England. The adult dalmatians find friends and foes along their path, and end up liberating nearly a hundred little puppies.

Smith has fun with the details and logistics of feeding, disguising, and transporting the refugee puppies, and young readers will enjoy learning the particulars of the secret lives of dogs.

The original animated movie adaptation is a good and fairly faithful movie in its own right, but the book is better by far.

Some parents might shy away from the book because of the gruesome idea that Cruella literally skins her young charges, but I think that the darker elements are an integral part of the winning tone, which refrains from talking down to children.

Highly recommended!

I won my tattered, dog eared, Disyned-fied copy of "100 Dalmatians" in a school auction when I was 7 years old. I learned to read late because I'm dyslexic (hence any bad spelling you may notice) so this was the first real chapter book that I ever owned and the very first I read.

It was great. This is a fabulous novel for all ages but especially for kids. I'm not going to re-hash the plot because I think the whole world knows it by now. The themes of good parenting, loyalty, and of course, good, intelligent, kind dogs are things that every child should learn. It is true that this book contains some talk of puppy killing, which didn't disturb me, and I'm guessing that today's 7 year olds wouldn't be scared by it either.

Another reason to read, or let your child read this book is that it will encourage a love of dogs, and having grown up with dogs every minute of my life, I can tell you having one (or more) helps immensely in all kinds of situations, social and otherwise. It provides an example of love and loyalty, as well as the responsibility involved in feeding and caring for a dog. However on that note Dalmatians, contrary to the lovable Pongo, Missus and Perdita in this book, do not make good dogs for children. They don't have the temperament for it. If you read this book and decide to get a dog for your child (an excellent idea) I recommend a good old fashioned mutt (they're smarter because they're not inbred) or a border collie, which can actually be trained to be nannies for children because of their sheep herding instincts.

Anyway, five stars. Great for the whole family, and an excellent way to encourage reading in a child of any age. At 18 years old I still love reading this book. And the sequel, "The Twilight Barking" isn't half bad either.

This is a great book, all of Kapuscinski`s books are great. It takes you for a journey you don`t expect. Great style and I always regret it`s over, after I finish to read his book.

I purchased this book after reading about the author in the Wall Street Journal. He died earlier this year. The author, a journalist, kept two notebooks while on assignments throughout the world, one for his assignment and one for himself. In this book he combined his observations from several trips he took within Russia and its states over a span of many decades. At times his writing style can be quite poetic, and the book is not unlike a travel book, although Soviet Russia was not a friendly place at the times of his visits. I intend to read his other books, and highly recommend this one.

As stated in most of the reviews of this book, Kapuscinski is a great writer. If you have not read him allready, read this book and understand why. If you allready have read him, you are going to read this book based on what you allready have learned to know.

Having given Kapuscinski the credit he obviously deserves for his writing, I believe there is some points that should be done.

-First Kapuscinski stands on the shoulders of giants. His writing is to a great extent the result of the local people that he meets on his journeys and agrees to open their region and their lifes to him.

-Kapuscinski is a very gifted writer endeed, that have read a lot about the places and peoples that he visits. On one hand this is what always makes his writing so alive, something to go back to and read agian, so informative. On the other hand gret litterature sometimes can serve as a way of getting away with having little or nothing to really report from the battleground when his plan fails or when he does not get what he intended out of a trip. Striking examples of this is his journey at the Trans-siberian railway where he only observes the Soviet Union through the train window or to Nagarno Karabakh where he is stuck inside an airport, a car and a flat. That his stories is as intriguing, even when he hardly experience "what the war looks like on the ground" is a clear sign that his capabilities as dramaturg and writer can make up for a rather thin story. Even when he gets the chance to write the story he intended from a place he visits, the timeframe and the difficulties he worked under limits his insights compared to the writers that have covered the area afer him.

-Some paragraphs in the book makes me a bit uncertain about how good the translation is (my review is based upon the Norwegian translation). In the first chapter - Pinsk '39 the comment of a NKVD officer visiting their house "Muzh kuda?" is traslated "where is your husband" instead of the correct "Where have your husband gone", meaning that the NKVD officer allready knows that he has recently been in the house, meaning someone has infomed the NKVD that Kapuscinski's father (a hunted partisan) has recently been in the house. Things like this is not a big deal, but it makes you start thinking about the quality of the translation in general and if it can be the case that the author underplays the role of ordinary people as informers in the terror.

-In his story about the war in Pinsk 1939, his memory of the events as a child probably is an important expalianation behind the qualities of the stories. In the memory of a child events that would probably be described as horrorful and sad by a grown up, in the eyes of a smal shild gets exciting, intriguing, colorful and down to earth.

All in all, Kapuscinski is good reading and Imperium is a great intruduciton to the former Soviet Republics. To get true insight in the contemporary former Soviet Republics, you will need further reading though.

Perhaps history will never be told better than through the eye of this travelling writer (or is it a writing traveller?). Read and be awed by the staggering proportions of recent history in the vast empire that is no more, the Sovjet Union. And be chilled to the bones by the unimaginable amounts of suffering inflicted by the sovjet leaders on their own people. And be astonished that in the midst of the most utter despair, poverty, and enslavement, Kapuscinski can find optimism, humor, and love of life.

A lyrical masterpiece by this superlative writer! Nowhere have I found a dissection of the Evil Empire done with such fluid verse. He goes from the periphery into the heart of the beast and everywhere he discovers that appearances deceive and what seems to signal change is really a re-hash of old. Kapuczinski's sharp analysis and trenchant comments will be sorely missed!

Excellent book. I read this book a few months ago (yes I am very late lol) but I really enjoyed it. I have almost all of her books and a lot of them give the same story but this one told it all. It was real deep, and.... whew. If you can get a hold of this book (I got mines on eBay) then definently do so. I highly recommend it. This book is real deep.

...with Ms. Vanzant was that she was under a bit of contractual pressure to write this book. She really wasn't ready to release it and wasn't in a good "place" in her life when she wrote it, but had to. At the time of the interview, I believe she said she'd even asked for it to be pulled from bookstores. The season wasn't right (at the time of the release of the book) to tell about this portion of her life. I haven't read it, although I own it, up until this point out of respect for her request. I even considered returning it to her. However, if the previous reviews are true, it may be a book in due season for me right now.

I could NOT put this book down! What a wonderful insight into the life of a woman and what courage and healing she has had to endure. I have great respect for anyone who can overcome the odds stacked against them, and I have a better understanding on what it takes to do that.

This is probably the best book Ms Vanzant has wriiten. It allows you to understand the person before she knew what to do. She is real, damaged and fresh. This book allows you to grow with her, and please know after you read her story you will be alright. All black women should have this book. I'm so sad it's out of print- though the search is well worth the knowledge

This is arguably the best of Iylana's books! This book touched me as it was a combination of Ms. Vanzant's personal anguish, trial and tribulations as well as her own victories coupled with the thought-provoking inspiration for which she is famous. INTERIORS is a story of one woman's personal journey through some of life's darkest valleys and in facing these demons, she rises like a phoenix into the realm of self-actualization, self-love and most importantly, self-respect.

Although INTERIORS is an autobiographical journey of Iylanla Vanzant's life, it can be applicable to anyone who has experienced pain in their own life. It is guaranteed to touch some aspect of each reader in an intimately close manner. Through her pain and suffering, Ms. Vanzant opens up a path of nurturing and healing like none other!

Reviewed by Nedine Hunter
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers