Science Fiction Books

After reading The Savage Damsel and the Dwarf I went back to Malory -- Lynet was just like in Morris' book, constantly digging at Beaumains and harping on having a kitchen boy substitute for a real Arthurian knight.

After reading the first three books Morris has written in The Squire's Tales, I broke down and bought all he's written to date -- in hard cover. They are absolutely delightful, funny, clever, pretty true to the original romances. I read one, then pass it on to my grandson. We're having a ball.

This was the first book that I read out of many of Gerlad Morris' comical retellings of King Arthur. The information seems to be accurate and the book is just so funny. These books are classics that anyone of any age will enjoy!

I first read this book when I was in sixth (or fifth, or something -- I don't remember exactly when) grade. My church met in a school building, and toddler nursery was held in the library. I was bored one day, and I thought "The Savage Damsel and the Dwarf" looked interesting, so I started to read it. I was pleasantly delighted with my discovery. (My parents had to search the entire building for me -- that's how engrossed in the book I was.)

Unfortunately, we left that building, and my memory of the book's title left with it. It took me until last year to find it -- and I did that only by looking through all of the shelves in the children's section of the local library.

I was again pleasantly suprised by the book -- it's very well-written, immensely funny, and admirably suited to reading aloud (I had my mom read it out loud to me and my younger sister). At parts, it had me shivering with anticipation, and other times I was consumed entirely with helpless laughter.

I would highly reccomend this book to anyone. My dad, who doesn't particularly enjoy reading what he calls "girly books", thoroughly enjoyed this one. In fact, this book has inspired in us a delight of all books Gerald Morris -- and he's never disappointed us.

I love this book. Completely fabulous dry wit. Sassy girl protagonist, great dwarf character. Plot goes along at a good clip. I've been a long-standing fan of Gerald Morris, and this one is his best one, as far as I'm concerned. I've read and re-read it.

I absolutely loved this book! It is a retelling of the story of Beaumains (beautiful hands) the Kitchen Knight. Perhaps some of you are familiar with this story. The basic plot is that a young man comes to King Arthur's court to work in the kitchen. He has beautiful hands unused to hard work, hence the name. Anyway, one day a lady comes to Court to find a champion to rescue her sister who is besieged by the red knight. The kitchen boy is knighted and offers to go with her. She treats him badly throughout their journeys, though he often proves himself. At the end he frees and marries the sister and shows himself as Sir Gareth, younger brother to Sir Gawain.
Well, leave it to Morris to mix this story up! First of all, Lady Lynet is helped on her journey by a mysterious dwarf, Beaumains is a complete dolt, the sister, Lady Lyonesse is a disgraceful cold-hearted flirt, and far more is happening than appears to be! The ending is delightfully satisfying and romantic, and I cracked up hysterically several times during this book. I finished it in one sitting! Definitely a must-read for King Arthur fans!

I don't own this book, but I just checked out from local library. He has got such a great imagination. Another great book he created. Awesome!

There is really no reason for me to review this book with 30 other reviews already here. I will just state that I loved it. I "read" it to my 4 year old and he wanted to read it again right away. If you look at each picture carefully and discuss with a young child what is going on before you turn the page, they will love it. And if they are like my boy, they will then read it when they are alone. I went to see him that night up in his room and he wanted to read it to me. We sat there while he described each picture and the story in surprising detail. I really think this is a great book with fantastic illustrations and a wonderful story. The author is brilliant.

If you like incredible artwork with an amazing story line than you will love Sector 7 by David Wiesner. Each of his books is absolutely incredible and this is no exception. I bought this(and others of his) for my daughter who is about to become an art teacher to use in her classes and she was thrilled! Enjoy!

This item was exactly as described in the item description. It was in the original packaging and is in excellent condition. I am very satisfied and I highly recommend this seller and product to everyone. This is an excellent book by an excellent author!

Flotsam and Freefall were the first two books I explored by David Wiesner. Sector 7 is not to be missed either. Wiesner's style and creativity are wonderful explorations for all humans(and especially children). M.C. Escher has an honored presence in this book, as he does in Freefall. The theme of flying is present here, as in all of Wiesner's books, and the fanciful creative nature of Wiesner's story and illustrations (paintings?) are not to be missed. Second language learners will immediately have something to say (in their own language) about this book. So will everyone else who reads it. Anyone who has taken the time to sit back and enjoy the show clouds put on will appreciate the ideas within this book. Don't hesitate!

I love this book there's so many good charecter's (I like lowie the most in this book!!!!!!!!!!) and I love the theme park
so good bye for now

Alright, I know YJK is supposed to be for the younger set, but I'm 15 and really do enjoy them. They shed new light on the characters of Jacen and Jaina, who, until YJK came along, were portrayed as bratty wonder children who kept getting kidnapped and escaping by dumb luck. OK, on to the actual book, sorry to ramble. This is the second in the Under Black Sun trilogy, which will be the last of the YJK books, at least for the time being. The kids are invited by Lando to spend time on Cloud City, bringing Anja Gallandro along. When she was introduced, I immediately understood the significance, since I have read the original Han Solo adventures back from 1979 and 1980. They arrive to find Lando's partner murdered by agents of Czethros, the Black Sun operative controlling Anja and out to get the YJK. Through a series of discoveries and things, the kids find out about Black Sun's involvement through several parties, most notably Figrin D'an and the Modal Nodes, who were supposed to be playing on CC. Concluding a bunch of near-death mishaps, the kids are reunited on Cloud City, but Anja is suffering Spice withdrawl, and the preview of Crisis at Crystal Reef indicates that she's really losing it. It's interesting that something that's a young adult book would deal with something like drug addiction, but it's well written and thoughtful. This is a good read for fans of the series, and even for you older folks looking for a nice light read.

Trouble on cloud city is an awesome continuation of the young Jedi Knights books. The way Kevin and Rebecca describe the character's feelings is what truly makes this book come alive. It brings out all of the subtle emotions that Tenel Ka feels towards Jacen and lets us know that deep down she really cares for him. This book is a must have and an excellent action packed read.

Well, I have to say that this was the best Young Jedi Knights book to come along in a while. Oh, but don't get me wrong, they're all good, but a few definitly stand above the others. Namely, Lightsabers, Jedi Under Siege, Jedi Bounty, and The Emperor's plague. And now Trouble on Cloud City has joined the ranks of the great. In this book, Lando askes Jacen, Jaina, Lowie, Tenel Ka, Anja, and Em Teedee to come with him to Cloud City to help supervise a new amusement park he is building there. When they get there however, they find that Lando's partner has been murdered, and they set out to find who did it. Anja knows of course, or at least guesses that her master Czethros is at work and she struggles on many moral points concerning her new friends, and her growing adiction to Andris Spice. Actually, in this book I found myself softening a bit towards Anja, who I previously hated. I still don't like her nearly as much as the other characters, but I began to realize that she is a victim is her own right, since it isn't her fault she was mislead and used and duped into Andris. Also, this book focused a lot on Tenel Ka, who is my favorite character in the series, and allowed us to get inside her, and see her thoughts and feelings in a way that has not been done since the masterpiece of Lightsabers. Her reaction when Jacen fell of Cloud City was heartbreaking, and I'll confess, that the scene where they all thought that they would never see him again almost had me in tears, and I never, EVER cry over books or movies or anything. I liked how this book let us see how much Tenel Ka truly cares about Jacen. Speaking of Jacen, his crush on Anja seems to have ended, which may in fact be what opened me up to her a bit, since I was always adamently against that. Anyway, I would recommend this series to any Star Wars fan, no matter what their age, even though they are generaly geared towards the 10-15 set. Also, this book would have a stronger effect on you and generally make more sense if you have read the previous twelve first, though if that is to much work, it is at least reccomeded that you read the one before it.

These are great books! This book is great for begginers. The story is great, the plot is great, it's very intriging. The book is about Jason, Jaina, and Tenel Ka, and Lobaca. Lando Calorisian is inviting the Young Jedi Knights to his Resort on Cloud City. The kids will come as long as they can bring their friend Anga Gilrado. But what they will find out is... You'll just have to read the book. It's a great book as a gift. It's a must for all Star Wars fans.

John Peel does an excellent job of developing his characters, Score, Helaine, and Pixel as they make way their through the magical of Rawn. They are in search of the female wizard Shanara, the only person who can get them off this magical world. But as they battle goblins, trolls, other monsters, Shanara may already be with them, for she can become whoever, or whatever she wishes. An excellent story.

I read this book back when I was in third grade or so, and absolutely loved it. This series quickly became the far-and-away favorite of my group of friends. Even ten years later, we still have fond recollections of this book and the rest of its series. I definitely recommend this book to any young reader - it is enthralling. If you want your kids to get into fantasy, give them this book!

This book is great! I've read around 55 fantasy books since I was 8, and this is the best! Read it, I did, it it was WAY worth it!

This is the best series i have read beating the Seventh Tower and DelTora series easily.

this is the first diadem book iv'e read its a little like a modern lord of the rings (iv'e read all three of those) my sayso is buy it!(by the way if you like this i recomend deltora quest)

I have always loved this book, it is one of my favorites of this author's works. It is a sweet story, not very long, and has a way of sticking with you. Patricia McKillip must have a very interesting way of seeing the world!

This is a storyline with a unique plot, although I did find some flaws within the story that made this somewhat difficult to read. This is the first Patricia A. McKilip book that I have read and so I am not sure of her writing style as of yet, however the characters were rather empty. If she didn't state plainly that one character was in love with another, by the story surrounding them, I wouldn't have known. The protagonist is even distant as well and reading this story felt like taking a peek at snipets of the lives of others and drawing my own story from what I saw and coming to my own conclusions. This is common in books for young adults however, and being an adult reader used to epic novels, I don't know if I would be fair in faulting it for that. The character dialog was also hard to follow and at times it was hard for me to tell who was speaking. This is makes for a very choppy read at least to me.

This is still a special story that should have been written in novel form and not short story from, as there is som much more potential for it. Peri is the main character of the story and The Changeling Sea begins by describing her hatred for the sea that stole her father's life and captured her mother's soul, spellbinding her. Peri is an unkempt teen who works at the local bar/inn scrubbing the floors and keeping the inn clean. She never dreams of adventure or excitement at all, only wanting to one day escape the sea that so destroyed her life. Peri, no longer receiving the affection and caring from her mother, spends many nights at a village elder's home. The old woman looks after Peri and teaches her spells and hexes. Then one day the woman is gone, no where to be found or heard from again. Most likely lost to the sea, Peri thought. She had had enough of losing people she cared for to the sea and decided to hex it. The story builds from here with adventures of the Prince who becomes her friend and a lost sea-dragon and his mysterious appearance and trying to find answers as to his sudden apparition. She receives help from a mage and works at putting everyone's life together again, fitting in all of the pieces of the puzzle. At the end of the story she succedes in putting the pieces of her own life together as well.

I would reccomend this book for the young adults who have minds capable of seeing and reading between the lines where an adult's can't with a fantasy such as this. Although the story is a little slow throughout the telling, and the tale is implanted with a constant need to "just finish" the story so that one can see what is really happening, this is still a unique story and it is enjoyable. A collector of her works shouldn't pass this book up.

this was a great story. i love this author, she just has a certain style that brings whatever she says to another level. this said, the story isn't perfect. the major relationships between the main character and those around her aren't very strong, not strong enough anyways. at the end, not to spoil it, but she asks someone to come back for her, but the relationship between them wasn't strong enough for her to ask that of him... or at least we the readers weren't privy to it. they don't have to be ridiculously close or anything, the perceived distance between the characters is fine, but the draw between characters must make sense to the reader. if the author spent more time fleshing out relationships i think the story would've been better, because the relationships are very compelling, we just know too little of them. peri says she enjoyed certain people's company because they needed her. unless she is so weak and needy that someone recognizing her existence would make her go crazy, which i don't think she was, there is a part of the story the readers don't know about, or have to fabricate for themselves. so in a way it felt like she was grasping at straws, and the introductions of some characters, namely the workers at the inn, were kind of awkward.
criticism aside, it was a wonderful story. the plot was well thought out and kept me interested. i thought the author did a great job of characterizing the sea. Kir was a great emphasis for this because he was half of the sea himself, so we had the sea both as itself and humanized in Kir. periwinkle was ok, not the strongest heroine but compelling in her own way. i liked her name though, periwinkle, you get few characters with such whimsical names.
it was a great story though. it was short, i read it in a couple of hours, and it left me feeling kind of whimsical .

I'm still at a complete loss as to why I had never heard of this book before. The storyline is delightfully complex for as short as it is. The descriptions are lush and beautiful, but not so much as to bore. As a new English teacher, I plan on using this book for my classes during our study of fantasy-based romance. The characters are deep and very profound, and it would be an excellent read for people of all ages. Don't be deterred by how thin and short it seems, it's length doesn't make it any less powerful. I, myself, am extremely picky about what I ready and even more so when I'm reading anything with romance in it. I prefer a strong central female character, which Peri truly is, and of course a strong male central character who isn't questionable in his morals. This book checked all the blocks for my standards and I've put it promptly among my favorites.

This is the first book I ever read of hers and it remains one of my all-time favorite books ever. It enchanting and beautiful, haunting and wonderful. I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys fantasy. McKillip's writing is so fluid and beautiful, she transports you to her worlds effortlessly and you don't want to leave.

Christopher is an only child of two parents that constantly bicker, and every night, Christopher travels to other worlds for great adventures. He has a cool uncle Ralph that seems the understand him. Soon, Christopher is meeting a young man named Tacroy in the other worlds and running "experiments" for his uncle, smuggling magical supplies back to his own world. Christopher, it is discovered, has nine lives and his so magically powerful that he is destined to become the next Chrestomanci. He befriends a similar powerful young person, a Goddess, in another world. Slowly and without realizing it, Christopher falls into darkness, becoming an angry, unkind, and disagreeable child that is breaking the laws of magic. Christopher must determine who is good and who is just trying to use him. My favorite character is Tacroy, who is quite ambiguous, and yet is sort of Christopher's Sirius Black, as the only one who can identify with him as a spirit traveler and understands him. The book itself is just another beautifully written, incredibly clever and imaginative and magical work from Diana Wynne Jones. The images and so vivid and so brilliant. Grade: A-

I read this book many years ago, and did not even realize that it was part of a series until recently. I bought the other books in the series, and was expecting the other books to be similar to this writing style. While the other three books in the series are good stories and entertaining reading, it is "The Lives of Christopher Chant" that is the best of the series. This book has more depth and humor than the other books in the series. I devoured this book in one setting, because of the wonderful imagery and use of dry humor and wit. I actually don't think that you need to read the books in the series in order; besides the first two in the series, these books really don't have much in common with each other, besides the Chrestomanci character. Each book is a wonderful book in its own right. However, it is this book that gives the best background of the world in which Chrestomanci lives. Highly recommended, especially if you like J.K. Rowling - this book is the most similar to Rowling's style.

This an incredibly lovely book that I have read a million times; and each time has been just as enjoyable as the last.
This book is the second in the Chrestomanci Quartet, and is my favorite of the four. The story is about a boy named Christopher Chant who discovers that he has magical powers, and, in due time, a truly amazing and exciting life ahead of him. Buy this book! I assure you that you won't regret it;~)

Diana Wynne Jones tells the backstory of everyone's favorite enchanter, Chrestomanci, in "The Lives of Christopher Chant". Chrestomanci turned the sterotype of old, sagely wizards upside down in the first Chrestomanci book with his dapper attitude and humorous qualities. However, I'll be frank; I did not enjoy this book as much as I enjoyed "Charmed Life". The story was very slow in places and the ending was very rushed. But, Jones still won me over with her delightful characters, quirky magic, and adept talent at writing meaningful and thoughtful fantasy.

Christopher Chant starts out as a normal boy who doesn't quite understand everything that's going on around him. Christopher never even bothered to tell people, ecspecially his feuding parents and nannies, about his dreams and the worlds he visits in them. But one day, Christopher's new nanny discovers all of the objects Christopher brings back from his dreams, and informs Christopher's Uncle Ralph, a charming enchanter, about them. It turns out that Christopher is a spirit traveler, or a person who visits the twelve related worlds in their dreams. Uncle Ralph soon recruits Christopher for many "experiments" where Christopher must bring him back various goods from the related worlds, and Christopher is only too happy to oblige.

On these experiments, Christopher soon loses many lives at such an obvious rate that he realizes he has nine lives and is a powerful enchanter, even though Christopher can barely manage the simplest of spells. Christopher is soon sent to live in Chrestomanci Castle for training, and he hates it. He would much rather play cricket than become the next Chrestomanci, but everything changes when Christoper realizes that his "perfect" uncle is really an inter-world illegal smuggler, and Christopher so happens to be his partner-in-crime even though he didn't know what he was doing in the first place.

The story is told with Jones' usual quirky prose and humor. Many readers who read the first book will smile as the story goes on and many of Chrestomanci's background is cleverly explained. Christopher as a character is skillyfully progressed from a naive and somewhat cold child to an aware and powerful enchanter. However, the story, as much as I would like to deny it, does suffer some problems. The beginning is a very long drawl, as well as the middle, and nothing interesting happens till Christopher finally arrives at Chrestomanci castle. From there to the ending its a smooth ride. Unfortunately, it appears that Jones didn't know what to do with her ending as its very quick and jumbled. For the last fifty pages, everything is unusally described and very confusing. I just wish that the story had ended with a strong conclusion rather than the sentence "that is really all, except for a letter that arrived for Christopher from Japan soon after New Year ..."

Even though the ending was a jumbled mess, we're still talking about Diana Wynne Jones here, and her brilliant writing and humorous details makes even a very weakly plotted book enjoyable. While I did not enjoy "The Lives of Christopher Chant" as much as I enjoyed the first book, readers everywhere are sure to enjoy how Chrestomanci went from a timid boy into a powerful enchanter.

"Oops!" The dragon spews fire all over Christopher and "There goes another life!" The Lives of Christopher Chant is a book about a nine-lived boy named Christopher. Every night he dreams he gets out of bed, walks around the corner of the fireplace in his room, and slips into a dreary world called "The Place Between." While conducting experiments there Christopher loses some of his nine lives.

Strong things about this book are that the story line moves along quickly, so your interest stays captive. You'll also appreciate how Dianne Wynne Jones's story line is unique. No other author has ever written anything like her "Place Between!" Her strong characters really pull the story together. Take "The Christomancy" (The Magic Governor) for instance. It seems like he was always a strict and stern man born to be "The Christomancy." However, he actually started out like Christopher, angry and bewildered.

More details would improve The Lives of Christopher Chant. Having additional information would make it easier to visualize Asheth's Temple, and why The Living Asheth (the girl who acts as a channel for the god Asheth's power) wanted to get away. More explanation about why silver stops Christopher from working magic would be helpful. Was it Christopher's dad's fault that silver stops him operating magic?

Rush out and buy The Lives of Christopher Chant, it's a page turner! The story line is new and interesting. It is a magic book, and you can never tell what's going to happen! I hope you don't lose your nine lives as quickly as Christopher Chant!

When I was a little girl (am 50 now), my fifth grade teacher read this book to our class. We were enthralled and could not wait for reading time each day. The name of the book and the story stayed with me all these years with the fond memories of a teacher who changed my life. Mrs. Waite of Bonner Elementary School in Houston Texas 1964 instilled in me a love for reading that has endured a lifetime! Like so many others, I have searched for this book and not found it until today. Thanks to Amazon for bringing this delightful book to children..my grandkids will love it!

I, too, had searched for the Loretta Mason Potts book, long before the internet was invented. Since elementary school (in the late '50s) I thought of it as my favorite book. When I became an adult (with kidlike tastes, still), I went back to my elementary school to look for the book (still before the internet). No luck. They didn't even have a record of it. I thought I'd made it up, and forgot all about it. Until last night, as I was falling to sleep I searched my brain for the name of this book. I remembered the name. I woke up thinking about it. I haven't bought it yet, but I read it when I was a little girl and thought I'd lost the opportunity to read it again. Thank you Amazon, for offering this treasure of a book.

I read Loretta Mason Potts over and over when I was in grade school and junior high, and so did my best friends. I found myself thinking about it again when I was in graduate school, and, terrified that it might be about to be discarded, I wrote to my small-town library and asked whether if they were going to get rid of it I might buy it instead. They very kindly sent it to me free of charge, dull, crinkly library cover and all. (One of my friends truly asked whether I would xerox it for her.)

When I read it again, it was as wonderful as ever. All the tiny things--satin dress, yellow curls, red car, tinkling voices--and the big things--the suddenly nasty children, the bewildered mother, the truth and rightness of the ending--are still magical and always will be. I often think what a wonderful movie it would make--Stephen Spielberg, are you listening? Today the mom who rises above her complacent self to fearlessly rescue her children would not be the bridge-playing, apron-wearing, cigarette-smoking mom of yesteryear, but perhaps a nutrition-and-exercise-obsessed working mom.

My daughter, now 20, borrowed that old library copy to do a book report when she was in the third grade. The magic of Loretta is powerful; having read only the report, the teacher wrote on it in big letters I WANT TO READ THIS BOOK.

I thought of Loretta again this morning, in the grade school library where I volunteer, as I was processing books bought at last week's book fair. Mary Chase--that sounds familiar--could it be? Yes. The Wicked Pigeon Ladies in the Garden has been reissued as The Wicked Wicked Ladies in the Haunted House. Oh, joy! I have never read it and I know it will be a luscious treat.

I feel as though I've stepped into a Mary Chase book myself. So many people my age who all read this book as children and haven't seen it since but were never able to forget it. I can't think of another book from my childhood that came close to having that kind of power to reach out over 45 years and stay alive to so many people. Surely this should be republished and made available for another generation of children.

When you have kids, you start racking your brain, trying to remember what you loved so you can present them with a book you KNOW they'll love too.

Loretta Mason Potts was one of the first that came to mind. It's the story of a girl Loretta Mason, who finds a magic portal into another world where she's treated like a princess. She refuses to go home to her family and insists on living in the Potts house with another family because their house contains the portal. Her mother goes to see her every day, but doesn't mention her again to the other children, and can't think of anything to do about the situation except pay the Potts family to keep her.

The story really revolves around her younger brother, who is the main character, and who finds out that he has an older sister (Loretta) by accident. What's great about this is that you can hand the book to an 11 or 12 year old boy, and watch him get sucked into the story without any concern that it might be a "girl" book because of the title. As the mother of boys, I truly appreciated the fact that it appealed to both genders.

The book is hardcover with no dust jacket. The price may seem high to someone who has never read it, but anyone familiar with Loretta Mason Potts will (like I did) simply purchase it without question, grateful that you FINALLY found it after decades of wishing you still had a copy.

Then hand it to any of your children, boys or girls. It's still weaving magic 50 years after it was written.

Rise of the Wyrm Lord was a great second book for the Door Within Trilogy. I especially enjoyed the addition of the Wyrm Lord to the series, even though the Wyrm Lord is evil.

Wayne Thomas Batson's second novel in the Door Within Trilogy is better than the first book. While I had a lesser interest in the first one, this one grabbed me a little harder. I loved the Robin Hood-like society in the trees, and the message here continues strong. As I mentioned in my review of the previous book, if you like Brian Jacques, try these, Wayne Thomas Batson writes in a similar style.

Even though this is the second book of a series, I found it easy to understand. Like Narnia, it focuses on another world that is linked to our own. Instead of talking animals, The Realm is populated with Glimpses, each of whom mirrors someone in our own world. More than just the typical sword-and-helm fantasy, Rise of the Wyrm Lord weaves spiritual warfare and realistic characters into its enthralling tale.

This is the follow-up book to The Door Within, and it is wonderful!!! In this one we get a new cast of characters, and they are as real those in the first book. It is a great series; a quick read, but at the same time very compelling. Makes you think about the choices you make in your own life, and the choices that you will make when faced with the future...

The second in The Door Within Trilogy is even better than the first. Instead of Aiden as the main protagonist, Antoinette (Gwenne's glimpse) is the heroine. In direct contrast to Aiden, at the beginning of this story Antoinette is looking for a way to enter the door within to help the kingdom of Alleble in their time of need. Paragor's armies are amassing with the Wyrm Lord in their head. When she meets Aiden in an art class, Wayne Thomas Batson' story is lifted out of the boundaries of mere words. With his trademark action packed, lightning-paced writing takes you to a place you won't want to leave.

This marvelous book came into my life almost twenty years ago and remains my favorite book to this day. I have reread many sections many times, and even with the advances in science that have arisen since the publication of this book, it remains deeply informative and philosophically rewarding. For all those who seek to investigate life on earth from its many facets, this is a book to treasure. I only wish Guy Murchie had lived long enough for me to thank him personally!

Murchie's grasp of the topics and his fluid writing make this an enjoable adventure into our world and ourselves. A little science, a little philosophy come together to help the reader evaluate his/her place in the cosmos.

This book is a lyrical synthesis of science, philosophy, and religious traditions that could only be authored by a visionary & poetic personality of the highest caliber. Guy Murchie spent seventeen years pulling this 650 page book together; and the labor of love & dedication really shows through the entire text - his erudition is vast, yet completely accessible.

The Seven Mysteries of Life is structured as a triad: Body, Mind, and the Seven Mysteries. In this non-linear exploration of the fabric of existence, Murchie weaves and interconnects the evolutionary immensity of the universe such that, in the concluding chapter, the purpose of our lives on this earth is convincingly described as a soul-school (a spiritual boot camp I suppose).

Not only does Murchie elaborate on our accumulated knowledge of life, world, and universe; he crystallizes it all into little gems of wisdom. This book might be looked at as if it were a unification theory of mystery and existence; its incredibly comprehensive scope will certainly alter the way you look at the reasons for your existence.

Infinite thanks to Guy Murchie for this vastly generous labor of a lifetime . . .


Extracts: A Field Guide for Iconoclasts

The Cloud Reckoner

I searched for a book like this one day, and on that day, the first day found this book. And I dont think I could have found a better book in years of searching. Fate brought this book to me.

This book explains the physical and spiritual worlds together as a flowing entity. I have never read a more enticing book about scientific explaination mixed with spiritual exploration.

My life was changed by this book, and I am more than happy by what I learned reading it. The things I'd like to say about this book can not all be described in one review.

My son is a philosophy student at Duke and insisted I read this book. Of course, I resisted diving into a 650 page book, but I have to admit that it was facinating.

As a former science student (zoology and dentistry), we often do a little "recreational arguing," but this book really ties alot of things together.

No, it won't answer all of lifes questions, but it sure will make you think about a lot of coincidences.

Skip around, read the sections that interest you, go back to some chapters.

Great, great book.

I read this book when I was a kid and it's wonderful. Anyone who loves dogs should read all of Terhune's books.

I asked my grandma if she could take me to the library. We were looking around for books together, her boring adult books, me books by Margaret Peterson Haddix and dog books. I was in the aisle R-V and spoted a book with the word "dog" on it. I quickly grabbed the book and held on to it tightly glad no one else had seen it. I looked at the cover and saw an adorable dog on it and decided to check it out. When I got home the first thing I did was start reading it. It was new stile of writing for me; a bunch of chapters that were in order but SOMEHOW a bunch of short stories about one dog, put together. It got my interest right away. I stayed up till about 3:00 A.M reading it. It still hadn't finished it. The next day I continued to read it and I finished it. It was the most wonderful, exellent, heart-warming, special, terrific, best, most interesting book I have EVER read (until I read Terhune's other books)! I bought the book shortly after. I discovered there was more Lad books and got them all. I decided I loved Terhune's books and went on a book shopping spree.

For the REAL review: I HIGHLY recommend this book as well as all of Terhune's dog books to everyone young and old. It changed my life dramaticly and I am very thankful for the day I found the book. But, this book is different from Terhune's other books. Not the best, but in my opinion, the very most special. After all, it IS Albert Payson Terhune's firt book and the first book of his I read.

Here's my sister, Shannon Hyle's feelings for this book:
"Reading about Lad, a Dog by Albert Payson Terhune fired my desire to own a dog, not just any dog but a faithful tawny collie who would keep me company, lick away my tears and save my life (it might have been from falling through the ice or from that car speeding around the corner or maybe from our cantankerous cow with the cock-eyed horn. Terhune's book series was based on the very real Sunnybank Lad, "a thoroughbred in body and soul."
I also found Terhune's books very satisfying reading and couldn't get enough of them or of Thomas Hinkle's horse stories.

As long as you can ignore the bigotry of the author (he was a rich, white aristocrat of the pre WWI variety, so he was a snob and a bigot), his writing about the nobility of dogs, his ability to make them live in your mind is still unsurpassed. The author wouldn't pass a modern "political correctness" test, but if you love dogs and you are mature enough to understand that authors are people and thus flawed, this is a book you should NOT miss.

are now legion, as they say. But Terhune was the first person to make them worthwhile to read! I recently came across Albert Payson Terhune's oeuvre, Sunnybank, and Lad, etc. while preparing to purchase a collie for our home. Although we did not eventually get the 'dog of our dreams,' all of my hopes and aspirations, which had been fueled by watching "Lassie" almost fifty years ago, were codified, given life, and made literate in the many books by Mr. Terhune.

His way of writing, (though repetitive in terms and phrases from book to book- a relatively minor point, for the writing is evocative, even if repetitive) is nevertheless easily on a par with many 'good' modern authors today, and is therefore of more merit, than perhaps when they were first written!

As Chronicles of history (the era when cars were first being mass-produced & made available by the 'monthly payment with interest scheme,' so burdensome to modern life) when gentlemanly conduct and lady-like manners were not 'chauvinistic,' all of Terhune's books would make a very nice study of American mores and morals of the 1910-1930's era, especially for boys aged 9-12. Where he [Terhune] shines most evocatively, is in giving that sense of awe and wonder, as one looks with love and affection on a dog that many consider the noblest examplar of the breed as a whole!

What was also pleasant to read, is the honest way in which Terhune describes how literate, intelligent, and societally well-to-do [white] folks looked upon the world, their neighbors, the rise of crime as a mobile menace with the advent of said motorcar (and thus, Terhune makes an eloquent 'apologia' for limiting, rather than expanding[!] mass transportation from inner city to outer suburbs in modern metropolises!) with a frankness that is woefully missing today. In short, when needed, Terhune, like almost all men of his era, is willing to 'call a spade a spade.' Some might call his use of terms for some of the less seemly characters he portrays, 'racially insensitive,' but that is only because we have been brainwashed into thinking civility and crassness are interchangeable cogs on a multicultural wheel!

I, for one, found this utter frankness of Terhune and his overt masculinity (in his descriptions of events and persons) a breath of fresh air- especially after the 'Illegal Alien May First walkout of 2006,' Hurricane Katrina and the Superbowl, the Million Man March, and all the other 'minority grandstanding' one has to endure in this "PC" mad era. Terhune's evocation of an era that should come again reveal that civility, proper manners, respect for property, life, and livestock on a working farm or kennel, are things that any child (or adult!) could/should take a lesson from. Along with Knight's "Lassie-come-home,' these books (in their original issue, and not in modern reprints, which clearly would be 'santized' for 'modern dumbed-down readers') are now prize possessions in my antiquarian bookcase. I will return to them every year, (and read them to my children, whom I homeschool!) to read of a lifestyle, a culture, that once defined what it is to be free, noble, and American. IF I could put it into the fewest words possible, I would say Terhune writes of: Man, dog, and nature. If one could sum up Terhune, these three qualities shine through resplendently in all of his works. I can honestly say, that, for a work of fiction, I am a better man for reading them.