Don Books

A wonderful and inventive collection of stories with a gay twist. A great summer or weekend read, you can pick up, read a few stories, and put it down for another time.

Long-time spiritual writer Toby Johnson and publisher/writer Steve Berman have put together a much-needed collection of essays and stories about gay men and spirituality. So often, anti-gay activists go out of their way to malign gay people, and homophobes in mainstream churches often block gays from worship and religion. This collection offers an alternative to those small-minded persecutions.

What Johnson has been saying for years in books like GAY SPIRITUALITY and GAY PERSPECTIVE is that the spiritual consciousness expressed by gays--indeed, by all GLBTQ people--is a vital and evolutionary step forward for everyone on the planet. No longer need we be trapped in meaningless, dogmatic, fear-based, or male-dominated religious practices. There's hope and inspiration to be found by, for, and about homosexual lives.

Berman and Johnson have managed to get stories and essays from many literary lights: Mark Thompson, Malcolm Boyd, Perry Brass, Victor J. Banis, Jeffery Beam, Mark Abramson, and many others. The inspiring work of educators, community activists, and religious experts such as David Nimmons, Mark Horn, Dan Stone, Michael Sigmann, Bill Blackburn, and Donald Boisvert are also featured.

CHARMED LIVES is a Lambda Literary Award Finalist in the category of Best Anthology, and it's fully deserving. Every story, every essay is a gem that reveals the beauty, strength, and value of gay voices.

As Bert Herrman writes in his essay, "Grace is not really magic, it is a natural state of being, but for those who reach it, it works like a charm." Reading these pieces will comfort, inspire, and charm anyone seeking to learn more about the wonder of gay spirit in storytelling. Highly recommended. ~Lori L. Lake, Midwest Book Review

Regardless of your sexuality, these are works of art that collectively make a wonderful addition to any library. The authors are clear and well versed in their craft making us, the reader excited to anticipate the next and the next, like a multi-course meal at five-star restaurant.

You'll find a favorite; mine was "This I know" by Dan Stone about a journey through a spiritual awakening. There is a part of us in every story but Dan's captured me most. This is some of writing's greatest moments by men who happen to be gay written for anyone who happens to be human.

I go online to shop, and the title's intriguing, and it's only $10.88 and over 300 pages, So I buy it thinking, that's such a bargain, and I read just two of the 35 short stories in it (`Musuko Dojijo' by Mark Horn and `The True and Unknown Story of Albert Gale' by Andrew Ramer) and I felt like I went to a yard sale and found a box filled with sundries among which I have already found a diamond and an emerald. Excited by other possible treasures that may be found there. And reassured that felt [..] literature continues alive and well.

Victor Banis' "Canals of Mars" is one of the most beautiful love stories I've read in many a moon. I may be a straight woman but this story is universal. How refreshing to have such a story about those of us who are no longer young...

Banis is well-known - and deservedly so! - for his "Man from C.A.M.P" series, but his current writing is far stronger. It's wonderful to see him tapping such a deep well of feeling.

I've spent the past year spending literally thousands of dollars on various books about ancient Greece. I wish to write about it, and I've read about 60 books so far on the subject. I found this book in a secondary book store, and as I've read so many specialty books, almost passed it up. Feeling the need to step back and get a more general perspective on how everything I'd been reading about fit in to the scheme of things, I bought it. Boy, am I glad I did. I've read many types of collections in my time from short stories to articles, and one never really thinks of the editor who put it all together. With this book, however, I was struck early on by the fluid and expert way the various articles and excerpts by varying archeologists went together as if it were all written by the same author. The choice of the little examples of ancient life, or the passing mention of a political outlook did a great job of illuminating whatever the excerpt was about, and since the excerpts had to be edited to fit the chapters, much credit must go to Mr. Nardo for his choices of passages as well as his choices of books to borrow from and his progression and layout of chapters. If you are starting study of Ancient Greece, there is no better place to start than this book. If you only want one book to get a general understanding of the greeks, this has to be the one. I've never seen this sort of thing done this well before. One thing that astonishes me is the price of it here on amazon, though, as I only paid 12 dollars for it at book store which had 3 of them in the Northgate mall in Chattanooga. Go figure.

As general reference books for students go, this is absolutely first rate. The author, who has written numerous smaller books on the subject, goes all out here, providing almost a whole library unto itself about the ancient Greeks, their history, institutions, ideas, etc. This should be on every educated person's shelf, not to mention every library shelf.

Historian Don Nardo edited this large compendium of articles by himself and other noted classicists about ancient Greek civilization. Extremely well-organized, thorough, and informational, the volume covers all aspects of Greek history and culture, each aspect covered in a separate chapter that begins with a helpful introduction by the editor. The articles themselves also have introductions providing brief backgrounds of the various contributors. A chronology, glossary, bibliography, and indexes, all quite large and useful (especially the bibliography, which is one of the best I've ever seen for ancient Greece), round out this first-rate volume, which I highly recommend to students and teachers alike.

Wow! For high school or college students doing research on ancient Greece, or for anyone interested in the ancient Greeks in general, this is an extremely comprehensive, well-organized, and useful book! It starts off with a general overview of ancient Greek civilization written by the editor, Don Nardo, who is a noted authority on the subject. Then there are dozens of articles witten by other well-known historians, each covering some aspect of Greek history or life. There's information on democracy and and how it came about, about Greek literature, about Greek theater, which started in Athens, about commerce and trade, and weapons and war, and lots more. In the back of the book are short biographies of important people and gods and Greek places, and a huge!! glossary, and best of all a really huge bibliography, that gives the reader plenty of ideas about where to go for more information (though it seems to me that only scholars would need to look furhter than this book). The price is kind of high, but students should be able to find the book in a nearby library. It will be well worth the effort!

I teach high school history, including a course on ancient history. I spend quite a bit of time on the Greeks and Romans, of course, and I have used a number of Mr. Nardo's small but superbly written and well-documented books in the past as supplementary materials to the regular text. His LIFE IN ANCIENT ATHENS, AGE OF AUGUSTUS, LIFE OF A ROMAN SLAVE, LEADERS OF ANCIENT GREECE, and several others have proved invaluable as sources of information for both my students and myself. Mr. Nardo's more recent COMPLETE HISTORY OF ANCIENT GREECE, which I'm reviewing here, is easily the best single-volume overview of the ancient Greeks I ever seen for this age group. Though much larger and more comprehensive than his other books for young readers, this one is extremely well-organized, both chronologically and thematically. The essays he has chosen and edited are all clearly-written, highly informative, and each perfectly captures or illustrates an important aspect of Greek history or culture. Nardo's own quite fulsome chapter introductions are also very informative, well-written, and up-to-date. The appendices of this book also deserve special mention. The glossary is huge and accurate, the best available in any non-scholarly book about ancient Greece that I am aware of. The bibliography is also massive, again, the biggest and best I've seen outside of scholarly works. ... it is also proving a tremendous aid to me personally by giving me one, compact source from which to draw facts, topics, and ideas. Would that more professional historians took the time to write as much first-rate material for high school students as Mr. Nardo does.

the right book, at the right time, in the right place... dubai

This isnt a book for someone who wants to dabble in real estate investment. This is a book for big time investors (or people who want to be big time.) It is great if you're looking at large projects like apartment complexes, and it's well written.

Very interesting  book; very easy to read.
As a small real estate investor I found it very helpful in understanding many of the ins and outs of real estate and financing, especially on the scale i would like to grow to.

I read construction funding, prematurely perhaps, as one of my first ever real estate books - and I loved it! The book takes the reader through several once-real-life scenarios and explains the construction process step by step. I think that both ambitious beginners and more seasoned loan officers and developers would benefit from reading this book.

The third edition of Construction Funding by Nathan S. Collier et al is a remarkable demonstration of insight and expertise. Collier and colleagues provide an exceptionally lucid description and analysis of the process of real estate development that is accessible to non-experts while being authoritative at the same time. In addition to being an excellent text for students and others interested in careers in real estate development, this book serves as essential background for all those whose responsibilities include any part of the development process.

Don Collins' Cookbook Of The Year is a meal-planning compilation of 52 weeks worth of outstanding recipes reflecting the culinary needs for the health-conscious cook. Enhanced with weekly shopping lists and time-saving tips, each creative and complete meal is based on easy-to-follow, "kitchen friendly" recipes. Each individual dish is accompanied by a preparation time estimate and serving numbers. From Orange Roughy with Mustard Glaze; Smoked Salmon Pasta; and Lemon Chicken with Rice; to Omelet with Italian Turkey Sausage and Spinach; Hot Fajita Salad; and Pasta Prima Vera, Cookbook Of The Year offers a full year's worth of culinary delights and terrific dining!

It's a great cook book. I'm a beginner and everything I've made so far is wonderful. The recipes are 'me'-proof. Even my boyfriend is amazed. buy it.

I am the mother of twin infant boys and this book has made this part of my life so much easier. I do not have to sit down and plan our meals and prepare a grocery list anymore! It is such a timesaver and the recipes are delicious and easy to prepare. My husband loves the food, and I love not having to dig around in the pantry at 5 o'clock anymore in a frantic search for dinner ideas.

I ran across this book at my mother-in-law's house while on vacation. The best part about the book is that it removes the day-to-day drab of cooking for a busy household. No extra fancy recipes or ingredients that require special ordering or a high-price spice or specialty store. A good cost-cutting, fat-cutting general all-around cook book. Highly recommended.

When I first bought this book (a friend suggested it) I stuckit up on the shelf with the other cookbooks. But when I was invited toa dinner party by the same friend and he proceeded to serve the most incredible, healthy food (and this was a TV dinner kind of guy) I had to ask where he was taking cooking lessons. He told me that every dish he had prepared that evening was right out of 'The Cookbook of the Year' and the best part is that it only took him about 45 minutes to prepare and cook! I opened that book the minute I got home and I found complete shopping lists and daily menus. I went out and bought a weeks worth of groceries and began thrilling my roomate and family with these great meals! I can't say enought about this book. Buy it! You will use it. The food tastes great and it's healthy and easy! People actually think I 'cook' now. Wow!

E. Don Harpe has created a delightful series ripe with humor and a little green alien. JorG seems to charm predicament as easily as he knocks back pizza and chilled cans of tipple. Now the tiny alien confounds Grandma Margie Belle with a trundle-bottoms-up dance when he catches the religious bug. But NanZ, his joinedone, ups him one when she sheds her cloak of invisibility and attempts a jaunty "Sweet Betsy from Pike" number at the local Baptist Church.

What happens when Jeff Foxworthy meets Douglas Adams? In this "Hitchhikers' Guide" meets "You Might Be A Redneck" Billie Joe tries to explain "That Ole Time Religion" to someone who knows the Architect. This humorous look at Southern Stlye religion is another fine product in the "Redneck Riviera" Series. Thanks Don for more than a few laughs.

... could have written this story and captured the very essence of a down-home, dinner-on-the-ground, God-fearing, devil-hating, creek-dipped and sanctified Baptist congregation as they welcomed an alien (dressed as Roy Rogers) into their midst!

Even if the Supreme Being doesn't have a sense of humor (which I believe He does), He surely had to suppress a giggle when He read this story! But just in case, I hope Mr. Harpe avoids getting struck by lightning, at least until he finishes this series. A good writer knows to "always leave `em wanting more", and for me, he has succeeded!

Phil Whitley, author of KEECHIE

With Cottondale Confirmation, E. Don Harpe's Redneck Riviera series has kicked up the humor to a different level. The stories just keep on getting better. I laughed out loud at many of the antics in this story, and I was amazed,(to say the least) when I learned what grits actually are.

Keep 'em coming, because they're getting better all the time.

This # 3 in the REDNECK RIVIERA series feeds quite a concept! It beats the taste of pizza & beer and edges ahead of the zoom of a NASCAR race! Even the reviews rock & roll. With the amazing grace of an economy of words, reviewers speak in silver tongues scratching cheeks, saying this one's even funnier than the first two. Well, they may be right, and there's no "may" about the fun in well done redneck humor with its silver lining of purple hearts and cotton candy souls.

I haven't been attracted to fiction which is based in specific religions, and I didn't know how this one would deal with that. But given the type of humor played in the first two REDNECK RIVIERA stories (see my reviews and Amazon Shorts Listmania), I was bound to read this one, too. I said I wasn't going to review it, but couldn't help myself. The Holy Ghost made me do it.

This is how I like to get the news:

>> Billy Joe had given JorG an old police scanner that he had gotten for Christmas a few years ago, and that had quit working in a few months. In a matter of a few minutes the little alien not only had the scanner picking up police calls from all over the south, he was listening in to a mannacruiser that was on its way to earth at this very moment. <<

As noted above, I don't naturally cotton to stories which might be seeded into a particular religious slant, but I do relish God concept planting's which grow beyond set dogmas and sprout ears for unique, loosely-laid paradigms in entertaining fiction, as COTTONDALE CONFIRMATION did. It's always interesting to me to see what an author can come up with inside an untethered imagination. In that sense, one of the draws for me in COTTONDALE was wanting to see how Harpe would bring together the differences in "getting religion" between JorG's experiences and Earth's Old Time Religion base. I enjoyed the way the discussions developed into an adventure instead of a "free-for-all" of who's got the key to the Right Hand of God.

The key here was again offered within (yet from a different angle) one of the best fuels for true fellowship. Food.

How many angles can Harpe take on similar themes? The number appears to be secretly logged in at Nth Degree Heaven.

The spaceship adventure scenes here brought fond memories to me of a similarly-spirited journey I wrote into one of my sci fi manuscripts which toys playfully with God concepts, MORNING COMES is the title. If miracles don't cease too soon, that novel may one day come out in book form.

I wholeheartedly recommend E. Don Harpe's open-minded, spirited stories. The next and most recent is MUSIC CITY MOJO. I'll be hooommmmmmm for Chrissssmus... Ching, ching, ching. Sleigh bells riiiing... are ya lis'nun?

Mr. Holy Ghost, Sir, can Yew hear me now?

Linda G. Shelnutt

For some strange reason, the Don Camillo series is hard to get. Guareschi is in the small category of authors whose works shine with a gentle, simple humour. Think of him as an Italian James Herriot or PG Wodehouse. I suspect that the English translation dampens some of the verbal gymsastics (aka Wodehouse), but the stories still shine through with a charming simplicity.

Each story will bring a smile to your lips.

I was about ten when I read my first Don Camillo book. I think I found and read all the rest of them in two weeks (Finding was the hardest part). I think these books transport you to a different world, the world of Don Camillo and his flock and the problems, boy the problems *L*! The humor is mostly unparalleled, subtle yet makes you laugh out, everytime! Guareschi is certainly in the same class as Wodehouse et al.

I found this book purely by chance - it is superb and is currently doing the rounds of my family. Definitely buy it - if you can get a copy. This was my first introduction to Don Camillo and I am trying to acquire the rest of the series. Brilliant short stories about Don Camillo and Pepponne - example being letting fireworks off during Pepponnes Communist speach and giving him a 'kick in the backside'. a top read.

I fell in love with Don Camillo's Little World (a little Italian village on the Po River) over 3 decades ago, when I was ten. I delighted in the perpetual battles between Catholic Priest Don Camillo and Communist Mayor Peppone, and the admonitions of Christ (from the crucifix above the altar). The dialogues and characterizations are magical, hilarious--and so true to life that the author affirmed that many things he wrote about actually happened afterwards! I also love the black and white line drawings of the devil and angel who are forever warring with each other. I suspect they were the inspiration for my own simple drawings which I use in my books on China (Amoy Magic--Guide to Xiamen and Fujian, Fujian Adventure, and Mystic Quanzhou--City of Light). Too bad Don Camillo is not out in Chinese!
Buy this book. It will captivate everyone, young and old! Dr. Bill Brown, Xiamen (Amoy) China. Amoymagic.com

I was about 12 when my father brought me home a copy of "The Little World of Don Camillo", and I couldn't put it down. Over the years I have searched high and low for more of these delightful stories (with varying success). They have the attraction of being interesting, humourous and heartwarming all at the same time, and have a great appeal for children and adults alike. They also show a real understanding of human nature and the human condition. Often when I feel a little low I pick up Don Camillo and cheer myself up again.

The stories are set in a little village on the Po river in Italy soon after the end of World War II (note that some stories are set later than this, although most are set in this time period). They deal with the never-ending rivalry between the local parish priest, Don Camillo, and the communist Mayor, Peppone. I really can't recommend these stories highly enough.

Because I'm a working historian with a strong interest in material culture and artifacts, combined with a tourist's interest in Civil War battlefields, I've long been a fan of Troiani's amazingly detailed, extremely accurate, almost photographic art. This gorgeous volume combines large-scale reproductions of 130 of his paintings with some 250 color photos of surviving uniforms and equipment from museums and collections around the country (including Troiani's own). After a couple hours of page-turning, I went back and spent much more time studying the depictions of units of special interest to me, such as the Washington Artillery of New Orleans and Terry's Texas Rangers. The variety in uniforms and insignia is staggering, especially compared to the "uniformity" of modern military uniforms. As usual, he includes extensive technical notes and specs, as well as an annotated guide to artifact collections. It's not a cheap book, but it's worth every penny.

Let me start off by saying that I am not a fan of the Civil War. I do not regulary buy books dealing with it. My primary interest is in the Napoleonic period and I have numerous books on this subject. My prime area of interest are Napoleonic uniforms. However, Don Troiani is such a fine and skillful artist that I have bought his books soley because the fine work he does in portraying the soldiers of the Civil War era. Regiments and Uniforms of the Civil War is a supurb work showing the detail and grit of the average soldier in that horrific conflict. There are dozens of paintings or maybe better described as portraits of individual soldiers covering the numerous regiments that took part in the conflict including infantry, cavalry and artillery. Also included in this book are a number of reproductions of his battle paintings which are also the best military paintings I have ever seen. Over the past 20 years I have bought hundreds of history books but only 5 on the Civil War and four of them I bought were simply for the Don Troiani reproductions. He is in my opinion the greatest military artist. Seeing his work makes me jealous for Civil War buffs and I wish that Troiani would paint uniforms of the Napoleonic era. No Napoleonic artist comes close to the detail, accuracy and skill that Mr. Troiani displays in his work. If you are into uniforms or military art of any period then buy this book. You do not have to be a Civil War buff to enjoy the great artwok of Don Troiani.

If you enjoyed "Don Troiani's Civil War" and "Soldiers in America" you'll love the new "Regiments and Uniforms of the Civil War." What becomes more clear with each book is the incredible amount of research that goes into Mr. Troiani's work.
This latest book is a perfect combination of text, photography and art.
Noted Civil War authorities Earl Coates and Michael McAfee provide the in depth research text that reads like a novel. The photos of uniforms, headgear, buttons, et al show the extensiveness of resources (most from his personal collection) available to Troiani. Based on these two pillars of knowledge, Troiani creates art of Civil War soldiers in uniform that is unparallelled in accuracy as well as anatomy and action.

His stunning artwork has long been respected, but this work is an invaluable resource for reenactors and students of the period. Highly recommend!

Don Troiani has done it again. Fantastic book! Knowing the quality of Troiani's work, I'd had it pre-ordered for some time, and am thrilled to now have it in hand.

Many illustrations are of individual soldiers - allowing for a precise look at the uniform fit, colors and textures as well as how the accessories and accoutrements were worn. The book's illustrations are fantastic and it also has 250+ photographs of uniforms and equipment - many items are from the artist's personal, extensive collection. There is extensive coverage of Zouaves and Chasseurs.

If you've never seen a fully uniformed and armed soldier from the 3rd New Jersey Cavalry, 1st U.S. Hussars 1864-65, a quick purusal will explain why they were nicknamed The Butterflies.

After hearing Mr. Troiani speak in the summer of 2001 (and getting to briefly meet him), he has become my favorite Civil War artist by far. His soldiers are real - sometimes muddy, bloody and torn, and faces may have several days growth of beard, with their emotions and fatigue clearly visible. Hair and facial hair styles are accurate, as are body sizes and types, and all small details. Gaze deeply into one of his paintings, and soon you'll swear you can hear the noise of battle and feel the fear, confusion, determination and courage of the soldiers. Troiani takes you there.

The text, written by Earl Coates, Michael McAfee and Don Troiani, is accurate, concise and thoroughly expands one's understanding of the illustrations.

Extensive sources are given, as are recommendations for museums (and their websites) with extensive collections of Civil War uniforms. Don't let the price throw you, the book is well worth it.

How incredible to have an intellectual discussion of such a politically charged topic. This work skillfully dissects multiple viewpoints of the ongoing policy debate that have prevented gays from serving in the military. In contrast to the superficial discussion of this topic in the news media, Belkin and Bateman present a thoughtful and reflective commentary on all aspects of this complex debate. "Don't ask, Don't tell" is truly an impressive and stimulating book.

This collection offers an invaluable contribution to the debates about gays and lesbians serving in the military. For anyone interested in thinking through the issues rigorously, this book is a "must read."

A compelling reading of an important, and increasingly timely, topic -- impressively well-researched and clearly written.

This volume presents a number of compelling insights to the debate surrounding "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and gays and lesbians in the military. Perhaps most interesting is its treatment of the British armed forces's decision to lift its ban. A former opponent to gays in the British military--an important academic who has worked extensively with the British military--discusses openly his change of position and describes the process through which the British military began to allow gays and lesbians to serve. Considering how closely the U.S. has been working with the United Kingdom, it makes such dicussion even more relevant.
I was also struck by the excellent historical overview to the U.S. military's policies prior to "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," which shows the hypocrisy of the U.S. military and its ability--if it were to decide to do it--to lift the ban.
Overall, the volume balances compelling personnal narratives about the ban with an objective eye to the rich body of research that has been done on this issue.

"Don't Ask, Don't Tell: Debating the Gay Ban in the Military" is edited by Aaron Belkin and Geoffrey Bateman. The book collects the proceedings from a conference, held in December 2000, entitled "Don't Ask, Don't Tell: Is the Gay Ban Based on Military Necessity or Prejudice?" In the book's preface it is noted that views opposing the inclusion of gays in the military are underrepresented because some invitees declined to participate, and also because one invitee who supported the ban changed his position before the conference. The book focuses on the United States military.

The text is broken down into eight primary sections: (1) an introduction, (2) a historical overview, (3) an inquiry into whether or not the ban preserves soldiers' privacy, (4) an inquiry into whether or not the ban helps unit cohesion, (5) a discussion of the experience of foreign militaries, (6) a look at the cost, both financial and human, of the ban, (7) a pair of talks by two openly gay servicemen, and finally (8) an inquiry into the future of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.

I found the book to be interesting and often thought-provoking. The substantial historical overview (pp. 9-49) discusses important studies of this issue, as well as significant court cases (Matlovich, Berg, Ben-Shalom, Steffan, etc.) that have challenged the ban. The discussion on foreign militaries features perspectives from New Zealand, Australia, the UK, and Israel. At times the discussion is quite moving, such as when activist Dixon Osburn discusses the impact of the ban on gay military people. Particularly fascinating are the personal stories of the two openly gay servicemen, U.S. Army officer Steve May and Royal Navy sailor Rob Nunn; both men show a human side to this controversy.

Although this is a valuable text, I was struck by how dated it feels. Because the conference predates the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are not addressed; both of these military campaigns are, in my opinion, critically relevant to the book's topic on multiple levels. Also ironic is the fact that the British ban on gays serving openly had been lifted less than a year before this conference; as I write this review that policy change is now over five years old. Still, the discussion is intriguing, and at their best the participants challenge assumptions and encourage genuine critical thinking on this very controversial issue.

The book tells feminist fairy stories that are gentle with the guys too. Jack Zipes, the editor is, after all, a man. I've used the book with students, grandchildren, fellow feminists - all to a warm welcome. Highly recommended.

This is such an amazing book. It's part of what lead me into my research into looking at strong female characters in folk tales. This book is a must for people who don't want to read stories about wishy washy princesses waiting for the prince, and scholars alike. I reccomend this book highly.

This book is divided into three parts. The first, "Feminist Fairy Tales for Young (and Old) Readers," is the selection of stories you want to read aloud to your daughter or son. These stories have sophisticated subjects and good language, but no lengthy exposition of narrative that bogs down a reading out loud. Most set up admirable gender roles, but some, such as "Snow White," are explicitly political, and can help you raise good activists.

The second section, "Feminist Fairy Tales for Old (and Young) Readers," is comprised of more structurally complex stories that invite a silent reader to take time and try to swallow them. Though intended for adult readers, literate children can follow them, and for the most part should be encouraged to do so early and often. Sex roles and social station dominate these stories, but we get glimpses of how these issues are impacted by war, work, and more.

The third section, "Feminist Literary Criticism," is pretty slow-moving. Most of us are already familiar with the idea that fairy tales have detrimental effects on our children, especially our daughters, and while we may be briefly interested in a scholarly explanation of why this is so, the common reader won't get as much good out of this part as the previous two.

Educator, writer, and scholar Jack Zipes has compiled here an excellent antidote to the stultifying fairy tales that molded the minds of most of us when we were young. Zipes is the editor of several thematic books of fairy tales, and this is neither the least nor the last. Whether you approach this work as a parent, a reader, or a scholar, this book is highly rewarding.

I read this first as a little girl, before i knew how to spell feminism let alone define it. The stories captivated me then for their ability to lead my mind into another land more fantastical than my own. Later in life, re-reading this book i was compelled by the issues, thoughts and questions Zipes raised in my mind. It is not feminism that kills you with its anger, it is feminism that makes you think. Sometimes whimsical, sometimes daring, and sometimes blatant, it always stands there to be read and re-read. A constant delight.

this is an excellent book. The stories are well written and varied in theme. I was captivated by the stories for young readers as well as the stories for old readers. buy this book for your children!

for making this book so hard to find. It was a great read, funny, thoughtful, and unique, and yet, it has disappeared from my library and is unavailable in my local bookstore. All I want is to re-read the story, and can I do this? Can I re-read Susan's realistic dealings with snobs and A-boys and losers (who just might not be)? Can I once again feel the pain and terror and sadness involved with having a sister like Ashley, burned out and destructive and volatile? Can I indulge again in the great romantic scene between Susan and *cough* the guy who she has a romance with? NO, I can't, because some stupid publisher decided to stop printing this excellent book and now it is impossible to get ahold of. As sad as this may be for me, however, it is sadder for those who have never had the chance to read the book at all. Make More Copies!!!!

I read this book years ago when I was 14 years old and wish it were still in print! The characters are believable and the plot draws the reader into the story. A must read for any teenager!

A Review by Carrie

Seventeen year-old Susan Hall is excited about her senior year in high school. She is the music editor for the schools yearbook. Susan has the biggest crush on a boy names Anthony, but she has some competition with the chief editor of the yearbook, Shepherd. When everything is going fine for Susan an unsuspected visit from her twenty-five year-old sister, Ashley, turns everything upside-down. Ashley holds a grudge against the family because she was going to be a famous rock star, but everything went wrong and she failed at success. Susan came up with a great idea for the yearbook so she has to ask her scary classmate Whit for help. When Susan starts to talk to Whit she realizes he is not a bad guy at all, and she develops a crush on him. Things at home are not going good for Susan though, Ashley keeps ruining things, and she even tries to kill Susan.

I like how the story has a twist at the end. It is a very happy ending too. Everything leads up to the climax perfectly. It is a very fast read. Even if you don't have a psychotic sister you can find something to relate to in the story. Like trying to make things better in your family or trying to impress a guy at school, you can somehow relate.

I recommend this book to mostly girl teenagers that like to read about the everyday feelings that we encounter. Also I recommend this book to people that like to read about family issues and people that like happy endings.

This is one of the best "social commentary" books I have ever read. I have wanted to use it with my 8th graders for several years, but it has never been available at an affordable price. The book deals with coming of age, consequences of decisions, family dysfunction, and family loyalty. Readers will sympathize with the protagonist who must deal with her rebellious older sibling coming home and stealing the family attention, albeit in a negative way. This book will also connect with any young adult who has tried to be the "family hero," but resents the attention that more "flambuoyant" family members receive. This is an example of Carolyn Cooney's early quality writing before she became caught up in the "R.L. Stine syndrome."

I enjoy almost all of Caroline B. Conney's work, and I must say, this book was one of her best. It is written in the first person by a girl who's older sister returns home on her 25th birthday. Her sister creates a crisis in the family by controling her parent with crazy antics. While the narrorator is having a great emotional struggle at home, she is trying to sort out feelings for two different guys at school. This story has a great ending. I definately recommend this book as well as the rest of Conney's work. Although this book is out of print now, it is probably available at your local library.