Publications Books

Most books that claim to be "easy readers" require a first-second grade reading level. Bob Books start out at a much lower level. To read book 1 the child must know only "m" "a" "t" and "s." I have seen no other readers that start at such a basic level.

My children love the characters and feel so good about their reading ability. Only Bob Books afford them the feeling of accomplishment that comes from finishing a whole book. When I first purchased them I was a bit surprised at how "homemade" they seemed, but now I see how perfect they really are for new readers.

I bought lots of phonics books for my pre-schooler, and these were the WINNERS! I recommend them to all my friends with young children and agree with the other reviewers who say these books are "IT!" You will be glad you bought them!

The Bob books should be available to all young children. They are age appropriate through about age 7. Children love their size, charming line drawings, and simple stories. I teach first grade in a public school and feel that this type of book is invaluable for beginning readers. All the children I have ever taught have gravitated to the Bob books. They will literally "toss" aside the high quality literature books that are deemed most appropriate for children by leading educators today. The reason is because the Bob books are truly appropriate for young children. Get Bob! Get Reading! Get Success!

I LOVE these books. I looked everywhere for books to jump start my 5 year old into reading. These are perfect. Almost all the words can be sounded out using the "short" vowel sounds. Untill now every book I found was either too long, or too dificult, or epxected the child to know too many "sight" words and my daughter didn't even want to start. But with the BOB books, she can read a whole book by herself. After working with two of these sets I can truly say she is reading! No need to memorize dozens of sight words before getting started. No understanding complicated "rules". I would recommend these books to all begining readers. They are well worth the money, I wish I found them earlier!

My daughters used Bob Books in 1980 to learn to read. They loved the stories and took great pride in reading to their pre-school class. It is no wonder that I return to buy a set for my Granddaughter . . . I know she will love Sam, Max and all the others as much as her mom and aunties did! Your child's esteem will soar as they progress through the books. This is a 5 star buy for your child.

#2 in the Bodyguard series is even funnier than the first. Natasha is on her own this time, hired to guard a show dog named Chumley, who is so obnoxious he's cute, while trying to figure out who is threatening the dog's life. In her usual overzealous way, Natasha manages to get herself into some wacky situations. The chapter with the massage parlor involving Natasha, Pit and Bigun was so funny, I had to put the book down I was laughing so hard.

There's plenty of romance between Natasha and Striker, with the usual cast of quirky characters surrounding Natasha. Roger and Stevie aren't given much space in this book, and I hope to see more of them in future books.

A really fun, well-written series. I look forward to the next one.

I READ ALOT MORE OF THIS BOOK THAN I WANTED TO, DUE TO THE GLOWING REVIEWS...BUT IT NEVER GOT ANY BETTER. THERE'S NO DEPTH TO THE CHARACTERS AND A WASTE OF 3+ HOURS SPENT READING.

[...]

The Bodyguard and the Show Dog is Christy Tillery French's second installment in her Bodyguard series. By some bizarre cosmic twist, I am reading this series in reverse order. Fortunately, Ms. French's stories each stand on their own, and I am able to thoroughly enjoy this book on its own merits. Hang on for a wild ride!

This book is a fast and fun continuation (in either direction!) of the zany, madcap, e-ticket adventures of protection specialist Natasha Chamberlain, a diminutive, clumsy, danger-prone, feisty, gun-toting, southern girl from Tennessee. This time, Natasha has been hired to protect Chumley, a spoiled, stinky, sex-crazed champion show dog. The scene is impeccably set for the wacky situations that Natasha is (in)famous for, and Ms. French delivers on every page.

Although The Bodyguard and the Show Dog is humorous, breezy, summer fun, Ms. French's characters also deal some difficult topics, including animal abuse, with fitting vigilantly justice satisfyingly meted out in true Natasha fashion. Natasha has a strong, well defined moral character, and she always stands up for anyone who cannot stand up for themselves. She delivers apt punishments and has her own special way of dealing with the worst offenders.

This book is truly a wild ride, well written, fasted paced, and very, very funny. The characters are endearing, the situations are hilarious, and the love making is hot. What more could you want? I can't think of a thing.

Hands up everyone who ever fell for a smelly little dog ... or for a hectic, independent heroine with poor impulse control ... or for a handsome hunk of a man not afraid of anything but being too much in love. Anyone left out there? How about a bunch of crazy friends and relatives and an adventure with the energy of a skyrocket?

Oh yes, there's something for everyone in The Bodyguard and the Show Dog (Bodyguard). This is the second book in author Christy Tillery French's BODYGUARD series and it's a wonderful rollicking ride. Natasha Chamberlain is determined to pursue her chosen career -- protection specialist -- in spite of her boyfriend Jonce's objections. When Myrtle Galbreath hires Nattie to protect her prize pug, Chumley, it ought to be simple, right? Then why does Nattie wind up in the Emergency Department so often? Why are people shooting at her? What, for that matter, is Nattie doing hanging around biker bars and massage parlors, and driving around with bags of horse manure? And the big question: how does she get anything done at all with her interfering mother and grandmother on her heels and Jonce's heavyweight employees trying to protect her?

For all the laugh-out-loud action and dialogue, there are some serious elements to the story. Nattie's a thoroughly modern young woman and she wrestles with her need for independence. When Nattie and Jonce are together the sparks fly, and she worries about being drawn into his orbit and losing herself. Jonce, on the other hand, struggles with his urge to protect her from her own decisions. These problems play out in an entertaining "show, don't tell" fashion thanks to the effective character portrayal.

Christy Tillery French is strongly committed to the humane treatment of animals, and this theme is also played out poignantly in Show Dog. Don't be fooled by the fact that Chumley's got his papers -- there are plenty of animals that need rescuing and Nattie does her best for them all.

Just by chance I'm working my way backward through this series of three BODYGUARD books. I just hope that by the time I finish the first installment, there will be a new set of Nattie's adventures for my enjoyment. Don't miss out! Get your hands on these books and enjoy the fun.

Linda Bulger, 2008

"The Bodyguard and the Show Dog" by Christy French is a book that will entertain the reader for hours on end. The characters are easy to relate to and the plot (like most of Ms. French's stories) will leave the reader eager to read the next book in the series.

I am a huge fan and truly enjoy all of Ms. French's books. If you have not had a chance to sample any of her stories then this is the perfect book to begin with. You will quickly become a fan too!

I meant to post a review of this book when it first came out but I have been on location in France and haven't had the chance to get it done until now. For this Ms. French, I'm sorry. Better late than never, I suppose.

I enjoyed your new book very much! Keep them coming.

John Savoy
International Film Maker
California

Constellations covered in volume 1:
Andromeda
Antlia
Apus
Aquarius
Aquila
Ara
Aries
Auriga
Bootes
Caelum
Camelopardalis
Cancer
Canes Venatici
Canis Major
Canis Minor
Capricornus
Carina
Cassiopeia
Centaurus
Cepheus
Cetus

... AND probably one of the best intros to astronomy in any book I've seen. The other two volumes are also organized alphabetically.

Yes, the coordinates are badly outdated. But anybody can get updated coordinates for any of the many thousands of astronomical objects described in this encyclopedia of observing. What's totally irreplaceable are the descriptions and star lore associated with all the objects.

What Burnham has compiled here is nothing short of miraculous. I know of no serious amateur astronomers who doesn't hold these three volumes dear to their heart. If you are a serious amateur and you don't own them, you are missing out. If you are a beginner, the introduction to Volume 1 is alone worth the purchase.

No, they are not pretty, and the typesetting is straight out of the Jurassic, but once one realizes just how much information is here, one realizes that there are no substitutes.

One word review: "Essential"

Robert Burnham, Jr., spent twenty years at Lowell Observatory participating in a proper motion survey. During his tenure, he wrote this mammoth 3-volume work covering nearly every object visible in 2- to 12-inch telescopes. Each chapter, covering one constellation (both northern and southern hemispheres), begins with a detailed list of all stellar objects (double stars, variable stars, and deep sky objects). Then, he delves, sometimes rather deeply, into the more significant objects of that constellation, bringing together history, philosophy, and science to describe each one. His chapter on Sagittarius, for example, includes a 25-page section on the dense portion of the Milky Way blending current 1970s science with wonderful passages from Greek and Eastern philosophies, Native American legends, and the history of science. His prose for each chapter reflects the content he covers: lyrical prose when describing the "personal" aspects of observing objects, and readable, accessible language to delineate the science behind what we know about objects in the heavens. Moreover, each chapter has photographs of many of the stars and nebulae with telescopes and cameras ranging from a 5-inch astrograph to the 200-inch Hale telescope of Palomar Observatory.

Yes, the book is thirty years old and a little out-of-date. And, the typewritten font looks homely. But that's part of its charm. Burnham initially self-published this very personal book from his kitchen table. Literally. (Astronomy magazine published a very interesting "self-interview" by Burnham in March, 1982 which provides some background on his struggles to get it published.) From a small-press run of looseleaf copies in binders, it became somewhat of a cult classic among amateurs because nothing as detailed like this had been published before. (True, T.W. Webb's "Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes" was available, but it was last published in 1917.)

I know of no other book that combines personal, reflective commentary on "mundane" objects like the Big Dipper (officially, the Ursa Major Moving Cluster), and clear, concise descriptions of variable stars, Hertzsprung-Russell diagrams, and finder charts for objects like 3C273, the brightest quasar visible to amateur-sized scopes. (Trust me: spend the 30-minutes or so tracking this last one down at a star party and you'll have a line of folks waiting to look at a faint star-like object, the light of which left 3C273 long before the earth was even formed.)

One side note: if you're interested in the rather tragic life of Burnham, search for "Sky Writer", an article by Tony Ortega, published in the Phoenix, AZ "New Times" newspaper for September 25-October 1, 1997. All readers of Celestial Handbook owe Ortega a nod for the herculean task of piecing together Burnham's life.

There isn't too much this book has left out when it comes to information about stars, galaxies, clusters, nebula etc... These 3 volumes are more like an enclyclopedia set. Any star or other celestial object you want to know more about will probably be here. In fact it would take you more than a lifetime to study and find all of the different wonders of the galaxy and universe that are listed in these volumes. I never realized just how many galaxies had been documented along with variables, eclipsing binaries, star clusters, double stars etc... If you see a star in the heavens that has a certain luster or location or interests you in some way just look it up in this guide and you will find out all kinds of things about it that other books don't delve into.

Robert Burnham (NOT the former Editor of Sky and Telescope, BTW) from the 50's to the late 60's spent many years working for an observatory on the tedious project of "blink comparing" countless photographic plates. In his spare time, he made and recorded observations of thousands of the most interesting objects in the deep sky. In addition he compiled a library of observations from other great observers, as well as star lore, scientific data, and personal refleciton. The result is a hodge-podge, somewhat out of date, collection that nonethless facinates.

Thousands of objects are cataloged by constellation, and hundreds are described in detail. When arriving at an object that seems to be the most familliar of its class (M13 for globular clusters, Sirius B for white dwarfs etc,.) Burham provides an essay on that class of objects (state of the art for its time, usually the 1970s)- often including very useful cross-references to other objects in that class.

Most useful to the observer are the countless orbital charts of double stars.

These books are an addictive way to pass the time. Most of the essays on featured objects are a few pages long, and can be read in the short "in between" moments that life is filled with. For two years I had one or more volumes of this series of three books in my bathroom, so as to pass the time a bit more productively learning about the sky. Needless to say, some of my bathroom trips grew a bit lengthy as I found myself plowing through Burnham's collection of personal observations, scientific data, and historical tales.

I purchase this book as a present to those I know are about to have a baby boy.
Six years ago I presented this to my son and his wife. They were being badgered into circumcising by the doctors and hosptal. I credit this information for savng my grandson from being damaged for life.

I applaud this book for bringing attention to this topic. The American way is to create problems, then sell you something to solve your problems. Like routine circumcisions, then later in life taking Viagra and other various sexual enhancers. Kudos to Ronald Goldman. It's good to see him pick up the pieces after his daughter's murder.

"Just as expected, seventy-two percent of the male students are circumcised. At Clem's party I had been reminded of the promiscuous way in which American doctors circumcise males in childhood, a practice I highly disapprove of...it constitutes, in [an] advertiser's phrase, 'a rape of the penis'. Until the forties, only the upper or educated classes were circumcised in America. The REAL people were spared this humiliation. But during the affluent postwar years the operation became standard procedure, making money for doctors as well as allowing the American mother to mutilate her son in order that he might never forget her early power over him..."

Gore Vidal
MYRA BRECKINRIDGE

If there was ever an issue that metaphorically encapsulates the Achilles heel of Western society, it turns out that this may be it, above all others. The title of this incredible, clearly thought out, brilliantly edited and masterfully written book may lead you to believe that it is all about a seemingly benign issue. Make no mistake: what this book is actually about are

1) the actual definition of the surgical practice and

2) the social, economic, sociological, psychological and anthropological forces that go into us seeing it as other than what it is.

Dr. Goldman effectively teaches in this book, from the anthropological perspectives of such luminaries as Ashley Montagu and Margaret Mead, that circumcision is a practice that is older than all recorded history and religions. (The practice was actually regimented and ritualized by the Egyptian priests and pharohs, millenia before the advent of Judaism.) Yet the practice, in and out of a religious context, continues. Dr. Goldman shows us from the purely medical/health/surgical perspective (with an avalanche of evidence and corroborative opinions in the medical profession) that circumcision is a practice that has little to no medical health value, and was once actually called a cure for masturbation and cancer by last century's medical community. Yet the implausible and unscientific theories justifying its existence keep coming up, and the practice continues. Dr. Goldman shows us, amazingly, from an internationally sociological and cultural perspective, that the United States is the only industrialized nation in the modern world that has the overwhelming majority of its infant boys be subjected to the practice. Yet the practice continues. Dr. Goldman shows us, from an ethics in medicine perspective, that circumcision is a practice that, by virtue of the harm done to infant children physically and psychologically--with little to no up side beyond the money going to obstetricians and pediatricians for the procedure--completely rips to shreds any conception of the Hippocratic oath and turns the entire life of any doctor who performs them routinely into a profoundly dangerous lie.

Yet, the practice continues.

It is an old anthropologist's dictum that the most important thing to know about a culture is what it takes for granted. Dr. Ronald Goldman, with CIRCUMCISION, THE HIDDEN TRAUMA gives us not only the hidden, true anatomy of the surgical process, along with the actual complete and (heretofore to my knowledge in everyday America) unknown anatomy of the human male, but also the secret architecture of the social forces and weaknesses that make up the ritualised American denial of the inherently violent nature of its existence. Dr. Goldman shows in this both innovatively and exhaustively researched book that the entire surgical procedure of circumcision depends on the total invalidation of the soul of the infant male child and their personhood for its existence in medicine. Only paleolithic theories of the child feeling no pain and suffering no lasting or remembered traumatic side effects from the procedure--WHICH ROUTINELY INVOLVES THE USE OF NO ANESTHESIA--justify its medical practice; and fly in the face of all kinds of logic while doing so.

I along with most of the country have never seen actual pictures of or witnessed a circumcision; part of the reason I saw no problem with it when I picked this book up. The *pictures* in this book alone of children in the process of being circumcised, however, will change your way of looking at the practice forever--as it has changed me and mine forever. Picture an adult male going through the process of circumcision, complete with his hands, arms and legs forceably bound in industrial strength velcro to keep him from being able to interrupt a surgical process performed on his perfectly healthy sex organ against his will--again, *without anesthesia*--and the first thought that will probably come to your mind is one of two things: the electric chair, or Nazi Germany.

Which by definition takes away the mystery of how BOTH in the 20th century could have come into existence.

I discovered Dr. Goldman's work in the bibliography of one of the seminal books by the psychologist champion of the human child Alice Miller (author of, among other classics in the field, FOR YOUR OWN GOOD, BANISHED KNOWLEDGE and PRISONERS OF CHILDHOOD--THE DRAMA OF THE GIFTED CHILD). Between this, Alice Miller's work, and William Dufty's SUGAR BLUES, I feel as if I have the answer to why our culture can move so far forward and fall so far backward on the evolutionary ladder at the same time. The door separating Western culture from the embrace of higher consciousness, as told to us by poets, mystics,yogis, leaders of ancient religions, transpersonal psychologists and theoretical physicist/philosophers, is our view of the spiritual and physical completeness of the human child--and the actions we take upholding that view.

That door is locked with a dead bolt called CIRCUMCISION. And even unlocking the door, as Europe has already shown us, does not by definition mean opening it. But without unlocking it opening it isn't posible.

Read this if you have to in small doses, but read it; it will change the way you view our world.

Because this unique book exposes significant issues about male circumcision that medical professionals and religious practitioners have long tried to ignore, I cannot recommend it highly enough, not only for the victims of this questionable medical procedure and religious rite, but also for the perpetrators and potential perpetrators of a primitive cultural tradition that causes great harm in our society. As a victim of neonatal genital mutilation myself, I have spent much of my life trying to come to terms with both the physical and psychological trauma involved, in part, by surveying the relevant literature on the topic. However, while I have found many books and articles that deal unapologetically with the physical trauma involved in both male and female genital cutting, as well as the psychological trauma that accompanies female circumcision, this book is, to my knowledge, the first and only published resource that delves into the psychological trauma to which males are subjected through this bizarre procedure. In his well-written study and analysis of the psychological aspects of male circumcision, Dr. Goldman, who is himself Jewish, indeed uncovers the hidden trauma that medical professionals and religious practitioners have so long denied, and he gives voice to those many victims of male circumcision whose post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms have been dismissed by those same professionals and practitioners for whom questioning the wisdom and safety of an age-old ritual would be self-indicting. In this country, the practice of female circumcision has been outlawed because, as a tradition foreign to our Judeo-Christian heritage, its harmful results are deemed self-evident. Unfortunately, many more psychological studies and academic publications confirming Dr. Goldman's findings will probably be necessary before the harmful results of male circumcision are finally accepted similarly as self-evident, and American males are given the same legal rights to genital integrity now granted to females through the U.S. legal system. Nonetheless, Dr. Goldman's book is a significant first step in providing a clear rationale for granting men equal protection under the law.

I just want to read a book that is fair about circumcision. Unfortunately, they don't exist. All books are either extremely for or against. This one is no different.

I have owned or used the various editions of Habif's Clinical Dermatology for over ten years in our general internal medicine practice and return to it again and again. I have also used a variety of other Dermatology books brought in by staff - typically the $60 - $80 range books. They are typically o.k. but nothing stands up to Habif and I recommending spending the extra $ for it (in the $125 range). The pictures are big, clear and of typical presentations, the layout logical, the review of basics up front helpful and thoughtfully presented. You will find that this is the one you reach for when you need help.

The text is a wonderful reference for pictures of covered conditions, the only side note being a lack of good coverage for ethnic skin (there is a another book covering just that) and the photographs are in most cases showing advanced or extreme examples. Overall, a great book to have on hand in primary care.

If you are a medical student doing a derm rotation or plan on entering a primary care residency, this book is THE book to own. I wouldn't have minded having the online edition, but with not knowing when the new edition would come out (and subsequently when the online subscription would run out), it didn't seem to be worth the money.

This text is very comprehensive, and provides in-depth descriptions of skin problems, plus superb photos. Thorough discussions of treatments is included. An excellent text for reference.

We covered this book during our first six weeks in derm residency, and this was an excellent way to start. Just enough info with good pics and tx options. Good for both derm and primary care alike.

Great book describes the origin of the breed into the United States and how they came to be the way they are today.

If you are looking to see how the pit bulls used to be then look no further. This book includes pedigrees from some of Colby's greatest dogs like Colby's Pincher. Definately a must have. Lots of pictures.

This is the best book I have read on APBT in a long time.
My earliest memory of reading about pitbulls was in a elementary school library and I was reading a book of dog breeds. As I was flipping through the pages of different breeds I came across a picture of a white pitbull tied the front of a car, the picture if I remember correectly was dated in the 1920's. Under the picture was a caption that read "An old time colby dog before a match". I was hooked as I read the history of the American Pitbull Terrier and the man named J.P. Colby that imported these great animals into the states.
The ONLY thing missing from this book is that picture that I remember so well.
Whether you are for or against the breed and it's rich history this book is still a great read.

This book has many great pictures of famous pit bulls from the early part of the last century. I enjoyed reading this book for some of the historical aspects of the breed, but felt that the focus on the breed was too narrow. I know that the book is about J.P. Colby and the dogs that he produced. But I would have liked the book to have had some more input about other bloodlines and how the Colby dogs compared to some of the other famous dogs from the other great breeders of that period and the present. A decent read for the pit bull enthusiast, but the book is more factual than enjoyable in the literal sense.

This is a fascinating book, although I would prefer if dog fighting had never happened at all. But for someone who is interested in Pit Bulls, they definately ought to read this book (but first read Diane Jessup's The Working Pit Bull!). It will give them insight on why the Pit Bull acts the way he does, and for the most part well-bred Pit Bulls of today haven't changed much from the dogs in the oldest photos! Pit Bulls are truly the greatest dog ever, but they do take a higher degree of responsibility. If you are considering a Pit Bull, go to PBRC.com (Pit Bull Rescue Central) and adopt!! I urge you not to buy from a breeder, a rescued is always the best (my three Pit Bulls are all rescues, one from PBRC)! I DO NOT SUPPORT FIGHTING IN ANY WAY!!

This book has been indispensible for my husband and I. We used it to find and decorate our house. I recommend it to all of my friends and relatives. When's the next book coming?

Great book. Well worth the money. Has saved me from buying new decor and furniture and storage without thinking through what I really need. Gets to the heart, your heart, of what you need out of your house and guides you there. I am half way through the book and already am more comfortable in my house with the changes I have made. I have plans for the house and am looking forward to them. Don't hesitate ordering this. This is not a 'decorate your house' book, but is so... much more. Very well written and hands-on. Loving it!

This is the book I have been looking for. I have been trying to make my house work better for my family and me for years and it was almost there, but something was missing. The exercises and suggestions in this book were exactly what was needed to transform my house into my emotional home.

This book is not about "decorating". It's about reassessing your needs and making your house work better to fulfill them. In the process you certainly end up with a more beautiful, nurturing environment, but you also end up with much more.

I can't recommend it highly enough.

I am a designer, and I loved this book. It gets to the heart of what a home should be- even for pets and children. No nonsense writing, straight to the point, sage and timeless advise for making your home or apartment into your own castle without major renovations. I would change the title, though-since the word "emotional" can have negative connotations for this most positive book.

A reviewer expressed disappointment in this book's lack of new content, and commented that the author had discussed something about creating an "altar." The altar reference did actually belong to another book (see page 79) called Creating a Charmed Life by Victoria Moran. The Emotional House is a very different book in idea and style. Hope this helped clarify.

This book has a few good ideas but it is very biased towards water colours.

Nita Leland has a wonderful way of inspiring her readers and making them feel more comfortable with color and paint. Doing the exercises in the book are an essential part of the experience and should not be skipped.

This book is everything I hoped it would be. I am a novice painter, working in acrylics, and wanted some basic info on color theory. This is it. The information is comprehensive yet easy to understand with exercises for the reader to do in any medium. I was so impressed that I bought her Exploring Color Workbook to go with it. This is highly recommended for the artist wanting to expand her color theory expertise.

One of the first books I've looked at that explains color in non technical terms. It has examples of how to use these colors in your paintings. There are several step by step instructions on using different color combinations as well as many exercises for you to do on your own. There's a companion coloring book which is helpful but not necessary. An outstanding book for beginners wanting to know more about color theory. The author has a web site and is very helpful in answering any questions.

Before reading this book I'd had an attitude about 'color theory' and such - or at least the teaching of it. Anything I read was either imperious and demanding or so complicated that I'd be lost in the first chapter.

But this book doesn't order you to do things a certain way. It explains what results you will get doing this and what results you'll get doing that. There is no highbrow judgment here about the only "correct" way to do anything. It is clearly written, with lots of pics and examples, and is completely accessible. What a breath of fresh air!

The book begins with a little bit of the history of color in paintings and the physics of color mixing. She doesn't bog down the book with it though. She gives just enough information to put the use of color in painting into context and as a starting point if one wants to do further research.

Then comes the more detailed information. This starts out simply and builds with each chapter. She explains why things happen in color combining and mixing and how to get the desired results. Color in painting is a detailed and complex subject, but, while she encourages you to learn it all, she is never demeaning or rigid that one has to know all this front and back before painting. She explains why knowing all this will help and improve your painting.

In other words she makes me *want* to learn all this rather than making me feel like I *have* to learn it.

One thing to note is the she uses watercolor in her examples and exercises so some adjustment may be necessary for oils.

There are also lots of things to practice in the book. She has exercises for everything she teaches. So when you're done you will have a tremendous visual reference library. I have lots of art books but this one will stay OFF the shelf and easily accessible. The use of color isn't something that can be learned overnight, so do yourself a favor: get this book.

A General History of the Pyrates is good reading! Great history on famous pirates!

I compared this book with the pirate history published by Captain Charles Johnson. Daniel Defoe is definitely Captain Johnson. The one dissimilarity in the History of the pirate Gow is Johnson says he is John Smith alias Gow, while Daniel Defoe calls him the pirate Gow aka Smith. Gow is derived from the Erse name Gobha which translates to Blacksmith or Smith. So both version are in fact correct. But why the difference? Maybe editorial?

"Under the Black Flag", and all the rest of the pirate history books used this one as their basic reference. It's a lot of material, and took me several months to read as I'd read single captain's history before turning the lights out for the night. The stories are not watered down, there is enough murder, mayhem, robbery, thuggery, and general bad treatment of one person against another to fill years of "Pirates of the XXXX" movies with Johnny Depp scripts.

I did like this book, even though after about the 200th captain's adventure its sort of repetitive narrative. The other interesting thing was that amid this culture of mayhem there was a strong democratic theme. Captains and bosun's are elected positions on most of the boats! Colonies elect a "governor", they have jury trials to settle disputes and yet the economy revolves around ripping off passing merchant boats.

As for whether "Captain Johnson" or "Daniel Defoe" wrote the text, I can't tell. But it doesn't matter, there are no copyright royalties to be paid to the author at this point. The stories are just as good. Anyone who is really interested in Pirates would enjoy this book. (Although I got my copy from the public library.) I especially found the history of Annie Bonny and Mary Reed to be absolute soap opera story. History is stranger than fiction.

(Oh and read Richard Zack's book on Captain Kidd, Defoe got it wrong, and Zack's found the original documents to explain what really happened.) Zack's book is easier to read too.

This book is written in a different kind of English than we what are used to. As such, this book is amazing. Filled to the brim with pirate information, boat information, etc, this is a good book for anyone who really is interested in pirates.
For those who are interested in pirates purely at a humorous level, this isn't the book you should go with. This is packed with real information in older English, and is really intended for those who wish to know more about pirates and how they lived.

This book helped my understanding of pirates greatly! I recommend to anyone who is interested in trying to know more about those scalawags of the sea.

The dearth of primary sources have encouraged "scholars" to grasp onto the Furbanks / Owens short de-atrribution, which is basically an ad hominem attack against the preeminent 20th century Defoe scholar Moore. The tales in this book are wild and outlandish, much like Defoe's life. Full of get-rich quick schemes, bankruptcy, and being pilloried, he did not lack for his own source material. So enjoy the tales, picture a proto-democracy where illiterate desperate men create "articles" of piracy that would make a modern day attorney proud, read some more Defoe and make up your own mind. Clear sailing!

THE GOLDEN KEY by George MacDonald is nothing short of fascinating. It is all at the same time a fairy tale and a unique mystery. The first time I read it, (and now I honestly cannot figure out why) I didn't care for it. But I kept hearing more and more wonderful things about it. So, I read it again, and it enveloped me. Recently, I read it for a third time. And loved it still more.

To describe the plot of this story would do it no justice. Reading this little story is much more like wrapping up in a warm, thick blanket on a cold and rainy night. It is filled with wonder, suspense, beauty, and innocence.

I can't wait to read it again.

I love fairy tales, and this story is a most excellent example of the genre. It follows two children on their journeys through Fairyland and their interactions with various fantastic people and creatures. I loved the pure innocence of the story and found it very captivating. The narration was also very excellent and energetic, making this story a very good listen.

While The Golden Key may not be my all-time favorite book, it certainly has a strong connection to the book that I treasure most of all (well, second to the Bible). You see, George MacDonald, author of The Golden Key, was in fact the mentor of Lewis Carroll, who wrote my favorite non-Biblical book, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. That's a very powerful and indeed shocking connection if you ask me. But you can kind of see it if you look closely. I mean, the kids in the Golden Key grow both old and young. Alice in Wonderland grows big and small. Kinda similar there.

Yet, I did not know about the relationship between the two books until AFTER I had finished The Golden Key and decided to do some research on its origin. I simply read The Golden Key like I would any other book, and developed some commentary on the work as a whole that I would now like to communicate:

First, the book is very short. I finished it in two days. And because its so short, events move incredibly fast to make room for heavy amounts of whimsical feeling and fantastical description.

But again I have to go back to the Alice thing. I noticed how SO many sentences in the story turned the reader upside down and made him say, "huh?" It was as if the Fairy World did everything it could to stay all out of whack. Whether it was to make speech that could be heard without ears, or to make the oldest people in the world look like little kids, the topsy-turvy nature of everything couldn't help but instill an amazing sense of awe. Truly, The Golden Key opens eyes to such incredible abstract possibilities of the imagination, and perhaps even life itself.

The out of whack sense of awe, while wonderful in this book, developed into full maturity in the Alice books. While The Golden Key merely mentions things that make no sense, the Alice books actually attempt to explain the senselessness of senseless things.

I hope I will always have a special place in my heart for MacDonald's prototype of Alice in Wonderland. Oh, if we only knew how much the imagination behind The Golden Key has really changed the world. I think we would all be very surprised.

I purchased this book as a Christmas gift for my 20-year-old daughter. It was one of her favorite books as a child and she frequently checked it out of our local library until it disappeared from the shelf there, never to be seen again. She was very excited when she saw that she had her own copy and she took the book back to college with her after Christmas break. Although I haven't actually read the book myself, I can tell you that my daughter thinks it is great!

This book is like a drink of the freshest, clearest water on the brightest, bluest spring day you can imagine. It was lovely every step of the way, somehow beautifully sad and wonderful at the same time. With the aid of the creatures of fairyland, mistreated Tangle and adventuresome Mossy go on an enchanting journey which takes them straight through to a wisdom and sense of wonderment that is somehow greater than that found in adulthood (or childhood). George MacDonald truly had an eye for the worlds of fairy, and an unsurpassed talent for expressing beauty in all things. The stories are not always meant to be understood, but deep in that inner place in one's heart, they make sense.