United States Books

It could be science fiction
myths...
unrealistic scenario,
but certainly it is amazing.
So much work went in the
preparation of this book.
So much details.
My God!
It is really amazing....


S. Mahdi, Cairo, Egypt.

The artwork in this book is fabulous. It's a neat little companion book for sci-fi fans; it has wonderful illustrations of all the various organisms that have been portrayed in some of sci-fi's classic and canonical works. And along with those illustrations? Little one-page write ups on their biology, social structure, etc.

Once I saw that there was a Velantian in this, from E. E. Doc Smith's Lensman series, I was sold, and had to get it. Done as a page by page look at each species the artwork is excellent, and these are the sort of funny looking monster types that kids like too, so it can work on more than one level, most definitely.

Good book. I have owned this since I was a child. It was a great portal into many of these classic Sci Fi books as I would have never heard about them otherwise. Barlowe has a fantastic nack for bringing life to these aliens. Highly recommended.

I enjoy art books, mainly books of fantasy art. But this book is more a sci-fi art book, and a very good one at that. Mr. Barlowe did a excellent job with the illustrations in this book. I read H.P. Lovecraft's "At the Mountains of Madness." I had a hard time visualizing the Old ones described in that novelette. But Mr. Barlowe helped me greatly by including them in this volume and even summarizing their history. I would love to see how Mr. Barlowe would visualize all the creatures in my book, Tales of Ancient Xenar. I know he has a fantasy art book and I hope to see that one very soon. And to be honest, the only thing I am disappointed about is the fact Amazon.com ony allows a max of 5 stars. This book deserve well more than that.

There was not one moment during this book that I wasn't totally captivated. The author puts a human face on the struggle of those in Iraq who lived under Saddam Hussein. And throughout, you are constantly reminded that she was among the "fortunate" by comparison. I found it to be an excellent education in the history of the country and the evolution of it in recent decades as well. I read this book on a recent camping trip in New England when I should have been mesmerized by my surroundings. Instead, I found I could not put this book down.

Short and sweet.. This is an awesome book. You see so many sides of Suddam. His dark side certainly made him a candidate for his execution!

it took a while to get here, but it was in good condition when it did.

Zainab Salbi's life seems idyllic, but even as a child she senses the tension felt by her wealthy parents as they entertain and are entertained by Saddam. Salbi's story shows two sides of Saddam: the cruel and abusive despot and the genial manipulator. In spite of the web Saddam spins around her family, Salbi experiences adolescent rebellion, ignorant of the danger her parents see threatening her, just as it threatened her mother and eventually ruins her parents' marriage. Salbi's story is a fascinating portrayal of a family living in luxury under tyranny and the dangers faced whether the choice is to endure or to escape.

Wow! This book knocked me out. I could NOT put it down. It really helped me understand some of the conflict within Iraq, but more importantly, the author and tone of this book is just very human, real, and accessible. As a youngster, and for all of her formative years, Saddam Hussein is in the background as a family "friend". Though her parents resisted his friendship, they found it more and more dangerous not to be his friend. It's like living with the devil! However, the author eventually gets out of Iraq and away from Saddam Hussien, due to an arranged marriage. I won't say how that goes as I don't want to ruin the ending.

I do feel that this is one of the absolute BEST memoires I ever read and it was written with a lof of grace and humility. For me, it was an important book, and I highly recommend you read it. I think it will become a classic memoire.

Blue Monday is an interesting but not a compelling read. We never get inside Fat's head to understand the man, so we get an expanded discography. The dates, times and places seem to be well researched which begins to wear after a while. The matter of fact style just does not bring Fat's personal life into focus, although there are many descriptions of incedents about him. He remains a mystery in reference to his personal motivation, dual life style, and reclusive habits.
Russ H.

I guess if Antoine "Fats" Domino could keep the President and First Lady waiting, then he could keep us waiting for his first biography - this is a Natural Born book about a musical genius, intriquing personality, and unassuming cultural revolutionary.
The author tells his story and includes many entertaining anecdotes about life at home and on the road with several sets of support players - the greatest names of course being Dave Bartholomew, Herb Hardesty, and Lee Allen. We get a strong picture of the smiling, "safe" rock and roller, as the often defiant man's-man. And a complex artist/showman: he could sing The Rooster Song while flashing rings to make Freddie Blassie envious.
A great bunch of previously unpublished black and white photographs from Look magazine, among other handsome prints of lesser known shots really bolster the text.
A serious ommission for the audiophiles: not even a selected discography and no sessionography. [Though there are "Notes" in the back of the book on the mysterious Broadmoor recordings, including personnale and dates!]. Of course the '50s period sessions can be found as a booklet in the Bear Family 8-CD set, and in a European book, "Jazz Records"; also in a fairly recent issue of Goldmine magazine. But Fats Domino ABC-Paramount, Mercury, Broadmoor and Reprise FD session data has never, to my knowledge, appeared in print, and what a fabulous component that would have made.
Speaking of the ABC-Paramount tracks, the author did not mention in the text a very important 4-CD set, "The Paramount Years", which included the *incredibly* rare fourth l.p. for that label, plus the 1980 "If I Get Rich" from another record company!
The idea that "The Fat Man" is the first R & R record also doesn't agree with me. Yes, the elements are there, the upbeat shuffle and bright lead vocal, but that powerful sound (and many others by Fats in that '49 to '54 period) were not *primarily* for the youth. The first discs to be produced for teenage tastes came much later. I wouldn't even include "Tutti Frutti" in that category, as it too, lyrically and instrumentally echoed an earlier, "swingin'" sound. [It was "Ready Teddy" folks which screamed out...Rock and Roll!!!].
Still, this book should be "required reading" for those dedicated followers of those Rock and Roll Hall of Famers.

Rick Coleman's new book "Blue Monday" is the first full biography of Fats Domino. Many interesting things are therein.
- Fats was the first black rock & roll star. His records made the pop charts before r&r's dawn in 1955.
- Kids did not buy albums in the 50s, but Fats' albums sold, meaning he had an adult following like Louis Armstrong's.
- Fats concerts were often scenes of teenage riots. He may be known for `Blueberry Hill,' but his fierce rolling piano ignited his audience.
- "Blueberry Hill" was the product of a botched session. Engineer Bunny Robyn edited together the best parts of several incomplete takes and simply repeated the chorus.
- The string-laden "Walkin' To New Orleans" was a big breakthrough which traditionalists lamented. But it hit R&B (#2) even higher than pop (#6).
- Roy Brown once ditched a plan to have Fats open for him on tour. Fats never forgot it, and refused to have Brown open shows for him when the tables were turned.

Of the Big Five (EP, FD, CB, JLL, LR), Fats is the least lionized because he was not a "rebel." Historians normally embrace only people with bold lifestyles.

Boy ol Boy, Rick Coleman has written a great book on the TRUE story of Rock & Roll! I know as I was there and if you want to know what it was really like to be on the scene when true rock & roll was called race music on a juke box, Boogie Woogie and the down home blues was taking over the country then get this book and turn others on to it also. No one person was more responsible for the birth of R&R and R&B than the Fat Man! This was long before Elvis, Haley and the hand full of others came on the bandwagon. [...]

From his first record in 1949 until his harrowing escape from Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Antoine "Fats" Domino has defined New Orleans and its culture. This book puts Fats, his city, and his music into perspective in amazing detail. In the process, Rick Coleman convincingly demonstrates that Fats and his collaborators--especially songwriter/arranger Dave Bartholomew and producer Cosimo Matassa--have as solid a claim as Elvis, Carl, and Jerry Lee with Sam Phillips in Memphis or Wolf, Muddy, and Chuck with the Chess brothers in Chicago as the prime architects of rock 'n' roll. The product of more than 20 years of exhaustive research, this is, surprisingly, the first biography of one of the greatest early rock stars. Coleman had his work cut out for him; Fats is notoriously reclusive. Nevertheless, you come away from this book admiring Fats's talent and drive, and Coleman's exhaustive research and evocative writing. All the other great Louisiana rockers are here--the bayou wild men, backwoods musical savants, and forgotten honkers, shouters, string-benders, and drum-thumpers who helped create the Crescent City sound. I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to understand the real, complete history of rock 'n' roll instead of the revisionist pap that passes for such. -Mark Hoffman, co-author of "Moanin' at Midnight: The Life and Times of Howlin' Wolf"

Lawrence Hill did a great job telling one of the many stories about our past and how we got to this country. Some may find the book hard to follow but he is a great talent that told the story of what it was like during the passage, the arrival and then freedom of our people. Although a bit meaty, I would say it's a great read and one for the collection.It has increased my thirst for more about history in general.

Wow! Book arrived in perfect condition and delivered as promised.
I couldn't ask for more.

Thank you.

This book shares with the reader the incredible ability of one woman to take all of the bumps that life has to offer and to never give up. The importance of a name and the need to hear it spoken is powerful.

This book was excellent it told the story of slavery from an female point of view "Roots" was from a male point of view. It taught me so much I would definetly use this book for students in African American studies classes. GOOD JOB! If you are interested in African Americans past and what we went though as a whole get this book it teaches very well! It is a BIG book I loved it so much I read it in 3 days!

I read this book for my book club. I wouldn't have chosen it myself. I read the book with the same obligation that you take medicine - you know you should to make you feel better. I felt like this was a "should" book.

I like historical fiction, but I really don't enjoy reading about the torture and killing and slavery of other human beings. I think that Hill did an incredible job with his historical facts, but I found the main character implausible.

To know Rockaway is to absolutely know what it's like to not be able to live without Rockaway. Kevin Boyle captures Rockaway's darkest moments and shows how a community bonds together and rebuilds. He shows our strength and our unity during these tragic times. Thanks Kevin.

Kevin Boyle writes about Rockaway and its inhabitants with respect and humor. It has a nice balance of history, humor, and gripping unreal reality. I am from the area and lost a loved one. This book was tough for me but I can honestly say it is the most personal and realistic look at not just the firefighters that were lost, but the people that were lost. I recommend it.
- James Suhr

Fascinating account of the history of The Rockaways, and the devestating impact of 9/11 and the November 2001 airline accident. The reader is introduced to a number of families, and how they were impacted by the two tragedies. It is a wonderful read, and although The Rockaways are a scant few miles from Manhattan, the feeling is one of a small-town, where neighbors look out for neighbors and there is a community spirit of togetherness.

I must have read twenty 9/11 books and only came upon this after doing a search about 9/11 books. I had only heard of Rockaway Beach from the song, Rock, Rock, Rock, Rockaway Beach. I didn't know such an amazing place actually existed. Kevin Boyle writes of a place we want to call home and of people we want as friends. The bravery and toughness seen here is superhuman, and so is the goodness and strength. It's a story I'll never forget.

Being from "Rockaway", although technically from Breezy Point, I know what the people around here faced in both tragic events. I know the numbers involved. I decided to read this book because I wanted to know the names and thoughts behind those numbers. It was nice to know about all the places described in this book, and I found myself nodding at many of the comments or descriptions about life in Rockaway. Rockaway is really THE forgotten part of New York City, and this book puts us out there. I particularly liked the sections about the history of Rockaway, most of which I knew absolutely nothing about.

Thanks Kevin, for bringing out Rockaway's story and for making it so genuine and truthful!!!

So... was glad to be able to order the one Betsy book I had never read. It's lovely - all MH Lovelace's Betsy books are. And FINALLY, finally, you get to find out what happened to Larry and where Sam came from. When I first got on the 'net last year, I was so glad to be able to order books I could never quite find, and also to find there were (adult) Betsy fans everywhere - what a pleasant surprise. But if you've never been to Mankato, you want to know about the house (it was a "side trip" when visiting Mall of America). Well, Betsy's high school house is gone, but I was only disappointed briefly, because you can see Tacy's house (being restored), and Tib's house and the big hill (the hill is somewhat different than the image the books present) - but Carney's house looks just as described in the book. I wondered exactly what that add-on structure in back was - well "Carney's House Party" explained that. Bonnie's house, which I would like to have seen, across the street from Carney's, is gone also. One nice surprise - on Front Street there is a charming 2nd-hand bookstore, which my sister loved, probably about the size Mr. Ray's shoe store was. The proprietor there directed us to the library where you can purchase some Betsy items, the main one being a booklet with very nice pictures of most of the crowd when they were in high school, so at long last I also got to see what they all looked like, including Carney. I think part of the enduring attraction of this series is that it is autobiographical and therefore also historical. As a history buff, that's why I have stayed a fan of a book series discovered as a young person.

I loved the book for the same reasons everyone else does -- it's a fresh perspective on the Deep Valley Crowd AND it solves the mystery of what happened to Carney's high school ideal Larry.

I have only two quibbles:

1) The illustrations look somewhat recycled from other Betsy-Tacy books.
2) Carney mysteriously loses her eyeglasses. I noticed this in the illustrations and also wondered what happened while she's hanging on to the bumper of Sam's car in the rain: wouldn't they have fogged up? :) It's a small thing, but one of the reasons Carney was always my favorite is that she wore glasses and so do I.

A great book overall to add to our collections!

I vaguely remembered reading Carney's House Party over 35 years ago in my public library but the details certainly faded with the years. Now that I replenished my Betsy-Tacy library, thanks to Amazon, I decided to get Carney's House Party as well. What an interesting view it is of Deep Valley and the Crowd, as it is from Carney's perspective. As Carney's personality is markedly different from Betsy's, her opinions of events differ from those we'd expect from our beloved, but admittedly more dramatic, Betsy. I also found the description of college life at Vassar to be interesting and so different from my own at a women's college in the early 70's. Finally, Carney's romance is both surprising to those of us who followed the series and ultimately right for her.

I was thrilled to see that Carney's House Party is back! I grew up on a farm near Mankato, MN (Deep Valley) which was featured in Betsy and Joe. I loved these books as a child and now am so happy to be able to share them with my own daughters. Carney was always one of my favorite characters beause of her calm good sense combined with a love of fun. Her loyalty to her friends and respect and love for her family are powerful messages for today's young women. I only wish I could find comparable literature for my son.

I have 5 sisters and each and every one of us read all the Betsy Tacy books when we were girls. I read the ones of their childhood when I was little and then "graduated" to the High School and past, series as I grew older. Oh, so many fun hours reading them, trying to copy the wonderful Vera Neville illustrations, wishing I could live in Deep Valley just for awhile. Several years ago I startled the customers near me when I whooped with pleasure at finding these books in a bookstore -- just like I did a few minutes ago when I saw here on Amazon recommendations "Carney's House Party"! THANK'S Amazon!! I didn't know that that one, and "Emily of Deep Valley", had been re-published. I've just ordered both, (for me!) as well as two complete sets of the younger-age books for my two eldest granddaughters. This tradition is one I am happy to pass on -- I can't wait to give them this treat. By the way -- I don't agree with the 9-12 age rating for the books that are set in high school and beyond: they are really for a bit older, although there is certainly nothing harmful in them for little girls: on the contrary. But they are intended for a bit older -- say 12 and up.

This book introduces jazz to a young audience. It explores the sounds, rhythms, and emotions of the genre through colorful pictures and rhythmic words similar to the beat of "scat" singing.
Lots of the words are there just for the sound of them. By focusing on the sound words, students could develop spelling strategies that help them move from phonemes, the sounds they make, to graphemes, the written representations of those sounds.

This book is excellent. The illustrations and musical text allow for early readers to really enjoy and learn from this book. Perfect for preschool and kdg age. I used this book as the basis of a jazz unit, it worked wonderfully.

"Charlie Parker Played Be Bop" was my son's favorite book when he was two and nine years later we still have fun reading it. I now purchase a copy for new parents to read to thier babies. As a speech language pathologist, I want to share to magic of words and the music they can make! This book is an absolute MUST read for all children.

I wasn't sure how my little one would respond to this book even though I love it. If I ask, "Do you want to read about Charlie Parker?," she lights up and starts literally starts to bop. The baby digs it. Just more evidence that the jazz is a universal language. I like the introduction to poetry, rhythm and randomness ("Never leave your cat alone"). I bought two other copies and gave them to my friends for their babies.

I am an elementary school music teacher with students ranging from pre-K to 5th grade. I read this book to all of my pre-K and kindergarten through second grade classes and sometimes the mood strikes me to read it to older students. There is something in here for most every age. Everyone loves it.

So why does Raschka draw chicken feet in such odd places, e.g., on overshoes, alphabet letters, pancake flippers?

Well, rumor has it that one day Charlie Parker was driving back to his boarding house and, as luck would have it, he hit and killed a chicken that had run out into the street from someone's front yard. Such chickens are called "yardbirds". The alleged events include Parker doing the unthinkable, namely, backing up his car, picking up the dead chicken (aka "roadkill"), taking it to his landlady (hey, it was fresh!), her cooking it, and him eating it. When friends heard this story, Parker was known forever after as "Yardbird", which was eventually shortened to just "Bird".

If you didn't catch the part about the chicken feet on your own, don't feel badly. Insiders like Rachka and myself know it and now you do too. Rachka has done a terrific job in providing a lot of feeling about some very notable personalities. Plus he does it with humor, some of which is very subtle.

My students probably have as much fun going through Parker's history as with the book itself. But all of that is just the preliminaries: I then have to read it several more times with the students reading and acting out the story. We have a rockin' good time.

I've used this book so much over the past 2 years I may need to replace it soon. While the rating system took me a little while to figure out (the numbers do NOT represent the ranking, just the location on the map), the book is very user-friendly. In addition to giving accurate directions to each campground, it directs you to the correct page and area in both the Colorado Atlas & Gazetteer and Colorado Recreational Road Atlas. By rating Scenery, RVs, Tents, Shade, and Privacy, the book helps you locate the campgrounds based on what is important to you. The elevation info is great if you have young children who might not appreciate waking up in the snow and I love that the book tells you which tent sites are the most popular since we tend to reserve campsites well in advance of trips. This is a great book.

The book is a very good reference on a large number of campgrounds. It has a strength in that it provides pictures, unlike for instance the Moon guide. In my opinion, the book would be better if it covered the CGs more evenly: the authors' choices of "best" very often coincide with "most popular" (read: "most crowded") and the quieter campgrounds do not get the coverage that may be of interest to readers.
Another annoyance I found is numbering of campgrounds. They are not numbered and listed in a logical order that would allow reading about closely located ones in a sequence. Instead, you can read on one and the adjacent one on the map is fife pages down, yet the next one in the text is 50 miles away. This makes one go back and forth between the map and the text if you are trying to get impression on CGs in a certain area.
However, all this notwithstanding, I think this book is well worth having.

We have camped in Colorado for years, but this guide gave us new campgrounds to explore and try. We like the idea that the author includes ratings on both tent and RV "friendly" places, as well as including shade and sun, spacing and privacy aspects.
Love the pictures!
We find the format easy to use and the organization by regions is good, too, although the San Luis Valley should be kept separate from the Eastern slope.
This is the first summer we've used the guide, but will keep it in use for many years.

I do not own an RV, but noticed that the book is full of campsite info from all around the state, and includes whether the sites allow RV's, tents, pets, if they have hook-ups, ect.

We used this book to determine every campground we'll stay at in CO.
The pictures were wonderful and the ratings were very useful. We are tent camping so it was nice to find a book that not only catered to the RV campers but the tent campers as well.

I just bought this book based on the reviews and will be returning it. We live in Sausalito and the Marin Headlands are essentially our backyard. I bought the book to find new areas in the Golden Gate area to explore but when I looked at the area I know well, the Marin Headlands, the information ( map and route description ) were inaccurate and misleading.

This book is excellent but readers should know the authors have recently revised it for 2004/2005. They've added more maps and photos and a section for family outings. The easiest way to find the new edition is to click on the authors name. Note the title has changed slightly too. It's now Golden Gate Trailblazer: where to hike, walk, bike in San Francisco and Marin.

My vacation to San Francisco lasted three weeks. I bought Golden Gate Trailblazer when I arrived and walked many miles with it as my guide. Treasured memories are Limantour and McClures beaches at Point Reyes National Seashore which I never would have found on my own. There's so much more to the Bay Area than Fisherman's Wharf and the cable cars and traffic. This book excels when it comes to organization with maps in every section and a very detailed index. I highly recommend it to hikers and walkers who have never visited this part of California's coast. Like me, you'll probably be surprised at all the places these local authors have packed inside.

San Francisco was only a brief stopover and this book opened up all the possibilities. It turned my vacation upside down with all its trail recommendations. The book is so well written and well researched. I've loved using it and recommend it to anyone who wants a bit of history along with their exercise. The restaurant recommendations were too cool. These guys are real pros.

Simply said . . . wow. What a find! High on my list for seeing all the offbeat and major sites around the City and along Marin's rugged coast and bay wetlands. For years I've been the chauffer when guests come and stay. Now I just hand my friends a copy of Trailblazer and tell them to begin at trail #1, The City. For trails in the Golden Gate National Recreation area and Mt. Tamalpais, this is the most detailed book. You really get a feel for northern California and its history by reading it. Maps are A+ too.

You gotta have this book if you're a Bruce fan. Great history and old photos. Great back stories and nostalgia. I was a bit dissapointed with the reproductions - both in terms of relevance and also the quantity of them, but all in all it is well worth the money. I mean, people actually paid $50 for the Madonna book a few years back. Puh-lease.... there is only one BOSS!

I recently took my 10 year old to a Springsteen concert and he is hooked. At his urging we went to the local library to see if they had a book on the Boss..we found this one and he loved it so much I ordered it..the great thing about it was that I loved it too !! Nothing better than something you can enjoy with your kids. I give this a thumbs up !!

My daughter got this book for me for X-Mas,
and it's the neatest thing !
Great chronological history of Bruce and his
various bands, along with the cool artifacts
placed throughout the book, including 2 great
posters !
Great bargain and must-have for any fan of the Boss !!

It's one of the greatest gifts you can give a Springsteen-fan. It holds the hole story from start til today and includes som replicas of tickets and posters

I bought this book not knowing what to expect. Talk about a labor of love. I highly recommend Greetings From E Street to any serious Bruce Springsteen fan. It's chock full of nifty things and some good information, as well. I was very pleased with this book. It has replicas of tickets, backstage passes, concert posters, and other memorabilia. The writing, which is fine, is secondary to the entire package. Just a real treat. If you have a die hard Springsteen fan in your house, he or she would love this book.