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After looking through this book I needed my banky and nightlight for a week!!! Darren is truely one of the new horror masters. Can't wait for the next edition.

I was lucky enough to pick up this book from the artist himself at a horror convention, and get it signed!
Very nice horror themed artwork, can't wait til he has a color book of his artwork out! (Hint Hint - I hope one is on the way!)

Mr. Frydendall, I am simultaneously delighted and in mortal fear of your new book. I see a lot of horror artwork - piles of guts, mounds of skulls, and of course, the ubiquitous cute-goth evil grin murderer drawings by cheap hacks attempting to impress me with their knowledge of manga. You, sir, are more than capable of drawing a pile of guts, it is true, and mounds of skulls do appear more than once in your fine, but definitely evil work - but those mere staples are not what prompt me to write this warning.

Now, I'm a grown man, so I won't pretend that looking at your drawings has actually made me "scared," or "filled me with abject terror," caused me to "fill my pants," or any such thing. But they do have a certain quality - probably because they are the product of a diseased mind - by which I retain the images and carry them around with me for days afterwards, pondering their possibilities. Could I, even if I tried, manage to cram my hand into my own head in such a fashion? How long COULD a patient -er - victim withstand the "surgery" proscribed within? If I saw that face would I, in fact, lose my "mind?"

This is the crawl-under-scalp-and-sit-there kind of feeling that I'm not sure I enjoy. I believe you are tormenting me. Either you have an infernal power that must be stopped at all costs or - horror of horrors! You are merely broadcasting a signal to others who are as depraved as you are - and I have heard that call and only now recognize myself as the monster I truly am!

It's a real joy to finally have Darren's work in a portable, paperback tome. His linework is truly exceptional and the reproductions are top-notch. Highly Recommended for fans of ghastly horror illustration.

Remember that kid in your neighborhood when you were growing up...? The one that used to turn over every rock, peek into every gutter, hoping to find the sickest, gnarliest slimepatch/maggot orgy/decaying rat carcass, if only for the chance to show it to you in demented glee? Well, good news - that kid's all grown up now, and he's got a book of his fantastically icky, ghoulishly grotesque artwork to thrill you with. "The Creeps" collects some of Darren Frydendall's most putrid drawings from the past ten years, and all in a bite-sized, handsomely packaged paperback edition. If you're as big a gorehound as I know you are, you'll want to stick your fingers into this morbid mess again and again...

I purchased this book for my daughter several years ago. She got the Jeter bug! I was impressed by this book and impressed by Derek Jeter, the man. He seems to be a genuinely good person on and off the field. His personal life and approach to the game is an example for what all ball players should strive for. He brings the finest qualities out in the game of baseball by his approach to the game. He is not flashy and does not draw attention to himself other than through his fine play on the field. I was impressed.

As the author of four books on young adolescents (including The Roller-Coaster Years and Parenting 911), I am thrilled to have a positive role model for children. Derek Jeter's behavior on and off the field can inspire young people, even those who are not Yankee fans. He is always respectful. (I understand he still calls Joe Torre, "Mr." Torre). When the rest of the team brawled with the Seattle Mariners, Jeter and his friend, Seattle shortstop, Alex Rodriquez, wisely stood aside. Jeter never blames others for his mistakes. His response is to work harder to improve. He is supportive of fellow players, even when they are struggling with their game. He has made a genuine commitment to children with his Turn 2 Foundation, donating both his time and resources. This book would make a wonderful gift for any young adolescent who dares to dream about the future.

This is a great book if you love Derek Jeter. It was written by people who truely know the game of baseball, and has a lot of great pictures. I highly recommend it.

This book has great photos that are large and detailed (not a waste of space like some other books). They show a wide variety of situations, so if you are looking for particular things like I was (e.g., bat grip), it is very handy.

The text is gathered from Derek's peers and provides a great glimpse of what being around him must be like. Great book, especially for kids or older fanatics!

I think that Derek Jeter is very good for little kids to look up to becuase he is a base ball player and that is one great job.You get to build your body more and more when your playing base ball its just great.

I think that Derek Jeter is very good to look up to and a great roll motle and if i were a guy i would want to be just like him. he is a very interesting to know about someone famouse and someone great!

Natala Orobello's characters and style of writing grab you from beginning to end. The characters instantly became people I felt I knew and connected to. I re-read the book after the passing of my father and it had an even more profound impact on me. A good book is one you can't put down. A great book is one that changes you. Destined for Greatness is a great book. You can't help but be changed after reading it.

Destined for Greatness is a small book that packs a big punch! The concept of "you can go back" and create meaning in your life if given a second chance is the main premise of the book. It poses questions that are profound and touch your soul. I found myself reading parts of this book again and again, wondering how my own life's story would play out if by some random twist of fate, I had a second chance at getting it right. Natala Orobello poses questions about life that we have all asked ourselves at one time or another, but have not had the courage to examine. Three cheers for making us think! Margaret from Nahant, Mass.

This was such an enticing novel! The characters you created were believable and so spirited that it was actually like a movie reel going off in my head. This story made me reflect on my own life decisions. The message that you maintain throughout the story was remarkably uplifting!!!
looking forward to your next novel!!
-Millie C

Natala's characters are well developed, the settings are vivid, and the enthralling story of Eugene makes this book impossible to put down. The plot of this book was intriguing. Ms. Orobello puts scenarios together that are great for discussion and reflection. The question of who is God and where is God in our own lives is something this book doesn't answer, but points out the need to have thought out answers for ourselves.

It is a well-crafted great read! I am looking forward to reading her next novel.

The first night I started reading this book, I could not put it down. I eventually had to and could not wait to pick it back up again. The author brought the characters alive and I could not wait to see what would happen to them next. This book touched on so many issues: real-life problems confronting young people, our purpose in our world, how our actions, inactions, and relationships can create a domino effect and affect thousands of other people around us and generations to follow. And I especially liked the insight into the often-asked question "Why does God let bad things happen?" I will now look at many things going on in my life in a new light. And I felt very fulfilled at the end of the book. Oftentimes I feel left hanging at best and most often left empty. Thank you, Natala, for a beautiful book. I look forward to many more!

This book is great. My father in laws dad was Emil Luebke and he saved his house but almost died in the fire. We are from Rogers City. The story that is told has been told down our family and is very much what was told. We really enjoyed this book and would encourage anyone to read it, specially if your interested in Michigan history.

This is an excellent book based on the Metz fire. My father-in-laws dad is Emil and the stories in this book have been told to him many times. He said this is a keepsake for his family and beyond. We have read many things on this fire, but this is the most interesting. My husband lived in the farm house Emil saved during the fire. This is truly a great gift to all readers of Michigan history.

Reviewed by Danielle Feliciano for Reader Views (2/06)

"Devil in the North Woods" is a fictionalized account of the 1908 wildfire that swept through northeastern Michigan, wiping out an entire town. The author uses public documents, as well as the experiences of one survivor of the fire, and merges them into a beautiful story of fear, loss, and redemption. Young Henry Hardies narrates the story, and by having a 10-year old boy lead us through the fire, the reader is treated to a refreshing voice of innocence that an adult narrator would not have been able to provide. The reader is introduced to Henry, his family, and the people of Metz, Michigan. In this community, the threat of wildfires is very real, and a fear that these people live with almost on a day-to-day basis. On October 15, 1908, their worst fears come true as a fire quickly spins out of control. The town scrambles to decide how big a threat the fire it, but by the time they realize it will hit their community, it is too late.

After a somewhat slow start, the story quickly picks up the pace, reading more like a suspense novel than a historical one. The book becomes impossible to put down once the fire hits town. You are given a nearly minute-by-minute account of what is happening in the town, and in the Hardy family, during the fire, as well as its aftermath. The detail is so realistic and believable that it is easy to imagine yourself in this situation right alongside the characters in the book.

Sadly, the town loses 43 people, 4 of whom are Hardy family members. The town of Metz is obliterated and there is not much left to salvage. But the people of Metz are stronger than the fire that tried to destroy them. They are determined to move past the destruction and rebuild their community, as well as their lives. This is more than the story of an out-of-control wildfire; it is the story of everyday heroes and the way they reclaim their lives after tragedy.

Devil in the North Woods is a work of historical fiction, based on modern reports and oral histories of a terrible 1908 wildfire in Michigan. Ten-year-old Henry Hardies survived the fire that claimed his mother and three younger sisters; in real life, Hardess told personal stories that his own children have handed down to this day. Devil in the North Woods vividly recreates the terrible blaze from start to finish, the toll it took, and the trials of human beings forced to recover from the devastating losses it inflicted. Though Devil in the North Woods tells the story of man vs. nature, its core is emotional and human-centered.

"Devil in the North Woods" by Walt Shiel is a real barn burner. I kept trying to put out the fire. Walt's style kept me immersed in the story and fully engaged until way too late each night. I enjoyed the read and the education.

Fantastic! If you want to find out more about yourself and others then read this book and others by L.R. Hubbard. I assure you If your looking for answers you have come to the right place.

Hubbard wrote this book prior to the publication of his complete text entitled 'Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health'. It was an introduction to this brand new subject, and it gives a great overview of the basics of Dianetics. Here one can get a good understanding of how the mind works, and how it causes man so much unhappiness, and how this can be resolved quite easily. You can see Hubbard's early discoveries and how these led him to his brilliant research that brought into being an entirely new science. 'Dianetics: The Evolution of a Science' is a layman's text on how the mind is structured so that one can do something about it! This book is a very good preamble to 'Dianetics the Modern Science of Mental Health', and I highly recommend it. This is Hubbard's concise introduction to the subject. You will enjoy this book if you haven't read it.

This book covers the background of Dianeics - how it all began. It gives the basics of Dianetic therapy, the basics of how the mind works, a concise explanation of what occurs when people are injured, and how this negatively affects us. And what to DO about it!

I highly recommend this for anyone interested in the mind, and who is curious about Dianetics.

Hubbard wrote this book to create a better and clear understanding of the main subject of Dianetics for the public to learn how the research came about. He keeps it very simple and straight forward in a way that every one can get it. It is in fact a major breakthrough in the science of understanding how the mind works and how it can be cleaned of the clutters that inhibits us to have a full awareness of what are the causes of our stress, fears, anxieties and depression. It is unlike any other self help book ever written on the subject for the main purpose of reaching the common man to live a fuller and heppier life. Don't underestimate it by its simplicity. Read this book first and then read Dianetics, the modern science of mental health, and you will never be the same, nor will you ever agree with the falsehood that has saturated our environment regarding the sources of our troubles.

Hubbard wrote this book to create a better and clear understanding of the main subject of Dianetics for the public to learn how the research came about. He keeps it very simple and straight forward in a way that every one can get it. It is in fact a major breakthrough in the science of understanding how the mind works and how it can be cleaned of the clutters that inhibits us to have a full awareness of what are the causes of our stress, fears, anxieties and depression. It is unlike any other self help book ever written on the subject for the main purpose of reaching the common man to live a fuller and heppier life. Don't underestimate it by its simplicity. Read this book first and then read Dianetics, the modern science of mental health, and you will never be the same, nor will you ever agree with the falsehood that has saturated our environment regarding the sources of our troubles.

Diving: The World's Best SitesI gave this to my husband for a Christmas gift. He loved it. I don't dive but he loves it. He just got certified last year and this book gives him a lot of ideas on where to go for good diving. This book is only useful to someone who dives. Not for a vacation guide.

A really good book with great pictures. A source of inspiration if you're planning a diving trip. Obviously written by someone who really enjoys diving and knows what he's talking about. A lot of practical advice too. A must for divers!

i want to know what site for the best diving. because i just pass the diving license.

This is a good book for divers. It lists all the pertinent info about each site (i.e. water temp, sites to see, best time to visit, etc). I would definitely recommend buying this book. The pictures are awesome!

Read it cover to cover Christmas day-and over and over since

Bill and Sandra McGee have authored a fascinating account of an almost forgotten era of the Old West. The old days of the romantic Nevada dude ranch unfold in a format reminiscent of "The Love Boat". Told through the eyes of real life cowboy, Bill McGee, we see east coast patrons come and go through the gates of the famous Flying M E Guest ranch. The dude guests are mostly women arrived to establish a six (6) week residency before securing a quickie divorce. And while lounging at the Flying M E, who could blame a girl for romancing a handsome cowboy? The wonderful photographs alone make this coffee table book well worth its purchase. Fans of the old west should seriously consider adding this fine book to their collection.

The McGees have pulled together a remarkable historic and pictoral event in Nevada history. Nevada's easy divorce laws attracted the rich and famous to well known Divorce Ranches, complete with horses and swimming pools. Bill McGee was a wrangler at one of the better known "ranches". McGee introduced divorcees to horses and the spectacular Sierra Nevada Mountains. As the daughter of a former owner of one of the nearby smaller divorce sites (we didn't offer horses or a pool), I was impressed with the results of the McGee's research. Many of the photos have not been produced before; they interviewed many of the ranch's former "guests" and provided information not available earlier. This book is truly a collector's item. The Divorce Ranch years brought many new residents from the East who subsequently enriched northern Nevada's cultural community. Before the McGee's this Nevada saga was largely overlooked.

A great and very personal account of the times when everybody who was anybody spent six weeks in Reno to cut the bands that had bound them in their homes,churches, cities and states. Provacative text supported by even more provacative photographs.

Biographer:Adriana and veteran attorney: Tom Williams, San Francisco

This spring 20th Century Fox re-released its 1939 film, CHARLIE CHAN IN RENO, in a 4-DVD box set, THE CHARLIE CHAN COLLECTION, VOL. 4.Charlie Chan Collection, Vol. 4 (Charlie Chan in Honolulu / Charlie Chan in Reno / Charlie Chan at Treasure Island / City in Darkness) (4DVD)

CHARLIE CHAN IN RENO may be the perfect Reno divorce movie. Although it is set at a swank Reno hotel catering to divorce seekers, the similarity in character types who stayed at the dude ranch where I worked rings true. As the movie opens, the woman, on her way to Reno, could have been any number of divorce seekers who came to the Flying M E. She looks the part, believe me. The dialogue for the Cab Driver is pretty authentic, too.

I'm honored to appear in two special features in this collection, WELCOME TO RENO: AMERICA'S DIVORCE RESORT and RENO MEMORIES. The producers were looking for someone who could give a firsthand account of life in Reno during the 1930s and `40s, the heyday of the Reno six week divorce. They found me through my book, THE DIVORCE SEEKERS, a memoir/history of my years as the head dude wrangler on the Flying M E, an exclusive dude-divorce ranch outside of Reno that catered to wealthy divorce seekers.

To view a clip from WELCOME TO RENO: AMERICA'S DIVORCE RESORT, visit www.divorceseekers.com and click on CHARLIE CHAN IN RENO.

If you love history, Clark Gable, Ava Gardner and cowboys, this book is for you. Being from Minnesota and working at Lake Tahoe in the mid-70's and now being a resident of Reno, I found this book to be a lot more than it's title indicates. Yes, the Reno area was known for being the Divorce Capital of the World, but Bill McGee takes the reader into the back mountains of the Sierras, into the world of New York socialites settling in Virginia City and into what must have been a unique place to live and work - the Flying ME Ranch. The Flying ME was located in what I think is one of the most beautiful spots in Northern Nevada today - Franktown. Even before I knew of the dude ranch, this spot between Carson City and Reno is one of beautiful ranches with white picket fences, Ponderosa Pines and mountain views second to none.

Bill and Sandra take the reader back to a time that was unique and one that will probably never exist again. The photography is wonderful and probably tells a story all by itself.

This is definitely a worthwhile read and a great coffee table book!

D. Geraghty
Reno, Nevada

This book speaks to the co-dependants of the world beautifully. It is an easy read and it makes sense to anyone. I would highly recommend it. Also, if you like this subject check out Pea Meadly Book Facing Co-Dependancy.

Great book. I am still reading and learning! Quick delivery and arrived in great shape!

This book has really come to the rescue in my life. I am 24 and my partner 21. We've been together 8 months and started having conflicts after moving in together about 2 months ago. After a big fight one day, she brought this book home and we agreed to read it together every day.

Since then, there's been a massive change for us. A difficult change too, but so worthwhile. Margie and Jordan are really great people, and they make the book funny, informative and loving, but strong enough to shake you up. It's just so great... learning to learn is difficult, but ultimately incredibly rewarding. 1000 stars!

For me this book is one of the most profound and important books I have ever read about relationships and communication. Although it is written as a book about marital relationships, it has implications for every kind of relationship, and not only intimate or dyadic ones. And, although it is written as a pop psychology book, I think it makes a real contribution to the social-scientific understanding of relationships and communication -- that is, it stands up well as a general model of communication and relationship. I think it is a great book and would be of great value not only to those trying to solve relationship problems but to those wanting to understand the ways in which self and relationship are intertwined in general. It illuminates all of the areas of one's life in which one communicates with others and, as another reader said, can be as valuable for understanding past relationships as for dealing with present ones.

There are three of you in a marriage. YOU, ME and US. All three need to be happy. This book can get you there. It saved our marriage.

their are a few good points, but its mostly vit. c which linus pauling has already covered. Not much in the way of any new revelations or experiments

I bought my mom & myself a copy of this book and both of us keep it handy for ready reference. I've bought a lot of health books and this is the best that I've ever read. I'm very glad to have it, have told many friends about the book and the website, and expect to read and reread both the website and the book many, many times.

Doctor Yourself is titled and based on a simple premise: every person is responsible for their own health care. When a person abdicates that responsibility, they often place themselves in the hands of the "disease care" industry, a monolithic and profit-driven enterprise where getting well isn't the bottom line.

Through lively anecdote, personal history and accounts of patient education and treatment, Dr. Andrew Saul (not an M.D., by way of disclosure) takes the reader down a path most M.D.'s never dare to tread. Without a hint of pretension or medical braggadocio, the reader shares Dr. Saul's encounters with individuals as they seek relief from common maladies feeding the trillion dollar medical monsters of the Western world; arthritis, cancer, schizophrenia, depression, obesity, allergies, heart disease and many more.

We're also introduced to a "Who's Who" of unjustly ignored medical pioneers like Abram Hoffer, Robert F. Cathcart, Wilfrid and Evan Shute, Linus Pauling and Frederick Klenner. These unconventional M.D.'s and researchers ignored the scorn and censure of their peers in order to treat patients with nutrition and lifestyle change rather than dogmatic, pharmophilic (drug loving) therapies that most often do not cure, but merely attenuate a sufferer's condition.

Doctor Yourself is a page turner, written in a friendly, conversational style that takes you inside the interactions between healer and client, unafraid to detail the skepticism and even fear shown by patients when alternative medical advice runs counter to the normal drug, cut and radiate school of thought. In addition, Dr. Saul lists specific protocols for the use of nutrients as therapy; the reader is never left on their own to experiment or wonder at the possible safety of a potential cure.

It is clear that Dr. Saul has profound respect for the science and art of medicine, but far less for physicians and their patients who willfully remain blind to the value of nutrition, for hospitals that "serve green jello and white bread to cancer patients", to drug companies who relentlessly market to a gullible, insured public.

Based on what I've learned from this book, from Dr. Saul's website and from the many reference materials provided by both sources, I've been fortunate to cure sciatica that hobbled me for three months, and rid myself of hay fever to boot. My wife, an allergy sufferer of 30 years, hasn't touched prescription meds in two seasons. My two boys are healthier because of the changes the family made in diet, supplementation and exercise. Does that make readers of this book "health nuts"? Dr. Saul would ask, "Who wants to be a disease nut"?

Single or married, young, middle-aged or older...any person who lives in a human body will find inspiration and education in the pages of Doctor Yourself. You will find yourself turning to it again and again as a reference and "owners manual" for the body you're using.

This book is very easy to read. It's also very easy to understand where the author is coming from regarding his strategies for healthcare.

This author does a great job of addressing many diseases that doctors today don't have the answer to. Modern medicine wants to keep you sick whereas this author writes to get you well. However, he still advocates you keep an MD. Then he tells you to take personal responsibility of your healthcare so you won't need your doctor.

The best thing this book has going for it is that it's real world and you can put the techniques in practice immediately. Also, the book is well researched and the studies mentioned are very thorough.

This should be on every person's bookshelf be you young or old.

Very good read........Filled with information that I had never given thought to before. Since reading this book my energy, health, and overall well-being have increased dramatically. Would recomend this book to anyone who is looking to take charge of their heatlh

This is both a great read and an important historical document. Fanny Trollope was the mother of Anthony Trollope, perhaps the most prolific English novelist of the nineteenth century and my favorite. Fanny's husband was ineffectual in the breadwinning department, but fortunately for the family, Fanny herself was energetic and enterprising. She took one of her sons (not Anthony) and an artistic young man to the United States. She was planning to join a friend of hers who was a mover in setting up the utopian community in Harmony, Indiana, but the place turned out to be squalid, and she didn't stay long.

Fanny spent most of her time in the U.S. in Cincinnati and in her book is very hard on the city and its inhabitants. She especially objected to the pigs' role as garbage collectors. (In those days, pigs roamed the streets freely, like sheep grazing.) Fanny felt most of the people she encountered were loud, dirty, vulgar, and fanatically patriotic. It is her vivid descriptions of the physical conditions and the people that give this book its historical and entertainment value.

While she was living in Cinci, she opened a retail emporium and filled it with rather shoddy merchandise sent from England by her husband. She also attempted to bring culture to the inhabitants. Not surprisingly, both ventures failed.

After Mrs. Trollope returned to England, she supported her family by writing novels that were quite popular at the time, though they haven't become the classics her son's have. She spent her final years living in Italy with another son and his wife.

This is an extremely entertaining commentary on American manners and well written. I agree, however, with Mrs. Trollope's son, Anthony, who commented that Mrs. Trollope is a keen observer but she understands little. Certainly her complaints about the lack of gentility among Americans is valid but she completely missed the wonderful lack of class restraints endemic to English society which afforded Americans "class mobility"--freedom of opportunity (except for native Americans and slaves).

Fanny Trollope (1779-1863) wrote over 35 novels and several non-fictions books in her effort to rescue her family from poverty. However, the most read of all her books is "Domestic Manners of the Americans" which she published in 1832. It was in that distant year that Fanny and two of her children traveled across the Atlantic Ocean. Her purpose was to join a utopian community in Tennessee whose denizens were freed slaves.
Fanny left her impecunious and feckless husband the barrister Thomas Trollope back home in England. Her famous son Anthony did not make the trip as he was a student at Harrow School. Fanny knew her husband would join her in the USA when money became available. Later the family would flee to Bruges to escape creditors. Fanny eventually lived out her life in Florence near her son Thomas Trollope.
After leaving Tennessee the Trollopes settled for two years in the Queen City of the West Cincinnati, Ohio. Fanny did not like America or the American people! She found us xenephobic; boastful, prideful and violent.She hated the hypocrisy of life in Midwest Ohio although she did attend such cultural attractions as opera, plays and lectures. She favored the state Anglican Church of Great Britain not caring for America's separation between church and state.
This book could well be read alongside Charles Dickens' "American Notes for General Circulation" based on his 1842 six month trip to the USA.
Both Trollope and Dickens found the Americans crude, lacking in manners
and eager to make a quick buck. Listen to Trollope at her most scathing:
"..among the rich and the poor, in the slave states, and in the free states...I do not like them. I do not like their principals, I do not like their manners, I do not like their opinions." (p.314).
Fanny Trollope's book is more interesting than Dickens since she discusses colorful characters and shares anecdotes about her sojourn in our young republic. Like Dickens she hates the odious practice of tobacco chewing and the mangling of the English language. Trollope found us Yankees to be too serious and viewing us as poorly read. Unlike the wealthy and famous Dickens, Mrs. Trollope was a middle-aged woman fighting off poverty with her pen. I enjoyed her descriptions of nature such as those she paints of the Potomac River, Northern Virginia and the Niagra Falls area in New York and Canada. She is aware of flora and fauna and describes them with knowledge and in beautiful prose.
Dickens and Trollope give us the eye to see America in the days prior to the Civil War when the curse of chattel slavery ruled the land. Since those days America has granted freedom to all citizens. I wish both Fanny and Charles could visit us again in the 21st century. Their remarks would be of great interest to this reviewer and countless others!

All I can say is: what a great read! Who knew? Quite frankly, upon first sight of this book I must admit a bit of dread as the puritanical artwork does not smack of fun and games. Of course, as a literature student, I should know better than to ever judge a book by its cover.
Had I been Fanny Trollope writing such an account of America in the 1820s, I would be hardpressed to say that I would have changed a single word. Trollope has been the victim of many mean spirited caricatures and accusations by Americans and it still continues today, but what is interesting is that no one can do more than attack her person. In other words, no one seems to be able to refute her claims.
Trollope's "bitchiness" seems, for the most part, merited by my standards and while she finds much to complain about concerning an American democracy in its adolescence, she certainly discovers just as many things that she likes or finds beautiful.
Plain and simple, Americans collectively have a hard time taking criticism, especially from an outsider...and at that time, political criticism from a woman was deemed absurd if not audacious.
Last but not least, Fanny Trollope is always sure to preface anything she says with the conscious realization that she can only speak for what she has seen/heard personally and is thereby not judging ALL of America.
Trollope is witty and anecdotal and I think anyone interested in what an outspoken Englishwoman had to say about the New World should certainly pick up a copy. I found particular interest in gender/religious issues but got the most laughs out of her descriptions of American manners (or the lack thereof).
It is always interesting to see how much things have changed, and better yet, how many things have remained exactly the same!

Very entertaining read of the author's trip through 19th Century America, full of wonderful description and enlightening observations. Despite the griping below, Mrs Trollope simply reports what she sees - men spitting tobacco on the floor, ladies off in another room while the guys have a good time, etc. She reports accurately on our forefathers' rugged pioneer spirit, but points out the lack of education everywhere. We want to shout "lies!" but Mark Twain wrote about the same thing, and the aspects of our society that haven't changed much are still being commented on with the same frankness by writers like Saul Bellow, Gore Vidal, Dawn Powell, Paul Theroux and Joan Didion. Many true-hearted Americans will enjoy this book no end. Mrs Trollope clearly loved America and simply wrote truthfully about; she is simply beholden to no one - the essence of good writing. A thoroughly refreshing read.