A Books

The third book First Strike is set after the destruction of Alpha Halo and is about how the Master Chief, Cortana, his fellow Spartans, and some human survivors return to Earth in a captured Covenant Flagship: Ascendant Justice by first stopping by the colony Reach to track any covenant homing beacons to be sure not to reveal the location of Earth to the Covenant. After they find other Spartan, Vice Admiral Whitcomb, and Dr. Catherine Halsey they leave Reach in a damaged justice and later form a temporary alliance with separatist rebels in order to gain repairs. After another fight with a covenant ship, Dr. Halsey enters slipspace in a stolen ship and exfiltrates Spartan "Kelly". Later after hearing from Cortana that the Covenant are headed to Earth, The Chief and his fellow Spartans decide to go on a mission to disrupt the covenant operations by destroying the "Unyielding Hierophant" a vital battle station between the Covenant fleet and Earth. With authorization from the Admiral, the Chief and his fellow Spartans set out for the Hierophant and successfully overload its reactor. They escape on a covenant dropship and get picked up by the justice. Whitcomb and Lieutenant Haverson trick the Covenant fleet into coming near the Hierophant heavily damaging the covenant fleet allowing the chief and his team to escape. Meanwhile on the covenant capital ship: "High Charity" the Chieftain Tartarus and the High Prophet of truth discuss the fate of an Elite who allowed Alpha Halo to be destroyed and and the Ascendant Justice to be Captured.

Overall I'd say this is a good story that bridges the gap between Halo 1 and Halo 2. If you have any questions after you finished the first halo game, I suggest you read this book. It explains how the Covenant were able to discover the location of Earth, and how the Master Chief was able to return to Earth after the destruction of Halo and many more. This is a good read if even if you haven't played the game. But if you want to understand the story better, I suggest you play the first Halo game or read the first two books. (Halo: Fall of Reach, Halo: The Flood).

I haven't been a fan of the Halo Series for long, but after playing Halo 3 I was curious about the story. I found a copy of this book and was happily surprised. Based on the game, I wasn't expecting much, but this book builds a great story around the already famous characters.

The book doesn't require a big understanding of the Halo universe. Some background info does help, of course that makes a little sense because this is not the first book. Anyway, the characters in the book are well developed and the action will keep you reading until the end. Master Chief are Cortana are both expanded upon and the supporting character are all very likable.

The only small problems I found was that many of the characters actions seemed a little dumbed down, almost as if this book was targeting a younger audience (despite the games M rating). Sometimes the book repeats previous sections of plot to remind you. This was annoying to me. Still, that is not enough to detract from the story, which is very good. Worth Reading.

I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who likes futuristic war, blood and gore violence, and a little love story between John(a.k.a. Masterchief) and Cortana his personal artificial intelegents bot. Aliens try to invade and destroy Earth with plasma shots and bombs in a destinguished pattern. Masterchief finds survivors and they hi-jack a covenant ship and try to get back to REach. The other spartansare already on Reach. They and Dr. Halsey discover that there is much more to Reach the thought. The doctor finds old documents and maps of the station at Reach. Find out what happens when Halo is detonated.

SPARTAN-104, Fredrick, twirled a combat knife, his fingers nimble despite the bulky MJOLNIR combat armor that encased his body. The blade traced a complicated series of arcs in the air. The few remaining naval personnel on the deck turned pale and averted their eyes- a Spartan wielding a knife was generally accompanied by the presence of several dead bodies. In the beginning of the book, it starts with twenty-six SPARTANS going to the planet reach and three SPARTANS staying on the space dock. The Master Chief (aka SPARTAN-117) was the leader of the "space op" and Fred (another SPARTAN) was the Red-Team leader on the planet reach. Red-Team thought that they got the easy job, land on Reach and protect the MAC (Magnetically Accelerated Cannon) gun (the cannon uses magnets to pull the projectile) generators. When the Pelican was going to the planet, Covenant Seraphs attacked the drop ship and four Longsword Fighters had to fight them away. Even then, the drop ship didn't have a safe landing. All of the Spartans (26 of them) had to bail going just below Mach 1. Fred told them to them to overload their hydrostatic gel and curl into a ball just before landing. Only four of them were killed from the landing. When the Chief was stuck in a sector of space where there was nothing but "dust and echoes," and the worst part is, they only have a couple of hours of air and they don't have the capabilities of slip space (it would take over five years to get to the nearest planet). Latter in the book the planet Reach is destroyed by the Covenant. The one spot that the Covenant did not "glass over" was full of them. The thing that they were looking for was the "Holy Light." The "Holy Light" is a radioactive mystery crystal. Dr. Halsey got the crystal and all of them ran literally for their lives. Alter they reach an asteroid belt they look for a place to hide from the single Covenant ship that was able to follow them. They found a rebel base and convinced them to repair the ship by blowing up an asteroid the size of their base with one of seven plasma cannons. The covenant fleet catches up with them and the escape again. I recommend this book to anyone who likes the books about HALO.
This book tells about the planet Reach and a little about the book The Flood (another book in the series). This book is not good for a "Quick Read."
If you wondered how Reach was destroyed, read this book. I learned about many things I didn't understand in the other books.
In conclusion, this book was a great read and I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

A. Snively

Spartan-104, Fredrick, twirled a combat knife, his fingers nimble despite the bulky MJOLNIR combat armor that encased his body. The blade traced a complicated series of arcs in the air. The few remaining naval personnel on the deck turned pale and averted their eyes- a Spartan wielding a knife was generally accompanied by the presence of several dead bodies. The third book, Halo: First strike, which is a Sci-Fi, starts after the destruction of halo with the Master Chief in a small ship rescuing all the remaining humans. He is in uncharted territory so no one knows were he is. He finds a few survivors and has to get passed three big fighter class Covenant ships. He has to get Cortona, a computer intelligence, to the UNSC headquarters.

I liked this book a lot because it had a bunch of action senses. The action senses were well described with great word usage. I would recommend this book because of the descriptive battle senses and the fact that it is the best of all three Halo books. If you liked the first two books you will love this one. The group I recommend this to the most are teens that like video games (mostly boys) because it is from the video game series Halo. I enjoyed the style of writing very much because of the description. Here is an example, the Brute bellowed, and globules of spit spattered onto the Chief's visor. It leaned closer, screwing its massive hands tighter around his throat. The Chief's vision narrowed. His windpipe swelled, and he gagged. Also, many chapters ended in a cliff hangers which made me keep reading. Here is an example; a thunderous detonation cut her off. The mountain exploded, and ONI's base collapsed over their heads. When I was reading my mind did sometimes wander because at some points in the story all they did was talk about boring stuff like why the ship was not working. Stuff like that.

What looked at first like a publishing stunt managed, in the end, to bring the dark artistry of Stephen King to a new generation of readers while winning back some others who had drifted after his classic 1974-84 period. 1996's "The Green Mile" is not a great novel, but it has moments of greatness. King's power of sucking in readers is hardly dimmed by a monthly installment plan.

Paul Edgecombe is an old man living with some hard memories in a nightmarish nursing home. His memories revolve around his days as overseer of a penitentiary execution block, a.k.a. "The Green Mile", when a large yet docile convict named John Coffey came to pay for a heinous double murder. About the only thing Coffey can answer for is his name ("not spelled like the drink"), yet there's something in his manner, not to mention his actions as the story unspools, that suggests he is not the man he was judged to be.

I love Stephen King, but in a qualified way. He's one of America's best-ever storytellers, but he can get carried away with that highly charged imagination of his. Here, revisiting the prison milieu that spawned his classic "Rita Hayworth And The Shawshank Redemption", he keeps things in check with a largely quiet tale of human suffering and failings, of regret and longing, that draws you in by slow degrees to one of the best, and saddest, resolutions in the King canon. Not everything leading up to the end is great, but it's well worth reading, and in my case, re-reading, as I missed a lot of King's subtleties the first time round.

That John Coffey shares the same initials with another condemned man some two millenia ago is no accident, and in the dismal setting of a North Carolina prison King creates a deeply-detailed Calvary for modern readers. The guards, good sorts mostly like Edgecombe who we get to know well, find grim amusement in the practice sessions they run before each execution, suggesting a kind of bleak, practical existentialism. When strange things begin to happen, we are surprised, even if this is a King novel, because of his way of locking you into the everyday reality of the place.

Take for example a little mouse that wanders onto the Green Mile and befriends a sadsack convict. Before King is done, any reader worth his or her salt has lived and died several times over the fate of the little guy. The convict he befriends dies one of the most gruesome deaths in any King story, yet it is so powerful because it is so real-feeling, not because it's delivered by a possessed car or a rabid hound.

Coffey may be not entirely of this world, but he can feel its pain, more than most anyone else. "I'm tired of bein on the road, lonely as a robin in the rain" is how he puts it to Edgecombe. Is Coffey a gift from a loving Deity, or one of God's cruelest little jokes? Much of the power here comes from the way King doesn't say, right up to the end.

Each of the six books leaves you wanting more with an unresolved story arc. There's even a cleverly weaved framing story of old Edgecombe at the nursing home, where he tries to write his tale and finds himself confronted by an orderly with a strong resemblance to the least human guard at the long-ago Green Mile.

It does take a while, though, and the ending, while again quite wonderful and bracingly sad, does go on for a few pages more than it should. Perhaps I am just looking at it as a middle-aged guy who doesn't quite like its hard message of life's inevitable end. When I first read it, right when it came out, it left me entirely cold. Now I understand better what King was trying to say, about aging and how the road can feel so terribly long.

It's a long road getting through "Green Mile", but it stands up well, only gaining power and momentum as it drives on, fiercely and inexorably, to a grim yet satisfying end. I can't agree with those who place it at the top rank of King novels, but it is quite good, and very much worth your time, whether read in chunks or all at once.

One of King's best works. Fortunately I read the original version which, when introduced, came as 6 separate short stories. One released each month for 6 months. It's so good I would read one part then be on pins & needles waiting for the next part to come out the next month. Character description & the prison descriptions were excellent. As for who Mr. Coffey really is beyond his physical being, you can draw your own conclusion. The writing is excellent & to the point. No wasted mumble jumble. Pick it up & you won't be able to put it down

One of the things I hate most about some of Stephen King's novels is the lack of an ending. In the green mile you get one. This is one of his most well written books. He has a great way of making a reader fall in love with characters. In no way will you be dissapointed in this read. I still havent seen the movie because I appreciate the book so much.Hands down one of the King mans best books ever!

The setting of this story is very well real, the story is somewhat fabricated with the certain amount of magic in it, but the characters make this book great. King describes everyone in such great detail and the interaction between them as well. This makes this book truly feel real to the reader. I felt like I was transported to another time.

i am not going to say much about the story, but, to lay the groundwork........i am at 32 years of age i haven't read a novel in over 10 years. well that being said, i got back into reading books about 5 months ago and have been reading feverishly.......sadly, mostly recent best sellers and such, i.e. "da vinci code",.............

so when i was looking for something new at the store i passed by king's section and saw the "talisman", which i read in 8th grad (remember i am now 32), so i thought, maybe i should read that again since it's been so long.......

then i thought about other horror guys.......koontz......barker.....


then my eye caught the green mile, i never saw the movie, which i kicked myself for, so i thought what a great opportunity, read the book first!!!!!!!!!

well, well.............this was the best thing i ever picked up, not only did it remind me of why reading was so good for the mind and soul, but it really made a difference in my life. this is the sort of book that needs to be read in a 9th grade english class.....then every student writes a report on it, then everyone is rewarded with watching the movie over the course of the week.

thank you stephen king, thank you for making me remember how good a book can be, to read, to talk about, and to think about, then, look at your own life.

bravo

It is the best book on nutrition ever! Yes it is heavily biased towards TCM, but it is perfectly fine with me. I thoroughly enjoy reading this book. It has good information, research and insights.

This book was recommended to me and has come in handy for reference. It's really like a bible for people who are open to eastern and western medicine but prefer to use food rather than pills to help the body do its thing well.

....A wise and valuable book for anyone who is serious about examining their eating habits. A great guide for those who want to improve their life and health conditions and embrace the Chinese philosophy of Yin and Yang.This book also includes flavorful and delicious recipe's, to get you started on your journey.

I purchased Healing With Whole Foods about two years ago because my friend who is an acupuncturist suggested it. The book describes how to health practitioner Paul Pitchford diagnoses and treats diseases in his patients. The book is definately a definitive at home alternative health encyclopedia.

For example, the book has a section which explains how to do a liver and gall bladder cleanse.

The book also explains Chinese medicine in great detail. It explains how the author has cured diseases and helped patients, for example it has a detailed section on Cancer. And this is what is important, this book explains how to heal certain diseases, not just treat the symptoms of disease. That being said, it probably will be difficult to actually cure your illness just from reading the book. It has sort of a reference nature to it, it has helpful information, but the application can be more difficult.

The author also is an open minded vegetarian. His dietary guidelines include soaking whole grains and legumes for enhanced digestion, which is important. He believes that it is okay to eat meat and seafood for special circumstances, but in general does not support it. If your looking to understand eastern medicine in a thorough yet comprehensible way, this book is for you. If your looking for an open minded perspective about health and disease, this book is for you. If you are looking for some help about alternative recommendations for treating illnesses, again this book is for you.

The drawback for me is that as much as I wanted to read the book, I just couldn't get into it. It has all the markings of a great book, but may not be right for everyone.
[...]

Just as the majority of others,I give this book 5 stars. I have been using it almost daily for several years. True,I am a holistic practitioner,but I use it personally with and for my family. My husband actually got the book as his course text for a nutrition course in his Acupuncture graduate program. I have used it far more than he.
With beginners,or say,someone new to all of the 'type diagnosing',I usually recommend they look through the back glossary of foods,categorized by types such as legumes,veggies,fruits,etc. Pitchford breaks down the 'energies' of the foods so well,and gives a brief overview of how they are helpful,along with some basic recipes.
He also has sections on oils,sweeteners,greens/chlorophyll,etc.
I just don't see how anyone would be confused or find it contradictory,if you take it a little at a time,and don't attempt to 'diagnose yourself western style'. [this is the trick-it's not a how-to manual;it's a resource guide!]
You can learn the basics of what is important and why,which types of sweeteners to replace with what,etc.
What I love about this book,too,is his focus on assisting those who are transitioning from a more standard western diet. ie,he will discuss meat,fish and their healing properties,when they may be needed,when to avoid,how to transition from,etc.
This is not an 'all or none' preachy type of book.
Pitchford is sincere and obviously knowledgeable/experienced.
For all around great,useful books on health and nutrition,I really cannot think of any other that I'd recommend so highly. Accessible to beginners,but will still challenge/provide info for more experienced folks/practitioners.

Honestly the first time I saw this anime on T.V., I was turned off by the whole crazy psychotic demon stuff. Then I decided to give this anime a chance, and after the first episode, I was hooked. The story is about a girl who falls into a well and she ends up in feudal Japan. Bizzare? Maybe at first, but after a while you'll say, wow that well gos great with the story.
So I decided to purchase the first volume of the manga, and now I will definately say, this is one of my most favorite series. The story involving and thrilling which also leaves for many unexpected events to happen where they end up fighting countless hordes of demons. All in all, this first volume of the manga will make you want to buy volume 2 of this great series.

I ordered the first two of the series.
I was pleased with the fact that they were a pretty good length, but I'm still reeling over the cost!
American dollars are bad. Very bad. Am so broke *droops*.
I love the story very much however, and Inuyasha makes a most adorable villian/good-guy. (confusing isn't it?)
I have shared it with a few of my friends. (Trusted ones mind you. Sooooo expensive to replace!)
They had a lot of reactions ranging from:
*yoink* "I'll see you after Japanese" *runs off clutching book muttering 'My preciousssss'*
To:
"Oh, they aren't very good quality drawings, are they?" *gets head bashed in by me*
And even!:
*Opens first page* "That girl looks really mad. Who is she?"
"Oh! He's a guy??? Are you sure???"
Yes. That really happened. That particular person also mistook Sesshoumaru for a female but I can forgive her for that.
I'd love to buy the rest of the series, but I'm pretty darn sure that I can live without it until the prices go down. One day.

Rumiko Takahashi is the writer of InuYasha, which is known by fans has being a Feudal Fairy Tale. InuYasha is a story about a average schoolgirl who is taken back in time through a well on her family's property. She soon discovers many facts abut herself and her destiny that makes one realize that she in no average schoolgirl. She, with the help of Inuyasha, a half human, half demon hybrid, must gather the shards of a Sacred Jewel that gan give demons enormous amounts of power. Now, one might think that this is just a simple story, that can't be very interesting, but one would be very wrong. InuYasha is a `historical action and romance from one of Japan's most beloved creators' with a touch of gothic horror. What more could one want? With a cast full of interesting characters, and even more interesting villains, anyone reading InuYasha will instantly fall in love with at least one of the characters, and instantly hate a few has well. I myself have read all the books in this series to date (Jan. 7, 2004) that are available. But, if you want to find anymore out about Kagome and Inuyasha's adventures, well... you'll just have to read the book yourself.

Allison R.

"Inu-Yasha" has one of the best stories I've ever read. It starts off simply, maybe a bit generic. From there though, you get to know the characters, and you really do sympathize with them. The relationships between them are not rushed, and the romance is done very well. The story gets better in every volume, too.

Anyone who loves manga should try out Inu-Yasha. It's popular for a reason.

There is a little nudity, but it's not done in a sexual way. Still, it's not something for small children.

Violent, gruesome, nudity. Should be removed from the shelves. My 7 year old son told me he read one of these books that a friend in his second grade class brought in. I purchased a few books in the series and we reviewed one for content. I was horrified to see that it talked about murder, a person saves a bucket of human livers and has to move to another town because he has run out of victims. There were pictures of nude girls on a few of the pages. Although it says it is for Teen on the back cover- Young kids are reading these books. My nephews, who are teens, think these books are for young kids. Most teens are not interested in reading them. Which shows that these books although labeled for teens have a young child audience. I am bringing the books I purchased last night, back to the store this morning.

Everytime I asked this tarot for an answer or guidance, it always gave me exactly what I needed to hear at the moment. Quite amazing. I love the messages that Osho has given on each card - not just a woodoo kinda thing like any other tarot I used in the past. Try to quiet your mind before you enter the reading. It somehow helps me queit my mind as well - very powerful and helpful.

Ullasini Khwan
www.urbanyogis.com

Beautiful set of tarots and a masterful art of getting you to look within for the answers to what is puzzeling you. I have enjoyed the tarot readings and have begun my journey.

Zen and Nonduality:

I can only talk about this deck as part of the spiritual genre known as nonduality, which speaks to the experience of oneness, especially with God or reality itself. Nonduality is the wisdom or deepest knowing of Zen, but not only Zen, also Sufism, Kabbalah, Advaita, Buddhism, Gnostic Christianity, quantum theory, and other fields.

The nonduality genre consists of teachers, students, scriptures, sacred structures and sites, rituals, practices, books, films, audio and video recordings, websites, blogs, emails, all the subjects they bear on, such as religion, philosophy, psychology, quantum physics, and the genre of nonduality also includes this deck of cards.

The Book and The Deck:

There are two parts to this deck. One is the deck. The other is the book that accompanies it. The book states very plainly how this deck differs from other tarot decks: "Osho Zen Tarot is definitely not a traditional tarot in the sense that you play with prediction. Rather it is a transcendental game of Zen which mirrors the moment, unwaveringly presenting what is here, now, without judgment or comparison."

The book itself describes the deck within the context of traditional tarot decks. The framework made up by the Major and Minor Arcana is explained. Recommendations are given for how to play the transcendental game of Zen, including card layouts and the frame of mind to keep.

Then each card is pictured (in black and white) and the theme is described concisely and profoundly by means of an excerpt from the vast body of Osho's writings. As well, there is a brief commentary on the card itself, about the picture, the symbolism, the meaning, the application to your life.

Freeze Frame the Now:

Between the artistic card itself, the Osho reflection upon the theme, and the commentary, a moment of deep understanding and insight becomes possible. When that card is part of a layout of cards, then that understanding and insight becomes part of a bigger transcendental construction. The result is that the present, the moment, becomes crystallized so that you can examine it.

If you want to crystallize the now, do a layout with these cards, and examine the crystal's angles, colors, points and planes. Become aware of how the universe creates you and act sensibly from that knowledge. That's what this tarot deck is about. I use it once in a while to turn the moment inside out. Mostly, it's fun.

Jerry Katz
One: Essential Writings on Nonduality

One of the most beautiful packs of Tarot Cards I have ever came across. You can relate each and every one of them to some part of your life. They are inspirational and have a lesson in each of them. I get all of my friends to buy them. I recommend them to everyone who needs direction in their lives.

This is my fifth purchase of a deck of the infamous TAROT. It's already my favorite. It doesn't conform to the usual four reigning families but it needn't. These are not fortune telling cards; they are meditational tools for those dealing with the Nowness of being. The illustrations are breaktakingly gorgeous on some while others -even negative cards like 'laziness'- reflect a quirky cartoon charm. This is a warm deck of cards where an student of the Buddha or just the spiritually curious can look at different aspects of their lives with new sharpness and intensity.

This book is soul-wrenching. A Must for everyone, regardless of religious affiliation. Brings together both priest and artist: Rembrandt's insights and those of Henri Nouwen. . .

Henri Nouwen had a truly God-given gift - the gift of explaining timeless spiritual truths in very clear, ordinary language in a conversational and deeply captivating way. His words and his explanations imprint themselves into the memory and stay in the heart, and truly help to change lives. Much of his wisdom surely comes from his own struggles, which he admits to in the book - he personally struggled with depression, pride, desire for success and fame, envy, etc. - common human ailments. He also struggled with feeling unworthy of God, and with feeling distant from God. Yet, he learned to overcome his struggles (though he admits that he is still on a journey), and he describes how.

This is the third book I have read by Neuwen. After reading Life of the Beloved I really didn't think that anything could compare, but this book, if not better, is at least just as good. It is an instantly timeless spiritual classic. The whole book is a reflection on Rembrandt's painting, The Return of the Prodigal Son. First Nouwen reflects on the younger son who came back from a foreign land. Then he reflects on the older son who witnesses his younger brother's return. Finally, Nouwen reflects on the father figure. His insights are deep and beautiful. He leads the reader to a natural and yet incredible insight: that after identifying ourselves with both the younger and older brother, we must realize that rather than being either of these two brothers, we are called to become the father!

"Return of the Prodigal Son" is a wonderful opportunity to hear the gentleness and genius that was Henri Nouwen. The book was originally a talk given at retreat when Nouwen was 57, about 8 years before his death, in the time following his famous service at Toronto's L'Arche Daybreak facility for severely handicapped adults. Nouwen's humility is on display, as are his deep spiritual and psychological insights.

The impetus for Nouwen's reflections was Rembrandt's "Return of the Prodigal Son," painted when the artist was elderly, and following multiple tragedies in his own life. Nouwen's inspiration is less the painting, though, than the parable. His lecture is split into three parts, focusing on the younger son, the older son and the father. Nouwen's take on the parable is Jesus's radical break with interpretations of God that held sway in his own day as they still do in ours. The God that Jesus defines is not angry, vindictive or retaliatory, but completely open in love and forgiveness. While many will agree with this description of the Father, fewer will agree with Nouwen that this image of the Father exists the rest of Holy Scripture (both OT and NT) as well. While many of us are willing to accept Scripture's seemingly schizoid vision of God, Nouwen does not. He is completely committed to the loving father portrayed in this parable. For those committed to the God of condemnation, hell and judgment, Nouwen will be a disappointment (or a challenge). Human beings separate themselves from a God who is always anxious to take them back, teaches Nouwen.

In Nouwen's take on the story, the younger son teaches the journey from dissolution to containment. Dissolution includes dissipation of the kind associated with the younger son in the parable -- insults to parents, arrogance, squandering of resources, immorality. But dissolution extends to other activities and attitudes that spread our energies beyond our capacities. We spread ourselves too thin, spiritually, usually out of a desire to impress those in our lives whom we want to impress or influence. But by recognizing our sonship with God, we realize that we do need to impress of fathers (whether heavenly or worldly) into loving us, allowing us to bring our spiritual energies into containment and focus. The elder son often lives in our hearts alongside the younger son. The elder son's error is in resentment and separation. He cannot rejoice that "this son of yours" has returned from death, whining about his own ceaseless and unrewarded labors. But his error also speaks to a misunderstanding of the Father's love. He feels he will be loved *because* of his obedience (evidently given grudgingly) and has missed that his gift is to have been in the presence of the Father all along.

Nouwen's deep insight into the parable, whose subtlety and profundity become apparent the more listen, is astounding. The parable has the power to heal as well. For any who have felt conflict or hurt in family situations, as has Nouwen himself, the parable points the way toward a recognition of our true place in the world, and in God's eyes. This is not a dewy "I'm OK, You're OK" insight, but can lead to a profound shifting of our existential relationship with ourselves, our parents and our God. What false fronts and defenses we might shed if we truly believed in a God who loved us as beloved children -- no matter how far astray we had gone?

Nouwen's style and delivery belie the intensity of his own struggle and the wisdom of his teaching. Yet the insights continue rolling in, like waves following the passage of a ship, long after the book is over. A fascinating and potentially life-changing book.

This book opened up so many different ideas on the well known story of the Prodigal Son. I loved reading this book. It was my first Nouwen read, and it definitely will get me reading more of his books. If you are not familiar with Nouwen, this is a good first read.

This is an excellent life changing book. Presents the core truth of the Christian Gospel in a way that touches everyday attitudes and struggles. A book so personal and touching you may find that Nouwen is addressing your own unique circumstances. I certainly did. You may find yourself thinking about a new way to live. This book changed my life.

This has to be one of the best book i ever read. Torn kept me tearing through the pages, from the day i started it. The book hit so close to home because i went through the same experiance but not for 10 years. Its easy for people to say that Mo shoulda have left quan, but in all reality when you are in the situation,loves clouds your judgement. But otherwise the book kept you intrested, it made you feel like you are really there. I laughed and i cryed and i can proudly say that i am going to pass this book around to each and everyone of my friends. The book made me realize that you could easily think that you love a person,but it might be the idea of love, that makes you hang on for dear life.I WISH I CAN GIVE IT MORE THAN 5 STARS. this book deserves 100 stars.

MS. ERVIN DID HER THANG!!!!!!! THIS BOOK IS A REAL PAGE TURNER FROM THE BEGINNING TO THE END IT WAS SO GOOD THAT I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN. THE CHARACTERS SEEMED SO REAL THE AUTHOR MADE THEM SEEM SO REAL IT WAS A WONDERFUL BOOK IF YOU DON'T OWN IT IT IS A MUST BUY AND READ

You know I loved the story, Keisha is one of my favorite authors. Mo and Quan were constantly at each others throats and I could truly feel her pain through out the story. But the funny thing is as I was reading I was begging for a little more info into the lives of Mina, Victor and their two kids. I know it wasn't their story but I'm just like please give me more. So Keisha if you read this....." LET ME KNOW WHATS GOING ON WITH MISA, MINA, BLACK, AND VICTOR!"

I'm telling you one thing you MUST go get this book and read. You will not be dissappointed. I've never read a book from the author but I am now one of her fans. This book was soo good I read it in one day because I couldn't put it down. The story is a bout Mo and Quan and how their relationship was doomed from the first day they met but didn't want to see it until years later. Then Mo meets Boss, her thug in shinning armor, ready to help her pick up the pieces and show her the true meaning of the word the call LOVE! The book really shows you how Mo was TORN!!!

Torn by Keisha Ervin details the trails and tribulations of Mo and Quan. Mo, a young woman in love with her baller boyfriend loves him so much that she takes any and everything he dishes out to her. Will Mo ever do something about finding herself in the midst of this seemingly one-sided love story?

Author Keisha Ervin continues to push the envelope and shows that she is truly growing as an author. This book gives us a glimpse into why some women stay in unhealthy relationships. This is definitely a recommended read for all those who are in love or who are looking for love.

The books came in and it was like brand new....in fact if I hadn't known I ordered it used I would never have known. It was a great gift and the seller is another I would use again. The book came sooner than promised and was in even better shape than described.

Great book that had me actually laughing out loud, tearing up, and also sobbing. You go on Gracie and Dan's journey and live it with them.

It's a great book in so many different aspects. It still brings me to tears when I think of Gracie, and I have been sure to give extra loven to my Zoie, a beautiful and very mischievious Great Dane, everyday. After reading the book, I don't even mind so much now when I end up holding on to the edge of my king size bed for dear life while Zoie is spralled out taking up 90% of the bed snoring away while I haven't gotten a good night sleep in ages. I didn't even yell at her when she ate three pairs of shoes in one week. The book makes you want to be better to your dogs, do more with them and enjoy them every day. I know my life is happy and fulfilled because of my canine family and my skin family. All six of my dogs are rescues, and they are amazing and wonderful dogs just like Gracie!

I have been trying to find dog books that were as good as Marley and Me and had no luck. I read this book in a day... which I never do. I am from KC, and had no idea before reading this book that it was written by the co-founder of Three Dog Bakery right here in KC! On the first page it talked about him griving the loss of his childhood dog Blue; my first dog's name was Blue. As I kept reading I kept finding more and more things that "spoke" to me. I think this book is BETTER than Marley and Me... both books are my top faves. I might be bias as I'm from KC and remember taking my Blue there. But hardly believe I am.... notice no rating lower than a 4 on here! This book was wonderfully written. It will make you think about life,your own animals, and how everything happens for a reason. I can't say enough wonderful things about this book. (I checked this book out from the library... but will be buying it so that I may own a copy and have others read it, and proceeds of the book go to the Gracie Foundation... to help neglected and abused animals.) This book is not just about a dog; it's how an animal no one wanted showed him how to live and love, one day at a time.

This is such an awesome dog story. It is full of real life fun and mayhem of owning a dog in a multiple dog family. It was witty and entertaining.

The author has wrote a book that presents C++ standard library to the average programmer with plenty of samples that show how to implement each concept step by step.

I got this book originally back in 2001, and I still use it almost every day as the first stop for any STL issue I have. It's also what I give new employees who need to get up to speed on the STL. IMHO there's no better place to start if you want to learn to use the STL.

Still the best book on the STL. Buy this and Josuttis' templates book and you'll be set to learn the intricacies of C++ programming. There are very few genuinely useful C++ books; Josuttis' books are certainly among them... to the point where I almost never bother consulting any others. If I can't understand it from reading Josuttis, I delve into the header files themselves.

This book was delivered to me before time and also paid a decent price for it.

Tutorial? Hardly. Reference? I can find better, more complete, and more accessible reference material in 10 seconds with google. Whenever I open this book to find information about some aspect of the STL, I end up googling for the same information a few minutes later.

The examples are near useless. They are all minimal examples of basic functionality and offer no help in using the library for real-life tasks. They do show you which header files to include, which is a plus.

Hash maps are completely left out of the book. While not officially part of the stl, they are still a significant part of it, and one that requires more explaining than the rest.

I am to understand the +5 reviews were because there are no better books on this subject, similarily my +2 review is because there are not enough negative reviews of this book.

I happened upon this book by chance and as I read it in the store, I began to cry... it really hit a note with me. Simple and beautiful. I bought it and gave it to my 1 year old daughter on her birthday. She doesn't understand it now, of course, but my inscription in the book will be with her as she grows up and I think it'll be a wonderful keepsake and memory for her - that I read this book to her. Of course, I hope one day to get through it without crying...

I bought this book for my children and I now I am buying a copy for my mother. It brings tears to my eyes each time I read it and my boys just love it. It's a necessary book for any mother or for anyone who has a mother.

I checked this book out of the library on a whim one day and as I was reading it to my daughter, I couldn't even read a couple of the pages because I'm such a sentimental thing and started to bawl. I instantly went to Amazon to buy a copy for my daughter and two for baby gifts. A tad schlocky at times, but a wonderful gift for a new mom, who is probably so hormonal that she, too, will be moved to tears. Lovely pictures and a lovely book!

From reading other reviews, I'm glad to know I'm not the only one. I received this as a baby gift. There is something very special about this book. The words are simple, only a few per page, but this is a book that has a lot of meaning hidden within. It tugs at my heart. I can't read it to my daughter (3 1/2), because I start crying every time. I do like to look at it myself, because it makes me think about being a granddaughter, daughter, mother, and (hopefully SOMEDAY)a grandmother. I think all new mothers would love this book, and I plan on buying this in the future for my friends that have baby girls.

I bought this book for my daughter when she recently had her first child, my first grandchild. I cried when I first read it - and I'm not ususally a tearful, sentimental person. It expresses my feelings as I see life moving on into a new generation of my family and the poignancy of new life contrasted to the eventual end of life for each of us.