English Books

Not the easiest book in the six Lymond Chronicles, but The Ringed Castle more than rewards the reader, and anyone who has made it this far in the series will undoubtedly persevere. These books are so awash in swashbuckling one is unaware of how much history one is learning. I can hardly wait to re-read them all to pick up some of what I've missed. Dunnett is a superb writer of entwined fiction and history.

Volume IV of the Lymond Chronicles shows a marked improvement from the somewhat draggy Pawn In Frankincense, if not quite climbing the storytelling heights of the first three episodes.

Ringed Castle spins two riveting tales, Lymond's attempted remaking of Ivan the Terrible's Russia and Philippa's rise into the upper reaches of the English Royal Court. Vivid supporting characters abound: explorer Diccon Chancellor, chess afficiando Tsar Ivan, astrologer John Dee, and Margaret Lennox, Elizabethan femme fatale. The evocation of the Kremlin is gorgeously detailed, as are Lymond & company's adventures in Russia's unforgiving winter and the heartstopping voyage back to England -- Dunnett's uncanny ability to recreate the exotic past with such force you feel yourself there is in full flower. The book's first two thirds are excellent.

But as in the previous volume, Ringed Castle starts to feel like work down the backstretch. Dunnett's authorial sleight of hand in hiding much of Lymond's viewpoint until the final pages begins to frustrate in its familiarity, this ruse particulary trying given the ongoing story regarding his mysterious parentage.

One hopes for less of this in the final volume...

Most reviews of the Lymond series focus on Francis Crawford of Lymond, the enigmatic, often-tortured central character around whom all the other characters revolve. This isn't surprising because he is the central player on the stage. But my favorite character is Philippa, not just because she is genuinely good, but because whenever she enters a scene, it simply begins to sparkle.

Dorothy Dunnett obviously feels a great love for Philpipa because she gives her the best lines and gave her a marvelous sense of humor. She is a wonderful character, both funny and wise. But her greatest attribute is her strong moral character, her desire to do the right thing. In the prior novel, her desire to save Lymond's son caused to her to risk everything--not everyone would become a member of a harem in an effort to save a life. In Ringed Castle, her desire to reconcile Lymond with his family causes her to place herself at great risk.

With regard to Ringed Castle, I didn't find it as consistently compelling as Pawn in Frankincense, but it is still a wonderful book, particularly the haunting and tragic voyage back to England and the last 100 pages at the English court.

I have a tinge of sadness in the realization that I have only one more installment to see how it all ends, to see if Philippa can ultimately tame Lymond.

Luckily, this series is so strong on many levels I can look forward to many productive and enjoyable re-readings.

This is the fifth book in a series which you will either love or hate. It is also one of those multi-book series which must if at all possible be read in the right order, which is

1) The Game of Kings
2) Queen's Play
3) The Disorderly Knights
4) Pawn in Frankincense
5) The Ringed Castle
6) Checkmate

The Ringed Castle has one of the more memorable opening lines in historical fiction: "Not to every young girl is it given to enter the harem of the Sultan of Turkey and return to her homeland a virgin."

After the shattering events of book 4, "Pawn in Frankincense", Phillipa Somerville so returns to England while Francis Crawford of Lymond goes to Russia and takes service with Ivan the Terrible.

There are two reasons why this series, and indeed the author's similar "Niccolo" series, should be read in chronological order. The first is that the plots are incredibly complicated and if you read them out of sequence you have no chance of understanding what is going on.

The second is that many of the characters meet their deaths in ways which are exceptionally unpleasant both for themselves and for the characters who survive them. If you read the books out of sequence, advance knowledge of how characters are going to die, can have a significant impact on the pleasure you would otherwise have had in reading about the earlier events of their lives when you do get around to reading the earlier books.

Like the books, the central character, Francis Crawford of Lymond, is brilliant, violent, and extremely complicated. Unlike the books he is very flawed. Lymond is a mercenary with particular interests in Scotland and France, and gets involved in nefarious deeds all over the world as 16th century Europeans knew it. Dunnett brings the splendour, cultural ferment, and violent cruelty of the Renaissance world splendidly to life.

In this book Phillipa Somerville, who was scarcely more than a girl when she first appeared in the stories, becomes a more important viewpoint character, developing as a heroine and counterweight to Franci Crawford.

If you are at all squeamish, or do not like having to make your brain work overtime to follow a book, leave this series alone. Lymond's story is neither "chewing gum for the brain" nor a comfortable read. And even if you prefer flawed heroes to knights in shining armour, Lymond may infuriate you from time to time. But if you can put up with these features, these books will richly reward the effort you make in reading them.

There is no middle ground: you will either hate the Lymond series or recognise these books as one of the greatest works of historical fiction ever written. Or very possibly both !

"Not to every young girl is it given to enter the harem of the Sultan of Turkey and return to her homeland a virgin." Now that's what I call an attention getting opening! The Ringed Castle begins book #5 in the series as Philippa returns home to England a very self assured young woman and Francis has hitched his wagon to the mysterious Guzel and heads to Russia to bring Tsar Ivan and his army out of the dark ages with the aid of Francis' highly trained mercenary corps.

As Francis treads the treacherous waters of the Russian court and political intrigues, there is a traitor amongst his troop who has been hired to kill him. At the same time, Philippa is called to court to serve as lady in waiting to Mary Tudor and the delightfully evil Countess Margaret Lennox continues her intrigues against Francis and Philippa. Eventually Francis is ordered by the Tsar to leave Russia, and after a harrowing sail through the dangerous waters of the northern seas Francis comes to London as part of Russia's trade embassy. There he is reunited with his wife, Philippa, who has stumbled across a long hidden mystery regarding Francis' paternity.

As with the first four books in the series, Francis Crawford is a fascinating hero, and is as suave, debonair, flawed and fascinating as only a 16th Century version of James Bond could be. While I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I didn't find it as fast paced as the previous four, particularly the time spent in Russia, although necessary to set up the rest of the story. What I very much enjoyed was the maturation of Philippa and she has become the perfect foil for Lymond, she matched word for word in all their verbal battles and was the highlight of the book. I am dying to read the last book in the series, Checkmate: Sixth in the Legendary Lymond Chronicles and anxiously await the answers to just who fathered Francis Crawford of Lymond. Five stars.

I had put off reading this book for years because of a review I had read saying it was about a girl who wanted to be a boy. The book was actually the story of several different people and the different journeys they took to find themselves. It is wonderfully written and I am only sorry I didn't read it sooner. I highly recommend it.

Granted, a happy ending is far from what I expected when I started in on this book, nor do I normally expect happy endings from modern novels. I was somewhat apprehensive about reading another book about someone finding himself, but I'm quite glad I did. Tremain's novel unfolds quietly, without great pomp, and pulls you in through carefully-crafted characters that feel like real human beings. I found that the more I read, the more I wanted to keep reading, and it's been quite a while since an author's managed to accomplish that for me. While Mary/Marty's story is interesting, I find the "support cast" more intrigueing, potentially because Mary/Marty somehow ends up a bit hollow, a bit shallow; his only desire, as human as it may be, is to settle down with a girl.

Other characters in the novel go through ups and downs, as well, but most seem to have either arrived at a place of contentment (or, at least, contentment with their discontentment) or are portrayed as being in a transitional place. Mary/Marty probably wouldn't bother me so much if he wasn't trans. The fact that he has no real ambition and has only the most basic of desires--to find a mate--strikes a sour note into this otherwise beautifully-written novel. Just as many queer characters tend to end up with less-than-happy endings, so Mary/Marty ends up alone and content with loneliness. Perhaps I'm being a bit paranoid here, but that strikes me a bit too much like a conservative message wrapped up in what looks to be a progressive novel.

Nonetheless, the book is well worth the read, especially for the glimpse into changing views on and roles of masculinity within English culture after WWII and as industry started to take over smallholdings in rural England. I'd give it 3-1/2 stars if I could, but since that's not an option, I'll go with 4 for the smoothness of the prose, the complexity of the characters, and sociological value.

I loved this novel. I haven't read it recently so some of the details are fuzzy but I do remember being amazed by the story and the author's writing style.

"Sacred Country" is about a young girl, Mary Ward, who, at the age of six, realizes that she should be boy. The book is a chronicle of her life from that point on. I found the detailed descriptions of the odd things that captured Mary's curiosity as a child (and as an adult, in a different way) intriguing. I won't lie, this is a very sad story at times, and is hard to read in some parts because of Mary's loneliness. The loneliness is never stated and packs a harder punch because of it. All in all, this book explained to me in stunning writing, the process of finding all of the right worlds in oneself. And, dealing with them when they don't fit or express into a manageable form to the outside world. It is a coming of age story to the self and to life. I like to read to learn - about happiness, sadness, life - this book delivered in a big way for me.

I completely agree with the five or six other reviews of this book for two reasons, one that it's an absolutely wonderful story and two that it's a shame that more people haven't reviewed it. It's one of those rare books that will capture you until you read the last page. The characters, as well as their relationships are so well crafted that you don't want them to end. It so touching and human that I can't imagine anyone would not fully enjoy it.

Normally books about people trying to "find themselves" do not appeal to me. I'm a reader of historical fiction - thus I discovered Rose Tremain through Music & Silence (Excellent) and Restoration (wonderful read). I purchased this book simply because of the author. When I got it and read the covers, I thought "I've been gipped, this isn't what I wanted" - However, after just a few pages, I was pulled in. Mary/Martin's struggle with gender reflects every individual's struggle to become who they think they are meant to be. Gender identity is only a tool here; it is not the focus of the book. The English farm, the repressed family, the country music scene in Nashville are a perfect backdrop for the inner struggles of characters such as Mary and Walter. The author paints such a realistic picture: Struggles are hard and probably never ending. The book also demonstrates the importance of the "one person" in someone's life who can make such a difference -- in small and often unknowing ways. I can't say I loved this book, but I can say that I am so glad I read it. The world is filled with Marys and Walters, and there is a bit of them in each of us as well. The perspective this book brings is right on target. Rose Tremain is truly a great writer.

Everyone should read ee cummings, even non-poetry lovers will love cummings whimsy and clever wordplay. He has also written the most beautiful, most romantic poetry of anyone in the English language.

It really is a great collection of e.e. cummings - certainly everything I wanted.

But what's to review - it's e.e. cummings, it's great

Now I must get back to my toboganning into know

Enjoy.

P.S. e.e. cummings was emphatic about his name being in lower case, so I do have to criticize the Editors of this book for putting his name in caps

One of the great poets of the 20th century gets a nice treatment here. A few of my favorites were not included (disappointed!!), but all in all this is a solid, representative anthology.

This is not a review. It is a complaint about the review I just read critisizing the editors of this fine collection. E.E. Cummings HATED that his publishers put his name in all lower case. He was not emphatic about it. He thought it was gimicky and exploitive of his publishes.
Whoa, when'd this horse get so high. ooop
S.

This review is from a strictly prose guy, as poetry usually goes right over my head. In my efforts to understand poetry, I have discovered that the work of e.e. cummings breaks through the stylistic barriers that make many people shy away from poetry altogether. cummings' use of bizarre spacing, punctuation, and phrasings keeps the reader away from the "sing-song" routine that tends to damage the credibility of many a poem, and cummings uses the art of style to say many things and make many points in just a few words. The most fascinating aspect of cummings' work is letting the small number of words in a poem really sink in until you gain many insights. This book usefully arranges cummings' most noteworthy poems into categories so you can more easily dwell on his major areas of subject matter. cummings did not live the hard life of many noteworthy poets, so a good number of his poems are musings on abstract concepts like life, love, mythology, and mortality. However, his much sharper observations on war, prostitution, politics, and the dark side of urban life can be truly shocking once you delve into their deeper meanings. Contemplating the title of this review, which is also the first line of the poem on page 181 of this book, will help any poetry-fearing reader to dive into cummings' world.

I LOVE this book so much that I have bought it over and over - giving it away as gifts to so many Spanish learners and even Spanish speakers who are not so fluent that they couldn't benefit from a book that provides English, Castilian and Mexican usage for thousands of very specific pictures. Inflatable dinghy? reduced-fat milk? extension cord? after-sun care? It's all here, with DK's characteristically beautiful photos. It's a bit heavy to cart everywhere, but it's so engrossing that it makes any long wait (at the supermarket or doctor's office)an unexpected pleasure.

This is a small book but it is packed with visual images and the Spanish words for them. So many useful items are in here, you will not need much more than this. It is small enough that I took it with me to Spain and plan to take it to Mexico. It is also well organized and handy to use so you can find the word you need quickly and easily. I think this an essential book to your Spanish learning.

This is a very extensive book, with lots of useful words and not a lot of junk (unlike some visual dictionaries, esp. those published by Milet).

Oodles of different subjects to study. This book is especially helpful if you make flashcards from the lists.

My first and only major complaint about this book is that it doesn't provide a whole lot of verbs, and for a book of this size, it could include considerably more adjectives for physical states, personality traits, etc. It's not totally devoid of these things, but there are no categories devoted to these types of items.

My other complaint is that there are a few words and phrases which just... aren't... correct. Actually, there's very little that could be considered downright WRONG - but there are some phrases, here and there, which do not reflect the most common way of saying something.

Overall, though, I think this is quite possibly the best visual dictionary on the market. It's got a lot of stuff, but it's not overwhelming (like the Firefly dictionaries) and it isn't riddled with useless vocab (like the Milet editions).

he conocido este producto al comprar el diccionario inglés - francés.

Lo encuentro muy útil, ya que es todo el vocabulario cotidiano el que aparece, y addemás es ilustrado, lo cual identificas exactamente loq ue quieres buscar.

Estoy muy contenta y se lo recomiendo a todo el mundo.

Oh, this dictionary is so awesome! I have so much geekish fun with it you wouldn't believe it. A genius-like idea (words grouped by theme, each with a matching picture), flawlessly executed.

Though a slightly worrying side-effect is that one starts to lust after the items in the pictures (not the people, who are all remarkably healthy, (except if you're looking at the section about going to the doctor, or being in the hospital), but in a completely cheerful, non-erotic kind of way).

But the things. Everything is so top-of-the line. If DK include a photo of a bathrobe, it's so klassy you immediately start to krave it. Their pastry display makes you drool. You don't just want to know that "la masa brisa" is filo pastry, or that "trifle" is "el postre de soletillas, gelatina de frutas y nata", you want the damned trifle itself. Even the fast food ("comida rapida") looks uncommonly mouth-watering. The "albaricoque" picture is of the most perfect apricot you have ever seen. Even the ugli fruit ("el ugli") is beautiful. Over in the section about the bank, "el director de banco" is kindly and avuncular. "Las plantas podadas con formas" (topiary) are uniformly exquisite. Even the watering can ("la regadera") is an aesthetic delight. "La montaña rusa" (the roller-coaster) is a canonical example of roller-coasterdom.

You get the picture. Actually, you get thousands of them, each more attractive than the next.

The only slight disadvantage is that verbs don't quite get the emphasis they deserve.

File under dictionary-porn.

Who knew sitting in an office waiting for a friend would be so uplifting?? I was introduced to Story People in just this way...as an office copy. I picked it up and read it cover to cover. Then I went out and recommended it to everybody! I particularly like the dreams, so beautiful, so right.

It's hard to describe what Story People are. The book is a collection of poems that aren't really poems, but more like half-ponderings. Each feels like a tiny glimpse into the head of a stick-figure child. Some are funny. Some sad. Most moving in some way. But to say they're poems would make them sound too serious. They definitely don't take themselves seriously. There's some drawings too, mostly really poorly drawn stick figures that somehow perfectly illustrate the stories. It doesn't feel like an inspirational book, but when I finished I felt really inspired.

We first found Brian Andreas' work in a charming shop in Cambria, California. We gave this book as a gift to our 86 year old mother. She loves it, as we do. Something to sit down with and know that it will warm your heart and bring a smile to your face. Mr. Andreas brings a new perspective to the simple and the complex situations in life. A must buy for the New Year!

Brian Andreas is one of the most uniquely talented people out there, and this book is a great starting point for appreciating his work. Within 5 minutes of picking up this book, you want to call everyone you know and tell them to run to the nearest bookstore for a copy of their own. You can read this book every day and still discover something new every time. No matter what mood you're in, there's a story to match it. Buy this book...and then buy all the rest of Brian's books, too.

A person is confined to his/her individual perception of the world. It's like we all have a welder's mask with only a pinhole through which to view reality. Whenever we can widen our perspective it is, indeed, liberating - it feels good. We can only do this by borrowing another person's peep hole. Brian Andreas' is a kaleidoscope. He generously shares his with us in his short little stories and primative, detailed drawings. "Story People" liberates, invigorates and widens worlds. Smile, laugh, and wonder. Have a peep.

This book covers many aspects of writing, such as copyright, writing contests, agents, contracts, writing courses, how to keep out of legal trouble with your writing, what to do if you've sold something to an editor who won't pay up and much more. It is a tool to help a writer make it through the hazards of writing and the many pitfalls that wait for the unwary. The book also includes sample contracts for you to check out. It's a great reference book for every writer to have. I keep it handy where I can use it all the time.

A great book for a new author! I found this book very informative, enlightening but scary, realizing all the mistakes I have already made- myself but acknowledging some of the good decisions I've made as well. Nevertheless, it's better to know at the beginning of my journey than much later. If only I had read this book first! Thanks for the much needed info.

Jenna Glatzer and lawyer Daniel Steven have combined forces in THE STREET SMART WRITER and given any writer a valuable resource.

Too many writers have gone innocently down the wrong path with a scam literary agent or publishing house and lived to regret their choice. Follow the wise counsel in these pages and you will protect yourself from disappointment and you will save yourself a lot of money and grief.

"We want to believe that people have good intentions."

If you're not familiar with Jenna Glatzer then you really need this book because you're obviously not as internet/writer savvy as you need to be. Jenna is the owner of AbsoluteWrite.com, a writer friendly site. She's also the author of Make a Real Living as a Freelance Writer and one of my favourites, Outwitting Writer's Block. Not only does she write for writers but the last year she wrote an authorized biography for Celine Dion: For Keeps. This working writer has a knack for sharing her experience with others. In this publication she has joined forces with Daniel Steven, a writer and publishing lawyer.

This is definitely a must-have guide for writers, especially the writer who dabbles in many areas. It's not only about what to avoid but doing it better. The Street-Smart Writer is divided into 17 chapters with an appendix of additional forms tacked on the end. Chapter breakdown:

1 - Agents & Managers (spotting sharks)
2 - Agents & Managers (finding a good one)
3 - Paying to Publish (vanity and subsidy presses)
4 - What to do if you've been screwed
5 - Trouble Spots in Book Contracts
6 - After Publication Rip-offs for Book Authors
7 - Vanity Poetry Contests
8 - Deceptive Contests for Novelists, Short Story Writers, Screen writers & others
9 - Crash Course in Copyright
10 - Special Screw-over for Screenwriters
11 - Monstrous Magazines & E-zines
12 - Dealing with Deadbeats
13 - Costly Courses & Shady Seminars
14 - How to Know When They're really using You
15 - Spotting False Credentials
16 - Protecting Yourself from Threats & Lawsuits
17 - "They Stole My Idea!" and other things not to worry about.

One of the things I appreciated about the Street-Smart Writer was its ability to explain instead of tell. Like the "big bucks" you make at vanity presses: -Let's say you managed to sell a hundred copies through bookstores. How much would you earn on a 250-page paperback book printed as cheaply as possible with a retail price of $20? About $240. Which means if you paid a print-on-demand company to publish your book and didn't even spend a dime to have it edited or promoted, you still wouldn't even have recouped your initial investment, let alone made any profit from your hard work.- To finish off Street-Smart provides a commercial publisher arrangement for you to compare. An eye opener for anyone thinking they can make big(ger) bucks by doing it themselves.

Many sample letters appear throughout and to help you decipher any forms the appendix provides examples of: Literary Agent Agreement, Interview Release, Permissions Agreement, Contributors Agreement, Trade Publishing Agreement, Film Option & Literary Purchase Agreement. These are not meant to be substitute agreements but to give you some background information when you're cool and collected because you know your stomach is going to be in knots when the real thing comes.

There's so much in this book for the eclectic writer. But any writer can learn from all these areas and apply it to their own work. Jenna Glatzer's usual comedic style, logic and blunt truth delivers the cold hard facts about the writing world. In layman's terms she explains away the idiots of the industry's scam tactics by teaching readers how to read between the lines. It's not meant to be a scare tactic but to make you an informed writer and it accomplishes its task. Reviewed by M. E. Wood.

While the entire book is fantastic, and offers an insider's look into the world of freelance writing and authoring books, I have to say I found Chapter 5: Trouble Spots In Book Contracts to be the best part of the book. It delves into trouble areas that can hurt the author, and how to maneuver around them. Finally, the appendix of forms is priceless: sample literary agent agreement, interview release form, permissions agreement, contributor's agreement, trade publishing agreement, and film option agreement.

As a business Student who studied coporate alliances, and a corporate personel who has witnessed the planning and implementation of alliances, i believe "the strongest Link" deserves the highest ranking on the subject. This book is a MUST read for all CEOs and everyone in mangement, especially those who make decisions on alliances. This is an excellent book.

This book is a must read for anyone who's involved in Strategic Alliance or seeking to learn more about it. It's very well written, well organized and most importantly it identifies key issues and addresses them with excruciating details. I would strongly recommend it to business managers, people responsible for strategic development and students.

his book is a must read for anyone who's involved in Strategic Alliance or seeking to learn more about it. It's very well written, well organized and most importantly it identifies key issues and addresses them with excruciating details. I would strongly recommend it to business managers, people responsible for strategic development, and students.

Most books on alliances give broad advice or a 50,000 foot view of the topic. This book is different. It provides practical tools. My team now uses the Alliance Framework and Alliance Implementation Program to create and manage our deals.

I have read most of the books on strategic alliances. The Strongest Link is the first book I have found that provides practical, insightful, and detailed help on just what I should do to plan, negotiate, and implement these relationships. It will be immediately useful to anyone from a CEO or other corporate executives to managers who have specific alliance responsibilities. Give a copy to everyone in your company who deals with alliances.

Sweater Design in Plain English I just received this book but it looks good. I am a long time knitter who needs good directions. I am planning on using this book to solve problems in other designs as well as using the designs included.

This was sent in great condition and sent promptly. A great gift, it is already being used! Thanks!!

I am excited about design and heard this book is about the best out there. It looks straight-forward and inspiring. I like her other Knitting in Plain English so I'm sure this will be satisfactory. Give it a whorl.

The author does an excellent job of explaining sweater construction and fit for a wide variety of body types. She also discusses common sweater knitting pitfalls at length. This book is not only an essential reference for designing a sweater from scratch, but also for customizing and/or correcting other people's patterns.

I actually expected a book with in-depth description of the drape of knitted fabric, comparison and datailed discussion of stitch pattern. All these are mentioned only VERY superficially, e.g. knitted fabric is forgiving, cables pull in.

The author went too far into the arithmetic of sweater shaping (she even explained what is an even number...), she basically spans 2 pages worth of contents into 200 pages. Read a sample chapter on one of the sweater design and you'll get what I mean. If you find that kind of instruction useful you'll probably like this book.

I'd definitely return it if shipping is not that expensive. I gave it 3 stars however as probably it's just that I'm not a targeted audience of this book.

Ok, I am a Leslie Esdaile fan, I love all of her books! Well the ones I've read so far, I love how versatile she is as a writer, I mean her romance and the paranormal books are wonderful, I love the VHL(Vampire Huntress Legend) series and her romances take me away. Karin and JB just fit! I love how she can exude sensuality and sexuality and make the love scenes pop without it having to be overly raunchy, this book really takes you there!

Wow, I am so glad I stumbled across this book. This romance was GREAT! The male/female lead had such chemistry. The supporting characters were great and the story line was intriguing. I am definitely going to have to read more of Ms. Esdaile's books. If you want a good romance, try this one!!

Before facing the IRS, Jacques (JB) Dubois, CEO of Def Island needs financial help quick. The accounting firm that is trying to get his account assigns CPA Karin Michaels to work with him until the boss gets over his sickness or another top staffer can take over. Although, Karin is fascinated with the singer, she is also looking out for his business.

Karin is invited to Jacque's concert while in Philadelphia and takes her "stuck up" doctor boyfriend, Lloyd. This is a fun read as Karin enjoys herself at the concert.

Karin has to travel to Jacques home in St. Lucia to look over his books and this is where she better understands his lifestyle while their attraction for one another truly surfaces especially with the sly help of Jacques housekeeper, Mrs. Orville.

This was an enjoyable story and one that you have to keep reading until finished.

I got hooked on this book immediately. Finished it in 2 days. It's a book that you can relate to. The passion between Karin & Jacques was incredible. I want my own Jacques Dubois! I only wish it was longer.

Buy it. Great to read while working out.

Leslie Esdaile took us on a wild journey of lust and love in her novel "Take Me There". It is a great romantic novel about a woman in her search for love. Her novel also shows a very real economic side of the world that many travelers or tourist fail to see. She brings her main characater, Karin, to life as she embraces the things she sees. A great romance story indeed.

Thanks Leslie!!!!

Another great book I have used in my SDC classroom with low cognitive functioning special needs children. I would recommend it highly.

I have used this book quite a bit with my 9 year old daughter with DS, since she was about 5. It is very well written and encouraging, full of information. I have given it to all my daughter's teachers as there are activities that can be done in a classroom.

I love this book. I wish I'd gotten it when my son was little! It provides great information about how to teach kids with DS to read, but also has great stories of real kids and their accomplishments. I'd recommend that anybody with a DS child buy the book early (when their baby is little), and read the first few chapters. It'll inspire them, mitigate some of the worries they have about their child's future, and introduce them to the important concept that although people with DS are generally slower to develop, their learning disabilities can be mitigated by teaching them in a way that is effective for the way they think (e.g., kids with DS are visual learners), rather than the "standard" way. My four year old has actually had better success with the Love and Learning videotapes and books than the flash card approach described in the book, but the principal is pretty much the same.

it is extremely helpful, in only 2 months my daughter at 6 years old was up to 30 site words without picture cues. (Her first attempt at actually reading) The book contains alot of helpful activities, simply spelled out in step by step directions for anyone to understand.

I have taught 5 children with down syndrome how to read, based on the information I recieved from this book. I work in the school district with children with DS and tutor them after school as well. I could never have had the success I have had without the information the author provides in this book.