Literature Books

A very comprehensive book for those who are interested in using literature circles to boost their students' interest in reading and speaking skills. It can surely help you to gain a very good understanding of what literature circles are and the "tips" provided after the description of every lesson are quite helpful. However, the lessons described in the book are for first language learners and you will need make adaptations if you want to use the ideas with your EFL students.

If you are a teacher like me, or if you are forming a literature group, this book is an excellent resource. It will help you work with students to ensure that they have organized and productive literature cirlce discussions.

Excellent resource. Lots of great ideas, easily adaptable to various grade levels and abilities.

This book is a useful tool if you plan to introduce literature circles into your classroom. It is an easy read, something that one can use as a reference as well as a lesson-planning tool. The way the book is written and organized allows me to use the individual lesson plans with my own literature, whether using novels, short stories or poetry. Having never used literature circles before and being a little skeptical, I am very pleased with this book's ability to explain the benefit and realistic purpose of using them in a high school classroom. The authors have definitely done their research and answer all the questions teachers have regarding the reality of using these circles. I am convinced and am looking forward to implementing them in my own classroom.

The premise behind this book is great. I was hoping to have some instant lessons to use with my fourth grade students. While some of the lessons are adaptable to that age, the activities are really designed for high school classes.

Tove Jansson, Moominsummer Madness (FSG, 1955)

What happens in valleys in the rainy season? They flood, of course. The Moomins wake up one morning and find the lower floor of their house underwater. Time to find a new house! Off in the boat they go, and a strange house they do find, they do, replete with ghosts, thousands of dresses, and changeable scenery. The party gets split up, and many adventures are had by all. Another wonderful Moomin book; if you didn't read this series as a kid, read it now and see what you missed. ****

Natural disasters are a bit annoying.


Not being happywith dropping a comet on the little troll guys, Jansson decides to try and get them with a volcano, whether blowing them up or toasting them with lava I guess it doesn't matter. Getting out of that has them suffer a flood, on top of everything else. Hijinks in a floating theatre as raft of choice is what you get here.

Tove Jansson was a Swedish-speaking Finnish writer and illustrator who wrote many childrens books including the famous Moomin series. Here, the setting is Moominvalley which is basically the natural beauty and pristineness of Finland, populated by Moomins (who look like little hippos which stand upright and are fluffy) and a host of other weird and wonderful creatures. The action is mainly centred around the family with Moominpappa, Moominmamma and Moomintroll the kid. They set a tone for the whole series as Tove infused them and their whole universe with experiences of her own family which seem to have been a very bohemian, artistic, tolerant and warm lot. This makes the books great reading for kids from an early age as they invoke a wonderful sense of fun and silliness as well as acceptance and openmindedness.

One thing I remember from reading these as a kid is that the plot didn't really matter. In some books, it's hard to say exactly what happens. Rather, it is the atmosphere that I found the most important. This book is one of the more upbeat ones in the series in terms of craziness and slapstick. In it, the Moomins find themselves caught in the midst of the production of a pompous play (which is a great satire on theatre in general) and they and their friends encounter minds less tolerant than theirs (such as the garden with the prohibition signs - No Smoking, No Sitting on the Grass, No Singing, No Jumping! etc).

A great series overall, filled with imagination, surrealism, fun and warmth.

The Moomin books are extremely unique in the realm of children's literature. They are clean, endearing, thoughtful, a little dark, and always utterly enchanting. I am in high school now, and I still love to read these books.

I first recieved a copy of Finn Family Moomintroll from an aunt who read and loved them in HER childhood, spent in Japan. I devoured it, and promptly begged my mother to find more. Now, several years later, I am still held spellbound by these books. They are quirky, charming, full of clever witticisms and simple, wonderful turns of phrase, and are among the many hidden gems which so many cynical youngsters will scorn for lack of blood.

This book, though contains plenty of fun and even a little revenge (provided by Snufkin, of course,) but of course the characters are forever polite. Better yet, they set a good example for kids without shoving sticky-sweet morals down their throats. In addition, by setting the story around a theatre - which the Moomin family knows absolutely nothing about - Jansson gives the reader a humorous edge over the characters, which helps keep the story moving and the reader amused.

These books should be introduced to young, thoughtful children, older, shy children, college students, people going through mid-life crises, and/or those in rest homes. They are to be read in a comfy chair before a fire on a gray, rainy day, or with the snow coming down and a mug of cocoa. These books are only for those who have open, quiet minds, and for people ready to be enchanted and amazed.

It's midsummer--or should I say, Moominsummer--in Moominvalley, and the time for all sorts of madness! This story is so fun, refreshing, and hilarious! The Moomins remain as steady as ever.

It's a hot summer day when the volcano near Moominvalley starts acting up--spitting soot all over everyone and everything. Suddenly, the ground starts to shake--and then Moominvalley floods! With their classic imperturbability, the Moomins hop on a house that's floating downstream along with some friends. But this is no ordinary house, the Moomins soon find out--it is a theatre. And there are some rules about living in a theatre--especially one with a hidden occupant--the Moomins didn't know about. This book details their journey, the play they attempt to put on, the adventures Moomintroll and the Snork Maiden have while separated from the group, and, finally, a large bit of madness and the return home.

So very funny and adorable! I really love this series, for all it's too young for me.

I have quite a few of these books from this series and they are my kids favorites! This animal book was one of my son's favorites and it shows. I highly recommend these books!! They teach while being fun to look at.

My kids love this book! It was given to my daughter as a gift when she was a baby. It was one of her favorite books through her toddler years and even now at 5 years old she enjoys looking at all of the different kinds of animals inside. She is crazy about animals and even after all these years the many familiar and unique pictures inside hold her interest. And now that she's in Kindergarten she likes to say the name of the animal and try to decide what letter sound it starts with.

My son is now 2 and it is one of his very favorite books to look through. He is constantly following me around asking me to name different animals for him. He gets frustrated with me daily for not sitting with him longer with this book.

There are so many kinds of animals packed into this one little book. And I love how they're categorized into baby animals, fast animals, powerful animals, spiky animals, etc.

This book has seen a lot of little hands in the last almost 6 years and the spine is starting to come apart so we're buying a new one. I know my infant son will enjoy it as much as my two older children when he gets older!

Everywhere we go, various educators are surprised by how many animals my children can recognize and this little DK book is one of the reasons.

Colorful and pretty comprehensive (for the preschool and under set) it depicts not only the usual zoo and farm animals, but also creatures such as a blue whale, pigeon, emu, starling, slug, buffalo and boa constrictor.

The division of animals into categories such as 'creepy crawlies' and 'powerful' is very unusual for a kid's book, but very useful for parents because it serves as a reminder of attributes that we can point out to our youngsters.

The animals are too numerous to list here, but some of the categories are: Giant, Babies around the farm, Babies in the wild, Birds, Creepy crawlies, Noisy, Powerful, Swimmers, Climbers Speedy, Armored, Colorful, Spotty, Stripy, Spiky, and Nighttime animals.

Five Stars. Excellent educational material and great fun.

Book is built to last. It's two years old and only in two pieces. Which may seem like alot but our twins fight over it. Now our 1 year old want to get in on it as well. We may have theree pieces soon which is still acceptable given the rough housing over it.

Another "First" book that my son adores!! Many different animals are represented & he loves to go through each page & each animal... GREAT book- highly recommend all "first" books!!

Reeve surely has Ann's gene for writing. This book should be read by all who still have parents alive and will be faced with their eventual death and by those who have already lost a loved one. Alzheimers and dimentia are a death before dying. It is hardest on those left behind and gilt and worry are only some of the emotions one has to deal with during the dying process. Reeve caught the essence of her mother and was fortunate to be able to have 24/7 caregivers to help her through this ordeal.
This book is a tribute to Ann and to Reeve's Sister.

This is a fast reading book concerning Mrs. Charles Lindbergh's last few years of life. Written by youngest Lindbergh sibling, Reeve, she tells of living on her own farm in Vermont, with a smaller house on the property her mother lived in during that time. Reeve Lindbergh is a wonderful writer - she doesn't need the famous last name to prove that. When she isn't writing about her mother, which is riveting for some reason, her writing of anything else in the book has such a fresh, emotional spirit behind her words. Anne Morrow Lindbergh, a legend in her own time both in flying, her husband, and her many published works, did not talk much in her last years. It is a story of how the family felt and coped with her condition, letting go of the vibrant mother they once knew. An excellent book for those who have been a caregiver to a parent or sibling. Anne M.L. was such a famous figure, it was both interesting and heartwrenching to have the privilege of reading about her day to day living. Thank you, Reeve Lindbergh, for sharing this story that you could have kept to yourself, but chose to share. It's a book that will be remembered long after it's read.

I have read Reeve Lindbergh's work before in her memoir, "Under A Wing". I was surprised at her candor regarding her father, and what was equally clear was her fondness for her mother. "No More Words", which records the last 17 trying and rewarding months of her mother's life, is a tender tribute that is notable for what it includes and for what it omits.

The only photograph of Mrs. Lindbergh is the one that appears on the cover. The photograph depicts a young woman at the start of what would prove to be a life as fascinating as it was lengthy. The closing months of this woman's life are chronicled above all else with a great deal of respect. This is a most private family event, and just as the book is devoid of any pictures for the voyeur, the narrative too is informative without taking away any of the dignity of her mother. This would seem to be an obvious manner to write of one's parent, but a person does not have to look far to find books written with sales as the first goal, and exploitation of the subject left unconsidered.

Reeve Lindbergh is a poet, she is reflective, and these aspects of her personality provide a narrative that is unique. This book is not simply a diary; it is not a chronological description of the systematic health decline of her mother. It is more of a story that is driven by the limited interactions she was able to have with her mother, and the memories that were either hers or recollections of her mother's life. This is not a sugarcoated story of what was a very trying time. The book is a balanced memoir about how difficult it is to deal with not only the death of a parent, but also the very real difficulties and frustrations that caring for an elderly, ill parent involves. Mrs. Lindbergh had the best care available which took much of the moment-to-moment care off of the family. It did not remove many of the difficulties, and the reader can easily imagine what it would entail to care for a parent with little, or no outside help.

This is a very contemplative book that moves at an associated pace.

Reeve Lindberg has succeeded in giving us a marvelous journey through the last two years of her mother's life. It is also a very helpful description of what it is to deal with someone who is deep in the fog of an Alzheimer's like state. I plan to give copies to many of my friends, most especially those with elderly parents. Reeve's language is lovely and crisp in the strokes of its portraits. It is easy to see she that is her mother's daughter. I am so happy to have discovered this book and I would recommend it to anyone who is seeing or will see an elderly parent or friend through his or her last days and months. Tasha Halpert

This is a touching memoir of the time when Reeve Lindbergh was helping to take care of her aging mother, the famous Anne Morrow Lindbergh in the last year(s) of her life. This book is a look inside the private lives of a very well known family during a difficult transition in their lives.

The story is about how Reeve is trying to make sense of this time. It contains her thoughts and reflections and fears about the change in her mother's condition. I appreciate the honesty in which this book is written, I feel like the author held nothing back in relating her story. I was surprised and delighted at the openness of it. She wrote about things in dealing with this situation that people think, but would rarely admit to.

I found this book to be very comforting, as I recently experienced a similar situation in my own family. There were so many times, as I read this, I was shaking my head thinking....I know exactly what you're saying. Throughout the ordeal, there are sad times, but there were also light and funny times as well. Dealing with the aging and decline of a loved one that you have known so well all of your life is difficult. They change, and when it happens, we don't always know how to deal with it or what to think, and we wonder what they are thinking. It's hard and it's confusing when you are trying to guess at what is going on in their world. Reeve writes beautifully about it all.

I had not picked this book with the intention of experiencing what I did...the comfort of reading about someone else going through a similar situation as me. I initially picked this book because I love Anne Morrow Lindbergh's book 'Gift of the Sea' and I wanted to read more about her life. Once again, as I am a firm believer of...the right books come along at just the precise moment that we need them and so often they come in an unexpected way as this one did for me.

This book is incredible! What detail & foreknowledge is involved in the inspired word of God. If you think the Bible is a masterpiece now you will not be disappointed after reading "Number in Scripture." It brought home to me how little we actually conceptualize about the workings of God.

Not only that, but it also helps with finding significance and greater meaning and understanding in scripture.

I had not read up on this subject before & found it truly inspiring.

E.W. Bullinger was a genius and I think every Pastor and Sunday School Teacher should have a copy of this book. It is somewhat technical reading but very interesting to see how numbers are so important in the Bible.

EVERY CHRISTIAN SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO READ/LEARN THE 'SECRET' GOSPEL
HIDDEN IN THE NUMBERS..........THIS BOOK IS THE BEST WRITTEN ON THAT SUBJECT.

IT WAS GREAT, I LEARNED A LOT. IT POINTS OUT THINGS WE NEVER THINK ABOUT.

"As for God His WAY is perfect" (PS.xviii.30). "The Law of the Lord is perfect" (Ps. xix. 7). "They are both perfect in power, perfect in holiness and righteousness, perfect in design, perfect in execution, perfect in thier object and end, and, may we not say, perfect in number."
E.W. Bullinger

It makes since does it not? If the words that God uses are perfect then why not the numbers? Thus, we have this monumental study by E.W. Bullinger. This book is broken into two sections, the first section examines the supernatural design of the Bible. The second section examines the spiritual significance of numbers. However, this book isn't just about numbers, it is an example of the beautiful accuracy and the infallability of God's perfect Word. The Bible flows in perfect harmony from the beginning to the end. After reading this book, never will you view the Bible as nothing more then just an "Old Book" written by religious zealots that collects dust on your bookshelf. Nor will you view the Bible as having no relevance in today's "modern" world. You will begin to see it as it really is, and that is, PERFECT!!!

God Bless ya!

Where the heck did Clay Reynolds come from? This is one wild high-octane rush of Texas black comedy, betrayal and bloodshed. Tarrantino meets McMurtry. They'll never cram all this headlong action into a feature-length movie, and if they did it would fry you brainless. Read the book.

A fine plot,interesting,true to life characters and well paced make Players a super crime read.It is not yet up to the better Lawrence Block's or Elmore Leonard's,but I would rate it an 8 if not for the highly distracting use of colons in the punctuation.There are hundreds and hundreds of them.

1)This book is so far the only book that all the readers (including me) who tributed comments to the wonderful and so USER-FRIENDLY cool AMAZON.COM that from top to end, there is only an unique 10 or 10+ ratings. But why Amazon.com never included this wonderfully written book in their best recommanded 50 books? If all the readers of Amazon.com uncontroversially and wholeheartedly said this book is GREAT and only gave a 10~10+, it IS great, OK?! And you don't get any special credit by just writing a shallow negative review.

Players has got be one of the best books written in years. Reynolds ability to keep you thinking shines in this work. The plot is so well done and involved. It is one you will not be able to put down. A 10 without doubt!!!

I was recommended thru the e-mail for a chosen group to read this book. My God, this is the most wonderful book I've ever read, but I chewed it very slowly, because I didn't want to finish it too soon. For years I have been looking for such perfectly plotted, perfectly written, perfectly developed book! This is a real istant modern classic mystery+thriller, because it does not read like most of the so-called mysteries that actually written by retarded imbeciles & morons who dared to call themselves (mystery) writers and their mumbo jumbo craps mystery! This is a book written by a THINKING writer with mature logic. A very complex story twisted with plots within plots, but all were answered logically and completely, making the reading like watching a perfect onion peeled off grdually by a well experienced chef to the core. There was almost no flaw that I could find. This is the first book I could never guess what's gonna happen in the next page or next chapter. Like Carl Hiaassan in Florida, Mr. Reynolds por

A scholarly work giving an insight into (Non mainstream) Christian people's attempts to predict both the timing and the intent of a millennium.It has left the Holy Roman church virtually intact despite the attacks made against it; that is it does not pass judgement on the attitudes, teaching and actions of the church during the period presented.

I believed a history book such as this one would not get revised and ordered an old print of 1972 for an alluring bargain. Now I know better, but I was lucky. There was at least one revision, in 1969 of this 1957 book. Among other changes an entire chapter got included.

This by the time of this review half a century old book is on millennianism. Which has nothing to do with the last or the "current" turn of the calendar, but with the expectation of a paradisical kingdom to get introduced by the (returning) messiah, no matter when. Which would last for a millennium. The time frame is half a millennium, from the 11th to the 16th century. The book largely concentrates on north-western Europe, specifically France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Bohemia and England. Only occasionally referencing other territories.

Talk is about the crusades, especially from below. Poor masses embarrassing the official knights for their anarchic conduct, such as cannibalism and genociding Jews and Muslims, but also the rich Christian clergy. This book is primarily about the medievil class struggle. Ultra exploitation and general greed causing desperate mass movements with religious hope and frenzy. Norman Cohn elaborates on the social conditions and transformations from peasantry to urbanization, thus putting historical data into context. While most other authors highlight official history, i.e. the history of kings and popes etc., Norman Cohn focuses on the poor revolting. I have never before heard about a shepherds' crusade, yet there were two of them. Some of those crusades were directed against the Christian clergy and the establishment in general. That's why even today, official history lessons aren't that eager to teach about them. Some insurrections described include the flagellants (who were also genociding Jews), Beguines and Beghards (who inspired the term beggars), Thomas Müntzer, Anabaptists and all sorts of self-declared saviors. Their followers largely jumped out of the frying pan into the fire. Often literally, as the establishment punished with the stake quite liberally. But also for the mostly quick turnovers of the high aspirations of the brave new worlds into lethal absolutism. As such, the ancient Greek-Roman derived ideas of communism turned sour before the 20th century, namely in the European medievil Imes.

Many of the previous reviews put attention to the above. I have three thoughts about that. First, this book has been written and published during the heyday of McCarthyism. Obviously till today it is possible to read the book as anti-communist exclusively. Yet - second -, the author didn't critizise communism alone. In fact, the central focus is rather on the capitalist condition, which caused those mass movements in the first place. He isn't only warning about the dangers of system changes, but also of NOT changing at all. The Bible warns against greed at many places and unequality in general. The opposite has been and still is the condition of the world we live in. No system change is an easy quick fix. Because our meme pool functions within the very same parameters of greed, power and constructs of separation. Even in communism, no matter wether religious or anti-religious, some people quickly become more equal than others. This book is a warning against absolutism. Forcing one's views into other peoples' throats. It is a warning against ever more radical conditions and views until everybody (else) is fed up with those conditions, pushes them from the pedestal ENTIRELY and when in lack of a solution relying on the previous model. Which hadn't been reformed in the first place for nothing. That way, society is circling within the very same dysfunctionality, but under the illusion of system changes. The question therefore is: Were the Dark Ages' wannabe reformers too radical or not radical enough?

Both. As the third thing is that this book doesn't only critisize the radicals, but also the persecuting establishment (which executed atheists just the same). Both persecuting the mystics as sick. Who get described in this book as gnostics, stoics, Free Spirits, Ranters, Spanish Brotherhood of Muslims, Amaurians and by other terms. Unsurprisingly many reviewers blind these mystics as the same ill-advised fanatics. But the book isn't saying that. Though not really pointing out the opposite directly either. The reason for the misoverstanding is that mystics sound crazy to the masses of today no less than the absolutist loonies. Yet, they hold the key to enter the road for a real change. The basic message being: Everything in existence is God/Allah/Jah/the universe, etc, all separations are constructs of the illusory human mind. Overstanding that, equal treatment establishes itself on a different plain than a nice should-be command. The book does provide some mystical texts, including on the divinity of every human, every living thing, in fact everything and a hint of the illusion of the separation of genders (p. 325). The latter of which I find most interesting, as I wasn't aware that medievil Europe harbored a subculture knowing this. Eurocentered, the author puts all of these mystics in the derivation line of Neo-Platonism. Whereas in reality, all of this is derived from ancient Black Egypt.

Unfortunately the book isn't going into what sprang into my mind as a theory immediately and continuously while reading this book. The major religious concern of the masses is against greed and exploitation, still hinting at the Sodom story rather in this context. Whereas today, greed and exploitation isn't such a religious concern anymore. In fact, communism has become severely anti-religious. But the Sodom story is still featuring majorly in religious preachings. But in a completely different context. Most certainly the Noah-Ham story has been misinterpreted in order to justify the exploitation of slavery shortly thereafter. The book doesn't go into it, but mentions that the populace fought adamantly for the abolishment of serfdom anywhere - based on the Bible. It seems obvious that the Sodom story has been misinterpreted to divert attention away from "Thou shall not be greedy!" in the first place, away from the detesting of the rich, who included the Church. In that way the medievil subject of the book hasn't lost its topicality at all indeed.

If you want to find out more about general modern mysticism, read for example The Mystical Journey from Jesus to Christ and based on science From Science to God: A Physicist's Journey into the Mystery of Consciousness. On the schemes of exploitation no matter the superficial system, read Putting It All Together: World Conquest, Global Genocide & African Liberation.

This is an excellent book. According to the above it could be so much more - not only describing history, but changing the present. At the Imes of having been written, those issues couldn't get written about. As I-and-I (we) haven't left the Dark Ages yet, not really. "We" only think we have...

This is a brilliant and fascinating history of Christian millennial movements, cults and apocalyptically-motivated uprisings from earliest times up until the Reformation era. In the sheer bizarre freakishness of this tale of flagellants, messiahs, visionary madmen, heretical saints, reincarnated Jesuses, religious libertines, crazed hordes of rootless paupers, and genocidal prophets who sought to bring on the millennium in a sea of blood, this study is like a deformed sideshow mutant that both mesmerizes and disgusts you. However, it's more than just entertainment. I believe that it is a prophetic work.

The apocalyptic DNA strand was never eradicated from the human animal and will surely resurface in the Christian world when the conditions are right. Those conditions, among which are social dislocation, cultural deracination, political corruption, establishment-religion apathy and hypocrisy, have been rising to an extreme heat since the 1960s. Millions of people have been, and will continue to be, severed from traditional means of understanding the world and will find meaning by turning to the deviant and heterodox forms of Christianity that have proliferated in the past 30 years in America. The powerful leaders of these faith groups provide certainty, spirituality and carnal satisfaction with prophecies, visions, "miracles", divine revelations, new experiences via mind-altering practices, promises of earthly prosperity and a sense of belonging by exacerbating the hostility with "the world". Apocalyptic theology is an ever-present theme. The followers of these televangelist messiahs are peaceable enough now, but should their bellies ever be shrunken by an economic downturn- the last of the necessary conditions- we will see violent millenarian movements like nothing the world has ever known. If you're interested in what that kind of world may look like, read this book.

Cohn's "Pursuit of the Millennium" has aged well and nearing 50 years of age it is deservedly a classic. Its subjet might be considered by some to be esoteric: it deals with prophets from middle age Europe who led others to believe that the end of times was at hand, and that they had been chosen by God to purify the world in preparation for the Kingdom of the Last Days, and with pantheistic mystical anarchists who believed that they could do no evil because they had connected with their divine essences. In most cases these figures are virtual unknowns even for people who like history. The few that still turn up are Thomas Müntzer, the leader of the rebellious peasants who were exterminated in the Battle of Frankenhausen (a character in the historical fiction pastiche "Q" by Luther Blisset) and John of Leyden, the tailor who created a totalitarian kingdom of saints in Münster. For the revolutionary millennarians the tale is a bit repetitive, and it usually went like this: a former priest or a hermit with a violent disposition concludes, after meditating for a long time, that he is living at the end of times and that he is God/ he is a god/ he has been chosen by God or a god to lead the just and the good in a final, apocalyptic, war against Antichrist and his followers, to usher in the millennium of the saints announced by John the Divine, prior to the end of the world and the final reckoning. The hermit or defrocked priest finds some followers and eventually is able to take hold of a town or a castle, which he converts into a stronghold with the help of the rootless rabble. Then he proceeds to plunder from the rich (nobles and clergy) and to purge the unredeemed. Eventually the powers-that-be get their act together and dispatch an army of knights who, after a bloody fight are able to capture the prophet and his main followers, who usually are burnt or beheaded after enduring torture. It is peculiar that even thought they are always defeated and crushed, the sort of people who are drawn to this type of leader will rise up to follow them again and again.

Cohn's book tells the story in just the right detail. He shows that certain regions were particularly sensitive to the millennarian prophets. Many such arose in the Northwestern corner of Europe (Northeastern France, the Benelux countries, the Rhineland in Germany). He also shows that generally poor people have had rational aims: to use pressure in order to improve their lot by acquisition of certain rights. Only a minority has felt the attraction of millennarian revolutions, and these usually have been uprooted people without a settled role. Also, these revolutionary initiatives were able to succeed (even if for a short while) only in times of chaos or unrest (i.e., the Crusades, visitations of the plague or black death, economic crises, etc.). Usually the self-appointed prophets used the social disruption in order to further their cause and take advantage from the momentary weakness of defenders of the status quo.

Cohn is a sober commentator who shows that recent historians have sometimes ignored the evidence to further a political agenda. Thus, leftist historians sometimes refused to acknowledge some activities of the prophets whom they regarded as protorevolutionaries (such as their inclination to institutionalized promiscuity or their remarkably violent language), probably in order to maintain their status as predecessors of current "progressives".

An interesting conclusion from the reading of the book is that, contrary to what many think, ideas are not a neutral good to be chosen by informed customers in an efficient marketplace. Some ideas appeal to dark places in people's minds: these are dangerous ideas, and parents and teachers would do well to instruct their children, so that they do not succumb. One such idea is that "God" is in everything, and that when a person becomes aware of this he or she becomes entirely free and can follow his or her desires without any negative ethical implication. Another way of putting this is that nothing is good or bad, but thinking makes it so, as Hamlet said. This type of belief might lead a person to the most brutal behaviors without any perception that they had done ill. This is a very common opinion nowadays, and in fact both the millennarists and the mystical anarchists have their successors nowadays. Today, the center of millennarian agitation is surely the USA, were many people believe that the Book of Revelation (Apocalypse) is a play-by-play description of the end of the world and that they will live to see it happen. And many new age sects (including Scientology) appear to hold the belief that we can become gods and be free of conventional morality and ethics.

In his conclusion Cohn suggests that many radical movements of the XX century are in fact new versions of the old millennarian revolutionary heresies. There can be no doubt that this is the case: human motivations change little over time. What changes is the language in which they are articulated. In a religious era, the language and imagery were religious. in a godless age the language attempts to be scientific and logical. But underneath there beats the same old hope: the hope to see evil punished and evildoers destroyed, to be part of a chosen elite with a new understanding of the nature of reality, and an exhilarating vision of a better future through hardship and strife. We can all empathise with these feelings. Action movies, comic books, tragedies, country music and soap operas resonate for many of us because they take their inspiration from some of these elements. I only regret that Cohn did not expand the point, although other authors have done so, most notably Michel Burleigh, who in his recent two volume history on the clashes between politics and religion from the French Revolution to our days has shown that much of what passes for politics is in reality religion by another name, and how the most revolutionary creeds of the XX century were really millennarian sects.

And Cohn's perspective is so pertinent that it even explains the rise of Islamic fundamentalism tinged with visions of a holy war that will redeem the world and turn into the Umma, the community of the believers. The followers of fundamentalism have been the large masses of uprooted peasants without a clear role in a modernizing world, and their leaders have been intellectuals or semi-intellectuals who can understand how the world works but want no part of it, other than to redeem it in an apocalytic struggle. Their counterparts in other religions are very similar to them: people who want to find a meaning for lives that provide none, people who are sensitive to unfairness and who instinctively resonate with violence and retribution, people who yearn for zoroastrian visions of entirely distinct good and bad. As ever, for these people, the new millennium of peace and joy is just around the corner, although sadly it can only come about on mountains of corpses and through rivers of blood.

I have read this book several times: And each time I do; I am still amazed at the brilliant historical research of Christian millennial movements that Norman Cohn gave to the world. This book is timeless, and serves as a great warning to everyone. The apocalyptic movements from the earliest times of Christianity, to the Reformation was not only dangerous in its extremism, but what amazes me, is that it still among us: civilized though we may think we are. Everything is served up in this great book: flagellants, false messiahs, heretical saints, crazed visionaries, and insane prophets of doom. The belief that the apostles lived a life of poverty, and that all men had to share led to a struggle of class warfare, which in turn led to many wars and spilt blood. All in the name of God.

The pages of history are filled with the names of men whose desire for power, be it political or religious, lead many others into the abyss: Those whose own despair with the world around them are led to believe in the false messages and sense of security of divine righteousness. And as such, much blood has been spilled by these deceitful and crazed false teachings. These corrupters of truth have not gone away, they are still among us: No matter what their religion. And that is why this book is as important now, as when it was first published.

In the book, Norman Cohn's research gives light into the revolutionary millennial cults that spread into dangerous movements. Part of this was the mistrust of the established Church in Europe during the middle ages, and resentment of the aristocracy, whose ties and deep connections to the Church was seen as one of depriving the people of a truer and better life. And although these were legitimate complaints by the people, the fact that through there own despair, they were led by others to seek out equality in its most extreme form, is truly frightening. The millennial movements gained most of their members from the poor, and unskilled urban dwellers who were uprooted due to famine in many cases. Seeking the Kingdom of Heaven and God, however, led by demagogues and fanatics, the book goes into much detail of how, where and why these cults thrived. Highly highly recommended. [Stars: 5+]

I bought this book for my niece who is 16 months. She too can be a quiet and a loud baby at times. This is a great book for toddlers because of the bright colors and length of story.

Both our girls love this book. Our 4 yr old loves reading it to her 18 month old sister too.

My daughter loved the Yummy/Yucky book, and now enjoys the Quiet/Loud book as well (of course she likes the Loud better than the Quiet). Fun illustrations and simple concepts would be appreciated by almost any child.

A friend just bought this book for my son. It is the first book he has ever brought over to me to read. I read the quiet parts in a whisper and then read the loud parts...well, loud. He loves it. He also wants to go get my shoes when I read "Mommy's shoes are LOUD." It is pretty funny. Great book! Also would recommend Chicka Chicka Boom Boom.

My 16 month old daughter absolutely loves this book. She will bring the book to me at least twice a day to read to her. The toddler in the book series is just so cute and adorable that I even enjoy turning every page. This book will also be a great for younger babies since there is a lot of color contrast in the pictures.

The Rag Coat


The Rag Coat is a story about a young girl with hope who has always helped others and needs the favor returned. This story will have you counting your blessings. And the young girl is full of hope, and when you are done reading you will be too.

Detailed and colorful pictures are on every page you turn. For example, the cover with the coat shows how much details are in each fragment. This is a great story to read a loud in groups or just at home on the couch. It's especially on a cold winter night! The story makes you feel like someone is actually telling you. This book proves how hard times can bring people and families together. All of the quilting moms take time to help after the death of a loved person.
The Rag Coat is a great story to read aloud; as you flip through the pages, you see detailed and colorful pictures. This book proves how hard times bring people together. The main character Minna really brings the story to life!

I bought copies of this book for my two granddaughters and one for me too. That way we can read together over the phone. This story is so very special, well written with beautiful pictures. Both girls, ages 11 and 7 loved it, and so did grandma. This one is a keeper for sure!

I bought this book for my 6 year old son. We absolutely love this book. It is such a sweet story. It teaches an important lesson as well. If you want to teach your child to be compassionate towards others, then this story is a great way to begin.

Like some other reviewers, I cried as I read this book to my children. It is a touching tale of an 8 year old girl Minna who is coping with her father's death, trying to help her mom to overcome their poverty and dealing with humiliation of poverty. My daughter (8) said it is sad story with a happy ending - and it is true. The simple message "people only need people" stays in every heart long after you have finished reading the book.

The Rag Coat is a book that young readers and their families will adore. It is also a book that teaches, beautifully, the value of family, friends and the loving support that we can give each other in times of need.

As precious as the story are the magnificent illustrations, so soft and lovely that they make you feel as though you are holding an antique in your hands. Every page of this book is an inspiration, and only the most hard-hearted oould come away without a renewal of spirit.

I heartily recommend this book, and hope that it finds a home in schools and libraries.

I ordered the Omnibus intending to surprise my 8 year old daughter who has some of his famous children's books. When I picked it up at the store, I was surprised to learn that some of the stories had appeared in The New Yorker, and ... The Playboy! These are undoubtedly adult versions of his children's stories, with the same wickedly devious mind behind them. If, an 8 year old Charlie concocts a bitter medicine with household chemicals for his nagging grandmother, one can guess what he would do with highly potent bee protein as an adult bee keeper. You certainly need a wicked sense of humour to enjoy these stories but not since Damon Runyon's On Broadway was I so captivated by the short story. Recommended reading but certainly not for children!

i still love reading "the witches" ... but for a little more grownup roald dahl humor, the omnibus is great reading. and as it promises, it is good bedtime story-length (though you get so drawn in that it may end up stay up reading instead of stopping after one story)

Having been a devoted fan of Roald Dahl's from childhood classics like "Danny the Champion of the World" and "The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar" collection, I had had little exposure to his adult stories until happening upon this book recently. Lucky me for finding it. Every story was an incredibly inventive blend of character and plot, with a twist to every ending, each within the confines of a few short pages. Few other authors can match Dahl's creativity and imagination, Raymond Carver being the only other author I can think of whose short stories and ideas are as impressive in both style and substance. Do yourself a favor and pick this up - an absolute gem.

Roald Dahl has a reputation for being a great writer of disturbing, perverse short stories. This reputation doesn't quite do him justice. Yes, more than a fair share of his stories explore the darker side of human nature, but that's not what he's all about. I think it's more fair to say that he's a talented short story writer, regardless of genre.

Take for example "The Great Automatic Grammatisator." There are no gruesome deaths, no wives murdering their husbands, etc. But it's still a great story, and vintage Dahl. Here he pokes fun at his own profession, inventing a machine that can spit out full-length novels at the press of a button, simply by pulling from a list of generic characters, plot structures, and vocabulary lists. The commentary on the state of the writing profession is not very subtle, but it's hilarious nonetheless.

And that brings us to Dahl's wonderful sense of humor. Take, for instance, the following passage from the same story: "There's a trick that nearly every writer uses, of inserting at least one long, obscure word into each story. This makes the reader think that the man is very wise and clever." When asked where the machine stores all these words, the response is: "In the word-memory section," he said, epexegetically.

Or how about this exchange in "Pig," when a young man goes to the town doctor to request a death certificate for his recently-passed great aunt. "My God, is she dead?" "Certainly she's dead. If you will come back home with me now I will dig her up and you can see for yourself." "How deep did you bury her?" "Six or seven feet down, I should think." "And how long ago?" "Oh, about eight hours." "Then she's dead. Here's the certificate."

There are many gems in this collection, and not just the ones that you've probably already read like "Lamb to the Slaughter" and "The Way Up to Heaven." Read them all; only a few are disappointing. "Dip in the Pool" is fantastic, as is "The Great Switcheroo."

The one criticism I have of Dahl is that his children's fiction alter-ego tends to make an appearance every once in a while. A handful of his stories are either too simplistic or just plain silly, like they were written for a nine-year-old audience. Sorry, but I can't get into a story about a woman who finds a stray cat and thinks that the reincarnated spirit of Liszt is trapped inside. And occasionally the prose and dialog fail to connect with the mind of an adult reader. But that's okay. Dahl isn't striving for any fancy literary awards. His goal is to entertain, not exercise the mind.

Dahl is probably most famous for his stories for children: CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH, and MATILDA come to mind.

None of the short stories herein are that kind of story. At least four first appeared in PLAYBOY, and another 7 in THE NEW YORKER. Some are risque, but not all; one would have been suitable for ALFRED HITCHCOCK'S MYSTERY MAGAZINE, and indeed was adapted to become one of the strongest episodes of ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS ("Lamb to the Slaughter").

Specifically, this omnibus contains:
- all but 2 stories from Dahl's collection SOMEONE LIKE YOU (the two missing stories are "My Lady Love, My Dove" and "The Sound Machine");

- 9 of the 11 stories from KISS KISS (the missing pair are "Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel's Coat" and "Parson's Pleasure"); and

- 3 of the 4 stories from SWITCH B**** (the missing story, unfortunately, is the first uncle Oswald story, "The Visitor", which provides the backstory for how the old lecher's diaries came into the author's hands, as well as Oswald's experiences in the Sinai with a Syrian female leper).

Consequently, see reviews of the 3 individual collections for detailed discussion of all the stories herein. To summarize, the OMNIBUS makes an interesting read for an adult who can stand some macabre stories (including mysteries where justice may not be done), but this is *not* suitable bedtime reading for little children.