Series Books

As a 4th grade teacher, I am always looking for books to incorporate into my Earth Day unit. This is my new favorite.

Gaia Girls Enter the Earth tells the story of Elizabeth, a 4th grade girl who lives on a family farm that is in danger of being taken over by a factory farm operation to raise and slaughter 7,000 pigs a day. Elizabeth learns of powers she has to help save her own and surrounding farms, while readers learn about the environmental impact of factory farms. The message is powerful and not preachy, and is embedded in a story that will make you long to start growing your own garden and appreciate the natural world around you. The story is wonderfully vivid and suspenseful.

As a 30 year old I was hooked by this book geared towards a younger crowd. I love reading good YA and this is up there on my list. It wasn't preachy and had some great characters who were well rounded. I am totally hooked and can't wait to read the rest of the series. :)

Thank you thank you thank you to the author, illustrator and publishers of this book!!! My daughter is 10 years old and absolutely loves it. She loves to read but can be very picky about books! We happened to be at the Boston Museum of Science when the author was there and my daughter had to have a signed copy after talking to Lee Welles for a few minutes. We are very eco-concerned and I am glad to see a book that really relates to this generations problems and the fact that they really do need to start getting involved and getting there friends involved in fixing the situation NOW!!! SO again THANK YOU!!! I truly believe that this book may help a lot of young adults step up and make a difference!

My daughter (age 11) just loved the book. She felt it was very suspenseful and can't wait til she reads the next one. In this book, Harmony Farms creates a town disagreement in Avon by changing everyone's opinions on farming. Elizabeth's special powers help her when she needs them the most. Great book and keep up the good work, Lee Welles!

Elizabeth Angier is a fourth-grader who lives on a farm. She helps her parents weed the large vegetable garden, dye skeins of wool from their sheep, arrange wildflowers into bouquets to be sold at the farmers' market, and water the saplings that landscapers buy. Will, the high school boy from the dairy farm over the hill, comes over to help her dad on occasion. Elizabeth loves everything about growing up on the farm that has been in her father's family for many generations. But all this threatens to change: a company that runs "CAFO" (Concentrated Feeding Animal Organizations) pig farms arrives to woo struggling farmers into selling their farms and taking jobs with the large corporation. As Elizabeth's parents desperately research the effects of existing CAFO's on a community's air, water, commerce, and quality of life, Elizabeth herself discovers her own connection to the earth and the powers that gives her. Gaia, the spirit of the Earth, appears to her as an otter, and begins to teach her.

That's just a brief synopsis of Gaia Girls: Enter the Earth, recent winner of the 2006 National Outdoor Book Award, children's division. Although this is a fantastical novel that author Lee Welles has written for children ("ages 9 and up"), many parts of the story ring true for communities like ours. Gaia Girls: Enter the Earth takes place on a farm in upstate New York, near the Finger Lakes. Much of it reads like home, the beauty as well as the struggles.

Although I consider myself sympathetic to environmental activists, I am leary of being lumped in with folks who wear hemp and eat vegetarian because it's trendy. In sitting down to read Gaia Girls, I was a little afraid that the story would be heavy-handed on earth goddesses but skim over the true difficulties of living environmentally-aware. I am pleased to report I couldn't have been more wrong. "Three Oaks Farm" is an organic farm, but Welles makes it clear that this makes the Angier family and their products unusual for their community. They need to be very creative to be successful: they advertise their organic produce to upscale restaurants, who pre-order from the farm. Another way they make money is by selling many different products: wool, vegetables, flowers, young trees, honey. Though Elizabeth and her parents feel they live a happy life in a corner of paradise, Welles doesn't flinch from showing how fragile that existence is, and how much work it takes to maintain it.

Welles' writing is strong. At the beginning, I was reminded of Charlotte's Web. As I continued to read Gaia Girls, I realized I was in the middle of a wonderful new literary phenomenon. I see this book, and the series to follow, touching many as it touched me. Enter the Earth reminded me of environmental issues and earth science facts that I already know about, but made me feel more attached to them. Without being preachy, Gaia Girls helps the reader see the science behind farming methods that are good for the earth, and how it is healthy for the people who live there and those of us who eat the food grown there. With Elizabeth, we can connect to the farm, as she and the farm connect to the earth. I raced through the book, loved the story, and can't wait for more.

Author of "Hobo Finds A Home" and editor of "A Predatory Heart"

This is the prequel to the Tales of the Otori series although it was written last. As are all the books in the series, this novel is well written and rivetting as are the others.

Heaven's Net is Wide is Lian Hearn's stunning prequel to the Tales of the Otori saga. This book tells the story of young Otori Shigeru and his rise to become Lord Otori, head of his clan, amidst triumphs and tragedy, friendship, love and betrayal. Hearn's alternate historical version of Japan is as beautiful as ever and her writing adds depth and detail to the picturesque scenery carried through all her novels.

I really enjoyed how Hearn stayed true to her multi-character storytelling. Though the story was Shigeru's, I appreciated the chapters devoted to mysterious Tribe members Muto Kenji and Muto Shizuka, and also the background of Lady Maruyama Naomi and the members of the Hidden. Heaven's Net is Wide would be a great starting place for those new to the Otori series, but it is equally enjoyable as the final book in the Tales - bringing the story full circle to where it all began.

This book is up there with the many great books I've read - and I've read a few. Of course it's all down to opinion and taste but I found this book magnificently written - so well written I can't describe it with the acclaim it deserves. It is a HIGHLY, HIGHLY underatted book.

As I had read the first two books in the Tales Of the Otori Trilogy, when the prequel came out I decided to read the series from the start (From the prequel to the trilogy to the sequel). This proved to be a good decision as I (and I know this is very cliched) just couldn't put the book down! Because I had read the first couple of books and knew the characters - or for that matter of past characters that died before book one, to be able to read of things discussed in the trilogy actually happening before my eyes (because that's how well it is written) was an absolute treat.

But what I marvelled at most, was how well Hearn planned out the series. I just could not believe that events fell into place so well at exactly the right time, in exactly the right places.

Hearn creates a world where there are animals you'd find in from Europe to Asia to the Americas. There is talk of creatures like Goblins and Demons aswell as Spirits and Gods of various elements all set in feudal, mythical Japan with a magnificent touch of ancient history - of warlords and clans, of religions and beliefs, and of the struggle the women had and the dominance of the men.

Yet it is written and described quite subtly so that the loyalist of fantasy fans will enjoy it alongside the firm general fiction readers.

I suggest you read the trilogy and also if you want, the sequel first, so you can get the sense of appreciation for Lian Hearn's work and get an even more amazing read out of such and underated tale.

I believe this book alogside the trilogy and sequel, although it has some sex scenes, would be suitable for boys and girls, men and women alike above the age of 12.

Lian Hearn has created a world. It resembles Japan in the 16th century, but with added imaginary elements. The writing is exquisite - elegant, precise, rich and evocative. Once you start reading the Tales of the Otori you don't want to quit.

The ability to project yourself into a different personality set in a different culture and period, and do it convincingly and movingly - that is the mark of a very good writer indeed!

The prequel is not my favorite of the Otori series. Because of the amount of information that comes to light in the rest of the series the author felt like all the characters needed fleshing out. This "fleshing out" of characters makes the middle of this book very convoluted with an unnecessary amount of characters. The author finally comes around to giving the reader what they really want towards the last third of the book. I liked it but it didn't hook me the way the first two books did. This prequel is like the end of the series that takes itself too seriously and assumes we are all enthralled with minute details that don't carry the story line anywhere useful.

This was a tough one to rate. I would have given a 3 1/2 star rating if it were available because it's really a very good little book. There's NO WAY, however it deserves five stars, but if anyone wants to give it four, I have no particular problem with it.

Belloc's premise is that European civilization is synonymous with Roman Catholic civilization. Therefore the Reformation was one of the greatest disasters to strike Western, or European, civilization. What makes this a good book is that Belloc, writing from a historical and social perspective, rather than a religious one focuses in on the underlying causes and drives of the Reformation, rather than the sometimes minor theological disputes that are the focus of most works on the subject. He astutely points out that the Reformation was more about redistribution of wealth and power than about trying to form new denominations. It maintains that it was not until Calvin published The Institutes of the Christian Religion that Protestantism really formally and systematically broke away from its Catholic roots. He also maintains that the chief religious debate was not about grace of faith, but about predestination versus free-will.

The thing that keeps Mr. Belloc's book from being great is that it's full of minor gaffs in history and logic that should be below someone of Belloc's stature and reputation. For example Belloc seems to confuse Luther's 1518 meeting with Papal Legate Cajetan with his 1519 debate with Johann Eck. In other places he encourages the reader to forget everything they read in those other histories and instead accept what he's telling them. He makes these statements without giving any support for his alternative history. In fairness to the author, however, these mistakes are minor and don't really effect the impact of his arguments. The book is also not intended as a detailed history, but is a little work (180 pages) intended to shore up the Faith, rather than seriously debate the subject, so his glossing over disputes in history is not major. In other places he makes huge leaps in logic for his arguments without filling in the gaps and is occasionally self contradictory. Again, however, these errors are minor to his main point about the Reformation being more political and social rather than religious and given the intended scope and audience of the work they do not ruin what is a very good little book. The book remains however, because of them, good rather than great.

The defiance of Martin Luther and Henry VIII were not, as Hilaire Belloc points out, all that uncommon in the history of Christendom. Luther posting his treatises on the church door was basically how things were done. Today Luther would have blog and a book tour.Similarly Henry VIII wasn't the first English King to cock a snook towards Rome, and most of his subjects at the time, seemed remarkably unconcerned. Belloc says mainly as they imagined this feud, like others before, would eventually be reconciled. But these revolts ultimately split a Christendom that had operated with various degrees of unity for just over a thousand years. So what was going on?

Belloc in this 1928 book provides what in academic-speak we would today call a multi-disciplinary macro and micro analysis of a great historical question. He combines both a thematic understanding of the period covering centuries as well as detailed micro level knowledge contributing to his non-deterministic analysis that in may ways illustrates a contingent view of history. And there is no way Belloc would use words like those in my last two sentences to describe his work. His account is readable, although to modern eyes his writing style can seem a little stuffy, at least, at first. But you do get used to it. Belloc's histories are part of his broader intellectual agenda explicitly aimed at both defending his vision of Christendom and his view of how modern societies can achieve, for their people, the good life whilst avoiding the excesses of industrial capitalism and state socialism. Having nailed his colours to the mast, Belloc is both scrupulously fair, and indeed mildly sympathetic, to his Protestant subjects. That is not what many would first imagine from one of England's leading catholic apologists. And this is not a theological or religious book, it is history. Almost 100% so. If there is old time religion in it, it amounts to no more than two paragraphs in his concluding chapter.

I will try to summarise Belloc's position in a few paragraphs of my own. Christendom always had dissident priests and princes, so the very different revolts of Martin and Henry were not new. There had never been 'a golden age' when Christendom was without challenge. What was new was the simultaneous weakness of two key institutions to counteract and contain them. Indeed the revolt that emerged was probably much larger, and more radical than anything Martin or Henry could have imagined. Anti-clericalism, not doctrinal dissent, drove the break-up. And economics played a role in the split and, more importantly, in keeping the splinters apart. The Church controlled large swathes of agrarian land. In earlier centuries it was the monastic orders that had actually "opened up" this land to use a frontier analogy. This success was severely damaged by the Black Death. Population decline was not accompanied by significant land reform. As a result, what had once been Europe's economic foundation now seemed an onerous burden.

The papacy lacked the will, and worse yet, sufficient power and moral authority to effect reforms, even if it had the will. The Great Schism weakened the moral and popular authority of the papacy, saw the blance of power shift towards the princes. A string of corrupt popes (Belloc is at pains to point out that these popes were not as bad as is often imagined) was one of two pieces of bad timing. The other was the simultaneous weakness of the Emperor (i.e. 'Holy Roman Emperor'). That great German "federal" overlord was decisively weakened by on going wars with the muslims. He was thus unable to assert sufficient control at home.

Weaknesses at the top meant the revolt from below went unchecked, but were the common people in revolt? No. Some peasant revolts broke out, and like similar revolts before, the princes, both catholic and protestant suppressed them. The real revolutionaries were from the aristocracy and merchant squires. These groups came to control the land and corporate formerly managed by the clergy. In some cases they fostered protestant iconoclasm whilst controlling the market for the now abandoned treasures of the churches. Formerly clerical wealth financed both the growing demands of their "modern" states, and their armies, and to reward allies. Royal favourites, the 'new millionaires' , became the great fortunes and powerful families of England, with influence running for centuries. In England real power was concentrated in the Cecils, the real power behing Elizabeth I, who used secret police tactics to suppress popular catholicism, including letting the Gunpowder plotters conspire for over a year, all under the watchful eye of spy chief Walsingham . These groups were a powerful vested interest in seeing to it that these new rifts, unlike the old squables, were never healed. The 'new millionaires', of course, would soon be knocking down the crown that gave them their start, in a century or so, as their descendants would lead the parliamentary revolt against the old monarchy. Belloc makes an aside that the new parliamentarians were an "elect" in the Calvinist rather than the democratic sense.

Belloc ties this history to modern times and his other works by arguing that the industrial revolutions the millionaires would launch would be based on unven foundations dating back to the Reformation. Belloc's "distributism" advocated for a radical resdistribution of land and wealth to thus extend economic independence and dignity to the lower classes. This he saw as third way between the twin evils of plutocratic capitalism and state socialism, and the likely fusion of both outlined in his most famous political tract, 'The Servile State'.

The institutional weaknesses that allowed the reformation to spread were eventually answered but the "too little, too late" responses help illustrate Belloc's case. It took over forty years before the Council of Trent could be convened and organized a counter-reformation spearheaded by the newly formed order, the Jesuits. Trent;s delay was mainly due to politicking by local princes. When it was commenced the total number of delegates was small compared to earlier and later councils. When Trent started in 1545 only 24 bishops and archbishops were in attendance. During the enormously destructive "Thirty Years War", the Empire too 'struck back', or at least, attempted to. However now the French, directed by their own Bismark, Cardinal Richelieu aided the Protestant princes from a geopolitical desire to prevent German unification to their east.

Belloc provides a readable introduction to the whole period and helps the reader thread the pieces they may have picked up into a more comprehensive canvass. His introduction includes a critique of the treatment of the Reformation by fellow historians, and I'd recommend re-reading his introduction after completing the book. An interesting read.

This is an outstanding short book on the history of the Reformation. This is the first book by Belloc I have read, but if this book is any indication, he was a master of thematic history. This is not just a list of dates and events, blandly shared. Rather, Belloc gives us a riveting book that is concerned with the historical forces and personalities at the heart of the great religious revolt that has so shaped Western Civilization for the last 500 years.

One could successfully devour this book in the span of two days. But even with its brevity, it is a quite thorough look at the themes and personalities that make up the reformation.

A must read.

Belloc's view of the Reformation is both original and penetrating as he challenges the conventional views of that religious revolt from the perspective of a committed Roman Catholic. The overview of history is not necessarily exhaustive for a 300 page book, but it tends to be a bit repetitive, although when one considers the points that Belloc is trying to emphasize, the repetition is understandable. Basically, he assumes the stance that the Reformation was not originally a religious contest but a political and financial one, and that the nobles and rulers of Europe took advantage of the reformers fever to dissemble the universal Catholic church and distribute their wealth amongst themselves.
Although I agree with Belloc's theory and feel that the breakup of Catholic Christendom was essentially a disaster, I felt that his bias against the Reformation dismissed much of the spiritual sincerity of the Reformers, which is unfortunate. Overall though, it is a great read and one that will challenge those with an open mind. For a companion piece, one should read Novalis' Christendom or Europe, which is found in Novalis: Philosophical Writings published by SUNY Press (1997).Novalis: Philosophical Writings

Mr. Belloc does not give us a detailed history with references to primary sources. Instead, he notes the major currents of thought that shaped history and the missed opportunities that might have deflected those currents from creating the reformation. His history is a macro-history covering the currents created by such factors as the Black Death, rising nationalism, corruption of morals, and more. He asserts, convincingly I believe, that the Protestant reformation was based on the lie that each individual was his own judge of what was right thinking (see more on this in Great Heresies). Further, he asserts, this heresy of man as his own arbiter of truth likely would have failed had it not been for the focus provided in John Calvin's systematic theology.

Whether Protestant or Catholic or Orthodox, it is important to understand the historical currents and the waves that brought about the world as we know it today. America, in particular, with all that is good or bad in it, is a creation of those currents. The cold reasoning that rejects all that is mystical and intangible in modern thinking is also a creation of those currents. It is the fall of man all over again which rejects any authority outside one's self. Protestant and Catholic alike decry this disunity. It is in our interest to understand the causes and effects. Mr. Belloc gives us the broad thinking approach to see the root cause which so many other historians have missed getting lost in the details.

The Circle trilogy consists of the books Black, and Red, and White, and is followed up by Showdown, and House (co-authored by Frank Peretti), and Saint, and Skin. And a new book to be out either later this year or next year, titled Sinner. And the Lost Books consist of Chosen, and Infidel, and (coming out in May Renegade and Chaos.

Yes, Ted Dekker has been quite busy creating his history of Other Earth.

While the Lost Books are marketed in the Youth Fiction genre, it was of course well-known to Dekker and his publisher, Thomas Nelson, that millions of Circle fans of all ages would flock to bookstands to pick up the latest installments. In fact, by marketing the Lost Books as Youth Fiction, Dekker and Nelson stand to pick up even more readers than before, as the appeal of The Circle spreads to younger readers.

I, for one, have been captivated by Dekker's Circle trilogy, as well as many of his other works. A quick browse through my review list will turn up almost every book written by Ted Dekker. But you didn't come here for that, did you? You came here to learn more about Infidel.

I was at first a little confused as to whom the title referred. According to Dictionary.com, the number one definition of the word infidel is "a person who does not accept a particular faith." The several Dekker books surrounding Other Earth are filled with people who don't accept the faith of the Forest Dwellers. It was hard for me, in Infidel, to determine just which character was the infidel. I'm still not altogether sure.

And while I understand that weaving a story takes considerable character development and that several threads of the plot line must be laid in order to get to the culmination, I found Infidel to be a very interesting work, but just not quite up to the standard that other Dekker books have set.

Infidel is, no doubt, critical to understanding the history of Other Earth, and I can't imagine reading the next two books in the chronicles without first reading Infidel, but I just wasn't grabbed by it like I was the original Circle trilogy, or most of Dekker's other works. I found Infidel to be more about laying the foundation for coming installments than furthering the story.

What makes the whole thing even more interesting is the marketing ploy that Dekker and publisher Nelson have developed in order to drive the hype behind the stories. There's a massive online search for the Lost Books of History, with multiple sites and characters created for the sole purpose of guiding readers through the search for the ultimate discovery -- the last Lost Book of History -- and the ultimate prize -- a brand new Chevy Cobalt.

I have, of course, registered for the search, but I haven't been very active in it. I found on the first day that I could easily spend hours of my day just digging and digging through the clues online in search for the Lost Book. As much as the search intrigues me, I just don't have that kind of time on my hands.

But what I do have time for is reading the next Dekker book when it comes out. Adam hits bookstores next month.

In the meantime, Infidel is definitely worth the read, but only if you've read the rest of the epic first.

I preread this book for my son. It is a great adventure. Poopoo to all the nitpickers. I got behind the characters and enjoyed the adventures.

I have read Black, Red and White, so after that I had to continue reading the lost books. Infidel was a great treat, I love how it combines the first books. I have started reading Renegade yesterday, it just keep getting better and better. Ted Dekker is a brillant author, I love how are this books are tying together. I read all the Left Behind books, and they were great, and I would place this series right up there at the top. If you start reading one, you will want to read them all, believe me.

In this second installment of Ted Dekker's action-fantasy series, The Lost Books, all four main characters --- Johnis, Silvie, Billos and Darsal --- are immediately thrust back into active combat after their celebratory evening. Johnis can't get his mind off the fact that the recovered ring signifies that his mother is still alive. But just how is she living? As a slave? Is she a Horde now? Under what conditions will he find her? Obsessed by this newfound knowledge, Johnis and Silvie sneak out of the city, taking their lives into their own hands and following Johnis's heart instead of his head.

Clearly, Johnis wants to rescue his mother, but there is opposition from both inside his ranks and outside. And complications. The power of the book is also another mystery and a compelling one; when someone touches the book after spilling his blood, something otherworldly and intense takes place. But where does this power come from? Is it a tool of Elyon or of Teelah?

After battling their way into the enemy city with the help of a small Horde girl, Johnis and Silvie do find his mother, but they also become victim to a bigger plot and are trapped. Johnis is given an ultimatum --- either agree to help the Horde find and abduct Thomas Hunter, or they will kill both his mother and Silvie. Johnis's heart is wrenched in two as he tries to wriggle his way out of this no-win situation.

Martyn, the Horde general, outlines the entire scheme to Johnis right down to the lies he would tell to lure Thomas into the trap. With more bravado than he feels, Johnis approaches Thomas and sets the ambush. A forest guard warrior turned traitor, Justin of Southern, with whom the Horde knows Thomas cannot resist meeting, is the bait. Johnis spins a story that Thomas is to meet with Justin in Red Valley as soon as possible. The Horde knows Thomas's interest will be piqued and they're right; plying him with lie after lie, Johnis lures the commander into the desert before abandoning him without horse or water. Riding away, convicted and ashamed, Johnis tries to convince himself that he had just acted on behalf of his mother and Silvie. But thoughts of a stunned Thomas stranded without aid won't leave his mind.

Thankfully, despite his many and frequent mistakes, others step in and assist Johnis, offering both real help and needed mercy before the final stage is set. As the "chosen" one, Johnis learns a great deal about following his heart, using his head, and listening to the counsel of his fellow warriors and friends. With lightning speed action, Ted Dekker delivers another energizing tale that will have readers of this series impatient for its next compelling segment. But as they wait, the multi-leveled plot and theological repercussions will keep fans mulling the storyline over and over.

--- Reviewed by Michele Howe

A great read, and quick. Get the whole series, it's that good. You don't have to read prequels first (The Circle Trilogy), and I appreciate that!
But, hey! you will probably want to read them after you're done, (Ted Dekker makes you curious enough) to enhance your understanding of one character, Thomas' prior history. We did! :)

I'd give this 3 stars in the field of Wiccan books overall (ok, not great or must have), and 4 stars within the niche of books on Covening given that there's not that wide a range (good, but not must have).

Basically, if you're interested in covens or forming a coven, I'd say the two essentials would be Covencrafting by Amber K (more practical focus), and Wicca Covens by Judy Harrow (more group dynamics etc), and after those, this would be my third pick in a very narrow field. I think has a better focus on evaluating an existing coven than Coven forming, but it's also a lot less dense in differing ways than the two other books, which may make it a little less intimidating.

Well, if you are also curious like me what is going on inside a coven - without really getting into one, this book really give a good picture of what it looks like. It does not only give some overview but also gives some light on how to pick up the right coven, criterias for it, how to form your own coven etc.

because of ideas presented, if nothing else.

Any Solitary who ever wondered about the logistics of coven entry should read this book. Edain McCoy writes from the heart in an easy-to-read language which tells it like it is. She relates both the upside & downside of working within a coven & gives common-sense guidelines to creating your own. The importance of ettiquette in group settings is stressed & personal experiences are shared with the reader relating to this & other areas of coven-based practices.

A good book for anyone who may be worried about finding the right coven for themselves (or wondering if the coven setting is right for them!), or those interested in finding out about that side of the Craft which is shared with like-minded others.

This book tells the reader precisely what kind of committment a coven is, how to go about finding one, and what to look for in one. It is also a good guide for those just looking to find general classes or trying to meet other pagans as not everybody is a solitary practitioner by choice. Definitely a great book to have read when screening potential covens, teachers, students, coven members, etc. The advice is practical and down to earth, and quite useful for spotting the predators out there.

I came across this novel quite by accident, having seen a Steven King review of one of Goddard's other novels. King praised Goddard so I decided to check out his work. I settled on "Into the Blue".

The book has been well reviewed by 20 others here and I will just add this: Goddard is quite literate, but never boorish. The story is intricate but well told. His characters are well developed and his telling of the tale is superb. It's a tale of mystery, murder and international intrigue. I will definitely read Goddard's other novels.

As to the Kindle edition of the book, it is superb. There was not a single typo or error of any kind. The text flowed smoothly and flawlessly.

I highly recommend the novel itself and I highly recommend the Kindle edition for you Kindle owners.

Goddard does it again! In this novel we meet Harry Barnett, a fiftish failure with a past. Harry's life is immersed in failure; its only positive aspect being Harrys unlikely friendship with Alan Dysart, an Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Defense. While house sitting at Alan's villa in Greece, Harry is drawn into a perplexing and bizarre puzzle involving the disappearance of a beautiful, young houseguest.

These are only two of the several plot threads that textures this story and weaves it into compelling whole cloth. Goddard's writing invites you to walk in Harrys shoes as he attempts to utilize the one clue in his possession to solve a mystery whose pieces are scattered from Greece to England to Switzerland.

You may think you have the solution.....but don't be too sure!!

Harry Barnett lives the life of an Englishman on holiday on the Greek island of Rhodes where he is the care taker of the Villa ton Navarkhon belonging to his powerful friend Alan Dysart. He lives peacefully in the shadow of a past disgrace until Heather Mallender, a guest at the villa, disappears on a walking tour on Profitis Ilias. Harry becomes the number one suspect. While a Greek detective tries to catch him, and the British newspapers accuse him of murder, Harry's conscience is his worst enemy of all. What happened to young, beautiful Heather Mallender? Who took her-and why didn't Harry realize that something was amiss?
Suddenly Harry, a man steeped in failure, finds a purpose: retracing the strange, twisting route that led to Heather's vanishing. But the more he learns, the less he knows. Until Harry finds himself at the heart of a dangerous puzzle whose pieces are scattered everywhere: in the realm of British politics, in the beds of adulterous lovers, in the past, the present, and most of all, amid the secrets of an unsuspected killer....
A nicely designed plot with plenty of twists and turns and a sympathetic protagonist are the strengths of one of Mr Goddard's most entertaining adventure stories.
Paul Shelley reads "Into The Blue" for BBC Audiobooks. A very good performance indeed.

This was the first novel by Robert Goddard I read. After that, I was completely hooked. I rate Goddard as the best suspense novelist I've ever read. His plot twists are incredible; as a long-time reader, I'm used to being able to predict endings. It's depressing, really, how few can surprise me. Well, Goddard can! And his are true plot twists, all the information is planted early in the novel, but you can never quite see which little nugget of information will end up being the crucial one! Delightful! As for _Into the Blue_, I felt like I had visited Greece along with Harry. And Harry rates as one of the most likable characters in suspense fiction, too. Not all Goddard novels will hold the same interest, but they are all very well-plotted.

You'll like Harry Barnett. He is in Greece, on the sunny sunny island of Rhodes, house-sitting there for a rich British member of parliament. Harry smokes, he drinks, he likes food, he likes women, especially the attractive young woman named Heather, who befriended him a few days ago. Heather is much younger than Harry's overweight middle-aged self.

Heather persuades Harry to take her on the half-hour drive up a nearby mountain for the view. They stop, get out of the car, and climb for a while. Heather decides to continue walking up to the summit. Somewhat winded, Harry says he'll sit and rest for a little. Harry waits and waits and waits, and no Heather. Heather does not return. Where is she? Where did she go? Was she waylaid? What happened? He finds her scarf, and loses it.

Harry goes to the police, who question him, begin their own meticulous search of the summit, dutifully find the scarf, but quickly begin to suspect himself, that he may have murdered her and done away with the body. She has disappeared Into the Blue.

The book involves Harry's search for the young woman and what happened to her. A most engrossing and vivid read. This is Goddard at his best. A few months ago, local bookstores did not have any of his novels; he wasn't even listed in Books in Print. Amazon did not have him. You had to go to Amazon.co.uk. Goddard writes wonderfully. We must all be pleased that his excellent novels are now easily available.

Kindergarten readiness isn't about age, it's about readiness to learn in a formal setting with a group of children and from an authority figure. Taking that into account, and reading together Let's Get Ready for Kindergarten!, you will set up your child for an enjoyable and successful experience. Remember, this book is recommended for ages 2 - 6, so don't expect a 2 - 3 y/o to know all this stuff, but for those on the cusp of Kindergarten, I highly recomend this comprehensive book. And be sure to read the Parent and caregiver tips on the back cover.

Another helpful book for parents of young children, The Birth to Five Book: Confident Childrearing Right from the Start

This is an easy way to review material your child should know for Kindergarten. It's a good addition to our other educational materials we use.

I've been using this book everyday for months trying to prepare my son for kindergarten, making sure he has all the needed skills to begin school and this book has been WONDERFUL. However, the only complaint I have is that I would prefer to have it in Hardback Cover because this one has been torn apart easily and falls apart with just regular usage. Would love to see on the market in hardback soon for my other children in the future.

This is a wonderful little book that informs you of what you specifically need to teach your child before Kindergarten. It is beautifully illustrated and has all the concepts your child will need to know in a single book. As an added bonus, 10% of the profits are donated to literacy programs.

This is truly a great tool for parents and children. With my first child entering kindergarten, I really did not know what was expected. This book outlines all the things that most schools work on during the kindergarten year and it's in a format ready to sit down and work on with my daughter. It even has helpful tips for the parents throughout the pages. The wipe off pages are wonderful as this book will outlast her and probably end up being used by her brother as well. Many of the other books I looked at have rip out pages so you get one use for the same money. This book is high quality and a great deal. I'm still going to check with the school program to see what exactly their focuses are, but I'm sure that whatever they are is covered in this book.

I just finished reading this book, and i could not put it down! This is one amazing book, i highly recommend this to anyone who wants to hear a true account of a courageous undercover detective who infiltrated the mob. All true, amazing work by Rick and the NYPD. A must have! "It's in there" everything Rick was involved in, is in there!

An unbelievable yet true story that kept me engaged, too engaged for my wife on our cruise! I highly recommend for vacation reading.

What a pageturner!!!! I was very afraid for Mr. Rick Cowan throughout this whole book. Man, what guts!!! Why isn't this guy being heralded all over the place like Joe Pistone? No disrespect to Pistone but he infiltrated a fractured and disorganized crime family(Bonnano). Cowan got in with the class of the mob, the Genovese and Gambino families. I could not put this book down. I always heard that New Yorkers were being fleeced by the "garbage gangsters" but I never fully understood how. Or why couldn't our government stop it? This book breaks it down. This one is in my top 10. Fantastic!!!!

I'm of two minds on this book. The history of the mob's control of the trash and paper recycling industries in and around NYC are fascinating. But a great deal of the book consists of verbatim transcripts from wires worn by Cowan in his interminable dealings with the mob, many of which are repetitive. Only for the real lovers of mob stories.

Over the course of the past few years, my love of reading books about the mafia went dormant. When I arrived upon a copy of "Takedown" in a used book store, my interest was revitalized. The story in "Takedown" is unbelievable not because it is untrue, but because it is unbelievable how many times Rick Cowan avoided certain death. Though it is unbelievable at times, it is a true story.

By chance, Rick Cowan was in the right palce at the right time. This young detective made the mafia believe he was a cousin in a garbage hauling family. Through this false pretense, he was able to infiltrate the Gambino Fanily to its highest level. Such a task was thought to be out of reach to the NYPD. The stories Cowan tells of his interactions with the mafia have a level of authenticity to them. You can almost hear the stereotypical accents being spoken as you read. I question whether some of the stories were exaggerated to make the book a more exciting read. Surely any man faced with some of these circumstances would crack or slip.

Cowan even discusses the strain three years uncover put on his family. This is an aspect of the investigation that receives little attention in similar books. I also enjoyed the epilogue in which Cowan discusses whether he felt remorse for "ratting out" the friends he made in three years.

Reading a book about the real life mafia is much more exciting than any movie or TV show available. While there certainly must be some fabrications present in the book, none were so glaring to take away from the story. I would recommend this book to any person with an interest organized crime.

This is a great read whether you're a college student or just interested in a very practical construct for understanding business analysis and decision-making. Don't view this as the dry, age-old, micro-econ, theoretical, drudgery. This is real-life, pragmatic, business economics that ought to be read by students, entrepreneurs and executives alike. Better than Levitt's Freakonomics since it's beyond just interesting facts, it's actually useful in business practice. Who can ever refer to a managerial econ tome as actually fun and engaging to read. This one is. Buy it, start it...and, I guarantee you'll finish it.

Imagine my surprise upon reading this book. I majored in Economics in college and vividly remember "waiting" for the more advanced classes to reveal something practical as I advanced towards graduation. That proved elusive. College economics texts were all much the same - theoretical and full of supply/demand curves. They were boring.
My complimets to Luke Froeb for taking a practical approach to this subject matter. In doing so, he has done his profession a favor and challenged the status quo. This is a unique book, and for the sake of future Economics and Business students I hope that its delivery and stylistic examples become the way this subject is taught from this point forward.

This book is a great read for beginners and experts alike. Its easy-to-relate examples make sure the message gets across - how to solve business problems using micro-economics.

The book is full of "easy to apply" tools in various situations. If you have read this book, your approach to problem solving will never be the same again!

Highly recommended!

Not your typical economics text - the writing is lean and precise, and the authors use examples that demonstrate the concepts in ways that business students will find useful beyond the classroom.

As an executive MBA student using this text, I have found it to be a clear and concise explanation of how economics MUST be used to optimize company performance. Rational Actor Paradigm, Cost-Benefit Analysis, Game Theory, and other fundamental tools are covered effectively. The book is brief and very readable; perfect for someone who needs the info, but is short on time.

Men To Match My Mountains is the perfect follow up to Chittenden's The American Fur Trade of The Far West. Since H. M. Chittenden covers 1800- 1840ish, this book gives you detailed history of California, Nevada, Utah and Colorado beginning with the Oregon Trail movement. It contains some very well studied hard to find details of historical events. It's sure to please the serious history buff.

What a great book as an in depth introduction to the formation of modern day California.

Everyone I know that has read this book has loved it. If you are interested in learning about settling of the west, take a chance on this book.

A Great book, that really informs the reader. Hard to put down.

First, this is not my normal genre, but came as a highly recommended book. If one wants to learn about the immigration and exploration of the west, then one can not go wrong by reading and enjoying this wonderful history lesson in story form. As the title of the book indicates, it took a special stock of men (and women) to overcome the many obstacles that the mountains (and desert) requires of one. The book takes you on this journey from the viewpoint of the true early explorers, and adventures, to just people trying to make a better life, or escaping religious persecution. Either group provides the struggles required of all and the high adventures to get where they eventually landed.

It is hard to imagine that prior to year of 1830, that there were probably less than 5,000 non-Native Indians living in the far west. Even more so that most Americans, Canadians, Mexicans, Russians, (and others) that thought the far west presented far too much danger to even attempt the crossing, and once there, not much to reward your effort. This was based on some facts as the story unfolds from the Donner Party tragedy, and Indian attacks, to continued religious persecution, and vigilante groups of early settlements. All told though, there is only greed or great opportunity that can overcome a rational repugnance of such hardships to justify the costs which to overcome man's avoidance of living in such extremes. That greed comes in the form of gold and silver for many that ultimately made the effort to expand the far west.

All in, this is a page turner with both drama, color, and interwoven events to keep the story (i.e. immigration) moving along to the far west that we know today. A wonderful and educational story indeed.