Publications Books

The Human Comedy is a saga of 92 novels that Balzac said was written by French society. Legend described him as the night-shirted social recorder working until dawn fueled by liters of coffee. Lost Illusions (1837-1843) is considered to be one of the best of the novels in the series in scope and structure. From the frenetic world of writers and booksellers in Paris to the grueling life of hard work and boredom in villages, Balzac traced the systematic destruction of illusions in his characters. No one could be trusted (friends, foes, or family) when the creative or inventive characters attempted to reach a goal. The flicker of hope and joy related to an artistic or business accomplishment was extinguished within days or hours. The enduring artists and producers were those who lived almost without hope, guided by a strict code of ethics protected only by their ability to keep their accomplishments secret. Ultimately, some of these survivors reached their goals. But by then, they no longer placed high value in them, much of the luster lost with their illusions. Lost Illusions set the standard for many of the wonderful French novels of the subsequent years of the 19th Century. The reader is immersed in French culture in a manner similar to the later writing of Gustav Flaubert.

Lost Illusions by Balzac is one of the most famous novels out of the ninety two he wrote in his lifetime and maybe also among a million his admirers have written in 175 years since his first novel was published.

Balzac choses Lucien as a romantic, good-looking dreamy poet. We are first thrust into his provincial life, with details about his ordinary life and extraordinary ambitions that he has no means of realizing. Except patronage by an older woman! She leads him to Paris, only to abandon him to fight his way into the high society. How Lucien rises and falls in the glamorous, amorous, corrupt and vicious life as a journalist in Paris is picturized through a narrative that is bathed in realism, and yet proceeds through both suspense and wit, in the spirit of the pace at which Balzac could conjure up such novels.

In the provinces, Lucien has a friend, David, who likewise is somewhat lacking in social and economic acumen, and is a hard working inventor. David own father ruins him by extracting an unreasonable price for the printing press that he leaves or sells to his own son. Crafty competitors take advantage of David's credulous character. David endures both provincial small mindedness and economic setbacks suffered to keep Lucien afloat. Balzac displays his knowledge of these disparate characters with remarkable attention to detail. He weaves an undercurrent, of what could have passes as a dissertation, on the art and science of paper making.

Balzac creates in his one book, a saga that unravels friendship, love, jealousy, lust, ambition, vanity, greed and absurdity that lurk in our beings and in our relationships. By using two main pillars, Lucien and David, Balzac erects a bridge into the two worlds of poetry and science. He shuns hint of any romance of either worlds, and shows how much character, how many hardships and set-backs, how much devotion and labor are required for a man to become a known poet or a scientist.

I am quoting an example from this translation (carried out by Katharine Prescott Wormeley):

"No one can be a great man cheaply," said d'Arthez in his gentle voice. "Genius waters her work with tears.Talent is a moral being which, like all other beings, is subject to the maladies of childhood. Society rejects undeveloped talent just as nature removes her feeble or deformed creations. Whoever wishes to rise above his fellows must be prepared to struggle, and not recoil at difficulty. A great writer is a martyr who does not die - that's the whole of it!"

Besides the two pillars, the book has an interesting array of characters. Actresses, society women, editors and publishers, lawyers, struggling writers, dandies - all appear with their human failings and foibles as part of a drama that unfolds with an enrapturing narrative. Be it history, economics, alchemy, or psychology, or any topic under the sun, Balzac ushers in his great knowledge, suspending and supporting the story with able and apt pointers, tresses and metaphors.

Balzac's Lost Illusions is undoubtedly a classic everyone can enjoy and must read at some point in their lives. Highly recommended.

I read this book during my latest visit to my favorite middle east country. I must admit that I didn't enjoy this book as much as others. I felt like it was slow to come around and I thought there was too much detail on (seemingly) unimportant things at times. I'm just a regular person, so that said if you are an accomplished reader you may love this, for neophytes such as myself, other titles are more likely to be properly enjoyed (see my reviews)...and keep me updated!

This is one of the best novels by Balzac, which is to say much, since he is still one of the best writers that have ever lived. Here, as in the rest of his work, the reader can appreciate Balzac's knowledge of worldly life, and especially the world of business, so alien to other writers. In this book he elaborates on the printing business as well as on journalism -vastly so-, back when it first began as a mercantilist activity. He contrasts the small life and intrigues of the province with the -no less petty but more gandiose- life and intrigues of the big city, Paris, and in particular of the faubourg Saint-Germain, the paradise of the Parisian jet-set.

David Sechard is a young man who inherits, at great cost, his cold and greedy father's printing business. Lucien Chardon (later "de Rubempre", after taking his impoversihed mother's more aristocratic last name) is his best friend. Both of them share a love for poetry, but it is Lucien who comes to shine as the young genius of province, the promise for whom it is worth it to sacrifice it all. Lucien gets the love of one Louise de Bargeton, the "queen of Angouleme", the most cultivated and refined woman in town. Louise promises to take Lucien to Paris, introduce him into the great society, and make him triumph as a poet. His family gives him all they can to get him started, and off he goes to Paris. But he happens to be arrogant, proud, and insecure, and soon he suffers the despise and insolence of aristocrats and other rich people. After what he believes to be an offense from Louise, he rejects her, earning her eternal hatred.

In the meantime, Lucien has been spending time with two very different circles of friends. The first is composed of a group of young intellectuals, hardworking guys sacrificing money and fun for the sake of science, art, and knowledge. They are there for him in times of need, and encourage him to keep up with his writing. The second group is a bunch of journalists, easy going but corrupt people who convince him to achieve quick fame and money. Lucien gets more and more trapped by this seemingly easy life, and after he conquers the love of the prettiest actress in Paris, his fate is decided. He achieves fame and fortune overnight, and so he jumps completely into the world of parties, frivolity and silly competition for status. At this point in the novel, Balzac introduces us to the sordid, decadent, and disgusting world of journalism understood as an unmerciful network of extortion and constant blackmailing. Lucien slides down that road, getting recognition and fame, oblivious to the growing net of envy that closes in around him every day.

What follows is the sad story of an unlikable character. Lucien has very little redeeming qualities about him, as opposed to some of his early friends, his young lover and his family. He is blind as blind can be, since his extreme selfishness builds a cloud in which he lives. He cares for nobody, except perhaps for the little Coralie, and he goes on leaving too many wounded bodies by the side of the road. Nevertheless, this character is the vehicle that allows Balzac to show us the real world out there. This writer never ever gives up to the temptation of sweetening things for the reader, he's brave and persists on his plan. Balzac is never a moralizing preacher, he is just a skillful painter of life as it is.

Here, as in the rest of his work, you will find characters who also appear in other novels, an ingenious device intended to give us a feeling of reality. This book is never boring and builds up tension rapidly, even for its length. It is an encompassing ride through all the fancies of youth gone wrong, as well as an unrelenting depiction of all the falseness and emptiness of high society. Much recommended.

I love Balzac. At his best he soars above the rest of French literature and here he is definitely at his finest. Easy to see why Proust thought him the best, at his best. Vautrin/Collyn is at his most sinister and attractive. If you haven't read Balzac before, this is the best to start with.

MEETING MS. RIGHT WAS A REALLY GOOD BOOK ITS SHOW THAT MAN CAN BE VIRGINS TOO THE AUTHOR BROUGHT REALLY GOOD QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT PEOPLE HAVE TO DEAL WITH FINDING LOVE IN THEIR LIFE AND IF THEY WILL EVER MEET THE RIGHT PERSON SO IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A GOOD READ THEN GO GET THIS BOOK.

Who gets chosen--The good guy with a good job and nice conversation or the rich guy with a great body and nice bank account? Most would go for the latter. Meeting Ms. Right will introduce you to Dexter and Malcolm, best friends, but polar opposites. Malcolm is a ladies' man, working as an auto mechanic for one of the world's top car manufacturers, pulling in over 75K a year. Dexter is a High School English teacher who just can't seem to land his perfect mate. As Jeanty's tale unfolds Dexter and Malcolm will come to heads with a few life changing decisions. Overall this book was a refreshing read.

1. What did you like best about this book?
I liked the way Mr. Jeanty developed both of his characters. They were very believable.

2. What did you dislike about this book?
This book was a fun read. Not much that for anyone to dislike.

3. How can the author improve this book?
There really isn't anything noteworthy that I would change about this book.

Meet Malcolm a 30-year-old virgin, 9th grade H.S school Social Studies Teacher who is looking for Mrs. Right. He has high standards and himself is just an average Joe. He wants beauty, Brains, simulating conversation. The problem is he is no pretty boy or a thug type male. He takes a chance and buys a lotto ticket and hits big: now he feels he must conceal his winnings from the world until he finds Mrs. Right and not Mrs. Right Now! Take the ride with Malcolm as he tries to find Mrs. Right, and find the answer to the question.... do nice guys finish last?


Meet Dexter, Malcolm's best friend he gives new meaning to the word "womanizer". He is a pretty boy with a great body and job to match who drives a BMW 528...Yes, all the makings to meet fine woman. During their clubbing ventures, he always tries to hook up Malcolm and always has Malcolm back. When Malcolm hits it big of course, he takes care of Dexter with a big pay off. Unlike Malcolm, Dexter does not hide his wealth. Will he ever settle down? Will he meet the woman of his dreams? Take the ride with Dexter and find out if bad boys end up on top?


Richard Jeanty does a great job pulling this story together. He takes you from Boston to Jamaica with vivid description you feel as if you are there. He does a great job taking you on the emotional roller coaster these friends take. While this work is fiction I found myself asking what would I do if I met a male virgin this day and age? As with my thinking Richard hits it in the book as Malcolm's sexual orientation is questioned.

This is my first read by Richard Jeanty I must say I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from him in the future.

I would recommend this book, as it was a great read and gave some insight into the male way of thinking about relationship.


SiStar Tea
ARC Book Club Inc.
Star Rating: 4

In Jeanty's MEETING MS. RIGHT readers are introduced to best friends Malcolm, a school teacher, and Dexter, a mechanic, who find themselves making some very important decisions in life.

Malcolm is having trouble finding a woman who will take him seriously. He's always walking in Dexter's, player extraordinaire shadow. So when he decides it's time to be a man he sets out on a mission to find the woman of his dreams. Malcolm finds just what he's looking for in Eileen but will he be graced with the know how to make it last?

Dexter has so many women he doesn't know whether he's coming or going. When he and Malcolm go clubbing he always makes sure his best friend meets someone as well. Tired of the monotony of bedding so many women, Dexter is forced to make a life-altering decision that will change the outlook of his perception of women.

MEETING MS. RIGHT is a well-written and highly engaging read. The storyline, plot and memorable characters are sure to please. Page after page the words flowed effortlessly thus my not having to reread a single passage for clarity. This is my first novel by the very talented Richard Jeanty but it certainly will not be my last.

Reviewed by Pamela Bolden
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

Malcolm and Dexter are lifelong friends who are more like brothers yet are as different as night and day. Dexter gives new meaning to the word "playa" and has no problems meeting women while Malcolm is shy and more reserved and has decided to wait until he meets "Ms Right" before engaging in an "intimate" relationship. When Malcolm wins the lottery, and begins to change his appearance by buying new clothes, working out etc etc, he still refuses to disclose his new found status, wanting the woman he meets to love him for him, not his wealth. Dexter, on the other hand, believes in living his life to the fullest but soon begins to feel that something is missing and finds his potential mate in an unlikely source: Jessica. The woman that Malcolm has had an crush on for years. When Malcolm meets Eileen, he falls head over heels only to have to have the rug snatched from under him as a shocking secret comes to light. Has Malcolm finally found the one? Will Dexter ever settle down and be in an monogamous relationship? Meeting Ms Right is an engrossing , thought-provoking story that asks the age-old question, when it comes to relationships and finding your soul-mate, what do men and women really want? Do we set ourselves up for disappointment by setting expectations and standards too high? Reviewed by Shay C of PeoplewholoveGoodBooks

I WASN'T SURE WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN I ORDERED THIS BOOK, BUT I'M HAPPY I PURCHASED IT. IT HAS A GREAT DEAL OF INFORMATION THAT I AM ABSORBING AS I GO ALONG. IT TAKES ME A LOT OF REFLECTION TO ABSORB WHAT IS BEING SAID, ALTHOUGH IT IS NOT A DIFFICULT OR EASY "READ". THIS IS NOT A READ-IT-ALL-AT ONCE BOOK...IF YOU ARE WILLING TO ENTERTAIN AND PERHAPS ACCEPT THE INFORMATION BEING PRESENTED, IT IS AN INTERESTING AND WELL WRITTEN BOOK.

Accept that these ideas may not agree with your present beliefs. Explore ideas that preceded Christianity and Islam by millenia. One of the problems many encounter with such publications is that they are written by people who think differently and do not always clarify their differing mental concepts that do not coincide withwestern beliefs.
This book discusses the concept that the mind is indestructible, cycling through the 6 important bardos transition phases of prebirth, birth, living, death transition, and return. This is not a "religion" in that there is no God to bargain with: one is responsible for one's own life circumstances through one's own conduct over several lives, following the principle of the golden rule.
That being said, the author has an outstanding mastery of style and clarity of thought, except in sectiions where jargon words break up the idea flow, like rapids in a smooth stream. You may master this hurdle or choose to abandon the book, disappointed.

This book called to me, as did a book discussion group at Nalanda West in Seattle. The result of both is profound gratitude. Relatively new to Buddhist studies, I wasn't sure I was ready for these apparently advanced teachings on working with the mind after death. It does seem that nothing has been withheld here, and yet the book doesn't overwhelm. The kind humor of the Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche pulls me along gently, so that even advanced practices are approachable. Gentle teacher, great wisdom. What more could one ask?

Death is something we need to know about since we will all be meeting it face to face. Just clinching our teeth and hoping for the best is not a reasonable strategy. Ponlop Rinpoche lays out one that is, with precision and in detail. This book contains amazingly profound teachings for living and dying, and does it in a tone that is both light and serious.

Reading this book is a must!

As I've grown older I have truly relished the eruption of Tibetan wisdom literature and commentaries "coming online", as it were. Having cut my teeth on D.T. Zusuki and Herbert Guenther, the appearance of Thurman, Garfield, and now Ponlop Ripoche has further deepened and matured my appreciation of the compassion that comes out of life to help us. Ripoche's work is, for me, a true mile/gem/stone. It is a truly reflective work that I can only compare, in my own meditative experience, to reading St. Agustine's Confession. There is genius in the economy of words, only outshined by their precision and communicative power. I have been graced with such great teachers who awakened and deepened my "reflective ear". As I read Ripoche's work each word, phrase and paragraph echos with insight inspiring power, congealing long threads of thought both Western and Eastern. I do apologize if this review seems like a fawning paean. What I wishing to convey is the deep meaning that is redolent within this work, and the opportunity for you, also, to take a plunge (if you already haven't). It is truly a unique work of great power and relevance. It is the best work to emerge, to date, for our Western lebenswelt that deals with the experience of death and beyond -- and by that our life, right now.

W.O.S. is the writer that so many contemporary writers emulate without even knowing it. I make it a point to re-read his Last and First Men every 3 years to catch up on his accuracy of prediction. Jules Verne had nothing on this man.

Until 2002 Sirius was the only thing by Stapledon I had read. Now with Last and First Men, Star Maker, Nebula Maker and Odd John, plus a good few more years, behind me, it means a lot more to me. Like his author, the dog with an equal-to-human brain is one of a kind, but the main theme is Stapledon's familiar tragic theme of the futile destruction of what intellect, mind and spirit can achieve. This is a Stapledon story with some very unfamiliar ingredients like characters and humour. It may be the strangest love story ever, but it's a love story all right, and a harrowing one. This time Stapledon is not looking directly into the mind of the Creator, but the religious professionals still get it in the neck from him. That strikes a chord with me. At a recent college reunion I attended a service for which 'unctuous and complacently servile' would have been an excellent description. If there is a Creator, to behave to him in this manner seemed to me to be verging on blasphemous, and I was relieved to get out before a thunderbolt struck. 'Find your calling...or be damned' may be the main message of this book, but it seems that the forces of futility may still get to you whether you do or not.

Bertrand Russell has a story that Macaulay never spoke until the age of 6, when hot tea was spilled over him at a children's party and he reassured his fussing hostess with 'Thankyou madam, the agony is abated'. The early story of Odd John Wainwright, the son of slightly eccentric and moderately talented parents, started by reminding me of this, but I knew I would soon have to take it seriously. Odd John is a superhuman and he knows it. He is not cruel or evil, but like Stapledon's Star Maker he has more important priorities than, say, human life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Life will be calmly sacrificed if it interferes with his mission. His 'property-is-theft' attitude to the local tycoon is probably a mask for the kind of early-20th century socialism that appealed to Stapledon, and John's early sexual mores have a touch of Bloomsbury about them -- the activity that dares not speak its name would seem to be obviously incest, except for the fact that it does not appear to create any downstream waves in his later relations with any of his family. The thought crossed my mind that I might be on the wrong track altogether. What could be equally unmentionable, something on which the taboo is almost as much cosmic as human? But on folk-dancing I dare not dwell.

Odd John will not wring your emotions the way Sirius ought to do. It has other virtues. The creativity that conjured such a riveting series of human species in Last and First Men and would later create the planetary civilisations in Star Maker is at work here with the freakish superhumans, including one that is surely the most hellish being in all literature. The book is also obviously the main inspiration for Arthur C Clarke's Childhood's End, in which the writer surpasses himself and achieves a stupendous reinterpretation of the whole legend of God and Satan. In Odd John the supreme being is not showing his hand regarding his ultimate intentions for humanity, but all in a way more reminiscent of the Overmind in Childhood's End than of the terrifying Star Maker. The main difference for me is not the stylistic gulf between the two authors but that in Childhood's End I am always conscious that I am reading a colossal piece of imagination. Stapledon, like his Sirius, upsets me by giving me the uncomfortable sense that he may be sniffing around the truth.

Olaf Stapledon was a visionary philosopher who utilized archetypal science fictional concepts, in the 1930s and 1940s, to comment brilliantly and movingly on the human condition. While Stapledon cannot be easily categorized as "sci-fi," he has had a wide, but currently unappreciated, influence on the field. His profound influence on Arthur C. Clarke and Ray Bradbury is quite obvious, and sci-fi historians will probably recognize Stapledon's wide-ranging influence immediately. This particular volume collects two novels with a related theme - the destruction of intelligence and dignity by an uncomprehending and hostile society. These stories are brilliantly written and astonishingly insightful, and are highly recommended for both sci-fi fans with a historical interest, and lovers of deeply philosophical literature.

"Odd John" (1935) is a fascinating, though sometimes overly talky, tale of a weird misfit kid with strange physical powers and cosmic thought processes. Eventually John learns to harness his powers for great personal achievement, and to communicate telepathically with others of his kind around the world. John and his brethren are not mutant freaks as they appear on the surface, but the next step in human evolution (a premise borrowed directly by Clarke for "Childhood's End"). John organizes his superhumans on an island colony dedicated to scientific and philosophical research for the betterment of society. Unfortunately, the reaction they face from unenlightened old-style humans is both tragically sad and tragically predictable, allowing Stapledon to comment harshly on humanity's hatred of nonconformity and inherent backwardness.

"Sirius" (1944) is the stronger of the two novels here, and its display of writing skill will amaze the reader. The story has a premise that soon became overused - a scientist hopes to engineer an advanced human, and in the course of his research creates a super-intelligent dog. You may find this to be cheesy comic book material, but Stapledon takes this simplistic premise to astonishingly philosophical lengths. With his human intelligence, Sirius faces human emotional challenges while also trying to cope with his wild canine side, finding himself unable to fully fit into either realm. Stapledon works wonders with an intelligent dog's potential thoughts and interests, with highly enjoyable examinations of what a dog would think about things like music, art, and religion. And through the eyes of a dog (the classic "outside observer" method), Stapledon mercilessly skewers the weaknesses of human society, turning a simple tale of a smart dog into a philosophical powerhouse. The conclusion of this story is also tragically predictable, and crushingly sad as well. Olaf Stapledon was a skilled and visionary writer with strengths that will open the minds of fans from any literary genre. [~doomsdayer520~]

The editors of this volume have had a brilliant idea; both stories may be read as a pair of Plutarch's "Parallel Lives".
They have many traits in common. It is very interesting for the reader to see the author's evolution on some considerations about humankind in a 9 years span.

Olaf Stapledon (1886-1950) is believed to be the generational link between H. G. Wells (with whom he corresponded) and more recent British sci-fi authors as Arthur C. Clark (who recognizes Stapledon's influence on his "Childhood's End").

Born in England, spent his infancy at Port Said, absorbing the influence of the multicultural environment. He was a conscientious-objector but served as ambulance driver in WWI. In 1925 he was awarded with a Ph.D. in Philosophy and this is clearly perceptible in his novels.
He had a powerful imagination and humanistic, scientific and philosophical interests that he poured in his four major opus: "Last an First Men" (1930), "Odd John" (1935), "Star Maker" (1937) and "Sirius" (1944).

I'll comment each novel in particular and try to draw a parallel between them.

Odd John.
The present story follows the life and deeds of a Super Human. He is the product of an evolutionary jump and graced with super human intelligence.
This intelligence needs time to evolve and grow, so John maintain infant characteristic by a longer period than normal.
He is in permanent conflict with his surroundings, mastering them is a hard task. In order to receive help he recruits/bewitch a family's friend, who is the narrator in this novel.
John grows up and discovers he is not alone; there are other specimens of Homo Superior around the world. He sets out to search and recruit them for a unique project: establishing a Colony of his kind.

Stapledon use the different anecdotes to illustrate his reflections about human kind, religion, politic, justice, ethic and more, many more subjects of transcendence.

Sirius.
This novel follows the life and deeds of a Super Dog. He is the product of a biological experiment and was gifted with a human equivalent intelligence.
He is raised as a step-son in his creator's family and develops a very intimate relation with Plaxy the younger daughter of Dr. Thomas Trelone.
Sirius' career comprises being a super sheepdog, wild wolf, laboratory subject, farmer and investigator.
There is one central issue that traverses the whole narration: Sirius' uniqueness and solitude. He is a Dog in Man's universe, a Wolf in Monkey-land. He goes from alert inquisitiveness to deep dark depression and back. A melancholic air is always present until the unavoidable tragic ending.

Parallel.
Two extraordinary creatures are examined in detail from birth to death.
Both of them are immersed in an alien environment, no "equals" are around. They are raised by well-meaning people but still not of their "class".
Sirius and John are compelled to kill a human forced by circumstances. Stapledon use these events to generate a deep cogitation about self defense and its limits.
Both characters observe humankind from an outsider's look and pass judgment on many significant issues.
Sirius and in a lesser way John are doomed by loneliness.
The two novels are constructed as a tragedy; no matter what the protagonists do they are doomed.


It is thought provoking double volume and deserves to be present in every sci-fi fan's collection.

Reviewed by Max Yofre.

A story about a superintelligent talking dog? It sounds terrible, like something out of a twee Disney film, but in actual fact Stapledon manages to avoid anything like that, and has written an incredible, touching story. It reminds me of "Call of the Wild" and "White Fang", and doesn't avoid the dark side of Sirius' nature... there are a couple of particularly savage passages where Sirius kills a sadistic farmer, and also "murders" a horse just to indulge his canine instincts.

Sirius ends up seeing the full range of human life, from bad to good, and more. He is also not a true dog, and finds himself not only alienated from human beings who cannot accept him fully (with a handful of exceptions), but other dogs who are like cretins to him especially his "lovers" (as the book puts it). Despite having difficulty speaking and writing (he devises ways to get around that), Sirius has an advantage over other dogs through his intelligence, and over humans in his hearing, sense of smell etc. What we get is not only a satire on English life during WWII, but an almost autistic view of the world, seeing everything but not able to integrate oneself into it.

Of course some of the writing is dated, and Stapledon at times takes a very colonial view of the Welsh and their language (Sirius is originally brought up on a Welsh farm by English academics). Some of the style is very dry and typical of the period (for example when Sirius spots a holy roller farmboy pleasuring himself, Stapledon calls it "something unspeakable". Fortunately Victorian hangovers like these are not common).

Ol' Lady Grizelda by Justin Matott is a fabulous book about when you were a little boy. Ol' Lady Grizelda likes to eat kids stew. Ol' Lady Grizelda lives up on a hill and a little boy lives below Ol' Lady Grizelda. At midnight they see her planting peas and looking for treasure with keys.

This book has a wonderful lesson hidden within a delightfully told story about acceptance. I LOVE THIS BOOK AND HAVE FOR SOME TIME!

Mr. Matott came to my school last week and told us about how he met the lady in this book. It is a cool story and he said he wrote a chapter book about it. I want to read that too. Read all of Mr. Matotts books because HE ROCKS!!!

When I first saw this book i thought the lady was scary and weird. My teacher reads this book again and again now because we like it so much. It is a story about how mean people say things and then they find out they dont even know people. I mean when you read this book you will find out that the old weird lady is nice to kids and she is great. i want everyone to read this book because you will learn something and then you will really enjoy it. okay, that is what I would say about this book anyway.

I have been using this book in my classroom for the past three years. I have to keep buying new copies because the kids wear this book out. If you want to use a book that teaches tolerance, love and ultimately the way all people would like to be viewed, read Ol' Lady Grizelda, you will be glad you did. It has also proven to be a wonderful tool for my slower readers because of the glossary included. The language is challenging enough for my picture book/chapter book straddlers and they love, LOVE, the illustrations!

This book is helpful to us ozzies (those without bipolar) and lets you know that what you are experiencing is not unusual. that others are going through exactly what you are also.

This is your ticket to the start of a healed you! Ozzie_Tinman is the best pilot you can have in your journey to recover from the emotional scars caused by being affected by a borderline. Although the writing is hardly academic or professional, you will be given the best advice on how to start your journey to Kansas. Yes, the only way to save yourself is to LEAVE THE BORDERLINE FOR GOOD. Tips to remember:
1.Ozzie_Tinman is a great pilot but YOU have to make all the arrangements for this flight and that includes getting the ticket, the passport and making sure you get a good seat and buckle up (these metaphors will make sense as you read the book).
2. Don't get obsessed with reading about BPD- you don't need to become an expert - you need to heal yourself! I recommend "Boomerang Love" but that's about all you need.
3. LEAVE, LEAVE , LEAVE - Don't assume the borderline will get better- according to the book for a borderline to cure itself it takes at least 4 years to happen and much therapy.
4. Regain your self-esteem as that is what is preventing you from moving on!
5. Kansas is a wonderful place that you have been before (you met the borderline) - you can get back there, difference is that you will be stronger, more beautiful, and much smarter than when you were before the borderline drained your soul!
6. Think positive and don't dwell on then 10% of good times you had with the BPD- those were FAKE attempts made by the BPD to win you over so that the remanding 90% of time you suffered you will long for the good times to come back.

This book is really written for folks with family and friends who are either diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) or are exhibiting similar symptoms. I have both family and friends who have various psychological disorders including Borderline, Depression, Bipolar, Anxiety, Autism, etc. Information useful to many types of psychological disorders is included in this book. It hits head on a variety of symptoms and how to deal with them. While the focus is on BPD it has lots of how-to information for related or similar disorders.

This is a great book. It's partly about the journey of the author "Ozzie" as he recounts dealing with his borderline wife. It's heartbreaking and encouraging at the same time. Ozzie has had quite a tough time but he's handled it with a grace that I hope I can achieve.

One Way Ticket To Kansas is also about educating us on symptoms, possible responses to behavior, access to support, etc. If you think you have someone near you with BPD you really should read this book. This is this kind of book I'll buy and give away to people needing the help. It's just that good.

Best of the book: Chapter 7 "Ozzie Stinkin' Thinkin'" where Ozzie helps us understand how our own thinking becomes warped. Even better he helps us understand how to modify our thinking to become healthier for us, and at the same time possibly healthier for our loved one with BPD.

Buy it now for immediate insight and support.

I hope you enjoy One Way Ticket To Kansas.

In my opinion this is hands down the best book out there for dealing with someone with borderline personality disorder. Yes, there is SWOE and other books that are out there, but One Way Ticket To Kansas is the only book that I have come across that is writen from the perspective of a spouse. It is also the only book out there that explains in detail the eratic and seriouly disturbed behaviors the person with BPD directs at the person they are most intimately close to, the spouse. The information in One Way Ticket To Kansas is easy to read, entertaining, and the author has a knack for explaining the complexities of bpd in easy to understand terms. While the book is sensitive to the person with bpd, it also does not pull any punches either and gives an honest look at the effects to caring about someone with bpd. This book will make many light bulbs go off in your head, and help you realize that you have had the power all along to find happiness. It's empowering to the reader and focusses specifically on the reader, not the person with bpd. Once you start reading this book you will not want to put it down. Then you will read it again as you will emotionally connect with the author about so many aspect of your life. This is a must have book.

This book is a must have for all people who have a borderline person in their life. This book is an easy read and captures the true feelings a person without borderline personality disorder is experiencing. It has helped validate me as a person and has allowed me to move on. I highly recommend this book !!

Wow, this book is banannas. from the time I started this book I was up until 5am finish reading ....K D Harris great story line nice cover and cartel is doing the DA*! thang!!!! That girl was POISON in a worse way..don't want to tell story this hottest book this summer must get

THIS IS THE FIRST BOOK THAT I HAVE READ FROM THIS AUTHOR BUT IT WON'T BE THE LAST!!!!!!!

I ENJOYED THIS BOOK ALOT,EVEN THOUGH THE MAIN CHARACTER DID DISASTROUS SCHEMING W/O THINKING OF THE CONSEQUENCE !!! HOW SIMPLE-MINDED WAS SHE!!! I ENJOYED IT BECAUSE SHE WAS ALWAYS DOING RIDICULOUS THINGS,YET SHE WAS TO ME A CLOWN,THAT NEVER TOOK RESPONSIBILITY OF HER OWN ACTIONS!!!! I CAN'T BELIEVE SO MANY GUYS FELL FOR HER,PROBABLY THINKING WITH THEIR LITTLE HEADS!!!!!!! TO READERS GET THIS BOOK SO THAT YOU'LL KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!!!!

This was a good read. I give it 4 stars. You won't be disappointed.

THE CARTEL PUBLICATIONS REALLY DID THERE THING WHEN THE CAME OUT WITH THIS BOOK I MEAN OH MY GOD THIS BOOK REALLY BLEW MY MIND. I THINK EVERYONE WHO LOVES TO READ BOOKS SHOULD GO GET THIS YOU WILL NOT BE LET DOWN OR UPSET IT IS WORTH THE MONEY I READ IT IN ONE DAY.

This is a profoundly moving book by a Palestinian woman about the plight of her people. A work of fiction, it breathes life into the Palestinian experience of the past sixty years in a way that dry works of history cannot. It describes the frustration and misery of a people who have been denied their land, human rights, and even an accurate understanding of the injustices they have endured. Susan Abulhawa has a very descriptive vocabulary that evokes the richness of the Arabic language itself. Anyone seeking to know why the woefully intractable Arab-Israeli conflict continues to endure will learn much from this book. It is an outstanding read by a gifted, impassioned author.

I'm the daughter of Palestinian-American immigrants who came here with a hope for the future. They still tried to tell us about what they left behind, and what we're fighting for. I thought I knew pretty well what I was advocating all this time, until I bought a copy of this book. I couldn't put it down, and I've reread it 3 more times since. I truly felt that I knew what it meant to be Palestinian, and felt that I truly could understand my parents and my family for the first time. I've recommended this book to all my friends who are still confused about my mission, my culture, and my pride. Anyone who needs a real point of view of an oppressed people needs to read this book. You won't regret it.

This book is dangerously anti-Semitic and denies history. Even "Publisher's Weekly" (see above), usually very supportive, dislikes the outrageous misrepresentations of the book. I regret that more people have not pointed out the blatant prejudice and falsehood of the text in their reviews.

Susan Abulhawa's first novel created pangs in my stomach as I read her historical fiction. The Scar of David will leave a scar in the heart of anyone who reads it - as the pain and disbelief of the author's detailed account of a Palestinian family, raped by Israeli aggression and imperialism will surely mark a permanent memory to anyone who abhors injustice. Susan's characters are alive in their misery but persistent in their hope for justice while yearning for the right of return to their homeland. She is to be commended for her expert use of language and metaphor to help unravel the knots of discord that still exist in her homeland today. Dr. Pamela Allegretto-Diiulio

At no time in my life has a book had such a firm grip on my heart and soul. The most intriguing aspect of Susan Abulhawa's writing style is her innate ability to make you feel you are in every scene as a witness, resulting in a vast range of emotions including love, joy, sadness, horror, anger, forgiveness, wonderment, but never indifference. Though fictional, the characters soon become real, as if you've known, spoken, and walked with each of them. Susan Abulhawa has an exceptional talent and has given the world a beautiful gift, The Scar of David.

This book has it all,what can I say :"It Sizzles"
Fantastic recipes,great tips and directions for the not so seasoned outdoor chef,it will bring grilling and outdoor cooking to a whole new level for you,you'll love it.

Finally a barbeque book with gorgeous pictures that actually look like the food coming off the grill. Simple recipes with a New Zealand twist make for a perfect barbeque. Now I look forward to firing up the Weber...

Crab Cakes! Bruschetta! Even Pancakes! OK, I always thought I was decent on the BBQ. But that was with the basics. These recipes put a whole new twist on what you can cook on the BBQ. I would have never thought to make Bruschetta or Garlic Bread on the grill. Some personal favorites include Crab Cakes w/Cambodian Dressing, Asparagus Prosciutto Wraps, Pots of Gold, Devilled Chicken Wings, Coconut Fish Cakes, Mussels in Lemon Grass Broth, Breakfast Tomatoes and my number one favorite, Blueberry Pancakes! The BBQ tips section is very useful. Truly unique ways of cooking on the BBQ.

If you believe you eat first with our eyes... then you will consider "SIZZLE - Sensational Barbecue Food ", by Julie Biuso a virtual feast. The photography alone is worth the price of this book! If you're a fan of the simple, easy to prepare, yet delicious recipes found in the Barefoot Contessa series of cookbooks by Ina Garten, then you need to order SIZZLE today.

SIZZLE was originally published in New Zealand. But when translated for the American market... it revealed the origins of "California Cuisine". Dishes prepared with the freshest of ingredients, simply prepared and seasoned with a veritable fragrance and spice tour of the Pacific Rim Nations.

This book celebrates the ideal of summer: friends and family gathering together to share sun filled days and warm nights delighting in the "chit-chat and laughter", while enjoying amazing food, with cold beverage in hand and a reminiscence of BBQ smoke lingering in the air. To quote Julie; "barbecuing should be fun". When done properly, barbecuing is the quintessential manifestation of fun with food. "SIZZLE" is now the barbecue handbook for my summer. Enjoy!

I absolutely cherish my new cookbook by Julie Biuso. My husband and I both love to barbeque and try new recipes. Julie has given us some of the easiest, yet tastiest recipes of all. To top it off, the book is immensely helpful in providing new ways to display the food--makes me look like a gourmet chef! This book is quite an achievement to say the least.
I read in the book that Julie received a World Cookbook award--ditto on that honor!!

If you ever played Traveller, or GURPS or anything else like that, you will love this story. Very well written and entertaining. Piper's death was a loss that the SCIFI community will never recover from, especially with books he wrote like this one.

What can any one say about his writing? Always top of the heap and riviting to the end of the book.

_Space Viking_ (1963) was a four-part serial in _Analog_ in 1962-63 and was accompanied by some marvelous John Schoenherr illustrations. It was reprinted by Ace shortly thereafter to modest attention. Since Piper's death by suicide in 1964, a number of his admirers have tried to make a case that the novel is a classic. Well, it isn't. It is a well-crafted space adventure that has some intelligent things to say about politics and warfare. But there is nothing highly original about the novel in plot, style, or content. It doesn't have the sparkle of his own Little Fuzzy novels.

Briefly, the story is this: The Galactic Federation has collapsed, and planets are now at the mercy of marauding Space Vikings. The hero is a nobleman named Lucas Trask whose bride is murdered on their wedding day by a madman. To catch the killer, Trask becomes a Space Viking and begins a series of conquests across the galaxy. But gradually, he finds that he is also rebuilding...

One of the characters in _Space Viking_ is an admiral named Otto Harkaman, who becomes a right hand man to Trask. The name sparked an echo in my mind when I reread Piper's novel. And then it clicked. It reminded me of the Baron Vladimir Harkonnen in Frank Herbert's _Dune_ (1965), another _Analog_ novel. One man is essentially heroic, while the other is essentially villainous. But both are politically savy. Orson Scott Card once complained that most science fiction writers knew little about politics. They would have politicians in their stories say things that politicians would never say in real life and do things that real politicians would never do. This is not true of Piper and Herbert. You sense that their depictions of political meetings are authentic and that the policies that they make are realistic. Granted, their politics are somewhat on the medieval and Machiavellian side, but they are realistic nonetheless.

In any event, I heartily recommend _Space Viking_. Classic it may not be, but it deserves more attention than it has received in the past.

I picked this book up the other day at a used bookstore. I decided to do this when I saw that the book was in better shape than the one I have in the basement and the price was great (only $3.00, not bad at all for a book that I love). Having picked it up, I immediately started to read Space Viking (again for the upteenth time). As with many of Mr. Piper's books, Space Viking is as much a look at society and political systems as it is a space opera. In this case a futuristic feudalism is examined while remnants of the Old Federation raid their poorer neighbors.



For me this is a five star book. The story telling is descriptive, the plot; while simple it does have a style that enables the space opera to move forward nicely while Mr. Piper explores space feudalism (and other forms of government) and the impact when people leave one country/planet to seek their fame and fortune. While this book was written in 1963, Mr. Piper does a great job making this a timeless classic. More science fiction writers would be better if they'd emulate Mr. Piper's works.

With the transition of much of H. Beam Piper's work into the public domain publishers like Aegypan Press have finally begun to bring Piper's work back into print and for that fans of Piper owe them a debt of gratitude. This novel, set in Piper's Terrohuman Future History, is his writing at its best. Centuries ago, rebels fleeing the Terran Federation settled the distant Sworld Worlds. Now their descendants, the Space Vikings, plunder and loot the worlds of the collapsed Old Federation. Lucas Trask, a Sword Worlds nobleman, begins the novel as a critic of the Space Vikings, believing they are draining the Sword Worlds of their most capable talent. But after suffering a terrible crime Trask turns Space Viking himself, venturing into the Old Federation seeking retribution. Eventually, Trask becomes a Space Viking prince at the center of brewing conflict between the Sworld Worlds, other Space Viking planets, and the "civilized" worlds of the Old Federation. Part space opera, part political intrigue, and all action this novel is an excellent introduction to Piper's centuries-spanning Future History.

Also recommended by Piper are Four-Day Planet, Uller Uprising, Little Fuzzy, and The Cosmic Computer.