Bats Books

What improvements have been made for the "Miss Marple's Last Case" edition? There are already major differences in punctuation, word choices, and scene breaks between the original Collins and Dodd Mead editions of this novel. There are further differences between the Dodd Mead editions republished by Random House/Avenel and the Dodd Mead editions republished by Simon & Shuster/Pocket. There are further additions still in the Signet, Berkley, and Black Dog & Leventhal editions. For every publishing house putting out her works, there seem to be a new batch of editors altering Agatha Christie's words and the sound of her voice. What's the matter with these publishers? Whose voice do they think we want to hear when we sit down to a novel by Agatha Christie? And what will she sound like twenty years from now? It's frightening that her estate has failed to see the importance of guarding her words as she wrote them. Please tell me I'm not the only one here who senses that a crime has been committed.

Amazingly, I actually liked Miss Marple in this story. She's the likeable, feisty woman I remember from my childhood, not the snooty, condescending know-it-all from the last few books I've read. Still, I think the plot of this one is a little over-reaching, but it a faster paced mystery than most of the Marples - especially the ending. And even though it's on the short side, you still get a good sense of the characters and setting, and nearly enough details to solve the mystery yourself, if you're so inclined.

A must-read for any old-school mystery enthusiast, and one of the better Marples I've read of late (though Poirot is still better in my book!).

really scary. In some ways a refreshing break from the usual formulaic mystery. Very creepy. Great.

It was a nice mystery, but it didn't stick in my head long after I was finished with it. In fact, I had to review the plot again to write this review! That says something, because I have a good memory for books that really draw me in. However, I would recommend this book for any Christie fan.

Agatha Christie is well deserving of the title, the First Lady of Mystery. "Sleeping Murder", which is Miss Marple's last case, further enhances the rare distinction placed upon its author. It is a fast-paced exhilarating mystery that digs deep into the past to uncover a ghost that at least one person did not want uncovered.

When Gwenda Reed arrives in England, as a newlywed separated from her husband, her task is to search for the perfect house along the southern coast. Before too long, she finds exactly the right place that soon feels a little too much like home. When some strange coincidences leave Gwenda feeling as if she were going crazy, she discovers that she actually lived in the house when she was a very little girl, and was an eyewitness to a grizzly murder that no one seems to know anything about. Against better judgment, she and her husband Giles take it upon themselves to dig up the past to discover if Gwenda's father was at fault, and if Gwenda actually witnessed a murder, or just dreamed it up.

The title "Sleeping Murder" refers to a murder in retrospect, or a murder that seems to be dead but was merely sleeping. With Miss Marple on hand with ready help and suggestions, the Reeds soon uncover the truth, but with many a twist and turn along the way. "Sleeping Murder" has all of the elements that make Christie's mysteries such a marvel to read, even if the conclusion comes a bit quickly after an elaborate buildup.

3.5 stars
I'm not usually a big military sci-fi fan but this and "Rats, Bats and the Ugly" is just so much FUN! Light, amusing, readable, a touch of romance, and tongue so firmly in the cheek that it is sticking out and blowing a raspberry. Recommended. Don't know if you like Flint's style of writing or the idea of humorous military sci-fi? Then check it out at Baen's website (free library) then decide you will need your own copy (I did).

My scale: 1-don't bother; 2-borrow from the library and don't waste your cash; 3-good. buy it or borrow it. 4-very good. buy it. 5-a must read (several times!) BUY IT!

Alien maggots have invaded the human-inhabited planet of Harmony and Reason (HAR), gradually overrunning the planet despite the efforts of the military--aided by cybernetically enhanced 'rats' and 'bats.' Another alien race sells humans military technology and advice, but that advice too-often seems either wrong or incomplete. At any rate, the humans are losing and the maggots have just snatched another significant chunk of territory, leaving a small group of soliders (one human along with small groups of rats and bats) behind the new expanded force field that prevents human counter-attack.

Together with his heavy-drinking rats and his revolutionary bats, human Chip Connolly must stay alive in the face of literally millions of maggot soldiers and workers. Worse, the hive's 'group mind' means that even if they kill everyone who sees them, the bugs always know where they are hiding.

Things only seem to get worse when Chip and the others have to rescue aristocratic Ginny Shaw, the heiress to the human colony's greatest fortune and her Korozhet tutor. The young woman at least has the virtue of being attractive (although Chip knows perfectly well what happens to vat-born clones who aspire above their stations and develop interests in shareholders) but the Korozhet is nothing but trouble--and only Chip seems bothered by this. Against the wishes of its generals, part of the human army watches the heroes as they attempt to survive but, as long as the force field remains intact, they are helpless to intervein. Even if they could, the humans have lost every battle they've fought.

Authors Eric Flint and Dave Freer combine in a light-hearted look at the military, space-opera, and revolution. The story maintains a perfect balance between tongue-in-cheek and solid adventure, involving the reader in the characters at the same time as it keeps us smiling. The plight of the cybernetic rats and bats, as well as that of the slave-like clone humans (vats) adds a very mild political message to the light-hearted novel.

This is a prime example of what great fun sci-fi can be in the hands of a good author. Genetically engineered bats, rats, and "vats" (human clones serving as indentured servants) combine with the sci-fi staple of vicious bugs who imperil a small human colony in a fast read. There's a recipe for explosives and how to make a brandy flamethrower! Flint is an imaginative writer, there are few others who would make genetically engineered bats Irish anarchists at heart, and a cloned sous chef a hero.

A human colonized planet learns from a race of friendly starfarers that their home is in the path of a conquest fleet of a race of "insectoids". The friendly visitors offer to help humanity fight off these would be conquerors but things never quite seem to work out right. Partly this is because the technology of the invaders is generally superior to that of the humans. Partly this is because the other side is heedless of casualties. In great measure, though, human losses are due to the corrupt leaders of the planet and its military.

The leaders are a privileged class. They rule the planet for their own benefit and most of the soldiers are "vat grown" to act as serfs and/or cannon fodder. They are aided by genetically enhanced bats and rats with artificially enhanced IQs. None of this, however, seems to be enough to face the enemy.

One Vat, along with his rat and bat companions, becomes cut off behind enemy lines. In his efforts to get free, he learns to befriend the uplifted animals conscripted to serve beside him and, in doing so, create complete chaos for the enemy. He also learns that not all enemies are as bad as they are cracked up to be and neither are the allies.

This is a comedy posing as an adventure story. As long as it is not taken too seriously, it is lots of fun.

My husband picked this up after telling me "any random book printed by Baen is good" - and, of course, because it has "rats" in the title . . . He read it and laughed his way through it and insisted that I read it, too, to which I agreed readily enough. I won't recap the story, but I will say it is a hoot and a half! The rats are hedonistic Shakespeareans; the bats are revolutionary Irish; and the vats are hapless humans who are just along for the ride. And, of course, you have the land-owners, who have the money - throw in the evil bugs from outer space and the benevolent aliens who are providing the technology to defeat them (or are they?) and you have a mix that is sure to please anyone who likes military science fiction, space opera, or just plain silliness. HIGHLY recommended!!

This book has give me more insight of God, that has never came across my mind before, eventough I born as a Christian. It gave me much more deeper understanding of Jesus. As my saviour, I feel very close to HIM - knowing that He had felt what I feel, understood every situations that I'd been through. And had made me loved HIM even more.

Max Lucado brings out the beauty and everlasting Grace of God's Love for us giving His Son, Jesus Christ for humanity. On the final week of Jesus' life everything was set in place. If you had a short time left here on earth, and the end was near. What would you do? Would you set the most important matters into priority? If you knew what Jesus did, then remember these final days of His Life. He turned it over to the higher authority to sacrifice His own life so that you could Live-Eternally.

According to Matt. 20:28, the Son of Man did not come to be served. He came to serve others and to give His Life as a ransom for many people. Jesus set down the most important matters to be done before He went to the Cross. Those were His priorities. All the courage He set out to fulfill His purpose with passion and power-and you were included. Jesus seized the opportunity to save you the trouble of all life's trials. All we have to do is have the faith that He done it. God will do what it takes to bring His children home. He set you free of yesterday's guilt, fears, tomorrow's grave. The greatest miracle that God performed was the beauty of the Cross. The story continues to what God did to win your heart in Lucado's 'He Chose the Nails.'

(Every chapter is supported by study guides and scripture notes for indepth study.) Lucado never fails to teach us all the gifts that God has waiting for us to treasure. God's blessed him richly with the gift of teaching. May he continue on the journey. GOD BLESS!

In this world there are some who it appears the Lord places His hand upon and gives them insight into events that are the very foundation of our Christian beliefs.Their words become more than words on paper; they become life within you. You will bath in this experience in this wonderful book by author Max Lucado, "And the Angels Were Silent." Taking us through the final week of Jesus we are given insight into the pure love of our Savior. He brings to light the struggle in the garden that Jesus faced and when you are finished reading this you know even Jesus had a choice, but He chose to give His life for me and for you. I believe one of the most profound phrases in this book is the following and I quote page 155, "For it was in the garden that He made his decision.He would rather go to hell for you than go to Heaven without you. What a reality His sacrifice of love becomes. Who could understand such a love? This one statement will be inscribed on my heart forever.
In my eyes this book is wonderful for anyone who truly loves Jesus and wants a better understanding of his final days and His heart for mankind. If you ever doubted His love for you once you read this book you will never doubt it again. A true book of passion, touching, absorbing and absolutely a must read for every one who calls Jesus their Savior and Lord. Highly recommended!
Shirley Johnson
Senior Reviewer
MidWest Book Review

just fluff. Take out the plethora of cute little stories, cut the repetition out of the language (anything he thinks is important, he says twelve different ways) and subtract all of the "did you get that?"s and the "understand?"s and this book would fit into a pamphlet. yeesh, even the font and spacing are amplified to make it seem bigger and better than it is. At best, it's a weak sermon series, a platform to reiterate the most basic points about christianity. fluff. go read something else.

This book has shown me more and more how much God Loves us and all that he was willing to put his Son through to prove this. I saw God's love for humanity from a higher angle.....a different point of view.

The angels were indeed silent as the Scriptures had to be fulfilled.

It is the final week before Jesus' death and the week appears just like any other week to the disciples. People are carrying our their daily lives as accustomed, but only Jesus knows different, and as much as he tries to tell them what is about to happen to him they refuse to accept what he is actually saying.
Max Lucado takes us along the entire walk with Jesus during that last week before his crucifixion as portrayed by the gospel of Matthew.

Highlighted are:-
The Signs Of The Second Coming
The Parable of the Virgins
The Last Judgment
The Passover
The Garden Of Gethsemane
The Betrayal
and finally the Crucifixion

This book is highly recommended for all Max Lucado readers. He is such a wonderful teacher.

Heather Marshall (nettle-girl)

This was a great book. I don't feel so pressured now to have to put on such an elaborate show. We will make the Oneg a bit nicer than a typical oneg and have a Simcha Quilt(instead of candlelighting) during the oneg. Kids party at grandma's house with fun activities just for the Bar Mitzvah boy and his friends.

This is a wonderful resource for the b'nai mitzvah planner. Gail Greenberg has written a book that offers many creative and beautiful ideas for bringing forth the true meaning and spirituality of a b'nai mitzvah. There is meaning at the heart of every detail and decision she suggests while, at the same time, she is both practical AND fun. I highly recommend this book-it is my favorite of all of these kind of books that I have read!

I was disappointed with this book. The author makes a lot of suggestions but does not give concrete information for most of them. The section on decorating for a party was ridiculous. She tells you how she had three parties for her son for the price of one big party...to me it sounded like she spent as much on each party as I want to spend on just one party for my daughter. She seems a bit out of touch with reality. One thing that was unique and interesting about this book is that she describes the torah readings and gives you the dates that they will be read each year. With this information, you can try to schedule your child's bar or bat mitzvah around a torah portion that you find interesting. That is the main reason I gave this book 3 stars instead of 2. Save your money tho, all of this info can be had for free at [...]

I loved this book!! As I started to plan this Bar Mitzvah I knew that I needed some guidance. I never imagined I would find so much perfect information in one book. The ideas on combining a truly a spiritual occasion with a terrific party were perfect. The way the ideas are presented makes so much sense. You'll love the easy to follow guidelines and suggestions. I can't tell you how many of the ideas actually made me get a lump in my throat! The book gives you a sense of confidence that even if you have never planned a party before - you can do this and really do it with meaning and fun. A must read!

I'm so sorry that another reviewer didn't find this book helpful, because to me it was essential. It was the first B'nai Mitzvah book I bought and I was so glad I did. It opened my eyes to a lot of options that I wasn't aware of, and will, in the end, make our Bat Mitzvah so much more meaningful. I was unaware that you could select your mitzvah date based on Torah parsha. When I was younger, you were just given a date close to your birthday. The author of this book categorizes and explains each Torah portion for you. After reading them, I handed the book over to my daughter and said, "Find something that is meaningful to you." She read each section and picked one that she connected most with. We let her select her Bat Mitzvah date, and as a result, she is more aware and involved than most kids are at this point, and we are still at the very beginning of planning. She intends to carry the theme of her parsha into her mitzvah project, her D'var Torah, and her party. Did you know that you could twin with a child of the holocaust and honor him/her at your child's B'nai Mitzvah? Did you know that you could support a Jewish family in Ethiopia for one month, just by buying a tallit bag that they embroider? This is the kind of thing that is detailed in this book. Be forewarned: although this book does touch (briefly) on day vs. night affairs and selecting a venue, this is not a "how to make a hockey stick entrance way for my kid's hockey-theme Bar Mitzvah" book. MitzvahChic transcends that and looks deeper into the messages of the ceremony and how it fits in with your child's jewish coming-of-age. It then takes those messages and ultimately carries them through to themes and centerpieces, etc. for the party. Our copy of MitzvahChic has been lovingly highlighted, dog-eared and is always close at hand. I am so glad I found this valuable resource and feel that although we still have some time to go, that this book has already elevated my daughter's Bat Mitzvah into something very special.

Full of magic, demons, ghosts, and angels this book will hook you on the first sentence. This is a story of love and letting go. Fantasy lovers will relish in this books beauty.

First sentence: "Angel Juan and I walk through a funky green fog."

When Angel Juan leaves for New York, a shattered Witch Baby follows him and finds angels and uncles, ghosts and monsters. One of these ghosts accompanies her through the city, with her camera showing her what's truly happening despite appearances. There are treehouses and shivering cold, feasts and Ferris wheels, museums and menacing mannequins. Block articulates the pain and panic of loss so beautifully, so poetically, so wrenchingly deeply.

Another in the beautiful Weetzie Bat series ... If your heart is "a teacup covered with hairline cracks," or if your teacup heart has already broken into jagged pieces, this book will show you how to save yourself.

Another Block book that comes in the middle of her Weetzie Bat series, this story focuses on WitchBaby and Angel Juan, two teenagers in love. There are tears, fear, love, romance, sex, drugs, and alcohol in this story, all of which are combined into the most magical plot you will have ever laid eyes on. These two lovers run through New York City, having grown up in Los Angeles, and find many adventures. As you read the Weetzie Bat series, this puts different perspectives into view. Enjoy -- you won't regret reading it.

Missing Angle Juan is about a young girl named Witch Baby who's boyfriend Angle Juan leaves to go to L.A. to get away from eveeything and to think by him self. Witch Baby took that the wrong way and went looking for him in L.A. when she got to L.A. she went to an appartment where here almost grandfather lived and stayed there during the night. Withch Baby carries around a camera and takes pictures of everyting from fire files to farries and even boys dressed up like girl with braided pigtails. she meets her almost grandfather as a ghost. She was not frightened of him.
He shows her a round L.A. and they see lots of clues to where Angle Juan is. They find an empty club house in a tree, a postcard on the street, a mannequin in a diner, and pictures that they found at the empty fair grounds in the photo booth. Angle Juan is in danger and only Witch Babies heart-magic can save him...
Missing Angle Juan is a very good book. It is full of adventures and filled with supprises around every corner. Although this book was good it was kind of hard to read. The writer definatally had the skill for writing but she made sentences a paragraph long so you kind of miss the point of the story.

Missing Angel Juan is easily my favorite Francesca Lia Block book. i loved witch baby from the moment i first read about her, way back in Weetzie Bat. i enjoyed watching her grow, and now her story of love, lonlieness, and redemption takes center stage, in this beautifully written book. her feelings of loss over angel juan's departure are easy to relate to, as is her restlessness in a city of dangerous angels. her exodus to new york is both transcendant and haunting, and left me both satisfied and shaken. perhaps the most disturbing aspect of the book is the character Cake, if only because such a thing could really happen. in all, it's one of the best books i've ever read, though far too short, and it left me screaming out for more, though grateful that i'd had the privelege of reading it.

THIS WAS A WONDERFUL STORY THAT I HAVE READ SEVERAL TIMES AND LISTEN TO TWICE IT IS ROMANTIC ,FUNNY AND HAS ENOUGH SUSPENCE TO KEEP YOU WONDERING "WHO DONE IT" ONE OF JAYNE ANN KRENTZ'S BEST.

I first read this book ten years ago when I was 12. I found it hidden in the storage room of my grandma's house one summer. I hid down there and read it at night by flashlight. I still have that same copy and whenever I need a little trip down memory lane, I pull it out.
Max Fortune is a man on a mission. His boss and father figure, Jason Curzon, has left Max an inheritance of beautiful paintings with a woman that Max thinks is Jason's mistress. Little does Max know, that the trip to her inn will change his life forever. Not only does he find the paintings, he also finds a family and the love of his life, Cleo Robbins.
The part about Cleo's little pet project, a short erotic novel, is somewhat unbelievable mainly because I don't consider it to be a reputation-destroying thing to do. But I suppose when Grand Passion first came out in the 90s, romances weren't nearly as explicit as they are today and those bodice-ripping covers were considered smut.
I love Jayne Ann Krentz's style and focus on finding a family of one's own. This is a heart-warming theme that she repeats throughout all of her novels. I loved this book so much and I continue to feel those same feelings when I pick it up over and over again.

Cynical and uptight, Max Fortune, head of the giant Curzon Hotel chain, arrives at the quaint Robbins' Nest Inn. Max is searching for five priceless paintings bequeathed to him by his mentor, Jason Curzon. The inn is where Jason had directed him to seek out the works of art. What he discovers during his stay is his attraction to the inn's owner, Cleopatra Robbins, and the importance of belonging to a family. Cleo lovingly refers to her staff members as "the family", and they do support each other as such. Max, who has no family, has spent his life working for money and power in an effort to fit in somewhere. As Max searches for the paintings, his relationship with Cleo intensifies, and he begins to realize his mentor intended for him to find another type of treasure at this little inn. But he feels Cleo is hiding something from him, plus it appears someone wants her out of the way permanently.

This was, for the most part, a satisfying reading experience. It contained many of the elements of a great story, such as romance, intrigue, depth of feeling, well-developed characters, and sexual tension. The main and secondary characters were all likeable, and it was a nice touch that the hero wasn't physically perfect, since he walked with the aid of a cane. The mystery was well done, because while I had figured out part of it, I wasn't able to figure out all of it for quite some time. Probably my only complaint would be, I would've liked more description of the love scenes. They had real possibility, but fell short after all that buildup to get there. Not a book I feel compelled to read again, but enjoyable all the same.

I had this book laying around for 2 years before I decided to actually begin reading it. It just didn't seem like my type of book, but when I started reading it, I couldnt stop. Cleo's character is very lovable. I had just gotten done reading a JAK book before this one that was not very good, so I was hoping to come across a novel by her that I would enjoy. Well, I've found it! This book is packed with love, humor, suspense, and anything else that makes up a good novel. Do yourself a favor and check it out!

Jayne Ann Krentz has done it again with this delightful, charming book. As always, the characters in this book are stunning! They are very dynamic and true-to-life and they are people you'd want to know. Cleo is a down-to-Earth woman with an underlying sensuality that she is desperate to bring forth. Max is successful in everything he tries, everything that is, except relationships. He is searching for a place he fits in. He finds that place in a remote inn known as the Robbins' Nest Inn. Robbins' Nest is peopled with a group of characters who call themselves 'the family' and are funny, warm and complex. These delightful denizens are headed up by the Inn owner, Cleo Robbins.

Here, among these people, Max finds the love and acceptance he has been searching for all his life. Cleo and 'the family' take him in and add him to the bunch almost instantly. With their help he learns that being part of a family isn't about when you mess up, it's about being there. Watching Max break out of his shell and flourish under Cleo's love and the love of 'the family' is heartwarming.

There is a mystery that plays throughout the book and unlike usual, I had half of it figured out almost instantly. The other part of the mystery, nevertheless, kept me guessing until the end.

However, the mystery is not the driving force of this book as is most times the case. The tone of this story is definitely self-discovery. Watching Cleo and Max discover each other and learn things about themselves is wonderful.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The humor, the passion, and the love were touching and kept me interested right from the first. One of the best by Ms. Krentz in any of her many incarnations. I am always pleasantly surprised by the high quality and wonderful characters in Ms. Krentz's books. Buy this book now -- you won't be disappointed!

I have read this book as well as the first Weetzie Bat book, and it is fantastic. It really describes life in L.A very well, and is poetic and enticing without being try-hard. I did find the quirkiness to have a bit of an "off" about it, and I guess now I thought it was slightly forced. It is much more depressing than the other Weetzie book. The storyline is clever though: Cherokee's parents go away to film in South America, leaving Cherokee and her almost-sister Witch Baby with their group the Goat Guys. Cherokee gets goat hoof boots, but then they make Witch Baby's finger bleed because she got cut on the zipper. A very good book, I would recommend it to anyone. Sad yet cool, very very very good writing. A masterpiece.

A creative story about a girl named Cherokee. She's in a band but all of the members are having self image issues making them not sound so great. She goes to her friend Coyote for help and strength for he is magical. He helps her friends find inner strength but their power corrupts themselves and endangers their lives. She comes to Coyote for more help but he can't help, it is all up to Cherokee to save her friends lives. Francesca Lia block is one of my most favorite writers for her style is so unique and poetic and this story is a good example of that.

This being the fifth book I've read by Francesca Lia Block, I thoroughly enjoyed it as I do with all of Block's books I've read. Although, "Cherokee Bat and the Goat Guys" was definitely a little more on the depressing side compared to her other books.

"Cherokee Bat and the Goat Guys" is about how Cherokee, With Baby, Raphael, and Angel Juan have to live on their own while the adults are gone making a movie with My Secret Agent Lover Man. Coyote is supposed to take care of them, but he doesn't help much.

I really liked this book because of how it deals with the four young teenagers growing up and learning about some scary things the hard way. When the four start a band call the Goat Guys, the experience opens up a door full of drugs, alcohol, sex, fame, and love in all of the wrong places. This is where the depression comes in. It was hard to read about how these teenagers' lives just kept going down and down. Cherokee tried to help, but by giving everyone in the rooms gifts that Coyote helped her make, she only opens up the door of trouble even more. Throughout the book, Cherokee struggles to keep everyone together in the happy family they once were.

In my opinion, this is the darkest of the Weetzie Bat books, mainly on account of Cherokee's will to be happy and the more powerful will to help the people she loves. In the process, she becomes overwhelmed, and a hypnotic magic causes the band she's in to shoot too high, landing them in a mess of fans, drugs, sex, and of course, Rock 'n' Roll.

The imagery is glamorous and tasty, beautifully written, with plenty of culture to fufil the senses -- as all her books are.

This was probably my favorite of the Weetzie Bat books, and marks high on my list of favorite Francesca Lia Block books.

i'm a huge francesca lia block fan and i was actually rather disappointed by this book. it seemed like it was forced as opposed to flowing like the rest of her books... i also found witch baby rather forced, although i loved weetzie bat and baby bebop. i suppose everyone has their bad days, or weeks or however long, though.

Readers will find untruth by incomplete statements/accounts to such an extent that an anti-Islam agenda is obvious. Of little scholarly interest or impact without researching the whole story. (Like explaining Judaism as occupier ONLY under Joshua invading Canaan, or Saul losing his kingship for refusing to slaughter an indigenous king...))
Daniel C. Smith
Richmond, VA

That most of Islam is today drastically hostile to Jews is obvious and is often explained as being the result of Zionism. But Bat Ye'or sets out to demolish the widely held idea that in CLASSICAL Islam the dhimmis (Protected People - Jews and Christians) had lived reasonably comfortably under Muslim rule in those centuries. She cites countless examples of humiliations that were deliberately inflicted on dhimmis, the uncertainty of their lives and of their possessions. I am sure that what she says about the maltreatment of Jews is correct and that is a valuable corrective to some received ideas. But because she concentrates entirely on this, and because her 528-page book finds no place for a discussion of the so-called "Golden Age" in Spain or of Jews and Jewish culture flourishing in ancient Iraq,in Egypt and in the early Ottoman centuries, it leaves an unfortunate impression of having been written with a partisan agenda.

I think Andrew Bostom's review should have convinced you to read this book, and you should also read Dr. Bostom's The Legacy of Jihad, an in-depth, well-researched, scholarly tome, my favorite book on the subject.

Bat Ye'or is a formidable historian, and her book describes in detail what is basically hell on earth---the painful consequences of letting Muslims subjugate one's culture by foolishly ignoring ALL manifestations of jihad, which include not only armed warfare, but also demographic warfare (Muslims multiplying faster than infidels) and Da'wa (deceiving and confusing infidels by claiming that Islam is a religion of peace, etc.).

Don't fall victim to Muslim Da'wa---be an informed infidel. Read this book, as well as

Eurabia
The Legacy of Jihad
The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam
Why I Am Not Muslim

The alternative to successfully resisting Islam is not pleasant (to put it mildly), as you will learn from reading this excellent book.

One of the great myths in regard to Islamic civilization is that it was egalitarian and respected fully the rights of Christians and Jews. In this work Bat- Yeor describes the status of 'dhimmitude' by which in Islamic society major minorities, as Christians and Jews were subject to legal and non- legal forms of discrimination. Bat-Yeor reveals that there is something in the historical attitude of Islam that makes it so difficult for it to recognize the real humanity of others, and give them an equal place in society.

It is a dominant theme of the literature on the Jewish Diaspora that Jews in Muslim lands were treated better than Jews among Christians. It is repeated like a mantra, every student of Jewish history or of Islamic studies must learn it and repeat it, until it becomes myth. This excellent study is one of the few to challenge this dominat view. Today academics encourage the propoganda that Islam is 'more tolerant' than Christianity. However here we are given a small taste of that 'tolerance'. Dhimmi is a word meaning 'protected'. However just as the Nazis created concentration camps to 'protect' the Jews the word itself can be used in many ways. This book analyzes the experience of Jews in Muslim lands. Some have accused this work of 'only' concentrating on the negative aspects of Muslim-Jewish relations, however this is just the point, a litany of works have focused on this subject in Europe, it time that the dust be taken from the truth about Islamic nations.

Partly the problem rests on lack of sources and literature, this book begins to fill this essential gap.

A second way to analyze the question of which Jews were 'better off' is to see the end result. If Muslim lands were 'better' to the Jews then why did the Jews of Europe become free and wealthy? Why were there more Jews in Europe than muslim lands despite persecution, endless forced conversion and murder due to claims that Jews created the black death? Jews numbered 12 million in Christian lands while they numbered only a million in Muslim ones in 1930. By 1945 the numbers were 6 million and 1 million. By 1967 the numbers were 8 million and 50,000.

Seth J. Frantzman

Written by the Harvard Medical School author responsible for MINDING THE BODY, MENDING THE MIND, one of the best known titles in the modern era of mind/body medicine, this book focusses that insight on women. From Borysenko's opening paragraph which turns the patriarchal interpretation of Eve's culpability and Adam's temptation on its head, thru the stages of growth (divided into twelve chapters, Ages 0-7, 7-14, etc.) to concluding thoughts about retrospection and trancendance in late years, this book is a wonderful amalgam of hard science and a hopeful spirit. Her view is transcultural, and inclusive. Borysenko is among the vanguard pushing traditional medicine to view "alternative" treatment as "complementary" instead of an either/or choice. The author's doctorate is in anatomy and cellular biology, which doubtless provides credibility to those inclined to scoff at alternative medicine. This book is worthwhile for any woman and any man with women in his life.

This book begins as more of a rant of Borysenko's aethiest, evolutionist, and (thinly veiled) man-hating beliefs. I never agreed with much of what Freud had to say about anything, but apparently he knew there were a few Borys in the world when he explained "Penis Envy". Amazing. If I believed all women hated men like this author does, I would never open another door. Fortunately most all women in my experience are of far better character.

That aside, Bory's basic science runs hot and cold. She quotes and annotates various studies (by other people) accurately, but then she cluelessly tries to show how Einstein and quantum mechanics support some of her beliefs (pg 48). What a joke! She thinks the ancients were insensitive by referring to older women as 'crones', but then she herself refers to them as having 'dowager humps'!

There is just not enough valid science in this book to justify its price, and way too much vile opinion in it to justify its existance. It is said that psychologists often earn their doctorate degrees while in pursuit of a cure for their own problems. Apparently she got the degree, but no cure!

I bought this book to read for extra credit while taking Human Development, a required course for the nursing program. It was a wonderful complement to the boredom of the class text. It offered deeper understanding to the traditional child psychologists, and further insights into other philopsophies. The author went to great pains to explore expert opinions on the stages of a Woman's life cycle.

I love this book. I have bought numerous copies to give to my women friends. It has so much information and is a good source.
Joan Borysenko has done us all a tremendous service by writing this book.

If a book makes me look forward to mid-life - I am all over it! This book was actually required reading for my course study in human development - what a find! Here, Harvard researcher and bestselling author, Joan Borysenko, takes the cycles of a woman's life and divides them into 7 year increments. Along the journey, she also makes a great case for debunking old myths about women and aging.?That's a Big 10-4, Ms. Borysenko! I find myself constantly at odds with the "beauty" images that the media gives us. I mean, come on, why 'o why are we more often rewarding people for how they look and less for what they contribute to society?

Perhaps it's escapism - I tell myself (in effort to sleep at night). Yet, after reading Borsyenko's, book I'm reminded that, yes, it's good to follow intellectual pursuits. And, yes, there's differences between women and men. According to Borysenko, women are most often motivated by what they can contribute to society, family, and how to make a difference in the world. Men tend to define themselves by their work. Most telling! Anyhow, I won't give away the store here - but in my opinion, if you are of the female persuasion, you will not want to miss this read.

I thought this book was going to be a love story... it's not! I guess that kind of disappointed me. The first half is about Dirk growing up, some of it's really sad, it made me cry. The second half of the book, where "ghosts of Dirk's ancestors, including the mother and father he never knew, share tales of his past, present, and future through magical images, setting him free to know that true love in any form is right" is really confusing. The characters have a lot of hallucinations which I found to be really weird, and the simple message is kind-of hard to grasp through the writing. The 12 and up age recommendation for the book is crazy, I would say at least ages 15 and up. The writing is filled with flowery descriptions, but at the same time I feel like she could have showed more instead of telling the story. And I feel like the story isn't finished.

The book is about a boy coming to terms with the fact that he is gay. Or rather, that he wishes the world could come to terms with this. Fair enough. But is it too much to ask that a book be grammatically correct and that syntax and diction make sense? Yes, I can understand that dealing with a "different" sexual orientation in a world that is mostly intolerant and abusive is hard, and that there are worse sins than choppy incoherent sentences. And please do both of us (you and me) a favor and do not accuse me of being homophobic, because I am not. Trust me, I am no more merciful than this with heterosexual protagonists.

There are just plain too many teenager-aimed books nowadays that have this sort of choppy, half-conscious, half-delirious, not quite stream of consciousness style (if you can call it that) of writing. It's been done so often, starting from years ago, that it is no longer shocking, surprising, dynamic, breathtaking, etc. It's just bad writing. I'll have to disagree with any of the reviews on this page that say that Block's writing is beautiful imagery or prose, etc. It's not.

There are a great many coming-of-age books that deal with people and sexuality that actually have intelligence and heart, and still manage to have good grammar and sentences that flow logically from one to the next. Read one of those instead.

I love everything Francesca Lia Block has written (except maybe The Hanged Man), but this one has to be my favorite. I could read it forever. Aboslutely heartbreaking and soul-wrenching. Dirk and Duck were my favorites in the Weetzie Bat series, and this was the story I always wanted to hear, exactly the way and wanted to hear it.

this is by far my favorite FLB book, i think she captures the feelings of isolation and loneliness that comes with coming out and coming to terms with homosexuality so well and in her beautiful poetic prose style. Great book to read when your going through a hard time and want to know that love and acceptance is out there.

This is one of Block's best works of art. It is a touching story of a young man with a secret. Travel with him through the world filled with smoke, hate, and love in disguise. Like many Block books, this one brought me to tears. It's a wonderful story for anyone with a secret or a love for imaginative literature!!