A Books

I was in a book store and I was attracted to the title and the cover color. I picked up the book and read the jacket and I was hooked. I hardly ever buy non-technical books -especially non-fiction. But I was hooked after reading the jacket so I bought the book and assiduously read and enjoyed it. Also I am a Wharton alumnus. I also took classes with Len Lodish.

Eric Ericsson

The book spells out tips for starting a business (use credit cards instead of banks) and the mistakes the authors made along the way (when do you enter the market). You can even contact them after reading and talk to them about your ideas. The encouraging aspect of the book is that while they are starting their business, they spoke to their classmates who were making $200,000 on wall street and working for the dot-coms, but John and Kyle were not discouraged. I am happy that they were able to take an idea like a computer mouse shaped like a gold club and turn it into THEIR company. Congrats guys!

There is so much in this book that I can relate to, having started my own company around the same time in Silicon Valley (although in software). John and Kyle made the same mistakes that many entrepreneurs thankfully make - they followed their passion instead of their senses, and didn't buckle under the pressure and the unknown. One other valuable lesson from this book -- document your process. This is a great way to share your successes and your mistakes with others. I wish we had more stories like this when I was working on my MBA - something more than the dry, non-applicable case studies stuck in front of us. And John and Kyle also provided one other important gem: how to save a few bucks a month at the neighborhood gym. Thanks guys.

The Mousedriver Chronicles is the story of 2 Wharton MBA's who take a business plan developed on their entrepreneurship course at Wharton and decide to make a go of it. In 1999 they turn away high paying jobs at investment banks and over funded dot.com startups to go it alone.

Their idea: to make and sell a computer mouse that looks like the head of a golf driver.

They fund the venture themselves, find a manufacturer in Hong Kong, move to San Francisco (to be part of all the start up vibe in The Bay area) and run the business from the kitchen of their rented flat.

Their story is brilliantly relayed as they grapple with manufacturing, marketing and distribution hassles. The single product focus of their new company, named Platinum Concepts Inc., makes for a wonderful entrepreneurial story with excellent lessons about what it takes to succeed as a self funded start up. The two founders quickly learn that they need more than the theoretical knowledge acquired on their MBA at Wharton; they need to be street wise. They experiment with different mechanisms to make things happen and end up categorizing their execution strategies as follows:
Plan A: Make use of their business school network and contacts
Plan B: Hit the streets and the shops to find a creative solution
Plan C: Work the Yellow Pages

More often than not, plan B and C worked far better than plan A.

One of the founders, John Lusk, began sharing their entrepreneurial adventure with friends and family via a monthly email called "The Insider". The Insider was a real, often humorous, sometimes highly insightful newsletter about their adventure. The insider subscriber list grew and grew. MBA lecturers began distributing The Insider as prescribed reading. In 2001 Inc. Magazine featured a cover story on the company and its two founders. The Inc. cover story entitled "An American Start-up" focuses on the impact of The Insider e-mail newsletter. The email newsletters were used as the foundation for the book published in 2001 entitled The "Mousedriver Chronicles".
The company has since been shut down but the Mousedriver website still serves as a portal for entrepreneurs and copies of The Insider newsletter can be found in PDF format on the website: www.mousedriver.com

MouseDriver is about two guys who graduate from Wharton with MBAs in 1999 (the heart of the internet boom) and start a business manufacturing and selling a computer mouse that looks like the head of a driver golf club, turning down high paying jobs at dotcoms, investment banks, consulting firms etc.

As a small business consultant (Transcendence Consulting, LLC tcllc.net) I can tell you right now that if you are looking to start a busines, buy this book TODAY. It is an amazing look at the entire process of starting a business, from the ability to jump head first, manage yourself during
the highs and lows, deal with self doubt and solve an endless supply of problems. It is an easy read that will take you no time at all to complete.

I remember this book from my childhood. I think I kept it checked out of my school library almost the whole year! I am so glad to find it again, since it obviously left quite an impression. It's such a wonderful, well-written book, and certainly not your run-of-the-mill fairy tale princess.

I first read this book when I was in elementary school. I remember reading it and not wanting to put it down. When my mother finally made me put it down and help with the dishes I explained everything I had read so far to her in detail and after I was finished helping my mother, I went back to reading and finished the entire book the same day I started it. Years later I tried to find this book but because i had read it when I was so young, I couldn't remember the title. I was thrilled when I found it and once again read the book the same day i got it. The book was still amazing(I had my worries because things that seem great when your young sometimes turn out to be pretty bad as a adult). I found the story of Amy heartwarming with a creative twist to the other princess stories we all know. I find the idea that Amy wasn't the image of a beautiful princess because she had freckles and straight hair charming. It makes you realize there is more to beauty than perfect complexions and blond hair. I think every little girl should read this story and plan to purchase it for my niece when she is older. Even as an adult I enjoy reading this fairy tale and highly recommend it for all young girls.

I wish I had this book when I was a child instead of filling my head with the traditional fairytales. I think we try to hard to live up to the impossible standards that these fairytales represent and when real life hits, we feel like a failure for not being able to fulfill them. Truly a great book to read to your child and one that has a little something for us as well.

This book emphasises that there are other virtues and qualities aside from aesthetics. It is difficult to describe. The book teaches that beings ones true self is what matters most and goes beyond valueing superficial signs of worth.

One may know the story of the servant girl who gets to go to the ball, the story of the beautiful girl that falls in love with the beast, the princess that is finally awakened by a kiss from a dashing prince. But, it is quite possible that one may go half of her life before ever hearing the story of another girl, a princess in fact, who was born once upon a time in a land called Phantasmorania. She was christened Her Serene and Royal Highness Princess Amethyst Alexandra Augusta Araminta Adelaide Aurelia Anne--a name fit for the most beautiful and exraordinary princess in all the land. Special gifts were bestowed upon the baby at this christening celebration by the magical fairies of the land. All seems to be heading straight for happily ever after until the last fairy bestows her idea of a gift on the princess: "You shall be ordinary!" The kingdom is turned upside down. An ordinary princess?

The king and queen may consider this gift a curse indeed, but it is what makes the story so endearing to readers. Traditional views of what makes someone noble and special are tried, especially what makes a woman beautiful and of worth. In a classically fairy-tale setting, a mythical land ruled by Oberon, king of the fairies, new-age ideas are considered and ultimately proven plausible. M.M. Kaye's story, The Ordinary Princess, is a refreshing new take on classical fairy-tale stories that enamors readers with its relatable characters all the while enchanting them with a somewhat fantastic plot and imagery. Because Princess Amy is so believable, readers are better able to walk along side-by-side with a princess and vicariously experience all her adventures instead of gazing longingly from afar.

Kaye's story brings ordinary and fantasy into beautiful harmony: it is what makes this story the most enchanting fairy-tale you might've never heard of. It's never too late for this kind of magic.

A princess is supposed to be fair, with hair golden, skin like wild rose petals and cream, and eyes as blue as larkspurs (3). A princess is supposed to be graceful, well-tempered, always behaving with the utmost dignity and poise. Kaye characterizes all six of Amethyst's sisters by nothing more than this description of what a royal princess should be. But, because of the gift bestowed on the little princess to be ordinary, Amy, as she was thereafter called (for "what could be more ordinary than that?"), is hardly those things at all (21). Amy was much more like us: she was imperfect. She had a stubbed-nose, freckles. She was gawky and had the "distressing habit of standing with her feet apart and her hands behind her back" (22). Already, an ordinary audience has come to relate to this ordinary princess. The audience can relate to physical imperfections, but the audience is inspired by the way Amy reacted to her imperfections and lived her life. It wasn't that Amy never was discouraged. Indeed, no. This facet of character makes her all the more relatable, realistic. But, she was optimistic about looking at things though and she enjoyed life, trying to look at the bad in a positive light. Amy was such an ordinary sort of girl that she would sneak out of her window to play in the Forest of Faraway. It is easy for the audience to like Amy for themselves and it is natural for them to empathize with her, but the people in the kingdom don't seem to like Amy and her manners very much at all. The reader finds acceptance and an embracing of his imperfections through the character of Peregrine, the "man-of-all-work" she meets a neighboring kingdom. He grows to love her for her ordinary self and her ordinary habits. She is not timid and delicate like a princess is expected to be and he loves her and all of her "imperfections," without even knowing that she is a princess. It is human, it is ordinary, to want to be loved for what we really are and Amy and Peregrine's story gives the reader hope that it can happen.

Their relationship manifests the harmony of the ordinary and the fantastic that Kaye uses to enthrall readers. Amy meets him in a very casual setting and they decide that they would like to be friends. They talk as friends. They are informal and playful in their dialogue. One day, when they are lounging in the forest as they often liked to do, he talks of having seen the princess that had come to visit the king of this far away kingdom where Amy had runaway and where she met Peregrine. She asked him, "What's she like?"

He answered her, "Like a princess." She didn't like this answer saying that it was silly, so she threw a blackberry at his nose. That's not the sort of thing Cinderella would do but it seems an ordinary thing for a modern girl today to do. Their conversations are full of silly, friendly dialogue and they almost always end their rendezvous walking hand in hand and laughing together. But, the fantastic part about it is that they truly love each other. This ordinary relationship turns into something real and something that can last. Even when the plot takes an unexpected turn, they still live happily ever after together. The coming together of the ordinary and the extraordinary in their relationship uplifts the ordinary reader, giving him or her evidence that fantastic is in the realm of possibility.

In addition to character development and plot in bringing a refreshing harmony to the work, M.M. Kaye cleverly and naturally manipulates simple, every-day words and assembles them in an enchanting way that creates the sweet, lovely undertone of the entire work. Instead of using extraordinary, sophisticated words to describe the beauty of a baby, she says simply, "she was as pink and white and gold as apple blossoms and the spring sunshine." In these simple words, the reader receives almost an entire idea of what this baby is like because the reader is able to imagine the softness of the babies skin like the petals of the blossom, the babies sweet smell like the scent of the blossom, and the warmth of the babies skin like clean spring sunshine. Kaye takes advantage of the readers' minds ability to make relationships to words and bring up images without the image being explicitly laid-out by the author through unnecessary wordiness. The images that Kaye creates using such simple words are so brilliant that it would seem that she were a fairy herself. Because she uses this simple diction to color her piece, all, young or old, are able to read her story as if it were meant for them, gleening from it what their mind imagines all on its own.

Even the illustrations that enliven the pages of Kaye's fairy-tale are enchanting. The simple and sometimes amusing black and white line drawings add a childlike intrigue to the book. The images look simple enough but they are beautiful and oftimes delightful caricatures of the people or the situations Kaye is describing, adding to the humorous, casual, friendly aspect of The Ordinary Princess.

This story is attractive to modern audiences because of the idea that what is traditionally valued by society is not always the most valuable thing to have. What Amy lacked in beauty and elegance, she certainly made up for in warm, gentle kindness and friendliness. Amy, like other fair-tale princesses, was so gentle that she had animal friends that kept her company, a crow and a squirrel. She was able to look past herself and think of others because she was not caught up in her appearance. She was straight-forward and sometimes rambunctious about the way she did things, something contrary to the traditional idea that a woman should be demure, and in this way attracts the modern reader whose idea of woman may be different. This story has the fantastic, enchanting aspect of a fairy tale but because Kaye chose to combine that with the ordinary aspect of humanity, it can attract and resonate with a wider audience.

The title of the book itself, The Ordinary Princess, brings too dissimilar things, ordinary which connotes mundane or down-to-earth, homely and the idea of a princess which is basically everything extraordinary, beautiful and noble and sophisticated. The title intrigues readers because of the juxtaposition of these two seemingly paradoxical ideas; the reader may question or dare to hope that these two characteristics aren't so contradictory after all. As the reader turns the pages of Kaye's tale, absorbing the character of Amy, the fun and childlike humor of the dialogue and the characters, and the mesmerizing illustrations one comes across every so often, they are increasingly enchanted with the idea that fantastic is in the realm of possibility. Amy is loved for her ordinary self. Being true to one self is more important than living by society's norms and that is when happily ever after can really happen.

In the short time I have had this book I have found it not only to answer my questions but give me clear and concise information.

I had Photoshop Elements for about a year - until this book I was unable to use it effectively. Scott Kelby does a great job walking through the myriad features and functionality! Instructions are clear and easy to follow. Would definitely buy again!

I have found this book easy to understand and follow. Instructions take the material step by step to a conclusion. The subject matter is easy to locate thru its index.

One of the best "how to" books I've ever bought. Every step is detailed, taking the reader to the finest final product.

I bought this manual for my 13 year old daughter, so she can get more out of her new digital camera. She and her friends used the book to manipulate photos they took and they loved it, as they found lots of new and exciting things that can be done with Elements. She found the explanations and the language used very clear and easy. I'm not sure to what 'advanced' level it takes you, but it's definitely great for learning the basics of Photoshop Elements.

I LOVED this book as an upper elementary student after I lost my father very suddenly in an accident. I'm sure over the years I read this at least 10-20 times. I'm so glad to see it is still around so I can add it to my collection for my own children.

I read this book for the first time when I was probably 14. I read the book and remember crying through parts and laughing through others. I am so happy to have a chance to read it again. What an amazing story.

i read this book when i was 14 i'm 21 now and i was just looking for something to pass the time and i forgot how much i loved it!!!!

I read this book over 6 years ago... I still pick it up every once in a while.
It is so sad and sweet and touching, and I really good book.

I would give this book five stars. It is one of the best books I've ever read and I could not put it down. The story was captivating and it made you feel like you were another character watching this story unfold. You are so in touch with the characters emotions that certian points in the book don't really hit you until you see how she is hit by it. Over all this is my favorite book and I think everyone needs to read it.

I enjoyed this book very much! It's a little different. I agree with Amazon on the age range, sort of. I'm not sure about nine year olds but maybe 5th through 7th grade?

I like this book because it is like a mystery because she wants to know her mom but she is living with a girl that they lived next door to. Will she saw pitchers of her mom and was disarmed to find out were she was at. She found out were she was and wanted to see her so she razed money she got a bus ticket and went to were her mom was and could not finder for a long time and then one day she figured out how it was. And then her mom died.
So I thank you should read this book If you like mysteries. It is the best book in the world!!!

So be it is a amazing fiction book that i know you should read. The best thing about this book is it controls your feelings. For example Heidi has a disabled mother. Heidi loves to play slot machines. Therefore, since this story takes place in Nevada Heidi tried a slot machine.
But then Heidi won money from the slot machine. She also wanted to find the meaning of soof and she did by communicating with Bernadette on the phone. She was also trying to find out about her past and she used to ride the bus to where her mother used to go.

So.B.It keeps you on edge because you never know what will happen next. So.B.It is super fun , exciting , easy to read , and some mystery. I gave this book five stars because there is so much going on , its like watching a movie. Anybody who likes novels like Shug will love this book. THe gernera would be a novel. This book always gives you a picture in your mind. I would recomend this to anybody who likes books that make you wonder what will happen next.


Also by: K.N.
So B. It by Sarah Weeks is a heartwarming book that has an emotional touch. I would give this book five out of five stars. Girls ages 9 and older would enjoy this general fiction book. Sarah Weeks has done an excellent job detailing a heartwarming book like non other. Mama knows 23 words including one being "soof," which Heidi takes an adventure to find what her mother means by it. Bernadette tells Heidi how one day when Heidi was one week old, her mother mysteriously appeared at Bernadette's door, and they have benn living together since then. Heidi then decides to find out who her mother really is by taking her own adventure to Liberty, New York. Will she find out her mother's past life, or will she get disappointed and find out nothing? Read So B. It to find out.

"So B. It" - A Moving and Suspenseful Story
A story telling the tale of Heidi unraveling secrets of her mother
By Kelly Lockerbie
December 20, 2007

"So B. It" by Sarah Weeks

So B. It, 245 pages, is a moving story about a thirteen year old girl named Heidi. She has no father, and does not remember anything about him. The sad part is, Heidi's mother, whom Heidi calls "Mama," has a mental disorder, or a "bum brain," as Heidi calls it. Heidi and Mama both live with Bernadette, or "Bernie," who used to be their next door neighbor, until Mama showed up with Heidi on her front doorstep. Bernie takes care of both Mama and Heidi.

Heidi does not know anything about her mother, or what happened to her in the past. She keeps track of her mother's slow progress, and notices that occasionally Mama would throw out the word "soof." Mama doesn't know many words; in fact, she only knows twenty-three. Because Mama knows a word that no one knows, this interests Heidi. She becomes determined to find the meaning.

Throughout the book, Heidi tries to gather clues towards the meaning of "soof," because she believes that it could possibly reveal her past.

The protagonist of this story is Heidi, and the book tells the book from her point of view. She is the narrator. Towards the beginning of the book, Heidi does not know anything about her mom, or even how she herself was born. All she knows is that her mom showed up on Bernie's front doorstep and in need of help. Basically, she was frustrated! She didn't know anything that happened before Bernie found her.

However, when Heidi visits various places, places she knew to go to from clues she gathered, she stops fighting with the past. Even thought she learns something about the story of her life, she has matured and understands that certain things in her and her mother's life will remain a mystery.

The theme of this story is love. Not romantic love, but love and affection for those who care about you. Heidi loved her mom, because she tried her hardest to take care of her despite her setbacks. Heidi also loved Bernadette. Without Bernie, Heidi and her mom would not have been able to survive. Heidi depended on Mama, and Mama depended on Bernie. Bernie held the family together.

From this reading I learned to be thankful for things I wouldn't normally expect to be grateful for. For example, my "identity." Since Mama is mentally challenged and can't remember anything in the past, Heidi didn't know a lot about who she is. She didn't have concrete evidence of facts that that average person does today. She spent a large amount of time trying to decipher things that we are basically handed to in a silver platter. By this I mean that we don't have to work hard to get information about ourselves, while Heidi was traveling far out of her way.

I would undoubtedly recommend this book for other readers, whether they are younger or older. This book wouldn't be difficult for younger people to read, but more critical readers (people in English 10H) would have a better grasp on the moral and meaning of the book. They would know what the author is trying to get across, the meaning of love.

The total opposite of a deprivation diet. Now I work hard every day to eat the foods that are good for me, and now thanks to this book, I know what those foods are. This is surely better than spending my life trying to avoid foods I shouldn't eat. By the time I get finished with the super foods, I am so full, I couldn't even consider eating anything else. What I refreshing idea! Actually, I have never been able to find a way to consume all the superfoods in a day. Even with salads and smoothies, but what a neat challenge. I never felt better! Everyone says I look healthy, too.

I have been reading nutrition books for over a decade. This book relates back to studies that are proven. It really boils down what the best foods are and why. The book recommends how to cook and eat these foods.

Best book I have read to date on nutrition for the lay person.

SuperFoods is a great leap in the right direction for anyone looking to improve his or her diet.

Positives: the format and suggestions are some of the best in the diet class. It's easy to follow, the suggestions are not too expensive, and the book includes a great deal of scientific explanations and references.

Negatives: the author suggests consuming beans, oats, soy, and dairy. These foods are generally beneficial for one's health, however after reading The Paleo Diet: Lose Weight and Get Healthy by Eating the Food You Were Designed to Eat by Dr. Cordain, I learned that human bodies are not properly engineered to consume such foods.

Conclusion: this book is a tremendous foundational guide to proper nutrition. For those who want to take it to the next level, I would recommend The Paleo Diet instead.

I ordered this book based on a relative's recommendation. It is a great source of information. I really liked how it was set up and I am interested in incorporating some of the suggestions in my diet!

My doctor recently diagnosed me with diabetes in addition to my longstanding problem of high cholesterol and high triglycerides, which was also affecting my liver. I was quite overweight but didn't really care until that point - there's always tomorrow to lose it, right? He put me on a cholesterol and triglyceride lowering medicine and told me I needed to lose weight. This time I took him seriously, and I also read SuperFoods Rx and SuperFoods Healthstyle. I started exercising (walking) and eating healthy by following these two books' recommendations. So far I've lost 31 pounds without feeling deprived or going on some weird diet. I feel great, my diabetes is well controlled, and my cholesterol, triglycerides and liver function are in terrific shape now. The Super Foods have found a permanent place in my diet, and exercise a permanent place in my lifestyle. Thanks to these two books I believe I've saved my life and will enjoy better health over the long term. I've sent them to my brother to help him make the changes he needs for the same reasons. I highly recommend SuperFoods Rx and SuperFoods Healthstyle!

I read this book online for free the first time, then bought the print copy as soon as it came out, gave that copy to a friend, and then bought it again because I really love it that much. This book is both genuinely frightening and literally laugh out loud hilarious. Not even just 'chuckle softly under your breath once or twice' but actually 'laughing like you're at a party with a bunch of hilarious friends' funny.

I felt like these characters were actually my friends by the end of the book. (And I'm nursing a little crush on the main character but that's another story)

Not just a dick and fart joke book, (although it's certainly got plenty of that) but a real "thinker," too. Seriously. You wouldn't expect it from a dick joke book, but there are some moments that will stop your eyeballs on the page and make a Keanu Reeves "whoa" fall out of your mouth as your brain twists.

This book will rock your pants off, just buy it.

Everyone else has said what I wanted but better , so I'll make mine brief. This story is everything I hoped for. Funny, witty, strange, confusing, sick and thought provoking. The best is the nods to great horror films and books, giving a sense of nostalgia to the book.

John Dies at the End was endlessly entertaining, thought-provoking, and wildly funny. If you're a fan of movies like Evil Dead or Shaun of the Dead, I strongly recommend this book!

I really liked reading this book online. A problem with reading on the computer is that I dont like it. I was really glad when it was for sale finally on Amazon. I really enjoy his characters and the story. I think it the most comic book like book I have read. he paints really good pictures.

Man this book has been given some great reviews and that's what got me to pick this up. There is a free versions that you can read online but I hate reading off computer screens so I just picked up the book edition. I'll just have to say that I'm a huge fan of B-Horror and pretty much bad horror movies in general, what can I say they entertain me with their non-sense and over the top gore. This book kind of reminded me of a bad horror movie. The events in this book are so off the wall that they become entertaining and once mixed in with the authors humor it just becomes a really fun ride. The book is written from the perspective of the narrator telling a story of past events to someone and from time to time we come out of the story to talk with the story teller and his audience. I really didn't know why the author went about this till then end but all in all it worked. The writing was and the story lacked in a few places but it was just so fun all around that I can't fault it too much. I do wish there was more of the "soy sauce" side effects in this book but I still liked they way the plot went. Good book for readers of horror.

This book is written in the form of a narrator talking directly to the main character, the little mouse. (Spoiler alert - there probably isn't really a bear.)

Very cute, very simple - each page has only one or two lines on it - and some clever illustrations (one one page, the mouse disguises his strawberry in a pair of fake glasses with a nose).

Only thing is that this book has been abridged slightly. The non-board book versions have a few illustrations that were left out of this version, and some of the two-page spreads in the other versions were cut down into one page in this version, making a few pages look a little choppy. Also, the last page of the book has become this book's back cover and blurb.

It doesn't ruin the book, or make it close to unreadable, but if I had to do it again I'd just buy the longer version to start with.

I'll admit I was hesitant to order this book--it didn't seem to be as "flashy" as some of the other children's books. But with such great reviews, I thought I'd try it out. After a few days this quickly become my 8 month old's favorite book. He loves hearing about the "big hungry bear" and I love the mouse's expressions on each page. Both the artwork & story are absolutely adorable. Highly recommended!

When my daughter was in Kindergarten, we purchased this book. We loved acting out the narrator's part and had so much fun! She loved this book so very much, she took it to share day. Her teacher adored the book, as did all of the children in her class. My daughter was a HUGE hit. When her teacher left to have a baby, we gifted her with her own copy of this book. She used it for years, we found out later at a chance meeting. My daughter is now 22. My niece is turning 3 and this book is going to be part of her birthday. I'm already planning out how to read it to her!

I grew up with this book. I would read it over and over to myself and my siblings. When my family moved though It was lost with a couple of other books too. I just recently found it and bought it. I now read it to my daughter and she gets so excited to turn the pages and read the next phrase and see the next picture. I am enjoying both our childhoods. :)

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1TTRY7U6R935X In this video I take you through this classic children's book by reading you this short story much the same way I did for my son. He loved this book so much that we bought two so we always had a backup. I read it so many times I knew it by heart. You can't read this book without expressing delight because the story is so charming and the illustrations so heart warming. This is an all time classic children's book.

One of those amazing stories that makes you realize just how much the human spirit can take, and still survive. And just how inhumane we humans can be towards each other. Once you start reading, you won't be able to put this down.

Szpilman reveals the tragedy of Jewish life in Warsaw under the German occupation from 1939-1946. Szpilman's autobiographical work was first published in postwar Poland in 1946 but then quickly removed from circulation by Polish authorities. An accomplished pianist before the war, Szpilman played for Polish Radio during the siege of Warsaw and later within the Jewish ghetto to provide food for his parents and siblings. With the systematic liquidation of Jewish life in Warsaw and separation from his family, Szpilman's life took a series of surprising twists. As the reader views life in the ghetto through the eyes of a survivor, his escape from the ghetto before the Jewish up-rising and his ultimate survival consistently depended upon a timely combination of luck and sympathetic acquaintances B including a German army officer.

Included with Szpilman's memoirs are excerpts from Captain Wilm Hosenfeld's diaries and Wolf Biermann's own brief commentary. Hosenfeld's equating of National Socialism with Stalinist Communist and Biermann's emphasis on Szpilman's willingness to break with his past detracts from the overall quality of this work. Nevertheless, this work is well written and will retain the reader's attention to the end.

I could not put down this book, and read it in two sittings. Wladyslaw Szpilman, the famed pianist and composer, describes his harrowing account of life under Nazi terror. As a Polish Jew, Szpilman was considered by the Nazis to be entirely subhuman, and it is a miracle he survived the persistent and random acts of violence that surrounded him. He was nearly sent to a death camp along with his five family members, and somehow was pulled off the Birkenau-bound train to a grim prospect of survival. The images in this book are harrowing, such as the depiction of the shattered skulls of little girls, victims of the Nazis' "preferred" method of killing children by picking them up by their legs and swinging them into a brick wall. Imagine the horror....Szpilman's account is so matter-of-fact at times that you wonder how he survived. The fact that he did is a testament of human endurance, but also the ways of fate. There were occasions when he survived simply by the luck of the draw in a Godless universe.

Why do I consider a first person account detailing the horrors of the Holocaust to be uplifting? The events described by the author are harrowing and nearly unbelieveable to the degree that I was astonished that the man, in the end, survives. Perhaps that is why I am so uplifted by this story. He survived. He defied evil by daring to live. He also dared to pick up the pieces of his shattered life and continue to live. He does this without any fanfare or obvious heroism. I think that is what makes this particular telling of the Holocaust so remarkable. The author writes it in such an unremarkable fashion that it forces you to sit up and take notice. By simply stating that the caramel was his 'family's last meal together' makes you pause to reflect on such an event. Beautifully written. Highly reccommended.

As a side note, Roman Polanski's adaptation of this book is truely brilliant. Adrien Brody's portrayal of Szpilman is awe inspiring and heart wrenching to watch. Both men do the book and Szpilman's memory justice.

I don't have too much to add to the other reviewers; having seen the movie I had a pretty good idea what to expect.

Probably the most interesting thing about the book version is the diary of a German officer who helped save Spilman. The officer's diary (from 1942-44) shows that he was aware of the Nazi extermination camps by mid-1942; he explained that most Jews were "so weak from starvation and misery that they couldn't offer any resistance." By December 1943, he knew that Germany would lose the war, but suggests that Germans would not revolt because "no one would risk his life by standing up to the Gestapo."

Safely Home puts into perspective as to what is important in this life. It is a window that allows the reader to view religious persecution in today's world both here in the U.S. and abroad. Once you begin to read, it will be hard to put the book down.

Buy this book, take a day off, and read it. I read it 2 years ago and I have bought or loaned this book out to at least 20 friends since then -- all of whom have loved it. If you are a Christian, I trust you will be convicted and challenged as you read it.

This book is a gift from God - exciting, thought-provoking, faith-building. I recommend it to Believers and doubters equally - you will be changed by this read!

Safely HomeIf you think you know all there is to know about China, think again and read this book. The fiction is based on fact, and will connect your understanding with your conscience.

This was a paperback book and it was in excellent shape. The papers were not bent at all.