Bell Books

Allie Emerson sometimes wishes she could change the life she has. She lives with her rather lazy mother in a dumpy trailer with their only income being the monthly welfare check. She's constantly picked on by bullies, has never met her father, and is sure her aunt wants her gone. But there are some things to look forward to, namely weekend visits to her eccentric but lovable neighbor Kizzy and hanging out with her good friends Mercedes and Manny. But then strange things start happening to Allie, like making her uncle's bull run backwards and receiving visits from her hippy "spirit guide" Trilby. And that's when she find out she's not just ordinary Allie anymore; she's the most important ingredient of an age-old prophecy dating back to the beginnings of an ancient battle revolving around a magical moonstone pendant, now in Allie's possession. But before she can save the world, Allie needs to get a grip on her own life before she loses it to her enemies.

Moonstone is an exciting and very promising start to a new paranormal series. Allie is a great main character. It's very easy to understand her simultaneous love and hate for her life, her confusion when she discovers her destiny, and her fierce determination to make things right. I enjoyed reading this story from Allie's perspective because her snarky yet frank voice made the plot seem even more humorous and suspenseful. There was a good mixture of psychic experiences, everyday life, heart-stopping danger, and even romance. The storyline is very original and creative, and I loved the twists in the plot. It was very difficult for me to set this book down, and I was disappointed when the story ended because I wanted to keep reading. There are a few small details that aren't completely developed, but I fully expect them to be continued in sequels to come.

I am very excited about Brothers' Unbidden Magic series and look forward to the continuation of Allie's story in sequels to Moonstone, hopefully in the near future. Fans of The Named series and Old Magic by Marianne Curley will also enjoy this fantastic novel.

Wow, this was a terrific book starting a new series!!!! I am amazed that this is Brothers YA debut novel, it was sooooooo good!!!!! Link some paranormal with teenage angst and along comes Moonstone. It's a book that left me itching to pick it back up every time I had to put it down and I stayed up past my *bedtime* despite being exhausted because I needed to know what would happen next. I truly enjoyed this book, and cannot wait to find out what happens next in Allie's story!!!!

"Cross Twilight with a Stephanie Plum book, and you'll get Moonstone. It's supernatural and smart, funny and affecting. I didn't want to put the book down. I cannot wait to read the next part of Allie's story."
- unmainstreammomreads.blogspot.com

The girl voted least likely to save the world may have to do just that.

A sickly mom. A crappy travel trailer. High school bullies and snarky drama queens. Bad-guys with charming smiles. Allie has problems. And then there's that whole thing about fulfilling a magical prophecy and saving the world from evil.

Welcome to the funny, sad, sometimes-scary world of fifteen-year-old Allie Emerson, who's struggling to keep her act together (not to mention her mom's) in the small-town world of Peacock Flats, Washington. A zap from an electrical fence sets off Allie's weird psychic powers. The next thing she knows she's being visited by a hippy-dippy guardian angel, and then her mysterious neighbor, the town "witch," gives her an incredible moonstone pendant that has powers only a "Star Seeker" is meant to command. "Who, me?" is Allie's first reaction. But as sinister events begin to unfold, Allie realizes she's got a destiny far bigger than she ever imagined

If she can just survive everyday life, in the meantime.

So what happens when you get an ordinary girl with normal teenage problems, then you add a paranormal concept to the story plus some romance?

You get Moonstone. A wonderful book which I couldn't put down. There's something about Brothers' writing that just captures you and she knows how to write a great story. The pace of the book was just right, she didn't give everything away in the beginning nor did she wait until the end. Allie was like any other girl at the beginning of the book, she could have been my best friend; she was that real. When she gets her powers she's still believable and just a wonderful character. I liked everything about this book. Even the cover is cool. Moonstone is Marilee Brother's YA debut and I wouldn't have believed otherwise had I not read it on her biography. The first in a series Moonstone is a great paranormal book. The other great thing about Moonstone was that the conflict was resolved at the end so the readers won't be left with a cliffhanger. I can't wait for the sequel. I would love more about Allie and the Star Seekers.

Alfreida Emerson has some pretty extraordinary powers--she just doesn't know it. At least, not until a tumble off a ladder and an encounter with a flatulent bull give her an inkling of her burgeoning abilities. For now, she's got more important things to worry about, like keeping her mother out of trouble. Faye Emerson is not going to be winning any mother of the year awards any time soon, especially with her present creative cash flow scheme. And life goes on in the travel trailer they call home.

Too bad Allie can't ignore her new gifts when a hippie spirit guide plops down on her couch, and her friend Kizzy passes on a magical amulet that's part of a foreboding prophecy. The prophecy has come full-circle with Allie, and it's up to her to use the mooonstone pendant in a responsible way. It's not going to be easy, because some unsavory characters know she has the pendant, and they want its power for their own evil plans. Who can Allie trust? Can she trust anyone at all?

Moonstone is the first book in the Unbidden Magic series, and it's a fantastic kickoff to what's destined to be a hit series. Allie is a tough girl who is a clever problem solver and takes everything in stride. In many ways, she's more mature and responsible than her mom, but she knows that family takes precedence over trivial matters. She and her mom will take care of each other, no matter what. Allie is a very likable protagonist, with a blunt, youthful perspective. She's the underdog that receives a chance to overcome her obstacles. The reader roots for her from the beginning.

The storyline is carefully crafted, with inconspicuous clues strewn about leading up to a dark conspiracy. Allie barely has a chance to rest. When's she's not saving the world from evil, she's saving her classmates from bullies. Her world is fully developed, and characters who play even small roles in Moonstone are likely to resurface in further adventures. Everyone is realistically flawed, including Allie.

Moonstone is a fun good versus evil adventure. It's comical without being corny and reflective without being a drag. It's refreshing to find a teen heroine who isn't the homecoming queen or head cheerleader. Allie is a lovable outcast with a host of misfit friends who will warm any reader's heart.

This book is an optional reading assignment for my United States history class. It is hard to find in the bookstore because it was first published in the 1950's.

Whyte's book is a fascinating read, still, after so many years. It is wonderfully written, filled with anecdotes and telling examples -- and it is above all else to the point: large-scale bureauratic structures have evolved a functionalist climate that thrives on its own logic of operation. Organizations make for an environment that incessantly shapes the conformist functionary, and that drives the creative, intelligent, free-spirited, and self-conscious type of person 'out of business'. The very first pages reveal how salient Whyte's concerns are today, more than fifty years after the first publication of the book. My favorite chapters are 16-18 about the 'education' (read: stultification) of future functionaries and the dubious/odious role big corporations play in this context. A short glance at the role of nowadays educational institutions suffices to have this circumstance confirmed ...

William Whyte, who was an editor at Fortune magazine, argues in this 1956 bestseller that some people not only worked for an organization, but sold their psyches to them as well. These "organization men" willingly subordinated their personal goals and desires to conform to the demands of corporations and other organizations. This is different than modern-day workaholism -- the "organization men" of the 1950's hoped to gain loyalty, security and "belongingness" in exchange. In their view, the organization is a friend, not a foe; it's should be co-operated with, not questioned.

Whyte argues that the ideology behind the organization man is a "social ethic." Its core beliefs are that the group is superior to the individual, and individuals lack meaning and purpose outside of that group. "Belongingness" is assumed to be the ultimate emotional need of the individual, and to achieve it society should not hesitate to use a bit of social engineering. The result, however, is an ethos of over-conformity at any price.

As Whyte looked around the world in the mid-1950's, he saw the ethos of the Organization Man everywhere. He saw it in college graduates who joined big corporations, pledging their loyalty with visions of a safe stable life in exchange. He saw it in corporate executives who willingly pulled up their roots every time the company wanted to transfer him. He saw it when educators were asked to teach kids social skills so they could get along, rather than teaching academic subjects that forced kids to think for themselves. He saw it in engineering companies that said that there are "no geniuses here; just a bunch of average Americans working together" (although studies show that innovative engineers and scientists are fiercely independent, thus the direct antithesis of the company-oriented man).

So what to do? Whyte says we must realize that although we need the organization, we must know when and how to resist it. We must tread the fine line between self-interested cooperation and psychological surrender. We must realize that although the group can be a friend, it can also be a tyrant.

Even though this book was written about 50 years ago, many of Whyte's messages still ring true today. Yes, times have changed, and worker loyalty to corporations is passe'. Yet this book is worth reading, if only for its historical perspective on the mood in the 1950's. Also, it's well written - after all, Whyte was an editor at Fortune. Recommended.

The secondary title applied to this excellent work was " Moulding Team Players for Free Enterprise" The principal idea was how Big Business through the educational system and the prevailing culture indoctrinated a generation of aspiring corporate executives and middle managers into company men - similar to armed forces indoctrination of career officer cadets.
This excellent work is applicable today as it was 50 years ago, and is an invaluable work to all who wish to understand corporate culture. One only has to think of the many examples of Corporate interest over riding individual executives concience to see the relevance.

College students who are majoring in history, business, sociology, and industrial psychology should read this book. Also, anyone just interested in challenging the status quo will find inspiration within its pages.

I could reduce the number of service calls I perform by over 50% if the pin owners simply followed this manual. The truth is, there isn't any other book that puts pinball repair in layman's terms. How many pinball owners can actually read schematics? How many really do their own circuit board repair? The point I would stress is that all the repairs in the book can be performed by just about anyone, no kind of previous experience necessary. It is truly an outstanding manual and should be required reading for all pinheads, novice or skilled.

This book has step-by-step help for people who have never maintained or repaired a pinball machine. The book has a full section on general repairs, another full section on fixing flippers, and chapters on what to look for when buying a machine, disassembling and setting up the machine, protecting the painted backglass and playing field, checking fuses and checking batteries for leaks.
The book has information about the balls, rubber rings, locks and missing keys, lightbulb types that should not be used, wiring problems, tips for making the machine faster and more fun to play, and where to find parts and game manuals.
This book gathers all this information in one volume, with a separate terminology section that describes the parts and operations of a pinball machine, a lengthy index, and over eighty illustrations. Highly recommended, best guide of its kind.

If you're thinking of purchasing a pinball machine, this book will give you all the guidance you need to making a smart purchase. If you already own a machine, Bear's book will help you make repairs that you never dreamed you could do without a professional repair person. The explanations and drawings are presented for the novice. If you are a professional repair person, you will still probably pick up a tip or two from this book. I have many detailed repair books for pinball but I keep coming back to this one.

I acquired a 1971 Williams Klondike that had almost no maintenance performed on it in almost 25 years. Mr. Kamoroff's layman terms and step by step troubleshooting technics and hints saved me considerable money in returning a dead game into something special again. His simple approach to what may seem a difficult problem coupled with a everyman's writing style made for not only a handy manual but a very good read as well. I recommend this book to anyone who has an old pinball machine and I would not recommend anyone to even consider purchasing one without reading this book first.

I am the editor of GameRoom magazine which covers the world of pinball and all other coin-operated games. "Pinball Machine Care and Maintenance" is a hugely useful guidebook for novice and professional alike. What Kamoroff has accomplished here is the best of both worlds. By explaining the simple things, and offering helpful ideas to the seasoned folk, he's handed the hooby an all-around silverball guide.

As an avid armchair historian I found this book hard to put down. It can be very dense and I admit to skimming some passages in the beginning, but after that I read it word for word with great enthusiasm. It really gave me the feeling that I had been there and could feel the spirit of the times. There is dry recitation of the facts and there is over dramatizing too, this book has none of that. It is first and foremost lucid analysis.

Karp, author of the brilliant book Indispensable Enemies, comes through again in this fascinating history book. Karp's underlying premise is that polticians start wars to destroy internal reforms wanted by the people. Here he shows how the Progressive movement was stymied by the Democrats and Republicans, with war as their chosen instrument.

Part I is a history of the Spanish-American War and here Karp shows how both parties colluded to bring on an unnecessary war. He firmly disagrees with the traditional historians who blame the war on the press. Part II continues this analysis, applied this time to the years leading up to another unnecessary war, World War I. Karp shows how Wilson drags the country into war, while all the time talking of peace. Once again the motivation is the same: thwart reform at home. Once the war has begun, Wilson uses the fake threat of German treachery to suppress the press and free speech of the American public. The last chapter is particularly chilling, as Karp gives the example of a woman jailed for saying the government is for the profiteers.

No political history has ever been done better. I am proud to give this book a 5 star rating and encourage anyone interested in history or politics to read this book.

This book is most provocative in its treatment of the generally revered Woodrow Wilson and the story of how (according to Karp) he cynically engineered our entry into WW I, motivated by Anglophilia and a messianic (and in Karp's view delusional) conviction that he could bring a new era of peace and justice to the world.

A number of books have made similar allegations about FDR and our entry into WW II, but at the end of the day, who cares? Does anyone really think the world would be a better place if the U.S. had stayed out of World War II?

WW I was quite a different kettle of fish, as Karp points out. It was not in any way clear that the U.S. had something to gain from involving itself in a sordid struggle in which neither side held the moral high ground. And Karp argues rather convincingly that Wilson was played for a fool -- he tipped the balance to Britain's Lloyd George and France's Clemenceau, only to see these enormously cynical and skillful politicians torpedo his "just peace" in favor of viciously punitive terms which ultimately led to the rise of Adolph Hitler.

Karp also discusses Wilson's suppression of free speech and his aggressive use of propaganda in favor of the war effort.

Karp was a frequent contributor to Harper's magazine who unfortunately died quite young a number of years ago. This little-known book should be read by anyone interested in America in the WW I era and in the development of modern American political culture. It's also worth studying if you want to understand better why U.S. public opinion was so resolutely isolationist up until the attack on Pearl Harbor. Wilson got his war, but the experience left a very bad taste in the mouth of the American public.

I am a student of history and enjoyed this book. It gives a real good look at behind the scene at political manipulation on a national level and you can draw comparisons to the present administration.

Walter Karp's "The Politics of War" is simply the most concise and powerful study in history I've ever read. Simply by sticking to the premise that history is made not by anonymous "forces" but by men of power acting out of self-interest, Karp turns stuff that was frankly dull in your high school textbooks - you remember the names: the Progressive Era, the gold standard, William Jennings Bryan, the Lusitania - into something not only gripping, but eerily reminiscent of what our nation is currently experiencing. Karp's portrait of Woodrow Wilson as a self-deluded, self-righteous, vainglorious would-be messiah determined to drag an unwilling nation into war to suit his own dreams of glory is especially powerful and damning.

The final chapter, "The Old America That Was Free and Is Now Dead," is simply the most powerful piece of writing I've ever read in a nonfiction work, comparable only to the conclusion of Hannah Arendt's "Eichmann in Jerusalem." No one could ever accuse Walter Karp of hating his country; he hated what a few people had done to it, and that, as all too many would like us to forget these days, is something very different.

A Rare and Precious Thing is an important book for uncertain times. John Kain addresses universal truths, the necessity of independent thinking, and the struggle of authentic self-exploration through personal insight as well as candid profiles of the somewhat accidental - and very human - leaders of eight spiritual disciplines. John's writing is solid; his poetry background shines through in this lyrical, thoughtful book. I found myself increasingly uplifted and engaged with each chapter. A Rare and Precious Thing is a still and quiet place amidst the hype of today's trendy, instant spirituality.

American spiritual experience has often been characterized as the activity of a small group of religious institutions. Wisdom is transmitted from a deity or inspiring source through a legitimized teacher to the practitioners. Adherents rely on group contact for defining and orchestrating valid experience. The institution provides the moral leadership and direction that the practitioners feel unable to foster without direct guidance. Since the 1950s, the number of legitimate spiritual traditions outside this small group has mushroomed. A large segment arrived from Asia and a smaller sliver emerged from the practices of indigenous peoples in this hemisphere. For the most part, practitioners were drawn to these new sources of inspiration because they represented an opportunity to tap into spirituality stripped of institutional calcification. Across three generations, practitioners have used their own judgment to accept what was meaningful, reject what was unusable and create a lived response on their own terms. John Kain, the author of "A Rare and Precious Thing", is clearly a practitioner of the latter group, a sophisticated seeker. He gives us a very readable reaction to his own spiritual journey by examining alternate disciplines through the words of their teachers and students.

To begin with, Mr. Kain explores each of their settings. His descriptive tone is casual in an engaging way when telling us where and how the teacher lives and the type of community that has formed around them. A serious amount of research is incorporated in these pieces- a kernel of history describes each tradition and a bibliography gives a selection of the teacher's writings for each chapter. Mr. Kain's strength is in bringing out the style of the teacher through transparent interviews. Some teachers are best heard as proponents of a particular set of principles or ideas; others are convincing when they relax and tell stories about their own awakenings. By acting as the intelligent listener, the author finds the tone of the tradition and delineates how this thread of spirituality creates a religious community. To tell the other side of the history, he also interviews key students. Most of these individuals have interacted with the teacher in profound ways, validating the quality of the teachings and revealing how personal interaction with the teacher is often the root of faith. The words of these students set religious ideas into a real time and place and their appreciations and frustrations help to define not only what is intended but what is commonly experienced as well.

Between the interviews, Mr. Kain has written short pieces to explore religious ideas that appear dear to his own heart. These chapters are divided into two groups; the Possibilities - gratitude, a balanced appreciation of the ego, and 'turning' (profoundly moving) words and the Pitfalls - disillusionment, drawing the boundaries and leaving the teacher. Substantiated by additional quotes from his sources, recent religious history and his own experiences, the author suggests that the intuitive basis of any practice should be some form of common sense. In this case, common sense means examining your own actions and the actions of others in a fair and intelligent light, means taking responsibility for your own actions and conclusions, and means recognizing the use of disappointment for spiritual growth. From my perspective, this is the 'second heart' of the book. Having traveled so far, and having run across an abundance of truth-sayers and truth-seekers, we must appreciate our spiritual adventures with the same intelligence that we use to examine our everyday lives. Any deep inquiry into our lives will involve negative as well as positive elements; in fact, it must include all of these elements if it is to truly represent our experience. Disheartening experiences are merely another way that our heart gets involved. Knowing this can guide us in choosing growth opportunities as we shift the responsibilities of our lives from others onto our own shoulders. This is not a rejection of institution guidance but an acceptance of our own power.

Tradition is the passing down of culture from generation to generation. Mr. Kain's work, as important as it is in describing the student-teacher relationship, is equally important as a moment in religious history. This is a snapshot of the transmission process, that is, the transmission of religious culture. The future of these traditions is unknown, but it is clear that we are listening to history as it unfolds. For that we have to thank our seasoned guide.

John Kain's A Rare and Precious Thing is a book which is astonishingly accurately named, for, indeed, it is. Kain introduces eight teachers from different spiritual disciplines, including an adept in Ahmsta Kezbeh (which is some sect of Sufisim); the bearer of the sacred bundle of the Lakota, Dakota, Nakota Nation; a Benedictine abbess; a rabbi; a Buddhist monk; a Hindu Vedanta reverend mother; a Zen abbot; and a Zen renegade (if that's possible).

Kain introduces a bike-riding Zen dude called Adyashanti, whose picture reminds me pleasantly of a thirty-something Charlie Brown. His words are even more pleasant: "I don't want to be in the role of `wisdom guy' all the time. . . . I mean, who wants to sit around talking about the Truth for any longer than is absolutely necessary?" I heard that, and I've lost count of the times I've wished somebody would say it. Now, somebody has, and Adya (as he is known affectionately to his friends) has other stirring things to say. My favorite: "Most spirituality is a construction project," he says, "But enlightenment is a demolition project." I like this guy's approach to teaching. Step one: stay out of your own way.

Chief Arvol Looking Horse is the nineteenth-generation keeper of the sacred bundle, and for a guy with so much responsibility, he seems circumspect and thoughtful, unlike so many charged with such duties. The chief finds himself in a difficult position. Pledged to protect his religion, he cannot profit from ceremonies related to it nor can he live off the reservation. As a result, he finds his income limited, and unfortunately, like truly religious people anywhere, he finds that the poverty his office requires is not eased by the people who benefit most. He has a sense of humor, however, and that seems to sustain him: on his mission of peace to South Africa, government officials refused to allow him to leave the airport without an armed guard. As part of his sacred office, he cannot be around guns, and he refused. The officials insisted, so Arvol responded, "All right, let them have their guns but take the bullets out." His confidence and creativity is enough to endear him to anyone.

Sister Joan Chittister is a Benedictine with a radical streak as wide as thirty books and as profound as a stream of ink. I found her thoughts provocative: ""I really think that religion at its best is when it moves us beyond religion. We do make a God out of religion, but the function of religion is to move us beyond itself." I found her spiritual questions intriguing, and I'd like to e-mail them to every one of the self-selected godly: "If we're still in a state of ongoing creation, what are we helping to create?" Try that one on, Oral. And if you are interested in the knots religion can set in your shoelaces, you should read this book just to find out why Chittister likes to tell the old Hindu story "about the master who tied up his cat during prayer time." Good stuff.

For me, this book was as bracing as a dive into a Sierra stream, eye-opening and moment-inducing. I enjoyed the clear vision of the teachers looking at themselves, their pursuits, and their students, which was so ably conveyed by the author, and I recommend these pages to anyone who needs to step up or step back from a spiritual pursuit, for whatever reasons, real, imagined, or fabricated. If you want to follow up, the book also includes a reading list of the works of the teachers Kain interviewed.

John Kain's thoughtful and sensitive writing speaks to much more than working with a spiritual teacher. The candid and often intimate conversations tell us of the common messages inherent in all spiritual practices. There is a circular thread in this book which leads the reader inside these relationships; allowing us to see the human-ness in both the students and teachers. A Rare and Precious Thing is about ALL relationships and how we might be wise to embrace them.

John Kain approaches each teacher and spiritual practice with a genuine warmth and respect that creates an immediate connection with the reader. Neither the author nor the teachers ever speak from some removed, condescending pinnacle of spirituality--quite the opposite--the engaging personalities, exuding a great mix of humility and humor, are introduced in a way that makes you wish to share a meal and conversation with any one of them. Their down-to-earth openness offers many surprises, too, as they alternately support, nudge, sometimes even provoke their students toward higher levels of self-reliant spirituality. These are remarkable individuals, all, with tremendous insight to share about spiritual growth. The book therefore offers something precious not only to individuals who have or are seeking a teacher within a specific spiritual practice; it speaks just as directly to those of us who are living everyday lives without the benefit of a formal teacher, but who value spending time with wise souls wherever we encounter them. The sincerity of the spiritual search, and of the questions raised by the teachers and students alike, satisfies.

This and 'Ratha's Challenge' were the two latest in the 'Ratha' series (even though this book, published in 1990, is now some 15 years old) that I never read as a child. I absolutely loved the first two books and was excited about receiving this one after a decade and a half of waiting. I did notice many similarities between Clare Bell's treatment of the 'Ratha' series and Jean M. Auel's 'Clan of the Cave Bear' & the Gear's 'Prehistoric America' series, including themes of loss, abandonment, alienation and exile.

It's beautifully written although the final battle between Thistle-Chaser & Ratha reads somewhat awkwardly. I spent most of my time reading the book alternately laughing and crying. I could feel Thistle-Chaser's righteous anger at the Clan's treatment of her watery friends, and I could fully appreciate Ratha's abrasive personality. She always carries over strongly and even Clare Bell's evolution as a writer hasn't dulled Ratha one bit.

I read this series a year ago and fell in love with them the minute I picked them up. This book answers a lot of questions I wanted to know about Thistle-Chaser, and I was so happy to get it. I was 11 then but I totally understood what was going on the whole time.I own all these books now. I'm so happy my parents let me buy them even though they cost like 100 dollars. Clare bell is the best writer in the world and I hope I can read other books of hers.

This book features all the original characters we've all come to know and love and the strange and sad Thistle-Chaser, from right out of Ratha's past! ratha and Thistle-chaser struggle to love eachother in this great book!

Ratha's struggles to come to terms with her past make this book very memorable, and it's terrible that it went out of print so quickly (by the time I found a way to buy it it was gone)

This is one of the best books I have ever read. (And I've read a lot.) This book has all the elements that make the first 2 wondeful and bring back the trauma from the first. This is also continued in the 4th book.

Michael is an average, ordinary boy. But, when his grandfather that he barely even knew dies, something happens to him.

Somehow, Michael is seeing his grandpa. All of a sudden he'll get really cold and he'll open his eyes and he won't be where he was a minute ago. He'll be in a dark place with his grandfather standing in front of him. His grandpa tells him that he can pull Michael in and show him all of his memories. Because of this, Michael is finding out things he never knew before. Like how he and his grandfather always fought and never got along. And that that's why his father is the way he is today.

Of course, Michael is freaked out about all of this and has no idea if what's happening is real or just an elaborate dream. A boy at school, Ewan, who is obsessed with the dead because his father is deceased, tells Michael that what's happening to him is called "Slipping" and that it's very rare. Michael's art teacher even gives him the number of a very famous psychic and tells him to go see her, because even she doesn't believe what Michael is telling her.

He ends up going to see the psychic with his ex-best friend, Gus, his older sister, Julia, Ewan, and Trip (Gus's new best friend). The psychic tells him that what's happening to him is much more serious and dangerous than Slipping and that he should try to stop it immediately before something happens to him. But can Michael really control what's happening or will he end up dead just like his grandfather?

This was a pretty short but very intense story. From the very first page I was hooked. What was happening to Michael was totally freaky but cool at the same time. Being able to see his grandfather's memories and everything was so awesome. The whole book was very touching, along with all of the crazy, intense moments.

The ending was pretty good. I feel like it could have been a bit longer and the author could have gone in to detail a little bit more. But all in all, SLIPPING was a very good book. I hope Cathleen Davitt Bell writes another great one soon.

Reviewed by: Breanna F.

This is a fabulous book that is so well written. I got instantly captivated by the story line and finished the book in 2 days. It is a great read not only for adolescents but parents should check it out as well. It will provide fascinating discussion between you and your child. As a former fourth, fifth, and sixth grade teacher who knows kids literature I highly recommend it.

I loved every page of this book. I carried it around with me like a
transitional object for several days, getting in a page here and there while the kids were dumping all the soil out of the flowerpots or sticking forks in their eyes. The author handles the premise brilliantly, making it seem fresh and interesting (and plausible, too), and consoling without ever being cheap. And she has created a remarkably convincing (as well as lovable) 12-year-old boy as her narrator. This is one of those amazing works of "children's" literature that people of all ages can learn from and love.

SLIPPING is a book you just have to read. We're part of a mother-son book club and were lucky enough to read this book when it was in manuscript form. We liked it enough to re-read it again when it went to hardcover (June 08). Cathleen Davitt Bell did a great job creating an interesting book. It is a new twist on fantasy. We wanted to keep reading it to find out how the main character handles school, friends, and family issues. We weren't able to put the book down until we figured out the "slipping" aspect. Great ending. We're still thinking/talking about this book and sharing it with friends. A must read. We hope there will be a sequel. -- Mom (42) / son (15 and a huge fantasy fan)

I was planning to read a few pages to see if I thought my nephew would like it, and I became so absorbed that I temporarily lost interest in the book I was reading -- Pulitzer Prize-winning Oscar Wao (which I also highly recommend)!! Slipping is everything a novel should be -- an engaging, fast-paced story with believable, interesting characters (no cliches here, the details make these people feel absolutely real) and a sense of humor. I'm giving a copy to my son's school librarian to make sure she gets it on all her middle grade reading lists this year. I can't believe this is a first novel, I can't wait to read the second from this talented writer!

Can and should be read by all physics undergraduates. Why?
So they can truly discover for themselves what's really going on.

And what's really going on is that local causality as advanced by some
of the greatest physicists of all time must now be relegated to the
proverbial "back shelf".

How did this come about? The author of this book takes us step-by-step
through a veritable minefield of reasons why and reasons why not. He
leaves "no stone unturned" and takes great pains to examine the various
opinions, prejudices, feelings and historical events surrounding the
now-famous "Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen" paper of 1935 and the arguments for
and against that paper that ensued. Almost with superhuman effort.

The book which is actually a collection of more than twenty research papers that the author has written over about a twenty five year period
beginning with his first seminal work dated 1964. What makes some of these papers more interesting to read is that they were presented to
symposia and from these one can get a sense of the controversial nature
of this subject.

Each paper contains numerous references to the original "players" in the
field. These alone make an exciting and substantial contribution to the book.

sjw

Just to counter an earlier review that states

"... he describes a thought experiment of two spaceships joined by a thread and accelerating identically. Like the earlier authors, Bell wrongly believed the thread would break ..."


Actually, the string would break...

* From the launch pad frame the distance between space-ships stays the same,
but the string is Lorentz contracted

* From the space-ship point of view (not a wise choice), they are accelerating and
so their clocks do not run at the same rate... the front space ship pulls away...
(I find it easier to think of them at differing depth in a 'gravitational' field)

You can see from the other reviews here that this is a fascinating book. Many of the essays discuss 'unorthodox' interpretations of QM like Bohmian mechanics and wave-collapse models. The introduction by Alain Aspect was very interesting as well, and discussed the experimental advances in what he calls the "second quantum revolution." If you are buying an older edition of this book you may not get this introduction.

The previous review "Small Caveat" is a little misleading. Bell does explain that if the spaceships are accelerating slowly enough, the tension in the string will cause the system to contract as a whole, and the string will not break. But if the spaceships maintain a constant distance apart in the frame of the observer, the string will most certainly break. If you don't accept Bell's main argument that the electric fields between the atoms contract, transform to the accelerated frame of one of the ships and you will find the other ship receding away.

But don't listen to me, read the essays yourself! Even if you don't agree with the arguments, you will not be sorry for the thought provoking experience.

After reading lots of commentaries on Bell's Theorem, this book
is where you finally get to read the actual paper. Worth it.

I agree with the enthusiasm shown by other reviewers (see also the first edition) for this book's treatment of interpretive issues at the foundations of quantum theory. However, chapter 9 unfortunately titled "How to teach Relativity" shows that Bell's expertise in quantum theory did not extend to special relativity, which he seriously misunderstands. Drawing on an old mistaken paper by Dewan & Beran from 1959, he describes a thought experiment of two spaceships joined by a thread and accelerating identically. Like the earlier authors, Bell wrongly believed the thread would break, showing the Lorentz contraction (again wrongly) to be a "real" effect, rather than an apparent one manifested only in another relatively moving inertial frame.
Despite the fact that, as he mentions in the book, all his CERN colleagues contradicted him, he nevertheless included this old "chestnut" with a false interpretation that can only do harm to the general understanding of STR.

Not the most imaginative or stimulating approach, especially for younger children with a strong creative bent, but it gets the job done and provides a strong foundation for using more creative, play-oriented techniques.

Although it is written for a classroom atmosphere, I bought this book as a supplement to my daughters homeschool curriculum and ended up using it as the one and only Phonics curriculum. It encourages creative writing as the student has to write their own sentence that contain a given word. Great for the first grade level. I highly recommend !

I purchased this title because I needed something more effective than what my child's first grade teacher was using. Step by Step Phonics is very easy to use. It is set up so even a parent who isn't familiar with teaching the reading process can use it with little or no effort.

My daughter quickly learned the phonics patterns and sight words in each unit. She can now pick up any book and read on her own. What I liked best about this book, children learn phenomenal spelling and writing skills while they are learning to read. My daughter really enjoyed learning and illustrating the poems too. It is a great program to use with your child and for primary teachers. I'm glad I found it when I was looking through Amazon's titles last fall. Thank you so much. Now that my child can read, I have one less thing to be concerned with as a parent. I highly recommend this title.

I have used this program with my first grade Title One children. ( These are children who do not qualify for special classes, but need extra help in Reading) It works, it is thorough, and the children really enjoy it! My ESL (English Second Language) students also have improved greatly through this program.

My daughter, Amanda, has been using Step by Step Phonics since she entered first grade. I can't say enough good things about this program. "Step by Step" is fun and easy to understand. Amanda was not very interested in reading when she began her first grade year. By the end of the first period she was already reading, due to Step by Step Phonics and the positive learning approach the author uses. I see a difference between my oldest daughter, Jennifer who was taught by traditional methods, and Amanda, was taught "Step by Step." Amanda learned in 3 months what Jennifer spend her whole first grade year learning. I recommend this program to anyone interested in teaching their child to read. I am looking forward to using this program to teach my two younger children to read.

How long did one have to wait for this?? The post goscinny era led to a downfall in comics quality and it is simply great to see that these are being released in English once again. I used to see this desparately bought for over $50-80 on ebay, and this gives the normal general public access to these gems in pun-land! Hope all the iznogoud comics are released in English soon! My kids are deep into this, Asterix and Tintin and the only other comic they look eye to eye is Calvin and Hobbes!! Go Quality!!

Once upon a time in the mysterious Bagdad lived a benevolent caliph named Haroun al Plassid. Everyone was happy under his reign but the caliphs evil grand- vizier Iznogoud who wanted to be caliph instead of the caliph does everything he can to get rid of Haroun and usurp his throne.

This is another great comic written by the great René Goscinny as always when he is involved there's a lot of humour and while Tabarys art isn't as good as Uderzo's (Goscinnys other companion and co- creator of ASterix)the characters are still well drawn. In short buy this book.

I read all of the English language versions of the Iznogoud series (along with Asterix and Tintin) in the 1980s while growing up in Karachi, Pakistan. Unfortunately, over the years I misplaced my Iznogoud copies and would love to get them again. The current unavailability of this brilliant comic series in English is a massive loss to those of us who enjoy comics rife with intelligence, wit, and humour.

Iznogoud is the evil Grand Vizier to the good-natured but slow-witted Caliph of Baghdad Haroun al Plassid. Wanting desperately to be `Caliph instead of the Caliph.' , he comes up continuously with plans to get rid of the incumbent , which always backfire on the miserable Iznogoud.
Iznogoud's penchant for evil invention, together with the charming illustrations and witty dialogue makes for charming albums, by the same people who brought you Asterix.
In fact in `Asterix and the Magic Carpet' a reference is made to Iznogoud, as Asterix and friends is to battle against Watzisname, Iznogoud's evil cousin in India, in order to save the lovely Princess Orinjade.

I was given a couple of these books, as a present when I was eight, and absolutely loved them.

It's unfortunate that Iznogoud is not at all well-known in the USA. Iznogoud is a French comic book character drawn by artist Jean Tabary and originally created by writer René Goscinny, also known for his world-famous character Asterix. Goscinny had a tendency to utilize puns in the Asterix books, but he more than doubles that tendency in the Iznogoud series, where almost everything is a pun (which makes for an interesting translating job!). The stories are funny, telling tales of the wicked Grand Vizier Iznogoud and his constant failures at deposing the good Caliph from his throne and taking his place.

The Wicked Wiles of Iznogoud contains 6 stories, all of which are a delightful read. They feature an enchanted frog prince, a hypnotic magician, a magic weightlessness philtre, a time machine (featuring an appearance by the artist himself), and a magic mind-switching goblet. Somehow, every one of them seems to backfire on Iznogoud and his schemes. This is one of the earlier books in the series and these are considered the "classic" Iznogoud stories.

This book has been out of print for a long time, and was never easy to find in the USA in the first place. However, do not pay a ridiculous price for it like some retailers are asking; copies will turn up if you're patient!