Blair Books

Cyrano de Bergerac / 0-553-21360-1

The story of the lovesick Cyrano as he pines for his unrequited love is both beautiful and touching. Knowing that he is undesirable to his love, due to his own physical defects, and realizing that she cares for the resident 'pretty boy', Cyrano swallows his pride and hurt and woes the love of his life on behalf of another man, pouring out his adoration and devotion into the letters he composes for her. He nurtures his secret love quietly, patiently, passionately until his death, never cursing his lover for failing to accept him, but rather pouring out his eternal devotion and lack of regrets.

This translation is lovely, touching, and tear-jerking. If you haven't previously been exposed to Cyrano, here is a play to enjoy.

Trying not to sound redundant, this play certainly was meritorious of its praise over the centuries. The story wondrously exemplified the charming aspects of Cyrano's character that enticed the very core of me. I found that the theme of people exaggerating their own flaws, that aid the destruction of their self esteem, was accurately portrayed. This play is definitely the foundation of the classic story line of a person assisting another with a loved one, with the realization that the loved one is actually falling in love with the puppeteer, if that makes sense. Although the format of the poetic form might render many readers confused, it represents the complex depiction of early European art.

-DN

In my opinion, Cyrano De Bergerac would have been much better as a novel, rather than a play. However, the story line was smart and clever but got to be a bit confusing throughout some parts due to the play form. I do reccomend this book to somebody interested in plays, and love stories. Cyrano De Bergerac shows you 3 main characters who are truly in love.

Cyrano De Bergerac is a moving tale about looking past appearances. its thought provoking and enlightening, and it reveals the profoundness that rests wihtin the human soul. it is about facing your fears and going after your dreams only to understand that true beauty is in the soul.it shows that things are not always what they appear and that people fall in love with your spirit not your face. its meaning is pure and true. it reveals the wonder of the mind and the beauty of the heart! it makes one realize that the heart wants what it knows and the mind knows what it wants!! the author uses irony in a clever and cruel way, showing that tragedy is the key to unlocking doors you previously didnt know existed.

I am glad that I purchased this book, but I was really looking for the French language version.

Have you ever read a book that you had to struggle to get through, yet you were still glad you read it? That is my feeling about this book. I found the book boring, tedious to read at times and a bit more technical than what I'm used to. Nevertheless, I could not get past the fact that Reginald Lewis and all that he accomplished after starting with nothing was an incredibly inspirational story that needed to be told. His drive and inability to accept "no" are something that we can all learn from and appreciate, but the writing in the book just didn't hold my attention.

what a man! talk about inspirational. 3rd time i've read this and it makes me feel like i can conquer the world. this book gives me so much confidence and raises my self-esteem to new levels. just an awesome book about an incredible man.

This work tells the story of a black man who rose to become a top CEO.

Author BLAIR S. WALKER, discusses the chronicle of his subject's private life based on dozens of interviews and also consulting many sources and borrowing on an unfinished autobiography Reginald Lewis wrote shortly before his death from brain cancer in order to give a full and accurate account of this intense, goal-oriented man's life.

If motivation and inspiration is what you seek, you will find it in various chapters throughout the book. Power packed with valuable business lessons on deal making and negotiations, this book has the ability to cultivate your mind set in many a positive ways.

Lewis was a tough- minded narcissistic individual. He was a man set on being an exception to life's ugly stereotypes towards African Americans.

Although the book does fall short in not talking about the deaths of two keystone figures in Lewis's life which was his grand pop and grand mom who were considered some of his greatest strength as a boy.

Lewis and his two LBO's became a greater success than the famous "burning bed" blunder by the former First Boston Corp..

Overall, you will find this book an entertaining read.

I was blown away by this book, more so for the similarities between Lewis and myself. I think he was proud of being black but I agree with him that its only an aspect of who you are. Americans as a whole, whether they are black and white tend to group successful blacks as some sort of exception, which is a done and TIRED story. Reginald is a man's man that did things his way successfully. Too bad his life was cut short no telling where he might of been and how much more successful he would have become.

For readers its a look at an intense, fearless, determined, and extremely ambitious man who just happened to be African-American.

The Lewis and Walker edition of 'Why Should White Guys Have All the Fun?' is one of the most well-researched and written books that exist from a partial business autobiography/biography standpoint. When you read (and study) this book you feel as if you know Reginald Lewis (Reg) personally. You felt that you have sat at the same table, in the same room, with the same true characters that made him the man that he was.

Reginald Lewis was no saint. But, he was driven by passion and a determination to be the best. Walker (the co-author) has created many things within the context of this book: A bio, a blueprint, an academic view of business, a detailed account (diary) of a very accomplished man. But most importantly, Walker and Lewis together have created a great story. It's more than just mere inspiration, it's a book that when you're done, you will want to make Reg a member of your advisory counsel (the kind that motivates and drives you when their physical presence is no longer here). Reg is now a part of my advisory counsel - and he's given me good advice. Read this book regardless of your ethnic background because it truly drives home a point: We can all have fun!

I picked up this book on a hunch a few years ago - and how right that hunch was! Funny enough to hook a 6-year-old, touching enough to hook an adult, and adventure enough for both... this book has a place in my heart right next to Rob Reiner's wonderful film translation of "The Princess Bride". There is a rich subtext of dealing with aging, death and loss that gives the story a depth that most children's fantasies lack; but it's handled so deftly that you don't see it so much as feel it.

I read it to my daughter when she was six; when it ended she immediately made me go back and read it all over again (the only book that has elicited that reaction, so far). She asked for it again the next year, and the next (she can read it for herself now).

*Highly* recommended, particularly for reading aloud!

I think this is one of those books that can work on different levels. As a children's book, it is an entertaining story, with an interesting concept -- what if the characters in a book were real people? However, what made me really like the book was the way it made me, as an adult, think about reading and memory. It made me consider whether I am allowing memories to rust away, or characters to lounge endlessly against adjectives waiting for me to open their book so they can spring to action. What responsibility do I have to keep those characters alive and fresh?

The book is built on a sort of complicated premise, and sometimes it felt complicated to me. Don't get me wrong, though; you can enjoy the story without ever delving into those philosophical aspects. IMO, that's the mark of a good story -- it is rich enough to be different things to different people. The Great Good Thing is definitely that.

i think the great good thing is a great book to read. Its about a 12-year old princess living the same story everyday she gets bored and finally has to do something out of her lines, so she breaks the number 1 rule for a character she looks up at the reader and thats where all the adventures begin now i know you probably want to hear more about the adventures but if i told you i would have to write the whole book,i think you read it to find out.

After reading A Great Good Thing, which Santa delivered to my nine-year-old daughter for Christmas, I was not surprised at all to read on the dust jacket that the author is also a poet. Townley has written an engaging tale that plays with the borders of imagination, memory, and fiction; yet the human elements and characters are solid and real. Even though the story is far-fetched, the emotions run true.

Like so many of the best children's books, this story satisfies different audiences at different levels. At one level, it is a tale of adventure and humor and friendship. At another level, it is a study in character, maturation, and personality as guides to one's path in life. It is a story of growing old and of staying young, and a story of love across the generations from mother to daughter, grandmother to granddaughter.

The central "trick" of the A Great Good Thing is that the characters in a book are like actors who actually live out their lives in the story even when the book is closed, and that they then act out the story whenever the book is being read. Princess Sylvie, the protagonist of the story book named "A Great Good Thing," is also the protagonist of Townley's book, also called "A Great Good Thing"! The fate of the characters is thus tied to the fate of the book in which they live; when the book is forgotten or destroyed, the same fate befalls them. But the second "trick" of A Great Good Thing is that people, even fictional people, live on in one's heart and memory. Thus, this is also the story of Claire, Claire's grandmother, and Claire's daughter -- readers of Princess Sylvie's story.

So, you can sit back and enjoy this as a good children's book, full of imagination and storybook elements, suitable for ages 8 - 14. But readers of any age can also enjoy the depth and intelligence of the emotions. Townley's book may not be the greatest book ever, but it is certain a great good thing.

This is a story within a story. Princess Sylvie is trapped in a book, reliving the same story for 80 years or so, each time a Reader opens the book. When the book is set on fire and burns to a crisp, the princess and many of the other characters flee, crossing over into a Reader's mind, where they become part of her subconscious. Interesting concept, clunky and sometimes boring execution. Some cute moments. I think a different writer could have gone far with this idea.

Just about as flawless as any procedural in any nation, gets! Amid 1968 Vietnam War Protests, in Weather-worn, Chilling December Stockholm and Suburbs, a mass murder in a night- time bus spreads horror and chills thruout Sweden. Eight Dead, including an off-duty cop, known to the entire force. And the criminal apparently loose amid minimal clues. Some great portraits of the police, including the huge, cynical no-nonsense one (name forgotten here), social and cultural commentary, outstanding detecting by just about all, makes this one first class all the way. The "Laughing Policeman" is given two direct references, and just figuring this out will keep you thinking, and detecting all the way to the very end! In truth, as good as it gets, and a trip into late 1960's Stockholm to boot!

In November 1968 there was a big demonstration by the American Embassy in Stockholm in spite of the pouring rain. Two policemen find a bus that went off the road. Eight bodies, one a detective, and a lot of shells. Detective Martin Beck is called from home for this mass murder. Chapter 8 has the press conference; little was known. Could a madman have planned this so carefully? When they question the girlfriend of the slain detective they learn he had been working hard on a secret investigation (Chapter 13). Martin Beck and the other detectives began questioning the people who knew the victims. The last victim mentioned a name before dying (Chapter 14). They identified the murder weapon: a Finnish Suomi Lahti from WW II (Chapter 18). Their psychologists wrote a profile on a mass murderer. Usually quite normal and polite until they suddenly erupt. (Is this profile right?)

Chapter 19 recapitulated what they know about the nine victims from the bus. They know detective Stenström was skilled at shadowing. How could he have been surprised? Following the leads results in the name of the unknown victim (Chapter 22). Another lead results in the arrest of narcotic dealers (Chapter 23). Martin Beck figures out the 16-year old unsolved murder that Stenström was investigating, the most hopeless case (Chapter 24). The police activity affected the underworld, they helped in the hunt. The investigation continued. Then there was a break on the identification of a car seen where a body was dumped 16 years ago (Chapter 28). Newly recovered facts point to a person on the list of suspects (Chapter 29). The solution to the crime occurs in Chapter 30. At the end Martin Beck received a telephone call from the detective who searched Stenström's apartment and found a name. Beck began to laugh.

This story seems implausible in having people killed in public when only one is a danger to a murderer. The authors have used a mass murder to create an unusual plot. Could over 60 shots be fired with no one hearing them?

Martin Beck and Lennart Kohlberg are playing chess. They are police officers assigned to the homicide squad. It is November 1967 in Solna, a suburb of Stockholm. The officers discover a double decker bus filled with dead people including a dead policeman. On that date there had been a demonstration at the American embassy protesting the War in Vietnam. The dead policeman was one of the officers assigned to the homicide unit, Ake Senstrom. His service-revolver is pulled out. Senstrom always kept his watch on the precise time and thus it is possible to measure the time of the assault accurately since the watch has stopped. The officers assume the attack on the bus was made by one man. The weapon is probably a submachine gun. The officers interview the family members and friends of the deceased persons. A clue emerges. The gun used may have been Finnish. The police have no Swedish precedents for mass murder. They have to use American cases as their models! The dead policeman, it seems, was good at shadowing. The dead policeman's girl friend tells the officers she believes that Ake was using her as a sort of guinea pig. It is determined that Senstrom was shadowing a blackmailer. The victim of the blackmail, the perpetrator of an unsolved murder, killed Senstrom and everyone else on the bus to maintain his cover. The solution to the crime is worked out winningly. The portraits of the officers and their families are interesting and charming.

George Santayana

On a rainy Stockholm night a gunman opens fire on Stockholm bus, killing eight passengers and critically wounding a ninth. The crime scene is bloody and chaotic. Critical clues may have been destroyed when the first police officers arrive on the scene and trample through the bus. Police Superintendent Martin Beck is placed in charge of the investigation. There appear to be no clues and no apparent motive. His task is the monumental one of taking this chaotic scene and imposing enough order on it so that clues may be found, leads followed, and the criminal or criminals brought to justice. The physical and mental burdens of the job are compounded by emotional burdens once Beck discovers that one of the victims happens to be a detective who worked in Martin Beck's unit. That is the plot that unfolds in the opening pages of Per Wahloo and Maj Sowall's remarkably well-crafted "The Laughing Policeman".

The Laughing Policeman, published in Sweden in 1968 and in the U.S. in 1971 (winner of that year's Edgar Award for Best Novel), was the fourth in a series of ten Martin Beck mysteries written by the Swedish, husband and wife team of Per Wahloo and Maj Sjowall. The plot and structure of the four Beck mysteries I've read to date do not deviate from the standard format found in any well-written police procedural. However, what sets the Beck mysteries apart is their location and character development. Naturally enough, each book is a small window into Swedish life and culture in the 1960s and 1970s when the books were written. Further, as the series develops the character of Beck and his colleagues evolve and the reader slowly obtains a real feel for Beck and his fellow police officers. By the fourth book, the personalities of Martin Beck and his police colleagues have developed to the point where the reader almost has an instinct for how each will react to a given situation. At the same time the characters, especially Beck, remain far from predictable. However, they are already fully formed in the authors' minds and for that reason I suggest reading these books in order.

I do not think it appropriate to divulge any details about a police procedural such as this so I will leave it to the reader to see how Martin Beck and his crew slowly put together the pieces of the puzzle behind the killings. The authors are quite good at keeping the pot boiling. They don't reveal too much too early and they do not rely on Sherlock Holmes-like deductions to take the place of crafting a story. Additionally, the writing is filled with funny moments and asides. In its own way the Beck mysteries provide a very interesting glimpse into Swedish life and culture in the 1960s and 1970s. In the hands of Wahloo and Sjowall, Beck's conversations are filled with both blunt exchanges and very sly, sardonic comments that kept me chucking throughout. I was also impressed with how the authors have slowly continued to build up their protagonists back stories. By this volume in the series the reader has a pretty good idea as to the home lives and personal idiosyncrasies of all the major characters. They are free from stereotype and make reading the book a more enjoyable experience.

The Laughing Policeman was a good read, one of those books that you feel you must finish just one more chapter before heading off to bed or back to work. Highly recommended. L. Fleisig

The Laughing Policeman is the best known book of the multi-volume Martin Beck series by Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo. Despite the title there is little laughing in this grim and gloomy yet classic police procedural. The book is marked by the sparse dialogue and buttoned-down personalities of the Swedish characters. (The book was later made into a movie of the same name starring Walter Matthau and Bruce Dern, but set in San Francisco!)

The entire detective force of Sweden is assigned to solve the murder of 9 people on a Stockholm bus in 1968 (an anti-war - Vietnam that is - demonstration is the backdrop for the book's opening). One of the murdered is Ake Stenstrom, a Stockholm detective. His presence on the bus begins to unravel the mystery of this seemingly random and insane mass murder. Insane it may be, but never random.

Each detective obsessively follows their own path and the paths lead into Stockholm's underworld. Could an old unsolved murder somehow be related to this insane bloodshed many years later? Mass murder so un-Swedish after all - the police don't even have any psychological profiles they can use. Can the always miserable Beck or his top-notch partner Lennart Kollberg crack the case?

Highly recommended for fans of detective stories with an international bent.

Very enjoyable read. As to the previous review, people in the UK do use the phrase "I reckon". It's not just in cowboy movies.

Before you purchase this book on the marketplace you should be aware that this 6 cassette edition is the entire 18 hours of the book. Back in the 20th Century, Brilliance Corp had a way of putting 3 hours on a 90 min. cassette, by separating the left and right stereo tracks. Most hand held cassette players do not have left and right balance control and you will need the adapter from Audiobookstand. I still had my adapter and so the purchase of the book at 35 cents was a bargain. As the tapes get old, the other track does tend to bleed through and so you just have to tune it out.

I don't believe the book is to long or that the ending is flat. B. E. takes the time to develop the characters [the husband who no longer can provide for his family and is in denial because he sees no way out; and the sister who longs for a husband, manor house and children of her own] and lets the horror build slowly to make it seem more real and the ending reflects the possibility of "what if this was real and not a novel". Not every novel needs to be the roller coaster ride of pulp fiction like the garish "Raiders of the Lost Ark" scene on the island where all the villains end up with their flesh melting off of them..

If you only want short, quick reading. Check out B. E.'s 3 volumes of short stories. Encounters, Distant Voices, and Sands of Time.

I have this on audio. Couldn't get into it at all. It needs a better beginning to get us hooked. sorry. only finished one CD gave up.

I am a great fan of Barbara Erskine, this book was the best to date. When Luke and Joss Grant face financial problems due to Luke losing his business and their home, they cant believe their luck when Joss inherits a beautiful old house from a mother she never knew. Along with Tom their small son they move into Belheddon Hall. When Joss becomes pregnant with their second child they thought that their happiness was is now complete.

How wrong they were.Joss starts hearing childrens voices and white roses start to appear on her pillow.After the birth of her second son Ned, things really start to happen.Tom starts having terrible nightmares and mysterious bruises appear on his
arms and legs. When Ned disappears and is finally found in one of the attic rooms Luke begins to think Joss is responsible. As the secrets of the old house unfold Joss realises that her sons lives are in danger. She enlists the help of a previous colleague David and together they try and fight the ghosts that threaten them.

From the first page to the very last this book was compelling . The combination of terror and historic events made it very hard to put down. Thank you Barbara Erskine,for a wonderful read.

Something terrible once happened at Belheddon hall.

It happened long ago, and the people caught up in the horrific events are long dead.

But the ghosts, the echoes, linger on.

Joss Grant was adopted as a baby, and she never had much of a desire to learn about her birth parents, until her own son was born. She finally tracks down a name, and a last known address of her birth mother. She is surprised when that address takes her to a beautiful old English manor house in the tiny village of Belheddon, and at first, delighted with the ghost stories that come with it. The villagers even believe that the devil lives there himself. The initial disappointment that her birth mother is dead is gotten over quickly.

As it happens, her husband Luke's engineering firm is bankrupted when his partner runs off with the cash, and they are forced to sell their home to pay off creditors. But all isn't lost; Joss finds out through an old parish priest, that her mother left her a letter with a lawyer, to be read only if she comes to find her seven years after her death. The letter leaves Belheddon hall to Joss.

At first she's overjoyed. The house is perfect. Luke can start a car repair business out of the driveway, she can write her novel in peace, and her adopted sister can watch her son Tom.

But things start to happen immediately. Tom complains of seeing a "tin man" in the night, and Joss finds white roses which no one else sees. Soon she discovers she's pregnant, but that isn't the reason she feels so odd.

When her son Ned is born, Joss and her sister Lyn start to notice bruises on the children. They disappear in the night and turn up in the attic. Lyn thinks Joss is hurting them, but Joss has just realized that never has a boy born in Belheddon lived to inherit the house...

This creepy ghost story was great. I loved it! It confirmed my previous decision to buy all of Barbara Erskine's books. True, the resolution at the end was a little wishy washy, and the extremely malevolent ghost seemed to give up haunting the house pretty easily, but this book is still amazing. The author is fantastic at suspense, and I was scared to read this while alone in the house. My absoulte only compaint with the book was the guy that Luke hired to help him fix classic cars, Jimbo, kept saying "I Reckon" which I think only people in cowboy movies say.

Five stars.

Summary: A poor, barefoot, little girl is sent out on New Year's Eve to sell matches. As the cold and hungry girl awaits a sell, she lights the matches to keep warm. With the matches lit, illusions occur. As with all illusions, the light goes out on them and the little girl is faced with a grim reality.
The classic author depicts a memorable theme. The setting the author uses is intricately depicted giving the reader an almost live impression of the book's reality. As the character leaves reality and passes into fantasy, the author further impresses the setting with careful detail. The time of "New Year" stabs at the reader's soul with their own memories of Christmas.
The movie is equally wonderful.~The Tales of Hans Christian Andersen (The Red Shoes / The Little Match Girl)

Book was sent in great condition and in a timely manner. I would use the service again.

I first saw this story as a cartoon on tv. It made me cry a lot. It's a very sad story. However, it has a very powerful messages in terms of love, care, poverty, cruelty and dreams. I gave an assignment to my ELD students in high school and some students even told me how touchy the story was. I love the pictures in this book. It's really creative. Overall it's a great, sad story for all ages.

I want to agree with another reviewer that the meaning of the book for me was to look within for our own rich resources. That we can transform our own world if we transform our minds. The young girl used her imagination to picture herself out of the situation until it happened. Law of Attraction? Maybe from today's perspective. I just took it to mean that in this time in my life I have to go within to transform my own situation. God knows, I tried everything else :)

I was read the Spanish version "La Pequena Vendedora de Fosforos."

This is one of my favorite stories to hear at Christmas-time. It really reminds you to be thankful of all that you have. My grandmother read this story to all of her grandchildren every year on Christmas Day. This story holds fond memories for me. Since she is no longer here to read the story to us, and now all of the grandchildren are adults, I wanted to have a copy of the story so that when I have children one day, I can read it to them. I want to carry on the tradition.

...reading this book is the next best thing! Once I got over the jealousy I felt that this young couple was able to just quit life for a few months and travel around the country, I really got into this book and the adventures they shared in small town America. I especially enjoyed the general theme of the book being looking for values and traits such as faith, hope, and love in places actually called Faith, Hope, and Love, among others.

I could really understand and relate with Brad Herzog and his wife Amy, wanting to get out and see what life in America is really about outside of suburbia. As I'm sure many of us would determine had we taken this same trip, life involves some surprises, both good and bad, and it's up to us to discover what's truly underneath the cover of people, experiences, and life itself.

Until you and your someone special can drop everything and spend months on the interstates and backroads of the USA, this book is a very good substitute!

Can one find faith in Faith, South Dakota? Or love in Love, Virginia? Or inspiration in Inspiration, Arizona? These are just three of the eighteen locations that author Brad Herzog visits in STATES OF MIND, his aptly titled and well-written travel memoir. While criss-crossing the United States, the internal worlds of harmony, inspiration, truth or consequences, comfort, pride, hope, triumph, glory, love, justice, bliss, unity, friendship, honor, faith, freedom, wisdom, and joy all collide with their more realistic communities by the same name.

The search for these flea speck sized towns becomes an internal quest as Brad and Amy (the author's wife) jump aboard an RV and try to discover their own answers to these almost ethereal locations. And it's quite an enjoyable trip for the reader, too.

Mr. Herzog's grasp of human nature and language is admirable and compelling, and pulls the reader into the book with such wondrous passages as: "West Virginia was a state conceived by secession, created by war, raised by irreconcilable differences. When the smoke cleared in 1866, the state constructed its first public institution - a lunatic asylum. And in a not entirely unrelated event, a family named Hatfield cultivated an extreme dislike for a family named McCoy."

So, as you can see, the author also gets us into some history of the locations we're visiting, which I found refreshing and, as it turned out, necessary to the understanding of how the towns of Hope, Joy, etc. got their names.

As we travel with our two wayward souls through these backwoods, we also feel the desperation of the author as he tries (often in vain) to find meaning in the towns via their names. In a hilarious and ultimately sad portion of the book, Mr. Herzog prepares to find inspiration in Inspiration, Arizona, only to find out that the community no longer exists. Is inspiration unattainable if the town of the same name has vanished?

My favorite portion of the book, however, was when they roll into Faith, South Dakota, and Mr. Herzog has to confront his own beliefs in God (the town has six churches within a population of 540) as he meets with two ministers to find out how much faith there is in Faith. Getting into the town held its own righteous significance, too, as they encountered golfball sized hail and a swarm of locust: "In the story of Exodus, locusts followed hail. I found our succession of plagues that day ironic, it being a journey to Faith and all, and ominous, my faith being in question. Keeping a lookout for boils and frogs, I collected my doubts and looked for the proper outlet for vocalizing and examining them."

Although I love the way this author zings his prose at us, I felt pretty let down by the ending. Perhaps the author wasn't sure how to put the book to rest. Or, maybe, that's part of the journey, not knowing, nor wanting, to end it. For a journey, that's fine. But for a book of discovery, I expected something more than simply chatting with a seven-year-old.

Even so, this is a great look at small town America and how our own states of mind can take us on a fantastic journey.

This is the first book that I have picked up in a long time, and I can't seem to put it down. The author has lived my dream, so for the time being, I can live my dream vicariously through his writings. Mr. Herzog has enabled me, through his writing style, to visualize every little detail of his journey, making his journey mine as well. I recommend this book to anyone who has ever dreamed of seeing America, but is lacking the motivation to act. Thank you, Brad Herzog!

Brad Herzog has written an entertaining volume that is a combination of travelogue, history lesson, and even a bit of spiritual introspection. Each chapter is devoted to a small town in America named after a "state of mind." Sometimes the name is well-earned (such as Triumph, a Louisiana town destroyed by hurricanes) other times the name can be quite ironic (Justice, home to the legendary Hatfield and McCoy clans in West Virginia).

Herzog gives readers a fascinating history of each town, before setting off to meet some of the townspeople. A member of the often maligned "Generation X," the author also philosophically delves into the "state of mind" of each place - examining Faith in South Dakota, looking for Love in Virginia, and uncovering Honor in Michigan. There are many lessons to be learned by the "characters" Herzog and his wife, Amy, meet along the way. For those of us living in metropolitan areas, the book is as well an eye-opening look into life in a small town (many of which seem to be in deep decline).

As many, I became aware of this book when Herzog was on the game show "Who Wants To Be A Millionnaire." It is nice to know that this book received plenty of free (and well-earned) publicity thanks to that appearance.

I was sold on the concept of States of Mind - the idea of looking for various virtues in towns of the same name (Hope, Unity, etc.) Unfortunately I was disappointed by the writing.

Herzog developed a formula for this book and doggedly stuck with it. Every piece has a similar structure: 1. Talk about the virtue the town is named for. 2. Give a quick rundown of the route to get to the town (I thought if he "climbed aboard" any more highways I would puke. 3. Give a long, often dull history of the town. 4. Interview a couple of people; in many cases there seems to be no rational for chosing whom to interview except their availablitiy. 5. Give a paragraph or two of commentary, them move on to next town and repeat.

Amy, Herzog's wife and the photographer for the trip, rarely is mentioned. There is no window into how the trip affected their relationship. There is no commentary on how they adjusted to living in an RV. There are few casual encounters with other travelers. The result is a set of newspaper style features that I found unrewarding. I was also concerned because one town I know intimately (Unity, NH) and there were factual errors in that chapter. I don't know about the other towns, but I did wonder how accurate the material was. All in all, it was a great concept, but a lifeless book.

I am taking Web design and Animation. My professor suggested that i review this book. She is right the animation is wonderful and i would recommend it to anyone that is inspired by animation and perhaps want to make it a career.

hmm i think its the best book for learning to draw and animate cartoon characters
, complete with guided and many2 example and illustration.

It was like reading a comic book, only I was learning a lot reading this one. An artist cant help but appreciate the art work by Mr Blair present in the book. I went through the alligator and hippo sequences like a million times. Masterpieces !
Just by examining the brush strokes and stuff you get to know so much, the discussions on character building etc are a bonus. I wont be able to agree with anyone saying there are hard and fast rules for character building but yes what I read in the book WORKS, like a character with no chin does look like a screwball.
Later the discussions on sequencing became a little monotonous and its then that I realized I wasn't reading a comic book but they really were redundant at two three places. Animation techniques discussions are simply great. So are drawing and scene building ones. All in all I learnt a LOT ! Could be because I didn't know a lot but I'm really happy that I bought this book, I couldn't afford to not have this masterpiece.

This book is a must for all would be animators. I have dabbled with cartoons for years but this book helped me bring them to life, I used the walk sequences as templates and dressed them with my own characters, thus enabling me to focus on the character and not worry about the position of the legs.
There is plenty of help and advice on character building, movement, mouth shaping for speech, hands, expressions, I could go on but I won't.
If there is nothing in this book to help you.........then you should be working for DISNEY.

I bought this book several years ago, around 1999, and for its price (or whatever) it's the best book an animator can begin with. Along with The Illusion of Life, it is a must have book for all animators. It taught me the differences between the "cute" types and the "screwball" types, showed how the stopwatch and metronome are used, and even a few things about clean-up. If you love cartoons, by all means GET THIS BOOK!

I love reading romance and this writer had me turning page after page after page. It's fantastic! Amazing. The time travel initial scene was well-written, the hero was fun, the plot was great. And then there came the snags. I was a bit surprised at the first love scene. The heroine wants out of it? I had a little trouble envisioning any woman who would put her hands in scalding water (this woman isn't insane - what gives?) She'd get major burns! And when Robert the Bruce came on, it felt like the author ran out of plot before the book ran out of pages - and I started skimming. Then came the issue I had with the ending. If an heir had been born...would Ms. Pudding have inherited in the first place? And if Ms. Pudding didn't get in the castle, how could she have gone back in time? If it hadn't been for those minor issues I had - this was solid 5. Solid.

This book was an impulse buy for me, based on the word "Kilt" in the title. I was in a hurry and needed a book to read, and since I love stories set in Scotland, the title "A Man In A Kilt" really caught my eye. Usually I regret impulse buys, especially books by authors I haven't read before, but I was pleasantly surprised at how good this story was! My favorite historical authors are Julie Garwood & Amanda Quick; and my favorite time-travel authors are Karen Marie Moning and Janet Chapman. So if you like these authors you will definitely like Sandy Blair's "A Man In A Kilt". The heroine "Miss Elizabeth Pudding" is a likeable character because though she is not beautiful, her intelligence and generousity of heart make everyone come to love her. The hero is definitely "macho", but with a good heart and more common sense than the average medieval man. I thought that this romance had it all: love, action, danger, and thoroughly likeable characters!

This is one of those books that should have been rejected by the publishing house until the author reworked it. It's a good story, and it's decently written, but as others have said, there are inconsistencies and plot devices that are not fully explained--not even enough for a time-travel romance.

I was able to ignore the problems enough to enjoy this book, for the most part. However, there was one startling sentence that I never quite got over: "[The practices of the medieval Catholic Church] only reinforced her loathing for the hocus-pocus of organized religion." There's nothing in her past to have created such a harsh point of view, and it doesn't affect the plot, so the remark is not necessary to either characterization or plot. I really couldn't like the main character, or respect the author, after that little soapbox speech.

Interesting concept, but weak dialog between characters, much of which borders on the absurd, overall lack of depth, real passion and writing skill. For a far better read of a tantalizing scottish hero, read Jackie Ivie's debut "Lady of the Knight".

My sister-in-law has a penchant for books that one can sometimes call "silly". Given the title and the cover of the book, I thankfully accepted my trash bag full of reading material from her and set this one in the "emergency" pile. (Emergency being when one has completely run out of all other books).

Emergencies happen, as they're oft to do, and I ended up spending an afternoon on my sofa wondering why in the world such a good story was titled so poorly? I was hooked from the first and found myself laughing, crying, and biting my nails right along with the spunky heroine.

It wasn't the best book I've read, or even the best-written, but I thoroughly enjoyed myself reading it, and really, isn't that the point anyway?

This is simply the very best history of US Navy submarine operations during WW II. Period.

It's an exellent book which gives a deep insight about the submarine war in the Pacific Region.

It covers strategie, tactics from both sides (also the faults which have been done)and a hell of details from each war theatre.

It's a must to read for each person interested in submarines (historical, Silent Hunter Enthusiasts etc.)

What a read! I know it's history, but this is a page turner. The author just keeps bringing it on. I was impressed with the obvious volume of research, but the truly impressive thing is that he keeps your interest all the way through. An outstanding and extremely readable account of an underpublicized arena of WW II.

This is, quite simply, an outstanding history book. The depth of research done by the author is amazing. It is a blow by blow, patrol by patrol account of how these brave men put the Japanese war machine out of business. It is also exceptionally well written and extemely readable. It's one of those very few books that you can, literally, open up to any page, start reading, and become consumed with interest. This book belongs on any WWII naval bookshelf, and is, I believe, the definitive account of the Pacific Submariners' war.

The is book has it all and says it all about the Use of Sumarines in the Pacific during WW2.
The good points about the book:
1. It complete describes every aspect of Submarines - torpedoes - engagements - personnel - strategy.
2. It gives a comprehensive amount of detail about the Commanders and Officers who fought in the Submarines - who did well and who didn't and why.
3. It gives a great amount of detail about the personnel feuds - the attitudes of the Sumarine Admialty in Hawaii - and In Australia. Their pettiness is detailed as well as their greatness. Both get equal measure.

The Weak points: All of the above detail gets a bit tedious and repetitive.

The real eye opener for for me was the fact thatin WW@ it was the submarines that did most of the damage to the Japanese Navy and they eliminated the merchant Marine - with one arm tied behind its back. The torpedoes they used on the boats were a failure for the first 15 months of the war. In reading the details of this issue - it is amazing that even with such incompetence in the Bureau of Naval Ordinance and with some doltish Admirals - that we did actually win the War.

Read the book and find out how we did it. Warts and all.