Blake Books

"With the last-minute reprieve, the familiar sound of a human heartbeat could be heard booming across the darkened park: the beginning of "Dark Side of the Moon". Pink Floyd could be glimpsed in the wings; a smattering of worn jeans, greying hair, nervous smiles - incongruous rock stars one and all. Behind the stage, a pig floated over Battersea Power Station. For the first time in almost twenty-five years, the four members of the classic Pink Floyd walked out on stage together. Hostilities suspended. For once, the lawsuits, recriminations, clashing egos and musical squabbles were forgotten. For the next few glorious minutes it was all about the music."

A great excerpt from Mark Blake's terrific book, "Comfortably Numb, The Inside Story of Pink Floyd", which chronicles the band from the early lives of its members prior to Pink Floyd,through the breakup of the band, their reunion for the Live 8 concert in 2004, and beyond to 2007. To me, it's incredible the amount of research and detail that Mark Blake has put into this definitive history of one of the greatest rock and roll bands of all time.

I've been a fan nearly 30 years and there has always been a strange mystique surrounding the band mainly due to their desire to remain outside of the public's eye by rarely giving interviews. I've always wondered about all the stories that surrounded their progression, from stories of their original song writer and singer Syd Barret's demise, to the incredible legal fights after Roger Waters left the band. This book allows the reader a clear window on the band and Mark Blake has obviously gone to great lengths to give a comprehensive look. He interviews countless friends, roadies, drug buddies, first girlfriends/wives, business associates, family, etc., to create such a detailed timeline and incredible insight of the band. He also gets the story from each member of the band so there aren't any one sided views of what was going on at any given time. Another nice thing that Blake does is how he not only goes through the happenings of Pink Floyd, the band, but also what is going on in each of the member's individual lives outside of Pink Floyd.

Comfortably Numb is a definite must-read for any fan of Pink Floyd, from the hard core to the casual. The book is long, it jumps around a bit between the decades but Blake's writing style keeps it on track.

I've learned and gotten so much insight on Pink Floyd from this book, I highly recommend it.

Despite the intriguing cover, there's absolutely nothing new inside. Think of this book as a loosely collected pile of articles, previously known information and a few poorly reproduced photos. The lengthly bibliography should be your first clue. Pink Floyd have always been a very private group and this book is just another outsider's attempt. There's still no better Floyd book than Nick Mason's Inside Out. It may not tell every dirty tale, but at least it's accurate, interesting and extremely well produced. My main problem with this book however was the condition in which it arrived - although this is really Amazon's fault. Book 1 looked pre-read by a very rough hand. To their credit, Amazon replaced it free, but book 2 was far worse. Now there were bent pages, water damage and traces of tape on the cover. I don't know where this book came from or how it was stored, but I'd bet I wasn't the only one to received a trashed copy. Twice! Damage aside, this book isn't worthy of a place in your permanent library anyway.

This rock biography of Pink Floyd starts off somewhat tediously, moving through the sloggy psychedelic adventures of Syd Barrett. However, half way through the narrative, things really start picking up, especially when all the Roger Waters generated friction starts to kick in; definitely 5 stars for the second half. The narration keeps flash-forwarding to the 2005 "reunion" concert, as well as flashing-back to the early Barrett years and the chronicling of his mental deterioration through the end of the century. This works pretty well, keeping the reading interest high.

The personality conflicts within the band are detailed very well, which is crucial to understanding the overall success of Pink Floyd. There is in-depth coverage on all the band members, but especially Waters and Gilmour, the two antagonists who drove the creative engine that was Pink Floyd. We see where Roger Waters creative abilities were overshadowed by his massive and at times delusional ego. By the end of the book, he has had to eat an awful lot of humble pie.

Throughout the second half of the book, we also see just how difficult it was for the other three band members to tolerate Waters, who comes across as an insufferable and abrasive control freak. Yet, in his defense, he was the only one who was really stepping up to write the lyrics and deliver on the song concepts. Unfortunately, he made the very bad assumption that he must be the leader and the other guys were just his backup band. Thus, the inevitable schism that occurred.

This book is very well researched and the British slang and phraseologies are kept to a minimum. The interviews with the band members, as well as friends, roadies, and fellow musicians, are juxtaposed throughout the text in a thoughtful way. Plus, the twelve pages of pictures are fascinating. If you can make it though the first chapters without groaning too much, you will be rewarded with a very entertaining read.

Parataxis

The Cloud Reckoner

Extracts: A Field Guide for Iconoclasts

Superb book in its own right. I think if you've read the earlier books on the Floyd (the late Shaffners tome up to the late 80s, Crazy Diamond concerning the earlier period) this will still add a lot to the pot

Its exhaustive, interesting and engrossing. More info on Syd. More info on the break up during the Wall, and Roger dominating the group. Blake doesn't take sides, its an interesting story on its own. An original member (Rick Wright) is sacked and still does the tour, somehow. Comfortably Numb indeed

The book covers up to the present day, just about, so it ends around Syds death (hopefully an updated edition will cover the 3cd reissue of Piper and the news that EMI & the BBC have reached an agreement and are going to release the early Floyd sessions (of interest is the early Floyd with Syd radio sessions of Top Gear)

But - anyway - the book is a good read. Blake has done his research. Zee is gone into detail - Ricks first (and only) band is done with Harris from the band Fashion. Rogers personality is talked about, Geesin talking about his breaking with the Floyd "main man" during the "Amused to Death" period over the lack of a cd.

As mentioned in the Mojo review for the book, noone comes out smelling of roses. Waters comes across as someone who dominates the group and can't tolerate working with the other "Muffins" - as he calls the rest of the Floyd. Mason is troubled by mention of the Wall at an Inside Out signing, yet the album is gone into detail on, even the lawsuit filed by the schoolkid singers!

Is it worth reading? Yes! Goddamn yes! Its a long book, but its the best book out there on the Floyd. Hopefully it will be updated though, because the Piper reissue deserves to be discussed (unfortunately Saucerful didn't see such treatment on its 30th anniversary, but then that wasn't "Syds baby")

I like Pink Floyd. I like Pink Floyd a lot. But unlike some people (including my husband, who first saw them on tour circa 1970 in what he's called "one step above a high school gymnasium"), I am not a die-hard, trivia-spouting fan. I just like their music.

If you're a SERIOUS fan, you don't have to read any farther: you *will* like this book. Author Mark Blake goes into exhaustive detail about every facet of the band's existence, from the apartments they crashed in to their school history. Journalisticly, he did an awesome job of interviewing everyone whose lives these guys touched. Dark Side Of The Moon isn't covered (except as a frame for the story, since it's their best known work) until page 170. If you want to know how these people got where they did, you'll surely find out how.

If you just like the music... I think you'll _also_ like the book, but perhaps for different reasons.

What drew me to read Comfortably Numb was the inherent mystery about Syd Barrett. Everyone had always described him as the former band member who went a little crazy, probably as the result of one bad trip too many. But, well, what did they mean by "a little crazy"? As I suppose I should have expected, the full story is hard to summarize... but it certainly comes across. For example, an anecdote from Alice Cooper describes getting up one morning, "...and there was Syd staring at a box of cornflakes the way that you or I would watch television. It was obvious that there was already something very, very wrong."

Since Pink Floyd interacted with so many other musicians (I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact they shared a bill once with Paul Simon...), it's interesting in a "history of rock and roll" manner. Not a must-have in that regard, but the book has many anecdotes about the famous (such as the Beatles) and the not-quite-so-famous (Jerry Shirley of Humble Pie).

I was held to the book, however, because I'm always very curious about how _this_ particular band (or creative person of any type) succeeded when others did not. These guys knew each other since childhood, for the most part; they got together to play music in an era when everyone was playing music; and somehow they got a record deal. But *then* what? Within only a few years, the "team" had a huge amount of internal strife... and yet they managed to create one of the most successful albums of all time. What makes one team able to rise above personalities -- temporarily, at least -- and another be lost in the politics (not to mention the drugs, record company interactions, etc.)?

Perhaps it isn't surprising that they didn't know how they succeeded (or how they later failed, with all the personality fallouts) either. During the making of Dark Side, the musicians were interviewed, and some admitted to conflict. "'How do you get over the difficult times?' asks Maben. 'I don't know how,' answers Wright, 'but we do.'"

The book is so detailed and detailed that, for me at least, it's slow going. I've read a chapter here and there, never tempted to sit down for a front-to-back reading. I'm not done yet, I confess, but I _am_ still reading the book. So I wouldn't recommend Comfortably Numb for a cross-country plane flight, except perhaps for the die-hard fan. But I certainly like this book, on several levels. You probably will, too.

I purchased this book and CD for my son because he enjoys music. It has been a tremendous help to him and after listening to the CD a few times, he has memorized the songs. I highly recommend this product to anyone who enjoys music and needs to boost their vocabulary.

Great SAT prep!! What a unique, original concept for vocabulary-building skills! It's not only fun, it's remarkably effective! I definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a FUN way to prep for the SATs... or for anyone who wants to build her vocabulary!

I'm a student that has always had trouble memorizing vocabulary words... I got the equivalent of a 710 Critical Reading on the PSAT, and one of my weaknesses is vocabulary, which makes me lose around 20-40 points. It's just ridiculously boring and I forget the words a week later anyways, but I was introduced to new methods of memorization with Rock the SAT, the first book I bought. But Rock the SAT presented 2 problems: the vocabulary was fairly basic, and the singer's voice was extremely annoying.

Having memorized all the words in Rock the SAT, I went to my local store to find Vocab Rock, the only other book like Rock the SAT that I knew about. But when I flipped through it, I saw that the vocabulary was extremely easy and few in number. Fortunately, I noticed Flocabulary and looked through it. There was an incredible amount of vocabulary crammed into each song, and the lyrics looked provocative and interesting, and most importantly, i didn't know about 1/2 of the words. Amazed, I purchased it.

When I put the CD into the CD player in my car on the way home, I thought the radio was accidentally on, since the music was so well-produced, the lyrics were intelligent, and the rappers actually had an extremely well developed sense of musicality. I could barely believe my ears when the song began to recite vocabulary flawlessly.

If you are looking for a music vocabulary CD, this one definitely is the best, unless you hate rap with a passion. The only problem I found with rap was that as a rock listener, it was more difficult to memorize the lyrics, because there was so much packed in. I wouldn't have it any other way though, it's better than feeling like you are wasting your time while a song rambled on about the definitions of "parallel" and "mosaic" for 3 minutes. And with all music vocabulary CD's, it is important to look at the book's lyrics while listening, since the mind tends to gloss over words it doesn't understand/hasn't heard before as random syllables.

I teach a college skills class. Obviously, vocabulary development is an important part of the course. I have tried several methods to introduce vocabulary for student mastery. All before Flocabulary were "tired." My classes have embraced this method and appear to have actually incorporated words into their speaking, reading and writing word banks. The only downside -- you can't get some of the rhymes/rhythms out of your head!

The concept is interesting: make vocabulary-building as simple a task as listening to a popular hip-hop song. In reality, it doesn't work and this product underscores the reasons why hip-hop typically uses grade-school level vocabulary. In an attempt to imitate popular hip-hop guidelines - fun rhymes, a flowing song, good beats - this product throws words out at a million miles per hour. However, these aren't common words, they are SAT vocab words. After listening to a song you realize that lots of words were presented to you, but that you didn't actually learn the definitions. At that point, you realize that you actually have to pay attention to the song. It can't just play passively in the background like when you are listening to the radio in the car. When you try to listen in an active way, you realize that the product moves too fast and doesn't give you enough time to absorb each vocab word. You will find yourself stopping, starting, and rewinding the song many times. At that point, the whole purpose of just listening to the song is defeated.

Good concept - bad in practice.

This is the first of Ms Hall's books I have read - don't know how I missed them for so long as I am an avid mystery reader! It will definitely NOT be my last! It kept you questioning all through the book with many surprises. I thoroughly enjoyed it and am on here looking for more of her books.

As all the other fiction titles by this author, I truly enjoyed Steal Away. Teri Blake-Addison, the sleuth of this new series, is not annoying and pretentious like many mystery sleuths, however, she is not as well developed as she could be. I imagine that will happen slowly in the next installments. The story of Steal Away, the missing wife and strange, often endearing characters Ms. Blake-Addison encounters while seeking her answers, make for an interesting book that's hard to put down.

An attractive, well-thought-of minister's wife in Philadelphia, a woman who grew up on the water, is missing. Her sailboat, with two close friends aboard has gone unreported. Now her widower, Dr. Carl Houseman, wants some answers. He turns to private investigator Terri Blake-Addison, a scrappy woman who pulls few punches and has a clear understanding of her limitations. No superwoman here, just real folks.

There is a problem. Terri is locked in a distracting process with members of her church because she wants to teach Sunday school and there are apparently some who object. Other problems occur. Dr. Houseman is the head of a vast and growing media ministry that's finally worth a whole lot of money. And, the case is already old; his wife died five years ago.

Blake-Addison takes the assignment and follows the trail to a remote Maine village where Ellen grew up and where she apparently died. The more the investigator probes and peels back old and new secrets, the more complex becomes the picture. Author Hall has done a first rate job of balancing two interesting threads and keeping the reader aware of their intersections. Why did Ellen Houseman become unhappy in her role in the Houseman Empire? How much antipathy and jealousy were present in the second rank of executives? How did the secret relationships among residents and visitors in the tiny Maine village affect Ellen and her friends? What really happened to Ellen Houseman?

The exploration of religious empire building and the very human intercepts played out against the tiny but important individual crises and triumphs in Maine is enthralling and constantly interesting. Hall has done a fine job with this book.

I don't usually like Christian fiction because it's often poorly written and the characters are shallow. A friend lent me this book, and frankly, I couldn't put it down. I stayed up until the early hours of the morning reading it. The story is believable and engaging, the characters have depth and are complicated like people in real life, and the religious aspects of the story are very natural--not simply tacked on. The implied criticism of the judgementalism of some Christians is also well done. I'm ordering the next book in the series and hope Linda Hall will write more soon! Thanks for a good read!

This was a great mystery. The author did a great job in presenting a mystery with so many questions to be answered. What happened to Ellen? Was she alive? Who was the mysterious Garda and her daughter. Why was Ellen so unhappy? And mixed in with the main story was Teri, the PI who was trying to solve the mystery for Ellen's husband Carl. She is struggling to fit in with the church, as well as struggling with the ghost of her husband, Jack's 1st wife.

The book not only presented a great mystery of betrayal and deception, but demonstrated the theme of grace and forgiveness. The book showed that no matter how far you stray from God, forgiveness is always there, no matter how "big" the sin is.

I do think that some things were rushed towards the end. What happened to Jimmy Jarvis? There was some speculation, but nothing was really resolved. Maybe that is just one of those things that will leave the readers guessing. Also, what happened to Audrey towards the end?

I would have liked to see the marriage between Teri and Jack explored more. I know that Teri felt that she was competing with the ghost of Jack's first wife. Maybe this will be explored in future books in the series.

Again, a great mystery book! I look forward to reading Chat Room.

I could truly say that this was one of the only books if that, which took me back in time. I actually felt right alongside John Ashley and his gang. I actually felt some of the same things he did, while at the same time I was mad and angry at the injustice that was done. I wasn't on anybody's side in this one, but boy was I hurtin to give John Ashley and his buddies a taste of their own medicine.

This is the third of Blake's books that I have read. "The Friends of Pancho Villa" was a truly stunning performance, as I said in my earlier review on Amazon. I then devoured "In the Rogue Blood." I liked in nearly as much as the first book, and that's saying a lot. Unfortunately. "Red Grass River", doesn't meet the very high standard set by the other two. Maybe because the others were so outstanding, I was expecting too much. This isn't a bad novel really. Blake is too fine a writer for that. But it is peopled with a collection of remarkably unlikable characters. As I got further into the story, I realized more and more that I didn't care about any of them. It wasn't only that they were unlikable, so are most of the characters in the great novels by James Ellroy. They were unsympathetic. I felt no tension, I didn't know what their goals were, and I didn't care if they made it or not. Frankly, I had a hard time finding a 'lead' figure in the story, someone to identify with and pull for. This book lacks passion. Oh, sure, it's full of action, adventure, and history, but it reads like a record of events. It has the feel that historical non-fiction sometimes has...a description without the feeling. That's strange from someone who painted "The Friends of Pancho Villa" with the rawest emotion and heart. James Carlos Blake is a fine writer, and I look forward to reading more of his work, but I recommend those who are new to his work start with "Pancho Villa" or "In The Rogue Blood." In my opinion, both are much better than this fairly unsatisfactory work.

This is an excellent example of Blake's ability to spin a yarn mixing fact and probability to take a reader on a fantastic journey of surprise, shock, adventure, history, fact and a bit of fiction to glue it all together. This non-stop thrill ride takes you throughout Florida in the days when it was easy to get lost ten miles from the center of any city. In the centers of any of these cities it was easy to get away with murder or be murdered. Ride the highways, the swamps, the backroads; even the bounding main running rum. Keep your weapon handy, you'll need it.

Wow - If you like gritty historical fiction with a decidedly violent bent, this is for you. I've never written one of these reviews before, but felt compelled to. Blake's imagery is stunning, making the everglades come alive and drawing an astonishing picture of a tight-knit family of moonshiners, bootleggers, bank robbers and killers in early 20th century Florida, near the site where Miami is being carved from the swamp. The period details are great, and they blend seemlessly with the truly outstanding story. One of those rare books where both the plot and the writing are top notch. Can't wait to read Blake's other books.

You could say I've been lost in the Florida everglades for the past few years but it's always a pleasure to discover a new author that one enjoys reading, even belatedly, and James Carlos Blake is such an author for me. His novel, Red Grass River, comes at you like a runaway freight train with non-stop action. There are fist-fights, knifings, stompings, gun battles, stalkings, bank robberies, truck robberies, smuggling and even some steamy sex for good measure. The shotgun and the BAR seem favorite weapons in Blakes's prohibition-era Florida. We watch the tenacious Ashley gang thrive and survive as bootleggers, bank robbers and rum runners. They are as good with the ladies as well as their fists and, as such, incur the emnity of the Bakers, a family of tough lawmen, in a decade-long feud. The reader is soaked in the atmosphere of Florida from 1911 to 1924. You can hear the mosquitoes buzzing in your ears, feel the sweat pouring off your skin, see the gators waiting in the swamp grass. People refer to Blake as as writer of historical fiction and certainly Red Grass River makes another time and place come alive. Girls, this is a great guy book and would make the kind of gift the manly man or would-be manly man in your life will appreciate. I give this one four gators out of five.

The writers reviewed here in this work are great men of faith and explorers of truth. If you want to become mildly acquainted with these men, this is an ok start--but little more than an expanded wikipedia biography. These writers are worthy enough to be looked at directly, not through this sort of heavy filter. Go buy their books, not this one.

This is an excellent read, especially for those not familiar with the writings of the people discussed. It is a kind of survey, an easy way to be exposed to a wide range of beliefs on spirituality. However, keep in mind that "spiritual wandings" is only one aspect of each person; there is much more than that to each. If one reads the writings of all these people, one will realize that there is much more to each, and some are very complex. For example, you would have to read a lot by Tolstoy to begin to really understand what his thoughts were, which covered many aspects of life and thought beyond spirituality. I suggest you read the book, then buy others on someone you especially like. Perhaps read a bit about them (the internet is a good source) before reading a bit by them.

That's the value of this classic. It gives you a sophisticated introduction to several great thinkers and prophets who searched for God. Muggeridge was, as others have noted, himself a prophet of the madness of his century and the twenty-first century. Here we have the sort of sensitive and perceptive introduction to great thinkers that induces us to read their original works. For a detailed review, see my blog above for Oct. 3, 2006. (Note: the older hardcover edition I read did not include Dostoevsky.)

Muggeridge gives almost an insiders view of what shaped the lives of these great men of the faith. Its almost like he was there witnessing their lives and tagged along with them in their "good times and bad times".

Honestly, I didn't finish this book. I didn't even get very far. It sounds wonderful, a book about some of the greatest Christian minds. It reads like a 4th-graders research paper. Muggeridge inserts so much of his own thoughts and experiences its almost like we're reading his biography. His bios of these brilliant men are muddled, not described chronologically or in any other apparent order. If you want a VERY basic overview of these men, maybe this book is for you. If you actually have the intelligence to read anything written by any of them - this book is far beneath you.

The Way of the Wilderking was a great ending to the series. I hope there will be another series that goes with the trilogy.

As I read the final installment to my 10 year old boy, I think we have enjoyed each book more than the last. The characters and culture have really grown on both of us, and we're getting a little sad that it will be over soon...the books are entertaining, moving, and inspiring; who could ask for anything more than that in any book, let alone a book written for kids?

This series is enthralling for my 10 year old daughter (who reads at a 8th grade level). It has adventure, danger, excitement and folklore to capture and maintain interest.

Well done series. All three books are strong. Character development is good. Likeable, sympathetic characters.

Read these out loud with my 9 yo and the teenagers who thought they were too old for that; but their music was shut-off and magazine pages stopped turning the first night and after that just joined us. ;)

I would recommend for 9 and up to read on their own. We just chose to read them together.

When fear of God has left the land,
To be replaced by fear of man;
When Corenwalders free and true
Enslave themselves and others too,
When mercy and justice disappear,
When life is cheap and gold is dear,
When freedom's flame has burned to ember
And Corenwalders can't remember
What are truths and what are lies,
Then will the Wilderking arise.
~from The Wilderking Chant



Corenwald is in trouble. Six years have passed since Aidan first went to Tambluff in service of King Darrow. Those six years have not been kind to the king. He's grown increasingly paranoid and he's made bad moves. Prince Steren has served his father well, soothing and advising him, but now even he is losing influence and the country appears to be in real danger because of the king's foolish behavior.

And yet, The Way of the Wilderking, the final book in the Wilderking Trilogy, is not a dark and depressing book. In fact, it opens with a hilarious scene and the comedy, much like the Energizer Bunny, keeps going and going and going. I thought these books couldn't get any funnier. After all, how many funny feechie feasts, feechie sings, and feechie contests can one swamp produce?

Ha! I forgot the old saying, "You can take the feechie out of the swamp but you can't take the swamp out of the feechie." Fortunately for feechie fans everywhere, Dr. Rogers thought to take the feechie out of the swamp. What do you get when mix Dobro Turtlebane with a civilizer city? One disaster following another, in finest feechie fashion.

Rogers, as anyone would expect, does a fine job with the writing in this book. The prose is great, the scenes are well painted, and the descriptions are clear. As he did with The Secret of the Swamp King, the author once again weaves in a bit of a mystery for his readers. The difference is that in The Secret of the Swamp King, the mystery, when solved, brought some heartache, while in this final book the solving of the mystery brings Rogers' account of Corenwalder history to a satisfying and happy conclusion.

There are some hard things on the way to that happy conclusion, though. There is war, for one thing, and with war comes death. The role thrust upon Aidan is also a hard thing--a heavy burden. There are some deep lessons in this book, too--forgiveness, sacrificial love, reconciliation, humility, obedience, fighting against a false humility--all of these things were touched upon. They weren't dwelt upon, I think they could have been brought a little more to the fore even, but they were there in the lives of the characters as they went about the business of the story.

Altogether a great read. I have to give it five stars. I can't imagine giving that gallant and goofy Dobro anything less than five stars for his wonderful performance in this book. I would love to quote several of his lines for you--there are so many to choose from. He is not only funny, he is sweet and chivalrous and adorable in so many ways. (Stinky, too, of course, but that goes without saying.) I won't quote, him, though. I don't want to spoil the fun for you so I'll leave you to catch his show for yourself. He is unforgettable--truly one of the greatest characters every created.

My 9-year old daughter and I are reading this together. She's not very interested in reading yet, but she likes this book a lot. We're using it as part of a science curriculum about "how things work" and it gives a good perspective on simple tools and machinery from 1805. The illustrations are wonderful.

I echo what everyone else has written here - an excellent book. Noah's diary is very terse, but Sloane fleshes it out with fascinating details of what living on a farm must have been like for Noah.

Sad thing, though... as I was reading this I wondered if Noah and Sarah Trowbridge, whom he frequently writes about (it's clear he was attacted to this girl) ever married. Alas! I can find no mention at all of Noah Blake or his parents on any online genealogical database. Other than via Sloane's book, Noah Blake seems to be unremembered... but that's sufficient, I guess. (I can find a Sarah Trowbridge born in 1791, but it might or might not be the right one. Not enough genealogical details in Sloane's book.)

I've used DEAB (Diary of an Early American Boy) in my fourth grade Science curriculum for a few years now. It's amazing how Noah and his father are able to craft so many tools (and bridges, mills, and homes) using such "archaic" technology. Students are given a first hand glimpse at wood-working, pulleys and levers, and splitting and heating using wood (many of my students actually still heat their houses using wood!).
The budding romance between Sarah and Noah is an added little perk! :)

I read the other reviews before I bought. I guess this wasn't for me. I love diaries but this wasn't really a diary.

Like the previous reviewer, this book was not what I was expecting. Thinking that most teenage boys hundreds of years ago are just like teenage boys today, I was very surprised to find a published diary of a kid who was willing to write down his thoughts on life. With many entries consisting entirely of one or two words like "Plowed today." and "Do." (ditto), this book does little to offer the reader insight into the thoughts of this boy. The diary portion of the book is disappointing, and is used as a jumping off point for the author to explain in words and pictures about the technology of the early 19th century. The explanations are fascinating, the technology amazing. Anyone who has ever thought about how the pyramids could have been built by thousands of slaves should take a gander at how a covered bridge (that could hold the weight of oxen and a cart and it's load and driver) was constructed by a few neighborhood farmers. The illustrations are the backbone of this book and they are excellent. I wish the author would strike a deal with the publishers of Laura Ingalls Wilder's "Little House" series to draw and explain the machinery described in those books. I would recommend this book as a gift for anyone, kid or adult, who is interested in architecture or engineering, or who loves history.

How do you review a book??? It does what it says it does, it tells you about firefox and it is for people that have litte or no idea on what firefox is. The person I brought it for said it helped them out. They were glad to recieve it.

Although Firefox is coming up on version 3 and this book is for a much earlier version, most of what it said pertained to the version that I was using. LOTS of tricks, shortcuts and useful information. I hope they come out with a new book for the newest version, but this book is a gem despite being slightly outdated. Firefox is customizable and very user friendly. The more I play with Firefox, the more I like it. And this book helps add the joy to "rediscovering the Web".

For a beginner, the information in the "Dummies" book have the ease of use of a Wendy's, Applebee's, etc. Good, basic information, easy to digest.

I bought this book expecting to see examples of actual Firefox pages that matched the screen display. However, the book is so outdated that the figures in the book do not reflect what is shown on the actual Firefox screen. I've been ripped off...

This is definitely a hands-on book. Blake Ross is a co-editor of Fierfox. He has an intimate knowledge of this web browser. Surprisingly, he writes in a clear, easily understood style. He starts out showing basic ideas about Firefox and moves to more advanced subjects such as tabbing, bookmarking in folders, etc. Anything you want to do with Firefox is written in a step-wise manner, so you get the results you want.

James Carlos Blake takes the reader through the Mexican Revolution (and civil war) beginning in 1910 when Rodolfo Fierro, the narrative voice, joins Pancho Villa's small gang during a train robbery. Villa's fortunes rise and fall rapidly and Fierro has the ultimate insider access. Thirteen years later political opponents ambush and gun down Villa, by then retired, on the streets of Parral.

The book is filled with historical characters including Fierro, who carries the well-earned sobriquet "The Butcher", Felipe Angeles, Villa's best poltical general, as well as Porfirio Díaz, Francisco Madero, William Benton, Victoriano Huerta, Emiliano Zapata, Venustiano Carranza (whitebeard) and Alvaro Obregón (One-Arm). Fierro relates in the book that contrary to rumor he did not really drown when he got stuck in quick sand with gold loaded in his pockets - I have found reports that he did drown, but in 1913 and in 1917!

In Blake's telling, Villa and his friends had a grand time fighting, drinking, dancing, screwing, and loving (except for Pancho who rarely drank - he seemed to get married instead). At times the book is laugh-out-loud funny, which is a bit disconcerting because the bodies are piling up quickly. The confrontation between the Scotsman William Benton and Villa is hilarious in a profane and violent way. Pancho and Rodlfo inhabit a brutally violent world that frequently turns murderous almost without warning.

One paragraph captures the sense of history, the humor, and Villa's somewhat vague political identity when Pancho describes the impact of his brief invasion of New Mexico. "From now on their books will have to say, 'Nobody ever invaded the United States except for Francisco Villa, the magnificent Mexican patriot who tried so hard to be our friend but who we treated so shamefully because we are such stupid sons of bitches and have no honor.' "

Highly recommended for all readers of historical fiction or with an interest in Mexico or US-Mexico relations.

This account of a portion of the Mexican Revolution is full of fact and adventure. Biased in favor of Pancho Villa's version (and why not?) of things, it sells other key components of the Revolution short. This is not to criticize the work, it keeps them from crowding the story. I have done some studying of this era in Mexican history and this work affords the reader an excellent grasp of what went on at the time. Double-check the facts, this is the first novel that I have underlined like a text. Forget the facts, you've still got one heck of an adventure story. Blake has written other books and they are equally up to the form he has shown here.

This is one of the greatest novels I've heard of Pancho Villa.

"Pancho Villa" is written in a straight-forward style that is accessible and blunt, like a boy's adventure novel. I am not an expert on the Mexican Revolution and its aftermath, so I can't really comment on the accuracy of the book, but any reader should know ahead of time that the book is a veritable bloodbath. Villa and his men are portrayed as near psychopaths with only the most simplistic of political motivations. What they enjoy most is POWER and everything it brings - mostly free sex and the ability to kill at will. The author is certainly consistent - if not monotonous - in his presentation.

I've never read a James Carlos Blake novel before. I bought this, hesitantly, off a remainder shelf... Frankly, I'm amazed it was there. This is a tremendous book, replete with wonderful characters, an interesting plot, and wonderful atmosphere. The author has recreated the time of the Mexican revolution wonderfully, and the main character, and narrator, is someone you'd like to sit and have a conversation with...though not in a dark alley.

Rudy Fierro is there, throughout the whole of the Mexican revolution, and Pancho Villa's fight with the various people in power in Mexico City. The various people involved are tremendously depicted, and there's a parade of minor characters, some historical, some not. Both Ambrose Bierce and George Patton, not to mention John Pershing, make appearances. The author does a marvelous job of portraying men for whom it is nothing to shoot several hundred people, and then go have dinner.

Frankly, I was surprised by how good this book was. I found another one on the same remainder shelf, and after that I'll be hitting the used bookstore.

The author knows how it feels to grieve. Adults as well as children will benefit from the author's experience with the grieving process and his attemps to move through life with a heavy heart. Feeling all alone with one's loss is so difficult. Michael Rosen lets the reader into his world and the reader is somehow comforted by this admission. The illustrations are funny and sweet and sad all at once. There is some soft light in all the darkness and Michael Rosen's book allows the glow.

I am a Doctor of Psychology student specializing in work with children. I help to do our program's major research and teaching on children and adolescents. We borrow this book from the library every semester (because we don't want to contribute to its sales!) to show classes the developmentally INAPPROPRIATE things that are out there for children. This is NOT a good book for children in that the pictures are disturbing (though some kids do like them) but the words, in particular, are beyond the emotional maturity of children. Personally, I think it's a bit scary even as an adult, but the best word I can use to describe it from a young child's perspective is "burdensome." Only adolescents have the capacity to deal with something so dreary, and frankly, even then, I'd rather show them something with a message of hope behind the sadness. It's crazy that this book received an award--apparently those who decided were not child psychologists.

Just a fine book.

Buy it for your ex-wife who feels blue because her car broke down and she can't afford to get it fixed. Buy it for the fellow in your therapy group who was passed over for a promotion. Buy it for your old college chum who can't get over that gal who dumped him for a better-looking guy.

Buy it for any adult for whom you have fond feelings.

But don't buy it for a kid. Unless you're a child psychologist and it's YOUR kid.

As a budding child psychologist, I have to disagree with the sentiments of many that have reviewed this book. In fact, we discussed it in depth in our training seminar. Yes, it does a wonderful job of painting a very clear picture of what depression and deep grief look and feel like. However, it is not developmentally appropriate for children under the age of 12 or 13, at least. Its concepts and ways of describing grief and suffering are on a more abstract level that will be lost on young children, and which may be more confusing than helpful.

Picture books that help children deal with death tend, by and large, to be about animals. There's, "Dog Heaven" and "The Tenth Good Thing About Barney", and other books along these lines. "Charlotte's Web" even comes to mind. But try coming up with a children's book that'll help kids deal with the death of another child and the well begins to run dry. Even if you do find something, it'll tend to be along the lines of books like (I kid you not), "Sad Isn't Bad (Elf-Help Books For Kids)". Credit Michael Rosen with penning a deeply personal and moving book to help children that springs from his own personal loss. Books that deal with death almost never are so well-written that they win awards. But here is one sad book that proves the exception to the rule.

You open the book and there's the picture of a man grinning from ear to ear. The words say, "This is me being sad". And right off the bat kids begin to understand that being sad isn't just a face with tears or a downturned mouth. Reading on we see how occasionally Michael Rosen is consumed with sadness over the death of his son Eddie. We see pictures of Eddie growing up, with a final blank one where his life was at an end. Mostly, though, this book is about dealing with the loss of someone young. Michael talks about how he discusses his pain with friends or just thinks about it by himself, "Because it's mine. And no one else's". Sometimes Michael feels like doing crazy things because he's sad and sometimes depression will hit him in the middle of a sunny day out of the blue. From here, the book tells the reader how to deal with being sad. "I tell myself that being sad isn't the same as being horrible. I'm sad, not bad". He does things that make himself feel better and talks about how misery can hit anyone anytime. Then, there's a gradual lightening to the pages. Michael can think about the people he's lost, the good parts of Eddie's life, and birthdays. The final images of the book are Rosen's thoughts about lots and lots of candles lit and glowing. It ends with a two-page spread of Michael staring at a beautiful glowing flame and finding a kind of peace in its beauty.

No, it's not exactly a great read-aloud for large groups of kids. "Michael Rosen's Sad Book" instead works on a very intimate level. You feel privileged that the author chose to include you in his grief. For kids that are dealing with the death of a friend or sibling, Rosen's book works because he's feeling the same thing that the reader is. He understands how awful it is to be swamped by grief. Best of all, the book doesn't end on a slap-happy note that's out of synch with he rest of the story. There isn't some cheesy image of Eddie waving from heaven and Michael doesn't suddenly become "cured" of his depression by the book's end. Without directly discussing it, he just shows how this sadness won't necessarily go away. Just that its bite may lessen over time.

Illustrator Quentin Blake can undoubtedly pick and choose his projects at this point. As the receiver of the first British Children's Laureate (and having his very own official Quentin Blake Europe School in Berlin), this is the cream of the children's picture book crop. His illustrations have often been paired with authors like Roald Dahl or Joan Aiken to take the sting out of what would otherwise be somewhat disturbing works. Here, however, he's abandoned his customary wackiness in favor of a newfound stillness. These pictures are just watercolors and inks, but they work perfectly in tandem with this tale. Some pages are just full grey washes that swath our narrator in a multi-layered funk. The final image in this book is undoubtedly one of Blake's most powerful, reflecting the author's stillness and a receding of the grey gloom about him.

Unlike most dealin'-with-death books out there, "Michael Rosen's Sad Book" is appropriate for all kids, regardless of whether or not they know a fellow child who has died. It's good for kids to understand what death is and how it can hurt even the strongest of adults. "Sad Book" is not a one trick pony but a moving effigy to one man's son. It expands our understanding of what a picture book can do. This book is a necessary read.