Bonds Books

I agree its useless; just like so many IBS books. There a million of IBS books out there everyone with their opinion on how to treat IBS. I bought this book and Eating for IBS. I followed the suggestions and got no relief. They are now recycled paper.

After buying, reading and giving away many, many books on Irritable Bowel Syndrome, I was blessed to have found this one. No recipes in this one, this book makes clear the powerful correlation between IBS and anxiety, IBS and stress, IBS and depression, IBS and fear. After spending a week of increasingly severe pain accompanied by increased anxiety about the pain (or was it increasing pain about the anxiety?)and winding up in the local ER, I realized that I needed to help myself by calming myself. This book tells how. In compassionate, orderly chapters, Barbara Bolen teaches how to truly "break the bonds of IBS." Hooray for her! Hooray for all of us!

IBS can be a horrible thing to suffer with and unfortunately a lot of books written on the subject can even be worse. In my search for books on IBS I found a lot of them written by doctors to be unsympathetic and confusing. That was until I found Barbara Bradley Bolen's book on IBS. Her book was written in a clear and friendly manner and it was a pleasure to read. Also, Bolen writing was very sympathetic to the disease of IBS.

One of the things I liked so much about this book was the case studies that she put in. For example when she was talking about the importance of doing a self monitoring sheet to help spot patterns in your IBS she related what she was talking about to one of her patients. It was helpful because it makes you realize that you are not alone with dealing with IBS. She also has many different activities in her book that can help you spot patterns in your IBS, as well as activities to help you calm down, cope and relieve stress. This book was very helpful in understanding, dealing with, and hopefully reducing the symptoms of IBS.

I recommend this book to those that are suffering from IBS and also those who know and love somene that has it and want to understand more about what it is really like. A great buy.

I really enjoyed this book because she makes everything very understandable. She also discusses the possible links between IBS and childhood abuse, stress, foods that irritate, etc. She states that studies have shown a link between depression (or stress related disorders) and IBS. She also gives practical advice on how to cope both mentally and physically. Some suggestions may be things you have heard before, but she puts it in such a way so you can really see the benefit of doing these, that outwieghs the inconvenience. A good example is the food diary. Who wants to be bothered with doing that. I didn't...so I never have. But she makes goods points as to why you should take a few weeks out of your life to do something that would likely save you months or years of dealing with the symptoms and pains because you didn't do it.
The read is light and interesting, unlike medical books tend to be. It was helpful to me, a sufferer of IBS as well as Chron's Disease.

I have suffered with IBS for many years. This book offered simplistic advice that any reasonable person would have tried already, such as visualization. Save your money, do not buy this book.

As a teacher, this book gave me a fresh perspective. The authors walked their groups through a few main concepts: sntagonist, protagonist, climax, and point of view. They were able to take these basic ideas and turn them into excellent and thoughtful discussions. In a test heavy culture, it is refreshing to see that there is another way to teach reading comprehension

I was so excited to receive this book due to the rave reviews. However, I had expected a book that would give me new and exciting ideas on how to get students excited about reading. Instead they reconstructed their book club sessions word for word which nearly drove me crazy and focused on protagonist and antagonist to the point of exhaustion. I cannot imagine any student enjoying one of their book clubs. If you are already a teacher I would not recommend this book.

As a fourth grade teacher I am dismayed by how many students are already disengaged by reading. A wonderful supplement toreadings about literature circles, this book changed the way I ran book clubs. It reminded me of the engaging mystery of quality literature - and the reminding is helping me bring that wonder to my students.

A great inspiration and model for parent-child bookclubs, but also a model for all teachers that I have not found anywhere else.

"Deconstructing Penguins" empowers parents to believe they can have real debates about literature with their children right now, even as early as second grade! This is very exciting stuff. I can't wait to revisit some of the classic titles on the authors' reading list, such as Babe and Charlotte's Web, from a totally different perspective. For anyone who wants to start a parent-child reading group, this book is a god-send. Moreover, "Penguins" presents the most cogent approach to reading groups for adults or kids. In the years I've participated in book groups, including Great Books, I've always felt something was lacking from the discussion despite lots of bright people asking bright questions. After reading "Penguins," I now know what was missing: a unifying theme or framework for analyzing the book's true meaning. "Penguins" gives you that framework and a whole lot more. The authors show they understand great literature, as well as the minds of children. If only more libraries could be as leading edge as the authors' library in Westport, Conn.!!

I have been a fan of the Goldstones since reading their books on book-collecting, e.g. Used and Rare, Slightly Chipped etc. This book is different, it is about how to approach book discussions for both young and old. I am the parent of a two year old girl, and books are a big part of our lives [I am a book collector myself]...although this book may still be too advanced to put into practice with my little one, it really gives me great ideas on how to go about discussing books in a more interesting manner, and sets me up with great guidelines for beginning a parent/child book discussion group a couple of years down the road. I look forward to more enlightening works by the Goldstones.

This novel is a first person account by a Chinese artist of his year spent in LA on a culteral grant.
There is also his retelling of his rise in the Chinese underground art scene. I found this depiction fascinating, with several good characters.
In LA, there is the main character's interaction with the American family he is living with. There is some of the expected culture clash here. There is also the interactions within this slighlty dysfunctional family.
Finally, there is even a bit of a plot twist at the end. If you are intereseted in a good story about the Chinese avant garde art scene and about a family dissolving, then check out The Dissident.

"The Dissident" is a readable and often funny book as long as the author stays with the complications of the LA family who are hosts to the protagonist, the Beijing dissident, but she spends too many pages on the past of Mr. Yuan, the artist from abroad. The accounts of the Chinese performance artists read like digressions and are less entertaining than the deceptions of the locals. Freudenberger knows the American social scene; she should stick to that.
One scene recounting the experience of flying across country with a pet in coach is a gem. And the intrigue is deftly revealed at last.

I found The Dissident to be a great read. It has a lively pace, interesting characters, and a satisfying arc.

"The Dissident" is a very well written account of the time a Chinese artist spends in the US on a cultural grant, the back story, and an epilog. The back story focuses on a period in his college life when he and his girlfriend were involved with a small community of avant garde artists in a run down section of Beijing. I infer from the author's acknowledgments that this artistic community is based on fact. What I am calling the epilog is intended to make the reader feel good about how things end up, and it does succeed in this. The story is interesting, benefiting from the historical dimension and the discussions about art.

Unfortunately, there is a parallel story in the novel, of the family with which the artist stays. While written well enough, dialogue, pacing and so forth, the story is not very compelling. The mother is a well drawn character, but she is the exception in this parallel story. Much time is spent on her brother-in-law, a self absorbed, dull character who is of little interest, and the lesser characters are even less developed. Had more time been spent on her husband, and why he had become so cold, "The Dissident" might have been a better novel.

There are writers who claim to be more comfortable (and readable) when working in a specific format. Raymond Carver was championed for his quick and dirty yet immensely powerful short stories, while a writer like Orhan Pamuk is known for his captivating and expansive full-length fiction. Then there are those who try their hand at both and find that they are just as adept at creating one as they are at creating the other. With a highly acclaimed collection of short stories (LUCKY GIRLS) under her belt, and this slightly longer than average novel recently published to mostly rave reviews, Nell Freudenberger seems to be one of those versatile authors who can shine in either realm.

THE DISSIDENT is both a multilayered story meant to entertain its audience and a meandering exposé on the very nature of art, truth and perception. As expertly noted by one of its central narrators, Yuan Zhao, while it "might seem to be a story about politics and art and even death, it will touch on those topics in only the most superficial ways." Instead, it is "a story about counterfeiting, and also about the one thing you cannot counterfeit." Right from the beginning, Freudenberger establishes (through Zhao's words) that not everything is what it seems to be and that readers should be aware of this before embarking on their journey.

The novel opens as the man who refers to himself as Yuan Zhao (the "dissident" of the book's title) has just moved to Los Angeles from China to perfect his craft and integrate himself into American culture. He has accepted a teaching position at the exclusive St. Anselm School for Girls in Beverly Hills, where he hopes to instruct fledgling artists on the intricacies of traditionalist Chinese painting. According to a Taipei Times article (and much to the excitement of the school and his host family), Yuan had been a member of an ultra-radical group of artists in the East Village of Beijing, and was twice imprisoned for his avant-garde approach to digesting and reinterpreting both Western and Eastern artistic practices and for advocating a revolutionary style of artistic expression. In America, he hoped to distance himself from his volatile reputation and Chinese censorship in order to create a new and impressive body of work. Or so it might seem...

Yuan's upper-middle-class host family is a collection of ruddy characters who, like the dissident, each hold secrets of their own. Cece is perhaps the book's most developed character, with a depth and deep sincerity that is both generous and heartbreaking to behold. She is a doting mother to her two teenage children --- the girlishly popular Olivia who attends St. Anselm and the typically sullen Max --- and a good wife to her stiff and sexless psychiatrist husband, Gordon. Good, aside from the clandestine affair she's been having on-again, off-again with Gordon's feeble-minded brother, Phil, who can't seem to make heads or tails of his own life, despite a deceptively healthy relationship with Aubrey --- his girlfriend back in New York --- and a screenwriting deal he just closed on a play he wrote based on his indiscretions with Cece.

Other minor characters include Joan, Gordon's supposedly successful but somewhat ingratiating younger sister whose writing career never seems to please her and who consequently is always on the lookout for the next lead (translation: Yuan's "real" story); June, Yuan's most talented student and the only character in the book who seems to possess true inner strength, vision and self-awareness; and X, Yuan's mysterious cousin back in China who was a forerunner in the East Village movement and an implacable influence on Yuan in more ways than one.

Most of the plot is a back-and-forth saga between the characters as they fumble to communicate and understand each other's intentions. Gordon and Cece's marriage is a sham and ultimately crumbles, despite their best efforts to stay together for the kids. Cece and Phil dance madly (and pathetically) around their affection for each other, leaving Aubrey to finally ditch Phil in a fit of desperation and long-needed self-preservation. Joan putters doggedly yet emptily after her story on Yuan. And Yuan --- well, that mystery is finally revealed.

Freudenberger is a true master at depicting the fragility and complexity of relationships. In both LUCKY GIRLS and THE DISSIDENT, her characters push and pull at each other in hopes of finding communion, understanding and acceptance. Although THE DISSIDENT tackles broader themes when examining the political and artistic differences inherent in Chinese and American culture, the bulk of its impact lies in its exploration of its characters' interactions. Some readers might wish that Freudenberger would have delved a bit further into Yuan's past (the descriptions never quite take hold) and that his future (the ending) wasn't so easily and neatly resolved. (How could it be, after such thorough deception?) But nonetheless they will be left pondering the fate of the book's vivid characters long after the story has been told.

--- Reviewed by Alexis Burling

Ten years before Felicia Bond became known for her illustrations of Laura Joffe Numeroff's books (If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, for example), Bond wrote and illustrated The Halloween Play.

The story follows the planning and performance of a Halloween play by class of young mice. There's the anticipation of the parents, the nerves of the children and finally the performance and the excitement of a job well done.

The illustrations lack the vibrancy of her newer illustrations but the spirit is there. There are hints of her later successes as an illustrator. If you are a fan of Bond's work and want to round out your collection, get a copy of The Halloween Play.

This wonderful little book is a year round favorite in our home. My son picks it almost every night. Shy children will especially relate to Roger! You won't need a picture to remember this future classic.

This a wonderful book. The illustrations are adorable and the storyline is perfect for a kid. I love it as much as my daughter does.

This splendid little book is an unrecognized classic -- one of my favorites. Pay no attention to the Horn Book's gripe about "dreary colors," The colors, along with everything else in this understated masterpiece, are perfect.

If you're thinking of buying this book because of the wonderful illustrations Felicia contributed to the five Laura Joffe Numeroff books (If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, etc.), then you'll be disappointed. The illustrations are small, dark, and lack the detail of her previous work and the story is just ok. Don't bother.

This book is about a 16 year old girl named Charolette. She moves to London. This 18 year old boy, Oliver Shattuck picks her up from the airport. They begin to become very close friends. Oliver is living with his great-uncle, Commodore Shattuck. Then his great-uncle dies and Oliver must go to live with his mom. He postpones the trip... See what then happends when you read this book.
This book was alright. It was okay, nothing special. It was kind of boring at times. It is a little long and confusing. Read this book to find out what you think of it.

The love of Friends is a great book about a girl named Charlotte, who travels to London to visit her close friend,Oliver. Oliver used to live with his uncle in the same town as Charlotte, but when his uncle died his mother brought him to live with her. Olivers parent go out of town and he is suppose to reschudule Charlotte's trip. He dosen't. Charlotte and Oliver sneak off to Scotland to visit a close friend of Olivers uncle, who is dieing from cancer. The is excellent untill the ending where it kind of just stops in middle of an important part. The book would make a lot more a lot more sence if she wrote a sequel.

The love of Friends is a great book about a girl named Charlotte, who travels to London to visit her close friend,Oliver. Oliver used to live with his uncle in the same town as Charlotte, but when his uncle died his mother brought him to live with her. Olivers parent go out of town and he is suppose to reschudule Charlotte's trip. He dosen't. Charlotte and Oliver sneak off to Scotland to visit a close friend of Olivers uncle, who is dieing from cancer. The is excellent untill the ending where it kind of just stops in middle of an important part.

When Charlotte goes on a trip to visit her friend Oliver in London shes finds a big surprise waiting for her. It seems that Oliver's mom and step-dad had to go to Germany on important business. Oliver neglects to call Charlotte and tell her that she will have to exchange her ticket, in hopes that while his parents are gone he and Charlotte can go to scottland to see a sick old friend. It sounds exciting and you have to give Ms. Bond credit for her delightful imagery, and painting a creative picture of London and Scotland, however the book lacks a good ending. It feels as though the author got to page 296 and said, "well that's it I'm spent!" Through out the entire book you wonder what Oliver's feelings for Charlotte are exactly and nothing actually develops. At the end it just feels opened ended. Not a story where you can just make up the ending but like the author tried but just couldn't finish it. So Warning to the wise just don't waste your time.

The Love of Friends is the third book in the 'Charlotte and Oliver' Series, as I call it. This one is undoubtably one of the best. I have read every single book by Nancy Bond, and this is one my top three list. Charlotte goes to visit her friend, Oliver, who has moved to England. She soon learns that Oliver has kept something from her-that Paula,Oliver's mother, had told him to tell her to postpone her visit for a week because of a business trip. He did not. Consequentely, Oliver and Charlotte are alone in Oliver's family's London flat, and Oliver has told Charlotte that he wants to go to Scotland and that he wants her to go with him. A poinient and wonderful tale that touched my heart. A definite MUST READ!

Mike Moscoe's "The Price of Peace" is set in a future that is not too far away. The pace is quick, the style is friendly, and the characterizations are believable. Whether it's peace or combat, the book is a page turner for the beach, plane ride, or nightstand. If you like Asimov and/or Clarke, Moscoe is the place to go.

The Marines and crew of worn-out curiser under the command of a passed-over captain turn out to be better than anticipated by a sinister cartel. Gritty realism. Good characters.

Body>When Lieutenant Terrance "Trouble" Tordon looks at the space ship Patton and at its captain, he questions his good sense for the first time. Captain Izzy Umboto is obviously a loose cannon. He questions her sanity as well, for accepting the Patton, a bucket of bolts which appears to be on its last leg. Still, Trouble is committed to the Marine Corps, so he vows to do his best. Trouble is captured by the slave drivers who have enslaved farmers to work their crops of illicit drugs. On his first night of captivity, he meets a young woman Ruth who embodies everything he does not want, including love and commitment. Enduring torture and humiliation, Trouble and Ruth manage to retain their dignity and their belief that they will be rescued. Meanwhile, Captain Izzy is doing her best to do just that, rescue the men who depended on her. It comes down to a battle, not to win the war, but to maintain the peace, and to exact whatever price may be required. But can peace be worth human lives and dignity? Mike Moscoe's The Price of Peace is action-packed and exciting space adventure, but it's also a love story, an exploration of the lengths to which sentient beings will go to maintain power and to maintain dignity, and it's a peek into the human psyche. The Price of Peace satisfies on many levels, including just plain entertainment.

Some compare Mr. Moscoe with current space-warfare authors but I believe his politics and character development harken back to the Fuzzy or Space Viking series by H. Beam Piper. As a military member I like the rah rah attitude of the space navy. It is good fun space opera and I look forward to the next book for the plane flight to Kuwait. I don't read this stuff to learn about physics.

Moscoe presents a complex and gritty postwar reality where things have to get done with skill rather than brute force. It is a time when the tattered remnants of a former space navy are trying to cover too much territory with too few resources and making up the difference with courage and ingenuity. In the background is a high conspiracy of shadowy movers and shakers who think they can have a war anytime they need to stir up the economy, and may be powerful enough to do just that.

Razeghi brings great insight and power in The Riddle. A new way of thinking about problem solving has arrived. Informative and a great read! Find out for yourself.

The Riddle has a lot to offer. Interesting stories that take the reader on a wonderful journey through creativity and history. A must read for anyone who wants to achieve their goals in life. Razeghi takes us through time and makes us realize that the past can indeed inform us of each of our futures and the outcomes we each may want to achieve. I highly recommend The Riddle!

Covers a lot of ground but does so in such a boring, visually unstimulating way. I expected a book on ideas to more mentally stimulating, too text bookish for me.

Looking for encouragement in your attempt to increase creativity? How about practical exercises that you can employ in stimulating innovation? The Riddle: Where Ideas Come From and How to Have Better Ones by Andrew Razeghi proposes that there are five precursors that "appear to be the most effective at inspiring creative insight: curiosity, constraints, conventions, connections, and codes." Does he prove it? I think so. Every chapter is finished off with a helpful list of implementable practices designed to help flex underdeveloped muscles. What could be better? Could certainly use a better collection of stories and examples. Other than that, this is a book that is packed with practical steps for the supposed "left brained" among us.

The Riddle: Where Ideas Come From and How to Have Better Ones fills a void that serious managers should address to insure long-term success. For ages managers were satisfied to find new opportunities with nothing more sophisticated than serendipity. This mantra can be summarized as "Even a blind pig finds an acorn once in awhile." I have repeatedly asked, "Isn't there a better way to find useful ideas?" Razeghi provides an entertaining overview of the idea creation process. He examines foibles and successes from the past and explains what happened. Unlike other authors who never get past the entertaining phase, Razeghi concludes his book with a prescription for success. He identifies the general precursors needed for creating an environment conducive to fostering innovation. Curiosity, constraints, connections, conventions, and finally codes are used as a cleaver development of his principles. Finally, Razeghi enumerates a specific action plan that can be implemented. If you want your organization to stay in business and remain relevant for the long-term, read this book!

Realionship very fast and not really timed well. Some of her books are much better paced.

I didn't even read it all. I started with enthusiasm, but as I kept reading farther and farther, the book became more and more boring. I had to skip 1/3 of it and go right to the conclusion. Sorry, but I won't buy any of Ms Strong's books.

This book is fantastic!!! The plot line is hot and she somehow manages to introduce secondary characters that intertwine with the main characters without pulling the spotlight away from anyone. There is some light Dom/Sub going on in the book as well but it just made the story better.

I loved it, the male characters were macho to the max, and the half-elf, half-human Aislinn was wonderful. This was not only a sensual read but a very good mystery suspense novel.

Aislinn is half elf, she was raised in Elf-Land, until she reached an age when she could live in our world. Being half-elf is not a good thing in their land she was unable to do the things with magic that they could and is very insecure. However in our world she possesses the magic to find lost things and read the future in other words she is a real psychic. But she is not allowed to let others find out anything about her beginings. So she has a few friends and helps others with their gifts.

Trace is a cop's cop. He only does one night stands and never, never gets close to any woman, especially a psychic. He doesn't believe in them and thinks they are all [...] When a fellow cop sets him up with a date, he doesn't know Aslinn will be one of the three ladies to join them. From the first moment he sees her he is totally captured.

When psychics begin to be murdered, Trace takes Aislinn into protective custody, but all of the murders and kidnappings seem to lead back to Aislinn. Every member of Trace's unique unit takes to the streets when Aslinn is kidnapped and only the thing he doesn't believe in can save the woman he loves.

Great book, if you enjoy a sensual romance with your suspense, this one is for you.

Trace Dilessio is a homicide detective. There are many things he believes in but one thing he does not. He doesn't believe in Psychic's and when his latest case revolves around the murder of a man who claims to have helped the police find a missing child he is more then skeptical. When the woman he recently meets and feels an intense and instant attraction to ends up at the center of a murder investigation he will have to put his beliefs on hold in order to keep her for himself. But, will he be able to keep her safe from a killer?

Aislinn is half elven and psychic. On the night she meets Trace, she can't believe how hot the attraction burns between her and the rough detective. She can't ignore the heat and the passion but will Trace be able to accept her for who and what she is or will he let him prejudice get in the way?

This was a good read. Ms. Strong has deftly combined a sensual love story with interesting and entertaining paranormal touches. This is an author that can write it steamy but still gives her reader a storyline that will entertain.

I'm a huge Bond fan. After reading this book, I found nothing that I was looking for. All that is in the book is charts and rankings. There is not even a fact page...like...Best selling book film or what not.
I think they should take off the "Ultimate" in "Ultimate James Bond Fan Book" and just put "Just another James Bond Fan Book."

The Ultimate James Bond Fan Book is interesting, though not "ultimate" for people who have been reading books about Bond for years. I have a collection of books on both the James Bond films and the novels and this has perhaps prejudiced my view. If you love a repeat of plots, an analysis and critique of all the Bond characters in film and enjoy statistics this may be the book for you. There is certainly an ample supply of lists and enough ratings to fill a graduate textbook on statistics. Having experienced the latter I feel I can say that.

Where the book suffers, and author Deborah Lipp is very upfront on this, is the personal opinions. She is very honest about this and actually has two ratings for every aspect of each film. Ms. Lipp relies heavily upon fan websites and suveys that either she or others have made. Then she expresses her own feelings, sometimes in agreement and sometimes the opposite. She is very candid that Bond fans, like Trekkies and Sherlockians (I am in all three categories) will disagree on a number of points. My biggest problem is that once she gets into a film she goes off into lists and ratings of which there are many. I would have preferred the listings to have been at the latter part of the book. At times there is no apparent reason why a list will pop up at the end of a particular film being described.

I will also confess that I did not take the author's suggestion to refer to certain sections as I felt moved rather than reading it straight from cover to cover. By the end I felt very bogged down and wished that I had only read it in parts, with an interlude between. There are many excellent books of analysis out there on the Bond films, encyclopedias in some cases, many with great pictures from the films. I would suggest the reader of this review check out the listing on Amazon. If you enjoy this book you will likely find others that you will like even better. I have had to do this for years as I have used the Bond films in the classroom and written articles about some of them.

I don't regret that I bought this. I have had the good fortune as a teacher to have met a number of the main stars Ms. Lipp has named, three of which have become close personal friends of my wife and myself and who I will be asking to autograph this book as they have others in my collection.

I do appreciate the very strong feelings the author has about various Bond films, we all do. I did not rate this book on whether I agreed with the author on every film, but on its usefulness to a long time fan.

Unlike other books about the Bond films, this one does not just review what the movies are about, but compares, contrasts, and critiques them over the last 40+ years. Perhaps a better title would have been "The Ultimate James Bond MOVIE Fan Book." There is minimal discussion of the literary 007 here. I enjoyed the ranking system, although some of the time I don't agree with the author's opinions, which Lipp admits may occur straightaway. Nonetheless, it's entertaining reading taking the movies from a different perspective. My only significant complaint is the complete lack of photographs, but these can be found elsewhere. For example, if you can't remember Stromberg (Curt Jergens) from The Spy Who Loved Me, you aren't going to see a picture of him in this tome. With the recent release of the Ultimate Editions on DVD, this is a timely and handy companion.

While there will be several James Bond books available around the time of the new Bond movie (Casino Royale) release, I recommend you get this one.

This book is very easy to read (even for people who only like photo books), and is extremely well-researched. The author very cleverly mixes in "Top Ten" and "Best/Worst" lists within each chapter describing a particular Bond movie in detail.

The author makes clear her prejudices and preferences for various films, characters, moments, etc., but balances this to a large degree with citings, quotations, and comments from fan pollings. A sore spot with other Bond books (avoided here) was the feeling their authors were trying to get in good with EON Productions (Owners/Producers of the Bond movie franchise) or other Bond movie P.R. people.

Of course, I don't agree with every opinion in this book (come on, "on Her Majesty's Secret Service" ranked in the LOWER third of Bond movies?); when presented in an entertaining manner (like in this book), these opinions are great for movie buff/Bond fan dispute, discussion, and debate --- what a good read is supposed to accomplish.

Five stars.

The title is not just hype. This really is the ultimate book on James Bond movies; I can't imagine anything more authoritative or more entertaining. Whether you use it as a reference book, browse through it, or read it from cover to cover (as I did), it will reward you with a wealth of facts and informed opinion. This book is a great addition to anyone's movie bookshelf, and it's an absolute gotta-have for fans of James Bond - casual fans and super fans alike.

Deborah Lipp's strategy in organizing her material works extremely well. Each Bond movie gets its own chapter, which is divided into sections devoted to synopsis, analysis, and evaluation of the movie's strength and weaknesses, as well as a ranking of where the movie stands in the Bond canon. Interspersed with these discussions, you get irresistible nuggets of information: quotes, polls, rankings, milestones, facts & figures, high points & low points, cars & gadgets, goofs, awards, and more. I especially enjoyed the many Bond lists that Lipp compiled for the book, such as "Best Explosions in Bond Films," "Best Stunts," "Best Car Chases," and "Best Villains." Another highlight is an extensive survey of the actors who have portrayed Bond on screen, comparing the strengths and weaknesses of their performances.

Lipp's love of movies shines through every page. Her writing style is witty and literate, and her knowledge of 007 lore will blow you away. "The Ultimate James Bond Fan Book" is sure to become the standard work on 007 movies. Every Bond fan and every movie lover should put this book in their shopping carts.

I was born in the Carolinas and usually try to read authors that capture the flavor of the South. I discovered this book purely by accident, and accident is the best description I can muster for this amateurish drivel. The character development never quite came through though you could tell that the author seemed to love them somewhat. Maybe he was to connected to the characters instead of letting them develop along with the plot line. The story could have had it's moments, but always seemed to be overshadowed by the author's need to appear intelligent rather than simply telling the story. Based on the reviews I read, I was expecting more but my suggestion would be for Walzak to take a few classes before making a second attempt. I could see potential, but the overall effect to me was one of self-serving gratification rather than writing for an audience.

I'm not sure book "Chez" read but it wasn't this one. My sister gave me this book for my birthday because I lived in Charleston for a couple years. I kept putting it aside and finally decided to read it one rainy weekend. I'm sorry I waited so long. I thought the book was great. I really liked the characters. It sounds like "chez" has some personal issues or just doesn't appreciate a good story. Either way, he is way off.

I just finished reading this book. It was great. I like to read stories that take place in South Carolina as I am from there too. This one really captured the nature of the place. The ending was awesome.

"Bond of Brotherhood" is a solid debut by the author. Walzak is able to keep the pages turning with an story that is both believable and interesting. Just when the reader puts together all the pieces the ending leaves you stunned wonder what happened. Very refreshing to see an ending that is out of the ordinary. The only thing that keep this book from receiving five stars was too much detail in the early stages of the book and a lack of detail during the middle and ending of the novel. Still I highly recommend the book, especially if you enjoy novels based in the South.

This book was recommended to me by a friend. I was a little skeptical at first because, lets be honest, books by first time authors usually aren't very good. This one was good. I wouldn't call it great but it was good. The characters were well-written and the plot was interesting. Some of the back-story seemed a little unnecessary but I guess it gave a good idea of where the main character comes from. I loved the ending. I get so sick of formulaic endings that this one was a welcome suprise. Well worth the time to read it.