Brandon Books

I bought this book as a gift for my 16yr old niece. The very next day, she told me how much she loved the book. She even cried reading it. I think it's nice to find reading materials that can move the minds and feelings of teenagers.

I skimmed through the book before I gave it to my granddaughter who just turned 13. I thought it had some well written stories that a teenager can relate to and a lot of food for thought. She was so happy to get it, since she had the one for pre-teens also and really liked it.

Once again, "Chicken Soup for the Soul" books has a hit. This is a wonderful gift for young teens with its easy read of short stories on pertinent topics and experiences teens face. Teens I have given it to as a gift have loved it and purchased the next in the teen series. Also a source of good talking points for those anxiety ridden moments or social issues teens face.

I am a teacher in two high schools and I like to read the stories of the book to my students from time to time to inspirate them and reinforce their teenage self esteem! I suggest it to all teacher to make the same with a nice calm background music.

I recomend that you read this book because its stories are touching, sad, heart warming, and pretty much every other emotion you can feel. You can learn a lot about different in life, and how people got through them. :p
zoe r.
lanier ms

One of the best since Peter Brown's "The love you make",but has a lot of detail about the fab four as to their musical career and experiences in show business. I would read it again if i could. Good investment.

No other book tells the beatles story like this, awesome pictures and comments by the fb4 as well as people that worked with them

I am 56 and so just caught the end of the Beatles era. I enjoy their music, but would not label myself as a Beatles "fan". What I liked most about this book was discovering what happened in fact that I was only vaguely aware of at the time.

One strength of the book is the illustrations. Many of these would not be considered worthwhile to include in a biography, but they can stir interest, such as seeing portions of contracts for their performances did for me. Another strength is hearing the story directly from the band members. (John's "contributions" were taken from interviews he gave prior to his death.) They do debunk some silly rumors that have persisted about the band. I also enjoyed hearing the circumstances that prompted the writing of many of the songs they recorded.

One negative is that, being an anthology, you get the various opinions on what occurred at key points in time. These can be repetitive and even contradictory among the different band members. So, you do not get the persistence and continuity of having one point of view from the author. The book follows the general sequence of the band's development, but doesn't provide an exact chronology which is sometimes an annoying omission. At times the Beatles are quite candid and at other times I feel like they are offering up answers that protect one another as I would expect from any close group of musicians.

All in all I now have a much greater appreciation of the Beatles phenomenon, their contribution to popular culture and their personalities. However, I still feel that I know "the whole story" and would only consider this book to be one key reference towards understanding the group.

This is an excelent book, it is the Beatles story told by them, the book quality is amazing, clear pictures, hardcover is the way to go with this book.
The only problem I see in this book is the size, it would be almost impossible to carry it in a bag, it is heavy and big to carry, it is a book to read confortably in your bed drinking a Margarita and imagining the adventures of the most succesful band in the history of music.

The only negative is the size of the book. There should be a smaller hardcover or paperback edition. The content is superb and a great coffee table book, but it's difficult to curl up with this book in bed.

Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul Volume 2 is an inspirational and enlightening book. Being a teenager myself I can relate to a lot of the stories told in this bestseller. The first time I read this book I was younger and didn't understand what the authors in the book were saying, but when I revisited it this year I actually understood it and connected more to the stories. This book has inspired me to write about my personal experiences and really look back at the good, bad, or in between as a way to learn from my mistakes. Instead of breaking down I decided to write. This book has taught me and helped me through some rough times. This book is great and I recommend it to anyone. Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul is not just for teenagers, I have even read some stories with my friends and family. This book has been a real joy and inspiration on all aspects of my life. Thanks Chicken Soul and I hope all readers out there will get a chance to read this delightful, motivating, and wonderful book.

This is a great book for every teenager. Every teen goes througha tough time at least once in their life and this book can really help. It has stories on things from teenage romance to suicide. This is a great book for everyone from teenagers to adults.

Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul 2 is a great book for teens because it is something we can relate to. It is filled with short anecdotes written by teenagers or once-teenagers about their adolescent experiences. It is inspirational and teaches us about who we are, about people, and about life in general. I recommend this book for all teenagers.

I think that this book was a very good and fun book to read. Anyone who enjoys hearing about different teens telling their own stories would greatly enjoy this book. While I was reading it, there were times when i felt like laughing and other times when I felt like crying too. The things that teenagers go through are so hard and alot of adults do not understand this, that is why this book is so helpful. It is a very good book to read and I would recommend it to anyone, espically teens.

Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul ll is a great book written by teenagers and some adults about life. It teaches us about life and how to deal with it. It shows us that no matter where you came form, what you look like, or how you act, almost all teenagers are the same. This book is an inspiration to everyone.
This book influences me because it inspires me to become a better person. Before I read this book I thought, "Oh this book is just some boo full of made-up stories", but as I continued to read into it more, I thought" Wow this is a really great book". This book tells you that all teens go through the same stuff. It shows you that your not alone, and with faith and courage you can overcome most obstacles. This book is filled amazing stories of love depression, and hope. I encourage everyone to read this book.

This book was recommended to me by my doctor when I asked him some questions about nutrition. I quite enjoyed this book and most certainly feel it was worth my while. There's not much that's mind-blowing here, there's no easy or magic secret to good health, but it spells out proper nutrition clearly and concisely and does recommend some foods you may not know of or consider, like quinoa as an example. The book is based on years of research, and I have no doubt that anyone's health would improve by following the advice in Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy.

This book is exactly what I was looking for: scientific information related to nutrition and health. It is clear, easy to read, and provides practical ideas for implementation. I have already changed my diet and feel great. I've even lost weight without trying. I really appreciate a book that takes all the research that has been done and boils it down into a readable text. This book has done that better than I expected.

With so much news constant inundating all of us on the most recent nutrition fads it's often difficult to decide what the right choices are when it comes to eating.

This book is an excellent source of advice citing which studies make sense to pay attention to and what sorts of dietary changes we can all be making to improve our lives. I purchased 2 copies, one for myself, and one for my parents.

This book does a wonderful job of taking the scientific information available regarding nutrition and puts it a format the lay public can easily understand. Very professional.

The quality of the books are excellent. I had a problem receiving the books, though. When tracking them I was told they were delivered, but I had never received them. I got connected with customer service through the website and they helped make things right by re-sending my order. These books came in the same time I should have received my other books. I feel confident that I can order through Amazon again and they will make sure that I am satisfied. Thank you, Amazon!

In a post-Harry Potter world, there are many 'wannabe' books/series popping up that are trying to satiate the gap left by the Harry Potter series. This book doesn't try to fill the gap, it tries to carve out it's own niche.

Overall the book is very easy to read with little interruption in the action and flow of the story. Maybe not as deep in plot as Harry Potter, but fits the audience this is targeted towards.

Glad that there is another author willing to break the mold and take us where we haven't been before.

After reading this first book of the series I was hooked line and sinker. Shortly after I found the candy shop war book and had to read it too.

I really enjoyed this book. Others who enjoyed should check out a new author, Jessica Hale. Her debut novel is called "The Glass Eye: Search for the Ancient Scroll". These are two great fantasy stories.

I bought this book while i was working for Border's on a whim, looking for a light read. I must say, I do love this book, and the series is progressing wonderfully. This book has been wonderfully descriptive and I will continue through this series.

Fablehaven is quite the page turner. The story never dulls, it keeps you interested for the whole read. It's not a difficult read and the author has no trouble in making you imagine the Fablehaven world in your head. I was only disappointed with the quick ending, I was hoping for more of a showdown or tougher battle. However, this will not stop me from reading the series. It is a bit younger than Harry Potter (or so I think) but that should not discourage any reader, young or old. If you are in search of a great story, fast read, a world only the imagnation can conjure, and you like fairies, this is the book for you.

I bought this book when i was working for border's as another light read, and although i liked the firat in the series better, I still fell in love with it. It was exciting and detailed and well written. Finally Seth does something stupid with good intentions instead of selfish ones. We get to meet the brownies. And we also get to see more of dale and his brother clearing up alot of unanswered questions about dale and his bleak outlook we've seen before. Oh, and we get to see my favorite puppet again, yes i am a mendigo freak (for those of you who havent read the first book, mendigo is a limberjack, google it if you want more info). I had wierd and funny dreams three nights in a row after reading this and it all togeather gave me a warm fuzzy satisfied feeling throughout and after.
End Strange unorganized rant...

As a result of being touched by fairy magic, Kendra is now the center of attention from the Society of the Evening Star. After trying to kidnap her and Seth, they escape back to Fablehaven, where they must try and secure one of the five keys to a prison holding an ancient demon - before the Society of the Evening Star does! On the way they have to defeat a demon intent on devouring Seth and figure out who the traitor is bent on stealing the key!

If you get this book, get #3 as well - Grip of the Shadow Plague. You won't be able to stop reading until both are done!

I couldn't wait for kendra to get her next powers. As I finished the first book and awaited the next book I wondered who was going to save the day next. It was suspenseful. It was like a mystery thriller wih the question, "who sent who to their deaths?" The author gave a description about what humans thought as true myths and reshaped those myths into his own evil monsters and fit them into his story. 1 or 2 of the few pictures will probably freak you out. This book is a must read.

Seth and Kendra Sorenson are looking forward to another summer visit to Fablehaven with their grandparents who are really caretakers of a preserve for magical creatures. However, Fablehaven's magical mayhem comes to them as a fairy creature appears in their school, and a mysterious group bent on the destruction of magical preserves, the Society of the Evening Star, targets the kids at home. Seth and Kendra head for Fablehaven for protection, but also to help solve a mystery that could be a greater threat to Fablehaven than they faced last summer. New characters, new mysteries, and a bigger view of Brandon Mull's magical world make "Fablehaven: Rise of the Evening Star" a must read. Not only is this a fast paced, fun read, it also has some good lessons to learn about obedience, authority, decision making, and courage without being preachy. Just like the first installment in this series, I can't wait until my kids are old enough to read this. The action and other aspects may be a bit intense for kids under 10, but adolescents and teens will love this one. Parents will love it, too!

The moment that I finished reading the first Fablehaven book, I went online and ordered this one. My husband and I both loved the book, and couldn't wait for the third one to come out. I don't know what more to say than the other reviewers have already said, but I just had to add my vote. If you're considering buying this book, do it! We are so glad we discovered this series and they will always be part of our family library.

Pick up any book Brandon has a part of. This guy is remarkable at what he does. I started reading him because i wanted to read a "supernatural" book. When reading the "unreal" it is just that....unreal. But his way of writing will have you wanting more.

This is another great book he has put together. Left me on the edge of my seat expecting more and actually receiving it. Good read. Pick it up

I thought this book was a little over the top. This was the first book I read of Mr. Massey and it didn't really sell me. I will probably try another book of his before I make a final judgement. I love to write and Mr. Massey is inspirational. He is very passionate about his writing and I admire him for making his dream come true. I think the best is still to come with Mr. Massey.

Although the plot was mildly interesting, it was a little too 'far out there' to be truly captivating. I wasn't especially impressed by the author's writing style; I found his repeated inferences to the black culture interupted the material's flow. I most likely won't seek out other works by this author.

Drew (short for Andrew) is a successful novelist who appears to have everything. He has a hit thriller series, a nice large home in Atlanta, several wonderful friends, and is eagerly awaiting his new book deal (which promises to make him hundreds of thousands). The only thing missing is the love of a good woman, or to finally admit that he is in love with his best friend, Carmen. A slave to habit, his life, which is clearly outlined and followed, is disrupted when he meets the "woman of his dreams" (Mika) in Starbucks. She seems, initially, to be everything he wanted....beautiful, smart, rich, sexy and seemingly independent. However, after a night of passion, Mika turns into something he doesn't want and can't handle. As the novel unfolds, Massey introduces an element of the supernatural that promises to hold the attention of the reader until the very end. With a stormy parental relationship with his father, and his mother's psychic dreams, Drew realizes that he is in trouble, but is unsure of how to escape the one he thought that he desired. Filled with psycho cats, a sweet ghost named Sammie, and a scary groundskeeper (Walter), this novel has it all.....a little romance, some mystery, some deaths and a great story. I won't tell you what or who Mika is, reading this novel will tell you that, but I will say that Massey is among the few today who can create a story to be rivaled by Tanarive Due or Octavia Butler. Read this novel and you will not regret it.

So I had to take a break from the romance novels and hit up one of Brandon Massey's new thrillers titled "Within The Shadows".

If you love a good thriller, then this is the book for you! It started off with a bang! It ended with a bang! This book shows you that you should be open for the possiblity of anything happening in your life! The good, the bad and the UGLY!

Brandon's main character Andrew realized all that. He was a creature of habit until the one fatal day he did something he didn't normally do! Yep, it costed him a lot when he stepped out of his normal habit and didn't FOLLOW his CONSCIENCE!!!! True enough some good came out of it. BUT a whole lot of bad and ugly came out of it ti! It was a great tale of friends, family, and lust!

Take a ride with Andrew as he deals with writing a book, selling his 4th novel, sex, love, and the ghostly adventures!!!!!

The Business Playbook: Leadership Lessons from the World of Sports by Brandon Steiner does a tremendous job of explaining why it is important for one to set goals, as well as telling you what steps you can take to help you in achieving your goals. The book is well written, with a good amount of actual sports stories featuring some of the biggest names in sports. One downside is that many of the athletes discussed in the book play or played on teams based in New York. I would assume that is because the Steiner's business is located in New York and therefore these are the athletes he has the most contact with. The stories that he does tell about the athletes, however, are closely related to the lessons he is trying to teach in his book. Seeing the success that these athletes have had is a great motivator for the reader to try to accomplish much the same success in business instead of on a playing field.

The book is broken down into chapters, and each chapter essentially highlights a different principle that one can use on the road to success. Within each chapter every principle is broken down even further into various sub-topics. Although some of the sub-topics may not flow together as well as they could have, this style made the book very easy to read as well as understand. None of the information in the book is too complicated for the average reader to comprehend, and all of the information is explained very well.

By associating success in business with success in sports Steiner does a tremendous job in offering a book that is fun to read as well as a book that offers real lessons in business and leadership. Everyone who is at least in part a fan of sports and works in a business field should take the time to read this motivational book. By reading this book you will be able to tie aspects of sports into your business career in ways you may have never even felt were possible.

The Business Playbook is hands down the best motivational book I have ever read! Anyone who reads this book will take at least one valuable lesson that they could use in both their business and personal life! Mr. Steiner has a true sports marketing mind, and in my opinion is the best in the business! Keep up the good work!!!!!!!

I thought this book was very intuitive. It really made think about my future goals, and how I should approach them. It is a good reading for anybody who wants to be successful in what ever they want to do. Being that I am a big sports fan I really appreciated the sport figures and events that brandon used as analogies. It should be required reading for buisness students and for anybody who wants to move forward in life. Great book!

This book does a nice job of motivating you toward your leadership aspirations, but many times I felt like I was back in Jr. High school and was listening to my teacher tell me stories of when he was growing up. With all the author's experience and interaction with such high-profile icons of this generation (and a few past), I would think he could have transferred his leadership skills in a more adult and interesting way. Overall, the book was OK.

I was lucky enough to read this book after the CEO of my company asked me to purchase it and write him up a quick synopis. It was a quick but powerful read and by the end of that same weekend my senses were ablaze with newly kindled hope and inspiration!

Brandon Steiner has a great sense of motivational ability, and unlike some who give advice with an heir of condescension, he has an amazing ability to strike a chord with the reader through highly assimilable, digestible prose and imagery. He presents a theme and then illustrates it anecdotally. In his line of business one can only imagine the stories you'd have after working so closely with such colorful clientele. At the end of each chapter there is a summary and a closing paragraph or two which ties all the subject matter together.

The book is divided into key principles: "Start with a road map; Find your niche; Wake up nervous!; Know your purpose; Go the extra mile; You never know; Get focused!; Nothing changes if nothing changes; It's not what happens, it's what you do with what happens; and finally, See success as a habit." I saw so many points therein which had immediate relevance to my life and my future goals.

I am very glad to have read "The Business Playbook" and strongly advocate to anyone who reads this to pick yourself up a copy. You'll be glad you did.

Michael G.
NY, NY

My sons and I got hooked on the Fablehaven series a few weeks ago. These books are fun to read for youth and adults. The plot and quality of writing is not quite equal to Rollins' Harry POtter series, but we still enjoyed getting lost in this fantasy world. I recommend this book and the series.

This is a great new book series for Harry Potter Fans! I love this author's work and I have read all his books so far. Brandon Mull you keep writing and I'll keep reading your work!! I bet this series becomes a movie like the spiderwick series did.

This has to be one of the best series ever written. I liked it just as much if not more than the Harry Potter series. You have to read all three books and I can't wait for the fourth to come out next year. It is somewhat strong for really young children but is really good for the imagination of the 8-15 range. Some of the subjects are dark but the overall is amazing. Two strong thumbs up. Highly recommend.

Brandon Mull has become one of my favorite authors in just a few short months. I picked up the first book at the end of the school year at the book fair where I teach and have been anxiously working my way through the series and am looking forward to the next.

Mull takes you to very real places with his exotic twists for a magical adventure and its all about kids and how they learn to cope with adult responsibility. To put such a learning tool in ones writing is a gift. Thank You for writing Fablehaven.

Brandon Mull is getting hotter
With books as long as Harry Potter
This one goes four seventy seven
For kids above ten or eleven

There's danger lurking everywhere
Friend or foe is now unclear
With darkness taking over light
And fewer folk to lead the fight

A plague of shadows spreads its wings
O'er Nipsies and all other things
There's no time left for talk or tact
Just find the missing artifact

Fantastic creatures, deadly foes
Centaurs with arrows and bows
See them change before your eyes
The dark forces are on the rise

Knight of Dawn or Evening Star
No one knows which one you are
Or is it what everyone thinks?
Can the traitor be the Sphinx?

Vanessa's in the Quiet Box
Dare they open up the locks?
Oh, the secrets she could tell
If released from her private hell

New characters and distant places
Returning long forgotten faces
Battle lines are drawn and crossed
Could it be Fablehaven's lost?

Before you end up all bemused
Read one and two, you'll be enthused
This is the best, book three of five
What next will Brandon Mull contrive?

I want to see this on the screen
Drinking in each thrilling scene
Surround sound and soundly cast
From Fablehaven to the last



Amanda Richards, June 29, 2008



Rise of the Evening Star (Fablehaven)

Being a 4th Dan black belt in Tae Kwon Do, I tend to really dissect books on the subject and more than likely also tend to be more critical of the subject matter than perhaps I ought to. However, in this particular case, I feel that my very critical outlook on this book is actually a good thing, as this book far surpassed my expectations as an overall reference guide to Tae Kwon Do.

I was very impressed with the wealth of general information that was provided by the authors in this book. It was very well thought out and the organization of the material presented was exceptional. This book was so well done, that I even decided to hang onto it and keep it in my own personal library of martial arts book. It is that good!

The basic layout of the books starts with a brief but very informative look at the history and philosophy of Tae Kwon Do from ancient times to the more modern era. This is quickly followed up by a section on warming up and stretching, which brings up the one item that is usually a detractor when not used, but in this case it has been minimized by the use of well drawn human figures, and that is the lack of photographs in this book. Now I don't mean to say that there aren't enough photographs, I mean that there aren't any photographs at all in this book. Now under normal circumstances this would have been a HUGE detractor, but in this case it ends up being only a minor annoyance. At least that is how I looked at it.

The author's chose instead to provide some very well done drawings of a human figure to demonstrate the various techniques explained in this book. And though I still believe that photographs would have been helpful, the drawings themselves were done well enough that I considered them, for the most part, to be an acceptable substitute.

The next few sections cover some basic techniques in Tae Kwon Do such as; stances, footwork, blocks, strikes, and kicks. Of which, the following kicks were demonstrated:

Front Kick (Achieving Kicking Excellence, Vol. 6)
Axe Kick (Achieving Kicking Excellence, Vol. 3)
Crescent Kick (Achieving Kicking Excellence, Vol. 4)
Reverse Crescent Kick (Achieving Kicking Excellence, Vol. 5)
Roundhouse Kick (Achieving Kicking Excellence, Vol. 9)
Side Kick (Achieving Kicking Excellence, Vol. 10)
Back Kick (Achieving Kicking Excellence, Vol. 1)
Hook Kick (Achieving Kicking Excellence, Vol. 7)

Now I must add a particular note here that all of these techniques came with very good explanations to their proper execution and in some cases applications against an actual opponent. A lot of good relevant information was included in this section, as well as, the rest of the book.

The second to the last section of this book was very well done concerning the use of Tae Kwon Do techniques in a sparring type situation. Although I might add that some of it is also relevant to use in a self-defense type situation with just a bit of modification.

The final section in this book is devoted to the eight basic Taegeuk poomse or forms that are required for advancement through the gup ranks and also for the rank of black belt. Now I must admit that I am not a fan of the Taegeuk forms, but they are demonstrated rather well in this book and if you are looking for good reference material to refer to, then this section will definitely be of interest to you.

Overall this is really an outstanding book and one that I highly recommend.

Shawn Kovacich
Martial Artist/Author of the Achieving Kicking Excellence series.

I have purchased many books from Amazon and have never left a review. I feel compelled to write on this textbook because it is an extraordinarily well written and has fleshed out in my mind the history, principles and practice of taekwondo.

All of the important fundamentals are here, with concisely rendered figures of the stances, strikes, blocks, kicks, footwork etc. What is most helpful to my children especially the poomse sections. All of the taegeuk forms are here with explanations and review sections with schematic figures of the patterns. This book is essential for any age taekwondo practitioner.

I've found this a really good book. It covers basic techniques and stepping in enough detail to be really useful, then moves on the descibe the forms in three different ways - a text description with notes on specific moves, a description using drawings, and a quick summary of the moves involved. And it includes information on sparring. I own three or four other books dedicated to different aspects of Taekwondo, but this is the one I use 90% of the time.

The only problem I had was with a couple of pages becoming detached, but this was probably from me having it open in my hand while I practiced!

This is a really good book . . . I have been studying Tae Kwon Do for a couple of years now and this book allows be a quick review of some of the things we do at class. The step by step Poomsae picture section at the end is very helpful for polishing your forms.

I highly recommend this book.

I bought this my first week of TaeKwonDo. At first it was a little overwhelming. As I learned, the book became a very useful tool. It's really great to practice the physical and read the theory and history behind it in this book. It's a great guide for practicing at home. I recommend this book for any beginner to this sport.