Brown Books

H. Jackson Brown, Jr. is among the best advice givers in today's world of literacy. This book is the best gift for anyone starting a whole new lifestyle. I recommend this book to all young adults, especially those who will soon go on to College. For the game of life is always a hard game to play for young and old alike, and we can ALWAYS use a little or a lot of motivation every now and then.

I enjoyed reading each and every single advice contained in this book. Some of them are quite simple, even obvious. Some are more complex and profound. Nonetheless, everyone deals with those little details, the small things that can be a huge problem, or a great blessing. Awesome choice for a gift...you can hand-pick some of them to make them more giftee oriented or even write a Hopscotch in the manner of Julio Cortázar famous novel. Hope this helps. Worked for me.

I purchased these books for a group of college students that worked together as a staff. Some graduating, some still studying. I can only hope they do take the time to read it (here and there - not all at once) and it helps each one of them be better people. I believe this book has the ability to create role models and help people to treat others with kindness.

I first found this book on a bargain shelf at my local bookstore and picked it up for just 4 or 5 dollars. It really was a good buy.

It really is not a book that one would want to pick up and read but rather a book that you would want to have lie on your desk at work or on your coffee table at home so that visitors (or clients) can pick it up and turn to a random page and find any assortment of good philosophical sayings.

Each time I pick it up I find myself smiling at the fact that it gives something new each time you open it. With over 1500 entries, it really does give advice on everything. It gives advice on the things that we ethically know, but not necessarily are written down anywhere.

I bought a second copy not long ago for a friend of mine for a Christmas gift. It's a simple little thing that can make a big reaction.

I loved this little book! This is the result of a dad sitting down to write out a few words of wisdom and advice for his son who was going off to his freshman year at college. The first list was 511 entries, and then, he mailed his son a new collection every two years.

There's some great advice all through this book! And no long stories attached either. Short and straight to the point, each numbered piece of advice is no more than a few lines long. The suggestions cover a broad range, some are serious while others are funny or trivial, but all are honest and good advice, and many are just interesting. Like #841: "When your dog dies, frame his collar and put it above a window facing west" -I've never heard of that before.

I highly recommend this little book as a gifts for anybody in your life and for anything from birthdays to graduations or just because. Would also make a good coffe table or bathroom book too.

I have ordered from Amazon.com several times now and each time the item has been shipped right away and in good shape. This last purchase-The Complete Potter's Companion arrived quickly (it was a college class book) and it great shape. The decription stated it was used in excellent condidtion. It most defintely was. In fact if it didn't say used, I would never have guessed. Good job

Very informative with great step-by-step photos also. This book is really good at showing a wide variety of techniques and including historical information that is really interesting.

I'm new to pottery and found this book to be informative. I also found many creative ideas that sparked my own creativity.

This is a very pretty book, and it does cover a breadth of material, but it's very shallow. An entire book could be devoted to each chapter. It provides a good overview of what can be done with clay, but in the end, I have to turn to other books to get more than a cursory understanding of individual processes.

This book is a nice addition to any beginner potter's library. It is not in depth but offers a wide variety in information that is useful and helpful. It is most definatly in my 'top 10' of pottery books.

As the mother of a stillborn son, I could not believe how well Elizabeth described so much of what I felt in that first year after my son died in labor. Thank-you Elizabeth for telling this story to help others understand.

McCracken's memoir is at once an elegy to her first, stillborn child, and a love song to her second,live born son. Her writing is lyrical, a slow dance weaving back and forth between the two pregnancies. The trepidation accompanying a subsequent pregnancy is eloquently and accurately expressed. She is adamant that the live birth of her second son does not erase the still birth of her first.

McCracken successfully documents the often nebulous experience of bereaved families in her closing words: "It's a happy life, but someone is missing. It's a happy life, and someone is missing." That and is important, as it affirms the experience of bereaved families that it is possible to grieve and remember while celebrating new life. Her book is a testament to love and hope, a song of grief and joy.

An Exact Replica....in coming across the review for this book my heart skipped a beat. I knew I HAD to read it. Having our first child stillborn brings a connection to the full understanding of what this book is all about! I had goose bumps reading reviews and was chomping at the bit waiting for the book to arrive. We had a healthy son 18 months after the stillbirth of our baby Grace but still nothing will ever replace her! I can remember the day, exactly a year prior to Pudding's birth, as though it was yesterday. This book had me crying, laughing and being right where I wanted to be.
Elizabeth McCracken is right on with this portrayal and more importantly it is a loving and fantastic memoir to her beloved Pudding.
You'll never put this book down!

As a Mom who lost her first-born son at the age of 19, I have read many books pertaining to child loss. This book will stay with me forever as one of the most honest and soul baring accounts coming as close as you can to what it is like.

This is the story of a very private and personal loss: the loss of Elizabeth McCracken's baby, stillborn, in the ninth month of what had been a fairly normal pregnancy. As an author, McCracken recognizes the healing powers of the written word and the need to put all of this down on paper. She has done a remarkable job. This is a poignant memoir told, not just with obvious sadness, but with a soft, healing humor as well.

McCracken was in her mid-thirties, and a self-professed spinster, "a woman no one imagined marrying," when she met the writer Edward Carey. Life changed; they fell in love, moved in together, travelled and lived in various locations, pursuing jobs and fellowships. After a few years, they married. They were living in France, working on their respective books, when Elizabeth discovered that she was pregnant. All seemed fine until the end of the pregnancy when things suddenly went terribly wrong and Elizabeth had to go through the agony of delivering her stillborn son. For most of us, the pain and sadness described is unfathomable. McCracken tells us that after the baby they'd been calling Pudding dies, "what was killing was how nothing had changed. We'd been waiting to be transformed, and now here we were, back in our old life."

It is difficult not to shed tears as this story unfolds. Joy and hope are such a huge part of any pregnancy; we see only the future. There is no emotional roadmap with which we come equipped to deal with such loss. Elizabeth shares the ways that she and her husband have come through with the love and support of their families and friends. "To know that other people were sad made Pudding more real," she writes. The story reminded me of Joan Didion's The Year of Magical Thinking. Both memoirs describe such a deep personal loss and to me, the absolute need to write the story. This memoir has the quality of a journal--it is just so personal.

McCracken and her husband are now the parents of a second child, Gus, born one year and five days after Pudding. Gus, as McCracken points out, is not a "miracle baby" as some might say about "stories like ours," but "a nice everyday baby." Theirs is now a "happy life, and someone is missing."

by Janet Caplan
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women

I bought this book in 1996 and used one of the recipes for the curried fruit. Time went by and I got fatter and sicker. Now my doc has told me that she has given me all the meds I can take. It's up to me to change my body. I opened up this book again and decided to try the recipes for a month with weekends 'off'. I've managed to lose more than 12 pounds and drop my cholesterol by more than 50 points. What a difference! I'm never hungry and the recipes are easily prepared.

This book has practical advice. And the recipes are pretty darn good, and amazingly inexpensive. He relies heavily on beans and canned tomatoes and lots of spices, so the food is interesting in flavor, color, and texture. Most recipes also make a LOT, so that you can have extras to freeze for later dinners or take some to work in your lunch. This not only saves your eating plan, but softens the blow to your pocketbook that eating out entails. We have not found too many recipes yet, that we dislike. Most are very delicious and filling and are even better the next day. This book was indeed worth the purchase price; equal amounts of advice and recipes. Well done!

I started researching this topic about 2 years ago when my 35 year old husband became violently sick one night, he went the next morning for a blood test and his triglycerides were over 1800. They should be around 150 for a normal person. My husband has what Dr. Murkin calls Diabetic genes (all of his siblings and father suffer from high tri's & cholesterol). His HDL was 20 and his cholesterol was 400. After 2 weeks on Murkin, tricor and niacin he's bloods were in a good range. Since my husband & I prefer not to take medicine, he dropped the niacin and tricor after about a month. His bloods remained low with just the Murkin Diet. He began cheating about 6 months ago and spiraled out of control, a recent blood test showed tri's up above 2000. We are back on the diet in a big way and we will never go off of it again. I highly recommend this book!!

I think any one concerned about their health should take a look at this book. The recipes are great too.

I edit cookbooks for a living, and this is one of my favorites from which to cook. If a strict fat-free diet isn't necessary for you, modify as I do by saut?eing veggies in a little olive oil, and feel free to improvise with substitutes. But this book is solid and full of creative, colorful food and wonderful flavor combinations.

Fredric Brown's short stories are some of the best I've ever read. They're incredibly imaginative, sharp and often funny. Brown also invented many scifi concepts that are repeated in later books, TV and movies, making his stories fun to read for historical perspective, as well.

As a long time Fredric Brown fan, I never thought I'd see a complete collection of his marvellous stories. He's fantastic. Quick, witty, poignant or just fun, Fredric Brown to me is THE O'Henry of science fiction.

If you like classic Science Fiction this volume should be in your collection. If you think you don't like SF, but enjoy well written fiction full of ideas, surprises, and humor you should try this.
Fredric Brown was deservedly famous, his short story "Arena" was voted into the SFWA Hall of Fame. His name may not be mentioned frequently anymore, but those that had the fortune of reading some of his stories never forgot him.
This is an excellent collection that brings back to print his unique and thoughtful stories. Many of the stories collected here are classics, many are less than one page long, but in that short space they pack their concept (and a punch) so effectively, and are so well crafted, that more words would only dilute the effect. Some of the stories may be a little outdated in the science part of the fiction, but even those stand the test of time as speculative fiction.

"From These Ashes" is a collection of speculative fiction written by Fredric Brown and published between 1941 and 1965. Fredric Brown (1906 - 1972) achieved acclaim in mystery and speculative fiction writing. Over the course of his career he became a master of the vignette, which he was able to write in several genres including fantasy, horror, and science fiction. This collection was published in February of 2001.

The weakness of this collection is in the editing. The stories are supposedly grouped by year of their first publication, but there are several cases where they are incorrect, for example "The Joke" is put in the 1961 section, but it was actually first published in October of 1948 under the title "If Looks Could Kill". They also do not include any information regarding the publishing history of the stories. Many of the stories have had multiple titles over the course of their publishing history, but alternate titles are not listed. Despite the subtitle "The Complete Short SF of Fredric Brown", the Editor's Notes at the back indicate that at least two stories were omitted because they were later rewritten in the form of a novel. There is a good Introduction by Barry N. Malzberg, which would be the highlight of the added material.

The most important measure of a collection is the stories themselves, and in that regard there is no complaint. While few of Fredric Brown's stories have received any attention in terms of awards or even in fan polls, there are many excellent stories here which have been long overlooked. The best known story is the novelette "'Arena'", which was the basis for the Star Trek (Original Series) episode of the same name. It was tied for 35th on the Astounding/Analog All-Time Poll in 1971 for short fiction, and tied for 34th on the 1999 Locus All-Time Poll for novelettes. The short story "The Waveries" was nominated for the Retro Hugo for the year 1945 in 1996, as was the Novelette "Pi in the Sky".

Eight of the stories are collaborations with Mack Reynolds, and there is also the wonderful "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik" which he collaborated with Carl Onspaugh. Then there are the more than 50 vignettes, which are often overlooked when it comes to awards. All in all there are well over 100 pieces included, and on many of them the reader gets the feel of his mysteries as well as speculative fiction.

There are several absolutely wonderful writers of classic SF that are nearly forgotten today. Unfortunately, Fredric Brown is one of them. Whether it's his short fiction, as in this book, or his wonderful novels, including "What Mad Universe", all of his stuff is wonderful and well worth reading. Brown, Henry Kuttner, CM Cornbluth, Richard Matheson, so many others. All of them created the SF today, and most of their stuff is superior to the SF written today. Please, if you love SF at all, read Fredric Brown. You will thank me if you do. He is wonderful.

Here you will find mouthwatering recipes I know you will want to try. This book makes a good read and you'll be baking with it for years. This is a book to hand down to your children. I love it.

I'm very satisfied with my purchase of this cookbook. Being of Norwegian decent, it was very nice to see recipies from my fathers homeland. I've already made 2 things out of the cookbook, and can't wait to go home and make something for my father to bring back some memories to him.

I've purchased and read a variety of cook books over the years and have always had an interest in European traditions and cooking. This is one of the best baking books I've come across! Its definately the best european cookbook I've come across to date. Its got U.S measurements, easy to read recipes, a good variety of recipes, and interesting notations about the cultures.


I give it 4 stars instead of 5 because some of the intricate braiding recipes could have had better illustrations/instructions and I'm overwhelmed by some of the recipe sizes. (For example, Some recipes make 3 loaves of bread, or 4 dozen cookies.)

This is the best most complete Scandinavian baking book that I have ever come across that is published in English. It has many recipes that my Great Grandmother brought over from the old country (Denmark), just not all her familie's special variations. The recipes are easy to follow and always come out tasting great. Many of them taste just like you were sitting at a Cafe in Kopenhagen and any of the recipes in this book will enrich your gifts of Christmas cookies and make you a big hit at the holiday parties.

The Great Scandinavian Baking Book is an addictive collection of recipes from author Beatrice Ojakangas. From Cardamom Coffeebread (Pulla) and Sweet Cream Waffles to Danish Strawberry Scones (Kraemmerhuse) and almond glazed Swedish Tea Rings (Vetekrans), once you start baking from this book you'll have a hard time putting it away. I was delighted with everything I made and appreciated how Ojakangas introduced me to the many delectable ways Scandinavians use cardamom in their baking. Her recipes are easy to follow and accompanied by conversational intros that share cultural tidbits or serving tips. Although there are no photos in this book, when more complicated steps are required to complete a recipe the how-to portion is frequently illustrated with helpful diagrams. The lack of photographs is really the only thing about it I didn't absolutely adore about the book, which will make a welcome addition to any kitchen and is appropriate for beginner and experienced bakers alike. You'll revel in the heavenly aromas emanating from your oven, not to mention the baked goods you'll soon be enjoying with a cup of hot coffee or tea.

Chapters: Breads for Meals, Breads for Coffeetime, Cookies and Little Cakes, Cakes and Tortes, Pastries and Pies, Savory Pies and Filled Breads. Chapters about mail order sources, baking tips and ingredients are also included.

Hold on to your seat and make sure it's a comfortable seat because once you start reading this fast-paced, gripping tale of mystery, suspense and revenge you won't want to get up until you've read the last word.

The writing is not only amazing for a first-time novelist, it stands up to the writing of many seasoned novelists whose works are found on the best seller lists. The characters are so vivid you can see them clearly in your mind's eye. Hell, even the dog in the story has a personality. The main character, the Major, seemed so real, in so many ways, I couldn't help but wonder if "the Major" wasn't actually based on the author, D.H. Brown, himself.

Several adjectives come immediately to mind when I think back on my reading experience with Honor Due: gritty, haunting, suspenseful, and immensely satisfying are at the top of the list.

If I could give it six stars I would. But it looks like five will have to suffice.

Gary Val Tenuta
Author of The Ezekiel Code [...]
The Ezekiel Code

D.H. Brown's Honor Due is about a retired Army Special Operations Major, who is thrown back into the arena of warfare. "Once a special op's warrior always special op's warrior". You don't ever let your guard down. You learn things about people and their ways that you wish you never had. You always stay prepared.

The Major takes one look at the guy who entered his local watering hole and the warning bells of survival start to ring. He doesn't ignore these bells because they have served him well his whole adult life and kept him alive in some of the worse battles in Vietnam. Looking at this young man, the Major knows three things. One, someone wants him dead. Two, someone has made the ultimate mistake of bringing him back into the game of warfare. Three, he is going to have to kill this guy.

Finding his longtime friend from Vietnam tortured to death was a low blow and one someone would pay for. The Major is now set on a mission of revenge and he's back in a zone - predator vs. prey. There's a blood debt that must be paid and he won't stop until it is paid in full.

D.H. Brown has written a top-notch novel. The suspense that he has put in this book will keep you turning the pages or tossing and turning through the night if you dare put it down before reaching it's end. In his debut novel he shows the reader that he has mastered the art bringing the reader inside his world. You won't only read Brown's novel - you will feel his characters to your very core.

D.H. Brown has earned a space on my book shelf with this superb tale and I look forward to reading more of his work. This is just the beginning of the Citizen Warrior Series and I wait anxiously for the next. Excellent work and highly recommended! 5-Stars, Reviewed by Michael S. Timlin, Authors on the Rise Book Reviews.

Honor Due by D. H. Brown awarded the 2008 Silver Medal for Fiction by Military Writers Society of America (MWSA).

D.H. Brown's first book in his Citizen Warrior series is a non-stop thrill ride that I just couldn't put down. It's 35 years after the Vietnam war, and an ex-Special Forces operator is living a quiet life in the Pacific Northwest. However, his serenity is shattered when other Special Forces type suddenly arrive and attempt to kill him. Not only does the main character have to defend himself and his loved ones, he needs to find out WHY he has been targeted. Brown does an excellent job of both telling the story and developing the main characters, to the point where you share in their joy, sorrow and grief almost if you knew them personally. There's action, sorrow, sadness, suspense, a bit of sex, and a few smiles; something for everyone. Vets and fiction fans alike will enjoy this great read!

"Honor Due" is a suspenseful, action-packed, entertaining thriller. A
novel that draws the reader into the Vietnam War, describing what D.H.
Brown had to face, and how he survived the horror. The author penned a
compelling story through the main character as Major, defining his haunting past, history during the Vietnam Era, and the bravery of one
hero who was determined to prove that life was still worth living. The
Major's mission was to find answers, and seek truth as to what happened
when South Vietnam was falling. Through his terrifying journey, he was
determined to seek vengeance for his fallen brother, and family. With
courage, one warrior manages to find healing as romance blooms, and he
is able to see light at the end of the tunnel. In comparison to reading
novels about the military, "Honor Due" stands out with pride in an
excellent performance that was written from the heart of a true warrior.
In many war stories, we only see the cold, bloody, and the angry
perspective of war. In this novel, through the fascinating character of
Major, we don't just see the ugly. The journey through "Honor Due" takes
the reader to the battlefield, then to the sunset where peace, and love
bloom like the flowers. Unlike most military novels, D.H. Brown has a
unique way to invite the reader into the Vietnam Era during traumatic,
uneasy times. The Major pours a fresh, brewed cup of coffee from across
the table as he tells the story of his military nightmare, without
decorating the violence. Most important, the story is told from the
genuine characteristics of the Major's realistic personality. The
protective, sensitive, loving man that he was before becoming the Vietnam
soldier, and his own battle to keep that self-respect. I applaud the author in his first book of "The Citizen Warrior Series." The Major was
appealing, the plot was superb, and the story was interesting from
beginning to end. I recommend "Honor Due" to teens, adults, and all
readers who enjoy thrillers with a blend of romance, and humor. This
novel was as chilling, and dramatic as "the Deer Hunter" with Robert
Deniro. The Major told his story with as much heartfelt emotion as
there was in "Armageddon." The true meaning of the word hero light up
the pages in "Honor Due" on the same scale as viewing "the Patriot"
with Mel Gibson.

Geraldine Ahearn A.I.O.M
CCRN/ Author of 6 books
Author Geri Ahearn, INC.
Fellow Member of the ABI Women's Review Board

Simply one of the best holiday books for children! Interactive, which makes it very fun for kids. My kids were given this book when they were little (they're both in college now). The memories of reading this book with my kids really stuck with me; this year I bought two copies to give to my niece and nephew (now 2 and 3 yrs. old) and a third copy for a friend's children.

If you liked the Jolly Postman, you will love this book too! It's all the fun of opening up your favorite fairy tale characters' mail with a Christmas theme! This book is super cute. I love opening up the letters from their individual envelopes. I am also always amazed by the art work. Every time I look through this book, I notice new little details that I didn't see before. Two big thumbs up!

This book is adoreable and great for anyone over age 4. When I read it with my son I realized that he doesn't know his fairy tales and nursery rhymes very well, so some of it was lost on him, but it was still a fun read. He loved pulling out the letters and discovering what surprises were inside.

What a great book! Lots of play on fairytale characters. The book has 'envelopes' with really fun items to discover stuffed inside on each page. I enjoyed exploring this book as much as my son did.

I bought this for my daughter and later I bought it for friends' children. I'll probably search for it for my grandchildren too. You can probably guess that I like it! Buying for kids is such fun because you get the wow factor, and then you get to see whether they really take to it by reading/playing with it. Kids don't fib about this stuff, do they! I can report 100% success. The enthusiam they have for all the hidden messages, cards, games is so sweet. This truly is a gift that grows and grows on them.

Note - if you have to get a used one, verify all the bits are included. The book wouldn't work without those.

It's easy to lose yourself in this beautifully written medieval. This is a family saga based primarily on Fulke Fitzwarin and his struggles to regain the family homestead. From the very beginning, the reader realizes that he is a very honorable character and has all the qualities of a good leader. He is balanced by the self-centered and conniving anti-hero, Prince John. There are some heart-wrenching moments and E.C. is not afraid to have the hero and heroine make mistakes and be separated for awhile, but then there are tender love scenes throughout. The historical portions are made interesting through this story - never boring.

Absolutely love it. This book was bought for me as a gift by a very dear friend, and having read it I feel very loved to have been given such treasure! This book is nothing short of phenominal. ********** 10 stars from me!

This year, I'm steadily working my way through the novels of British author Elizabeth Chadwick. If I allow myself one novel a month, I should be able to last until October, when she has several books being released at the same time, without any serious pangs of withdrawal. Since the early 1990's, Elizabeth Chadwick has been writing novels set in the England and France of the 12th and 13th centuries, full of people who actually lived, and looking not just at the great events of the time, such as wars and crusades, but also at the lives of people who were of the minor nobility and gentry, giving new life to stories of chivalry.

In The Lords of the White Castle, she continues the story begun in Shadows and Strongholds, telling more of the FitzWarin family. A generation has passed, with Fulke le Brun, and his Hawise having raised up a brood of six sons. The eldest, also named Fulke, has been given a place in the household of Theobald Walter, a great landowner, and brother of a bishop. It's a place where he rubs shoulders with royalty and gains not just fighting skills, but also gains some of the finer social arts. Unfortunately, in young Fulke's case, things go awry during a chess game with King Henry's son, John, that results in a violent fight between the pair and a mutual loathing that will affect the FitzWarins for decades to come.

For during the early part of the reign of King Henry II, the FitzWarins had to give up the estate of Whittington in exchange for a lesser one. That loss has tormented the FitzWarins, and only the knowledge that there would be terrible repercussions has kept them from starting a bloody and private war between themselves, and the current owners of Whittington, the FitzRoger family. When King Richard grants that Whittington be returned to the FitzWarins, the FitzRogers refuse to give it up -- and just as it seems that Fulke le Brun is going to see justice done, King Richard dies, and a tragedy strikes the family.

His son, Fulke FitzWarin, is raw over the loss of his father, the continued presence of Morys FitzRoger at Whittington, and when the new king, John, refuses to honor the return of his family's estate, Fulke turns to outlawry. But he's not the only one who has been wronged by the new king.

King John seems to have a desire to stir up trouble everywhere now that he has his heart's desire of being king of England. Theobald Walter has married a young heiress, Maude la Vavasour, and while he is old enough to be her father twice over, it is a marriage of strong loyalty and devotion on both sides. While there's tension between Fulke and Maude, their own sense of personal honour keep them straying to anything physical between them. Theobald, a loyal subject of the king, is pushed to near rebellion when John accosts Maude, and she fights him off.

Other characters in Angevin English history appear as well. Ms. Chadwick's depiction of Isobel of Angouleme, John's twelve year old bride, is particularly on target.

Readers of Shadows and Strongholds will want to read this one, as it takes up the story of Brunin and Hawise's son, Fulke FitzWarin.

What I really enjoyed was that this story is based in fact. There was a lengthy ballad created about Fulke FitzWarin and his troubles with King John, and yes, he did take to the roads and woods as an outlaw with his brothers, seeking to wreck as much havoc as he could for King John. If this sounds very familiar to a famous story, it's very likely that Fulke was the inspiration for that outlaw. Along the way I get the usual standard of excellence that marks a novel by Elizabeth Chadwick -- smart characters, terrific depictions of daily life without anachronisms that scream to be noticed, and a real understanding of medieval culture and why people did what they did. It's that ability to create a very believable world, populate it with people who act and behave in the real world, and do it all with a sure hand is what keeps me returning to Elizabeth Chadwick's books, and trying to hold on during the times between new releases.

Unfortunately, there isn't an American publisher yet for Ms. Chadwick's novels, so for those readers who want to get their hands on her work, it's necessary to either check the local library and hope that they can get a copy through interlibrary loan, find a used copy on-line, or get a new copy through a British bookseller.

Four and a half stars, rounded up to five. Happily recommended.

Lords of the White Castle is a romanticized account of the life of Fulke FitzWarin, a real man who was a contemporary and lifelong minor antagonist of King John.

Author Elizabeth Chadwick is a member of a medieval reenactment group which emphasizes period accuracy, and she is most successful in Lords of the White Castle in depicting daily life. She does an outstanding job of creating realistic, sympathetic characters in richly described--though never excessively detailed--places and situations.

Chadwick's work draws a natural comparison to that of Sharon Kay Penman. Both authors write lovely novels that fill in gaps between known facts in medieval British history with plausible conjecture. In Lords, Chadwick injects her own variety of romantic notions into the FitzWarin lifestory. The result is a compellingly fast paced, romantic, historical novel.

This book tells the tale of outlaw Fulke FitzWarin, whose family had won (or so they claimed) important land - Whittington castle - on the Welsh border when Henry I invaded Wales. Ownership of the land apparently was in constant dispute for many years from 1100 to the opening of this story, which begins in 1184. Chadwick launches the tale with FitzWarin's father's final and failed attempt to win it back through legal means.

Meanwhile, FitzWarin serves Prince John, and the two mix as well as oil and water. When FitzWarin's father dies, the young Fulke turns outlaw over further disputes over the land, but also for personal reasons - the increasing animosity between he and John.

While the author never mentions this, some historians believe FitzWarin is the basis for the Robin Hood legend. Certainly, she relates the life of an outlaw during these times very well.

Later, FitzWarin meets and marries Maude le Vavasour. Contemporary accounts, upon which Chadwick bases their story, tell a spirited, romantic tale. Whether or not this is true, no one really knows. But it makes for a great love story.

The book ends following the Magna Carta rebellion, the death of King John, the signing of the Magna Carta, and sadly, the death of Maude.

Chadwick stays true to what is relatively certain concerning the history. She enlightens readers at the end with an explanatory note on the history.

If you like Sharon Kay Penman, you should enjoy this book. Moreover, if you have read HERE BE DRAGONS, you'll relate to several references to Llywelyn and the Welsh border struggles throughout the book.

Chadwick's SHADOWS AND STRONGHOLDS tells the story of the struggle for the disputed land.

Sharon Schulz-Elsing. Contributing Editor, Curled Up With a Good Book (curledup.com)

In the ground-breaking tradition of The Celestine Prophecy and Conversations with God, The Serpent's Dance (Book One) by Shri Yannam is an extraordinary memoir cum novel cum self-transformation guide. Inspired by the ancient wisdom of the author's Eastern background, Yannam uncovers twenty-one secrets of self-mastery through a surreal but powerful conversation with his soul guide, who appears to him in the form of a cobra in the wreckage of a tornado's aftermath.

Review by Ram Bhandari -- Corporate Engineering Consultant.

When I got Shri Yannam's book, The Serpent's Dance, at first I merely flipped through the pages, peeking into the contents here and there to see if it'd interest me. As I did, I paused to glance at some of the so-called Serpent's secrets (in bold italicized text). But my inquisitive mind longed to dig into the details leading to the secrets. And before I knew it, I found myself reading the entire book in just one sitting...from start to finish! As I read, I realized that the book was about the author's own life transforming experiences. So it became that much more interesting.

As it so often happens to our rational minds, when it is blocked suddenly by an insurmountable obstacle, an intense process of self-inquiry begins. This leads one to discover the essential nature of self and its binding to universal spirit. The intellect dives into the subconscious, empties itself of all rational thought, and rises again to reach spirit in order to understand the essence nature of reality. This is precisely what has happened to Shri Yannam.

Traditionally, in ancient Indian scriptures, a central principle is stated before an exhaustive explanation is put forth, further helped along by parables to drive the point home. Though Shri Yannam seeks to do the same thing, there is a difference in his approach. Shri dives into the conflict first (taking the reader with him)...before both resurface again with enough wisdom to understand and dissolve the conflict in question. This is precisely what makes his writing so interesting and so relevant to our present times. Rather than use traditional parables, Shri employs the struggles and conflicts imbued in our contemporary lives. Thus profound wisdom, inherent in spirit itself, is brought forth in a manner that makes it easy to assimilate.

Review by Sara "Sally" Hostelley -- Character Clown & Certified Laughter Leader.

I am reading Shri Yannam's book, The Serpent's Dance very slowly and very carefully. There's so much to digest here...because it's so deep and so profound. I love it! I like to close the book from time to time, and reflect on the author's experience after each of the serpent's secrets. The secrets resonate with me, and take me to a deeper/higher level of awareness/understanding. Then I experience a release and find myself becoming lighter in countless uplifting ways.

Review by Shyamkumar Srinivasan -- Telecom Engineer.

The Serpent's Dance is definitely not another 'run of the mill' book on Self Help. Shri does an excellent job of relating oft repeated ancient truths (the Gita, etc. in my case) as solutions to modern day stresses. He follows a unique approach in examining our deepest emotions, prejudices, likes, dislikes. His approach is secular in nature and free from all dogma (something that is hard to come by these days). The book does not come up with a list of do's and dont's or a magic wand that will brush away all our imbalances. What it does offer are ways at better understanding and de-mystifying our own inner selves. The style followed is one of a conversation between Shri and Siddhah - an imaginary Serpent in the form of a tornado. This could easily represent the reader and the tornado within each one of us.

Shri's formulas will go a long way in helping us better understand ourselves which will result in a better understanding of the universe external to us. This book is a must for every receptive mind.

Review by Lauren Pickard -- Healer, Single mother.

The Serpent's Dance is a comprehensive dialogue between Shri, the author, and a serpent, the author's chosen spirit form representing our super-consciousness or God-consciousness. This insightful conversation explores the depths of Shri's spiritual transformation through the perspective of his personal relationships.

I came to this book during a time of deep emotional healing. Life is an anthology of relationships, and when you heal one aspect, you automatically open the doors to healing them all. As Shri shares his journey of transcendence, it's an opportunity and an invitation to heal along with him.

The greatest teachers impart wisdom by example. The Serpent's Dance offers any reader an example of how to exist within the dichotomy of life, naturally balanced. It's intimate, comical, and its' vast, colorful concepts of self-mastery are presented in simple terms, with situational references.

This book reflects the innate wisdom within each of us and reminds us that our transformation, or "shedding of old skin," is always unfolding.