Clarke Books

This is one of the best books I've ever read! I couldn't put it down once I started it. I had to find out what happened to Annie and Mary. Everything seemed so realistic. It scared me a bit though. I was afraid of my closet for a while. Besides that, this is a must read!

This book is about 2 teenagers who meet and fall in love.....yeah it sounds like a sappy love story but it's not.
Annie is a typical teenager who has everything going for her until she meets Kevin. Kevin seems sweet until Annie sees his dark side, he is violet, jealous and can't control his rage. He accuses Annie over & over of cheating on him. Annie goes to a camp out trip and her and Kevin end up together, he promises not to get Annie pregnant but it happenes anyway and it forces them into a rushed marriage. Kevin's rage goes off the wall after he marries Annie. He starts hitting on her, pulling her hair, pushing her down the stairs and calling her names. I thought Annie was foolish for putting up with Kevin once in the book she sits there and let's Kevin throw metal tools at her head and kicks her in the mouth!
Even though this book was fiction, the point was that you need to be careful who you choose to have a relationship with and what happened to Annie can happen to anyone.

Stephanie 3/28/07

The Breakable Vow, Kathryn Ann Clarke 0-06-051821-9

In 2001 there was reported 691,710 cases of non-fatal violence from spouses, ex-spouses, and boyfriends or girlfriends. There should not be violence in relationships between people. In The Breakable Vow Annie and her boyfriend, Kevin, had been going out for a while and Annie went on a camping trip with her friend, Rene. Kevin is a pretty jealous guy, so he showed up to surprise her, but was really making sure she wasn't cheating on him. While they were there Rene went off to hang out with some other camp people, and Kevin pressured Annie into having sex with him. When Annie got back from the camping trip she felt very sick, and found out that she was pregnant. When she told Kevin he told her that his mom could pay for an abortion, but Annie didn't want to get rid of her kid.
This story is realistic fiction. One day after one of Annie's doctor appointments Kevin was getting ready to drive her home, but stopped. He said, "Who's Herold." Herold was a guy that Annie met while camping. Then, when she said that he was just a guy she met while camping and didn't do anything with him, Kevin reached over and started to strangle her. She tried to get out, but couldn't. He told her he had no choice, but to strangle her, and that she was a slut. She finally got out of the car and ran home. She wasn't talking to him, but a couple of days later he came to her house and apologized. He said he would never touch her again. So, a couple months later she had her baby, and they got married. They moved to Texas for Kevin, because he had a football scholarship there. They continued to get into fights, and some were violent, but not extremely violent. Annie started going to a counselor. She told her that Kevin hurts her, then acts all nice to get her back, and that she's in big danger. Well, one night when Kevin found out that some boy at Annie's work liked her he came running into the house extremely drunk and it went too far.
This was one of the best books I've read in months! It had an interesting topic to start out, and it was very suspensful. For example, when Kevin found out that some guy at Annie's worked liked her it ended the chapter with this, "She was two steps from the front door when she saw the knob turning." I could not put the book down, because I wanted to know what happened next, and if Annie would get out alright. I 100% recommend this book, because it kept me reading for hours, and the story line never got boring. Also, some books have really stupid endings, but the ending to this book made me feel like I knew what happened, even though it pretty much left you at a cliff hanger. I felt very satisfied after the book ended. I hope that you read this book, and learn some facts on abusers too.

I loved this book. It was so sad, but seemed so very realistic. The way she described Kevin and how he acted put chills up my spine, it scared me so much ,i didnt read it for three days. But i had to find out what happened to Annie and Mary. It was a great book. I'd reccomend this to anyone.... its such a tearjerker.

This book was an amazing story of strength, courage and healing. I find it hard to believe that some reviewers commented on grammatical errors or the length of the book. Did they NOT read this heart-wrenching story? From what I know about Kathryn Clarke, this book is largely based on her personal experiences and is semi-autobiographical. Truth is often stranger than fiction. "Annie" is a young woman who is a survivor of abuse who displays amazing intelligence, faith and determination. The cycle of abuse is often difficult for others to understand if they are not engulfed in that situation. This author does an incredible job of giving the reader insight into how and why someone can get caught up in the pain and dangerous pattern of abuse. She also gives HOPE to anyone in a similar situation. I HIGHLY recommend this book!

Life is fun, or should be, and meant to be lived in love is the message of these poems, those who don't think so are being deceived. Hafiz was a main influence on the third and final stage of Goethe's writing and ideas. When you find that one thing you better go after it with a passion like your hair is on fire. They also demonstrate the diversity of thought in the Persian influenced area of the world.

Of course something is lost in translation with most all poetry, one sees only a single frame of a changing kaleidoscope. There is a passion glimmered here that seems most intense.

When I started questioning my religion as a Christian, I started losing a lot of faith... then I came across this book.
The translations are incredible, the poetry is awesome, and I love the history and context section in the back of the book. I carry it with me whenever I travel, I read a poem every night. It's really wonderful, it makes it so that no matter how terrible my day was, it can end beautifully.
Buy it, it will change your life.

I love to read these poems to friends and watch their delight as Hafiz takes us into his world of intoxication. Daniel Ladinsky seems to be the only translator who really conveys the beautiful outrageousness of Hafiz. This book is a "must have."

Hafiz's poems are deeply passionate and always inspirational. I teach massage therapy in Austin and we have elevated him to honorary faculty because he is the most quoted author by all the instructors at any school function where one of us may be required to say a few words. I can never make it through this book without weeping tears of joy. Hafiz is a master of the Art of Joy. Through his loving instruction, you can see the loveliness of even the darkest night of your soul. With a voice steady enough to whisper to us over 800 years, the light of his spirit is a beacon to seekers everywhere. He's dreamy!

Hafiz gives us all the opportunity to travel at his side as he moves through the experience of awakening. He shares his seeing and getting lost with equal candor, his moving forward and running away all with the humor and compassion that his final awakening has let him come to know. He is like the sweet old grandfather whose lap we want to curl up in, making room for us, and telling us that if he could do it, we can too.

Those looking for a sequel to Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell will be disappointed. This is not a sequel but rather a collection of short stories that take place in the same fantasy world. The collection is both entertaining and enjoyable on their own but those looking for the same epic fantasy novel as the aforementioned should look elsewhere.

Read a sample chapter and decide for yourself :)

I loved the narration. Davina Porter has a lovely voice and beautiful expression. However, it seems as though "the other stories" were just thrown in. The title story was very good, but the others were less than expected.

I enjoyed Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell because it was so unique. It was a slow read at times but made up for it with some fascinating characters placed in an alternate history where magicians work with the military to fight Napoleon. This collection of short stories however, I found odd, boring and very very slow to move through. Just didn't capture my attention. I read another four books while forcing myself to finish this one. I give it two stars which to me means save your money. I didn't like this one for the most part. One story reminded me a bit of Strange and Norrell and that is Tom Brightwind. Amazon recommeded "His Majesty's Dragon" to me because I enjoyed JS and Mr. Norrell. I enjoyed reading about the English using talking dragons to fight Napoleon. If you are looking for something similar to JS and Mr. Norrell, you might look there.

While Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell is not required reading for this short story collection, it provides a fuller and more complete background to the stories you are reading, nevertheless, one can certainly enjoy them and understand what's going on without having read the aforementioned 600+ page book.

Clarke spent a decade writing Jonathan Strange, so it is not surprising that in her spare time she wrote some stories set in this magnificent world, which while not directly involved in the actions and events of her opus, do play by its rules and restrictions. Some of the stories may even have been cut from the massive manuscript that was Jonathan Strange and now find themselves in this collection, finally in print.

These eight stories run the gamut of what Clarke might want to tell about her world, from what a couple of ladies with magical ability must do (from the title story); to a tale of Mary, Queen of Scots; to a story involving the same Jonathan Strange of her book. What links all these stories together is the reality of magic, whether the characters in the stories choose to accept its existence or not. The result is a delightful, seemingly romantic, and entertaining change to the glut of fantasy filling the book world these days. Magic in Clarke's world cannot be done by everyone; it is subtle, exhausting, and hard to do. Like the Bartimaeus Trilogy, Clarke's magical world presents something new and therefore captivating in its own way.

While my complaint of Clarke is that she can often be long winded and due for some heavy editing - both in this collection and in her weighty novel - in the end one is left with the wonderful feeling that one has just read something special and will delight in reading it again some day. Not to mention Ladies of Grace Adieu also features mesmerizing black and white illustrations by Charles Vess (who illustrated Neil Gaiman's Stardust), the book is a worthy addition to anyone's library. The question remains now: how long will it be before Clarke publishes another collection or novel? Does she have a box full of cut stories and material from Jonathan Strange waiting to be viewed by a reader's eyes? Only time will reveal this truth.

For more book reviews, and other writings, go to www.alexctelander.com

Susanna Clarke won me over with Strange & Norrell, which I confess is my "favorite book that I hate" (it was painfully verbose at times, and rambling at others, but somehow it was also highly enjoyable). It should be no surprise that her short stories are the best of both worlds: the same highly literate representations of Fairy, the same well-crafted world of magic and wonder... but condensed nicely into more easily consumable portions. More adult than the lovable and whimsical Stardust by Neil Gaiman, but as easy to digest.

I give 2 enthusiastic thumbs-up, or five stars, or whatever (I'd give five thumbs-up if I had five thumbs).

I am a proud mother of 4 and very busy. I have always LIKED Elvis. I often asked my sons' teacher to describe more of what I knew or she told me great facts. I have little time to myself, but the teacher gave me the book for Christmas! I loved it! I wanted to read more but was so busy. I JUST finished the book and I loved the photos, the details of what I already knew and NEW information. This is great for a more casual fan I was told, and it is true! It focuses on the good (that is how the teacher is!) She purchashed many copies for people and I was a lucky receiver! This is a great book and a must have for new, casual or die hard fans (die hard is the teacher) and I am grateful for the book. I wish the author knew how great this book is and helpful to me. If it was good enough for the teacher to buy 2 dozen for gifts, it is well worth the money!

This book is the best of all books (about 20) I have read.
The photographs are also something uncommmon.
All fans should have them.

"Before Elvis, there was nothing," said John Lennon. He was referring to music. We all know the universe, earth and humankind existed before Elvis Presley. Lennon was right, though. Modern music began with Elvis. Before Elvis, music was meaningless and worthless.

Elvis Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi on January 8, 1935. His parents were Vernon and Gladys Presley. There was a twin brother, who died at birth. Elvis grew up in a two-room house which Vernon built. He was close to his mother, a relationship which defined his personality. His family moved to Memphis, Tennessee, when Elvis was 13. They moved into the projects. Elvis was a misfit at school. He wore flashy clothes and hung out on Beale Street. He listened to black musicians play the blues. He had rhythm. After high school, he took a job driving a truck for an electric company. He decided to record a song as a gift to his mother. He went to Sun Records in Memphis. Sun was owned by Sam Phillips. Marion Keisker, who worked for Phillips, saw something in Elvis. She suggested to Phillips that he work with him. Phillips put Elvis with guitar player Scotty Moore, bassist Bill Black and drummer D.J. Fontana. The result was That's Alright Mamma. Memphis radio stations picked it up. Other recordings for Sun followed, and Elvis caught on across the south. Girls loved him. They screamed and swooned. Parents detested his gyrations and called him vulgar. The new music was rock & roll. The older generation called it everything from "nigger music" to "devil's music." RCA purchased Elvis' contract from Phillips for $35,000. They got a bargain. Elvis had his first number one record in January, 1956, with Heartbreak Hotel. Others followed: Hound Dog, Don't Be Cruel, All Shook Up and Too Much. Elvis appeared on television, the Steve Allen and Ed Sullivan shows. Sullivan insisted he only be shown from the waist up. It added fuel to the fire. Hollywood beckoned, and Elvis made his first movie, Love Me Tender. In two years, he had laid the foundation for the music which would dominate into the 21st century.

This book by Pamela Clarke Keogh is, in many ways a condensed, water-downed summary of Peter Guarlnick's exhaustive and meticulously researched two-volume biographies on Elvis. I read Keogh's attractive coffee table-style book and noticed how much material she has virtually lifted from Guarlnick's books. Keogh does acknowledge Guarlnick as a source but, really, so much of the text is not her own.

The pictures are lovely, and I did enjoy reading the author's discussion of Elvis's sense of style. Elvis Presley is a cultural icon in our secular world and Ms. Keogh has some interesting comments in this respect.

Having just read Peter Guarlnick's biography on Elvis,I was keenly aware of how much of this book was simply a condensed copy of his detailed work. If you are looking for "the biography" on Elvis, I would recommend Guarlnick's work.

Keogh's book is a "coffee table book" - pretty pictures, easy read, fun to glance at. But, I give it a 2 star rating since the author made a HUGE mistake in my mind - she cited Elvis's birthday as "January 30" 1935. Any fan of Elvis knows he was born on January 8, 1935. I'm not sure how such a goof could be missed but there it is, in black & white. This error made me really doubt the content of the book - there is relatively little text - surely they could have proofed a bit better? It just makes me question the rest of book's biographical "facts" and interviews.

I have read MANY Elvis books and everything you can think of. I cannot put this book down...I am amazed at the details, the dates, the inside stories...it is amazing and in a few hours I have read half the book, and it is 4am! GREAT!

This is one of the better parenting books I've read so far (and I read a lot of parenting books). I think it's structured really well, very thorough, very helpful in understanding some of the pitfalls of parenting and some of the ways to be more effective. There are a lot of examples, which can slow down the reading but also help understand better what the author intended. Some of what the book says is very common sense and would seem obvious and like nothing new, but the way the author puts out the information is somehow very fresh and helped me understand better what behavior to avoid. Overall, I highly recommend this book; it's one of my favorite guidebooks so far.

This book is amazing. Something here for every parent, grandparent, educator, employer, etc.

I was impressed with this research driven book. It contains countless interviews and real-life situations. The stories tell great lessons.

I see this as a window into the family dynamics of many children today.

I experienced self evaluation and a greater understanding of people I encounter in my daily life.

Worth every penny...buy it. emk.

A very readable book loaded with straightforward advice that can be easily implemented.

I bought this book fearing that perhaps it was for wealthy parents. Not the case. Rather, the book argues convincingly that children of all socio-economic backgrounds can be and too frequently are overindulged.

"Johnnie go to your room. OK?" Wrong. "Johnnie go to your room. Do you understand?" Right. Big difference. It turns out that it's little things that make a big difference.

This one is a definite must-read.

I didn't read, but she told me about it for a couple of weeks, so I felt like I read it. And saved the effort. Anyway, we spoil our kids rotten compared to when I was coming up, but where does positive reinforcement end and spoiling begin? This books helps you to draw the line. Which is hard, because she's with them all day, and during the week I'm at work a lot and on the weekends, sometimes I want to get them something; or when I'm going to eat at Tyson's, the urge is to buy a little something at the lego store or a new game chip. Ah, who thought raising good kids was this hard,

Good book though.

Instead of giving me yet another methodology for parenting, this book gave me a gauge to measure and to understand the methodology I was using. It also helped me define goals for my children in terms of behavior now as well as the eventual outcome of functioning adulthood!

I originally got it from the library, but aftere returning it I found myself thinking back to it so often that I had to buy it.

I really enjoyed this book, it started off with a bang and never slowed down. I rarely read a book in one day but this was one of those books I couldn't put down. It's hard to believe it was written by a 26 year old young man. I'm a fan!

It took me a little while to get into the rhythm of this book, but once I did I found it quite enjoyable. While Conrad, the ghost in this story plots his revenge, all manner of laughable and not so laughable events occur. To be sure, every single character is terribly flawed with the possible exception of big ol' farmboy Tucker. While that might smack of reality, and to an extent it does, you're left feeling you sure hope your kids don't meet up with most of these people, especially the frat brothers, when they go off to college. By the way, some reviewers have come down hard on the exaggerated depiction of the frat brothers. I too was a member of a Greek fraternity, but I think it a bit silly to expect depictions of reality in a novel told from the perspective of a ghost. Chock full of bad behavior and bad language, and it can't necessarily be called a fun read, but on some level, I did find it very satisfying.

I really liked this book. It's much different from my normal reads, and the story, while a bit unbelievable at times, kept me interested throughout.

Conrad Sutton is out to seek revenge against the hot-shot fraternity leader that killed him. Only problem is, he has to inhabit another fraternity pledge's body to do it. Conrad starts off feeling bad about this, but over the course of the story, his rage deepens, and aside from Miss Etta's (the fraternity's cook, and one of the only people who can see his ghost) warnings, Conrad just can't seem to let go.

Overall, I was very pleased with the story, and it's ending. It was also an enlightening look into fraternity hazing. Now, I'm sure not all frats haze to this extent, but I'm also just as sure that there are one's out there that do, and it amazes me what kids will tolerate just to be part of a fraternity. Anyway, in the end, if you're interested in reading this, I say give it a shot. It's a good book, set at a great pace, and is overall a pretty cool story.

Take a goat in lingerie. Add a Whoopie Goldberg-like cook who can see dead people. Mix in some crazy LSU Frat boys and you have a recipe for a laugh-out-loud book that you won't be able to put down.

I LOVED this novel. It's one of my favorites this year. Watch out for Will Clarke because you'll be hearing a lot from him in the future.

If you've ever wondered what it might feel like to possess the body of another human being, wonder no more. Conrad Avery Sutton III, the book's narrator and protagonist, who is dead, will tell you that it's like "wearing somebody else's dirty underwear". Does he let this stop him? No way, dude! After all, if you possess a body you can get laid, get drunk, get a meal, get revenge for your murder. Without a body, all you can do is watch your former girlfriend, your murderer and your various fraternity brothers...The Worthy, at least that's what they claim.

Well, it's true that a few people can see and talk to you and others can sense your presence, but as Conrad tells us early in the story, "most people ignore the dead". You do have one real problem: you want revenge for your murder, but God, speaking through Miss Etta, the fraternity house cook, wants you to forgive. What's a ghost to do?

This book was a whale of a good time, but after reading it I know one thing for sure: no son of mine would EVER be allowed to join a fraternity. Enjoy!

Mild-mannered teacher. Mama's boy. Impressionable Army teamster. Professional gambler. Lady's man. Expert horseman. Cold-blooded killer.

William Clarke Quantrill, the leader of the most feared group of guerrillas in American history, possessed all of these personas at one time or another in his short life. Tackling a subject of this complexity requires an author who is up to the task, and Edward Leslie proves that he is the man for the job in The Devil Knows How to Ride.

Leslie does an admirable job transporting the reader back to a time when people's survival was day-to-day and the difference between life and death often depended on one's political sympathies. Leslie probably comes closer than any other author to understanding Quantrill the man and his motivations. This is all the more impressive when one considers that Quantrill, the most important figure in the story, died a month shy of his 28th birthday, leaving behind few correspondences and no memoirs.

The book is thoroughly researched and meticulously detailed. Well-known events such as the Lawrence Massacre are covered. But so are little-known historical nuggets, such as the story of Quantrill escaping from the headquarters of a Confederate general who had placed him under arrest near Bonham, Texas. It seems that every raid ever undertaken by Quantrill's gang gets a mention, whether it be for one sentence or an entire chapter. Despite the book's great detail, its pulse-pounding pace is rarely compromised.

Besides good research and an easy writing style, another of Leslie's hallmarks is that he brings objectivity to the subject of which he writes. He projects a balanced view that never resorts to "purple prose." Many of the more incendiary allegations against Quantrill are presented very carefully. For example, Leslie takes issue with stories of Quantrill gleefully abusing animals as a youth and attributes them to a single source who had reasons for disparaging his character. Perhaps because of Quantrill's fierce reputation, many such stories about him were taken at face value when they were first published.

This book is ideal for readers with a basic knowledge of the Civil War who don't want to sift through long narratives of troop movements, flanking maneuvers, and the like. The irregular nature of guerrilla operations makes for interesting reading. The story is also interesting because guerrilla groups were small units compared with the regular Army. As a result, the participants in the story have related their experiences in very personal terms.

Leslie's attention to detail and fresh perspective on Quantrill ensures that Civil War aficionados will appreciate the book as well.

If you are looking for one book on Quantrill, or even one book on the Civil War in the West, you can't go wrong with The Devil Knows How to Ride.

I am a history fanatic and I loved this book. It is about a time of which I did not have a lot of knowledge and this was so well done.
I am sorry Mr. Leslie doesn't have more books as he is an excellant story teller.

As little as I heard about William Qunatrell and as much as I wanted to know about him, I found this book sadly lacking in any depth or insight. Even though the author writes an introduction about knowing a sociopath who massacred a dozen people in a McDonald's and how this led him to be interested in serial killers and the like, he falls back on narrative devices of the Gone with the Wind cliche.

Whilst there is a fascinating story buried in this narrative about a man who took up guerrilla warfare and how he scared the hell out of Kansas and Missouri, the retelling sucks the life out of it. The author relies too heavily on the original histories and reports some of the hokiness bits of dialogue and fictions without comment. Sure, the guerrila bands MIGHT have been avenging their sisters and the good southern women, or that might have just been the melodramatic recreation. Sure, a man might have said "D-mn them. They are desecrating the flag" upon seeing a Lawrence raider dragging an American flag on horseback. Or he might have just been running for his life and thought up the story later on.

Sadly, this is considered the classic of the historical accounts. So it will be many more years before a better book comes along - one that actually attempts psychological insight and historical accuracy and actually discusses the original texts instead of swallowing every bit of romanticized twaddle without question.

....and Colonel William Clarke Quantrill called in the debt. He sure as hell did. Hart was an assumed name that Quantrill used as a young man when he went west from Ohio seeking fame and fortune, or at least a living. Problem was, he landed right in the middle of the "Bleeding Kansas" mess that was especially hot along the Missouri-Kansas border. Quantrill worked as a teacher, and is said to have been a good one, but trouble was brewing...Charles Jennison and his Jayhawkers, John Brown and his murders of innocent whites....more than enough motivation for a young man to follow the South when war came.

Missouri was even more deeply divided than the rest of the country; it really was brother against brother. The Confederate commander in Missouri was Major General Sterling Price, a fine and decent man, but not our best General. Initially, Quantrill served in the regular Confederate Army, but gradually broke away, with a band of followers, to form The Missouri Partisan Rangers, forerunner of the modern Special Forces, complete with proper Confederate commissions. At first, they played by regular rules...taking prisoners, giving paroles, etc. But when Jim Lane wantonly burned Osceola, and murdered civilians, the black flag came out...

Quantrill's followers are the stuff of Legend...Captain Bloody Bill Anderson...Captain George Todd, who eventually supplanted Quantrill [I am married to a direct descendent of Captain Todd; our son will gladly tell you about it]...Archie Clement...Bill Gregg...Cole Younger...Frank James...Jesse James. Some died in the cause; others went on to fame after the war.

Quantrill's Raiders lived off the countryside, and made things hot for the Yankees wherever they went. They even fought, and won, regular battles, like Baxter Springs. Finally, the Yankees imprisoned female relatives of the Raiders in a structurally unsafe jail in Kansas City...when it collapsed, five innocent girls, including Bill Anderson's sister and Cole Younger's cousin died...enough was enough, the bill was due, and Lawrence paid. When Ewing issued his infamous Order #11, clearing northwest Missouri of Southern civilians, resolve hardened.

Eventually, Todd and Anderson were killed, and the war ended. Quantrill was mortally wounded in Kentucky in 1865. Or was he? He was seen alive as late as 1915...the ultimate legendary status...seen alive after death, joining such company as Jesse James [seen as late as 1951], Houdini, Elvis, and JFK. His skull was used as a prop in a college fraternity initiation for years; he finally received a military funeral, and Christian burial, in 1992. Surviving Raiders held reunions from 1898 till 1929; interestingly, there were two black Raiders at the reunions, though no one knows much about them.

This is a well researched account of a little known aspect of our Civil War. "Quantrill's War" by Duane Schultz is more academic, but this is more readable...both get five stars.

I went to KU in Lawrence so I was well aware of Quantrill's raid but that was about all that I was aware of. (Pioneer Cemetery with headstone inscriptions bearing witness to that raid is just across I70 from KU on Mount Oread.) When studying the American Civil War in school one learns about Gettysburg, Antietam, Petersburg and the fighting in the Shenandoah of Virginia. Some passing mention might be made of the war in the west, usually a reference to Grant and Vicksburg. There is hardly if ever any mention of the 'border war' in eastern Kansas and western Missouri. The border war is still alive in that part of the nation; the massacre at Baxter Springs and General Order Number 11 that emptied a number of counties of citizens in western Missouri to combat bands of guerillas is still in the memory of many. Not all of the fighting was in the east and Edward Leslie does a fine job of bringing to life a bit of the war in the west. It was as nasty if not nastier than anything in the east.

Motivated by the news of Clarke's recent death, I dredged through what remains of my book collection, inclined to reread this particular book. Unable to find my copy, I ordered this paperback version from Amazon. It has been satisfying to once again go to the 23rd century with Clarke. He certainly was one of the 20th century's most creative thinkers, and he presented his ideas and insights with a minimum of frills.

My new paperback version of the book, however, includes in Chapter 22 a serious error in keyboarding and/or proofreading. Euler's identity is presented with the exponent missing.

The space elevator which Clarke describes in considerable detail in this book is also variously described as a bridge or a tower, and he makes several references to such structures which preceded it, including the Eiffel Tower of the 19th century and the Gibraltar Bridge of the 23rd century. He even makes a passing reference to the legendary Rainbow Bridge to Valhalla, which he has now crossed himself. Godspeed, Arthur Clarke.

Space Elevator in alternate Sri Lanka.


The main story in this novel is the construction of a space elevator, and all the engineering problems and dangers for those working on the project.

Not everyone thinks this is a great idea, particularly the head of the religious orders near where this is to be built.

To make the whole story more interesting and complicated, an alien artifact arrives at Earth earlier in the novel, communicating information and the fact that yes, there are races that are way beyond you in maturity, in all senses.

Religion, aliens and monumental work, all tied in together.

Certainly one of Clarke's best books.

Especially for one grounded in "Hard" science, himself contributing as much or more to "Real" science than his books have to fiction. He's credited mostly with the "Communications Satellite" for NASA, btw. Yet, for storytelling he goes more the "Wells" route, than the "Verne" route. While he's against Psuedoscience or hoping for a "Hyperspace breakthrough" he knows that over time current science will simply give way to now unconcievable breakthroughs and what may be impossible now may not be in an aeon. "Magic is Science unexplained" he said. "Fountains of Paradise" is more grounded in the nearer future, the building of a "Space Elevator", and that story being tied to a quest for ultimate power and greatness in the distant past. It is also a kind of tribute to Sri Lanka, the country he loved most of all the places he'd visited in his lifetime and the one he retired in.

I read this book after reading mostly positive reviews and enjoying many of Clark's other works. Overall, I liked it but would of rather had a little mroe interaction with the space elevator/tower. The subplots were OK and held together but the main concept I felt received too little "airtime" so to speak.

Definitely worth a read and as one other reviewer stated, it's an easy book to get into with solid writing style and story flow.

If you like Clarke's style (shallow characters who are either ignorable or clones of himself, but very solid and interesting scientific concepts) then this book is a must read. Aside from advancing the idea of the space elevator (which he credits to a Russian scientist) he goes into the little design details and problems such a monumental project would face. This may sound boring, but at least something happened, unlike in Rama, and both are truly interesting if you're into his style. This is Clarke at his best. Take him or leave him.

I bought this book for my daughter and her new growing family. It makes for great interaction and lively discussion. The dialog they have going on now is refreshing. If you have only have 10 quality minutes a day to spend with your child reading this book together will make it well spent! Ann Clarke, author of People Are So Different! based on tolerance and understanding.

I love this book, it is easy to follow and has fun entertaining was to teach kids values.

It was very helpful and the activities were really only 10 minues long, at max.

There are quite a few important topics to choose from. Seems to start good conversation with the children. (Ages 9-13)

I was hoping this book would be a useful resource for developing supplemental activities for an elementary-level (K-5) curriculum on non-violence and conflict resolution. But it is really geared toward parents (as the title indicates), not educators. The activities and required materials are suitable for an interpersonal setting, not really for the average classroom or after school programs. I found that 104 Activities That Build: Self-Esteem, Teamwork, Communication, Anger Management, Self-Discovery, Coping Skills by Alanna Jones, was more useful for my needs/goals.

I loved this book. It gave me so many new ideas on how to bead on fabric, which is mainly what I was interested in. I like to liven up some of my projects with beads and this book showed me how. Well worth buying

These women know their stuff, and they know how to teach it to others. They give you plenty of detail in techniques, and offer a lot of inspiring examples of work.

I have totally enjoyed this book. I had already done some bead embroidery, but this book gave me a lot more to think about and the photos in the projects and gallery sections were very inspirational. While I'm working on a piece, I look at this book to think about new stitches that I haven't done or color combinations and more. I haven't made a lot of the projects, but I use the information from them to build my own pieces. I think this book is a MUST HAVE if you want to create bead embroidered work.

This book is one of the most exciting beading books I have read. Not only does it have beautiful projects with a variety of techniques, but the gallery of pieces made is out of this world. I would recommend it strongly for any serious or even beginning beader. Beading rocks!!!

I am just beginning with fabric arts and this book was just what I was looking for. I had never done beading on fabric before. This book gave a little history, talked about supplies and showed several basic steps. It had several nice projects to work on as well as several lovely pictures of other artists' work. It also goes into color theory and talk about design which I only skimmed over, but that's just me. Overall, very, very helpful for someone starting out in this area.