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Elia Kazan: A Life
Published in Paperback by Anchor (1989-03-28)
Author: Elia Kazan
List price: $12.95
New price: $5.50
Used price: $0.40
Collectible price: $12.95

Average review score:

A Show Stopper
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-03
Elia Kazan was arguably one of the most influential people that theatre has ever produced. He had an amazing life through his art, and outside of it.

Here, at the age of 77, past the point of modesty, conceit and pride, he tells his remarkable story of learning his craft, harnessing his incredible God-given talent, and channelling his drive into success.

We learn about his trysts and liasons with other icons, his marriages, his faults and missteps.

He owns up to many things that have not made him proud, including naming names during the deplorable McCarthy communist witch hunts of the 1950's.

He talks openly of his failures as a parent and a husband, his infidelity, and his loss of faith.

He also recounts his many astounding successes in film and theatre, including the many great actors and actresses he worked with.

His honest self-assessment is a breath of resh air.

This is one of the greatest autobiographies I have ever read.

A Master tells his own story...
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-19
This is the best show-biz biography I have ever read. Poor, Greek immigrant, Kazan fought his way up the entertainment ladder to direct my favorite movie (On The Waterfront) and my favorite play (Death of A Salesman). Along the way to these achievements he was an original member of the Group Theater; he relates his experiences there including an in-depth retelling of his relationship with Lee Strasburg. He met prectically everyone in the business from an aspiring Marylin Monroe, Marlon Brando, James Dean, Arthur Miller and what seems thousands of others in the theater and movie world. His antecdotes are fresh and revealing, even those that may be common knowledge. Of particular note are the chapters devoted to the making of Streetcar Named Desire and On the Waterfront. His work with Brando, who was seldom better than when he worked with Kazan, is discussed. Along with his great movies and plays, Kazan tells his side of the House On Unamerican Affairs controversy that swirled about him until his death. While the book is massive at 864 pages, it is over too soon. It is a rare, literate portrait of the man Kazan, who changed American movies and theater forever-- and for the better.

Possibly the greatest autobiography ever written
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-12
One of the most honest, compelling, brilliant, wise, stunning books I've ever read. Kazan's life was awe-inspring, and to have it retold with such lucidness and unflattering candour is a gift for the ages. Not only was he one of the greatest theatre directors and film directors of the 20th Century, he writes like a blessed demon. This was a spellbinding, page-turning read. Immersed in its pages, I learnt so much about life, America, directing, theatre/cinema history, and myself. I also learnt more than I've ever known about how men think (wish I'd read this years ago).

It's such a pity Kazan's life has become simplistically defined by one act, and his artistry overshadowed - ironic, too, considering he made films with a deep, compassionate, liberal humanity. You can look at his life through through the prism of that one act, or read this for a much richer, fuller, deeper understanding of Kazan - the good, the bad, the ugly. And the genius.

This book made me want to live my life more fully, view myself less vainly, and create my work more honestly. Can't ask for more than that.

Perhaps the best of all 'Show-Business Autobiographies'
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2006-01-17
I was truly surprised by this book when I read it some years ago. I was surprised by how engrossing and powerful it was , all the way through. This man lived a tremendously interesting life, rich in great creative challenges and triumphs, rich in meetings and experience with remarkable people, rich in sexual adventures and complex human relationships. The story of how the child of Greek immigrants came to become the director of two of the classics of the American Theatre "Death of a Salesman" and a 'Streetcar Named Desire" and of two of the great American movies, "On the Waterfront" and " East of Eden" is told with remarkable frankness and perceptiveness.
Kazan does not come across in this work as a saint, but rather as a truly strong person who took what he wanted from life, even if this meant hurting others. His personal and inner torments however too make up an interesting part of this story.
One more point. His writing follows the rule of Henry James and is always interesting. This is a work whose richness in anecdote and event are so great that it fits into the 'couldn't put it down' category.

Yesterday/Today: Right Wing Uses Same Tactics
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 17 total.
Review Date: 2005-03-05
With a former Supreme Court Justice warning the USA today (March 10, 2006) about starting down the road toward a dictatorship, it seemes fitting to re-visit the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) in the 1950s when the right-wing was trying to scare our citizens into giving the government supreme power, just as neocons are trying now.

Elia Kazan defends his decision to name names during the Hollywood Hearings of the 1950s, saying that his ideas toward the Communist Party had changed and he thought the higher ups (maybe from Russia) were dictating policies to the American communists in the movie business.

Maybe so, but he also admits the Hearings already had all the communists' names and admits they were only showing their power to control people here in Hollywood,using intimidation to instigate the blacklist. In real life, the USA government was the bully, not the old, tired communists of the 1930s.

If so, then why did he ever think the movie he directed, "On The Waterfront," was a good analogy for what he faced? The USA government caused the black list and precipated suicides and family break-ups in their Hollywood investigation.

It was the mob who caused the deaths and intimidation in "On The Waterfront." Is Kazan saying that Congress behaved like the mob? Or that the mob behaved like Congress?

Granted, Kazan was a great director, brilliant at times. But to him the bottom line was the bottom line, and to keep his position as an all-star director, he had to name names. While he tries to seem noble, the reader can see his 'reel' motivation was money and his career. So what if he named names! He was working.

Today, we see the right wing using similar tactics in the Bush administration: questioning people's patriotism, using smears and mud-slinging against opponents, trying to get people fired if they disagree with neocon policies, keeping a blacklist of university professors who oppose them, and most recently, equating the AARP group of loving gays instead of our troops.

After reading Kazan's book, I did gain a firm insight into right-wing politics, and these politicians use juxtaposition of images to label their opponents. Right-wingers still don't care if they distort the record. To them, winning is everything.

D
Fables Vol. 4: March of the Wooden Soldiers
Published in Paperback by Vertigo (2004-11-01)
Author: Bill Willingham
List price: $17.99
New price: $9.53
Used price: $6.79

Average review score:

Filling in the story
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-23
This collection of the monthlies opens with reminiscence of a terrible time: the day when the last of the Fables left their magical land. The evacuees made it out one step ahead of the invading armies - and only because the last of their army fought to the death delaying the marauder by that step. Amid the heroism, a tender story goes horribly wrong ...

... then, magically (as most things are among the Fables), seems to go right again. This bit of back-story fills in some of the history of these fairy tale (and often furry tail) beings come to life, but also sets the stage for a new drama in the here-and-now of their exile in our mundane world. Mighty battles rage, unknown to the unmagical mortals around them, while smaller personal trials work themselves out. Oh, and a major windfall turns into a political squabble, kind of like among people of any other kind.

As with good any good series, readers who've followed along are rewarded with extra insight into the actions of and between familiar personalities - yes, real personalities in a comic! I really do suggest that as the best way to work through this long-lived series. But, if you come across any volume at random, don't turn it down. The writers have the knack of welcoming newcomers with stories that make sense, even if you haven't seen the sub-plots building up over the issues that came before. I have to warn you, though, the Fables story line is more addictive than that first peanut. Few readers can or even want to stop at one.

-- wiredweird

Seriously Twisted
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-11
The whole idea of characters from legends and fairy tales living among us anonymously may not be completely original but these comics take the notion to a whole new level and they are great fun, part of which stems from trying to figure out who some of them are. Most are pretty easy but a few take a little thought. Flycatcher, for instance, turns out to be the Frog Prince. The characters have escaped from a conqueror known as The Adversary and now live in Fabletown, ruled by (who else) Old King Cole. His trusted assistant is Snow White (ex of Prince Charming), now involved with the sheriff, Bigby Wolf (the Big Bad Wolf). Violence, betrayal, graphic sex and a lot of seriously twisted humor abound and this series probably should get an "R" rating. Fun though.

Great Story
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-01
In this volume the Fables are faced with thier worst fear, an invasion by the Advesary from the Homeland. In the story Snow White coordinates the defenses of Fabletown, reenforcements from the Farm are bought in and we see Beast really let loose in this volume. It truly is a great read and I can't stop praising the series I reccomand it to anybody who likes comics but, isn't crazy about superheroes.

My favorite book in the series so far -- Just great stuff!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-02
I've discovered Bill Willingham's FABLES only recently and I've become an instant fan. And what's not to adore? Great premise. Great characters. Great writing. Super drawing.

While I've loved all the first four books in the FABLES series (I have already ordered 5-7 from Amazon), the third entry, fell just below the best volumes simply because the numbers contained too many arcs. This volume, however, ties all the individual issues together, even the beginning, which focuses on the final battle of the fables against the Adversary. The central story, or the A plot, concerns the near simultaneous arrival of Red Riding Hood and some mysterious fables who have utter disdain for all creatures that they like to refer to as "meat." They turn out to be the title characters of the story. The great battle for Fabletown that culminates the volume is both brilliantly written and drawn.

In future I think I will recommend the FABLES series above all others to people who are completely new to the world of adult comics. They are immediately accessible in a way that other masterpieces like the Sandman books are not (I'm not saying that Gaiman is inaccessible, but that they are better appreciated if they are not the first graphic novels one reads). And the blend of drama, comedy, fantasy, and action would appeal to anyone not blinded by an anti-intellectual disdain of "popular" art (the irony being that self-styled intellectuals who disdain graphic art do so by being amazingly close-minded).

A great entry to a great series. Can't wait for my next stack of books to arrive!

still rolling along as good as ever
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-30
Again Willingham produces a phenomenal comic book, this time going into the Fables history with the Adversary. And the battle.

D
Fables Vol. 8: Wolves
Published in Paperback by Vertigo (2006-12-06)
Author: Bill Willingham
List price: $17.99
New price: $8.70
Used price: $9.00

Average review score:

Yay!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-04
My second favorite of the series so far. So much happens in book 8... Things readers have been waiting on since book 5 come about and there's romance and violence and politics and general badassery from my favorite characters. Can't wait to get the next one!

One of my favorite series - still loving it.
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-04
This is a welcome addition to the series. It was a little shorter than I would have liked but it left me satiated.

Best one yet...
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-29
This volume carries up to Fables 50th issue. And I've got to tell you, it is worth it. Wow!

Big events dominate one of the best books in the series
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-16
Warning! Spoilers below!


This is one of my favorite books in the entire FABLES series. It is built around several major events. First, Mowgli continues his long and ultimately successful search for Bigby Wolf, partly because Prince Charming wants him to carry out a mission behind the Adversary's lines and partly to fulfill the requirements to allow the early release of Bagheera for his role in the farm uprising (see Book 2 in the series, ANIMAL FARM). Enlisting major allies in the cloud giants who inhabit a parallel dimension in the sky, Bigby is able to appear near the magic woods surrounding Gepetto's hut, completely destroying them and making it impossible for Gepetto to make new puppets for a few decades when the forest will regrow. Mission accomplished, Bigby and Snow White marry (old hokey ceremony and all, the kind of offensive one where the woman pledges to honor and obey and it concludes with them being named man and wife -- come on Bill! It is the 21st century, even the Fables would have junked that old dusty routine) and settle in the valley where the giants used to sleep. The book concludes with a diplomatic mission to the cloud giants by Cinderella to urge them to finally sign a mutual defense pact. Clearly, in the event of a major conflict, the Fabletown residents are going to need some major help. Having allies who are both giants and accomplished will surely help. But what of those who Cinderella inadvertently offended? Will that one day come back to haunt the Fables?

All in all, another spectacular addition to an outrageously fine series of graphic books.

ties it all up
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-13
Volume 8 kinda ties things up in a way that the series probably safely could have ended here (though I see a new one is coming out in June). Bigby and Snow are back. Things just seem to happen. The problem is that it is the weakest of all the Fables volumes so far. It almost makes me nervous about the next volume, but I do mean almost. As a whole this is (and I was a bit surprised) one of the better comic books out there.

D
The Golden Key
Published in Paperback by Meany (P.D.) Co Inc.,Canada (2008-08-01)
Author: George MacDonald
List price:

Average review score:

a very fun fantasy adventure
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-17
I love fairy tales, and this story is a most excellent example of the genre. It follows two children on their journeys through Fairyland and their interactions with various fantastic people and creatures. I loved the pure innocence of the story and found it very captivating. The narration was also very excellent and energetic, making this story a very good listen.

The Opening of a New Door in the Development of Literature
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-07-25
While The Golden Key may not be my all-time favorite book, it certainly has a strong connection to the book that I treasure most of all (well, second to the Bible). You see, George MacDonald, author of The Golden Key, was in fact the mentor of Lewis Carroll, who wrote my favorite non-Biblical book, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. That's a very powerful and indeed shocking connection if you ask me. But you can kind of see it if you look closely. I mean, the kids in the Golden Key grow both old and young. Alice in Wonderland grows big and small. Kinda similar there.

Yet, I did not know about the relationship between the two books until AFTER I had finished The Golden Key and decided to do some research on its origin. I simply read The Golden Key like I would any other book, and developed some commentary on the work as a whole that I would now like to communicate:

First, the book is very short. I finished it in two days. And because its so short, events move incredibly fast to make room for heavy amounts of whimsical feeling and fantastical description.

But again I have to go back to the Alice thing. I noticed how SO many sentences in the story turned the reader upside down and made him say, "huh?" It was as if the Fairy World did everything it could to stay all out of whack. Whether it was to make speech that could be heard without ears, or to make the oldest people in the world look like little kids, the topsy-turvy nature of everything couldn't help but instill an amazing sense of awe. Truly, The Golden Key opens eyes to such incredible abstract possibilities of the imagination, and perhaps even life itself.

The out of whack sense of awe, while wonderful in this book, developed into full maturity in the Alice books. While The Golden Key merely mentions things that make no sense, the Alice books actually attempt to explain the senselessness of senseless things.

I hope I will always have a special place in my heart for MacDonald's prototype of Alice in Wonderland. Oh, if we only knew how much the imagination behind The Golden Key has really changed the world. I think we would all be very surprised.

The Golden Key
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-11
I purchased this book as a Christmas gift for my 20-year-old daughter. It was one of her favorite books as a child and she frequently checked it out of our local library until it disappeared from the shelf there, never to be seen again. She was very excited when she saw that she had her own copy and she took the book back to college with her after Christmas break. Although I haven't actually read the book myself, I can tell you that my daughter thinks it is great!

Water
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2005-12-13
This book is like a drink of the freshest, clearest water on the brightest, bluest spring day you can imagine. It was lovely every step of the way, somehow beautifully sad and wonderful at the same time. With the aid of the creatures of fairyland, mistreated Tangle and adventuresome Mossy go on an enchanting journey which takes them straight through to a wisdom and sense of wonderment that is somehow greater than that found in adulthood (or childhood). George MacDonald truly had an eye for the worlds of fairy, and an unsurpassed talent for expressing beauty in all things. The stories are not always meant to be understood, but deep in that inner place in one's heart, they make sense.

The talent for loving
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2005-01-27
An earlier reviewer mentioned the difficulty of understanding the imagery of the story and another suggested (perhaps rightly) that the golden key represents Christ. C.S. Lewis believed it represented "the talent for loving", and having read the book numerous times, especially to nephews and nieces, I agree. Without giving away too much, notice the differences between Mossy's and Tangle's journey after their separation (physical death), especially how they saw the Old Man of the Sea. One might need to have read more of MacDonald's works (especially Unspoken Sermons) to get at his view of how love affects our ability to "see". His "At the Back of the North Wind" contains another wonderful example when North Wind explains to Diamond why she had to appear as a dreadful wolf to an old woman.

D
I'd Rather Be in the Studio!
Published in Paperback by Pentas Press (2008-02-03)
Author: Alyson B. Stanfield
List price: $24.95
New price: $17.31
Used price: $25.52

Average review score:

Great book!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-12
Combines conceptual strategies with practical advice. I highly recommend this book for self-employed artists of all kinds.

useful
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-21
I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone who is beginning a career, or would like to increase their art business. Very informative,it will get you excited about the business end of art!

This book is not just for artist
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-12
I LOVE this book and I am not an artist. The tips and techniques that are shared in this detailed and well researched book are amazing and will help anyone that needs to market themselves. I launched my blog and have done really well with it using the information Stanfield provides in the book. One of my marketing mentors advises to check out what other people in other industries are doing. If you only do what everyone else in your field is doing you will have a hard time standing out. Not being an artist I found this book to have fresh new ideas and concepts with new twist on things I already had been doing. I haven't taken it off my desk since I got it. I keep referring to it and using it over and over.

A must have for artists!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-28
I bought this book because of all the great reviews even though it was so new on the market. I have to say I haven't been disappointed! The author does a great job breaking down the barriers most of us artists seem to have about doing things like...making a website, organizing our information, etc. She's got a great no-nonsense approach, but does it with a sense of humor. And, some of the things that have haunted me like the idea of marketing, are starting to loose their hold over me. She's a fabulous support in taking the steps laid out to get something done. I would HIGHLY recommend this book. Having a solid foundation as you try and develop your art business is imperative and this book might just be able to help you in ways others don't. It has for me. Plus, I have ADD and find the short sections and easy to read format (a,k.a. easy-to-keep-focused-formatting) help me actually keep focused. :) She knows her market!

This is what you need to know
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-27
"I'd Rather Be In The Studio" is without a doubt the best book I have read on how to get going in your art career. There are a lot of things to do as an artist aside from making art. Alyson Stanfield's book will tell you exactly what you need to know and how to go about doing it. As I was reading it and going though it I felt as if it was written for me. It really does leave you no room for excuses to not market yourself. Making art is great but who's going to know if you don't tell others besides close friends and family? This book will help you gain the confidence, motivation and the know how to get going and know you are accomplishing things. Not only that, she talks about your web site, blogs, routines, organization, everyting that you sometimes don't consider to be marketing your artwork, but it's all part of being an artist. I absolutely love this book. If your just starting out or you're an accomplished artist, you're going to get good advice. Buy it.

D
Ideas: A History of Thought and Invention, from Fire to Freud
Published in Hardcover by HarperCollins (2005-09-01)
Author: Peter Watson
List price: $29.95
New price: $16.70
Used price: $9.00

Average review score:

Excellent overview of the ideas that has shaped our world.
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-07
I bought this book a while back ago, and since i've been on and off reading it because of the sheer volume of the book; it took me some time to get through, but hell, it was worth it.

There's alot of information packed densly inside of this brick, which is by far the best book i've ever read on history; it overviews clearly and and objectively the ideas that have been important throught history in terms of consequences, and in terms of shaping the culture of the period in question.

More importantly, however, is how all this is put togheter in a systematic contextual way, so as to leave the reader comprehending the ideas relation to one another, and finally, mr. peter watson presents us a final conclusion, which leads us to understand how all of this should be interpreted with regards to "the big picture".

I think my brain actually grew bigger
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-12
I read this over a period of about 6 months, a few pages a day. Most of us have been over the material in this book one way or another during our lives. The thing is -- this text puts the facts and data together in a way that makes history make sense. So much of history seems like it was acted out by crazy people. It's so hard to understand why people do what they do. Watson makes the connections between what and why. And he does it in such a way that anyone can read it.

You should know though, Watson has a strong bias against all things religious. A main sub-theme in this book is "How we threw off the yoke of religion and superstition." Machts nichts to me but some find it annoying. I gave it 5 stars even so.

Exceptionally good of its kind
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-04-01
This book is the best single volume of the history of ideas that I have ever encountered. It has rich content, plenty of bibliographic detail for following up specific ideas, and is beautifully written.

Best book I have ever read
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-04-24
To read history as an evolution of ideas and inventions instead of a series of battles/wars or moving from one political machination to the next was most satisfying. Even more refreshing was to read a history that includes eastern as well as western innovation with many interesting asides and anecdotes. I've sent copies to my children and brother-in-law!

Flawed but interesting
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-21
One must give Peter Watson credit where credit is due; he is not shy when it comes to examining topics of enormous scope, or at the very least craft titles that imply that this is his aim. Unfortunately, far from examining thought "from fire to Freud" Watson's work is of far more limited dimension, instead examining European cultural evolution from the early Middle Ages forward. His text examines several topics to understand their influence and development on civilization. His examination, however, proves too often limited, failing to look far enough to embrace the full range of his field. Most disappointing is his tendency to bifurcate ideas into two competing camps, and ignore the vast nuance in the middle.

For example, Watson divides thought into two opposing spheres : the physical (scientific or natural) world and the spiritual (religious). While it is true that this dichotomy exists in the West -- interestingly forced on the physical camp by the Church - far from inevitable, the division is a historical artifact created by social context. Those enchanted by Watson, and they are legion, will retort that his is not interested in the possible, but the actual, and even then only what occurred in (western) Europe. Yet even here, Watson ignores alternatives. Judaism, which Watson gives only so much attention as suits his goals, long embraced a notion of the co-existance and even integration of these two concepts. Many rabbis examined the physical world and sacred texts and sought reinterpretation of the former when they conflicted with the latter (two prime examples being Nachmanidies of Spain and Maimonidies of Egypt, two of the most significant sages of Jewish history). Watson might likewise have considered the ancient Greeks like Aristotle who sought to understand the spiritual through they physical.

When it comes to certain concepts Watson plainly tortures his topic to reach desired conclusions. Thus he imagines Freud's examination of the unconscious as on the continuum of the notion of the soul, yet this is at best forced. While it is true that Freud postulated a division between mind and body - not surprising given the technology available to him - but far from a notion of rote ritual, he developed a theory based on observation and imagined it being refined over time by experimentation. Even a cursory comparison of this with religion reveals the extreme limits of the comparison.

This brings us to the place where Watson succeeds, and in my opinion shines. His examination of the notion of the controlled experiment, that instead of being limited to observations as they occur people can create things to observe in order to test hypothesis, is nothing short of brilliant. This concept may be the driving force of the creation of modern science, a concept that allowed humanity to tame the atom and journey to the stars. Despite its other short comings, this makes Watson's book worth reading and presents an idea worthy of further consideration.

D
In the Best Interest of the Child: A Manual for Divorcing Parents
Published in Paperback by Hohm Press (2007-11-15)
Authors: Nadir Baksh and Laurie, Ph.D. Murphy
List price: $16.95
New price: $4.39
Used price: $3.83

Average review score:

In the best interest f the child
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-30
I notice among the comments how wonderful this book is ... it really and truly is!... there are no comments from grandparents. As a grandparent,
I was so pleased to see there is a book that can protect grandchildren! Often we get left behind, with the majority of the messages geared
toward parents going through divorce; it is often a sticky subject,
and even though a parent might come in contact with such a great book,
they do not want to add fuel to the fire by giving it to their grown
children, who are often behaving immaturely. As a grandparent we have more latitude, we have earned the right to state our opinions... It is my
opinion this is the best book on the market regarding this subject!
It is also a great parenting tool in itself with so many valuable pointers. It certainly is a shame all parents, even those happily married,
don't read it!

I for one, will be sending it to all my children , my children's friends,
and everyone I know who is a parent, or is about to become a parent.
Well done! I certainly got my money's worth! Daphne Tai

an eye opening realization!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-28
Sometimes we get so caught up in our feelings and anger that we forget who is most important. This book wakes you up to the common pitfalls and gives you the fundamentals to help your child(ren) get through this rough period. Divorce is not about you when there are children involved - it just can't be! A one of a kind manual.

In the Best Interest of the Child
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-20
This book is amazing every one is right on this forum it was hard to put down . This is a must read for any parent.This book is truely a manual for Divorcing Parents i only wished i had stumbled on it sooner.

I use this book in my consultations and recommend it highly .
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-11
This book about divorce and how it affects our children is very personal and touching as well as an easy read . Bravo ! I wish more books about divorce and parenting were like this .

Must read for all soon to be single or single parents.
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-03
There are so many decisions involved when ending a marriage. This book is a basic guide to the process, while reminding you to always make your children's well-being your main concern. If couples could understand how destructive negative behavior can be to their children, they may think twice about manipulating or lying. This book should be required reading BEFORE the process starts.

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Ink: The Not-Just-Skin-Deep Guide to Getting a Tattoo
Published in Paperback by NAL Trade (2005-06-07)
Author: Ph.D., Terisa Green
List price: $14.00
New price: $8.57
Used price: $6.64

Average review score:

A good start
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-15
This is a good place to start before getting a tattoo. We get a lot of people in our shop who just come in and basically point at something in a book. It's nice to know some history and symbolism before you place it on yourself for good. The author has good insights and a few illustrations. This is not a picture book.

yes everything you need to know
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-07
This book is fun and easy to read. I would recommend anyone who has infinite questions about getting a tattoo to read this book first. It contains rich information on about everything tattoo related. Did this book definitely help me make a decision? Oh yah!

Insightful and down to earth.
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-11
I was a bit skeptical at a book with this type of format and approach but it was amazingly well done. It covered many of the questions I knew to ask and didn't know what the best answer was as well as the questions and answers I had yet to even consider. A very very useful guide to the entire process behind getting a tattoo and one I'd recommend to everyone who wants to feel fully informed before making such a permanent decision.

Good resource
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2007-09-06
Very informative and easy to read book. Her advice matched my own tattoo experience exactly. I had a great tattoo experience but wish I had read her book before making my first tattoo appointment.

A great start
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-14
Honestly, for people like me, who have thought about a tattoo for years, not seriusly enough to do it, but not with so little importance that the idea is forgoten fast, this is a great start. If you have had many doubts about tattoos in general, this is a good start, and an interesting reading anyway.

D
Into a Desert Place: A 3000 Mile Walk Around the Coast of Baja California
Published in Hardcover by Graham Mackintosh Pub (1990-10)
Author: Graham MacKintosh
List price: $24.95
New price: $17.99
Used price: $4.85
Collectible price: $24.95

Average review score:

Great reading!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-10
This book is an wonderful read. Graham Mackintosh somehow manages to convey the beauty, loneliness, danger, and culture of Baja in a way that is absolutely captivating. I have spent a fair amount of time in Baja myself working with the fishermen, and I thought his portrayals of these interesting folk was spot on and entertaining. I normally don't write reviews, but I could not put this book down, and good books are few and far between in my opinion! Besides being a great adventure story, this book has another side, which in a sense describes the author's spiritual awakening. He's not there, as are so many foreigners, to amuse himself in Baja as if it were a giant playground; rather he immerses himself in the land and the culture in a way that even most of the locals have failed to do!

Baja is a magical place that you simply can't appreciate from the comfort of your hotel room, RV, or (God forbid) your off-road vehicle. This book will hopefully inspire many people to seek out solitude in one of the last places in the world you can still find it.

Husband's birthday present
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-12
This book was the perfect gift for my husband. He keeps talking about his dream of going in the desert, walking, exploring, being away from civilization for a while,... but he's never done it. This book author DID IT!

True Baja experience
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-08-25
I have traveled many times down to Baja, his descriptions reflect my impression of the people and places.

The word incredible barely lends justice to Graham's effort
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-12
Baja is an adventure, even if by air in your own airplane. Hopscotching from place to place on a peninsula that stretches almost a thousand miles south of California, is quick and efficient but, as always in a single engine aircraft, the prospect of an off field emergency landing is on the pilot's mind.

In Baja, where an arid, desolate landscape, and rugged mountains stretch endlessly below the wings and dry riverbeds host cactus and rattlesnakes, nature ups the ante. These inhospitable thoughts are a memory of my flying adventure to "The Baja" in October 1993, but they are nothing in comparison to Graham Mackintosh's incredible journey on foot following the coastline.

As luck would have it Graham was in Mulege (about midway down the eastern coast of Baja on the Sea of Cortez) and attended the well known Hotel Serenidad's pig roast fiesta with us on Saturday evening. In response to our questions, Graham (this was before I read the book) told us how ill-suited and inadequately prepared he was for his adventure. But his appearance belied an iron will, unyielding perseverance, and an indomitable spirit. It took two years to achieve his goal, then another two more to write the book. My fellow travellers and I sat in awe as he recounted his tale.

The inscription he wrote for me in my copy of the book shows his humility. He very generously referred to me as "A Fellow Baja Adventurer," but I know there is no comparison in our experiences. Thanks Graham, I wish you well. Is there a movie in the works?

Spiritual Journey not just a travel adventure
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2002-07-31
I originally read this book several years back and now find myself periodically rereading it as its a spiritual journey packaged in a travel adventure. I dream of doing something like it however will probably not. If you like "cultural experiences" with the locals where you travel to you will love this book.

D
Jill 9
Published in Paperback by A Better Be Write Publisher (2006-01-27)
Author: J.D. Tynan
List price: $18.95
New price: $15.86
Used price: $5.69

Average review score:

Jill 9
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-31
The past is prologue so they say and it couldn't be more true than in the case of Elias, Ian and Jill. A few short summer days, an accident, and what brought Jill into the world of Elias and Ian took her away.

Ian Hamlin grew up to be a tough FBI agent, Jill became a meteorologist and Elias a spoiled rich man. Ian and Elias lost their friendship after reaching adulthood to become bitter enemies while Jill put them out of her mind.

That is, except for Ian. Her memory of a boy could still stir her senses as a woman. Because of him, she never found any man she wanted to stay with. Until Elias came back into her life and she thought maybe he could be the 'one'.

But fate played with their lives again. Eight dead women with the same name as Jill, brought Ian back into her life as an investigator intent on protecting her and catching a serial killer. And Jill was back to square one romantically.

Talented J. D. Tynan has a surprise in store for the reader as the story unwinds and the plot thickens. Like a magician, who has you looking at one hand while another pulls a coin from your ear, she points your focus on a possible killer, but lurking in the background is a shadow that moves into the foreground as the story moves along.

Recommended for any fan of suspense or romance. A well told tale with interesting characters who move the plot along. Enjoy. I sure did.

Buy this today!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-07-17
This book has it all! Jill is being stalked, but around every turn, you come up with a different bad guy. It's almost like the author did that on purpose!! Great job with this first novel. I'm really looking forward to her next book, Charlie Ford Meets Secret Agent Man!

Wonderful suspense!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-07-17
Very few authors can pull off putting that much sexual tension and intense heat into a GREAT suspense novel! This author's style is refreshing in a world of repetitive romance novels. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a great gripping plot with a side of steamy sex! Five stars...plus two more for making me blush! Buy this book today!

Absolutely Entertaining!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-06-17
When my friend suggested this new author, I had doubts because I love to read Lilian Jackson Brown and Susan Elizabeth Phillips. I have to say that J. D. Tynan far exceeded my expectations and I highly enjoyed her wit and humor. The dialogue itself was incredibly real. I felt as if I were in the room with these characters. The detailing was not overly done like a lot of new authors tend to do. It was subtle, yet again, I felt as if I were in the same room with these people.
The story itself was GREAT! A love triangle with the twist the author threw in. Who would have thought? I give this my best rating of five stars because I want this author to succeed. I want to read every word she has ever written. Buy one today, you won't be sorry.

Witty dialogue and gripping suspense!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-06-17
Jill has been targeted, but by whom? Oh boy, what fun you will have figuring it out...Or trying to figure it out. I was shocked that this new author did such an amazing job with misleading the reader.
When you are finished, you will be sad because the great characters stay with you and you just want them to go on and on. Someone convince this woman that a sequel is in order. Don't plan on putting it down after the 3rd chapter as it gets way too good! I give it my highest thumbs up.


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