D Books

"Don't judge a book by its cover!" they scream as I hang my head in shame. Once again I have proven to myself how narrow minded and judgmental I can be. This brilliant little book is packed full of surprises especially for those who have developed some preconceived notion as to what it's about. Starting with the title which, now that I know what it means, I think is brilliant. I was picturing two pot heads making out with a sort of latte-esque foam covering their mouths which I'm sure is exactly what the author wanted me to believe. Then turning past the table of contents I came upon the explanation of the title and was immediately transported back to my youth in Florida and my fear of the tall grass. I won't say more about that in order not to ruin this very pleasant little surprise for others.

Then the first story "Some new kind of kick" is pretty much exactly what I was expecting. A very dark and seedy tale of Goth clubs, speed and sex, although one thing I didn't expect was to really like it. Something about the way Clint Catalyst casts his penetrating stare into this so called "Goth" scene is so incredibly revealing of not just the Goth scene, but any scene that's gotten old and tired. And it's in this first story that I began to realize that the scenes and the players are all the same. It doesn't matter what scene you were in, because we all got tired and we all ended up alone. The scenes all lacked something, or as the author so eloquently points out, we ourselves lacked something in ourselves that our "scenes" or distractions could not replace; well, not for long anyway.

So I guess it's clear that I'm not a "Goth". And while I did think they were cute in the mid eighties when they were still known affectionately as "Death Rockers" I've never been into things "Goth". I've also never been into speed of any sort. Of course I've done speed and had so called "Speed Sex" which contrary to the name takes hours, but I've never been into the whole "gak" experience if you know what I mean. So despite hearing the rave reviews of "Cottonmouth Kisses" I put off actually reading it, thinking it was fifty percent Goth and fifty percent homoerotic speed induced sex. Not my cup of tea exactly.

But from that first story Clint Catalyst just blew me away. His insight into moms, wanna-bees, punks, straight boys, art school girls, alleged bisexuals, strippers, bag ladies, in fact everyone he encounters and most importantly himself is nothing short of stunning. This book is crammed with fascinating stories which in and of themselves are great but without which you would still be left with an incredibly insightful book about people and our inner truths and fears.

Stories I particularly like are "Party Favors", "Conversation with what once was a friend", "To Push Away or to Clutch" and "Taking Care of".
Poems I particularly liked are the beautiful and charming "First Person Third Person First", the dark and direct "Guess I should talk about sex", the dark and funny "Truth about Modeling", the grim foreboding "Inky Bloater" and my favorite, "At the Edge" which to me was like an updated and slightly more optimistic take on Langston Hughes' "A Suicide Note".

Overall, I read this book too fast and have had to re-read it twice to catch up with the brilliant and still racing mind and prose of the enigma that is Clint Catalyst.

After reading Cottonmouth Kisses I found myself in awe of the sheer richness of Clint's language. His command of both poetry and prose is astounding and refreshing indeed. His honesty and unpretentious approach to the recording of his own experiences is a gift to his reader. Whether Clint is writing about drug addiction, sex, friendship, or love, the sheer energy of his personality shines through in every piece. The combination of rage, passion, sorrow, and humor that animates this book is something to behold and reading it was like being taken on a ride where every turn promised something new. A truly wonderful collection of writing. Moving, engaging, and always on the mark.

This is a great selection of essays and poetry from Clint Catalyst. They deal with gay relationships, adolescence, and out of control drug addiction. These subjects are dealt with in such an honest, clear and edgy way. The lives of these unconventional characters are brought to the page so intensely with all their flaws clearly exposed. You'll feel their thoughts and feelings. The artistic language used in this book make it a pleasure to read right through to the last page. No matter how dark and trashy these characters get you'll want to read more.

This was my first introduction to the author's writings (thanks,Sheldon) and I truly enjoyed this book. I think what really made this book special was the poetry in-between the essays and fiction. These poems were so easy to read and what I mean by that is they were very understandable. You don't have to spend all day figuring out what the author is trying to say. They are a joy to read. I look forward to this author's future work. Highly recommended.

which I deem:

1) "What is Goth?" by Voltaire
For spelling out the basics to looky-loos, kinderbats, or insiders who aren't afraid to laugh at themselves (for fear of exposing the adhesive-stripes along the gumline of their fake fangs)...

2) "Cottonmouth Kisses" by Clint Catalyst
For its sinister and gorgeous first-person account of life within the nightclub netherworlds. I've known many a Goth girl over the years who's had her share of Clint "pin-ups" and "shrines," and the fact that he's lived a life so far beyond the margins of Hot Topic and mainstream acceptability (and SURVIVED it) is more "Goth" (i.e., barbaric -- i.e., AUTHENTIC) than any paint-by-numbers impostors out there...

3) "21st Century Goth" by Mick Mercer
For its role as an informative compendium of the international scene in all its varied shades of shadow. There is no easy answer, no singular attempt in this book to pigeonhole Goths -- in fact, it does the opposite. Plus, I mean, it's MICK MERCER, who's been reporting on the scene longer than most batpackers these days have been alive. Pay your respects to the grandaddy of Goth!

And ALL HAIL THE TRIUMVIRATE!

Mr. Clint has really let all of us, no matter what stage of life we are in, what planet we are from, or the aumont of zeros on our paycheck, look inside his world and gave us a whole new realm of thought. I loved this book. I read it in two days. AND thats with two kids under the age of 4, a hubby and a big white dog. I couldnt put it down. Its an awesome book. I can not wait for his next wonder in print... keep up the good work clint. This is definately a must read!

Let me continue the litany of praise for this first time writier and Edgar nominee.

A Criminal Appeal was not just a satisfying read, it was exquisite. It was also realistic. Caution: if you start A Criminal Appeal you better not have any other plans such as sleep because you'll just hate to interrupt this tightly told tale of suspense, legality, conflict, racism, family love set against a backdrop of life-like machinations of the justice system.

Oh yes, and let me also join the chorus of praise for big boned women, whom up til now I have apparently overlooked. Camryn Mannheim of the tv's The Practice is a look alike for Schanker's Nora.

There were two authors in this genre I would buy in hardcover at $25.00 as soon as I see their books in the bookstore. Now Schanker joins Robert B. Parker and James Patterson in that category. He certainly is getting into their catergory in weaving a tale.

As the author reminds the reader throughout this excellent story, Nora Lumsey is a big-boned woman, and proud of it. She is farm-bred, drives a pickup truck, 26 years old and just out of law school, and lives alone in Indianapolis where she doesn't know a soul. Her job is a plum for any recent law school grad -- law clerk to a judge on the state's Court of Appeals.

As this book begins, Nora is assigned to write the opinion denying a poignant, handwritten appeal and affirming the conviction of 10-year-old Dexter Hinton. Dexter, who is deaf, confessed to the murder of an elderly woman and was convicted and sentenced to 55 years, but there were problems with the confession and Dexter and his grandfather now want to "take it back." Once Nora starts wading through the transcripts and case file, she becomes convinced that Dexter's conviction should be overturned, but her judge is adamant that the conviction will stand.

Nora is a young woman of uncommon principle, integrity, and ethics, so even she is surprised to find herself emotionally and personally involved in the case. Moreover, she has never known a black person before and getting to know this black child and his family comes as something of an epiphany to her. When she learns that Dexter's grandfather is her neighbor, she gets sucked even deeper into surreptitiously investigating the case and searching for the truth, knowing all the while that what she's doing could get her fired. "The system" alone does not satisfy Nora. She is a person who believes deeply in justice and the incumbency of all who serve it to seek the whole truth. When Nora and her new friend and ally, Owedia, who is Dexter's former teacher, start asking questions in dark and dangerous quarters and irritating some ruthless and powerful people, disbarment begins to look like the least of Nora's worries.

This book knowledgeably examines such issues as justice and the seemingly assinine complexities of appellate law, politics, race, religion, and gang violence with great insight while at the same time plotting a highly suspenseful mystery with a thought-provoking ending. Nora Lumsey is a down-to-earth, very realistic, and all around wonderful character. Could it be that this big-boned young warrior symbolizes Lady Justice herself? I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of mess Nora gets herself into next.

D.R. Schanker's debut novel "A Criminal Appeal" is a fast paced thriller that introduces the unforgettably big-boned law school grad & 1st year law clerk Nora Lumsey. As a clerk for an Indiana Court of Appeals judge, Ms. Lumsey is assigned to write an opinion confirming the murder conviction of 10-year-old Dexter Hinton. Dexter is a deaf, Black child who confessed to the crime of killing an elderly white woman in a drive-by robbery and shooting. After Dexter's conviction, his grandfather submits a type-written appeal to the Indiana Court of Appeals.

When the appeal and trial transcripts find themselves in Ms. Lumsey's hands with explicit instructions from the judge to affirm the conviction, the plot thickens. Nora discovers that Dexter's grandfather, Carl Hinton, lives two houses accross from her. Intrigued by the case, Nora begins to dive into the trial transcripts and starts to question the legality of Dexter's confession and conviction.

She comes face to face with Carl then finds herself invited to his church where he meets Owedia, Dexter's former teacher. Owedia is a sweet, kind woman who is as passionate to Dexter's plight as Carl. She slowly pulls Nora farther into Dexter's case. Against Nora's moral and ethical judgement she accompanies Carl on a trip to see Dexter, then she is pulled further into Dexter's world. The story introduces Nora to racial tensions, gang violence and penitentiary life as a juvenile. With pressure from the judge to hand in the affirming opinion, Nora must choose between her professional ethics and her emotional preservations.

In a gripping, suspenseful novel, D. R. Schanker keeps the reader guessing about the outcome. Each chapter leaves one wondering just what will Nora's next move be and how far will she go to follow her convictions? The author offers a realistic look into inner-city youth, and has simplified the legal appeals process as well.

The majority of the legal thrillers today contain most of the fiction in how the procedures of the law are followed. Not this book! It captured the frustration, tedium and politics of legal procedure *without being boring*. Mr. Schanker has provided the readers with a wonderful novel. It is gripping, thoughtful and moving. He brings home the realities of urban plight, racism and gangs. Though one battle may be won, the war is not over.

The cover of A Criminal Appeal, by D.R. Schanker, says "The truth doesn't always set you free. Sometimes it takes a damn good lawyer." Actually, this story puts the lie to that statement, showing instead that achieving justice sometimes has nothing to do with the law, but rather comes down to simple faith, tenacity, and hard-headedness. Also, being big-boned seems to genetically predispose Schanker's protagonist, Nora Lumsey, for the role of the crusader.

Nora is a newly-minted lawyer working as a clerk for an appeals court judge in Indiana who has before him an appeal dealing with a robbery and shooting of an elderly white woman allegedly committed by a 10-year-old, deaf Black boy named Dexter. Nora is assigned Dexter's appeal and the judge instructs her to write an opinion affirming the conviction. Under ordinary circumstances, Nora would feel only an ordinary level of sympathy and pity for the boy whose life will be wasted serving a 55-year sentence for murder. But it turns out that Dexter's grandfather, Carl, who submitted Dexter's appeal, lives two houses away from Nora. And, as Nora reminds us throughout the story, being big-boned has endowed her with an inordinate amount of stubborn righteousness, and she wants to try to help Dexter.

Curious about the circumstances of the case, and heedless of the conflict inherent in a judge's clerk independently investigating the case, not to mention the blatant violation of judicial rules and ethics, Nora seeks out Carl's acquaintance. Almost instantly, she finds herself being drawn into the case, being invited by Carl to attend church with him, to go to the reform school to meet Dexter, and to meet Dexter's former teacher, named Owedia. Owedia's persistent efforts to involve Nora in trying to free Dexter are met with feeble resistance (Nora tells her she can't get too involved because "I work for the State.") and eventually Nora finds herself enmeshed in the search for the truth of who committed the murder. She fails to convince the judge to overturn the conviction, and despite the danger to her career, she continues to pursue the case, following up leads that take her into seedy neighborhoods and into a world of gang violence she has never experienced firsthand. When the situation turns dangerous, possibly deadly, Nora's big-boned bravado and Owedia's deeply religious faith carry them through.

The major themes in the story are the nature of racial prejudice, the fallibility of the judicial system, and the importance of community and individuals helping others. In the face of corrupt and ambitious politicians, a porous judicial system that allows innocent people to slip through the cracks, and a religious establishment incestuously involved with political machines, it is the individuals willing to put their faith and convictions on the line -- those who will not walk away or hide behind pragmatism -- who set the best example in this story and who accomplished true justice. The story is engaging and uplifting even when the plot takes depressing turns. As a lawyer, Schenker understands his subject matter very well and is able to translate the legal jargon effectively for the lay person. Schenker writes an engaging story which was rewarded with a nomination in 1999 for the prestigious Edgar Award.

I had this on my list of books to read for years now and I finally had the opportunity to read and finish this book. It is such a great read! This book reiterated my importance as a daughter of God and no matter how bad I have been hurt in the past, my future can and will be brighter! Thank You TD Jakes for writing this book!

This book helped me to realized that eventhough I didn't have a earthly father in the household that my Father in Heaven will teach me and validate me as a father should have done for me. It help me to realize that I shouldn't be upset about my earthly father not being there and that God has provided all I need here on earth.

As always T.D. Jakes delivers a powerful and blessed message. In "Daddy Loves His Girls", he speaks to the mind, heart, soul and spirit of women from all walks of life. If you are a woman or father of a daughter...THIS BOOK IS A MUST READ! As you read each page, you will grow a little more. By the end of this book you have a perscription for WHOLENESS in life.

T.D. Jakes also provides examples from his own family life, which gives the reader an up close and personal feeling. Some readers need those applicable real life situations in order to interpret the message to the fullest. For those who could do without the life's application...he has also provided Bible Scripture Quotations. I highly recommend this spiritual food...it will be a blessing.

A Very Gifted and much needed Book for many of us women today.

In it you will read about how much Our Heavenly Father Loves His Girls and gives you great insight in how to demonstrate that same precious Love to your children.

This book has away of singing to the most deepest injured parts of your heart and just seems to melt away all those pains through the power of Love Our Heavenly Daddy Has for His Girls

Powerful anointing in healing for the Body, Soul and Spirit :)

I am in the process of developing a deep, personal, spiritual relationship with God and have read many books on the subject of God's purpose of the woman and I have been praising God since for giving me guidance and direction through people like Brother T.D. Jakes.

I have found solace, love and comfort in this book that is real and true. Love that will not disappoint and that type of love can only come from the Father. However you serve the Being greater than yourself, you will be able to relate to what Brother Jakes shares in this book!

It is rare to find an author who refuses to conform to the cliches of the genre and has the unmitigated gall to blaze a new trail, critics be damned! Gordon Morrow is such an author. His passion for his characters comes through in living color through their very human interactions. A vision of his particular fantasy world comes across to the reader as vibrant, alive, and different. In "Maps" he starts us expertly on a multi-book journey with an unusual combination of classic adventure and surprising twists.

An excellent first novel -- please keep them coming, but much faster! =)

MAPS is an absolute delight! Morrow knows these characters so well that he describes them in expert and loving detail. The story is funny, exciting, and incredibly fun to read. The characters are so real that you have little choice but to fall in love with each of them. They fight, they feel, they make love! Morrow has captured the most important element of story telling: truth.

The truth he captures is the realness of his characters. The story is brilliant, the settings are amazing, the action is gripping, the romance is sweet as nectar, and everything just clicks. But it is the "realness" of Gar and Treva and everyone that makes this a wonderful novel that should be read again and again.

I can't recommend this story enough! If you are a fan of fantasy, a fan of fiction, or even a fan of great art - this book is a must own!

All I can say, Mr. Morrow, is that I hope volume 2 is available for purchase soon. I feel like a junkie who needs a Harebell fix now!

Please let your publisher know that I would be more than happy to preorder DMC volume 2 as soon as possible. Want my credit card number? :o)

This book is filled with action, comedy, and romance from start to finish. I can't get enough of it. I eagerly await book two, and I shall read anything this man writes. This book kept me intrigued long after finishing it. I recommed this book to any who enjoy a good and invigorating novel.

Not since Terry Prachett had a I had a good laugh in a fantasy story. Gordons characters are enjoyable and user friendly (you'll get a new meaning of THAT term after reading this) and don;t hold back on anything. I thoroughly enjoyed this read and as this being the first (of many adventures) for these characters, I look forward to reading more adventures with the Dead Magicians Club.

DMC: Maps is a great book for lovers of humor and fantasy. The characters are very fleshed out and the story is very vivid. You'll feel you're there with the characters the entrie way.

The book is excellent! I have given it to friends and clients who are involved in divorce proceedings, who are finished with the divorce or are happily married! This book is helpful to anyone who is or has been or may become involved in a relationship.

This book is easy to read, very insightful and offers the wisdom one needs to know when going through divorce. I would recommend this book to everyone thinking about or going through divorce. I recommend this book to all of my clients.

This book has helped me through some of the most difficult months of my life. It cuts right to the personal behaviors you need to address in order to deal with dissolution in a healthy way and move on in your life. Very practical and hands-on, the charts and questions that you work through in the book are very helpful in helping address your own particular challenges in your divorce. A very smart, useful analysis with priceless practical advice on the "Internal Wars" and battles we fight with ourselves as we try and make positive change in our lives.

I found this book helpful not just for someone considering divorce, but also as a relationship guide. Stacy has seen it all, and she can help you evaluate your control of a very tough situation. I felt fortunate to be able to use her advice, and it will ultimately save legal fees. The book convinced me to take control of the parts of my life that I had let slip and to feel good about those areas where I'd maintained control all along.

Marriages begin to deteriorate when they fail to appreciate how damaging trying to contol each other becomes. And when they turn that deadly corner past the point of no return toward divorce, it's all about control.

Ironically--and sadly-- each spouse does not see themselves as controlling, but merely defending themselves against their partner who they perceive is trying to control them.

If this dynamic speaks to you and you're heading towards the end, you'll want to read this terrific, book by prominent Los Angeles family attorney, Stacy D. Phillips.

Despite the title, this book can also help you save your marriage and prevent divorce if you will take Ms. Phillips wise counsel to heart and apply it to your relationship.

I'm overwhelmed by this novel. It's about history, religion, travel, philosophy, phychiatry, biology--you name it and it's there. It's about a truly wise mother and father and their 5 children on a mission to do "God's work" in earthquake ravaged Naples, Italy. Domini knows Naples like the back of his hand, and he knows about traditional family and the workings on the inside. He knows about graft and people in high places trying to climb higher. I asked Domini if he is a Christian because only a Christian could have written about the inner workings of the Holy Spirit. Love this bookfor being politically incorrect and not apologizing about it. Janice Daugharty

John Domini is an extremely talented writer and all his skills are on display in Earthquake I.D. This is a suspenseful story full of mystery, believable characters, and wonderful images. The action begins in the opening pages when an American family arrives in Naples to help earthquake victims, and on their first day in the city are robbed by muggers on a motorcycle: "An elbow caught her, and as the cycle roared away the pain flared in her mind's eye in the shape of one attacker's kite-like blue bandanna--the lone bit of evidence the family would have for weeks to come." There are great moments like this on every page and the plot continues to thicken as we learn more about a colorful cast of characters, many of whom turn out not to be who they seem to be when we first meet them. Lots of well-timed surprises. This is the perfect novel to take on vacation.

EARTHQUAKE I. D. joins a not-so-lengthy list of great novels about Americans in Italy: these, a middle-class family led by an Italian American wife and mother, heroically adrift in her marriage and in a city she's had foisted upon her. Domini deftly fleshes out not only the emotional life of her family and its middle child, the "miracolino," but also contemporary Naples itself, a city of refugees, hucksters, facilitators and half-samaritans. The lives of all Domini's characters play themselves out in colorful threads of plot, which snake through the novel like medieval alleys and catacombs, and which Domini masterfully brings together in a series of climactic scenes that brought great joy to this middle-class American reader.

The colorful chaos of Naples is a huge part of this book's intriguing plot, filled with fully developed characters. Great holiday and great book club stuff! The central character, Barbara, is a rare case of a woman past forty, given the complexity and sensuality of an ingenue.

One John Domini novel equals about three semesters of creative writing. Accordingly, his latest book, "Earthquake I. D.," qualifiies him for a doctorate.
The book is about an earthquake, except that it isn't. It's about an accident that should have killed, a marriage that did die, and how a family teetering on oblivion manages to survive an earthly upheaval.
No ex-newspaperman should be allowed to review such a novel as "Earthquake I. D." News writers summarize in the first paragraph, then fill in the details until they run out of room, maybe 21 inches.
Domini, however, tints his narrative with subtlety, sympathy and shock; the reader has to pay attention.
That done, "Earthquake I.D." leaves the reader with a remarkable sense of fulfillment.

Walt Shotwell, retired Des Moines Register reporter/columnist

This story is superb in conveying the message that no matter what we do in life, it's helping others and being a good friend that matters most. The story is funny and entertaining and Ella, center-stage, keeps it sweet!

This book is far from bad - the illustrations are well done, and it has a positive message - but it's not nearly as good as the first two books. There are too many side characters, some of the pages just seem like filler, and the use of her hat is forced and un-magical.

If you can only buy one Ella book, get the second one, "Ella Takes the Cake". My daughter loves the map.

Great book. We read this with our kindergarten-aged son because he was terrified of his school's upcoming performance. We even bought a few copies for his teachers and they agreed to let him, like Ella, serve the production behind the scenes. He had a blast and didn't feel left out at all... thanks to Ella.

Cute, animated story that demonstrates to readers of all ages that if you put your mind to what ever is your trying to do, you'll figure out the answer. It's about the journey and the lessons along the way. Easy book to engage kids into; identifying with Ella, etc. Fun!

I really love the "Ella" series... The books are nice and sweet, and presents a marvelously imagined, self-contained world that will strongly appeal to little kids. It has a similar feel to the "Curious George" and "Babar" books, except without all the weird, disturbing undertones that make those classics a bit troublesome. A great choice for some fun books that you don't have to worry about. (ReadThatAgain)

now my kid is afraid of bird eggs for fear an alligator will hatch. Bad idea when we have a bird building a nest on our front porch. would have been better to be one of the flamingos

It's a great book to read to toddlers. My brother and I loved "Are You My Mother" and the "Dog" books when we were little so I thought I'd give this book to my niece. I showed it to my brother before I wrapped it, and we both laughed at the story. Two 30+ year old men laughing at a children's book. That's good comedy! PD Eastman showed such personality and story in the illustrations, they add depth to the simple words. And the premise is cute.

this was a fun book for my child to read, and I recommend it highly. The animation is fun, and makes the reading come easier for the child.

This book has a very cute story line.
My daughter was especially intrigued by this book because we often talk about birds and have even watched a few build their nests outside.
It also has a good story about what birds eat....to help children envision what birds feed to their young.
Very well written and great for beginner readers.

Boy, is this ever cute! when a little boy puts an alligator egg in the Birds' nest, they take care of it as if it was their own. They sit on it until it hatches then when he does, they feed it constantly! It's funny watching an alligator eating all that "bird food" and still grows huge. The end is particularly nice. They decide it's time for "Junior" to learn to fly but instead, he learns to swim. Sure is a cute story - especially on caring for others. Highly recommend!

This book is an excellent introduction to the world of classical physics for NON-PHYSICISTS. While some physicists will no doubt find it accessible, there is considerable reduction of physical concepts in order to get to the heart of the ideas underlying the formalism. Also, the material goes beyond what most physicists (non-theoreticians) will find practical.

He focuses largely on a geometric presentation, in the language of differential geometry, symplectic geometry, differential forms, Riemannian manifolds and includes a large amount of algebraic necessities. This is not a cookbook for learning how to solve classical mechanics, nor is it a math book per se, but it is a wonderful collection of introductions to a vast amount of useful mathematical formalism that permeates the physical literature. I would strongly recommend it to someone needing a thorough supplementary mechanics text, one that relies on very little physical insight and focuses on the geometric and algebraic structures underlying them.

The chapters are very well self-contained for the most part so you can skip to topics you find more appealing without feeling lost. Also, his presentation style is very clever, in case you're a fan of quick thinking and novel presentations (who isn't?).

The prerequisites are familiarity with somewhat advanced calculus and "mathematical maturity". Basic knowledge of group theory would also make it an easier read.

Extremely stimulating, uses Galileo to motivate Newton's laws instead of postulating them. Treatment of Bertrand's theorem is beautiful, but contains one error (took me 2 years before I realized where..). However, I know of only one physicist who successully worked out all the missing steps and taught from this book. I know mathematicians who have cursed it. I used/use it for inspiration. The treatment of Liouville's integrability theorem, I found too abstract, found the old version in Whittaker's Analytical Dynamics to be clearer (Arnol'd might laugh sarcastically at this claim!)--for an interesting variation, but more from the standpoint of continuous groups, see the treatment in ch. 16 of my Classical Mechanics (Cambridge, 1997). In my text I do not restrict the discussion of integrability/nonintegrability to Hamiltonian systems but include driven dissipative systems as well. Another strength of Arnol'd: his discussion of caustics, useful for the study of galaxy formation (as I later learned while doing work in cosmology). Also, I learned from Arnol'd that Poisson brackets are not restricted to canonical systems (see also my ch. 15). I guess that every researcher in nonlinear dynamics should study Arnol'd's books, he's the 'alte Hasse' in the field.

The book is full of little enjoyable details (jewels). Arnold is one of the few mathematicians which approaches problems with a very geometric point of view. In his interview with S.H. Lui he mentions how algebraic picture has dominated the research in mathematics and how he has tried to counter that. One can see the trace of his ingenuity all over this book. What some may call as handwaving in math circles is indeed called as physical (or geometric) intuition in physics community and is being actively encouraged.

The chapters on oscillations (chap. 5) and perturbation theory (chap. 10) are very instructive. For example, parametric resonance is discussed concisely in chapter 5 which you won't be able to find it anywhere else. where can you learn about "Arnold's tongues" better than in Arnold's book?

There are so many appendices at the end of the book. They are often very specialized and I don't recommend you to read them on your first read.

In conclusion, I recommend this book to any physics graduate student. In fact, I hope one day it will be used as a text book for courses in classical mechanics.

I have to admit that I haven't thoroughly read through this text. But judging from the first 10 pages, there is a lot of mathematical handwaving. In contrast, foundations of mechanics (hereafter FOM) is far superior in that it provides all the necessary background beyond calculus and linear algebra to the reader, and is logically consistent so far in my reading. I want to mention that there are certainly complete and excellent texts out there on functional analysis, differential geometry, and topology, but many texts include way more stuff than you would want to know. In particular, it is my humble opinion that once you get to a certain point of knowledgeability of a subject like algebraic topology, you have enough of a taste for it that to learn more of the subject would only help if you were to go into research. Therefore a book like FOM provides a concise and practical treatment of those various advanced mathematics topics.

Best book on CM (based most on symplectic formulation). Extremely clear if one has enough patience to follow exactly the author's way and to work out the proposed stimulating problems. Contains an original way of introducing differential forms, integration of differential forms and homology/De Rahm's thm.: you fully get in the subject in few pages ! The first part does not make use of symplectic formalism but is also quite original and stimulating. The level is last yr. undergr. 1st yr. graduate. Very useful if used with E. ott (Chaos in Dynamical Systems) for studying nonlinear dynamics.

This book is great! I have read it at least half a dozen times over the years and it is a story you will never forget about Stephanie, a girl who runs away from home to find her true love- Maxwell Harrington, whom her father dislikes. She finds a ship Heading to California- the Gold Rush Country and stows away, until Chearlotte and her son - Jack, find her. In Charlotte, Stephanie finds a great friend who helps grow up and be courageous. Stephanie finds true love, but it just might not be who she thought it would be!

This is a great book! This book is my FAVORITE out of all of the Hearts nd Dreams series. It is worth the read. In the beggining she is all snotty, selfish, and inconsideret but by the end of the book she has changed SO much it's incredible! Ms. Dokey really has out done herself in this book. I've read other books of hers and this one is on my top list. If I could, I would give this book 10 stars but I can't. :-( BOO! Don't miss this exciting book about apperences and finding true love in the least expected places. Happy reading!
P.S. You wouldn't BELIEVE the ending! It's really surprising!

This is by far the Best romance pocketbook I have ever read! The plot is suspensful and the feelings are intense. Wow! I could even picture myself there! Its about a girl learning to be a better person and the meaning of true love. And, most importantly, sometimes you just have to open your eyes and see that true love is glaring right at you...

This has to be the absolute best of all the Hearts and Dreams series! I think that it has the a great plot, and it is wonderfully told. If you like reading books that have great adventures and a dash of romance, I swear you will love this book! Heck with the book, you'll love the whole series!

Stephanie Burbank is absolutley tired of listening to her father tell her what to do. But she will never forgive he lastest action: he has sent the love of Stephanie's life, Maxwell Harrington, to California to join the gold rush. Determined to be reuinted with Max, Stephanie stows away on the first ship she can find that's headed for California. When she's discovered, she's lucky that it's not by a crew member, but by a nice woman, Charlotte Kelly (Who was the main character of book two) and Charlotte's son, Jack. Charlotte decides to let Stephanie stay in her cabin, and it is that way that Charlotte makes it to California. But when she searches for Maxwell, she gets the shock of her life, and discovers he wasn't who she thought he was. Betrayed, Stephanie must start all over. Can she find a new love in Jack? And can she earn her father's forgiveness? This was a wonderful historical love story about a selfish girl maturing into an intelligant, courageous young woman who finds the true love of her life. I highly reccomend this book to teenage girls who love historical love stories.