E Books

I LOVED this book. I read a lot, and don't love most of what I read, but I loved this book. Kamla quickly and steadily emerged as the wise and quiet commentary over the unstable and difficult struggle faced by the family she came to love (and not love).

I swear I could SMELL and TASTE India while reading this book.

I am exhausted. I have just spent the last week racing around India in the late 1940's, struggling with the loss of love, fighting to keep faith and belief alive, and despairing at the imperfections of the human heart. Aimee Liu's Flash House is a myriad of subplots all rolled into one dazzling central theme - fighting for what you believe in and never giving up on what or who you love.

Joanna Shaw met her husband Aidan in a 'Maze of Mirrors' attraction at a beach-side carnvial. From word go, his interests in the world, his unique beliefs outside of Joanna's previous "Pleasantivlle" life were a gasping, sweet breath of fresh air for Joanna. When Aidan follows his journalism career to India, Joanna packs up their home and their son Simon and dutifully and happily follows. Settled in New Dehli, Aidan leaves Joanna asleep in their bed to set out on what she has been told is an 'assignment'. In his absence, Joanna goes ahead with her employment in New Delhi - running a Safe House for rescuing child prostitues...one of which becomes elemental in ironically rescuing Joanna. From the minute little Kamla, the girl with the turquoise eyes, rests her sight on "Mrs Shaw" she "claims" her as the physical entity of her freedom. After suffering a savage destruction of her innocence, Kamla runs to the only place she can think of, Joanna's residence. Amidst highly volatile political unrest, Joanna takes Kamla in after learning of her history and decides to deal with the consequences of personally rescuing an Indian orphan later. Just days later, Joanna receives a telegram of Aidan's disappearance after his plane went down in the Karakoram mountain range and Joanna's entire existence gets thrown off course.

So begins this wonderful, wild adventure told with scissor-sharp precision by the glorious writer, Aimee Liu. As it increasingly appears to the reader, the circumstances that Joanna met Aidan in, the maze of mirrors, may have laid the groundwork for what Liu slowly reveals of their smoke and mirror marriage. Accompanied by Lawrence Malcolm, an Australian friend of Aidan's and little Kamla who proves to be a talented translator, Joanna packs up her son Simon and does the only thing she feels sure of - going after Aidan.

This novel explores the strength, the stubborness, the fraility and the invicibility of unconditional love and all of the complicated mess of emotions that are unable to be contained, that don't fit neatly into a clean little box. Liu's language and descriptions left me breathless and shaking my head - walking alongside these beautifully crafted characters was an absolute joy...with the ultimate question of Aidan's location dangling above me like a carrot for the entire journey. Flash House is a convicting satsifying and unpredictable read and overall was a perfectly paced tale of adventure and love, a combination that Aimee Liu has pulled off with great skill and authenticity.

If I could give this novel ten stars, I would because this is everything that a novel should be. The twists and turns in the plot capture your interest and hold you captive yet it is the rich lyrical use of language that truly make the book memorable. This is an author who uses words like magic to weave you into a spell of love and intrigue.

The epilogue of this plot-driven novel is satisfying at all levels and the author does the reader the great service of truly wrapping up the novel to a lovely and believable ending.

The only negative that I would caution about is that on occasion the jump from the novel being told in the voice of Joanna to the voice of Kamla is not a smooth transition. However, it is hard to conceive of any way in which the author could have made the transition less jarring.

In the beginning it is somewhat disappointing that Aidan is not a fully drawn out character that would allow the reader to fully understand why Joanna is so driven in her search for the truth. Yet as the novel progresses, it becomes more clear why the author is so clever in slowly revealing the complexities of this character.

The insights into history and culture whet your appetite to learn more about Asia in the post World War II era. This is a book that will capture the delight of book clubs for the foreseeable future!

Set against the backdrop of The Game in which the U.K. and the Soviet Union strive to influence India's future, this historical espionage novel is a terrific read. The story is a good one, the writing better than usual and the detail and ambience superb.

I loved this book! I picked it up on impluse, just liked the look of it. I had no idea when I finished it, I would put it down as one of my favorites. Joanna Shaw and the people who make up her family and life are unforgettable.

When it is good (and beautifully written) advice is something you can never get enough of, and For Girls Only is proof. Weston combines her own always-accurate, thoughtful, and humorous words of wisdom with those of famous writers, philosophers, entertainers, politicians, and more. The result is a book which page by page offers truly inspiring quotes and passages to comfort any girl, at any stage of life.

I just finished reading this awesome book a few days ago, and immmediately sent the author a thank you email for what a great job she did! Not only did she do a great job of incorportating quotes from men and women, old and young, past and present, and all religions, but I came away feeling inspired and ready to take on the world! A perfect book for any girl!

Whenever I need inspiration or encouragement or a peptalk or just some sensible advice, I open this book to any page, read for a few minutes, and feel lighter and better. GREAT FOR ANY AGE!!! GET A COPY! You'll be glad you did!!!

I confess, I like quote books. I even have my own blank book that I've filled with quotes over the years. Well, FOR GIRLS ONLY is like a gold mine!!! I'm not kidding, it has around 500 GREAT quotes that aren't the usual ones we've all already heard. I don't know where Carol Weston gets them, but she has great quotes from poets, singers, celebs, and some people that I thought I alone had discovered. It's just a great mix. I always liked her "Dear Carol" column in Girls Life, so I like having all her own advice under each quote. I mean, I grew up reading her novels and column, so I trust her. I read one page of FOR GIRLS ONLY every morning and I also go to it whenever I get mad or depressed or whatever. It gets me in a better mood because it gives me a new way to look at things. I gave this book to everyone who came to my last birthday party and it got us into some really good conversations. I recommend GIRLTALK too, but since I'm into quotes, I wanted to review this one. Get For Girls Only! You'll be glad you did!!!

I love how this book is full of excellent advice that I can read whenever I'm feeling confused or depressed. I am a big fan of Carol Weston's "Dear Carol" column in Girls' Life magazine (and also of her novels) so it's really cool to have her best advice in one book. She also quotes a ton of my favorite musicians, actors, and other writers. Basically, thanks to FOR GIRLS ONLY, even if I've already talked to my mom and best friend about a problem, I still have another place to go for good advice or just to get me motivated to get my work done or try to meet new people or whatever. FOR GIRLS ONLY is FOR YOU!!!

While this is not a book for a graduate level computer science course, it is an excellent text for a general management audience or perhaps an undergraduate information systems curriculum. Canavan covers the right areas at the right depth in a very real and practical sense. Because of its practical nature, it may be a bit outdated in 3 more years, but since its release in 2001 it has been "on the money."

I do wish the price was lower, or that it was offered in paperback.

This Network security book is non-technical, yet it is detail enough to make you comprehend the material easily. Among other things, the book discusses in detail firewalls, intrusion detection, and the importance of policies. By pointing all the key points, you get what you must know to tie them all. It is an excellent book for someone who aspires to be a network security manager.

This Network security book is non-technical, yet it is detail enough to make you comprehend the material easily. Among other things, the book discusses in detail firewalls, intrusion detection, and the importance of policies. By pointing all the key points, you get what you must know to tie them all. It is an excellent book for someone who aspires to be a network security manager.

I am not an expert in all aspect of security, thus I find the book very informative. Security is a chain of process covering all inter-connected equipment and applications. The book not just descibed (briefly) network security, but also includes systems and applications. The title of the book could be misleading as it reads 'Network Security', it could have just been 'IT Security'. There are some misleading information in certain vendor specific systems, which I am familiar, causing me to doubt the accuracy of the other vendor specific information, which I am not familiar. The author could have kept all information as neutral and avoid treading on thin ice. I do not think a second edition will be published unless the book is re-written.

The book is well written and the concepts it covers are both current and relative. It covers the concepts of basic computer and network security and basic terminology to disaster recovery plans. One of the major concepts I found very interesting was the idea of how much is enough security. He reduces it to relatively easy terms; make the computer or network secure enough for any would be hacker to be discouraged and go somewhere else less protected. His explanation of symmetric (private key) and asymmetric (public key) encryption and digital certificates was especially helpful in helping me understand those concepts. The explanation regarding the different types of firewalls was also very informative. Toward the end of the book, the author covers a subject frequently left out of any discussion of network security - security policies and procedures. He stresses the importance of these for any administrator to be able to identify possible security leaks.

This is an excellent book for any potential reader who is looking for a text which gives an overall viewpoint of computer and network security without getting bogged down in the details of any one facet of security.

Having previously read the first three novels, I had no doubt the fourth novel would be just as good. It exceeded my expectations. The manga seems to get better and better with each volume. Personally, this is my favorite volume since the bandit Tasuki is introduced (my favorite character). Miaka continues her quest to find the remaining Suzaku Senshi and runs into all sort of trouble. I highly recommend this volume as well as the rest of the series. Money well-spent.

*Out of all the manga I read from this series, I like this one the best cause of Tasuki. Tasuki is my favorite character cause, he's always sarcastic and is always ready to kick... But its all good! Fushigi Yugi is serious must have for the anime otaku (otaku- japanese word for obsessed fan).

Yu Watase, Fushigi Yugi: Bandit (Viz, 1992)

The fourth installment of Fushigi Yugi has Miaka and crew searching for the last three Constellations of Suzaku. We get two stories here; the first takes them into a bandit camp, the second into a town stricken by plague. As the story's ramped itself up and some of the major pieces have fallen into place, there's more focus on the action in the stories, and things are getting faster-paced and building to the first of what is likely to be a number of climaxes. A fun series, well worth your time. *** ½

Ok, now taking into consideration that this book is totally great, in fact so great that i can't even tell you the 1/8th of it. So i will introduce you to tama-home he is really to-die-for, and to think, manga artists get paid to draw him all day... anyway tama-home was (and occasionally still is) always looking to make some cash, not because he is greedy, but to help his family. When he meets Miaka, a girl from today, who opens a book and goes to this other land, he is brusqe, but after she goes home for a while, (3 months) then he realizes how much he loves her, which is a good thing because miaka fell for him a bit a go...
So BUY THESE BOOKS! TAMA-HOME rules!...

Fushigi Yugi is about a bouncy eighth grade girl named Miaka. She's just a regular junior high school girl trying to get through exams, but one day she goes inside a restricted library and opens up a book called The Universe of the Four Gods. She gets transported inside the book and finds herself in Ancient China. She had to get out of the book, so she has to find the seven oracles. On her mission she falls in love with a handsome seventeen year old guy named Tamahome. He's caring and does the best for his family by earning as much money as possible - but at first when Miaka tells her feelings for him, he rejects her and says doesn't feel the same way.

Eventually Miaka discoveres that the beatiful emperor of Hong-Nan, Hotohori, is in love with her. By then Tamahome also discovers he had fallen in love with Miaka, so it form a love triangle. When this is all happening, Miaka is able to get in her own world...but then her best friend, Yui, who is the one who saved her gets stuck in Ancient China. A day passes by, then Miaka goes back to the restricted library to seek for Yui. She transports back into Ancient China, and she finds out a lot of bad things had happened to Yui during that time. Even though it was only a day in the present time, it was months in the other world. Yui sides with another country, and this forces them to become rivals.

This is a good book that has a mixture of romance, friendship, comedy, horror, action and adventure all in one great series. A must-read!

I've been left to pick up the pieces after a loved one's death and would not wish that experience on my family. That said, exactly because the subject was so intensely emotional, I'd put off meaningful gathering and preparation.

A recent experience I watched unfold showed me how selfish that approach was and I started looking for a method to pull together information. This book came highly recommended, and I liked the idea of the accompanying CD-Rom.

We've been making progress with our worksheets (I printed one file for each of us, with a master file for joint things like checking/savings accounts and our home). When we're almost done, we'll sit down with a professional and use this material to develop a living trust.

The author's manner throughout is professional and yet compassionate. Instructions are easy to understand, yet there's not a feel that you're being talked down to. You also can hop from one place to another in the book and worksheets as your information and mood take you.

I'd add these suggestions to the process:

* If you don't already have a grid of account numbers, simply gather your monthly statements now, while you're waiting for the book to arrive, and add new statements as they come in.

* "Tax time" is a perfect time to work on the financial sections, since you've probably got a lot of materials more at your fingertips than you do at other times of year.

* Practice security wisely. Keep the material at home, preferably locked up. Although you can work on the files on your computer, I would advise very strongly against leaving them on your drive. Either secure the printouts or archive your documents on a removable drive, which you then secure.

* There's a note that no tech support is available for non-Windows user. I have found that the CD operates easily and flawlessly on the Mac OS X platform.

* If you're reluctant for time or emotional reasons, you'll find that you can get a lot done in 20-minute chunks. For the same reason, turn to the portions where you indicate your wishes (remembrance service? full-blown viewing and service?) since your voice will provide comfort and solace to those you leave behind.

(This review is of the second edition of the book, which was purchased directly from Amazon.)

We were hoping to set up a will and living directive, but the CD didn't have that. The forms are in PDF format so you print them off and fill them out?? Not sure why that is, deliver a Word doc so people can type it in. It's a great get all the information together type of book, just not great on the other parts of what to do if you become incapacitated type situations.

My mother died suddenly and left her estate in a total mess. I was left shocked, grief-stricken and alone in struggling to make sense of what needed to be done. I wouldn't wish that ordeal on anyone let alone on those I love. This workbook and companion organizer is the perfect solution. Nothing will be left to guesswork if I am incapacitated or dead. It is thorough yet simply organized and written from a compassionate perspective. It is a gift of love to provide this kind of direction to those who must make decisions on your behalf.

Everyone has important paperwork and legal information which loved ones should have access to: GET IT TOGETHER: ORGANIZE YOUR RECORDS SO YOUR FAMILY WON'T HAVE TO appears in its second updated edition to tell how to sort important records, help your family find needed information, and how to do so with or without a computer in hand. Step-by-step descriptions of what documents will be needed, how to organize and protect them, and how to provide selected users with keys for finding them quickly make GET IT TOGETHER a top pick for any public library reference section.

I bought this book thru Amazon in June 2006 because of my experiences working with a close friend who had just lost his father rather unexpectedly. My friend faced a monstrous task of trying to track down his father's assets, business records, last will, credit accounts, etc. just to scratch the surface. As a participant in his frustration, I began to think about the arrangement of my personal life and how my loved ones would tend to my estate.

"Get It Together" brings so much to the table to deal with. I think most people refuse to face their mortality and the task of making such arrangements, let alone there really is a large volume of papers, decisions, conversations, and organization to be handled. GIT is very thorough in all topic areas (see Table of Contents). The book discusses the emotions involved with each topic area, numerous websites to obtain additional information, what to get a copy of, keeping the info current and arranging your "estate" or life, for that matter, to benefit those close to you.

My parents or other people I look up to would never or be highly uncomfortable discussing these topics in detail. This book is perfect to compensate for the lack of those conversations. Now, just a warning for those willing to purchase and conform to this book. I was quite diligent in following all their instructions and recommendations to the "t". It took longer than expected, about 12 weekends, until I had gathered and organized everything to my satisfaction and I don't have a wife, kids or other complicated situations...just me alone.

But I have such a peace of mind that my successors will have no trouble making decisions or tracking down stuff because it's all there with explicit directions from me. I find going forward that I try to keep my life organized in a simple fashion and refuse to take on unnecessary stuff that I will need to add to my planner. And I feel no stress at all looking at my desk now because all the meaningless clutter is gone and GIT was a big reason for that.

Finally, the greatest resource is the forms CD included with the book, which saves a great deal of time when the organizing process starts and got me unstuck in some areas.

I searched for the truth. Found it in compassionate socialism and the Baha'i faith. I am fulfilled...

What an incredible book and what a history , as a world religion built on the foundation of all the great religions, this new faith has ...... After reading this marvelous book , i looked and read further and have found answers to my questions about the questions we all have today and about every subject ....and reasons for the answers..... No cult here ....and it is truly what the kingdom of God on the face of the Earth will be ......You absolutely must read this book .....It is great !!!! ..... I am sure there are people who will make bad comments about this new faith, but there are no so blind as those who will not see ....... Read it before you make a judgement i would say....We all worship the same God.

I was hoping this would be a "for dummies" sort of book - a quick reference guide. It's more of a text book with long chapters. The history of the Bahai faith is DEEPLY explained. I wouldn't recommend this book if you're looking for a "basics" reference.

This is a very good introduction to the Baha'i faith. I was not at all familiar with the Baha'i's. I am a student (sort of) of religion and have always wanted to understand what the other faiths and traditions have to say, preferably by reading their main religious text (read as bible), but when you've neever heard of a faith you don't know where to look. So, I saw this on Amazon and it was touted as an intro to the Baha'i faith. It is. It gives you the basics, basically the Baha'i 101 version, of the faith, as well as the names of the major religious texts so you can buy them and read the teachings as written.
Is it preachy as Publishers Weekly states? I agree with one of the other reviewers on this. No it is not. He quotes from "scripture" as necessary to explain his point. This is a good primer to decide whether or not you want to delve deeper and understand more about the Baha'i faith.

I have read this book a few times, not because it is hard to understand, but because it is so very exciting. If you want to understand how God interacts with humanity, how all religions have the same foundation, and why we who live now are extraordinarily blessed, pick up this book and savor it.

Mobile commerce offers the hope of faster access to information for the consumer. M-Commerce builds on both internet and wireless communication devices. Internet servers push small applications to WiFi devices and these applications, in turn, make information requests through WiFi portals back to the server. The WiFi interface improves speed to acquire information for the consumer increasing the likelihood of a purchase; the WiFi interface can submit billing information for payment processing with one tap to confirm credit card usage for bill payment; a confirmation code is displayed on the WiFi device and used to validate pickup of the merchandise; and speed is the motivating factor like the fast food chain in time performance. If by the middle of the decade, "the only way to reach your customers is via the internet, you'll be limiting your customer base". M-commerce brings the store to the consumer wirelessly and it assists the consumer in price comparison. The consumer can talk directly to the WiFi device reducing time to navigate menu selection. Sophisticated voice recognition software will eliminate the need to display all available choices. Instead, the software will use context and subject matter as it relates to voice interpretation too determine choice.

Location commerce is the result of the law. All cell phones or devices capable of making a call must be capable for an external call center too pinpoint a caller within a few feet. Position based commerce will become the primary source of new business referrals. As the consumer moves from one zone to another information is served up to the WiFi interface from local based directories. The user will enter in what they want and a list of services based on proximity will be offered through their PDA. National chains will be able to offer localized pricing of their products and services. The localized directories will be able to determine availability and make referrals to other stores within a certain mile radius, if the product is unavailable. The idea is that the quicker you get your customer the merchandise, the more you will sell.

A decentralized Transportation Wifi network potentially offers a massive opportunity. Suppose, each car was installed with a WiFi device that could communicate with car around it, accessing: speed, breaking, turning, and sudden stops. Potentially, the Wifi device could stop all accidents involving abrupt slow downs in traffic. Additionally, the auto wifi device could communicate with Wifi portal along the road querying for restaurant prices and availability, sleeping arrangements and prices, and music downloads. Billboards being replaced by high speed Wifi portals and massive internet servers bring services too consumers on the road.

The book presents a wide range of business cases as well as scenarios where wireless technology is used or can be used. The author sometimes gets too excited about the potential of the technologies involved but she proves that, at least in some areas, wireless is revolutionizing business, creating business value by providing convenience, mobility, agility and improved data accuracy.

I probably sound like a paid endorser, but the truth is, this book is fantastic. It's written beautifully, contains riveting stories, and is packed with insights, ideas, trends, and more. It's written for anyone in business ready to cash in on the future. Wireless is the next big trend. This book shows you how to surf it to the bank. Get it. Get it right now. -- Joe Vitale, author of way too many books to list here, ...

I hesitated before buying Going Wireless because I didn't want a book about
how wireless works. Then I stumbled on the Newsweek review, read a couple
excerpts on the Going Wireless website and then bought it. My hunch was
right. This book is a real winner by cutting out the "geek speak" and
instead showing me directly how wireless can benefit my business. I highly
recommend it.

Easton takes a very difficult subject and pieces together how wireless will make our lives simpler and faster still. We can get what we want, when we want it. We can make an order from a wireless hand held device and pick it up within minutes.

This book is made to order if you want to see where wireless is going. Easton is well researched and writes to inform.

Of the many books I have borrowed from my dad, this was one that I have read repeatedly. Unlike some humor, I still chuckle every time I read "A hunker is not a squat" or the one about the grasshopper trap. This is one of three of Pat's books that I regularly give as gifts to those young men of impressionable age in their pre-teen and teen age years. Hopefully reading this book will enlighten both their minds and hearts.

I picked this book up at a liquidation sale at a used book store mainly because I liked the title and not knowing anything about the author. This was my first reading of Patrick McManus and now I just have to read more of his works. My better half was trying to watch TV while I was reading this and I kept interrupting by reading sections of the book. His comment was "I can relate to that." I got to the point where I couldn't read any more until I wiped my eyes. This is a must-read for anyone who needs a good laugh.

A book filled with humorous stories, this compilation of experiences was a treat to read! The Grasshopper Trap is only the second book I've read by Patrick McManus but now I want to track down all of his stories. McManus writes humor without the obscene, offensive language that seems so common everywhere these days. It's a refreshing, fun read with stories that entertain as well as remind us of a simpler, less frantic way of life.

The title of these comments is from one of the tales in this third collection of short stories I have read by Mr. Patrick F. McManus. The author has been writing the yarns and his versions of his childhood "true" stories for decades, and has now produced 12 collections of these essays in book form. Many of the stories are about being outdoors and failing miserably as a hunter and fisherman, but one gets the impression that to the extent he fails, he does with seeming intent. It's the outdoors he loves, not harming it or its inhabitants. When he does speak of a successful outing with his friends he complains so much about the "success" that again you can tell coming home empty handed is his real goal. A collection of stories is what he is after.

The best stories here range from his childhood when speaking of why an 8 year old is perfectly competent to own his first knife, while even one day short of the 8th anniversary would be nothing less than a felony were a knife to be given to such an infant. He goes on at length as to how men delude themselves in to their thinking they have convinced their wives how their gun collections multiply without a single purchase. And in a story entitled, "A Hunker Is Not A Squat", he explains how with the correct posture, a stick and a dirt floor, The United Nations would be unnecessary, and world conflicts would end.

Mr. McManus writes for everyone who enjoys a good laugh, uncontrived humor, and just simple observations about human nature. He does not preach about the solutions to world problems, claim a cure for the common cold, or how to get rich. He just gives the reader the gift of laughter, an invaluable gift.

I have always thought that Patrick McManus is the funniest writer on the planet. I read his stories when I need to laugh or relax. Sometimes I irritate my wife by reading it in bed. I try not to laugh out loud, but I only succeed in sounding like I am trying to muffle continuous sneezes.

However, not everyone gets it. I have been shocked by watching people read McManus without so much as a smile (though most start snorting like wild pigs on acid) . My only guess is that getting McManus requires a couple things. First, it requires some understanding of his experiences. He absolutely nails all of the stupid things 'outdoors men (outdoors people)' do and think, but don't want anybody to know about. Second, you have to see the self-deprecating aspect of his humor. Third, you can't look for great literature in integrated books. Patrick McManus is an excellent writer, if you see these as independent stories simply collected in a volume. They are meant for adults who want to laugh at themselves. So, If you are willing to or already meet the above three criteria, you will love this book.

By the way, I am a professor of clinical psychology and (other than worrying a little about McManus) I sometimes recommend this and other McManus books. I do this with people who have racing thoughts and anxiety at bedtime, and when I believe they have the necessary experiences to find it funny. It often works quite well. I think of his stories as little pieces of happiness. (Oh, that even makes me sick to hear. Sorry)

A wonderful chronicle of a Jewish family in Belarus beginning in the early 20 th century and culminating in its destruction in Hitlers holocaust A cast of remarkable characters illuminates this novel The fiery Rachel and soft spoken husband Yacov Ivanovsky,Rachels father the respected and tough Abraham Rakhlenko,the colourful Chaim Yagudin.The Ivanovsky children includin the narrator,Boris and the beautiful Dina to name only a few of the cast of characters We grow to know and love the people in this book And it with a profound sense of horror and tragedy that we see their crule destruction at the hands of the Nazis

It is however through the few survivors such as Boris Ivanovskyand his sister Lyuda and the young Olya that we find hope

What took away from the book was as one previous reviewer points out the ommission of the horror of the Bolshevik Revolution Stalin years but due to censorship in the Soviet Union when the book was written in the 1970's the writer could only hint at these things

Where was THIS book hiding? There are very few books that I truly enjoy, but this is one of them. I first read Mr. Rybakov's "Children of the Arbat" and "Fear", books about young adults in 1930s Moscow, and enjoyed both very much. Because I could not immediately find the third book of his trilogy ("Dust and Ashes"), I read "Heavy Sand", which my library just happened to have.

This book about Jews living in the Ukraine from 1910s to 1940s is a great read. The book is more a story about how forthrightness and integrity meant something in the days of yore, rather than a treatise about Soviet Judaism, therefore, it is totally accessable to the gentile, American reader. "Heavy Sand" also does not have the superfluous, melodramatic verbage that plagues much of Russian/Soviet literature, verbage that often obstructs the point being made and makes much of Russian/Soviet literature unpalatable to most Americans.

The one knock on "Heavy Sand" is that it was obviously tailored to pass the censors in 1970 USSR. It doesn't dwell on Stalinist purges or pervasive anti-Semitism, which were more than prevalent at the time. However, knowing this going in, it is an amazing, warm and inspiring book. Find it, get it, read it. I cannot recommend "Heavy Sand" highly enough.

You know, I say this all the time, but I have really got to learn Russian one of these days. This time the reason I wish I knew the language is because I'd like to see if the original of Heavy Sand has the same plainspoken, conversational tone which makes the English translation so engaging. It doesn't take long to get [wrapped up] into the story of the Rakhlenko family and to fall in love with all the characters, from the noble to the scoundrels, with all shades of messy humanity in between. At times you don't even feel as if you're reading a novel but hearing a good friend masterfully tell his story and those of his parents and grandparents. This is perhaps the most unpretentious great novel I've ever read.

The small events of the novel's first half blend seamlessly into the world events of the war and the destruction of the entire village, and in both times and places you feel utterly transfixed by what is happening to the people of this family and their village. And despite its depressing setting, Heavy Sand ends on a relatively uplifting note. There is plenty of horror in the book, but also plenty of hope.

I didn't want this book to be over. Highly recommended!

A wonderful chronicle of a Jewish family in Belarus beginning in the early 20 th century and culminating in its destruction in Hitlers holocaust A cast of remarkable characters illuminates this novel : The fiery Rachel and her soft spoken husband Yacov Ivanovsky,Rachels father the respected and tough Abraham Rakhlenko,the colourful Khaim Yagudin and The Ivanovsky children includin the narrator,Boris and the beautiful Dina. We grow to know and love the characters And it with a profound sense of horror and tragedy that we see their cruel destruction at the hands of the Nazis

It is however through the few survivors such as Boris Ivanovsky and his sister Lyuda and the young Olya that we find hope . I cannot help however being frustrated by the ommission of the horrors of the Bolshevik Revolution and the Stalin years even though it is clear that due to censorship in the Soviet Union when the book was written in the 1970's, the writer could only hint at these things

This novel is based on my grandmother's family history. Anatoly Rybakov was my second cousin. He interviewed my grandmotehr several times, taperecorded her stories, baed the novel on our family's history.This book was published in Russia in 1979 (the year I emigrated from the Soviet Union), and it was the first legally available publication to mention the figure 6 million (estimated number of Jews perished in the Holocaust).
The story is not necessarily girm or frightening, there is quite a bit of humor, a very romantic love story and a pretty uplifitng ending despite all tagedies.

This reader blows away any of Kerouac's work, in my opinion. Huncke was the first to coin the phrase "beat," and also the first to turn on Burroughs to morphine. He's really where Beat started. The book is very interesting, especially in the fact that it is composed mostly of journal-type entries. He writes as he probably spoke: full of slang terms of the time that other authors leave out.

This is a wonderful glance into Huncke's world and the workings of his singular, unique mind.

Herbert Huncke was the true beat. As WS Burroughs wrote, in The Herbert Huncke Reader, "Huncke had adventures and misadventures that were not available to middle-class, comparatively wealthy college people like...me....Huncke had extraordinary experiences that were quite genuine." The sad true is that Huncke was the type that Burroughs wrote about, but didn't like much. He was real. Burroughs was living on trust-fund money for decades (remember that the $200 a month WSB received from family in the 1950s was equal to thousands of dollars a month now-not a bad way to live). Huncke lived the life that others wrote about, but never live. While Burroughs ate steak and drank fine booze, Huncke was still wandering around Times Square. Read the original beat. He makes the other `beat' writers seem like the middle-class dilatants that many of them were. Huncke never fought for the fame, the fortune, and the boys. He was just a "junkie on the prow." This book is truly hip.

Previously known for using the word "beat" to the fullest, thus inspiring Kerouac for an appropriation of a very hip literary movement, there was more to Huncke than just a "jive" talker. As we know, Huncke was a full time junky (what a rhyme!) who had more of an affect on Burroughs than any other beat writer. Likewise, Huncke spent most of his life helping out on the Burroughs' cannabis farm and taking care of Bill's wife Joan who harnessed a difficult benny habit. In Huncke's early years, growing up in Massachusetts and NYC, he used to entertain the boys at local cafeterias with his succinct yet street jargon-fulled stories; clearly he had a talent for story telling. This story-telling is pretty much what makes up the Herbert Huncke Reader. Starting with Huncke's journal, Herbert gets his feet wet with short-story writing, particularly focusing on introspective work-outs and clever anecdotes. Then the books moves to The Evening Sun Turned Crimson, another introspective composition altho mainly concentrating on structural pieces depicting street life, hanging with the beats, and drugs. Next to Reader introduces Guilty of Everything, a comprehensive series of interviews plus outtakes from other journals. Finally the book closes with Previously Uncollected Material, the chapter says it all. Sometimes moving other times raw and scatological, Huncke writes with a unique style that is easy to comprehend and is inspiring. Although not as transcendent as his contempoaries (Burroughs, Ginsberg, Corso), Huncke's writing should not overlooked as "writings of a drug addict," or "a subordinate Beatnik." Huncke did have talent (most notably with recitations) and has definitely worked to the fullest by publishing what he could, despite his painful heroin addiction and ostracization. In my opinion he's a second Neal Cassady (more of a inspiring icon) and definitely had a major affect on the foremost Beat's writings despite his own sparse collection; that's why I think this Reader is important.

There are few authors I feel everyone should read but no matter who you are Herbert Huncke should be read. He is one of the best storytellers/writers I have had the privilege of reading. His stories of sex, streets, drugs, life and friends bring a humanity to what may be considered by many obscure, degenerate, or just plain disgusting, but Hunckeýs stories I believe are non of these. They are filled with love, beauty, pain and always truth. He takes the reader into a world they donýt always want to enter but when the story is finished we are glad we made the journey and had someone like Huncke by our side as a companion.