Frank Books

Angels of the Seventh Dawn is an awesome vampire story. His first book Into the Mirror Black is also a very compelling vampire novel. I recommend both highly. I'm looking forward to the next in the series.

This was a great read! It hits the mark on every level. The characters are interesting, the story flows smoothly, and there's plenty of action to keep the reader tense... and to prevent you from putting the book down!

If you like vampires and other creatures of the dark, this is a must have for your collection!


David B.

Frank doesn't let his readers down with this 2nd installment of his series. He keeps you on edge, and guessing up until the end! I'm notorious within our circle of friends, as Frank can attest to, for figuring out the end of movies & books a short ways into them. He managed to keep me riveted right up to the last page.

This book is a gothic horror dream. Vampires, werewolves, shapechangers, murder, and eroticism all bound up in one lovely novel. The characters are well developed, and spring to life very nicely in one's imagination.

As always, I'm semi-patiently awaiting the next volume's release date.

Frank's second installment is no less then perfect. It grabs you by the throat and does not let go. He is very detailed in giving the reader a picture in the mind (which for me is key.) I highly recommend this book.

One of the best reads of 2007. Although this is the second book in Frank's Scarabae saga, you don't absolutely need to have read INTO THE MIRROR BLACK in order to enjoy this one as it is a stand alone story. ANGELS OF THE SEVENTH DAWN is a perfect blend of horror and dark fantasy that unfolds at brisk pace and keeps the readers on the edge of their seats.

Mr. Bittinger develops his characters little by little every chapter and succeeds at making you care about them for the whole ride. His plotting is tight, the action and mystery consistent throughout, and the surprises aplenty. I was afraid the climax wouldn't live up to what led to it, but the third act and ending delivered the goods on all counts.

If you like vampires, were creatures, and a dose of magic thrown in for good measure, you're bound to have a great time with this book. Frank Bittinger is proof that sometimes the best books are not the ones on the New York Times Bestsellers List. I will be looking out for his next book, ANGELS OF THE MOURNING LIGHT, which is scheduled for publication this fall.

Alan Draven,
Author of Bitternest

This is the best book about WW II that I have read - and I have read them all.

The only book that comes close to "Ash Wednesday 45'" is about WW I - "All Quite on The Western Front" by Erich Maria Remarque.

Ulf Morling
Sweden

Mr. Westie through his words gave me vivid recall of events I had long forgotten. Recommended to all who have an interest in"being there" during our days and nights.

A powerful story as can only be told by one who was there. I had a chance to meet the author in Traverse City, MI at a book signing we were both attending for our respective books. We traded books and I have to say it was by far the best book I've read in the past year. I read Ash Wednesday in two days and wished I had taken longer to enjoy such a wonderful story. The author blends realistic characters and a rich setting into a believable plot. There are scenes in this book that you will envision in your minds eye for a long time. I can almost hear the "Big Band" swing music of the war everytime I see the book in my library. Don't miss it!! KCThorne

Frank Robert Westie tells an indepth tale from his experiences during WWII. A beautiful love story is woven through a thoughtful account of American B-17 flights over Nazi held Europe. He probes the question, "Just what should a war hero do when he is ordered to do something clearly against his conscience." It is certainly one of the best aviation stories I have read and ranks with those of Nevil Shute Norway & Ernest Gann. Pilots and non-pilots who want vivid accounts of that great air war will cherish this book.

Frank R. Westie waited a long time to write his novel roughly based on his 8th Air Force experience as a B17 pilot in WWII. It must have been time well spent, however, because this is a mature,yet vividly detailed and realistic statement on the ultimate price of war. It sharply throws the reader back there to 1945. It tells a compelling,two-tiered love story, both of a romance with a mysterious,aristocratic Englishwoman,and of the bond that existed between gruff,seasoned airmen who have tested their friendship and mutual respect over way too many missions to Germany. It depicts the inner turmoil of a man, the pilot protagonist, not normally prone to self-reflection. Combat fatigue is the overt cause,and the descriptions of air combat in this book are among the most bracingly precise that you will ever read. No small accomplishment if you know what's out there. I have always suspected that survivors of WWII air combat never really completely came home. Part of them, perhaps the best part, is still up there, back there, flying, fighting, trying to ransome the dead and somehow, save us all. Author Westie's ghostly clarion call proves the point elegantly. An unforgettable book about an unforgettable time, of Flying Fortresses and Liberators, and the flesh and blood that powered them to victory, at no small cost. May it reprint soon.

I recommend this book to my patients all the time. My own copy is almost completely highlighted. Dr. Frank gives such insight into his own patient experience and from a medical sociologist's perspective!

Abby Caplin, MD, MA, San Francisco, CA

Arthur W. Frank's book, At the Will of the Body: Reflections on Illness, is a pilgrimage through the author's struggle with a heart attack and cancer. His experiences, insights, treatments, along with his wife's support are by no means examples of the average person's struggle with illnesses. Frank, a college professor, comes across as a self-centered elitest and as a patient who was critical of his health care. Upon reflection, I am amazed by his wife's dedication to him as he progressed through his illnesses, especially cancer.

For anyone who is ill or anyone who is accompanying someone else on this journey, this book is invaluable. Richly illuminating and enlightening about what it means to be facing a life threatening illness. It is enormously helpful and reassuring to read of someone facing this head on without the current and dismissive "just have a positive attitude". it is engrossing and a life changing book. I cannot recommend highly enough.

I have helped train family practice physicians and I have used the play "W;T" to try and sensitize young physicians to the viewpoint of the patient. I was asked to read this book for a graduate course in spirituality and healing called: Suffering and Hope. I found it even better than "W;T" for training purposes. I think it should be required reading for all medical students and residents. Physicians are much more than just technicians trained to "fix" bodies. The viewpoint of the author was most helpful in suggesting ways to approach a very difficult situation. I have ordered copies for friends who are suffering from cancer that it may help them on their journey!

This was one of the best books I have read in the course of my dissertation work. I'd say it is a must read for anyone in the health care profession, as well as patients battling chronic symptoms. The book is a reminder that we need to remember the PERSON who is the patient.

Excellent book!! Could not put the book down. This book keeps you at the edge of your seat.

A very timely novel, written by a skilled author. As an RN, I appreciated the realism of the medical aspects of the novel. Characters are believable, enabling the reader to love most and dislike some.

Caceres has something to say and does so in a realistic way via his excellent prose. The message of his story is ageless, and in 2003 very timely.

Do yourself a favor....find a comfortable spot and indulge yourself in this well written debut novel by an author who has a true understanding of human nature.

The political and racial issues are as true as they can be. Don't be mistaken, this is not a novel about minorities being victimized. The plot is an eye opener to the truth about good and bad people, no matter the race, political and/or social status. Who we are today is a direct result of the way we were raised, no matter our place or condition of origin. As Puerto Rico native, I felt extremely identified with the plot. As a member of a close-knit family, I really loved the book.

I enjoyed the book very much because it was fast paced and the characters were so real that it was easy to love them or hate them. I really appreciated the sense of family and how they took care of each other and believed in one another. The "bad guys" were extremely realistic and the evil deeds they committed were not new and have already taken place in our world. It was a very scary scenario but one that would hopefully make you stop and think and realize that we're all in this together and we need each other. I'm looking forward to another book that continues the saga of this wonderful family. Please don't let us down Mr. Caceres

As a Hispanic woman, I can really appreciate Caceres' view of a Latino in the White House - it's about time someone addresses the issue.

The murder mystery is well-plotted, with real-life characters who speak real-life dialogue, and the suspense is fingernail-biting. Under it all lies a valuable lesson - that each of us is a product of our culture, together with our parents and theirs and theirs, and that we are the sum of all our ancestors' experiences. Every action, every thought, every decision and every belief our predecessors experienced were carried into each of us. Although we certainly have the freedom of independent thought, there's no doubt in my mind that our paths were forged by our family.

"Because They Were" is a rare find - entertaining fiction combined with a valuable lesson.

Frank about Phyllis Johnson's Being Frank With Anne

When I finished both The Diary of Anne Frank and Being Frank With Anne, I was in tears. What a masterful job Phyllis Johnson did with Being Frank With Anne. It is poignant and captures the essence succinctly of the longer works of Anne Frank's entries from The Diary of Anne Frank with meaningful and beautiful poetic expression. Congratulations to the Phyllis Johnson on this exquisite book. First I read the original entry of Anne Frank and then immediately read the poem of Johnson's on that entry. And on and on that way throughout the entire reading endeavor. What a splendid way to appreciate both volumes. This made for a poweful and meaningful experience -- a double whammy so to speak. Being Frank with Anne is an extraordinary book and perfect companion to The Diary of Anne Frank. I heartily recommend Being Frank With Anne.

What a great book of poems Phyllis Johnson has conceived in Being Frank with Anne, and what a wonderful resource guide to use when reading Diary of a Young Girl. This small book of poems, chronicled as they are to match the dates in Anne's diary, gives us a chance again to think about the days that were spent in that hidden space by Anne Frank, and to see through Phyllis Johnson's eyes, the impact this young life had on her as a small girl reading about Anne many years later. This work speaks again through Johnson's voice, "It haunted me as a young girl and spoke to me for years," she tells us in the foreword to her book. Phyllis Johnson's work shows us once again that we cannot look away and we must always remember what happened in that Annex in Amsterdam, Holland starting in 1942 and ending with Anne Frank's death in Bergen-Belsen in 1945. Phyllis Johnson has done a courageous and outstanding job of asking us to focus again on a young girl named Anne Frank, and the memory she left behind for all of us. Being Frank with Anne is a book of poems that should be read by everyone..

Nancy Powell, author of How Far Is Ordinary, is Vice President of Eastern region of Poetry Society of Virginia

I was amazed at how Johnson condensed the Diary of Anne Frank into such a concise book of poetry. But I was even more amazed at how it touched a class of fifth graders while they were studying the holocaust. I am a newspaper columnist and a substitute teacher. With a fifth grade teacher's permission, I introduced Johnson's work to her class. They loved her work and this inspired the following column I wrote, titled "Funny thing, how stories are spun" for the Gwinnett Daily Post, a newspaper of suburban Atlanta.

This story spun itself on the Web. It started in 2002 when I "met" Phyl Johnson, of Chesapeake, Virginia, with whom I shared first place in an Internet humor contest. (Yes, I'm capable of being funny.)

After years of cutting up with Phyl in cyberspace, I discovered that she's capable of being serious. Her book, Being Frank with Anne and Other Poems, was just published by an e-book company in England. ( www.deunantbooks.com )

I ordered her book for two reasons. One, she's a friend, and two, I'd just subbed in Andrea Herman's Fifth Grade Class at Arcado Elementary School, where the kids were studying the Holocaust. I thought it might be cool for the class to read Phyl's poem and respond to her.

This story was supposed to have ended there, but due to a computer glitch with my order, I "met" the publisher, Les Broad. I mentioned my poetry project and he wrote, "I'm pleased to hear that the US education system doesn't overlook people such as Anne Frank. If you were to ask the average young person of similar age in the UK who she was all you would get is a blank look; our education standards are falling behind yours, I'm afraid."

Well, that kicked it up to a column. So, in April - National Poetry Month - and on April 25 - Holocaust Remembrance Day - to be exact, Miss Herman scheduled time for her students to read and reflect upon Phyl's poem.

"It made me cry," said Priscilla Mahavong. "I was feeling emotionally hurt for the people who had died," said Anish Amin. Bryan Dyer shared a little of himself when he said, "It makes me mad to think about what Hitler did because part of my family is Jewish, but the part that makes me happy is that people survived."

Sam Trent related by saying, "Every day stuff like clothes, food and a good bed we take for granted, they were begging for." Briana Reeves remarked, "If Anne Frank herself hadn't written, we wouldn't know as much about the actual experience."

Amber Bruce reflected that in reading books about Anne Frank, they were mere observers, but, "In poetry, our point of view switches over to hers."

"People don't take Holocaust Remembrance Day seriously enough. Some people think it's depressing, which is true. But we should be happy that we are allowed to study what happened," said Conor Flynn.

Miss Herman's students have gone on to spin this poem from cyberspace - inspired by a 60 year old paper diary - into a Power Point presentation. I can't speak for the whole USA, but I can frankly say that at least in Miss Herman's class, the past is well-woven into the present, reflecting the final line of Phyl's poem: "Anne, you are with us still."

In this beautiful slim volume, Phyllis Johnson responds as reader and writer to one of the most powerful and influential diaries of our time. Powerful poetry responds to powerful prose; the heart of the reader responds in writing to the heart of the writer. While reading this book I couldn't help but envision classrooms filled with readers using this text as a model for their own writing responses. What a wonderful book! What a wonderful classroom resource!

The key term in education today is "differentiation." It holds that educators must provide alternate avenues of learning outside of the textbook. When I challenge my students with a writing assignment it's inevitable that a few will ask to create a poem instead of the typical essay. Once I grant permission I instantly hear other students flip their pages over and abandon their nearly-finished first paragraphs. The point being: Students connect with poetry.

I am a middle school teacher in an urban district and during our final assessments, when students are given the option to write an essay from several topics learned throughout the year, the overwhelming majority choose to write about the Holocaust.

With that, I am glad that someone finally created a book combining two of the typical student's favorite areas of learning. Most students won't randomly pick up a copy of "The Diary of Anne Frank" because it's 300+ pages. However, when a student is inspired and curious, obstacles cease to exist.

That's what "Being Frank with Anne" offers. A stimulating collection of poems based on the interpretation of Anne's diary, this book provides bite-sized insights into what it was like living in the Secret Annex for two years. This eloquently written book serves as the perfect diving board into the most significant event of our past century.

Michael James D'Amato, author of "The Classroom"

Galanor, a strong leader in a fantasic fantasy tale, that will keep you wanting to read about his next adventure.

I couldn't put this book down. It was a page turner from start to finish. I loved all the characters. I don't usually read fantasy fiction, but this was really terrific. Thanks.

NOTE TO THE READER: As the author of this work of fiction (which enjoyed a level of popularity far beyond anything I had ever anticipated), I suddenly found myself in touch with a wide and varied assortment of people who, much to my delight (and, to some degree, surprise) had become fans of my work. The review which you are about to read was e-mailed to me directly by one of those fans: Ms. Silvana Nuti of Sao Paulo, Brazil (who, I should note here, is the author of a beautiful novel entitled "Tribus"). These ARE NOT my words. Thank you for your attention. FMV
The Saga of Galanor crossed the ocean and reached me in a royal blue journey; a typical Brazilian one. I took a day to open the book - I feared it somehow. When I did, the barriers of time vanished and I was thrown into the fantastic realms of Atlantis and beyond; somehow so familiar to me and, until then, so long distanced in my memory. The story is an image poem; and, the book itself is a film! Watch out, it has a magical effect!

Not only is the book a great adventure, it is beautifully put together. This book is amazing in it's artwork, it's format. It is a book like nothing you have ever seen. This is a book that you will want to pass down from generation to generation. I enjoyed it and look forward to the next saga.

I love Frank Viollis' work. The Galanor Saga had me gripped from the first page, and I did't want it to end. His characters are vivid, deep and amazing to watch as they evolve. Their internal struggles kept me turning pages, and left me to take a look at my own life in between readings. I'm only sorry there's not another volume to read yet. Frank -- keep writing!

I bought this book for my friend's birthday. The art is amazing. Bob Dylan can do anything. I almost kept the book for myself. Get your copy before it's too late.

Enjoyed both the original drawings & the new colorized interpretations. Always interesting to share a glimpse inside the mind of a genius.

Bob Dylan has been painting for decades and his abstract post-modern folk art style does him well. He shows us a seemingly unsophisticated yet highly evocative presence in his images with the door wide open to interpretation, like much of his poetic lyric. These often haunting pieces speak to me as the will not to you and vice versa - as well they should. Understand however, like his music, Dylan's art is an acquired taste and definitely not for everyone. I paid half the price the museums are charging for this book and I am sure have gotten twice the value from it.

What an incredible artist he is...in so many ways. A poet, musician, philosopher, artist, humanitarian. I'm looking for a book of photography yet so I may also experience his vision in that medium. BTW....great seller. Shipped fast and packed well. 5 STAR*****

I was lucky enough to be in Germany during this exhibit and see it live. I also purchased the book there and have reviewed it several times. It includes the 170 works displayed at the Kunstsammlungen Chemnitz from October 2007 to March 2008 and three thoughtful essays that examine the works from several perspectives.

Ninety-two of the works were based on drawings published in 1994 as Drawn Blank. The museum director, Ingrid Mossinger, saw some of his drawings in the fall of 2006 at New York's Morgan Library (Bob Dylan's American Journey, 1956-1966) and was so captivated that she sought out a copy of the out-of-print book. In the book, Dylan said that one day he wanted to turn these into larger color paintings. So, she made contact and asked if he'd like to exhibit them.

Somehow Dylan managed to have the drawings transferred to deckle-edged paper and paint them using watercolor and goaches. The result was 322 paintings produced in just eight months - eight months during which he also was touring! From these, 170 were selected for the exhibit.
The works include interiors (dressing rooms, hotel rooms, etc.), cityscapes, landscapes, still lifes, and portraits - all captured in drawings he made between 1989 and 1992 as he toured the world performing. For many of the drawings, there are multiple versions using different colors that give you varied impressions of the scene. Much like Dylan's reinterpretations of his songs, these alternative versions reflect different ways of viewing the work.

The essays also provoke different ways of thinking about the works. Frank Zollner, focusing on the cityscapes as seen through a window or door, suggests that these works indicate a "certain restlessness, as the simulated gaze is that of a seeker." He draws on Chronicles to illustrate how Dylan thinks of art and how his words often create word pictures. In his view the pictures reflect an internal restlessness and a calm outside world.

Diane Widmaier Picasso (granddaughter of Pablo Picasso) traces the influence of Norman Raeben, one of Dylan's art teachers, as well as the Cubists and German Expressionists known as The Bridge. She notes that, "Just as the meaning of certain Dylan songs is sometimes obscure, since his texts seek not to have a fixed sense but rather to describe sentiments, to develop impressions beyond words (acquiring, like an abstract painting, meanings which vary with the mood of the recipient, yet still preserving a strong identity), so too his drawings can be similarly understood as they also reflect work which purposely refuses to be 'honed'."

Jens Rosteck, focusing on Dylan as a "multi-talent," examines the stylistic turns Dylan has taken with his music and his artistic endeavors into literature, film, and painting. He describes him as a rare "universal artist" capable of synthesizing diverse art genres, comparing his approach to da Vinci, Goethe, and others.

I was struck by a sense of detachment, even isolation or loneliness, as I viewed the exhibit. Dylan, the most sensitive and keen observer of life I know, once again in another medium, challenges me to think about how we live in this world.

If the exhibit ever comes near you, I encourage you to see it. In the meantime, this book is a wonderful catalogue of the works of this great artist.

This is a gorgeous book. It is filled with close-up photographs of the work of outstanding jewelers, so feast your eyes! Some have several entries; some have just one. Styles of the chosen works vary, so you get an excellent overview of what has been going on in the world of fine jewelry in recent years. Some pieces are over the top; others are very restrained. All are very finely made. They are accompanied by statements by and photos of the artists. All are products of design challenges set by the Jewelry Design Council, and it is fascinating to see how various artists interpret a one word challenge such as "spiral," for example. The variations are many and many are wondrous. I couldn't put it down. This would be a great gift for anyone who makes or collects jewelry or anyone who appreciates fine craft.

Alan Revere has a compendium of wonderful jewelry based upon several themes. The interpretations of each theme by selected artisans show imagination, skill, technical competence which is at times mind-blowing, and beauty. So much skill in a soft-cover book which is readily affordable makes it available to many who aspire to the heights these artists have achieved.

Thanks to the incredible jewelry knowledge and clear writing style of this book's two authors, those who appreciate real fine art jewelry are able to learn about some of the contemporary market's major talent. This book is for anyone who wants to be--or needs to be--further inspired by original creative work, each with a signature all its own. Perhaps most importantly, it is a significant contibution to the historical chronicling of 20th and 21st century jewelry design.

I find this book very inspiring and beautiful! I love Lark Books in general, but this book goes into more detail about the designs and about the designers. I find it so interesting how each concept is interpreted in each designer's vision. I also love the layout of the book starting with the prologue... the fabulous photos... the comments from the designers and details of the pieces... I like to collect art books and love jewelry so this is a perfect book to enjoy!!

This is a beautiful book, intelligently written detailing the uncommon works of amazing Jewelry artists. Inspiring!

Brother Frank is the most caring, giving, loving, most wonderful person in the world. He is a perfect example of what the Lord can do in a life that most folks would say there is no hope for. I did not know Frank back in the day, but I know the man who the Lord shines through today. It is an honor and joy to call him friend.
The book is captivating and is one you will want to pass along to others to read.

I was 14 when I met brother Frank. He came to visit my congregation in 2000, and I remember sitting their in my seat crying as I listend to his testimony. Normally I would be bored out of my mind, but it was differnt, I cried...because I saw the love of God in this man. A man who has been through hell and back, and is living proof that a higher being does exist and that nothing is impossible. You can change your life around, if you just have faith. Later on that afternoon I got to go shake his hand, and he gave me hug and told me that he loved me and that God loved me to. He signed my book, his book actually, and gave it to me. I felt very honored! It is now three years later, I am seventeen...and unfortunatley I never got around to reading that book, until the other day. I had nothing else to read, so I was rummaging in boxes under my bed to find something good. It must have been the grace of God, because I suddenly pick up a dust covered book to find "Brother Frank". As I read the inscription something in me just tugged, I felt compelled to read it. In record time I finished the book in 2 days front to back, that's how much this book astounded me! It was wonderful! No book has made me ever feel so good about life, and shown even more signs that God is love. If you want to read a book that will touch your heart with both joy and sorrow than this is the book for you. I will never regret reading it, and will never regret believing in the power of my faith!

My daughter received an autographed copy of this book from Brother Frank, as she served him often in a popular diner she is a waitress at. She knew I was an avid reader of fact - not fiction - and said "You won't be able to put this down...". How right! This book is impossible to put down. Brother Frank writes explicitly, graphically, tenderly and most important from the heart. I would consider it a privilege to meet the author one day and shake the man of this hand whose life has been turned around by the touch of our Creator. Inspiration and encouraging. Nothing is impossible! This book, Brother Frank's life, proves this fact beyond a shadow of a doubt.

This is a True Compelling account of One persons Triumph from the streets of Newark New Jersey with its drugs, thugs and Generational Curses that plauge every major city in this world today.And How his rise to the top took him to the bottom.And as you take this Journey You see that this in many ways could be you,For Today More then ever before we need Jesus!-God Bless You Brother Frank!

Brother Frank is a true account of the life of a very remarkable man. I had no idea who he was or where he came from when we met. He gave me a copy of the book and I read it cover to cover in short order. In this day and age, skepticism comes easily to most, myself included. But let no one doubt the truth, sincerity and faith found in the pages of Frank Minucci's book. What an inspiration! Be forwarned, however, the content is very graphic, violent at times, but the outcome is the most uplifting and faith-inspiring imaginable. I highly recommend Frank's story to all floundering mortals, like me, who need a kick-in-the-butt wake-up call from time to time

I purchased this collected works of Voltaire a couple of years ago and quite enjoyed it. However, I did read an older translation of Candide from a used book-store a couple of years earlier and I found that some of the irony and overall tone was communicated better. That said, there really isn't anything terrible wrong with this translation and, of course, it's a great deal; you get all of these works in one book. I think mine cost $5 U.S. I recommend this book, each individual story would cost you at least 5 dollars.

Thought-provoking, disturbing, satirical, wise and moving would be an appropriate description of Voltaire's brilliant book, Candide. By cleverly writing in tones of sarcasm and by painting clear cut and gory pictures into the readers' mind, Voltaire conveys the message to the readers, the philosophy of optimism and how humans perceive society when encountered with the most atrocious, evil and brutal world humanity can possibly imagine.

The plot is driven and revolved around the Pangloss' optimistic approach on life; that every cause has an effect in the "best of all possible worlds." Candide is pulled into his tutors' wise teachings until he is forced to face the reality of the outside world when kicked out of the castle, by the Baron of the great palace in Westphalia, for having an affair with his daughter. The readers would think that Candide's beliefs would skew after a series of terrible, inconceivable misfortunes: hopelessly attempting to win the heart of his love, Cunegonde; tortured; diseased; suffering natural disasters and witnessing and hearing the deaths, rapes and enslavement of his beloveds. However Candide lives through his faith, and although slightly unreal and ridiculous, readers stop to consider the sources that shape our society: religion, ethics, law and individuality.

Voltaire's surprising and fast plot weaved in with the philosophies of life, will keep readers turning the page and continue to challenge them.

If you are reading this, you probably know the merits of Voltaire's classic Candide; so I will comment on this particular translation and edition. Donald M. Frame's translation is the best in my view. Frame also wrote the introduction to the 1961 Signet printing. John Iverson supplies the introduction to the new (2001) printing. In addition to Frame's lively translation, and Iverson's introduction, this volume contains 15 other short works by Voltaire and helpful notes and a glossary. This is the best edition of Volataire's Candide that you can buy - and you can't beat the price of 5 bucks!

Although, perhaps, it wasn't ment to be, Volatire's work is uplifting. Sometimes a man faces something that enraged him to such a depth, he either has to cry or laugh about it. Its good to be able to laugh about injustice, betrayal, and every other inborn, basic flaw of the pompous human race we all have the pleasure to be part of. This is one of the best satires I've ever read.

This Signet edition of Voltaire's finest works is THE Candide to buy. It has 15 other classic Voltaire works FIFTEEN!! Now that's a great deal without all the bells and whistles!

I remember first being introduced to Voltaire (1694-1778) when I was looking ahead in my history book in school, as was my "pasttime" and was one of the ways how I became a trivial nerd who can name dates and events almost like Rain Man. His picture attracted me because of that smart-aleky grin always on his face. This was a bit surprising considering everyone took serious portraits in that time.

Before long after starting to read this good stuff, you'll have a grin on your face too.

The Age of Reason is where Marie-Francois Arouet, better known by the pen name of Voltaire comes from and it is the setting of one of the most famous satires of all time.

Published in 1759, Voltaire takes apart the philisophical quote by Gottfried Lebniz (1646-1716) which states that, the seventeenth/eighteenth century was "The Best of all Possible Worlds." In Candide, the title naiive character is about to find out just how "great" an era the eighteenth century was.

Next to Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift (1667-1745)-whom Voltaire knew and admired, Candide is the most famous satire ever written. It has the best tragical irony and is combined to make it one very memorable and funny reading experience. It seems to me that the eighteenth century was just begging, bowing, scraping, and grovelling to be taken apart by satire and parody, and who would be better to expose the woes of its society than Voltaire, Swift, Alexander Pope (1688-1744), and all the rest of those satirizing cats?!

Probably Mikhail Bulgakov and/or Nikolai Gogol, but those two cats were LATER.

That brings us to the conclusion that there was

NOBODY, THAT'S WHO!!!