John Books

The second novel from John Gist is like his previous novel examining and existing in a dark universe of depravity, mythological destiny and a strong believe in a true sense of nature. Gist is combining the ancient heritage of evil with the modern myth of Man. The result is a both scarrying and beautiful portrait of Man as the universal Sinner, who has to perform a physical and mental journey in search of the very archaic premises of life. I pronounce Gist to be one of the most important modern, young writers of America today.

Lizard Dreaming... takes the reader on a entertaining and thought provoking journey. Gist's ability to create engaging characters draws you into a story that explores the power of nature. If you enjoy reading a book that is both entertaining and intellectually stimulating, Lizard Dreaming will not disappoint you.

Very highly recommended reading, Lizard Dreaming Of Birds by John Gist is a profoundly written and engagingly complex novel about the human need to go back to the guidance and rhythms of the earth itself. Following one man on his physical and spiritual trek through the American West and in search of guidance, Lizard Dreaming Of Birds is an impressively transforming narrative of facing severe challenges in search of truth and enlightenment.

For those who were startled and challenged by Gist's first published novel, Crow Heart, his new Lizard Dreaming of Birds will come as a welcome extension of Gist's exploration of the dark. Not so formally tight as some might prefer, this novel is in parts both profoundly disturbing and dazzling: early in the novel, a hunting/initiation sequence carries Jubal and his father into the Wyoming wilderness, a powerful passage reminding us of Hemingway's "Big Two-Hearted River" in purity of style, of Faulkner's "The Bear" in reverential celebration of nature, of Cormac McCarthy's Southwest/Mexico-set novels in violence and darkness.

Perhaps Gist can't decide which is the more beautiful and fearsome, the wild, natural world of the American West or the hidden side of the human psyche.

John Gist's second novel is an intriguing conglomeration of mysticism and violence. Right up to the last page, it's uncertain whether the main character, Jubal Siner, is a saint in the making or a natural-born killer. Reviewers have compared the novel to Cormac McCarthy's "Blood Meridian." In part because of the Alaska connection, I'd add Jon Krakauer's "Into the Wild" and T. C. Boyle's recent novel "Drop City." The difference is that Gist has lived through Fairbanks winters. His terse narrative has a kind of authenticity the other books mentioned don't achieve. As Gist follows his characters on their journeys from green Seattle to the bleak winter days of Fairbanks and back through Idaho, the ordered streets of Salt Lake City, the high plains of Gist's native Wyoming, and on to the high desert of Southwestern New Mexico, the sense of place consistently rings true. Characters are intriguingly drawn, as they alternate between extreme self-indulgence and a strange squeamishness about food. Readers will have strong reactions to this book, but it's well worth reading, much more tightly constructed and confidently narrated that Gist's first published novel, "CrowHeart."

I wrote a review of TILT A WHIRL last year and gave it five stars, and I was anxiously awaiting the new Ceepak mystery with the same anticipation which, as a kid, I used to reserve for the opening of the baseball season, or going back to the boardwalk. So I dove right into MAD MOUSE with an eager enthusiasm.

It's very good, all right, but to say it's better than the first book is just plain wrong. The plot of the book seems, well, I won't say stolen, but certainly it's "reminiscent" of the teen thriller I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER by Lois Duncan, or everyone's seen the movie version and its sequels. You're reading along, and all of a sudden every scene in MAD MOUSE seems familiar, as one by one all the kids who knew each other when they were 16 get targeted. It just seemed forced to me that all of them are still close enough years later so that the killer could find them partying it up at the beach one night, in the book's opening scenes.

And also I can't figure out, waasn't our boy Danny Boyle dating Becca in the last book? And since this one picks up immediately after the end of TILT A WHIRL, when did he ditch her and start mooning over Katie, Becca's best friend? And since Chris G. is great at making his men characters come alive, and yet he doesn't seem real great at writing women, why make the switch since both of them seem sort of interchangeable?

And talk about a ludicrously over-the-top accomplice!

That said, Grabenstein's a terrific writer, his picture of the Jersey shore is a complex, hard-hitting one, and the interplay between Danny and his guru John Ceepak is outstanding, the best of its kind of genre fiction. Just give them something to detect next time.

Simply put: Mad Mouse did not disappoint!!! I can only add to all the other reviews in my gushing praise of the second installment of John Ceepak and Danny Boyle's adventures at the Jersey Shore!! To the author (who I can't seem to reach by email)--cannot wait for the further adventures of the two above characters and am also looking forward to Slay Ride, your next serial....Thank you, thank you and again---keep up with the terrific writing, plot lines and most of all the giggles that just keep happening!!! Susan

Summer Cop Danny Boyle and his friends have made a tradition of celebrating National Toasted Marshmallow Day. For the last ten years, they have gotten together every year on a beach in their town of Sea Haven, New Jersey to toast marshmallows, drink beer, and hang out.

This year, things turn serious when someone tags them with paintballs. One of the paintballs hits Becca's eye, turning a yearly tradition into a serious night.

Sea Haven is planning a huge bash for Labor Day. Naturally, this incident doesn't sit well with everyone in the business community whose survival during the next nine months rests on the huge business they expect this one weekend of the summer. Danny and his partner, John Ceepak, are assigned the case; with the implication that Danny's application to be a full time cop is riding on a quick solution.

They think they are on the right track when another attack happens. Again, Danny and a friend are the target. Only this time, the paintballs are followed by a bullet.

I'm not normally a thriller fan, but I just couldn't pass up the setting of a resort town. I loved the first one, and enjoyed this one even more. The plot starts quickly. It seems to be moving along fine, but when the second attack comes, things pick up into high gear and the pace never slows down. Since Danny is our narrator, this gives us more of a stake in the outcome, and I must admit to cheating ahead to see who lived until the end.

The only real drawback to the story involves Ceepak. Ceepak lives by a code. Actually, I like his code and respect the character because of it. However, it is mentioned so often I got tired of hearing about it. A few mentions to establish the character were fine, but it should have been dropped by the second half of the story.

Still, this is a minor complaint in an otherwise outstanding story. Give yourself plenty of time to read it because you will be hooked.

If you like a good, quick paced, murder mystery peppered with humor, "Mad Mouse" is the mystery for you. Set in a normally quiet seaside town on the Jersey Shore, policemen Ceepak and Boyle track a sniper taking pot shots at people right before the big Labor Day weekend. Grabenstein uses descriptions sparingly, giving just enough backstory to allow the reader the opportunity of filling in some character details and ambience on their own... much the way horror writer Stephen King provides just enough detail for you to scare yourself silly. Even with two murders in one summer, I want to live in Sea Haven. Great story line and surprise ending.

Grabenstein is quickly becoming one of my favorites. I only wish he could write his stories faster.

In the beach town of Sea Haven, the town council is getting ready for the big Labor Day celebration, a guaranteed money maker for the town. They want everything to go smoothly and all the summer visitors to have the time of their life. Nothing can mess this up..........or can it?
When a paintball incident appears to cause a disturbing injury to Danny Boyle's friend during a beach outing, the town fathers want the incident hushed up. When it is discovered that not only paintballs were being fired, but bullets too, the demand to clear it all up and take care of any loose ends is made perfectly clear.
Unfortunately, this does not seem to be possible as repeat incidents occur.
Our heroes enter the picture, John Ceepak, an Iraq war vet who lives by a strict code of honor and Danny Boyle, a care-free guy who lives by the seat of his pants, are partnered in the police force and delve into the case looking for answers, but all they seem to get are more questions. Suddenly it seems that maybe Danny and his friends are in the crosshairs of some deranged individual but the motive for the attacks remains elusive, as does the shooter.
The story is a wild ride, fast paced with unexpected twists and turns that are put together with a deft hand!! Chris Grabenstein is a truly skilled author, creating dialogue that is both clever and sidesplittingly funny!! His characters are witty and entertaining. His story line is unexpected and captivating!!! His cast of characters, while witty and clever, range the gamut from serious cop, care-free kid, mail order brides,goth kids, beach bums to stereotypical town fathers and wealthy overbearing parents. Chris Grabenstein raises the bar to a new standard with Mad Mouse!!

Marley is a great book about a dog. He is crazy but still very cute. He is not obedient at all and when he's in public he is very naughty. This book goes from the beginning of Marley's life to when he gets really old. Marley is a golden retriever. He is so big that everyone is scared of him. When anyone walks into the house Marley dashes up to them and jumps up on them. This book is so good I couldn't put it down. These are some of the reasons I liked the book:

1. The book has to do with animals being treated fairly and I like that.
2. It taught me how much a dog can connect with its owner. It was touching.
3. The book was thick but I couldn't get enough!

There is just one thing that made me sad. I won't tell you what it was but I will say that it was so sad I actually cried. I hope this review helps you decide if this book is for you or not.

(Review written by Tysha)

This book is excellent for dog lovers. It spans the gambit from laughter to tears. A MUST READ!

In this condensed version of John Grogan's best-selling Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog, the author has written an adapted version of his life and times with his Labrador Retriever, Marley, that's perfect for younger readers.

Having read and fully enjoyed Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog when it was first released, I was a little anxious to see how Mr. Grogan would handle a shorter, easier-to-read version for the middle-grade set. Fortunately, MARLEY: A DOG LIKE NO OTHER is a fun, vibrant, and compelling read that even older elementary school students will enjoy.

When John and his wife, Jenny, first pick Marley out from a litter of pure-blood Labradors, they have no idea that their small bundle of fur with the big paws and blocky head will eventually turn into a 97-pound drool-machine full of nerves, excitement, and limitless energy. This short story (196 pages) is a testament to the trials, tribulations, and ultimate loyalty of a dog who ended up starring in a feature film.

Marley is the type of dog that you love, despite his flaws (and there are many!), and even the youngest of readers will be overjoyed to read about the trouble that he finds himself in on a daily basis. And, I admit, I shed a few tears towards the end of this book, but they were well worth it, because Marley was worth it.

One great benefit of this version of Marley's story are the numerous full-color photographs that the author has included. This addition alone makes MARLEY: A DOG LIKE NO OTHER an asset to your home library.

Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius"

Loved the book --it made me laugh, smile, cry. I bought three -- two were gifts and one for myself, which I also loaned to all my dog loving friends.

Purchased as a gift. Have received good feed-back from the recipient, who, by the way, is a Marley fan.

Though I am not totally vegan yet, I have been working my way towards a more plant centered diet. I remembered seeing really great looking recipes in this book and decided to order it. It's a shame this is out of print and hasn't gotten more attention. One thing I needed help with is that I have a huge sweet tooth but can't tolerate any type of sugar. The dessert recipes in this book all use natural sweeteners ilke fruit juice concentrate and maple syrup. They also have no saturated fat. The Caramel Apple Crunch is simply amazing, it tastes just as rich and delicious as the apple crisp mom used to make. But with none of the butter or refined sugar. It calls for Fruitsource, which is no longer available, but I use a product called FruitSweet. The carrot cake is also wonderful,it used an interesting blenderized mix of sweetener, orange zest, oil and raisins to create a really terrific flavor. For Christmas, I made the pecan pie and the apple-cranberry bread pudding, both got raves. I want to try more of the savory recipes now, but only gave four stars due to the savory results so far: the broccoli soup was fair, kind of bland, and the cornbread was really dry and not good. Overall though, an interesting read with a lot of great recipes. Jia Patton should put out her own cookbook.

This is the first book on becoming vegan and the first vegan cookbook I ever bought. I'll be needing a new one soon, as the one I have now (second copy) is getting too dog-eared and stained to read. Robbins concisely presents every reason for becoming vegan, and backs them all up with extensive, useful footnotes. And the recipes are just plain delicious! The Mexican Black Bean Dip & Eggplant, Vegetable & Tahini Spread are addictive. The Caramel Apple Crunch makes a cold, sad day all better. The Plum Cobbler is just the thing to make when Italian prune plums are in season. The only sad thing is that he lives in Santa Cruz & I don't, so the delicious recipes focusing on what is in season don't work as well for me as for him.

I loved the hints and tips for mainting a cupboard and kitchen, and the nice recipes that I have been using/modifying for my own use. The information in the beginning is nice, too, although mostly a reprint of Diet for a New America.

The updated sections on fish and milk were very interesting, however, especially fish, which is touted today as a wonder-food for older people hoping to live longer. Many fish today arrive at your supermarkets having previously been mold-contaminated from sitting out in the open too long, and many contain high concentrations of Mercury, which also has been documented in a recent Reader's Digest article.

Just like what Marianne Williamson said on the front cover of this book: "I hope everyone reads this book!"

Diet for a New World will make you think twice about your next meal. Robbins offers real solutions to third world issues. When we consume meat, the crops were grown in abundance in a third world or extremely poor country, then it was exported to a meat farm to feed the cattle. Robbins explains that the grain used to feed the cattle could have fed the starving population of the growers and us as well.

Some of this book is difficult to read because it makes us take a serious look and the way live, eat and purchase everyday items. I'm glad I did- it changed my life.

Becoming vegetarian or vegan is only part of the solution. Buy the book, read it, practice it, bring veg dishes to gatherings and share what you know. Buy the book as a gift too, that's how I got it.

I realize we have One Earth and One Chance- let's make it count. John Robbins can get you started on the right path.

Wonder what one person CAN DO to improve not only your own life but that of the entire planet? Read this book. It is filled with understandable information that can radically change your health, the health of the planet itself and give the opportunity for life to others as well. This book has changed my life...so much so that, after reading the library's copy, I am buying one.

The book is brilliant. The caracthers are complex, except for that La Esmeralda, the city of Paris is beautiful describe and the chapter about architecture and litetarute is fascinating. Victor Hugo's style of writing is elegant and his sense of humour, sometimes really ironic, is unique.
The only low point of the book is La Esmeralda caracther. She is shallow, the typical "please rescue me" heroine and i kept asking myself praticatly the whole time i was reading it: HOW CAN SOMEONE BE SO STUPID???????? And by the end of the book, every time she said "my phoebus" i felt like slaping her. And i didn't think her love for "my phoebus" was bliding her so she couldn't see what he was really about. I think she was that dumb and stupid to not see what was right in front of her. Love isn't blind. Love is the opposite. That's why Quasimodo's love for her is so great. He is aware she doesn't love him, she doesn't even like him, she just keep on thinking about "my phoebus", he sees all that and still he loves her. That's love. What she felt was due to her stupidity.
When la esmeralda, hiding from the people who wants to hang her, hears phoebus' voice and yells "my phoebus" (it seemed that the only sentence she could say most of the book), and is found out, i thought: "she deserves to be hung, how can someone be so dumb??????".
I 'don't give 5 stars because of her.

Forget singing hunchbacks and chivalrous captains, dancing on rooftops and merry parades, and embrace the real Notre Dame of Paris. Poor, deaf Quasimodo, doggedly loyal to his vicious and stern master, delighting in his pealing bells and as flawed as every other character in the book makes a frightful counterpoint to the beautifully innocent La Esmeralda. The tale does not begin with them but events spiral around these two in a vortex of complicated plots and duplicitious people, drawing closer and closer to finally end with the two unfortunate souls. It is a single-sided Romeo and Juliet, a daisy chain of ill-conceived romance and misbegotten loves that ensanare everyone they touch. Every character has a story, from Gringoire the poet of the streets to Claude Frollo, the very model of severe ecclesiastical virtue and his miscreant brother, and even the city itself is described in occasionally agonizingly minute detail. They are at times loveable, at times odious, and forever utterly enthalling.

Victor Hugo, the French poet and writer, who wished to change how novels were written and read, wrote The Hunchback of Notre-Dame in the beginning of his career. In contrast to Les Miserables, which is his more celebrated work, and was written several decades after the Notre-dame novel, the present piece is not only laced with more humor and romance but also stands out as a piece where the young poet in Hugo pours out a ravishing range of similes. Just for the pure magic of his metaphors and similes that make all his descriptions so poetic, so powerful Notre-Dame is worth reading.

The story itself reads like a fanciful movie, an ugly hunchback, Quasimodo is brought up by a Priest Frollo, the archdeacon of Notre-dame. The hunchback is hence attached like a dog to his master to him. The English title of Hunchback of Notre-dame is a misnomer, for the original is called Notre-dame de Paris, and English title lets us assume that it is the story of Hunchback as hero, while the original title asserts it is story set in Notre-dame and has characters who reside in it, or live in its shadows. The Priest Calude Frollo, leaving his pursuit of science and philosophy meanders to a path of unrelenting lust for the gypsy dancer, Esmeralda. A writer, Pierre Grigorne, gets into a set of bizarre circumstances, where a token marriage attaches him to the gypsy. Phoebus, captain of King's Archers is the object of the affection of Esmeralda herself.

Besides these characters, there is a madwoman who lives in confinement, pining for her lost child, who was carried off by gypsies, and hates Esmeralda. There is the goat Djali, who performs tricks with Esmeralda, Jehan who is Claude Frollo's irreligious brother, King Louis IV - who interacts with Claude on issues of science, and the most important character, who lurks like an existence all though, is the Notre-Dame itself. The romances criss cross through a series of interesting episodes and drama, and that forms the crux of the story that I won't divulge here. Readers will benefit by discovering surprises and mystery for themselves, in process getting enchanted by a story that has been a popular read for centuries now.

What makes this novel a masterpiece, besides the poetic descriptions, is
Hugo's description of the cathedral of Notre-dame and the city of Paris, and his discussion of how the arrival of printing press signaled an end to the importance as architecture as the expressive art of intellectuals. The views of the author expressed in these pages and pages of delightful reading provide the reader not only with historical and architectural perspective on the buildings in Paris, but also gives us a word image of buildings, roofs, rooms, carvings, modernism, and more. In his commentaries and comparisons between writing and printing as form of expression in contrast to architecture, Hugo unmasks a wide array of issues that arrival of every new media (TV, Cinema, Internet, Digital Photography) bring. How existing precepts and concepts are revised, how adaptations occur, how each age has its own expression through any of these means- and all Hugo says so passionately about architecture or literature allows us to feel the essence of why we make monuments of stones or words in the first place.

Victor Hugo had great skill in developing characters, and describing their lives over an extended period of time, capturing how situations and people led to certain choices, behavioral changes and thought process of each. His ability of doing this, in a very detached manner, where narrative is like a camera floating into a room, and staying long enough for a distant observer to watch and identify traits of every person present there, makes him a great novelist. The novel, like all classic reads, looks formidable in size, but can be read at a formidable pace, especially after the first half of the novel is over.

Besides the merits of the novelist, and the beauty of his wordplay, the story itself is a charming one, and has been brought to screen versions many times. Reading Hugo's two major works allows one to get the same keen insight into French society of the respective times, as does Thackeray and Dickens novels for England and Tolstoy in Russia. Reading any of these masters takes time, but trust me, it is worth the patience and the effort. Recommended highly.

If you peruse through all the reviews of this book, you will notice that not one review is less than five stars. There is a reason for that. This is a phenomal book. As many have pointed out, to call it "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" is a fallcy; Quasimodo is NOT the main character; he is barely even a secondary character and I might even go as far as to call him a tertiary character. Esmerelda is really the main character. Hugo wrote the book to attempt to get Paris to restore Notre Dame cathederal and, as many reviewers have already pointed out, the cathedral really is the focal point. But the story is phenomenal. So dark and terribly sad. Hollywood has tended to butcher this story. Not one version tells the story as Hugo intended. Forget all the movie versions and just read the book. The experience is MUCH richer and MUCH more rewarding intellectually than any of them.

Victor Hugo never did anything by halves. His NOTRE-DAME DE PARIS begins as a tour of Gothic Paris and ends as a monumental and melodramatic Grand Guignol. Needless to say, all the film versions focus on the wrong character: Quasimodo is by no means the main focus of the novel, and the novel certainly is misnamed when called THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME. The hero, if there is one, is the cathedral itself, brooding over Renaissance Paris like a horror from another age.

The only character who is not not overdramatized appears only once in an unforgettable vignette at the very end: Louis XI, King of France, who has been called by the historian Philippe de Commynes "The Universal Spider." Louis; his grasping barber, Olivier le Daim; and his grim hatchet man, Tristan l'Hermite are unforgettable and more sharply drawn than any other Hugo characters I can recall.

John Sturrock's translation is well done except for his occasional inclusion of an archaic term without footnote or any other comment. Most notable are two items of apparel I still cannot visualize, namely bycokets and actons. Yet every Latin phrase, and there are many spoken by Pierre Gringoire and the student Jehan Frollo, is faithfully translated.

Also useful would have been a map of Louis XI's Paris. I was frequently confused about where the action was taking place, because most if not all of the place names were later superseded by others.

I would venture to say that no one reading this novel will ever forget it. I first read it more than twenty years ago, and it still sprang into my mind as sharply-etched as before.

This edition is unabridged. Although Hugo sometimes tended to go off on tangents, I could not think of a single chapter I would axe. Even where it does not add to the plot, it adds to the atmosphere of a city in which life and love were cheap, and no infraction was ever left unpunished by the most dire means possible.

I recently enjoyed BULLIES, TYRANTS & IMPOSSIBLE PEOPLE
by Ronald M. Shapiro and Mark A. Jankowski so much that I had
to seek out their first book: THE POWER OF NICE . . . and if I had to do it all over again, I'd
probably reverse the order of my reading and read this latter book first.

It gives the background for much of what is taught by the two
authors; i.e., that you should seek to make sure that everybody
wins in negotiations--but you win bigger . . . to do so, you need
to understand the "three Ps," which are described as "preparing better
than the other side; probing so you know what they want and why;
and proposing, ideally without going first and revealing too much."

If you're a sports fan, you'll like the many examples involving
such superstars as Eddie Murray, Kirby Puckett, Cal Ripken,
and Brooks Robinson . . . however, others will be able to relate
to discussions involving President Carter, home purchases
and salary negotiations.

I learned much from this book, including:
* A good negotiation is about dividing the pie so that both sides get a
satisfactory piece. A better negotiation is one that finds a way to grow
the pie (increase revenues, add market share, strengthen resources)
so both sides get a bigger piece. But baseball was playing out the worst
scenario possible. What had been a 2.5 billion dollar pie was actually
shrinking. It had taken decades for it to reach that size and, in a matter
of weeks, it was losing revenue by the millions.

* When people are under pressure, they revert to habits. In order to create
new habits, you need a simple, systematic approach that you can practice
and master. I learned that lesson through skydiving, and I learned it again
and again in negotiation. We do not teach people the 45 best opening
lines or the 75 greatest closing tactics. If you learn it-that is, practice
and master what we preach-when the pressure hits, you'll revert to your
new, learned habit and you'll be a more effective negotiator.

* And this particularly valuable tidbit that I have to put into practice more:
Shh! (That's another secret to negotiation.) People like to talk. Resist
the urge. The other side is human, so they want to talk, too. Encourage
them. Then listen. They're trying to tell you how to make the deal.
Did you ever notice how often the party opposite you thinks what he or she
has to say is more important than what you have to say? That's okay.
Give them a chance and they'll tell you everything you need to know:
What they hope for, what they can move and where they can't. They may
tell you directly or subtly. Ask questions. Listen more. Every moment
you're not talking is an opportunity to learn what it takes to make the
deal. The best negotiators aren't smooth talkers; they're smooth
listeners.

The less you say, the more others will remember. It's simple math.
Say a lot and they're bombarded and overwhelmed. Say a little
and they can retain every word. And, or course, the less you say,
the more you can focus on what they say.

THE POWER OF NICE also presented quotes in each chapter
that pertained to the subject of negotiations, including this
one from Thomas Jefferson that has very quickly become one
of my favorites:

When I'm angry, I count to ten before I speak. When I'm very angry,
I count to one hundred.

That said, I won't even bother doing any counting before recommending
this very informative book to my fellow members of the Negotiations Team
at the college where I teach . . . they'll greatly benefit from it, as will
anybody else seeking insight into what makes others tick when
they want something.

I would imagine that since each of us has different personalities and different likes and dislikes that some would be more inclined toward this book than others. Some like Antigues and some modern furniture. Some love good carb snacks and others a great chocolate bar. Our taste vary, but this book is most probably for everyone.

Becuase while we may differ on what color car we want, or or what type of work we do, we all want to win our negotiations, we all want respect first and we all want appreciation. This book teaches the skill of negotiating in a fair way. Fair like it or not means taking a look at the others prespective as much as we hate to do this. (when you are at a ballgame and the umpire makes a call against the home team 50,000 are booing. Can it be that all of the people on the field saw it one way and the home team and home fans another?

Its human nature to want to be right. And human nature to want to be treated fairly. This is a great read. And will produce better results in your negotiations, withhout burning a bridge, becuase that is not a wise way to live.

First of alll, this isn't the usual kind of book I read. I have not read any of the other "self help" authors, but did pick up on a lot of use from the magazines I read. And there are parts that reminded me of Richard Simmons or Oprah. But it didn't bother me so much to get in a little "niceness". It was refreshing to read about how "nice" can work instead of "mean". I have certainly not know anyone to focus on such before. I picked this up since a friend mentioned how much this book helped them be a better person in their professional life. After reading it I think there's a lot to be said about the power of nice. Nice guys can win... ...and you can be a nice guy and be a winner too.

During my training as a physician, contract negotiations discussions were not part of the curriculum. Such discussions with our staff were, in fact, discouraged, since our only focus should be to learn medicine and take care of patients. Unfortunately, the art and science of negotiations does have a substantial impact in the ability of a professional to maximize benefit in his/her carreer.

This book was my first introduction to this subject. It was easy and fun to read.

During my job search as an anesthesiologist, this book armed me with the tools I needed to confidently negotiate the right position and compensation package.

Becoming a better negotiator is in everyone's best interest so when one of my students recommended Power of Nice, I was pretty excited about ordering it from Amazon and put it in the queue to read. I really enjoyed the stories in this book. Shapiro has been there, done that in some of the biggest and toughest negotiations in the sports world. If you are a baseball fan, it will bring back memories. And I learned more from the stories than anything else.

I have read this book twice, the first time it didn't quite click and I have a theory why. The book's content is pretty good, but the layout is terrible. I just finished reading a book by Addison Wesley press that had at least 4 times the number of facts per page and power of nice and as always the information was laid out professionally; it helps me to absorb the material. There is another thing that is off putting is how the author keeps saying if you follow the principles in this book you'll get better results and more of what you want and similar. Hey, I already bought the book, quite selling. It reminded me of Richard with his Refuse to Lose's 9 principles in Little Miss Sunshine.

Another small problem and then I will start praising the book again. They use a lot of initials, for instance, the three Ps. Everyone who has ever read a business book knows the three Ps are product, price and positioning, but not here. The three Ps in power of nice are prepare, probe and propose.

However, I just came out of a fairly intense negotiation, I had read the entire book once and spent the days before the negotiation preparing. I let the other side propose first, I probed and I proposed. It all worked. So the book was certainly worth the $20.00 I paid for it and much, much more. And I did get better results and more of what I wanted so Shapiro has every write to claim that. I have not read a better book on negotiation, pick it up and deal with the layout already.

This book is easy to read, has good illustrations, symptom descriptions, and suggestions for diagnosis, treatment and prevention.

I found this to be the best book as far as having pictures to show how to do stretches and on good typing technique.

Other books I would recommend are:

`The Repetitive Strain Handbook by Robert M Simon, MD and Ruth Aleskovsky'.

`The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook by Clair Davies'

`Living Better Every Patient's Guide to Living with Illness by Carol j. Langenfeld'.

This book is the single most useful collection of practical RSI information I've found. Highly recommended for anyone trying to figure out how to stop hurting themselves when they're working. I have bought four copies for friends.

"Repetitive Strain Injury: A Computer User's Guide" by Pascarelli is a good introduction for those who know nothing about RSI. Even a cursory search of the Internet will turn up several references to this book as the classic on the subject. It describes what RSI is, what the risk factors are, how to evaluate your physician in terms of his or her RSI awareness, how to treat RSI symptoms, and it offers tips on workstation configuration, typing and mouse technique, monitor settings, and daily living. If you think you have RSI and your first instinct is to go out and buy yourself a wrist wrest and a splint, stop and read this book first, it explains why these amateurish attempts at self treatment are a bad idea. I was disappointed that the book didn't offer more specific advice for actually treating RSI, though I understand that would have been difficult given the large number of causes and manifestations of the disorder. The book claims on the front cover to contain a "seven point program for treatment", but most of the advice for treatment itself consists of "go see a doctor". This is frustrating given the book's repeated claim that most doctors know nothing about RSI or don't even believe in it in the first place. Another thing that really annoyed me was the book's assertion that employers are largely responsible for RSI. The basic message was: "RSI isn't your fault. It's just another example of how `the Man' exploits you in a thankless and mindless job." In my case, my RSI was caused by my own obsessive work habits. The book does list "Driven Behavior" as a risk factor for RSI, but it gets only a perfunctory mention. Another negative is that the book focuses on tendonitis-type RSI, whereas my problem was clearly nerve-related (numbness, weakness, and lack of coordination in hands, forearms, and upper arms). The book that really nailed my problem on the head, and that I recommend as a supplement to this one if your RSI is caused by obsessive computer use, was "It's Not Carpal Tunnel Syndrome!", by Damany, who worked under Pascarelli treating patients for many years.

After years of extreme pain caused by ...poor working conditions ..., I ended up disabled. I found this book four years later. In that time, I had seen two M.D.'s, three chiropracters and two orthopedic surgeons. I was diagnosed as having a pinched nerve.

After reading this book, I made an appointment with Dr. Pascarelli. I was the last new patient he took before retiring.

He diagnosed me as having thoracic outlet syndrome, and wrote up a script of physical therapy treatment for me, which I took back to Ohio and showed to the doctor's here. I still live in constant pain because of permanent muscle damage in my upper back because this wasn't diagnosed sooner, but at least the pain is bearable. I also have problems using my arms and hands. But, today I'm partially disabled instead of totally disabled.

Maybe, if one of the doctor's that had examined me before had Dr. Pascarelli's knowledge, I wouldn't be living in pain today. Or, if I had the knowledge this book provides....

If you use a computer, read this book and follow the advice. You don't have to end up living in pain.

I love Rumpole. I've loved all of Mortimer's Rumpole books and this is no exception. I wouldn't suggest starting with this one. Perhaps one of the omnibuses instead. But this one is still awesome and a worthy addition to anyone's library.

In this book of six stories we see Rumpole as he comes back from a heart attack that took him at the end of the last book. And does he ever come back! He is vigorous and apparently healthy, but just as curmudgeonly as usual in this book of stories. The stories in this book are all equally wonderful. They are witty, tricky and the loveable Rumpole rules over them all. Rumpole is not just a character, he is a literature icon like Jeeves and Bertie Wooster or Albert Campion. As usual I like to pick a favourite out of these stories. They are all excellent, but I think I enjoyed Rumpole and the New Year's Resolutions the best. The mistaken email that is sent to the new Director of Marketing by Soapy Sam is so funny, and the way that Rumpole deals with Ballard's embarassment is priceless. Not only that it's so realistic because this sort of thing happens with emails all the time. My only complaint is that these stories end too soon. I love Rumpole, and reading his books is a huge high for me. Never once does Mortimer ever let his characters slip from their own reality. They are true blue throughout each book, and this makes them appear so real. Mortimer is a master storyteller.

I have been a Rumpole fan for many years, and although I agree that these stories are not quite up to some of the earlier stories, I still find them highly enjoyable.

At the end of the previous book, Rumpole Rests His Case, we were left with a Rumpole who was clearly dying -- giving his final summing up from his hospital bed to a room full of fellow patients. But the beginning of RUMPOLE AND THE PRIMROSE PATH brings a Rumpole on the road to recovery, finding an interesting mystery while still confined to his hospital room. Of the death of his fictional creation Inspector Morse, author Colin Dexter said that he didn't kill him; he simply let Morse die. Somehow I don't think John Mortimer is ready to let go of Rumpole just yet.

The fictional universe inhabited by Rumpole is a strange place. Ever since the series began in the late 1970s, Rumpole has been on the cusp of retirement. But as we reach ever further into the 21st century, Rumpole hasn't seen to have significantly aged. (It should be noted that it was back in 1980 that Mortimer first utilized the "Rumpole returning from retirement/illness" plot line.) Some fans may find this bemusing. I actually find it very entertaining. The anachronistic Rumpole living in a world where his old-fashioned Chambers has both a website and an image consultant provides amusement for those of us who have been following his adventures for some time.

In this particular collection of short stories, Rumpole sees himself slowly working back to full strength after the heart attack he suffered at the end of the last book. Paying as much attention to medical advice as he does to judges and instructing solicitors, he leaps back into the swing of things, annoying his coworkers and defending the apparently indefensible.

The stories here follow the usual pattern that Mortimer has developed over the years. Rumpole is given what appears to be an utterly hopeless case (alternatively he may be forced to have a leader or for some other reason isn't the chief defender). The themes brought up by the case will be mirrored either in his dealings with his fellow members of chambers or in his relationship with She Who Must Be Obeyed (his wife, if you didn't know). Rumpole will discover some missing element, which turns the main plot on its head. The jury will then decide whether Rumpole has produced enough reasonable doubt. The jury's decision will neatly temporally coincide with the resolution of the subplot.

It may seem like I'm criticizing the Rumpole stories by reducing them to their constituent elements but I'm not. I enjoy the Rumpole stories, and I enjoy Mortimer's formula. There is usually enough variation to keep each story fresh. Although I must say that in this particular collection Mortimer one too many times kept the reader from following the trail of the mystery by withholding some crucial fact until the mystery's revelation.

In any case, it isn't always the mystery that is the fun part. Sometimes, it's the journey. Whether it's the humor (at one point a very matter-of-fact Rumpole interviews a stripper in the middle of her floor routine) or the hints of the autobiographical (Rumpole fleetingly refers to learning the law in his youth from an "old, blind law tutor"; John Mortimer's father was a blind barrister and a strong influence on his son), there's a lot to enjoy. But despite my praise, I am not sure if I'd recommend this to someone unfamiliar with the Rumpole canon. Some of the stories are a little too formulaic and the mysteries themselves are weaker than what Mortimer has produced in the past. It's a fun, nostalgic good time, but long-times fans will probably appreciate it more than new-comers can.

The more I read the Rumpole series, the happier I am and want more. I seem to be reading the series backward in time, but that's working. Apparently, Rumpole suffered a heart attack in an earlier book (perhaps in RUMPOLE RESTS HIS CASE) and the six stories that comprise THE PRIMROSE PATH occur across the year following that event. The first in the collection, the title story, was on the short list for an Edgar Award when it was published. It finds Rumpole consigned to a convalescent home. When the only bright light in the place, a pleasant nurse, is accused of murdering another patient she befriended, he gladly makes his escape to help her and proves to everyone around him that contrary to their expectations, there's quite a bit of life left in him. The other stories include "Rumpole and the New Year's Resolutions," "Rumpole and the Right to Privacy," "Rumpole and the Scales of Justice," "Rumpole and the Vanishing Juror," and "Rumpole Redeems Himself." Author Mortimer works from formula, but who cares? It's his original formula and he makes it work over and over and over again. This is a strong batch of stories that as usual satirize contemporary zeitgeist while sorting out very real issues like of privacy rights vs. public interest, evidence vs. appearances, and juror regulations. Rumpole's is a witty, garrulous voice that asks the other characters in his life to turn down the volume on assumptions, pretentions and biases just long enough to hear the truth.

This book is an excellent asset for a trip to St. John, USVI. Pam Gaffin is "right on" in her descriptions and tips about the island. It was our main source and our best source of information before and during the week on the island for snorkeling, hiking and driving. Read it before and don't leave home without it!

Excellent resource. Lots of info. (some tongue in cheek) Can't wait to use it "on the island"!

Seriously. My sister and I went down to St. John with a few different books. Of all of them, THIS was our go-to. Extremely helpful with real, practical insights on the island. We never went anywhere without it. Highly, highly recommended.

My wife and I had this book among others on our honeymoon. It was fantastic and really did a great job as a guide for St. John. All the tours were completely accurate to great detail. The ratings of the various beaches and what you could find were spectacular.

The only flaw I found is that the book is getting a bit dated. Information about jeep rentals on the island, while accurate to some extent cannot reflect the current state of inflation and do not reflect the difficulty in securing a rental. This was a flaw in a few books that don't emphasize a need to make reservations for jeeps on the island.

Of course all books are going to get dated, and I am sure the author will take care of this in a newer edition of the book.

Overall, this is a fantastic book, and it would be a shame if it didn't continue to be updated. If you are going to St. John, you really need this book. My only wish was that they author would put together a similar guide for St. Thomas and some of the other Virgin Islands. There isn't another book out there as good as this one.

Had Purchased many different guides for our one week stay in St Johns.
Im glad we had this one!
For People staying in the island for more than one day and wanting to explore There is no better guide.
It was So usefull we used it every day we were there.
The Comments and the Directions were always SPot on!
We were all so Thankfull for the Amazing Local knowledge poured into this book.

I Recommed this book for anyone wanting to spend more than one day in St John and willing to take a chance a go away from the main turist beaches.
It was amazing.

I read this wonderful book as a young man back in the sixties and I have just ordered a new version to recapture its wonderful moments

But I also saw the film version many years ago.

No I would be wery exited if anyone could lead me to a DVD or VHS version of the film

How gratifying to read the other reviews, and to learn that others have also experienced and loved this book at different times in their lives. The remarkable thing about it is how Dr. Munthe speaks to us in different ways at different ages. As a teenager, I was impressed by the passions, even though a lot of the details were above my head. In my late twenties, the way he tried to balance career and his love for San Michele was very meaningful. As a 44-year-old, I was impressed (and saddened) with the loneliness of Dr. Munthe's struggle, with really only his animals for company. While he speaks of friends, he shares little about them. And nothing about a lasting romantic involvement.

We all have our San Micheles. They may not be homes, but they are ideals toward which we strive. But for me, it exists only in my mind. Dr. Munthe was in some ways very lucky, yet also cursed, to be able to bring it to life.

The only frustrating aspect of "San Michele" is that it is, as its author notes, a fragment. I am interested to learn more of this fascinating man. Does anyone know if any biographies are in print, or in English? Thank you.

I came to this strange and wonderful book without the slightest inkling of what it was about -- simply because it was in the recommended reading for many guidebooks about Italy. First and foremost, it is an autobiography of a great physician and animal lover who just happened to spend some years of his life on Capri.

Autobiographies can make for strange reading, especially when there are obvious omissions. Although Axel Munthe frequently accuses himself of being a ladies' man, there is no mention of any love interest by name or even generic description. (That reminds me of film director Josef von Sternberg's FUN IN A CHINESE LAUNDRY, where we learn in passing that the author was married because of a cryptic mention in a subordinate clause 300 pages into the book.) Also missing is any mention of Munthe's childhood, although I understand there is at least one other autobiography written by him (MEMORIES AND VAGARIES), which I have not read.

There is, however, one section that does not appear in any autobiography that I have ever seen: An anticipation of Munthe's Last Judgment in Heaven following his death, with St. Peter, Moses, Athanasius, and St. Francis joining in the discussion.

STORY OF SAN MICHELE ranges from Paris to Lapland, Rome, Naples, Calabria, and Capri. We see duels, medical cases of wealthy women with imaginary diseases, demonic housekeepers, quacks, midwives, prostitutes, victims of cholera and earthquakes, brigands, shamans, and even an alcoholic ape. Munthe is a magnificent raconteur, and his book is a joy to read and reread.

How can one write a review of The Story of San Michele that comes close to doing justice to the book? There are many humorous episodes, such as The Giant and Mamsell Agata, touches of the macabre in the description of the cholera epidemic in Naples, misadventures, like the journey to Sweden accompanying a young man (then his corpse). There are also angry moments, as when his dog Tom is brutally kicked by the slimy Vicomte Maurice. Who could not be moved by the story of the boy John, who was rescued by Munthe but never lived long enough to find a loving home. It is a book that includes many memorable events in a life that was very full indeed. Many of the chapters in this book could be made into marvelous films, given the right adaptation.

The Story of San Michele is very well written, to say the least, and the many people, events and personal feelings of the author combine to make this a special adventure. Perhaps most special of all is Axel Munthe's relationship to animals that allowed him to get close, even to "wild" animals and have a special relationship with them. He was a man who held nature and all life in special regard but was pragmatic in the face of illness and death.

I have had a copy since 1988 and I have given Axel Munthe's book as a gift and been thanked for the introduction. I could not recommend this book highly enough.

My father had mentioned this book to me as a teenager. I read portions of it then, but have always wanted to read it in full. Finally, I found a paperback edition and found an absorbing and thought stimulating book. Dr. Munthe's care of the sick, his love of animals and the characters he describes, all will stay in my memory. This is not a book that you read once. I plan to read it again and again. Hopefully I will be able to visit Villa St. Michele some day and see the beauty of the place that he saw. I hope to find a bound edition with the photographs.