Jones Books

except for the Bible, this is the best.
It is the full and undiluted version from the first english translation.
read it, learn it,live it.
j

The book is excelent reading but please get a different version.
This version only has 580 or so pages where as other versions have over 1,300 pages. That means that this version is only half the story.
So much gets lost in translation already don't cheat yourself even more.

Although the story is well known to me, the editing of this audio book was so confusing. I absolutely could not follow it. Too much is cut out.

Story has good twists, but there are too many French places and people which makes the audio confusing.

This book is long out of copyright and so is available free for your Kindle elsewhere on the net.

(Great book though!)

This book is an insider's view of the rise and fall of the Peoples Temple. Ms. Layton was one of Jim's most trusted aides and as such knows more about what went on in the temple than the average member. She describes how she got sucked into the cult, her activities after being sucked in, what life was like in Jonestown, and how she came to see the truth and escape. At the end of the book she gives updates on many of the people who were significant to her, whether they survived or died, and, if they survived, how.

I give it 4 out of 5 stars only because I read the book Escape right before this book and it was a more riveting read.

The book is autobiographical in nature. Ms. Layton talks about all the things she was involved with in the Peoples Temple - the illegal bank accounts, her first time being raped by Jim Jones, how and when Jonestown went from a paradise to hell on earth (when Jones came, it completely changed), and the continuous brainwashing from when she first came to the temple to when she finally escaped. The escape itself completely absorbed me and it was hard to put the book down. Ms. Layton also gives insights into Jim Jones, his charisma, and his character.

I was only 7 1/2 years old when Jonestown occurred and the book helped fill in so many details that I had never known. I recommend this book for anyone who wants to know more about Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple.

Something I always have a hard time grasping is: how does a person get sucked into something so clearly unhealthy, and what keeps them in? It's so hard to understand because it's such a gradual process, and many of us feel we are perhaps too "smart" to get hooked into any kind of cult. In reality, it takes months or years for cult brainwashing to reach levels where it really does feel impossible to escape, and even highly intelligent people are caught up - this is not easily conveyed in ANY medium, be it a 2 hour documentary or a 300 page book.

But Layton takes a really good shot at it, and does an excellent job. The first two chapters of the book are somewhat slow and give background information on Deborah before she even finds out about the Temple. They describe her troubled childhood, and help understand how she could view the Church as a positive force in her life. Then, in great detail, she recounts how Jones continually manipulated, re-divided and controlled all the people within his organization. You really feel the stress and fear of the people trapped within. She makes it easy to understand everyone's plight.

Some things really struck me about the book. One thing I liked was Layton's strong desire to tell the truth. I felt it shine through in her measured descriptions of events, honest retelling of her less-than-perfect childhood, and disinclination to "play the victim" or sensationalize her experiences. I also liked that she didn't attempt to provide historical information on events she didn't experience herself - like the Church years before she joined, or the actual events of Nov. 18 in Jonestown where she wasn't present.

I also really appreciated the fact that this factual memoir was still interwoven with a good message. The parallels Deborah drew between her experiences and those of her Grandparents in WW2 concentration camps were interesting. I really liked the way she pointed out the choice she makes in what to share with her daughter, compared with what (and how) her mother shared with her: it helps to reassure that Deborah's experiences were not in vain.

For anyone interested in the history and facts behind life in the People's Temple, this is an important read. It's the most detailed account I've yet heard, and the story itself is quite riveting. I do not know how well it would serve someone who knew nothing about Jonestown whatsoever, but as a supplement to e.g. a documentary (or some other very historical look at the People's Temple), this makes an excellent read.

I have never read a memoir that was this honest or this terrifying. Deborah Layton was a member of the People's Temple for 7 years. She was one of Jim Jones trusted few. This is a true "insider account" of what happened.

Ms Layton has the rare ability of pulling the reader into the story. It allows you to feel and understand the working of a cult from the inside out.. You see the path that led her to Jones and the bravery it took for her to leave. As a confused and rebellious adolescent Layton was attracted to Jim Jones' religious movement for its radical teachings on inter racialism and social justice. As a member of his inner circle, she saw things that made her secretly question him, though she remained faithful to his socialist vision. Layton paints a graphic picture of how Jones exercised confusing emotional, sexual and physical manipulation and abuse. This mixture of love, fear and a sense of purpose, the sense of working for a greater good, kept her there for seven years and kept others there until the end.

In December 1977 Layton (along with her Mother who had also joined) traveled to the new headquarters in Jonestown, Guyana. Upon arrival they discover that the residents were enduring a living hell. The conditions were appalling. Constant middle of the night suicide drills followed by 16 hour work days in unbearable heat. People are near starvation. There is a constant fear of being labeled a "traitor" and the punishment that would follow.

With no money, passport or way of contacting anyone on the outside Layton finds a way to escape. It's heart pounding and terrifying. My hands were shaking as each new obstacle unfolded itself. She returns to the United States with dire warnings, trying to get help for her sick Mother who is still there. (Layton's Mother died of cancer a few days before the "mass suicide". She died with no pain killers. They were confiscated upon arrival in Jonestown and given to Jones) No one believes the people inside are being held hostage by the infamous Jones and his growing madness.

Only months after her escape, the Jonestown Mass Suicide/Murder occurred. Deborah Layton was one of the few who escaped. Her story is told in an honest and insightful way. It's a riveting, nail biting, heart pounding, stay up all night book that reads like a novel.

I recently saw Deborah Layton discussing her experiences with Jim Jones and the People's Temple on PBS. I was really struck by this attractive, intelligent, and articulate woman who seemed nothing like what I'd imagined someone involved with the People's Temple would be. I guess I had somehow imagined they were all, well, kooks and wierdos. I've long been intrigued by Jonestown, and could never wrap my brain around how 913 people could be duped into mass suicide, so I quickly bought Deborah's book, Seductive Poison. I found it to be one of those rare books that whenever I got a few minutes to spare, I just had to pull it out and devour a few more pages. The book is richly written and gives deep insight into the People's Temple movement and the sad tragedy that unfolded in Jonestown, written by someone with firsthand knowledge. One aspect that I found so moving about "Seductive Poison" is that Layton really humanized the people of Jonestown. These were good, decent folks who were terribly deceived and manipulated by an evil madman. They weren't the kooks I'd imagined, but rather people I think I genuinely would have liked, had a lot in common with, and would have been friends with. Fortunately Deborah Layton was eventually able to see through Jim Jones' lies and find her way to freedom. The story of her final escape from Guyana is as tense and heart-stopping as any action movie, yet profoundly sad, and ultimately hopeful as she emerges from the lies and manipulation that once held her. Sadly, so many others at Jonestown were unable to find that freedom. Seductive Poison is a haunting journey, and will cause you to understand the human loss of the Jonestown tragedy in ways that will linger with you for a long time.

Gosh! I doevoured this book in this last carnival holiday! It's really amazing and one of the most shocking stories i've ever seen. It's interesting to check out how more than 900 ppl are led outside their habitat and slaved by a weird guy... as someone once said'"it's the hypnotized being led by the f**cked up". Also I can imagine the paranoic state the writer was into as soon as she leaves jonestown. JJ had this belief of them being followed by government agencies so much ingrained in thei followers head.

There's a movie called "bug", by th same producers of "the exorcist" that also shows a girl being converted to the reality of a paranoic guy she's never seen before ... the end is also shocking.

Shooter Movie Versus Point of Impact Book:
The Bob Lee Swagger story lines in the book and the movie are different in character building, action, and political satire. Very understandable, screen productions can rarely replicate a book.

Although I hesitate to "spill the beans" on the movie or the book, but the movie is so entertaining that I watch it over and over and the Point of Impact book is one of the few books worth reading over and over again (sorry Clancy, Koontz, Coontz, and Ludman).

Shooter Movie:
The movie from director Antoine Fuqua takes the world after 9/11 (El Salvador is not of much interest, but oil is) and he pumps oceans of well oiled political satire, which is at its very best: "there are only have and have-nots (Iraq ref)", "I didn't much like the President before him", "I still have the shovel (JFK ref)," "its just human weakness, and you can't kill that with a gun," "Exactly!...Bang!"

Although the Shooter movie character building could have used another half-hour or more, the character-action building of the movie (if there is such a thing) was superb. Anyway, more time on character building would have put the brakes on the movie. It was one lightning action sequence after another that not even a Die Hard or a Tom Clancy movie could match or even top (and I loved the Hunt for Red October, the Sum of All Fears, Bourne Trilogy, and so on).

The movie plot deviations from the book were very well thought out and made the movie rip and roar through one satisfying scene after another. The long distance shot at the Presidential podium was superior to the book and did a very credible job of integrating Nick Memphis's role and his timely flow throughout the movie.

Antoine Fuqua exploits what I define as the Al Qaeda mind-set (AQMS), which is the same brain dysfunction that people everywhere are wired into, but just use different means that cause different results: the church killing Islamic people and women centuries ago, and raping boys in this century, web video murders/suicide bombers of today's Islamic Terrorists, the previous decades of killing by the KKK, Hitler's killing of more than 6 million Jews...the never ending human carnage, no matter what millennium, from the beginning of testosterone beings or until the end of testosterone beings...I doubt that Homo Sapiens will ever change.

AQMS applies to political character assassinations in DC, where multi-millions (billions this year) are spent by political candidates attempting to destroy the reputation of all other candidates, Congressmen writing bad checks not so long ago, paying for sex, and sucking soft money at the expense of all American citizens.

AQMS applies to Enron and many others, to Mortgage banks and their infamous ARMS (the Fed is now rewarding them at our expense, with proper spin), and the Medical establishment in the movie "Sicko" by Michael Moore. It is one-sided negative-news from the media, harping on one murder after another. It is the negative consumption syndrome of the general common-denominator population that tunes in for all the sick TV shows (most of them), puts up with depraved commercials (especially those commercials that depict greed, drugs, new car decadence, and people being hurt)...almost nothing positive in the news, ever. Most AQMS folks probably never heard of and never tuned to the commercial-free Arts channel (there is some hope for Homo Sapiens even though we may yet kill the planet Earth).

Even if everyone on the Earth knew about the overwhelming genetic evidence (The Journey of Man, by Spencer Wells) that makes every person on the Earth (without exception) a child of the Bushmen of Africa, the world today would probably be the same and nothing would change. Denial is incurable, unbeatable, and an unstoppable plague on our planet.

Denial is about "No input, Stephanie...Number 5 is alive" and making it all up as he/she goes, "Short Circuit" or not: from ridiculous royalty delusions of Kings/Queens, back to Hitler's despicable Arian race, to Religions that murder people, and on and on.

Denial at the individual level is just smoke and mirrors, devoid of reality, and founded upon "What's in it for me," but more precisely "It's mine all mine!" Denial is the mother of all that is wrong with the human race.

Compared to the book, I found Antoine Fuqua's version more satisfying. Swagger being pulled down the river by a barge was a lot more believable than the book's Swagger holding onto a log for 18 hours, with two bullet wounds. It is a more believable for the sniper action on the Glacier and in its ending when Bob Lee Swagger (not his lawyer) demonstrated why the gun would not shoot. The icing on the cake was when Swagger fired his last shot into the most corrupt and well deserving Senator's head. What followed was even more explosive.

Point of Impact Book:

Stephen Hunter illuminates the world before 9/11 (El Salvador was of interest, it just after the first Gulf war) where he guns genocide and greed into political satire, which is very good but not as satisfying as the movie's one-liners which underscore greed, corruption, and other negative attributes of us Homo spaiens (means wise men, yeah, right)!

There is not much I can say about the book that can top several hundred other reviewers. However, I wished that the book had been twice as long. It was a terrific read. Hunter "the psychology nailer" knows political infighting of Government agencies.

Hunter's character building of Bob Lee Swagger was superb, starting with cutting off Tim's antlers the day before deer season to letting Dr. Dobbler cop out at the end.

For me, the book was a physiological thriller that was absolutely on target. Stephen Hunter's grasp on how the mind works was well orchestrated by the evil psychiatrist, Dr. Dobbler. Hunter's technical prose on weapons was no less impressive than Clancy at his best (I read most of Clancy's books). Hunter's prose matched the five senses Dean Koontz can conjure up, including the sixth sense (I read most of Koontz's books).

However, the book's version about Swagger's woman being an actual nurse and not a third grade teacher (where is a teacher going to get antibiotics or surgical skills for deep wounds?) made significantly more sense. The movie left out the need for antibiotics, the book was right on target for gangrene candidate wounds.

The book's version about Swagger's hilltop battle was good, but not as totally satisfying as the Movie's shootout with 24 child killers that got their just dues from Swagger and Nick. The book did not have a nasty nemesis inside the VA cabin commit suicide, a child and woman killer that deserved to die. This shooter's suicide stayed within his evil character, denying Swagger the satisfaction of killing him. And even rubbing it in with "They've got your woman...Bang!"

The movie changed Colonel Shreck's name to Colonel Isaac Johnson. The title of the movie "Shrek" kept popping up in my mind every time I read the Colonel's name in the book. I was glad that the movie changed it to Johnson.

Unlike the movie (probably no sequel is planned), the Bob Lee Swagger books are a trilogy. Thank you, Stephen Hunter, I've got two more Swagger books to savor, "Time to Hunt" and "Black Light!" And after I'm done with these, there are books about Bob Lee Swaggar's father, plus other great books by Stephen Hunter.

Arguably the best book I've read in 2007. The movie follows the main story line, although a decade or two behind. The movie was great, the book was better. It was full of action/suspense from cover to cover. I was impressed with Hunter's writing and will definitely get the second book.

This is a great book that kept me up all night, several nights. Hated to see it end, but fortunately, I had Time to Hunt.

I would usually give a longer review but I see the 100 plus on here and all are good. Same would come from me. If you want a great thriller and well written book this is it. If you haven't read a Stephen Hunter book this would be the one if any to read. I just started on his other books and am enjoying all of them. So if you have $8 laying around and want a good few hours of entertainment this is the way to go.

I know that the summer is winding down, vacations are finishing up, school will soon be starting, and the chance for some additional recreational reading is quickly coming to a close. But don't just yet stop reading. You have one more book to get through, Point of Impact by Stephen Hunter.

I came across this book as I was beginning to watch The Shooter. That movie is based on the novel, Point of Impact. Since the movie was rather good, I wanted to know what the author was really had in mind, and headed off to the library to get a copy. As an aside, our library has a "cheat sheet." If there is a recent movie that you enjoyed, they have a list of the books that were used as the basis for the movie. Pretty cool, I thought.

Bob Lee "The Nailer" Swagger lives alone, in a cabin in the woods. Everything that he ever wanted is gone, except for an old dog and his guns. He was once a extremely gifted sniper in Vietnam, until someone shot him, and killed his spotter, from 1400 yards. After the shooting, he was no longer able to perform his duties and he retired to the mountainside. A footnote in the war. Until retired Colonel Shreck comes calling. He has a proposal for Bob Lee, help them figure out where a sniper will attempt the assassination of the President of the United States. Bob accurately details the site that the assassin will use, but is shot by one of Shreck's men and framed for the hit. He teams up with an FBI agent, who he himself was once a sharpshooter. Together, they track the actual killer, Shreck and his organization, and a few Salvadoran gun men.

This novels moves. There are times, where Hunter exposes you to the gun culture, that some would say drags the story down a bit, but I found the background on the culture fascinating and a key part of the novel. Also, the novel ends in a courtroom, which would see anti-climatic after the action, but wait for the payoff. Bob Lee is a very well thought out character and the novel allows the reader to understand where he comes from, his duty to the United States, and that he feels that he has unfinished business. Much more than the movie, and you would expect that. This is a character that I see Hunter brings back for a few more novels. He is another Reacher, and I have now added another author to my list of "must reads."

An excellent novel.

I like this book because it is like a mystery because she wants to know her mom but she is living with a girl that they lived next door to. Will she saw pitchers of her mom and was disarmed to find out were she was at. She found out were she was and wanted to see her so she razed money she got a bus ticket and went to were her mom was and could not finder for a long time and then one day she figured out how it was. And then her mom died.
So I thank you should read this book If you like mysteries. It is the best book in the world!!!

So be it is a amazing fiction book that i know you should read. The best thing about this book is it controls your feelings. For example Heidi has a disabled mother. Heidi loves to play slot machines. Therefore, since this story takes place in Nevada Heidi tried a slot machine.
But then Heidi won money from the slot machine. She also wanted to find the meaning of soof and she did by communicating with Bernadette on the phone. She was also trying to find out about her past and she used to ride the bus to where her mother used to go.

So.B.It keeps you on edge because you never know what will happen next. So.B.It is super fun , exciting , easy to read , and some mystery. I gave this book five stars because there is so much going on , its like watching a movie. Anybody who likes novels like Shug will love this book. THe gernera would be a novel. This book always gives you a picture in your mind. I would recomend this to anybody who likes books that make you wonder what will happen next.


Also by: K.N.
So B. It by Sarah Weeks is a heartwarming book that has an emotional touch. I would give this book five out of five stars. Girls ages 9 and older would enjoy this general fiction book. Sarah Weeks has done an excellent job detailing a heartwarming book like non other. Mama knows 23 words including one being "soof," which Heidi takes an adventure to find what her mother means by it. Bernadette tells Heidi how one day when Heidi was one week old, her mother mysteriously appeared at Bernadette's door, and they have benn living together since then. Heidi then decides to find out who her mother really is by taking her own adventure to Liberty, New York. Will she find out her mother's past life, or will she get disappointed and find out nothing? Read So B. It to find out.

"So B. It" - A Moving and Suspenseful Story
A story telling the tale of Heidi unraveling secrets of her mother
By Kelly Lockerbie
December 20, 2007

"So B. It" by Sarah Weeks

So B. It, 245 pages, is a moving story about a thirteen year old girl named Heidi. She has no father, and does not remember anything about him. The sad part is, Heidi's mother, whom Heidi calls "Mama," has a mental disorder, or a "bum brain," as Heidi calls it. Heidi and Mama both live with Bernadette, or "Bernie," who used to be their next door neighbor, until Mama showed up with Heidi on her front doorstep. Bernie takes care of both Mama and Heidi.

Heidi does not know anything about her mother, or what happened to her in the past. She keeps track of her mother's slow progress, and notices that occasionally Mama would throw out the word "soof." Mama doesn't know many words; in fact, she only knows twenty-three. Because Mama knows a word that no one knows, this interests Heidi. She becomes determined to find the meaning.

Throughout the book, Heidi tries to gather clues towards the meaning of "soof," because she believes that it could possibly reveal her past.

The protagonist of this story is Heidi, and the book tells the book from her point of view. She is the narrator. Towards the beginning of the book, Heidi does not know anything about her mom, or even how she herself was born. All she knows is that her mom showed up on Bernie's front doorstep and in need of help. Basically, she was frustrated! She didn't know anything that happened before Bernie found her.

However, when Heidi visits various places, places she knew to go to from clues she gathered, she stops fighting with the past. Even thought she learns something about the story of her life, she has matured and understands that certain things in her and her mother's life will remain a mystery.

The theme of this story is love. Not romantic love, but love and affection for those who care about you. Heidi loved her mom, because she tried her hardest to take care of her despite her setbacks. Heidi also loved Bernadette. Without Bernie, Heidi and her mom would not have been able to survive. Heidi depended on Mama, and Mama depended on Bernie. Bernie held the family together.

From this reading I learned to be thankful for things I wouldn't normally expect to be grateful for. For example, my "identity." Since Mama is mentally challenged and can't remember anything in the past, Heidi didn't know a lot about who she is. She didn't have concrete evidence of facts that that average person does today. She spent a large amount of time trying to decipher things that we are basically handed to in a silver platter. By this I mean that we don't have to work hard to get information about ourselves, while Heidi was traveling far out of her way.

I would undoubtedly recommend this book for other readers, whether they are younger or older. This book wouldn't be difficult for younger people to read, but more critical readers (people in English 10H) would have a better grasp on the moral and meaning of the book. They would know what the author is trying to get across, the meaning of love.

"Things aren't the way they are supposed to be," I said.
"How are they supposed to be?" she asked.
"A person is supposed to know where they came from, Bernie."
This is the burning question that Heidi It is determined to find out. Heidi is a 12 year old girl who lives with her mentally disabled mother and Bernadette, their caring neighbor. Trying to find the answer to this question leads her on a cross country journey to find out her history in this moving novel, So B. It, by Sarah Weeks.
She wants to find where she and her mother came from before they showed up at Bernadette's door in the apartment that they currently live in. She also wants to find out what "soof" means, a mysterious word that her mother repeatedly says and that seems to linger over Heidi wherever she goes.
This book is told through the eyes of Heidi in present day Reno. Throughout the book Sarah Weeks makes it so that you can feel the frustration, but also love that Heidi has towards her mother. Appearing to be slow-paced in the beginning, the book soon turns into a page-turning adventure where Heidi is an easily likeable character. Her bravery leads her to meet the most interesting people.
The novel is best suited for middle-aged girls who can understand everyday struggles, or ones need help to. Anyone who reads this will be left with the message of the book long after the last page is turned.

The Jesus Storybook Bible has four very attractive characteristics:
1. The author shows how every Old Testament story foreshadows the coming of Jesus to rescue his people. Every Bible story "whispers his name." Jesus is the piece that makes all the other pieces of the Bible story puzzle fit together.
2. The main theme of the story is "God's Never Stopping, Never Giving Up, Unbreaking, Always and Forever, Love."
3. The stories are written in very understandable language for children ages four and up.
4. The illustrations are outstanding. Kids and adults will love them. The individual who recommended this book to me said his two-year old was attracted by the illustrations.

The best children's Bible that I have ever seen. Great illustrations...but more than that, a clear explanation of God's redemptive plan to save us through Jesus Christ. Most children's curriculum and books focus on moralism. This focuses on Jesus Christ.

My 3 year old brings this everywhere...and now her Sunday School teacher uses her Bible EVERY SUNDAY!

Each family must own this...even if your children are grown.

I love this Bible! I'd heard about it from several friends so I finally purchased it. My daughter is a bit young (18 mo) to sit and really comprehend, but I love it still! When it arrived, I sat and read it out loud for a half hour while she played. I was brought to tears several times. Every story truly does, "whisper His name".

Great book! My husband and I love reading it as well as our grandchildren!

I picked this Bible up at [...] because I have a hard time getting excited about reading the bible. I lead a growth group at my church this spring using a DVD series my pastors did on Character. In one of the lessons, Rob McKenna was talking about discipline and how he struggled with reading his own bible daily. He said that one thing he does to get excited about reading his bible, is by reading to his kids from their children's bible,and then he goes and reads his bible to find out more of the story.
Taking his advice I picked up this bible and I love it. It is exactly what the bible is about, God's great plan for rescuing us, that started at the very beginning. Today I was reading the story of Jesus dying and the words were so simple yet so powerful I got tears in my eyes.
As for the illustrations, I love them. They are whimsical and child-like, exactly the kind of faith Jesus calls his followers to have, yet only little kids seem to have. How can you not laugh at the picture of Jesus and Saten (as a snake) faceing off. Jesus looks slightly pissed. I also appreciate that his hair is messed up. Let's face it, most pictures of Jesus his hair looks like he's just walked out of fancy hair salon. Nary a hair out of place. I don't think Jesus looked perfect. In these pictures he actually looks like he's travel worn.
I love this bible storybook. I am hoping to pick one up for my best friend's son. He is 5 and asked Jesus into his heart last fall. I've been wanting to get him something to celebrate and now I know what it is.

This well written, enjoyable book portrays a realistic story about three young men and their issues with their sexuality, friendships, homophobic peers, relationships with each other, and their parents. The book portrays realities of today's teenager and the problems and issues that they face. The characters talk using the language that today's teenager uses, which gives the story credibility. Homosexuality, homophobia, HIV (Human immunodeficiency virus), and AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) are some of controversial topics that are discussed, in an open and unprejudiced manner. Homophobia is discussed in the book. There are characters that attend school with the boys that constantly harass Nelson, and eventually Kyle. The word "queer" is written on Kyle's locker, but he decides not to let this bother him and later spray paints "and proud" underneath it. Verbally offensive words including faggot, queer, and homo are used in the book by peers and Jason's father. On the reverse end, the term breeder is also used in retaliation by Nelson. Physical violence also takes place when Jason's father fights Jason when he comes out to his family. Violence also takes place, throughout the book, through the multiple beatings that Nelson endured and the fight when peers attacked Kyle and Nelson. The author, for the most part, avoids stereotypes through Jason and Kyle. Nelson's character can be tagged as a stereotypical homosexual because he wears nail polish, dyes his hair, wears trendy clothes, and supports gay bands. There are no illustrations for the book, which does not hurt the book, since the book is appropriate for adolescents in high school. The overall quality of the book was superb because the book honestly represented the problems that current teenagers face with their sexuality. This book can be read as a class or independently, but the book must have approval from the administration and parents, due to its sexual content and homosexuality. This book could face many barriers in the classroom. Many districts do not allow teachers to discuss homosexuality in the classroom. If the district has no problem with the book and its material, then it must get approval from administrators. This is really important because some parents may question the book; therefore a teacher will need the support from administrators. Once administrators support the book, the teacher must notify parents about the book, its purpose in the classroom, and description of the overall lesson. Parents must be notified in case there is a religious belief against homosexuality or a general opposition of the book. If a parent does not allow the child to read the book, a different book must be available for the student to read. The topics of homosexuality and HIV can scare many teachers from using this book, but one must look past the taboo ideas and realize that this book deals with real life situations and problems. Teachers can incorporate a variety of instruction ideas including journals, K-W-L charts, cause and effect charts, reports, and presentations.

I bought this book for my son as a gift. He says they are well written and thinks that it's a good insight into the minds dilemmas and real life situations of queer youth. Thank you Mr Sanchez for writing something thought provoking and caring for these often forgotten group of people! We have now purchased all of these books.

i loved this book so much the first time that i picked it up i couldn't put it down i had to read the other 2 books

I have just finished Rainbow Boys and am completely shocked. I have never thought that I could feel so much better about myself after one book. Sanchez is a very talented author and I hope will continue writing books like these. Anyone can relate to this book as he has plotted three completely opposite characters and bring them together off of one topic: homosexuality. For the past couple of months, I have been struggling as well with my sexuality and after reading this book and The God Boxalso written by Alex Sanchez. Have felt so much better. I recommend this to anyone struggling, wondering, or even just wanting to read this book out of curiosity to read it. It's compelling and you won't regret it.

From the first to last page I was hooked on this book. It was so good that I am thrilled that the stories continue. Alex you have a new fan!

This piece of work created by the editors of Vibe Magazine could easily be appropriately titled "Essence of Tupac." In this collection of previous interviews and vivrant photos you truely get the feeling that you are holding a conversation with The ledgendary Tupac Shakur. This is a must have for all Tupac fans and for anyone wishing to know more about Pac's Life. Good job by the folks at Vibe Magazine.

I my self am not a very big fan of rap music however i was intrigued to read this book after looking into some of the lyrics of 2pacs singles they seemed very in depth. After reading the lyrics i felt that his words had a lot of depth and soul attached to them which intrigued me to find out more about the rap star.

I myself have a genuine interest in politics, philisophy and poetry similarly to 2pac and i felt that i could relate to some of the lyrics he wrote. This book on tupac gives a deeper insight to the rap artist not only his music and talent but to his life it shed light on many differant topics from differant aspects and i found it very inspirational. What i particularly liked about this book was the way it presented both sides of the story (with the rape case) and i felt this ruled out any bias.

I would recommend this book to anyone who has a love for reading regardless of whether they have a genuine interest in rap this book not only looks at his career but looks at his inspiration, ambition, life and above all recognised him as more than a rap artist but as a human being and who he actually was!!!

When I discovered that my 3rd graders knew who Tupac was, even though he died the year they were born, I felt that I needed to know more about Tupac. This book is published by Vibe, the official scribes of hip hop. It is a collection on interviews and articles that appeared in Vibe and they document the rise and fall of Tupac.
Tupac had "Thug Life" tatooed on his stomach and he lived the life of a misogynist thug. He was disrespectful to everyone around him. Perhaps, as Quincy Jones suggests in the forward, Tupac could've changed into a positive force had he lived past 25. However, this book, and his own words, show him to be a negative influence on everyone he had contact with. It is very sad that he died at such a young age. It is even sadder that so many youngesters know who he was but cannot tell you about the lives of people who have accomplished great things with their lives. I have my work cut out for me next school year.
Mark Gast

As a massive fan of the late great Tupac Shakur, there are few publishings that capture as much information and insight into his life and career as this amazing book from the good people at Vibe Magazine. Consisting of every Vibe article and interview written on Shakur between 1994-97, this gives even the most casual of Pac's fans more information than they could ever dream of. With features on his early career, his signing to Death Row, and his infamous interview with Kevin Powell from inside Clinton Correctional Facility where he denounced "Thug Life", it's all here. This book also contains some of the most informative material on the feud between Death Row Records and Bad Boy. You'll get everyone's side of the story on the Can-Am Studio shooting. You'll hear what both Suge and Puffy had to say about the East vs. West saga. You will also get to hear Pac at his rawest and most candid. If you are even the least bit interested in the amazing story of Tupac Shakur, you should pick up this book.

2pac is a legacy of our generation..he is and will always be the best, not only was he an awesome rapper, but he was also a good actor and poet. This book is very well done and covers so much. When he was shot the first time 5 times..and leading up to his unjustly death..i recommend this book to anyone if they want to learn about 2pac, he wasnt a bad man or a gangsta like most assume, he was just at the wrong place at the wrong time..or he just got involved with the wrong ppl...and like he said live by the gun..die by the gun..and that is exactly what happened to this man...may he rest in peace

This was a birthday gift for my son who is the T.B. epidemiologist at the Michigan State Health Department. He loved the gift and I loved the price!

First, buy copy of Harrison's and position on desk so that other physicians can see you are a Serious Doctor. Hope they don't notice the layer of dust it accumulates.

Second, buy this book. Hide it under papers at the other end of your desk. You will use it every day if you know what is good for your patients. It's cheap, buy a second copy and keep it on your bed stand and read it cover to cover.

With this edition, the Merck Manual returns to a more professionally oriented content from the disastrous previous edition. Don't let the reviews here that this is a good text for "lay people" put you off. It is not and only those people who think they can cram 12 years of medical education (not counting experience afterwards) into 30 minutes of on-line Googling will think so.

I am familiar with this book since 1981 and every ten years I buy the most recent edition ,by this I can keep myself updated in various aspects of medicne specaily those outside the scope of specialty.
I think that the Merck Manual is one of the most usefull medical books , for its comprehensive clinical knowledge, excellent and informative tables and diagrams.
I encourage all the doctors to have a copy of the Merck manual , knowing that this book is not a specialty limited text book .

This is a vast medical reference book, written in technical language for practicing clinicians. That, of course, does not mean that it can't be endlessly fascinating and useful for so-called "laypeople" as well.

Always wanted to be a doctor? Grades were never good enough? Couldn't afford it? Not to worry. This book is the wannabe physician's dream, and the hypochondriac's worst nightmare. It covers the entire range of human illness and injury, including symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis. No other medical reference book comes close to its exhaustive coverage and scientific excellence. Potential readers should keep in mind that this book is NOT a drug reference, but a manual for general clinical practice. If you want to know the infinite details about your favorite pills, you'll need the Physician's Desk Reference as well.

The book has thousands of tissue-paper thin pages, all filled with text. There are no photographs, few graphics of any kind, and only a few tables. It's a massive encyclopedia. For the curious and well-informed layperson, I recommend this book over the watered-down home version. It's not that the home version is "dumbed down." It isn't, but the real thing is far more scientifically penetrating in analysis, cause and treatment options. The technical language can be a bit daunting without a good medical dictionary (or an M.D. or D.O. degree), but once you learn a few recurring terms you'll find this book to be the best self-doctoring tool you've ever put your hands on. The only thing you won't be able to do is write your own prescriptions! Your doctor will just HATE you for it.

New editions of the Merck Manual come around every six years or so, and sometimes it takes as long as ten, so this edition will be current for at least another five years. I know it sounds perverted, but I bought this book because I enjoy the science behind it. I read it just to learn new fascinating things about the wonderful field of medicine, and you can too! If anything, you'll appreciate how brilliant your medical professionals are.

The Merck Manual has always been a medical gem. The information is timely, authoritative, and beautifully written and edited. It informs but does not overwhelm with esoteric medical-speak. I have been a physician (M.D.)for 47 years and have found The Manual a valuable companion on countless occasions. The section on personality disorders, for example, provides one of the finest explanations of the diagnosis and treatment of these complicated mental conditions I have ever read. The Merck Manual sets a very high standard for medical texts.

I have been an avid reader of baseball history for most of my life and I first purchased this book in the 80's and wore it out and purchased another copy. There isn't a season that goes by that I don't read it again. When you read the interviews of the ballplayers, recorded by Lawrence Ritter, it's as if you are a fly on the wall hearing the conversations first hand and the ghosts of seasons long past are brought back to life.

You get a first person account of some of the most famous moments in early baseball history through the fond recollections of some of the participants. Merkle's boner, Snodgrass' muff, Wambsgan's unassisted World Series Triple play are all recounted. The most entertaining parts of the book recount tales of Germany Schaefer stealing first base, the chronicles of Charles Victory Faust, and Wilbert Robinson attempting to catch a grapefruit dropped from an airplane. You get a glimpse of Ty Cobb from his teammates Davy Jones and Sam Crawford. You get several different takes on the great manager John McGraw from several different players who once played for him.

This is hands down the greatest sports book I have read. It's not only a great history of the early days of 20th century baseball but a wonderful piece of Americana. The book breaths humanity and paints a portrait of the ballplayers of the past who played for the love of the game unsullied by steroids and multimillion dollar contracts.

If you love the game of baseball as it once was and still should be this is a "must read"...some of the players interviewed by Ritter were unknown to me and I was fascinated to learn of their exploits...I ordered an additional three books and sent them to long time fans of the game...If I was a GM today in MLB I would have every member of the team read this book so that they might appreciate the game as it was in its infancy...the modern player (in most cases)doesn't realize how fortunate he is to wear a major league uniform and earn the money today for playing a "game"

This book was a lot of fun to read, it showed a different side of the sport of baseball other than statistic. Told by the people themselves who played the game and in their own words. The author just let them go on for as long as they pleased with any stories they might have to tell. If you enjoy baseball history this is a must read.

This superb oral history of baseball circa 1900-1920's contains many priceless tales. After Ty Cobb died in 1961 author Lawrence Ritter (1922-2004) took his tape recorder and traveled the USA to interview 22 surviving players from that remarkable era. We hear from top stars and established players, including Ed Roush, Sam Crawford, Smokey Joe Wood, Chief Meyers, Sam Jones, Bill Wambsganss, etc. Each player reminisces in his own way, recounting games, teammates, owners, managers, crowds, ballparks, etc. Some talk at length while others are briefer, but each is articulate and illuminating. I particularly liked Rube Marquard's memory of visiting the Chicago firehouse where he'd once slept as a transient, Stan Coveleski's view that baseball kept him from the coal mines, and the remembrances of Davy Jones and Jimmy Austin. It was also interesting to see how these players viewed superstars Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson, Ty Cobb, and Babe Ruth. This book provides readers with a superb sense of baseball before night games, air travel, TV, radio (except after 1922), farm systems, and in some cities, Sunday baseball.

Ritter set a standard with this superb oral history. The players interviewed here have all departed (the last in 1988), but their memories live on in this superb book. Fans might also enjoy BASEBALL WHEN THE GRASS WAS REAL, a similar effort about a later era by Donald Honig.

Statistically, baseball back then couldn't be more at variance with the game now. Cy Young threw 511 career victories, and 750 complete games. In 1909, Ty Cobb led the majors both in batting average (.377) and home runs (9). Cobb's teammate Sam Crawford hit over 300 triples in his career.

What to make of such numbers? Lawrence S. Ritter's "The Glory Of Their Times" strips away the statistical confusion by getting to the heart of Major League Baseball's early days, the players themselves. An economics professor, Ritter invested his downtime from 1962-66 in interviewing elderly men, baseball players all who knew what it was like to face a Walter Johnson fastball, or have Ty Cobb slide into the base they were covering.

"People were more unique then, more unusual, more different from each other," says Davy Jones, who played on the Tigers with Cobb and Crawford. "Now people are all more or less alike, company men, security minded, conformity - that sort of stuff. In everything, not just baseball."

Transcriptions of Ritter's interviews with Jones and 21 other former players, including Crawford and two others then in the Hall of Fame, makes up the whole of "The Glory Of Their Times," published in 1966 and later extended with four more interviews in 1984. Nearly all the interviews offer both testimony and color for the game as it was then.

Bill Wambsganss tells us about his unassisted triple play in the 1920 World Series, and how Ring Lardner once used his last name to rhyme with "clam's chance" and "Ray Chapman's pants". Fred Snodgrass tells us about his famous muffed fly in the 1911 World Series, and how his New York Giants tried to psyche out the Philadelphia Athletics by sitting on the dugout bench, ostentatiously sharpening their spikes.

You hear so much about another famous World Series moment, the Merkle "boner" of 1908, that you feel like you were there on the field, too. There's a Rashomon-like quality to hearing various interviewees give their different takes on such things as the character of John McGraw and whether "Giant Killer" Harry Coveleski was run out of the league when he was caught chewing on bologna. (Snodgrass says so, while Harry's brother Stanley, a major-league pitcher himself, calls it "a lot of bull".

Not all the interviews are riveting. One wishes Ritter could have pushed some of the old players more, like the rumors that swirled around Smoky Joe Wood involving fixes. But allowing the subjects the reins probably drew more color out of them than a Grand Jury could have. I love how Crawford keeps telling Ritter he hasn't much time to talk, while giving Ritter one of the longest and most entertaining interviews in the book, describing how players would allow themselves to be rubbed down with "Go Fast," a noxious combination of Vaseline and Tabasco sauce that made them sweat like a sauna.

"I hope I haven't said anything I shouldn't," Crawford says at the end. "There are a lot of the old-timers still left,you know, and they're liable to say, 'That fathead, who the hell does he think he is, anyway, popping off like that!'"

If you like baseball even a little, you will enjoy "The Glory Of Their Times" quite a lot.

I really liked this book. It was hard to put down. Robin Jones Gunn writes with such nice imagery and detail about the different locations in this book and the whole series. Since I live in California I know nearly every place she talks about in the Christy Miller series and it brings back memories when I read them. This college series starts in Europe and I found myself longing to go to Europe to see all these interesting places she talks about! I want to twirl and dance on a German hilltop just like Katie did.

I found the spiritual discussions in this book very refreshing and not trite at all. Often Christian fiction seems to add a Bible verse in here and there just to have one. RJG ties the spiritual truths and lessons into the story plot and I actually learned a lot just reading this fiction book!

For example, Christy's life direction revelation really hit me hard because I am going through a similar situation as a college student. Katie's comparison problem also really applied to my life and taught me some valuable Bible verses to remember in times of low self esteem.

Like other reviewers said, the one "weakness" (makes it hard to read anyway, not bad writing) is Christy's selfishness. I found myself feeling guilty reading about Christy's whining about camping and messing up plans since I am also very much a girly-girl who doesn't like to get dirty and I like to have everything organized and planned. But when Christy started her internal rants at Katie for just being there when she wanted to have alone time with Todd, I got angry at her. It was Katie's vacation too! Just because Christy wanted time to spend with Todd doesn't mean she had to blame it on Katie and be so cruel (at least in her thoughts). If I was Katie, I would feel really hurt if I knew what Christie was thinking about me!

Anyhow, this was a great book aside from Christy's selfishness and if you liked the Christy Miller series then I recommend it highly~! I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

Robin Gunn does a great job of speaking to young people through fiction.
The College Years wrap up all Christy and Todd have gone through and grown in age and spiritually, since they meet in high school.

Great Stories.

Donna

I remember being in high school and being addicted to trashy romance novels. It was a time before I knew Christ and I didnt have much faith in him or anything else. Now, in my mid-twenties, I happened to pick this up at a used book store and read it in one day. It is the kind of lasting romance I was looking for when I was younger and I found that even now, married and having a relationship with Christ, I was able to learn some things from the book. It quoted scripture, put it into perspective and provided me with a romance that could only be conveyed in paper. I am going to pass it on to a young woman in my church and hopefully she'll enjoy it as fully as I did.

The reason for the low rating is that Christy's whiny, infantile attitude and behavior overshadows what could have otherwise been an memorable trek around Europe. As Christy's character progresses throughout the series--my view may not be popular there--it is evident that for portraying herself as a strong Christian, her immature behavior proves otherwise. She's just not a likable young woman. Her "poor me" demeanor and overly possessive attitude of Todd is enough to try your patience! I prefer truly strong Christian role models for girls like Christy's friend Katie Weldon (who has the patience of a saint to put up with Christy's nonsense all those years) and Sierra Jensen. I'd go on a trip with Katie and Sierra any day, even one minute with Christy Miller is enough to require a sedative Another thing, prominent throughout the series is Christy's constant disregard for her parents and family; not to mention taking them for granted. If she is as strong a Christian as she claims, she's forgetting one of God's most important commandments: Honor your father and your mother.

Alright people, this is a review for the entire Christy Series..... which was a serious letdown. Christy obviously has some issues. She likes some boy who after several months of no communication sends her a coconut. I'm still trying to figure that one out. If some boy did that he'd get a swift whack across the face. Also... Every time Christy seems to grow in God, all of a sudden she starts whining again. After 3 books of this you get sick of it. Every time Todd does something with another girl she freaks out big time. (Though Todd is kind of a flirt). She needs to get a life. She's a slight spaz. Every time something happens to her that is out of the box, or her routine, she has a hernia. In Europe, Wow. Camping for her was definitely a disaster. Skip these books and read some Bad Girls of the Bible, Linda Chaikin, Liz Curtis Higgs, Linda Windsor etc.