P Books

Outstanding biography of the man. Much has been written about the general, this book brings the humble father, husband and Christian man to life.

I've long considered myself a student of Southern history and the Civil War. Heck, I've been a historian at museums so I think I have a pretty good knowledge of the Civil War era. Furthermore, I live in Virginia and have been to the campus of Washington and Lee University. However, nearly every page of Charles Bracelen Flood's work on Robert E. Lee's post-war years is full of information I've never heard about. Flood has used many differing sources to pull together a wonderful, highly readable account of Lee's years after the war, how he came to be President of Washington College, and his role in the reconstruction of this country. What jumps out off the pages is that for as much as Lee has been studied and idolized for his exploits on the battlefield, his postwar years as President of the college should get just as much press. While Lee did not think defending his native state was wrong, he did wish for both North and South to reconcile as quickly as possible. After reading the book, I still do not think Lee is the god that some people hold him up to be, but he does stand out as a good man who wanted to bring the nation back together while also helping his fellow Southerners get back on their feet. While Flood's writing can be unimaginative at times and I thought he threw in little stories and vignettes that he didn't need too, the book is excellent overall and should be a must read for anyone interested in Lee. However, the book is such an easy, good read that I think almost anyone should pick it up.

Bracelen Flood clearly does extensive research in order to render this intimate and engrossing portrayal of Lee.

Lee: The Last Years was well worth reading. A must for anyone who wants to know a little more of the Rest of The Story about a fine American, though much misunderstood.

Excellent book. I have never been particulary interested in Lee despite a huge interest in the Civil War and having read numerous books. He always seemed to me to be too 'marble'. The author has done an excellent job of showing the warmth and humanity of Lee to the point one feels as if they actually know Lee. Little points like the stories of Lee's love for children and the insights into his family life. I had not realized that during the course of the Civil War with all the pressures and responsibilities of his position he had to deal with the deaths of a daughter,a daughter-in-law, and two grandchildren !! Great book - a must read for Civil War buffs . Rebs and yanks.

The first time I read "Seaward" I was in middle school. I found it to be an easy fantasy read by the genius behind "The Dark Is Rising", but even at the age of 12 I could see that there was a deeper level to the story than I was - at the time - capable of understanding. Over the years I have re-read "Seaward" over and over, and each time am amazed at the depth and profundity of her final concepts. While it is a children's book on the surface, many adults can appreciate the moral dilemma of the Peter Pan type, and the dichotomy of sorrows and joys that come with death, life, and most importantly, love.

Susan Cooper is best known for her epic "Dark is Rising Sequence," with all its Celtic legends and sense of mystery. But she tries a different tack in "Seaward," an atmospheric little story that is just a little darker, more complex, and full of symbols and hints.

West's mother was killed by some armed thugs, just as he escaped through a door into a strange land. Cally watched her parents waste away with a strange illness, before slipping through a mirror to the same land. When she encounters West, he's trying to escape from the ruthless, cold-hearted Lady Taranis.

A kindly stranger named Lugan seems to be their best hope for escaping Taranis. As the two travellers cross the world that is an echo of our own, they encounter strange creatures such as the selkies, a talking insect that guides them over a desert, creatures made of stone, and the haunting specters of their own pasts and destinies...

"Seaward" seems like a pretty simple story at first -- two kids travelling across a bleak land. But in that simple storyline Cooper tackles questions about death and life, about grief, loss, love, about good and evil and how sometimes you can't easily classify anyone.

Probably the biggest stumbling block in "Seaward" is the slightly dreamy tone of it all. Unlike Cooper's other books, there is no grounded "homey" base -- it's all like a legend right from the beginning. As a result, it takes awhile for the story to really get going, and there are long stretches where the characters are just walking.

Though the setting is another world, it has hints of Celtic myth. The mysterious Lugan and Taranis aren't fully identifiable until the ending, but they seem like characters out of a legend. And mythic creatures like selkies are linked to the characters, by virtue of the thickened skin on Cally's hands.

Cally and West are very richly drawn, confused and saddled with grief over their parents. It makes it all the more poignant as West overcomes his guilt, and Cally is tempted to find a new family. The only problem is that their romantic feelings seem to come out of left field.

After the mass appeal of the "Dark is Rising" books, Susan Cooper tackles a more oblique, fantastical approach in "Seaward." Deceptively simple, and richly evocative.

In the first chapter of "Seaward," we find a young man hurrying over wild moorland from possible distant, unidentified pursuers. He pauses to catch a small fish from a stream for his supper, and afterwards:

"...he took the glistening white skeleton, tipped still with head and tail-fin, and laid it across the blackened twigs pointing back the way he had come. He took out his knife and raised it high, stabbing the blade down into the ground behind the white bone-arrow's tail, and hesitantly, trying to remember, he said some words under his breath.
And the skeleton of the fish called out, in a thin high scream shrilling like a cicada, and Westerly knew that there was danger, that he must go on."

If the first chapter does not draw you irresistibly in, you have no magic in your soul. Well, OK, maybe that's too strong - but certainly every created "presence" in the book is a wonder of imagination, from the two-sided Life and Death images of the ice-cold Lady Taranis, to scary Stonecutter and his huge, ominous boulders that come heavily alive and mobile in a ray of sunlight, "...suddenly there was no boulder at all but two huge figures, standing, turning to her."

Is it a myth? a fantasy? a parable? outside the world of logic? a meditation on accepting Death? Yes to all of the above, and more. I see it is not to everyone's taste, but if you fall under its spell you will not escape.

I am not sure what it is about this book; I cannot stop reading it. Every so often, it beckons to me from the shelf. I drop everything that I am currently involved in and devour it, front to back.

Perhaps it is the simplicity and complexity of the story, the dreamlike quality of the writing, the characterizations that arise from only the barest sketch. I feel like I have known West and Cally all my life; I have been waiting for another book like this one for all my life. If I have a favorite book, this is it. But I can't articulate the reason. Seaward must be experienced for itself.

I loved this book as a child and continue to enjoy it as an adult. It is haunting and full of rich imaginative detail. It spurs many daydreams. Like all her books, it deals with the struggle between good and evil, in a very unique way.

Renee Walkup's book is essential for anyone in business. This book is about communication. Having a great website,fantastic marketing programs,and followup systems are meaningless without proper telephone communication. Read the book, pick up the phone, and and you will be rewarded with increased productivity.
Ron Draluck Push Button Investing in Real Estate

As the former President and Member of the Board of Directors for the SMEI (Sales & Marketing Executives International) Atlanta Affiliate, Ms. Walkup's book was highly recommended by one of my fellow board members and we invited her to speak at one of our monthly meetings. She was one of our most highly rated speakers by our members and their guests. Both Ms. Walkup and the book are very engaging and informative. The book provides a strategical perspective with practial tactics. I actually purchase the book at Amazon to send as gifts to colleaques and clients.

This is a great book. I would suggest taking notes and reading the book over several times. Each time I read it I get more and more helpful suggestions out of it. Thank you Renee!

Owning a small creative shop, I'm having to juggle executing work and selling our services on the phone to prospective clients. Renee's book is constantly on my desk and I refer to it often to help keep my "pitch" focused, clear and concise. There are many deals I have closed which I can attribute directly to her methods.

... when it comes to selling over the telephone!! Renee Walkup & Sandra McKee have created a superb guide to selling over the telephone. This isn't your standard "smile when you talk" stuff. These two "get it" that selling over the phone is a totally different beast than selling in person, and that's what makes this book stand out from the many like it.

Another thing that makes this book stand out from a lot of books on the same subject is that it covers the entire sales cycle, not just prospecting. It covers it from a phone perspective. You CAN'T see your customers when you are talking to them (or more importantly, listening to them) over the telephone, so the book gives you a game plan to size up the attitudes of the different people you come into contact with.

The book also gives you an action framework that covers the entire sales cycle, pointing out all along the way the nuances and challenges inherent in telephone selling. All I can say, having completely read the book and having put many of its principles into practice, is that it would be a bargain at ten times the price. Check out their web site (SALESPEAK) as well. There's useful content along the same lines there.

This book was an entertaining easy read. The detail is as good as any book I've read and entirely what a werewolf book should be. It pulls no punches and gives gory and ravenous details that will truly make you think twice about what's in the dark. A must read for any science fiction lover.

If the last 70 pages had been more satisfying this would be 5 stars, easy. But, as it stands we have a disappointing climax, a weak ending for most of the main characters and an unnecessarily long denouement. On the plus side, the werewolves are cool, described as massive, vicious, demonic remorseless monsters, and there's an interesting werewolf hierarchy that's unique to this book. It also violent, and action packed, with a good story and interesting first person narrative. I did find the main character to be a bit cliche, but he was still filled with monkeys. All and all, a good bleak, violent, gritty horror novel/character piece. Recommended for fans of werewolf fiction.

The only book I've read more than once, and thats saying something. A book about a man who spends his days, and nights fighting werewolves. Its so in your face, its absolutely fantastic reading. Brian P. Easton makes it crystal clear right away that the Beast, as werewolves are often referred to in this book, are completely and absolutely vicious and evil. Nothing humorous or cute about them. Not this story. The main character Sylvester is the toughest SOB you'll ever read about. The things he endures physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritally are terrifying. Its hard not becoming what you hate. "The beast will kill you one piece at a time, Sylvester. Bite by Bite", said his mentor early on in the story. I highly recommend this truly exhilarating novel to anybody. Without a doubt my all time favorite book. As good as the vampire masterpiece I am Legend.

I profoundly regret that this seems to be the only novel produced by Mr. Easton. You don't have to get very far into his prose to decide that he is no amateur as a writer. This book is of exceptional quality for any genre, but is particularly outstanding in the wolfman category. It certainly stands out among today's popular fare of werewolves humanized as sexy heroes in romance potboilers, or as noble saviours of the environment (viz., White Wolf Publisher's lupine Green Peace-niks). In this book, though, the werewolves are all big, truly scary, and irredeemably malevolent toward humanity. Having read about 300 fiction and nonfiction books about werewolves (not counting short stories) over the years, I'd put this in my top 10 of favorites. This novel has plenty of lycanthropic action and gore enough to satisfy any aficionado of the genre. Yet the saga of Sylvester's journey from orphan to manhood as a werewolf hunter is also a thoughtful examination of the psychology of hatred, and how it can make you strong enough to endure incredible sacrifices---yet ultimately rob you of your own humanity. This is the kind of book that leaves the reader reporting for work the next morning still groggy from lack of sleep, because you simply can't put this book down.

I have been a horror fan, especially a werewolf fan for many years. Usually, it's quite hard to find a decent werewolf book. However, this is a great book, and a must read for any werewolf fan out there. It is a bit brutal at times, and the werewolves are not cute and fluffy. But that's what makes the book so wonderful.

I thought I was terrible at math until I picked up this book for a college calculus course. In contrast to virtually every other math textbook I'd ever been forced to use, this book explained concepts clearly and simply, providing examples that increased gradually in complexity. I happened to have a good professor that semester, but whenever I didn't understand something in class, I taught myself from this textbook. It was a rare pleasure to feel I could learn such a difficult subject independently. I ended up getting an A in the class - and more importantly, I learned I wasn't bad at math at all.

To add a bit more information to the raw data of these reviews, I've mapped the universe of all possible readers of this book onto a set of x-y axes. Let the x-axis run from "non-Math-types" up through "Math-types." Let they y-axis go from "non-geniuses" up through "geniuses:"

- Quadrant I: genius Math-types will probably be both irritated and bored with this book. Their irritation will spring from the fact that not all of the pure-math proofs they'll be looking for are here. The book focuses more on explaining and doing calculus than on proving it. Most of the material is proven (properly: no missing steps), but the proofs that would get in the way of doing calculus are omitted. Quadrant Is will be bored because the author does his best to pound on a topic until practically everyone can understand it. Genius math-types, since they're inherently capable of grasping this material from proofs alone, will not be pleased by this repetition. For Quadrant Is, some version of Tom M. Apostol's Calculus books (ISBNs 9686708103, 842915003X, 8429150013, 0471000051, 0471503037, 0471000078, or 0471000086) would be a better text.

- Quadrant II: genius non-Math-types will probably prefer the fact that the author skipped some proofs in favor of applications. However, like the Quadrant Is, they'll probably be somewhat bored by the author's "slowness" in moving on after he introduces a topic. This book will be OK for them, but they'd probably prefer a more "terse" presentation. Unfortunately, I don't have any recommendations for such a book.

- Quadrant III: non-genius non-Math-types (i.e., "normal" people), will find this book just right. As noted above, the author's focus is on teaching and using calculus, not *necessarily* on proving it. If the proofs are complex enough that they'd distract from that mission, they're either relegated to Appendix G or omitted (though most proofs are present). Best of all, the author doesn't skip steps in his proofs: all the steps are there in their detailed glory. Later in the book, he will occasionally skip a simplification of an expression, but none of the "proof" material is missing. In the latter half of the book, he sometimes does the "proof is left as an exercise for the student" routine, but those are for non-essential proofs. After the author introduces a topic/theorem/method, he always gives multiple (at least three) examples. So, if the readers are having trouble with the equations and proofs, they'll have several chances to figure out what he means from the examples. Also, all the odd problems have answers in the back of the book. There are no steps included with the answers, but usually that's not a problem (since there are so many examples in the book). I also found the appendices giving explanations of pre-Calculus math facts very useful: it's been a long time since I've seen those things, so I needed the refresher.

- Quadrant IV: non-genius Math-types will join the Quadrant Is in disliking the skipping of several proofs, but, like the Quadrant IIIs, will be pleased with the thorough, step-by-step nature of the existing proofs. Not the best choice of a textbook for them, but for those who are having trouble with a "pure math" Calculus book, this is a good supplement.

Overall, this is an excellent book (I rate it 5 stars out of 5). The author did a wonderful job matching his material to his chosen audience (Quadrant III, "normal" people). For non-genius non-math-types, I highly recommend it. For genius non-math-types and non-genius math-types, it's OK. Genius math-types should avoid it and try something like Apostol's Calculus.

I'm learning Calculus with this book and I'm finding excellent!
My college changed Swokowski's book (it's out of print in Brazil!!!) by Anton's book. This book -together with Swokowski- is highly recommended for the beginners undergraduates. For me, Anton is very better Stewart's book -for instance-. Therefore, buy "Calculus a new horizont, 6th edition!

Well am trying to find out where can i get all answer sheet for the questions which is provided in the book.

I have found answers to odd-numbered exercies, But am looking for all answers. How can i get it please.
Thanks for helpping customers

This is a book mainly geared toward classes, possibly overcrowded, that have students from different disciplines (engineering, chemistry, physics, math, etc). This is the book for the Let's-get-this-over-with-quickly approach. I think that this book will probably disapoint physics or mathematics undergraduates - assuming, of course, they care about physics or maths.
The task of carefully choosing a balance between mathematical rigor and applications is the main one that falls upon an author of a calculus text at this level. Not dumbing down the mathematical notation and theorems too much, while being able to keep the dots between the abstractions and the applications, therein lies the art of writing. The more I look at this book, the less the author's choices seems to make sense. If you look at it, it's just an ordinary modern calculus text, nicely illustrated and all. That's the problem. Too many calculus text are copies of other calculus text, and have not put in the effort to connect the dots through the student's eye. Even little things...like defining a parabola as x^2 = -4py, instead of y = -(1/4p)x^2, because, after all, we're used to y=f(x)...Sure, all the theorems are there...So what? Wouldn't be a calculus book if it didn't have the theorems. I ask myself: if you give little boxes of theorems in nice typography, cool illustrations, together with scissors and glue, will little children put together a nice calculus book for you? Will a thousand monkeys with keyboards write mathematics textbooks?
The first book is better than the second. If you can avoid it, don't buy volume II (that is, don't buy the Combined edition). Even in volume I there are problems. For instance, there's omission of integration of algebraic functions resulting in the arctg, IIRC (there's just a formula thrown at you).
Volume II is below average (Multivariable Calculus). Don't expect to learn much along the lines of the /reasons/ behind what you are doing here. Why must you parametrize a curve? To transform a path integral in an ordinary integral in one variable, perhaps? Should you use a position vector or just autoparametrization? Did you see the relation between conservative fields, the gradient and potential energy? Do you think you can relate a map of the density of a population of a certain species to a double integral? All these are examples of issues that you'll not glimpse into using this book. It does not bring you *understanding*. Of course, if what you expect is learning by rote, than this book does that: trains students to calculate little numerical problems or perform algebraic manipulations. No doubt that's important, but that is not all. They performed as you expected. You measure them by that stick, fine. Everyone's happy. Goodbye. Next class. Calculus was invented to solve real problems, let's not loose sight of that. My experience with this book was that it made the explanations so disconected, so without grounding, that I had to look for other texts. Edwards and Penney, Thomas and Finney, Guidorizzi, Kaplan, Piskunov, until I settled for McCallum's Multivariable Calculus. I wasted a substantial time trying to fill in the gaps with other books.
Don't expect to read even a mildly reasonable explanation of partial differentiation. Not rigorous, not enough demonstrations. Some explanations are really bad, like Lagrange multipliers. Oversimplifying explanations is not adequate, IMHO. There's not enough geometric visualizations for the issue of gradients, for instance. Parametrization and the analytic geometry for the second half of the book is interpersed throughout the first half, and in a somewhat awkward order. I've seen better ordering of the material. Total differential and total increment are a little over a page in length.
I blame this book, in part, for the high "flunk rate" on Calculus II at my University. However, it seems the publisher is being very successful in marketing it all over the world. All it means to me is that the marketing department is competent.
In my ordeal through The Quest for Answers, I have found other books that I think are better, at this level. Look for Edwards & Penney, McCallum's Multivariable Calculus (this is probably the best choice) or Thomas and Finney. Anton does not succeed in making you achieve a reasonable working knowledge of the material in terms of comprehension.
On the bright side, the wealth of examples is nice (although your exam will probably be more like the exercises that start at number 40 or so, instead of the examples). The layout is good too. But there's absolutely nothing in it that justifies it as "different" ("New Horizon") or that makes it stand apart from the other books geared at the same audience, unless, that is, you compare it to a 1969 book.
Also nice is how the use of a CAS is blended in the book, so that if you do those CAS exercises, you will be on your way to become proficient in some CAS package wrt Calculus. A note here: I think the author should've mentioned open source CAS - there are at least 2 packages: Axiom and Maxima; they bear no cost to the student and have years of research behind them. Also, Scilab from INRIA (Institute National de Recherche et Information) replaces Matlab and is also open source (but both Scilab and Matlab are not for symbolic manipulations).
3 stars because it does its job of covering the basics. But no "classic", just average.
If you're having trouble with this book, see my review of McCallum's et al. Multivariable Calculus.

This is such a good book. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It reminds me of so many strong women I know who raised their kids to the best of their ability regardless of their circumstances.

WOW! In addition to being a tribute to his mother, James McBride allows us to peek inside his incredible family history, his upbringing, and wrenching emotional conundrums. His extremely well-written and insightful book is a treasure trove of information. Words cannot express the positive impact that his story has had on me. The love of the parents for each other and the major contributions of both of the fathers was exceptional. When I got to the part about James's mother (who had hundreds of reasons to give up many times in her life) was enrolling in college, at age 65, to help others, I had to pause and send everyone involved a congratulatory mental-telepathy message of appreciation for all of their hard work, tenacity, abilities, and compassion for each other and the folks in their communities. I was delighted with the eventual world travels (of Mommy), huge family celebrations, and across-the-board positive - and extremely well deserved - outcomes for each of the 12 siblings. It's enough to encourage and uplift an entire nation, if not planet. Stunning!

This was the second copy of this book I purchased after the first disappeared into circulation among my friends. A timeless story interstingly structured and skillfully told. A worthwhile read.

Some reviews here say it all. This is indeed a remarkable biography/autobiography, so I would only add my praise for such a loving, touching homage to a very special lady and her remarkable family. I loved the forthright descriptions of this numerous mixed-race family and was touched by Mrs. McBride Jordan's personal tale, kept inside for so long. Her buried past and the author's own reminiscences entwine flawlessly, making this an emotion-stirring book. By writing it, James McBride is finally able to piece together his own past and that of his mother, thus quenching his desire to learn more about his origins.

The difference with the original edition is an interesting Afterword, summarizing the 10 years since its first publication (1996) and the impact its success had on the author himself, his family and, above all, his mother. I shall not disclose anything here, but it is worth to look into.

I truly think this is a standout among the various memoirs I have read so far, an inspiring and remarkable contribution to race-related literature.

I feel almost silly adding another review when others have said so much already. So, I'll keep it brief. This is an extremely well written book. It flows seamlessly back and forth between time periods and generations until, before you know it, it's over. And, contrary to what some others have written, it is not obsessed with race. Race, as McBride presents his struggles, can be seen as a metaphor for exclusion. McBride's experience brings to life the consequences of the unfortunate human tendency to separate people into in-groups and out-groups, and to denigrate those who belong to any out-group. Most of all, this is a heartwarming story about the power of love to overcome trauma. I recommend it to everyone, and most especially to anyone who has ever felt that they didn't fit into someone else's dichotomous box.

This story was told in the voice of a fourteen year old girl raised in the rural south of Mississippi. Olympia Vernon has created a story where you can feel and see what is happening. I was lost for words while reading this story. Each chapter just flows and its hard to put this book down because you have to know what is going to happen next.

Maddy is the daughter of a mother who is a maid for just about every white man in town...and her father is just a shadow in his own house because he's known for being a whore and a gambler. When Maddy's aunt becomes sick and she is sent to take care of her..readers actually get a front row seat into a world much different than the one now. One of the characters that really stood out to me is Big Mama and Fat.

This is one story that will stay on your mind long after you have read the last page. I will definitely be reading more from this talented and creative author!

Eden was one the books that future literary will referance to To kill a mackingbird and tom soyer for emotional depth and meaning for an understanding of what people go through and who we will never know but wish and long for ther understandin patience and even there stuggles.

Vernon's Eden is a wonderfully diverse and tragic southern story. To be honest, I haven't read a novel this good since Ellison's Invisible Man. Simply breathtaking!

Olympia Vernon's Eden handles the topic of a young woman's sexuality witha bluntness that is uncommon and appreciated. Although there are a few too many flower references for my tastes, Vernon generally approaches the issue without apology or diversion- rather than constantly hiding behind metaphor, she lets her characters tell us exactly what they think and feel. Because of this, Vernon creates a story that is powerful, unique, and intense. She gets the reader inside the mind of her characters at an incredible level, and the plot and character development is simply amazing. Her writing shows true artistry, and her story is not to be missed.

Poetry and prose. This is one the best writers. She makes words proud to be a part of her art. The story feels real, it is as if you're there seeing and experiencing everything that unfolds. I can't wait to read more form Ms. Vernon.

Normally Bill Lear Jr. is described in books about his famous father THE Bill Lear (Learjet) as somewhat a playboy who crashed a lot of planes. Perhaps this is the curse of having a famous father? Bill Lear Jr. has his own say here and comes across a bit of an a@#hole but he did fly a lot of high-performance aircraft, starting from an early age. His experiences doing the early air shows and air races are worth reading about. It was a different time when business deals were a bit loose and so I will give Bill Jr. the benefit of the doubt. Even his military experience is notable. Later in his career he seems to have become a successful aircraft and avionics salesman. Like his father, he had problems/opportunities with women and I lost count after wife #3. I find it a bit strange that he writes very little of his relationships with his children. All in all, a good read about a pilot with opportunity and balls.

A friend loaned me the book. Having been in the aviation field all my life I found the book to be very entertaining. If you are merely an aviation Buff or involved, like I am, you will relate to much of the story. It's a fast read with hilarious anecdotes.

Owning and flying a WW II P-38 Lightning at age 17 is just one of the many episodes of his life that Bill Lear vividly brings back to life in this autobiography of his life. His knowledge of all aspects of aviation, his insight into life and relationships, combined with his great sense of humor, make this a book that is hard to put down once you start reading it. The only thing better than reading about his experiences is to hear him tell about some of them in person and I feel fortunate to have been able to experience that.

Non aviation enthusiasts will enjoy this book as well as aviation enthusiasts. It is a great gift idea and everyone of our friends who have read it have enjoyed it.

A book that once you pick up you can't put down. A wonderful insight into Aviation and the adventures of a truly remarkable man.

A great book from one of the coolest guys I know!!
It is a "must" for anybody, who has something to do with aviation.
I would appreciate it, when this book will be continues published.

I read and reread Heyer, pick her up when I'm feeling blue or dismayed by the quality of some of the current Regencies I find at the library, and use her literary genius to restore my faith in the historical romance. Over time Frederica has become my favorite for its wonderfully drawn characters and its peek into London of the time. The novel is filled with fascinating historical accuracies that Heyer weaves seamlessly into the story. Heyer's intelligent and laugh-out-loud dialogue and situations never, never fail. Who else could have an entire key scene rise and fall on restorative pig jelly? The novel Frederica is the best of the best! It's fun and touching and entertaining and hilarious - and without a single sex scene Heyer still creates a wonderfully engrossing love story. (Is there some kind of publishing rule against that now? There is such a thing as too much information, you know.) Anyway, read Frederica, then Arabella, then Venetia. Then, because I favor the more mature heroines (and those quirky, socially-ambivalent heroes,) try The Nonesuch and Lady of Quality and Black Sheep. Oh, what the heck. Read any of Heyer's regencies. It's her genre. Bless her. Lily's Sister

Frederica is one of Heyer's older heroines (not one of the silly ingenues, who of course can also be fun to read about). Frederica and the other characters in this book are very well developed and easy to love. Frederica is a wonderful, unselfish sister to two younger brothers. Alverstoke is a good man who has- up until now- led a selfish life in which he has never gone out of his way to help anyone. Can he learn something from her and her family (including the Baluchistan hound)?

Frederica is a funny book, but it is also a very romantic book. A satisfying read, a gentle comedy, and a book you will enjoy reading many times.

I've read all of Georgette Heyer's Regency novels, and I've listened to many audio books...including a few of Ms. Heyers!
However, I must say that this audio book, is one of the GREAT ones!! Clifford Norgate has an obvious talent for conveying emotions, while also utilizing diverse accents/tones to give Ms. Heyer's characters their own particular voices! He was even able to adequately portray the female characters' tones (which is often a quite difficult task for a male reader to successfully accomplish!). I found that I thoroughly enjoyed this audio novel...immensely!!! I even surprised myself with how well I could remember and anticipate the dialogue before it was spoken...even though I'd not read this novel in quite some time.
This is an audio book that I will treasure, and definitely re-"read" many times. I only wish that all of my Georgette Heyer favorites were as wonderfully rendered in their "audio versions"!
I greatly recommend Clifford Norgate as a "reader", and this book as a definite keeper!!! Frederica has always been among my favorite Georgette Heyer novels; and this version does it great justice!

Frederica is without doubt my favourite Georgette Heyer novel - and I like her novels very much! What makes Frederica so good? Simply that she has populated this book with wonderful characters, amusing dialogue, interesting historical setting and a love story which is gentle and fulfilling.

The basic plot is that Frederica, a rather managing girl with three brothers and one sister, all younger than her, is attempting to launch her beautiful sister Charis into society so that she can make a good marriage. Frederica enlists the assistance of her sort-of cousin, the Marquis of Alverstoke, in this - and he agrees to spite his sisters. Alverstoke is an uncaring, flighty rake who doesn't do anything for anyone else and is hugely selfish. Through his interaction with Frederica and her two youngest brothers, Jessamy and Felix, Alverstoke is brought out of his state of almost continual boredom and takes real responsibility for his adopted cousins.

The power in this story is the exquisite way in which Heyer portrays her characters. We are shown Alverstoke with all his faults, yet we also get glimpses into what makes him in some ways a good man - for example the honourable and fair way in which he treats his secretary, Charles, and in the way that he takes on responsibilities to his adopted wards in order to lessen some of the load on Frederica's shoulders. Although Frederica initially comes across as a woman without fault, as the story progresses we see her occasional blindness in dealings with her sister and her eldest brother Harry; Frederica wants Charis to make a good match but Charis doesn't want that for herself. As the story progresses Alverstoke becomes more responsible, more aware of the needs of others and more aware of the effect he has on them. He takes care to hide his interest in Frederica from society so that she is not teased about it. As for Frederica's feelings for him, we do not hear much of the story from her point of view but it becomes clear by things that she says that she considers him very important to her... until of course the end of the book when they become engaged and she discovers what it is to be truly in love.

There are many other sub-plots running along in the main story - the romance between Alverstoke's secretary Charles Trevor and Alverstoke's cousin Chloë Dauntry is one. The various men who offer marriage to Frederica because they see her qualities and the different way in which they are portrayed is great fun. But the central part of the book - the conversations between Frederica and Alverstoke - are a delight.

This is one of those books that you can read again and again and enjoy even more each time. Heyer has masterfully described the way that a bored rake, Alverstoke, can change his whole nature when he finally finds the right person, the woman who is a conversational match for him; I also think that her ability to gradually unveil the faults in her heroine, small that they may be, is also good - it's annoying to read books with `perfect' people as they are so unlike us.

Like all Heyer books, the historical setting, dialogue and description of places is perfect. This book is just a fantastic read in so many different ways - buy it!

Never read or heard of G. Heyer until recently and Frederica was my introduction to this most talented author. This a sweet and fun story about finding unexpected love in the midst of family upheveal. The dialouge is hysterical. I laughed out loud on several occasions. Buy this book...you will not be disappointed!

This is easily my favorite Classic work of literature. Unlike many of the other classics, such as the Odyssey, Iliad, Aeneid, and others, this book kept my attention the entire time and I couldn't wait to finish. Robert Graves does a tremendous job of translating it into an easily readable version.

book includes the original story of Cupid (Pysche). perfect gift for lovers possessing a sash of intelligence.

Everyone should read The Golden Ass, especially this translation. Just reading it can deepen a person. It's one of those books to be treasured and re-read every few years, finding new insights and humor. The Cupid and Psyche portion is rousing and sly and stands alone. I've given copies as gifts over the years and notice my friends still hang on to them long after.

Apuleius' The Golden Ass, or Metamorphoses, is the only Latin novel to survive in its entirety. Composed in the second century, this picaresque work tells the tale of Lucius, a man whose curiosity in magic and indulgence of sexual pleasures leads him to accidently transform himself into an ass. What follows are the various trials and hardships he endures as well as the tales he hears throughout his travels. It is not until the intervention of the goddess Isis that Lucius is transformed back into a man, and he devotes the rest of his life to her cult.

Apuleius' storytelling is lively, witty, an often sexually explicit. Indeed, many forms of fetish are showcased within the pages, including beastiality. More often than not, the novel indulges readers in their guilty curiosities while also providing hilarious and adventurous prose, with a splash of red-streaked violence thrown in for good measure. However, despite being written nearly two-thousand years ago, what may shock the modern reader most is how approachable and familiar is not only the humor but also the sentiments and sensuality of these Roman characters. It is not difficult to imagine Lucius' world.

The Golden Ass offers readers a romp through ancient Rome through the eyes of a contemporary while also entertaining. It is also a highly revealing documentation of religion and magical belief in Greco-Roman polytheism, and contains the only complete description of the initiation into a Mystery cult. The true essence of the novel is that it is a fable culminating in the religious transformation of the individual and the embrace of salvation (soteria). However, the pagan salvation was not one of the afterlife, but of this life, and involved changing one's perspective of the world and also of life and death. The ass in the ancient world was seen as the most base of animals, an utter slave to its desires, and Lucius' transformation at the end should be read as symbolizing his overcoming of those passions.

The Golden Ass is bawdy and shocking, but also intelligent and satisfying. Graves' translation is fluid and easy to follow. The prose is as enjoyable (and perhaps rewarding) to read today as it no doubt was nearly two-millennia ago.

This is certainly an entertaining reading experience and Robert Grave's translation makes this 1800 year old novel come to life for modern audiences. The book is full of stories within stories, a device that I found very entertaining and reminded me of the best works of A.S. Byatt. The story within a story approach allowed for multiple wild digressions of the most fantastic types. Stories of magic, murder, rape, incest, poison, bribery, theives, beastiality, orgies, homosexuality, and all other manner of hair-raising encounters populate the multiple stories within stories.

Yet there is certainly a strong central theme and storyline in the plight of poor Lucius, the attorney turned into a donkey. The world and humanity are seen anew through the eyes of an ass.

The book does take one major departure with the longer story of Cupid and Psyche, skillfully told. The book ends with another change of pace when Lucius devotes himself to the gods, especially the goddess Isis/Diana/Artemis, the White Goddess.

I think the book was excellent and would never have survived so many centuries if each age did not find the human condition to be much unchanged despite the wild and wooly tales encountered here.