P Books

The popular attention in the Protestant world towards traditional Reformed theology and thought that has come about in the last 30 years or so, has had multiple attempts of explaining just what the encompassing nature of Reformed theology looks like. Some have been attempts to be extremely contemporary, some have been dry theological tomes, accessible to only those who are already presupposed to that corner of the Protestant world. What the compilation of chapters, by different authors, in Back to Basics, have done is to present a readable explanation of traditional Reformed theology, beginning with the doctrine of a sovereign God that rules personally in his creation.

A risk with any work that has multiple authors, and this one has four sections, with a different author in each, is that the writing will be uneven and that thoughts developed in one part of the book will be dropped totally later on. As such, even in good books, with well written ideas, stand alone chapters are better remembered than others.

In this book, the chapters on sanctification, or how the Christian grows in his faith and what that means for his vocation and all areas of life; and the section on the covenant nature dealings between God and his people are nicely done. The sections dealing with the doctrine of God and the role of the church do read dryly at times.

The general reader, who is interested in a high view of a personal yet universal God of the Bible and who is looking for a clear, succint teaching on justification and how that applies to the whole life of the individual will find this work useful. Unfortunately, there has much contention historically, and even in recent years among different parties in the Protestant world, between the covenant and dispensational or even more recently towards things like open theism. Some of these arguments have been needlessly distracting from the heart of the gospel. What the authors of Back to Basics have done, is to write a genearlly lucid explanation for how Reformed theology flows into every other area of the Christian life, and to do that in a way that is not argumentative or contentious. And for that, the reader should be grateful, and should find the book a fine complement to their personal study.

This book is responsible for introducing me to the Reformed faith. For years I had been told of the "evils" of Calvin and his twisting of God's character... afterall, he's a lawyer... and who can trust those guys? But what I found shocked me! The reformed faith actually made sense (go figure...)and had no semblence to the caricature the critics like to draw of it.

I was going through a rough time in my faith and I decided to re-examine things I had been taught in church when I stumbled on this little gem of a book. This book was the stepping stone to my discovering the Reformed faith and gave me a firm foundation that had never been built in my life. I continue to return to my copy from time to time for its concise examples, thoroughness and extremely readable style... my paperback edition is extremely dog-eared.

If you are interested in testing the waters of historical, evangelical Pretestantism, I heartily recommend this book as a launching point.

The book is divided into four sections: Conversion, The Covenant, The Church and The Christian Life. Each chapter in every section has study questions that reinforce and help the reader gain a deeper understanding of each section. The foreword is written by RC Sproul.

Doug Wilson, Doug Jones, Roger Wagner and David Hagopian have put together a well-rounded presentation of the Reformed Faith. As Roger Wagner, one of the authors, states, "the Reformed faith starts and stops with the sovereign and gracious God who has revealed Himself in Scripture." That's the focus and starting point for every discussion in the book.

Many authors simply complain about the condition of the Church. Not these authors. They exercise terrific insights, give helpful direction and pastoral-theological wisdom that really does encourage the student of Scripture. Each message is an example of compassion.

A short summary of the book from the book: "[God} is, and forever will be, preeminent in all things (Col. 1:18)." In all areas of life, God is primary and it is Him that we glorify in all things. Conversion, covenant, church and life, all things are for Him and through Him. The authors' theses are complete and clear. Their goal was accomplished: Why is Reformed theology such a good thing (or is it)?

This title is recommended by: RC Sproul, Jay Adams, E. Calvin Beisner, James Montgomery Boice, D. James Kennedy, John Frame, Jerry Bridges, GI Williamson and Steve Brown.

I've read several of the books that are often suggested as introductions to Reformed thought. This is the first one that doesn't focus on Calvinistic soteriology to the exclusion of other equally (or perhaps more) important aspects of the Reformed view of what Scripture teaches. My only real quibble is that the title ought to be Back to Intermediates, because there are more foundational doctrines than these - but all Protestants agree about those.

The book is divided into four sections, each written by a different author:

Doug Wilson contributes the chapters on salvation. He very able covers justification and predestination. Doug Jones contributes the section on covenantal theology. Covenant theology is the true heart of the Reformed viewpoint. These few chapters ably lay out the scriptural basis for it and explore the implications of it. A third section concerns the church, including its nature, the sacraments, and church discipline. This is the weakest section of the book, but still adequate for the overall purpose. Particularly, one wishes that more time would have been spent on the nature of worship and on the place of the sacraments in the corporate life of the church. Finally, Hagopian himself handles the section on the Christian life, which is mostly a theology of sanctification. This is perhaps the most immediately practical of the sections.

Each chapter ends with a dozen or so review questions. We are considering using this book in a Sunday school class, so that is a very definite plus. Any criticism that could be leveled against the book would be on the basis that it could have treated a subject more thoroughly, but doing so would have necessitated expanding the book beyond its purpose.

Most protestant denominations praise the efforts of Luther and the other founding fathers but since have adapted a very different theology. Hagopian, Wilson, Jones, and Wagner do a good job of bringing us back to the "richness of the Reformed faith." First and foremost, it's biblical. In addition, it's logical and the most glorious! Read this and let's bring the glory back to God, not man.

This book and "The Giving Tree" are the 2 best books ever written. My father read "The Bear" to me when I was young, and when I was in high school he found a copy that he gave to me and inscribed, "Read this often to remind you that who you are is who you are, and that's not bad." 20 years later, I still do.

This is an amazing book that will teach your children to have confidence in themselves... and make them laugh at the same time. It also has an underlying message stressing the importance of our environment. I truly believe that every child should have this book.

I have seen the cartoon,but I haven't seen the book yet

One of my all-time favorites. Right up there with "Ferdinand, The Bull", as cutting the crap about childhood. For, however much they tried to brainwash the bear, he comes to accept that he was a bear, after all, no matter what the world tried to tell him. I regret that, by reducing the format, Dover has lessened the impact of the illustrations; which kept me enthralled for hours. They are immensely detailed. Also, one wonders if this was not something of an allegory for sophisticates, as Frank Tashlin was a sophisticated Hollywood writer of great note.

This book has been a personal favorite ever since I can remember. I make sure to read it to any child that visits my house. My affinity to the material and the subtile presentation of the importance of being an individual was a clear indication of my political orientation from a very early age. I'm so glad that I can now get copies for the next generation to take home and cherish.

Love the book!!
Our granddaughter had this book memorized when she was 3 or 4. It's a very good book for kids and grannys too!!

When my brother and I were three and five either our mother or father would read this book to us everynight. We had hundreds of books but this one was our favorite. As the years have a tendency wear on books, our copy was in very sad shape when my daughter came along nearly 20 years later. I bought a new copy of "The Beast in the Bathtub" and gave it to my mother for christmas with a note saying it was from my daughter. The happy memories of hearing mom read the book to my little brother and I were brought back in a rush when my daughter climbed up onto her Granny's lap and heard the story for the first time. It was a real tear jerker.

I loved this book when I was a kid and now my son loves it. A silly and fun read :)

This story is about a boy named Lewis, he is terrified of the bathtub because he thinks there is a monster or Beast in the tub. His mother insists that he take a bath. All the way through the story one thing leads to another. I think the illustrator did a great job of making the pictures describe what was going on in the story. This is a great book for all children to read.

I bought this book in 1987 for my then 6 year old. It quickly became his favorite. The friendly green monster helped him to conquer his own fear of bed time monsters, and it became our joke that 'the beast' was under his bed guarding him! He is now a U.S. Marine and the book has become a favorite of his 2 and 4 year old little brothers who love it not only because 'Big brother Dave' loves it (still), but because they love to join in the pillow fight at bedtime and imagine stealing apples from the kitchen when the sheriff and deputy are watching t.v. They love to call out the final sentence with me as I read.... "OF COURSE there's no beast in the bathtub.... he's under my bed!!!"

Attending school in the U.S., I didn't learn much about the French Foreign Legion, except from Pepe LePew. However, since the National Geographic issue with the outline of Africa on the cover, my knowledge of the continent and its people has increased. This book plays a role in that. First, the writing and language are surprisingly modern. A nice aspect of some writers of this time, including Mr. Byrne, is the use of several languages throughout. Obviously French, but also Spanish, Arabic and Latin. I had to look up obiter dicta. The beginning is a bit sappy, with a lovely girl etc., but still well written. From there, the story takes off. The Angel of Death sounds amazing and I can't imagine resisting her. This character is much more important than the reader realizes. The fighting in Algiers is exciting and surprising. Even more clever is how the beginning starts with a scene from the middle--really well done. Wren's ability to engage the reader is commendable--he's even quite amusing, at times. This book stands as a novel on its own, though it is meant to be the third part of a series. To be sure, the story is a bit too fantastic, but it is a marvelous adventure. This is a classic everyone should read. The religious conflicts in the story aren't much different than the Africa of today.

Otis Vanbrugh is one of the most underrated heroes of literature, but so is Raoul D'Auray de Redon.
Get this book and know why. Actually it would be hard to obtain I fear.
Well, as it is "currently unavailable"... I will advance that the rebellion at ZAGUIG (you know about it if you have read BEAU SABREUR) which was NOT told in the second volume... is here fully explained in detail... and are the best chapters of an action&adventure novel around... even after all this years!... the members of the French Secret Service in it are really beyond the call of duty...
Of course you have probably read BEAU GESTE, so what?... you need to read GOOD GESTES, BEAU SABREUR and BEAU IDEAL too.. and if really a completionist SPANISH MAINE where this magnificent "trilogy" of "five" books end full circle...

ADB

PS: Only the somewhat sad "Mr American" by George MacDonald Fraser is near it... Also recommended.

To those REALLY curious read "The Guns of El Kebir" and see where John Wilcox has got inspiration and influences... at his "P.C.WRENISH" and good for him!

I wish someone would reprint the sequels to Beau Geste. I had a paperback copy of Beau Sabreau, that just fell apart, finally. Beau Geste is obtainable, but I can't find Beau Ideal even in the library. These are classics. I enjoyed them in high school (50 years ago) and would like to re-read them. Not saying they're Great Literature, but they are exciting reads.

Beau Ideal - This book is definitely very good and much better than most junk that comes out today, but compared to the previous two in the trilogy, it just is not quite as good. It does, however, contain some truly classic parts, such as finding out about Hank and Bud's background, and the different view of the attack (Otis P. Vanbrugh). I have copies of Beau Geste and Beau Sabreur, but the only copy I've ever seen of this was at the library, practically fallen apart. Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrghhhhh! Well, read it if you can.

One of the finest books that you are ever likely to read. Not great literature, perhaps, but this, the third book in the 'Beau Geste' stories of Michael, Digby and John Geste and their adventures in the French Foreign Legion in the Edwardian era, will excite every possible emotion. It is a travesty that this classic story, encapsulating the genres of mystery, war, romance, humour and high adventure is almost impossible to get hold of. I read it fourteen years ago over a period of three days in the University of Queensland's library for rare books. As it was the only copy, quite possibly, in the state, I wasn't allowed to take it out on loan and so I read it over a period of several days in the library itself.

It was so addictive that I missed several lectures and tutorials and the strength of the emotions that the book aroused in me caused me to yell out, several times. I'm sure that the library staff thought that I was quite mad. If you enjoyed 'Beau Geste', this is a must! (If you can get hold of it).

A great book for cooking ahead. I find I use it a lot in planning meals that I need to take somewhere or planning meals I need to have cooked well before dinner time. The only nit-pick I'd have is that there are a lot of "variations on a theme" recipes, but this could also be seen as a positive

I have a fairly large collection of cookbooks and this is the one that has the pages falling out and corners all bent over. I've used it until it has started to fall apart. Its not poor quality. Its well used. This cookbook is lent out more than its in my cabinet. These are down home recipes that make use of commom ingredients. There are even recipes for large gatherings and I also like the helpful tips that are included through out. I was on line today looking to purchase a copy of this book for a friend who is a frequent borrower. I'm gonna buy a new copy for myself very soon. Highly recommended.

One of my favorite traditions is the church fellowship meal - where each family brings a dish to pass, and the whole congregation gathers together to eat in Christian fellowship. This wonderful book is a collection of over 900 recipes (I took the author's word for it, I am NOT going to try to count them!) that were collected from Mennonite churches across the United States.

The main part of the book is divided into seven sections: 1) breads, rolls and muffins, 2) soups, 3) salads (vegetable, meat & fruit), 4) main dishes (vegetable, chicken, ground beef, turkey, ham, sausage, seafood, other meats, bean & pasta), 5) breakfast foods, 6) pies and tarts, 7) cakes, 8) bars and cookies, 9) desserts and candies, 10) appetizers and snacks, 11) cheeses and dips, and 12) beverages. But, that's not all; there are also three fascinating chapters on one-pot meals, "if you do not cook," and "time savers, space savers and other hints."

This is a great book, with lots of wonderful, easy to read and follow recipes. So far, my wife and I have made the Mexican Salad (p.65), the Almond Chicken (p.113), and the Double Chocolate Crumble Bars (p.215) - all of which were great. We love this book, and highly recommend it to you!

I use this book all of the time. Most of the recipes are items most people who like to cook will have on their shelves or in their refrigerators. Have given this book as a gift three times because I love the recipes!

Carolyn S. Cecil
Lincoln, IL

This cookbook is the best one I have in my collection. I use it almost weekly. Espically when I have to prepare a dish for a crowd. It has over 900 recipies from the wonderful Amish people. Not only does it have unbelievable recipies but it has cooking tips and ideas for meals. The recipies are simple and very easy to understand. I would recommend this cookbook to anyone.

I got this book about a year and a half ago, and although it's not always the one I'm cooking from, a lot of my favorite and healthy recipies have come from it. Some of the ingredients can be a little tough to find, and there are a few recipes that need a little extra spicing up, but overall I've been extremely happy with everything I've made from it! The healthy eating and tips in the front of the book are also very helpful when trying to know what to feed your family to keep them eating right. It's like a mini class in nutrition :)

With family issues of need for lower fat/lower sugar diet, this cookbook offers easy and interesting recipes. I have tried several of the main dish recipes already and they have all been hits. Plus, one can figure out how to apply ideas in these recipes to others to modify them to be healthier. Excellent value!

This is a very good book on foods that are good for a healthy heart. I have added the book to my cooking library.

I am 52 years old my husband recently had a triple by-pass thus forcing us to change many bad food habits. Since the name Betty Crocker is enough to tell the consumer that it is a tried and true product I was very excited to see a healthy style cook book. Without hesitation I ordered it. I liked it so well I took it to my neighbor to look at. She then also purchased one. I have tried many recipes and love them all so far. This cookbook will be in my household for years to come and will someday look like my grandmother's old Betty Crocker cookbook.

Easy to understand, beautiful pictures, nutritional values for each recipe.

I read the book twice before it disappeared on me. There are books out there that tell the story of ships. This book is a reference to the strength and the perseverence of a ship, her crew and should be required reading to anyone that serves in the military, matter of fact anyone who wants to know why we won that war.(If wars are really won). The first Space Shuttle, the first nuclear carrier wear that name. For those Sci-Fi. buffs, I need not say more. I served on a carrier and have a good idea what strength, spirit, and unity are. For those who fight for it. Freedom has a flavor the protected will never know. We are a great nation, but not necessarily the greatest.A Sailor. Me

I have not read this book in over 15 years. My old paperback copy is now gone. When I had it, I read it twice. I felt immersed in the action, life and death of the "ship with a soul". It would be wonderful to get a copy once again.

The first time I read the book I was 10 years old. I was known in my school for my knowledge of WWII history. This book made me understand the losses that were actually involved in war. By the time I was done reading the book for the first time, I was in tears thinking about all that history beeing scrapped. The Constitution sunk one ship, The Enterprise kept a nation afloat. If I ever get ahold of this book again, I will put it in it's place in my collection: on my nightstand!

I purchased this paperback in the early 80's, set it aside and did not read it until 1994. It is an incredible history. I cried when "The Big 'E'" was scarred, when her crew fought and died to keep her in the war. Cmdr. Stafford's genius is evident in the movie " Tora, Tora, Tora!" - he was the technical advisor. I am currently re-reading this classic; and would love to have a pristine copy in my library. It is a crime against history that the Enterprise and Saratga were not preserved as museums. I truly believe "Thre Big 'E'" was the diference between defeat and victory in 1942.

I got my first copy of this when I was just a lad and I must have read it five or six times. It fell apart and disappeared during the college years. Maybe 10 years ago I found it in paperback (just sitting in a bookstore!) and read it a couple of more times since then.

It is one of those rare works of history that manages to be factual, straightforward, and still read like a novel. The writing is crisp, the imagery moving, and the detail satisfying. I admit to being biased -- don't we all have fond memories of books read when we were young? -- but I cannot think of any flaws.

Here's a historical nugget I first recognized reading "The Big E." Only two US fleet carriers survived WWII. The first was the Saratoga, which survived by being heavily damaged seemingly everytime she left port, and spent the war safely in drydock being repaired. The second was the Enterprise, which was engaged in nearly every major battle in the Pacific, and was arguably the "luckiest" large ship in the Navy.

Given the resurgence of interest in WWII (see Stephen Ambrose and Tom Hanks) I cannot imagine why someone does not reprint this book. If you can find a copy, buy it. If you live in western Washington I might loan you my copy, but you have to promise to take good care of it and return it promptly.

From the very first pages you will be drawn into the lives of compelling characters fraught with the foibles of human nature. Mr. Hunter's villian is well drawn as a greedy, controlling, soulless, money making machine. His heroine was expertly developed as a Mother/lover character who would do anything to rescue her loved ones. I hated for this story to end. I recommend this book highly to anyone who not only enjoys an adventure but a walk through deep emotions of very human characters. Well done Jon P. Hunter!

Beautifully written, with a rare insight into a southern way of life. If there is any justice and/or taste in Hollywood, some producer will get smart and jump on this one. I want more!

to me books are like very good friends....you cherish them and you love having them with you. Birthmark is one of those books that you actually hate to see end. i found myself streching out the last few pages just so i didn't have to finish it so soon. this is one of those books that becomes a friend. john hunter writes like a personal conversation that you are overhearing... you know all the characters and you know exactly what they are feeling. i loved lila and i loved this book. i highly recommend it ... in fact it should be on your bedside table... that way you can take it bed with you. believe me it's worth it.

I've never felt a need to sit down and write a recommendation to anyone about a particular book...but someone just has to get the word out on this fascinating novel about money, power, prestige, mystery, and love. Absolutely riveting. I am not promoting this book. It goes beyond that. This is entertainment in its purest form. Mr. Hunter has enthralled me with Birthmark... His indelible stamp of intrigue and descriptive style put his talents among a well-known few. Mr. Hunter has obviously lived and loved the South. Birthmark is breathless. Surely this formidable, new literary talent would not invite us onto his verandah for such a refreshing glass of sweet tea without offering us a refill. And, by the way, Mr. Hunter, the recipe is perfect. Just stir it for us one more time again.

This has "feature film" written all over it! This beautiful love story takes the reader all over the world and deep into the lives of the rich and powerful. A gentle Southern belle becomes a strong, loving woman -- and her journey is not to be missed. What a wonderful read!

Very rarely do you find a "history" book that sneaks the history in before you even know it. Russ McLogan does just that in "Boy Soldier." You find yourself caught up in the wonderful narrative of the life of the young boy-turned-soldier. The humor, the violence, the hasty training, are all described within the background of WWII. The historical, social, and political accounts are dead-on accurate--being told by someone who was actually there and has the scar to prove it. This is truly one history book that you will not be able to put down...written by a boy-turned-soldier-turned-historian.

A very interesting and well presented book about the liberation of the Philippine Islands and the history of the American 6th Infantry Division. The author does a very nice job of integrating daily life a soldier's story to produce a book that covers a lot of ground easily. I really enjoyed this book as there are not many first person accounts of the Pacific Theater, particularly, from men who where in the Army rather than the Marines. Also has nice description of the events of the war that paralleled the author's experiences.

I was at the mall during Christmastime and he was sitting in front of the Border's Express. He seemed a little lonely, so I stopped by and talked to him. It was very interesting listening to him talk, especially as he looked up and noticed I was wearing a USS Enterprise Hat (CV-6, not the other) and he started to talk about the Battle of Leyte. After listening to him, I bought a copy of the book and he signed it.

When I picked it up and started to read it, I wasn't disappointed. It was a story I could relate to since he's from this area. He put stuff in comparison to stuff around Detroit and that made it seem more realistic to me. It was a very well written book and very well researched (because he put the bigger perspective with his story).

I enjoyed this book immensely, and strongly recommend it to anyone with even a passing interest in WWII. I'm a bit of a military history buff, and so have read a good deal on the subject. But I enjoyed Mr. McLogan's book the most, by far. Other soldiers' biographies I've read have covered simply the individuals' combat experiences. While these are always highly interesting, the author of "Boy Soldier" discusses not only his time in battle, but also the experiences he went through both before and after his time on the front lines. I found especially interesting his descriptions of his arduous infantry training, and the details he provided of the lengthy medical treatment he received after being wounding in Luzon. Of interest also were the behind-the-lines duties he had to perform when he first arrived in the Philippines. He also recounts, in detail, the sea voyage he had to endure en route to the Pacific theater and, after hostilities with Japan ended, his voyage to Korea. I learned a lot from this book. For example, I had always believed that all seriously wounded American soldiers in WWII were eventually returned back to the U.S. for hospitalization and rehabilitation. Not true, as it turns out. There are many other lessons in this book. As it is with watching a good movie, you don't want this story to end. It's one of the most entertaining and informative works I've ever had the pleasure of reading.

I had the honor of meeting Mr. McLogan at a book signing where his reading honestly convinced me to buy this book. I now cherish the signed copy I own. This book is exceptionally well written which honestly surprised me, Mr. McLogan is an engineer by trade (so am I). The writing is dynamic, captivating, vivid and sensory. This is an exceptional autobiography combining memories and official documents. This is a phenomenally written book about the life of a young man caught up in the turbulent 40's. That being said, this is not a war book, this is a book about a man's life. Mr. McLogan does not dwell on the time he spent in combat, but does cover that period as well. This book details his life before he was drafted, what training and traveling with the army was like, his wounding, recovery, and as an occupational soldier in Korea after the war and finally going home again. Mr. McLogan does not try to make himself a hero, and in my opinion, he doesn't have to, he simply is.
I have found no better written personal account of a young American's life during the war. This book took my breath away literally; especially the parts where the author reminisces about walking hand in hand with a high school sweetheart while sitting in a foxhole in the Philippines. Mr. McLogan was lucky enough to survive the ordeal and went on to be truly one of the heroes I have always looked up to. Not a war monger or a violent person, but simply a young man who answered his countries call, did his duty, stood his ground and came back and built a life for himself. I only wish my grandfather had written this book!

hey, I know that this book is awesome, but is old too, the reality of Brazil is not that anymore, some people tend to form opinions about things that they don't know, that they have never seem with their own eyes. But the best thing is that it still is a really interesting novel, and if you read you won't forget, it is just the best book I ever read.

I would recommend this book to anyone as an absolute must read. I read it in the original Portuguese at the suggestion of a friend and if you have the ability, I suggest you do the same. The translation simply doesn't portray the magnificence and beauty of Amado's original. After living in Brazil for sometime, this novel is, to me, the most incredible portrayal of these youth and the circumstances in which they live. The book may be 70 years old, but it is certainly as applicable today as anything else I've read.

It is absolutely magnificant. This is the first time for me writing a book review online and I thought that I'd never do it, but after I saw that there's is copy out there somewhere I had to say that 69$ is nothing for this book. It is the only book I take along when I travel or move abroad. It is the book that can change your life, or atleast bring that special something to it. Now that I'm reading this through I have this funny feeling that it's not me writing, but from time to time you come across extraordinary matters that make you act in a very peculiar way. This is one them. Don't miss it.

Amado's literary output falls rather neatly into two periods. His early work is imbued with a strong sense of social responsibility, a fact for which he had some difficulty under the Vargas regime, and I believe he may have even done a short stint in jail over. The second period, the post-"Gabriela" books, are a lot more laid back and anecdotal.

Sorry to say that in general the second period is the one that's more fun to read, and the books he wrote in the second half of his life are what established his international reputation. A lot of his earlier stuff is not that great, with one exception - this book.

The story is about the kids on the street in Fortaleza, back in the 1930's. To say that they're poor doesn't do justice to it - they live on the street. By necessity they're thieves, but you can't help liking them. They have aspirations of their own in life.

Explaining it in a few words like that may make the American reader think that he's dealing with some "Angels with Dirty Faces" sort of story. It's not. This is not a sentimental novel. It's a reflection of some of the hard realities of Brazilian life, like the urban poverty that never seems to disappear. But it also reflects some of the inherent optimism and the very un-American concern with each other that Brazilians manifest - features of their society that make Brazil such a wonderful place.

This has to be the best book Jorge Amado has ever written. It was the first book of his that I ever read, it touched me so deeply, that I have read almost all his books since. It really lets you know about the poverty in Brasil, and what some people would do for money. Every character and every story in the novel makes sense. It touches my heart to see what some kids go through, not only in Brasil but in the whole world. As a proud Brasilian myself, It made me think a lot about the poverty in my country. The love story is also so romantic and sad. It's simply just the best book that I have ever read.