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Peter Books sorted by Average customer review: high to low .

Peter
Amadeus
Published in Hardcover by Penguin Books (1994-07)
Author: Peter Shaffer
List price: $19.00
Used price: $8.75

Average review score:

A Compelling and Frightening Drama
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-31
Playwright Peter Shaffer is an exceptional dramatist. His characters are unforgettable, and each one is dealing with a psychological struggle. In "Amadeus," Shaffer examines seventeenth century Vienna and the life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and his rival, court composer Antonio Salieri. This play shatters the view of Mozart as an innocent child prodigy, and instead paints a picture of a childish, scatologically minded, yet ultimately tormented musical genius. Trapped by the financial demands that are placed upon him, and the demands of a domineering father, Mozart strives to make his music and to be excepted.
The main focus of the play is upon Salieri, whom the audience sees as a sweetmeat loving, conniving schemer who is appalled by Mozart's new ideas and manner. However, Salieri is not one demensional. He is a sympathetic character, who wrestles with his conscience. Feeling betrayed by a god who shows favoritism, he recounts his desire to make music that will provide him with unsurpassable fame. However, his music is ordinary when compared with Mozart's genius, and Salieri is fully aware of this whereas ordinary citizens of Vienna are not. Vowing revenge, Salieri decides to lash out at Mozart: "God's Flute," therefore providing an opportunity for a terrifying confrontation in which Mozart is driven into madness and early death. Everyone can relate to the character of Salieri because we have all felt betrayed when our own specific talents were regarded as inferior to someone else's.
Shaffer introduces us to two tortured individuals who are nevertheless sympathetic and unforgettable. Please give this play a chance.

Who will pray for the world's mediocrities?
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-24
When I was younger, I almost never reread anything. My hunger was so voracious that I gobbled up a book and then rapaciously moved on to the next. But as I've aged, I read less frantically, returning again and again to a few works that especially move me. At the top of the list of such works are the plays of Peter Shaffer. And at the top of that list is his masterpiece "Amadeus."

What I find remarkable about Shaffer's "Amadeus" isn't so much the title character, Mozart, as the character who becomes Mozart's nemesis, Antonio Salieri. Salieri is one of the great tragic figures in literature. He's an individual who appears to genuinely love musical beauty, and who genuinely wants to dedicate his life to it. (In an early scene, for example, he makes a deal with God. "Signore," he begs, "let me be your flute, your mouthpiece. Let me produce absolute beauty. In return, I'll be your slave.") But Salieri is also a hopeless mediocrity. He knows good music when he hears it, but he's simply unable to create it himself. His compositions are acceptable, and sometimes even pleasing to the ear. But when compared with the music of Mozart, they reveal themselves for what they are: technically proficient, but utterly uninspired. The awareness of his own mediocrity, coupled with his absolute yearning for beauty and his life-destroying jealousy of/admiration for Mozart, is the heart of the play. (Milos Forman's 1984 cinematic production of the play unfortunately rewrites the script to put Mozart rather than Salieri centerstage, thereby missing the whole point.)

When one thinks about it--and I believe that this is what makes Shaffer's play so poignant and profound--Salieri is everyperson. Let's face it: most of us are mediocre. We fall somewhere in that great middle zone of "average." We'll never be able to create artworks that express the yearning for beauty that even the dimmest of us occasionally feel.

As if that's not bad enough, the world, as Shaffer demonstrates in his play, is unforgiving of mediocrity when it comes to art. One can work like a demon, as Salieri does, but it's genius that the world wants, genius that the world demands, and genius that the world rewards. Moreover, the creative genius is allowed anything by the admiring world--in fact, the world expects its geniuses to walk to the beat of a countercultural drummer. The mediocre artist, however, is allowed no latitude whatsoever in personal lifestyle.

The paradox of this situation, as well as the horrible burden of mediocrity felt by artists like Salieri (and the rest of us), is the tragic message of "Amadeus." When Salieri at play's end tells us, in his decrepitude and madness, that we can pray to him when we feel the sting of our own shortcomings and he will bless us, most of us ought to shiver. For, after all, we don't want our mediocrity blessed, do we? And yet the tragedy of the human condition is that, blessed or not, it's what we are. And so Shaffer leaves us with this question: how do we overcome our Salieri-like resentment and frustration at not being able to create beauty long enough simply to appreciate beauty when we encounter it?

Amadeus -- Play Script
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-29
The best part of the book is the introduction, which tells of the changes made to the script over the years, based on on-going research by the author. I saw the movie and the play, then bought the script in order to compare the different renderings of this amazing story.

Well, then, there it is...
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-11-22
Like a newspaper article, theatre has to convey its story with an economy of words.

In this way, great playwriting is a rare skill much like land the penny toss at the carnival and Shaffer is that rare playwriter who accomplishes his task so seemingly effortlessly.

Deftly, Shaffer tosses his Amadeus and Saliere together and in so doing plays each against their type rendering his Amadeus into the simple squeezebox which provides the background for the languid single note of Saliere's mournful jealousy.

What's so amazing is that in telling us the story of Amadeus' art, Shaffer shares important insights about his own. Don't have too many or too few notes but just the right number. Don't be so flashy in being good that people concentrate on the flashiness instead of the point.

And don't become so engrossed in your art that you lose sight of the ultimate ends it was meant to service in the first place.

Whether we are each more Amadeus or more Saliere we can connect with this play.

Spiritual Vs. Material
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-02
Peter Shaffer's award-winning and highly popular play AMADEUS is in many ways a morality play but seen through the eyes of a complicated postmodern villain. The play is called AMADEUS but the chief character of the story is Antonio Salieri. Salieri is the Court Composer for Emperor Joseph II of Austria during the end of the 18th Century. He is held in esteem not only by the Emperor and Court, but by the masses as well. Then Amadeus Mozart makes his way to the Austrian Court at Salzburg and Salieri recognizes in the young man a musical genius superior to anything musical he has ever heard. He becomes enraged with bitter jealousy. Feeling that God has abandoned him and given the talent that he has trained to develop and possess his entire life, Salieri declares a war against God that he will fight on the battleground that is Amadeus Mozart.

AMADEUS is a fantastic play. Author Peter Shaffer has revised the play several times since its first performance in 1979 and this version of the show (written twenty years later in 1999) is in my opinion the best because it is the one that portrays Salieri more than just an evil man, but as a human being that the audience and readers can relate to and actually understand somewhat. A must see play that anyone who enjoys theatre should be familiar with.

Peter
"Winnie-The-Pooh" and When We Were Very Young
Published in Audio Cassette by Soundelux Audio Pub (1993-10)
Author:
List price: $26.95
Used price: $9.94

Average review score:

Classic!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-12
Delightful stories of the Hundred-Acre Wood and all of its lovable characters. Pooh and friends have quite a few adventures (or misadventures) in this collection of Winnie-the-Pooh stories. The stories remind me of childhood, making them special each time I reread them. I wouldn't even be able to choose my favorite chapter in this book -- each one is full of wonder, laughter, and Pooh.

Charming
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-04
The charming and timeless story of Christopher Robin, Winnie-the-Pooh, their friends and their adventures. I truly enjoyed this more than I thought I would. After all the years working at TDS where we had the Disney version of Winnie-the-Pooh shoved at us from all directions, I'd taken to having a distinctly soured view of the bear and all his friends.

It occurred to me one day that I had never actually read the original, and thought maybe I should give that a chance, and am glad that I did. It's a simple and direct story, and proved to be a joy to read.

Wonderful!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-15
My 2 1/2 year old loves this! It is soooo much better than letting her watch tv as this uses her imagination. I'm very happy I bought this.

one of our family's favorites
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-04
This book is such a classic. I love reading it to my kids, no matter how many times they ask. (And as a homeschool mom of 4, I get asked a lot! I require it for kindergarten though.) And it gets even better the older you get. It is so funny and clever and wise and endearing. We see almost every personality type in the characters. Definitely a must-read, and if you can at all, own a copy of this book! (A good audio version is nice to have too--British accent a must!) It's on every children's book list I've seen, and with good reason--it's stood the test of time. The children in your life will thank you for introducing them to the original and still the best version of Winnie the Pooh.

wonderful!
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-11
This book was such a sweet little something to come home to at night. This book isn't just for kids, but for adults too! relax and enjoy!

Peter
Writing Children's Books for Dummies
Published in Paperback by For Dummies (2005-04-29)
Authors: Lisa Rojany Buccieri and Peter Economy
List price: $19.99
New price: $10.75
Used price: $10.64

Average review score:

Enlightening
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-09-17
This book was very enlightening. Straightforward, simple to understand and it answered all my questions as well as giving me lots of new ideas.

GREAT EDUCATIONAL READ
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-31
THIS BOOK GAVE ME THE IN SITE I NEEDED TO SEE IF I COULD BE CAPABLE OF WRITING A CHILDRENS BOOK

No Dummy Now
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-22
This book lived up to its advertised benefits. It is clearly and concisely written and very encouraging to beginning as well as experienced writers wanting to write in this genre. I highly recommend to anyone desiring guidance to successful children's book writing.

Inspiring and Motivating
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-20
Writing Children's Books for Dummies offers everything you need from start to finish to write your own children's book. Go for it !

Children's Book Publisher highly recommends this!
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-13
As a Publisher of a mid-size children's book publishing company I come across many people who believe they know how to write books for children, but sadly do not know where or how to even begin. My recommendation to them is to read WRITING CHILDREN'S BOOKS FOR DUMMIES. This is the definitive guide for all aspiring writers as well as for established writers who might need a refresher on the latest formats and trends in the market.

Peter
Author! Screenwriter!: How to Succeed as a Writer in New York and Hollywood
Published in Paperback by Adams Media (2006-03-08)
Author: Peter Miller
List price: $14.95
New price: $2.83
Used price: $0.97

Average review score:

Excellent!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-29
Just one read of Peter Miller's book, "Author! Screenwriter!" will broaden your horizen of writing possibilities. Don't just think screenplay, but consider formating that same story idea into a novel as well. And when you consider the odds, 100,000 to 200,000 books published per year, as compared to only some 1,000 stories produced for all of the Network Television, Motion Picture, Cable and DVD industries, Mr. Miller argues an interesting point. With over 30 years experience managing and producing writers, he gives insights into the industry that few others have even touched upon.

Definitely worth any writer's time and money. But regardless of one's writing goals, this book gives that big push every writer needs to encourage perfection and perseverance.

The one book to buy if you're an aspiring writer
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-26
If you're serious about realizing your potential as a writer, this is the book you buy. Having successfully managed hundreds of books, Peter Miller truly is "The Literary Lion", and Author! Screenwriter! has left a huge impact on me as a professional writer.

Need an inside guide on how to write the perfect proposal or understand the delicacies of contracts? He's got you covered. Or maybe you really would like to take a look at some sample inquiries, be inspired by some success stories, have a better understanding of the do's and don'ts in a profession where millions of writers compete for the interest of professionals in the industry. Trust me, if you read this book it will never be far from your hands. Buy Author! Screenwriter! and you'll go back again and again to Mr. Miller's wellspring of experience and insight.

If you're like me, you want to be armed with the truth as a writer, and Peter Miller delivers. Read it, cloak your talent in its wisdom, and move forward. You'll agree that it's more than a book.

It may well be the key to your future.

Book is great. Get the companion DVD for the full picture
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-08
The book is a must-have for a writer's bookshelf. But a companion DVD is also available with practical and pointed interviews that is well-worth seeking out.

The Literary/Film Bible
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-09-25
Peter Miller's Author!Screenwriter! is direct and to the point, so I shall be also. This beautifully organized exposition provided me with more insight into the Book and Film industry than I have found in any other source. I could write much more, applauding the great chapters on the mysteries of film deals and the most helpful examples of project proposals in many genres -- but the bottom line is simple Author!Screenwriter! is definitive, the most helpful book on the subject.

Wisdom par excellence
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-07-27
I purchased Peter Miller's book at the recommendation of a colleague who knew I was in the process of writing a book proposal. Peter's book and DVD provide the reader/viewer with such clarity and direction. Peter provides wisdom and insights for the experienced and the novice writer in how to maneuver their way through the challenges, obstacles, politics and subtelties of the publishing industry. By the time you are finished reading his book and viewing his DVD you have a very clear picture of what lies ahead - no rose colored glasses, advice for the dedicated writer; you are clearer than you ever imagined you could be about what lies ahead. Buy this book if you are serious about our writing career.

Peter
Loretta Mason Potts
Published in Hardcover by Peter Smith Publisher (1989-06)
Author: Mary Chase
List price: $33.50
New price: $33.50
Used price: $30.15
Collectible price: $149.00

Average review score:

My All Time Favorite
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-10-21
This is my all-time #1 favorite book. I read it in the fourth grade which was in 1962. I purchased and gave it to my grandson to read just a couple of months ago. He loved it. In fact, he was in awe and asked me for more books just like that one. I told him that one was magic, and it really is.

This is no ordinary children's book...
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2004-07-14
I feel as though I've stepped into a Mary Chase book myself. So many people my age who all read this book as children and haven't seen it since but were never able to forget it. I can't think of another book from my childhood that came close to having that kind of power to reach out over 45 years and stay alive to so many people. Surely this should be republished and made available for another generation of children.

Little Book Lost
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-11
When I was a little girl (am 50 now), my fifth grade teacher read this book to our class. We were enthralled and could not wait for reading time each day. The name of the book and the story stayed with me all these years with the fond memories of a teacher who changed my life. Mrs. Waite of Bonner Elementary School in Houston Texas 1964 instilled in me a love for reading that has endured a lifetime! Like so many others, I have searched for this book and not found it until today. Thanks to Amazon for bringing this delightful book to children..my grandkids will love it!

I feel like I found buried treasure
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2006-11-29
I, too, had searched for the Loretta Mason Potts book, long before the internet was invented. Since elementary school (in the late '50s) I thought of it as my favorite book. When I became an adult (with kidlike tastes, still), I went back to my elementary school to look for the book (still before the internet). No luck. They didn't even have a record of it. I thought I'd made it up, and forgot all about it. Until last night, as I was falling to sleep I searched my brain for the name of this book. I remembered the name. I woke up thinking about it. I haven't bought it yet, but I read it when I was a little girl and thought I'd lost the opportunity to read it again. Thank you Amazon, for offering this treasure of a book.

It Never Grows Old
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2006-03-21
I read Loretta Mason Potts over and over when I was in grade school and junior high, and so did my best friends. I found myself thinking about it again when I was in graduate school, and, terrified that it might be about to be discarded, I wrote to my small-town library and asked whether if they were going to get rid of it I might buy it instead. They very kindly sent it to me free of charge, dull, crinkly library cover and all. (One of my friends truly asked whether I would xerox it for her.)

When I read it again, it was as wonderful as ever. All the tiny things--satin dress, yellow curls, red car, tinkling voices--and the big things--the suddenly nasty children, the bewildered mother, the truth and rightness of the ending--are still magical and always will be. I often think what a wonderful movie it would make--Stephen Spielberg, are you listening? Today the mom who rises above her complacent self to fearlessly rescue her children would not be the bridge-playing, apron-wearing, cigarette-smoking mom of yesteryear, but perhaps a nutrition-and-exercise-obsessed working mom.

My daughter, now 20, borrowed that old library copy to do a book report when she was in the third grade. The magic of Loretta is powerful; having read only the report, the teacher wrote on it in big letters I WANT TO READ THIS BOOK.

I thought of Loretta again this morning, in the grade school library where I volunteer, as I was processing books bought at last week's book fair. Mary Chase--that sounds familiar--could it be? Yes. The Wicked Pigeon Ladies in the Garden has been reissued as The Wicked Wicked Ladies in the Haunted House. Oh, joy! I have never read it and I know it will be a luscious treat.

Peter
Make Your Own Luck: Success Tactics You'll Never Learn in B-School
Published in Hardcover by Prentice Hall Press (2002-01-15)
Authors: Peter Kash and Tom Monte
List price: $23.00
Used price: $0.94
Collectible price: $29.99

Average review score:

Invigorated and ready to go.
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2003-08-29
After reading this book, I feel ready to go out and create my own destiny. This is a wonderful account on how everyday actions and decisions can create the life you want.

Insightful!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2002-07-23
Peter Morgan Mash seems to be one of those people upon whom good fortune shines. Just when he's about to lose a big deal, chance rears its beautiful head to help him on his way; just when he's about to give up on meeting a key potential investor, he ends up stuck in the elevator with him. To what does Mash attribute his good fortune? Simple kindness, integrity and personal values. By stressing these personal attributes, he says that anyone can benefit from the kindness of life. We from getAbstract recommend this book to anyone convinced that the universe is a basically friendly place.

A great world view and a great read
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2002-03-23
Peter Kash was my father's intern at EF Hutton when I was a little girl. His warmth and zest for life come through in this book, as well as his sharp business acumen. His principles are sound; his writing style, delightful. I'd recommend this book to anyone searching for the courage to follow their passion and find success.

A life Altering Book
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2002-08-16
I have to say that I pick up a lot of books (from personal success to mathematical tomes) and read them over a period of a week to a month, but not this book. This book is so engrossing that I finished it in two days! Peter Kash really hit a note inside me when he talked about the coincidences and serendipity in eveyone's life. When you look at the world the way Peter Kash does everything begins to become clear and you can't help but to look forward to everyday, to meet new people and to appreciate your family and the people you know well. I have recommended this book as a Must read to all of my friends and I recommend it to anyone who is trying to get a "lucky break" on their way to the top! I can assure you that this is not "fluff" or New Age "Gobbledygook". This is a book written from the "gut" from a solid, successful, entrepeneur, who comes across - not as a know it all - but of someone who has learned a lot of secrets on how to make your own luck. Truly a life altering book for this reader.

Make up your own mind
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2002-03-13
Make Your Own Luck is a practical guide for getting the most from what you have. Make Your Own Luck is really a feel good kind of book not based on heavily researched scientific fact.

The author reminds the reader of old platitudes and gives antidotal evidence support these platitudes. Yet in the hustle and bustle of everyday life these reminders are welcome and help realign the compass guiding our lives.

The author reminds us the life is full of unexplained coincidences. If we notice and engage (rather then ignore) these coincidences we can usually find opportunity knocking. Make your own luck covers topics such as failure (required to succeed), rejection (required to succeed), finding a purpose in work and specialization (which can be a path to success).

The underlying tone is the golden rule. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. The author adds the concept of the "web of life", which could be described as "what goes around comes around".

I would recommend Make Your Own Luck. Although the concepts are tried and true they are still important to consider and pursue. In a busy world we need to be reminded and make sure we are following our compass.

Peter
Circles of Seven (Dragons in Our Midst, Book 3)
Published in Audio CD by Oasis Audio (2009-03-01)
Author: Bryan Davis
List price: $39.99
New price: $26.39

Average review score:

Continuing the quest..
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-10-10
This is a great book to read whenever you're going through a tough time. The themes of contentment and finding a light in the dark place run rampant throughout this book, from beginning to end. Billy learns how to know the tools of the enemy, and how to find that one spark of light when all seems dark. And Bonnie learns how to be content. How you ask? Well, you will just have to read it to find out. The journey you start when you read Raising Dragons, continues in Circles of Seven.

What's up with the Ending?
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-09-25
The book starts off great, and gets into the action right away. Billy is in a mansion in England and will be going to see the circle of knights, but is attacked in the middle of the night. There's a small battle which injures the Professor, so Billy is the one to drive them to a mountain to meet up with fellow dragons Clefspeare and Hartanna who are joined by Bonnie. Once the group of three are close to land, Hartanna stays behind to survey the coast while Clefspeare and Bonnie fly ahead to join Billy and Prof. As the two finally land, Clefspeare has been taken captive by a memeber of an evil sorcoress' army. The next day, Billy, Bonnie, and the Professor proceed as scheduled to Sir Patrick's house. There, they are faced with an option of entering a different world and proceeding through seven circles to free captives. Each decide to enter, but neither realize just how challenging it will going be. Putting their own lives at risk, the duo journey through the seven different worlds and find out quickly that it will be much harder than anything they have endured before.
This book was very good, mixed with instant action that was spread throughout the entire story and Bryan's drawing you deep into the book. I would definately recommend this book to everyone to read, but the last two chapters were a disappointment for me. I didn't think that they were well explained and were extremely confusing.

Another epic from Bryan Davis
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-09-12
The amazing series continues with Circles of Seven!! This is my favorite book in the Dragons in our Midst series. It's action packed as the characters journey through the seven circles.

Amazing Story
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-22
A story of love, sacrifice, faith and forgiveness that will keep you reading all night long. An adventure that takes you through places you never thought you could go. This is a must read book an can not be turned down. Fight through another world of devils and discover the truth of Excalibur.

My favorite in the series
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-19
How does he do it? Not only were the first two books instant favorites, but the third one became my favorite in the series! More deep storylines, more great characters, more excitement, more suspense, etc. I'm officially hooked on these, and now I get an adrenaline rush when I start a new book by Bryan Davis.

Peter
Dominic
Published in Hardcover by Peter Smith Pub Inc (2003-01-31)
Author: William Steig
List price: $20.25

Average review score:

Find your place in life.
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-25
Absolutely marvelous! This simple story induces you to think about morals, existence, and adventure. By having virtue, anyone can lead a life filled with wonderful encounters and a way of life that can only lead you to a good future.

Great Kids Book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-09-26
I loved this book a kid and bought it for my own children. Each of the three joined my enthusiasm for our dear friend, Dominic.

Great story!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-06-01
My son is in the Army and now has a son of his own. I used to read "Dominic" at bedtime, until I knew the story by heart. If I tried to skip a line or a paragraph, my son would interrupt and tell me I had missed a part! Recently, he asked if I would get the book for my grandson. Now my son is reading to his son. I love it! Christina

Astounding
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2006-08-24
Throughout my life, I'd always remembered the "first book I ever read" as about some dog who played the piccolo and traveled around with his possessions in a sack on a stick. I remembered it so fondly, like one of those few, golden memories you hold onto from childhood, when you still believed in the tooth faerie and unicorns.

I never remembered the title, though, and the book had long since disappeared from my parent's house. One day I did an extensive Google search with only the words "dog," "piccolo" and "traveler" and managed to stumble across William Steig's website.

I just bought myself a new copy of "the first book I ever read" and can't wait to read it again. It really is a book that has stayed with me my entire life. I just found it astonishing that so many other people wrote the exact same thing in their reviews. How can it be that one book has been the "first book" for so many people? I don't know, but I do know that if you can let it be your kid's first book, they will cherish it forever. I sure did.

Best children's book ever!
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2004-05-12
This was the first "real book" I remember reading as a little boy. I suppose I was about 6 or 7. I read and re-read Dominic many times and loved it more each time. I suppose it has be something like 35 years since I first read this book and I still remember it fondly. How many things can you say that about?

Peter
The Lives of Christopher Chant
Published in Hardcover by Peter Smith Pub Inc (2001-06)
Author: Diana Wynne Jones
List price: $20.00

Average review score:

another clever and highly imaginative tale from Diana Wynne Jones
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-06-10
Christopher is an only child of two parents that constantly bicker, and every night, Christopher travels to other worlds for great adventures. He has a cool uncle Ralph that seems the understand him. Soon, Christopher is meeting a young man named Tacroy in the other worlds and running "experiments" for his uncle, smuggling magical supplies back to his own world. Christopher, it is discovered, has nine lives and his so magically powerful that he is destined to become the next Chrestomanci. He befriends a similar powerful young person, a Goddess, in another world. Slowly and without realizing it, Christopher falls into darkness, becoming an angry, unkind, and disagreeable child that is breaking the laws of magic. Christopher must determine who is good and who is just trying to use him. My favorite character is Tacroy, who is quite ambiguous, and yet is sort of Christopher's Sirius Black, as the only one who can identify with him as a spirit traveler and understands him. The book itself is just another beautifully written, incredibly clever and imaginative and magical work from Diana Wynne Jones. The images and so vivid and so brilliant. Grade: A-

A Death Wish, Anyone?
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-07-15
Diana Wynne Jones tells the backstory of everyone's favorite enchanter, Chrestomanci, in "The Lives of Christopher Chant". Chrestomanci turned the sterotype of old, sagely wizards upside down in the first Chrestomanci book with his dapper attitude and humorous qualities. However, I'll be frank; I did not enjoy this book as much as I enjoyed "Charmed Life". The story was very slow in places and the ending was very rushed. But, Jones still won me over with her delightful characters, quirky magic, and adept talent at writing meaningful and thoughtful fantasy.

Christopher Chant starts out as a normal boy who doesn't quite understand everything that's going on around him. Christopher never even bothered to tell people, ecspecially his feuding parents and nannies, about his dreams and the worlds he visits in them. But one day, Christopher's new nanny discovers all of the objects Christopher brings back from his dreams, and informs Christopher's Uncle Ralph, a charming enchanter, about them. It turns out that Christopher is a spirit traveler, or a person who visits the twelve related worlds in their dreams. Uncle Ralph soon recruits Christopher for many "experiments" where Christopher must bring him back various goods from the related worlds, and Christopher is only too happy to oblige.

On these experiments, Christopher soon loses many lives at such an obvious rate that he realizes he has nine lives and is a powerful enchanter, even though Christopher can barely manage the simplest of spells. Christopher is soon sent to live in Chrestomanci Castle for training, and he hates it. He would much rather play cricket than become the next Chrestomanci, but everything changes when Christoper realizes that his "perfect" uncle is really an inter-world illegal smuggler, and Christopher so happens to be his partner-in-crime even though he didn't know what he was doing in the first place.

The story is told with Jones' usual quirky prose and humor. Many readers who read the first book will smile as the story goes on and many of Chrestomanci's background is cleverly explained. Christopher as a character is skillyfully progressed from a naive and somewhat cold child to an aware and powerful enchanter. However, the story, as much as I would like to deny it, does suffer some problems. The beginning is a very long drawl, as well as the middle, and nothing interesting happens till Christopher finally arrives at Chrestomanci castle. From there to the ending its a smooth ride. Unfortunately, it appears that Jones didn't know what to do with her ending as its very quick and jumbled. For the last fifty pages, everything is unusally described and very confusing. I just wish that the story had ended with a strong conclusion rather than the sentence "that is really all, except for a letter that arrived for Christopher from Japan soon after New Year ..."

Even though the ending was a jumbled mess, we're still talking about Diana Wynne Jones here, and her brilliant writing and humorous details makes even a very weakly plotted book enjoyable. While I did not enjoy "The Lives of Christopher Chant" as much as I enjoyed the first book, readers everywhere are sure to enjoy how Chrestomanci went from a timid boy into a powerful enchanter.






One of my favorite fantasy books
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-04-12
I read this book many years ago, and did not even realize that it was part of a series until recently. I bought the other books in the series, and was expecting the other books to be similar to this writing style. While the other three books in the series are good stories and entertaining reading, it is "The Lives of Christopher Chant" that is the best of the series. This book has more depth and humor than the other books in the series. I devoured this book in one setting, because of the wonderful imagery and use of dry humor and wit. I actually don't think that you need to read the books in the series in order; besides the first two in the series, these books really don't have much in common with each other, besides the Chrestomanci character. Each book is a wonderful book in its own right. However, it is this book that gives the best background of the world in which Chrestomanci lives. Highly recommended, especially if you like J.K. Rowling - this book is the most similar to Rowling's style.

FABULOUSLY 'CHANTING!!!!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2005-10-12
This an incredibly lovely book that I have read a million times; and each time has been just as enjoyable as the last.
This book is the second in the Chrestomanci Quartet, and is my favorite of the four. The story is about a boy named Christopher Chant who discovers that he has magical powers, and, in due time, a truly amazing and exciting life ahead of him. Buy this book! I assure you that you won't regret it;~)

A Real Page-Turner!
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2005-10-26
"Oops!" The dragon spews fire all over Christopher and "There goes another life!" The Lives of Christopher Chant is a book about a nine-lived boy named Christopher. Every night he dreams he gets out of bed, walks around the corner of the fireplace in his room, and slips into a dreary world called "The Place Between." While conducting experiments there Christopher loses some of his nine lives.

Strong things about this book are that the story line moves along quickly, so your interest stays captive. You'll also appreciate how Dianne Wynne Jones's story line is unique. No other author has ever written anything like her "Place Between!" Her strong characters really pull the story together. Take "The Christomancy" (The Magic Governor) for instance. It seems like he was always a strict and stern man born to be "The Christomancy." However, he actually started out like Christopher, angry and bewildered.

More details would improve The Lives of Christopher Chant. Having additional information would make it easier to visualize Asheth's Temple, and why The Living Asheth (the girl who acts as a channel for the god Asheth's power) wanted to get away. More explanation about why silver stops Christopher from working magic would be helpful. Was it Christopher's dad's fault that silver stops him operating magic?

Rush out and buy The Lives of Christopher Chant, it's a page turner! The story line is new and interesting. It is a magic book, and you can never tell what's going to happen! I hope you don't lose your nine lives as quickly as Christopher Chant!

Peter
The Fly-Tying Bible: 100 Deadly Trout and Salmon Flies in Step-by-Step Photographs
Published in Spiral-bound by Barron's Educational Series (2003-04)
Author: Peter Gathercole
List price: $24.95
New price: $13.45
Used price: $12.64

Average review score:

#1 Pattern Book to Own
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-11-05
I have had this book for over a year and it keeps coming off my shelf as my number one pattern book. It is well designed, easy to use and the spiral binding makes it a dream for setting on your tying bench. I was really impressed w/ the quality of the pictures and the step by step instructions for basic, intermediate and adavanced flies. I have given this to several people as gifts and recommend it to everyone!

Fly tying made easy
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-09-15
This is a great book which covers alot of different flies. With the ease of the photos any person should be able to tie all the flies and come up with their own variations.

Fly-Tying made easy
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-09-08
Priced reasonably, this is an an excellent addition to fly-tying literature. It is beautifully printed, illustrated, and bound. Because of the spiral binding it lies flat. It is sturdy. The book's descriptions of fish and the flies that attract them are clear and concise.

I gave this book to an avid angler who has a small mountain of fly-tying magazines and books. He told me it was the best book on fly-tying he had ever seen. I'll be using it and giving it as a gift again.

Excellent book for a novice like me!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-19
6 months ago I initiated with fly fishing; here in Mexico is very expensive to buy the flies already done, reason why I began to do them myself.

I bought this book by the good reviews that it has and the truth that was good decision, is very good book still for someone like me begins in fly tying.

Very good book and detailed photos, very simple to follow; very practice and easy to understand. Simply EXCELLENT!.

The fly-tying bible
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-04
This was a gift, and I love it. My fly-tying friends thought it was great, too.


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