Richard Books

I love Absolut ad's and have always wanted to get one. They are expensive new , so I got an used copy from an amazon seller. It came quickly and I flipped through the book for about 20 min when it arrived 2 days later. I love all the ads and they are all so clever. I might not get some of the modern art ones, but I love the city ones in particular. Anyway, I got this book for my new house and new coffee table book, I think it is one of the best hardcover coffee table book (marketing story book) ever.

Compulsory addition to the coffee table library. An excellent example of a clever, consistent, cutting edge branding campaign helping to position a generic product at the top of consumer mind. Absolut genius.

If you like the Absolut ads, this is a good book for you. It's what you'd expect - big pictures of the Absolut ads with explanations from the ad agency guys who made it happen. A fun coffeetable book.

Absolut is one of the best selling vodkas in the world and the advertsing for it is second to none. In this fabulous book were are told the inside story behind the marketing and selling of this tasty treat. The paper is first grade and the pictures are outstanding to say the least. Absolut original with a bottle looking like a Roman ruin is probably my favorite one but there are so many nice advertising ideas that have become stupendous posters. Absolute Enivironment is also a nice one. This is a good coffee table book and a nice gift for the person that likes vodka and to read.

This is a wonderful, informative, and beautiful book.
This book is about the Absolut Vodka advertising campaign. How it began, and what it is about. There are many beautiful, and breath taking images which makes you see the entire light of the campaign which looks so simple from the outside. Now, you get the inside looks and it isn't simple at all but an amazing experience.
WOW!!

For over forty years, I've been reading about the end of World War II and Japan. Were the Japanese ready to surrender? Were the atomic bombs dropped to intimidate the Soviet Union? Was racism the real motive?

Richard Frank's DOWNFALL: THE END OF THE IMPERIAL JAPANESE EMPIRE, is the best book on this subject I've ever read. Frank takes us back to 1945, and shows what the United States knew then, and how they knew it. Based on the information they had available at the time, the U.S. and British leaders had no reason to believe that the effective leaders of Japan were going to surrender any time soon, or that any alternative course they chose would lead to fewer deaths. Further, he shows that these judgments were correct: there is still no evidence that the effective rulers of Japan would have surrendered in 1945, and all the alternatives to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki would have definitely led to hundreds of thousands MORE DEATHS of civilians and soldiers.

I regard the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as atrocities and crimes, but the whole of the war was a succession of atrocities and crimes, the greatest bloodbath in history. Frank shows, convincingly, that the use of atomic weapons was the least evil among the choices Harry S Truman faced.

I was moved to reread this fine book by Richard Frank by the allegation by Presidential candidate Senator Barak Obama's former preacher and confidant Jeremiah Wright's that one of America's supposed "sins" that he was cursing it for was the use of the Atomic Bombs on Japan at the end of the Second World War. I was in High School during the Vietnam War period and I recall my teachers telling us that that use of the Bomb was unnecessary and was carried out merely to scare the Communist Soviets and didn't matter anyway since the Japanese were supposedly viewed as "racially inferior". We were taught that the United State government is inherently dishonest, so any such decision to use the bomb must have had "tainted" motiviations. Such cynicism is potentially destructive, as Frank shows in his book.
Attitudes like these have unfortunately become common in the United States over the years, and as Frank points out, are based on ignorance and self-righteousness. President Truman's aide, Admiral Leahy claimed after the war that the use of the bomb was "unnecessary" (Frank points out that there is no record of his opposition at the time the decision was made). This is, of course, true. The Japanese would have eventually surrendered even without the use of the bomb. The question, though, remains "at what cost"? There are two possible scenarios, (1) American and Allied forces invade the Japanes Home Islands in order to force a decision, or (2) no invasion is mounted, but a tight blockade and heavy air bombing keep up the pressure.
Frank shows that although a two-phase invasion was planned, Operation Olympic in Kyushu, followed by Operation Coronet on Honshu near Tokyo, as time passed, American interception and decryption of Japanese messages showed that powerful forces were being brought up to the planned invasion zones along with thousands of aircraft designed for Kamikaze attacks. The civilian population was also being trained to carry out suicide attacks (the government's slogan was "100 Million Die Together"). As a result, American enthusiasm for the invasion scheme waned and, instead, a plan to destroy Japan's railroad system to prevent the distribution of food was developed, which, along with the naval blockade, would bring starvation to the population, forcing the Japanese government to eventually capitulate. The question remained "how long would it take to reach this situation"? Frank points out that over 100,000 Chinese were dying every month during the war, in addition to large numbers of Allied prisoners and forced Asian laborers in southeast Asia. If the war dragged on longer, hundreds of thousands of these people would have died. Had the blockade "succeeded" in bring famine in addition to plague and civil disorder to Japan, hundreds of thousands, if not millions of Japanese would have died.
Frank also points out that something like 350,000 Japanese died in the Soviet campaign to conquer Manchuria, many of them civilians. In addition there were still large Japanese forces in China , the Dutch East Indies (today's Indonesia) and southeast Asia. Without the shock of a surrender brought about by the use of the Atomic bombs it is conceivable that these forces would have continued to fight on (the Japanese Army in China had a history of subordination). There was also a Soviet plan to invade the Japanese home island of Hokkaido. One can only specularte on how many deaths would this have caused, in addition to the possibility that the USSR would have set up a "Japanese Peoples' Republic" in their zone, just like they did in Korea, for which the world is still paying to this day. It is odd that those who show "compassion" for the Japanese people in saying that the bomb shouldn't have been used, seem to lack the same compassion for the oppressed thousands who were dying every day in the Japanese-occupied territories.
Frank also shows that the popular "deus-ex-machina" scenario that supposedly the Japanese government had really made a decision to surrender and were in contact with the USSR government is false. It is true that there were contacts with the Soviets, but they were on a low diplomatic level, and no decision to surrender had been made before the first use of the bomb. In addition, no contacts were made during the three days that passed before the use of the second bomb. It turns out that some Japanese leaders thought the bomb was merely a one-shot affair which the Americans couldn't repeat. Frank shows clearly that America's leaders had no choice but to make the decision they did and that this decision saved untold number of lives, both Allied and Japanese. Anybody who saw the horrific casualties at places like Iwo Jima and Okinawa in addition to the mass suicides of Japanese civilians at Saipana and Okinawa would reach the same conclusion.
Richard Frank is performing an invaluable service in destroying the "politically correct" myths demagogues like Wright are propagating and showing that a clear, open mind leads one to the truth.

Frank has done an excellent job of dispassionately presenting the facts about the endgame of the Pacific War. I appreciate that Frank laid out the evidence and left it to the reader to judge where it pointed.

What is clear from the evidence is that neither the Japanese nor American leadership had adequate information to judge the other's intentions during 1945. In fact, there is some evidence that the Japaneese High Command was being mislead by underlings regarding the state of American morale. Thus the War Council believed that they were just one decisive battle away from being able to negotiate with the Americans for softer terms than Unconditional Surrender. On the other hand, American intelligence community were not adept enough to draw out from the vast array of intercepted cable traffic a clear picture. Thus they did not provide Truman information that was 'actionable'.

As for the bomb, the preponderance of evidence amassed by Frank points to the conclusion that once the decision to build the atomic bomb was made, the Manhattan project took on its own momentum and thus made the bombs use inevitable.

All-in-all a terrific book. Since I finished it on September 30th, it makes it onto my Summer Reading Favorites of 2007 :-)

I was so fascinated by this book that I read all the previous reviews. I only want to add my unlimited praise and to add a few thoughts and stories...
I was as unaware as anybody of the details of the end of the Pacific war until I met a fellow (Bill Lear, son of "the" Bill Lear) who was on a troop ship to Olympic. He said the officers told them that they all were going to die. After that the book was a natural, and I couldn`t have chosen better.
In my present line, I am in Japan a lot. If there is any one thing that makes Frank`s book fascinating, it is the detailed look at the inner workings of that eastern mind in the government and military leaders, and the resulting confusion for their hapless diplomats. In some cases it is not so radical - we Americans still get huffy about Pearl Harbor, when the Japanese were following a pretty basic tenet of war. Frank didn`t really go to a lot of trouble to remind us that the "unfathonable" Asian way of seeing things is normal to them. Perhaps it isn`t necessary. Any Japanese soldier who sees dying for his emperor/country as his highest honor will tend to see anyone who surrenders or is beaten before he can sacrifice himself, as the lowest sort of worm, not worthy of bayonet practice let alone a bowl of rice. Just an example, but with a point. Frank managed to state facts, back them up with numbers and intel documents and let it go at that. The case builds easily in the reader`s mind that this was a terrible war and that the allies/Americans were in a real conundrum about how to end it. Which brings up the sadly fascinating fact that the very thing that the allies demanded, as a way of keeping "these fascist and militarist governments from starting a world war every few years", was unconditional surrender, the very thing the Japanese couldn`t accept.
One thing which makes a really great book is that it opens discussion on the topic rather than, say, on the writer`s vocabulary. By that measure, this is one of the best. Please indulge me...
I have been to the peace museum in Hiroshima. It is very moving and also very evenhanded. It shows the little uniforms of the school kids killed - they were in town that day to help build firebreaks. It also has the army order on the wall which commanded that when the invasion came, all subjects were to show up on the beaches with pitchforks, sticks or any other weapon that came to hand. Hiroshima, by the way (to answer a previous comment) was the headquarters of the 5th Japanese Army, in charge of Japan and Korea (where they'd been since 1920, only getting to Manchuria in 1931, re another comment)It was also a recruit center, and a navy shipyard, in other words not exactly non-military.
My Dad flew in B-29s. He was a tough old farm boy, but once he met an army buddy who had also `been there` That`s the only time I saw him cry. I don`t think it`s wrong to lament the terrible things humans are capable of doing to each other and to make them stop; a basic about war, by the way. The fact that millions of innocents had died and were likely to keep dying in this war would make any way of stopping it look pretty good, ie, "moral". I personally would say, you can`t argue with success. The Japanese had been fighting since at least 1920. Days after the bomb, it was over. I`m in the camp of "the Russians had nothing to do with it." I want to thank Mr. Frank for explaning readably and in detail, how that came about.
Finally a note from my Mom... The war council was correct in believing that Americans were sick of the war (Incorrect in their eastern way in seeing Potsdam as weakness). They were beaten but wouldn`t quit. If you had a family member in the service, you put a red star in your window, and if they were killed, you changed it to a gold star. There were plenty of houses with two gold stars in the window. People in 1945 wanted the war to end and wanted the boys home. Imagine you are Truman, and a wife/mother says to you, "You mean to tell me you had the means to end this war the day before my boy was killed, and you didn`t do it?"
Read this book.

Richard Frank conclusively shatters a number of myths about the end of the Pacific side of World War II.

First, Japan was NOT ready to accept unconditional surrender, even with the caveat of the preservation of the Japanese throne, until after both bombs were dropped. Frank uses extensive declassified transcripts of Ultra (military) and Magic (diplomatic) U.S. codebreaking to get members of the Japanese war cabinet's own words, or lack thereof, on this issue. Within that is the fact that Japan's attempt to use Russia as an intermediary-ally in negotiations was totally out of tune with reality, so much out of tune that Tokyo actually expected Moscow to honor the full one year's "down time" after abrogating the two countries' neutrality agreement.

Second, the Japanese Army was ramping UP the plans for Keisu-Go, the all-out defense of the Japanese homeland, after the spring firebombings of Tokyo and elsewhere. Top Army brass considered that the U.S. might well try blockade, and thought it had enough kamikazes, midget submarines, etc., to make the U.S pay enough a price for even the blockade that it would settle for a negotiated peace. Again, Frank looks in-depth at Magic and Ultra transcripts to show how much support there was for this.

Third, Frank demonstrates that U.S. casualty fears of an invasion of Kyushu were well-warranted and may even have been understated in some cases.

The determination of the Japanese Empire to resist was well-known by American troops in the Pacific who had seen the Japanese, on average, take 97 percent casualties in many of their defensive actions. A militaristic government was ready to exploit this to the death.

The atomic bomb was therefore used for reasons of the highest seriousness. It was NOT dropped on Hiroshima as a demonstration for Stalin. And, speaking of demonstrations, the fact that it took two atomic bombs on Japan to get it to surrender puts the lie to the idea that a "demonstration" bomb would have been enough to get the Japanese to a non-negotiated surrender with them attempting to hold on to territory.

Not much to say. I bought this set for my boyfriend for x-mas and he loves it!

Caltech had unbelieveable foresight in knowing how good Feynman would appear to future generations. The teaching techniques are still unbeatable. Worth spending six months reading these.

My background: An engineer with an aspiration to learn more physics.

It has been over 3 years since my last college physics class, and having heard from friends and reading online about these lectures, I finally bought them here instead of spending twice as much at the local bookstore. I own a copy of Serwey's physics book, and the difference between the two is remarkable.

I can read Feynman's book with excitement. He writes or lectures in a way that keeps me engaged with what he has to say, and he also provides excellent examples of interesting cases. For instance, in his treatment of gravitation, he numerically calculates the trajectory of the earth given an initial velocity and position. I knew it was possible to do such a thing, but the fact that he provided a table of numbers and just went ahead with the calculation without skipping the detail brought me great enthusiasm. I don't even remember my astrodynamics book covering the simple calculations of such things from the fundamental principles in such detail.

Aside from the nitty gritty, his reading is enjoyable. I pass out when reading Serwey's book, simply because it isn't written in a very enthusiastic and engaging way.

However, Feynman's lectures are good for refreshing your understanding, not doing problems. I imagine that someone with a copy of Feynman's lectures for the understanding and Serwey's problems and examples for the nitty gritty, who works the problems, will understand physics well enough to continue studying more in-depth subjects on their own. That says a lot about both volumes.

The Feynman Lectures on Physics is a classic that must belong to everyone's library. This edition is very well designed, but the paint in the cover keep getting off into my hands. The cover of my Volume I is already totally ruined. You don't buy a book if you do not intent to read it. Disappointing.

Feynman doesn't just teach physics in these books: he teaches you to think like a physicist should. One complaint I've heard is that there's not enough math in them. "Too many words." (Kinda reminds you of Armadeus.) There are plenty of books that have the math. These books offer insight -- something that is very hard to come by in formal physics education.

The introductory material in Volume 1 is highly quotable. You can get your money's worth right there.

When I started Volume 2, I'd had undergraduate electricity and magnetism and found it dry and boring. After Volume 2, I was so pumped, I wanted to teach the subject.

I read Volume 3 when I was starting graduate quantum mechanics. My first final was oral, two-on-one. The professor had a second prof sit in with him to quiz each student. They opened with a few questions on the uncertainty principle. I started rattling off some of the insights I'd gotten from Volume 3. These guys must not have read it, because they were blown away. They'd ask a question and I'd answer and then follow with a hook to keep them coming back. I spent an hour of the two-hour exam on the uncertainty principle! Talk about getting off on the right foot with a new prof!

These books have been an inspiration to me for the last 40 years. Whether you're a student or a Ph.D. -- and especially if you teach at any level -- you must not be without them. They will improve your understanding of physics, and they'll equip you to better communicate it.

I realize that I've sounded a little over-the-top in this review. If I said less, I'd be understating my honest opinion.

Tim Naff, Ph.D.

This is by far my favorite book from that genre. I first read it in high school and have gone back several times over the years. I just purchased it again to give to my 13 year old daughter.

I grew up in Santa Fe, reading this book, serving Mr. Bradford coffee at Zook's Pharmacy on the Plaza. Mr. Bradford's book reassured me that my turbulent adolescence was do-able, by lighting the way.
I have not been back there in thirty years. Santa Fe has been taken over by the rich and the entitled and they have squeezed the soul out of what we knew growing up there, though there is plenty of beauty and spirit left to be sucked dry by the commercial people. But if you want to know the siren song of Santa Fe, read this book. Sagrado is, indeed, Santa Fe. This was what it was like there even in the 1960's and 1970's.
I mean, where else could you have that unforgettable horse AND world-class opera AND the mountains AND the humility of entertaining the Native Americans by just being white people on the Plaza?
I read this book, I can smell the pine wood burning in the farolitos, and the breeze in the chamisa after the Summer afternoon cloudbursts.

This is a wondrous short novel. Read it if you'd like to be a teenager again. Buy an old paperback copy showing a teenage boy and girl standing facing each other with their foreheads touching--a very sweet illustration.

Now a good review (recommendation) doesn't have to be long, so let me give you a few lines of description. A boy moves from Alabama to New Mexico during World War II, and while his father is away in the war, the boy finds friends and a home in the small mountain town of Sagrado. One of his new friends is an sculptor who carves stone heads and places them on a hillside.

On the great book cover: Sometimes book covers actually decline in quality with the many printings of a book. This has happened with "Red Sky At Morning," but remember you are buying the book for the story.

Another example of the decline in a book's cover is seen in the early cover for "Summer of Night," by Dan Simmons.Summer of Night (Aspect Fantasy) The 1991 "Warner Book" edition has a window with a cut out. Through the window you can see some boys riding their bicycles at night. When you open the book, you see a mysterious school in the background.

The later covers of "Summer of Night" were not half as mysterious or fun.

As many others have said, it's impossible to get tired of this book. My parents gave it to me when I was 18 and (again, like several others) the first time I read it I found it a little slow and disjointed. It gets better and better with every read - each time I pick up on the subtleties of a scene for the first time.

Rather than boring the reader with a bunch of obnoxious capers and hijinks, Bradford envelops you in his characters' community, and it's this day-to-day banality (which turned me off so much the first time) that really draws you into the story. Josh's adjustment to Sagrado takes time, but when it comes it's so natural and amusing that you're almost completely unprepared for the sobering conclusion of the story.

I had no idea the book was so loved until I read these reviews. There are so many special moments in the story - the big wet snowfalls that ruins Chamaco's fiesta, the horribly backward residents of La Cima, the refreshing "white trashiness" of the Cloyd sisters, even Parker Holmes tearing an elk sandwich apart with his teeth.

I wish these characters existed in real life, and I wish I could be their friend.

I thouroughly enjoyed this book, I do not know how I missed it for so many years. It was recommended in Nancy Pearl's "Book Lust" (which you really should buy if you are an avid reader.) I have never been dissapointed by her recommendations.

Josh, as the narrator in "Red Sky at Morning" is a 17 year old high school senior at the end of WWII. His dry wit mad me laugh right out loud several times. I loved his sensibility and humor. The cast of characters in this book reminded me of some of the characters in "A Prayer for Owen Meany" by John Irving.

This is one of my favorite reads of the year, so much so I will probably hunt down a hard cover edition for my collection.

In some (if not all) of the versions of the Teen Study Bible I have noticed just one of the Dear Sam letters that I don't agree with. When Sam wrote back to someone saying Blasphemy is an unforgivalble sin, I knew unless you reformed and turned to GOD, blasphemy can indeed be forgiven. It is a wonderful thing what Jesus, Son of God has done for us! To forgive all our sins. No sin is unforgivable. No sin is. Not one. The only way a sin is unforgivable is if you commit sins and never accept what Jesus did. Then how could your sins be forgiven? The choice of accepting Christ as savior is a matter of eternal life and death. Jesus makes it very clear that HE is the truth, the way, and the life!God is all powerful! In Luke 10 it says that "Whoever sins against the Son of Man will be forgiven; but whoever says evil things against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven." That verse merely means that only if you sin and do evil things against the Holy Spirit, you apparently do not have the Holy Spirit, and without the Holy Spirit, you can't accept Christ.
However, maybe Sam knew that. (And I'm sure she did). I just think it could be more clear. It is completely your choice wheather to NEVER accept Jesus, therefore if you are WILLING to avoid the point where you hate the Holy Spirit and never WANT to come back into the grace if GOD, than you shall be saved! The LORD is wonderful. Sam's letters are great and empowering. Jesus loves Sam spreading HIS WORD.

This is a GREAT Bible for teens because it is understandable, yet not cheesy. I love it! It makes it understandable and it includes a Bible Study plan showing what book of the bible to start and show how often you should read to finish it in 1 year or 2 years. Also includes real life situations...questions, answers, THIS is the book you need to get through LIFE!!

Being 14 years old I thought that the only Christan stuff cool enough for me was hardcore Chirstan rock. This book has proved me wrong. I know that BEHOLD THE BOOGNISH! I WILL CONQUER YOU AND YOUR PATHIC SHEEPISH WAYS everything about the Bible is totally awesome!...

My mom says that when she was, like, a teen or something, she couldn't understand the bible because it said like "Thou" and stuff and other words that sound like books written by old people. That's why she went to the mall and got me this bible because it's more, like, modern or something? Whatever -- it ROCKS.

The Bible normally seems confusing, rigid, and boring. This Bible is quite the opposite! The bible is colorful, easy-to read and UNDERSTAND! It definately makes the bible enjoyable and fun. The notes and other added things really help teens. I got this Bible as a 18 year old and still interesting at 19(although I am thinking about up-grading to a Woman's Bible).

Definately recommend to any pre-teen or teen!

First of all, I am not writing this to argue with all the people that loved it, rather I am reviewing for someone who has not yet read it and want an idea of what they are getting themselves into. I appreciated what this book has to say: Instead of focusing on what Jesus and the Paul did "in the spotlight", more attention should be paid to what they did to prepare for those moments, the Spiritual Disciplines.

However, I felt that was clearly stated in the first chapter, then comes 5 to 6 chapters of study on theology with heavy emphasis on epistemology. The writing style is difficult to read. Sentences are often long: 20-30 words in a single sentence. The headings are enigmatic (I was trying to take notes in a mind map as I went along and had a really hard time). The author also quotes others so often it is hard to follow HIS thoughts. When the time finally came (I wrote in my notes, FINALLY) to talk about the actual disciplines, it was only a chapter in length. I know that is not the main focus of the book, but nonetheless it seemed unbalanced after spending 200 pages promoting the Disciplines.

I was disappointed. My pastor in college really loved his other book: Divine Conspiracy. Therefore I was looking forward to read this author. I know part of the issue is that perhaps I am not used to his style of philosophical writing, but I don't think just because something is deep, it can't be made easy to understand.

I give this a 12 on a scale of 10! It helped bring my faith into perspecitive and is challenging me to strive for spiritaul growth.

This is a must read for the contemporary Christian church. (Certainly pinpoints why most Christians are considered hypocrites.)

This book provides a theological look at the nature of the spiritually disciplined life. Willard explores the "why" of the disciplines more than the "how." While this book certainly stands on its own, it makes an excellent follow-up to Foster's "Celebration of Discipline." Willard's intent takes him deeper than Foster and provides a more thorough exploration of spiritual disciplines. Highly recommended.

This is an excellent book for all followers of Jesus Christ or someone who wants to know what a true follower should be doing as a disciple of Jesus. If you want to grow and strengthen yourself in your walk with Christ, this book is an excellent guide. Just like a high caliber athlete practices and trains daily, we also need to follow certain practices to strengthen ourselves and develop good habits of prayer, worship, celebration, solitude with God, and many others. Without following these disciplines that Jesus Christ Himself practiced, the Christian can only expect to get so far before getting stalled in their faith. These spiritual disciplines are truly essential in furthuring our walk with Jesus. Dallas Willard's book is an excellent resource for that growth. Tom W.

"The Spirit of the Disciplines" focuses on the various disciplines that God uses to change people's lives. The book contains 11 chapters and 2 appendix for a total of around 265 pages.

Each of the 11 chapters addresses a particular theme. Chapter 9, addressing the specific disciplines, is my personal favorite. According to Willard in Chapter 9, the disciplines are separated into 2 groups:

1. Abstinence - This group consists of actions that helps us from becoming too involved in the world so we may better focus on God instead of the things of this world. The disciplines included here are: solitude, silence, fasting, frugality, chastity, secrecy, and sacrifice. Willard's comments on solitude and silence were particularly insightful (solitude can help us in resisting conformity to this world).
2. Engagement - This group consists of actions we can do to serve others in this world so as to not become so isolated that we render ourselves useless to be used by God for His glory. Disciplines included here are: study, worship, celebration, service, prayer, fellowship, confession, and submission.

Other chapters (such as 11) address issues such as: can a Christian be financially and spiritually successful at the same time?

Willard will definitely challenge you to think and pay attention as you read, so be forewarned - this is not a light read!

Read, enjoy, and be challenged and encouraged! Highly recommended.

A very bold book, with uncensored views. It had a story to tell. A story of African American life.

Upon reading this book for the first time, I thought it was very raw and somewhat negative and offensive. After reading it a second time, I realized how true it really is. I understood that the words didn't come from the author's mouth. But from a mother, a man, a teen, a gangster, etc. Then, I was able to relate and appreciate the work. The author of this book is very talented as she travels through the thoughts of various individuals, in various situations. She definitely doesn't beat around the bush. Her words jump right at you. You can't help but recognize them, respect them and open your eyes.

"Open Our Eyes" is a poetry book filled with truth and power. It offers poignant reflections on the African-American's place in today's society. The poems are intense and absorbing. Nanci's poetry goes beyond the superficial blanket that many people tend to hide behind. The depth of the poetry will strike a chord in the souls of many. Nanci is truly a gifted writer who is using her talent to leave a legacy of hope for African Americans everywhere.

I really enjoyed the poetry of Open Our Eyes. Everything in this book has crossed my mind before or I have discussed it with friends. The author is bold and courageous enough to write about it. This author is a powerful performer. I was able to see her in action in Houston. She is adorable, funny and personable. I felt as if I knew her all of my life. Buy a book for yourself and a friend.

I am not much of a reader. It can take me weeks to finish a book no matter how good it is. I live in a slow town, but I just don't have the time,even though I live in a boring town. But this book was diffrent. It is so good I could not put it down. The poems are excellent and make you want to finish the whole book.

A picture book for ages 4-7, and perfect for adults of any age, the story of family visiting brims with positive energy, and is vividly descriptive of the sights and sounds the visitors brought. "The Relatives Came" provides material for discussion of family roles and expectations. I sent the book to my sister after our family had come through some intense time together.

I'm giving this book to lots of grandmothers!! All 7 arrived quickly and it was a great transaction.

This is one of my favorite books and also of my daughters. The illustrations are beautiful, and the heart warming story of family visits, appreciation and love just makes you feel good. I like this book so much that I will add more Cynthia Rylant books to our home library.

We're from a large family and the images and descriptions of the family reunion really touched home. I've given it to two different sets of nieces and nephews, and hope they'll have the same great stories to tell about our family that Cynthia Rylant relates.

I bought this book to use for a discussion about how authors can paint pictures with their words. My first graders loved this book and we were able to talk about our favorite parts in the book and all the children can relate because they have either gone to visit relatives or relatives have come to visit them. They loved the pictures and the story!

When I first opened this book I was afraid, afraid because of how big a classic it is, because I'd never read Dostoevsky before and because there was the faint possibility of me not liking it.

All my trepidation was unjustified, on this wonderfully conceived masterpiece, Dostoevsky shows how great a storyteller he is, building a wide range of characters that are both complex and real, displaying great insight into human nature and meticulously developing and carrying the plot to its climax.

But it's not perfect, but, then again, nothing is, the mostly lengthy and wordy dialogs feel more like a collection of monologues, than, well, dialogs, which is, although Dostoevsky manages to keep a constant tension to the bulk of them, a little irritating and unrealistic.

This is an awesome book! It is not an easy read, but it rewards close reading. It's about a struggling Russian college student named Raskolnikov, who decides to kill a certain old moneylender (and a nearby witness) just to see if he can get away with it, and also to take her valuables so that he can cash them in at a later time.

But he is haunted by feelings of guilt and paranoia. His faithful friends and family are unaware of his heinous crimes. They shower the sickly Raskolnikov with unconditional love and acceptance, and it makes him even sicker with guilt. He can hardly keep from discussing the crimes with others, and it rouses the suspicions of the police.

The book is more or less a commentary on Psalm 32, with its timeless expression of guilt and release. It is also a commentary on the Lazarus story of John chapter 11 from the New Testament.

The book puts you inside the mind and heart of a criminal, and it will stay with you long after the last page is read. One of the greatest books of all time.

So let me ask a question in a primitive, modern way...

Is this damn thing any good? Uh, yeah.

Fyodor's novel is called one of the greatest ever written for a reason. It is a masterful work, filled with suspense, fascinating characters, great atmosphere, intelligent dialogue, twists and turns, and a great, satisfying ending. It is a true cerebral novel, one that really emulates Dostoyevsky's outlook on life and art itself. Raskolnikov is one of the most fascinating, well known characters in all of literature, and even to this day, he is still talked about and discussed. This book, along with Notes from the Underground, are my favorite Dostoyevsky novels.

I also love this book because it shreds the idea of Nietzsche's "superman" ideal. Many have grossly misinterpreted Dostoyevsky's attitude towards Raskolnikov. Some make the argument that he is a model of the Nietzschian superman. Raskolnikov certainly acts like the "superman", thinking that since he has a superior intellect that that entitles him to, essentially, shred off the chains of the morality that governs others, and that he is free to do what he wishes, as the laws of "lesser men" don't apply to him. Fyodor, however, does not agree with this and shows that it is a false assumption that intelligent people make when they believe they are superior to anyone. We can argue the wider point that the Nietzschian superman isn't a superman at all, but an arrogant, deluded man who puts himself above everyone because he believes he is superior to everyone. Raskolnikov is exactly like this, until reality and Sonia make him realise that he isn't the Superman at all, just another human being, and a deeply human one at that. I believe many people who interpret Dostoyevsky as "pro-Superman" (in the Nietzsche sense, not the Marvel Comics one) are simply putting their own personal beliefs on Dostoyevsky's prose, and are not looking at the novel with clear and thoughtful eyes.

This is a wonderful novel, one of the greatest ever written, and one that can be revisited again and again.

I don't think any book creates the inner tension like this one. This and Brothers Karamzov are must reads of FD.

What can I say that hasn't been said already?
This is probably the best fictional study of the effects of guilt and radical ideas on a troubled mind. The prose is flowing, and it's not hard to see why Dostoevsky considered his novels "poems".
Dostoevsky's works in general are marred by a flaw I prefer to ignore as much as I can, and in this novel it is hardly present. Dostoesky's politics are odious, his nationalism, anti-Semitism, and anti-Polish sentiments absolutely ruined a section of The Brothers Karamazov for me and in The Gambler I felt their effect dramatically. They only crop up once in Crime and Punishment, that is when (plot spoiler coming soon) Svidrigailov is about to shoot himself, when Dostoevsky describes the Jewish guard as having "that sour look common to all members of that tribe", or something very close to those words.
All in all, I feel that Dostoevsky's politics can be excused, and prefer to focus on the positive attributes of his writing. There are many, and it isn't difficult.

More than I could have imagined. Great historical information. A must have for any Smith fan.

If you have an interest in Smith & Wesson firearms or if you are a collector you have to have this book.

This book is the best S&W reference available to the general public.It covers pretty much every S&W product.ever sold.Well written,full color,low price,its a great buy.

If you have any interest in Smith & Wesson firearms, this is a must have. Tons of information on pistols, rifles, shotguns and other items made by S&W.

Excellent resource for the S&W collector. Very comprehensive, quality pictures, great read. The type of book you get lost in for a few hours!