Robertson Books

They used to say that if you remember the sixties, you weren't there. Similarly, if you're reading this book--or want to read this book--you're not bohemian.

I realize the author's approach is tongue-in-cheek, but sadly, the people most likely to pick up this quick moneymaker (and peruse it for more than a moment) won't *get* the tongue-in-cheek part: they will instead use this pricey tome as a resource guide, i.e., "Rimbaud anthology--check; thrift-store clothes--check; hair under arms [if I'm a woman]--check."

If you're a true bo, you're not reading this review--because you either can't afford a computer, are steadfastly against electronics, or both. If you are reading this review, and want to be a bohemian, it's too late: you've been mainstreamed. If, on the other hand, you want to be a faux-bo--or if you simply like bohemian-esque clothes, furnishings, and accessories, take the money that you would have used for this book and buy some Patchouli incense and a Billie Holliday CD instead.

great book, perfect condition. i would absolutely buy from this seller again. it took a little long to arrive, but it was worth the great price and perfect condition. :) thanks!

I think that pretty much sums up this book. It is essentially a person trying to squeeze a movement that stands for individuality into a pattern not unlike an organized religion, which I'm sure most real 'Bohemians' would object to. The 'Bohemianism' that this book describes is an elitist club in which you must start your day off with a cup of coffee (not from Starbucks),
drink wine, and balance eclectic and sometimes extravagent style with the poverty necessary to be more 'Bohemian' than the average Bush-voting, Church-attending Capitalist.

That being said, it is fun to read and has some meager value in it. If you read fast and can get the book for cheap, then go for it. It's more productive than watching soap operas or browsing MySpace, if that's what you're going to be doing, anyway. If 2.5 stars was an option, I would have given it the extra credit. Just don't get distracted by the shiny object that is incognito conformity.

I have for a long time considered myself a Bohemian. This book summarized every aspect of the lifestyle beautifully. Yes, there are some cliché's among its pages, and the book is written with a touch of humor, but I find that it doesn't mar the beauty or quality of Ms. Stover's book. It is filled with references to famous Bohemians in history, and lists dozens of unique books, movies, and music that are essential to the culture. The word 'Bohemian' has been commercialized over the years, and mutilated into such phrases as `boho-chic' and whatever else fashion magazines want to advertise, or 20 something's want to buy into. Bohemia was a culture that was the opposite of trends, conformity, or mainstream culture. It was sometimes blissful, sometimes agonizing, but always rich with art and a unique beauty that lingered long after it passed. I believe it's still possible to live a life dedicated to the lifestyle and culture, and this book is a little relic to lend you a helping hand and show you how it's possible.

This is a fun read for those who lack philosophy and understanding of European culture. To suggest conservative values are somehow tied in with corporate profit taking is beyond stupidity. Often it is the lesse faire entrepreneur that thumbs his nose at community values. The entrepreneur is often the bourgeois aristocrat with the capital enough to succeed in his endeavors. Those who hold to the lifestyle described in this book should understand that they are bought and sold by pop culture that claims to "disrupt society norms". Your puppets and you should not claim to be original or rebellious--try lazy and subjective!

Misunderstood the purpose of this book when I ordered it. I was disappointed to read such mud slung on every page against Pat Robertson. Old ancient proverb: "Man who sling mud, lose ground." Very biased. Would NOT recommend.

I already knew for along time living in Va what a menace robertson was to society and the world. I have know people that worked for him in the cbn building and have heard some pretty strange things. This book brings out in the open all of the other insane rhetorical nonsense which seems to know no end with this man. I am not Christian nor hold any religious type beliefs. But believe me i certainly do no hold all Christians in the same light as this maniac. There needs to be an updated version of this book. He has continually strolled in la la land since.

The author sites news reports, recordings of Robertson's public speeches and the written word of the Christian Coalition and it's various brother organizations in this well researched book. Clearly demonstrated is Robertson's back-and-forth style of commentary regarding the separation of church and state (the version the audience gets depends precisely upon the leanings of the audience itself), his tendency to make an outrageous statement then deny ever having said it (the Hugo Chavez remarks weren't covered in the book, but the research show that this type of comment from Robertson is not the exception, but the norm), and his questionable business dealings.

What is perhaps most frightening about him is the influence he wields within the republican party, which could be devastating to women's health and the religious freedoms of non-christians should said influence continue unchecked.

The proof is there for all to see. Robertson may wish to pass it all off as a smear campaign generated by the 'liberal media', but his words and actions speak for themselves.

Give an idiot enough rope and he'll hang himself eventually. Robertson has created his own noose with his ridiculous claims about his divine influence and his repeated lies and obviously outrageous behavior. One has to wonder why his god would allow him to set such a deplorable example for his people for so long, when it's clear to anyone who bothers to observe such statements and behaviors that the stool should have been kicked out from under him years ago.

What a shame that so many people blindly follow his teachings and so many non-christians think his views represent those of all christians. He gives a very bad name to the beliefs and people he claims to represent.

It is unbelievably ignorant of you to even suggest that Pat Robertson is in any way acting in a manner that is equivalent to the way the Jesus himself did in his time. Jesus taught compassion, equality and most important of all, love. These are the fundamental values in all of jesus' teachings. You are blinding yourself to reality, or rather allowing yourself to be blinded by beleiving that Robertson speaks the truth. Robertson is a blatant example of how the subconsciously existent socially opressive system contorts the fabric of justice and peace in America and the world today. Robertson CONTORTS the words of god to influence people in to buying into his hypocracy. God loves all, he is aware of everything, he isnt troubled by such trivial divisions in our world, atheists, muslims, hindus, buddhists, does it really matter? I myself am a hindu, but I believe that all religions, even with their differences lead to the same truth. This is why I support this book. This book does not breed hate towards Pat Robertson, it raises awareness. Pat Robertson in no way shape or form represents god.

I wonder how many men and women have been scared away from even thinking about a relationship with God because of the inane prattle of Pat Robertson. As a Christian myself, Robertson embarrasses me. His blood and thunder god has the temperament of a five year old child and about as much judgement. Robertson continually dishes out his poison all the while blinking with his eyes half closed, his mouth twitching, and this idiotic **** eating grin.

If he didn't influence so many, he would just be another sad joke. But unfortunately people listen to this man talk of praying away hurricanes, how Hurricane Katrina and 9/11 occured because of God's wrath, how the citizens of Dover, Pa. can't expect God's help because they turned their backs on God and on and on and on. He opens his mouth and dumb falls out.

Please don't judge all Chrsitians on the basis of people like this. We aren't all ignorant and we don't all hate everyone who disagrees with us.

I read this book because it's on the modern library's top 100 books, and it was interesting. The thing I liked the best is how the author alludes to a lot of other well known poems and sometimes directly quotes things. It shows how well read and clever the author was when writing this novel. The overall story is good, not outstanding because it's a little dull and boring at times, but it definitely has it's good moments as well. Overall, The Cunning Man is unique, and in my opinion worth reading.

the main character was a little too in love with himself. maybe that was the point. about 80% of the way through, i got bored and put the book away.

Though Robertson Davies was researching another book -- the end of the unfinished "Toronto Trilogy" -- his final novel "The Cunning Man" feels like the real end of his career. While it has some typical Daviesian content (mystery, evolving characters), the whole novel feels like an elderly man's farewell to his friends and the changing world.

Father Ninian Hobbes, a sweet old High Anglican priest, dies during Good Friday mass. Dr. Jonathan Hullah is perplexed by the details, but not so perplexed that he doesn't take the time to recount his life story: a supposedly fragile child in a backward Canadian village, who encountered love, deep friendship, and the mysteries of psychological and physical medicine.

In the present, he's a successful doctor, with a lot of the drama centering on St. Aiden's Church and his two old schoolmates: scholarly Brocky, and tragically pious priest Charlie. The death of old Hobbes sets off a hysterical devotion to the old "saint," followed by a murder, the loss of old friends, and a shocking confession that changes Hullah's world.

"The Cunning Man" is actually more like two books -- one is the bildungsroman of Hullah's youth and development, and the other is more like a series of short stories about Hullah's waning years. Many pages have musings about how the world -- and Canada -- has changed, regrets, and the loss of old friends to illness and age. You can tell that Davies was near the end of his life when he wrote this.

As is usual with Davies' books, there's a wealth of historical and philosophical detail, with quirky moments like the shaman's tent and Hullah trying to diagnose fictional characters. He also tackles the question of miracles (without taking sides), the spirit of marriage, and the idea of religious devotion twisted into something else, when sins are committed in an attempt to glorify God.

But his is a less coherent book than most of Davies' works. Some of the characters -- Dwyer, the Gilmartins -- simply fade out or expire offscreen, without fanfare or even much of an explanation. And the latter half is chopped up by multiple subplots and lots of rambly letters from Hullah's landlady, which are interesting but hard to follow.

Hullah himself isn't terribly likable; he seems too enamored of himself. The interesting ones are the supporting characters -- lovable cynic Brocky and his wife Nuala (respectively friend and lover to Hullah), the lesbian landladies, Esme the journalist, Dwyer the religious gay banker, Mrs. Smoke the gruff medicine woman, and Charlie the worshipful curate whose piety is slowly perverted.

"The Cunning Man" is perhaps Davies' weakest novel as well as his last, but it's also a melancholy, introspective piece of work. Farewell, Mr. Davies.

Robertson Davies' "The Cunning Man" purports to be the Diary or Case Book of a doctor--Jonathan Hullah--who moves from the wilderness of Sioux Lookout to Toronto, Canada.

But it is much more than that. It turns into what the narrator, Hullah, says he wants to avoid, a Bildungsroman or Novel of Development: in this case the development of Hullah's character, but also the development of Toronto and Canada itself, from a wild-and-wooly backwoods place to an cosmopolitan, but very quirky, society.

The cast of characters is brilliant.

Hullah himself is interesting, if a little stuffy. But Pansy Todhunter, one of "The Ladies," whose letters he quotes in full, is a wonderful offset: slangy, funny, malicious, hearfelt.

Charlie his never-quite-holy priest friend is fabulous: tormented and visionary and fanatical and sad.

Mrs. Smoke, the cranky Indian shamaness who saves the 8-year-old Jonathan by magic spells and awakens him to The Other.

Darcy Dwyer, the aesthete banker who opens him to music and the visual arts, but also ruthless inquiry and even espionage.

Lt. Commander Daubigny, the high-school teacher with a multi-national and even cannibalistic past.

Even Esme, the relentless young reporter with whom Hullah becomes, shockingly, smitten.

All are wonderful in themselves, yet emblematic of larger elements of a changing society.

Instructive, thoughtful, funny. A wonderful read.

Pity the Amazon star system doesn't allow for fractional stars, or else I would have given this 3.5 or 3.75.

I first read The Cunning Man in my mid-20s, after reading - and greatly enjoying - both the Salterton and Cornish trilogies. It left me disappointed, but for some reason I couldn't get Charlie Iredale's fate out of head. I recently re-read the book in my late 30s, and I've adjusted my original judgement slightly. There's no doubt that the book's flawed, but it also manages to be a deeply moving meditation on the comedies and tragedies of everyday life; if approached on its own terms.

And let there be no doubt that the book is flawed. The narrative technique chops and changes, chronology moves inconsistently, major characters fade away (in the case of the older Gilmartins) or (in the case of Dwyer) die off-stage with no apparent consequence, some of the literary allusions seem a little too forced (just how many times can you use the adjectives 'Chekovian' and 'Dostoeyevskian' in one book anyway?) and few works of popular fiction - however literary - can have had a central plot (just what did happen to Fr. Hobbes, and what was Charlie Iredale's role?) that occupies so little of the book. On top of that, anyone who's read much of Davies' literary criticism will be aware of the extent to which the narrator (and Brocky Gilmartin) share the author's own perspectives on art and literature, which makes for an uncomfortable de-opaquing of the literary fourth wall.

But for all that, every time I read the book it has a profound impact on me, an impact that is arguably greater on its own terms than that of Davies' better books. If you can get past the flaws, there are some profound - and profoundly moving - truths about the human condition here. I stand by my review title: if you read it for what it says, rather than how it says it, you will be richly rewarded. And you'll probably get more out of it the older you are.

And just a closing thought.... I re-read this right after reading Anthony Burgess' Earthly Powers - a novel about an ageing bachelor of literary bent who muses back on the events of his life following an interview where he's asked about the potential sainthood of a deceased acquaintance. I'm not implying anything, but it makes for an interesting comparison.

I bought this delightful book in 1969 from Scholastic Books, in school. I carried it around in an armload of textbooks and binders for a long time, intending to but never reading it. I wish I read it way back then! I happened upon an original copy of it in a thrift store last weekend and I bought it for 79 cents. I read it and loved it.

I identified with the young man Dave because he has a dysfunctional family, weird friends and a cat he dearly loves. Plus, he and his "Pop" are both stormy. That was me! This book cuts to the heart of relationships. I was amazed at how well the author wrote across gender, a woman writing from the perspective of a young teenage boy. I especially enjoyed the descriptions of Cat and his antics. I think the title is what first sold me on the book, when I was a kid. I've always liked cats.
I highly recommend this book to readers of all ages, whether you like cats or not.

"It's Like This, Cat" was a book I read as a child just because I wanted to, not a school assignment, not a parental suggestion, just my choice at the library. I loved it, and I still remember it today, and I'm now 52 years old. It's that well written and memorable, yet it's not really about anything monumental - just a child finding a friend in a cat. Highly recommended to any child who thinks no one understands, and that might be every child. It will make sense and leave a lasting impression.

It was cool. This is probably the best book I ever read. One reason I liked this book is that I like cats. My favorite part was when Dave goes over to Kate's house and notices that a cat is hissing at a mother with kittens. Dave asks Kate to take him home, and although she is slow in letting him have Cat, she finally agrees.

This book is better than most books and Cat doesn't die like the many animal characters in others books. I recommend that you read this book!

Made me extremely sad that the author had to kill off a kitten, AND in a terrible way as well.

What was the point? There were so many other alternatives for ending this book....!

I wonder what the target-age-group limit is on Newbery Award winners. This particular Neville title seems to be more of a young-adult book than anything else. It's about supporting character Tom, and his journey from a rough youth to a responsibly engaged man. But when the story of Tom feels like taking a break, other things pop up for us to read about. Main character Dave gets himself a girlfriend (but we never discover what becomes of the relationship), a crazy lady inherits a million bucks, red lizards are studied through research, Jewish holidays are celebrated, and Dave's cat goes around acting like a cat. I've always been a fan of such delightfully random events.

I had two major misconceptions of this novel before reading it. First, I thought the book would be about Dave telling Cat all his problems in tasteful soliloquy fashion, just to get adolecent problems off his chest. I also thought Cat was going to die after I discovered that the author's cat had passed away a year before the publication date. Well, Dave doesn't tell Cat about his problems, and a little kitten gets killed instead of Dave's cat.

I had fun reading this well-written, laid-back novel, and I'd recommend it to people of all ages. Even during the most dramatic of scenes, the book doesn't seem to shake its nice, calm mood.

I loved this book; I haven't enjoyed reading a book this much in a long time. I want Joe to be my friend and neighbor, and I want his grocery store in my town!

Light reading, sure, but its ultimate themes of joy, hope, and happiness, and the bumps along the way, make for a pleasurable story.

Lorna Landvak has long been one of my favorite authors, but I was very disappointed in this book. Too much use of the "F" word and too much teen-age sex.

I won't be recommending this to any of my friends.

This was my first Landvik book, and I loved it! I fell in love with all the characters, even Kristi (well, sort of...). I cried several times, and smiled even more.

There were a few places where I thought she was insulting the reader's memory and intelligence by giving an unnecessary reference or explanation, but hey, she didn't ask me to be her editor (next time, Ms. Landvik, I'd be happy to).

Since I'm from Minnesota and graduated high school in '75 it was a perfect summer read for me.

Julie Sevig
Chicago

I have copied the following from another review. I so wanted to report EXACTLY the following sentiment after finishing the book. Because I am a great fan of the author's PREVIOUS books, I felt obligated to read to the end, looking, HOPING she could somehow redeem herself. Silly me, never happened. Here is the review with which I agree in its entirety:

I have read and enjoyed all Lorna Landvik's previous novels, but The View From Mount Joy was completely different. Loaded with sex, which is pretty much the whole subject, I didn't like the book at all. As a matter of fact, instead off sharing it with friends or family or donating it to the local library, I will be throwing it in the trash !!!!

This book, while a bit schmaltzy at times, was an easy, enjoyable read. The story was quick and absorbing and the characters were well developed. My only issue with the book was the same as some other reviewers in that it was a bit difficult keeping track of the time line. Years would span between chapters and you would have to wait for the author to mention somebody's age to figure out how much time had gone by. Overall, good story w/ interesting premise.

Like other readers, I have hung on and continued to read this series with a mixture of guilty pleasure, disgust, and annoyance. The stories are engaging enough, otherwise people wouldn't be reading the 5th book in a 6 book series, so I have to say, kudos to Douglass for that.


SPOILER ALERT:

I was so over Faraday after the first 3 books and was glad when she was no longer interfering in the story I wanted to read. But Faraday is much more likable in Pilgrim. However, this is done at the expense of Axis and Azhure. I'm not sure why Douglass was unable to balance the cast of major characters. It would have been far preferable to me if Axis and Azhure didn't even appear in these three books at all. Faraday is annoying in her repeated inner dialogue about why she can't love Drago. It gets old being beaten over the head with things, but Douglass is ever one to do this.

The absolute worst part about this book is the brutality. I can handle brutality when it serves a greater purpose in the story. I can handle gruesome details. However, Douglass goes WAY WAY over the top in this book and lost me as a future reader of any other of her works. I will finish this series because I started them, but I will NEVER read another book she writes, lest I have to suffer through details of rapes and people eating their own entrails. Douglass was going for shock value, I guess, but it falls flat and simply makes me wonder if she has a warped mind.

Some of the battles in this book are simply dumb. At one point an army of over a billion animals descends upon tens of thousands of the residents of Carlon. I'm sorry, but a billion of ANYTHING can quickly overtake even a million people. And yet, Drago is able to save the people anyway. Details like that are grating and annoying.

As is Faraday's use of the "F" word (talk about breaking the magic) and her use of the well known "absolute power corrupts absolutely quote." I didn't realize Faraday was a fan of The Prince.

The TimeKeeper Demons got old, as did StarLaughter and the rest of that group. After awhile I felt like yawning. Douglass didn't know what to do with the Hawkchilds, although they could have been rather terrifying. Instead she decided to gross everyone out by describing self mutilation and the rape of WolfStar. Yes, the rape of WolfStar. I would really like to know why Douglass felt the need to go there. It served NO purpose of any kind, and I think all would agree.

The high points of this book were Drago, Urbeth, and Faraday for me. Also the reappearance of Belaguez. That was nice. I'm glad I'm almost done with these books!

The saga continues...riveting story line and Sara Douglass just keeps you turning page after page. So much action, you can't put it down.

An awesome read, you really get to know these charachters, people have said bad things I know, but if you can really get into a story and not judge it for more then what it is; a great story, you will truly love this series.

Sara Douglass has taken her own spin on the plot twist, the character twist (wherein a character previously assumed to be the reincarnation of Sliced Bread is discovered to actually be secretly eeeevil, while characters everyone reviles as a cross between Osama bin Laden and a child molester are revealed to be the salvations of man-, bird-, and tree-kind) and moved it beyond perfection into predictability. Rest assured, if you are introduced to a character who appears to be a pretty decent guy, that he will eventually turn out to kick puppies or something. On the other hand, previously kickass members of the Hot Cover Art Girls With Swords and Halter Tops Club are now reduced to vapid, simpering sidekicks who sigh a lot (I'm looking at you, Azhure and Zenith). And then Faraday - who from Day 1 has been the most boringly consistent character of all, with her interminable sulky, self righteous martyr complex - drops the F-bomb out of nowhere, and you know you're in the presence of a master. Still, after the first 87 times the monster rips off his mask to reveal he's really kindly old Mr. MacGregor, you get the point.

But then, Douglass has never been accused of being too subtle. She will take a horse and beat it, not only 'til it's dead, but long past its expiration date. Take Zenith, who's really starting to tick me off. See, Zenith and her grandfather StarDrifter are in love, which is OK because they're both SunSoars, which is like being a Bush in that you rule the world and you can pretend things like the Constitution don't exist, much less apply to you. (Does that make WolfStar Karl Rove?) Except Zenith is all angsty over the fact that she wants to boink granddad, and so she spends the entire book agonizing over it. Seriously. Every. Single. Time we cut to Zenith, that's what she's doing. She serves absolutely no other purpose in this book except to conduct a tortured inner dialogue: "But I love him! But it's gross! But he's so hot! But it's naughty!" Fish or cut bait, honey.

But you know, detailing everything wrong with a Sara Douglass novel is a little mean, plus way too easy - like shooting fish in a barrel. The truth is, I've hung in for 5 books so far, and am planning on the 6th, so obviously she's doing something right. I'll admit that the sheer soap-opery melodrama is, in its own way, a delightfully guilty pleasure. I also like the fact that, for the most part, Douglass has managed to maintain a level of coherence and internal continuity in an astonishingly complicated and twisting series of books; any surprises she reveals about events that occurred in the first three books generally hold up on further inspection. This makes for a fairly longish series that works as well on the fifth book as it did in the first, quite an accomplishment these days.

So these eeeevil demons have crashed through the Star Gate and rendered all of Tencendor's likely heroes useless. The Enchanters are disenchanted, the StarMan is starless, and the StarSon is... Wait, who's the StarSon again? That distinction plays a huge role here, as professional underdog Drago leads a ragtag band of humans to Save the World. Trite, but true. Anyway, a lot of the book is spent describing the horrors that the Demons visit upon Tencendor, and the utter helplessness of most of the population. There's less of action here (save for the fleeing) than of revelations. Such is the fate of the middle book of the trilogy. So we get more on the mysterious 'craft' that crash landed millennia ago; the origins of the various species of Tencendor (except the Avar - I want their story!); the whole StarMan/StarSon controversy; the potential power of the Acharites, &c. All to set up the final book, really, although the ending of "Pilgrim" is delightfully cliffhangerish.

So yes, I mock, but at the end of the day I really do get a kick out of these books. I wish to God Douglass were a more consistent writer, or at least had a decent editor, but I don't look a gift novel in the mouth. "Pilgrim" is an enjoyable, entertaining continuation of the Wayfarer Redemption series.

The ties that binded this mythology together begin to unravel. As I enjoyed the first three, it is a sad thing to have to say, but the characters leave much to be desired, the story is splintered, and the brutality is often unnecessarily gruesome.

This great little cookbook is entertaining at the least, yet filled with delicious recipes. The sense of humor is refreshing. I've tried several recipes and the family enjoyed all. My only suggestion is that the authors could have included solar cooking as another alternative without bothering with fuel. The sun does eventually come back out. Simple Solar Ovens can easily be made by any kid in elementary school. We do it in my 5th grade classroom. Of course the recipes are vegetarian. What, you think that package of hamburger meat will keep for days when the electricity goes out? If you like to eat light, you'll enjoy sampling the recipes. Be sure to read the anecdote about the squirrel family. It's a riot!

Confession: I don't live in a disaster zone, nor have I faced any situations that demanded this book.
That being said, I bought this book because I hate cooking. Really hate cooking. So when I heard about these recipes that used canned vegetables and took less time than those 30 minute meals, I went to my nearest bookstore and bought it.
The recipes are tasty (albeit high in sodium due to the use of canned foods) and extremely easy to make. Even with my limited cooking skills, I'm able to get out a meal in less than 30 minutes (including prep time). My favorite is the "Garlicky Chickpeas with potatoes and tomatoes".
If you haven't figured this out by now, all these recipes are vegetarian/vegan. As a vegan, this is not a problem for me. As someone who's been forced to adapt recipes, I can tell you it's a lot easier to adapt a vegan recipe for omnivore usage than vice versa.
For those without common sense, foods with animal products go bad much more quickly than vegetable-based items. When it comes to stocking your disaster box, items with long-term storage usefulness is a good thing.

This book is actually useful if you have a major power outage or possibly even if you have to leave your house (with butane powered stove and five day box). However, if the Bush administration futzes things up and starts a nuclear war with another country . . . you need another book.

This is a great book for areas that are subject to natural disasters or electrical blackouts where you might have to rely on one-burner cooking. If you like cooking and eating good food, this is a great book even if the lights do stay on. I gave my sister this book along with the Storm Gourmet and she liked Apocalypse Chow the best.

I admit, I bought this book because of the funny title! I haven't tried any recipes yet. The recipes, though vegetarian, look delicious and simple; and I admire the author's approach--why spend 2 weeks living on Spam and cold baked beans, when, with a little forethought, you can be the envy of your block (though I don't think I'd let 'em know we were chowing down in this fashion! Could get ugly!)? You could add canne dmeats to many of the recipes, as well. I particulary enjoyed the author's sense of humor--I've read many disaster prep books, and never encountered humor in any of them. Fave quotes: (regarding "astronaut"/freeze-dried meals)"If your kids are very young, or simply just not too bright, you could tell them you're ordering take-out from Mars" and, "...spending all day slaving over a hot butane stove." Also, the entries on dealing with insurance companies, and the waiting game they play are fun, as well. Most books don't touch upon this, and the crushing boredom and friction that occur when the power has been off for a week.

This book is for the new age, chi-chi. I am a fairly literate man, many of the items mentioned in the book are foreign to me. What is a mandoline?
A mezzaluna? A sudare? Does one need a zester in a calamity? What are basmati pilafs, panchrattan, guanabana and giardiniera? Why would I need to stock several versions of artichoke parts? And of course being closer to a carnivore than anything else, where's the beef? Vegetarian cooking is not something I'd ordinarily do while my faculties are intact. I should have been given that option.
This book was represented to be a help for the average person to smooth over the trauma of adverse conditions through cooking. My take on it is that the this book will be fuel. One of the few good tips gleaned from this book.

This creative book examines the moral obligation that people have when others are going against your own morals. The story is blended with facts about World War 1, World War 2, and the work camps that were places throughout Germany. These facts add to the story, which create an authentic and accurate description of what people during the war experienced, yet it is easy for the reader to distinguish between fact and fiction. Throughout the book, the children discuss Hitler and his regime when talking to each other and adults. This information is later used when the Anna is creating the story about Heidi. The story expressed how many Germans blamed non-Germans, particularly the Jews, for Germany's economic failure after World War 1, and how Hitler used this hatred to create his empire. The story also shows the reverse side, those who disagreed with Hitler and his regime because they had no hatred for other, had family members taken away, and the fear that came along when one talks negatively about the Nazi regime. The dialogue between characters conveyed the period by discussing situations that were going on at that time and incorporating German words and dictum. Hitler's speeches were also mentioned in the book, which showed the strength and leadership he once had. The book does provide insight about today's problems, especially when Mark was listening to the radio and was shocked to hear that genocide against races still occur now. Mark does not understand why people are creating death and destruction since they know about Hitler and his mistakes. This book is intended for grades four through six, but can certainly be used through grade eight. This book can be read at home, or in class through independent, shared, or whole class instruction. This would be a great book to use when discussing the Holocaust. This book would also make a great read aloud for students since the class can have many discussions about the contents of the book, which may also include multiple inference questions. Teachers can incorporate a variety of instruction ideas including journals, K-W-L charts, cause and effect charts, and literature circles. One possible problem would be student's confusion about the existence of Heidi. Some students may confuse themselves by believing that Heidi was a real person. This can be avoided by reinforcing the plot of the story and reminding the students how Anna and the other characters are creating Heidi for their story game.

The format of this book is rather interesting. The main characters are Mark - a modern Australian teenager - and Heidi, Hitler's daughter. Mark knows of Heidi as the character in a story his friend Anna is making up.

Anna begins this story as a way to pass time while the kids are waiting for the bus. Heidi is Hitler's un-acknowledged daughter. She's imperfect - not blonde and beautiful - so she's not a candidate for the arian race. But she loves her daddy, and he loves her in his way.

Mark listens to this story and as he does, a change occurs in him. He starts to consider Point Of View. The questions come - what if My Dad were evil? Would I see that? If I did, would I challenge him?

Beyond the captivating story that Anna tells, the transformation in Mark is a reason to read this book. It is a very quick read, but a good one, for boys or girls.

Highly recommended.
(*)>

My daughter, age 10, enjoys historical fiction, and when she brings a new book home I snag it. To me a good story is one that is engaging and hard to put down, and makes me think in new ways. This was one of the best. I totally disagree with the first editorial review that said the characters weren't developed well and the storylines chopped off. Little Tracy and Ben were developed just enough to move the story along, and the tranformation of Mark was fascinating. The storyline was very satisfying, and the point anyway was Mark's intriguing questions about who we are and how we make the choices we do and who we are separate from our parents. Especially for the target age, middle-school, I thought it was an excellent opening to discussion about going along with the crowd and standing up for what is right.

With that said, I wonder if middle schoolers aren't quite ready for the concepts. The many kid reviews missed the point (Can you see the teacher getting on Amazon to grade the assignment?) and when I asked my daughter how she liked it, she said, "Eh - I've read better." I can't wait to talk to her when she's done, but she's not as into as as other historical fiction books she's read.

The reason why I gave this book 4 stars was because it is the kind of book that I like, its mysterious and gives a lot of details. As difference to the other books this one is very easy to read and has few words I didnt understood. Also something that I liked of this book was that it was a fiction book, and it was a very interesting book too.

I like this book because it is interesting and it talks about Hitler. He killed about 11 millions of people. I like this book because it have fact about a story about hitler and his daughter, and it talks about a family that were going to bus and Anna the big sister told storys about hitler's daughter.

Thousands of novels are published every year, and the vast majority wind up remaindered and pulped. Not this one! This book is well-nigh unforgettable, a unique coming-of-age story that happens in two utterly different worlds.

The first world is a typical high-school, where the young (14yo?) protagonist does all the usual high-school things.

The second world is the rarified world of search for musical excellence. Our young hero lives in Darwin, and the only decent piano teacher in Darwin happens to be an Austrian refugee who once was one of the best concert pianists in the world.

To say anything more would spoil the story, so I won't. I'll just say that you may not enjoy this book if classical music bores you stiff. It's a fascinating tale of the growing relation between master and pupil.

Very well-written, and highly recommended!!

Peter Goldsworthy makes an amazing debut to the novel platform. This has to be the best book written by an Australian ever.

Firstly, and most importantly - the characters. Keller, the Maestro, left me breathless and still does on re-readings. His seemingly drunken ramblings on the Nazi era and on the vulgarity of human nature ring with a startlingly frank and horrible truth - "It WOULD be funny, if so much did not depend on it" he says of a 'carrols by candle light riot' news headline.

Paul Crabbe, our aspiring pianist, is an excellent portralyal of the teenage years, and J.K. Rowling would do well to consider this (her 'teenage-angst' Harry is simple and sickeningly obvious - give teenagers the credit Goldsworthy does!). The arragance that comes with intellect, especially in the teenage years, is well conveyed in Maestro and Paul's relationship with Rosie treated perfectly by Goldsworthy (are you listening to this, JKR?!?!).

I enjoyed this book particularly because i'm an aspiring concert classical guitarist. Goldsworthy seems to command a perfect understanding of what its like to aspire to something so difficult. The book's final sentence is poetic and beautiful, and gets the issue in one. He even shows an impecable knowledge of classical music that makes this book much less irritating than say 'Asturias' or 'the Mozart Maulers'(which was very pretentious).

Keller's theories on music are brilliant and Goldsworthy deserves credit: "the best music is neither beautiful nor ugly. Like the world, it is infinitly complex. Full of nuance. Rich beyond any reduction"

I don't usually like to qoute texts for an amazon review, and the fact that i've done so twice for this says something about the beautiful writting. Goldsworthy writes poetically, witout the self-indulgence of a poet. The descriptions of Darwin, Adeleide, music, life, and- especially - Kellar's study, are amazing.

Writting of this quality alone would get a 5/5. But Goldsworthy goes the next step - he edits. One would expect a writer with such beauty at his fingertips to indulge in endless ramblings, descriptions of flowers, etc etc. Not so Goldsworthy. The book is trim and fast paced: at little more than 100 pages, it can easily be read in a sitting. This excellent structural craftsmenship and narrative flare make Maestro not just an excellent read, but a work of high art.

Bravo, Maestro.

I hate this book! The main character is a selfish creep called Paul who has an inflated opinion of himself. All of the characters are unattractive. It is an extremely unenjoyable book and essentially about failure. Unfortunately many people seem to think it is literature.

Ever wanted to be a musician? In Darwin, Australia (the main town nearest to Crocodile Dundee)?

No, well Goldsworthy teleports you there without the humidity, isolation and ennui. Having been a musician in Darwin myself, I thought "How could any publisher possibly be interested in a story about a musician in Darwin?". Well, Goldsworthy's technique surpases the subject matter. Nazi sympathizers, finding a place to "bonk" in the botanical gardens and the frustration of knowing that there is always someone who can play better than you are intertwined like some mythical zen parable leading the reader to question whether their "life has been wasted following an impossible dream". All very probable for Darwin but described like an Escher scetch: "perfume which consumed me like some sort of like sexual solvent".

When you open this book, you will smell the north of Australia. Through carefully constructed set pieces Peter Goldsworthy paints a picture of love and of coming of age.

The language floats indistincly between prose and poetry, unfettered by either. " Can I know that mine was a foolish, innocent world, a world of delustion and feeling and ridiculous dreams - a world of music - and still love it? Endlessly, effortlessly."

Maestro may not be a undying masterpiece... But it is a masterpiece.

It's a thousand-fold improvement on both the GoLive manual and online help. But it has many lapses of its own. Although the authors have tried to clarify some of GoLive's user-unfriendly procedures, in some cases they muddle things up more. They even had to clarify some of their own explanations on their Web site.

Speaking of which: the Web site promises much but delivers little. And forget about ongoing support: the site now supports only their latest book, REAL WORLD ADOBE GOLIVE 5.

My advice is to buy whichever book covers your version of GoLive, but expect to cross-reference everything with GoLive's own online help files....

I purchased this book in order to learn how to create web pages using Adobe's GoLive. After a few hours, however, this book turned out to be the major obstacle in this enterprise. The book of Carlson et al is neither a text book nor a reference book. It is basically a blown-up manual where you only incidently will find and learn what you are looking for. The order and the arrangement of topics is confusing, some references are incorrect or simply do not exist, basic information has been left out.

The reader is guided from one keystroke to another without knowing at that time what he is doing. You will not get the whole picture. You will not be told how page and site design and construuction works. However, at least once on a page you are reminded that the return key on a mac keybard is the enter key on a microsoft keyboard and that the control key on a microsoft keyboard is the command key on an apple keyboard

But the worst is yet to come: obviously in order to make up for their incompetence in writing a book, the authos tried to be funny. Paragraphs such as 'Zat is not my dog' or phrases such as 'some browsers had a tendency to crash if you even mentioned the word "frames" within earshot of the computer' would have warned me if I had have the chance to review this book before purchasing it.

Several times you will be reading how 'pretty cool' the point and shoot method is. But which file of two is the reference and which file is citing the reference after you pretty cool pointed and shooted is something you have to find out yourself. And that will give you the chance to find out by yourself how to remove unwanted references.

At least half of the text is garbadge of that kind, stuff everyone knows or sruff nobody wants to know. Even if a certain informtion is part of the text the average reader won't find it. The avarage reader does not have the time and patience to read all that complacent, childish, sometimes embarresing amateur poetry of regard their playing with computers as being the 'real world' (the title of the book).

Carlson and his friends should have written another book. I am not sure which one. Probably a book about the wonderful world of computer toys with all its pretty cool programs and funny features where there is, however, 'never enough coffee' but definetly enough fun all day long.

I bought and read Real World Illustrator 8 by Deke McClelland and Really enjoyed reading it. But I must say that I do not enjoy reading this book. In the preface of the book the authors explain how they learned a lot while writing the book and I just wish that they would have already had a good grasp of the whole concept before they began. The book tells you everything that you could possibly want to know about the program but it does not join it all together in a way that is easy to understand. If in fact you were to study the book really hard I have no doubt that you would master the program as the authors have, but you will have spent a lot of time doing it. I wish the authors would have stuck with one subject at a time instead of jumping around so much.

This book is excellent for anyone wanting to get into GoLive and really make it work. Since going through the book and using the additions from the web site I have more than doubled my output capabilities with GoLive. Some complain about no CD but all you really need is your own creativity and the money (which is well spent) to buy this book.

This book has quickly become indispensible. I've been building sites with GoLive for several years, and like every really deep program (Photoshop for example) GoLive is full of hidden features, mysteries, and more than the occasional frustration. Real World GoLive 4.0 has answered questions that have plagued me from day one. It is an easy to use reference work, not simply thorough but clear.These guys write well about a difficult subject. Their humor helps, but their well distilled and well organized knowledge helps even more. Bravo!