Robertson Books

This novel is one of the best of the "Anne" series. The plot moves, the characters are well portrayed, and romance keeps the suspense up and the reader engrossed. It is so wonderful to read something written about the turn of the century that isn't full of the filth of so much of today's fiction.

It doesn't have the charm or enthusiasm of the other books; it is an okay stand-alone, but Anne, Gil, and the 6 Blythe kids are actually background characters, especially Anne and Gilbert! It is okay alone, though.

This book is, in my opinion, one of the very funniest in the series.
Faith Meredith just cracks me up.
I got the whole series for christmas, and I am reading them backwards. I just started Anne's House of Dreams today!

Although this book has little about Anne in it, I think the author was right in focusing on the children. After all, as a mother of 6, I don't think there would be much story to Anne. Obviously her life at this point, even with Susan's help, consisted of working in her home and for her family. This was still during a time when there were few machines to make tasks easier, and the work never ended. All through the book she is there for her children as she was in Anne of Ingleside, but now the story is theirs and that of their friends. She was able to move the story of Anne along while bringing in new characters and fresh storylines. Because of the devices she used, she was able to make the 8th book as interesting as the first one. The author was also possibly employing the same strategies advertisers employ today to sell their wares. She could have been using Anne's name to sell more books. Whatever, it's still a delightful read!

I was disappointed with the previous segment of the series, so I was not expecting much from Rainbow Valley. Indeed, I put off reading it for a year. I'm sorry now that I did so.

Montgomery returns to the magic and lyricism of the beginning of the Green Gable series. But she does it by leaving Anne. There is only a little about Anne's family, and hardly anything about Anne herself in this book. It is mostly about another family, that of John Meredith, the minister, a widower. By telling the story of this family, and an orphan they befriend, we see some angst in life, some troubles. Which was exactly the problem with the story of Anne's family. She went through many troubles as a girl, but as a mature mother, she had everything perfect. The family was perfect. The marriage was perfect. And it was all quite boring. This is why they don't write about perfect people in the adventure stories that Anne loves. But the Merediths do not have a perfect life, and the troubles they experience, and how they attempt to resolve them, create spice.

These are very believable characters created by Montgomery, and a believable small town focused continually on gossip. It is one of the rare books that does not portray a minister and his family as evil, nor as perfect, but simply as real- perhaps because the book was written in 1919. How the children of the family respond to an emotionally absent father is intriguing, and Faith Meredith's actions the most interesting of them all. I read this on the train from Casablanca to Tangier, and the Moroccans in the train car with me gave me many strange looks as I could not stop laughing uproariously at Faith's actions, nor explain to them what was so amazingly funny.

This novel is one of the best of the "Anne" series. The plot moves, the characters are well portrayed, and romance keeps the suspense up and the reader engrossed. It is so wonderful to read something written about the turn of the century that isn't full of the filth of so much of today's fiction.

It doesn't have the charm or enthusiasm of the other books; it is an okay stand-alone, but Anne, Gil, and the 6 Blythe kids are actually background characters, especially Anne and Gilbert! It is okay alone, though.

This book is, in my opinion, one of the very funniest in the series.
Faith Meredith just cracks me up.
I got the whole series for christmas, and I am reading them backwards. I just started Anne's House of Dreams today!

Although this book has little about Anne in it, I think the author was right in focusing on the children. After all, as a mother of 6, I don't think there would be much story to Anne. Obviously her life at this point, even with Susan's help, consisted of working in her home and for her family. This was still during a time when there were few machines to make tasks easier, and the work never ended. All through the book she is there for her children as she was in Anne of Ingleside, but now the story is theirs and that of their friends. She was able to move the story of Anne along while bringing in new characters and fresh storylines. Because of the devices she used, she was able to make the 8th book as interesting as the first one. The author was also possibly employing the same strategies advertisers employ today to sell their wares. She could have been using Anne's name to sell more books. Whatever, it's still a delightful read!

I was disappointed with the previous segment of the series, so I was not expecting much from Rainbow Valley. Indeed, I put off reading it for a year. I'm sorry now that I did so.

Montgomery returns to the magic and lyricism of the beginning of the Green Gable series. But she does it by leaving Anne. There is only a little about Anne's family, and hardly anything about Anne herself in this book. It is mostly about another family, that of John Meredith, the minister, a widower. By telling the story of this family, and an orphan they befriend, we see some angst in life, some troubles. Which was exactly the problem with the story of Anne's family. She went through many troubles as a girl, but as a mature mother, she had everything perfect. The family was perfect. The marriage was perfect. And it was all quite boring. This is why they don't write about perfect people in the adventure stories that Anne loves. But the Merediths do not have a perfect life, and the troubles they experience, and how they attempt to resolve them, create spice.

These are very believable characters created by Montgomery, and a believable small town focused continually on gossip. It is one of the rare books that does not portray a minister and his family as evil, nor as perfect, but simply as real- perhaps because the book was written in 1919. How the children of the family respond to an emotionally absent father is intriguing, and Faith Meredith's actions the most interesting of them all. I read this on the train from Casablanca to Tangier, and the Moroccans in the train car with me gave me many strange looks as I could not stop laughing uproariously at Faith's actions, nor explain to them what was so amazingly funny.

I first read this book about 20 years ago. I still remember it vividly. Francis Cheggin Cornish seems less like a fictional character to me than a real person a favorite uncle told me stories about. Actually, that's as apt a description of Davies as a novelist/persona I can think of.

At the simplest level, this book is about the life of an artist -- but that gross simplification doesn't even scratch the surface of Davies' rich exercise in fictionalized biography. To me, this book is nothing less than a contemplation of how life experience makes a person what they are. A simple enough idea, but one that opens up to infinite complexities. It is rare to encounter a life (real or imagined) unspooled with such fascinating lucidity and a deft insight.

What's that mean? Basically, Davies' writes about the character Francis Cornish in a way that draws you in at every level. By the end, you will feel as if you KNOW him. Again, it sounds like a simple literary idea -- fictionalized biography -- but you feel free to hunt around for other examples as good as this. You won't be finding many, I'd be so bold to wager.

This is the "middle" book of Davies' Cornish Trilogy (my favorite of his trilogy of trilogies, though you can't go wrong with any of 'em) though, chronologically, the first in the story. I read it that way, way back when, and I actually recommend that. Maybe I'm off-base here but I think the first book (The Rebel Angels) works better when you know this one, regardless of the order Davies wrote the works in. I dunno. You decide.

Anyway, a heck of a book. A heck of writer. Can't recommend it enough.

-- mm

I have a conflicted view of this novel. On the one hand, almost all characters (except Francis himself) are unreal, unsympathetic, contrived, flat like papercut. The plot is outrageous and sophomoric (the spying career makes no sense whatsoever, either as a personality builder or plot mover; there are many more). The biggest complaint is characters: they are chess pieces the author moves on the board to move his story, with no lives of their own.

Yet, somehow Mr. Davies managed to keep me reading, despite the exasperation and the knowledge that I was being taken for a sucker. This has to do with his trademark erudition and good writing. Depsite the bad story, there are flashes of interesting passage and musing (particularly as related to arts) that keeps one from throwing the book in complete disgust.

Because it is Davies, I give it a three star. For lesser writers, it would a 2.

I, at first, did not enjoy this book since I am not a fan of the rather cold English way of writing which lacks empathy and joy and is full of cynicism and an almost brutal acceptance of suffering without any concomitant emotions. This changed throughout however and the book is almost a work of art.

The book concerns itself with the life of Francis Cornish from his childhood to middle age with almost no mention of his later life up to his death. There are really two distinct parts to the book, the first deals with Francis's childhood and is written in that witty (and a little dry) style so characteristic of British humour. His childhood encompasses Francis's experiences of the Catholic and Protestant faiths as practised among his relatives who represent almost cliches in this sense. His impressive Grandfather, warm aunt, rarely seen mother and distant father as well as a range of fascinating characters such as Victoria Cameron the Scottish Protestant cook, Zadok the coachman and enbalmer and finally the crusty old doctor. This part builds the final character of Francis, except in one aspect, and gives an idea of why and how his life proceeds.

The second part is really about two people, Francis and Tancred Saraceni the Meister of Art who teaches Francis all about art restoration as well as much that is wise and deep. It is Saraceni who I believe to be the most interesting character and the last step in building Francis as a man, or as Saraceni calls him Corniche. This final part of his character one would call "Bildung" in German with all that this entails. As Francis develops his art, which started as a little boy with sketches of just about anything, his true talent is revealed. The moment when the Maestro tells him he is a master now is, I think, the finest moment in the book. It is unfortunate that Francis's talent is not further developed after he completes his only Masterpiece "The Marriage at Cana" a magnificent large oil painting in the 16th Century style. This painting really tells the story of Francis's soul and could have been the start of an incredible career of the Alchemical Master as Saraceni puts it. Unfortunately his career as an artist never takes off and one is disappointed with his lack of drive and passion to continue. It is this last third of the book where it becomes difficult to really enjoy it as much. It must not be forgotten how well Davies writes in this section about art and especially about the soul of art. This is why the book itself is perilously close to a work of art itself.

The last part deals with Francis's life as, first, a low grade spy in the service of MI5 during WWII and finally as an art dealer in Canada. Here too we learn a little more about his father and his one love affair with Ismay, the passion driven beauty of his life. His father never really steps out of his "Wooden Soldier" shoes but Ismay represents some real women I have known.

An astonishing book and hopefully the remaining ones in the trilogy are as good.

I didn't know of Davies' history - except that he went to UCC and Queens and UofT - and that he was a wonderful storyteller.

What's Bred in the Bone tells the story of Francis Cornish, beginning with his birth and childhood in Blairlogie. As I read on, I soon realized that Blairlogie was in fact Renfrew Ontario, my hometown... I didn't know how he had been able to describe my hometown so well, but I was knew it was Renfrew - physically, historically, economically and personally.

I later learned that Davies had been able to draw such a devastatingly clear, ironic and satirical portrait of Renfrew, because he too grew up there. He attended the same public school as me (although we had proper plumbing by the time I went there) and attended the same church. The story is populated with Renfrew names... Cornish was the Anglican Minister, Froats - the Monument Maker - and so on.

It is a wonderful story - and all the more so because Renfrew continues with much the same social system, which includes an annual "Lumber Baron Days," while ignoring the wonderful love letter from a homegrown son. Too Rich!

What's Bred in the Bone is the one true stand-alone novel in the Cornish Trilogy. This middle volume is a superb telling of the life of Francis Cornish, the hinge upon whom all of the trilogy is supported. Some elements of the story are clearly reminiscent (to readers of Davies) of his earlier book, Fifth Business. But this is no mere reworking of an old theme. There is a freshness to this novel that makes for a story well worth the read.

This book takes the reader back into rural Ontario of the early 20th century, filling us with fictionalized visions of Davies's own childhood. Lest that be off-putting to some, however, it should be noted that this is a novel that also takes the main character to far away Europe, into the intrigues of war, and the mysteries of forged (and not-quite-forged) artworks. What this story misses, relative to the first and third books of the trilogy, is the spice given to us by Maria's mother and uncle, who are absent here. Theirs is the archetypal energy that finds no true parallel in this book. The reader is compensated for this absence, however, by the personage of the coachman/undertaker, a rich character indeed!

I give this book my solid and hearty recommendation. It is suitable for anyone interested in reading a book by this master of the pen, whether or not they care to read the other volumes of the trilogy (though I sincerely hope that you will read the other books!). Superb.

What a wonderful adventure this one is! Not only is the murder mystery of the outstanding quality of the Upfield novel, but the insights into the great Australian outback and the aboriginal people are impressive. Interspersed with the intriguing actions of Bony, the most endearing of all detectives, are glimpses of unique outback phenomenon and an interesting peek into the lifestyles and customs of the Kalchut tribe of aborigines, a tribe protected from white society.

Jeffrey Anderson, the murder victim, was not missed. No one liked the brutal, sadistic man, but Bony still needed to investigate. When he got too close to the answers for which he was searching, the tribe "boned" him, a certain death sentence for the half-caste. Not only does Bony have to solve this case, but he has to do this before he dies. But Bony never fails to solve a case.

I highly recommend this fascinating book, as well as any other of Bony's adventures.

The Bone Is Pointed is my first Napoleon Bonaparte mystery, and it was a most pleasant experience. Taking place in Australia, and written by someone who lived there, gives the reader a taste of what it's like in that world down under. Older mysteries are making a comeback and this series is a good choice for re-issue.

Bony to his friends, the half-caste detective has the self assurance of Holmes and the likeable arrogance of Poirot. Knowing that he is good at his profession does not make him insufferable. He is kind, even though a few others are often goaded to unkindness at best out of fear of his ability to solve cases. His doggedness is nearly legendary, his source of pride and a reputation is fights hard to maintain.

In this case, his susceptibility to the ways of his aboriginal mother come to the fore, yet he is surrounded by people who have liked him from the moment he meets them. Even though one or more of them is a murderer. Of this he is certain. The missing victim, Jeffrey Anderson, was not what he seemed, at least in part. He was well known to be a bully, treating others cruelly, and no one mourns his loss. The only fear is that in death he will bring ruin to those who knew him.

The story drifts a bit and readers looking for fights and bloodletting won't get much in Upfield's novel. Still, it's a quick read and an interesting one that will lead some readers to others in the series. Happy reading.

The detective's name in this book is Napoleon Bonaparte, so you would
want people to call you by a nickname as well. He is a half-caste, so
this colors his perceptions of the world.

What is interesting about this book are that Bony's religious
beliefs are harming him. He is having the 'bone pointed' at him by
elders, which will eventually kill him if he cannot solve the case.

1. Some very strange comments below, eg,
"a poignant introduction to" and "a stunning commentary about the nature of race and cultural relations in Australia"; "an indictment of the cultural politics of Australia"; "condemnation of the inequality that has embraced Australia for more than a century";
"Detective fiction provided a way to support civil and social rights for aboriginals in a time when such acts were not accepted"; "the racial tensions of this society";
"What Bony finds leads him and the reader into a struggle to create an Australian identity in the vast and desolate landscape; a struggle between an aboriginal identity and white. As Bony skates the race line, the tension between the white world and the black becomes greater..";
"comments on the racial divide in Australia";
"Some of the book could be considered racist by contemporary standards (such as the use of "boss" toward the whites for example), but the overall story seems quite progressive for its time..";
"Comments on Australia's color line"; "Some bits intended to be quite enlightened fifty years ago may strike some readers today as racist"; ETC.

Have we been reading the same book? Arthur Upfield heaps scorn on the _urban_ Australian, ignorant of the outback & therefore dismissive & patronising towards its inhabitants -- white _& especially_ black. Upfield is especially scathing about those urban whites who dismiss Aboriginal culture as 'primitive'. He champions its _age_ & deep knowledge, & the undoubted power & reality of some of its so-called 'magical' practices. The book turns on the latter: Bony is definitely affected by the bone-pointing: the impact is real. And equally it is _only_ the Aboriginal medicine man who can bring Bony back from the point of death. Upfield brilliantly expounds Aboriginal philosophy -- _not_ in "Aboriginal patois" (as one review puts it) but in Aboriginal English --ie, a variety of Pidgin.

Upfield also depicts accurately the relationships between the outback whites & 'their' Aborigines -- the 'station' Aborigines, as distinct from those who are still 'bush'. This relationship is mutual respect & interdependence. The station-owner is called 'boss' precisely because he _is_ that: the _employer_ of _his_ station Aborigines. He supplies food, housing, clothing, etc, _&_ employment: in the running of the station (managing the sheep &/or cattle, the horses, etc; managing the water & the land, etc.)

The outback whites want to preserve Aboriginal _culture_ from destruction by the church & other urban whites. Upfield constantly contrasts the depth of Aboriginal culture -- already old before the whites had even descended from the trees -- & the superficiality of the so-called 'civilisation' with which urban whites want to replace this ancient outlook & way of life. So the tension in Bony is the tension between his ancient roots in the bush -- roots that are millions of years old, & the pull of 'white' _culture_: rational, emotionless, scientific.

2. "the English treatment of the Aboriginals and the Aboriginals resulting feelings...an often ignored group of people"

(a) ignored by whom? Certainly not the Australians (b)'English' & 'Australian' are _not_, repeat not, the same. The Australians are quite distinct, & refer to the English as 'Poms'. What Upfield shows us is (1)how the outback Oz whites interrelate with the Aborigines -- on terms of knowledge & understanding (2)the patronising ignorance of the urban Oz whites.

This is brilliant. Detective-Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte is one of the most original and endearing characters in mystery fiction. His mother's Aboriginal, and he solves cases in the Australian outback. This book was published in 1947. Learn about life in old Australia AND sink your teeth into a juicy mystery.

I have had problems with depression for as long as I can remember, and have been on and off medication for about a decade now. I started doing some research on the long-term effects of these anti-depressants, as well as their continued effectiveness (or lack thereof). When I came across this book, I took a chance when buying it because I was a little bit leery of trying to cure this thing myself. It just seemed like it was out of my hands.

Not only did this book point out the major factors and triggers of depression, but also explained it from different perspectives. I was never clear on the biochemical definition of depression, nor did I ever have any idea that my (bad) diet was contributing. The doctor is very understanding and is not completely against taking medication, though at the same time he offers a plan that does not require medication. He states that over time, being medicated for years and years is not always a good thing for the body.

I am now at half the dosage of Zoloft that I was taking and still feel great. I have changed my eating habits and exercise quite a bit, and when I do go off the wagon and eat junk food (i.e. fast food, cookies, etc.) I feel the difference and feel myself going back into that slump. I have a hope that after being completely off of the medication that I can still maintain a positive attitude towards life without symptoms of depression. He does point out that you cannot get over depression if you do not try to change your behavior and lifestyle because everything you do, say, eat, and think affects the balance of your neurotransmitters. I have learned a lot from this book and it all makes perfect sense to me. I hope others can benefit from it, as well.

This book and "Potatoes Not Prozac" changed how I look at food. Learn natural, non-medicinal ways to take care of yourself and improve how you feel and function. Highly recommend this one!

I have long term depression and this book spells out in simple (overly simple?) terms what goes on with ones brain chemistry. I began to pay attention and become more aware of the effects of serotonin on my daily activities. This could be psycho-somatic, but it makes sense to me.

The author points out that brain chemistry changes very rapidly throughout the day depending on food, drugs, excersize, and emotional excitement.

It explains my extreme reaction to and addiction to sugar, and also why I may be 'burning out' my serotonin receptors.

I am only half way through the book and I consider it to be life altering.

I cannot picture myself defeating (if that's the right word) my depression in the near future, but I do find books like this helpful as a sort of long term dream to strive for...but even when you know the root causes of your depression maintaining stability is still difficult. Antidepressants are helpful for those times when you really do need them - but they are drugs, and as such they have their negative side. I hope that I can find a natural solution - but fighting the battle is hard - and I admire anyone who has the power to meet the struggle.

In my more than twenty years of dealing with depression, I've tried many strategies - talk therapy, drugs, herbs, psychological spelunking, spiritual practices, and cognitive or goal-setting approaches. I've read dozens of books. Most either talk about brain chemicals from a overwhelmingly clinical perspective (with pharmaceuticals as the answer) or try to pinpoint the root emotional causes (as if to identify them is to solve them) - without offering small remedial steps that seem do-able to a severely depressed person. Robertson's book not only shows the links between our brain chemistry and our life experiences, he offers modifications in diet and habit that can result in rectifying the chemical imbalances.

Frequently when I've read self-help books on the subject, I wind up even more depressed and inert than I started - "Why can't I 'just do it?' What's the matter with me that I can't think more positively, set goals, etc?" The feeling is one of having just been instructed to run a marathon with cement blocks on my feet. In contrast, my mood is already much improved simply having read this book! There is hope - I can choose to eat certain foods, engage in certain activities, and even listen to certain composers daily.

And I don't agree with the negative reviewers that the good doctor is a huckster; he could simply post teasers and success stories on the Internet about the Robertson Mood Optimization Program and charge $199 for it (like everyone else out there who smells a cash cow) instead of keeping this little paperback, with suggestions anyone can follow at home, in print.

A quick background..My great-great-grandfather had 3 wives. He was also one of the founders of St. George, Utah. He also built the hand carts that the mormons used for their trek.

I am not a mormon, my mother would not alllow it. My father was baptised mormon, but did not attend the church. Because there was no church where he grew up.

I read the book and learned from it.

I loaned it to the pastor of my church. His mother was dating a mormon. He said it was a very good book, and gave him a lot of insight to the church.

I would read Judy Robertson's book, before I even concered becoming a mormon.

Karen

Robertson describes how her family voluntarily joined the Mormon church, her experience as a woman in the church, and her family's subsequent leaving of the church. While not a difficult read, I found myself rolling my eyes quite a number of times at the `complaining' tone that comes across. It interfered a lot with her credibility with me. For instance, Robertson complains about the different tasks and responsibilities she had in the church (which she voluntarily agreed to take on). I had the impression that she was trying to display a picture of coercion within the church. However, her complaining (or `whining' as other reviewers have described it), combined with a lack of any descriptions that could be considered significantly coercive, failed to convince me that she was made to do much against her will.

That being said, the chapters on the temple ceremony is definitely worth reading. The LDS church considers the temple ordinance ceremony very sacred and thus keeps it quite secret. From my other readings I think the ceremony has been changed somewhat from Robertson's experience. From what I have read, the blood oath and the drama that represents non-LDS pastors as being in cahoots with Lucifer has been changed.

Finally, I think there are other books that do a much better job of describing what it is like to be a member of the Mormon church , and then to leave it. One of the best ones I have read is Suddenly Strangers by Brad and Chris Morin.

I highly recommend this book to all who have an interest in finding out the truth about the seamy side of Latter Day Saints, ie, Mormons. It is a real eye opener. I read it because, several years ago, my daughter became associated with a group of Mormon dancers/performers and was one of the few Christians involved. When I would talk to other parents, who were most kind and solicitous, and ask for details about their religion, they glowed and gushed but never gave me anything really definite, nothing with strength or "meat" to it. They did offer to sponsor me or help me find out more about joining the Mormon faith. In talking to them, I found that there were a large quantity of arguments presented to me as to why Christianity didn't work, but these were very pat and almost the same, word for word, from many mouths. There were offers to give me a copy of the Book of Mormon, which I did read. It seemed disjointed and not logical. I bought "No Regrets" by Judy Robertson, because I needed more information. It confirmed some uneasy suspicions that I had, plus added new knowledge, sometimes quite astounding and frightening, that allowed me to realize why no concrete principles had been laid before me by my Mormon friends. I believe what is written and will recommend this book to any who might ask.

I read her book three times, so as to try to understand her direction, I had all of the material at my side so I could cross reference all her " Facts ", she truly did not know what she read, If she truly believed when she joined the faith she would not have questioned it. I myself was a " Mormon " even a held a priesthood office, I fell away for my own reasons, was excommunicated at the age of 25 and haven't been back since. Now at the age of 41 and having research and visited many other Christian denominations I still hold true to what I believe and I will go to my death never denouncing the faith nor it's direction. I found throughout my life that the things in life that most scare us, tend to be that which we don't understand. How many have read this book, and not read any of the LDS Churches teachings, There are two sides to every story. Most books that have been written against the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints have been done so by people who have been excommunicated for one thing or an other. I deserved to be removed from their membership and I have made my peace with GOD. And in no way hold the LDS church at fault. Some of their membership are not as educated in church direction as they should be and we all can be misguided my man, no matter what church you attend, whether Christian, Muslim, Hindu what have you. So read with a open heart pray about it and if you truly believe you will get an answer. The LDS church is the fastest growing denomination of Christianity for a reason, and in no way can that many people be mislead at one time. My Lord and Savior have caused to many blessing in my life to make me change my heart.... I will carry my Testimony to my grave and beyond. A Catholic Cardinal once said of the LDS church, " That if the LDS church is right and the Catholic church is wrong ( which the LDS church does not teach ) then all others are wrong also because all other churchs stem from the Catholic church and the reformation " No where on this planet will anyone find a book written by any member of the LDS faith that calls any Christian denomination wrong, as all Christians have the truth in the Bible and if we follow it's teaching and call ourselfs followers of Christ we all fall short of Him who we must emulate as for those whose deny a Christ ( Savior ) I Weep for Thee

Having Dated a Very Attractive Mormon Woman for 3 months,I was very ignorant of her religion even though I considered myself a Well informed Christian. When she realized she would NEVER convert me(I KNEW JOSEPH SMITH was a FALSE PROPHET) See GALATIANS 1:8,9 she started to open up to the PROSPECT OF Questioning her religion.I gave her this book after I read it & she only made it up to the temple part & RAN TO HER LOCAL BISHOP.She will not speak to me now,Her Bishop told her to stay away. This book is a MUST-READ for anyone that wants to protect themselves and their Loved ones. This is the MOST DECEPTIVE,DESTRUCTIVE Religion of our time and will guarantee you a FAST TRIP TO HELL AT YOUR DEATH. Strong words YES, But the TRUTH must be told! The BIBLE is the ONLY word of GOD!

This looked great at first... but then I started looking at the calorie counts for most of the dishes. Most of the Main Dishes have less than 200 calories, some have less than 100. I don't have time to cook and eat 8-10 meals per day.

I was really looking forward to cooking the recipes in this book. I went through it and made a tentative meal plan so I could know fit together the nutrients the way that I wanted to. However, alot of the recipes called for fresh ginger, which I am now aware I am not very fond of. Sadly, this book is now sitting in a kitchen drawer and I am looking for a different lifestyle (not diet) cookbook.

I love this book! So far I've made the Spinach Pie with Walnut Crust, Braised Bok Choy with Walnuts & Ginger, and the Roasted Eggplant Lasagne with Wintertime Spinach Pesto...all have been phenomenally delicious! And I'm not even a full-time vegetarian, just someone who wanted to decrease my consumption of animal products for health and environmental reasons. In fact, I found this book after a traditional low-carb diet raised my cholesterol almost 25 points in 6 months (Carbohydrate Addict's Healthy Heart Program - CAHHP - by Drs. Heller & Vagnini). The low carbs had decreased my weight like a charm, but for some reason my particular metabolism also reacted atypically with increased cholesterol. I realized low-carb eating had almost doubled my consumption of animal products, and I knew I had to turn things around without going back to a high-carb diet and inevitable weight gain.

Enter "Carb-Conscious Vegetarian"! It not only contains delicious all-vegan *lower*-carb recipes, but most of them are easy to make (don't be fooled by the fancy gourmet-sounding titles) and have large, satisfying portions. They aren't as low in carbs as traditional Atkins-type recipes, but don't forget to subtract the 'unusable' fiber content (which strangely is occasionally missing in some of the nutritional analyses!) - and read up on glycemic index/load. Low-carb is really based on the BLOOD SUGAR EFFECTS of different foods, not just carb grams!

I usually make one of the recipes on a Sunday (when I have more time to cook) and have convenient leftovers for breakfast and/or lunch all week, then eat a regular meat/bad-carbs/veggies "Reward Meal" each day for dinner as directed in CAHHP. After a month of this, my cholesterol has gone back down to normal levels and my weight has stayed at goal...it's all about "good carbs" and the glycemic index/load, which Carb-Conscious Vegetarian touches on (you can do lots more research on your own about this). Once CCV teaches you which foods contain "good carbs", you have the freedom and discernment to find recipes that are both vegetarian & lower-carb from other sources like internet websites or in other cookbooks.

I do agree with the review that complains about hard-to-find "gourmet ingredients", but I would estimate at least half of the recipes have ingredients that I can find even in my tiny one-grocery-store town. The rest I get on monthly shopping trips to the big city...after all, if you're serious about eating vegetarian, you're going to have to get used to buying some "unique" items! I like the fact that MSG-containing processed meat subsitutes (gardenburger, etc) are used sparingly and that the focus is on natural, whole foods. I love the international flavors in many of the recipes, and I'm so relieved to find that I can safely eat sensible portions of "good carbs" like beans and brown rice that are forbidden on traditional low-carb plans. Try it! Unless you're a really picky narrow-minded eater, you'll love it and so will your body!

Every recipe I have tried thus far has been either 1) bland or 2) outright disgusting. I need to throw this book away before I waste more time and money on disastrous recipes.

Silken Chocolate pie: Nasty
Black Bean Dip: Tasteless
Skinny Dip: I cant believe this is considered food.

One plus is that it inspired some great dishes. Since I don't eat eggs, high protein breakfasts are hard to come by. I made a tofu veggie casserole (not following the book's recipe, but rather the general concept) and it came out wonderful...

but all in all this book has been a waste of money- beyond the purchase and shipping costs.

I am not a vegan/vegetarian, but wanted to add more low carb vegan meals to reduce the amount of animal products we eat and to reduce carb intake as we are both pre-diabetic. Well, I am thrilled with this cookbook! I bought 7 vegan cookbooks recently, but I've cooked almost exclusively out of this book alone, and so far, all of the recipes have been GREAT! The 'Portobello Patties with Charmoula Sauce' recipe is out of this world! And the Cashew Creme is decadent. I loved the 'Edamame, snow peas, and bean sprouts with Ginger-lime Vinaigrette' salad. And the 'Victory Garden Stew' was excellent, although I added garlic, since I'm a definite garlic lover. Finally, I've tried every burger/cake recipe in the book with various sauces and have loved them all.

You can't go wrong with this cookbook, although some of the ingredients may be hard to find, such as artichoke hearts - but I haven't given up, there's got to be some gourmet shops out there that carry them!

If you want a cook book that contains a variety of TASTY vegan recipes, then this is the book you should buy!

Sherry

The thing I liked about this collection of short stories was that L M Montgomery found a way to tell us a little more about the Blythe Family, in particular what has occured after the end of the original series (Rilla of Ingleside). While I didn't like all of the stories (as I don't with Montgomery's short story collections) there were some that really touched the heart.

I was excited to find this book because I enjoyed Chronicles of Avonlea and Further Chronicles of Avonlea, but it is not as good as those books. Perhaps it's because the other books have more recognizable characters from the Anne series, but I also think the writing style of this book is not as sophisticated and captivating as the others. One of the reviewers is right, one of the stories is racist. But, if you absolutely need to have everything L.M. Montgomery wrote, at least what is related to Anne, than going ahead and buy, but it won't be as good as Chronicles of Avonlea.

Before they started re-releasing L.M.'s short stories in paperback, my local library had a hardback version of this book. I checked that book out countless times. I still remember the faded pink cover with its fancy Victorian drawing.

I read and re-read this book throughout my teenage years. I had doubts if the stories would translate into adulthood, but the humor lasts. I recommend this book to any L.M. fan. You can pick up this book and find an entertaining story to pass a trainride or a warm evening by the fire.

This book, and other books, regarding the character of Anne of Green Gables, character created and wrote about, by Canadian Author, L.M. Mongomery, in a series of books. IS A MUST READ AND HAVE FOR YOUR BOOK COLLECTION, BECAUSE L.M. MONTGOMERY BOOKS ARE A MUST!

The Road to Yesterday was the last collection of tales that L.M.Montgomery wrote before she died. Her son, Stuart McDonald, found the manuscript among her papers, and had it published post-humously. Originally, Montgomery had called the work The Blythes Are Quoted, and had framed the tales with accounts of the Blythes at home listening to their favorite stories. This frame-narrative was removed, and the stories were rearranged into their current order.

In many ways, The Road to Yesterday displays both the strengths and the weaknesses of Montgomery's work. It shows her genuine ability to tell stories of the community in the voice of the community. Her narrative voice is that of the neighborhood gossip, who doesn't wish ill on her neighbours but who delights nonetheless in their poor decisions, their misfortunes and their downfalls as an interesting tale. It also shows her command of irony and satire, two qualities with which she is seldom credited. At the same time, though, it reveals how she could never quite break away from the narrative patterns of magazine literature with its improbable coincidences and inevitable happy endings. Most of the stories revolved around love and romance, and tend to be rather implausibly constructed. For instance, "Fool's Errand" tells of a man who becomes lonely after his mother dies and remembers a promise he made long ago to a young girl to return and marry her, while "The Pot and the Kettle" is the tale of a young woman who has to marry a certain man to gain an inheritance and who refuses to do so, only to fall in love with him when he courts her by another name.

Only two stories in the collection are genuinely startling and unconventional. "A Commonplace Woman" is striking in its refusal to conform to generally-accepted standards of morality. It is a savage satire of the hypocrisy surrounding old age and death in a family, a feminist polemic about women's position in society, and a carefully observed character sketch of a woman who feels no remorse or shame about having a child out of marriage or committing murder but merely proclaims that she has lived. Similarly, "Here Comes the Bride" is a gently pointed portrait built up from multiple perspectives of what a village really thinks of a wedding.

Such stories show what Montgomery could have achieved if she had been given the chance. Unfortunately, she was a victim of Anne of Green Gables' early, unprecedented success, which led to her being pigeonholed as the author of rather sentimental tales of girlhood, and which she ultimately came to resent. Some of this bitterness seems to have seeped into The Road to Yesterday. Despite not being its major protagonists, the Blythes are a major presence throughout the novel as friends, neighbours or guests, and they are the subject of much scrutiny by the village. (Montgomery would have been familiar with the feeling, as the wife of a minister who was prone to religious mania and who had to keep up the front of a happy, perfect life for the sake of his parishoners.) People in the tales frequently comment on how tired they are of hearing about the Blythes or having them quoted at them, which surely suggests Montgomery's own irritation at having been linked with Anne throughout her life. Alternatively, the Blythes are praised so often and so profusely that it becomes absurd, which may be intended to parody the public's adulation of Anne.

As a final note, Benjamin Lefevbre is working on a critical edition of The Blythes Are Quoted for publication. This edition will restore the frame narrative and put the stories into their original order. It will be interesting to Montgomery's original intentions for the piece, and to see whether and how the feel of the collection changes.

Cold Case Squad is one of Buchanan's later novels. The "Queen of Crime" writes a suspense novel to feature a special homicide unit that breathes new life into old cases. The prose centers around a man and woman shot dead at a Miami strip club. A few hours later, an explosion in a garage next door to a child's birthday party has left a father of three burned to death. Naturally, at the time, the murder goes unsolved and the fire is chalked up to an accident. Twelve years later, the files are re-activated by detective Sargeant, Craig Burch, who's having marital problems of his own at the time, along with Detective Sam Stone, a guy with a mysterious past, and Detective Pete Nazario, who'd been air-lifted out of Cuba during "Operation Pedro Pan" in the 1960s. And, of course, Lieutenant, K.C. Riley, for whom one case will never grow old. This book is a page-turner that has a great plot with great characters. Don't miss it.

I'm a big Edna Buchanan fan, and have never understood why her Britt Montero books haven't reached the kind of audience that other equally good, but more successful authors have (namely Sue Grafton and Janet Evanovich). The woman writes snappy, twisty, evocative crime novels that bring Miami to vibrant life and always keep me guessing. So I was looking forward to "Cold Case Squad," even with Britt Montero nowhere in sight. Unhappily, I have to say that this latest of Buchanan's endeavors is half-baked at best. The cases are certainly interesting enough, and there are some suprises, but halfway through the book, it seems as if Buchanan all but gives up on the narrative. The writing becomes choppy, with some scenes only lasting a small paragraph or two, with the result that the book starts to read like an outline for a screenplay instead of a novel. And stylistically the book is very odd, with half of the scenes involving Detective Burch told in his own voice, and the rest written in the third person. Buchanan may have had a reason for the device, but if so it's not readily apparent. If anything it suggests she didn't have a clear idea of how to tell her story. But, hey, it's always good to have an Edna Buchanan book on the bedside table, even if "Cold Case Squad" left me...well, cold.

First, I enjoyed the Cold Case Squad. But, it's a little choppy juggling back and forth between 2 major cases. Either one would have been a good story. Character development also seems to suffer from the demands of the 2 plots. Still, the book is good and the series has a lot of potential.

But it does pick up some speed about 1/3 of the way in. It was kind of odd to see a few of the chapters written in the 1st person and the rest of the book written in the 3rd person. A good read overall, though.

I enjoyed this book a lot, although I'm not sure why she stopped writing the Britt Montero series -- it seems her next book is also about the Cold Case Squad.

The only problem I had with the book was the shifting points of view -- you'd be in Riley's POV, then in the next sentence you're in Stone's POV. Sometimes Burch is in the third person, sometimes he's in the first person. It made the story a bit hard to follow at times.

Still an excellent read from one of the best.

This is my second purchase of the book because I made the awful mistake of loaning it to someone who wouldn't give it back. So instead of being so angry I took the advice of the Star Trek Ethics and followed steps to create a perfect union once again. I love the book and think as a person that watches the Star Trek Series/All of Them so much the book is a perfect companion and way to revisit the consciousness and actually live it! "Live Long and Prosper"

I needed this book for one of my classes at college. The book is a pretty hard read. It is so boring. I read 2 pages and I already want to put it down. If you want good facts and examples about ethics, it would be a great source for comparison.

I found this book to a fun read because I have seen all of the episodes it discusses. If one has not seen all of the episodes used to make philosophical points I would imagine the reader would feel like an outsider listening in on a conversation of which they are not a part, relying heavily on the summaries and references to the show provided. However, one must experience the shows first to get the most out of this book. As for the stars, I use a pre-Vietnam war grading system as the book is a solid average and its grace stems from its own unique circumstances. Warning--one's own pride may prevent getting the most out of this book.

Plot summary does not equal analysis. This book falls into the trap of using plot summary to pad an otherwise shallow and poorly thought out book. The writing style waffles between flippant and unneccessarily reverent for Roddenberry. The Ethics of Star Trek would be a much stronger book if it approached the series in terms of the times they were made. Does the Orignal Series reflect the ethic debates of the late 1960s? Why did post cold war 1990s produce a series as dark as Deep Space Nine and what sorts of cultures and ethical questions are represented by the B'Jorans, Cardassians and the Dominion? How are these ethical questions brought to the screen? How does film editing, writing, music, etc. work to build up the ethical theses? How do these same elements work against the theses?

None of these topics are covered. Instead there are simplistic retellings of the classic foundations of ethics and logic. The chapter on the Cave, for instance, is laughable.

I am now just waiting to hear back from the person after me for an address. Then I'll get this book back into the mail.

This book takes various ethical theories, and then discusses Trek episodes which seem to support that theory. Of course, the recurring question, do the needs of the many outweight the needs of the one? is discussed, as are other ethical theories, from the ancient Greeks forward. Ultimately, the author comes up with a "central ethical theory" for each Star Trek series, based on the characters and what the majority of the stories seem to pivot around. This book is an overview, and didn't keep me wholly interested, but it's a decent read. Warning, it is about ethical theory, and not about modern issues (ie. abortion, religion, homosexuality, etc.) If this is what you are looking for, then you will be pleased, but if you're looking for a book about ethics and modern problems (which I probably was) then you may be a bit disappointed.