Shaw Books

Fun! That's the best way to describe it. It's amazing to take a look at the way we live and how we eat! Tucker has done a great job, although eating some things I would never dream of, describing the food and the timeline of a day in the life! Makes you stand back and take a look at yourself as well. Thanks for the fun!

I also took a picture of everything I ate from May 29th 2003 until december 31, 2004 and posted it to my website. I think it was the screen savers made fun of me for doing it on one of there episodes. I used my Nokia 3650 Camera phone. Good for him for being getting it out to print. His book has a nice format. It reminds us we could all use some more variety in what we eat.

this boy eats way too much food! wish i could eat like that. i wonder if he's fat.

i got this book as a belated birthday present last week and i can't stop flipping thru. i thought it would be dumb and silly but its completely addictive. and honest. this guy eats so much. i just wish he wrote more words instead of just putting the pictures. i recommend this for anyone because it's really funny and it makes you think about food and everything that you eat and do..i looked at what he ate on my birthday and his appetite is even bigger than mine. get it now you wont believe it!

Have you ever wondered what other people do when they're alone? If so, then you're going to love this book because Tucker Shaw divulges every detail of his life. Well, every detail of his gustatory life. I don't know much about Tucker Shaw, but he sure does love to eat. Shaw decided to take a picture of everything he ate for 2004. Every single item. Every single day. Day in. Day out. The idea probably sounds ridiculous to most people, but the execution of "Everything I Ate" is excellent and I enjoyed it immensely. Each picture is accompanied with a blurb detailing what, where, and with whom he ate.

Given that Shaw lives in NYC, it's not surprising that what he eats is pretty diverse. Sure, he often snacks on potato chips and Entenmann's pastry, but he also eats at quite a few upscale restaurants on a regular basis. Clearly, he has access to diverse ethnic foods, and he takes full advantage of it. However, people are certainly creatures of habit, and Shaw seems to be more than a little obsessed with cereal (300 bowls during the year).

Whether you read each page or just skim the pictures, it's a fascinating book. I was left wanting to know more. Who are these people with whom he eats? (Some little snippets of his friends can be seen throughout). Why did he eat trail mix almost every day for several months and then never again? How in the world can he eat so much oatmeal?!?!? Like any good book, "Everything I Ate" leaves you begging for more table scraps.

My ghosting adventures began when I asked a former employer if I could write his story. When he said yes, Ms. Shaw's book was one of the first books I grabbed, and I've been pleased--mostly. (Copyeditors don't easily forgive what some folks consider "the small stuff.")

Most helpful: contract particulars, strategies for prompting interviewees, reminders that the ghostwriter's time is valuable, and suggestions for time management. Areas I hope she punches up next time (and I think the copy I read was her first edition): how to break into the business/tales from the trenches/beginners' mistakes.

I approached this book with mixed emotions about the author, but came away convinced she knows her stuff on this topic. I realized she couldn't pop on over and hold my hand through my "first time," but I must say, her book gave me the courage to do a little self-promoting of my own; I mentioned during a party that I'd be ghostwriting my first book and before the night ended, two guests had cornered me to ask how soon we could meet to discuss the books they'd always wanted to write!

If you ever have a question about Ghost Writing this book is THE reference book because it tells you everything you need to know. I recently had an opportunity to get into ghost writing and I used Eva Shaw's book as my guide. The result is that I am now getting paid for my work. Whether you are looking for a way to get into the business, information about how to write a contract for your client to sign, or a detailed description of your responsibilities and your client's responsibilities - this is the book to buy. I am really excited about my new career. Thank you, Eva, for giving me such great guidance!!!
Paul McAllister

Whenever I take a seminar or read a book or a magazine article, I normally skip to the author's credentials. I want to learn from the experts--people who have repeatedly succeeded at a critical skill.

This book gives you step-by-step insight from a seasoned professional. It's one of the rarely discussed aspects of book publishing--yet potentially one of the easiest ways for a writer to make a solid living. You don't need a "platform" or a huge audience to be the writer for someone else--or their ghost. Whether you get your name on the cover of the book or not, I've learned you are generally not credited writing a particular book. Ghostwriters fill a huge need in the publishing industry and practice their craft as servants of the story.

Dr. Eva Shaw has ghostwritten books for over thirty years and readers of this comprehensive title gain the benefit of her experience, teaching and insight.

Few books are written on this particular how-to topic. When Ghostwriting was out of print, I tracked down a used copy and read that version--just to show how intense I was on finding some instruction on this topic.

Every writer will gain from reading Ghostwriting. It will improve your business practices, your techniques and raise your antenna for the ghostwriting possibilities in your own backyard or across the world. If you are open to the possibilities, ghostwriting opportunities are everywhere.

This book guided me to a successful ghostwriting business. I started out hardly knowing what a ghost-writer is, and now I am one!

Dr. Shaw describes completely what a ghost-writer does, how to get clients, what to do on the first appointment, your rights and responsibilities as a ghost, plus much more. She answered all my questions.

This is truly a book to get you started in the business and to keep by your side all the way to the bank.

(Forgive the unedited Introduction to the Second Edition. Imagine the author trying to dash off a quick Intro while the publisher drums his fingers and taps his foot.)

Jan Martin
Ghostwriter/writer/editor
martinpublishing.net

I found Ms. Shaw's book so helpful and encouraging I've taken the step and asked for work, found ghosting clients and started writing for this lucrative field. While I teach writing at a community college and have freelanced for a number of years I wouldn't have had the courage to ghost without the help of the no-frills guidebook.

This isn't a career for everyone, thank heavens, but if you're toying with or determined to make a living as a writer (and you're a good writer) I highly recommend the tightly written manual. I especially appreciated Chapter 3's "How To Begin." The writing is strong and clear, like Shaw's other books.

The book should be on every writer's bookshelf. It's an excellent resource for writers--especially with the sample contracts, how to determine fees and of course the ethical aspects of the business.

I've already recommended it to others.

Best yet? I've just received my fifth check from a ghostwriting client. Would it have happened without Shaw's book? No way.

There is so much nonsense surrounding Ki -- in the movies, in books, in magazine articles. This book has none of that. This book presents a Straight-Ahead approach on how to understand Ki, develop it, and how to actually use it in every day life. Read This Book!

Having read the excellent Warrior is Silent, I was dissapointed with this. The book is a worthy introduction to Traditional Chinese Medicine but most of Mr Shaw's work here can be found in any text book on acupuncture.

First and foremost I have to say that this book does a great job of presenting the Korean understanding and usage of Ki. Though Korean Ki is mentioned in a number of other books, this is the only text that truly provides the complete historical foundations of this understanding and the complete how-to. Not only is this a very interesting book to read, but the reader can truly come away with something that they can use. I give this book, "5 Stars."

Ki is so often spoken of in association with the martial arts. But, the method for how to actually develop and use Ki is virtually never taught. This is why this book is so refreshing. Not only does this book provide the historical foundations of Ki, from a Korean perspective, but it also provides exact step-by-step techniques to actually learn how to harness and develop Ki and then use it in everyday life. I give this book two thumbs up.

What is most interesting and impressive about this book is the way that Master Shaw makes the practice of Ki easy. The Ki development techniques in this book are precisely described and easy to use. Great Book - Great Read - Recommended!!!

I always enjoy reading Books on Larry Bird.He is truly one of the Greatest Basketball Players that I have ever seen play.His Mind for Play&detail is showcased rather well here.

Kevin VanSickle W131 "Book Review" Larry Legend is an interesting book about a boy who fell in love with the game of basketball and developed his own self-discipline as he became an adult. Larry Bird's success and consistent team management are his legendary qualities, according to author Shaw. Mark Shaw writes about Larry's roughneck childhood, what led to his triumphs in his high school basketball days, and through his professional career as a player, then a coach. Larry seemed to have gained confidence and self-esteem at a young age and by keeping those positive aspects he became an intimidator and motivator for many. This book will intoxicate your interest if you want to hear about the Legend's journey to the top. In Larry Legend, Mr. Shaw explains how the Legend himself was a role model, not only for young players, but also, his teammates and coaches around the league.

It was pretty indepth, and is a nice overview of his life from the time he was a legend in Indiana to coming full circle by coaching there. It also mentions his daughter, who has a distant relationship with his father. If you're a Bird fan, even if you're not, but you enjoy reading about basketball, this is worth the price. It paints a very balanced portrait of Bird. I like the fact that it isn't slanted one way or the other. It portrays the good and the bad. I'm a Bird fan, but I like objective journalism, which this seems to be. No schlock hero worship journalism here, nor is there any railing against him. Even though I like Bird, I will not condone his actions if they are perceived as wrong or controversial.

as if it weren't popular enough, the author of this book is the step-father of Kent Harvey. The boy Knight (Coach Knight) grabbed and was the spark that lit the flame of his being fired as IU Coach.

Larry Legend covers the whole Bird story. Author Shaw has a knack for revealing the little things about Bird that intrigued me. I think this is a must book for any Larry fan.

I have just finished reading Robert Shaw : More Than a Life and found it an interesting read. I knew little of Shaw before this book and always wondered why he was not given more credit as an actor. The book, which is filled with recollections from family and friends gives great insight into a truly complicated man. He was constantly conflicted about acting versus writing. He excelled at both. When he was happy in his work, he was happy in his life. The suicide of his father, the death by drugs and alcohol of his second wife Mary Ure and the early death of Erroly Flynn at age 51 (same age as Shaw) all influenced his life and his work. It was also interesting to learn of the tax problems that plagued Shaw and others who worked in and out of Britain. If you like biographies, movies, and men who lived bigger than life, I highly recommend this book.

My wife bought me this biography because she knows how big of a Robert Shaw fan I am. However, before reading this book, my knowledge of Shaw was limited to his work in the movies. I had no idea he was a brilliant writer as well as a father of ten. After reading this biography I read one of his books, The Man in the Glass Booth and realized how big of a talent he was with writing. It was mentioned several times in his biography that he enjoyed writing more than he enjoyed acting. It also tells about his time doing Shakespeare and there is a section about his time spent acting in Jaws. This is truly an exceptional biography about an exceptional actor/writer.

When I saw Mr Shaw for the first time (in Jaws)I was about nine years old.
Now I'm twenty and Shaw was far before mine time but I feel that he can learn me how to life because this great biographie from a man who I love and dream about.
I'm sure that I'm the most fanaticus of the "Shaws-fan" from the Netherlands.
I have a private archief from this unique person and I dream about him and think most of the time how sweet he was for childeren.
Mr Shaw is deep in my heart because I discover his live and read this colourful biographie and I will thank Garmean and Gaston for this great great great book, thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!
This book is the most best biography because the spirit that Shaw in his short live had give this book the most power.

(sorry for my bad english I think)

Love you all Gilian Schmidt,

the Netherlands

While he never reached the mega-stardom of Sean Connery, Richard Burton, or Peter Sellers. Robert Shaw was still one of Britains major stars. A very talented, but difficult man, it is not hard to see why he had problems in his life. A tragic childhood experience (his father commited suicide), haunted Shaw all though his life. Determined to succeed, Shaw was over competitive, which alienated him from many people. Basically he was a decent man, who while had many faults, never had the self-disgust of Richard Burton, or the utter selfishness of Peter Sellers. 'From Russia with Love,' made him a star, but it was his role as 'Quint' the shark killer in 'Jaws,' which made him a major player in Hollywood, but success came to late, for like so many of the character,s Shaw played in his films, he had used all his skill and determination to get to the top, only to fail at the last minute. His death in 1978, at the early age of 51, robbed Britain of one of her truely international stars. A total family man, Shaw was also a talented author and playwright (something he was returning to at the time of his death). It's good to see a biography of this talented but neglected man. The authors do a completely fair study, pointing out his strengths as well as his faults. Recommeded.

This is an excellent and engrossing account of a complex, flawed, difficult, passionate, honest, immensely talented and hugely underrated actor, author and playwright.
The book provides a superb overview of his life, and provides a counter-balance to the only other completed (to date) biography, the rather more subjective view of his former manager John French.
Robert Shaw's brilliance as a performer and writer was underpinned by the early experience of his father's tragic suicide; the resultant fiery over-competitive will to succeed was best channelled in performances that displayed his talent for supreme intensity backed by intelligence. On this form Shaw commanded the camera; witness his scene-stealing in From Russia with Love and Jaws - then witness again in his other works; this is Gold standard British talent that is yet to be fully appreciated by his profession and public...this book helps redress the balance a bit and lets us know what we are now missing.

Oliver Goldsmith (c. 1730-1774) was born to an English clergyman in Ireland and is often described as an "Anglo-Irish" author. Originally trained in theology, he later studied medicine and worked as an apothecary's assistant. Both then and now, critics regard the vast bulk of his writing as "hackwork"--poorly written material undertaken for the money offered. Even so, Goldsmith was indeed an exceptional and often innovative author when he put his mind to it, and his finest works rank with the best of his age. By most accounts Goldsmith wrote the comedy SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER in 1771; it was first performed in 1773 and has remained a favorite of the English stage ever since.

The play concerns the Hardcastle family, who are country gentry living living outside the common realm of English aristocracy of the day. Mr. Hardcastle dislikes "society" and frequently battles with his silly wife over his refusal to spend a season in London; Mrs. Hardcastle is in turn besotted Tony Lumpkin, her wayward son by a first marriage. Indeed, the only sensible member of the family is daughter Kate--and as the play begins she is told by her father that his choice for her husband, Charles Marlow, will arrive that very night. But things do not go as planned: due to a prank by Tony Lumpkin, Charles and his companion George arrive under the impression that Hardcastle's house is actually a roadside inn. Needless to say, complications abound, and Kate finds herself assuming the role of rural barmaid the better to study her intended and bring all complications to a happy resolution.

SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER is often considered a turning point in English theatre. Earlier comic authors tended to emphasize themes of hypocrisy for comic effect; Goldsmith certainly makes use of this, but instead of giving us cuckolds and strumpets he takes a more kindly point of view. His characters may sometimes be foolish and silly, but they are not so much vicious as playful and although the plot is farcical the situations are never unkind. The result is a charming confection of smiling entertainment. SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER has remained a favorite of the theatre for over two hundred years for a reason: it is as spritely, elegant, and amusing as it was when first produced. Recommended.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

This play is a wonderful little comedic satire that is as funny now as when it was written in 1773. Mr. Goldsmith's characters are wonderful, and the storyline is funny without being "sappy". His characters are so very human! He does not shy away from exposing human frailities, and he does it in such a way that no one would take offence to it. His characters make common human mistakes based on misunderstandings and practical jokes, but his characters are not tragically changed from these occurences. They, as well as the audience, understand human frailties, and look upon these as things that help us grow. This is a jovial, friendly play that is well worth the time it takes to read it. I find that reading plays is a nice alternate to reading long novels. A little different from short stories. I like the economies of a play. So much is written and so much is implied all in five scenes.

SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER is one of the best plays to be written during the Restoration era. It's full of wit and great one liners, not to mention that it's a comic satire on the dramatic conventions of the day. The play is quite funny and when performed is one of the few "classical" (meaning anything pre-20th century) plays that all audiences seem to enjoy. Unfortunately, Goldsmith's masterpiece is seldom performed nowadays. Most American's have never heard of Oliver Goldsmith (is that the guy who directed PLATOON? is a typical response), let alone SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER. SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER instead tends to be one of those plays that everyone in theatre knows about, but that most people outside of the theatre universe don't even know exists. It's a shame because the play is a masterpiece of wit and comic timing and has so much to offer to modern day audiences.

This play is a rollicking satire on the British caste system of that era, seen through the mischief, mayhem, and mistaken identities of this work. Almost a must-read!

Few English plays dating from the eighteenth century appeal to modern audiences. For much of that period comedies were characterized by an exaggerated sentimentality and intense moralizing. Independently, the playwrights Oliver Goldsmith and Richard Brinsley Sheridan rejected this moralizing mode, returning to the English stage a humorous, mildly satirical form of comedy.

In a short period they created three plays that are still enjoyed today: She Stoops to Conquer (Goldsmith, 1773), The School for Scandal (Sheridan, 1775) and The Rivals (Sheridan, 1777).

In recent months I have read all three play. All are quite good, but I especially liked She Stoops to Conquer and The School for Scandal. While The School for Scandal is widely admired for its witty dialogue, She Stoops to Conquer offers the most hilarious situations.

The basic theme in She Stoops to Conquer is familiar. The guardians, her father Mr. Hardcastle and her aunt Mrs. Hardcastle, have arranged a suitable marriage for young Miss Hardcastle. She, of course, has other plans. Oliver Goldsmith adroitly transformed this overly used situation into delightful comedy. The plot is complicated by a shy suitor, friends with their own plans of elopement, and an unruly prankster, all leading to utter confusion in the rustic Hardcastle household. I quickly became engaged with the ridiculous happenings; I read She Stoops to Conquer in a single sitting. Five stars.

Possible Interest - Another Comedy and Two Moralizing Plays:

John Gay's The Beggar's Opera, first staged in 1728 in London, was another exception to the moralizing trend in the eighteenth century. This delightful, satirical comedy is considered the first modern musical. Five stars.

In the prologue to The Conscious Lovers (1722) Sir Richard Steele states his objective: "To chasten wit, and moralize the stage" and to "Redeem from long contempt the comic name". Steele's objective was to instruct and to ennoble rather than to amuse. Humor is clearly subordinate. Two stars (plus perhaps 1 star for historical interest).

George Lillo's moralizing melodrama, The London Merchant (1731), was a resounding success in the summer of 1731 and was apparently performed 179 times by 1776. Its repetitious moral lessons seemingly resonated with eighteenth century audiences. Three stars.

Very informative, well written, witty and interesting. A good read for a reference book. Lack of an index keeps it from being a great book.

Written by bibliographer John Carter (1905-1975), and originally published in 1952, this 232-page compendium of information and insights has long been considered the "how-to bible" for dedicated antiquarians, bibliophiles, and specialty lib-rarians with respect to locating, evaluating, and acquiring rare and out-of-print titles. Now in a completely revised, expanded, and re-set eighth edition, the ABC For Book Collectors is additionally enhanced with an informative introduction by Nicolas Barker (a personal friend of the late John Carter and the man who is responsible for the updates and revisions of this eighth edition). Among the subject authoritatively covered (and arranged in more than 490 alphabetically presented entries) are technical terms used in book collecting and bibliography; auctions, book conditions, facsimiles and fakes, "points", rarity, and more. This new addition provides up-to-date information on web-based book collecting (including eBay sales). The ABC For Book Collectors is a seminal and essential reference shelf component for dealers and collectors, and will prove of immense interest to authors, publishers, librarians, bibliophiles, bibliographers, and reviewers as well!

Carter's book is not dated for me, but timeless. He has a droll and elliptical way of deflating the fatuous inclinations of book dealers. Yes, there is no index, and it is tough to find exact terminology sometimes. But this book is not a mere reference book, it is meant to be read and enjoyed and instruct you in the "what", but also the "why" and "how". Carter, in his manner and wit, shows a *way* of approaching rare books which I think is very healthy. His skewering of the term "mint condition" and his hilarious description of "issue mongers" have me revisiting this book for momentary pleasure again and again. I started in used books in a store about 8 years ago and when I was hired, my boss put this book in my hands. I have always appreciated that gesture. Any collector should find both pleasure and knowledge in this tome.

This book can be hard to come by (you can order it from Amazon but just try to actually GET it from them--I gave up after 4 months and used an Amazon 3rd party seller). But it's worth hunting for. A wealth of information and handy reference volume for the serious collector and serious bookseller.

One of the earlier reviewers -- a history grad student -- noted that this book is "outdated and unorganized." Both of those claims are inaccurate. I'm a manuscripts curator by profession, and this text is certainly not outdated. Book knowledge, and the subtleties of collecting and discriminating among important texts, are the highest priorities of John Carter's book, and he imparts those things with great skill. Several reviewers also criticize the lack of an index or table of contents. Folks, it's an encyclopedia; each term has its own heading, in alphabetical order! The book IS the table of contents and the index. This book was required reading for the "Introduction to Descriptive Bibliography" calss when I first attended Rare Book School in Charlottesville, Virginia in 1998; I'm sure it still is.

It's important for historians (grad student or no) to familiarize themselves with this terminology. "All the terms and abbreviation in the book can be found on the Internet," notes the aforementioned grad student. Whoa! The great hulking trash barge that is the Internet does indeed pull up search terms for all of Carter's entries, but I don't trust them to be accurate. Many book-collecting terms are highly subjective ("first edition," for instance) and I'd never rely on an unvetted digital source for an accurate description if I knew nothing of the subject. You can trust John Carter's book. It should be handy on the bookshelf of every bibliophile. You'll find yourself reaching for it a lot. -Dan Lewis, Ph.D., Curator of the History of Science, the Huntington Library.

I recently took a 5-week crash course in Latin, and we used the first two volumes of this series (which I remembered from my high school Latin class many years ago!). My instructor uses it for both children and adults and has had great success with it. It's a very good way to get started, particularly for those whose goal in learning Latin is being able to pick up any text and figure out what it says (with a dictionary) rather than acquiring the ability to pass an exam in Latin grammar and syntax. By getting you into reading texts right away rather than memorizing grammar and syntax charts, this book does a great job of building the student's confidence. Each stage starts with cartoons above simple sentences and then moves into a series of longer stories before concluding with grammar and syntax sections and cultural details. The stories and characters are often amusing, and there's a lot of basic information about Roman life and culture. Although a classroom setting is best for learning Latin, I suspect this book would also be very effective for those working through it on their own. Highly recommended.

I took Latin as a high school freshman, and this was the first textbook we used. It's straightforward, easy, and fun, and my delightful Latin experience would later fuel my decision to study linguistics in college. I love Cambridge Latin.
One caveat: the first two books in this series are fairly short and aimed at younger kids. My class used Book One (this book) for the first half of the year and continued to Book Two in the spring semester. Books Three and Four are more involved; I spent my second year of Latin studing from Book Three and my third year of Latin studying from Book Four.

This review is on The North American Fourth Edition paperback.

Firstly, I've never taken Latin before, so I haven't been exposed to Wheelock or any of the other courses out there or in a formal, structured educational setting. I have toyed with Rosetta Stone's Latin Language CD, which is also a good place to start. Back to the review.

I've been looking for a decent "Beginner's Latin" book for a few years now and happened to stop at the local brick and mortar bookstore and found this treasure. I'm a designer by trade, so this book appealed to me on many levels:

1) It's visual.
2) You're launched right into a lesson in Latin.

At first you find yourself looking at images and then at the sentences, trying to understand what the text really means. If you don't understand, don't worry,
3) You are presented with a vocabulary list that covers most if not all of the words in each lesson. There might be one or two that are *assumed* but it's generally not a problem.
4) There are grammar and syntax discussions and variations on translation to help students see that there is more than one way to state a concept and how to identify the best way.
5) Lavishly illustrated with drawings and photos that tell a story to help students really understand Latin in a historic context.

I found after the first chapter, that I was able to understand a full segment with little effort.

Great series.

I took Latin I and II using the Ecce Romani series. When I switched schools, I had to switch to using the Cambridge Latin Course Unit 3 hardcover book for Latin III. It is a very poorly written textbook. The new vocabulary for each chapter is not put together very well in a way that makes it easy to learn. Since there are many little stories in each chapter, as opposed to the one big one and occasional second enrichment reading in the Ecce Romani books, there is vocab under each story. They tried to make a vocabulary list at the end of each chapter, but it never contains all the vocabulary listed under each story. The Ecce Romani books do a much better job of condensing the vocabulary and putting it all in one place, making it easier to learn. The Cambridge books are very confusing to look at and read because only proper nouns are capitalized. The back sections of the Cambridge books also only contain a Latin-English dictionary, so you're out of luck if you want to look up what an English word translates to in Latin. The Ecce Romani books contain both an English-Latin and Latin-English dictionary. The Ecce Romani series also does a much better job of explaining the grammar you learn each chapter. All the Cambridge books do is give you an example, not actually telling you how to form it in a sentence. The Ecce Romani books also have more challenging practice problems, and more of them, than the Cambridge books. On a more artistical note, the Ecce Romani books are much more interesting to look at, with color pictures that don't look like quick sketches, like the black and white Cambridge pictures do.
DO NOT buy the Cambridge series books. The books are very poorly written. The Ecce Romani series is a a much better Latin textbook series, which I highly recommend for anyone studying or planning on studying Latin.

I found this series, the 4th edition, to be especially informative because of the inclusion of history and culture of the time period, in English, as well as colour photographs.

As for the format of the book, I found it to be an easy read. Almost every stage begins with line drawings ("cartoons"), which introduces grammar, characters and sets the "stage" for what is to follow. Then there are a number of stories in each stage; proved for fun group quiz games (EUGE!). At the end of each story new vocabulary is included. Also there are vocabulary checklists, which you should know, at the end of the stage. Sometimes, the vocabulary at the end of the stories appears in the checklists further along in book. If this becomes a problem, my suggestion would be to make flashcards for each of the stages (proven study aid).

I do think that an improvement to later editions would be to include an English-Latin dictionary of the words used within the book, as well as pronunciation. Yet, nothing that an external English-Latin = Latin-English dictionary could not handle.

Valete!

The Love Letters was--is--more than I had expected or hoped for. I have been reading Madeleine L'Engle ever since elementary school in the form of her popular science fiction series. I am now 17, and I have gone back again and again to L'Engle and there's no stopping me from going to her again in the future. She has surprised me ever time in terms of being able to give me something unexpected and helping me see life and love in a totally different way. Letters does not fail here. Sometimes, reading these books, I find myself stopping for a moment and repeating out loud a sentence or a phrase or a paragraph that I just read that struck me down to the core. Her writing is wonderful...perfectly orchestrated each time--yet raw with feeling and love. I loved how Letters is a little more poetic than most of her other works. The form works splendidly. The only complaint that I have to lodge is that the writing is too obscure at times. Or perhaps it is me not trying hard enough. Nevertheless, I do lose her at times. And correct me if I'm wrong, but Letters is one of her earlier books, which shows. But to end on a high note, this book is still totally worth the ten hours or so you will spend reading it.

madeleine l'engle is my favorite author so i was especially pleased to find a book by her that i had not read at a local library. as always, ms. l'engle delivers a riveting and thought provoking story. the characters are engaging and the plot is pure l'engle. my only complaint was that the ending didn't explain exactly what happened to the characters, but perhaps that is more my issue than the book's. if you can find it, the love letters is definitely one to be read!

This year (specifically August/September) I got really into Madeleine L'Engle and her writing. I had read the Time Quartet several times as an early teen (or younger) and enjoyed those (specifically the first two books) and only recently thought to try anything else.

So at the end of August I tried Camilla and absolutely adored it. After that I was like a vacuum... buying and reading L'Engle books at a frenzied pace. Read most of the Murray books, read most of the Austin books, read the two Katherine Foster novels. And then I hit upon The Love Letters. I started it in the middle of September and only last night did I finish it.

The Love Letters, in tone, is standard L'Engle. Her ability with words is amazing and that is no different here. Where she lost me with this book is her use of flashback. I have said it several times in Amazon reviews that flashback is generally unnecessary and disruptive and, when used frequently, confusing.

In this case flashback is, unfortunately, necessary for the effect L'Engle wanted (the intertwining of two stories from two different eras). The way she does it is not just confusing, but kind of boring.

There are actually three different eras being jumped around in. The story starts out in "the present day" (or, more accurately, the era L'Engle write the book in) with Charlotte, who just ran away from her husband (to the "comforting" arms of his mother). She discovers a book of love letters (presumably) written by a nun and starts reading them to try and gain some insight into her own plight. The nun, Mariana, is the life of the place and is being groomed to become the next abbess. And then Noel comes into her life. If it was just those two eras, it would be easier to grasp. But there are also flashbacks into Charlotte's past.

Oh, and there are no indications in the text to indicate which era you are entering. There aren't "chapters" as much as pauses in the text (separated by curling lines)... so the switch between people and era often takes a little while to comprehend... even longer when it is the less frequent switch to Charlotte's early years. They could have simply marked the sections as "Charlotte" "Charlotte's Past" and "Mariana" and it would have been a lot less confusing and a lot easier to read.

Beyond that, I felt that the correlation between the two tales was weak at best. L'Engle tried to tie the two tales together by starting a thought with Charlotte like this...

...Then adding a curly line, switching eras, and ending the thought with Mariana (complete with ... dots) like this. Which was difficult to pick up on initially because of the beginning confusion in the first five or six "breaks" with who is where doing what and wonder why the heck it's not marked. Then once you pick up on the trick, you smile, say "how cute" then loathe it for the rest of the book. Thankfully, about 2/3rds of the way through, L'Engle seems to give up on that particular trick, only using it sparingly.

The correlation is faulty from other aspects as well. The relationships between the ladies and their men are different. There is nothing that happens in Mariana's side of the story that foreshadows what can or should happen with Charlotte. Thus, it just becomes a story... albeit one that Charlotte talks about a lot.

So we end up with two stories trying to waltz together to make things work and fit into some nice, tidy box. Instead it ends up more like a duel as the two separate tales are woven together, but never really becoming one.

In the end it is actually Mariana's story that ends up being the best written, most thought out, and has the greatest emotional grip (not to mention intellectual intrigue). While there is a change in both main characters, it is Mariana's that is the one we root for most, since there seems to be a lot more at stake. With Charlotte it is all talk and fluffy words, while listening to sage words of advice from her mother-in-law and doctor. Which is fine. It just doesn't really provide much literary spark. Whereas with Mariana we (despite some poor foreshadowing, another pet peeve of mine ranking up there with flashback) are gripped not only by her serenade, but the relationship she has with the people around her, both good and bad. She interacts with a whole collage of people. Charlotte has a very limited palette of people to relate with. Resulting in a story that seems more like muted grayscale, in contrast to Mariana's vibrant colors.

Is it worth reading? Sure. What makes the book readable is what is present with every L'Engle book. Her way with words, making mundane concepts come alive. Plus, the end of Mariana's tale is amazingly emotional, with a perfect and believable conclusion. But definitely NOT as a first, or even second L'Engle book. Rather, read Camilla, A Live Coal In The Sea, The Small Rain, and A Severed Wasp first. Even go for the Austin series. Don't be afraid to read this book, just don't judge L'Engle solely on it.

I started reading Madeleine L'engle's childrens' books when I was 10. Now that I'm I'm 16, I've started to read her adult books. All of them are excellent, and her work has never dissapointed me. She writes with emotion and beautiful vivid descriptions. I love her books! "Love Letters" is one of L'engle's best books. She portrays human emotions with honesty and compassion. Throughout this book I began to realize that true love wasn't perfect. True love suffers, and true love causes pain, but despite these facts, love it still beautiful. L'engle made me become part of each of the characters in the novel. I had compassion for the nun who found love for the first time, and I absoloutely fell in lvoe with Cotty and Patrick. I began to understand these characters and their individual plights, and how their lives had truely shaped who they were. L'engle shows her readers that people are truely a product of their upbringing. On a final note, a strongly reccomend this book! It completely swept me away!

It took me two read-throughs to properly appreciate this book. At first, it reads like 60s romance fiction, which is when it was originally written. Upon a second, more careful reading, the true (and very typical L'Engle) message comes through... Life's set-backs can rock us to the core, and we can take time to grieve, but we should not turn our back on Life and Love (of self, of others, etc.) and give in to Nothingness. Also of interest, in typical L'Engle "nepotism," (something I truly enjoy) there are scenes in this book that are referred to in another one of her books, _Certain Women_.

About a decade ago, a film called "Beautiful Girls" was released, which made reference to the outstandingly villanous qualities of Irwin Shaw's creation Falconetti in Rich Man, Poor Man. I was younger than 10 when the TV miniseries debuted, but I have vivid memories of my mother watching every episode religiously. The character of Axel Jordache stands out most prominently in my mind.

Well, it's harder than heck to find the miniseries on VHS, let alone DVD, but as fate has it, I have a copy of the novel in paperback. All 666 pages. Summer reading! It's a mixed bag, unfortunately, but still quite good overall.

I can't help but chuckle that I just read what amounts to a trashy summer read from 1969 here in 2007. It is not Shaw's best work by a longshot. I believe he excelled at the short story form (think "Girls in Their Summer Dresses"), and even The Young Lions was far superior to Rich Man, Poor Man. Taken as anthropology, I got a glimpse of what the previous generation, my parents' generation, read for entertainment. Not bad at all.

Shaw's use of three main characters is a bit difficult to get used to. I'm not surprised in the least that the character of Gretchen Jordache was eliminated from the miniseries completely. And frankly, she could have been culled from the novel as well -- the parts involving her were by and large extremely dull.

Puzzling to me was the character Falconetti. The way those characters in "Beautiful Girls" raved over his villainy, I was sure he would be remarkable. But Falconetti is the most minor character in the entire novel -- the miniseries writers who adapted the novel must have expanded his character, possibly to compensate for the elimination of Gretchen Jordache. This makes it clear to me that infinitely more people are familiar with the TV adaptation than the novel -- very understandable.

I think many people who read the novel only scratch the surface. The divergent paths of the Jordache brothers and their trials and tribulations are superficial. Each character in the Jordache family, and some of the supporting characters as well, represent a facet of American society. The mother, Mary Jordache, represents the Anglo-Saxon beginnings of America. By no accident, she is married to Axel Jordache, a German immigrant, with Germans comprising the largest number of immigrants from the late-1800s and early 1900s. Rudy represents the accession of big business in the post-WWII boom era, and Tom represents the working man exploited and suppressed by big business. Gretchen represents the evolving attitudes of sex in American society and the confusion that must have beset women as they struggled to find identity in the professional world and family life. A minor character such as Brad Knight was representative of wild speculation in business and the excesses of prosperity.

Very interesting to me was the character of Teddy Boylan (Te DdyBoylan, The Diablo, The Devil). Not subtly named, and with many overt references to his nature, Shaw's treatment of the devil as a mostly ordinary, ultimately irrelevant character is thought-provoking. All three of the main characters are influenced by the Devil -- Gretchen sleeps with him, Rudy vows to emulate him, Tom utterly rejects him, and it's no surprise that in the end, Tom has the most spiritually satisfying life, with a duration only slightly longer than Francis Macomber's.

By the time he wrote Rich Man, Poor Man, Shaw was already adapting his earlier works for the screen, and this novel often reads like a screenplay to its detriment. I suspect that watching the miniseries would be more enjoyable, but I have no regrets taking a week out of my life to read the novel.

This book has a certain hypnotic fascination. The very first page introduces us to the young Rudolph Jordache in such technicolour one could describe him as if he were a friend. This is followed by a dazzling array of characters, all superbly described, all amazingly unique, and every single one a delight. Even the most minor character is not spared loving attention by the author. The events happen thick and fast, and the twists in the story are certainly interesting. The language is descriptive, and fun to read. One is drawn to the characters, and is, by turns, elated at their successes, and disappointed by their failures.

But at the end of the book, one feels cheated: the writer seems to have made a conscious decision to call it a day. The many promising themes of the book are tossed away, and the loose strands brought together in an untidy mess.

How often does one ever reread "popular" fiction? This novel has remained firmly ensconced in my memory, and, consequently, I decided to revisit it some thirty-five years later. Very quickly it became clear why I had never forgotten the book as it contains all the elements that can make "popular" fiction such an enjoyable experience: well written prose, a captivating plot, unexpected twists, and, ahem, scenes of substantial sensuality. I cannot recommend it too highly!

I find it hard these days to really get into a book, so I put down about 10 in the past year. But this one is VERY ABSORBING, you keep wondering what the characters are going to do next. It is interesting (I'm writing in August 2004) about the hobbies/words used/way they think in the years beginning in 1940 and ending 1968. For those of us born after those years, we tend to think of those years in black and white and that THEY were VERY OLD FASHIONED, however, they're the same as us, just in a different time in the world.

This is pretty light reading, some parts contrived - a little Danielle Steel'ish (which I hate), but I'm saying some parts are a little too...well...perfect. Not real life. Very long book too. But you will stay absorbed till the end - kind of a surprise ending too.

I read this book in my junior year of high school, and I have loved it ever since. I wrote my english paper on it, and got a pretty good grade. I have read it every year since then and will continue. If you like books that makes you feel like you are part of the story, then this is the perfect book for you.other wise, you should still read it.