V Books

This is a 50 card deck created by literary escort, Naomi Epel who would get writing advice/ideas from the authors that she toted around. She used an index card system where she had wrote phrases or questions. When she was feeling stuck, she'd pull out a card to induce ideas.

The cards have words, suggestions, ideas to help pull you out of being stuck or to spark your creativity with your writing. Accompanying the cards is a book that is slightly larger than the cards. The book contains suggested uses for the cards and meanings. I like in the introduction where Naomi says: "The spontaneity of pulling cards freed me from having to be too self-directive and my writing began to flow."

I have enjoyed using the cards and the book is interesting. I have been keeping the cards beside my computer when I write, and sometimes when I take a break I'll shuffle and see what comes up. This morning when I went to my computer, (after reading a book that had me thinking about writing down some goals)I looked at the cards sitting atop a pile of books. The top card facing me read: "Set realistic goals." -Wow, maybe they're psychic too!

The cards and book come in a nice box. Mine haven't been back in the box since I got them. This is a great gift for writers or anyone who enjoys creativity and expanding their thinking.

I bought the book used here sans cards and the book itself is interesting. It has about five references to the wonderful writer Julie Smith whose work I'm reading now as a result. She's terrific and until now I had not considered myself a mystery reader.

A few of the topics/ideas in the are common sense (well, actually they all are), but I am surprised at how having them in one place is inspirational. I wish I had this book on my writer's retreat last weekend for a craft lesson presentation.

The edition I have is a small paperback and has a colorful, interesting cover. It would make a great gift.

So, in short, I recommend the book as a gift for writer friends or for yourself to nurture your creative side. I'm so torn between the two, I'll buy another copy.

My soon-to-be published friend Debra introduce me to The Observation Deck -- which I now lovingly call "a writing class in a box."

This is not new, published in 1998, so I was late to join the fan club, and when I tell other friends about it, some look at me patiently and say: You just found it now!

The idea (should you choose to accept this mission) is to use the deck of get-off-your-duff cards to urge you out of writer's block.

This may sound melodramatic, but it has changed my life -- as a writer, editor, listener and observer of people, places and things.

When writer's block hits, pick from over 20 cards that might say: Take a walk; or zoom in and out; explore the underside; follow the scent.... You get the idea. My favorite is: EVERY SINGLE CHAPTER.

The purse-sized, 160-page book has a chapter on each of the "pushes" on the cards. My book is highlighted in yellow, with X in red and Q for wonderful quotes. I read a little, think a lot, and then an idea, or a new way to look at an idea that has been rumbling and grumbling around in my head pops into my thought process.

If you are wannabe writer (or better writer), this would be a great self-gift or for family or friends who are writers.

These pretty cards are an excellent device to jump-start ideas when that sneaky writer's block comes up. Great for brainstorm sessions and getting ideas organized. This is a fun tool for those who love cards - playing cards, tarot decks, and affirmations. Creative minds will have a blast using this "ingredient" in their recipe of book writing!

"The Observation Deck" is a cute boxed set from Naomi Epel for writers who suffer from writers block or other inspiration malfunctions.

The set from Epel contains 50 cards meant to inspire thoughts, stories or other ways of thinking during the writing process. A little book is also included that contains techniques that have worked for other writers such as "Eavesdrop" a little trick apparently used by famous writers like F. Scott Fitzgerald, Eudora Welty and many others. The book is more effective than the cards and I would like to see that thought continued in larger volume by Epel.

This set is a nice handy tool to have at hand when doubting your worth as a writer. Grab it for inspiration but rely on your own observations.

Gave this book as a gift to my dog loving daughter who is expecting our first grandchild. Beautiful illustrations and clever prose that any dog owner can appreciate and enjoy.

This book received many great reviews in education journals. My students love this book and it is very popular. I highly recommend it - who can pass up this puppy?

We saw this book featured on our local news station's "Success by 6" children's reading program and loved it! I ordered it as a gift for my two year-old niece but had a very hard time parting with it when it came. The illustrations are fabulous, the accompanying "stories" are charming, anyone who loves dogs will thoroughly enjoy this book. It exceeded my expectations.

My daughter and I are beginning our forever-long study of poetry and I found this unexpected and beautiful book about dogs (her favorite animal). The language and style of Once I Ate a Pie flows with such an obvious love and mastery of word usage and consideration of subject. The poems are blank verse but the word choice is juicy and deliberate. Really stunning paintings compliment each piece. I found myself brought to tears at least twice and really humbled by the talent of the authors.

** If you happen to check it out, Mr. Beefy is my favorite ;).

This is my grandson's favorite book. Is wonderful and a lot of fun. He has always had Pugs.

I bought this book for my daughter when she was about a year old. We read it every night and she loves this book, she knows it by heart. She is now 2 1/2, the pages are ripped and taped yet we still read this book at bedtime. I want her to have peace in her life and be able to bring peace to others. This is truly a wonderful book. This was my first Todd Parr book and now I am looking for more. He is amazing.

We received this as a Christmas present for our daughter and we all enjoy it tremendously. I'll never forget reading it to her as a toddler and coming to the page where the boy and his dog are thinking of each other and her saying "he loves the dog, the dog loves him. love, love.. two loves!" The illustrations are adorable and the message is as simple as that: love, love. I highly recommend this book!

I love this book and have bought 4 copies of it to give as gifts. I originally stumbled across it in a store and gave it to my niece for her 2nd birthday. Since then each time my wife and I have been presented with the need for a gift for a small child we have come to Amazon and bought the book. I also got one for our church's childrens library. The pictures and colors are great. One line of text per page and the message is awesome. In a world where "Peace" is so often defined as the absense of war, it is nice to see a book with many interpretations that help to define the word for children in positive terms, not by what it is not.

"Peace is having enough pizza in the world for everyone!" What kid won't understand that?

The book also comes in two sizes. Both are fine, but if you are planning on using it to read to a group of children (at church, school, or a library) I would recommend the larger size.

A four year old boy seems to think if you are for peace you can't enjoy the power rangers and other toys with weapons. This book explains what peace is. This four year old boy seems to get it.

I really like this book and my daughter (4) likes it too. It's a great way to talk about all different kinds of people, music, clothes, etccc

Don't look at this with the eye of a photo critic or you may miss the magic. This is an intimate glimpse into the life of Sammy, his family, friends, and acquaintances as only someone "on the inside" can capture.

A wonderful book!

an amazing collection of photos that serve as a historical and entertaining view of the times he lived through.

Few have personified the phrase "self-made man" as did legendary entertainer Sammy Davis, Jr. (1925-1990). The world remembers Davis for his varied and extraordinary accomplishments as an actor, singer, musician, dancer, and comedian.

But hardly anyone outside his circle of friends and family has been familiar with his photography--until now. With this hefty book, interspersed with reminisces by longtime friend Burt Boyar (who co-wrote Davis's autobiographies Yes I Can and Why Me?), his old fans and a new generation can revel in hundreds of images that reveal yet another significant facet of Davis's far-reaching talents.

Though Photo lacks the singular thematic focus of books published by such photographer-celebrities as Dennis Hopper and Gerry Spence, that's no drawback for this posthumously published volume. Rather, it pulls the reader into the exciting world of nightclubs, casinos, and Beverly Hills homes in which Davis moved, mostly from the late 1940s through early '70s. A voracious shutterbug, he took his photography seriously: his compositions are strikingly iconic, employing sophisticated use of line and form. Yet, his pictures are mostly snapshots--in the best sense of the word: they capture their subjects spontaneously, and his joie de vivre suffuses his work. Think of it as a highly stylized family album packed with candid portraits of "Rat Pack" pals Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Joey Bishop, Peter Lawford, and Shirley MacLaine, as well as other famous friends like Nat "King" Cole, Tony Curtis, Janet Leigh, Sidney Poitier, James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, Jerry Lewis, and Bill Cosby.

Among the more touching aspects of this book are the portraits of his actual family: his parents, his second wife May Britt and their children, and his third wife (and widow) Altovise Gore Davis. The most poignant are the many shots of actress Kim Novak, the first great love of Davis's life, who was forced by Columbia Pictures studio chief Harry Cohn to break off their relationship (interracial relationships were strictly taboo in 1950s Hollywood, not to mention in society generally).

One photograph, despite its matter-of-fact framing, is particularly chilling. Through the window of a passenger train en route to Miami, Davis snapped a picture of an elderly white gentleman on a station platform holding a cigarette, standing before a pair of double doors over which the foreboding phrase "WHITE WAITING ROOM" is painted. Davis's photographic abilities and inclinations were such that we see a mostly glamorous world through his eye. Thus, when we arrive at this jarring image, it's impossible not to apprehend it from his point-of-view--and also not to feel the sense of injustice that he must have experienced in the Jim Crow South as he clicked the shutter.

As Davis's show business career took off, many venues--even north of the Mason-Dixon Line--were happy to let blacks perform onstage; but the same headliner artists weren't even permitted to drink at the bar, use a dressing room, or occupy one of their hotel rooms. Photographs from Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s 1963 "I Have a Dream" speech at the Lincoln Memorial, and portraits of politician friends Senator Robert Kennedy and President Richard Nixon, give silent witness to Davis's largely forgotten achievements as an outspoken civil rights advocate.

Photo is a coffee-table book that won't spend much time on the coffee table if your houseguests are anything like mine. Because of a car crash in 1954, Sammy Davis, Jr., was left with only one eye. But what an eye this cat had!

This book is so fun. It has so many candid great photo's, really intresting history on Sammy Davis Jr. and his relationship's. I really enjoyed this book. Great coffee table book.

I originally picked up this book as a curiosity and found its links to a bygone era utterly fascinating. The subject matter, i.e., rat pack photos were wonderful but the photographic mastery of Davis Jr. is, I think, equally as stunning. A look into Davis Jr.'s remarkable life is given by him in the way, like other great photographers, he insightfully choses to document and communicate with his subjects through the lens. Again, like many great photographers, the images are powerful and soft, crisp and dazzling. More talent revealed from a man who had more in his baby finger than most of us have coursing through our entire bodies.
Bravo. Well done.

Wow, What an Amazing Book
Hi, the book I'm reviewing is Poppy and Rye. The authors name is Avi. The location were the book mostly takes place is the brook. Another location is the beaver's lodges which you will find out were that is later in the book.

Things from the story
One of the very important things is when Poppy the mouse was about to make a trip to Ragweed's old house so she could tell Ragweed's parents why Ragweed would never return. Poppy called her best friend Ereth the porcupine old because she was apologizing because Poppy had been begging Ereth to come with her. Then Poppy said she was sorry for not respecting the elderly. Then Ereth got the impression that Poppy was calling him old. Another thing was when Poppy and Rye met. They met when Ereth was sleeping and Poppy was supposed to be sleeping. Poppy was dancing with a daisy and Rye asked if he could join. There's a beaver who's named Cas and he's got plans to make the brook into a lake. They have also captured Rye! What will happen to him????

Things I Liked
Some of the things I liked about this book are that the author gave so many details for example: the author described the grass in Dimwood as moist, the trees leaves delicious and the stars dancing in beauty and grace. When I read this book I couldn't stop reading until I figured out what happened to the character that was in distress. The book is a very good book. I also liked how the mice were braver than humans at times
For example: a 3 inch tall mouse has the courage to go in a beaver lodge when the beaver's are 2ft. and have giant tails. I thought it was pretty much fiction but, it was still fun to read.

My Ratings
I give this book, without a doubt, a 5 star rating because it's just a great book. I think this book is meant for kid's ages 9-13 years old.

The book was a gift and it came in time for Christmas.

Struggling to find her love Rye, Poppy (a mouse) has to stop the beavers from making dams. She also has to stop them from turning the beautiful little pond to a big and dirty lake. Rye (a mouse) is trapped inside a dam and cannot get free. So Poppy is not only trying to stop the beavers and set free Rye, Poppy has a wild adventurer with her friend the porcupine, Ereth to tell Ragweed's parents (Rye's brother) is dead. Can Poppy stop the beavers as well as set free Rye and deliver the news? To find out, the call number is AVI and the author and illustrator is Avi and Brian Floca. You need to read this book along with the other great adventures with its series. "Ragweed," "Poppy,' "Poppy and Rye," Ereth's Birthday" and "Poppy's Return." This author has written many great books especially this one. So please, read this book. "Poppy and Rye" is a book for anyone. It has adventure, describing and wow words and many more! Here are some describing and colorful weird words said by Ereth. "Oh, fox flip," the porcupine growled. "Sticky roach toes," Ereth muttered. "Crabgrass up their snoots," Ereth snapped. Avi has a great word choice that makes you picture everything but with words. He really uses his imagination when it comes to writing words. This book I think everyone should read. So please try it!

An absolutly stunning childrens book, Avi makes it an exciting and addicting read. Very powerful read aloud to young children. It is the best book in the series, in my opinion. I highly recomend it.

Poppy has done it again ! Not onley does she save Ragweed's brother ,Rye , from a nasty batch of beavers ,
but she also saves Ragweed's family as well. I'd say this book is for someone who likes animals that's
proabaly why I like it so much.

I've read a lot of reviews about this book and no one book is going to make everyone happy. My husband and I had a great time picking out hikes we wanted to go on. It got us where we wanted to go and it provided us enough information to know whether or not we'd enjoy them or not. There is a lot of construction and change going on in and around Sedona right now but we didn't have any problems navigating. The authors use the "Y" in Sedona as the starting point for each of the hikes. The "Y" is now two round-a-bouts. The book does exactly what it's supposed to do-Introduce you to some fantastic hikes, tells you how to get to them and has explanations and thoughts on each one. No complaints here.

This book seems to cover many great hiking areas in Sedona. It is quite explicit re: directions and information about the hiking trails. Great book for a person new to the area or even people who have been around awhile. Very informative!

I used this book for planning a 2 day visit to Sedona. I was extremely happy with the format. It has 2 pages per hike, with a high quality photo of what to expect for views, driving/hiking distance/time, as well as selections of their favorites. We didn't visit long enough to do a lot of the hikes, but we truly felt that we were able to select 3 hikes that were perfectly suited to our tastes and with nice variety. Overall, I don't think you could go wrong in Sedona, but I felt like this guide was well worth the price and only wish I could find similar guides for other locations. The Magnum's have done a great job, deserving of 5 stars.

The only shortcoming you may find is that their maps are very general and mostly help you find the trailhead (which was flawless). But, I prefer to have a quality map as well and I purchased the Emmitt Barks Cartography - Sedona Trails Map (not sure if it was on Amazon), and was very happy with it. Personally, I don't think you can create a detailed map inside the book for each hike, so I don't consider this a flaw to the book - just a bit of advice if you are planning a trip.

This book was very helpful in deciding which hikes to do. We were not dissappointed by any of the hikes. It was good that we knew about the pink jeaps ahead of time.

I have read five books about the Sedona hikes, all written approximately across the same time period, and this is why Iknow what I am talking about.I have also been to Sedona twice and know about it in a general sence. Short and sweet...this is the best all around Sedona hiking book filled with lots of bits about popular and unheard of hikes. This book is good because it is created by a Husband and Wife writer and photographer team who have lived in the area for years. The book includes maps of how to get to the trail heads and where the trails go from there. Also, descriptions of weather related to time of year and level of exertion required to do the hikes. The hikes that include VORTEXES are clearly marked. The photography is great. The five other books are best described by one or several of the following phrases: sickening and homespun; the writer as spiritual guru who is grandiose; might as well not bother; information repeated elsewhere ad nauseum. GET THIS BOOK

I am an engaged home cook who happened to read a review of this cookbook and then come upon it in a NYC bookstore. I promptly bought it, and it remains, ten years later (?) -- maybe longer -- my favorite cookbook. Excellent, easy to follow recipes with always satisfying results. Just enough other commentary to keep one engaged, along with the overall idea that one ingredient can inform every meal. Buy it -- it's a winner!

Great travel writing, great food writing, great photographs. I never tire of reading this cookbook. The authors stories are endlessly entertaining. We cook a lot from this book, Rice Congee, and Thai Fried Rice are 2 of the standby meals my family never grows tired of.

This was one of those cookbooks that I glanced through at the bookstore, liked it, put down and then went on my way yet it never left my mind. I've found when I do that I might as well buy the thing the next time around. So I did and I was not disappointed.

As others have said its part cookbook, part travelouge organized by geography. I found this to be an interesting combination. I bought the thing for the reciepies but find myself enjoying the travelouges while search through it for my next meal. I don't know, it just seems like you get more out of the dish that way.

At the beginning of the book it tells a good chunk about history, cultivation, physiology and processing of rice. This was quite informative. Things like the advantages and disadvantages of hulled vs unhulled rice and rinsing rice before cooking. No perfect solution, just valuable information based on your needs.

The receipies are of course the meat of the book. When I first opened it up I figured it would be 300 ways to prepare rice or something like that. Far from it. Many (say half or more) of the dishes are not rice dishes at all but meals or snacks that you would eat with rice. So while it does have some rice specific dishes its really more of a cookbook that samples dishes from around the world. A good chunk of them are winners, far higher hit rate than I see in most cookbooks.

The receipeis themselves tend to be easy to moderate in complexity. Having its international focus does call for some ingredients that you just wont find at your local chain grocery store. There are some good mail order sources in the back for some of the more shelf stable items. For items that need to be fresh they often suggest substitutes.

Its a great book, I really recommend it and its on my short list of go to books when I ask myself "What do I want to cook for dinner"

One word - AWESOME!!! If that's not enough of a review for you..here goes. This book will take hold of you by your collar and won't let you go till you've finished the last page....and not only that but this book will affect the way you think about rice...even if rice is a staple at your house and you feel like you know everything there is to know about it!
I read this book for 4 hours last night...and couldn't tear myself away from it. The depiction of countries and their people is so true and so touching, you'll feel like visiting those places.
Being an Indian myself, I could see all the recipes featured under the Indian section are 100% authentic...trust me on it. I'm sure the same goes for all the other countries too...do buy this book if you love rice.
[...]

The paperback version/publisher's closeout of this book has grainy black and white photos. From other reviews, I gather that the hardback version has stunning color photos. The same great recipes and travelogue are in both books. (I personally wish I had spent more for the book with the better photos.)

I've lost 38 lbs. since I started this diet about a year ago. I hope to lose about 50 more. For years I tried execise and diets to lose but nothing helped me lose much. Because of the info. these authors revealed, I finally am doing what seemed impossible. Two tips help me. I eat a lot of vegetables at my first meal of the day. That way I'm full enough for the remainder of the day that I can keep my second tip. That tip is that I only consume 1400 calories per day. Thank you so much for taking the time to write this book!

I do not understand...I thought when you go on an anti-depressant it was suppose to help balance your unbalanced hormones and chemicals? I thought it was suppose to give us more serotonin, not less?? I was first put on an antidepressant when a doctor told me it would help give me energy (I was not depressed, I had a long battle with mono and still had fevers and fatigue). I gained about 60 pounds, did not get any energy, felt "odd", not quite myself. It was not fun. Eventually went off the pills for a few years. Then started having anxiety and not feeling very good (blood work showed my hormones were really unbalanced, had me in "post-menopausal" in some areas, even though I was only 30 yrs. old and still menstruating, but just my hormones in general seemed all out of whack),so I was put back on another antidepressant. I thought these meds were suppose to help us feel better, more calm, less stressed, sleep better, put us in balance, etc. Why do they seem to do little other than cause major weight gain? I am considering buying this book. If you follow the diet, does it help you more than antidepressants? Anyone gone off their antidepressants after following the diet for a while? (I'm not talking about those with bi-polar and major depression for whom the meds have truly helped and been benefical, but for anyone who has had doctors pop them on antidepressants when you weren't really depressed?).

I ran across the Serotonin Diet recently in a magazine article. The magazine gave a Cliff's Note version of the "pure carb" snacking concept. I at first dismissed this concept, me being a Low Carb convert. But, I have always struggled with binge eating. Even after losing 60# recently (low carb dieting) I was still not in control. Although I have maintained my weight loss it is a constant binge then diet cycle. I live in constant fear that I will lose the battle. I read this article on the second day of a 2-day binge. The next day I was resolved to be good on my diet to recover from the bingeing I had been doing. In the afternoon (my binges always hit in the afternoon and/or evenings) I could feel a binge coming on (uncontrollable urge to go get something "bad" out of the work vending machine). I remembered the article I had read and instead I bought a bag of Rold gold pretzels and ate those. I was astounded at how it filled me up and took the binge urge away - nothing has ever worked like this before in my life!! Absolutely amazing. The following day I again had the binge urge and again I bought the pretzels and again another binge was averted. It seems as though it takes time for these urges to go away (maybe they never do) but I now have a tool for fighting back other then willpower (which has never worked on binge urges)

I have just ordered the book and hope to learn more about how to make this a lifestyle and never have to worry about binging again.

This is fabulous. I find myself feeling much healthier by following the simple steps and regulated snacking. It really shocked me the difference this diet (now a lifestyle) made in my life. I feel better, my body functions better and in conjunction with yoga, the overall quality of my life has improved.

We've all done it- eating a whole bag of potato chips or more cookies than we'd like to admit when trying to deal with stress, anxiety, fatigue, or sadness. The thing is that it works. After eating that comfort food, we feel like we can face the world once again. So food becomes a refuge and the scale reflects it.

Then, along comes the Atkins diet. No carbs. Truthfully, how long did it take you to cheat during your first bout of PMS? Even when you were being "good", how bad were the carb cravings?

The Serotonin Power Diet makes carbs permissible once again, in moderation and at the right times. One small carbohydrate filled snack, eaten about an hour before a meal can actually reduce your appetite allowing you to eat appropriate portions of healthy foods without cravings or feeling like you are actually on a diet.

Unlike many diets, I can see The Serotonin Power Diet actually fitting into my everyday lifestyle. Craving carbs during PMS or when I'm tired often derails my nutritional efforts. Having a small snack seems to alleviate that feeling that I've failed in my efforts and relieves my cravings.

I've worked my way through this entire series now, and while the first dozen or so (this is no. 23) were generally well done -- good, reasonably accurate descriptions of London of the 1880s, pointed contrast between Society's drawing rooms and the miserable existence of the laboring classes, vivid character development of both working cops and the elite -- the last few have shown a definite decline. Thomas Pitt, Inspector and then Superintendent at the Bow Street station, and a both very talented and highly empathic detective, has now been stripped of his position by the Forces of Evil (the entirely fictional and extremely melodramatic "Inner Circle") and dumped in the lap of Special Branch, where he's beginning to learn how to be a secret policeman instead of a public one. The "Seven Dials" area of London is a pretty minor player in this one, too; the author should have called it "Alexandria," because that's where Pitt is sent to gather information on a beautiful and patriotic Egyptian woman living in London who is caught red-handed wheeling a dead bottom through her back garden in a wheelbarrow. Also implicated is a high Foreign Office official, which is how Pitt and his "M"-like boss, Narraway, get involved. If the details of the motive for the murder become public, the government could fall, Egypt could erupt in revolt, and Suez might even be lost. Can't have that, right? The action is low-key, the plot development takes its time, and the reader will enjoy the scenery, both internal and external. At least The Inner Circle manages not to appear this time, and it's fun watching Pitt trying to deal with a totally foreign milieu -- even though Perry could have spent a lot more time painting its details.

I never really liked political anything, even in Anne Perry, but I could not put this one down. I finished it in one day. She did not disappoint me!!!! Thanks Anne

elizabeth cohen

Classic murder mysteries rely heavily for both their effectiveness and their appeal on a "slight of hands," and one of the tricks is a set of characters in whom one can become interested enough to relate to them in some way. Another is to create an ambiance that arrests the attention and keeps it. Anne Perry has a great knack for creating both memorable characters and an interesting stage on which they play out their roles in the story.

Her Seven Dials is an amazing recreation of Victorian England in the earlier days of the queen's reign. The era is young yet, and the political turmoil that will set the stage for World War I and the social changes it brings is just beginning. Some of the older characters can remember the Napoleon wars. Thomas and Charlotte Pitt are paradigms of lower middle class life in the period, with their fate in the hands of Thomas's mentor in the Secret Service, Victor Narroway, and their maid servant and her beau, Samuel Tellman, in theirs. The interactions among all of the characters gives as much a feeling for the period as does the mention of hansom cabs, harnesses, and horse manure in the streets. Even the yellow skies and the chocking, smog filled London streets is classic for the era.

Perry's characters are charming and detailed, each a work of art in them selves. The maidservant is spunky, savvy and sensitive, used to the school of hard knocks, and her friend Tellman is gruff, masculine in an "old fashioned" sort of way, and smarts under the unfairness of social inequality and the period's newly arising sense of social empowerment. The stiff, formal society in which Charlotte Pitt grew up and still has family is faced with an erosion of their privileges and with a growing sense that they are on the threshold of major change. They are like dinosaurs waiting for the asteroid to strike them.

All of this sets the background for a puzzling murder of a man who should not really have been where he was at all and certainly not dead. The central characters push forward in an attempt to make sense of the confusing, almost irrational facts. It is this irrationality that is part of the slight of hands. Eventually Pitt must go to Egypt to unravel the mystery by back tracking the murdered man and his alleged murderess.

The venue in Egypt is Alexandria, a city to which I have been about three or four times. The descriptions of Victorian Alexandria might still easily pass for today, although the city today is more Western than Cairo and much more so than Thebes. The description of the rug suq was definitely memorable. The quarrel that leads to a small riot in the book reminded me of the minor violence that occurred among men there and in Cairo in the few days before Sadat was assassinated. Like the brewing sense of political unrest in the book, here too, everyone felt the tension in the air; everyone knew that something was afoot, but no one knew what was about to happen. It was a very tense time, and so was Pitt's Egypt.

I can not for the life of me understand the author's description of malaquia, an Egyptian soup--which I refer to as "frog-pond"--made for special occasions, as "delicious." I found it slimy and green. The latter I could handle, the former I couldn't. The mention of the sound of what seemed like crickets to Pitt, also brings back memories. Actually the sound is not crickets but a similar one made by small frogs in the canals and on the banks of the Nile. It's very restful. All in all, Pitt's trip to Egypt was as memorable for me as for him.

A delightful mystery.

Anne Perry doesn't disappoint in this recorded book. Read well, and easily one for the bookshelf.

Very descriptive and historically accurate. You'll love her vivid pictures of Alexandria. Egypt comes alive. I'm a harsh critic but this work bowled me over.

This particular book follows the eleventh and twelfth seasons of the "Simpsons." We are offered summaries for each episode, as well as chalkboard and couch gags, hard-to-know facts and trivia, and character sketches and designs from various episodes. This is a great addition to the first two books in the series, but seems to be filled with some extra, not very essential material, just to seem larger and worthy of the price. Yet, in any event, I think if you are a big "Simpsons" watcher, or want to know more about these seasons, this book is a great purchase.

This book is hilarious, even better than the other two! Every series,the simpsons just gets funnier and funnier. I can't wait for the next book to come out and the next series to be shown on C4. If you like The Simpsons, you will love this book.

Amazing. The ultimate for any Simpsons fan!

THE SIMPSONS BEYOND FOREVER! A COMPLETE GUIDE TO OUR FAVORITE FAMILY...STILL CONTINUED is probably the best book on the Simpsons that I've read, along with THE SIMPSONS: A COMPLETE GUIDE TO OUR FAVORITE FAMILY and THE SIMPSONS FOREVER! A COMPLETE GUIDE TO OUR FAVORITE FAMILY...CONTINUED. It includes, and I am taking this right from the cover, all new characters, episodes, and secret jokes you might have missed from seasons 11 & 12. The book was created by Matt Groening and edited by Jesse L. McCann. It details each episode and even has extras: Season 11 Production Art; Season 11 Character Designs; Season 12 Production Art; Season 12 Character Designs; Church Marquees; "D'oh"s and "Mmm"s; Itchy & Scratchy; Couch Gags; Who Does What Voice; and Songs Sung Simpson.

The books dedication even reads:
TO THE LOVING MEMORY OF SNOWBALL I:
YOU ALWAYS MANAGED TO LAND ON YOUR FEET.

My favorite sayings in the book are all on p. 104 - 105, "Simpsons Tall Tales":

A hungry, hungry Homer: "I haven't had buffalo in six hours. Marge, how about whipping up some buffalo sausage, huevos buffaleros, and some fresh-squeezed buffal-OJ?"

VICTUAL REALITY:
HUCK FINN (NELSON): I'm considerable hungry. We got any food left?
TOM SAWYER (BART): Hmm. Looks like we're out of cornpone, fatback, hardtack, fatpone, corntack...
HUCK: Any tackback?
TOM: Tackback?
HUCK: I mean, backtack.
TOM: Plum out.

COMPARE AND SAVE:
APU: One jug of whiskey, three plugs of tobacky, and some extra-strength opium. That will be two cents, boys.
TOM: Gasp!
HUCK: Two cents!
APU: Hey, if you think my prices are high, go across the street!
(He points at a $0.99 Store.)

I would buy this book for double the price!

P.S. - I also reviewed the first two books mentioned above.

Wow, The Simpsons has been around a LONG TIME! Right now, they're on Season 15 and the hit show doesn't look like it will end anytime soon. Of course, the episodes are kind of stupid now and some are losing interest. The Simpsons Beyond Forever covers season 11 and 12. The book is basically a really detailed episode guide. Inside, there is an Itchy and Scratchy Filmography, Homer's D'OHS! and his mmm's, and of course, the couch gags. But, that's only part of the book.
Also, they tell everything you need to know about each episode in seasons 11 and 12. There's the stuff Bart writes on the chalkboard, quotes from the episode, a summary and hilarious pictures. With 2 pages for each episode, they have plenty of room to fit anything they want on it. They even do a The Stuff You May Have Missed section for every episode. They have even more information for the Treehouse of Horror episodes. 4 WHOLE PAGES! The episodes aren't even that great!
The book, I wouldn't consider short, but not long. The first book(The Simpsons: A Complete Guide To Your Favorite Family) almost has 100 more pages than Beyond Forever! But, Beyond Forever has enough information that the few pages don't really matter.
You'll find EVERYTHING you need to know about season 11 and 12 in this book. Basically, it's amazing. I would reccommend this true work of art to any Simpsons fan. You could watch one Simpsons episode and still find this book interesting. Seasons 11 and 12 weren't included in the drop of ideas that has suddenly come into The Simpsons. The wonderful episode HomR lets you discover Homer's only stupid because he lodged a crayon up his nose as a kid. Plus, there's the crazy Trilogy of Error episode where it tells where Homer's finger was cut off by Marge and her brownies.
All in all, this book is AWESOME! Buy it.