Warner Books

Yes, this is totally hilarious. But are 40 or so mind-altered quips really a book? So that's why I gave it 4 stars, not 5. If you want a collection of looney, twisted, crazy aphorisms, buy Deep Thoughts; but if you want a humor book, get a Dave Barry.

I loved deep thoughts ever since I saw them on Saturday Night Live. This book is worth every penny!

Don't let the small size of this book let you think it a light weight in the world of books on deep thoughts.What I'm really trying to say is that when something is really thought out ,it doesn' take a volumous manuscript to get the message across. Take Moses,for example,he could have filled 50 volumes explaining God's instructions.He took two stones,and in 10 Commandments,got the message across clear and simple.
When Handley set out to explain deep thinking,he managed to do it in so few pages ,he didn't even have to number them.Not only that,most of the page is a simple picture.
Most of the reviewers talk about how funny this book is.What he really makes us laugh so hard ; is how complicated we make the thoughts on living for ourselves.The great Philosophers have tried over the ages to give us great thoughts to live by.You know what? It ain't that difficult.
For instant,much has been written on the meaning of life.Handey tells us to think deep.
"Life is a constant battle between the heart and the brain.
But guess who wins. The skeleton."
Or how about this;
"You might think that the favorite plant of the porcupine is
the cactus,but it's thinking like that that almost ruined
this country."
Then his thoughts on afterlife;
"In my next life,I hope I come back as a parrot,because I
already know quite a few words."
And finally a deep thought in case we are invaded by Aliens;
"Warning to all outer-spage guys: You can capture me and put me
in your "space zoo" if you like,but I will sit way in the
back of my cage,where it's hard to see me.And when I do come
out,I won't be wearing any pants."
Now,how about that; Deep thoughts or what? Yeah,and it'll
make you laugh,too.

If you have any sort of a sense of humor whatsoever, you must get this book. Jack Handey is one of the most hilarious people alive! You may already be familiar with Handey's work, his work was featured on Saturday Night Live some years back. These are great to memorize and randomly quote throughout the day. I love this book, I've read it a bunch of times, and it's always funny.

If I were a rich gal, I would buy everyone in the world a copy of this book, because inside are some of the funniest thoughts ever produced! Each page holds a different "deep thought"; some immediately bring out the laughter, while others take a sec or two to sink in. Then you grin and want to immediately share it with someone. I think this would make a wonderful coffee table book. Put it out there at your next get-together and watch people chuckle, roar, giggle, snort, whoop, guffaw, howl, snicker, crack up, or whatever they do when they've just read something hilarious.

I read this book when I was about 10. I had remembered the premise of it, but not the name or author. A book club leader brought me a review of it and asked it this was the book I remembered. I ordered it and when I read it 60 years later, I don't know how A librarian let me check this book. I can't have understood much of it!! I am glad I got to read it again and I don't know why this stayed in my memory so long.

For some years I was familiar with the name Philip Wylie as one of the authors of the disaster story "When Worlds Collide". I was also surprised to find that one of his books ("The Gladiator") influenced the creation of the hero Superman. "The Disappearance" (1951) is the first book I've read by Wylie.

In the introduction to this edition of "The Disappearance" Robert Silverberg thought it more appropriate to regard this book as fantasy rather than science fiction. Bizarre happenings in science fiction stories are usually "explained" and rationalised in an effort to achieve plausibility. The mysterious phenomenon that occurs here - the world suddenly splitting into two realities where men and women exist separately - is never actually explained, although characters in the story try to attribute it to things like mass hallucination or divine intervention.

From two perspectives, male and female, we see how events unfold following the disappearance of the opposite sex, and the way it has affected society in either world. The basic message is that one can't live without the other. The all-male society slides into violence and aggression, atomic weapons devastate certain cities, and martial law is declared. The all-female society is little better off, because most of the women lack such practical skills for things that were once (in the 1950s at least) considered "mens work". Anything technical or scientific was outside the women's experience, considered too rough or complicated for their abilities. Gradually though, the women adapt and attempt to live off the land despite such crises as lawlessness, disease and starvation.

"The Disappearance" is an entertaining story, and quite philosophical (which is appropriate since one of the main characters is a philosopher). For anyone who enjoyed this book I also recommend John Wyndham's novella "Consider Her Ways" (1956). In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if Wyndham had read "The Disappearance" because the premise is quite similar: a regimented all-female society in the future where men have been rendered extinct by a virus. In Wyndham's scenario women are coping quite well on their own and believe they're far better off without men. They also found a way to reproduce without needing a man. One character argues that in a two-sexed society women were conditioned to be unthinking consumers and parasites, that it suited commerce to trick women into embracing a life of slavery and serving the household. The bait used to entice women into this trap was called "Romance". Philip Wylie discusses these issues and others in more detail in his own work.

Although society has changed a lot since "The Disappearance" was first published in the 1950s it is still very readable. I've heard some feminists say that even now, in the early twenty-first century, women still lack equality in a world that is still considered male-dominated. Whatever the case may be, "The Disappearance" is a book that deserves to be read.

One of the most remarkable novels ever written, The Disappearance must have caused a sensation in 1951 when it first appeared. I won't belabor the plot, because others have already recounted it. But its frank analysis of the way in which our society separates men and women, teaches children to be ashamed of their bodies, teaches men and women NOT to fulfill their potentials and destinies but to fill the paths set down by our narrowminded forebears, is every bit as poignant today as it was then.

Wylie's two protagonists -- Bill Gaunt the philosopher and is wife Paula -- a PhD in languages -- are three-dimensional and fascinating. His assessment of the world of men without women disintegrating into lawlessness is frighteningly real. His world of women discovering that very few of their number have been trained in the rudiments of running the society is sobering. And although women have come a long way in that respect since 1951, the glass ceiling still exists. The perception of the "role" of women or men in a particular situation hasn't gone away.

The whole story is told with insight and a wicked sense of humor. Just look at his picture of the wives of the government officials trying to run the government of women. Unfortunately, politicians do not always choose wives for their intelligence but for a host of other attributes and skills that do not help them to cope with the catastrophe. And the showdown between the American and Soviet women will leave you breathless and laughing.

To me, the best example of the way Wylie chose to tell this story is Chapter 13, which does not further the plot at all. Bill Gaunt is asked by the President and a committee of scientists and other thinkers to prepare an essay assessing what it all means. Chapter 13 is that essay. Even the title of the chapter lets impatient readers know that if they skip it, they will lose none of the sense of the story. DON"T SKIP IT!!

Not for the faint of heart, but DEFINITELY for the inquiring mind. Those of us who have already read this one (several times) are pleased it is back in print so we can replace the lop-eared copies we have been reading for years.

Note to Hollywood: Wouldn't this make a fascinating subject for a movie? Probably not. Its subtleties and interweaving of plots and events would go beyond Hollywood's ability to translate it without succumbing to the temptation to mess with it. So I guess we'll just have to read it again.

One cautionary note: Be aware that the novel does have one bit of baggage that is left over from the time it was written. Its Cold War politics may seem out of place today, but it carries the story forward. Aside from that small anachronism (from our point of view), the novel could have been written yesterday.

If you've never heard of this one, give it a chance. You'll be as amazed as I was.

There's good reason this book is out of print. Wylie's story, THE DISAPPEARANCE, doesn't stand the test of time. Back in the '50's this startling plot certainly impressed the reader-no more. Now we expect some plausible, physical or psychic explanation for this split world phenomena. In fact, Wylie's principle character, Bill Gaunt, spent four year searching for an answer but could only come up with psychological mumbo jumbo.

In fact, contrary to the premise of this story-that the two sexes lack appreciation for each other-the battle of the sexes, for many, could be the only factor that keeps life interesting enough to live. Wylie's disdain for homosexuality is now as antiquated as slave ownership.

Whatever putty holds the material world together came unglued for four years while the males and females found themselves on two ships at sea, never passing. The happy ending, the reuniting of the sexes, was a pure and simple cop out. The reader expects some plausible explanation but never gets it. Perhaps Wylie brewed up a fine stew here but provides nothing to sharpen your intellectual teeth on.

Having just finished the book, I can heartily recommend it for its prescience and message. The ending is especially fitting and uplifting. Despite its somewhat anachronistic style and vocabulary, "The Disappearance" is a must-read for feminists and misogynists everywhere.

This book was very helpful and comforting. I lost my "Best Friend" which happen to be my Mom!! I felt I wasn't a lone going through is grieving processes. Even thu her passing has been over a year I understand now that even thu it may be a year it many take many more years to except and that is okay!! She is ALWAYS with me. Except & listen to signs 'cause they do reach out to US from beyond.. :)

I am still in the process of reading this book. I am enjoying it and the unique way it came about. It is a group of stories from different women. Every crayon in the box has contributed to this book. Red, yellow, black, white, rich, poor, middle class, etc.

I have had different "things" happen since my mother died and truly feel they are "things" she has sent to console and reassure me that I will be okay and that she is okay.

I plan to write the author with my experiences, since my mother's death, as she collects them and hopes to put together another book someday in the near future.

If you believe in psychics, mediums, and see things "outside of the box" this book is for you.

A very intersting book relating experiences women have had after the death of their mother.

A friend told me to read this book shortly after I lost my dear mother to breast cancer. It is full of inspiring, wonderful true stories of women who lost their mothers and had signs of them being near them after passing. The most wonderful thing happened to me after I finished this book a couple of weeks after my mothers funeral. I was going to church every morning at 7 a.m. for mass every day on my way to work after she died. One morning I was sitting in my usual pew in front of the Blessed Mother statue waiting for service to begin....I looked down as I knelt to pray at the pew seat in front of me and there was a feather! It was over 3 inches long - I looked everywhere else around me - no other feathers but the one right in front of me. I believe this was a sign from my mother. Please read this book - your mother is still with you...you will always be together.

I have given this book to about four of my friends whose mothers have died. It is a compilation of stories from women of all walks of life who have experienced some sort of "visit" or sign from their mothers after their mothers have passed on. It is so interesting and so comforting. It expresses what many of my friends have experienced but hadn't been talking about. Are these visits coincidences or are we living in a dream here and the world after this is the real world? It gave me great comfort and hope when my mom died, and I continue to hear from her in so many ways.. strange bird visits.. dog visits, dreams.. I cannot recommend this book enough to anyone who has lost a mother, whether they were on good terms or bad. I will continue to order this book and share it with my friends. Thanks for reading!

This book is simply delightful - my 8-year-old is constantly giggling - he is unable to read it to me for the laughter...He has a high reading level - but kids love it (almost as much as their parents!!) My son really is Calvin (I am a bit concerned he may be getting ideas from the little rascal!!)
LOVE IT!!!

. I like this book because it has funny parts.
. I also like the part when calvin pretends to be GodZilla and destoys Tokyo, which is the buildings that Calvin made in his sandbox.
. I dislike someparts of the book.
. I also dislike the part when Calvin pretends to be a zombie.

What can be said about Calvin & Hobbes that hasn't already been shouted to the heavens by legions of prematurely grown-up fans ?

Calvin is the eternal Child/Id within us all, and Hobbes is his stuffed tiger / best friend / faithful companion in arms come-to-life ... and together they swashbuckle their way through a childhood world populated with drooling monsters of the imagination, screaming ray-guns, carboard boxes turned magical transmogrifiers, and giant tut-tutting adults who are forever dragging us back from our revels by the ear, in order to make us wipe our feet, bathe, eat, do our homework, and go to bed on time.

By laughing at Calvin & Hobbes, we get to vicariously relive some of our own carefree childhoods exploits ... exploits which echo in our adult lives, because (looks both ways) we never actually grew up. Only our bodies did.

Highly recommended.

Calvin is in alliance with Hobbes to combat the monsters that lurk in his imagination. The victims of this battle? Usually, Calvin's hapless parents. This collection is among the funniest as it centers on the darker side of Calvin's runaway train of imagination: monsters, space creatures, icky girls, and nefarious snowmen. Pick it up, or the monsters in the closet will come out as well.

Well, I must admit I have had this book since I was in 8th grade when my best friend at the time gave it to me. I still crack up when I'm going through the pages upon pages of strange situations that Calvin and his stuffed friend find themselves in. Definately a must for any C&H fan and really funny. Buy it.

I have been a big fan of the movie for years but had never read the book. Well, I have to say that the book is even better than the movie, and I still love the movie. If you have seen the movie It will be hard not to imagine Bogie and walter Huston in the main roles. And this is not just because they are already planted in your mind, I think director John Huston did an excellent job of casting the movie. Anyway, I highly recommend this book!

This book is the basis for John Huston's film of the same name. Both author and director share a love of Mexico and it's people. Having seen the movie many times it was interesting to come to many familiar parts of the story knowing what was going to happen and enjoy on the page verbatim bits of dialogue. The story takes awhile to get going as Traven sets up his characters but it builds to a powerful ending proving once and for all that man's greed destroys his soul. There are some who have criticized Traven's socialistic leanings but I don't think they get in the way of the story at all...in fact, I think they prove his point that unregulated capitalism is the bane of western civilization. But enough of that - this is a timeless story that meanders a bit so it won't appeal to casual readers. If your reading tastes lean to anything recent, this book will probably be too slow; in that case, watch the movie - you will get the same point in less than 2 hours. However, if you like Literature you will appreciate Traven's insights to human nature and his excellent story-telling method. I myself couldn't read this without putting the movie out of my mind...if someone tells you not to think of pink elephants...well, you get the idea. All in all, this novel is well written but could've been a bit shorter.

If you have seen and enjoyed the John Huston film of the same name, and believe it to be one of the greatest films ever produced, then it is mandatory to procure and read this book.

This review is written from the perspective of someone who has seen the film at least a half dozen times before reading the novel for the first time. The film is mostly faithful to the novel, so no nasty surprises await those weaned on the film. While less dramatic in some ways, the book provides a better explanation for the motivations of the characters. This necessarily leads to significant, though not unpleasant, changes in some of their fates compared to the film (or perhaps, better said, vice-versa). Some of the more interesting scenes also are expanded, such as the encounter with the bandits at the camp, and more background is provided about the bandits themselves and the efficient and clever way that they are ultimately dealt with by the local people.

Though a little slow going at first, once accustomed to Traven's writing style and well into the meat of the story, the feeling of the realization that a very special experience is in store for you simply builds and builds and continues doing so until the satisfying conclusion of the book is reached. This is a masterpiece, a gourmet treat for the soul, a book to relish during a lazy morning spent in a soft bed, or sitting by a cozy fireplace.

As in many screen adaptations, seemingly ancillary elements were culled for the film. However, those elements, namely the description of the factors which led to the oppression of the native peoples of Mexico, provides a pervasive, unifying theme throughout the novel. This lends an enriching, interesting counterpoint to the story of the central characters.

There is a tiny bit of information given about the mysterious B. Traven, just enough to make you want to learn more. A speculative look at his identity is presented in the extras which are included with the newly-released reissue of the film on DVD.

The stirring and adventurous novel, "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" was penned by enigmatic author B. Traven. Traven a political anarchist active in the 20's and 30's was thought to be of German descent and was purported to be the illegitimate son of Kaiser Wilhelm II. Nonetheless he lived for many years in Mexico and as seen by his most celebrated work, had an excellent working knowledge of Mexican culture and society.

His novel which served as the framework for the John Huston classic film starring Bogey and Walter Huston, greatly embellished the story seen on the screen. His tale of adventure, hardship and greed was admixed with political commentary as Mexico was emerging from years of colonial rule and subsequent exploitation by big industry. The oil business was seen ruling the economics of the region described in the book.

Traven's ingenious blending of the gripping tale of his main characters, Dobbs, Curtin and Howard braving the wilds of unexplored jungle regions of Mexico in quest for gold with social commentary was very effective. He was thereby able to expose his points concerning the Mexican social and political climate. He also didactically pointed out that life's riches are not solely based on precious metals but also on the fellowship, relationships and respect among mankind.

I bought the The Treasure of the Sierra Madre at a small used bookstore that was moving across town so that they marked all of their fiction half off (half off of used prices - awesome). So I left with about 20 books for about $20 - $25. I was grabbing things at random that looked at all interesting or at all slightly familiar. One of those books was The Treasure of the Sierra Madre.

I had seen parts of the movie years ago on TV, but not enough to remember any plot points. My dad had a tendency to habitually switch channels between five movies all at once so for the longest time I thought John Wayne and the scene where they blow up the bridge during "Bridge over the River Kwai" were scenes in EVERY movie.

The book was slow going at first. The characters are introduced and they take their time to finally get to the part where they're prospecting. As I read it I thought, "yes. There's lots of social inference in here." But then continued to read on taking it all at face value instead of trying to over analyze everything. It's more fun to think about it for a month later and think, "Man, that's so true. We'll all turn against each other in an instant if money is involved. tsk."

I enjoyed the characters, I felt frustrated for them as they fell into paranoia and insanity. I kept thinking, "Which one is Bogart? Is that Bogart?" And when the one guy **spoiler** gets his head cut off, I was like 'Whaa? For real? That's pretty intense." I've been reading a lot of Beat writers a lot lately, and the Mexico that Traven describes is a lot different from Kerouac's or Burroughs' Mexico - they tend to romanticize the poverty, where the guys in this book are actually living the miner hardships. Mexico's a lot better when you have a trust fund, huh, Burroughs?

And yes. I was so happy that the famous `badges' line is actually in the text. I pictured Micky Dolenz saying it from a skit in the Monkees TV show that I used to watch after school on Nickelodeon. I laughed and laughed.

Got it for our 12-yr. old daughter's birthday. She loves it! She's a big fan of Calvin & Hobbes. This was her 5th book!

Is it possible that just 20 years ago that Calvin and Hobbes - - one of the finest comics strips ever created - - was fresh and poignant every day in the paper?

"Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us," says Calvin, looking at the chain-sawn stump of a tree, in 'Weirdos from Another Planet' by Bill Watterson. The demise of Calvin and Hobbes is reason enough not to contact Earthlings.

Doonesbury by Gary Trudeau is sometimes still incisive, with the same brilliance in political observations as when it was new and Richard Nixon was newly president. But brilliance is boring after 40 years of repetition. Doonesbury is dated. Nixon is long disgraced, dead and gone.

Calvin remains relevant, because like Chaucer's 'Canterbury Tales' he dealt with the universal human condition - - - as it applies to small boys and to the grown men they become without ever losing their small-boy outlook on olife.

"Do you believe our destinies are shaped by the stars?" Calvin asks Hobbes.

Ever the logical one, Hobbes replies, "Nah."

Calvin counters with words as relevant today as in 1988, because, "Life's a lot more fun when you're not responsible for your actions."

How do we greet strangers? Calvin went to Mars and, after mugging for the Viking Lander "to blow some circuits at NASA" he met a live Martian. Hobbes thought the Martian must be as scared of them as they are of the Martian. Like many of us when meeting a foreign culture, Calvin explains, "We're just ordinary Earthlings, not weirdos from another plsanet, like HE is."

Doonesbury was similarly brilliant in portraying Nixon as a weirdo; but, Nixon nostalgia remains firmly Nixon. "Weirdos from another planet" is sadly reminiscent of the usual reaction to the current resident of the White House, and most likely The-President-to-Be.

Calvin's Dad isn't all that slow either, as when he sets him up in the first three panels of one daily strip by asking, "Hey, Calvin! Guess what time it is!"

"Why? What time is it?

"It's a very special time!

"Oh boy, oh boy! What time is it?

"Do you really want to know?

"Yes, Yes! Tell me! Tell me! Quick! Please! Yes!

"IT'S YOUR BATHTIME! OH BOY!!

Gettting Calin into a bath is about the same agony as pilling a cat. In the final panel, a dejected Calvin is up to his nose in sudsy water and commenting, "You know how old people always write to Dear Abby, complaining that their kids never write,call or visit? Those letters really crack me up."

Calvin had his own four-panel approach to homework, "When I grow up, I want to be an inventor. First I will invent a time machine. Then I'll come back to yesterday, and take myself to tomorrow, and skip this dumb assignment."

Personally, for me, it was lima beans. Any time lima beans appeared, it was lima beans or no desert. Calvin and his Mom had more imagination; Calvin looked at his bowl of soup and horrified, "Hey! What's this stuff in my soup? Yeccch! Is this rice? It had better NOT be!"

His Mom was very worried, "Rice? Let me see!"

Calvin was insistent, "Look! These little white things! See, there's rice in my soup. I hate rice!"

His Mom looked closely and explained, "I didn't put any rice in. These are maggots."

Calvin was delighted, explaining, "Gosh, wait till I tell everyone at school what WE had for dinner.".

His Dad lamented, "Another lovely meal at home with my family. I wish my job required more travel."

Evolution? As Calvin explains, "Just think, Earth was a cloud of dust 4.5 billion years ago . . . 3 billion years ago, the first bacteria appeared, then came sea life, dinosaurs, birds, mammals, and finally, a million uears ago, man. Now, in 1988, there's me. The acme of evolutuion."

Hobbes, rolling his eyes, responds, "Oh, PLEASE."

Even Richard Feynman can't come up with better answers. Trudeau is always wordy, as Watterson was at times. But the genius of Watterson was the ability to draw a 14-panel Sunday strip showing Calvin filling a water balloon and sneaking up on Hobbes . . . . panel after panel. Only one dialoguie panel was needed, when Hobbes drily explains, just before he was otherwise to be doused, "As if life isn't short enough."

It ends with a thoroughly frustrated Calvin resting beside Hobbes.

This is the Master.

Calvin and Hobbes has always been a great read. This was the first one in book form that I read and thoroughly enjoyed.

The book has many good strips and quite a lot of Sunday strips as well. The aliens show up towards the end and there is a good many strips on that series where he explores the Martian surface and rightly is told by Hobbes that if one is not potty trained would you invite them to your home? So of course after damaging Earth, men need not expect a welcome from the Martians or anyone else.

There is a lot of wisdom and good humour in the book. The opening splash page itself is attractive about why intelligent life hasn't contacted us - with a picture of deforestation.

Other favourites are of course being a tiger, or the tiger's welcome to the kid coming home from school, Dad's approval ratings in the election, the family outing, room service for the ill kid, etc.

The parents are delightfully tolerant of the crazy nutty Calvin. The family outing to the woods is a riot. Calvin wonders what kind of vacation is it if he has to be with his parents, LOLz. Even Calvin's vulnerability is explored when he panics after breaking Dad's binoculars.

This book is cute as hell - and especially a great gift to pretty young girls who thank me endless for making their day. You won't ever be disappointed, probably not with any Calvin & Hobbes collection - they are a gem, a treasure, a laugh riot, a piece of modern art and culture.

Beware of Captain Spiff, the T-Rex, the paleontologist, the incredible comic strip from the best graphic art has to offer.

I am a Calvin and Hobbes fan. And this book did not dissapoint me.

I love all Calvin and Hobbes books, but this collection has a few of my favorites that never cease to make me laugh out loud, including:

"The Disembodied Hand That Strangled People" (I snicker just writing it)

The trip to Mars ("We're going in the wagon?" "Of course! What did YOU want to do? Flap your arms?" "I guess I hadn't thought about that part."
"Obviously."

I didn't think a non-fiction book about the personal and professional lives of 'everyday' people would be so well composed. Sure, I expected to read about drama and bravery and tragedy, but Sean Flynn writes with well-tuned prose and a well-honed ear for the people and the town he reveals to the reader. He has done a great service in getting to the heart and soul of the protagonists and their loved ones. He does so without exaggeration, false bravado, or romanticism. The heroic fire fighters are shown three-dimensionally, and there isn't a phony note or word in the book. And like the true heroes in history, they are far from perfect human beings. In fact, the profound issue suggested in this book is that they are willing to risk their lives because they have flaws and have felt personal pain. How else could one feel so obligated to save utter strangers at the risk of their own lives and to have such an intuitive sense of how far your body and soul can go when they're up against a formidable foe. George Orwell said that it is the job of a human being not to be a saint. If my life was at risk, and given the choice who would try and save me, I'd pick these guys over any saint, preacher, minister, or holy man.

Note to who ever wrote the Publishers Weekly review. Get a map. The second largest city in New England is Worcester Mass. not WorcHester. Those of us born and raised there pronounce the city to rhyme with mister.

All that I can say is that Sean Flynn wrote this book about a horrific true event in such a way that I feel as if I lost my friends in the blaze. I can only imagine how the true friends of these 6 men felt and continue to feel each time they see a family member of one of their perished brothers. I'm not a crying man, but I cried at some points in this story b/c they hit so close to home for one, but for two you get so wrapped up in the lives of these men that you feel the stinging pain of realizing they have died. It's a sad story, that I actually remembered hearing about after i read the book, but it's also very motivating to anybody that has thought of becoming a FF. It's almost as its a test of your heart to be a FF. Like the beginning of initiation (hazing) to become a part of a fraternity. I know two other people that read it, that upon completion(one wasn't even able to finish) withdrew from the FF applicant process in which we all signed up together. Weeds out the weak...well kinda. :o)

Either way you look at it, this is good reading. I finished in in 4 days and I was continually fussed at for 3 of those days by my 9 month pregnant girlfriend b/c I wasn't giving her the attention she wanted. Now she's reading it and i'm not getting any attention. Go fig!

Buy the book! BTW...my addiction i speak of in my title just means my addiction to FF books.

I really enjoyed this book. My dad was a firefighter and I thought the writer portrayed the firefighters with a tough realisim without taking away their compassion for what they do. The families stories seemed to convey not only the day to day fears that all firefighters families have but, a small sense of what they went through when the unimaginable happened to them. Overall a great read by a writer who seemed to care about the subject.

I read this book simply because my boyfriend said he couldn't put it down. I was mesmorized by the bravery these men went gave out to fight the fire. After every page, I kept thinking to myself, "This is TRUE." I have a stronger respect for the brave fire fighters aroundt he world. Not only is this book about the fire and the fighters themselves, but it also depicts the family's devistation after the fact. Every page brought tears to my eyes. I would recommend this book to anyone, especially family's of fire fighters. Didn't want to put it down.

This book is an interesting historical drama about two families with a long history of not getting along. The book alternates between historical chapters and present day (1991) chapters; the historical chapters begin with the Pilgrim voyage and then slowly progress up to the 1960s or thereabouts. I personally found the historical chapters to be the most interesting and was happy that they tended to be much longer than the ones that took place in the present. I read this before my planned Cape Cod vacation and, while I haven't gone there yet, I think it was a good way to get ready and learn a great deal about the area's history, geography, and character.

American History didn't hold much of an interest for me in school, but as I approach the half century mark, I am becoming more interested in the events that shaped our nation. CAPE COD is an outstanding read dating to the time the Mayflower approached our shores. After completing this novel, I read Nathaniel Philbrick's non-fiction MAYFLOWER, and discovered that, in addition to being a wonderful storyteller, William Martin is an excellent historian.

The author creatively presents the conflicts over the centuries between the Hilyard and Bigelow families, intertwined in the present with the struggles of the married couple at the heart of the story. Having read THE LOST CONSTITUTION, HARVARD YARD, BACK BAY and CAPE COD, this is my favorite Martin novel.

Fantastic book that alernates historical passages with present-day passages. The contrast shows the reader just how different life is today than it was when the pilgrims arrived.

This book is incredible and enduring - the author an amazing talent. I keep my book journal on my desk with the names of all authors that I check on occasionally for new offerings - and William Martin has soared to the top of the list. His characters are full bodied, flawed, human, believable and impossible to leave. The history is infallible and tangible. The story line is akin to your own family history. This book is over 700 pages and I felt like I flew through the centuries and grieved when it was through. I then purchased ALL his other books. This man has an amazing talent and you will do a disservice to your reading life if you miss out on his books. Please read!

This book is, without a doubt, one of the best books I have ever read. The characters aren't loveable, but they are so human and real that it pulls you right into the story. The plot never gets dull, as it keeps changing time periods with different points. Even though I just recently finished it, I feel as though I could pick it up right now and read it again. It is relatively long, but completely worth the time that it takes to read.
The ending isn't as good as it could be, meaning about the last 3 pages, but considering how amazing the rest of the book was, that doesn't really bother me at all.

Unless you are a rabid collector, do NOT give your money to these ridiculous people who are selling this book for $170. Yeah, this book is out of print, so what? Everything in this book can be found online for FREE. In fact, you can even watch video demonstrations of the techniques discussed in this book, showing you how to do them better than any text could. And again, it's all free. Don't waste your money.

It is crazy that I would have to pay over $200 to own this book! Is it bound in human skin? Does it have the secret of eternal life and youth?As another reviewer noted,reprinting this book will NOT result in frenzied card throwing mobs overturning cars and looting stores.The first press run seems to have come and gone without causing civil unrest on the part of card throwers-I've never met a card thrower in my life.In fact,I've never met anyone who mentioned WANTING to learn card throwing.The audience to whom this book appeals is tiny and nothing will ever change that.Relax, folks.This will turn out to be "too hard" for 9 out of 10 people who try it-all 50 of them.Now, REPRINT THIS BOOK, Please!

I was "forced" to get this book online without paying for it because no economical alternative exists. I completely disagree with the people on here who don't want this book reprinted because they think that the world would soon become saturated with card-slingers, thus taking away some of the glory of being the only guy in town who can chuck an Ace of Spades through the Washington Post. Please keep in mind that like ALL hobbies that require:
a) reading a book
b) lots of practice and dedication
...means that 99% of the population will buy the book, skim through it and put it on the shelf next to their dusty diet, magic coin trick and gardening books.
Even if his fellow slingers & magicians busted his ballz for releasing trade-secrets, Jay should definitely reprint this book so 1% of people who read the book and follow through with it will keep the art alive.

This book is amazing, as previously stated, but I am STRONGLY against any reprinting of it. One of the things that makes card throwing so amazing is the fact that so few people know about it / how to do it. Imagine everyone being able to throw cards. Personally, I think this book is perfect in its current rare form, and should NOT be reprinted.

I am a semi-pro card thrower in the national card throwing league (ctl), and I have to say that this book is the bible of card throwing. The techniques I have learned from Jay's book have helped me a lot. I was struggling on the tour last year when I got to talk with the famous Bill 'the Hand' Strongtide who recommended I read this book and it has really helped my form this past year.

My 2nd bio this month on Grant. I had seen some recent favorite movies of his. I'm certainly not an unbiased Grant fan; I have always loved his movies. I liked this book because of so many direct quotes by him. Assuming thsee are factual it gives you a great insight into his shy character which I had missed some of in the first bio I read. He was a great actor but had a sensitivity side that I had never seen. Nicely laid out. I'm more a fan now than I was!

"Evenings with Cary Grant" is the most incredible book. A sort of documentary on paper, Nancy Nelson uses an interview/intercut format and cleverly weaves a narrative through the most revealing and often amusing anecdotes. Cary Grant talks and then Gregory Peck. Katherine Hepburn says something, and then we hear from Audrey Hepburn. As one reviewer said, "When you get to the end, you feel as though you've lost a good friend." Nelson uses no conjecture or supposition. All her sources are primary. An announcement in a recent Sunday "New York Times" said that Nelson will speak about "The Cary Grant Few People Knew" at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on June 15. I've got my ticket!

Like other reviewers, I'm a big Cary Grant fan. I usually hesitate to read about the personal lives of actors because they often lead disappointing lives. But Nelson's collection of stories and personal accounts from Grant's friends introduced me to the wonderful man behind the handsome movie star. I'm looking forward to watching his movies again after reading this book -- there is information from him and co-stars about some of the films that will make it fun to watch them again.

I absolutely love old movies,old stars, new movies and their stars, but I LOVE Cary Grant!!! So I wanted to get a book about him and I always check up on the author and how much they knew about the person they are writing about,and when I saw this book and I had to get it.This Book shows the life of Archie Leach (we know him as Cary Grant)his life growing up,and his rise to stardom,his love life,his friends, and his wonderful sense of humor.I was so happy to find out that the man we all fell in love with was the same in real life that he was onscreen.I don't want you to have to read a long review but I just wanted to say how much I love this book and the writers style.Every body should own this book.It's worth reading more than one time.

It is no easy thing to become so successful in one's career and yet be universally loved and respected as Cary Grant was in his lifetime.

Thanks to the author for focusing on the good of the man and ignoring the rest. He was a good man and that is enough. Ms. Nelson does a good job in giving us an idea of who the man really was--a gentleman who was loyal to his friends, if not his wives...but in the end, even THEY still loved him after it was over.

My only disappointment (not the author's fault) was to find out that Cary Grant hated "Arsenic and Old Lace," one of my favorite movies.