Washington Books

This was worth reading. It's not full of porn or scandal but a nice read. I enjoyed that the main character was a real person and not the stereotypically ideal "beauty" queen most authors like to use.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. If you are looking for an entertaining, suspenseful, drama, this is a book for you. It was a page turner, sometimes hard to put down. Donna and Virginia, keep up the great work, and keep these type of novels coming.

Hooks the reader and keeps them captivated to the last chapter. The characters are multi-dimensional and the story is rich with detail about family, friendship and deceit. Plenty of twists and turns with a few jaw drops.
A must-read! You won't regret it.

Read this book quite sometime ago...enjoyed it a great deal, so I decided I would like to experience it again....on audiobook!

Great book. I will be a fan of Deberry and Grant's for a long long time if they keep writing them like this.

This book is fantastic - I couldn't put it down! I have been a big fan of Tony since he was the coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, because of his presence on the football field. This book is an honest and inspiring account of Tony's life and the trials and successes he has encountered. Thank you Tony for a great read.

Loved the book, many lessons to be learned, a little too much football at times but if you can look by that it is a quick and enjoyable read

Quiet Strength was a very enlightening story of Tony Dungy's career. Even through very harsh times, he seemed to discover the positive aspects of the situation. He always believed that god always had a reason for everything, and that every downward slump always meant that certain things would get better in the future.
Tony Dungy started his career as a Pittsburgh Steeler. He was originally drafted as a defensive back (he played quarterback in college). After realizing that the NFL did not give as much opportunities as he expected, the head coach of the Steelers (Coach Noll) gave him the opportunity to be the defensive backs coach. This was the turning point of his career.
From this point on Tony Dungy went to coach for the multiple other teams, until landing his head-coaching job at Tampa. When he took this position, he took in all the information from all of his former colleagues and coaches to help mold his team into a winning organization. He also realized that god played a major role in his success. He also took his fathers knowledge into consideration when he was creating a game plan for his team.
Tony Dungy believes that his second season with the Buccaneers was his most successful season as a head coach for the National Football League. He believes this because that season, he felt the greatest bond between everybody on the team. He thought that because they started the season with tremendous success. They were winning games as a "team", not just as players.
Once Tony Dungy moved on from the Buccaneers he continued to have great success with the Indianapolis Colts. They were even able to win Tony Dungy his first Super Bowl. But throughout Tony Dungy's life he will continue to live life with god in consideration.

This book was well written and a good read. I love reading good books on leadership and success. Sports and Life always a good parallel.

The autobiography, "Quiet Strength," of Tony Dungy is appropriately subtitled "The Principles, Practices, and Priorities of a Winning Life." Dungy recounts his life from its beginnings to the present as the Coach of the world champion Indianapolis Colts. A man of proactive faith, Dungy has been able to climb many mountains, from being one of the first black quarterbacks in NCAA college football to one of the first black head coaches in the National Football League.

"Quiet Strength" details key formative relationships, those that helped him to become what he is today. They include his mother, The Most Athletic Dungy, who supported in him in a number of sports; his father who taught him what was most important - not the accolades and memories of success, but the way you respond when opportunities are denied; his high school assistant principal, Mr. Rockquemore, who took a great interest in him and Dungy claims things would have been different if he had not; and his first pro coach, Chuck Noll, who taught him how to win in the NFL and how to maintain family-career balance.

Dungy always viewed his work in football as a means to do something more as a servant of God. When he was fired as the head coach of Tampa Bay, the firing itself was not the cause of shock, but rather, the thought that God was allowing this great experiment of using him as a head coach in the NFL to end. He wondered, what's next? How will God use him, whether in the NFL or not.

I am grateful that Dungy went on from Tampa to win the Super Bowl as coach of Indianapolis. More than becoming the first African-American to win a Super Bowl, this extraordinary achievement provided an excellent platform from which to tell this great story.

Dungy's story is inspirational, challenging, and encouraging - reminding us about what really is important in a world driven by the love of material success. He shows that one can live their Christian faith in the workplace and succeed - even in the demanding fish bowl atmosphere of the NFL. He is a living testimony of one man's faith in God.

"Do you your best and let God do the rest."

Chasing Ghosts is a gripping first hand account of the horror of Iraq from a Lieutenant who has served, honorably with sacrifice and true heroism. After reading his grueling account of Bagdad and the complete failure of our President and his so called leaders to understand the complexities of this war, I know this war is wrong. Rieckoff does an excellent job in helping the reader understand the complexities of a nation that is battered from years of torture, and embraces the reality that it will take generations of peace before these people can emerge from the abuse. Our presence does nothing but contain the pain and heighten the fear.
Not only does Reickoff so successfully capture the tragic feeling of war from all sided, he presents a bipartisan account of the failures of our government in its mission there. He paints a weary account of John Kerry's reluctance to listen to Veterans, the President's incredible stupididy, and the medias insensitivity to the soldiers who risk their lives every day.
I saw Paul Rieckoff on Tavis Smiley's PBS show and was impressed with him there, so I knew I had to purchase this book. It was well worth the price of admission.

This story speaks for thousands of us who have been deployed to the quagmire in Iraq. It clearly explains the path our leaders chose for us in the early parts of the war, which explains why we're where we are (still!) today.

With my brother and sister currently serving in Iraq, and my husband and brother-in-law on their way there this year, I am very interested in the reality of what is going on there. Not the filtered and slanted stories that are being reported on the network news stations, or in political addresses, but the service members true daily experiences. Paul Reickhoff gave me what I was looking for through this book. While the realities of this war can be disturbing and upsetting, our service members and the innocent Iraqi civilians are living them everyday! One's opinion on the war itself or the reasons we are fighting it should not detract from supporting our Troops and our Vets! Great read, very engaging and detailed book.

This book is a must read for anyone looking for both an accurate account of the early days of the Iraq War and anyone needing a reminder of what happened back in 2003. Paul Rieckhoff tells it as only someone who was there can. This is a brutally candid story of a Soldier and a leader, shouldering the burdens of command. He brings you so close to the action that you can smell the carbon and feel the rifle's recoil as the rounds are flying. Intermixed with the fascinating tale is a cleaver wit. This book is a masterful use of language with a side order of sardonic humor that anyone (especially those who have served) will appreciate. If the book stopped after Rieckhoff's return from war, it would still be an excellent read. However, the reader is treated to the author's return from Iraq and the events that followed him. In a display of literary courage, he talks about what it was like to re-connect with a society that had largely forgotten about the war. He gives the reader a behind the scenes account of how he and a group of like-minded patriots took action to advocate for those who had served in harm's way in Afghanistan and Iraq. Regardless of one's opinion on the military actions taken after 9/11 especially in Iraq, this book is a compelling tale of someone who was there. Please be prepared to read this cover to cover (a great beach book) and if you start in on your train, you may miss your stop. It is that good.

Chasing Ghosts is a gripping, on-the-ground, cold bucket of water in the face view of the Iraq war. It tracks Rieckhoff's path from Manhattan on 9/11 to patrolling the streets of Baghdad to re-adjusting to life at home. His writing is lucid and sophisticated, raw and unbridled. Its a story of true patriotism, the active defense of American ideals through military sacrifice followed by the courage to challenge the mis-management - from flawed foreign policy to equipment shortages to inciting, empty rhetoric by the administration - of that sacrifice, which he experienced firsthand. He captures the sacrifice and heroism of not just his brothers in arms, but also the Iraqis helping the American effort or merely trying to survive the maelstrom. This is a great read.

Beautiful writing. Simply one of the best books by a living author that I've read. If you have interest in great writing, baseball, or Christianity, you'll enjoy the book. If you're a fan of all three, it'll be one of your favorites.

This book is the bomb-diggity! I'd gladly trade Dickens, Tolstoy, and maybe Milton for Duncan!

This is a rich, wonderful novel. Towards the end, I intended to read over lunch. One hour stretched to two, then even longer. I laughed out loud several times, and then cried. The waitress finally came over and asked, "Okay, what are you reading?! I've got to get a copy!" Everyone who loves great writing, wonderful characters and beautiful storytelling needs to get a copy. This kind of book doesn't come along every day - maybe not even every ten years. It's breathtaking.

I have purchased so many copies of this book to give to my friends and family! Some people are intimidated by its size; it is worth every page!
Baseball, family, humor, religion, 60's.....all combined with a skill that had me reading passages aloud. I gave my copy away....i will buy another.

The interplay between family members is often magical.

What originally attracted me to this novel was a former high school classmate of mine stating that it was one of his favorite books. Being the curious individual I was, I went on Amazon and read many of the 5 star review the books receives. I ordered a copy and began to peruse. Unfortunately, the book was not just below my expectations, but I wondered why so many people appreciated a novel that was filled with two dimensional characters and overflowing with cliches that are static in almost every piece of pop culture that is set in 60's-70's nostaglia (family is divided on present political issues, one son becomes a hippy, one becomes a soldier, etc.). Clearly David Duncan had a message, but it is one that has been heard repeatedly.

I found this book less engaging but more fullfilling than My Soul To Keep.
The Living Blood gave a few characters a chance to redeem themselves in what was a dire situation from the first book.

Minimum Maturity Level - Adult
Strong Language. Violence. Adult Situations.

Previous Reading Required - Minor
This is a sequel to "My Soul to Keep". After reading this, I find that you don't really need to read the first one because many events that happened in the first book are summarized in this book. But, it does give a false pretense on a few facts if you have skipped the first book. So, I would recommend reading the first book before proceeding with this one.

Reading Level - Average
Easy to follow. Very good detail in descriptions.

Rate of Development - Moderate to Slow
The book is 515 pages and the events feel like they been stretched out a bit too long. But that is just the author's way of getting you more involved with the characters. As an event takes place, you will sometimes get a description of why this character feels the way he/she does. This in turn creates more pages than necessary but again, it draws you into the character a bit more.

The Story - Thriller
Jessica Jacobs-Wolde survives the ordeal from the first book "My Soul to Keep" with her daughter and has developed a healing clinic in South Africa. Her daughter, Fana, has been given the gift of her fathers healing blood and some unusual effects come along with that. Her daughter has developed great mental powers and abilities in such a short time that she has become dangerous to herself and to others. Meanwhile, Dr. Lucas Shepard is in search of Jessica's healing skills to save his son's life. But he runs into a group of fortune hunters in search of the clinic for the healing "drug" for their own gains. At this time, Fana's powers are unleashed and the fate of humanity is at stake as the Bee Lady attempts to possess Fana for her own purpose.

My Suggestion - Recommended
This book was kinda slow at first but the ending was quite good. The places you are taken to are quite wonderous and intriging to read about. The characters are quite believable which makes the book all that more great.

My only question is 'will there be a sequel to this sequel?'

In Fana, Jessica, & Dawit the author has created a believable family of immortals encountering unbelievable circumstances.

I do like the way Ms. Due juxtaposes basic simple Christian beliefs with so-called new-age concepts i.e. what are the possibilities when we truly grasp thought control?...what are the perils when we don't?

There simply MUST be a follow-up book. Having been a phenomenally-gifted toddler who survived many dangers how will Fana handle her gifts as an adolescent? Will Jessica 's own Christian upbringing be enough to ground Fana as she comes to terms with just how different she is from the rest of humanity?

I enjoy imagining their lives to come but I really want Tananarive Due to go forward with her own possibilities...since she knows these characters better than anyone else---except the characters themselves.

a real page turner...makes 1 ponder the wonder of it all.

This was a very good book and good sequel to My Soul To Keep. Tananarive Due has a new follower and I hope there is more to come.

Please do not read any further if you don't want to read plot spoliers.

3.5 stars. I must start off by saying that one can't judge Ms. Due on the same scale as most other writers because her literary prose are stuff writers dream of and that basis alone this is a five star book, definitely. Plot-wise...eh. now I loved The Between and The Good House-however, My Soul to Keep and this sequel, The Living Blood isn't quite doing it for me. Again, my number one problem is: Jessica. I don't like her. First, SHE allowed Kira to remain dead, but then turned right around and chose to give birth to a child with this blood. What sense does that make? I grew tired of this woman always being on the verge of hysteria or constantly trying to bury her head in the sand when the obvious is staring her in the face. Plus, this book could have easily been cut in half. I didn't need to read every character in the book's point of view. When she gave me the life story of the weather man, I nearly threw the book against the wall-much less that he guessed that he would need to buy new cats. I mean really. And how much of a let down was the Bee Lady? What was that? Truely, we didn't even need the storyline of Lucas and Jared. It's like she started off with one set of plans with him and then the man disappears for like a hundred pages and I forgotten about him. Frankly, I think Khaldoun had the right of it and nothing in this book convinced me that Jessica's way of handling the blood was the right way to go about things. Am I correct that they think to put the blood on the market? Then wouldn't that create a world full of Shannon O'Neals? People living two and three hundred years old-but without the benefit of staying young? IF every time you got sick or developed some fatal illness you took a drop of this and you were all better then that's exactly what would happen. No one would die. Over population is a problem within itself. There's a reason all things must die. And Dr. Sheppard should have stayed dead, too. I was so pleased when I read he was on his way to see his wife (his first one) and stunned and disappointed to see that Dawit made him an immortal too. What? Now he can sit and watch HIS kid grow old and die (Wasn't that torture that Dawit and Terfari hated so much. Wasn't that they reason Dawit killed his 80 year old daughter in My Soul to Keep?)..or pass the blood to him...see where I'm going? Don't get me wrong, I was sorry he died, but once he did he should have stayed dead or she shouldn't have killed him the first place.
The last chapter was just an insult. So Pollyanna. So saccharin. So long. I'm so sure that Moses's parents, who believed these people were witches, would allow their son to go visit them in a foreign land. Pleeze. And Dawit. The man is still a serial Killer. You can't kill my best friend go after my uncle and think I'll be over it in a couple of years. It doesn't work like that. And then get mad when I go looking for my sister? If anyone should have been whacked and didn't it would be Justin. The man gave the order to kill Steven which led to killing Sarah and the shooting of Moses...you get my drift. You don't then turn around and hire him to be your lawyer. Crazy talk.
But then Ms. Due's amazing writing skills almost convinces you that she's not talking crazy. Overall, this book will entertain you, but if you ever stop to think about what she's saying, you be left scratching your head.

This was a very well written book, it was easy to follow and it's maps were of great help in following the battles events. I'm a new reader to the revolutionary war and since I was able to follow this book, I would definately recommend this work to others who are new to this subject. From start to finish this book kept my interest every word of the way!

Well written with research that debunks many of the legends that surround the 1st battle at Trenton. Also a good interweaving of the individual stories with the larger political and military situation.

This was an absolute joy to read. The book is not only about the crossing, but gives a good background of the events, politics and emotions that surrounded the American Revolution. Then it gives eyewitness accounts, from diaries, about the actual events that happened. It also gives details on aspects of the army, culture, political background and important figures that fill in the gaps and make the whole story read like a motion picture or documentary. The book tells how all the parts fit together. Truly a great book.

I believe it was easier to cross the Delaware in winter than to get through this book. I just read 1776 by David McCullough, loved it, and was interested in reading more. Fischer is one of the dullest writers I've read. It is painfully obvious that being a successful academic and a successful writer are not necessarily connected.

This is a truly great piece of historical writing. Over the past several years, there have been three outstanding books about Washington and 1776: McCullough's "1776", Ellis' biography of Washington, and this book by Fischer. Fischer's is by far the best and deserved the Pulitizer Prize.

Modern Americans have always been able to identify more with Lincoln than with Washington, the latter being more aristocratic and less modern in outlook (not to mention being a slaveowner) and seemingly austere and rigid. What Fischer is able to do is to capture the enormous problem Washington faced in trying to manage a completely unmanageable army and politics, plagued by geographical and cultural differences as well as by the lack of central political authority. Once one fully appreciates the daunting challenge faced by Washington -- as daunting as that which faced Lincoln in 1861 -- one can fully appreciate Washington's success in managing it.

Fischer spares no punches in showing Washington's tactical failure in New York and his frustration with being unable to make a rag-tag army of mostly New Englanders function like a "real" European army. But he gives credit where credit is due in showing how Washington was able to create a different kind of army -- an American army functioning in a uniquely American kind of polity. Washington is not the rigid aristocrat we imagine. He is able to appreciate the democratic nature and impulses of his army, and he leads by consensus. He takes pains to build consensus among his subordinates and to involve and respect ordinary citizens in building better intelligence gathering.

Added to this is Washington's larger-than-life charisma. He is physically imposing, a brilliant horseman, and a man of great physical courage. This earns him the respect necessary to lead the army -- and the ability to build consensus without looking weak.

The completely desperate circumstances of the New Jersey campaign in 1776 are vividly portrayed and add to the drama of the story -- as well as add to Washington's luster in handling it so well. Tactically, Washington is brilliant in how he managed the campaign, and Fischer destroys the myth that all Washington did was to surprise a bunch of drunk Hessians sleeping off a Christmas binge.

Fischer's concluding chapter summarizes his work and does so in a moving way that points Americans, in the present dark times, toward recapturing the better angels of our nature -- the American insistence on placing a high value on life, treating even enemies with humanity, and building national strength through consensus. This is historical writing at its best -- as a form of literature.

The Cruel Sea, is one of the best sea/war stories that I have ever read. I was interested to see how well the movie followed the book. Naturally, the film had to condense the book, but it did follow the sequences of the story faithfully.

Written by someone who experienced WWII in convoy escort duty, The Cruel Sea is quite realistic in a double sense: You get the drama of the war as well as the times when war is dull or frustrating, for example when an officer dumps paperwork onto subordinates. Realistic without being cynical is a good combination.

And if you'd like to read another book on this theme but with more of the immediacy of the war, try C. S. Forester's, The Good Shepherd, the classic account of a single convoy at the height of the war with U-boats as told by the captain of a US destroyer. Unfortunately, new it seems to be available only in an overpriced but ugly reprint, so you might want to find a used copy. I have a paperback version that I reread every few years.

--Michael W. Perry, editor of Chesterton on War and Peace: Battling the Ideas and Movements that Led to Nazism and World War II

I read this book in spanish. The traduction was poor but still, I was able to flavor and sink myself into the reading from beginning to end. I highly recommend this book for those who have a devotion or at least an affection for the sea.
In my case, I am the son of a boat owner, was basically born on it but was cursed with unavoidable seasickness. Reading the chapter when the Compass Rose goes on its first convoy with extremely rough seas I felt identified. I could perfectly picture myself in the middle of the Sea of Ireland riding 20 feet waves in 30 knot winds on a tiny ship with leaks everywhere. Knowing what it's like, I suffered every single line of the narration.

I praise sailors of convoys during WW II, I can only imagine all the hardships and horrors they went through. Thanks to Mr. Monsarrat for displaying it!

This is a gritty, realistic (real warships), technically correct story about the entire war in the Atlantic. Life on board a corvette and frigate during the Battle of the Atlantic.

The unrelenting echo of the sonar punctuates this understated J. Arthur Rank film with a taut atmosphere of suspense. Novelist Eric Ambler's intelligent script remains faithful to Nicholas Monserrat's novel about the last voyage of HMS Compass Rose and all who sailed on her. The splendid performances of Jack Hawkins as her captain and Donald Sinden as his First Mate bring the novel to life, as do the performances of the entire ensemble cast, which includes Denholm Elliott. One of the best aspects of the Rank organization films of this era is the devotion that went into the delineation of even the minor characters.

Some viewers (an example being my son) may shun this picture because it was filmed in black and white. This is a shame, because "The Cruel Sea" is so absorbing that such details as lack of color become totally irrelevant. Simply put, "The Cruel Sea" is a masterpiece of cinematic art.

More than Anything Else, by Marie Bradby is about a boy that has a family and works at a painful salt mine but more than anything else he wants to learn how to read. One night when he, his dad and his brother were walking home he saw a man reading his newspaper to every one. Then they rushed home and the boy tells is mom he wants to learn how to read. Then his mom gives him a book and she says that she thinks it's called the alphabet but she doesn't know because she can't read. So the boy reads it and doesn't understand it so he tries to look for the man reading the newspaper. He finds the man and the man teaches him how to read and the boy jumps up and down with joy. Then the man says "What's your name?" and the boy says "Booker." Then the man draws it on the ground. Booker stared at it knowing how to spell his name and knowing how to read.

Booker doesn't express himself unless it's really important to him. Booker doesn't talk very much in the beginning of the book. He just introduces himself and tells what he thinks about in his mind. He only says something out loud when he wants to read. He tells his mom and the newspaper man but he never tells his family how he feels and and when his dad and his brother don't believe in him. This book reminds me to always believe in my self and never give up.

By Arthur

" More than anything else I want to learn to read. But for now, I must work. More Than Anything Else is a true story about a boy named Booker, hiss brother John and his father. They were slaves and had to deliver salt near the Kanawha River in the mountains. They had to use a shovel to put the salt in the barrels. Booker tried to learn to write in different ways, but had trouble until the newspaper came. Booker had a problem because he wanted to learn to read and write, but couldn't because he was a slave.

I like this book because it shows you a lesson on how you can learn to read. The theme of this book is to never give up on your dreams! I recommend this book to 7-10 year old children. I told you this was a true story, so if you want to find out who Booker really is, then read this book. by David M

This is by far, one of my favorite children's books of all time. If anyone have seen the beautiful watercolour paintings in this book, you'll also wonder why this book haven't receive the attention it fully deserves. Not only are the illustrations exquisite but Bradby's text is brilliantly poetic. This book will reminds us of a time when not everyone had a chance at an education where some kids today foolishly take for granted. It takes us back to the simplicity of a time when there were no computers, cell phones, or any of today's over overindulging gluttony. This book teaches us about the human spirit and what we can do with the power of words. This is an overlooked book during the Caldecott selection process. I hope that everyone will have a chance to see the beauty in this book. If you can't wait to have Amazon.com send this to you, go to the library and check it out yourself. It is an amazing piece of work in both text and art!

My son is 4. He is like most of the kids in America who have everything. I used to tell him there were children without food and could not afford to go to school. He did not understand. When I read him this story, his eyes were wide opened. I can tell this story hit his heart really hard, and definitely touched his soul. I am not an African American, but I almost cried. We have to show our children how lucky they are today. They definitely have more than they need, and do not know how to appreciate.

Well, 53 Five Star reviews pretty much says it all.

This is a beautiful book. Not only is the artwork superb (see the cover and Amazon's "Search Inside This Book" feature) but the story is glorious. A triumph of the human spirit when everything in the immediate environment says 'give up' and 'don't dare to dream'.

In this fictionalized story of Booker T. Washington, a young boy ignores the difficult world around him -- where newly freed slaves struggle to find their place in the changing American economy, where 9 year old boys work alongside grown men doing hard labor, where families are short of food -- and dreams of something better.

He says in the book:
"I see a man reading a newspaper aloud and all doubt falls away. I have found hope, and it is as brown as me.

"I see myself the man. And as I watch his eyes move across the paper, it is as if I know what the black marks mean, as if I am reading. As if everyone is listening to *me*. And I hold that thought in my hands.

"I will work until I am the best reader in the county. Children will crowd around me, and I will teach *them* to read."

A love for books and the importance of the written word comes through in this book. A great book to include in any home library.

Five Stars. Beautiful art and story. Amazon has the age range as 4 to 8, but as a mom I think 4 is too young to fully absorb the implications of this story. Likewise, I think the message is one that children older than 8 could come to love.

For somebody interested in art, a book with many pictures is easy to read and enjoy.

The convenience of the pocket edition is incredible and the quality of the images and analysis is excellent.

The Story of Art is a classic introduction to the history of fine art. The sweeping scope is matched only by the driven narrative that will fascinate the neophyte and the well versed. This book is THE introductory text for any study of art.

As his title indicates, in The Story of Art Gombrich presents the whole of western art history as a chronological narrative -- from prehistoric times on up to his own times -- clearly setting out everything from ancient sculpture to Renaissance painting to modern architecture.This book can change the way you look art.Intellectually and physically pure delight.

Having already been exposed to art history and criticism, I felt at times that this book was overly simplistic. (It was originally written for "young people" after all...) What was harder for me to appreciate were the frequent passages in which Gombrich gives vent to his own personal opinions (gushing on about Rubens for instance.) He makes a token effort to be objective but his Eurocentric bias toward the superiority of Classically-inspired Renaissance art is clear.

However, as an introduction to Art History and Art Appreciation, you could do a lot worse. Gombrich is easy to read, he states himself clearly, he presents the history of art (in Europe) as a steady evolution of ideas, rather than a compartmentalized series of Eras & Styles as so many academic textbooks do. He selected illustrations that most effectively elucidate his point. Useful as his book is, it would be a mistake to treat him as a final authority on the subject. _The Story of Art_ is merely an INTRODUCTION to art. Once Dr. Gombrich has opened the door for you, you should leave him behind and continue your explorations on your own, or at least with a different guide. Form your own opinions; that's part of the experience of art.

About the Pocket Edition specifically: The text is in the front (printed on very thin "Bible" paper) and the illustrations are in the back. Phaidon has provided two built-in ribbon bookmarks so you can keep your place in both sections. It's an interesting solution for making the book smaller. I can vouch for the fact that it's easy to carry around, since I took it with me on two trips while reading it, but the arrangement does have its drawbacks. Having to flip back & forth to look at the pictures as they are referred to in the text, and having to hold two places simultaneously while reading means that you have to use both hands. I like to read while I eat (yeah, I'm one of THOSE people) but found it was impossible with this edition. If portability and price are your top concerns, then this is the edition to get. Otherwise, shell out the extra $$ for the full-sized version.

Very rarely does a chiller rise to literary genius as this book does...the descriptions of this threatened wife/actress are beautiful, the psychological nuances brilliant. I especially appreciate the portrait of the big city actress caught in small town family court. When that strange man comes to fix her vacuum, I got goosebumps. The scenes with her cleaning person were good too -- This touched nerve for me! My book club is debvouring it!

Every marriage is a mystery but Juliana (the heroine) has a more mysterious marriage than most -- She has played women in peril on film, and now in a Gaslight mode, her husband seems to terrorize her. Or is she too suggestive? Who will believe an actress in court? Especially when the scenes she describes are so close to her movie roles? This is a smart exciting book, and addresses the secrets of many husbands and wives, in a rich atmosphere of a gothic resort. My book club is reading and we have never been so on the edge!

Who doesn't dream of rescue? I identified whole heartedly with the miserably married actress Julianna, who is or is not being threatened by her husband. Filled with fascinating nuance, this book kept me up to the wee hours and ran chills up my spine, also elicited the wry laughs...Sheerest brilliance, and cinema verite re the secrets of a marriage.

WONDROUS ACCOUNT OF BATTERED BRIDE/MOVIE STAR WHO FIGHTS BACK. SMART AND CLEVERLY WRITTEN --ANY WOMAN WHO HAS EXPERIENCED THIS WILL RECOGNIZE THE ACCURACY OF THE MIND GAMES, THE DANGERS OF LOVING THE WRONG MAN, THE SUBTLETY OF REAL ABUSE. THE WEDDING CAKE FROZEN HOUSE & HISTORICAL SUB PLOT ARE ICINGS ON A DELICIOUS CAKE. I DEVOURED IT AND IT INCREASED MY SENSE OF SELF WORTH!

Laura Shaine Cunningham read at the West Side YMCA's Writer's Voice on May 14, 2004. This is from my introduction to the event.

Laura Shaine Cunningham's wonderful novel "Dreams of Rescue" is a fun-house mirror of a book: Is what we perceive accurate? Are our allies really on our side? Family, friends, lawyers, employees, strangers all revolve around Julianna, as she attempts to extricate herself from a marriage that has turned violent.

Laura Shaine Cunningham expertly explores the interior and exterior landscape of a "woman in jeopardy." A woman who knows she is telling the truth, but continually finds her version of events reflected back at her twisted. Juliana's wrenching attempts to somehow will herself through the difficult days between her husband's attack on a New Year's Eve, and the eventual resolution of her quest take the reader on a journey whose ending we never quite can suss. The very real pain of seeing the man who was her life turn against her provides a powerful emotional core in this taut, tense book The suspense, throughout, is what keeps the pages turning, and the reader rooting for Juliana to be able to have her life back.