William Books

We only recently found out that all our copies of The Count of Monte Cristo were abridged. We checked this out of our local library and liked it so much we bought a copy for our home library. The type setting is very readable and best of all, it's not abridged.

The story is a classic and a great read. I recommend it for everyone.

I boutht this for my Grandson freshman class in World History. He enjoyed the book and recieved a good grade on his report

The book arrived in excellent condition and it has been a delightful book to read.

I've often heard of references to this book, but never had an occasion to read it. After reading "Lone Survivor", I was curious to read "The Count of Monte Cristo". Dumas certainly set the bar high for all those to follow in this genre. The intrigue and twists are exceptional. A classic which should be a "must read".

How does one review a classic? Especially one so noteworthy as to have demanded the creation of 11 or more film variations, numerous adaptations, and even television series? I long avoided reading this novel due mainly to it's daunting size, and the fear that it's translation would cause the reader more work than I was willing to put into it. However my burning desire to know the true tale of Edmond Dantes overruled my hesitation.

The story, for those of you who are unfamiliar, follows Edmond Dantes in his wrongful imprisonment at the hands of his friends, his 14 years in the Chateau D'If, his escape and rebirth as a self proclaimed hand of vengeance against those who had wronged him. If you have only seen the movies, the book, particularly the ending, is far different than what Hollywood has created. There are no dramatic duels, no massive swordfights with brigands, and not everyone who we believe should, lives happily ever after. This is instead a slow but genius work of Dantes methodically stripping away all that his enemies held dear to them, at whatever cost. None die by his hand, but are rather destroyed by his influence, and their own evil choices come back to haunt them.

The story itself is genius, interesting and very fun. The writing, particularly the translation that I read, is an often difficult and sometimes tedious work that one may need a notebook to keep straight. The cast of characters is very large and they are often referred to by different names, making it a bit more difficult to keep track of who is who without some sort of note taking. I was not smart enough to take notes, and thus had to spend quite a bit of time searching my brain to make sure I was thinking of the correct person as I read, particularly with some of the more minor story lines and the characters that weaved in and out of the story with multiple chapters between their appearances. Also, this book will probably be disappointing to those who are interested in the action that the movies provided. The Count of Monte Cristo, does not come in with guns blazing, but rather plays a very well thought out and disturbing game of mental chess against his opponents. As readers we hope for their downfall, but also wonder how far the Count will go... his years of imprisonment have left him hardened and disturbingly without remorse at the use of innocents to gain his vengeance. As he plays his pieces we wonder just who will be sacrificed, and who will have the chance to live happily ever after in this dark world of Dumas.

Readers of more modern novels may have trouble with this book because of the sheer volume of concurrent story lines, all of which are necessary for understanding the strings being pulled by the Count. But to remember the tale of the lovers, the orphan, the bandit, the banker, the ship builder, the assassin, the count, the princess, the steward, the military man, the lawyer, the cheating husband and wife, the lost love, the musician, the buried baby, the dying father, the paralyzed grandfather, the murderess, the thief, the countess, the emperor and all of their relations, can be quite a daunting task for any reader. Still each of these stories could be a book of their own, keeping the reader quite entertained, but Dumas has managed to weave them all together into one, brilliant and shining tale... if you can keep them straight through the end.

What surprised me most was the ending of this story. It was not what I wanted, or hoped for. True I loved Haidee, and wanted nothing but her happiness... but many seemed to be left in suffering that did not deserve the fate that they were bound to. I will not elaborate for fear of spoiling the ending... but this does not end on a Hollywood, "they all ride off into the sunset" ending. Perhaps the meaning of the story is not all about revenge, but rather what damage the hunt for vengeance can bring to not just those who have wronged you, but to all those that surround you. The downfall of selfishness; be it falsely imprisoning someone to gain what you may, to the selfishness of vengeance... there is so much meaning in this book, I can see why it is so often "required reading." Though I highly recommend this book, I would advise you attempt to read it with others either in a class or a reading group so that you can discuss all of the rich meaning behind Dumas's words.

Beautiful book, great going away present or changing life/adventure present. I find the book to be a realistic view on life, it doesn't sugar coat the turmoils of life's experience. However, it gives a great sense of when life doesn't go to plan everything will be good in the end and encourages us to embrace life's curve balls.

This book is great for ALL ages! I originally read this book when it was given to my dad by a friend as he was starting his own business. And now I read it to my 18-month old, who seems to love it. Maybe it's the rhymes and the pictures that my little one loves so much right now, but the message of the book is great for ALL ages.

This classic Dr. Seuss book is not just for kids. It's probably not even especially for kids. This classic book is the perfect gift for transitions: graduation, weddings, adoptions (my favorite paired with Dr. Seuss's "Horton Hatches An Egg"), new job, getting fired from a horrible job, ....)

And this deluxe edition is especially perfect for that gift at a special landmark occasion.

Ted Geisel might have crafted a book that gets shelved in the Children's Section in libraries and book stores, but he was writing especially to those of us who periodically forget, and want or need to remember, how magical and special every day of life can be.

Oh, the Places You'll Go! is a very good graduation gift, and my traditional gift for such occasions. But in regular bookstores, the cost usually averages at $18. Now, used books are great ideas, usually about $5, but not for graduation gifts. So when these $12 per arrived in perfect NEW condition I was thrilled. Go Amazon.

We use this book as a completion/graduation gift for a summer program for high school students that gives them experience in working at a university-level research project. The program is called SHARP. The book edition is hardback with a color-embossed jacket, so it will hold up as a keepsake, and the kids use it as they would a yearbook--collecting autographs and keep-in-touch messages from their friends and teachers.

I keep a copy of this book nearby at all times for quick reference, my personal copy home to numerous marks and marginal notes. Every line reads as the most delicate of poetry, honed and refined to the purest and most undeniable words of truth and wisdom.
This may be the height of human understanding, bringing a peace and solidarity which encompasses the many to make us all one.

These days, Kahlil Gibran's "The Prophet" often gets dismissed as "hippie" literature. Yet, this book had been a bestseller LONG before the 1960s. Originally published in 1923, it almost instantly became a hit and even did well through the Great Depression. Today, Gibran's claim to fame is being the third best-selling poet of our time, behind Shakespeare and Lao Tzu... and pretty much entirely based on sales of this book. When his publisher, Alfred Knopf was asked who the audience for the book was, he flippantly dismissed the question. "It Must be a cult," he retorted.

Yet there is no such cult. What's incredible is that there's absolutely no marketing hype behind the success of this book. Gibran himself is long gone. There is no political, religious, or commercial enterprise attached to his name bent on winning souls and/or profits. The Gibran estate has merely been licensing copies year after year in response to the demand - a demand fueled pretty much entirely by word-of-mouth and chance discovery. The fact is, the twenty-six poems in this book have a surprising and suprassing relevance, insight and compassion. Broken down into several topics ("On Love", "On Work", "On Joy and Sorrow", etc.) the book itself recounts the sermons of a fictional poet leaving behind the gift of knowledge before he leaves his homeland.

I first found Gibran through a setting of his poem "On Children" by local Washington, D.C. singers Sweet Honey in the Rock on their album, "Breaths."

"Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you."

At the time I was about to leave for college and eighteen years of living under my parent's roof had made me restless for autonomy. That poem eloquently expressed everything I was yearning to say to them in my hours of frustration and adolescent angst. It later proved to be a reference to turn to in times where I needed confidence to live an independent and fulfilling life, while still maintaining respect and compassion towards the parents who had raised me.

I am not exaggerating when I say that the poems in this book have kept me grounded and sane throughout some of the most troubling times in my life. Our modern lives are ever hectic, stressful and busy - wrought with drama, frustration, depression, etc. The knowledge in these poems brings me back to a "middle ground" - there is a sage wisdom and clarity in the poems that has often been helpful for me in "unwinding" and coming back to earth. They bring me back to a place of clarity from whcih I can see my life from a wider perspective.

Though Gibran himself was a Christian and despite the title and conceit of the book, this is not really a religious book. The insight in this book would be applicable to your life even if you are an atheist. What's more, the poetry is mostly imagistic. Do not expect the academic poetics of Gibran's contemporaries Eliot or Pound or even Frost. They are written with the aim of being accessible and immediate to the reader and rely mostly on clear metaphors and vivid imagery.

Copies of "The Prophet" are not hard to come by. Perhaps check out the book's table of contexts either using Amazon's "Search Inside" feature or in your local bookstore and see if it addresses a problem or issue you are dealing with. That's a good a place as any to start with. Chances are, you will find something that speaks to you on some level.

I appreciate getting the book at the great price. I'm really not complaining but the book was quite yellow and the jacket was torn in various places. It looked like it was on the shelf for quite a while........Maureen

A very profound, deeply insightful and moving experience! One of my two favorite books of all times. No matter how often you read it, you find something new, some new insight, some amazing revelation, some word of consolation, another stunning example of wordcraft. A masterpiece! Inspired! This book should not be on a book shelf in the library, office or study, but on the bedside table, and the audiobook -- on your Ipod.

This book is a sort of Hallmark Greeting card compilation of the type of vacuous garbage-thought that made the 1970s a cultural disaster. Are you a sentimental pacifist who thinks Gandhi was swell, but never heard of the Moriori? Do you think of love as some sort of emotional flatulence that comes and goes the way weather does? Do you think evil is only a result of people being insufficiently nice to one another? Are your views on child rearing that you should let the kids do what they want because they're individuals? Do you think business is evil and soul destroying, and hurts the world more than it helps? Do you think religion is bad, but spiiiiirituality is good? Do you think criminals shouldn't be punished, because it's not really their fault? Do you think a mindless pursuit of pleasure is necessary for a healthy life? Well, if you believe any of these things, and enjoy saccharine sweet sing-songey prose, this book is for you. It comes in an attractive hard cover, making it appear to be a very serious book, on the same level as Jonathan Livingston Seagull, but with more naked lady pictures inside. It will provide you with many prim moments of doltish piety in your cloud cuckoo land. You may even be able to use this tome to pick up on people who are as morally defective as you are.

Personally, I prefer my wisdom to be, you know, at least vaguely wise. If I want florid saccharine language, I'll go read some Browning or other Victorian poetry. You can pick up antique volumes of such stuff for cheap, since books which required effort to write or read are unfashionable these days. They also look nicer on your bookshelf. As a bonus, it might actually be good for you to read Browning, whereas reading Gibran is sort of like giving yourself a mental venereal disease.

Please, humanity, restore my faith in basic human decency: stop reading this book. This book destroys souls and stunts aesthetics. If you must give copies of the book to people, give it to people you don't like. Give this book in the same spirit the British sold Opium to the Chinese. The end result will be much the same if they take the precepts of this silly book seriously.

I read some of these books as a child and bought the set for my own daughter and started reading it to her, and my son, when she was five and he was four. Both children loved them! I'd like to say they loved them all, but the truth is, they really loved the first two books, when Laura was closer to their own age; enjoyed Farmer Boy; and from there, my daughter continued to enjoy the books, but not as much, and my son lost interest.

I thought the long descriptions of how to roast a pig or build a log cabin would be too much for them, but they didn't mind. Soon after we started, I heard them re-creating scenes from the book while playing the back yard. Suddenly, my son was talking about Pa having a "gum" (gun) for killing bad animals. Not exactly the effect I intended, but it didn't turn him into a gun nut.

I will say, the Long Winter was really, really long. We almost dropped the series. My own interest flagged, and we ended up taking a bit of a break before picking up the book again.

I was so into the series that I went to the library and checked out Laura's diary about moving to Missouri (On the Way Home, The Diary of a Trip from South Dakota to Mansfield, Missouri, in 1894) and her and her description of visiting Rose in San Francisco (West from Home: Letters of Laura Ingalls Wilder). My daughter said she was interested in those, too, but she really wasn't.

Still, we loved the Little House series - and my daughter still listens to the early books on CD. Highly, highly recommended.

Very nice set--I purchased it for a gift and am very pleased with it :)

Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder is a whole series of books about a girl named Laura Ingalls Wilder. The books talk about some of the hardships Laura and her family faced. These books also tell about every thing that happened in her life from Wisconsin all the way to Kansas. The story of her life starts as a young girl and talks about her getting married as a young lady. The books tell how she changed and some of the places she went and even some of the people she met.
I like these books because the way these books were written because they were written so you fell like you are actually there. I also like these books because they tell what people had to go through in the 1800's. I read all these books and I liked them. If you read them you will like them too.

"They're an inspirational source of literature that celebrates the turn of the century, the struggle of the American family and the bonds that held them together."

These books are straight garbage, a friend got them for me and they stink...I could totally pWn Pa Ingall's IRL.

I purchased these books for my eight year old daughter. We read all of them already. She loved them, and so did I. I was a little disappointed that there were no pictures at all. In the older version, there were some very beautiful pictures that helped bring understanding to some of the concepts of being a pioneer. Overall, this was a great purchase.

My introduction to Steve Kluger was with "Almost Like Being In Love." The format threw me for a bit, but, once used to the manner in which the author was to tell his story, I went on to enjoy this delightful story. Next came this book..."Last Days of Summer." I found the author's website and wrote him an e-mail; I was about thirty pages short of the book's end at that moment. I sent another e-mail after finishing the book, heartbroken by the story's ending, yet having thoroughly been moved by spending time with such wonderfully fleshed-out characters. Read the book...no, I'd go so far as to say, "Read anything by Steve Kluger." He's a great storyteller...combining both humor and pathos expertly.

What's the difference between a Young Adult (YA) and a regular ol' adult novel? In this case, only a few words and phrases. Otherwise, this book contains all of the standard YA elements.

The wisecracking loner main character? Check. (Though he becomes less of a loner as the story progresses.) The dysfunctional but eccentrically entertaining family? Check. The unlikely good influence with issues of his own? Check? The Tragic Moment? Check. Only a sprinkling of f-bombs and other salty language keeps "The Last Days of Summer" off high school library shelves everywhere. It's like something Avi would write, only earthier.

This is not to say that it's a poor or childish book. Far from it. The notes & letters format, the imminently likeable characters, and the breezy plot pull you in quickly, making it hard to put it down. Nothing really happens that you didn't expect would happen, yet the ride in so enjoyable that you won't mind.

One thing that really annoyed me was that all of the letters, notes, and whatever used to create the book are written in the same sardonically streetwise style. The two main characters writing similarly is understandable, since their similarity is what brings them together. But Wilke-supporting conservative schoolteachers and busy US Army commanders writing report card comments and internal memos in the same style as witty young Joey Margolis? It's a stretch.

But that's a minor quibble. Overall, I enjoyed this book a lot and would recommend it to anyone who doesn't mind just a little coarseness about the edges.

Been reading Last Days of Summer for a couple of months now. Don't use a bookmark in order to lose my place every time I pick it up. I don't want to finish it! It's that good and I'm going to miss it like a great old friend, when it's read.

Oddly enough, the rereading works pretty well. "Last Days" is filled with so much humor, charm, silliness and stats that I find new life in every old chapter I misread - although misread is the wrong word. I do it on purpose.

It's about baseball. It's about the 40s, Broadway with Merman, coming of age in Brooklyn, Hollywood pin-ups, coping with bullies, FDR and Eleanor, The Green Hornet, The Shadow, Reese and Di Magio, and resistance to blending concurrent American cultures. But, mostly, it's about baseball, serving as father-figure for growth.

I still don't know where fantasy ends and reality begins here - or how it`s combined. But, that's why I won't finish. I don't want the world that's been created for me to be explained just yet. For now, I just want to continue living here for as long as I can.

Mr. Kluger, thank you! And MKA, thank you for finding it for me.

This is one of my favorite books. I usually don't read a book more than once, but I've read this one a couple of times. I recommend it highly.

I can not remember when I enjoyed reading a book so much. I probably should not have been reading it while working out at the gym. I was getting some very odd looks as I laughed aloud.

The book takes place from 1940-42, formative years in the life of Joey Margolis, an extremely precocious 12 year old Jewish boy growing up in Brooklyn. He is a prolific letter writer and an even more prolific schemer and wiseacre. Joey decides that he is going to get the NY Giants' new third baseman and phenom, Charlie Banks, to take him on a road trip and the scheming letters begin. The entire book is in the form of letters to and from the characters - including FDR and his press secretary. Eventually Banks becomes something of a big brother to the boy and the wisdom that is interchanged in the letters between the 24 year old and 12 year old is priceless. Joey even gets the young Protestant star to stand in for his father at his Bar Mitzvah!

This is not the typical book about being Jewish in Brooklyn in the 40's. Those are merely props to the story and in the relationship. It is about a wonderful relationship. What starts as pure hilarity becomes poignant. Most amazingly, the poignancy does not diminish the hilarity and laughter will continue until the last few pages. Although the ending is a bit predictable, it could not have ended any other way.

Once you pick this book up, you will have a hard time putting it down. It will carry you laughing all the way until... Highly recommended. Sometimes you just have to wonder why a book is not a bestseller.

I absolutely did not enjoy this book. I found myself skimming through it about a third of the way. It wasn't keeping my attention and there was way too much going on and I found it tedious to be expected to follow it all.

I think that Robin Williams has a way with words. Twist of Fate is an outstanding read, one you can't put down. A I was ready this book I felt like I was actually looking at it on the big screen. That's just how real Robin made her charactors.

Way to go Robin, keep up the excellent work!

There was so much that I loved about this book! I loved author's writing style. I loved the chemistry between Sam and Ashela, between Ashela and her best friend, Kyliah and how so much detail went into telling what made the characters turn out the way they were. Although it took much too long for Sam to be introduced into the story, I still thought it was worth the wait. The love scenes were explicit yet tasteful, you certainly felt as if you're right there in the midst of the passion! Also, as long as this book was, when I finished it I kept wanting to read more. I was left with so many questions that I wonder if the author intends to write a sequel.

A Twist of Fate is definitely not a Christian lit book, so don't be tricked or fooled. It's a passionate, graphic and sometimes brutally honest look at the twists that peoples lives can take. If you're searching for a steamy romance with a thick plot, this is it!

Someone in my bookclub said this was going to be made into a movie. If so, Denzel would make the perfect Sam Ross!

I have ordered Preconceived Notions and I can't wait to read it.

This is a very detailed book that is really a coming-of-age tale of Ashela Jordan. It follows her from her childhood through challenging years as an adolescent and young adult into her life as a celebrated musician.

The author writes well and pays great attention to detail. However, there was just too much detail in parts for me and that resulted in the story seeming too long and drawn out. The book started with a very brief introduction to Ashela's love interest Sam before going back to tell her story from the very beginning of her childhood. Although the book visits Sam's rise from child to music executive, its almost 160 pages into the book before Ashela and Sam's stories intersect. Once they unite as adults the story picks up and moves along at a more satisfying pace.

An interesting, but often distracting, literary tool used by the author was the inclusion of many prominent celebrities in the storyline.

I certainly give much credit to author Robyn Williams for her attention to detail and a realistic portrayal of the music business, even though I wished for the plot to move along much more rapidly.

This book is a spectacular event. This one of the best books I have read in a long while. Ms. Williams has manged to inspire dreamers to dream. I enjoyed this book completely from beginning to end. There is an Ashela in us all. Sam Ross is the true definition of a Strong Black Man. Ms. William's book gives us back the reality that it possible to be happy and successful.
Ms. Williams is truly one of the greatest writers of our time.

Robert Sabuda is a master of the pop-up book and this is the second one I purchased of an adaptation of a famous children's story, and once again it does not dissapoint.

A good telling of the story combined with some incredible pop-ups, the one of the Emerald City makes you feel like you are in the story.

If you are a collector or have children you must get at least one of these books. Make sure you read it with the younger ones to show how books should be handled properly, though make sure they really understand before letting them use the book on their own.

I bought this book as a birthday present for my Dorothy-obsessed 3-year old and she LOVES it. I was a little worried that it would be seriously abridged when I read that it only had 16 pages, but no need to fear. Within each page is a chapter of the book so there is plenty of story. It takes almost an hour to read it to her but it is well-worth it.

I was shown this book by a friend who collects pop up books. The more elaborate, expensive, and creative, the more he loves them and the more he pays for them. When I saw this in his collection he lead me to believe that the book would cost no less than two hundred... easy. When I found it here I assumed that it couldn't possibly be the same book so imagine my thrill when it arrived. Not only is it the same book, its less than twenty bucks! I've enjoyed the taunting of course, but even more I've enjoyed the craftsmanship and beauty that is this book. How it can be made and sold for this price is beyond my comprehension but I'm glad it is. I've bought copies for everyone I know who would love it as much as I do.
If you love pop ups, or the Wizard of Oz this book is a must have. If you don't love either but you love a cleaver, beautiful work of art, this book is a must have.
You will not regret ever having this in your collection.

I ordered this book for my 8 year old niece. She really likes it, especially the tornado page at the beginning. She is just discovering the world of books and is always thrilled when she can actually keep one versus having to return it to the library!

This book was recommended by a friend who has it and reads it to her granddaughter. I bought it to give as a gift to my granddaughter, but was so thrilled at the charming and spectacular content, I have kept it for myself. The pop ups have such amazing color and are on heavy enough paper that it should last a long time. I have been a great fan of all the Oz books (which I Have, some printed in the early 1900's) and believe this will be a great addition to my collection.
Sincerely, Lise Jones

Lots of people seem to LOVE this book, so I'm figuring the fact that I hate it just points to different people having different tastes. Johanna Lindsey is a very entertaining writer, with the most fun heroines. Unfortunately, her heroes usually leave me with a bad taste in my mouth. The hero of this novel is no exception.

Basically, the novel goes something like this:

James Malory, "hero": Ooh, a pretty girl disguised as a cabin boy! I think I'll take advantage of this and seduce the poor thing without her knowing it.

Georgina Anderson, heroine: My goodness, what is this delicious feeling I feel whenever I'm around this strong, virile, pushy, autocratic man? I'm ridiculously naive for a twenty-two year old woman, and apparently I have never felt desire or basic human arousal even once in my entire life.

James: I shall now use this woman to slake my lust, calling her a wench and not once caring about the fact that an unmarried woman is ruined in the eyes of society. As long as I get mine!

Georgina: I will now give into this man for no good reason except that I must give into my urges that I've never felt before because this man is so-o-o-o strong, virile, pushy, and autocratic, and despite my protests that turns me on!

And so forth. James Malory is strong, virile, pushy, and autocratic, and Georgina pretends to hate those qualities but in fact she loves them. This makes for a lot of tedious "dialogue," with James pushing Georgina around and Georgina letting him, huffing indignantly all the while. James is also spiteful and petty and vengeful, and apparently always gets his way, along with insulting and bullying Georgina throughout the book. That's not romance, to me.

I couldn't finish the book. A hero who badgers, kidnaps, and insults the supposed love of his life is a terrible turn-off for me. Georgina is a fun heroine, as usual with Johanna Lindsey, but the hero's antics just ruin the book too much to make it worthwhile.

Conclusion: An extremely unlikable hero makes this book unreadable. But other people love this hero, so if you enjoy most early Lindseys, you'll probably enjoy this one. If you don't like early Lindesy novels, give this one a pass.

This is such a wonderful read, I really enjoyed it. I read it within 2-3 days, I couldn't put the book down. James is such an irresistible rogue. I absolutely found him sexy, strong and deliciously wicked! I wanted more of him! I wish the story never ended! Hmph! =o/

Fans: Type in Malory in YouTube.com and read what other fans wrote!

I absolutely love Johanna Lindsey and all of the Malory stories. I just reread this one and still love it. The writing is so smooth I just sail through these books and find myself in love with all of the characters. I recommend virtually all of Johanna Lindsey's books to any historical lover.

I've read a number of books by J. Lindsey and my two favorites are this book and "A Loving Scoundrel." Both of them have a girl dressed as and pretending to be a boy. I loved the characters. Good plot. Good writing. Great fun

CAUTION SPOILERS: Georgina was dressed as a boy and thought the captain (James) believed she was a boy. James knew she was really a girl but pretended he didn't know. It was great fun to watch James try to seduce the "boy". It didn't work the way James had planned because Georgina was so ignorant of sex that she thought she was nauseous rather than turned on. I loved the end where James purposely embarassed her publicly so her brothers would force the marriage.

Sexual language: mild. Number of sex scenes: five. Setting: 1818 London, the high seas and America. Copyright: 1990. Genre: regency romance.

To date, I have read the following Johanna Lindsey books. All my reviews were posted on Amazon between 6/3/08 and 6/14/08, except as noted.
Malory Family Series:
5 stars. Gentle Rogue Copyright: 1990.
5 stars. A Loving Scoundrel Copyright: 2004.
4.5 stars. The Magic of You Copyright: 1993.
4.5 stars. Say You Love Me Copyright: 1996.
3 stars. Love Only Once Copyright: 1985.
3 stars. Tender Rebel Copyright: 1988.
3 stars. No Choice But Seduction Copyright: 2008. My review posted 6/21/08.
2 stars. The Present copyright: 1998.
2 stars. Captive of My Desires copyright: 2006.

Sherring Cross Series:
4.5 stars. Man of My Dreams Copyright: 1993.
3 stars. Love Me Forever Copyright: 1995.
(not read) The Pursuit

Other novels:
4 stars. Defy Not The Heart. Copyright: 1989. My review posted 8/15/08.
2 stars. The Devil Who Tamed Her Copyright: 2007.
1 star. Prisoner of My Desire Copyright: 1991.

The extreme popularity of this book bewilders me. Though it is well-written and there are numerous opportunities for really heart-wrenching romance, Lindsey fails to capitalize on any of these, and the heroine--though not wholly unlikable--is just frustrating. Her failure to realize that James discerns her gender does nothing to recommend her intellect, and the way she childishly mimics his habits reeks of girlish infatuation. But for all that, her personality is not particularly offensive. Her naïve description of sexual arousal as a type of "nausea" is even endearing. No, my problem with Georgie is this: "Her temper wanted to flare, but when James rested between her thighs, anger was the farthest thing from her mind." This sentiment is repeated constantly, no matter how James deliberately humiliates or hurts her. I understand the ease in rechanneling anger into lust, but Georgie's legitimate problems repeatedly disappear when James kisses her into submission. He, in effect, sexually manipulates her into being pliable and content, and... it works. With no apparent resentment or even realization on her part. He treats her like a valueless sex object for the duration of the novel, and though it sometimes seems she will call him out on it, she ultimately does nothing. Instead, she settles for the "tenderness" she senses when they make love, a cringingly classic female mistake.

Making Georgie's ludicrous gullibility acutely obvious is the comparison to her brother-in-law and his wife. James mockingly refers to how his brother's wife withheld sexual favors during a fight, confident that his own wife would never do such a thing. Sadly, he's right. Georgie's internal dialogues, depicted as between herself and "her conscience," are invariably lost by her conscience and won by some hedonistic part of herself with no practicality and less self-respect. (James's ego is, admittedly, nothing out of the ordinary; but the delight I take in these novels is that the female usually manages to take the hero down a peg. George only lowers herself.)

In short, this book was difficult to finish; I had absolutely no desire for Georgie to have her foolishness unpunished, and I could not bear for James to have his misogyny and manipulativeness forever unchecked. The relationship was shallow and unsatisfying. Overall, a disappointment.

I loved the simple and enthusiastic style of the author, especially as he compares (in the introduction) the hypothetical 68-year-old who is on pharmaceuticals with the 68-year-old that is still physically active because he ate right.

Dr. Pratt somehow chose the top 14 superfoods, based on all kinds of studies which he cites. Though I have researched nutrition a lot, I learned plenty of gems and pearls from this book, such as the value of eating (organic) orange peels for the limonene, the importance of eating the orange pulp (high in Vitamin C), rolling a citrus fruit before juicing to get more of the juice out, low calorie ways to get high amounts of nutrients (ex: pumpkins), squeezing a teabag to get much more of the flavonoids released, and that spinach is an unequaled superfood.

I gave only four stars because a few of the foods he recommends have a strong downside. For example, while yogurt is the least indigestible of all dairy, most people simply can't handle dairy and (as proven in The China Study) the casein protein actually increases the odds of cancer. Also grains--whether whole or not--are not the easiest of foods to digest. He also lists "fluoride" on the ingredients of tea as if that were a good thing, whereas it has been proven toxic (read The Fluoride Deception, which is packed with research) and it is unfortunate that the tea plant (which in itself is a great superfood) absorbs this toxin from the environment. Even soy, unless eaten sparingly, can present health problems due to the excess of phytoestrogens. And Dr. Pratt suggests on several pages that we microwave food, though microwaving has been proven to create toxins in food. Eating microwaved food was found to cause abnormal changes in human blood and immunity in a study done by Dr. Hertel of Switzerland, and microwave ovens were even banned in Russia.

Superfoods was a great find. By following and eating the recommended superfoods, I notice that my skin color became more glowing and also my energy have been extremely high then usual. Once I added a exercise regimen to these healthy eating habits, I felt the transition inside and out. I would truly recommended this book to anyone who is looking for a healthy life change. This is the perfect eating lifestyle to follow.

This book is a masterpiece! It contains a wealth of knowledge on the foods and supplements we should eat to be our healthiest. It contains many helpful hints and brand names of healthful foods. I am sending a copy each to my two adult daughters.

I wanted a comprehensive list of the Superfoods because I have been trying to include them in my family's daily diet. This is a good book for this purpose. It gives good explanation of the value of eating each food. I definitely recommend this book if you want to eat better.

Once I started reading this book I could not put it down! It is packed with so much information and I have been amazed at how good and alert I feel by changes I have made in my diet.I am a cancer survivor and this book is important to me to help prevent any other types of cancers or heart disease in the future. I also have heart disease in my family. I have been so impressed with this book that I bought 4 more books for my friends, one who was just recently diagnosed with cancer and the other who is a cancer survivor. I will be purchasing 4 more to give each of my children and siblings. So I say this book is a MUST READ!

Animation is now done in 3-D this book is dated.
The book I have on by Don Bluth were much more elaborate on the animnation process then this book. The drawings are primative and don't offer much of the way of substance you can take them at face value.
If you like stick figures you might like this book.

This a must-purchase for the starting animator. I read The Illusion of Life first, which was a lot of words and theory but fewer walk-throughs (though you should buy that, too!). Get it, you won't be disappointed.

this was the textbook for my principles of animation I class, and it was an immense help. if I was ever confused about how to liven up an animation, or make a movement more believable, I could look in the book for an explanation of a walk, run, jump, or any of a number of movements and get an example of the keyframes at the very least.
while it doesn't sit down and explain the 12 principles of animation in a section, it does end up covering the essentials in an easy to understand way.

my instructor put it this way "The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation is the old testament of animation, and this book, is the new testament."

This is an easy to understand book that i am sure will give me an edge starting my animation history classes. It lays everything out in an understandable format. great book

a much needed item for an inspiring animator or anyone interested in the entertainment field