Authors Books

The best small book ever. I want more copies. How come there arent any available? This title should have had broader distribution.

Tom Woolley is, without a doubt, one of the freshest, most invigorating new voices in American literature. His narrative is a smooth combination of gut-punch realism and jaded camp. His stories are refreshingly original and dripping with intelligent humor. I can't wait for his next book. I will be haunting my local bookstore until its arrival. Bravo, Tom Woolley.

I was recently given this book as a gift, and it's just an incredible read. It's already a favorite, and I'm buying copies for friends as well. Gritty, yes, but realistic and sincere and a hard, long look at some facets of some lives that most of us aren't exposed to. Very touching, very witty and funny, and almost shockingly open and honest. Can't recommend this book highly enough. Get a copy now!!!

Toilet is an explicit walk on the wild side. It is raw, but real. Tom Woolley is a writer who writes with his heart and feelings. It gave me a perspective of my own feelings dealing with my past, present and future. Toilet is fabulous!

This book was so amazing, I read it three times in one day. Woolley's perspectives on life, love, friendship, dating, & happiness are insightful, touching, & original. The chapter entitled "You Sure Are Pretty For a Faggot" is perhaps the most honest account of human dating that I'd ever encountered. I doubt I will come across a book that speaks so truthfully (and so eloquently as well) for a long, long time to come.

Holy cow, this is great! Wish I'd had this when I first chose to self-publish. The information is extremely well researched, and best of all--current. Much of the information I already knew, but only after learning from (sometimes difficult) experiences.

I liked the organizational format of the book, and how the author freely posits an unbiased approach to the evaluations. Too, even family publishing firms (Author House/iUniverse) are subdivided into which are the better lines.

Anyone just delving into self-publishing would do well to carefully read this book. It will no doubt save them much confusion and grief as dozens of firms seek to handle your precious work. Highly recommended!

Stacie Vander Pol has written a book that will save you a lot of time. I had planned to form a publishing company for my first book, but after discovering CreateSpace and BookSurge, I began evaluated those options instead. Since I had already decided that my marketing efforts would be directed only at Amazon, their tight connection with Amazon.com made them both very attractive to me. After reading their websites at length, and trying to evaluate their relative strengths, I was leaning in the direction of CreateSpace, but I still felt that I needed to spend a lot more time evaluating them before making the final decision.

In Chapter 6, in which Stacie details and evaluates in a very concise way, the pluses and minuses of Large and Medium Firms offering self-publishing services(including BookSurge and CreateSpace), she capsulized the advantages of each in a way that made my decision an easy one.

Chapter 6 is my favorite in the book, and will more than justify your purchase of this book, particularly if you are just beginning the process of deciding the best way to get your book to print. But trust me, you will find a lot of valuable information in this easy-to-read book.

I had previously read the top 8 books on self-publishing offered on Amazon, and found that Stacie's book fills a niche not covered before she wrote it - a great summary of valuable advice on getting started with your book, and the vital important Chapter 6, a time-saving synopsis of your primary self-publishing choices that would probably take you 20-30 research hours to compile yourself.

Stacie's book will save you from that onerous task. Read this book instead and save that valuable time !

This book would be an invaluable addition to the library of any writer or would-be writer. It contains a large amount of valuable information that is not contained in other books of this type. Furthermore, it definitely fills a need. It is directed at people that want to get their book published, particularly those that would like to get it done quickly through a POD publisher, and it gives a comprehensive lowdown on all the major publishers of this type. In particular it gives them an overall grade according to their sales results, royalties, distribution, package prices, and so on. Each of these publishers is examined in detail and the information given would be extremely useful to anyone trying to make up their mind on how to publish their book. In addition to a survey of these publishers, Vander Pol discusses the types of self-published books that sell best, how to work with Amazon, and how to promote your book in general. And she has a bonus chapter on money and taxes.
Her explanations are excellent, her writing style is easy to read, and she gives many examples. Highly recommended.

For anyone new to writing a book, and even some very seasoned writers, the question that seems to be top of the mind is, "What is the best option for publishing?"

Stacie Vander Pol has addressed this question brilliantly. In Top Self Publishing Firms she begins by giving some excellent background on the benefits of self-publishing. With a solid overview of how books are ranked on Amazon.com the reader gets insights they may not have even thought they needed. Readers also find out how to make the choice of utilizing one of the firms profiled in her book.

With profiles on the top 26 self-publishing firms an author can utilize to get their book to market, you not only get contact information, you are given costs involved, what you (as the author) will pay for your book to buy it from the company and the overall value of the company. You will be surprised at much of what she has revealed.

This information is of very high value for anyone who wants to know what his or her choices are. I would recommend this book as a 5 Star.

Kathleen Gage; Author
101 Ways to Get Your Foot in the Door; The Law of Achievement; Street Smarts Marketing And Promotions

Stacie Vander Pol has done authors and aspiring authors a huge favor by writing this book comparing the top self publishing firms. She provides an incredibly detailed analysis of these firms so that apples can be compared to apples rather than apples compared to oranges and bananas and kiwis and every other fruit in existence.

Her explanations, particularly that all royalties are not the same, are clear and from the point of view of an author. She also covers the highlights of promoting books.

The only thing I found missing is that I would have liked more information on Stacie Vander Pol herself. An author's note explaining her journey undertaking this project would have been appreciated. Perhaps she'll include this information in a revised edition.

I had this collection of short stories thrust on me by one of my favorite ex-students when I was complaining that "there was nothing new good to read". She told me to stop whining & give it a try & I am VERY glad that she did. From the funny-but-heart-wrenching title piece to the wonderful portrait of Darwin in heaven (he is doing just fine until he is joined by a totally Tiggerish Richard Feynman!) Whitty never misses a beat. I read the whole book in one sitting & am waiting for more with some impatience. These are short stories for Thinking People who still have a sense of humor!

wow! I loved this book. Julia Whitty is an artist. She paints these lush, passionate, mysterious gems. I found her weaving of nature, characters and story telling so compelling I couldn't put it down until the end----and even then I didn't want the spell to be broken. She is so orginial and so touching. Please, somebody tell me she has another book coming out soon.

wow! I loved this book. Julia Whitty is an artist. She paints these lush, passionate, mysterious gems. I found her weaving of nature and chacters and story telling so compelling. I couldn't put it down until the end and even then I didn't want the spell to be broken. She is so orginial and so touching. Please, somebody tell me she has another book coming out soon!

I read novels and non-fiction, I don't like short stories and rarely read them. Well . . . that was true untill I picked up Julia Whitty's short story collection, A Tortoise for the Queen of Tonga. What caught my eye was the title (being a tortoise lover all my life) but what captured my intrest and kept me reading was Whitty's unusual weave of people, animals and beautifully rendered scenes of exotic places. Whether viewing ice age art in a French cave with The Story of the Deep Dark or under the Antartic ice cap with Jimmy Under Water, I was so completely involved with the stories that I didn't want them to end. These ten stories with Whitty's unique outlook on life and nature have captured my heart and introduced me to fantastic short story writing. I look forward to her next collection and hopefully a novel soon.

A Tortoise for the Queen of Tonga is that rarest of birds: a first collection of short stories that educates as well as entertains. Whitty's extensive familiarity with the natural world make each one of these stories sprout from the page and root in the mind like well-tended plants. From Antartica to Africa to Tonga Whitty carefully guides us through subtle dramas where flora, fauna, and homosapiens try to co-exist in a world that is both sad and almost unbearably hopeful. A wondrous find.

I have listened to these over and over and get more out of them each time. Neil Gaiman is a brilliant writer and the actors in these audio plays are incredible. This is art of the highest order.

I'm a fan...Neil's worst works still qualify as excellent in my mind, and these are some of his best. I read these stories when they were published 10 years ago in a small distribution book called Angels and Visitations. Then I saw them reprinted again in another book some years later.

The two plays in this package provided my wife and I the best entertainment we were going to get while being stuck in 8 hours of traffic. Finally I got my wife to pay attention to Neil's stuff (she refused to read Sandman)and she dug it.

If you like books on tape, this is better. If you like reading Neil's work, you'll like it even better this way.

Neil, if you're reading this...can we have some more of these?

Two very disturbing stories from Neil Gaiman, this was a duet of short plays adapted for "Seeing Ear Theatre" and read by Bebe Neuwirth ("Snow Glass Apples") and Brian Dennehy ("Murder Mystery.")

"Snow Glass Apples" was a re-telling of Snow White with a ghastly vampiric twist, and from the voice of the Queen, who is anything but the Disnified villainess we've come to know and loathe. Snow White is herself a disturbing figure, and all in all, this was a very enjoyable re-telling of a classic, if a tad gruesome in its telling and conclusion.

"Murder Mystery" I found quite wonderful - it is a tale that includes the investigation of the first murder ever - an angel has been killed, and another angel is called to investigate. The B-plot story, however, just plain didn't make sense.

If I had to break them into two parts, "Snow Glass Apples" would get a '5' and "Murder Mystery" would get a '3.' Hence the '4.'

'Nathan

Two Plays For Voices is part of the Seeing Ear Theatre Productions from the Sci-Fi Channel. More television stations should follow their lead. These two stories told in the form of radio plays are terrific! I am a big fan of Neil Gaiman and this format brings two incredible stories to life.

Murder Mysteries is expertly presented and the twist at the end is a surprise to say the least.

Snow Glass Apples is a shivery fairy tale which cuts to the core of good vs. evil and that some things aren't always what they seem.

I'm a fan...Neil's worst works still qualify as excellent in my mind, and these are some of his best. I read these stories when they were published 10 years ago in a small distribution book called Angels and Visitations. Then I saw them reprinted again in another book some years later.

The two plays in this package provided my wife and I the best entertainment we were going to get while being stuck in 8 hours of traffic. Finally I got my wife to pay attention to Neil's stuff (she refused to read Sandman)and she dug it.

If you like books on tape, this is better. If you like reading Neil's work, you'll like it even better this way.

Neil, if you're reading this...can we have some more of these?

Villa Fair is a wonderful collection of stories that have common universal themes integrated in a multicultural context. The themes of love, identity, tradition versus modern beliefs are woven well in stories such as Ackee Night in Canada, Segovia's Stories and Driving Through Red Lights. These three stories had characters of mixed heritage. Thus it was quite interesting to read how these themes were developed from a different cultural perspective. These stories were even more interesting because the endings were unpredictable, yet believable. Ms. Dyer writes very well. Her poetic and lyrical style engrossed me in her stories. I enjoyed the stories immensely and look forward to reading more from her.

This sometimes whimsical, sometimes mystical, sometimes nostalgic, and always poignant collection of short stories, is definately more than "fair". Bernadette Dyer skillfully navigates the immigrant experience, which is the common thread that weaves it's way through this great collection. It's colourful characters grab hold of your heart, and leave you wanting more. My personal favorites are "Driving Through Red Lights", and "Remebering Serge". Ms. Dyers voice is obviously steeped in memory, passion, and a rich and diverse family history, which act as jumping off points for her vivid imaginings, which she shares with us in brilliant detail. A definate must read for short story lovers.

Great book. The author took me through an adventurous travel too several different countries and cultures. One moment I felt I was on the beach with Roberta and the next I could see myself sitting on the porch at Villa Fair looking over the land. My favorites were Villa Fair and Blue Door. The author causes you to become emotional for these characters, so much so, it makes you want to reach out to them. The only reason I did not give this 5 stars is because I wanted more in the Blue Door and Villa Fair. I loved this book and have gotten similar responses from my book club following our review. We are looking foward to future publications from Ms. Dyer.

From the Library in Toronto where she works to the neighborhood in which she lives, Bernadette Dyer sees much go by representing Toronto's multicultural panoply. This clearly inspires many of the takes in "Villa Fair," her collection of short stories. Other tales in the book are the germinated seeds of her own multiracial, multiethnic Jamaican and Portuguese Jewish ancestry. The people in her stories mirror her own ancestors --emigrés from somewhere else, establishing roots in new lands, living through generational conflict fueled by the meeting of old with new, yet influencing the host country and/or culture which is richer for it, and will never be the same. For example, there's Kamla, the twenty-three-year-old Indian-Canadian narrator of "Driving Through Red Lights," in love with a young Canadian man, while promised to an arranged marriage with someone from India. A surprise ending has Kamla's parents and aunt facing cultural change on two continents. In "Segovia Nights," Carlos Fernandez captivates his listeners with legends, reinvented stories about a mythical family and past. The tall tales are indicative, however, of a far deeper problem. One senses that the author and librarian in the story are one. Jomo, from "An African Out in the Cold," is lost, then found again while visiting Toronto, as, unknown to him, his host has suffered a heart attack. His isolation and cultural shock are palpable. Then there are tales coming from the richness of the author's Jamaican memories. The story "Man Man" dances back and forth from spirit world to "reality," as the ghost of a drowned seven-year-old boy moves comfortably among the local people of a plantation, until a new anglo mistress comes to stay. Another from the Jamaican collection, "Ackee Night," show how a much aggrieved woman, whose man has threatened idly to leave for years, calls on a Jamaican culinary secret to keep him permanently from other women -- and herself. The ending takes the reader by surprise. The title story, "Villa Fair," also catches one off guard, yet this reader felt puzzled by its sharp, unredeeming ending. Is Thunder, the chief male character, destroyed as a punishment for straying from his promise? Does the exotic, the magical always win out over the more conventional path? "Leaving Faro," the final tale, is a paean to Dyer's Portuguese Jewish ancestors, who fled to Jamaica to escape persecution. The mythical and the magical touch many of the stories. "Close the Blue Door" tells of mermen who lure their chosen loves to disaster, while in "Six Little Sparrows," the same number of Pakistani children and their mother shape shift into the title. The author's Jamaica and Canada are pulsing, vibrant settings where her characters don't want racial barriers to exist. Her families are strong and loving, evidencing the blurred lines of racial identity. Several of the stories, such as "Man Man" and "Roberta on the Beach," satisfy in their present form, yet would benefit also as longer fictional works, with some of the characters developed further. "An African Out in the Cold" seems a fragment, and one wishes for more. "Villa Fair" is an entertaining collection of well-told tales. We await future works with interest.

(originally reviewed in Halapid, Vol. VIII Issue 2, Spring 2001)

Jamaica and Canada are the backdrop of the thirteen short stories contained in author Bernadette Dyer's "Villa Fair." The characters in the book are of various ethnic backgrounds and classes.

Of the thirteen stories in the book there were two that stood out in my opinion. These two stories are entitled "Driving Through Red Lights" and "Roberta on the Beach."

"Driving Through Red Lights is about Kamla, the child of Hindu Indians who have immigrated to Canada. Kamla was born and raised in Canada therefore she know more of the western culture than she does of her Hindu heritage. This is something that causes her parents great stress. Tradition states that women should marry fairly young, so at twenty-three Kamla is considered an embarassment and disappointment to her family. Tradition also states that the marriage must be arranged.

One day Kamla's aunt Rashna comes to visit from Bombay, India and she announces that she has found someone to marry Kamla. Kamla's husband-to-be, a future doctor, is named Lachman Ramsingh. He will come to Canada in two months to claim his bride and take her back to India. She does not want any of this, she wants to marry for love and live in Canada. The many twists, turns, and emotions make this a very enjoyable and touching story. As a reader I felt drawn into the story.

"Roberta on the Beach" is the story of the Douglas family, a poor working class family from Montego Bay, Jamaica. They are a family of ten, with eight children: Slim, Caleb, Sheila, Georgina, Elaine, Lorraine, Maggie, and Roberta. Roberta is the oldest girl in the family. When she turns eighteen and graduates from high school Roberta is contemplating her future, when fate intervenes. Roberta's aunt Melanie, who is her mother's sister, has written a letter advising her sister that she would like to provide a college education for one of her children. Roberta's parents quickly decide to give Roberta the opportunity of a lifetime. Little do they know that this decision will alter the course of their family forever. "Roberta on the Beach" is a good lesson in family and the strength that families must have to survive.

"Villa Fair" was a good read. The stories were good but not great. "Driving Through Red Lights" and "Roberta on the Beach" were excellent and if these two stories were complete books I would definitely read them. On the RAW scale this book is a 3.5.

Reviewed by Simone A. Hawks

This is an excellent collection. For me, it doesn't quite equal its predecessor, Virgin Fiction, but even so, it's great. The concept of publishing unpublished writers remains compelling, and Virgin Fiction 2 confirms that people nobody ever heard of are out there writing great stuff.

This collection probably contains more solid, great stories than the first book, but also seems to have more of the meandering, obscure kind, and it lacks a brutally magnificent work to equal "the end of the beltline" (Tony Carbone's piece from Virgin Fiction).

"Normalcy", by Kristi Coulter, is the standout in my opinion, with "Sushi" (by Heather Swain) fairly close behind and "The First Old" (by Melanie Conroy-Goldman) next. "Tourist Trap" opens the book with disturbing cynical humor and a hint of political statement. The disturbing part is continued in Michelle Richmond's "Fifth Grade: A Criminal History" and the humor nicely revisited in Michael R. Carleton's "Conversations with a Moose". "Midnight Trash" (by Brian Farnham) is short but very nicely done, and "Family Vacation" (by Lauren Grodstein) is good as well.

The only pieces that offer the refreshing experimentation that made "the end of the beltline" such a landmark in the first collection are "If I Were Lemon Pie" (by Scott Werve) and "Backdated" (by Lisa Johnson). The former is mildly experimental but the story is gripping; the latter is wildly experimental, but the strange structure obfuscates the meaning somewhat.

In the end, I can't help but see this collection as a slight come-down from the first one, but that still leaves it in the highest tier.

Incidentally, Rob Weisbach Books seems to be defunct, and the Virgin Fiction Contest, which was intended to be an annual competition, appears to have disappeared after only the second year. Having seen the amazing work which the first two years produced, I am very disappointed to see this happen, and I hope that the contest will be revived in the future.

It's called Virgin Fiction because the writers collected in it have never been pulished, not because Abby is a dirty girl (no comment). This collection of short stories is excellent... most of them were really, really good. And they were pretty short. To qualify for the contest your story had to be under 7500 words, so that makes it easy to read one or two in between classes or whenever you have a spare moment (definitely appealing to me). I really enjoyed this book... I want to read the first one, but I'm not allowing myself to buy any more books. I have plenty on my "to-read" list here. My favourite of the bunch was probably "Sushi" by Heather Swain, but it's hard to pick a favourite because so many were good.

Virgin Fiction 2 offers a fantastic read for those who enjoy some of the different forms and experiments fiction can assume. Humorously ironic stories like "Conversations with a Moose" and "Tourist Trap" provide an effective contrast with--and context for--the more seriously reflective stories such as "Pretend I've Died" and "Behind Sharp Branches." Very few of the stories in this collection are plot-driven, which is refreshing in my opinion; most pieces focus on careful character development and interaction in which small events can motivate larger character metamorphoses. Skillful examples of this occur in "Family Vacation," "Youthful Offenders," and the most interesting and provocative piece, "Scarecrowed."

If this book is any indication, there is hope for the future of writing in America. Though, like most anthologies, this book is somewhat uneven none of the stories here are throwaways. Picks of the litter include the short and haunting "Midnight Trash," and the brillantly spun, fantasy web of an unhappy housewife in "Alice's Ground." At least half of the storys in this book could easily stand toe to toe with any year of the "O'Henry" collection. No doubt some of these writers will soon enough find there way there. A definite must read for fans of the short story.

It's nice to know that some things don't change. This anthology brings us lots of good, new voices telling us what it's like to maneuver through the weird emotional/intellectual maze here at the turn of the new century. At the same time, there's come good, classic stuff here -- heartache and confusion ... family and loss. I really connected with thsi book. I think "Family Vacation" and "Backdated" are the real stars here, amid several other good gems.

I read this book start to finish in one sitting. Sarah Neufeld created a fascinating setting, convincingly real characters (quite a feat, considering that two of them have the ability to turn invisible at will), and a plot that will keep you guessing until the last satisfying page. A few twists are so unexpected that you will have to read it again. Oh, darn.

It is a wonderful tale for young adults and adults alike. Sarah Neufeld creates characters that you care deeply about, which always keeps the pages turning!

Sarah Neufeld's Visibility is a complex coming of age story. Our hero, Natalie, is the painfully awkward normal child of the Invisible Woman, Jadyn, who is a cruelly controlling absentee mother. Her dad isn't in the picture, so her parental substitute is her bodyguard, Peter, who dreams of working in the comic/graphic novel industry and has secrets of his own. One day Natalie discovers that she has the `gift' of invisibility, too. As any comic reader knows with great power comes great responsibility. How will Natalie use her power? Will she squander it on revenge or get used by the authorities for the greater `good'?

Exploring the darker side of having superpowers has been done before, but perhaps not in this particular way -- through the eyes of the 17-year-old daughter of the worlds only invisible woman.

Natalie knows she's a disappointment. She knows that people, including her own father, hoped she'd be special like her mother. But she turned out to be "normal" -- and that's all anyone needs to know about her. Natalie is shy and socially awkward; two more reasons that it's pointless for anyone to get near her. So, no one does.

Since her parents split years ago and her mother, Jadyn, is busy living her lifestyle of the rich and famous. Natalie is left to her own devices. That might sound exciting, but when you've had a bodyguard watching your every move since you were six, and you're never quite sure when your mother might appear out of thin air, options are limited.

Things turn a bit more interesting, though, when Natalie discovers she just might have a few invisibility tricks up her sleeve after all.

Geared toward 13-17 year old girls and based on graphic novels, the writing in this book is tight and action-packed. The whole time I read the book, it was as though I was viewing it on-screen. Even Natalie's internal thoughts buzzed with excitement as she wove her way through a tangled web of fear and uncertainty.

My favorite character is her bodyguard, Peter. I like the way he gives her a glimpse of a normal life and normal interests, while still encouraging her to face her own reality and make choices about it. He's the one stable influence in her world, so he becomes doubly important when that world turns upside down.

This is a quick, exciting read, and it will entertain anyone with interests in action, reality-based fantasy, mystery, comic books, or just plain good reading. Plus, it just screams, "Sequel!"

Reviewed by: Julie M. Prince

I have always wondered what it would be like to be a superhero, or even just have an amazing power for one day. In Sarah Neufeld's unique illustrated novel, Visibility, I got to live out a superhero fantasy.

Neufeld's main character, Natalie, hooks you from the beginning. Between her mysterious mother and her bodyguard, Natalie's life, on the surface, seems anything but normal. But as we get to know Natalie, we learn how she constantly feels disappointing and awkward, a feeling common to teenagers. Her awkward social skills and inability to make friends make her even more human. Her normalcy is relatable to anyone who ever felt invisible--until Natalie discovers that she can actually become invisible.

Between Neufeld's story and D. Meister's illustrations, I was completely sucked into the story, wondering where Natalie's superpower would take her next. I loved the fact that Natalie is invisible in the illustrations, only catching her shadow or her feet. In that way, Natalie is just as invisible to the readers as she is to everyone else.

It can be hard these days to find a new superhero, but Neufeld has done it. Natalie is not only inspirational to teenagers, but she's a refreshing superhero, relatable to anyone who ever felt invisible.

Hooper's book is no less than a work of a genious. What makes this work so great on the one hand is its scope as it covers chinese literature from its beginings up to the twentieth century, the various genres of literature and poetry that existed along the Chinese history and the fact that it provides excellent introductions to each and every subject it deals with (including historical introductions), and on the other hand, it's greatness lies in the fact that many of the works in it are lesser-known pieces by Hong Kong authors that Hooper discovered. The treatment of Lee Ding Fai is not as good as the rest of the book, but otherwise absolutely recommended.

This is an excellent resource for students/scholars of commonwealth and postcolonial literatures--I recommend it highly.

I liked this book, but I disagreed with the author's view on the functin of chiasmus in Timoth Mo's work. Other than that, first rate.

This is indeed a path-breaking book. Hooper has not only brought together in a most readable, even entertaining, manner a mass of widely different writings and sources; he has also provided us with a persuasive historical framework within which the further study of the hitherto neglected history of Hong Kong literature will be pursued. The book's steady attention to the diversity of Hong Kong literature is one of its striking achievements.

This pioneering volume explores Hong Kong culture and identity through the work of three writers--Timothy Mo, Ding Fai Lee, and Patrick Acheson--in the light of the region's literature as a whole. Sophisticated yet accessible, this book is a unique contribution to ongoing debates about identity and culture in Hong Kong. I found this an excellent introduction to Hong Kong writing from a studied, academic viewpoint, and I highly recommend it for anyone interested in postcolonial literature in the Asian context.

This copy of Walden is beautiful and the extensive notes are very helpful.

150 years ago, a philosopher went to live in the woods off a small Massachusetts pond, and write about his experiences and meditations. Today, his thoughts, opinions, and experiences inform and educate us, enlightening us to a world of possibilities. Henry David Thoreau wrote Walden, and now all of us have a chance to spend time there in this richly illustrated edition.

Jeffrey Cramer, Thoreau scholar, has meticulously put together this labor of love for the book, as is shown on each and every page. Writing a short, insightful introduction to this book, and carefully research notes in the margins of the book, add layers of understanding to an already powerful book.

I hadn't ever visited Walden prior to this book. As a Walden novice, it served as an excellent introduction to an amazing man and an amazing work. I'm sure that both novices and scholars will benefit from this wonderful literary escape from the world. Yet the escape teaches us more about the world than we might ever know. Thanks to Cramer, and thanks to Henry for crafting this word feast.

I have at least six or seven different editions of Thoreau's greatest classic, and this one is my prized possession. Of course, if I took his ideas more seriously I would simplify things and give away the other copies, but they have my notes in them and I find it hard to let go of them. Part of the problem of this edition being so beautiful, on excellent paper, with very useful notes and images, is that I would hate to mark it up with the lines and notes that I have included in some of the other editions. Still, that's a good problem. The notes in this book are useful notes -- not just a haphazard list of some scholars' remarks (not always authoritative) on favorite passages, and not speculation, but clear sources for some of the obscure references in the text.

On the book as a whole, it is worth noting that Walden is rich in ideas and is one of the most profound American philosophical classics, and no reading could exhaust its wealth. It is much more than a journal of Thoreau's time alone in the woods (as it were) on the banks of Walden Pond (as it is often thought to be by those who haven't read it - I know because I often ask my students what they know about the book before they read it).

A quick introduction to the project of Walden, that will help organize and make sense of some of the variety of Thoreau's remarks here, is to think of his remarks as falling under three rough stages:
(1) an account of the problem we face, that we waste away our lives trying to make a living, that we seek to acquire property for the sake of freedom but find ourselves encumbered, that we associate the rise of modern technology with enlightenment but find that our technologies and advances increasingly take us away from ourselves and our self-sufficiency, and make us dependent on what we do not individually understand.
(2) an account of an experiment undertaken to discover what is truly essential for a life of fulfillment, and the discovery that a complete and worthwhile life can be achieved through a deliberate simplification of desires.
(3) an account of the many remarkable discoveries that can be made about ourselves and about the natural world and the relation between these when we voluntarily simplify our lives.

This is a book to read and return to throughout one's life, and there aren't many books that really merit such attention. Given its importance, having a copy in what is probably the best edition available now makes a lot of sense.

This edition of Walden is a joy to read, with lovely typeface and layout. I am not a Thoreau scholar, but found the annotations accessible and absorbing. The layout allows you to read Walden straight through or wander off into the annotated notes, depending on your mood.

A book that serves as a miniature vacation every time you open it.

Walden, since the age of fourteen, has always been a special place for me. Ironically, I did not disturb the leaf laden path through Thoreau's wood until seven years after, but at a young age I enjoyed the utopia this book offers. Interestingly enough the surface was read, and with little understanding of history, of which I know have a Masters degree, I did not know the context. With this Annotated version you are thrusted further into Thoreau's world than ever before. I suggest strongly to read the text, then start over with just the annotations. It takes you into the historical/political context of the book's purpose, and from that, into a world leading to civil war, that would traverse those growing pains into a time of reform. Truly a book before its time, yet speaks to the reform movement of the latter 19th c., and perhaps today.

I was introduced to this book through my high school literature class and thoroughly enjoyed. It's description of parts of early Trinidadian culture was my first glimpse into that world.
The story illustrates the social and cultural norms of the day and I read it with great curiousity.
Life has pushed Tiger and Urmilla into a new phase and we journey with them as they explore life and the small world in which they live.

I first read this book when I began teaching at a boy's school in Barbados 20 years ago, and I have ordered or taught excerpts of it to my classes in three other schools over the years. The book sets itself up for comparison between the two locations, London and Trinidad, and between the creole and the immigrant experiences. The stories range from the longer "Johnson and the Cascadura", which Selvon would expand into the later novel "Those Who Eat the Cascadura", to the stream-of-consciousness piece which ends the collection, "My Girl and the City", a style he would further explore in "The Lonely Londoners". Read separately or collectively, this is a delightful book of short stories that captures moments in time and for all time.

It is a pity that this book is no longer in print. I was first exposed to it when I taught it as part of the CXC curriculum in Barbados in the mid-80s. It is a delightful sequence of short stories arranged in two parts - Trinidad and London. Some stories are in dialect, others are in 'Queen's English' but for dialogue. The stories, though set in the 1950s, are universal in appeal, as witnessed by the fact that I have taught them to high school classes in British Columbia, New Brunswick, and now Ontario. The opening story, "Johnson and the Cascadura", and the final story, "My Girl and the City", are equal to any short story written anywhere by anyone. The latter story, being a stream-of-consciousness type, is far more accessible for high-school students than James Joyce! If you can get your hands on a copy of this short-story compilation, I don't think you will regret the effort or money expended!

It is a shame that this book is no longer in print. I first taught it in Barbados where it was part of the CXC curriculum, but I have been able to teach selected short stories from it to high school students in British Columbia, New Brunswick, and now Ontario. There are particular stories, such as the first - "Johnson and the Cascadura" and the last - "My Girl and the City" which stand against any short story, anywhere. The latter story is a stream-of-consciousness piece which is accessible for adolescent readers (far more than Joyce!). The collection is divided into two parts - Trinidad and London. If you can get a copy of this book, and are interested in the Caribbean experience, you will not be disappointed with your purchase.

This book is absolutely brilliant. It captures the true multi ethnic fabric of Trinidadian society through the trials of an Indian boy struggling to make it in early 20th century Trinidad. This book brings to light many ethnic and cultural issues that are a now inherent part of Trinidadian life, and is not only a brilliant piece of literature that should be cherished, but a piece of Caribbean history.