History Books

This third installment in the beloved Anne series is one of my favorites. Having just completed two years of teaching in Avonlea, Anne, along with friends Gilbert and Charlie, is ready to leave the Island and make her way to Redmond College. Her four years there offer quaint-seeming insights into college life a hundred years ago. After spending her freshman year in a boarding house, Anne and chums Priscilla, Stella, and Philippa move into a little house called Patty's Place. Even though they are committed to their studies, life is never dull. Anne has no lack of suitors, turning down no fewer than five proposals during the course of the story. And her summers are full of adventure, whether it's back in dear Avonlea or teaching as a country schoolmarm.

I've read Anne of the Island each year I've been in college, and as I finished it this time, I couldn't help but relate to Anne's excitement for the future, mingled with regretful nostalgia about the college life she was leaving behind. College is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Having attended a small Christian university, I relate to Anne's old-fashioned values and the safe, wholesome environment of Redmond.

Montgomery has such a pungent writing voice, alive to the quirks of human nature and the beauties of outdoor nature. She brings spice, optimism, and a touch of cynicism to the story and the characters. Anne's most personal experiences are recounted with poignancy, and are rooted in reality, although they may seem whimsical to modern readers. The ending is sweet and satisfying. I just love Anne, and especially this tale of her college experiences. Don't miss it.

Anne of the Island is the third installment of the smash Anne of Green Gables series. The book begins with Anne leaving for college to further her education the second time. When she arrives, she encounters a slew of minor domestic problems, a new group of friends, and Love. All of which she deals with using that famous atypical personality of a "Kindred spirit"



Although the book deals with more serious subject matter than the preceding books, as a reflection upon Anne's growing older, the book starts with the lighthearted catchy fun that made Anne famous in her prequels. Most of this fun is centered on the Anne's encounters with her roommate cats Rusty, Joseph, and Sarah-Cat. Anne's exclamations of fear at being stalked by the docile house cats is classic Anne and delicious fun.



The Book also dives into more serious matter, with Lets be friends-Lets be more than friends-Lets be friends-I hate you-Marry me! Gilbert abandoning his indecisiveness and aggressively courting Anne. Although this relation is of little interest to male readers, it is made a key plot element, most likely because it is attractive to the books target demographic, pre-teen girls. Luckily, most of the content on Anne's romance does nothing to affect other parts of the story much and as a result are harmless to skip when they become drab.



Anne of the Island is a solid installment in the Anne series. Although not equaling or surpassing Anne of Green Gables, "Of the Island" leaves little to be desired besides not having a near constant usage of the word "eh". If you an Anne fan, pick up her third book. Eh.

"Anne of the Island" is my favorite Anne book, and the last chapters of my copy are worn and torn because I have read it so many times. I loved it as a young girl, and I loved it again when I read it from my college dorm room (in fact, I think it's time for another rereading!). Plus, of course, a college education makes many of the literary references more relevant than they were at age 11.

Anne fans already know how wonderful are these chapters of Anne's life. This book outlines an important epoch in the series and answers the all important question of whether they will or they won't--a turning point on which the next five books hinge. And since you must start at "Anne of Green Gables" to appreciate any of it, this review cannot convince to you read just book three. It is just one more love letter to "Anne of the Island" added to this review panel.

The story of Anne continues with this work and the author stays true to her style, story line and character developement. This, like the other books in this series, have a rather timeless nature about them and a comforting charm. The reader, of course, must remember the time they were written and the style and syntax used at that time. From my own point of view, this is great. I enjoy this type of writing and certainly enjoy Ms. Montgomery's story telling abilities. In this work, Anne goes off to Redman College and her adventure continues. Recommend these books for readers of all ages. Wish there were more works out there like it.

this book never gets old. i've had it for so long and now i'm off to college and i still enjoy reading it cover to cover. anne is a great character, one who is easy to love and who explains herself well. the other characters are also quirky. something about this book is very universal, which i think explains why even in this century i still find myself being able to relate to Anne. the plot, while essentially a love story, is not overly sappy. and while most people would probably expect the ending, the twists and turns throughout the novel keep you entertained and engaged.

If you don't own or read another book in your life, at least have this one handy. Its kind of big, the size of a laptop- but if it comes to taking only what I can carry if the big earthquake hits one night, I will have my glasses in one hand and screw the laptop (its the most expensive thing I own!), taking this book in the other! In fact I don't even have to think that far because I have stuffed a copy into the evacuation backpack which is sitting near my door.

This Zeek person has attempted to empty the contents of his brain into a book- if this is everything he knows how to do I would be impressed. Its no biography, but a collection of knowledge- knowledge lost to most people, knowledge that you didn't know you wish you knew. The illustrations have a definate style to them- you can enjoy them as art, but they all have a purpose- to demonstrate an explanation or to make you laugh.

I am an English teacher in Japan, and some of my high-intermediate or higher coworkers and students have bought it after I brought it in on a slow day for my own entertainment. It's written in such small chunks with so many illustrations, that non-native speakers of an intermediate or high level can easily enjoy it.

You can use this book as a springboard into many other areas of interest- read one little idea of his a day and see where you can take it! This book will remain interesting for YEARS and is well worth the money.

A fun, quirky book with little bits of information about everything and anything from information about the use of herbs to accupressure to how to keep children entertained(!).

The illustrations are wonderfully detailed and the how-to pics are somehow instructionally explicit and simple to follow without being cluttered and illegible.

Part comic book, part philosophy, part mystery, and all fun. Don't take it too seriously, but enjoy the ride!

I bought this as a gift due to the reviews. All I got was a comic book written by someone at a high-school level of thinking. Be suspicious of the positive reviews. I'll try to return this book - or I'll throw it out.

This book is great...it has everything from tying knots, workout regimens, motivational anecdotes, all the way to macrobiotics and sex-enhancing techniques! This is by far the ultimate everything book! I was looking through a copy that one of my friends had and went to both Borders and Barnes & Noble, but they never seem to stock the neat titles I find! I immediately came home and ordered the book on Amazon.com and it came quick, in great shape, great transaction, great book!

This book is full of great and interesting ways to accentuate your health and well being. Although you might want to really delve deeper with other volumes, this one is a great and diverse reference for asian health techniques.

There's not a lot I can add to the great reviews other people have given it except to say that this book, while not being released as recently as some others, is still essential reading for anyone with an interest in the facts about the Jack the Ripper case. Sugden is a historian with impeccable credentials and research skills whose insights are a welcome addition to Ripperology.

I got interested in this book knowing that I was soon going to see the JtR exhibit in London, so I started reading it before I left on my trip. Unfortunately, when I got to the actual exhibit in July of `08, there was little there that the book hadn't covered--although I got to see some of the original police reports, the Ripper letters, and an interesting timeline display of suspects (most recently added to in 2007). This book is organized in such a way that it gives an intimate profile of both the victims and the suspects and the crimes themselves--which were truly horrific. The author relies mainly on contemporary sources, yet certain references make you aware that he has pawed over other accounts proclaiming "evidence" in order to separate the wheat from the chaff. So what you get is real scholarship, of a sort, and the author's best guess at the end as to Jack's identity. The many photos in this book also help to tell this unhappy story. Will this mystery ever be solved? I doubt it, having read how many missing pieces there are . . .

First let me state the categories of people who should (please note the emphasis) study (not 'read') this book: -
1. Anybody who is interested in the any or all of the following: the Whitechappel killings, the subsequent frenzy, investigation into the murders, armchair investigations by "Mycroft" wannabes, and the literally literary withchhunt being carried out over the past century & more to "unmask" the killer;
2. Anybody who is interested in understanding the socio-economic dynamics of the world's largest, richest, proudest and yet ruthlessly exploitative (of its own citizens, esp. the young and the women) city at that point of time when the nails were finally being hammered into the coffin of the 19th Century that had experienced the pinnacle of British glory;
3. Anybody who, after being overfed on the serial killers (Hannibal et.al) produced by the "hot" American novelists, actually wishes to know how it is like to be chasing a black cat in an enormous dark cavern while blindfolded;
4. Anybody who actually thinks that "the truth" might have been out there at some stage, but even with a centuries old "cold" case something can be done (unlike some trashy attempt sub-titled: "CASE CLOSED").

This book is not only accurate and free from all the popular & obscure misconceptions, it is also a living proof that history can be made more attactive than fiction while staying rigorously free from falsehoods. Recommended to everybody belonging to the afore-mentioned 4 categories as well as to all who, after reading some new adventure pitting Sherlock Holmes against Jack the Ripper, start pondering over "what if.."-s.

Like many others, I have been interested in the story of Jack the Ripper. When I finally decided to read about the crimes, I wanted to read only the best, most definitive account. I believe that Sugden's book fits the bill. He sticks only to the facts; when he theorizes, he presents an opposing view as well. He does not claim to know who Jack the Ripper was, but he does put forth a theory. After having finished this book, I cannot imagine that there is much of anything else to know about the case. I would highly, highly recommend this book to anyone interested in reading an emotionless, fact-filled book about Jack the Ripper to pick this one up.

Unlike most "Ripperologists," Philip Sugden does not have any pet theories to prove. Therefore, like a good historian, Sugden concentrates only on all the facts of the case as they can be cooberated by the primary sources. Very well written and thoroughly researched, The Complete History of Jack the Ripper not only covers each of the known murders in detail, the book also looks at several other unsolved murders that may have been part of the series of "Jack's" crimes. Furthermore, Sugden follows the police investigation and examines the suspects developed by the police at the time. While Sugden does evaluate the likelihood of these suspects' guilt, he makes no attempt to positively identify the killer. If you read only one book on the 1888 murders in Whitechaple, read this one.

This book is simply fantastic. Yes, there are some old or simplified opinions, but as for tool for explaining how the airplane flies, invaluable.

I remember reading and re-reading this text as a young boy--fascinated by everything and anything related to airplanes--flying imaginary airplanes in my head with the admonition to always 'watch my angle of attack'. When I finally got my pilot's license years later, I credit this book with doing the most to make me a safe and confident pilot (second only to my great instructor.) It dispels the popular belief in the general public that the rudder turns the plane and the throttle makes it go faster, and explains to pilots the reality of flight: the elevator controls angle of attack and hence airspeed, the ailerons control the turn, and the rudder is primarily a means of correcting for physical phenomenon such as adverse yaw. Even today the largest killer of pilots is the stall/spin, the result of hoping that pulling back on the stick will make the ground go away, or that more inside rudder will fix that overshoot on final. Yes, Mr. Langewiesche repeats the point again and again, but it's worth repeating: the stick controls the angle of attack, and if you don't exceed the critical angle of attack, the plane won't stall. If the plane doesn't stall, it doesn't spin either. It's that simple, and that profound.

Yes, the physics and writing style are outdated (read Smith's "Illustrated Guide to Aerodynamics" for a more complete yet still readable explanation of the physics of lift, and why Bernoulli's 'suction' and Langewiesche's 'downwash' are just two different ways of looking at the same phenomenon.) And if you're flying a modern unstable fighter or fly-by-wire jumbo jet Langewiesche's simple concepts break down. For today's modern GA aircraft, however, this is still the most readable text there is for explaining not how an airplane flies, but how to fly them.

To begin, the entire Amazon experience was great. The product itself was the icing on the cake. Any aspiring pilots, or veterans, should consider this a "must read" publication. It clarifies many misled bits of advice, about flight, and makes knowledge of aircraft easily understood.

This is a wonderful book, it's written for the Student pilot. But, it's a great read for all pilots. It covers the big picture and the little things that you may not think of, or may have forgotten. This book may help the new CFI to teach different techniques to the student pilot.

This book is entertaining in many ways: like, if you consider some of the olde-worlde wisdom quaintly phrased, and the author's convictions, sometimes quite erroneous, confidently stated.

It is somewhat useful, as it does give some solid pointers about what to look out for (avoid) and what to do (technique) and what common pilot errors are, including some home-grown practical remedies and prevention.

When the author is writing based on his experience he is insightful, and you will gain a lot from his experience. When the author is trying to educate you on theory he evidently does not understand, he is not dangerous, but may leave you with the wrong idea about how things fly. For example, his vigorous dismissal of the fact that pressure differential between top and bottom surfaces wing causes lift, and his counter assertion that the wing stays up because it pushes the air down, is plain bull. The wings would then need to be at 45 degrees to the plane's longitudinal axis, and the airspeed would need to be humongous if that were true. Also, such a plane would never stall except at low speeds, and would be impossible to stall at high speed :)

The book is cheap. So, as long as you know enough physics to determine that the author does not, you will find value in anecdotal and experienced wisdom.

And, after all, you will own a classic that has fooled generations of pilots into buying it. I did.

In an age when architects and planners were spouting all kinds of brave-new-world nonsense (or mindlessly absorbing it, or even worse - building it), Jacobs burst onto the scene with an incredible dose of sanity mixed with common sense and wisdom, carefully observing the urban environment and drawing a host of remarkably sensible conclusions. For some reason we architects seem always at risk of believing our own nuttiest fantasies. Jacobs is a perennial corrective.

Still relevant, still useful....and still ignored by the common city engineer. Our city's planners need to re-read this sucker.

This is a book that relates to designers, and city planners as well as the "un-educated". Reading this book will certainly inform one on the purpose and importance of city planning.

This book will give you a reason to want to go visit the city, or to go out and get into the city you already live in. Her reference to the "ballet of the sidewalks" gives a whole new twist to what is going on in a busy downtown. City planners, take note!

If you are interested in community building, urban planning, and city life in general, this is a must-read. Though the book is older, the themes and ideas stand the test of time.

This book is a powerful learning tool that enhances the reader's experience into God's word. The book is a 365 day devotional that takes readers into a deeper look of our English words through the Greek language. This is an exceptional read that truly touches and moves the believer to stir up the fire for Jesus inside of themselves. I recommend this "gemstone".

This daily devotional is excellent. It has The Word, it has the definition of The Word, it has a daily prayer to pray, a daily declaration to declare, and a list of questions to ask yourself.

It is a comprehensive, truth revealing, life changing study/gem.

I have bought 8 to give to others. It is the only daily devotional/study book that I have actually greatly anticipated reading and done so on an ongoing basis.

It is an excellent tool and investment for your life.

This book is the best devotional I have ever read.It has really been a blessing in my life.I received this book as a gift it was such a blessing to me a purchased one for my Pastor and I also recommended it to several friends.This book is a must for any Christian Library.

This is one of the most helpful books I have ever had. Not only is it a daily devotional thought, but it explains how the words used in the Bible relate to our every-day lives. After I saw how wonderful it was, I went back to Amazon and purchased two more copies for gifts, and they are in daily use and much appreciated.
Highly recommended.

This devotional is wonderful. It is a great way to get some in-depth study for a devotional time. It will enlighten and deepen your walk with God in a very real way. It is a great book to give you more in-depth study, but to apply it to your every day life.

P.D. Ospensky as a teenager decided to forgo an academic education and instead to search for or hidden knowledge. His search lead him to study Theosophy, to travels in the East, to India, and such. Yet, he remained dissatisfied with what he found. Little did he know that he would find what he was looking for (The Miraculous) in a teacher who showed up from the East in his very own Moscow!

This book is about Ouspensky's experiences learning from this teacher, a mystic and very strange one at that, G.I. Gurjieff.

Gurjieff teaches Ospenskys things he never knew, gives him experiences he never thought possible. This book is Ouspesnky's gift to us from of what he learned and experienced.

Certainly, this book works mostly on the intellectual mind, and yet, Ouspensky frequently tells us that we must find an 'emotional state' and that, my friends, is 'The Work'.

This is easily the most important book I have ever read, and afterwards, I could lo longer see the world the same, or live my life in the same way.

If I was forced to have only one book, this would be it. Not for the Herd or Lazy. No fluff around the edges, tells it like it really is.

Written during the outbreak of the First World War in Russia, this book presents an interesting view of humanity in the context of the European war. One should take into account the propositions of Ouspensky's school of thought and see how relative they are in the context of our global 'war on terror'. Thus, the book stands the test of time and will continue to be discovered and re-discovered.

This work is powerful not just for the growth of one's own being, but also for how we see that the programs that control the population in turn create an unhealthy, unbalanced society. Overall, a treasure containing a wealth of knowledge.

P.D. Ouspensky's "In Search of the Miraculous" is one of the most profound and one of most memorable books that I have ever read, and it is most certainly the must-read. Not only that, it also forces one to question one's reality, self-identity, actions, and surroundings. With each time that I read this book, I began to notice the number of little false "i's" that popped up in my being. Every little lies that I ever believed were being exposed. And, my understanding of the world that we are living in has changed in such an enormous way and with such a powerful impact. This book certainly changed my perspectives of life and the understanding of who I am.

I would highly recommend "In Search of the Miraculous" as it is most insightful book of Gurdjieff's unique teachings ever written. It is clear written yet certainly tough to take in. It is also comprehensive on the profound theories as well methods of the mentioned teachings.

Reading this book is most certainly the first step towards being awake and becoming aware of oneself and one's surroundings. Before reading Gurdjieff's three books and any Fourth Way literature, "In Search of the Miraculous" is a great introduction to the unique concepts and the esoteric Work.

The idea for this story is really interesting, but the writing felt flat--serviceable, certainly, and accurate--but the scene didn't really come alive to me. In the second chapter, the boat trip to Hawaii, the transitions from past to present were smoothly done and fleshed out the course Laura's life is about to take against what she so suddenly lost with the deaths she left behind. Still, her grief mixed with fear for what lay ahead, weren't palpable. Given the fascinating premise for this story, I can only hope the writing style becomes more emotional, even florid, when Laura reaches Hawaii, to match the lush tropical setting, but somehow I doubt it. This arm's length rendition doesn't do the subject justice. It reminds me of how Arthur Golden related that readers of an early manuscript of Memoirs of a Geisha considered it interesting, but dry. He rewrote the story in first person--and you know the rest. Perhaps that same approach would breathe life into a story with the great potential this one has.

This from the few chapters I read it appears that this novel will be a an excellen addition to the many manuscripts written about Hawaii and picks up some unkown information that is illuminating for those of us that love the Islands. I would recommend this to others once completed.

I was immediately engaged! A wedding dress is a great way to start a story! Additionally, I got an instant picture of Laura as someone who is more interested in comfort than in style. The author tells us a lot in just a sentence or two.

I wondered just how Laura thought she was going to control her pregnancies.

"hard for ships to reach there, like trying to sail to stars in a vast, dark sky." beautiful.

Great descriptions of San Francisco and the teeming populace.

"Laura felt a sense of coming to a crossroads, turning in a new direction where way leads into way and what was, got left behind, distorted by shimmering time ... like a mirage." Another beautiful description.

Wonderful details!

I loved how the boy kept asking another question every time his mother said, "Please, no more questions."

And I was glad how Laura realized she had lost her chance to get to know her father better, and would never know about his experiences.

I felt like the line "What would it be like to live a missionary life among the savages of Hawaii?" Should have its own paragraph, because this pushes the story forward and shows just how much everything is changing for Laura. It's really important.

Aww, that was sad where Laura remembers seeing her mother's coffin.

Darn! The excerpt ended! I wanted to read on! Darn it!

Thoroughly enjoyed this expert writing and the developing story. Hope it makes the upcoming 100!

The first chapter and a half of Gaellen Quinn's "The Last Aloha" has captured my interest and imagination. It promises a great story which satisfies the double purpose of entertainment and enlightenment about a past that was veiled in misconceptions by the colonizers of Hawaii.

The very first line of the story, where the heroine stands in front of the mirror, promises the reader an adventure into the unknown which will lead young Laura, and hopefully the reader as well, towards increased self-awareness and maturity. To emphasize this theme Laura comes across "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking Glass" in the library on board the steamer which will bring her to the shores of Hawaii. She knows nothing about her destination and very little about her father's missionary family with whom she is going to live. Incorrupt by prejudice as she is, we sense that she will meet her new experiences with an open heart and allow herself to be affected by them.

The reader becomes immediately aware of a discord between Laura's personality and her traditional social environment. About to get married, she is a strong and independent woman who is determined to shun society's expectations that she put marital life and motherhood first. However, her dream of going to medical school is shattered on the very first pages of the book when her father and fiancé die in a street accident and she is left without resources to pursue her goal. Thus she is forced to fulfill her father's last wish and go live with her relatives on the Hawaiian island Oahu, missionaries from Boston with whom she has had no relationship and who we suspect are not going to receive her with a warm and loving heart.

The story is set in the latter part of the nineteenth century. The historical setting and the ambiance of the time are rendered in delicate detail, often revealed through dialogue, or as seen through the observing eyes of Laura. The language is beautiful and descriptions are frequently imbued with a poetic aura. The astute use of symbols and forebodings lends depth to the narrative that I find satisfying.

When it comes to painting word pictures, Gaellen Quinn is Michelangelo. There's a deft touch for the telling detail and a grasp of the big picture as well. As we meet Laura Jenning's she is trying on her wedding dress and making plans to go to medical school--tragedy intervenes and she finds herself on a ship for Hawaii, heading for a place and relatives she doesn't know.

In addition to creating a lively character, the author has melded research and imagination to bring the full sense of her historic era to life. From the street scene in San Francisco to the shipboard library, a complete era is recreated. The scholarship of the author is a gift to the lazy reader, who is educated with no effort. To have your fun and then be able to sound intelligent afterwards is just paradise for a reader.

In the last few years I decided to learn more about mathematics. I think I may have had "math anxiety" early in my schooling. Either that or my brain isn't mathematically inclined.

I ordered this book hoping it would partially overcome my difficulty in learning math. I would say it does. The book is way too big and long to sit down and read as one would other types of books. However, it is a tremendous resource, well written and relatively easy to understand (that depends somewhat on one's math expertise). The title "Mathematics From the Birth of Numbers" describes the book exactly. It starts with, literally, the birth of numbers in "ancient" times and goes through all of the kinds of mathematics, such as number theory, calculus, geometry, etc. I recommend this book more as a reference than as a textbook or a book to read from cover to cover. For example, if you want to know something about number theory, go to that section of the book and read what you want to know. Same with other topics. Illustrations and equations are plentiful and answers to the exercises are in the back.

My only criticism which really isn't a criticism; the book is too heavy for me to sit comfortably in my recliner and read. It couldn't be any lighter in weight, though.

If you want a good history of mathematics plus explanations of most of the various mathematical disciplines, I would recommend this book.

I can only ditto what other reviewers have said; this is an amazing book. It's a great way to gently walk back up to something you might have run away from in school. The author ties together the math; its creation and its applications in a way that will fascinate you even if you're not a math geek. Beautifully done.

A beautiful written and illustrated gentle, user-friendly reference guide to mathematics from the invention of numbers, counting and reckoning up through linear differential equations, touching on all of the important signposts in between. The explanations are clear, concise and accompanied by excellent diagrams. Elementary calculus is covered especially well. The foray into Topology, fractals, and symbolic logic was an unexpected bonus with a modern touch. The very final section on probability theory with a calculus approach to probability density functions stands out as exceptional.

On the negative side, I expected more on infinite numbers, topology (which was only two pages of diagrams and basic definitions only), and vector analysis, which seems to have stopped at cross products.

But despite these minor points, it is a very useful and up-to-date reference guide for non-mathematicians and others up through the calculus. Four stars.

Just adding another 5 star review. This book spends 600 pages on high school mathematics, and 400 on calculus/analysis. It also tosses in things not often seen before college: set theory, logic, and combinatorics. It is a history, survey, and poor man's reference.

While I always enjoyed math and science, I didn't particularly have time to "enjoy" the process of learning, thanks to our wonderful public school system, which focuses kids on getting a passing grade instead of actually learning something. This book is a wonderful cure for the apathy towards learning that is so prevalent today.

"Mathematics" is a great refresher and a good starting point for someone who wants to study math just for the sake of learning, not necessarily with some utilitarian goal in mind. The books is well put together, there is an abundance of interesting facts, illustrations and historical references that make it quite educational. This is not an exhaustive reference, but it gives a great overview both from a thematic standpoint, as well as providing a historical overview of the development of mathematics as we know it today.

The book is very easy to read, and to follow; one doesn't have to read it in its sequence, reader can pick and choose the subjects that he is most interested in.

I think it could also be used as a teaching tool for junior high/high school age kids that are interested in math (I might be thinking of some other planet) and want to go beyond the curriculum.

Nationally recognized ARA author and animal
rights activist is nailed for theft.

This person was hailed by the NCVAW as a
wonderful person and a part of their crowd.
Goes to show you what they are made of. Goes
to show you what these fanatics will do....


***NEWS: Author of the book "PIECES OF MY
HEART" and
essay "HOW COULD YOU", JIM WILLIS, INDICTED
ON TWO
FELONY COUNTS OF LARCENY OF DOG by Pender
County
Grand Jury***



The Pender County, NC Grand Jury returned two

true
bills to indict Jim Willis for Larceny of
Dogs on July
23, 2007.


Case No. 07-CRS-51009, State of North
Carolina vs.

James Charles Willis states:

"The jurors for the State upon their oath
present
that on or about the date of offense shown
and in the
county named above the Defendant named above
unlawfully, willfully and feloniously did
steal, take
and carry away a dog, a female white lab
sheep dog mix
with black spots with solid black right ear
and black
and white left ear, named 'Krissy', . . ."


Sources say this dog has not been recovered.
If you
have seen this dog or know of it's
whereabouts, please
contact the Pender County Sheriff's
Department at
(910)259-1212.


Some animal lovers have suggested boycotting
the sale
of Jim's book, 'Pieces of My Heart' and
removing his
poetry from their web sites until such time
as the dog
is recovered.


Case No. 07-CRS-051399, State of North
Carolina vs.

James Charles Willis states:

"The jurors for the State upon their oath
present that on or about the date of offense
shown and
in the county named above the Defendant named

above
unlawfully, willfully and feloniously did
steal, take
and carry away a dog, a male Dalmatian dog,
white in
color with black spots, named 'Damon', . . ."

Sources say this dog was recovered at the
home of
Robert Hoggard, of Wilmington, NC, where Mr.
Willis
has been a house guest since April.

In a separate action, Jim Willis was found
GUILTY of
HARASSING PHONE CALLS in the Pender County
Court on
July 26, 2007. Despite pleading not guilty,
Mr.
Willis was found GUILTY and was sentenced to
30 days
in jail (suspended), 24 months of
unsupervised
probation, was assessed $115.00 in court
costs and
received a fine of $570.00 in restitution. He

was
also ordered to have no contact with the
person he was
harassing and was ordered not to go on her
premises.

Deep, heartfelt and inspiring. This book will touch you deeply if you care at all about animals. A very special author with a very special voice.

I'm only half way thru the book, as it lost my interest, I purchased it thinking that it was a story of a guy rescueing dogs, but as of yet, nothing, just poems, and short stories. not satisfied.

The spiritual nature of these "beasts" comes through in each poem and story and essay. I found them each and every one to be powerful. They encourage me when I feel too run down to continue my little rescue efforts. This is from a man who practices what he preaches. Not only does he advocate on behalf of all homeless and abused pets,he also takes care of many of the ones no one else wants. Animals ask only for a safe place to rest, some clean water and decent food. Jim Willis reminds us that each of us can make the world a brighter, kinder place.

First of all I would like to say that I love this book. It is so heart touching. Second of all in reponse to Kat Lady. I am a former resident of Pender county. Pender County NC is a rural area and the mentality that many, many people in this area have towards animals is heartbreaking and unforgivable. I would be wiling to bet that those dogs that Mr. Willis took were probably being neglected and/or mistreated. The laws of this area often fail the animals and many die waiting for reports of animal abuse/neglect to be investigated or resolved. And not enough people in the area care enough to do any thing about it. Mr Willis taking those dogs may have the best thing that had ever or would ever happen to those dogs. I admittedly don't know the whole story, but I do know how many dogs in that area are treated-- kept chained their entire lives in the humid and severe NC heat without adequate provisions. So why not hold your judgement?