Duke Books

Contains a valuable amount of information. Alot of great recipes for healing aids. I still use alot of the recommendations in this book for general health care. I haven't been to a doctor in years, and this book is one of the reasons why. So buy one right away, buy 2 and give one to a friend.

For those who wish to explore beyond the medical orthodoxy for treatments of everyday ailments this book is a must read. However, always discuss any alternative treatments with your medical practitioner if taking natural remedies in conjunction with orthodox medications.

I am really glad there are people out like Dr. James Duke because I am an herbalist and I enjoy this book immensely.

I bought this book based on other people's recommendation of this book. I was disappointed and the lesson I have learned was not to buy a book other the internet without having a chance to flip through it. The print is large so there isn't much ailments covered. If you want an herbal pharmacy guide, I would go with something else. This is basically an "herbs for dummies" book, not a book with real solutions. DON'T BUY. I want my money back..

This compendium of natural remedies, compiled by James Duke, offers herbal and occasionally nutritional solutions for coping with over one hundred different health issues. You can find "Arthritis soup", broth for strengthening bones, "Biblical brainfood soup", soup for strengthening your heart, herbs for dealing with allergies, tea from breast enlargement, even how to make your shampoo to get rid of dandruff.

I have an assortment of books with herbal remedies and this one is among the best of them. What puzzles me is that while they may mention which parts of the herbs to use, practically none of them mention that some constituents in herbs are water soluble, some are only soluble in alcohol, some in oil, and that different methods of preparing herbs will influence what you get out of those herbs. This book also, for the most part, just mentions the herb's name and what are the healing constituents, but it doesn't say what by what method of extraction do you get which constituents.

It's obvious that this book is cobbled together from drafts of several authors with different writing styles which isn't all that annoying in itself. However, the chronic repetition of the same information is. That said it's still worth finishing the read. It's certainly a sad indictment on the media industry and justice system in the USA.

Even though I had followed the case at the time, I still read this in two nights flat - it's that good. This is an important book, heck it's an important story, particularly for "white people". I write that with hesitation, but heck that's the truth. How come "white" has almost become a term of abuse? "White boy" certainly has. And that's just it. They only reason this tall tale, this ridiculous hoax, went this far, affected so many lives, pushed so many people to the edge of their existence (could you post a $400, 000 bond for your son, whilst your wife is having a nervous breakdown) is that these were "white boys". Thus it was open season. Read with horror as these boys, because of making one mistake, one error of judgement, inviting a stripper to perform a private function in their home, lost their coach, their season, their house (many slept in their cars), were hounded off campus or formally expelled, threatened both verbally and by mail - all this after fully cooperating with the police, turning over all the physical evidence in their house without question, voluntarily took DNA tests - and it still took months and months, hundreds of thousands of dollars, perhaps millions (the lawyer fees of the indicted three estimated at $100,000 a month), an extraordinary display of loyalty and togetherness between their teamates, their relatives and neighbors and some great lawyers (their lawyers are to me, all heroes - one, Kirk Osborn, sadly died of a heart attack during the ordeal) to finally shake off the blatantly false allegation of a mentally unstable criminal supported by a madman whose daytime job was District Attorney. So we both cheer when they are finally vindicated by then wonder - is America crazy right now or what? What is this war on "white men" by the feminists, the race hustlers, the homosexuals, the Latinos and everybody else. I remember reading a post on a blog after this arose from a white male: "All the more reason just to keep your head down, get your sh** done in the daytime, and retire for the evening behind a locked door" - this is the reality for countless "privileged white males" in many parts of America today.

I couldn't recommend this book highly enough. If you have teenage sons or daughters preparing to go to college, they need to read this book.

This is a real page turner of a book. I was familiar with the work of Don Yaeger since he used to write for Sports Illustrated. He does not disappoint! I thought I knew the story but I wasn't even close to knowing the full story. He really brings it home and you feel like you know the person he writes about.

Mike Pressler, the coach who lost his job, gives a first person account of the events that took place and is fascinating. You will enjoy this book, trust me!! GO DUKE!

Gerard Zemek (husband of author of "My Funny Dad, Harry")

Exceedingly well written book. I have not stopped talking about it. This is not just a simple story of a high profile case. It focuses on how innocent people were directly affected in their every day lives by scandalous lies. The media never revealed this side of the story. It's unimaginable how this horrific mess could've happened. You can't stop but think what you would do had this happened to you. I was paralyzed reading what these people went through. You will truly be shocked, in disbelief to no end. I commend all the people who courageously stuck by and weathered the storm with all those who were unfortuneatly (directly and indirectly) involved. How utterly defiant, inexplicably brave. It just goes to show you the truth will always prevail. "It's Not About the Truth: The Untold Story of the Duke Lacrosse Case and the Lives It Shattered", is inspirationally AMAZING!!!

Coach Mike Pressler knows better than most of us how it feels to be in the center of a raging inferno of politically correct rage--where truth and justice have no place.

In 2006, he was abruptly fired from his job as coach of Duke University's lacrosse team after three of his players were accused by a demented black female stripper of gang rape. These charges fed perfectly into a fanatically obsessed scenario found at most universities of white male treachery, black victomhood and feminist paranoia.

Duke President Richard Brodhead, his motor-mouth assistant, John Burness and board chairman, Bob Steele, quickly jumped on the politically correct bandwagon and let the public know that they were throwing the players into the raging inferno.

The administration refused to look at any of the exonerating proof of innocence of the accused that was continually offered to them by the defense attorneys.

The administration instead threw its support behind the psychopathic District Attorney Mike Nifong who knew early on that the rape charges were a hoax. The stripper, Crystal Mangum, had made the identical charges three years before against another group of men, but these, too, proved to be false.

The raging storm against the trio of young men grew stronger when the usual anti-white racists came out of the woodwork. Like the NC Chapter of the NAACP, the New Black Panthers Party, the local Pot Bangers group, made up of left-wing faculty and students. Racial arsonists like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson flew down to Durham, NC, to scream about white racist rapists and poor defenseless black women.

This reminded many of us ironically that Al Sharpton engineered an identical hoax in l986 when he spent a year pushing the notorious Tawana Brawley rape hoax in New York state. She accused a gang of white men of raping her. A grand jury said the charges were totally fabricated but in the meantime, Sharpton and Jackson had destroyed lives right and left. Brawley was never charged for her crimes. Sharpton received a slap on the wrist and has never apologized.

The authors reveal how corrupt members of the Durham police department, the district attorneys office, judges and many members of the black community of the city pushed their goal of railroading the trio of boys into prison for life. To hell with the truth.

The media coverage was so vicious, especially the New York Times, that it often felt as if all the news reports were being written by Mike Nifong and Al Sharpton.

At Duke, a gang of 88 faculty members (or a gang of 88 bigots) took out a full-page ad praising the protestors and urging them to "turn up the volume." Many of the teachers had lacrosse players in their classes and openly taunted them into admitting their guilt. None of the teachers ever apologized for their actions. Many were actually promoted, along with black activist students who had sent threatening e-mail to Coach Pressler.
President Brodhead was just recently lavishly praised by his board of directors for his handling of the rape hoax--and for for his unwavering support of the demented Mike Nifong.

When Pressler begged the administration to wait for the truth to come out before firing him and cancelling any appearances of the lacrosse team for a whole year, Duke's Athletic director, Joe Alleva told Pressler: "It's not about the truth." In those four words, you have revealed the heart of the people heading Duke University. And of all the other criminals who passionately pursued imprisonment for life for three young men who just happened to be white.

This book is well written and well researched. She is able to make the history and the location a character in its own right, though the romance and RS plot are kept to the forefront. Think MM Kaye's THE FAR PAVILLION but with a London twist and you will have THE DUKE OF SHADOWS. Brava to Pocket for publishing a book with a unique setting. You can't call yourself a serious romance reader if you haven't read this book. Get it new or get it used, but GET THIS BOOK, you won't be disappointed.

Not only was this a moving love story, but I felt immersed in the British/India conflict in the mid-1800's and have a much better feel and understanding behind the upheaval created by British rule. The confusion caused by the chaos of war and other characters with their own agendas leads to a misunderstanding that separates our "couple" and a mystery that nearly destroys them both. I cannot wait to see what this author writes next!

This is Meredith Duran's 1st novel. WOW! It was wonderful. I didn't want to put it down. The characters kept me captivated. There were a few holes, such as when someone was trying to kill the heroine (Emma Martin) because of information contained in her paintings, but her paintings were exhibited under a false name. These loose ends did not detract from the story, though. I am looking forward to her next book.

I bought this book because it popped up on my Amazon recommendations and after reading many of the rave reviews decided to check it out.

I was not disappointed one little bit. This book pulls you in right from the start. You feel what the characters are going through so strongly as if you were there!

I jump on the bandwagon whole heartedly!

Go out and buy this book!

I read this book because I wanted to get a PBS credit, and the wish list for it was dwindling. I bought the book from all they hype almost 6 months ago, the winner of an online contest got a book deal and I wanted to check it out. I've tried to start this book 3 times. Once I started reading the book, I was immediately transported to English influenced India. The description of India was impressive, the political struggle of this time, was one that I felt deep down, I knew what side I was on, but was torn as the h/h were. Though this book has a lot of war in it, I felt like I was reading this wonderful adventure about survival. First, from an awful betrothal, to a whirlwind love, to life, to dealing with demons of the past. While I feel that the hero does not act himself for a little while, it's not enough to bump the review to a 4. I can recommend this book highly! I emailed Ms. Duran and she has 2 books coming out next summer. You can bet, I will be there buying them.

I liked this book. I've been reading a lot of expatriate Japanese travelogues lately and I admire the author for leaving ego and self-indulgence out of the narrative (not accomplished by Katie Kitamura, Laura Friska, Richard Kramer, or Bruce Feiler). I've only visited Japan for a month so I don't know if her observations and interpretation of Japanese society and culture are accurate, but I thought the writing was gracious and thoughtful and her expat experiences in other countries rang true for me. I've lived and traveled in several countries and had many of the same feelings about identity and belonging. I really enjoyed the item about speaking Japanese in Paris because that happened to me when I was in Japan--I would automatically revert to my limited knowledge of French when trying to converse in simple Japanese. It was such a strange thing and now I know that this happens to other people too.

I only gave this book four stars though because I didn't enjoy the latter part of the book as much as the first. There was an elitist tone regarding the building the Japanese house in North Carolina that didn't seem to fit with the rest of the book.

I still would recommend this book however; in my opinion, it's superior to most of this genre that are out there.

If you are planning to travel to Japan, particularly for the first time, this is a good book to read, as it is an excellent guide to the complicated cultural differences you are likely to encounter. There are some wonderful anecdotes, my favorite being the story of how Davidson and her husband attended a funeral in the home of people they knew quite well. Nevertheless, they ended up completely confused as to how to behave correctly and mortified by their errors in etiquette. The book is also a wise commentary on what happens when one is so smitten by another culture that (for a time) the possibility of moving and starting one's life over in a new place seems not only desirable but possible. There is a fine section in which Davidson, on a visit to Paris, observes the difficulties of the Japanese tourists who are also visiting the city. The experience provides her with a completely different perspective, tempering her rather idealized view of Japanese culture. That said, the book is too long, and as I read it for a second time, I found myself skimming and skipping through parts like the long elegy for Suzuki-san that appears and reappears like a kind of refrain in the second half of the book. As a memoir, 36 Views is a very serious, sometimes graceful, sometimes ponderous look at Japan, and I occasionally found myself longing for a dose of irreverence.

Cathy Davidson's 36 VIEWS OF MOUNT FUJI has become, after a few reads, a personal favorite. At first it would seem to be something of a first-person travelogue, but - like ceratin other classics (Peter Matthiessen's SNOW LEOPARD and Pico Iyer's THE LADY AND THE MONK both spring to mind) - it quickly evolves into something more.

Davidson's impressions of Japan - and of foreigners in Japan (these are particularly revealing) - are stated with great eloquence and economy, and the book steadily shifts towards something more philosophical - how identity can be found or commented upon by unlikely places and experiences. Davidson finds this a fascinating yet disorienting process, and details both quite well.

Davidson works through her illusions about Japan, which are replaced by less romantic realities, and inevitably confornts the same ironies in America, which are viewed in a new light upon arriving home. This takes us to what - to me - was the real heart of the book - a Japanese friend's visit to Davidson's new home in North Carolina, and an illusion-shattering conversation which occurs during that visit. Illusions or stereotypes persist due to (among other reasons) their romance or mythic symbolism, and the projection of those fantasies onto a different culture do give voice to ones' dissatisfactions with ones' own culture, and seeing that examined, recognized, and partially obliterated is in some ways a bit sad and anti-romantic. Her friend (who in some ways sees the exoticism of America as any of us might be wowed by Japan, but also is completely unafraid to point out the b.s. built into both societies) - among other super-sharp observations - does point out that one can also choose to hang on to a few of those illusions - in a highly selective and informed way, and perhaps gain some unique personal insights.

An intriguing and graceful book; I recommend it.

-David Alston

When we first moved to Japan in 1998, a friend suggested we read this book. We loved it and passed on the recommendation to all who arrived after us. It is touching and insightful. Ms. Davidson has a wonderful gift of observation, and we found her reactions and reflections to be consistent with our own experiences.

If you want an accurate and eloquent image of the expat life in Japan, read this book.

Davidson Sensei's book is worthwhile just for the vignettes and anecdotes about a gaijin living in Japan in the 1980's. The book is even better as a discourse and commentary on the relative merits of egalitarian and elitist cultures.

For many gaijin, Japan is a middleclass paradise... safe, clean, polite, orderly, full of giri (reciprocity); an egalitarian meritocracy. The ultimate middle class experience. At first, Davidson falls in love with Japan but by her fourth visit, she sees it as a sad, depressing place. Her discomfort reaches a peak during a stay at her former host University's Practice House, an ersatz model Western home designed to be a laboratory for teaching young Japanese women Western manners, practices and protocols.

The Western, and particularly the American elite's disdain, if not outright contempt for what's left of the middle class is well known. Academic elites, in particular, loath their middle class students (while craving the middle class tuition dollars that pay their salaries). Davidson tells us about her family's failed efforts to participate in the middle class Chicagoland suburbia of the 1950's. She hates all of the mid-20th century middle class symbolism in her Japanese host's Western Practice House.

Davidson moves on to a job at an elite East Coast University, builds a fabulous Japanese house on a beautiful lakeside setting in the country, and leads a live that most Americans can only imagine. Ultimately, the author chooses to participate in the upmarket options that are only available to her in Elitist America instead of the living in middle class Japan. She makes the decision after a blinding flash of insight gained while vacationing in Paris. The point of the book, the moral of the story, fits our times perfectly: Elitism is better than Egalitarianism, (if you are a member of the Elite). What is funny and charming about all this is that Davidson really doesn't seem to understand the implications of her decision until a houseguest from Japan spells it out for her. And in the final chapter the irony that a second Japanese houseguest also has to spell out for her. After her lengthy journey and a long story well told, it turns out that Davidson's fabulous Japanese house is an ersatz Practice House.

No giri.

No Mount Fuji.

My husband is from North Carolina (and grad) and like Will, he and his Dad shared their love for the Heels over the years...I had never grown up as a basketball fan, but after meeting Marty I learned to watch college ball and respect the month of March. I really knew I was in trouble when the first year living under the same roof, NC won the championship and he ran screaming around our house as I slept (this was quite a shock for me since I was CLUELESS to the importance of the game).

So...that leads me to this book. We were traveling back home to Atlanta once and Marty was reading passages of this book to me as we waited for our flight. I was laughing so hard when Will was telling about the little boy hitting him the head...I'm pretty sure people were staring!

I'm positive when we have a little boy or girl, the will become RABID fans too...then I'll have two screaming people running around my house during basketball season! HA...

Great book for any basketball fan.

Will Blythe has crafted a must read book with this one!I laughed through it as I recognized myself in the obsessed Carolina fan self portrait Blythe paints. It simply is the best book on Carolina basketball ever written. The one on one conversations with Coach K, Coach Smith, and even Crazy Towel Guy are all must reads. Most remarkable is the way he ties family, religion, class struggles, and basketball all into one probing question ... IS IT ALRIGHT TO HATE YOUR RIVAL LIKE THIS?

This is a must read for anyone seeking to understand the trible mindset that is sports fanaticism. Those willing to laugh at themselves will enjoy it the most.

Even Duke fans won't be able to put down this entertaining analysis of the Duke-Carolina rivalry. Find out what's behind the bad blood between the two schools.

Great book, great price, great shipping.

I actually bought this book as a Christmas present for my husband who is a big Duke fan. I am the Tar Heel fan in the family and thus you see the method in my madness. However, he started reading it on Christmas day before all the wrapping paper was cleaned up and could not put it down for hours. He did make a number of comments disagreeing with various premises of the book, but it certainly kept his attention. I've just started the book and particularly enjoy the references to the author's family (I knew his father years ago) but it does bog down a bit in detailing the games during the season. Still, for any of us who have lived in Chapel Hill and been infected with the Tar Heel "bug" it is a 'must read.'

I got this to use the online tests to practice, but there were only 3 so that didn't help much. It also didn't explain why the ones I got wrong were wrong. I liked the Mosby computer practice tests better because they explained why the answer was wrong. This book was good for review though, I didn't study much but the questions were similar to the content and format of the Federation test. I didn't take the national, but I assume and have heard that the Mosby book & questions are more similar to the national test. I wish I had just borrowed a copy instead of spending money on it.

This is the PERFECT book to use for review/studying for the National test. I would recommend spending time looking up more info on the five element theory and the Chakras other than that there is nothing more needed and the free website was a great help. I passed the first time.!

This is the best book to buy to study for the exams..the best!!

Thank you so much!

Thank you so much for the FAST delivery. This book is AMAZING and I am happy it was recommended for the National Exam. A book everyone should have.

I used this book and did well on the nationals... the secret is that about a quarter of the questions on the actual test have to do with eastern modalities .. namely shiatsu and the chinese KO cycle... go to wikipedia and look up the KO cycle ... there it has a chart shaped like a star with a circle around it... print it out and come up with a way to memorize the chart (my secret was FEM Wild Woman.. like Fire Earth Metal Water Wood) then make word associations to remember the colors, (like water is blue, wood comes from trees that have green leaves, fire is red, dirt is yellow with some other colors mixed in and it comes from the earth)directions, organs, tastes, energies (like corporal soul, spirit soul etc), and emotions associated with each element...it sounds goofy but this technique saved me...memorize where and what each meridian is... MAKE SURE THAT YOU DO THIS!!! all of the things that i just listed ARE on the test.. other than the origins and insertions of the muscles it's the hardest thing about the test... i was shocked at how much of the test was this stuff that i was never going to use anywhere else! there was also a tiny bit on the chakras (a 5 minute review is probably enough)... ).. and a lot of the thinking questions (don't worry they're not as bad as the book put out by the national board makes them out to be) like "if an elderly person has a raised hip which muscles are weakened?" this exact question isn't asked but there are many like that..
the questions in the book are very similar to those on the boards...if you can pass the tests in this book the first time you should be able to pass the nationals (i thought that i was going to have a heart attack the day before the test because i was so overwhelmed.. i really didn't think that i'd pass because i'd only been cramming 8 hours per day for 2 weeks and didn't feel prepared and i actually, not only passed, but did well) .. just study this book and you'll be fine
i just thought that i'd write a little something to help out other people going through what i just went though... don't panic... i passed the first time and i attended a school that taught to the state boards and had no eastern modalities in it's curriculm ... if you study this book and the stuff that i just listed you'll be fine.. my mom also read that chewing gum helps when test taking because it helps the left and right hemispheres of your brain communicate better and i swear that it worked! Good luck!

Among the fifty odd titles on C/C++ of my personal collection, C++ Primer Plus is the one I pick first to review or brush up any concept of C++ and most often I find it explained with great clarity and depth. I highly recommend this book and rank it among such classic C++ titles like: C++ Programming Language by Bjarne Stroustrup ( C++ Creator), Effective and More effective C++ by Scott Meyer.

There are much better c++ books out there ... for example, Robert Lafore's. The thing I hate about this book is its variable names. They are totally confusing, and if u want to gloss over the book later to revise the concepts, its very hard coz u'll not understand coz of the silly names they use. Also the book belabors unnecessarily on needless stuff.

For someone without any programming experience at all, this book opened my eyes to programming. Clearly presented and concise. Should be a must read for anyone interested in learning about computers and programming.

If you are looking for a book to start learning C++ then you have found it!This is a very good book that helped me in my first C++ steps.

Great, this book is absolutely great.
I'm a python coder with no experience in c++ but this book make light in a lot of dark corners of OOP with c++
If you are a newbie this must be your book.

I bought this book years ago but re-read when a friend of mine was diagnosed with Manic-Depression/Bi-Polarism. The show business aspect of he story alone is quite involving as Ms. Duke realistcally depicts both the postive & negative aspects of being a celebrity at such a young age. Even though she became famous for being on Broadway & showing her incredible ability & dedication in portraying Helen Keller,she wasn't ,due her the Ross's (her business managers/surrogate parents) complete control over her, allowed to feel worthy of her sucess. Later on,her manic episodes are very well-depicted and her struggle to gain control over her life shows that in spite of her illness,her own personal strength,acting talent, motherhood(plus a wonderfully wry sense of humor) helped her overcome her demons and finally, get a proper diagnosis. Patty Duke shows herself to be an intelligent,honest woman and an inspiration to people with both Bi-polar disorder (& dysfunctional childhoods as well)

The book was very well written with great descriptions of what was going on during the times I remember seeing her movies and hearing/reading "entertainment news." I had no idea what she was going through, other than a couple of divorces. What a hard time she had growing up and what a survivor! This should give hope to those with bipolar disorder or family/friends of someone suffering from bipolar disorder.

"Call Me Anna" is Patty's own story. Patty Duke wrote this book in 1988 long before it was fashionable to "tell all" like today's throwaway "stars" do.

Like millions of Americans, Patty Duke has always been one of my most cherished TV actresses because her talent is so deep and thought-provoking. But I never knew much about her, until I read "Call Me Anna."

"Call Me Anna" describes Patty's rise to TV stardom (playing the title character on the classic "Patty Duke Show") and subsequent fall, partly due to her illness. Patty talks candidly for the first time about the bridges she burned, and the people she hurt while she struggled with her disease, bipolar disorder.

Patty was one of the very first (if not the first?) bona fide celebrities to discuss their own mental illness. And she was a pioneer in the rights of the mentally ill, and for that she should be highly regarded.

I recommend this book to anyone that enjoys reading about TV stars, or anyone who cares about someone who is struggling with mental illness (especially bipolar disorder). I also recommend Patty's second book, "Brilliant Madness" which describes the disease in a more clinical manner.

"What's in a name?" Shakespeare's question gets a different answer in this autobiography, when a little girl named Anna Marie Duke is told by her managers, "Anna Marie is dead. You're Patty now." It starts there, the stripping away of a child's identity so that the managers can rebuild her to their own specifications. The one thing that makes this child worth the effort, though, is there already: phenomenal acting talent. The kind of talent that makes Patty Duke a Broadway star at twelve, and an Oscar-winner at sixteen.

Alcoholism and mental illness surround her in childhood, and breaking away from her managers (who become her surrogate parents early on) just before her eighteenth birthday sets her adrift in a world for which she is totally unprepared. Pat, as she calls herself then, marries early and almost doesn't make the tricky transition from child star to adult actress. Disastrous career decisions, broken relationships, financial debacles - they're all here, and Ms. Duke recounts them without flinching. But running throughout her life story are other threads, the ones that keep her going until the manic depression that causes her roller coaster behavior is finally diagnosed and treated. This woman loves her craft, and she adores her children. Thanks to those two loves, she survives and eventually rediscovers herself. Not Patty; not Pat. Anna Marie.

So many celebrity biographies end with an overdose of pills or booze, or a car crash, or a razor blade in a bathtub. I found it refreshing to read this outwardly similar tale, which ends instead with a life rebuilt. With - corny as this is going to sound - a new beginning.

Born poor and surrounded by addicts and illness, young Anna Marie Duke drifted into the arms of a society-busy married couple wanting to represent her in show business; they were odd social climbers who nonchalantly took away Duke's identity and gave her a made-up existence that crumbled once the photographers went home. A few of Duke's stories, while never less than candid and darkly amusing, are nearly too wild to believe(or maybe that's because they seem half-finished, as with the story of a motel molestation attempt or a day at a doctor's office where Patty's grandmother was deeply shaken after being forced into a strange contraption apparently meant to subdue her). Patty the Singer gets a colorful chapter(she hated her records for the UA label)and the chaos surrounding "Valley of the Dolls" is wonderfully captured. The final chapters skitter over her mental illness and a new marriage, and Patty doesn't delve much into her feelings as a woman(having her second child seemed to help her blossom, but we don't feel her passion, mostly her drive, her unfocused ambition and her neuroses). Still, she's a charming writer and has a sly way with a story(her roots are very important to her, and she's fine as a leader or a follower, but she never loses her vitality or funny malice).

Just finished it today. Couldn't put it down. I love Dermot & Nuala & have ordered the rest of the series. Found myself crying as I read through it, heartrending. Also a wonderful love story & excellent people altogether.

I was excited to finally get around to Greeley's Nuala Anne McGrail Novels. After all, I'm Catholic and of Irish descent. At first, I was not disappointed. Irish Gold started out fine and I thought Greeley had a good handle on things Irish, the vernacular of Dublin, interesting characters, and a compelling historical story line. Having just finished Irish Lace (the 2nd of the series), I don't think I can continue hearing the same meager themes pressed over and over and over- and I suspect such is the extent of Fr. Greeley's repertoire. How many times does one need to read the words to "Molly Malone," after all? One particularly distasteful reoccurring theme is Greeley's preclusion to bash Republicans and champion thoroughly discredited liberal views at every opportunity. Maybe the world looked differently to the author when this book was published in 1994, but I'll wager Fr. Greeley sees the country in 2005 as having been taken over by "those evil Republicans." Well, I guess one cannot argue with success, but my opinion is that the success can be attributed to reader's low expectations rather than Greeley's writing acumen. I cannot recommend this series of novels.

This is the longest book I've ever read, but it was worth every page! I loved how there were so many storylines going on at once. But they were easy to follow. Great love stories---it only gets better. I actually learned a lot about Ireland, too. =)

Somehow I just didn't like "Irish Gold". It was a gift, and I can see why people like it, with all the great reviews, but I just didn't. Something with Greeley's writing style did not go well with me. It was an easy read--but all the history stuff confused me at times--so many people and events, it was like, are you in the past or present? I thought the plot & events were good, but I just really did not like this book. A lot of people might, though.

And not too sensual. Sure, there's the longing that goes with courtship, but we are spared the intimate details. If you love a good story, but prefer not to read about throbbing body parts, read this book. If you think good novels have to have sex, then keep looking cuz the details in this book are left to the reader's imagination. This is a nice mystery, lovable characters, and a great story line. :)

I loved Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, so naturally I wanted to read this book as well, and I enjoyed it greatly. The stories were fun and exciting, and all very well written with great dialogue, interesting plots, and fun characters. I especially liked the stories "Mrs Mabb", "Tom Brightwind", and "John Usglass and the Cumbrian Charcoal Burner."

Those looking for a sequel to Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell will be disappointed. This is not a sequel but rather a collection of short stories that take place in the same fantasy world. The collection is both entertaining and enjoyable on their own but those looking for the same epic fantasy novel as the aforementioned should look elsewhere.

Read a sample chapter and decide for yourself :)

I enjoyed Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell because it was so unique. It was a slow read at times but made up for it with some fascinating characters placed in an alternate history where magicians work with the military to fight Napoleon. This collection of short stories however, I found odd, boring and very very slow to move through. Just didn't capture my attention. I read another four books while forcing myself to finish this one. I give it two stars which to me means save your money. I didn't like this one for the most part. One story reminded me a bit of Strange and Norrell and that is Tom Brightwind. Amazon recommeded "His Majesty's Dragon" to me because I enjoyed JS and Mr. Norrell. I enjoyed reading about the English using talking dragons to fight Napoleon. If you are looking for something similar to JS and Mr. Norrell, you might look there.

While Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell is not required reading for this short story collection, it provides a fuller and more complete background to the stories you are reading, nevertheless, one can certainly enjoy them and understand what's going on without having read the aforementioned 600+ page book.

Clarke spent a decade writing Jonathan Strange, so it is not surprising that in her spare time she wrote some stories set in this magnificent world, which while not directly involved in the actions and events of her opus, do play by its rules and restrictions. Some of the stories may even have been cut from the massive manuscript that was Jonathan Strange and now find themselves in this collection, finally in print.

These eight stories run the gamut of what Clarke might want to tell about her world, from what a couple of ladies with magical ability must do (from the title story); to a tale of Mary, Queen of Scots; to a story involving the same Jonathan Strange of her book. What links all these stories together is the reality of magic, whether the characters in the stories choose to accept its existence or not. The result is a delightful, seemingly romantic, and entertaining change to the glut of fantasy filling the book world these days. Magic in Clarke's world cannot be done by everyone; it is subtle, exhausting, and hard to do. Like the Bartimaeus Trilogy, Clarke's magical world presents something new and therefore captivating in its own way.

While my complaint of Clarke is that she can often be long winded and due for some heavy editing - both in this collection and in her weighty novel - in the end one is left with the wonderful feeling that one has just read something special and will delight in reading it again some day. Not to mention Ladies of Grace Adieu also features mesmerizing black and white illustrations by Charles Vess (who illustrated Neil Gaiman's Stardust), the book is a worthy addition to anyone's library. The question remains now: how long will it be before Clarke publishes another collection or novel? Does she have a box full of cut stories and material from Jonathan Strange waiting to be viewed by a reader's eyes? Only time will reveal this truth.

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Susanna Clarke won me over with Strange & Norrell, which I confess is my "favorite book that I hate" (it was painfully verbose at times, and rambling at others, but somehow it was also highly enjoyable). It should be no surprise that her short stories are the best of both worlds: the same highly literate representations of Fairy, the same well-crafted world of magic and wonder... but condensed nicely into more easily consumable portions. More adult than the lovable and whimsical Stardust by Neil Gaiman, but as easy to digest.

I give 2 enthusiastic thumbs-up, or five stars, or whatever (I'd give five thumbs-up if I had five thumbs).