R Books

Es un libro en donde podrás encontrar los héroes y villanos que has buscado, trata los valores mas puros de la humanidad y te mostrará la forma de usar tu imaginación. Apasionante cuento lleno de caballeros y doncellas, países maravillosos y extraños, magia, valentía y corazón. Si no eres muy afecto a la lectura te garantizo que la noche será corta para éste libro, una vez que hojéas la primera página no lo soltarás hasta terminarlo. En verdad, exelente!

Cuando llegó a mis manos este Libro lo miré y pensé "esté será un libro para niños, lleno de duendes y hadas" y lo comencé a leer sin mucha esperanza. Todo cambío cuando en la página 200 me di cuenta que no quería parar de leer! . No me voy a referir a la trama del libro. Sólo diré que es un libro maravilloso, escito de manera magistral, cuyas descripciones de personajes, lugares y batallas me hicieron amar este libro. Lo he leído 3 veces y ya estoy en la cuarta. LEELO!

Alguien conoce alguna pagina en español de donde pueda bajar el libro el señor de los anillos¿?

si es asi por favor escribir a alfcastr@hotmail.com

De antemano gracias

BUENO LES CONTARE QUE YO NO SOY FANATICA DE LECTURAS LLENAS DE FANTASIA , PRO EL SEÑOR DE LOS ANILLOS ES LO MAXIMO , RECOMIENDO QUE LEAN TODA LA TRILOGOGIA , AL COMIENZO UNO PIENSA QUE ES "QUE ES ESTO , ES SEÑOR DE LOS ANILLOS SEGURO ES CIENCIA FICCION" PERO NADA QUE VER , LO COMIENZAN A LEER Y ES LO MAXIMO , SE LOS RECOMIENDO , SI LES GUSTA LAS HADAS , EL MUNDO DE LA MAGIA , LA AVENTURA EL MISTERIO , Y QUIEREN ALGO QUE LOS DIFERENTE DEFINITIVAMENTE COMPRENLO NO SE VAN A ARREPENTIR

Si quieres leer un gran libro, esta es tu oportunidad. La trama, los detalles, el mundo fantastico que Tolkien creo... En sintesis, mi libro de cabecera.

I first read this book in 1979 and have been able to get job interviews for any job I wanted. I have shared this book with many people, who also got interviews or job offers. This is the only book that really shows how to market yourself.

A friend recommended this book when I was laid off twenty years ago. It helped me get the job I have today. In fact, there were 80 applicants and I got the job because my "inventory" was exactly what they wanted (as explained in the book). I had two copies of the book I kept circulating among my friends and it helped every one of them to some degree. A friend from college was disenchanted with her job at Arthur Anderson. She read the book, followed the advice and became the CFO of a $100M company!

Even though not marketed as such, I personally believe this book is really good for everyone, even those just entering the job market.

Actually I have used this book back in 1977 after I finished my MBA and I was new to this country. It helped me to write a resume which landed me two jobs. I have used Cover letter format resume too. This is fantastic book for any one and not just for executives. After reading this book can help you in selling your accomplishments during interviews.

The author explains many job search methods. He provides sample
broadcast letters and explains how candidates should
distinguish themselves. He spends a lot of time on how to
get interviews and conduct them successfully. The book is
a good investment for anyone planning a job change or
casually surveying the market. The key to a successful job
campaign is to distinguish your experience from the other
potential candidates.

Mr. Boll originally wrote this book in 1963, and revised it in 1980. It is my favorite guide for job searching. It is better than networking, better than any colored parachute book, or any professional job placement specialist. They all cost you fortunes, and this book is less than [$$$]!! Share it with friends, but make sure you get it back!!

THAT SEGMENT OF THE BOOK IS ONE OF THE MOST DRAMATIC EVENTS IN THE HISTORY THAT I HAVE EVER READ THE SERIES . SPANING ABOUT 8 YEARS NOW .

I read the original three volumes and believed that the author was done, because I never saw another volume. Just recently I realized I had missed four volumes!!! I could not put them down. Characters are believable with battle scenes that remind me of Viet Nam. I enjoy the military very much, recognizing all the elements in the Hordes versus Keane. I only wished that he would spell Civil War names correctly, JEB Stuart and not JEB Stewart. I still enjoy this series very much and I am glad that it continues.

This book picks up right where the last one left off. There is a 30 day lull in the battle with the Merki due to the assasination of the Merki leader. The Merki have a ceremonial 30 days of mourning when the leader dies.

During this time, the humans begin there final withdrawal and buildup. They leave behine a scorched earth. The Merki do not know how to handle an enemy that will not fight in the open. There is no honor in this battle. They look forward to a single big confrontation and swift decisive end.

The humans have several tricks up their sleeves, including traps, guerilla warfare and deception.... And as usual, new surprising weapons.

This is an excellent addition to the series. The end of the book opens a new chapter for the next book. I hope we can find out more information about the technology and history of the "ancients"....

Four amazing books so far. Or, if you prefer (As I do), one very long book, a sort of "War and Peace" of the sci-fi genre. No matter how you look at it, this developing tale by Forstchen only gets better. He is not afraid to kill off some of his main characters to add realism to the story, and he is not afraid to surprise the reader with tactics that are rather unexpected. "Fateful Lightning" presents a massive migration of Rus toward the land of Roum, pursued by the relentless Merki hordes. The humans will burn the land behind them, poisoning wells and setting traps for their foes, so that by the time of their final confrontation we can realistically see that the Merki, in spite of their great superiority in numbers, are overextended and will not be able to withstand a severe blow from the humans. The humans are at the end of their rope, too, but one of the most endearing characters in the series will have a shot at saving his people by refusing to obey orders. And Muzta, one of my favorite characters, will also have a chance to save his own people. Again, the battles are almost unforgettable: the horror of war, the worst of men, and the most noble in them is presented by Forstchen in a gripping, spectacular way. Hawthorne becomes a sort of Dark angel of the battlefield, and the Roman Marcus figures as a key participant by now. Four out of four. And it only gets better.

Wow, this is the series that just keeps on going and going. Excellent. This was perhaps the best one I've read so far next to Rally Cry. Again, there's that great sense of dread and forboding on the humans' part, as they attempt to fight off the ever encroaching Merki Hordes, now, of course, led by that rat Tamuka. The funeral of Jubadi was sickening... I loved it. Showalter's and his Cavalry's final, desparate charge into the Merki ranks was glorious. John Mina was a total nutball, picking on ol' Fergie like that. Oh, and I'm glad Ferguson, my favorite character in the series, got the girl. He deserves her. The Battle of Hispania was marvelous, so many troops in a battle of annihilation, fighting for their lives against vicious alien monsters, it filled you with pride for being human. Mutza's role in the whole story was satisfying-- I always liked him for some reason, even when he was attempting to destroy the old 35th. At least he had that glimmering of doubt, of whether or not fighting the humans was such a good idea, something which Tamuka did not. Bullfinch's endeavors, however, were very underexplored. I would've liked to see more of his liberation of the Cartha. Young Gregory's recitation of Shakespeare's Henry V-- "We few, we happy few, we band of brothers..."-- was very emotional and moving. And, yes, the editing is very, very bad here, as it is in the other Lost Regiment novels, but it did not take away from this rich story. Fateful Lightning is a masterful end to the Merki War, a stupendous entry in the Lost Regiment series, and a true gem in the realm of science-fiction.

Anthony Trollope is a favorite author of mine, and this audio CD version of Framley Parsonage, read by Simon Vance, is well worth the investment. Deft use of language and a keen sense of human motivation, time, and place characterize all Trollope's writing, and those who enjoy period literature will be more than satisfied with this book. It starts slowly, as Trollope's stories often do, but once the background information is given, there are many interesting social, political, financial, and romantic plot developments to engage the reader and listener. Simon Vance's reading is superb, as always. The only caveat is that his rendering of the voice and character of young women is not as good as his pitch, tone, and inflection when narrating the voices of mature women and all men. His skill in rendering different dialects for different social classes and geographical regions is matchless. By all means, listen to this book.

In this novel we find one Mark Robarts, clergyman and parson of Framley. He is an ambitious young man desirous of rising in society. He is friends since childhood with Lord Lufton who makes an unfortunate introduction in the person of Sowerby who seduces poor Mark into signing his name to a debt which the parson cannot afford.

Mark Robarts's father passes away early on and his sister Lucy joins Mark and his wife at Framley Parsonage where Lord Lufton falls in love with her. Two more couples form and while I won't reveal how any of these relationships work out it wouldn't really matter if I did. Trollope's plots usually vary from bad to good but they are hardly ever of any importance anyway. What is important in a Trollope novel isn't what the plot is or how it concludes, it's how it works itself out and how Trollope paints his characters.

The characters in Framley Parsonage are a little whiter and blacker than those of the previous novels in the Barsetshire series. Sowerby is by far and away the blackest and Trollope was so effective in painting him black that towards the end he clumsily appeals directly to the reader and assures us Sowerby isn't really as bad a fellow as he seems.

Dr. Thorne and his niece Mary Gresham appear (from Doctor Thorne) as do the Grantlys and the Proudies (from Barchester Towers). Lucy Robarts is a fascinating woman even more headstrong here than Mary Gresham was in Doctor Thorne, but my favourite character in this novel is Lady Lufton. She opposes her son's desire to court and marry Lucy but does so politely and with consideration. At the same time, Lucy behaves in way Lady Lufton can only find irreproachable. So of course, not having anything with which to reproach Lucy, Lady Lufton has nothing with which to oppose her son's suit. And yet she does. How will this three-sided battle of wills, pitting Lord Lufton against his mother against Lucy against her suitor, resolve itself?

Well, that would be telling, wouldn't it? Let's just say that Lady Lufton has painted herself into a corner and let us leave it at that.

All in all, another fine example of Trollope's mastery of moral calculus.

Vincent Poirier, Dublin

Framley Parsonage is the fourth in Trollope's Barsetshire novels. Trollope (1815-1882) wrote the novel as a serial in the influential Cornhill magazine in 186-61, This novel along with the others in the series: The Warden; Dr. Thorne, The Small House at Allington, Barchester Towers and the Last Chronicle of Barset is a delightful return to mid-Victorian middle class society in a rural mythical county named Barsetshire.
In this long novel of over 600 pages there are several stories. The main character is the Rev. Mark Robarts, a
doctor's son, who at a young age becomes the vicar of Framley Parsonage. He has children and a kind wife Fanny. Mark has visions of grandeur in his head. He lends money to the unscrupulous Member of Parliament Mr. Sowerby. As a result of this fatuity Mark falls into debt. His friends rally to his aid.
Mark's sister Lucy Robarts is novel's heroine. She falls in love with the wealthy Lord Lufton who lives at Eustace Court with his formidable mother Lady Lufton. Lady Lufton wants her son Ludovic to wed Griselda Grantley the statuesque but dull as dishwater and cold as a cucumber daughter of Archdeacon Grantley. Lufton is torn between these two women. We see Lady Lufton overcome her prejudice against Lucy. Lucy is a kind girl who minister to the family of the poor clergyman Josiah Crawley. She wins over the heart of Lady Lufton and the reader.
Secondary plots concern the midlife romance of Miss Dunstable and good Doctor Thorne. Olivia Proudie daughter of the fussy busybody and scold Mrs. Proudie and the uxorious Bishop Proudie weds a clergyman Mr. Tickler who is a widower. Griselda Grantley is courted by the stupid Lord Dumbello who possesses a name and title to the Hartletop lands and fortune. Will she win Lord Lufton or choose Dumbello?
All's well that ends well in this classic Trollopian tale. Long before Jan Karon, Anthony Trollope wrote humorous, moving and plot driven tales of the lives of the clergy dealing with real life problems, romance and challenges. In my opinion, an Anthony Trollope novel is a good way to spend a quiet evening before the fireplace. Enjoy this wonderful author and the world he created.

The fourth of the Chronicles of Barsetshire, Framley Parsonage (1861) is a gentle novel filled with memorable characters, including many characters from The Warden, Barchester Towers, and Doctor Thorne (Barsetshire Novels). Mark Robarts, a young vicar with a devoted wife, has a comfortable situation at Framley Parsonage on the estate of the indomitable Lady Lufton. Her son, now Lord Lufton, had been a friend of Mark Robarts at school, and it was their friendship which resulted in Mark's position. Mark, though conscientious in his duties and grateful for his situation, is ambitious, however, anxious to expand his horizons beyond Framley.

Lady Lufton, who rules with an iron hand, is appalled when Mark decides to spend a weekend with a "fast" crowd, one which he believes can advance his career. Young and naïve, he becomes the dupe of an aristocratic "con-man," an MP named Nathaniel Sowerby, who persuades him to help him out of a financial jam by signing a note for five hundred pounds (more than half Robarts's yearly salary), allowing Sowerby to draw funds on Robarts's name. In the meantime, Robarts's sister Lucy arrives at Framley Parsonage upon the death of their father. Lucy, a sweet ingénue in mourning, soon comes to the attention of Lord Lufton, but Lady Lufton has many more "significant" matrimonial prospects in mind for her son. As Robarts's financial miseries become more pressing, and as Lucy's disappointment in love increases, the scene is set for a final showdown.

Numerous peripheral characters, many of them known to readers of the series, add to the drama of the primary action. The implacable dowager Lady Lufton, wishing to maintain her family's social position, pushes Griselda Grantly, daughter of Archdeacon Grantly, as the Duke's suitor. The competition between the (Archdeacon) Grantlys and the (Bishop) Proudies for suitors for their daughters adds great comic relief to the story, and the internecine manipulations among the clergy provide gentle satire in a novel which seems to be remarkably domestic in its focus.

Trollope provides a full picture of Victorian life, representing many aspects of society, and though his view of the clergy has in earlier novels been a bit jaded, he is sympathetic to many of its representatives in this novel, seeing them as humans, rather than as types. A sweet novel, part love story and part social commentary, Framley Parsonage is charming, memorable for its characters and picture of Victorian England. Mary Whipple

The fourth of the Chronicles of Barsetshire, Framley Parsonage (1861) is a gentle novel filled with memorable characters, including many characters from The Warden, Barchester Towers, and Dr. Thorne. Mark Robarts, a young vicar with a devoted wife, has a comfortable situation at Framley Parsonage on the estate of the indomitable Lady Lufton. Her son, now Lord Lufton, had been a friend of Mark Robarts at school, and it was their friendship which resulted in Mark's position. Mark, though conscientious in his duties and grateful for his situation, is ambitious, however, anxious to expand his horizons beyond Framley.

Lady Lufton, who rules with an iron hand, is appalled when Mark decides to spend a weekend with a "fast" crowd, one which he believes can advance his career. Young and naïve, he becomes the dupe of an aristocratic "con-man," an MP named Nathaniel Sowerby, who persuades him to help him out of a financial jam by signing a note for five hundred pounds (more than half Robarts's yearly salary), allowing Sowerby to draw funds on Robarts's name. Though Sowerby swears he will resolve the problem within weeks, he needs an additional four hundred pounds when the note comes due.

In the meantime, Robarts's sister Lucy arrives at Framley Parsonage upon the death of their father. Lucy, a sweet ingénue in mourning, soon comes to the attention of Lord Lufton, who is fascinated by her naivete, a marked contrast with the women he has known to date. Though Lady Lufton has much more "significant" matrimonial prospects in mind for her son, the courtship begins, and though Lucy declines Lord Lufton's initial proposal, she remains in love with him. As Robarts's financial miseries become more pressing, and as Lucy's misery at having turned down Lord Lufton increases, the scene is set for a final showdown.

Numerous peripheral characters, many of them known to readers of the series, add to the drama of the primary action. The implacable dowager Lady Lufton, wishing to maintain her family's social position, staunchly opposes the Duke's relationship with Lucy Robarts, pushing Griselda Grantly, daughter of Archdeacon Grantly, as the Duke's suitor. The competition between the (Archdeacon) Grantlys and the (Bishop) Proudies for suitors for their daughters adds great comic relief to the story, and the internecine manipulations among the clergy provide gentle satire in a novel which seems to be remarkably domestic in its focus.

Trollope provides a full picture of Victorian life, representing many aspects of society, and though his view of the clergy has in earlier novels been a bit jaded, he is sympathetic to many of its representatives in this novel, seeing them as humans, rather than as types. A sweet novel, part love story and part social commentary, Framley Parsonage is charming, memorable for its characters and picture of Victorian England. n Mary Whipple

The Warden
Barchester Towers
Doctor Thorne (Barsetshire Novels)

From Grunt to Greatness is very real, accepting, practical and inspiring. The author exposes his gruntness to us in ways that most people wouldn't even dare! In doing so he helped me embrace my own gruntness and laugh at it without beating myself up! At the same time he provides a path to change...not to become "perfect", but to become my best where I want to be my best. I will always be a grunt in something(s), but that doesn't mean I can't be great in those things that are important to me! If "success" has been eluding you, this is a powerful and entertaining guide to thinking differently and acting differently so success can start to find you.

As a perfectionist, I always strive to be the best at everything I do. While this is not necessarily a bad thing, it doesn't lend itself very well to enjoying the journey. From Grunt to Greatness showed me that life is really about the journey, not the destination. Wow. What a concept! The author's candid, self-deprecating, hilarious stories showed me that it's okay not to be perfect, and I've begun to appreciate my Gruntness even as I move toward reaching Greatness. I recommend this book to everyone!

Michael Charest is one of America's most loved, respected, and successful personal coaches. Now he has written a gem of a book with a simple, but powerful message for everyone. This book will touch your heart, make you laugh and show you exactly how to connect with your unique greatness and create the life you've always wanted. Every chapter is incredibly engaging and fun to read! In fact, I could not put this book down and read it all in one setting! As you literally fly through its pages, Michael and Griffin, the From Grunt to Greatness ambassador, will inspire you to embrace and appreciate who you are now, so that you can take action to become the person you always knew you were meant to be! You will find yourself returning to it again and again, and each time you will take something special away. This book is an investment you will never regret and a fantastic gift for the special people in your life.

What's the point of greatness if it's always a step away and you don't get to thrive today? From Grunt to Greatness gives you the tools to be great with a specific step by step focus. But more importantly, it reminds you to appreciate who you are today so you can really propel yourself to greatness, while enjoying your life today. I recommend this book to everyone from college student to entrepeneur!

Kim Moore
Work Smart Live Juicy!

Michael Charest wrote a wonderful, true to life book. His writing is extremely honest, hilarious and to the point. It kept me laughing from beginning to end. I think there were a few tears that came along too. He makes you feel great knowing you do not have to be perfect. He gives wonderful solutions and ideas on how to improve your life. Each chapter made me evaluate my life path in a more open and positive way. I can actually say this book has changed my life. I thank you Michael for writing From Grunt to Greatness. When will the next one be on the shelves.

The G8's Role in the New Millennium makes a significant contribution to our understanding of an important institution.

The G8's Role in the New Millennium makes a significant contribution to our understanding of an important institution.

This publication is a succinct but authoritative primer on this organization's role as a potential policy-making alternative body for managing global financial challenges.

This book goes a some way to lifting the curtain on the secrecy that surrounds the operation of a body that has no charter, no headquarters, no secretariat. --Business Worldaware

This volume makes an important contribution to the debate about the appropriate institutional architecture for the international economy of the next century. It is authoritative and accessible. --Dr Steve McGuire, Royal Holloway, University of London

The last review that I did on George Orwell's work was Homage to Catalonia, his compelling story of his involvement in a Party of Marxist Unification (POUM) left-wing militia regiment in the Spanish Civil War. I noted there that this is the Orwell that today's militant leftists need to read. The current compilation of articles that he did during World War II and shortly thereafter are not in that same category although they are, as always with Orwell, well worth reading. No matter the subject matter of the articles they conform to the points that he made in Politics and the English Language about using precise, clear and rational political language. Unfortunately, at the time of the Tribune writings Orwell had already made his peace, even if critically, with British imperialism. This is obvious from the subject matter of some of the articles, particularly those in defense of holding on to the old empire or at least its prerogatives. The articles themselves vary from the topical and mundane under war time conditions to the speculative but as always written in a bit of a tongue and cheek manner. That said, although Orwell by this time was an anti-Stalinist socialist of some sort he preferred to outsource the fight against Stalinism to world imperialism. Apparently, as the recent furor over his naming names of British communists to British intelligence indicates, he had no such qualms about doing so. Certainly this was not his finest hour. He left that in Spain.

I don't know if George Orwell is the best writer this century has produced, but he is among the most decent human beings who was also an extremely talented writer. And that decency, that honesty and sense of fair play come through loud and clear through this wonderful mix of editorial pieces and personal letters. It does not matter whether he is writing about the Socialist movement, the Monarchy, the manner in which Americans were treated in England during WWII, the English language, writing, colonialism, nationalism, anti-Semitism, or how to make a proper cup of tea, his honesty is ever-present. For he wrote these essays (I think) because although "emotional urges which are inescapable, and are perhaps even necessary to political action, [they] should be able to exist side-by-side with reality. But this requires a moral effort." If you are prepared to make such a moral effort-or simply want to spend a few nights with a truly wonderful human being and gifted writer, I highly recommend this book.

George Orwell' (1903-1950)anthology titled AS I PLEASE is an interesting collection of his careful literary criticism and political insights which were much more often right than wrong. Readers can learn so much about not only the situation and conditions in Great Britian between 1943 and 1945, they can learn much about the international situtation and Orwell's complete disillusionment with the "Left" both in Great Britain and in Europe.

This reviewer thinks that Orwell's literary criticism of Arthur Koestler is the best article of literary criticism. Orwell focused on Koester's DARKNESS AT NOON which Orwell thought was Koestler's best work. Orwell argued that Koestler was a supporter of the "Left" during the Spanish Civil War and was arrested and faced the prospect of being shot. Koeslter escaped but had to know how the Stalinists betrayed the Spanish Left during the Spanish Civil War. Koestler was a member of the Hungarian Communist Party, knew of the Stalinist purges of Lenin's Bolsheviks, and saw a repeat of all this in Spain.

Orwell also had intelligent commentary of literature and humor. Orwell stated that good humor had all but disappeared in Great Britian because of political and religious sensitivity. Orwell stated that the best comedy was that which attacked hypocrisy and pretensioness. Orwell cited Aristophanes, Rabelais, Shakespear,Voltaire, etc. who did not hestitate to mock and write comedy of the self righteous and "high and mighty." Orwell was bothered by the fact that such humor almost disappeared from English litature during his life time. An interesting aside is that Orwell complimented Hillaire Belloc and G.K. Chesterton for their humor. Orwell was critical of both in some of the other essays in this anthology.

Orwell not only wrote good literary criticism, he wrote solid political commentary. Readers can see the beginnings of his best known novels-ANIMAL FARM and 1984. Orwell's comments on ill feeling between British and American troops. Orwell stated that since American troops were paid at least five times as much as British troops, social divisions and hard feelings were almost inevitable. Orwell also commented that many American troops refused to admit that British casualties were larger than American casualties which indeed they were.

Orwell's best political commentary dealt with such concepts as Fascism, Pacifism, the Trotskyites, the Stalinists, etc. Orwell's major criticism of the "Leftists" was that because they were anti-Fascist, they would not become anti-totalitarian because of refusal to oppose the Stalinists and Big Communism and its obvious record of mass murder and concentration camp brutality. Orwell makes hash out of the accusation that the Internatianl Jews heavilty subsidized Britian's Trotskyites. Orwell commented if that were true, one had to ask why Trotsky's supporters were always so poor. Orwell accused much of the "Left" of refusing to accept facts and assessments of World War II. For example, many of the British and American leftists commented that the Soviet Union was an example of the biblical inscription that the meek shall inherit the earth. Orwell noted that those who made this remark obviously had not read Soviet anti-German propaganda which was full of hatred and violent vengence. Orwell also noted that the Left expected British military failure while extolling Soviet victories during World War II.

Orwell also expressed serious concern over the distortions and falsification of history. For example, both the "Allies" and "Axis" claimed victory when their was defeat. Casualty figures were distorted as were events. What was worse was the description of non-events or events that never occured. Orwell commented that the Leftists never wrote a word about the SovietGerman "Non-Aggression Pact" which was negotiated in 1939 with the secret protocol of the Soviets and Germans to invade Poland.

Orwell made comments that his novel titled ANIMAL FARM was censored or kept from publication because of British concerns of offending their Soviet "allies." Little did Orwell know that this novel would be a best seller after he died. Orwell can also see the outlines of his 1984 in this collection of essays.

One development that concerned Orwell toward the end of World War II was the emerging anti-Semitism in Great Britain and to a lesser degree in the United States. Orwell was clear that accusations and slurs agains Jewish people were patently false. Yet, Orwell was clear that facts and reason were of no avail to many because they were immune to knowledge and reasoned thinking. Orwell attributed much to a weakened Great Britain at the end of World War II, and the British Empire would soon be dismantled. Orwell argued that nationalism and the fear of the loss of Empire incited anti-Semitism among people who would otherwise not fall for such nonsense.

While Orwell was wrong in some of his earlier predictions, he was honest enough to admit this and explained why which something most "intellectuals" are loathe to do. If Orwell had lived another 50 years, he would know that his important predictions came true. This reviewer was pleased to see Orwell admit he was wrong as this showed a degree of honesty that is sadly lacking.

This reviewer did not like the format of the book. As this reviewer stated elsewhere, the book should have been arranged by topic rather than by chronology. However, this is a matter of taste. This reviewer strongly recommends this anthology which is part of a four volume set of Orwell's thought. This is yet another excellent collection of Orwell's great writing.

It is a pleasure to read Orwell. I think that there are two major reasons for this. Stylistically he an exceptionally clear writer. His work has a quiet elegance. Secondly, he is a writer who says meaningful things. Whatever subject he writes about he writes about not only with knowledge but with real ' sense'.
In this third volume of his collected essays, jouralisms, and letters there are a number of outstanding longer pieces, including those on 'The English People' 'Notes on Nationalism' and 'Anti- Semitism'
He is an excellent letter writer and I especially enjoyed his insights into literature. His remarks on Conrad and Koestler and European as opposed to British Literature are sensible and insightful.
All through this work there are scattered gems of humane perception.

Sorry for the prank in the headline, it is not a comment on Orwell but a quote from the book, from the essay 'The English People', written in 44, but published later. Orwell tries to characterize the English. I would never have dared to write that myself.
This is volume 3 of 4, and the first that I give 5 stars. It is less uneven, less self-contradictory, probably more honest than the previous 2. GO had grown up, I assume. The bulk of the book are his leaders under the name that the collection carries: As I please. He comments on events of the time, and does it with lasting interest.
I don't want to repeat my friend Jim Egolf's summary of the book, nor his assessment of its historical value. All true.
But Jim left out an important subject that Orwell also included, and that I want to bring to your attention. The fact is that GO was an impossible romantic about England. He honestly thought that there was merit in English cooking! One essay is called: In Defence of English Cooking.
He lists a few items that we are supposed to accept as proof of his odd point of view. Believe it or not, one of the items which supposedly prove the high standard of English cooking are English apples. I rest my case.
'It is not a law of nature that every restaurant in England is either foreign or bad.' Written 1945. My regular visits in recent years, all in basically friendly intention, make me conclude: if anything changed, then for the worse, because now even many of the foreign restaurants are bad.
Dui bu qi.

David Ford's book reads like a James Bond tale of intrigue. From humble lifeguard beginnings, through Hollywood illuminatti, sexcapades and fast-track adventures, David shows compassion and concern for the Average Joe's right to smoke and be free. A long time advocate of legal and safe use of marijuana, this book is not a polemic but a story of one man's journey. A great read and a great romp.

Good Medicine, Great Sex! is the personal and iconoclastic memoir of David R. Ford in which he unashamedly proclaims the virtues of marijuana for creativity, medicine, pleasure, and sexual enhancement. Sharply denying the government's strict anti-cannabis stance, and framing the his own illustrious, successful, and high-profile life with great acknowledgment for marijuana's beneficial herbal powers, David Ford is intriguingly unrepentant in its advocacy in behalf of marijuana usage. This along with wonderful anecdotes of his personal encounters with Gary Cooper, Don HO, Bing Crosby, Henry J. Kaiser, Groucho Marx, Wayne Newton, Richard Nixon, John F. Kennedy, Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Cab Calloway, Liberace, and Jonathan Winters, make Good Medicine, Great Sex! good autobiography and great reading!

I throughly enjoyed David Ford's new book Good Medicine Great Sex. The author has found the perfect balance of information on the history of marjuana prohibition and attention grabing experience of his over fifty years of using marjuana to enhance his productive life.
I was glued to every page wondering whether I would be giggling inside from the unbelievable and creative stunts David would pull to achieve his goal or have tears pouring from my eyes from the dramatic losses he has had to endure.
I recomend this book not just because it will captivate you as the reader but also because you get a unique perspecive on how and why Marjuana is illegal from someone who has lived through all of it's changes for the last fifty years.

I WISH EVERY AMERICAN COULD READ THIS BOOK! David Ford's eloquent and often hysterically funny life story tells us all we need to know. We bought into LIES for over three decades! WHY NOT LEGALIZE, TAX and REGULATE cannabis? DAVE FORD DESERVES A MEDAL for his refreshing candor and his extraordinary courage. His Mother's uncommon wisdom, and his appreciation for her, touched me deeply. BUY THIS BOOK! I guarantee you'll enjoy it. ** This reviewer is a retired (reformed?) 'drug warrior' - now a public speaker - deeply scarred by her own role in DRUG PROHIBITION, and our government's hypocracy. Drug prohibition is a nightmare...but every cloud has a SILVER LINING ~~ David Ford is positively a RAY OF LIGHT in these dark days of PROHIBITION. THANK YOU DAVE FORD! signed MARTHA DEWOLFE, speaker, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition LEAP.CC misterjebediah@cswebmail.com

I wouldn't normally read a book on marijuana. I questioned whether marijuana had medical value. I must admit, the title of author David R. Ford's newest book caught my attention: 'Good Medicine, Great Sex! How Marijuana Brought Me Creativity, Passion, and Prosperity'. It is so different from what the government propaganda says, I bought a copy. I'm so glad I did. The 50 plus years of true-life adventures of a man who has
interacted with thousands of medical and social users of cannabis, kept me reading.

This courageous book by a cancer survivor, and former broadcaster with CBS television in Hawaii, has convinced me that the government is lying about this herb. The author makes the medical value clear, and with excellent reference notes. Now I believe that no one should go to prison for having
cannabis in their possession. You will learn why the government and big business keep this virtually harmless plant illegal. Everyone should read this book who wants to know the true reason why this plant is kept illegal!

"Edgy, quirky, dark, mouthy. Worldly-wise and intelligent writing. I sense the strong presence of an author who likes film noir. Underneath, at the base of this, clearly simmers anger AND a very real passion to change what appears the current destination of our lumbering ship of state. A quick read that doesn't quickly dissipate from the mind - kind of like a hefty belt of straight gin. 2008 might be a sub-title for this short novel. Weber could well be the bastard son Orwell never knew he had - if he ever had one."

Reads like a great classic movie, utterly absorbing, timely, and a critical read for 2004.

A gripping contemporary tragedy which mines the uncertain space between fact and fiction in the war on terror of the near future and reveals some of the costs of ignoring the Constitution in the prosecution of the war. Read it as a polemic but also read it as a richly textured examination of ordinary people, people whose lives get tangled up in and perverted by a government gone amok in trying to root out terrorism in all its forms. The characterization of Paul Vines, the professor on a federal grant who struggles with various demons while trying to teach English literature to Germans in Berlin, is particularly compelling. You'll have a hard time putting down this book once you start it.

Homeland is an amazing job of prediction, and not just (or even primarily) because Weber captures so well the events we have all followed over the last months. He takes us beyond snapshots of body piles - and shocks us with the banality of torture and the ease with which it is institutionalized.
The dangers and possible consequences of the War on Terrorism have been pointed out for some time now and political commentators and journalists have produced many possible future scenaria. Homeland is worth reading - and owning - because of Weber's skill and sensitivity as a teller of cautionary tales. He transcribes the pundits' futures into human terms, anchoring them in everyday life universes both moral and human.
And what timing! More lawyerly deliberations about the line between torture and interrogation have just made the newspapers. The space between Weber's criminal psychologist, Lara Ivans, and his FBI agent and interrogator, Michael James Dougherty, describes a desperate reality which is one consequence of the lawyers' efforts; it is a fine moral and human geometry - and a good read.

Very good political critique, but it could have gone further in its projections. Set in the election year of 2008, the revelations of fascist security measures were less shocking than what we'll probably see in the future. The torture scenes didn't even live up to what torture has already occurred. Good read, but Weber is a cautious futurist.

Knut by Juliana, Isabella and Craig Hatkoff and Dr. Gerald R. Uhlich tells of a little polar bear cub born in 2006 in Germany, Knut. The true story of a little bear cub who needed a family is captured in photos from Zoo Berlin of Knut's early days and more, making for an engaging tale.

How One Little Polar Bear Captivated The World (Knut)
This is an excellent book. My 6 yo grandson loves Polar BEars. I bought this and a plush bear for him. Now this is his favorite bedtime book--and he sleeps w/ his bear,

Children will love looking at the photographs of this cute little polar bear cub that was born and raised at the Berlin Zoo. His story related by the same team, a father and his two young daughters, that told the story of "Owen & Mzee" is captivating. End pages include information about polar bears, an explanation of their current plight, and suggestions about how to help protect polar bear habitat.

I just found out my mama is a man! By now he seems just like my mama and he did save my life. Here is the story.

In December 2006, my brother and I were born in Zoo Berlin. I don't remember this--my mama the man told me about it. I am so close with Thomas my mama that I understand much of what he says. Our bear mama did not care for us, so Thomas and the zoo took over when we were five hours old. A few days later my brother died and Thomas became totally devoted to my care. I had the best.

Thomas slept with me, he rubbed me, he fed me, he bathed me, rubbed baby oil into my fur, and he brushed me. See, Thomas really was my mama. When I was thirty-two days old, I finally got a name--Knut. Yes, I like it. Thomas named me. He even stayed with me constantly for the first four months like a real polar mama does in a den. Thomas told me so. He did not go home to his human family until I was four months old. I like them--they came to see us every day!

This book about my growing up time has other information besides what I have already told you. And wonderful photographs that children love. In fact, I was a celebrity here at the zoo for a long time. One man thought they should have left me to die when my polar mama deserted me. Hey, mister, no way! His letter to the editor made people mad. They started writing me 200 letters a week.

Thomas tells me when I am over a year old that I will probably want him to leave me alone--that polar bears like solitude. If he says so. But I am his son and I will listen. Listen, what I want you to take from this little talk is to take care of your planet. Global warming is reducing our living area. Some scientists think that polar bears may not be able to exist in the polar regions in your lifetime! I'm safe here in the zoo, but I do wonder what all that cold and ice and snow would be like. Maybe...Thomas says I would eat several seals a day in my natural habitat. Seals?

Knut
Zoo Berlin

Grade school children will be absolutely enthralled with the story of an baby polar bear no bigger than a snowball! Knut lives in Germany in a zoo, and he was lucky enough to meet Thomas who helped raise him.
Thomas fed Knut with a bottle, just like a human baby. He even taught him how to swim.

Knut was so cute and his story so amazing that he won the hearts of people all over the world, and now young readers can learn about him with this book that tells all about him. This is an excellent true story told beautifully with wonderful photographs to enhance the tale.

What a beautiful example of nonfiction for children to love!