V Books

My boss is brilliant. He's got loads of education, experience, and humor. I love working for him. If you told me my boss wrote this book, I would've believed it.

It's a great read, and more importantly it's full of substantial ideas that can save you a lot of trouble, money, and problems.

The anecdotes are great, the jokes are fun, and it all rings as genuine and earthy as only the best-polished guidance can. I'd recommend it.

Although, a note- my book squeaks when I open it. Working in the bookbinding industry, I actually find this pretty entertaining. It sounds, and feels, weird and somewhat scratchy, but worth nothing =)

Particularly for those newer to the real world of business, this is great guidance delivered uncommonly easy, without compromising into sacarin. Check into it today, you'll be glad you did a dozen times over.

I loved it.

I've read a bunch of management books, but this is definitely different. The writing style for one is very to the point--refreshingly so. I also appreciated perspective of someone who has NOT done everything perfectly, who has learned from their mistakes, and is not a fortune 500 manager. On that level, it was much more helpful to me, someone who is also not a fortune 500 manager.

To the point, quirky sense of humor, practical reasoning and advice, and just plain good. Get it.

For someone who has either started a business, is considering starting a business, or wants to be a great employer/employee is is a great option. No, it doesn't only talk about "Firing someone today". It is a book with business sense which when reading it makes common sense.

Do not judge this book by its core title alone ("Fire Someone Today"). You must keep in mind its full title ("Fire Someone Today - AND OTHER SURPRISING TACTICS FOR MAKING YOUR BUSINESS A SUCCESS").

This book provides a wonderful view into processes/systems that have failed and succeeded and, mostly importantly, WHY they did what they did. The author provides wonderful, entertaining and POWERFUL stories and compelling arguments for each of his points.

The essay-like style of book makes it not only an informative, though-provoking read, but also an academically valuable and easily referenced book for your debates when improving your business.

From small to large business alike, all leadership (from the executive to the micro-manager) should have this on their shelves. It will truly surprise you with its informative and inspiring content.

This book presents the author's advice for owner/managers of small companies. In 200 pages, he presents 22 chapters on diverse and important topics. Here's my reaction to each chapter (where 1 = Not so good, 10 = Great).

1 Fire Someone Today (10, great review for those who hesitate firing slackers or misfits, mentions how to do it correctly)
2 You Are the Reason You Are in Business (10, you need to control the critical process/technology)
3 Nobody Loves Your Baby Like You Do (10, don't delegeate your vision for the company)
4 There Can Be Only One - Plan for Your Partner's Departure (10, be the benign dictator, how to evaluate business partners, how to always have a way out)
5 Don't Hire Anyone You Haven't Interviewed (7, basic information)
6 Cash Is King (7, basic information)
7 Quality, Price, Service -- Prioritize (9, interesting but simplistic model for niching)
8 Nobody Needs an Optimistic Accountant (6, probably true, but basic)
9 You Can Always Find 5 % (8, too oriented on nickling and diming vendors, too oriented away from growth, mentions important reports and methods)
10 Profit is Why You Are in Business (7, basic information, too oriented on profits alone, did not describe why profits are necessary for growth)
11 If You Are Not Growing, You Are Shrinking (10, interesting discussion of market dynamics)
12 Good Systems Protect You from the Perfect Employee (10, discussion on blogs, make it easy to build good systems)
13 The One Who Writes Wins (10, but basic information)
13 Read (10, great information on business intelligence, interesting remarks on business books, biographies vs business histories, novels)
15 Don't Fly Blind -- Build a Dashboard (10, important, basic information that most businesses don't prepare, doensn't and probably can't mention all the numbers any business needs)
16 Visit Everyone in Person (10, excellent reason for supporting the airlines)
17 Press Is Yours If You Ask -- And If You Want It (10, how to use publicity to your advantage without getting skinned by the media)
18 In Acquisitions, the Buyer is the Loser (10, this was really great information, how to use the process to your advantage)
19 Buy Lunch (10, excellent reason for supporting restaurants, like Chapter 16)
20 Winning Takes 51 % (10, how to categorize decisions, when to make them quickly, slowly)
21 Some People Are Your Greatest Assets (10, how to treat exceptional candidates, good is the baseline, follows "up or out" mentality of chapter 1)
22 Business Is a Serious Game (7, your decisions have consequences to your employees)

This book is easy and enjoyable to read for businesses with 5 to 200 employees.

John Dunbar
Sugar Land, TX

This product showed up speedily and in very good condition. I am very happy with it.

I own this series in Japanese, and it is a wonderful read! It has all the important elements of a good shoujo manga: it is romantic, twisted, with a shoujo (in the traditional meaning of the word) involved in finding a new family and love triangles galore. It is just a very fun read, no matter the language!

reading this book makes me want more to read

for people who love fruits basket, this will probably be one of your favorites in the series. full of drama and revealation, i think it is one of the best. i like how there is drama, but not too much of it; it's just in the right spots. kyo realizes his feelings about toruh, and yuki does too, i believe. momiji has really grown up! and u finally realize things about akito. a great read for furuba fans, but i say if u haven't tried this series bfore, research a little on it before deciding to read it!!!!:) i know i can't wait for volume 14!!!!

Fruits Basket volume 11 is probably among the darkest volumes in the series. When you read this one, I can assure you that you will easily be moved to tears - and also part of what makes it dark is our finding out about the zodiacs' futures, particularly Kyo's.

It's obvious that this family holds lots of betrayal and backstabbing, and this volume makes that a big part of its aura. Parts of the book are rather surprising and catch you off-guard while you're reading it. I remember sitting on my bed while reading it, turning to the next page and going "WTF KYO KNEW KYOKO" because basically, this is the volume where we find out about that.

Akito finally confronts Tohru with her real attitude towards outsiders, and gives her a small wound in her anger (poor Tohru!). However, Momiji fans will love this volume, as we see his courageous and protective side towards loved ones.

And LAST but not least, the "love triangle" Between Tohru, Yuki and Kyo is certainly getting more complex. You'll know that in the previous volume, Yuki confessed to himself his love for Tohru. In this volume, the same happens with Kyo. I know who she ends up with in the end at this point (and also by reading spoilers! Haha), but I won't tell you for the sake of my poor head before getting hit by an iron skillet. VERY worthy of five stars, although my favorite volumes are still 1, 4, 6, and 13.

If you love mangas and love a story that gives you every emotion a story can give you, then this is the book for you. The main part of the story is comedy but it does have a lot of other emotions to it and there are a lot of plot eliments that will keep you wanting to read. I don't want to give anything away so I wont, you'll just have to read it. ^_^

I own this series in Japanese, and it is a wonderful read! It has all the important elements of a good shoujo manga: it is romantic, twisted, with a shoujo (in the traditional meaning of the word) involved in finding a new family and love triangles galore. It is just a very fun read, no matter the language!

As an American whose undergrad studies revolved around European subjects, I am still quite ignorant of Japanese customs/cultures/naming conventions and so on. This book confuses me in a few different ways: 1, as another reviewer pointed out, several of the characters look nearly identical, and I had to go back and reread several portions to figure out who was whom. 2, the variations on naming are awkward to me. Tohru is variously referred to as Tohru, Tohru-san, Tohru-chan, Tohru-kun, Honda-san, sometimes even Kyoko-san, which is her mother's name. This isn't so bad, because Tohru is always Tohru no matter what is on the end of it, but for example Hatori is sometimes Ha'ri and sometimes Haa-san and this happens with all the characters who have more than 2 syllables in their names.

There are some weird cultural things drawn in here that I don't understand: a sketch of Tohru's mom in middle school, and she's wearing what looks like a surgical mask? (She was not a doctor.) One of Tohru's friends is referred to as a Yankee, but I can only assume this has a different meaning in Japan. Her name is Arisa Uotani-san (sometimes Uo-chan, which really threw me!) and that is definitely not an American name. So, here I am confused again.

Please forgive my ramblings but once I get started, it's hard to stop! I'll be continuing with Fruits Basket.

I think that the storyline is so nice and is definitely worth reading. I prefer reading it in Nihongo though. All in all the story is very enjoyable and it has a good balance of darkness and drama against lightheartedness and comedy. Ga suki furuuts basuketto!

Tohru Honda's adventures really get going in the second volume of "Fruits Basket," where the upbeat teen moves into the Sohma household. Natsuki Takaya's storytelling is stronger and steadier in these chapters, since she's introduced the main characters and can now get going on the plot.

Tohru is moving into her newly furnished room, and her pals (wave-reading goth Saki and toughgrrl Hana) decide to stay over to make sure that the guys will take care of their cheerful friend. And when New Year's rolls around, Kyo and Yuki find themselves wondering what to do -- go to the main house with the other family, or stay with Tohru?

And at the school, the students are planning a cultural festival, and Tohru encounters two other Sohmas -- the chilly doctor Hatori, and the effusive half-German Momiji, who is instantly pals with Tohru. But Tohru learns of a different side to the zodiac members' lives, when she hears about Hatori's tragic past.

The first volume of "Fruits Basket" was all about introducing the characters and getting them into the same house. And in the second volume, Takaya gets to flesh out the cast with new characters and new storylines, and hints about the more sinister aspects of the Sohma family's curse, and the family head Akito.

The storylines in general are darker here, especially the harrowing flashbacks of Hatori's love affair with his ex-fiancee, and the bitterly chilly way that it fell apart. But Takaya also sprinkles it with happier moments, such as the naughty novels, the preparations for the cultural festival ("She brought an IRON PIPE to school!"), and poor Yuki having to wear a dress, much to the delight of his crazed fangirls.

There are also some new dimensions shown in Tohru here. Sure, she's always cheerful and pleasant, but Takaya hints that she is actually quite lonely now, despite the presence of her friends. But the zodiac members also get some development -- including Tohru's whole talk with Kyo about the "umeboshi" on people's backs.

The second volume of "Fruits Basket" is even better than the first, and introduces the mix of tragedy and comedy that Takaya is so good at. And it will only get better.

What a great book - with two of the most evil antagonists I've ever encountered. It's very depressing in parts, though, so I wouldn't read really casually. Both Gabriel (the main character), his friend "king" James, and Gabe's brother are fascinating characters. I was riveted through the whole book. Okay, I did put it down, but only to deal with things like my daughter crying, etc. I'm going to have to read it again in the future!

Durham evokes the wildness of the Plains and West with superb prose, sometimes nearly poetry in its details. Gabriel is a realistic depiction of an impatient, uncertain teenager. The plot line certainly keeps the reader involved, as we are curious to learn what new horror Marshall and Caleb will unleash on the people around them, as well as whether Gabriel and James will escape. But Durham's decision to present certain portions in italic with no names given to the people in them--even after we have been introduced to those people--struck me as striving too much for some mystical effect. I'm not clear on what this style is supposed to achieve and found it more annoying than effective.

The characters a full-bodied and mature. The story is heart-breaking and real to the core. One sympathizes with the protagonists and wishes the antagonists straight to hell. Now that is what I call a good novel. Durham has done a fabulous job...

Rarely do I read a book in one sitting, but I felt I had no choice in this one. I wish more books that I picked up held my interest, my imagination, and my heart as well as this one has. The main character, Gabriels, tells us a story of the American West in a unique manner far different than the "typical Western" we know. I highly recommend this book to those who are tired of cliches and formulas. I'm glad I found this little treasure.

Yes, Kansas was and is a Great Plains state, and anyone who first arrives might say, "I can't believe I'm in Kansas."

Kansas is an acquired taste, and Gabriel Lynch, a youngster frresh from the big eastern city of Baltimore, could not quite discover the tastefulness of farm life. Not many teens today could either. But they should read "Gabriel's Story" anyway.

This coming of age drama by David Anthony Durham has Gabriel run away from his mom and new step-dad to join up with a motley crew of vicious criminals. Gabriel soon learns to cherish a more simple life.

One might say he learned a lesson: Be loyal to your family. They're not as bad as you think.

Larry Rochelle, author of DEATH & DEVOTION: A Palmer Morel Mystery

Bought for my grandson's 7th birthday. He loved it, he is into everything Titanic right now. Even my husband loved it book, as did his father.

Awesome, in every sense of the word... One of the best books on the wreck i have ever viewed and it ties in brilliantly withthe movie which is probably one of my favourites too! I recommend this to any Titanic bod..

This book is a welcome additon to any on the RMS Titanic. Its not just history but of the crew of the deep sea submarine. The Titanic always captures ones imagination. This book shows the wear, and tear that nature is bringing the wreck of the Titanic. Its sad how much has changed since her discovery by Bob Ballard. The book goes into depth through pictures, and artwork of famed painter Ken Marschall. What is happening to the liner is awful. I also can respect a book that goes to the abyss without raping the Titanic that is a graveyard too, that deserves to be left alone to its fate by nature. Thank you for Amazon for allowing me to review this book, and give a little opinion on the subject of Titanic.

This book is an excellent tribute to those who designed,built and sailed on the world's most famous ship. It is also a fine tribute to those who sacrificed so much to find the ship laying on the ocean floor,at a depth of 2 1/2 miles below the surface,375 miles SE of Newfoundland,and 1,000 miles due East of Boston; and bringing back to us, in unimaginable detail ,how this magnificient ship, in all her splendor, looks today in her final resting place.For many decades ,there was wild speculation of how the ship would look after so many years under such great pressures and even if she could ever be found. All that speculation has been resolved,thanks to the efforts of these determined and talented people.Not only have they found her,visited her,returned with fantastic photographs;but have also done a superb job of sharing it with us through Motion Pictures,Documentries, beautiful,haunting and imaginative drawings and keepsakes such as this dazzling book.
Where this book shines is that it shows what things originally looked like ,using actual pictures at the time;and then showing what they look like now,after over 90 years of ravages by time and elements.
While the photos alone would make this an exiquisite volume,the text covers much information on the ship,how events unfolded and why things happened the way they did.
The painting by artist Ken Marschall of the Titanic, majestically forging ahead ;while she is being fatally ripped open by the iceberg shows the spirit of man against all odds of nature;and even though man is often set back,he refuses to be defeated. This scene in History is reminiscent of the spectacular explosion and loss of life with the Challenger Spaceship.We all owe a gerat debt of gratitude to the artists who portray images such as Marschall and who have the imagination and talent to paint such a picture as is on page 35, showing the Titanic breaking up,the many unfortunate passengers and crew heading with the ship to their watery graves;while a few fortunate are saved.The lifeboat with its few survivors ,where the artist shows that while some look on,others can't even bear to watch.While photographers can produce excellent images of events,if they get the opportunity;it takes an artist to record events like this.
The book is dedicated to those who perished on April,15,1912,and on September 11, 2001. As the world watched the events of 9/11,the crew who gave us the scenes in this wonderful book,were actually at sea ,diving on the Titanic.
We need books like this to remind us of the hopes, struggles and endurance of Man against both the forces of Nanure ,as with the Titanic and and the Evils of Man, as we saw on 9/11.

"Ghosts of the Abyss" features a collection of the greatest Titanic Wreck images to date. Cameron has wandered into areas of the ship inquiring minds like my own have often wondered about. The contrast of the Titanic then to what she is now reveals the tragic aspects of this signifciant historical disaster. What was by far catching were several 3-D models present here and there such as the Grand Staircase among other locations within the ship. The angles of the images taken and lighting of the wreck were brilliant. If anything, the rare images of the D-Deck vestibules make the book worth the price. A must have for anyone who is captivated by the former elegance of the ship of dreams.

My 3-year-old loves this book and so do I. I've been reading it to her for over a year and it's always been a favorite. It has great illustrations and a clever, original story.

Jan Brett's story, "The Hat", is a real wonderous book! This book is a wonderful well-written story! With breath-taking pictures, and a beautiful story line, this book will have you smiling all the way through it!
In the story, a little hedgehog named Hedgie finds a stocking on the ground. Thinking it is a stylish winter cap, he wears it on his head, but it gets stuck on his sharp pointy quills! He goes around to show off his newfound hat, but gets laughed at by the animals each time. Poor miserable Hedgie goes off to be by himself. When the "hat's" owner retrieves it back from Hedgie, a wonderous and helarious thing happens! You'll have to read the book to find out!
The realistic pictures and side drawngs complete this wonderful picture book. For ages 6 and up, this book is another one of Brett's adored picture books that will have you reading it over and over again!

Love Jan Brett... This one actually has two stories going, one in the main pages and one in the insets along the side, then they come together in the end. Fabulous!

I love Jan Brett's work: A modern day Shirley Hughes, I think. 'The Hat' is as beautiful and charming stories as any of her stories - and with wintertime feel-good-factor.

Get The Mitten instead, if you don't own it yet. This one is a little on the tedious side. You can see exactly where it's going from the very beginning and it doesn't have the peek-a-boo/sneeze joke in it that my daughter loves so much in The Mitten. To be honest, this is one of those books we have in our bookcase for variety and one of those ones where I skip parts just to get to the end of it.

Once you get past the strange layout (described in other sections), this is a great edition of Henry V. It is easy and fun to read and offers valuable insights (not just for students either). Well worth a flutter.

This play is best known for the St. Crispian's Day "Band of Brothers" speech given by King Henry just before the battle at Agincourt. It is a powerful speech that rallies people at all times and everywhere. Sir Lawrence Olivier made a film version in 1944 during WWII and Kenneth Branagh made another as recently as 1989. You can count on there being more versions. Epecially so when computers can help them make spectacular battle scenes (that aren't really in the play) with less expense.

Audiences love this play and they should. There is a lot to like and enjoy. I think upon repeated readings Henry becomes a more equivocal character than he seems at first. And readers of the King Henry IV plays will know him before he became King Henry and know something deeper about his personality.

And of course there is the whole bit about the drive to France being sponsored by the Church to avoid confiscation of property by the Crown. Moreover, there is the slaughtering of the French prisoners, and his treatment of Falstaff (who dies offstage in this play). This isn't revisionist stuff, it is right there in the play, but it is easy to miss the first time you are trying to take in the play.

In any case, this Arden edition is the one to buy and read from. Why? Because it has the most authoritative text, but that is only the beginning. It also shows variants between the early sources. The notes at the bottom of each page of the play are simply fabulous. The editor includes not only helpful notes explaining what might be obscure in the text of the play, he provides sources Shakespeare probably used such as Holinshed and makes for some very interesting study. There are also some helpful notes on how various scenes have been performed over time.

And to make this sound more like an infomercial, you get more! The introduction provides great background material on the play, its sources, and how it has been performed throughout history. After the play, there is a photo reproduction of the first Quarto from 1600 and it is fairly readable. There are also a couple of maps showing the path of the English Army from Harfleur through other towns on its way to Calais and makes clear how they had to pass through Agincourt.

There is also a helpful genealogical table so you can see the confusing claims used by Henry and the French nobility to make their claims. And there is a doubling chart so you can see how theater companies can perform all the roles with fewer actors.

This is a great edition as are all the plays published by the Arden Shakespeare. The amount of work collected in these volumes is stunning and they will enrich your experience of the plays tremendously. I can't recommend them enough.

This play more than any others in the histories glorifies Englishmen and England. His characters in this one are larger than life, but each has their own limitations and flaws. The play covers the time of the Battle of Agincourt when the French King Charles was so sure of victory that he sent a messenger to Henry to ask him to give up and to pay a ransom before the battle. On the eve of the Battle of Agincourt, the English were outnumbered five to one, Henry's troops were on foreign soil and riddled with disease. The scenes where Henry dons a disguise and goes out amongst his troops to bolster their confidence are great. The English managed to triumph in this battle where all was stacked against them mostly because of Henry's leadership. This is such a sweeping story that it is hard to condense in a few words, the plot of the play, but it is a wonderful example of Shakespeare's skills as a writer.

'We few, we happy few, we band of brothers.' What more need I say? Henry V is an imortal classic of western literature. And this edition is complete and accurate. See the film if you want, but be sure to read the words at least once. They are inspiring.

"Now, if these men do not die well, it will be a black matter for the King that led them to it."

Particularly poignant poetry in these times of pompous presidential sabre rattling and wars based on questionable facts.

I bought this book as a Christmas gift for a friend who is a hypochondriac. She got a kick out of it which is what I wanted. I'm not sure how informative it is but works good as a conversation piece on the coffee table.

This is the FUNNIEST book you'll ever read. Hands down. Fast delivery with good packaging (bubble wrap) for protection.

This book was funny. All the diseases shown are some of the worst diseases anyone could ever imagine. You won't even want to shake hands with someone after reading about Bejel. *ew*

If you have the nerve, and are into perverse entertainment, this is the book for you -- or someone who will appreciate midnight black humor with a glossy blue sheen. We're talking forty-five horrifying ways that Nature is out to get you, with plenty of gruesome details on how she will succeed, and the pitiful or nonexistent steps you can take to protect yourself.

The writing is excellent. The author has a way with words, content aside. It really takes talent to make me laugh out loud, all the way through a book, especially when what I'm reading is also giving me cold sweats and an irregular heartbeat. I couldn't put the book down, and now I'm afraid to move or breathe. Other people have to get their thrills on mountain tops -- me, I can sit right here, white knuckled, waiting for unspeakable dangers to come to me. I am now regarding my cats and coworkers with suspicion -- no, outright terror.

Three days ago, I had no trouble making the leap from tiny flickering pain in my head to malignant brain tumor. Now I look at that self-diagnosis as a sign of childlike innocence. Do you have any idea how many truly unspeakable, debilitating, and deadly diseases start out with a simple rash or swelling? Numbness, coughing, itching, of course headaches, the list of innocuous symptoms is comprehensive, and all symptoms seem to lead to blindness and loss of body parts.

I find the ailment Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva, where your immune system decides to replace your sore muscles with bone, particularly insidious, although I feel better about not going to the gym now. Another favorite: Fatal Familial Insomnia, in which you never sleep again. (It's now 2 a.m. -- I'm feeling perky, and worried.) Furious Rabies, Norwegian Scabies, very bad. And let's not ignore good old pinworms, which 1 in 10 of us have at this minute and everyone has a 50/50 shot at getting at some point before they die (probably not from pinworms, which, by the way, are IN your butt and come out at night to lay their eggs ON your butt. Remember that time you scratched your itchy butt? Yuh huh. Trust me, the least of your worries. You want to be focusing on Scleroderma, in which your skin and organs slowly harden and you begin to resemble a statue, or Myasis, in which maggots crawl around beneath your skin. If you're lucky you'll get off with Chronic Idiopathic Diarrhea or Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome. Both of which sound marginally better than the Mycobacteriosis I could get from changing the water in my fishbowl, or Bacillary Angiomatosis (cat scratch fever).

Giving this book to a full-blown hypochondriac is what passive aggressive behavior is all about. Or, you just think your mom will really get a kick out of it.

What better way to bond to the sweet hypochondriac in your life than by giving them this book? The diseases are real, the commentary is hilarious. Guys, believe me, you won't want to swim in the Amazon after you read this.

As a child, my favorite movie was THE WIZARD OF OZ. For Chirstmas ,I received this wonderful book that is all about the famous "pet-actress" named "Toto". (Yes, Toto was actually a little female dog named Terry,not a male , as most people would think).

Anyhow, this book is all about the tiny Cairn Terrier "Toto" (Terry) and how she came about becoming one of the principal characters in the movie.

The photos are just amazing also. My favorite photos are the behind-the-scene photos showing Toto "acting" in the actual movie, just as the trainer was in the background giving Toto her directions. Sooo cute!

If you are a dog fan, or a Cairn Terrier fan, or a Wizard of Oz fan, you'll love this book.

I, Toto is a delightfully well written book by Willard Carroll about the life of Terry, a Cairn Terrier who became famous in movies. The book is based on a scrapbook Willard Carroll found that documented the life and movie career of this well trained dog; and the book is primarily set up to look just like a book typed on an old typewriter--written, of course, by the dog itself.

The book starts with the story of how Terry was born, adopted and eventually given up by her owners because of her troubles with housetraining; and we learn how Carl Spitz professionally trained dogs to perform in movies. Spitz, an excellent trainer who worked with many dogs, wound up training Terry professionally. Spitz used both kindness and discipline to train his dogs, including Terry, very well; his talents are obvious when we consider that Terry (aka Toto) appeared in at least fourteen major motion pictures including The Wizard Of Oz.

Carroll cleverly writes the memoirs of Terry, or Toto, in the first person as if the dog herself had written the book. This provides the reader with an extra slice of humor when Carroll writes about things that happened on the sets of pictures or in Carl Spitz's training camp for dogs. Carroll does an excellent job of getting readers to be charmed out of their trees by Terry who eventually becomes renamed Toto for the sake of her career. A movie star dog has to consider Hollywood politics, after all!

The book is filled with wonderful reproductions of ads for the movies Terry was in; and we see numerous publicity shots from movies including Bright Eyes with Shirley Temple and Terry as Rags the dog. Of course, we get plenty of stills from The Wizard Of Oz and there are very nicely done "hand written" asides to the reader that also appear to be written by Terry. The result is a charming look back at the life of Terry, the dog who became Toto and enjoyed great movie fame--and treats along the way!

Overall, classic movie buffs will enjoy this book; and people who love The Wizard Of Oz will appreciate this book very much since so little was known about Terry before Willard Carroll wrote this book. The book is well written and a real page turner; it grabs your attention and never lets it go.

Great job, Willard Carroll!

A must read for any Oz fan as well as dog lovers of all kinds. I never knew how many movies Toto was in, and the Oz trivia was really fun, too. It was very cleverly written from Toto's point of view. I actually laughed out loud at some parts. Don't pass by picture captions and comments on the sides of the pages. It's all worth reading! Not bad for a dog no one wanted!

Since my all-time favorite dog star is Toto, this book was easy for me to love. However, once I began to read, I found it to be something extra special. I, Toto is a mood lifter as well as an interesting piece of Hollywood history. Beautifully written in the first person, I, Toto will captivate the heart and mind of any dog lover.

I was looking at silver-screen bio's in the library when I came across this clever little volume. Author Willard Carroll knows a lot about Oz, and he also understands a lot about animals and the people who love them. Whether you are a fan of the Wonderful Land of Oz, a dog-lover, or both, you are going to get such a kick out of this book. If you're like me, you're going to breeze through it, and then go back and read it again, preferably with someone nearby to whom you can read the funniest, most touching or trivia-friendly bits. Toto, who began as Terry, a little dog abandoned by her owners, has a very good friend indeed in Mr. Carroll.

This is a story about Toto, but it is also the story of Carl Spitz, who had been training dogs since 1919. When he came to Hollywood in 1927, he opened a training school which combined kindness and discipline, an innovation which most at the time considered "nonsense." Mr. Spitz and his dogs broke into silent movies; he developed a series of silent commands when talkies came along. His dogs appeared with the stars: Prince the Great Dane and Lawrence Olivier in Wuthering Heights; Buck the Saint Bernard and Clarke Gable in The Call of the Wild. The English mastiff and the Scottish terrier were in major productions, too.

Mr. Carroll captures Toto's "voice" so perfectly, even using a font that looks like my mother's old portable Underwood typewriter for the star's narrative. Toto also comments on the dozens of photos, movie stills and other memorabilia of a busy career with red pen.

Toto hobnobs with the stars and has some once-in-a-lifetime moments, such as when Mr. Gable came to visit the kennel owned by Carl Spitz, the trainer who adopted and worked with Toto and many other canine performers. (Don't want to tell you what happened, but it made Mr. Gable smile. Eventually.) She works with Spencer Tracy in Fury and Shirley Temple in Bright Eyes. (Of the latter, Toto reports, "Shirley had her hair cut and recurred and had endless wardrobe fittings and makeup tests. I had a flea bath, a toenail trim, and an enema.")

And then there was Oz. Toto is miffed when a studio official gushed, "She's the one! Looks just like the dog on the cover," for she considers said beast "a genetic mutation of terrifying proportions," but the role is hers and she revels in it, for she soon realizes that the story "IS ALL ABOUT ME!!! ... I'M IN ALMOST EVERY SCENE IN THE BLESSED PICTURE!!!" Toto includes a page from the shooting script with all six of her lines circled, as proof positive of her importance to the film.

Of course, it isn't all green grass and marrow bones. There are those scary wind machines and the shock of seeing that nice Maggie dressed up in black, with her face painted green and the biggest nose since Durante, cackling away. Oh, and the Winkie guard that stepped on her paw by accident. Ouch! And the creepy flying monkeys. But Mr. Spitz' training paid off; Toto found herself able to rebound from such situations and perform like the trooper that she was.

I, Toto is now one of my favourite movie books. Cute but never mawkish, sentimental but never saccharine, informative but never overwhelming, this little story of a little dog is a big winner.

It is like Andy Andrews is standing there telling you the story. And it is an amazing story! If you want and need a good book, choose this one. You will never be sorry!

I loved the book. Andy Andrews does a wonderful job retelling a true story while he teaches eternal truths. Awesome!

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....But is it?

Andy is an amazing storyteller, and this book is proof positive of his skill.

Pulled from the little known theater of World War II, the American Gulf Coast, Andy weaves fact and fiction into a story about two people on opposite sides of the war, but on the same side of the heart...

This was my first Andy Andrews book. I picked it up in a Christian bookstore off the discount book shelf and assumed it was a book with a religious message.

While it does contain a good message and I appreciate it even more because I see the "principle" as one that Christ taught, it falls somewhat flat. The fact that this "principle" is biblical doesn't excuse the fact that the characters end up being a bit too much of the "self-help" variety. True love works wonders and can teach us this "principle" because God modeled it for us, and the story is very effective in explaining why it is so helpful for all involved. This story is very much about good ethics and morals, but is also too humanist in it's approach to be considered profound or even remarkable.

The story is believeable, while the character development is bit light. The historical element was interesting and pretty accurate, I believe. This is the kind of book I'd recommend to a light reader as beach or vacation fare so that, if they don't get around to reading it, it won't seem like they've missed out on a life changing lesson.

I was surprised that the book includes instructions for obtaining a study guide and a video. That's a bit presumptuous on the part of the publisher I think. This is not ground shaking stuff and any study group based on this book might do better to wean themselves off Dr.Phil and Oprah for a more lasting benefit.

Read (and believe) your Bibles and you'll get a much deeper and meaningful explanation of this "principle".

When I picked up this book, I had no idea what it was about. I only knew it was written by one of my favorite authors, Andy Andrews. I found this to be a little different from Andrews' other books, but like the others, ISLAND OF SAINTS did not disappoint me.

This is a true account of Andrews' own personal discovery of some WWII memorabilia that just didn't seem to belong when Andy had found it. His curiosity sent him searching for clues as to how and why these items ended up buried on his little Gulf coast island property. What he uncovered was a riveting true story that promotes valuable lessons of forgiveness along the way.

The story does take a while to develop. Several times I wondered just where the story was going and it was not until about half way into the book that things really began to take shape. The subject is one I have long been fascinated with, and that is the German activity along the east and gulf coasts during WWII. The fact that we hear so little about this aspect of the war makes one wonder just how many prominent citizens were a part of the effort to supply the Nazis.

The underlying message here is learning how to forgive. In this vain, there are some very profound observations here, as one would expect from Andrews, although they do come quite late in the book. Overall, this is a wonderful true story that includes some valuable life's lessons.

I do feel obligated to point out a flaw. At the conclusion of chapter 10, Joseph and Helen are having a conversation in which Joseph describes the rise and fall of democracy, attributed to Professor Alexander Tyler of Scotland in 1787. The trouble is, even though the description of the self-destruction of any democracy is, I believe completely accurate, study has shown there is no record to indicate that this notion originated with Professor Tyler.