V Books

I was in a book store and I was attracted to the title and the cover color. I picked up the book and read the jacket and I was hooked. I hardly ever buy non-technical books -especially non-fiction. But I was hooked after reading the jacket so I bought the book and assiduously read and enjoyed it. Also I am a Wharton alumnus. I also took classes with Len Lodish.

Eric Ericsson

The book spells out tips for starting a business (use credit cards instead of banks) and the mistakes the authors made along the way (when do you enter the market). You can even contact them after reading and talk to them about your ideas. The encouraging aspect of the book is that while they are starting their business, they spoke to their classmates who were making $200,000 on wall street and working for the dot-coms, but John and Kyle were not discouraged. I am happy that they were able to take an idea like a computer mouse shaped like a gold club and turn it into THEIR company. Congrats guys!

There is so much in this book that I can relate to, having started my own company around the same time in Silicon Valley (although in software). John and Kyle made the same mistakes that many entrepreneurs thankfully make - they followed their passion instead of their senses, and didn't buckle under the pressure and the unknown. One other valuable lesson from this book -- document your process. This is a great way to share your successes and your mistakes with others. I wish we had more stories like this when I was working on my MBA - something more than the dry, non-applicable case studies stuck in front of us. And John and Kyle also provided one other important gem: how to save a few bucks a month at the neighborhood gym. Thanks guys.

The Mousedriver Chronicles is the story of 2 Wharton MBA's who take a business plan developed on their entrepreneurship course at Wharton and decide to make a go of it. In 1999 they turn away high paying jobs at investment banks and over funded dot.com startups to go it alone.

Their idea: to make and sell a computer mouse that looks like the head of a golf driver.

They fund the venture themselves, find a manufacturer in Hong Kong, move to San Francisco (to be part of all the start up vibe in The Bay area) and run the business from the kitchen of their rented flat.

Their story is brilliantly relayed as they grapple with manufacturing, marketing and distribution hassles. The single product focus of their new company, named Platinum Concepts Inc., makes for a wonderful entrepreneurial story with excellent lessons about what it takes to succeed as a self funded start up. The two founders quickly learn that they need more than the theoretical knowledge acquired on their MBA at Wharton; they need to be street wise. They experiment with different mechanisms to make things happen and end up categorizing their execution strategies as follows:
Plan A: Make use of their business school network and contacts
Plan B: Hit the streets and the shops to find a creative solution
Plan C: Work the Yellow Pages

More often than not, plan B and C worked far better than plan A.

One of the founders, John Lusk, began sharing their entrepreneurial adventure with friends and family via a monthly email called "The Insider". The Insider was a real, often humorous, sometimes highly insightful newsletter about their adventure. The insider subscriber list grew and grew. MBA lecturers began distributing The Insider as prescribed reading. In 2001 Inc. Magazine featured a cover story on the company and its two founders. The Inc. cover story entitled "An American Start-up" focuses on the impact of The Insider e-mail newsletter. The email newsletters were used as the foundation for the book published in 2001 entitled The "Mousedriver Chronicles".
The company has since been shut down but the Mousedriver website still serves as a portal for entrepreneurs and copies of The Insider newsletter can be found in PDF format on the website: www.mousedriver.com

MouseDriver is about two guys who graduate from Wharton with MBAs in 1999 (the heart of the internet boom) and start a business manufacturing and selling a computer mouse that looks like the head of a driver golf club, turning down high paying jobs at dotcoms, investment banks, consulting firms etc.

As a small business consultant (Transcendence Consulting, LLC tcllc.net) I can tell you right now that if you are looking to start a busines, buy this book TODAY. It is an amazing look at the entire process of starting a business, from the ability to jump head first, manage yourself during
the highs and lows, deal with self doubt and solve an endless supply of problems. It is an easy read that will take you no time at all to complete.

This book is an incredible story of survival. I have seen the movie also. I would recommend both!

One of those amazing stories that makes you realize just how much the human spirit can take, and still survive. And just how inhumane we humans can be towards each other. Once you start reading, you won't be able to put this down.

Szpilman reveals the tragedy of Jewish life in Warsaw under the German occupation from 1939-1946. Szpilman's autobiographical work was first published in postwar Poland in 1946 but then quickly removed from circulation by Polish authorities. An accomplished pianist before the war, Szpilman played for Polish Radio during the siege of Warsaw and later within the Jewish ghetto to provide food for his parents and siblings. With the systematic liquidation of Jewish life in Warsaw and separation from his family, Szpilman's life took a series of surprising twists. As the reader views life in the ghetto through the eyes of a survivor, his escape from the ghetto before the Jewish up-rising and his ultimate survival consistently depended upon a timely combination of luck and sympathetic acquaintances B including a German army officer.

Included with Szpilman's memoirs are excerpts from Captain Wilm Hosenfeld's diaries and Wolf Biermann's own brief commentary. Hosenfeld's equating of National Socialism with Stalinist Communist and Biermann's emphasis on Szpilman's willingness to break with his past detracts from the overall quality of this work. Nevertheless, this work is well written and will retain the reader's attention to the end.

I could not put down this book, and read it in two sittings. Wladyslaw Szpilman, the famed pianist and composer, describes his harrowing account of life under Nazi terror. As a Polish Jew, Szpilman was considered by the Nazis to be entirely subhuman, and it is a miracle he survived the persistent and random acts of violence that surrounded him. He was nearly sent to a death camp along with his five family members, and somehow was pulled off the Birkenau-bound train to a grim prospect of survival. The images in this book are harrowing, such as the depiction of the shattered skulls of little girls, victims of the Nazis' "preferred" method of killing children by picking them up by their legs and swinging them into a brick wall. Imagine the horror....Szpilman's account is so matter-of-fact at times that you wonder how he survived. The fact that he did is a testament of human endurance, but also the ways of fate. There were occasions when he survived simply by the luck of the draw in a Godless universe.

Why do I consider a first person account detailing the horrors of the Holocaust to be uplifting? The events described by the author are harrowing and nearly unbelieveable to the degree that I was astonished that the man, in the end, survives. Perhaps that is why I am so uplifted by this story. He survived. He defied evil by daring to live. He also dared to pick up the pieces of his shattered life and continue to live. He does this without any fanfare or obvious heroism. I think that is what makes this particular telling of the Holocaust so remarkable. The author writes it in such an unremarkable fashion that it forces you to sit up and take notice. By simply stating that the caramel was his 'family's last meal together' makes you pause to reflect on such an event. Beautifully written. Highly reccommended.

As a side note, Roman Polanski's adaptation of this book is truely brilliant. Adrien Brody's portrayal of Szpilman is awe inspiring and heart wrenching to watch. Both men do the book and Szpilman's memory justice.

This book was first published in 1993 and like with all Simpsons' merchandise and books back then changes to the show over time have left these items a bit dated. Published three years after Do the Bartman swept to the top of the charts this book represents The Simpsons' in the early 90s, when the show was more about Bart rather than Homer. Bart had a lot of catchphrases which have not continued onto modern times which are in this book for example in the first lines Bart speaks to the reader as he introduces forgery he tell us "Okay, Listen up man!" Obviously he no longer talks like this so the vocabulary of Bart is a bit dated but the Matt Groening humour isn't.

Bart teachers the reader about personal enrichment through his eyes teaching us how to cope with the different aspects of life such as School, Food, Health, Money, Work, Parents, Art, Culture, Science, Psychology to name but a few of the vast topics covered. Like the vocabulary a lot of other characters hadn't become mainstream or even created in the first few seasons when this book came out so in the school yard there are a lot of illustrations of kid characters we are unfamiliar with but these are little things in no way retract from the overall enjoyment of this book. With the book being so old too, like I did you'll probably find it for a cheap price in many a second hand book shop.

Bart Simpson's Guide to life is a wee handbook for the perplexed to learn how to get through life the way Bart does it. It includes scenes with other family members too like Lisa, Homer, Marge, Maggie, and of course Bart. It has different subjects including school, love, money, food, and after hours. The funniest scenes are forgery, how to cheat in school, and Bart's Dream Bedroom. My personal favorite scene is Bart's Dream Bedroom because it has a bunch of stuff in it that I like including an observatory with an intergalactic telescope, a wrestling celebrity bedtime reader, a personal fridge stocked with junk food, a giant comic book collection along the walls, a Spinal Tap World Tour poster, an electronic automatic wardrobe selector, a private basketball court, an E=MC2 snooze time sleep helper, a heavy metal band alarm clock, an alien life form chart, a Tinkle-Matic TM bed wetting sheet absorber, a waterbed with piranhas in it, a 50" thick lead door with a giant ant farm in it, two guard dogs in front of it, a little sister early warning detection system, and a thumbprint identifying lock.

Not really. In addition to MAD magazine, this book was integral in my life as a kid through high school. It was given to me by my mom many years ago and I still keep it on the shelf next to my "big kid" books. It is fun to pull out and read a few pages from time to time. Heaven vs. Hell, Sex, Money, School, and everything in between.

This book taught me what auf Wiedersehen means. Go ahead, wiki it.

If you are a Simpsons fan, this is an important addition to your collection especially if you are like me and grew up watching the show.

Bart Simpson's Guide to Life is undoubtadly one of the best books to be based on The Simpsons that I have read.

The laughs keep on coming all the way through to the last page thanks to Matt Groening's pointed wit and satirical look at modern life.

A must for every Simpsons fan.

Not only is Bart Simpson's guide to life funny it also has great drawings, and comical jokes, such as the ingredient list on the back of the book. Buy it and you'll be reading it over and over again!

This is a incredible book. You will feel like you've met a new friend in Judith. This book shows that the physic is not a taboo but a beautiful spirtual experience. Everyone who reads this book will be grateful they did.

Second Sight was recommended to me by a friend who knew of my interest in the psychic, and I am so happy she did...I could not put this book down, looking forward to sitting quietly each morning to read the next chapter in Ms. Orloff's life. A must read for anyone interested in the spiritual, psychic, or healing abilities. With this book, Ms. Orloff has inspired me to reach out and explore a long desired interest in my own psychic abilities and it's spiritual connection. Highly recommended!

Judith Orloff has a deep mystical current running through this enchanting autobiography. She writes with candor and insight into the intuitive nature we all possess and -if we are wise- whose counsel we heed. Offering a guidebook, life story, and adventure -all in one book, this is highly recommended reading for anyone who feels the tug of spiritual awakening to our mystical potential. I used this book while teaching my college class and students all loved it! Well-written, credible, and delightful!

I have been reading many different books dealing with healing, spiritual growth and energy medicine. Most have a variety of resources to offer and to guide you. In her book, Judith goes beyond techniques. She reveals the difficulties of growing up with a spiritual gift. And what makes her story so different from others is that Judith tells not only the beautiful side of what such a gift can give you, but also the challenges and the incredible responsibility that is imbedded in having psychic abilities.

Judith's book gives you her own story in a clear, passionate and courageous way. She is a pioneer in revealing what most people may not understand; and even reject in an academic and professional setting. It is not easy in such a setting to advance your career and serve others in a meaningful way acknowledging that you have psychic abilities. Judith has been able to do that and has found a way to show others that is possible to have a career without ignoring or rejecting your psychic abilities.

In a time, that many are trying to ¨have psychic abilities ¨ it is a blessing to find someone who shows that those gifts must be developed with a purpose different than just being special or have some power. As she correctly points out those abilities must be embedded in a deep connection with the divine within each of us.

It's like I can take a deep breath and relax now. Someone once asked me "How do you feel when you enter a room where there's a lot of fighting and anger?" My immediate response was: "I recoil and want to run out of there." I thought everybody felt this way. Granted we all feel things up to a certain level, but the notion that I feel more than most never occurred to me. Doesn't everyone? I thought. Learning I was not alone in my experiences was a huge relief and revelation to me. When I read Dr. Orloff's book I felt I had found me. I now knew who I was and could now just simply enjoy what once seemed like a curse. Feeling everything like I have been up to date without understanding it is "crazy making." I now realized no, it's a blessing, I have been given a whole 'nother level of awareness and depth. It is powerful. Hearing Dr. Orloff explain it through sharing her life- it blew the barn doors open. She talks openly about all her experiences as well as how she deeply respects her gifts and how she has combined these with traditional methodologies. Yes, there is a feeling of "safety" that she has credentials when reading this, but for me the true safety comes in how Dr. Orloff has chosen to use her gifts and live her life. She deeply respects what she has and is grateful for it. She does not misuse what she has and adds seriousness and credibility to her spiritual gifts.

I bought a copy of this book for my sister as she feels things on the hyper-sensitive scale as I. My sister gets massive migraines and has been taking medication to manage this. After reading Dr. Orloff's story and learned how she went through a phase of medicating herself to "escape" until she new what to do with what she had been given, I related this to my sister. She opened up to me and told me more things that she had experienced as a child. I now hope that my sister will be able to understand herself an accept and enjoy these gifts she has been given.

As far as I'm concerned Dr. Orloff is opening doors for people and allowing everyone to relax as well as respect a whole arena of the human experience that typically gets shunned, and until very recently even went punished. And the biggest tragedy of all is that these gifts have gone unused, denied and ignored by many and dismissed as sillyness or even crazyness of some kind. With this openess and understanding of what is really going on many can now not waste what they have been blessed with and can live incredibly rich, powerful lives. There's nothing to reject or push away. In fact, this is cause for celebration. Thank you for sharing your story, Dr. Orloff.

What a wonderful story about a mother and daughter....bought for my daughter who has a six week old daughter!!!
Shipping was fast...book was perfect.


:)

I happened upon this book by chance and as I read it in the store, I began to cry... it really hit a note with me. Simple and beautiful. I bought it and gave it to my 1 year old daughter on her birthday. She doesn't understand it now, of course, but my inscription in the book will be with her as she grows up and I think it'll be a wonderful keepsake and memory for her - that I read this book to her. Of course, I hope one day to get through it without crying...

I bought this book for my children and I now I am buying a copy for my mother. It brings tears to my eyes each time I read it and my boys just love it. It's a necessary book for any mother or for anyone who has a mother.

I checked this book out of the library on a whim one day and as I was reading it to my daughter, I couldn't even read a couple of the pages because I'm such a sentimental thing and started to bawl. I instantly went to Amazon to buy a copy for my daughter and two for baby gifts. A tad schlocky at times, but a wonderful gift for a new mom, who is probably so hormonal that she, too, will be moved to tears. Lovely pictures and a lovely book!

I bought this book for my daughter when she recently had her first child, my first grandchild. I cried when I first read it - and I'm not ususally a tearful, sentimental person. It expresses my feelings as I see life moving on into a new generation of my family and the poignancy of new life contrasted to the eventual end of life for each of us.

Our boy already loved Tugga-Tugga Tugboat and My Truck is Stuck, so I had an idea that he would like this book by the same author/illustrator combo, especially because he likes trains.

Well, this was his favorite of the three. The drawings are charming, the story sufficiently uncomplicated for a nearly-three-year-old, and he wanted us to read nothing else for weeks. Highly recommended.

This is my 20 month old son's FAVORITE book. He constantly wants it to be read and re-read to him....and this is the only book that he asks for (even though we have a lot of other good ones). For any kids that love trains, this is a great book. And for parents, it's an enjoyable/easy read. And the illustrations are very nice too.

I have read this book to a baby I babysit for, and he loves it! I've been reading it to him since he was 4 months old and he still likes to have it read to him over and over again! The primary colors in the book make it so vivid and colorful and you can be very animated when you read it, they love it! I ordered one for my sister's new baby!

Fantastic pictures and great text, this book is a sure winner for any young train lover!

The little boy in this story loves trains, and when it's time for bed he chugs his wooden train all around a most elaborate track...under the tunnels under the chairs in the bedroom, around some blocks that might cause a landslide, on a bridge across the river (a fish tank) and onto bed with the tired little boy who settles in with some stuffed animals for the night. It's a soothing and inventive bedtime story, and a pleasure to read aloud.

this was the textbook for my principles of animation I class, and it was an immense help. if I was ever confused about how to liven up an animation, or make a movement more believable, I could look in the book for an explanation of a walk, run, jump, or any of a number of movements and get an example of the keyframes at the very least.
while it doesn't sit down and explain the 12 principles of animation in a section, it does end up covering the essentials in an easy to understand way.

my instructor put it this way "The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation is the old testament of animation, and this book, is the new testament."

This is an easy to understand book that i am sure will give me an edge starting my animation history classes. It lays everything out in an understandable format. great book

a much needed item for an inspiring animator or anyone interested in the entertainment field

Exactly what I was looking for! The perfect guide for the beginning (and the more experienced)animator.

Anyone remotely interested in animation should pick up this book. It is amazing. It is truly the perfect reference book for anyone who wants to animate, and do it well.

My daughter loves this book (22 months old) and my husband and I enjoy the sing-song rhyme as well. It has a nice rhythm for reading aloud. We don't mind reading it over and over! The illustrations are great also.

My 11 month old son loves this book and has since he was little. He loves the cadence of my voice as I read the clever rhyming story and he loves the pictures. However for younger children like him this book is also available in a board book format. Just search amazon for bear snores on board book.

This book was given to us when our boy was born and it's been a favorite for his two years of life. We've given this as a gift now many times.

This book is one of our favorites. Great, original verse, lots of cute animals, and a repeating phrase make our 2-year-old pay attention. The other "Bear" books don't seem as original to me. We give this book as gifts, and everyone loves it!

i love reading this aloud. my 3 yo and i love love love this book. it's funny and cute! finally! a story and words as cute as the pictures! yea for storybooks with a backbone!

This book is really relatable for pet lovers. make sure you have a tissue handy, though. I bought this book for my mom after her dog passed away, and have also read it myself. I know the understanding she is able to get from these stories has helped her. there are some very memorable stories, and the short story format lets you read at your own pace. don't get me wrong- not all the stories are sad!

As both a dog and cat owner, and a would-be everything-else owner, too, I love this book! I have several "Chicken Soup" books, plan to add several more to my collection, but this one is probably my favorite so far. It keeps you between tears and laughter from beginning to end. All pet lovers will see themselves and their furry, feathered or finned friends somewhere in here, I'm sure!

Most of the series of 'Chicken Soup for the Soul' has the kind of warm and fuzzy story that many find endearing and sweet. They are not 'deep' most of the time, but do point to things beyond themselves; for my own use, I often find sermon illustrations and stories within the pages of volumes of Chicken Soup -- as chaplain at a retirement centre, many of the stories help people to recall happier times, and help them deal with their present situation.

This particular volume involves stories with animals. The relationship between animals and people of all ages can make for some of the funniest, most heart-warming, most sad, and most meaningful stories. There are contributing authors of some note (Barbara Bush, James Herriot, Jimmy Stewart, Gilda Radner, Art Linkletter) among other authors who had stories to tell and volunteered them. Much in the manner that Readers Digest accepts unsolicited stories from amateur authors, so does the Chicken Soup series. Often the most meaningful stories are those that happen to people who are not professional writers.

Few animals are left out here, as many animals have come to be companions with humans over the centuries. Dogs and cats feature prominently, as do horses and other farm animals, but there are also wolves, birds, dolphins, deer, wild turkeys, gorillas and even a Christmas mouse. The stories cover a wide range of topics, including pets as friends and healers, animals as rescuers and performers of other amazing feats, animals whose companionship meant a lot, and finally on the sadness and meaning of saying goodbye to an important family member.

Each of this stories can easily be read in a short time. This makes it a good source for 'falling-asleep reading', for use in public speaking and preaching opportunites, for shared reading-aloud times, and for simple enjoyment and entertainment. Many of the stories here are ones that stay with you; the story about the wild turkeys and the story of the Christmas mouse are stories I use again and again in my chaplaincy, and they are always appreciated.

The editors of the primary series 'Chicken Soup' are Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen; for purposes of this volume, they are joined by Marty Becker and Carol Kline, authors and animal-professionals in various capacities.

My cats give their paws-up to this!

Most of the series of 'Chicken Soup for the Soul' has the kind of warm and fuzzy story that many find endearing and sweet. They are not 'deep' most of the time, but do point to things beyond themselves; for my own use, I often find sermon illustrations and stories within the pages of volumes of Chicken Soup -- as chaplain at a retirement centre, many of the stories help people to recall happier times, and help them deal with their present situation.

This particular volume involves stories with animals. The relationship between animals and people of all ages can make for some of the funniest, most heart-warming, most sad, and most meaningful stories. There are contributing authors of some note (Barbara Bush, James Herriot, Jimmy Stewart, Gilda Radner, Art Linkletter) among other authors who had stories to tell and volunteered them. Much in the manner that Readers Digest accepts unsolicited stories from amateur authors, so does the Chicken Soup series. Often the most meaningful stories are those that happen to people who are not professional writers.

Few animals are left out here, as many animals have come to be companions with humans over the centuries. Dogs and cats feature prominently, as do horses and other farm animals, but there are also wolves, birds, dolphins, deer, wild turkeys, gorillas and even a Christmas mouse. The stories cover a wide range of topics, including pets as friends and healers, animals as rescuers and performers of other amazing feats, animals whose companionship meant a lot, and finally on the sadness and meaning of saying goodbye to an important family member.

Each of this stories can easily be read in a short time. This makes it a good source for 'falling-asleep reading', for use in public speaking and preaching opportunites, for shared reading-aloud times, and for simple enjoyment and entertainment. Many of the stories here are ones that stay with you; the story about the wild turkeys and the story of the Christmas mouse are stories I use again and again in my chaplaincy, and they are always appreciated.

The editors of the primary series 'Chicken Soup' are Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen; for purposes of this volume, they are joined by Marty Becker and Carol Kline, authors and animal-professionals in various capacities.

My cats give their paws-up to this!

I didn't quite know if I was going to make it through this book. Through about the first 8-9 stories, I kept on crying. I was thinking "This is ridiculous. I can't read one doggone story without crying after I read it." I kept thinking of my dog, Shep, who died a couple years ago at the age of 91 and how badly I want another dog. There is a dog beach by my house so usually everytime I see a dog, Shep pops up to mind. I pretty much had sunglasses on when I read this book in public so people wouldn't think I was completely crazy. Somewhere towards the middle, I hardened up and was ready to read this book without blinking a thousand times.
These were wonderful stories about everything from cats, dogs, snakes, bears, gorillas, and birds. I enjoyed every last one of them except for the one about Bush's dog. It was very impersonal and told the whole story like it was some sort of nursery rhyme. That was the only reason the book got four stars. I don't even understand how that story made it past submissions.

Donna Gillespie's The Light Bearer is an entertaining, substantive work, made even more impressive by being the author's first novel. She cares for her characters, especially her two leads, Auriane and Marcus Julianus, who are likable, soulful, and passionate heroes. It is impossible not to root for them to overcome their enemies and come together as allies. Her research is evident in the amount of historical detail, particularly in her description of Chattian customs and rituals. Since many of the facts about the culture of Germanic tribes have been lost, she relies on educated speculation to authenticate her portrayal.

As a character, Auriane is appealing in that she straddles the limbo between Germanic tribalism and Roman civilization. While she firmly subscribes to her tribal customs, she is amazed and impressed by Roman advancements. Her tolerance of Rome and Romans distinguishes her from the Boudica, a British warrior maiden who is her closest real-life composite. I like how Auriane's quasi-Romanization provides conflict between her and her kinsmen.

The novel is more fiction than history. Auriane and Marcus Julianus are entirely fictional, although I am sure they inspired by true people and events. While it is possible that people like them existed, I do not believe it to be likely. Marcus Julianus's role in monumental events is too significant; anyone who would have effected such dramatic change would have been remembered. I think that the author could have learned from Gore Vidal (in Creation or the Narratives of Empire series) or Mary Renault (in The Praise Singer or The Mask of Apollo) who create memorable fictional characters who witness historical events but rarely incite them.

In my opinion, the novel's main weakness is the lack of complexity in the characters. On one hand, the heroes are unquestionably good and capable. They rarely make mistakes, and when they do, they turn out to be fortunate errors which lead to greater understanding of events or acceptance by others. On the other hand, the villains are monstrously evil, which is the novel's biggest failing. The author never attempts to humanize Domitian, Junilla, or Odberht, all of whom may have compelling causes for their villainy: Domitian and Junilla were persecuted under the Nero regime, and Odberht was disowned by his father. The author did not have to elicit sympathy for them, but she could have made an effort to make them more understanding. In particular, her depiction of Domitian is heavy-handed, lacking the realism or intricacy of Robert Graves's Claudius or Colleen McCullough's Caesar or Augustus. While history is sketchy about him, there is some consensus that he was an able administrator, which the author omits. I think that Gillespie could have done more with him by weighing his reign against Nero's and using the similarities and differences to pin down his character.

I also think that the novel would have been more digestible as two or three midsized novels than one colossal epic. The plot has numerous places where one storyline ends and another begins. These ending and beginnings might have better handled in separate works than in one book. The novel sprawls at times; as a series of novels, it might have been tauter and more focused. She could learn narrative control from Gillian Bradshaw, whose Roman novels are consistently engaging due to their economy of words and plots.

The fact that I am comparing Gillespie to accomplished, praised writers in the genre indicates her talent and potential. Mentioning a first-time novelist alongside Vidal, Renault, Graves, and McCullough is an accolade.

The Lightbearer is truly an amazing read. Once I began it, I couldn't pull myself away from the spell of Auriane, woman warrior, fighting for the survival of her embattled Germanic tribe against the all powerful Roman army. The characters are so richly drawn, I had an immediate sense of our shared humanity, despite the remoteness of their times. I was captivated by the vivid descriptions of these two worlds, sometimes hauntingly beautiful, sometimes disturbingly barbarous, always artfully rendered through Gillespie's exquisite prose. This is definitely a page turner filled with passion, struggle, heroism, and intriguing myth. With this carefully crafted tale Gillespie enters the arena of master storyteller.

I'll never completely comprehend the fact that this is her first book!
Beautiful prose, characters that spring to life and roam in your mind, surprisingly insightful details of the ancient days, plots refreshingly free of cliche, battle & gladiatorial scenes that take your breath away and bring you to the spot, as if you are watching the whole event close-up, seeing, hearing and feeling each exciting, gory moves on the battlefields and arena yourself...

And then, of course, there's the breathtaking love story.
Though Marcus and Auriane meet face-to-face over half into the book,
this particular sub-plot of the story does not lag along the way, as they--at least in their subconscious--constantly reach for each other. Their initial meeting sparks passion, not necessarily of love but of renewed zeal for life; their bone-tired minds and bodies understand each other better than they consciously understand, therefore lending them incentives for their despaired souls.

Auriane's uncommon courage and strive for life and the ultimate happiness--both of hers and the others--combined with Marcus Julianus's wisdom and wit come in beautiful harmony in their endeavor to solace each other's lifelong pain; they are both fighters in their own ways.

Despite the length of the book, I believe it'd be a rather fast read for everyone, not because it's easy to read, but solely because you won't be able to put it down and not think about it all the while.
And I sincerely regret that the Light Bearer hadn't received a brighter spotlight as it so much deserves; the publisher should have promoted it on a grander scale.
It is truly an incomparable epic that, in some ways, reminds me of Pressfield's Gates of Fire.

This is a big book by any standards, 800 pages and is the result of years of research and study by the author into the culture, and history of Rome and the Germanic tribes. I found it fascinating, exciting and thought provoking. In fact everything that a good book should be.

The year is AD 83 and the Emperor Domitian has crossed the Rhine with four legions, approximately 24,000 men and they have not marched that far for the exercise. The German tribes have tried to maintain their independence for as long as they can, but against such might their resistance is futile. Thus begins this mammoth book that takes us from the heartlands of the Rhine back to the decadence and temptations of ancient Rome.

A young woman Auriane, daughter of a chieftain who was to become the most revered prophetess of the tribes is captured and taken to Rome as a slave. There her life is changed completely and everything that she stands for is brushed away like so much rubbish. But having known her destiny from being a child Auriane is not about to bow to the yoke of Rome without a fight . . .

There is much I could say about "The Light Bearer" which has already been said, but as I don't review all the books in McCullough's Masters of Rome series (of which I've ready each book), I don't feel I can properly do justice to the greatness of this sweeping epic, which unlike McCullough's work, spans not just from Rome, but from a not well known Germanic tribe called the Chattians.

Gillespie does an amazing job of keeping Rome and Germania separate in writing details, with an inevitable connection between the two. Much is equally known about both the Chattians and the Romans as if written by two authors with the same writing style.

Some high points I point out are the very subtle rise of Domitianus's deranged paranoia and Caligulan/Neronian style reign, though the foreshadowing was a bit too obvious for my tastes.

Other interesting bits are the use and apparent source of commonly known modern things among the Chattians, such as the Goddess of the underworld, Hel, and the Eastre celebration, involving children dressed as rabbits and the hiding of colored eggs.

Because the flaws are so few and insignificant in the face of the greater elements, I think it's easier to point them out:

The writing is very sumptuous, but often at times it can get too dense and bogged down in details. This occurs mostly the first time Auriane enters the Colisseum.

Also, the sex. I've become used to ancient historical novels writing sex scenes very metaphorically and obtusely, without using direct wording. Gillespie appears to take it to such an extreme, with the vividly flowery writing between Marcus and Auriane's lovemaking that it becomes like a dense poem jackknifing from the wonders of nature and life and the gods in an obtuse manner, you nearly forget that the two characters are having sex. So over the top is the writing, that the way Gillespie describes it, you'd think Auriane was having blinding orgasms at just Marcus's touch on her arm or chest.


With the state of Rome at this point, and the main character being a foreigner and enemy to Rome, it's inevitable that a bias against Rome would be drawn, but the male character of Marcus Arrius Julianus is so much the outcast that there is little distinction between how Auriane and Marcus view the Roman world despite their differences. Auriane views Rome as savage and barbaric, and a plague on Fria's realm, whereas Marcus views it in somewhat the same fashion, but figures it's all he has, so he may as well love it.

Aside from Julianus and some of the senators friendly to him, you'd think Rome was a festering pot of corruption, barbarity, and bloodlust the epitome of the Roman view of the barbarians, while the Chattians are viewed as pure, natural, children of the earth that can do no wrong and are victimized by everyone from Rome to their neighboring tribes. Any opposition to Baldemar, Auriane's father and chieftain of the Chattians, is viewed as petty greed and personal problems on the part of the dissenter.

Some forgiveable offenses include loose ends, which may be tied up in the sequel "Lady of the Light", or the as of yet unnamed second sequel, including both Marcus and Auriane having amulets of earth from their childhood, duplicates of one another, and Auriane's seeming mystical foresight.


All these flaws are minimal, in my view, and not much to drag the otherwise epic tale down a full star in rating.

There is one issue with both Auriane and Marcus Julianus which may detract some readers, though is apparently done in such a way that broad interpretation can explain it away as easily as it couldn't: Gillespie may be guilty of "Mary-Sue"ing with Auriane and Marcus Julianus. Both seem to be greater than their surroundings, meant for greater things not yet known to either, and with little to no flaws beyond what their separate societies have naturally imbued in them (stubborn traditionalism in Auriane, cynic realism in Marcus), and beautiful physiques. From a certain point of view, many of their actions or words appear to be Mary Sue-ish reflections of the author's own point of view (determined by the narrative) or of a sense of moral or social well-being beyond that of someone from ancient times.

Or this could simply be the tired ramblings of a fussy reader.

Either way, the over 1000 page epic was a great read, and a highly insightful view into how the Germanic tribes of the early Roman Empire, and the early Roman Empire itself may have been.