1099 Books

Recently, I saw the 2005 film THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, a sword and shield epic centered upon the 1187 recapture of Jerusalem from the Christians by Sultan Yusuf Ibn Najni al-Din Ayyub Ibn Shadlhi Abu'l-Muzaffar Salah al-Din al-Malik al-Nasir, aka "Saladin". The hero of the film was not Saladin (Ghassan Massoud), but rather Balian (Orlando Bloom), who, as the film opens, is sweating over a hot forge as a sword maker in some dump of a rural French town in the early 1180s. Then, along comes Godfrey (Liam Neeson), a knight and minor noble back from Palestine, who reveals himself as Balian's previously unknown father. Godfrey persuades Balian to take up a sword in defense of the Holy Land. On the return trip, Godfrey dies, but not before knighting his son. Balian subsequently inherits his father's castle of Ibelin within the Kingdom of Jerusalem, becomes chummy with King Baldwin IV and his sister Sibylla (Eva Green), finds himself defending the Holy City almost single-handed against Saladin's horde after the Christian army's disastrous defeat at Hitton, and ultimately returns to France, where he ostensibly lives happily ever after with Sibylla, who now holds the title Queen of Jerusalem. Uh-huh. So, I picked up SALADIN AND THE FALL OF JERUSALEM to find out the real story.

Penned in 1898 by Stanley Lane-Poole, this volume is a competent and informative bio of the great Muslim leader, who was respected and praised even by his Crusader foes. Admittedly, the first several chapters dealing with "Saladin's world", and which describe the Muslim politics of the region and the events of the First Crusade prior to Saladin's birth and rise to power, make for educational, but less than riveting, reading. It's only with Saladin's accession as the Sultan of Egypt in 1171 that his life really becomes interesting as he subsequently labors militarily and politically to unite the Muslim Middle East under one rule, i.e. his, drive the Unbelievers into the sea, and topple the Kingdom of Jerusalem.

The book's 19th century roots show even in this 2002 reprint of the original. The occasional map, while certainly not indecipherable, doesn't have the clean look of one of modern construction. More telling, the author infrequently sprinkles the text with passages from original Latin or French sources, which go untranslated. Presumably, the average reader at the turn of the 19th century was more educated and literate than now and could be expected to get along as required in something other than English. This new reprint does, however, include a helpful section of black and white photographs that apparently, because of the presence of automobiles, didn't appear in the first release.

The tone of Lane-Poole's narrative is one of detached and uncritical admiration for his hero, as justifiably it should be, since Saladin demonstrated more chivalry, magnanimity, and honor throughout his career than his chief Crusader opponent from June 8, 1191 to October 9, 1192, King Richard I of England. Indeed, the author, who's otherwise adulatory of the Lionheart's prowess in battle, doesn't shirk from recounting Richard's barbarous order to massacre 2,700 Muslims taken prisoner during his capture of Acre, an order that the author terms "cruel and cowardly", and would today be cause for a war crimes tribunal. Well, so much for the flower of English chivalry.

SALADIN AND THE FALL OF JERUSALEM should satisfy a reader such as myself that seeks a general knowledge of Saladin and his accomplishments without getting too obsessive about it.

And what of Balian? While he was one of only three knights left after the Battle of Hitton to defend Jerusalem, and who indeed played the key role in the defense of the city and subsequent surrender negotiations with Saladin, Balian had only a relatively small part in the rest of the story - so small that I had to resort to a Web encyclopedia to get more info about the man. What I learned there was that his saga in THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN was rampant fiction evidently hallucinated by a Hollywood screenwriter in the throes of an illegal substance. Especially that bit about running off with Sybilla. Gee, why doesn't that surprise me?

Warfare in The Latin East is a fine enough book. It tries to analyse the character of the warfare in the last half of the crusades, and succeeds well enough. However, much as I like it, it does not deal with such matters as the development of strategy and tactics, the tactics for specific battles nor with the underlying nature of warfare. What I miss is the sort of analysis found in "War in The Middle Ages" by Sir Charles Oman, I just guess that sort of books does not get written any longer. I would also like some more detailed maps, both of castles, campaigns and the area in general. I still rate the book as worthy of four stars despite my misgivings for I like it as an elaboration of the basic analysis of war in general. An example from a somewhat atypical theater of operations and a comparison between the "Norman" and "Saracen" way of waging war. Which is also why I miss the more detailed information on tactics and strategy. I also believe that the book could benefit from use of archeological sources if such exist. As a last remark I must state that it is three years since I last read it so I may remember it a bit differently from what it is, is has made an impression on me though, in order for me to remember it.

Palle rasmussen Ba.A. History, writing Master's dissertation on Danish state formation in the Iron Age/Early Middle Age. Denmark.

This book is a good read, even though it can occasionally be dry. The book uses commentary from various individuals to cover the many aspects of AIDS, from the beginning to about 1995 in one city, San Francisco. Every group is represented, not just gay men. Overall, a valuable addition to your library.

From the pointed chapter topics to the easily readable text, Schickedanz and Cabergue offer a resource that will lead early childhood professionals through the often muddy and argumentative waters of early literacy instruction. This book represents one in a series of five books (called the Preschool Literacy Collection) published by the International Reading Association (IRA). The other books are BUILDING A FOUNDATION FOR PRESCHOOL LITERACY, ORAL LANGUAGE AND EARLY LITERACY IN PRESCHOOL, LEARNING ABOUT PRINT IN PRESCHOOL, and USING CHILDREN'S LITERATURE IN PRESCHOOL. If you obtain all of these books (each written by a different set of authors), you possess a comprehensive set of instructional tools at a phenomenal price.

i absolutely LOVE this book!!!!!!!!!! it's really great. it's a fictional diary of a man in the first crusade. one of the things that caught me was how close the story was to the truth. the diary follows so close to teh real crusade, it's scary. the thruth wrapped in with the fiction helped me to bond with the character. by teh time i had finished the story, i felt like I'd know the main character my whole life. this is a must read. by it, borrow it, or get it from the library, just find a way to read it.

This is a novel that makes you think. I am a fan of history and this story is about Roger, Duke of Lonely from Southern France. It is written to read like his diary. Because of the events his early life and marriage he believes he has sinned to such an extreme that he must join a religious army to march to Jerusalem. There to defeat the Turks and pray at Christ's tomb. On this march he joins Normans and others from Northern Europe. This quest is to become known to history as the first crusade. I love history but I am unfamiliar with this era. I learned a lot. In the story, Roger begins his march with a sense of self righteousness. As his journey progresses towards Jerusalem and he encounters the Turks he begins to fight a battle within. He sees his own men suffer disease and horrors of war. The lines are blurred as the atrocities the Turks are accused of are committed over and over by the Christian armies as they conquer cities along the way. Rape, torture, murder, and greed are rampant. Who is the enemy and who is the savior? Who is earning their place in heaven and who is going to hell? These questions haunt Roger as he begins to question his faith and the Turks become a people and not a plague. This novel may not be totally historically accurate but it sure makes a person think. I thought about faith. I am reminded that every story has two sides. Most of all I am reminded that you have to walk in those shoes before you pass judgment. A good book to challenge your mind and beliefs.

Library Catalog data

Author: Rivele, Stephen J., 1949-
Title: A booke of days : a novel of the Crusades /
Stephen J. Rivele.
Edition: 1st Carroll & Graf ed.
Published: New York : Carroll & Graf, 1997.
Description: 436 p. : maps ; 24 cm.
LC Call No.: PS3568.I8286B6 1997
Dewey No.: 813/.54 20
ISBN: 0786703482 (cloth)
Subjects: Crusades -- First, 1096-1099 -- Fiction.
Provence (France) -- Fiction.
Middle Ages -- Fiction.
Nobility -- Fiction.
Historical fiction. gsafd
Control No.: 1163871


Ok, lets deal with the negatives first. The question of authenticity. The book is 100% fictional, in a historical setting. There is no manuscript. While I have no problem with historical novels, I was a little disappointed with this approach. There is no need for the preface and introduction to detail the finding of the manuscript. This confuses the reader into thinking it is a real translation. In some cases this might be good; think of the Cohen brothers in 'Fargo' who begin the movie with the title 'This is a true story'; but that is also part of the fiction. In this way, for the illusion of this novel to work, the reader must believe it is fiction, and in that I sympathise. But I think it was clumsily handled and distracting. Compared to "The Boat" which is a fictionalised account of a real crew it was far less creditable. It also compares less favourably to "Prot" which was also presented as a factual account. But I think to present historical novel as fact is confusing.

My other issue is that my edition is entitled "A Booke of Days: A Journal of the Crusades". Not a 'novel' of the crusades. The only clue that this is fiction is the small word 'Fiction' on the back. However, the reader feels this is over-ridden by the autheors introduction about the manuscript.

Towards the end one plot twist in particular left me irritated. Well before that point I had severly questioned the book's authenticity and this plot twist confirmed for me that I was dealing with a pure novelist. It is also totally implausable for this one man to have eyewitnessed pretty much all the major events of the First Crusade. The ship that broke up was from a different march, no one knows Lord Raymond's route to Constantinople for sure. And Bartholomew just happens to be his squire.

That said, even a history buff should enjoy this journey to the first crusades. To be fair its historical accuracies were more frequent than the inaccuracies, and the account is peppered with enough randomness to make the reader wonder how true it is. Just as I was wavering, some very human things occured and I began to wonder again.

For anyone wanting ot get a flavour of the crusades I do recommend this book. Despite Roger's flaws, and some serious plot defects towards the end I think any non-history buff would come away from this book with a keen sense of the flavour and sheer madness of the First Crusades, and the logistical nightmares involved in large scale long distance warfare before the modern age.

Would be just as enjoyable, if not more, if presented as a novel. Don't be put off.

First, I have to address the "is this real?" question. Does it not state on the cover of the book that this is a NOVEL of the Crusades? By definition, a novel is: A fictional prose narrative of considerable length, typically having a plot that is unfolded by the actions, speech, and thoughts of the characters. So there's your answer, right in the title.
Anyhow, back to the book. I finished it tonight and mostly enjoyed it. I agree with others who found the couple of plot twists a little Hollywood. I did find Roger's struggle with his faith, morality, etc. realistic and disagree with those who feel that everyone from a certain age behaved and believed the same way. If that were true, we'd still be living in the middle ages. For a great non-fiction read, I recommend William Manchester's A World Lit Only By Fire; for more novels, try Cecelia Holland's Great Maria or Jerusalem.

Maybe it's premature to review the book(e) before I actually finish it--- but I might not finish it at all. I just wanted to let potential buyers know that, beyond the author's moral agenda (the first crusade was a shameful and horrific event---GRANTED, already. Who defends it?), he plays fast and loose with history and chronology. Much is out of place and out of character with the historical record--- and I'm only a third of the way through it.
As to the agenda, I don't need a heavy-handed Hollywood-type history lesson. Give me the facts; I'm qualified to make up my own mind.
Cecelia Holland and Judith Tarr have told this story better. For history, I'll stick to Runciman or the newer guys, like Asbridge.

As a prime number buff and retired math teacher, I was intrigued when a friend recommended Case of Lies to me. The mathematics topic is accurate and comprehensive -- encryption and prime number factorization is current and likely to be for some time to come. I'm familiar with the locale and things mentioned in passing, e.g., PrivateEye.com, which I've used. I've studied Sanskrit and watched eyes glaze over when I mention prime numbers. I found the book a little slow starting but a page turner. I was disappointed a bit with the ending, as I thought the motive of the killer, Lee Flint, was not fully developed. Neither was the motive for the keystone killing, that of Hanna's wife. It seems frankly unbelievable. I think that Professor Braun should have been developed as the culprit -- the MIT students were his and he was in on XYC and his motive could have been to get the money without doing much work, as well as Elliott's notebook for XYC and himself. But we can't all be perfect. Bottom line: worth reading and educational!

I am a big mystery fan - mostly of the English variety. American mysteries are too action oriented , English mysteries are more interior. This book to my mind did not hang together, was improbable and really quite uninteresting except for increasing my understanding of prime numbers. I actually wound up skimming the last 4/5ths of it. I kept asking myself why I was bothering at all.

If you enjoy a good mystery and mathmatics, specifically prime numbers, ADD this novel to your list. Attorney Nina Reilly's reluctant client witnessed the murder of his wife, an innocent bystander, and time is running out to file suit against the hotel owner where the robbery occurred. The mathmatical theme is centered around 3 college students who develop a method of winning at the casinos, and the obsession of one whose research in prime numbers puts their lives in jeopardy as well as that of Miss Reilly and her client. A surprise ending.

I was terribly disappointed with this Audio book because of the plot and the reader. Laurel Merlington was a bad choice to read the book she can only do young American women accents. She butchered most of the male voices, the other older woman lawyer and all the foreign accents. It's clear she has never heard a German speak. The German girl's accent was annoyingly wrong.

As for the plot, from the pointless foray into mathematics to the unlikely happenings; e.g. where did this unsophisticated, rather stupid shooter get money from to go to Germany and find the witnesses? Why wasn't Nina Reilly shot at the masseuse's parlor? Why would the shooter hang around a Lake Tahoe?

Much of the book does not make sense. I am sorry I bought it.

I love the Perri o'Shaughnessy series, but this was my least favorite.

After reading the all the reviews for this book I decided to take the chance and see how wonderful or bad this cookbook could be. To be honest, I had mixed results although I'd make three of the recipes again with modifications.

The recipes I tried include:

Spiced Bran Muffins
Vegetable Barley Stew with Lentils
Penne with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Chicken
Chocolate Tofu Cake

Some of the reviewers commented on the amount of ginger in the Bran Muffins. I have to agree, ¼ to ½ of a teaspoon would be preferable. I tried them with the full amount and thought they were a bit spicy. The texture was good and they are very low in fat so they would work on a low-fat-high-fiber diet. I'll definitely make them again.

The Vegetable Stew was interesting but I'd advise you to leave out the lentils because they take so long to cook. There is a lot of barley in the recipe and tons of delicious vegetables. It is very healthy but you might need to use an entire bottle of V8 juice and an additional 3 cups of water because there are so many vegetables it needs more liquid. I added two teaspoons of garlic salt for flavor.

The Penne with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Chicken was my favorite recipe but I adapted it so the sauce was a little richer in flavor. To adapt the recipe just use 2 tablespoons butter in place of the cooking spray and use an additional tablespoon flour. I also added 1 teaspoon of garlic salt for flavor and used whole milk in place of the evaporated milk. I didn't use the pepper flakes because I didn't want it to be too spicy. My husband also liked this recipe the most and it freezes well (I'm cooking for two not four so I freeze leftovers).

The Chocolate Tofu Cake is more like a cheesecake and was my least favorite recipe. The cake only turns out to be about ¼ of an inch thick. So if you are on a diet this might be a good option if you like tofu. I'd recommend serving it with a rich chocolate sauce to add a little more chocolate flavor.

I'm of the opinion that if you find one recipe in a cookbook it is worth the price. I found three and I'm sure I'll try more in the coming months. I wouldn't recommend this to new cooks as some of the recipes do take quite some time to put together (also, lots of dishes to wash) unless you adapt them - like the Vegetable Soup "without" the lentils would be much quicker to make.

~The Rebecca Review

7/23/2008 - I made the "Un-Fried" chicken and it was delicious. I left out the cayenne pepper and creole seasoning and used poultry seasoning in place of the herbs. After dipping the chicken in yogurt and then in the seasoned bread crumbs I placed a teaspoon of butter on each piece of chicken before putting them in the oven. The entire house had a warm buttery savory scent. My husband couldn't wait for dinner.

My family and I used this cookbook last year after we got it for Christmas. I have to say, we began with trepidation, wanting to do everything "right" but pretty soon we were laughing and having a good time. The results were yummy. The food was tasty and we had a bunch of fun making it. After that first experiment, I served some stuff to my book club, announcing "Here are Oprah's Favorites." The only thing missing was Oprah.

Especially like the salad and pasta dishes. Well worth the money. I don't understand the "bland" remarks other reviewers have made.

While I overall liked this book, as a 'non-cook,' I sometimes found it hard to follow. If my cooking skills were at a much higher level, I think I would have thoroughly enjoyed it.

Rosie Daley is probably as well known for serving as "Oprah's Chef" as for her own work. In an Introduction, Oprah Winfrey notes (page xi): "I once believed that eating healthy meant eating food that was missing something--TASTE." Then, at a spa where she went, she experienced the meals of Rosie Daley. Of that experience, Winfrey said (page xi): "This new way of eating very low fat, low sugar, low salt. . .has made such a difference in my life."

This short work includes recipes for soups, salads, pasta, entrees, vegetables, and desserts. One of the things that I really like seeing is no salt among the ingredients and low fat ingredients as part of recipes. For instance, on page 69, she provides her recipe for pizza sauce. No salt, no sugar. Just tomato paste, tomato puree, and, for some zest, red paper flakes, oregano, basil, and thyme. On pages 86-87, there is an interesting recipe for Peppered Tuna Nicoise. Lots of ingredients--including wasabi and ginger for some kick. However, instructions are pretty straightforward.

Finally, an interesting potato dish--Roasted Mustard Potatoes. As with the items already mentioned, a little spiciness is included, with chili powder and cayenne pepper. Pretty easy to make and a potato dish with a bit of pizzazz.

The main problem for me is that there are so few recipes. However, what is included has some interesting and fairly easy to make items.

The recipes I tried were the unfried french fries, unfried crabcakes, and unfried chicken. All were rather bland and needed modifications. The yogurt idea with the unfried chicken was good but it turned out a bit dry and somewhat bland. Maybe less oven time and more spices. The french fries were good but needed a bit more seasoning. The crab cakes needed more egg in order to hold together and were quite dry and tasteless. I like the healthy ideas behind the recipes but they just need more flavor. I probably won't try many more of the recipes given how the first three I tried turned out.

Stephen R. Lawhead is an internationally acclaimed author of mythic history and imaginative fiction. His works include Byzantium and the series The Pendragon Cycle, The Celtic Crusades, and The Song of Albion. Lawhead makes his home in Austria with his wife. Stephen Lawhead is one of my all time favourite authors and I am only sorry that he does not write more often.

This book is a continuation of the Iron Lance. I found this book The Black Rood) to be even better than the Iron Lance which is saying something because I enjoyed that tremendously. Perhaps it is because you are more familiar with the characters or the storyline, I am not sure, but I can hardly wait for the third book, The Mystic Rose.

Murdo Ranulfsson has been through the harrowing and frightening experience of being part of the Great Crusade in Jerusalem and no one is more surprised than himself that he has lived to tell the tale. He has returned to his beloved Scotland and there has founded a clan that is both powerful and god fearing. Life is also good for Duncan, Murdo's son, that is until his young wife dies in childbirth . . .

Book 2 in this series by Stephen Lawhead (Celtic Crusades) carries on one generation after the events of the Holy Lance.

Book 1 described the first crusade, and gave some feel for the passion of the crusaders and the enormity of their achievement in "liberating" Jereusalem.

In this book Duncan, the son of Murdo, undertakes his own pilgrimage to the holy land following the death of his wife. He makes a vow to find and bring back the "Holy Rood" a piece of the true cross.

What we get along the way is a view of Medieval France, and a tour of the Eastern Mediterranean in the period after the first Crusade.

We follow Bohemond II on his ill advised invasion of Armenian and Turkish lands, we visit Famagusta and Paphos in Cyprus, Damietta and the Caliphates of Damascus and Cairo.

This tale lacks much of the punch of the first novel in the series, but more than makes up for this with the richness of detail concerning the crusader kingdoms.

And behind all that is going on are the Noble Knights Templar, the new monastic order of Sword Brothers, pleged to defend the roads and holy places for Pilgrims.

I am not a lover of books written in first-person, because they center too much in the main character, who is not always the most interesting, and limits the actions of other players in the story. This is such a case.
From the beginning, Duncan proves to be much less interesting than his father, Murdo, and his adventures are not as thrilling. He is indeed helped by "Fortuna", for whatever he is seeking appears exactly where he is looking. Too fortuitous for my taste.
I always look forward to sequels, but not always do you find a worthy one. Again, this is such a case.
The Black Rood is much less interesting than its predecesor. Even the story inside the story is less appealing in this book than it was in the first one.

As I mention in the title I enjoyed the Iron Lance a little more than this. It's a subjective thing - the Iron Lance just grabbed me a little more than this one.

Howver, this is still a pretty decent book, worth reading. The lead character is Duncan Murdosson, son of Murdo Ranulfson from the Iron Lance. Duncan's uncle, Murdo's brother, has come home from the Holy Land where he stayed after the Great Pilgrimage. He has harrowing tales of life in the Holy Land, but also plants in Duncan the seed of knowledge of the existence of the the Black Rood, a piece of the cross of Christ. After enduring a great tragedy, and against the will of his father, Duncan goes on a quest for the Black Rood. This quest will take him on a long journey through many lands and adventures and much intrigue. Along the way he will find the object of his quest, as well as love and restoration to the True Path.

This book is written in an interesting style. Most of it is written in first person narrative with Duncan as the narrator, writing a story of his travels while in prison awaiting execution as the hands of Muslims. He is writing this for the sake of his daughter, whom he expects never to see again. One of the high spots of the book is the tale of his deliverance from prison.

So, for a fun read I recommend this. It's not the greatest book you will ever read, but it enjoyable nonetheless.

Lawhead's "Celtic Crusades" continue with the next generation, Duncan, son of Murdo (familiar to readers of Vol. 1 in the series, "The Iron Lance"). One again the action revolves around a sacred relic, this time the black rood, a remnant of Christ's true cross, which Duncan aspires to obtain in a crusade to the Holy Land. The narrative of Duncan's vision of Christ's death in connection with this relic is one of the central passages of the book (p334-347). In his quest, Duncan is accompanied by the Cele De priest Padraig and Prince Roupen of Armenia, and must deal with danger at the hands of the Moslems (Seljuq Turks) and the more mysterious intrigues of the Templar Knights. As in the first novel of the series, the story is framed by the memoirs of Gordon Murray, a member of a nineteenth century secret society, but Murray's connection to the plot is still enshrouded in mystery and will only become clear in the final volume of the series.

There's no question that the novel is rich in historical detail and adventure, and there are some solid Christian themes. Typical are sentences like: "the Swift Sure Hand does bend all things to the good of those who love him." Despite this, "The Black Rood" lacks the gripping suspense of Lawhead's historical epic "Byzantium", and the passion and imagination of his forays into fantasy. I look forward to when Lawhead leaves the realm of historical fiction and returns to fantasy. -GODLY GADFLY

I loved this book. It was a fun chick lit read from the get go. Fast-paced and page-turning. Hayley was adorable and soooo identifiable. Loved the opening of the book how she completely lost control at her office with the dead body...and everything went crazy from there. Liz Maverick has a fun, fresh voice and I can't wait to read more stories from her. Quick read and very satisfying. Kudos!

I thoroughly enjoyed this read; plowed through it in two days like a box of chocolates.

While there's just the right amount of over-the top silliness (the german beer maid chapter was a riot), I think Ms. Maverick has a real talent for getting to the heart of the most important ideas in the book. The author's voice throughout is engagingly funny in a smart, cynical way that keeps the book from ever getting girlie-sweet or slow.

Her take on the dot-com world is right on (been there!). Harley's inner dialogue on her first date and the love the four women have for one another (in spite of vastly different approaches to life) were charming in their honesty. My husband read the chapter about the first date and was shocked, "Do women really worry like that on first dates?" I thought Ms. Maverick was right on--in fact I felt like I was reading about myself. I was just shocked that he was shocked! What does he think we think about?

She doesn't shy away from real issues women need to balance: their own dreams and whether it is realistic to pursue them, the importance of supporting themselves, the desire to develop a career and be taken seriously, dealing with and making decisions about sexuality while maintaining their own strength as independent women who can take care of themselves in a (post?) feminist age, developing and maintaining strong friendships with other women...

I look forward to Ms. Maverick's next book eagerly, and would highly recommend it; a great summer read. (And try that date chapter out on your boys -- it sparked quite a conversation.)

The cover was cute, the description on the back looked good, and the beginning of the book was promising when I read it. So, needless to say, I was expecting a good read. Sadly, I was disappointed.

The plot of this book was this - Hayley loses her job and wants a guy so her friends try to give her advice on how to get what she wants - but a thin plot is fine if it's written properly. THis book, however, was not. It was definitely predictable and not that entertaining, although I did find one or two parts funny. Her friends aren't that interesting and you kinda wonder why she's friends with them at all since they don't seem to have much in common. Moreover, the writing style is good but not great, and it seemed like a lot of the book as just comprised of "filler material," even though the book is pretty short to begin with. The worst part of it was that the ending was beyond lame. You don't find out what's going to happen, and it's almost like the author just didn't know how else to end it and wanted to get it published asap. There are plenty of better books out there to read and I wish I hadn't bothered with this one.

I would not recommend this book to anyone (although I'd love someone to buy my copy of me, haha) and instead would recommend that if you want a good chick lit book tor ead about a girl losing her job and looking for romance, instead buy "Pink Slip Party" by Cara Lockwood.

This book is just that - dreadful! The worst book I've read in years. I can find nothing complimentary to say about it. The characters are one dimensional and self-absorbed. The writing is sophomoric. The story line is formulaic and quite frankly boring. I didn't care one bit about anyone in this story. What a waste of my money. Who ever edited this one should be fired. Bookstores are full of entertaining chick-lit. If that's your prefered genre look else where.

I found the main character, Hayley so self-absorbed despite having 3 somewhat loyal girlfriends. The first half of the book deals with her getting fired and looking for another job at a .com. The second half deals with her having a one night stand & the guy not calling her back. Hayley views her life aas being "endless & murky" and that is exactly how I would describe this book.

I must remember the next time I have a couple cocktails with dinner to stay OUT of the bookstore.

Joan Lunden is such a perfect person to write a book like this. She's a mom, a professional, and keeps fit and healthy! Read this book!

I recently had an opportunity to hear Joan Lunden deliver the keynote speech for the New Jersey Governor's Conference for Women held in Atlantic City. Her message was quite inspirational and real. Yes, she is a well-known national figure, however, she has experienced all of the trials and tribulations that everyday people like myself endure. After that, I obtained a copy of this book and found it to resonate the same sentiments I heard from the speakers' podium in February. Who doesn't want to be uplifted? Who doesn't want to feel inspired? Who doesn't want to take one step in a positive direction to change their life...and then another...and then another? If you have that goal in mind for yourself, I then suggest you read this book! Thanks, Joan.

If I had Ms. Lunden's career and finances I would be upbeat too about changing my life. If you are an average person with an average income you CAN make changes in your life but options that you select take a lot more time because it takes longer to pay for them. What middle class person do you know that can afford luxury spas and personal trainers? I don't know any! Not much more insight than I already had before reading this book. Ms. Lunden obviously is very naive to how the other half lives.

I have always admired Joan Lunden and followed her on GMA since the birth of her first child. She seemed to be pregnant everytime I was. First my daughter than son than another daughter were born around the same time as her children. I was going through a very low point in my life when I picked up her book in the library. I finished it in a day. I felt so uplifted and have been trying for a long time to make changes in my life also. I am just 50 and it's so hard to find the courage to do things different. My life has been in turmoil for about 5 years now and I have just started to get into inspirational readings and tapes. This book hit such a nerve and I am going to as a result of this read her other books. One of my things was getting back in shape and loosing 20 lbs that has been bothering me for years. I have confirmed my feelings of her being now my hero. I will not climb the titans but I sure will reach my goal of just feeling better about my self. Thank you Joan I have given birth with you, cried with you, laughed with you and this book makes me feel so good about my self again. Barbara

I listen to a lot of tapes about living a healthy life style. I think this one is the most disapointing. She rambles on & on providing only a few usable insights. It wouldn't be so bad if the path she took was inspirational to the average person. Most people can't aford personal trainers, health spas, & expensive fittness centers for the affluent. Those things aren't bad, & they are what helped her. I do a lot of counceling on fittness & nutrition, & the average person that I work with wouldn't relate to making those type of expenditures to live healthy lifestyle. The few things that are applicable to the average person are few & far inbetween.