Book-value

Thank you for helping me feel good about myself. I've spent years with an inferiority complex and now--well this book has given me a new outlook.

Hey, I'm a winner. I feel it. I believe it. The ideas and techniques in Your Sperm Won really work.

Thank you.

I first heard Tammy Bruce on a radio show last week and since read both her books.
I am not a conservative but liberal in the classical sense.

In the spirit of Hannah Arendt and Ayn Rand. Tammy Bruce, undaunted, exposes the philosophical and psychological roots of the rapid meltdown of our culture. She illustrates in plain words with many recognizable examples and plenty of footnotes, that we don't have have to go back to the flesh pots of the ancients to see humans and children sacrificed...we have it right here, the ultra left is leading the way and most of us are unwittingly complying.

This is not, however a book of doom and gloom.
With moving accounts of her own life Tammy shows us there is hope for us all.... and a way forward.
With great courage she shows us that in finding our freedom we must be open to the pain that so often accompanies honesty and growth.

Most important, Tammy illustrates for us the responsibilities that grow with freedom.

As I read the the book I couldn't help thinking of Oscar Schindler in Schindler's List. The narcissistic slave labor profiteer who transcends himself to fight the evil he was a part of and help so many.

More than a political book, this is also about the blooming of a human soul.

In this informative and disturbing book, Tammy Bruce starts out with a traumatic episode from her youth to describe her personal and political journey. It is an honest account of the people and events that shaped her beliefs and convictions. At the same time it reveals some horrific aspects of popular culture, politics and the media as they operate today.

Bruce exposes the rank hypocrisy, soul-destroying motives and malevolent mind-set of the Left in chapters dealing with the Academic, Black, Gay and Feminist Elites, plus some destructive tendencies in the arts, the media and the justice system in the United States today. Some of her examples make harrowing reading, whilst her insight is often tinged by a bit of humour, for example when she identifies the gangster rapper as the current equivalent of Rousseau's "noble savage" in the eyes of the Left.

Bruce's diagnosis rings true. She discusses the mental disease called malignant narcissism and explains how it is rooted in trauma that never attempts recovery. These individuals, instead of seeking psychological help, are focusing on social change. In other words, they want the rest of society to mirror their own hurt and pain.

She makes a very convincing case for the fact that an entire wing of politics is invested in the victim-hood of its constituency, the leaders of which are trying to work out their demons on society. This is scary stuff, but easy to recognize from the examples in the book or by taking a critical and discerning approach towards trends in the media.

To be fair, Bruce points out that there are similar people on the Right (puritanical compulsives), but that these do not control the culture. The concept and repulsive results of moral relativism and the phenomenon of groupthink are also analysed. The author quotes Dr M Scott Peck and recommends his book People Of The Lie for a thorough investigation of malignant narcissism and its use of the lie to distort reality.

A chilling read at times, The Death Of Right And Wrong is a brilliant and eloquent exposure of some pathological strains infecting large sectors of culture and society. The book ends on an optimistic note with a call to the individual to recognize the difference between right and wrong, to take a stand and to live a life of decency and integrity.

The book concludes with 31 pages of notes and references arranged by chapter, plus a thorough index. It is a real eye-opener, a thought-provoking work that offers unique political and psychological insights. I also recommend Paul Johnson's groundbreaking work Intellectuals for an interesting look at the private lives of certain famous writers and philosophers, and Thomas Sowell's book The Vision Of The Anointed.

This book moved me. So moved in fact that I often had to simply put the book down and walk away. The facts and reality of the agenda of those in the Left elite are demonstrated so clearly that it is hard to read, and harder still to imagine just how many lives have been and are being destroyed deliberately at the hands of the "malignant narcissists" (her term - page 26). Again, these disturbing facts in this book do not come from a religious or conservative viewpoint, but from a self professed liberal, gay, non-religious, former President of NOW - in other words, they come from inside the Left itself!

The most shocking example of just how far this worldview has penetrated our society is the fact that many of these Left elite groups actually think that sexualizing your children for their own perverted benefit is a good thing! For example, GLSEN and their cartoon STD characters (page 115), or the ongoing work of the ultimate in mainstream pedophile supporters, Judith Levine, who states that "Sex is not harmful to children...there are many ways even the smallest of children can partake in it" (page 193). As outrageous as this sounds, it is not some fringe group of marginalized pedophiles that want this evil perpetrated to rationalize their depravity, but rather the leaders of the "special interest" groups on the Left, sponsored by their friends in the media. Well-documented facts throughout the book reveal this agenda clearly.

The book is essentially a direct assault on the "Looking Glass" world of moral relativism. Within this worldview, there is no right or wrong, therefore all behaviors and all results of that behavior cannot be condemned. Of course the hypocrisy of the Left condemning others is clear to everyone, and she outlines it in example after example. Whether this is glorifying cold-blooded killers, pedophiles, and rapists, or whether it is hypocritically attacking and silencing those whose views would judge the actions of convicted murderers as "wrong" the source is the same. The cause is the "malignant narcissism" of the damaged people who comprise the Left elite, in particular those who lead the various "special interest" groups. Unfortunately, through this agenda to destroy value and virtue, everyone is painted through the lens of the worst offender, even those within those groups who are good and decent people.

Tammy Bruce has yet again written a debilitating expose on the reality of what many of these Left groups are espousing. Tammy understands and demonstrates, for perhaps the first time I have seen in print by someone from the Left, that Christianity in particular is viciously attacked. What she never explains in the book is why Christianity, and not Islam or Judaism, who are equally scathing in their judgement of the moral practices of the Left, is attacked while the others are not. Truth is likely the reason. In using CS Lewis's classic "Mere Christianity" she discovers intellectually that the morals we hold to as people, and the values our hearts embrace, are the basic virtues of "Prudence, Temperance, Justice and Fortitude". "The Left has to restrict thought to destroy the concept of judgement and undermine notions of right and wrong" (see full quote on page 19). Tammy describes the Left's worldview is a world of self-gratification that requires an end to personal responsibility. Values, decency, and knowing right from wrong - and having the courage to act on that knowledge - are all verboten. (See full discussion on page 25)

A very powerful and moving book for anyone across the political spectrum. It is a very painful reminder that much is at stake for our society and our future. This book is a MUST READ!

The book, Little Women, written by Louisa May Alcott, is the most captivating book I have ever read. I watched, and fell in love with the movie, but I never realized how much more I would get out of it, by reading the book. The famous saying, "Money can't buy you happiness", really shows through in this book. Living in the 1800's, during the Civil War, and very little money, the March family shows what little things can make you happy.
At the beginning of the book, the four daughters are introduced, but as you continue reading, you become apart of their lives. Alcott really has a way of bringing out each character, and making them so strong and powerful. Meg, who is very mature and grown up, thinks about getting married and taking care of children. Jo, is the tomboy and doesn't seem to take anything seriously. Beth is the most selfless, and is always willing to do anything to help others. Young Amy tries so hard to be perfect and loved by society, but is spoilt and selfish. The March family is faced with many trials and tribulations, and fight so hard to overcome them, especially the death of a loved one. Through everything that they go through, they stay positive, and continue to follow their dreams.
Reading this book, helped me to find the importance of family. No matter what happened to this family, they were always able to turn to each other for love and support. This is how I want to be able to live my life. Not to be poor, but to have such a strong bond within my family.
I have read this book once, and I plan on reading it many times over, and hopefully passing it on to my daughter when she is old enough to read and understand it. I recommend this book to any women, whether they are young or old. I hope that whoever does choose this book, apreciates it as much as I did, and always will.

I can't imagine someone disliking this novel. That is impossible. This book has things for all tastes: romance, friendship, betrayal etc. I have read this book 3 or 4 times and everytime I can find something different, or, even, be surprised. I think it is a wonderful thing how long Louisa May Alcott's masterpiece has been delighing readers everywhere.

As everyone knows this is the story of four sisters and their love for each other , but above all, for life. Jo is the most impetuous and she wants to be a writer; Meg wants to get married and be a housewife; Beth, the most sweet, loves helping people; and, Amy wants to be an important person somehow. Through many years of their lives we learn how they succed --or fail-- in their ambition.

Alcott's novel became a paradigma of the condition of American Women during the civil war. Each girl can be seen as a possibility of what women had for their future by that time. Maybe this is why this novel is so timeless. The writer didn't want to make a sociological analysis of that period, but her work is very helpful, once it is quite reliable as a portrait of that society.

This novel deserves to be read over and over again, and not only by little women.

This review refers specifically to the Penguin Classics edition of Little
Women, as pictured, with the introduction by Elaine Showalter. If you are
a fan of this piece, or would like to read it for the first time, I would
highly reccommend this edition. I would not, however, read the
introduction until after the text itself has been read, since, as a rule,
intorductions usually give something away (often times even quoting from
the book itself) & this one is no exception. However, this edition offers
a marvelous set of endnotes which help the reader to better understand
some unfamiliar terms.

Most importantly, however, is the fact that Showalter has chosen to
present Alcott's novel, IN ITS ORIGINAL FORM. The chapters have been
renumbered to maintain coherence, however, every word is true to the
original. It may not be known (as I did not know myself until I happened
upon this edition purely by accident) that there are two editions of
Little Women currently in print. The second being altered slightly, as
per a publisher's request (to remove certain slang and change some
language to what was considered more proper). This edition contains the
ORIGINAL text, as Alcott intended it, & the majority of versions I have
seen contain the altered version, making the original wording very hard
to find, indeed.
I would definitely reccommend that anyone interested in this book
purchase this edition, you won't be disappointed!

At the begining of this book Heidi is taken up the moutain to her grandfather's house by her cousin Detie. The first few days that she's there she meets Peter.Peter is always talking about his grannieso finally
Heidi goes to meet her. A little ways through this book Heidi's cousin Detie comes and takes her away to live with Clara,a young pralysed girl in the city. heidi becomes very sick while she's here and and starts to sleep walk. Clara decides that Heidi should go home. Well, while Heidi
was at Clara's they grew to have a strong frienship. Clara comes to visit Heidi in the mountains. While Clara is there Heidi teaches Clara how to walk. Clara sees how happy Heidi is in the mountains and lets her stay.Clara goes back home and Heidi gets to stay in the mountains with Grandfather,Peter,Grannie,etc.. i liked this book because as I thought
before I read it, it reminded me of my life. If my friends were to ask about this book I would tell them that it's a great selectionif they like life journey. My friends probably wouldn't like this book because they like horror stories. This book makes you hungry to live in the mountains.

I encountered Heidi through TV animation series "Heidi__the Girl In The Alps" with Hayao Miyasaki involved. So reading this story makes me flash back the scenes of the TV series vividly. It is truly heartwarming and is based on real-life situation during late 19th century. While the Sound of Music is another excellent story on Austrian side of the Alps this is unrivalled Swiss side Alps story.

Heidi is really a nice pure girl softening the mind of the Aunt Alps who is known as reserved person and eventually heals the Clara who has been confined to the wheelchair. The well-known Ghost story is truly showing well how seriously Heidi has suffered from homesickness and how strong the pull of the Alps life had been to Heidi. While during 19th century abuse of the children was the concern of the society. This surely was a source of hope for deprived children just like Heidi. Such dynamic reversal of the situation is what this story makes great not just for children but for adults as well.

Major complaints for Children's classic are
1.Description of Alps life. Maybe Miyasaki's research has been far better than the writer so TV animation series is more exact I think. Spyri's description lack the fierceness of the nature to take some balance.
2. Peter's jealously is weak as a plot and last part's asking for repentence is a bit of dull. But even with that this is a wonderful original story for Heidi the TV series that has been rerun in Europe.

Heidi's constant anxiety whether Peter's Gramma is still alive is the part I like most. Readers should share Heidi's anxiety I am sure.

Heidi is about a young girl that has lived with her Aunt Dete all of her life. Her Aunt has had enough of her so she sends her up a mountain to her Grandfather. The People of the town are very surprised at what Heidi's Aunt is about to do. They try to warn her but she won't listen. When Heidi and her Aunt get up the Alm, they find that the "Alm Uncle" is not very happy with their arrival. The Aunt doesn't care, she tells the Grandfather that she has taken care of the child long enough. She leaves and never comes back. After years of staying with her Granfather, Heidi learns how to live freely and finds new friends in high places. She learns about the mountains and the cold winters up on the Alm. As Heidi gets older her Aunt Dete comes up again and tells the Grandfather that Heidi needs to go to school. The Grandfather refuses, but eventually gives in. Dete takes Heidi to the city where she finds a new friend, Clara. Clara has to sit in a wheel chair. If you want to know why, read the book! Heidi gets into all kinds of mischieve there, she misses the mountains and can't understand why there aren't any trees. Heidi gets so homesick they have to send her back to the Alm. Clara and the other residents promise to visit her sometime in the summer. The book ends up that Clara and her Grandmother go and visit Heidi and they have the most wonderful time that they never wanted to leave. As there stay at the Alm goes on, the mountain air and hearty food strengthen Clara to where she can walk. Clara and her Grandmother leave with the promise of coming back again.

I really liked this book. It was very real, in a sense that brought you into the actual story. When I read the book, I almost wished I was there in the book listening to their conversations, or eating at their little dinner table. Whenever the book got to eating the meals, it was so real that I got hungry! I would definitely recommend this book to any age group. The author really describes the scenery to where you can picture it in your mind. I loved the book, and I am going to read again.

The Secret Garden

Have you ever discovered a place that has bee locked up for a long time? If so, then you can relate to The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Mary Lennox, the protagonist, moves from India to Misselthwaite, England because her parents die of cholera. She lives with her cousin Colin Craven, who thinks he's a cripple and believes he is never going to walk. Mary tries to convince him that he's not a cripple. The children meet Dickon, a local boy who they call the animal charmer. Together they find a magical world inside a garden.

Mary, Dickon, and Colin find the garden left alone and locked. They find a key with the help of Robin and then start to garden without anyone knowing it. Mary and Colin are very frail like a toothpick, but then they grow because the fresh air makes them well. Dickon is a teacher because he shows them how to garden.

Then, on a rainy day, Mary and Colin go into rooms in the house that are locked up and they learn about their ancestors. In Colin's room Mary sees a portrait hidden under a tarpaulin, she opens it and sees picture of Colin's Mother (Mrs. Craven). Mary asks Colin why it is covered and he tells her that he doesn't want to see her because she reminds him of his Father and how he is mad at him because he will be a hunchback. Finally, Mary and Colin learn to overcome their tantrums and the fears of never seeing their parents again. When the children are in the garden, they were caught by one of the gardeners, however he said that he wouldn't tell because he himself had been inside the garden.

Read to find out if the children ever get caught in the garden again, or if Colin ever walks. Ladies and gentlemen, I invite and encourage you to read The Secret Garden.

I am EAD a fifth grade student at Wadron Mercy Academy.
A sour nine year old, Mistress Mary, has just moved to her uncle's mansion in a far lonely place. She has moved here because Mary made a nasty wish that her parents and maids would die, and it came true! Now, Mary is lonly and unwanted by everyone. Mary's uncle is a widower who has one son named Colin.
Soon, Mary becomes used to this place and explores all of the gardens. She has an Irish friend named Deacon. Deacon and Mary explore all of the gardens. Does Mary, Deacon, and Colin find the magic garden that their aunt had locked up? Find out what happens to Mary, Deacon, a krippled boy Colin, Mary's mysterious uncle, and the magic garden. ... I think this book was a real page turner. I could not put this exciting book down. I highly recommend this book. It is a classic of all times! I rate this book #1 of all the books I have read. I also recommend the movie.

This book is full of mysteries. As mary lenox, an orphaned, stubborn, and impolite 10 year old girl, goes to her uncles manor, she meets martha. martha is her "maid" who introduces mary to a new way of thinking and life. she is captured by the thought of a mysterious garden. as she finds the door and the key, she needs some assistance helping the garden grow, and a martha's brother, dickon, a animal charmer and lover, is the one she turns to. much more mysteries included in this book are crying in the coridors, pictures of people all along the hallways and mary's aunt, Mrs. Craven. Where does all this fit, read the book and you will find out.

An example of what can happen when two movie studios collaberate on one movie, and the studios have nothing in commen to begin with. They make different movies for different areas of the public, and it shows with POPEYE, a co-production of Paramount Pictures and Walt Disney productions. This movie was poorly casted (Williams as Popeye, please). Bad music numbers and some very cheesy special effects. This picture was a bomb with the public and such a negative experience that both Disney and Paramount have avoided working on any more movies together since. And I think it's coming up to 24 years now.

I will go mad if I hear one more critic say that Popeye is a mess, or one more person laugh and look at me strange when I bring up this movie. This movie is a work of art. The songs are works of art. Shelley Duvall's Olive Oil is a work of art. The lines Robin Williams mumbles so you have to watch the movie ten times to hear them are a work of art. The set is, the plot is. Did I say the music is? You're going to tell me that Shelley Duval dancing about oddly on the deck singing he needs me, he needs me, isn't just absolutely perfect!? And that whole Fooey, fooey scene! I'm gonna do one of those twist up my arm punches to the next person that says this movie was a travesty for Williams or show boating by Altman or anything else! AUGHHHHH! thanks for listening.

Robin Williams is "Popeye" in this screen adaptation of the classic cartoon character. I've never understood why it hasn't become a classic movie, but then again, I've never understood all the trendy kind of things anyway. If you love the characters which Williams portrays, you'll love this one, but if you really like the Popeye cartoon, than this is just what the Doctor ordered.

Shelley Duval is perfect as Olive Oyl, the thin, emaciated sweetheart of Popeye's dream, and of course, you have the others - Wimpy, Blutus, and the whole town of interesting characters, not to mention the little baby- Sweet Pea. Then there is Ray Walston, portraying Popeye's "Daddy," and he puts in a decent performance.

This is not Academy Award material, mind you, but neither is it bad movie-making. This is the stuff of "cult movies," although I wouldn't go so far to characterize this as one of them.

It's a lot of fun, and when you see Williams, you are struck by the uncanny resemblance and you are transported to another world, and have forgotten it's an actor. An interesting movie, overall, and it's highly recommended!!!

Have you ever heard of the dog that was beaten and abused? Well in my book it tells of a story of a young boy who owns a once beaten dog. This book is about Shiloh and Marty's relationship and how they live together. It shows how a poor family lives and how they go through each day being happy. I would like a sixth grader to read this book because Marty is young and a sixth grader would enjoy that. They can relate to the troubles he has at his age. SAVING SHILOH by Phillis Reynolds is a great book for everyone.
The vocabulary of the book is very easy to understand. Though, there are no photos to help you, the book is not difficult. A normal sentence in the book has little hard to understand words such as, "that night when I go to the door to let Shiloh in, I see that light again."
This book can amaze you with its heroic stories and events. Generally speaking, this book is written in a mood that will make you happy. You can tell the book is happy and exciting by this quote,"I lay down on the floor and hide my face in my arms, and that dog goes nuts." The front picture shows you how happy Shiloh is.
This book is written as if Marty is telling an autobiography. It is in first person and it has many adventerous stories. Marty wants you to know about him and his dog and how Shiloh changed so many lives. One event that I read over and over was when there is a huge flood. In the flood Marty's little sister falls into the river. Once you read what happens you will deaply cherish this book. To show how happy Marty is with Shiloh, he tells you that every night he gets up looking for Shiloh because he loves him so much. He wants you to see how happy a life can be with a dog.
Families and schools will love the book SAVING SHILOH. It tells you of how Marty and Shiloh live. If you are still young or in sixth grade, please read this great book.

This book is about a boy whos name is Marty. Some bad things have been happening like murders and roberies and everyone is blaming it on Judd. Judd isn't the nicest man but Marty thinks he is innocent of the crimes. I would recommend this book to animal lovers and people who love exciting books. Jacob R.

I liked the book because it had good dialog, description, and detail. The main characters were the dogs, the dad, and Marty. It was exciting and heart-stopping with vivid detail of Shiloh and the Baker's german shepard. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes dogs.

Characters:Jonas, Lily, Jonas' Mom, Jonas' Dad,The Giver,Gabriel

Setting and Time: The setting is in so-called a perfect world with many different points of view of life. The time is really whenever you want it to be but I think it is in the future.

Review: After reading the book, "The Giver," written by Lois Lowry it changed my perspective towards life.

Jonas, a 12-year-old boy, living in is what to be a Utopia has just been selected to become the next, "Receiver of Memory," a very powerful job in the community. Everything is going well until Jonas finds out the truth about his community's past from The Giver. Jonas has feelings not many other people have and Jonas has a drastic plan to make the community differently. He takes with him his most precious being in his dwelling, Gabriel. Read this amazing book to find out its weird but great ending.

This book, "The Giver," conveys a feeling of confusion but as the story progresses all the knots in the story untie at the end of the book. This story is so abstract in most of the chapters you'll have to re-read the chapter for it to make sense. The book has a sense of belonging towards the end because of the book's actions. This book is well written and has been rewarded with a Newberry Honour Award. The book deserves this award for its continuous page turning action all the way to the end. The Giver is one of the best books I have read in my life. The Giver should have a chance to be read all cross the country by each student in grade 6, 7 and 8. This book should be read all over the world.

I give this book a four and a half stars out of five because it deserves a great deal of respect ans has little flaws that do jump out at the reader. I recommend this book to anyone over the age of 11 but they have to be mature enough to handle certain situations.

Jonas lives in a "perfect" world where war, disease, and suffering have all been eradicated. Everything is in order; everything is under control. The people have no worries or cares. The Community strives for "sameness," in which everyone and everything are the same and equal. To help the Community function as a cohesive unit, each member is assigned a position in society. When Jonas turns twelve, the Community selects him to be the new "Receiver of Memories." Only the "Giver" knows the truth and memories of the past, and now he must pass these memories on to Jonas.

The Giver is a wonderful book. Lois Lowry skillfully crafted an intriguing and profoundly thoughtful story. She subtly creates an uneasy feeling that something is wrong with this "perfect world." The Community's advisors intend to establish security within utopian society, but they really establish a stifling dystopia. To protect people from the risks of making poor or wrong decisions in life, the advisors plan and dictate the lives of the people. In effect, the citizens have no freedom of choice; they do not choose their job or even their spouse. Moreover, the advisors inhibit the people's ability to feel because they want to spare them from the hardships and pain of life. For instance, individuals must take a pill everyday, which suppresses passionate feelings. The citizens do not know or experience true emotions like love. One of the goals of the Community is to achieve "sameness" so that no one feels embarrassed or gets excluded for being different. However, this limits individuality and freedom of expression because everyone conforms to a certain desired image. Finally, to relieve the population of the horrors and devastation of the world and the past, the advisors isolate the Community from the rest of the world (also known as "Elsewhere) and give the burden of holding the memories of the past to a single member of society: the "Receiver." Therefore, the Community lives only in the present, and the people have a narrow perspective of life because they only know their community and way of life. They are naive; they do not gain knowledge or wisdom from the memories. While receiving the memories, Jonas learns a different and better way to live and realizes what he and the Community have been missing. He decides that something must be done to change the current conditions and enlighten his community.

Although it is a Newbery Award Winner, The Giver is a controversial book that has been challenged and even banned. After parents complained that the violent and sexual passages were inappropriate for children, the Bonita Unified School District in California temporarily banned the novel from classes. The Giver has been challenged in other school districts around the country for its "mature themes" of euthanasia, infanticide, and suicide. I do not agree with banning and challenging of this novel. It is a great book, and part of what makes it so great is the incorporation of these controversial issues. They force readers to wrestle with their own thoughts and figure out their stance on the issues. Good literature makes readers think. Banning this book takes away the freedom of speech, the freedom to read, and the freedom to learn and explore. The banning of The Giver is ironically similar to the actions of the Community that lead the Community to its suppressive and stifling state. A powerful story, The Giver keeps readers in suspense, touches them, and stays with them for a long time. I love this book, and I encourage everyone to read it.

This is the best book ever! My English teacher was doing a sci-fi unit and to finish it up, we read The Giver. At first I was like ugh! I hate science fiction books, but then one day I had to stay home from school because I felt aweful. We were reading chapter 3 in class that day, so I decided it would be a good idea to read it. But after chapter 3, I went on to chapter 4, then 5, and then I couldn't stop. I read the whole book in 2 hours. If I were you, I would buy this book asap!

"The Man Without a Face" is the story of Charles, a 14-year-old boy from a chaotic family that has given him little love and support, and Justin, a former teacher who became a hermit after losing his job subsequent to a car accident that resulted in a student's death. Charles desperately wants to flee his family and go to the boarding school that his deceased father attended, and he begs Justin to tutor him in preparation for the entrance examination. Justin, whose face was badly burned the car accident (but he is NOT the man without a face in the title, at least not to begin with; that is Charles', father, later supplanted by Justin), finally relents and sacrifices the lonely peace of his reclusion to help Charles.

This brief description fits the film by Mel Gibson as well as the book by Isabelle Holland. However, the stories diverge as they progress. In the film, the Justin-Charles relationship remains purely Platonic, although other characters in the film suspect otherwise, and an excellent theme emerges: men who Platonically befriend needy boys can be falsely accused of pedophilia. I volunteer as a mentor for a Court-run program for at-risk youth, and this factor seems to depress the numbers of men who will volunteer as mentors.

In the book, it is not at all clear that the relationship remains Platonic. Charles certainly experiences confusion about his relationship with, and feelings toward, Justin, and Justin does nothing to help clarify the situation or ease Charles' confusion. There is even a pivotal scene that can easily be construed as sexual, after which the Charles-Justin relationship deteriorates and changes significantly.

Both the film and the book treat the issue of the relationship in important ways, but also in quite different ways. Some Amazon customer-reviewers have expressed concern over the book being a how-to guide for pedophiles. I think that view is a bit overstated, although a pedophile, a victim of pedophilia, or a family member of a victim of pedophilia might see the book in this way, and a pedophile might be able to use the book in this way. The book can also be viewed as a case study in how confusing relationships can be for teens from chaotic families.

Technically, the book is well-written and it flows well. The characters are well-developed, and the plot is certainly complex and loaded with issues of import. The character of the book, however, is open to different interpretations.

Man Without a Face engaged me from the first page. I picked it up because I had heard of (but not seen) the movie, and was further intrigued because I have read and liked some of Holland's mysteries. Finished Man without a Face in one sitting. Among other things, this book shows the complexity of human relationships, and how difficult it is to judge any relationship from the outside. One of the other reviewers takes the most negative view of the relationship: that it is predatory, with Justin's goal being the seduction of Charles. The most generous view is that the sexual event happened with no action on Justin's part other than holding Charles to comfort him. Given Justin's actions throughout the book, the latter is the interpretation I would place on it. I am curious, of course, what Isabelle Holland intended, and would love to know the genesis of this story.

I do think she copped out on the ending. While it neatly tied up the close of the book, life is rarely that tidy, and what's more, Charles will be haunted by Justin the rest of his (fictional) life. Thank god he has Barry, who becomes a real person to Charles toward the end of the book.

A book to be read and discussed in the family. Freedom and consequences, love, trust, intimacy, affection, and boundaries: all important themes that are worth considering whether one is 14 or 44.

This novel was a about a boy, Charles Norsradt he really dosen't know much about life being stuck with a family full of girls; he hates living with them. Feel like he's not manly maybe?He decides t o get away and go to St.Matthews a all-boy private school.He meets a strange man with a disfigured face Justin Mcleod, A writer and teacher, he decided to help him pass a entrance exam to get in,Charles takes to him and loves him and justin helps him like a father, but in the story the writer makes it seem more than father -like love, this story is very intresting and the charcters are complex this is a must read book

"The Road Less Travelled" is a book about non-conformity - being brave enough to admit that your life isn't going as well as you think it is, and finding your own path towards the truth, love, and perhaps even God. Most people with even the most modest amount of self-awareness go through a stage whereby they challenge their own/parents/friends/societies beliefs and start to look for answers. Few however, truly do change; instead they resign themselves to a mediocre existence of habitual worship (to God or to money) and habitual love. This book's message is clear: do not to give up so easily, keep on searching!

At the time M. Scott Peck wrote the book, a main area of interest to him was Zen Buddhism, which fundamentally deals with the fact that our desires cause suffering (see "The Four Noble Truths of the Buddha"). As a consequence of this, the book is a mixture of his own brand of psychology and psychotherapy (think along the lines of C.G. Jung), Eastern philosophy with a dash of Christianity thrown in for good measure. Peck's questions and ideas are nothing new, however, he skilfully relates his own professional experiences with patients to exemplify the importance of self-understanding, so that we might break free from our suffering. As part of this, Peck obliges us to examine the fundamental questions of our existence - what is the real nature of love? Is there any order to the universe? What is the meaning of life itself? Peck never directly gives us the answers, but does ask the questions and offers up his own theories.

"The Road Less Travelled" is a good book for those searching for some truth in their life, and one that I think everyone should read at least once. After this however, Peck clearly forgot his own advice. He became a "Born Again", started up a foundation, and gave several lectures on psychology, life, and his love of Jesus (see "Further Along the Road Less Travelled"). I am not saying there's anything wrong with choosing a religion, though in my experience you develop a tunnel vision on things, which is clearly what happened of Peck. Still, "The Road Less Travelled" comes recommended to everyone, just realise that Peck doesn't have all the answers.

A combination of human psychology and spirituality, this book is truly profound! Dr. Peck has a unique ability to transcend the self-defense system that protects us from having to deal with the real issues behind our actions. He effectively demonstrates, using sound reasoning and examples, how we grow from our struggles, and why we cannot grow without them. One could easily view hardship as an exciting opportunity after reading this book. He also does a wonderful job of describing how love grows through the sacrifices that we make for other people. In the last section he goes beyond human logic and delves into the sub-conscious and the spiritual, yet it's easy to understand, even if one has no religious background. In fact, he argues that even atheism is a form of religion in the sense that it is a belief system that guides our behavior, and he does so very diplomatically. He makes references to religious writings, mostly Christian, but even if I were an atheist or believed in another faith, I don't think I would be offended by this. Quite to the contrary, atheist would get a good understanding of why some people believe in a higher existence. As a spiritual person who thinks it's normal for people to struggle with their imperfections, I grew a little tired of his references to psychotherapy and mental illness, but I would not categorize his philosophies as psycho-babble by any means. He does acknowledge the difference between emotional mental illness, and physical or neurological mental illness (I forget the professional terms), and his book is clearly not intended to undermine the reality of the latter. There were a few political plugs that I could do without, but it didn't bother me enough to be deterred from finishing the book, and I look forward to reading more of his work.

Dr. Peck has a very easy writing style and a keen sense of his concepts. I really enjoyed this book, so much so, I was sad when I finished it - so I bought Further Along the Road... Anyway, Dr. Peck does have an interesting concept to tell you about after he establishes the concept of love. I wholeheartedly agree with his ideas, but some may be offended if they cannot accept it.