EH Books

The person I bought the book for enjoyed the book and praised the information on grief.

After the loss of my husband it was suggested that I read this book. It is a book that should be read several times to get the full impact. Lewis goes through several mood changes in his journal and only after reading this book did I fully realize I shared many of the same feelings in my grief journey. Madeleine L'Engle wrote the foreword and it should also be read after the loss of a loved one.

Heartfelt and gripping. This genra is one that is hard to put your mind around, however it is something we must witness and cope with. Read this if your stuggling with loss.

Easily the saddest book I have ever read, C.S. Lewis' book A Grief Observed is his journal he wrote after his wife Joy died of cancer.
It was the first time in his life that he had experienced such a sudden jolt of pain and it is evident in his words that he was completely lost. Lewis' faith was tested and he shares his doubts and anger towards God with readers.
"What chokes every prayer and every hope is the memory of all the prayers H. and I offered and all the false hopes we had. Not hopes raised merely by our own wishful thinking, hopes encouraged, even forced upon us, by false diagnoses, by X-ray photographs, by strange remissions, by one temporary recovery that might have ranked as a miracle. Step by step we were 'led up the garden path.' Time after time, when He seemed most gracious He was really preparing the next torture."

It is a very personal experience that few people are willing to share with the world. As time passes, Lewis comes to conclusions about death and life that will give hope to anyone who has lost a loved one.

"God has not been trying an experiment on my faith or love in order to find out their quality. He knew it already. It was I who didn't."

When my husband died after a long illness, someone recommended this book. One of the hardest parts about beginning to grieve is putting your feelings into words. C S Lewis does so here in his memoir of losing his beloved wife. This quick read helped me make sense of what I was feeling and that I was not alone feeling like this. I give it as a gift to people who suffer and extreme loss.

I bought this book for big Star Wars fans (boys ages 7 and 4) to get to know the characters and to get them to read more. It worked! They REALLY enjoy it.

The book is great entertainment (and reference) for a true star wars fan and has information about every important character, weapon, and vehicle in the movie. However, the complaint about picture quality is valid. Some photos (not all) are not as sharp as expected. Our 5 year old son loved the book (he has not watched the movies yet), although he thought some of the characters were "creepy".

I bought this book for my nephew for his 6th birthday and he hasn't put it down. LOVES it!

I bought this as a birthday present for my son, who was turning 8. He's really into Star Wars right now. He reads it every night and likes to draw the characters in the book. He had the visual dictionary for Episode III. Of course he likes this one more since it includes characters from all 6 episodes. The information in the book about all the major and minor characters in the movies is really interesting. I often find myself reading this book, too.

If you're a Star Wars fan like me you're going to love this book. I love DK books because they are so vivid. They have pictures along with a detailed description of the character, ship, droid of equipment. It even shows you pictures of characters that you don't really see in the movies. If you're not familiar with the movies this books will definitely get you on the right track as well as offer a few surprises along the way.

I recently finished my first year at a top tier law school. This book did so much for me. If you are serious about getting good grades in CivPro, I think you should seriously consider this book. It forces you to understand the concepts and work through the rules, which is vital to doing well on exams. Don't stress about exams. This will help you.

This is an essential supplement if you are going to understand this God-forsaken subject. I took off a star because there are some important subjects that are not covered in the book for some reason (For example, there is very little on Rule 24)

This book was very helpful for reviewing each section as we went through them in class. The explanation sections are wonderful and the examples are very helpful for exam prep.

This is by far one of the best supplements out there. It really explains everything and illustrates the material with great examples followed by explanations that are clear and concise. I would not recommend taking Civil Procedure without this book.

However, one caveat: this book may not cover all of the material in your Civ Pro class. Off the top of my head, I know it is missing chapters on class actions, Seventh Amendment right to jury trials, and interpleader (though it has impleader and other joinder topics). Despite this minor shortcoming, the material that is contained in this supplement is explained well and illustrated through great examples. Definitely a must have!

E&E is a great series. I've found many of the books helpful in supplementing law school reading that can be at times difficult to synthesize. However, Freer's supplement on civil procedure is unbeatable.

Law school is about knowing the rule and applying the facts. E&E is great at helping you to know the rule. However, it doesn't help you figure out how to apply the facts, especially in a way pertinent to law school exams. Freer's book is full of examples and frameworks that assure success on your CivPro exam. This is especially true of the frameworks he lays out for analyzing Personal Jurisdiction problems and Erie.

Buy Freer and you'll be happier going into your final.

I can think of several reasons to recommend this collection, and at least two to recommend staying away from it. Call it a five star review with warning labels.

John Martin, Bukowski's longtime editor, assembled this collection so that the subject matter is in chronological order, no matter what age Bukowski was when he wrote it. Since so much of his work is either memoir or thinly disguised stories from his life, the resulting effect, with its mixture of memoir, poetry, and fiction, is a masterful, almost avant guarde, autobiography. The selections are short, but are far more attention grabbing than a conventional biography.

I thought the arrangement of the material notable too. First memoir, then two or three poems, then fiction, and so on and so on. If the poetry had been collected in its own section, I would have skipped over most of it. Instead, I could concentrate long enough on a couple selections to find I enjoyed it far more than I would have guessed.

It's difficult for me to differentiate between Charles Bukowski's life, and his work. It almost seems as though his life was his life's work, as strange as that may sound. His writing is taken directly from his experiences; in clear, simple prose, he unsparingly describes himself and the world around him, and then, with startling clarity, springs his insights on the reader. An example would be the title of this review, which is Bukowski's thoughts after discovering alcohol. After reading it, my thoughts were, "Yes, yes, this is how it is."

The danger in Charles Bukowski's works is assuming that his experiences led to his insights, which eventually led to his success. Or better yet, that his methods might work for anyone. I made that assumption for many years before I found out different. This is why I would not recommend this or any other Bukowski work unreservedly. Though I do not believe Bukowski himself would have advocated his lifestyle to anyone, by it's very nature it could be attractive to some who may not be aware of the titanic amount of effort it must have took for him to both live and write - it's that powerful. It is also brutal. That is the other reason I hesitate before recommending. It is sure to offend.

Finally, I wonder what Bukowski would think of the reviews of his work posted on this site (including mine). I have to believe he would laugh.

Recommended, with caveats.

i gave this book as a gift once. to like a book enough to give it as a gift.. now that's something. if you appreciate being told the way it really is, you'll love bukowski.

The recording quality may not be absolutely perfect but the item captures Bukowski as he was, and adds significantly to the image one gets about his personality and his views from reading his, frequently repetitive books.

Some one gave this book to me to read highschool and the second I started reading it I was addicted. Now I'm in my late 20's and had to have it again.

Charles Bukowski takes you a trip that you soon won't forget. You will travel through a timeline that will have you anticipating what's next. The raw expression of life as depicted in his book made me want to become a writer.

Not only does he write a mean story he also has section filled with his poems, also amazing. You will not be dissapointed.

Bukowski is merciless. He can be quite cruel. He is a neutron bomb who destroys fantasy and make believe and leaves behind empty unadorned buildings. Like really rough scotch or bourbon, he can only be read in doses. In fact, his writing is an acquired taste. If don't want to see into the core reality of life, do not buy, let alone read his books. But if you are into honesty and courage and already know that no good deed ever goes unpunished, please enjoy. Bukowski's works are an affirmation of reality. Hobbes would love him. Ohm.

You could say that Alice McKinley (not to be confused with Alice MacLeod) has a bit of a cult following at my current place of employ. So maybe it was just a matter of time before I too got sucked in.

A word on the series before I start the review: Phyllis Reynolds Naylor began the Alice series with "The Agonies of Alice" in 1985. In that book Alice is 11 and starting sixth grade. She has just moved and started at a new school. Since then, Naylor has been writing a new Alice book approximately every year which certain librarians have pointed out has strong addictive qualities. Until about 2002, the books ran linearly. Then Naylor did something different, she wrote three prequel novels talking about Alice as a third, fourth, and fifth grader weaving in stories that Alice had previously reflected on in other books in the series. "Starting With Alice" is the first of these prequels (followed by "Alice in Blunderland" and "Lovingly Alice"). I like to read linearly whenever possible so, after reading "The Agony of Alice" and finding out about these prequels I decided to read the series straight through in terms of Alice's age instead of publication date (the series is supposed to end when Alice turns 18 and is already well-grounded in the Young Adult genre at this point).

Now that that's settled, let's talk about the actual book.

Alice, her father, and her older brother have just moved into a new house. Alice's first friend on the block is Donald Sheavers, her weird neighbor. Along the way, Alice makes other, less weird, friends. And also attracts some unwanted attention from one of the street patrol girls. It's not always easy being Alice. I can't say much more about the story without revealing everything. This book is more about Alice's day-to-day life as she tries to fit in and make friends than about any huge event.

Alice narrates in the first person. As a result, the novel is conversational and pretty mellow. Alice is a cool girl, even though she doesn't think so, and her narration is endearing. Naylor strikes the perfect balance here. Alice's voice is consistent with her debut novel, but she does sound younger--without being annonyingly young.

Alice also demonstrates that, although she's only eight, it's never to early to develop a strong character. In the novel Alice makes new friends and stands up to bullies among her other wonderfully positive characteristics. I don't know that children read books about children in search of role models, but if they do "Starting With Alice" definitely offers up a good one.

In terms of when to read this book, I think it would work either way. I enjoyed reading it already knowing about Donald Sheavers and an unfortunate poem written to the milkman. But readers could definitely read this without knowing anything about Alice and enjoy it just as much.

wow how in the world do i start! well i read this book in 3 days. each day i came home when out on the porch and started reading for about 3 to 4 hours!

its about this girl alice her mom dies when she was young and she has a older brother lester.this was the first book i read and now i have read about 5 or 6 alice books now.alice goes through friendship trouble and other stuff too.its a really good book for girls.i also read the boys start the war by:pyills too.i read that in 3 days too.both of these books are amazing!naylor is my favorite author!in boys start the war there is pranks that the boys do to the girls then the girls do something and get them back and its filled w/ laughter!GET IT! if this review helped please click yes under my review
thanks!i reccommend it!cya later!have fun reading!

This book was free with a purchase of my Leopard Build-a-Bear when I was nine or ten. I loved it! I settled down with my misbehaving leopard plush and read the book through. It has to deal with all the fun of being a third grader--embarrassing moments galore, laughs, and mistakes! Hopefully readers connect with Alice as they learn about her bluffs through this school year. I would recommend it to anyone seven through eleven. If your twelve year old isn't too 'old' for this, then they probably will chuckle as they remember the mistakes that they made advancing towards grade four.

--Willow, aged 11

My daughter has read this book over and over again- she loves it!

For me, this was definitly the best book i have read in the alice series so far! VERY and i mean VERY few books make me laugh out loud, but this one did--on nearly every page! i engulfed this wonderful tale of an 8-year old girl and her adventures through the move from chicago to takoma park, Maryland, and how she has to start 3rd grade at a brand new school. i read this in one day! i would sit in my room reading this book, and every few minutes or so, i would laugh so hard i cried. And my parents were wondering what all that racket was about....

his is the first classical instruction book i ever had with a cd i had flamenco books with a cd guide to show how you are playing i am looking forward to many hours of fun playing and learning using this book.

I stumbled onto this book as a teenager trying to teach myself to play the guitar. I found it both easy to understand and rewarding. Eventually I went on to minor in jazz guitar in college and spent several years as a union musician. A few years ago I returned to this book (I finally replaced my old copy with a new version) when I wanted to venture into classical guitar. Almost thirty years later I found it equally as captivating and rewarding as it was in my first encounter.

Recently I decided to learn to play the English concertina, but found that there were no quality tutorials readily available, so I turned, once again, to Mr. Noad. The exercises presented in the book have been very helpful and have allowed me to feel an increasing sense of aptitude on the concertina as I step through the lessons!

Solo Guitar Playing is built on a clear, accessible methodology and a well-paced progressive learning system that stands the test of time! If you could only have one guitar instruction book, this would be the one to consider.

I've started and stopped trying to teach myself how to play guitar on 3 different occasions for over 10 years. (I did have prior music experience from playing the violin as a youth.) I bought this book some time ago, got 20 pages in and then decided I'd just try to learn tabs and chords like everyone else seemed to be doing. But then I engaged my ego and decided to learn how to read notes and properly learn the playing technique I would need to last me for a lifetime. I dusted this book off again and kept plugging away. Lo and behold, I kept getting further and further into the material. The thing that helped me, which I didn't do on prior attempts, was to exercise PATIENCE! If it takes me two or three weeks to master a chapter, then so be it - I know it will stand me in good stead in later lessons and boy, has it! I now play at least 4 times a week for at least an hour, including practicing arpeggios and scales, for the sheer joy of it.

I am loving this book and have Solo Guitar 2 standing ready for when I complete the first volume. Highly recommend for those trying to teach themselves the "right" way. :-)

I ditto both previous review. Don't buy this book until after you have completed Noad's book one. It reviews some previous technique, but is much more advanced generally. I found a few mistakes in it so far, in the learning to count notation section, so it does have some notational errors. But overall, so far I think this is a good book worth the money. It would best to use this book in conjunction with a quality classical guitar teacher. Trying to learn classical guitar on your own with no professional guidance is begging to learn terrible playing habits.

First let me say that I would not recommend this book unless you are at least an intermediate classical player, if not, then begin with Noad's "Solo Guitar Playing 1", which goes from beginner to intermediate. Both of these books come with a cd containing most of the songs from the book, and neither one has tab. Solo guitar 2 has some technical instruction, such as counting dotted notes, rest stroke and free stroke, slurs, trills and other ornaments, and a number of definitions of classical music terminology. This book covers the periods known as classical, romantic, renaissance and baroque, with exercises and songs from each, by masters such as Sor, Tarrega, Guiliani (including his exercises for the right hand), Bach, Handel and others. The material goes from fairly easy examples that will improve your speed, accuracy and sight reading ability, to "Recuerdos de La Alhambra" and "Estudio Brillante de Alard", which are advanced concert quality pieces by F. Tarrega. There is also a song by Frederic Hand called "Study number 1", which isn't exactly classical, but it is quite nice anyway. This is one of my favorite classical guitar books, the material was selected to be educational and very enjoyable as well. If you put in several months (years ?) of work on this book you will not regret it, and by the end, you will be able to play these great songs, and just about anything else that you could ever imagine.

Being tormented seems to be requirement of a Venator. Only a month after her beloved husband's death, Victoria nearly kills a would be human rapist. Stopped only by the sight of blood on her hands, she decides to take a much needed break from vampire hunting. A year later Max missing, and the vampires are amassing again. Victoria travels to Italy to discover what is going on.

This one is full of intrigue and secrets. Luckily, most of the secrets come to light at the end and Gleason refrains from the route many authors take in keeping the secrets in hopes of getting the readers to read the next installment. I much rather my books contain a complete plot (with resolution). This is definitely a Sebastian book. He slips in and out of the plot in the most unusual places. Never fear, he still attempts his utmost best to seduce Victoria (he doesn't have to try very hard, mind you.) Even though Max is discussed, he doesn't make an appearance until the near the very end. Although, we he has done, sacrificed, and accomplished is startling and sad.

I'm looking forward with much anticipation for the next book in this series!

The plot is full of twists and turns; Max not being himself; things go horribly wrong and tragic. Yes, readers can expect an intense story in the second book of the Gardella Vampire Chronicles series. RISES THE NIGHT takes things up several notches after Max disappears for about a year and is discovered to have 'switched sides'; and Lilith's vampire son, Nedas comes into the picture where he is about to do something irreversibly destructive using the Akvan's Obelisk, a device once activated will give any vampire or demon the capability to call upon and control the souls of the dead. All hell is about to break loose in Rome, Italy.

Both Sebastian and Max hold secrets to their identity--past and present. I must say I was quite mad with Sebastian for his penchant to leave Victoria dangling mid-air each time in their romantic interlude. That guy is truly addled but still, I cannot help liking him. Although Sebastian is everywhere in this story (it seems that he has the innate ability to appear before Victoria at the best of times), it is Max that I kept thinking about. I wonder what happened to him. Why did he go on a hiatus? Most alarming of all, why is he doing what Victoria saw him doing?

Victoria must learn to accept that being a Venator means more than her own feelings and needs, and sacrifices must be made for the greater good. Her aunt Eustacia and Max--two of world's most powerful Venators--demonstrated that. In RISES THE NIGHT, Colleen Gleason gives us a satisfying read that is full of suspense, violence, and a tinge of romance. I wanted more so I'd gladly move on to the third book in the series, THE BLEEDING DUSK.

Victoria has been a vampire hunter for just over a year in this book, learning how to balance her life as a part of the upper class society and as a hunter of evil. She's still dealing with her husband's death and in the process of saving a young woman from being raped, nearly kills a human man by beating him. This scares her greatly and she steps down as a hunter to deal with her grief more fully. She still keeps up her training but does not actively hunt.

A year after the incident, she begins hunting again and goes to Italy with her aunt to stop Lilith's son from obtaining and activating Akvan's Obelisk, a magical mirror. If the mirror was activated it would give him the ability to call and control demons at his will.

After the first book in the series, I couldn't get my hands on this one fast enough. And it didn't disappoint. It was less a romance novel than the first, darker and a little more disturbing. We get to see our heroine in a less-than-flattering light, and I think it makes her a better character. She struggles with her inner demons, and while she doesn't always do the smartest thing, or perhaps the right thing, you can see how and why she comes to those decisions. Her heart, at least, is in the right place, though occasionally you might question whether her brain is...

We also learn a lot more about some of the other characters in the story. Bit by bit, things about them are revealed - not all of them good. There's a bit of mystery, a lot of action, and a smidgeon of... not exactly romance, more like lust. But not graphic and tawdry, more... realistic in a way. Animal attraction, not love, at first sight!

This book, like the first in the series, suffers from the clichés of the paranormal and the occasionally annoyances associated with it, but the depth of the characters and the strength of the story more than makes up for it. Because this one moves more firmly out of the `romance' genre, I'm going to give it the five stars I didn't give the first and recommend it to anyone who likes vampire stories, whether or not you're a romance fan. I think you'd be pleasantly surprised.

Rises the Night
Colleen Gleason
2007

In this, the second volume of "The Gardella Vampire Chronicles", author Colleen Gleason seamlessly continues her poetically elegant tale -- any (oft-suggested) shades of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" are soon forgotten in her Venators -- slayers -- these books are utter class and sophistication.

A year has passed since the death of Victoria's husband, and while she continues to grieve, there is a new undercurrent forming in the waters of vampire society: Victoria's mourning will have to be set aside in favor of combating a rising new evil. Nedas, son of Lilith, the vampire queen met in "The Rest Falls Away", begins an ambitious scheme to gain immeasurable power -- and perhaps even more damagingly, sets old friendships and loyalties astray.

Aside from her unusually deep, thoughtful heroine, Gleason offers readers a plethora of interesting, compelling supporting characters. The long-standing relationship between Victoria's trainer, Kritanu and her aunt Eustacia is one of the most touching and interesting I've come across in my readings. And while I was very much endeared to Victoria's husband of the first book, Phillip, I would also like to mention that the transition to the Venator's new romance, Sebastian Vioget (which was more than foreshadowed in "The Rest Falls Away") is one of the most natural I've read.

Yet another stunning book from an outstanding author. Utterly superb.

Robert Peterson (1925-2006) wrote this pioneering history in 1970 when many ex-players were living. Drawing on interviews, Peterson makes the Negro Leagues come to life. Readers learn of stars like Bullet Joe Rogan, Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson ("the black Babe Ruth"), Cool Papa Bell, Oscar Charleston, etc., and teams like the Kansas City Monarchs, Homestead Grays, Indianapolis Clowns, Chicago American Giants, etc. The Negro Leagues were one of the largest black-owned businesses, though a couple teams (Pittsburgh Crawfords) were run by racketeers. Readers learn about Rube Foster, who founded the Negro National League in 1920, the annual All-Star game in Chicago's Comiskey Park, barnstorming against white big leaguers, and travel conditions that ranged from decent to difficult and discriminatory. There is also an appendix with team rosters and yearly standings.

The Negro Leagues began to fade as Jackie Robinson joined the Dodgers in 1947, and folded completely in 1960 - a sad day signalling a better era. Then this book arrived to bring attention to the Leagues and its players. One, Ted "Double-Duty" Radcliffe (1902-2005), became a fixture at White Sox games, signing autographs, and throwing out the first ball on his 101st and 102nd birthdays.

Today fans can visit The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, buy team merchandise, and enjoy several good books on the subject, including I WAS RIGHT ON TIME (by Buck O'Neil), BASEBALL'S GREAT EXPERIMENT and several others. Peterson deserves at least a little credit for this.

A scholarly effort by a great Negro Leagues historian, evidenced by Oxford University Press imprint. Highly informative, a tremendous read! Five-star plus*****

"Negro baseball," writes Robert W. Peterson, "was both a gladsome thing and a blot on America's conscience."

And in that one sentence, Peterson defines the glory of Negro Leagues baseball and how it also magnified the sordid race hatred of this nation, with the ramifications still being felt today.

When the book was published in 1970, the Negro Leagues was not really known by a whiter (oops, I mean "wider") audience. Peterson, who had a journalism background as an editor for the New York World-Telegram and The Sun, set out on this journey in 1966 by interviewing players, studying microfilm of black newspapers and delving into game accounts & features in sporting publications.

He traces the history of some of the greatest players and teams ever in the game from post-Civil War to 1947. Along with a history highlighted through extensive interviews are a recap of yearly standings and a register of players and league/team officials.

Names such as Cool Papa Bell, Judy Johnson, Buck Leonard and Rube Foster & teams like the Kansas City Monarchs, Cleveland Buckeyes and Pittsburgh Crawfords come to life and opened a door to a wealth of research into NLB that continues today.

Peterson, who passed away in February 2006 at the age of 80, was on a 2006 committee that selected players/executives from NLB and the pre-NLB era for baseball's Hall of Fame. His ballot was filled out before his death and used in the vote.

It can't be forgotten that NLB welcomed whites and women on the field of play, in the grandstands and in the front offices. Truly, Peterson shows in Only the Ball Was White that there were no rear entrances, separate facilities and racial hatred in Negro Leagues Baseball. The book will never lose its standing as a true beacon to a history that must never again be forgotten.

I consider myself a self-educated baseball historian, but had very little knowledge of the Negro Leagues - until I read this book. It's a wonderful introduction to the proud but sad history of the African American experience in baseball in the first half of the 20th century. I now have a strong working knowledge of the dominent personalities of the Negro Leagues and its many extraodinary athletes - many of whom would have been certain stars in the Majors.

As I read it, I kept thinking to myself what a tragedy it was that these great black ballplayers were barred from the Major Leagues. How different the game would have been. Cool Papa Bell - maybe the fastest man ever to play the game. Satchel Paige - one of the greatest pitchers of all time, black or white. Josh Gibson - the Babe Ruth of the Negro Leagues. Pop Lloyd - the Black Honus Wagner.

It's a overwhelmingly sad chapter in American history for sure; but it's also a compelling story of perseverence and dedication that allowed the Negro Leagues to succeed for so long in the face of incredible obstacles. If you love baseball history, do yourself a favor and read this book. Your baseball knowledge will not be complete without an understanding of the Negro Leagues.

Robert Peterson originally published this book in 1970 so it's really the original and standard history of the Negro Leagues. Peterson not only tells the history of these leagues and some of the great players, but also provides brief biographical sketches of dozens of players whose big league service would otherwise be lost to history. The book also has extensive appendices with annual standings and box scores of all-star games. The book gives us glimpses into Jim Crow America (and it was not just in the South).

Peterson portrays the often overlooked fact that the Negro Leagues were a business venture run almost exclusively by and for black people. And it was a tough business at that, but one that drew often sizeable crowds, especially on exciting and exhausting barnstorming tours. The Negro Leagues could not survive integration as its best players were siphoned off to the 'majors'. Despite the obvious benefits to those men who were finally broke through the wall of prejudice, the reader also understands that there was a sense of loss when the leagues shut down in 1960. More powerfully, the reader experiences the lost opportunities suffered by those players who never got the chance to play in the majors and make major league money, like Jimmie Crutchfield, the Black Lloyd Waner, who barely made a living on one side of Pittsburgh playing for the Crawfords while Waner hauled down $12,000 a year (a princely sum at the time) playing for the Pirates.

A must read for anyone interested in baseball, race relations, or American history.

I purchased thisStories of Anton Chekhov as a Christmas gift. I decided to read a story or 2 just to see what type of book my son is interested in before I gave it to him. I find myself getting caught up in all the stories. It is so refreshing to read something that is not just a lot of fluff and profanity. I would recommend this to anyone interested in historical writings

I saw 2 of Chekhov's plays in college and I honestly don't remember them. Glenn Close appeared in one I remember, but beyond that I was obviously distracted. Nothing could have prepared me for the perfection of these stories. I have never read a collection that had such an impact. Chekhov's clear-eyed world view peers at tiny physical details in the lives of the characters to see into their souls. They are tragic heroes in common clothes.

Chekhov looks on without judgment. His attitude is humane and liberal. No matter how foolish his subjects, his attitude is never condescending.

I hadn't realized it until I finished Pevear's forward, but Chekhov begins to slip subtly into stream of consciousness in several stories. This and many other innovations make Chekhov a pivotal figure in fiction writing. He is certainly under appreciated at present.

(I can't compare it, of course, but the P&V translation is another gift.)

Anton Chekhov is largely known for his plays (The Cherry Orchard, Uncle Vanya), but he is also widely regarded as a master of the short story. However to fully appreciate these stories the reader should be somewhat familiar with the state of fiction in Russia during the last half of the 19th century as well as social and political conditions in the country at that time. Some knowledge of Chekhov's personal history and his philosophy of life is also helpful. Lacking these insights one is likely to find these stories to be excessively negative and depressing.

One difficulty in reading this book of his best short stories is that the first few (50 pages or so) are unrelentingly depressing; death and unrequited love being the main themes and they are told in Chekhov's spare style. A Boring Story is a longer and more interesting piece. It includes some aspects of Chekhov's philosophy, and while it ends on another depressing note, there is still an element of hope present. Ward No. 6 is perhaps the best of these stories, as well as the longest. It tells of a hospital in Siberia with a ward for mental patients. The story centers around a doctor (Andrei Yefichmych), a decent and compassionate man who gradually descends to the depths of the place. Along the way he has an interesting exchange with a mental patient, Ivan Dmitrich. The doctor suggests that one can be happy anywhere, even trapped in a prison, and cites the example of the Greek philosopher Diogenes who so distained material things that he lived in a barrel. The patient disagrees strongly, shouting, "I love life, I love it passionately!" He adds, tellingly, that maybe Diogenes would not have been so happy if he had had to live in a barrel in the wintry cold of Siberia!

The other stories in the book treat of a variety of people and situations from all walks of Russian life. While despair and a sense of hopeless fatalism remains the main thrust of many of these stories, there is also an element of hope present. Chekov keeps coming back to the idea that the future will be better. Some stories, such as Anna on the Neck, even have an element of humor. The last story, The Fiancée, perhaps sums up Chekhov's view of Russian life. In this tale a young woman living in a small town becomes engaged to a local man. A guest from the city, Sasha, starts to talk with her about how empty her life will be if she marries this man. Gradually she begins to come to this realization and in the end leaves to move to St. Petersburg to have "a new, expansive, spacious life, and that life, still unclear, full of mysteries, lured and beckoned to her."

I have given Chekov a rating of 4 stars, rather than 5, because, compared to Guy de Maupassant and O. Henry, his stories do not sufficiently express the full range of human emotions. Both of the latter masters of the short story infuse their work with humor and even broad satire and this is the stuff of life as well as the dreary world that Chekov inhabits. Yet maybe Chekov is reflecting the reality of Russia in his time. In any case these stories are well worth reading.

A true master of the form of the short story, this collection of stories illustrates the full depth of Chekov's range of subjects and characters: serfs, bishops, doctors, merchants, coroners, in the country, city, and in between. There seems to have been no area of Russia where Chekov did not have an intimate, exhaustive knowledge. Every story is finely crafted, concise yet exacting, detailed yet brisk. Chekov manages to juggle these mutually exclusive elements of the art of short story, giving most of the stories the feel of longer, fully treated works in a very tight space. Simply put, Chekov well deserves his designation as one of the great masters of the short story.

This is the first series of works that I have read by Chekhov. I wanted to read some of his shorter works before beginning reading his novels. Now that I realize how much I enjoy his stlye, which I think other people will like as well, I am looking forward to reading his larger works. I very much liked the insight into the Russian culture.

What can I say? Max Lucado is a gifted writer who takes spiritual concepts and puts them into understandable and easy-to-grasp stories illustrations.

Max Lucado is a premier story teller. The message that Christ knows how we humans feel and that he is close enough to call on whenever we need him is uplifting and comforting.

i haven't read max lucado books in awhile and I have read quite some of them. I have to say that this is one of his best written. The chapters are short but they are meaningful, each one of them that applies to different people.

This a great book. I love the way Max writes. It's very unique and refreshing. He really brings the stories to life.

This is my first Max Lucado book and I loved it! It took me a while to read it because I don't read that often but something made me keep coming back to try and finish it. He made everything so simple and easy to understand. The real life examples were great! I would recommend it to anyone!