Exports Books

This book helped me know what to expect during my recent trip to the Philippines.

This book is not what I was looking for. I give it a 4 of 5 stars because it give me some insite to the 'Pilipina' (as the call them selves) at work and why they seem to be a polite people. I was looking for is dealing with the Philippina people on a personal basis. For the business person working or visiting the Philippines it is a highly recomended book. Thanks Amazon.com

Thanks for finally coming up with something easy to follow. I found the calorie count for foods especially helpful as I was in need of some real help in changing my diet. The fitness programs designed were simple and basic for me to follow, i started as a beginner and am at the advanced level without being sore or tired. It was a great process to follow, and is definately an excellent system that you 2 have developed. Thank You so much.

A satisfied customer
Sam

I was nearly 275 pounds of pure unhealthy and unwanted FAT. I started this program about 3 weeks ago and have already lost 18 pounds. I am feeling good and am COMPLETELY confident in your easy to follow guide. I CAN NOT stress it enough!! Thanks you two, you've made it so easy for me to do! For those of you who are hesitant, DON'T BE. It's now or never!!

A wonderful and thrilling read from chapter one. Looked forward to every free moment to continue were I left off.

best book ive ever read. its fast and smart. its one of those books that you cant believe didnt actually happen in real life. read before you go see the movie when it comes out. plus it never gets old nomatter how many times you read it.

This book is much better than the DaVinci Code. There is a lot more attention to detail and historic figures that give a much better background suspense. There is still this great sense of cover-up conspiracy from the vatican; but the plot to this book is much thicker. A great read.

Angels and demons is a taut,suspenseful novel that will keep you on
edge while symbologist Robert Langdon races against time to save
Vatican City from apocalyptic terror.

If you like DaVinci Code and just about any other conspiracy theory book you'll love this one.

Why would someone want to read this trash when the writings of Gracian are readily available? Mr. Greene's puerile commentary and interpretations serve no worthwhile purpose, given the fact that he over-exteriorises and banalises the matter (Gracian would say: "Leave some room for mystery..."). Furthermore, it should be noted that more than a half of his 48 'laws' are plagiarisations of Gracian's maxims. At the most Mr. Greene will only appeal to frustrated adolescents. But when these adolescents join the ranks of men, they will come to realise that workable stratagems require a great deal more sophistication - let alone the fact that circumstances hardly ever call for their implementation - than suggested by Mr. Greene. And one is led to suspect that your average door-to-door salesman has got far more cunning tricks up his sleeve than the so-called 'laws' promulgated by Mr. Greene. This juvenile and vulgar philosophy is in fact the American Dream in action, viz., pursue your aim without scruples, and crush anything that gets in your way. This law of the jungle is already in force. Books about it are strictly unnecessary.

This book was splendid. Combines 48 excellent teachings with intriguing examples from history to back them up. If you enjoy history at like myself you'll find the read very enjoyable.

Most any of the low ratings this book received are from high ground moralists who look down upon some of what is discussed. A number of the Laws are somewhat amoral, but unfortanately so can the world we live in. While I still wish to believe in the common good of mankind, there are times that some of these applications will come in quite handy. With the handy tool that humans have called a brain, I can pick and choose which Law teachings I would want to use, and which might be too amoral for my taste.

I liked this book as much as I liked Greene's "Art of Seduction". The author walks the same path of analyzing historical events and people delving deeply into their psychological nature and provides examples taken from life in order to make a point.

This is a great book even if the reader is not interested in gaining power over others. It is a very interesting and fascinating read, and as always with Greene's books I couldn't put it down. The author is clearly very well read and knows what he is talking about.

The tragedy of Greene's simplistic authoritarian view of power is that it is addictive and those struggling with feelings of powerlessness will flock to it. It is practical in that it can succeed in medicating readers against the anxiety that comes with not being in control in life, but it is deceptive in that if you follow Greene's advice you will end up with a life that you have contructed for yourself that you won't want. There are other practical approaches to power that take into account the complexity of the subject (e.g., Janet Hagberg). The central complaint I have about this book is that Greene fails to recognize the relational nature of all human endeavors in his approach to power. Once his readers have climbed to the top of the ladder, will they really be glad they are sitting there all alone? Everyone interested in power reads Machiavelli (or Greene), but no one who follows them completely is ever happy.

A full understanding of power might be one of the most important tasks of our modern age. But Daniel Goleman (Social Intelligence) tell us that if we leave out the importance of the human element (empathy, compassion, emotions, etc.) then we are destined to fail in our current, more evolved society. Jim Collins (Good to Great) found that one of the most important characteristics of the leaders of the most successful companies in America is humility. Not just the appearance of humility as Greene suggests, but actual humility. Yes, deception and brutality can work. But that approach to power won't last. Machiavelli himself was never able to apply his own principles and he died a failure. If you want to learn about the kinds of power that really work then read James Hunter (The World's Most Powerful Leadership Principle) or even Thich Nhat Hanh (The Art of Power), but I wouldn't make Greene your bible if you want your influence in the world to last.

I got this book for my boyfriend in prison. At first they confiscated it as contraband then returned it to him. He loved the book.

As an occasional reader of Anna Quindlen's column (who often disagrees or doesn't quite like what's written), it's hard to disagree with the fact that Quindlen is an excellent writer and has an intelligent mind. This was the first novel of hers that I read, and I'll probably seek out more.

But I didn't really love the book. I liked a lot of it, that's true. But some parts bothered me quite a bit. The writing is really great - you're immersed into this world wholly and feel like characters around you are warm and alive. From son Robert to neighbor Cindy, there's this vivid and clear world. The story runs on a perfectly smooth track, alternating rather well (I felt) between past and present.

Meanwhile, I didn't really like the end. I didn't like the rather stereotypical situation with the husband and the husband's character (abusive, possessive cop... overdone perhaps?). The description of abuse was laid on rather well but felt used and kind of dry. I thought main character Fran/Beth could have been drawn better. And most of all, I felt some parts of the book were a bit far-fetched.

I really liked the book until the very ending where, though it touched my heart, I felt a bit empty. Perhaps this was the intention, but with other far-fetched moments throughout the book it added up to being simply a four-star book - well-written, much better than most, but still lacking in some places. I enjoyed reading it all the way through and comparatively, it's a high four or a four-and-a-half, but some parts were definitely weaker.

Good side-character characterization, excellent writing, extremely difficult and important topic, and very good presentation means that this book is fairly good. While it's not a classic, it's a deep and significant read that I would recommend and one that will lead me to seek out more of Quindlen's novels.

Anna Quindlen can really write well, and I enjoyed this book a lot. It's the story of one woman's daring escape after years of domestic abuse. Unfortunately, this tale has been told a couple dozen times in the last few years, but Quindlen works hard to make it feel fresh.

The characters are the best part of Quindlen's writing. Their emotions seem real, which is the hallmark of good writing. My book club agreed that this is one of the best books that we've read recently, like Rabid: A Novel by T.K. Kenyon and The Handmaid's Tale (Everyman's Library) by Margeret Atwood.

Minna

I was never really captivated by this book until page 170 or so. That's about when the story really got moving. There was a lot of switching back and forth between memories and present, and the transitions weren't clear. So, I was often confused. In my opinion, the book was just okay. Nothing overly exciting, never got really attached to the characters.

Anna Quindlen - a literary treasure of our time.

The book tells the story of an abused woman who has had enough and runs away from her husband, a police officer. She takes her son with her. She coincidentally finds an organization that helps women like herself to start a new life - an organization that claims that their program is more efficient than the witness protection program. The story goes back and forth from her new (completely new) life, and flashbacks to her life of abuse. What was so interesting about the story-telling was that there was the constant wondering of whether this husband of hers would find her. As a reader, I was sweating with the main character, everytime the phone rang or when there were strangers or policemen at her son's school. A true page-turner.

Quindlen's set up of the characters were so real that when the characters spoke, (call me crazy) I could imagine what kind of voice they'd have if I were to really hear them in person.

Even if you're not a fan of this genre or this subject matter, this book is an awesome piece of literature. Read it.

The title of my review sums it up. Quindlen went all over the map, describing people, emotions and scenarios that were empty. I skipped dozens of pages of yawn-infused diatribe to get to something...anything...that would be interesting. The ending was so predictable it was laughable and an insult to her readers. Not her best effort.

It took everything I had to get to the end of this book, in spite of one of its good points; which was its relevance to the spooky nuances of the Internet. Entirely cliche and predictable. The behaviors of the characters were enough to make you want to rip out the pages and scratch the surface for more depth, or maybe scratch your eyes out. I have never provided a review for Amazon but feel it is my duty to help others avoid several hours of wasted time. I would recommend that you skip this book and not be drawn in by its only other good point... a catchy title.

Maybe I'm disappointed because of the 4/5 star rating. Or maybe because I put faith in the review by Harlan Coben. Or maybe it's both of those added to the fact that I was REALLY looking forward to a unique story that was genuinely scary - and this book was not, I am sorry to report. I guess I'm really surprised to not like the book after reading all of the rave reviews. In my opinion the story was not very original, the ghost not really scary, and the characters not intriguing. I can't say that I would recommend this to fans of the genre.

When I saw this book in hardcover, a novel about a rock star named Judas Coyne who purchases a ghost in a heart-shaped box for $1000, I thought it was interesting, but I had so much to read and I though maybe I'll read it when it comes out in paperback. I looked at the author photo and thought he looked familiar. Then, I don't know, a few weeks later, I discovered that the author, Joe Hill was the the second child of Tabitha and Stephen King.

I went back to the book shelves, and looked at the back flap where that picture was again and now I saw it. Joe Hill looked a lot like his dad. As a fan of Stephen King -having read almost every novel he's published - I wanted to see for myself if Joe Hill (an abbreviated form of his given name and a reference to executed labor leader Joe Hill, for whom he was named) could write a spooky story that kept me coming back to his dad for the last 30 years.

Sure enough, I think he did.

When Heart-Shaped Box finally came out in paper, I bought and put it at the top of my reading list -which happens all the time, by the way, pushing other books away.

Anyway, the novel and the author have very similar styles as his father. Major themes about the past, and how it never leaves you behind, remind me a many of times of the elder King's works. So does the characters themselves, who evoke a terrible childhood, which is another trademark of Stephen King, along with paying attention to details with language, accents.

Now, its not to say anything of this is bad. By and far, Joe Hill speaks in his own voice, and Heart-Shaped Box is an effective and powerful first novel. I look forward to see how Mr. Hill grows and see if he can be a creepy and suspenseful as his dad.

A very slow paced story with uninteresting characters and not in the least bit scary. Don't waste your time with this one. I gave this 2 stars as opposed to one star because of the musical references through out the book and I liked the names of the lead character's dogs.

The beginning of this has its creepy and weird moments, but the second half of this one is what really pays off. When you reach page 250, prepare for some really good writing.

When you think about what Joe Hill picked as a premise for his first book-a rock star buys a haunted suit and is then chased by the ghost of it-you realize that he actually picked something hard to make good.

In the world of ghost stories, you can't even count how many there are. I don't care how original the concept is, most of the time, a writer doesn't even want to go near the word ghost. But Joe Hill did, stuck it out, and did a good job for his first time out.

The beginning is a bit slow, setting everything up, but strap yourself in for the last half of the book, which I think is the best.

There are a lot of worse first novels out there. Pick this one up and at least you'll be turning the pages way past your bedtime.

Deception Point was the third book I read from Dan Brown after The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons. The storyline of the book, though I liked, I thought was weak, and didn't feel like it had anything to offer in terms of thought provoking or emotional content to hold onto that The Da Vinci Code and Angels held. However, despite many things it may lack, I did find myself not able to put it down for the reason that, Dan has a great way of getting you hook on the character's situation and your dying to find out what happens. His style is such that he keeps leaving you hanging to make you want to keep reading, I like books like that, it makes it easier to read and enjoy. I was disappointed though to find what the characters discovered, and thought it was a story that was cliché. It does show how dirty politics can be, and as we all know, that aspect of the story is perfectly realistic.

Its a good weekend book, I would still suggest anyone and if you like Dan Brown give this one a try. If your expecting a book like The Da Vinci Code or Angels and Demons, don't look for that, Dan did a whole new type of story and he showcases his talent for taking real facts and putting them into fiction.

Rebekah Ellis
Mr. Melia
Per.4
1/7/09
Deception Point Book Review
The first thought that comes to my mind when I think about Deception Point is intensity. This was a really good book. When up and coming data analysis Rachel Sexton is ordered from the president of the United States to be secretly flown to Antarctica, things get pretty complicated. NASA has made a world-changing discovery and is ready to introduce it to the world when something happens. Senator Sedgwick Sexton is Rachel's father and is running for president, Sexton thinks NASA is a wasteful spending program but little does he know about the discovery. Rachel doesn't agree with his views and doesn't really like him, but when things get really heated she still has a loyalty to her father. All seems well and this should be a great event but when things get complicated everyone gets confused.... Read Deception Point by Dan Brown if you want an intense and thrilling read. I greatly recommend this book to everyone! It was awesome and really suspenseful and thrilling. I would buy this book because it is worth the investment and you won't ever read anything like it. You never knew what was coming on the next page, and what you think turns out to be wrong. This has to be one of Dan Browns greatest works. It is a must read! Definitely five stars.

I gave this as a gift to my son in the military because he likes Dan Brown's writing and stories.

This is probably not the first Dan Brown novel you would pick to read since The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons are the more famous work, therefore it is hard not to compare Deception Point with Brown's other novels. Deception Point gives the same Dan Brown's thriller factor, but it lacks in believability and relies too much on perfect coincidences.

The plot was very predictable (the title is a very big hint) and the characters are very one-dimensional. You would expect the characters to be very enlightened after the outrageous things they went through in the book, but they were left unchanged. Also, the final revelation didn't have a big impact on the story (unlike Brown's other novels). The climax was very unconvincing (SPOILER: I don't see how three professional assassins failed again and again to kill the three protagonists)... I guess readers have to really use their imagination and go along with Brown's plot to fully enjoy the absurdness towards the end.

This is not a bad political-thriller by all means, but too much events in this novel are coincidental and unconvincing. I did enjoy the separate plots connecting together in the end, but the shallow characters were too predictable and boring to read.

Dan Brown has some wonderful books. This is not one of them. I picked this up, due to my interest in U.S. government agencies (three letter ones), and the space program. I should have put the book back down instead of buying it.

While I don't begrudge Mr. Brown his conspiracies, I would recommend do some better research on *what* the agencies actually do, than assume. I'm sure, after I write this, the NRO will send their "hit-squad" after me. Or not.

The two main characters were decently written, action was enough to keep me reading, and the premise (while flawed) had some taste of "within the realm of cocaine-addled possibility... but using a Three Letter Agency (TLA) as the harbingers of death because a satellite program was jacked up... What?!? The U.S. govt has lost *billions* of dollars to satellite programs that don't work, break down immediately after launch or blow up on the launch pad. You don't see people dying en masse because of THOSE screw ups.

I'm a TLA purist - I do studies on the Intelligence Community and their agencies... I could even believe that the CIA has kidnapped Roswell aliens in their Langley facility... but to think the NRO (made up of lazy Air Force bluesuiters and pencil-pushing CIA geeks) could conjure up a convincing conspiracy TOGETHER... now that's definitely fiction. Save your dollars for the Da Vinci Code, Angels & Demons, or a coloring book. Put "Deception Point" back on the shelf.

I purchased these books on a whim from loving the HBO "True Blood" series. Couldn't get enough,and with it being the hiatus, I am still reading book #4. These books are a reader's delight when needing a fix of the Sookie Stackhouse novels. Eloqeuntly written, smooth, easy to follow, & makes you can't wait for the next few minutes you'll have to read some more of the books. I would definately recommend them to anyone who likes the romance/occult/thriller genre.

and Sookie's brother is the one everybody thinks may be doing it. Add problems within the werewolf pack, Bill being back and the sniper thinking Sookie is a were and you have a grand old time in the old town.
Get it, read it, enjoy it. Not as good as the others, but all the characters you love to read about are in it, so you should enjoy it.

I really love this series. I can't keep straight which book is which just by the title, but I own all of them (except the latest one and it's coming) Charlaine Harris has created wonderful, fun characters who I really enjoy getting to know. I've read the other series of Ms. Harris' (or at least parts of each) and don't really know why, but don't care for the others. These I'll keep on reading as soon as they come out.

There is a touch of romance in them, but not really what I'd call a typical "romance" novel. Read them for the characters and the story, but not if you want a "serious" romance.

Incidentally, if you like books on CD, the person reading these stories really gives great "voice" to the characters. I'd invest in those as well. Just good, all-around fun for those who like a bit of fantasy in their lives.

This is the 5th book in th Sookie Stackhouse Series & it doesn't let you down either! After I started reading it I couldn't put it down. Sookie's brother, Jason, changes into a werepanther & he deals with his new life really well. There is a sniper shooting the local changeling community. Sam gets shot in the leg one night while him & Sookie are walking out of the door at Merlotte's. The hotshot community think Jason might be behind all these shootings. Sookies knows that her brother is innocent & that the next full moon will be fatal for Jason if his name is not cleared. Sookie trys to find out who is behind these shootings to clear her brothers name.

Once I started reading the Sookie Stackhouse series, I just could not put it down. After seeing the HBO made for TV Series, the first book was almost true to the book with the exception, of course, quite a few embellishments and altogether made up stuff. Waiting for the next saga to be released.

I borrowed this from a friend and was quickly engrossed, in fact I devoured it in two days. After reading the ending though, I was thoroughly glad it was a borrowed book. Without spoiling the details for others, the ending just isn't believable. There is no way in real life all of these tense, on the edge situations the characters find themselves in at the end of the book would turn out the way they do. I had great hopes for this story while reading, but after I finished I felt cheated. This was my first Harlan Coben book, and while I may give him another try, it will either be paperback, or better yet, borrowed again.

I really loved this book. I finished the book in 2 days! I liked the storyline of the teens. Lots in the book, but interesting ending that pulled it together.

Harlan Coben is the best contemporary mystery writer out there. Once you begin one of his books, any of the books I've read so far, you simply cannot put it down. Riveting. He weaves his characters, plot line, and story together to the point where you cannot figure out how the book will end until the last few pages. Amazing! And with his Myron Bolitar series, he is very funny, too! I highly recommend THE INNOCENT by Coben to start with, and you'll be hooked for all the rest.

I have been reading Coben long before he was popular. His endings used to be..Oh MY GOD..this one wasn't even a little bit of surprise. The only way this gets four stars, is you have never read Coben before, so you don't know what ot expect. Silly plot, silly middle and no ending. I know he will and can do better. I will continue to look for his new work.

HOLD TIGHT

I am never disappointed by Mr. Coben's books and this one was no exception. It deals with suicide, murder, troubled teens, ill children, marriages, both good and bad, and love. Always love.

There are so many plots within plots in this book -- a murdering mad-man, a runaway son, a son who has committed suicide, a family looking for a donor for their ill son, a teacher who has gone too far - wow, so many plots. And all happening within one little town.

The story starts out with a bang and drags you right into the chaos. This book is a page turner. The web is quickly woven, and all the characters, at some point, are stuck in this sticky mess. Just when the reader thinks he has something figured out, bam!, you don't and something completely out of left field is introduced.

I have read all of Mr. Coben's books that stand alone. I have not yet enjoyed his series featuring Myron Bolitar, although my sister keeps urging me to do so. However, every book he writes is unique and excellent.

The crime scenes in this book left me feeling vulnerable and uneasy. I found myself asking my daughter "what would you do if someone came up to you in a parking lot" -- Mr. Coben, through this book, has reminded me that you always must be on guard and looking out for yourself and those you love. "They" are out there. Mr. Coben just writes about it wonderfully to remind us. Be careful out there.

Thank you.

Pam

Picoult never ceases to amaze me. This book captured all my attention as I read it in one 13 hour span. I couldn;t put it down, however, I wished the ending would have given me a little more closure.

I like Jodi Picoult books and so does my daughter and mom. I haven't read this one but got it for gifts. I have enjoyed her other books so am guessing I will enjoy this one also. I gave it a three star only because I haven't read it yet, so don't know how it will be.

My daughter is a Jodi Picoult fan who felt sad because she believed she had read all of this Author's books. To cheer up my daughter, I embarked upon a search in the hope of finding a book by the Author that my daughter may have overlooked. Not knowing the names of the Picoult titles my daughter had read, I did an Amazon search of all Picoult's books, copied the list (with reviews) and emailed it to my daughter for her perusal. To my delight and my daughter's amazement, an unread title leapt from the email attachment - Salem Falls. This book will be slipped into my daughter's Christmas stocking and she, "can't wait" to read it! I remember being her age and feeling the same disappointment when exhausting a favourite author's offerings. So on behalf of my daughter and myself, "Thank you Amazon"! I know she will relish every word.

When I sat down to read Salem Falls, I wasn't really sure what to expect because I hadn't read many of Ms. Picoult's other works up to that point. But, what I discovered once I started reading was an excellent new twist on Arthur Miller's famous play, The Crucible.

Now, I know this was the intention and that it's no big surprise that I recognized the parallel right away. But, what I also noticed was how unforced the connections seemed to be. There are so many times in modern novels where a classic work is used as a basis and the prose feels strained as a result. That was not the case with Salem Falls - At least it wasn't for me.

I felt myself really entering the world of Salem Falls. The situations that Jack St. Bride was faced with were completely heart-wrenching and I destroyed several fingernails while "waiting" for the final verdict to be read.

I will say that the "shocking plot twist" at the end of the story was really not all that shocking for me. I felt like I could see Ms. Picoult leading up to it throughout most of the story. But, I read a LOT so maybe I'm desensitized to "whodunit" moments at this point? Either way, I can't think of a single thing that really disappointed me about this book.

While I appreciated the careful and thoughtful character portraits, I thought the plot was somewhat unbelievable. Overall I was disappointed in Salem Falls after truly enjoying most of Picoult's novels.