FO Books

Pros: Very comprehensive in subject matter, good grouping of information, gives definition of key words at side of each page, contains summaries at the end of each chapter

Cons: Not visually appealing (only black and blue ink used, even in pictures), The sections are long and drawn out, no chapter review questions are given to test proficiency.

Overall, I thought I must have recieved an old textbook due to the lack of visual stimulation which helps me absorb the information. But I do have the most recent copy. I wonder why they would cut corners in this regard even though the book sells for as much as other books that make reading easier by providing a more pleasant visual experience.

But it is a college level book, so I can't complain too much. The quality of information is good.

Very nice map, but not hard to say as there are so few maps of Sri Lanka that are worth looking at. The only complaint that I have is that International Travel Maps only show a blow-up of Colombo, whereas Nelles Maps of Sri Lanka have blow-ups of Colombo, Kandy, Anuradhapura, and Galle, but no Negombo blow-up. I purchased a Globetrotter Travel Pack w/map (pretty good map/package deal) in Negombo a couple years ago, that was a good deal, it's a smaller travel guide compared to Lonely Planet, Rough Guide to Sri Lanka, Footprint Sri Lanka, Insight Guide Sri Lanka, & Culture Shock Sri Lanka of which I have one of each but basically handier when in the trenches of Sri Lanka. If you prefer blow-ups of major population areas go for the Nelles Map, if you don't need blow-ups then get the International Travel Maps version.

This volume contains 20 monologues. With Dario Fo's satirical wit and Franca Rame's ability to produce real-life situations, this book is a must-read for all interested in the dramatic arts. A Woman Alone, the title monologue, is arguably the most brilliant of Fo and Rame's combined efforts. It is the story of Sharon, a woman imprisoned in her flat by her husband after committing adultery with a boy young enough to be her son. The monolgue is expressed through Sharon speaking to her neighbour in the next block of industrial flats. On the outside it appears that Sharon is well provided by her husband, Bryan, with all the material possesions she could ever need. But on the inside her life is empty. Though the title suggests that Sharon is "alone" in her flat technically that is not the truth, her baby boy and her husband's molestering invalid brother both reside in the flat. Sharon's life however, is void of emotion- love, compassion and sympathy. WIth an intriguing story and a satisfying ending, A Woman Alone makes an excellent read and performance. I highly recommend A Woman Alone and Other Plays for all drama enthusiasts.

Paolini has done it again! Excellent story. I can't wait for the 4th book!

This book was pretty average. It is good if you have nothing else to do. The plot is a bit predectable and flat.

One of the greatest book I ever read. One of the greatest stories. I am waiting for the fourth part when the story is finished. Amazing written.

Eldest, written by Christopher Paolini, won the 2006 quill book award and followed his first book, Eragon, to the New York Times bestseller list. In Eldest, Eragon now journeys to the land of the elves, Du Weldenvarden, where he further trains to become a Dragon Rider, learning the skills of magic and swordsmanship. He knows that another encounter with Galbortorix could wipe out the Varden in one blow. He meets Arya, the beautiful daughter of the queen, and falls in love with her. Meanwhile, Eragon's cousin Roran fight a new battle in Carvahall, and becomes the unlikely leader skirmishing against the evil Ra'zac and for his beloved Katrina. Only 21 years old, Paolini has made the settings and the characters incredibly realistic and credible. This isn't just another fantasy book about dragons and knights; this is a book with a developed plot that is very believable. Eldest is a great book for all readers but especially readers who like fantasy. Due to intense descriptions of gore and bloodshed, I think that this book is best for readers fourth grade and up.

If you are into this type of ready you enjoy reading the whole series of books. I enjoy the fact that it continues on with what happens after Eragon left off.

If you want to breastfeed then do NOT but this book. It often gives poor advice that will sabotage your breastfeeding relationship.

Also if you plan on attachment parenting (co-sleeping, baby wearing and responding to your child's needs in general) this is NOT the book for you. As some others have mentioned there was a good deal of information about Cry it Out to get baby to sleep. There is no reason for this and there are much gentler methods for getting baby to sleep. Not to mention that frequent night waking is common and the way that babies were designed

Better choices would be the Dr. Sears books among others.

I also felt that like the other "What to Expect Books" this book was alarmist in nature and does not allow for individual differences of children.

A very good book . It covers every question I have(the 1st time Mum)for the coming year. definitely a keeper.

I bought this book, as a gift for my sister in law. I used this book as a reference when my son was a baby and it answered all by questions. Great book very useful.

The book arrived in nearly perfect condition, and it was practically free. However, I paid for expedited shipment, which was a waste of money because they use the Standard mail. The book arrived on the 9th day, this is not an expedited service in my mind, so I recommend paying for standard shipment.

My husband got me this book just before our son was born and I must admit that I thought I would never crack the cover. After a couple of months with a newborn, however, I opened it up and started reading. I only wish I had started sooner!! Yes, this book addresses some controversial childrearing techniques (eg, crying it out, co-sleeping), but I don't think that it is extremely biased toward one side or the other any more than most of the pediatricians I know (and I work in a hospital). This book is great for answering those child-rearing questions between the well baby check-ups--questions like "Why has my baby suddenly stopped soiling his diaper 5 times a day?" or "When should I start my baby on finger foods?" It also has some great information on the symptoms of common ailments so that you know what to look for, how to treat it and when you should call the doctor.

Let's face it...no book about raising a child is going to be perfect for every parent, but this one is definitely a good one to have around.

I am reading some of the other reviews who say that this book is not realistic. I will have to disagree with that..although all of the events of the Cook family may not occur in only one family, these are stories that I have heard repeatedly in my practice of psychology. The father who seems one way to the community and another way to the family; the siblings who try to raise another sibling and end up estranged from each other; the temptations of a romantic man in a life of routine; the inheritance that blows a family apart; the desire to escape rural life and the power of gossip in rural life; the suicides of men who fail; all of these are very true and current themes in American life. I found myself drawn into the book and the relationships and had a hard time putting it down. The events and the characters continued to haunt my thoughts for days. I feel there is essential truth here, not told lightly but told well.

I really enjoyed this book. The characters are interesting and the setting on an Iowa farm is very intriguing and different. I found that this was very hard to put down - a very fast read, and a very good one at that.

As a work of literary fiction, the prose was not particularly well-written and the characters were at best a collection of stereotypes. Most glaringly, I felt as though this was taking place now and not during the Carter era. Perhaps there was a lot of talk of organic farming, the brain chemistry/causes of psychological illnesses and informing children of the dangers molestation among farmers in the late 70s. I personally do not remember any of those issues being popularly discussed until the late 80s.

This is the sort of marginally entertaining book that will hold your attention for the 3-4 days that it will take to read. However, there are far more interesting and moving books out there.

This book takes a while to get to the action, but it was well worth the wait.

The narrative is so compelling that I found myself getting caught up in what was happening to the heroine. I became increasingly upset with each little injustice that she endured. The story takes several dark turns that kept me up past my bedtime.

On a thousand-acre ranch in Iowa, a family compound of three farmhouses in close proximity to one another contains an aging father and two of his three daughters, along with their families.

Homey habits of family get-togethers and church picnics characterize their lives. But beneath the seemingly placid surface, family secrets, rivalries and betrayals lurk. When the patriarch makes an unexpected decision to set up a corporation and hand everything over to his
daughters, emotions are unleashed and a maelstrom of turbulence ensues.

Once the plans are set in motion, one of the daughters balks---soon there is a court case, with family members pitted against one another. And the father, who orchestrated events, is revealed as an angry, bitter tyrant. Then one of the daughters discloses to her sister the deep, dark secret that has informed most of her actions in adulthood.

Nothing will ever be the same again on these one thousand acres...

A Thousand Acres: A Novel is a multi-faceted dysfunctional family portrait...compellingly wrought by this award-winning author.

I am reading this book now and am in Part IV. I really enjoy it b/c it keeps my attention (something a lot of books don't do for me). The encounters of Gus and Call are fitting, and this is a good story about their years before they take on LONESOME DOVE, probably the best example of western writing yet to date.

What a great way to start. I love the background on the characters I fell in love with in Lonesome Dove. Can't wait to complete the whole series.

the hardship of the rangers during their expedition through the desert of the dead man walk. no water. lost of men,comanche,and the mexican soldiers, started with few hundred men, only 10 of them left.and san antonia fort, with white and black beans control their lifes. live or die.

First of all let me say I loved 'Lonesome Dove'. Loved it. Loved the story, loved the characters, and consider it a classic. Regrettably this isn't in the same league. Most of the dialogue is so stupid it insults the intelligence and the characters seemed cartoonish at best. In fact the whole book felt like a comic book. I found myself skimming over pages until I just couldn't take it any more. At page 310 I skipped to the end, an ending which ranks as one of the dumbest endings I've ever encountered in fiction. I gave it two stars because I did get 300 pages in before calling it quits.

Big fan of McMurty's, especially the Lonesome Dove series. Fun reading about Gus, Call and the gang in their early years, however the book could drag a bit in parts. McMurtry never fails to deliver overall to keep the reader involved in this characters. Book in excellent condition.

Written by a paid administration shill, published by a right-wing vanity press, this weakly researched book had one defining characteristic: It took the side it was made for, blindly.
Two years later, the fallacies the book expounded, and those built into the writing itself, have become widely exposed. The result, for a contemporary reader, will be just another expose of an overconfident administration, albeit one that back in 2004-2006 was still yet eager to project itself via any pay-to-write scribe it could get its hands on.

This is Bill Sammon's third book on the Presidency of George W. Bush. The extraordinary access given to Mr. Sammon is evident in the detail and atmosphere that is consistent throughout this whole series. I am assuming (Always a dangerous thing!) that this access has been provided because the author actually tries to be as objective as possible, a trait sorely missing in the media of today. As this review is written, we are reacting to the discovery of the latest Islamic terror plot to kill thousands of passengers in jumbo jets over the Atlantic. Watching the press and politicians try to spin the story, along with the constant parade of altered 'news' photos from Lebanon, it is refreshing, and critically important, to know that somebody in the media actually sticks to the facts instead of injecting his political and personal prejudices into every word produced.

Mr. Sammon sticks to the facts and occasionally asks the hard questions. His unfettered access comes through in the open and easy answers the President provides to his questions. As a self professed "News Junkie", I like to think that I keep myself well informed; but I have learned much from reading this book. Mr. Sammon's "behind the scenes' insight reached it's height in his coverage of election night 2004. The reader will come away with a much clearer understanding of what really happened on Election Day 2004, and well into that night. It seemed that the TV networks had sunk as low as possible in their 2000 Election coverage, but they managed to top their sorry performance in 2004. Throughout the marathon, shamelessly prolonged by the media, Mr. Sammon conveys the evolving situation, from the disastrous, flawed early exit polls, through the state-by-state results trickling in throughout the evening, to the media attempts to influence the results in the 'battleground' state of Ohio. As the events of the night unfold, Mr. Sammon accurately captures the highs and lows of the Bush team as they try to make sense of conflicting and contradictory information. His account of how the President and his inner circle reacted to, and attempted to interpret, what was actually happening, alone makes the book worth reading.

This is the third installment of Mr. Sammon's coverage of the Bush Administration, and the three books flow easily, covering the past six years in his easy, readable style.

This is no "Puff Piece" about the Bush Era, but a balanced, easily read account of what has happened on the inside. These are difficult times, and it is important that we all stay well informed and involved. This book makes it easier to do so. It will be interesting to see how these books stand the test of time. I'm hopeful that Mr. Sammon will continue his series with the finale.

This is the finest 'behind the campaign scene' book I've ever read. That goes for fiction and non-fiction alike.

The way the Bush/Cheney/Rove/Rice team handle the various media attacks and political roadblocks is astounding.

Watching the top American media sources finally implode under the pressure of trying to make a great man look bad is a thing of beauty.

Like the majority of my countrymen, I voted for Bush Jr both terms. What I see in Bush is a strong leader who cares about this country.

Understanding our need to be in the middle-east, particularly Iraq, is imperative for whomever we elect in '08. I hope they will have read, 'Strategery'.

This is an awesome book, I could not put it down. It's like the tv show "The West Wing" but you know it's all real life. Bill Sammon was able to get exclusive behind the sceens access, and see first hand America go to war in Iraq, and a President win re-election and deal with Hurricane Katrina.

I am a right wing super freak. I have no problems with the facts or views in this book. I do have a problem with the "emotional coloring" by Sammon. It's like he's trying activate certain emotions and attitudes that are childishly simplistic. Right out of the gate we go into the siege of Rove's home by misinformed libby protestors. Rove comes off sounding like a man cowering in a corner while people pound on his windows like a dawn of the dead movie. This book talks down to readers in a condescending way that only small children wouldn't notice and I keep remembering books from my childhood....."see Jane run." Bill....please stop helping my party.

This has a "Harlequin Romance" vibe that would normally send me screaming in the other direction, but given that it's Janet Evanovich, I was intrigued. I read this in a different way than others might, I think. This was a chance to see Evanovich's writing style in its infancy, before she became the publishing phenomenon that she is today, with the fantastically popular Stephanie Plum novels. The humor is there, but a bit more rough, and the romance is more pronounced than it has since become.

Stephanie (see, even that started early on) is in the difficult position of having to be a ship's cook for Ivan, who runs a old-fashioned cruise. You know by the end of page one that these two are going to be together - the fun is in finding out just how that will happen. The resolution is, well, trite. Oh well. It's still Evanovich, and even subpar Evanovich can make you laugh out loud.

It's interesting to see how Evanovich's writing has evolved, since this is one of her early works. It's an entertaining, light read, laugh-out-loud in a couple of places. If your expectations aren't too high given the Stephanie Plum series, you'll enjoy this book while you wait for #14 to arrive!

I have read all of the Janet Evanovich books starring Stephanie Plum, but I had not realized that she wrote romance novels. I ordered all and read them all! I absolutely loved them. Within the first page or two you always knew who was going to fall in love, but that did not ruin the fun in watching get to the end of their journeys together. These are books that I will lend to all of my friends and family!

I just finished this book and I am so happy that it was released again. Stephanie Lowe (not Plum) needs her toilet fixed. She agrees to take her cousin's place cooking on board the ship called "Savage" in exchange for the plumbing work. In true Evanovich form, Stephanie is hilariously imperfect and gets into all kinds of trouble. That trouble includes one hunky ship's captain named Ivan, and the sexy part of the book begins.

In short, I loved it!


Secrets and Sacrifices

Ivan Rasmussen has a 19th century schooner that he charters for short cruises during the warm months of the year. He has a regular crew that he works with, but the person he ended up with in his galley was an acquaintance Stephanie Lowe, and she knew nothing about cooking with an old wood stove. It turns out his normal cook, Lucy, decided to get married, and Steph was covering her shifts in exchange for plumbing services provided by the new groom. Ivan and Steph felt an immediate attraction, but there were many reasons they couldn't get involved. The main reason was that Steph had already thrown herself at him, and he turned her down. Then there was the fact that Ivan didn't want a committed relationship - he is a direct descendent of a pirate, and Steph was just getting on her feet after being an undercover cop for years. There was also the issue that Steph just purchased Ivan's family home - Haben. Who knew working this one-week could last so long?

Steph was getting Haben ready to turn into a B&B when Ivan turns up. He makes her a proposition. He needs a place to stay for the off-season and she needs a handyman. His real agenda is to seduce her, and make her realize she can't live without him. How far would he go to get his beloved family home Haben back? When a corpse is found and makes appearances, Steph starts to wonder.

Entertaining and funny. A lot of laugh out loud moments!

This is actually the first book I've thrown away. The characters were shallow, the plot was silly, just no substance. They were ready to jump each other right when they met! I just didn't get it, thought it was really a soft porn story, way too much sex!

Sloan Fairchild has spent her life feeling second-rate. Her parents are so involved in each other and their careers as Egyptologists that they barely acknowledge Sloan's existence expect as a glorified assistant. Her fiancé made no secret of the fact that he found her staid and boring, and left her behind without a glance when he found someone better. Alicia is a good friend to her, but Sloan has always felt she paled into insignificance compared to the beautiful and vivacious woman. Recently, Sloan has made changes to her boring life, chucking her job to turn the San Francisco Victorian she inherited into a B&B. It's hard work and Sloan is barely eking by, but she's enjoying her new life nonetheless.

Even more dramatic changes are in store for Sloan when she agrees to take in Alicia's fiancé for a month while he finishes work on his latest novel. Carter Madison was best friends with Alicia's late husband, and he has decided to take responsibility for Alicia and her two young sons. He is thrown into turmoil upon his first meeting with Sloan, and feels a spark he's never felt with any woman, including Alicia--and it's a feeling Sloan reluctantly shares. While they cannot deny their attraction for each other, they both know that their relationship has no future. Carter has made a commitment to Alicia and the boys and can't destroy their lives in order to be with Sloan.

I had a number of problems with this story, including the following:
--There was a lot of cheating and betrayal of trust going on here.
--That said, Carter's act of self-sacrifice just seemed a bit much for me. I'm just not sure why Carter felt the need to step into his dead friend's shoes. Alicia was not hurting financially, so the whole setup seemed overly contrived to me. (But, once everyone made that commitment, they should have stuck to it.)
--I'm not sure I even liked any of the main characters. Sloan's constant self-effacement was annoying, Carter's moods were offputting, and Alicia was flighty and inconstant.

BREAKFAST IN BED was initially published in 1983 and, while it isn't an utterly terrible book, it hasn't held up well under the test of time. Its biggest sin is that it is ultimately boring. There are so many better books out there--including some by this author--that I'm not sure that it's worth the investment of readers' time and money except for fans of Sandra Brown interested in getting a taste of her early work.

(Note: Alicia's story can be found in SEND NO FLOWERS.)

Sloan Fairchild has spent her entire life feeling worthless. It happens with her family and anyone else she loves. She decided to put herself into her B&B. She was content until Carter Madison came into her life. He was trying to finish his novel, and needed some peace and quiet to complete it. They both felt the attraction, but he was her friend Alicia's fiancé. As they both try to fight their feelings, they fight a losing battle.

This is one of the first Sandra Brown books I read, and find myself pulling it out to reread it again and again. It is a classic story.

Breakfast in Bed is a quick afternoon read with some fun twist. This is a story about Sloan Fairchild an owner of a new B&B and Carter Madison a famous author who is spending a month in her B&B. The twist is the Carter and Sloan are attracted to each other but Carter is engaged to her Sloan's best friend. The heart of the book is that they both want to do the honorable thing. This wasn't my favorite book but the author did a great job with the sweet story. I would also suggest books by Kate Angell, Deirdre Martin and Kimberly Raye.

I really was not impressed by this one. I am a huge Brown fan, but what was she thinking?

The main heroine was boring and a little wierd if you ask me. The whole story was really annoying to me.