MAD

I remember reading The Mad Scientists' Club for the first time when I was only about eight years old. I must have read and re-read that book from cover to cover over a dozen times since. It is a collection of stories about the escapades of six boys in the town of Mammoth Falls who use their wits and scientific knowledge to get in (and out) of all kinds of fun mischief, including "haunting" a house, creating a lake monster, and entering a hot air balloon race. Essentially, these six young men dive head-first into all the kinds of adventures that I longed to have as a young man. Brinley's book influenced my own adventures and ideas as I grew up, and my own stories and writings have been heavily influenced by the memories I have of this book. If you ever get a chance to read this book - DO IT!!! You will discover the adventures you always wanted to have become real in The Mad Scientists' Club.

I remember reading The Mad Scientists' Club aloud with my dad and mom as a child. We'd alternate chapters, pausing only long enough for the laughter to subside. Later I re-read the book in my mid-twenties, simply for nostalgia's sake. I discovered that the humor had lost none of its charm, and that the characters were still the same gang of ornery, creative geniuses that I'd remembered from youth. So much fun, and such a great introduction to reading. It's not tragic or soul-searching or brilliant prose; it's BETTER than all of these things: it's a page-turning series of adventures -- almost a '50s-era Tom Sawyer -- that celebrates intelligence, curiosity, and youthful imagination. Order this fantastic book for every child you know. (And don't miss The New Adventures of the Mad Scientists' Club, either!)

I remember seeing this book as a movie when I was a kid and I would love to find out the name that it was released under. I remember seeing it in school then on TV a little while later. The actors were British or Australian...that type of accent. I don't remember if I saw the movie or read the book first. It was probably around 1974 when I saw it.

My friend Karen Helms loaned me her copy of this delightful book, which she figured I'd cotton to because our family dog is a papillon. As a realist who views things anthropomorphic with suspicion, I doubted author Dennis Fried could make readers believe his papillon Genevieve wrote this book. "How silly," I thought. "He'll never pull it off."

I thought wrong. Fried did pull it off, with remarkable creativity and humor and a great deal of insight. He must have had a tremendous amount of help from the lovely Genevieve.

If you've ever wondered what your dog is thinking (and are sure you want to know), feisty little Genevieve will tell you in no uncertain terms.

So, take a break from the rat race. Let Genevieve teach you the fine art of "zooming." A few zooms around the living room will make you feel like a pup again. No bones about it.

I thoroughly enjoyed this humorously candid look at life from a dog's point of view. I chuckled throughout the whole book.

Not only does Genevieve, the Papillon, gives the reader tips on how a dog should help it's owner drive, she also asks the question of why cats even have to share a space with dogs. She touches on all the important things in a dog's life.

This book isn't just for dog owners or even Papillon owners. This book is a fun read for everybody. It is guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

The best book written by a dog. It tells what the dog is thinking, also tells if your a good owner with Genevieve's test, plus alot more. I recomend this book to anyone who has a dog(especially papillon owners),or is a pap lover!

Mad Coyote Joe's "The Sonoran Grill" could have been just another Southwestern cookbook. But it isn't. Richly patterned with pictures of succulent dishes and recipes that read like poetry -- "whole slow-smoked suckling pig with citrus-chili negro marinade" -- this cookbook bedazzes the eye and preps the palate for unexplored delights. Meanwhile, Joe settles you comfortably into the Southwest itself, with background stories of his experiences of the peoples and places he loves. Best of all, the book promises, you don't have to be a culinary magician to bring real Southwestern excitement to your backyard grill. Just follow the recipes -- and take your time.

Honestly, I've never "read" a cookbook before, usually just flip through the pages but the Sonoran Grill is educational as well as a book full of good recipes, easy to understand directions and unique offerings for your guests. The combination of photos and recipes will cause your mouth to water. Once you start reading this cookbook, you'll start making your grocery list, and your guest list for an evening of good food and good friends to enjoy. This is one cookbook that will have tattered and stained pages from constant use. Your family and friends will think you are a genius in the kitchen using Mad Coyote Joe's creative recipes, so take my advice, add Sonoran Grill to your shopping cart!

I live in arizona and make sure to watch the "sonoran grill" on tv everyday. Sorry to thoses of you outside the arizona area. I dont believe they broadcast anywhere else. Mad cyote joe lives in cavecreek arizona with his wife and children and hosts this great cooking show from his own backyard while throwing scraps at his yellow lab. He is the top authority on everything sonoran. This book is full of his best recipes for fresh,hommade salsa.BBQ rubs and anything else grilled. If you like the flavor of the southwest you'll love this book even if you dont know the show!

Wonderful balance between humor and sensitivity! This book is written with a conversational approach, making the read fun and comprehensible...I enjoyed turning every page, for its insights and thoughtful illustrations.

A truly beautiful story, I could not put this book down. A story I'll read again (and again) whenever I need an emotional and/or spiritual boost. I loved it.

I was given "Everything is Going to be Just Fine" just before a long flight halfway around the world. I read the entire book on that flight, laughing and crying many times. Billy touched something inside me, and in many ways awoke me to ideas, that I had seemed to know my entire life. Never having been the New Age type of person I was pleasantly surprised to find that this book is the account of another gay man who just happened to be a close friend of Elizabeth Montgomery. However, even though there are some wonderful stories about "Lizzie", this book is about Billy's experiences. Oh, and did he have experiences! If you read this book you will see that the experiences Billy had are for all of us to experience and to LEARN from. Even if you are skeptical you will still enjoy this book.

Brittany Waggoner talks to teens about tackling life's toughest issues with hope, faith, and courage. Waggoner's approach is real, warm, and down-to-earth. She never gets preachy. She doesn't resort to pat answers and time-worn cliches. Instead, she shares from her heart the hope that she has found in Christ. The book also includes "Prayer Starters" -- thought-provoking questions and journaling tips that will help teens make a practical application of the Scriptural truths presented in the text.

I think all teens can gain perspective and encouragement from this book. The book should be a must read for Youth Pastors. Brittany is the "real deal" and writes with sincerity.

What an outstanding book! Brittany takes a hard look at the very real issues that all teens face as they grow up in today's society. Extremely helpful for the teen at heart too. It's an excellent choice for when has you all twisted and turned around. I couldn't put it down. When reading "Prayers," it becomes so evident that these are things Brittany has dealt with herself and came through in a positive way. I definite must read, no matter where you are in life.

If nothing else Mad God's Wrath proves conclusively that the descriptive prose and scene-setting of other contributors to the Outlanders series can't hold a candle to those penned by Mark Ellis.

Since the main characters are the heroes of an action-adventure series it goes without saying they're larger than life but they are developed well enough to be believable, especially in the subtle personality growth they have all undergone over the course of the series. They seem to come alive on the page as you read about them.

The touches of satirical humor give Outlanders an individuality that can't be easily imitated by other writers and gives it a unique status.

Like the best of past Outlanders adventures, Mr. Ellis uses his vivid characterizations masterfully to build you up, then unexpectedly cut you brutally down as with the graphic assault on Cerberus.

This novel concerns Maccan, the last prince of the Tuatha De Danaan, the "mad god" of the title. Colorful and even a little over the top, he is a strangely sympathetic villain, despite his allegiance to no one but himself. His desire to walk "through the looking glass" is not just a mad delusion but based on a very interesting scientific principle about the mirror matter theory(which I only pretend to really understand!).

The scenes set on Mars are very interesting and exciting, particularly the wild train chase across the plains. I could picture every moment of it as if I were watching a movie. What a great film epic this book-most of them in fact-would make!

The best thing about the whole book for me was that the characters I have come to know and love over the last five or so years are back in fine form, and not the travesties of the previous book, Awakening.

Brigid, Kane, Grant, Domi, Lakesh, et. al-welcome back! A lot of us missed you!

At any rate, even though Mad God's Wrath contains plenty of action, violence and even sex , I don't think this is the sort of book that will appeal to young Deathlands only fans (or old Deathlands only fans for that matter) for whom quality of prose or characterization takes a backseat to descriptions of guns, blood-letting and rape. This is high adventure, pulpish even, but presented maturely and intelligently.

For anyone who likes their action heroes resourceful and witty and plots a bit more highbrow than shooting the straw man bad guy, this is the kind of book you're likely to appreciate.

I'm a fan of military science-fiction like the Demon Tech and Spec Ops Squad series but I think Outlanders is better most of the time. The stories are almost always exciting and written so vividly they're like movies inside the reader's heads!

Mad God's Wrath has abundant action and drama with fascinating characters and settings. The Cerberus crew return to a long abandoned Mars base which I liked a lot since I missed the first novel where they went there. All the material about Maccan and his race was fascinating.

I think fans of military science fiction will like this book and should read the previous books in this exciting series. The main writer of Outlanders has created heroes who are brave, resourceful and refreshingly humorous and the villains are unforgetable too, the classic bad guys "you love to hate".

Mad God's Wrath was only the fourth book I've read in this series and like all the others it was a lot of fun. I never read the other books with Mars or Maccan but I'll be trying to order them soon. I've very pleased I found the Outlanders series.

Our two little girls, three and two years old, LOVE Madeline. Daddy reads them one story each night -- they always get to pick which. For Christmas they got two new books which are still almost unread, since every night they want Madeline! The stories are exciting, but gentle and sweet; they are moral but not preachy. And the poetry is wonderful! Also the stories are not too long for a tired parent's voice at bedtime. But with only two little ones of my own, I wonder how DOES Miss Clavel keep TWELVE little girls in two straight lines?

My daughter had seen a couple of Madeline videos (including Madeline's Resuce) and really enjoyed them, so I decided to purchase this book. Well, after only having it for a week and a half, she is pulling it off her bookshelf and asking me to read it to her. The sing-song quality of the prose has her "reading" along with me as best she can already.

These stories can be understood by toddlers even at this early age, although the "recommended" age for this book is older.

A great book and a good deal - worth the price.

I originally bought this book for my daughter so she could get a book of her own when the book delivery arrived in the mail.
There are 6 stories - poetic, simple, and time tested.
My daughter is a great reader now, and I attribute this book as one of those that sparked her interest in reading.

Don't be fooled by it's cartoonish appearance. "Mad Love" is the best Batman comic I've ever read. Unlike many graphic novels that include great amounts of narration and description, "Mad Love" focuses more on character developement - and does it absolutely perfectly. Each character is protrayed exactly as they were meant to be. Wonderfully written, funny, emotional, and deranged, this book shows us the mysterious past of the Joker's henchgirl, lover, and victim, Harley Quinn. It will take your breath away.

This story, written by the creator-force behind Batman: The Animated Series, gives the readers the origin of the Joker's psychotic, made-for-TV girlfried, Harley Quinn. Not a children's story, Mad Love is an exquisite story, showing us new, humanistic sides to characters we have all grown to love and hate. This story leaves many die-hard Batman fans asking why isn't Paul Dini writing Batman comics on a regular basis.

Based on one of the best of the animated Batman episodes, "Mad Love" tells how Harley Quinn, chief henchwoman and paramour of the Joker, got her warped start. Once, a respected psychiatrist at infamous Arkham Asylum, Dr. Quinn becomes infatuated with her "patient", The Joker", turns her life topsy-turvy, and allies herself with "the clown prince of crime".

After falling from The Joker's favor, Quinn plots to capture Batman, the one that she blames for her "rift" with The Joker. Her "solution" to a backfired Joker prank is priceless.

For fans of both the series and the legend of Batman, this is a visit that one must make.

In "Among the Gently Mad," Basbanes declares, "the more you read or read about reading, the more you will uncover about other books." And, the more, it seems, you will get to know an ever-expanding circle of people who collect and/or sell books. All their stories are here...what they collect, how they collect them, how much they spend and on and on until the value of this book is almost hidden under their weight.

However, if you are serious about book collecting, "Among the Gently Mad" is a tremendous resource. Reading between the lines of other book collectors' stories, you will find out which web sites, bookstores, dealers, book fairs, organizations and other sources can help you fill out your collection. By the way, this is not just a book for those who collect rare books. An antiquarian book is simply described as any book that is worth more now than when first published. Basbanes's first rule of collecting books is to focus on subjects that hold your interest and, in fact, your collection should contain books you actually want to read. If you are gently mad, that is "taking delight in the pleasant touching of books long coveted," this book is an indispensable tool to fulfilling your own madness.

In rapturous, elegant prose, the author envelops the reader in his consuming passion for books and the people who love to collect them; as the hours flew by while I curled up with Basbanes, I assuaged my guilt at forsaking mundane tasks with the right-on lines that end the book's first chapter: "... a sentiment that I confess I savor on a daily basis: Books are not Life, But then what is?"

Reading Basbanes is like engaging in a long, relaxed conversation over coffee in your living room with a very knowledgeable friend. In this third volume of his slightly rambling but always fascinating and well-informed discussions of books, book collectors, booksellers and dealers, and all the periperal subjects they engender, he combines advice on bibliophily in the age of the Internet with reminiscence on how collecting used to be done, and what the old and the new still have in common. As a small-time collector of limited resources myself, I enjoy reading abut the fabulous collections built up by those who not only have money to spend but also the intelligence and passion to add value to what they hunt down and acquire by adding to the accretion of knowledge. In fact, as Basbanes makes clear, becoming personally involved with books and other "stuff" is what separates collectors from mere accumulators. In fact, I find I have also become a collector of Nick Basbanes. . . .

And of course I believe everyone can benefit by learning "emotional intellectualism" and how to "fight fair"--just for their own personal evolution, etc. --However, I also know from bitter personal experience, that one can reach out, send hugs, letters, gifts, cards, calls, not expect (nor even desire) an apology from someone who really is at fault, really has hurt and/or betrayed you in some way--and all you want to say is "ouch, please don't do "x" cause it hurts me"--only to find that no amount of logic, love, communication and/or caring can make that other human care and/or reciprocrate--or even listen to one for that matter--but the worst is when this even includes ones' closest and most intimate blood relatives. The deepest cut is when the person you're attempting to reach is your own supposedly superior, intellegent, PhD-educated, IBM veteran father and your three grown (all 30-50 year old) college educated, professional, so-called "successful" brothers.

But each and every effort on my part to communicate (so far anyway--5 years now--but "never say never" I guess--but let's face it--it's going to be "never"--My own mom died when I was 7 and there's no one to support or take my side now) has met with either NO response (best scenario), or else my letters/gifts returned by the PostMan, unopened and marked "refused by sender" (a little worse)--or (worst case scenario) you get horrible ranting hostile personal attacking email, or phone call which attacks you personally as being "unfit" or "bad" human deserving of nothing good--and completely failing to address the hurt one had originally mentioned, and attempted to resolve--just adding a myriad of new painful hostilie attacks on one instead. I never believed one's own father could choose his ego/pride over his only daughter's heart and soul--but I was wrong. I am a living example that sometimes..."sh-t happens." And you cannot stop it. Unfair "sh-t" happens and you're powerless to prevent and/or resolve it. A relationship involves 2 people. 1 person cannot fix it. No matter how hard she might try or desire it otherwise. And that is a pain I hope no one else (although I'm sure there must be some) has to share with me.

Just a word to the "wise..." (and/or "ignorant"--as the case may be)

Thanks! And don't stop trying anyway, ok? Shalom, to all my human brothers and sisters--all human siblings everywhere...

I'm a therapist, and like therapists around the country I recommend Lerner's books to my clients, especially THE DANCE OF ANGER. To be honest, I thought she had said it all. But to my surprise, she really outdid herself in this book. No one can afford to miss this one. Her writing is witty, engaging and her advice is solid and clear as a bell. She teaches us how to talk to the most difficult people in the most difficult situations, like when we are betrayed, rejected, insulted, or cut-off. This book offers help when we can't figure out whether to stay or leave a relationship, when we can't make ourselves heard, or when a partner or family member can't or won't apologize. It's a book to read slowly and savor, because it will change your life. Or you might just zip through it because you can't put it down.

"I've read all of Harriet Lerner's books starting with The Dance of Anger which has been my relationship bible. But The Dance of Connection is her best book yet. Lerner is wise and helpful, funny and real. The chapters that meant the most to me was one on clarifying a bottom line and another about "voicing the ultimate" in marriage. I finally got the difference between complaining and being able to take a clear position with my husband--and stay with it. Together with the chapter on warming things up, this book has already made a huge difference in my marriage. I was also fascinated by the author's revealing story about her dad's silence and how it effected the family. There's terrific advice on how to "find your voice"--and what to do and say--when you are rejected and cut off by a family member.