On-the-tape

Raachel Roberts scores another hit with this compelling fantasy adventure.

Three girls, not the least bit alike, are all drawn to a secret place deep in the woods. First, there is Emily whose parents have divorced prompting a move for Emily and her Mom form home in Colorado to a small town in Pennsylvania. New school, new kids, new everything. Yuck!

Her Mom is a vet and Emily enjoys helping in the animal hospital. Then one day a badly burned animal that resembles a cat is brought in. Emily is afraid because she has never seen an animal so dreadfully injured nor has she ever seen an animal that looked like this. Most astounding of all: she believes the animal spoke.

Puzzled and uncertain, Emily goes to the wildlife preserve where the animal was found in the hope of finding some answers. Once there she finds astounding animals, all peaceful but searching. She also meets Ariadne who is shunned by the other kids because she lives in the preserve with her grandmother and is considered strange. The two girls join forces, determined to help these beautiful creatures.

However, an unknown evil follows the pair. And, they discover they have been selected to be rescuers, that three girls are intended to save the animals. Who can the other girls be?

Lots of surprises in store

This book was awesome! Like some others, I thought Harry Potter was the best, untill I read this book. It is a wonderful story that shows friendship, adventure, suspense, and magic. Emily just moved to Stonehill and is shy and kind, but doesn't have any friends. Adrienne is the loner and independent one and travels a lot( Her parents are artists). Kara is the snobby, spoiled, and popular one. They have almost nothing in common, except magic.
The story's plot is when a monster from another world comes to earth and poisons all the magical animals who live there. Emily has healing powers and has to help them with the help of Phel, a wonderful and magical creature. Emily, Adrienne, and Kara have to put away their diferences and work together to fight the monster with some help from the magical animals and Ozzie, an adventerous elf who is stuck in a ferrets' body. A fantastic book for all ages.

This is the best book ever!I love books about magic and frendship and this fits both dipartments. I think this is a wonderful book because it is funny and imagintive. I think it's a fun book. I think all girls should read it.

Bruce Catton grew up in Benzonia, MI in the early 1900s. There were still Civil War Vets living at that time and a few lived in that same town. It was listening to their stories as a child that inspired Catton to write the Army of the Potomac Trilogy, of which A Stillness at Appomattox is the third and final installment.

Stillness, along with the other two books, Glory Road and the other's name escapes me, paints a picture of the Civil War few have been able to duplicate. He tells the story of the Civil War from the perspective of the common foot soldier.

Drawing heavily from personal correspondence and regimental histories, Catton puts us smack in the middle of the Wilderness, at the breastworks of Spotsylvania Courthouse and in the trenches around Petersburg as well at the surrender of Lee to Grant.

If you're a Civil War buff, and you haven't read Catton, you're not a Civil War buff.

The Civil War will never lack for authors, both fiction and historical. Only a handful will leave a reader with an indellible impression. Among these few: Douglas Southall Freeman, Shelby Foote and James M. McPherson. Each has written outstanding works on the war: Freeman; R.E. Lee and Lee's Lieutenants, Foote; Shiloh and his magisterial three volume narrative and McPherson, his brilliant Battle Cry of Freedom.
Magnificent works all, but in a class by himself is Bruce Catton.
I recall my father raving about Catton; "When you read him, it's like you're there," he said. Unfortunately, I wasn't so quick to take his advice. Then, in 2000, I saw David McCullough on C-Span 2 and he raved about "A Stillness at Appomattox." Then, I decided to give it a try.
Lucky for me. I've read many accounts regarding the last agonizing year of the war, but none has matched Catton for sheer storytelling power. One marches with the Army of the Potomac as it seeks out Robert E. Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia. You witness and somehow, almost take part as these, the war's two military giants, Grant and Lee collide. You see the mistakes and agonize with the men yet, you always stand in awe of the everyday valor these heroes of the Blue and the Gray make. But despite battlefield blunders and poor leadership, draftees who are more likely to desert than face the enemy, the men of the Army of the Potomac never lose their faith in themselves and it is this spirit that drives the Army to ultimate victory.
Words fail me to describe how awesome this book is. I thought it would have aged badly, but it hasn't. It's truly a timeless work. This book, along with Mr. Lincoln's Army and Glory Road constitute the greatest tribute to the men of the Army of the Potomac and in a way, the Army of Northern Virginia as well.

Enjoy.

Bruce Catton is arguably the most readable and accessible author who wrote about the civil war. Whether you are a military historian or a beginner, you will take something meaningful from his work. He writes in a beautiful, yet simple, manner and you really feel as if you are there. When he narrates Lee's surrender to Grant at Appomattox, it's as if you are sitting in the room during this pivotal moment in American history.

Catton is certainly not without his biases. He is primarily a biographer of Grant and his focus is squarely on him during this book. Catton is arguably the greatest Grant biographer and is largely responsible for changing the negative views about Grant in the 1950's and 60's. He wrote several books about USG and this one weaves in and out of Grants life.

Catton thoroughly understood Ulysses Grant and became his vocal proponent. He correctly grasped that Grant was the preeminent strategist of the civil war and was also the war's greatest, most innovative and most determined general. Those who errantly believe Grant won with brute force or superior numbers need to read this book. Others who espouse the line that Robert E. Lee was the real genius of the war also need to consult this volume. At its conclusion, you will change your mind and realize that Grant was not only a magnificent soldier, he was also a highly intelligent, humorous and marvelously humane man. He has been unfairly maligned and Catton sets the record straight.

This is a "must have" book for anyone interested in U.S. Grant or the American civil war. The narrative flows smoothly from beginning to end. Highly recommended!

Any thoughtful observer of political and social discourse is forced to note the ironies and disjuncts in specific beliefs from time to time. Conservatives often support restrictions on behavior in order to effect security, while liberals preach freedom but are happy to truncate it in order to marshall the resources to support their favored victim classes. Either side, if honestly introspective, ought to be troubled about why this is. Thomas Sowell, one of America's most thoughtful and intellectually honest commentators explains just why this is and traces the origin of the question to the Enlightenment and post-enlightenment thinkers before and shortly after the French Revolution. He describes the key dichotomy as between the "constrained" and "unconstrained" views of human nature, which view mankind as flawed or perfectable, respectively. Another author describing comparable distinctions in international relations, Robert Kaplan, uses the terms Realist and Idealist to discuss the same cleavage. In setting this out, Sowell manages to produce a genuinely Aristotelian approach to modern thought that is extremely worth reading. What's more, he does all of this in a very readable, approachable prose that it more enjoyable to read than any text on such deep subjects ought to be. It's one of the very few books that improves the reader while giving pleasure in doing so.

Why do liberals berate conservatives as hard-hearted, morally repugnant, selfish caricatures of cartoon fatcats; while conservative will grant the liberals' their good intentions but remind them that road to hell is apved thusly by their wooly-headed, ivory tower schemes? And why are liberals castigiated as slick, short-sighted, and interest group-driven, while conservatives are lampooned as dumb, corrupt and morally evil?

These are just two of the questions tangentially answered by Thomas Sowell in this important book on the taxonomy and structure of our political debate. This work is sure to stand for the remainder of the century as *the* reference point from which dueling political frameworks are engaged.

Sowell's main thesis is that contrasting visions of human capability, knowledge, perfection, and self-interest underlie two very different visions of humanity, and it is on these visions that political ideology, debate, and worldview rest. Sowell's two visions are named, rather unhelpfully, the constrained and the unconstrained vision. No gold star here for Sowell on Marketing. So instead, I'll use Pinker's terminology, as I was introduced to this book via Steven Pinker's Blank Slate.

The Tragic (constrained) vision of human nature views man as possessing foibles, incentives, and the desire to act in his own self-interest. The Tragic "sees the evils of the world as deriving from the limited and unhappy choices available, given the inherent moral and intellectual limitations of human beings." Thus, the perfection of governance in the Tragic Vision is the American Revolution with its checks and balances. Further, history should guide us, as the unknowable tradeoffs between different policies and procedures have been ironed out through unstated practice. The Utopians are to be scorned for their theoretical leanings that have little to do with the real world: "Hobbes regarded universities as places where fashionable but insignificant words flourished and added that 'there is nothing so absurd, but may be found in the books of Philosophers."

The Utopian (unconstrained) vision holds that man has not yet achieved his full moral potential, and that that potential is essentially perfectible. It is "foolish and immoral choices explain the evils of the world - and that wiser or more moral and humane social policies are the solution." So while there are incentives that actually work in the here and now, this fact is somewhat irrelevant to the achievement of true justice. The Utopian holds that "potential is very different from the actual, and that means exist to improve human nature toward its potential, or that such means can be evolved or discovered, so that man will do the right thing for the right reason, rather than for ulterior psychic or economic rewards." So the Utopian "promotes pursuit of the highest ideals and the best solution" in the hopes of achieving this perfect man. And if the masses are slow in catching on, then it is the role of the intellectual vanguard to lead them there - even if in the short run, the masses are unhappy with the results because they have not yet achieved the ability to see the future. Their thought is that reason should guide us, but reason as determined by the best and brightest: professors, government workers, elected and unelected officials. In this regard, the French Revolution with its lofty ideals and disposal of the past is the perfection of governance.

Sowell, who is the Milton Friedman Senior Fellow at Stanford, certainly has his preferences in this debate, but keeps them entirely off-page here and lays out, in a remarkably even-handed portrayal his case.

Political visions are uncommonly linked across diverse fields of inquiry, that these two competing political visions have been dominant in the last two centuries (to throw in a bit of materialism here - perhaps due to the Industrial Revolution?), and extending from initial premises, each is a logical, coherent, cogent interpretation of the world that nonetheless conflicts absolutely with its counterpart. The implications are fascinating:

"While believers in the unconstrained vision seek the special causes of war, poverty, and crime, believers in the constrained vision seek the special causes of peace, wealth, or a law-abiding society.

"While the constrained vision sees human nature as essentially unchanged across the ages and around the world, the particular cultural expressions of human needs peculiar to specific societies are not seen as being readily and beneficially changeable by forcible intervention. By contrast, those with the unconstrained vision tend to view human nature as beneficially changeable and social customs as expendable holdovers from the past."

In sum, this will be the groundwork for philosophical and political discussions for generations to come. Sowell has quite clearly pointed out the different premises. Now it is up to us to understand, argue, and resolve.

In "A Conflict of Visions," Thomas Sowell compiles a study of the two dominant socio-political ideologies of the day via the idea of "visions"--that is, a received, almost precognitive set of assumptions about human nature and humanity's place in the world. Sowell calls these the "constrained" (i.e. "conservative") and "unconstrained" (i.e. "liberal") visions. The two visions are fundamentally different and, therefore, produce conflicting ideas about such basic concepts as knowledge and reason and conflicting attitudes toward such values as equality, power, and justice. Sowell substantiates his observations of the conflict by quoting often from those authors over the past 250 years who wrote most insightfully and prolifically from the vantage of one or the other of these visions--such writers as Edmund Burke, William Godwin, John Locke, Marie Jean Antoine Nicolas de Caritat Condorcet, Ronald Dworkin and Milton Friedman.

In the conservative vision, human nature is viewed as essentially selfish, and society protects individuals from each other through the various institutions, traditions, religions, and laws that have evolved over the course of history. However, the liberal vision considers human nature as essentially good and hampered only by various power structures and social restrictions (thus progress is made by subverting those institutions and traditions that conservatives prize). As one example of the effect this conflict of visions has on society, Sowell shows that the conservative vision has this view of knowledge: knowledge is as vast as the number of human beings in the world, and thus some form of democracy is the best method of ensuring that that knowledge is well represented in society. The conservative vision sees knowledge as one facet of the human experience, but it does not elevate reason to the highest value in that experience. The liberal vision sees knowledge as the key to solving the world's problems (whereas conservatives believe there are no solutions--rather, there are only "better" and "worse" options). In the liberal vision, the lack of knowledge (that is, rational enlightenment) is the cause of the world's problems. The mass of people are not bad, they are just unenlightened and thus subject to the common errors of the ignorant. Therefore, in this vision, what society most needs are enlightened individuals willing to remake the world on behalf of their brothers and sisters who lack their education and their special knowledge.

Sowell has produced a brilliant and invaluable book. In this age when comedians masquerade as valid pundits and when the talking heads in the media do not know their history--cannot remember even the details of foreign policy in the previous presidential administration--Thomas Sowell shines through as the rare sort of thinker with the potential to clarify the murky political debate in the United States.

An experience of organic change can enter one's presence upon inner recognition (resonance) while reading, since the "Miraculous" is now as it always has been, yet is explained here in concise language representing a living tradition. Not a psychology, a religion, or a science, the in-the-moment practice outlined in text and diagrams, reaches our depths if upon our approach we open our minds, hearts, and the sensation of being in the moment while reading. A book to live by and refer to with renewed attention indefinitely.

An experience of organic change can enter one's presence upon inner recognition (resonance) while reading, since the "Miraculous" is now as it always has been, yet is explained here in concise language representing a living tradition. Not a psychology, a religion, or a science, the in-the-moment practice outlined in text and diagrams, reaches our depths if upon our approach we open our minds, hearts, and the sensation of being in the moment while reading. A book to live by and refer to with renewed attention indefinitely.

This is that once-in-a-lifetime book, the kind you'd like to find in that ancient, out-of-the-way used bookstore that you wish existed. Every chapter in this book, every page, unfolds a new enigma, and Ouspensky writes so well, like a master suspense novelist, that you find yourself drawn to read on no matter how unusual some of the teachings get. Indeed, some of the material in the book seems nonsensical--but if you're patient, the nonsense is immediately followed by a watershed of wisdom, wisdom of a kind I've never read before. Highly rewarding, rich with unique insight, I eagerly recommend this to any seeker of Truth who keeps an open mind.

A grandfather's blessings have evoked in Rachel Naomi Remen a wisdom in the service of life. This book is filled with stories, anecdotes and reflections which will help readers to recognize and bless the wisdom in themselves and in others. At a time when Orthodox Judaism is in the news, this book will go a long way to dispel cliches and to advance a positive appreciation of the spiritual wisdom at the heart of all authentic religious traditions and personal experience.

My partner and I received Grandfather's Blessings as a gift a few weeks ago and read one short story in the morning before work and one in the evening before bed. What an inspiration these stories are. They really make you think about what's important in your life and, to steal a phrase, count your blessings.

Believe all of these 5 star reviews and buy this book. You won't regret it, and more importantly, you will help inspire Rachel Remen to continue sharing her work with us!

I am impressed by how wonder-ful this book is. The book provides brief and easily-read vignettes which can be reflected upon over several hours, and which make excellent points of focus for meditation or for prayer. One can see the blessings follow Dr Rehmen throughout the book. She begins as an appreciative young child who is blessed to spend time with her beloved, wise, and cherished grandfather. She uses her grandfather's advice as she travels through adolescence, through her studies in medicine, and then through her teaching and healing years. One can follow the advice of her grandfather and her character development too, and how important love and wisdom are to a person at any stage of life. The love and wisdom spoken of here are not something she owns or acquires, but are something which she participates in, adds to, and then returns to the source.

I think you will find this a loving and wise work, and that you will be happy you have shared with her.

The Cat Who Ate Danish Modern caught my attention first, over many others in this series, because of the title. I couldn't figure out what it could possibly mean, and that intrigued me.
I finished this book in one sitting, in only a couple hours, and immediately began to search for the next in line.
This was a very good book; moving along at a pace that kept you interested in the story. The characters had a certain, less-than-deeply-developed charm, and Koko was a wonderful example of the kings of the animal kingdom, the cat.
I loved getting a look into the newspaper world, and into the world of interior design, all set many years before I was even born. And, although I did find myself chuckling a few times at the world created in the Cat Who mysteries, I thoroughly enjoyed my visit.
There were only a few things I had trouble with. One, some characters that were introduced briefly in the beginning, ones that turned out to be important later, well, by the time we got back to them I couldn't remember anything about them. Basically, I found the characters that did not repeat from book to book to be very forgetable, and often times dull.
Two, the plot was rather predictable. Maybe it was just me, but I didn't have any trouble piecing together this mystery.
And three, this book was too short! I was so disappointed when I finished it in under two hours. But, there are many more in the series, and I'm sure that I will enjoy them all as much as I enjoyed this one.
So, I would definitly recommend this one as a quick, fun read.

. . .is taken off the Art beat, and assigned to the task of edition a color supplement for the "Daily Fluxion". The subject? Decorating!

In this tightly written mystery, Qwilleran, with the help of Koko the brilliant Siamese cat, solves the mystery of two murders and the apparent theft of hundreds of thousands of dollars in collectible jade. By the end, he also acquires a second cat, the delightful female Siamese Yum Yum.

One of the better of the series and a good rainy day read.

When I first read this mystery, it was the second of a 3-volume series, the last of which had appeared in 1968. Only with the 4th book, _The Cat Who Saw Red_ (1986), did the series take off into its at-least-1-book-a-year mode, and only with the 5th, _TCW Played Brahms_, did Braun introduce Qwill to Moose County.

_TCW Ate Danish Modern_ was the first Qwilleran book I ever read, and although it's best to begin with book 1, _TCW Could Read Backwards_, I can testify that you won't be lost if you pick this up first instead, nor will you spoil the solution of the previous book.

Qwill is the type who'd probably think of himself as a dog person if he weren't a city dweller, but after the death of his landlord, he acquired custody of his landlord's closest companion: Kao K'o Kung, a Siamese familiarly known as Koko. (The original hardcover dustjacket was graced with a photograph of his namesake: the author's feline companion.) The other consequences of his landlord's death led to one of Qwill's 4 problems at the opening of the story: 1) he has to find a new place to live, 2) he wants to be in the Daily Fluxion's city room rather than on the art beat, 3) no current girlfriend, and 4) moths are eating up all his ties - so he runs the risk of being homeless, jobless, womanless, and tieless all at once. (Hey, I didn't say this was Shakespearean tragedy.)

Before Qwill can request a transfer from the managing editor, he's informed that a change of assignment is already lined up: the Fluxion is trying to divert advertising revenue from magazines to their own coffers, and so a new Sunday supplement is coming online, and Qwill will be in charge of its features. The catch? The home furnishing industry is making the advertising experiment - so the Sunday magazine, Gracious Abodes, covers the interior decorating beat. Qwill's horrified reaction is softened since the transfer includes a promotion and raise. Odd Bunsen, the Flux's daredevil photographer, is slower to overcome his resentment at his own transfer.

Up through book 4, this was the standard opening move in a Qwill story: transfer the poor devil from his current assignment to some weird beat as far from the City Room as a veteran crime reporter could imagine, and throw him in at the deep end. As with his previous assignment to the art beat, he finds the professional rivalries unexpectedly interesting.

Consider Lyke and Starkweather, for instance - Starkweather (a rather bland middle-aged executive) handles the business end while Lyke handles clients and the actual decoration jobs. Lyke's charismatic, but the depths beneath his surface charm are somewhat murky. He butters people up left and right, then sneers at them for taking him seriously. His childhood friendship - back before he moved uptown and changed his name - with Jack Baker ended acrimoniously after Jack saved his pennies, went to the Sorbonne, then returned to town as "Jacques Boulonger", the Duxburys' decorator "from Paris". (Jack's background isn't really secret, but his society clients wouldn't like to admit that far from being an exotic novelty, he's a self-made African-American from their own city.) Jack even rubbed in his success at having taken away Lyke's old money clients by moving into the Villa Verandah, where Lyke lives, but in a nicer apartment on a higher floor. :) Lyke does well enough, though, with the new money clients out in Lost Lake Hills.

By chance, Qwill starts with Lyke when seeking a big society name for the cover of Gracious Abodes' first issue, and thus draws the Taits. At first Mrs. Tait's sharp tongue seems the worst feature of the household, and Tait's obsession with his jade collection the oddest. Then the morning after the first issue of Gracious Abodes hits the street, Tait's jade collection is stolen, his wife is dead of a heart attack, and the police - and the Fluxion's competitor, the Morning Rampage - are asking why the Flux seems to be printing blueprints for burglary. (One of the elements dating the story is the Fluxion's policy of always printing names and addresses, but as you can see, its logical consequences come home to roost.)

Each of the first few editions of _Gracious Abodes_ is plagued by a different catastrophe, and Qwill faces reassignment to the church editor's beat if he can't break the jinx. Are some or all of the incidents related - and if so, who's behind them?

I recommend the unabridged audio read by George Guidall over the book on its own, although I enjoy that too. Scenes like Odd Bunsen's drunken pursuit of Koko across the balconies of the Villa Verandah must be heard to be appreciated fully. :)

I had to read a good part of "The Decameron" last quarter and I have gone back to read more stories from it even though the Fall quarter is over. This is a great book: funny, entertaining, subtly revolutionary, insightful, and superbly well-written. Approach it without fear. It is a Classic, but it will have you laughing, thinking, and learning far better than any current best-seller. Anyone with an interest in journalism and/or history will profit from Boccaccio's Introduction, at the beginning of the First Day. His description of the Plague in Florence is vivid and gripping, and this eventually provides the background for the setting of the one hundred and one tales that seven young women and three young men will narrate in a villa away from the dying city. Also, the Introduction to the Fourth Day presents the reader with an unfinished, but hilarious story about a man who has been kept away from women. This story is what my teacher called the 101st, and I have to agree with her.

Do not think that all "The Decameron" deals with is sex. The mostly illicit sexual encounters depicted are some times funny, sometimes sad, but they share a common trait with the stories from the Tenth Day, for example (these ones are mostly about sacrifice, abnegation, and servitude), or with those of the Second: Boccaccio's concern for his society and the terrible tensions that had reached a breaking point by the 14th century. The Plague, in Boccaccio's universe, acts as a catalyst of emotions, desires, and changes that had to come.

Read, then, about Alibech putting the Devil back in Hell, Lisabetta and her pot of basil, Ser Ceperello and his "saintly" life, Griselda and her incredible loyalty in spite of the suffering at the hands of a God-like husband, Tancredi and his disturbing love for his daughter, Masetto and the new kind of society he helps create with some less-than-religious nuns, and then it will be easier to understand why Boccaccio is so popular after 650 years. And although it may be skipped by most readers, do not miss the Translator's (G. M. McWilliam) introduction on the history of "The Decameron" proper, and that of its many, and mostly unfortunate, translations into English. This book is one of the wisest, most economic ways of obtaining entertainment and culture. Do not miss it.

It seems almost redundant that I bother to rate this with yet another 5-star review (especially since I didn't buy it from Amazon-- Sshhhh, don't tell anyone), but this is one of the books that changed my life.

As a mind struggling to repair the damage caused by the American education system, I set out to follow other curriculums from times when learning was actually valued. Since many of the so-called "classics" American students today are forced to read in school are thinly-disguised socialist propaganda, I chose to look to much earlier times. I picked up The Decameron by chance, having remembered it from an off-hand statement a high school history teacher had made once. The book had everything, exalting adventure, romance, heroism, virtue, and other things I had been taught were subjective and dangerous. I found it the most refined and tastefully deviant book I had ever read and I have never been able to understand why students are not exposed to it as the basis for the study of literature.

Boccaccio's stories (told one per day, by each of the ten characters over ten days) give great insight into the midieval paradigm while poking fun at its obvious problems. The tales cover the whole of Europe, North Africa, and Asia Minor, which was very unique for their time. The rolls of heroes involve characters of every culture, race, religion, and background in the known world-- something unheard of before this book. Boccaccio's great love and understanding of women also shines through, the expression of which tops the list of reasons as to why he was exiled from Florence! Most of the stories are based on actual people and events, though the author takes a great deal of artistic license in some cases. A great many little-known facts can be learned by reading the historical notes (one reason why I chose the Penguin Classic version). Boccaccio surpasses every other man of letters (before him or since) in ability and creativity and will no doubt do so for centuries to come.

'The Decameron' is a fascinating example of classic literature that remains fresh and entertaining today. Written in the mid-14th century, it concerns the first major outbreak of the black plague in Europe, which first emerged in Italy in approximately 1347. Boccaccio begins, in the prologue, by stating his purpose for writing the book - namely, to entertain literate women with nothing else to do with their time. The story itself concerns ten young Florentines (seven women - Pampinea, Filomena, Neifile, Fiammetta, Elissa, Lauretta, and Emilia; and three men - Panfilo, Dioneo, and Filostrato) who flee the city in hopes of escaping the plague. To occupy themselves during this time, they tell each other stories, with each person telling one story per day to make a total of 100 stories over the course of the entire book. At the beginning of the first day, Boccaccio provides an excellent and detailed description of the plague itself. The book ends with the refugees returning to their homes, and a closing epilogue from the author.

I very much enjoyed 'The Decameron.' It is interesting and easy to read. The characters in the various stories are ordinary people and this makes them seem very real. Many of them actually are based on real people. Some of the stories, too, are inspired by actual events, though not all. This particular edition is an excellent translation. It is very user-friendly while still retaining the 14th century 'feel' of it. I also liked the organization of the book, as it was always very easy to find a 'stopping place.' With some novels, it's hard to set them down, but since The Decameron is a collection of short stories, one can always stop at the end of any particular story and come back later.

Boccaccio claims that his goal in writing 'The Decameron' was to entertain and 'provide succour and diversion' (Prologue 3) to young women who are in love - presumably those whose love lives are not going well at the moment. He says he wishes to 'offer some solace' (Prologue 2) to these women, and also 'some useful advice' (Prologue 3). While this sounds like a noble aim on first glance, I have to wonder about his sincerity. A good many of the stories involve characters who go to rather immoral ends to achieve their aims, and I find it odd that such examples would be given in a book intended to instruct a young lady.

Nevertheless, the book is great fun to read. The stories are lively and colorful, and often quite humorous. It provides an excellent insight into the everyday lives of people during this time period. I will caution, however, that most of the stories involve sexuality in some way, and many revolved around it completely. If you are easily offended by bawdy humor, this may not be the book for you. Nearly all the characters of the various tales are sexually active, most with more than one partner. There are also homosexual and bisexual characters. Sexual infidelity is treated here as not only acceptable, but widely encouraged. Characters who cheat on their spouses regularly come out on top, while those that are cuckolded are laughed at and made to look like fools. The unfaithful partner is rewarded and the faithful one shamed and called a prude.

The one thing I do wish Boccaccio had talked more about is the ten people who were actually telling the stories. There are hints of Filostrato having a romantic interest in fellow-storyteller Filomena, but this is never followed up on, except to hint that Filomena is herself interested in someone else not of the company. I would like to know if anything more ever came of Filostrato's interest. I would also have liked to know more of what happened to the ten storytellers upon returning to Florence at the end of the book. Had the plague passed? What had happened to those they left behind? Did any of the ten themselves catch the plague? All of this is left out and I found the ending to be somewhat abrupt.

Perhaps most unclear to me, however, is how the ten were even able to flee the plague as they did. There is no talk of preparation, and it seems that they just dropped everything and left. The places they stayed were abandoned estates that they simply happened upon. Boccaccio says of the second place they stayed, 'she brought them [. . .] to a most beautiful and ornate palace. [. . .] They explored it from end to end and were filled with admiration for its spacious halls and well-kept, elegant rooms, which were equipped with everything they could possibly need, and they came to the conclusion that only a gentleman of the highest rank could have owned it' (Introduction, Third Day, 189). Why were places such as this abandoned? Had its owner/s died of plague? Or if the owners were not dead but had instead fled from the plague, why did they not take some of their things with them? Why was everything left in these places as if nothing was amiss? It all seems a bit unreal to me.

Overall the book is written very well for what it is - a collection of short stories. It is, however, lacking in character development. Most of the storytellers were very flat emotionally, and it would have been nice to see them fleshed out a little more. But in the context of a short story or group of short stories this lack of depth is more forgivable than it would be in a novel. With the exception of Dioneo, who seems to be the most creative and fun-loving of the ten, and Filostrato, who seems absorbed in moping and self-pity for much of the book (presumably over his unrequited interest in Filomena), I found it hard to distinguish one storyteller from another. But the focal point of the book is the stories themselves, and these are all highly entertaining. Though the frequent sexual references may make the book inappropriate for younger audiences, I would highly recommend it for any mature reader.

Angelspeake is the first self-help book that in simple terms enables 'spiritually ready' people to communicate daily to their angels. The step by step process is easy. Within two days I was able to speak to my angels and now have over 60 pages of written 'dialogue'. Additionally, I have taught my husband and my brother how to talk to their angels. The book Angelspeake simplifies the process and is written from a grounded, open "non-selling" place. It is not heavy - it is light reading, yet profound. The words are simple but the opportunities are awe-inspiring. It is the ultimate self-help book because for me angelspeake provides the new "bible" without the propoganda. And there is no advice! This is refreshing for those of us who believe that few earthlings can advise us! The coaching comes from a higher source and is specific to each question we ask daily. Angelspeake's methodologies have changed my life. I understand my life's purpose and am more loving every day. Thank you

The Angelspeake books are the best I've ever read. My son was recently in a car accident which left him paralyzed. My family bought me different books to read and they seemed to help, but Mothers Day my kids bought me an Angelspeake book. I couldn't put it down. It truly did help me cope with alot of things. I felt better after reading the books and would recommend them to everyone.Don't wait for a tragedy in your life to get these books, they can make a difference now. I've always believed in angels and just believe in them so much more and know that they are there to help whenever we need.

I read this book almost a year ago and just recently took a class with one of the authors, Trudy Griswold. She is an incredible woman and helped me further to be able to talk with and write to my angels. It was one of the most amazing evenings, very emotional and helpful. I highly recommend this book to anyone and a class if they can find a facilitator or one of the authors nearby!

This book is one of the best in Christian literature. The main point the author brings across is that we can put all our trust in God and live in perfect peace knowing all is within God's abounding providence. I found it to be a blessing to read and I will probably read it over again and again in the future. It is full of spiritual insights and appeals to the mind as well as the heart. Hannah W. Smith maintains a victorious and glorious Christian life is not only attainable but God's purpose for us. Do yourself a big favour and read this book through. You will thank God afterwards.

Another great book is Brother Lawrence's "The Practice of the Presece of God". Both of them are life changing.

A remarkable first hand book that gives you insight in how to actually surrender yourself to the Lord, and how to fully come to know Him and experience Him in your heart. Through this you will find true peace in your soul. God is using Hannah Whitall Smith to deliver an important message. A must read for any Christian wanting to grow in their love relationship with Christ.

I highly recommend this book. I read it while stationed in Iraq and it encouraged me very much in that situation. It is thoroughly orthodox in its theology and praxis and has nothing to do with modern "psycho-babble" as one other reviewer mistakenly suggested. The book was written over 100 years ago. If it was written today the author most likely would use the term "joyful life" in the title rather than "happy life", but it's clear that her meaning is a happiness that comes from the Lord and is not based on circumstances (which nowadays we would probably call "joy"). Mrs. Smith's secrets to the happy/joyful Christian life are: surrendering all to the Lord, trusting implicitly in the Lord, and immediate obedience to Him. Hard to be more orthodox than that. She gives many anecdotal stories to help the reader understand how much God loves us and how surrender, trust, and obedience result in our abiding more deeply in Christ and consequently having joy in all circumstances.

honest, but not exciting. a look into the burnham's amazing story

I also could not put this book down!! The book is well written and easy to follow. It is the account of Martin and Gracia's captivity through their eyes, not the media. It was truly convicting and thought provoking. I was humbled by this book. I will truly think before I complain again. Through it all.....Gracia and Martin remained faithfull to God, displaying courage and strength that comes from Christ. Their example of faith through adversity is remarkable! It was no accident that I read this book. There were things in my life I needed to be convicted of. Anyone who reads this book will truly understand what the fruit of the Spirit means. It is my prayer that many read this book and their lives are changed! Thanks to Gracia for sharing!!

Gracia Burnham dedicated the book to her husband Martin who died while in captivity. Gracia is an intelligent and educated woman. She does an excellent job in retelling their story by interweaving flashbacks of her life while bringing the reader back to the kidnapping. The digressions are interesting and add depth to the story. The reader learns of the Burnham family's history before they were married and their life as missionaries delivering supplies and encouragement to sick patients in the Philippine jungle. The few disturbing visual descriptions of their year of terror are retold without gory details. Martin and Gracia were courageous Christians while facing many near death circumstances in the jungle. They redeemed tedious hours of captivity by singing psalms and quoting scripture. They prayed for their enemies and encouraged other missionary captives. As the book concludes, it is hard to hold back tears. The Burnhams' exemplify God's command to "love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" (Matt 5:44). God's word was written on the hearts and minds of the Burnhams. His word uplifted and encouraged their spirits during the most difficult trial of their lives. I recommend this book.