Open

This wonderful book opens with one of the best one-liners on bigotry I've ever seen:
"The less people know, the more stubbornly they know it."
And it gets even better from there. "Life is fulfilled only through longings, never through ambitions." Every topic appropriate and inappropriate for dinner conversation comes under scrutiny in this little volume of short quotes, from sex to politics to religion.
A digestible introductory primer for those who are new to the spiritual provocateur Osho, it is illustrated beautifully with black & white photos and presents a broad range of his offbeat and somehow haunting perspectives on life, the universe and everything.

I've always been a great fan of detective, spy and Cold War novels. This book brings out the best of all 3 worlds, but unlike so many American Cold War novels, Smith looks at the three dead bodies in Gorky Park and beyond (and out of Moscow to New York City) through the eyes of the main character--detective Arkardy Renko, a cynical Ukrainian who works hard at his job with honesty and with conviction in Moscow--and not some unkillable CIA hero. The story is filled with intrigue, cunning plot twists and wonderfully-crafted characters.

It's Arkady Renko at odds with power, corruption and intrigue. Martin Cruz Smith hit the nail on the head with this story. Not just your typical spy-crime thriller, Gorky Park delves into the heart and mind of what it meant to be a Russian approaching the era of new capitolism.

Renko, investigating a grisly triple murder in the heart of Moscow's famous Gorky Park, is certain he has stumbled into the work of the KGB. He is the prototypical man of principle awash in a compromising world, where the rules change daily, power and influence corrupt on both sides of the Atlantic, and pargons of virtue pose a threat to all.

I guarantee that you will love this book and quickly continue on with the following three sequels.

"Gorky Park" came out in 1981, so some of the Cold War references to the KGB and the bad old days are dated, but it remains a top-notch thriller. Arkady Renko is a Soviet cop called in to solve a triple murder, with the bodies left under the snow in a Moscow park. As he probes deeper, he bumps into the KGB, a wealthy American fur trader, and a high-level conspiracy dating back to World War II. Cruz Smith spent eight years writing the text, and it shows. The eye for detail, the Moscow street scenes, the historical research and the multi-layered characters all feel first-hand and urgent. That "Gorky Park" is a cut above other espionage/thriller novels made it a best-seller when it came out and a decent film with William Hurt.

I'm a big art fan and *adore* journals, but this book just didn't do anything for me. Sabrina tries very hard to be this uplifting, creative, inspiring artist, but she just doesn't fit the role. Her writing is too cliche -- yes, we know being a girl is hard, yes, we know girls feel fat sometimes, but do we really want to hear another writer whining about it? -- and her art, though pretty sometimes, is ultimately untalented. It's a good picture book to get from the library, but if you're going to buy something, you're better off with 'the Journey is the Destination' by Dan Eldon or 'Succulent Wild Woman' by Sark.

This book is not really available in Australia, and too bad for all the Australians missing out. This is the most astonishing, most beautiful book I have ever come across. Having being a journal writer for as long as I can remember, this book was a wake up call on how much I have to learn on the art of creative journal writing. This book is the epitome of creative, it literally spills creativity and reflection from the first page to the last. It is colourful, astonishingly thoughtful and indescribly beautiful. I can see why Sark and Sabrina have befriended each other, it is easy to see that their souls undoubtably dance to the same tune. They are both beautiful and this shines in their glorious books. My only complaint with this book, is that we are often only given sectors of her life, and I am frequently left wondering who she is talking about and what the pictures and the significance of small things she puts in there.

Sabrina's books are amazing: the art, collages, and writing are beautiful and beautifully blended together into these dreams of books. Her books are extremely intimate and personal, which is what makes them vulnearble, honest, and moving- there is a true connection in these books that is rarely found. Her books are such an exploration of herself, and because they are so poignant and deeply-delving, there is raw human truth and universality. Yes, her books are about herself- on the surface. Just as the concept of radical self acceptance may seen adolescent or simple- on the surface. But to truly live that concept is difficult and rare- these books take you through that process of moving past some cliche ("accept yourself") and into the marrow. Beneath the surface, the book goes beyond being about Sabrina, into being about every person. Sabrina's journals are truly exceptional- the brave writing, the power of each word, the watercolors, photographs, calligraphy and collages.

Kenneth Grahame's classic was recommended to me by several people over the years, but I just got around to reading it--at age 46! It was even better than I'd been led to believe. Everybody mentions the lovable buffoon Mr. Toad, but to me one of the greatest aspects of this book was the fantastically vivid nature writing. I don't believe I've ever read such evocative descriptions of landscapes, seasons, and their effects on the perceptive observer. Do you find "classics" boring? Well then, you won't regard "The Wind in the Willows" as a classic, because the stories and characters will seem as alive to you as anything else in life. A pure delight, and I look forward to reading it again and again. (Psst--The text of the book is available for free from Project Gutenberg if you want to sneak a peek.)

Kenneth Grahame wrote this for his son and published this in book form in 1908. He has simply created a masterpiece, not just in children's literature, believe me many adults read this one with pleasure. The chapters follow the doings and adventures of Mole, Rat, Badger, and of course Toad. The prose is lyrical at times, the stories hilarious, and charm and wisdom flow from Grahame's pen. There has been many illustrators for different editions of this over the years. I like Rackham and Shepard and recommend the editions that have one or the others illustrations, or get two copies of "The Wind in the Willows" and you can have both of these fine illustrators work to enjoy. I read this book when a child and I come back to it again and again.

The Wind in the Willows is a delightful children's classic that touches upon many things; wonder, pastoralism, but most of all friendship between individuals very different from one another. One of the hallmarks of this classic is that the adventure stories remain entertaining to this day. A must read for any child.

STREET MAGIC, the second book of Pierce's The Circle Opens quartet, is a story which ought to satisfy all of her fans and leave them asking for more. Still far from being one of Tamora Pierce's best books, STREET MAGIC continues her trend of bringing the books in The Circle Opens quartet to a more mature level.

Briar Moss and his teacher Rosethorn have traveled to the city of Chammur, where they are employed to revive the plants dying in the "tired" earth. It is while he is visiting one of the open Bazarrs there that Briar comes across Evvy, a young street-rat who in unknowingly in possession of stone magic. As with Sandry in MAGIC STEPS, Briar suddenly finds himself responsible for Evvy when the only other stone mage in the city flatly refuses to teach Evvy, or at least to do so in an acceptable manner. On the side, Briar must deal with the escalation of a multi-gang war going on throughout the city.

As I said, this is far from being one of the best books by Tamora Pierce, but I found it to be not half-bad. I like how she is bringing more dimensions to the lives of the four Winding Circle Mages, and making her stories more complex, mature, and different.

It's been four years since Briar Moss left Winding Circle Temple in SummerSea . Now he is in Chammur. There he meets Evvy. She is a 10 year old girl who uses her magic to polish stones for a local merchant. When Briar try's to talk to her she flees.Finally , she gives in and Briar starts teaching her about her magic. Then, a local gang called the Vipers here Briar say that Evvy has stone magic so they try to kidnap her to make a profit on her ability. In the meantime the Vipers are trying to take over Camelgut territory with the help of a rich noble. She gives them weapons and the Vipers start a war with the Camelguts. I won't spoil the whole book. All I can say is that this book is right up there with all of her other wonderful,marvelious,outstanding,terrific quartets. I highly reccomend this book. Only if you can manage complex plots and many confusing parts. I hope many of you out there have lots of acadimic ability!!!!!! Farewell!

Well, it's a really good book, and an exellent addition to the circle of magic, and my favorite. Even though Tris, Daja, and Sandry aren't included in this book, it is still really good.
In this book I think it really shows how powerful Briar really is. in all the other books, Tris was the powerful one, but Briar is here to give her a run for her money as he works his way through a phonomal book.

When one goes through countless reviews, some good, others bad, you stop to think if anyone ever reads these and if you are just saying what others have said. You know what I have come to think? I don't care. I just have to write something to praise the books I am reviewing... like this one.

I read this book after I read Dragonflight. I know it is not how the series should be read but I could not find Dragonquest and I needed, urged for a Pern book. So I decided to read Dragonsdawn. And I made no mistake. I loved this book. It has so much in such a wonderful way. You can actually believe that this may happen... fiction is no longer fiction. It all seems to plausible. And it's wonderful.

You are faced with the Coloners from Earth in search of a world to colonize. They have come to the Rukbat System and found the third planet to be ihabitable. They named it Pern. And so it all begins. What they did not know was that Pern, for calmer and more beautiful it may seem, hides a dangerous and deadly secret. The threat of the Threads, brought by the Red Star, catches the coloners unware, unexpectedly. And from then on it is a race to protect the survivor's lives from certain death. You witness in this book the birth of the Dragonriders, and the beginning of the amazing relationship with the dragons. From the delicate fire-lizards there comes the dragons of Pern... to fight Thread, to breathe fire, to protect humans. And you can't keep yourself from suffering in the harsh times, bellowing in joy with the fight of this danger, and shedding a tear when the multi-faceted eye of a dragon crosses your own eyes...

If you love Dragonriders of Pern... Dragonsdawn will surely amaze you. Though if you want to keep the many mysteries of your world away from your knowledge, then you should not read this book. But then you'd miss a great book.

I absolutely love this book. The first time I read it, I found it hard to get past the opening section - I wanted to read about PERN, not a bunch of people in a spaceship, even if they were named Benden. But the technical mumbo-jumbo of the colonization is worth fighting through for that first breath of Pernese air! The initial settlement - the first Threadfall - the genetic engineering that created the dragons we know and love - and the volcano that finally forced the settlers to leave the southern continent - this book gives a fascinating background to Dragonflight et al. Make sure to read this one before reading "All the Weyrs of Pern".

Ever wonder where the dragons of Pern came from? This book gives a satisfying answer to that question.

Anne McCaffrey goes back to the beginning in this novel, describing not only where the dragons came from, but how the people got to Earth. This book ranks among the best of McCaffrey's Pern series, combining romance and drama, with science fiction and fantasy.

Fans will love it and it's great place for new readers to start. Highly reccomanded!

Chicken Soup for the soul is wonderful! I didn't believe it when my friend told me to read this book, but now I know that my friend was right.
Since I bought this book from a bookstore, I started to read it and found out why my friend told me to read this book. This book has powers. The powers that will inspire, support, and cheer you up when you fell. The stories in this book will show you something you may never think about it, or it may be something that you forget to do to your love ones. I, myself, during I was reading this book, I had a lot of problems about my classes and homework. I was so tired and sometimes I felt like I don't want to study anymore (I know this is sound stupid). However, after I read the story of a boy who wrote "his life list", I realized that life is more than school and homework, and I shouldn't be discouraged with some little problems.
Another story in this book that I like it very much is about father and daughter who have their "heart song" that keep them connected to each other even one of them can't speak. When I first finished this story, I had some fears. I feared that if one day my father couldn't tell me he loves me, how am I going to do? Something in this story told me that I should treat people around me very nice, and tell them that I love them before I never had a chance to say.
I'm glad I have read this book. I think if someone tell you to read this book, they mean you should read it. After you finish this book you may see the world in the way you've ever seen before.

This book is not only an easy read, it holds the intrest of the reader. The stories are so enlightening. Each one leaves me wondering if I am going to cry on the next. This is one of the best books I have ever read. I HIGHLY recommend this book. I plan on bying all of them I can. Please buy one at your first oppertunity. Don't wait. Do it today. The stories in this book make you think and really do warm your heart. I can't say enough wonderful things. :) :) :) A BIG thank you to the writers.

What a great book!

Jack Canfield is my motivational role model. His love for humanity and his desire to make this world a better place to live is a stunning example of what someone can achieve when he sets his heart to something.

Jack and Mark did a terrific job of compiling really great stories about love, caring and achieving success. Chicken Soup for the Soul is a true classic. If you want some more positive thinking stuff in your life - get a hold of this book today. Reading about love and hope is the only way to combat all the negativity we hear about on the radio and from the media.

Zev Saftlas, Author of Motivation That Works: How to Get Motivated and Stay Motivated

I vividly remember when I read Sphere that I thought it would play better as a movie; and if people think the movie is a bit meandering and weird, the book is certainly the same. Crichton gives us three partial stories for the price of one, but unfortunately none of them ever seem to click.

The book opens with an extremely promising, thought-provoking concept that is too quickly and unfortunately abandoned: Beneath the modern-day ocean a ship thought to be alien, sunken for three hundred years, turns out to be American-built, having apparently traveled through time to get there. There's no sign of any crew, and the flight recorder only gives them a hint to how the ship got there. It's a great story at that point, but there Crichton decides to deal with the one oddity found aboard: The sphere.

Without getting too much into the specifics, it's enough to say that the second two partial stories don't do the first one justice. We get a bit of mystery over what's inside the sphere, and what (if anything) might be trying to communicate and how. Then follows a tale of paranoia as the characters each have different suspicions about what's going on, and none of them can be sure whether they can even trust themselves. It all ends on an unsatisfying note, having accomplished little or nothing.

It seems clear that there was no set theme to Sphere, and as a result the story fragmented under stress. It started out so promising, but the really juicy and fascinating questions were never answered. To me the mystery of the ship and its origins and history was far more intriguing than the mystery of the alien sphere, yet the former was sacrificed to bring on the rest of the story. Having read some real classics, I don't count this among them; Sphere was a novel without direction or purpose, that seemed more like a bad echo of Forbidden Planet than an original work. In some ways it's an interesting read, but I wouldn't rank it too highly on the reading list.

You've got to give it to Michael Crichton: he writes one heck of a page-turner. Open one of his books with the idea that you'll just read a chapter or two before bedtime and you'll suddenly be bleary-eyed at three in the morning. And although this particular title, which is somewhat less well known than such Crichton novels as THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN and JURASSIC PARK, it still packs a bestseller wallop.

The premise is classic Crichton. In his younger days, psychologist Norman Johnson was approached by the United States government to write a report on the psychological impact of an encounter with extra-terrestrials--and now, on the basis of his rather flippant recommendations, he finds himself en route to a possible UFO crash sight on the floor of the Pacific ocean. Once established with his colleges in an underwater habitat, the government team encounters a mysterious space craft that contains a still-more mysterious sphere, and those who come into contact with it undergo an unexpected change.

The writing is crisp and clean, the hard science is handled quite skillfully, and Crichton plays out his story at a breathless pace: yes, a page-turner if ever there was one. Still, it is worth noting that SPHERE displays Crichton's weaknesses as clearly as it does his strengths. Strictly speaking, Crichton hasn't had an original concept in some thirty years, and just as he rehashed his screenplay for WESTWORLD into the novel JURASSIC PARK, so does he rehash THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN into SPHERE. The novel also contains both the foundational sexism and ambiguous conclusion so typical of Crichton's work.

Ultimately, SPHERE is popcorn: we've all had it before and you can't make a truly satisfying meal of it. But it is tremendously enjoyable all the same, and where is SPHERE is concerned... well, you'll eat every kernal in the bowl.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

Annotation: A sci-fi thriller that has a twist at the end you couldn't see coming. Michael Crichton sets the stage deep in the ocean as a group of scientist explores an unknown spaceship and finds a mysterious sphere that causes strange things to happen.

Author bio: Michael Crichton was born in Chicago in 1942 and attended Harvard medical school in 1964. He has produced books such as Jurassic Park, Timeline, and Congo. He also created the hit show ER and is the only person to have the number one movie, number one book, and number one show all at the same time.

Evaluation: This book was awesome! I couldn't put it down for a minute. One complaint I have is that when they made the movie, they tried to make it "hollywood adaptable" and messed up some key plot points. The part I liked best was when Harry uses his simple logic to determine that they were going to die in the spaceship because the ship was in the future and there was no sign that the future knew of them visiting the ship. It was so simple I was mad I didn't pick it out before I read it! This book is a definite read for anyone who is a science fiction fan.

I always liked Tamora Pierce's books, like the Circle of Magic series. This book was very entertaining and suspensful and keeps you holding your breath, waiting for more. This particular book features Sandry, a former character of the Circle of Magic series. Now she is 2 years older and teaches her own student who introduces a whole new type of magic: Dancing. Teaching Pasco is the least of her problems. Murderers are set on killing the family of Rakat and our using a new, rare kind of magic: unmagic. The complete and utterly evil magic feeds on real magic and slowly consumes the user. Sandry is the only one who can stop these murderers from killing the whole Rakat family, one by one. I recommend this book, it keeps you on the edge of your seat, begging for more. Good reading for adults and kids alike!

In Magic steps, Sandry is four years older and four years wiser. Her talent with threadcraft is famous all through Summersea and many people know both her and her friends', Tris, Briar, and Daja's names. When she travels to her uncle, Duke Vedris's, lands to help him recover from a heart attack she plans on putting all of her energy into helping him. But two things happen that changes everything. Sandry meets a young boy named Pasco, who can dance with such magic that few people have ever seen before. Pasco, a future harrier (police guard) of Summersea refuses to admit he has any talent but Sandry isn't giving up on him that easily. Another challenge faces Sandry when horrible murders start to occur in her uncles lands, murders that are distinctly linked to magic, murders that Sandry cannot ignore.

I was a bit dubious with this book. Sandry has always been my least favorite character of the series, but I was happy to see she's improved in the past four years and has grown into a wonderful character. Yes, Magic Steps, is a lot more gruesome than the rest of Tamora Pierce's Magic Circle books, but people are making too big of a deal over it. The story behind it is satisfying and exciting, and that's what really matters anyway. If you want to read about Sandry and Lark after the Magic Circle Series, pick up this book!

It's been a long time since these four mages met and learned to use their magic. And they've left the Winding Circle Temple with their mentors.
Sandry goes to live with her great uncle - a nice man, a duke. While there, she meets a boy. Years younger then she, this boy has a magical talent himself. A dancing talent.
He needs to learn to use his talent - and Sandry is going to teach him.
And trouble is always around....

I gather this book has garnered some awards since its publication, and I think for the most part they are deserved. C.J. Box has written a relatively interesting mystery. The plot isn't as mysterious as you would like, but the characters are well-drawn and the action moves right along. The novel does have a political edge to it, but that's handled relatively deftly, and without most of the partisan preaching you tend to get on this sort of issue.

Joe Pickett is an interesting character. He's a Game Warden in Wyoming, a bright ambitious young man with a wife and two children who's trying to do the right thing, and idealistically honest, if a bit naive. When a poacher stumbles into his backyard wounded, and dies on his property, Joe thinks that he must have come to him for a reason. He goes looking for the man's partners. That leads to a shootout, and more questions. When Joe continues to look into the case even though everyone else thinks it's closed, things get ugly, and things "get western" as he puts it himself.

I enjoyed this book a great deal, and would recommend it. I'll be looking for the other entries in the series.

While still a Wyoming state game warden trainee, Joe Pickett ticketed a man fishing without a license. The man turned out to be the state governor. One week after being assigned to Twelve Sleep County, Joe fines outfitter Ote Keeley for shooting a buck out of season. However, Ote takes Joe's gun away and points it at the game warden's head before calmly accepting his ticket. Though he continues working hard, Joe has never fully recovered from the Keeley incident.

A few months later, Keeley reenters Joe's life when his daughter finds the outfitter dead at the woodpile near the Pickett home. Next to the corpse is a cooler containing pellets of excrement. Joe and fellow warden Wacey Hedeman assist sheriff Bud Barnum with the investigation. However, soon Joe is in trouble with his superiors, his pregnant wife for jeopardizing his job, and with a killer trying to add a nosy game warden to the list.

OPEN SEASON is an entertaining police procedural tale that works because the author steps out of the box by insuring his star is not superman. Instead he is just an average Joe struggling with learning his new job, obtaining a decent standard of living for his family, and still trying to do the right thing. The story line is filled with twists and turns so that the audience into thinking h wrong person is the villain. The endangered species issue is well designed within the plot with C.J. Box cleverly laying it out so that the reader can decide on this complex question. Fans will want more Wyoming mysteries starring a guy named Joe.

Harriet Klausner

I had a lot to do tonight around the house, but was having a hard time focusing. So I figure I'll read a chapter or two of this book "Open Season" that I'd picked up because it seemed kinda interesting... It's now a little past 2:00 AM. My eyes are blurred, I gotta take a leak, and my shoulders and back are stiff from laying on the couch reading all night. Just couldn't put it down once I opened it. Finished the book, read the teaser for the next Joe Pickett novel, read the short bio of CJ Box on the back page, and then even reread all the reviews in the front of the book. Just couldn't get enough. Of course, I also went on Amazon.com and bought the next novel. Joe Pickett and his family are some of the best characters I've encountered in a long time, and I know I'll be following them for years to come (I hope). Just a great book!