I'm a new convert to Baxter's work, but brother am I converted! From cowboys discussing modern art to strange trips through Imperialism and girl's schools, never has the tenuous connection between word and image been so funny. My favorites include the bandit with the bagel trunk and the man who checks his boulder. Gary Larson wishes he could be this clever.

In here are 5 different stories from 5 different authors. But somehow they all are connected by the same themes and characters.

I managed to read this book within a week. I found it to be well written and easy to understand. It contains short sentences that are easy to absorb. I suspect it may have been written for teenagers.
I'm bewildered as to why no one has reviewed this classic book. It's an honour and privilege for me to review it.

While it may have been aimed for a younger market the themes in it are ageless and timeless. Mature readers will appreciate it too. What I loved about it was how my current net experience, while relatively plain, simple and uneventful, is correlated to this future vision of spectacular marvel. In one word, it's fascinating how it views the future of virtual reality and the (hopefully) future eventuating of how the Internet will prosper and develop to encompass our daily lives. I just loved how it projects people into simulated worlds like a cat with nine lives. From history to future space everything and anything is imagined within the Web 2028 and with vivid, exciting detail that humans can only dream of happening in their wildest fantasies..

Overall I recommend this book. While I'm normally a sci-fi fan who liked Star Wars, X Files etc. this book appealed to me. I recommend it for all ages especially the young. I dare say it's better than Harry Potter as it's relevant to the current Zeigiest way of life and modern pop culture. Who wants to read about witches and magic when you can summon visions of a promising and idealized utopian high tech future. [Forget} Potter and Lord Of The Rings, read this book NOW!!!

Book is well designed; choice of content is good. Historical selections are given a tan background which is dark enough to make the text more difficult to read than it might be. This also could be 'old' eyes. Book seems well copy-edited for textual errors. The long lists of primary and secondary sources seems to be a 'feature' of history texts these days. Rather intimidating, particularly for the beginning history student. A shorter list might be more helpful and appropriate. Problems:
If you cannot pronounce a word, you cannot learn it. Some of this may be due to my 'studying at home', but even the student who attends a regular class will be left at a loss on how to pronounce many, many words. More help is needed.
The ancilliary materials, Map Workbook and Original Document Workbook, are not up to the level of the main text. The Map Workbook uses muddy, black and white versions of the colored text maps, and answer some of their own questions, while some of the cities which the student is asked to identify are 'off the map'. The Original Document workbook is a joke. Few selections, 18pt type, lots of white space, typos, layout poor at times. Junk.
There are numerous instances in the main text of clumsy English. One example will have to do:
P.160 "Although the cultural and social developments of the Early Empire were similar to those of the last century of the Republic, there were also significant changes as a result of the new imperial order."
Are they similar or are they different? 'Developments' is the wrong word. 'Also' is a junk word. 'There were significant changes' is weak (intransitive). Better:
"Although some cultural and social features of the Early Empire were similar to those of the last century of the Republic, the new imperial order brought significant changes." Good transition sentence. -17% word count from original.

I have 3rd edition set, and took Western Civ II with Dr. Spielvogel at Penn State. His teaching and his book are by far the best history instruction (or any instruction) I've ever had. A brilliant educator and writer, this text is definately the one you want for any course on Western Civ. Spielvogel includes "Day in the Life" sidebars, as well as the opposing point of view (e.g. the Crusaders in Muslim Eyes, an account of a Muslim's viewpoint).

Professor Emeritus Spielvogel has a unique teaching style that makes history interesting and captivating. This style is mirrored in this book. The text is enhanced by many diagrams, maps and charts. An annotated suggested reading list at the end of each chapter provides its readers with a strong base from which one can begin further research. "Western Civilization" is a very flexible book; it can be used on either the High School or College level and can easily be divided into different themes. If your purposes lead you to non-western areas of history, then try Spielvogel's "World History", co-author by Professor Emeritus William J. Duiker.

Reading this book had to be the most painful, gut-wrenching experience of my life. The tragedies and sorrows just kept coming and coming! I mean, I don't need for the books I read to be all sweetness and light, but this was ridiculous. It seemed to be a test of how much misery one human being can endure before they give up and/or kill themselves. True, the romance was there, and it was powerful, but - jeesh!!

So, to sum up, if you're an avid reader of depressing Oprah-recommended fare and tragedy in general, this book is all for you.

As for me and my reading buddies, we're saying, AAHHHH!! and running the other way. Fast.

A great book! However, I found it amazing to read the first reviewer who gave it such a low score - did we read the same book? I normally prefer to read murder/suspense novels but thought I would give this one a go - take my word for it, if you want to have an enjoyable read, don't go past this one.

This book is the best ive read in years Mary Lynn Baxter has done a wonderful job. Her masterpiece is about a young girl named Beth Melbourne whose life was shattered at the tender age of 18. Following that heartbreaking incident she fled her hometown Shawnee,Louisiana in search hope to fill her wounds. I hope whoever reads this review reads this wonderful book today you wont regret it.

Its 'Future History' with a big emphasis on *future*. This is very much like Niven but the ideas are actually even larger and more in depth. If you want SF that your mind can chew on read this book....

Not for Stephen Baxter the piffling concerns of most science fiction this is a man who goes for the big picture. A set of stories which reveal the past and future history of not just mankind but the whole universe itself until the stars dim and go out!

I confess I have found some of his books pretty hard going (Raft, Flux etc) but this is much more digestible, a lot more fun and you don't need a Phd in quantum mechanics to enjoy it.

It was absolutely unbelievable. Baxter had me convinced that it actually happened. This man's storytelling ability is unparalled. I am an avid Clarke and Asimov fan, but this tops the cake, even better than his previous masterpiece Ring, if you never read another book the rest of life, read this one.

"On A Street Called Easy, in a Cottage called Joye" is an easy and entertaining read, with short chapters perfect for the ride on the subway, or a break between tasks. A close parallel to "A Year In Provence", which is referenced by the authors, the story is essentially a humorous take on the gentry's lament "you can't get good help these days", but the biggest difference is that while "A Year..." is heavily slanted towards food, "A Street..." is almost entirely about the travails of renovating a wreck. It is after all, set in the deep (if it ain't fried, it ain't cooked)south, this is NOT Provence.
The "true" story follows its two, pullitzer prize winning authors as they leave their dark, viewless, Manhattan condo and set out for Aiken, S.C., where they've bought(for quite a bit less than the original million+ asking price) a sixty room mansion built in 1897 by WC Whitney, as the gilded age began to flicker to a close. Through neglect, the house is an absolute mess. The crew hired to bring it back to its glory is pretty much a mess as well. From the holdover-joint-toking hippie that makes off with the only, working-order copper piping to sell for scrap, to the tile man who wants to be paid for time he'd requested to hang out (doing nothing)while the tile arrived, to the maid who spends all day dusting 3 rooms, only to be discovered sleeping whenever the bosses are away. You can't leave this crew a for a second, as they discover towards the end, in a scene that will leave wine lovers heart broken. The problem is, as with "A year in Provence", the owners seem to have a bottomless pocketbook, and always seem to have a check to write to cover whatever goes wrong. And EVERYTHING goes wrong. This eventually takes away from the believability, especially when combined with the patience of Job that the two men seem to display, endlessly, towards what are essentially ne'er do wells and lowlifes posing as contractors. Ah, well. You do learn a bit about the Whitneys, the house in its better days, Aiken in its better days, and the more recent days. All in all a worthwhile read.

Can you begin to imagine two authors of brutal true crime stories, undertaking a project such as remodeling an old 60 room mansion? And can you believe their moving from their home in Manhatten to Aiken, SC? They write of their trials and tribulations, in such a manner, you wipe tears of joy and tears of frustration and sorrow for them. And all the time the reconstruction and renovations are taking place, they are constantly meeting friends and neighbors; while they are trying to hire someone for this project or that project. You celebrate with them over each accomplishment. By the time they finish the renovations, you can 'hear' the music filtering through the wing of the home where all of the parties will be held. Such excitement in the air. I am fortunate enough to live close to this location and took a trip over and found Joye Cottage! Absolutely breathtaking.... wish I could tour the inside.

I was given the BOOK version of this several years ago by a dear friend and honestly, I have read and re-read this book several times. The first time that I got it, I actually read it out loud to my husband while we were working on our own version of "Joy Cottage." We both roared with laughter!

Having moved to the South from the West Coast, I understood totally what Mr. White-Smith encountered! From Irish Travelers to the local restaurant that produces vegetables that have had every last trace of nutritional content boiled out of them, collard greens, fat back and fat light (it is vital that you know the difference: one is used to light fires and one is put in with your collards!),pepper sauce, sweet tea (cavities be damned!) to Moon Pies, Krispy Kremes, speech from people that you swear aren't speaking English, painters that can't paint, roofers that drink way too much, Nandina, Magnolias and Smilack at Christmas (I hope that I spelling the last one correctly!) and on and on and on. If you live in the South (especially if you are a transplant) and most especially if you live in or have redone an old house, this is the book for you!

As I said, I have re-read this book several times and I still find myself laughing hysterically. It is a great book that I am terribly sorry is out of print. Until it comes back into its second printing, the audio version will suffice. I wish they would do a "Part II" version...

A MUST read!

Trina Schart Hyman is one of the finest contemporary illustrators of children's books today. Anyone not aware of her exceptional talent is advised to take a look at this retelling of the Grimm's classic, "Rapunzel."

The story is in a clear, straightforward, traditional retelling by Barbara Rogasky, but Hyman's illustrations lift this version out of the average and into the sublime. The illustrations are intricately drawn and luminously colored; they have the effect of rendering the human, emotional side of the story with clarity and immediacy, while keeping intact the otherworldly quality necessary to the fairy tale.

Take, for example, Hyman's illustration of the young Rapunzel and the witch in the garden. Rapunzel gazes at her with rapt adoration, while the witch returns the look with benevolent affection. In this one illustration, we are taken beyond the realm of the archetypal cardboard figures of fiction and are shown instead the very human figures of a foster mother and daughter. This relationship continues through to the last illustration, with the solitary witch watching the happy couple depart through the forest. Despite her cruel actions, this witch is a real woman capable of feeling loss and remorse.

Perhaps I wax rhapsodic, but Hyman's gorgeous illustrations really must be seen to be believed. This is a book that can be appreciated on various levels by both young and old alike.

Paul O. Zelinsky's "Rapunzel" is a delight of renaissance-like oil paintings depicting a delicately beautiful girl, a frightening witch, and a handsome prince. The illustrations are truly superb, and each page features a beautifully rendered painting rich with color and detail.

Zelinsky's retelling of the story is traditional yet satisfying, but the illustrations really steal the show. Children will get caught up in the fairytale landscapes and the magical locales. Readers will also appreciate the additional information provided by Zelinsky about his retelling of the story and his study of Italian Renaissance art. It's always nice to know why artists choose to illustrate stories in a certain way.

This book won the Caldecott Medal for its fantastic illustrations.

This past weekend, our 3-1/2 year old daughter's grandparents came into town. Her Nonna told her a bedtime story about Rapunzel, a story she had not heard before. She was enchanted. Needless to say, Nonna went out the next day to buy a book and she came home with Paul Zelinsky's beautiful book.

I can't comment on the accuracy and literary side of the book - I'm not an expert on the original tale. However, the writing is wonderful; the story is an easy read with younger children. But clearly, the illustrations are what set this book apart. Many children's books use child-like pictures - but each page of this book is a new and different work of art. Detail and texturing worthy of an art gallery make this a pleasure to view as well as read. Highly recommended.

This book is excellent for offering a clear and concise explanation of the physiological process of singing--everything from the state of the body before the first breath is taken, to breathing, to exhale and how the oral cavity affects sound. The presumption is that understanding the anatomy and physical processes involved will help a singer improve their voice. There are also a number of exercises intended to de-program destructive habits to singing and program constructive ones. Also addressed is how our environments affect singing: food, drugs, everything. While Mark Baxter wouldn't do too well in an English class (where the heck was the editor for this one, anyway?) this book seems like a great source of valuable info that many singers unfortunately never attempt to learn.

I read this book 2 years ago and thought it was great. Now I'm just reading it again, and I realise how much more than just "great" that book is. It is a necessity!!! Just get it, NOW!

It's not just another book full of scale exercises. This one goes much deeper into yourself, with that overall concept that a singer is both a musician and its instrument, all in one. And it really helps understanding the instrument better: how your body is going to react to what your mental state is, what you eat, what drugs you do...

Then it also explains how to get rid of all the muscle activity that comes with singing that you DON'T need. So it kinda goes from the principles that everything is already inside you, you just add to many tensions to it making it difficult. Mark is really good at helping you isolate and focus on the simple muscles you'll need to sing, and develop those while getting rid of everything else you do that prevents your voice from going out unaltered......

Another thing I love with that book is that instead of finding yourself practicing hundreds of various scales exercises, but instead you'll know precisely why you're doing a particular exercise, and what it's developing in your body. That makes the whole exercise much more valuable!!!

Get it, read it, and practice. And in two years, read it again. You'll understand how necessary reading material it is for any rock singer.

This book is a "must have" for all singers. I am a voice teacher, and I highly recommend this book. It really teaches you about your instrument, and the proper care & maintenance it needs. I wish I would have read it when I first started singing 20 years ago!

Another book I recommend is "Singing for the Stars", by Seth Riggs.

Alternate history. It's a fun concept to fiddle with. . . what if Hitler had won? What if VonBraun had went to the Soviet Union after WWII? What if Kennedy had not died.

Stephen Baxter answers the last question in grand form in the novel Voyage. Voyage is the story of a manned mission to Mars in the 1980's, or perhaps, more specifically, the build up to and execution of the mission.

Baxter brings his aeronautical expertise to this book, as well as a good command of history (aborted and realized). The story of Voyage, the tech, the flow. . . all are believable and the story is told quite well. It reminded me of watching "From the Earth to the Moon" to be quite honest.

Give Baxter a few evenings of your time, and you'll get a good read from it. Just ignore the rather frequent use of the Lord's name in vain. ;-)

There is little I can say to add to the praise already available about this book. It's a great read, and a detailed look at the challenges of space exploration with existing technology. But readers who enjoyed it as thoroughly as I did may be interested in knowing that Baxter drew a great deal of his information from a 1989 non-fiction book, "Apollo: The Race for the Moon," by Charles Murray. Some of Baxter's characters are clearly based on some of the real engineers and technicians that Murray mentions in his study of the Apollo program. In some cases, Baxter's fictional character is little changed from the historical figure: for example, Tim Seger, who is in charge of supervising the Ares technology in the novel, is almost a carbon copy of the real-life Joe Shea, who did the same job for the real Apollo technology. Murray's book, based on interviews with hundreds of people who worked in the Apollo program, and on NASA archives, is also very well written. So if you enjoyed Baxter, you'd probably enjoy reading Murray's account of what really happened between 1957 and 1973.

I loved Tom Hanks HBO mini-series "From the Earth to the Moon." If you did, buy this book!

Mr. Baxter takes the reader through an alternate history of the exploration of space where Nixon followed Cap Weinberger's suggestion to keep the space program focused on going to Mars instead of trying to build a reusable shuttle.

A more Soviet approach of continuing improvements in Apollos and Saturns, ever lowering launch costs and keeping aerospace workers employed results. Further developments along the path to Mars that we never took are explored in this wonderful and technically believable story and a cast of characters that is well above the average of the typical alternate history novel.

As a long time believer that we made a mistake in not going to Mars in the '80's, (Von Braun planned a trip in 1982) I finished the book believing we are better off in our space exploration because we didn't take this trip at that time. I don't think that was the intention of the author, but he's laid the story out so realistically, the conclusions of the reader are just like in real life!

It's a rare novel that changes my point of view so fundamentally. I think you'll find it surprising as well.