I love this book. Since the first time I read this story I enjoyed it, how the stone becomes missing in the first place and what they do to get it back. How Darvish comes into Aaron's life and Chandra's, how they are forced together to return it and the bonding that follows. All the characters mingle nicely. I have read it so many times that I now have to purchase another because I wore this one out. The characters could be put into any century. They intertwine so nicely. Aaron's true feelings finally come out towards Darvish and the reaction is wonderful. The story line keeps you going. The adventure keeps you on the edge of your seat. I don't want to go into too much detail to spoil the plot but Tanya can always write a wonderful story. I wish there was a sequel made on this on how they get along later and what happens to Chandra later with Aaron and Darvish. Maybe get them into another adventure. This book was too good to stop at one.

I read this book because I'd read and loved Gate of Darkness, Circle of Light years ago, and went on a spree of every Tanya Huff book I could find. The Fire's Stone is my favorite of them all. It is a gorgeously woven story. The end had me crying from a mixture of happiness that it had worked out so beautifully, and misery that I would no longer be able to see the characters in their further lives. By now I've had to buy at least three copies of it, because everyone I lend it to, if they don't buy their own copy, moves away with mine.

I first read this book years ago, and have re-read it too many times to count since then. It was the first Tanya Huff book that I've read and it has led me on to read quite a few of her other books.

The story develops quite well; at first I disliked Darvish (as did many other characters in the story), he was almost always drunk and very promiscuous, but the author soon brings us to the realization of why he acted the way he did and as the story went on, his "true" character came out. I admired his courage in the face of overwhelming odds.

Aaron's character is mysterious and remains mysterious for most of the book - which stimulates one's curiousity, since you get the idea that you'll never know everything about him - so many secrets. Chandra was okay too, definitely powerful as a wizard, yet trying so hard to win her father's love. Her part in the developing romance between Darvish and Aaron added to the humour in the book and she was sometimes the buffer they needed.

Even though the characters were so different, they worked well together and by the end of the story, there was a solid friendship. I particularly enjoyed the plot because it was emotive, but not overdone. There were side plots, but they did not detract from the story. I highly recommend this book.

I used to use the Hertz Chumash that is common in most Conservative and Orthodox synagogues. Now when I am in synagogue, I go looking for a Stone Chumash, which I find far superior to Hertz. Unfortunately, others do as well, and the supply is not yet up to the demand. Now I own my own.

Not only is the Stone Chumash an easy-to-read translation with fascinating commentaries, it also includes various tables and charts, such as geneology charts and timelines of events, and drawings of items in the Mishkan, which help give the Torah more meaning. For those who want more depth, the Hebrew text includes all of the traditional commentators in the margins.

this is a great chumash version.artscroll has the best in judaica[siddur.tanach.torah].the addition of onkelos[the full aramaic translation of torah's 5 books] is the best.the version also has the rashi commentary and other commentators from orthodox jewish sources.great book, get it.

This is an excellent Chumash but it must be made clear that it is a "beginners guide", a starting point to the Torah. If you only want one Chumash in your library then make this the one.

Being a convenient, easy to read, concise one volume Chumash, the author had no choice but to narrow his commentary. After all, you cannot fit the waters of the ocean into a bucket. One must understand that the commentary does not even scratch the service of inner meaning of the text. It is simply a minimum line or put in a positive way, a springboard to further study.

So I suppose it is only fair of me to suggest another Chumash that one can advance to. "The Call of the Torah" by Rabbi Elie Munk is a five-volume set also published by Artscroll. Rav Munk combines both the classic commentaries of Rash"i, Ramba"m, Ramba"n etc, the "peshat" of his teacher Rav Hirsh and also the more hidden Torah of Kabbalah. This as well as his own beautiful and intelligent ideas, adds up to a Chumash that is a must for all Jews that wish to delve just that little bit deeper.

I have just finished reading the Chinese Version of the story (which I would rate as 5 stars), and thought, although the English Version is pretty accurate, it somehow lacks the fluency the story should have. Because of the difficulty for foreign people to imagine the situation, readers are not involved in the story as much and is therefore less effective than some books like the Wild Swan. The translation has definitely lost some tastes from the Chinese version. However if you are a foreigner who wants to explore Chinese culture, or a person who does not understand written Chinese very well (like me), this is still the book to read,for this is a book that can endure repeated reading such that one can inevitably find more and more traces of Cao Xueqin's ingenuity.

The attractions of this translation are numerous -- which is fortunate for a book that, in total, weigns in at 2500 pages. Most people will enjoy the stylish prose and exquisite interjections of poetry, but you is urged to read sample pages before investing the full measure of your time. While entertaining and quite appealing, this translatoin has its flaws -- and they have been pointed out by several native Chinese translators. The prose is here littered wtih Briticisms that seem almost anarchronistic at times. Xueqin's cultural and literary references, which profoundly enrich the book, are passed over without even a footnote (though the introduction is illuminating). The careful reader may even feel that they are missing the context and mood of the original book. If your interest in this masterpiece is for its fundamental merits -- storytelling, characterization, beauty of language -- then you will find this a pleasure, and you need look no further. If you wish a deeper sense of the Chinese mood of the work, then the four-volume translation may be more attractive.

This is the first volume of a 5 volume series, and does not stand alone. If you read it, and enjoy it, be prepared to read the other four volumes. The story is difficult to begin with, not for lack of interest, but because of the complexity of Chinese names for the western reader. The book is provided with a useful list of characters for each volume, and after referring to this during the first half of the first volume, all becomes clearer for the remainder of the book.

The story itself is a fascinating picture of life in 18th century China, and portrays the development of a young boy who has otherworldly origins. The western reader needs to view dispassionately the Buddhist theme which pervades the novel, but when read with an open mind, the philosophy underlying the novel is both charming and practical (in its own way).

I found the book addictive, though it has to be said that others of my acquaintance found it too difficult to cope with, and abandoned the story before the end of the first volume. If you persevere, it forms a wonderful introduction to classical Chinese literature, and those similarly addicted will find it leads into many other books of Chinese prose and poetry.

Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? Andrew K. Stone spells it out in "Disappearing into View." Empowered with the idiosyncrasies of human frailty Mr. Stone takes us to the seedy side of Boston and it's dark and secretive places where heinous transgressions occur against society as depicted by Mr. Stone.

Mr. Stone depicts a dark place where derelicts and criminals interact to perpetrate deception upon the unknowing public and his characters are so defined as to immediately identify the good from the evil.

He explores hidden secrets of families bringing to light the devastation resounding from a series of events too horrible for a young man to realize, let alone deal with. Who is to say what course of action one should follow when confronted with a catastronic event that turns a life upside down. Is there a right and wrong way to matriculate into society and become part of society?

Is there a special society that prevails among the homeless?

From reading Disappearing into View one learns that a brotherhood exists among the homeless and that each soul is responsible to one another for the events that surround them and their very survival depends on their unification.

Mr. Stone first gave us "All Flowers Die" a different story of friendships and human growth. In Disappearing into View he brings a enlightenment to defining a society not always at it's best, but a society nevertheless.

This story explored a part of life that I've never given much thought to: homelessness. The story centres around a boy who chooses to become homeless rather than deal with a painful event that happens to his family when he's a teenager. When the book begins, Birdy has been on the streets for 10 years and we know that his father is in jail, but that's all we really know. He becomes involved with an illegal enterprise that processes food and he discovers a whole layer to the homeless culture in Boston that he never knew existed.

This book is absolutely amazing. The language used to describe events is superb. Andrew Stone is a good writer and I hope that he writes many more books in the coming years.

Andrew K. Stone's second novel presents a much darker story line than his previous, All Flower's Die. The novel is set in Boston and features and individual whom makes an informed choice in becoming homeless. This gentleman had worshipped his father and when something horrible happens to him to shatter the myth of his hero, the main character disappears into the life of the homeless. The hook of the book is that he ends up being found by the plant supervisor of a "food service" company run by the local mob. Disappearing Into View is the well written account about the internal conflicts that we, in our comfortable lives rarely consider. Mr. Stone's sophomore effort is a real winner and his future work should continue on the fast lane of success.

Shamus winner S. J. Rozan tries something new: setting a book in upstate New York instead of New York City. The city was such a strong presence in the earlier books that I was afraid this one would be weaker, but it's a great read: atmospheric, dark and moving. Good plot, good characters, too. BTW, it's a Bill Smith book, so Lydia Chin fans, wait your turn.

Stone Quarry is one of S.J. Rozan's best books yet. The feel for the landscape, both natural and social, is particularly strong. The isolated rural county where the novel takes place really comes to life. The story grips you by the neck and propels you forward, and keeps you guessing until the unexpected but convincing end. In its twists and turns, the plot put me in mind of The Big Sleep. The narrator, Bill Smith, is a complicated, private person, and we learn a little more in this book about what makes him tick. Some interesting changes in the relationship between Bill and his partner, Lydia Chin-- Rozan handles this with a skillful, subtle touch. Another strong character is Jimmy Antonelli, a working-class kid in deep trouble who Bill has helped out before. Jimmy reminds me of some guys I've known-- a bundle of bravado and contradictions, caught between wanting to do the right thing, and internal and external pressures that push him in the wrong direction. Rozan herself goes in exactly the right direction with this novel, a story that slowly builds to a fast and furious conclusion.

S.J. Rozan gets better with every book. I can't think of many writers with a more vivid sense of place: whether it's the kitchen of a dim sum palace in Chinatown, or a roadhouse in upstate New York, the settings of Rozan's novels, like her protagonists, are engaging and original. Bill Smith and Lydia Chin are rarities in the mystery genre: heroes with evolving inner lives, moral conflicts, and intelligent and humorous voices. Stone Quarry is Rozan at her best: it is wonderfully written and impossible to put down.

This is the third Indy book I've read so far, and it is by far the best. The opening sequence is a thrilling introduction to the novel, and the addition of the crystal skull to the plot is a great bonus. At first I was disapointed by the world of Indy novels, finding Rob MacGregor's books a bit bland. Now that I have read McCoy's work, though, my faith has been restored. Keep 'em coming!

This was the first Indy novel that I've read out of two. This book was awsome, all of the action, romance, and suspence were pretty much balanced out equaly. I think that Max McCoy is the best Indy author based on my experience and what I have read by other people. I like how Max brings out the thoughts and feelings of Indy, it's as if he were standing write there in front of you! My favorite part wwas probably how Sarducci died. I was never expecting anything like it!

I could not believe how fabulous this book was! I was truly amazed! Max Mycoy is a FABULOUS author, and catches all the great aspects of Indy and even Marcus Brody and Sallah. I loved the character Alecia, she was the perfect character to go along with Indy. The villian, Sarducci, reminded me of a cross between Belloq and the man in black from Raiders, EVIL! Mycoy also was able to add that humor in parts where it wasn't expected, which made it seem as if Ford was jumping from the pages I really enjoyed this book, It's a hands down MUST buy! The Prolouge was SOOOOO amazing, that that alone will URGE you to read on, believe me...this book is AMAZING!

The book starts off promisingly with a review of the Blackpool show, but soon falls into a rather muddled writing style. The most disappointing part about this book is that Robb (someone who claims to be there when it happened) fails to interview any of the four Roses. Pretty much every quote is from a previous press interview. So we never really find out why Reni quit or what the band was doing between the two albums or the background behind the fractious recording of 'Second Coming'. Other than that, it's an interesting account of the band, but definitely written from a fan's perspective.

Although the style of this book is at times irritating, it's got to be said that Robb captures the mood of the late eighties perfectly, and does justice to just how important the Roses were in 1989. The most interesting aspect of the book is that it turns it into a pop tragedy of epic proportion, explaining how the Silvertone court case and their five years out basically destroyed the Roses beyond reasonable doubt.

With this valuable book I was able to get agrip on just where The Roses came from and what their music was about. I loved the way it was written with a real feel for music and Robb's style really captures the excitement of being in a band and the obviously great time in manchester of the late eighties...

As the former Acquisition Manager for the Hard Rock Cafe memorabilia department I found this book to be an invaluable resource time and again. I am still involved with the memo world as an online content specialist and use this book virtually everyday as I don't think anyone can remember everything verbatim no matter how involved they may be with music and/or it's history. The information contained in the RS encyclopedia offers a quick reference to chronological listing of each artists discography and the text usually supports that with info regarding more significant artist career movement. As always, no amount of information is ever too much and this volume at times does leave a little bit to be desired, but as a quick reference and informative overview guide it is definately commendable and it includes a greater number of artists than any other reference book I am familiar with . The only other book I find to be more useful with regard to specific chronological movement of an artist's career is entitled "Rock Movers and Shakers" by Dafydd Rees/Luke Crampton, 1991, it may be out of print but is still available second hand, however due to the degree of content on the artists included therein, it does not cover as great a degree of entries as does the RS Encyclopedia. Another good resource/review guide are Trouser Press Rock Publications. Individual biography/autobio offer the most detailed resource providing they are penned by a respectable source.

This is a book that belongs on every music lover's book shelf. It is the type of reference book that any rock lover would like so, you can be sure it will be appreciated if you give it as a gift. If you don't know what to get a friend for a gift, this is a sure bet. The book is comprehensive in that it has entries on even fairly obscure performers. You can look up just about anyone. Years ago, the Holy Modal Rounders were performing at my college and the band drifted into my dorm room where a few friends of mine and the band partied. Of course, I wanted to find out more about them and they were listed. Everyone, from the pioneers of rock 'n roll, to rock stars of the 90s are included in this book. No matter what era of rock and what rock style you are in to, the artists are sure to be incuded. Each band has a complete listing of personnel, so if there have been changes in the band, all personnel are listed and the dates of the changes are noted. I recommend this book to you and to your friends (for gifts).

I grew up on Rock & Roll and beach music in the Portsmouth/Virginia Beach area, went to many concerts listed in the book, saw many of the performers in person, from the R&R reviews in the late 50's to the big 2&3 day concerts at race tracks, like Rockingham Speedway, NC, in the 70's. I remember seeing The Beach Boys at a small high school football stadium in Virginia Beach, while sitting on wooden bleacher seats, with the bands performing on the football field. The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of R&R brought back many great memories, and fired up some that had been forgotten. However, I made a list, as I was reading the book, of those who seem to be missing from this edition. They include a variety of performers, such as: Robin Luke; Bill Deal and the Rhondells; The Swinging Medalions; Tommy Sands; Jimmie Rogers ("Kisses Sweeter Than Wine"); The Robbin Thompson Band; Ketty Lester; Bob Kuban and the In Men; and Lennis Guess. Each of these performers are played again and again on oldies stations, but were somehow left out of the book. While some may be considered "regional" performers, they all had hit records and deserve at least a mention in the next edition. Even more so than some of the English and African and European performers that no one here in America, much less, Virginia Beach, has ever heard of or even seen perform. I mean, why leave out Bill Deal and the Rhondells, the greatest band that ever played Virginia Beach in the 60's, and include Falco? Why was Robin Luke left out, but Manu Dibango included? Get my point!? I realize this book was not published just for the American reader, but, after all, did Cypress Hill really have a greater impact or contribution to R&R than Lennis Guess or Ketty Lester? I hope the next edition calls upon an editor who can really go back to the early days of R&R and include ALL of those true R&R performers who deserve the recognition given instead in this edition to the flash-in-the-pan performers, whose contribution to R&R is highly questionable. I look forward to the next edition, and in the meanwhile, my list of those whom I think should be included, who were left out by the "editors", will probably be longer and longer. But, aside from the omissions, I have had many hours of pleasure reading about the true poets of the 20th century, the stars of Rock and Roll!!

I take it Hiroshima Stones was adapted from the screenplay for the movie.
I say that because every line reads like visual action.
I let my teenage sons read the book (I felt they were old enough to handle it, as they know about sex and nukes already).
I was surprised by how quickly they absorbed the book. When they said they read it in a couple of hours I didn't believe them. But then I quizzed them on the various major plot points and characters and they instantly came back with very well-formed ideas about the book. I haven't seen them that into a reading experience since, I don't know- ever.
The fact that I, an older person, found the book so meaningful and they found it so exciting makes me want to encourage you to read it. I had not heard of the author before, so I was taking a chance, of which I am now very glad.

I like books that move fast, that make time go away as if you were watching a great movie. The Hiroshima Stones definitely did that for me.
The characters were totally vivid, I could see them in my mind. That's when you know you've got a winner.
The plot of this book is out of this world. I mean it really takes some twists and turns right out of the blue that you'd never expect.
I read it twice in two days.
Hiroshima Stones is going to make a killer movie.
I also liked the style of the book's design. I didn't expect the cover to be so nice and the size to be as big.
I think you're really going to like the book.
By the way, it's really like two books in one.
There's the first half, that reads with the plot of the love story, then the 2nd half that totally takes you by surprise cause it's set on a different continent.
Then the 3rd part at the end of the book is cool because there's so much research and documentationfor the stuff in the book you thought couldn't have possibly been true, but was.
I know I'm being a little vague cause I don't want to give away any secrets or spoil the ending for you.
Read on!

I received an advance review copy of Hiroshima Stones and was utterly blown away (no pun intended) by the combination of the depth of research and the depth of the human emotion. Very tastefuly done, not gory or profane, yet powerful and honest, not sidestepping issues of violence, sex, and drug use. The Author has a brisk, vibrant writing style that sweeps you along like you're watching a movie. I felt that my time was respected; I was able to read the book quickly without being bogged down in needless details.
I have a much greater appreciation for the sufferings of all people who want peace in this warlike world. I suggest you read it.

I immensely enjoy time travel genre, and Mr. Steele Gray carries off the concept fairly plausibly. However, the book in general lacks rich descriptions of the prehistoric time into which the hero is stranded. Mark, the hero, never really encounters any serious danger through out the entire book, making the book rather unexciting. Compared to Diana Gabaldon's "Outlander", another time travel novel, "Survivor" was flat and uncomplicated.

Robert Steele Gray's "Survivor" was a fascinating and unusual read. Those seeking an intricately woven adventure novel--Clancy in prehistoric setting--will either set the book down halfway through or find themselves as transformed as the protagonist, having fallen in love with the pursuit of history that clearly motivates the author.

The fantastic premise, a lightening-induced return of a modern man to prehistoric times, is a rather bitter pill Gray must have us swallow in order to frame his modern perspective on pre-history. He does so quickly and painlessly at the beginning of the novel, thus betraying his true passion for the history which he endows with his real energy and skill.

A series of somewhat choppy bouts with disaster leave Mark, the time traveler, in a relationship with Um-See, his number two character. Here Gray skillfully begins to give his readers taste after taste of real prehistoric life. The caves of what would later be Arkansas provide an excellent (and of course, historically accurate!) setting both for details of Indian life and for interpersonal relationships.

It is in the relationship between Um-See and Mark that Gray most surprises us and most stretches his own writing skills. With a number of English words you can count on one hand, Um-See nonetheless becomes a warm and full character. Of course Gray uses the relationship to speculate on how communal life amidst the harsh environment of pre-history might have operated, but his efforts to do so are hardly stilted or forced. Mark's relationships with women--his first and second wife--are not so compelling, but luckily, these are neither central to the main story nor essential for the historical education the reader is receiving.

Technophiles like myself will enjoy speculating with Gray about the introduction of warfighting technology and tactics. The bow and arrow production and training are thoroughly enjoyable to read, and yet quite informative. The real depth is in the details. Gray answers the reader's every question from Mark's perspective. He paints in our mind a color photograph of subsistence, war, economy, politics, and perhaps appropriately to a lesser extent, love, in the lives of these prehistoric Indians.

Gray should be pictured as a historian who has turned to fiction to reach an impatient American public with the same material briefly covered in the first chapter of history books they didn't read in high school. His ruse worked. I'll forever see much more in the hills of Arkansas than dubious politicians; and I shall never again pass so quickly by the stale, ill-clad mannequins huddled around the painted campfire in the first room of the natural history museums. These people now have life, breath, and emotion; Gray has put it there.

Having recently enjoyed the movie "Castaway," I was a little skeptical that this book would be almost a rehash. Of this I was totally wrong. Mark Llewellyn, a middle age couch potato is thrust back in time about 1800 years. It takes him several days to realize this and he wanders around looking for a way back to civilization. It doesn't take long for he preservation instincts to kick in to the point where he is putting his hand in the carcass of dead animals to eat some of the innards.

He stays away from the people he encounters, fearing that any encounter would cost him his life. He finally meets an old man living on a mountainside. The old man allows him to stay but makes him do grueling work. They go on hunts together and little by little they get to trust each other. Though Mark is virtually useless in most things, he tries, with crude materials to introduce some of the later inventions to the old man.

The rest of the book is great too and I don't want to spoil it by giving away too much. When you get to the last twenty pages you wonder how the author will resolve everything with so few pages left, but he does a wonderful job of it.