Mr. Vaszily has crafted an incredibly powerful read that you will not want to put down until you've turned the last page. Trust me, no matter how difficult you might think it will be to relive those horrifying moments again, you will quickly come to realize how deeply your own soul craves some healing. The beautifully rendered hopes and reflections of Mr. Vaszily's characters allow each of us to come to terms with those tragic events by feeling, not merely thinking, our way through the emotional confusion it left behind. In so doing, I learned an enormous amount about myself as well as what really matters in life. No American will ever be the same after September 11, but Mr. Vaszily offers each of us the opportunity to heal a little and grow a great deal. This highly original effort and fitting memorial leaves its readers with those very things the terrorist acts were meant to destroy, a love of life in America and a strong affirmation of hope that happiness will forever remain within our grasp.

Mr. Vaszily has rendered a poignant homage to the victims
and heroes of the Tragedy of September 11, 2001. In his
touching, thoughtful, and sometimes humourous prose, he
reminds us all that behind the horrific images and sounds
that the world witnessed were people like you or me - people
with families, loves, fears, and dreams - people whose
lives and dreams were cut incomprehensibly short. This book
recalls the very human element of this tragic day, and
reminds us to look beyond the drudgery that everyday life
can present us with and to fiercely cherish that which
is truly dear to us.

In this book, the author examines the possible last thoughts of the victims of the Sept. 11th tragedy. In doing so, he helps those who were left to mourn the victims with a ray of hope. Many last thoughts could have been our own, were we faced with the reality of death. His book puts into perspective the things in life that are really important. I was reading this book and I was there, in New York, and it hit me really hard. It explained fear I've never known. But it also reminded me of what is really important in life. I hope like so many other things in the lives of Americans that Sept. 11th doesnt simply "blow over" That the people who were killed and the people still grieving and those of us left in the aftermath, will learn from our mistakes. Not mistakes about protecting our freedoms and airports from terrorism, but the mistakes of not living life and placing inferior priorities above love and time spent with family and experiencing life for all of the wonderful things it holds. Thank you Brian, Mr. Vaszily, for your healing words.

Having been a Stones fan for ever I was looking forward to reading this book, however at first I put it right back down again as the author's style was a bit hard to get into. Later when I picked it up and got through the Author Block on my behalf I found this to be a really well written insight into the the Stones and what went on around them. Having sampled first hand in some ways the lifestyles described in this book I found it bringing back memories good and bad of those times when I doubt if anyone really knew what was going.on.
This is really two books in one the history of the Stones and memories of hanging out with the Stones themselves.
A great book overall.
I hope that Stanley Booth is rewarded justly for the work he put into this book he deserves it, as do the Stones for the work they have done over the years.

Author Stanley Booth had the ultimate access to the Stones. He managed to get a contract for a book on the Band, found access, and convinced the Stones themselves to authorize his work as well as let him accompany them on the 69-70 tours, just before the infamous stuff of Altamont happened. By managing to last with the Stones, over time actually becoming one of the rare friends who could find and hang out with the Band members, he acquired an incredible store of tales, which he tells in a remarkably literary manner in this book. Using quotes from the likes of Norman Mailer, "Hambone," the Crystals, Cynthia Plastercaster (if you don't know about her, you really need to get this book), Booth clearly demonstrates his credentials as a serious author. The book benefits.....the best story of the writing of Satisfaction by the Holiday Inn pool in Clearwater is in here as are the tales of Mick and Keith's arrival at Altamont (not at all what you would suspect). All in all, this is one of the good ones and you can't go wrong by taking time to read it cover to cover.

Talk about a masterpiece; this is one! Stanley Booth was a struggling rock journalist who managed, through persistent effort and good timing, to land a regular slot on the 1969 "Let It Bleed" tour of the Rolling Stones across these United States. What was supposed to be a simple, intelligent chronicle of a rock band's work became a chilling time capsule of the end of an era, and possibly, of a dream as well, when the band's disastrous appearance at the Altamont concert rang down the curtain on the Sixties hippie dream of world peace and brotherhood. This is not just a book detailing the Stones' many misadventures with the law, with drugs, with reckless groupies and sycophants and promoters, as you might expect; nor it is simply a grisly blow-by-blow of the tragic events of that December night in the northern California wilderness, when a vicious pack of Hells' Angels stabbed a young concertgoer to death, literally a few feet from where Mick Jagger sang "Gimme Shelter" and "Sympathy for the Devil" as Keith Richards and the other Stones churned out those classic songs behind him. You will find those contents in here, but they are only a fraction of the treasures this book contains. (Booth freely admits that his womanizing during this tour cost him his marriage, and he is as unsparing in his critiques of the Stones, whom he truly loves, as he is towards his own failings.) You can almost see, hear, feel the chaos, the majesty, the confusion, and the power of the events he's describing; each character comes wonderfully to life, through his use of interwoven, somewhat kaleidoscopic scene changes, flashbacks and flash-forwards, stream of consciousness and grimly bare-boned narrative. Brilliant, hilarious, loathsome, mesmerizing, harrowing, glorious...many such adjectives could apply to the events and personalities depicted in this epic book of rock excess and human misadventure. I'd like to write another review, just so I could give it five more reviews - it's that good!

This book is beautifully designed and laid out. I have read dozens of books on the stones and most of the pictures in this book I'd never seen before, which makes it really special and worthwhile. Great rare photo's of Brian Jones. The text is "in their own words" mostly, and not too deep (much is taken from the interviews done in the excellent 25 x 5 video compilation). The richness of this book is the never seen before photo's and the sumptious design.

Allo Darling, This Is Jah Keef, I Must Recommend Life On The Road If Your A Stones Fan. This Is One Of The Most Beautiful Books Ever Done On The Stones. It Covers Every Tour From The Early Days At The Crawdaddy Club To The 75 Tour Of The Americas To 1997/1998's Bridges To Babylon Tour. The Photos In This Book Are The Real Stars, They Are Very Wonderful, From Pictures On Stage To Ones Off Stage, Just Lounging In The Voodoo Lounge To Relaxing On Tour. The Interviews Very Nicely Compliment The Photos And It Is Very Well Put Together, The Price For This Book Maybe A Bit Steep But This Is The Stones, It's Worth It, Plus One Glance At The Photos In This 400 Page Plus Book And You Will Know Why It's A Classic

Highly anticipated book on the World's Greatest Rock'n'Roll Band... left nothing to be wished for! Text and pictures show this is the work of a true insider, especially to the tour life and the back stage scene. I happen to own more than 200 books on the Stones, this one ranks among the best five, in the company of strictly limited, much higher priced British publications. Congratulations to both authors for their thorough but never indiscreet interviews with the crew and the band members themselves, and of course to all the talented (and lucky!) photographers! This book is a MUST for all Stones fans!

As a personal friend of both Bill & Barb, as well as several of the key players in this story, my original reason for purchasing this book was more as a token of friendship, than anything else. Although I have been a test-diver and active user of the rebreather technology it describes since 1994, I'd never had much of an interest in exploring caves. I had expected to skim through the pages, read a few paragraphs here and there, then add it to my bookshelf alongside other books of a similar vein. Boy, was I in for a surprise!

Even though I already knew most of the details of the expedition, and knew full-well in advanced how the story begins, develops, and ends...I was nevertheless held captive by it from the time I opened its cover and began reading, until I completed its last page. The motivation behind cave exploration never seemed to make much sense to me before, but now it all seems crystal clear. This is TRUE exploration at its most extreme -- something often boasted about, but seldom genuinely so. This one is as genuine as it gets.

Because it would be easy to discount my endorsement as merely a kind gesture to my friends, I leave you to make your own interpretations based on the comments of other reviewers having less direct associations with the authors and expedition participants. However, as somewhat of an insider, I would like to take this opportunity to vouch for the authenticity of the events as they are described. I have had many long (multi-hour) discussions with Bill, Barb, and Noel Sloan about what happened during this expedition, and have also had conversations with Kenny Broad and Jim Brown, as well as a number of other people directly associated with the events described in the book. Most of these discussions took place very soon after the expedition ended, when memories and emotions were still fresh. It's also fair to say that I have as intimate an understanding of the inner workings of these particular rebreathers and how to use them as just about anyone else. Thus, it is not without some measure of validation when I say that I was extraordinarily impressed with how precisely the details of these events as described in the book coincide with the facts as explained to me by many and varied sources.

The Authors' Note confesses to reconstructed dialog (which is understandable, as memories begin to fade), but it also correctly defends its fairness in describing those portions where memories and interpretations do not coincide in every detail. Virtually all such details are trivial in the context of the broader story - the most significant events of which are not in dispute by anyone, to my knowledge.

Each and every participant on this expedition - whether I know them personally or not - has earned my highest respect and admiration. This book has impacted my perception of cave exploration much more so than I had ever expected it to. For those who decide to read it (and I doubt you will regret such a decision), you should do so with the realization that these are very real, flesh & blood people, embroiled in a very real and harrowing situation. I am confident that they will earn your respect as admiration as well.

It was hard to put this book down once the caving and diving actually got going. Being a keen scuba diver I thought I would only be interested in the extreme diving and the trial of the newly-invented rebreather but actually found all aspects of the adventure extremely interesting. The writing flowed very well and gave me a feeling of being there, alone in the cave/diving etc. The pictures certainly helped show the beauty and mystery of the Huatla (excuse spelling) Cave System. It must have been awesome standing alongside the underground waterfall where no other person had ever stood!

This book is a story about human endurance and the will to go on despite devastating setbacks (such as the death of one of your party members!) and the psychological affects this has on the different personalities involved. It is hard for us common-folk to understand why people would push themselves to the limit like that but this book definitely allows us to empathise with those that do, by describing, in detail, the bounty that awaits. Regardless of the bounty, I think I'll stick to openwater reef and wreck diving!

I HIGHLY recommend this book.

At one time I was a skinnier human being and I occasionally went caving. I never learned to use equipment for vertical caving and I only went through one sump [or 'near sump' as the book would describe it] in all my years of caving. But I can tell you that being underground was one of the biggest thrills of my life, especially when it appeared that I might be entering virgin cave. Beyond The Deep by William Stone and Barbara am Ende with Monte Paulsen should convey the trials and thrills involved with caving to anyone who reads it. Beyond The Deep is an evenhanded book, addressing the concerns of all of the people involved with the 1994 effort to push the Huatla Cave System to it's deepest. I am especially glad that it doesn't suffer from the blaming I found in the book No Apparent Danger. If you like a good adventure [even if you're claustrophobic], I highly recommend Beyond The Deep.

Nina Kiriki Hoffman has succeeded in creating a fantasy world just around the corner from our own,a world that draws on the unique qualities of the American continent.She doesn't use elves, or faeries, or any "imported" european style myths, but creates her own unique "Powers and Presences". A landscape just like our own until you scratch the surface. Briefly, the story is about a young man, almosts an adult, dealing with new-found talents, people (and others) which do and don't like him because of those talents, and the major issue of dealing with parental abandonment and just plain growing up. Because this book, and her previous "The Thread that Binds the Bones" are so unique and special I recommend this book highly (and anything else by Ms. Hoffman).

A book in the world of _The Thread that Binds the Bones_ (see inotherworlds.com), but unrelated to the earlier book, this fantasy set in our world has Hoffman's characteristic magic, familiar and original at once. It also has the hallmarks of warmth, pleasure, and very human villains. Combined with romance, murky parentage, strange friendships and various non-human beings, this pleasant melange manages coherency and tight focus, and leaves the reader with a feeling of satisfaction and wonder.

"The Silent Strength of Stones" is a wonderful book. Hoffman builds her own world that looks exactly like our own, except for those strange people with the mysterious (sometimes even to them!) powers. There's only one thing that made this a less-than-phenominal experience for me: I'd already ready "The Thread That Binds The Bones", Hoffman's first novel. "Thread" makes this book seem anemic! The two are loosely connected, since Hoffman scatters clues (names and pieces of her Ilmonish vocabulary) that Willow, Evan and their strange family are related to the main characters of "Thread". Since "Thread" is, sadly, out of print and hard to find, "The Silent Strength of Stones" will have to suffice for people new to Hoffman's work. Even a book that is, in my opinion, her second best, is still head and shoulders above the work of most other fantasy writers. This is a book that will carry you along, envelope you in its world and characters, and leave you begging for more of Ms. Hoffman brilliant writing.

STONE JUNCTION is one of those books where you never know what is going to happen next. It's best to read it without knowing anything about it beforehand so you can charge through it wildly, marveling at this author's vivid imagination. The story takes a mother, her son, and a group of diverse characters all over the US on an outrageous scheme. It is described as an alchemical potboiler, which it clearly is, so expect magical and inexplicable events. I found this book in London where one of the staff from the bookstore had recommended it. I'm so glad!

Jim Dodge spins a master American tale that starts with the warning..."This book is fiction, believe otherwise at you own peril." By the time your done you'll be searching high and low for any evidence of existence of the "AMO"(Alliance of Magicians and Outlaws). This is the path of a young boy raised by the aforementioned underground "alliance". As he spends time with various members of the AMO, he learns and masters that person's special skill or quality; the characters that are developed are so real and fascinating, you hate to close the book; The ending is from left field, but who cares; the time spent getting there was so phenominal that it doesn't effect the overalll rating of the book one smidge.

There are few more enjoyable pleasures in this world than being caught completely off-guard by a novel. I picked up STONE JUNCTION at a discount book sale, drawn in by the jacket, and the price. I began reading it with absolutely no preconceived notions as to its content, or worth.

By the end of the story, I knew that this was my favorite novel of all time.

It's the story of Daniel Pearce, an orphaned youngster who is brought under the guidance of some of the most off-kilter and bizarre people imaginable. While this may reek of HARRY POTTER, this is most assuredly a story for adults.

STONE JUNCTION is about the world behind the world, the people we sledom get to know. It is a world of crime, and conspiracies, and greed, and love, and magic. That author Jim Dodge holds it all together is a fine feat in and of itself, but he does more than that; he makes the reader yearn for this life. Although (in my edition) he states emphatically that the novel is a work of fiction ("Believe otherwise at your peril"), Dodge's world is so well-defined that it's difficult not to wish it existed.

The novel also has that one remaining aspect that so many novels, even the truly great ones, lack; it left me wanting more.

I'm also prejudiced as I'm a very strong and longtime Stones fan, e.g. I've got all the new SACD albums and have seen them 6 times on the 2002 US tour! This book is a superb summary of both their off and on stage escapades with lots of details too. Designed as a high end coffee book it is more than its 2,000 photos, 45 two page tour spreads (yes - each tour and every date is listed up to 1993 - when Bill Wyman had left). Plus their are lots of quotes from many who were there and so much more! It literaly starts with where they were born and goes on from there. Definitely easy to dip in to, say for your favorite album or tour, or to read through in one very long sitting. Highly recommended. Enjoy!

Once again, DK Publishing raises the bar, forever influencing the way the best pop culture biographies will be handled by the rest of the book industry. This time, the noted non-fiction publisher applies its unique visual encyclopedia approach to a bigger-than-life biographical subject, The Rolling Stones, making all previous celebrity bios pale by comparison. As such, this sophisticated coffee table production -- "Rolling With The Stones," written by none other than former Rolling Stone bassist Bill Wyman himself, with the help of his "Bill Wyman's Blues Odyssey" partner, Richard Havers and a staff of DK editors -- is a thoroughly engaging insider story of the world's legendary bad-boy rock and roll band. Judging the book by its cover, one might mistakenly suspect it's a common as-told-to remembrance. To the contrary, the hefty book is a virtual mini-museum providing everything anyone could possibly want to know about the band, its history, its inspiration and its affect on cultural and social history. Drawing from his massive personal collection of Stones memorabilia, Wyman provides hundreds of one-of-a-kind artifacts, personal photos, and entries from decades of daily journals that he began writing as a child. There are more than 3,000 images here in all, amid hundreds of press clippings, set lists, quotations by Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, Brian Jones, Mick Taylor and Ronnie Wood, as well as their famous peers, political pundits and journalists. Wyman's personal account links the historical analysis, anecdotes and images, as if he's personally guiding readers through a scholarly scrapbook of sorts.

I was interested when I found out Bill Wyman was doing another book on the history of the "Greatest Rock And Roll Band in the World." His first book "Stone Alone" is one the better books I have read on the history of the band. Unfortunately that book ends at the start of the 1970s. Wyman's new book "Rolling with the Stones" follows the exploits of the band through his entire tenure with the band. Fanatics will enjoy the many pictures of memorabilia from Wyman's own collection. There are a number of rare photographs including some from when the band members were only kids. Other interesting items include many magazine covers and articles, tour posters, and pictures of rare import single sleeves. Album and single releases include track listings, chart positions and information about the original versions of songs the Stones covered. A general set list of songs played on each tour is included as well as list of tour dates and opening acts for each tour. Wyman makes the book a good read by spicing the book with quotes and stories from fans, friends, family, other fellow musicians and the Stones themselves. Many of the quotes and stories pertain to the memorabilia and photos included in the book. Another great aspect of the book is that since Bill Wyman was involved that book does not focus almost entirely on Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Brian Jones. The pictures are divided up more evenly among the band members including Ian Stewart. The book is essential to anyone with more than just a passing interest in the Rolling Stones. It was well worth the price especially since I got it on sale.

After reading Hikaru Okuizumi's The Stones Cry Out, I wondered if I was supposed to understand it as slice-of-life fiction, a cautionary fable about the lasting horrors of war, or something else entirely. The fable-like feel of The Stones Cry Out results because Manase, the story's protagonist, never fully reenters the world after his experience near the end of World War II. His devotion to rock collecting keeps him emotionally tied to the cave in the Philippines where, as a soldier, he first learned about stones. Because this cave continually reappears in the book, The Stones Cry Out also reminded me of a painting, a tableau of rocks, caves, and death, where the characters are trapped in single setting, at a single point of time.

This profoundly beautiful, horrifying and seamless novella begins in the darkness of an island cave at the end of World War II and ends fewer than 200 pages later in a final paroxysm of tragedy.

The novel takes its title from the New Testament book of Luke: "Be answered, I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out." It is the memory embedded in the stones that preoccupies Tsuyoshi Manase, the book's protagonist.

As a war veteran, Manase has seen suffering beyond what any imagination could conjure, including prolonged hiding from the enemy in a cave where he is plagued by hunger, thirst, disease and rotting corpses. It is a dying Lance Corporal, however, who becomes the catalyst that will change Manase's life forever as he speaks to Manase about his own love of geology.

After the war, Manase, himself, becomes fascinated with geology and spends increasing amounts of time gathering stones allowing his business, his marriage and his children to recede in importance beside his mounting obsession. The symbolism of the stones, and the way they carry Manase's particular memories, as well as the memories of the universe itself, is woven into the narrative in such a way that any reader would be hard-pressed to forget.

As this harrowing story weaves its way expertly in and out of Manase's memories, reality and hallucination intertwine until finally, the real world, Manase's sanity and even his own innocence regarding a ghastly crime begin to weaken and implode. The two time periods, past and present, are so skillfully and artfully intertwined that one has to wonder if Manase's entire life is really nothing more than an illusion in the cave.

Manase, we come to see, is battling an immense, but nebulous, evil, an evil of which he may be the victim or he may be the perpetrator.

Okuizumi renders this profound tale of terror and beauty in the most subtle and delicate prose style, much like an exquisite painting on a grain of rice. The result is that Manase's nightmarish past becomes all the more real and horrifying.

A surrealistic tragedy of one man's passions, fears and delusions, this book, although short, is extremely complex, much like the classical Japanese novels of Yasunari Kawabata. And the horror of Manase's story is only magnified by the exquisite quietness of its telling.

This novel is a well-crafted study of the effect of war on a young soldier Manase and the secondary effect on his family. At the point that the focus changes to that of the second son, the reader may, for a short while, wonder if Okuizumi has drifted from the otherwise tight structure; rest assured that he has not.

The first section of the book narrates the events of World War II that plague Manase - time in a cave with sick and dying comrades who dreamed of one last chance to die in battle while killing the dying to decrease the need for food an water. One of the dying spoke to Manase of rocks - rocks containing the history of the world.

The second section narrates Manase's obsession with rocks, his emotional distance from his family, his outward success and inward failure - all under the cloud of nightmares of the cave. When tragedy comes, the surface normality of his family life collapses.

The final section narrates the story second son, the son raised by his aunt. The son's fate becomes the vehicle through which Manase is forced to remember that part of the history of the cave that was sublimated. As part of that remembrance, he is forced to reevaluate the destruction of his family.

That the author tells the story in such quiet and compact a manner adds to the impact of the book. Add this to your must read list.

Katrina Clancy October 24, 2002

The Seeing Stone, Kevin Crossley~Holland, 0-439-43524-2

Having your wrist cut of for stealing doesn't seem fair. But for Arthur de Caldicot it is part of growing up in his country manor in England, 1199. This realistic fiction novel takes Arthur on an adventure as he tries to unlock his future, past, and present through a gift given to him by his dear friend Merlin.

The Seeing Stone was a roller coaster of emotions until the very end. Felling sympathy for the characters and also hate towards some. You can't be afraid of terrible things happening because this book is just like normal life. This book is also an extremely interesting book because the genre is realistic fiction. This genre seems to appeal to a lot of people because it allows you to use your imagination all the time. This story basically takes you on the ups and downs of the life of a family who lives on a manor and all their occupants. You won't want to put it down and you won't want to stop reading. While reading this book your understanding of how life was during the middle ages will increase but also the respect you had for people who lived during that time.

The Seeing Stone held my attention until the very last page but I wouldn't recommend it to people who don't really enjoy this genre because it would seem confusing at some points for them. It's also important to remember that life was very different for the characters of this book and they did undergo strong emotional a physical changes. The Seeing Stone is a thought provoking book and anyone who reads it should be proud of their newly acquired skill because this book was not that easy to understand at first. Most people will be drawn in quickly however, because it is really easy to connect with the main character and his life problems as a person in general. I personally loved this book and look forward to reading this sequel. The story is amazing, it holds you to the last page, and I can confidently say that Kevin Crossley~Holland is a terrific author.

Magical Arthur Stone

The Seeing Stone by Kevin Crossley- Holland is a magnificent book providing numerous details about King Arthur. It takes place during the crusades and displays many characters plus it has a good plot behind it. Arthur De Caldicot is 13 and is named after King Arthur. Merlin, who is Arthur's father's friend, gives Arthur a black stone called obsidian. The stone starts to tell stories about King Arthur that is Arthur De Caldicot's namesake. When Arthur first received the stone, he does not know what it means and is very confused.
The stone plays an important part. Only Arthur can see stories in it though. The stone has a mind of its own and is mysteriously unusual. Sometimes the obsidian shows smoke and other weird thoughts and pictures inside it at different times. When Arthur is confused about his stone he tries to ask Merlin what everything but Merlin can't tell anything. Arthur has to figure it out his self. In one point in the book he sees his good friend Gatty in the stone. All through the book Arthur tries to figure out what the stone means to him. Merlin is the only person who knows about the stone. Arthur can't tell anyone though or else the magic doesn't work. Arthur has the only power in his warm palm to see the King Arthur stories.
I would highly recommend this book for a fun read and to people ages 12+. Although it contains violence sometimes it still is an incredible book. The book goes by in a snap. It is also easy to understand.

The novel The Seeing Stone (Arthur Trilogy, Book One)
by Kevin Crossley-Holland was one of the most amazing that I have ever read. Just recently I read the harry potter series and since then have been waiting for another series of its quality and detail to come out, and this book completely went up to and over the level that harry potter was written at. If you like history, adventure, or even love in an novel, do yoursel a favor and buy this book. You will be extremely happy with this purchase.

I first read O.R. Melling when I was 10 years old, and she's STILL my favorite author! The Singing Stone was probably the best one. Ever since I read "The Hunter's Moon" I've been in love with Irish mythology. The Singing Stone does a great job at re-creating the time period of the Tuatha de Dannan, a subject rarely (or never!) covered in ya novels! All in all it was a GREAT read!

This book was absoutley amazing and probably the best book I have ever read. I really could not put it down. We read it in our English class and I am sure that everyone was truly moved by it. Ms. Melling is a wonderful writer and a wish there was a sequel, because I cried at the end when I turned to the last page and realized it was over. I just didn't want it to end. Everyone should read this book-it's great. And thank-you Ms. Melling for writing such a great story.

I thought the book was brilliant with really interesting carachters and a really satisfying ending. I only wish O. Melling could write Kay and Aherne into another book...