Although I didn't like this one as much as Harum Scarum, it was still pretty fabulous. I found these books in a comic store and bought them on a whim (I go into comic stores about once every five years, and usually don't buy anything). They were every bit as satisfying as Tintin or Asterix were when I was twelve! Only better. These books are silly, funny, raunchy, and impossible to describe. The characters are wonderfully fallible, and the plots are totally off-the-wall, without being impossibly surreal.

In the Hoodoodad, you're never sure if there really IS a curse on the cool rock that they find. The guy who finds it is convinced, but it's not until the story takes a few twists that you really believe him. And of course his friends are no help; they're too busy being rude to each other in that laddish, fin de siecle slacker sort of way. It's hilarious.

Lewis Trondheim renews European comic book tradition, mixing animal-like characters such as Walt Disney's, English humor and French-Belgian style. In this album, the famous rabbit McConey faces a strange spelled rock. He and his friends run from one problem to another, but never lose their sense of humor. They'll meet amazing people such as Wilfried, the painter who don't want his pictures to be seen (he wouldn't be reincarnated as long as someone remembers him), the crazy director of the Museum and an all-around magician (voodoo, African wizard, Shaman, astrologist - you name it !) Most funny and witty indeed ! - No sex, no violence, no explicit text, but I wouldn't call it a book for children anyway : their parents may like it more than they would. And what's exciting is that Lewis Trondheim has got many other comic books waiting for a translation !

"Imperial Knowledge" is a seminal study of the role played by Russian writers (e.g., Pushkin, Tolstoy, Dostoevskii, Solzhenitzyn, Rasputin) in the service of Russian colonialism. Thompson shows that the benign image presented in Russian fiction has been internalized in Western scholarship and public opinion, obscuring the true nature of Russian imperialism. This ground-breaking book is bound to change the discourse on Russian literature and Russian imperial posture. "Imperial Knowledge" is a required reading for historians and students of Russian literature.

This is the best book on Russian literature I have read in years. It shows a neglected dimension of Russia's literature, a dimension extraordinarily rich in meaning. The book is well written and, even though it is impeccably scholarly, it compels one to read it at one sitting. This splendid study is must reading for anyone interested in understanding the sources of Russia's current troubles. I would recommend it to academic readers as well as to nonacademic lovers of Russian literature.

This was one of the most inventive and entertaining romances I have read in ages. I almost dropped this book in the tub the heat between the hero and heroine was sooo hot. Then, waiting to see what happened in the end kept me reading half the night. A perfect resolution to a delightful tale - you will love it.

I hope Thompson keeps her wonderful romances coming, because I have read every one and can't wait for more!

Loreen Matland has a plan. In order to raise enough money toget them away from Miller's Passing, she and her younger siblings needhelp. So she places and ad for a husband in the Ft. Worth paper, with the terms being he helps her raise enough money to go back east, and he gets the farm. But he can't be good-looking. She'd had her fill of the distrustful schemes good-looking men employed. When Jake Winslow takes her up on her offer, she goes against her better judgement and agrees to the marriage out of desperation.

Jake Winslow had expected more of a place when he answered the woman's ad, and he darn sure never expected a built -in family. Ready to ride on, he changes his mind when confronted with the enormity of challenges facing this beautiful, determined woman who was definitely more than met the eye. Besides, he needed to disappear, and this wide spot in the road was a seemingly easy place to do so. He would fulfill his part of the bargain, and once the Matlands moved out, he'd continue his plan to live a solitary life.

Neither Loreen nor Jake counts on falling in love. But as their feelings grow, each feels trapped tighter in their respective pasts. Both wonder if second chances are possible. Would their love survive once truths are revealed?

This story is heartwarming. The characters are vivid, and their growth is seen readily throughout the novel. At first the reader is led to believe Loreen is too soft on her brother, but as the story progresses she handles him well as her confidence grows. The subtle parallel brought forth in the plot between Loreen and a creature that comes into their care that has been mistreated is handled deftly. Jake's courage is to be admired, besides, he sounds scrumptious! END

Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm were a blend of frustration, depression, anxiety and adrenaline rushes. Phillip Thompson captures, with stellar accuracy, the build-up to and conduct of the Persian Gulf War. The reader sees through his eyes how a company grade Marine Corps officer faced family separation, debated the "politicalness" of this conflict, and ultimately served with distinction and courage on the frontlines. The reader can feel the heat of the 120-degree desert, smell the smoke of the burning oil fires and sense the frustration of waiting interminably for the war to begin. This book captured the essence of "my" war better than any other that I've read.

War may be hell, but waiting for it in a sweltering dockside warehouse or in the mosquito-infested desert is its own form of infernal torment. Thompson, who was among the first U.S. troops sent to protect the Saudi border after Iraq's August 1990 invasion of Kuwait, vividly describes the confusion, ennui, anger, fear, and occasional satisfactions of a Marine artillery captain caught up in the biggest military campaign since Vietnam. Mixing extensive quotes from his field journals with passages written with a decade's hindsight, Thompson puts the reader into the world of a combat soldier, a universe that shrinks at times to what can be seen with the eyes, heard through the rumor mill, or evoked by letters from home. Here, too, are tales of the fog of war: orders made and countermanded, improvisations brilliant and foolhardy. No one with a historical interest in the Marine Corps' Persian Gulf operations or a personal one in its troops should miss this book.

There have been a number of helpful New Testament introductions written for the Evangelical community, including the older volume by Guthrie and the newer work by Carson, Moo and Morris. And there have been many fine NT theologies as well. Volumes by Ladd, Caird and Guthrie, among others, have served the Evangelical community well.

This new volume offers a bit of both worlds: introductory matters, as well as theological concerns. Written for students and lay people, it will serve as a good intermediary text. Advanced students may find it wanting in areas, but it does offer, if in brief form, some of the latest scholarship on the NT.

The three authors all teach interpretation at American seminaries. They have all produced a number of outstanding works on aspects of the NT. Green for example has authored the well received New International Commentary on Luke; Meye Thompson wrote on 1-3 John for the IVP New Testament Commentary Series, and Achtemeier did the Hermeneia commentary on 1 Peter.

This volume is especially good on Jesus and the Gospels. Indeed, along with sections on introductory matters and Acts, it takes up the first half of the book. The remainder of the book offers brief chapters on the other 22 books of the New testament. Each chapter concludes with a short bibliography of recent works, usually half of which are commentaries.

The chapters highlight the usual concerns: matters of authorship and historical setting, theological themes and literary issues. Photos, maps and supplementary text blocks all contribute to a highly usable and informative volume.

The study is neither too technical nor too detailed to be lost on a lay person or beginning student. Yet it is scholarly and up-to-date enough to be of use to more advanced students as well. As with all theological works, there will be some areas of disagreement.

For example, since none of the three authors comes from a Reformed perspective (not that they need to), there are areas in which one might beg to differ. Perhaps the most obvious example of this arises in the chapter on Romans. One passage in which quite a lot of ink has been spilled is Romans 7 and the identity of the "I" who struggles with sin.

While a number of options present themselves, many argue that Paul is describing his own experience as a believer (and by implication that of all other believers). Pick up any 10 good commentaries on Romans, and perhaps as many as half will argue this position Yet in this volume the authors simply dismiss such an interpretation as "impossible".

One would have thought that careful scholars such as Cranfield, Murray, and Dunn, for example, would not embark upon such impossible hermeneutical assignments!

But leaving aside the occasional theological quibble, this volume well serves its purpose as an introductory text on basic NT matters. Others may go into more background detail (such as the volume by Carson, Moo and Morris, or more fully examine the theological or literary aspects (Ladd, or Caird - in addition to his NT Theology, see his invaluable Language and Imagery of the Bible), but this volume will fill a niche and should enjoy a long run with students of the NT.

This book is a bible student's dream come true. It is written in an engaging manner. The scholarship is superb. The book's structure, theological content, and balanced treatment, make it a valuable resource for New Testament Study. At a time when there is a proliferation of books and monographs on biblical subjects, Achtemeier, Green, and Thompson, produce a jewel for the serious student of scripture. This book is destined to become an instant classic.

This book has to be my favourite book of all time! It blends the Dublins theatre world with steamy characters you'll find it hard not to fall in love with. You want to be there living the action with them and even swapping places with them, wishing you were Diedrie O'Dare and that you had her man!! A fantastic book which I've read about 6 times now - it never ages!!

This book is fantastic. Once I picked it up I couldn't put it down. It relays the Dublin culture scene vividly and the characters pop off the page and come to life before your very eyes. I felt attached to them. I laughed with them and cried for them. It was amazing. The story line is humorous and surprisingly true. I loved it from cover to cover and recommend it highly!

If you saw me on the street you wouldn't think of me as a fan of westerns. A 14 year old wearing a Bush t-shirt is not the type of kid that even usually likes to pick up a book. But David Thompson is one of the most captivating writers I have ever had the opportunity to read. My grandfather let me borrow "Wilderness: Spanish Slaughter" and I immediatly became a fan. I have since read quite a bit of the series, with these two titles being two of my favorites. I have yet to read a bad Thompson book, but these are great!

THE BEST ONE OF THE COLLECTION

As the previous customer review notes, "Lark Rise to Candleford" fully details life in, alternately, an English hamlet (Lark Rise), a village and a town (Candleford) at the turn of the 20th C. And, as with the prior review, the book is invariably described as a fond recollection of a bygone, uncomplicated era. I value it, though, for the opposite reason, that by describing agricultural life of the last century so accurately and dispassionately, it unintentionally shows such life to be overwhelmingly impoverished, bare and humdrum. In several passages, the author Flora Thompson scolds herself for making the hamlet and village sound so unremittingly dull. Ironically, her protests only underscore the reality of daily existence. One of her most telling observations is about the rarity of drunkenness in Lark Rise, not, as one might infer, because of a higher moral standard, but because no one could afford more than a glass of beer at a sitting. At another point, she describes without editorial the death of noblesse oblige and the resulting hand-to-mouth poverty, unbroken by one-time manor-sponsored holidays and fetes, that accompanied the transition from tenant to wage farming in the latter half of the 19th century. The ultimate strength of this book for me, therefore, is its reminder that, for so many Western people, these really are the good, old days.

This trilogy was one I read many years ago and only returned to recently. On this reading it was an even better - recalling in detail a life which has totally gone now but has a wonder and joy in it which we can no longer experience. On having her fortune told - the main character was told she would be loved by people she had never met - for once astrology worked. An excellent piece of literature.

Anne Ford has written a remarkable book. This is tremendously helpful for all parents that have children with learning disabilities. Also, it is a great lesson that shows the rest of us to reach out to others with love, patience and dignity.

When a child is born, parents are filled with positive dreams for his or her future. These typically include success in school, supportive friends, good health and a life filled with joy. If the child were a painting, it would have bright colors, sharp focus, every detail in place. But that fairy-tale existence is just that --- a fable. We are imperfect, and so are children.

And then there are families that get an extra helping of imperfection. Instead of dreams, they get challenges which can either pull them together or fracture them. In Anne Ford's case the "perfect world" dream dissolved when she learned that her daughter Allegra had learning disabilities. While they were not visible to the naked eye, what was going on inside Allegra was impeding her development and her ability to learn. It's never easy to accept a dark, definitive verdict, especially when it concerns a small child. To her credit, Anne did. And then she became Allegra's advocate and cheerleader, as well as her mother.

Few books have moved me as much as LAUGHING ALLEGRA. While the story of our family is different from Anne's, I do know what happens when the picture gets blurred. What works about this book is that Anne writes this memoir with candor and feeling --- right from the heart. She captures the swirl of emotion that surrounds this diagnosis, the questions that every parent asks and the path through what is always uncharted territory, as each child is his or her own mosaic. At the same time, she offers concrete information that parents of learning-disabled children need. Most important of all: Anne Ford shows us, beat by beat, how she helped her daughter build a world in which she could laugh instead of cower, succeed instead of fail. She empowered Allegra and along the way empowered herself as well.

The book is by no means whitewashed with only upbeat anecdotes. In her writing you can feel the pain that filled many of these years, as well as the uncertainty. The book took four years to write and along the way Anne had to dredge up some feelings that readers will see are still raw. There is no quick patch when you have watched your child hurting; clearly, she ripped the bandages off to write this.

Often when people learn that things are not "perfect," there is a natural feeling of being overwhelmed with the unknown. For parents who have found themselves either on the cusp of the diagnosis, or grappling with its meaning, or even those who are further along the path and want to read how another family grew with this, I recommend LAUGHING ALLEGRA. I also recommend it for parents of so-called "normal children," who may want to understand rather than dismiss the schoolmate their child knows who is different, or special.

Anne's book stresses that this is a family issue as it affects the entire family. She was a single mother, but also had a son, Alessandro, whose role as Allegra's older brother took him on a journey that he also had not expected. The effect on him is spoken about with enough depth to ensure that readers realize that that all people in the family must grapple with the challenge.

One thing to note here. Allegra is now thirty and living independently. As I read I thought about the great strides that are being made every day in the diagnosis and treatment of learning disabilities. Anne and Allegra came to tackle many of the challenges without the tools that are now in place. This, as much of any of Anne's stories, can bring parents great hope.

The back of the book has appendices with list of resources and excellent guidelines on such topics as Questions Parents Ask, Mothers and Fathers Understanding Each Other and Your Legal Rights. They are as well-written as the rest of the book, and provide more nuts and bolts information.

I cannot recommend a book more highly than this. Halfway through I found myself making lists of people who would enjoy it. I encourage you to pick it up --- and then spread the word.

--- Reviewed by Carol Fitzgerald

When I think of all the time our management team has wasted with consultants and gurus, I know now that the first thing you should do is get a copy of this series for everyone who works for you and require them to listen to it. This is what leaders have done to win their people and customers in the words of the leaders themselves.

Listening to Dr. Rachel Remen is a life-changing experience. Most leaders suffer because they never fit in a mold, and now Dr. Remen finally tells us why. Thompson and Wilson have put together a remarkable series here, with wisdom from people who have succeeded in every imaginable part of the human experience. It's not just about leadership; it's about making a difference.