do yourself a favor and buy this on tape. listen to it while driving, or whatever, and your heart will dance!

This abridged edition of selected passages is well done. The readers express wonderful emotion. The translation is fresh and I was touched. This is a great supplemental resource for anyone who loves the Word of God. This tape left me wanting more! I recommend this audiotape highly.

The Story: The title refers to the name given to an enormous albino sperm whale who is being hunted by Captain Ahab, the ruthless, single-minded, driven master of a whaling ship. Ahab hunts Moby Dick because, in a previous hunt, Moby Dick amputated Ahab's leg in a failed attempt by Ahab to catch the white whale. The story is told in retrospect by a crewman, Ishmael, of the ship, who was a young, somewhat naive man at the time.

This is not a novel for everyone; it takes a patient and persistent reader to tackle the rich but complicated writing style of Melville, as well as the author's penchant for going off on detailed, descriptive tangents. However, the writing style almost becomes poetic at times, and symbolism and metaphor abound. The closest thing to Melville's style I've found amongst contemporary writers is Gene Wolfe ("The Book of the New Sun", "The Book of the Short Sun", "The Book of the Long Sun"). Wolfe also borrowed from Melville the device of telling the story from the viewpoint of young, naive observers, who report what they see with little bias or editorializing, which leaves the reader to interpret the story on his/her own. Melville drew a clear picture of life on a whaling vessel of that era.

To me, this story is a detailed and adventurous tale of obsession verging on insanity. Ahab is so focused on catching and killing Moby Dick that he loses sight of his own welfare and the welfare of his men. He never questions his own motives; he is out after revenge for losing his leg, as well as out to redress the insult of a simple beast not accepting the dominion of Man. Moby Dick's defiance of Mankind's superiority and sovereignty is seen as an outrage, a matter of honor for Captain Ahab to resolve. But, why did Moby Dick bite off Ahab's leg in the first place? Ahab sees it as an act of war by the whale, a refusal to bow down to the Master of the Earth (Mankind). Might it not just as easily be an animal naturally defending itself against a predator (Mankind) invading his (Moby Dick's) domain?

Jay Nussbaum wrote a book called "Blue Road to Atlantis" which is a gem of a story that retells Hemingway's "The Old Man and the Sea" from the fish's point of view. Mr. Nussbaum could make quite a story out of Moby Dick's point of view of this puny maniac who keeps harassing him and trying to kill him.

I'm still reading the book, but this version is quite helpful because in the back it has explanations for Melville's sometimes confusing allusions.

Very Well Done. Right to the point and specific. It got me right up to speed and on board.

This is a great up-to-date book about campaign finances in Illinois. Illinois is considered the "wild west" of campaign finance since we have fewer rules than almost any other state; basically anyone can give any amount of money to anyone else. This book covers the details, backed up by lots of research. Learn about the big players, like our four legislative leaders and the big interests who contribute the most. There are analyses of a few recent high-profile scandals like the licenses-for-bribes scandal. Also included are the author's realistic recommendations for campaign finance reform. I strongly recommend this book for anyone interested in learning more about Illinois campaign financing, or anyone interested in how politics works in Illinois. I found it easy to read and somewhat entertaining, and there are plenty of political contribution details in there if you want. The only thing I could think to add to it would be a more detailed guide to looking up this information yourself on the state's websites.

Kent Mattox had to have been inspired by God to write this book! It has so many messages of encouragement, and I have read it over and over and each time find something new that inspires me. I am fortunate that Kent Mattox is my pastor at Word Alive International Outreach in Oxford, Alabama and we thank God everyday for using him to bring God's word to so many.

Kent Mattox ministered at our church and I had to see what this book was about. Great encourager...interesting personal stories from the author. I used it as a study guide as well, Mr. Mattox cites scripture after scripture.

I cannot stress this enough. Its better than the first part, All Tied Up, since this author is concentrating on the stories of girl gear. This is one of the best Blaze novels I've read so far. Well, this one and Body Contact,31.

In ALL TIED UP, Macy Webb begins this adventuresome series with a scavenger hunt when she gathers the other partners of gIRL-gEAR and some male friends for "game night." Present are Chloe Zuniga and Eric Hayden, who teamed up for the scavenger hunt. Now Macy's scavenger hunt is having repercussions she never even imagined for Chloe and Eric.

In Chloe's experience, men "preferred their women on a pedestal, between the sheets, or three paces behind." But what she wants is a connection, a bond, a sense of completion, and, of course, great sex. Although she doesn't want a relationship with him, Eric does convey a hint of the sophisticated, cultured movie star finesse of her fantasies. He proved himself during the month they spent on the scavenger hunt, when Chloe and Eric shared meals, movies, and fun, not to mention one soul-stirring kiss. Although they've not spent time together since the conclusion of the scavenger hunt, Chloe turns to Eric. Her potty mouth and bad girl reputation has her in trouble with the partners of gIRL-gEAR, and Chloe needs Eric's help with her pro-active, career-saving strategy. She needs an escort.

A month of Chloe's company proved to Eric that she is simply covering her vulnerability with her big, bad attitude. Even though he does not envision a future with Chloe, he still does not appreciate her turning him down for dating. Now she needs an "escort" to official business functions. Eric does not want to become Chloe's arm candy, but if it gets him what he wants, he'll compromise. She needs a date to three major functions. In return he wants three dates - kind of like three wishes. Her only condition is that the possibility of sex out is of the equation. From a girl who's been through sixteen men since the beginning of the year, and it is only April, Eric demands a lot. He gives even more, and that scares the hell out of Chloe.

Once again Alison Kent presents a dynamic romance certain to curl readers' toes with NO STRINGS ATTACHED. Kent has a gift for bring her prose a sense of immediacy, with descriptions that keep the pulse racing. Chloe's calculated manipulations of the male species backfires in the most wonderful of ways when it comes to Eric. He's the only man who's ever managed to look beyond her sexy blond appearance to the brains, beyond her negative attitude, and still understand her desire for chivalry. Eric may not be Cary Grant, but he matches Chloe's passion, energy and stamina. This battle of the sexes will delight, tantalize and entertain with Kent's indomitable style. Delicious! Very highly recommended.

Kent Gramm's latest book, November, Lincoln's Elegy at Gettysburg, is a remarkable achievement. This work contains a profound series of meditations on history, loss, values, idealism, and patriotism, inspired by Gramm's sojourn, throughout the month of one November, in and around Gettysburg. Although his search for the exact spot where Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg address is the ostensible reason for his visit there, this quest - and his determination to reflect each day on what Lincoln had been doing on each day of November 1963 (leading up to and following the delivery of the address) - actually provide a touchstone for reflections both wide and deep on our country's history, and the standards to which we must hold ourselves. World War I, Vietnam, World War II, the Civil War, the assassination of JFK, the life of Robert Kennedy, Martin Luther and Martin Luther King, modernism and postmodernism, and the loss of beloved parents, all provide topics for thoughtful rumination. This book is profound, absorbing, inspiring, poetic, and deeply moving. It is a book you will want to revisit, and from which you will find yourself reading aloud to friends.

A few years ago I ran upon a book titled: "Gettysburg: A Meditation on War and Values" by Kent Gramm. Being a history teacher and Civil War enthusiast, I bought the book and devoured it. I use it as a guide on my annual trip to Gettysburg. I was always wondering when Mr. Gramm would publish a new book. Well, the wait is over. "November" picks up where "Gettysburg" left off. This book is excellent for students of the Civil War and general history enthusiasts alike. Mr. Gramm uses Lincoln's Gettysburg Address and the month of November as a starting point for his interpretations of several key events in history, both in America and in the world. Included in his analysis are JFK's assasination, the death of C.S. Lewis, the Holocaust, RFK's impact on America, and the Vietnam War. Mr. Gramm also traces his family history and writes eloquetly about how his ancestry fits into the larger canvas of American history. Using Lincoln's famous words, Mr. Gramm paints a portrait of the deeper meanings of our identity as Americans, our history, and our place in the world. This is not a work of history in the tradition of batte narratives or campaign overviews. Rather, it is a moving, deep and touching look at the heartbeat and soul of the America that Lincoln spoke about in November 1863 and how it applies to us in the 21st century. As you read this excellent book, you will be reminded of Lincoln's gift of eloquence. The month of November has witnessed numerous key events in the history of America and the world. Thanks to Mr. Gramm and his magnificent book, these events have taken on a deeper, more spirtiual meaning to me. I recommend this book without hesitation or reservation.

"Raindrops had frozen from branches, like suspended motion. The day is suspended too, between winter and spring." Pg. 144

There are rare and beautiful books and this is one of them. The author moves from a deep winter of the soul to a spring where she can again appreciate life, the love of family and the feeling of just being alive.

Through the pain of her loss, Carolyn Kent Bailey learns that even the Tulips come back into bloom after a long winter. That in the spring, there is renewal and hope.

When Carolyn decides to undergo a hysterectomy she never imagines what will occur months and even years down the road. She has no idea how depressed she will feel or how she will have to cling to every shred of happiness just to make it through another day.

Through writing in a journal, taking action to heal herself through her own research and by surrounding herself with loving friends and family, Carolyn survives. As the years go by, she heals. Not just physically, but emotionally.

This book is in itself, very healing. It is a journey into the most secret thoughts of a woman who has had a total abdominal hysterectomy. She is blunt in her honesty and yet even as you are crying along with her, you start laughing moments later. I felt emotional when reading the first page. I think she captured my heart in one sentence and from there I went on an emotional roller coaster throughout the entire book. Laughing at the uniqueness and genuine wit of the frivolous moments and empathizing and contemplating the emotional upheaval, the panic attacks, the depression.

Even in her emotional pain, she somehow manages to conjure up a child-like joy. Even in the depth of her depression, she worries about the animals having enough food in the winter. I laugh to myself as I read: "I lie to myself when I need to but there are only ten occasions." The list makes complete sense to me.

There is a delightful story of how she raised a squirrel and there is even a poem about how to enchant a squirrel. There are thoughts of pure delight balanced by worries and thoughts about how life changes vividly as you age. This is set up as journal entries.

There are poems that are highly relevant to the moment. Carolyn's thoughts inspire her to create poems. From her pain comes great beauty. I found her poems to all be deeply meaningful because I understood the context. After all, she had just told me the story that went with each one

Everyone was unique and yet had a definite purpose within the complete process of her inner discovery.

When the Sun is a Peony

Dip your fingers in the green sea
and write a love letter in my hair.
Trace the words that tell of a plunge to coral gardens
where the flowers are parrotfish
and the sea surrounds us like music,
of how we lie in the silk of the sun,
how your hand on my skin ripples like water
and the scent of the air is yellow.

Pg. 171

Then, there were quotes, delicious quotes sprinkled through the pages in places where they became a natural part of a sentence, of a thought, of a moment. I want to share so many things about this book with you, but it is best experienced in a few hours, reading it alone, maybe in bed.

I found the first part of the book was mainly about the surgery, but then Carolyn's writing could really be for anyone who wants to have one of those silent conversations with an author who we know would understand everything we are feeling. Strangely, her natural wit and love for life comes out most boldly when she is in the most physical pain. When she moves into the stages of depression, her creativity seems to bloom like a field of flowers and yet there are dew drops or tears on the flowers. And then when the wind blows and she is refreshed by a moment in time, the flowers laugh.

I cannot tell you how many times I laughed out loud and then went right back
to crying! Part of me was emotional because of the beauty of her writing and part of me was empathizing with the moments of pain, frustration and the depth of her depression.

I hope gynecologists will also read this book so they can empathize with their patients emotional needs. Too often it does seem that we find doctors who are simply viewing the physical symptoms and have forgotten their patients have a soul.

I can recommended this book to every woman because you might have to make this choice. I personally had no idea this was the most common surgery performed in the United States! I can think of so many people I want to share this book with because parts of this book touched me so deeply. I felt that some of the author's words have now
become a part of me.

In losing a precious part of herself that enabled her to give life to two children,
Carolyn Kent Bailey has given birth to a book from her soul.

What a beautiful gift!

My colleague at work showed me this book this morning, and I couldn't put it down--I kept wanting to know what happened next. Carolyn is an honest and vivid writer who makes you feel as though "you are there," through the highs and lows of her journey. Perhaps it would have frightened me, if I were about to undergo a hysterectomy, but it could also have helped me be pro-active in my medical treatment. But this book is about much more than recovering from surgery. It is a book about dealing with the frightening reality of being "out of control," mustering one's resources to cope with crisis-- and making peace with the fact you don't always get what you need when you ask for it-- and re-discovering the joy and beauty of life.

I like the book for the following reasons and many more: -covers both routers & switches -covers the show commands as well as the equivalent SNMP objects -tells me the inside information (e.g.) Which ver of IOS started supporting sub-interfaces, IOS hidden commands -tells me how I can leverage applications like HpOV NNM, MRTG etc

And it tells all this and more in a simple language (e.g.) The chapter on monitoring CPU & Memory resources explains lucidly how one can be proactive about monitoring these 2 key elements.

The chapter on VLAN management is another good example. One of the topics it covers is about monitoring spanning tree topology changes, how you can use community string indexing to get vlan information for each individual vlan

I am certainly not a professional but found this book very informative. The writing was "reader friendly" but, of course, having a computer and being networked certainly are not enough credentials to fully understand the nuances of this book. I highly recommend this book for people "in the business."

The great humanist Rockwell Kent is represented well in the plates of this "lost Landscape" edition. The plates are great color, and the text fills you in on the complexity of his socialist political life. Kent is a superior mannerist as was his contemporary Grant Wood. It is heartening to see these works from the Soviet Union in such an inexpensive and reputable package. The book is true to the beauty and substance of this sometimes underappreciated legend! I was lucky enough to see some of the great Adirondack paintings at the Blue Mtn. museum last summer, which made me ravenous to get this book. I am thrilled! Buy it if you have an affinity for the works of Kent!

"Rockwell Kent's Forgotten Landscapes" presents 47 full-color, full-page paintings which he gave to Russia in 1960, and which have not been seen in the U.S. since. This treasure trove of his "forgotten" paintings was reproduced by Scott R. Ferris and Ellen Pearce in a 96-page coffee-table format.

By their direct simplicity, these paintings may startle viewers, especially those who revel in the nuances of paintings by impressionists, for Kent's pictures have sharp lines, bright colors, and deep shadows, and show the use of artistic license here and there. Edward Hopper's "houses" are done in a somewhat similar style. Kent's painting locales included the Adirondacks (his home), Greenland, Maine (Monhegan), Tierra del Fuego, Alaska and Ireland.

After studying the collection this reviewer emerged convinced that he has a better grasp of North Greenland, where the sun wheels around 360 degrees while hanging just above the horizon during summer months and casting a sort of perpetual evening light and long shadows. Kent's paintings often show no human or animal life, but there is enough inclusion of Indian activities as to cause cultural anthropologists to consider his paintings to be rare records of this primitive, by-gone lifestyle. Kent's portrait of Mount Assiniboine in the Canadian Rockies was so startling in color and composition as to make this reviewer actually gasp in wonder at its beauty.

In addition to the big color plates, the authors have included 36 smaller black & white pictures which amplify 15 pages of scholarly text by Ferris, in which he discusses the genealogies of selected pictures and their believed locations abroad. The text is backed by 95 footnotes, many of which are interesting in their own right.

Appendix I lists "variant titles to some of Kent's basic scenes." Appendix II organizes his "non-paintings" into engravings, lithographs, books and brochures, manuscripts and reproductions and portfolios -- all wonderful guides to other Kent works. Then there follow a Bibliography and Index.

Ellen Pearce's major contribution is a seven-page essay on the life and political entanglements of Rockwell Kent, which climaxed in his being summoned before Sen. Joseph McCarthy's Committee on Government Operations. Further, the State Department refused to renew his travel visa until the Supreme Court overturned its ruling. All this disheartened and embittered Kent and predisposed him to bequeath his "great collection" to the Russians, who had received an earlier show of his with warmth and enthusiasm.

For those who heretofore have known Rockwell Kent (1882-1971) only by his book and magazine illustrations, this is a grand introduction to his work in oils. One hopes another book someday will publish his collected works so that Americans can even better appreciate a great native-born but forgotten artist.

It is unusual to find such a well researched ,well illustrated,well written book at such a reasonable price.I am buying multiple copies as gifts.

Splendidly enhanced with 173 illustrations of classic bookplates, Rockwell Kent: The Art Of The Bookplate compiled and written by Don Roberts authoritatively examines the commissioned bookplates of Rockwell Kent and meticulously details the stories behind their creation. A most remarkable and absorbing artbook reflecting the dual love of the written word and the crafted picture, Rockwell Kent is commended to the attention of bibliophiles and art historians.