At long last someone has come up with a new slant to WWII history. It is refreshing to find that after 55 years or so has passed an author can yet teach us something new about history, which can captivate, can sometimes even excite, and definitely can entertain.

I had no expectations when I started this novel. I had wanted to try an unknown author. WAS I SURPRISED! At every turn of the plot my attention was captured, the read was fast paced,and the descriptions made me feel as if I were there.

I was stunned by the creativity and descriptiveness of the writer. His remarkable grammar and way of writing leaves you interested the whole time. He is the next J.K. Rowling by the level of interest that he provides in his book. Congratualations, you are a wiz of an author.
Sicerely,
An extremely happy reader

The Mountain Meadows Massacre is usually recounted in one of two simple version: 1) Brigham Young ordered the assassination of innocent Gentile travellers; or 2) John D. Lee took it upon himself to do the same.

Brooks deals with the Massacre more thoroughly in her appropriately-titled _Mountain Meadows Massacre_, also available on this fine website. But the picture is incomplete without an understanding of who John D. Lee was. That picture is provided in great detail by this book, and it is sometimes startling.

Lee was not some renegade Danite chieftain. Raised on the American frontier, he joined the Mormons and became a pillar of the southern Utah community -- a church leader, the federal government's Indian farmer, and an officer in the militia. He was widely respected and reputed to have spiritual gifts of prophecy and healing.

And on the day of the Massacre, he was in a bad spot. Caught between conflicting and ambiguous military orders and facing the alternatives of killing not-completely-innocent travellers and alienating the native american population at a moment when the U.S. Federal government had declared war on the Utah Mormons, he made a tough choice.

Eventually, of course, Lee was banished for his crime, living out his last years as a ferryman with a greatly reduced family on the Utah-Arizona border. Some odd details strike you when reading Brooks' account, though:

1. There's plenty of evidence that people talked about Lee's excommunication, but in the well-kept church records, no sure indication that it actually happened.

2. Lee was a spiritually powerful man and a firm believer. Moreover, he was an intimate of Brigham Young (Young's adopted son, in fact).

3. Lee was a frontiersman through and through, one of the few Mormon pioneers (along with, say, Orrin Porter Rockwell and Bill Hickman)really equipped to deal with the harsh desert environment.

4. Lee was banished not when Brigham Young found out about the Massacre, but years later, and almost certainly in response to public sentiment.

So ask yourself this: if you were Brigham Young, and you needed to sacrifice someone to protect the church, who would it be? It's hard not to wonder whether John D. Lee's banishment was a calling. Maybe he wasn't excommunicated at all, but sent away as a visible sacrifice for the good of the community. Only a man with Lee's faith, independence and wilderness skills could be called on to make such a sacrifice.

Likewise, Lee seems to have virtually surrendered to his own execution, but it's not clear why. Was he again sacrificing himself for Brigham Young and the church? Did he feel the guilt of the Massacres and seek to atone by offering his own life?

I don't know, but I know this: if you're interested in Mormon history, Utah history or even the history of the American West, you should read this book.

I could not put this book down until I had finished it cover to cover. It is a gripping narative that is historically accurate. (None of the criticisms I have heard change the nature of the story at all.) She draws on primary resources and was often able to obtain documents no one else could. Her analysis, especially of Lee's second trial, is very insightful.

I was surprised to learn that the group of 12 or so men known as the "Misouri Wildcats" who were probably the target of the massacre had parted with the Francher company the day before the the first Indian raid and hence escaped being in the massacre.

I am not a descendant of John D. Lee.

I am pleased to be the first reviewer of this book who is not a decendent of John D. Lee, yet I, too, must give the book highest marks. While it is history, and a biography, it is as captivating as any novel, and a treat for the immagination as well as the rational mind. Full marks for the late Ms. Brooks in her ability to weave together the elements that make the man, her insight mostly derived from his own copious writings and those of his faithful wives. The result is a reasonably complete look at the complex man, faithful to his dying moments in the Church and gospel he thought he was defending, a look that includes his intimate thoughts, a sense of his apparent egotism, his devotion to his multiple families, and the role that his wives and children played in his life.

There is much that I appreciated about this book, not the least of which is the fact that Ms. Brooks did not shy away from the possibility that Brigham Young sacrificed J. D. Lee in a manner consistent with a Book of Mormon account, in which it is stated by God that "it is better that one man should perish, then a whole nation dwindle in unbelief." Lee himself implicates his "adoptive father," Brigham Young, in his farewell letter to his wives. At the same time, she does not for a moment lose the perspective of the seige mentality, the war-time thinking of both the perpetrators of the Mountain Meadow Massacre, and the leaders of the Church. Without this context, it is easy to stand in self-rightous judgement of what hindsight clearly dictates was a horrible act. With that psycho/social context, the fair-minded reader can at least admit that while John D. Lee was indeed a participant in an evil day, he was not an evil man. Far from it. Indeed, he may have paid the price with his life because he was in fact a man of high principles, and utmost regard for the God who gave him life. His faith sustained him through remarkable hardship, and sustained him in his own noble imprisonment and ultimatly his execution.

You will not be able to read this book without a strong sense of compassion for his wives, either. They were called upon to endure extreme hardship, and appear to have risen to the challenge. From their march across the plains, to the numerous times they were asked to open a new settlement, to eventually living practically alone in Navajo country to fend for themselves, even to birth children without so much as the help from an older daughter, these were women of enormous faith, incredible fortitude, and proud devotion to a man that their Church had marked as a scapegoat and sacrificial lamb.

It is likely that decendents of the Fancher Party would read this book with different emotions than I, but I found it to be highly stimulating and engaging, both to the sensitivities and the mind. It is a story of faith, of perseverence, of work and sacrifice, and ultimately betrayal by a man's dearest friends. If the book is too forgiving of Lee for his role in the Massacre at Mountain Meadows, it is only because his life was so much more than that one, dark day. The rest of his life was a labor of love, for his God, his Prophet, his friends, his wives, his children, and for the establishment of the Kingdom of God, of which he believed he was a key builder, in partnership with his God and his prophets.

Lee has written a wonderful book that takes on all the myths about dietary and lifestyle health that have been support for years by economic interests at the detrement of our society. I have used this book as a reference since it came out and a resource to those who might challange with so many erroneous dietary cliches (e.g. "drink milk to have stronger bones"). If every adult read this book and digested it, what an enlightened, healthy society we would become...if only. Great job Lee!!

When I have a question about health, diet or food. This is the book I always turn to first. I've read and re-read this book many times and it's one of my most used references.

Lee covers dietary components like proteins, fats, carbohydrates, additives, dairy, seafood and vitamins. He also summarizes some of the different diets around the world and correlates them with different levels of disease and sickness--in the process finding those diets which are the most healthful. Lee then provides recipes and cooking strategies to integrate the best foods into your own diet.

Weight control, exercise, biological age, seniors, heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, diabetes and more are examined and Lee quotes research and the plain facts concerning each. The ladder half of the book is devoted to the food and drug industry and their interactions with government organizations like the FDA, RDA, USDA and APA. He writes allot about chemicals, pesticides and toxins found in most foods and their is a chapter concerning Organic vs. Conventional growing.

Throughout the book you will find very amusing and often absurd quotes by industry leaders touting the benefits of their toxic foods. These snippets of corporate propaganda and government idiocy are often rendered disturbing when they punctuate the actual truths which Lee sites.

It's a real shame the vast majority of American's are mindless of the harm they are doing to their bodies with their diet. A book like this is a great education and wakeup call to most anyone. My thanks to the author for sharing his knowledge.

Also, if you've read this book and liked it check out "Milk : The Deadly Poison" by Robert Cohen, Jane Heimlich. Kinda poetic title, huh. :)

If you believe that your health is the single most important asset you own then the book "Long Life Now: Startegies for Staying Alive" by Doctor Hitchcox is for you. Well written, well laid out - designed to be read "Long Life Now" is the most comprehensive round-up of profound and accurate information compiled to inform and educate us on what is going on with our culture when it comes to health. This book is a must have in all libraries. This book is a major reference book for all concerned individuals and activists.

Doctor Hitchcox has throughly researched and verified his facts and is to be commended for the time he took and the throughness of his work. He has written a highly insightful and at times terrifying account of the current cultural practices and values in this country around health and environmental issues.

This is a book worth the time to read - don't plan to read it all at once. You will need time to digest what he says. If you can only read one section in the book read his discussion on diet and its relationship to long life. This discussion alone is well worth the read. Read this book if you value your life and quality of life

great guidebook. Describes in detail the good, the bad and the ugly of Nepal. The language section was extremely useful. A few hours spent learning some useful greetings and phrases will pay off tenfold upon arrival in Nepal. Being able to bargain or ask for directions in the native language is a lot of fun and much appreciated, especially since most travellers do not take the time to learn anything more than "Namaste."

This book has given me comfort and a wealth of information about what I would like to do and see in Nepal. Having a well planned trip in advance is smart and this book will probably tell you everything you need to know about anything, and more. Food, health issues, places to stay, sights, special points, etc. Definitely worth the investment.

I just returned from Nepal using this guide. The book was very well-written with lots of practical advice-- everything from how to book an airline to what kind of diahrrea you may have picked up. Very accurate information re. hotels, modes of transportation, etc. Useful vocabulary list.

As a general dentist, I see many of my new patients struggling with the issues that are covered in "Nothin' Personal Doc, But I Hate Dentists!" Mac and Joleen have many combined years of experience in the dental field and they have taken this expertise and transformed it into "English" for the patient to be able to understand easily, instead of "Dental-ese" which we are often guilty of using when speaking to our patients.

This book allows patients to make informed choices and to give them an idea as to what they should ask their dentist during the visit. A well-educated, talented and confident dentist welcomes any patient questions. We know that the better informed our patients are, the better choices they can make for themselves regarding their dental health.

This book is a milestone in bridging the gap between dentists and their patients. I give it to all my new patients and encourage them to spread the word to everyone they know. Mac and Joleen have helped not only the general public, but also the dental community with the publication of their informative book. I recommend it for anyone who has a dental visit coming up, or if you are looking for a new dentist! (which, together, SHOULD make up 100% of the population)

I am a dentist and believe that this book has useful information for anyone interested in restoring and preserving their dental health. This book is aimed at the person who is apprehensive about going to the dentist. Based on the premise that most fear is of the unknown, Dr. Mac Lee, Joleen Jackson and Vicki Audette have written this book with the aim of demystifying dentistry.

Speaking personally, I know that sometimes I struggle to explain things that to me make perfect sense in a nontechnical, nonthreatening manner. This book does that.

It starts by discussing common reasons people are afraid to go to the dentist and tries to help get you past those fears. Whether you are afraid it'll hurt, or your embarassed for us to see your teeth, Dr. Lee gives tips on how to get past these feelings so that you can get the dental care you need.

The book goes on to describe various dental procedures, what is involved in them, and questions you should ask. I especially like the section on children's dental needs. It covers every age range and answers common questions about subjects such as baby teeth, braces, and broken teeth.

I can't tell you how strongly I feel that this is a great book for any dental consumer. I am ordering copies for several of my patients as well as copies to donate to our local library.

Being a new mother i was exicited to find information in the section "From Womb to Wisdom." It is going to be an excellent guide line in my new childs dental health. Every parent should own this book for the important dental needs that every child most desperatly needs. Thank you authors such needed informaiton!

wo side effects from reading "Inside the Works" are blindness, resulting from the weird font, and nausea, resulting from horror so hardcore that you want to wash your hands after putting the book down. Edward Lee along with Tom Piccirilli and Gerard Daniel Houarner, are the writers featured in this "3-way collection of hard core horror". All three have a kind of genius for writing almost pornographic horror that is intense, gut-wrenching, and scary, yet strangely compelling. Although these stories are like skinny dipping in a pool of blood and other bodily fluids, I kept getting the sensation that I was reading something NEW and FRESH. Edward Lee's novella The Pig was drenched in torture and mutilation but amazingly enough these elements were used in service of a great story rather than the other way around! Also worthy of mention i! s that many of the situations in the story had me laughing out loud! Counterbalancing Lee is Tom Piccirilli, whose five short stories were grim little journeys into hellish back alleys of New York. At this time, I have yet to read all of Gerard Daniel Houarner's contribution but I will soon! If he's as good as the company he keeps than I am in for a ride!

The Pig was one of the most disgusting stories ever. Buy it. The "Plugger" scene in this story is unmatched to date.

Two side effects from reading "Inside the Works" are blindness, resulting from the weird font, and nausea, resulting from horror so hardcore that you want to wash your hands after putting the book down. Edward Lee along with Tom Piccirilli and Gerard Daniel Houarner, are the writers featured in this "3-way collection of hard core horror". All three have a kind of genius for writing almost pornographic horror that is intense, gut-wrenching, and scary, yet strangely compelling. Although these stories are like skinny dipping in a pool of blood and other bodily fluids, I kept getting the sensation that I was reading something NEW and FRESH. Edward Lee's novella The Pig was drenched in torture and mutilation but amazingly enough these elements were used in service of a great story rather than the other way around! Also worthy of mention is that ! many of the situations in the story had me laughing out loud! Counterbalancing Lee is Tom Piccirilli, whose five short stories were grim little journeys into hellish back alleys of New York. At this time, I have yet to read any all of Gerard Daniel Houarner's contributions but I will soon! If he's as good as the company he keeps than I am in for a ride!

Truly, Jenny Gerhardt has a lot of heart.

Though she makes some bad decisions and often lacks the confindence that could have reinvented her in the magnified binocular-eyes of society, Dreiser's love for the character shines and we, the readers, grow to love her also. Several glimmers of why Dreiser is the transcendent novelist that he is peek out from the fast moving story of Jennie Gerhardt.

"She was not, like so many, endeavoring to put the ocean into a tea-cup or to tie up the shifting universe in a mess of strings called law."

"The loveliness of seventeen is centuries old. That is why passion is almost sad."

"So this little household drifted along quietly and dreamily indeed, but always with the undercurrent of feeling which ran so still because it was so deep."

I admit to you, I have never been very interested by the sometimes dry prose offered in the writing of earlier time periods. But Dreiser seems to me a rare gem in the world of early 20th century fiction.

However, the one reason I am writing a 4 star review is because of the ending of this novel. After several mini-climaxes, the book ends. --just like that. With a grim display of "if only". And although most, if not all of us, identify with that theme, I felt like I MUST have read 366 pages for something other than that.

However, I would still recommend it. It is a delicate work of art whose power and beauty cannot be denied.

Most of us know the genius of Dreiser, the lyrical capabilities of this author is astonishing. He humanizes literature, the characters posess complex personalities and physical appearances. He takes the aesthetic beauty of the surreal and the honesty of harsh reality and combines these potent elements into a story of life, almost more believable than our own. This story follows Jennie Gerhardt, a young German girl living with her poor family in Ohio before the turn of the century. Honest but hard work puts her into the path of Senator Brander a benevolent mature man, but his ardent passions soon destroy Jennie, and her life is tainted with shame. She leaves her home, and life take her on many journeys, mostly unpleasant. This story chronicles how one mistake can change your life, and the domino effect takes place, constantly misplacing your life as you try to escape the past. I would also recommend "Tess of the D'Urbervilles" by Thomas Hardy

It seems each time I finish one of Dresier's works I think it is my favorite. Such is the case with Jennie Gerhardt, at least until my next Dresier. This heart-wrenching saga takes the reader through Jennie's life from cleaning houses with her mother, bearing a child by a US Senator and living and loving a man beyond her society class. Lester (the man she loves after the Senator), for his part, is unwilling to marry Jennie and is cut-off from the family and it's millions for loving someone "below" his class in society. Jennie remains true to herself, following her heart and the dicates of a harsh scoiety. She makes amendes with her father and is the only child to nurture him through his final days and death. She takes her daughter away from Chicago and leaves Lester so he can reclaim his family fortune. Her daughter dies, leaving her alone but the strength of Jennie's character comes through when she adopts orphans, for if she isn't nurturing she isn't living. Dreiser drives home his theme of fate and how some can dictate it while others are a slave to it. But even this distinction isn't black and white. Lester seems not to care what fate has in store for him until he takes it into his onw hands and marries the society girl he arguably should have married before he hooked up with Jennie. Alas, Jennie never mastered her fate. She was punished for loving two men from the upper-crust of scoiety instead of taking the crusts that high-living classes would toss her.

It's a great book. I haven't paddled the Churchhill River yet, but rivers closeby, and you still find the wilderness and the loneliness that Sig Olson describes. After reading this book and others by Sig Olson I just want to go out paddling and enjoy the wilderness.

I was looking on information on old canoe routes of the voyageurs and I came upon this book. It tells the experiences of Olson, a famous naturalist of the 50's and 60's, and 5 of his friends, as they paddle three wood and canvas canoes down 500 miles of the Churchhill River in Saskatchewan in 1960. Olson describes the setting and experience so completely, including diary entries of famous fur trappers who traveled the same route, that I have thought of nothing else but going to see the country he describes, the Canadian Shield of Northern Saskatchewan. It is a different place now than it was 40 years ago, less lonely I imagine, but still something I must do. I would recommend this book to anyone who longs to experience this land, North America, before it became overpopulated.

After I read this book I had a burning desire to visit the Canadian Shield and paddle a wood and canvas canoe on the Churchill River. I only wish I could have done it in 1960, when this book was written. It is a much different place today. This is an excellent book about a canoe trip of 500 miles by six friends. I only hope I will be as lucky to do such a trip someday.

I purchase almost any romance that follows the Beauty/Beast or Phantom/Christine archetype. I just love wounded, scarred, disfigured heroes and the women with enough depth and sensitivity to love them.

That said, this was a pretty good romance for readers who enjoy that kind of storyline.

The hero was ambushed, imprisoned and tortured while on Crusade. He had been estranged from his domineering father. He stays away from home, but ultimately returns and has his heart captured when he spies a lovely village woman combing her hair in front of her cottage. But he fears to expose his disfigurement to her and stays in the shadows, yearning. Meanwhile, the villain is out to destroy them both.

The story has a nice fairy tale feel to it. The author even opens up using a formalized syntax that says to the reader "These are ye olde days." Never mind that the syntax isn't consistent and throughout the book there are a few anachronistic bits of dialogue that make one stop and go,"huh"?

Fortunately, this is a fast-paced tale with a truly repulsive villain (one-dimensional, fully evil, no redeeming qualities--which is not that odd in the romance genre, hence, forgivable for its two-dimensionality), a madwoman out for revenge and a hero with a tortured soul.

The above quibbles aside, this IS a page-turner, and if you enjoy medieval romances with "beast" heroes and can immerse yourself sufficiently in a love story so that small annoyances can be overlooked, then you will definitely enjoy the romance of Galen and Anne.

Why this novel does not get a higher overall grade from me is that the heroine's aggressiveness is just not believable. Middle ages, folks. Lord with the power of life and death. Growing up poor, a PEASANT, used to taking orders, AND A WOMAN, used to being commanded by father and those in charge. Yet Anne doesn't hesitate to talk back to nobility and to physically engage in scuffles with a warrior Lord. While we do see her engage physically and ably with would-be rapists--hurrah, for her!--those are lowlives and commoners, not the Lord of the Manor.

Also, the hero doesn't act very cunningly and cautiously when there is grave danger to the heroine towards the latter half of the book. He really does not come across as someone in control of his keep or his men...or terribly bright.

All that doesn't make me detract overly much from my final grade of B- because the writing is attractive, the story has a nice fairy-tale feel, the hero is brave and soulfully wounded, the heroine is loving and energetic, and the bad guy is really slimy and gets his comeuppance. I also liked the cranky housekeeper/cook. :)

I look forward to seeing what Ms. Poff does with her next romance. She's definitely got talent. If this is a debut, it's a promising one.

*Mir*

Donna Lee Poff’s THE MASK is a wonderful example of a beautifully constructed Beauty and the Beast tale. From page one the reader will be totally mesmerized by the magically created cast of characters.

Galen Tarrant, Lord of Rosethorn, returns from the Crusades after an eleven-year absence to reclaim his land. Having been captured and savagely tortured by an archenemy, he now hides half of his face behind a mask. On a late night outing he happens upon Anne of Thornberry, the carpenter’s daughter. He is enchanted by this dainty "wood elf" who sits in the forest, with not a care in the world. Her innocence gives him the strength to once again trust in mankind. Her zest for life will shed light on his dark, tortured soul.

Anne of Thornberry, a fresh-faced village girl, is naive to the evils in which the world contains. On a fateful moonlit night she meets with Galen Tarrant, a dark, mysterious stranger. In her eyes she sees Galen as being perfect in every way possible. Her greatest challenge will be to convince Galen he is not the Beast he is convinced he has become. Little does she know danger looms in the shadows. A madman is determined to reek havoc once again, and finish the vengeance he once started.

THE MASK is a much treasured book. Its value is priceless in my library. It is one of those books, which can be read a thousand times over, and each time find something new and exciting. A word of caution - have plenty of Kleenex on hand when you experience it for the first time. Being so close to the characters, you will feel their pain and suffering as it enfolds before your eyes.

I also enjoy the "Beauty and the Beast" premise and I was not disappointed. This story made me laugh and cry. What more can a reader ask? Ms. Poff makes a wonderful debut and I eagerly await additional books by this author.

There are always stereotypes to be stripped down, aren't there?

Rekdal's themes (race, how Americans are perceived overseas, how Americans perceive each other) make you think, but her writing won't make you struggle. Her essays, built around episodes of her life, are sad, funny, entertaining and insightful.

An excellent book. Highly recommended. I wish I could teach a course called "Race in America" just so I could get more people to read this book.

Ms. Rekdal's numerous observations are personal and touching. Many Americans have struggled with an identity crisis. I understand fully the crushing power of long and brutal silences mentioned in the text. I am so glad that Ms. Rekdal is not silent at all.

i am so happy to have stumbled upon this book. This author is so intelligent, observant, witty and creative. This book was charming and relatable. i laughed aloud as some of my own personal experiences were so similar, it was amazing. Rekdal is able to put into words feelings that i hadn't been able to describe. Even if one hasn't had cultural identity questions about him/herself this book is enjoyable and some sentences read almost like poetry. Her stories are very insightful and she captures the essence of how people think and react.