I started to read this 2 days after I finished "One Wore Blue" and finished it 3 days later! Heather Graham, you are an extremely talented writer! Daniel Cameron was introduced in the first book and the reader became mildly interested. In this book, his relationship with Callie is every bit as intense and passionate as the relationship between Jesse and Kiernan. The combination of a beautiful love story and the historical accounts of the Civil War make this one of my favorite books ever. I borrowed this copy from a friend, but will buy a copy for myself so I can read it again and again!

One Wore Blue starts with the beginning of the Civil War and is the Cameron family's view point of the war- it is especially concerned with the brother (Jesse Cameron) who feels that he must fight on the Union side of the war. (A great book!) And One Wore Gray is the 2nd story of Graham's Civil War trilogy about the Cameron Family- the reader now gets a glimpse of the war fought from the Confederate side. Daniel Cameron, brother to Jesse (the Union sergeon)is a Confederate Cavalier. The story picks up approximately half way through the war (where One Wore Blue stopped) when Daniel is wounded (for a second time) during a battle on a farmland in Maryland. Callie Michaelson is a widow of a Union solder that is living on family property alone, trying to hold things together until her brothers are able to return from the war. Daniel ends up at her home and even though Callie is a very strong Union supporter, she recognizes Daniel as being a human being in need of medical help, instead of looking at him strictly as her enemy. She takes him in to nurse him while he steals her heart. During his recover of a approximately a week they are able to forget the war and live a fantasy of what life might be like if only the war... But then Daniel must leave to return to his Confederate cause. Callie is caught- having to make the decision of letting Daniel escape and be killed by the Yankee soldiers that now know of his existance or call him back to be captured and possibly go to Yankee prison camp. Will Daniel ever forgive her? Will she be able to let him know that she loves him? And this all happens right about the beginning. It is a great story. I appreciated how Ms. Graham continued the story from one book to another. She ends the war with One Wore Gray. The ending is great! I cried. I also appreciated how she continued Jesse and Kiernan's love story through One Wore Gray. I highly recommend reading this- but try to read One Wore Blue first so you will get the whole picture. I am looking forward to getting And One Went West. It is about the sister of the Cameron Brothers.

More than anything else in this Civil War trilogy, you come away Satisfied. It is a wonderful Romance. You not only fall in love with Daniel and Callie, but you respect and admire the Cameron family and their love and devotion for each other. You know that the brothers Daniel and Jesse would do anything ...even die for the other. I could see in my minds eye everything that they went through. My heart broke, then rejoiced, I was mad, then elated! Ms. Graham has given us a book that is a pleasure to read. I looked forward to the romance, and the battles. What wonderful heros and heroines.

I got a my copy in 1985... the same day i got my first deck. It is a perfect guide for beginners as well as an excellent convenient reference for more experienced readers of tarot cards. I've seen many books aimed at those new to tarot, none are as complete and most are confusing to novices. This book clearly and concisely explains the divinatory meanings of the cards as well as the symbolism behind each one. Its illustrations are of the popular and easily accessible Rider-Waite deck, but it can be used with most standard decks. Gray also provides information on some systems of thought that can illuminate the tarot experience. This book's low price is a big bonus. One wishing to dabble in tarot can easily afford this excellent guide. One who is experienced can easily afford to add this to a reference set.

This was the first book that I bought, or read, to help me interpret the tarot. As the years have passed I have come to realise that it is also the best. There are too many mundane, cookie cutter, tarot references out there. This book truly explains the deep meanings behind the hermetic symbolism of the Waite-Rider deck. With the systems and symbolism section it becomes a comprehensive text on metaphysical thought- a true book of Thoth, or Hermes. My only complaint is that there is no deluxe copy with leather binding and vellum pages. I would gladly pay extra for it, for this is the kind of book you will refer to again and again over a lifetime. Of course, if the tarot is no more than a new-age parlor game to you, you might want to look elsewhere. If you are prepared to meditate on the meaning of deeper things, then you have found your guide.

As someone new to the study of the Tarot, I found Eden Gray's "A Complete Guide to the Tarot" to be the best general introduction to this fascinating divinatory system. Gray writes with a confident but accessible authority that makes her book very appealing.

Gray devotes one or two pages to every card in the classic Rider-Waite Tarot deck, and lists possible divinatory meanings. She shows how to use various spreads of the cards in order to give readings, and she also discusses the use of the Tarot as an aid in meditation. She also explores the connections between the Tarot and other systems of occult wisdom: numerology, astrology, and the Kabalah.

The book includes a bibliography for those interested in further study. Overall, I found this to be a useful and enjoyable book.

In my youth, I borrowed this book from the library so many times that my parents finally bought it for me. They also took me to see the legendary lighthouse (which still stands, proudly, under the GW Bridge, not far from where I grew up). Now, as an adult, I have had the great pleasure of enriching my nephews' lives with this simple fable of pride and perserverance. I still treasure this book, and hope to share it with my own children one day.

As a child in The Bronx, we visited the Little Red Lighthouse and this story paints a great picture of progress and the way it affects our lives. We may not think we are in with the times but as the lighthouse finds out, there is a place for all of us and people for us to take care of. I first read this book when my son was in 1st grade and now I'm ordering it for his 34th birthday. We've both visited the lighthouse and of course crossed the Great Gray Bridge on our way from the city to the south where we live now.

again. That's right. For all of you, like me, who loved this book as a child, the story you can share with your children is now even more wonderful. It was this book that saved the LRL from destruction half a century ago, and in september of 2002, for the first time in 55 years, the LRL is a working beacon again. See the web for news stories - the USCG moved some priorities and spare parts around, and now she shines again.

Better than ever....

As a professional Director of Photography for "Friends," "Mad About You," and at least thirty other Sit-Coms (but whose counting?), I've seen it ALL from behind the camera. I can tell immediately who knows their way around a set - and who doesn't. There's nothing more frustrating than trying to work with an actor who may know his or her lines - but doesn't know how to hit their mark! You don't want to make your mistakes here - on a professional set. If I can tell you don't know what you're doing, so can the producers - the ones who hire you. Do your homework! The only way a new actor starting out can get an advantage, is to read "Act Right" by Erin Gray and Mara Purl. If you're serious about working in this business - as a beginner, or as a returning pro - this book is a MUST READ. Got it? Get it!!

I am blown away by the clarity and completeness of Erin Gray and Mara Purl's book. If you want to be a professional actor...and you want to work..."Act Right" is required reading.

As the founder of the Theatre Department at University of Alaska, Fairbanks, I highly recommend "Act Right" by Mara Purl and Erin Gray. It's exceptionally well written, and the most practical book on the technical aspect of an actor's work. It's invaluable for anyone going into professional acting work in TV or film.

In a world where good role models are few and far between, Robin Higgins sets an extraordinary example. Because of her dual roles as wife and fellow Marine, Robin Higgins' story provides a unique insight into the psyche of both a desperate hostage family and a soldier trained to save one of her own. I was constantly amazed at the delicate mental and emotional balancing act she successfully kept up for the entire time her husband was held captive.

Robin's powerful and insightful recounting of her husband's story is extremely timely, as Col. Rich Higgins' fate in Lebanon holds lessons for the peacekeepers now in Iraq. Like the U.N. weapons inspection team in Iraq today, Rich's team sought to enforce peace in a land where war is a way of life. And like lead inspector and fellow Marine, Scott Ritter, who was recently accused by Iraq of spying, Rich was distrusted because he was an effective leader.

It was an honor and a pleasure to serve as editor of this book.

This is a story about a courageous woman torn mercilessly between her love for her hostage husband and her love and duty to her country. Above all, this is a love story and tragedy of epic proportions...involving not one American hero, but two. In her unrelenting efforts to free her husband from the bonds of terrorists, Robin Higgins went through the Halls of Power, confronting presidents and kings, winding through mazes of red tape, promises, and stone walls. At the same time, as a Marine Corps officer, loyal to her leaders and her country, she had to conduct herself with dignity and grace. Never once did she waver--even in the maddening days following the brutal murder of Colonel "Rich" Higgins. This book is her story...and his...and in gripping detail, Robin recounts this Patriot story. The reader will find it quite difficult to finish this book without anger at the feeble efforts to free the colonel, and without being in awe of the courage of Robin Higgins--a true patriot and heroine.

"Patriot Dreams" is the most gripping true story I have ever read, and I am a voracious reader. From the opening page, you will vicariously enter the inner world of Robin Higgins, and experience the tragic death of a true American hero.

Rich Higgins was a Marine lieutenant-colonel who saw himself as a peacekeeper and a protector of the nation he loved. His duties in Lebanon required him to be unarmed, and he accepted those conditions as part of the job.

Unfortunately, the Hezbollah did not respect his show of good faith. What happened to Rich and his ever-faithful wife, Robin, will give you the deepest understanding of the contemporary Middle East and the ineffectiveness of our government in protecting its citizens in that area.

"Patriot Dreams" is written with an understated passion that sweeps the reader along; I was unable to put the book down until I finished the last word.

Robin Higgins is an extraordinarly powerful writer. Her work combines the best features of a novel with a strong dose of reality therapy. You will be both wiser and better informed as a result of this read.

The author was a student at North Shore High School when I taught there, and I can, without qualification, vouch for her good character and loyalty. When she introduced me to her husband, Rich Higgins in 1982, he was a major, and she was a captain. You would, as I did, recognize that he was a product of the best of our culture--strong but humane, highly intelligent without conceit, loyal without fanaticism.

Rich Higgins will be mourned, but he must never be forgotten.

AEthelflaed (or Flaed for short) lives in late 9th century England. At 15 she lives a happy life as the Kings daughter and a wannabe scholar. But when she learns that her father has, for political reasons, betrothed her to a man she's never met before she watches in shock as the little freedom she has left drifts away. Her father hires a guard named Red to protect her. In the beginning Flaed finds ways to escape from his watchful gaze but when something horrible happens Flaed realizes the seriousness of the situation she's in. Red teaches her how to defend herself, how to fight and use a shield. But when her skills are put to the test will she emerge victorious?

This is truly one of the best historical fiction novels I've ever read. Based on the real life story of one of England's most influential women, The Edge on the Sword weaves a wonderful tale of a strong young girl and her life. I recommend this books to fans of such historical novels as Anna of Byzantium and medieval novels such as the Crown and Court Duel.

This is the most wonderful book I have ever read. I couldn't stop until I had reached the end. I read it for 7 hours, and not once did I get bored. The story captivates its readers like no other book has. Rebecca Tingle is brilliant.

I first got this book at the libary and it looked
interesting so I grabbed it. Once I started to read
it I wasn't able to put it down. I recomend this to
all peoples. It's a must read. I know that the covers
supid but foget about it and you'll love this book.

I also recomend the Tamora Pierce series exept for
"Briars Book".All the others are grate. But read the Song of the Lioness series fist. I also recomend Fearless, Sweep, Lois Duncan, Blood and Chocolate,Seven Daughters and Seven Sons".

Mike Gray has written an excellent book exposing the disaster that is US drug policy. This book's value is in bringing the war to the general public, who may not have a taste for detailed policy reportage. Using real life examples, Gray communicates his message clearer than if he had filled the book with dry statistics and legal reasoning.

But therein lies what kept me from giving the book five stars. Gray's book does a great job of showing the drug war to be a total failure, but Gray leaves us with our hope eviscerated. Do we legalize drugs, or should we force people into "treatment?" Gray appears to prefer option two, which may turn out to be just as bad as the current system of forced imprisonment.

This book is an excellent demonstration of the failure of the drug war. Anyone who needs a short, well-written introduction to this issue should read Gray's book. For greater depth from a public policy, philosophical, or legal perspective, read, "Drug Warriors & Their Prey," or "Friedman & Szasz On Liberty And Drugs."

I have recently finished reading an excellent book about what is probably the most important issue in America today, the War on Drugs. Titled "Drug Crazy" (How We Got Into This Mess and How We Can Get Out Of It) by Mike Gray, it is a candid expose of the political hot potato that presents a greater threat to the Bill of Rights than most people suspect. Well organized, almost conversationally written and thoroughly annotated, it is a fast read - hard to set down. I breezed through it in two days, and then spent a couple of hours on-line spot checking some of his citations. It's all there. This is not the raving of some conspiracy theorist; rather, it is an appeal to reason, a revealing look at the many sides of a complex issue that has been thus far addressed with only the most simplistic remedies. Read it. It could change your perspective on a lot of things. It is probably the most important book you will read this year.

Book Review : Drug Crazy by Mike Gray (Random House, N.Y.- June, 1998)

America's War on Drugs, declared originally by Richard Nixon and waged with varying degrees of enthusiasm by every President since, has become a nearly invulnerable monster, thriving on its own failures and seemingly capable of destroying anyone reckless enough to speak out against it. Its simplistic central premise- drugs pose unthinkable dangers to our children, and therefore must be prohibited- has helped elect legions of politicians who then cite the latest drug scare as reason for tougher crack-downs, harsher laws, and more prisons. So completely has this idea of "illicit drugs" become society's default setting, and so beholden are politicians and others to it, the policy itself receives no critical scrutiny from government and little from academics dependent of federal funding. "Legalization" is a deadly brickbat hurled indiscriminately at all critics without thought that in a society based on capitalism, it is the illegal markets which are abnormal.

Although several scholarly, historically accurate books have pointed out shortcomings of this policy since the late Sixties, not one author has effectively attacked drug prohibition as a policy based on a completely false premise, incapable of preventing substance abuse problems; indeed, certain to make them worse. None, that is, until Mike Gray. A professional from the film world, Gray may have written the book no one else has yet been able to: a concise, readable, historically accurate, and well documented indictment of our drug policy. Very few reading his book all the way through will see the drug war the same way they did before. A major question then becomes: how many people will read it? Will it sink without a trace, overlooked like so many earlier criticisms of official policy- or will it be discovered by a public growing increasingly disillusioned by a perennial policy failure which is jamming prisons, impoverishing schools and colleges and effectively canceling! many Constitutional guarantees of personal freedom? Read by enough people, "Drug Crazy" could do for drug reform what "Silent Spring" did for the environment in 1962.

Like the film maker he is, Gray opens with a tight close up: Chicago police on a drug stake-out. The view quickly expands to the futility of enforcement against Chicago's massive illegal market. first from the perspectives of an elite narcotics detective and then through the eyes of a dedicated public defender. A comparison with Chicago seventy years ago during Prohibition reveals that police and the courts were equally unable to suppress the illegal liquor industry for exactly the same reasons: the overwhelming size and wealth of the criminal market created by prohibition. This beginning leaves the reader intrigued and eager to learn more; he's not disappointed.

The rest of the book traces the history of our drug crusade from its idealistic populist origins, starting in 1901 when McKinley's assassination thrust a youthful TR into the White House. The 1914 Harrison Act, purportedly a regulatory and tax law, was transformed by enforcement practice into federal drug prohibition with the assistance of the Supreme Court. Drug prohibition not only survived the demise of Prohibition, but emerged with its bogus mandate strengthened.

Thirty years of determined and unscrupulous management by Harry Anslinger, the J. Edgar Hoover of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics shaped drug prohibition into what would eventually become a punitive global policy. Anslinger was dismissed by JFK in 1960, but not before politicians had discovered the power of the drug menace to garner both votes and media attention.

Illegal drug markets have since thrived on the free advertising of their products which inevitably accompanies intense press coverage of the futile suppression effort and dire official warnings over the latest drug scare. This expansion was accelerated when Nixon declared the drug war in 1972. Gray covers that expansion beyond our borders in Colom! bia ("River of Money"), in Mexico (Montezuma's Revenge"), and also at home ("Reefer Madness"). He also describes how some European countries have blunted the most destructive effects of our policy forced on them by the UN Single Convention Treaty ("Lessons from the Old Country").

In his final chapter, Gray opines that the push to legitimize marijuana for medical use may have exposed a chink in the heretofore impregnable armor of drug prohibition. Beyond that, he believes that the policy, having thrived on relentless intensification, can't allow relaxation without risking the sort of scrutiny which might reveal its intrinsic lack of substance, therefore, any change must come from outside government. He doesn't offer a detailed recipe for a regulatory policy to replace drug prohibition; rather he suggests that it will be very similar to that which replaced alcohol Prohibition after Repeal in 1933- a collection of state based programs, sensitive to local needs and beliefs.

There is a desperate need for this book to be read and discussed by hundreds of thousands of thinking citizens. The pied piper of drug prohibition has beguiled our politicians and led us dangerously close to the edge of an abyss. Mike Gray's warning has hopefully come just in time and could itself be a major factor in initiating needed change of direction toward sanity.

Thomas J. O'Connell, MD

GRAY MATTER is a thought-provoking thriller, much smarter and deeper than 95% of the thrillers you find on the bookstore shelves. While giving us a fast-paced page turner, Gary Braver also makes us think about the things our culture values and how far we'll go to get what we think we need -- or in this case, what our children need. He asks questions about science, sociology and psychology while making us look at these questions in relation to how we live our lives. This is exactly why I read novels -- to be challenged, to have my eyes opened and to have fun.

Gary Braver is often compared to Robin Cook, a medical thriller writer who is consistently on the best-seller lists and whose books fall far below the quality and content of GRAY MATTER. Why isn't GRAY MATTER getting the attention and acclaim it deserves? I will do the best I can to tell everyone I know about this book, and hope others will too.

Gray Matter takes you on a profound journey with Braver's sympathetic characters. There's universal appeal here. Every parent has moments when they wonder if their children could be "enhanced," whether or not they're learning disabled - whether through the use of tutors or in the extreme situation in Gray Matter, through brain surgery.

I'm not a horror fan, but I love the way Braver draws you in and horrifies you. At several junctures, I found myself saying "Oh, no!" out loud (this was true with Elixir, Braver's earlier book, also excellent). While most of the brain altered kids are pretty scary to comtemplate, Brendan, a brain-altered teenager, is the exception and my favorite character. He's a fascinating young man whose mind doesn't function normally, and Braver does a superb job of letting you share his world.

Gray Matter is an easy read and totally accessible even though it's 400 pages of thought-provoking intelligent material. That's Braver's great strength and what makes his books stay with you after you finish them. The writing and characterization is great and the plots are totally unique and close enough to reality to have profound implications.

My last thought: He has some powerful descriptive passages,and I love the way he brings the Massachusetts setting to life, from the fictional wealthy suburb of Hawthorne to his description of Cambridge's Mass Ave: "With Harvard at one end and MIT at the other end, Mass Ave was like a giant filament blazing with the greatest concentration of mind power in the world." His use of language, for example, the way he uses the word "Incandescent", will draw you in and stay with you.

I read many mysteries and thrillers, but GRAY MATTER is one of the best I've read in years.

First, it's an original and clever story line that centers on the matter of children's intelligence, posing the controversial question, "Just how far would you go to significantly increase your child's IQ." Second, the book is masterfully written--a rarity for "thrillers". The language is fresh, precise, even lyrical in places. Yet the narrative thrust keeps you turning the pages. Third, and more importantly, unlike many mysteries and thrillers, GRAY MATTER resonates with philosophical, social, ethical, and moral issues that concern readers. And, yet, these issues are woven into an wildly imaginative story line so that you never feel that you're being preached to. On the contrary, you're pressed into questioning your own thoughts and feelings long after you've finished the book.

The story centers on a woman, Rachel Whitman, who appears to have everything going for her--health, youth, a successful marriage, money and a beautiful and charming six-year-old son, Dylan. But the boy has learning disabilities, and the mother learns that she is to blame. Other kids are beginning to make fun of him. And the Whitmans live in an upscale community where the rewards for intelligence are conspicuous. Ripped apart with guilt and anguish for her son, Rachel hears through the grapevine about a new expensive medical procedure that claims to turn slow kids into geniuses, and she's tempted. But at what cost? Meanwhile, a police detective from Cape Cod, MA is obsessed with the cold case of a missing child. Their stories cross and propel the novel to an explosive conclusion. I won't give anything else away. But if you're a parent, you should read this book since it will make you re-examine your notion of intelligence and what is most important to you regarding your children. Even if you don't have kids, read this book just to see just how well written a thriller can be.

Atkinson did a wonderful job with this book. Atkinson wrote about the West Point Class of 1966, following the lives of the men during their years at West Point, through Vietnam, and beyond. As he told a fascinating tale of the cultural changes in our country from the 1960's to the 1980's, he attacked a few Hollywood myths about the Vietnam experience. For one example, the army was not full of unhappy druggies at the time.

Atkinson shared anecdotes about many people, but he followed most closely the story of three. One was George Crocker, an army career man; then there was Tom Carhart, whose attitude towards the Vietnam War and the army went through peaks and valleys; and finally there was Jack Wheeler, who liked the army, but did not want to fight. To further flesh out our understanding of life in the army for the West Point graduate of 1966, Atkinson went into great detail on the lives of a couple of people who never served in the army. The two were a minister who worked at the West Point Chapel even though he was a civilian and a widow of an officer who survived Vietnam only to be killed in a border incident between North and South Korea.

The book was very well done, but it was not without flaw. Of course this problem might not have been possible to solve, given the scope of the work. As the lives of the graduates unfolded over the years, and Atkinson switched from one person's story to update another, it was sometimes hard to keep all the names straight. It was occasionally difficult to remember all the back story of someone and fit the new developments within the appropriate context. Again, this probably could not have been helped, since Atkinson wanted to cast his net as wide as possible to show us what life was really like for these people. He obviously could not narrow his focus without losing a part of the big picture.

This book was great for pleasure reading, but it was informative enough to serve as a wonderful resource for students of military history, Vietnam, and/or life in AMerica in the 1960's and 1970's.

My friend, whom graduated from West Point in 1991, recommended "The Long Gray Line" to me. My object for reading this book was that I wanted to learn more about the Vietnam War, what happened and why. I also wanted to understand more about the problems and turmoil that followed when the War was over. Further, I realised the book would be a great source of information about the West Point Academy, something I wanted to learn more about since my friend had attended the Academy. (A discussion with the same mentioned friend about the Vietnam War had left no doubt that I had considerable gaps in my knowledge of both West Point and the Vietnam War).

I was completely fascinated with the story, and it soon became impossible for me to put the book down. I even wished for longer commute to work, so I could read more (I already have 1 hrs 20 min of commuting each way to work!). After I had finished the book I asked my friend "Was is really like that at West Point?" and he answered "The book gives a 'pretty accurate' description of what it was like"..

The first part of this book is about the Academic life at West Point, and at times this part of the book is absolutely hilarious! It left me smiling and laughing for myself.. I love the way the author, Rick Atkinson, describes the different characters. I had no problems picturing the different events in my head and I finished the book feeling like I practically knew all these cadets. The latter part of the book is about the war and it's aftermath. This part of the book is incredibly moving. The author describes these young men's (and their families) trial and suffering so well that you almost feel it as if the pain was your own. This part of the book left me in tears more than one time.

I finished this book with a deeper comprehension of the pain and distress which Vietnam Veterans has experienced both while fighting for their country, and later returning home. Anyone interested in history, reading about the events and ideas that strongly influenced America in the latter part of the 20th century, should read this book. The words "Duty, Honour, and Country" will never mean the same to you after reading this book. It is not often that I read a book, which so deeply touches my heart as this one did!

To anyone who lives outside of the United States, the term West Point is synomous with military leadership. But how, someome is made into a West Pointer is always being a little engimatic. Rick Atkinson's brilliant book tells us what is like to attend West Point and also the leadership of men in combat and the pressures of command. His depiction of the West West Point years of the Class of 66 are great and full of stories that you would not read elsewhere. The Class of 1966 suffered West Point's greatest number of casualties in Vietnam and that section of the book is almost impossible to put down. The fight on Hill 875 is documented with great care and gives some idea of what a waste war is. The period after the war is also documented with great sensitivity especially the incident at the DMZ in August 1976 when Captain Art Bonifas was murdered by vengeful North Korean guards.

My only complaint with the new edition is that it could have gone into more detail about what class members have done since the original publication as some of these men were trusted with some of the US major military commands.

I'm a bit tired of all the "100 Ways to Improve Your....." books. The information they contain may be valuable but can you ever remember what you've read? In my case the answer is a big fat no! I can remember maybe 5% of the advice but the rest just seems to be forgotten although it seemed interesting and valuable at the time of reading.

Now you might ask yourself: "Why on Earth did he give it 4 stars then?". The answer is simple. 100 Ways to Improve Your Writing is a great reference book. Whenever your stuck, suffering from writer's block or having trouble with the lead of your copy, simply check the book. In many cases it can help you overcome whatever problem you might have with your copy.

I read the book from cover to cover. And I found it rather interesting. But as I said, I can never remember all the advice. So if you'r low on time, don't bother reading the book thoroughly. Skim it and get an overall idea of what it's about. Maybe just read the index.. And then use it largely when writing.

Not too many times, after you've left school do you sit back and go through your writing critically, in order to improve it. I believe this book to have a quality unlike many others: it takes you by the hand, and if you give it the necessary time, and USE the tips given, you'll soon realise you're writing in ways you never thought possible. It teaches you how to be critical of your own work, how to listen to what you write, how to look at things from a different perspective (put yourself in your reader's shoes, for example). It has so many ways in which it can help yourself, and yet, with Provost's humor, you never grow tired of it.

As of today, I'm past the middle of the book, and I have mixed feelings: on one side I don't want it to be over (I've just learned SO MUCH with it...) on the other I can't help to go through the rest of it to learn all that it has to offer (I guess I'll reread it later on, anyway!)

I have not read such a small but helpful book in a long time. It might easily translate into the best spent 5 bucks ever, if you're into writing.

I only write reviews for books that I love or books that disgust me. This one I loved. I've written two books (The Journey To Teams and The Kaizen Revolution) that have sold (so far) a total of 6,500 copies. "100 Ways" helped me become a much better writer. I carefully applied each "tip" as I wrote and edited the first, second, and final drafts of each of my books. I felt great as my writing became dramatically more clear and lively. I'm not a great writer (yet), but I've gone from "awful" to "pretty darn decent." I'm starting on a third book now, and I will read "100 Ways" again. You can't be too good at the basics.

By the way, at least two other reviewers said this book would be better if it was updated. Pure bunk. Good writing is good writing - it hasn't changed in 50 years and it won't change in the next 50. Wake up and smell the coffee.