I kind of like this one. It gives quite the geography lesson all wrapped up in water. Each chapter is informative and could be read in a single setting. I like how simple the Grand Canyon is explained in the second chapter. The point of the book is the whole river and the author does a nice job of introducing all of the rivers components. But the best chapter is five, the people of the Colorado Basin. It starts not with Euro-man but with the Anasazi. Chapter six is the geography lesson. The map on page 11 should have been re-printed back here for the young reader to reference. I was going to rate this book a four until I saw the 'To Find Out More Section'. It make this book a Wow. It recommends even web sites and a CD-ROM.

Taking the old saying that if you dig far enough, you will come out at China, Donna Rawlins has created a really fun picture book.

Alexis lives next door to Marj, an elderly woman. They are great friends and work in the garden together. One time Marj said that she would always have liked to have visited China, and that her mother had told her if she started digging and went far enough, she would come out in China. This provides Alexis with the inspiration she needs, particularly as she needs to get a present for Marj for her birthday....

Richly illustrated, imaginative and fun. It also has a lovely story to tell about the friendship between the elderly people, Marj and her husband Bob and the little girl.

Thoroughly recommended.

Dane Rawlins takes you on an adventure of starting out on the lunge and takes you all the way to piaffe and passage. This book is more of a problem solver than a general guide, but it works well for both the amateur or the professional rider.

Plot as per back of book: "Jolie Duval often leapt before she looked ... that's how she wound up losing so many jobs. And needing this one badly enough to marry Mike Kramer to get it. Which led to CALAMITY #1 -- Maybe signing on as cook hadn't been such a hot idea. Well, actually, it was hot. The kitchen that is. From the fire. But that was only because of CALAMITY #2 -- Mike. Jolie knew why she wanted him -- although once they were stranded together in a secluded paradise she got a few ideas. But what did he want with her? It was definitely a mistake to marry a stranger -- but that wasn't half as bad as CALAMITY #3 -- Falling for him."

A humorous take on romance

My mother gave me this book when I got married, and it was one of the best gifts I received! Rawlins talks about specific ways to truly make your marriage a covenant. She tells beautiful stories about her marriage, and what she learned from it before her husband's death. She explains how to build your husband's self-esteem, as well as your children's by being a loving and holy wife. I plan to give this to all of my Christian friends and relatives who are married.

Missing on Castaway Island tells about a sixteen year old girl named Megan Parnell. She is on a camping trip with her mom, Darren (her new step-father), and Peter (her step-brother and long-time friend). While walking in the woods, Megan and Peter find a Vietnamese girl named Thuy. The family works together to search for Thuy's missing brother. The result is one that you won't want to miss! This book reveals the importance of trusting God. The Megan Parnell series, by Joan Rawlins Biggar, is one of my favorite series.

I have used this book often. It is a slim volume,but if one does the written exercises jazz improv becomes possible and easier.
All exercises are in all keys and the explanations for them are reasonable and clear.

I was recently assigned this book by a Java computer course as a general read. As I am not new to the ideas of computers and/or programming them, and even though this book is geared towards newcomers to the computer world, I still learnt interesting facts.

"Slaves of the Machine" was written with a very clear and informal style, and even discusses some new facts that most computer knowledgeable people will find interesting, such as the history of the computers. At times I feel Rawlins exaggerates the movement of computers and is looking too far in future for us to comprehend (ie. humans catching viruses from computers).

This is not to say it is not possible; it does send chills down my spine when I think about some of the topics that Rawlins discusses.

This book will be a superb read for people who are new to the concept and theories of computers. Analogies are packed in this book and this makes grasping some of the issues much easier. Other topics discussed is how man programs the computer, and the current limits of the machines.

If you ever wondered how computers came about and want some insight on where computers may take us in the future (or where we may take them), and whether you are a novice or experienced computer user, I would recommend this book. It's not filled with techie-stuff but written in plain, casual English.

Can a book have atmosphere? If it can, then this book has it. The descriptions of the school yard took me back, in a flash, to my elementary school in Long Beach, California years ago. Do you remember school rooms in bungalows? And tetherball? Mosley is absolutely THE master of dialogue. Sometimes too much of one author can get tiresome, but not in this case. I read BLACK BETTY just before this book and the dialogue continues to be fresh and sparkling. I enjoyed the dry humor sprinkled throughout the story. It suits Easy very well and I'd like to see more of it in future books. The foray into the culinary experience was another new addition that I liked a lot. The main story line held together well and moved along almost effortlessly. I finished this book yesterday and I still don't know how I feel about the ending. I'm sure it will stay with me for a long while. Walter Mosley is one of the best authors around today, in my opinion. I eagerly await the next installment in the saga of Easy Rawlins

Can a book have atmosphere? If it can, then this book has it. The descriptions of the school yard took me back, in a flash, to my elementary school in Long Beach, California years ago. Do you remember school rooms in bungalows? And tetherball? Mosley is absolutely THE master of dialogue. Sometimes too much of one author can get tiresome, but not in this case. I read BLACK BETTY just before this book and the dialogue continues to be fresh and sparkling. I enjoyed the dry humor sprinkled throughout the story. It suits Easy very well and I'd like to see more of it in future books. The foray into the culinary experience was another new addition that I liked a lot. The main story line held together well and moved along almost effortlessly. I finished this book yesterday and I still don't know how I feel about the ending. I'm sure it will stay with me for a long while. Walter Mosley is one of the best authors around today, in my opinion. I eagerly await the next installment in the saga of Easy Rawlins

Can a book have atmosphere? If it can, then this book has it. The descriptions of the school yard took me back, in a flash, to my elementary school in Long Beach, California years ago. Do you remember school rooms in bungalows? And tetherball? Mosley is absolutely THE master of dialogue. Sometimes too much of one author can get tiresome, but not in this case. I read BLACK BETTY just before this book and the dialogue continues to be fresh and sparkling. I enjoyed the dry humor sprinkled throughout the story. It suits Easy very well and I'd like to see more of it in future books. The foray into the culinary experience was another new addition that I liked a lot. The main story line held together well and moved along almost effortlessly. I finished this book yesterday and I still don't know how I feel about the ending. I'm sure it will stay with me for a long while. Walter Mosley is one of the best authors around today, in my opinion. I eagerly await the next installment in the saga of Easy Rawlins.

Raymond Chandler made the definitive statement about L.A.'s Santa Ana Winds at the beginning of his short story "Red Wind." In Easy Rawlins' L.A., the hot, dry winds that fill the lungs with cactus dust and make the skin peel around the fingernails never seem to stop.

Easy is in search of an erotic dream woman from his childhood who is being sought by one of those rich white families who have more skeletons than clothes in their closets. Around the same time, the very dangerous Raymond "Mouse" Alexander is released from the pen; and Easy's attempt to make a killing in the real estate market run up against a brick wall.

There are plot threads aplenty, and enough characters to fill a passenger liner. Mosley is too good a writer to leave any threads untied, but I do get lost at times with some of the characters. One bad dude is not heard from for a hundred pages when he commits a particularly heinous murder at the very end. "Oh, yeah, wasn't he the guy that ...?" Sometimes, I would have welcomed the list of characters, complete with nicknames, that occasionally accompanies an 800-page Russian novel.

What makes this a minor complaint is that Mosley has such a great sense of place and so much feeling for his characters. We don't meet the character he calls "Black Betty" until the end of the novel, but we keep seeing vignettes from Easy's past that keep building up the suspense, and any expectations are more than fulfilled by an ending that is bloodier than the last act of Hamlet.

Easy Rawlins is a complex character. I enjoy getting to know him better in each of Mosley's books. But because Walter Mosley has such a wonderful talent for character development, I probably will never have Easy figured out completely. What amazes me about these books is that they read like a serial but any one of them can stand on it's own without any long, detailed introductions or explanations. Black Betty does not disappoint. Easy juggles several situations at once and manages to bring order and justice to his world by the end of the book. I think the most endearing quality of Easy's is the love and care he gives to his kids, Jesus and Feather. The time spent with his family gives a good balance to the darker side of his life on the streets. There are some big surprises in this story...some good and some sad and good at the same time. I bought this book a long time ago and saved it until the next Easy Rawlings book came out so I could read them both at the same time because when I finish a Walter Mosley book I always want more. I wish he could write 'em as fast as I can read 'em.

Easy Rawlins is a complex character. I enjoy getting to know him better in each of Mosley's books. But because Walter Mosley has such a wonderful talent for character development, I probably will never have Easy figured out completely. What amazes me about these books is that they read like a serial but any one of them can stand on it's own without any long, detailed introductions or explanations. Black Betty does not disappoint. Easy juggles several situations at once and manages to bring order and justice to his world by the end of the book. I think the most endearing quality of Easy's is the love and care he gives to his kids, Jesus and Feather. The time spent with his family gives a good balance to the darker side of his life on the streets. There are some big surprises in this story...some good and some sad and good at the same time. I bought this book a long time ago and saved it until the next Easy Rawlings book came out so I could read them both at the same time because when I finish a Walter Mosley book I always want more. I wish he could write 'em as fast as I can read 'em