For anyone who wants to understand the passing game. This book is easy to read, has lots of diagrams, and is user friendly. If you want the tools needed to implement a winning passing game this book is for you!

Coach Rice has produced a masterpiece which has withstood the test of time. Although written in the 1980's, "Winning Football With the Air Option Passing Game" remains an important treatise on using formations and motion to isolate a given defender against two receivers. Quarterback reads then become as easy as checking one receiver and coming off to the other if the first is covered.

This makes Rice's book invaluable to those coaches who are looking to insert some passing into a ground-based attack, rather than spreading out five receivers and throwing on every down.

Of course, Coach Rice does such a masterly job of explaining and diagramming his pass route combinations that even pass-happy offensive coordinators will find useful insights here.

Highly recommended.

This book is loaded with lots of tips needed for the newlywed, or first time homemaker. Ms. Sandberg has freely shared, poems, devotions, craft tips and some of her favorite recipes in this book. It is a definate help, loaded with spirit building and time saving tips that anyone would find helpful.

This book is the best help book I have ever read. It is not only for newlyweds or new homemakers but also for anyone who just wants a change in the household. It has hospitality tips and all. It makes a good housewarming, anniversary or wedding gift.

This isn't a book I would race right out and buy, but it is an easy flowing story, and interesting enough to keep you turning pages. Dianne Robbins plays Super Mom, raising a hopelessly and terminal child, taking in a foster child, working and being a single mom. The grandmother is kind of cute, she lives with Dianne, and makes a few happy appearances. The love story behind all this is a little strange. Dianne and Alan only had one date, yet they seem to have always 'longed' for each other. Dianne married Alan's brother, who left her pregnant when he found out the baby was severely deformed. Luanne Rice tries to convince us that Dianne hates Alan because of what his brother did, but it doesn't wash real well, and the outcome is predictable. And throwing in the part where the deformed child has her say kind of puts a fakeness on the whole story. I hated the ending, I think you will too. I got the feeling that the author had to end it in a hurry and used whatever means available to do so. But it's okay. If you are bored and nothing else is around, you might like it.

This book will take your breath away! The characters were written so well, I felt like I knew them myself. Dianne is an incredible person, the unconditional love she gives her daughter Julia, who was born with birth defects. Her strong heart for over coming the blow of her husband Tim leaving her when Julia was born. If I could have had a word with Tim myself, I would have blown him out of this world! At first when I started reading this story, I thought, "This is so cheesy", but man, I changed tunes about half way through the book. Amy's character will warm your heart and take you by surprise as well as Lucinda. Even though the story is really about Dianne and Julia, the others fit in so well and make it seem so heart warming. I have to admit, Alan, Tims brother almost seems to good to be true. Get your tissues ready and enjoy a heart warming story. The end will simply make you cry - Julia's Story. Some how I felt so much better about how Julia felt and what she really understood after I read the ending, you will absolutely close this book and think about it for days, It is definetly a story of "Following the Stars Home",as difficult as it was, Dianne did, she followed her heart!!!

I love romance novels but I hate tear-jerkers. I won't read a story if I know it's going to make me cry. Luanne Rice's previous book, Cloud Nine, was absolutely wonderful even though I cried buckets over it. (I didn't know that it was going to be that sad.) Even though this new book, Follow the Stars Home is magical, I must warn you that it also has a few tears. The characters - Alan, Dianne, Lucinda, Amy, Julia, Tim - are all so real, you don't want to let them go when the book is finished. The plot is pure soap opera: woman marries the "wrong" brother, bears a disabled child, husband leaves, while angelic doctor-brother lovingly and patiently waits in the wings to take over from irresponsible brother. Small scenes are full of love and caring; big dramatic scenes make you catch your breath in fear and apprehension. This book is far above a standard romance. Rice is truly gifted and talented and I will continue to read her with great joy, even knowing there's bound to be some teary moments.

Belinda was one of those books that I picked up on a whim, and I am glad that I did. Pedophilia isn't something I condone, mind you, but it does make for an interesting read. The characters are a bit underdeveloped for my taste, and I didn't much care for the blase attitude of Belinda herself. However, that is an integral part of why this book was hard to put down. As an Anne Rice fan, this book strikes me as an odd duck when looking into the rest of her novels, but it does somehow round out the collection. Not the most highly recommended, but still engaging enough to rate 4 stars.

I really enjoyed this book. This was the very first Anne Rice novel that I have read. I found her to be a wonderful writer. Once I picked this book up, I literally could not put it down. I loved all of the characters. The storyline about Jeremy and Belinda is what first drew me in. As I kept on reading, I got more and more addicted to the story and the lives of these characters. I also loved how part one is from Jeremy's point of view and then part two is from Belinda's. I was truly entranced with Anne Rice's novel. After reading this book, I'm even more interested in reading her other novels. I would recommend this book to anyone that believes in the power of love.

I don't know if people just live to be negative and read books just to bash them (*coughszellycoughs*) but really i enjoyed this book. i always read the review of the customers before i go out and buy a book, and so i came across zelly's eventful bashing of the book and decided against it. the book was given to me as a given because i love anne rice, and so i gathered my courage and read the book.

boy was i suprised. i was skeptical about it, i at first thought it was disgusting, a 44 year old and a 16 year old?? but really i got caught up in the hype right away. of course it's unbelievable! it's fiction! it's meant to take you away into a different world where things happen that can't happen in the real world. think of it as fantasy if you want to. i was totally lost in the book. i felt like i was part of it. i for one did not read it for the sex, in fact sex wasn't even part of it. i roll my eyes at the thought, really. i think anne did a good job of story telling it, and for a few moments i actually thought jeremy and belinda were actually in love love love. but then i realized it was just abook. i forget at times that their age gap is so big, i don't even think of it until they mention it in the book. and the remark zelly made about how it mentions everyone is beautiful every other line, well really it's how anne rice writes! i guess it's because i'm an artist and writer myself, but some people just see the human form and think it's beautiful. one can see beauty almost anymore. i can look at an old woman and her wrinkles and wisdom and say that's beautiful. a woman is beautiful, so is a man, it's all on how you see it. and if this were to be made into a movie, perhaps the characters wouldn't be all god glorifying beautiful but some would see it so. i thought the book was beautifully written, the plot was engrossing, and it actually gave closure. it was long and perfect for a lazy day's reading, not like those cheap novels you buy at the super market under 300 pages long. it was one of anne rice's better books, i believe. so take my advice, if a review does not at least say one good thing about the book don't believe it. chances are it's just one of those critic wanna bes who want to say only negative things about everything. make your own opinion after you read it, and if you don't wanna slap down the money go to a library!

I first read this book about 10 years ago, right after it was published. I used to bring it with me to my office job, reading on my lunch break, and I can understand how some people here say it scared them to read this in the dark. It used to scare me even in broad daylight! The descriptions of the spirit world were maybe just a little too eerie. But this story of a family of witches and the spirit that does their bidding, spanning over 300 years, will hook you. Anne Rice has always had a wonderfully evocative use of language and details. She also has an impressive command of different narrative techniques (e.g., third person, journal style, essay-narrative) and she uses several of them here, weaving one fabulous story from different perspectives - a story rich with believable anecdotes about life in the past as well as present. And these characters are some of the fleshiest, most sensual that you will find anywhere. They come to life with her words. I go back and read The Witching Hour about once a year, and still can't get over it. The Vampire Chronicles are also superb, but if you were to read one Anne Rice, make it this one. If it weren't for the abrupt-seeming ending, I would call it her masterpiece (clearly where the story is concerned, it helps to read the next two installments). But still an amazing and uniquely satisfying read.

I must confess that I planned to avoid reading Anne Rice at all costs, but after I was dragged to her October signing of VIOLIN at Garden Books, I picked up a copy of THE WITCHING HOUR. Even so, it took me nearly ten months to get around to reading it, and what a waste those ten months were! Anne, I dealt you a literary slight! This book is perhaps the richest, most intriguing work I have read, and I cannot remember being so captivated by a story in quite a long time.... There is such an aura of mystery and romance surrounding the generations of Mayfairs... from the captivating Charlotte and her intense affair with Petyr to the proud (although poorly developed) Marie Claudette and her empire at Riverbend, each Mayfair witch and woman brings new meaning to the word "power." The lives presented by Rice are intensely controlled by the surreal force of Lasher, and the true genius lies in Rice's presentation: each witch believes him or herself to be the domina! te ruler, to be in control of the spirits, to be king of the family. It is not so. I must say, New Orleans will hold a new haunted appeal for me when I return to college this fall, armed with LASHER, TALTOS, and any other Rice I can get my hands on. I just hope that the remaining books in the Mayfair saga will not disappoint.

I loved the Vampires (at least up to Body Thief) and adored the Mummy, but I think Witching Hour is her best. The HUGE book is absolutely compelling from beginning to end. The Book moves from Modern day story of a young woman, the end product of centuries of witches that are under control of "the Man" called Lasher( because he could make the trees lash when he was angry) into the past of her ancestors. Each generation of the "Mayfair Witches" there was a chosen female that 'inherited' the man, and he brought power, he brought madness.

The book leisurely details the woman's modern day life, returning to New Orleans for the funeral of her mother, the base of the family of witches male and female, and comes to terms with her heritage, Lasher and a destiny plotted for her leading to a horrific coming: bring Lasher into this world. We see a lot of the tale through the eyes of the people around this family, as the agent for the Talamasca (seen in the Vampire Cycle), the watchers and recorders of witches and vampires, collect the tales on the family.

It is a leisurely paced book, that brings one into mind of New Orleans' slower pace, but it's spellbinding, haunting, deceptively mesmerising. When she moves the tale of the Mayfair witches into the past and traces each generation of witch from early Scotland on, she is breathtaking. Rice uses ancient Scots lore and gives it a new life in her evocative, provoking tale that will keep you hypnotised as few works do.

Don't think she was better before or since. It's simply a master piece. Followed up with Lasher, Taltos and Merrick.

A Density of Souls, written by Christopher Rice, is a coming of age story focused around four high school students. Stephen, Meredith, Greg, and Brandon grew up in New Orleans as best friends until high school started. The friendship splits after Stephen's sexual incident with the group the summer before entering Cannon High. From then on, Stephen is a sensitive freshman who is afraid of his homosexuality, and is ostracized by his former friends. The narrative is then guided by juvenile emotions and displays of cruelty.
After two mysterious deaths the story line jumps ahead 5 years. The friends are brought back together to discover the truth about the murders and the characters themselves.
Rice uses 3rd person omniscient point of view to tell the story. He uses detailed descriptions of the character's thoughts and feelings to bring them to life for the reader. Rice also incorporates imagery to effectively introduce to setting. A Density of Souls is mainly based on the theme of betrayal. Stephen, the protagonist, deals with betrayal of his supposed friends through most of the novel.
I cannot compare the plot of this book to any other books I've read. Rice portrays the high school scene in a graphic and tragic way. Son of the events in the story seemed forced and unnatural. While the book was entertaining and held my interest, I didn't feel a major connection with the characters or the story itself. I would recommend this book to someone who is looking for a different type of read. Be aware that the book can entertain, or greatly offend its reader.

Good Lord, was this fun to read. Involving from page one all the way through, with enough sex, shocks and Southern-friend secrets to keep me up way past The Witching Hour. Turning on four childhood chums torn apart, initially, by some dirty doings by a trio of the gang as high school looms, the book then careens from one tragic event to the next, all colliding five years later amid the clutter of ruined families and friendships. It's at this point that Rice's storytelling, much like the novel's characters, begins to show signs of maturity. Shadowy alliances develop between former enemies, a surprisingly touching love story emerges, only to be shattered by violence and a major character arrives halfway through the book and factors into every plotline without feeling contrived. Using hate groups, old-world New Orleans alcoholics and twentysomething angst, Rice has a simmering mystery here filled with believable characters both young and old, as well as heroic ones bravely stained with flaws. Much will probably be made of the fact that the author is Anne Rice's 21-year-old son, or the book's "gay" content. And that'll be a shame, because it may distract readers from a wholly satisfying novel that not only shows promise, but fulfills some as well.

I picked up Density of Souls because I am an Anne Rice fan and had read an article about Christopher. Knowing he has excellent writer-genes I wondered what he would come up with. Within the first chapter I was hooked. The characters are vivid full techni-color souls with their own set of demons and secrets. What makes this book so real is that everyone has been tormented by classmates however, Christopher Rice takes what can be perceived as harmless schoolhood traumas and exploits them into full blown tragedy. The tale begins with four friends practicing their own set of rituals however, Rice hints at the onset of something bigger running through the quad. The beginning felt like "The Body" by Stephen King but this tale soon blossomed into a mixture of VC Andrews weirdness. While you will not find vampires or witches in this novel... there are many subtle nuances to keep you guessing.

I look forward to reading more work by Christopher Rice. His style is straight forward and flavorful at the same time. His character development is intriguing and very complex. If you're looking for a good read this is a good avenue to wander down.

Before I read this, I'd heard a lot of bad things about it, but I decided to try it anyways.

I loved it. It was something new and different, and kept me excited.

Once again, Lestat is the main character. He's getting tired of his immortality, so he decides to trade bodies with the Body Thief, Raglan James, for a few days. Lestat is so eager to be mortal again that he fails to see Raglan for what he really is: a clever, lying thief.

Lestat finally realizes how blessed he was to be immortal. As a mortal man, he gets very sick and almost dies (he's also haunted by Claudia, his dead vampire child, in his dreams).

With the help of his mortal friend David Talbot, Lestat attempts to get his immortal body back from Raglan.

The only thing that disappointed me was that it didn't have the same...feel...as the previous books. I seem to prefer the 1700's settings like there was in "Interview With the Vampire".

There is also a big part at the end, but I wouldn't want to spoil it for anybody. : )

I've been a loyal Anne Rice reader (and vampire fan) for some time now, and it all started with this book! Rather than the usual run down vampire plot (in which a normal person is transformed unwillingly into a vampire and has trouble coping) or the "classic" horror movie motif (usually along the lines of a psychotic vampire terrorizing everyone on his mad and seemingly pointless killing sprees), Anne Rice has pulled through with a truly innovative plot from deep whithin the regions of imagination. The Tale of the Body Thief is the story of a once powerful and headstrong vampire who finds himself with the prosect of becoming human again. He readily accepts the mysterious stranger's offer and recieves what he has always wanted- or has he? Lestat soon realizes that being human isn't all wonderful moments and experiences. He finds himself longing for his strong vampiric body back, only to find that the man he traded bodies with has reneged on their agreement and decided to keep his body after all. Lestat now finds himself in unfamiliar territory- unable to defend himself. All the more determined, he calls upon the help of an old friend, and all of his tricks and cunning. Filled with magic, chases, and friendship, The Tale of the Body Thief leads both characters and readers on an adventure that is sure to change their perspectives forever

Anne Rice continues her saga with the same colorful images and characters from her first three books. Lestat, wishing for just awhile to become human again, trades bodies with a mysterious man. But what he finds is far from the sunlit paradise he expected. Instead, he ends up with surprises he didn't expect....and a disaster befalls him when the human in his vampire body runs rampant across the globe.

I laughed at Lestat's struggle with being human, then nearly cried at the sacrifice Gretchen tells of. (I am a pianist myself, understand.) David is still his stubborn self, but with a well-written twist that chilled me to the core when I read it. This book really covered all the bases of emotions. And the descriptions are vivid enough to make me feel as though I really am in Miami; an $8 vacation, so to speak.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who had read the others. I only hope that Memnoch the Devil will continue this trend.

I bought the three all at one time when told that these were some kind of "new" work by Anne Rice writing under an (in)famous pseudonym. New? Well, that is an understatement.

The first one had poor Beauty in the castle with her prince. Now she has been a bad girl (Rice's favorite kind, apparently) and joins her fellow slaves in a town of the common folk for fun and games. I think everyone at some time has thought of at least a variation of this - having beautiful gals (or handsome guys) around for pleasure. Giving literary license, one can almost find this stuff in the realm of possibility at some point way in the past. Again, we have a suffering of the soul and again all those mixed feelings in which Rice excels.

Like the other two books of the series Beauty's Punishment puts an very erotic spin on the old fairy tale. This series was my first time reading litterature on this particular area of sexual fantasy but it was so enthralling that I couldn't put the books down once I was drawn into the world of Beauty. If you have an open mind about various aspects of sexuality this book is one not to be missed.

Beauty's Punishment is the continuation of The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty, Anne Rice's erotic retelling of the popular fairy tale. In the second installment, Beauty is punished for having rebelled against the Prince. She, along with Prince Tristan, an insubordinate slave and object of Beauty's desire, is auctioned, captivated and subjected to the most erotic, tantalizing and cruel games of domination and submission. Again, Anne Rice does an excellent job in illustrating the psychological implications of the human desire. She also does a splendid job in taking the course of the story to unexpected turns...

There are various differences between The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty and its sequel. In Beauty's Punishment, the language is less fanciful and more explicit. Also, Prince Tristan is the focal character in this book -- thus, making Beauty seem as though she were a secondary character at times. And I noticed that the erotic scenes are far steamier this time. The changes are brilliant, for it makes the story meatier -- so to speak.

I am duly impressed with Ms. Rice's ecstatic imagination and excellent prose. This is erotica at its literary best! I can't wait to know what happens to Beauty and Tristan in the conclusion of this (so far) memorable trilogy!

If anyone has read any of Mrs. Rice's novels, they are fully aware of how captivating her books can be. At times her new book "Pandora" is just every bit as enthralling, though every now and then "Pandora" seemes rushed and cut short from the truly wonderful masterpiece it could have been. On the other hand, I believe this book will suppress the inexplicable hungering void that Anne Rice so horribly left for her devoted fans. Honestly after the novel "Memnoch the Devil" I thought Anne was done with continuing the Vampire Chronicles, but "Pandora" is definitely a welcomed new edition to the club. In "Pandora" Mrs. Rice goes back into time during Ancient Rome. Mrs. Rice sets the story up to be the auto-biography of the vampire Pandora, whom first appeared as just a name in the book "The Vampire Lestat". The story is initiated at the request of the young fledgeling vampire David Talbot. As the story unfolds, young mortal Pandora the only daughter of a powerful Roman Senator, discovers she is an independant woman. Then not too easly fooled when accused of betraying her family, she is thrust into a new land and new concept of life in the ancient city of Antioch. Where she finds love, religion, and that oh so wonderful Dark Gift every Anne Rice devotee would "die for". For those of you who have not read any of the other chronicles, you need not to, to understand "Pandora". In fact if you have not read any of the other chronicle books, "Pandora" is still an intruiging book and will leave you thirsting for more and more. Buy them all, read them and then read them again, trust me...also..Get ready for another installment with the book of Armand coming soon!!

I admit I'm an obsessed Vampire Chronicles fan, but even if I weren't, I would really enjoy this book. This would be the book to give someone who says they don't like vampire stories or that Anne Rice is a bad writer. This book requires little knowledge of any of Riceh's previous vampire books and contains universal themes.

I thought I would hate this book, so when it came out, I skipped it. I had read the five previous vampire novels, but I skipped this one because I didn't think I would like Pandora and it was a "new tale" so I skipped it. I read The Vampire Armand (which I loved simply for being so much richer, not the short tale told here) but it wasn't until recently that I picked up the book and gave it a chance. I'm glad I did. It is beautifully written and a new take on the vampire experience, the human experience. It's a good look at the ancient world as well, although I think many readers give Rice too much credit for all his "historic research" because there are still lapses in here, but overall it's quite an intersesting look at life in ancient Rome and those times.

I would recommend this book to anyone but sexual puritans, people who are bored by history, or those people who can't handle philosophy. I also think Christians would be offended by this book.

I remember the feeling I had seeing an advertisement for this book prior to the release date. It was pure excitement. I had just finished reading 'Violin' and 'Servant of the Bones', and was hungry for more Anne Rice.

Pandora came along, and although I was a bit disappointed at first to see that it was a 'smaller' novel, in reading it I found much more content that I had anticipated.

Pandora's tale, as told in journal form to David Talbot, the self-appointed 'chronicler' of the vampires, is far more romantic than Anne Rice's prior vampire works. Pandora's childhood infatuation with Marius, which grows into genuine love as Pandora becomes a young woman, is every bit as heartfelt as Armand's infatution with Marius in the following vampire chronicle, The Vampire Armand.

The historical realization of this novel, set in ancient Rome and Antioch, is a departure of sorts from the other vampire tales. While the novels based upon the tale of Lestat tend toward a more religious exploration, this 'new tale' reveals more of Marius, and entices Anne Rice fans to want more of him. Pandora receives the 'dark gift' from Marius, after an attack from another vampire, who seeks to kill Pandora as revenge on Marius, for keeping the King and Queen of the vampires hidden away from him. Through 'Pandora' it is clear that Marius is a force to be reckoned with, and hopefully the stage is set for a future novel of his own.

Although this novel is Pandora's tale, so much of it is wrapped up in the tale of Marius that it is easy to lose the focus. However, Pandora is a strong heroine for Anne Rice, developed from an 'in passing' character from Queen of the Damned, and a very entertaining read.

I have to admit that I have not really given Jack London his proper due up to now. Perhaps it is because I don't by my nature like outdoor adventure type stories, or perhaps it is because I associate White Fang and "To Build a Fire" with my youth. The fact is that Jack London is a tremendously talented writer. His understanding of the basics of life matches his great knowledge of the snow-enshrouded world of the upper latitudes. The Call of the Wild, despite its relative brevity and the fact that it is (at least on its surface) a dog's story, contains as much truth and reality of man's own struggles as that which can be sifted from the life's work of many another respected author. The story London tells is starkly real; as such, it is not pretty, and it is not elevating. As an animal lover, I found parts of this story heartbreaking: Buck's removal from the civilized Southland in which he reigned supreme among his animal kindred to the brutal cold and even more brutal machinations of hard, weathered men who literally beat him and whipped him full of lashes is supremely sad and bothersome. Even sadder are the stories of the dogs that fill the sled's traces around him. Poor good-spirited Curly never has a chance, while Dave's story is made the more unbearable by his brave, undying spirit. Even the harsh taskmaster Spitz has to be pitied, despite his harsh nature, for the reader knows full well that this harsh nature was forced upon him by man and his thirst for gold. Buck's travails are long and hard, but the nobility of his spirit makes of him a hero--this despite the fact that his primitive animal instincts and urges continually come to dominate him, pushing away the memory and reality of his younger, softer days among civilized man. Buck not only conquers all--the weather, the harshness of the men who harness his powers in turn, the other dogs and wolves he comes into contact with--he thrives. This isn't a story to read when you are depressed. London's writing is beautiful, poignant, and powerful, but it is also somber, sometimes morose, infinitely real, and at times gut-wrenching and heartbreaking.

The two rivals circle the ring, probing for any point of weakness. The duel has lasted longer than either competitor had anticipated. Weakened by fatigue, the challenger feints high and goes for a crippling blow. No, this is not a boxing title match in Las Vegas. This is a life-and-death struggle of one domestic dog for survival in the cold, icy, barren regions of the Alaskan plains. This is a clash between the civilized and the primordial. This is the conflict between domestication and liberation. This is the Call of the Wild.

Jack London centers his story on a dog by the name of Buck. Buck is a big, strong dog, his father being a St. Bernard and his mother being a Scottish shepherd dog. At one hundred and forty pounds, Buck was no mere house pet. Kept physically strong with a love of rigorous swimming and constant outdoor exercise, Buck was a lean, formidable dog. Undoubtedly, his great condition was part of the reason that the gardener's helper dog-napped and sold him to dog traders, who in turn sold him to Canadian government mail couriers. The gold rush in Alaska had created a huge demand for good dogs, which eventually led to the "disappearances" of many dogs on the West Coast. Buck was no exception. He was sold into a hostile environment, which was unforgiving and harsh. Although civilization domesticated him from birth, Buck soon begins almost involuntarily to rediscover himself, revealing a "primordial urge", a natural instinct, which London refers to as the Call of the Wild.

This book is set in the Klondike, a region in Alaska that was literally stormed by thousands of men looking to get rich quick via the gold rush. Transportation was increasingly important, but horses were near useless in winter, prone to slip and fall on snow and ice. Dogs were by far the best means of transportation in Alaska at the time, somewhere near the end of the 19th century. As the demand for dogs grew, the prices for good dogs skyrocketed. This price hike inevitably created a black-market- style selling of dogs, and the gardener's helper Manuel did what many men did; they sold the dogs for a good price.

A recurring theme in London's novel is the clash between natural instinct and domesticated obedience. Soon after the dog traders captured Buck, a man broke him with a club. Buck is thoroughly humiliated, but learned an all-important truth of the wild: The law of club and fang. Kill or be killed. Survival is above all. Buck resolved to himself to give way to men with clubs. In the beginning, Buck had problems with this new restriction, but learned that when his masters' hands hold whips or clubs, he must concede. However, that did not keep Buck from doing little deeds like stealing a chunk of bacon behind his masters' backs. However, as London says, "He did not steal for joy of it, but because of the clamor of his stomach . In short, the things he did were done because it was easier to do them than not to do them." In this way Buck learns the way of the wild but also acknowledges his inferiority to men with clubs or whips. Eventually in this novel, Buck throws away his old life completely and replaces it with his natural urge, the primordial version of himself, the Call of the Wild.

Another underlying theme is the relationship between dog and master. In the beginning, Buck is acquainted with the Judge with a dignified friendship, his sons with hunting partnership, his grandsons with protective guardianship, the mail couriers Francois and Perrault with a mutual respect. Against the man with a club he despised but gave respect. However, when Buck met John Thornton, he loved his master for the first time ever. There wasn't anything Buck wouldn't do for his master. Twice Buck saved Thornton's life, and pulled a thousand pounds of weight for Thornton's sake. Even after Buck routinely left his master's camp to flirt with nature, Buck always came back to appreciate his kind master. However, even after Thornton was gone and Buck had released all memories of his former life, Buck never forgot the kind hands of his master, even after answering the Call of the Wild.

Jack London truly brings Buck to life. Using a limited 3rd person view, the reader is told of Buck's thoughts and actions. Obviously, London gave several ideal human qualities to Buck, including a sharp wit, rational reasoning, quick thinking, and grounded common sense. However, he does not over-exaggerate the humanity in Buck, which would have given an almost cartoon-like feeling for a reader. Rather, being a good observer, London saw how dogs acted and worked backwards, trying to infer what the dogs think. The result is a masterful blend of human qualities and animal instinct that is entirely believable. It is obvious that Buck's experience was similar to many other dogs' experiences.

This novelette is a chiling, gripping masterpiece of Survival lore, set in the brutal harshness of the Yukon during the Alaskan gold rush of 1897. The plot is the gradual metamorphosis of Buck--a splendid rancho dog of the warm, soft Southlands (part St.Bernanrd/part German Shepherd). From pampered pet on his master's country estate, he is kidnpaped and sold into the bondage of dogteam slavery for sheer Greed, where he endures the horrors of weather plus those of cruel and stupid men. Yet Buck ultimately carves out his own domain in the bitter wilderness, leaving a legacy of prodigious strength, cunning and ferocity. When his last master dies, he answers the growing Call to revert to his ancestors' wild state, as the alpha male of a wolf pack. Despite little dialogue, this book reads swiftly and holds your interest. Fiction made absolutely Real by the pen of a master!