HA LLEGADO A MIS MANOS ESTE EXCELENTE LIBRO Y LO VIVI MUY PROFUNDAMENTE PORQUE CONOZCO MUY DE CERCA LAS COSTUBRES ARABES Y MUY POCAS LAS COMPARTO. NECESITO SABER QUE HA PASADO CON NADIA NO PUEDO DEJAR DE PENSAR EN ELLA Y EN SU HERMANA Y EN TANTAS OTRAS NIÑAS QUE POR POSEER MENOS CARACTER PUEDEN HABER SUFRIDO LA MISMA SUERTE Y QUE PROBABLEMENTE MUCHAS OTRAS NIÑAS LA PODRAN SUFRIR EN EL FUTURO. ALGUIEN TIENE QUE PODER AYUDAR A QUE ESTA ESCLAVITUD SE DETENGA, QUE SE RESPETE LA VIDA Y SE RESPETE LA LIBERTAD DE LA MUJER. DESDE LA DISTANCIA REZARE PARA QUE LAS HERMANAS MUHSEN VUELVAN A ESTAR JUNTAS EN INGLATERRA Y DESDE LUEGO SUS HIJOS CON ELLAS. SI PUDIERA TENER CONTACTO CON ZANA ME ENCANTARIA. NUNCA PODRE BORRAR DE MI CABEZA ESTA HISTORIA.

Zana Muhsen, a young English woman, tells how, when she was 15,she and her sister Nadia were sold by their father into marriage, tohusbands they did not know, in the poor Arab country of Yemen.

I read this book about four years ago. It is a highly emphatic account - vividly describing the harsh world the young women found themselves in, the injustices they were subjected to - their physical and mental suffering. It evokes great compassion in the reader - and it is quite disturbing, as many of the readers here testify. Andrew Crofts must be commended for his superb communication of Zana's story.

Reading it in the comfort of Western society, I began to painfully feel how unaware so many of us in the West are of what happens in the rest of the world. As I neared the end of the book, I was praying each night for Zana's sister, Nadia, still trapped in the Yemen.

I agree with Carla that it is not Islam that is the problem. Islam is one of the world's most glorious, beautiful religions. The cause of human cruelty, I believe, is simply ignorance. Left without spiritual or moral guidance, human beings can become the most degraded of all the creatures on earth.

Zana has written another book just recently - "A promise to Nadia". This book, along with SOLD, is available from amazon.co.uk...

This is a true story that took place not so long ago - and it is still not fully resolved. Makes you think what kind of father would sell his daugters and sent them under a "holiday" cover up to get raped, humiliated and exploited by their "husbands" and their family. Zana Muhsen, the author, is the main character of the story and the real victim of it. I think that the book should be read and used as a warning to people who don't fully understand what getting involved with certain muslim cultures can really get them into. At this very moment as we talk, human rights are being violated, little girls are being forced into marriage and legal rape, and women are living as slaves under countries that enforce it by law. A beautiful and sad book at the same time, loaded with emotion. Un-miss-able!

When I lost my son in 1996 I grew to hate everything I was taught about religion and the meaning of life. I had the extraordinary good fortune to attend a seminar in Seattle, WA where my son came through. Ever the skeptic, I never even thought I would get to meet George Anderson, let alone have a reading, but my son came through with such force (and even his nickname, "paulimon" which knocked me out) to tell me not to give in to my hatred and to understand that we are only separated temporarily. My heart sang at the words George said. I thought he would be wisked away after the program, but he stayed there as plain as can be signing books and talking to people. I have watched ALL the psychics work, but this man is a living saint. The information was too specific to be a crock, and you need only to look at him to know this is no act. He is gifted beyond measure, and his words brought such joy to the people he did readings for that night. I bought this book for everyone I know who is in pain. It helped mine so much--I still struggle with my loss but the book is like a bandaid for the heart.

What a lovely book! The title feels welcoming, and comforting, and explains from George Anderson's whole lives experience....profound wonderful things! "Walking in the Garden of Souls" is a very worthy book, worthy of our time and attention.I wanted to read it all at once, and was interested in every word! As things suddenly became apparent, this gift was given to George just for this moment in time, so he could counsel and educate us on different realms of being, all natural and real, to help soothe our souls and heal our hearts!This is a wonderful and thoughtful walk to happiness...a beautiful place that exists for all of us.

George Anderson and Andrew Barone, who is executive director of the George Anderson Grief Support program, and a co-founder of the Foundation for Hope are two names I had never heard of until now but two names I will remember forever for their kindness in this moment! ...

I read this book over the weekend. I have always liked George Anderson. I have a good feel for people and I can say without a doubt he is very genuine. You can feel the love of the souls from the hereafter reflected right through him. This book is excellent advice for all people. Bereaved or not bereaved. Quite honestly, it's probably some advice we don't want to hear or like to hear but it's what we NEED to hear. I applaud him for helping the people he as helped and for his honesty. I couldn't help thinking as I was reading the book that one day I am going to have to face a more difficult challenge then I ever had before in my life and I hope I remember to pick up this book. I'll need it.

Culinary Artistry is a book some may passover or leaf through in the bookstore for the likes of the Joy of Cooking or a Martha Stewart volume 20 cookbook. But look closer, the charts and the what-goes-well-with-what sections of this book alone are worth the price if only to give the food lover an inspired moment to create a dish with ingredients he or she may love. If you find yourself saying, "gee, I'd really love to have salmon tonight but I don't know what to put with it", pick up this book, find Salmon and refer to the extensive list of items that the interviewed chefs prefer with it and an idea is born. After that, all it takes is a little know-how in the kitchen and you've created your very own gourmet meal. If you choose to read from front to back you'll also discover page after page of insightful information from some of the nation's top chef's. Take your time, it's not a novel but it can be read like one and used as reference even after you've reached the last page. For the money, this is a book that will stay on your shelf for years to come and still manage to provide a new idea each time. So put down the Martha Stewart Haloween cookie issue and give Culinary Artistry a try, "It's a good thing". Sorry about that last one, she's infectious.

"CULINARY ARTISTRY receives Honorable Mention as one of the year's best culinary reference books...[It] offers insights into creative cooking."
--THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE

"Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page go where no culinary writers have gone before, exploring what inspires great chefs to create new flavor combinations, dishes and menus."
--INTERNATIONAL COOKBOOK REVIEW

"CULINARY ARTISTRY chronicles the creative process of culinary composition and explores the architecture of flavors, dishes and menus."
--NATIONAL CULINARY REVIEW

"One of the best culinary books of the year."
--TIME OUT: NEW YORK

"A great achievement."
--Chef Daniel Boulud

"Fascinating...A philosophy book on the culinary arts."
--Arthur Schwartz, "Food Talk" on WOR RADIO

"A wealth of information."
--Lindsey Shere, pastry chef, Chez Panisse

"Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page have set me free...The sequel to 1995's BECOMING A CHEF, this fat volume offers limitless ways to compose dishes using the idea of food matches and menu plans from 30 of America's top chefs."
--Patty Stearns, THE DETROIT FREE PRESS

"I unconditionally recommend the book CULINARY ARTISTRY. One afternoon won't cut it with this book -- this is a definite buy. It tells when different fruits, vegetables, fish, etc. are in season, and how to make them taste good without the expense of a culinary school education. It will save your family a load of money, and greatly improve your own creativity with food and flavors."
--Liz Tarditi, chef and columnist, TODAY'S GOURMET

I am a self-taught home cook who enjoys the activities of the kitchen. I entered the cooking arena one of the standard ways, using cookbooks. Collections of recipes familarized me with the techniques and ethnic cooking styles. Gradually, my cookbook collection included reference books that provided some of the theory behind tastes and preparation styles. Gold's 1-2-3 series, Peterson's Sauces, and others introduced to me the philosophies that allow a cook to go beyond mimicking a recipe to improvising and even creating a dish. Culinary Artistry is perhaps the best available reference for learning about the traditions of combining flavors and food groups.

It contains vital information that I suspect is taught only in some of the culinary schools. It provides valuable charts of information about cooking and menu planning. The book contains sections on Menus, including a seasonality chart and a chart explaining successful seasoning combinations. There is a section for Composing Flavors, the highlight of which is a chart showing successful food contrasts. Another section involves Composing A Dish. Here there is a chart showing great food matches and one showing seasoning matches. The Composing A Menu section offers a chart showing frequent accompaniments to meats and paragraphs presenting theories about Hors Douevres, Cheeses, and Desserts. This was a sparse and incomplete passage in an otherwise comprehensive book. Finally, there was a fun section addressing the Evolution of Chef's Styles. Here the authors provide sample menus comparing chef's offerings from earlier decades to their present day productions.

The volume offers multiple anecdotes, quotes, and side bars concerning the views of popular chefs. Various recipes are interspersed to illustrate the principles. My one criticism was that the book was laid out like a college textbook. Photos, captions, quotes, highlighted lines, sidebars, and other areas compete on the same page, magazine style. The book serves as reference, frequently glanced at rather than read straight through as a narrative.

It's a sweet story of a 'simple' stuffed rabbit amidst the more 'complex' modern toys in a boy's "toy collection". The rabbit starts to believe that in order to get the love of the boy, he needs to appear 'real', or be able to zoom about like the motorized toys...
(And I'm not going to tell you the end hahahahaha!!!)
It was great having that read to me, while I was hugging my stuffed animals in bed.
But -- in a way, at first glance it looks like a simple story, but it is actually a surprisingly complex story. Leave it on your child's bookshelf as he/she grows up and he/she will reread it again and again as he/she questions issues such as "who am I?", "what does it mean to be 'real'"?, "what is my role in this world?", and even "what is death"?

I make sure I use this book with each class I teach--3rd and4th graders. They always get it--that love makes us real, too. Theymake the connection between the Skin Horse becoming shabby and people getting old. I always bring in my stuffed velveteen rabbit I bought years ago and it starts making the rounds and popping up on different children's laps. It is a pleasure to see them become attached to the rabbit instead of "mechanical toys that were very superior, and looked down upon everyone else." They also relate to the lessons the Velveteen Rabbit learns from the Skin Horse about how becoming real is a painful process sometimes and can take a long time.

This book is a simple work of art. Its beauty in itself is virtually indescribable. When I was little, it was my favorite book. In fact, I've had it ever since I was born. It is about a boy who owns a stuffed rabbit, and longs for it to be real. Eventually, because he loved the rabbit so much, his wish was granted. The book is so well written that it brings tears to my eyes almost every time I read it. It is definitely one of my all-time favorites.

The Merck Manual of Medical Information (Home Edition) is one of the most valuable books anyone can have in his or her study.
With simple terms and definitions, this 1600-paged medical authority dissected every known human ailment, bearing the layman in mind.
An unabridged section comprising of nine chapters explained drugs, prescriptions and pharmacodynamics in a way that non-medics would understand. There are also invaluable pieces of advice on both nutrition and fitness.
Anyone reading this book will appreciate how all those scary mysteries surrounding medicine and surgery were bared in a reader-friendly format.
Bravo MERCK! I commend you for rendering such a wealth of health information at peanut's price.

This book is an excellent resource of medical information. It was actually recommended to me by a doctor. He said that you didn't have to be a doctor to understand the terms, language, and the entire book overall. He was correct with his advice. The book is well written & easy to understand. It is a wealth of information. You can find out about any type of illness & treatment, as well as injuries & disorders. Originally, we wanted an informative medical guide to keep on our boat, especially with having a lot of guests on board. While on our boat in the islands, the information that it provided actually helped us get a guest safely to a hospital for emergency surgery. Needless to say, we have purchased a 2nd copy for our home. It's a "must have"! For the boaters out there, we can also recommend "Advanced First Aid Afloat" by Peter F., M.D. Eastman, & John M. Levinson.

A publishing event of the most signifigance for 1997. The long establisher bible for medical doctors and almost everyone in the field of medicine, is for the first time written specifically for the non-medical reader. Over 1500 pages covering diseases, causes, treatments, drugs etc. this is the finest 1 volume medical authority every home should have. A layman's medical book has been long overdue. Who but the editors of Merck Pharaceuticals could take on this daunting task. At AMAZON's discounted price of less then $21.00 the bargain in hard cover publishing. WE RATE IT A BEST BUY !!!!!!!!

I like Vampire, but I'm no die-hard RPGer. This book can be comfortably read in an hour. Less, if one doesn't stop every few minutes to wonder why so much of the book is taken up with giant pictures which do little to add to the content or mood.

Look - it's a graphic novel. The best graphic novels have good content and excellent artwork. This novel has very little content and only good artwork. "Oh, but it has footnotes!" Look, you dork - footnotes?! In the VAMPIRE BIBLE? The footnotes are done INCREDIBLY poorly - you actually have to flip back and forth between the text on page (making up numbers here) 11 and the footnotes on page 23, and then MORE text on page 26, whose footnotes are on page 43... Yes, the footnotes are BETWEEN chapters. Brilliant.

The entire mythos presented is extremely thin - no flesh to this body - and the section describing the different clans is the most perfunctory piece of garbage I have read in quite some time - it actually feels like it was added on by an editor who thought there was too little content, but that adding more than a few sentences for each one would have somehow ruined the work.

Having read this and the Ericyes Fragments, I heartily recommend the latter - it's an excellent book. The Book of Nod has made it onto the short list of books in this genre I can't stand. Don't read this piece of tripe. Definitely don't buy it. If you feel the pressing need to read it, just go to a bookstore and read it. After all, it's only an hour long.

Sam Chupp's The Book of Nod provides a great insight about the Father of all in the Masquerade. Nod has much information on Caine and Lilith that I would otherwise guess at if I had not found this book. This Bible for the Dark World is a must for the serious Vampire role player who is indeed into Gothic stuff.

This is a must for every "Vampire The Masquerade" lover. You'll get more insight reading the first 3 chapters than you have got so far...

IT IS CALLED THE VAMPIRES BIBLE

And it lives up the nickname

Read it and be afraid of Lillith's curs on man.

Caine was exhiled from paradise to the land of Nod, and that is all the Holy Bible says about Caine's stay in Nod. This book goes in detail where our bible stops and TAKES US INTO THE IMAGINATIV WORLD WE LOVE TO EXPERIENCE.

This book is phenomenal! The information never ends! It details the opera house in Paris where this who story was supposed to take place. There is alot of information on the early movie forms of the story, including those who acted in them, as well as Gaston Leroux's book form. The bulk of the book is about Andrew Lloyd Webber though. There are so many pictures and stories about each of the characters, and the important peopel behind the scenes of the stage! This is a wonderful book whom anyone, Phantom fan or not is sure to enjoy!

As a hardcore Phantom fan, I am always looking for more information on the play. I came across this amazing book in the public library in my town and was amazed at the detail. There was so much that I didn't already know, and I knew a lot. I wanted to keep on renewing the book and never give it back but a good friend of mine, who is also very adamant about Phantom, went searching for this book that I wouldn't shut up about and bought me a copy. I love it. It includes info on the opera house, Gaston Leroux(the author of the novel on which Andrew Lloyd Webber's play is based), the story behind the novel, Lon Chaney's film, other versions of the film and other plays, Andrew Lloyd Webber's version, and the Libretto. This is the most complete and well written book on the play I've come across. George Perry reveals the intricacies of the production from make-up to costumes to set to everything. I consider this a valuable part of my Phantom collection and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes this play or theater in general. It rocks!

This book ROCKS!!! It is the closest you can get to the behind-the-scenes of Phantom. I got mine on an Amazon Auction(by the way, check out those auctions sometimes, they can be useful). It has the complete libretto at the back and amazingly sharp, clear pictures( they are so sharp you can even see the actors veins in their hands!).
This book has the history of the Paris Opera, then it goes on to tell how Gaston Leroux came up with Phantom, then the film versions of Phantom, then, of course, the Lloyd Webber version.
This book is perfect for the true Phantom Phan!

When 12-year-old Natalie Nelson writes a story called "The Cheater", she shows it to her best friend, Zoe Reisman. Zoe thinks it's too good to just hand it to her L.A. teacher, Ms. Clayton. Zoe thinks it should definitly get published. Natalie's mom, Hannah Nelson is a editor for Shipley Junior Books, so Natalie can easily ask her mom to edit her story, right? Wrong. Her mom's boss, Letha Springfield, is a tough cookie so there's no way Letha is going to tell Hannah Nelson to spend time on editing her daughter's book.

Then Zoe has a brilliant idea: Natalie can publish her book under pen name, with Zoe acting as her agent. At first Natalie isn't sure, but Zoe convinces her. After all, what could it hurt being famous?

At first everything seems it's going to suceed, but complications arrive when Natalie finds out that Letha Springfield is going to edit the story. There's no way that's going to happen. No way...

So read this book!

It all starts when Natalie Nelson asks her best friend Zoe Reisman to read the begining of her book, the cheater. Zoe loved it and when she likes something, she works with it. Zoe knows this book woould get published but Natalie is not sure. Ms. Hannah Nelson (Natalie's mother) is a publisher at Shipley Jr. Books. If Ms. Nelson knew that that was Natalie's story she would not publish it. So Natalie gets herself a pen name, Cassandra Day. Zoe becomes her agent and calls herself Zee-zee Reisman. Their English teacher helps them along the way and they finally get the book published. This a heart warming book to young writers, like me.

Natalie has written a great story. Natalie makes the mistake of showing her best friend Zoe her book. Zoe thinks her book should be published by Nataie's mom who is an editor at a big publishing house in New York. Cassandra Day (a.k.a.)Natalie and Ze Ze Reisman (a.k.a.) Zoe, with the help of Zoe's dad, a lawyer, and their english teacher, Ms. Clayton might just get her book published. This book has a lot action. Everyone should read this book.

If you've read The Wastland or any of the other, more substantial poems by T.S Eliot, you may be shocked at Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats. But don't be fooled, even in the simple subject matter there is genius in Eliot's writing.

This is the only poem book of Eliot's that I own and it's a great deal of fun to read. My favorite cat is Macavity. If you've seen the musical Cats (which I haven't), here's the inspiration. This is also a great first book to get younger people interested in poetry. The language Eliot uses is flowery and catchy, and the subject matter is centered on those cute furballs. Enjoy.

"Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats," by T.S. Eliot, is a book of poems about cats. The basis for the wildly successful musical "Cats," the book stands on its own as a delightful work of literature. The poems are accompanied by wonderful illustrations by Edward Gorey.

This book is hilarious and very enjoyable. Eliot's words leap and dance across the pages with a zany musicality. Gorey's accompanying artwork is whimsical and full of interesting details. Eliot has created some great feline characters: the fearsome Growltiger, dapper Bustopher Jones, Magical Mr. Mistoffelees, and more.

Yes, these poems are great fun to read. But if you are inclined to look closer and analyze them at a deeper literary level, you will find that each one is a masterpiece of poetic craftsmanship. Eliot uses a wonderful variety of meters, rhyme schemes, and various poetic effects. Each poem stands on its own, and together they form an effective artistic unity.

Also noteworthy is the very "English" flavor of the book, which Eliot achieves by spicing his poems with many references to English geography and cultural history. Highly recommended, whether or not you like cats.

As a mystery author with my debut novel in its initial release that features a private investigator who is also a poet, I love this book. This verse collection is perhaps T.S. Eliot's most accessible work, and it provided the raw material for the fabulous musical CATS. I enjoy reading these poems, and I've enjoyed attending the musical. I think I saw CATS three times during its Winter Garden run, twice in Los Angeles, and once each in San Francisco and the Palm Springs area. CATS would not exist as a most enjoyable musical if the poet Eliot had not first jotted down OLD POSSUM'S BOOK OF PRACTICAL CATS.

After years without picking up a novel by Dickens (memories of starchy classes at school), I decided to plunge into "Bleak House", a novel that had been sitting on my bookshelf for about ten years, waiting to be read. Although I found it heavy going at first, mainly because the style is so unfamiliar to modern readers, after about ten pages I was swept up and carried off, unable to put the hefty tome down until I had finished it. This book is a definite classic. The sheer scope of the tale, the wit of the satire (which could still be applied to many legal proceedings today) and the believable characters gripped me up until the magnificent conclusion. One particularly striking thing is the "cinematic" aspect of certain chapters as they switch between different angles, building up to a pitch that leaves the reader breathless. I can't recommend "Bleak House" too highly. And I won't wait so long before reading more Dickens novels.

This is the second book by Dickens I have read so far, but it will not be the last. "Bleak House" is long, tightly plotted, wonderfully descriptive, and full of memorable characters. Dickens has written a vast story centered on the Jarndyce inheritance, and masterly manages the switches between third person omniscient narrator and first person limited narrator. His main character Esther never quite convinces me of her all-around goodness, but the novel is so well-written that I just took Esther as she was described and ran along with the story. In this book a poor boy (Jo) will be literally chased from places of refuge and thus provide Dickens with one of his most powerful ways to indict a system that was particularly cruel to children. Mr. Skimpole, pretending not to be interested in money; Mr. Jarndyce, generous and good; Richard, stupid and blind; the memorable Dedlocks, and My Lady Dedlock's secret being uncovered by the sinister Mr. Tulkinghorn; Mrs. Jellyby and her telescopic philanthropy; the Ironmaster described in Chapter 28, presenting quite a different view of industralization than that shown by Dickens in his next work, "Hard Times." Here is a veritable cosmos of people, neighbors, friends, enemies, lovers, rivals, sinners, and saints, and Dickens proves himself a true master at describing their lives and the environment they dwell in. There are landmark chapters: Chapter One must be the best description of a dismal city under attack by dismal weather and tightly tied by perfectly dismal laws, where the Lord Chancellor sits eternally in Lincoln's Inn Hall. Chapter 32 has one of the eeriest scenes ever written, with suspicious smoke, greasy and reeking, as a prelude to a grisly discovery. Chapter 47 is when Jo cannot "move along" anymore. This Norton Critical is perhaps the best edition of "Bleak House" so far: the footnotes help a lot, and the two Introductions are key to understanding the Law system at the time the action takes place, plus Dickens' interest in this particular topic. To round everything off, read also the criticism of our contemporaries, as well as that of Dickens' time. "Bleak House" is a long, complex novel that opens a window for us to another world. It is never boring and, appearances to the contrary, is not bleak. Enjoy.

"There is little to be satisfied in reading this book"?? I couldn't disagree more. Bleak House left a profound impression on me, and was so utterly satisfying a reading experience that I wanted it never to end. I've read it twice over the years and look forward to reading it again. Definitely my favorite novel.

I don't know what the previous reviewer's demands are when reading a novel, but mine are these: the story must create its world - whatever and wherever that world might be - and make me BELIEVE it. If the novelist cannot create that world in my mind, and convince me of its truths, they've wasted my time (style doesn't matter - it can be clean and spare like Orwell or verbose like Dickens, because any style can work in the hands of someone who knows how to use it). Many novels fail this test, but Bleak House is not one of them.

Bleak House succeeds in creating a wonderfully dark and complex spider web of a world. On the surface it's unfamiliar: Victorian London and the court of Chancery - obviously no one alive today knows that world first hand. And yet as you read it you know it to be real: the deviousness, the longing, the secrets, the bureaucracy, the overblown egos, the unfairness of it all. Wait a minute... could that be because all those things still exist today?

But it's not all doom and gloom. It also has Dickens's many shades of humor: silliness, word play, comic dialogue, preposterous characters with mocking names, and of course a constant satirical edge. It also has anger and passion and tenderness.

I will grant one thing: if you don't love reading enough to get into the flow of Dickens's sentences, you'll probably feel like the previous reviewer that "...it goes on and on, in interminable detail and description...". It's a different dance rhythm folks, but well worth getting used to. If you have to, work your way up to it. Don't start with a biggie like Bleak House, start with one of his wonderful short pieces such as A Christmas Carol.

Dickens was a gifted storyteller and Bleak House is his masterpiece. If you love to dive into a book, read and enjoy this gem!