...

In referencing some of the facts, the descriptions proffered seem to be fairly on the mark, but not always. While it is nice to read a book written with conviction, as this book is, you always have to be careful as to what is true and what is a stretch. Also, as a side note for the authors, it would be nice to not have to hear over and over about the husband's martial arts penchant.

I think the authors portray the average Taiwanese person as a bit more anti-Westerner, rude, harsh, and unforgiving than they really are. My experience with many Taiwanese is that they are more than happy to talk to you (if they spesk English) as long as you are willing to smile and open up. This is not a population of money-first, anti-white people. Sometimes I think the text intones this sentiment.

Thus the notion that the average foreigner will not be liked is not true, at least in my opinion. It has been my experience that in Taipei, where you will likely spend some (if not all) of your time, you will not be ogled and thought of as a freak, as plenty of non-Taiwanese exists there. In more rural settings, this may certainly be the case, as it was for me. (As a side note, if you are black you likely WILL be ogled no matter where you go.)

I think the issues discussed with saving face would make the visiting business person very careful in not [messing] up, as it were. While there is the notion of face, certainly, it is not the be all and end all of the Taiwanese lifestyle. If one were to proceed with such caution, the timidness of the traveller would certainly be poicked up and would cause judgement to be made for the worse.

Those are some problems I have with the book. All in all, there's not a ton of material written about Taiwan, so stacked up against its competition it fares rather well. As an absolute comparison, it could be more inclusive.

I did like the book. It does touch on a lot of issues that would be helpful for someone visiting the country. As a learning tool about Taiwan, this is just as good a start as any short of marrying a Taiwanese man or woman and spending time there. Many issues are briefly covered, but not too briefly to get any substance out of them.

All in all, I recommend it.

I recently spent Thanksgiving week in Taiwan, visiting relatives, and brought my American fiance along. We both enjoyed this book because of its humor and usefulness.

I liked the fact that it pointed out certain things/practices/habits that are exclusive to the Taiwanese culture. For example, it talked about the traditional "wet market" (a.k.a. farmer's market). So, my fiance asked if we could go to one, which turned out to be very fun. It basically gave me some ideas of places to show him for tourist spots.

This book helped him to be better prepared for adapting the Taiwanese style of living for a week. As for me, it helped me appreciate my own roots more. I truly recommend this book. The usual sight seeing tour guides are dispensable. This one is just the opposite.

While I haven't visited Taiwan, I did work for two years for a company owned by Chinese folks from Taiwan. From what I have been able to observe, culturally speaking, this book is right on.

The breadth of topics covered is impressive. A bit of language, enough history to teach you why things are as they are, information on doing business and entertaining, what you should worry about and what you should not, climate, traffic, politics, religion, philosophy, the culture of the small business owner, and even varieties of food are addressed. I would recommend it strongly, not only for the traveler to Taiwan but for anyone with close friends or co-workers who hail from it--if I'd had it years ago, I'd have committed fewer faux pas and had a better time.

This was a boring novel. Abbie is a dim-witted character, the stupid health nut. The story is boring, and the pace is typical. The story leads up to a stupid conclusion, though, I can say, A. Bates's climaxes in her books are somewhat better than someone like R.L. Stine, who couldn't write something thrilling if he tried! All in all, Krazy 4 U was a monotonous book, and the story can go in the pile with the rest of the crap that builds up about dumb girls, their dream guys, and villians with stupid motives.

If you like Horror and scary movies you'll love 'Krazy 4 U'. Abbie Grant is being stalked by a mysterious person who claims to be Krazy 4 her. She almost gets run over then the phone calls and frightening messages start. When reading this book you never know what will happen next. When the truth is uncovered it leaves you spellbound and itching to read it again. A MUST-READ.

This book was one of A. Bates's greatest books!I would never have guessed that Abbie's stepbrother was the stalker.

With the rapid expansion of the web, this book is already woefully out-of-date. The format is distracting and the text is poorly edited.

This book is attractive and value-adding for the following reasons: 1. It contains interviews with a cross-section of business researchers, in a largely Q&A format. 2. It contains lists of several useful reference sources, which are also cross-referenced throughout the book. That helps the reader understand the context for each reference source, and determine whether it's going to be useful to the reader or not. 3. The flow of material through the chapters (essentially interviews with the researchers) offers an interesting direction to the whole book. 4. The book is written in a lucid (simple, conversational) style. It's not heavy duty reading. 5. I found it offered practical insights. Good value for money!

This is a great book for anyone who wants to use the Internet or online services to do research. I liked the variety of super searchers who were interviewed, and I learned something from every one. The book is useful and fun to read, too!

Ames and Harber explore this livley energized challenging time in a child's life and provide insights for parents to guide them through this rollar coaster ride between seven and nine years old. The authors aim to offer parents insight on everything from relationships and family life to routines and birthday parties. Each chapter is rich with observation and empirical and anecdotal data. While you may not always agree with the conclusions the authors reach, credit is easily given to the skill with which they are able to articulate their observations. Your Eight Year Old: Lively and Outgoing is a practical systematic guide to better understanding eight year old behavior.

Having bought "Your 6-Year-Old" and found it terrific, we purchased this book when we were going through some problems with our then 8-year-old. "Your 6-year-old" was extremely helpful to us at the time, giving us lots of tools to deal with the changes our daughter was going through. However, "Your 8-Year-Old" didn't seem to go into as much depth as the 6-year-old one did. The descriptions of various personality traits and development phases seemed more general in this book than in the 6-year-old book. Although it was helpful, we felt that it could have gone into more detail.

I am buying this book because I already own "Your two year old" through "Your six year old" written by the same author. The books I have read by this author are succinct and written in a conversational tone. The insight that I've gained into the developmental/behavioral stages of a child in this series have been great.

I lived in Madison at the time of the legal procedings of the three captured bombers. Rads is the most comprehensive account of the bombing that I have personally read. However, I agree with a previous review that Bates mistakingly attributes Armstrong's actions to his family history. I believe that Armstrong was motivated personally from his experiences in Chicago during the 1968 convention, and seeing the escallation of the war. I went to the Madison Public Library and read the newspaper files on Armstrong and the others, and there were important events especially after Armstrong's return to Madison that were ommited. I believe that the single most important lesson from this book or from other events of that era i.e. Kent State, is that it was local people, hometown people that were involved in the anti-war movement. These people included both yound and old. They were not communist-sympathizers or professionals from out of town. Young men from Karl and Dwight Armstrong's east-side Madison neighborhood were much more likely to fight and die in Vietnam than men from David Fine's or Leo Burt's background. True, Fine did not light the fuse, but he got off much eaiser than the Armstrongs

I read this about five years ago after finding it as a remainder in a supermarket.

What I recollect most about it was the uncanny detail the author came up with. In fact, it reminded me somewhat of at least one of Halberstram's books in that such detail MUST have been contrived. So, while well-written, there were some credibility problems.

To this day, I'm not absolutely sure where I stand on the bombing.

I would recommend it, though, as NOT romanticizing the radical left of that era. There are, of course, some from that time still living in Madison (and Berkeley, and Stanford, and...) reminiscing the period. They're kind of a radical 60s equivalent of the VFW and are just too naive to realize in how much of an Ivory Tower they reside . But there were down sides, not the least of which is graduate students whose entire careers were altered, finished because of this bombing.

Tom Bates presents the bombing of the AMRC within an intriguing, captivating story. As a high school senior, I have not lived through the war and the anti-war movement. Nonetheless, RADS provided me with enough background information to understand the book (based around the bombing) on both the specific level and the larger scheme of things.

Bates introduces the 'romantic' appeal of political radicalism in the late 60s and early 70s logically and insightfully. In addition, throughout the book, the reader gets to know the bombers and the people with whom they interact.

The book does not include any extraneous chapters. Bates has a reason for every section of the book that he includes. Because of this, the book is never slow to read; much of the book is very suspenseful, set up by the well-chosen quotes that begin every chapter.

This book is a must-read for anyone who is interested in radicalism, historic bombings, or the anti-war movement of the 60s and 70s.

A monk is sent to England as a scount for the future process of evangelization. Eventhough their belief system is aimed toward collision, a local shaman decides to help him in his process of discovery of religious rituals and information gathering. However, the monk is surprised by how theorical are the foundations of his faith when he is shown by the shaman that he knows little of nothing about himself, so if he wants to conquer others, the monk must seek within his true nature. It is here were the novel becomes really boring, lacking any type of tension and becoming a bunch of fairy tale stories of ghosts, waking trees, ogers, and other stuff which must surely do not come from the Bristish Museum documents but from the imagination of the author.

So if you want to read fairy tale stories, the ones that offered in the children's section of the bookstore are much more fun.

I paid a lot of money for this book because all the reviews raved about it. As an eclectic witch with Celtic shamanistic leanings, I was intrigued about this mysterious "manuscript" and what information Brian Bates would glean from it. Sorry to say that the book is not a great piece of writing, first off. The author writes like someone who is not really an author; the finesse and talent of a writer is not there. There are a lot of historical novels out there; this is just another one. There's nothing special about it.
Secondly, the author does not go into enough detail in the introduction to make me believe that he ever even read this manuscript that the book is supposededly based on. He lists an impressive bibliography but to me it's more of a suggested reading list. He doesn't seem to know very much about this manuscript and that makes the whole thing suspect.
All in all, not worth the money that I paid for it. I wouldn't suggest that's it's worth is anymore than a typical paperback novel.

This is an amazing book. It changed my way of thinking about myself, and my life - and it gets over its message in a story that I found compelling and moving. Based on factual documents in the British Museum, the book takes the reader on a journey into the spiritual and shamanic world of Anglo-Saxon England. It tells the story of a young man names Brand, who journeys with a sorcerer in the pre-Christian forests of the seventh century. There he learns a quite remarkable path to wisdom, called Wyrd. This is like a western version of Tao, in that every event affects everything else, and the forces of nature are pre-emenent. The story includes vivid encounters with the spirits, and a gripping conclusion where he is helped by his guardian - a hawk. Ancient wisdom for today. Deserves to be the best-seller that it is.

I have the first edition of this book, and when I first moved to the LA area, it was great to have...but, I find it lacking a lot now that I know more about the area. It doesn't mention the Huntington Gardens, or the Rose Bowl, or Descanso Gardens (cool tiny train that runs on weekends)or other kid friendly venues. I found the restaurant listings useless...rest's are everywhere, and I tend not to make one a special destination when I'm on a daytrip!

I recommend getting an up-to-date California guidebook (Lonely Planet or some such) and decide where to go based on your child's and your inclinations, and ignore the ubiquitous malls that you can find anywhere in country.

Good Points: Give good descriptions of attractions, including an estimate of how long you'll want to spend, and practical issues like availablity of food/strollers/etc.
Good descriptions of natural sights (beaches, parks) as well as man-made attractions.

Bad Points: Seems to take a very narrow view of what kids are going to enjoy. Why assume that no child is capable of enjoying an art museum? Or, as the authors states flatly, that kids hate scenery, and that your teen would much rather stay home with his friends than actually travel with his family? (Author suggests spending time at the local malls if you are travelling with teens!) Or that kids won't eat anything but hamburger-based kid's menus?
Given that the book is covering a large geographic area, and given the author's abovementioned narrow view of 'kid-friendliness', many important attractions aren't mentioned at all.
Only a few accomodations recommendations are given, and most are very expensive.

(This review, incidently, applies to all the books in this series; California, Florida, and Washington DC).

I live in southern California, and this book has inspired countless Saturday family outings. I had no idea what was in my own backyard! It is fabulous to have someone's advice on what is worth spending the time, with kids, in traffic for. We have loved this book-and hope to find a similar one when we move to Philadelphia!

I NEED THE BOOK REPORT FOR DAED GAME PLOT, TURNING POINT, AUTHOR'S MESSEGE, PROBLEM, DID THE CHARACTER CHANGE AT THE END OF THE STORY, I WANT TO ANSWER FOR THOSE questions. see bye ajith

Three Hollander High seniors (Linnie, Ming, and Jackson) decide to get even with a bunch of their classmates who they consider cheaters and liars by publicly humiliating them in a secret prank called the Dead Game. At first, their hit list only contains two people--the transfer twins (Austin and Adler)--, but as the trio gets swept away in the thrill of the game, six more students are added to the list: Brenda, Karl DeBerg, John Stalley, Price, Rafe Gibbons, and Julie Clay.

Linnie, Ming, and Jackson's plans seem to be running smoothly--that is, until Rafe Gibbons accidentally ends up in intensive care and Brenda falls down a flight of stairs to her death. The threesome then decide to stop playing the Dead Game before anyone else gets hurt. However, the game doesn't end for them there. Following the accidents, the remaining people on their hit list mysteriously get their payback. But if Linnie, Ming, and Jackson didn't do it, then who did? And if someone else is involved, are they next on the hit list?

I thought "The Dead Game" was a pretty good, fast-paced teen thriller. The game idea for revenge was quite clever and original, although I was a little bummed about the identity of the killer. Still, worth reading if you enjoy Point Thrillers. Recommended for readers age 12 and up.

The suspension is great! You'll never guess who did it!! A little creepy, but worth it.

If you happen to read this book please use your own critical thinking skills to make out what Jerry is really saying, which isn't much. He seems to be saying that if you quit your job, your family(holidays), and/or other common daily habits that you will be happier. Don't buy this for a second, it is more likely he wants to make you feel isolated. Whatever you are searching for this is not IT.

I liked the book and thought it had some good ideas. I would strongly recommend reading it.

But I would like to know how the author kept his family housed and fed when he "quit" the culture.

I agree that there are many games we play that are not necessary and drain the living daylights out of us. And unfortunately there are a lot of games we play that we are required to play and they also drain the living daylights -- and even the life -- out of us.

Perhaps we don't need to play "Thou Shalt Work" and other games. But I am emmeshed in something called "Thou Shalt Eat Or Thou Shalt Die of Starvation" and "Thou Shalt House Thyself or Thou Shalt End Your Life Years Ahead Of Time."

Maybe I'm being too pragmatic? I guess I'm still addicted to being alive, silly me.

This book is really all about games and, in my opinion, it's one of the most important books written. There are basically three levels at which one can approach games: 1)unconsciously, in which case you are like a robot with no choice; 2) consciously, in which case you can make up your own rules; and most winners usually operate on this level; or 3) you can decide not to play. And you really can do that. Someone on the unconscious level can never understand that you can quit games, so if you're not ready for that, then perhaps this is not the book for you.

However, if you're ready for the next step in your life, a step toward waking up, then this is a great book with which to begin.