I have longed considered Harry Harrision one of the masters of the science fiction genre. In West of Eden, Harry Harrison takes his considerable literary talents a step further. This novel is based in a what-if world where the mass extinction of the dinosuars never occured, thus allowing a species of intelligent dinosuars to evolve. Harry Harrison, imbues this intelligent race of dinosuars with its own unique culture, language and characteristics. He not only creates a story, but a whole vivid world filled with a strange assortment of animals and compelling characters. In creating this whole new world he invokes the scholary aspect of Tolkein's writing such as creating a large appendix that contains the history of the world and a section on the finer points and pronunciation of the languagues he creates. Combining this scholarship with an easy to read story produces a book of excellent breadth and scope. Reminds me a lot of "Battlefield Earth."

An outstanding alternative future, where intelligent dinosaur and man collide.

When I bought this novel, I could not put it down. I really mean it, I started to read it one Friday evening, kept going all day Saturday (even when I had stuff to do!) to finish it that night. I tried to put it down, but I couldn't. Toilet breaks and food aside, I spent all day with this book (is that too much detail? What the hey, I'll leave it in).

This book must be the best written, researched, and thought about alternative futures ever written. What really impresses is the detail and the authenticity that Harrison brings to this alternative future. Things are so different that it really gets you thinking "what if...", and the story line is infectious, you just have to keep reading. The moment you put it down you start to wonder what's going to happen? It's almost painful to put down! Harrison is a master storyteller.

The story involves humans at a stone age/bronze age level, confined to North America. Mammals are abundant, but so are dinosaurs, but of the big and dumb variety. The humans don't like the dinosaurs, they consider them filthy and taboo. Over in Africa and Europe, however, there are no humans, and the dinosaurs have developed intelligence and also a sophisticated culture, far more sophisticated than the human one across the Atlantic. Here is where it gets interesting.

The Yilané (they're the dinos) culture that Harrison describes is totally different from any existing even now. Their speech is by means of sound, movement and colour of hands, arms, face and crest. Ability to speak their complex language is their main social determinant, only the best get to fully join society. Females are in charge, with the males confined to special compounds by birthing beaches, and they never join society. The males incubate the eggs, much as seahorses do, and rarely last past two or three seasons. Their technology is highly advanced, but is based on biology rather than physics, chemistry or engineering, as ours is. Everything is grown, from the cities (which span whole continents) to houses, to clothing. The Yilané have developed gene manipulating technology, and use it to grow things like giant Ichthyosaurs with large body cavities in their dorsal fins (kind of organic submarines!), and small frogs with hollow heads and large eyes that act as microscopes!

An ice age is coming, and the Yilané, who are cold blooded, are being forced south into Africa, their cities dying from the cold. One of the city leaders decides to move her city west, across the hitherto uncrossable sea, to North America. She sends her lieutenant, Vainté, a fearsome and ambitious yilané, to scout it out, form a beach-head and to sow the city seed. There she finds Kerrick, a young boy, who is taken hostage, and brought back to Africa (what a delicious irony, a white North American boy brought over to Africa as a slave to a terrible and alien culture!). There he learns the language, and becomes a kind of court favourite. Then he's brought back to America, where he sees humans again, but as horrible, filthy, dirty creatures, not like him, a clean, strong Yilané!

I'm sure you can guess where it goes from there, rediscovery of roots, torn between two cultures, neither fully understanding both, nor fully accepted by either. Vainté is the arch villain, and I found myself always worrying about what she was going to do next! She dominates the book. Another very strong theme is that among the Yilané a new religion has begun, with vaguely Christian overtones, but quite different too. This new religion is undermining the existing culture in all sorts of strange ways, and is persecuted by the Yilané social structure. Other features are the different tribes of humans the Kerrick's people discover as the flee from the Yilané, early farmers across the Rockies, and Eskimos further North (these guys are really cool, totally oversexed!). All of these forces interact, humans, Yilané, new religion, new technology, new ideas moving from one race to another, and produce fascinating results.

Harrison has done a fantastic job in creating an entirely new and quite attractive culture, with a very strong environmentalist tinge to it. I found myself wanting to be like them, and even speak like them! How sad is that? Still, that's a sign that this book profoundly impressed me, and not many do. What are you waiting for, buy this book!

Added bonus, there are two sequels. At least you won't have to wait a year and a half for the second book like I did!

From a master of imaginative storytelling comes an epic tale of the world as it might have been, a world where the age of dinosaurs never ended, and their descendants clashed with the humans.

The story is set in the Americas, where a clan of native humans survives by hunting and fishing. Suddenly they clash with a new race that comes from across the ocean - the lizards who are a much more advanced civilisation, progressing not through technology, but through animal-breeding. They breed new kinds of animals, each one serving as a machine desined for a specific purpose.

A human teenager is caught by the lizards and survives in their city, first as an animal, then as a prizoner, then as a member of society. Still, his human instincts takes over and he betrays his masters, escapes and leads the humans to destroying the lizard city and driving them back across the sea.

The book is very hard to put down, it's a very exciting read. recommended to everyone! (5 points)

This book was a really big help for me. I just recently decided to change my eating habits and limit all or most meat in my diet. This book was such a super help to me. It broke down all the facts and made them easy to understand, This book didn't preach that you have to be a vegetarian, it gave several reasons why people switch to this type of diet.
If you are just starting out on this new adventure in your life like I am, this book is very, very helpful, and informative. It contains recipes to get you started, and they look really simple! This book is great and I recommend it to anyone new to the vegetarian lifestyle!

This book is a fabulous resource, not just for vegetarians, but for anyone who wants a straightforward approach to nutrition. After reading this book, I understand much more fully the role that iron, protein, calcium, fiber, vitamins, etc. play in my diet and my health. I found the nutritional breakdowns of different diets (omnivore, ovolacto vegetarian and vegan) to be especially helpful. For those who ARE considering vegetarianism, there is a wonderful glossary of terms and a helpful section on vegetarian menu planning. There is also a chapter on how to gracefully deal with the potentially sticky social situations vegetarians sometimes face and a section of basic vegetarian recipes to get you started. Overall, I found this book to be incredibly informative, without being intimidating. As a beginning cook who wants to avoid meat, I know I'll go back to this guide again and again.

This book is an excellent choice to read if you're even the least bit interested in eating properly for good health! It explains everything you need to know about being a vegetarian. I really like how it goes into great detail in each chapter about the foods our body needs and how to replace protein and dairy when restricing meats and dairy and eggs from your diet. The recipes are great! Even my meat-eating husband has liked some. The information on feeding vegetarian and vegan children is very helpful. This book would be great even if a person was still a non-vegetarian in that it explains so much about what our bodies need daily to be healthy. Recommend to everyone!!!!!

I've been doing SQL tuning for Oracle Applications for some time. I read this book once and I use it as my main reference for SQL tuning. I am reading it again for the second time now. It is very useful and easy to read. If you are planning to do some Oracle SQL tuning, this book is a must!

Except for some missing hints (pg. 57-59) and some mixed up hint syntax, I found the book accurate and very enlightening. I've now used it on two from-scratch VLDB projects. Almost every page has something I was able to use to refine SQL statements & PL/SQL server-side code. For example, pg. 206, the section on MAX & MIN statements was the key to my latest project being able to process 20X the number of records we currently do. The section on learning to read tkprof output was helpful. The bibliography was also great (but is probably outdated now). Worth every penny!

This is a MUST HAVE book if you're writing lots of SQL (in Oracle) and need to make sure it is as efficient as possible. Lots of real-world examples, with side-by-side comparisons of different queries that all produce the same result via different methods. It is easy to apply these techniques in my work. I have six books from Oracle Press, and while they are good as reference material, I find myself using them basically for syntax or server tuning, and never for PL/SQL tuning. Guy Harrison's book is a permanent fixture on my desk; this book covers table access methods, how to avoid unnecessary table scans, how to use TKPROF (with some excellent ratios and things to look for in the output), etc. The list goes on. I would strongly recommend this to anyone who writes SQL (in Oracle) on a daily basis.

I went to the book store to find an autobiography on George Harrison; and I came across this. 10% of this book is about the life of George, 20% of this book were pictures; & 70% of the rest were songs. This is not considered an autobiography in my opinon. An autobiograph is a story about your whole life, from when you were a little kid, to your present time. This book didn't live up to what it was suppose it be. I gave it 3 stars because, I found the last part very interesting, on why & how he wrote his songs & what they mean; and I liked what his wife wrote in the introduction too. If you want to get this for your George Harrison collection, then this is for you, but I would get it at the library first before buying this. I still love you George.

Being a Beatle fanatic and even more a George Harrison fan, this work pleases the soul. With the introduction and notes from George's close friend, writer Derek Taylor, the book gives the reader a glimpse in to life of a very humble man who gained an inordinate amount of wealth and fame.

An overall look at his life before, with and beyond the Beatles, it doesn't offer many new insights or points of gossip. The Beatles and his relationships with the other three are given the proverbial nod.
What is brought to the surface is of the essence of the man himself, his loves, his loses and what is more important in HIS life. His family, his friends, his music, interests and spirituality are given more attention.

The gold mine that is here for the reader and fan is the summary and background given each, if not all, of Harrison's songs. How and why they were written, and what the inspiration was behind them. The lyrics of each song are supplemented along with reproductions of the original handwritten lyric sheets collected by George over the years. Along with photos documenting the stages of Harrison's life the reader is brought closer to a man whose life and work has affected us all for the better, I believe!

It was refreshing to read an autobiography which was not ghost written by a professional writer. George's personality, wit, and humor shine through on the page and amplify his songs. The all too brief section of the book which was composed of his memoirs alternates sections written by George with passages by Derek Taylor, a long time confidante of George and the Beatles. Derek's passages provide a narrative structure that George's more free form achronological writing hangs onto.

As a life-long Beatle fan, I found the book fascinating. This isn't the first book that you want to read about the Beatles or George, but it is one which indispensable for any serious fan. I particularly liked the back half of the book where he has the lyrics of many of his Beatles songs and solo career songs, brief comments on the songs, and reproductions of the original notes for the songs. This back half is more of resource, something to flip through while listening to one of George's albums. It probably isn't something you would want to read straight through.

I remember when the book was first published in as a limited run leather bound book. It was prohibitively expensive and I was happy when a friend lent me his copy. It only took me 20 years to get one of my own - even if it isn't leather bound.

The best book i have read in ages it is truly one of my all time favourites. The love story was great but the story of the Falcon was really absorbing, like i was the falcon seeing it all through the Falcons eyes, would recomended this book to any one.

The reader is able to understand the majesty and wonder of the bird - a magnificent specimen with abilities unknown to man. The writer enables the reader to appreciate this and yearn to learn more about the falcon family. Also, the writer's depiction of the country in the Pacific northwest creates awe and majesty - the bird and its country seem to belong together. The story is beautifully interwoven also - the prime characters are extremely likeable and genuine. Totally a magnificent book - strong in its characters and surroundings.

I LOVED THIS BOOK. I LOVED THE DESCRIPTION OF THE FALCON AND ITS RELATION TO MAN. I ALSO LOVED THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MICHAEL SOMERS AND JAMIE AND FINALLY MICHAEL AND JAMIE'S MOTHER. HARRISON WRITES BEAUTIFULLY. MY ONLY REGRET WAS THAT THIS BOOK WASN'T PROMOTED AS MUCH AS I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO HAVE SEEN IT PROMOTED FOR IT WERE, IT WOULD DEFINITELY HAVE MADE THE BEST SELLER'S LIST.

i've been studying dreams for along time and i found this book to be the best tool for knowing why we dream what we dream; it's not a dictionary of dreams like most dream books, but a comprehensive look at dream types and the occasions in which we have certain dreams, i've recommended it to all my friends and even my students.

Wow! This book is her best yet. I found this to be the most comprehensive and fascinating book on dreams and dream interpretation that I've ever read. I've already recommended the book to several friends and family members, and it has been the topic of conversation on more than one occasion with my friends. Keep writing, Sylvia!

This tells you that dreams are so much more then most people think, they tell you so much about yourself and to finally read a book in print that just dosen't generalize us all in catagories
but that we are all so different but not really.
To give us all the tools to figure out our lifes little quirks
can't get much better then this unless you have Sylvia sitting next to you giving you the answers. I highly recommend this book. I really enjoyed reading other peoples dreams just to see what is going on out there and it was surprising to say the least.
So give it a whorl and see where it leads you!

For my fellow reviewers who choose to simply pass this play over because of the prevelant violence, I must point out the complex, witty character of Aaron the Moor. Shakespeare either intended for this play to be a parody of Marlowe/Kyd, or he wanted to experiment with a character, Aaron, to evoke every possible feeling from his audience. And, in my humble opinion, Shakespeare succeeded at this. Aaron is, at the same time, evil and cunny, witty and horrifying, and compassionate and stoic. His final lines, as he is buried up to his neck, left to starve, are some of the best confessions ever produced by the bard. It takes a truly cruel and uncaring individual to not feel for Aaron, who gives up his life for his child's, and who hopelessly and blindly loves a cruel witch of a woman. This play is worth reading, or seeing if you should be so lucky, simply to indulge yourself in the character of Aaron the Moor.

On a superficial first reading, 'Titus Andronicus' is lesser Shakespeare - the language is generally simple and direct, with few convoluted similes and a lot of cliches. The plot, as with many contemporary plays, is so gruesome and bloody as to be comic - the hero, a Roman general, before the play has started has lost a wife and 21 sons; he kills another at their funeral, having dismembered and burnt the heroine's son as a 'sacrifice'; after her husband is murdered, his daughter is doubly raped and has her tongue and hands lopped off; Titus sacrifices his own hand to bail out two wrongfully accused sons - it is returned along with their heads. Et cetera. The play concludes with a grisly finale Peter Greenaway might have been proud of. The plot is basically a rehash of Kyd, Marlowe, Seneca and Ovid, although there are some striking stage effects.

Jonathan Bate in his exhaustive introduction almost convinces you of the play's greatness, as he discusses it theoretically, its sexual metaphors, obsessive misogyny, analysis of signs and reading etc. His introduction is exemplary and systematic - interpretation of content and staging; history of performance; origin and soures; textual history. Sometimes, as is often the case with Arden, the annotation is frustratingly pedantic, as you get caught in a web of previous editors' fetishistic analysing of punctuation and grammar. Mostly, though, it facilitates a smooth, enjoyable read.

Now that the film "Titus" is about to open, I thought I had best hear a recorded version of the complete play to keep my mind clear during what is bound to be a perversion. Of course, many consider "Titus Andronicus" a perversion anyway; and to tell the truth, I do get a little queasy during the various mutilations that make the deaths at the end a relief rather than a shock. But accepting the play on its own terms, you will find the reissue on tape of the 1966 Caedmon recording of (CF 277) possibly the best directed of the entire classic series. Howard Sackler has a bunch of professionals on hand and he lets them (with one exception) tear up the scenery. Poor Judy Dench, who has so little to say as Lavinia before the plot makes her say no more, can only make pathetic noises for most of the play until her final death cry. The evil brothers, played here by John Dane and Christopher Guinee, are not only evil but sarcastically so--and this works on a recording as it might not on the stage. Perhaps Maxine Audley's Tamora is a bit too Wicked Witch of the West now and then; but her co-partner in evil, Aron the Moor, is brought to life by Anthony Quayle in a role he made famous on stage, going even further in the outright enjoyment of his ill-doing. Yes, this play can easily raise laughs and takes an Olivier to keep the audience in the tragic mood. (Reports are that he did it so well that some audience members became ill and had to leave.)

Which brings us to Michael Hordern's Titus. Hodern is a fine actor but not a great one. He suffers well but not grandly. I am surprised that his Big Moment--"I am the sea"--is lost among all the other images in that speech. But anyone can direct someone else's play. This recording, soon to be rivaled by one in the Arkangel series, is definitely worth having for Quayle's performance alone.

I picked this book up after listening to the rantings of the middle aged weirdo at a used bookstore in New Castle, DE. He spoke in a funny accent, but he sure had a great taste in books! The Hammer and The Cross is a great work of fiction. It is the story of a great period of history (the viking conquest) told from the viewpoint of a peasant. Good dialogue, and some nice violence to boot. Ha ha. To boot! Shef kicks people!

Prior to reading this book, the only novels by Harry Harrison I had read were the Stainless Steel Rat and Bill the Galactic hero serieses. So I didn't quite know what to expect, this being neither sci-fi, nor comedy. But I was entranced from Chapter 1! Harrison's story of this alternate history involving Viking and Saxon contention for 9th century England is extremely well written. A definate page-turner. It's rare that I find a book so enthralling that I (literally) can't put it down . . . but that's exactly what this book did to me!

Starting from a point of historical truth, Shef the hero shows how one man can change history. An alternate timeline develops as the Anglo-Saxons not only halt the Viking invasion but absorb the culture and create a brave new world in England that will not fall to the Norman Invasion.

Not what you might expect from Harrison, but perfect if you like both Sci-Fi/Fantasy and Historical Fiction.

Gripping always, Harry Harrison's best work to date (yes better than the Stainless Steel Rat and on a par with Captive Universe and The Technicolour Time Machine). I read this book without rest and was still left wanting more so I had to buy the hardback sequel!

A writer friend recommended Jim Harrison's books to me, Dalva in particular, and I think I must now send my friend a substantial gift.

Dalva is not only a remarkably authentic portrait of a most unique woman (along with her equally unique mother and sister), it is also a book that offers insights into ranching life (Nebraska), the slaughter of the Native American population (the Sioux, in this instance) and a family history that is absolutely fascinating.

The one section (relatively brief) I found not particularly compelling is the one narrated by Michael, the alcoholic professor friend and sometime lover of Dalva who has been given permission to write a chronicle of the Northridge family--incorporating the journals kept by Dalva's great grandfather that begin inside the infamous Andersonville prison. Michael's manic self-indulgence and lack of restraint are, without doubt, faithful to alcoholic behavior but this segment of the book lacks the drive and fascination that are inherent through the rest of the novel. Drunks, even gifted ones, get terribly tedious very quickly.

Altogether this is a sweeping novel that contains not only intriguing personal histories but also offers visions of the land--be it Nebraska or the Dakotas or Arizona--that are so complete as to feel tangible.
Highly recommended.

In contrast to the all-female book club that unanimously hated this book, I find Jim Harrison's female characters to be terrific. I don't expect my fictional characters to act exactly like real life people. Dalva is a romantic heroine for women of the 90s, despite her saddness. Read Dalva, then read the Road Home,Harrison's follow-up.

I read Dalva after reading Julip, I am very pick with my authors and Jim Harrison along with Hemingway is my favourite, he has an amazing way of seeing people in the world one that I can relate to easily and that has changed my life.

For those who have lost a loved one recently and who need some hope and inspiration from a psychic, this is the book for you. Sylvia gives you the answers to everything - guilt, joy, life death, and surviving the holidays with loved ones, among others. The book is short and simple - an easy read. The only shortcoming might be her frequent references to other books of hers, but this avoids repetition in case you'e already read them. Once you get hooked on this books message, you won't be able to put it down.

Having read Sylvia's "The Other Side and Back" this is in short, a minature version of that book, which highlights the main points and brings it to the reader in shorten form, which I think works very well. Sylvia shows the blessings and comfort for the reader in many areas of life: Finding comfort in grief, discovering life's purpose, building relationships, listening to children, finding joy, the meaning of guilt, the importence of family and friends and getting throught the holidays( which I found extremely helpful this year since I am currently unemployed). This book is more than just Sylvia reiterating her knowledge, it also mediation exercises and affirmations that can help in a variety of situations. Whether you are a new or old Browne scholar this book will help you discover (and fine tune) your spritual self.

I currently own all of Sylvia's books, and I must say this is one of the best! It clearly deals with all the common areas in life that we all face. Its very simple and easy to read and understand. I recommend this book to everyone who respects and likes Sylvia Browne.