Helen Keller had a bad illness when she was only nineteen mouths old. She lived,but the illness left her blind, deaf, and mute. At the age of five her mom and dad wrote a school that has blind and deak kids there. A teacher came and didn't get along with Helen at first, but later thay become the best of friends. This is a good book for anyone who would like to know what it is like to be blind, or deaf or even both at the same time. This is a relly good book and I think that anyone who will read it will like it.

I read one of the books about Helen Keller when I was nine years old, and I was hooked, at that age I could not put the book down, I actually memorized, taught myself the hand sign chart in the back of the book. I highly recommend this book. I am purchasing this book for my niece for Christmas, she loves to read. When you think you been short-cutted in life, read this. Then ask your self do you have it that bad?

...It's about a girl that is blind, deaf, and dumb. (As in can't talk) But later when she got a teacher named Anne Sullivan, she learned to do lots of things. When Helen was ten years old, she learned to talk. But still could not hear. I learned that if you are blind, deaf, or dumb, you could still do lots of things. I think you would like this book too.

I think all different kinds of people would like this book because people whoever likes biographies would like this book too.

This would best be read in conjunction with "The Twilight Lords" for a great view of the bitter end of the Irish self rule at the dawn of the 17th Cent. Like many of the stories about the period, it is depressing. Well, so was living in Ireland then. Sure, no potatoe famine yet, but war is just as deadly.

An interesting story of Donal O Sullivan, one of the men who falls often into the shadow of the other big fellas of the times, Hugh O Neill.

Following the Battle of Kinsale (i.e., slaughter, massacre, etc.), the lord of the land, The O Sullivan, decides to lead his people away from the ravaged land northward to the bastion of the remaining "irish", ironically, to the modern mind, in Ulster. In the dead of winter, an unusually hard one, with little food and mostly desperation, how do you lead your people to the tentative safety far away? This paints a vividly bitter picture of the devastation wrought upon the Irish poor by the English army and Foreign Policy.

This is an intense story, if a bit thin on character development and plot. Survival is a plot, even if it doesn't move quickly. Survival was the goal - physical survival. But, physical survival was always seen by the lords as concurrent with survival of what was "Irish". That seems the bitter truth - in the effort to simply survive, much of what we once treasured is lost to the ravages of time and expediency.

Perhaps with the looming shadow of war today, we could read through this and take another look at the geography of the world today - and ask ourselves whether our government is just allied with the English, or acting like their forefathers.

i have read 1916,1921,Lion of Ireland,Pride of Lions,Finn Mac Cool,Bard:Odyssey of the Irish,Brian Boru (short novel) as well as Last Prince. Llywelyn seems to be a more historical writer than a dramatic writer. and for anyone who wants to 'learn' about Irish history and know why and how things happened( from a mostly Irish point of view) these books are great. they lack character development and never give the chance to really relate to the characters ( main & minor etc...) but you really can relate to the times and the trials and triumphs of the Irish in any book/era that she writes about. all of her books are great for anyone who is Irish or has an interest in (Irish) history.i have read 'Prince' 3 times, 'Lion' 2 times, 'Finn' 2 times etc...etc... great reading which gives you many ranges of emotions: love,hatred,disbelief,shock,pride,pity,shame,happiness,sadness.. i enjoy every 'read' of every book she has made on the subject of Ireland and wait for forthcoming books with anticipation. much much credit and thanks to Morgan Llywelyn!!!
'Last Prince' is a good book about an unbelievable journey(strategic withdraw!)of 1000 IRISH people across munster into connaught escaping english forces after the disaster of the Battle of Kinsale.battling enemy,weather,time and each other(to a degree)these people made an epic,heroic and historical journey to freedom. one main character and at least 8 interesting minor supporting characters. all descriptions/subjects about the irish Gallowglasses and Kernes (warrior classes) are great!

*The Last Prince of Ireland,* though its historical accuracy seems to be above par, does not have the same impact that other Llywelyn novels have had.

The details are rich and abundant, but instead of bringing the suffering and minior triumphs to life, they seem to weigh the novel down. Point of view shifts are numerous and abrupt, though not necessarily confusing, but I wonder about how truly effective they are. However, what bothered me the most about this novel is that the characters inspired little emotion in me. After being blown away by Llywelyn's *Lion of Ireland,* I was fully prepared to fall in love with the characters. I was waiting to be absorbed by every word, every action, every tiny detail. And I wasn't.

Though this novel is not bad by any means, it is, if you've read any other Llywelyn novel, disappointing. I would not recommend starting with this one. Read *Lion of Ireland* first to see what this normally wonderful author is capable of.

Bad boy Cole McCallum returns to the small town of Coldwater, Texas to seek a bride. It's Friday night, and he has until midnight Saturday to produce a bride. When he originally learned of the terms of his grandmother's will, he shrugged off the loss. Then an arson set by his partner destroyed his business, and without the capitol to begin again, he has nothing. Most of the women he knows couldn't live a week without Neiman Marcus, so hopefully he can find a bride in Coldwater at the local watering hole before closing time.

Years of fierce domination by her mother have left Ginny White without even her first kiss. A huge pile of bills and the funeral expenses were her mother's legacy, along with a generous portion of inhibition and guilt. Three beers can give a girl a lot of courage, though. When she asks Cole to dance, he only accepts to stop the other women's catty comments. A kiss on the dance floor is followed by Ginny's reaction to too much alcohol and her body's unfortunate response. Cole takes Ginny home, and the next morning, he proposes. So it's off to Vegas to fulfill his grandmother's conditions on the will. He should have thought ahead to the consequences of his actions.

First time author Jane Sullivan debuts with ONE HOT TEXAN. The feisty heroine sparkles from the pages, though her seriously inhibited background and lack of experience is a stretch in plausibility. Worse, the marriage of convenience plot fails to rise above cliché predictability: opposites fall together, marriage to gain property, fireworks during kisses, and heroine who refuses sex on her wedding night. While ONE HOT TEXAN will leave most Harlequin Temptation fans cold, the flaws are not uncommon for first time authors. However, with a titillating voice and a flair for characterizations, Sullivan definitely deserves another read with her next work.

I was reading some of the other reviews, and I was wondering if I read the same book. I enjoyed this book but I sure didn't weep over it.

Ms. Sullivan took the standard plot of town bad boy and invisible girl and gave it a nice twist. Her portrayal of a small town as one full of unforgiving people with long memories was more realistic than some other authors' versions. This wasn't a town full of nice friendly people just waiting to give someone a second chance.

Cole McCallum and Ginny White began the story at opposite ends of the spectrum - he's a ladies man from way back and a black sheep with an arson exoneration hanging over him, and she is a lonely, friendless, untouched (literally and figuratively) woman. They marry in haste for financial reasons, and slowly learn to value and love each other. The shell he's built around himself slowly begins to dissolve and his real personality is revealed as he comes to terms with his childhood scars. She grows as a person - losing her fears brought on by her mother's clinging overprotectiveness and religious narrow-mindedness, becoming more self-confident, and also comfortable with her own sexuality.

Acutally, all of that sounds rather boring, but it wasn't. The characters' personal fears were believable. There were a lot of scenes in the book that just bring a smile to your face. Ms. Sullivan handled their personal growth and their growing sexual awareness/love nicely. The troubles in their relationship were realistic. She made them into human beings that the reader would care about, and resolved the storyline nicely. This is definitly a book worth reading.

Cole McCallum needs a wife--by tomorrow. If he can get married and stay married for six months, he'll inherit his grandmother's ranch and make enough money to get his development business back off the ground. Although Ginny White isn't the type of woman he's usually attracted to, she needs money and he's short on time. A six month business proposition looks like a win-win.

Ginny White has never kissed a man. Haunted by her late mother's condemnation of anything male or fun, Ginny is stepping out for the first time, actually visiting a bar for the first time when she sees Cole. She remembers him from high school but it takes three beers (her first ever) before she can summon the courage to talk to him. His business proposition solves a lot of problems for her and it isn't like she has any boyfriends to be disappointed in her.

The tacky Las Vegas wedding is a shock to Ginny. Even more of a shock is Cole's expectation that they have sex. Ginny might want to banish her mother's haunting voice, but that doesn't mean she didn't learn anything. She has too much respect for herself treat sex as a pure bodily function. To Cole's surprise, Ginny's refusal makes him see her in a new light. He wants her in a way he's never felt with another woman. It's going to be a rough six months.

Although both Cole and Ginny soon develop feelings for one another, each must deal with their own issues. Ginny must put her mother's voice and her self-effacing shyness behind her. Cole must learn to trust, to give up his fear of abandonment. Yet how can either meet their needs when each knows their marriage is a six-month affair?

Jane Sullivan switches from the the pure humor of her Harlequin Duets titles and the more sophisticated humor of I GOT YOU BABE (written as Jane Graves) to a more traditional Harlequin plot line (based on the 'Terms of the Will' device). Sullivan cranks up the sexual tension but retains the high-quality writing and traces of the whimsical humor that characterizes her works. ONE HOT TEXAN is a joy to read.

The CD version of this book is very easy to use and the search function is wonderful. HOWEVER there is no way to copy text off the screen so you can paste it into other applications. I find this very frustrating and a big disappointment.

The CD version of "The Origin of Species" suffers from the same problem. Beware.

This was not the best choice for listening to in the car: too much tedious detail, and I found my mind wandering too often. Still, it was interesting, and I learned a lot.

Darwin was a promising but obscure student at Cambridge when he was suggested for the trip. By the time he returned, his reputation was made. It's not hard to see why: this book is packed with careful observations and attention to detail, as well as thoughtful analyses of topics from species extinction (though not origins at this stage) to the formation of coral atolls. Darwin is clearly very well-read and makes frequent references to the noted authorities of the time, sometimes supporting them and sometimes disagreeing.

I hadn't actually realized that the voyage of the Beagle was as long as it was. I saw it as a year or so, going from England to South America and back again. It was in fact a five-year, round-the-world cruise, covering the Pacific Islands, New Zealand, Australia, and numerous other locales as well as the well-known South America and the Galapagos.

My favorite parts are actually the more human anecdotes. Darwin is less than enchanted with New Zealand and Australia, and is not afraid of saying so, noting that most of the citizens are ex-convicts. My favorite single anecdote, though, is about the South American governor who is so dedicated to the rule of law that he has himself put in the stocks when he violates one of his own laws. Darwin also indicates his dislike of slavery and admits to feeling shame when he accidentally causes a male slave to flinch when he makes a threatening gesture to him. So much for that creationist conceit.

There are two appendices not written by Darwin. One is a summary of the orders given to Captain Fitzroy about the mission of the Beagle, which is very telling of the naval issues of the time. It focuses on getting accurate locations of known ports as well as the possible finding of new ones. As a Hornblower fan (and therefore with some interest in naval trivia), I found this very interesting.

The other appendix is Captain Fitzroy's attempt to construe their geological observations to be evidence of the Noachian Deluge. This is not on the same intellectual level as Darwin's writings, and I found it mostly of intellectual interest as evidence that creationist arguments have changed hardly at all in the last 175 years.

All in all, it's an interesting book and a classic of natural history, though not something I'd recommend listening to unless one has a passion for the subject.

Remember this says "Journal" and that is what it is. It is his first parson adventures on and off the Beagle. He even includes stories about the people on the ship, the ship's life, and maintenance. He is always going ashore and venturing beyond the ship charter to go where no Englishman has gone before. He makes friends with tyrants and the down trodden. Once, to get an animal to come to him, he lay on his back and waved his arms and legs in the air. Whatever you do, do not turn your back on him. He is always knocking something on the head and taking it back for study. It is fun trying to match the old names for places with the new.

This is not a book for beginners! The exercises start at a challenging level and get harder. The illustrations are excellent but the prose is too much to read while trying to follow the instructions. There is no remedial instruction for someone who is having trouble with a particular stretch. All in all, a beautiful choice for advanced stretch or yoga enthusiasts only.

The word "yoga" is not mentioned anywhere in the title or on the covers of the book, but make no mistake, every "stretch" in this book is a yoga posture. This twist of labelling, however, doesn't take anything away from the fact that this is an excellent reference on how to stretch your body _using_ yoga postures. The book is entirely focused on increasing flexibility and fitness: No long discourses on chakras, spirituality, or benefits of a vegetarian diet in here; just detailed instructions on how to stretch in each pose accompanied by high-quality, annotated photographs that clearly show the correct body configuration. Note also that this is NOT a book that talks about the physiology of stretching or Golgi reflexes or the phys-ed approach to stretches. Go elsewhere for that kind of information. The stretches in here aren't designed to help you isolate a particular muscle so the descriptions are all high-level (e.g. "lumbar spine", "hip", "neck").

As one reviewer has already noted, the poses (even in the beginner sequence) are advanced. Fortunately, the authors explain and illustrate ways to make the poses easier using props with each description of the posture. Here's where my one nitpick comes in: if you look in the back of the book under "Stretching for Sport", you'll find that the authors are shown using props to ease stretches in ways that weren't covered back in the main section of the book (e.g. there's a way to ease the Inverted Stretch using a chair instead of a wall). It would have been great if descriptions for these other prop uses could have been included in the description chapters, but the pictures are clear enough that you can figure out what to do regardless.

I have a couple of yoga books and videos, but this is the reference I keep coming back to when I want to make sure I've got the posture right or find another way to stretch my hamstrings.

I found this book very helpful when I decided to incorporate stretching/strengthing to my workout routine without having to sign up for a costly class. There is a learning curve and anyone using this book should be prepared to take some time to learn the stretches - it won't happen overnight. The stretches are clearly described in a step-by-step manner with pictures and "easing the stretch" options to help people of all fitness levels. I particularly appreciated the 30 minute routines so I didn't have to decide which stretches to perform in what order. I would definitely recommend this book to others.

Just didn't find it all that funny.
At the very least, the first chapter was balanced in terms of equal parts cloyingly sacchrine cuteness and actual humor.
The rest of the book attempts to be funny by heavy-handed dependence on the broadest and most outdated of gender generalizations. I felt lucky(and toward the end, amazed) if I came across one line per remaining chapter capable of even making me smile and there were definitely not any laugh out loud moments within the entire book. But the multiple positive reviews printed on the covers did make me laugh at least, since they were so far off the mark.
I have a friend who thrives on defining his world strictly by generalizations and so I will be passing it on to him for the final litmus test. He's also going thru a divorce and lives in the suburbs, so perhaps he is closer to the actual target audience.
More than anything, I found the book to be kind of sad because it reminded me that this is really how alot of people think. And just to provide more insight on me, I'm a 35 year old female who recently got out of a relationship with sticky communication issues.
I found the majority of the book to be obnoxious, overdone and obvious as opposed to subtle and clever. Who knows? Perhaps I'm just not mainstream enough to "get" this kind of humor.

I almost didn't buy this book because of the title. I'm not too fond of parodies. I actually own the other "serious" version of this book & found it much harder to read than this humorous but no less true version. I'd love to see these SuC in person :)

This book helped me keep my kewl during the end of a nasty relationship, helped me laugh when I was tired of crying, and helped me see my part in a humorous, easy-to-swallow format. My relationship is still ending, but now I feel much better about it, having regianed my ability to laugh at humanity thanks to this book. I highly recommend it as a gift to newlyweds, singles & long-marrieds alike--in essence, to anyone who has ever been in a relationship with the opposite sex!

This book made me laugh when I wanted to cry and kept my perspective on the crazy world of relationships. Anna and Elliot are a riot and if you're looking for a book that offers great insights about the sexes in a sharp, humorous fashion--GET THIS BOOK! I highly recommend it! (It makes a fabulous affordable gift too!)

I felt being tricked for reading this book. I found it in a local library. When I read the cover, it says " the true story...." So I thought that I will read it.

The story is interesting and fun to read. However, after I finished the whole book, and turned to the last page, it has "This book is a work of fiction."

well, if it is not true, why did you put it on the cover to make me think that I am actually reading a book about the real story of Atlantis?!

Therefore, I gave it a rating of 1 star.

What a great story. Obviously well researched and extremely well presented. I stayed up all night reading this I was so captivated.
Buyer beware, this is not a "true story" as the title states (although after reading you're sure to be convinced otherwise). The is a fantastic piece of fiction heavily rooted in fact.
I absolutely encourage you to pick this up, you won't be disappointed.

It was a joy to read this book. Well researched and with beautiful illustrations the book caught my imagination. It doesn't matter whether you are a believer or not... The book is interesting to all. It can be read as fiction - or as a pertinent theory on Atlantis. It doesn't hurt that with the new Disney movie coming up - it gives me some information to share with my kids when the questions on Atlantis come up.

For accuracy, this book is a disaster! [It was] said she was "completely immersed in Irish History". That can not be or she would have realized this book was researched in a few pubs, but never in any reliable source! It contains so very many inaccuracies it at first appears to be a diversionary tactic for some other intent. After reading about half, anyone that has actually studied Irish History seriously will feel insulted, angry and frustrated at the nerve of these two "wanna be" historians. Example 1. There was never a "land bridge" with any other part of Europe. An ice bridge, hence mammals crossed, but no reptiles did. Ireland was originally two small valcanic islands in the south Atlantic, and through Tectonic Plate movement have arrived "off the coast of western Europe". Read: "Where Ireland Came From" for more on this. Example 2. Brian Boru is the only man to ever completely unite all of Ireland (two Clans,one in the north, and one from the west opted not to join Brian, but kept away also), and on Good Friday of 1014, his combined armies defeated the Vikings and their Irish allies at the famous Battle of Clontarf. His success cost him his life in the afternoon at the age of about 74! (some think 64, either way he was very old for the times). These authors are so unfamiliar with Irish History's actuality that they give Ireland's greatest leader less than one paragraph in their sorry little book. There are some wonderful books on Irish history that will teach you plenty. If you like your history in novelized form to add pleasure to your lessons, seek out books by: Walter Macken (always 5 stars - deceased) Morgan Llywelyn (another consistant 5 star writer-living) A good book on the Easter Rising on 1916 is: "Agony at Easter" Save your money on this worthless rag!

This little book was a real treat to read. Chapters in this book are as follows: there is a forward written by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Chapter 1: Clannishness: some background, Chapter 2: Ancient Ireland, Chapter 3: The Middle Ages: Christianity comes to Ireland, and the Vikings Invade (meanwhile the Irish discover America), Chapter 4: Troubles Brewing, Chapter 5: Fighting Irish, Founding Irish, Chapter 6: An Ulster American Miscellany, Chapter 7: Boston Bound (or, Philadelphia here I come), Chapter 8: The Fightin' Irish in the Wild, Wild West, Chapter 9: Irish Nationalism, the American Role, Chapter 10: The Lit'ry Life (and other Artsy Pursuits), Chapter 11: Sporting Irish, Chapter 12: The Road Rises: Irish Americanism in the Twentieth Century, Chapter 13: From County Wexfor to Camelot: a family saga, Chapter 14: The Road from Here.

This book doesn't cover everything in extreme detail -- you'll have to find a bigger, more serious tome for that. This book gives you a little background on Irish ancestors in Ireland and the US and the Irish in America today. It was a great, enjoyable read. I highly recommend it!

I love this book! Who could ask for a better, more accessible introduction to Irish history? I recently had the pleasure of reading "May the Road Rise to Meet You," and--as a person completely immersed in Irish history--must say that it served as a wonderful overview of the history of a nation. I'd like to thank the authors for writing such a terrific intro to Irish history! Can't wait to buy it for my friends as St. Patrick's Day gifts! (I just wish I could meet the authors so they could sign it for me!)

I heard about this novel, in which the narrator has lost her voice, and I thought what a great idea! How is the author going to solve this wonderful problem he has created for himself? I imagined all kinds of interesting formal solutions. I ordered the book and was completely disappointed to begin reading it and find the narrator could speak just fine. She just TOLD us that she couldn't speak. Other characters in the book said, "Gee, you gotta speak again soon," to the narrator. And that was it. And the book went on and on, a totally typical first novel. Though most of the book is spent in uninteresting and immature resentment of the (author's?) parents, there are a few nice bits between the sisters. Not enough to make the book anything other than a long clumsily written bore, though. If the author writes anything else, I might read it just to see what type of thing she writes after she's used up all her anger.

I am not going to re-hash the plot like so many people do. I liked STAY enough to finish it to the end. However, I did have some problems with it. Not in any particular order: One, I didn't find any redeeming qualities in Emily's sisters or brothers. They generally came across to as mean spirted, rude children. Yes, they had a domineering father, and yes,they had this tragic death of their sibling that they were all, in their own way, trying to work through. However, I would not seek them out as friends nor want to hang out with them on the neighborhood street. As a reader, I just didn't like them! TWO: Emily witnesses the rape of her older sister Elizabeth Ruth, yet this event was never really developed further. It also appears that one of her sisters ( Sarah?) is becoming anorexic. this too was not developed. And the end of the novel? what? Emily witnesses her father raping her mother (apparently not for the first time either,) and then in the end everything is OK.? I found the ending to be very frustrating and unresolved. Ok so what DID I like about STAY ? for a first novel, Mary Sullivan did a great job! It was a good quick read. The character of Emily Stone was thorough, and the flash backs of Ham's accident and subsequent death were believable.

So lyrically written that it is more like listening than reading. The story itself falls apart at the end, but was compelling up until the last 30 or so pages. The author accurately describes the dramas -- large and small -- of childhood and family life. Ms. Sullivan has a gift for language, making it accessible and immediate. I greatly look forward to her next effort. She has a gift.

Let's face it, kids can be cruel. Marvin Redpost goes to 3rd grade where kids are kids and adults sometimes don't investigate the situation completely.

While playing ball, Marvin is accused of picking his nose by the class bully. Like most bullies, he is just looking for something to taunt Marvin with and nose picking happens to be it. Of course, Marvin wasn't, and of course, it upsets him. He tries to stand up for himself, but everyone is so caught up in how funny-gross it is that no one is listening. The trouble starts with neither Marvito the wound. Very soon, Martin himself, now friendless, begins believing that he's a disgusting person. That is, until inspiration strikes and he finds out that we're really all very much alike (I'll not spoil the ending for you!!)

Sachar has done a tremendous job of taking the subject of bullying and elementary school obsession and putting it into a very readable form for young children. Bullies will bully and try to turn everyone against that one poor soul they don't care for at any chance they get. What often gives them more power, oddly enough, is the victim denying the bully's accusation; in this case, Marvin vehemently saying that he DOESN'T pick his nose. By Marvin constantly talking about it, he's actually feeding into the situation without knowing it. Better in these cases to ignore it and let it drop.

However, most elementary school children don't realize the power of ignoring mean comments like that or realize that the person doing the bullying will soon get bored with the whole thing if you don't respond. Though this tactic wasn't taken in "Why Pick on Me?", it's still a good suggestion for the "alternative solution" crowd who may use this in schools.

Sachar also treats the subject matter with tact, knowing that nose picking can reduce a class to screams of "eeeeew!" in a heartbeat. He doesn't add unnecessary details about the act, but nor does he shy away from it. Therefore this book is very likely to draw in even reluctant readers because they'll want to see what happens next!! In a world where we could all use a little more respect, Marvin shows us that we're all the same: human.

Marvin Redpost is a young 3rd grader who picks his nose. Everyone makes fun of him. I felt bad for him when they would call him names. My favorite part is when he comes up with the idea that he should write a survey for the class... Sure enough everyone said that they did pick their noses. I think that it is very brave of them to say yes. I like Marvin.

At the beginning of every school year, I read Marvin Redpost:Why Pick on Me? to my new 4th graders. Marvin has to deal with abully in his class who starts a rumor that Marvin is a nose-picker. Everyone believes the rumor is true, even Marvin's 2 best friends. Marvin's family supports him, and he resolves the problem in an interesting way that leaves the bully looking rather foolish. This is a funny book, a sad book, and an insightful book. I read it to my students to open up a discussion about bullying and teasing. There's a big lesson to be found in this little book.