The author says he was inspired by true stories like warrior-queens such as Queen Zenobia of Palmyra and Boadicea, the Celtic queen who led a rebellion against the Romans, and Ahmad Ibn Fadlan as portrayed in the movie "The 13th Warrior." Though totally fictional the story and the characters are so real it seems like it really took place. Degrate really did research this book, because as bizarre as some of the customs and superstitions sound, they were really practiced by people in the Middle Ages and before. I got so caught up in this book. I recommend it to anyone.

I love books with lots of twists to the plot. Degrate keeps you guessing as much as the main character Clarren as to who to trust and who is playing dirty, while superstition and greed govern arranged marriages, wars and politics in medieval times.

You can not read this book seriously and have your life remain the same. It opens up a lot of thought into a Christians life and respect for God. You come out of reading this book with a whole new perspective of godliness.

This book is an amazing tool to help Christians grow closer to God and stonger in their walk with Him.

WARNING: "Quarantine at Alexander Abraham's" is the 5th volume in the "Road to Avonlea" series of novelizations adapted from the "Avonlea" television show. However, it takes place BEFORE the events that are related in the 4th volume, "The Materializing of Duncan McTavish." Consequently, you might want to read these in reverse order if you are making your way through this series.

"Quarantine at Alexander Abraham's" is one of the best adaptations of a Lucy Maud Montgomery short story to the cast of characters on "Avonlea." Standing in for Montgomery's original female protagonist who has to confront confirmed old bachelor Abraham is one of her most beloved supporting characters, Mrs. Rachel Lynde. Viewers of Sullivan Films Productions of "Anne of Green Gables" are well familiar with both the character and the fine actress, Patricia Hamilton, who plays her. But this episode is also the first time that Mrs. Lynde takes center stage, which is definitely a treat for her many fans.

Mrs. Lynde is put in charge of the boy's Sunday School class and when she finds the young boy who work's Alexander Abraham's farm has gone truant, she heads out to save the boy's soul. Meanwhile, Felix and Sara have run ahead to warn their schoolmate of the impending storm. However, everybody involved is in for a big shock when they all end up in Abraham's home only to discover he has been quarantined because of the small pox. That means this quartet of not too happy individuals are stuck with each other for at least two weeks. Mrs. Lynde and her two small charges are going to clean the house from top to bottom, no matter what that old curmudgeon has to say.

Fiona McHugh, working from the script written by Heather Conkie, absolutely nails the character of Rachel Lynde. Of course, in the original Montgomery short story it was just the two old people butting heads, but Conkie makes the addition of the two small children work and McHugh does an excellent job of going beyond the dialogue to get at what the characters are really thinking. This is one of best adaptations in the "Road to Avonlea" series and if you have not yet read "The Story Girl," "The Chronicles of Avonlea" or Montgomery's other works, then the time has come for you to definitely do that.

Completely and utterly a book about mischief!!:) Sarah and Felix enter Mr. Abrahams home as the result of a dare and some taunting on the part of the other children, to see what has become of a friend of theres. (Murder is a highly suspected!:)) They are of course, caught and unfortunetly are forced to remain at the terrible, woman and child hating residence of Alexander Abraham along with unsufferable Mrs. Lynde due to the fact that although their friend has not been murdered or kidnapped, he has come down with a contagious disease and they are now QUARENTINED! (hence the name!) Good book, well written and easy reading. Although this is a must have for any 'Avonlea' collector I strongly caution adults looking for a continuation of Montgomery's novels for you will not find it here, thisis undoubtedly a children's book and will not satisfy you appetites.

This book is very different from the first one, and yet just as great! In fact, I got lucky and bought it at a library sale! If you can get your hands on this book, you will love reading it!

Man, I want to read this book so badly! I read the 1st one and it was super!

this is a great motivational book that everyone should read every month. it would sure help to ward off the darts of negativity that we all encounter evey day

One of the best motivational books. A very good addition to Rhinoceros Success and Advanced Rhinocerology. We hope that Scott keeps on CHARGING !

I purchased this book to learn more about the Outer Banks, which I have long wished to visit and where we will spend a week this summer. It is an amazingly interesting and informative book. Geology, geography, biology, weather, ecology, politics, and more are all discussed as is the importance of each in relation to the others. I found the book engrossing and would recommend it even if you are not going to this unique area of the world. Now when the kids ask me why there is a forest in the dunes I will be able to tell them and I will be much better able to appreciate the beauty of the place.

I picked this book up during a recent week's stay on Topsail Island (one of the southernmost of the Outer Banks). Having never read a book on natural history or the ecology, I was prepared for the paper-pulp equivalent of Sominex.

Never have I been more wrong in my preconceptions about a book. Ribbon of Sand captures PERFECTLY the true mystique of North Carolina's Outer Banks -- how a half-mile wide band of barrier islands survive both because of nature . . . and in spite of it. Each segment of the book ties together both human and natural history. How the wind the shapes the wonderfully high dunes near Kill Devil provided the Wright Brothers with the means to test their gliders and to develop the first airplane. How shifting tides and currents that continue to shape the Outer Banks both abetted . . . and spelled doom for Blackbeard the Pirate.

In short, Ribbon of Sand captured my imagination and instilled in me a greater appreciation for the fragile balance of nature and man on the Outer Banks. I very highly reccomend this book!

I have a shelf full of books on UU. This was the one I most enjoyed reading. It contains about 20 essays by different UU leaders, exploring different aspects of improving our ministry. The piece by Suzanne Meyer was particularly useful to me as a Worship committee chair. My congregation is beginning to build Covenant Groups - small lay-led group ministries. These are on the Meta-Church model. The meta-church literature (Carl George, and others) is good, but very much out of an Evangelical Christian tradition. For UUs to make small-group ministry work, we need to be able to articulate what special gifts *our* tradition holds. I found this book so useful in that regard that I've bought eight copies of it, and been giving them away to other members of my congregation.

A collaboration of UU authors share how they have been successful in promoting congregational growth. There are many great ideas and inspiring stories.

Although the book is said to have been printed from camera-ready copy that I supplied, the copy editor took it upon himself to alter the text without having the courtesy of consulting me. In so doing, the paragraphing of the opening chapter was altered from that of Fouque's original text, and several errors were introduced into my annotations. It is regrettable to see these defects in a book to which I devoted eight years of conscientious effort. Apart from this, I hope that the book does credit to Fouque and his long-neglected contributions to geology and archeology.

In 1866-1870, Georgios volcano on Santorini had a series of eruptions that attracted many visitors and scientists. Several eye-witness accounts of the spectacular events were written, but two of them were outstanding, one by Jules Verne and another by Ferdinand Fouque. While Verne described in his science fiction novel how Captain Nemo and his crew witnessed the spectacular eruptions in the middle of Santorini caldera, Fouque wrote a scientific book entitled "Santorini et ses eruptions". Both books became famous. While Verne's book turned out to be a best seller and was translated into many languages, Fouque's book was never such a success because only 800 copies were printed and the many illustrations made it expensive. As a result, many geologists and archeologists have cited the book, but only a few have read the text. Now after more than 120 years this classic has been translated into English. The translator, a leading scientist in volcanology himself, Alexander McBirney of the University of Oregon, has given us a readable text that preserves the style and spirit of the original. His annotations inform the reader about later work and things that have changed since 1879. He has also added a short biographical sketch of Fouque, a doctor of medicine who became interested in volcanoes and was a pioneer in many fields, including the analysis of volcanic minerals and gases. McBirney brings the reader an update on the geological development of Snatorini since the appearance of the original French text. The book comes with the modern geological map of Santorini by Pichler and Kussmaul. Altogether, the combination of Fouque's science, the translator's scholarship, and the publisher's craftsmanship make this one of the best books about volcanoes and the archeology of Santorini ever written.

The SBL Handbook of style is designed for those who are writing papers or dissertations in the field of ancient Near Eastern, Biblical and early Christian Studies. Most matters of style are comprehensively addressed, and where they are not, the editors refer the reader to the Chicago Manual of Style. The book is extremely useful for those who want to standardise their abbreviations and references. Nonetheless, several issues will have to be resolved in the next edition. First, although the book is nicely printed, the binding is extremely poor, and fell apart only after I had used the book a few times. Second, several essential abbreviations are missing from the list of Greek and Latin works. Third, not all abbreviations are located in the same part of the book, and so one has to keep going backwards and forwards to find the appropriate reference. Fourth, the editors sometimes display a dogmatic approach to style and appear at least to this reader to be a inflexible. For example they insist that writers ought to use Miriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary for their spelling. This dictionary however is only one alongside many other excellent dictionaries such as, the American Heritage, and the Random House. These criticisms should not detract from the importance and usefulness of this volume, which I recommend wholeheartedly.

This easy-to-use, inexpensive volume is a must-own for all who write in the fields of biblical and ancient near eastern studies. College and seminary students, graduate students, teachers, and researchers will find this book a fine substitute for Turabian and/or the CMOS for all but the most obscure situations. The discipline-specific nature of the work also allows greater depth of coverage without making it overlong. Get it today, or be behind the standard tomorrow.

This is a fascinating, insider's look at a real Wicca coven and what Witches do. The author, a High Priestess of the Craft, reveals everything about beliefs and practices. She leads the reader through all the steps to self-initiation, and even includes an initiation ritual. She also includes lots of spells, rituals, and information on herbs. This book is chock full of information, but is so easy to understand and makes such good sense, that it was a joy to read. I've heard a lot of bunk about Witchcraft, but this is the only author I've read who tells me what it really is all about. Highly recommended!

This book was both a delight to read and a welcomed challenge in Wiccan Spirituality. The author gave a clear explanation of god/dess worship, herbs, incense making, sabbats, and so much more. As one who works in a group setting, it has brought newfound courage and leadership to me when performing ritual. A must read for all Wiccans.