Lila Fowler tells her friends that she has a cool boyfriend..but it isnt true.She has even created an appearance,personality and NNAME! for this guy!!!!!!She is so scared of showing up to the upcoming dance alone after all her bragging about her terrific boyfriend.

I love this book.I just finished reading it yesterday,but today I read it again.This book is so romantic and exciting.I recommend this book to anybody who loves Sweet Valley.Read it,you'll LOVE it!!

I gave this book 5 stars because this book is great! I f you like books that have a great ending then I suggest you most definetly read this book!

In 1928, the St. Francis Dam, 50 miles north of Los Angeles, collapsed, releasing 12 billion gallons of water. The ensuing flood killed at least 450 people, caused millions of dollars of damage, and brought the career of legendary engineer William Mulholland to a tragic end. Charles Outland witnessed the disaster as a Santa Paula teenager. In 1963, he produced the first edition of this book, the most authoritative history of the subject. Virtually forgotten until then, the St. Francis tragedy remains little-known today, despite the fact that, measured in loss of life, it is the worst American civil engineering failure of the 20th Century. Outland's almost minute-by-minute retelling of the story, and his careful technical analysis, make this book highly readable and an invaluable historical record.

Outland's "Man-Made Disaster" (originally published in 1963)is probably the most complete volume of the story of the St. Francis Dam disaster of 1928. Outland's matter-of-fact narrative follows the course of the flood unleashed by the failed dam, providing tragic and heroic anecdotes along it's path of destruction. The book then goes on th tell the story of the 1928 investigation and coroner's inquest. The final chapter contains Outland's own theories as to the dam's collapse...theories that turned out to be very close to the truth as discovered in a modern forensic study made in the late 1980s.

Author Charles Outland was a teenager at the time of the dam's failure and witnessed the events described in his book first hand. The prologue contains a personal memory of an encounter with a flood survivor on the morning after the disaster. It is Outland's personal involvement that gives the text a clarity and emotional context rare in such non-fiction.

This book's original 1963 publication included a run of only 1,000 copies making it difficult to find. However, if you are an afficianado of California history, western water issues, or civil engineering, it is well worth your effort to locate and read "Man-Made Disaster".

I grew up in the Santa Clara river valley as did 3 generations of my family before me. I have heard the personal testimony of my relatives who where there at the scene. Charles Outland's book was like reliving those stories with my uncles and grandparents all over again. His book is the only account thats able to put this incredibly tragic set of events into a truely human perspective. It is also the only book that thoroughly explains the historical roots of the dam, it's principle players and the aftermath of the event. It took me 6 months to find a copy and at $175 it wasn't cheap. But, the content and concise quality of Outlands account made it worth every penny. Only 1000 copies of the First edition were printed so good luck finding one. I have read the revised 2nd edition (5000 copies printed) and consider it an even better historical referance than the first edition. In it, Outland adds a lot of insight and follow up material that were not available in 1963. I highly recomend "A Man Made Disaster" to any body interested in historical non-fiction. Steve Yewell

"Martin and Meditations on the South Valley" provide the clearest voice for the dispossessed gente--la raza--of Aztlan. JSB is the greatest living writer among Chicanos simply because he captures the anger, the despair and the violence that oppression breeds among Chicanos. His brilliance is that he simultaneously captures the beauty, the love, the humanity of a people who have never lost touch with their lands, their families, their culture,their indigenous roots and their humanity.

Jimmy Santiago Baca writes of experiences that most people will never have, except through the reading of this epic poem...many may think that they have a 'hard' life, but to read the author's story is to have but a glimpse of the beauty and pain that he has lived, and survived, and become stronger from...his story is one that is lived by many, but written of by so few...I hope that you read this book and achieve the insight and understanding of his true heroism, in the face of unbelievable odds, that would surely break all of us who never lived on the streets ,or who never had to learn of the power of the written word while in prison....he has returned from the ashes to tell a story of rebirth through true poetry, of survival not imagined, but lived....I work with young adults every day that must overcome the obstacles that Jimmy Santiago Baca has survived...and I hope that the reader learns from what he has written...poetry has the power to heal, and this book won a national award because it is truely special and unique, as is the author...thank you...

Beautiful verse and surreal imagery! Jimmy Santiago Baca allows the reader a glimpse of Latino-American life in Martin & Meditations on the South Valley. This book is a highly recommended read, both for its poetic value and introspective quality

This is a fun and VERY funny book,one of the best SVTs.After a spat with their mum,Jess and Liz insist that it is easier to be a mum,while their mum says it is easier to be a kid.So Jessica suggests that she and Liz swap places with their mum and vice versa;surprisingly,MrsWakefield agrees!

It is a very good story idea isnt it??And it is very good fun to read.

This is one of the best books of the SVT series! I've read almost all of the books in this series and " THE MOTHER-DAUGHTER SWITCH" is one of the best books! It is so hilarious when Mrs. Wakefield tries to rollerblade and when Jess and Liz act like robbers and take their sun-porch furniture for Mrs. Wolsky's sun-porch. All in all, every SV fan has gotta read it. It's a must! I recomend it to EVERYONE!:)

This book was really good. Jess and Liz decide to trade places with their mother! Who would of thought Mrs.Wakefield would be such a troubulsome kid? You gotta read this and find out!

Buckler's book is tops. The story follows the life of an unpublished writer who must sacrifice his dreams to run the family farm. The prose reads like poetry, the images are breathtaking. It is so beautifully written it made me want to weep. In fact, I had to stop reading the novel for awhile and move to another book, then resume reading it about a week later. The novel is so dense, it reminded me of visiting catherals in Europe or gallery after gallery of museum masterpieces -- the senses can only absorb so much, before you are in overload and need a break. Perhaps that's why the author's body of work is sparse.
I am going to recommend this great read to friends. Although there is not much action, the emotions and thoughts of the characters are true and timeless. I must confess I did shed a tear or two at the end. Like a lot of great literature, The Mountain and The Valley is sad.

The Mountain and the Valley started out as a PERFECT look at growing up in a rural landscape. Buckler, through his careful choosing of his language, created an atmosphere of perfect beauty. The story is about one who is born with the soul of an artist, and Buckler transforms the novel into art to fit with that theme. I did say that it started out this way. Partway through the book, art begins to become at odds with the ruggedness of the rural landscape. This conflict begins to transform the beautiful book into something truely haunting and sometimes almost scary. Was the book ruined by this sudden shift? There will be mixed feelings about it. On one hand, the beauty of the perfection was ruined by it. But this is a real life book, not fantasy. On the other hand, there had to be pain. For artistic vision cannot go left unattained, even when living in an environment where it is not supposed to exist. Either way you take the shift of the books tone, it will leave you with a feeling that you have read a story that needed to be told so that you do not make the same mistake.

Ernest Buckler has captured a true reflection of the Canadian experience and spirit in The Mountain and the Valley. It is one of the most moving and compelling stories I've read, profound in its simplicity. A whole university course could be taught on its imagery alone.

The Mountain Valley War was first published (paper) back in 5/78. I bought my copy published 2/79. As always I read the book with-in the next day or so. so it's been about 23 yrs. gone by. I always write a short note in the book describing my opinions. It seems as if I was overjoyed with the book as I wrote "what a fabulous story", or was it, I'd been dreaming and placing myself in the lead character's shoes, something I do often. Louis's books are fabulous. If you don't find that to be so you might not like any westerns.

The second of the three novels about Lance Kilkenny, a man with an unwanted reputation as a gunfighter, now he's got himself a small piece of land, a few head of cattle and has hung up his guns. A good novel, though personally I favour the other two Kilkenny novels ("The Rider of Lost Creek" and "Kilkenny") but this one is not far behind. It's obvious that L'Amour knows his characters well, like all good writers for any medium should. Here Kilkenny finds he has to defend his land, and organise his neighbours, in a small war against a power mad cattle baron.

I have read over 80 of L'Amour's books, and this one was terrific! If you've read (and liked) Kilkenny, then you'll love this one, too. Kilkenny is a fascinating character in this book, and L'Amour has given him quite the brain to defeat the Hale gang. A must read!!!

This book is an incredible account of the life and times of Mary Jemison, a white woman taken captive during the French and Indian War and adopted into the Seneca tribe of the Iroquois in western New York. This tale covers her more than 70 years living among them through many of the most vital years of the long history of the Iroquois Confederacy.

In November 1823, when she was in her 80s, Mary Jemison, at the urging of many of the friendly local inhabitants, gave her amazing life story to James Seaver to publish for posterity. Though his truthfulness in some details of that account has often been called into question, this book is one of the most important and complete of any of the Indian captivity narratives to come out of the period between the French and Indian War and the War of 1812, which most historians mark as the end of the period of influence of the Eastern Woodland tribes. This account gives unequalled insight into the Seneca Indians and their ways including religion, food, hunting, warfare, culture, etc.

Mary had many opportunities to leave the Indians and return to white civilization but chose not to do so and thus was witness to some of the most amazing events in the history of her adopted people. Her tale is important to not only historians and ethnologists, but to the general public itself as it is a truly amazing story of triumph and tragedy for a proud people struggling to survive in the face of overwhelming odds as a young United States continued to expand, forever extinguishing their way of life.

Book is fascinating reading, in terms of the history that's revealed in the words of Mary Jemison, but also in terms of James Seaver who gave us his own version of her story. This book is a layering of historical periods, and with the help of the editing, you can peer through and see not only the period of Mary Jemison's captivity, but also the prejudices of the period directly following. An interesting example of the simultaneous respect and loathing with which the early settlers viewed the native inhabitants.

They say if you visit New York State you will find her descendants; many native-americans have her last name. Taken captive; her parents killed - Mary becomes part of a native-american family. She married a Delaware (Lenape) warrior, with whom she was very content and has many children. This is a dramatic, true story, told in her own words. She is in her 80's, and reminisces about her unusual life.

If you've ever wanted to just forget city life and pack up and move to the country, read this book. It's a great collection of non-fiction writing about Drake's life in rural wine country, raising sheep and making wine.

Barbara Drake has written a sweet and lovely word-picture of her life on the Oregon farm she shares with her husband and their motley group of animals. Although she writes with a tender love for her land, and all that is on it, it is never saccharine, and is actually quite informative for anyone thinking of undertaking this type of lifestyle change.The book is written as a collection of brilliant essays,each filled with pathos,tenderness,and a deep understanding of the dramatic lifestyle changes involved in delving into farming.We meet, and learn to love, her sheep, geese, the sheepherding dogs,and the colorful neighbors. And even her warm and adoring father,who has an especially hilarious relationship with the hugely protective gander who patrols the gaggle of geese on the property, becomes someone you wish you could have met in person. This is one of those truly magical reads that leaves you with an afterglow of satisfaction after it's done. This is a must-read for anyone who appreciates the beauty and the magic of nature, the relationship of animal friends, the satisfaction of self-reliance and independence, or just someone who loves simply-beautiful prose. Barbara Drake is a poet at heart.

Drake's book is warm and touching but never mushy. She uses her words with economy to create vivid images that strike the eye, and the mind. I would encourage everyone to pick up a copy of this book. Filled with positive images, and insights that are surprising and touching, it's a great read, I couldn't put it down.

Developing successful new products and services is one of the most difficult tasks that a company has. Unless your products and services have very long life cycles (something that occurs less and less these days), your growth will depend a lot on how well you perform. The book's premise is that starting with the processes that work for the rapid growth, short life cycle companies in Silicon Valley, you can gather important insights. That's a sound and intriguing idea, and it is well executed by Christopher Meyer. One of the things I liked was that he looked beyond Silicon Valley to find how other companies of all sizes and types were employing the same principles. One of my favorite examples in the book was of Emerson Electric.

Here are the book's chapter titles: (1) Knowledge -- The Motherlode of Value (2) The Loose-Tight World of Innovation (3) Leading . . . with an attitude (4) Strategy in a $20 Billion Startup (5) Relentless Approach to Innovation (6) Collective Power of Pairs (7) Measuring Your Measurement System (8) Getting from Here to There

The key point of the book is that each company needs to create an attitude among its people which fosters growth. Meyer does a good job of comparing and contrasting what what makes innovation work from what makes running existing operations excell. Unless you create this attitude, the normal operating needs will push out the needs of innovation.

Building on Intel's Andy Grove's advice about paranoia, Meyer proposes having positive paranoia in regard to the need or positive momentum and change. He also encourages companies to look outward solely, rather than inward. He wants a flatter organizational structure that blurs the organizational boundaries among functions. He favors promoting people who have a passion for innovation and what your company does. He suggests stretch goals that are acted upon, with the whole process repeated.

I found the thoughts in the book to be accurately portrayed and very appropriate advice. A number of the examples were also new to me, which made the book more interesting. A good adjunct to this book is Mike Pessemier's original research from the 1970s on how the best companies develop new products. The case studies in this book draw on important lessons from that research.

Don't sit on your laurels. Develop your innovation attitude by applying the lessons of this book as a first step! That's the kind of leadership that can make a difference!

As with his first book, Meyer artfully combines theory and practice in how to deal with success. This book applies well to any business aiming for high (35%+ per annum) growth and the tremendous strain this places on having a shared understanding of the company's goals, direction, and values.

Meyer presents many attributes of successful, aggressive information-age companies and provides stimulating ideas about where and how to steer an organization's culture. Maintaining a sense of urgency and challenging things that brought about current success are hard to do, but this book sheds some light on how to avoid complacency.

I find the book a tad chauvinistic about Silicon Valley, but the area certainly has an enviable track record. I do think his ideas will work elsewhere. :)

Drawing from the experiences of Silicon Valley's "best and brighest," Meyer shows how innovation can be learned and managed. He introduces a model that synthesizes the core elements of innovation and he explores the organizational nature and leadership characteristics of successful high technology firms. Meyer succeeds in conveying the intangible dynamics of these exceptional enterprises. The book is rich in insights that apply to organizations who are striving for a competitive edge. Meyer shows how knowledge, creativity and passion are pivotal to creating weath and shaping the future.

A wonderful novel for both people who want an introduction to the Goddess as well as those who already are faithful believers. I agree with the other reviewers who say this book is meant to be reread and reread. As a true believer, I would send this to my circle friends,but I would also feel comfortable and sharing it with friends who don't know about female centered religions.

THE RETURN OF THE GODDESS is my all-time favorite book. Author Robert Kelly called it a "celebration of how four remarkable people grow into godhood, the journal all love tries to make". I grew to love these four unforgetable characters. The story is also called "a divine comedy", and I laughed my way through it. I celebrated Esther's journey to self discovery and personal growth--and related to it--and most women can. THE RETURN OF THE GODDESS begins on Halloween night, and so I re-read it every October. The imagery--sights, sounds, smells--bring this book to life. Every time I read it, I envision this story made into a movie--it would be wonderful! Thank-you, Elizabeth Cunningham, for bringing these characters and this town to life.

I love this book. I've read it so much that the pages are almost all dog eared. I've given copies of it to 6 of my friends and have loaned mine to at least five others. Elizabeth Cunningham is a fantastic storyteller and she leads us on a journey through a woman's spirit, awakening to the power of her self. It is a hard journey, but a worthwhile one, and you'll laugh all the way through until you cry at the end. Beautiful, poetic writing and outrageously funny realism combine to make this a "can't put it down 'til I'm done" kind of book. The Goddess dances across the pages and into your heart as you read it, and the book leaves you with a sense of hope and a feeling that somehow, someway, justice will always be done. Thanks, Elizabeth Cunningham, for the book that always picks me up when I'm in a low place.