This seller, was very professional, she kept in touch with me, without me, contacting her first. I received the book in excellent condition, in less then 4 days. Thank you

I ordered the book on Monday and got it on Saturday. I could not believe it got here so fast. The book itself is in excellent condition.

One of the more striking features of the modern world is the way modern education, particularly of the 'scientific' kind, has succeeded in producing an extremely narrow or altogether closed mind, the type of mind which takes pride in describing itself as 'skeptical.'

One of the more distressing consequences of this widespread 'skepticism,' or narrow-mindedness, is a total refusal to believe in anything which has not been sanctioned by the prevailing Newtonian-Darwinian paradigm, much as if one were to say : "I wasn't taught this in high school so it can't be true."

What such persons fail to see is that, in fleeing from what they take to be 'superstition,' they have fallen victim to an equal if not greater body of superstition, since much of modern science reveals itself on close inspection to be little more than wild hypothesis and even pseudo-science.

Most authors of books on the paranormal feel obliged to spend a great deal of time answering, point by point, every conceivable 'argument' that skeptics come up with, arguments that are often as silly as the one that claimed flying saucers are just marsh gas or light reflected from the rear ends of flying ducks.

This can be extremely tedious for those of whose who are not paradigm-paralyzed, and it's refreshing to come across a book which totally and, it would seem, deliberately, ignores all skeptics. Facts are facts, whether they can be explained by current science or not.

People do walk on fire. They also see ghosts. And hundreds of thousand of sane and responsible people have seen flying saucers. Too bad if hidebound scientists and their groupies have no explanation. They may succeed for a time in preserving outworn hypotheses by rejecting inconvenient facts, but sooner or later, as books such as this demonstrate, the facts will catch up with them.

Three cheers for Rosemary Ellen Guily for not wasting our time on idle hypotheses but giving us instead a book crammed with such amazing facts!

This is a terrific novel about the radical abolitionist John Brown. The style of the book is remarkable. Olds writes in short bursts of prose, not more than three or four pages at a time, and from different perspectives: first person, third person, quotes from actual historical documents, and what appears to be an interview with Brown from beyond the grave. The effect is like channel-surfing on cable TV. And it works beautifully--it's an exciting way to write about history for the '90's reader. Olds strips down his language--it reminds me a little of James Ellroy's recent work--but he uses archaic words and sentence structure combined with impressive poetic imagery to achieve a convincing historical density. This book has great resonance. This is a time of intense, moralistic political warfare and this depiction of intense pre-Civil War passions should be disturbingly familiar. Bruce Olds makes us recognize and respect complexity. His final take on John Brown seems to be that he was an unpleasant, possibly insane man who nevertheless knew what the most important moral issue of his time was. Great reading.

richlvau2 from Grand Haven, MI misses the point when he writes that "the style [of RHH] is very interesting and it is an easy read, but the historical accuracy leaves a lot to be desired. Unfortunately, many will believe it to be "gospel" -(pun intended)"

Olds, by way of a form of literary deconstruction very rarely seen in contemporary fiction, painstakingly blurs the line between accuracy and innacuracy in historical writing. And he is not writing this way because it's the "in thing" to do.

It is also *deceptively* easy to read, with Olds hiding many of his devices from the suspecting eye and the text itself offering a number of simultaneous interpretations.

There is no "gospel" and Olds makes every effort possible to reconstruct the many narratives surrounding John Brown and to prevent any one voice from gaining authority -- especially his own.

I more than highly recommend this book: not only will you view this particular event differently, but you just might call into question the "truth" of other historical figures and events.

(Olds is overdue for a new one, let's hope the luke warm review in the NYTimes didn't blow it!)

An astonishing retelling of the life of John Brown. I selected this book for my book group after having listened to Banks' "Cloudsplitter" on BOT. I had read a few reviews of that book post hoc only to find that many critics cited this text as superior. I would say that the experience of listening, rather than reading, to Banks' book likely boosts my appraisal as I thought it was brilliant in its expanse, detail and imagination. As for Olds' work, it reads as though one is living through the time in a dream-like state. The wickedness and cruelty that is frequently attributed to "historical context" is brought to bear so that it is difficult to fathom how we look back at our American history as somehow noble and founded on justice. As for the man, John Brown, it was a serendipitous reading choice given the current state of world affairs. When resistance is linked to terrorism, the results are necessarily unpredicatable and frightening, regardless of the outcome.

THis big dictionary is the perpetual 2nd choice in our household: it is clumsy to find the right word, somewhat out of date, and poorly covers slang. So we only use it when we know we must wander in it in frustration.

Tepidly recommended. Oxford dictionaries are far better.

This is the first substantial Ital/Eng dicitonary to use the International Phonetic Alphabet in its Italian section. Most previous dictionaries have some sort of arcane system of pronunciation with a "dot for an open vowel" or a "cedille for a voiced consonant." This dictionary is invaluable to singers and students of voice who must continually be on the alert for which e and o vowels are open or closed! Very highly recommended.

This is one of the best reference companions you can buy. If you read through the definitions carefully, you will pick up a ton of grammar along the way. I use it constantly.

Benni Harper is busy with many projects. There's a new exhibit going into the artist's co-op, she's writing up the story of Japanese-Americans from the area during World War II, and she's helping put on a senior prom at San Celina's retirement home. As the dance draws to a close, she finds two of the residences murdered. What did they have in common that would lead to their deaths? Meanwhile, old flame Clay O'Hara is back in town. His status as lead suspect starts to come between Benni and Gabe. Benni finds herself drawn into solving this case no matter what Gabe says. If she stays alive long enough to do it, will this end their relationship?

Once again, Ms. Fowler has written a captivating story told with real emotion. It's hard not to be drawn into this world and really care for the characters. I found myself choking up on more then one occasion, yet also smiling and laughing at many of the lighter moments. The plot seems to get a little sidetracked near the middle, but picks up speed and reaches an interesting and satisfying conclusion.

Anyone looking for a mystery with strong characters and interesting stories will love this series. I won't be able to stop myself from picking up the next to see what these people, I mean characters, are up to next.

It's so much fun to read about many of my favorites... I love California, love quilts, love murder mysteries and fun characters! I liked this one so much I bought the rest of the series....

In this story Benni Harper is sponsoring a dance at the local retirement home. Clay O'Hara, a handsome man from her past is in town to visit his retired uncle and wants to resume a relationship with Benni. Of course she's flattered, but she has been dating Gabe Ortiz, the Acting Police Chief for several months and they may be on their way to some type of commitment. When two of the residents of the retirement home are killed, Chief Ortiz suspects Clay of the murders. Benni's defense of her old friend Clay, causes a rift between her and Gabe.

Due to the fact that one of the murdered victims was involved in helping the local Japanese community, the author gives us the very fascinating and tragic story of the Japanese Americans who were sent to internment camps during World War II.

Earlen Fowler keeps the reader entertained with her interesting characters in her second Benni Harper Book.

I went on vacation to San Francisco about a month ago and I needed a book that would guide me to the city. Access San Francisco was extremely informative and helpful. I found some great restaurants, cafés and shopping areas. Of course, it also guided me to China Town and the Golden Gate Bridge. Also, the book tells us the history of San Francisco and the different types of neighborhoods one might want to go to. I loved it. Are you planning on going to San Francisco? If so, buy Access San Francisco. Believe me, it is a tourist's must have!

This book was the most useful book I purchased to plan our trip to San Francisco. I can't say enough good things about it. It divides the city into neighborhoods then goes through each one not only listing the good points and points of interest, but also listing the bad. The information is practical and easy to find and understand. His carefully researched data helps one understand the city and the culture that make it so unique. From parking garages to street vendors this is the book to have on San Francisco.

In the spring of 1996, I traveled to the Bay Area with a friend for what would turn out to be the vacation of a lifetime, thanks to San Francisco Access guidebook. SFAccess was the best read material of the week. It outshined all other tourist info and guide books that we had. The reviews and suggestion were right on. I have increased my collection of Access books to now include the London and Paris editions. I can't imagine that I would have made it around each of these cities, or enjoyed my vacation as much, without these guides. I am going back to SF in a few weeks and I am buying the new edition of SF for the trip. And hope to add the Italy edition next year. I put my seal of approval on Access travel books.

Not my favorite Hillerman book, but still pretty interesting and entertaining. Won't hurt anyone to read something like this just for fun!

Tony Hillerman's book are often marketed as quick paperback reads. Sure they are mysteries at heart but they are more than mysteries. Hillerman asks the reader to think.

In this book, Hillerman is pondering heavy questions. The first underlying theme is whether Chee should leave the reservation for a job with the FBI. Since Chee does lots of driving in the book, we share many hours of internal debate on the issue. The second and more subtle theme involves aging and wisdom. While the core of the mystery involves middle-aged folks, many of the most valuable witnesses are very elderly. They are the people many investigators would ignore. I found the Chee's interviews with the seniors to be top flight writing.

The actual plot is ok. Chee has to spend more time in Los Angeles that I enjoyed. Still, city life for Native Americans is a reality. There were a couple of annoying redundancies as certain plot points were revisited. The survivalist bad guy was pretty over the top and his excesses were quite unnecessary.

Bottom-line: Not my favorite Hillerman but not a waste of time by any definition. For those who like to read their books in order, this is number six in the greater Chee/Leaphorn series.

This is the sixth of Hillerman's "Navajo Detective" series and the third in which Jim Chee is the main character. In "Ghostway" Hillerman explores the conflict of a Navajo drawn to the White world. Jim Chee is in love with a White school teacher, Mary Landon, and he contemplates marrying her and leaving the reservation to take a job as an FBI agent. But he is also pulled in the opposite direction to become a "singer" and preserve the Navajo ceremonies that are being forgotten as the old timers die off. Chee's preoccupation with the personal choices he must make are always near the surface of this mystery novel.

Hillerman, as always, celebrates the magnificience of the Navajo land and the Navajo's sensitivity to their natural surroundings. And, as always, the knowledge of their land and people give Hillerman's detectives the insight they need to solve the mystery.

"Ghostway" begins with a shootout in the parking lot of a laundromat in Shiprock, New Mexico that leaves two men dead. The story is not one of Hillerman's best or most credible but the character of Margaret Sosi, an entrancing, 15-year old girl wearing a black pea coat makes up for plot deficiencies. We want this girl to live -- but Hillerman readers know he has cruelly killed off children in other novels in the series.

Hillerman novels contain no sex whatsoever, but "Ghostway" comes closer than about any other to intimating that Jim Chee and Mary Landon might have engaged in something more than romantic conversation.

"Dreamer" by Steven Harper marks the beginning of a new science fiction series. The start is very promising and one can only hope that the interesting story elements have a chance to grow and mature into a truly memorable series.
There are several unique things in "Dreamer" first among them is the lead character Kendi, a deep and caring telepath of Aboriginal descent. So many main characters who dominate most of science fiction/fantasy novels are basic wasp that it is refreshing to see a minority character used to such good effect

Hard core SF fans will enjoy the intriguing notion of universe where interplanetary society is held together by the telepathic skills of genetically engendered individuals, called silent. Unfortunately most parts of the galaxy silent are slaves.
Dreamer is not without it's problems however first is the often stilted dialogue. Several times the story is told through journal entries of young Sejal however I found this to be distracting from the story line. The more significant issue is the fact that the initial plot line is resolved halfway through the book leaving the main characters with little or nothing to do. A secondary plot about the dream world being ripped apart by tortured children just doesn't grab the attention the way the search for Sejal did.
It is fortunate that Mr. Harper's second book of the series "Nightmare" resolves this works structural difficulties.
All in all a good book worth seeking out.

A VERY complex but easy to follow fantacy/mystery.
The author is brilliant. His characters well developed and the enviornment well depicted.

This book first caught my attention in the new books section of my school library. Now, unfortunately, I have never managed to come across anything really interesting there, but as it was final few days at the school, I decided to give it one last shot. For some reason, despite the fact that I kept trying to ignore this book, my hand kept getting caught on it, and I finally picked it up. I found this to be the best thing I have ever done.

The story starts off in the middle of an escape, a technique that already wrenches the reader headon into the book. As the book progresses, the full picture is painted for the reader, as characters and ideas unfold. The quest for Sejal, the powerful silent who has supernatural "telepathic" skills (forgive the word usage) is a valuable asset to all sides of the government, and must be found.

What I find is the most admirable is the vast ideas and concepts Harper creates: A world of communication, a network of those known as Silent, as well as a fantastical future governed by genetics. And rather than force-feeding the information, which is oftentimes a deadly flaw in most Sci-Fi writers, Harper exposes us to the worlds he has created without attempt to overexplain things. Rather, information naturally glides by, and everything ends up...well..making sense! Furthermore, I found the main character of the books as an ethnic gay protagonist astonishing and very inspiring. It is rare to find such books, and it opened up doorways for me. Harper portrays the relationship between Ben and Kendi superbly, sculpting it as a natural part of the novel rather than a strange out-of-place thing. This, I find the most admirable, and I recomend this book to anyone who is fascinated by the connections people make with others, as well as the breath of fresh air that science fiction a step away from the tradition offers. I can't wait to read his following titles!

What a ferocious book, what a scathing wit this writer has! Harper dares to speak the unspoken (and frequently funny) thoughts that many care givers have, but are hesitant to share with those of us who might not understand. Chronically sleep-deprived, often suspected by other family members of trying to loot the Alzheimer's patient's bank account (or worse), these unsung heroes or heroines labor in the most thankless of jobs, under the most demoralizing of circumstances. Who can blame them if their worldview is less than rosy? What might have become some drearily maudlin "movie of the week" tale in less sure hands instead is a bracing slap of cold water into the faces of those of us who live ordinary lives and don't have the good sense to be thankful for them. Mark Twain would've loved this woman and loved her book. He, too, derived his wild humor from the darkest of personal circumstances. Just as you don't have to be a riverboat pilot to enjoy his most famous works, neither do you have to know anyone with Alzheimer's disease to laugh at loud at this furious but funny novel.

I read this book because I was told it was humorous. As a professional Geriatric Care Manager, I did not find it funny in the traditional sense, but rather one of the most important books about Alzheimer's disease I have ever found. I will recommend this book to all of my "Dutiful Daughters" and an occassional son who are living this. Although it is very hard to read if you are in the midst of fulfilling a caregiver role, I think the value is immense. Congratulations to M.A.Harper for telling such a meaningful story..............it needs to be read by many.

"The Worst Day of My Life, So Far" by M.A. Harper deals with Jeanne, who was taking care of her mother, Velma who was suffering from Alzheimer. Jeanne, had to leave her life when her father died and she was left with the responsibility of caring for her mother. Harper gives a detailed account of what Jeanne had to go through to care for her mother, ranging from inadequate sleep to frequent disturbances from her mother. It also increases her anxiety as she was constantly worried that her mother would do something (without meaning to) to harm herself. Adding to the backdrop of this is the life of Jeanne, how she dropped out of college, got pregnant, married the wrong guy. She was not having a good relationship with her son, and basically, she was not happy.

I like this book because I think the author paints a realistic picture of Alzheimer's and that it is hardest for people to care for the ill. Sufferers of Alzheimer's are totally different people from who they were and every day is an attempt to survive and to be mentally stable as you need to be focus when you take care of the ill. It is also a full time job and that others around you might not understand what you're going through unless they experience it themselves. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about Alzheimer's more from the view point of those who take care of the patients and how it affects their lives.

While this book has great definitions, a nice font so everything is easy to read, the section on verb forms is a little lacking. Since irregular verbs are probably the hardest part of this language, I didn't feel it was a good idea to put all the irregular verb tenses in a very simplified table form with just the verb endings. You really need to see the entire verb spelled out properly. This may not bother everyone, but it did me.

For a person who is hungry for words, this is THE dictionary to opt for. The umpteen entries make this dictionary the most sought-after bilingual dictionary to look up for new words. The additions of recent words, which have made an entry into French, make this a contemporary dictionary of the French language. This would have proved to be the best in all possible ways if only the manner in which the skeleton has been structured was more pragmatic. One would be dissatisfied after futilely looking up in the dictionary to find how to express certain expressions native to an English user like "receive a proposal" et al. If only this dictionary had been more user-friendly (by drawing heavily from corpus) like Oxford-Hachette is, it would have been an indispensable tool.

I wholeheartedly agree with those who say that this particular dictionary is THE French dictionary for students of French (and French enthusiasts). Not only is the vocabulary comprehensive, but the usage notes are invaluable; symbols indicate British versus American usage, the "slang quotient" of a word, and archaic and colloquial words, among others. The entries are full of examples that make it very easy to find out exactly how to use the word in context. There is also a special "Language in Use" section in the middle for particular cases, especially idiomatic phrases. The pronunciations are in IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet), with guides in English and French. Highly recommended!!