If you haven't read Youth in Revolt, please do. It will help a ton in understanding Revolting Youth. However, contrary to popular belief, you can still read Revolting Youth without having read YiR, and still find it hilarious. Just ask my mom.

Revolting Youth somehow manages to surpass YiR. Payne has mastered his craft and now effortlessly cranks out complicated and unexpected Twispian plot twists, with hilarious results.

Lots of crazy stuff goes down in this book. While Nick is doomed to suffer setbacks and rejections, he always mananges to come out on top. Sheeni is even more indifferent to him than before, but you can bet Nick finds his way into her . . . erm . . . heart. Or something like it. Fuzzy returns as Nick's best pal, who is consistently, albeit NOT stupidly, a true friend. Don't forget about Ukiah's most beautiful teen couple, Trent and Apurva, now married and expecting two babies, although only one of them is Apurva's. Yes, all your favorite characters are back, and some new crazies join in the madness.

Only one problem remains: Don't expect Payne to come out with another Nick Twisp adventure. It doesn't seem possible that he can equal or top this one.

Just when you think the life of Nick Twisp can't get any weirder, it does! Not only does Nick continue living as Carlotta in this highly anticipated sequel, but he takes on two more hilarious alter egos. And even through his penniless days Nick manages to get rid of his enemies and end up with the one thing he wants most- Sheeni. If you enjoyed the first book even a little bit, you must read Revolting Youth. It's even better!

Alot of the faithful members of the fanbase for C.D.'s underground classic, will of course love this novel. Maybe even more than the origional come to think of it. It seems to me however, that no matter who has read the two part story of Nick Twisp, will either love it and claim it to be the best novel ever written, or hate it for it's childish humor, disturbing images, and malicious actions and goings-on. Trust me people, If you find erection jokes and fat people sexually taking advantage of 14-year olds, then leave right now and find a nice "Clifford the Big Red Dog" book to read. However if plastic surgery and being fugitave from FBI intrigues you. Then C.D. Payne had dutifully provided you with a Love Story to remember.

This collection of poetry and prose is entertaining and enlightening. To delve into the mind of a man on aspects such as Love and God is refreshing. Selected favorites such as Sunrise, which shows that the simplicity of words can be enough and Petals Against My Skin that make vulnerability appealing is reason enough to add this to your collection. Women everywhere need to See Through Eyes and get this book. Better yet...men...make the jesture and get your woman a copy!

This brotha's work is eyeopening. With poems like "the neighbor" and "if I was white, I wonder", he tells it like it is. It's amazing how poetry can touch one's heart. A friend of mine saw my copy of this book and read it. It nearly brought tears to her eyes. Everyone should see through this brotha's eyes. Get the Book and tell a friend.

This collection of poetry and prose is entertaining and enlightening. To delve into the mind of a man on aspects such as Love and God is refreshing. Selected favorites such as Sunrise, which shows that the simplicity of words can be enough and Petals Against My Skin that make vulnerability appealing is reason enough to add this to your collection. Women everywhere need to See Through Eyes and get this book. Better yet...men...make the jesture and get your woman a copy!

I remember reading this novel when I was 11 years old. I was an avid space enthuisiast and loved mostly reference books, not fiction. A friend of mine who retired from LTV gave me this book and I began to read it. I got lost in the story. It was so captivating. An American Astronaut hijacks an American Space Shuttle to ina an effort defect himself, the shuttle and the payload to the Soviet Union. Alot of the references made such as the Strategic Defense Intiative and the ASAT were of the Reagan, Gorbachev era and due to the fact that the Soviet Union broke apart and the Cold War ended left these programs non-existant. But still, this novel is an interesting piece of fiction. I am currently reading this novel again for the first time in 10 years and am lost more deeply in the plot than I was before. Payne Harrison is an excellent novelest and I find this book his best. Check it out. It is well worth it. Trust me.

A real page-turner! The story is simple - a Russian agent hijacks a US space shuttle and the mission goes wrong, and the US and USSR have to race to bring down the shuttle, using any means at their disposal! This book features everything - Star Wars weapons technology, an experimental space fighter project which might be quite feasible one day, a dnagerous shuttle launch, Stealth bombers on a mission into Russia and a spectacular apperance by the highest-flying plane in the world, the SR-71 Blackbird under attack by Russian air defences! As the story unfolds, so do some exceptional plot twists and a detailed but easy-to-read insight into how the Russian mission to steal the shuttle came about. On the whole, this book is often similar in various aspects to Dale Brown's SILVER TOWER, with the space weapons ideas, but STORMING INTREPID definitely leaves Dale Brown standing on the ground! I would give this book at least 100 stars but the scale won't let me. Oh well. The US vs Russia angle may be Cold War-era, but this electrifying thriller is still a superb read. One I'll definitely read again in a few months, and this I'd recommend to any technothriller fan!

I read this book over 12 yrs ago, I was in the Tom Clancy Craze,
of reading all the techo-thrillers I could find. The cover
caught my eye, the Space Shuttle on the cover, and "Storming
Intrepid" (Guess the name of the shuttle :-)

The book is technical, believable, conspiracy theory,
personable characters, lots of action, and I just loved it.!

Have recommended it and loaned it to other techo-thriller fans.

The Canterville Ghost is a small book, which is quite easy to read.
It is a funny story and there are a lot of jokes. Sometimes it is a little bit boring., but when you like the spiritual then you like this book.
It is a fantasy history, who you can use your own imagination. It is also a sad story, although superficially there is a happy ending.
There you see the difference between the serious minded English people and the practical Americans
You can see parallels between the story and the writer. Oscar Wilde had a very difficult life at the end, and in his story it is the ghost, which suffers a lot because of the fact that he has no audience who is willing to pay attention to his pranks.
I think it is a good book to read at school. And I have loved the jokes very much and I like the mystical and spiritual side of this book too.

The Canterville Ghost is a small book, which is quite easy to read. The difficult words have a translation in German.

It is a funny story and there are a lot of jokes. Sometimes it is a little bit boring., but when you like the spiritual then you like this book.
It is a fantasy history, who you can have your own imagination. It is a sad history, but there is a happy ending.

There you see the different between the serious spiritual English people and the practical American people.

You can see the similarity between the story and the writer. Oskar Wilde has had a very difficult live, and in his story is the ghost a thing, which have a bad live.

I think it is a good book for read at school, because it is a good English. And I have loved the jokes very much and I like the mystical and spiritual in this book.

I like this story really. It is a story of a ghost who want to fright the new American family but they are too easy and they aren't frightened. So he has a mission to do.
This story is unusual for a ghost. It is a interesting and thrilling story. It is also easy to read for students. I didn't feel bored, when I read this book, because you are in this thrilling situation. But it is also very funny and your face will be touched with a smile. So the whole story is very good.

Kierkegaard first takes issue with the prevailing (i.e., Hegelian) notion that faith is something to be "transcended" by means of systematic philosophy, and almost baits the reader to consider what it means to go "beyond" faith anyway. Next, he postulates 4 thought experiments that (poetically) reconstruct the Abraham and Isaac ordeal, each of which is intended to show how the story might be harmonized with the prevailing Hegelian mode of understanding the "univeral" in ethical terms. Finally, the section on "Problemata" argues against three (at the time well-known) postulates of Hegelian ethical thought by showing that these are all inconsistent with some remarkable feature of the faith that Abraham evidences.

The section on the Knight of Infinite Resignation and the Knight of Faith provide, albeit obliquely, support for the view that the movement of faith is absolute, and cannot be transcended.

Hannay's introduction is excellent (however, I would suggest first skimming it, then reading Kierkegaard's book, then reading it in earnest at the end).

Kierkegaard first takes issue with the prevailing (i.e., Hegelian) notion that faith is something to be "transcended" by means of systematic philosophy, and almost baits the reader to consider what it means to go "beyond" faith anyway. Next, he postulates 4 thought experiments that (poetically) reconstruct the Abraham and Isaac ordeal, each of which is intended to show how the story might be harmonized with the prevailing Hegelian mode of understanding the "univeral" in ethical terms. Finally, the section on "Problemata" argues against three (at the time well-known) postulates of Hegelian ethical thought by showing that these are all inconsistent with some remarkable feature of the faith that Abraham evidences.

The section on the Knight of Infinite Resignation and the Knight of Faith provide, albeit obliquely, support for the view that the movement of faith is absolute, and cannot be transcended.

The ironic pen-name Kierkegaard uses should be more than enough warning that things aren't necessarily what they seem, so if anyone tells you what this book is about, or what Kierkegaard intended, I suggest you take it with a grain of salt, read this book, and decide for yourself.

Students of Kierkegaard will tell you the meaning of this book in terms of his personal life; philosophers will show you its philosophical meaning; the religious will describe it as a treatise on faith. It is probably all of these, and may be even more. The work centers on the exemplary life of Abraham, in particular the story in which he is asked by God to sacrifice his beloved son Isaac - the son given to him as fulfillment of a promise by God himself. This story is fully worthy of the "fear and trembling" the title expects, but it also serves as an archetypal example of faith itself, in uncompromising terms.

It is also a counter-argument against the (in Kierkegaard's view) stifling moral rationalism of Hegel - an argument "on the strength of the absurd" which is nonetheless compelling, even if one were to ultimately reject it. Considering this, it is perhaps fitting that his work - certainly grave and severe - ultimately provides an affirmation of individual self-determination and a wholehearted engagement with the real world and its affairs... a faith which Kierkegaard professed himself incapable of.

Worth the time of reading once or several times. Poetic, but not lighthearted entertainment - then again, who would read a book titled "Fear and Trembling" on a lark?

The Death Bringer

The Blood Jaguar by Michael H. Payne is an exciting story about 3 animals that have to save the land they live in. They also have some help on the way. This book has great humor.

Bobcat wakes up in his house, he starts out the morning by going on a walk. But on this walk he meets the death bringer. After that he finds his friend and they go to a witch that might help them with this problem that they discover. But that is only the beginning of there problems that they find on the road they travel.

This book is very exciting. Why I also liked this book is because it is full of humor. I also like it because it as a great plot. The characters in this are very believable and they have all different backgrounds.

I think that this book was really great, I think that you should read this book to. This book is one of the best ones I have ever read. This book is sort of slow at the beginning but then it picks up very quickly. I would recommend this book to everybody.

Have you ever looked at an animal and known what it was thinking? Then a moment later you shrug and laugh at yourself for anthropomorphizing? Suppose you're not. Suppose your cat really is an irreverant catnip junky snoozing through his potential.

In Michael Payne's debut novel "The Blood Jaguar", Bobcat is exactly that. Bobcat's cohorts are equally real and equally flawed in their own ways. And, just like your house cat, Bobcat and his companions are precious and dear.

I found Mr. Payne's book to be involving, his world to be clever and original, but what I liked best about this book is the characters. They are willing to do what they must if only they knew just what that was. They shine...pretty impressive for fuzzy animals.

I can strongly recommend The Blood Jaguar. It is a gem. I hope to see a lot more of Michael Payne's work in the future.

Every so often you find a rare surprise. That first novel that captures the imagination and holds it from cover to cover. Michael H. Payne's _The Blood Jaguar_ is just such a book. He's created a rich world of possibilities, a North America on an Earth where man never arose and the other animals did, with their lives guided by the twelve Curials. The trio of heroes, Bobcat, Skink and Fisher, are all fully realized characters whom you really feel for as they take a remarkable journey to stop the thirteeth Curial, the Blood Jaguar, from unleasing her Plague Year. Here's hoping Payne takes us back to their world for further stories.

Payne's history of the crusades is hardly exaustive, but as an introduction it more than does the job. His style is readable and gives interesting little details that greatly enrich the story. Further, he gives a good deal of attention to the perspectives of the Arabs and of non-crusader christians. All and all, a fun read.

If you know nothing about the Crusades but want to learn, then this is the book for you. It is very entertaining and easy to follow. You will learn all about the remarkable leaders of the First Crusade and their slightly less remarkable descendents who ruled parts of modern Israel, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan for nearly a hundred years afterward. He also touches on the almost wholly unremarkable crusaders of the 1200's.

Payne's book is hardly complete but it does a good job of providing the basic story from the European point of view. I highly recommend "The Crusades Through Arab Eyes" by Amin Maalouf as a companion to this book. If you like these books but want more, I suggest the awesome three-volume "History of the Crusades" by Steven Runciman. (Although not nearly as complete as Runciman, Payne's book does have a short chapter on the Tafurs, a group of impoverished fanatics in the Christian army who resort to cannibalism on more than one occasion. Runciman does not discuss them.)

Payne's book is very readable for history -- for me it went down like a novel. There are moments where he assumes some familiarity with the Crusades or with 11th-century geo-ecclecio-politics, but I would still heartily recommend this book to anyone starting to read about the Crusades for two reasons.

First, for a history book, of course, the key is a wide selection of primary and secondary sources, and Payne does not disappoint. From Egypt to England and Spain to Syria, he finds books, diaries and letters and incorporates it until his history reads like a story.

Second, it reads so much like a story, and it's such a good story, that you want a sequel. Then you remember it's history, and so you are left wanting to read more about the Crusades and the Middle Ages. What more could one ask from an "introductory" or summarizing book?

This book was great .I thought the little girl was very brave for sticking up for all the people that were picked on.the bully picked on molly the first day that molly arrived to the new school.when she finally came to un end the bullys reolized that she sticks up for her self un like the kids that they picked on.So they became friends and told the boolys to not bully the other kids that they used to.

This is the first in the American Girls Short Stories series about Molly McIntire, a nine-year-old girl living on the home front during World War 2. It is 1944, and Molly and her family are learning to live with wartime shortages and the absence of their Army doctor father. With Halloween right around the corner, Molly and her friends have to come up with a set of costumes that will include all of them. (Cinderella and her two stepsisters? Yeah, but who wants to be an ugly stepsister?) However, trouble is on the horizon as Molly finds herself drawn into a small war with her brother!

My daughter and I enjoyed this book. In many ways, it showed how the World War 2 home front was both similar to normal times and different. I especially liked the final chapter in this book, which looks back to 1944. I thought that it did a good job of explaining the war to children. Overall, we do recommend this book to you!

Molly,nine, is living in the 1940s with her family Mom, pest Richey, Jill a young lady and little Brad. For Hallowen Molly and her two friends are dressing up and having a great time untill Richey ruins it with a mean trick. Molly will not let Richey ruin her hallowwen or her friends so molly gets back at him with a other trick. Molly is a brave little girl and will not let her brother bully her.

I have not read the book yet, but I am very disappointed that she has not photos! Having read Joye Poole's book that lots of tremendous photos and Cynthia Moss's book that at least some black & white photos, I thought this book would have some also. As a photographer and elephant lover, I expected them.

Katy Payne is a wonderful writer with a tremendous talent for integrating life with her research. This book is about elephants, about Katy, about the men and women and societies that she meets in a wonderful pilgrimage. You experience her joys, her sorrows, her love for elephants, her research breakthroughs and the distress of the wildlife situation, especially within Zimbabwe. Katy also has a beautiful talent for gracefully understanding how other societies function and for developing a culturally sensitive learning posture. This is a great book. For those reviewers who want "more pictures," there are thousands in this book that Katy brings to your mind when you READ it. I learned a tremendous amount about elephant behavior/communication, wildlife biology and the lifestyle of a wildlife biologist in this book. Wonderful, wonderful work! Thank you Katy!

FANTASTIC book. Can't believe it's on sale when I bought it for full-price! Definitely the thing for anyone who likes non-fiction. It's totally poignant and fascinating - not an easy combination.

I was very dissapointed with this book. It had a few good decorating ideas. I love Michael's show and rarely miss and episode but I thought this book was not up to snuff. After going through the book and looking at all of the pictures carefully, I noticed that most of the before and afters were directly from his show. Considering the price tag of the book, I would recommend to just keep watching his show. Definitely not worth the money.

After reading this book decorating makes so much more sense. Michael really gives straight, concise answers to common decorating problems in a very well put together book. It was a delight to read. The graphics and photographs were great. The book is divided into several chapters, each one focusing on a specific room of the house, bedroom, kitchen, etc . It's extremely organized and very helpful. This would be a good general reference book to have on hand as pretty much all styles of decorating are included in this very informative book. Anyone who has seen Michael Payne's show on HGTV knows what a great personality he has, and it really comes through when you read this book.

I first stumbled upon Michael Payne's TV show in the midst of a messy divorce that amongst other things, was founded in my wife and my inability to compromise. In contrast with my matrimonial disaster is Mr. Payne's book, a literary haven of balance, understanding, and peaceful resolutions. Problems are solved and egos soothed in a series of creative solutions, all of which are brilliantly illustrated in the pictures and design of this book. Although geared towards a house-owning audience, the decorating advice in this book can be applied to any living situation, from the lowliest college dorm room to the finest Hollywood mansion. A five star effort by Mr. Payne et al. Not four. Five. Well done.