This volume of writing offers the careful reader glimpses of Anais Nin before she reinvented herself. Or does it? One can never be sure with Nin.

The girl who became Anais Nin, scandalous diarist, was clearly highly articulate, and determined to live a life of Art and Passion, even when her mother was making her do housework as a teenager in their modest rental house in Queens. It provides a gentle introduction to her life and times, and a fascinating contrast to searing works such as _Incest_, taken from diary material written some twenty or so years later. One also gets some interesting views of early-twentieth century New York City.

The book, taken in the context of Nin's later work, offers evidence that we become what we most want to be. Dreamer, beware!

In a diary written before her "Henry Miller" stage, Anais Nin starts to change dramatically during the years of 1927-1931. She is discovering her true nature and is intoxicated by intellectual and physical freedom.

Reticence becomes less evidence in her writing as the diary progresses. It falls away almost completely when she realizes she loves John. John, who understands her completely and shares his secrets, dreams, and writing with her. Or does he?

While Anais Nin has a full social life, she is often depressed and moody. This introspective attitude is very evident in her writing. She seems to feed off the compliments of others and her dancing becomes a way to escape the loneliness she feels
due to her husband's workaholic nature. It is really as if she is seeking a friend and keeps finding men who want more. Not until the end of the book does she divulge her deepest secrets.

Her husband, Hugh would rather buy stock than put money away in a sock to spend. Anais wishes she just had a sock full of money so she could redecorate her house and buy more dresses. She lives in the moment and is protected by an assiduous husband who is thinking of their future.

If you have ever wondered what it is like to be a beautiful woman and have men fawning after you, this is a detailed look at a woman's struggle with her power to entice men. For the most part, she is a tease. Until she meets John.

John awakens some deep well of absolute passion in her and once they kiss, she is tormented by his absence in her life and can't understand why he doesn't write her sooner. He of course has the ability to love more than one woman. By page 189, this book has become fire and ice. The cold torment of John's absence will soon ensue and the fire of their first kiss sets the journal alight.

Her analysis of all her friends, descriptions of her life, observations about social customs, not to mention intimate thoughts, are all intriguing. Anais sees the details many would miss. She is a keen observer of the world and has the ability to describe her experiences so that you feel you have lived them with her.

This diary starts rather slowly and in the start we hear mostly about dancing and costumes and the material world. Between pages 268 and 269, there are pages of black-and-white photographs so we can see what Anais looked like in her Spanish dance costumes. Hugh is strikingly handsome, yet is seems while Anais loved him passionately, he could not fulfill her cravings for companionship with older men.

What Anais fights most is her pernicious desires. She is a writer by nature and seems to want to experience and then write. She becomes a mirror to each man who loves her and becomes separate personalities when she is with different men. She is at times roused to ecstasy by words and can only express these deep emotions through tears. It does truly seem that she falls in love with men's minds.

Yes, Anais has a deep well of sensuality. However, at times she is just "cute." Like when she says "miaow" or talks to her journal as if it was her most intimate friend. She is highly likeable in some ways and threatening in others.

Most of her friends have an artistic streak and many are writers. They sit reading their journals to one another and comparing notes on writers of the day. It is all so romantic. Like a writer's dream world. I did notice that most of her intimate friends are men. She doesn't really share her thoughts with women and prefers to discuss intellectual matters with men.

What is most interesting is that I read about Henry & June first. Here, the reader gets to observe the thought processes leading up to her decisions to take action on her desires.

Throughout this book I had beautiful thoughts I just had to write down. She seemed to inspire writing in me and at times I cried, at times I laughed at unexpectedly cute comments and then at times it was just comforting in some way. I feel that if Anais was alive, I would willing tell her all my secrets. She was just the type of woman you wanted to confide in.

By the end of this early diary, she has poured out her heart to her husband and admitted her momentary lapse in faithfulness. Her frustration of being rejected by John leaves her like a juicy ripe peach, ready to be plucked from the tree of desire by Henry Miller. While some may think she was just spontaneous in regards to Henry, you really have to read this book to find out how much she really did consider before taking any actions. In fact, she is at the highpoint of her marriage at the end of this volume.

Perhaps she is right when she says: "Love is sometimes an urge for what we do not possess."

For fans of Anais Nin, this unedited early diary is a must. Written in the years immediately preceding the events revealed in her books HENRY AND JUNE and INCEST, this diary is the connecting link that reveals how a virtuous, loving wife became a wild adventurous. The writing is simply gorgeous; you'll be amazed at how polished and vivid her discriptions of life in Paris of the 1920s were (and yes, this book was printed AS IS from the original journals). Ironically, she describes her initial disgust with Parisian "sensuality," as well as her growing acceptance and eventual delight with the city. She describes her homes, friends, and her interest in Spanish dance. But perhaps most importantly, she describes her marriage to Hugh Guiler, a man she loves but who does not satisfy her physically. Read this book so as to understand how Anais was eventually driven into the arms of Henry Miller.

The story was well written and moved along very well. The story line shifted from Ardagh's personal trauma as a falsely accused traitor to the the very traitorous atmosphere of an early Irish king and his court. The end left the possibility of a reconciliation with his Sidhe brother (very small possibility!) and also was open ended enough with political struggles to envision more books following. The magic was not overblown or out of place. Overall a very good story with plenty of action and thought put into it.

First off, I don't like the cover as much as "King's Son, Magic's Son" or "A Strange and Ancient Name" and that put me off for awhile, (especially w/Book I written there, thought it'd be an epic, don't have time to get immersed in one of THOSE right now), but the same writing style and great plots are in this book as in her others. Actually this is a really good book, with characters you like. Ardagh is kind and fair, but not mushy enough too make him wussy, he IS, after all, a Sidhe prince. The trials and confusion he faces in the human realm are funny and the problems in human politics are engaging. Try it out.

To be the younger brother of a very suspicious Sidhe king is not a good thing. A young Sidhe prince must learn this on the hard way. Exiled from his rightful place he must learn to find his way in the realms of men. I really enjoyed reading this book because it`s the kind of book you can't stop reading.

Beth Sherman's Jersey Shore mysteries, set in a fictionalized Ocean Grove, NJ, with forays into a thinly-veiled Asbury Park, NJ, really had my hopes raised. I have a fascination for books set in my home state, & thought I'd found an equivilent to the excellent Stephanie Plum series. The mysteries are logically plotted & keep you guessing; the books are also darker than your typical "quickie mysteries".

However, there are just too many small-but-annoying errors for me to rate the series "excellent". The main character, Anne, mentions repeatedly that she has lived in her oceanside house all her life-- she's 41 in the latest-- and she inherited it from her deceased parents. Yet her off-&-on work of freelance ghostwriting how-to books often leaves her worried about paying her mortgage. What? How long a mortgage did her parents take out, 50 years? Shouldn't it have been paid in full before now? In any case, an oceanfront house on the Jersey Shore, even a rundown one like Anne's, would likely have property taxes in the 5 digits, yet taxes are never mentioned.

The series has some continuity errors. Anne's mother suffered from Alzheimer's; one remembrance has her dragging the damask sofa outside & putting a for sale sign on it, yet another time the episode is related as the mother dragging it out for the trash, as if the author couldn't keep her "crazy mother" stories straight.

Another odd thing is that Anne's eyes change color midway through the series; my copies of the early books give her eyecolor as green, while in the later ones she has bright, brilliant, sky-blue eyes.

Murder Down the Shore has one of the more irritating picky errors: Anne has a set of Henckel knives which figure prominently in the plot, namely, the 8-inch chef knife. However, the characters continually refer to this knife set as "the steak knives". No one should confuse an 8-inch Henckel chef knife for a "steak knife", nor to refer to a set of Henckel kitchen knives as a "steak knife set". Steak knives are uniform in size, like table knives; it's an odd loose end someone should have tightened up.

There are some odd references to New Jersey, too, which makes me think the author doesn't really know the state too well. Anne refers several times to swimming in the "ice-cold ocean"-- in the summer. Sorry, ice-cold summer oceanwater is for New England, not NJ; in August & Sept., the months referred to, the ocean is rarely anything but balmy. In an earlier book in the series, she also refers to an "out-of-season October northeaster". Nor'easters do not occur only during the winter as the author seems to think; they can, and do, occur anytime during the year. She also mentions the wild thunder & lightning during this storm: also unlikely. Nor'easters are not usually electrical storms. I suppose it COULD happen, but anyone who has ridden out such a storm would find it very unusual.
One of the earlier books in the series also has references to playing in the "mud" at water's edge: a dead giveaway to the presence of an out-of-stater. I have never, EVER heard a native Jerseyan call sand "mud".

These things would probably not bother someone who isn't as attuned to detail as myself, but they DO bother me. These and the presence of enough oddly-constructed phrases throughout make me suspect there wasn't tight enough editing of the books. Beth Sherman seems to have a real affection for Ocean Grove; she probably had a pleasant vacation or several there. Sadly, this affection doesn't carry enough realism to convince this life-long New Jersey resident who has spent many, many, many seasons "down the shore".

Anne Hardaway is nostalgic. Her grandmother has recently died and she wishes to see her mother's side of the family also. She invites them all to a reunion in Oceanside Heights. Not all respond, but she is delighted to hear from some of her favorite cousins. They made her trials with an early onset Alzheimer's afflicted mother a little more bearable. It has been a long time since they all got together. Her overbearing Aunt Hannah also is coming, but they decide to have a good time anyway. On the surface all the cousins seem to be well adjusted and successful, but are they really? Aunt Hannah has picked up a con man for a boyfriend and her son is in trouble again. Aunt Hannah calls Anne asking for help about adoptions. When she arrives at the house, her cousin Kim is running out the door in terror and Aunt Hannah is inside stabbed to death. Anne has to find out who killed her and why.

I really enjoyed this one. Anne has quite a cast of characters in her family and it was interesting to find out exactly who they are. The mystery was really interesting and fairly difficult to solve. I am looking forward to the next one.

Picked up this gem while on vacation at the Jersey shore. It was a nice quick read that kept me guessing until the end. Highly recommend it.

First of all, this book is vastly over-priced. This would be acceptible if it were worthwhile. It isn't. Part of the blame lies with me, because I didn't take the title literally. What I was hoping for was an exhaustive guide to horror-related TV films from 1964-present. Most of the films would've hopefully been culled from the '70s time period, because that was the golden era for made-for-TV horror/suspense. Let me be clear about this: The author completely ignores the many great TV suspense films of the '70s (Now that would be a review book worth buying). Instead what we get is a book filled with mostly irrelevant recent films, mainly of the sci-fi/fantasy genre (little horror). For those whose interest this piques, go for it.
Another substandard aspect is the "reviews" themselves: Voluminous plot descriptions, followed by very brief, uninspired critical comments.
The only positive thing I can say about this book is that the layout is very attractive and uncluttered. Good job there.
I reiterate: for anyone considering this book, the title says all; cyborgs and such things is about all you're going to get.

I ordered this book sight unseen (often a big mistake) with great anticipation, since there simply are no other review books covering TV films, but my copy of CYBORGS, SANTA CLAUS, AND SATAN is going straight to the local used book store; forthwith. It can sit there gathering dust rather than on my bookshelf.

When you are ready to see a movie on television, this is an indispensable guide. In a clear, brisk manner you can determine what the movie is about, with ruining the story for viewing. Even though the author's opinions are clear, they do not overwhelm the facts presented.

This is an encyclopedia that is actually fun to read from the first page to the last appendix as well as supplying information for everyone from trivia buffs to serious movie scholars. Most cinema encyclopedias give scant information about TV genre movies but Sherman gives us a wealth of details in this compilation of everything fantastic.

Do you need to know how many versions of Dicken's Christmas Carol have been produced? Or, maybe you are looking for the name of the writer who adapted Bradbury's Martian Chronicles? Or, maybe you just want to read the entry for Jack Palance's Dracula? These are just a few of the tidbits that can be gleaned from these packed pages. The cast and credits for all movies as well as synopses and commentary are easily accessed. The book iss indexed and complete including highlighting unknown actors who later became famous in hit series or movies. From cover to cover, it is packed with a wealth of information. (Did you know The Omen IV was a

made for TV movie that tried to continue the franchise on the small screen?)

Sherman's book fills a void for every serious TV and movie buff. An encyclopedia like this has never been offered before that covers this time period and subject and is done as well. The last similar book was published in the mid-seventies and consequently leaves many wonderful movies like the Babylon 5 specials out. Sherman is a fan of science fiction, fantasy, and horror and it shows in his attention to the details that every fan wants to know. I used it just today to look up something about Trilogy of Terror! Sherman's book is well worth the money.

If you've got an agenda, why not write a book? And throw in some new age hocum for good measure and get yourself on the whacky late night radio circuit to pump the book. Could Xlibris Corporation be a vanity publisher?

I certainly admire anyone who has the talent and staying power to write a book. From Darkness to the Light is a wealth of information. It is not a mere book, it is the end of my own 13 year search for the truth. Simple Bible stories came to life under his pen. People and places are put in proper order throughout history. What an amazing talent he is. I certainly congratulate him on his book and look forward to more of his writings. thankyou

my uncle wrote this book and it owns. even though i never read it.

This book tells you next to nothing about your engine. I could have opened the cover on my engine and dinked around and figure out almost all the information in the book in one hour. Minus a few broad and VERY general tips, this book will frustrate the buyer. You might as well search the web for the free web pages and get their rink dink advice; because that's all that is in this book.

I'm not quite sure what the reviewer from Raleigh, N.C. expected from this book. It is clearly not written with the intent of teaching you how to tear down and rebuild outboard motors. The editor's review above clearly says that. But If you are looking for a good common sense all-round outboard motor troubleshooting guide, then this book, combined with the specific shop manual for your motor, some moderately cheap test equipment (which you may have a lot of already) and anyone with a descent mechanical aptitude will probably be able to fix 90% of all the problems they will ever encounter with an outboard motor. The other 10% I personally will leave to the pros. It will also teach you how to avoid a lot of problems in the first place which is the biggest savings when your talking outboards. I am just a hobbyist, not a mechanic and this book has already helped me get two old motors back up and running and has been well worth its price to me. The book is well organized and is easy to understand. The author keeps things simple and down to earth and isn't trying to impress anyone with a bunch of techno-jargon. Sure the text could have been larger, maybe the pictures a little better, but hey what's perfect for everyone?

This is an excellent source of information. If you are a "first-time boat buyer" and are meticulous about the "health" of your boat, search no more! This is THE guide to use. This book is so filled with useful information that I've summarized parts of the book to create a maintenance guide for my boat. If you're not the type that likes to get your hands dirty, at least this book will give you the information to have an "intelligent" conversation with your mechanic!

I am actually in the middle of this book and I wish I were enjoying it more. I chose this book because it received the Mythopoeic Award in 1994 for adult fantasy. I was expecting to read a light, entertaining book with action and fun. However, this book is serious and does remind me of reading the classics. Perhaps I would enjoy it more in a different frame of mind. I had to look up several words on the first page: duchy, chateau, baroque and Circassian. I have also struggled with phrases such as "mise-en-scene", "cabinet des Fees" "nom de Dieu", etc. I will finish this book and I think in the long run I will be the better for it.

Despite that it is a beautifully imagined and beautifully written book, it lacks the magic to make it a great or wonderful novel. I enjoyed reading it, but I was disappointed in the character, her development or lack of it, and I guess I just felt the book was missing something. My expectations were very high because it was highly recommended. I would read Delia Sherman again.

This is one of the most extraordinary fairy-tale inspired novels I've ever read. Based on old French fairy tales, this magical historical novel concerns an aristocratic family during the years of the French Revolution. Intelligent, beautifully written, and subtle, the surface story (the magical part of the tale) is entertaining and enchanting, but what really makes this book special and memorable is Sherman's subtext: a subtle, dry, witty, and sharply pointed examination of gender and class issues. If you're looking for an historical novel (with magic around the edges) that is smart and challenging, I can't recommend this one highly enough. I've just finished re-reading The Porcelain Dove(after reading the author's excellent new book The Fall of Kings), and it leaves me wishing that someone would bring this fine, under-rated book back into print.

I would have give this book a "0" star rating if I could. These authors spread the typical Christian debunkism found in modern Christianity today. They claim to have done much research in studying their subjects of the Illuminati, the New World Order, and other conspiracies, but have purposefully sought to close their own eyes and minds to reality. They seek to explain away the truth so that they can consider themselves as "sane", compared to the "paranoid" "fear mongers" "selling conspiracy theories."

This book is a true shame and a true waste of your time and money. If you just HAVE to buy it (especially if you are a pastor or Christian teacher) at least buy "Rule By Secrecy" by Jim Marrs and read them side by side. If you have any real discrenment whatsoever, you'll quickly understand that Satan's kingdom of this world does conspire against mankind and to decieve.

Those (especially Christians) who seek to close the eyes and minds of others regarding these matters - like these authors - only bring darkness to honest seekers.

This book is trash...exactly where my copy (and waste money) of the book went.

I ordered and read this book with no real opinion when I got it. I was somewhat tentative on it till I hit the chapter on the speculation of the end time. I am a Christian, brought up in the old time pentecostal movement of the 50's. The end was near. Very near. I saw people over the years cite one event after another. I saw the anti-christ's name change from Hitler to Stalin, to.... And I saw the beast and the mark of the beast change.

And I hit the place where he said that every generation since the middle of the 1800's thought they were the last generation. And I thought, "no, the pentecostals of the 50's were the first to think that." Then I remembered the scriptures that talk about the people in the first century thinking they were the last. And I remembered "Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord". And my studies of the war of southern rebellion started coming back. The people in that time thought they were the last. I remember my dad telling me that his parents thought that WWI was the beginning of Armegeddon, and I remember the discussions in the late 40's (I was under 7 years old) where my uncles thought that Hitler was still alive and he was the antichrist, ready to come back and rule. Then there was the bomb that would fulfill the prophecies...

And the book became alive. This is how it has been, probably since a month after Jesus left this earth.

One after another speculating.

Beg, borrow or buy one of these books. Read it.

Then make up your mind.

It cause you to pick up another book, the bible and read the promises of God and not waste time on speculation.

As a student of Dr. Camp and one who has the utmost respect for Dr. Camp's work. "Selling Fear, Conspiracy Theories, and End Time Paranoia should be in every Christian Believer's home. This book does not have a Christian bias towards end time speculation, but gives an outstanding explanation of how modern day prophetic interpretion is communicated. Dr. Camp brings a balanced voice to the debate.

This book has a great title, but ultimately lacked much substance. The information provided was very basic and not very useful. It didn't describe methods for finding a good fit between oneself and one's therapist, but rather cautioned the reader numerous times not the sleep with your therapist nor see a therapist who wants to sleep with you (duh). What about answering 'how do you know if your therapist is right for you?' Or 'when should you seek out a different therapist?' Or 'how can you be sure to make your therapy productive?' No such basic questions were adequately addressed.

I am impressed by the author's clarity of thought and clarity of expression. This small book is based on serious research and appropriate use of quoted material from professionals in the field. Unlike a lot of other how-to books I've read, this does not use what is to me obviously made up situations and quotes from "ordinary people"; I appreciated the honesty and underlying respect that the author shows his readers. And Sherman has a great sense of humor. An excellent guide!

I don't remember how I came across this little treasure, but I'm sure glad I did. Like a lot of people, I used to think that anyone who went into psychoanalysis ought to have their head examined; but since September 11, I've been reassessing a lot of things in my life.
Self-help books have their place in the best of times, but in this crazy mixed-up world sometimes only a professional can give the necessary guidance that'll get you back on track. There are a lot of different therapies out there and this book has helped me to de-mystify them. Hey, what you you might need isn't what I might need, and Carl Sherman can help you to choose the appropriate one to meet your particular needs so that you'll get the most of your therapy.
Don't think you can tough it out by yourself; even a tough guy works better when he's got a good team behind him.

the poems in this collection range from merely mediocre to bad. the major theme is being indian and the wrongs done. but if you are familiar with alexie's worth than that won't surprise you. and his sister's death by fire makes an appearance in several poems. the problem is alexie never says anything new in this book. you could pick any five poems at random and that's all you need. the other poems say the same thing. there is one bright spot, the first section of his poem "Inside Dachau", but it completely falls apart after that first section. i hope that one day alexie will select his best 10 poems and the best of his short stories and put out a selected poems and prose, that way instead of having so many mediocre books, maybe we can get one book that is really good.

This book seems the most abstract of Alexie's works to date. Containing the same insightful, introspective and powerful images and descriptions as his past works, this one differs in that it is slightly less "in-your-face". Keeps the reader thinking, wondering what the underlying meaning of the work could mean. This is not a spoon-fed collection of easy to read poems. Keep this one around awhile for study and contemplation. Truly inspired.

This collection of poems is woven beautifully together. Like his other books of poetry and novels this book is thought provoking, humorous, disturbing and wonderful. Once again I am left breathless at the end of one of Mr. Alexie's book wanting more. I found myself weaving in and out of the book, reading one poem then returning to a previous poem because of the way they interconnected. A truely wonderful experience and cannot wait for the next release be it novel, poetry or film by this young talented writer.