This is a very enjoyable book, well worth its money.

It will make you cry, it will make you laugh, it will make you think and it can help you start communicating with your animal friend.

This book has many stories from various professional animal communicators. Stories of lost and hurting animals, of troubled and happy ones. What never seizes to amaze me is the capacity of those creatures to love. While their owners/guardians are troubled by guilt, the animals rarely hold bad feelings about them.

The greater part of the book is consumed on these stories. However, the last chapter is a "How to" guide, compiled of exercises and techniques of various professionals. Some are easy, some are impossible, but most of them have results. The info on many animal communicators (phone number, web site etc) are also listed there.

In the US there are workshops on animal communication. However, if you are unable to attend one, this book is a good place to start.

All I can say is that I loved this book about communicating with animals! The more I read about animals trying to communicate with humans - the more I want to listen!

I first found this book when I was searching for information when my cocker spaniel companion,Sissy, was diagnosed with cancer. This book will give you a whole new perspective on what your animals thought processes are and show you how much more your animal friends are a part of your life than you think. The chapter on illness and on death of your loved ones quite possibly kept me sane as we went through the grieving process. I will gaurantee this book will amaze you. I have given it as gifts to many other people,who love it.

One of our teaching assistants came to me and begged for this title to be added to the library collection. After checking the book out online, I ordered it. To my delight, it arrived in my book order, and I immediately read it to my 2nd graders in library. We all fell in love with Clarence and Smoky. Both characters are well written and delighfully drawn. The simplistic storyline can easily be read by beginning readers. This is a must for every personal collection!

Clarence, a city dwelling little pig, sets out on his first big vacation to a dude ranch, out west. After a long and interesting bus ride, he arrives and meets Smoky, a very large and friendly purple horse who introduces him to all the pleasures of western ways. Smoky takes him on long rides through the mountains and canyons, teaches Clarence to play cards with the boys, line dance, and perform on the washtub in a cowboy band. They eat, nap, and even read stories together. It's a wonderful week. But as his vacation comes to an end, Smoky tells Clarence he's getting too old to work on the ranch anymore, and is going to be sold. Best friends are hard to come by, and Clarence can't stand the thought of never seeing his favorite horse again. So he uses all his bus money to buy Smoky, and together they begin the long ride back to the city. It may take years, but as long as they're together, they have all the time in the world..... Jean Ekman Adams has written a delightful story with a gentle message about loyalty, compassion, and friendship, that won't be lost on young readers. Her simple and engaging text, with its satisfying, happily ever after ending, is beautifully enhanced by her charming, bold, and vibrant illustrations, full of endearing ranch characters, and subtle, humorous detail. Perfect for youngsters 3-7, Clarence Goes Out West And Meets A Purple Horse, is a sweet and entertaining, feel good story, that is sure to put a smile on everyone's face. This soon-to-be classic, is a picture book youngsters will beg to read again and again.

Not only does my daughter thoroughly enjoy Clarence & Smoky & the colorful illustrations, but I like the idea that she's getting fun lessons on compassion, friendship & priorities. Having lived in the big city & now finding myself in "the West," I truly enjoy this book myself. (Or perhaps it's my similar tendencies to pack my favorite snacks & not enough clothes when I travel...)This is one of the few books I don't mind reading 4 times before bed!

As far as I'm concerned, this is a must have 4th book to the Ansel Adams series of The Camera, The Negative and The Print. It is very informative to read about not only the circumstances in which Adams made these black and white photographs, but also some of the technical and even emotional factors.

Great reading for anyone interested in photography (mostly landscapes and medium and large format).

The book and photographs are well printed and seems sturdy.

If you want to learn photography and you would prefer to learn (or supplement your learning) by intensive case study, this is the book for you. Ansel Adams is a master at controlling composition, light and perspective, and he conveys his unique methodology admirably in this book. This book covers much more than his epic landscapes -- there are a lot of still life, portrait and architectural case studies. And he's not just discussing the zone system, but also everything else involved, including packing the right equipment, leaving at the right time, and hunting down the right subject. And above all, patience and persistence. The photos themselves are reproduced with admirable tone, sharpness, and contrast, as they are in all the books in this series. And although there are only forty of them, each case study runs two or three pages in addition to a full page photo. And if you like this, check out Ansel Adams' classic three part intensive introduction to photography, in the same series as this book: The Camera, The Print, and The Negative.

An essential book for all photography fans!

In 1983, Ansel Adams picked 40 of his most memorable and diverse black and white photographs as examples of his work. For each one he wrote a brief essay that described the circumstances of deciding to photograph the subject, how he came to prepare for the photography, his companions, special challenges that occurred along the way, how he selected the composition, tricky light and shadow conditions encountered, technical details of how the image was captured (equipment, film speeds, settings, filters, lenses, etc.), technical details of printing the image, and the surprises he experienced.

In the midst of all this, he shares his philosophy of life, nature, and the art of photography. It's like attending a master class with a genius. Even if you know nothing about photography, this book will open your eyes to new ways of seeing and experiencing the world around you.

For those who love these images, the stories that accompany them will broaden and deepen your appreciation of what Mr. Adams accomplished. If you are not a technically-oriented photographer or fan, realize that only about 20 percent of the material is primarily technical. The technical parts are very interesting, but the rest of the material is even better.

Mr. Adams did draw the line at one point though. "Absent from these pages [is] a statement of what the photograph 'means.'" His reason: "Only the print contains the artist's meaning and message." In other words, the work should speak to you for itself.

He does point out some limits to his essays that you should keep in mind. He often doesn't remember when he made a particular photograph. Friends would remind him that a certain print was published in a certain publication in 1934 and he had dated it as 1936 elsewhere. He also did not keep notes of how he made the image after the negative was developed. So all of the technical notes and dates are probably off a little. That's all right in many cases. You are not a historian, and you are probably not going to use glass plates. Modern equipment is much different from what Adams used, so you will be making major adjustments anyway.

His style of photography was one adventure after another. You'll be climbing with him through snow-clad forests in freezing weather, and suddenly he's down to his last exposure. Which filter should he use?

In fact, in many cases, Adams was gambling on how the image would turn out because he would not get a second chance. It's like reading a detective story, in which the story begins with a flashback sequence of how the mystery ends, like Sunset Boulevard, because the finished image is there is its duotone beauty.

In other cases, the experiences of Edward Weston helped him avoid mistakes. As a result, you get to see his delightful, dramatic images of dunes in Death Valley.

As usual, the Little, Brown pages are often too small for the images. Despite my annoyance at this limitation, I did not grade the book down since the essays are so wonderful (of more than five-star interest) and are the real reason for reading and examining this book.

I would suggest that you read The American Wilderness before reading this book. That will give you a context for understanding what Mr. Adams is talking about in these essays. The essays assume a certain level of familiarity with the people, philosophies, and locations involved. The American Wilderness can provide that background for you.

After you have swum in these wonderful stories, I suggest that you write an essay about something you have done that contains high drama and meaning. Then share that essay with someone who would appreciate know the whole story. How can others learn as rapidly and as well as possible if your experiences (successful and unsuccessful) are lost?

Keep your mind open for opportunity! It's all around you!

Yes, in this book, the character of Dilbert dies. But never fear, he is cloned back to life from his garbage! This book covers strips from mid-1990 to May 1991. The dinosaurs Bob and Dawn have an egg which hatches into the short-lived character of Rex. Also returning for a series is Dilber't Ego. Scott Adams continues to improve his trade in this book. Great for when you need some laughs or light reading.

Bring me the Head of Willy the Mailboy! is just as funny as all the other Dilbert books. This one like all of them is a must read for any Dilbert Fan. Look at the average rating for it, A perfect five stars so you know it must be great

Bring Me the Head of Willy the Mailboy is a very wonderful Dilbert book. It exposes the many insane issues of life. It has not fully developed into a workplace comic strip yet, but it is evolving into a semi-workplace comic strip. It is a wonderful book with some darker sides also-like Dilbert dying (But coming back, of course).

X-Presidents is a strange, screwy parody which mixes bad 1970s Saturday-morning cartoons, Marvel comic books, and politics into a pastiche of weirdness like none other published to date.

There's a fine line between parody and parroting the liberal party line; unfortunately, while X-Presidents hits the mark most of the time, the authors can't help but devolve into Bush- and Reagan-bashing from time to time. For example, the "From the X-Presidents' Mailbag" section consists of nothing but cheap shots against the three Republican X-es -- and in predictable ways, too: Reagan, Iran-Contra and firing the air-traffic controllers; Bush, Iran-Contra and son W.; and Ford, stupidity.

Also, there are multiple gratuitous sexual references that are simply nonsensical. True, the whole book is gratuitous, but seeing Bush having sex with Babs on every page, or Carter having a threesome with Imelda Marcos and a mystery mullet-dude, lends little to the plot except to make it strangely embarrassing.

These aside, X-Presidents did contain the most hilarious bits of humor I've read in this dark post-September 11 world. Best of all were the peculiar "Archies"-style interludes wherein the X-es play and sing various tunes (yes, they even play the same instruments that the animated Archies did) summarizing the plot action.

This is a bizarre little book, no doubt.

Taken by itself, this book is a masterpiece of sophisticated humor *and* political relevance masked as a "Super Friends"-like cartoon book knock off. There are obscure references to famous utterances associated with each of the ex-Presidents that I hadn't thought of in 25 years or more. To see Jimmy Carter taking on a villian with the line "I have lust in my heart...to kick your ass." Man, that's funny stuff.

But now, after the terrorist attacks on NYC and the Pentagon, there it is right on Page 1 of the New York Times: "Bush Appeals to Ex-Presidents for Coalition-Building Efforts." Life imitates art to a 'T'. Absolutely amazing.

Even though I'm not a big comic book fan, I instantly knew that I had to buy "X-Presidents" when I heard that my four "favorite" American heroes had set out to conquer an alien race that was being hostile to the U.S. of A. Needless to say, I immediately fell in love with this comic and finished it in one sitting, laughing from front to back cover. Complete with political jokes and sexual innuendoes, this one has a little something in it for everyone, much like the show where it originated, Saturday Night Live.

I highly recommend this comic to anyone, especially people who enjoy shows like SNL. The laughter and enjoyment that abounds from it is definitely worth the money!!

There have been lot of books written on the abolishment of Slavery in United States. But this book is unique in that it is not a mere putting down of facts which piled on for years. Through the characters the author has nicely portrayed the different attitudes and perception that people had about slavery and its abolishment. A Very nice book wherein you feel the characters and get involved in more than one way.

It's shocking to discover how much of real American history gets glossed over in schools. What's the point of teaching history at all if it's edited? At that point it might as well be folk tales, interesting stories lacking any real facts. Alexs Pate's version of the events surrounding the slave ship La Amistad are easy to follow thanks to his simple, direct writing style and unique ability to describe much in a few words. While a "fictionalized" account of true events, the story is nonetheless riveting and heartwrenching, astounding and sickening to behold. I am saddened and even a little angry I have so little knowledge of how the vast majority of Africans found their way to America and the truth of how my ancestors may have considered and treated them. The author does a fine job of remaining mostly neutral on the topic himself, letting the story unfold and almost tell itself. While some Africans had it a little better than others, during pre-Civil War days and even in some cases still today, no black man was ever truly free. Amistad is a brilliant book about suffering and the strength it may bring, about how hope may prevail under the direst of circumstances, about how mistakes can save lives and doing "the right thing" might end them. A quick, powerful read anyone of any color or belief may enjoy. An excellent book for anyone readying to delve into the truth of the past instead of blandly accepting some outdated school textbook of it. Masterpiece.

This was a great book. i had to read it for a book report. To tell you the truth I hate reading. This is the first time I read the whole book for a book report, it had me hooked. Now I get to see the movie. But, I understood the wording in the book, and It's just a good book the read. And I recommend it for all age groups.

In what is agruably one of Carlos Fuentes's best books(not my particular fave) he creates a story that is put together in such a fashion that it demands the readers full attention . At times it is difficult to follow the time period jumping by the narrator, Artemio , as he reflects on his long life and the twists and turns the events of his times have had on his own life. The narration allows Fuentes to give his jaded view of a corrupt Mexico and the power that it yields individuals. The author is never one to sugar coat his own personal views on Mexico, its culture, traditions and ultimately history. Fuentes focuses in and out of different time periods, at times in rapid freeze frames, like a camera run amok capturing the highlights of a journey, Artemio Cruz is forced to examine his own mortality and the terms of his own integrity. The book is a brillinat piece of literature that deserves more than one read. Like the character in the book , whose life has changed through the years, I decided to read this again and see if it was as powerful as the first time I read it some twenty years ago. For me the book is even better now, the translation is excellent and the book resonates with brilliant imagery and the importance of time and it's overall effect. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the literature of Mexico and would be an excellent choice for secondary educators teaching a course at the advanced literature level. This is a book that can be examined closely for it's allegorical substance as well as literally for it's historical commentary.

Artemio Cruz was a destitute boy when the Revolution started. Being a brave and unscrupulous man, he made his way through war and found an important place in the Regime that followed. He became rich and powerful through blackmail, bribe, collusion and violent corruption in general. Now, he's lying on his deathbed, remembering his life. In this novel, the most important character is language itself. Fuentes goes back and forth in time, using First, Second and Third person narrative, to reflect the different standpoints from where the story can be seen. The most interesting thing about the novel is the exploration, from the outside and the inside, of Cruz's mind and personality. It is also an allegory of Mexican history of the past century, which can be used additionally as a metaphor of human history in general. So, why the four stars, instead of five? I think Fuentes's portrait of Mexico, while certainly accurate, uses too many cliches and commonplaces. It's a personal thing, not to dishearten potential readers: the novel is good and cleverly constructed.

In Death of Artemio Cruz Fuentes shows the painful torturous death of a man named Artemio Cruz who lies on his deathbed; his family scurrying around him; looking for the lastest edition of his will; while bitterly recounting different episodes of his and their lives. His wife was literally given to him by her father who Cruz swindles out of his old hacienda fortune; his daughter squirms at the literally decomposing body of her father who's dying of an instestinal blockage (among other things) while she plans her wedding to an insipid dandy lawyer; his doctor tries to treat him by his symptoms and disects him figuratively describing him in purely biological and medical terms but like most doctors in most situations there's pretty much nothing he can; do the prognosis is pretty much hopeless; the man is literally dying. Cruz himself is a power-wielding totalitarianist who rules his little fiefdom with an iron fist; he's an opportunist; if given the chance he'll kick a man when he's down; he has very little sympathy for idealism or love; he's lost that bit by bit; most of it's been torn away from him during the war when he lost his true love. One is left with a deep set feeling of pity for this man who's suffered so much and tortured so many people (including the reader) because he can never truly come to terms with getting his heart ripped out of him; you're almost glad when the book ends and he's remembering his early childhood and the narrator starts to recount his birth; he's uncorrupted at this point; naked; crying and in pain; his little body literally being thrust unto this earth and at the same time the doctors tear into him; his body's shutting down; the surgeons are cussing; cursing this decrepit old man's body which is turning into a mushy corpse...

This is not an easy book to read; not because it's disgusting or the words are too difficult; it's just that this man is so repulsive it's very difficult to continue reading this book; it's literally torture to read this book; but finishing it and getting to the end; putting this man to death and putting him in perspective at the same time; because this was a difficult read; you will come away satisfied that all that suffering Fuentes put you through was worth it.

Some books it brings to mind are Absalom, Absalom! by Faulkner and even maybe Wurthering Heights by Emily Bronte; if you're looking for a comparable parable. Read it; ...if you dare!

Most of the quips are on the mark and quite a few are very funny! Helps to keep things in a light perspective in these days of "here today, gone tomorrow" ! Found the Feb 25 one very relevent to that.

Why not five stars ? I feel guilty wasting so much paper. Wish I had an online version inbuilt in MS Outlook. MS and Scott Adams - now that is some combination!

If you work in a "cube" and work for corporate America, you can't help but appreciate Dilbert and his co-horts. While the comedy can be cynical, I think it's very funny...mostly because much of what is in the comic strip is true.

The 2002 Dilbert Day-To-Day Calendar is a must buy comic calendar! The comics include all of your favorite Dilbert characters like Wally, Alice, the Boss, and Dilbert, just to name a few. Every comic is full of uproarious humor. You'll love it. I guarantee!

'KING OF THE SHORE'IS A "MUST READ"BOOK.FROM THE MOMENT
I BOUGHT IT UNTIL THE TIME I FINISHED IT,I DID NOT WANT
TO PUT IT DOWN.I WILL CONTINUE TO READ IT AGAIN AND AGAIN
IT TOUCHED ME ON A PERSONAL LEVEL.FOR EXAMPLE,IT STENGHTENED
MY BELIEF IN THAT THERE IS A HIGHER POWER OUT THERE.I AM
LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT BOOK WRITTEN BY"ERYN ADAMS"

King of the Shore is a must read for any true science fiction fan.Finally,someone has taken hold of the future and combined it with Christ.If you like Heinlein,Herbert,or Clark your gonna love Eryn Adams.Two very enthusiastic charenian thumbs up!

The author developed the book in multi stratas of coverage with the mark of a expert novel writter as few can do. The various inter related characters, poltical structure, universe scheme, ultimate conflict clash between good/bad, the technology explainations/details/science of, and the careful inclusion of God as the Lord, all experienced by the reader via the key Character Marcus was excellent. The outcome was really neat too, the author's Christian solution of prayer to God, showing the thought to be underdog culture, as the real intellectual winners.