There is a lot to like about this book. It has the usual host of colorful and varied characters that one finds in Trollope's novels. There are strong and complex women, sturdy and weak-willed men, and some wonderful set-pieces. It's a bit of a let-down after _Phineas Finn_, though, which to my mind is the greatest political novel in the English language. The previous two 'Palliser' novels having been clearly both for and about Liberals, I think that Trollope was struggling in this novel to write in a way that would both reflect and appeal to more Conservative sensibilities. So we get a lot of domestic gossip, a little mild anti-semitism, and endless lectures about the Proper way for a Gentleman to Behave to a Lady. Still, the protagonist, Lizzie Eustace, is a gem.

Lucy Morris is a bore. If you like Jane Austen you will like this novel! It has all the necessary ingredients to keep you turning the pages. It's fun and charming to read just like its heroine Lizzie Eustace. Trollope argues that she is no heroine at all but it is when she appears that your interest is held the longest and that you laugh the loudest. She is wicked and selfish and vain and yet childike spoiled and that's what makes her great. Lucy Morris in comparison bores you with her goodness and her morality and her prim and proper attitude which although greatly admired in 19th century women leaves her nonetheless dull and insipid in comparison to charmingly wicked Lizzie.

I have only read one Anthony Trollope novel, and I had the very good fortune of having chosen "The Eustace Diamonds." This superbly constructed novel begins with what is probably my favorite opening sentence of a novel--it's right up there with the opening sentence to Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice":

"It was admitted by all her friends, and also by her enemies--who were in truth the more numerous and active body of the two--that Lizzie Greystock had done very well with herself." The second sentence further clarifies Lizzie's character when it goes on with, "We will tell the story of Lizzie Greystock from the beginning, but we will not dwell over it at great length, as we might do if we loved her."

Lizzie Greystock--eventually to become Lady Eustace--is a fascinating combination of cunning and foolishness, of avarice and pitiable character, of steely backbone and whimpering fits. She reminds me so very much of both Emma Bovary and Scarlett O'Hara. Her determination to keep the Eustace family diamonds entirely for herself is what sets the novel in motion, and with this rather simple device, Trollope goes on to spin out a tale which encompasses morality, greed, Victorian social mores, the corrupting influence of money, and the blindness it can cause to everything else of value.

Lizzie is contrasted, with every shade under the sun, with the sweet and constant Lucy Morris. Picture the contrast as one very much like that of Scarlett O'Hara and Melanie Wilkes. "The Eustace Diamonds" is a deliciously satisfying book, and a classic for a very good reason: despite having been written in the 19th century, what it has to say reverberates as soundly now as when Trollope first published it. I can't recommend it highly enough.

There is a good deal to recommend this book. It is for the most part well-written, and the idea behind the book is outstanding. However I have quite a few problems with it. The opening tale by John Tynes is somewhat too short to overcome by backstory and characterization a rather ugly incident that takes place within it, equating experience with the Deep Ones to a version of combat syndrome, and that taints the rest of the book. Other tales fare somewhat better, and have some very thought-provoking concepts, adding a bit of science fiction to the world of the Mythos. One can become a ghoul, for instance, by reading a certain book, and a certain Great Old One can tear holes in the spacetime continuum in order to attract males for her followers (kind of silly, but effective within the tale). On the whole, I liked it, but for me that is the crux of the biscuit-I wanted to love it, and did not. Fell far short of the expectations that were engendered in me by the blurbs on the back cover and the front cover recommendation from Lucius Shepard. Can't give it a thumbs-up, but worth looking at if you have the money. Slim for the price.

I really enjoyed reading this book. As with any collection of short stories, I liked some more than others, but there were none in here that I didn't like. There were a couple that I consider to be real gems. My only real complaint is that it's not much book for 12 bucks. It's about half an inch thick, with eight stories in it. I guess maybe it's priced higher than most paperback books because of the cost involved for a small company to have smaller quantities of a book like this printed, but I must admit I was a bit disappointed with it in this respect.

I have always been a fan of way-out-there lunatic sci-fi/horror but unfortunatly most of the sci-fi and horror out there is just really insipid banal mainstream garbage. This book is different, the stories pull no punches and will blow you away. There is some violent violence and BIZZARE sexual stuff in this book so it is probably NOT for kids. Highly recommended and far better than the other Delta Green fiction "Rules of Engagement."

"A Family For Gillian" by Catherine Blair is not (thank goodness)the typical Regency romance novel. Our heroine, Gillian, marries Viscount Prescott, an Irish landowner, a widower with 3 young children. Gilly had set out to ruin herself in London to bypass her Mother's plans for a great marriage. While she was indeed "ruined", after recieving a note from Prescott asking her to marry him, sight unseen, she decides to marry him as she senses his loneliness from the letter. Prescott wants to marry again for the sake of his children. Poor Gilly seems to spend her time trying to live up to the memory of the near perfect first wife, Elizabeth. The story focus's in on Gilly's attempts to be good mother to the children (who are not pleased by her presence, except for the youngest, handicapped daughter), and a mate to her husband. Unfortunately Avery (Viscount Prescott)is still in love with his wife and has no intention of consummating the marriage; he thinks Gilly is ruined thereby he is not denying her the chance at the physical side of romance. But she is innocent and does eventually admit that to her husband. He does feel guilty, then, about the sort of odd marriage. But why such an unnatural marriage? A bit too extreme.

What I liked about the story was it was different. Back in that time of history, it was pretty normal for women to marry men not only to give birth to the prescribed heir but also, since women died in childbirth, to become mothers to the widowers children. Regency romances shy away from that. It was not all shy maidens and great matches back then. I was also pleased that Gilly and her husband do sleep together. That was interesting, their relationship before and after. Did he still mourn his first wife after Gilly and he slept together? As in the traditional regency romance, sex is not described at all thereby still being "sweet". Perhaps a detail or two would not have been awful, but you get the sense that Gilly is a normal, desiring woman and her husband realizes this. But he is pretty cool to her and so is Jane, the oldest daughter. In one scene, Gilly is so depressed and lonely she writes to her Mother asking to come home (a letter she throws out). Later, that same day after a fight, Prescott comes to her room and finds the letter he wrote Gilly asking to marry him. It would be have made more sense for him to find the letter Gilly wrote to her Mom. Gilly was so sad. She loved Prescott, and says this horrible cliche, that she loves him and is unhappy but would also be unhappy not to see him so might as well be unhappy with him. Seems so pathetic and out of character for a woman like Gilly who was a rather proactive person. At least Avery would read how sad she was and mabye get off his behind and stop being a jerk. Avery tells Gilly he does not want anymore children. Well, he does sleep with her. She never gets pregnant so he, what, pulls out or something? Did he really not want more children ever and that is fine with Gilly? The story begins with the marraige and ends exactly one year later. And no baby. It would have been nice for the story to end with a possible baby. The baby issue bothered me as well as Gilly sitting around and being so unhappy. And her husband was Irish. Did he have an accent? You would never know it.

Wonderful and touching. I loved how we dropped right in the middle-just one week before "ruined" Gillian is to wed Prescott. Every person is well portrayed, warts and all.

The children act real and "not perfect," though near the end, the three year old seems too advanced. Prescott is reserved but only "just so," while still having an adult relationship with his wife. They have lively quarrels. Everyone acts mature, still having fun but not silly as in many Regencies. The extended family members, such as the overbearing mother and sister-in-law, add a superb dimension!

For laughs, wait until you read the Christmas pudding scene! A "not-to-miss" enjoyable read.

Ms Blair's latest work "A Family for Gillian" is truly her best yet! She beautifully develops the personalities of the children and their complex interactions with Gillian. Blair's characters' dialogues- which are always outstanding -are magnificent in this work. The book has some surprises too.

I ordered this book on a recommendation, but found it to lack depth and substance. I was also distracted by the numerous editing errors and typos in it. I will give Linda Blair credit for a worthy effort on her part for a first book, and I believe in her cause, but I didn't learn anything new in it. However, that having been said, there is an extensive list of vegan resources which I found helpful, and I also found the typical day's eating for several vegans helpful. She touches on several issues concerning a vegan lifestyle, but doesn't really elaborate on any of them. The book is a little pricey for its content in my opinion, but good if one has read nothing else on the subject.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who wishes for a better, safer and healthier world. I have been a Vegetarian most of my life and now a Vegan for 7 years. So I'm not new to the Vegan way of life and yet, I loved and learned much from this book. Most of the time you see celebrities writing books and you think that they are just using their celebrity to make more money and think "what would a movie star have to say that's intelligent?" Maybe that happens with other celebrities but we as humans shouldn't be so judgmental so fast. I don't know for sure about all other celebrities books but what I do know for sure is that "Going Vegan!" by Linda Blair is not one of these 'money making schemes.' No, it's not an autobiography of her life. Someday, as a huge fan, I hope to read an autobiography written by her. "Going Vegan!" is her journey towards realizing that the way our world treats our animal friends on a daily basis is horrible and very selfish not to mention very unhealthy for humans too. You will learn that being Vegan means you don't have to give up any of the foods you love because there are substitutes for anything you would ever want to eat. Plus it's not "expensive" to go Vegan as I hear a lot from people I speak with that this is one of their reasons for not trying to go Vegan or Vegetarian. Plus the Vegan alternatives are better for your health. As a long time Vegan , having read countless books on the subject I found this book special because it's straight to the point and an easy read. Meaning since she is not a Doctor she is using language and thoughts that anyone can understand. Nothing wrong with reading a book about being Vegan written by Doctors, I actually suggest it and within her book Linda does too. What I mean about her book being an 'easy' read is that it's a great "first" introduction book to the life of a Vegan. Linda is just a human being like the rest of us and so that's the way she talks to us within her book. She makes learning about "Going Vegan!" interesting and understandable. Plus you will get some wonderful recipes to try, which I have already done and they are yummy! You will also get a very helpful list of the types of ingredients found in everyday food that you might not realize are stolen from these innocent animals and placed within common foods. Some of the book is hard to read due to the tortures these animals go through on a daily basis but I urge you to give this book a chance to teach you. Reading a book about "Going Vegan!" doesn't make you're a radical Animal Activist. There is nothing wrong with being an advocate for the animals, they need all the help from us humans that they can get. But information is the key to a better future and Linda Blair might always be "The actress from The Exorcist - Linda Blair" but with this honorable and intelligent book she now deserves to also be known as a caring, tireless and intelligent human being now turned Author. She spends her time working and devoting her life to helping the animals and thus helping us humans along the way. Thank you Linda for this book.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who wishes for a better, safer and healthier world. I have been a Vegetarian most of my life and now a Vegan for 7 years. So I'm not new to the Vegan way of life and yet, I loved and learned much from this book. Most of the time you see celebrities writing books and you think that they are just using their celebrity to make more money and think "what would a movie star have to say that's intelligent?" Maybe that happens with other celebrities but we as humans shouldn't be so judgmental so fast. I don't know for sure about all other celebrities books but what I do know for sure is that "Going Vegan!" by Linda Blair is not one of these 'money making schemes.' No, it's not an autobiography of her life. Someday, as a huge fan, I hope to read an autobiography written by her. "Going Vegan!" is her journey towards realizing that the way our world treats our animal friends on a daily basis is horrible and very selfish not to mention very unhealthy for humans too. You will learn that being Vegan means you don't have to give up any of the foods you love because there are substitutes for anything you would ever want to eat. Plus it's not "expensive" to go Vegan as I hear a lot from people I speak with that this is one of their reasons for not trying to go Vegan or Vegetarian. Plus the Vegan alternatives are better for your health. As a long time Vegan , having read countless books on the subject I found this book special because it's straight to the point and an easy read. Meaning since she is not a Doctor she is using language and thoughts that anyone can understand. Nothing wrong with reading a book about being Vegan written by Doctors, I actually suggest it and within her book Linda does too. What I mean about her book being an 'easy' read is that it's a great "first" introduction book to the life of a Vegan. Linda is just a human being like the rest of us and so that's the way she talks to us within her book. She makes learning about "Going Vegan!" interesting and understandable. Plus you will get some wonderful recipes to try, which I have already done and they are yummy! You will also get a very helpful list of the types of ingredients found in everyday food that you might not realize are stolen from these innocent animals and placed within common foods. Some of the book is hard to read due to the tortures these animals go through on a daily basis but I urge you to give this book a chance to teach you. Reading a book about "Going Vegan!" doesn't make you're a radical Animal Activist. There is nothing wrong with being an advocate for the animals, they need all the help from us humans that they can get. But information is the key to a better future and Linda Blair might always be "The actress from The Exorcist - Linda Blair" but with this honorable and intelligent book she now deserves to also be known as a caring, tireless and intelligent human being now turned Author. She spends her time working and devoting her life to helping the animals and thus helping us humans along the way. Thank you Linda for this book.

Herman Melville's style of detailed descriptions certainly comes though in this slim 210-page volume written in 1846. He describes life aboard ship, the geography of the island and the technical aspects of making clothing, tattooing and preparing food as well as many native ritual customs. This is all seen through the eyes of his lead character, Tom, called Tommo by the natives. The book put me right there with him, when, exhausted and starved, he and Toby, the other seaman he jumped ship with, find their way into the world of the Typees. The two sailors are treated well, but are kept virtual prisoners and there is apprehension throughout about the Typees' cannibal tendencies. In spite of that, there is also joy as Tommo views the simple and carefree life of the people he considers savages and contrasts it to life in the so-called "civilized world".

The Typees seem perennially happy and content. They spend a lot of time amusing themselves as food is plentiful and there is not much work to do. Their lives are idealized so much that I found myself raising a quizzical eyebrow at times. But the story was so good and so well written that I didn't let it get in my way of enjoying the book, which must have been received with similar delight when it was published as it not only painted a picture of a better world, it appealed to everyone's sense of adventure.

I loved the book, especially the social commentary. I found myself reading it quickly and at odd times during to day just to see what would happen on the next page. It sure was a good story and seems as fresh and meaningful today it when was published more than a century and a half ago.

Herman Melville's "Typee: A Peep at Polynesian Life" tells the story of a white sailor who lives for a time among the Typees, a native people of a Pacific island. According to a "Note on the Text" in the Penguin Classics edition, this book first appeared in 1846 in no less than four different editions.

"Typee" is a marvelous story of cross-cultural contact. It is also a fascinating glimpse at a pre-industrial culture; Tom (known as "Tommo" to the Typees) describes in detail the food, dress, tattooing, physiology, musical instruments, architecture, warfare, religious practices, and social customs of the Typees. The book is full of vividly portrayed characters: the gentle beauty Fayaway, the "eccentric old warrior" Marheyo, the talkative "serving-man" Kory-Kory, and more.

Melville's prose style in "Typee" is irresistible: the writing is fresh, lively, and richly descriptive. There is a satirical thrust to much of the book. And there is a lot of humor; at many points I literally laughed out loud. Such scenes as the description of a wild pig's frustrated efforts to break open a coconut really showcase Melville's comic flair.

A major theme of "Typee" is that of the "noble savage" (Melville actually uses the term). The narrator often wonders whether Typee life is in some ways better than Western life, and is quite critical of the work of Christian missionaries among Pacific Island peoples. The book is richly ironic, as Melville's narrator reflects on the problematic nature of cross-cultural observation: "I saw everything, but could comprehend nothing" (from Chapter 24).

"Typee" is more than just a colorful travelogue or a philosophical reflection; it is also a genuinely exciting and suspenseful adventure story. Melville's story of a visitor to a strange alien world curiously anticipates a major theme of 20th century science fiction; thus a novel like Ursula K. LeGuin's "The Left Hand of Darkness" would make a fascinating companion text. Also recommended as a companion text: "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass," another 19th century American classic which casts a critical light on Eurocentric Christianity.

In Chapter 17 of this book, the narrator conveys his feelings about the differences between Western civilization and other cultures: "The term 'savage' is, I conceive, often misapplied, and indeed when I consider the vices, cruelties, and enormities of every kind that spring up in the tainted atmosphere of a feverish civilization, I am inclined to think that so far as the relative wickedness of the parties is concerned, four or five Marquesan islanders sent to the United States as missionaries might be quite as useful as an equal number of Americans dispatched to the islands in a similar capacity." This portrayal of primitive cultures as being more civilized than Western society is part of a long tradition, beginning at least with Montaigne's essay "Of Cannibals." This and other similar statements by Melville in this work caused quite a tempest in Europe and the United States, but one which was a gentle breeze, compared to the current storm raging in academia regarding the origins and validity of the terms "civilized" and "primitive."

I am myself interested in the statement above for another reason. Some fifty years ago, a small group of inhabitants of the Marquesas Islands, in which this book is set, came across this romance. They had long before adopted Western ways, but these individuals decided to use Melville's work as a means to recreate the pastoral moment which the author had captured in this book. Such an effort was as feasible as would be an attempt to recreate the America portrayed in Norman Rockwell's paintings, but these islanders were convinced of the necessity and possibility of this act, and they reconstructed, with admirable accuracy, a past that had never existed. They gave up their new houses, their churches, their Western foods, for a lifestyle closer to that portrayed in this work, a large part of which consists of quasi-anthropological description of rituals, feasts, customs and dress. Naming children after characters in the book became common, though only in those regions in which the Melvilles, as they were called, were predominant, just as there are still a few adults named Rainbow and Sunflower in the U.S., a legacy of the hippie movement. And in keeping with the full spirit of Melville's portrait of the Marquesans, and inspired by the passage I cited above, several families did indeed move to the United States in order to proselytize their lifestyle to the Westerners whose ways these Marquesans had rejected.

It is well known that their efforts failed, for the most part, both here and in their home country, but it was a happy accident that my interest in Melville led me to meet Fayaway, one of the descendants of that tribe of emigrants to the United States, and that she and I would soon after wed. As a result, I have become indoctrinated into the remnants of this culture; without either of us being true adherents to the religion, we observe its customs, much as agnostics celebrate Christmas. Our favorite part of the entire set of customs is to replay the Ritual of the Canoe from Chapter 18, as gently erotic now as when it was written, first in Hobomok Lake in Phoenicia, New York, and more recently in Malibu Lake, California. The puritanical fussbudgets in both neighborhoods were appropriately scandalized.

As a result of my marriage to the living incarnation of the female protagonist of the romance, I am well familiar with this work, and must say that it is more nearly perfect, in its own way, than is Melville's masterpiece _Moby Dick_. It embodies many of the same themes as that larger work, and reveals, because of its imperfections, a deep glimpse into the author's mind and his longing for that tropical paradise where he sought Arcadia and found a nymph fit to his fancy. Rarely have adolescent male fantasies been given such a beautifully complex form, and if, as many have noted, the anthropological tangents detract from the narrative, it is helpful to recall that Melville was attempting create a fiction that looked like an authentic travel narrative, and that in any case those tangents can become of themselves interesting diversions, and commentary on the greater narrative. They even inspired a small group of South Pacific Islanders to fly from their homes and settle in the wilderness of the United States, in an effort to save us from our wicked ways.

Primal Schmimal...if you follow the references here you will find it very shallow and highly speculative. Gobbledygook.

This set is worth the price for the book alone. It is easily one of the best Goddess books I've seen, containing much information about the history of the Goddess as well as valuable practical information that can easily be applied to daily life. The stones are great to use during meditation as they give you something physical to focus on, and work very well for divination also. I just love this set!

as someone who's read many many books about Goddesses and ancient matriarchies i didn't think i could learn much more about this spirituality - the amulets proved me wrong. they are so incredible and have made me more psychic and intune with my inner Goddess. if you're serious about Goddesshood these are a must have!!!!

If you're looking for a science fair project and are not sure what to do, I highly recommend this book. It has 50 real award-winning science projects from real students. Some of them are kind of complicated because they come from the International Science Fair, but there are many that are good for kids in grades 6-9. The only thing is that the author provides summary questions and does not provide the answers or outcomes to the projects. But apparently that was the author's intention so that kids will learn something and not copy the projects. Otherwise, a very helpful book.

My husband and I purchased this book last year for our youngest son who was an eighth-grader starting in a new school district (we recently moved). He had been given a science fair project assignment by his teacher for the school science fair. We were rather overwhelmed by the size of the assignment since neither of our two older children had gone through this before. A month before he had to turn in his project to his teacher, my husband and I found this gem of a book which turned out to be a LIFE SAVER for him. The book contained plenty of ideas and examples which helped him to come up with a first-place project on microbiology. The author gives detailed instructions and samples of real first-place projects done by kids in various grade levels which is helpful to a student, like our son, who learns best by example. I am now ordering this book as a stocking-stuffer for my niece!

I have encouraged each of my students to obtain a copy of this wonderfully well-written guidebook every year. This book really approaches the science fair project as it really exists for students in grades 6-12. It is not a book that is just a compilation of experiments that are useless, but rather, it is a book containing 50 actual science fair projects, presented in the format in which a student can actually use them in which to model his or her project after. You will find a clear statement of the purpose of each project, followed by the hypothesis, a list of materials, instructions and a list of questions that guide the student toward developing their own analysis and conclusions. Also, not to be forgotten is a wonderful 60 page step by step introductory section that reads like a lesson plan carefully covering every aspect of doing a science fair project, tabulating data and presenting it for a panel of judges. Wonderful book. It is well worth the price!

Blair Walker has done an excellent job creating a believable character and hero, Darryl Billups the reporter, who I could really relate to as an African American professional. The plot of "Hidden in Plain View" is very fascinating and the murder method of the serial killer is completely original! Once into it, I could barely put the book down. I am now ready for the NEXT Darryl Billups mystery! A special thanks goes to Blair Walker for coming out and discussing his novel with our Book Club. It definitely provided us a new perspective on the book and writing in general.

I got this book in the mail by accident, because I wanted the Hidden In Plain View about African American quilts. I'm glad about the mixup, though, because I had never heard of Blair Walker. This brother definitely has a fresh writing style and a different world view. And his main character, Darryl Billups, is witty and kind-hearted. I could relate to the way Darryl and his girlfriend Yolanda have a normal, loving, respectful black relationship, something you rarely see in literature. And sisters, you will not believe who is killing the buppies dying in this book. I didn't particularly care for the incest scene, but it did make a strong point about the killer. There were some other freaky things in the book, but they weren't objectionable. And I loved how the pace zips along without boring lulls. Blair Walker, you go boy!

Blair Walker sweeps you along on another incredible case of his nemesis, Daryl Billups, and what a case it is. He allows you to walk in the footsteps of the murderer and see through their eyes without ever once looking in the mirror to tell you exactly who it was. From this vantage point the reader experiences the insanity even though they can't quite grasp the process that makes it tick. Hidden In Plain View provides the reader with enough suspense to keep them in the pages and enough thrills to insure completion. Congratulations Blair on another intelligent, insightful and well written offering to the literary arena.

The courage Greg Mathis exhibited in turning his life around is phenomenal! This book not only serves as inspiration for inner-city young people but anyone who has taken a wrong turn in life. This wrong turn could be criminal in nature or it could be a mistake in choosing a mate or career. Whatever the mistake or wrong turn, Greg Mathis' life proves you can "turn it around." I know Greg on a personal basis and met him through my friendship with his aunt Eva and her son, Walter. I can truly say Greg is a compassionate and down to earth man who freely shares his blessings with family and friends.

I was originally drawn to this book about Greg Mathis because while in an airport traveling from Chicago back to LA, I happened to catch his tv show. I was impressed by his style in the courtroom so when I heard that he had written a book about his story, I thought let me pick it up. I had no idea about his background so at first I was physically afraid of this young Greg Mathis in which his book went on to described. I continued to read because I kept thinking when is the miracle going to happen. I was not sure that he would ever become anything more than what he was at the time, a thug and a criminal. Finally, more than half way through the book, the miracle happened and I found myself rooting for the young man, Greg Mathis. In short, his story touched my heart in a different way. Although I'm an african american women and grew up in Chicago during the 1960s and 1970s. The life that Judge Mathis described in his book was foreign to me. But I was so impressed with his determination, preseverance, hard work and his ability to never give up. While I don't have a lot of street smarts I found myself thinking perhaps I had been more judgmental in my past about the young boys who grew up in the project because I totally saw the change in Judge Mathis in this book. I'm glad that I read it and have been sharing with others that it is definitely a must read for all ages. The bottom line is anybody can be anything they want to be if they work at it and become discipline. Kudos to Judge Mathis and other african american males who have decided to allow the miracle to happen in their lives.

The person who we see on television, and recognize as a no nonsense type of character, Judge Greg Mathis has lead an interesting life. If you watch his program, her very often alludes to his childhood but to get a deeper understanding, you have to read Inner City Miracle. Sure he's brash, but he's real. The youngest of 4 children, Greg was an oxymoron- a contradiction between what his mother wanted him to be and what he wanted to be. A student who excelled in class work, but arguably was the meanest bully in school. Teachers struggled with him' great grades but a horrible attitude. His idols were gangsters, pimps, drug dealers- the malcontents of society who always had money and loved to flash it. Growing up poor, naturally the lure of money was enticing. His older brothers weren't role models for they too aspired to greatness with little regard to the law. Greg and his siblings were lucky that they didn't meet their maker at a young age. His mother was the family backbone. She ruled with tough love, often kicking out her older sons until they could prove they were worthy of returning to the fold. Back to contradictions, he always strived to please her. His good grades, his weekly attendance in church services, his participation in church activities, his innate need to care for his mother made his other side so unbelievable. Mother wanted all of her children to succeed but there came a point when she even had to call the police on Greg. This was the turning point in a troubled young man's life.

As Judge Mathis has publicly said on many occasions, the system that sentences so many youth to prison is the same system that helped him become the person that he is today. Defining change came when he was incarcerated and had visiting time with his mother. She told him that she was dying and that he needed to do something else with his life. He began from that point forward, a lifestyle that would make his mother proud. The judge sentenced him to get a GED and get a job or he would be back in jail. He did just that. He didn't stop there, he went on to college, he worked in city government, he managed election campaigns for Jesse Jackson, he married, he went to law school, and sued for the right to practice law in spite of his criminal background. His mother saw none of this but he believes that she's with him and still motivating him today.

Inner City Miracle is an inspirational story, one that should be read by all of the seemingly hopeless youths of today. This should be required reading for those in juvenile detention. There is hope, in spite of present circumstances if you feel motivated. Judge Greg Mathis, and countless others, are proof. Out of ashes can rise a phoenix. Just because things look a certain way doesn't automatically define the future.

Hmmmm, I was decidedly disappointed in this book. Many of the pictures contained within were very poor quality and there were some blatant mistakes in identification of the family members. A good many of the photographs are not new to the collector of Romanov books. I would not recommend this book if one is expecting to see anything new. I dont think Mr. Blair Lovell would have been pleased!

Though a few caption dates are off, this book is worth having for the photographs alone! The pictures aren't readily found in most other available sources, and are very nicely-presented in their entirety (no artful layering and cropping to obscure the subject matter!). I'm especially stoked that the collection draws largely from one of HIH Maria Nicolaievna's albums...poor Mashka often gets short-shrifted in the mix, and so it's nice to find a cache of photos that represent her point-of-view/feature her.

The photographs are beautiful. There are fewer of them than in most other Romanov photo collections, but then, I haven't seen most of them elsewhere, either. One quibble is that several of the photographs seem to be mistakenly identified-- which daughter is which, and so forth. Slightly annoying. The book could also have done with more accompanying text and descriptions. Most pages contain just one or two photographs with brief captions.