This is a most informative book about bobbin lace in the East Midlands during the second half of the 19th Century. Lavishly illustrated (the photograph of the lappets with ostriches in the design was worth the price of the book to me), with a scolarly text, this book is for the historian. No patterns included, but plenty of inspiration for the designer or maker of bobbin lace.

This 1970s scholarly book provides a lot of information about the history of Jinan between 1890 and 1949, much of it in English for the first time. As a source for facts and research ideas, it is very good. It has drawbacks in other areas, however.

First, the entire point of the book seems flawed. Buck wanted to take a Chinese city that had all the ingredients needed to turn itself into a modern Western-style city, and see whether such a transformation could have taken place, and if not, why not. The entire premise is that the Western-style city is the natural course for a city to take, and China is somehow lacking for failing to develop in the same way as the West. In reality, might it not be Western cities that are the anomalies?

In addition, Buck's conceptual framework, while dealing with Western ideas of the city, makes only a passing reference to the work of Skinner, as though Buck was rushed for time and could not fully incorporate Skinner's economic ideas into his thesis. Although the title of the book claims that the book goes through 1949, in reality it stops somewhere in the early 1930s, with a vague later section which merely repeats then-current Communist rhetoric about turning "consumer cities" into "producer cities." This rhetoric is not subjected to critical scrutiny.

I wished for more maps and other visual material, as well as for more stories, non-scholarly sources such as novels and plays, and other materials that would have given a more vivid sense of the city. If one compares this book to the later 2-volume work on the city of Hankow by Rowe, Buck's book does seem lacking; nevertheless, it remains a valuable resource for students of Shandong province.

This book has plenty of nice patterns but it is recommended for lacemakers who are familiar with the basic stitches. The colour code system makes it easy to understand, at a glance.

There are a few jewels in this book, but not many, and you have to wade through way too much nonsense to get to them. I guess if you're out on a long long camping trip with the buddies & you over induldge in adult beverages you might enjoy it, but don't buy this one in hopes of learning anything.

Buck is one funny guy. Other guidebooks are soooo serious about deerhunting and miss the humor involved with any kind of hunting.
Buck pokes everyone and everything with a deserved sharp stick.
The illustrations by "Sourdough" are hilarious too. Great gift idea.

My family has been deerhunting for years and I've listened to many funny stories about their hunts. This book is a funny guidebook and has lots of neat illustrations too. My mom gave the book to my Dad last Christmas and he's laughed out loud a number of times. The book is really fun for those who have hunted for awhile. Buck really knows deerhunting and deerhunters.

While I have enjoyed the overall storyline, this is the black sheep of the series. The novel the other ones don't want to talk about.

This installment is a pain to read. It leaves you with a bad taste in your mouth and thinking 'What was the whole point of the last 600 pages?' The only good thing is that all the people you grow to loathe (and in an 'oh please don't make me read more about him' way not an 'oooo, he's so evil and bad' way) end up dead in the end never to return. The only bright spot I can remember was how one of the nobles got revenge on his religious based king and his cheating wife.

I recommend the series. It is entertaining and enjoyable, but I also recommend to go from book 4 to book 6. You can totally skip this book and not miss anything in the series.

Haven anxiously awaited the fifth book in this series, I got this book just last week, and, after devouring it in about a day, I just have one question I wanna ask.

What the HELL happened?

This book was bad. Realllllyy bad. I'll go over the salient points.

1. Where the heck are all the characters we actually care about? Berdine, Scarlet, Chase, Rachel, Verna, Warren, Nathan, Gratch, and any I've missed, all these guys are missing, some with plot points left open.

2. Heck, to be even more precise, the main characters, Richard and Kahlan, and the semi-major characters, Cara, Zedd and Ann, are barely in this book, and when they are, they're either a) pointless or b) out of character. Kahlan's turned into a whiny little girl in this one, and Richard has apparently forgotten the fact that he's the hero of the story. Ya don't just 'give up' 'cause some backwater country voted not to join you!

3. Instead, we get what almost seems to be a Tom Clancy-esc 'political thriller'. It almost seems that Goodkind was writing a different book, and someone told him to force it into the SoT series. With this, we get pointless, pointless characters (Fitct, Beata) and Goodkind's obvious political views. And the bit with the chimes seemed pointless and the solution came outta left field. Which I find funny, 'cause the back blurb to the book was about the chimes. Note to Terry-NO ONE CARES IN A FANTASY NOVEL!

I'll admit, there was one saving grace: Dalton. I must admit, I liked him, and his trump card at the end when he'd realized he'd lost was totally unexpected. He's the only reason this book didn't get one star.

Hopefully, Goodkind will remember what 'fantasy' is in time for the inevitable 6th book. And, hopefully, we won't have to wait as long to get it.

Ok, first let me say that I love this series. Ever since I read Wizards First Rule long ago, I was instantly hooked. I have to say that since "Stone of Tears" the books haven't been as good. "Stone of Tears was just too good, and I have been waiting for an installment that could match it. The search continues for me becasue "Soul of the Fire" defineltely was not it. You may wonder then why I gave the book 4 stars. It's simple. Even though the new characters Beata, Fitch, Dalton Campbel, Bertrand Chanboor.,etc were all seperate from the main story with Richard and Khalan, they still were highly entertaining to watch grow as characters. In fact Fitch and Dalton are probably, other than Nathan and Warren, two of my favorite charcters in the series. Anybody who wants to discuss this series with me, feel free to do so at Jweber@mason2.gmu.edu I just have to say that I hope the sixth book goes back to concentrating on the already cool charcters that were left completely out of this one, Adie, Shota, Ulicia, Warren, Verna, Nathan and Gratch(Where the hell did he go of to?) I loved Dalton. Anyway, email me guys cuz I love discussing this series. I hope that Richard never stops weilding the Sword Of Truth!!!!

Better known for her youth in China, Pearl Buck has written an insightful tale set in undated Japan. Best friends Kino and Jiya grow in different situations as their fathers are engaged in seemingly opposed occupations: rice farmer and fisherman. But Buck's theme--the interweaving of skills which provide a balanced tapesty of Life--is gently expresssed in this little book. Besides the aspect of childhood friendships, she deals with the heavy topic of the role of Death in Life, by presenting the stoic Japanese philosophy which permits the renewal of hope despite overwhelming diaster.

Although short this tale is not really intended for children under 12. Depicting cataclysmic events and mature themes, this book serves as an excellent introduction to a unit on Asia--both its geology and its Oriental perspectives on man's role in the world. It might even be considered an Allegory for middle school readers. Serious and sobering, THE BIG WAVE is a fast read for thoughtful minds.

The book is about two kids named KIno and Jaya. They ate ina smal town were a gigantic sunami is going to hit. Kino and Jaya need to find a way to survive.

The messege is not to go back were you were because bad things are going to happen. I think that they shouldn't have went back.

It was a good because the big wave has action. So it was cool. I like the book because it showed how to survive.

"The Big Wave," by Pearl S. Buck, is a short novel that takes place in Japan. The main characters are Kino, a farm boy who lives on a mountainside, and his good friend Jiya, who is the son of a fisherman. The two boys bond despite the cultural differences between the farming and fishing communities. But with the presence of a volcano and the threat of the great ocean wave of the book's title, life holds danger for these boys.

This is a simple but beautifully told tale. Buck's themes include courage in the face of danger, the impact of geography upon the lives of the Japanese people, and the cycles of death and life. But most of all the book is about hope and friendship. For a good companion text, try one of Laura Ingalls Wilder's books.

Nathaniel Hawthorne's "House of the Seven Gables" is an enjoyable read for anyone interested in classic American literature. Some readers consider Hawthorne's meticulous style of describing settings and characters frustrating, but they fail to realize that the story "The House of the Seven Gables" is in fact, settings and characters. The reader must realize that this book was written in 1851, so it lacks the showmanship of explosions and flying poltergeists, but if properly embraced, "The House of the Seven Gables" is a very enjoyable read. As I read this book, I felt that Hepzibah and Clifford were not the only characters attempting to rid themselves of a family curse. I felt that Hawthorne himself was attempting to exorcise the guilt brought on by his ancestor, John Hawthorne, who had presided over the Salem Witch Trials, hundred of years prior.

This book is really good. Very deep mystery about a dying witch's curse. It's not a fast-moving thriller, by a slow and methodical one. Every word is chosen so carefully by Hawthorne, that it is fun to read and a challenge for the mind to find the hidden meaning. The novel starts with a discription of the house- the house with human attributes and ends with a lone cat watching the fulfillment of a witch's curse. Really excellent. There's plenty of characterization, hints of incest, and omenious surrounding to keep the reader entertained. Love love loved it, read it in a college American literature class.

The story of "The House of Seven Gables" begins in the midst of Puritan New England (which Hawthorne paints characteristically, and forgiveably, quite bleak) with the fantastic tale of a severe dispute between stern Colonel Pyncheon and alleged wizard Matthew Maule over a piece of land. Maule is conveniently executed (while cursing Pyncheon) for his "crimes", and Pyncheon builds Seven Gables on the aforesaid land. Several years later, the colonel dies suddenly, supposedly the mark of Maule's curse, which is to forever haunt the Pyncheon mansion.

Several generations of Pyncheons come and go, and the family decays and whithers until it can boast only four remaining members, two of which are old and frail. But one, a Judge Pyncheon, rotten under his trim exterior, is up to unsurfaced mischief.

The story tends to move slowly (much of the meat of the plot is not encountered until nearly half-way through!), but every word bears weight. Hawthorne weaves his story in such a way that every moment spent getting to know the characters is crucial. Neither is the slow development boring: far from it! Relax, enjoy the pace, and allow yourself to feast on Hawthorne's brilliant prose. As Henry James once stated, "The House of Seven Gables" is "the closest approach we are likely to have to the Great American Novel."

I won't be reading this book to my daughter. The idea of beating a child for getting her dress dirty is not one I want to impart to my child. Very sad!

I am an education student and a parent, I purchased this book for a school project on multi-cultural literature. When I received it I was horrified at some of the poems!!! Many of the poems in this book demean women. One poem entitled "Chiquita Bonita" says that if a girl gets her clothing dirty her mother will beat her, another poem "Little Tortillas" says that the good tortillas go to papa and the burnt ones go to mama. I am all for the concept of introducing small children to many cultures and having two languages in one book but there are many books out their that do it much better than this one. (May I suggest Salsa by Lillian Colon-Vila and Roberta Collier-Morales)

Tortillas Para Mama presents a very negative view of Hispanic culture and I am not quite sure how it ever got published reading it leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

A few reviewers have blasted this book for a couple of verses that contain ideas no longer acceptable in our society- like the Dad getting the good tortillas and the Mother the burnt ones. I agree that this is something to consider. I want to add, though, that my Mother read to me from this book when I was a child and it in no way ingrained these ideas into my young mind. As a young girl, in fact, this was one of my favorite books. Many of the other verses in Tortillas para mama are so beautiful that I think it would be a shame not to recommend it. There is one about the moon eating prickly pears (ahi viene la luna comiendo tuna) and another about a mother being an angel that I can recite to this day. If you are concerned about the questionable lines (and I reiterate that there are only a couple!), I would suggest you either leave those poems out when you read or else talk to your children about what those lines mean and how things have changed since they were written. It might end up being very constructive!

Enter into the world of TyTy, patriarch of the Walden family, who is obsessed in finding gold. His obsession is so great until he digs holes throughout his farm and foregoes the necessity of doing his planting. TyTy isn't the only one with an obsession. His son-in-law Will is determined to re-open the closed mill in his South Carolina town. Will thinks TyTy is a fool and TyTy believes the same about Will. Once again, Erskine Caldwell, takes us behind the scenes of southern poverty in the depression through his use of outlandish characters with impossible dreams. TyTy is a man of the land who is unable to sow a crop while Will is a son of the industrial mills. The mill exploits its workers and the soil refuses to yield a crop. Both men and their families become victims in a system neither one can understand. Yet these men refuse to give up their dreams.

Witness the foolishness of TyTy as he captures a white, white man to divine a gold lode. The sensuousness of Ty's daughter, Darling Jill, gets to be rediculous as well as his passion for Griselda, his daughter-in-law. Throughout the book you will be confronted with adultry, rape and ignorance. The female characters are clueless and use their sexuality to get what they want. Except for Rosamond (Ty's daughter) neither of the females exhibit any type of strong character and even Rosamond falls short.

The positiveness of this book is that it shows the sociological and economic impact of the depression on the lives of poor people. You witness their exagerated behavior and begin to shake your head. The weakness of the work is its repetition, pointless scenes and weak plot. After awhile the story gets to become a bore as you're wondering where is it heading. It is a fair read and I would say by all means read this work and move beyond its stereotypes of exagerated southern culture.

I bought Tobacco Road and God's Little Acre because one of the gang, that I respected, said that this was one of his favorite books. And since I like expanding my horizons, especially on the literary front, I bought God's Little Acre. I was surprised. I expected to find Jed Clampett and his family instead I found a man who lived by his own sense of morality, social status, all told in a prose that at times switches from brutally honest to poetry of the highest order. Sure the frank sexuality is present. What isn't usually stated, when people are discussing God's Little Acre, is the basic principal of Ty Ty Walden behind it. With all foundations of social behavior, God's Little Acre, is an example that there are deadly consequences because not everyone that is subject to, or born and raised in that social theory will act accordingly to the theorist imaginings. The novel is about men living up to their own definition of manhood. It is about the clash of social mandates and personal morals. It is the telling of truths that dares to put a reason behind societal misdeeds. Caldwell wrote a splendid back.

If Andy Griffith and Hugh Heffner were to co-author a Shakespearian tragedy it would be a lot like "God's Little Acre." When there ain't no money in planting cotton and the mill's shut up there ain't but one thing for men and women to do to keep their minds off of their troubles: SEX!

TyTy Walden is as obsessed with finding gold on his land as Captain Ahab was about finding the great white whale. Greselda Walden has to be one of the most desired and fought over women in all of American literature. And what red blooded American male would not have wanted a date with Darling Jill. This book alternates from being light-hearted and silly to being very serious and profound. There is great pathos in the description of the desperation of Will Thompson and the other starving mill workers to re-open the mill and go back to work. The death of Will Thompson is a great reminder of the struggle of working people to be treated fairly in this country. This book accurately recounts the hopes and fears of the thousands of working class people who were forced to live in "company towns" and who "owed their soul to the company store."

Although I found some of the more explicit sexual content of this novel to be silly and somewhat overdone (I don't think that most people in rural Georgia in the 1930's were this open about their sexualty!), this is a great American novel and Erskine Caldwell should be remembered as one of the great American writers of this century.

I'm no expert on Korea or Korean history, though I did live there for six months some years ago. At that time, I learned enough about the country to realize that THE LIVING REED is a joke. If you like soap opera, uplifting prose about valiant people striving to overcome whatever, then this book could be for you. But, if you like reasonably authentic background and depiction of central characters who are not cardboard figures, then think twice before devoting too much of your time to such a book. Pearl Buck had a hit with 'The Good Earth', true. But she tried to capitalize on that and churned out more and more 'uplifting sagas' of this type. OK, so maybe she did it to increase understanding of Asia in the USA. It was for a good cause. But what we are doing here is reviewing books. This book is just not very good. Times have changed and it's out of fashion (happily) to regard individuals of any one nation as particularly charged with moral values, fighting spirit, special will power, etc. These traits are pretty well spread across the human race. You will not find this observation salient in THE LIVING REED. The Koreans are portrayed as a nation of heroes and heroines. That's bunk. They are people just like everyone else. However, it IS true that this is a second-rate novel just like a lot of Buck's others.

It's an OK story. Worth reading. As to its historical accuracy, it is a novel which is a work of fiction. Most historical novels are not accurate--the novelist just takes a place and point in time and uses it to tell his/her story. Whether or not it is historical accurate isn't an issue-it is fiction.

There are many different ways to review the writings of any kind.Here we have an old novel written by a woman who grew up in China and understood the cultural differences. It is by no means the most accurate description of Korean history or the way people lived of her time. However, I ended up admiring her attempt to know better and in the end to have understood the people and the way of their living and struggle. Nobody can understand the cultural differences and the values of the society unless we live on both sides of the world. That was what she did and used it for her writing. It was a good writing as a novel and described exactly the way of living of the Korean people during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Unbelievable? That is because you have no idea of the real core of different cultures.For example, my family maintains 1,000 years of written history of family geneology of my clan.It shows how we died during the struggle and how we maintain our family by a written code of conduct based on Humanism. That is the reason why Korean are nationalistic.That was accurately described in her writing.