This is a very well written historically accurate book reflecting the Civil War through the eyes of several characters, including the daughter of a slave owner, a plantation owner, a slave, and others. It provides a very thought-provoking look at the prejudices of that time period.

I have read this book both in Spanish and in this English translation by Carolyn Richmond; it is an excellent translation, one which succeeds where it is so easy to fail. Ayala is an outstanding though underrated Spanish novelist, still alive and aged 95 at this writing. This book is a collection of self-standing stories, each of which revolves around someone pretending to be something they are not. Most of the stories are based on real figures from Spanish history, but they are laced with just enough facts to allow the willing reader to research further, not with a tiresome assortment of schoolbook dates and names. Especially memorable are the story of invalid King Enrique of Castille, who tries to muster the strength to get out of bed and confront the greedy nobles who take advantage of his illness to plunder the kingdom; and of the "converso" Jew who, as a good Christian working for the Inquisition, faces the dilemma of initiating charges of heresy against his own daughter.

Since I got old enough to distinguish between good and bad writing, V.C. Andrews has been a guilty pleasure for me. I started reading her books way back when "Flowers in the Attic" came out, and I've read every one of her actual books as well as all the ones ghost-written by Andrew Neiderman (which now far outnumber the ones written by Andrews herself). They all have a formula: young girl suffers the loss of a parent, discovers that she's not who she thought she was, goes to live with a new family who are blood-related but strangers, and they make life miserable for her. "Rain" follows the formula (though it does depart by having her grandmother actually be an ally), but the initial setting -- the tough inner city -- is definitely a departure for the Andrews franchise. "Rain" is more up-to-date, too; Andrews and Neiderman's other main characters were usually a lot more innocent than Rain despite having grown up in tough circumstances.

So, is it a great book? No. But if you're an "Andrews" fan, you'll probably enjoy it anyway. I did, although I don't like admitting it!

V.C. Andrews was a great author and a very talented writer. She wrote many

heart touching and deep meaningful books before she died. Whoever is continuing to

write under her name is also a great writer. Rain is a deep and touching book that would

touch the soul of anyone who reads it. It portrays the life of a young girl named Rain and

her struggle to get through life in the ghetto. Suddenly, her home isn't her home

anymore, and her parents aren't who she thinks they are. She is taken away from the

only family she knows and is put with her rich family that she doesn't know. She

struggles a lot with doing the right thing and doing her best to follow the rules. I loved

the book so much that every time I had a spare moment, I was reading. I let my mother

borrow my book, and pretty and triumphs that will touch your heart. It is so enjoyable

you won't want to put it down. She shows how one girl's struggle makes her a strong

person who can conquer anything she wants.

I have been reading V.C. ANdrews books since the beginning. I was hooked with Petals series and lost through the Orphans and WildFlowers series. At long last our ghost writer has decided to go back to what made V.C. Andrews' gothic stories so enthralling. The opening story, I feel is just that, an opening and a beginning to what is going to be an very interesting anthology of this family. I like that the writer had decided to take the storyline from an unexpected, and more up to date, angle than what has been in the past. Mr. N (ghost writer) has now moved V.C.'s legacy into the future. I don't believe that this book has overshadowed V.C.'s own stormy intuition of gothicness but he does add a fever pitched twist into a new storyline. A jewel to read. In waiting great anticipation to the next book in the series. I only hope that the rest of this and other series begin to take on more and more of the old feel of Andrews' golden touch. 4 Stars to Rain, a must read for the modern Andrews fan!

So there is this guy claiming to have read this book in one night and expected it to work. First off, it would take some time to properly execute the plans included in this volume.
Secondly, hiding yourself and being found by the feds the next morning simply prove that he didn't hide very well, if he actually DID get busted. People follow a pattern; this book is all about breaking that pattern. Additionally, if the person who
wrote that review really got busted by the feds, he would more than likely be in a federal prison. Federal agents don't usually
go after people for things other than federal crime. San Quentin
is a state prison of the California penal system, the CDC. So I would have to say ignore that person, for they are full of it.
Check this book out if you want to get away from it all. Just remember to do your homework, and cross-reference what you find here with other sources!

Great book, it gives you information in a lot of detail. The books in the reference section at the end of the book are out of date though, at least some of them are. A great read, extremely interesting.

I have not read this book, not under this name. But, if you plan to read it, I recommend you buy it at a bookstore where you don't have to give your name. Remember, the FBI is watching.

We just came back from a two-week trip to Japan using the RG Japan. We visited Ise Pennisula, Shikoku, Kansai and Kyushu area and found the guide book was very detail yet accurate in all aspects. The book is especially helpful for us for the accommodations and eateries. One example is the Hiroshima International Youth House in the Aster Plaza in the Hiroshima city center, which has brand new western rooms (two beds and bath, no food) for only 6,260 Yen for two person per night. The book provides accommodation price range from 1 through 9 and we tried one Ryokan with 9 in Dogo Hot Spring in Shikoku. The bill was 52,000 Yen per night, just like the book described (also the superb service and garden). In addition to the normal description of tour details, the book provides considerable historical and cultural background information which helped us to understand Japan better. I compared the RG with similar guide books from the LP and Frommer and my experience is that RG Japan is definitely far superior than the latter two for touring Japan.

I am constantly looking for good travel guides to Japan. I've used three of them. I choose to use the Rough Guide now. It is the most accurate and the most interesting, and also the most recent.

I am surprised that the maps have been criticised. In some cases (Nikko, for example) they are much better than those of other guides.

Finding things in Japan can be harder than elsewhere, and books can only help you so much. I had trouble finding a particular restaurant in Kumamoto because the book only gave its address and map location, but another well-known guide gave no contact information for any of the restaurants it mentioned.

The Rough Guide is my first choice. The Lonely Planet guide would be my second choice. None of the other guides come close to offering the right combination of practical data and background information to help you enjoy what you see and do.

A useful tip to people who get very upset over errors in guide books: first, learn to expect some, second, take two guides if you can afford the extra space and weight - if a phone number or address is wrong in one of them it is usually right in the other.

It is an uphill struggle to get me to praise a Rough Guide. I have written many unkind words here about many other books in the series - dull righting, self-righteous tone, preachy ambition - and I stand by what I had said. I continue to feel that travel is a happy business and guidebooks should be written by people who are positive and cheerful, not by grumpy and cruffy backpackers with enormous aptitude for righting the world and with handfuls of easy answers to every question of Third World economic developent. I am also convinced that a guide is not a forum for political campaigning.

So you can imagine I approached Rough Guide Japan with very, very low expectations. However, I can now say that whatever is wrong with other Rough Guides (poor writing quality, excruciating boredom, naive anti-capitalist rhetoric), you will not find it in this book. Whatever they do right (detailed research, up-to-date info, accurate maps) - there is plenty of it, heaps, loads, all you need! My God they are good. In Japan, they are better than DK Eyewitness, my long-time favorite for most destinations. They even finally sorted their writing - it is readable, and you don't fall asleep after first three passages.

I find very little to fault in this book: the maps are accurate, listings exhaustive and detailed, and they have most of the practicalities covered, unlike Lonely Planet, who still live firmly in their senile eigthties as far as any transport and banking information is concerned. And let me repeat this (listen all of you who, like me, detested Rough Guides for their oversized egos and belief that they have a role in fixing the world) - there is no usual garbage about how capitalism and tourism ruined a beautuful country. All the annoying whining is gone. The authors really like Japan, they admire it and help you to enjoy your trip. That's all I am asking for.

The only remarks would be that there could be more photos, and please, PLEASE, change those heart-stoppingly ugly chapter icons and tacky logo. I know you at Rough Guide use those icons everywhere, they're part of the design, but believe me they are hideous. Those drawings look exactly like something that adorned local authority leaflets cautioning against vices of drugs and smoking 20 years ago. And your logo looks like a fire exit sign.

I wrote earlier that DK Eyewitness Japan, although not perfect, was the best. Well, now I have read and used both DK Eyewitness and Rough Guide in the field. Rough Guide is much better. In fact, this Rough Guide is so good that, despite my earlier promises not to touch them with barge-pole, I will be checking out Rough Guide for all my future destinations.

Repetitive magical drivel for people who want to stick in a rut. Better to get a life instead.

i picked up this book a little bit ago when my sober living home was using it to run its morning meditation group. i am not a morning person and because of this i found it was hard to wrap my mind around what was written. there are alot of good thoughts for the day but i prefer something a little bit lighter to start my day off with.

can someone help me to find the rehabcenter on internet?

Hesiod was a bit of a disappointment for me. The Works and Days was full of agriculture tips and his advice on how you should live your life. There was very little to do with the ancient Greek Gods and was just the advice of one man on how an individual should conduct themselves. Theogony was more of what I was looking for with a version of the origin of the ancient gods. Hesiod spells out the beginnings of the gods very well and it was the most enjoyable part of this book. I would recommend Homer or Virgil before trying this work.

Hesiod is often overshadowed by his--most probable--contemporary, Homer. Both poets descend from ancient oral traditions, and are considered by many scholars today to be the pinnacle of this tradition. One can see why after reading one of their epic poems. However, they differ greatly in their styles: from their choice of meter to their subject matters. This is because they were most likely of different "poetic groups." Hesiod stresses the story of the Gods and classifies them through their geneaology, particularly in his Theogony. This is, however, more exciting than it sounds. It is the story of the Titanomachia, the battle of the Titans. "Works and Days" is a gem. Most of the poem is spent giving advice on agriculture and farming, but it also has some very enlightening things to say about daily life and social behaviour...beware ladies, for there is an unkind line about women in the Works and Days...don't let it stop you from reading this great work though. Read it and love it!

In Stephen Frey's world, apparently, all the villains are blonde haired fraternity members ("frat boys" in Freyese) or racist businessmen. The only decent people are either poor, members of ethnic minorities, or leftist acitivists. Matters are made worse by an unbelievable plot, plodding writing, and motivations, which to put it kindly, do not ring true. If Mr. Frey has any understanding of the subtleties of human nature or life's ambiguities, he fails to reveal it in "Silent Partner." I have read a lot of thrillers so the law of averages decrees that some of them were not very good. Nevertheless, I can't remember one as bad as this silly left-wing rant.

Poor little rich girl meets the richest man,at least in the USA. Lots of intrigue if you can believe it. Some very good twists and turns that keep you reading. I have enjoyed all his books but this one is just not my cup of tea. I will try others though as all good authors sometimes hit you with one that just isn't right for you.

Angela Day, the central character of this story, has managed to overcome a life of poverty and tragedy to to create a rewarding career as a respected lending officer with Sumter Bank in Richmond, VA. However she is still haunted by the death of Sally Chambers, her childhood friend and college roommate, during their senior year at the university. (It is a central element of the story that Angela is white and Sally was black.) Over a decade later, Angela still feels reponsible for the circumstances of Sally's death and the racism that was responsible for the tragic incident; this experience has imbued her with a deep seated hatred of the residual traces of racism that still may be shared by some of the top managers of her bank. Thus, she has chosen to help Liv Jefferson, a local reporter, unearth material for an expose concerning the lending practices of Sumter bank.

The other major regret in Angela's life is her divorce from Sam Reese, the son Chuck Reese, one of Richmond's wealthiest men and a sworn enemy of Bob Dudley, the chairman of Sumter Bank. Chuck believed Sam married beneath himself and convinced Sam to divorce Angela and marry into society. He also arranged for Sam to win the custody case for their six year old son Hunter, so that Angela has minimal visitation rights and is fearful that her relationship with Hunter will deteriorate as he grows up with the advantages that the Reese family can offer him.

Suddenly, an opportunity is offered for Angela to advance her career and regain custody of Hunter at the same time. She is summoned to a secretive meeting in Wyoming with the reclusive multi-billionaire Jake Lawrence to be his go-between and do due diligence for an acquisition that he wants to consummate. Jake Lawrence has also been acquiring an ownership interest in Sumter Bank, and Bob Dudley and his management team become paranoid that Angela (who has been sworn to secrecy by Jake) is really helping Jake prepare for a takeover of Sumter. Soon it becomes evident not only that Jake Lawrence has to fear for his life given the powerful enemies that he has created, but that Angela has taken on an assignment that has put her in serious danger as well. Thus Jake's ranch foreman and trusted lieutenant John Tucker is commissioned as Angela's aide and bodyguard.

The above description only gives the most elementary outline of the complexity of this story. The author's familiarity with the financial world allows him to provide enough detail to allow the reader to develop the necessary understanding of corporate takeovers and financial maneuvering to make the individual elements of the plot believable. And the only error that I noted in this regard was referring to the key decision elements of leading edge predictive software as logarithms rather than algorithms. The key to my enjoyment of this story was the complexity of the plot, the many separate but interrelated (and in the end essential) story lines, and the incredible misdirection. In many ways reading this is like trying to anticipate the next development in a detective story. The clues are there, but most evident only in retrospect. (Although I was successful in anticipating the story in a few instances.) However, despite the fact that the roles of many of the characters are not what they seem, after reading the conclusion I felt that I had been mislead unfairly in just one instance.

In conclusion, I found this book to be a real page turner. While the elements involving financial markets were the centerpiece of the story, this was more action filled and concerned with personal relationships and questions of ethics and morality than Frey's other books. The character development is adequate for his purposes but certainly not the reason to read the story. I recommend this book strongly, my only reason for not rating it five stars is that while the story was cohesive and internally consistent, the combination of all the elements makes it necessary for the reader to suspend belief as the layers of complexity are revealed.

I have heard many good reviews of the RED BADGE OF COURAGE. I have heard how wonderful it is and the dramatic scenes it holds. When I read the book, honestly, I was disappointed. I didn't understand most of it; it was confusing. I wasn't the only one who thought so, most of my peers did not understand it either. In some parts, it just went on, and on, and on, and on; there were parts when it got really boring. The part I did understand was okay.

Mainly, the story is about a young soldier named Henry Fleming, the youth. He enlists into the army of the North side during the Civil War. He is glad to join, but then, he begins to doubt himself and he is afraid he will run instead of fighting in battle. Indeed, he runs away, but then discovers that he is a coward. Henry has a second chance to prove his bravery, in which he succeeds.

If you understand the main point of the story, and you understand the symbolism such as the squirrel, and Jim Conklin dying, then it become pretty good. But if you read it and not pay attention to every single thing it describes, it gets boring. That was my problem, I wasn't paying attention to EVERY little thing that happened. In conclusion, I thought this book was okay (if you understand it), but it's not the BEST book I've read about war. A good war book is ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT.

I am a fan of stories that pertain to war and suspense, but "The Red Badge of Courage" is not a typical war story. Instead, it is an account of a youth whose battlefield is his mind. The approach which Stephen Crane, the author, took surprised me, because I had expected a story in which the main conflict was that the characters fought their physical enemy. Although the book was quite short, the content of the novel is breath-taking. The manner the author uses to describe settings, thoughts of fears going on inside of the youth's head, and battle scenes is fascinating. The story takes place during the Civil War, and Crane gives an excellent view of what soldiers might have been thinking while fighting, awaiting the day when the torture of war would end. I enjoyed this journey of a young man struggling to overcome the greatest of his fears, and I would strongly recommend "The Red Badge of Courage" to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.

Stephen Crane has written an excellent work in The Red Badge of Courage. This book takes place in a period of two days, giving Crane plenty of room to expand on his themes and go into great detail. This book catches the reader's attention by presenting the Civil War in such great detail that the reader cannot help but picture the scenes in their own mind.

The Red Badge of Courage tells the story of a youthful boy, Henry Flemming, who goes to war. After many rumors of battle cause Henry to doubt his courage when faced with battle, Henry's group finally goes into battle. Henry does not run away during the fighting, and gains confidence. However, the second battle that he sees causes him to flee. The rest of the story tells of How Henry comes to terms with his fear, and eventually returns to the battle line.

The only complaint that any reader could have is that Crane uses almost too much detail. Because there is so much detail, the reader could loose track of the plot. The great detail is, however, what makes this such an outstanding book. Any reader that can get "into" a book will thoroughly enjoy The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane.

I am a very good cook and for years, when going on a low fat regime, I have found it impossible to make food without fat tasty, until, I found this book. Mr. Romano has come up with recipes that are flavorful, easy to assemble and truly low fat!The format of the book is terrific. The recipes are easy to follow, his comments are entertaining, as well as helpful, and the art works are a scream! In the past three months, my husband has lost 20 lbs and didn't even realize that I had him on a "diet." Might I also add, that I find Ms. Beatty's comments very interesting considering her picture is on the back cover of this book and the book is dedicated to her!! And that it was because of Mr. Romano's diet counsel that she placed third in the Ms. Olympia contest.

As the Director of the Intrafitt Performance Nutrition and Exercise Center at Gold's Gym, Venice for the past ten years, I've had the pleasure of working with thousands of professional, olympic, amateur and armchair athletes, clients with diabetes, heart conditions, medical concerns, dieting histories, life changes, families; people from every walk of life. I am also a professional adventure racer, and have my own nutrition and exercise program to adhere to. One of the best tools I have in my nutrition counseling is John Romano's Muscle Meals. Professionally, Muscle Meals teaches clients how to prepare extremely healthy gourmet meals, greatly increasing their compliance toward their fitness goal or body composition. Each recipe has a complete listing of it's nutritional breakdown and is presented in an easy to follow manner. The recipes and food ideas are simple and quick, with taste and diversity that would seem laborious, but take minutes, not a full day to prepare. Personally, since I've started using Muscle Meals recipes, people seem to miraculously appear at my doorstep and office entrance at meal times; I never knew I had so many hungry friends!! For our office and my kitchen, Muscle Meals is indispensible.

I love MUSCLEMEALS! I'm so glad I bought this book. I use it almost every day and am able to eat great tasting meals and stay on my diet. The book is ver well written, at times even funny, and the dishes always come out perfect. I'm a personal trainer and reccomend MUSCLE MEALS to all my clients.