I agree with the editor who says that this account is more believable than most of the new-age channeling books out today. The account is totally believable but I wish there was a little bit more from Elsa; apparently she knew Judge Hatch for six years and I would have liked a deeper analysis from her on the letters.

Kathy Kart's editing is also a bit obvious. I wish I could read the original text but I understand that she felt it necessary to make the letters as available to the modern reader as possible.

Regarding the title: I believe that the letters are genuine and that Judge Hatch's travelogue from the other side describes his experience there. But like he said (and I'm paraphrasing here) 'most people have the experience here that they're expecting to have.' If that doesn't throw the ball back in your court, I don't know what does. This is good news or bad news depending on your thinking...

Good luck. :-)

What a blessing to have found this book at just the right time in my life...and what a blessing that (nearly 90 years after its original publication) someone like Kathy Hart had the determination to see it republished. Elsa Barker, an established author in the early part of the 20th century, began receiving messages (through automatic writing) from a recently deceased friend (a highly respected California judge who passed away in 1912), who desired to tell her and the rest of humanity about what awaits us on the other side and why we have experiences here in the physical world.

Regardless of what your beliefs may be about religion, spirituality or the means by which these letters were communicated, one cannot deny the wisdom often expressed in these 53 brief essays. Elsa Barker in her own introduction tells the reader very straightforwardly that she was herself very skeptical about the entire experience and even initially resisted the letter-writing process and the recommendation from friends that the letters be published...but certain coincidences and experiences along the way made her finally accept the legitimacy of that was occurring.

Up until the time I read "Letters", I had always been fairly conservative about my spiritual and religious ideas, but had always been receptive and accepting of differing viewpoints and other people's experience. Elsa Barker's book has had a dramatic effect on the way I see myself as I relate to the universe...and the way I comprehend the physical as it relates to the spiritual. It is a profoundly moving and interesting work with the potential to greatly impact ones life without requiring that one buy the entire message.

This book should be read by everyone on the planet. It is a marvelous read. Very informative, sparks your own internal questions, challenges dogmatic beliefs and takes away the fear of dying. Wonderful, enlightening and uplifting. Learn that there really are "spooks" out there! Here about the artists, writers, inventors, etc... "up there". Helps you work right through death and lets you live life for what it is. Just a quick educational spin around the block! :-)

This is an interesting book based off the letters sent home by Henry Matrau. Often I looked for the harsh realities of war to be written about though it seems many wouldn't write of such horrors back home. What made the book interesting was the fact that very little description was ever written about such large scale battles as Antietam or Gettysburg in which Matrau took part of. This book gives the reader a first hand glance at how soldiers communicated. Matrau didn't want those at home to worry about him and often left out many details I preferred to read about. This book is a rather quick read though informative about the 6th Wisconsin and their hardships endured throughout the war. It carefully explains how this regiment shrank or was placed with other outfits meshed in the Iron Brigade. Being a shorter book of 140 or so pages, it may lacks high details though it's simply not a history book. It's a copy of letters sent back home and is intended truly for that.

There is always an extra dimension to history when it is told in the words of those who lived it, and written as they experienced it. These instant observations are not changed, colored or amended through benefit of hindsight and recollection.

That the young Matrau rises from "The Baby of Company G' to Company Commander is amazing in itself, it is even more incredible that he stayed so outwardly calm through four years at the hottest of battles in the eastern campaign.

One learns much of his everyday life: the cold, the dirt, the mundane and the dangerous. Yet while Matrau is fiercely patriotic and loyal, he expresses little political or social opinion. He is matter of fact about doing his job, and doing it well.

Fascinating read with some small and large insights on life in the legendary "Iron Brigade."

I would highly recommend this book if you would like to understand the struggles and experiences of soldiers during the Civil War. No one understands the experience of the Civil War than the Soldiers themselves.

I have enjoyed reading this book. It has good reviews of each of the brothers' films (together and solo) as well as behind the scenes information about the films. In addition there are interesting items such as shelfed projects, live shows, wigs, etc. It does suffer from not having biographies of the individual Marxes (although there are multiple informative biographies of supporting players). Also some type of summary table of contents would have been helpful; something that would have grouped the types of entries such as biographies, references to costumes, etc.

I received this & the Three Stooges Encyclopedia at the same time. The Marxes encyclopedia is the way it SHOULD be done.

This was a wonderful book, I liked it so much I even read it. First of all it is wonderfully organized. The A-Z system works very well. Second it has alot of interesting infomation andd little known facts. Anyone who wants to know about (or knows about!) the Marx Brothers will love this book!

A well-crafted collection of photos, facts and tall tales about the comedy team. One of the top books ever on the subject, this volume suffers only in a few areas: 1) It is in encyclopedic A-Z order, but there is no index, per se. 2) It does offer dozens of photos, some very rare, of all stages of the careers of each, but does not have a specific bio on each individual brother. 3) It suffers somewhat from the editorial bias of the author, who includes subject headings you may not really care about, such as "shoes." (?) Other than those minuses, though, it is a really great book, filled with lots of interesting facts and memories. It is like having a Marx Brothers convention in a book!

Mastering French, Level II, is for those who understand and accept that one must work to learn a language. I have been through it twice and find that my grasp of tricky syntax exceeds that of those who were unwilling to 'drill' (which is how language is learned). I would rather utilize Mastering French's variety of drills offered here than have only one drill per subject - which becomes boring. The hours of taped French offered on the 12 - 90min. tapes allow you to fill your ears with the language in an effective and interesting way.

I commute to work each day for about 2 hours and do this program. I recommend this learning program for those who have extra time here and there- commuting, laying out at the beach, traveling, whatever. Over time all of the tidbits of information here will sink in to your brain. But these are more than tidbits- they are the most essential and basic words and everyday phrases to get by and converse in French on an intermediate level. Of course, keeping up with Parisian and local 'argot' is probably impossible unless you live in the respective area, but what is learned from this system will get you through in speaking French properly, regardless of the fluctuating neighborhood nuances. What I would have liked to have heard more of are expressions like "Quelle belle piece!" for sometimes the dictation is a bit monotonous. I find foreign languages, and French in particular, easiest to remember when it is charged with emotive expression and even situational comedy- which these tapes somewhat lack. Overall, however, it may be preferable to come off as a tempered French speaker. Thus, this French learning system is recommended for its thoroughness.

Grueling at times, yes, worth it, absolutely! The only way to become fluent is to become so used to saying something that searching for the right words or grammatical syntax is no longer necessary or at least not as much of a chore. The drill approach is the best without a doubt.

Be prepared to pull your hair out, but the results come quickly and tend to stick longer than with other conventional language instruction packages.

What a writer! I've never even heard of her before--but you can be sure I'll run the "Book Search" after this one! Ms. Mitchell seems to know just how to bring characters around slowly and plausibly, rather than the all-too-familiar "lightning strike recovery." This book deals with a subject that most Christian books don't touch on--how to *know* God is there even when you don't *feel* His presence. Sabrina's despair and fear are described so vividly that you can really understand what she's going through, proving that many authors write best what they *know.* I also appreciated that Hunter freely admits that his greatest flaw is arrogance--how many main characters are deliberately given this flaw by the writer? One more plus point: the interaction of Kathleen with both Gabe and Hunter. I completely understood Hunt's exasperation with her, but at the same time, I looked forward to the next scene including "Kate." : ) Well done all around--setting, characters, dialog, and theme. I hope Sara Mitchell writes lots more!

Thoroughly enjoyed the book. Ms. Mitchell can portray a strong hero that doesn't make me want to gag because he is too perfect. And a heroine with a problem that doesn't make me want to shake some sense into her. Ms. Mitchell's only problem is that she doesn't write as fast as I can read.

this book touches alot of issue. dealing mostly with the fact that Sabrina has wandered from God, even to the point of wondering if God has actually left her. she also has to come to grips with the fact that she loves Hunter Buchanan. she thinks it's a hopeless love, but through rehabilitation of her riding skills, Hunter, as her personal coach, come's to love her like he's never loved another woman. Along the way, the encounter a battered war vet. and through Hunt's friendship, and Sabrina's example of her own life they reach out to him. his life is also touched by a real estate agent, and together, all four of them end up enriching each others lives. Hunt and Sabrina, in an obvious way, and the other's through learning about their heavenly father, and how to be healed.

Before discussing the cartoons (which are wonderful), let me warn you against the miniature paperback version. It is very small, the cartoons are hard to see, you need a magnifying glass for some, the reproduction quality is poor, and the paper is not good. Stick with the hardcover.

I have rated the book as the hardcover version. The only drawback I saw to the 101 cartoons was the lack of a witty introduction (like those in the cartoon books of the New Yorker for business and money).

In a spirit of self-disclosure, I must admit that I do not have a dog now . . . but I have had one in the past. Several of my friends have dogs, so I think I can properly evaluate the book from a dog lover's point of view.

The relationship between human and dog is an especially close one. The humor works well when it alludes to that. For example, in a wordless cartoon, a dog looks resentfully at a man reading a book entitled "How To Be Your Own Best Friend." Another one has a couple in bed with lots of dogs: "If you lie down with pugs, you wake up with pugs." In a third, a woman with two suitcases is seen leaving with the dog while a man inquires of the dog: "Et tu, Baxter?"

Dog-human reversals also work: A dog doctor examines a human and notes, "Well, your nose feels cold."

Sometimes the humor is aimed at the human, such as: A psychic tells a dog her/his fortune, "You will be going for a long walk."

Inevitably cats are part of the picture: Two dogs talking to each other spot a cat walking down the side walk, "Do you want to handle this, or should I?"

Sometimes dogs become just like people as in: A man walks down the street with a dog walking on hind legs holding onto his arm, "She never took to the leash."

What do dogs think of their humans? "They never pushed me. If I wanted to retrieve, shake hands or roll over, it was entirely up to me."

As someone who had a Sheltie, this one got to me: A sheep is leading lots of dogs in a herd, and a man says to another man, "I understand that in your country this thing is done quite differently."

Humor is a window onto our stalled beliefs that keep us from grasping our full potential of progress and joy from each day. Let these wonderful dog cartoons remind you of the potential in everything around you!

I keep this book in my bathroom with some other fun books - I read it every time I'm in there, and I laugh over and over at the same cartoons. People always love going to the bathroom at my place because of it! :- ) Anyway, if you love woofers like I do AND enjoy the New Yorker sense o' humor, you must have this book!

I could barely put it down, I just wanted to read "one more cartoon". Dog lovers like me would like it the most, but anyone would love it. My 11 year old daughter read it and liked it too!

I am amazed that this book is out of print, because it is a very entertaining and readable novel by a writer who consistently provides a good read. I recently came upon an English paperback copy of it in an English-language bookstore in Paris, and I found it to be one of this writer's better novels. It concerns the lives of a sister and brother after the death of their old dragon of a mother, with whom they had been living for most of their lives (they are both middle-aged). There are problems with the house and some adjacent property, as well as problems in new and old relationships, and Helen, the sister and the main character, realizes that the mother was even more awful that she had thought, and painfully also comes to realize her own connivance in the mother's viciousness and in her attempt to keep Helen and her brother under her thumb (even after death). Helen is a likable and admirable character, and one gets a good sense of what modern life is like in an English village.

Reading this book broke my heart. And yet, when I finished it I turned back to page one and began again. The characters in this book are so complex and compelling, it was as if they were people who inhabit my day to day life. I recommend this book to anyone wishing to be haunted by perfect fiction.

Passing On was my introduction to Penelope Lively and now I'm looking for her other books to see if they're as good! Reading this novel was a much more pleasurable (and poignant) experience than any plot synopsis I could provide would indicate, so just try to get hold of a copy-and enjoy!

Margaret Mitchell's own love story accentuated the movie. She was able to create such a romantic story because she was leading such a romantic life herself.

I felt that Margaret Mitchell's family was part of my own, and hated to see the book end. Am reading it now for the second time. Would love to communicate with Marianne Walker, direct. Just finished reading Darden Asbury Pyron's SOUTHERN DAUGHTER and it has made me so MAD. There are so many contradictions in it with the Walker version and I choose to believe Marianne! As you can see, I am a devoted Margaret Mitchell fan and have tried to read every thing I could throughout the years. I look forward to learning if Marianne Walker is available to the "general" public, like me.

I have been a GWTW fan since I was 12. This book is a must for GWTW fans and anyone else as well. This book gives us a peek into the writing process and what instant fame and forture can do to a person. It also tells us of interesting facts about Margaret Mitchell, her husband John, and their families. This story is told partially through letters saved by friends and families. A wonderful insight to that era of GWTW's initial popularity.

For anyone with a interest in the Mitford family, this a nicely written book by her personal friend. It's like having a conversation with the author about this funny and clever lady.The only to watch out for is if you don't speak french ( as I don't) then you may miss some of the best jokes.

I have been looking for a biography of Nancy Mitford for so long, and here it is finally, and by a friend of hers as well. It made me laugh as much as her novels. Rather than put himself on the foreground, Acton lets Nancy Mitford do the speaking and so it really is as if this is her talking about her own life, a sort of autobiography. I watched the documentary earlier this year and I must say quite a different person emerges from this book. She was quite a self-made person, despite her background, and no doubt therefore so resilient in her disastrous love affairs. Highly recommended.

I have been looking for a biography of Nancy Mitford for so long, and here it is finally, and by a friend of hers as well. It made me laugh as much as her novels. Rather than put himself on the foreground, Acton lets Nancy Mitford do the speaking and so it really is as if this is her talking about her own life, a sort of autobiography. I watched the documentary earlier this year and I must say quite a different person emerges from this book. She was quite a self-made person, despite her background, and no doubt therefore so resilient in her disastrous love affairs. Highly recommended.

Wow! I really enjoyed that!

New Barbarians was a very sophisticated follow-up to Procurator. This is the tale of Caesar Germanicus's harrowing exploits across the sea, dealing with the Aztecans of the wild Novo Provinces.

What impressed me the most was Mitchell's skill at showcasing a variety of races and cultures in one powerful story. Besides Romans and Aztecans, we have Antiochians, Indee, Anasazi, Germans, Sericans, and Nihonians. And all are vital to the plot.

As in Procurator, we have betrayal counterbalanced by unwavering allegiance; we have politics and military strategy shaping the story, we have mysticism in the form of dreams and visions alongside the alternate-Rome version of cutting-edge science; and we have romance. Germanicus has a new love, an Anasazi woman, but should he gamble so many lives to lay siege to the Aztecan city where she is held prisoner as a potential human sacrifice--for Germanicus is not certain there is another reason to fight these battles in a strange territory. All he really wants is to be back in Rome, doing the unthinkable: changing an Empire into a Republic. But it seems the woman must be saved...

Though longer than Procurator, New Barbarians is still fairly short. And when a short novel is this entertaining, almost everything included serves to propel the plot forward in exciting ways. There should be too much crammed into this book to make it feel so streamlined, but somehow there isn't.

An alternate-history entry that I am pleased to recommend.

This is the second book in Kirk Mitchell's "Procurator" trilogy, the first one being "Procurator" (logically enough). The series is set in an alternate present where the Rome never fell, and where advanced technologies (automobiles, firearms, radio) coexist uneasily with an archaic imperial government.

In this intriguing second installment, the focus shifts to the Roman colonies in America. Germanicus Agricola, the hero of book one, must help ward off a violent invasion from the power-hungry Aztec empire. Thanks to Rome's technological edge, it should be a breeze.

But things are never so simple. The Aztecs, far from incompetent savages, have developed their own deadly style of warfare. And thanks to covert but widespread support from the ancient and advanced Serican (Chinese) empire, they are ready to meet the Romans gun for gun and ship for ship. Their gods relish human blood and human hearts above all else. And their gods are hungry...

What Germanicus has on his hands is a bloody, demoralizing trench war. No land is changing hands, and breakthrough seems impossible. To this mess is added the usual problems associated with power. Someone is after Germanicus' life, and it could be anyone. Even among his friends, it is impossible to say who can be trusted.

This book adds a great deal to Mitchell's rich setting. Roman politics remain tough and nasty. The Aztecs, with their bloodthirsty rituals, are terrifying enemies. Far from faceless villains, however, they are very much a part of the world, with a unique culture, a complex religion, and some sympathetic characters. Along with the enigmatic, seldom-glimpsed Sericans, they add a very effective foreign flavor to the setting.

A great addition to a great series.

The Roman Empire and the Aztec Empire are about to rumble, and it looks like Rome holds all the cards. After all, they say, the Aztec are just barbarians. But the Aztec are not as backwards as they might first seem and they are NOT going down without a fight. On top of that, they seem to have allies...
I loved this book, but one of the flaws was the lack of an explanation on HOW the Aztec Empire lasted so long. In our history, the Aztec people were having troubles well before the Spanish ever showed up. Also, the idea that the Aztec might be able to help feed their own people by killing and processing others for food didn't ring true. Why kill a farmer and feed a few people for a day, when a farmer can run a small farm and feed the same people for a year? I am not saying they didn't eat human flesh for other reasons, but there is no way to do it on such a scale for supporting the people of an Empire!
In other words, it seems like the books the author used or people who helped the author with the Aztec side of the story were using outdated ideas.