On one hand it is a genuine book on fitness, and on the other an easy-to-read guide for those who know nothing or know some of the fitness programs available. Very funny, and injoyable to read. Very motivating, indeed.

We are a group of female designers who have read this book (with a lot of laughs) and used it as a reference manual for our little workout group. We've already seen results, in both diet and exercise. We all love it and recommend it highly. It's so much better than anything we've ever read on the subject.

This book is amazing. All the advice is totally reality based and doable, for all women, not just the 20 year olds (who don't need it like we do anyway!). Great book.

I love this book. The only book I have found better than this one is Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix. I have been reading it for years.

This book starts out with Harry doing his homework in the dark on his birthday. When he goes to the kitchen, a murderer called Sirius Black is being reported as and escaped prisionor and highly dangerous. The report doesn't say where he is from, and the Dursley's are angry. It turns out that Sirius is from the wizarding world and killed thirteen people with a single curse. He escaped from Azkaban, the wizarding prison, and became the only person to achieve that.

The whole book is based on his troubles in school and the extra security everyone seems determined to give him. In this book, Professor Lupin is intruduced and becomes everyones favorite teacher. Lupin has a mysterious thing going on in his life, but I won't spoil it for you. This book is a definate read, but I recomend reading the first two fist if you haven't already.

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Reading 03
Book Report

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling is an instant bestseller. It is a book that everyone loves. No one can resist Rowling's mesmerizing writing. She uses vivid descriptions to make all of her characters come to life. In this book Rowling uses a sentimental ending and a theme of working together to capture every reader's heart.
The famous Harry Potter is returning to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for his third year after spending a grueling summer vacation at home with his Aunt and Uncle. Harry's Aunt and Uncle are Muggles or non-magic folk. Harry almost got expelled for inflating his Aunt until she exploded. Luckily Harry didn't get in trouble. When he was only a baby, Harry was able to defeat the evil Voldemort. For this reason, people are worried that he will be the next victim of the escaped murderer, Sirius Black. Harry and his two friends, Ron and Hermione foolishly go looking for Sirius Black, only to find out something unexpected.
One reason that you will want to keep reading this book is because the characters are so memorable and life-like. Ron is Harry's best friend. He has a great sense of humor and is never afraid to say whatever is on his mind. Hermione, Harry's other good friend is somewhat of a know-it-all. She's obsessed with getting good grades and is a loyal friend. She and Ron are always getting into little verbal spats. Rowling admits that she based the character Hermione, on herself. Harry Potter's archenemy is Draco Mallfoy. Draco is a rich, spoiled "pure blood" wizard. This means that neither of his parents were Muggles. He is a classical villain. He teases Harry incessantly and pokes fun at Ron and Hermione too. He loves to bother Hermione about the fact that she is half Muggle. My favorite character is Albus Dumbledore who is the Headmaster at Hogwarts. I love him because in this and all the Harry Potter books, he always gives out good, real life, advice. The lessons he teaches are for everyone, young and old.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is what a fantasy genre is all about. The magic in the book is infectious. One has to keep reading on to see what will happen next. It draws the reader so deeply into the story that he or she finds himself or herself dreaming and wishing that it were all true. A class in Potions would really liven up the school day for me! I could really get into a class called Defense Against the Dark Arts too. I whole-heartedly recommend this book for all ages. The best part about Harry Potter is that the books are a series so the magic never ends. I find it truly inspirational that this whole story was born out of the imagination of a woman who wrote it down in little bits and pieces, on scaps of napkins and papers. She was a single Mom who was struggling for the survival of her family and now her name is known everywhere in the world. Don't miss this or any of the Harry Potter sequels.

I totally agree with you this book is amazing to read, I also read this book. It was cool I think that people should read it because it always keeps you guessing which makes me nervous and it makes me want to read more and more of it. I also think that it is so cool that there are so many different languages ofHarry Potter, so many kids all over the world have a chance to read this wonderful book like I have. I am also very glad that they came out with the other one.

Reading this book wasn't just fun, but it really helped me in my French. I learned more in reading it than I have in all of my classes combined. There are some little changes in it, but that is because of the language difference and my over-reading the English version led me to know its wording too well. Still, that only made it more fun. I'd recommend this to any French student.

I bought the French translation of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire for my son who began his first year of French this year in Middle School. It has been great fun and encouragement for him. His teacher found it fun as well, reading short excerpts from it to the French class. Everyone loves Harry!

I never really liked to read. It was just too boring. Reading all those pages that had no effect on me. Then I heard about Harry Potter. Everyone really liked it. I wanted to see what the big deal was. I read the first book. I thought to myself how imaginative it was. The creatures, the characters, and the plot. They were all like a puzzle fit perfectly together. It made my mind run wild. I had to read the second book. I went through that like a person going after 1 billion dollars. It was so amazing. The third book was next. That was better than the first and second books. Finally the forth. Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire. That was the best of all. My favorite character is Ron. He reminds me of me. All except the looks. I look a lot better than him. This book is filled with creativity, mystery, fantasy, and love. All in one. Thats why I got hooked on all these things.

Then, Harry and the Weasley's go to the train station. Then they say goodbye to everyonne and get on the bus. They meet their new teacher and their best (not) friend, Malfred. Their is a special game instead of quidditch this year and only people over 18 years of age can enter to win. Three schools are coming to play but only 3 people, one from each school, can play. Harry plays. But he's not 18 so a lot of people get mad. I won't tell you what else happens, so get the book and read it!

I gave this a 5 'cause this is a grat book and it lets out your imagination!

I usually do small works; handbuilt and wheelthrown pieces and tiles. It was quite eye-opening to read this book on large scale projects. It is written in a very clear manner, with wonderful pictures.

I only fault him on his tile making techniques, which could be better, but hey, who cares? His expertise lies elsewhere. He has obviously worked out the best techniques for large ceramic projects.

I like the way the book is organized. The chapters are very sequentially logical (to me).
Chapter 1: Tools and Equipment
Chapter 2: Building and Decorating Techniques
Chapter 3: Sectioning, Drying, Glazing and Firing
Chapter 4: Installation
Chapter 5: The Projects
Chapter 6: Gallery

The Projects chapter reiterates some of the information in previous chapters, but this time applied to a particular project. This is fine with me, since reiteration is a good teaching technique. The Gallery chapter is quite inspirational! There are lots of pictures of installations done not only by Peter, but also other artists.

Makes me want to try some architectural ceramics!

I had the wonderful experience of apprenticing for Peter and finished soon after we did the photoshoot for the book. I have to say, Peter and his brother John both went through great lengths to make sure the book would have as much practical information in it as possible. The only thing better than the book is one of Peter's workshops. But with the book, all of the information that Peter gives is easy to look over time and time again. The pictures are great! As soon as you start making and install a floor, sink, fireplace and so on I'm sure that you'll be hooked. You'll realize that it is possible to do on your own or with a friend. You'll also see and understand how much farther you can push clay than you had ever expected. Plus, above all, it's alot of fun!

The pictures are fantastic! For those of you who are tired of tiny pots, this is the book.

I'm a student and as such I'm very new to the game. This book gave me not only inspiration but enough detailed information to allow me to plan my bathroom sink. The plans include the sink, tile, and following the example in the book, the plans for the forms I need to make so that the pieces will be shaped correctly. I hope to create and fire the pieces early next year.

THE GREENWOOD TAROT IS A REMARKABLE DECK THAT DEPLICS THE FOUR SEASONS AND THE EVER TURNING WHEEL. YOU HAVE TO DO THE WHEEL CHART EXERCISE INORDER FOR THE REST TO FALL INTO PLACE. I PAID 75 FOR MY DECK THEY ARE NOW OUT OF PRINT.

I have owned this deck for quite some time. I am very satisfied with the symbolic content of this deck, which is a mix of world culture without being so complicated that one has to understand in depth every culture it draws upon. This deck is not in the traditional configuration of the average tarot deck, some of the cards have been combined to create new cards such as the "Blasted Oak" which is actually a combination of the Hanged Man and the Tower. Whereas in a traditional deck one has the Moon card, in this deck you have "The Moon" card and another major arcana, lunar card, "Reflection." This removes some of the ambiguity of the singular Moon card, where the querent asks, "Does is represent the actual moon, or does is represent illusion or deception?" The Devil has been replaced with "The Guardian," which is a propped up bear skeleton at a cave entrance. It is a powerful statement about the relationship between fear and imagination and self limitation. The whole deck communicates in this manner of mystery, harmony and contradiction.
The illustrations are eye catching without being so complicated that the querent or reader gets lost in the picture. The only reason I would not recommend this to a beginner is that if you learn this deck, you will not be able to use all that you learned in order to read other decks based on the traditional Rider-Waite configuration. The books that one buys that can be applicable to any deck, may not work with the Greenwood Tarot, simply because the cards are produced in a truly unique fashion in terms of symbolism, configuration and value.
The deck promotes an egalitarian mindset. It is also steeped in ecological themes. It is an excellent deck for NeoPagans because it does away with the Abrahamic symbolism found in more traditional decks, such as the Heirophant, and Judgement and The Devil and replaces those figures with NeoPagan principles that often deal with the same issues from a vastly different mindset. This is the best deck and competes artistically and philosophically with the Crowley Deck, which is quite a feat when one looks at the multitude of cheap tarot knock-off decks that are vapid, cheesy and useless.

I am also a big fan of Chesca Potter and am fortunate enough to have several prints from this deck. I have both this deck and the Celtic Shaman's Pack. Chesca Potter is uniquely able to express the shamanic experience of ecstacy powerfully and with wonderful artistic technique in a Celtic context. She is able to express the contradictory feelings of movement and serenity, ecstacy and immanence, nature and spirit. She has a wonderful sense of color.

This book is a well written biography that also presents many lessons of leadership. Starting with how Nimitz "conceived the image of an ideal officer and consciously molded himself to conform to that image;" to his introduction of the circular formation to the fleet; to the way he ran planning sessions for World War II Pacific Theater operations. Nimitz was a master storyteller who used stories to convey knowledge and share humor. His political acumen in handling disputes between the Army and the Marine Corps on Saipan and, later, as Chief of Naval Operations testifying before congressional committees over unification of the services provide case studies in executive leadership. Although Nimitz's service in World War II is widely known, I was surprised to learn of his efforts in the late 1940's to mediate the dispute between India and Pakistan over Kashmir---an area that remains a hot spot today!

Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, a down to earth kind of guy. The kind of man who gave credit where credit was due. Unlike General Douglas MacAurther, he did not insist on "hogging" all the glory. He wasn't seen as much as a "hero" in the public's eye, like General MacAurther was, because of it. Unlike MacAurther, he did not complain about having to share part of the Pacific Theater. He made sure that the NAVY got the credit it deserved. That the NAVY and the NAVY's Marine Corps fought most of the war in the pacific. I think if you are interested in WWII, Pacific Theater, that this is a book you should read.

I read this book this past year and enjoyed learning about Admiral Nimitz. By all accounts, he was a real leader of men-self-effacing, competent, inituitive, confident, and by example. Unlike General MacArthur, Admiral Nimitz was not flamboyant or showy. He was a matter-of-fact officer who truly cared for his men. He had the knack for picking the right man for the right job every time. He knew when to employ a aggressive commander like Bull Halsey and when to use a cautious commander like Admiral Raymond Spruance. He was a sailor's Admiral and an Admiral's Admiral. He was Chester Nimitz.

I liked the Book. It was practicly the same In german as it was in english. the only problem Is That germans dont have all the words we do so it lost some Of its Fabulous Detail That we know J.K writes with. Its a good book but read it in english first.

I first read the English version because I was visiting England. Then when I got back to Germany, I read the German versions. I loved both of them, but you really have to read the English versions for any other language to make sense.

I read this book twice in English before I decided I should read it in other languages. It was so easy because I pretty much knew every word they where saying in English and German is not my foreign language (Spanish is) but I still learned LOTS of vocabulary it was fun learning some words and sentences in another language.

i like this book alot becasue it was short but interesting. i liked the way that they described the throne room and the other missions they had to complete.this book was funny beacuse they told us how they got small and that they were afraid but they had to work together to beat the game .i was glad that they were able to work together beacuse if you have two people trying to do domething they aren't going to go anywhere if they dont work with each other, just like in real life.thats why i liked this book and i wouldn't mind reading it again.

"Rodomonte's Revenge is a cool and exciting book. It's about two boys that love video games. They played a virtual reality game, and everything that happens in the game starts happening in real life.

Have you ever played a video game that invaded your mind? Brett and Tom did in Rodomonte's Revenge when they had to fight to survive against the powerful computer. The two boys went to the arcade to play a virtual reality game and before they knew it, the game had taken over their minds. Even when they left the arcade, they had hallucinations about parts of the game. One time, they were sitting in their classroom at school when a 'buzz-bug' destroyed the dassroom door and attacked the teacher. Another time a 'tunnel spider' burst out of the floor. Only when they returned to the arcade could they defeat the 'Rodomonte.' They had to struggle to stay alive. Rodomonte's Revenge was an exciting book. The author describes many action scenes. Any person who plays video games will understand how the characters in the video game might invade their minds. This is a book that's hard to stop reading because you want to find out if Brett and Tom will beat the computer.

As a physicist I was impressed
by a review of MAD ABOUT PHYSICS which
came out in the July 2001 issue of PHYSICS WORLD,
a British physics monthly. The review was written
by Peter Ford, a member of the physics department
at the University of Bath, and referred to MAD ABOUT
PHYSICS as a "fascinating new book."

It's been over 20 years since I've had any physics, but I still enjoyed the riddles and questions in this book -- sure, some were over my head, but I still could understand lots of the explanations. Plus, the examples are practical enough to make you the star of your next party: is it better (which will make it COOL faster) to let black coffee cool first and then put in cold milk or to put cold milk in and let it cool? Coffee drinkers will be happy to know that black coffee cools faster than white so wait a few minutes before pouring your cold milk in if you want it to cool quickly. If you like these kinds of brainteasers, you'll love this book. An appropriate gift for students and pondering adults alike. The authors also provide interesting quotes in the margins that make for good reading as well. Some of the explanations are a bit too brief if you really want to understand the physics behind it, but the authors provide the reader with enough information to dig deeper. Fun!

I bought this book after reading the previous reviews, and it was exactly the book I had imagined. The more you read, the more you want to know about the world and how things work in our world. Physics is amazingly applied throughout our lives knowingly and unknowingly. The curiosities just keep going. After finishing it, you can correct your friends on misconcepted ideas or explain to them the theories behind an event.

This paperback has 397 questions/puzzles, each with an answer in the back. Questions range from simple ones like what is the difference between gas and vapor, to more complex ones like the architecture of a rollercoaster. Although someone earlier had recommended this book for children, I would say that most of the braintwisters require some fundamental understanding of physics that a highschool student would have an easier time with. But again it is certainly a great choice and a must-have if you are one of those physics maniacs like me.

As with all anthologies, the stories here vary in quality. I particularly liked Tanya Huff's story of the brother and sister assassin team that she later featured in her novel _Fifth Quarter,_ and Fiona Patton's tale of a slightly-alternate magical Italy where "death mages" and the Church wage an underground war. The nice thing about anthologies in general is that they can make one aware of writers, and works, that one might miss otherwise. The bad thing is that the quality of stories can be very uneven, but that's not much in evidence here---Greenberg's an experienced editor working with pros.

My favorite stories are those that remind me of Looking Glass Studios' _Thief_ games; a *real* sneaker leaves no traces, other than the job having been done.

Arntzen, Bernie: "On My Honor" Nicholas, the narrator, is and isn't the Oranian Royal Assassin; he's also Roarke's most secret agent in the Oranian court. Now he's been ordered to bite off the hand that feeds him: the queen has ordered him to kill her despicable brother-in-law, the King of Roarke. (Nicholas' humor isn't quenched by his dilemma. "Assassin sarcasm. Another occupational hazard.")

Edgerton, Teresa: "Dying By Inches" Set in the same world as _The Queen's Necklace_. Few of the Rowans survived the two years of imprisonment in barbarous conditions before their names were cleared. When Odilia hears a rumour that the Marquis committed the crime that sent her family into limbo, she plans to exact revenge, with or without proof.

Edghill, Rosemary: "War of the Roses" In the Argestian States, assassins have replaced war as the last resort of diplomacy. But checks and balances are necessary: the Flower Guild exists to hunt down assassins who have become too dangerous. Redlorn, who styles himself the Red Rose, is their next target; the Guild's agent is the legendary White Rose. The feel is _Thief_-like, as Redlorn makes a point of getting into and out of his target's home without touching the guards, and *his* pursuer likewise toys with *him*.

Elrod, P.N. "Myhr's Adventure in Hell" Terrin and Myhr *really* want to earn enough gemstones to let them escape to a more civilized world, broadly defining 'civilized' in terms of plumbing. Their client's husband - this world's Hitler-equivalent - is already dead; she wants to make sure his soul can never reincarnate. Myhr, the narrator, is nominated by his wizard-partner to make the hit. (Myhr trusts him on magic, if not on splitting red velvet cake equally.)

Flewelling, Lynn: "Raven's Cut" The young foreign assassin, when it's his turn to tell the evening's tale, remembers the best assassin he ever knew.

Huff, Tanya: "Death Rites" Very Thiefy feel: the two young assassins attached to 7th Army are the best hope of prying the rebel commander out of her captured stronghold - the secret entrance can't be blocked without cutting off her water supply.

Jefferson, Leyte: "He" Moonback is an assassin whose master remade him into a werewolf. His canine instincts predominate as the moon waxes; at that point, even in human form he reacts like a dog, approaching his master on his belly, licking his hands - losing some of his vocabulary, but remembering some of his professional skills even when he can't remember the word 'army'. Disturbing.

Leigh, Stephen: "Green Stones" The scarred man is only the latest in a long series of fools seeking to learn at the feet of the Green Stone. The trademark green stones left on the victims were always from the flanks of Goat Fell, so the would-be assassin's apprentice has come to Maire's lonely tavern. (Scar doesn't have the sense he was born with, but the reader shouldn't be *too* smug.)

Lindskold, Jane: "A Touch of Poison" Set in the same world as _Through Wolf's Eyes_. The assassins' tool of choice to reach the Supreme Affluent is Adalia, his chief baker; they've taken her infant son as surety. But Adalia knows she has no guarantee they'll return the baby, or that they won't reveal whose hand poisoned her master's pastry. (The culture of Waterland, where administration - there is no 'government' as such - and status are tied directly to money, is interesting in itself.)

Oster, Anna: Mallon is being stalked by a young fool who believes she killed his sister; Mallon, in exasperation, tells him he should have studied "History and Economics" instead of (obviously) poetry at university. (The Silent Guild is quite legal - and it's the client, not the assassin, the boy should be concerned with.)

Patton, Fiona: "The Svedali Foundlings" 'In Cercicava, the dead were revered far more than the living.' Coll can testify to this on several counts; he survived the burning of the Svedali Innocenti Foundling Home fourteen years ago during the duc's little expansion project for the necropolis, only to be picked up as an organ collector by the death mages. But someone else survived the burning: Drey, an assassin now stalking the corridors of power.

Reichert, Mickey Zucker: "Darkness Comes Together" Josafah envies the fame of the assassin known as Nightfall; no hire would dare waste Nightfall's time, as he'd just as soon destroy an unworthy hire as destroy his target. When Josafah encounters Nightfall outside his target's home, he suggests that they cooperate - who's to know? (Josafah's gratuitous violence contrasts with Nightfall's minimalist approach.)

Rusch, Kristine Kathryn: "Coin of the Realm" Orsem's assassins are competing for the public executioner's job - most of whose work is outside the kingdom - and the winner will be he who kills the most important victim, increasing the king's holdings in the process. *Not* the safest time to bring foreign dignitaries to court, as the king's daughter Rosalind is being sold into marriage to a neighbouring kingdom's heir.

Sherman, Josepha: "Never Say...Uh...Die?" Rather than ordinary humans, the narrator assassinates rampaging ogres, sorcerers plotting to usurp kingdoms - like that. His current target, a Koshchei, has learned subtlety in the art of hiding his heart outside his body. (*Not* a retelling of the Firebird legend.)

West, Michelle: "Echoes" Kallandras' family was murdered because someone learned they had a child with demonic powers - command-voice, among other things - and sought to take him. Kallandras survived as a beggar until the day the Kovaschii, the brotherhood serving the Lady's darkest face, took him for testing. The story is told in flashback, as the adult Kallandras remembers the tests of his training in a land far away.

Assassin's are extremely difficult characters to write. If you do it wrong, the assassin becomes a monster that no one can relate to. Or becomes self-rightous and hypocritical.
In this book there are 15 stories of assassins who are unique characters unto themselves, and no where near typical.
My favorites were Death Rites, about the brother sister team of Vree and Bannon, assassins for the empire. Also Coin of the Realm, which gave a very interesting twist, and Darkness Comes Together, about an assassin who is nearly as dangerous to his employer as his mark.
Echos was a good story to me, but then I have read the other books featuring Kallandras. For thoses who haven't, it may just be a little confusing.
I didn't care much for He, or for History and Economics or Dying By Inches. They seemed a little stilted, and not quite as smoothly flowing as some of the others.
But all in all, this was a good book, especially if you enjoy tales of darkness and deception, and of the ever mysterous assassin.
All assassin lovers should give this book a try.