Any newcomer to sf looking for a place to start could do no better than 'The Science Fiction Hall of Fame Volume I.' The collection includes some of the very best sf stories from 1929 to 1964, as nominated by members of SFWA (Science Fiction Writers of America) and chosen by editor Robert Silverberg. They include such classics as:

"Nightfall" Isaac Asimov (perhaps the most famous sf story ever)
"Scanners Live in Vain" Cordwainer Smith
"The Nine Billion Names of God" Arthur C. Clarke

"Flowers for Algernon" Daniel Keyes
"A Rose for Ecclesiastes" Roger Zelazny
just to name a handful

So many other powerhouse writers are also represented: Ray Bradbury, John W. Campbell, Robert A. Heinlein, Clifford Simak, Theodore Sturgeon, James Blish, Alfred Bester, Damon Knight...the list goes on and on and on.

If I could only have one book of sf stories, this would be the one. A classic.

672 pages

Any newcomer to sf looking for a place to start could do no better than 'The Science Fiction Hall of Fame Volume I.' The collection includes some of the very best sf stories from 1929 to 1964, as nominated by members of SFWA (Science Fiction Writers of America) and chosen by editor Robert Silverberg. They include such classics as:

"Nightfall" Isaac Asimov (perhaps the most famous sf story ever)
"Scanners Live in Vain" Cordwainer Smith
"The Nine Billion Names of God" Arthur C. Clarke

"Flowers for Algernon" Daniel Keyes
"A Rose for Ecclesiastes" Roger Zelazny
just to name a handful

So many other powerhouse writers are also represented: Ray Bradbury, John W. Campbell, Robert A. Heinlein, Clifford Simak, Theodore Sturgeon, James Blish, Alfred Bester, Damon Knight...the list goes on and on and on.

If I could only have one book of sf stories, this would be the one. A classic.

672 pages

If you ever had an interest in science fiction, you simply must go out and find these books. Classic, defining stories from the days of science fiction when giants walked the earth and there were no special effects, just ideas and the need to tell a story in less then 5000 words.

Read classics like "Flowers for Algernon" and "The Cold Equations" and see what visionaries some of these authors were. Read "Nightfall" and see Isaac Asimov in his prime, or "Mimsy Were The Borogroves" and muse on the time when sci-fi wasn't written to fit on a Taco Bell cup.

Any one of these stories is worth the price of the book. Nothing else to say. Find it, buy it, read it, keep it.

This is a book of notes, articles, letters and student instruction from the teacher himself (not any ordinary teacher, mind you) about the concept and technique of picture making, the study of art generally and on appreciation. This is an easy read; one that can be read a bit at a time at leisure. It felt like a visit with an old friend. Full of inspiration and a touch of philosophy here and there, it brings it all together. I quote just this once from Mr. Henri: "Art appreciation, like love, cannot be done by proxy: It is a very personal affair and is necessary to each individual." He is giving advice here on not following the critics! I include this to give the reader the "flavor" of the book. I feel this book is a must read for any artist...and a wonderful re-read, over and over again!

Within his treatise on art and its many facets, well-known artist and teacher Robert Henri shares insight on the making and viewing of art. He offers insight on areas which all artists must eventually come to terms with, including proportion, technique, color, style, and subject matter. He discloses a lifetime of his personal "life-lessons" about his own art and his personal struggles as an artist, and he shares honestly the perils and triumphs of both he and his students. In a mere moment the reader learns lessons about art and its making which take artists years to learn. This book is a joy in every sense of the word -- from Henri's suggestions on rendering light reflecting from a woman's lower lip to his secrets to making a portrait "glow". Henri's The Art Spirit is a must-read for any reader interested in any aspect of art. ---- A classic.

My friend who was an artist gave me this book to read. Now it is one of the few that I carry around at all times. Robert Henri saw that there is no division between art and life. To be an artist, or trully alive for that matter, one has to experience life to his fullest. This means finding yourself and the people/things/and way of living that inspire you. When beauty strikes you so, and your full of love and joy it is hard not to do things beautifully. Henri tells us to find that beauty within us and the rest will follow. And one of the most enjoying things I found about this book was that the authors personality is very bright in every sentence. It made the book a great read. To enjoy this book, you need not to know art but to know life.

To me the most interesting part of WWII was the battle for the Pacific Ocean. I had read many books about the Battle of Midway and Iwo Jima. They all told you about the war and the battles. The book Thirty Seconds over Tokyo tells you not only of the battles, but also the months of preperation for the surprise riad on Japan, it told you about the long month afterward in which the Chinese helped them recover and hide them from the Japanese. It tells of the crash landing on the Chinese coast and the horrible nights that followed, not knowing if they were going to turned over to the enemy or not. The book Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo is a great read for anyone who likes WWII becuase it not only tells of the battles, it gives the account of the emotional expenses a group of people were forced to go through. I liked this book and I hope you will too.

This is one of the best books I have ever read and should be a must read for all history students. In addition to the historical importance of the Doolittle Raid, this book brings the reader a personal narrative of the event. If you are a fan of aviation or WWII history, then this is book is for you. I enjoyed it so much that I read it cover-to-cover, back-to-back! I haven't done that with a book in a long time.

Ted Lawson's account of the first bombing of Japan by American forces in World War II is a seat of your pants ride from cover to cover! This book is a firsthand account of the trials of an American hero. Ted Lawson leads his B-25 crew on its bombing mission, only to meet with danger and possible capture by the Japanese forces who hunted them. A great book and a fantastic account of the successful raid on Japan by Jimmy Doolittle's Raiders!

If you have a heart, About Face is a tale that will touch you. With its wonderful character development, this is a compellingly told story of the relationships that can develop .. and the love and enduring hope that can, and will, exist in the hearts of those who have faced hatred and violence of any type. This is a beautiful story that touched me deeply on many levels ... as a parent, as a survivor, and most importantly, as a human.

Read the book, come to know these two brothers and their young friend, and understand, if only for mere moments, what so many face every day of their lives.

ABOUT FACE is a remarkable book. It is a very open look at the relationship between two very different brothers and their strong love for one another. It is this love, and the need to help someone else out of an abusive situation, that sets the stage for a very fast paced story that will keep you completely spellbound to the very last twist.
It is a very intense read, and I personally had trouble putting it down (I almost missed a bus to work I was so engrossed in reading this) I encourage ANYONE who loves a good read to pick this publication!

I devoured this book whole. Not a morsel was left, though I do hope the authors write a second book together!

This is a story that will appeal to a wide range of readers on all levels, as it could possibly be a "true" story, rather then fiction.

The focus in About Face is about two teen brothers, the abuse they suffer at the hand of a cold, uncaring father, and the boys attempt to help a young boy out of his own domestic abuse situation. The tale is told from each boys point of view, each writer using a different voice and writing style. I found this to add to the flavor and style of the story line. I even took this book to work to read on my lunch hour, I was so caught up!

All characters are well rounded, with clear speaking voices. I loved some,admired others and HATED others. Personalities sprung to life on the pages of my imagination wile reading About Face.

About Face is a tale of terror, without the vampires, two head demons or demented scientists lurking about. Just raw emotion
that will grab your attention from the beginning of the book.

A friend recommended I read this book and I am now passing on that advise to others. You won't regret it.

When Ken Burns's popular documentary series on the Civil War was shown on T.V. the Civil War diary of E.H. Rhodes who was aPrivate from Rhode Island was used various times to describe the attitude of "war fever" at the beginning of the war, to the boredom of camp life, to the fear and carnage of battle. Rhodes had an elegant yet easy prose when he wrote to his family his account of the Civil War. From Private at the beginning of the war, to promoting to the Officer rankings, E.H. Rhodes describes the mood of his mind, his fellow soldiers and the feelings of the Union. I really enjoyed his diary and also the information of what happened to him after the war, like being very active in the G.A.R. reunions. This man fought in almost every major battle of the war and his diary is a definte asset to the understanding of the Civil War. Highly Recommended to all Civil War Scholars and Enthusiasts.

Thank you Elisha Rhodes Hunt for drawing me into the inner circle of those who fight for right without malice and without pretention. Hunt suffered the mud, famine and blood of the battlefield, the boredom, stress and anxiety of waiting out winters and lulls in fighting, but wrote cheerfully, truthfully and insightfully about the spiritual and physical lessons learned during his four years of fighting for the Union. Surviving bullets, cannon shells, hand-to-hand combat, disease, heat and pompous generals bent on personal achievement, Hunt remained loyal to the Union cause and found inner peace exceeding the horrors of bitterness, rage and slaughter he endured. The details of the life of a solder in the civil war come alive in his diary entries and letters as battles lull or exhaustion prompts a short stopover. No one should mistake the source of Hunt's strength to endure. Every page speaks of spiritual victories, church meetings, revivals, prayer meetings attended by genrals and privates alike or personal pleas for God's mercy and strength for victory. Hunt's journal with editor Rhodes accurate footnotes and historical fillers left me impressed with Hunt's empassioned loyalty to God and country no matter the cost. The prhase "All for the Union," appears as a battle cry and word of encouragement during the darkest moments, yet show how a right and just perspective can motivate.

The diary and letters of Elisha Hunt Rhoades is very aptly named "All for the Union," as that is the way that he lived his life. Rhoades was with the Union army from the beginning of the war to the end, and he fought in almost every one of the major battles. Throughout this book, I laughed, I cried, and I now feel that I really know what a Civil War soldier's life was like. The only problem with the book is putting it down! Rhoades' personal integrity and commitment to his country make this book a definite winner!!!

I used this book from about pg 200 of Ulysses onward, and I think it's just about indispensable. There should not be any embarrassment in this: unless you know Latin, German, French, Hebrew (together with a good cross-section of literature from all these languages), Catholic & Jewish culture, English literature more or less entire, and (hardest of all) Dublin slang, culture, politics, and all the knick-knacks of daily life from 1904, Ulysses presents many baffling passages. This book helps out with all these things, plus plenty of other stuff: myths, songs, internal reference cross-indexing (for those of us who can't remember that Stephen Daedalus thought of the same Latin quotation 600 pages earlier), Joyce's basic scheme for each section, and more.

There are two failings, and they are minor: (1) there are still plenty of obscure words and phrases that aren't annotated (the introduction acknowledges this) and conversely (2) there are a number of things that don't need annotations that get them (particularly galling are the annotations that simply tell you that they don't know what Joyce is talking about either).

Still, an essential reference, and pretty entertaining in its own right (like flipping through an encyclopedia or Brewer's Phrase & Fable).

All the surface details, references to mythology, history, politics, music, literature, etc, can be found in this book (Joyce's novel is not included within, just the annotations, but it still clocks in at 700 pages!). If you want to know exactly what Joyce was referring to--this is the place. However, it won't necessarily tell you what he MEANT (aheheh, some things must be left to the reader).

Of course, if you've never read Ulysses you don't need to know every obscure reference. Just pick up REJOYCE or THE NEW BLOOMSDAY BOOK, which have generalized overviews of the novel. This is for the deep scholars. But as Joyce said, all he expects of his readers is that they study his works for the rest of their lives.

This will keep you busy.

Ulysses Annotated is essential for understanding Joyce's seminal work, Ulysses. The Introduction, prefaces and notes explain how to use this book, and suggest why and how it was compiled. Each episode is preceeded by a map that helps the reader to visualize the movements of Bloom and Stephen throughout their journeys. It is somewhat difficult, even for a well-read student to understand Joyce's allusions without a reference guide book like Giffords.

Also recommended: REDEFINING THE 'SELF': SELECTED ESSAYS ON SWIFT, POE, PINTER, AND JOYCE by John Condon Murray

'The Weekend Novelist Writes A Mystery' is not just for mystery writers. Ray/Remick instruct with hard fast tools for scene, plot and character development. There's a backstory checklist and advice on sub plots; ideas for setting that utilize place, time, lighting and season to identify character behavior.

If dialog is your demon Ray/Remick break it into manageable portions; the one-two rhythm, linking to setting, echo words and hooking to the past or future. If you have a tendency to explain dialog, this book makes you aware of authorial intrusion.

As a creative writing teacher and proponent of Natalie Goldberg's creative writing technique, I have used 'The Weekend Novelist' in my creative writing classes. I look forward to utilizing this new book to enhance my own novel writing and to help my students develop their personal writing techniques.

Most aspiring and accomplished writers own at least a modest collection of how-to-write books. The majority of these books are inspirational with a smattering of tips and techniques thrown in.

The Weekend Novelist Writes a Mystery is different.

Step-by-step methods for constructing a tight mystery novel plot with compelling and convincing characters fill every page. Examples of the authors' own novel process along with those of other masters such as Agatha Christie, Martin Cruz Smith, Sue Grafton, and Raymond Chandler illustrate each step.

There are no timid suggestions in vague jargon here. The authors have taken great pains to make sure each and every facet of their combined writing and teaching expertise is explained thoroughly and usefully.

The importance of a solid "backstory" is the focus of early chapters, giving the writer a solid view of their story before moving on to the writing itself. The far too common problem of writing oneself to a standstill is virtually impossible if the plot and characterization techniques are followed. The remainder of the book contains a treasure trove of specific techniques for creating scenes, convincing dialogue, and "real" settings. The reader will learn how to group their scenes into logical "acts", control the story's pace, and use the language to set tone and resonance.

While structured specifically for the mystery writer, the techniques can be applied to other genres with relative ease. Any novelist, whether still aspiring or already accomplished, will find a wealth of insight into the plotting and characterization process. The beginner searching for one all-around USEFUL how-to-write book would do well to pick this one.

This is no-nonsense book crammed with useful, week-by-week projects which will lead the writer to the successful creation of a well-written, satisfying mystery.

The Weekend Novelist Writes a Mystery puts the "HOW" back into the how-to-write book market.

Bob and Jack have the keys to hot writing! Image, action, body parts! Behind the scenes of Weekend Novelist Writes A Mystery are two dynamic men who lead writing practice several times a week, teach writers at the University of Washington and never stop giving encouragement and wisdom to other writers. This book is the result of how they live and write and it is five star! Look no farther if you are a pro or novice. Herein are the steps and the hands to pull you up the stairs of your own creative mind.

Nick's work on this book certainly shows his love for his subject. It's easy to read and the practical exercises helped me make tough decisions to change my attitudes and led me to work in my new creative and fulfilling heart-centered career. This is a personal book that makes you feel that Nick Williams is with you as your guide to intraspective, honest and authentic decision making. A must-read for anyone wanting to re-evaluate their current work experience.

Nick's work on this book certainly shows his love for his subject. It is easy to read and the practical exercises helped me discover my new creative and fulfilling heart-centered career. It is like having Nick Williams as your personal guide to intrapective, honest and authentic decision making. A must-read for anyone wanting to discover their purpose and move into new life-enriching areas and be empowered to take "the risks" in making changes.

As the instructor of a course related to this subject, I read everything out there on finding your "true vocation." I have found Nick Williams' approach to be the most comprehensive and heart-centered of all that are currently published. Nick approaches finding the work you were born to do as a task not separated from the rest of life, but rightly so, a question of "living" rather than "working." As his many practical exercises convey, our culture needs to change the way we think about work; the way we've confronted this problem in the past has not brought about joyful results. Nick's suggestions for self-discovery allow for the possibility of work being a joy rather than a job. If you choose one book on this subject, I would definitely go for this one.

I bought this book when I was seriously questioning my relationship and considering breaking off my engagement. Thank to the courage of Rachel Safier and the other women who shared their experiences, private pain, and strength, I found the answer in my heart and made my decision. Sharing the experiences of so many women helped me to feel more confident in my decision, and it helped immensely to know that I was not alone in what I was going through. The friendly, supportive, no-nonsense tone makes you feel like you are having coffee with a group of close friends. This book truly empowers women to ask the hard questions and face the truth. Excellent!

Truly an amazing book!! I recommend that anyone who has gone through a break-up, divorce or broken engagment read this book! It is extremely responsible in it's attention to detail and the many stages of trauma one goes through in a situation like this. Rachel also gives many examples of what other almost-brides wrote in their surveys to her and it is so helpful to hear such a varied opinion of others' experiences. Please, if you are going through any type of break-up or relationship trauma - READ THIS BOOK!

I cancelled my wedding 2 months ago and received this book the day before my planned wedding date. I read many of the other books that were out there (trying to find answers) and none reinforced so many of my feelings. My fiance and I were not right for each other and we were rushing in marriage. I am so happy to be free from that relationship and this book is a gem for women strugling to understand their 'cold feet' and their recurring doubts about marrying their fiances. I highly recommend it and hope all women who have doubts read this and find strength in the accounts of other women who have been there.

When I read the introduction to this book, my first thought was, "I want with my daughter what he has with his daughters." By focusing on seven areas for "building a complete daughter," the author gives practical advice and terrific anecdotes to guide a father in the unique aspects of raising a girl.

I especially liked the chapter on communication. This seems like the key to building a great father-daughter relationship and helping your girl communicate well with others.

From discipline to faith to laughter, the author covers the most important aspects of nurturing the early life of your daughter.

A great, useful, and easy read.

I am the proud father of the first girl born into my family in over two hundred years. With 13 males alive in my immediate family I had ABSOLUTELY NO CLUE on how to raise a daughter. What do I do with someone I can't wrestle with, or take to football games, or teach how to use power tools? This book was wonderful to me because it gave me the insight and confidence to become a great "Daddy" to my little girl. It highlights the differences and similarities between sons and daughters and gave me the knowledge to raise a wonderful and trusting girl. Thank You Robert! For giving all us first time Fathers of little girls not only a clue, but a workable plan as well.

As I move through my journey of raising my daughter this book came at a wonderful time. The author knew the joys of raising two daughters and provided many, many pieces of practical advice on loving, providing guidance, and establishing a warm, safe and structured environment in which to raise one's daughter.

I look forward to sharing the book with others lucky enough to be the father of a daughter (or two).