Rarely do you come across a cookbook like this! Dr.Chud's "prescription" is "Eat as though your life depends on it." Based on growing evidence that insulin plays a major role in fat storage, metabolism and appetite, Dr. Chud supports an "insulin-modulating" way of eating. For her book "The Gourmet Prescription" she has created a number of recipes that reflect her philosophy. She invites you into her kitchen and leads you step by step into creating wonderful, flavorful dishes! The photographs are mouthwatering in their appeal and the variety of foods presented impressive. You feel like you are actually in the kitchen with the author as she shares her thoughts on nutrition and how to maximize flavor using simple techniques and tools. Her heart and soul jump through the pages! As a result of using this book I have discovered new vegetables, cooking techniques etc. The smoked shrimp "fajitas" are a new family favorite. The chicken kebabs with spicy lime sauce are declicious especially when pared with the black bean salad with avocado! Everything I prepared was wonderful and there are so many other recipes that I look forward to trying! I did wish that a glycemic index for foods and a resource guide for some of the lesser known ingredients was included. Dr. Chud does include a nutritional analysis for each dish. She uses a stovetop smoker in some of her dishes. I substituted a wok and it worked great. This is a cookbook that delivers what it promises!

After many frustrating years of trying to find a healthy and satisfying approach to cooking and eating, I have finally found it in The Gourmet Prescription. I am a gourmet eater and cook who can not live very long on Martha Stewarts' recipes, nor can I entertain from any of the diet/health books available.

I have prepared 15 or so of these delicious recipes for family and friends. They have been all been wonderful. Not only did guests lick the bowl of the Moroccan Chicken Thighs, and devour the saute of Roasted Fennel and Tomatoes with Smoked Peppers, but at the end of the evening no one was uncomfortable. Something I have frequently felt at the end of an otherwise delicious and enjoyable meal. Dr. Chud is a brilliant and revolutionary chef. Her beautifully photographed book will, I hope, popularize the use of the home-smoker to bring high-flavor without the fat to foods. I strongly reccommend the Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Ancho Chile Infusion, the Warm salad of Grilled Scallops and Wilted Frisee with Smoky Ranch Dressing, and the Baked Pesto Portobellos. If you like the way you feel in the "ZONE", you'll love the way it tastes and feels when you have the right cookbook. Buy it! You'll like it! Thanks, Dr. Chud!

Dr. Chud's lower-carb cookbook "The Gourmet Prescription" is excellent. I found this book in a catalog and ordered it immediately. My husband is currently on the Adkins Diet and I was interested in expanding the amount of low-carb recipes that I have so he won't lose interest. Dr. Chud's book came to the rescue. It is divided into the Preface, which is worth reading, a section on Proteins, and a section on Carbohydrates. There are recipes for fish, poultry, pork, veal, beef, lamb and ostrich as well as salads and vegetables, beans and lentils, and fruits and fruit desserts. Try the Roasted Salmon with Herbs, the Grilled Chicken Breasts with Sun-Dried Tomato Ketchup, and Fresh Bean Salad with Parsley Buttermilk Dressing to name a few. Dr. Chud offers many recipes using roasting and stove-top smoking. Each recipe offers a nutritional analysis of calories, proteins, carbohydrates, fat, cholesterol, sodium, and fiber. And the photographs are wonderful! If you are on a lower-carbohydrate eating plan or thinking about starting one, buy this book. You will feel wonderful. Hopefully, Dr. Chud will come out soon with a sequel!

Dawn Turner Trice is a great storyteller. She was able to make this reader visualize the surroundings and the characters' emotions. I loved the relationship between Temmy and Jonetta. Jonetta was able to guide and protect Temmy with her recollections of the past and her dreams for the future. The other characters, Alfred Mayes, Judd, Fat Daddy, Chittlin', Hump, Reatha Mae, Felicia, Thomas, Aunt Jennie and Ms. Lily were definitely characters and left nothing to the imagination. However, I must say that I expected more drama from reading the jacket cover. Certain portions were not explored and left this reader asking questions. For example, Temmy's friend Gerald saying he had a secret about her father but it was never revealed and Temmy's father ignoring her while he was talking with one of his students. These two incidents were never explained and it left the reader wondering. Some of the happenings in the book were predictable-City Hall's actions and Valeries' secret. The newspaper article grabbed my attention but then the story slowly played itself out. All-in-all I did enjoy this book. Dawn Turner Trice is great at telling a story!

I applaud Ms. Trice for a very well written first novel. Her wording was so profound, I felt as if I was actually in the book, living the experiences with Tempest. The story (which also made me cry) was wonderfully written and the characters practically came to life, they were so real to me. BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN! I've been waiting and waiting for her second novel. Can't hardly wait till October so that I can pick up a copy. KUDOS, Ms. Trice for quenching my literary thirst.

"Only twice I've wished for heaven" is a superb first effort by Ms. Trice. I won't gush because it would sound phony but she deserves a little gushing. In black vernacular, "she has put her foot into it." Which simply means she has put some heart and soul into this novel and it shows. Thankfully, this is not another "McMillan look-alike." We are getting a fresh and real life story. The setting is Chicago but it is the essence of so many neighborhoods in so many cities. She accutely captures the mindset of African-Americans setting themselves apart in the name of upward mobility and those of the people on the other side of the fence. To tell the story in two voices, representing both sides is a good touch. The reader will be drawn into the lives of the main characters, Tempestt and Ms Johnetta and see their worlds through their eyes. Don't blame me if you stay up all night just to finish this book. Just have a few extra cups of coffee at work.

William Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing" is brought to life with elegance and grace. Aside from the nudity and [adult] content, this is a great film full of funny humor, a great cast and brilliant filmmaking (Credit for that goes to Kenneth Branagh, who has proven time and again that he is as fine a director as Spielberg, Lucas, and Scorcese, if not better). The second DVD release features a fine digital transfer of the film, complete in it's 1.85:1 Widescreen format. The short featurette "Making 'Much Ado'" is not the best doc ever made, but it does it's job. Other special features include the Theatrical trailer and trailers for the "When Harry Met Sally..." and "The Princess Bride" DVD's. A fine addition to the collection. Get this along with "Henry V."
Movie Grade: A+
DVD Grade: A-

I saw this movie when I was fairly young. I admit that I couldn't understand much of what was going on let along what was being said (I was nine, I wasn't exactly fluent in Olde English). Since then I've watched it many times. Not only do I understand it now, but I fully apreciate how good it is.

The movie is a very good adaptation of the play. The impressive lines that Shakespeare wrote were generally given new life in their delivery. Also, I must compliment Michael Keaton on his role. It isn't a very big one, but if you watch this movie, you'll understand why I mentioned it. Overall, this is simply a fully enjoyable movie, whether you're a fan of Shakespeare or not.

What a wonderful find! The DVD version of this movie is simply splendid! The segment in the DVD version called "Making Much Ado" provides a terrific, brief overview to the film and is well worth the extra dollars to invest in the DVD format. Interviews with each of the actors will help you to appreciate this movie for what it truly is: a cinematic work of excellence! You will fall in love with Shakespeare's wittiest pair, Beatrice (Emma Thompson) and Benedick (Kenneth Branagh), while admiring the absolutely gorgeous landscape of the set. Each character's unique portrayal adds to the lighthearted feel of the movie; Shakespeare's diction is handled so well that the blank verse is remarkably stimulating...even to those who usually find it detrimental. Truly a film you will not want to miss, Branagh's MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING is proof of how modern technology can so enhance the genius of the Bard.

This is a difficult book to read because the evil that slavery entails. The oppression of anyone is an evil that must be overcome. Frederick Douglass displayed a remarkable courage in learning to read and write to finally overcome the horror of slavery. I appreciate his observation on the religious hypocrisy of the South. It was telling that religious slave owners were always the worst. Of course since religion helped breed slavery in America this really should not come as any surprise. I have great admiration for the founders of this country but I also feel that the evil and hypocrisy of slavery should be exposed. It is an ugly passage in American history that must be addressed. This book should be read by high school kids in every high school in America--make that every American period. Frederick Douglass deserves to be recognized as a great American and this book is essential reading for any American.

Slavery was known as a "peculiar institution". By broadcasting such labels for slavery, the southern slave owners were able to downplay the severity of the subjugation of slaves in this "peculiar institution". However, in 1845 a runaway slave by the name of Frederick Douglass was published his narrative which showed the extent of the cruelty within of the oppressive the institution of American slavery. Douglass gives a powerful portrayal of his personal struggle against the tyranny of himself and his fellow slaves. By depicting his personal story regarding the horrors of slavery, Douglass testified to the injustices of the slave institution and conveyed an urgent message of the time for prompt abolition.
Douglass leaves out no detail as he portrays the brutal means in which slaves were forced into subjugation. In order to maintain order and to achieve maximum efficiency and productivity from his slave, an owner used the fear of the ever-present whip against his slaves. Over, and over again throughout the Narrative, Douglass gives account of severe beatings, cruel tortures, and unjust murders of slaves. The message is evident. Slavery dehumanized African Americans.
From the introduction of his early experience, Douglass portrays the burdens of slavery. The reader is forced to cope with the fact that he has no tangible background. Slavery has robbed him of the precious moments of his childhood. He was raised in the same manner as one would raise an animal. In his early years he had no knowledge of time-he did not even know when he was born. He is also forced to scrounge for food in the same fashion as a pig digs for slop. The saddest insight is the alienation of Douglass from his family. He has no connection with his parents and when his mother dies he was untouched. On hearing of her death he states, "I received the tidings of her death with much the same emotions I should have probably felt at the death of a stranger" (19). The bond between mother and child is the strongest bulwark for children and to be robbed of this and to not care demonstrates just how severe slavery was to Douglass and countless others who faced the same fate. In the entire slave experience, the only escape from the repression was through sorrowful singing. As Douglass states, "every tone was a testimony against slavery..." and "slaves sing the most when they are unhappy" (29). Only through music could slaves find comfort in dealing with their anguish.
Douglass's first witness of brutality is the telling of his Aunt Hester's beating. The narration is powerfully effective through terrible detail. The cursing of the overseer, the shrieks of his aunt, and the horrible effects the whip upon her flesh is almost as agonizing the reader of the Narrative as it was to his unfortunate aunt. The fact that this terrible instance is a common occurrence makes it a heavier burden upon the reader's soul.
As if the beatings were not enough, slaves were also murdered on a whim. Douglass tells of Gore, a meticulously cold taskmaster who blew out the brains of a poor slave by the name of Demby. The chilliness of Gore's is terrible due the fact that he kills with the sympathy of a butcher.
Upon hearing about this, one would speculate that the authorities would deal with such barbaric acts justly. However, as Douglass recounts in the story Mrs. Hicks, the murderess that killed a slave girl for not moving fast enough, the law officials were hesitant to enforce the rights of the slave and would intentionally overlook such matters. This is primarily due to the fact that a slave owning society could not allow the rights of the slave to be upheld to the same level as a white man. To do such a thing would threaten the stability of their superiority. This is further illustrated in Douglass's struggle against the shipyard workers, when he fled to his master and told him of the attack his master stated that he could not hold up Douglass or even a thousand blacks testimony. The lack of protection under the law and the unwillingness of the whites to give the slaves a voice allowed the whites to completely dominate the slaves without the fear of accountability for their actions.
The worst aspect of slavery is found in the religious nature of the subjugation of slaves. The cruelty found in slavery was even more intense when placed under the pretense of the slaveholding religion of Christianity. Through Douglass's deconstruction of Christianity, he learns that the white oppressive version of Christianity is much different from his own beliefs of Christianity. The incident that shaped Douglass's understanding of the mentality of religious slaveholders was when he was placed under the authority of Mr. Freeland. In this situation, he was able to see the difference between the so-called "religious slave-holders" and "non-religious slave-holders." Douglass felt that the "non-religious slave-holders" were less brutal because they did not reprimand their slaves based on a Divine command. Instead they were more concerned about reprimanding the slaves when the slaves did wrong as opposed to whenever they felt that the Lord professed a beating.
The Narrative and Selected Writings is a powerful testimony to the struggles American slaves faced. Through the writings of men such as Frederick Douglass, abolitionists were given fuel to the bonfire of the Abolition Movement. Douglass honest testimony helped to bring out the truth about slavery. Abolitionists now had evidence to back their claim that the "peculiar institution" was in fact an institution of evil.

Perhaps more so than any other account, Douglass gives us a look into the life of a slave. I enjoy this book on many level. Douglass writes honestly and in a factual tone. He does mince his words when he describes the brutality of slavery. Douglass demonstrates that he is an intelligent man despite his lack of education. He taight himself to read. To our youth, this demonstrates the value of education. Douglass also show Americans manipulated the work of God even in his time. Yet, Douglass found strength in that God. I think the quality I enjoyed most about this book is the fact that Douglass does not see himself as a hero, but as an average slave. This is not a typical characteristic of an autobiography. I read this book for the second time coming and going on 3 hour flights. The book is a short read, but well worth your time to read of atriumph of the human spirit.

There is a new band of translators who are trying to capture the feel of original cadence and language by applying the cadence and language of modern English. Strict translation is sacrificed for readability; this, in turn, is mitigated by plenty of clear notes and commentary. Elio Zappulla's new iambic pentameter, unrhymed verse translation of "Inferno" by Dante Alighieri succeeds as such a translation. It is a joy to read. Dante's 14th century masterpiece, one of the first major works to be written in the vernacular (of Italy), is appropriately translated into the ordinary and occassionally coarse words of English. The result is anything but ordinary; sometimes reaching the extraordinary clarity afforded by the verse (over the prose). If you enjoyed Rober Fagles' translation of Homer's "Odyssey" or Everett Fox's translation of "The Five Books of Moses", then you will breeze through Zappulla's "Inferno". I hope that Zappulla is already preparing translations of "Purgatorio" and "Paradiso".

There is a new band of translators who are trying to capture the feel of original cadence and language by applying the cadence and language of modern English. Strict translation is sacrificed for readability; this, in turn, is mitigated by plenty of clear notes and commentary. Elio Zappulla's new iambic pentameter, unrhymed verse translation of "Inferno" by Dante Alighieri succeeds as such a translation. It is a joy to read. Dante's 14th century masterpiece, one of the first major works to be written in the vernacular (of Italy), is appropriately translated into the ordinary and occassionally coarse words of English. The result is anything but ordinary; sometimes reaching the extraordinary clarity afforded by the verse (over the prose). If you enjoyed Rober Fagles' translation of Homer's "Odyssey" or Everett Fox's translation of "The Five Books of Moses", then you will breeze through Zappulla's "Inferno". I hope that Zappulla is already preparing translations of "Purgatorio" and "Paradiso". --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other notes: The book is pleasantly typeset. The paintings by Gregory Gillespie are, unfortunately, an unnecessary distraction. I found the diagrams in a Carlyle-Okey-Wicksteed translation much more illuminating.

Dante's Inferno, the best of the three books of the Divine Comedy, is a revelation. The imagery is powerful, the language wonderful, it description of damnation almost terrifying. It is one of the most vivid religious books ever written, on par with Paradise Lost. Dante does not just recite catholic cannon, however. He has many contemporary references to Italian politics (a subject I knew little about before reading the Divine comedy), to church politics, to classical works such as Homer and Herodotus. To read it is to see the world in the middle ages, long before the reformation. Do not be intimidated by the prospect of reading a 14th century epic poem. After the first page, the style will become familiar and you will revel in the intricate detail of Dante's underworld.

As for this particular edition, it is excellent. Ciardi gives a very good translation and, unlike other translators, preserves Dante's occasional scatalogical references and profanity. In addition, there are several useful maps of the Inferno as well as copious, informative (and necessary) endnotes at the finish of each Canto. The only way the edition could be better is if the notes were at the bottom of the page, but the Cantos are short enough that flipping to the end to read the endnotes is not the finger-breaking maneuver you might find in other editions.

THE THIEF

"The Thief" is a thriller about a prisoner taken out of jail to steal a precious stone. The stone gives immortality to the holder. It is hidden away in an ancient cave that is only open four days in a year and is covered with a river for the rest of the time. Many surprising twists and turns in the plot take place along this journey as the characters' real identities spill out along the story with the "Thief's" large quantity of secrets and tricks and his constant complaining about just being a "tool." This book has a great deal of description and details included in the journey part of the story with a large amount of secrets that a reader is surprised at finding out. The book itself has a great deal of action and traveling mixed in with very well-made up myths and stories about gods taking place in a imaginary land a bit like Greece. I recommend this book to readers that love mystery, action, and many surprising details that slip out of the story, and to sixth graders and up because littler kids may not truly understand this book and would miss out on a great story.

I'd never heard of THE THIEF or Megan Whalen Turner up until about two months ago, and now I can't understand why not, since I consider myself to be a connosu--okay, well, I can't spell that word. Anyway, my point is that this is book is really 100% awesome, and I don't know how I could not have heard of it earlier. THE THIEF is definitely one of the best books I've ever read, right up there with THE GOLDEN COMPASS and PRIDE & PREJUDICE, and I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone old enough to enjoy an excellent story.

It starts out with the thief Gen imprisioned in the dungeouns of Sounis, all as a result of his rash boast of being able to "steal anything." However, he doesn't stay there for all that long before being released by non other than the King's magus. The King of Sounis desperately wants a certain something, and Gen is the only person who would be able to get it, thus doing what many have attempted, but none achieved.

That, my friends, is all which I can honorably disclose without letting too much of the cat out of the bag, and you will simply have to read this book for yourself to know how everything turns out. I guarentee you will be quite surprised, as I was, since in this single book Turner proves to be qute adept at twisting plots.

Happy reading!

I was absolutely stunned by the masterful performance of Megan Whalen Turner in this book. The story revolves around Gen, a thief whose talents are commissioned by the king to steal a stone thought to be only a myth by many. Turner's narrative moves seamlessly, and her characters are wonderfully sympathetic and full-fleshed. The power of the book lies in its unexpected ending, but readers will find themselves cheering Gen on long before it. Definitely recommended for anyone (of all ages) who loves a well-crafted story.

It's been over a year and several trading books since I first read this book. Having reflected on it and compared it to much better books, I can honestly say this book gives a poor introduction into the trading world. It does a good job at introducing trading terms and tools, but these are the least important factors beginning traders should know before they start trading. It fails to convey the overwhelming importance of a trader's psychology and strong discipline. Turner's 'you can do it, it's easy' attitude are sure to lose readers money if followed without other guidance. The patterns explained in this book are generalized, but explained in a way as though it's automatic to make money from them.

If you look to learn about trading so that you can lose money quickly, buy this book and follow its methods. If you want to take the time to learn the art of trading which includes strict discipline and an unemotional mindset, start learning with Dr. Elder's "Come into My Trading Room" or Mark Douglas' "Trading in the Zone". These books will teach you how to be successful before you lose a lot of money. I've also read Alan Farley's "The Master Swing Trader". This is an excellent book for more advanced traders who are willing to take a good amount of time to digest its content. Good Luck.

This is a well written introductory book for those considering the business of Day Trading. It's also an excellent book to add to an existing trader's library. Toni allows for easy absorption of a few popular trading styles, such as "trend trading" and "breakouts". She also does a fine job of explaining entry and exit points which alone can destroy a trading account if not adhered to.

If this is the first or second book you've purchased on Day Trading keep in mind you will need to purchase additional books on this subject matter in order to begin to grasp the different trading techniques. And that goes for any book. I have found that reading numerous books on any given subject allows for consistency of what makes sense. I have a large library of trading concepts. At some point, be it book number 3 or book number 10 you will finally say, aaaaaaaaaaaaah. I get it!

I would encourage Toni to consider writing an advanced book on this subject.

This is an outstanding introductory book for new traders. It starts with an overall picture of the markets, then teaches trading psychology, fundamental chart-reading, and Level II tactics. Traders who day trade (hold stocks for minutes to hours), swing trade (hold stocks days-to-weeks), and those who want to trade their IRA accounts long term, will learn how to make money in the stock market. Best of all, the book is written in a style that everyone can comprehend.

Another reviewer mentioned that it is beneficial for authors to have actual trading knowledge -- I totally agree! Toni Turner was one of Pristine.com's first students, and I have personally traded with Toni for over one year. She is not only extremely knowledgeable about the financial markets, but can consistently pull profits from the markets daily on all types of trades! As the title suggests, it is an awesome book to give interested traders a jump start into this exploding trading revolution. Then the traders can add to their ongoing education with many other excellent advanced books.

If you are looking for tragedy and a dark bloody drama then I recommend Macbeth with no reservations whatsoever. On a scale of 1-5, I fell this book deserves a 4.5. Written by the greatest literary figure of all time, Shakespeare mesmorizes the reader with suspense and irony. The Scottish Thane Macbeth is approachd by three witches who attempt and succeed at paying with his head. They tell him he will become king, which he does, alog with the aide of his ambitious wife. Macbeth's honor and integrity is destroyed with the deceit and murders he commits. As the novel progresses, Macbeth's conscience tortures him and makes him weak minded. Clearly the saying "what goes around comes around," is put to use since Macbeth's doom was similar to how he acquired his status of kingship. He kills Duncan, the king of Scottland and chops the head off the Thane of Cawdor, therefore the Thane of Fife, Macduff, does the same thing to him. I feel anyone who decides to read this extraordinary book will not be disatisfied and find himself to become an audience to Shakespearean tragedies.

Noble Macbeth and the story of his decay due to the seduction of the forces of darkness - I liked it. The play sets off with an impressing scene, the chant of the three witches, a perfect use of language, I dare say. It takes only about a page and I knew it by memory after two times reading. We used to quote it during the breaks, and actually still do so sometimes. "When shall we three meet again...and so forth. After this promising start the language gets quite hard (I'm not any native form Enland, the US or any other english speaking part of this planet). One can follow the action though and every five or six pages there's a reward for your patience, at least for anybody who likes the power Shakespeare's language is able to display in their good or best moments: "Have we eaten on the insane root?" and the likes. Of course there's also the famous "It is a tale, told by an idiot...". It's for these moments, where Williams knew how to transfere a feeling of one of his caracteres into the realm of a universal significance, that I enjoyed the play...

Shakespeare's shortest and bloodiest tragedy, MACBETH is also possibly the most serious. Macbeth is a warrior who has just had his greatest victory, but his own "vaulting ambition," the spectral promises of the three weird sisters, and the spurring on of his wife drive him to a treason and miserable destruction for which he himself is completely responsible. The ominous imagery of the fog that hovers over the first scene of the play symbolizes the entire setting of the play. Shakespeare's repeated contrasts of such concepts as fair and foul, light and darkness, bravery and cowardice, cut us to the quick at every turn. MACBETH forces us to question "what is natural?" "what is honor?" and "Is life really 'a tale/ Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury/ Signifying nothing?'" Few plays have ever illustrated the torments of Guilt (especially how it deprives one of Sleep) so vividly and stirringly.

I have read this play curiously as a child, excitedly as a teenager, passionately as a college student, and lovingly as a graduate student and adult. Like all of Shakespeare's writing, it is still as fresh, and foreboding, and marvelous as ever. As a play it is first meant to be heard (cf. Hamlet says "we shall hear a play"), secondarily to be seen (which it must be), but, ah, the rich rewards of reading it at one's own pace are hard to surpass. Shakespeare is far more than just an entertainer: he is the supreme artist of the English language. The Arden edition of MACBETH is an excellent scholarly presentation, offering a bounty of helpful notes and information for both the serious and casual reader.

I have trouble reading classic literature. I am an avid reader and I want to enjoy the classics, but just find it difficult to understand the meaning in some of the writing.

This, however, was a pleasant surprise. Although written in the early 1700s, the story itself was fairly easy to follow. Even towards the end, I began to see the underlying theme of the satire that Swift has been praised for in this work.

Being someone who reads primarily science fiction and fantasy novels, I thought this might be an opportunity to culture myself while also enjoying a good story. I was correct in my thinking. Even if you can't pick up on the satire, there is still a good classic fantasy story.

Essentially, the book details the travels of Lemuel Gulliver, who by several misfortunes, visits remote and unheard of lands. In each, Gulliver spends enough time to understand the language and culture of each of these land's inhabitants. He also details the difference in culture of his native England to the highest rulers of the visted nations. In his writing of these differences, he is able to show his dislike with the system of government of England. He does this by simply stating how things are in England and then uses the reaction of the strangers as outsiders looking in, showing their lack of respect for what Gulliver describes.

I found it very interesting to see that even as early as the 1700s there was a general dislike of government as well as lawyers.

I would recommend this book to anyone who reads the fantasy genre. Obviously, it's not an epic saga like so many most fantasy readers enjoy, but it's a nice break. I would also recommend this to high school students who are asked to pick a classic piece for a book report. It reads relatively quick and isn't as difficult to read as some of the others that I've tried to read.

Lemuel Gulliver is a surgeon/ship¨ˆs captain who embarks on several intriguing adventures. His first endeavor takes him to Lilliput, where all inhabitants are six inches tall, but resemble normal humans in every other respect. His next voyage lands him on Brobdingnag, where a grown man is sixty feet tall, and even the shortest dwarf stands thirty feet tall. On his third trip, he travels to several locations, including a floating island. During Gulliver¨ˆs final voyage, he is abandoned by his mutinous crew on the island of the Houyhnhnms, which are extremely intelligent horses. No evil or concept of lying exists among these creatures. The island is also inhabited by Yahoos, savage, irrational human-like creatures who are kept as pets by the Houyhnhnms. Gulliver wishes to spend the rest of his life on this peaceful island, but he is banished and forced to return to England.
I really enjoyed this book, and I would recommend it to people 14 or older. Since the novel was written in the 1700¡¯s, the words, grammar and usage are a little confusing. The reader also must have prior knowledge of 18th-century politics to get a full image of what Swift is trying to convey. At some points, the author goes into detail about nautical terms and happenings, and that tends to drag. Overall, the book is well-written, slightly humorous, if not a little confusing.

It's amazing how our perspective changes as we age. What we thought was important as children may now seem completely insignificant, replaced by entirely new priorities, priorities children wouldn't even understand. At the same time, things we used to take for granted, like having dinner on the table, being taken care of when we're ill, or getting toys fixed when they are broken, have become items on adult worry lists.

Your perspective on literature can change, too. Reading a story for a second time can give you a completely different view of it. "Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain, which I enjoyed as a sort of an adventure story when I was a kid, now reads as a harsh criticism of society in general and the institution of slavery in particular.

The same thing is true of "Gulliver's Travels" by Jonathan Swift. The first thing I realized upon opening the cover of this book as a college student was that I probably had never really read it before.

I knew the basic plot of Lemuel Gulliver's first two voyages to Lilliput and Brobdingnag, home of the tiny and giant people, respectively, but he had two other voyages of which I was not even aware: to a land of philosophers who are so lost in thought they can't see the simplest practical details, Laputa, and to a land ruled by wise and gentle horses or Houyhnhnms and peopled by wild, beastly human-like creatures called Yahoos.

While this book has become famous and even beloved by children, Jonathan Swift was certainly not trying to write a children's book.

Swift was well known for his sharp, biting wit, and his bitter criticism of 18th century England and all her ills. This is the man who, to point out how ridiculous English prejudices had become, wrote "A Modest Proposal" which suggested that the Irish raise their children as cattle, to be eaten as meat, and thereby solve the problems of poverty and starvation faced in that country. As horrible as that proposal is, it was only an extension of the kinds of solutions being proposed at the time.

So, although "Gulliver's Travels" is entertaining, entertainment was not Swift's primary purpose. Swift used this tale of a guillable traveler exploring strange lands to point out some of the inane and ridiculous elements of his own society.

For example, in describing the government of Lilliput, Swift explains that officials are selected based on how well they can play two games, Rope-Dancing and Leaping and Creeping. These two games required great skill in balance, entertained the watching public, and placed the politicians in rather ridiculous positions, perhaps not so differently from elections of leaders in the 18th century and even in modern times.

Give this book a look again, or for the first time. Even in cases in which the exact object of Swift's satire has been forgotten, his sweeping social commentary still rings true. Sometimes it really does seem that we are all a bunch of Yahoos.

Like many who started with Krakauer's Into Thin Air, I've now read a number of Everest stories, including more than one eye-witness account of the 1996 storm. Dickinson's story includes another description of the 1996 storm, but from the North rather than the South side of the mountain. Because of the different approach, Dickinson is not able to add detail or first-hand opinions on the disaster that played out on the South Col. However, Dickinson's account is well worth adding to the library for several reasons: it is well-written and humorous, it provides interesting information on the North route (the one attempted by Mallory and Irvine), and, more than any of the other Everest books I have read, it describes the conditions on Everest in such a way that a non-climber, like me, can almost imagine what it must be like to be so high, with so little air, in such cold. As he is quick to admit, Dickinson is not a high-altitude climber. He came to Everest to direct a documentary film about climbing the mountain, but initially did not intend to attempt the summit himself. Because he was a novice at high-altitude, Dickinson is able to describe the surprising sensations of oxygenless and extreme cold more convincingly than others, such as Boukreev, who almost assumes familiarity with such matters. At least for this armchair climber, these details are at least as fascinating and exciting as the dramatic story playing out on the South Col. And of course, because Dickinson did summit Everest and did return to tell the story, there is plenty of human drama and climbing excitement. I highly recommend this account.

This is a gripping account of the deadly storm which engulfed Mt. Everest in May 1996 and left a trail of dead bodies in its wake on the south face of the mountain. The author writes about the storm as experienced on the north face: hence, the title of the book. He writes about the tragedy which engulfed the north side of Everest, in which death also came calling.

The author provides many details of his expedition's ascent which is sure to fascinate and delight all Everest junkees. The narrative is compelling and absorbing. The tragic deaths of three members of the Indian team who reached the summit, only to become engulfed by the storm during their descent down the precipitous north face of Everest, trapping them over night, is heartbreaking. The callousness of a Japanese expedition who, on their ascent to the summit the following day, passed the Indian climbers, still alive but near death, and refused to aid them in their extremis, is truly shocking.

The author also rehashes the effect of the storm on the south face and the heavy toll of life it exacted there. Jon Krakauer, however, does it better in his gripping book "Into Thin Air". In the final analysis, the author, Matt Dickinson, a novice climber who first ascended Everest that May 1996, comes across as a self-absorbed, selfish sort of lout. Notwithstanding his own personal shortcomings, however, his book still makes for an absorbing read.

Matt Dickinson has written an enjoyable and easy read of conquering the North Face of Everest during the tragic 1996 season. Dickinson looks at May's killer storm from a different perspective, both figuratively and literally. While the ill-fated Fischer and Hall expeditions were climbing into catastrophe on the south side, Dickinson and his team were struggling their way up the north side of the mountain, facing a different set of challenges - and fatalities.

Dickinson sees the entire climbing adventure through the eyes of a non-expert. By his own admission he isn't a mountain climber in the truest sense of the word. This brings a fresh approach to Everest books, non-technical, gritty, and easier to relate to. He also has no axe to grind with regard to the controversies surrounding the 1996 deaths.

While some have criticized his detailed descriptions the physical demands the climb puts on a body, I think anyone who has climbed too high, hiked too far, or biked too long, can relate to the pain and exhaustion he writes about.

The Other Side of Everest doesn't have the drama of Into Thin Air, but it is a worthwhile read and nicely fills in your Everest library. A must for anyone still interested in the events of the 1996 climbing season.