I have been a faithful consumer of Lonely Planet products for the last five years. However, this collection does little more than offer superficial information on every country in Central Europe. If you want to go anywhere besides the capitals and most well-known tourist "traps", forget it. I was particularly dissapointed with the book's treatment of Germany and Switzerland. Very vague, very minimal. If you want to visit any of the countries in Central Europe, buy the Lonely Planet Guide to that country or look for a different publisher. Sorry guys, this one doesn't go in my travel bag.

This book is fantastic. I was amazed at how thorough a book could be. These authors also have a great sense of humor. Lonely is an oxymoron. This book is very comforting. I highly recommend this book.

This IS an important contribution to literary theory. The points that Lakoff and Turner make are very good, very logical, and will make you go "Of course! Why didn't I think of that?" It will not only change the way you read poetry, but will impact the way you watch t.v., listen to people speak, read the newspaper - any endeavor involving language. Why the low rating, then? Lakoff and Turner are structuralists, and they repeat everything over and over again, breaking things down to their minute building blocks. They made a very convincing argument in the first chapter, I thought, and didn't need to keep going the way they did. The third chapter, in which they apply their theory to a William Carlos Williams poem is also very good. Those two chapters would have sufficed. Again, an important book, but rather boring at times.

The important claim this book makes is that literary language does not differ from common everyday language. Poets make use of the same linguistic resources and cognitive mechanisms we all use in everyday situations. They just do it better, in innovative ways. The discussion of poems the authors provide to support their argument should perhaps be more articulate and systematic in order to be truly persuasive. At times one gets the impression that this book was conceived as a kind of divertissement in wait of future, more carefully planned incursions on the subject.
However, this does not diminish the importance of a book which urges literary critics and all those who like books to consider the cognitive basis of both everyday and literary communication. Also, More than Cool Reason can be read as an accessible introduction to Lakoff and Turner (and Johnson)'s theory of conceptual metaphor. For a much more articulate discussion, I would recommend Lakoff and Johnson's "Philosophy in the Flesh", but then you will have to draw the implications of their theories for literature by yourself.

A 37-year-old virgin who's never dated or been kissed? C'mon, get real. The story line was OK, but I didn't really feel the sparks between the two main characters. I liked them each, but they didn't seem to do anything for each other. Too sappy, sweet.

Eight months ago, Reilly Jones lost his wife in a tragic accident and has never been the same since. His brother's concern for him drives him to Liberty Hill, Colorado to attempt to make a fresh, if isolated new start. He's determined to remain indifferent to the locals and to sidestep the voracious single women who see him as perfect husband material. He's content to steep himself in the ever-present grief and love he bears for his dead wife. Nurse Janey McBride has a generous heart, so when an old friend of the family asks her to befriend the new doctor in town, she's more than happy to put forth the effort until Reilly accuses her of setting her sights on him. Used to the obscurity her plain face provides, she is shocked that he would think her capable of being so mercenary.

Linda Turner's conclusion to her mini-series Those Marrying McBrides is wonderfully executed. Reilly Jones is a man suffering from a broken heart who wants to disconnect himself from life. But the people of Liberty Hill refuse to let him with their small-town nosiness and genuine concern. Though his grief makes him bitter and judgmental, he sees a great deal to admire in Janey and develops a strong friendship with her. Janey is adored by the people in town both as a McBride as well as a caring nurse. She goes the extra mile to see to the elderly and they, in turn, demonstrate their love and appreciation in delightful ways. There is also a parallel romance for Janey's mother, Sara, and the local doctor, both of whom help Reilly past his grief with their own insight and first-hand experience. In addition, Reilly and Janey's friendship provides a strong backbone for their gradually developing awareness and love for one another.

The sing song prose that Ms. Turner uses is hard for a child to understand or appreciate. She trys hard to give the reader a sense of life as a shaker and she does. Maybe thats why there are no shakers left. Mr. Minor's pictures are somewhat flat and dry.

I enjoyed this book immensely. The illustrations alone are a wonderful lesson in the many things that the Shaker community contibuted to our country. Fortunately, many of these things are still admired and valued today.

Looking for an interesting critique of America? Look elsewhere. Baudrillard is your garden variety old European who likes to spill ink. The following citation from the author's "the Spirit of Terrorism" illustrates his 'thinking':

"That we have dreamed of this event [i.e. the September 11 terrorist attacks], that everybody without exception has dreamt of it, because everybody must dream of the destruction of any power hegemonic to that degree, - this is unacceptable for Western moral conscience, but it is still a fact ... It is almost they who did it, but we who wanted it"

Such intellectual atrocities are not uncommon in old Europe. But they are uninteresting. So if you're interested in critical intellecutal discourse about America, you're better off reading the 'Economist'.

".....Baudrillard moved toward his present outlook of bleak fatalism, presenting, with much hyperbole and abstract phrase-making, a world dominated by electronic media and moving into an almost science-fiction realm of freedom and unconnectedness.
With terms like the 'end of the social' and the 'catasrophe of meaning', he depicts an increasingly high-tech reality that is no longer quite real but somehow a simulation, immune to critique or revolt, approaching a kind of black-hole quality where images and events no longer have identifiable refrence points.
Early on we learn that , in its naive energy, America is 'the only remaining primitive society', that everything in it, despite the level of technology, 'still bears the marks of a primitive society', and that it's primitivism has passed into the 'character of a universe that is beyond us, that far outstrips its own moral, social, or ecological rationale.'
One is tempted to wonder whether in such phrases, never explained, this word-drunk French traveler is his theory's own best personification---the term 'extermination of meaning' comes to mind.....Baudrillard continues to rhapsodize about the 'power of uncuulture', the wonderfully unreflective nature of Americans. In a passage somehow refering to Poterville, California, he applauds 'the whole of life as a drive-in. Truly magnificent.' This we are told, is the 'true utopian society'. I'm not kidding. Does this have a ring of familiarity? All this nonsense is really what one has heard before: in high school civics class, in political science courses and other forms of overt propaganda: the old these of American exceptionalism, American egalitarianism, American pluralism, from Tocqueville et al. One doubts that he has even heard these tired lines, to be able to reproduce them, as he does, without embarrassment."

I've been waiting a long time to read a piece of non-fiction that is as beautifully written as this book is. It is as if Baudrillard traveled to the future, read the first great 21st Century novel and retold the story except that he completely forgot the narrative, and left us with only the protagonist's thoughts. Sure he missteps a couple of times and you're left with the impression by the end of certain paragraphs that instead of offering the reader a real observation Baudrillard has merely circumnavigated the semblance of one, but where else have you read a thinker as ambitious as to try to convey in such an intimate manner a critique of a culture that doesn't relate to each individual directly as much as it exchanges symbols of communication. I give this book 4 stars as a first time read due to some of its thornier prose, but I'm sure that as the reader returns to this book he or she will become convinced that it is truly a 5 star achievment.

I am a senior enrolled in the AP European history class at my school. This year the class switched to a new textbook, which happened to be The Western Heritage. We were all excited that the new textbook had large, colorful pictures and not just pages of lengthy text. As the year progressed, my classmates and I noticed how poor the book was. Many of the key concepts were explained in a way that was complicated and unenlightening. The book greatly confused many students on significant practices of the Catholic church during the Middle Ages. The chapters are quite inconsistent. Some chapters are written fairly well, while others are cluttered and downright terrible. Each chapter is quite lengthy and is often hard to read or sleep-inducing. The organization of ideas is poorly done. Chronological events are separated by material that is either unrelated to any previous events, or do not occur until decades later. Recently, I read the chapter on the rise of fascist empires in Italy and Germany. Some major terminology that we all know was mysteriously missing -- I could not find the word "Autobahn" anywhere in the endless sea of words, but maybe the publisher suddenly ran out of ink and just couldn't print the word on the page. Alas...
So, in conclusion, I suggest you steer clear of this textbook unless you are stimulated by lots of colorful pictures and enjoy reading books that are more suitable for gathering dust.

I am a freshman in high school, and this is my textbook in my AP European History class.

The events depicted are often out of order, making it harder to understand the timeline. The writing seems inconsistent, sometimes short and understandable but often is long-winded and unclear. The authors of this book assume you have some knowledge of both of the geography in Europe and at least some knowledge of Europe's history already. In most of my fellow students' case, they assume wrong. If you do not already have some experience in studying Europe, then I would recommend searching for a different book.

I am a junior in an AP European History class. My class uses two textbooks, one of which is Kagan's Western Heritage. The Kagan textbook is by far my favorite of the two textbooks to read. It is very interesting and thoroughly covers all the topics of European history, many of which are skipped in my other textbook. I am even considering buying the book so I can read the chapters my class skipped and keep it on hand as a reference. The order of the chapters is not at all difficult to follow as long as the reader has a basic knowledge of European History or looks at the timelines at the beginning of each section. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Europe.

I've looked forward to Turner's new book, having read all of her previous ones. I love the way the author intertwines the lives of the characters with each other as we come to know them. In this book Elizabeth is coming to terms with the problems in her marriage as well as confronting some emotional baggage that she has accumulated through the years. Elizabeth's thoughts and feelings are right out there for us to relate to, and in a way that is very descriptive, insightful, honest, and powerful. However,I must agree with some other reviewers who feel that her references to poetry as a way of relating to the events in her life were quite cumbersome. These discourses often cause the reader to suspend thinking about the storyline in order to see where the author is going. I found it quite distracting, but I enjoyed the characterization and story in spite of this drawback.

I read the previous review and although the author of it may have a point when he or she describes it as wordy, it is still a wonderful book and not at ALL boring. I have truly enjoyed every minute. The inclusion of the main character's love for poetry adds richness to the book as she struggles to make sense out of a life she has given to God and a life that has been shaken up. Turner includes the element of humor so well that I have found myself laughing out loud at times. I have also enjoyed the other books she has written and when I saw that a new one was out, I went that very day to get it. It has touched my soul in so many ways and I have enjoyed every minute.

I have not read much Christian fiction literature but found this book captivating. I think that we all struggle with what God wants us to do with our life, and this book showed, in vivid detail, one woman's struggle with that, especially as it pertained to her marriage. I like the fact that this author can present different personalities in her books, and how God uses each one of us in an individual way, to grow and reach others. I liked the references to poetry-in fact-it spurred me on to do my own investigation of poetry and read some of the books the author mentioned. Jamie, keep writing from your heart as you are touching the hearts of others!

I have read that Wilkie Collins had this to say about writing: "Make them laugh, make them cry, make them wait."
The Dark Clue:
a) is utterly devoid of humor (you won't laugh)
b) builds no sympathy in the reader (you won't cry)
c) at 390 pages (in my copy), it certainly makes you wait, but there is a total absence is suspense (your waiting will be tedious).
James Wilson has written a very accomplished novel, in that it recreates Victorian speech and settings quite proficiently. It obviously took him years of research and writing time. But where are the rounded, memorable characters, like Laura Fairlie's peevish uncle with his delicate "nerves" (from The Woman in White) or the terrifying Count Fosco with his white mice, or even the faithful house-steward Gabriel Betteredge (from Collins' The Moonstone) who consults his copy of Robinson Crusoe at every important turn in his life? Lastly and most importantly, what Wilson does with the brave, noble characters of Marian Halcombe and Walter Hartright is not only UNTRUE to their characters, but despicable. For a terrific Victorian novel, stick to Wilkie himself.

I don't like gimmicks in general and I find them a bit of a fraud when used to mislead a potential reader about a book. Wilkie Collins is generally considered the inventor of the mystery novel and whether you agree with that or not, he was one of the exceptional writers of Victorian England. "The Moonstone", and, "The Woman In White", are just two examples of his work that remain in print in the 21st century. Author James Wilson borrows 2 characters from one of Mr. Collins's novels, and, by insinuation at the very least suggests there is more than that of Mr. Collins to be expected. Borrowing these characters was meaningless to the telling of this story, a bit of vacuous name dropping is all that it amounts to.

The tale is the writing of a biography, a book within a book. The subject is the 19th century painter J.M.W. Turner, and the author has used all 7 major biographies of the man to write his novel. I have read none of them, but I cannot imagine any of them being less enjoyable than this book, and I bet they even have pictures! My complaints in general are that the book is too long, the story presumes the reader to be obtuse, the ending is completely unsatisfying, and this book must be amongst the entries for the most obsessive use of commas. The first two sentences have 4 commas, 2 hyphens, and a parenthetical. The cadence of this book is an uncertain staccato.

I have read Mr. Wilson's other book which was non-fiction and extremely well written. I don't know if he has the ability to eventually write a great or even a good novel, but he will never get there by trying to imitate the work of another. He makes his attempt exponentially more difficult by trying to mimic the writing of an author who has endured for centuries, and he even borrows a character from the man he seeks to emulate.

As the main character in this book sinks in to depravity, the story becomes confused, unsure of what it wants to be, and who is in charge. Many authors say they create their characters and then let them lead. Allowing them to lead, and allowing them to run amok are very different.

When I purchased The Dark Clue I had no idea that I had picked up a book that would entertain, intrigue, and educate me. Through letters and diary entries I was taken back to Victorian England and introduced to Walter Hartwright and Marian Halcombe, a brother and sister-in-law team searching for the "real" story of the renowned, reclusive landscape artist J.M.W. Turner. Through their research in writing Turner's biography I met wonderful characters that took me punting on the Thames, hiding around the corners in the backstreets of London's slums, and visiting the finest homes of the elite all the while feeling that the "truth" of Turner's life was just at hand. As the character's obsessions grew to find the truth, so did mine with an ending so surprising but so fitting of the bizzare life of Turner.
I say this is the best reading we can hope for... fiction combined with real historical characters and education combined with great entertainment.

An eighth of august is the story of a just everyday family in the 60's going through problems. The story is told through different members of the family. The story is centered around El, the young nephrew, death a year before. The family is again getting ready to attend the county festive where the tradgedy struck the year before. The story setting is before and after the death took place. I like reading books with the time frame of the 60's I throught the book was good, but kinda of confusing with the years.

Dawn Turner Trice is an excellent author. This is the first book that I read of hers. She has so many lessons in this story..so many old sayings that make you feel like the characters are a part of your family. I hope the lessons will linger on within me for years to come. If this festival that they speak of was near here, I would surely attend. This book makes true that in every family some rain, and some pain must fall as the author says, " Sometimes grief opens up a window. Sometimes grief open it wide enough for something wonderful to fly in". I'm glad Trice's messages flew into my space.

[...]

By a quarter of the way into the book I was absolutely hooked and wanted to keep reading it as quickly as possible. It's a terrifically engaging book and I felt very rewarded for staying with it early on when it was a bit confusing.

What I liked most about the book was how the story was told, ie., by several characters and not always chronoligically. This style unfolded the characters in very interesting ways. Just about every one of them grew in depth as the story worked toward a conclusion. I made judgments about people which weren't always accurate at the beginning and they grew before my eyes as the story moved on. Each character had much more depth than was revealed in the first half of the book and it reflects real life as we get to know people and they hold so much more depth than when we first meet them.

Further, I enjoyed her style of writing "in dialect". I had the feeling of evesdropping in on conversations in a household I wouldn't ordinarily have access to (I'm white). If these people were talking to me in real life they'd probably speak more "proper". This aspect endeared them to me. I also happen to live in an African American neighborhood so I do get an opportunity a times to hear and appreciate the more natural style of speaking that goes on in the 'hood so her style seemed very realistic and "down home" to me.

I highly recommend.

This movie wasn't what I expected at all. Get "Better Than Chocolate" or "Bound" instead you'll be much happier.

I have watched many gay/lesbian films, and I have to say that this is the worst one I have seen so far. It does have some great indie cinematography, and it is not your traditional lesbian story (cute girl finding love where she least expects it... with a homely older woman). But I could not get passed the horrific acting. Guinevere Turner, who plays the lead as "Max" does well as an actress, but for the most part, the rest of the cast seems to have the acting skills of junior high students performing a play. Dialogue seems obviously scripted and memorized, which just makes it unbelievable and obnoxious. It was painful to watch. If you are just going to rent this movie at your local video store, then I suppose it is worth the three dollars, but if you are thinking about purchasing the DVD, save your money. Show Me Love, Gia, Better Than Chocolate, and If These Walls Could Talk, are much better choices.

I guess for its time this movie was really groundbreaking because it was the first film made by lesbians for lesbians. But seeing it now is just painful. Aside from Guin Turner, this movie boasts some of the scariest looking females I have ever seen. The dialogue is contrived and the acting is appalling. I mean I realize they had a really limited budget to work with or whatever, and kudos, but theres really no reason you should waste 2 hours of your life on this film. Get something else.