I didn't know anything about Ben Reitman until a friend gave me this book. It is a true story about a man who preached social responsibility but lived a reckless, insensitive, and destructive life. Mrs. Reitman-Carpenter's book is also a contradiction -- a real combination of scholarship, historical accuracy, and a good, captivating story. I learned about hobos, whorehouses, birth control, and a whole cross-section of topics in early twentieth-century history. Mrs. Reitman-Carpenter's emotional relationship to her subject fills the book with energy. She makes the reader feel as though he/she actually met Ben Reitman. Was he a hero or an anti-hero? He was a living example of the wave of heroic radicals which dominated artistic movements at the start of the twentieth century. He reminded me vividly of "Bazarov" from Turgenev's "Fathers and Sons". This book can be read for fun, or to learn about US history. The provocative topics which are brought up on practically every page stimulate the reader to open his/her mind and reconsider prejudices on controversial issues. The diligent scholarship, the high quality of the pictures, and the brilliantly clear prose are three good reasons to read this book!

In her biography of her father, Mecca Reitman Carpenter effectively rescues Ben Reitman from Emma Goldman's longstanding portrayal of him as a blindly promiscuous, self-indulgent libertine. While she does not always sympathize with his treatment of the women in his life, Carpenter's examination of the unpublished letters of several of the women who loved him, including those written by her mother, provides a nuanced view of these relationships. Her portrait of her mother is especially instructive and engaging. Medina Oliver Reitman's dry wit and her unshakable sense of self-direction are both endearing and admirable. While she was ostensibly apolitical, unmoved by the radical social and sexual philosophies of her contemporaries, she is the best embodiment of the "New Woman" of the twentieth century in fact or fiction that I've come across.

We FINALLY get to meet Urd's angel! Don't get me wrong--Holy Bell and Noble Scarlet are beautiful and sweet, but World of Elegance ROCKS! From her split appearance to her fire-breathing power, she is the Angel of Angels. Peorth's Glorious Rose is cool too, but we see so little of her that I can't really make a judgement.

If you saw the movie, you saw how cool World of Elegance is.

As for the other stories...I read the one about Belldandy getting drunk when it was in the monthly comic, so that one was not new to me. And the others were pretty good, but like I said, I read them before too. All except for the one about Urd and her angel.

The art is breathtaking, and the story is original and fun. This is one of my favorite series (Five Star Stories and Real Bout High School being the other two), and anyone who's ever read OMG/AMG knows why I love this series!

I only wish they'd put out the books faster!

This is volume 15 of the English-translated manga series "Oh My Goddess". Fans of the previous manga won't be dissappointed here. Those new to manga should enjoy the sweet and funny tales of the goddess Belldandy and her human boyfriend (and the one she is contracted to) Keiichi.

There are four seperate stories in this volume of the manga. The first deals with Keiichi's sister Megumi and her racing a motorcycle lady known simply as "The Queen". The second tale deals with Belldandy's older sister Urd and Urd's loss of her angel World of Elegance. BTW, that's Urd and her angel on the book's cover.

The third tale deals with Belldandy getting drunk off of cola and casting a spell which causes her and Keiichi to have to hold hands continually (much to her younger sister Skuld's dismay). And finally, the fourth tale deals with the robot Banpei falling in love with an automoton. Skuld must deal with the fact that her creation has grown beyond his original programming.

Bottom line: Some light-hearted tales with Urd and Skuld growing somewhat. Also, a nice look at the current state of the relationship between Belldandy and Keiichi. There are lots of funny moments making this well worth spending your money on.

This short read (90 pages) is a wonderful collection of descriptions Handke made while visiting different cities. Each description reveals an indulgent use of visual and even auditory imagery to open up the natural world and its influence on the observer.

Handke's fairy tale of an ash tree in Munich is an especially intriguing version of a classic genre.

These "travel" essays verge on being prose poems. Peter Handke uses close observation of the world around him to weave an image of the world within - both personal and universal. In this way he produces a remarkable study on the human condition. Add to your must read list especially if you have any fondness for M. Duras or A. Ernaux.

In the beginning, I sort of worried about Paulene Dawson and wondered would she ever get her guy. She didn't seem talkative or courageous enough to take a stand, but she proved that point not be the case when she went to Ben Drake's job and in so many words asked him out! This book kept me turning the pages and rooting for Paulene and Ben. The two hearts kept running into road blocks, but finally connected in the most heartwarming way! This review is to say, this book is worth the dime and worth the time. If you add it to your library you won't be disappointed. I wasn't and my aunt wasn't.

Readers out there, reading this novel will not be a waste of time. I decided to review this book after it was passed along by a friend, because I'm someone who really can't get into reading/or keep reading a book unless it holds my attention. This book will certainly hold your attention from page one to end. I found Paulene Dawson and Ben Drake to be very likeable characters that I could easily get into. At first I thought Paulene was a bit to child like and Ben a bit to standoffish, but connected they were powerfully touching as a couple. The story seem to lead you into the center of the book where you feel like you have walked into a place called paradise right along with Paulene Dawson and Ben Drake.

Opal Eye Devil was one of those rare books that made me sad the closer to the end I got. Reading it made me feel like I had been transported beyond the pages to 1900 Shanghai and became physically involved in the story. Riveting!

I picked up a copy of Opal Eye Devil at a November book signing. Much to my delight, it turned out to be a thrilling tale of intrigue, violence and love. It reads like a saga, but there are no wasted words to detract from the riveting pace. I was literally transported to 1900 Shanghai by a bold and memorable cast of characters. The setting, people, customs engrossed me so that I felt like I was living the story. Opal Eye Devil flows with writerly intelligence and possesses a wonderful cinematic quality. The last novel that seized my mind so was James Clavell's Tai-Pan. Simply put, Opal Eye Devil is a great book. Mike

I like romatic comedies, and this one is the best. It made the rounds
of the women in the office where I used to work, and all gave it a
thumbs up!

Lynn and Tony are both lawyers in the same office. Lynn
needs an unsuitable fiance to unite her parents in opposition to
defuse their upcoming divorce. Buttoned down Tony becomes bad boy
Tony, complete with cigarette pack in rolled up T-shirt sleeve.

The
scenario in the airport where Tony carries Lynn's mother into the
Ladies Room after she passes out and deposits her rear in one basin
and feet in another is a scream. However, the makeout scene in the
back seat of a car is a close second....

Vicki Lewis Thompson did a wonderful, wonderful job with this book. It was action, humor, and excitement from page one! Laughters and tons of sexual attraction between Lynn and Tony all the way. I felt it was a very colorful book. It's definitely one of the best L&L I've read in a long time!

This is a book for children (with wonderful illustrations) that attempts to tell the story of the friendship between Alice Liddell and "Lewis Carroll". It is written is a somewhat episodic style. The episodes are chosen, for the most part, due to the bearing that each one has on illuminating characters and situations found in the "Alice" books. The author does not completely avoid the controversial, and this is somewhat of a pleasant surprise. Though originally written in Swedish, it reads very well in translation. I found the book to be both poignant and scholarly (i.e., well-researched), and with great adult appeal for a childrens' book. (Even if the text were less rewarding than it is, the book would be worth keeping for the illustrations alone)

Although The Other Alice is technically a children's book, any fan of Lewis Carroll will find it rewarding. The meticulous art work, showing Alice Liddell and her sisters and Charles Dodgeson [Carroll] and many Oxford settings is superb. The book is also includes many actual photgraphs of Alice, her family and Dodgeson's other child friends. Although this is a book for children, it does not shy away from the rather sad life and obsession which drove Dodgeson, nor does it give an artifically happy ending to the story. If you wonder where many of Dodgeson's plot developments came from [e.g. the Dodo, the wet 'caucus race' you'll find it all here. The author [who also wrote the delightful Linnea in Monet's Garden] and illustrator deserve kudos for this book [translated from the Sweedish, there is apparently a different translation avaiable in England under the title Alice's Oxford Adventure]. Well worth reading in a more adult approach is Staphanie Stoffel's Lewis Carroll in Wonderland [which includes some of the paintings done by Erickson for this book] both are better reads [and far more fun] than Gardner's Carroll biography.

When I was a child I loved Edward Lear's nonsense poetry. I bought this book to read to my children, 3 and 5, but what really attracted me to the book was the stunning illustrations by Nicki Palin. They are outstanding, detailed, even surreal, but in a warm way that brings the verses beautifully to life. My children love them, pointing out all the various characters that are mentioned in the poems. What is particularly nice about this book is the first two poems which I have only seen in this edition and are a perfect introduction to goals of the two authors: "How pleasant to know Mr Lear who has written such volumes of stuff..." and "Child of the unclouded brow and dreaming eyes of wonder..." And I have to admit that of all the books I read my children at bedtime, this is the one I most enjoy.

This childrens' favorite is equally popular with adults. The illustrations are colorful and mesmerize even the youngest. Familiar verses become preferred bedtime rhymes that evoke giggles from both reader and listener.

For anyone interested in designing patterns this book is a classic reference. Many types of patterns are analyzed - from the most simple designs based on the square to quite complex patterns of drop, turnover, turnround, repeats, borders, scaffolding, etc. The book illustrates with plenty of diagrams of pattern designs from different ages and cultures around the world. The emphasis is not so much on any particular culture's patterns so much as trying to lay bare the geometric principles behind these patterns. Thus you'll see some examples from cultures as diverse as the Ancient Greeks and Victorian England - each with patterns that look quite different - yet the author shows the geometry behind these example patterns and how they were built up are the same.

One chapter considers how the introduction of color can change the overall perception of a pattern. In some cases the author holds it can reveal weakness in a pattern design that black and white only might hide. There is a chapter that examines how the nature of the material to be used for the pattern can have a great effect on the pattern design. Weaving and textiles are given special consideration. The final chapter is a special addition by Amor Fenn who is himself an author of various books on pattern design. This chapter covers some developments in pattern design from ancient times to the time of Fenn's contribution (1933).

Overall, I would say this book is probably best used as a reference and study of the principles of various types of patterns. However, don't expect any step-by-step instructions on how to create any such patterns yourself. You will need other books for practice in that area. Use it as a guide, a reference to train your eye to discern which geometric principle to use for the kind of pattern you want (or to identify one someone else has made). Also, as a previous reviewer noted, the language has an antique style. I happen to like that kind of writing but others may find it off-putting and hard to read. If you enjoy such writing this book is a very rewarding and enlightening read.

The first edition of this book was published in 1903. This would seem to place it as a popular work for the ornamental design of the previous decade (Victorian, etc). The second edition of 1933 was made over by an author named Amor Fenn who rearranged some chapters and added more about borders. The basic concepts of pattern design (i.e. wallpaper, rugs, etc.) are explained in that endearing early 20th century patter that turned everything around so they could say 5 words in 20; pre-entertainment-overload days! I took these drafting examples right into Photoshop and Illustrator and created several rough MacIntosh like Victorian wallpapers in a short time... copy/paste, flip, and snap-to made this an easy trial. Taking the same trials and thinking 100 years into the future made web background pattern construction a breeze. Cool. ...and everything in between, this could get fun. An excellent reference shelf item

Persuasive Images is a visually stunning book. No other book comes close in terms of quality or, for that matter, quantity.

Viewed purely as an art book, it's a must-have. As a history book, it's jaw-droppingly intriguing. I have never found a book, website, or museum collection as appealing and thought-provoking as you will find in this book.

I teach high school -- I have had students stay 3 hours after school just to pore over the pages of this book. It's that good.

I was extremely pleased with this book. . .I was looking for images and I was not disappointed. From humorous to chilling it's filled with tremendously powerful works. . .many of which are as vivid and visceral now as I'm sure they were then. . .