This book was my favorite when I was younger, but through the years they happened to disappear. Just recently I was able to get a hold of another copy of this book. It is too bad that these books are out of print. I would love to get the entire collection back for when I have children. Reading this book after so many years had the same effect as when I was a child. I loved this book and still do. It is a wonderful story about judging someone before you meet them. Every kid should have a copy.

I joined Dorthy on her way to the wizard thinking it was going to be like the movie with Judy Garland, but there were different surprises such as a change of color of slippers and various tasks that had to be done. The book also describes the various lands and people in Oz that the moive didn't even touch upon.
Some things remained the same like the scarcrow, tinman and lion. The witch is still harasses Dorthy as she makes her way to the wizard.
The book gives a histoy about the scarcrow, tinman and lion and tells why they are the way they are.

I give the book five stars!

If you're a Wizard of Oz fan or just like to read, it's a great book to read. I could'nt put it down!!!!

I would seriously recommend this book to anyone trying to start a career with horses. I am a senior in high school, trying to sort out what i want to do with my life after college. After reading this book, I was able to discover what kind of college/university program will be right for me. I also determined that I could make a career out of my love for horses rather than just having horses as a hobby. I recommend that all horse lovers read this book. Good Luck and Happy Reading!

"You will be haunted by Three Spirits." So forewarns Jacob Marley's ghost to Mr. Ebenezer Scrooge, a miser of stingy, unfavorable traits. And so begins the enduring Christmas classic distinguished by almost everyone. Come along on an erratic journey with the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future, all of whom attempt to point Scrooge onto a virtuous path. Meet the most notable characters ever introduced in literature: Bob Cratchit, angelic Tiny Tim, and good-natured Fred. With vivid descriptions of Victorian England and enlightening dialogue, 'A Christmas Carol' will enrapture both the young and old throughout the year with a vital lesson on hope and benevolence for humanity. This, I find, is treasured most of all in this brief story marvelously crafted by the creative Charles Dickens. No matter how many adaptations of the book one has seen on television or as films, the real source is highly recommended and should not be missed. For if you do pass the book up, you are being just a Scrooge (metamorphically speaking, of course!).

Master storyteller and social critic, Charles Dickens, turns this social treatise on shortcomings of Victorian society into an entertaining and heartwarming Christmas ghost story which has charmed generations and become an icon of Christmas traditions. Who, in the Western world has not heard, "Bah, Humbug!" And who can forget the now almost hackneyed line of Tiny Tim, "God bless us, every one!" or his cheerfully poignant observation, that he did not mind the stares of strangers in church, for he might thus serve as a reminder of He who made the lame, walk and the blind, see. Several movie versions: musical, animated, updated, or standard; as well as stage productions (I recall the Cleveland Playhouse and McCarter Theatre`s with fondess.) have brought the wonderful characterizations to the screen, as well as to life. This story of the redemption of the bitter and spiritually poor miser, and the book itself; however, is a timeless treasure whose richness, like Mrs Cratchit`s Christmas pudding, is one that no production can hope to fully capture.

Well, I finally read it (instead of just watching it on the TV screen).

This is what you can call a simple idea, well told. A lonely, bitter old gaffer needs redemption, and thus is visited by three spirits who wish to give him a push in the right direction. You have then a ghost story, a timeslip adventure, and the slow defrosting of old Scrooge's soul. There are certain additions in the more famous filmed versions that help tweak the bare essentials as laid down by Dickens, but really, all the emotional impact and plot development necessary to make it believable that Scrooge is redeemable--and worth redeeming--is brilliantly cozied into place by the great novelist.

The scenes that choke me up the most are in the book; they may not be your favourites. I react very strongly to our very first look at the young Scrooge, sitting alone at school, emotionally abandoned by his father, waiting for his sister to come tell him there may be a happy Christmas. Then there are the various Cratchit scenes, but it is not so much Tiny Tim's appearances or absence that get to me--it's Bob Cratchit's dedication to his ailing son, and his various bits of small talk that either reveal how much he really listens to Tim, or else hide the pain Cratchit is feeling after we witness the family coming to grips with an empty place at the table. Scrooge as Tim's saviour is grandly set up, if only Scrooge can remember the little boy he once was, and start empathizing with the world once again. I especially like all Scrooge's minor epiphanies along his mystical journey; he stops a few times and realizes when he has said the wrong thing to Cratchit, having belittled Bob's low wages and position in life, and only later realizing that he is the miser with his bootheel on Cratchit's back. Plus, he must confront his opposite in business, Fezziwig, who treated his workers so wonderfully, and he watches as true love slips through his fingers again.

It all makes up the perfect Christmas tale, and if anyone can find happiness after having true love slip through his fingers many years ago, surprisingly, it's Scrooge. With the help of several supporting players borrowed from the horror arena, and put to splendid use here.

I only have the highest praise for Mr. Morgan's book. As a person who has studied the martial arts (embodied in TaeKwon-do, Danzan Ryu Jujitsu and Eskrima) I have been looking for a common thread that defines what it means to live the Way of the martial arts. This book encapsulates that Way (Tao, or Do, as they say). The book is written in an approachable fashion; each chapter is outlined, the thesis is developed, and the key points are summarized. The numerous anecdotes and personal observations that the author provides prevents it from coming across as a dry textbook. The content is ecumenical; the common threads of many martial traditions are examined, including the asian arts of aikido, karate, kenjutsu, Lun Gar Pai kung-fu and TaeKwon-do, as well as western military codes of honor. Of particular interest is the authors analysis of religious vs philosophical interpretations of the asian traditions. He points out that there is no conflict between even the most devoutly held western religious viewpoints and the practice of martial arts. In summary, I recommend this book highly, whether you're casually interested in what all that mumbo jumbo your aikido-practicing friend goes on about, or whether you're a high-ranked blackbelt in Uechi-Ryu Karate.

I would like to add a few positive remarks about this book. Generally, to train for a long period of time without understanding the concept of warriorship is merely to master physical movements without attending the important principles of the war arts and of moral character, the foundation of a warrior's success.

Mr. Morgan presents the concept of warriorship with concision and congency. Warriorship is a way of training, of maintaining moral principles, of living by the commitment to personal excellence in both skill and character. He correctly marks the mastering of strategy to be the essence of warriorship; that is, essential knowledge that leads to the fulfillment of a commitment to personal excellence.

I have been training for a number of years, and I have read many books relating to training in the martial arts. Some of them have been waste of time; few of them have been permanent additions to my personal library. Mr. Morgan's book, his perspective and insightulness, ranks as one of those few which belongs between Musashi's The Book of Five Rings and Funikoshi's My Way of Life.

Since reading this book, and looking back through it many times, I have modified my thinking and training to acheive personal excellence. I recommend this book to anyone who seriously desires to understand warriorship and implement its principles to develop skill and character, to live with confidence and courage and, above all, honor.

Thank you, Mr. Morgan.

This is a great book. I was hooked from page one. Major Morgan gives a great overview of the history of martial arts including the so-called "spiritual aspects" along with a clearly stated overview of how to train. Like one of the other reviewers here I thought the section on honor was exellent. My style (Shaolin kung fu) is a softer style. I found myself totally agreeing with everything the author said about how to train (kata and more kata) but disagreeing with some of his opinions. I felt he was a little hard on "do" as apposed to "itsu". On the other hand it made me change some of my ideas about my training in a very positive way. Even where I felt a little challenged by what he was saying, I felt he made his case very well. I recommended this book to my instructor (who read it) and the other advanced students in my class. My instructor found especially helpful the section on spiritual aspects which he plans to use in the future with Christian students to help them with their

First I was looking at a book on teen related issues. By the name of "Annie's Baby" Right next to that book was recommended "Go Ask Alice." I checked it out so I could see what that book was about. I first read the book "Annie's baby" which turned out to be a very good book. After reading the book I turned to read the book "Go Ask Alice."
This book was about a teenage girl who is leaving a life where pressure is put on to her way too much by her parents who live life in a perfect world. She although has pressure she resist temptation from her drug user friends who are also putting pressure onto her so that she will loosen up and join "the crowd." Although trying to stay afar from the drugs her "friends" add in a little of the drug into her drink. She then gets hooked on the drugs and cannot stop herself from her living nightmare.
I enjoyed this book because it shows the realistic affects of teenage users of drugs even though it happened accidentally. When Anonymous ours her passion and deep inner thoughts into her diary, she shows how tough it is to face friends and family all at one.

Go Ask Alice is a terrific novel, filled to the brim with suspense and excitement. The story describes a normal teenaged young lady who is tricked into trying acid one day. This cruel, inhumane doing is her gateway into a hell, a hell of drugs. She likes her first experience and continues to experiment with various other drugs and winds up addicted, confused, and in many situations that threaten her physical and mental well being.

My mind was shown the experience of using drugs through the young girl's vivid diary entries. At some points this experience seems wonderful and at other points this experience seems horrific.

Over all, I enjoyed the book, except for the ending. At the book's finish, I did not care for the result of the young lady's actions. The whole book was easy to read and difficult to put down. I like how it affected me. This book calms and soothes my curiosity about drugs, as it is very realistic and not over or under exaggerated. On a final note, I'd recommend this book to any young adult interested in what a life on drugs is like, or to anyone else that is starving for a novel that would quench his or her thirst for great writing.

Go Ask Alice was an amazing book about a teenager struggling through adolescent years surrounded by drugs and pressures. Alice starts her diary, and the reader immediately sees her warm personality and pureness. However, she moves houses and gets invited to a party where LSD is put in 10 out of the 14 bottles of coke served, and Alice has her first drug experience. The new people she started to hang around were pressuring her to continue experimenting, which lead her to trying pot, speed, heroin, and ecstasy. Her life turns downhill, and she even runs away from home. I guarantee that this book is enjoyable for any parent or teenager because it shows the reality of teenage lives with drugs, sex, and pressure. Alice's experiences will never be forgotten, and her diary entries reveal the truth about the obstacles teeenagers face while maturing into adults.

Threat Vector is the latest riveting underseas adventure from ex-submariner Michael DiMercurio. Particularly interesting is the fact that Dimercurio can so seamlessly weave submarine warfare with science fiction to deliver such an entertaining tale.

As far as the plot goes, 'Threat Vector' is too similar to some of his other books to garner 5 stars. Despite his fantastic way of involving the reader with the characters and warfare, I'm getting tired of his standard plot, ie., a new super weapon/sub appears and takes out all the enemy except for great super weapon sub that eventually triumphs. I think Mr. DeMercurio you can mix it up a bit more in future books.

I also read somewhere from some reader that all the warfare lends these books a bit unfocused, and I sort of agree with that. Perhaps a central story without so many mass deaths from book to book would make the story tighter.

Nevertheless I was totally entertained by 'Threat Vector' and look forward to anything from DiMercurio in the future.

Having read most every other sub author out there I highly recommend you read this and all of DiMercurio's books. His knowledge of subs and the USN are real, having been a serving officer, and elevate his writings well beyond those of his competitors. His technical experience on boats is obvious from DEVILFISH throughout all his books and authenticate the realism of his stories. His writing style is gripping, the plots easily believable, and the primary characters are developed to where "you know these guys". Micheal DiMercurio, in my opinion, is the new master. The King is dead. Long live the King!

Dimercurio has penned another winner. This time the world faces a potential war in south America and the usual suspects are renting out their battle fleet to the highest bidder. In order to keep the American Navy at Bay, a submarine creeps into waters outside Norfolk and sinks cruise ship carrying most of the Navy's top brass. This is a crippling and devastating blow to the level of readiness.

There are many charcters you have grown used to in previous books and some new ones as well. The sea battles are realistic as Dimercurio moves about twenty years into the future and speculates the type of weaponry available to attack subs: Plasma warheads (a small, focused nuclear weapon, Vortex undersea missles (a super cavitating munition) and a light imaging system (much better than conventional sonar).

He also does something I like to do myself. He brings back a bad guy from the first book and sends him after Patch Pacino's Navy.

Overall a great, great read.

A Room with a View is what a romantic novel should be: light and fun, entertaining and sweet- I thoroughly enjoyed reading it! Especially touching was old Mr. Emerson's conversation with Lucy towards the end. And none of the reviewers mentioned the subtle humor in this book! This book was funny! As for those of you who gave this wonderful book a poor review you must be young and/or you are an avid reader of literary geniuses such as Danielle Steele. Watch some more TV you people and stay aware from criticising great books you did not understand!

I have long been a fan of Jane Austen and have become so spoiled by her wonderful writing and complex yet perfect sentences that I seldom find anything enjoyable by comparison. However, "A Room with a View" was one of the most wonderful non-Austen books I have ever read. I laughed out loud many times at the way Forster worded things, especially the chapter titles (eg. "How Ms. Bartlett's Boiler was so Tiresome"). At the beginning, he seemed to be making fun of his characters - at their simple-mindedness and lack of depth - but then he commenced to transform them (mainly Lucy) and make them into wonderfully admirable people. It seemed that justice was served to Cecil when he served as the means through which Lucy and George were finally united. I enjoyed every minute of this book but would recommend it only to those who would appreciate it and who would be reading it by choice.

This book is still a classic. The fact that this book can still be entertaining nearly a hundred years after it's conception is testament enough to it's quality. It's the story of Lucy, struggling to find a comfortable place in adulthood, struggling to understand herself, struggling with the jarring influences of the unhappy people that surround her. And then she meets Mr. Emerson and his son George. Mr. Emerson is an old man who is disliked among the society folk because his kindness is more genuine than tactful. And his son George, raised free of all the prejudices and narrow-mindedness that plague nearly all the people he meets, is depressed because the universe doesn't seem to fit.

Learning to love a pair like the Emersons would seem to be easy for Lucy, but that is the struggle of this whole novel, how she creates such a muddle out of a simple thing and ends up, for the first time in her life, to begin to see clearly.

Forster finds a nice balance in this novel - engaging plot, unique and well-developed characters, and a fair dose of philosophy to lighten the burdens of your mind (all good philosophy should lighten your mind instead of weighing it down).

I would recommend this book on the simple fact that Mr. Emerson is, in many of his traits, the type of human being we should all strive to become(good-hearted, thought-provoking, devoted to expanding his mind instead of narrowing it, welcoming to all, poetic and deep). That alone recommends it. This may not be Forster's best, but it's one of them, and is more than worth the time (I finished it in three days, awfully fast, hungry for more when it was done).

Unfortunately, the cover art is appropriate: This is the first New Age Historical Drama that I've ever read. If this book were mostly about Vercingetorix "Rix" organizing the Celts against Caesar and his army, this might have been an entertaining and historically informative story. However, the story is told in first person by Ainvar the Druid, who spends nearly every page communicating with the spirits in the Otherworld. Hardly a page goes by without Ainvar and his "new age" prophesizing about everything. The monotony of this is only broken when he is assisting Rix in organizing the splintered Celtic tribes of Gaul against Caesar and his army - but whatever momentum is created here is soon lost with more Ainvar and his ceremonies and sacrifices (at one point he kills roosters for rain). Granted, we don't know much about Druids, so Llywelyn had to take a wild stab at how much influence they would have had during these campaigns - I think the story would have been more effective had it been from Rix's point of view.
The other nag with this story is the outrageously anachronistic dialog. Ainvar repeatedly refers to his tribesmen as "Celts." This was a phrase applied to them in the 19th century - small beans? Maybe, but the language that he uses would leave you to believe that he attended formal schooling.
I think Morgan Llywelyn is a very good writer, but I don't think that this story is very good.

While I do not consider this to be one of the greatest books I've ever read, it certainly is a good one. It has it's flaws, yes. Every book does.
I was a little surprised that Llywelyn actually included human sacrifice in her portrayal of the druids, considering that the only source of "witness" to such practices were the Romans themselves, who, being the enemy of the Gallic Celts, were known to create various lies to plant fear of the druids in the minds of their followers. Note that I am not deducting any stars due to this, though, because there is very little we know about the Celts and their lives and one cannot be absolutely certain.
However, I feel the need to defend this book against some of the reviews, because, frankly, many of them were down-right stupid.
Take, for instance, the reviewer who deducted a star merely because it had a "sad ending". How many books have sad endings? Some of the greatest books of all time do! It has nothing to do with the quality of the book, so don't deduct from the average star review for such a stupid thing as that! He follows up with an "Oh, well, that's history" attitude. So why deduct the star at all?
Oh, and the person who complains about the central character being "egotistical"...So what if he ever showed any signs of egotism? That's his character! Once again, that's a part of the story. And then you spoke of the Romans being "exaggerated". That's because it was from the Gallic Celts' point of view. Of course they're going to portray the Romans that way! It's their point of view! Oh, and if you're going to bash a book, at least use something resembling good English grammar so you don't look like a complete fool. There's a difference between typos and not using anything resembling capitalization, punctuation, etc. When talking about the Romans, use the plural form of the word. "of Roman" does not cut it.
And there was another man who said the characters were too "sophisticated" for him, because the Celts are shrouded in such mystery. You're right, there is much we do not know. But the author has the license to guess. She seems to have done a fairly good job at remaining as historically accurate as possible. What do you want her to do? Have paper-thin, 2-dimensional characters? Come on! She has to breathe life into them somehow! And there is hardly a reason to believe that the Celts didn't have the vocabulary to express concepts such as "professional jealousy."
Sorry for ranting like this, but I'm tired of stupid, trivial reviews complaining about stupid things. Reviews such as "this isn't what I was looking for", so the book itself is terrible because "I was unaware of its true content".
Like I said, this wasn't a perfect book. I give it four stars because I believe it deserves that much for it's fluidity and presentation. It reads pretty well. But it lacks something.

Never before or since have I read a book with such an ability to evoke every possible human emotion! Druids is the best book I have ever read. It will upset you, draw you into the action, and make you cry all within just a few pages. This book is a masterpiece of historical fiction. My being a scholar in the area of Druidic history, I am struck by Mrs. Llywelyn's ability to so eloquently weave the story of Ainvar and Vercingetorix around solid historical facts. AND...to top it all off, she is one of the nicest people you would ever want to meet, as I had the pleasure of eating lunch with her one summer in Ireland!

The ideas presented in this book were derived from Dr. Peck's clinical work with patients. As a psychiatrist, he believes psychotherapy provides guidance in the process of mental and spiritual growth.

I found some of his ideas to be truth in its purest form and then I was very "disturbed" by some statements which I felt would just be immoral.

I liked the idea of life being a series of challenges which evoke various feelings. I felt that perhaps a challenge could also evoke good feelings, but Dr. Peck focused on frustration, grief, sadness, loneliness, guilt, regret, anger, fear, anxiety, anguish and despair.

He says that people tend to avoid problems to avoid emotional suffering. He believes this is the primary basis of all human mental illness. He says that "discipline" is the tool you need to solve life's problems. These tools include delaying gratification, acceptance of responsibility, dedication to truth and balancing.

His basic theory is that love is the motivation and energy behind the discipline. With all that I could agree. Just as I turned the 174th page, I was surprised to find a statement which I am wondering if any of the other reviewers read?

I read a statement on page 175 which made me loose all the respect I had built up for Dr. Peck. He didn't just go overboard, the ship sank! This is the sentence:

"Moreover, were I ever to have a case in which I concluded after careful and judicious consideration that my patient's spiritual growth would be substantially furthered by our having sexual relations, I would proceed to have them. " - page 175

Shocked? I sure was! This seriously makes me think that women should only see a female psychologist and men should only see a male psychologist.

And on that page, I closed the book! To me, that is taking advantage of a patient and it is inexcusable! While he claims never to have done this, I was still shocked that he would even put that in his book.

So, if you choose to buy this book, I loved it up to page 174...after that, I felt very uncomfortable and simply decided not to read any further. I think for spiritual growth, I will consult my New Open Bible. I wish I could be more positive about this book.

The way this book is written'at times light, nurturing, and joyous but often heavy, challenging, and confrontational'is a metaphor for Scott Peck's perspective on life. The first sentence of the book, "life is difficult," reflects Scott Peck's idea that spiritual/mental growth must be worked towards, that human beings are generally lazy, and that growth of consciousness is a life-long process. Everything is generally working against our growth: laziness; defense mechanisms employed to maintain the status quo of mental illness over the struggle for accepting responsibility; confusion over the true nature of love; resistance to "grace" (the idea of being open to our unconscious and the symbolic language of God); lack of discipline; adults being mentally and spiritually immature; poor parenting resulting in nuerosis and character disorder; and a culture that generally defends, accepts, and nurtures sickness over health.

Sometimes Scott Peck's language is a little heavy, but it's only because he packs so much valuable information and insight into each page. The first chapter on Discipline (a tool to solve our problems. Another great Peck idea: see problems as challenges, and it is in our response to problems that life takes on its meaning and color) was a bit dry to me, but contains excellent information on delaying gratification, balancing and bracketing (attempting to listen to others/view situations with objectivity), dedication to the truth, and a key to anyone seeking to grow: ACCEPTING RESPONSIBILITY.

The second section on Love was fascinating to me. Scott Peck does a great job debunking the myth of romantic love, but perhaps most valuable is the idea that real loving is about nurturing your own or another's spiritual growth. Love is an action and a decision, not just a feeling. It's so easy in our culture to imagine love as a feeling, red roses, wine, dinners, etc. That is the illusion of romance but has nothing to do with the work and courage of real active loving (Scott Peck says if an action doesn't involve courage or work, it's not loving!). Also in this chapter are a few controversial ideas, namely open marriage (Scott Peck's extension of the idea that loving involves encouraging an individual's total development...hmmm...sort of vague extension to me to involve plural relationships. what happened to discipline?) and even Scott Peck's suggestion that he would have sex with a patient if he felt it would further both their spiritual development! (do not agree with this at all. any person in treatment is not in a position to navigate such power dynamics)

The final section on Grace reminds us to look to our unconscious for information and guidance. Dreams, nagging thoughts, sudden insights, etc. from our unconscious, which Scott Peck says knows more than our conscious ever could, are signs that there is a God, and he/she/it is a loving God interested in our spiritual development (reflection of Scott Peck's idea of love, and a good idea if you ask me). These signs are meant to prod us into action.

In general, although at times you will be re-reading pages to make sure you got the meaning, and sometimes Scott Peck's language will seem heavy and plodding, this book will help you see where you can expand the boundaries of your spirit, your mind, and your life, how you can love bigger and better (and make it mean more to everyone), how your life can have meaning and consistency, and how to be a loving, conscious person, parent, lover, mate, and friend. I underlined a LOT in this book, and going back to read just my underlines I am amazed at the amount of loving, valuable insight in this book. Growing and truly accepting responsibility for the quality of our lives is not as easy as it sounds. Scott Peck is very aware of this and gives a lot of support to keep on journeying this road less traveled.

This book is not just a self-help book; it is primarily the author's spiritual philosophy. M. Scott Peck, a psychiatrist, wrote this book in 1978, and it's as fresh today as it was then. The format is such that the book can be used as a reference. It is filled with stories of Peck's personal struggles and case studies from his practice, all of which serve to clarify points and to help readers overcome problems. Peck, however, has provided us with the best merger of psychology and spirituality I have ever read. He makes it clear that mental health and spiritual growth are the same thing, which is unusual considering most in his field try to condemn anything related to God. As for style and content, Peck is obviously building towards the fourth and last section titled "Grace." The first three sections are written in a simplistic yet thorough manner so that Peck can reach a wide audience and to ensure that all readers are on the same page. He talks about discipline, love, religion, and the tunnel vision of the scientific community. The concepts developed in these sections prepare the layman for the section on grace, which by itself is worth the price of the book. It is also where Peck gets a bit controversial. Notwithstanding, you have to admire Peck's honesty and forthrightness. He has produced a special book that should be required reading for every teenager and anyone else looking for a better understanding of life and how to live it.