before it has even begun." Or some such. As the other reviewer said, this is a sort of an anti-Werther. Adolphe himself is an amusing fellow, and he had me cringing with sympathy for his efforts to rid-or-not-rid himself of his mistress. Caveat: you might want to look for an edition that includes "The Red Notebook," a hilarious short novel about the far ranging but completely aimless adventures of a similar (but this time mistressless) young man.

Benjamin Constant is a fascinating figure in the history of French letters. He was amongst a group of writers that were at the forefront of the Romantic Movement in France that included Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Constant's mistress, Germaine de Stael. Madame de Stael was a leading light of intellectual society during the directorate and the empire periods. Her salon in Geneva was the meeting place for many of the artists, philosophers, novelists and poets of her day. Benjamin Constant was her lover and most ardent admirer. Critics have long assumed that the core plot of Adolphe, which involves a younger male engaged in a prolonged liaison with an older mistress, must have been autobiographical. L. W. Tancock, in his introduction to the Penguin Classics edition, claims that this is only partly the case. He writes: "What are Eleanore and Adolphe? Of course the factual framework is the story of Anna Lindsay, the beautiful, ageing, foreign mistress of an aristocrat, and so is Ellanore's submissiveness and limited intelligence. On the other hand the possessiveness, the violence, the scenes, the sending out of a search party to bring back the wandering lover, all these things are from the miserable existence of Benjamin with Mme de Stael." So what we are left with basically is an amalgam of autobiography and fiction, somewhat the same formula Tolstoy used in Anna Karenina.

Whereas Tolstoy, in his depiction of a tragic love affair was wonderfully digressive, producing a novel with various sub-plots and a large, colorful canvas, Constant opts for economy and directness. This is a short novel, what by today's standard would be called a novella. It is composed of ten short chapters and is thus, ostensibly, "an easy read." It follows one plot line with one set of characters (though there is a framing narrative, it doesn't interfere with the essential linearity of the story).

The plot is rather familiar to readers of European literature. It follows the would be Cassanova, Adolphe, who, in his early twenties, decides that he must have a mistress if he is to be a man of fashion. He therefore lights upon a woman about ten years older than himself and whom he regards as a realistic target because she is already somewhat socially compromised, as she is the mistress of an older man, a certain Count P___. Elleanore is slow to succumb to Adolphe's machinations, but he is persistent and she eventually yields. The two lovers carry on a secret affair for a period and eventually Count P__ figures out what's going on under his nose and Elleanore makes the decision to leave her supporter and her children and cast her fate with Adolphe. Adolphe by this point has gotten cold feet and tries to dissuade her from leaving children and protector, but she is insanely in love and will follow Adolphe to perfidy and damnation if need be. They leave town and take their illicit love on the road. Adolphe, who has manufactured his feelings for Elleanore in the first place, becomes more and more morose as he realizes he has gotten in over his head and he now has a mistress who is completely dependent on him and who lets him know about it continually. Adolphe's father, meanwhile, who initially insinuated that Adolphe should take on a mistress, entirely disapproves of his son's choice. Finally the couple move to Poland, where Elleanore is to come into a large inheritance and Adolphe finds his existence more and more meaningless. At the urging of one of his father's aristocratic friends in Poland, Adolphe finally comes to the decision that he must break away from Elleanore, so he writes a letter to his father promising to end the affair. She intercepts the letter and falls into a swoon that eventually takes her death's door and to her final demise. Adolphe ends up as a broken man, wandering the outer byways of the continent, lamenting the errors of his ways.

Adolphe is an example of the concise, crystalline form of writing for which the French are noted. It is the form utilized and epitomized by writers such as Abbe Prevost, Rene de Chateaubriand, Alfred De Musset, etc. The novels they produced create in depth what they lack in length. That is one of the reasons we call them classics.

This review is for the Penguin Classics paperback version of Adolphe, prefaced and translated by L.W. Tancock

"You can't always get what you want", the Rolling Stones famously admitted some decades ago. In a very French, disillusioned way, Constant explores what happens when you do get what you want.

His anti-hero Adolphe manages to win the heart of the woman he has made himself believe he loves. Soon enough, he is no longer so sure about his feelings for her. By that time, however, she has already left her former partner and is emotionally dependent on Adolphe. To put it bluntly, the novel is about his trying and failing to get rid of her. The situation is getting more and more tortuous for both of them.

In a way this novel can be read as an answer to Goethe's famous "Sorrows of Young Werther" in which the protagonist ends up killing himself because he cannot get the girl he loves. Of course Goethe's book was a lot more successful at the time than Constant's. The worth of Constant's novel is that it is one of the few instants in which somebody speaks out with whom somebody else is unhappily in love with. There is less poetry in that position than in the opposite one, but Constant's stark psychological realism in the tradition of the French moralists makes this one a gripping read with a provocative conclusion.

I was extremely excited about this book when I first started reading it. Being a new pastor of a small church, I was hoping that it would give me the nuts and bolts of how to put together a discipleship ministry. Unfortunately, as I got closer to the end of the book it was obvious that I wasn't going to get that here.

The book overall seems to be written with the intent to give pastors who are not creating disciples the conviction that they should be. Much descussion is given to "WHY" you should, not "HOW" you can. There is an overview of a structure that can be used but it sure would have been nice to have more detail on how to put it all together.

Having been personally discipled in a small group setting, I believe this is what the modern church has always missed. The shepherd must come to realize the tremendous gap between Sunday worship and daily practical Christian living is filled by a determined, systematic, measurable, plan of Biblical discipleship. Too many churches are little more than "pools of ignorance", lacking the ability to think critically and practice discernment, things so dearly needed today. In today's "instant gratification" mentality, this 2-3 year plan is not popular, but bears fruit lasting into eternity.

There is no shortage of work to be done by the average pastor in the average church. Yet, Christ calls us to select the excellent priority of making disciples who will reproduce themselves in others. The authors rightly insist that the church must refocus its efforts on people not programs. Pastors cannot leave this task to others, but must lead the church family through the transition. This is a must read for every pastor who is bothered by the lack of significant discipleship taking place in the church.

This was a great book. It tells you everything from the history of teddy bears to little bear legends. I love teddy bears and found this book very interesting. My only complaint was that it was a tad short. If you love teddy bears then you'll love this book. It's great for any age to enjoy!

This book is a great read-aloud. My son was drawn to his "favorite" bears like Pooh and Paddington, then was happy to stick around and learn about actual, unusual teddy bears. We loved the story about the one on the Titanic.

This is a beautifully written and illustated book. Wonderful to read to toddlers and younger children and a treat for older children (of all ages). The Teddy Roosevelt story is worth the whole book.

I found the book very insightful and interesting to read. There is quite a bit of valuable information for new companies, and great ideas to help established companies stay focused. Ms. Coleman uses actual business examples of her theories in the book which drives home the value of the information.

I wish I had bought Green Banana Papers before ever spending a dime on marketing. It's a candid conversation with a talented marketing veteran who has made a career out of making the tough decisions and winning. Coleman anticipated all my questions and answered each with clarity, intelligence and humor. Where's the sequel? I don't want the conversation to end!!!!!!!

This book is packed full of extremely timely and useful information for those who want to know what an 'intuitive thinking' marketing pro knows. It's fresh and practical, so it gets 4 stars. The layout and design is clean, crisp and draws you in with packaged snippets of advice and examples. Clean, simple visual communications bumps it up a star for me to a 5.

Keep it around as a reference, pick it up and read a few pages, flip through it until your eyes zoom in on a few words that catch your attention. You'll either learn something or have something you believe to be true reconfirmed. A great reference!

I have found that Jane Candia Coleman is one of my favorite authors. She has not disappointed me with "I, Pearl Hart." I have recently acquired more of her books, but as of yet, I have not had the time to read them. I am looking forward to them very much. I have just finished "Pearl Hart" and enjoyed it very much. However, my favorite book by Jane Candia Coleman is "Doc Holliday's Woman". She writes of times that I find very interesting and fascinating. I just wish I had more time to read.Hopefully, I will start "Stories from Mesa Country" next week or so.

Jane Candia Coleman has become one of my favorite authors. She knows what she is writing about and she seems to understand the times so well. This is a wonderful book that describes Pearl's life and struggles. Her hopes for love and all of her disappointments. I could not put it down and recommend it to all.

If writing is story-telling this is a prime example. Detailed enough to set the scene but lean enough to make a swift exciting read. A terrific blend of feminine and masculine insights to be savored by both. This is my third Coleman and I've yet to be disappointed.

I picked this book up on a whim at my local dollar store. The cover caught my eye and the synopsis on the back sounded interesting enough . . . I just couldn't put this book down! Every time I thought I had the story figured out, something else would happen. If you're looking for a nice relaxing read . . .this is definitely not the story for you. If you enjoy fantastical portrayals of human existence, and like plot twists, find this book A.S.A.P! Oh, and, I particularly enjoyed the entire chapter written in pig latin.

Jamais Vu has the feel of an underground classic, but it's not, yet. The plot is incredibly tangential, but it works well. There are images and ideas hidden in this book that I have been unable to find in other literature. If you like Tom Robbins, Robert Anton Wilson, and/or Richard Bach (excluding One), you should find this book similarly well-written but also very refreshing. Not everybody will like this book, but if you like the authors above or you enjoy psychedelic/disassociative experiences, I highly recommend this book to you, as one wanderer to another.

This is one of my favorite books. It keeps twisting and turning into things that are unconventional and amazing. I can happily say that there is no other book like the Jamais Vu Papers. It answers life's questions with hilarious and introspective thought. A great book to sit around and talk about with others.

I've read the book twice - so there's no doubt that I love it. I've read or heard some of the stories before reading them here (or a similar version - I think many of us may have.) But what makes this collection of stories special is the afterthoughts. The afterthoughts provide foundation for the stories, help us see the bits of wisdom in them and aid us in understanding why the stories have endured.

I thoroughly enjoyed this well written book of cultural pride and celebration, and would highly recommend it to anyone and everyone. Understanding different cultures is not only essential to breaking down barriers, but downright enyoyable. Having traveled in many different countries around the world, my capacity and desire for cultural enrichment and experience never ceases. I find it sad that a culture so young, yet so old surrounds us but is not nearly as well understood as those on other continents. The youth and confusion of this culture stems from a very embarassing moment in this countries history; the age of it harkens from mysterious Africa. This book delivers a profound message from a woman willing to share her experiences. I found it did me a tremendous amount of good and left me yearning for more in fully understanding the richness of the fabric from which it was woven. I look for more from this author!

I loved this book so much! It gave me such a warm and fuzzy feeling. The stories just took me back to my childhood and that's really funny because I am a middle aged white woman from irish-italian descent!!!! Where this book was written by a black woman.This book really shows that we are all connected inside our souls to some degree whether we are white,black,yellow or purple with pink polka dots!!!! I highly recommend this book if family connections are important to you.

...the better you improve your chances in having a lasting and fulfilling marriage. Isn't this just common sense? Too many people marry one another without REALLY knowing their partner. They don't ask enough questions during their first months of dating. It's just common sense to do so, but many just won't get into that area in detail. This book will help you greatly when it comes to asking the right questions. Many think that if they are in love, get along and have things in common, these are the only things that matters. Little do they realize that things can change after living together under the same roof for years on end. Asking compatibility questions is what's really needed. The only drawback to this book is that it doesn't get into the area of sex questions for men. Nearly all men think sex plays a major role in a healthy relationship, so of course they need to make sure the woman thinks the same thing. AND WILL CONTINUE TO THINK THE SAME THING FOR MANY YEARS TO COME. This book doesn't go there. Neverthelesss, it's still worth reading. Perry Rose, author of Women, Sex And Dating, For The Single Man & I Love You...Will You Marry Me?!

This book was highly recommended to me by a friend who recently got married. I decided reading a bit more about life, women, dating, and marriage couldn't hurt in my pursuit of the woman of my dreams. Before the Ring answers many questions that young adults face (teens and 20 somethings). It also provides a helpful guide of questions which are meant to be answered either alone or with your significant other. Great conversations have happened because of this book, and although I'm not any closer to getting married, I feel more secure in who I am and can therefore prepare myself to be a better husband. Great book for men or women. I also recommend Joshua Harris' book "Boy Meets Girl" if you're not sure you want to get married or you're confused.

My boyfriend and I did this book and it really helped us to know that we were a good match. We agreed on a lot of issues that we both felt would be very important to a marriage. I highly recommend this book if you think you have found the one you want to spend your life with as it gives practical questions and helps to show not just areas where you agree but also areas where you will have to discuss to see if you can live with what your future spouse will believe on certain issues.

This series of guides has a well-established format - so it is difficult to understand why they have made this particular guide so hard to follow.

The Great Barrier Reef is over 1,200 miles in length and, thankfully, the book does not claim to be a definitive guide. Refreshingly, therefore, it is exactly what is says it is - a "Guide to the Dive Sites of the Great Barrier Reef" and, generally speaking, it is a good one at that.

The book is divided into the accepted geographical sections of the Great Barrier Reef and commences each of these chapters with an informative introduction followed by brief details of a fair and representative selection of the best known dive sites.

So far so good, but then they go and "spoil the ship for a hapenth of tar!" With very few exceptions, the photographs are generally very good and include some that are quite outstanding. They lose a "Star," however, for blatantly "touching" and "standing on" corals. No photograph showing such bad practises should have been included - and this book features more than one. Furthermore, diving inside the Yongala shipwreck contravenes the "Laws" of Queensland and I was saddened to find a photograph of a human skull being used to introduce Townsville on page 95.

In the English Language, we read from left to right whilst working our way from the top of the page to the bottom. It is, therefore, quite odd to find a book that sets out to do things in reverse order. This book commences in the south and works its way north. Altogether, over 150 dive sites are included - but each chapter commences with "Site No 1" whereas it would be far more useful had they been numbered consecutively from beginning to end. Most unusual of all, however, is the fact that the maps show these sites numbered from the bottom of the page up to the top. Eventually this really does become very awkward to follow. One might also be forgiven for thinking that it is all a very poor attempt to poke fun at Australia - you know, the country being upside down and all that... Maybe not, but another star lost for unnecessary confusion!

In Summary; a rather good book, but in dire need of some serious rearranging. Nevertheless, all the information is there and, when compared to other books on the Great Barrier Reef, this is a good option.

NM

I thought this was a great book for a fresh diver to the reef. It has great pictures and covers a number of locations and dives sites. I found it useful to learn a few tidbits about the places I was seeing while on the boat between dives. Would recommend to anyone looking for a general book on the Great Barrier Reef.

This book does a nice job of detailing major dive sites throughout the Great Barrier Reef and the Coral Sea. Dive sites are rated for both scuba and snorkeling. The book also has information on resorts, dive operators and facilities servicing the various dive sites. Information on various types of underwater life is also sprinkled in throughout the book. If you plan to dive the Barrier Reef or the Coral Sea this is an excellent guide to lay out your diving plans.

This is a helpful reference for people who aren't familiar with magazine publishing and gives some useful advice on how to deal with common problems. However, the writing is sometimes convoluted and redundant and the authors' perspective can be narrow. I would expect better writing from people who choose to write for a publishing industry audience.

I work for printing/publishing clients as an advisor for IT strategy. I give this book to consultants new to the media industry, because it does such a good job of laying out basic information in a manner that's quick to read and easily understandable. Its focus is on the different kinds of magazines, the roles and responsibilies within a magazine, and the concerns of the Editor-in-chief. Informative and exactly as long as it needs to be.

I have been in the magazine field for 5 years and then I found myself in a job where I was the only person with magazine experience, instead of being the youngest in the office. I wanted to be sure of everything I had learned in my other jobs and get tips about other things I had not dealt with. This was the perfect book--it had information about all aspects of magazine editing from management to layout to publication. This book is not only for the editor-in-chief (which I am), but it is also for anyone who works at a magazine and wants to have a better insight into the entire magazine process. I readily recommend this book to anyone interested in magazine writing and editing!