Many of these stories push the envelope of Nasty, and this anthology is not recommended for those with weak stomachs. Some of them are absolutely gut-wrenching, like John Shirley's "You Hear What Buddy and Ray Did?" and Mike Lee's "High Heels from Hell", while others are just disappointing (Rex Miller's "Brainchild"). Very few are particularly distinguished, and I guess my favorite has to be Howard (The Turtles, Flo & Eddie) Kaylan's "The Energy Pals", which hilariously lampoons the Power Rangers/Ninja Turtles territory. If you're looking for a few good nasty thrills, okay, but if you're looking for a great read, perhaps you might want to look elsewhere.

Though not all the stories are as taboo-shattering as the cover hype implies, a good bit of them are still excellent. Danielle Willis shows us the decidedly unromantic and unglamourous life of a vampire and her lover; Lucy Taylor gives us deadly autoeroticism and shows us what lies on the other side; Don Webb turns torment into art and Steve Rasnic Tem twists the family ties. An incident in a junior high school locker room destines one teacher for revenge in a story from Edward E. Kramer. There's also great work from Rob Hardin, Mike Lee and Howard Kaylan. A collection with far more hits than misses.

Take heed, this is NOT a book to show your parents... Take eroticism and mix it with horror, and you've got something you just can't put down, but you wonder why the heck you're reading such material...

Okay, I'll confess that I felt guilty when I ordered this CD-ROM. It kind of seemed like the equivalent of serving your kids TV dinners instead of a fresh cooked meal, but I've gotten over it.

These lesson plans aren't a substitute for homemade, but they certainly do foot the bill more than adequetly. The activities are comprehensive and thoughtful, though sometimes a little dry.

I'm planning on ordering more to have on hand for emergencies. Also, the study questions and vocabulary lists are a Godsend. I hate writing study questions... so boring, yet necessary. The study questions included here helped my students grasp the novel and made my life a bit easier.

On the down side the files are in PDF format so if you want to be able to _edit_ the handouts, you need Adobe Acrobat. (Printing handouts "as is" doesn't require anthing fancy and you can cut and paste the old fashioned way.)

Sure if we worked 15 hour days every day, we could constantly create stimulating new materials for each day, but we'd burn out. All told, if you are a new teacher and can afford to buy this CD, I say go for it. It was well worth it for me.

Good stuff, this is! Vocabulary, study questions, unit tests- nothing you haven't already seen. It is my first year teaching Gatsby and between classroom management, grading papers and getting caught up with the book (and material for other classes) I am exhausted.

This pack gives me the time to focus on how I will present the material and is dry enough that it let's me modify it to my students' needs.

A good skeleton unit.

Wow! This was a great resource to use when teaching a novel. I had not taught The Great Gatsby before and really wanted to have my students "work with" this novel. It provided a great resource for vocabulary exercises and study guide questions. It also provided a plethera of quiz and test questions to use. As another teacher-reviewer indicated, she felt guilty at first of using premade materials. I, on the other hand, believe that my role as a teacher is demanding enough, without having to spend hours creating my teaching materials. I do create my own original activites and adapt materials to fit appropriately, but cherish the teaching materials that I can choose from to use. I am teaching a new grade level next year with new novels, and I am already planning my order for more LitPlan titles. Thank you for this wonderful resource!!

This book, one of Collins's late sensation novels, is decidely less well constructed than "The Woman in White" or "The Moonstone": you are very often able to tell what will happen next and even how the whole thing is probably going to finish.

The editor has done his best to increase the attractivity of the book by adding to it an exhaustive documentation. But what is really VERY annoying is that the editor, who according to his introduction pretends to give a philologically reliable text of the novel, obviously has dispensed himself of a serious proof-reading.

A great number of misprints have not been corrected -- in some instances, the sense of the text has been almost perverted (e.g. because quotation marks are missing so that you don't know that it is a person of the novel and NOT the narrator who is talking).

Things like these shouldn't occur in a text edited by a professor of philology.

Collins's book is very interesting--it's the story, by the inventor of the detective novel, of a tall, evil neurologist driven by the frantic pace of science to disect living, screaming animals in his search for a cure for brain disease. And the Broadview edition is excellent--it provides the primary texts of the vivisection debate of the 1870s and 80s, including Francis Power Cobbe's essay and documentation of the court case. Excellent scholarly work made available and accessible to beginners--I've used the novel in a course on Literature and Science with great success.

Heart and Science is a very interesting novel, both for it's historical connection to late-Victorian anti-vivisectionist movement and for Collins's interesting story. I won't say it is one of his strongest novels but it is quite readable and nicely intriguing.

Farmer's edition is quite strong.His notes and appendicies are thorough and extremely useful, as are the introduction, the select bibliography,and the other accompanying material, of which there is plenty.

The author makes a solid case for his position, citing historic cases and numerous overlooked facts surrounding acts of terrorism.

What is especially impressive is the fact that the book does not assume the positions of either the left or right wing, remaining non-partisan in approach. For instance, the author cites the Northwoods Project as an act of state-sanctioned terrorism. This would be a veritable gem to those on the left who unfairly scorn the cause of anti-communism. Collins, however, makes it clear that the revelation of Northwoods does not exonerrate the despot Castro.

Meanwhile, Collins gives no slack to the so-called right-wing either. He shows cases where anti-communism, initially sincere cause of anti-totalitarianism, was exploited by the power elite to create a politically expedient external threat to the United States. This is especially evident in the case of Bin Laden and his supposedly anti-Soviet forces. Under the banner of anti-communism, the oligarchs of the American Establishment funded Bin Laden and made him the threat he is today.

The overall contention is that Hegelian framework of left vs. right is a swiftly vanishing chimera, a fairy tale.

The one reservation I have with the book is that it simply does go as far as it could. There are a lot more government ties to terrorism, such as the United States aiding and abetting anti-Castro rebels here in the United States. After it became clear that America was not going to employ genuine campaign against Castro, the government used them to perpetrate numerous other acts of terror.

Still, the book is very well researched and is very important in understanding current events.

If what Paul Collins has unearthed is true, it may not be long before we wake up in a police state. This book is definitely for listeners of the Alex Jones show and anyone who has read Gregory Palast's book.

I first discovered this book through an article over it in Nexus Magazine. Then, I got a copy and read it cover to cover! Paul Collins presents information of such importance that no concerned, freedom-loving American should ignore! ...

God bless America! Long live liberty!

as a competition irish dancer, i thought this book stunk. but i'm sure it was good from anyone elses point of view. i thought that more dances should be shown for the more advanced student...and if anyone knows of an advanced level irish dance book, let me know

A guide to Ceili, set and country dancing. Includes instructions for over 50 dances; such as, Aran set, Castle set, Four hand reel, Eight Hand Jig, Plain Polka set.

As an amateur dancer in Kansas City, MO, I can say that this book and Pat Murphy's "Toss the Feathers" are the two most well-thumbed reference texts in my dance class. I've been trying to get my own copy all year, but it's been on back-order since last St. Patrick's Day. If the reviewer from 12/22/00 has a better suggestion for reference material, I'm all ears. I hope to travel to Ireland within the next couple of years. When I do, I'd like to be able to ceili with other Irish locals like I know what I'm doing.

It is clear that Marva Collins is very passionate about teaching, and this book is inspiring in that sense. However, it has too many cliches and many of the points made are made several times, from one chapter to the next. It provides the reader with an increasingly irritating sense of deja vu. It is rather poorly written - some sentences make no sense and the grammar is incorrect in others. It is not an easy book to get through, but can provide the reader with an inspiration for spectacular teaching.

To anyone that is searching for an answer to our current educational crisis, you have found it! Marva Collins is a woman who has been chosen by GOD to help children learn. She makes no excuses for them, she just teaches them. This book embodies everything I am aspiring to be as an educator. The message in this book is simple. If you love children enough to nurture them as if they were your own, you will help them become life long learners. This book should become a required reading for anyone that is preparing themsleves for the life long journey of learning, and teaching. If the president can see that Marva's Way is great so can everyone else. Buy it! It is a blessing for the educators soul.

Ordinary Children, Extraordinary Teachers has inspired me to be a better parent and teacher to my two children. Marva first let the children know that she cared about them and that she would not let them fail even when the other schools have washed their hands of the child. It was as if I were a student in Marva's class. I was so encourage to first, complete the book, I could not put it down, as I read I would practice the techniques on my children, for example my six grade son was still struggling with his multiplcations facts, he had a test to complete 100 problems in 4 min. I call my son a scholar and had him practice over and over the same test. each practice test he got better and better, he passed the test and felt really proud.he is bringing his C's to B's and his B's to A's. I learned you have to meet the child where he is. Thank you Marva for your care, concern, inspiration and motivation. and keep teaching and writing.

Summaries: "She's Got Mail" -- Ambitious editorial assistant Rosie Myers is finally getting her big break. When the writer of a Real Men column runs away with a stripper, Rosie is given the assignment. There's only one catch -- she has to write like a guy. No problem ... until she starts receiving letters from sexy lawyer Ben Taylor. He thinks he really needs a man-to-man talk, but Rosie knows what he really needs is a woman like her...

"Forget Me? Not" -- Straitlaced, by-the-book Amanda Baldwin is at loose ends. Her longtime fiance has just dumped her! What's Amanda to do? Easy ... let a charismatic, hunky beach guy -- namely Zach Castelli -- show her the wild side of life. Zach is irrepressible, unpredictable, and uncommitted -- he thinks marriage is a state of unhappily ever after. He just wants to help Amanda forget about her fiance, but after a few close encounters, will he want the job? And will Amanda approve the change?

This particular Duets installment is somewhat uneven, and not as good as other Duets I've read. "Mail" has charming characters and an appealing romance, but it seemed like Collins was trying to bring together too many elements. There's Rosie's job, Rosie's brothers, Ben's ex's, plus them, their romance, the parking situation ... too many pieces make the puzzle not quite fit. Unfortunately, Ben and Rosie's romance gets slighted. And I was upset about that, because Ben and Rosie are both wonderful, funny characters with a lot of life and verve, and I wanted to be able to believe in happily ever after for them. That said, the story is sweet, and I flew through it, laughing out loud as I went.

"Forget" is a good read, with very charming characters (especially Zach). I was distressed by Zach's insensitivity to the effects of his inability to commit, and I found his continued pursuit of Amanda a little disturbing. That said, this was a fun, interesting story with a lot going for it.

All in all, this was a fun book to read, but there are better Duets installments out there.

This was the first of the Harlequin Duets Romance/Comedy books that I had read in the monthly series and after reading this book I often look for more Duets in bookstores and online.

The first thing that is great is it is essentially two books for the same price, that are related in some way; but are completly different.

In "She's got mail" a budding journalist named Rosie meets a lawyer in her building named Ben after they both reserve the same parking space in the buildings lot. "She's got mail" is a fun read, at times a little too cheesy but what romance novel doesn't involve a bit of 'cheese'?

My favorite of the two, "Forget me? NOT" centers around a somewhat stuffy Amanda, who meets free spirit Zach after he overhears Amanda's cold fiancee Reed dumping her in a resteraunt and decides to say Hello.

All the of characters in this book are relatable from the spontaneous Zach and by the book Amanda to 'baby sister' syndrome suffering Rosie and Ben who is plagued by the presence of his exes in his office.

The minute I picked up the book, I couldn't put it down. I have never laughed so much and really connected with such amazing characters. My wife recommended that I read this book, she couldn't stop raving about it. At first I couldn't understand why she was all smiles while reading it, but now I know. Colleen Collins is a rising star and a fantastic author. I'm looking forward to her next book!

I am an avid reader and collector of ethnological and cultural writings of the Pacific NW as well as being a native of the region. This book lacks the scholarship and detail necessary for a definitive work about the Tolowa people. It is too ambitious. It also follows the pattern of prescribed Anthropology in ignoring the fact that U.S. State boundaries are artificial in terms of culture. Oregon native cultures are as closely related to the Tolowa as California native cultures. In the linguistics section there is not enough information. This book is simply too thin to really say anything important. I also think the editing and writing could have used a few more drafts. For anyone doing research on the Tolowa, I can not recommend this book.

My wife is of Tolowa descent and I have found this book to be a fascinating read. Over the years, I have been quite puzzled, and intrigued, by what I interpreted to be the quirky behaviors, of my wife and family, such as: refusing to talk about the past; only using the native tongue to scold children and family pets; embarrassment on being identified as an Indian; an easy acceptance of the appearance of poverty even when they have good incomes; in-laws jokingly offering to bring old cars and other junk to the house so that we would look more Indian; a fascination verging upon obsession for poaching fish, game, and firewood; and, a general reluctance to do anything in a legal manner when other options are available.

This book has helped me tremendously in understanding my Tolowa kin and I would highly recommend it for anyone looking to learn about the present-day Tolowa people. As a benefit, the book briefly covers traditional culture and language -- for which a previous reviewer regrettably found great fault for its lack of detail. However, one only has to reread the title to see that the focus of this work is not traditional culture and language, but rather, how real people, whose assimilation into the American culture only appears to be complete, cope with living in two cultures.

Where else in America do the young men quietly slip out of a warm house full of family, food, and friends to illegally fish for salmon they could easily afford to buy because the fish and game wardens are, as they say, "never out on Thanksgiving"? So, to Mr. Collins I say: "Well done."

Contrary to the previous reader, I found this book both interesting and accessible. It presents a small Native California group, the Tolowa, in an historical narrative that explains who they were before Americans settled California (and Oregon), how they were changed by conquest, and how they have survived. It does not write in arcane detail about the traditional culture, but it does provide considerable amounts of information organized into an intelligent argument. Unlike many traditional anthropological studies, it doesn't stint the periods after the Northwest was settled by Americans, that is, contemporary history. Although it is not a linguistic book, it presents a clearly-written and detailed argument about language, place, and identity, and the final chapter has a long discussion of how Tolowa efforts to preserve their native language have been part of cultural persistence. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the Tolowa, in an accessible history of Native Californians and Native Americans as part of the broader currents of U.S. History, or in a sensitive discussion of the politics of identity and why it matters. But be sure to buy the paperback, the hardback is way overpriced.

Have you ever thought of how life on Earth would be if a global disaster happens? Reading Max Allen Collins book WaterWorld will help you find out what life would be like if the world was devastated by a global disaster. In the book WaterWorld, the whole world is covered by a never-ending ocean caused by the melting of the polar ice capes. This was probably caused by global warming, which we caused by our constant polluting of our planet. With the whole world covered by water, people have to live on boats or manmade islands. But this world isn't without its dangers because savage pirates are a constant threat to the survivors of this world. These survivors have protected themselves by building manmade islands with defenses to protect them from these pirates. So if this type of reading sounds like fun to you, go to your nearest bookstore and pick it up and start your adventure into the book WaterWorld. I thought this book was great because this type of global disaster could happen to our world. With all our polluting of the air and land, we could some day cause our own major global warming. This would cause the melting of the polar ice capes and would cause our world to flood and end up like the world in the book WaterWorld, a world with an endless ocean. But this type of disaster will take a couple of hundred years to happen, hopefully. So this will give us time to fix our world before this type of disaster could really happen to our own world. I think others should read this book if they like the apocalyptic type books with lots of intense action. Other people may like this book if they like survival books where the main character fights against impossible odds to survive; and in the end, still manages to overcome these odds and survive victorious. Also I think others should read this book because it shows the survivor's unwillingness to give up even in the worst of conditions. An example of this is how the survivor of WaterWorld are able to survive after a global disaster and still be able to live on somewhat comfortably. So if any of this sounds like fun to you, go get the book WaterWorld.

Waterworld Review

The book that i read is Water World. Water World is a exciting story that takes place in the future were the world is covered by water. There are rumors however of a place that still has land. The key to figuring out the position of the land is a little girl. But beware lurking around is the Smokers, a pirate gang on power boats and jet ski's. Have a exciting time reading Water world.

The future, the polar ice caps have melted, leaving the world covered in water. Those who survive, live on these floating fortreses known as atols,in this place called WaterWorld. Brave explorers travel the seas in search of dryland, the last left on the planet. But the Deacon, meniacall leader of a group of evil raiders known as Smokers is determined to find dryland first. He is confident that no one has returned from dryland alive, until now......

I can see that this book would be helpful to someone trying to learn English. A native speaker will find very little of interest here.

Here's a delightful collection of American riddles and puzzles, illustrated with wonderfully quirky cartoons. 101 American English Riddleswill amuse you for hours - while giving insight into American idioms and humor. Harry Collins has arranged 101 riddles into nine sections based on the type of riddle, including: Riddles with words with more than one meaning, Riddles that trick you, Riddles that use numbers and logic, Riddles that use idioms, and more! And he has turned them over to illustrator Joe Kohl, whose eye-grabbing cartoons give you clues to the answers - or lead you astray!

You'll find help everywhere you need it, including explanations of wordplays, idioms, and culture. Where helpful, there are also dialogues or natives that show how the language in the riddle is used in everyday American English.

This book will help nonnative speakers of English improve their use of English at its most entertaining - while native speakers will enjoy seeing these favorite riddles illustrated with such wit and whimsy. 101American English Riddles will have you scratching your head in puzzlement or slapping your thigh with laughter!