I have read the novel several times and have seen the film version several times.Both are excellent. It is a real tour de force that Forsythe makes irrelevant the fact that we know that De Gaulle was not assassinated. The pace is so fast and the storyline so gripping that we are carried along by the thrill of what happens to the exclusion of the fact that De Gaulle will survive. The detail of the preparation for the kill is credible and superbly researched. In particular the novel details for the first time, as far as I'm aware, the best method of applying for a passport in a false name, something with which the Jackal is all too familiar. You enter easily into his world and yet you never really know who he is, even his nationality. His anonymity is attractive. A personal point of interest is that I spotted an error in the text that has persisted since the book's original publication in 1971 but should be corrected since I have pointed it out to the current publishers. It's a really freudian slip in chapter 18 when instead of asking about the "make and number" of the car Lebel actually asks about the "make and murder" of the car. Strangely enough the italian translation of the novel corrects the mistake. I was curious to know if Forsythe had made the mistake in the original text, particularly if he had handwritten the original. The publisher did not forward my question to the author or give me an e-mail address to correspond with him. If anyone knows it I'd be grateful.
This novel must rank as one of the greatest thrillers of modern times. I highly recommend it to those who enjoy thrillers.

They are the veterans of the futile war in Algeria. The President cares nothing for them, their cause or their forgotten colony. Attempt after attempt to take the life of the president have failed. Simply put: the OAS is dying. With informers at every level and no money left, they seek retribution.

The only man on earth capable of full filling their lust for vengeance is an anonymous, blond english man who calls himself -- The Jackal. Unknown to every police force and secret service on earth, The Jackal does not exist. With a price of half a million dollars The Jackal will assassinate the most heavily guarded man on earth-President Charles de Gualle.

With utmost precision and professionalism we follow the Jackal through his elite plan to kill his target.

This was a sweet novel. This book should be read by any would-be assassin and by every would-be writer who wants to write about Assassins...

One of the things a reviewer must bear in mind is not when he read the book but when the book was written. Day of the Jackal is a ground breaker that has since been copied countless times.

The book is about an assassin hired by the OAS (nowadays, they would be called French terrorists, patriots, far-right extremists etc) to kill Charles DeGaulle, president of France. The OAS was composed of French war veterans who felt betrayed by the country they had served with enormous sacrifice to their lives. When Charles DG gave up Algeria, he became the symbol OAS decided had to be struck down. Events turn out such that a foreign professional assassin had to be hired to do the job, and of course, to ensure the balance, the French police had to be tipped off. Thus the game of cat and mouse began. As the author detailed the workings of both sides, readers are captivated and would actually root for both sides, nevermind the author did explicitly state CDG survived.

Of course, critical readers may find certain about of suspension of belief required. First, it was the repeated failed attempts of the OAS members to do the killing themselves that cost OAS its support. The cause of the failure was supposed to be sheer bad luck and silly oversight of the OAS, who were supposed to be experienced soldiers. They may not know much about politics, but to fail in such operations seem rather unforgivable.

Second, the serendipidity of the authorities getting on the right track to hunt the Jackal was also incredible. Whereas the Jackal, codename for the assassin had relied on careful planning and relied not on luck, luck was the only thing the authorities had. The message might be that detective work is long labourious and luck only favours the prepared.

Third, I guess there is no way the author can short change the Jackal's effort except to make the assassination attempt fail by the sheerest bad luck.

Nonetheless, the structures introduced by the author to the assassination and manhunt was wonderfully captivating. This novel definitely makes true the saying the goal is the journey, not the destination.

This is a difficult book to read because the evil that slavery entails. The oppression of anyone is an evil that must be overcome. Frederick Douglass displayed a remarkable courage in learning to read and write to finally overcome the horror of slavery. I appreciate his observation on the religious hypocrisy of the South. It was telling that religious slave owners were always the worst. Of course since religion helped breed slavery in America this really should not come as any surprise. I have great admiration for the founders of this country but I also feel that the evil and hypocrisy of slavery should be exposed. It is an ugly passage in American history that must be addressed. This book should be read by high school kids in every high school in America--make that every American period. Frederick Douglass deserves to be recognized as a great American and this book is essential reading for any American.

Slavery was known as a "peculiar institution". By broadcasting such labels for slavery, the southern slave owners were able to downplay the severity of the subjugation of slaves in this "peculiar institution". However, in 1845 a runaway slave by the name of Frederick Douglass was published his narrative which showed the extent of the cruelty within of the oppressive the institution of American slavery. Douglass gives a powerful portrayal of his personal struggle against the tyranny of himself and his fellow slaves. By depicting his personal story regarding the horrors of slavery, Douglass testified to the injustices of the slave institution and conveyed an urgent message of the time for prompt abolition.
Douglass leaves out no detail as he portrays the brutal means in which slaves were forced into subjugation. In order to maintain order and to achieve maximum efficiency and productivity from his slave, an owner used the fear of the ever-present whip against his slaves. Over, and over again throughout the Narrative, Douglass gives account of severe beatings, cruel tortures, and unjust murders of slaves. The message is evident. Slavery dehumanized African Americans.
From the introduction of his early experience, Douglass portrays the burdens of slavery. The reader is forced to cope with the fact that he has no tangible background. Slavery has robbed him of the precious moments of his childhood. He was raised in the same manner as one would raise an animal. In his early years he had no knowledge of time-he did not even know when he was born. He is also forced to scrounge for food in the same fashion as a pig digs for slop. The saddest insight is the alienation of Douglass from his family. He has no connection with his parents and when his mother dies he was untouched. On hearing of her death he states, "I received the tidings of her death with much the same emotions I should have probably felt at the death of a stranger" (19). The bond between mother and child is the strongest bulwark for children and to be robbed of this and to not care demonstrates just how severe slavery was to Douglass and countless others who faced the same fate. In the entire slave experience, the only escape from the repression was through sorrowful singing. As Douglass states, "every tone was a testimony against slavery..." and "slaves sing the most when they are unhappy" (29). Only through music could slaves find comfort in dealing with their anguish.
Douglass's first witness of brutality is the telling of his Aunt Hester's beating. The narration is powerfully effective through terrible detail. The cursing of the overseer, the shrieks of his aunt, and the horrible effects the whip upon her flesh is almost as agonizing the reader of the Narrative as it was to his unfortunate aunt. The fact that this terrible instance is a common occurrence makes it a heavier burden upon the reader's soul.
As if the beatings were not enough, slaves were also murdered on a whim. Douglass tells of Gore, a meticulously cold taskmaster who blew out the brains of a poor slave by the name of Demby. The chilliness of Gore's is terrible due the fact that he kills with the sympathy of a butcher.
Upon hearing about this, one would speculate that the authorities would deal with such barbaric acts justly. However, as Douglass recounts in the story Mrs. Hicks, the murderess that killed a slave girl for not moving fast enough, the law officials were hesitant to enforce the rights of the slave and would intentionally overlook such matters. This is primarily due to the fact that a slave owning society could not allow the rights of the slave to be upheld to the same level as a white man. To do such a thing would threaten the stability of their superiority. This is further illustrated in Douglass's struggle against the shipyard workers, when he fled to his master and told him of the attack his master stated that he could not hold up Douglass or even a thousand blacks testimony. The lack of protection under the law and the unwillingness of the whites to give the slaves a voice allowed the whites to completely dominate the slaves without the fear of accountability for their actions.
The worst aspect of slavery is found in the religious nature of the subjugation of slaves. The cruelty found in slavery was even more intense when placed under the pretense of the slaveholding religion of Christianity. Through Douglass's deconstruction of Christianity, he learns that the white oppressive version of Christianity is much different from his own beliefs of Christianity. The incident that shaped Douglass's understanding of the mentality of religious slaveholders was when he was placed under the authority of Mr. Freeland. In this situation, he was able to see the difference between the so-called "religious slave-holders" and "non-religious slave-holders." Douglass felt that the "non-religious slave-holders" were less brutal because they did not reprimand their slaves based on a Divine command. Instead they were more concerned about reprimanding the slaves when the slaves did wrong as opposed to whenever they felt that the Lord professed a beating.
The Narrative and Selected Writings is a powerful testimony to the struggles American slaves faced. Through the writings of men such as Frederick Douglass, abolitionists were given fuel to the bonfire of the Abolition Movement. Douglass honest testimony helped to bring out the truth about slavery. Abolitionists now had evidence to back their claim that the "peculiar institution" was in fact an institution of evil.

Perhaps more so than any other account, Douglass gives us a look into the life of a slave. I enjoy this book on many level. Douglass writes honestly and in a factual tone. He does mince his words when he describes the brutality of slavery. Douglass demonstrates that he is an intelligent man despite his lack of education. He taight himself to read. To our youth, this demonstrates the value of education. Douglass also show Americans manipulated the work of God even in his time. Yet, Douglass found strength in that God. I think the quality I enjoyed most about this book is the fact that Douglass does not see himself as a hero, but as an average slave. This is not a typical characteristic of an autobiography. I read this book for the second time coming and going on 3 hour flights. The book is a short read, but well worth your time to read of atriumph of the human spirit.

As I write this review, I'm saddened by the people I suspect should read this book but, for whatever reason, won't. After reading this book, I finally explicitly understand what I found troubling with socialism--it *requires* obedience to ensure adherence to the plan. As I read this book, I couldn't help notice the parallels between this book and "1984." Since that book was written in 1948, I suspect Orwell was directly influenced by this book. Furthermore, I found "The Socialist Roots of Naziism" a unique take on how socialism and naziism are brethren of the same cloth.

The only thing I found annoying were the periodic German and Latin idioms. This is an extremely minor complaint given the era as well as the intended (presumably academic) audience.

A final comment, Forbes' Ronald Bailey is quoted on the front jacket, "Nearly half a century ago, most of the smart people sneered with Friedrich Hayek published "The Road to Serfdom." The world was wrong and Hayek was right" If "most of the smart people sneered" then this book was truly a courageous and visionary work.

I was introduced to Friedrich von Hayek through reading Thomas Sowell. And I decided to read this book because it was a highly recommended read in the Freedom's Nest Website Reading List.

As soon as I started reading this book, I developed a warm feeling toward the author. In his original introduction, Hayek started with: "When a professional student of social affairs writes a political book, his first duty is plainly to say so. This is a political book...." His candor and his confidence were so befitting with his great intellect.

Noting that Hayek was an Austrian, I was impressed by his mastery of the English language and I enjoyed his writing style. With mild language and in simple terms, Hayek made very sweeping predictions and patiently explained his reasoning with convincing arguments based on economic and human behavioral theories.

Hayek's thesis was that central economic planning will inevitably lead to governmental control of every facet of its citizen's life, and hence toward a totalitarian state. Hayek's other insightful observations: Nazism, Fascism and communism all have the same roots. In a totalitarian state, it is always the ruthless and the unsophisticated who ascend to the top. Extensive governmental control harms the society not just in delivering dismal economic results, but, more seriously, it produces a psychological change, an alteration in the character of the people.

One must not forget that when Hayek wrote this book, his was very much a voice in the wilderness; he was ridiculed and denounced by his contemporaries. But his ideas stood the test of time! And blessedly, he lived to see that - to see first the building and eventually the fall of the Berlin Wall.

This little book was said to have had definitive influence on such giants as Churchill, Thatcher, Reagan and many others. Perhaps the book's influence was best attested to by its being banned in the USSR, China and many other totalitarian countries.

This book belongs on your book shelf.

Once again a classic that has had much of the goodness wrung out of it by political zealots who cite it but never really read it or have the historical understanding to understand the context in which it was written.

Written at the end of WWII, Hayek was worried about the rise of totalitarian governments in the world --- and he had first-hand experience in the vagaries of fascism. Hayek assumes that people reading his great work will know the historical context. Maybe in his day most people did. Now you have mindless people in the US (mostly, but not exclusively) calling
themselves "conservatives" who cite the book as the main dogma for absolutely NO government intervention in ANY aspect of our lives. This argument is purely grounded in ideology and not any call to reason that Hayek intended, stated or believed.

Hayek is in fact a liberal in the original and correct meaning of that term (not how it is bandied about in the US press) and identified himself as such, citing all the rudiments of liberal democracy as his credo: individual liberty, minority rights, sanctity of public property, and, above all, a call to reason as a method resolving disputes.

In 1944 the world had been experimenting with two great dysfunctional political systems, communism and its ever more twisted cousins, fascism and naziism. Fascism was almost crushed. Its fallacies were all too plain to see. Communism was different story. The Soviet Unions role in crushing the Nazi beast it seemed that communism was a vindicated alternative hope to mankind. In western democracies WWII was an interlude following the depression and perceived collapse of any positive role for capitalism and the future to come. What would follow the war? State intervention had lessened the shock of the depression, even in America. Central planning had achieved a victory over Japan and Nazi Germany. State planning and Communism seemed to be triumphant.

Hayek was worried that people would strengthen their notion that strong government intervention in all aspects of life was the wave of the future. His entire book is an argument against such ideas and an attempt, largely proven, that active government planning of economies and peoples lifestyles is a bad idea that may (in some instances) lead directly to the blank mindless pit of Fascism and Communism. People should be careful when advocating a throughgoing role for central government in economies and in areas where they impact upon public liberties.

He states that there is no active positive role for governments in economies. This is made plain by Hayek when he states that the "state planning OF economies" should be avoided.
States taking an active role in central planning of production, expropriation of industries, progressive taxation of companies and the planning of cities with no private input are all things that Hayek forbade because they COULD be the thin wedge of a future totalitarianism and lead to inefficient economies of scale. In short if carried to an extreme as in Soviet Russia and Mao's China -- they lead to Serfdom.

State planning FOR econonies and competition is, he describes, an honourable and old profession." He is specifically advocates a positive role for the state in the improvement of capitalism and quality of life. Latter examples of where Hayek would agree with positive state intervention are in areas of, education, roads, infrastructure, public services which benefit industry, public health care. ALL of these measure prepare a society for a healthy environment where competition can thrive within.

It is debateable whether this book is dated. Hayek wrote for the times. As an economic liberal one has to agree with his general laissaz-fair policy. That appears timeless.

In other areas Hayek was wrong. Many post WWII governments experimented with strong central planning economies and did not become even mildly totalitarian. Canada, Sweden, the UK, postwar Germany all advocated and produced strong central governments and were paragons of liberty, certainly much more so than the US. Moreover they were able to abandon many pillars of state intervention by government fiat and the ballot box and return to a less government dominated economy. The election of Thatcher in the UK is the most striking example.

So as a text for right-wing, nonthinking ideologues this book will remain timeless. As an economic primer for why and how not to embark on central government planning Hayek will also retain appeal. As a dogmatic description of what happens when the government sets itself a positive role in the state it will fail to describe fully and account for the regenerative, cultural, and reason-based ideology that is liberal democracy. Ironic because Hayek was defending liberal democracy in the first place.

A classic book about the development and management of large scale software projects. One of the industries veterans shares his experience and his views gathered mainly during the development process of the IBM OS/360 operating system. Yes, this book is more than 20 years old - which makes it even more interesting (or shall I even say: sad?) to see that many of the observed shortcomings and pitfalls are still the industries greatest problems today. Maybe all management and developers alike should be required to read this book prior to getting a job in the field. Although the book does feature some code examples these are few and far in between, it's main focus lies on the coordination and management aspects of software projects. The somewhat poetical title hints at one of the most stressed points, namely that men are not interchangeable and that twice as many engineers don't cut development times in half. Brooks also offers his opinions on the psychological aspects of systems design, backed up by his experience and occasional statistical evidence. This anniversary edition features a review by the author, where he sums up what points he thinks remain valid in hindsight more than twenty years later.
I particularly enjoyed a beautiful chapter titled: 'The joys of the craft' where Brooks tries to explain what fascinates and captures him about programming. If you happen to be stuck on a frustrating stretch of your project - read this chapter and you'll feel better - I did.

There are few must reads in this industry. This is one. First published in 1975, this work is as applicable to software engineering today as it was then. Why? Because building things, including software, has always been as much about people as it has been about materials or technology--and people don't change much in only 25 years.

In the preface to the First Edition, Brooks states "This book is a belated answer to Tom Watson's probing question as to why programming is hard to manage." This short book (at just over 300 pages) does a masterful job answering that question.

It is here we first hear of Brooks's Law: "Adding manpower to a late software project makes it later." Brooks doesn't just drop that on the reader without explanation. Instead, he walks through the reasoning, discusses how communication in a group changes as the group changes or grows, and how additions to the group need time to climb the learning curve.

Those new to the industry or who are reading the book for the first time might be put off by the examples and technology discussed. Indeed, even in the newly released edition, the original text from 1975 is still present, essentially untouched. So, talk of OS/360 and 7090s, which permeates the text, is perhaps laughable to those not looking deeper. When talking about trade-offs, for example, Brooks offers "... OS/360 devotes 26 bytes of the permanently resident date-turnover routine to the proper handling of December 31 on leap years (when it is day 366). That might have been left to the operator." This is 26 bytes he's talking about!

Brooks provides a light, almost conversational tone to the prose. This isn't to say the observations and analysis were not very well researched. Comparing productivity number with those of Software Productivity Research (SPR), you'll find Brooks came up with the same measurements for productivity as Jones--only 20 years earlier!

Other wisdom is also buried in this work. Brooks declares "The question, therefore, is not whether to build a pilot system and throw it away. You will do that. The question is whether to plan in advance to build a throwaway, or to promise to deliver the throwaway to customers." The state of products I buy today tells me not enough people have taken Brooks's observations to heart!

The latest version of the text includes his work "No Silver Bullet." Brooks, who had brought us so much before, had one last "parting shot."

As I started this review I will also end it: this book is a classic. Read it.

If you've ever wondered why large software projects often turn out to be such nightmares, read this book to learn why it's not just a figment of your imagination. You are not alone.

Furthermore, this book should be required reading for any CEO who has to oversee ITD folks and whose business depends on the success of technology improvements.

When you have a brain-trust working for you that constantly tells you how new tools and technologies will save the day, read the chapters 'No Silver Bullet' and 'No Silver Bullet Revisited' and decide for yourself.

My nit to pick would be that Brooks embraces packaged software products without differentiating between products that support your business (accounting or payroll software) versus products that are your business. Should Ebay have bought a vanilla auction package? I think not.

This isn't necessarily an easy read (that is, it's not Scott Adam's 'The Dilbert Principle' or Eliyahu Goldratt's 'The Goal') but as another reviewer suggested, a casual pace with time for reflection is suggested. It's well worth the effort.

Forsyth does a very good job of describing the Gulf War through this book. He is able to point out the devastation that is cast on Iraq as a result of the Allied bombing campaign. He also is able to display the vicious nature of Saddam Hussein who expends the lives of Iraqi like they are ragdolls. The focus of this story is a source behind enemy lines named Jerico. This source is being used to locate Saddam's secret nuclear bomb facility. The true identity of Jerico is stunning. The ending of the book is a true classical manner in ways to end a book. This book was a very interesting read. Once again Forsyth has written an outstanding book. Definitely read this.

Forsyth tells the gripping tale of events, both fact and fiction, surrounding the Gulf War. The Israeli Mossad has just revealed to the CIA and SIS the existance of an agent inside the Iraqi Hierarchy, willing to report on Saddam's most secret meetings. The spy, code-named Jericho, is contacted by an SAS man disguised as a groundskeeper. Valuable information flows from Baghdad to Riyadh until the existance of something called "The Fist of God" is reported by Jericho. This, coupled with the findings of a brash F-15 pilot, unleashes a horrifying nightmare for the Coalition leaders. A little slow moving, a little too much technical detail, but still a taut, suspenseful, and believable novel

I don't normally read spy thrillers of this type, and this was the first of Forsyth's books I've read, but I loved it! I grabbed this book from my husband one day when I was bored, and was drawn in immediately by the tense prose and gripping plotline. I won't give a synopsis, you can get that above. But I will say I read this almost straight through from start to finish.

No one seems to know how much of this novel is really true, and in the end, that doesn't matter, because it's writen so well that it might as well be true. The plot is crafted around a war that really happened, and the author spoke with those who had taken part in the war, giving his work an authenticity hard to match. If you're looking for an intelligent novel of this genre, then this one is hard to beat. Don't hesitate!

The Hound of the Baskervilles was an excellent book, and one of the best mysteries I have ever read. Holmes, the superhuman detective, is asked to investigate the death of Charles Baskerville, which many believe to be the work of the ferocious hound, a curse brought about by the misdeeds of Hugo Baskerville. When Sir Henry inherits the estate, Holmes must solve the mystery before another Baskerville meets his end!

This novel has one of the most complex plots of any mystery, with many unexpected twists, and is one that will keep you reading until its suspenseful, engrossing climax. The setting is also well put together, and the danger of the foggy moor only adds to the drama.

This story had huge appeal for me, largely because of the believability of the characters. Holmes, Watson, and Henry are very realistic - and people that I would want to know. Holmes was so real to many readers, that they actually wrote to 221 Baker Street, his fictional address!

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was not only a great mystery writer, but a wonderful novelist as well. This novel is proof that he really deserved the title of knight!

Follow Sherlock Holmes and his trusty colleague, Watson, in one of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's best murder mystery ever, The Hound of the Baskervilles. Watch while Sherlock Holmes uncovers the mysteries of the Baskerville Hall of London.

You and Sherlock Holmes get to discover all the clues of Charles Baskerville's mysterious death and protect Henry Baskerville from being murdered. You listen to stories of the notorious hound. Finally, before its too late, decide who is behind the murder of Charles Baskerville. Was it the baronet, Mr. And Mrs. Stapleton, or was it possibly Laura Lynes? Find out in the end.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle keeps you in suspense throughout the book. He keeps bringing in more leads to the story. The author also provides an interesting and intriguing topic with a tall tale creature tied in.

This book is wonderful and would be best appreciated by all readers 10 and up.

As a mystery writer with my debut novel in its initial release, I always appreciate the classics of the mystery genre. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's works are among the best of the genre, and THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES is Doyle's best novel. Those readers expecting to find in this book the famous Holmes line about the dog that didn't bark will be disappointed. That nonbarking dog isn't here. It's in one of the Holmes short stories. What we have here is a moody work set among the moors with a strong and obvious Gothic influence upon Doyle by the mystery genre's founder, Edgar Allan Poe. Holmes and his supporting cast are all in fine form. The plot works, as does the setting and the tone. THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES has endured. It will continue to endure in the future. It is a classic that people actually read.

This is my favourite novel by Dickens and one of my all time favourites.Some of his best known characters are here:the ever optimistic Mr Micawber,the stout hearted Aunt Betsy,the slimy toad Uriah Heep,the troubled Steerforth,faithful Pegotty, honest Ham,the nasty Murdstones, and so on.Even Jip the dog is brought to life with real character.No one has created such characters as Dickens.They are a sheer delight.Dickens has a wonderful sense of humour, which shines in this book.He also has a very readable style of writing.He can be overly sentimental, but this was expected by 19th century readers.Agnes, David Copperfield's second wife and true love is just too good to be believed.We can forgive Dickens these irritations, because he gives us the most memorable characters in literature.Also, there is a great deal of sympathy and affection for ordinary human beings and their foibles in his work.This is a novel which can be read over and over again during a whole lifetime, giving much pleasure with each reading.

Charles Dickens is synonymous with literary masterpieces... And rereading this book again since high school has given me a new appreciation for this author's work. He brings us humanity at every angle... the goodness and evil, love and hate, life and death is displayed in his writing. It's about a young boy who overcomes being orphaned and child labor to become a man of his "own account" and finding true love. Although, even after all the trials and tribulations that he goes through, he still remains pure and consistent. The good in him, since a young boy, remains in him as an adult. David Copperfield is amazing. He brings us many memorable characters and even more memorable scenes. Who could forget Mr. Micawber, Miss Betsy Trotwood and Uriah Heep? And the scenes from his early childhood to all that takes place in the Yarmouth seashore is unforgettable. More like a memoir than a fiction, this pseudo autobiography must have been close to the author's heart. Dickens himself said in his later years that David Copperfield is his "favorite child".

What a wonderful book. I've cried and laughed, even though, I didn't think I would enjoy this book. I was thoroughly absorbed from the very beginning and couldn't put this book down. One of those books you should read once in your lifetime...if not twice.

Julianne

Charles Dickens is a master at re-creating the world. Throughout most of his books, Dicken's own life is recreated time and again, always with a different plot but with the same basic truths. In "David Copperfield", we go along the protagonist through his troubled and orphane childhood, his sufferings in terrible public schools, his trip to the beach to visit his nanny, his life with the stern yet loving aunt Miss Betsie Trotwood, the intrigues of the despicable yet fearsome Uriah Heep, his marriage to the childish and immature Dora, the betrayal by a trusted friend, success without happiness, and finally the encounter with true love, in the form of a friend from youthness.

The characters are all people you find during your own lifetime: your friends, your aunt, your sweetheart, that woman you love but you can't stand, etc. Copperfield is the story of a good man in his learning through difficulties and setbacks.

No wonder it is still read and probably will stay alive through the decades: Copperfield has something to tell us all.

I just recently read Old Yeller for a book report and I enjoyed it greatly. I give it five stars for being easy to read and heart tugging. Some people like books that tug and this one does. Travis, the oldest boy, has to take charge when he dad leaves for driving cattle. He looks after his mother and his little brother, Arliss. While his dad is gone a dog shows up. He's an ugly Yeller dog, and yet the decided to keep him. Well they go through a lot together, one marking their wild pigs. When they do this, things just go down hill. I'm going to stop right there, and hope you pick this book up and read it.

Alexandra Y10/25/02
Reading Response #5
Old Yeller By Fred Gipson

I think that Old Yeller is a good book. There are many carefully described details and thoughtful characters. This book is about a 14-year old boy named Travis who becomes the "man" of his family. While his father is gone, Travis becomes friends with an old, yellow dog who shows up at their cabin. He doesn't like this dog at all until something bad happens to his brother, Arliss and Old Yeller comes to the rescue. This book is filled with friendship, happiness, excitement, and sadness, which reminds me of the movie Shiloh.
Old Yeller takes place in the Texas hills during the 1860's. The setting is very important because it shows how hard it was to manage living. For example, they didn't have soap back then. They would have to mix lye water with hog fat and boil it. The setting also explains that they lived in the country area and had to prepare very hard each year for the comings of winter. This is one reason why they needed a dog to help. Luckily, Old Yeller joined the family and helped along!
If I could meet the author, Fred Gipson, I would ask him many questions. Was he the first author to write about a boy and a dog's friendship? Did many people copy his idea because they liked his book? Or did he get his plot idea from another author? Also, I would ask him if this story is true. While reading Old Yeller, I felt as if it really happened because of the wonderful details. I think it would be quite amazing if this plot weren't a true story because I felt that Old Yeller is very realistic and I felt very close to the characters. They have unique personalities.
Old Yeller reminds me of life in the world. Like the world, this book has sadness, joy, happiness, problems, and pain. In the world there are a lot pain, like when Old Yeller repeatedly gets hit by a rock. I think this is one of the reasons why this book is so interesting to read.
Old Yeller is a great book. I think that it was a good idea for this book to get a Newbury Honor. I recommend Old Yeller to everyone who likes A Day No Pigs Would Die by R. Peck. Both books are about an animal that becomes an important part of the main character's lives.

I'm a 7th grade teacher and I introduced my students to this novel for the first time this year. To my amazement they had never even heard of OLD YELLER. Now, middle school students can be the toughest audience in the world but THEY LOVED THIS BOOK.

Author Fred Gipson perfectly captures the time period of Texas in the late 1800's and the challenges of daily life. Into the mix of chores and adventures on the farm is the universal bond of a boy and his dog. Travis and Old Yeller are two characters that any child will immediately connect with and grow to love. And naturally as many novels geared towards younger readers, the conclusion will remain with them long after the novel has been read.

On a side note I must also recommend the classic Walt Disney version of OLD YELLER (VHS or DVD). Young readers will enjoy the similarities and differences between novel and movie. It's an excellent example to build discussion or writing lessons involving comparisons or contrasts.

And while I have continually mentioned young readers I should also comment that OLD YELLER is a must-read for people of any age group. So the next time you need to be entertained by a great novel, pick up this classic.

Journey to the Center of the Earth is another Science Fiction by Jules Verne (20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Around the World in 80 Days) Like most of Verne's other works, Journey is told from the perspective of someone reminiscing about a great adventure. Becuase the story is told in a journal-like fashion, the action sequences are abridged somewhat; but there is still some excitement in this book. Though somewhat dated (many of the theories Verne relied on when writing his descriptions about the center of the Earth have since been disproven) this book is still an excellent read. Visit http://www.michaellegg.com for more reviews.

I liked A Journey to the Center of the Earth, because it was filled with action. I recommend it to anyone into science-fiction. A good knowledge of geology would better help people understand parts of this book, because Jules Verne uses a lot of science terms and phrases. If you like crazy things this book is for you, because a lot of wierd things happen and are seen (sea monsters, humans, large mushrooms) while the main characters are in the interior of the earth. This book is filled with action and adventure. There is not more than two chapters that go by without a major event occuring. If you cannot read very long you can still enjoy this book, because most of the 44 chapters are around 5 to 7 pages in length. Overall this book is easy to understand and very interesting.

Reading this book is an amazing adventure, as evidenced by a century of avid readers. I picked it up on a lark and decided to read the first five or ten pages to see if it was my type. It was easy to read, enjoy and visualize, and I quickly finished it.

The story revolves around a young man and his uncle, who is a scientist. They discover a route to the center of the earth (hence the title), and the novel is about their journey. Once you get 100 pages into this book, you aren't able to stop. The things they find boggle the mind, but seem so real.

100 years from now, people will still be enjoying Jules Verne, because he captures the imagination of the young explorer.

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).