Along with L'Assommoir by Zola and Journey to the End of the Night by Celine, Choderlos de Laclos's masterpiece ranks as one of my favorite books of all time. To fully appreciate the genius of the letter writing form,one must understand that the libertine novels of the 18th century all utilized this format. Laclos admittedly set out to write a book that would depart from other works of the century to leave a dramatic imprint on the world, and he succeeded. While written in the same lingusitic and seductive style of a libertine novel, Laclos transforms the limited and mundane scope of the libertine world into a riveting classic. Each character reflects a different conception of "love" and how the libertine world can go awry when true sentiment is confused with lust. La Marquise de Merteuil reflects the purest degree of libertinage. In perhaps the most spellbinding of all the letters, she explains to Valmont her duplictious conduct after her husband's death to obtain her reputation among men and place herself at the forefront of society's attention. In contrast, Mlle. de Tourvel is the epitome of sentimental love, to the point that she can become physically ill if it is not reciprocated. Clearly what separates this work from other romance novels of the 18th century, elevating it to the level of other world masterpieces, is the character of Valmont. He is the heart and soul of this novel in every way possible. One one hand, Valmont is extremely self-assured in his ways, when describing his calculating, rational strategy in courting naive young ladies. On the other hand, he refuses to accept the reality evidenced by his relationship with Mme. de Tourvel that he is not the manipulative libertine that he, and society, consider him to be. The deep struggle within Valmont between his true feelings and his vanity in preserving his reputation of libertinage is perhaps the most compelling storyline in the novel- because it is physcological and under the surface. At this level, Les Liaisons Dangereuses is often compared to "Crime and Punishment". les Liaisons is more subtle in its physcological dimension in that the reader must form her own conclusions about Valmont's physchosis whereas Raskelnikov's mental state is at the heart of the prose. If I have not convinved everyone yet to go ahead and experience the magic of Laclos (who fortuneatley survived the Terror), then I have failed in my task...

Many people have seen one of several movie productions of this book and assumed that it is a modern story that has taken the 18th century as its setting. In fact, the book was written at that time, and it provides a shocking, thrilling, sexy window into the lives of the french aristocracy. It is a thing of beauty. The exploits of the central characters make your average daytime soap opera look tame, and it is all done with a cunning and an evil grace that went out of style with the french revolution. Language is used as an aphrodesiac, a lever, and occasionally a cudgel, and since the book takes the form of the published letters of the main characters we hear it straight from the pens of those involved. "Les Liasons Dangereuses" will make you mourn the invention of the telephone. Such skill with the written word! The double meaning was king, with muddied intentions as its queen. Read this book: you really must. If you love language it will become a favorite of yours, just as it did for me.

When I read Choderlos de Laclos' 1782 novel, "Les Liaisons Dangereuses" (which retains its French title in the 1961 English translation by P W K Stone), I found myself amazed and thrilled by its absolute excellence of execution. Its energy and spirit, and the seductive and machiavellian - perhaps even diabolical - undertones which whisper throughout the work, urge the reader ever onwards in the best page-turning tradition. It is possibly not for nothing that the book itself was eventually decreed 'dangerous' by French officials a full 42 years after it first appeared, long after it might have been expected to have lost its ability to shock. Even if you have seen the films "Dangerous Liaisons" (dir. Steven Frears) or "Valmont" (dir. Milos Forman) based on the book - and whether or not you liked them - this is an outstandingly good novel which is beautifully served by the precise and graceful prose of its translator, whose subtle range of diction manages to convey the tones and tempers of the characters most convincingly. The story's chief virtues - a compelling narrative drive, and a skill in characterisation which permit some superbly-observed insights - easily withstand comparison with the screen versions; even today, when we are so fully exposed to the diverse secrets of the psychiatrist's confessional and the details of the all world's vicissitudes and miseries, it would be hard to improve on their portrayal here in print.

The book succeeds so well for many reasons. Some of its appeal to a sophisticated (or at least blasé) modern audience is, I believe, the multi-layered cynicism of its vainglorious but not unattractive main characters and rivals, the Marquise de Merteuil and the Vicomte (viscount) de Valmont, a reminder that profound deceit is not the sole prerogative of the post-industrial era. Part of the reader's amusement is to observe how their egotism - by far the most easily-wounded of their sensibilities - is also an exercise in the deception of themselves as well as of all those with whom they have dealings. Equally, their wily scheming and duplicity simultaneously appal the reader while also appealing to any secret desire he might himself harbour to exercise his own will with equal freedom and with equal heedlessness of conscience or consequences, thus planting a distinct ambivalence in his or her breast. This effect is augmented by the shifting first-person narrative, a device which gives the voices of its protagonists an intimate (and often touching) immediacy and multiplies the scope for irony by giving the reader a consistently better view than the characters, to which the skilful interweaving of the sub-plots also contributes. I should mention that the novel is written entirely as a sequence of letters. This format was common in the 18th century when the book was written, but its relative rarity in modern fiction makes its appearance today refreshing. That it is overtly concerned with the sexual seduction of the weak by the strong partially disguises the fact that it is also a philosophical novel whose themes would easily form the subject of more general discussion. As a depiction of the relations between individual human beings, it is, to be sure, a study of calculating spiritual emptiness, but one which does not shy from laying bare the catastrophic consequences of the conspirators on their victims, just as the report of a war correspondent might describe in detail the horror of a bomb explosion in a hospital. "Les Liaisons Dangereuses" not only contains plenty of anguish on the part of its characters and an affecting deathbed scene, but the reader's own emotions are made to oscillate intensely throughout from amusement to arousal, from curiosity to incredulity, from admiration to dismay... all thanks to the superb manipulation of Laclos, whose mastery of both narrative and reader is absolute and, perhaps, somewhat unsettling. (But how I wish he had written more!)

I had people for dinner a few nights ago, and no one can stop talking about the wonderful results. I tried the Indonesian Ginger Chicken, and it sure was tasty. I followed her easy directions, and marinated the chicken overnight-- which is a real lifesaver, since you're not in the kitchen, seasoning, while everyone else is gossiping in the living room. I love recipes where you can prepare ahead, and just pop them in the oven when you want to eat. That seems to be the focus of Ina's book-- have fun with whomever you're entertaining, while a scrumptous meal cooks in the oven. The only thing I would do differently with the Ginger chicken is to buy pre-minced garlic and ginger. Doing it yourself takes forever because of how much is called for in the recipe. All in all, I think this book is terrific, and I've read through each recipe many times, simply imagining the tastes and looks of the food. It's so well put together, and I think Ina owes much of the book's success to the wonderful photography. This is the kind of cookbook you pick up to read just for fun, even if you're not planning to use it that day. Great job! Buy this now!

Before I found The Barefoot Contessa I hated cooking. Even after building a new home with a large, beautiful, functional kitchen, I wasn't interested. In fact my oven didn't get used for the first two months. Then a friend recommended Ms. Garten's book and I liked it because it looked pretty on my countertop. Since the day I opened it, my husband says I'm a changed woman.

My first attempt at a recipe was Parker's Split Pea soup, which is as delicious as my mother's (sorry, mom) and sooooo simple. If you can use a knife to chop veggies you're 90% there. The Rosemary Whitebean soup (use FRESH rosemary or don't even bother) enticed my neighbor to ask about the aromas she could smell from her yard. I then moved on to recipes that required more focus but are easily followed like Filet of Beef Bourginon (my husband's all-time favorite) and Swordfish with Tomato and Capers with Parmesan Smashed Potatoes served at a dinner party for eight (something I never would have even considered a year ago) where a guest inquired about whom I used for a caterer! Overall, extremely well written and simple to navigate your way through each recipe. Ina's side column notes are helpful personal touches, like why to use Kosher salt instead of table salt. (I had never even heard of such a thing...) The biggest rewards are hearing guests rave about MY cooking and, of course, enjoying the incredible food in my newly-discovered kitchen.

Although I would not reccommend this cookbook to some one on a low fat diet, (butter seems to be a main ingredient) it is great for easy entertaining. The recipes are easy to follow and I have yet to meet with failure! Although, I found the roasted potato fennel soup a bit bland. The roast chicken is a brainless staple in my house. The grilled lemon chicken with satay sauce is perfect summer party food. Crab cakes, spinich pie, turkey meatloaf, onion soup - you name it I have tried it, all to elegant and delicious results! The coconut cupcakes were to die for. They are not light and fluffy (with 5 eggs and half a pound of butter?) but dense like a moist chewy macaroon... yummy! I found that half of the frosting recipe is more than enough. Cook with the Contessa and diet tomarrow!

Give up dieting forever! I have and I am now losing weight eating anything, yes anything, I want. Can you imagine eating anything you want and not being frightened? This is the book that will set you free, this is the book you need. Has it struck you that dieting is unnatural? Don't eat this, don't eat that, count this, count that, measure this, measure that, I can't have this, and I can't have that, ad nauseum. Which diet guru are you going to believe? Can you reall stay with a low-carb diet or a high-carb diet or calorie counting the rest of your life? Most importantly, do you want to stick to a restricted diet the rest of your life? The first day of my new eating pattern I ate two meals. The second day, I woke up with no hunger, no reactive hypoglycemia (nausea and shakes from hunger)! What a miracle. I have shifted to an apple for lunch and anything I want for dinner (I love to cook and desire to eat with my family). At maintenance, I may end up eating two meals a day; I don't know and it certainly isn't something to "worry" about. The diet gurus that say one meal will cause you to overeat later, etc., are wrong, wrong, wrong. Maybe it sounds theoretically correct, but it does not work that way. Listen, I have found out the less you eat, the less you eat. I do eat to satisfaction at dinner and it does not stretch my stomach. By the way, Dr. Dean Edell stated on his radio show that he only eats one meal a day himself. He says there is NO scientific proof that X number of meals are better than one. Also, I want you dear readers to know that I have four friends who are "naturally" slim (adult women - 30's and 40's). Two of them eat a small amount for lunch (like a small hamburger) and a good dinner (they are sizes 3 and 6). One gal eats at 2:30 PM, a huge amount, and a snack at night (she is size 7). One gal does nibble all day, like a potato chip here and there (no thank you, personally). Oh, and a relative who is size 4 eats breakfast and dinner, never lunch. Remember my comeback for sabotagers: "Slim people don't need much food, even if we exercise. Who says a certain number of meals a day are better than one or two?" The only negative thing I have to say about Diane's book is that I felt she took scripture out of context. God fed the Israelites manna 2X a day; they were supernaturally filled and nourished. He does not feed anyone manna today. Also, biblical gluttony is not overeating (I do believe a lifestyle of overeating is sin, but not gluttony). Biblical gluttony refers to the Roman-type parties where people overate, overdrank and went on to commit more sin. On the positive side, I do believe Diane tries steer away from legalism and authoritarianism. This book is an answer to prayer. You won't be sorry if you buy this book.

Never have I read a book that not only gives a solution to the real problem, but I felt she was talking about me!!! Every example she gave was me talking....all the excuses...all the binges.....all the obsession. I HIGHLY recommend this book if you want true freedom from the disease of overeating. I have lost weight before on other things, sure they work, but do you keep it off? NO!!! Because food is still the obsession, and that is the light at the end of tunnel that I found in this book..I know realize that food is only here to keep us alive...not anything else!!! How much time I have wasted on what I was going and wanted to eat so badly when I could have been using this precious time for God. I have already begun my life long change and I know that it will continue with God's blessing. Thank you God, for allowing me to walk in the christian book store and find Diane's book(THE LAST ONE), and thank you, Diane, for writing it!!!!!

By the time I got to page 47 of this book, I was weeping because I knew I was finally FREE. I've been overweight for 10 years (240 lbs) and had tried every diet known to mankind. I always gained it back and more. God makes this so easy, it's almost too good to be true. I've learned to listen to my body and got a great side benefit - a closer relationship with God! And needless to say, my family is thrilled. Thank you Diane - your book will help thousands who lost all hope.

When we asked our baby's doctor to recommend a child care reference book, she recommended this one. The information it presents is based on medical research and experience rather than on one person's opinion. I like that it presents the advantages and disadvantages of various parenting dilemmas (breast vs. bottle, letting babies sleep in your bed, etc.) without going out of the way to take sides. I also liked that it is sensitive to the fact that many parents are single and/or may have had a baby unexpectedly, so it gives advice aimed at single parents as well as married couples.

When it comes to parenting books, I've been there done that. I've read the "What to Expect" series, the "Girlfriends Guides," the Mayo health books, etc. What I've found is that each one does its own thing well: "What to Expect" is good at topical, "Girlfriends" is funny, Mayo is medical. But sometimes, I just get tired of so many books! What makes Focus on the Family's book great is that it manages to do so many things well that you can safely eliminate some of these others. In fact, I think it's the best and most comprehensive child care book on the market.

The guide is comprehensive because it covers children from birth through adolescence. I think this is an important distinction that many books overlook. Just because our children get bigger doesn't mean that they need less attention. Actually, some of them need even more attention in the teenage years than most any other time.

I also like the way that the book addresses all areas of a child: physical, mental, and spiritual. It discusses divorce, child abuse, depression, eating disorders, and sexuality, right along with all the more traditional topics. Perhaps more important, the guide discusses the values that are behind our philosophy as Christian parents. How refreshing to know that I can consult an even-handed book with a Christian perspective. Its tone is always thoughtful, educated, and respectful.

Some other noteworthy features are at the back. There is a very thorough reference section that is over a hundred pages long and lists most illnesses and medications. Behind that is an emergency section that covers bites, burns, bleeding, CPR, etc. Next there is an annotated list of additional resources for various topics, a very detailed index, and finally a series of growth charts, color drawings of the human body and photographs of different skin diseases to help you identify them.

All and all, this is an excellent and thoughtful guide no matter where you are on your parenting journey.

It is fantastic and refreshing to be able to look into one resource and find everything you would possibly need to know concerning child rearing. From shots at 24 months, to skin rashes with photographic examples of each, to the different temperaments found in us all, to behavioral patterns at 13 months or 13 years, it's all here in this one book. My wife and I refer to it constantly in the raising of our two daughters. They didn't teach it in high school or college, but the most important investment you will ever make, is in the raising of your children. This book will give you the confidence and guidance to do a great job, believe me you will not be disappointed with it. The most important feature, however, is the fact that the contents of the book concerning parental leadership, mentoring and guidance are all based on the sound information found in the instruction manual for the human race, The Bible. Enjoy this book, as you enjoy raising your children.

A good beginning handbook for the novice, Halley will give all students of Christianity a good, basic overview of the Bible's sixty-six books. His synopsis of what each book is about are especially useful. The only reason I don't rate the book higher is Halley's fundamentalist position permeates much of the book, leaving no doubt about his stance on every position. Halley is a traditionalist of the first order who maintains each book was written by the person whom it is credited to, and he attacks "modern scholars", whom he accuses of trying to destroy the Bible through modern criticism, at every turn. In this respect, much of his "scholarship" suffers from a lack of objectivity or, apparently, historical and archeological fact. Of course, Halley is a product of the 1920's (when he first began writing the book) and his world outlook reflects that. He is also vehemently anti-Catholic and anti-Muslim, considering both belief systems a part of the curses poured forth in the Book of Revelations. Like I said, Halley is a good place to start, but not a very good place to finish. I would recommend it only as a first step.

I encourage all of you that have heard about Halley's Bible Handbook to check out the new 25th edition - Halley's Bible Handbook with the New International Version (also available on Amazon.com). I am the great granddaughter of the author, Henry H. Halley, and the current president of Halley's Bible Handbook, Inc. The new edition has updated archaeology as well as all new maps, photographs and illustrations. My husband and I, both born-again believers, had the blessed opportunity to be involved in the revision process. We have tried to addressed areas of concern in the prior edition and we encourage you to check out the completely revised commentary on Revelation.

I have spent alot of time reading Halley's Bible Handbook. It has helped me get an overview of any book of the Bible I am reading. If you want to know the following about any book of the Bible ie... who wrote it, why was it written, to whom was it written, when it was written, the times and circumstances surrounding the writing and a general summary of the book then Halley's Bible Handbook is the one for you.

Admittedly, Ghost Soldiers is not typical reading material for me. I tned to read financial non-fiction or fiction. However, I was handed the book recently prior to a trip to the airport. After a quick hour in the lounge and a few in the air, I had found myself through most of the book.

The author sets up the situation in a prologue with a survey of the history of Japanese occupation of the Phillipines and the conditions (i.e. starvation, disease) and treatment (i.e. mental and physical tortures) which American POWs faced as captives. In the waning days of the war, the Japanese out of desperation committed atrocities by executing POWs with the war lost and the POWs usefulness diminished. A few POWs managed to escape to tell their horrific tales that sets the US Rangers up for their valiant rescue mission - the 1st Ranger mission in the Pacific theater.

After the prologue, the remainder of the book is broken up into essentially two stories that eventually merge. The odd chapters provide a narrative on the early war in the Phillipines with the eventual surrender, the Bataan death march, and life as a POW in a Japanese prisoner camp. The even chapters provide a narrative on the selection of the Ranger team and the planning and execution of their mission.

Overall, I found the book entertaining and informatigve, but I must admit that I was far more interested in the Rangers story line than the POWs' experience. It was far more exciting and uplifting to read about the mission planning and execution.

As I write this review, America is engaged in another war that puts our youth in a foreign battlefield, as foreign as Bataan and the Philippines of this story. If anything, this book should convince all who read it that there's nothing "fun" about conflict or being a POW or being rescued. There's nothing "fun" about war or about this book. The story of this rescue mission is particularly relevant today because it's about a conflict of cultures, that of the imperial Japanese army and that of the American army, and their utterly impossible attempts to understand each other. Those who suffered and died in Bataan and in the horrific POW camp in which the American prisoners languished for over two years are shown here to be far more than nameless, faceless, casualty statistics. They are shown to be living, breathing human beings. And to the author's great credit, he presents some members of the "enemy" army to be human too, breathing even more compassion and empathy into his powerful narrative. Hampton Sides, the author, is thoroughly successful in graphically describing this remarkable rescue mission in minute-by-minute detail, filling us in with background information, and bringing us right to the gates of the awful hellhole POW camp in which so many perished and a few survived, disease ridden, starved, and haunted by an overwhelming fear of being executed and thrown into a mass grave.
Readers must ask themselves if they would have survived. And one must ask today what horrors and terrors are going on in Iraq, on both sides of the conflict.
I advise all those who think war is exciting or heroic, or who think of themselves as invulnerable, to read this book and appreciate the real story. This book gives it to you, blood, guts, and all.

Ghost Soldiers is the story of the Cabanatuan Raid in January 1945, where about 500 Allied Prisoners of War and internees were dramatically rescued by two companies of American Rangers, who slipped through Japanese lines and attacked their prison camp for the express purpose of doing so. The book does a marvelous job of recounting the operation.

The author starts with an account of the massacre of prisoners in another camp on Palawan, to the south of Luzon, and the survivor's recounting of this event to the U.S. military. The author then alternates subjects of his chapters, with the rescue effort changing places with the prisoners' experiences during the years they were prisoners of the Japanese.

The prisoners' experiences, as they always are with the Japanese, are horrific, and difficult to read, but the author does a good job of recounting them without being morbid or hateful. One previous reviewer says that the author doesn't spend enough time on the motivations of the Japanese guards who perpetrated the war crimes. It's always difficult to get people to talk about this sort of thing, and given the differences between the Japanese and American cultures at the time, it's amazing that we have any understanding of what was going on at all. For decades, the Japanese denied that there were any war crimes at all, or insisted that they were committed by a few "bad people", now conveniently dead.

Hampton Sides isn't a military historian, and in a few instances in the book this shows. However, he is a skilled writer, and this is frankly more important. The story he tells is skillfully recounted, and the author does a wonderful job of telling the story, and what happened to the men who lived it after the war.

Herein we follow a young man, Tim Hunter, destined to be one of the greatest mages in history, as he introducted to magicks past, magic in present day world, the lands just beyond commonplace reality and magicks future by four DC Comics magicians: the Phantom Stranger (condemned to walk for eternity); Dr. Occult (who switches gender and personae as the occasion demands); John Constantine, Hellblazer (a con man and rogue, few powers but he has taken on the Devil himself and survived); and Mister E (a dangerous fanatic on the side of order). Gaimen's story makes for an excellent read, and three of the four illustrators involved: John Bolton, Scott Hampton and Charles Vess create beautiful illustrations throughout. (Sadly I didnt really like the artist's interpretation in the fourth chapter, it's the only reason I rate this book 4 out 5 stars instead of 5 out of 5.) These books were the basis of the ongoing DC/Vertigo comic book series by the same name (of which graphic novel collections are available). One drawback, common to many graphic novel collections (like Warren Ellis' "Planetary" books or Mark Waid and Alex Ross' "Kingdom Come" (both series also collected): to get the most of the story, it helps to have some familiarity with DC Comic book characters and history.

With Books Of Magic, Neil Gaiman pulls together various loose threads in the DC universe, and creates a consistent realm of magic through the familiar theme of a young boy exploring a strange world. The plot isn't the freshest thing Gaiman's ever written - it's the way he writes it that makes the story spectacular. Gaiman intertwines stories of ancient sorcerers, modern-day magicians whose sleight-of-hand is only a convenient front, and the evolution of humans - and magic - in the future. Various DC characters make appearances, notably Gaiman's Dream, Destiny, and Death of the Endless. The choice of artists for each chapter is perfect, so we have a John Bolton Merlin and a wonderful Charles Vess Fairyland. The book gives us glimpses of many characters and stories that could use further development, but it stands alone as a powerful parable of the roles of faith, power, and, of course, magic, in our lives.

The Books Of Magic, Like Any Other Gaiman Story,is Breathtakingly Amaazing in its Telling,and the art compliments the story wonderfully. This is arare and unique instance where an established artist such as Charles Vess works on a Comic book.There are cameo sequences in this book that include scenes with Dream,Death,Destiny,Etrigan the Demon,Deadman,Zatanna,and the Spectre, just to name a few characters. Timothy Hunter is one of Gaiman's finest creations,and he is an actually believable and interesting one,as well. The Premise of the story is: Timothy Hunter, a very Young man,Pre-teen in fact,has the potential to become the greatest sorcerer of this age. The Trenchcoat Brigade,whose Ranks include The Mysterious Phantom Stranger,The incorrigble Hellblazer,John Constantine,The Enigmatic Dr. Occult, and Mr.E. His name says it all. The four decide to show Tim the magical history of Earth,and the universe,and some of the major magical players that exist in the DC universe.The Stranger shows Tim the past,Hinting at his origins all the while,and making the reader rather curious about him.The Second Tour guide on the Magical Mystery Tour is John Constantine, and this is a very True-to-form Constantine story,in that most of the people whom they visit have some sort of grudge against everyone's favourite Constantine,and Tim is introduced to many of the prominent contemporary characters Like the Spectre,Jason Blood,and Zatanna.The Third story is about Dr.Occult taking Tim on a guided tour of the lands of Faerie,The Dreaming(Neil Gaiman's writing, did you honestly think that Morpheus WOULDN'T show up?)Charles Vess did the artwork for issue 3, and that contributes to the magnitude of superb story this story inside of a story has.Also, if you read SANDMAN, you see Titania,and find out what Happened to Shakespeare's son, Hamnet.It also hints at the shadowy background of Doctor Occult.Issue Nimber Four is also very amazing,in that Gaiman tells us what's going to happen in the future.Or it might.Tim sees just what he might be,witnesses the final battle of the age, and into the mind of Mr.E.and makes his decision about Magic. I would Recommend this book to anyone wanting an introduction to the Vertigo Universe,anyone who wants a fantastic story,and if you have any sort of literary appreciation, you should go and buy this book as soon as you get a chance to. The ongoing BOOKS OF MAGIC books dont have the wonderful feel that this book gives off, and you wont feel nearly as satisfied about them. I recommend any Neil Gaiman,Garth Ennis,and Alan Moore stories(especially their DC work).

"An Enemy of the People," by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen, has been published as part of the Dover Thrift Edition series (that's the version I read for purposes of this review). The Dover edition is a republication of an anonymous translation. The back cover data notes that the play was first staged in 1883.

"Enemy" tells the story of Dr. Thomas Stockmann, a medical officer for his town's public baths. When he discovers that the baths are contaminated and pose a health hazard, he is led into conflict with his brother Peter, who is the town's mayor. The tension increases as the drama moves towards its conclusion.

"Enemy" is an intriguing piece of literature. While reading it I was struck by how similar the story is to that of the classic film "Jaws": in both stories, a political leader is at odds with an idealistic public servant who is concerned about a danger involving public waters!

The play contains much thought-provoking dialogue. Ibsen looks at the interrelationships among politicians, the press, science, and the general public. His characters question issues of truth, authority, and majority rule. Dr. Stockmann begins as a noble character, but I thought he becomes too over-the-top and in some scenes is reduced to a shrill, dogmatic cartoon (especially when he delivers a bizarre rant about poodles and hens). I honestly wasn't sure what Ibsen was trying to accomplish in some of the doctor's more outrageous dialogue.

Still, "Enemy" remains a compelling piece of art. For an intriguing companion text, try "Inherit the Wind," by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee, which has some similar themes and motifs.

This book is definitely not the most exciting book in the world. Enemy of the People has a specific point, a message it is trying to reveal. Dr. Stockmann loses the support of his entire town after finding out that the local baths are contaminated. Just to make things worse, his brother, Peter, is mayor and actually manipulates the situation to turn the press against him. This play shows how the majority is often wrong and, more importantly, that the strongest man is the one who can stand alone. What made this book lose a star is that, in fact, the first act takes a lot to finish because it appears to be so boring. I may have put this book away if I didn't have to read it. However the book quickly improves and, although it is never exciting, it is interesting.

This powerful play is my first experience reading Henrik Ibsen and WOW! The conflict is timeless and the leading character Dr. Stockmann reminded me of Sir Thomas More.

After I read the play I did not want to put the book down and wanted more. I flipped to the front of my edition translated by Christpher Hampton and read his nihilistic introduction. Mr. Hampton missed the whole point and somehow thought Dr. Stockman really WAS the "enemy of the people". Hampton sounded like one of the townspeople from the mob in Act Four when he wrote:

"This is to simplify Ibsen's intent; because however sympathetic Ibsen feels towards Dr Stockmann's cause, he is too subtle and profound a dramatist not to know that there are few figures more infuriating than the man who is always right. Stockmann's sincerity, naivety and courage co-exist with an innocent vanity, an inability to compromise and an indifference to the havoc caused in the lives of his family and friends, as well as his own, by his dogged pursuit of principle."

Hampton's edition is a nice size with print that is easy to read. I loved the story and the characters and I highly recommend it to all. I have lived the experience and have been "the enemy" so I understood Dr. Stockmann but I learned from Christopher Hampton and my own experience not everyone will "get it."

Matt Bloom's book is a terrific page-turner about a stand-up guy among the East End's dissolute in-crowd. All the Hamptons' rogues are in this gallery: the egomanical movie star, the callow personal trainer, the avaricious art dealer, the hateful gossip columist, the vacuous super-model. And then there's the hero, Andrew Kane, a struggling fisherman haunted by a grisly discovery that drags him off the wharves and into the limelight. Bloom has a rare talent for the morality tale--a toss-up between stark portraiture and larger-than-life satire. I can't wait to see where he goes after Death in the Hamptons.

I just finished reading A Death In The Hamptons by Matt Bloom, and thought it was an excellent book. It was extremely funny and it pulled no punches in poking fun at the Hamptons. I've been there several times before and thought Mr. Bloom paints the scene, the landscape and the characters out there quite vividly. Although there is a murder, A Death In The Hamptons is more of a satire than a mystery. It's the best book I've read all summer and highly recommend it if your on the beach or on the couch.

This is a breezy, entertaining, funny book with a serious subtext. Set against the natural beauty of the Hamptons, Bloom's witty portrait of the indulgent summer scene, told through the story of a Montauk fisherman-turned-movie star, skewers everyone from nouveaux riches developers, movie moguls, rap stars, gossip columnists, and unctuous maitre de's while also telling a poignant prodigal-son type tale of self-discovery.
It's neither pure mystery nor pure satire but an original and compelling synthesis that deftly straddles multiple genres -- all the better to convey the clash of the sublime and the ridiculous that has come to characterize the Hamptons. This isn't everyone's Hampton's, but regular tabloid readers will readily recognize many of the larger-than-life characters that people this book. It should be noted, though, that Bloom builds the book around the regulars, the weather-beaten fishermen whose rugged labor puts the food on the tables of the fancy restaurants catering to the Upper East Side set.

In tight, readable prose, and sharp dialogue, it's all here. With this book, Matt Bloom establishes himself as a thoughful and incisive social critic who, one hopes, has just begun to sharpen his knives.

The book How babies are Made, was an interesting book by the way it displayed many different animals with the use of clever illustrations. The topic of Child Birth can be a difficult topic to teach young children, so I do not find it supprising that the author used simple animals and illustrations to try to make it easier for the parents to relate the animals to the children. I did find some of the illustrations a bit confusing, and that is coming from a college student taking a child developement class. Overall for the level of difficulty associated with the topic of child birth, I believe that the book does make a sufficient point to illustrate the nature of child birth, yet some of the illustrations can be confusing so keep that in mind. That is my personal oppinnion and I am a Psychology Major at Cal State Northridge.

the illustrations makes a lot of sense. It starts from flowers, to chickens, to dogs and then finally humans. It gives a quick sequence of the making of baby animals and human babies. It is not technical and very direct. Most children would understand this because it is pictures and visual.

This is an absolutely fantastic book! It was first published in 1968 and was in part greatly responsible for public and private acceptance of the teaching of sex education to youngsters. The book was great when it first came out, and remains the standard bearer today, some 35 years later (this in spite of many books on the subject which have been publihed since that time.)
How Babies Are Made does not "overteach." It is an excellent starter book for 4 to 8 year olds, which deals with subject matter appropriate for a child that age. The text is perfect, the illustrations magnificent, and the format puts it all together just right. It makes dealing with more complex sex education matters with your children at a later age much easier.
Parents who now are ready to dip their toe into the sex education area, as well as those who will have to do so shortly, need How Babies Are Made and the wonders it contains - I did, and so did all my friends.