Vigra tears is a delightful story of two men who visit Vietnam 30 years after the war. The author and his brother-in-law, different as night and day, share a most memorable experience in their journey and it gives you a different perspective of the war.
This book is worth reading, very witty and well written. I especially liked the chapter titles and how they related to the text of the book. It is easy reading for those that don't have a lot of time. The events that take place are interesting and informative and give you a sense of the country and people. The author makes you feel like you are right there with them. I didn't want it to end.

I was not alive during the Vietnam War and only know what I read in the history books about it. After read Virga Tears I have a better understanding of what the war was like for soldiers (Nick), the people of Vietnam and those against the war (Jim).
There is great comdey and emotion between the two men in the story who couldn't be any more opposite then they are.
Once I picked up the book I could not put it down. The colorful words painted a vivid picture in my mind.
Great use of analogies. As an educator I would highly recommend it for a high school or college history class.
I laughed and cried reading this GREAT BOOK!!!

It is amazing to think that with the abundance of movies that have been written about the Vietnam War, not one has ever even come close to telling the story told in this book. Virga Tears gave me new insight into the Vietnam War, and an understanding of what so many soldiers must have gone through, emotionally, during the war, and during the thirty years since the war ended. This is a compelling book that you won't be able to put down. I highly recommend it to all.

As a lover of fantasy stories, mythology and art I found this book to be amongst the absolute best!. As a female my one complaint used to be "where are the adventures for girls? " Now we have "Cassandra" and her sister who travel on the Basset and have wonderful adventures.

Now we have everything you could possibly want in a book, great drawing, great charecters and a great story that leaves you satisfied yet wanting more.

Girls and Guys of all ages should get this book. If you have kids get it. If you dont have kids get it. I have purchased several copies as gifts, for a new grandmother to read and share over and over with her grandchildren. For a friend to make her and her husband smile. For a set of twins to let them travel togeather.This book is for everyone!

Take a trip with Cassandra and the wonderful crew of the Basset, climb aboard and sail away. The characters will linger with you forever and you will learn that "to believe is to see".

Please Mr Christensen write more!

Christiansen did a fascinating and exceptional job on The Voyage of the Basset! The story is phenomenal; taking you through a dream world full of magic, imagination, and wonder. What a great book! And no matter how wonderful the book is, the paintings are absolutely exsquisite! They are all beautiful! I have to tell you to buy it and read it right now! You're going to love it! And if you loved this book, I know more that you are going to love! Dinotopia (James Gurney), Dinotopia: The World Beneath (James Gurney), The Goblin Companion (Brian Froud), Good Faeries/Bad Faeries (Brian Froud), and Faeries (Brian Froud)! I know you're going to love them all! Enjoy!

If you are like me and enjoy fantasy books, you will love "The Voyage of the Basset" by James C. Christensen, Renwich St. James and Alan Dean Foster. This book will capture your imagination and make you believe you are in the story. This is one of my favorite books because of the adventures it holds.
Imagine you and your family are taking a walk and a little boat with six dwarfs and who-knows-how-many Gremlins on it, is docked right in front of you. The dwarfs invite you aboard and take you on a magical journey of incredible adventures. This is what happened to Professor Asiling and his two daughters Miranda and Cassandra.
I think that "The Voyage of the Basset" is an incredible story. In my opinion, this book takes the best qualities of fiction, which are mythology, fantasy, adventure and imagination and then combines them into the best book I have ever read! And I have read at least 1,000 books. I believe that "The Voyage of the Basset" will capture the hearts and imaginations of children everywhere.

I noticed that my mother was using the paperback edition of this devotional to write little prayer requests and thoughts in the margins. This prompted me to buy her the journal version of the devotional which gives her much more space to write and includes the same powerful devotionals. It was a great gift!

Another great idea is the "Devotions for Morning and Evening With Mrs. Charles E. Cowman : The Complete Daily Devotions of Streams in the Desert and Springs in the Valley". Even though it is a little harder to find, my mother claims that the evening devotionals which are taken from Cowman's "Springs in the Valley"
are just as moving as the Morning devotionals (taken from "Streams in the Desert"), if not more so.

I have been reading the paperback devotional and I enjoy it greatly. It is non-judmental and very loving. My fave devotional!

I noticed that my mother was using the paperback edition of this devotional to write little prayer requests and thoughts in the margins. This prompted me to buy her the journal version of the devotional which gives her much more space to write and includes the same powerful devotionals. It was a great gift!

Another great idea is the "Devotions for Morning and Evening With Mrs. Charles E. Cowman : The Complete Daily Devotions of Streams in the Desert and Springs in the Valley". Even though it is a little harder to find, my mother claims that the evening devotionals which are taken from Cowman's "Springs in the Valley"
are just as moving as the Morning devotionals (taken from "Springs in the Desert"), if not more so.

I have been reading the paperback devotional and I enjoy it greatly. It is non-judmental and very loving. My fave devotional!

I have been reading the paperback devotional and I enjoy it greatly. It is non-judmental and very loving. My fave devotional!

I noticed that my mother was using her copy of this devotional to write little prayer requests and thoughts in the margins. This prompted me to buy her the journal version of the devotional which gives her much more space to write and includes the same powerful devotionals. It was a great gift!

Another great idea is the "Devotions for Morning and Evening With Mrs. Charles E. Cowman : The Complete Daily Devotions of Streams in the Desert and Springs in the Valley". Even though it is a little harder to find, my mother claims that the evening devotionals which are taken from Cowman's "Springs in the Valley"
are just as moving as the Morning devotionals (taken from "Springs in the Desert"), if not more so.

This has got to be the funniest book I have ever read and read and read. Simple stories of Thurber's early years will get you laughing out loud.

This is my favorite book. After reading it six times, it is still laugh out loud funny. It is short and easy to read, but lets the reader have a look into the oddities of James Thurber's childhood. This is a book to read just for the fun of it.

I first read this book 31 years ago! I still remember classic lines from the book that I quote to my own children. I believe this is one of Thurber's best works.

His style of writing spans all ages of readers. His humor is delightful yet very realistic. I recomment this book to all readers who would enjoy a humorous approach to "life's happenings"!

Having read many True Crime novels over the years, I must hail this piece of work by author James Dalessandro and contributor David Mehnert as being one of the finest yet. The story of Jane Alexander was both awe inspiring and admirable. I am also a family victim of a brutal homicide crime. The convictions of the two murderers in my case came from a trial of circumstantial evidence. Knowing all to well the frustrations of our justice system and lack of victim's rights, I praise and wish to thank Mrs. Alexander for her strength of resolve along with her success in creating an easier and more pro-active path for fellow victims as ourselves. Unlike so many other True Crime novels, this book was written with the same "mirrored passion" that so obviously drove the dedicated individuals forth for so many years to see that justice was served. The book's author James Dalessandro, truly honored Mrs. Alexander's efforts by his attentive, thought provoking and accurate depiction of her difficult and painful journey. A wonderful and tenderly written tale... Purely brilliant!

Having read many True Crime novels over the years, I must hail this piece of work by author James Dalessandro and contributor David Mehnert as being one of the finest yet.

The story of Jane Alexander was both awe inspiring and admirable. I am also a family victim of a brutal homicide crime. The convictions of the two murderers in my case came from a trial of circumstantial evidence. Knowing all to well the frustrations of our justice system and lack of victim's rights, I praise and wish to thank Mrs. Alexander for her strength of resolve along with her success in creating an easier and more pro-active path for fellow victims as ourselves.

Unlike so many other True Crime novels, this book was written with the same "mirrored passion" that so obviously drove the dedicated individuals forth for so many years to see that justice was served. The book's author James Dalessandro, truly honored Mrs. Alexander's efforts by his attentive, thought provoking and accurate depiction of her difficult and painful journey.

A wonderful and tenderly written tale... Purely brilliant!

Brilliantly deliverd by author James Dalessandro and contributor David Mehnert. A book written with passion, mystery, truth and justice was done. "Citizen Jane" is a book that you just keep reading - can't put it down, so I went online looking for other books by James Dalessandro. Bought,"Bohemian Heart". It will be delivered in a few days. Can't wait to read it!

"1906, the San Francisco Earthquake" saga will be in the stores soon. Watch for a movie by this great author.

Mary L. Bates

In this book Mark Twight asks everyone who packs in climbing equipment to consider how much gear you really need. Twight writes that climbing quickly with less gear is safer than packing all the useless junk we seem to carry. And his critique of outdoor apparel manfacturers is right on. He recommends that outdoor equipment be simple, functional and light weight. All mountaineers have garages full of stuff which didn't work out. Following Twight's lead would reduce this clutter. There is a downside to this attitude however: minimum equipment in the mountains can leave you really exposed. In fact, the subtext of Twight's book could have catastrophic results for less expert climbers. Twight writes that if the conditions on a climb deterioriate and your equipment isn't adequate, then simply come down. Good advise if you're able to do it. Twight says that climbing is organized "chaos." While you can't pack in everything, you need enough gear to survive this chaos. The goal is to use everything you packed in and not need anything else. That's tough to accomplish and I don't agree with Twight that you should error by taking less. The book starts with a fine description of mental attitude and preparation for successful climbing (and almost everything else). Twight is right on here, too. But don't forget that climbing is talent, technique and mental preparation. German climbers call mental attitude "muntz," which I found means courage. I certainly recommend reading Twight's book. Stripping equipment down to simple, dependable items which are really used is a great goal. And I want to try his ideas for climbing wear, although they seem risky. Just remember that Mark Twight is a world-class climber and can get himself out of situations which the rest of us can't (I hope).

It's nice to see Mr. Twight, who has borrowed from the luck pool more times than anyone can count on his numerous solo ascents in the Alps and elsewhere, write a thoughtful book on how to stay alive and get the most out of alpine climbing. This book has it all -- I have incorporated many suggestions into my own climbing and found them incredibly useful.

This is THE best book I have ever read regardging climbing, period! It not only gives practical insights in to climbing but the nuts and bolts on training, gear selection and route selection for you ability. I especially found the sections on training to be extremely insightful. This is a topic never discussed in detail by any of the worlds top climbers. This book, the text and the pictures has done more to motivate me than all books combined. I know without a shadow of a doubt that I am ready and capable to move my climbing to a new level!

I had heard about this book from someone I know and was rather anxious to read this "incredible story"... SO...After managing to get my hands on a coveted copy of James Stevens-Arce's 'Soulsaver' I dove into the pages with a tremendous amount of excitement. I had heard good things about the book and I was anxious to see if Soulsaver was able to live up to the expectation I had blatantly placed upon it. It took me ONE day to read this fantastic book. Now, I'm an extremely picky reader and I usually don't thoroughly enjoy books the way I did enjoy 'Soulsaver'. I read Sci-fi often enough but my true love lies with the classics. Jim Stevens has himself here a classic with this spectacular fable of a world on an extreme edge. The book is not too fantastic that it's unbelieveable, this book hits so close to home that I had chills knowing that the world he portrayed is only but a few years away. If anybody reading this loves dystopian stories like: 1984, Brave New World and is also a fan of religious lore and representation...this novel has it! Don't be pushed away by the sci-fi shroud that surrounds it. Just try picking it up and reading it if you're a fan of reading good..nay...excellent stories. This one is a definite keeper!

A novel that uses first person, present tense is not easy to find, probably because there are not many convincing reasons to use it. In Soulsaver, James Stevens-Arce does it well.

This book is an interesting and fast-paced satire. The protagonist, Juan Bautista Lorca, is a callow youth blinded by the society in which he lives. That Stevens-Arce chooses to tell his story from this little twerp's viewpoint is daring for the reader doesn't take immediately to him. Stevens-Arce carefully mitigates that problem in several ways.

First, he doesn't get inside his head much until the character begins to change, and to grow. We can never be certain but I believe this was a conscious decision because poor Juan doesn't have a deep thought stored anywhere in there, anyway. It is a perfect approach to this kind of character building.

One of the difficulties of using this method is that the reader gets less insight into the character than we have become accustomed to. Any we do get comes from the dialogue and/or what is happening around Juan. There is an advantage here, as well. The action moves forward very quickly and we find ourselves immersed in the time (The Year of Our Lord 2099) and the place (San Juan, the capitol city of our 52nd state). And, surprising, this is enough. The author has carefully balanced what the reader is likely to miss with what she gets.

As Juan develops and finds his own depth, we find that Steven-Arce is a writer with a first-class instinct for words as well. For those of us who long to see, hear, and feel when we read, this novel is not a disappointment. We must wait, but we get wonderful similes like, "...the sun...looks like a communion wafer pasted against the sky," and "...the Swiss cheese of pigeon holes cut into the ancient wall..." Stevens-Arce has crafted a book where there is only straightforward, uncluttered writing until the reader is hooked. Only then do we find passages that are pure poetry. By that time we find ourselves literally gobbling it up.

Stevens-Arce has one more trick to keep the reader hanging in there while this shallow youth ogles breasts, bounces to the music blasting into his headphones and relishes his own benign happiness with himself and the god-awful world he doesn't see around himself. He uses present tense. I hate present tense. Yet I hardly noticed. It propels the novel forward when it needs momentum. After it has done its job the reader becomes so used to it, it is no longer a factor.

If I were still teaching English, this book would become one of my texts. It's not often that one finds first person, present tense put to such carefully crafted use. It's also not often that one finds a book that lauds the often-maligned ability of thinking for oneself. Next to Holden Caulfield, Juan Bautista Lorca may be the best literary example for youth in recent times.

I was fortunate enough to see the bound galleys for James Stevens-Arce's first novel, "Soulsaver." I remember reading a short story of his by the same title in Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine in the early '80s. Stevens-Arce has developed that original intriguing glimpse of a dystopic future into a dizzying journey to the end of the 21st century, when Puerto Rico is the 52nd state in an America taken over by a televangelistic theocracy.

The world Stevens-Arce evokes is richly textured and detailed. The book's narrator, Juan Bautista Lorca, is a rookie technician in a squad whose mission it is to quick-freeze suicides for subsequent "re-animation." The fascinating, fast-paced, occasionally sexy and frequently hilarious narrative tracks Juan's voyage of discovery as all the tenets of his faith and sense of self are challenged and rearranged. The book's climax hinges on the most outrageous second coming since "A Canticle for Lebowitz."

In the grand tradition of Orwell, Huxley and Brunner, Stevens-Arce has given us a terrible, fascinating and convincing vision of a future that just might be only a hundred years away.

Weve been used to finding grace defined in religios tomes by very learned and well known authors. In GRACE IS EVERYWHERE we are taught by example that it is found in the everyday life of people we meet once or many times. The many examples given makes you pay attention more to the people you meet and you think about how these encounters can affect your life. Past encounters that bring happy and sad memories, current encounters with people you work with or just happen to meet can all show you that GRACE IS EVERYWHERE. The short stories are easy to read and you can put the book down after a few stories or devour it. You almost feel jealous of all the wonderful people Father Behrens has met. He is trying to tell us that we have met similar people you just have to SEE them. Youll want to read it again and again.

Garrison Keillor and Bailey White regale one with stories of whimsey and nostalgia that play in our minds like a sitcom. James Behrens in Grace is Everywhere goes beyond the stories of a secluded monastery outside Atlanta as he chronicles the events, the people, the visitors and the animals in his life. He sees the common threads that wind through all our lives. Nothing escapes his keen philosophical eye. What the common eye misses--he sees; what truth goes unnoticed--he points out; what unity exists in monk, child, single , married, friend or passer by -- he explains. No birdsong, spider web or kitten in a dumpster is without a message. He can hear the voice of God in a breeze, a raindrop, a chimney sweep, and in the laughter of a child. Fr. Behrens is a monk who lives in silence and yet he hears the messages of life we never notice. In our frantic world of sound and fury, Grace is Everywhere slows us down with a soft touch, a clear eye, and just the right words to make us stay and rest awhile.

James Stephen Behrens brings us behind the cloister wall of the Monastery of the Holy Spirit with stunning simplicity of language in this highly accessible and tender telling of tales from the monastic life. Through a series of brief, beautiful vignettes, easily read in a day, the Trappist monk observes the world around him and the world within the human heart with a gentle knowing, informed by faith and contemplation. Fr. Behrens has taken seriously Hemingway's advice to use simple sentences, crafted expertly, because simplicity fosters clarity, and clarity lets the idea shine through. The result is a marvelous book that quietly reminds us that the sacred is present in every ordinary moment.

I give my highest praise to these books. They are far better than current "adventure" stories because of the struggles they had to endure. I found all three books in the trilogy to be excellent (Mutiny on the Bounty, Men Against the Sea, and Pitcairns Island). My favorite one was Pitcairns Island. In all the books I have ever read, this is the first book that ever actually sent a chill up my spine. I won't give the story away, but you will not believe what happens in that book. It's absolutely thrilling and fascinating!

I read these stories while at sea on a British research vessel. If you've ever been to sea, or have ever wanted to, you'll probably enjoy reading this trilogy. Nordhoff and Hall write in plain, unelaborate English, so the phrasing never gets in the way, and you can concentrate on all the colorful characters and incredible events. The first two (and half of the third) books are written in first person, putting you right into the action and events, making you think about what you would do in the situations as they arise.

This trilogy has it all: adventure, drama, comedy, history, life at sea, love and loss. It's hard to believe this all really happened. I've given this book to two of my friends already, and they both liked it. You'll probably like it, too.

This book is, quite simply, a fabulous trilogy of novels. It deals, of course, with the two-year voyage of HMS Bounty from England to Tahiti, the captaincy of Captain William Bligh, the mutiny against him, and the aftermath. This is an unforgettable story, beautifully told, well-written, and fast-paced.

I have read reviews here and there that claim this book is written at a "young adult" level. Not so. This is a complex story that only seems to be easily told because the author has mastered the ability to write with utter clarity, and without sacrificing style. As one who reads all day for a living (attorney) I have learned to appreciate authors who can write well. Nordhoff does this--the reader never loses the storyline because it is well told. The novels proceed with the precision of a laser beam but with a poetic, wistful, thoughtful tone that is a delight to read. This book has class.

The story of the trip to Tahiti and the mutiny which takes place early on the return voyage are wonderfully told. The ONLY possible criticism is that this story is not terribly true to the facts of the actual mutiny. The protagonist, Roger Byam, is an imaginary person. By the way, this novel is the source for the first of the Mutiny on the Bounty movies starring Charles Laughton.

The other two novels in the trilogy deal with the voyage by Captain Bligh and those of the crew who remained loyal to him, and the aftermath of the mutiny when the mutineers settle on Pitcairn Island. Both stories are first-rate.

Persons interested in a somewhat more accurate depiction of what happened on the Bounty voyage, as well as a ripping good movie, will want to see "The Bounty" starring Mel Gibson (Fletcher Christian) and Anthony Hopkins (Captain Bligh).

The Bounty Trilogy is a book anyone who enjoys adventure will want to read and own.

This past weekend, I read the first draft screenplay adaptation of James Robert Baker's FIEL-INJECTED DREAMS and was summarily BLOWN AWAY! I then obtained a copy of the book and was, impossibly, FURTHER BLOWN AWAY! To all fans of the book, the movie WILL do justice to the novel and I for one cannot wait to see James Robert Baker's vision fully realized on the silver screen.

Like the previous reviewer, I read the screenplay first (it is currently circulating throughout the Hollywood community) and I must say that the STORY of this book is amazing, as amazing as the almost perfect distillation of such in the screenplay. James Robert Baker is a force to be reckoned with and I hope we can all look forward to many years worth of subsequent genius work by him. Incidentally, FUEL-INJECTED DREAMS would make an excellent film and, if I have any say in it, WILL make an excellent film. Of course, expect a reprinting of the novel around the time of the film's release.

I visited Rhodes together with a friend in the eighties, and bought a couple of paperbacks, one of which was "Fuel-Injected Dreams." I didn't catch on to it right away, and read it straight through only when I got back home, and that wasn't the last time I read it, and I lent the book to a friend, and we both agree that it is a stunner. So much happens in the book that it's impossible to remember every amazing turn of event if you read the book, say, every two years. The book really gets your adrenaline flowing, and "Adrenaline" happens to be the title of another of Jim's novels. "Dreams" is an equilibristic tour de force, and James Robert Baker was the man who dreamed the novel for us, and I will always love him for doing so, may he rest in peace.