I had planned to read this book for a while, and I was looking forward to it a lot, since the kids' one was way to short and boring even when I was ten years old. So, as you can probably guess my expectations were rather high, too high perhaps, but even so I was not disapointed. George Lucas has proved himself not only an excellent filmmaker, but also a great author as well. This book, while a bit dry at times, illustrates the movie in a spectacular fashion, and breathes new life into it, so that it seems interesting all over again. I read it one day when I was stuck in a hotel room, but this book was so interesting I litterally could not put it down. Every true Star Wars fan should read this, since it completly tells the story with a bunch of added stuff, that truly flesh out the story and that were completly missing from the movie. One thing that surprised me was the occasional small details that were changed. Such as Threepio being described as bronze instead of gold, and Luke being Blue 5 instead of Red 5. Another thing that struck me as odd was the slight differences in characters, Luke and Ben most noticably. Ben is less wise, more mischevious, and at times even funny, a previously unheard of thing! Luke also is slightly different. He seems, well, less innocent, more stupid, and even acts like somewhat of a jerk at times, and is all around more heroic and self centered, and generaly less cute. This was both interesting and annoying, since Luke was always my favorite character and to be honest I liked him better the other way. Leia is also noticably different, she being somewhat less strong, which annoyed me somewhat. Anyway, this was an excellent book, that deserved an honest four stars.

We're all familiar with the story, why read the book? That's what a lot of people ask, and I must say there's really not that many reasons to. Everything presented here is in the film, except for a few exceptions. We meet Luke a little earlier into the story, and he has a talk with his friend, Biggs Darklighter. Other than that, there's not a whole lot here that you can't see in the films.

However, as a book, it is most excellently written. The writing style is easy to get into and understand, and characters are written believably. A must-have for the Star Wars book collecter, a good choice of a library loan for anyone else.

This is a really intresting & thrilling book! I definatly recomended this to those who well of course like Star Wars, but also to those who like a good sci-fi book! It starts out intresting & through the whole book it get's more & more intresting.This is one of those books, where u just want to read on & on.So read it!!

This book takes you to the front line of the Tower and makes you duck for cover. With enough accuracy to shot you straight through chest with a high power semi automatic rifle, Gary Lavergne set the stage for the largest killing spree on American soil. His biographical account of Charles Whitman and his struggle with his father help the reader understand some of the torment that went through his life. Lavergne introduces you to all of Whitmans victims as they were your next door neighbors, and draws a picture so intense it makes you yell "Get out of the way, there's a sniper in the Tower!"

This book also tries to uncover the mystery of who actually dealt the deathblow to Charles Whitman as well, was it Houston McCoy or Ramiro Martinez? It protrays the effects of having the media splash their lives as heroes all over the newspapers and shows just what type of man could be the Father of Charles Whitman.

If you like true crime and want the back story on this savage assault on the University of Texas, I highly recommend it as the words flow from Lavergne's narration and puts you in the spectators seat as he unfolds the shooting of forty-five and killing of fourteen----including his own wife and Mother.

I attended the University of Texas, and have been a resident of Austin since 1977; this crime has held a tight grip on my psyche for many years. (Currently, I live across the park from the site where Whitman and his wife lived before moving to their last home in south Austin, so Charles Whitman is never far from my thoughts.)

The story and the book that details the mayhem caused by Charles Whitman represent one of the top true crime episodes in the history of America.

This was one of America's first mass murder stories in the era dubbed "The Media Age." The carnal horrors of Vietnam presented on the six o'clock news by the broadcast media closely paralleled the impact felt by the horrified followers of the Tower killings.

Lavergne does a fine job of detailing the early life of Whitman and the events that led to his premeditated madness.

The Kennedy assassination, the Speck murders, and Whitman's killing spree woke and shocked America from its contented and homogenized post-Eisenhower dream. Innocence was truly lost in 1966 that day in Austin, Texas, under a scorching August sun.

I don't believe in the theory of "closure"; any event that must encompass the concept of closure will always be so painful that the person involved will never completely forget that tragic incident. For the people affected by the Whitman murders or any other earth-shattering event, closure is an inane concept.

For 96 minutes in August 1966, Charles Whitman rained death on the University of Texas campus, shooting 45 people from the 28th-floor observation deck of its bell tower. The ex-Marine shot people more than 400 yards away and put two bullets through the fabric of an airplane flying overhead before two Austin police officers killed him. If this sounds like the makings of a great story, it is -- and Gary Lavergne is just the man to tell it. Lavergne's well-researched book delves into Whitman's past to reveal how he evolved into a person who could kill 16 people. The author then cranks the story-telling into high gear by delivering a blow-by-blow account of Whitman's reign of terror. Lavergne's words are accompanied by many interesting photos, including one taken of the tower as Austin residents fired back at Whitman 12 minutes before his death. I read this book in one sitting. My favorite part was the last chapter, which detailed Lavergne's interviews 30 years after the event with the two men who killed Whitman. The literary picture he paints of long, tall Texan Houston McCoy -- whose life since his heroic act has been anything but happy -- was really compelling.

R.S.Yeoman wrote his first book about coins over 50 years ago and updated it every year. Others have kept up the tradition, resulting in the best identification and price guide on the market today. The 51st edition has full color photos and hordes of technical information (size, weight, composition) and market prices for every coin made by the US Mint, as well as colonial pieces, commemorative pieces, and a brief section on errors.

If you buy only one coin book, buy this one as it will contain the most information. Having said that, this one contains the LEAST information about the Mint, the coin making process, the history of coinage and numismatists over the ages. It offers little information about die varieties and other specalized information. In addition, because it is published once a year (and takes six months to reach shelves), its prices are out of date the moment it's available. They're not much out of date, just a little wrong..

Overall, an outstanding resource that any coin collector should have. You'll use it quite often.

If you're new to coin collecting and don't have this book, you need it; it's an excellent reference. If you don't care about the prices, the 2001 edition offers very little compared to the 2000 edition. One of those new 2000 proof sets can be had for a similar price... The 2001 edition of the red book changes little from the 2000 edition. A number of B&W pictures have been replaced with color versions of the same, and the results are generally more pleasing. Mintage figures have been updated to include 1999 numbers. The new quarters program is nicely presented, with a complete listing of all 50 states and the expected release years, as well as photos of all five 1999 designs. The new Sacagawea dollar is also listed with a brief introduction similar to that given other coins. With the exception of the new quarters and dollar, the entire regular issue (250+ pages) section is identical to the 2000 edition: no new error or variation photos or descriptions have been added. The commemoratives section has had some additional photos added and the bullion section has been re-arranged. The index also appears to be slightly improved. Giving the red book a rating is a bit silly, since most people buy it for a reference anyway. If I was comparing it to the 2000 edition, I'd give it a low rating. However, since I buy the new edition every year without thinking twice, I'll give it five stars.

First of all, make sure you buy the spiral version (this version) vs. the paperback or the hardcover. It's better, trust me, you'll see.

About the book- this is THE book for the beginner or the serious coin collector. Color photographs throughout (the only one with all color photographs), up to seven grade/price columns for each coin, ALL the coins EVER minted by the US Mint (and colonial pre-mint coins), descriptions to determine the grades of your coins, and much more.

Use this book to get a general idea of the worth of your coins and bring it with you to the coins shows to make sure you don't pay too much for those coins you want to buy.

There are other coin books out there, but none or very few in there 54 edition. Buy this one, you won't be sorry.

If you like Star wars you will like this book to be added to all your Star wars things! This is a great book to start with. I think the other books are better though. But you should always start with the first book ( if it's avalble). It still is good though. It's about a girl named Tash, and a boy named Zak. There parents died when Alderan was blown up by the Empire. The Empire does lots of other weird things, but, you'll have to read the book to find those secrets out! I reconmend this highly!

I'm 16 and have read novels that are one thousand pages long, but I read almost anything Star Wars. And I'm glad I did. This was a terrific book, and even though I read it in a day, I enjoyed it. The characters are interesting, and I liked the interaction between Tash and Luke Skywalker.

I really like STAR WARS and this book has alot of that kind of stuff in it. So I guess you would have to see STAR WARS a least once to know what they're talking about,but all in all it was really cool and you've got to read it or the other Galaxy of fear books.

I have never read any of McBain's books and thought the best place to start was with the first of this series. I thought it was quite good and it kept me interested from page one. It is a short book but McBain doesn't waste words and every page relates to the story at hand; there is no "small talk." I enjoyed the book and highly recommend it to anyone not familiar with McBain's 87th Precinct.

This is a reissue of the very first 87th Precinct novel written in 1956. It deals with three members of the 87th detective squad being gunned down for no apparent reason and how the rest of the 87th goes about finding the killer.

Crime novels in those days were less introspective and more lean so McBain wastes no time getting to the heart of the matter with the first corpse occurring rather quickly. However, as with all Ed McBain novels, the writing is crisp, the dialogue snappy, and though the page-count of these earlier novels was less than it is today he still manages to flesh out his characters and make them interesting.

Just as interesting is the forward where Mr. McBain discusses how the series came into being and how it evolved to its present form.

If you've never read this installment of the 87th, or just haven't read it in a long time, I urge you to pick it up. Ed McBain truly is a good writer whether he's writing crime novels under the Ed McBain alias or "serious" novels under his own name, Evan Hunter.

The very first book in Ed McBain's 87th Precinct series.

Detectives Steve Carella and Hank Bush are out trying to find clues as to the identity of whoever killed a fellow detective, Mike Reardon. They figure the killing to be a random thing...until it happens again. Another cop is slain in cold blood, this time, Reardon's partner. With both men dead, Carella decides the murders were grudge killings. However, careful attention into the dead men's past comes up with nothing. Finally, a third detective winds up murdered in the streets. Now, it is of no question to Carella. Somewhere out there in the streets is a cop hater. With this Cop Hater running rampart, will his next victim be Steve Carella? Or will Carella and the other members of the 87th precinct use their skills as detectives to bring the killer to justice?
The very first of over 50 books in McBain's very popular 87th Precinct series. A short, fast paced read which will leave you wanting more. Fun and highly enjoyable. Highly recommended.

WOW!! I am very impressed in how great this book was. I have never read a book that was a movie FIRST, and I must say, my expectations were NOT high. I was proven wrong! this book follows the life of a young man, and his two friends living in a small town called Cradle Bay. Though the town may seen "nice", the main character quickly learns otherwise. Beneath the town's placid surface, an evil secret lies. The book does loose points for originality(it WAS a movie first), and believability(the plot can be hard to believe at times). Overall however, this book shines as an expert suspense novel.

This is a really great book. I couldn't put it down until I was finished. It was really good, and is a must read for anyone who saw the movie or likes science fiction.

If you've seen the movie and are confused, read the book. It's got eight pages of color photos too!

Thinking of moving in with Mr. Perfect? Don't do it before reading this book. It contains so much great advice that could help, whether you're trying to decide where to live or furnishing your new pad. Shacking Up is both funny and incredibly honest. I especially had to laugh when I read the parts about chores/cleaning and privacy issues. There was one line about feeling like you're living under a microscope--it's SO true! I just moved in with live-in boyfriend numero two. Maybe my first cohabitation experience wouldn't have been such a disaster if someone had told me what to expect and the questions to ask before doing it? Who knows.

I would have liked more information on how to handle family disapproval after moving in together. (There's advice on how to tell mom and pop that you're doing it, but not a lot on what to do after you're living together and getting grief). My boyfriend's parents were appalled when we told them we were moving in, and basically act like I don't exist. Other than that, Shacking Up hit the nail on the head. If you want to know what living together is really like, GET THIS BOOK! If you'd rather keep wearing your blinders, take a pass.

Any woman needs to read this book before "shacking up." I was thinking of moving in with my boyfriend and after reading the book I realize that I have alot more thinking to do. There are many issues to resolve before taking that step especially the fact that he won't discuss the "M" word with me! I thought living together was a step towards marriage but after reading the book I realize that it could be a step in the opposite direction. Thanks to the book, I may have saved myself some major heartache.

If this book scares you about moving in with your boyfriend, then you probably shouldn't be doing it in the first place. Personally, it made me feel even more confident about my decision. I knew I had thought it through carefully and we'd had all the conversations we needed to have. Plus, I had a better idea of what to expect after we were living together. I also knew not to let the little stuff (like the toilet seat!) bother me. My boyfriend and I have been living together for almost 2 months now, and it's going great. I'm so glad that I found this book!

If you love The Empire Strikes Back, you will like this book. It is very well written, with different and expanded dialogue between characters. This is especially evident from the parts where Luke is learning different aspects of the Force from Yoda. There were scenes of Luke's training that were filmed and not included in the final cut, so reading this book, you'll be able to find out what we didn't see. Overall, though, this book is closest to the actual movie than the books for A New Hope and Return of the Jedi. Not that that is bad. I and many, many others consider Empire to be the best Star Wars film ever made. (I also hope the upcoming Episode II is more like Empire, with its dark tone.)

This book is just as exciting as the movie and is a must-read for fans. For those who are curious about this, buy Star Wars: A New Hope first, or you won't understand a lot about what is happening.

THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK against the rebel alliance! The story takes you from the icy planet of Hoth, to Dagobah, and finally to Bespin! It is a darker story and Luke begins his JEDI training with Master Yoda. This is a great book! Buy it!

Being that the Empire Strikes Back is my favourite of the Star Wars movies, I just had to read this book. It won't disappoint Star Wars fans, with all of the energy of the movie. I liked how it wasn't a complete adaption of the movie, with different things taking place on Dagobah. I would recommend this book to any science-fiction or fantasy fan.

I would recommend this book only to those Mummy fans who cannot wait to know what the movie is about. The story is simple, which this novel does a good job of letting you know what it is about. But this book is by no means a replacement for the action-packed, FX scenes. So read this book but WATCH the movie. The novel will satisfy your curiosity but the movie will thrill you!

The part that O'Donnel being the reincarnate of a Knight Templar and Evelyn being the reincarnate of an Egyptian princess is, in my opinion, unnecessary CRAP.

I've always been a huge book-fan; and let's face it, if you fall in love with a movie while it's still in theaters, you're going to go fairly crazy waiting for it to be released on video once it *leaves* the theaters so that you can finally see it again (only 24 more days until "The Mummy Returns" will FINALLY be available to own and watch again and again)----so anytime I fall in love with a movie, one of my first steps is to go racing out to get the novelization.

And, to be honest, most of them really disappoint me. "Galaxy Quest" was a simplistic version of the script put into the past tense, as near as I can tell; "X-men" failed to impress me as anything special. "Dungeons & Dragons" was descriptive, but it treated the characters _so_ vastly differently than the movie that it hardly seemed to be telling the same story.

So was I pleasantly surprised by the excellence of the novel of "The Mummy Returns". I absolutely love it. It is descriptive, action-packed, humorous, and fills in some gaps and scenes that the movie either cut or didn't bother with; it filled us in on some loopholes (ie, that mysterious train track in the middle of the desert wasn't far off the base at all). I didn't find it repetitive in the least, nor did I think the character portrayals were off, either. I think it was simply a matter of how Collins interpreted the characters (because, let's face it, they come off differently to everyone); I think he saw O'Connell as a bit more rugged than others do. But I didn't find his portrayal out of sync in the least. That bit of cynicism that Rick has was still there, off-balanced by his good humor. Evy was quite different from how she was in the first one----but the *movie* makes her quite different to begin with! The characters have changed in ten years (what people don't?), and the movie reflects that.

Attention is given to all the characters (I especially like hearing about my two favorites, Jonathan and Ardeth Bay), and the book is over-all well written. If you love "The Mummy Returns" as much as I do, I highly recommend this book. It's not a flaky read----it's a *quick* read if you want it to be, but not a flaky one. This book is actually trying to say something about friendship and the strength of love----if you give it a chance and keep your eyes open, it might actually touch you. Give it a whirl. You won't regret it.

This book is a novelization of the film The Mummy Returns, which is the sequel to The Mummy. It is set in 1933, ten years after the first movie. Rick O'Connell and Evelyn Carnahan are now married and have an eight-year-old son named Alex. While in Egypt exploring the ruins of an ancient temple, Rick and Evy find the Bracelet of Anubis. They bring it back home to London. Even though he knows it will anger his parents, Alex plays with the bracelet and accidentally sets off a chain reaction that could lead to the end of the world. When Alex is kidnapped, Rick and Evy must race against time to save their son and prevent the end of the world. I loved the movie The Mummy, and after reading this book I am even more excited about seeing the upcoming sequel, coming to theaters in May.

The Norton Anthology of American literature is a great collection of the most prominent and prolific authors in this young nation's history. The Anthology covers the development of authors in the new world, from the early native American folk tales to the works of Toni Morrison and Allen Ginsberg. The anthology spans poetry and prose and gives the reader a great cross sectional view of American society and its problems. The presence of Native American, Black and Hispanic authors presents a complete line up of works of literature, presented in a pleasant chronological order and introduced by a brief and interesting description of the author's life and works. The introductory description of each author facilitates the contextual placement of the text and its comprehension. The anthology contains several novels such as "Howl", "Sula" and "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn". The presence of these complete works makes the anthology more complete, as they are an important part of the American literary tradition. The selection of authors and of their works is a good one, but presents some flaws. Obviously not being able to include all relevant authors in the American literary tradition, the editors selected a large number of authors, and their most important works. Nonetheless several important texts seem to be missing. Texts by less prolific authors, such as the great new classic "To kill a mockingbird" are missing. Although the anthology gives the reader an introduction on the author and his works it does not stimulate sufficiently through interesting points to be discussed and questions which shed light on hidden or obscure aspects of the texts. The anthology is a great tool for any class, or for the passionate reader. It is ideal if accompanied by a class or group/club in which the texts are discussed.

To anyone seeking an encompassing overview of American literature, here is your book. This, the latest edition of the Norton Anthology, not only makes for months of good reading but also acts as a good primer for further pursuits in American letters (academic and otherwise.) Besides the countless number of excellent selections, eleven works appear in their entirety. Among them, Twain's Huckleberry Finn, Whitman's "Song of Myself," and Ginsburg's "Howl."

The anthology also contains several new additions - most notably an intriguing section of Native American trickster tales that provides an interesting counter to Chris Columbus' over-zealous ramblings. As for more contemporary writing, I was pleasantly surprised at the number of deserving writers and poets newly anthologized in this revision: Toni Morrison, Raymond Carver, and Sandra Cisneros just to name a few.

Yet what makes this anthology truly successful is the breadth and depth of the text as a whole. The selections, the organization, the well-written bits of biographical information... IT ALL FITS PERFECTLY! No doubt other readers will find this anthology as informative, provocative and enjoyable as I do. A definite keeper for my permanent collection.

The Norton anthology is the definitive collection of American literature. Its selections range from the letters of Christopher Columbus to quintessential American works like Whitman's "Song of Myself" and inherently American movements such as beat poetry. The collection offers a wide spread selection of works, some of which fall outside of your typical definition of "literature." All, however, have been important parts of our artistic tradition and provide literary examples of the coming of age of America. Literature has truly helped to define the American identity. This book is a history lesson, a journey through some of the most beautiful poetry and prose ever written and a testament to the kind of intelligent, passionate people that have formed our country.