Written in a straightforward and almost colorless style, this book reads a bit like a docudrama, or even a long film treatment, so it's not surprising to learn that the author went on to a very successful career as a screenwriter. Author Burnett gives us an entertaining peek at a presumably typical rise-and-fall in the Chicago underworld of the early twentieth century, long before this type of material was well-mined by others. As usual, we are indebted to Otto Penzler for a beautiful edition; the jacket art is a deco masterpiece.

This novel is a masterpiece of spare prose, vividly telling the story of the rise and fall of a 1920s gangster in 1/2 to 1/3 the number of pages that a present-day writer would take. The novel is fast-paced and expertly evokes the era, though readers unfamiliar with the times might have a little trouble with some of the slang expressions. Like his The Asphalt Jungle, this became the template for numerous subsequent imitations, including the films The Long Good Friday and Scarface.

Wow...I give this book 5 STARS. One of the best gang books ever, This is about 5 guys that their lives have change from friends to stab in the back.

SARA CREWE IS A VERY GOOD BOOK. THERE ARE ALOT OF THINGS THAT I LIKE ABOUT THIS BOOK.FRANCES HODGSON BURNET WRITES VERY GOOD BOOKS. ...ITHINK THAT SARA CREWE IS A BOOK THAT EVERY LITTLE KID SHOULD READ.

I first read Sara Crewe in an old St. Nicholas Magazine for Children book from 1888 when I was 11 years old. It was serialized in three parts. Not as well known or as long as Frances Hodgson Burnett's later The Little Princess, I still prefer this version. Sara is enchanting, more believable than in the later version. I was later abused from the time I was about 12 to maybe 15 years of age,and Sara helped me get through those awful years. I used to pretend that I was a princess, too, that although there was misery and loneliness in my life I could, like Sara, rise above it. I'm nearly 37 now, and I still consider Sara Crewe my favorite fictional character. Every child should read this.

Sara Crewe is a penniless orphan who endures cold, heartless conditions with spirit and dignity. While shorter than "A Little Princess", this book retains the essence of the main character and theme. Her dreams protect her from the harsh reality until one day they magically come true. This is a perfect book for 4-6 graders, combining a compelling story, interesting vocabulary, and great values.

I had this book for the Techincal Writing Class.

I do think that this book really does good job on giving guidelines and advices.

I give 3 stars out of 5.

I am using this book for my technical communication course and I am very impressed. Being an engineer, I am usually weary of English classes, but a good teacher and this book have made my tech com class very worth my while. The book does a very good job of providing outlines for various types of documents without just providing a fill in the blanks form. It even addresses internet issues such as web site analysis and email etiquette.

Perhaps the best testimony for this book is that the author practices what she teaches. The book uses the ideas taught by the book and this makes it an easy read.

I will be keeping this book after my course is over. I anticipate it being a useful reference after I graduate.

I have been a teacher of technical and scientific writing for over 15 years. I feel I have to write a review of this new edition because I truly think it is the best textbook on technical communication on the market. This is a truly superior learning and teaching resource not only because of the range of topics it covers, but also because of the very interesting examples it uses throughout. It also is very up to date; this new edition draws on current research on reading and writing, not old stuff, as some of the other popular text books do. The teacher's guide also makes this text easy to use, and provides lots of material useful in class preparation.

Enjoyed reading this book due to the fact that Deborah helps to explain the aspects of decorating and design in a way that I (the average person) can understand them. She opened my eyes to all sorts of things that I had never thought about before when trying to make my home feel like me and my family rather than trying to duplicate some photo in a magazine that I really liked , but when in fact it wasn't my style at all. I really recommend this book for anyone who was a frustrated as me when it came to decorating my home.

In Comfortable Living By Design, registered interior designer and licensed contractor Deborah Burnett shows her readers how easy it is to develop there own creative abilities, how to use the basic elements of design, and how to create a truly comfortable home, apartment, or office. Such issues as the use of light and color, the principle of balance, and tapping into personal creativity for an extra touch of "personality" in design are covered clearly and accessibly. Quick and easy design tips are offered within each chapter that will make creative efforts come alive with professional quality results. The commentary, instruction, advice, and suggestions are as practical as they are inspiring. Anyone contemplating re-doing their home or office should first begin with a thorough reading of Deborah Burnett's Comfortable Living By Design!

This is a book containing both of the stories of The Little Princess and The Secret Garden. It begins with the classic story of a girl in a mysterious mansion with a mysterious uncle and a mysterious secret garden. The second part of the book is about a girl who comes to an girls school during the world war who suddenly falls from a beautiful lifestyle to one of pverty and servant-hood. Overall it was a good story but would have been better if they were told seperatly like other books of their kind.

The two novels in this book, Burnett's best and most famous, keep much more than the category 'children's book' promises. I had first read both as a teenager and was then truely enchanted, but I only came to fully appreciate especially 'The Secret Garden' when I had to reread both novels in order to write a paper on Burnett. There is so much more to Burnett than the average child or teenager can fathom... I really recommend some adults to consider reading this book (even if they already have in their childhood - it's truely worth a revisitation); they might learn how to dream again!

"How can you print a piece of your own soul," Dickinson, p. 51

This is the 2nd in the Krull and Hewitt's "Lives of ..." series. The book contains 19 chapters on 20 writers in birth order: Murasaki Shikibu (973?-1025?), Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616), William Shakespeare (1564-1616), Jane Austen (1775-1817), Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875), Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849), Charles Dickens (1812-1870), Charlotte & Emily Bronte (1816-1855 & 1818-1848), Emily Dickinson (1830-1886), Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888), Mark Twain (1835-1910), Frances Hodgson Burnett (1849-1924), Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894), Jack London (1876-1916), Carl Sandburg (1878-1967), E. B. White (1899-1985), Zora Neale Hurston (1901?-1960), Langston Hughes (1902-1967), Isaac Bashevis Singer (1904-1991)

This is a perfect book for young adolescents and pre-teens who as they grow and mature frequently feel awkward. Krull introduces us to the idiosyncrasies of the literary. Some of the authors were loners, eccentric, a wee bit peculiar. Michael Jackson's behaviors might seem normal when held in comparison. Some retreated into themselves. Some sought out adventures. Some as adults were unsuccessful at the ordinary.

Some worked at a young age to support the family. Some took daily walks, very long daily walks. Some were not healthy and therefore wrote in bed. There were some similarities and some differences, but they all shared a singular conviction to write and write they each did well.

Hewitt's delightful portraits of the writers are precious. My favorite portrait is of Frances Hodgson Burnett of "The Secret Garden" fame. Her hat is the secret garden.

Given the high price of the book, I was surprised that Krull did not include a list of the authors' books and/or poems and the publication years. END

This book is a fun and informative book. The pictures are filled with humorous meanings and hidden information. The book keeps the reader's attention by keeping the included information short and simple, but also makes sure that the reader gets as much possible about the author. This book is great for kids and students to use as a report source as it is filled with great information. Kids would rather use this book as an information source rather than an encylopedia since the information is easy to understand. Authors in there are some you may not know, ( Murasaki Shikibu) and some well know ones ( Charles Dickens). I am glad I purchsed this book. I really liked the pictures which are so vibrant with color. This would make a great buy.

This book was good, but I didn't find it as good as her two previous, Dust Devils and Celebration. To me it seemed slower paced than the other two. Where with the previous ones I couldn't put them down and read them very quickly, this latest one I found I could put it down without a problem. I finished the book in three days, which is unusual for me. This is still an author I would definitely recommend. Her characters are wonderfully real. Her books make you wish you lived in a small town like Purple Sage.

Jolie Wyatt used to work at the Rose Sterling Advertising Agency in Austin, Texas. Everyone at the company knew how badly Jolie craved being a published writer. She has been away from the agency for many years, living with her husband Matt in Purple Sage. However, when she learns that she is finally going to be published, Jolie can't help but want to show off to her old cronies at the agency. The Wyatts decide to spend the holiday season with Matt's sister and her family so Jolie can attend the Sterling annual Christmas party. Her plans are to show up as the conquering heroine comes to an abrupt halt when Jolie finds the body of a murdered Sterling employee in the ladies room.

Jolie is no stranger to murder or homicide investigations (having been involved two others). However, this one is too close and personal, especially since the prime suspect is her ex-lover, a man married to the boss' daughter. With things in a tizzy at the office, Jolie is asked to temporarily return to do some copy writing, forcing her go back to work with the one person she wants to avoid.

Meanwhile, something dangerous is occurring at her sister-in-law's home with a little boy being the center of it. Ironically, this problem converges with the office mess, forcing Jolie to simultaneously deal with a traumatized child and a cold blooded killer.

MISTLETOE FROM PURPLE SAGE is a breezy, witty, and warm cozy starring a character who symbolizes every woman. This makes it easy, especially for women, to identify with her joys and concerns. The who-done-it is well done as it flows with many plausible suspects who have ample motives to have committed the deed. The sub-plot involving the heroine's nephew adds depth and intensity to a compelling tale.

Harriet Klausner

The appeal in this Julie Andrews biography is the amount and quality of the pictures it includes. The book covers her childhood and then divides her career into Broadway, Movie and Television sections. The text is somewhat basic; informative but not very in-depth. Robert Windler's book is much more informative as to Julie's career and an older book that only goes through 'The Sound of Music' concentrates much more on her childhood and Broadway career. The Arnzt/Wilson book is a good overview of her life and career and the pictures are truly superb!

If my house was on fire, this is the one book I would grab. The pictures are outstanding, the book features much information about her early career and lots of memorabilia from her childhood years. These are not the overused pics of Julie that we all see over and over again. Not sure why Julie had it pulled from the shelves, but I would certainly describe this book as a love story to Julie from Arntz and Wilson. This book just warms my heart.

Julie Andrews. The world's most beloved singer and actress. The darling of entertainment closest to our hearts. But, there is just one problem. When the world thinks of Julie, they immediatly think of Mary Poppins (for which she won an Oscar) or Maria von Trapp. Nothing annoys me more than that. People can't seem to undertsnad that hse is NOTHING like Mary Poppins! The only thing I think they may have in common in they are both good with children.
I encourage all of you out there to read a Julie biography book! Heck, maybe I'll write one! But do yourselves a favor and get this book! Learning about the fascinating life of Julz Andrews will be something that will both surprise and capture you- you will NOT regret it!

Jolie Wyatt, recently divorced and trying to raise a teenage son, is meeting with her writers' group one night when she learns that Judge Volney Osler has died. What might not have been such a big deal--after all, people do die, and the Judge was old--becomes a very big deal when it turns out that the Judge was murdered. What was a very big deal becomes a huge deal when the murderer's method turns out to be one Jolie herself devised for her as-yet-unpublished mystery novel. Since she had shared her manuscript with only the other members of the group and the officer investigating the crime, the list of suspects is small indeed. When the police officer devotes particular attention to Jolie, the townspeople of Purple Sage have little trouble narrowing the suspect list down to one: Jolie. The fact that Jolie had an argument with the victim shortly before his death does little to help her case.

With a very personal interest in solving the crime to absolve herself, Jolie begins to poke around. Soon she discovers motives for many of her writing group, but still the solution seems elusive--and the danger seems to be getting closer to home. With a son to protect and an ex-husband trying to protect her (and threaten her independence), Jolie finds that her efforts to solve the crime are not entirely consistent with her efforts to maintain her small family.

"Writers of the Purple Sage" is Barbara Burnett Smith's first novel in the Purple Sage series, and it is a most enjoyable read. Smith juggles a traditional cozy mystery in the Christie sense with a domestic tale, and it is the latter that really gives the novel its strength. Jolie Wyatt, as a single mother, is a very sympathetic character who is afraid of losing the life she has provided for her son and who has become an island unto herself. The events surrounding the murder threaten her and her son, and she fights back bravely. While the everyday citizen investing a crime so thoroughly can be problematic (and is indeed a problem in many of the novels of the cozy mystery genre), Smith seems well aware of this problem and has made strides toward explaining Jolie's sleuthing. Jolie investigates in self-defense. I'm not sure that this justification works completely, and there are times when Jolie seems a bit too brazen for either her own good or common sense, but overall the novel works well and is a pleasure to read.

In genre increasing its use of gore and violence, "Writers of the Purple Sage" is a welcome diversion. While quite modern and friendly in its manner, "Writers" evolks images of mysteries of days gone by. No blood, guts, gore and profanity here - just a tightly knit mystery that doesn't bring you down.

the book opens up the exact opprotunities that all writers wish that you could do for the readers.The writer did a very good job in writing this book and capturing the total essecne that and it was like I was in the story and she was writing about me and my life, it was like reading the never ending story ofr the first time, it kept me at the end of my seat the whole way through the book .

I have been a fan of the book _The Secret Garden_ since the first time I read it in grade school. I read the book a minimum of once a year - probably for 12 years. I was really disappointed in several versions of the movie I have seen. They either added weird scenes that were not true to the book or left out too many details for my liking. I know that I can't expect movies to stay entirely true to books - particularly when modern Hollywood makes a movie out of a children's literature classic... but this is absolutely the best version of the story I have ever seen as a movie.

I only gave it 4 out of 5 stars because they made a strange frame around the story - with Mary coming back to the Manor after the war and flashing back to the whole story. That in itself is fine -- but for some reason at the beginning a cat jumps out at her (and then instantly the flashback begins), why??? And at the end Colin comes and meets her in her garden and proposes... aren't they COUSINS?

Little spoiled Mary Lennox is orphaned in India and sent to live with a distant relative. Alone and scared she has to learn the English way of life. Martha her maid teaches her how to dress herself, and gives her a jump rope opening up a whole new world to Mary. The gardens of the 100 room mansion. Here she meets the head gardener and learns of the Secret Garden. Mary also finds that there are many other secrets in this house, her hunchback caretaker that seems so sad, and the crying at night.

The setting of Yorkshire England and the rich cast of characters including the maid Martha, Dicken, Martha's brother, and many others make this a wonderful book for all ages. I have read the secret garden hundreds of times and each time I get something new out of the book. It's a true classic.

This has to be one of my all time favorite Hallmark movies. I have seen other movie versions of "The Secret Garden," all of which seem much darker. I have to say, Hallmark has made the most enjoyable version of "The Secret Garden" to date. the childeren in this movie are wonderful.

Child characters: "Mary Lennox," spoiled, lonley, sad child. Taken from her home to live with a guardian in England after her parents death. "Dickon", Mesterious boy who communes with nature. "Colin," son of Mary's guardian, is hidden from society.

In the movie Mray sets out to find and unlock the secrets to the mesterious garden, making friends along the way.

The scenery in this movie is breath taking at times. One of Hallmarks best! A must have for any Hallmark Hall of Fame fan. Good to have in any movie collection!