This sure happens a lot. Ashleigh or another character gets attatched to a horse and when it dies they close themselves off from horses until another horse magically makes them feel better. These books are great--I ALREADY HAVE FOURTEEN FROM THE SERIES--but there should be a little more variety.

This was a great book. Ashleigh's favorite yearling colt, Midnight Wanderer got injured in a fight with Sparky, another yearling colt. His canon bone was broken in the fight, and the vets says he should be put down. He is given to weeks to get better. Midnight only gets worse and must be put down. That was the saddest part! Midnight was so beautiful! Ashleigh neglected her mare Stardust after that, and she became depressed and bored. Ashley finally tries riding her again and they really come to like each other, and Ashleigh feels a lot better. This book was great! If you like the Thoroughbred series, read it!

This is definitely one of my favorite Thoroughbred books. It has me crying through most of the book. On a scale of 1-5 stars, I would give it 100 and then some.
Tragedy has struck Edgardale, leaving Ashleigh Griffen's favorite colt, Midnight Wanderer, with a broken canon bone. The vet thinks it kindest to put him to sleep, but Ashleigh begs her parents for a few weeks to try to save Midnight. Ashleigh spends every spare minute with him. Everyone else has given up hope, but Ashleigh can't believe her beloved colt could die! She knows he will probably never walk comfortably, let alone do the thing he was bred to do-race. But she believes he could be a pleasure or stud horse. Two weeks fly by quickly, and the vet is back to examine Midnight. He finds that the colt's leg is getting worse, and he has an infection in the bone,despite the medicines. Ashleigh knows it's right to put him out of his misery, but it terrifies her to think of seeing him once and then never again. So she agrees to have him put down, but has her mom say good-bye to Midnight Wanderer for her. Ashleigh blames herself for the colt's sad fate. On the day he broke his canon bone, Ashleigh and Caroline were out watching the weanlings play. Midnight started fighting with Sparky,another colt, and Caroline wanted to get their parents. But Ashleigh said the horses would be fine. And now Midnight is gone. Ashleigh vows never to become attached to a horse again-it can only end in tearful good-byes. She avoids the barn, and neglects her own horse Stardust. But can any horse mend Ashleigh's broken heart and save her love of horses before it's too late?

I think this book was a very good book because it had action and some sudden things like, A man getting shot in his bodey.
However It whould be good for someone in to the civlwar,or just looking for a book that has a lot of action.

The book was diffrent in a way because it showed the suffering that the men whent threw because of hunger.

ggggggggggggggggreat book to read amazing action and facts on the civel war. It had cool stuff like them camping and batteling. I espessialy liked this book becase it shoed cool and sad stuff like a guy died becase he was to hungry. I liked the book alot.

I really liked this book. You really can understand how the soldiers felt and how camp and battle life was for them. I learned a little about the civil war from this, too. This book has action, emotion and laughter all rolled into one. If you know every thing about the civil war or u know nothing, this is a good book. It sits on my 'Favorite Shelf' this second. A good read.

the first part is really great. the events of a convict's life is presented in an interesting way. the convict finds a means to escape, sort of a meditative way, that makes him fly to far off places. but the story doesn't really develop or continue from there. instead it ends up being a bit boring, although starting promising.

I started to write a review over two years ago after I read this piece, then stopped, deciding to wait, wanting to know whether such poignant effect on my thinking and outlook could last. IT HAS! This little-known work by Jack London is a masterpiece, through which my perspective on life- in particular during times of disappointment, loss, or pain- has been placed in new and better perspective. Mr. Morrell conquers the heartless cruelties inflicted by his captors, and London's amazing talent leads the reader vicariously through it.

This is a brilliant, beautiful novel. The idea of escape from a reality of suffering is presented to the reader through wonderful short stories that are layered within the theme of a prisoner condemned to death. Particularly those who are interested in Eastern philosophy will enjoy this immensely. The rest will simply read a masterpiece. I will never forget it.

Bebe Moore Campbell writes from personal expierance in the novel, Sweet Summer. Campbell tells about growing up as an African American girl living in the South during the 60's. Through this story I learned the prejudice of racism, the struggle of growing up with a divoraced family, and the will to live life. This story touched my heart, because it provided me to a differnt point of view about life.

Once in a great while - about as often as Halley's Comet - a book comes along which stirs the soul and rattles your heart; a book which can transcend race, gender, age, place and time. This is such a book. Moore-Campbell is a magnificent writer; her verses poetic, her theme universal. Her autobiogrophy tells the story of growing up black and young without a full-time father, and the affects it can have on a child. It's not just her story; she shares this life with her cousin Michael (again, young and black without a full-time father), their Mothers, Grandmothers, Aunts, and assorted 'father figures': Dads, Uncles, Reverands, Neighbors. One child (BeBe) can learn to adapt graciously, while the other (Michael) has a tougher time, as they each learn difficult 'truths' about their patriarchy. Beautifully written, the reader hangs on every word, as this wonderful story unfolds.

This is a wonderful book and I recommend it to any one out there living or growing up with and without a father.

This is an excellent, helpful guide to etiquette for folks who didn't think Miss Manners would work for them - although, as Drew slyly implies, she could! The book offers common-sense advice told humorously and well for folks who move regularly in non-traditional roles and relationship structures. I hope everyone in these categories (and really, who isn't?) gives it a read.

I don't usually post reviews but this book is so unique, so useful, so needed in the Alt.sex community, that I am compelled to comment. I found the BDSM scene four years ago. I had many questions about how to navigate the community in a polite and respectful manner. Once in the BDSM community, I crossed paths with transgender folk, polyamorous folk, and queer folk. This has been a journey of discovery for me and at times I've been at a loss how to interact and build friendships - I wasn't sure about the etiquette and I didn't want to offend people in the process of getting to know them.

This book would have been a tremendous help. And actually, after reading it, is an interesting and engaging etiquette guide for interactions with the world at large. It is useful for navigating dating within any community, social events (parties, weddings) in any community, and delivers good advice for the workplace as well.

In many cases I found my initial judgment of how to approach new people was correct. I was relieved to see that in some cases, the reactions I had seen were inappropriate from the other party. But in other cases, I found new strategies for showing empathy and respect. I did disagree with one statement in the book: The author's opinion on public displays of affection at large street fairs (Pride & Folsom Street Fair) is that anything beyond hand holding and social kissing is not appropriate. These events are targeted at encouraging people with alternative lifestyles to be proud of that lifestyle and is one of the few places that you *can* freely express your sexuality. I believe that attendees understand that in advance and the "displays" they see are not a surprise, therefore, acceptable. But the book gave me another perspective on this situation.

This book is now at the top of my "what to recommend to a newbie" in the scene list. No, it doesn't address the play & safety issues that must be considered before jumping into BDSM play, but it gives you a foundation for respectful communication that really is required before those other conversations should occur.

I admit it; I bought this book mainly because Donna Barr, one of my favorite artists, illustrated it. However, I found it quite enjoyable reading, both for its look into subcultures I hadn't known existed (and sexual variations ditto) and for its calm, "Miss Manners" approach to etiquette for extremely non-traditional people, social situations, and subcultures. It would be quite useful to anybody who wants to get into this sort of activity, as well as to those who find that a loved one is involved and want to know how to react and what to say.

If you've just bought a boat and you have this notion to go off cruising, this may be a fun book to feed your mind. But it's awfully basic. Gleckler does take you by the hand and deals with the most fundamental questions. But there's no real "beef" in this volume. You'll need to read a lot more than you'll find in here. And the photographs are just AWFUL. Why is it acceptable to print photographs in a book that are so dark it's impossible to see what's going on?

Very practical and written in an easy-to-read style. We've done local cruising, but I wasn't sure what I should be concerned about for our upcoming cruise to the Caribbean in '01 or '02. I now know what classes I personally need to attend, that my time at the gym is a good investment in my safety, I don't need to know how to tie every blasted knot known to mankind, windvanes are worth looking at, what goodies to put on my Christmas and birthday list(!),what to bring for sail repair, medicine, etc. Since I'm usually in charge of food for short cruises, Anna Gleckler's notes on preserving cheese, bread, juice and eggs without refrigeration AND making jerky and corning beef were, well, things my mother didn't teach me and I probably wouldn't have thought to ever ask her! I just feel more at ease and I anticipate that in the next year or so that I will be better prepared if I act on the advice in this book. I plan to re-read it every six months or so to make sure I'm working on those things (health, reading, education) to make our trip the best it can be.

All About Cruising is a fun and easy way to get answers to questions about cruising and the cruising lifestyle. The book systematically works through the myriad of topics applicable to getting offshore in the fastest and safest manner. It is crammed with information and the graphics, photos, and cartoons make it fun and relaxed. A great way to start a complex and consuming process!

It hard not to get involved with Thi Kim and her struggle to save the street children of Saigon.The author has a way of expressing compassion for the heroine; the powerful forces which protect her as she fight for freedom and eventually love.
Well written- great read!
Wendy Duckworth.

Set in post-war Vietnam, ANGELS OF SAIGON by Leonie Campbell is a true account that exposes the difficult lives, full of anguish and misery that the women and children of Saigon must endure.Thi Kim, the main character in ANGELS OF SAIGON, lives the life of actual women in Vietnam. Her story involves one woman's strength of mind to triumph over the sorrow of losing ones family, being raped, imprisonment in an adult establishment, and risky encounters with crooked officials all while trying to save the children of Saigon, not to mention, fighting for her own freedom.This book comes complete with a "Related Articles" section, where readers can read quotes about this subject matter collected from various newspapers and magazines.I enjoyed reading Ms. Campbell's book even though it brought me to tears more than once. I found myself thinking about the characters while doing the dishes or watching TV.The descriptions of the characters, and surroundings was superbly written in vivid detail and I felt that the dialogue was both intriguing and realistic.Jennifer Leese reviewer AStoryweaver
...

I especially enjoyed reading this book. This young woman's strength to overcome all adversity in her quest to save the children of Saigon. A couragous story told with passion and dedication for the truth about the people of Vietnam. Great book congratulations. Fraser Bone.

Ancient Images is a wonderful horror novel, more than making up for a few plot flaws with an incredible atmosphere which slowly pulls you further and further into the story. The novel offers a terrific "hook" that many horror aficionados such as myself are almost powerless to resist: the search for a lost, almost mythical horror movie starring both Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff. The film, Tower of Fear, has never been seen, and the rumors surrounding its filming speak of strange happenings and almost ghostly events which supposedly frightened many of the crew and cast so badly that no one even cared that the final product essentially disappeared from the face of the earth before anyone could see it. Now, however, one professional movie buff (Graham) has found a copy after years of searching for it. He invites his friend, film editor Sandy Allan, to see its unveiling at his apartment, but when Sandy arrives, the film is gone. She is then horrified to see her friend jump from the roof of the adjacent building and plunge to his death. When a pompous film critic derides her late friend's quest for a movie that he says never existed, Sandy sets herself the task of finding the movie and vindicating her friend's claims. All she has to go on is a list of contacts Graham made in his search, consisting mainly of men who worked on the film in some capacity. She travels all over the countryside trying to speak to these contacts, finding herself rebuffed by some but increasingly finding more and more evidence of the fear that still haunts the minds of the cast and crew 50 years after the film was made. Her search eventually leads her to the town of Redfield, and it is in this much too idyllic town that Campbell paints his most masterful strokes, invoking an intense atmosphere of slowly growing, insidious terror that is almost Lovecraftian in its pervasive effect on both protagonist and reader.

The conclusion was not wholly satisfying, but it would have been almost impossible for it to achieve the explosiveness the increasingly compelling storyline seemed to beg for. One thing I didn't like about the novel is Campbell's relentless description of all the creepy things Sandy kept telling herself she wasn't seeing. She didn't see this in the field, the thing in the bushes couldn't have been real, the shadow of an impossibly thin man was not in the corner after all, something was making noise outside her room but the corridor was empty, etc. These comments are crammed throughout the narrative from the very start; the fact that Campbell can still captivate the reader and wrap a shroud of unseen horror around him/her when it really comes time to get creepy says a lot about the power this author holds over words. When Campbell is clicking, he can absorb you completely into the tale. The scarecrow images Campbell populates the fields of northern England with become frightening visions, but the scene inside the huge old tower in Redfield stands above the pack in terms of the fear factor associated with this tale.

I would describe Ancient Images as deliciously creepy but not frightening or horrifying. Campbell is one of the true masters of psychological horror, and he puts his skills to good use in these pages. A couple of minor issues I had with the plot compel me to give the book only four stars, but the atmosphere of the novel is really quite impressive. It was a pleasure to allow Ramsey Campbell inside my mind for the course of this gripping novel.

ANCIENT IMAGES IS A brilliantly creepy novel that fully lives up the claustrophobic terror of Campbell's short fiction. Campbells' ability to create a scene of terror in broad daylight is unparalelled. I would certainly recommend this book highly to readers of intelligent, cerebral horror.

With a remarkable body of work spanning the last 30 or so years, Ramsey Campbell has distinguished himself as one of the greatest horror writers of the 20th century. His is a rare distinctive voice in modern horror fiction, one that has consistently lived up to the dauntingly high standards of horror storytelling set by accepted masters of the field such as M.R. James, while remaining as cutting edge and relevant as any of his contemporaries'.

ANCIENT IMAGES, a typically excellent horror novel from Campbell, further reinforces this perspective on his career. The story, abetted by Campbell's ever-vivid and suggestive prose, echoes the form and content of the classic Jamesian ghost story. We are presented first with an intriguing & quite plausible mystery in the form of an old horror film that apparently disappeared from the public eye shortly after release. Things take a deeply sinister turn when the mystery is linked to a remote, rural English village and its generations-old secrets. As the mystery unravels, the supernatural dread begins to mount, for there are hideous things lurking in the shadows or waiting, standing eerily still in distant fields (hence the resemblance to scarecrows), that will strike swiftly and kill mercilessly to protect those secrets.

Apart from certain elements I felt the plot would have been stronger without (specifically, the 'feral' travellers, whose role in the book was never quite convincing), this is, in my view, a virtually flawless horror novel. Perfectly structured, deliberately paced, chillingly atmospheric, mysterious, frightening'but never sacrificing credibility for a quick, cheap shock. And all wrapped up with one of Campbell's wonderful, darkly ironic stings at the end of the tale. Vital modern horror reading.

None of the books I ordered to give me pointers didn't seem to tell me much I needed to know about that. My situation didn't fit these how to books as they went through a lot of stuff that didn't pretain to me very much and having boxes strewn all over to sort things can not work here for me as I have roomers and the hall would be blocked doing such a thing. I guess if I had a huge house like some have, but I am in a small 3 bedroom condo and it wasn't helpful for me.
MomElly

It's odd that I was facinated by this book and took it on vacation with me. I really enjoyed reading it. I'm naturally neurotically tidy and was glad for new tips and tricks to help me with being even more psychotic about clutter. :)

Most advice was fantastic and very helpful. Props to you, Jeff.

This has to be one of the BEST and MOST MOTIVATING books I have ever read. This is a short, easy-to-read book. I read it in one day. This author REALLY UNDERSTANDS the problem of people like me who are "pack-rats," and WHY we are pack-rats. He tackles the problem from this point of view.

The very next day, after reading the book, I was able to organize my entire office. I am now involved in packing for a home move, and for the first time in years, I am making progress on knowing what to save, and what to get rid of. This book helped me TREMENDOUSLY in making these decisions. And it provides precise, practical suggestions for how to go about it step-by-step, so that you get rid of the problem of being entirely overwhelmed and not knowing where to start.

If clutter is disturbing your life, then THIS IS THE BOOK FOR YOU.

As a kid, I read this book over and over, soaking up the volumes of information. The reading is pretty dry, but the story covered is fascinating. Perhaps one thing that made it interesting was reading about the person who bought it for me - my grandfather. He was pleased with how he had been interviewed and, of course, thought they could have said more about his area of study!

There are countless books covering the PC revolution from about the 1970's and onwards, but not very many that carefully cover the saga of the 1800's and onward! This book does an excellent job at capturing what happened in the realm of computing from Babbage's work all the way up to what began the downfall of the mainframe to the minis.

I recently finished this book and "Engines of the Mind : The Evolution of the Computer from Mainframes to Microprocessors" by Joel N. Shurkin. Both are attempts at writing a detailed history of the development of the computer and the events surrounding it, and I must admit that I found "Computer" much more entertaining than Shurkin's text.

The difference between the two books is very slight, however, it is significant. "Computer" walks us through the work of Charles Babbage and carries us through the backrooms of large businesses at the turn of the 19th century. The authors discuss the work and lives of the people that were the first 'computers' working all day long to finish calculations that were used in business, and then for the calculation of artillery tables in the world wars. It was the replacement of these workers and their omissive errors and necessarily slow speed and development time that drove the development of the huge mainframes that would be developed by the military. The authors do a great job of walking through the history of the early computer companies, especially Hollerith's Tabulating Machine Co., now IBM, and National Cash Register. The role that these two companies played in increasing the public's reliance and trust in machines was a key enabler of the computer revolution. The authors then take us through to modern times and we follow the ultra-competitive computer industry through wave after wave of consolidation and rapid technological innovation. This book also shows us a slight glimpse of the business forces behind the development of the transistor, and how this invention would wind up changing the world.

I could not have enjoyed this book more. Of the two, it definitely did the best job of focusing on the industry and economic changes that have led us to the modern computer age. The annecdotes and writing style of the authors is well-suited to the material and I very highly recommend this book. I also recommend the other book as well - I believe that if read together (with some time to digest in between them) they do a great job of painting the picture of a fascinating development of one of the most important technological changes in the history of man.