Jackson Cade has to be beyond desperate to enlist the aid of veterinarian Haley Garrett. Only the mad screams of his prize stallion and the lack of any known remedy forces Jackson to call Haley. Shocked when the call comes, she disregards her elegant black dress, trading heals for practical boots and gloves, as she rushes to the emergency. Even Jackson's hostile attitude isn't enough to dissuade her from the stallion in obvious crisis.

Now Jackson has nightmares of that night and seeing Haley crushed between the mad horse and the wall, lying on the floor beneath flaying hooves. Combined with the memory of undressing her, as he prepares Haley for a doctor's examination, he can't get her out of his mind. But Jackson long ago vowed to avoid professional women like Haley, despite his screaming hormones.

Author BJ James provides some unexpected twists in THE TAMING OF JACKSON CADE. These unusual, memorable characters will capture the reader's heart and imagination, lingering long after the last page is turned. A delightful read, THE TAMING OF JACKSON CADE comes highly recommended.

Can Haley's compassion and courage overcome Jackson Cade's hate of "career" women? Haley is the new vet in town facing Jackson's hatred of women like her. In the beginning, he is rude and harsh to her. Even Cade realizes his remarks are ungentlemanly; he who was drilled in treating every women as a gentleman. We soon realize his attitude is in order to resist Haley. From the very first, he realized he would have to do something in order to resist Haley, a career woman, if he was to keep his vow.

However, after having to call Haley out to save an extremely valuble stud horse, he realizes the courage and compassion she radiates is not what he expects. He also realizes Haley has been in an extremely abusive relationsip in the past.

Haley in her turn, has loved Jackson Cade since she was 15. She had briefly been staying with an aunt and attending school. Jackson took the wallflower she was and danced with her and encouraged her to "show'em all". From that time on, she had grown stronger and never forgot Jackson's encouragement.

The main theme touches on crossroads and how an event or person can have a bad or good affect towards how a person turns out.
Both Jackson and Haley had "events" when they were young that changed their attitude about life; Haley to face situations with courage, Jackson to avoid relationships with career women.

How the immovable object Jackson, is worn down by the unstoppable, compassionate Haley is a wonderful read. I truly admire how Haley calmly faces Jackson's antipathy. Also, it was fun to watch all Jackson's friends conspire to help Haley reel him in.
There is also danger and intrigue as acts of sabatage happen at Jackson's ranch. Is it an old enemy? Or someone new?

The book was short but very enjoyable. I plan to look up the other B.J. James books , "Men of Belle Terre, and the "Black Watch" series. Enjoy!

This is of particular interest to people living in Mississippi in the 1960's. I was a child during this time and knew the children of the players in the book. I never knew the terrible things they were going through. It gave me a deep appreciation of the people involved. It also made me think in ways that I had never really considered. For example, the fact that the Klan is a terrorist organization rather than a bunch of rednecks in sheets.

I had to read this for school. I thought it would be horribly boring, but it was excellent.

I particularly enjoyed this book because it came as a complete surprise to me that it existed and when I stumbled across it in the Christchurch library I couldn't put it down-as I read initially about the family members I knew and then more widely.later I found it also in teh Auckland Public library
I have spotted a few factual errors in book but nothing that outweighs the enormous effort the late Helena Jacobs put in . It is actually one of 3 books on the Jacobs-Norley family and all of them are huge!

If there was one single book that has infuenced my hobby of genealogy it has been teh work of Helena Jacobs who, though I never met her, showed me how family history could be done

It was my privilege to provide some detail for this book, after hearing of the auther from the late Geoffery Meynal Norley, of Myrtleford, Victoria, Australia. A copy is with the Soc. of Gen. in London U.K., but is a must for every Norley, particularly the Kent, branch (Devon, Cheshire, must fit in someplace?) I contributed photos of my Great grandfather and family etc. Having met many Norleys, the family likeness, whether, tall, thin, nordic or short dark stretches across generations sometimes (i.e. 1780 branch off-- Geoff and my father and Uncle, a distant relative in Melbourne via Offham, Kent are all 'from the same mold'. The American pictures show the same family likeness, staring back at you. Pity they cannot speak... then again! I would be interested to know of the authers condition. George Norley.

Because there are so few books on evolution out there that are really aimed at young children, I think it is definitely worth having, but I thought it had a few shortcomings. The first few pages really read like a book for toddlers, but then it gets more advanced (preschool to early elementary), this caused it to not really flow well for me, this is simply a stylistic matter and not really a problem with the content though. It starts at the beginning, not before the planet existed, but before there was any life on it. It goes about 18 pages getting through the first not quite alive thing that could make copies of itself, but sometimes, rarely, the copy wasn't exact. Then in one page jumps through the millions of years to when "many new kinds of aliveness appeared in the world". The rest of it is very VERY general, and simplified. Personally I found it oversimplified, and found the first half of the book to be out of balance with the second half. There are so few books on evolution out there aimed at young children. It is nice to have something. The cover of the book has a very colorful picture on it, but inside the illustrations are all purple and white. I think simpler, full color illustrations inside would be more suited to a book aimed at children this age. This is the author's note: "During a recent trip to the library, I noticed that, while there were many books retelling biblical creation stories, there were relatively few books on evolution for younger children. Those books that attempted to explain evolution did so in a way that, though scientifically accurate, conveyed none of the wonder and excitement of this concept. The Tree Of Life is my attempt to help young children understand the beauty and power of this great idea. Obviously, a book for young children on this topic must leave out some complex details (for instance, the role of sexual selection as one of the driving mechanisms of evolution). The illustrations, also, must necessarily be somewhat abstract and suggestive rather than literal. Nevertheless, great care has been taken to maintain accuracy throughout, although some of the ideas have been simplified for this audience." I guess I just feel that it was more abstract and simplified than I would have liked. It is a decent book to have around, particularly when used with other books. I didn't like it nearly as much as How Whales Walked Into the Sea by Faith McNulty, but she had a much easier job of only focusing on one animal, not introducing the idea of evolution from nothing alive to the myriad of life forms we have today. If you are an aspiring children's book author or illustrator, this is a subject that could really use a lot more attention. Start working!

"Tree of Life" is a educational storybook, which tells the story of biological evolution from before the first form of life appeared, to the appearance of the first humans, and all in words even a preschooler can understand. My three year old only had a few questions the first time I read it, and it is now one of his favorites. The large, beautiful purple and white illustrations also make it as enjoyable to look at as it is to read.

I am not joking. I wish it were realistic to use this textbook in an intro to western civ class for students with no previous knowledge, but it's too complicated. It's also hard to lecture with it as it jumps around between national histories (keep having to say, "when last we left English history...". I would like to use a text like this one but am convinced that it is simply too much for our average students.

I'm a teacher and educated general reader who ordered this book after learning of Spielvogel's popularity and brilliance as a professor at our mutual alma mater: Penn State. It arrived just today. Already, from reading the "intro to students," I've learned what the enigmatic B.C.E. means but that the author chooses to use B.C. (as in A.D.) The voice that wrote that introduction is the voice of the entire text. I am delighted with the heft of the book, the maps and illustrations, and the prospects ahead.

In the modern era, natural science is more than a lot of abstract thoughts and boring jargon--it is a leader of society. Newton's theory of physics, Darwin's theory of evolution, Heisenberg's uncertainty principle--all have changed the way we think about the world, influenced other disciplines, and ultimately changed society.

Because of this profound effect science has on society, it is important for the general public to understand the ideas and development of science. Unfortunately, it becomes increasingly difficult to do so as science becomes more specialized and technical.

Enter Stephen Hawking and 'A Brief History of Time.' The book is one of many great books that increase scientific literacy for ordinary people like me.

Only someone who fully understands the basic concepts of theoretical physics could put it into clear and easy prose as Hawking does. He outlines the progress of theoretical physics and the theories that attempt to describe the universe, all in plain English.

Hawking paints a picture of the universe--its beginning, its end, the direction of time, black holes-- with the wonder and curiosity of the child plus the style and confidence of a brilliant mind. One of the most brilliant minds in this century, as a matter of fact.

The final sentence about knowing the mind of God--"the ultimate triumph of human reason"--reminded me of that timeless scene in the Bible where the serpent convinces Adam and Eve to eat the apple.

Figuratively (*figuratively*) , that triumph is what we left Eden for. We have left Paradise for unknown horizons, for questions instead of answers, for a world of wonders. That quest is what A Brief History of Time is about. Do yourself a favor and read this book.

Most people know that Hawking is a brilliant physicist, but after reading this book, one develops a respect for his other talents as well. Most noticeable is Stephen Hawking's ability to make very complicated ideas seem quite clear through good explanations, clear comparisons to real life events, and a soft humor. The organization of chapers mostly follows a chronological order, which gives a sense of history from Aristotle to present day, yet also establishes concepts in an order that builds on itself. One also realizes that A Brief History of Time was written by a writer, not a scientist who happened to put ideas to paper. This makes a big difference in the enjoyment of a book, since good information in a dry, dull form can be difficult to read (remember trying to keep your eyes open while reading a dull textbook in a subject of interest?). On the other hand, interesting information presented in an interesting manner make A Brief History of Time as much of a 'page-turner' as physics can be.

In summary, a fountain of information from galaxies and black holes to quantum mechanics presented in such a way that is not only as easy to understand as it can be, but is an enjoyable experience to read.

This is probably the most readable book on those mind-boggling questions of cosmology and theoretical physics that engage many of the top minds today. Hawking explains it all in easily understandable language, almost conversationally, and even then, sometimes the concepts are tough sledding. But overall, this is a readable and enjoyable trip along some of the high roads of contemporary physical thought by one of its greatest thinkers. It had been some years since I'd had the time to read much about astronomy and cosmology, and this little book was a great place to start reading up on the subject again.

I usually try to do reviews that aren't simply a rehash of the material in the book, but I would like to mention one thing Hawking discusses since it was so ironic. I was taught, of course, about the Big Bang theory in college (and no, it's not about a hot party at Jimi Hendrix's place back in the 60's), and by that time it was pretty much accepted as an established fact. But Hawking points out that originally he had trouble convincing his fellow physicists that a singularity such as the big bang had actually occurred. His fellow physicists eventually came around to his view of things, but it took a while. However, Hawking discovered later that if certain quantum phenomena were brought into the picture, the necessity for a singularity disappeared--so he could have saved himself the trouble of the original controversy!

Overall, a great classic by a great scientist and teacher.

A tragedy by William Shakespeare, written around 1599-1601. Before the play opens, the king of Denmark has been murdered by his brother, Claudius, who has taken the throne and married the queen, Gertrude. The ghost of the dead king visits his son, Prince Hamlet, and urges him to avenge the murder. Hamlet, tormented by this revelation, appears to be mad and cruelly rejects Ophelia whom he loved. Using a troupe of visiting players to act out his father's death, the prince prompts Claudius to expose his own guilt. Hamlet then kills Ophelia's father Polonius in mistake for Claudius, and Claudius tries but fails to have Hamlet killed. Ophelia drowns herself in grief, and her brother Laertes fights a duel with Hamlet.

Hamlet's dilemma is often seen as typical of those whose thoughtful nature prevents quick and decisive action.

Hamlet contains several fine examples of soliloquy, such as " To be or not to be" and Hamlet's earlier speech lamenting his mother's hasty remarriage and Claudius' reign which opens "O! that this too too solid flesh would melt". Much quoted lined "Neither a borrower nor a lender be", "Something is rotten in the stste of Denmark", "Brevity is the soul of wit", "To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub;" The lady doth protest too much, methinks," and "Alas, poor Yorick". Arguably Shakespeare's finest play and one that can be read again and again.

Hamlet is, by far, the most complex of Shakespeare's many plays. Many of the themes covered are love vs hate, action vs non-action, revenge, and jealousy. Hamlet discovers that "something is rotten in the state of Denmark" when he encounters the ghost of his father, the King, who has recently been killed in battle. From here, Hamlet goes on a search for the discovery of what happened to his father. However, Hamlet not only uncovers secrets of the past, but also the depths of his own being.

The Folger Edition of Hamlet is a great edition to buy, especially for those who are studying this play in high school or college, because it is relatively cheap in price and is very "reader-friendly" with side notes and footnotes that accompany each page of each scene. So, even if you aren't a Shakespeare lover or if Shakespeare is just a little intimidating (we all know how this feels), this version at least allows you to get the gist of what is going on. Also, there are summaries of each scene within each act, to let you know in layman's terms what is taking place. I highly recommend this edition.

Hamlet is considered, by many scholars, the pinnacle of Shakespeare's dramas. If you haven't read it yet this this Case Studies in Contemporary Criticism edition would be a great place to begin.

The text notes that are included with the play are very helpful to understand some of the more difficult language nuances that are inevitable with any Shakespeare. The structure is well laid out and conclusive. It complements the complexity of Hamlet very well.

Of course Hamlet is one of the great paradoxes and mysteries every written. The search of finding yourself and what it is that fuels the human spirit. Hamlet can be a very confusing play because of the depth of substance. However, the critical essays that suppliment the reading make it very accessable.

Each of the critical essays are of different schools of literary criticism: Feminist Criticism, psychoanalytic criticism, post-structuralist (deconstuctionist) criticism, Marxist critism, and finally a New Historicist criticism. Before each critism there is clearly written introduction to explain the motives and histories of that type of criticism.

This edition of Hamlet will not only introduce the reader to more Shakespeare, but also explain the play and help to familiarize the reader with literary criticism too. It is a beautiful volume that cannot be more recommended if you are wanting to buy a copy Hamlet.

I saw the original movie when I was a small child and thought it was the scariest thing I had ever seen! When I was a teenager I read the book and have re-read it many times since. If you are looking for cheap thrills, in-your-face gore and sudden shocks this is not the book for you. If you are a fan of deeper, more subtle psychological terror, you have come to the right place! Every re-reading brings you to a different level of understanding Eleanor's descent into madness. At first the house seems just evil, trying to shake the people out of it like a dog would with fleas. Then you start to wonder--is it the house or is it Eleanor who is causing all of the trouble. Her youthful experiences with poltergeists--which many believe are the manifestations of unbalanced teen-aged minds, awakens the dormant evil of the house. When she becomes angry and jealous of Theo, the house destroys Theo's belongings. Eleanor's insanity becomes woven into the insanity of Hill House. Soon they become deeply intertwined in each other and the rest of the houseguests can only watch in horror. For those that hated or didnt understand the ending, there was no other way out for Eleanor but to have history repeat itself (didnt you pay attention to the beginning of the book?) It was the final struggle between her rational and insane personalities--the rational one screaming in terror as it loses to the insane one which knows where is wants to be...where it must call home. As for the movie versions...The original was a very frightening, somewhat faithful rendering with fabulous performances by Julie Harris and Claire Bloom. The second one was a dreadful pile with little resemblence to the book and a really inane Joan of Arc martyr twist. Dont waste your time!

Shirley Jackson is truly the master of horror. She weaves a dark tale of loneliness, depression, sadness, obsession and fear. Most readers, who have seen the remake, seem to be impressed with special effects and cheesy plots. This story is chilling not because of the supernatural themes, but because of the dark recesses of human nature. People don't seem to realize that the ending (without giving too much away) depicts Eleanor's response towards her feelings of isolation and depression. Who knows if she did what she did because of a ghost or because she was truly mad? was she trying to stay in the only place that understood her or was the house trying to keep her? Please, don't base this literary masterpiece on a REALLY bad movie. read the book and decide WHO was in control-Eleanor or Hill House?

Ghost and horror stories today take the "blunt instrument" approach of trying to scare us with threats of physical violence, or trying to shock and disgust us with blood and guts. They're the "fast food" of the genre, mass-produced, lacking distinction, and bad for us. Anyone can write about chainsaw-wielding demons and other such things. But Shirley Jackson has written a masterpiece. This book gets you where you really live, in more ways than one. It shows that true terror lies in a threat not to the body, but to the sanity, will, mind, and soul. The characters in this book are fully human, the language poetic, the plot a work of art. Half of the chills come from the mounting tension of waiting for something to happen, and when it finally does, we, like Eleanor and the others, live through the terror, and then we (again, like Eleanor) have the further distress of not knowing quite what to make of it. The house catches not just her but us off-guard and then it keeps us there. I only regret that although Hollywood has made two movies out of this book, both of them miss the mark completely. Maybe the third time will be the charm. Be warned: Once you read this book, you'll find that nothing else in the genre, except for _The Turn of the Screw_, can possibly measure up to it.

After reading 'The Quiet Game', easily the best myster/legal-thriller I have ever read, I was anxiously waiting for '24-Hours' and let me say right here and now, it was one of the most thrilling stories I have read in a long time. Taking place pretty much over the course of just 24-hours, the pace is frenetic at the very least and once in motion, quite literally never let's up.

The plot is absolutely chilling to anyone who is a parent: your child being kidnapped for ransom. The thing about kidnapping in this country is: the culprits almost never succeed. The FBI captures virtually all of the criminals who are stupid enough to use kidnapping as a means to get rich quick. This is where Joey comes in. He knows how unsuccessful snatching people for ransom is, so he devises a nearly foolproof plan that has worked like a charm 5 times-in-a-row...but that is before Joey decides to make a grab for Abbey, the diabetic daughter of Karen & Will Jennings. His idea is actually incredibly simple: grab the kid, take them someplace isolated...hold Mom and Dad in two other separate locations keeping them apart for the entire 24-hours it takes to pull off the *plan*...which means you need 3 kidnappers in order to make the *plan* work. What Joey did NOT count on, was the determination of Karen & Will. Y'see, Joey is going to make this the FINAL *plan* and intends to move out of country and enjoy the spoils of his evil ways with his partners. He also has something special in store for Will in particular, making this last operation one not only of kidnapping, but of sweet revenge. I can't tell you the WHY, because finding out is half the fun of this rocket-ride of a novel. I CAN tell you that once you begin this thriller, you will be hopelessly caught up in Greg Iles' fertile imagination, one that won't let you go until you reach the final page. The explosive climax is worthy of Hollywood's biggest chase scenes. Word has it that Hollywood is interested in turning this story into a movie, and as long as they didn't screw it up, it would be a great one, too.

I only gave '24-Hours' 4 stars simply because after finishing 'The Quiet Game' I was absolutely stunned with how amazing it was. Greg Iles is a truly gifted storyteller, and it was almost impossible to equal that novel (in my opinion) and as good as '24-Hours' really is, 'The Quiet Game' is still my favorite novel by him. Do NOT let that influence you into NOT buying this book, on the contrary, buy it, read it and enjoy because it is a fabulous book that deserves ALL the positive reviews it has received--and NONE of the negative ones. I am truly mystified at those who did not like this book, and actually went out of their way to bash it. Go figure. For ME, it was great and I Highly Recommend it.

When I'm in a bookstore, one of the determining factors that often influence my choice as to whether or not to buy a certain book is to read the opening lines. If the book has a good enough "hook", then I'll take a chance on it, considering that the concept hasn't already grabbed me. Iles did a masterful job in setting up a cinematic prologue that details the safe return of a kidnapped child to his frantic mother. It's an anticlimax that works to the story's advantage.

Joe Hickey, his cousin Huey and a woman have perfected an ingenious system for kidnapping children of prominent Mississippi physicians and for not only eluding capture but to even make their existence unknown to the authorities. But when they kidnap Abby Jennings, the small daughter of Will and Karen Jennings, Joe Hickey and his accomplices have picked on the wrong family.

Impeccable research into the intimate details of families like the Jennings make their master plan foolproof and not knowing that Abby Jennings had juvenile diabetes strikes me as something that a criminal genius like Hickey would've known. When they spirit the child out of the house only to subsequently discover that she's been separated from her life-saving insulin, Hickey is forced to alter The Plan.

But the family's will and resourcefulness make the carefully laid plan spiral more and more off course until both sides are adlibbing in a deadly game of chess, with Abby being the most important piece.

The Jennings, however, are targeted for reasons other than money and Hickey's motive for revenge is rather generic and uninspired. What *is* inspired and unique is the thrilling climax that takes place in the interstate, a denouement that has cinema written all over it.

24 HOURS has pacing and suspense that's as smooth and sharp as a scalpel on flesh and the characterization is as topnotch as Dean Koontz's. The relationship between the ringleader Joe Hickey and his giant cousin Huey has a feel reminiscent of OF MICE AND MEN, a dynamic used by other authors such as Scott Smith and John Gilstrap but without as much skill. Iles, however, pulls it off and one of threads of tension that runs throughout the book is the question of which force has more control over the gentle giant, the one who's watching Abby- Hickey or Huey's own conscience. Cheryl, a cynical, hard-assed former stripper, comes across as a solid, living woman and the reader can't help but sympathize with her as well as Huey.

Iles is indeed a master storyteller at the top of his game and, if he isn't, it's only because he has yet to peak.

There is something really special about Greg Iles' writing that is hard to pinpoint. My favorite authors have been Nelson DeMille and Jeffery Deaver. I think Iles is every bit as good as these masters, and even better in some respects. What sets Iles apart is his understanding of human nature, thus his characters seem more real (human) than any author I have read. He must spend as much time studying people as Clancy does technology.

His dialog is also crisp and very realistic. He doesn't spend a lot of time describing settings, but his characters and plots are so good the reader doesn't even notice or miss it.

24 Hours is a really moving work. I would find it hard to believe that anyone with a family (especially young children) could read this novel without being affected. I put this book in my top 5 I have ever read.

Also recommended: Mortal Fear - Greg Iles; The Devil's Teardrop - Jeffery Deaver; Plum Island - Nelson DeMille

Gods and Generals by Jeff Shaara is a tremendously awesome book explaining the battles between the Union and Confederate armies during the Civil War. Shaara did a wonderful job giving key details while making it interesting. Some history novels are so boring. People just read about what happened without enjoying the book because it would not have any people or scenes or anything because it is strictly summary. This book showed Shaara's true capability of teaching the reader while the reader is enjoying the book.
Before reading this book, I lacked a lot of knowledge pertaining to the Civil War. I did know the basics, it started with slavery and the Union won. Once I read the first chapter, I knew that it was going to be an overwhelming and an awe-inspiring book and I knew that I was going to learn a lot. I learned about each of the major generals, many of the major battles, and actions the people made. I went from knowing almost nothing to being a person with a good deal of knowledge regarding the subject of Civil War.
General Robert E. Lee was a major character and Jeff Shaara really focused on him as well as Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson from the Confederacy. From the Union, Shaara did not focus on one or two of the generals, it was more evened out. Although Shaara focuses on these two generals, I felt that I got to know each character and what they felt. That is one of Shaara's strengths when he writes, the reader feels like they get to know the characters.
It is impossible to characterize the greatnessof Gods and Generals and it is impossible to not have to the chance to read it. If you are want to read a book and learn while reading and enjoying, I strongly suggest that you buy this book and read it because those around you are going to want to borrow the book and read it as well.

For our history class we had to read a book on the civil war. We had to read a different historical book at the begining of the year and that didn't go down well with me. So, this time I picked Gods and Generals by Jeff Shaara and I actually noticed that I loved learning about the History of the Civil War! This book takes the events leading up to the civil war all the way to just before Gettysburg and turns it into an exhillerating novel. This book tells the story of the civil war from the perspective of most of the major generals including Confederate General Lee, Confederate General Thomas J. (Stonewall) Jackson, and Union General Hancock. If you are interested in learning about the civil war I STRONGLY suggest reading this book.

Jeff M. Shaara follows in his father's footsteps to write about popular northeastern Civil War generals or key players in the northern campaigns. As a prelude to Gettysburg (movie)/Killer Angels (book), Shaara's novel covers the beginnings of Generals like Jackson, Lee and Hancock. He explains where they were, what they did and how they came into the fold of war. Shaara paints a picture easy to follow and develops his characters well with descriptive writing. This method explains these men of history to make the reader understand their personalities and lifestyle. Shaara follows history quite well though treats this era with fiction in which real-life human individuals are named and placed in historical context. Shaara likes to portray people like General Lee and Jackson as almost "God-like" entities in his writing. That is where a mythological, larger-than-life feeling is born and these people tend to be blessed with Zeus-like traits. This makes for great fiction though I think it becomes overdone since real names and places are being used. Shaara's writing seems flowery and poetic at times when it comes to these individuals making them seem absolute, perfect and without flaw or error. Such traits are God-like and it rings true to the title of the book.

As the war grows these God-like characters are involved in the major campaigns such as Fredericksburg, Antietam and Chancellorsville. Shaara's balance of covering the Fredericksburg battle was excellent. The events surrounding key players like Lee,Longstreet,Jackson,Hancock,Burnside and Couch bring the great winter saga to the front with very descriptive and intelligent presentation. The battle of Chancellorsville completes the final fourth of this fine book which covers Jackson's flanking movement on Hooker's army, the death of Jackson and Hooker's retreat from the city. This book will soon be out as a movie in early 2003.