Do you like action, comedy, laughs, and good times? If you do then read Wayside School is Falling Down by Louis Sachar. It's about the funny and strange things that happen in Wayside school. It's one of the funniest books I have ever read.

An example of one of the funny moments was when the author wrote a whole chapter backwards! I realized the chapter was backwards after I read it forwards. What was especially interesting and funny though was that the girl in the chapter does everything backwards.

Another funny instance is that the school is thirty floors high. What's even funnier is there is only one classroom on each floor! Also there is no nineteenth floor. A different funny thing is in another chapter a girl goes on the nineteenth floor even though there isn't one.

I enjoyed the book very much. It was funny and each chapter wasn't long. You should read this book if you don't like reading. This is because it is almost like reading a book of jokes. It's not long and it's funny. You should read this book.

Wayside school is Falling Down is a hilarious book. The book is about a classroom on the 30th story. There are 29 kids and 1 teacher, Mrs. Jewls. They have many adventures together that they think are every day adventures. The book is very different from others because Louis Sachar, the author, really used her imagination. A lot of people really like that. Other books are true, but nothing in this book is true. Like cows living in your school.
The author, Louis Sachar, has written a lot of books. Like Holes, Sideways Stories from Watside School, Wayside School gets a little Stranger, Sideways Arithmitic from Wayside school, Dogs don't tell Jokes, Boy who Lost his Face, 6th Grade Secrets, Marvin Redpost: Alone in his teacher's House, and Kidnapped at Birth? and many others.
Most people would find this very amusing. This book is so funny. Like when Mrs. Jewls pushes a computer that Louis, the yard teacher, had worked hard at getting up there, out the window. That was really funny and you can find more stuff like that by checking out more books by Louis Sachar. I think that everyone will really like this book.
I would think that people at the age of 8-11 year olds would like this book.

Wayside School is Falling Down is a very good book if you like funny books. But you don't want to know about Mrs. Gorf or Mr. Gorf because they are very mean. There is not a nineteenth story . Mrs. Jewls is the nicest teacher, at least that is what they think. They said inside of a good teacher there is also a bad teacher. Never go into the basement because they think there are ghosts and people are in there.
This is why I think you should read it.

"Read any book by Ann Rinaldi for your report, then write a paper on it," said my history teacher. As soon as he mentioned Ann Rinaldi I cringed; I had tried to read "A Break With Charity" a year or two ago, and it was too boring for me to get through. So I reluctantly went to a bookstore and bought a book that was about the time period we were studying in history, "The Fifth of March." As soon as I got past the first chapter, the book got incredibly good, and I usually don't even like historical fiction.

The book is about a girl, Rachel Marsh. She is an indentured servant for John and Abigail Adams. It is about how she is struggling between keeping her position as a servant and by doing what is right, feeding a British soldier, her friend, in jail.

No matter what you need this book for, a history project, a kid who likes historical fiction, it is almost perfect. The only bad thing about the book is that some parts are boring. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to broaden their knowledge of history. Enjoy!

I LOVED this book. It's about a 14 year old girl (Rachel Marsh) who is a nanny to the children of John and Abigail Adams during the Boston Massacre. Rachel befriends a British Private, Mathew Kilroy. When this happens, she must choose between her position w/the Adams', or her freindship w/,Mathew. I won't give away anymore, but this book is suspenseful, well written, and it even has a bit of romance. I couldn't put this book down when I got through the first coulple of pages!I loved it! I would also recommend Finnishing Becca, In My Father's House, Cast Two Shadows, The Secret of Sarah Revere, An Aqaintance With Darkness, The Coffin Quilt, and A Break With Charity. Rinaldi is the best author I have ever read from!

Ann Rinaldi is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. This is the second book I've read by her with a Revolutionary War theme and quite a good one too. In this book Rachel lives as an indentured servant to the famous bright lawyer John Adams and his intelligent wife Abigail. She's good friends with Jane, a girl who is well known for running with the mobs that are protesting the new taxes in Boston. Her life is changed forever when, as a response to colonial protests on British taxes, Britain sends over troops of soldiers. Rachel cannot stand the soldiers, although she refuses to take sides in the tax scandal but when she meets a young private named Matthew she sees things differently. She quickly becomes friend with Matthew and soon finds herself feeling a deeper kinship towards him. She cannot remain neutral forever. Where do her loyalties remain? She finds out the day Matthew is accused of starting the Boston Massacre.

I really enjoyed this book. The Colonial times/Revolutionary war Period has always been of interest to me although I've never had a chance to read a book written about the Boston Massacre. Like all Ann Rinaldi books, The 5th of March is filled with many interesting characters, both fictional and real. If your a fan of historical fiction books or just Ann Rinaldi books I recommend this greatly.

If there's a mascot for Internet users, it's the nerdy engineer Dilbert from Scott Adams' comic strip of the same name. No other character in the mass media combines the feelings of technological superiority and wage-slave hopelessness present in the lives of most computer users. But the play of computer users versus management is only part of Adams' comic ouevre; his hilarious take on everyday blue-collar workers touches not only on computer use in companies, but the combined forces of Total Quality Management, endless meetings, doughnuts, cubicles, business plans, and all the other aspects of working in a modern office. Although most of Adams' strips play on the plight of the nameless cubicle worker against an uncaring and oblivious management, he also covers the flip side of work where managers are unable to motivate employees beyond using the office LAN for Doom and the fine art of making sleep look like work. Given all of this familiarity with business, and the increasing popularity of business books, it makes sense that Adams' most recent book, The Dilbert Principle isn't a collection of Dilbert strips but a incisive look at the frailty and foibles of self-help management books under the guise of being one itself.

Business books were overdue to move from the bestseller list to the parody shelf. What was once simply just a few "feel-good"self-help psychology books for managers like Stephen R.Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and Kenneth Blanchard's The One Minute Manager is now a plague, including books like The Management Secrets of Attila the Hun and The Star Trek Guide to Management. What these books spend so many words doing that Adams deconstructs so brilliantly is to take what is common sense to anybody else and grafting the buzz words of business schools and management training on it. Take, for example, this wonderful bit of normal business communication that might have come straight from Management 101:

"Perform world-class product development, financial analysis, and feet services using empowered team dynamics in a Total Quality paradigm until we become the industry leader.

Take out the double-speak, and what you have is a mission statement that says:

"Do the best work to provide the best product with the best people until we become the best in our field."

Unfortunately, the first statement probably took ten people who get paid in the high five figures (if not more) at least three days at an exclusive resort in Florida to write. Even more than mission statements such as this, business double-speak of the nineties has centered around terms such as "downsizing" and "re-engineering". By putting a different spin on the timeless tradition of firing and re-organization, today's companies act more like politicians than producers.

Ninety-five percent of Adams book is examples such as this, cartoons illustrating the examples, and email from Dilbert readers telling how their companies have fallen into the Dilbert Zone. All of this is great reading, although sometimes disconcerting when you see your own company being portrayed. The last five percent of The Dilbert Principle is Scott Adams' own philosophy for managers. He says, in the introduction to unveiling his company model OA5 (standing for "Out at Five O'Clock"), that:

"In this chapter you will find a variety of untested suggestions from an author who has never successfully managed anything but his cats. (And now that I think of it, I haven't seen the grey one for two days.) ... I doubt that anything you read here will improve your life, but I'm fairly confident that it won't hurt you either, and that's better than a lot of things you're doing now."

Although humble, his suggestions have much merit because they return the business of work to common sense. When a company remembers, as Adams suggests, that it has three main reasons for being (its customers, its employees, and its stockholders), and treats all three fairly, then the rest will fall into place. If all the management consultants and business book authors condensed their theories into brief summaries such as this, it would be tough to charge [amt]an hour and [amt] per book for it. Which means that there will always be consultants and treatises for the clueless, and an endless supply of material for Adams' cartoon.

Scott Adams has nailed corporate America. If you have spent any time at all working for a big corporation, you will find this book to be very funny. The comic strips are always pretty humorous, but what I found also to be very funny was the text in this book, specifically describing the various corporate functions such as engineering, marketing, sales, and of course general management. As a human resource director, I have often been referred to as "Catbert - the evil HR Director" (in a good way of course), by others who enjoy Adams work. The way he describes typical business situations, like the ongoing balancing act between engineering products and marketing them, is eerily accurate, and very funny. Unless you take yourself and your job way too seriously, you will not only enjoy this book but laugh out loud all the way through it. My only critical suggestion would be for Adams to stick to business related humor. When he strays from that into other social commentary it is not as impactful. Other than that, this is a great book!

Anyone who has ever worked in an office has probably heard the name Dilbert mentioned around the coffeepot. This highly popular cartoon character is the 'mascot' of every corporation worldwide. Dilbert is able to combine his many humorous office adventures with some of the toughest management issues, such as downsizing, performance appraisals and team building.

Throughout the pages of Scott Adams THE DILBERT PRINCIPLE A CUBICLE'S-EYE VIEW OF BOSSES, MEETINGS, MANAGEMENT FADS & OTHER WORKPLACE AFFLICIATIONS, I found myself relating 'Dilbert" scenes with my own daily office experience. Like millions of other people, I am fully convinced Scott Adams works at my company. How else would he have the insider knowledge to feature Dilbert and his office mates in the same situation I have encountered each workday? For anyone looking for a view at what "real" life
is like on the inside, be sure to add this book to you MUST BUY list. This delightful novel would be an excellent Christmas present for anyone 8-80.

WARNING: This book is damaging to your funny bone!

The Audio version of this book was definitely a treat for me. Listening to the story read by the author, hearing it the way Douglas Adams intended it to sound was great. I really enjoyed listening to his wonderful accent as he told this story. The story has all of Adams' amazing British humor, but also is liberally dosed with astounding intelligence. It is mostly a mystery story, with a bit of sci-fi thrown in for good measure. Dirk Gently is a detective that believes in the total interconnectedness of all things. It starts out with several seemingly unrelated story lines. These story lines are all intricately interwoven and the book ends with a satisfying... well... interconnectedness. Those of you that did not like the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series because it was "too silly" should give this book a try. It's anything but silly. Adams' logic can be astounding. Also, the bit with the couch being stuck in the stairway is intriguing. Adams challenges the reader to figure out how this couch is mysteriously stuck, defying all rules of physics.

I have read this book so many times I've lost count. Lets see now: The character portrayal is brilliant, Adams' humour is the kind that makes you laugh out aloud - in fact the humour achieved in this novel is unparalleled, the plot is delightfully complex and fascinating, the story is well-paced and makes you want to read read read, Dirk is utterly hilarious, and Adams' style of writing and mastery of wordplay has never been more evident.
Sometimes I'll read a passage over and over, not because I dont understand it but because it's so well written that I just about cant believe it. This book truly is a mental stimulation that you wont forget in a hurry, an absolute treat, and if I ever had to choose one book to be stranded on an island with, this would be it. Of course I would stash a few nudie books down the back of my pants as well, the authorities wouldn't notice.

5 STARS IS NOT ENOUGH for this book!!!!

Richard leads a quiet life until the day his employer is unexpectedly killed (so few victims expect their death) while talking to an answering machine. Is it coincidence that the very same day, he runs into a slightly odd professor performing unbelivable conjuring tricks and suddenly notices that he forgot to pick up his friend for dinner?
But he is lucky to know Dirk Gently, to date best known for saving poor cats from having Schrodinger's experiment performed on them. Together, they unravel a plot as old as time, eat a lot of pizza, and prove the interconnectedness of all things while saving the world at no extra charge.

This is Douglas Adams at his best. Describing the book as a spoof on the detective profession and the computer industry would be an understatement. The story takes unbelievable and unexpected twists, and is so funnily written that you have to laugh out loud.

At the same time, it is very intelligently written. The first reading left me quite confused. I have read the book about six times so far, finding more details and cross-references at each reading, and then each of the presumably unrelated subplots falls in place, and finally you start believing in the interconnectedness of all things yourself.

This book is not just material for fans, it's for everyone with a sense of humour who does not insist on a straight plot line.

I highly recommend Up Your Score for students trying to improve their SAT scores. It is very easy to read and extremely informative. The authors write it from a student's perspective, and include some humorous and light-hearted comments. Excellent strategies are included for sentence completions, analogies, and critical reading sections. There is also an exhaustive vocabulary list for those students willing to increase their vocabulary. The math sections are also worthwhile. Unlike other SAT prep books, this book is readable and not formidable like many other huge SAT prep books that weigh a ton! Great job done by these authors!

There's one thing that separates this book from all the other SAT books -- it's written BY students FOR students. That, and you actually WANT to keep reading it. There's nothing dry and boring about this book. It's funny, it's helpful, and I give it more credit for helping me raise my Verbal & Math scores than any of the other books that I bought. I believe that the only books you really need to prepare for the SAT I are "Up Your Score" for insight on the test, tips on how to master the different types of problems, and a no-fail vocabulary builder, and "10 Real SAT's" for the practice tests. I've recommended "Up Your Score" to all my friends-- it's the only SAT book I've read that was fun to read & helpful at the same time.

Glancing around your local bookstore, you won't find many entertaining sat prep books. "Up Your Score," was recommended by a teacher at my high school and I have to say that I loved it. The writers keep you awake and interested with witty remarks and making fun of the SAT in general. If you don't want to study a whole lot for the test, just read this book and you will be ready. If you are planning on studying majorly, read this before the test and it will relax you and give you helpful hints.

Threat Vector is the latest riveting underseas adventure from ex-submariner Michael DiMercurio. Particularly interesting is the fact that Dimercurio can so seamlessly weave submarine warfare with science fiction to deliver such an entertaining tale.

As far as the plot goes, 'Threat Vector' is too similar to some of his other books to garner 5 stars. Despite his fantastic way of involving the reader with the characters and warfare, I'm getting tired of his standard plot, ie., a new super weapon/sub appears and takes out all the enemy except for great super weapon sub that eventually triumphs. I think Mr. DeMercurio you can mix it up a bit more in future books.

I also read somewhere from some reader that all the warfare lends these books a bit unfocused, and I sort of agree with that. Perhaps a central story without so many mass deaths from book to book would make the story tighter.

Nevertheless I was totally entertained by 'Threat Vector' and look forward to anything from DiMercurio in the future.

Well, Michael DiMercurio has done it again! Not only that, he topped his last achievement (PIRANHA FIRING POINT) with THREAT VECTOR, a novel that shows that DiMercurio can keep a series alive, fresh and full of new ideas. In addition, it could almost be said that THREAT VECTOR is the "logical" extension of PIRANHA FIRING POINT, especially when it becomes known to the reader early on, that the President has appointed Patch Pacino as CNO (Chief of Naval Operations).

This novel also has some bittersweet elements as well. When the Ukrainians sink an American cruise ship carrying the Navy's senior officers, many characters we know from previous installments become casualties. I was sorry to read that many of the characters I liked were gone. About 1/3 of the way through, DiMercurio shows that he also has a sense of humor, too. He has named one of the escorting destroyers the TOM CLANCY; read the novel and find out what he does with this ship.

Another thoroughly enjoyable aspect of this book was the way in which Michael DiMercurio combines plausible future developments with what we know is possible today. The explanations and descriptions of future technological advancements are masterful in their simplicity. The "Devilfish" as a weapons platform is something that may not be available right now, but given the dramatic technological leaps being made every day, it is not difficult to conceive its existence 18-20 years from now.

Michael DiMercurio also pays a subtle tribute to the naval traditions of the past. If I didn't read incorrectly, he re-introduces an officer uniform that the Navy did away with in the early 1970s. I'm speaking specifically of the service dress khaki officer uniform. It had a khaki coat and instead of the officer insignia on the sleeve cuff, the rank was carried on shoulder boards. I always thought that was a sharp uniform and it was a nice tribute to the USN of the past. That was a nice segue, Michael and I liked the sneaky little way you brought the uniform back.

To be sure, this is a submarine story but it also has all the elements of really good science fiction, too. With much of the technology future based, the reader is catapulted into a world that isn't here yet, but could very well be in the near future. Another aspect is that the author has left certain little clues as to where he might go with the next installment in this series. Without giving too much away, suffice it to say, that the reader will still have questions when he finishes with this story. They are good questions, though and the kind that will leave the reader waiting to read TERMINAL RUN (which is the working title of the next book in this series).

As I have said in my reviews of previous DiMercurio novels, this author is the master of this genre. If anyone cares to debate it, I'll meet them anytime, anywhere. Tom Clancy's "Hunt for Red October" was written by a lucky and gifted amateur. The Michael DiMercurio novels are thrillers but they're also a tibute to the men of the Silent Service, the same men that DiMercurio served with from 1980-88. Tom Clancy can't make that claim, because he never served in ANY of the armed forces.

There is an injustice associated with Micahel DiMercurio's books, however and it is not the author's fault. I really believe that if Penguin Putnam marketed these books differently (starting with hardcover and a much bigger advertising budget) that Michael DiMercurio could have been (and still could be) as big as Clancy or any of the other popular and best selling authors. There is no reason for this and in fact, more than one of the DiMercurio novels should have ben made into a movie. After all, if CRIMSON TIDE, a movie that came out 4-5 years ago could be a hit, ALL of DiMercurio's books should have been considered for production. IF the rest are still ignored, Hollywood should not ignore THREAT VECTOR. The plot premises are plausible and foreseeable and the storyline would adapt well to the screen if for no other reason than there would be a lot of action with believeable and likeable characters.

One other thing readers may find interesting about this book. The antagonists do some despicable things but by themselves, they are not all that despicable as people. The reader will find himself feeling a certain amount of sympathy for the Ukrainian sub captain. To me, he was a worthy opponent for both Karen Petri and later, Kelly McKee. He was a captain placed in an extrememly awkward and delicate position by an unscrupulous President. How he leads his men, fights his ship and makes his decisions all contribute to the make-up of a fascinating character. And once again, the critics are wrong; Michael DiMercurio writes action filled sub stories but he also gives his readers well developed characters.

I apologize to the critics for my comments. I really do. I just can't find anything NOT TO LIKE about this series and the writer who created it. If Michael DiMercurio is guilty of anything, stories and hours of reading enjoyment.

BZ Michael, you've done it again! I'm looking forward to TERMINAL RUN and to your mainstream fiction when that hits the bookstores. Thanks for another great read!

Having read most every other sub author out there I highly recommend you read this and all of DiMercurio's books. His knowledge of subs and the USN are real, having been a serving officer, and elevate his writings well beyond those of his competitors. His technical experience on boats is obvious from DEVILFISH throughout all his books and authenticate the realism of his stories. His writing style is gripping, the plots easily believable, and the primary characters are developed to where "you know these guys". Micheal DiMercurio, in my opinion, is the new master. The King is dead. Long live the King!

By far one of the better NJO books, Aaron Allston does a great job in bringing some much needed direction to the series. Allston uses old characters and keeps their dialogue and emotions genuine, moreso that some other authors. I think the story moved well and the spin on the strategy the New Republic would use to fight the Vong was something to finally get excited about. Plus Wedge is in it and his character is written well, it shows him as more than a pilot but as a seasoned, grisly tactician that understands war. Another good point about Allston in this book is that he touches on the Wraiths but doesn't overinflate their role or dwell on them, which is what some other authors do when it comes to the characters that they created. The last couple of NJO books have lost some momentum, and while I liked Star by Star I thought it was too long for what it was. I thought Dark Journey was a waste of writing talent, because writing about the Hapan Queen Mother's devious plots was about as exciting as watching grass grow.
But Rebel Dream delivers, so Good job Allston, you brought us a fun and exciting story!

with Star by Star, Troy Denning brought back a state of Star Wars that we did not have since Vector Prime was luanched. While being a great series, the New Jedi Order changed Star Wars in many dynamic ways. In his book, Denning brings back characters Wedge Antilles and Garm Bel Iblis, and FINALLY gives the Republic some victories against the Vong. In Dark Journey, Elaine Cunningham stole his thunder. While being a great book, it took from the sense of awe acchieved. In Rebel Dream, Allston, veteran SW writer, brings back favorite character's with Wraith and Rogue squandron, and everyone's favorite capital ship : Lusankya. I don't want to give the book away, but it's excellent writing that any star wars fan should read.

Rebel Dream was yet another of the better books in the New Jedi Order series. Taking place just shortly after the fall of Coruscant, the New Republic Advisory Council sets up a fleet at Borleias to trick the Yuuzhan Vong into believing that Borleias is a key planet, which in theory does indeed work, but it makes everyone else concerned about the N.R.A.C.'s ability to function properly. So Han, Leia, Luke, Mara, and others visit various worlds to spread rebellion against the New Republic, the one thing they spent their lives to create. The cool thing about this book is that a new plan is set into motion, one that could bring an end to the Yuuzhan Vong invasion completely. What is it you ask? I'll just say that it involves the re-creation of something that the main characters spent their lives DESTROYING: The Empire. I really like how the book ends like a cliffhanger, so that if you read this book you have to go out and buy Enemy Lines II: Rebel Stand when it comes out.

Hemingway, at his best, was a master of the short story form and a reasonably good, though not outstanding, novelist. At his death he left a number of unfinished manuscripts, material in various stages of development that he was working on and, in some cases, struggling with. Knowing this, I hesitated to pick this book up for a long time, not wanting to read the master's own discards and figuring he knew what was good enough for publication and what was not and that what he left, at his death, was manifestly not.

Reading ISLANDS IN THE STREAM some years back, I felt confirmed in this belief for that was a clumsy and self-absorbed effort and I think he must have known that. Later, I had a similar experience when I tried TRUE AT FIRST LIGHT, the most recent posthumous addition to his opus. More recently, however, I was bored for lack of fresh reading material and so picked up THE GARDEN OF EDEN to read on a plane trip.

Although this one was unfinished at his death and ends in such a fashion as to drive that sad point home, it is nevertheless outstanding Hemingway. Aside from a few lapses here and there and the usual Hemingway tendency toward an almost juvenile self-absorption, this one positively hums with the power of the old Hemingway prose. As sharp and subtle as his best short fiction and as fresh and dynamic as his best novel, THE SUN ALSO RISES, this book unfolds, in crisply vivid detail, the struggle of a youthful writer to hang onto his sense of self-worth and devotion to his work in the face of his passionate love for a difficult and spoiled woman.

Yet it's plain why Hemingway may have agonized over this one and held it back from publication, for the man it reveals is not the public persona he cultivated for most of his life. The protagonist in this tale, an avatar of the author (as in most of his works), is here a passive and unassertive sort who is unable to deal effectively with the woman he has married. Instead he succumbs to one of her whims after another though he feels they will somehow unman him, allowing her to change him outwardly while losing himself in the satisfaction of his writing, the only thing, besides his wife, we are led to believe he really loves. And yet when his wife brings another woman into their lives to create a menage a trois, the hero does not rebel though he finds himself more and more a plaything of the two women. Is he flattered by their attention and sexual interest, though his wife takes delight in being able to control and manipulate him to her will? And is she jealous of the one thing he has outside of her, his writng, and is that the motive that drives her to turn him into a creature she can wholly control?

Hemingway's best works were rooted in his own life experiences and, indeed, as he plumbed those, his well went regrettably dry in his later years, something he sensed and agonized over at the end. Yet this tale is fresh and alive in ways that many of his other later works were not. The one really regrettable thing about it was that he never finished it so there are still some rough parts, where his control slips and he says what he should be implying (by his own famous dictum) and the end tails off into an insipid and half-baked moment of insight leaving the reader feeling cheated.

Hemingway, had he focused on this one and finished it in his lifetime, would not have let it stand this way. But it's plain why he did not for this was not the man he wanted others to see. Still, this one is finely wrought and true, for the most part, to the old Hemingway "voice" and talent. I'm not sorry I finally broke down and read it.

This is the Hemingway he did not want you to know about. This is the Hemingway He prefered unpublished. In "The Garden of Eden" Hemingway takes all his fantasies, including his sexual ones, and writes them on paper. If you are interested in what made Hemingway tick in his relationships read several biographies and then read this book. You will recognise a lot: same hair styles, multiple partners, love triangles, role switching, even love language. This is Hemingway's truest biography, even though he labeled it as fiction.

I became a writer largely out of love and admiration for Ernest Hemingway. Old Man and the Sea is his best in my opinion, but this one is my favorite. So much of Hemingway's work is loosely autobiographical, so many protagonists modeled after himself. But in his earlier works, when he gets to the deepest parts of these men, he pulls back, or shies away with emotional distance or some other kind of evasion. There is no such evasion in the Garden of Eden. This book is his most vulnerable, tender and humbling portrait of so many of the central struggles of his life.

It is difficult to separate Hemingway the man from Hemingway the writer and for that matter Hemingway the character in his own writing. He encouraged them to be confused in his own way during his life and was a major contributor to the blossoming of our current culture of celebrity obsession. So it's not invalid in my opinion to read his work as part of the greater story of his life and find meaning in it from that perspective.

In this book, Hemingway finally takes on some of the painful issues of his life. There's a great deal of sexual intrigue in The Garden of Eden, specifically about gender and identity. David and Catherine, the two main characters, do some fascinating and disturbing play with their genders and their relationship with each other as a man and a woman. A lot of people have theorized that one of the contributing factors to Hemingway's suicide had to do with his conflicted sexuality which he hid for most of his life. As a child he was raised as a girl until the age of four or five by his mother who had wanted a daughter. Aside from that, there was a history of cross dressing in his family, which also tragically played out in a subsequent generation with Hemingway's son Gregory AKA Gloria.

We see him delve into one of the great traumas of his writing life -- when his wife (was is Pauline or Hadley?) lost an entire suitcase full of his writing including all the carbon copies, in the middle to early part of his career. This incident is replayed in this novel and dealt with on a much deeper level than is mentioned in a Moveable Feast.

We are also able to see in The Garden of Eden a more complex heroine and a more fragile and intertwined relationship than is presented in any of Hemingway's other works. This again is another major issue of Hem's life story -- why was he married 5 times? what were these relationships like and what was it about him and each of the women that contributed to this? Though The Garden doesn't give any answers, it is fascinating to see the questions touched upon and explored in a more honest and vulnerable way than in his other work.

It is true that this novel is disturbing. I wouldn't describe reading it as a feel-good experience. But after a while, feel-good experiences become a little one note and this is something more interesting. There is an exquisite kind of mourning and desolation that runs through this book, and yet at the same time some of his most voluptuous writing about food and sex and his surroundings. The tension is breathtaking, yet at the same time heartwrenching as you can almost feel it all becoming too much for him.

I love this book. It is in my top ten of all time. And I know almost everyone would disagree with me, but I think this book is more than worth reading. It's a precious final window into the soul of one of the greatest writers of our time.

ps. A caveat: Read a couple other Hemingway novels before you read this one, if you haven't.

Some people are content to spend their lives not knowing or caring what is under the hood of their car, inside their watch, or in their TV sets. To them, the end product is all that matters. Other people are not content with that - they want to know how things work. What magic is taking place that allows them to watch events thousands of miles away or toast their bagel.

There are few inventions as imposing as the personal computer to understand. Integrated Circuits, ISA connections, Hexadecimal code, and many other seemingly complex words float around in descriptions of hardware and software. This book demystifies the PC - with flare.

Each component of the PC - CPU, drives, printers, mouse - is described with a down to earth, step by step description and exceptional illustrations. It is just technical enough to allow the power user to be satisfied, but easy enough to understand so us non-Computer Science majors can gain some knowledge.

My only criticism involves the CD - the layout was good, but it only included some of the information in the book. Had it been more comprehensive, I would have enjoyed it more.

This is similar in quality to "The Way Things Work" by David Macaulay. "How Computers Work" will answer the questions you've had about computers, and many that you haven't thought of. It is the perfect mix of information and illustration. Highly recommended.

I work in the IT / Computer Repair industry, and I personally feel that this book is very helpful to most individuals, especially those who have little familiarity with computer systems, internal structures, gadgets and whatnots.
I found the detailed and heavily-illustrated sections regarding chipsets, processors, memory buffers, etc. to be very helpful. Most computer manuals are very technical and assume you know a computer inside and out, already (despite constant development in the industry and the fact that by the time a computer hits the shelves it is out-dated).
These "How Computers / Internet," etc. books are wonderful manuals for those who just want to know "how the heck does this crazy thing work, anyway ?!?!"
You won't be able to pass your A+ Certifications with this series of books, but you will understand much of the jargon people throw-around in the office, and you will see flow charts of "How Computers Work."
I sincerely appreciated the diagrams of a Techtronix Printer!
Suffice to Say, if "a picture is worth a thousand words," this book is pricesless for the novice and very helpful for the beginning (uncertified) Techs in the computer repair field. The usual Black & White Illustrations in computer manuals aren't exactly condusive to really getting a feel for the stuff you might be yanking out and replacing. However, this book is full of numerous full-color, full-page illustrations.

Ron White has written an expanded of edition How Computers Work. The Millennium Edition offers readers a totally updated and refreshing view of computer technology that will take them into the next century. Readers are treated to new graphics, new insight into computer operations, new developments in the computer industry, and new technology to incorporate into their personal and business computing!

This new edition of How Computers Work is a beautifully illustrated and designed book that clearly and concisely explains the overall operation of computers. Readers will learn how individual computer components work, how the Windows operating system and a number of software applications work, how various audio, graphics, and video technologies work, and how a number of essential peripheral accessories work. Readers will also pick up on some helpful information about the Y2K phenomenon.

Readers are taken on a breath-taking journey through the operation of the bios, cache, chips, memory, ports, hard drives, CD's, diskettes, zip drives, graphics boards, sound boards, modems, monitors, mouses, joysticks, printers, surge protectors, back-up power supplies, digital cameras, scanners, and much more. White includes discussion of cutting-edge Pentium technologies and how Web browsers, e-mail, networks, virtual reality, multimedia, and data compression work.

This book is perfect for company employees, for students who may be using computers for the first time, and beginners starting out with just an interest in computers. This book is great for classroom use and will also make a fine gift for the first-time computer buyer! It is must reading for anyone wanting to learn more about the computing scene. The CD included with the book offers a cool multimedia interactive tour no one should miss out on!

Scott Adams builds on his first non-Dilbert Dilbert book with The Dilbert Future, by predicting what the future will be like in the vein of all those other prediction and trend books. The tone is definitely tounge-in-cheek, as the book doesn't take itself too seriously with such chapters devoted to future work, voting, dating, food, and "Life Will Not Be Like Star Trek." Too bad, I want a holodeck but as Scott says, if we had holodecks we would never leave them. The final chapter is a real mind-bender where Scott gets serious about science and the future, but the theories are so weird this could be viewed as a precursor to his other book, God's Debris. And all along the way, various Dilbert strips are used to illustrate his points. Very recommended.

This book will dissapoint anyone looking for a big belly laugh courtesy of Mr. Adams' witty insight into corporate America. In fact, I set the book aside for weeks after reading the first few chapters because it did not hold my interest.

That said, I am nonetheless glad I picked it up again. First, let me say that the publisher should have cut the first thirteen chapters of the book and marketed it as a window into the real Scott Adams. Then put it under the self-help books instead of the comedy section. Not a good move business-wise, but certainly in keeping with respecting Mr. Adams' loyal fan base. The last chapter (a synopsis of Scott's life philosophy) has, in fact, made me a fan for life. Anyone with the self confidence to put observations and experiences like the ones in this chapter, in a book purportedly about office humor, gets my vote for "Cool Person of the Year" (if there is such a thing).

This last chapter was a life changing experience. To see so many of my own thoughts on paper, written by perhaps today's most famous cartoonist was encouraging. Mr. Adams asks all the right questions without the arrogance of assuming he also has all the right answers. He even provides a how-to for manipulating the universe to your liking. No joke. Philosophy and literature snobs hold your ears - Scott Adams could be the Ralph Waldo Emerson of the 21st century. I, Tim DeMoss, will read more books like this by Scott Adams.

If you want to laugh, buy one of the Dilbert "strip" books. If you're open to looking at life in a whole new way with a renewed confidence, buy "The Dilbert Future" and skip the first thirteen chapters. Here's hoping that last chapter wasn't some prank on unsuspecting Induhviduals. Boy would my face be red.

A great read. Though admittedly not as clever or witty as The Dilbert Principle, it proved nonetheless very funny and consistently amusing, and was very well complemented by the included strips. The final chapter was such an incredible and compelling surprise that it alone would have made the book well worth reading; who would have ever guessed that such a cynical satirist would dwell so thoughtfully on deeper subjects, reveal unusual and unbelievable experiences, or go so far as to seriously question basic scientific concepts, much less at the risk of turning many off his more close-minding readers away? His sincerity and optimism seemed in such incredibly contrast with all I had previously identified with Scott Adams that it totally changed the way I looked at the cartoonist.

To a (certain) reader: It seems to me that your dissatisfaction with the closing chapter, and indeed the book in general, stems directly from ignorance, general close-mindedness as a result of said ignorance, ensuing frustration, and a tendency to write negative reviews of things that reveal your inadequacies in an effort to artificially enhance your evidently meager sense of self-worth. Because you succeed at getting these bitter, ego-boosting points across, I suggest that you become a film critic.