A treasure of information about a remote unpopulated space. Extremely helpful economic, demographic and cultural facts intertwined with folklore and culture.

This is an extraordinary book written by an author who understands kids. The activities are exciting and are certain to spark the creative yearnings of kids of all ages. As a school media specialist I know the kinds of books that entice kids. This one is a winner!!

He's back!!! Alan Watts died in 1973 but wait; here's a brand new book, 30 years later, of his wondrous wit and wisdom. Thanks to Alan's son, Mark, we have here available to us some never before published radio transcripts from the 1950s when Watts was at the peak of his powers as a Zen prophet in our midst. You can almost hear him chuckle as he speaks these great truths of Zen. It includes fascinating historical anecdotes and perspective along with the lucid interpretations that only a master like Alan could have done. In an entertaining way he speaks to us of what Zen is and isn't, how to "use" it in everyday life, how to realize the freedom and joy real Zen has always pointed to. But wait; there's still more: the book is loaded with incredible photos making it fun to just look at,too. This book will serve equally well as an introduction to Zen and Watts, or as a must have addition to your collection if you love Alan Watts as I do. This book deserves to be widely known and read.

If you're interested in this new christian group with the pop sound you've gotta get this book!!! It tells a general background of the three girls[Kristin Swinford,Chrissy Conway,and Alisa Girard].It also includes many pics, their personal opinions on many issues,and great stories. This book is a must have for ZOEgirl fans!!!

Expanding upon early impressions of Zuni fetishes, this book contrasts the reprinted text the Second Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology (published in 188), with annotations by noted art historian and author Mark Bahti.

Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War, by Mark Bowden, is an in-the-streets account of the now infamous seventh mission of Task Force Ranger and Delta Force in Mogadishu, Somalia. Militarily, the mission was a success; politically, it was a disaster.

Black Hawk Down was recently released as a major motion picture. I haven't (yet) seen the film, but even to those who have I strongly suggest reading this book. In addition to being made as a movie, an even earlier version of this book appeared as a series of articles in the Philadelphia Inquirer. Additionally, there is a "companion documentary" (Somalia: Good Intentions, Deadly Results), a shorter version of which has appeared on CNN. Of course, the most famous media related to this story is the news footage of the dead American soldiers being dragged through the streets by angry mobs; second to that would be the image of Black Hawk pilot Mike Durant's smashed face in the video made of him by his captors. Both of these are around; if you really need a reminder, try Google.

In the 1990's, the United States found itself in three separate conflicts in (at least partially) Muslim lands. The Gulf War was a conventional military venture, the UN missions in the former Yugoslavia represented a basic-albeit convoluted-peace-keeping venture. The nation-building force in Somalia after the initial famine-busting mission heavily involved special operations. The first sent ripples among the military theorists of nations across the world; the second involved the civilizationally odd American preference to support the Muslim community over that of Orthodox and Western forces; the third was seen as a victory of sorts by Third Worlders and Islamists who drew from it the lesson that America could be shocked into backing out of a conflict. Understanding each of these conflicts-militarily, politically, and culturally-is important to understanding this greater conflict we are now in. Black Hawk Down does much to shed light on the personal and tactical elements in the Somlian campaign's bloodiest battle.

While Mark Bowden is a journalist and is quite clear about saying he has no background or experience in combat tactics, covert operations, military strategy, etc., this book is very illuminating. Since the book's publication, Bowden has been invited to address the Military Operations Research Society, the U.S. Military Academy (West Point) the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College (Ft. Leavenworth), and the Central Intelligence Agency. The book been personally recommended by the U.S. Marine Corps commandant and is part of the mandatory reading curriculum at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College.

So how did this journalist write something that garnered so much respect among military professionals? Quite simply, he tells the soldiers' tales and he tells them straight. The political backdrop, the larger strategic military picture, the command decisions made outside of Mog-these he treats lightly and only as much as needed to provide context for the first-hand accounts of the Americans and Somalis that were actually there. This is a street-level, blow-by-blow narrative of some of the most intense combat American forces have faced since the Vietnam War, and nearly every word of it is drawn either from interviews with combatants, from transcripts of radio traffic, or from video footage shot by U.S. military personnel.

I read this book over Memorial Day weekend this year. It was extremely appropriate. Overall I really enjoyed this book and feel I've learned quite a bit from the experience. I had already read a shorter account of overlapping events-from the CIA perspective-written by Vernon Loeb for the Washington Post, titled "After Action Report", but this book fills in details that the other perspective lacked. (At the same time, I strongly recommend you read "After Action Report" as well.) I've heard criticisms of the film that said it was often hard to tell one character from another; I could say the same for the book. At the same time, the sense of confusion that sometimes creeps into the narrative is, in fact, a natural consequence of the fact that this is combat, as experienced by modern soldiers. By the time you complete the book, you'll have enough information to get a remarkably complete picture of the "Battle of the Black Sea"; while in the midst of it, though, you may well find yourself flipping back through the book to remind yourself which unit and which part of the city you are currently reading about.

All in all, this is a book well worth reading, and have added it to my Warblogger's Bookshelf. It is an insight into the terrible human experience of modern warfare, set within a significant series of events whose importance were not fully understood in their own time. If it were fiction, I'd say it was a brilliant, thrilling "page turner"; it, however, is not. It is the story of a handful of American soldiers who really lived and (some of them) died, often in stunningly heroic ways. To understand a part of what emboldened enemies such as Al Qaeda, to learn what modern unconventional combat can be like, to renew your faith in the courage and skill of the folks in America's armed forces, read this book.

Mark Bowden's Battle of Mogadishu narrative is as incisive and entertaining a military novel ever written. "Black Hawk Down" is the non-fiction account of the U.S. military's protracted ground encounter with Somali soldiers and citizens on October 3, 1993 and is based largely on extensive interviews with participants on both sides as well as a thorough literature and document review (to include available radio transmissions).

This 400+ page, detailed account runs systematically and (reads) rapidly through the events of the afternoon of October 3rd and on through the evening's neverending firefight into the next morning. Bowden begins with the daring daylight raid and abduction of two top-ranking officials of Somali warlord Mohamed Aided in the midst of Sunday's busy Mogadishu market. Planned as a sixty-minute helicopter drop, grab and return-to-base, this mission (through various misfortunes and unforseen events) quickly goes sour and Bowden takes the reader right into the action--inside the minds of those on the ground (and those in the helicopters above the city). The pace quickens as first one, then another Black Hawk is shot from the sky by RPG-slinging Somalis.

Bowden manages to carefully detail the soldiers' moves and thoughts as they attempt to rescue their downed compatriots, extract their killed and wounded, and complete the mission. In spite of the detail and the multiple points of view (the narration is told from the perspective of many of the participants (to include an occasional glimpse into the Somali viewpoint)), the story moves at breakneck speed to its inevitable, somewhat remarkable conclusion and the end of U.S. involvement in Somalia.

This story is an emotional, insightful, occasionally graphic (gory), honest, and ultimately thought-provoking tribute to the brave soldiers who fought in this battle. Mark Bowden's "Black Hawk Down" reads like an enthralling combination of the best war fiction (for example, Michael Shaara's "Killer Angels") with the greatest military memoirs (e.g., U.S. Grant's "Personal Memoirs"). "Black Hawk Down" is engaging from start to finish and is one of the most intense books of any genre I have ever read. Very Highly Recommended.

I read this book after hearing about the upcoming movie. All reviews I've seen have uniformly raved about this review and I will too. The book is a minute by minute account of raid into inner city Mogadishu, Somalia in 1993. Media reports at the time of the events in the book had left me with the impression that this episode was a disgraceful failure, what with American soldiers being dragged dead though the streets. I had at first been uninterested in this topic because of the aura of failure around the Somalia debacle. This book proves that that was not true. The men involved behaved heroically under unbelievably harrowing circumstances. The author highlights dozens of individual acts of heroism that in total make me admire and respect the men that fought and died there that day. The motives of the officers and politicians who ordered the raid at the Mogadishu apartment building are much more suspect. While Bowden's sympathies are completely with the men on the ground, he has at best neutral opinions of their leaders. Bowden even condones the shooting of hostile women and children as necessary and writes his account of these acts in such a way that the reader agrees. I read this book straight through over two days and a sleepless night; it was that good.

This movie is a ball tearer. It can not be compared to the preceding film, "Alien", because the two of them are so totally different. Where Alien was a drawn out plot twisted suspense filled horror flick, Aliens is an all out action thriller. Sigourney Weaver was hailed for her true action hero portrayal whilst still retaining motherhood instincts.

I have to admit that she was superb in this role however I don't know how seriously she took it. During a publicity interview on one of the midday shows I witnessed her being asked, by another guest, a question about "Hicks", to which Sigourney replied with a completely blank look as if to say, "I don't know what you're talking about." For those of you that miss the point here, "Hicks" was the leading male character in the film, played by Michael Biehn.

We start the story where the first film left off, at least from the heroine's point of view. Ellen Ripley is awakened after drifting in deep space for over fifty years whilst in hyper sleep. She then finds that her daughter is dead, (special edition), and she is facing charges for destroying her infested ship, (the Nostromo). Then surprise, surprise, she is asked to act as an xenomorph expert just in case it is her imaginary aliens that have caused the loss of contact with colonists on (LV-426). The very planet where she first encountered the beasties.

Enter the marines and their corporate helper, Burke, that are to protect Ripley during the excursion. Of course it is the other way around in the end. Landing on the planet, all seems peaceful but deserted, until they find a survivor, in the form of a little girl called Newt.

After this, all hell breaks loose as in quick succession they raid the Aliens' lair, dropping half their number to the nasties. Lieutenant Gorman, officially in command, is brained by a box, during a wild APC drive out of said lair. Then their drop ship is destroyed, crash landing out of control after the pilot is perforated by an alien's inner jaws. This leaves them stranded in a building that has already been swarmed during the colonists stay, as night approaches. I'm not going to describe any more because from then on it is just mind numbing action without letup.

If you haven't seen the directors cut of this film, make the effort. There is a scene in it where computer automated gun arrays defend a corridor that is just fabulous.

If you enjoy science fiction and fantasy movies then you will most certainly enjoy this one. It's true that the majority of sequels in moviedom are pale in comparisson to the original, however Aliens is more than a match for it's predecessor Alien.

James Cameron's script really captures the mood and he creates a fine ensemble of characters played by competent actors such as Michael Biehn and Bill Paxton. Even Weaver's character "Ripley" is still relatively fresh and interesting at this point in the series. The film trades a lot of the quiet, chilling suspense of the original Alien for gun-totting action. However it remains suitably dark and oppresive as the colonial marines soon find out they are no match for the hive of deadly Aliens and it becomes a tense fight for survival.

Clever and original plot, this is arguably Cameron's best film. The DVD version is certainly comprehensive and contains just about everything you could want (except maybe a directors commentary). FOX are among the best for quality and extra features on their DVD releases. Most importantly this release is the "Directors Cut" containining the extra 17 minutes of footage that was cut from previous versions. It should be noted that the picture quality IS grainy, but this is due to the original quality of the 1986 35mm film reel.

If you liked the first Alien movie, this one is a must. Even people who are not fans of the genre would be hard pressed not to take something out of this movie.

I saw Aliens in the theaters when it first came out in the summer of 1986, and it hasn't lost any of its bite since then. James Cameron's ambitious sequel is very different in its overall tone compared to Alien. Here we get a thrilling action film that still retains the gothic horror that Ridley Scott so vividly created in Alien.

Sigourney Weaver got an Oscar nomination for her reprisal as Ellen Ripley. She gives the character a wonderful sense of strength, compassion and depth. Her great supporting cast includes Michael Biehn, Paul Reiser, Lance Henrikson, Bill Paxton and young Carrie Henn as Newt. The music score by James Horner is among his best, as he captures the the suspense and action sequences perfectly.

The special effects and production design are first rate. Stan Winston slightly changed the look of the Alien creature, but his Alien Queen is a amazing work of art. The film recaptures the eerie and claustiphobic settings, this time within a ravaged colony complex that is teeming with an Alien hive. James Cameron who also wrote the story, stayed true to the original material yet created a thrilling action film that has heart to it (Ripley and Newt's relationship)

This Special Edition includes scenes that were left out of the original theatrical release. I have no problems what so ever with the added scenes. The pace of the film starts off slowly (it always did) and continues to build up as the film reaches its thrilling climax. All of the restored scenes do add something to the storyline. This DVD edition looks and sound awesome and is filled with extras. Aliens is a classic in its own right.

Though I have heard much praise of Jane Austen, this is the first time I've actually sat down and read one of her books. I was impressed. Though the plot would seem shallow now (it centers around marriages); then that was central to most women's hopes and desires. Besides the plot, the characters are amusing and Elizabeth is finely drawn. She is very self-confidant and will not allow others to look down on her for her ill upbringing. I don't believe men would enjoy this book, because the male figure is not drawn very realistically. I seriously doubt that all men thought or talked about were marriage and love. Walter Raleigh phrased it correctly by saying that "Austen's men wouldn't be allowed in any club in England!". I didn't find it to be at all boring, rather, a page-turner to see how everything was going to turn out (though in the end it became predictable). The formal language is confusing at times, but provides a bit more color with it's detail. Though many parts of the book are obviously contrived, and I feel as if Austen is trying a little too hard to invoke emotion within me, in many ways the book is ahead of it's time, and for that, it is commendable to be certain.

I have always loved the style and social politics of the Regency period (the time of Jane Austen.) But when I read "Sense and Sensibility" in 7th grade I found the first few chapters lifeless, dull and hard to read. Two years later I was encouraged by a friend to give "Pride and Prejudice" a try. I did and have since become a complete Janeite. I am now able to peruse joyfully through "Sense and Sensibility" with a new understanding and appreciation of Jane Austen. The reason? "Pride and Prejudice" is fresh, witty and is a great introduction to Jane Austen's writing style without the formality of some of her other novels (unlike S&S and Persuasion Austen does not give us a 10 page history of each family and their fortune.) If you have never read Jane Austen or have read her other novels and found them boring, read Pride and Prejudice. The characters, and the situations Austen presents to them, are hysterical and reveal a lot about Regency society and morality. This book perfectly compliments a great writer like Jane Austen and is essential to every reader's library. The Penguin Edition of the book is stellar and I personally recommend it not only for the in-depth and indispensable footnotes, but also for the cover that is non-suggestive of any of the characters' appearances. In summary "Pride and Prejudice" is a great book for beginner Austen readers and seasoned fans, and Penguin Classics is a great edition for fully enjoying and understanding the book.

You will find Jane Austen in high school classrooms, as inspiration for contemporary movies and fiction (Clueless, Bridget Jones' Diary), and at a book club or two. Otherwise, she is not part of us: Her laser-eyes, scathing commentary about society, and merciless fun at the expense of over-the-top piety are missing. In our current Press-Release era, where ads blanket our cities, and celebrities alter their image every other week, Jane would have a field day-- her observations would have been invaluable, her sharp humor liberating.

"Pride and Prejudice"-- the story of independent-minded Elizabeth Bennet's journey to a happy marriage and her rousing rebellion against the stultifying and stale social system of 19th-Century England-- is an adrenaline-rush of a book.

As Elizabeth battles the defenders of society (her marriage-obsessed mother, a condescending suitor, and several members of the "upper-class" trying to stem her promising relationship with the affluent and handsome Mr. Darcy) we sample a world where family, money, and class dictate your friends and suitors.

When Elizabeth and Darcy move to his stunning home, they leave the hostility of an uncaring society behind. Through rebellion and stubbornness, they have found Eden.

I gather this is required reading at a lot of high schools these days, and I'm sure that a lot of today's high schoolers do indeed think of it as a drag. It sure doesn't have to be, though, if you read from a larger perspective.

To fully appreciate today's world, it helps to understand the attitudes and experiences of the past, and JANE EYRE is one of the novels that helps us understand.

The book takes an orphaned girl taken in by an unloving aunt, and follows her into an unhappy school experience and ultimately into as good a career as a woman of that time and station could hope for, that of governess.

Well, this is one of the earliest gothic novels and true to the genre, you know the girl's going to fall in love with her employer who, unfortunately, has a deep and dark secret.

There's tragedy of sorts here and there's triumph, all told against the mores of a bygone era. There's much to learn and to enjoy here if you open up to it. It is dated, and not 100% relevant to today's life, which is why I give it four rather than five stars.

It may be helpful to read and compare JENNA STARBORN to JANE EYRE. The former pales horribly by comparison, but by setting the story in the future, today's reader may gain a better understanding of the original story.

I recently finished Jane Erye and I couldn't bear the thought of there not being more of it to read. At first I thought it was strange that Jane could fall in love with such a cold, hard man. But then it turned out that he had a certain charm and gentleness that was buried deep inside him, not to show its face until Jane uncovered it. I think a big reason that some people don't like this book is because they expect Jane to fall in love with a handsome, obviously charming man. But that kind of romance is done too often in literary works, and eventually it loses its effect. In his own suttle way, Mr. Rochester is Prince Charming, though it takes time and patience to see. The book has a slow start, but stick with it. I've seen two movie versions of this story already, and it's a shame to put the title Jane Eyre on them. They are great stories in themselves, of course, but they hardly do the book justice. I'm 14 years old now, and in a few years I plan to read this book again, in hopes of getting more out of it than I already have.

I first read "Jane Eyre" when I was entering my sophomore year in high school. I was so fascinated by the beautiful language, expressing the love between Jane and Edward Rochester. I love Edward so much, because he is human. He is depressed with his life, and wishes for another. He searched for another, taking any and every risk he needs to...even adultery or bigamy. His love for Jane is deep and real, as is her love for him. This classic hasn't lost it's details, details about hope, love, and dreams, in the some 150 years since it's been published. I still enjoy it, even after reading it about 100 times!!~ I consider it the greatest love story ever written.....a story that defies the stuffy rules and regulations of 19th century England. It just shows that love can be more powerful than anything. With that, I give this story 5 stars....only wishing I could give it all the stars in the world. Why? Because it deserves that!

...but not the worst.

After reading all the angsty and angry reviews of this book and series (the esp. nasty ones from people who've read most of the series really had me scratching my head), I decided to pick up just the 1st book and see for myself how good/bad it really was (and it was last minute decision, picked up while on vacation).

IMHO, not too bad of a decision.

I've read LOTR and The Hobbit several times over the years, plus I've read 2 of Eddings' series (The Belgariad and The Mallorean, both hilarious reads) as well as other fantasy series, so I'm no newbie to the fantasy genre.

Yes, it's a bit overlong, and towards the end I kept saying to myself, "Get on with it!" However, there were many passages where reviewers got bored and I didn't: Rand and Mat going from town to town and finding Darkfriends in them (and they DID start trying to sneak into towns after awhile; Moiraine describing Manetheren to the Emonds Field people; Perrin understanding wolves (bias: I *love* anything to do with wolves); Perrin, Egwene, and Elyas coming into contact with the Traveling People; the meeting of the Green Man. You get the idea.

Now the characters themselves.

Mat annoyed me no end, although once he got that dagger, I felt he started to get interesting (in a dark way). Rand seemed bewildered by it all, making him too goofy; humorous characters are fine, but he was too bumbling until some passages near the end of the book. Perrin was interesting from the beginning, and I thought his dealings with the wolves was one of the most interesting parts of the book. Thom Merrilin had me chuckling, and I was sorry to see him disappear (hopefully he's not dead). Lan was almost too distant for me, and I found him even more annoying than Mat (and much more boring).

The women are a mixed bag. I liked the way Moiraine used her powers and her stoic stance in the face of danger (at least that's what I got out of it). Nynaeve was too whiny and full of herself, and I have to agree with the one reviewer who wondered where the feelings for Lan came from: There weren't even any hints suggesting it! As for Egwene - what Rand sees in her is beyond me. She's petty, a tease, and stuck up, and I couldn't stand her. Maybe if there were more passages where we saw things from her p.o.v. I might have looked at her in a more positive light.

As to another reviewer saying that Egwene "lusted" after Perrin - I just don't see where this happens. She flirts with a young Traveler while Perrin is beginning to wonder about his wolfish abilities, but I don't remember reading anything about Egwene going after Perrin. Maybe that reviewer hadn't read this book in awhile.

So...all in all...a good read, and yes, I love detailed descriptions (although even I have to admit I skipped over some of it). Some of the characters were good, others were not, but overall, it's a decent story. I've already purchased the 2nd paperback, The Great Hunt.

I don't think this is something I'll read too often (unlike Tolkien), but it makes for an enjoyable read.

I decided that I would submit a review of The Eye of the World only, instead of spending the next 6 months or more trying to explain why I love this series. Simply put, it is the most amazing thing I have ever read. Yes, this first book is a little slow. I have always cautioned people to make yourself get through it, and by the time you are two thirds of the way through, you're hooked. The best thing about this series is that each book gets better by a factor of at least 10! The characters in this story have become my dear friends and my mortal enemies. I have read and re-read them all so many times I've lost count. Please believe me when I tell you that all of the seemingly useless information that Mr Jordan includes in the first volume is CRUCIAL to the storyline. Never think that just because a character goes out of the picture that they will stay gone. I have spent the last 7 years trying to figure out all the twists and turns that the author has thrown into the plot. If you love mysteries, read this book. If you love adventures, read this book. If you love romances, read this book. If you love storytelling at it's best, OWN this book. Trust me, you will re-live it over and over again.

There's nothing the like revisiting an old friend. I read this for the first time years ago, and only picked it up again while waiting to get to the library. Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series is one of those weird alternate-universe-fantasy books that have complete little worlds made up just for them. Think of a cross between The Hobbit and Star Wars. If you liked either, you'll probably want to give these extremely long never-ending series a shot. The main story line is that the world will be destroyed unless a certain young man with Force-like powers learns to channel his abilities to save the world. There are evil powers, strange beasts (both good and bad), funny clothes, odd cultures, an ancient language and an even more ancient secret society, romance, humor, etc. The characters are actually human (at least, they're not contrived) and their motives are honest. You end up loving all of them, from sweet and earnest Min to disreputable Mat. I really recommend reading the whole series, and then coming back to this one -- the characters are continually developing through all eight books and the book create so many plot twists you'll never tire of re-reading and re-discovering them.