Reading the letters and communiques of Marcos contained in Shadows of Tender Fury made me feel incredibly sympathetic for the indigenous people of Chiapas. I felt outraged at the injustice done to them by the Mexican government and the rich ranchers in the area. I found Marcos' tone to be comical despite the dreadful situations he was writing about. For instance, he writes the elaborate PS's and rambles about things with little relevance and tells stories about animals, etc. This gives some lightness to the very heavy subject matter addressed in the book and adds some comic relief. I also thought it was kind of him to respond to everyone who wrote to him, even if they were small children. By the end of the book I liked Marcos' personality from what I glimpsed of it in his tone, and I was impressed at the noble cause he had taken on.

The one problem I had with this book is not a fault of the writer's but of the editor's. Marcos' letters are repetitive and long, and I feel that much could have been cut out and Shadows of Tender Fury would still be a good book that encompassed most of Marcos' letters and ideas. However, with so much repetition the book starts to get tedious. Some heavy editing would have made a big difference.

In general I think that Shadows of Tender Fury is an important contribution to Latin American literature because it details the fight of the Zapatistas and chronicles their events. It also draws support from a much larger community, for I read it in the northeastern US although it is occurring in southeastern Mexico. I did not know very much about the indigenous fight before reading this book so I am glad I did and recommend it to others.

(If you enjoyed my book review please see my others here at amazon.com under my username neeterskeeter. Or, visit my homepage neeterskeeter.com, or bellaonline.com, where I write the Feminism column, for more of my book reviews and writing. I welcome any comments via email. Thanks!)

Shadows of Tender Fury is one of the best compilations of Zapatista philosophy I have ever read. Subcomandante Marcos writes in a wonderfully satirical tone which reveals the problems suffered by the people of Chiapas and around the world. Reading the inspirational and optimistic words of Marcos gives one a better understanding of the struggles of the Zapatistas. This is excellent reading for the student who seeks truth.

This is a very funny book The author has a very unique style of writing. It is about a boy named Harry, who behaves poorly it is funny. Harry has to be good for one school day or get one ant sticker the stickers late you go on trips on not or he does not get to go on the field trip to the swamp. The characters are Song Lee, Harry, and Sidney. Harry gets in lots of trouble because he pretends to smokes and fuels around . But Harry has friends so if he gets in trouble, he has them to back him up. I would recommend this book to kids between the ages of 8-10 years old. It is a very funny book.

I really enjoyed this book about the cery interesting character, Song Lee. This comedic book will put a smile on any child's face! It will add nicely to any Suzy Kline book collection!

While some translations of the Nibelungenlied are distorted into sentences, Ryder does a fine job in bringing this critical work to us in its original form, strophes - in groups of verse of about 4 lines each. The Nibelungenlied is almost essential for those traveling to Germany, for many streets and places are named after places and people in the lied. One will have a hard time understanding Germany if they have not read the country's national epic.

Frank G. Ryder's translation of the Nibelungenlied is the best that I have come across. I first became interested in this epic poem after seeing Fritz Lang's silent movie version. I loved the movie, but there were various aspects of the story which I did not fully understand. I turned to the poem for clarification and I'm glad I did, not merely because it aided my appreciation of the film, but more importantly because I thereby discovered one of the greatest works of literature. The story which the poem tells is exciting and has great depth. The characters are unforgettable. They are neither wholly good nor wholly bad. Even the villain of the piece, Hagen, eventually wins the reader's sympathy, while the heroine, Kriemhild, develops from virtuous maiden, to victim, to avenging harpy. This is a tale which shows what happens when the values of medieval times are taken to their extreme. It explores the consequences of fealty to a liege lord when such loyalty is given without question and upheld whatever the cost. It shows that honour and duty when held to rigidly, can lead to the destruction of all. For if two opposing sides remain unyielding, neither willing to lose face, each determined to maintain their reputations as bold, courageous heroes, then the result is catastrophe. Thus the poem while celebrating the virtues of medieval chivalry, at the same time implicitly criticises them.

I have read, in part or in whole, various prose translations of the Nibelungelied, but found them tough going. Some mistakenly used archaic language to try to reproduce the Middle High German of the original, but worst of all, none of these translations made the epic poem seem like a poem. The Nibelungenlied does not work when turned into a sort of prose novel. It comes across as stilted and stiff. The story remains but not much else. Ryder's verse translation, on the other hand, reproduces the form of the original. He translates the epic into four line stanzas, with the fourth line slightly longer than the other three. His skill as a poet is clear, as there are over 2000 stanzas to translate and he almost always makes each verse conform to the rhythmic structure. Occasionally his rhymes can by a little forced, but this is inevitable in an English translation which attempts to faithfully reproduce the meaning of the original. At times there are just not enough rhymes in English. Ryder's Song of the Nibelungs can be beautiful in its use of language, but is above all entertaining, telling a good story well. He uses simple, everyday language which makes the book a relatively easy read. It has a useful and detailed introduction, running to some 40 pages, which is scholarly, but not exclusively for those who study medieval German. Anyone interested in the Nibelungelied, who cannot read the original, should get this translation.

What a lovely book, and it's all that the description states -- dreamy soft illustrations, soothing spiritual text that guides you to leave life's mundane and stress-filled days behind. We bought this for our 2-1/2 yr. old (too young to appreciate). I particularly liked the quality of the publishing and paper. An excellent gift choice. One complaint: if the book were larger the illustrations could be appreciated much easier. They are detailed and worth study.

While A Spirted Alphabet From A To Z, by Morgan Simone Daleo, is a physically small book, it's a giant in content. Each letter of the alphabet is superimposed in large print upon a charming illustration. Beneath the picture is a two-line stanza describing what each letter represents. The stanzas can be read through as an inspirational poem. For example, O is for open and P is for peace. The stanzas are: "O gives us open, the ocean so wide; P is the place where peace can abide. Unlike most alphabet books, each letter is represented by an idea, not a thing. Full-color illustrations complement the poetry. For example, Frank Riccio drew a nest of baby birds to illustrate N for nature, and two dancing clowns to show the joy that J represents. Daleo and Riccio won the Parents' Choice award for their previous books. A Spirited Alphabet From A To Z is clearly another winner. It's a lovely and gentle book that all children will treasure.

Sandra Smith, Reviewer

At a little over 200 pages, this book covers the main battles of the Spanish American War. These include the two naval battles off Santiago and Manila, and the land campaigns in Puerto Rico,Cuba and the Philippine Islands. So if you are into the military aspect of the war, this is the book for you. If you need the political reasons, see Trask's book about the war or another called Empire by Default. This is a good summary of the war, but not an explanation for the reason of the war. However, the book is well written and very readable.

This book by Frank Freidel is my favorite on the subject. "You may fire when ready, Gridley," says Commodore Dewey at the battle of Manila Bay. And so does Frank Freidel. That action took place just five days after President McKinley signed the resolution for war with Spain and Freidel puts the reader there. Freidel puts the reader right in the midst of the twin battles of El Caney and San Juan Hill in Cuba on July 1, 1898. The outcome of these battles spelled the success or failure of the American expeditionary force. Of San Juan Hill Theodore Roosevelt stated bluntly that "The battle simply fought itself." This was a direct criticism of General Shafter. It's this type of writing and research by Frank Freidel that makes this book so interesting and an enjoyable read. This book has been around for a while. If it weren't good it wouldn't be around today.

I was very pleased with the book and was fascinated to find out information that I did not know about Sly. However some parts did get boring for instance I did not want to know the relationships in detail of Sly. HOwever some bits were very interesting this included the review on his films and his background.

This book is really enjoyable, it describes the climb of one legendary actor: Sylvester Stallone.From his early teen adventures till "copland", it's full of information, fun, deep thoughts, quotes from the infatigable optimistic. Know more about the 1000 % profissionalism Sly applies when he's on duty.

This book was an eye opening experience. It should be read by anyone thinking of opening their own firm. Read it two to three months ahead of taking the plunge

Ms. Willard is insightful. Her book is both informative and creative. Definitely a bargain purchase for anyone entertaining the notion of beginning a design firm. It is refreshing to find an author who is stacked and has a creative mind.

I stumbled across this book while at a client's office. They had never read it, and what a shame! There are few books written for those that market engineering and design firms. The book tends to talk more about architects than I had expected, but still applies well to designers and engineers. The basic principles are sound and helpful. As an owner of a marketing consulting company, I use the book periodically to get insights on growth, planning, compensation and other issues dealing with the challenges this niche business presents. I highly recommend it.

This is one of those rare books that offers more than what the cover reveals. Being a fan of Wiley as a business publisher I was first attracted while searching for books on business strategy. This is a bit of a sleeper to me. My business has nothing to do with the target market yet I can safely rate this as a five star based on the excellent content that works in most business environments.

I like the way the author begins his introduction by taking the reader on a separate pathway that helps shape their personal destiny. His view on breaking from tradition and how being different means being visible aims right at one of the great weaknesses of many professional businesses. He slaps the reader with the realization that they must stand apart from the crowd to be seen in today's frantic world.

Then he leads you into the planning and strategy chapter where he imparts the need for a defined vision in writing as part of your plan. From there he focuses on servicing the client, hiring right, paying right and not trying to grow too fast. Hence the title --- 'Staying Small Successfully.'

This is excellent sage advice for just about any business I can think of and goes far beyond its intended market. I'm in the online content delivery business and I consider the insight and wisdom within perfect for my business.

With a few minor changes this could be reissued as 'Growing Your Small Business Successfully.'

Not the best Oakes novel but pretty darn close. Buckley's intrepid hero must survive the Kennedy administration (there's a challenge for Buckley's alter ego!). The author squanders a bit of his considerable wit on the oval office's occupants...his contempt for camelot drips off the pages. Still, the story of Tod is absorbing and compelling.

Henri Tod is a German Jew who survives the Death Camps and becomes Germany's leading Freedom fighter. His sister survives in the Soviet Union and becomes a pawn in an East Block effort to secure Tod's capture. Thrown into this mix is a curious East German duo that stow away in a relic German railcar and play crucial roles in the tableau. And, of course there's Blackford Oakes. Oakes's mission is to infiltrate the Bruderschaft (Tod's organization) in an effort to learn of its intentions. All this occurs, of course, during the days leading up to the building of the Berlin Wall.

As with most Oakes installments, the action is scarce and the wit is everywhere. The story unfolds at a pedestrian pace...and that's OK. Buckley's authority on the period is unquestionable. Most of the subplots are attended to nicely. And the author does a fine job of placing his protagonist in a position where his choices would have significant consequences for world events.

Delicious fare, highly recommended.

This is the fifth of Buckley's spy novels that I've read, and the best so far. By weaving together fiction and history, he brings alive the Cold War era. The prose is uniquely Buckleyan, by turns witty, moving, and heart-racing. I recommend this book.

Twenty-four nice, glossy Titanic-related photos on heavy card stock. Some concise, accurate text to accompany them. A thoughtful and inexpensive gift for the Titanic buff on your list.

Dover Publications is one of my favorite imprints for their combination of low cost and high quality. This book, with its 24 well-printed black and white postcards, will find a place on every Titanic enthusiasts' shelf. Some of the photos are common, others are more unusual; this is the only place I've seen the photo of Captain Smith and Lord Pirrie (builder of the ship) together, and the photo of Titanic with Olympic is also nice to have. The accompanying notes are useful, well-written, and accurate.