The original "Froggy Gets Dressed" book was extremely clever. But this book is the weakest brand extension since Lego clothing. It includes the basic Froggy elements (sound effects starting with z, authority figures yelling "FRROOGGYY", and our noble protagonist turning more red than green) but you have to wonder when the most original part of the story is Froggy picking his nose. Of course, if your child likes Froggy and likes soccer they will love the book, but I wish the authors had put a bit more effort into it.

I would recommend this book if your child likes soccer or if you are hoping your child will like soccer, otherwise not such a great book.... I thought it was cute but definitely something a child who likes soccer can only appreciate

An adorable book. Froggy books are great...if you like the others this is a must have; especially if you knwo someone who loves soccer!

This book is one of the best I have read this year. If you can find it, I would highly recommend it.

As for the story, it centers around James Krippendorf. He is a professor who has squandered all of his grant money and is forced to invent the Shelmikedmu tribe. This is where all similarities between the book and movie end. In the book, James receives a lucrative offer from Exotica, an "anthropological" journal which is tantamount to a magazine filled with the nude pictures one would see in National Geographic.

Krippendorf, to get some photos of Shelmikedmu females, seduces and photographs a number of women whom he becomes familiar with, including a babysitter and one of his son's classmates' mother. Throughout the entire book, while he is carrying out these schemes, his unruly children are creating a maelstrom of destruction around the house. Eventually, the children turn wild and start to live in a treehouse and adopt the Shelmikedmu's "customs". This leads to some interesting and hilarious complications.

The best part of this book by far is Krippendorf. The way he acts is reminiscent of Ignatius Reilly in "A Confederacy of Dunces" in that he sees nothing wrong with his behavior and nonchalantly accepts his childrens' overly unruly behavior. For example, when one of his sons shoots the neighbors' dog with a BB gun, instead of being mad, Krippendorf simply promises him a new gun if his son keeps quiet about it.

This book is definitely not for kids, due to its adult subject matter. Like a previous reviewer, I also find it curious that Disney would make a movie out of it.

Whoever wrote the synopsis never read the book or saw the movie. Krippendorf was neither unemployed nor did he work in the Amazon.

I wish I had not loaned my original hard cover copy, have since bought paperbacks, one to keep and several to give.

This review concerns the revised 1970 edition. When a new hydrofoil is set to begin taking passengers between Bayport and Cape Cutlass, its owner, fearing sabotage from angry boat owners, asks Frank and Joe to come along on its maiden voyage. Arriving in Cape Cutlass, Frank and Joe also, try to help their father with his case concerning a gang that has been stealing boating supplies. I hate reviewing books like this one because there really isn't much to say. The book was neither excellent nor bad; just average. The mystery isn't one of the better ones; however , it is not boring either. I don't think that most fans of the series would rank this book as one of their favourites, but I don't believe that many fans would be disappointed with the book either.

Dear Mr. Dixon,
Hi, I'm a big, big fan of yours. I just absolutely loved your Flying Express book. It was great when Frank was pushed overboard and had to hang over the the blades for thirty seconds when his hands were really wet. Whew! It was a surprise when you found out Big Malarky, who seemed like a good man (But really wasn't) turned out to be behind the whole scam. I liked how Chet was turning into an Astrologer every time he met the Hardy Boys. I also liked how Zig who was the gangleader, liked Astrology, just like Chet. My favorite part was when the Hardy's found they're boat and Skee didn't know it belonged to them and let them test drive it but he ended up being arrested on the dock. I just wanted to congratulate you on this book and hope you keep on writing more fantastic books.
Your fan,
(***)

This review concerns the original 1941 edition. Mr. Hardy asks Frank and Joe to help him stop a group of foreign spies that are trying to upset the U.S. government and to locate the spies secret camp. I'd more accurately give the book 3 1/2 stars instead of a 4 star rating. The plot of the book was pretty good and there was a fair bit of action. I only found three things really wrong with the book : 1.other regular characters, like Chet, Mr. Hardy, etc., weren't included in most of the book, 2.the end of the book was a bit disappointing, as the spies were rounded-up with little incident, and 3.the author doesn't appear to have been that familiar with the characters in the series because he called Mrs. Hardy Mildred, instead of Laura and he replaced Chief Collig with a Chief Finch. Otherwise, the book was quite enjoyable and I think that most Hardy Boys fans would like reading it.

I think I know why. The author was so adoring of Otto Frank, despite presenting information about his cold-heartedly arranged marriage to his wife, Edith, and his company's dealings with the Germans (for which he was blackmailed later). It became annoying to read. Sure, Otto deserves our deepest sympathy for all he suffered and lost. And he wasn't the scum that his blackmailer was. But he was not a saint & this author is not just in her presentation. She completely blurs over the fact that he married his first wife for her money & made her fairly miserable by never being able to love her (or even offer her a reasonable facsimile of love). This to me is a real failing in his character. And what about Otto's agreeing with the schmaltzing up and dumbing down of the Franks' experience in that rotten '50's play & film. Yes, I know he wanted to reach as many people as possible but for God's sake set some limits. I don't think the author has enough distance from her subject to do him justice-- she was too emotional about him, with too much sympathy for him, thus cannot give us a warts & all view of his life. It IS possible that there were people who suffered in concentration camps --while not deserving that experience-- who were not super-fine people!! I would have preferred more acceptance of Otto's faults from the author, instead of trying to brush them aside in her haste to make us understand what a "fine, sensitive, loving (words used over & over) man" he was.

From the horror of the Holocaust there has arisen an incredible cannon of informative, evocative and always powerful literature. From THE TIN DRUM to SOPHIE'S CHOICE to NIGHT, the list is as long as it is impressive. But one author's name is mentioned most often and most indelibly in connection with Holocaust literature, a girl who didn't even survive through her concentration camp experience.

That girl, of course, is Anne Frank. Somehow her father did survive and, upon returning to Amsterdam, discovered the diary his youngest daughter kept during the Frank family's two years in hiding from the Nazis. Thusly, Anne's words were published and soon became the world's most widely read account of the Holocaust. The experience of a young person's climb to maturity, told in the extreme context of quietly battling for her life, universalized the situation in a way nothing else has before or since.

There have been several Anne Frank biographies published, as well as books about the Frank family's Dutch "helpers," who hid them in the secret annex. But little has been written, at least in book form, about Anne's beloved father, Otto, the man who published the diary. Carol Ann Lee's THE HIDDEN LIFE OF OTTO FRANK tackles this topic, four years after her literary debut ROSES FROM THE EARTH: The Biography of Anne Frank.

Don't let the somewhat salacious title fool you. There's no Mr. Frank mistress hidden amongst the Jews in the attic, or any particularly outrageous diary passages that have never been seen before. In her extremely knowledgeable and competent, if never particularly florid, writing style, Lee presents a straightforward portrait of a man who tried to harness his pain for the greater good. Otto is a sympathetic character. He's not saint material, but he appears to have been the good and just man that Anne portrays him to be in her adoring writings. Lee traces his life, from his German roots to his family's immigration to Holland to his second, more loving marriage. Her many sources include excerpts from Otto's pre-, post- and wartime letters; the ones dating from just after his Auschwitz internment become particularly interesting and heartbreaking. Readers already know that his daughters will not return. But it takes Otto a painfully long time to discover this.

The book's only truly new revelation is the accusation of a new Frank family betrayer. Past theories have abounded, including the new warehouseman, burglars looking for extra money, or suspicious neighbors. According to Lee's theory (and this is not giving anything away, as she voices it in the introduction), ne'er do well Tonny Ahlers did it. Ahlers, an early Nazi informant, actually saved the Franks from the Germans once. He turned over an incriminating letter that accused Otto of anti-German sentiments in 1941. Otto paid off Ahlers twice for giving Otto the letter instead of sending it along to his superiors. Lee believes there was a larger blackmail scheme ongoing and that Ahlers eventually turned in the Franks (and the four others living with them) because he needed the money.

This theory certainly tracks as well as any others that have been introduced with regard to the Frank betrayer. But it is also the only part of this book that seems forced. Lee tries very hard to link Otto and Ahlers together, when there is minimal evidence that they crossed paths beyond once or twice. Though two of Ahlers' immediate relations confirm that their brother/father turned the Franks in, this is not conclusive. Lee struggles to make Ahlers a focal point when he seems more like an interesting sidelight. Since this is the only truly new revelation, it seems understandable. But the sections still read a bit stilted.

Our international interest in Anne Frank shows no signs of ebbing. When this book was published in the Netherlands last year, it drew national attention. And it is an engrossing, well-researched, if at times slightly dry, read. As always, it seems an impossible shame that Anne is not here to see the many legacies she left.

--- Reviewed by Toni Fitzgerald

The Hidden Life Of Otto Frank is a lively new biography provides important new clues to the question of who betrayed Anne Frank and her family to the Nazis. New documented information about Anne's father Otto and the individual who would claim responsibility makes for an involving study which is packed with excerpts from Frank's own secret journal and exhaustive research results. The Hidden Life Of Otto Frank is a 'must' for any library offering a definitive collection on the Frank experience in particular and Nazi survivors in general.

As a Titanic Historian and a avid book reader I found this particular book to be a great reference for a person who wants to see life on the great ship. however the book was based upon father brownes photographs and since he took only a few onboard, the book is rather incomplete. but I still enjoyed it and still open it up every now and then.

the pictures helped show me how exactly the life was for the passangers in this great ship.

The 10 for this book goes alot to Father Francis Browne who compiled his wonderful and unique collection of pictures,notes,and letters which he aquired during and after the Titanic tragedy,as a passenger on the Titanic.As Father Browne disembarked at Queenstown,Ireland,he was saved however had several friends aboard the ship and liked to take alot of pictures which he arranged in an album,writing his thoughts about each as he went along.There are a few pictures of other ships but this book is about the first 2 days aboard Titanic as a passenger and the aftermath.To be found in someone's attic,the photo album is a true Titanic treasure.The information is good, however not a wealth of technology as far as the construstion of the ship;this is rather personal which can tend to give one goosebumps....

This is 2001. What you get is a book that is not up to date on cannabis growing techniques and procedures. So make sure that you know this before you buy this book. But it gets worse......let me think back to 1990 when I got this book. I can tell you that it was not even up to date back then. This is a PROBLEM will Mel Frank's books. They are old and dated and not followed up on. Because cannabis growing was somewhat new to these people and because of laws banning cannabis production in the U.S, you can guess that these guys did not have a lot of information to play around with. What you get is the best that they could offer at the time, but unfortunately I would really have to invite you to consider the fact that this writer is just a writer and not a good grower. That is probably the reality of the situation too. Maybe he does a great deal of research or maybe he has tried to do his best, but his words do not work out in practice. This book, much like his other works, contains information that is not correct, not factual and will not help you grow a good plant. What you will get is some very basic information on growing that will cause you to make mistakes. Learning comes through experience but at the same time when people try to sell you information like this, they should at least try to get the basics right. They have not done this and even worse, the book's growing advice is not good.

If you ask the cannabis growing community about writers like Mel Frank they will tell you that they got the book, read it, tried it and then went to seek help from someone who knew what to do. This has been the backbone for major complaints that the growing community has had about this book. That it seems to have been written by somebody who does not grow, or does not grow well and that is the bottom line about this book.

When you read reviews from people who are praising this book and other Mel Frank books you might consider the fact that they have never actually applied his words to practice or have seen what proper well produced cannabis plants look like in reality. Mel Frank is very popular among 16 year olds who show this book to their friends, and really that is the books market. It is for teenagers who like to read books about pot. If you want to learn how to grow cannabis and are serious about growing a nice plant or two in your garden or indoors, then find something else other than this book. This book will not give you a proper grounding in basic cannabis growing.

If you read Ramarom's review, you might notice that it is overly critical and does not offer any alternative works to support his/her viewpoints. You can also click on Ramarom's link to read his/her other reviews. They are uniformly critical. They all maintain that the books are out of date and would not be used by a sensible grower. However, Ramarom does nothing to inform the reader of how to find quality books. Rest assured, Mel Frank's books are fine, his methods sound. I don't know what Ramarom's agenda is, but it does not appear to be to help growers.

A more apt title would be the marijuana grower's bible. You would imagine that a weed would lend itself to cultivation, even by the most stoned and inept among us, but its not so simple. Mel Frank, God bless him, has laid it all out for you, so you can start and produce quickly, avoiding the pitfalls that any novice would make. If the subject interests you, then this book will enthrall you.

Stories are well crafted, but the subject matter didn't interest me. Not bad, but I wouldn't buy it again.

A Joseph Mitchell anything is worth my time, but after having read UP IN THE OLD HOTEL, other writings will suffer by comparison. The works in this particular volume are a compilation of Mitchell's newspaper stories from the 1930s. While Mitchell's prose is sharp and illuminating, the subject matter comes off as slight compared to Mitchell's other labors. Mitchell had such a reputation for wanting his magazine stories to be perfect that these newspaper stories have the sense of being rushed to the presses.

Having said that, there are some great moments in the book. The book has a nice profile section of 1930s cartoonists, which is just the kind of subject matter that Mitchell handles well in that it gets past the part that everyone sees to the part Mitchell wants to know about. The section on Voodoo is hysterical and very much like his later New Yorker work. The book ends with a funny profile of playwright George Bernard Shaw.

If you have never read Mitchell, start with UP IN THE OLD HOTEL, but if you are already a fan, there are enough gems in this collection to make it worth your while.

The good news is that all of the Mitchell virtues displayed in "Up In the Old Hotel" are emphatically present in this welcome collection of his earlier work for divers New York newspapers of the Depression era. Whether interviewing boxing promoters, or anyone in else George Bernard Shaw or the purveyors of Harlem "voodoo" products, Mitchell never lost his sense of courtly curiousity or his unerring ability to choose just the right word to express the outre character and often heartbreaking earnestness of his human subjects. Here's a worthy companion to sit on the shelf between A. J. Liebling's "Back Where I Come From" and "Up In The Old Hotel." It it also, by the way, a far better buy than the newly-republished "McSorley's Wonderful Saloon," the lion's share of which was reprinted in "Up In The Old Hotel."

This is a book that studies the human mind when in a deserted place with no one to help them. An interesting book at the start but it loses steam and never seems to take the next step. It's just centred on the isolation of the three people and the green brain's analysis of these people that try to survive. Strange I'll give it that but it just didn't have enough as it just never got out of second gear to help it along it's way

If Arrakis was Brazil, and Paul was a Brazilian, and the worms were insects, and had become more actively intelligent, and the fremen were trying to destroy them, then you would have this book.

Here the concept of consciousness is grappled with. The insects are part of a greater collective mind that manifests itself and communicates with human adversaries. Very interesting interface, makes your own brain start to cook in its very juices just to think about it all. Reminds me of the Death World series by "Harry Harrison" I wonder if it's ok to plug both in this one space.

This book doesnt really cover much ground as far as internet gambling is concerned. A paragraph writeup on each of the 6 major gambling software providers and a brushup on the rules of the games. Thats for the casino part. The horse racing section gives a rundown on the different horse racing sites and some handicapping info. All in all I would rate this book 2 stars. The information is too general to be of much use.

I have read a number of books on this topic, and Brokopp's is by far the best. I learned more and I learned it quicker than with anything else. I didn't buy the book looking for "secrets" to win. I wanted to know what internet gambling is all about and this book told me in concise, easy-reading form. Also, I'm a horse racing fan and the section on horse racing and the new ways to handicap and wager was very enlightening This book is not a gimmick. It's the real thing. No promises, just knowledge and advice. I'd recommend it to anyone.

There's no sure-fire way to beat internet gambling. All you can do is be prepared for what's out there and the traps to avoid. This book has it all. It'll get you started in a safe and informed manner. No cumbersome detail or nonsense about "tricks" that don't exist. Also, no boloney about beating the sites out of bonus cash. Brokopp lets you know there's a price to be paid for everything. If you're willing to devote hours of time to get $... bucks here or there, that's your business. This book is not about that. It's a common sense, get-started approach that's a quick and easy read. Also, the section on horse racing is outstanding. I look at that part of the book as an unexpected bonus.

If you are interested by magic squares and their history, then you will be interested by this book.
It describes with a lot of nice illustrations the history of the first known magic square 3x3, constructed by the Chinese, a very very long time ago.
Well documented book, with probably long hours of research done by the author.
New valuable information, never published before.
I wish a great success to this new Swetz's book.

In the Legacy Of The Luoshu, Prof. Swetz combines history with mathematics and culture to take the reader on a particular journey of understanding. He shows how mathematics evolves from human needs and provides insights into early scientific thinking.

The book is well researched and contains many interesting illustrations. Chinese beliefs concerning yin-yang forces and cosmological theories are explained and their connections with mathematics revealed. Swetz has spent many years exploring Chinese mathematics and I have enjoyed and employed his earlier research in this field.

In this latest book, he documents the Chinese discovery of the magic square of order three and traces the influence of this number square on other cultures. It is a masterfully told story by a skilled story teller.

As a former mathematics teacher, and someone interested in the history of mathematics, I found this most recent book by Professor Swetz to be very interesting and very professionally written. There is material in this book that I have not seen in any other sources. The book provides a great resource for anyone interested in the history of mathematics.