COLEGAS ( soy médico )que duermen una horra menos que yo y salen de jogging como perros perseguidos por el antirábico...mientras que yo TENGO MEJOR CONDICION FÍSICA, MUSCULATURA Y APARIENCIA QUE ELLOS...
Se mueren por saber como le hago..pero es secretito: Hago mis ejercicios mientras voy en el coche rumbo al consultorio, cuando esoty viendo a un paciente y hasta hablando por teléfono !
Este libro ES LA BENDICION FÍSICA MAS GRANDE QUE EXISTE !

VIVO ATADO A UN ESCRITORIO. DE AHI, AL COCHE. DE AHI, A LA MESA. DE AHI, A PLATICAR Y COMPARTIR CON LA ESPOSA Y LOS HIJOS...
Como la mayorìa de los hombres, no me queda ni tiempo ni humor para andar por ahi corriendo como loquito ni haciendo lagartijas o push ups... PERO ESTOS EJERCICIOS, NO SE COMEN MI TIEMPO... TODO LO QUE SE HAN "COMIDO " ES MI BARRIGA DE CERVECERO !

GENIAAAALES !

SENTADA, porque tengo un servicio de proveeduria para el que hago y vendo sandwiches ( muy ricos,eh?), pero estos ejercicios han sido mi salvacion, ya que antes era deportista y cuanod deje el deporte por el trabajo, me comencé a engordar la barriga...

Pues se acabó la barriga, Y NO ME FATIGO !
Vi el resultado en 4 SEMANAS

When I went to my public library a couple of days ago, I never imagined that I would come across two of the best books ever written by a very talented author. 'From Anna' and 'Listen for the Singing' touched me deeply, in a way that no other book has had the ability to do. Although it's language is simple and the style is nothing too out of the ordinary, Jean Little was able to use easy words in a very good way.

The last time 'From Anna' was borrowed was early 1997. Most of us would most probably never take a second glance at the book -- that is, if we judged a book by it's cover. However, if one takes the time to read deeper and look beyond the cover, they will find that they have stumbled across an extraordinary book.

The story starts off with a young 9-year-old Anna Solden, nicknamed 'Awkward Anna' by her older siblings. Anna is indeed very clumsy and klutzy, hence the nickname. When she hears her family is moving from German to Canada, Anna is devastated. She can't learn German; how will she ever cope with English?! But shortly after her arrival in Canada, Thanks to Dr Franz Schumacher and his discovery that Anna has a severe vision disability, Anna receives a pair of glasses, which bring forth a world she never knew -- a world where words and letters aren't masses of grey blur, a world where numbers stay on the page and where the everything is clear and bright.

Anna is sent to a special sight-saving class in order to repair the damage done to her eyes and salvage as much of the remaining ones. There, she learns things about herself -- she CAN have friends, she IS skilled and most of all, she has confidence. Her friends and teacher, Miss Williams, see a whole new Anna devloping as the year draws to a end. A new Anna very different from the old one. And with their help and support, she finally learns to confront her family with secrets that they never knew.

A truly touching and moving story with a very fitting ending. Get this book, enjoy it and read the second one -- 'Listen for the Singing', which is just as good, if not better! A definite book I would recommend with two thumbs up!

I have deeply loved this book since I was a little girl. It is very touching and you might even cry if you read it.

Anna Solden is the youngest of 5 children. She and her family leave Germany and emigrate to Canada in 1933. Anna, then 9 wonders why she can't draw or knit like her sisters or help her brothers shovel snow or do any of the sundry household chores that want doing. Anna's father is a very kind man who recognizes Anna's potential and encourages her every step of the way.

Once in Canada, the Solden children are given a routine physical. The doctor, aghast to learn that Anna suffers from low vision works like a soldier to get Anna enrolled in a Sight Savers class. Once there, Anna flourishes. Outfitted with eyeglasses, she sees just what she had been missing all along. She develops confidence in her newfound abilities and makes friends readily with her classmates.

Anna, still determined to prove her worth is desperate to come up with Christmas gifts for her parents and siblings. Her teacher, a very wise woman suggested that the class weave wastebaskets. They do and Anna's basket is the one that stands the straightest without even the slightest hint of a bend. Stroked further by her teacher's praise, Anna sets to work finding ways to get gifts for everyone. She writes a beautiful poem for a classmate who defended her ("Benjamin Nathaniel/Braver than Daniel"), writes a hilariously illustrated dictionary of new words she learned for another classmate and, on Christmas morning presents her parents and siblings with the basket. Shock abounds and her siblings jeer at her, saying she could not have done that basket without help.

Ever ready to fight for her, Anna's father chews out the other four children reminding them that had they not had the help and input of others, they, too, would have turned up empty handed on Christmas. Everyone relents, and Anna's gentle father springs a lovely surprise for all -- Anna had invited some guests for Christmas and he heartily endorsed her request. The guests -- Anna's teacher and doctor!

This is a masterpiece. It is a classic.

"From Anna" tells the story of a young German girl whose family moves to Canada.Anna and her family learn about physical handicaps,financial problems and cultural differences as they settle into their new home.Most of all,though,they learn about love - a love that overflows at Christmas into a gift - a gift from Anna. I read this book more than twelve years ago,as an eight-year-old in a school library in St.John's,Canada.My family,like Anna's,had just moved to Canada(from India),and I was learning to cope.Like Anna,I too had to wear glasses and struggled with the same feelings of insecurity.Even today,I will never forget how I identified with Joan Little's book.I just hope that this tale will touch the hearts of many more readers.

"A Brief History of the Flood" is a great book, to say the least. If you want to learn in-depth about the storyline, read the editorial review; it's right on. One thing I've always liked are coming of age books and movies. "A Brief History of the Flood" follows a girl from Minnesota, Lillian, through all her trials and triumphs, mostly pertaining to her family, which is made up of very colorful characters that are so different from one another that it would almost make you scratch your head at the fact that they're actually related.

I'm a big fan of books that flow real well. I never read the editorial reviews until now. The flow was so great between the chapters that I thought they were just that: chapters. But they're not; they're separate short stories that seem to come together chronologically as one.

Another major plus is that the author gives you a clear picture of each of the characters and their surroundings. Even though there are no illustrations, you can SEE what the people look like, what Acorn Lake's surroundings appear to be, etc. Even moreso, you can feel the emotions of Lillian and her family so well that you may begin to think you're actually a part of their family, just from reading this very well-written book by a first time author.

Jean Harfenist is not only a master of imagery, but something else that she uses a lot of are similes, which I like a lot and have constantly used in some of my reviews (mostly on other sites). There are so many similes it's like an English book on learning how to use them. Unlike any English book I've ever had to study, however, these are actually interesting to read and experience.

I'm certainly no psychic, but I see great things in this author's future. If she keeps at it, all of her works won't be published as quietly as this one seems to have been. Perhaps the next step will be earning a slot on the New York Times best seller list. Highly recommended!

If you are going to read one book this year, read, A Brief History Of The Flood, by Jean Harfenist. The voise of this author captures you from the very first sentence and resonates well after you have finished the last page.
The book, which is a series of linked stories, reads like a novel and follows the life story of Lillian Anderson from the age of eight until twenty when she decides to leave her family and home in Acorn Lake Minnesota. Set during the 60's and early 70's Ms. Harfenist shows an extremely deft eye for character and relationships and how the parents of this first person narrator, Lillian, effect each of their children as they prepare or rather fail to prepare them for the world. It is written with humor and pathos and a hard cold eye for truth, while never sacrificing its sense of compassion and understanding for the people the narrator seems, despite everything, to truly love. As Michiko Kakutani in the New York Times reveiw of books said; Ms. Harfenist "has made an auspicious and stirring debut."

To the list of exciting 'first books' to be released in 2002 add this 'alledged collection of short stories' (really a novel) by Jean Harfenist to the upper portion of that list. Though I'm not entirely sure of why Harfenist (or her editor) decided to categorize this amazingly fine tale of coming of age in Minnesota in the 1960s as a short story collection when the stories are so finely woven together, interrelated and ultimately climactic, that decision is unimportant if you get your hands and mind into this book.

Jean Harfenist is a gifted writer who can paint characters as brilliantly as many of the finest authors today. Her lead character, Lillian, is the penulitmate odd child who simply doesn't fit into this tiny Minnesota family in Acorn Lake. Her hilarious rebellion against what her family and town hold dear propels this book thru her Junior High and Highschool years, eventually resulting in a new adult who ultimately seems the only one of her crazy family to grasp the entirety of the bizarre nature of her maturation; she becomes and even in retrostpect has been the rescuer. Harfenist writes from the heart, with a keen eye for details that define language, costume, atmosphere and impending doom. Her creation of the mother figure is one of the most unique, hilarious, pitiful and well constructed silly-yet-sad ladies of American fiction. This is a book that deserves wide attention from the critics and from readers: you can't help but feel assured that there is MUCH more where this treasure of stories came from. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Victoria Holt truly lived up to her reputation as the queen of romantic suspense. This story combines nicely a romance with political intrigues and murders. What i like about a VH book is that the setting is always done so well i can even feel the real world in the book.
Some complaints about the story, though.(1) Conrad professes to love Philippa, yet never shows any hint of trust in her in the matter of her sister's marriage. (2)Only after seducing her does he let her know he can only keep her as his mistress and never even ask how she feels about it. That looks like cheating to me.(3)The story gets very redundant and repetitive halfway through. Whenever they meet, Conrad is forever whining that he loves Philippa, that he can't live without her; and Philippa is always busy thinking of how she is affected by him and whether she should stay with him or not.
Despite those problems, overall this book is still very enjoyable.

"Lord of the Far Island" is deffinatly the most suscpencful novel by Victoria Holt. She doesn't give away the ending at all. Just when you think you have the mystery solved, she'll prove you wrong. This is a must read book!

Victoria Holt is my Favorite Author. This book is my favorite. I have read all her and philippa Carrs books! Philippa Ewell's siter runs away with a Baron to his land. Phillipa gets 2 letters and then they stop. SHe finds an old new-paper clipping from the year before talking about the Baron and her sister. They had been murdered. She goes off to find the truth about her sisters death and falls in love, almost gets killed and finds the truth.

Riveting stories of the injustice imposed on women in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. As a young woman I worked in this mysterious country and knew of some of the atrocities the women had to endure. A new book called "Single in Saudi" by Genia has recently been published and gives a different perspective on life in Arabia,as it is the story of a single American woman breaking all of the rules and getting away with many of the things Sultana raled against in her books.

I first discovered these books when I was in the 7th grade when the first book PRINCESS, was required reading in my literature class. It was the only book that was equally loved by the males as well as the females in our class. From that time, I have followed the story of Sultana, a Saudi Arabian princess who has struggled for her entire life against male domination. After 9/11, the entire world looked at Saudi Arabia with new eyes and for the first time, news reports gave credibility to Sasson's books about the women of Arabia.

For several years I have been wishing to see a set of these books and finally, it has happened! Yes!

If anyone is interested in understanding the real workings of Saudi Arabia and why so many radicals come out of that country, the Princess books answers many questions.

These three books are not only educational, but highly entertaining. You laugh, you cry, you seethe, you rejoice, all in the course of reading one book. A night of entertainment doesn't come any cheaper than the price of one book!

I recommend these books to any reader, young or old, male or female.

A fascinating read for any -woman-we Western women are so lucky. I just recently read a new book called "Single in Saudi" by Genia that gives a different perspective on life in Arabia. The young woman in this book got away with all of the things the Princess could not. Both books are a must read for the liberated woman

A life of wealth and splendor fills the dreams of twelve-year-old Cecile Revel. When given the unexpected honor of serving in the court of King Louis XIV, she leaves home with her father's blessing and eagerly accepts a position with the Duchess of Orleans. However, life at court is far more difficult and dangerous than she ever imagined, and a single misstep could cost her her position or her life. Then tragedy strikes the royal family, and Cecile is placed under suspicion. And a dark secret from her past is suddenly revealed.

Superbly written, this book offers readers of today a glimpse of the splendor and majesty of the French court in its height of glory. Through the eyes of the heroine, readers will see important events in the history of France unfold. Highly recommended for readers of all ages.

For further reading of the French court, I also recommend "The Royal Diaries: Marie Antoinette: Princess of Versailles."

This book is so good! I cried. I laughed. I felt like I was Cecile!! Mary Casanova is an excellent writer. I don't want to tell you anything about the book, then it'll spoil it and you wont read it!! I also suggest you read the other Girls of Many Lands books, although this is the only one I've read so far.

Before you press the NO button on the bottom of this review saying that it is not helpful, please read my review because it is OK. This book is so horribly horible it is wonderful. The book begins at 12 year old Cecile Revel's poor village. She finds a woman (the king's sister in-law to be correct) who is injured and has her father help the lady. The lady then lets Cecile come with her, leaving her life as a peasant to be a servant of dogs at the kings palace. And of course even a servant to dogs at a palace is better than being a peasant in a shack. So then she goes to a life at court and recieves word that her father has died. So then she's all depressed and then she starts to fall for Phillipe, a boy her age that often escorts her around. Then she is accused of killing royalty, and then more royalty, and then again, another member of the royal family. She learns of her father's devestating past. She is not allowed to go to the Royal Christmas Ball. (What a shame that was, I was looking forward to her going with Phillipe) She is sent away to a boarding school at the end of the story. About all of the main characters die. It is a book that is so horrible, but, in a funny way, it is good. I would recommend it to all GIRLS aged 11 to 14.

John Marshall defined American law, politics and power. This book paints a vivid picture of who Marshall was, and why he is still important today. The author does an excellent job stating the facts and letting the reader decide for her/himself whether or not Marshall did the right or wrong in the very important decisions he made. This book is enlightening and well written. Marshall's life is wonderfully told through the authors use of clear and concise writing. This book is excellent. It clarifies many misconceptions of this great man who came out of a generation that claims many great men. Marshall may be the least understood of them all, but he certainly is no less important than any of his contemporaries in forming and defining the United States of America.

Those who decry the current state of judicial affairs in this country will be interested to learn that our modern court system has changed very little since its inception back in the 18th Century. This, along with many other scholarly insights, is the compelling undercurrent running through Jean Edward Smith's John Marshall: Definer of a Nation.

Smith, no stranger to scholarship himself, guides the reader in painstaking detail through the rise of one of the most renoun jurists of early American history, John Marshall. Marshall, who served his country first as a soldier under General George Washington and later as the first truly influential chief justice of the Supreme Court, is a figure ripe for investigation at this particularly legal-oriented period in our history. For it was Marshall who, in his landmark decision, Marbury v. Madison, first gave rise to the notion of judicial review, the concept that suggests that the Supreme Court indeed has final say over the constitutionality of a given state action.

What is fascinating about Marshall's life is how bitterly he had to fight to establish what we today take for granted, the Court's supreme authority. Marshall's relentless pursuit of a powerful judiciary was often at odds with the vision of his fellow founding father, Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson, who pushed for a small, decentralized federal government in a largely agrarian America, was constanly at odds with Marshall, and the tale of their stormy political battles resonates throughout the pages of Smith's biography.

Of course, the philosophical musings and feindishly political battles of our founding fathers may not make for interesting reading for everyone. Smith's book is chock full of obscure anectdotes and oftentimes difficult-to-get-through detail. All the same, the interested reader seeking to understand just how our current court system got to be this way can do worse than pick up Smith's tome for some insight. For, in the end, the battles fought between America's early political titans bear a strong correlation to -- and perhaps even explain -- blips on the judicial radar screen now called things like "O.J."

The author acknowledges up front that the book has little to say that is critical of the great Chief Justice. Nevertheless, the author presents a balanced view of the man and his times. As befits one of the greatest writers in legal history, Smith's prose is clear, precise and entertaining. Given Marshall's long tenure on the Court and his many accomplishments and associations with great historical figures, this book should be of interest to anyone with a serious interest in American History. One is left with the strong impression that Marshall's role in shaping the government has not been fully appreciated.

As a young, serious Buddhist, I always wondered if there were others who shared my lifestyle and worldview. To my delight, I found that I am not alone. For me personally, "Blue Jean Buddha" is definitely a book whose time has come.
The book is down-to-earth and sincere, full of honest essays about how young people are implementing the Dharma into their lives, personal, public, and professional. It certainly is not New Agey, "too far out", cliche, or irrelevant. (I was anxious about the possibility of BJB being so, but it did not disappoint me!)The book explores the interchanges between Buddhism, Generation X and Y, and American pop culture, among other topics. It has no agenda except to portray Buddhism as it plays itself out, right now.
In many ways, I feel like BJB is a historical snapshot of some of the people who will be among the most influential shapers of Buddhism in the West in the near future. I was happy for this warning!
I definitely appreciated the vast diversity of Buddhist traditions and expressions represented in BJB. As an introduction, the book provides teases and initial glances into Buddhism, and does not purport to be a definitive statement by examining details. There are gaps, because there are still issues in modern Buddhism yet to be debated and/or resolved. But that is the point of BJB, it keeps you thinking, wondering, critically inquiring. I learned a lot from this book and totally recommend it to anyone interested in young people, and the future of Buddhism in the West.
The deep, thoughtful, and important reflections and rhetorical questions offered in THE CONCLUSION is WORTH THE WHOLE PRICE OF THE BOOK ALONE. Editor Sumi Loundon does not pretend to know all the answers, and after reading all these possibilities, I realized I didn't predict the future either! These are fast, exciting times we live in right now, and this is a perfect book to have along for the ride.

Sumi Loundon and company's BLUE JEAN BUDDHA is a rarity in several regards. For one thing, Loundon and her writers manage to lucidly articulate many ideas and feelings about culture, pop culture, age, and Buddhism that have previously proven to be precarious ground for authors to tread (this is particularly true of Loundon's first-class analyses throughout the book). For another, it switches gears gracefully--for any book, not just a dharma book--between being a sociological study (pieces like Kenneth Lee's "Drugs and the Dharma" and Thich Nu Pho-Chau's "Life as a Vietnamese Nun" exemplify this); a unique and very broad dialogue on philosophy, cultural ideologies, psychology, service, and peace (Claudia Heiman's "Winning over Depression," Noah Levine's "A Dharma Punx Path," and Adrienne Stauffer's "Freeing Tibet, Freeing Myself"); and very often literary nonfiction (Seth Castleman's "If a Nice Jewish Boy Sits in a Cave, Does He Make a Difference?" and Lillian Guild's "The Perfect Buddhist Boyfriend"). And lastly, its pieces burst with a very special kind of honesty about spiritual pursuits and the many facets of American life that only the spirit of youth could offer (Hanuman Goleman's "I'm a Mutt"). BLUE JEAN BUDDHA is fresh, insightful, and right-on. All of the bull's-eyes it manages to hit combined with its heart and humor make it an engaging read for anyone and an essential volume for any Buddhist's library.

What does Buddhism really mean to young people in a century when the Dalai Lama's image is used to sell computers & "Nirvana" is a rock band?

In his Foreword, Jack Kornfield poses the question: "What if Buddha were born in North America, in our times?"

Sumi Loundon, born into the North American Buddhist culture & coming into her third decade of life, is also asking: "What is being a Buddhist in today's Western world?" As she finds her answers, she also finds she is not alone & so evolved this collection of enchanting, first-person essays from young Buddhists all over this globe.

Like pebbles on a beach, each story is fascinating as the writers tell of their strife & boredom, yearning & bliss, hectic lives & momentary glimpses of spiritual stillness.

For a look at the world through another window where our senses & our monkey minds are engaged as never before, pick up a copy of BLUE JEAN BUDDHA & if you don't get it on the first read - keep it! Then take it down during a particularly hyper-active period in your life & see how others have walked through their chaos into the Buddhic balance & life-affirming consciousness.

Well worth the read! Gave me much about which to think & write!

This book is so little and cute and darling, it will happily go with you wherever you go with your beading projects, tucked in a bag if you take your beads to the beach or the park for an afternoon picnic or if you're traveling and want to work on a project enroute or even if all you plan to do is sit on the couch and do beading while you watch TV. It is aimed at both novice and experienced beaders and, for the most part, includes precise, detailed instructions and clear drawings for easy stitches that new beaders will find easy to follow as well as complex weavings that will definitely challenge those with more experience.

The book begins with descriptions of the various kinds of beads, threads, cords, bead wax and needles that are currently available. Especially helpful are the sections on "Matching Thread to Bead," "Choosing the Right Needle" as well as the information on seed bead sizes and types. Two chapters on bead weaving come next -- the first covers off-loom beading and includes various peyote stiches (even and odd flat stitches, circular and tubular stitches and the Native American or "gourd" stitch); the square, ladder, brick and netting stitches; several variations on the right-angle weave stitch; the herringbone and the daisy chain. The next chapter covers loom beading with lessons on how to set up a loom (including instructions on how to make your own loom) and how to do basic weaving, adding weft thread, increasing and decreasing beads, etc.

The next section is called "Stringing Beads" and begins with a brief description of how to make a simple beaded necklace; the instructions that follow on how to make a knotted bead necklace (with knots between the beads like a pearl necklace) are much more thorough.

The next four chapters deal with embroidering, knitting, crocheting and doing macrame with beads. The embroidery section shows how to incorporate beads into basic crewel embroidery stitches (back, buttonhole, chain, feather and herringbone) followed with instructions for the tent stitch used in embroidery work on canvas (ie, needlepoint and cross-stitch). Also included are instructions on how to use a tambour (a hook similar to that used for crocheting that is used to pull chain stitches and beads through cloth). Next are sections on knitting with beads, crocheting with beads and using beads in macrame.

The next chapter is on findings (clasps, crimp beads, knot cups, connectors, earwires, jump and split rings, end cones and coils, pinbacks, head and eye pins), which, while thorough insofar that it covers most findings, does not have the same excellent, detailed instructions and drawings that characterize the rest of the book. Using head pins to make earrings or attaching a crimp bead might seem obvious but someone who has never done these things may need more than just a brief written description on how they are accomplished. This section would have been so much better had the authors provided clearer explanations as well as illustrations. Also helpful would have been instructions on how to make secure bead loops using head/eye pins.

This chapter is followed by a section on wirework that has information about types of wire as well as tools (pliers, jigs, mandrells, mallets, hammers, etc) and basic techniques for making coils, figure eights, spirals and loops. The final chapters deal with making simple beaded cords and ropes, how to add fringe (including adding Victorian chain edging) and making netted fringe.

One of the best things about this book are the instructions on what to do if you make mistakes. I also liked the various "hints" that are scattered through out it as well.

Should you buy it? Well, if what you are looking for is a book that will teach you how to do basic bead stringing for a necklace or a bracelet or if you need instructions on how to make earrings, then you would be better off skipping this and getting a book like "Exotic Beads" instead. But if you're looking for the basics in bead weaving, etc, then this is definitely a good sourcebook for you. Be warned, however, it does not contain patterns or instructions for projects.

The Beader's Companion is everything it's title suggests.

The Beader's Companion covers beading terminology, how-to bead, what materials are needed for beading. Clear concise directions are included for just about every method of beading, with each method listed on small, sturdy pages. Included with the directions are easy to understand diagrams. And for each method of beading covered, there is a blank beading pattern template.

Frankly, it doesn't get any better than this. Not only is this book a perfect gift for yourself and/or anyone with even the slightest interest in beading, it is also a great travel companion. I take the book with me whenever I know I will have time to bead, while on the road. It is the perfect size, construction, and help to finish any beading project I might be working on.

I recommend this book to anyone who beads, and anyone who would like to learn how to bead. This book is THE Beader's Companion.

lunartic.cindy@gte.net

Do not make the mistake I did and buy a lot of books first to get started in beading. This book covers all the questions you will have. I won't spoil the fun and tell you all the goodies. But it does cover a lot. A few items are: On and off loom weaving techniques; tools, findings, threads, what they are called and how to use them. There are bead size charts, measuring charts and tip boxes throughout. How to use wire, cord making, finishing and knots. There is more but the fun of a new book is being surprised. So I'll tell you no more except, it has good clean black and white illustrations and the print is easy on the eyes. This compact book ends with five different graphs and comes in a plastic protective cover. The one thing that would be helpful are lined note pages. For the beading ideas that will spring up and beading sources/suppliers you will come across. BECAUSE YOU WILL WANT TO CARRY THIS BOOK WITH YOU!

It is appalling that a writer of Jean Thompson's talent needs to have her book nominated for the National Book Award before a store like Borders will carry more than one copy of her work. It is appalling as well, that said store will only carry copies of the work that was nominated, not her other two short story collections or two novels. I read her original collection of short stories, "The Gasoline Wars," about ten years ago and was extremely impressed. I wasn't even aware of the three published works in between that and this newest collection.

"Who Do You Love" is a fantastic collection of stories dealing with sad individuals, at difficult times in their lives, reacting to various stages of their latest love interests. The collection takes us through various landscapes, from the northwest rainy Oregon all the way to the grubby southeast states. The individuals vary from young to old; the only constants being the state of sadness, and the fact that the reader cares about them.

It is Thompson's use of language that is most impressive. There are times where she goes above and beyond what you would expect in her character dialogues or descriptions. There is a specific point that you find yourself believing most writers would have stopped, but she goes on and does so successfully. Only a confident writer would go this far. As an observer, she obviously has a tremendous ear. You find yourself re-reading full sections of her work just in appreciation of her art. She is by no means a minimalist but she does not waste a word. The stories have an intelligence to them and while melancholy in nature, there is a stunning use of wit as well.

Search out her work and put it on your shelf next to the Huddle's and Bell's and others who have mastered this craft.

5 stars.

Jean Thompson's Who Do You Love is an incredible collection of short stories featuring lives in various states of repair. Her turn of phrase is absolutely remarkable--I found myself re-reading paragraphs just to savor the stunning expression. The reader cares about every character. This collection is a real work of art--if I worked in a bookstore, I would press this book into the hands of every intelligent customer who loves Alice Hoffman, Elizabeth Berg, Barbara Kingsolver, and Flannery O'Connor. Thank you, Jean Thompson!

Though Jean Thompson was nominated for the National Book Award last year (and should have won, in my opinion), it is almost bewildering to me that her work is not as well-known as some of her contemporaries. This collection is a masterpiece by a writer whose sensibility blends dark and gritty subject matter with sublime language -- a bit like Alice Munro in tone, though at once both more stylized and more viscerally felt, unlikely as that may seem. The opening piece, "All Shall Love Me and Despair" (which was included in the 1996 Best American Short Stories) is as gorgeous as the Oregon coast that is its setting, as unsettling as its compassionate depiction of the character Scout's battles with heroin addiction, and as heartfelt as the woman, Annie, who tries to love him. Another fine piece is the story "Mercy," a close character portrait of a nightshift police officer and his relationship or lack thereof with a tough, unforgiving woman whose reckless son dies in a car accident. The 15 stories collected in this book date as far back as 1988 and represent a substantial body of work that deserves great acclaim and attention. I can't say enough about Thomspson's stories. They are simply marvelous.