This book was awesome! Like some others, I thought Harry Potter was the best, untill I read this book. It is a wonderful story that shows friendship, adventure, suspense, and magic. Emily just moved to Stonehill and is shy and kind, but doesn't have any friends. Adrienne is the loner and independent one and travels a lot( Her parents are artists). Kara is the snobby, spoiled, and popular one. They have almost nothing in common, except magic.
The story's plot is when a monster from another world comes to earth and poisons all the magical animals who live there. Emily has healing powers and has to help them with the help of Phel, a wonderful and magical creature. Emily, Adrienne, and Kara have to put away their diferences and work together to fight the monster with some help from the magical animals and Ozzie, an adventerous elf who is stuck in a ferrets' body. A fantastic book for all ages.

In this story there are 3 girls and each has magic in her and has to us there magic to save a wild life preserve and help magical animals that live in the perverse too. This book was so good I cant wait to read the next one a read other peoples review and they like Adriane but I like Emily and Kara...

many people r saying this book is better than harry potter well all i can say is ive never red anything like this b4, avalon is so good i can'r even discribe it. i luv harry but this is different, its so funny and has action and scarey and emotional parts that make me feel like i'm rite there. this book makes u feel a lot of things when u read it so i think its deeper than harry also i like the girls alot and they really come alive to me. i even like kara lol so both books are great but AvAlon makes me feel good when i read it

This series of books by Robert Jordan has won millions of fans the world over. His character depth and developement is astounding. If you are looking for a good read try this entire series. Watch how the story unfolds and starts to contract into the series of events now unfolding in A CROWN OF SWORDS. Will Mat marry the daughter of the nine moons? Will Nynaeve and Elayne be able to use the Bowl of the Winds? Is Mazrim Taim really the Forsaken Demandred? I guess we'll just have to wait for the next book huh?

I have read all 7 books in 'The Wheel of Time' series... TWICE... and am on constant look out for the next book. I must admit that at some points in the 7th bk the story drags and you find yourself wanting to jump to the 'good bits'. There are however enough of these to make it a good read.

I am absolutely dying to know how the 3 women in Rand's life sort things out, who is the Daughter of the Nine Moons, what about Bridgette and (fans of Soap should appreciate this) who is Niaomi? TRY IT!!!

I have read this wonderful series more times that I can count. I've got one copy to read, and one just to admire. Robert Jordan's books bring the reader all of the way into his world, making the reader feel what the character feels. It is so very frustrating having to wait for the next book. I do think, though, that #9 will be the end. Here's hoping!!!!!!

I first read this story as a boy of 7, only 7 years after it was originally published in 1948. My own father was concerned because, as a child, I did not seem to enjoy reading. He read the first few pages of "My Fathers Dragon" then pretended to fall asleep. I was so engrossed in the story that, for the first time in my life, I picked the book up and read it to the end. This was the beginning of my love of books. Now as a third grade teacher, I read the first few pages of this wonderful story to my class and then quietly put the book down.

Much like Harvey Potter's Balloon Farm, the My Father's Dragon trilogy is a fun read, and has a mixture of absurdity and humor that appeals on multiple levels. It's an easy read to a toddler, with several pictures throughout, and journey maps on the inner covers.

Since the chapters are short, you can do two or three a night without losing continuity. At the same time, the story has enough depth and cleverness that the parent can remain engaged. Thus, it's a catalyst for bonding.

One of the things that makes it special is the main character. Elmer Elevator, on the advice of a stray cat, starts out on a noble odyssey to free a baby dragon from its animal tormentors. In his preparation, Elmer packs dozens of seemingly useless items, including a magnifying glass, brush, sandwiches, and lollipops. While he travels across Wild Island, all these items become essential, and you wonder if the story was being told by MacGyver :-)

We've read the trilogy to completion five times and it's still a hit with everyone.

I read this book to my 5 and 6 year old boys. They love the black and white pictures which tell the story. It was a good story to practice comprehension skills. As Elmer saves the baby dragon he uses various items each step of the way. I quizzed my kids on what he used to deter the lion, the alligators, etc. My 5 year old cheated by looking ahead through all the pictures; then when we read on he'd say he knew that was going to happen. We will probably re-read this book many times before they are able to read it on their own. I highly recommend reading it together as an adventure for the whole family. luv2read

What a good read! I thoroughly enjoyed this book. ROGUE gripped me with the first sentence. I love the way the setting is as integral as the characters.The characters are real. They produce sympathy and ire. Even the dog is real! The surprising and intricate twists and turns of the plot kept my attention from start to finish. The description of jungle and urban scenes in Texas, Yucatan and Europe put me right where the events took place and gave me the feeling of being an eyewitness. More! More! More!

Excellent first novel! This is a slam-dunk for those who are looking for a change from the normal Clancy-esque 500-page paperweights. Hector (code name "Cheetah") is a spy who comes closer to the real thing than your normal "Ops-" type hero. Story line is absolutely refreshing, compact and reminds me of the original short thrillers of the '50s and '60s by authors such as Fleming, MacLean and Le Carre.

Walker creates interesting and volatile twists in the plot to keep you turning pages, and then neatly pieces it all together in an ending you won't forget. His fight-to-the-death scene is one of the best I've ever read, where you see and feel the pain, the cold, the adrenaline. Throw in the crisp descriptions of European scenery and background and characters who help fire up the plot and you have a marvelous book in your hands that you absolutely can't put down.

Pour a cold one, kick back, and enjoy the ride of your life! Robert Walker's Rogue: The Cheetah Files will catapult you around the world, forcing you to taste the sweat and smell the fear experienced by his characters. You dare not blink nor close the book before finishing this excellent read, for fear something will happen on the pages that you will miss. You will relish experiencing the chills and terror of those ensnared in a web of intrigue not unlike those spun by Ian Fleming. Move over James, Hector is the spy who loves us now!

Each time a re-read a chapter of this book, it is further enriching. I had no background in business finance and only an introductory accounting background prior to reading this book. It is approachable and quite deftly introduces one to the field of finance. Broad coverage of major topics such as financial forecasting, management of growth, debt vs. equity, financial instruments, valuations, discounted cash flow, and drawing from financial statements. Higgins places things in proper context and builds upon knowledge at good, steady pace.

This book was required in my William & Mary MBA program. It covers everything from discounted cash flows to ratio analysis to business valuation. My brother liked it so much he "stole" if for months. I took it back and now he wants it for his Christmas gift. So, here I am buying it for him. The net present value of this book is -- real high:) I highly recommend it for business owners or anyone involved in finance and accounting.

This book is required at Harvard Business School and is used at top B-schools and bank management trainee programs around the country.
I used the book during my MBA program, even though it was not required. My study group members always requested that I bring it to group meetings. I even had a classmate approach the author (who happens to be my father) at my graduation and ask for his autograph.
The book introduces complex finance concepts like net present value in non-academese language and the real-world examples reinforce the concepts.
I strongly recommend this textbook to anyone preparing to enter business school or embarking on a job in financial analysis.
Professor Higgins is a beloved teacher at his home institution, the University of Washington. You can share in a little of his vast expertise and gift for teaching by reading his book, Analysis for Financial Management.

In this classic work, John Bunyan paints a detailed picture of the Christian life/walk, giving true-to-life insights and experiences. The despair, sorrows, trials and temptations that a believer may face are depicted in an allegorical manner, as well as the hope, joy, and salvation found in Jesus Christ. The main character Christian (once named Graceless) sets out on a lifelong journey from the City of Destruction, where his family disowned him, and encounters many persons and difficulties along the way to the Celestial City (heaven). The characters he meets are given names that reflect their mindset or what temptation they bring. At times he stumbles and at times he perseveres, but all by the grace of God. The second portion of the book tells of the conversion and subsequent sojourn of the wife (Christiana) and children of Christian. The discussions of Christian in the first part and Christiana and her companions in the second part are very interesting, as they defend their faith and explain their purpose to those they meet along the way. The book is quite different from your ordinary novel, and has many interesting words of wisdom for the Christian life. Readers should be aware that some of the language is antiquated and has unfamiliar usages, so its a little bit of an adjustment to read.

A letter to Marvin Minsky about this book:

I urge you tolook at a remarkable book by the English Puritain John Bunyan(1628-1688), "The Pilgrim's Progress", which is one of the great evangelical Christian classics, though clearly that is not why it interests me and should interest you (although I AM interested in the puzzle that is the religious sense, which even the irreligious feel, and this book can give remarkable insight into that as well).

Rather its fascination lies in the pilgrimage it depicts, or in the fact that human traits, vices, virtues, &c are PERSONIFIED as particular individuals who are their living and speaking epitome, and who are encountered along the way in revealing situations.

Bunyan's hero is appropriately named Christian. Someone once wrote that "Christian's journey is timeless as he travels from the City of Destruction to the Celestial City, meeting such characters as Pliable, Talkative, Giant Despair, Evangelist, Worldly-Wiseman, Faithful, Ignorance and Hopeful."

At first this personification is merely amusing, even a bit annoying (as caricatures or truly stereotypical people can be); but after a while I found myself enthralled because I realized that the effect of this odd literary device was to give unmatched insight into the nature of such traits. The force of the whole thing comes from the fact that one journeys about in - literally INSIDE of - what is both a comprehensive and finite moral and psychological landscape (a "psycho-topography"), very much as though one were INSIDE the human mind and your "Society of the Mind" was embodied in the set of actors. This is more or less the opposite or an inversion of the 'real world' of real people, who merely SHARE those attributes or of whom the attributes are merely PIECES; in "Pilgrim's Progress", by contrast, the attributes are confined in their occurrence to the actors who are their entire, unique, pure, and active embodiment, and humanness, to be recognized at all, has to be rederived or mentally reconstructed from the essential types.

The effect, for me, was something like experiencing a multidimensional scaling map that depicts the space of the set of human personality types, by being injected directly - mentally and bodily - into it by means of virtual reality technology.

So Bunyan's book has something of the interest to a psychologist, neuroscientist, or philosopher that Edwin Abbot's "Flatland" has to a mathematician.

I don't mean to overpraise "Pilgrim's Progress", of course; it was written for theological rather than scientific purposes, and has conspicuous limitations for that reason. But its interest to a student of the mind who looks at it at from the right point of view can be profound.

- Patrick Gunkel

Pilgrim's Progress is without a doubt one of the true classics of time--an allegory that has remained a best seller years after its introduction.

My first introduction to Pilgrim's Progress was as a child in parochial school. I had to do a book report on it in 5th grade and ended up reading numerous times for various projects throughout grade school.

The reader follows the main character--aptly named "Christian"--on his journey to the Celestial City.

Along the way, Christian passes through the many trials of life, symbolized by intruiging characters and places along the way. An early temptation is the "City of Destruction", which Christian narrowly escapes with his life. The various characters are perhaps the most fascinating portion of the book--Pliable, Giant Despair, Talkative, Faithful, Evangelist, and numerous others provide the reader with a continual picture of the various forces at work to distract (or perhaps, encourage)Christian on his ultimate mission.

Of course, the theology (for those of the Christian faith) of Pilgrim's Progress is a constant source of debate, the book is nonetheless a classic of great English writing.

It's not a quick read--that's for sure--however, I certainly would recommend that one read it in its original form. Don't distort the beauty of the old English language with a modern translation.

You must read this book twice: once for its obvious story line, Africa and the Mau-Mau revolt and the second time for its relationship to what is currently happening in America today.

The parallels are ominous. The British entered Kenya with the intent of 'civilizing' the savages. They imposed thier way of life on the natives of Kenya. However, the new values made no sense to the Kenyans. They did not understand the value of the white mans ways.

Similarly, todays intellectuals and social elitists are imposing a new value system on America's children. One that has no absolutes, no heroes of substance, no morality or ethics. The children don't know if they are good or bad. They have become value-less because of the lack of value. Nothing more than wondering generalities.

When you read this book with this perspective in mind, the reason for a lot of the problems that are occurring today become obvious, American society has become an amorphous blob of do what feels good whenever you feel like it and let someone else take care of you.

"Something of Value" is as revealing today as it was back in the '50s. If you read it with an open mind and are willing to draw parallels to today.

It is history being repeated.

This book was so accurate and so brutally honest that Ruark was banned from Kenya by the British and the Native Kenyan goverments. For those of you who don't know; Roberk Ruark was THE defining voice in America for Africa in the 1950's. His columns appeared in Field & Stream magazine when EVERYONE read Field & Stream. He was a celebrity with apartments in New York and a villa in Spain. These were the days when rich men ate red meat, went to Africa to "shoot lions" and were disappointed if it didn't charge! If you love African game stories and you belive in the superiority of Western civilization over shamanist tribalism then this book is for you. When the English colonized what is now Kenya it was a true clash of moderns with the Stone Age. These men (and women) had as rough a time as Americans did taming the West. Really more so because the Africans were more numerous than the American Indians and only one or two of our animals would eat you. After years of carving farms out of the harsh African veldt with the permission and support of the Britsh goverment the farmers suddenly found themselves put "out into the cold" by their goverment. The Socialists in England suddenly decided by vote to modernize the Native African from the Stone Age to the Industrial age overnight. From shamans and chiefs to democracy; brought in by "the Winds of Change". If you ever suspected that you have been lied to about Africa by the Desmond Tutu's and Nelson Mandela's of the world, if you want to know what is going to happen in South Africa in the next 10 years, if you need any more convincing that America's Africa policy caters more to Jesse Jackson than the true "status quo" of Africa, then this is the book for you. Ruark does a brillant job of juxapositioning the issues of tribesman and colonist alike. The politics and violence of MauMau are amazingly similar to the African National Congress. In Ruark's Africa everyone is right; and wrong. All the native born Africans in his book, Black and White alike, believe to the bottom of their soul in what they are doing. I don't think Kipling himself could have captured the essense of Africa any better!

I spent three of the most impressionable years of my live in Kenya in the early '70's as a State Department dependant. Even then, the Mau Mau uprising had a strong influence on day to day life in Kenya. Gun control laws were among the most strict in the world and for good reason. During my three years in Kenya I heard many stories from people who lived through the emergency. Most of these stories made Stephen King novels sound like childrens' tales. I could not count the times I've read both Uhuru and Something Of Value and each time they have taken me back in time to the Norfolk or New Stanley hotel. Everything about the book, from the safaris, to the uprising, are totally authentic. While this is not a "feel good" book, anyone who has a interest in East African history, or just wants to read on of the great books of this century MUST read this book. Even though this is a book of fiction, it should be required reading for anyone studying the history of Kenya. Make no mistake, most of the things written about in this book, no matter how disturbing, actually happened.

I've read this book three times and took Shambala Training. Many years ago, I saw a young girl sitting on a park bench reading this book. I thought "uh-oh!" Chogyam Trungpa was considered one of the greatest meditation masters in American Buddhism. The Karmapa approved of him totally. He was a brillant man who understood the inhibitions and neurosis of Westerners possibly better than any teacher who has taught Tibetan Buddhism in the West. He helped me a great deal. I no longer became embarrassed about being a human being. His books are and were great. But sadly enough, we have to face facts. I have talked to many many people in the last twenty years who knew him. His conduct was, to say the least, deplorable. He constantly violated four out of the five Buddhist precepts. Buy the book. All of Trungpa's books and his teachings were fundamentally kind and compassionate. Just do what the Dalai Lama suggests. Be wary with any personal teacher. Best of luck.

such as 'Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism', which is a very good read. His words in this book are not very concise and he never goes deep into his topics. It is much like a cliff notes for 'The Road Less Traveled' - by Scott Peck. If you want to read about how to live everyday life, go for Scott Peck. If you are looking for a book on Zen or meditation read 'Zen Mind, Beginners Mind'. Shambhala wasnt a terrible book, but it wasnt a life changing, thought inspiring one either. Hope this review helped!

"The Shambhala teachings are founded on the premise that there is basic human wisdom that can help to solve the world's problems. This wisdom does not belong to any one culture or religion, nor does it come only from the West or the East. Rather, it is a tradition of human warriorship that has existed in many cultures at many times throughout history". - Chogyam Trungpa

The book looks at the principles of warriorship, and this is non-aggressive, no swords and daggers here.

I read this book and it was like having spent my whole life walking from place to place. Then one day being given a bicycle to travel around. And one night, whilst asleep, dreaming of the awesome speed I was now able to travel at, someone sneaks into my garage and fits a turbo charged, jet powered, rocket engine.

I would recommend this book to anyone, and have been doing, if you are reading this now then your search is complete, there is no need to go any further. Put it in your shopping basket and get ready for the rollercoaster ride of your life.

Melissa Mueller states at the beginning of this book that she does not intend for this volume to be a replacement for the diary, but rather an adjunct to it. This goal has been acheived admirably through extensive interviews and research, giving insights in not only Anne's life before and after her experiences in hiding, but also shedding light on the various family members and people involved.

One thing Mueller accomplishes, which may well be worth the price of the book alone, is to paint a more accurate picture of two of the most maligned figures in Anne's diary: Edith Frank and Fritz Pfeffer (Albert Dussel in Anne's pseudonym). Especially moving are descriptions of Edith's tenacity in keeping her daughters with her at Auschwitz-Birkenau, and a letter written by Pfeffer to his fiancee, Charlotte. One would wish Mueller had been able to do the same for the van Pels family (the van Daans in the diary), but perhaps the information available was simply too scant.

For anyone who cherishes the diary and legacy of Anne Frank, this book will be a welcome addition to the body of work this remarkable child has inspired.

Melissa Muller has written an absorbing, probing, sincere account of the life of Anne Frank. She provides a historical background that proves fascinating, from the backgrounds of Anne's parents, grandparents and extended family, to the political climates in Germany and Holland before and during World War II.

This worthy biography depicts with subdued insight the Frank family's relationships. I was particularly touched while reading about the Franks' love and concern for their two daughters, and by the inclusion of several letters from the Franks to extended family members, particularly those exchanged between Otto Frank and his mother.

Throughout the book, Muller's interest in the subject matter is evident and her unsensational interpretation of events rings true. The translation is flawless and the text is woven together seamlessly. All in all, this biography triumphs as one of the most well-written biographies I have read.

I agree with Miep Gies' statement at the end of the book: Anne's life does not, as some writers and historians have suggested, symbolize the millions of lives lost in the Holocaust, because her life was hers alone. Millions of individual lives were tragically and cruelly ended. After reading this book, I feel privileged to have had a poignant glimpse into one of these lives.

Everyone is familiar with the name Anne Frank, and everyone is aware of the struggles she and her family went through in the secret annex, but what do we know about the parts of her life that aren't contained in her diary? This book reveals portions of the lives of Anne Frank and her family that you never knew existed. It will take you from a time when the Franks were accepted as part of a community, to a time when they were no longer allowed to belong to that community. This book will help you gain a better understanding of the era in which Anne Frank lived. Muller does a great job at providing small details which really make the legend come to life. She has obtained information from multiple sources, which give different information and viewpoints. There is even a letter written by Miep Gies, who is responsible for hiding the Frank family. In this note, she expresses many emotions and a unique viewpoint which will make you question your own feelings on the Holocaust. This biography is very emotional and insightful. It contains answers to many questions you may have, and makes it easier than ever to understand what happened to the Franks and other families during the holocaust.

The book was a joy to read, and a great boost. I feel as though any person can read this book from begining to end and each time they will receive a new moral and path in their life

I have read this book many times. I wish I could rate it 10 stars! Buy this book along with "Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor E. Frankl. They will change your life too.

This is by far my favorite book of all time. It is simple and funny, but makes deep and profound observations. I've read it numerous times and see something new of myself in it each time. I received it as a gift and now buy it in quantities in order to pass it on to friends. It is timeless and holds truths for everyone who is willing to see them.