This book is wonderful and very inspirational. The stories make you feel warm and definitely make you think about the world. The stories are very uplifting and a big joy to read.

This is the third book of Ms. Anderson's that I have read and am once again amazed and inspired. Her stories are stories of beauty, faith and love and each and every one cannot help but fill one with faith and hope.

"For nothing is impossible with God." We are reminded once again, the love that God has for us and we need only ask and we shall receive.

My favorite story was Triumph In The Sky, the story of a baby's journey to receive a liver transplant and the pilot who aided him on his journey.

Miracles do happen. As Joan says, "His light is eternal. His love prevails."

All the stories are beautiful and I recommend this book highly. You will be changed - you will be left thinking and you will be crying and smiling and at peace.

If you ever questioned your faith, this is the book for you! Being able to read these incredibe uplifting stories,it will encourage your heart and enlighten your faith.Joan Anderson has been blessed with a wonderful gift. As long as she is writing, I shall read.

This is the first of a series of Judge Dee novels set in seventh-century China. Judge Dee is an Imperial Magistrate who in the course of his job, is posted all over the Imperial Chinese Empire. He has a keen interest in solving crimes and is interested in interacting actively with the people around him. The novel opens with Dee leaving the imperial capital for the district of Peng-lai, near the Korean border. This is his first posting as District Magistrate. He leaves accompanied by his adviser Sergeant Hoong and on the way, meets two highwaymen, Ma Joong and Chiao Tai. Impressed by his forceful personality, the two men decide to give up their life of crime and become officers of the tribunal under Judge Dee. Upon arrival in Peng-lai, Judge Dee has to deal with multiple crimes; his predecessor was murdered, the wife of a prominent businessman has disappeared, a tiger is terrorizing the locals, the judge's chief clerk has gone missing and there are suspicions that Peng-lai is a center for gold smuggling into Korea! Into this hotbed of crime, comes Judge Dee who is able to pull all the threads together and solve the crimes. I loved the wealth of historical detail in the book as well as the actual mysteries, and Judge Dee himself is refreshingly human and is amused by the antics of his underlings! Would highly recommend the book to all those interested in historical mysteries - it's great fun!

Long before Brother Cadfael, there was Judge Dee. The series started in the 1950s but they are modelled after Judge Dee mysteries written in early China. In this adventure, Judge Dee arrives at a new post and must solve the murder of his predecessor. As with all of his adventures, there are several side mysteries to unravel. Well written and skillfully plotted, the Judge Dee mysteries are must reads.

I have all of Van Gulik's Chinese murder mysteries and this is the one to start out with. Not only is the book entertaining on its own merits as a mystery but you learn about a historical Chinese culture. The plot twists and villains are clever and Judge Dee is the bomb.

Jen Green's introduction to the life and work of Michelangelo is at something of a disadvantage compared to other volumes in the Famous Artists series because he was both a painter and a sculptor, although there is also a spread on his work as an architect as well. Ultimately Green focuses more on Michelangelo as a sculptor, looking at his Bacchus, Pieta, and David works before looking at the painting of the Sistine Chapel (the reproductions of these paintings unfortunately predate the remarkable restoration efforts). Ironically, in terms of explaining Michelangelo's distinct style, Green has much more success dealing with the painter than the sculptor. The political climate of the time is also dealt with, since perhaps no other artist in history worked at the whim of patrons and popes more than Michelangelo.

The strength of the Famous Artists series remains its emphasis on allowing young readers to experiment with the techniques of particular artists through the use of hands-on projects (e.g., proportion, composition, carving in relief) as well as by providing preliminary sketches and materials to show the artistic process at work. Each two-page spread features an illustration of the artist's home or environment, the continuing story of the Michelangelo's life, details and examples of the his work at that particular time, and a feature on the artist's technique with practical projects to try. Often there are enlargements of key parts of the work and there is always a symbol indicating the size of the work relative to a human being. As a general rule, these are excellent books for providing readers, young and old alike, with a basic art appreciation introduction to the world's greatest artists.

Hughes gives a lot of info in a short book, and paints a very well balanced idea of Michelangelo the man. I felt bad for
Buonaratti after reading this. He truly was a miserable man, yet his committment to his art was never diminished for a moment. In the end the story of his life is inspiring and humbling. Inspiring because it proves what man can acheive, humbling in the sacrifices that were made in order to fulfill his destiny as one of the great geniuses to have ever lived.

Firstly, I was thoughroughly impressed by the quality of this little book. The layout of the pages, the quality of the paper, everything. I'm glad to report that the content matches its presentation: Very clean, clear text featuring an unbiased look at Michelangelo's life. The book often cites former biographers (specifically Vasari and Condivi) and more often than not, it tries to find the right history. Very good illustrations of his more famous artwork as well as some drawings. Excellent!

I could never write a review about a jens bjernebö book.... He left to the world his masterpieces to read and comprehend and love. A hypersensitive book about brutality. A hymn to human heart.

The first time I read this book was for my own pleasure, and I thought the story was an exciting adventure. The second time I read it was in school when we analyzed it. Then I suddenly saw the allegories this book is packed with. Now this book is one of my favorites and I have read it several times.

A sea adventure worthy of comparison to Conrad and Melville, The Sharks tells the tale of "the last, meaningless, incomprehensible voyage" of the bark Neptune. The novel is set in the year 1899; the issues of diversity, violence, oppression, love, and interdependence presented are familiar concerns for contemporary readers at the end of this century. The narraator is Neptune's second mate Peder Jensen, a sailor who is afraid of the sea and yet can not leave it: "This is my fate and my curse: to love what I hate." The polarity, and ultimate union, of opposites is a theme which runs throughout this allegorical book. A white European, Jensen is in a privileged position as officer aboard a British ship. He gains our sympathy by being aware of his privilege and resisting the role of oppressor. He feels a revulsion toward his sometimes cruel and greedy fellow-officers and is supportive of the crew, "that strange assemblage of folk from every corner and edge of the globe, of every colour and race, denizens of the whole world's docks and ports." As the crew moves toward mutiny, Jensen is caught in the middle of the power struggle betweeen groups. Throughout the book, Bjorneboe acknowledges the inextricable connections between people and the mixture of good and bad in all of us. Jensen learns that he can not truly be as independent as he imagines himself, free of all ties: "One's every act toward another -- help included -- brings obligations and creates fate. One is caught in the net." Love and hate are two sides of the same coin; Jensen reflects that "of course destruction dwells in us all. In each there lives a murderer. But there also dwells a saviour and rescuer in us." The surprising and uplifting ending of the book brings out the best in each of the characters, and leaves the reader with a sense of hope for the uncertain future. Sensitively rendered into English by translator Esther Greenleaf Murer, this book represents a significant contribution to world literature, as well as being "a good read."

ALTHOUGH THIS BOOK STATES IT IS FOR AOL 4.0, IT IS STILL VERY USEFUL FOR BASIC AOL KNOWLEDGE. I HAVE USED THIS BOOK AS MY "BIBLE" AND FIND IT STILL HELPING ME ALL THE TIME.

CERTAINLY WORTH THE COST. THE BEST AOL BOOK I HAVE PURCHASED.

I own threee books on AOL. This is the best

An excellent book. A very complete description of the characteristics of all the signs. The book included a compatability section which was quite complete.

I looked up the Chinese Signs of several of my close friends and was amazed (so were they) at how closely their personalities matched the descriptions in the book. My Chinese sign described me to a "t".

I highly recommend it. It is very enlightening and easy to read and understand.

this is a great book on chinese love signs, the information is quite real and should give a good directions toward finding a lasting relationship. this book will help someone find somebody special and lasting in their lives.

As an active handler of a SAR K-9 as well as a trainer of other types of working dogs I found Jen's book to be as accurate as it is beautiful. It made me laugh and cry. The photography is excellent and it presents an accurate overview of many of the jobs dogs do for and with us.

This book inspired me to seriously get involved in search and rescue, and showed me the very important job these amazing animals do.

This is the best book on introductory Newtonian mechanics that I've read. The examples aren't shown just for "plug-and-chug" purposes as in many others; the authors use them to further develop an idea. As such, each example is important, and there are several. Each exercise is also useful in a way that many undergraduate mechanics exercises aren't. The authors also in their prose express a passion for the subject--always appreciated, and sometimes humorous. [My favorite example is on page 359 of the paperback version. Near the top of the page, following a discussion of Newton's law of universal gravitation: "The greatest achievement in the history of man was completed."]

I own dozens of books on the subject and this is by far my favorite. It is clearly written with a fine selection of problems. An excellent supplement to this book is THE VARIATIONAL PRINCIPLES OF MECHANICS by Lanczos. I highly recommend these two books for a firm understanding of classical mechanics.

I don't read many romances these days because they are ill-plotted and contrived, but Jen Holling does a very fine job in her second romance. [I really admire her first novel] The hero of this book is the kind of man a woman can really fall in love with and not some brooding cardboard character that so many romances offer these days. The pity is that the author OBVIOUSLY had to cut much of her story, leaving some of the characters and events unexplored. Despite a poor editor, this is a gem of a book and a great romantic read. It's the best historical romance I have read in six months or so. For romance lovers, I highly recommend it.

In 1585, the King names war veteran Bryan Hepburn as the new warden of the East March on the Scottish side of the border. Bryan immediately finds himself confronted with mistrust and illegal activity while his castle is in shambles. As he tries to learn what is the right thing to do, he meets feisty Megan Dixon, widow of a former warden murdered on the job, and her four-year-old son.

Bryan struggles to stop reivers from raiding and to keep his charges safe. His cousin Francis, who obtained this job for him, orders Bryan to search for his missing predecessor Leod Hume, who everyone feels, is dead. As he uncovers the truth behind Leod's previous activities as a warden and his subsequent disappearance, Bryan and Megan fall in love and he with her son too, but neither one trusts the other.

FOREVER, MY LADY is a debut novel that is an exciting Scottish romance starring a law-abiding outsider and a local fiery widow. The story line works because of these two protagonists and the secondary cast that provides depth to the plot and understanding to the lead players, especially Megan. Fans of Scottish historical romances will relish Jen Hollings' novel and seek out her debut tale, A TIME FOR DREAMS.

Harriet Klausner

James McFarlane's and Jens Arup's translations of Ibsen have long been classics and are arguably the best. Although they were published in England almost forty years ago, they still sound remarkably fresh and will be in print for many years to come.

In "A Doll's House" (1879), Ibsen casts us into the world of Nora Helmer, a young Norwegian housewife and Nordic Madame Bovary. Highlighting the restricted position of women in male-dominated society, the play sparked such an uproar in Scandinavia when it appeared that "many a social invitation during that winter bore the words: 'You are requested not to mention Ibsen's Doll's House!'" In fact, Hedwig Niemann-Raabe, the actress who was to play Nora on tour in Germany, was so appalled at the ending of this play -- at this female "monster" -- that she demanded Ibsen write an alternative one in German, which he did (a "barbaric outrage", in his words). McFarlane has appended this German-language ending (and a translation in English).

Based on the theme, "The sins of the fathers shall be visited on the children," "Ghosts" (1881) is one of Ibsen's most riveting plays. Like "A Doll's House", it, too, was denounced on its début ("crapulous stuff", "an open drain", one London reviewer called it -- certainly a Victorian exaggeration). As in most of his plays, Ibsen probes the hypocrisies of patriarchal society, which he deems to be rotten at its core, and stultifying provincial life ("Doesn't the sun ever shine here?"). Typically, he also casts women in a favorable light.

"A Doll's House" and "Ghosts" established Ibsen's reputation as one of the finest playwrights in Europe, but his next two plays -- "Hedda Gabler" (1890) and "The Master Builder" (1892) -- gave him undisputed international fame. As McFarlane points out, the 1890s "were the years when the publication of a new Ibsen play sent profound cultural reverberations throughout Europe and the world." "Hedda Gabler" marks Ibsen's shift away from highly controversial dramas primarily concerned with social and sexual injustice to "domestic" plays that addressed the struggle of individuals to control each other, people who "want to control the world, but cannot control [themselves]." "Hedda Gabler" is a thoroughly electrifying drama about a married woman's devouring sense of decay and confinement. "The Master Builder", which Ibsen coupled with "Hedda Gabler", is his riveting look into sexual potency and the domination of youth by age.

These plays are not as dark and dirty as they might seem. Whatever reviewers may have said about them when they came out and whatever gloomy stuff psychiatrists have written about them since, if you're at all familiar with prime-time television, they won't offend you -- in fact, you probably wont even lift an eyebrow. Still, I found myself glued to them for hours and I've read them before. Find a copy for your shelf!

Actually, I've only read two of these plays before but I did
want to list the names of the four included in this volume:

A Doll's House;
Ghosts;
Hedda Gabler;
The Master Builder.

Masterful social drama (to sound like a back-of-the-book blurb).
Seriously though, Ibsen's plays are wonderful.