At a boardinghouse in New Jersey in 1939, four people come together: a ten-year-old boy, his mother and grandfather, and a salesman on the make. As each relates his or her own version or their meeting in a series of superbly-constructed yet vibrant vignettes, the pathos & hilarity build to a climax that both delights & instructs, leading to laughter that hurts. Sorrentino has contrived an elegantly-patterned narrative that also manages to transcend its own schematic, creating 4 living souls whose shared dreams, defeats, memories & actions can enrich those of us who get to know them, seeing in their lives much of our own. In this way, Sorrentino works as a literary alchemist, forging living gold from the base metals of his masterly technique & insight. This is a book that deserves to sit on the same shelf as Faulkner, Hemingway, Woolf, and Joyce. It is a classic and will live long after its more popular brethren have been buried in the dustbins of literary history.

This is a fine introduction to the Giant Panda, its patterns of life, the complexities of conservation, and the inevitable politics of a zoo trying to work with both the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Chinese Government to bring Pandas to the United States.

Terry Maple's story alone is amazing and will interest anyone who believes that private interests can perform public services better than government. He is a professor of Primate Psychology at Georgia Tech who has been the director of ZooAtlanta since 1984. He saved a zoo that was run by a city government and was on the verge of disaccreditation by transferring management responsibility to a private association. This has allowed him to move the zoo from a poorly run, poorly managed institution that was not the best environment for its animals to one which has an amazing research focus, which has developed a world class gorilla, orangutan and Mandrill program, and allowed him to set his sights on bringing Pandas to Atlanta. In the process he was also a pioneer in privatizing government run zoos as ZooAtlanta has flourished as a privately run institution leased from the city.

Panda ethology is worth studying because it raises troubling questions about lessons we might need to learn about our own species. Consider the implications for overly bureaucratized education for humans while reading the following passages:

"Pandas receiving enrichment were much more active in the presence of the test stimuli, and in many cases stereotyped behavior was reduced or eliminated. Enrichment was a strongly motivating condition in the lives of these animals... enrichment keeps pandas active." (p.76)

"New social opportunities are often powerful motivators"(p.79) "Baby pandas do not show any signs of independence until the fourth month of life, and they may stay with their mothers into a second year." Research has indicated that they stay "together two and a half years, about a year longer than most researchers thought was the norm".

Maple goes on to discuss a variety of lessons being learned about Panda behavior and many of them will stimulate you to think about challenges we face in understanding the best way to raise humans.

This book is also an excellent outline of the relationship between conservation in the wild and conservation in zoos and the degree to which both approaches are necessary if we are going to optimize biodiversity - especially for large vertebrates. It is a worthwhile introduction for anyone who cares about conservation in general, pandas in particular or the method by which two countries can combine government and private activities into effective conservation.

There are not many panda books out there, but this is a great one. There are some wonderful pictures of ZooAtlanta's two bears, as well as other great pictures. It also tells the story of Maple's journey to bring the pandas to Atlanta. In addition, it has some panda facts on it. It would look great on anyone's coffee table.

I'm sorry, but this is not what Bram Stoker wrote. This is what Francis ford Coppola wrote. This is a beautiful film, yes, but Not Stoker's DRACULA.
There are good things with this film and others that are not so good, but let's make things perfectly clear once and for all. THERE IS NOT A LOVE AFFAIR BETWEEN MINA HARKER AND COUNT DRACULA!
Dracula is a vampire, a monster and Jonathan Harker is his ticket to ENGLAND. After the deed to his new estate is signed, Harker is a dead man left to Dracula's three vampire wives.
In England Dracula gets Lucy and then Mina and Mina is the only link to Dracula because she is under his power and it is through her that Van Helsing and the other men can chase Dracula back to his Castle and destroy him. Forget the romance,Dracula is a horror story and perhaps one day will be done the way it was meant to be. As for now the closest thing to Stoker's novel is El Conde Dracula (Count Dracula) with Christopher Lee.

Francis Ford Coppola does an excellent job retelling the Dracula tale using actual history blended with legend. Gary Oldman is excellent as the Count. Oldman's portrayal of the Count as a tortured man longing for the lost love of his life acutally had me feel sorry for the man. When he observes the portrait of Mina(Winona Ryder) and remembers his lost bride it is truly an awesome scene. Oldman's Count can also be bloodthirsty as well! Sir Anthony Hopkins as Professor Van Helsing is very fun to watch. To say that Van Helsing is a little nuts is an understatement! The music is also classic and it really sets the mood during the entire film. Winona Ryder as Mina playing a woman torn between the Count and her intended husband(Kneau Reeves) is well done. The most awesome scene is when the Count receives Mina's letter saying that she'll never see him again. You can feel the heartache and pain in the Count and also feel his anger. Awesome! A must see for the true Dracula fan!

This review is about "SUPERBIT COLLECTION" an outstanding Home Theatre version of Bram Stokers Dracula, a Francis Ford Coppola film.

Columbia Pictures has raised the bar on DVD video and sound quality with the new "SUPERBIT" series movies. This feature improves the picture by doubling the bit rate digital transfer. Simply, twice the picture quality of existing DVD transfers. Also the sound has been enhanced equally in performance.

NOTE: GOODS NEWS - All this can be enjoyed on existing DVD players with noticeable improvements. BAD NEWS - Its not really bad news its really the "BOTTOM LINE NEWS" - the "SUPERBIT COLLECTION IS FOR YOU IF" you have; a Home Theatre, HDTV WideScreen (Enhanced 16:9)w/Component Video, Progressive Scan DVD (480p) w/Component Video & DTS or 5.1 Sound environment. IF you have this then the "SUPERBIT COLLECTION" Dracula explodes of the screen!!!!!!

Summary: SUPERBIT Dracula directed by Francis Ford Copplola is a very beautiful photographed eerie love story. With a story line more to the tragedy of Dracula (brillantly played by Gary Oldman)than the viciousness of vampires. The detailed scenes & colors explode off the screen with this "SUPERBIT" version film. The 5.1 sound is crystal clear and adds immensely to the eeriness of this dark gothic horror film. This SUPERBIT detailed film makes for an unbelievable visual experience. Coppola does a grand job providing us with an unsusual twist in the story of Dracula.

This is the best "SUPERBIT" transfer so far in the Columbia Pictures Collection. Just remember, "SUPERBIT" was developed to give the Home Theatre owner a new improved DVD experience and they have done this with "Bram Stokers, Dracula". Enjoy.

Lately, it is hard not to be inundated with religious imagery and thought in the media. TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL rules the airwaves. Evangelists run for president. The LEFT BEHIND series of fundamentalist Christian apocalyptic adventures continues to publish new installments. Arnold Schwarzenegger battles Satan in END OF DAYS. Sometimes, it can all get a little overpowering.

But reading THE THIRD MIRACLE, at first, gave me cause for hope. Here was a story about the struggles a priest must deal with when it comes to faith. Rather than embrace it blindly, faith becomes a hard commodity to hold onto when you can't find a reason to go on.

But alas, THE THIRD MIRACLE eventually lets the reader down; not in its discussion of the ramifications of faith and disbelief, but in its storytelling capabilities. In a novel full of intensely personal and important themes, the story's execution is too slight to withstand it.

The priest in question is Father Frank Moore, a smart, handsome man who has had a crisis of faith. (Incidentally, are ALL priests smart and handsome? After the movies THE EXORCIST and STIGMATA, the deeply brooding and charismatic priest is becoming WAY too much of a cliche). His crisis is a result of his job, as a postulator for the Church. Frank has the unenviable task of researching alledged 'miracles', and debunking them if possible. In his last assignment, he revealed that his personal mentor had committed suicide, thereby destroying any chance the congregation had of getting him declared a saint. It also destroyed the faith and hopes of the congregation itself.

Now, Frank is alone and unsure. He finds himself unable to care about others, and his new assignment into the possible sainthood of a local woman is not one that he wants. But there are several variables he hadn't counted on. A statue that bleeds human blood. A young girl miraculously cured of Lupus. And the daughter of the woman, whom Frank is drawn to despite his vows.

This does have the makings of a terrific novel. Author Richard Vetere at first manages to balance the fine line between characterization and themes, which makes for some enjoyable reading. And the insight he offers into the canonization process of the Catholic Church is thought-provoking. I cannot vouch for its authenticity, but Vetere's presentation of the entire scheme is illuminating.

But THE THIRD MIRACLE, in the end, isn't deep enough. It purports to discuss the perils that faith can lead to, but the problems of the characters are too obvious, and Vetere isn't a good enough writer to make it fresh. The dynamic between Frank and the daughter Roxanna is trite, and implausibly fast. The epilogue is too pat, and can be seen coming a mile away. In the end, Vetere fails to create any real tension, presenting themes without passion.

That's not to say the ideas are meaningless. Regardless of a person's beliefs, the quest for faith will always be a fascinating subject. Even a waste of a movie such as STIGMATA sparks some element of interest in the viewer, because the subject-matter is inherently compelling. But Vetere hasn't done enough to sustain interest over THE THIRD MIRACLE's rather short length. Vetere has the outline right, but he needs to fill in the blanks.

This book was selected as a Library Journal Best Book of the year and eventually made into a movie starring Ed Harris (who recently starred in the much-acclaimed movie/bio of artist Jackson Pollack). I've read the book and I've seen the movie. The book has its flaws, as many reader reviewers below have noted, but I found it an extremely powerful book. Perhaps this is because my religious background is Judaism and so the Catholic church and the beliefs of its members were fresh and new to me - as they might not be to some readers. Beyond that, however, I found the story of a man's search for faith to be quite moving and believable - and his desire to find out if a true miracle had occurred or not was also compelling. No matter one's religious tradition or beliefs, the desire to find spiritual truths is a universal one and the book is worthy of being put on anyone's reading list. Now, as to the movie - Ed Harris is one of my favorite actors and I found his portrayal of a priest in crisis to be a poignant one. This movie is NOT, however, for those who are easily offended by priests who act in less than ideal ways - and who has some very human failings. Be forewarned. I'd suggest you read the book and then see the movie. The is available on VHS and you can come across pre-viewed copies fairly regularly.

I've read this book 3 years ago. I enjoyed it because I come from the neighborhood in which it takes place. The story was charming. My heart went out to the priest and the struggle with his faith. God wins! I just saw the movie which was good but stick to the book version!

This book scared alot of people when it first came out. And it still scares people. I remember laughing when I read this book a few years ago because the author, Figgie, uses math as bad as that used by the federal govt. to reach his conclusions. Can the U.S. go bankrupt? Sure, but if the govt. can balance the budget, including off-budget items, the economy can grow past this debt and eventually eliminate it.

The first reason why we haven't reached a position of "Bankruptcy 1995" is because of the Republican Congress that came in and made the hard choices to balance the budget and revive a sagging economy that was suffering under the control of the Clinton administration and his left-wing mob in Congress.

The second reason is because Figgie was basing his numbers on how he thought revenues and expenses should be calculated, not how the govt. actually does it.

Figgie is right that at some point we must stop bleeding red ink or we'll be faced with an massive economic disaster. On the other hand, Figgie used bad math and hysteria to sell his book, not taking into consideration the various options of how the govt. can get out of this situation. This book only gives you half the story, and as such, I can not recommend this book.

I read this in hardcover when it was first published and it was very interesting and seemed credible. It did not come true in 1995 as predicted. However, in June, 2002 so much of that book has come true it is frightening.

In retrospect, legislation proposed by Clinton/his administration (and then enacted) postponed the predictions in this book. Just in recent months (Spring, 2002) this book has proven itself. Unfortunately, more of its predictions may come to pass.

Easy to read, but very disconcerting because of the negative impact on this country. Services will decline due to economics is just one prediction. Yesterday's news announced "budget cuts" in Tulsa schools including more pupils per classroom and school beginning later in the calendar year, elimination/reduction in programs,etc. Roads not being repaired and then falling apart has already occurred in OK due to "lack of funds". Hopefully, not all the predictions in this book will come true.

In this current bubble of false prosperity people are choosing to criticize Harry Figgie rather than examine the evidence he presented. Congress hasn't changed with the Republicans; they are still spending beyond the money taken in. The national debt is still growing and we are still headed for a financial disaster. In the Great Depression the Government bailed out the people with funny money. When the Government goes broke, who will bail them out?

Those who consider it all hype just because it didn't happen on Harry Figgie's timetable are only deluding themselves.