Includes new Afterward explaining how Lawrence was abducted by desert-savvy aliens!

It is a commonplace to refer to T.E. Lawrence as one of the most enigmatic figures of twentieth century history. One sometimes wonders if it is his enigmatic character that continues to make him interesting, rather than what he achieved in his lifetime.

This is, as far as I know, the first attempt by a psychiatric professional to write a life of Lawrence. So much about Lawrence's personality - his illegitimacy, his craving for anonymity after the war even as he contrarily managed to worm his way into the spotlight so many times, his name change ostensibly in honor of G.B. Shaw, and probably most of all his experience at Deraa, made him an object of general interest, not to say lurid speculation. Lawrence, with his usual flair, manages to give us enough about his interior life in "Seven Pillars" to pique our interest without actually telling us anything.

While I must admit that I enjoyed the book, I must also say that I walked away from it feeling that I did not know any more about Lawrence after finishing it than I did before. The author covers a great deal of terrain, but I think that we're all not any closer to understanding Lawrence. Maybe the definitive biography is still waiting to be written. Maybe it never will be.

John E Mack has written a definitive and masterful biography of T. E. Lawrence, a man of fascinating complexity. The movie, Lawrence of Arabia, portrays a "mighty hero." Lawrence's role in the Arab Revolt are put into the context of his childhood, the Paris Conference, and the RAF years. Mack does not diminish Lawrence's achievements nor does he glorify them. Lawrence's post-war years were spent escaping his fame and what he endured. His psychical scars from the war deaden him to emotion and pleasure and his idealistic romanticism turned to nihilism. Lawrence's post-war penitence and alienation lead me to believe that he suffered from post traumatic stress disorder as a result of his brushes with death and his loss of physical and emotional integrity. He sought to break through his numbness by riding high performance motorcycles at breakneck speeds through the countryside and subjecting himself to scourgings.

If you saw the movie, read this book.

This is the second John Bellairs story I've purchased and read to my 8 and 10 year old kids and they disliked it even more than I did. In their words: "boring!". The characters aren't developed all that well, the story is uneven and the ending is anticlimatic. Rather than "being on the edge of our seats" we kept waiting for something of real interest to develop and once finished, we were more than happy to put this one behind us and move on to the latest Harry Potter book. Forgive me all you John Bellairs fans, but after reading two of his supposedly best books (this one and The House With The Clock In Its Walls) I think we'll try some other recommended authors.

The Chessmen of Doom was the best book I've ever read! If you like mystery books, get this, but don't read it at night.

A dead eye....a room with a no view.... pallid dwarves on a board that is not true....What did Professor Childermass's eccentric brother mean by this mysterious riddle? And why has he left a will that says the professor must stay the entire summer on his ramshackle estate or lose the huge 10 million dollar inheritance.

Anthony, a 13 year old blonde haired kid, and his two friends, Roderick Childermass,and Fergie, a tall red-head, join together to defeat Mr. Stallybrass to stop from destroying the world.

At the old estate, Anthony finds himself sleeping one night in the estate when something is standing right next to him and says "You might be close to the clue of all time," Anthony ponders then finally dozes off to sleep. One day they meet up with a strange person and little dwarves fall out of his trench coat. But in the tower room they find a chessboard? What could that mean? The man Mr. Stallybrass has the power to destroy the world by using comets? How wil Anthony and his friends save the world form this wizard? Can a pin and a witch save them from the evil!

I really liked this book, because it has a lot about mysterious things,and riddles that you can follow through the story. So I give it two thumbs up! So if you like riddles, mysterious, science-fiction books this one is right down your alley. So get down to your local bookstore and buy The Chessmen of Doom by John Bellairs!

This is a fascinating book for a number a reasons and is a success because, it manages to work on a number of different levels. As a travelogue it paints a fascinating portrait of the people and places on the shores of the Sea of Cortez. Steinbeck has always been able to capture this part of human existence in his fiction and nonfiction works. Steinbeck manages to capture the flavor of this scientific expedition, and the wonder of nature, particularly in this unique ecosystem. Steinbeck manages to fuse these somewhat separate thread to describe his philosophy of life and existence. In this respect it provides a useful supplement for understanding his masterpiece, The Grapes of Wrath. Finally, an appendix has a eulogy for his friend Ed Ricketts, who led this voyage to the Sea of Cortez and who was the insiration for the character Doc in Cannery Row and its sequal. This eulogy is both a wonderful tribute to Ricketts, but also a celebration of life.

I would not recommend this book as an introduction to Steinbeck. If you have never read Steinbeck your time will be better spent reading the Grapes of Wrath. I think it works best for those of us who have read other Steinbeck works and/or those who wish to have better understanding of the peoples and ecology of the Sea of Cortez.

This is the book that really "turned me around" on Steinbeck. I had been forced to read RED PONY & THE PEARL in High School & while I acknowledged Steinbeck's ability I found his subjects unbearably depressing. LOG FROM THE SEA OF CORTEZ showed me another, funnier, more thoughtful, and more engaging Steibeck that then lead me to CANNERY ROW etc. This is the so-called Narrative Portion of a much longer guidebook co-authored by Steinbeck & Ed Ricketts that was simply called SEA OF CORTEZ and includes both illustrations and keys to the marine intertidal of Baja. The longer version is alas now long out of print & a real collectors item. LOG it turns out is a mixture of an actual travel log as Ricketts, Steinbeck & the crew of the Western Flyer wander in and out of the coves on the eastern side of the Baja peninsula, and also some philosophical essays by Ricketts that I gather actually pre-date th Cortez trip. I have frequently assigned the Easter Sunday chapter to my students as an marvellous discourse on science & scientists, but in fact the whole book is just that -we get a real sense of the joys & follys of field ecology & a wonderful look at an amazing piece of country before it was "discovered" and at least in part spoiled. The book is like a wonderful conversation with two very very smart & funny people & one comes away having learned a great deal & wishing one could have gone along on the original trip.

One of my good friends from high school introduced me to this book after we were both middle-aged. He set the challenge that we should complete this journey together. I look forward to it.

John Steinbeck, the great fiction writer, is just as intriguing as a nonfiction writer. In fact, there is more scope here than in any of the novels.

Steinbeck was fascinated by his friend, Ed Ricketts, Baja California, The Sea of Cortez (located in Baja), the marine life there, and the people along the way. You can read this book for any of those dimensions and be well rewarded. In fact, it is interesting to learn more about Steinbeck, the man, through his reminiscences of this trip.

Although I enjoyed all of these dimensions,to me the element that is most appealing is the story of two friends simply traveling and learning. It is very much a tale of the voyage that we all make through life, by way of analogy. In a way, it reminds me of a literal Pilgrim's Progress, except that this actually occurred. Fact, in this case, is more interesting than fiction.

If you liked Steinbeck's novels, read this. If you like travel stories, read this. If you like stories of scientific research, read this. If you like adventure, read this. Even if you don't fall into one of those categories, read this. Enjoy!

I read this when I was in elementary school. (I'm 23 now.) I didn't enjoy reading at all until college. But of the few books I bothered with I remember loving this one. It was just so bizarre and sinister to a kid. Edward Gorey's illustrations creeped me out. (check out his own books.) If you want a book that will enthrall your child with its eerieness, choose this one.

I grew up to love books like The Third Policeman, movies like Eyes Wide Shut, TV shows like Twin Peaks, composers like Berlioz, and painters like Magritte. Do your kids a favor and weird 'em out!

I was in the first grade. Nosing around in the back of the library while all of the other kids browsed the books with happy endings and pretty illustrations, I chanced upon a copy of "The Eyes of the Killer Robot." The cover illustration, in all of it's Goth-Gorey grandeur, fascinated me, so I became the first kid in my class to check out a chapter book.
Every night, I sat down with my Dad and devoured a few pages. It all started innocently enough; pale, shy Johnny Dixon and his friend the Professor decide to rebuild a baseball pitching robot once owned by a mad-man. Thinking it's nothing more than a machine, they ignore a few eerie harbingers, pop in a pair of glass eyes, and set an evil, possessed hunk of metal on a rampage. Not content to sit idle while the robot slaughters the townsfolk, Johhny and co. go on a journey to destroy it and it's creator, who is determined to use black magic and Johnny's eyes to bring life to another sinister being...
While reading this for the first time, I could barely sleep at night, fearing that lumbering robot might decide to make me it's next victim. Nonetheless, I finished the book and began to read every other Bellairs title I could get my hands on. The man is a master, and this book is a prime example of his ability to craft a scary, sinister story. I can't think of another author willing to have some seriously freaky stuff (kidnappings, druggings) happen to a character who is only 12 years old. None of that Goosebumps/Fear Street cheese with Bellairs or Killer Robot. Just some good old fashion terror wrapped in an engrossing story.

Evaristus Sloane invented a robot that was like a pitching machine a long time ago. But Johnny's grandpa didn't want it because he didn't like the way it's eyes look. Now, crazy Sloane is going to get back at him and he is going to use Johnny to do it!!!!

This is the book to read for anesthesia resident to complete their training

We have got the textbook and we thought that the book our main anesthesiology resource.

Recently we have a case of cerebrospinal fluid-cutaneous fistula following spinal anesthesia used for indirect inguinal hernia repair. But we couldn't see any comment in the textbook about the management of cerebrospinal fluid fistula from inthratecal space to skin due to postdural puncture for purpose of spinal (intrathecal) anesthesia.

Cutaneous cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) fistula are known to occur rarely under spinal puncture during spinal anesthesia, and CSF leaks via that fistula. This complication is often self-limiting but sometimes needed some treatment procedures such as intravenous fluid restruction, patient prone position, strecth dressing of wound, epidural injection of autologous blood patche or fibrin glue, or uncommonly use of CSF drainage system.

We think that if this complication and its' management is included in new edition of the textbook it will be better.

With our regards,

Hakan Erbay, M.D. Assisstant Professor of Anesthesiology Pamukkale University, Medical Faculty Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Denizli, Turkey

Erkan Tomatir, M.D. Associated Professor of Anesthesiology Pamukkale University, Medical Faculty Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Denizli, Turkey

We have got the textbook and we thought that the book our main anesthesiology resource. Recently we have a case of cerebrospinal fluid-cutaneous fistula following spinal anesthesia used for indirect inguinal hernia repair. But we couldn't see any comment in the textbook about the management of cerebrospinal fluid fistula from inthratecal space to skin due to postdural puncture for purpose of spinal (intrathecal) anesthesia. Cutaneous cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) fistula are known to occur rarely under spinal puncture during spinal anesthesia, and CSF leaks via that fistula. This complication is often self-limiting but sometimes needed some treatment procedures such as intravenous fluid restruction, patient prone position, strecth dressing of wound, epidural injection of autologous blood patche or fibrin glue, or uncommonly use of CSF drainage system. We think that if this complication and its' management is included in new edition of the textbook it will be better.

With our regards,

Hakan Erbay, M.D. Assisstant Professor of Anesthesiology Pamukkale University, Medical Faculty Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Denizli, Turkey

Erkan Tomatir, M.D. Associated Professor of Anesthesiology Pamukkale University, Medical Faculty Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Denizli, Turkey

When I first read this book I recommended this book for 3rd graders . The sentences were almost giving out the whole book ,but still it was o.k for a 6th grade . Even though it says a Mystery book, it would be a mystery for 5th and 4th graders. Then I thought about the book and recommened it for 4th graders because this book is o.k .

I read this book when I was in third grade. Here I am, about to go to law school, and I still remember the details. The story keeps you hanging on the whole length of the book. I would recommend this book for anyone who loves a good mystery, loves to be held in suspense, and who can handle staying up late, because you won't want to put it down.

I liked this book very much because I like reading mysteries. What made it good? First, it kept my interest because it was very exciting. I was very eager to know what happened next. I liked learning about the characters. Their lives were very exciting. Finally, the last 3 chapters were very freaky! Johnny, the main character, was sneaking into the Glomus mansion and he kept hearing weird noises. I would recommend this book to any kids over 7 years of age.

"Ghost in the Mirror" is one of several books that the late John Bellairs left unfinished at the time of his death. Those books were finished by Brad Strickland, utilizing the author's remaining outlines. It's a solid thriller with a few seams showing, but overall a good read for those not yet ready for Stephen King.

Kindly witch Mrs. Zimmermann has lost her magic, except for a sixth sense and a residual aura of unusable protective magic, and Rose Rita Pottinger has broken her ankle. Her friends Jonathan and Lewis Barnavelt have left the two behind, while on their European vacation. But suddenly Mrs. Zimmermann is called on a mission into the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch country, and Rose Rita comes with her. Naturally, nothing proceeds as expected. Their car is transported back in time and crashes, leaving the two staying with the kindly Weiss family.

But the mystery deepens when the reason for their time travelling is revealed -- the ghost of the witch Hilda Wetherbee tells them that she has transported them back in time to save a good wizard, Grandpa Drexel, who is fated to die on the first of April. But an evil presence disrupts the message from Granny Wetherbee, and Mrs. Zimmermann becomes stricken with partial amnesia Rose Rita becomes increasingly suspicious that a hexer -- an evil witch -- is trying to drive out the Weiss family. But how can a de-magicked witch and a bespelled modern girl hope to stop a hexer -- and a demon?

This is neither the spookiest nor the tightest of Bellairs' fantasy-horror books, and it suffers slightly from an unfortunate cliche (time travel) and a dependence on previous Bellairs books. But it's a solid time-travel/ghost-story, with some hideously chilling scenes and some interesting new characters. There's a bit of a dull section in the middle, but Strickland picks up the pace near the end with some delightfully Bellairsian scenes of horror when Rose Rita inadvertantly conjures up the demon Aziel. And for people looking for a little educational info, there's some enlightening passages about the Pennsylvania Dutch.

Rose Rita is shown without the shadow of Lewis here, and while she is not quite as interesting as the timid ex-altar boy, she's a good heroine who shows a lot of the characteristics of her best friend. Mrs. Zimmermann is given extra dimension as she tries to regain her magical powers and gets stricken with amnesia. We also get to see two dimensions of Hilda Wetherbee -- as the ghost of a crabby old witch, and as a little girl who befriends Rose Rita. Favorites Jonathan and Lewis Barnavelt even show up for a cameo appearance.

While not the most outstanding of Bellairs' books, this is a good, spooky read, especially for fans of Rose Rita and Mrs. Zimmermann. Not to be missed.

Mrs.Zimmermann a witch goes on a vacation with Rose Rita Pottinger. Mrs.Zimmermann and Rose Rita discover that instead of going to their vacation spot they travel back to 1928 in Pennslvania Dutch country when it's winter time. When Mrs.Zimmermann and Rose Rita are in Pennslvania Dutch they have different adventures. Mrs.Zimmermann even loses her memories and her magic powers. Without Mrs.Zimmermann's powers how will Rose Rita Pottinger ever be able to get home? I thought this book was very entertaining because it was interesting.

I really like The Ghost in the Mirror. I have read most of John Bellairs books. Every book that I have read so far has been excellet, but I have to say this is one of my favorites. It is about a girl named Rose Rita and her friend Mrs. Zimmerman. It is summer time. Mrs. zimmernman invites Rosa Rita to come with her on a trip. As the trip begins, they travel back in time. There is never a boring page in this book. That's probably why I like it so much.

I used to pick up my dad's Edward Gorey books when I was a wee boy, read them in half an hour and put them back on the shelves, quivering with fear. Admittedly I was also scared of Doctor Who, old people and "Strawberry Fields Forever". But Gorey has definitely tapped into a seam of subterranean panic; his hollow-eyed pseudo-Edwardian families have a look about them as though some sort of hideously deformed ancestor has been chained up in the attic for centuries. The Doubtful Guest is ostensibly for kids, telling the story of a strange, aardvarkesque creature in tennis shoes (typical Gorey touch, the tennis shoes) that comes to stay one "wild winter night", but maybe you have to be an adult to find it truly unnerving. The creature slopes about the house, eating plates, lying in doorways and hiding towels, and the hapless family can't bring itself to dispose of the thing. At the end of the book it's been there for seventeen years and is sitting in the drawing room with the same look of wide-eyed expectancy, while the enervated family stands about aimlessly with as little of a clue as ever.

This isn't quite my favourite Gorey. Other contenders would be the almost absurdly depressing The Hapless Child (small girl is born, parents die, is sent to workhouse, winds up perishing in the street, is found by its actually-not-dead-but-until-recently-in-Africa father who, typically, fails to recognise his daughter) and the surreal The Object Lesson (classic Gorey opening line: "It was already Thursday, but his Lordship's artificial limb could not be found..."). Or else there's the sexy but menacing The Curious Sofa...

He's still a master and a true original. Check out the way that the house in The Doubtful Guest seems to have been invaded by a black fog; Henry James took over a hundred pages to write The Turn of the Screw, but Gorey can squeeze comparably effects into 26 pages. Not many "children's" books of 43 years ago still have this power to charm and alarm.

This is the second book of Gorey's that I've gotten, the first was The Gashlycrumb Tinies. I think I like Doubtful Guest even better than that volume. The wonderful illustrations of the prim and proper residents of the house, as they put up with the antics of the Doubtful Guest tickle me to no end. The rhyming verse that Gorey uses to tell this tale is whimsical and bizarre. It brings a smile to my face every time I think of this book, if you like Gorey, you've got to have this one.

My only gripe is that the book is a little short. I can easily tolerate it, however, as it's just so much macabre fun...

"It would carry off objects of which it grew fond, And protect them by dropping them into the pond." This quote sounds like British humour to me --- however these are the words of the American author Edward Gorey. This entertaining tale of a creature that arrives at a family's home one day is very amusing because of its strangeness. Each little episode is a description of a strange little event precipitated by the "Doubtful Guest" done in rhyme. It begs comparisons with Dr. Seuss, but it is a more sophisticated, darker humour, that is more suitable for adults. Accompanied by Gorey's own ink drawings, this book is a classic. Although it will only take a few minutes to read it, you will enjoy re-reading it many times.

I'm a fan of Dunsany's work. I was drawn to this novel due to his magical descriptions of the natural world in his short stories. There is an innocent childish wonder in his narration which works well when the text is inspired. This book, however, I felt is written for children -- more so than his other work. He repeats obvious details over and over, almost chant-like. The plot is obvious and fatalistic. When I read this book, I felt it should be spoken aloud, to children, and each chapter is only a few pages long. I've seen many comparisons here to Tolkien, but I think they are missing the fact that Tolkien brought fantasy to an adult level of text, whereas Dunsany doesn't. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone just recently introduced to Dunsany unless I'd want them to be turned off to his work. However, if you are into story-telling to children, this is an excellent choice!

You should read this book- but not because it has a good plot, or because the characters are interesting- but because it is a classic and the author has a gift for language. Reading it is like eating some stale bread filled with treats- it is painful to endure, but the morsels inside make it bearable.

The plot is basically- lame, lame, lame. The characters do not rise much above the plot. The magnificent thing about this book is that it was written before most other modern fantasy works- and it set the stage for them. Thus, it is worth reading to see how it influenced the genre. The author also has a clever wit and a gift for language. However, many of the scenes seem simply poorly thought out- which seems impossible because others have a deep intracacy. It is almost as if he were writing down a tale he was saying aloud- and in which he was forgetting certain bits and overemphasizing others.

However, with all that said- you should read the book. It disappoints me, but is fascinating at the same time. The culture of the 20's must have been unbearable to live in, if the book is any reflection whatsoever of the time period.

It isn't a very long story, so it isn't really a waste of time even if you don't like it. It is like taking medicine- your responsibility to be a complete fantasy reader.

Before Tolkien told his children bedtime stories about hobbits and dwarves, there was Lord Dunsany. One of the early fantasy writers, Dunsany only wrote a few full-length novels -- one of which was the haunting, beautifully-written "Charwoman's Shadow." (And if anyone thinks that J.K. Rowling made up the immortality elixir and "philosopher/sorcerer's stone," they better read this!)

Ramon Alonzo is a young Spanish nobleman sent to find a dowry for his sister Mirandola. He goes to a powerful magician to learn alchemy -- how to turn dross into gold. The magician agrees, at a price: Ramon Alonzo's shadow. At first he's inclined to give up his shadow, but an elderly charwoman warns him not to. She gave up her shadow, and now is shunned by everyone except the magician because if her contact with dark magic.

Eventually Ramon Alonzo agrees to give up his shadow in exchange for a replacement, which turns out to be a dud. His attempts at magic for his sister's sake begin to go horribly wrong, and he finds his very soul in peril as he struggles to fulfil his promise to the charwoman, and get back both of their shadows.

Most of Dunsany's fantasy stories are set in fictional lands full of magic and wizards and gods. This one is slightly different, as it is set in a sort of semi-fictional part of Spain, and magic is something which seeps naturally to great evil. But the entire world it's set in has the same sort of fantastical edge that his books usually do. Kids with a good attention span can read this, though some may be bored by the gradual pace and flowery language. And the language is very flowery. Dunsany writes in his standard dreamy prose, with a lot of very strange imagery (like the charwoman scrubbing a bloodstained floor stone, or Ramon Alonzo's fake shadow getting up and racing away).

Ramon Alonzo is a nice leading character -- he's a good guy who gets enmeshed in bad things for good reasons. His spiritual struggle and chivalrous rescue of the charwoman Anemone and her shadow are central to the plot. Anemone herself remains a mystery for most of the book, although one development is rather obvious early on. The magician is a cold, unsympathetic character who "scorns salvation" and shows no pity to someone he's wronged. Father Joseph serves as the counterbalance for the magician, a kindly priest who helps Ramon Alonzo out.

A beautiful story about love, magic, and kindness, this is a must-read for fans of classic fantasy. See why Dunsany is still one of the best.

This is an very readable book about the marriage of one of the most famous US President's and his glamorous wife. The book opens with a short story about Jackie and details her early life very throughly. The book continues on telling how Jack and Jackie met, courted, and their marriage, ending with the death of President Kennedy. The book tells about the birth of the Kennedy's second son, Patrick who only lived a few days, how the Cuban missle crisis helped to define JFK, and JFK's hidden illness. The book is written in very easily understood prose which makes the book pleasurable reading. On that note, I do not think this book would be considered a piece of scholarly work. This is a good book for those looking for an easy read about the John and Jackie Kennedy.

I love biographies, and have read several on the Kennedy's. This is one of my favorites. It gives you a very in depth look at the real relationship between Jack and Jackie, which is, as the title says, "All Too Human". The book, which reads almost like a novel, starts with the first meeting of Jackie and Jack, and carries you all the way through until Jack was assassinated in November of 1963. Edward Klein was a personal friend of Jackie's for a number of years, which made him privy to alot of information. Some points of interest include Jack's affairs and womanizing, Jackie's feelings on being a politician's wife, Joe Kennedy's role in their relationship, how the death of their son, Patrick Bouvier Kennedy, brought Jack and Jackie closer than they'd ever been before, only to have it taken away on that fateful day in Dallas, and Jackie's relationship with her parents. Of course, there is a ton of other information in this book, but these are just a few. After reading this book, I read "Just Jackie: Her Private Years", which is also by Edward Klein. It picks up where "All Too Human" leaves off (shortly after the assassination of JFK). I highly recommend both books to anyone interested in reading about the Kennedys and Jackie O.

I like to think of myself as a Kennedy expert- I know almost every little detail about the life of this amazing family. Actually, it's become a major fascination over the last few years. I wrote an extensive report on the family and did a great deal of research and came across this book, which I just reread. Again, I was completely mesmerized by this wonderful book by Edward Klein. He was really lucky to have know the family and have such an intimate relationship with these very tortured people. Many seem to forget that they were human like everyone else and had their share of problems and upsets in life. Klein, as a friend of both Jack and Jackie's, makes the story come alive with word for word converstaions from those who were closest to the Kennedy's. I was especially touched by the end of the book where Jack is shot on that fateful day in November of 1963. I cry everytime I read it and think how horrible it must have been for Jackie to not only witness her husband's death, but move on after the tragedy with grace and dignity. I highly recommend this book and if there is anyone who has a similar interest in the Kennedys, please e-mail me. This book is really worth the read.