King has written another great chapter in the dark tower series and this is the best one so far. The preceding two books(The Gunslinger and The Drawing of the Three) were great. This book continues the tale of Roland and Co. in their dark world which is a twisted mirror of our own. King further reveals how this world has "moved on" and gives us a look at the human side of Roland. If you have enjoyed this series so far you will be very pleased with this book. I couldn't get enough of Roland and his world and look forward to reading the next installment, Wizard and Glass. King's epic is one I can't wait to get to the end of but also one that I savor greatly. Everytime I put the book down I still couldn't help but think of the characters and that, to me, is what reading is all about. I always read some critic's review of how this or that author has characters you will never forget and then promptly do that in a few days but these characters will haunt you. Great read in what is one of the best stories unfinished.

This is a completely awesome series!! I've enjoyed each book and they keep getting better all the time. If you have not read the first two books in the series, (The Gunslinger and The Drawing of the Three) then do so. You won't be sorry. This is not normal Stephen King scary-type stuff. It is more of a mystic tale of the quest for the Dark Tower. King has based the series off of Robert Browning's narrative poem "Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came." This novel continues the story of Roland, Eddie and Susannah as they start/continue on their quest. And amazingly enough, King does the near impossible by bringing back the character Jake who was killed off in the first novel. It is done in a totally believable and very satisfying way that seems natural and fated. It would be wrong if it had not happened. I don't want to give much away but our quartet is now solidly on the path which leads to the Dark Tower. I am very much looking forward to the next novel in the series!

Of all the many Stephen King books, his Dark Tower epic is the what truly marks his genious. Together the Dark Tower series is the most richly filled adventure since Lord of the Rings, with some of the most real, living, breathing characters King has ever brought to life. Alone the Dark Tower II: the Drawing of the Three may be the best in the series so far. It remains one of the most action-packed and interesting adventures ever written. The story has such history and depth, and the characters are so life-like it's easy to forget it's a work of fiction. The story is inexcapable, unforgettable. A world all it's own that pulls you in and never ever let's go. Once you read this book you will never be the same. All you read will remind you of this world, and you will find peices of it in almost every book you've read and loved by Stephen King. Most of all you will be like the rest of us waiting tirelessly for the rest of the story to be written, and the mystery of the Dark Tower to be solved. Nothing you have ever read will prepare you for such an amazing trip through an even more amazing world. You will find other books full of knowledge about the Dark Tower, like: Insomnia, Rose Madder, The Stand, Salem's Lot, The Eyes of the Dragon. Even if just sharing a character, they all somehow tie in together. (And honestly, one of them tell more about the Dark Tower itself than any of the Dark Tower books so far.) And best of all, the story isn't over yet!! We've all got to wait for the last two or three to be written. The waiting is the hardest part, because the books are always read so quickly. Calling them page-turners is an understatement! They are landmarks.

Mrs. Hickock has good reason to be nervous about leaving her son Dylan alone with his father while she heads to Egypt to for five months to complete her doctoral dissertation. Mr. Hickock has always been a little peculiar: he has a habit of spending hours in their garage, the place where he lets all of his "crazy ideas incubate and hatch", obsessing over a particular topic. Whenever Dylan's dad is curious about anything he sits in the garage reading every book written on the subject taking copious notes until his curiosity is satisfied. For the past few months, aside from acting strange after returning from a camping trip on Mount Saint Helens, he has been on good behavior to not give Dylan's mother any reason to cancel her trip. But as soon as the drop his mother off at the airport, Dylan's father sees an article on the front page of the paper that grabs his attention and he quickly becomes obsessed with another subject: cryptids, animals that are not proven to exist.

Dylan is shocked when his father joins an expedition of Bigfoot experts, professional trackers, and other cryptid enthusiasts to look for Sasquatch, the most infamous of all cryptids on Mount Saint Helens. With the help of an eccentric former field biologist, Samuel Johnson, Dylan follows the expedition to make sure that his crazy father stays out of trouble. Suddenly Mount Saint Helens is about to erupt and the men leading the expedition are not as reliable as they once seemed. Dylan realizes that his father may not be crazy and that Sasquatch may actually exist! This is an exciting page-turner with many twists and turns. Fans of adventure novels and anyone interested in the myth of Sasquatch will definitely be pleased!

Sasquatch is an awsome book which I could feel the story in life. Also, it is very realistic science fiction. The theme of the entire story is exicting.This story really make me imagainate the picture of each scene in the stroy. When I first began to read it, I can't stop without I finish the entire story. I would recommend this book to ages 11 to 15.

A 5th grade teacher in our school read "Sasquatch" to her class at the beginning of the school year, and suddenly it become the most requested book in our elemementary school library...the only problem was, we didn't have any copies...yet.

Now that we have few copies, it's still one of our most requested books.

Roland Smith has done an excellent job of weaving together three famous Washington State legends, the state where we live, into one extremely exciting adventure, that keeps building up to the very end. Two of those legends are--obviously--the Sasquatch and Mount Saint Helens, but you'll have to read the book to discover the third. To tell you now would spoil 1/3 of your fun in reading this thrilling book.

Whether you consider this title realistic fiction or fantasy will depend entirely on your view of the Sasquatch (or Bigfoot). I prefer to see it as a fantasy, but that doesn't take away from the excitement of this book. This is a "guys" book, that girls will also enjoy reading.

Such a fantastic book, using copious material from the explorers diaries with page turning narrative. By reading this book you become a member of the expeditions, feeling cold, hungry, tired, dirty and seasick.

Comparisons between the British and Norwegian explorers of the day are fascinating. While you can relate to the British explorers as hero's, you are also made aware of their failings. It is clear that in many instances their need for endurance was often self inflicted, while the Norwegians move quickly in comfort. The book makes you realise that the British were true amateurs in polar exploration and it is truly amazing that any came back alive. Yet, despite these failings, men such as Shackleton seem to thrive in adverse conditions. You can only marvel at Shackleton's ability to lead, when many others would sit down and give up. They are true hero's and you root for them every step of the way.

Huntsford brings this adventure to life. I must now travel to Antartica to satisfy my thirst for more.

Huntford's book is the definitive Shackleton. Contemporaries compare Shackleton to Churchill; in his ability to use language with presence of personality to entertain, convince and convert listeners into followers. He couldn't be trusted with women or money but on the ice or at sea many men trusted him with their lives; repeatedly. He had the ability to make his dreams yours and make you want to achieve them. You will find here the leadership that was beyond Scotts comprehension, the perseverance that the RGS needed but could not recognize, and the courage not to sacrifice life for fame. Shackleton was one of the few men in history who in desperate circumstances actually improved under the stress; became more resourceful, more courageous, more obstinate.

If Lansings book left you wide-eyed and open-mouthed in astonishment this book will compound that, fill in the social and political context, and completely describe Shacks and all who came in contact with his whirlwind of adventure, ambition, and survival.

Put this book up on your shelf next to Manchester's Chruchill, Morris' Fisher, or Rice's Burton.

I first read of Shackleton in National Geographic. That only whetted my appetite to hear his entire exruciating journey. Roland's biography took me two months to read, but it was worth it.

I will never forget Ernest Shackleton. From "Shackleton" I leaned about leadership, the power of hope, optimism, human relationships; the power of dreams, perseverance. You will learn more from "Shackleton" in two months than you will from a lifetime of MBA professors.

Shackleton's antarctic journeys are the most engaging tales of survival, endurance and human pressure that I have ever read. Can you image yourself crossing 1,000 miles of frigid south Atlantic seas in a 20 foot boat, with 3 men, a box of matches, a pulpy map, a Victorian compass, and insufficient water in order to save the lives of 50 men who are in an even worse predicament! He did all that and more.

If you like real life stories of survival and adventure, you will enjoy this book to no end.

Independence Day: Silent Zone, is not what I was expecting, but it turned out to be much better. This story starts out where the movie left off, but soon flashes back to reveal the life of Dr. Brackish Okun, and how he came to head the research at Area 51. Although this book lacks the thrills of the original Independence Day, it more than makes up for it with the new and briliant theories about our alien "friends." If you are at all interested in UFO technology and/or the association between alien visitation and natural occurences, then this story is a must read.

In my opinion, "Silent Zone" was one of the best written books I have ever read. Stephen Molstad wrote this in a manner that was easy to follow and a joy to read. The style he used kept me interested and above all, open minded. The adventures that Dr. Okun take are entertaining and keep the story flowing. It is a must read for any sci-fi fan or someone looking for a good book.

Just as Okun says in the book--- it's most definately cool to the power of ten! This halarious story gives us the prequil to the popular 1996 film. It follows the exploits of Okun (hippie genius with a 2.7 gpa) and the old scientists from Area 51 who were there from the start with the Roswell Incident. Set in the 1970's, it's a wonderfully told tale thats funny, and whimsical as well as smart. The style of writing RULES and the images you get from reading it are stunning! This book it totally "Groovalicious" (head nodding) READ THIS ONE!

I did not want this book to end. I was engaged with each of the characters as if they were my own family. Muerllo's descriptions of sights, sounds, and feelings allowed me to get lost in the places and with the people he was describing. I can't wait for the next two books of this Trilogy to appear. I grew up in Marblehead and Revere Beach was forbidden to us as nice WASP girls, so of course we went there whenever we could in the 50's and 60's. How wonderful to see it brought to life by one of the best craftsman I have ever read.

Revere Beach Boulevard is my favorite book of 1998. I think everyone can relate to one or more of the characters and some how find yourself thinking about them even after you've put the book down for the night.The book was written in first person narrative for each character. Its amazing how you begin to identify each character after only a few words .

Revere Beach Boulevard is the literary equivalent of My Big Fat Greek Wedding in that it represents everyman's home town or even his home...an excellent insight into our changing world, customs and mores. Roland Merullo captures his reader in the prologue and never loses his new fan. This book is superbly edited. Although the voice changes every page or so, the reader is ALWAYS aware of the speaker. Dialects and patterns make each speaker easily identifiable. This book is as well-written as any I've ever read--a tribute to the author and editor. Although complex and at times brutal, there is an unspoken spirituality threaded neatly throughout. Each character is easily pictured with a minimum of description, showing the suthor's talent for bringing people off the page. Each character is so real that the reader becomes immediately invested in them and turns the pages quicker than he/she wants to. Merullo's metaphors are acute without being cliches; some of his best lines are so brilliant the reader wants to linger--but is too anxious to get on with the story. Within days of completing this book, I recommended it to three book clubs and to the English Department of an excellent school.

There are two important facts to remember about The Last Place on Earth. The first is that its author, Roland Huntford, comes to it with the clear agenda of debunking Scott and lionizing Amundsen. The second is that he has the benefit of more than fifty years of historical hindsight, which makes it easy for him to criticize Scott for apparent incompetence. He's also not above fabricating so-called "facts" if doing so helps him further his cause of tearing down the Scott legend (I'm thinking of his more or less unfounded allegations that Kathleen Scott had an affair with Nansen). The truth regarding Scott and Amundsen and their respective expeditions is naturally somewhat more complicated. The Last Place on Earth is not a bad book. It's not necessarily even bad history. But it is revisionist, and heavily skewed, written by a man with a clear agenda. If you want a more fair, balanced, and compassionate view, read Diana Preston's A First Rate Tragedy. Read the Scott chapters of Francis Spofford's I May Be Some Time. And read Scott's and Amundsen's own published records of the events. Because let's face it: nobody knows what really happened better than the men to whom it actually happened. And they left their own perfectly adequate accounts.

This book is a fascinating combination of detailed analysis of the two men, Scott and Amundsen and the wildly different tactics used to reach the Southernmost point on Earth. Although certain sections of the book drag with perhaps too much in-depth analysis (such as a detailed discussion of Amundsen's housekeeper's influence on his life) it moves along well overall.

The final days of Scott's party are laid out in a plain and factual way, but the terror that must have crept over them when they finally realized that there was no way they could reach their main base alive comes through remarkably well. You begin to feel the deep chill of the Antarctic wind and the crushing disappointment when a food depot is missed.

In contrast, the absolute ease of Amundsen's journey is shocking. His men used dogs to pull their sledges to the pole and then killed the weaker dogs on the return trip to feed the remaining team. Detailed planning for the journey, including learning to live in high latitudes from the experts, the Inuit, led to his success. Their skis carried them upwards of 20 miles per day with ease, despite the harsh environment. The team literally had a holiday while "boxing" the pole with flags during the several days used to confirm their position and ensure their place in history.

The pictures reproduced in the book do a good job of filling in the stark images the text roughs out for the reader. The amount of research required to produce this book is simply overwhelming and it should be considered the definitive text on this last great geographic race.

In brief, the book is a facinating journey in and of itself. It is incredibly detailed and well researched. The richness of texture of the events and peoples lives surrounding antarctic exploration is nearly overwhelming. The writing is surprisingly fluid, and sustains the flow of the story without losing detail. The actual maps contained in the book were somewhat lacking, and left me wanting a bit more. The story, however, is so well told I could litterally feel myself at the pole itself! The story so absorbed my mind that it filled my dreams night after night.

The Last Place on Earth, the telling of the story of Scott and Amundsen, is both a sharp study in contrast between to styles of leadership, and a compelling drama of the lives of two men who had the eyes of the world upon them. A fantastic read end to end!

Huntford takes some chances at times speculating at the motives of these explorers, as well as some liberty with the thoughts and feelings of the people surrounding the expeditions. The supositions he makes, however, he makes strong arguments for, relying on notations from diaries and letters of key players. With quotes, facts, dates, and some intuition Huntford tells a gripping and convincing tale. I admire Huntford for the way he analyzes the characters: without being manipulative, he gives a forceful accounting of the main players and their motives.

On style I feel Huntford was magnificent. With the telling of history stories can often become dull and slow, bogged down in names, dates, and places. Huntfords account is fluid and dynamic, interweaving the personal stories with the plain logistics an accurate accounting demands.

If there is one caveat I would add, and this is a small one, it is that at times I got the sense that Huntford had more than a little emnity towards Scott. It would be hard not to learn all that was involved in the journey to the South Pole and not feel some contempt for Scott, but Huntford seems to feel it deeper. I actually wondered at times if he had been a person who had idolized Scott for some time, but then felt betrayed when he learned the truth. This does not, however, detract from the story at all.

To me this is as good as reading gets. This is as close as you can get to real life human drama without being there. Not a fantasy, but a powerful reproduction of actual events. A rare opportunity to be touched by the lives of two famous explorers and the men who knew them. A chance to live and die with men who held center stage as the world watched. It really is an opportunity that should not be missed.

...The truth of the thing spoken by the boy,Jake. Our Gunslinger, Roland, injured by the Lobstrosities struggles and hallucinates his way down the long beach of his world to a strange door. Credit to Huxley here where it is due. A Door of perception. THE Door for Roland. It's where the rubber meets the road for the true journey to the Dark Tower. The imagery here is superb. Stephen King leads us into a long, strange trip with the Gunslinger rattling around in the heads of dope-smugglers, schizophrenics, psychopaths... what all else? Despite his weakened, even dying condition our hero perseveres and brings a crew of unlikelies together for what I feel will be a hell of a journey. The desolation of Rolands world... whatever the hell happened to it.. is highlighted by the tales of surviving high-tech gadgets from the world past. Read this book... Detta Walker and Odetta Holmes-Good God- Eddie, Every character in this installment of THE DARK TOWER is crippled, even to Roland whose tools of the trade, his bullets, his hands and his wits are ruined, addled or brutally ravaged. Shuffle and Shift... Take Heart, Constant Reader... SK manages to heal a lot in this offering, but he leaves us wanting. REALLY BAD!!!! Keep it up, my Friend. See You Soon?

I have read about 15 novels by Mr King, and this has got place in my top 3 or 4. The entire Dark Tower series is brilliant. But where the Gunslinger is a worthy introduction, and the Wastelands a wild stop on the way, The Drawing of the Three and in my humble opinion, Wizard and Glass are the absolute standouts.

Roland's first interactions with our world run the gamut from funny to thought-provoking to scary, and each of the new characters are impressive and likeable.

This book is not to be missed. And while you're at it, read the other three and wait with breath as baited as the rest of us for #5.

Wow, fantastic. if you've read "The Gunslinger" and then gave up, then i encourage you to read this, the second volume. It is SO much better than the first! With "The Gunslinger" you could tell it was written while King was still in college because it was pretty rough around the edges and (forgive me for saying this about a SK story), a little boring. But "The Drawing Of The Three", in which Roland must pass through three doorways to 1980's America, is riveting, fast-paced,emotional, and yes, humorous. Some parts where Roland is trying to get used to our world are very funny (the "tooter-fish popkin" incident springs to mind). The 450 pages just fly past, but it gives some indication of the epic saga that King is creating, since even at the end of Volume II, we are still near the start of the journey. I only hope that once Roland reaches his Dark Tower (if he ever does?), the tale doesn't fizz out. All in all, this book offers much more bang for your buck than The Gunslinger, because it's twice as long, written twice as good, and there's twice as much action :)

Martin Luther is a monumental figure who lived during complex, tumultuous times, but Bainton delivers a biography that portrays his subject in a clear and concise manner.

The first part of this book deals with Luther's days as a monk, his crisis of faith, and the development of his theology that ultimately led to his break from Rome, spearheading the Reformation. The central portion of the book deals with the conflict with Rome, appropriate emphasis being given to the Diet of Worms. The greatest strength of this book is that the events of Luther's life, his words, and his work are always presented within their greater context. Not only is the Lutheran movement followed, but also much attention is given to the state of the Catholic Church during Luther's lifetime. Also given their proper attention are competing Protestant movements, humanism (particularly as pertaining to Erasmus), Anabaptism, the Peasant Revolt, and German nationalism.

Much of the book is of course spent discussing the theological issues that were at stake. As I read these passages a mental picture of a triangle emerged, with the three points being God, Man, and Church. Bainton does a good job of explaining how Luther, Rome, and other parties differed in their views as to the nature of each of these three entities, and more importantly how they differed in their views as to how these points of the triangle properly related to one another - God to Man, Man to Church, and Church to God (the three sides of the triangle if you will). My one complaint is that occasionally when discussing the finer theological points, Bainton will inject his opinion in such a way that it is difficult to tell if that opinion is shared by Luther. In those sections the book reads more like the transcript of a sermon than a biography.

The latter stages of the book get away from the conflict with Rome, and explore the contributions Luther made to the building of the new Protestant traditions. I enjoyed this section thoroughly because, after all, simply tearing down the old is no big trick; it's the creation of something new, something better that is the real test. Luther's contributions in translating the Bible to German, his writings, his musical compositions and other endeavors are all well covered by Bainton.

One note about Abingdon Classics: these are small paperbacks with very fine print. So if you have difficulty with small print, get the other paperback version or the hardback.

One final note: The bit about the triangle is purely my own invention; Bainton's discussion is not nearly so hackneyed. It's just how I got a handle on the issues, and how I could best discuss the theological passages of the book.

Time magazine labeled this book "the most readable Luther biography in English." This description isn't exactly flattering, but nonetheless, I did find this biography of Martin Luther "readable." In fact, I very much enjoyed this book.

Martin Luther is truly an amazing man. For those that know little or nothing about Luther, I would highly recommend this book. The book traces the life of Luther, from his 95 theses criticizing the Catholic church and the papacy to the Leipzig debate to the Diet of Worms. Along the way, Bainton outlines in detail the players and ideas of the Reformation. All angles of the movement are considered, including the different sects that break off from Luther's movement and also the ideas of Erasmus.

The parts of the biography that I most enjoyed were about Luther's personal life. Luther had a wonderful family and home that he led, and it was very interesting to read about his relationship with his wife and children. The chapter about Luther's struggle for faith and his bouts with depression was also very intriguing. The theme and title of the book is "Here I Stand," and by reading this book one becomes fully aware of how hard it was for Luther to stand up for what he believed, but also that what he stood up for is truly amazing and unbreakable.

This biography is the most accurate and unprejudiced ever written on Luther (and I have read dozens of them). Bainton provides very lucid and vivid historical settings, events, people, and such surrounding the life of Luther. What is more, Bainton is quite fair-minded with regard to Luther's personal traits; I get tired of reading other biographers who try to psychoanalyze Luther and draw conclusions about his thinking based on pure speculations. Bainton renders a fair assessment of perhaps why, based on historical settings and events which were occurring during Luther's day, as to why he perhaps did and said some of the things he did.

Bainton really draws his reader into the life of Luther by carefully unfolding historical events which led up to the reformation and events that helped to shape Luther's thinking during and following the Reformation. The book is also nicely lavished with engravings and illustrations which helps the reader get a better understanding of what Bainton is trying to communicate. Moreover, the book contains a very exhaustive bibliography to help the reader branch out into further research and reading.

This book is written in a chronological format from Luther's birth to his death, and every major event which occurred between. This text is certainly a must for anyone who wants a better understanding of Martin Luther. Moreover, it is also a crucial text for anyone wanting a better understanding of the Reformation. I cannot begin to describe the depth and breadth of this work. I highly recommend this text!!!!

The book is fundamentally right on a key principle -- companies need to focus on customers, not products or even markets. They argue that long-term growth is based on creating customer equity, which is based, depending on varying circumstances, on value, brand and retention equity.

However, the book is a confusing mishmash that reads like it was written by committee. Points are redundant. There are three identical charts, for example, of the "profitability death spiral." The links between a theory we can all agree on -- customers are important -- and strategy that can impact operations and marketing are weak. And the calculations for tactics -- determining the right mix of value, brand and retention equity -- are incomprehensible, and I've got a background in accounting. They read like they were lifted from an academic article by one of the authors. The stories they tell to illustrate their points -- Priceline, Amazon -- are rehashes of the same story we've all heard so many times before. Bottom line: Good concept, some intriguing thoughts (re: a customer equity officer) but no roadmap on how to get from a good idea to actual results. A worthwhile scan, but not much more.

This is a very insightful book that makes you think about different approaches to a traditional problem. How do you continue to grow your company and increase your profits? The authors focus on Brand Equity, Retention Equity, and Value Equity. They suggest new ways to think about and manage your company to make sure you are focusing on the right things in this new high speed marketplace. This is an important book for any marketing professional who wants to stay abreast of the latest thinking and strategies to increase customer retention and value.

This book is an eye-opener. In practical, non-technical terms, it shows how corporate strategy (and especially marketing strategy) can be based on customer lifetime value rather than product profitability. It brings strategy in line with the latest thinking in customer relationship management (CRM). The ideas about making all marketing expenditures financially accountable are fascinating, and the book suggests how this can be accomplished through the concept of customer equity. Also, every company is trying to make the internet count, and this book shows how different internet marketing efforts can increase customer lifetime value in different ways. Some people at old-fashioned companies may have difficulty grasping some of these new ideas (which are rooted in the new economy and customer relationship management) but to progressive executives this book will look like the future of strategy.

Stephen King starts out his massive Dark Tower series with the words: "The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed." Quickly pulling you into this twisted world of fantasy and western and a great quest, you as Constant Reader chase the man in black, across the desert in a strange and frightening place in time.

A little patience is necessary for getting into the story; it's not much like any King you've read before. As relentless as the gunslinger (who we come to know as Roland) is in his pursuit, it's also a little slow going. King does not give you much back story in this slim novel, although as you read the rest in the series you will learn the past of most characters revealed here (and many more).

Roland follows the man in black through a small town, where he is forced to make a final, violent decision to save his own life. As he continues on his long journey, he meets a boy from Earth, Jake, who died in our world and has somehow appeared in this one. Roland and Jake continue on together, but somehow Roland knows he may have to lose the boy, as much as he has come to care for him, to finally meet the man in black.

The Gunslinger is only the first of many in the Dark Tower series. It is not as long, as involved, or (in my opinion) as well written as the others. It introduces you to Roland's world, but you don't get to know much about it or him. Keep reading. The answers start unfolding, and the pace definitely picks up with the second in the series, The Drawing of the Three. It's a long journey, and a very fine and exciting one at that.

Most of Stephen King's books fall into the category of horror, but he has also touch on fantasy elements. In addition, many of his works have an epic quality to them; The Stand is one of the best examples of this. The Gunslinger is the first volume of Stephen King's Dark Tower. The book first appeared as stories in the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction before being collected in a limited edition by Donald M. Grant. The book eventually appeared as a trade paperback available to all. The series is ongoing, with the latest volume to appear in either 1997 or 1998. The story takes place in a strange world that contains familiar elements (patrons in a bar at one point sing Hey Jude). The focal point of the tale is Roland, the last of the gunslingers. His quest for the Dark Tower becomes his reason for living. Stephen King is the reader of this audiobook. I have also felt that Stephen King writes as if he was talking out loud. This makes his reading more interesting and illuminating. While his voice is not trained, he more than anyone else is able to illustrate the world he created. He also is the reader on the other two volumes. I enjoy listening to audiobooks, but I normally don't buy them. Stephen King's unabridged works are exceptions and his own readings are at the top of my list and the Dark Tower series is his most interesting work.

I read this book one year ago and was very confused. For me, King has always been a writer who created likeable characters, but this Roland seemed like a cruel lunatic to me. The story was also a bit disjointed. But, never judge a story when it has just begun. And this is merely the beginning of King's largest work (in fact, it ties together most of his other stories as well). So I read on. And after the next books (especially after "Wizard and Glass") I understood why Roland has become this "Tower-Junkie". So I went back to reading "The Gunslinger" again. (In fact, I listened to the audiobook read by Frank Muller. If you like the books, buy the audiobooks, you will love them!) And now that I see this whole work as one, I like "The Gunslinger" as much as the rest of the story. Altogether, it makes up the finest story I have ever heard. I can't wait for the final trilogy to be published in 2001, 2002 and 2003, if King stays to his word. If you like this series as much as me, don't forget to read "The Stand", "The Eyes of the Dragon", "'Salem's Lot", "Insomnia" and "Hearts in Atlantis", for all of them are very good, indeed, and crucial for the Dark Tower series.