A superb book! I have been in the gaming industry for over 35 years and this book really tells it like it is. I usually find gambling related stories quite boring or too far away from the truth but this is right on target. I would recommend it to anyone interested in knowing what the customer does not see in the gaming world. I have worked in Las Vegas, Reno and Lake Tahoe and can easily identify with this story.

I, too, was a dealer at one time. Most of the books about casinos are written by those who don't really know what it's like inside. This is a true picture of a dealer's life - everyone who goes to Nevada - or anywhere - to gamble should read this. It's a real eye-opener.

I live in Reno, so the places the author writes about made the book very real to me. It was wonderful reading - I highly recommend it for anyone interested in gambling. A real eye-opener!

I started listening to the audio tape some time ago in the car, and was initially somewhat ambivalent about the program. However, within fifteen minutes, I was thoroughly engaged, and fifteen minutes after that, wiping held-back tears from the corners of my eyes, wondering if "Nathaniel" (as in Hale) would be a good name for my future son.

Our forefathers, with courage and genius, created the most immitated society the world has ever known. How proud and fortunate this audio book makes one feel. I'm committed to listening to it with my teenage nieces and nephews on a "captive" drive sometime. It'll be a great topic for discussion.

This book was a gift from my uncle, and one that I was thrilled to receive. I have a passion for learning about the Founders and the War that defined the way we live today. The author brings out the best quotes, poems, and letters from the most influential men in American history. Their level of devotion is unparalleled throughout the world. I find it most admirable that these men relied on God for their wisdom and through prayer and faith they pledged their "sacred honor" to the cause. I am only a high school student, but I understand that these values apply to everyone in every class. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for God or guidance.

Our form of government has been the most lasting, widespread innovation in modern history. As wonderful as that is, in many ways it is even more wonderful to return to the frame of mind and the values that engendered this invention.

Although (as Bill Bennett rightly points out) our founding Fathers (and Mothers) often fell far short of their own ideals and were profoundly skeptical about the potential of people to do the right thing, they also aspired to a kind of virtue on Earth that combined true nobility of spirit and deed with good relations towards others.

Bennett has put these ideals into the following categories: patriotism and courage; love and courtship; civility and friendship; education of the head and heart; industry and frugality; justice; and piety. You can dip your inquisitive toe into any of these, whenever you want. .... I suggest that in addition to buying a copy for yourself, that you plan to give this book as a gift to your children and grandchildren as they reach the age when they will begin to make important moral choices for themselves. .... In most cases, I felt like the material here was stating timeless principles that do apply today ....

Bennett does a nice job as editor in explaining the context of each passage. His love of these people, these ideals, and these words is obvious. It will move you. And hopefully inspire you to follow the good advice in those words.

Nicely done, Bill Bennett! This is a good use of history . . . to help us learn not to repeat the mistakes of the past needlessly.

Wow! This book if full of adventure and suspense! The plot is unique and very interesting! I think anyone of any age would enjoy reading this book. It involves likeable characters (especially Con), and religion. Pick up a copy of SECRET OF THE MEZUZAH now! :o) HAPPY READING!

This book is a great beggining for Con's adventures. You get sucked into the book as soon as you start reading. It makes you not want to stop reading it until you are done, but sad when you finish it.

Secret of the Mezuzah is written for young adults, but was very interesting and enjoyable reading for me, a forty-something adult. I appreciated the history included with the present day setting. The characters are engaging and believable. I would recommend this book to adults and certainly to young adults! Fiction, but not fantasy, events that could have taken place and lessons to apply about the people in our lives and around the world.

This is the most fantastic Two of a Kind book so far,and they are all great.This time Mary-Kate and Ashley have gotten themselves a little in trouble with their snooping.

A great book. Once again based on the show Two of a Kind. Whoever likes Two of a Kind or the Olsen Twins than this book is for you. Has black and white pictures in the back from the same episode the book is based on. Mary-Kate and Ashley are having Mrs.Baker babysit them, because Carry is busy with their dad. The girls think Mrs.Baker is a murderer. They think she murdered Mr.Filmor. They can't tell their dad about it or else they will get in trouble. Now they are out to investigate.

This book is about two girl's that are twins and they get a new telescope. There dad got it for them to study the stars. But Mary - Kate and Ashley have better ides they started to sie on there nubors and Mary - Kate thinks that she see a meder but I'm not telling you ho or if it's real but you can read the book to find out if it's ture or fase. So read to find out Two Of a Kind to Snoop or not to Snoop.

... WOW! ... If, after having read this book, you do NOT seriously reconsider WHERE you are living in relation to the surrounding circumstances of your immediate environment, if you do NOT reconsider the WAY you have been relating to that environment as well as to your fellow human beings and all of the other creatures who share that environment with you, and if you do NOT reconsider your goals and means to those goals as far as whether they are in HARMONY with both Nature as well as Spiritual Laws, then - if what this book prophesizes is true - you may be in BIG TROUBLE in the coming years ahead. ... This is no joke!

... This book picks up where SPIRIT SONG left off. It fills in more detail into the teleological understanding of End-Times prophecies from the Native American perspective of No-Eyes - the wise, old, blind teacher of Mary Summer Rain. If you liked SPIRIT SONG, you are going to LOVE this second book in the series, Phoenix Rising. It leaves no stone uncovered.

... Mary Summer Rain writes, on page 48: "As we listened to the nonstop chatter of the scampering squirrels, each of us was lost in our private musings. I wondered at the great number of unaware people I saw around me every day. Didn't they realize that there were great things in the offing? I saw no physical evidence of preparation, physical or spiritual. Oh, I knew of separate groups of mountain folks who believed and were taking every opportunity to physically prepare for the bleak future, but, on the whole, everyone appeared to be obsessed with worry over the most trivial matters. I found this incredibly difficult to accept. The general unawareness of the masses made them look like mindless robots living out their individual lives with blinders on. I thought about the times when I'd overheard people idly comment on the strange occurrences of this or that, yet nobody was ever aware enough to connect the strange occurrences together. Nobody bothered to fit the puzzle pieces of the signs together. Nobody was aware enough to see the entire picture for what it represented."

... Funny, how blind prophets - Native American or otherwise - seem to have more insightful vision than people with normal sight do! We can thank No-Eyes for sharing her visions and wisdom with Mary Summer Rain, and we can thank Mary Summer Rain for sharing them all with us. She has presented us with all of the connected pieces of the entire picture of the prophetic puzzle! Whether your eschatological beliefs are pre-Millennial or post-Millennial, embrace the faith in a Rapture, or even simply cling to the stand that you will one day die, be judged, and hopefully go to a place called Heaven, it doesn't matter - ALL of these prophecies may take place and come true BEFORE any of those final, Biblical, tribulation time events of the Apocalypse ever take place. If this is, indeed, the truth, then Mary Summer Rain has done us all a great service - and we are very grateful to her, and thank her with all our hearts. ... YOWZA! - The Aeolian Kid

This book foretold of all the changes that are now happening. The Phoenix is preparing to rip forth from Mother Earth and bring with it a new time, new hope, new life when all the races will unite. In scary times this book brought about a new sense of peace and hope within me, as well as signs to watch for. Some of the things foretold that one can consider that happened: Chernobyl, and the events of 9-11-01. BUY THIS BOOK, Check it out from you library. This is a must have. I am buying it for all of my friends.

This book will have you quivering at the thought of destruction of life as we know it. Every religion believes that changes are to come, and No-Eyes' visions piece everything together. Read it and cry at the joyous life on earth that is to come.

This story is about Catherine and Grayston and is set in the 13th century. Grayson, a powerful lord, is ordered by the King to marry Elise to try and stop a conflict between her brother Eduard and Grayson. Grayson has no choice but to agree. However the bride that comes to him is not Elise but is Elise's widowed sister-in-law Catherine.

Eduard, a very nasty person and makes my top ten bad guy list, decides that since the King has ordered the marriage of his sister Elise to Grayson he would have her set him up to be murdered several months after their vows. That way no one would suspect Eduards or Elises involvement and Graysons property would then become his.

Elise, having been severely abused by Eduard and not wanting to be an accessory to Graysons murder, commits suicide, leaving Eduard in a quandry. That's when Catherine comes into the picture. Since Grayson, or anyone for that matter, has never really seen Catherine before, he beats Catherine for days to submit to his murderous plot. She refuses until he kidnaps and threatens to kill her children. She is then forced to comply and assumes the role of Elise. The story continues with relationship developement and some good action scenes. Both characters have their own problems to work out, which is done pretty smoothly.

This story also has an interesting twist which really hooked me. The prologue starts in first person, as if Catherine was writing the reader a letter. You could really feel Catherine's pain and hopelessness in the writings. The first chapter then goes into 3rd person.

This book will definately be a keeper of mine for a long time.

I did not want to put this book down.The story of Catherine of Somerset,s brutal life until she is forced to wed a man that she
must betray.Her fight to over come her fears and confess all but
events catch up before she can.
I enjoyed this book and I look forward to reading her next one.

This is the best romance novel I've read in a while. I hope she follows up with a story about Sir Alban or the twins.

This book is great. I collect Mary-Kate and Ashley books and I have 15 of their Two of a Kind and I think I liked this one the best! It is a great book. Even though i'm 13 years old, I love reading and they are awesome books! If you have never read their books before, I recommend you do so now!!

That is like my favorite book. I read it over and over again. Even though I am only 8 I hope some day I own it. I also hope you like it too!!!

I have read almost all their books and this one was really great! I loved how it was in the form of their diaries while they're away at White Oaks Boarding School for Girls.

I bought this book because it was supposed to be one of the 100 greatest adventure books of all time. While it does have narrow escapes and Mary Kingsley was very brave, there is too much discussion of "the African mind". I found the constant reference to the superiority of the European colonists very offputting. Of course it was written in the 1890's!

Although some of her comments about "the African Mind" and her belief in the unassailable superiority of Europeans is off-putting, she was otherwise a fine writer and this book is a considerable pleasure to read. Highly recommended.

Single and independent, with a small allowance after the death of her parents, Mary Kingsley decides to explore Africa. She sets off to the Congo, with no entourage nor special clothing and with no knowledge of the local lingo, knowing that this area was renowned for cannibals. Considering that Richard Burton set off to find the centre of Africa with an entourage of 600 bearers puts Ms.Kingsley's trip into perspective.
This is not just a wishful fantasy, she has an agenda to research the fetish cults of the natives and collect animal specimens, as well as fulfil the wanderlust that she had bottled up while looking after her parents.
She takes everything in her stride, beating off crocodiles - 'he was only a pushing young creature', wading through fetid swamps, falling into a staked animal trap and attributing her salvation to the benefits of a good thick woollen skirt!
She has a wonderful way with words; that dry, laconic humour that starts one into fits of giggling; the page-long description of 'Hubbards' sent out by well-meaning, misguided women in Europe for the use of the natives is absolutely wonderful.
She has excellent communication skills, getting what she wants from any native by offering him exactly what he wants - tobacco (reminding us of Xabicheh in 'Dead Man') - and if he doesn't want that, then he must need a hairpin to clean out his pipe!
I am awed by the determination, bravery, guts and chutzpah of this young woman; even more awed by her writing skills - which are definitely not in the Victorian mold, would that there were more of her books than the two she wrote (the other is 'West African Studies'), sadly this was not to be, as she died of typhoid in Capetown in 1900.
A book to savour - highly recommended! *****

For anyone who wants a well-paced romance with accurate historical detail, this is the book for you.
Juliet and Ross are married and have been living separately for 12 years, when they're thrown back together trying to rescue Juliet's brother sparks begin to fly.
One of the best things about this novel, is that both main characters have faults, flaws, and their relationship suffers from the problems that real relationships have. It's not all sunshine and smiles for these two, and I liked them all the better for that reason.
Another great thing is the amazing descriptions of Central Asia and the Middle East. Although sometimes the details were a little tedious, they really helped the pace of the book, it was a little like watching and Indiana Jones movie.
All in all, I found this book to be more serious than most romances. I can't wait to read the other books about the Cameron family.

This novel is a rare treat, because it truly transports the reader into an unusual setting that romance novels don't normally venture. Our hero, Ross,has a passion for exotic travel and culture, but he's been a lonely man. His wife, Juliet, left him soon after they were married and they have lived apart for 12 years. Juliet's mother propositions Ross to find Juliet's brother, who is missing in Arabia and presumed dead. Since Ross is proficient in Arabic and local customs, he agrees to help. On his journey, by chance Ross finds Juliet living in Arabia and the sparks start to fly. Juliet is fiesty and is determined to help Ross rescue her brother. The historical details are well-researched and very colorful.

As to be expected, the sparks that are rekindled between Ross and Juliet are a source of confusion for both. Ross has never known why Juliet left him, and Juliet is too ashamed to tell him. Nonetheless,their love is reborn and eventually they come to terms about their relationship. It is a beautiful story. I highly recommend this novel for historical romance readers who enjoy looking into another culture, and for those who enjoy reading about a second chance for love. Mary Jo Putney has written a winner! Don't miss the last novel of this trilogy, Veils of Silk.

This is the second book in Mary Jo Putney's Silk trilogy set in the early Victorian period. I really felt I was there travelling the Silk Road in the mid 19th century. The background to this book is very exotic and really brought to life by Mary Jo Putney. This book is a sequel to Silk and Shadows in which we first met Ross, the hero. I don't want to give away the plot as it is quite thrilling. The action essentially begins in northern Persia, where the heroine has been leading a life in emulation of Lady Hester Stanhope. From there, the hero and heroine embark on a fascinating journey to Bokhara in Central Asia. This novel can stand apart from the first book in the trilogy though it's helpful to read Silk and Shadows first (which was set entirely in England), but it's absolutely, I feel anyway, essential to read this book before Veils of Silk, the sequel and final book in the trilogy, as it sets the background for the plot in Veils of Silk (which is set in India). If you dream of travelling in the footsteps of Victorian explorers and spies to exotic lands, along with a great romance, this is the book for you.

this is a great book, at least in it's original form. i first saw it in the doctor's office. our pediatrician says that it's his favorite kids' book. however, the 2 copies I received from amazon were a shorter version, only 24 pages. in this shorter version, the action ends abruptly with the house in a mess. in the real version (30 pages - the one that's advertised here) there is a final verse in which the animals hurriedly clean the house before the parents come home. make sure you get that one!

My one-and-a-half year old got this book as part of a package which includes The Lady With the Alligator Purse, Miss Mary Mack, and a cassette with singing on one side and music only on the other. She loves all three books, but this one and The Lady With the Alligator Purse in particular. My only complaint is that the music is on a cassette, not a CD, so I can't play it in my car (though I suppose that may be a blessing of sorts), and I can't skip a track easily. Also, I hadn't realized that this is a somewhat shortened version until I read another review at Amazon. I had also felt that it ends a bit abruptly, though my daughter isn't worried about this point in the least. Anyway, great fun for all.

This is a great version of this classic song. A little boy is left in charge of his grandparents' farm and things begin to go wrong right away.

The layout encourages singing along though it's not necessary -- you and your kids will still enjoy these funny and colorful watercolor animals as they joyfully misbehave.

Fun, lively, colorful.