I had a devastating knee injury about five and one half months ago (the doctor stated that I may never be able to obtain my pre-injury range of motion)The traditional rehab was going very slowly and very painfully. I asked my physician if I could exercise in the water, and after his approval, I started with the workouts in this book along with my prescribed rehab. I have gained 80% of my pre-injury range of motion and on a good start with my strength and balance with VERY little pain!! My physical therapist said I started improving much more rapidly after starting the water workouts and I have already exceeded the expected post-operative range of motion. I could not have done it without the water workouts!!

I got a hold of this book after 1 months of rehab from acl reconstruction. As an athlete, I wanted minimize the amount of degradation to my fitness level and strength as much as possible during my rehab. The exercises and routines are fabulous and have helped tremendously with building strength back in my leg as well as increasing my range of motion and improving my cardiovascular fitness. People at all levels of fitness and athletecism will benefit from the routines and exercises in this book.

I am a physician and experienced athlete. When injured, this book allowed me to find a way to continue to exercise and recover as best I could from a devastating injury. It is easiest to understand if one has some athletic or fitness background. The author obviously understands the healing process very well. Take this book to your orthopedist!

I don't know what it is about Orson Scott Card -- Before I ever read him, I was prepared to not like him. I'd heard that he was a science fiction writer and that genre isn't a favorite of mine. However, my opinion now is that Card ranks as one of the absolute best and most skillful authors alive today. He has an amazing ability to get inside the person or circumstance he is writing about and make it into something that anyone could understand and be proundly moved by.

In addition, he comes up with some of the most fascinating ideas for a story. The title piece, 'The Elephants of Posnan', is one example. Although there is no doubt that Card wasn't suggesting that the premise of this story is truth, it still left me mulling the entire piece over and over again. He makes such a moving and brilliant case for something entirely bizarre, and insightfully comments on the nature of man in the process. 'The Elephants of Posnan' was positively spellbinding, beginning to end.

I love this collection. Orson Scott Card is a true master of his craft.

In this collection not only are you exposed to Orson Scott's Card's mastery of fiction, but you gain some insight into his creative process as well, thanks to the author's commentary on certain pieces.
The various storys are a joy to listen to and range from science fiction to fantasy, from psychological thriller to love story.
Whether you're a die hard Ender Series fan, a general fan of Card's, or a first time listener to the whole audiobook genre, there's something here you'll cherish.

This collection contains one Orson Scott Card story that you can't get anywhere else: Angles. The short story Angles is interesting enough by itself without the added bonuses of Orson himself reading Homeless in Hell, and many other readings by famous authors and members of Card's family. The story angles has really interesting and believable ideas about memory, what is involved and what some possibilities are. If you love OSC, this collection is a must get!

Katherine Downing and Michael Nightingale are caught in a curse brought down upon the Nigtingale family 100 years ago in 1690 by Katherine's great-great-grandmother Rachel Dobbs when her lover, Jonathan Nightingale's testimony condemed her as a witch.

Michael is the Nightingale heir and is forced to wander in agony as a potent force transforms him into a frightening predator until a woman can set him free.

Suzanne Forster's novella, MOONLIGHT, is brought to life by the magnificent performances of soap opera stars Kim Zimmer and Robert Newman from The Guilding Light. Robert Newman brings forth the dark, dangerous, sensual Michael Nightingale up front and personal to seduce your senses and feel his torment at having to daily live with what he's become due to the curse as well as fight his desire for the lovely Katherine.

Kim Zimmer does a fabulous job of creating Katherine Downing's strong character as a healer with a caring, loving personality as she discovers a forbidden passion when she realizes she is falling in love with Michael. In truth, she may be his only hope of releasing him from the curse. Get ready for some spine tingling suspense.

The stunning use of excellent music, direction, and mesmerzing voices of the actors makes MOONLIGHT a first class production for producer Gregg Marx, who obviously knows what he is doing, to bring you the finest audio tapes that are a joy to listen too.

E. M. Forster's homosexuality made him 'different' when it came to the public morals of English contemporary society. The essays in this book explore the intricate link between that fact and his fiction. It is not an easy read for a Sunday afternoon, but certainly it opens a new world for anyone genuinely interested in E. M. Forster, colonialism in literature, queer theory and twentieth-century literature. Indispensable from the scholarly point of view. A beautiful journey through the Forster-landscape, with many great vistas and precious finds.

I am new to David Morrell's works, but that will soon be remedied, after I listened to the unabridged version of his short stories.

Not only are the stories EXCELLENT, but I imensely enjoyed the author's commentary before and after each one.

And he makes his points, plots and story lines, with little vulgarity, which is becoming much too common in the latest Stephen King works.

Kudos and I will be hearing more.

There have been several times that I have bought an anthology like "Prime Evil" so that I could read an otherwise unreleased Stephen King or Clive Barker story, and ended up being blown away by the stories of David Morrell. Finally, K-Tel-like, everyone can enjoy these powerful, imaginative stories without having to buy a dozen other books.

While this collection does not contain all of Morrell's short fiction, it does contain all that I had read in other anthologies, most notably the powerhouse novella "Orance is for Anguish, Blue for Insanity," one of my all-time pieces of fiction, short or otherwise. I am a fan of author notes in collections, and Morrell doesn't disappoint. While he doesn't expound the way that, say, Harlan Ellison does, there are short notes before each store in addition to a Foreword and Afterword, and these add a texture to the book that I think makes your first read more enjoyable and increases the re-readability. Plus if you've already read a couple of these in anthologies it is nice to see the author's perspective instead of the anthology editor's perspective before the stories.

I read this during a particularly hot summer week and found it to be perfect for this setting...the stories are engrossing enough that I forgot about the heat, and a few times I caught a genuine bit of a chill! Anyone who enjoys dark stories or speculative fiction should give this great book a read.

Ordinarily I am not a huge fan of horror stories, but I can honestly say that Black Evening is frightfully fantastic. This spine-tingling collection of sixteen tales explores the dark side of greed, power, and madness. Morrell is able to pack a lot of punches and twists into his short (but not so sweet) stories. Moreover, his writing expresses his compassion and intelligence like that of an accomplished literary great.

An added bonus to this book is the foreward at the beginning of each story. Morrell discusses his development as a writer and shares with the reader his personal tales of triumph and tragedy: from his meeting with his idol, writer Stirling Silliphant, to the death of his teenage son to bone cancer. Each story seems to be weaved around an event that touched Morrell's life. This authenticity makes for a more eerie read. For example, "But at My Back I always Hear," is about a professor who is stalked by a female student infatuated with him. Morrell himself faced this dilemma while teaching at the University of Iowa. Other scary topics covered include an art historian who follows his subjects' break with reality and ultimate demise; an amateur writer who becomes a best-selling novelist with the help of a ghostly typewriter; and a high school football team that is victorious because the coach is dabbling in witchcraft and produces an evil good luck mascot.

Two of the stories in Black Evening won Best Novella, Horror Writers of America Award. One story was a nominee for this same award and one other story was a finalist for the World Fantasy Award. Morrell stated that the first piece of advice he received as a young writer was to write about what he feared most. Obviously he took that advice to heart and left us with some chilling entertainment.

If you read mystery stories, as I do, to provide logic in an often illogical world, Cat in an Indigo Mood isn't going to meet that demand. Douglas' books are clever and quirky, fun and fantastic--but never filled with logic and deduction in the traditional 'mystery novel' sense. The characters themselves are an odd mixture of strange traits and exotic behaviors. Many of them don't really fit into the plot line, and have no reason for being in the novel, other than being delightfully flamboyant and unusual. The reader must accept this and admire them for what they are in and of themselves. But don't expect these creatures to further the plot, or even reappear again in this novel. And expect some of the characters to be dogs and cats who are smarter and more believable than their human counterparts. When I am in Las Vegas, I am always aware that the city I see is a total amusement, built for that reason only. There are gondolas through shopping malls and volcanos atop buildings, garnished with neon and feather exotica. The Midnight Louie mystery series is a lot like that: a lot of enjoyable fuss and floss, an amusement that defies reality.

I'm a cat lover to bgin with, so this might come out sounding more than a touch biased. My first exposure to ML was Cat in a Jeweled Jumpsuit. I enthusiastically reccomend it, it's got the King, it's got Las Vegas, it's a mystery and most of all it's got Midnight Louie! I have since gone on to read Catnap, Pussyfoot, Cat on a Blue Monday and Cat in a Flamingo Fedora, which is notable for the climactic abduction and forced vasectomy of our hero ML. A damn shame that, since in her debut in Cat on a Blue Monday, Louie's long-lost daughter Midnight Louise alias Caviar, revealed her lack of desire for motherhood and breeding. If only the family line could be contiuned! we all need more such cats as Midnight Louie, to say nothing of Temble Barr's need as well as that of Las Vegas in general. My basic point, do yourself a big favor and start collecting the ML series today!! Talk about being worth every penny. I'd gladly grab up every title myself if I ever hit the Lotto jackpot!

I'm a cat lover to begin with, so this might come out sounding more than a touch biased. My first exposure to ML was Cat in a Jeweled Jumpsuit. I enthusiastically recommend it, it's got the King, it's got Las Vegas, it's a mystery and most of all it's got Midnight Louie! I have since gone on to read Catnap, Pussyfoot, Cat on a Blue Monday and Cat in a Flamingo Fedora, which is notable for the climactic abduction and forced vasectomy of our hero ML. A damn shame that, since in her debut in Cat on a Blue Monday, Louie's long-lost daughter Midnight Louise alias Caviar, revealed her lack of desire for motherhood and breeding. If only the family line could be continued! we all need more such cats as Midnight Louie, to say nothing of Temple Barr's need as well as that of Las Vegas in general. My basic point, do yourself a big favor and start collecting the ML series today!! Talk about being worth every penny. I'd gladly grab up every title myself if I ever hit the Lotto jackpot!

The original version of the story Lost Boys (later expanded into an inferior novel) is to be found here, and it is truly a frightening story. The events unfold, and before you realize it, you discover that the story is autobiographical. Also here are: CLOSING THE TIME LID--a wildly delicious time travel story--KING'S MEAT--a touching, and ironic tale of life on a planet that has been taken over by wierd squid-like aliens, who prey on human flesh--and of course the CLASSIC short story, UNACCOMPANIED SONATA. Words fail to discribe how touching and beautiful, how sad, and wonderful is this story of a future time when everybody gets to do whatever makes them most happy.

A must for Card fans and highly recommended to those attempting to understand the appeal and celebrity of this prizewinning and acclaimed American author of science fiction, fantasy, and magical realism.

Card's short fiction has always exceeded in power, beauty, and universalism the long fiction which he produces at such a prolific rate. This is mainly due to his tendency to explain nuances of his characters in his longer works literally, rather than allowing the reader to understand them through diligent observation. In his short fiction, however, he routinely abandons this "lowest common denominator" method, much to the empowerment of his prose.

The appeal of Card's work is similar to that of film wunderkind Steven Spielberg. At his worst, he is unflinchingly manipulative, such as in the story "Lost Boys," the original source for his later popular novel (cf. "The Color Purple"); at his best, his narration remains remote enough not to overpower with sentimentalism, as in "Unaccompanied Sonata" (cf. "Schindler's List"). A few works seem to be unnecessary literary exercises taken to extremes ("Damn Fine Novel") but, as is Card's trademark, a constant theme of sin/redemption runs through most of the stories. While drawing upon the Mormon experience, Card is unafraid to avoid simple moral chiaroscuro in favor of the gray areas for which good fantastic fiction is so well tailored.

The perfection of some of these tales lies in the simplicity of the telling. Card seems to have adhered to the ethic that informs Native American and Far Eastern oral traditions, wherein the narrator becomes only an instrument for the audience, and never intrudes as either arbitrator or alibi. It is in their peculiar mixture of triumph and tragedy that Card's stories delight, whether described through whimsy or dread.

The book's five segments, roughly described respectively as horror, science fiction, fantasies, parables, and miscellanea, comprise most of the author's published (and some unpublished) works up from 1977-1990. Particularly recommended: "Unaccompanied Sonata," "Quietus," "The Porcelain Salamander," A Plague of Butterflies," "Gert Fram."

It was a crime to let this book go out of print! Fortunately, one of my friends, also an OSC fan, lent his copy to me "for a short while." Because I am an honest person, I returned it. Eventually. And only after seriously considering changing my name and moving to Alaska, all to avoid losing these stories.

The book is divided into sections, each with a unifying theme: horror, classic science fiction, fantasy, parables, religion & ethics, and a mix of miscellaneous works. "The Changed Man," "Flux," "Maps in a Mirror," "Monkey Sonatas," and "Cruel Miracles" were also published as individual paperbacks, but "Lost Songs," which contains, among other things, the original short version of "Ender's Game," is only available in the comprehensive hardcover edition.

Every facet of OSC's brilliance is displayed in this collection. His longer works, while also brilliant, have an unfortunate tendency to lag at points, but in short form he shines. Though not all the stories are of equal quality (hey, everyone has bad days), none are bad, and many are things of beauty and power. My personal favorites include "A Thousand Deaths," "Freeway Games," "Saving Grace," "Kingsmeat," "The Porcelain Salamander," "The Best Day," "I Think Mom and Dad Are Going Crazy, Jerry," and, of course, "Unaccompanied Sonata."

Be aware: some of these stories contain graphic and disturbing images. They also contain disturbing ideas. But no one writes speculative literature better than OSC at his best, and this book has a lot of his best.

In Everybody Dies Lawrence Block provides lots of action but the plot tends to ramble at times, is somewhat disjointed, and is fairly predictible. Overall, Everbody Dies will maintain your interest, although it is not a book that will keep you glued to your seat. Further, it is not in quite the same class as many of the earlier Scudder books -- e.g. When The Sacred Ginmill Closes, A Dance At The Slaughterhouse, and Sins Of The Fathers. Like some other reviewers, I'm starting to be concerned that Block is losing some of his edge in this series. Scudder continues to be one of my favorite fictional characters and I'll remain a loyal reader of this series with the hope that Block will return to his earlier form.

In EVERYONE DIES, Matthew Scudder is back for his 14th visit and Lawrence Block writes in his peerless fashion. The action is intense, the dialogue is dynamic, and the characterizations are tightly and realistically drawn. All seems well and Block seems to have recovered from the uninteresting and dull Scudder presented in the last novel of the series, EVEN THE WICKED. Scudder, in the earlier novels, was an enigmatic protagonist, driven by a clear and appropriate sense of good and evil, even while struggling with personal demons of alcoholism, loneliness, and despair (read A TICKET TO THE BONEYARD or A WALK AMONGST THE TOMBSTONES). In the more recent offerings, Scudder has sobered up, gotten married, and become a much less riveting character. Block has elevated the action in this story of murder and revenge as Scudder helps his criminal friend, Mick Ballou, fight back against enemies who mean to destroy him and his criminal enterprise and who target Scudder for death. However, despite the action and plot, the nature of Scudder seems to have become less noble, and he is more willing to allow the choice of evil as a part of his life. Scudder has settled into an existential place where he lives, now with a less appropriately defined sense of justice, and is willing to allow Ballou any measure of revenge, no matter how morally lacking. He is resigned to an inevitable march to death, and is carried along rather than driving the story. It may be that this is the necessary character development, given previous plot developments, but we personally liked the binge-drinking, lonelier and more profane Scudder, and hope that he will some day return.

I am not the biggest Lawrence Block fan in the world, I have not read every novel that Block has written. I do pick up one on occasion and always find one thing true. The books are quick noir like enjoyable reads. Matt Scudder is one of the more likeable characters in any mystery series out there today.

"Everybody Dies" starts when Scudder and his gangster friend Mick Ballou doing their usual gangster/private investigator act. However Scudder gets involved in revengeful war between Ballou and an unknown group. Soon the body count quickly rises and Scudder and Ballou must use each other wits of the city to survive. This is a great gangster novel with Ballou a character you now is not very nice the most riveting .

Block tends to mix in a lot of characters from other books, like Lisa Holtzman from "Devil Knows Your Dead". With all the Scudder novels out there and if you have not read them all, like myself, it may seem that characters are popping up all over. Block does do a nice job in trying to describe who is who. Overall it is fast paced and exciting.

Don't get me wrong: I'm a BIG Lawrence Block fan. I've read every book he's published since Matt Scudder's drinking days. But he's gotten soft and complacent in recent books. Yes, all his characters talk exactly the same: they all go into these silly off-topic tangents and have a wry humor that is just fine for Bernie, but is way off the mark for Matt or Keller. Block has drifted far away from his noir roots. Keller is not a cold blooded hit man, he's a transparent piece of cardboard. A real killer would have speculated about killing the kids playing basketball in the driveway, if that's what it took to carry out his contract. This is the first Block book in twenty years that I have put aside unfinished. A major disappointment.

Keller is a paid assassin, a professional killer, who defies the classic stereotype. Instead, his lifestyle is that of the traveling businessman who is just another Manhattan single male when he is home. He does the Times crossword every morning while sipping his coffee. He has tried therapy and purchased a dog to help him with his growing loneliness. However, the therapy made him even more introspective and the dog left him for his former girl friend. He never cooks (even with a microwave) as he lives on take out or dining out. His lonely existence is only broken by his high paying jobs at various locations around the country. When he is not on the job, he reflects on his life and wonders about his victims' families.

HIT MAN is a short story collection about one of the best characters to arrive on the urban crime noir scene in years. Instead of being a hero, Keller is an anti-hero. The stories are all trademark Lawrence Block: gritty, exciting, and entertaining. However, what makes this terrific book so appealing is that Keller could be the guy next door taking out your sister on a date. To make matters even more interesting, Keller, despite his profession, is a likeable character. Let's hope for more Keller works in the near future. He is fascinating!

Harriet Klausner

I am Lawrence Block fan. I have read all Bernie Rhodenbarr books, the Matt Scudder series the four books in the Affairs of Chip Harrison and several other books. When I saw "Hit Man" on the shelf with other Block books I had to take it home. I was surprised to find it isn't a novel but a collection of stories about a hit man. As the title suggests each of the stories is about a hit man, Keller, who is a paid assassin. Keller is an interesting character. He lives alone in his one-bedroom New York City apartment except for a short period when her has a live in girl friend and a dog he acquired after a hit. He never cooks for himself depending on restaurants and take-out food. In each adventure Keller receives a call from someone in White Plains, New York and is off to that upstate community to get his assignment from the "old man," through an intermediary, Dot. Keller is NOT a hero in the true sense because after all he is a killer. Nevertheless the character is true Block. I enjoyed it and found the book was a page-turner because you want to go from one assignment to the other. At one point I though Block was going to wipe out this character. However the last story in the book opens the possibility of more "Hit Man" episodes. This, I am please to find out, will be so as Lawrence Block is preparing another "Hit Man" book for publication next year.