This book only got better when you came closer to the end. It started off extremely slow. I blame that, mainly, on the number of charcters that needed to be introduced at the beginning of the book. It's mainly about an athlete nicknamed "Indian" who loves the shot put. He is one of the best and hopes to eventually break the world record. This young adult already has many opportunities ahead of him. Several well respected colleges have sent scouts to talk to him but Indian only wants to be able to go to UCLA. He's only a junior in high school and has already reached the position of the best shot putter on his team...

I rated this book a three cause I really wasn't familiar with the sport. I sort of liked it and sort of didn't like it. I liked it cause it had a lot scenes where there was a lot of competition. I didn't like it cause shot-putting isn't my favorite sport. This book is like a lot of books I read, but the other books I read I was interested in and I would have given them a four or a five. In one of the books I read it was about basketball. It was a story about Earl the "goat", and it had the same conflicts and stuff like that. I would have gave it a 5 cause I understand the sport. The Throwing Season was a great book. It helped me understand the sport shot-putting better. That's what I liked about it. The story is good but not that good.

In the begging of the book Indian is training for the state shot-putting finals. Then a gut named Golly showed up and thought that he could beat Indian in the state finals. The Coach decided to let Golly compete in the state finals after he saw him throw. Then at the state finals Indian met a man named Noah Standish who wants him to lose the meet on purpose and he will give him 9,000 dollars. Indian refuses and wins the meet. Later a scout asks Indian to come to UCLA and be on the track team. I really like this book because it gave me more facts on shot putting. Another reason is that it shows people that you don't have to take bribes to lose something you love on purpose.

Holy Blood, Holy Grail set the standard for secret histories, with a combination of humor, odd trivia, and grandeur that gets one addicted to the study. Two follow ups, The Messainic Legacy and The Temple and the Lodge were ever dimmer imitations, but the spark was still there. Real history was told, and explained with a new paradigm.

Other books, like The Tomb of God or Key to the Sacred Pattern try to mathematically prove themselves. Though the geometry is tiring, the improbably coincidences are not.

Then there's books like Holy Grail Across the Atlantic, which twist history, often unintentionally hillariously.

As proof that "Arcadian" literature (the poetic form of which involves a shepherd either romantically or sarcastically making improbable promises to his love) is inspired by a Holy Family, they say that a certain character in the story bought a painting by Pousson, and another by Teniers. Since the Pousson was was an Arcadian scene, by Teniers probably was one two. The author neglects to mention that the same source the Tenier painting was of SAINT ANTHONY THE HERMET, and that the purchaser also ordered one of the crowning of Pope Celestine V.

A hidden message in an supposedly ancient document beings with "Shepherdess, No Temptation, that Pousson, Teniers, hold the key..." the author says. The implications of the message are obvious! But the message actually says

SHEPHERDESS NO TEMPTATION THAT POUSSON TENIERS HOLD THE KEY PEACE 681 BY THE CROSS AND THIS HORSE OF GOD I COMPLETE THIS DAEMON GUARDIAN AT MIDDAY BLUE APPLES

But the author ignores this. (If you're interesteed in this part of the mystery, by Holy Blood Holy Grail instead).

The author claims that a certain document called the "Zeno Narrative" is historically accepted, and that the document refers to the Orkney Islands as "Frisland." This is untrue. The map of Frisland accompanying the document shows a large island with many cities. The same "accepted" narrative tails of how the supposed author sailed to "Icari," the small kingdom the natives say was founed by Daedulus and named after his son. (For more info on this "accepted" theory, read "Phantom Islands of the Atlantic").

Then there's pages 350-351, which show case the author's sloppy style. "Roosevelt's government financed a massive, and unprecedented, construction of interstate highways... Without the network of highways he created, called useless and worse by political opponents at th time, America could never have mobilized its industry and military to cope with World War II." The DWIGHT DAVID EISENHOWER INTERSTATE HIGHWAY AND NATIONAL DEFENSE PROGRAM was built by President Eisenhower, during his administration, because he was so impressed by how the GERMAN interstate ("autobahn") allowed the GERMANS to mobilize.

"The winning edge [in the race to build the atom bomb] was not the brains... but the vast quantity of electrical power available because of the "make work" project of the TVA. It is no accident Oak Ride was in Tennessee." Oak Ridge built a nuclear reactor. It was not involved in the war effort. The author's thinking of the Manhattan project, which took place in the New Mexico desert.

This is an awful, unfun book. The author is often mean spirited. If you like namecalling, get "Tomb of God." At least that one forces you to learn all about pentagons.

I just finished Michail Bradley's book Holy Grail Across The Atlantic. I found it an enjoyable read, though somewhat sluggish at the end. I do believe that Bradley is on to something. There is enough evidence to demand further investigation. I guess you just can't believe everything you are taught in school. Anyway I have to apply that same skepticism to some of Bradley's assertions. He presents some interpretations that need a leap of faith. In conclusion, I definetly recomend this intriguing work. My views have been broadened and I feel a need to join in the search for the holy grail.

Micheal Bradley has followed the Grail Knights through their disappearance and into their explorations of North America. He has done extensive research and turned up some amazing physical evidence. I would recommend that one read "Holy Blood, Holy Grail" as background for this book as Micheal seems to assume that everyone has read it (as well they should!)

I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in early european visits to North America, Masonic mysteries or the Knights Templar.

I would also recommend any of Mr.Bradleys other books, as he is an accomplished writer and has some very interesting theories

the anecdotes that go with the recipes are nice, but these famous chefs don't give any of their secrets out. The beef bourguignon recipe, for example, is absolutely horrible. Better know what you're doing if you use these recipes, and be prepared to either alter them or eat bad food.

A wonderful book that reminds the reader of all the great meals they have had in France. The receipes may be a bit complex for the weekend chef such as I, however, the stories will inspire any food lover.

It's a good choice for teachers teaching the language, not only does it cover the French language, there's an unique part where you learn about the culture as well. However, there are a great number of French textbooks I've come across that are a much better read than this one mainly because they have less unnecessary diagrams and they cover grammatical rules in greater detail.

I like the interactive approach in this textbook but I just don't think they covered enough the important language rules.

In this interesting and well researched book, Michael Osborne outlines the development of the acclimatization movement in France under the auspices of the Société zoologique d'acclimatation. Osborne focuses on the activities and goals of the Société from its origins in the mid-1850's to the outbreak of the Great War. In addition, he compliments his discussion of the Société's endeavors in Paris with significant examinations of acclimatization research in "Greater France," especially Algeria. Although at times it is difficult to pin down, the author's thesis claims that the success of acclimatization activities had been dependent upon economic and political variables and not scientific ones. Osborne supports this position by pointing out that the Société's zenith coincided the reign of Napoléon III, a time when it enjoyed patronage from the highest political echelons. At the same time, he shows that the acclimatization movement experienced a devastating decline immediately after the collapse of the Second Empire in 1871. First, Osborne reviews the roots of the Société and its birth in 1854. Its original concerns were to promote popular natural history, nurture the exotic animal industry, expand the French diet to include colonial foodstuffs and horse meat, and to encourage environmental conservation. He also defines acclimatization as the imprinting of an organism with "modifications which render it able to live and to perpetuate its species under new conditions of existence (Osborne, 2)." After explaining the origins of the Société, he provides an exhaustive chronology of its presidents beginning with its first, Isidore St-Hilaire. Osborne next offers a panorama of the tumultuous relationship between the Société and the Muséum National d'histoire naturelle. Despite the fact that the Société developed out of the Muséum's staff and projects, the two quickly became bitter rivals until the turn of the century. Osborne attributes the sour relations between the two entities to Napoléon III's dislike of the theoretical mission of the Muséum and his personal interest in the practical usage goals of the Société's research. He frequently indulged the Société at the expense of the Muséum. The connection between Napoléon III and the acclimatization movement is one of many political associations highlighted by Osborne. He also emphasizes the importance of the Société's links with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of War. He devotes substantial attention to the contributions of Charles de Montigny, a leading French diplomat in Asia. Montigny is described as the greatest of the Société's "naturalist-diplomats" and he was responsible for channeling many specimens to the Société's collections, such as Chinese bamboo, Tibetan yaks and hundreds more. At the same time, Montigny recruited over 60 new members in Asia as well as many high ranking international notables such as most of the monarchs of Europe, the King of Siam and even the Pope. Osborne also gives a brief biography of the Société's second president, Edouard de Lhuys, who was also a three term Minister of Foreign Affairs. De Lhuys is noteworthy because he cemented the organization's favor with the government. The connection between the acclimatization movement and political actors is clear. The next point of interest in the book is Osborne's discussion of the Jardin zoologique d'acclimatation in Paris. The Jardin was originally an arm of the Société, but the two drifted apart and became distinctly different entities following the Franco-Prussian War. The Jardin was intended to be a place for research and public education. At the same time, it was to demonstrate "living proof" of exotic animals' ability to adapt to living conditions in France. As interest waned in acclimatization after the collapse of the Second Empire, so did the scientific mission of the Jardin. Due to financial problems, the Jardin was plagued by angry stockholders who eventually succeeded in turning it into an amusement attraction by the 1880's. A significant reason for its downfall rests in the loss of political clout as a result of the demise of Napoléon III. Osborne devotes an entire chapter to the acclimatization endeavors in Algeria. Both the military and then colonial administrations relied on the Société's research and insight in developing Algerian agriculture. Many of the colony's leading figures, such as the Governor-General were active members of the Société. However, the Société's advice and activities ended in repeated failures, resulting in a decline in interest by the colonial administration. Osborne puts forth an intriguing argument over the course of the book. On the other hand, his emphasis on political factors in the decline of the Société is inflated. Political factors undoubtedly played a role in the upheaval experienced by the acclimatization movement following the Franco-Prussian War. However, the development and rise of plantation colonies and "factory-farms" is a more logical cause of decline and is seriously underestimated in the book. Both plantation colonies and "factory-farms" decimated the raison d'être of acclimatization research more than any change in the political winds. It is evident that Osborne selected excellent sources. Many of his citations are primary sources, consisting of letters, notes and reports written by the presidents of the Société, such as Isidore St-Hilaire. At the same time, he offers a lucid historiographical comparison showing how his book relates to other work on this topic. Throughout Nature, the Exotic and the Science of French Colonialism, Michael Osborne presents a thorough history of the Société zoologique d'acclimatation from its creation to the years leading up to the Great War. It is certain that the Société benefited greatly from its political connections and was badly wounded by their disappearance. However, it is only logical that the advent of plantation colonies, industrialization and "factory-farms" played a very important role in the demise of the acclimatization movement.

I thought this book was pretty good if you have a good understanding of the french language, otherwise it does not tell the correct usage of words and can get rather confusing.

I liked the book, but didn't like the fact that it was in French.

This book is very useful for special situations or special places. It is a lexical and has many words in it with exact meaning.
It is not so useful for specific words that we would look for as we would do in a dictionary.
The only inconvenient of this book is that the words contained in this book are not all of them at the lexical of the end.

The book was edited in 1994 and does not reflect the latest changes in the law, especially European one (including Eastern Europe). In addition it is very dry. The best part of the book is the history of law development and description of judicial system in France, Germany and England. But thats it! Only West European law is reviewed; nothing about Islamic law, law of African countries (I would like to have brief description at least); the description of Russian law is laughable,no insight.

Bottom line, if you have a choice DO NOT buy it or buy a used one...