This is a wonderful book! Jon has truly captured the spirit of this part of Colorado--we live near the Spanish Peaks in the San Luis Valley, and regularly travel the country he writes about. I drive past old Fort Garland every day. The pictures Jon draws with his words are so accurate, they are like a photograph. Our valley really is that beautiful! The characters are so vivid they feel alive, and the plot and the action move right along. My husband originally bought the book and loved it, then I read and loved it. We loaned it to my mom, who is now buying a copy to keep, plus several copies to give as gifts for Christmas. As a western writer, I can see Jon Chandler as the successor to Louis L'Amour--equally exciting and well-researched material. Highly recommended!!!

I was drawn to read Jon Chandler's first book because I had already been totally intrigued by his CD, Westerns. One of the songs on it, 'The Spanish Peaks' was so beautiful and emotional, I just had to read the book by the same name. It didn't disappoint! This book is full of action, and the characters and plot are fully developed. Anyone who likes a western flavor to their literature will enjoy this book. Don't expect it to read like any cheap western novelette, though--this writer has more talent than that!

Chandler's "Spanish Peaks" may be a western novel, but it kept this city slicker thoroughly entertained and turning the pages! It's a wonderful story played out by characters that represent the best of the west and the worst of the west.

I'll pass it along to my friends... but only if they guarantee they'll bring it back!

Barbara Ulrich did a terrific job of giving one a sense of the sexual/sensual excitement of pre-Nazi Berlin. The wonderful photos and paintings evoke the sublime decadence of the period.

The Hot Girls of Weimar Berlin is a dreamy collection of mesmerizing images that give the reader a most privileged sneak peak into a lost world of feminine sexual liberation and splendour. Who knew such a place in time existed? I applaud Feral House and Barbara Ulrich for keeping forgotten worlds like these alive. This book frees the imprisoned spirit.

Since Amazon didn't post an editorial review, here's the description from the back of the book to help you decide if this book is for you: "Her life was in perfect focus. First there was her career. Then Ben -- every Thursday night. At thirty-five, award winning reporter Jessica Lenhart had arrived. Famed for her searing documentaries, her professionalism, and headstrong independence, she'd helped make New York's newest nonprofit TV station a contender ... then her camera's laser eye took aim at a new 'miracle' drug -- a drug that promised miracles but was rumored to cause monstrous birth defects. Joining forces with a dangerously attractive lawyer, Jessica is driven to discover the truth at any cost. And the price is high -- a journey into her own heart of darkness, where passion and principle will tear her life apart."

Excellent book, very informative, easy to understand, perfect book for novice and intermediate riders and first time horse owners. Excellent example forms to aquaint new horse people with the horse world.

I was not that interested in my religion, but after i read this book I wanted to know so much more. This book is so interesting I coud not believe how detailed and exciting this book was. I recommend this book for eveyone even if you are not of the faith!

This book is a georgous book, from its looks (plush cover, ribbon bookmark, illustrations) to its content. It describes a slew of fictional places (and a few non-fictional) creating a surrealistic, dreamlike landscape. As nice as it is, this isn't a sit down and read sort of book, more of a coffee table type, wonderful to flip through and see what you find.

This imaginary guide to Paris is full of surreal imagination that will just make you smile. Helpfully divided up into sections on hotels, restaurants, the nightlife, sights, etc., you'll read about places and services you've never dreamed of! What a shame, they don't really exist! Peppered thoughout the text are helpful French expressions translated into English such as "Do you have a ladder so I can reach your airmail clerk suspended from the ceiling?" You can read some guest comments for the hotels which of course, are also bizarre, and learn about special services such as a kidnapping service or a food tasting service (so you don't get poisoned). The book has some quotes from real people too and the lavish artwork gives it an other worldly feel. It will transport you immediately to a wonderful alternative reality Paris.

There's a reason why this little book is subtitled "a wayward guide." The inverted Eiffel Tower on the cover should be a warning to those of faint imagination, that this book is not your father's Fodor Guide. Rather, Paris Out of Hand, is a handy guide to the hotels with fold-down balconies, volume controls on the phones for those who don't speak French, and turn-down services which leave a fish on your pillow. It is full of helpful French phrases, so you will never be caught short not knowing how to ask: "Do you come to this noctambupark often? Are the bats given annual rabies shots?" ("Venez-vous souvent a ce noctambuparc? Est-ce que les chauves-souris recoivent leurs piqures de rage annuelle?") It is loaded with delightful factoids such as: "Some Parisians don't have sheepskin covers for car seats, but drive around with live sheep in the laps. Thus 'Revenons a nos moutons!' is also the cry of the man roaming the levels of the parking structure in search of his bleating Peugeot." It's liberally illustrated with wondrous and slightly mad collages as fascinating as the prose.

If you cherish journeys of the mind, then this book is for you.

I've never written an Amazon review before, but I felt a real obligation to trash this book. It is riddled with bad grammar and syntax -- I mean several errors on every page. I don't have it in front of me and can't remember the names, but a typical case would be "Me and Grace had a fight," instead of "Grace and I had a fight." Since the book is narrated by the protagonist, these errors are not only in direct quotes but also in the main text.

In short, the book is written the way many kids talk. This is a perfectly legitimate technique for adult books, and can certainly add to the feeling of authenticity, although the hundreds of books I loved and devoured as a child did not suffer for being grammatically correct. But it is very confusing to a child who is trying to learn proper English in school, and it undermines the efforts of teachers. When children read such usage in a book, what are they supposed to think? What habbits will they learn? And how can a teacher correct the child's own usage when the child can point to a book and say "They do it like that here"?

I was dismayed to discover that this book is part of a series by a popular author, and I couldn't believe it when I saw that the publisher is Scholastic! Perhaps this means that an official decision has been made to abandon traditional rules of English usage in favor of those of the playground. But if so, I wasn't notified, and my career effectiveness would nosedive if I followed suit. So would most people's.

Barbara Park and Scholastic are doing a tremendous disservice to children by habituating them at an early age, in print, to usage that can only hurt them both in school and later in life. These books, and others like them, should be blacklisted by teachers, schools and liblaries. Censorship on the basis of content is a tricky subject, but bad grammar in children's books can only hurt their very vulnerable readers.

This is a great book to read with your favorite children. There are many lessons to be learned here about behavior, feelings, emotions, fears, and about getting what you ask for, but not REALLY wanting it. Discussing these stories with your children can help them understand how to cope with life's circumstances. We discuss Junie's poor grammar and the behavior of the children in the stories. It helps the children in our family better understand social skills and discipline. It also encourages them to share their experiences with their family members who may need to know about them. Adults in our family up to the age of 90 laugh at Junie's adventures and delight in the humorous twists to the stories. The children relate to Junie's problems and learn from her experiences.

Written from the very believable point of view of a precocious little girl, this story was at least as enjoyable a read for me as it was for my daughters! If you have a kid, know a kid, ever been a kid, or even ever SEEN a kid, check this (as well as the rest of the Junie B Jones series) out. She's the Eloise of the 21st century.

I had the pleasure of meeting this man in person several years ago. This book is the next best thing if you can not "experience" him directly. He is very much into "energy" and that aspect is not found in the book.

This was a really helpful book that acted as the light at the end of the tunnel when I was trying to quit smoking. I had wanted to quit for years and found it virtually impossible. This book helped me to achieve "the impossible."

Anyone who is adicted to something and reaching out for a book to help knows the truth--you're hooked and you need some help. Preaching a ton of facts that only make you feel worse won't help. Shubentsov cuts to the chase and reminds the reader of the inner strength each person has inside necessary to break the chains of addiction.

This book was by my side for the better part of a year as I continued to fight the urges with Shubentsov acting as my tough but loving coach. I have since passed my copy on to my mother and have bought copies for friends and other relatives that struggle with addictions.

If you're looking for someone to tell you that you have no control and that there is no hope for you, this is NOT the book for you. However, if you're looking to end the vicious cycle of addiction, PLEASE READ THIS BOOK. It may very well change your life...

This practical guide to overcoming addictive behavior should be required reading - if only for the controversial nature of the "boot-strapping" approach! Molly-coddled Americans will blanch at Shubentsov's take on dealing with our cravings: RESIST! Fight back! Stop being such a sissie! "What are you - a man or a mouse?" Personal initiative is prized here, and it's a refreshing change from the victim mentality offered by many therapies and so-called "self-help" programs. For help in steeling your resolve, read this book!

Hidden within the pages of this intense and absorbing first person account, are sincere and serious warnings for everyone living in our therapeutic culture. It warns of the false solutions offered by therapists who rely too heavily on medication. It warns of the dangers of relying on experts to provide healing rather than on self-responsibility. It warns of the dangers of emotional repression instead of expression. But the greatest warning may be that we all need to build and maintain networks of supportive and sensitive family and friends. In the end Gordon credits this resource as contributing the most to her healing.

Honored for 15 weeks on the New York Times bestseller's list, this book is the story of Barbara Gordon's anxiety-induced slide into Valium addiction, her ill-advised and dangerous "cold-turkey" withdrawal, the psychosis and hospitalizations that followed the withdrawal, and her slow, painful, and persistent pathway back to functioning. Readers may find the first half of the book to be a bit repetitive as Gordon chronicles her destructive relationship with Eric, but the pathos and honesty expressed in her fight back to sanity while at Greenwood Hospital is gripping and compelling.

I am aware that there have been changes in state licensing standards for therapists since this book was written. I am aware that there have been many significant advances in the study of brain biology since this book was written. I hope that the therapeutic "industry" may be credited with significant advance since Gordon endured this mistreatment. Nonetheless, I recommend this book. It speaks with a distinctive voice warning that we all - treated and untreated, patient and therapist - must take personal responsibility for our mental health within a supportive social context of family and friends.

No one should ever have to repeat the experience Barbara Gordon had.

If you're like me, and really *get into* what you're reading, this book will have you questioning your own sanity!

You will fall into the deep blackness with Ms. Gordon, as well celebrate her successes as she begins to see the light!

This book is timeless, powerful, and AWESOME. Not a "feel good" story -- but a tormented journey -- one which will give you hope.

A must-read for women in search of inner-strength!

This is the Age of the Quick Fix, the Age of Prozac and other mind potions. Barbara Gordon's story of her addiction to Valium and striving towards recovery is a classic in the literature of addiction. From a successful career as an award-winning documentary film maker, becoming famous and rich, to having a personal relationship with "Eric," who supposably was trying to take her off Valium cold turkey with disastrous results, Barbara Gordon paints an honest and painful a portrait of addiction as you will ever read. Once the most prescribed drugs for anxiety and "Nerves" in the world, it is now potentially one of the most addictive and dangerous to get off of after taking it for a long time. This book changed my life, for I was addicted to Valium, not ever imagining how it would change my life, mostly for the worse. Barbara Gordon's struggle was heroic and her getting off the drug, finding her bearings, and heading on the road to recovery make inspiring reading and a cautionary tale, that pills do not cure everything, that the human spirit can survive deep terrors. Many books on drug addiction have come and gone, written by professionals as well as laymen, but I know of none more powerful, none that face the fear with such total honesty as Barbara Gordon's book. It should never be out of print and anyone contemplating taking the drug path to lower anxiety should read this book and have second thoughts. Barbara Gordon, like many true survivors, takes her readers to hell and back, and show us that there is hope, even after a journey into into the deepest darkness of the psyche. Highly recommended. One of the best books ever written about drug addiction of any kind.

I was researching the career of a graphic designer for a school project, and I this book explained and answered all of my questins. And get this, I got an "A" on my report!