I thought this a more well done Garfield book though i admit i had seen some of the strips before, this has been the most enjoyable Garfield book I've read and would recomend it to both non-Garfield readers and readers who may not have it, otherwise, read it again!Why? this book has been the done the best job livening-up my "down" days, plus i especially enjoyed the sunday comics and the funny garfield's humor page. This book also remined me of the 36th garfield book in its humor basic aspects. I Love this book!

"Garfield" is one of the funniest comic strips, next to "Baby Blues"! You would still laugh if you were to skip the words and just look at the facial expressions! I find that in the earlier "Garfield's," there were more witty one liners, which are shown in this book. I recommend!

Everybody out there keep buying Garfield books! They can be worth a lot of money someday and can become collector's items! I'm always going to keep all of mine so when I have kids they can read them!

How would you feel if you were brought to America in it's developing days against against your will only to be seperated from all the ones you loved and brought to a new family? Though she is a slave she as seen as a clever girl almost right away and raised as almost a daughter to her family and when they find she can write poems her worth becomes greater still. This story will satisfy you if you like romance and historical fiction or if you like to see your favorite characters grow-up. Girls will probably like this book more than guy's though. Ann Rinaldi's fans will not be disappointed with this work although it is not her best. I enjoyed how Ann Rinaldi worked from the facts a story of Phillis's life that will not disappoint. Overall I recomend this book if you like Ann Rinaldi's other works or like historical fiction.

Phillis Wheatley ws the first ever African American to get her poetry published. She was a negro girl taken from Africa along wit her best friend and her mother. She witnessed brutal acts and horrible event and despite that she carried on and fond her way into the hearts of a white family in Boston who took her in as their own except for one thing.... they did not give her her freedom. This pained Phillis, not to be free, so when she learned by her naster to write she began to illustrate all these depp emotions with her pen. This is a fabulous and inspiriring book and i for one am better for reading it and learning a little more of the African Americans struggles. This author is brilliant and can easily bring historic events to life in a way young people can understand i undoutedly give it five stars.....

Ann Rinaldi has done it again, written a great book! As you read it you are filled with the same emotions the characters are going through and cant wait to read more. You have to make sure you have a little time when you first get the book to read about her voyage to America. And make sure you try all of Ann Rinaldi's other books!

The life long yearning for an unattainable man, unlike what Hollywood would have you believe, does not always end happily, as the main character in Hang a Thousand Trees with Ribbons, could explain. Ann Rinaldi's thrilling historical fiction novel about the life of the famous balck poet, Phillis Wheatley, shows the maturation of Phillis from a young girl captured in her homeland of Africa and sold as a slave in America to a lovely young lady with a published poetry book. Upon first viewing of the only son in her new family, Phillis develops very loving feelinds towards Nathaniel Wheatley, and the two form a very special relationship, all the time Nathaniel oblivious to her feelings. Everyone, except for the object of her desire, understood and warned Phillis that nothing would come of the crush, but Phillis refused to believe this. Her belief that love would overcome all the racial barriers which separated her from Nathaniel was brought down. Nathaniel, who became a very wealthy merchant, married a beautiful young English woman. Phillis was heart broken, but eventually overcame her hurt and found new happiness in her life. Throughout this book, the reader goes through every one of Phillis' emotions with her, and anyone who believes in the statement "Love conquers all", should not read this book unless they pepare themselves to be disappointed at the end results. Although not finding the love she was looking for, Phillis did find love and the ending of the book is not unhappy, even though the desired events do not take place.

At the age of 7, Phillis Wheatley was kidnapped from her home country, Senegal, and was abusively shipped over to America along with her mother and friend. Although she drifted apart from her family, Phillis was bought and taken in by the rich Wheatley household. There, her master and lady treated her like family, and she luckily found an education at the household, taught to her by Nathaniel, the master's son. Over the years, her intelligence expanded and she began to write amazing poems by the age of 12, later becoming the first black poet to publish her own book. Even though her name became well known among the wealth, she was still treated differently which caused difficulties for her. Through this story, I have learned as a reader, the complications Phillis experiences and her triumph of becoming the first black poet.
There are truly many wonderfully written parts of this historical fiction book, but among my favorites are the times when Nathaniel and Phillis were together. This starting from the first time she walked through the house, to the moments when he first taught her to read. Being 10 years older than Phillis, Nathaniel acted as a close brother to her, unlike how masters normally interacted with their slaves. There were also times when Nathaniel and Phillis would tease each other, which would leave the reader thinking if Phillis really was a slave. Because of these significant moments, I found the book to be much more interesting.
As a piece of historical fiction, I was able to understand how some masters treated their slaves. For a fact, I know that most didn't treat their slaves with such care as the Wheatleys did to Phillis. So, it was especially interesting to know that Nathaniel had spent his free time teaching Phillis. I was not only able to learn about Phillis, a woman not frequently mentioned in texts, but I was also able to find out about her personality. Rinaldi brought her character to life, and I was truly touched and fascinated at the same time at some specific parts of the story.

This book was great! I really loved it. I was reading it at the time, and in need of a book for English in an outside reading project. I decided to read this since I'd started reading it already. When I had to give my oral presentation, I was nervous, but this was book was easy and enjoyable to talk about. Once I start speaking about Phillis, I felt myself in her world again. As a writer myself, I learned more about the process when I read about Phillis. Phillis's story was one that you just wanted to hear more about. I was completely entranced by the beauty of Rinaldi's language, satisfied by the action(it never got boring, the pace was fast yet not rushed), and even enjoyed my outside reading project. If only I could pick all the books I read for English. My favorite character was Prince, and of course Phillis. One thing sad about the book was her passage to America, it literally horrifed me, especially about her mother(I don't really want to give much away, although it is in the beginning of the book). After I finished this book, I felt happy and like I learned something. Which I did. I definitely recommend this book! (Especially if you have been procastinating on an outside reading project!)

Occasionally sentimental, even purple in its prose, this is still a must-read. Primarily an account of the author's experiences climbing in Yosemite in the 70's and 80's, it's one of the only books I know of that covers this period.Useful little sidebars give practical climbing information,and many of the stories are just plain fall-out-of-your-Portaledge funny.

can't imagine a better evening than being in an appropriately rowdy spot listening to John Long tell tall stories, improbable stories, and hilarious off-the-wall stories about the great days at Camp 4 in Yosemite. He has a knack of not taking himself seriously, but shining through is his tremendous joy in living to the hilt and exuberant satisfaction of being among the best at what he does.

"What he does" is extreme rock climbing, and these essays peppered with dollops of very good advice tell what it was like in the glory days of the '70s on the big walls. A large part of John's enjoyment was his fellow fanatics, the beauty of the surroundings and, most of all, the burning desire to achieve the status of the coolest guy on the wall.

He starts with his childhood rambles (he had to be a prototype hyperactive child) and some sort of record, never once refers to a deprived misunderstood childhood. He freely admits most of his parents' gray hairs are attributable to him. He and his friends did not know the meaning of "impossible." They decide to learn the techniques of climbing (but nothing of equipment. "Equipment!" Who can afford equipment? and the next year they will somehow get to Mt. Everest and give it a go.

This delightful read is just as likely to be of interest to the general reader as the incipient or experienced rock climber. If the author could bottle and sell his self-confidence and joie de vivre, he would make millions. Spend an afternoon with John Long. You won't regret it.

This book had just enough technical information mixed in with stories and philosophy to make it a great read. I am not a rock climber but I am always interested in the extreme lives of others for they give up so much to get so much. The counter culture John Long describes is hilarious without being condescending like you might find in say snowboarding. They seemed to have welcomed anyone willing to try. For the price of a movie, this is a better buy.

Very uninformative, at least untitillating. Who were/are Ru's lovers? Was he ever an "escort"? Is he top or bottom? He delivers some pious blab along the lines of Tolerance and Being Who You Are, but it feels like a studio cover-up bio of a Rock Hudson figure from the past. Ru is "outrageous", but why? In LETTING IT ALL HANG OUT his revelations are much less bizarre than what we know about Liberace or Andy Warhol, or even what we speculate about Siegfried & Roy. There must be SOMETHING transfiguring that sent him down this life-path, for better or worse. But we aren't given a clue. (HIDING MY CANDY by The Lady Chablis is much more forthcoming on the psychogenesis of crossdressing and homoeroticism.)

Thank you RuPaul for writing this book! What a treasure it is. I'm not sure how much non-fans, and hetero's will appreciate it, but for me it has been a lifeline! Anyone who has been through the wringer (and man does Ru have stories for you), is a drag queen, has a sense of humor (RuPaul is wickedly funny, tough never mean), or wants to learn more about Ru should pick up this book ASAP. Ru has been very brave in letting us into his mind, life and soul. There are many life lessons to be learned along the way and a whole mess of laughs too! What a suprise to find it published by Diney! This is also a great how-to-be-a-drag-queen book. Ru tells ALL her secrets and gives tips on releaseing the inner drag queen in us all. Finally he is revelaed to be a person of great strength, integrity, bravery and also very wise. I wish we all could be a bit more like "little Ru-Ru". Full of pictures, wit and wisdom this is a MUST buy!

Being a big fan of Ru, I treasured every moment when reading 'Letting It All Hang Out'. I did not want the book to end, but after I had finished reading it, I felt even more in awe of him. I was touched by his honesty about his life and I felt like I was really there living his life with him. It is so "real"

This was a real nice book that helped parents of teens understand what they like to do and where they like to "hang out" You should get this book because you and your teen will have guarenteed more wholesome time resulting in a better relationshop with your teen. Thank You.

:)

have not read thi

This book is a real must for starting hangglider pilots. It covers a lot of aspects of hanggliding, for instance : Glider equipment, safetymeasures, the history of hanggliding, understanding aerodynamics, and much more. The book has a lot of pictures and drawings in it wich are great for understanding, for instance, the aerodynamics part.

The Hanggliding training manual is an absolute must for the beginner. I started Hanggliding in 1974, and got his books as a birthday present a few years after.Then I started to learn and understand the whole concept of the principals of flight much better. The illustartions are great I use them in my teaching the sport of Hanggliding, and the articles are ease to follow. So after a days out with the school go and get yourself lost in this book.

This book is a collection of 23 short stories, mostly related to hunting. Most of these stories (about 8 pages a piece)are hunerous and delightful to read.

The stories in this book relate to almost every aspect of hunting and fishing. There is a story on rabbit hunting on horseback with a stick to riding a bear (inintentionally of course). Between each story is a humerous "Tall but Short", a one page tall tale, that reminds me of stories I'd hear from old timers, as we would sit around a campfire in hunting camp.

Why is there a "but" in my title? The only downfall I found with this book is the fact that the stories are taken directly from the magazine for the most part. If you are a religious reader of "Outdoor Life", then you have likely seen these stories before. As only a casual rader of the magazine, I quickly remembered several stories. Some of the stories were worth a good laugh, most were worth at least a chuckle. A couple of the stories were worth nothing more than a shake of the head.

If you are looking for book of humerous outdoor tales, this is definately a book to get. I was by no means dissappointed. However, if you are an avid reader of the magazine, I would spend your money elsewhere. Enjoy!

If your looking for a perfect gift for that outdoors person this is a great choice. "If Nature Calls...Hang UP!" is a collection of hillarious short stories, cartoons and tall tales straight from the archives of Outdoor Life. They will not only have you laughing till you cry, but also remembering your own adventures. Whether it be a classic Pat McManus such as "Poof - No Eyebrows", a story such as "Sucker Bait" by Paul Miller describing his youthfull adventures collecting wasp grubs, the problems associated with too much moose meat, buck fever, etc... This book will keep you rolling with laughter not to mention short of breath. I highly suggest reading this book with your significant other so they can take over when you can no longer read through the tears. In short if you need a good laugh and love then outdoors, "If Nature Calls...Hang Up!" is just the book for you.

This book was OK for a reference but not fun to read. Maybe that is asking to much for a reference book.

Today I again wished I still had access to THEREBY HANGS A TALE. I had read most of it years ago while staying with a friend and have missed its delightful insights into how our language grows and changes. Each word's origin is explained with great humor and insight. This time, however, instead of just feeling blue for not having it, I searched Amazon.com [bless them and their search engine] and by golly, Ollie, I found it. I can't wait to lay eyes and mind again on its wondrous pages. If you don't already love words and their deeper meanings, this may stimulate you into a grand new experience with one of life's simple pleasures.

It took a tragedy for their paths to cross, but once it did, something changed in both men. Bob Greene is an excellent writer, published author, and a syndicated columnist. He covered a tragic story about a young boy in Chicago named Cornelius Abraham. Someone in the Bulls' management read the story, contacted Mr. Greene, and sent a few tickets to an upcoming basketball game. Along with something to make the child's day even more memorable: A personal meeting before the game with Michael Jordan. But what Mr. Greene didn't know was that Michael Jordan would make the day as memorable as his legendary performances on the hardwood.

During the game, young Cornelius sat next to Mr. Jordan on the bench. When the game was over, Bob Greene went into the locker room to personally thank Michael Jordan for his kind gesture. Mr. Jordan appeared surprised that someone would actually thank him. He invited Mr. Greene, who was not a sportswriter, to attend future games. The allure was addicting, and Mr. Greene became a regular in the press area at Chicago Stadium.

This story is compelling, honest, candid, and without any pretenses. It demonstrates an unlikely, but thoroughly understandable, friendship that developed between two men from very different worlds. Bob Greene paints a picture of Michael Jordan that clearly defines the inner man, and not the icon that the public sees during 48 minutes on the basketball court. Or during countless television appearances.

Mr. Greene chronicles two years in the life of Mr. Jordan. He describes the lack of privacy that permeates his life, along with how few of us can properly appreciate or understand what Mr. Jordan does on the court. But this story has more depth than merely describing basketball feats or mega celebrity status. There are many poignant tales in this beautifully written book that will surprise the reader. Michael Jordan is a man of integrity, honor, and vast compassion. It is a shame that it took a chance meeting by a non-sports writing journalist to tell us the true story.

I came away feeling that despite all of his fame, fortune, and incredible athletic prowess, Mr. Jordan never lost sight of his roots in small town North Carolina. Nor did his fame blind him to the plights and struggles of those much less fortunate then he. Whether it was taking a pair of his shoes to a dying young man who would never walk again, inviting a crippled young woman to a celebrity dinner as his personal guest, or meeting four young men in a dangerous Chicago neighborhood after every game, he never advertised these incredibly unselfish random acts of kindness. For me, that demonstrated his true character. Very few people, knowing they have the power to do so much good, ever take the time that Mr. Jordan did to impact so many lives.

For me, one story sums up the whole book and character of the protagonist. Mr. Jordan described in vivid detail how he felt after being cut by his high school basketball coach. It wasn't the detail that impressed me, nor the depth of his feelings about the incident. He never named the coach. Obviously, those who knew the full story could determine the name of the coach. But Mr. Jordan did not humiliate the man, when for most of us, the temptation would have been overwhelming. Especially if you were the best basketball player in the world.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this book.

I am writing this review in response to "A reader from usa"'s very biased view of Michael Jordan.

The author Bob Greene writes this book in the perspective of a story teller instead of just vague praise of Jordan. You read this book you'll get the whole story of who Jordan is instead of how many points he can score.

"Michael Jordan got all kinds of special treatment while he was in the NBA...bogus calls" To that bias comment, Bob Costas of the NBA on NBC commentator said it best, "when you're a great player, you deserve the benefit of the doubt", he said that in response to Kareem Abdul Jubbar's critical free throw that won the championship when Bill Lambier made just a little bit of contact that doesn't warrant a foul call. The laker then went on to win the series & championship.

"Magic told Larry not to stand too close to Michael or they might call a foul. In front of reporters and television viewer..." That's a lighthearted moment when Bird, Magic & Jordan are taking a picture for the DreamTeam, and Magic Johnson meant for it to be a joke, and I think that you interpreted wrong. I'm sure as a great player, Bird & Magic get away with lots of foul too when Jordan response to Magic's Joke, "when are you ever foul out of a game, how can you talk?".

For all that think that Jordan don't deserve that much free throw, go get the tapes of jordan's game & play it in slow motion. You will see that he's simply unstoppable, most of the time people either get out of the way or have to bear-hugged him in order to stop him from scoring.

As for the Reggie Miller & Michael Jordan fight, because Reggie Miller started the fight, and I think there's a rule in NBA that punish the player instigated a fight with more harsh punishment.

"I am not too impressed that the bulls beat the lakers in the NBA finals... Bill Wennington stopping Kareem? Ha!" Well, like it or not, the Bulls are a great team with Jordan, when you're a winner you are a winner, it doesn't matter your opponents are injure or healthy. Even with all healthy lakers, there just isn't anyway to stop Jordan, the bulls would win anyway. You should compare the teams by overall strength & weakness. Even though the Bulls has so-so center, and the lakers have great center in Kareem, that doesn't mean the lakers can beat the Bulls. Jordan & Pippen's talent alone are far more superior than many of the lakers combined. Michael Jordan never has as much talented teammates as Magic and Bird has. Bird practically has a whole teams of hall of famers, Magic has Worthy, Jubbar, Scott,etc. In a sense, Jordan works much harder for his rings than either of these two great players.

"One of the moments picked was Mike beating the Jazz in the final minutes of his last game... obvious call", like it or not, Mike deserves to win that championship. Tell me who else could have done what he's done in that game, carrying his team throughout 48 minutes in his age, make all the right plays and makes no mistakes when the game's on the line. Before this last shot, whatever the bulls need, he gives, no matter how tired he is, he's the guy that gives his all. At the waning moment, he puts in a quick layup over several Jazz players, then he stole the ball from Karl Malone so he would have a chance to win the game by one point. And he made the shot. Whatever the Referee does, it's Referee's job, not Mike's fault.

I don't think Michael ever said Larry & Magic not good on defense. Personally, I think Magic & Larry is not as good a defensive player as Jordan is. Jordan has been defensive player of the year while leading the league in scoring too. (In the same year, he has very good steal & shot blocking stat). Larry & magic are never as quick as Jordan when he want to steals the ball. As for Shaq, he's no doubt a really dominate player with lots of skills, it's obvious he will never be as good as even Wilt Chamberlain. No other players can be as focus & mentally tough as Michael Jordan.

"Mike's corporate poster boy behavior is laughable...", we all know that superstars make commercials, as way of earning a living. Just like everybody else, that doesn't mean Mike has to be any different. Lately, he has been more selective in what commercial he does. Michael did use his influence to do charity commercial like the Anti-Drug ad & Aids awareness for Magic Johnson. Nike's labor practices are Nike's problem, people should not blame the stars that make the commercial, instead do something more usefull like pressuring Nike to change his practice.

"Players like Mike & Barkley soured me on the NBA..." That's most outrageous comment I read so far in Amazon's generally good review on books. It's player like Mike that allows people to dream, brings basketball to new height & make basketball popular globally. It's sad that we will never have someone as great an athlete ever again. Barkley is a great player that really deserve to wear a ring, he's just unlucky player that never get as great teammates magic & bird has, and he's in the same era that known as the Bulls dynasty, like many other hardworking great players, they just simply can not do anything about Mike & the bulls.

People should find something better to do than attacking Jordan for no apparent reason, when they expects Michael Jordan to be perfect yet he wants to find every little things to attack him however naive & laughable they are.

Bob Greene was not a reporter writing a story about Michael Jordan. He was Michael's friend. As a result, this book really lets the reader get to know Michael as a person. It is not just commentary on Michael. There is also a lot of actual dialog.

This is the best book written for Michael Jordan fans.