I've done humorous writing about animals myself (most recently, Scratching the 'Net: Web Sites for Cats) and I think I've packed in some laughs. But Archy and Mehitabel, while very funny, rises above the level of mere humor to be quite touching. Having a common cockroach, which we ordinarily think of as disgusting, as the hero is a brilliant device. This viewpoint allowed Marquis to write in a way that was very emotional and sentimental but never became saccharine. Do yourself and favor and discover a wonderfully unique humor reading experience.

"Archy and Mehitabel" is a strange, funny little book. Drawing from the conversational poetry found in books like Edgar Lee Masters "Spoon River Anthology," Marquis uses a colloquial style which not only suits his characters, but works in a poem. Lots of laughs, some decent writing, and a tasty way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

Talking animals are easy to find in literature. Good ones, like a cat and a cockroach of this caliber, are not. Marquis brings humanity by allowing his animals to stay animals. Spiders still are poisonous, rats are still threatening, and cockroaches have never been able to type the capital letters on a typewriter. Marquis pushes reality, keeping his characters grounded in truth (OK, he fudges with truth a lot, but don't let that stop you).

While filled with humorous tales, moments are sad, like in the ninth poem, "freddy the rat perishes." Dear Freddy has a run in with a spider who is up to no good. In a valiant struggle, a tough South American spider ("raised on red pepper and blood" and "nursed on tabasco sauce") Freddy is killed while saving his friends. Freddy ate some poisoned cheese the night before and let the spider bite him, knowing he had nothing to lose. After it was over, Archy and Mehitabel dropped Freddy "off the fire escape into the alley with/military honors". Despite the whole premise being ridiculous, a tear might well up.

Children will love being read the stories, and younger teens may find poetry readable (before you send them on to Keats and Byron!). Great, funny pictures, completely in the context of each poem-tale.

I fully recommend this book.

Anthony Trendl

don marquis, a newspaper columnist, claimed that some mornings he used to find poetry and essays in his typewriter (this was way before wordprocessing) written by a former free-verse poet (sort of a 1910s variation on a beatnik) who had been reincarnated as a cockroach named archy and thus was condemned to write by diving into the keyboard one letter at a time. and no shift key, so no capitalization. so these newspaper columns looked a little like this. i used to wonder how archy work the return key at the end of the lines but I guess he got mehitabel to help. mehitabel is archy's friend and antagonist, an alley cat of great pretensions and charm. all of this sounds awfully coy, i know, like one of those hideous mystery novels where somebody's pet chihuahua solves the crime. but it isn't. it is sad and strange and very funny, especially on the subjects of writing, new york, and poverty. fans of george herriman (artist and writer of "krazy kat") especially should check this out. one of life's lower-case pleasures.

Don and Audrey Wood are quickly becoming my favorite creators of picture books for toddlers. "The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear" has been a must-read since the day my 3-year old daughter found it at the bookstore; when we went looking for more, we found "Quick as a Cricket." My daughter made me read it to her six times before she let me up from the bookstore bench to go buy it for her. The intense likeability of the Little Mouse style has been taken up a notch into a wide variety of animals, as the boy of the story changes and shifts to match each new companion. The words are simple, but rhythmic and rhyming. While it's not as funny as "Little Mouse," the rapture of reading it with my daughter has not faded. "Quick as a Cricket" is a definite classic, and one that will last the decades.

My son eyes new books suspiciously - almost like I was trying to sneak a new child into the house without checking with him first. His books are a closed circle of friends and he loves the familiar, well worn pages that he can rattle off by heart. So I was amazed when he took to this book immediately and with gusto, rattling off the animal names within days. Quick as a cricket, slow as a snail, small as an ant, large as a whale, ...there are sad bassetts, happy larks, tame poodles, busy bees, lazy lizards, tough rhinos...you name it. This books has the essential ingredients for every toddler book - beautiful artwork, rhyme and rhythm to the words, and interesting characters to capture little imaginations. I love the Woods but not all their books are for tots this age since they can get a little bizarre sometimes. This ranks right up there in the book world the way Raffi does in the music world of toddlers!

My one year old daughter is a book-a-holic. She loves me to read ot her and I have, in the process, been given an opportunity to become quite adept in my knowledge of great children's books. This book is a winner! It is her very favorite. She loves the illustrations and the story delights her. She loves animals and is able to see many of her favorites, namely, the dog and cat. She also loves the end of the book where the boy has his arms overhead. She likes to mimic this gesture everytime we come to the end. If your kid loves to read, loves animals and you want a book that is not too wordy this book is for your child. Happy reading!

I spent hours in college laughing my a** off reading this twisted "book". I have not seen it since. A high school yearbook for sheep ! This is one book that deserves to be reprinted.

THERE MUST BE SOMETHING INTRINSIC IN THE PERSONALITIES OF THOSE WHO LOVED THIS BOOK. I, TOO, LOANED ALL THREE OF MINE TO FRIENDS--NEVER TO SEE THE BOOKS AGAIN. I ALWAYS THOUGT I COULD FIND ANOTHER COPY, BUT, I LEARNED IT IS NOW OUT OF PRINT. I NOW SEE THAT OTHERS SHARE THIS PAIN. "THE BLADE" WAS ONE OF THE FUNNIEST BOOKS I HAVE EVER READ. I, TOO, ESPECIALLY LOVED THE TAGGART TWINS. HOWEVER, THE ENTIRE YEARBOOK WAS WONDERFUL--THE FACULTY, STUDENTS, ACTIVITIES--I LOVED IT ALL. PLEASE BRING BACK "THE BLADE". A SHELLVILLE REUNION WOULD BE PERFECT FOR THE MILLENNIUM! PS MY HUSBAND ASKED ME TO ADD THAT HE LOVED DON'S "POPE ON A ROPE".

I met Father Guido in Seattle during a Labor Day Weekend music festival, and I asked him as many questions as I could about Blade.

He said his initial idea for the book came from seeing a picture of a sheep in a newspaper. The picture was closely cropped, and it reminded him of a high school yearbook photo. From that he got the idea for the book. He did a few sample pages, and sold the idea to a publisher.

He said the book had a large initial printing, but has been out of print ever since.

He seemed really happy that people liked, remembered and still wanted the book.

The adventure racing world waited a long time for a resource as comprehensive as this one. It is no surprise that we were finally provided this resource by the man who founded Odyssey Adventure Racing, a company that produces more races than any other US AR company and also offers a great racing academy.

One of the best features of The Complete Guide to Adventure Racing is that rather than giving us "the gospel according to Mann and Schaad", it provides multiple views from various experts on controversial topics such as nutrition, strategy, team dynamics, and sleep management. You may occasionally find that the contributors disagree with each other, which only serves to underscore the strategic nature of the sport.

What I didn't expect was inspirational content in addition to the detailed information of this text. By including first-person stories from other racers, race directors, and observers, the book becomes a "good read" in addition to an instructive one. It makes you want to get out there and register for the first race you can find. Buy this book and you'll see what I mean!

The adventure racing world waited a long time for a resource as comprehensive as this one. It is no surprise that we were finally provided this resource by the man who founded Odyssey Adventure Racing, a company that produces more races than any other US AR company and also offers a great racing academy.

One of the best features of The Complete Guide to Adventure Racing is that rather than giving us "the gospel according to Mann and Schaad", it provides multiple views from various experts on controversial topics such as nutrition, strategy, team dynamics, and sleep management. You may occasionally find that the contributors disagree with each other, which only serves to underscore the strategic nature of the sport.

What I didn't expect was inspirational content in addition to the detailed information of this text. By including first-person stories from other racers, race directors, and observers, the book becomes a "good read" in addition to an instructive one. It makes you want to get out there and register for the first race you can find. Buy this book and you'll see what I mean!

The Complete Guide to Adventure Racing by Don Mann and Kara Schaad is destined to become the definitive work on adventure racing. I am not an adventure racer myself, but I am a runner and mountain biker with aspirations to do an adventure race one day soon. I have found this work to be not only informative, but inspiring as well. I especially enjoyed reading the articles by top adventure racers, tips from experts in every
field of adventure racing and the personal stories of those who have fulfilled their dreams of extreme challenges. The book is well written and the photography and illustrations are first class. Don and Kara have assembled advice and instructions from the best multi-sport athletes in the world. I have read every book ever written about adventure racing and this is, by far, the most informative. I consider it an invaluable addition to my "library" of sports and fitness literature. If you have ever competed in an adventure race, simply have a dream of someday pushing the limits of your physical boundaries, or you just want to read interesting stories of those who have, The Complete Guide to Adventure Racing is a "must read".

I must nearly have the entire Cisco Press catalog - but this book surely stands out as the best. There are other classics (such as Routing TCP/IP 1 and 2 by Jeff Doyle), but the author of this book explains things so clearly and with a minimum of complexity that you wish he had authored ALL the Cisco Press books.

I did not get this book for the section on IGPs and their interaction but rather for the chapters on QoS and Security - and in no time i had configured RSVP, WRED and IPSec VPN's with IKE all with a good solid understanding of the underlying technologies. Fantastic!

If you are a network engineer, with even some relativley light Cisco skills, then this book will have you understanding some more complex and useful topics in no time. It serves as a great primer for those more complex Cisco tomes.

Great book that presents the material in a very structured manner
and in a way that is easy to understand. For those of you who are
looking for a good starting point on Quality of Service, IPsec
and other services, this book is for you. Beginners should have a
firm grasp of IP routing before moving on to this book. Although
this book is a relatively fast read compared to other Cisco Press
books, it's full of great information. Must have for your Cisco
library!

This is the first networking book I've read that concentrates on some very important IP services: Security and QoS. These topics are very relevant to where the Internet is headed. The fact that the author focuses on how to deploy these services using Cisco IOS and offers an in-depth understanding of the CLI is icing on the cake.

It has been seven years since Lauren's mother drowned, now her Aunt Jule asked her to come back. Jule's daughter Holly appears to have accepted Lauren with open arms - but there is a friction between them. Holly's sister Nora is strange - a frightening figure who makes Lauren's skin crawl. A series of accidents makes Lauren afraid for her life - especially when two of the "accidents" almost kill her. There is a secret buried in the past that Lauren must uncover. If Lauren can not find the truth then she will be the victim of a fatal accident - just like her mother.

The first book in this series was so well written that I didn't think the author could make it better - but she has. The storyline of this novel is strong and keeps you reading until the last page. As with "Legacy of Lies" this novel has strong characters that draw you into their story and make it yours. I have been recommending this all over the place.

The other great thing about this book is that although it is part of a series you don't have to read the "first" one first. It's also pretty neat that both books have been set in the same small town so that you can build a mental image of the town and add to it each time you read another book in the series.

Lauren has come back to her home town of Wisteria, Maryland finally. It's been 7 years since that tragic night when her mother died. While on her way to her Aunt Jule's(her godmother) she meets up with Nick, her childhood best friend who is no longer the troublesome chubby-cheeked boy she remembers. She also sees Nora and Holly again, Jule's children. Nora is deranged and angry and she wants Lauren gone. While Holly is accepting and her and Lauren become closer. Meanwhile Nick who had been acting as if he'd like to be more than just Lauren's friend turns on her and becomes glued to Holly. Now Lauren doesn't know who she can trust, but she'd better figure it out soon cuz someone wants her dead. And this time there's no place to hide.

GOD, this was an awesome book. I love Elizabeth Chandler. Make sure you read all the Dark Secret books! They are the best. And the guy on the cover who is supposed to be Nick is HOTT!!!

Don't tell is the Second book in the Dark Secrets series. ANd just like legacy of Lies it combines the supernatural with a thrilling mystery. In this book Lauren has come home years after her mother died in the town she grew up in. Since then she has lived a priveleged life but never quite gotton over her mothers death. When she comes home she meets some famillar faces. Her godmother whose mood swings are puzzleing. Her old pal Nick who she's becomming attracted to. Her cousin Holly who welcomes her home with open arms, and Nora, whose damaged mind is convinced that Lauren's mother, Sondra is haunting the boat house. But when Lauren stays at her old home for a while she notices that someone dosen't want her home. She finds her life being threatened on a daily basis and all of her electrical cords have been tied into a mysterious knot, just like what happened before her mother died. SHe suspects that Nora has something to do with it because she seems far from sane. But w!hen she digs deeper she discovers a dark secret that expalins why her mother's death wasn't an accident and that the killer is still out there.

I found this book to be just as good as Legacy of lies. Reading about Lauren's stuggle proving that she's sane and her mothers death wasn't an accident is entertaining. THe book is thillign suspenseful and filled with twists and turns. If you liked Legacy of lies and suspence stories, read this.

Many people are familiar with the story of the boys on tracks, first featured nationally on TV and then in the very anti-Clinton "Clinton Chronicles" video, which, despite some apparent inaccuracies, still contains a great deal of truth, and changed my own view of political corruption forever. The book "The Boys On The Tracks" is the real story of what happened in Arkansas, and is endorsed by Linda Ives, the mother of one of the boys who was killed and placed on the railroad tracks on that fateful night in August, 1987. Mrs. Ives is the central character in this book. The reader is presented with not only the entire story of the unfathomable corruption, but much of this incredibly detailed story is as if from Ives' diaries, written or mental.

The author, Mara Leveritt, takes the reader from the time the two boys are killed, through the complete story of what Ives goes through to try to find out the truth (and she still hasn't found the truth about what happened that night). First, we encounter the unbelievable and outrageous behavior and incompetence of the Arkansas State coroner, Famy Malek, who is protected countless times by top state officials despite absolutely false determinations he makes. Malek rules the boys deaths suicides from drug intoxication, and it takes the Ives family a long time to prove this false due to lack of cooperation from Arkansas officials. Only this is just the beginning of the obstructions of justice the

Ives face.

Then we see that, at least in part, practically the entire state of Arkansas's legal and law enforcement agencies are rampant with corruption, to the point that felons hold high-level positions in government and law enforcement. Clearly these state officials will go to any length to prevent the truth of the boys's deaths from being revealed. A very prominent figure in this aspect of the story is Dan Harmon, a county prosecuting attorney. Harmon brutally beats people up, incl. his wives and ex-wives, and even steals confiscated drugs, and yet is held completely unaccountable for his actions and is returned to office again and again. Harmon is eventually and surprisingly convicted of certain offenses, but any crimes related to events around the time of the boys's deaths are deliberately ignored. Oddly enough, though not at all surprising once you read the unbelievable things revealed over and over in this book, Harmon is initially depicted as an ally of Linda Ives!

Of course the biggest, most outrageous part of this story is the cover-up of large-scale drug smuggling done through the Mena Airport, incl. the Barry Seal story, which is never dealt with by Arkansas officials. The details of this horror story are so phenomenal that you have to wonder how the people involved in these crimes can take part in such corruption and hypocrisy, and do their misdeeds with such impunity!

If you want the complete story, this is undoubtedly the book to read. If you don't have time to read this very well-written, 300+ page book, see "The Clinton Chronicles" and the more accurate (according to the participants) "Obstruction of Justice" videos.

A mother's determination to learn the truth about the deaths of her teenage son and his friend, who were hit by a train late at night in Arkansas after being laid side-by-side on the tracks. Local authorities offer absurd explanations and try to brush it off as an accident, but in time it becomes clear that a cover-up is in the works, and that the deaths were possibly related to a large-scale, international drug-smuggling operation of the 1980's, which was condoned and covered up by authorities because of its links to Iran-Contra. Don't let this sound too confusing or far-fetched. Mara Leveritt is a respected reporter with the Arkansas Times, and the entire story is carefully explained and well-documented. This is a must read for anyone interested in American government policies in relation to the drug war, Iran-Contra, and covert activities, or Arkansas state politics in the Clinton era.

This is, in my view, the best full account of the "Train deaths" I have seen yet.

This story and the events surrounding the Mena airport in Arkansas are unknown to most Americans, due to narrow-minded journalists and partisan political hacks on both sides.

This story and the whole story of Mena is very real, and will haunt America for years to come.

It is a true story of a parents worst nightmare. And a nightmare for the nation that few are aware of--our government and system of justice has become corrupt and lawless.

I would deeply recommend this book for anyone who is interested in getting the word out about Mena and the "Train Deaths" and who is interested in helping reclaim our system of justice to prevent it from failing our children again.

This book covered some of the most interesting topics of real human life in the workplace, and not only in the United States. It also applies in places like Spain, where I'm from. Jean's experience in dealing with all these subjects makes the book and her advice very useful and realistic. Also I very much enjoyed reading this book -- it's certainly not boring! I strongly recomend this book to my friends, to people who work in companies or institutions, and also to the general public. I'm sure they will learn from it as well as enjoy it. Thanks, Jean, for this excellent book.

GET THIS BOOK! I've seen Jean on TV and heard her on theradio, so I was looking forward to her book. Little did I suspect howmuch I would LOVE THIS BOOK! When I got it, I just opened it in the middle for a glance and I couldn't put it down. I read a question from a lady who caught her married boss kissing someone else while on a business trip and she wanted to know what to do about it. I won't tell what Jean said, you'll just have to read it yourself.

That hasn't ever happened to me, but let's just say I identified with a lot of the questions in there. Just out of curiosity, I went to her web page and sent one of my questions to her. Who knows?

I really recommend this book. It will really help you deal with the people in your office, including your boss. Jean tells it like it is, she doesn't preach or cut people any slack either. She's like an office Dear Abby. Her advice works at home, too.

BUY THIS BOOK! I'm getting a copy for my niece who is graduating from college this May. I've already told all the people at work to get one too. ;)

Someone gave me this book. Maybe they were trying to send me a message. Just before placing it on a bookshelf for "posterity", I flipped through a few pages. Hours later, after a fun cover to cover read, I decided to get copies for all my employees . . . as well as for a few other CEO's I know. Not only entertaining, but right on target. Real life advice that will make any company run better. Thanks Jean!

White Noise is honestly the best book I have ever read. The book by Don Delillo is based around an average suburban family named the Gladney's. Jack the husband is a professor of Hitler studies at an University and his wife Babette teaches classes on the proper way to sit and stand. Between Jack, Babette and several other marriages several children are introduced in the book and each seems to bring an interesting twist. The whole book is humorous and yet very morbid. Three main themes seem to show up throughout the book. These consist of Death, Sex and Consumerism. We see how these to people deal with the lingering thought of Death. Are we all just waiting to die and can buying material possessions make you feel better along the way? That is the question the book seems to be really asking.
This book is very enjoyable and you may find like myself that you have a hard time putting the book down.

White Noise by Don Delillo was a book that should be read by all ages. It's basic concepts that were brought out were the acts of consumerism and death. There was also some sex involved in there too. As you can see, a perfect book for the growing college student. I also liked how Delillo brought in some humorous moments when they were during his grocery shopping and watching television. This novel basically describes the typical American family and shows how this family is just as normal as the rest of us, but shows the side we never really see. I particularly like how Delillo displays Jack as this bizarre man who really focuses on death. He can't help but think about it. I really liked him in this novel because he reminds me of myself as I walk around and think "outside the box" if you know what I mean. This book constantly made me laugh, especially when the father fights with his son. That whole argument is hysterical! The book throws some good twists to American society that most of us never see. My basic thoughts on this novel are that you should read this because it will really make you laugh, and make you think about your typical day of work and life.

Don Delillo, author of White Noise, wrote a classic with this book. A story about a family consumed with fear of death didn't seem like one I wanted to read, but when you get into the story, you begin to like it more and more. The book is filled with humorous events and a glimpse into what people really make of the world. The characters in the book look way into simple things like grocery shopping and television. They are always thinking that the other is more afraid, constantly arguing over it without any real knowledge. The book is an easy read, and one that will keep your interest. This book is considered a satire of consumerism and technology in america, and it definately is. The characters take each of these into depth, always giving you something to look at. After reading this book, you will question your motives somewhat when you go out, either to the movies, to eat or go shopping. I truly enjoyed this book and would reccomend it to anyone.

After trying to solve others problems, encourage them, give them advice, no matter how great I thought they were, this book awakened me to the idea of letting others come up with their own answers and how I could stop allowing myself to be emotionally manipulated. I feel like I have just come out of a coma in this area.

Until now I never understood what people really wanted when they started unloading their feelings and problems to me. They didn't want me to solve their propblems or fix their lives, they simply wanted their feelings validated so they could then come up with their own solutions. For me this is the most valuable information I have found in the last 15 years.

The applications for use of this information are unlimited. I was speaking with a very successful collections agent. As we were talking, the subject of validating people's feelings came up. She told me that this was her secret to collecting on accounts that no one else had been able to.

For me the possiblities for applications of these concepts in all of my personal and business relationships is fantastic.

Thank you Gary & Joy

This book is written in plain,easy-to-understand language. My daughter was diagnosed with an eating disorder. Parents find it difficult in coping with an eating disorder and this book has helped so many. Professionals and Famiy Members absolutely can benefit and live by the Validation Principles and Questions. I can now listen and understand another person's point of view without having to change it. I have ordered at least six books for close friends. My own therapist has enjoyed the book and is now teaching the Validation Priniciples to parents with teenagers. I am now using the techniques in teaching management in my real estate business.

This book is great.
Easy to read, practical, with very concrete advice that WORKS immediately!
You can start applying the suggestions right away and reap the benefits.
It worked with my 3 year old son and my 60 year old father. It's going to really enhance the relationship I have with my son.

No kidding! Depending on your personality type, if you are experiencing some stress & communication problems in your relationships, buy this book right away. It could do miracles for you too.