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Since this book deals with the late 1960's, and the problems that plagued that era, it is particularly compelling to the more senior reader, who lived through that time. It contains a love story, along the lines of a princess and a pauper. This is a love that starts in early youth and extends through marriage and the first days of parenthood. Tragedy occurs, and the father is challenged in his relationship with his son during the devilish period of negativity surrounding the Vietnam War. It occurs to the writer, that the descriptions ring true, and serve to bring back a reader to those times.

I used this book to do some research about early mormon families. It acurately and pictorially follows the early history from beginning to present.

Every other page is a map or chart with a brief overview on the other page.

If you want the facts and nice illustrations of them this is the book for you. Only 150 pages.

Published at the time of the Kienholz Retrospective Show at the Whitney Museum in 1996, this book not only documents that show with over 400 illustrations (many in color), it is also a tribute to Ed Kienholz, who died in 1994. Contributions by art historians, artists, friends and most importantly, Nancy Reddin Kienholz, make up a history that spans 4 decades. It begins with Ed's solo work in the Beat Era of the 1950s and continues with the collaborative work done by Ed and wife Nancy from 1972 to 1994. Even those who are not artists cannot help but be moved by this book. The stories are interesting, often funny and always personal. From collages to life-size environments, the work is not afraid to confront issues of cruelty or to embrace the forgotten in society. Unique vision, artistry and the materials of everyday life (collected at flea markets and junk shops) combine to make art that can be quiet with despair, cry out in anguish, or even make us laugh. Considered by some as ugly, this work is never dull or without compassion. As art historian and curator Walter Hopps says on the book jacket, "The work of Edward and Nancy Reddin Kienholz has had an enormous impact on the development of contemporary sculpture." I recommend this book to anyone interested in contemporary art or social science -- or who just appreciates a beautiful book and fascinating story.

My three year old daughter loves The Big Comfy Couch. She especially loves this book because of its vibrant colours and entertaining storyline. The pictures of Loonette and Molly are just like the show we watch on t.v. This book flows nicely and is fun for both parent and child.

This book was really funny. The pictures were bright and cute. This is a book designed for parents to read with their kids. The Big Comfy couch is a great place to be! I loved this book a lot.

Katherine Jackson does a thorough job telling the story of the Jackson family through the years. Beginning in Gary, Indiana, with family singalongs, to school talent shows, to local clubs, to Motown and beyond, she saw it all. The book ends in 1989, with the "LaToya troubles", but gives ample coverage to all of the children individually and together, personally and professionally. All the children (except LaToya) cooperated, and most add their own recollections along the way.

I enjoyed this book alot i read it to myself and my mon, it's excellent. Katherine tells an honest heartwrenching story about her family, this comes from the person who knows them the best.She really let's you know that her family is just as much as normal human beings as everyone else.She breaks down the families personalities in the books so you will understand them better, why Michael is so sensitive and talented, to Randy's being independent. This is a really great book.

I found it so refreshing to read a book about the first family of Pop Music without all the tabloid garbage. Katherine tells the story from her POV which is the truth. After all she experienced everything first hand as the Matriarch of the Jacksons. She starts off with her own childhood to the infamous to do with Latoya in 1989 struggling all the while to keep the family together.

It is a heartwarming and straight forward story that only a mother can tell and Katherine does an excellent job on it. My wish is that she would write a sequel so that she can up to date us all on what the family is up to now and share with us her thoughts on two of her newest and most famous grandbabies of them all, namely Prince Michael(PJ) Jackson and Paris Katherine Michael,. A very good book which I highly urge everyone to read.

A delightful book for a teen who wants to read something that is part fantasy and part reality. It's the story of Daniel who, after his parents die, goes to live with his grandfather on the remote island of Coquille. Daniel is a loner who encounters a mermaid one evening. She delivers a key to him by way of a "messenger" otter, and Daniel uses the key his entire life to perform wonderous deeds. His life becomes one of love, adventure, and a magical ability to help animals and people in distress.

I enjoyed this book throughly, and recommend it to parents who may want to take time to share a YA book with their young adult.

I'm in 7th grade with a 13+ reading level, but my teacher told me this would be a good book to read, so I did. I have to say I loved it. You should read it too! Daniel is such a great charachter! Cynthia Rylant describes everything so realisically, that you can picture it easily. You should read this book! It's a simple book, with a strong message!

This book of childhood, magic, and mermaids actually came to me in a magical way. I was in an art supply store, a place that never carries novels. The Islander was right there on the shelf in front of the ceramic painting books. I picked it up, flipped through it, and felt Destiny's hand nudge me toward the checkout counter. I'm glad I obeyed!

Daniel, whose tale is told in The Islander, encounters magic in exactly the same way as this book fell into my hands. A lonely orphan living with his kindly grandfather, Daniel finds a mermaid's comb one day while walking the beach; from there the magical mystery begins. (It is hard to say much about the story without the risk of spoiling it.) Reading it, I was reminded of the lonely moments in my own childhood when I wished for exactly the kind of magic that happened to Daniel.

It's officially a Young Adult's book, but my wife and I both enjoyed it deeply. I'd recommend it for adults who still love innocent, loving magic just as highly as I'd recommend it to young people.

In this book Zacks has compiled an extensive collection of facts about how Sex played a major role in history. The more I read, the more amazed I was at how history is cleansed of these realities before we are taught it in school. This book has made me hungry to dig up other books that fill in the blanks in my knowledge of the past.

It seemed to me that history classes took all the life out out of the past leaving a shell of battle dates and wars. I never really cared about that. This book puts back what history teachers (and time) took out: The Smut!

This book is an easy read as it has a lot of humor served in doses of one to two paragraphs. The subject is not wartime strategies...well, not on the battlefield. Cleopatra's seduction of Marc Anthony was better planned than most military skirmishes, and was far more successful with only one moonstruck casualty.

I would recommend this book for anyone who loves history, and even for those that found it tedious in school. It is essentually a fun and frisky romp through the bedrooms of yesteryear.

This book is where you go to learn the things they wouldn't teach in school.

Although this is the official movie guide for children to the Two Towers, I found that it was helpful for adults who are not Lord of the Rings fans and/or have not read any of the books by Tolkien. It is lushly illustrated with gorgeous photos of all of the people/creatures in The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers. There are also a few photos of how they developed CGI characters such as the cave troll and Sauron. Underneath each photograph is a sentence or two explaining who the person/creature is and how they fit into the story. The wording and the brevity of the descriptions make it perfect for younger readers or those looking for a quick and dirty introduction to the characters of Middle Earth including Hobbits, Ents, Easterlings, Haradrim, Uruk-Hai, Gollum, the Watcher in the Water, Dwarves, Elves, Wizards/Istari, Balrog, Gwaihir, and many more. The book also comes with a free fold out enlarged picture of Gandalf confronting the Balrog in Moria. I would recommend this book for those who are not very familiar with The Lord of the Rings trilogy and for children ages 8 and up. It is very short at app. 60 pages (most of which is taken up by pictures) and so is a great introduction. However, if you are a Tolkien fan and familiar with the stories or saw the first movie, there is nothing new for you here.

I do not know if there was a "The Fellowship of the Ring Movie Tie-In" version of "The Lord of the Rings: Creatures," but there really does not need to be because this book covers all of the creatures encountered in the first two films based on J. R. R. Tolkien's trilogy (although there is a special little section on the "lost" Tom Bombadil). The emphasis is decidedly more on the film than the original novels, with quotations from both the actors and the technicians who brought Tolkien's creatures to life. Within these pages young fans of "The Lord of the Rings" will find everything from hobbits and their hairy feet to the tree-like Ents. In between there are the forces of men, elves and dwarves allied in the West to face the dark servants of both Saruman in Isengard and Sauron in Mordor. Attention is paid to not only all the species but all of the major characters that appear in "The Two Towers." There are lush photographs from the films (I especially like the shot of Treebeard) but also production drawings and computer graphics, almost always accompanied by insights from the likes of director Peter Jackson, head of special effects Richard Taylor, and others. Older readers will find this book just whets the appetite for more information about these creatures and how they were developed from Tolkien's original descriptions into what we have seen in the films. But younger readers should find this official movie guide to the creatures and cultures of Middle-Earth to be suited to their interests. A fold-out chart is included (cannot know the creatures without a program), but hopefully young readers will put off pouring over this slim volume until after they have actually seen the film. Your first look at Treebeard, Gollum, and Shelob should be in the film, not the photographs of this book.

The epic movie trilogy "The Lord of the Rings" was the first exposure to Tolkien's work for a lot of the people who watched it. And the fans who haven't yet read the books should check out this book, to get the tips on who and what and where and why.

Basically, this "Creatures" book lets the readers know: What's a hobbit? What's an Elf? What's an Ent? Readers of the original fantasy trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien will know all of this. On the other hand, newbies will like being able to look these things up -- especially since "Two Towers" has a lot of new material, with the Ents, Haradrim, Rohirrim, and others. The book is pretty short, and seems even shorter because it is composed mostly of photographs. These are clear, brightly colored, and great shots -- not just of stuff in the movies, but also from stuff behind the scenes.

What's especially nice are the quotes. Accompanying many of the smaller photographs are quotes from director Peter Jackson, special-effects wizard Richard Taylor, actors Elijah Wood, Ian Holm, Sean Astin, and pretty much everyone else. These quotes add insights into both the characters ("In their world, it's who you are on the inside that matters") and behind the scenes (complaints about the hobbit feet, from several actors). One of the best quotes is Peter Jackson revealing how the much-maligned Tom Bombadil almost made a cameo -- fans of the books will want to check that out.

Even if you've read the other books, this brief book will offer a few new insights and plenty of good movie and behind-the-scenes pictures.

Though Branson's achievements are impressive and many, the book is heavy with praise and lacks the depth and detail I was interested in reading about.

A good book detailing the rise and riches of Richard Branson. A truly good book for entrepreneurs.

I'm with the above Arabian Night.
I'd like to make dinner with you and dance real slow.
But I would be happy with a job and honored to serve you :)
What'd yah say, big boy?