This was the first Young Cam Jansen book we have read. My son read part of it and I read part of it aloud to him. We enjoyed it very much. A great easy to read mystery book.

Brennan Manning talks about how a ragamuffin is someone who is honest about themselves and their failings, passionate about being intimate with God and does not conform to the expectations of cultural christianity for the sake of it. Rich Mullins was a ragamuffin ... someone who took the challenge of being intimate with the Father ... impacting and influencing those around him with the possibilities of living a Christ centred life.

This book is great ... it is not just a biography ... nor is Rich Mullins made out to be a "saint". This book is an honest and candid look at a man ... who just wanted to love God and love those around him. It is a challenging read and the reader comes away with a hunger for a deeper walk with Christ.

Reflections on each chapter are included with the intention of guiding the reader into a deeper look at themselves and their relationship with God.

I read this book very quickly because i was excited to have it but I am now going back into it and reading it slowly and thoughtfully ... which is the best way to be impacted by the treasure within.

Buy it!!! The bonus CD is great as well!

I've finished this book, and all of the chapters were just as excellent as the first three. Reading this book is like seeing snapshots of a life lived according to "The Ragamuffin Gospel" by Brennan Manning. The book enforces all of the same points (God's unending grace and love), but with real-life examples and depth. It made me realize that God is much more accepting and forgiving of me than I am, so it has given me something to work on. It would be a great gift for someone who is not too familiar with Rich Mullins, because it has a cd with a song for each chapter. This book is a must for the Christian collection. I will read it many times!

I had only been re-born for four months when God took Rich Mullins home, yet he continues to be used by God even after his death. Almost exactly a year after my rebirth, while listening to some Rich Mullins music, my wife realized she had a religion, not a relationship. And, even though he had passed from this world, Rich's music played a part in my wife coming to know Christ as both Lord & Savior. 'An Arrow Pointing to Heaven' continues God's use of Rich Mullins' life. Not only is it biographical, it is devotional. Although I ripped through its pages in one day, I have gone back on numerous occasions, even using some of his illustrations in the pulpit, perhaps to lead another lost soul to Christ. It saddens me to know I will never get to see Rich in concert. At least I, and any who read this book and listen to the included cd, will get to look inside the man who was caught in the reckless raging fury of God's love. May you be so consumed!

Though it talks a great deal about MacArthur and the Emporer of Japan, the book is really about Jay Marsh, whom I call "The General's Prince."

Set in late WWII and post-war Japan, the book looks at the inner circle of MacArthur's staff. Young Jay Marsh is a Arkansas farm kid who moved to California and learned to speak Japanese. This elevated him from an Army nobody to a trusted aide in the Supreme Commander's HQ.

Too trusted, perhaps. CPT Marsh learns to work politics and the intricacies of diplomacy, where "belly talk" compliments and shaded, half-lies are the norm. He's good at it. So good, in fact that he ultimately becomes an ambassador (the reader finds that out in the first chapter.)

But romance, love, passion, double-dealing, politics and a growing awareness of himself as a person bring CPT Marsh to a series of events which ends the book in a series of memorable plot twists.

I highly recommend the book for any WWII enthusiast or MacArthur fan.

Jim Webb has weaved a fascinating novel around the real history of the Japanese occupation, MacArthur's brilliance, his vanity, weaknesses, palace intrigues, and within it all gives us a love story that deals with ethics and morals and touches the heart. But the greatest gift that Webb delivers in this book is to return honor to Japannese General Yamishita, The Tiger of Malaya, whose "murder" by a MacArthur controlled kangaroo court has laid in the backwash of American history for 50 years. This story alone is worth the price and the time to read it. The Emperor's General should be required reading in every high school in America and in every law school ethics course. The story told is outstanding. And Jim Webb's Marine's sense of Honor is at the root.

Ray L. Walker

Seems to me that the people who would read this book are white, middle-class conservative men with some link to the military--sorry about the generalization if it seems unfair. Moreover, the book is written in that unsophisticated prose style that I usually associate with popular consumer fiction, not "real" literature. But I thoroughly enjoyed this work and was surprised at Webb's historical accuracy and addressing of themes in US-Japan relationships--unpleasant facts that have only been written about in recent scholarly books about collusive ties between the US and post-War Japan (cf. Dower's "Embracing Defeat" and the new Hirohito biography). Well, seems like Webb and others in the US military are well aware of MacArthur's personal and political faults as well (or maybe just the Marines). Happened to run across an obituary in the New York Times of one of the US defense attorneys of the wrongfully indicted Japanese general, which verified every one of Webb's narrative details! Gen. MacArthur's character comes to life and his arrogance is inextricably linked to the way he established US military policy toward East Asia's Pacific Crescent, a restructuring of Japan's own WWII Economic Co-Prosperity Sphere imperialism, but this time American style. The prose is smoothly-paced and highly readable; I whipped through this book in no time. As someone who has no connection to the world of men like Webb (whom I assumed represents the military elite who served in Vietnam and came to public attention in the Reagan-era Iran-Contra scandal), I was not only pleasantly surprised, but extremely impressed. I think this is an engaging, intriguing piece of work. Webb should be commended for producing a fascinating narrative that will stimulate and satisfy the minds of both lay reader and history buff alike.

Since the age of 12 (I'm in my 30's now), I have tried to absorb everything Shakespeare. Even though I have trepidations about film adaptations of the Bard's work, I had to see this film based on the prodigious talent of Emma Thompson. I'm glad I gave into my gut instinct, for her portrayal of Beatrice is so natural and glorious, you will actually get swept away with her performance and believe that she actually IS Beatrice!

Most of the supporting cast is also wonderful. Hats off to the performances by Denzel Washington (Don Pedro), Richard Briers (Seigneur Leonato), Brian Blessed (Seigneur Antonio), Michael Keaton (Constable Dogberry), and a absolutely stunning performance by Kate Beckinsale (Hero). The exceptions in the casting are Keanu Reeves (Don John), Robert Sean Leonard (Claudio) and...yes...Kenneth Brannagh (Benedick). Fortunately Reeves' role is small. Leonard's performance seems too contrived, to the point of distraction. And even though this is Brannagh's baby, Brannagh himself portrays the role of Benedick with a smugness that is a bit nauseating. If you read the play, Benedick is not smug at all. Though I enjoy Brannagh's other work, he seems to use Shakespeare as a way to show superiority. I have seen this in other actors, and find such action reprehensible. Shakespeare wrote plays for people to enjoy and to indugle in escapism...not to give people an excuse to be a snob.

Having said that, this film is very enjoyable, and I've actually had friends become Shakespeare addicts after seeing this particular film. I, personally, particularly love the Tuscan locations, and the costuming is wonderful! No over-the-top lacey outfits in this film, but rather those that would be suited to the climate. This adds another depth of reality that pulls you into the story.

If you are a fan of Shakespeare, or any of the aforementioned actors, this movie is a must-see. It's actually one of the very few film versions of a Shakespeare play that I own. This particular interpretation allows the viewer to become comfortable with Shakespeare's style, thus creating an interest in his other work. Well worth the purchase. And yes, it's VERY funny!

"Much Ado About Nothing" is a beautifully made, performed, and directed film by the incomparable Kenneth Branaugh. This film includes an all-star cast that give wonderful performances and draw you into the lives of the characters. The plot is somewhat complicated, so I'll give a general version. The film is basically about love, misunderstanding, scandal, revenge, virtue, and bravery. That's a lot for one film, but believe me, it's all in there!

Kenneth Branaugh, Emma Thompson, Denzel Washington, Keanu Reeves, and Michael Keaton give excellent performances in this film that you wouldn't want to miss. Although the film is a period piece and the Shakespearean language is used, you will have no difficulty understanding it perfectly.

The scenery and landscape in this film are exquisite as well. I never thought there could be such a beautiful, untouched place like that on earth. I would suggest watching the film just for the beautiful landscape, but it's the performances and the story that you should really pay attention to.

Anyone who loves Shakespeare would absolutely love this film! Anyone who loves Kenneth Branaugh and what he has done for Shakespeare in the past 10 or 15 years will appreciate this film as well! There isn't one bad thing I can say about this film. Definitely watch it, you won't be disappointed!!!

One of the problems with Shakespeare's comedies, an English professor once told me, is that they are not funny. Now, this is not to say that Shakespeare was a bad comedy writer, or that this professor had no sense of humour. In fact, quite the opposite--he had turned his sense of humour and love of humour into an academic career in pursuit of humour.

What he meant by the comment was, humour is most often a culture-specific thing. It is of a time, place, people, and situation--there is very little by way of universal humour in any language construction. Perhaps a pie in the face (or some variant thereof) does have some degree of cross-cultural appeal, but even that has less universality than we would often suppose.

Thus, when I suggested to him that we go see this film when it came out, he was not enthusiastic. He confessed to me afterward that he only did it because he had picked the last film, and intended to require the next two selections when this film turned out to be a bore. He also then confessed that he was wrong.

Brannagh managed in his way to carry much of the humour of this play into the twentieth century in an accessible way -- true, the audience was often silent at word-plays that might have had the Elizabethan audiences roaring, but there was enough in the action, the acting, the nuance and building up of situations to convey the same amount of humour to today's audience that Shakespeare most likely intended for his groups in the balconies and the pit.

The film stars Kenneth Brannagh (who also adapted the play for screen) and Emma Thompson as Benedict and Beatrice, the two central characters. They did their usual good job, with occasional flashes of excellence. Alas, I'll never see Michael Keaton as a Shakespearean actor, but he did a servicable job in the role of the constable (and I shall always remember that 'he is an ass') -- the use of his sidekick as the 'horse' who clomps around has to be a recollection of Monty Python and the Holy Grail, where their 'horses' are sidekicks clapping coconut shells together.

I'll also not see Keanu Reeves as a Shakespearean, yet he was perhaps too well known (type-cast, perhaps) in other ways to pull off the brief-appearing villian in this film.

Lavish sets and costumes accentuate the Italianate-yet-very-English feel of this play. This film succeeds in presenting an excellent but lesser-known Shakespeare work to the public in a way that the public can enjoy.

This book is lumped into the "Asian Saga" series of James Clavell, and yes, it takes place in Asia, but bears no other true resemblance to the rest of the saga. It's shorter, of course, but it's also not an epic...it takes place in a POW camp almost entirely.

The character of King, the American trader who lives high-on-the-hog through his wheeling and dealing, is fascinating in the feelings of hatred & envy he generates. Everyone wants to be close to him, not because they like him, but because he can afford to give away cigarettes, share an egg, pour coffee, etc. He has learned to manipulate the system totally to look out for #1.

He makes friends with unassuming British fighter pilot Peter Marlowe, who at first acts and translator and later as partner and friend to King. His character goes through lots of development, and he is really the conscious of the camp. Although not written in the first person, we really see things through his eyes.

The book is packed full of colorful characters, many sketched only briefly, yet Clavell makes us see them all, and understand them.

THere are moments of high drama, where our characters are close to being caught or captured, and the plot moves at a brisk pace.

I found the ending of the story to be just a tiny bit rushed, BUT it made some powerful statements. When the war ends, the fear that sweeps through the camp, first that the Japanese will take vengeance on the POWs and second, the fear of "what do we do now," is very convincing. It's not what I ever thought the liberation of a POW camp would be like, and it really made me stop and think. And the dynamics that occur when the first officers from "outside" show up to help liberate the camp are fascinating.

This book is an exploration of the human spirit that is dramatic, moving, occasionally funny and always unexpected. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

This is the only only book that written that in my opinion supplants Clavell's own Shogun as perhaps the best historical novel ever written.

Partly autobiographical, King Rat recounts the story of Phillip Marlowe, a character no doubt based on Clavell himself, and his years spent in the notorious Singapore POW camp known as Changi during WW2.

What is so stunning about this novel, is that perhaps because of the very real life experiences that forged its narrative, it becomes more than mere words on paper, it becomes a very real world where the old class lines are broken down as officers and enlisted men sleep in the same mud huts, where getting an egg in your rice for dinner constitutes a great day, a transvestite becomes the sexual icon of the whole camp and the very concept of traditional ethics and morals are challenged.

What makes this novel so very magical is that the depth with which the characters and their respective personalities and fates resonate with the readers, their laughter becomes your laughter, their sorrow becomes your sorrow, their joy becomes your joy, very rarely is a novel simultaneously able to so superbly entertain and make you affect your outlook on life, after the end of this short novel you will feel as if you have emerged from three years in a Singapore prison camp, and like the men in this novel, you will never be the same again.

King Rat is a masterpiece and quite possibly the most in depth and personal World War II book ever written. Clavell, a Japanese POW, uses his own experiences at these horrid camps to create a narraritve that will not soon be forgotten. The book surrounds the life of British militant Peter Marlowe (based on Clavell, most likely) and the manipulative and un-named "King." These men are amoung the Allied troops captured by the Japanese in the South Pacific, and the story reflects the type of society they built to survive the horrible conditions of the camp. A deep plot, dynamic characters, action, and romance make this a must-read...one of the highlights of 20th century literature.

Set in the dark, bloody atmosphere of 1950's Los Angeles, James Ellroy's "L.A. Confidential" is a brutal, harsh, unsettling, disturbing, confusing, intelligent, and, ultimately, masterful crime drama. The plot is a thickly layered story involving three detectives, Edmund Exley, Wendell (Bud) White, and John Vincennes, and their exploits considering their own lives during the timeframe of the novel. The plot also revolves around the slayings of six people at the Nite Owl, a diner whose infamy spreads throughout the course of the novel. This is just one of many different plots that intertwine to make an incredibly complex novel, filled with hundreds of characters rich in depth and characterization.

Ellroy's genius lies in his development of plot and characters. This novel is wildly different from the movie and its screenplay. The screenplay was a masterpiece, simply because Ellroy's novel is basically unfilmable in its present state. The novel is too dense, too dark, and too complex to make a movie that makes any sense within time constraints. Brian Helgeland and Curtis Hanson deserve considerable credit for taking this mammoth novel and condensing, stripping away plot lines and characters by the dozen. Some of the changes they made were masterful, some detract from the overall impact of the film. Ellroy's fixation is on characters. He has many of them, all deeply constructed. No character is without flaws. The character most interesting in this maze is Jack Vincennes, the smart detective whose life takes a variety of turns throughout the novel. It should be mentioned the novel is ABSOLUTELY nothing like the movie. The movie takes place during months; the book takes 7 years to complete its saga. The character of Jack Vincennes in particular is investigated much more in depth through Ellroy's version. The matter of Ed Exley's father, the involvement of Hollywood, and a Hispanic woman named Inez Soto, all missing from the movie, are central characters to this novel.

Somehow, Ellroy keeps all these characters straight. He has a shocking conclusion, and truly keeps a reader riveted. At its dullest, L.A. Confidential can be a confusing mess, but Ellroy always sprinkles scenes of savage violence and brutality to waken the reader. It must be said that this is not a novel for the faint-of-heart. Ellroy exposes the bigotry of 1950's Los Angeles through its hatred of blacks, homosexuals, and other minorities. This, combined with plots on smut, rape, murder, and the like, make this a book which is very powerful, graphic, and brutal. Ellroy's style is not beautiful, but rather shocking. He tries to stun the reader into submission, using very little description but rather blunt, graphic passages to get his point across. His only distinctive writing style is his use of newspaper clippings to tell about 10% of his story: the method is remarkably effective, since it diverts the reader from the profane, blunt, and direct writing of Ellroy just enough to keep the reader's sanity.

This is not an easy book by any means. Its language is very difficult, for it is colloquial profanity, mixed with language so graphic that the book takes on a dirty, forbidden tone. Its positives, however, far outweigh its negatives. It is truly a work of art, not graceful, but brutally intelligent. The plotlines are brimming with inspiration and rich color, the characters are distinctive and memorable, and the conclusion is a devastatingly pure and noble ending. Ellroy is a master of writing, and during most of the book, it shows. He is inspired at the end, taking his myriad of loose ends and combining them into one glorious plot that leaves the reader in awe.

The trick is getting to the end. The plot lines are wickedly confusing; Ellroy challenges the reader to keep with his pace. Moreover, the action is spread out over a long period of time. Many characters, though provided for color, are expendable, and it is easy to see why Hanson and Helgeland condensed the novel so much. It is quite difficult to get to the end of this book while understanding all of the numerous happenings and plots. However, despite the numerous flaws, and the often dull spots in the middle (though combined with gratuitous violence and sex), L.A. Confidential is a winning story and novel after everything is said and done. It is quite memorable, simply because it works at the end, it is an enjoyable, though exhausting ride. The violence and sex, although gratuitous, makes a rich atmosphere unparalleled since the days of Hammett and Chandler. It is a read quite worth it.

because the book was so derned good! All I can say is James Ellroy has a knack for bringing the skeletons out of everyone's closet. I certainly wouldn't want to be his friend because he'd probably uncover something bad about my character!

Needless to say, the book was jam packed full of meaning and indirect references to the real truths of the characters. The books writing style, although at times very difficult to follow (James Ellroy has an amazing ability to cram what most writers would take 45 words to say into the space of about 15), really makes this book sing. I thought I was in the 50's reading this book. I can't remember the last time I read the word "bupkis" in a novel!

Oh well, action packed, yet full of depth. First class all the way.

LA Confidential begins as hardboiled as a book has ever begun. It's Los Angeles in the early 1950s with plenty of organized crime and questionable police tactics. The just of the story is in the first page, Mickey Cohen the gangster that runs Los Angeles is going to prison which leaves a vacuum in the city. The rest of the book is figuring out who is trying to take over his rackets. The fun of the book is watching the characters battle to figure it out.

As is usually my wont, I read the book because I liked the movie so much. And with many great movies that are books, LA Confidential is just more of a good thing. The same main characters and a couple of interesting tertiary ones roll through Los Angles with a show horse of justice, though ambition and corruption are the real guiding factor.

Having seen the movie doesn't ruin the book, because the book is enough different to keep you wondering and Ellroy is such a good writer that you'll enjoy even the familiar dialogue. This is the kind of book that makes guys want to read books.

Plato's The Republic, is not only a classic work of the fourth century B.C., but a masterpiece of utopian literature as a whole. Mr. Lee's translation brings into light the political and poetical wisdom of Plato into English from the original Greek. In The Republic, Plato raises questions that are still at the heart of many modern conflicts and heated debates. What is justice? What is goodness? What is the right political authority? Plato examines these questions as aspects of a single theme. He offers a portrait of an ideal state in which power is entrusted to the philosopher king(s), and other men and women accept the authority of the wise and the good. If no one has read The Republic, then he or she has not read anything!

Plato's Republic is the fount from which nearly all Western thought flows. Pretty much everything written in that tradition either borrows from Plato or refutes him, and the Republic articulates his philosophies more fully than any of his other works(although the Timaeus is more mature and the Symposium is an amazing discussion on a single point). I must disagree with both of the main camps on this site; it is neither just a work of political philosophy NOR just a work of moral psychology(how to order your mind). Plato thought that all things should reflect the ultimate good, so that the ideal society would be ordered in the exact same way that the ideal human being would be. Thus, every part of one's psyche would correspond to a part of society(it's a microcosm!), and the "higher" parts of one's mind would be mirrored in the Guardians, the "higher" parts of society.

With that said, it is easy to see that the Republic proposes many things that disgust most modern human beings: censorship for political stability, ostracism of those with "weak" (read: human, sensitive, or some equivalent) emotions, killing young children, government regulation of sexual activity, and such. Even when Plato tries to give women equal rights, an _extremely_ radical idea in Ancient Greece, his ancient prejudices show up when he calls them "equal but weaker in all ways(morally, intellectually, and physically)".

Despite all of its shortcomings, the Republic was the work that singlehandedly separated the real from the ideal in Western civilization, and it also defined the kinds of questions that Western philosophers would try to answer until the 20th century. Pick up a book of Western philosophy at random, and I guarantee you that some issue introduced in the Republic will hit you within the first five pages. Even the Communist Manifesto rips off his discourse on women and his notion of work defining human beings. The Republic was the first work of real philosophy in the conversation of ideals that continues to this very day in fields as diverse as politics, philosophy, psychology, anthropology, and religion. (PS: If you think Plato's an idealistic fool, read Aristotle. So did he.)

I've used this text for some time in my undergraduate courses, with great success. Waterfield's translation is accurate and scholarly, and the introduction and notes make this edition a perfect introduction to Plato's philosophy.

As for the value of the text itself, little needs to be said. Plato's Republic is one of the most important works in the history of philosophy, and every well-educated person ought to have read it at least once. There is some controversy among scholars over whether the work is primarily one of political philosophy or of moral psychology, but Plato perhaps did not draw these distinctions the way we do: one can certainly learn a great deal about both areas from reading this one work.

I'm a devout Christian, and when I first heard on a Christian talk radio show that I listen to that Amazon.com was peddling child pornography, it raised my ire. I went home, and, as instructed by the radio talk show host, began to write an angry threatening letter to Amazon.com. My teenage daughter who I love and cherish in spite of our admit generational gap issues, asked me why I was writing a critical letter about a title I had never read. Well -- sometimes us older folks need to listen to our children. I put the letter on hold, and agreed to take a look at the book. While I didn't go out of my way to find it, I happened upon it at a bookstore the following day. And I have to admit -- this is NOT pornography at all. The poses of these beautiful young women is not at all provocative or seductive or arousing. This is art that shows the beautiful body that the Lord created. I don't understand the criticism, and am truly sorry that I nearly sent off an ignorant letter. If you're considering criticizing this book, I suggest that you READ it first! Though you may not like it, you may very well decide that this is NOT as bad as some of those organizing letter-writing campaigns are saying.

This book has the guts to tackle the touchy subject of sexual awakening head-on. The prose under each picture is about sex, and the introduction to the book by L. James is about sex, too. This is a good thing. Since sex amongst young people is obviously a very real thing, why is it considered bad to address it in print or other artistic mediums? It is my opinion that anything having to do with the life process should be fair game for artistic representation, including sexual awakening. Those who would condemn this book are denying that such feelings and desires do exist amongst young people. They do exist, and how. I am nineteen years old, and the sexual confusions and longings of adolescence are still fresh in my mind. I had to see this controversial book for myself and see if Hamilton got it right. While his is an older man's perspective on the subject, he still did surprisingly well. While most of the pictures, (with some VERY striking exceptions) tend to be very similar and can get monotonous, the overall effect of the book is impressive and memorable. As long as freedom of artistic expression reigns, as opposed to fascist misinformation and ignorance, books like this will always have a secure place for those mature enough to understand and relate to them.

Hamilton wonderfully captures the beauty of the young nude female. Make no mistake, these pictures are erotic and very compelling. Hamilton has a knack for capturing the essence of young teenage and pre-teen girls precisely at their "Age of Innocence." The photos are very alluring and sensuous. The book does have drawbacks, however. The text is, for the most part, pure drivel (but let's face it, no one buys a Hamilton book to read the words!). Also, I feel Hamilton should have included a few more full-nudes. But other than that, this is an excellent book and one well worth picking up. I can hardly wait for the next Hamilton book!

I agree with an earlier reviewer that the book is a good reference and the overwhelming details contained in it make it difficult to get the basic fundamentals. The authors need to trim it down and focus more on fundamental principles. I feel at times the book is somewhat convoluted and hard to follow. This is sometimes the case with books that have multiple authors.

Another reviewer pointed out the over abundance of yeast molecular biology contained in he book. I again agree with this person. I realize yeast is where we learned a lot about eukaryotic molecular biology. But I wish the book focused less on yeast and more mammalian cell biology. People using this book are likely to be looking at careers in biomedical research or medicine. I think more mammalian biology would be more beneficial.

Why do all these textbooks have to have a CD to run the price of the book up ?

An excellent textbook with a very clear writing style. Includes excellent diagrams and photographs to illustrate the text. The best of the lot. Personally, I would put this book well ahead of the similar book by Bruce Alberts et al., for its clarity and bredth of coverage.

This book gives the average biology (or non-biology) student not only an overview of cell-biology, but gives in-depth information on nearly any subject regarding this matter.

It easy to read, starts on the basics before explaining complicated matters and it got the BEST illustrations i have ever seen in such a book!

My opinion is, that anyone only remotely scientifically interested in the subject of cell-biology should get this book!

I've been fortunate enough to read several of James A. Michener's works, and CENTENNIAL is by far my favorite from this gifted author. In fact, I've read this book twice, which is no small task, given its 900-plus pages.

CENTENNIAL is about a fictitious town of the same name in Colorado. The town is not nestled in the majestic Rockies, as one might expect, but instead is located out on the vast, open, treeless, windswept plains that run down from the eastern slopes of the mountains. It is here, at the nexus of two radically diverse land masses, that Michener gives the reader a comprehensive history of the area, from the formation of the land and its rivers, to its prehistoric inhabitants, to its early settlers, to its subsequent clash of various cultures. The plains Indians, fur trappers, pioneer settlers, soldiers, ranchers, dry land and irrigation farmers, and the hearty descendents of these diverse groups--all are depicted vividly and weaved into an engrossing story by an author with a keen eye for detail.

CENTENNIAL furnishes an impressive assortment of powerful, unforgettable characters: Lame Beaver, an Arapaho chieftan; Pasquinel, a French fur trapper; pioneer Levi Zendt; trail boss R.J. Poteet; ranchers Jim and Charlotte Lloyd; and many more. Through these characters the reader is given an epic tale of the American West, a tale that is beautiful, compelling, profound, and often tragic. CENTENNIAL is higly recommended to any student of the American West, or to any lover of epic literature.

I grew to love Michener, when I read Hawaii, Mexico, and The Novel. I lost a little faith in him when I attempted to enjoy the Covenant, Source, and Journey. Fortunately, I'm glad to say that Michener redeemed himself with the Centennial. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is a wonderful novel that is as sweeping as his best works are. Finally, the biggest weakness of his writing, binding all the characters together, is gone because the span of time is relatively short. Even though some events seem hurried and never fully explained, Michener is still poetic and fills the novel with startling images and original characters. I especially liked the final fourth of the book. Michener foreshadowed what would happen in the first few pages, but he took sweet time getting there. The Wendells and the Grebes are the most intriguing characters in the book, so be patient until you read about them. The only gripe I have is Michener's knack of cheating his readers by providing an interesting portrait of a character and then, suddenly, drop them out of the picture: e.g., Elly and Soledad. Overall, he is at his best here and I would rank it third on my list of his best works, behind Hawaii and Mexico.

Once again I've enjoyed every word of a book by Michener. Centennial offers an excellent portrait of the history and development of the American West. The depiction of the different Indian tribes is superb and very educational. The way all the characters and their situations are portrayed is magnificent. Every time I picked up the book I could picture myself in the 19th century West living and feeling like the characters of this fascinating book do. Of the six or seven novels I've read by Michener, I liked only "Chesapeake" better than this one. Michener is my American hero, and I've learned to love your country thanks to him.