I read this book after watching the movie in my Modern European History class. At the time, we were studying that particular era in France. I loved the movie, and if I hadn't seen it, I don't think I would have been able to read the book.

The story of Germinal is about the struggles of the working class in a coalfield of France during a time when industry was taking over. Lives were changing, and this class suffered greatly. The Maheus are the family that is the main focus of the story (the struggle). Etienne Lantier is a young man who comes to the coalfield searching for a job. He represents the guiding force throughout the novel. A complicated mass of events are occuring, and Zola does a great job making it sound realistic. By the end of the novel, few have survived, but that adds to the reality of the story. I love his writing style, which is illuminated by imagery and stunning metaphors.

I found Germinal difficult to read, so if you don't read a lot of these types of books I recommend that you watch the movie first- you'll follow it a lot better. I found it hard keeping focus on the main theme in the midst of all the characters and happenings. But all in all, it is a classic and I would suggest it to anyone interested in european historical literature.

Germinal is generally considered the greatest of Emile Zola's twenty novel Rougon-Macquart cycle. Of these, Germinal is the most concerned with the daily life of the working poor. Set in the mid 1860's, the novel's protaganist Etienne Lantier is hungry and homeless, wandering the French countryside, looking for work. He stumbles upon village 240, the home of a coal mine, La Voreteux. He quickly gets a job in the depths of the mine, experiencing the backbreaking work of toiling hundreds of feet below the earth. He is befriended by a local family and they all lament the constant work required to earn just enough to slowly starve. Fired up by Marxist ideology, he convinces the miners to strike for a pay raise. The remainder of the novel tells the story of the strike and its effect on the workers, managers, owners and shareholders.
Zola weaves a strong plot line along with a multitude of characters. The hallmark of this novel is the wealth of people who populate the pages. The miners are not the noble poor but men and women who live day to day, cruel in some ways, generous in others. The managers are owners are not evil, greedy men but complex characters who in some ways envy the freedom of the miners from conventional morality.
As with most Zola novels, don't expect a happy ending. But the reader can expect to be transported to a world and a way of life almost unimaginable for its brutality and bleakness. Like other great works of literature, the novel explores the thoughts and actions of people who suffer the daily indignities of poverty and injustice. Germinal is different however because the thoughts and actions are not noble and the consequences of their actions are felt by all. I would strongly recommend Germinal as one of the major novels of the 19th century but one that transcends time and place. The issues evoked in the novel regarding labor versus capital are just as relevant to today's world.

Why do we have labor laws? Why do we accept nuclear energy and the oil industry? Why did the rich countries become so prosperous? "Germinal" shows you why. Often considered Zola's greatest work, it is indeed a truly epic story skilfully blended with penetrating political and economic analysis, not least of the mixture of motives that push people to stand up for their rights or those of others. Take John Steinbeck's "The Grapes Of Wrath", multiply it by ten or twenty and you won't even come close to this book. Deeply moving, shocking, but ultimately uplifting, for in the wreckage of the miners' crushing defeat after their strike Zola, for once, offers a glimmer of hope. Better to have fought and lost than to have done nothing. The seeds of a new, fairer world have been sown. And one day........

Robert Hargrove presents a well-organized look at the world of creative collaboration. He argues that collaboration is the new paradigm in a world of change and complexity, as well as an effective management strategy. Hargrove provides a hands-on guide to becoming more collaborative and to organizing effective collaborative groups. In this lively, engaging book, Hargrove shows his familiarity with the latest management expertise. He draws on quotes and ideas from such authors as Margaret Wheatley, Peter Senge and Tom Peters. We [...] recommend this book to executives and managers who wish to facilitate collaborations.

I read Robert Hargrove's book on Masterful Coaching which focused on the individual, and prayed he would write one on collaboration. Not your cookie cutter approach to business books . .

Great stories about how creative collaboration can lead to radical innovation in any business, political breakthroughs in the Middle East, transforming your local school system.

Our elected representatives in Washington could learn alot from the simple, powerful how to principles and techniques offered here!

I was really inspired by this book and would highly recommend it to anyone who has dreams of creating something with others who may see the world differently. Hargrove paints a picture of what collaboration is that is very distinct and that is brought to life with some facinating examples--what he calls interludes. I especially liked the one on the Mid East Peace Accord and found it relevant to what is happening there now. Hargrove's guidelines for building a collaboration and for having collaborative conversations have been a lifesaver in the project that I am working on. They make a lot of sense and have been easy to apply. I can see why so many of the teams that I have worked on were not as successful as I would have liked. Thank you for a wonderful book that is fun to read and loaded with useful tools!

I read the first novel by Peter Telep and was quite impressed by his abilities to transform a okay script into a very entertaining story. His characters were interesting as were his explainations of the various issues overlooked in the film (which I also liked.) However, Telep's latest work leaves much to be desired. The course the story takes in Pilgrim Stars seems unrelated to the previous book as the actions of the characters. His depictions of people like Paladin and Angel are very different than the people presented to us in the previous story. Paladin's final defection (spoiler) seems incredible and more than that not credible. The force like powers Telep gives his characters also fails to distance Wing Commander from Star Wars. I am a big Wing Commander fan and have read all the novels. I would like to see Telep continue the series, but attempt to make more use of the expansive universe created by Roberts.

With 'Wing Commander', the author was limited to adapting a screenplay. Despite the limitations he faced, he managed to make the book infinitely better than the film. 'Pilgrim Stars' goes beyond the movie, continuing the exploits of Blair & Maniac. On the brink of a new civil war, Blair must confront his heritage, and his role in the universe. Telep's dramatic overtones, created by adding more depth to the characters (and using some character's shallowness), and adding situations that mirror our own dark past, result in a throughly entertaining read that is both dramatic, and at times funny. I can't wait for the release of the third book in the series.

When a book comes out thats Wing Commander, I'm all over it. Sure, the movie is...banal (I'm being kind) but the novels by Telep more than make up for what is *shuddered* allowed in the movie. Peter Telep completely saves the outlandishly bad script for the movie and not only makes it readable but wholly enjoyable.

And thats just the movie novel.

Pilgrim Stars takes place immedately after the movie (I suggest reading the movie novel adaption as enough has been changed to make some minor confusion) and takes off at incredible speed. In fact, the Pilgrim heritage scenario that was bandied about in the film for no particular reason (other than bad plot) is incredibly (and trust me when I say that) brought to breathing, pulse pounding life. Things that were mentioned for twenty seconds in the movie are suddenly alive with movement. Much of the dialouge is sly and a bit cutting in some scenes, especially with the AI character Merlin.

I recommend this book to those looking for an interesting read and anyone willing to give the WC: Movie world a second chance.

Oh and Mr Telep? I'd like help on my script!

I wanted to read "The Last Unicorn" by Peter Beagle to honor the cartoon that simotaneously captured my imagination and invoked fear when I was in preschool. Unfortunatly, that book has proved extremly difficult to procure; my local library's copy is perpetually checked out. Being the impatient teenager I am, I settled for "The Unicorn Sonata," also by Beagle.

The book was a quick read (it took me less than a day), ranking in at 154 pages. Regardless, I enjoyed the story and felt my time was well-spent. This novel is definetely best classifed as a Young Adult story, and was certainly more elementary than what I usually read-not that this is a bad thing; it's just different.

Joey, a pre-teen from Los Angelos, unassumingly works at Papa's Music shop until a strange boy visits the store, hoping to sell an equally strange blue horn. After hearing the instrument, Joey is enraptured; she cannot get the music from her head, and when she begins to hear it at night, she leaves her bed to follow the melodious sounds. Her short quest brings her to Shel'rah, a mythical land populated by unicorns, pheonixs, and water-jalla. There, she meets Shel'rah's inhabitants and learns of their problem-one which only she can solve.

I'd recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys the fantasy novels and is in search of a quick, mindless afternoon read.

Best known for "The Last Unicorn," Peter Beagle serves up a very different kind of unicorn story in "Unicorn Sonata." Shorter and perhaps more of a YA/kids' book than several of his other works, this is augmented by excellent writing and great illustrations.

Joey Rivera is a reclusive young student, who is something of a music whiz and who prefers the company of her sharp, elderly Abuelita and crotchety Mr. Papas to that of her peers. Her life is changed when an eerily beautiful young man named Indigo comes into the shop, trying to sell a long pointed flute to Mr. Papas. And he wants gold for the fluted horn -- lots of gold. Mr. Papas can't give him all the gold he wants immediately, and so Indigo puts the offer on hold.

The music of the horn follows Joey throughout her day. That night, she finds herself in a near-idyllic land called Shei'rah. In it live water spirits, kindly satyrs, tiny dragons -- and near-immortal unicorns called the Eldest. Except the Eldest are becoming blind, as an unknown affliction robs them of their sight. Joey travels from one world to the other, but begins to see flaws and problems in Shei'rah, and learns more about the mysterious Indigo and what he is doing.

This is a nice story, not the best or the deepest (since parts of it are obvious from the very start, such as what Abuelita is going to do), but very well-written and true to life as a fantasy book can get. It raises some good questions as well: Is it better to be good and pure, or to have human choice? Is it better to believe a beautiful lie than an ugly truth? Beagle handles these questions delicately and without ham-handedness. He also adds a few extra dimensions to previous creatures like satyrs and pheonixes, by also giving them different names than we do.

Among the introspective scenes is Joey and Indigo meeting a former unicorn who lives as a homeless human in our world; Beagle gives us a view of both sides of the issue, both what Indigo feels and what Joey feels when they see her. And the blindness symbolism is so subtle I didn't notice it at first.

Joey herself initially seems like she'll be the usual disaffected loner teen. But as she spends time among the Eldest and with Indigo, we see her gradually maturing in personality. It's not an easy transition, but enjoyable to watch. Most of the Eldest except for Indigo and the kiddie unicorn don't have much personality; they're ancient, wise, and good, and there isn't much more to them than that. Abuelita is delightfully spicy in personality, the kindly and wiser-than-you'd-expect grandmother we'd all love to have, as is the crotchety, sharp Mr. Papas (who may be my favorite character in the book). Ko is a fun sidekick, even if we take a long time to know just where in life he is; the water creature really could have used a purpose in the plot, since she really seemed like page filler. Indigo is the weirdest and most unique; his motives are cloudy and his demeanor is unusually cynical, but he becomes sympathetic to the reader nevertheless.

Finally, Robert Rodrieguez does an amazing job with the illustrations. Both realistic and dreamy, they fit the action in the book perfectly. And the Eldest, the way he draws them, are subtlely different from the usual visions of unicorns (especially those HUGE eyes).

A charming little coming-of-age story, and one that fans of "Last Unicorn" may enjoy.

I never thought I'd find another book that even got close to rivaling The Last Unicorn, but this is it. As a true devoteé of fantasy fiction, I am always critical of any book that involves talking animals: it's the one thing that spoils it for me. But this book is an exception to that rule. Beagle's superb attention to the details of the landscape of Shei'rah really brought the book to life for me, and I find it a book that I can sit down and read after a hectic day and just feel the pressures of the day slip away. Another thumbs up for Beagle!

The story told in this book is rather dull and boring. I had hoped for much better. It also failed one of my major criteria for a novel; it was never edited. At various points throughout the book Sulu is refered to as the navigator or helmsman. On particular scene has Uhura, seeing Chekov look at her, ponder about the navigator. The very next paragraph she is now ponder about the navigator (Sulu). Very annoying. In order to make this book more enjoyable I found myself visualizing very colorful "sign language" by various character. Sign language plays an important part in the story.

Overall, I was very disappointed in this book.

Books written by three authors tend to be either bland or disjointed. Bland because arguments over the story line led to a mushy compromise or disjointed as some of each authors ideas were incorporated into the book. Neither is the case here. This is a book in the finest tradition of the Star Trek model. The new characters are well drawn and we get to see a side of Commodore Wesley that was not apparent in the original series. Chronologically, the story also takes place shortly after Chekov first arrives on the Enterprise, and a subplot follows his first days on the Enterprise where he commits some errors of enthusiasm.
The book begins with devastating attacks being carried out on Federation colonies. At first the only point of the attacks appears to be the destruction of Federation sites. However, after a great deal of investigation, the purpose turns out to be much more sinister. The Enterprise engages the raiders and just manages to defeat them after learning of their origins.
This is one of the better books in the Star Trek series and I found it difficult to put it down.

Star Trek: The Disinherited by Peter David with Michael Jan Friedman and Robert Greenberger is a TREK tale told well. The collaboration of the three authors gives the story a full body of adventure as the characters are fleshed out. You get the feeling while reading this book that someone has spend some time writing this story.

As Kirk and crew, minus Uhura, speed off to save another Federation world suffering from an unknown space attack, only to find the worlds completely devastated. Ready adventure is apparent when the attacking fleet severly damages the Enterprise and make their escape.

But, Spock finds something of great interest that could make a difference in the fate of the Federation, let alone the Enterprise. Uhura is on a mission of her own... making this a two story adventure... working the plots of these stories together, the readers get a better picture of the adventure.

This is solid classic TREK told well and written to keep your interest with an ending only found in the TREK universe.

I think this book is good but it lacks being able to keep my attention and I have read huge books. If it kept my attention for a little bit longer than the first page I would keep reading it.

As a mystery author with my first book in initial release, I have found that reading a wide variety of works helps my writing. Locke's TWO TREASTISES is one of my favorite books of all time. Here is the book that subverted absolutism following a glorious revolution. I read it first as an undergraduate at Claremont McKenna College, and I teach it annually. Great book.

Those of us living in liberal democracies owe tremendous intellectual debt to John Locke. His "Second Treatise" in particular helped lay the foundation for a political system that emphasized "life, liberty, and property." The First Treatise is interesting to skim through, though it is in the second where the Locke is most substantive. His Theory of Private Property, which could also be construed as a theory of value, is an unmistakable revolution in political thought. It is, as Locke contends, when man applies his labor to nature that he is entitled to it. Questions about environmental ethics or indegenous rights aside, this observation, made in a still heavily ecclesiastical society, is a brilliant one. Furthermore, Locke's understanding of the formation of government is based on a hypothetical "state of nature" account. Locke's arguments are intellectually pleasing, and his social-scientific models make intuitive sense. Given that, perhaps the only weakness of the work is its failure to adequately analyze such concepts as the social contract or his theory of labor-property relations. For example, Locke fails to seriously consider what we should do with states that are clearly formed by mere force. Indeed, he doesn't adequately address the possibility that such a state could justify its existence on the grounds that "better tyranny than nothing." While Locke believes that a state that doesn't respect private property cannot last for very long, history says otherwise. Of course, in retrospect it is easier to criticize Locke in these regards, but with Machiavelli before him it was not as though these ideas were not known. There are admittedly other inconsistencies, such as his view on taxation later in the book and on who "owns" the grass his serf cuts. Interestingly enough, Locke is unwilling to expound on the distinction between property garnered for the sake of personal enjoyment (possessions) and property garnered for the sake of profit. Nevertheless, the work is a passionate defense of a liberal government, and the points are persuasively argued. As long as the reader, as Locke himself urges, keeps a skeptical attitude, this work has much to offer.

This book, by the editors of the Washington Post, does a good job of describing the events which led to the deadlocked 2000 Presidential election. In addition to detailing the paths which led to the deadlock, the book discusses all the post-election issues in a very readable format. Surprisingly, the books editors seem only slightly tilted towards Gore (especially considering it is the Washington Post, which is noted for its liberal bias), so no matter who you voted for, there is much to be found here for anyone with an interest in contemporary politics.

Deadlock: The Inside Story of America's Closest Election is a workmanlike and emotionless recollection of the events surrounding the most controversial election of the past 100 years. It is a well organized, easy to follow and not visibly biased view of the relevant events leading up to and following the November 7 Presidential election. Seemingly accurate and double checked to a fault, reading this book left me with the impression that I had just read an excellent 275 page newspaper article and not much more. With almost no humor, lacking any sidebar comments, it is a book Joe Friday would be proud to call his own. While I am a Texan and Bush supporter, I much preferred Jake Tapper's Down & Dirty: The Plot to Steal the Presidency. I guess this means that like most people, when push comes to shove, I'd rather be entertained than informed. I do regret this intellectual weakness and like some of the votes in Florida I may change. But probably not in the next 36 days.

Two things struck me while reading this book, the first is that I doubt there is a book out there that is truly balanced and not somewhat biased. The second thing was that Gore really got the shaft, not so much by the recount wars, but by the election official that came up with the Butterfly Ballot. In the history of the USA this decision ranks up there with new Coke and the XFL, what a mistake. As far as the reporting in the book it was not bad for a review of all the articles they had in the paper, but it did not really dig into the particular issues very deeply. I wanted more detail and behind the scenes with both the candidates. I also wanted more details on the court cases; I felt like the sky-high overview of the issues of the cases did not do such an important issue justice.

In reading the book I think a little bit of a democratic bias comes out, just a little, but enough to notice. I also thought it interesting that they had far more details of the Gore group then the Bush camp, it follows the perception that the Post is somewhat liberal in its views. The book is an overview that came out almost 10 minutes after Gore hung up the phone on the second concession call so there are a few more details out now that they did not get in the book. Overall it is a good effort and a readable book, but not the end all be all on the subject.

Despite the statement in the Editorial Review that this book "uses the internal evidence of Scripture as its greatest source of documentation", the reality is that the authors rely heavily on extra-Biblical Jewish writings as the basis for their theories. A major portion of the book develops the idea that when Adam and Eve were kicked out of the Garden of Eden, they were given a branch from the Tree of Life. This branch was passed down through the generations to Abraham and then Moses, and finally to King David, who planted the branch on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. This branch grew into the very tree on which Jesus was crucified! While it makes for an interesting story, there is no way to use the Scriptures as the greatest source of documentation for this theory! On the other hand, how could you disprove it? This is just one example of numerous fables which the authors try to pass off as fact. There are some good parts of the book, particularly the analysis of the events surrounding Jesus' crucifixion. But this book is filled with so much chaff that the valuable grains are almost lost. The Apostle Paul's advice in Titus 1:14 seems appropriate regarding this book: "...pay no attention to Jewish myths..."

All believers in Yeshua (Jesus) as Messiah, Lord, and God-incarnate would benefit in their spiritual walk by reading this book. A great debate sparker (the Michas's have often been accused of "heresy" by so-called "fundamentalist" Christians) as it walks the reader through the fallacy of many pagan-based Christian traditions, pointing out an accurate timeline of events in of the events leading up to the Crucifixion using information contemporary to the time and culture of Yeshua (Jesus). Before you plan a pilgriamge to Jerusalem, read this book - it'll save you money, time, and make your trip a spiritual eye-opener.

Though often accused of giving too much credence to non-biblical writings the authors only use non-Scriptual sources (Midrash, Talmud, etc.) which support Scripture. Christians, do yourself a favour, read this book.

You can not read this book through to the end and not see the truth that the Auther is trying to convey. With all his points backed up by scripture, and his credible education, the reader can rely on this book as a source of truth. I particularly enjoyed the part on Passover and the time table of Jesus death and reserection. Growing up in a home where we understood that Easter had peagan roots starting with the very name, I always thought that it didn't make sence that Christians did not celebrate Passover. In this book, I saw how the Catholic Easter is off on it's time table of Jesus last days and how passover has more to do with the death and reserection then the holiday Easter could ever have. I feel that Christians have been cheated out of their Heritage in the Jewish roots. Every Christian should read this book, and books like it that depict true Christian history, and what God's plan is for his people.

i am a medical student studying at NTU in taiwan. Harpers' biochemistry is the text used in our biochemistry course. Though other reviews have commented Harpers' as an excellet book for its medical and physiological applications, I find it one of the most difficult textbooks I have ever encountered. Perhaps Lehninger or another text would have been a much better choice for a first encounter with biochemistry.

This textbook is the most useful and reliable one especially for students of medical school.@Other textbooks of biochemistry usually mention only biochemical matters, but Harper's always stands from the viewpoint of clinical medicine. Each biochemical facts are followed by clinical facts and cases and its clinical knowledge is really useful. This will help you study not only biochemistry but also internal meicine with full of new findings and knowledge. This book is my favourite and will be your favourite, too!

I think this book has been quite underrated by most reviewers. I think this probably happened because they expected this book to be a typical textbook on the subject. THIS IS NOT IT! This is not only a very concise and straight-to-the-point book but also a reference for extra-quick study because in the end of each chapter it as a quite complete and easy to read summary which allows you to check if you really understood the preceding pages. One other aspect that is important for me as a medical student is that this book also talks about the clinical correlations of a theme, allowing you to integrate the most important topics in your memory. One last advice: you can follow this book by itself but if you really want to have perfect knowledge on a subject get a book like Devlin's biochemistry to complete your study a lot more.

This book was awful. The story boring and predictable, not to mention a bit confusing historically (Baal was banished by the Hebrews), the characters totally unbelievable. If you are looking for an intro to Bob McCammon, do yourself a favor and read Swan Song or Mine, two extraordinary novels of horrific proportions, edgy and energetic, frighteningly vivid.

"Baal" one of McCammon's best books. Pure horror and suspense. It's a book easy to read and to understand. It really get's your attention to it. It's pure evil. Fantastic. Claudia Cox

As Mr. McCammon himself said, he wrote this novel when he was twenty-five, "an angry young man"... He logically has improved tremendously since then, with such works as Boy's Life and Swan Song, true McCammon masterpieces. This book explores evil in religious manifestations with cults to the AntiChrist, and is a powerful novel. Well worth the read