First of all, I would like to defer to the editor's review which acknowledges a wonderful summary of this extraordinary novel by Mary Morris. Second, I would like to express my appreciation to amazon.com for offering "I have one to sell" book sales by private parties. Unfortunately, this book is out of print, but I was able to easily purchase this book via the private part resale. I received the book within 5 days, and indeed, it was in good condition.

Inspired by the other books I have read recently by Ms. Morris, I must tell you that this is an extremely accomplished author with a unique ability to get to the heart and souls of relationships. I was frequently moved to tears, happy and sad, as my so-called heart strings were played on. An engrossing page turner from the first chapter, I was unable to put it down, and was not disappointed one bit with the ending. Indeed, throughtout the entire book, I kept trying to second guess how she was going to end this book. It held an edge of suspense, yet maintained a subtle grounding of reality that did not betray the believability of the plot. I am so sorry that this is out of print, but if you love Mary Morris' many novels and memoirs, you will not be inconvenienced by making the slight effort to order it alternatively.

This book is a collection of various texts by Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646-1716). Leibniz was a first-class mathematician, and also a first-class philosopher. In mathematics, in parallel with and independently of Newton, he developed infinitesimal calculus, the indispensable instrument of modern science. In philosophy, he published, in 1710, in French, one chief work: "Essay on Theodicy, the Goodness of God, Man's Freedom and the Origin of Evil". The most important of his philosophical works were published at various times after his death: the Discourse on Metaphysics was published in 1846, and most of his esoteric texts on metaphysical issues were published in as late as 1903 (L. Couturat, Opuscules et fragments inedits de Leibniz) and 1948 (G. Grua, G. W. Leibniz, Textes inedits). Leibniz wrote scarcely, if at all, in his native languague, German. He preferred to write in Latin or French. This volume contains selections, in translation, from many of his chief works, including some outstanding texts from the 1903 Couturat edition. These include a text on "Necessary and Contingent Truths" and "A Letter on Freedom". Leibniz distinguished truths (statements) into necessary, i.e., mathematical or logical truths, and contingent or existential truths. Those truths are necessary whose opposite is self-contradictory, i.e., impossible. On the other hand, contingent truths are those whose opposite is not self-contradictory, and therefore possible. Examples of necessary truths are given from arithmetic, while examples of existential truths are "that I am now alive, that the sun is shining". Leibniz develops, based on this distinction, a superb metaphysical theory on the structure of causation and of the freedom of the will. The importance of these excerpts can hardly be overemphasized, and for these texts alone the book should be worth possessing. This volume also contains excerpts from better known texts by Leibniz, such as The Monadology, The Discourse on Metaphysics, and Leibniz's correspondence with Arnauld and with Clarke. Leibniz is a superb and original thinker in philosophy, as he is in science and in mathematics. His style is crisp and dry, not lofty and poetical as is the style of his contemporary B. Spinoza. The great metaphysical questions (free will, predestination, God and man) are attacked mercilessly and unto their ultimate logical conlusions. Leibniz's full awareness of the scientific achievements of his epoch, makes him a thoroughly modern thinker, up to this present time.

Not too long ago, I started reading Gilbert Morris' House of Winslow series and was absolutely enthralled. Once I got through all the books I own from that series, I was delighted to discover the Wakefield Dynasty series. Unlike a lot of other series, the plot always returns to England.

In The Winds of God, I was thouroughly impressed at the good transition from Book 1 to Book 2. Continuing the theme of Catholicism versus Protestantism, Morris entertainingly weaves a great story into this important part of England's history while taking time to examine the effects that hatred can have on a person's life.

So pull up a chair, sit down and enjoy the tale of Myles, Hannanah and especially Robin Wakefield.

As a collector of children's literature, I can see that the genius of the book lies in the fact that the narrative focuses on feelings familiar to children: separation from a parent, getting lost, and the threat of physical harm from a bully - in this case a shark! The story may even work to lessen fear in children as Stormy's escape shows that injuries are not necessarily fatal and can be overcome. Instead of reporting Stormy's condition secondhand, from the perspective of a concerned adult, the author dramatizes Stormy's perilous journey from a first-dolphin point of view, evoking the listener's sympathy for a creature possibly just as complex, just as sensitive as ourselves.

Stranded, Stormy's Adventure might have been written to highlight the role of the Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network, but the book is also full of basic biological and ecological facts about dolphins. As Stormy's adventure unfolds, children encounter these concepts - not bluntly, in the form of a lecture, but organically, as a natural part of the narrative. Stormy must learn survival skills from elders, just as young humans do. The reader hears him click and whistle, demonstrating the cetacean form of communication, and learn the role of Stormy's dorsal fin in helping him to maintain balance. Stormy also experiences the dangers of his ocean habitat: dolphins can get caught in fishing nets and might run out of air underwater.

The double-page spreads keep the action flowing as the plot progresses. Reading skills are reinforced by the placement of the text within the pictures, showing the connection between verbal and pictorial representation. C.A. Guire's renderings of the dolphin's features and expression are obviously well researched.

I recommend Stranded, Stormy's Adventure to all elementary science teachers, and anyone interested in exposing children to the fauna of the Gulf Coast.

K.B. Hollingsworth, Educator

It is a very entertaining and educational book based on a moving true story. The book is refreshingly written from a dolphin's point of view, and the illustrations are vividly rendered. Kids will not only enjoy but also learn a lot from reading this book.

"It's a new take on the coming-of-age story. It's a telling narrative of self-discovery with intense action sequences and the main character is a dolphin. In fact, give or take a few token sharks and humans, all the characters are dolphins." R.Baca, Corpus Christi Caller-Times

I couldn't put it down, I was so enormously enthralled by the lives of these people! This was an amazing character sketch of an entire town and their denial of the truth and how that changed everything.
Martha is a sad creature who needed someone to believe her, love her and show patience with her. Perhaps she came close - but, not until it was too late.
Maybe this book will make you lean over your neighbor's fence and say hello. Maybe it will help you open your heart to someone you don't understand.
I always rate books and movies in my mind by this question, "Am I a better person for having read this book or seen this movie?" The answer in this case is YES!

I was first introduced to Mary McGarry Morris when Oprah chose Songs in Ordinary Time. I loved both of these books. Martha was such a vivid character and I could actually feel each emotion as she experienced it. Well-written, descriptive, and haunting. The ending made me cry, I was so emotionally involved by then that I felt like I should be trying to help Martha! This was a quick read and I was enthralled from the start.

A Dangerous Woman is a rich characterization of a woman in need of love, support, understanding, security and warmth. This novel is one of the most brilliant that I've read so far this year and it's now the tenth month. The extra-ordinary depth of it's author, Mary McGarry Morris in her understanding of the heroine is outstanding and she delivers her punches with passion and tenacity. We follow Martha through her ordeals, from teenage insecurity through to early thirties bewilderment. We grope blindly along, knowing that there is a tragedy coming and wishing that we could avert it, but it's impending doom is fate and Martha must face hers alone. While Martha can be annoying, gratingly stubborn and insensitive, most of the time she is written about in such a way that you just want to wrap her in your arms and protect her to save her from herself. The novel left me with the huge provocation of how we are in control of our destinies and how we affect those that witness our lives around us. I can't rate this novel high enough. It's compelling, absorbing and brilliantly written and can teach you things about yourself that you may not already know. A must read on anyone's list. I loved it!

This was an interesting book, from the cover and title I thought that the book would deal more with lifeguarding. I am an Aquatics Manager and have been in aquatics for 10yrs. I found the book itself very interesting. It is a book that should be read by many more people.

Contrary to the pretentious New York Times review that's quoted above, this is a very moving, very artful collection of short stories. Morris is able, without irony or gimmickry, to sweep the reader into the tales of her protagonists. What most of these stories deal with are the subtle transformations that occur in people as events and time impact them. She doesn't spell out the way her tales resolve themselves because she doesn't have to; her characters own actions (or, in some cases, inactions) make the conclusions very apparent to the reader even when nothing is bluntly stated. Mary Morris is a fine teller of stories and this collection is worth reading cover to cover.

Morris' tales of traveling solo in Central America were the perfect accompaniment to my own solo trip in Indonesia. Although Morris taps directly into the surreal, magical heart of Latin American culture, her concerns echo the thoughts and dreams of women travelers everywhere. Each chapter can often be read in one sitting; any one of these vignettes stands beautifully on its own as a complete short story.

A gem of a book, this would be the perfect gift for a woman embarking on any sort of journey.

Mary Morris' intensely personal memoir of her time spent living in Mexico resonates with honesty and beauty on every page. Morris captures the essence of the trials and joys of a woman travelling alone while at the same time revealing an insider's look at the true modern culture of Mexico. Her vivid descriptions of the small village where she spends almost a year are so vivid that even a person who has never been to Mexico will feel that they know it like a friend's backyard. The characters are not characters but people--people who think and live and grow throughout the book just as they would in real life. Morris has a unique ability to not only be able to search her own soul in prose but that of other's as well, with seemingly unfailing accuracy. The intertwining of her inner journey with the story of her physical journey is faultlessly crafted and expressed. I reread this book every few months and am moved to tears and laughter everytime. It, and Mary Morris' other travel works, are essential reading for any traveller and absolutely necessary for any woman who ever has or ever plans to travel alone.

I really enjoyed this book. The story is definetly written from a womans point of view and I was able to relate quite well. I highly recomend this story as the tale of a moment in time as seen through a womans eyes in Central America.

Mary Morris' "Acts Of God" was a good, fast read. I didn't find it to really be about the father that abandoned her. While the book focuses on Tess, a grown woman with children of her own, the book has plenty of flashbacks to her own childhood. In these flashbacks, brought on by her attending her high school reunion and seeing old faces, Tess does in fact remember some things about her father that perhaps do or do not make who she is in the present. I would however say that this book is more about Tess finding male relationships in the present, and dealing with them and with being back home.

It was wonderfully written, not drenched in metaphors or a lot of fancy footwork and words, it was very clear. I found the character to be somewhat insensitive as a person, but this did not take away from the novel. I would recommend this, among the other books listed from "if you like this book"... T. Greenwood is an amazing writer.

I've been a fan of Mary Morris for a long time, but was blown away by this novel. ACTS OF GOD has Morris' signature prose style (dazzling imagery, lyrical language), but is also richly textured and deftly paced. Her characters are real and complex, and I was thoroughly transported to another time, another place (which is my favorite way to read). Tell your friends, stake out the bookstores, shout it loud: THIS IS AN AWESOME BOOK. In a time when the most banal novels receive the most over-blown praise, ACTS OF GOD truly stands out as a powerful, riveting, and consuming story of what it means to confront your past so you can contend with your present. I LOVED THIS BOOK (and I'm a wickedly hard judge)! Mary Morris is a gifted writer and ACTS of GOD is the perfect showcase for her talents. Bravo!

What a pleasure it was to read Mary Morris's new novel. I love the way she works the surface tension for its underlying meaning--the cut from the razor blade that leaves Squirrel, the main character, wearing her childhood on her arm, the hoarding Squirrel who "doesn't give anythign away" about her real self. Too much risk. I love the way risk runs through--the skewed values, that a child's death is worth less than that of a working spouse, how Squirrel's father, the insurance man, reduces everything to cold math and longing. I love the way Morris so clearly etches the world of Chicago--the old Indian trail, the lake, the maples, and the inner world of her characters into a moving, compelling whole.

I agree with the reviewer who said this book does not meet expectations.

I had hoped for a book that would help me manage my technology career and what I found was a book aimed at people who knew nothing about computers and introduced them to topics in Computer Science.

That's fine for students but not for professionals who need to know how much training is enough, where to get it, and how to manage their careers at their companies, or as independent consultants.

Use this book while working on your resume. Great for identifying skillsets required for various tasks in positions throughout the industry.

As a 3rd year student interested in the computer field, I found this book extremely helpful in identifing which classes to enroll in and how to educate myself to be more competitive in the modern work world. It is nice to hear from leaders in the technology field giving advice to students on how to better educate themselves. I would recommend this book to any student who is interested in a "cybercareer."

The book was easy to read and the little notes they posted out to the side to offset certain important points were helpfull and easy to follow. It was much similar to a textbook in that students can use the index and read only the chapters or topics that apply to them. While technology is changing and some topics in this book will become out-of-date, there are still some good fundamentals to be gleaned from this book.

Vanished is an extremely compelling tale; I finished it in less than a day. But be aware, gentle reader: this is a book that HURTS.

I loved Mary McGarry Morris's Songs in Ordinary Time and A Dangerous Woman, and I liked Fiona Range, but I wasn't prepared for the intensity of Vanished. A real story about love weaves through this tale of an abused teenager, a mentally challenged man, and a kidnapped child who are bound together by happenstance and careening toward disaster. However, like Of Mice and Men, it is not for the faint of heart.

Without a doubt, Vanished is artfully crafted. But it seemed to me to dish out cruelty at the speed of light, and I was left feeling pretty hollow at the end.

Vanished is Mary McGarry Morris' masterwork, a complex and entrancing story of a man caught outside the life of his community who is suddenly torn from his hometown by forces he can't fully comprehend. Oddly, most of what he doesn't comprehend is personified by the girl who "kidnapped" him -- a wily, scheming, insecure girl who runs because she has to.

Morris, relatively unknown before Oprah picked up on her most recent best-seller, "Songs in Ordinary Time," is an author who began writing late in life. Her long experience in a world beyond the bounds of rarified "literary" fiction shows in her compassion for her main characters.

In Vanished, her insight is most marked when she refuses to give definite reasons for things. Instead, she allows the emotional weight of an event to compound until its consequences become inevitable. In this book, so many things disappear -- but they always leave traces. Traces of hope, and of desire.

In this book, an arbitrary escape turns into a four year odyssey. But it's not the typical trip out of contemporary fiction, full of drugs, sex, and lost weekends. Instead it's a simple journey, replete with attempts at security and love, emptied of cynicism or sardonic humor.

Thus, the terrific ending comes as a shock, and yet feels right after all. How else could such an extraordinary journey conclude but with the unexpected?

Winner of the Pen/Faulkner Prize, this book beats Morris' "Oprah"-Recommended "Songs in Ordinary Time," hands-down

This book broke my heart! Tragic people whose lifes intertwine. I could not put this book down. It haunts me still.