Set against the backdrop of the Wars of the Roses, The Black Arrow is an intriguing look at the life of young Richard Shelton. Richard's life is shaken when he realizes that those he had thought to be his friends are really his enemies, and he is forced to make choices that will determine the course of his life. Although the characters are well-developed and the plot is fascinating, this book is not for the squeemish or lazy reader. The description is not only vivid, it is often gorey. The language is sometimes difficult and a dictionary might prove quite handy. But anyone looking for a well-written, action-packed classic should read this book.

This book is one of the best I've read. It is what every book about the middle ages should be and more, with suspense, action, disguises, escapes, and of course, the occasional love scene. Robert Louis Stevenson lived in the mid-1800s, and is renowned for his many works, includingTreasure Island, Dr.Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, andKidnapped. The Black Arrow, written originally for a magazine, was written after a serious illness in Stevenson, and was published right after Treasure Island.

Dick Shelton, a boy of sixteen, is quickly thrust into the conflict of the War of the Roses. He battles against almost any kind of evil - bloodthirsty pirates, a murderous priest, and even his own legal gaurdian - Sir Daniel Brackley. Through the whole book Dick strives to become a knight, and to rescue his true love. The Black Arrow is a sure winner for 6th graders and up.

The Black Arrow is, without a doubt, one of my all time favorite books, just as Robert Louis Stevenson is one of my all time favorite authors. I find it hard to believe that The Black Arrow is probably the least well know of his great adventure novels (the others being, of course, Treasure Island and Kidnapped), as it is certainly the best as far as I am concerned. As far as the story goes, it is one of the most entertaining plots that I have ever encountered. It is filled with more twists and turns than I would have thought possible, but remains very clear and fast paced. The characters are wonderful, as is the description and the writing itself. Granted, some of the language is a bit archaic, but I feel that this adds a lot to the authenticity of the story.
The Black Arrow is not a very easy read at first, but once you get into it it really flies by. It is as entertaining, exciting, and intriguing book as you will find, and I would recommend it to anyone.

Everyone knows Robert Louis Stevenson; everyone has at least one of the myriad books of his poetry. There are some stunningly illustrated collections of his poetry out now, notably two by Thomas Kincaide, among others. But how many of us have actually read all or most of his work? I'm guilty as charged.

This smaller, quieter version of Stevenson's poetry helped me finally, actually read all the Garden poetry. True, the illustrations are spare, but delightfully accurate. My children (7 and 10) were not as mesmerized by this book as they are by others with fanciful graphics, illustrations and larger type to accompany the poetry.

Still, this small book found its way into my purse to be used for waiting moments, e.g. at the orthodontist, doctor, and also to my bedside, where it's shear diminutive size did not dissuade me from reading "for only a minute or two." And within Stevenson's words and language lie the ferment of creative pictures. I liked to have my children close their eyes while I read short poems to 'force' them to use only their mind's eye.

I thoroughly enjoyed the adventures, moods, and images Stevenson conjures and at long last can understand why his poetry remains so classic.

Most everyone knows that Robert Louis Stevenson was sickly, both as a child and as an adult, and the happy result for the reading public was his nearly feverish flights of imagination. Here, in an edition of his classic "A Child's Garden of Verses," that fever is complemented in spades by the fantastical illustrations of English artist Joanna Isles.

Isles uses an arsenal of utterly frivolous flowers, borders, insects, birds, kings and queens, fairies, and more to expand upon the imagination exhibited in Stevenson's poems. The children in these pictures are depicted as being in charge, being at one with their environment, and being delighted to be alive.

Some of the illustrations hint at the influence of artists more famed than Isles (Henri Rousseau appears to be a special favorite of hers--see the illustration for "The Unseen Playmate," in which a boy lies down in weeds that might have sprung from the edge of Rousseau's painting "The Dream"). Using both primary colors and pastels, Isles creates a world within the world of Stevenson's verse. The marriage of the two is a happy one.

When I was younger, well 5 actually, I had the chicken pox. This was one of my mom's favorite books. The words in the poetry just soothed me. It seemed like the author, Robert Louis Stevenson, knew exactly what I was going through.

You can't forget about the little toy soldiers (a poem) at your feet because when you are sick for days, you can imagine all kinds of things in your mind. The curtains billow like sails, the bedpost is your anchor. I sat there in bed and just floated away with the fun of having someone to share my illness. It seemed like a had a friend right there with me.

I loved the pictures too. The little kids are old fashioned and it made me laugh because the boys wore silly clothes, but they fit the time period, my mom said.

I love this book and keep it by my bed when I need to be relaxed.

Hayley Cohen

Having just finished my first 5 year stint with this weather diary, I'm on to enjoying the next half decade. What fun it is to look back on how much VT snow fell last year or the year before. Just how HOT was it on this date over the years? The diary has sat next to my computer all this time and entries are made daily as I wait out my computer's warm up exercises. Friends have taken to checking with me when questions arise about weather history.

The "windows" of weather information provided are also great learning tools. Helps one to understand just what makes those clouds creep down the valley between the high mountains.

My only complaint is that after 5 years of daily use, the pages are dog eared and don't turn very easily on the spiral binding.

We gave my father his first copy of this book ten years ago when he was 80. He is now 90 and has completed two books. He can look back to see what the weather was over the past ten years and make his own predictions. He keeps meticulous records. It takes dedication to fill in the temperatures, winds, weather conditions every day for five years. For anyone who is facinated by weather, this is a terrific present.

If you want to be a weather person or work for the NOAA or the NWS this is the thing for you. It helps you to know every thing about weather I have one and I'm recording every day the weather in this book and I got it for Christmas 2001 and I LOVE it. So pick one yp today and enjoy,love and respect weather all arround you. :-)

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a very special book. It is about a doctor, named Jekyll. He is known as a gentleman who works quietly in his lab. What no one knows is that Dr. Jekyll has invented a sort of medicine that changes your whole body. When the medicine is taken, your personality becomes evil and your body turns into an ugly hairy man. When Dr. Jekyll drinks the medicine he, turns into Mr. Hyde. Hyde does everything that Jekyll has ever dreamed of but hasn't had a chance to do. Suddenly things go too far. Hyde murders an old man and there is a witness at the place of the death. Now, the police want Hyde and Dr. Jekyll decides that he shall continue being Jekyll and only Jekyll. But can he really keep away? It is so tempting to live the life of Hyde.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is one of the best books I have read. Even though it has a very dull setting, it is amazingly exciting. You always want to know what happens next. The changing between Jekyll and Hyde is made in a very good way, when the main character is Hyde, he always lives in danger, but when he's Jekyll he can live a perfectly normal life. One of the main points in the story is that you shouldn't use drugs to achieve things that you have always dreamed of, because you can really reach them by yourself. This theme really had an impact on me and got me thinking. Almost anyone can read this book because it is a classic and has been published in so many different versions. I would recommend it to almost anyone.

Sometimes the man who does it first does it best, and in Stevenson's case I think that's true. Anyone who's ever known or been an addict will find The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde terrifyingly familiar. Stephen King called this the archetypal werewolf novel, but that description only scratches the surface. Read this book. Then look closely in the mirror, if you dare.

"I thus drew steadily nearer to that truth, by whose partial discovery I have been lead to this dreadful shipwreck: that a man is not truly one, but truly two." This book travels deep into the heart and soul of one man named Dr. Jekyll. The book will give you a full sense of personality. It not only helps you understand the characters, but it also helps you see which side, your good or your evil, is more developed. The ending will send chills up your spine. Dr. Jekyll is the basic good in the story. He has devoted his life to scientific studies and helping people. The basic villian is Edward Hyde. He is every Evil in existence put into one person. Although Dr. Jekyll is good, his curiousity drove him to unimaginable evil. He decided to explore the evil in himself. He made a potion and drank it. He changed into the horrible Edward Hyde. So you see that what separates this book from the ordinary category, is that the good and the evil exist in one.

This book had a very creative storyline, and was exciting and a little humoruos at times, but did not provide a very interesting novel. I wouldn't recommend this unless you're a big fan of Robert Louis Stevenson.

Stevenson wrote this tale of the islands in 1891 and it appeared in Samoan before being published in English.

The story is one of want and envy. Although it ends happily, the narrator comes perilously close to living eternally with the devil--all for his envy. There is poetry in this prose, love, and of course magic.

The tale opens as Keawe the Great--a poor, brave, mariner, a reader and writer, shipped on a vessel to San Francisco where he saw a house "smaller than some others, but all finished and beautified like a toy." Its steps shone like silver, the borders of its gardens bloomed like garlands and the windows shone like diamonds. Keawe could see the man who lived there "like a fish in a pool upon the reef."

Of course the owner's life was perfect in every respect, except that he owned a magic bottle which must be sold for less than he bought it, or else in death he would be condemned to hell. He was ill, and therefore desperate to sell the bottle. Keawe bought it.

Small children may not appreciate this story, which seems best suited for independent or sophisticated readers of 11 and up.

But the tale (beautifully illustrated) is as much a treasure as Stevenson's most famous classic, Treasure Island. Alyssa A. Lappen

I was excited to read this book for soley one purpose... to read Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Once I was done that, I moved on to good and bad stories.

DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE:

This story was actually very good and was the reason I read it. I was satisfied with this story, though the person who needs constant action to keep their attention shouldn't read this as much of it is Utterson investigating.

THE BODY SNATCHER:

This book started out shaky and was at first hard to follow, but once you get some pages behind you, you'll understand it well enough. The ending (I won't give it away) is also VERY strange and it is hard to understand.

MARKHEIM:

Ah! Markheim! One of the better written of these tales. It is easy to understand and is cleverly written, and does not drag on and on like some other tales in this book. It is a VERY GOOD story.

OLALLA:

This was one of those books that you couldn't wait to find out what happens and then it suddenly just lets you down. It leads up to so much and then doesn't deliver!

THE EBB TIDE:

The longest of the tales in this book...which makes you wonder...why wasn't the book named: The Ebb Tide and Other Stories? (Because Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde was best known of course!) The first few chapters in this tale make you wonder whether this story will turn out to be good, but then as the story progresses you realise that the tale is getting better and better (this is probably due to fact that Stevenson worked on this with another author and the more chapters written became more and more Stevenson, the first few chapters being the other author, and the end being all Stevenson.)

So your question now is: Do I buy? Don't get me wrong, some stories in this book are good, but others dragged on. If you are interested in the following:

-Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde
-Markheim
-Ebb Tide (Last few chapters are best)

...then by all means get this book! If you are just getting it because you need something to read, sleep on it, then make your desicion! Hope I helped!

Excellent book! Easy to read and index of terms in the back make for easy reference for Old English terms. Other stories are worth a look as well. I never realized the author had written so many macabre stories. It was fun and interesting.

This book was well written and it was realistic. In the sense that this fiction book with it several stories could have happened in real life. I expecially liked the story of 'Strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'. It showed that everyone could have a dark side waiting to come out if given the chance. I give it 5 stars out of 5 for originality and for the joy of having read it.

Nearly as interesting as Kidnapped, but with quite a bit more romance

This sequel to _Kidnapped_ does not start out as well as _Kidnapped_; however it soon makes up for it. _Catriona_ takes up the story of David Balfour only one or two days after _Kidnapped_. He must now try to clear his name and the name of James Stewart of the Appin murder. This will not be easy because the Campells want James Stewart to hang.

Just as was about to leave the bookstore, I reached for one last book to look at...and im glad i did. Absolutly beautiful design. Pure inspiration for any designer.

His designs are the best that I have ever seen, period. This book is an inspiration to everyone who sees art as a concrete representation of one's core values. A love of existence and of everything that makes it great is prevalent on each page.

From japanese anime to techno to James Bond and back again, no worthy subject is left untouched.

Whether you are a designer or just a fan of image and art, this man knows his stuff. You should too.

KM7 shows us his weapon. It's colorful and it is silver. It has rounded edges, it is slick, chic and highly recognisable. KM7 is one of the leading Graphic Designers in Germany at this time. And the book (or should I say, the books, since it is a two in one publication) just shows that he knows it. He also knows that he is not alone. Not only is he not alone inside the global arena, he also gives credit to the ones working with him in Frankfurt. There is a group picture, almost like the "Last Supper of Design", with Klaus Mai in the centre and his friends as the apostles in the beginning of the publication. Licence to Design is more than the work of one person, but all of the involved agree that Klaus Mai is KM7 is Design Agent KM7 is the new star of German Graphic Design. And he is more than just an information organizer. The books show his ability to increase the value of information or even create the message. "Design Agent KM7" is an important source of inspiration for the ones to come. KM7 is certainly going to be copied from now on. But he is more than a designer, he has the licence to design and is already working on new missions. And so are the apostles from the pages of his book. This two-pack publication is a must have for every well informed designer anywhere in the world. Written by the one and only Louis A. Flanigan it is also a feast for the fans of the unsurpassed "Are You Ready" Magazine.

20000531: I have to warn people away from this book, or at least suggest that it be read at a page-a-second clip. What's wrong with it? It's simply analysis that is so process conscious that all it's good for, after painful mastery, in my opinion, is to critique events or "systems" after the fact-if ever! I can see all the fresh bureaucrats now, gathered around their impressive conference tables, watching with barely flinching expressions as bespecktacled "Floodites" make the case for "A" using analyses "A - Z" and sub-positories (sic) "a - z" using an endless succession of highly intelligent flowing diagrams -- a virtual "flood" of absolutely stunning (literally) and pointless DATA, that is intended to let you, eventually, "wall-off," and decide what to "embrase," and group hug the "97 architypes." Perhaps this all sounds good in the quarterly. Flood can't be too sure because there's a lot more stuff by author's "a - Z," and that's just for 1994. But relax -- it's all about "systemic thinking." "Systemic thinking is at the core." So it's -- "systemic." I hate to trash a good man but I would prefer a massage and a tape of wooded sounds. Actually what the professor is describing is what a consciously balanced human brain is supposed to be able to deliver, but with a bit more vigor. I think the professor needs a few magic stones and a trip to Greece. Can anyone _really_ make sense of this erudition? (from title page of part 1): "Knowing oneself following a system of thought, will simply create a result, i.e., oneself, produced by that system of thought -- not knowing oneself." And those bureaucrats? What's in their fresh (collective) mind is a basic _fear_ that holds them tight to the professor and creates lions out of lambs: "Defend the professor with your _life_, because if he's wrong, then that means all of academic structure crumbles." That's what I thought I could hear them thinking as I was watching them. I tear down the work that Mr. Flood and his pedegree erect, to make room for systems that work at least a thousand times better. It pains me to knock anyone's success but with all sobriety I say that as a class, habitually unchallenged professionals like this are more problem than solution.

A nice one for the academics. I don't think busy managers would like it. Nevertheless, Flood provides a neat summary and background to all issues involving systems and systems thinking in general. His view that complexity science is a strand of systems theory and not something entirely new is important, especially for those contemplating a new management program based on complexity theory. Flood makes a number of interesting observations and provides some useful suggestions, though some may not be candidates for immediate implementation they do get one thinking. His practical animation of his experience and research at the local police in York in the UK is boring. The essence of systemic thinking as Flood points out is not something that can be easily explained, the notion of wholeness should not be trivialised. To attempt to explain the world in terms of systems and sub-systems does to systemic thinking what analysis does to SATORI - it strips it of all essential meaning. In this sense Flood goes beyond Senge, and I liked it very much.

This book will provide you value if you're looking for information and analysis of system thinking, and wish to better understand Dr. Senge's seminal book "The Fifth Disciple". However, just as an historical introspective over the last 60 years, it's worth the price of the book alone.

Mr. Flood examines the Fifth Discipline under the careful eye of an academic researcher, bringing into play some of great system thinkers of the past to make his points regarding Senge's five disciplines. As these great thinkers are brought forth, windows of opportunities for new knowledge open up, as do gaps of unspoken positions in Senge's work.

I enjoyed this book very much, probably because it was so unique and carefully laid out. After all, how often to you see a book which is basically a term paper of another book, written by the best professor at the school?

I came away with not only a better understading and appreciation of the Fifth Discipline, but also with a clearer understanding of the history of system thinkers, and how they've each brought us a unique perspective to consider.

We were always told in school to read the classics...and so, having embarked on an attempt to do this, I find it very uninspiring. Just as interesting as Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment, Stevenson's Jekyll and Hyde novel is both unexciting and a waste of time. Maybe the modern day media has dullened my senses, maybe I have become anaesthetized to the twists and turns of this timeless classic. Then again, maybe it is hugely overrated by literature readers who get their cues from the 1940's.

Equally entertaining in it's own right, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde maintained my interest. However, since it is not the slang I am used to in speech and in text, the language was difficult for me to comprehend at first. But as the story progressed, I was able to keep up with the extensive vocabulary and sentence structures. The story line captivated me, being mysterious and well put together. Dr. Jekyll is a jolly man who is well liked and well respected, and with good reason. Initially, I was fond of this character as his lawyer, Mr. Utterson, described him throughout the book. Yet, when it is revealed what Dr. Jekyll did, my opinion of him becomes shady and unsure. This character is essential and puzzling in this story, causing one to wonder his credibility. Mr. Hyde, on the other hand, is a man who is easily dislikable. He shows no reason to be admired most notably when he does the unthinkable. Murder, mystery, missing links and possibly psychotic scientists ... and that's just the beginning. This book obviously had no trouble intriguing me.

"The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" is assured a place in the history of horror fiction because it the literary classic that represents the archetype of the werewolf (the human with the hiding inside). Along with Mary Wollstonecraft's "Frankenstein" (the Thing Without a Name) and Bram Stoker's "Dracula" (the Vampire) Robert Louis Stevenson's novella is part of the gothic foundation of the modern horror story. All have in common the fact that they promise to tell a story that might best be left untold, which, of course, is exactly the sort of story we want to hear.

Given that Stevenson was writing when the genre of horror fiction was not recognized as such, it is surprising that "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" is cast in the form of a mystery novel. Stevenson invites his readers to try and get ahead of the story, to put the clues together and come to the conclusion. Today it is nearly impossible to pick up this story and not know the "secret," but if you think back to the late 19th-century when this story was written you can get a sense for how Stevenson used the biases and limitations of his readers to his advantage in keeping them from what we might consider to be an obvious conclusion.

More importantly, Stevenson is writing several decades before the writings of Sigmund Freud revolutionized the whole idea of human psychology. Yet we can certainly find evidence of the conscious and subconscious mind of which Freud would write. Stevenson reinforces this metaphor with the block of buildings that divides this particular part of London, with one side representing the civilized world of a respected physician and the other side the squalor of the world inhabited by an inhuman creature who gives in to his every earthly desire. The novella also speaks to the topic of evolution, with Hyde being described as "ape-like," reinforcing the idea that our most human attributes remove us ever further from the category of mere animal.

Of the three classic horror novels, "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" is the most accessible. Not only because of its shorter length, but also because its evil is more realistic, even in terms of our imagination. We might be unable to reanimate the dead or to become the walking dead, but we can certainly relate to the idea of unleashing the beast buried with us. Even if we could not, we can recognize the "werewolf" in the real world in the form of serial killers who try to show a civilized face to us in public. This is not to say that the novella is simplistic, for Stevenson offers a sophisticated narrative. If this is one of those literary you have never read because you already know the story, then you should take out an evening to sit down and finally get around to reading it.