Personally, I was disappointed. I'm very interested in the subject and am constantly seeking out new views and information. I was first intrigued by Beverly Jaegers' Beyond Palmistry but found the illustrations in that book to be inadequate. The illustrations in The Complete Guide are spectacular and detailed, and it makes an excellent companion to Ms. Jaegers' volumes, but I found its content biased and inadequate. It was over-simplified and the hand types were too pigeon-holed; palmistry and its history are dynamic, complex topics and can't be effectively covered in this trendy, nebulous table-top book. But it's not as bad as some of the others I've read. If nothing else, it should be an interesting introduction to the topic or a nice conversation piece for your coffee table.

I have been interested in the subject of magic since i was a kid, and exploring palmistry and tarot reading now. I think there are very few good palmistry book. Usually the books that study the lines only dated too long back to be adequate, and usually the drawing is not clear and the explanation is not precise to grasp.

This book is more balanced in the approached and more -make sense- in a way. There are great pictures and historical storied and myth and enlight you as you read along wondering about the art and science of palmistry.

The book take a more elevated view approached that it see all the elements of palmistry with lots of illustration.

I also still agree that the book should put more emphasis on the line reading to be a perfect palmistry book, but nonetheles this book is way above the average of the palmisrty type book to merit my 5 stars.

This was the first Palmistry book I'd ever read. I was completely fascinated. I've read several others since, and none were as good. Perfect for someone who's curious about palm reading.

I am a professor of reading and use this book in the reading course required of my undergrad teacher ed students. Our use of this book is largely strategic -- to be able to analyze and criticize Calkins' use of reading rhetoric. This is important when one understands that the reading wars and the misguided pressures put on teachers to teach badly have intensified incredibly under the horrible No Child Left Behind legislation. Students will be faced with such nonsense as leveled libraries and need to know what it is about and particularly, I hope, to know how to examine and counter the misguided assumptions of such practices. Calkins' does have some worthwhile information here; as might be expected, her work is best when she is talking about how to read more deeply in order to support good writing, and how to use writing to support deeper readings. Calkins is not a reading professional. She should have stuck to writing pedagogy, which she does well, and left the reading texts to others.

I cannot say enough about this book. Teaching reading IS an art, a rocket science, and this thorough, all-encompassing professional resource elevated my teaching of reading to an art level. I constantly refer back to it. I frequently mentor student teachers, and tell them that if they can only afford to purchase one professional book, this should be the one. Lucy Calkins' work will stand the test of time. She should be a household name, and it is baffling to me that she isn't.

I have been a teacher for just a few years and I am currently working on my master's degree. I wanted to know more about the process approach to reading and writing so I approached my professor. She loaned me a brand new copy of this book. I found Calkins the most useful information in forming an understanding of Reading Workshop. Calkins even has a section that gives tips on how to acquire more books for your school. This book is invaluable!

A Must Have... especially if you're a Harris fan! I love the plots and twists.

In this book, E. Lynn continues to enlighten the average Joe/Jane on the often unseen lifesyle of the middle-class black gay male. I love it. The lingo, the mind-set, the honesty... Who wouldnt enjoy a book like this?? But I feel like the 1st reviewer: What ever happened to Ava? What was next with Yancey & Desmond? Did Basil eventually move back to Florida? And whatever became of XJI? A lot of unanswered questions....

In addition, I'm really kinda tired of all these people. It's time for all of them to retire. E. Lynn, we're tired of Basil, his pretty-boy grey eyes & his no-good tactics. Although I was glad to finally see him 1/2-way busted, I think it's time to let him rest. The same with Yancey's cry-baby self. Bring us some new characters, completely fresh & new. Im looking forward to the next novel!

KD

I just finished reading this book in 2 days I must say that this was a good read but definitely NOT one of his better ones. I thought it was a bit soap opera-ish and the characters didn't really make me care for them. Basil was never one of my favorite characters until now. He seems too finally seen the light. I hope it stays that way. The book appeared to be an exact replica of "Not A Day Goes By"...you can definitely categorize this as a sequel to "Not A Day Goes By". But I felt a little cheated. I was under the impression that we were going to found out more about Basil. Why is Basil the way he turned out. Don't get me wrong this book is a good book to read with lots of twists and surprises in store but I was expecting more intimate and background information on Basil Henderson. I did enjoy the way it ended. It was totally unexpecting and heartwarming. E Lynn Harris if you are reading this...please write more on Raymond Tyler. He is definitely one of my favorite characters. Read the book but don't expect another version of "Invisible Life" or "Just As I Am". Those 2 books are CLASSICS!

I am still in love with E. Lynn Harris and the characters he has created. When I heard his new book was coming out I couldn't wait to buy it and once I had it I stayed up all night to find out what happens to my favorite people. If you a fan of Harris'work than this is a must read. If you are not then you simply have to buy Invisible life, Just as I am and all the other books to be drawn into his carefully created world. I was happy to hear that Harris had revived Basil and the crew and even happier to find that he had not taken them down an unfamilar road as many authors do. I applaud Harris' ability to maintain the intergrety of his characters (yes, Basil and Yauncey have intergrety). He has continued to spin a tale that is not only believable, but fasinating. I find myself living in their world, feeling their feelings. It's good to put my troubles aside and worry a little about old friends. Harris also doesn't let you forget about his starter characters, he tells us about Raymond, Nicole & Jared, he even gives us a taste of Zurich and Sean. I appreciate that he hasn't forgetten about his past characters and that he knows we haven't either. In his last book I was afraid of what Basil would do to others, in this book I find myself afraid of what others would do to Basil. I loved it and know that any true fan will love it too!

Like Provence, Mayle continues to charm with further adventures from the land of food, wine, and sunshine. If you haven't read "A Year In Provence", I'd suggest starting with that as many of the "characters" he introduced make return visits here. Less structural than his first book, these chapters come off as varied meditations on random events that occur day to day; A birthday picnic, a new found pet,the search for gold in his backyard, and of course the various gastromical pleasures to be found throughout the region. I didn't find it quite as good as the first book, but still he has a way of making you feel like you're sitting down with an old friend.

I am surprised and delighted to say that I enjoyed this even more than the first book in the Provence series. Perhaps the familiar, breezy writing and characters just transported me to a lush, easy life. I also think some of these stories are hysterical! From singing frogs to the aquisition of their new dog there is just pure joy in these pages. A great, quick read. Can't wait to go on to Encore Provence.

This book is charming, funny and heartwarming. I have never read A Year In Provence, but I recomend you do--most people who have read both say you should. It also helps to know some French.

I would have no trouble recommending this book to anyone who has previously shied away from the Bible on account of the various social abuses of Scripture. Dr. Gomes writes an analysis that will ease many people's fears that the Bible is largely a highfalutin stream of condemnations, and there's definitely a need for such a book. Having said that, I must admit I found little in this text that was original or truly revelatory; people who have read other books on the subject will find themselves re-treading familiar ground. More bothersome, I think Gomes sometimes fails to distinguish between scholarly and popular consensus, and his own avowed left-leaning political tendency occasionally makes his viewpoint appear biased. In more than one instance he seems to be arguing less about freeing Scripture from reactionary partisanship and more about harnessing it to the progressive agenda. Is the latter necessarily a purer motive than the former? In light of Gomes's occasional potshots at public figures of political conservatism, I think not. In the end, though, Gomes succeeds in persuading the reader that the Bible is most significant as a universal repository of human experience and a time-honored source of advice on human relationships. I have to agree with Gomes that, as often as not, the most vehement social moralists are mere careerists; if only he had balanced that observation with a similar one for those of the opposite ilk.

Those who have never had the unique privilege of hearing Rev. Gomes preach will most enjoy and benefit from this book, for the book memorializes the singular virtues of his ministry: his delightful use of language, the great clarity of his thinking, the openness of his mind, and his general resistance to ideology and dogma. As a book targeted to a general audience, it is not as comprehensive nor as successful at handling intellectual complexities and contradictions as a more scholarly tome might be. Too often, Rev. Gomes makes interpretive leaps which are perhaps not supported adequately by his arguments and marshalling of evidence. However, it must be said that any book of this ilk would necessarily be guilty of similar "sins." In any event, Rev. Gomes does not intend for his book to be yet another addition to the library of general Biblical scholarship. Instead, he succeeds at his primary objective, which is to breathe life into the reader's relationship with the book and to rescue the Bible from individuals on points of the political spectrum who brazenly manipulate its complex and elusive message to support their own particular points of view. A thought-provoking and surprisingly easy read.

After lifelong Bible study, someone has finally explained the Bible to me. Thank you, Professor Gomes.

Government text, and writings, and so on, can be very difficult to understand, but this book clearly explains what the text means, it also is organized greatly, I would recommend this book to anybody wanting a little extra knowledge about US Government

This book was the required secondary reading in a graduate level English course I took on Beowulf this year at Georgia State University. It contains several significant papers published on the poem since the mid-60s. Most of them are well-written (with a few exceptions) and not too difficult to understand. If you are looking for a general guide to research on Beowulf in the last 35 years, this is a great place to start.

I've always wanted to know each of the secrets behind writing with a more pronounced sense of power and clarity. In less than one week, Beyond The Rules taught me how to write with fire and a veteran sense of wit. A writer's personality is based on his or her level of word choice and style. The ability to convert these talents to never before seen levels is truly what makes Beyond The Rules a must-read for anyone looking to develop both a unique and original approach to writing.

While all six essays in this slender volume will prove of interest to the reader seeking more background on J.R.R. Tolkien's epic story, I found the essay by Janet Blumberg, "The Literary Background of The Lord of the Rings" especially valuable. Prof. Blumberg not only explains the influences of Anglo-Saxon literature such as "Beowulf" and High Medieval literature such as "Sir Gawain and the Green knight" on elements in LOTR, but also offers a credible explanation for one of the most remarked about elements in the books: the absence of any overt religious practice or worship. This essay alone makes this slender volume a valuable addition to the library of any Tolkien fan.

The best thing you can say about Jack Maggs is that Peter Carrey has fashioned a darker, more realistic, more interesting Dickensian London for the reader to inhabit. Although the plot takes a long, uneventful time to get set up, the periodic flashbacks are brilliantly executed. The story told within the flashbacks of Jack Magg's brutal childhood were by far the best part of the novel for me. Carrey's descriptions of poverty, burglary, and depravity were vividly recounted to great effect. The other outstanding element is the creative portrayals for the secondary characters. Tobias Oats in particular was well fleshed out and had a life of his own. The plot is well executed and relatively complex, but not as compelling or intricate as Dicken's best or Paliser's 'The Quincunx'. The story unfolds in a somewhat flat manner and lacks the urgency one would expect. Overall, worth the read, if for no other reason than to soak up the long ago London world Carrey has painstakingly re-created.

I always expect the same things from Peter Carey novels: great characters, poetic language, and an imaginative premise. Jack Maggs delivers on each of these. His protagonist is a criminal with a painful past, but a good heart -- not exactly original, but Carey brings such life to his creation the reader can feel Maggs' presence on every page. His pain is a real thing, and drives the novel. It's also interesting to watch him enter the lives of a few ordinary Londoners, and change their paths, and even their personalities, simply by virtue of his presence.

Tobias Oates (intended as a fictional Charles Dickens) is also very well developed, and very human. Carey has a talent for making his characters capable of both good and evil, and by the novel's end, it's difficult to pin any of his cast as either heroes or villains.

While this novel is based on a character in Charles Dicken's Great Expectations, I think its unfair to compare the two books. Jack Maggs is not a Dickens rip-off: the characters, the voice, the language, the humour, are Carey's own. There has been an attempt by Carey to sketch a London similar, in spirit, to Dickens', but this is a book with its own emotional centre, and it stands on its own.

After reading some of the reviews here, I was surprised to find that the novel did not drag, and that it quickly became a page-turner. The plot steadily builds, with several well-placed and effective twists to keep things interesting (and unpredictable). Carey has managed, again, to lead me into a climax I could not predict, and while the scene had incredible potential, I think it lacks. He seems to rush through it. This is not Carey's best novel (see Bliss) but it is very good indeed, and worth reading if only for Carey's incredible use of the language, which is economical, poetic, and poignant, and also for the characters, which in many cases rise above the subject matter.

This is the first Peter Carey book I have ever read, and it certainly won't be the last. Carey skillfully (& loosely) bases his latest novel on the Dickens' classic "Great Expectations". But whilst the character of Jack Maggs is obviously based on Dickens' Magwitch, it would be an over-simplification to say that Jack Maggs IS Magwitch.

You see, Carey skillfully uses the character of Jack Maggs in order to re-write the character of Magwitch. It's as if Carey felt the need to write his latest novel because of his anger at Dickens' often cold and distant attitude towards Magwitch in "Great Expectations". And Carey is justified in being angry! After all, Carey is Australian and Magwitch was one of the first "Australian" characters in novelistic fiction. But in Dickens' English hands Magwitch is just a pitiable villain. Contrast this with Carey's deeply complex, but ultimately admirable hero, Jack Maggs.

Maggs, unlike Magwitch, is someone we Australians can be proud to call an "Australian".