E-Wally and the Quest is a thrilling adventure story set in the "Land of the Internet". The first in a planned series, it begins with E-Wally learning of a threat to his beloved grandfather. The e-people who deliver our e-mail messages live in misery under the rule of the evil King Henry and his bug infested crony, Olla Brac. It is up to our young hero to challenge the status quo and attempt to save the day. Along the way readers will learn a great deal about the history and workings of the Internet and its potential affect on our future.

E-Wally and the Quest is a children's book that should appeal to all ages. Not since an eleven-year old wizard joined our household, has a book enthralled all members of our home. As computer network engineers, my husband and I were excited to find a book that takes the complex and often confusing land of the Internet and makes it understandable to even the least technical reader. Our children, ages 7 and 9, have learned a great deal about what Mom and Dad do at work. This wonderful book opened a communication channel for our family and has been the catalyst for several lengthy conversations. Even a non-tech family should find a great deal for discussion as the book tackles such subjects as Internet ethics, fighting for a cause and helping your friends even when it is not easy to do so. As one friend suggested, "Maybe my kids can use it to explain the whole thing (Internet) to me".

While I would strongly encourage families to read E-Wally together, educators will also find this book an inspiring tool for the classroom.

E-Wally and the Quest is a delightful adventure blending the mysteries of the computer with childhood fantasies. The hero, E-Wally, lives in the computer delivering mail packages. But he is not the only one alive in the computer - both good and bad characters exist inside the network. When E-Wally needs help, he meets his real-life counterparts - schoolchildren using the computer for homework. We won't tell you if the good folks win this one. But the story is full of excitement and builds suspense appropriately for young children. E-Wally and the Quest leaves readers with the promise of more adventures to come. And we would welcome more additions to this new series.

I read this book from beginning to end with no loss of interest. I could not believe how much I loved this book. I usually do not read books in less than a month, but this one was one I could not put down! If there is a sequal, I shall be the first in line to buy it!

"Great Day for Dying" is a pretty fascinating (and bold) idea for a mystery: What if the Grand Marshall of the St. Patrick's Day parade was murdered? This fast-moving (I finished it an afternoon!) and often hilarious book is a must for anyone who's interested in anything Irish -- with some great glimpses of the REAL Irish culture of New York, which Harrington chroniciles with the fine eye of an anthropologist. On top of that, it's a neat little mystery, which had me guessing -- and laughing -- 'till the end.

A first-rate novel here, from all angles. The mystery story twists and turns engagingly. This time Danny O'Flaherty is back in New York, and it's not in wannabe hip circles downtown but far uptown above 200th Street where the work is tough and the people live in fear of the Immigration and Naturalization Service. Harrington moves with authority from the complications of a Dominican neighborhood to the internecine strife of the Irish community. And along the way he offers incisive and often funny characters - Detective Washington, Mr. Zhang, surly Ian Masters, and above all, the opinionated Fintan Conway who, even dead, is larger than life. These creations linger in the mind long after the story is over. The climax is a fitting mix of resolution and tragedy, with a promise of romance to come. Highly recommended.

A GREAT DAY FOR DYING Jonathan Harrington

A Great Day for Dying is a fast-paced, thoroughly enjoyable mystery. In Harrington's two previous books Danny O'Flaherty solved murders while teaching in the quaint, Irish town of Ballycara. In the third book in the Danny O'Flaherty series, A Great Day For Dying, the tone changes somewhat as Danny returns to his job teaching in an inner-city high school in New York. His girlfriend from Ballycara, Fidelma Muldoon, has also come to New York and wants to go to the infamous St. Patrick's Day Parade on Fifth Avenue. Danny hates the parade, believing it is more about politics than Irish pride, but eventually agrees to go. Finton Conway, the Grand Marshall of the parade, is killed right in front of them and Danny is an eyewitness. Clues seem to point to another Ballycara resident and friend, Brendan Grady, who may be mixed up with the IRA. Danny is determined to prove his friend innocent, although Brendan makes it clear he does not want Danny's help.

A Great Day For Dying is spiked with enough Irish history and politics to peak my interest without overwhelming me. I am Irish American and learned more about my ancestry.

The characters in the Danny O'Flaherty series are growing and maturing as the series continues. I really enjoyed A Great Day for Dying, and recommend it.

Reading is one of my favorite things to do, and reading this book was definately a highlight of my years of reading. I have never read a book more enjoyable than Lenegrin. It was entertaining, engrossing, tantalizing and thorougly addictive from the first page to the last. I found myself slowly getting to know these characters with all their good and bad characteristics, as one would get to know someone in life. By the end of the book, I didn't want to say goodbye.

Lenegrin is one of the few books I've looked forward to reading again. Great writing! Let's hope there are many more where this one came from!

This is a first, folks! Middleton Books is a brand new independent press, and Lenegrin is their very first title. It is Middleton Books' intention to publish books of a non-traditional fantasy genre. By this they state that the genre is allegorical based on language use, but not tied to any religious connotations. Jonathan Scott was born in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, and has studied traditional tales used for teaching purposes for twenty-five years. He has published several short stories, and Lenegrin is his first novel.

Lenegrin is the tale of a man who has lost his memory, but finds himself in the middle of an enemy camp, brought there cold, bloody, and hungry by an old woman. He has no idea of his identity, but quickly learns he is some type of warrior. He flees after killing a man who threatens him, only to find himself in the company of a strange group of companions. He only remembers the term "Lenegrin."

"When it was light enough, I was able to see my traveling companions. On my left sat a tall, think man of early middle age with a beaked nose and a lifeless expression on his face. Next to him, a ragged adolescent girl was sitting with her mother, who was even more ragged than the daughter. The Mother held a baby on her lap and clutched a large basket holding a pair of birds inside. Sitting across from me was a frail ancient-looking man, with a shock of snow-white hair. He had a sack with a strap slung over his shoulder. None of them seemed to pay me any attention.

Jonathan D. Scott accomplishes many things with Lenegrin. First, he employs language and myth to create an "every man" type of character. He also entertains us with a great story of searching, self-doubt, and ultimate redemption. But he leaves enough shrouded in mystery to captivate and bemuse his readership. At the end of the tale we are thirsting for more. Just when we begin to understand what Lenegrin the place is all about, Scott pulls down the curtain. Hopefully this is just a tease for the sequel he has in mind. Lenegrin could be another "Lord of the Rings". We're not sure. We'll just have to wait and see.

Shelley Glodowski
Reviewer

Lenegrin offers readers an exciting vision of another world. Jonathan has become my favorite writer of all times! He is incredibly insightful and creative! After reading Lenegrin, I felt that I was returning from an amazing journey that has enriched my imagination as well as my knowledge of my own self. I cannot reccomend any other book as highly as I reccommend Lenegrin!

This is one of the most ambitious baseball research projects ever undertaken, and a book that should be in every serious baseball fan's library. It must be said, though, that the book's lack of footnotes or citations make it troublesome as an academic reference, and there are quite a few factual errors --which, I suppose, inevitably accompany such a vast work. But if you can get past those quibbles, this is a wonderful book to own.

John Herbold, Head Baseball Coach at Cal-State Los Angeles, and a legend in baseball himself, says that this book is one of the BEST works on "The Game" that he's ever had the pleasure to come across! That was enough for me to purchase the book!

An A-to-Z encyclopedia of everything you need to know about the national pastime. Light has done a herculean task of compiling a tome that reminds all of us why we love baseball. I would highly recommend this book to any baseball fan.

The first volume in the Matsuyama Kaze trilogy (followed by Jade Palace Vendetta and Kill the Shogun) transports the reader to Japan in 1603, the first year in the long reign of the Tokugawa Shogunate. When the army of Emperor Hidyoshi was defeated at Battle of Sekigahara, hundreds of lords were killed, leading to thousands of samurai becoming masterless warriors, ie. ronin. Matsuyama Kaze is one of these, wanted by Japan's new rulers, he wanders the country under an assumed name on a quest to find and rescue his former lord's young daughter. The book and mystery begins with Kaze discovering a rural charcoal-seller standing over a dead merchant lying at a crossroad. The peasant is soon named as the murderer by the local authorities, who don't seem too concerned with the truth of the matter, and Kaze comes to his defense. For, Kaze is one of the few samurai who feel that peasant's aren't necessarily subhumans, and that justice is worth expending energy on.

The mystery is fairly simple, and most readers will and unraveled all the connections well ahead of Kaze, but the book is pleasurable nonetheless. First, unlike so many mysteries, it's a pleasantly compact tale, easily digested in a single night's reading. Secondly, the cast of characters is small and vivid. There's the stoic charcoal-seller, the village prostitute, a nasty bandit leader, and a weirdo lord who lives according to the customs of six hundred years previously in the Heian period. Finally, the most enjoyable element is Furutani's weaving of period detail throughout the book. Often, a ritual or object will lead to a brief tangential discussion of its development and use. These asides are not always subtle, but are fascinating slices of history and custom. On the whole, the book is reminiscent of a Kurasawa film, with a small story, small cast of regular people, and elegant delivery.

This is a new series for Furutani. It features ronin Matsuyama Kaze, a freelance samurai, in 1603 Japan. Kaze is on a quest to find the child of his former master. He is following one small lead after another with dwindling hope of finding the child he has been looking for during the proceeding two years. On his way to his next destination, he comes across a charcoal gatherer who is examining the dead body of a merchant. In spite of himself, Kaze stays around to see what happens and finds himself embroiled in the small town's politics and rivalries as he attempts to unravel the mystery of who killed the merchant and why.

Furutani's writing is lyrical and the reader finds himself enveloped in a cadence that transports the reader to medieval Japan. Like all first books in series, this one must not only develop the character's personality, but provide us with a mystery and a story as well. The latter is no mean feat in and of itself, but Furutani accomplishes the task with ease. Furutani does not set flaunt his research by using every bit of minutiae he picked up, but, rather, he uses it subtly to advance his story and, in the process, educate his readers. For those who, like myself, do not care for Furutani's previous books, be rest assured that the writing here as well as the characters are a very welcome change. The uniqueness of the setting adds to quality of this book.

Writing with the longtime eloquence of an established prose-writer, Dale Furutani paints a sweeping, grandiose picture of Japan in the beginning of an oppressive (somewhat backward and yet modernistic) era-The Tokugawa Shogunate- in 1603.The hero of the novel, a ronin (a samurai sans a master), stumbles across a corpse on a misty mountain pass. In the course of his adventure, Kaze (the ronin), discovers a remarkable collection of characters that Dame Agatha Christie herself would be hard to match. The cast ranges from Aoi, the luckless prostitute, to the ultra-refined Lord Manase (who insists on living life as in Heian period Japan, a period six HUNDRED years ago! ), to the greedy and ambitious Lord Nagato. We also meet the humble Jiro and the somewhat noble Hachiro and Ichiro, while facing the aggravating, and shortlived Boss Kuemon.A captivating yarn, with a little too much blood for the elegant story, nonetheless fails to disappoint. Get a copy today!I can hardly wait for the next two books in the trilogy.

This book gives you all the information you need for the MCAT and then some for background information. The book helps you prepare very well and the background information helps you understand those dense passages that are just testing simple science. Just having taken the MCAT 4-20-02, this book definitely helped me decipher those dense passages on the biological sciences section.

After taking a commercial prep course and using this series of books, I've realized that Examkrackers materials are far superior to the commerically available ones. The conceptual background is strong enought that these books could be used alone to even learn the material. The 30 minute practice tests at the end of each chapter are comparable in diffficulty and style to the real thing, even with a scale.

The complete set of MCAT prep books written by Jon Orsay are absolutely fundamental in order to feel confident on exam day. No other book gives you exactly what to know and nothing more! Taking the course along with the books is definitely more reassuring, but the books themselves are phenomenal and will help anyone at any level achieve a better MCAT score. I would strongly recommend using this set of books for your preperation for what is a very challenging exam.

This is a great collection of thoughtful "perspectives" on brand related issues, some very thoughtful (e.g., the one on extending premium brands with Transition health clubs as the lynchpin) and others somewhat perplexingly dichotomous (e.g., a chapter on the perils of line extensions which is immediately succeeded by another on the logic of line extensions leaving the reader with no cogent framework for how to decide between the two).

The "book" is structured as a collection of essays, each of which takes up a case study with an actual company and then presents the views of several big-tyke experts about branding issues that the company was faced with. This makes it a fascinating read as a case study guide. An attempt to weave these scattered insights into a summary recommendation at the end of each essay, or at least some mention of what the client in question actually ended up doing, would have been even more useful. Sans such synoptic editing, this book ends up being little more than thought piece for the branding experts on some issues that pertain to corporate identity (and the marketing bottomline) but this is by no means a holistic branding reference as one of the other reviewers seemed to indicate.

All the same, I would still give it is a 4 star for its readability, for the breadth and the reality of the cases picked for discussion, and for the sharpness/relevance of the insights that went into discussing them. Should be a no-brainer of a buy if you are interested in the identity/advertising/marketing strategy industry in any way, especially as a real-world companion to any of Aaker's works.

This collections would absolutely give either the managers in business war or students in acdemic area some fresh insights of "Brand". Most people misunderstand the true meaning of a brand, so they make wrong decisions when facing consumers' wants. You can get new ideas about your business positioning, your strategy, or media policy. Students also should read it, because it will help you to clarify your concept about what "brand" mean. I recommend it to you.

In this volume, one of a series of anthologies of articles previously published in the Harvard Business Review, we are provided with a variety of different perspectives on a single business subject. Here are the titles and their authors:

"Building Better Brands without Mass Media" (Joachimsthaler and Aaker)

"How Do You Grow a Premium Brand?" (Maruca)

"Should You Take Your Brand to Where the Action Is?" (Aaker)

"Extend Profits, Not Product Lines (Quelch and Kenny)

"The Logic of Product-Line Extensions" (Perspectives from the Editors)

"Can This Brand Be Saved?" (Maruca)

"Your Brand's Best Strategy" (Vishwanath and Mark)

Even if you do not recognize at least a few of the authors' last names, The Harvard Business Review's brand is of sufficient credibility to encourage you to purchase and read this book. I am especially impressed by the inclusion of "Executive Summaries" of key points in each of the articles. No brief commentary such as this can do full justice to the rigor and substance of the articles provided. It remains for each reader to examine the list to identify those subjects which are of greatest interest to her or him. My own opinion is that all of the articles are first-rate. For me, as previously indicated, one of this volume's greatest benefits is derived from sharing a variety of perspectives provided by several different authorities on the same general subject.

This book is definitely hard to get into, but once you do, you're hooked. The jazz theme is awesome (although I wouldn't have chosen a cat...) and the pictures are brilliant. What a great picture book!

This is one of the most amazing children's books I have ever read. Jonathan London is able to convert prose into music. You have a sense of being inside jazz and understanding what it is from a completely emotional standpoint. I was thrilled to have the pleasure of reading this book to my 5 year old son and to introduce him to what jazz feels like. We listened to several Jazz albums after reading this book and the book helped to make a connection to the music. Thank you, Thank you Mr. London for this incredible experience!

This Reading Rainbow Book, Hip Cat, by Jonathan London and illustrated by Woodleigh Hubbard is a refreshing introduction to the lyrical and "cool" genre of jazz music for the young child. It gives them the opportunity to experience with words and visuals a character who desires to make his livelihood by doing what he enjoys best! The story is dedicated to Herschel Silverman, jazz poet, Bobby McFerrin, scat man, Miles Davis and John Coltrane. Young learners, hopefully, will come away with a heightened idea of self-awareness as it relates to career choices and a greater level of endurance to make of their lives what they choose. Oobie-do John the Sax Man Scat Man, the cool cat man, realizes his love for making jazzy music on his saxophone. Others enjoy his craft and his pay is peanuts and applause. Oobie-do needs more to survive. He doesn't give up finding a good gig, one that will feed him and pay his bills. Persistence and perfecting his craft win him a just reward.

Teacher Note: Excellent opportunity to integrate language, music and rhyme. Students can also meet and greet jazz greats via musical listening/movement experiences. A real opportunity to submerge classroom experiences into "multiple-intelligences" mode. Another recommended book is Willie Jerome by Alice Faye Duncan.

This book is wonderful! The very first page was an attention grabber. I have never read such an original piece before. There is nothing like it. From the romance, to the adventure, and drama, The Lasting has it all. I wish Mr. Millea the best of luck with his future books and highly reccommend this book to anyone.

Man...I tell ya wut, this book was full of meat! Dad gome it man I love meat. One time when I was in West Virginia, I had this piec of meet that was this big i tell ya wat. Man and then In Texas man hey got some good meat there too. I had a steak the size o grannys thigh. ...oh yeah and the book was good to.

I just learned to read seventeen hours before I bought this book off of Amazon.com, and let me tell you this sure beats the pants off of Stinky Migglebottoms and his Magic Pot Pie. I was shaking from excitement from the moment I picked this book up until the second I put it down, after that I said to myself "I better read this eventually." After finishing the book I was so in love with it I wanted to fill every sense of mine with the book. I ate pages 7-22 and smelled it for six hours at one time. I would flip the pages and listen to the sweet music of pages 235-251. I tried to have it surgically attached to me but the doctor refused because he wanted to read it. We fought violently over it until the nurse came in and grabbed the book and started to run. Eventually I caught the nurse and we have been married ever since. (I love you, Bertha!) Anyways back to the book. I soon created a new religion based on the book called "Lastingism". So far I have gathered seven hundred followers to the only worthwile thing in life, this book. (I like to call it my own personal bible) Buy this book, join our religion, die happy. It really is that simple.

I have always liked Kenneth Patchen poetry. This novel has a wonderful title. I would almost have to read it solely on the basis of the title. It is not the greatest prose I ever read but it was a very engaging tale. I have to admit that the whole time I was reading it I kept thinking to myself I bet Bob Dylan read this book. A lot of the names and imagery was reminiscent of the lyrics of Dylan. Since Patchen came first it stands to reason that he bore an influence on Bob Dylan. It is a very enjoyable read for anyone that likes surrealic prose. Patchen was always an outstanding poet and this book more than reveals his gift for writing prose.

This book has two plots reflecting themes that run throughout much of Patchen's work: the absurdity of the "profane" civilized world and the importance of focusing on the "sacred" or natural world to bring meaning, order, and purpose to human existence. The device Patchen chose for the first theme is that of censorship of erotic content in literature. It is from this that the book derives its title. When this book was written in 1945, books were often published in the US with ellipses substituting for erotic content. The beginning of the book tells the story of a first novel of innocent love, called The Spool of Destiny, written by Albert Budd of Bivalve, New Jersey. An unscrupulous editor changes the book's name to The Spill of Desire and substitutes **** and . . . . for Albert's innocent words throughout the text in such quantity that the book must be published overseas. Albert becomes a best-selling pornographer who everyone wants to meet and make love to.

About half-way through the work Albert meets and falls in love with another innocent, Priscilla, and the story moves from the profane life of New York society to a sacred love that works miracles and heals all wrongs. This is the most moving part of the book and Patchen's best portrayal of this mystical, transformational love that inspires so many of his poems. I think many readers might give up this book in the first half and miss this gem of prose writing embedded in the second half.

If you like Patchen's poetry, you must read this book. If you haven't read Patchen before, stop whatever you are doing and either read this book or a book of his poetry. He is truly a great American author and this is his most approachable novel. This review is dedicated to Miriam, Kenneth Patchen's wife and inspiration, who died in 2001.

Maybe a bit arcane (1945 issues for 1999) but I've never read a sweeter or more charming book.