Seeing Beyond: Movies, Visions, And Values is a compilation of twenty-six essays by William R. Robinson and an assortment of his personal friends on the subject of film theory and offering a wide range of commentary and criticism of American and foreign films. In addition to Robinson the contributors include Annie Dillard, Frank Burke, R.H.W. Dillard, George Garrett, Armando Jose Prats, A. Carl Bredahl Jr., Seve Snyder, Vincent B. Leitch, David Lavery, Elaine Marshall, J.P. Telotte, Walter C. Foreman Jr., and Susan Lynn Drake. Each essay is a small gem. Taken together as a whole they form a persuasive argument that movies are a fundamentally revolutionary moral force in contemporary life. Seeing Beyond: Movies, Visions, And Values is an invaluable contribution to film theory and criticism, and a highly recommended addition to both academic and community film library reference collections.

A friend gave this book to my 7 year old second grader. Her son had liked it. I was initially hesitant to read an abridged version of a classic because I'd seen such books that didn't seem very well done. My son and I both loved this version. The adapter did an excellent job. I read most of it to him but it was at a level that he could read it himself too.

My 7 year old loved this shorter version of the classic. He is just getting into chapter books and this was a great read aloud book that we could read together. It kept both his interest and my own through out the story. Maybe when he's older, we'll read the classic together, but for now this is a GREAT book for his age. The other books in this series are also just as good as this one. I recommend them all.

My son, a 10 year old, needed a book which he could read easily and independently, but, more importantly, would not talk down to his intellect. This book is a great fit. It tells a gripping adventure story in plain, accessable language - which would not be too difficult for children in younger grades to read on their own. However, I would not reccommend this book for a child younger than 4th or 5th grade to read independently. It has quite a bit of understated death and violence in it - for instance, a man gets his head chopped off - pet animals die and get eaten - and hungry cannibals abound. Thus, it may be more appropriate for the older reader. I also worried that it was not a good idea give a child a condensed version of a classic - but then, this one seems to maintain the integrity of the original. I think the book is a real find - and I am happy that my son finds it the first book he read (on his own) that he was "really in to."

Robinson Crusoe is the perfect treat for the wilderness lover. The novel takes the reader on a journey through many hardships that the main character encounters in order to display just how trying nature can be. Almost every new day, Crusoe must find and develop a new survival tactic in order to stay alive. There are several reasons why one should engulf in reading this book.
Robinson Crusoe displays strength and incredible will to survive. This can be very inspiring to someone who does not have a lot of confidence in themselves. Crusoe has faith in himself and God, believing that he will be guided in the right direction. God plays a large role in his everyday life. Crusoe never was a religious man before he was stranded on the island, but he believed God had allowed him to be the sole survivor of the shipwreck for a reason and he owed it to God to be the best man that he could be.
Another reason to read this book is that it shows that one can do whatever they put their mind to. Crusoe worked long and hard to create things that will facilitate his survival and make things more convenient for himself. He creates a protective shelter, makes his own tools, baskets, and pots, and even grows and raises his own food.
This book will also get many people to realize just how good their lives actually are. Many, not all, of us have lives that are not threatened by wondering how we will get our next meal or if someone or something is out to hunt us down, but Crusoe must face these dilemmas and find ways to secure himself. The wonderful thing about this novel is that it shows how difficult these tasks can be, yet Crusoe does not give up and he pursues his goals until they are accomplished.
This novel can instigate someone to try something new that perhaps thay were uneasy about doing before. Robinson is faced with so many new surroundings at once, yet deals with them so well. If he would have panicked, he eventually would have starved to death. Instead, Crusoe thinks logically and pursues what is needed to survive.
Robinson Crusoe is an amazing adventure novel that explores the life of a very strong-willed man. The main character tells his own story and it is as if he is speaking directly to the reader, which makes it seem even more like reality. Daniel Defoe has written a great novel.

With Robinson Crusoe, Daniel DeFoe transformed liturature forever. In his time, the novel did not exist as we know it today. Through Robinson Crusoe, DeFoe helped created this genre that we love today. Many people judge this book by today's standards; however, DeFoe wrote this book long before today's novel completely developed. This book is not only great for its creativity as a new genre, but also is wonderful for its adventurous plot. If you've ever seen Gilligan's Island, read Jules Verne's Mysterious Island, or heard any stories about someone stranded on a desert island, you are just hearing another rehashed version of DeFoe's story.

As with many "classics," the story of Robinson Crusoe has been around for so many years that we're all familiar--we think--with Mr. Crusoe and his "man" Friday. But the story of the ill-fated Mr. Crusoe is more than just a story about a man who is stranded on a desert island, it is a story, like that of the biblical Jonah, of a man running from responsibility and destiny, who ultimately finds it in the most unlikely place--within himself. The book does contain some pretty graphic violence and archaic thoughts about slavery, but gives you a real taste of what life was like both in the "civilized" world and Crusoe's island kingdom. This edition (edited by Joe Wheeler)has beautiful reproductions of the original wood-cut illustrations and a comprehensive introduction that gives background into the life and times of Daniel Defoe. A must read!