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Book reviews for "Rogers,_John" sorted by average review score:

Wilderness
Published in Hardcover by Tor Books (1994)
Authors: Roger Zelazny and Gerald Hausman
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Wonderful saga of two Marathon runners and survivors
The poetic prose is very beautifully written by two experts in American western frontiers. No complicated plots but lonely struggles of two guys' survival experiences


X-Men: Danger Room Battles Archives
Published in Paperback by Marvel Books (1996)
Authors: Stan Lee, Roger Stern, Chris Claremont, and John Byrne
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Truly excellent!
Contains stories from all throughout the series, including the first introduction of the X-Babies! Technically, it's the X-Men de-aged, but still!


May God Have Mercy: A True Story of Crime and Punishment
Published in Hardcover by W.W. Norton & Company (1997)
Author: John C. Tucker
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Excellent reportage, but important questions remain.
Yes, this book is excellent journalism, well written, and a haunting look at life on Death Row and the "death industry" of lawyers, appeals, prisons, and so on. However, I do have one serious problem with Tucker's narrative: Why, at no point, was he even willing to consider the possibility that Coleman might have been guilty? While the evidence didn't damn Coleman, it certainly didn't exclude him either. By Tucker's own account, Coleman refused to take a blood test that could have exonerated him for quite awhile (he apparently feared that authorities would "frame" him); once performed, the test could not rule Coleman out; and he did not take a lie-detector test until the day of his execution, which he failed. Tucker also shrugs off Coleman's earlier conviction on a sex crime as a case of mistaken identity. but offers no real proof.

In his attempt to portray Coleman innocent, Tucker missed the opportunity to create a truly balanced portrait of crime and punishment in America. Much better is "Dead Run," the story of Dennis Stockton and the mass Death Row escape.

Amazingly powerful
It is hard for me to imagine anyone reading John C. Tucker's "May God Have Mercy" without being profoundly affected by the topic, which is the trial and execution of Roger Coleman for the brutal rape and murder of Wanda McCoy. While a book dealing mostly with the appeals process could be dull and confusing, Tucker does an astonishing job of presenting complex legal concepts and rules in clear, simple language. In so doing, Tucker allows the personal stories of Coleman and those in his life to take center stage, and those stories are powerful and moving.

One of the more common defenses of the death penalty is that the entire system is set up to cater to the defendants and that it's almost impossible for an innocent person to slip through the cracks. Sure, the cacophony of "I'm innocent" on death row might be overwhelming, but there's an obvious lack of credibility there. But the case of Roger Coleman stands as an exception. It's not that Tucker proves beyond a reasonable doubt that Coleman was innocent (nor should he have to). But there is substantial evidence to suggest that Coleman was innocent, from the prosecution's almost-impossible theory to the identification of a thoroughly plausible suspect.

Tucker takes the reader through the entire case, from the initial investigation to the final, tragic resolution. In the process, we meet attorney Kitty Behan, who handled most of Coleman's appeals. Behan worked tremendous hours at a thankless job that she had to know was an uphill battle. Her biggest task was to get a court actually to listen to the evidence suggesting her client's innocence. Before she assumed the case, one of her predecessors had filed a paper a single day late (and even that was debatable). The rest of the case seemed to be a battle to convince reluctant courts that an innocent man's life was more important than a postmark. Though Tucker exhibits restraint in describing the case, the picture of Behan that emerges is one of a true hero, an attorney whose work should be appreciated even by those in favor of speedier executions. At the expense of her own health, she did everything she could for her client, and she did so not only competently (an understatement) but ethically.

In the end, though, the story is Coleman's, and it is a painful story to read--but an eminently important one. Maybe Coleman was guilty, and maybe he was innocent. (The facts seem all but conclusive that he was innocent.) But if the ultimate crime deserves the ultimate punishment, surely the evidence raised that indicated his innocence should have been heard. Even the most ardent proponent of capital punishment should be uncomfortable reading about the case of Roger Coleman.

Finally, while the story is harrowing, special kudos is due the author. The labyrinth of state and federal appeals is confusing, but Tucker takes the reader through that maze easily, almost making the appeals process seem clear. Tucker's style is easy to read, and he allows the personal stories to come through the legal wrangling. In short, "May God Have Mercy" is important, well-written, and emotionally powerful.

Very engrossing and detailed look at death row
This is an excellent book. You feel compassion for Roger Coleman as the wheels of justice turn ever so slowly, while keeping in mind that a brutal crime has been committed by someone, maybe Roger himself. I came away feeling an innocent man was wronged, but am less harsh toward the "system" as I am toward Roger's incompetent legal defense.

Capital punishment is bound to get people riled up on both sides of the issue. Try and leave your political leanings aside as you read this. Focus only on the case and how it's handled. Similar to "Mean Justice" (very good as well), I was more struck by the mistakes that happen early on in a trial that ultimately take you to the unfortunate conclusion. Things spiral out of control and good people can't make the difference.

I recommend this book highly. It's a troubling but necessary tale to tell.


You Are the Message: Secrets of the Master Communicators
Published in Hardcover by Irwin Professional Pub (1987)
Authors: Roger Ailes, John Kraushar, and Jon Kraushar
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A must read for the frustrated public speaker
Mr. Ailes does an outstanding job communicating how to leverage your own strengths to be an outstanding communicator. The book is joyful and entertaining to read and well deserved to be on any leaders reading list.

A must read for the frustrated public speaker
Mr. Ailes does an outstanding job communicating how to leverage your own strengths to be an outstanding communicator. The book is joyful and entertaining to read and well deserved to be on any leaders reading list.

A powerful idea.
My college minor some 30 years ago was Speech. I have read some 10 books and many more articles about giving speeches. Roger Ailes book, first published in 1988, is the only one like it I have ever read. His advice is unique, and I believe, right on.

Instead of quirky gimmicks, Ailes starts with the factors that make a great speaker -- some of which will surpise you, and encourage you. The book is very readable with lots of anecdotes and great stories to illustrate his points.

In my consulting with political candidates I recommend it often. Considering this man's success in television and politics, I don't understand why this book is not more widely read and referenced. I consider it a "secret weapon". After all, this is the man who was a consultant to the man friend and foe alike called the great commuicator, Ronald Reagan. If you read it, you may be the only one you know who has. And then you will wonder, as I have, why more people have not read it.


Birds
Published in Paperback by Houghton Mifflin Co (Pap) (2003)
Authors: John Sill, Peter C. Alden, and Roger Tory Peterson
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A classic book for the beginning birder
This classic guide was the first of its type, and thus probably got more people into birding than any other book. Peterson uses ink drawings to show the important "field marks" for identifying species. The downside to these drawings is that they tend to idealize the birds, showing them in perfect postures and making the field marks more prominent than they really are. Many competitors, such as the Audubon Guide and the Stokes Guide, use photographs instead. Photographs give a more accurate portrayal of the subtleties of color and pattern in plumage, but there are always those poor shots in a photographic guide that are blurry or show the bird at a bad angle. Whether you decide that a guide based on drawings or photographs is best for you, I would strongly suggest that you pick up an audio recording of birdsongs, such as "Birding by Ear," or the "Field Guide to Eastern/Central Bird Songs," both put out by Peterson's. As any experienced birder will tell you, the ear is just as important as the eye, especially in summer, when birds are often hidden by foliage.

Best regional bird field guide on the market
The Peterson Field Guide to Eastern Birds is the best such guide you will find. The nice thing about birds and birding is that there are few enough species out there that you can get virtually all of them in one regional guide.

This book is outstanding. It relies on illustrations rather than photographs to show markings and other details used to ID birds in the field. I find that photos are often sub-standard, not showing characters essential for identifying birds due to the position of the bird, markings of the individual chosen for inclusion in the book, etc.

In this book each entry includes a bird's common and scientific names, a brief physical description of the body and coloration, a drawing(s) of the bird, a brief description of habitats where they are likely to be seen, a blip about their geographic distribution, notes on their song, and reference to similar species (if any). The entry also refers the reader to a map number that shows the summer and winter ranges for each bird.

This is "the bird book" to have for birds that live east of the Rockies for the novice and experienced birder alike. If you've never had much luck figuring out which birds you are looking at try this book.

5 stars all the way!

Note: if you travel much throughout the USA, you ought to pick up the Peterson Guide to Western Birds as well -- it is the sister book to this one. With both of those books in hand you will be in good birding shape.

Alan Holyoak, Dept of Biology, Manchester College, IN

the best I looked at
I looked at nine or ten bird books over the weekend before finally deciding on this one. I like it's compact size, durable cover and it's very complete index. The most important reason for my decision, however, is the fact that it shows pictures of both male and female birds where the female bird's plummage and head differ from that of the male. None of the other books I checked showed female birds or only showed them in very rare instances. I also like this book because it shows most birds in both standing or swimming positions and also in flight. There are also occasional drawings of chicks.

The text that accompanies the pictures is necessarily brief but covers: Latin and common names, description, food, range, migratory pattern, habitat, voice and similar species. Also included is a "Systematic Checklist" so you can keep a "life list" of all the birds you've seen. There is a guide to identifying birds by visual categories (swimmers, birds of prey, waders, perching birds, etc), size, tail and wing patterns. The last part of the book contains maps illustrating each bird's range which makes it easy to compare the habitat of, for example, an Olive-Sided Flycatcher with an Acadian Flycatcher.

Obviously this is a guidebook and not the type of book you sit down and read through, but I have found myself reading the entries for the often amusing "voice" sections. Here's the one for the Chestnut-Sided Warbler: "Song, similar to Yellow Warbler's; 'see see see see Miss Beech'er' or 'pleased pleased pleased to meet'cha;' penultimate note accented, last note dropping." Hey, someone who knows what "penultimate" really means!


A Christmas Carol in Prose: Being a Ghost Story of Christmas
Published in Hardcover by St. Martin's Press (1979)
Authors: Charles Dickens, Peter Fluck, Roger Law, and John Lawrence Jones
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A Timeless Christmas Tradition
Master storyteller and social critic, Charles Dickens, turns this social treatise on shortcomings of Victorian society into an entertaining and heartwarming Christmas ghost story which has charmed generations and become an icon of Christmas traditions. Who, in the Western world has not heard, "Bah, Humbug!" And who can forget the now almost hackneyed line of Tiny Tim, "God bless us, every one!" or his cheerfully poignant observation, that he did not mind the stares of strangers in church, for he might thus serve as a reminder of He who made the lame, walk and the blind, see. Several movie versions: musical, animated, updated, or standard; as well as stage productions (I recall the Cleveland Playhouse and McCarter Theatre`s with fondess.) have brought the wonderful characterizations to the screen, as well as to life. This story of the redemption of the bitter and spiritually poor miser, and the book itself; however, is a timeless treasure whose richness, like Mrs Cratchit`s Christmas pudding, is one that no production can hope to fully capture.

The original "Carol"
It's hard to think of a literary work that has been filmed and staged in more imaginative variations than Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol"--there's the excellent George C. Scott version, the delightful Muppet version, the charming Mr. Magoo version, etc., etc. But ultimately true "Carol" lovers should go back to Dickens' original text, which remains a great read.

"Carol" tells the story of cold-hearted miser Ebenezer Scrooge, who despises the Christmas holiday and scorns all who celebrate it. But a visit from a series of supernatural beings forces him to reevaluate his attitude--and his life.

With this simple plot Dickens has created one of the enduring triumphs of world literature. It's a robust mix of humor, horror, and (most of all) hope, all leavened with a healthy dash of progressive social criticism. One thing I love about this book is that while it has a focus on a Christian holiday, Dickens puts forth a message that is truly universal; I can imagine this story resonating with people of any religious background, and also with more secular-oriented people.

This is a tale of greed, selfishness, regret, redemption, family, and community, and is enlivened by some of the most memorable characters ever created for English literature. Even if Dickens had never written another word, "A Christmas Carol" would still have, I believe, secured his place as one of the great figures of world literature.

Heartwarming conversion of a soul
Charles Dickens writes this story in such detail that you almost believe you have just enjoyed Christmas dinner at the Cratchits home. The characters have so much depth. The made for t.v. or movie screen renditions do not truly depict what Ebenezer Scrooge witnesses with the three spirits that causes such a change in his outlook on life. Such as Scrooge's emotions being quickened by the past heartache in his childhood; seeing how his bad choices caused the hardening of his heart and how deeply it cost him in the end; seeing what could have been his to enjoy and then thinking it could still be his with the Spirit of Christmas Present only to find out the future does not hold any love or joy for him by the Spirit of Christmas Yet to Come and instead his actions leave him robbed at death and no one left to grieve for him. Read the book to hear how this story was really written. Even if you have seen every Christmas Carol movie every made, the book will offer so many gold nuggets that you will think you are hearing it for the very first time. Pictures are beautifully detailed throughout the book. Excellent!!!


Alice's Adventures in Wonderland ; And, Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There (The World's Classics)
Published in Paperback by Oxford University Press (1983)
Authors: Lewis Carroll, John Tenniel, and Roger L. Green
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Alice and Wonderland
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is one of the most clever and entertaining books yet written. The author's use of language is extremely appealing to the younger readers. These young readers are attracted to this book because of the author's use of many songs. For instance the lullaby sung by the duchess to her child. The Mock Turtle also sang to Alice and the Gryphon a song about the Lobster Quadrille. The author also uses poems that are entertaining and fun to listen to. "You are Old Father William" is one of the many poems. Not only does the author use poems but she also uses commonly known poems and changes the words to fit the character saying them. For instance the Mad-Hatter sings Twinkle Twinkle Little Star in different words saying "Up above the world you fly, Like a tea-tray in the sky." If this isn't a unique way of writing I dont know what is. Another style of her writingthat is appealing is when she creates a picture, using words in a poem, about the poem. Yhis is used on page 37. The words in the book are nbot hard so the book can be enjoyable when it is being read, not stressful. The author brings animals to life which is an interesting style of writing. This is Lewis Carroll's style of writing. The main character in this book is a little girl with blonde hair named Alice. This child is full of fantasies and dreams, which is what the book is about. Alice is very curious and likes to know every little detail. She thinks she is very smart. For example, when Alice is listening to the Dormouse's story she asks questions like "What did they live on," and makes smart comments such as "They could'nt have done that you know, they'd have been ill." She is also a little bit bratty, especially to the Dormouse when she says: "Nobody asked your opinion." These characteristics pull together to make an interesting main character and to create a fabulous story. The theme of the story is sometimes you need to take a break out of every day life and dream of fantasize. This makes your life more interesting even if you dream about things that will never come true. Alice does this when she dreams about changing sizes and listening to talking animals. Dreaming doesn't hurt anyone except the people who don't do it. If nobody ever had dreams life would be extremely stressful and boring. The plot of the story is all about Alice trying to find the white rabbit, which of course is in her dream. Following the white rabbit takes ALice to interesting places, such as the Courtroom filled with animals, and the Duchess' house, along with meeting interestingpeople such as the Cheshire-Cat and the Queen. This amazing cat hes the ability to disappear whenever it wants to and it always smiles. In the end Alice finds the white rabbit and then wakes up from her dream. This is the plot of the story. The story is effective to the reader. This is so because after listening to such acreative dream and fantasy, it inspires people to take a little time out of the day and be creative and dream once in a while. All the parts of this five star story; the writer's style, the main character, the theme, and the plot; come together to create the overall effectiveness of the story. This is why I rated this book five stars.

Dreamers...
I really like Alice in Wonderland and its sequel because it is so whimsical. The way Dodgson made fun of Alice so much makes one laugh until tears come pouring down. He based the character Alice, on his friend; a real life Alice. Throughout the book, he constantly makes references to her, or something related to her. For example, when a character asks her the exact day Alice replies May 4th. May 4th is the real life Alice's birthday. Alice walks through Wonderland, and she sees many strange things, but thinks otherwise. If you like poems, you will certainly like Alice in Wonderland and its sequel, for both books contain numerous poems. However, in the book Carroll takes the original poems and creates a parody out of them. Something interesting to know is that all the poems relate to the chapters. These are all minor details, but something to muse over. On the surface, Alice in Wonderland is a book where she meets weird creatures and walks away from them always feeling humiliated, as she thinks she is smarter than she really is. That is most of Alice in Wonderland.

Alice through the Looking Glass is similar to the prequel, yet glaringly different. The whole book revolves around a chess game, and so the character's actions correspond to moves on the chessboard. Alice joins in the game, starts out as a white pawn, and proceeds to move until she becomes a queen. At each square, she meets a new character, but in one chapter, characters from the previous book are in this one too. An important thing to know in this famous classic is that everything is backwards. It makes sense since Alice is on the other side of a mirror, yet she encounters difficulty sometimes in understanding this. But in the end, she manages to become a queen and to checkmate the red king. Both books are very enjoyable, and I strongly advocate both children and adults to read it. Enjoy!! Cheers!!!!! : )

Maybe we should be more like Alice...
When I was assigned Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass to read for my Victorian Literature class, I was excited. Even though I had heard Alice's Adventures in Wonderland referred to countless times throughout my youth, I had never read the story or seen the movie. I had never heard of Through the Looking Glass, but while reading, I realized that many people who think they are talking about AAIW are actually referring to TTLG. The two texts seem to be conflated in a way that makes them indistinguishable from each other. It is for this reason that I enjoyed reading this edition of the texts. There is only a page separating the two stories, which allows the reader to easily make the transition between them. This small separation also allows the reader to recognize the undeniable connection between the texts and to understand why many people combine them in their minds.
AAIW is about a young girl named Alice whose boring day with her sister is interrupted when a white rabbit runs by her saying, "Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be too late!" Alice's curiosity is aroused, but surprisingly not to a great degree. This is the first hint to the reader that Alice is not an average child, as she seems to believe that a talking rabbit is quite normal. She does become intrigued, though, when the rabbit produces a clock from his pocket, so she follows it down its hole and enters a world of wonder. I loved the story from this point on. It is filled with such unbelievable creatures and situations, but Carroll's writing style made me want to believe in a world that could be filled with so much magic and splendor. There was never a dull moment in the story, and each page was filled with more excitement. I will offer a warning, though. This story is not for those who like a neatly packaged plotline. It is written in a somewhat discontinuous nature and seems to follow some sort of dream logic where there are no rules. However, I enjoyed the nonsensical pattern. Without it, a dimension of the story would be lost. It offers some insight into the mind of a young, adventurous, fearless girl, and Carroll seems to be challenging his readers to be more like Alice.
The second text in this book, TTLG, is again a story about Alice. In this adventure, Alice travels through a wondrous world on the other side of her looking glass. As in AAIW, Alice again encounters absurd creatures, such as live chess pieces and talking flowers. The land she travels through is an oversized chessboard, which gives this story a more structured plot than AAIW. The chess theme provides Alice with sense of what she must accomplish in the looking- glass world, and it provides the reader with a sense of direction throughout the story. Alice's goal is to become a chess queen, so the reader knows that when she becomes queen, the story will be over. However, just because the story has some structure does not mean that it is not just as wild and marvelous as its predecessor. I enjoyed all of the characters. They seem to have an endless supply of advice that people in the 21st century can still learn from. My favorite example is when the Red Queen says, "Now, here, you see, it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place. If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that!" Maybe what Carroll is suggesting is that if we read more nonsensical, unbelievable stories like his, we won't be so afraid to be adventurous and fearless like Alice; so that the next time a white rabbit runs by us, we might just see where it leads us.


The Books of Magic
Published in Paperback by Warner Books (1993)
Authors: Neil Gaiman, Roger Zelazny, John Bolton, Scott Hampton, Charles Vess, and Paul Johnson
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Rock on, Trenchcoat Brigade!
With Books Of Magic, Neil Gaiman pulls together various loose threads in the DC universe, and creates a consistent realm of magic through the familiar theme of a young boy exploring a strange world. The plot isn't the freshest thing Gaiman's ever written - it's the way he writes it that makes the story spectacular. Gaiman intertwines stories of ancient sorcerers, modern-day magicians whose sleight-of-hand is only a convenient front, and the evolution of humans - and magic - in the future. Various DC characters make appearances, notably Gaiman's Dream, Destiny, and Death of the Endless. The choice of artists for each chapter is perfect, so we have a John Bolton Merlin and a wonderful Charles Vess Fairyland. The book gives us glimpses of many characters and stories that could use further development, but it stands alone as a powerful parable of the roles of faith, power, and, of course, magic, in our lives.

An Excellent Read with Fantastic Art (most of it anyway).)
Herein we follow a young man, Tim Hunter, destined to be one of the greatest mages in history, as he introducted to magicks past, magic in present day world, the lands just beyond commonplace reality and magicks future by four DC Comics magicians: the Phantom Stranger (condemned to walk for eternity); Dr. Occult (who switches gender and personae as the occasion demands); John Constantine, Hellblazer (a con man and rogue, few powers but he has taken on the Devil himself and survived); and Mister E (a dangerous fanatic on the side of order). Gaimen's story makes for an excellent read, and three of the four illustrators involved: John Bolton, Scott Hampton and Charles Vess create beautiful illustrations throughout. (Sadly I didnt really like the artist's interpretation in the fourth chapter, it's the only reason I rate this book 4 out 5 stars instead of 5 out of 5.) These books were the basis of the ongoing DC/Vertigo comic book series by the same name (of which graphic novel collections are available). One drawback, common to many graphic novel collections (like Warren Ellis' "Planetary" books or Mark Waid and Alex Ross' "Kingdom Come" (both series also collected): to get the most of the story, it helps to have some familiarity with DC Comic book characters and history.

A Brilliant Book,With Superb Characterizations,Excellent.
The Books Of Magic, Like Any Other Gaiman Story,is Breathtakingly Amaazing in its Telling,and the art compliments the story wonderfully. This is arare and unique instance where an established artist such as Charles Vess works on a Comic book.There are cameo sequences in this book that include scenes with Dream,Death,Destiny,Etrigan the Demon,Deadman,Zatanna,and the Spectre, just to name a few characters. Timothy Hunter is one of Gaiman's finest creations,and he is an actually believable and interesting one,as well. The Premise of the story is: Timothy Hunter, a very Young man,Pre-teen in fact,has the potential to become the greatest sorcerer of this age. The Trenchcoat Brigade,whose Ranks include The Mysterious Phantom Stranger,The incorrigble Hellblazer,John Constantine,The Enigmatic Dr. Occult, and Mr.E. His name says it all. The four decide to show Tim the magical history of Earth,and the universe,and some of the major magical players that exist in the DC universe.The Stranger shows Tim the past,Hinting at his origins all the while,and making the reader rather curious about him.The Second Tour guide on the Magical Mystery Tour is John Constantine, and this is a very True-to-form Constantine story,in that most of the people whom they visit have some sort of grudge against everyone's favourite Constantine,and Tim is introduced to many of the prominent contemporary characters Like the Spectre,Jason Blood,and Zatanna.The Third story is about Dr.Occult taking Tim on a guided tour of the lands of Faerie,The Dreaming(Neil Gaiman's writing, did you honestly think that Morpheus WOULDN'T show up?)Charles Vess did the artwork for issue 3, and that contributes to the magnitude of superb story this story inside of a story has.Also, if you read SANDMAN, you see Titania,and find out what Happened to Shakespeare's son, Hamnet.It also hints at the shadowy background of Doctor Occult.Issue Nimber Four is also very amazing,in that Gaiman tells us what's going to happen in the future.Or it might.Tim sees just what he might be,witnesses the final battle of the age, and into the mind of Mr.E.and makes his decision about Magic. I would Recommend this book to anyone wanting an introduction to the Vertigo Universe,anyone who wants a fantastic story,and if you have any sort of literary appreciation, you should go and buy this book as soon as you get a chance to. The ongoing BOOKS OF MAGIC books dont have the wonderful feel that this book gives off, and you wont feel nearly as satisfied about them. I recommend any Neil Gaiman,Garth Ennis,and Alan Moore stories(especially their DC work).


Do It! Let's Get Off Our Buts: A Guide to Living Your Dreams
Published in Hardcover by Bantam Doubleday Dell Pub (Trd) (1991)
Authors: John-Roger McWilliams, Peter McWilliams, and John Roger McWilliams
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Yes. You can become the PERSON you wish to be
Every time I read this book I gain an incredible amount of energy. It is unbelievable that someone I don't even know can translate his passion for life to me in a book. It is hard to put this book down. Books like this should be required in school because it unleash a human's desire to success in a positive way. You will discover all your inner potentials and wonder why you never knew it before. Yes, there is a better YOU to be discover and if you dream big (in a positive way). Someday. you will find success. This book will show you how to get there.

Changed my life!
I first read this book when I borrowed it from a friend. Since that time, I have bought it for myself, as well as at least 5 of my friends! What I lvoe most of all about it is that you don't have to read it from beginning to end. You can skim the table of contents and find what you need! Just flip to the fear section, for example, and get over it! I am an actor and bring the book to my auditions sometimes. I think it's really great and I highly recommend it.

True-isms abound!
This book can help ANYONE achieve anything they ever desired, period. As an already sucessful person, I have dismissed the entire self-help industry as garbage appealing to those who have no inherent desire to be the creative force in their own lives. I picked up this book because the author, McWilliams shared my political ideology and I admired him greatly (unfortunately he is now dead). What I found in this book is rationality applied consistently throughout. The presentation of the material, and his selection of quotes simply boggle anyone's mind. The sucessful or unsucessful or not. "Do or do not. There is no Try." Its all so inherently obvious when you read this book! You are not in opposition to yourself, you've just got a mindblock! BUY THIS BOOK. It will fundamentally change ANYONE's life.


Pilgrim's Progress (Penguin Classics)
Published in Paperback by Viking Press (1965)
Authors: John Bunyan and Roger Sharrock
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Pilgrim's Progress stands with the world's best literature.
I read The Pilgrim's Progress as a child and recently reread it in order to do a comparative essay on allegorical journeys for my english class. The other book I read for the assignment was Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad, and I found that Bunyan's novel equaled or exceeded Conrad's in every way. While Conrad used far more symbolism and allusions, I felt that Bunyan still did a better job of making the reader identify with his character's journey. The Pilgrim's Progress is a wonderfully written story that inspires hope and confidence in God to help his people though their own journeys.

Journey's End.
My Grandmother proferred this book to me at a very early and immature age in my lifetime. I struggled and persevered with it, using a dictionary to decipher most words longer than 6 letters! Eventually I came to the end with with a strong determination to face up to my life with the same courage as Christian! Unfortunately, like Christian, I lost my way,more than once in my later years, lingering in unseemly places,falling into pools of Despondancy,and loosing Hope at one stage. I cant really remember the entire ending to Christian's journey,but as a man of some years now, and finding life a lot less turbulent and more meaningful,then I graciously look forward to the final part of my journey. Praise be to God. Like the book of JOB,John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress is impossible to rate with a few stars! I would suggest that such books should be purchased 'mainly' unabridged but nevertheless, intelligible to the reader.

Practical heart searching Christianity.
Pilgrim's Progress has been accepted by the world as a classic piece of literature. However, just as Handel's Messiah is recognised as a magnificent work without people really appreciating the message it brings so Pilgrim's Progress can suffer from its own fame. Here we have the stories of believers moving towards heaven. They have ups and downs. They suffer pain and experience pleasure. All the time the christian reader is being led forward into experimental practical christian avenues. Despair, doubt, backsliding, the temptations of the world, helps from above and support from others on the Way all make this work so vital and relevant. Both parts, Christian's journey and Christiana's are wonderful in their own ways. For the past four years I have preferred the second part. Read it every year at least once. If you must read only one other book next to your Bible let it be this one, (Or Thomas Watson on All things for Good) but do read it all. A classic that is beyond review.


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