If anyone out there is looking for quality and exquisite taste in Southeast Asian cooking, this is the book for you. Excellent instructions, very flavorful recipes and beautiful photographs. This book has it all. A must have in your kitchen. The experience in cooking these recipes is outstanding. A remarkable book. Buy it and see for yourselves what this book has to offer. AMAZING!!!

Alford and Duguid's book is beautiful, interesting, and the recipes are fantastic. Many of their recipes have become weekly standbys in my house. Their commentary is down to earth and helpful. I couldn't recommend this book highly enough for anyone interested in learning about or building a library in southeast asian cooking.

I am, admittedly, a coockbook hoarder. I have them everywhere -- even in the drawers of my nightstand and tucked under the bed. I read them cover-to-cover like other people read novels.

Hot, Sour, Salty, Sweet is, without a doubt, the best cookbook I have ever read. It is part travel novel, part anthropology lesson, and -- in large part -- a primer for westerners in Southeast Asian cuisine.

Easy to read, straightforward in instruction, its' only flaw is that -- in rare instances -- recipes may include items not available in even a metropolitan Asian market. (I have been to all of the Asian markets in Little Chinatown in Chicago and have yet to find coriander root!) But the ingredients are largely available at most Asian markets and even some larger supermarkets, and substitutions are often recommended.

The grilled chicken with hot and sweet dipping sauce has become a family favorite. The dipping sauce was so flavorful, so simple yet so complex in flavor -- I was surprised that I had made something so delicious.

Buy the book -- you won't be sorry!

I've tried many different writing tools but The Observation Deck is the first that has kept me going well into my first novel. Each card has lots of wonderful, playful suggestions to help you think differently about your characters and open up new ideas.

It's great to pull a card when you're stuck on your own but it's also an effective tool for groups. My writing group uses it for 20 minutes of free writing during our regular meetings. It's fun to all work from the same card and come up with so many different slants and stories.

Even if you don't feel like writing, the book is filled with hundreds of inspiring anecdotes about the techniques and ideas of famous writers.

I highly recommend it!

The Observation Deck goes far beyond its original intention as a writer's tool kit by focusing and stimulating the creative imagination. The beautiful design and the cards may draw you in, but it is the well-researched book that will engage you time after time. Effective for both individuals and groups.

While The Observation Deck is a great tool for getting unstuck, I think it also offers wonderful tips for established writers for whom getting unstuck is not such a problem. I've been virtually a full-time writer for about seven years now. I just completed a book that is a better book for my having read The Observation Deck. I was having trouble getting the right sort of smart alek but lovable voice for the narrator. Thanks to Naomi Epel's book, I learned that John Steinbeck wrote East of Eden as if it were a letter to his two sons. The voice I wanted for the narrator was the voice I used to use in letters to an old college friend. So I began my days typing "Dear Berta" at the top of the page and pretended I was telling my old friend the story via letter. The missing voice soon followed. I also tried the "Read Aloud" tip. Listening to my own words, which Naomi Epel explains other writers do, proved extremely valuable in testing that voice and editing rough spots which I didn't catch in silent reading.

If I had a wish it would be to talk to Rabbi Levy. What a wonderful source of wisdom she is. I usually speed read books but this one I purchased after the prayer book and it has been rabbit eared, underlined, and had many tears spilled on it's pages. My story is a series of bad things over the last ten years and I've turned to many books and people for guidance. Now I realize God is there and he is there in this book. This book helped me believe again. She also said something that helped me explain myself to my family. I read all the time. Especially spiritual books; She talks about how studying and reading can be God's way of talking to you. This book is an example of that through Rabbi Levy. I admire her for her strength to become a Rabbi. I always wish my church would let women be Priests so I understand her prayers to be able to become a Rabbi. Anyone going through any kind of difficult time could benefit from this book. Her own experience, when you look at her smiling picture in the back of the book, you cannot believe her father was murdered. I guess it is true that great sorrow often gives way to great wisdom. This one will stay by my bed with my rosary.

What a wonderful book. Rabbi Levy's thoughts and words are insightful and uplifting, and her strength and courage are incredibly contagious.

By inviting her readers to share in her own pain and struggles, Rabbi Levy shows each of us, first hand, that it is possible to overcome even the most insurmountable obstacles and tragedies in one's life. She shows us that, no matter how painful it may be to confront the torments of our pasts, this confrontation is a necessary step on the road to healing. I have yet to read an author who has touched me on so many levels.

By inviting her readers to glimpse into the lives of her congregants, Rabbi Levy shows us that, no matter how alone we may feel in our day-to-day struggles, there is always someone else who can understand or empathize with our pain.

I recommend this remarkable book to everyone whose spirit and soul could use a lift. This book offers so much to so many. Thank you.

I became aware of Rabbi Levy"s book by the announcement of Rabbi Sherman's impending review of "TO BEGIN AGAIN" , scheduled for Tuesday April 13th at 10am at Temple Adath Yeshurun.Rabbi Sherman is very selective in his choice of books for review. Rabbi Sherman also reviewed my own new book 'IN SEARCH OF SELF, IN THE SERVICE OF OTHERS . I wish there had been more ads for Rabbi Naomi Levy"s wonderful book so more people would be aware of its existence. I will tell all my family and friends of this good book and encourage them to buy and read it.This book gives wise direction to not only people of the Jewish faith but also to adherents of any faith! Thank you, Rabbi Levy for helping me and many others with your wise and compassionate counseling. I empathize with you as a Jewish Holocaust survivor who was interviewed by the Steven Spielberg foundation. God Bless you,and all your loved ones, Rabbi Levy!

In KITCHEN TABLE WISDOM Dr. Remen reminds readers that the true heritage of medicine is to "serve life." She says we serve life "not because its broken, but because it is sacred." The stories in this book come from her experience not only as a physician but as a patient with a long term chronic disease. Dr. Remen illuminates the differences between curing and caring, between fixing and healing. Her voice offers hope that the true spirit of medicine can survive

This bestseller is written with compassion by a physician with Crohn's disease since her early teens. She writes about the anger she felt at soon after her diagnosis at age 15 and how she later realized that her will to live life fully was stornger than she ever imagined and provided her with the motivation to achieve her goals. Simply the fact that she became an M.D. in the face of adversity is an inspiration! Intermingled with her own experiences, Dr. Remen relates her efforts to help others heal from and cope with life disrupting illnesses. Her stories really motivate and help you develop the faith to heal yourself, and once healed to reach out and help others. I highly recommend this book!

Several friends had told me about Kitchen Table Wisdom over the years, and I just put off purchasing it. Then while recovering in the hospital from surgery, the chaplin suggested I read it. I read it during my recovery and have not stopped reading it since. There are so many lessons in the book, and Dr. Remen's selection of stories and writing style present an education on how to be human and to develop a deeper understanding of the humanity each one of us posseses. I look at my life, and those around me in a different way since I read the book. Dr. Remen has taught me that we all have the capacity to make our life a blessing and she is truly a blessing to all that read her words.

In all the best selling novels sold today; there is love, lost love, hope, hopelessness, dispair, tragedy, and hope again.

These elements (in whichever order the author chooses to give them to the reader) are essential to good character development and indepth plot construction. In "The Egyptian" Mika Waltari not only manifests these 'essentials' with the gifted hand of a Houdini; he weaves them into a historical setting that virtually brings ancient Egypt alive.

No one can read this book and not experience the strength of true love; the foolishness of the human heart; the dreams men have dreamt throughout the ages; or fail to see the insight with which one man perceives himself, and those he comes in contact with. This is a must book for all:

Physicians, lovers, dreamers, and psychologists alike will walk the streets of ancient Thebes and smell the fish broiling on open braziers as the sun slowly settles into the Land of the Dead.

Walk the Black Lands. Flee to the Red Lands. Love the beautifull Nefernefer. Stand beside Pharoah. Savor the best life has to offer, then shiver at the bitter taste of misfortune. Learn life as it has never be taught before, or since.

Published originally in 1945, The Egyptian was an instant international success. It has since been translated into at least five different languages. It's time for you to find out why

Mika Waltari's "The Egyptian" tells us the story of one physician of ancient Egypt, Sinuhe, set against the background of the reign of the fourth pharaoh Amenhotep, whose attempt to impose monotheism on his polytheistic country was one of the strangest and most fascinating experiments of early civilization. Sinuhe is a foundling, adopted by a lowly physician, and in the tradition of ancient times, trained to follow in his adopted father's footsteps, coming of age at the same time a decisive event is about to take place: the death of the reigning pharaoh, Amenhotep III, around 1380 BC, and the accession of his son, Amenhotep IV, who styled himself Akhenaton.

Sinuhe is a loner and a wanderer, whose self-imposed exile from his native country takes him to Syria, the ancient Hittite kingdom of Hatti, and Crete, before finally returning to Egypt, at the same time that Akhenaton attempts to overthrow the reigning god Ammon and his priests, and install his own vision, Aton, the one and eternal god, in Ammon's place. As a political move, trimming Ammon's power in Egypt may have been a wise idea; the priests' power had grown so great that it was challenging that of pharaoh himself. But as a religious experiment it was a disaster, especially in a country as rigidly conservative as ancient Egypt where change of any kind was anathema. We see Akhenaton as a visionary out of touch with reality and with his people, a tragic figure doomed to failure. And we share Sinuhe's ambivalence about this enigmatic figure, intrigued by pharaoh's vision of one just god who brings equality to all mankind, but repelled by the spreading social chaos this vision brings with it, especially when it threatens his own security and the lives of those he loves.

Waltari bring us some of the people that have only existed in the pages of history books -- Akhenaton himself, his incredibly beautiful wife Nefertiti, his scheming, conniving mother Queen Taia, the boy king Tut, and Horemheb, the military general who became pharaoh after Akhenaton's death plunged the country into near anarchy. But "The Egyptian" fortunately doesn't read like a history textbook; Waltari makes ancient Egypt and his characters come vibrantly alive. And Sinuhe himself is wholly believable; a man of his own time and all time, sometimes wise, sometimes foolish in the extreme, trying to find his own place in his world, sometimes succeeding and sometimes not. Waltari is not only a great novelist but a fine historian, and he kept the background scrupulously accurate. The book is true to its time and its location, and Naomi Walford's excellent translation into English keeps the reader moving along effortlessly from the first page to the last. "The Egyptian" is Waltari's masterpiece; it's one of the best historical novels ever written.

I first read this book when I was a girl junior in high school. That was in 1967, which was 22 years after it was written. I just finished reading it again and love it even more. I am 53 now and have read many novels but none compare to my favorite book, The Egyptian. And now that I am older I have come to appreciate the complexity of the characters, their sorrows, their joys, their virtues and vices even more. The writting style is rythmic and lyrical with ancient language like the Songs of Solomon. Yet the plot is easy to follow and the story is enthralling because it is based on historical events and people.

I fell in love with Sinhue as a teenager and have yet to find a more strangely attractive male character in any other book. Sinhue is not a man of action, but a thinking man who loves deeply and is loyal and compassionate. Yet he is also flawed in a way that makes him all the more mysterious and vulnerable. His wiley slave Keptah, the love of his life, Minea, who dances before the bulls in her homeland of Crete, the Pharoah Anknaton, the princess Baketamon and many more characters both fictional and factual are skillfully created and come alive in the beautifully described setting of the ancient world.

I was very gratified to read the other reviews. It seems I am not alone in my life long love of this magical novel. Read it because if you don't you will be missing something in life. But I warn you, no other book you read afterward will ever quite measure up to it.

This book explains the WHO Code in detail and how American companies are ignoring it; it also explains the Nestle Boycott (which my family is a part of!).

It's not just all emotion....the authors have facts and figures and references. The historical content was so interesting to me.

In a perfect world, all mothers would breastfeed their children; this isn't a perfect world by any means. If, however, those who are against breastfeeding (for whatever reason), would read this book, perhaps they would see things differently.

And yes, there are mothers who can not breastfeed, no matter how hard they work at it, no matter how much support they have...I'm not against artificial baby milk: I'm against the way it's marketed and the way the companies undermine a new mother's attitude - by supplying her with formula as she leaves the hospital - in a "Breastfeeding Success" diaper bag! Honestly, I received one of these after having my son. What kind of message is that for a new mother - and why are we allowing this to happen in the USA after agreeing to adhere to the code?

Everyone ought to educate themselves - especially expectant parents, fathers included!!! The WHO Code is an important agreement and we should all be aware of it. This book is perfect reading - loaded with information.

This book is very inspiring as well as being very well researched. It is the perfect follow-up to Gabrielle Palmer's Politics of Breastfeeding. It documents the continued violations of the World Health Organization's Code for the Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes by formula companies while describing the history of infant feeding practises around the world. A very provocative read

This book takes a historical and cultural look at breastfeeding and formula-feeding. Fact-based and well-researched, this book is full of thought-provoking information and information that is not usually made public knowledge due to politics and profit interests.

Sections cover: * Breastfeeding customs around the world * Wet nursing, surrogate feeding and healing qualities of breastmilk * Cow's milk is for cows * Artificial feeding * The global search for formula sales * Women and work

Of particular interest is the United States' historical/cultural lack of support of global breastfeeding policies and the strength given to formula companies to dictate the health of America's babies.

Vladislav Tamarov is barely nineteen when he is drafted into the Soviet army and sent to Afghanistan. His immersion in Soviet propaganda does not prepare him for what he will find there. His training has little to do with his assignment as a mine-sweeper. He serves his two years, somehow survives, and returns home to Leningrad. His life becomes chaotic. Somehow his Afghan experiences seem more real than the life he is living. Later he emigrates to the United States where he lives now, thirty-eight years old. But really, he never comes home from Afghanistan. In his spirit, he is still trapped in that war.

As luck would have it, Vlad (as he likes to be called) is a talented photographer and writer. Somehow he manages to keep a journal and take pictures during his entire tour of duty. Now he shares the pictures with us. Plain pictures of grim, haunted young men. Men who will never go home. Men who will die within hours of being photographed. Men resting briefly before the next battle or ambush. The book is built around these photographs, with accompanying text that is simple and spare.

Vlad serves his time, but really, he never comes home. In his spare, simple writing, his consciousness wanders back and forth between "home" and Afghanistan, never at peace. For him, only the war experience is real. The only people he can really feel at home with are Afghan veterans, and--interestingly--veterans of Viet Nam.

Afghanistan is not a sentimental book. It is a simple, plain-spoken account of a very bad time. It is a powerful statement about war, all war, yet it does not lecture the reader. It is not a book you enjoy, but it will make a deep impression on you. It is exquisite photo-journalism. I recommend it highly. Reviewed by Louis N. Gruber

This is the extremely poignant story of a young Russian from Leningrad by the name of Vladislav Tamarov who at the age of nineteen was conscripted into the Soviet Army knowing full well his destination upon completing his basic and airborne training, Afghanistan. Rarely if ever have I read a story such as this, told with the full depth of emotions over what someone has seen and been forced to participate in.

After his conscription, Vladislav went to basic and airborne training, where by his description the training was wholeheartedly inadequate to the task at hand. But then, armies can train basic trainees in the very basics of soldiering but they can never fully prepare them for the realities that lay ahead when facing actual combat. Of note is the fact that he and his fellow trainees spent a lot of time on the airborne training only to never use it in Afghanistan.

Armed with this most minimal of training, Vladislav and his fellow basic training graduates headed off for Afghanistan. Landing in Kabul he saw the first of many dichotomies where the people of Afghanistan attempted to continue to live their lives the best they could despite rocket attacks and a constant shifting between the Afghanistan government's forces and the Mujahadeen. To add to his already cumbersome load of trying to learn how to survive in combat, he was also immediately picked out to be a minesweeper, the job that few soldiers of any army wants to have.

Vladislav goes on to tell us of the many strife's and hardships that both he and his fellow soldiers endured and some which who did not survive. I found the style in which he told his story to be quite compelling as he tells it with a great depth of emotion to include areas where he seems to almost be in a dream/nightmare state where in one paragraph he's home, he's made it and in the next paragraph he's still in Afghanistan running for his life or attempting to save a friends life.

Of interest is how for quite some time at the beginning of this war the Soviet people were not told what was happening and why young soldiers were coming home in zinc coffins. To us, as Americans, it would seem unthinkable for our government to commit so many assets to a combat action without telling the general populace. To think that the USSR attempted to do is almost inconceivable.

Overall this is a story in pictures and words that is very telling of the experiences young men go through in war and the author deserves high praise for bringing it to print and those of us fortunate to have read it! I myself am in the Army and I found that I learned a great deal from this person that today I call a friend but back in my early days in the Army I was told he and his fellow soldiers were my enemy, thank God that's a war that never happened. I hope for him today that the demons of this war do not still haunt him for he and his fellow Afghansti have seen enough demons!

I highly recommend this book to any and all for it will certainly enrich your knowledge of the Soviet Afghan war and bring you in touch with the author who a truly honorable man who when he was but a mere teenager was forced to grow old before his time. {ssintrepid}

Vladislaw Tamarov, the author of "Afghanistan: A Russian Soldier's Story" was a mere 19 years old when he was drafted to Afghanistan. Once there, Tamarov was 'selected' to be a minesweeper, and he served almost two years before returning home to Leningrad. Tamarov was one of the lucky ones; he returned to tell the story of his time through photographs and journal entries.

Tamarov describes the history--official and unofficial--behind the Soviet presence in Afghanistan, training prior to deployment, and the four types of military action that took place there. Weapons are also described, and there are also photographs of unexploded mines, minesweepers at work, and many photographs of the other young men who served with Tamarov.

The one thing that struck me over and over again as I read this book was the word "WASTE." The photographs of the young soldiers who never returned home stand as a monument to the utter ridiculous waste that occurred under the name "Afghanistan War." What difference did it make to the world or humankind? Has anything changed as a result? Did the world improve immeasurably or even measurably for that matter? The answer to those questions is a single, loud resounding 'NO'. And the only message that can be drawn from this book is the utter futility and madness of war. I would like to commend the author for creating a memorial through his marvellous photographs for the men who seem to be destined just to become empty statistics. The young men memorialized in Tamorov's photographs did not belong in Afghanistan, and neither did they deserve to die. I am glad that someone was there to record their short lives before they were stolen away forever--displacedhuman

... The book is highly recommended to anyone who is interested in learning more about the life and times of Eva Peron (altough the book itself maybe a little TOO expensive for the casual curiosity seeker, in that case I recommend buying a good used copy which there are alot of). It's also one of the rare PRO EVITA books (in English) that offers such clear, good quality photos of the subject. It offers a brief intro and briography but the main attraction are the photographs. You will see Eva's life from the earliest childhood photos to the last Cancer Stricken photos. Her incredible matamorphesis, her incredible acheivements and her awesome gowns and jewels are all displayed within the pages of this interesting book. My only problem with it though is that despite the amazing amount of photographs, I was still left unsatisfied. The reason being is that there are HUNDREDS and HUNDRES of beautiful photo's from Eva's artistic career but the ones they chose to display are the ones we have already seen. The same goes with the photo's taken of her in Europe and of her candid moments. The book claims that many of the photographs have never been seen before but that is true only of her childhood photos, all of the other ones have been published before in several magazines and books. That said, it's still THE BEST photographic Book ever released in North America. The only other ones that come close are ALL visciously one-sided ANTI PERONIST accounts- Lloyd Weber's and Tim Rice's EVITA: THE LEGEND OF EVA PERON & W.A Harbinson's awful EVITA: A LEGEND FOR THE SEVENTIES- the latter remains the WORST biography ever Written on the subject and was re-released as EVITA SAINT OR SINNER in 1996 however only the original 70's version contains an amazing collection of photos which is the only reason it's recomended.

And for closing, I am quoting my Chilean Aunts mother (who lived in Argentina during the first Peronist Period): "I saw her from the distant and to this day I have never seen a woman more beautiful. She was and is a Goddess. Everything about her was larger than life. She looked my way and her dark eyes pierced my soul. I will never forget her look."

This book offers a glimpse of the awesome power this remarkable woman had in life and still holds 50 years after her tragic demise.

Extraordinary and hauntingly beautiful! These words which can easily describe Eva Peron herself can also be used to describe this book. The full page photographs are stunning and show every aspect of Eva Peron's life. Her physical transformation and her larger than life story are cleary displayed within it's pages. The book offers a brief biography but who wants to read when you can look at excellent, never before seen photographs of the former Argentine First Lady in all the slendour of her beauty. It is a shame that books like this are hard to come by and I was unable to find a copy here in Canada. The handsome black and white photographs more than make up for the high cost of the book. Fascinating and visually stimulating!

EVITA: AN INTIMATE PORTRAIT OF EVA PERON is the best photographic record available of Eva Peron, First Lady of Argentina from 1946 to 1952. ("Evita," meaning "Little Eva," was her nickname.)

Evita lived in a time before television was widely used, and since she was a politician she did not have many spreads in glossy magazines (once she became First Lady, her "cheesecake" portraits - taken while she was an actress - were supressed). Therefore, most of her pictures were used in newspapers, giving them a grainy feel. Often, the quality of pictures you find of Evita seem to be much poorer quality than what you would expect from something taken merely 50 years ago. EVITA: AN INTIMATE PORTRAIT OF EVA PERON is an exception, perhaps the best exception I have ever found. Most of these pictures are clear and crisp, though they are all black-and-white.

One thing this collection of pictures reveals is that Evita truly was not what would be considered a conventionally beautiful woman. She was certainly beautiful in her publicity photos and propaganda portraits (some of which are reproduced here). But in a day-to-day setting - such as the enclosed pictures that depict her having lunch, leaning against her dresser, yelling at a policeman for obstructing a youth's access to her - she was a somewhat awkward, even at times homely, woman. But she was a master of image. As Nicholas Fraser and Marysa Navarro point out in EVITA: THE REAL LIFE OF EVA PERON, she had an astonishing instinct, almost a sixth sense, for knowing how image affected people. This talent of hers is demonstrated when one constrasts the behind-the-scenes pictures of her as an awkward woman, with those gorgeous photos of Peronist propaganda. She wasn't a conventionally beautiful woman, but she knew how to make it seem as though she were.

The portions of EVITA: AN INTIMATE PORTRAIT OF EVA PERON that I found most interesting, and most haunting, were of Eva as a young girl in her hometown of Junin, and the pictures taken of her shortly before her death. There is one particularly chilling scene of Evita, reduced to a mere 77 pounds by the cancer that had invaded her body, standing on the balcony of the government house to greet the tens of thousands gathered below. She spoke, yelled, actually, about taking justice into her own hands, warning her political enemies of the day that she would "go forth with the poor of the country and leave no brick standing that is not standing for Peron!" The rise from poverty, the contrasts, the extremes ... it's all palpable in these pictures.

This woman was a genius.

The story behind how I found this book is an example of the small miracles that Rachel relates in her book: I was going through a hard time, my father had just been diagnosed with a terminal illness and my mother and I were fighting over my decision to go to Seminary. I was wandering in the book store and happened accross it. I bought it and preceeded to read it in one sitting (excluding the time that I had to stop reading because the tears were blurring my eyesight.) Rachel's stories will rekindle the humanity in you; she reveals the mystery in everyday life not to show you the answer but to proclaim that the mystery itself is the answer. If you are going through a hard time and you are looking for a bit or guidance and renewal then I hardily recommend this book and her other "Kitchen Table Wisdom." Bless you.

Here is one for the heart. No platitudes, no easy fixes for life, no Guru-ship; just the simple act of telling these life-affirming stories, by a woman of autnentic wisdom. I read this one from cover to cover in one sitting and felt I had taken some mind-altering drug. I had. It was in the pages of this eloquent and moving examination of how we are blessed and how we bless each other. Here is the fractal patterning of this experience we call living and Dr. Remem has revealed it, for all of us to see. We should all bless her for this medicine.

Rachel and her grandfather walk through life on a different path. Rachel is the academic achiever, who devotes her life to helping others in her profession as a medical doctor. Her grandfather, a rabbi and man of great wisdom, sees the world through a more devine and holy light. While their paths may be different, their ultimate purpose in life is the same. I never had the opportunity to bond with any of my grandparents, the geographical miles between us were far too great; however, it would be one of life's greatest blessings to have had a grandfather as wise, gentle and understanding as Rachel's.

The stories contained here will bring a smile and evoke a tear, as science, medicine, religion and spirituality exquisitely merge together throughout the pages of the book. Rachel embraces the world and the reader with her compassion and love for humanity. As you read through the pages, you will be left with a better understanding of life's true meaning and purpose; it is a well-written and thought-provoking book.

I have wanted to read Anne of Green Gables for so long and finally did. Why did I wait?? I wish I would have read this book years ago. This is one of the best books I have ever read. Whether you are a child or adult you won't be able to help falling in love with Anne of Green Gables. This young Orphan is mistakenly sent to the home of brother and sister Matthew and Marilla. What they wanted was a boy to help around the house as they were getting older. What they got was a delightful little girl who warmed their hearts and touched their souls. Anne gets into all kinds of hijinks throughout the novel that will make you laugh with her and cry with her. Her imagination is unmatched. She is so insightful that you will find it impossible not to relate to her. Follow Anne through her escapades of learning what it is like to be wanted and loved by parents, finding her place in a strange school, and finally getting to have a bosom buddy..someone she can truly call a friend and share life's ups and downs with. As Anne sets one ambition after another for herself, you'll be cheering for her success. This would be a great book to read on your own or along with a child. When you're finished, Anne will feel like your own personal bosum buddy. This book is one you'll adore long after it's over.

Anne Shirley is a redhaired, imaginative, orphan that wants a family of her own. By the time she is twelve, her imagination has grown and she thinks that she has finally found a family. Unfortunetly, the family that wanted her actually wanted a boy, not a girl. they decide to put her on trial to see if she would be teh right one for them. By having Anne stay just on trial, the family who was in the past very stern and straight, have fallen in love with her featherbrained ways. She often gets into scrapes, including falling off a ridgepool of a roof, smashing a slate on a boy's head, and even dying her "horrid" read hair away(only to make it a green color.) After reading this enrathing book, continue to get pulled into Anne's world by reading the rest of the 7 book theory and even the 3 movies that were made inher honor. This is a book that you will enjoy and cherish for years to come. *Note: this book is set in the late 1800's.*

first of all, let me begin with I LOVE THIS BOOK! I have read this book more times than I can remember...easily more than a dozen...thus, I am going to set my mind to write a glowing review of it.

This book portrays a stunning sketch of Canadian History and Culture in the late 1800s to early 1900s. The character personalities are so real and so amazingly "human" that one cannot help but fall in love with them. You really get a taste of PEI in its glory.

This story is set in Avonlea, Prince Edward Island (Canada), a fictional settlement which is really Cavendish, Prince Edward Island, the place where Lucy Maud Montgomery, the author grew up.

The main character is Anne Shirley...and eleven year old, enigmatic, imaginative, sparkling, highly intelligent orphan who is sent to Green Gables, a farmhouse in Avonlea, under the impression that she was to be adopted by a pair of elderly siblings, Matthew and Marilla Cuthburt. But, apon arrival to Green Gables, Anne discovers that there had been a horrible mistake...the Cuthburts never wanted a girl...they wanted a boy who could do the chores and help Matthew with the farm. Anne was was in the "depths of dispair". Matthew, on the drive home from the train station had taken a great shine to Anne and had his heart set on keeping her, regardless of any mistake. Marilla, however, was not so easily enchanted. She agreed to let Anne stay at Green Gables on trial, to see if she would behave herself and lend a helpful hand to Marilla. After the trial, Anne is welcomed to Green Gables and flourishes under the love of the Cuthburts and all Avonlea folk. Anne, however, has one big problem. Her Hair. It is a hopeless shade of carrotty red and Anne felt that it was the ugliest hair anyone could imagine. She was extremely sensitive about it and she was horribly embarrassed about it. On her first day of school, Anne's hair was made fun of by Gilbert Blythe, the smartest and handsomest boy in school. "Carrots! Carrots!" he said. Anne's temper got the better of her and she was so angry she broke a slate over his head. After that, for many years, she snubbed Gilbert every time he spoke to her and he developed a boyhood crush on her.

Ah, but to keep this review interesting and the book mysterious, I will stop telling you the story and begin reviewing. The characters in the book are so well-defined that it seems to you that you know every character personally, like an old friend or neighbour.

And by all means, don't let the age recommendation fool you either...this book can be read by all ages alike...and I have no doubt that this book will still be my avid favorite at the age of 85.

The book is not boring, contrary to many opinions of those who read the first chapter of small print and historical settings. The discriptions will place you right into the heart of the story and you find you will laugh and cry while reading this story. Every time I read it I cry at a certain part which I'm not sure if I should reveal to you for fear of spoiling the good parts in the story, but it is dreadfully sad. If you read the book, then you will know what part I am talking about. The one saddest part in the whole story.

Although this book has some old ideas and ways of expressing them, you will learn a great deal of Canadian history through them and there's no doubt in my mind that this book will still be popular decades and most likely even centuries to come.