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Book reviews for "Scheponik,_Peter_C." sorted by average review score:

Elvis: In the Twilight of Memory
Published in Hardcover by Arcade Publishing (1997)
Authors: June Juanico and Peter Guralnick
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The True Elvis
I totally loved this book. It gives you a glimpse of the true Elvis before all the pressures changed him. And you get a glimpse of what his life was like with his mom and dad.It was a wonderful true love story. I could actually picture myself in the story, June gives such good details!! I think any Elvis fan will come a way with a truely good feeling after having read this book.It's GREAT!!!!

Summer Elvis-Loving At It's Best!
June Juanico's book is the stuff that summer reading dreams are made of! This book looks back to the happy, simple life of a young Elvis Presley in love--before his hectic life of drugs and fame would send him spinning out of control. This page-turner will make you melt as June describes her passionate tales of love with Elvis, and readers will find themselves falling in love with the often funny, always tender young man. One wonders if June would have stuck around if Elvis would still be alive today. She seems to have had just enough spunk and life to have been able to keep him grounded, and it is clear that she still loves him very much today.

Excellent!
I first borrowed this book from the library when i need to do a project about a famous person.I found it by chance because i don't know any thing about Elvis Presley at first.But after i read this excellent book, i was so attracted by the Elvis that June wrote about, and i rushed to the bookstore to buy this book.In this book, you can find that you are with the king of rock'n' roll.


Hondo and Fabian
Published in Hardcover by Henry Holt & Company, Inc. (01 April, 2002)
Author: Peter McCarty
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Luminous, sweet illustrations
This is a perfect bedtime book because the illustrations are so calm and soothing, yet not boring. The pictures exhibit humor as well, especially the pictures of Fabian the cat having to escape the baby (although it's never explicity stated, and does not portray the baby negatively) and the picture of Fabian enjoying the fun of unrolling toilet paper. The book is simply beautiful, and adult pet owners as well as children will enjoy it.

Playful story - wonderful atmospheric illustrations
I love this author's style - both in text and drawings. The story is simple yet wonderfully accessible via the antics of the cat and dog. There's a playful quality that my son (age 4) enjoyed. Any child that has a cat or dog as a pet will especially identify with the tale. Very pleased with this purchase.

A Great Book!
I had to read this book as an assignment in my Children's Literature class at West Virginia State College. I am so thrilled that I picked this book to read. This book is a delightful story of a dog/cat relationship. It tells of a unique friendship that out of the ordinary. This illustrations in this book are excellent. I would recommend this book for every child to experience.


From Porn to Poetry: Clean Sheets Celebrates the Erotic Mind
Published in Paperback by Samba Mountain Press (20 November, 2001)
Authors: Susannah Indigo and Brian Peters
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Great stories
These stories are great - "Tell Me A Story", "The Symbol For Intensity", "The Secrets of Humphrey Milquer" - better than most erotica I read. I like the mix of humor and information and sex in the book, and I quite liked the writing about "What's Abstinence Got To Do with It?" about teaching kids well. An excellent book, and great for reading on the train.

Excellent book
Great stories, thoughtful essays, I don't do poems.....ok, I did read and like some of them!-:) The "Carmen by the Lake" story made me cry. I love stories about coming of age.

Sexy, literate, lovely
I don't usually write reviews, but this is the loveliest of books, so lovely that I'm keeping it out on my coffee table for conversation starters. It looks so "dirty" but it's so literary and interesting. There's not a story or poem in here that isn't wonderful, and the humor is good too. I leave it out so that people can pick it up and turn to any page and be surprised, and always interested. Stories like "River of Butterflies", "Blue in Cuba", and "Grady's Bar & Grille" are just amazing and original. Excellent book.


The Complete Potter's Companion
Published in Paperback by Bulfinch Press (1998)
Authors: Tony Birks, Peter Kinnear, and Paul Bryant
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A deft product in itself
The potter's companion, is exactly that, a book containing a broad range of everything you need to know about making pottery from clays to glazes. There is something for both beginner and advanced potter: there are pictorial demonstrations of how to make something on a wheel as well as some breathtaking designs from experienced potters. The book itself has a lovely glossy feel and is beautifully presented - it is a joy to browse.

Complete coverage of a complex subject
As usual a Birks book is complete. Pictures, detail instructions, and more pictures. Many ideas for the beginner and experienced potter. Large format and National Geographic quality will make any purchaser happy they ordered this book. The only subject not covered in detail is the building of a kiln.If you want to construct your own kiln this is not the book for you. However, all other subjects are thoroughly explained.

This book gets my vote as best all-around text for students
The image on the cover sets the tone here as Tony Birks lays out the basics of forming clay and developing beautiful, useful surfaces while inspiring us throughout with image after image of high aesthetic merit. Birks is an excellent writer and he presents information with clarity and colour in a simple and comprehensible manner (e.g. "Clay is weathered, decomposed granite and consists mainly of alumina and silica.") The written text is complemented with photographs of artworks, artists, and techniques, all produced in full color. There seems to be a "just right" amount of information provided in each section which motivates but doesn't overwhelm. Although not officially a text book (where's the section on hazardous wastes?), I recommend it to students since it is such a work of art itself. It's merits are underscored by a price which is half that of "official" but often less appealing ceramic texts


Devil May Care
Published in Mass Market Paperback by Avon (04 September, 2001)
Author: Elizabeth Peters
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An interesting plot
This mystery includes ghosts, people's reputations, and the dog
that barked in the night. It was difficult to put the book down.
Ellie goes off to housesit her aunt Kate's estate in the Virginia
horse country, and immediately encounters a resident ghost, or is
it? Various ancestors of "old families" make an appearance, and just what are the dark secrets the families have buried?

Between eccentric Aunt Kate, her friend Ted, the neighboring doctor and his son, Donald, some strange servants, and the present generation of the "old families," not to mention the large assortment of dogs and cats along with a pet rat, the story gets interesting. Is there trickery, perhaps mass hallucinations, or has someone really raised the dead?

There are some sidelights about the Washington Redskins, and an argument about who was the best quarterback of all times. Disagreement with Kate can give men a bad itch where gentlemen don't scratch. Overall, it was good reading for a rainy evening.

A supernatural mystery delight
Now why is this book not available? At least it isn't as I write this review, which is a shame. This mystery is comparable to the queen of mystery, Agatha Christie. Full of chills, spills, witty dialogue and creepy people, this is a delight.

Ellie and her fiancee Henry arrive at the rambling mansion belonging to her aunt, who is an eccentric rumored to be a witch. Ellie is remaining in the house while Aunt Kate goes off on a trip, bringing a rare and quite dull book along as a gift (which she promptly forgets to give her). In the area is Ted, a friend of Kate's, and an enigmatic, quirky young man named Donald.

Soon Ellie suspects that the house is haunted, from a few specters that crop up. But she just as quickly suspects that the hauntings are all-human in origin. Is it the doc next door? The hypersensitive jerk? The humorless, desiccated librarian? The Senator who is up for reelection? The perky columnist? Creepy undertones are shown in all the characters, but which one of them would endanger -- and perhaps murder? And what secret is so terrible that would make this person so desperate?

Witchcraft, comedy, ghostliness and action are covered in this book, fast-paced and well-plotted, with lovable heroes (Ellie, Donald, Kate) and despicable people as well. One can only theorize who Marjorie Melody was based on, so cloyingly loathesome is she. And what kind of person could have inspired Henry, who readers will.... uh, react to from the first page.

A fantastic, chilling novel/mystery with wry wit, this is a book not to be missed.

When First We Practice to Deceive
I think one of the things I like best about Elizabeth Peters is that she clearly believes that reading mystery stories is supposed to be fun. Of course, there is much to be said for authors that believe otherwise. But sooner or later I need to take a break and lean back with something by an author who has managed to evade all the Sturm und Drang of modern mystery fiction. Someone I can trust with my sometimes fragile psyche. Elizabeth Peters is my all time favorite in this category of 'cozy' tales, for many reasons.

Take the book at hand, "Devil May Care." The plot work is clean and classical. Ellie has been asked by her Aunt Kate to house sit while her Aunt takes a trip. The house is a fine old manse in Burton, Virginia. Ellie arrives with her fiancée Henry, a dull but successful Washington lawyer, to find Aunt Kate clog dancing with a neighbor and deep in football discussions. After a short interlude Henry and Kate head back to the city and Ellie settles in for the long haul. Immediately she finds herself surrounded by ghosts. Aunt Kate's previously unhaunted home suddenly has a transparent young man upstairs, a jilted husband chasing his wife and her lover all over the grounds, a crazy looking red haired woman in the... Well, you get my drift.

Ellie, who is an intelligent and well grounded young woman sets about solving these appearances with the help of Ted Fraser (her Aunt's clog dancing friend) and the very attractive (and not at all dull) Donald Gold, the neighbor's son. The mystery revolves around the original six families that founded Burton, and an old history book Ellie bought for a gift to her Aunt. But what it is eludes everyone, even after Ted barely survives a meeting with an irate spirit and the sudden reappearance of Aunt Kate. The reader is well on his way through this roller coaster ride long before the complexities of the plot finally begin to unravel.

What makes this mysterious farce enjoyable is not only a clean and lively plot, but an entire cast of eccentric and wonderful characters. I greatly admire Peters heroines, who always display a great deal of intelligence and forethought. Ellie is one of these. Her Aunt Kate is no less memorable, with a defiantly impish streak. The male participants, ranging from the very dull Henry to the quick witted Donald are perfect foils for these women. In addition, all six of the founding families are full of amazing confections and one can hardly leave out the long cast of Aunt Kate's pets, lead by the imperious Roger the Rat and Franklin the Fearless Pekinese.

This is mystery fiction intended to be entertainment and little else. Elizabeth Peters is an expert as mixing archeology, the supernatural, and history with the inevitable foibles of human beings and coming up with story after satisfactory story. This is perfect fireside reading for one of those rainy fall days around Halloween. Or for any other time as well.


Kittens in the Kitchen (Galaxy Children's Large Print)
Published in Hardcover by Galaxy (1998)
Authors: Lucy Daniels and Peter Warner
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Kittens in the Kitchen
Mandy and her friend James find an abandoned mother cat in school. They decide to look after it and provide it a comfort place for giving birth to it¡¦s kittens. But they find that the cat has kittens in their school custodian¡¦s laundry basket. The custodian tells them to find new homes to the kittens within one week or else he will deal with it. Can they do so within a week?
This story is really interesting and it is easy to understand. I appreciate Mandy¡¦s sympathy, as we can see her willingness to look after and find new homes for the kittens. Although she finds lots of difficulties during the process, she never decides to give up. May be she thinks that she was very like the cat. Because they were both adopted. It¡¦s really touchable.
I would highly recommend this book to all young readers because it¡¦s very amusing. The readers may get a sense of caring animals from reading this book. I am sure that you will enjoy it.

Kittens in the Kitchen
Mandy and James have been taking care of a pregnant cat for about a month, they know that she's about to have her kittens, so they make a place where she can have them. Instead of having her kittens on the newspaper, the cat goes into Mr. William's kitchen, and has her kittens in the hamper, on Mr. William's best shirt. Mr. Williams is furious, and he gives Mandy and James only one week to find homes for 4 kittens. I think this is a great book, and you should go out right now and buy it.

The Review Of Kittens In The Kitchen
Kittens In The Kitchen is the first title in the Animal Ark series. It is great for cat and kitten lovers everywhere. I have read a number of books in this series and have found each one enjoyable.

A stray cat is found and it gives birth in Mr William's (the school caretaker) kitchen. He is absolutely furious, he hates cats and especially when their in the laundry basket on his clothes in the kitchen.

The race is on to find homes for the four kittens and in just one week.

This story is an adventure story with some animals added in. All in all, a fantastic read - 5 stars-


Lightning in a Bottle: Proven Lessons for Leading Change
Published in Paperback by Dearborn Trade Publishing (2000)
Author: David H. Baum
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An accessible alternative to Kotter
David Baum's work on change management, while not as scholarly or detailed as John Kotter's widely-read "Leading Change," is well-written and accessible to a variety of audiences. He arranges his subject matter so that you can open to any page, begin reading there and glean some useful, practical advice on the process of change management. He writes in a very easy and informal style, which makes the book fun to read. As is the case with many of these "management" books, Baum leans a little heavily on anecdotes and witty stories to illustrate his points, but nevertheless manages to keep them concise and relevant. If your company, organization or group is going through a reorganization or a change management process, I would definitely recommend reading this book as a group both before and during the process. I think it will be very helpful, thought-provoking and well worth your time.

Lightning in a Bottle: Proven Lessons for Leading Change
...A practical reflection of David's travels through corporations... and life. Lots of very useful and inspiring ideas of what to do and what NOT to do to solve problems in organizations. The book is organized into short, easy to read chapters, each making a key point.

NOT the usual business rhetoric; instead it's based on actual experiences, so it's both funny and packed with learning. Highly recommended!

Terrific
A terrific read. Useful, specific, funny and very, very helpful. I particularly valued the chapters on the change cycle and the benefits people get in not changing.

Maybe the best book on the subject I've ever read. Much more accessible than theoretical texts currently available which I find cumbersome and difficult to plow through. This was a joy.

I only wish my friends would buy their own copy.


Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz
Published in Digital by Amazon Press ()
Authors: L. Frank Baum, Peter Glassman, and John R. Neill
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This book is "Super, thanks for asking".
The book "Dorothy and the Wizard of OZ," is a great book,and should be recommended for anyone who likes to read. It starts out when Dorothy and Zeb are riding in a buggy, and then this huge earthquake comes, causing a big crack in the earth to form. they fall inside the earth, and end up landing in what we know as "munchkin City", but in the book it is called "The Glass City". They meet the munchkins, and then take off for the wizard. They get there, and then this sorcerer comes out, and starts talking them, as he turns into a funny looking thorny man. the wizard finds the sorcerer and cuts him in half. They take the cut in half sorcerer, and barry him in the vegetable garden. The prince of the vegetable kingdom, tells Dorothy to go and find him a princess. So she does. One night while the wizard and Dorothy are sleeping, they get a visit from the evil Mangaboos. They wernt goin to let them go, but then they did. They then went through a mountain, and came put on the other side, which was the Mangaboos's kingdom. While they were there, they ran into a man they called The Braided Man of Pyramid Mountain. The man then lead them to the Wooden gargoyles. They then made a great escape from them. After a few more stunts took place, all the old friends reunited. The wizard then did another trick, and then Zeb went back to the ranch, and after Dorothy gave them a kiss, and said goodbye, she was gone in a madder of seconds.

In this book the three main characters are, Dorothy, the wizard, adn Zeb. Dorothy was a little girl, who liked to take risk, and liked to have fun, but be careful about it at the same time. In this book, she was about eleven years old, she had blonde hair, and wore a shirt little white dress. instead of a dog, she onwned a cat named Eureka. The cat isn't mentioned very much, until the very end. Zeb is Dorothy's cousin, and he is pretty quite during the book. He is mentioned, and helps take care od buisness, and helps them get out of situations when they are in danger, or are trapped by somebody bad. In this book he is about thirteen, or so and does not talk very much. The wizard is very very talkitive. He likes to help people through times, and he likes to be in charge over everything. He knows alot about the land, and what is there, and what can happen. He is about in his fortys, but still is a great wizard, he helped out Dorothy from the funny looking thorney sorcerer by cutting him in half. In my opinion I think this book is really good, but can get a little confussing. So you have to pay atention to all of it, and read it when your not buissy, other wise it wont make any since.

A Quixotic Return for Dorothy and the Wizard...
This is one of my favorite Oz books. We see Dorothy and the Wizard reunite, of course, but there are some interesting things going on. The Wizard has become a grand character; Baum has thrown his own nature into him and has made him real to us. The Wizard is now a resourceful, sometimes devious, sardonic, yet compassionate man. The story delves into the bizarre with the Glass City and its vegetable people (and their gruesome demise). The Gargoyles are quite disturbing in their emotionally hollow, wooden world. The Braided Man of Pyramid Mountain provides dry humor (here we see Baum's love of puns). Esentially this is one of the more original works of Baum, with quixotic new characters, and further development of those we already knew. I think perhaps Ozma comes into her own in this novel; she is what a queen should be, loyal to her subjects, but not above the law; she is regal, kind yet firm, passionate and loving. Baum has created a fearsome yet beautiful per! sonage in Ozma. This is a great read; I would suggest it to non-Ozophiles so that the MGM movie can be challenged, and the true Oz can be appreciated in its majesty of fantasy, humor, horror, and splendor.

Dorothy and the Wizard In Oz
NOTE: This is not the edition of the book I would have liked to review. I just didn't see it anywhere. This review is based on the Del Rey edition.

Dorothy and the Wizard In Oz is the 4th book in The Wizard of Oz series.

In this story, Dorothy and Zebediah (Zeb), her second cousin, fell into the middle of the earth though a crack. When they landed, they were in a city. The rest of the story is the trying to get out of the middle of the earth.

There is one really neat thing that happens in this book. As many of you remember, whether you read the book or saw the movie, the Wizard of Oz floated away in a hot-air balloon. Well, in this book, the Wizard lands in the city where Dorothy and Zeb are. He must have been floating for a really long time!

As I have for all of the books in this series, I suggest this book for those who like to read for fun and don't mind a little major fantasy. (Like when Dorothy and Zeb fall through the earthquake to the center of the earth, they could've never survived!)


Educational Research: Competencies for Analysis and Applications (6th Edition)
Published in Hardcover by Prentice Hall (10 June, 1999)
Authors: Lorrie R. Gay and Peter W. Airasian
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Educational Research Textbook Review
Educational Research: Competencies for Analysis and Application by L.R. Gay and Peter Airasian is a wonderful textbook for assisting people who are writing a Research paper or doing their Masters thesis. Each chapter of this book is very understanding, well organized and written. This book goes through a step by step process of educational research, so that a person can fully understand what it is. It provides you with a variety of samples to help answer any questions you may encounter while doing your paper. This book was a great resource in helping me prepare for my Action Research paper.

Educational Research Critique
L.R. Gay had a gift for making the complex topic of eductional research clear and comprehensive. This book was a well written, well organized, enjoyable text with user friendly format, instructions, and sample pages that were direct and instructional. Not only did I learn what research is but how to go about doing it step by step. I became both a consumer and a producer...

Educational Research: Competencies for Analysis and Applicat
As the introduction to Educational Research states, "one out of every two introductory educational research students uses this book." It is no surprise that college professors use this text because it is well written. The material is both in depth and reader friendly. The text takes you though a step-by-step process of planning, conducting, and evaluating research. Anyone who is struggling with writing a Master's Thesis will find the book to be a most helpful resource tool. The material is presented with a straight forward approach (along with some humor), and the book also provides useful chapter summaries and actual research reports. From a personal standpoint, the book is just that much better because it was written by a woman in a time when a woman with a brilliant mind was considered to be dangerous.


May It Please the Court
Published in Paperback by New Press (1996)
Authors: Peter Irons and Stephanie Guitton
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A facinating look at the Court
The book contains edited and slightly commented oral arguments for a number of cases brought before the Supreme Court of the United States since Earl Warren ordered that oral arguments be recorded. Few know that it is possible to attend oral arguments at the court (highly recommended if you ever visit Washington D.C.), and even fewer know the recordings exist. This is a set of six tapes with edited and commented (by Peter Irons) cases, together with a book which transcribes the tapes and includes highlights of the opinions in the case. There is also a brief introduction to the Court in the first tape.

The cases touch on a number of issues, ranging from the highly controversial (Roe v. Wade and abortion rights, Edwards v. Aguillard and teaching of creationism in school, Johnson v. Texas and flag burning) to issues which perhaps aren't so controversial anymore (such as the 'one person, one vote' rule). They are, nonetheless, very interesting to listen to.

I have very few regrets about the book, but they should perhaps be mentioned. First, there is no doubt that there is a somewhat liberal slant to the presentation and comments by Peter Irons in the tapes; I don't find it too problematical since they tend to agree with my own feelings on the subject, but others may find it annoying. Second, I cannot but be somewhat disappointed that these are ->edited<- and not the full arguments. I realize one hour or more per case may be prohibitive and it is perhaps better to have more cases and edited highlights of the arguments, but I would have loved to have access to the full argument nonetheless. At least in some cases, the impression given is certainly not that of the whole argument (in Edwards v. Aguillard, one gets the feeling that the attorney for Aguillard did pretty well, but one need only read Stephen J. Gould's account of the arguments to know that Justice Scalia trounced him and it was only through the intervention of the amicus curiae brief by the Nobel Laureates that the eventual decision was reached). And thirdly, it is very disappointing that the companion book has only highlights of the opinions in the case. The full opinion (together with full dissents and concurrences) would have been a very welcome addition to the set.

Despite these problems (which are the reason I give it a 4 star rating rather than a 5; I wish we had a 4.5 rating), this is a highly recommended set. This is a great and facinating look at the Court and at oral arguments therein, and it is highly recommended. Even if you are only interested in three or four of the cases or issues, you will find it a very worthwhile investment.

One word: Wow!
I truly admire Peter Irons, the primary editor of this work. Anybody who brazenly stands up against a government agency in order to publish material in the public record (these Supreme Court recordings and transcripts were not supposed to be reproduced) is OK by me.

And what a collection this is! Even people without any interest or education in law or politics will recognize some of these -- and those who are law junkies will love them all. I do not necessarily agree with others that Irons chose cases based on his "liberal" leanings; the cases we see and hear are among the very most important in the ongoing struggle to define "what the law means" (the phrase Chief Justice John Marshall used in Marbury v Madison). Even if one disagrees with the outcome of particular cases, it's important and educational to *hear* just how the argumetns for both sides were presented. This eliminates much of the mystery behind how the court operates, and that is certainly a good thing.

I just love the book and recordings, and have read & listened to them over and over. I give my highest recommendation for this work, and even moreso for students and families interested in our system of criminal and civil justice.

may it please me
Well, it sure pleased me enough. I've had this collection of Supreme Court argument transcripts for years, but mostly just listened to the accompanying tape set (the unique part). But this book is pretty good, too. You get edited arguments plus edited majority and dissenting opinions in major cases since 1955--Roe v. Wade, Texas v. Johnson, Tinker v. Des Moines, Gideon v. Wainwright, Miranda v. Arizona. . .Only real problems are: 1) lack of notation on which justices voted for what; 2) ID of some court members speaking in the transcripts; 3) Irons' quite left-wing viewpoint (I don't often disagree with it, but still. . .). This is a really important glimpse into the inner workings of the still-mysterious Supreme Court, revealing all sorts of stuff about the biases and brilliances, the give-and-take, of our highest court, our last bastion of civil liberty (probably the best investigation of this institution since "The Brethren"). There are things in here that infuriate me with their obvious bigotry (Bowers v. Hardwick), others that make me tear up with pride that a government (MY government) would actually champion individual liberty in the face of majority hatred (Texas v. Johnson). Sometimes the court goes bravely against the grain, sometimes it warily reflects common sentiment, but always it's a valuable look at America's brand of democracy and philosophy.--J.Ruch


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