A very intresting book regarding a extraordinary journey. A travelers tale of a difference.

With the world seemingly becoming smaller each day, with less room for new adventures and discoveries, David Cowper's journey will invigorate those who have a yearning for the olden days of the explorers. The Northwest Passage still has a romantic mystic attached to it, and the difficulties of crossing it are well described in this book. Enough detail and description is included to give the reader a genuine feel for the Passage and the scope of the trip. Even if a reader has no interest in the North, the book offers a glimpse into the human spirit's desire for adventure and challenge. Yet, and perhaps the nicest thing about it, Mr. Cowper retains humility and never self-aggrandizes.

This book really ought to be called "The Distance Runner" because its focus is entirely on that topic; sprinting is only discussed when it provides an illuminating contrast to the distance sport. Also, there are an annoying amount of typos and grammatical errors in the book. They don't interfere with information transfer, but they brought me up mentally every time I crossed one and they come across as unprofessional. Those nits aside, this is an excellent discussion of past and current research on the effects of running on the human body and methods to maximize training and race performance. Costill and Trappe discuss the physiology of elite runners vs. the untrained, safe and effective training methods, differences between male and female runners, and the effects on aging on performance. An educational resource for runners at all levels.

Running The Athlete Within by David Costill (John and Janice Fisher Chair in Exercise Science, Human Performance Laboratory, Ball State University) and Scott Trappe (Director, Human Performance Laboratory, Ball State University) is a straightforward and "user friendly" guide to understanding how men and women can best balance training, rest, and nutrition into a healthy and competitive running/exercise regimen. Firmly grounded in solid scientific backing, Running The Athlete Within covers the effects of aging on one's ability to run and enjoy it, optimizing one's performance, special considerations for female and pregnant runners, and much more. Running The Athlete Within is very highly recommended reading for the long distance runner and the cardiovascular fitness enthusiast.

Arden's edition of Shakespeare's works is an essential item in everyone's shelter. It's a great buy (for a carefully sought edition), but it lacks the critical discussion of the single-play edition.

Haven't figured out a classy way to tell someone that they get on your nerves? Want to make a big impression in a heated one on one dispute? Well, this is the book for you. Potent, sarcastic yet classic quotes taken from Shakespearean plays are compiled in this tiny book. Whether you tuck this small treasure in your desk at work or place it on the nightstand at home, you must use it. You will definitely have the upper hand in your next verbal battle with the enemy. Be offensive with style!

Jordan's book is an excellent biography of an overlooked and almost forgotten general of the Civil War. While Hancock was an excellent fighter and tactician, he is often overlooked in favor of Lee, Grant, Sherman, and Jackson. Thankfully, Hancock's important contributions to the Union are chronicled in Jordan's interesting text.

The book is full of interesting anecdotes of the following periods of Hancock's life:

1. Early childhood and life leading up to West Point.
2. West Point years.
3. Service in the Mexican War and just before the Civil War.
4. Excellent leadership at the Civil War battles of Antietam, Williamsburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Wilderness, Spotsylvania, and Petersburg.
5. Role during the Reconstruction Period.
6. Political aspirations and almost presidency.
7. Final years.

As I read Jordan's book, I came to appreciate Hancock more and more. Jordan is able to keep the reader's interest throughout the text. For instance, while I was much more interested in Hancock's Civil War service instead of his politics, Jordan was able to keep me interested in Hancock's run for the presidency.

The only reason I did not give the book 5 stars is because the maps were few and of mediocre quality. When reading a Civil War book, I like several maps to enable me to better understand troop movements. Adding more high-quality maps would have done much to better clarify Hancock's movements during a certain battle.

Despite this minor complaint, I highly recommend this book as the definitive biography of and excellent leader!

I thoroughly enjoyed this biography of Winfield Scott Hancock. Many people know of his achievements during the War, but what I enjoyed the most was Jordan's exploration of Hancock's post-war career, out west and then in national politics. Jordan's writing style is elegant and easy to read - other authors make battle scenes heavy going, but Jordan takes us through them with ease. I highly recommend this book - it is a worthy addition to any history buff's library.

It is a quirk of fate that the man most responsible for the Union victory at Gettsburg is unknown to most Americans.
Phil Sheridan called him "Hancock the superb", and the man so well fitted the appellation that it stuck forever. A splendid professional soldier and sterling personality, Hancock was involved in all the military activities of his time, from the Mexican War through the great Railroad Strike of 1877, performing nearly flawlessly and garnering the respect and affection of practically everyone he met. He was so well regarded that he almost beat Garfiend for the U.S. presidency, losing only because of political machinations of corrupt New York politicians.
Hancock's story is beautifully researched and well told here by an author who understands not only the man but also the times through which he moved. As a bonus, Jordan has the rare ability to bring to life military tactics and battlefield maneuvers, giving a remarkably clear vision of Civil War battles.
Highly recommended for the Civil War buff, student of military history, and as exemplary biography.
(The numerical rating above is a default setting within Amazon's format. This reviewer does not employ numerical ratings.)

I like the book, but I miss Robin Woods' illustrations.On the other hand, Llewellyn probably suspected that R.W's illustrations were too foofie for male readers, but they should have gotten someone better.
Besides that, there's folk magick galore, and ideas ranging from useful to 'interesting'. Much humor, and doesn't get too hung up on Feng-Shui the way many many books of this ilk do. (not bashing it, it's just not for me. You can't do Jack with Feng Shui in an apartment) Something for everyone but the High Magick minded.

This book is like all of Scott Cunningham's books, easy to understand, helpful, creative, basic yet founded on deeper knowledge. It has a lot of interesting lore and folk magic and much Feng Shui type of ideas. It discusses correspondences in good detail. It has information on cleansings and purifications, pets and plants, the household altar, the hearth or "heart" of the home, furnishings, moving, protection, the bath and the kitchen...even the garage. It is useful and grounded and homey. It will aid in focusing intent and provide inspiration for making one's dwelling into one's truly magical and personal home. Most of us, whether witch or not, instinctively surround ourselves with little "magics" that help us to feel comfortable and in "our own space." This book puts some thoughtfulness and understanding to the concept of personalizing our space and encourages creative and harmonious atmosphere where good vibrations abound. Try it. You'll like it.

Scott Cunningham's books are always a lot of fun, and often very useful. His WICCA and LIVING WICCA are two of the best books on Wicca and earth-spirituality I've ever read, and many others agree. THE MAGICAL HOUSEHOLD (which, by the way, comes with a much better cover -- just a photographed blue door with a broom and a cat, very tasteful) is equally fun to read, if less serious.

It's basically a compendium of folklore surrounding houses and various household activities. It covers doors and windows, kitchens and cooking, bathing and dressing, candles and fireplaces, and a dozen other categories, supplying plenty of superstitions, celebrations, small rituals, and interesting thoughts for each. Some of the items are fun to incorporate into everyday life, others are good for special occasions, and many simply as folkloric knowledge. It doesn't say where most of the traditions come from, but it's informative all the same, and the information is packed in, so reading with a highlighter may leave you with pages entirely covered in neon yellow!

In general, Llewelyn books annoy me, but some of them are quite good -- choose by author;Cunningham is always a good choice. Be sure to take this one with a grain of salt (which Cunningham advises in the beginning) and enjoy.

I would doubtlessly recommend Ivanhoe to read. History may be often dull but Sir Walter Scott makes history extremely exciting by romanticizing his novel. It directly deals with hatred between the Normans and the Saxons, the discrimination of the Jews, chivalry, and politics--but it is a unforgettable tale of heroism, honor, and love. I felt that the characters were so fascinating and fun to read about. I was enjoying and cheering on the good characters like Ivanhoe, King Richard, and Robin Hood to beat the hated and evil villains. I liked the idea of love added in the story, like how Rowena and Rebecca were both in love with Ivanhoe. I even felt a little sorry for Brian de Bois-Guilbert who would do anything for Rebecca's love but is constantly rejected. I thought how it was appealing how the author questions Ivanhoe and Rebecca's feelings for each other. Suspenseful and action sequences also added entertainment to the story. This book may be a little too detailed for some readers, but I didn't mind. I felt that the details were brilliantly used to decorate the story in an outstanding fashion. The old English wording made me feel like I was actually in the medieval England. I have to admit that it took a great deal of persistence for me to finish this book and it was a challenge for me to read. However, I found Ivanhoe to be a wonderful pleasure. It is no wonder that Ivanhoe is such a well-loved tale!

I enjoyed this adventure yarn on many levels.

I was glad to learn about the Knights of Templer and that they were crusaders. I always wondered how Sam Spade in the Maltese Falcon knew that and it is because of this classic.

I was surprised that it talked so much about Robin of Lockesley. The story of Ivanhoe seemed to be the same only told by Ivanhoe's friends and not Robin's.

I thought that the DeBracyn and the Knight of Templer Brian de Bois Guilbert were pretty evil guys which made the story interesting. They were weasels when they had their backs to the wall but did preform with honor when required like when Richard gets DeBracy.

I guess I did not understand the prejudice of the time because they treated the Jews like dirt and they were so sterotypical. I really thought that the Jewish girl Rebecca was going to end up with Ivanhoe instead of that Saxon Lady Roweana. I guess you have to appreciate the times that they lived in.

It was a different look the Richard/Prince John history.

Not to put too fine a point on it, but this book, by Sir Walter Scott, was the progenitor of what was to become a venerable tradition in English letters (and in other European literatures as well): the historical romance. There have been many after IVANHOE, and frequently with a finer eye to the period in which the tale is set (for IVANHOE contains quite a number of anachronisms -- even Scott acknowledged it), but few have done it quite as well as Scott. He uses an archaic English to give voice to his characters, but one which is readily absorbed because of the speed & quality of the tale. So, though these people certainly wouldn't really have spoken as he has them speaking, they yet sound as though they should have. Peopled by many 'stock' characters and situations, this tale was fresh in its time & still reads well today -- a testament to Scott's skills as a teller of tales and a sketcher of marvelously wrought characters. In this tale of the 'disinherited knight' returning home to find the world he left turned upside down, young Ivanhoe, after a stint with King Richard in the Holy Land, must fight the enemies of his king and kinsmen anew. Yet the hero is oddly sidelined for much of the tale as events swirl around him and the brilliantly evoked villain, Sir Brian de Bois Gilbert, in the pay of Prince John, struggles to win treasure and the beautiful Rebeccah, who yet has eyes only for Ivanhoe, a knight she can never hope to win herself. There's lots of action and coincidences galore here and Robin Hood makes more than a cameo appearance, as does the noble Richard. In sum, this one's great fun, a great tale, and the progenitor of a whole genre. All those which came after owe their form to it. Worth the price and the read.

First two books in Ender series are wonderful reads with a gripping storyline and excellent writing. Well, the third book has the same excellent writing but lacks the storyline.

No wonder Mr.Card is a great writer; whatever he writes he writes it good. Unfortunately Xenocide serves the purpose of bringing up a number of muddled ideas rather than telling a story. As a matter of fact there are so many ideas (overcoming an intelligent virus, how to save Jane, the Godspoken, Novinha's frustration against Ender, Ender's "split" personality, piggies' rights, virus rights, Bugger's way of thinking, Inside and Outside, faster-than-light-travel and some more minor things) that all comes to frustrating complexity and since the author does not have enough "time" (number of pages) to devote to each idea, almost everything except a few becomes muddled.

At the end, since the author creates more problems than necessary for a book - that can be handled in a single book - in order to neatly tie all that mess up, he has to resort to deus ex machina by means of hard sci-fi. Well Mr. Card is a great writer of characters, but he's not that great in hard sc-fi; thus his attempt makes you feel kinda cheated.

Overall this is an inescapable book. If you've started Ender Saga you'll have to read this. Thanks to Card's writing, it is still a fun read but especially with its ending it is unsatisfactory.

Lusitania is about to be destroyed by the fleet, if a virus does not wipe them out first. Path is being ruled by people mutated to have obsessive compulsive disorder. Ender Wiggin and his family are the only hope for the humans on both of these colonies, as well as the two other sentinant species on Lusitania. This novel is deeply complex with different scientific hypothosis being discussed. The story though complex never lets you put it down. You want to know what they are they are talking about and Card does a good job explaining it. This story efficiantly closes the Ender stories and leaves no loose threads to be tied up. Enjoy!

Many people don't like this book because of the long ethical and philosophical discussions in it, but these are the people who only read Ender's Game for the action, violence and war aspect of it. In fact, I'm surprised these people got so far as to even read Xenocide. If you look closely, all of the Ender Quartet are philosophical books, but Xenocide it the most open about it. Xenocide considers outrageous things, such as an entire planet inhabited by geniuses who are struck by a crippling and incurable variation of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, or a self-aware computer program making herself into a martyr even though only three people in the entire universe know she exists, or a group of aliens determined to bring humankind to meet it's maker by spreading an incurable plague, etc. The sub-plot on the world of Path is riveting, and holds up the whole book of itself. I don't know how Card does it. First I was convinced that Ender's Game was the best book ever written, then no one could tell me that Speaker for the Dead was anything less than perfect, and now Xenocide has risen to claim the title! I want to read Children of the Mind, though I am skeptical about whether Card can improve on the perfection of his previous three books. For the reader who is into deep philosophy: read Sophie's World, by Jostein Gaarder, but take it in small doses! I have only one question. Orson Scott Card, will you marry me?

Orson goofed with this one. It is probably hard to keep track of all those characters, but in the second printing the mistakes will be printed correctly. Here's the deal - Bean the primary protagonist is now on Earth. Every other soldier from the final battle waged in "Ender's Game" has been kidnapped. The premise for these kidnappings was predictable from "Game", but in the actual writing, it came across poorly. But here is where it really fails, Young Bean, in an effort to contact Peter, goes to the Wiggin Home in Greensboro of the future. He has a dialog with Mrs. Wiggin and we see them discussing where Ender used to live. If you read the first edition you'll see the error. Luckily the corrected scene is located on Card's Website hatrack.com . Otherwise you too would be confused too. That was a fogiveable error. After all Card is human. But the unforgivable part is that the characters are not as clever or imaginative as they should be. Card can do much better. They are genius kids who think like grown-ups. Mr. Card has forgotten that kids suffer from biology - even if they are geniuses. The kids all behave like adults. Orson forgets that these kids are apt to behave like kids at least once in a while. He wrote about short people who have been programmed to behave like adults and never fail to do so. In the first book, at least they acted like kids once in a while. This book could have been better thought out. If you want to stay abreast of these characters, read the book. But wait till the corrections are made in the second printing.

When I first heard that this book was being published, I was wary. While "Ender's Shadow" proved that Card could produce an excellent novel of a story he had already told us once in "Ender's Game," I was somewhat doubtful that Card could write another novel in this storyline and have it come out well. Indeed, in my opinion "Xenocide" was a very poor sequel to "Ender's Game" and "Speaker for the dead". However, like "Ender's Shadow," this novel is surprisingly good, adding some intriguing insight into already familiar characters, nicely filling in the history and character gaps of previous novels, and doing it all with comfortable but imaginitive prose.

However, somehow the Battle School children in this novel are less believable than previous novels... In "Ender's Game" and "Ender's Shadow", Ender, Bean, Petra, and even Achilles were presented in a manner that I thought was believable, and somewhat representative of the more brilliant children I have met. However, in "Hegemon", while Bean and some of the other children are still well written, Achille comes across rather two-dimensionally, and it's rather hard to actually accept this character as Card wrote him. However, this is a minor flaw, the storyline and discussion of politics and war are interesting by themselves.

If you've read the rest of the "Ender" novels, and like "Ender's Shadow," you'll probably like this novel. If you're new to the "Ender" books, I certainly wouldn't recommend starting with this one, however.

I enjoyed the exploration of Petra's character in this book. Many of the other characters had been ignored from the original Ender's Game, partly because he was so isolated from the rest of the battle school. Shadow of the Hegemon has a much wider scope than the previous book, dealing with the politic of the countries that Ender has left behind. We learn the events that lead to Peter being Hegemon.

Card's handling of politics between countries makes the book engaging, as it revolves around a kidnaping of Petra by Achilles and Bean efforts to save her. We even get to see what Battle school graduates are doing after Battle school. They are at the heart of military strategies in the book, sometimes to the chagrin of adults. It you truly believe in the child geniuses being brilliant strategizers then the books work. People who have read Ender's Game and accepted a six year old killing another bully of a six year old seem surprised with the maturity of battle school graduates. The whole point was to make them grow up faster and draw out strategies for war. It stands to reason that they could plan wars on planets or space since their training would have started with the history of wars on Earth and then branched out into space.

Bean is more human in this book. He shows more emotion for people and he interacts more with his environment. Peter's role in this book was surprisingly small, but he is sure sure to play a larger role in the future books.

It is well worth the read. It continues in the Ender tradition, but it 100% new events as opposed to Ender's Shadow.

Rommy Gandolph is on death row for the murder of three people in a diner when corporate lawyer Arthur Raven is assigned by the court to represent him in his final appeal before execution. Raven resentfully goes through the motions of representation until he receives word that another inmate, now dying from cancer, may have new evidence. Raven takes up the crusade of proving that Gandolph, a small time drug user and thief with a low IQ. was framed for the triple murder that put him on death row.

As the title suggests, the book follows both the errors made when Gandolph was convicted in 1991 and the discovery of new evidence and witnesses. But the story is not really about Gandolph, but about the three of the people who were central to the original story and current defense attorney Raven.

Raven works with the judge at Gandolph's original trial, Gillian Sullivan, in getting the new evidence. Sullivan, recently released from prison for taking bribes and a recovering drug addict is drawn to Raven, a hard working attorney who is unable to sustain personal relationships. The unlikely couple, a beautiful ex judge in her late 40s and an awkward driven attorney in his 30s, develop an unusual kinship. This is one of the two key relationships at the core of this story. The other relationship is that between the prosecuting attorney of Gandolph's case, Muriel Wynn, and Larry Starczek the original detective on the case. Wynn is now married to a wealthy but aloof businessman and running for DA and is put into contact with Starczek with whom she had a long term affair at the time of the Gandolph trial. Both question what happened over the years and whether they made the right choices. Wynn and Starczek have different motives for ensuring that Gandolph is executed for the murders.

The first third of this book alternates between flashbacks to the original events in 1991 to reveal what happened at the arrest and trial and 2001 when the new evidence is presented. This part of the book is somewhat tedious but the pace picks up nicely in the rest of the book. The relationship between Raven and Sullivan becomes central to the story and is as much a part of the redemption theme as is the work to free Gandolph. The final resolution of the story tests that relationship as well as Raven's core beliefs in the legal system.

Be aware that this is not a traditional legal thriller due to the key focus on relationships but it is still a very satisfying story.

"Reversible Errors" is another complex, multi-level Scott Turow legal (not courtroom) thriller, plodding at times, but on the whole, rewarding. Read so soon after John Grisham's "The Summons", one comes to the conclusion that, although Turow's book is far better on about 1,000 different levels, Grisham's is still the more fun to read.

Turow's latest hardcover skips back and forth in time between 1991 and 2001, comparing and contrasting the arrest of small-time pickpocket Rommy "Squirrel" Gandolph for a notorious triple-murder on the 4th of July, with his subsequent last-ditch appeals from Death Row. The main characters in this drama are helpfully laid out, in chart form, on the book's opening page. Out to bust Gandolph are Detective Larry Starczek (a WASPy version of "Law & Order"'s Lenny Briscoe) and assistant prosecutor Muriel Wynn. Out to save Gandolph a decade later is depressed corporate lawyer Arthur Raven, and disgraced trial-court judge Gillian Sullivan. Naturally, each pair becomes romantically linked, even before you can mentally cast them. You can chart Gandolph's fate in the novel by the direction in which each romance heads. To reveal who's together at the end of the book, and who isn't, is to spoil whether or not Gandolph is spared the death sentence.

"Reversible Errors" features several interesting, flawed characters, each acting in what they believe to be their own best interest. Turow never passes judgment, even on his characters who end the novel at rock-bottom. The zealous cop and the earnest defense attorney are basically portrayed at equal footing. The sex is... well, not glamorous at all. Both Turow and Grisham tend to shy away from the boudoir, but when Grisham goes inside, the results are a lot more Hollywood.

For all the intricate plotting and layers of surprise revelations, Turow still doesn't hide the ball exceptionally well. The name of a character introduced midway through the book is such a transparent pseudonym that, for 100 pages, I thought the big revelation would be that it wasn't a pseudonym at all. Following up on the up-close look at Lou Gehrig's disease in Turow's previous "Personal Injuries" (an excellent novel), this book features characters with terminal cancer and schizophrenia. I found myself feeling a bit hypochondriac by the end.

However, when complex characters earnestly discuss law and ethics for 400 pages, it's hard not to get drawn into their intricate worlds. The law is realistically portrayed, and the few courtroom scenes are believably intense. These are attorneys with ideals, with ethics. Compared with Grisham, who hardly ever ventures inside the courtroom at all these days, it's clear that Turow is still the champ of the true legal thriller.

With his usual flair, Turow tackles the eternally thorny question of the death penalty. One thing I love about Turow is that his novels are always caught in the midst of a larger perspective, and in this case, it's centers on questions of morality, justice, and revenge. The great thing is that this book creatively considers the subject of "reversible error," that is, when the system screws up, how does (or can it) correct itself.

Problem is, it usually doesn't, and that goes especially for cases involving the poor or retarded. If you're not a regular reader of Turow, don't fret; you can read this one as a first book if you want, since the story is intact inside this novel. What you'll find is Turow's knack for creating very vivid characters. For example, there's the tough, smart detective named Larry Staczek and an ambitious (is there any other kind?) young prosecutor Muriel Wynn who work together to get a confession and conviction of the mentally retarded thief (Rommy Gandolf) of a particularly vicious murder at a diner. But just 33 days away from his execution, Gandolf is insisting that he did not commit the murders.

Turow manages to capture the spectrum of damaged souls that inhabit the legal system, as well as interdepartmental rivalries that exist in every organization, but more so in bureaucratic ones: the angry, underappreciated cops on the front lines, the ambitious and politicized prosecutors, the important DNA and ballistics technicians, the remote and egomaniacal judges, and dragged along by the unspoken undertow of race. What we find is that mistakes are sometimes made, and when they are by the legal system, it often ruins not just one, but multiple lives. I think this is one of Turow's best, so of course I heartily recommend it.

If you are a crafty person there's always some joy to be found in other crafter's ideas. I bought this book because of the great instructions for making corn dollies and found that the brief chapter on wheat is really useful. There are several nice potpourri recipes in here. I enjoyed the short and thoughtful essay on the true meaning of craft. Some of it may seem way too simplistic such as the chapter on making flower garlands...basically you get some thread and a needle and some flowers and you string the flowers...uh...okay. There are directions for sand painting, hex signs, making an ojo or "god's eye" weaving, and some other Campfire Girl-type stuff that would be fun to share with kids.
Like all of Scott Cunningham's books this is very basic and geared toward the beginner. It has good direction that can lead to a better understanding for the beginner of the mindfulness and intent that makes putzing with stuff into a Craft that is magically satisfying, useful and fun.

This book is solid Cunningham. Practical, creative, and clever, it offers wonderful ideas for decorating the home with functioning Magickal items. I have returned again and again to this for craft ideas.

Once again, Scott Cunningham has succeeded in making a great book. A yes for anyone who loves making spellcrafts/handcrafts and even those who don't. I would totally recommend this to others, along with many, many, many of his other books.