The teenager Jubilee's life turns inside out and upside down when she learns that she is a mutant. In short order, she is pursued by a Sentinel, and rescued by the X-Men. The X-Men realize that the Mutant Control Agency is feeding information to the Sentinels, and they must act quickly to protect the hundreds of mutants already registered. But, this attack may cost the X-Men more than they ever dreamed...

My eight-year-old son purchased this book all by himself. He is growing more interested in comic books, and leapt at this book. It looks to me like no more than what would be in a standard comic book (complete with cliff-hanger ending), but without all of the advertisements and so forth. He is glad he bought the book, and rates it quite highly.

I liked the book because it had good action. It explained the characters well by telling us who everybody was.

The Time Machine, by H.G. Wells is a classic science fiction/fantasy novel. It is based in England around the late 1800's and also thousands of years into the future. It is an epic tale of a journey through time. Every one of the Time Traveler's friends and colleagues doubted him. They didn't believe that he had gone into the future. But he did. He visited a gentle breed called the Eloi. They were all alike. They dressed the same, walked the same, looked the same, and even reacted to life's conflicts in the same way. These identical "people" served him gratefully, giving him all the fruit he could ever want. He tried to learn the Eloi language, but their short attention spans caused him to not learn very much. The Time Traveler began to dream as to why this race of people was so alike. He couldn't figure it out. He decided that he had found himself in a utopian society, where neither reason nor strength was needed. He didn't find the real reason out, until he had discovered his time machine to be missing. Night fell and all he could do was search. When he found it he also discovered a horrifying secret about the reason as to why the Eloi were so perfect. It was a terrible secret, one that you will only know if you read this book. Believe me, it's quite a twist. All in all, I would have to recommend this book to anyone. It has elements of every genre in it: horror, science fiction, fantasy, drama, and comedy. It is just a really well rounded book that all can enjoy.

OK, we've all seen at least one of the movie versions of H.G. Well's The Time Machine, but none of them truly compare with the oringinal Sci-Fi classic. The book tells the story of the Time Traveler's journey nearly a million years into the future and the very unexpected and disturbing society he finds there. The Time Traveler formulates various theories based on what he observes of the society, which each, in turn, prove to be oh, so wrong! [Warning: mild spoiler] In the end, his realization of the future is especially terrifying considering it is the result of our current social structure (or H.G. Well's, anyway).

I especially recommend this book for those of us with short attention spans - it's only 140 pages (and that's the large print version). But don't get the wrong idea, this book still has more depth and creativity than most 500 page books i've read and is a great read, even compared with today's science fiction standards.

This book has to be considered a classic considering it spawned a whole genre of time traveling books, movies, and tv shows whcih imitated it. Get a hold of a copy and read it today!

Leave it to H.G. Wells to come up with a book on time traveling into the future and leaving us, the readers, totally captivated. What a visionary. The movie, which I have seen many times, did a great job of keeping to the original storyline. If you have not seen it, please do so. Amazing film.

What I love about the book is how much further Wells went with the story. Towards the end of the book, our weary time traveller proceeds further into the future to actually witness our earth and sun dying. The barren lands growing cold. Life at its final stages. How utterly eerie yet thrilling all at the same time. Wells describes the sequences so vividly. Who would not do the same if a time machine was made available to them?

For you first time readers, enjoy. It is a terrific ride.

This was the first Catherine Coulter book that I have read. It was easy to get hooked. There were many twists and turns that kept me wondering. I loved Taylor. What a guy. Isn't this who we all want? I was very pleased and surprised with this book. I love finding a new author to explore!

I read this book many years ago and I was happy to read it again. Coulter has a way of getting you close to her characters. Lindsey was raised by a horrible father. Always treating her like an outcast and constantly putting her down and abusing her verbally. The biggest deception and hurt happened when she was 18 years old and raped and beaten by her sister's husband. Lindsey's father blamed Lindsey and claimed to the press that she was a slut and a Lolita. Finally several years later Lindsey discovers herself. She becomes Eden a famous model and meets the man of her dreams. And now someone is out to kill her. Is it her Father, who was disinherited by his mother and gave Lindsey/Eden all the fortune, is it her old professor from college who is a crazy, is it her sister, or her sister's husband, or is it someone else who wants her dead. Good surpise at the end. This book keeps you guessing.

For some reason I have avoided Ms Coulter's earlier contemporaries. I am pretty sure it has something to do with my not being a fan of her earlier historicals, but I am an avid fan of her newer FBI series. However, BEYOND EDEN surprised me by being classic Coulter. A very entertaining, poignant, and humorous read. There is a very graphic rape scene, but it sets up the book and is quite necessary for the plot. You heal along with the heroine as she finds a life where she finally fits in and someone who wants her just as she is. Taylor, the hero, is just that. A perfect foil for Lyndsay and a prime example of one of Coulter's better heroes.

The mystery is a very good one that kept me guessing the whole time. A regular whodunnit. I highly recommend this book to Coulter fans, old and new. It will not disappoint.

Richard Dawkins has written two book very similar to each other. River Out Eden and the Blind Watch Maker. The Blind Watch maker is more complex and more detailed. But River out of Eden lays out Darwinian theory beatifully and in an understandable form. Darwin is hard to read and this book flows well for the lay person (Such as Chemical engineers like my self)

He confronts the attacks agianst Darwin by creationist and biologist alike. He is a great defender of Darwin. If you are a scientist outside biology this is a great book, a great book for young students confused by Darwin, and for Creationist who want to understand their Chief opponents (Darwin and Dawkins).

Some of the Dawkins ideas such as the idea of the selfish Gene and his ideas on Gene "cooperation" are described in this book. If you want a taste of Dawkins read this book. If you like itand want more detailed imformation and theory read the blind watchmaker.

I rate this book as one of the most important books that I have ever read.

Reading Richard Dawkins is always a highly interesting adventure.
Dawkins portraits convincingly our genetic system as a river of digital quaternary (the 4 DNA components) information with 46 databases (chromosomes) and an operating system which works as a computer. The system has only one goal: the survival of our DNA.

This book depicts life as a bunch of bytes, with no essential difference between living and non-living material. Vitalism is dead. As is solidarity: the well-being of the group is a coincidental consequence, but never a primary motive.
Nature is not good or bad, not cruel, not economical, but only mercilessly disinterested.

Chapter 3 of this book contains formidable examples to counter the creationist viewpoint (e.g. an explanation of a gradual evolution). It should open the eyes of the blind. But that seems to be a very difficult exercise, seeing some other reviews here.

This book is a must read for everybody. It should constitute a background for all politically, socially, environmentally, legally, judicially, religiously ... responsible people with his message that nature is essentially amoral.

This slim little volume manages to accurately depict the concepts and philosophy underpinning the rest of Dawkins' work without going into as much technical detail. If you're unfamiliar with Dawkins' work or with evolution in general, this is the Dawkins book to read first. On the other hand, if you only plan to read one Dawkins book, I'd suggest "The Blind Watchmaker" instead - it fleshes out the topics in a little more detail, with additional explanatory material.

That said, "River out of Eden" is one of Dawkins' best works of prose. It's both rare and gratifying to see such a brilliant scientist who also possesses a talent with words. Wit, wisdom, and erudition combine to make this book a great success. In fact, the book contains the single sentence I can pick out of Dawkins' entire body of work as most his most effective and captivating writing (it's at the end of Chapter 4, "God's Utility Function" - read the book to find it! :)

If you enjoyed this book, or would like to find out more about Dawkins' work, try these two websites:

http://www.world-of-dawkins.com/default.asp (The World of Richard Dawkins)

http://library.thinkquest.org/C004367 (Replicators: Evolutionary Powerhouses)

I have never really liked romance novels until I read this book. Sweet Savage Eden is a steamy romance but also adventure that will keep you reading way into the night. You will love Jassy and Jamie Cameron and their love storey. What is best about this book is that you can keep reading about the Cameron family in many more books that follow and believe me after you read this book you will keep on buying and reading the rest!!!!

this is one of the first books that i ever read and it is one of the reasons that i got hooked onto reading. heather grahams writing is great. this book started out as just two people needing each other to get something that they needed. jassy needed money, food and a place to settle into and jamie needed a women who could brave the untamed colonies. but what they found in each other was so much more. they found each other soul mates and though it took a long time to do so the wait was priceless. this was a great book, which spoke of true and life changing love.

This was one of the first romance novels I had ever read. The first time i read it...I thought no book could ever come close. That was about 4 years ago...the other day I went back and read it again. I was expecting myself to be dissapointed...your tastes change. But the book was exactly the same. I still loved it! The characters...the settings...the story...like nothing I've ever read. I've told all my friends about this book, they all loved it. And I just had to write an online review! So if you're even slightly interested...do buy this book. You won't regret it.

Ben Elton's books are excellent. The political and social comment is intelligent, perceptive and hilarious. Unfortunately, although this book is perceptive it lacks the direction and characterisation of his other novels. The book is therefore tedious in places and lacks the laugh out loud hilarity of Inconceivable and Gridlock. Therefore read any Ben Elton book apart from this one.

In this Novel, Ben Elton, a comedian and author well known in Britian and Australia, continues to use ecological problems as a theme in his writing.

The book revolves around an ecological protest group, and the company they oppose, which sells a self supporing personal habitat, known as an Eden.

Out of Ben Elton crawls some of the most wonderful and fantastic prose I have ever read. What if Pynchon, instead of losing track of some of the balls he juggles and readers in the process, instead kept a strict schedule of events and knew how every word should sound before he ever wrote a book? Ben Elton is fantastic; I enjoyed his television venture(s), but I am in love with his prose. This story is wonderful, I am giving it to at least one person this holiday season. Elton has a profound grasp on the American and british psyches... let us hope that he never chooses to releax his hands.

This is the fifth book by Ms. Shreve that I've read in the last year and a half. Although I like her writing style and her ability to construct a very vivid scene with interesting characters, I felt that this book just fell flat. It has an air of mystery but I predicted the outcome very early on.

Andrew comes back to his hometown for his mother's funeral at the beginning of the book. From there the story weaves it way back to the past. We find out about Andrew and his childhood friend (and next door neighbour)Eden Close and the relationship that existed between them. We learn that Eden was adored by her father and ignored by her mother. We soon discover that there was more going on in that house and that it all culminates in a murder on a hot summer's night, the night that the beautiful Eden loses her sight. The mystery is never fully solved and so when Andrew does return home many years later, he feels he cannot leave without finding out the truth about Eden and what happened on that fateful night.

It's an okay story but I found it slow to read. It just didn't grab my attention. I will however continue to read Shreve's other works, I just won't re-read this one.

I really enjoy Anita Shreve's books and this book is no exception. It is a quick read and a thought-provoking little book ~~ one that I couldn't put down after picking it up.

Andrew returns home to ready the house for sale after his mother died, only to embark on a personal journey to rediscover love with his oldest childhood friend, who lives next door ~~ Eden. Haunted by the incidents that had happened to Eden during her teen years ~~ the summer before Andrew left home for college ~~ Andrew begins to investigate what had really happened that summer. And to his surprise, the answers weren't what he expected.

It is a quick read ~~ perfect for a hot summery day of reading. I recommend this book ~~ it's just as good as Shreve's later books and it will haunt you for a while after you put the book down. It's a rare glimpse inside of a man's soul and mind as he explores the possibilities of love again.

The first book I read by Anita Shreve was Where or When. The year was 1993 and I came across this book while browsing at the library. I remember thinking when I closed this book that this title was the book, which deserved all the praise or at least sales that Bridges of Madison County was receiving at the time. I thought the book Where or When better written in comparison to Bridges and that Eden Close had a more intriguing plot as well as a chilling outcome. After reading Where or When I went back and read Shreve's earlier books, Eden Close, Strange Fits of Passion and then Resistance. I remember thinking that Anita Shreve was one of the most overlooked new writers of that time. Then a woman named Oprah selected Shreve's book The Pilot's Wife for her television book group and overnight, one of my favorite authors became a household name. And her succeeding books, Fortune's Rock, The Weight of Water, The Last Time We Met and her latest title Sea Glass continue to illustrate why Shreve's books are such rich reading experiences.

Now that I have read all of this author's books at least once I gave some thought to rereading some of her books. But it wasn't until one of my online book groups selected Close, Shreve's first novel, that I actually picked up this book and began reading it for the second time. I did wonder what I would think about a book I read close to ten years ago and one that I remembered enjoying so much that I always recommended it to others looking for a good book. I am happy to say that my second reading of the book Eden Close if anything has improved with age. The plot of this book, the characters and descriptive passages glued me to my seat once again. I found the subject matter continues to be as relevant today as it was when it was first published and the lives of the characters still as heartbreaking. And as Shreve does with all of her books, this time she puts you smack into this midwestern town where within two farm homes side by side we watch innocent lives torn apart by an unspeakable tragedy.

If you have enjoyed Anita Shreve with her more recent books, be sure and go back and read her earliest novels like Eden Close, Strange Fits of Passion and Where or When and see why I considered Anita Shreve a favorite author before she was as popular as she is today.

Great book for anyone considering starting taekwondo. If you read this book and practice the things shown, you will have an edge over all the other white belts in your class. It shows basic blocks, kicks, hand techniques, basic sparring, and of course, how to tie your belt so you don't look stupid.

It also explains a lot about the history and traditions of the martial art without getting wound up in any particular style. Mr. Yates has been teaching martial arts for over 30 years, and his experience is invaluable, plus his writing style is very conversational. Ms. Eden writes well, too. Both explain things without either getting too technical or "talking down" to the readers.

I found this bok to be very useful. I strongly recommend it to anyone interested in beginning taekwondo.

For those parents who are unsure of the safety in the martial arts for theri children, or have any general doubts about how the martial art is designed and how it is run, this book is definetly for you.

I am currently study Tae Kwon Do several times a week, and I am assistant instructor with the school I study at. Many times, when we have parents coming to see what a class is like before letting their child participate, they have a lot of questions.

The biggest thing I have noticed, is that there is perhaps a bit of doubt for the parent in letting their child join.

This is were the terrific layman's terms book written by Karen Eden comes in. Karen has done a masterful job of explaining some of the quirks and etiquette of the martial, and in a very humorous way at times.

I read this book when I had already been in the Martial Art for a while, and I found it still helped to understand exactly who the head instructor thinks, and why the etiquette we have is in place.

I highly recommend this book to any student that is studying Tae Kwon Do, and also to any parent who is considering letting their child join. This book is a wealth of resources that will be sure to benefit you many years down the line in your studies.

Keith D. Yates -- 10th degree black belt, an inaugural member of the Texas Martial Arts Hall of Fame, and one of the most respected martial arts leaders in America -- and co-author Eden have written a superb beginner's guide and introduction to Tae Kwon Do. There's a lot of good material in this book, including basics on blocks, hand-techniques, kicks, one-steps, free-sparring, self-defense, and beginning forms for several styles. I highly recommend this book to anyone exploring the martial arts, especially new martial artists, and parents interested in enrolling their kids in martial arts. For an in-depth book on forms (kata), also get Mr. Yates' excellent "The Complete Book of Tae Kwon Do Forms."

Ethan Coen's collection of short stories is a hint to his remarkable movies. The writer of such great films as Raising Arizona, Fargo, and O Brother Where Art Thou? brings his unmistakable sense of humor to literature with his first work of fiction, Gates of Eden. Coen's sense of humor is uniquely intelligent at times, stupid at others, and very often disturbing.

From mafia back-stabbing to a decapitated wife and every story in between, Coen makes the reader laugh and simultaneously makes the reader feel uncomfortable for laughing. One often finds himself asking, "Should I really be laughing at this?" It is upon this type of humor that the Coen Brothers built their film career. Coen overcomes the occasional lack of true plot development with intriguing character analysis and captivating dialogue.

This book is a very easy read even with the intriguing and interesting lanuage and dialogue. The stories are short enough for a single sitting and long enough to actually say something. I would recommend this book to anyone who has taken even the slightest interest in a Coen Brothers film. But take heed, many stories are not for the weak-stomached conservative. Be prepared for a few shocks and an interesting insight to the American way.

If you like Ethan Coen's wacky films, and I am among their biggest fans, then you are bound to enjoy most if not all of the subject stories. Unlike most audio collections, these stories are narrated by many of the actors who have starred in Coen Brothers films such as William H. Macy, John Goodman, John Turturro and Steve Buscemi. I thought that was a great touch, and unlike another reviewer here I thoroughly enjoyed the vocal talents, never sensing that the stars had been quickly handed the stories and told to "read" by the director.

As for the tales themselves, they were each very different, and ranged from typical Coen brothers slapstick crime stories to poignant tales of growing up Jewish in Minneapolis. I really enjoyed "Destiny",the story of an over-educated boxer with no fighting spirit, narrated by Matt Dillon, who becomes hopelessly involved in a battle between a couple of two bit hoods while getting pummeled throughout the story. "The Boys", a story of a father struggling to maintain his sanity on a camping trip with his two sons really struck a chord as well, since Coen displays his typical caustic wit and dead-on observations of family relationships.

The stories are not for everyone, sometimes the language can get a little coarse (especially the Steve Buscemi narrated "Have You Ever Been to Electric Ladyland", involving a music industry executive who tries telling the police the myriad of enemies who might have tortured his dog), and those easily offended may want to look elsewhere. Even here Coen's biting sarcasm is evident, as he skewers thinly-veiled real stars including Cat Stevens.

Overall, while Coen may never push writers like Raymond Carver out of the pantheon of American Short Story writers, these tales are an amusing bunch, made more entertaining by the considerable vocal talents of each of the narrators. I recommend you give them a try, especially in audio format. The people in the next car will wonder what you are grinning about.

Coen brothers.

Just say the words, and most moviegoers can tell you what you're probably in for.

Crime. Criminals. Mystery. Shenanigans.

The same holds true for "Gates of Eden," a collection of short stories by Ethan Coen, one-half of the brother team (bro is Joel Coen) that created such contemporary classics as "Blood Simple," "Fargo," "O Brother Where Art Thou?" and, most recently, "The Man Who Wasn't There."

With the short stories in "Gates," Ethan displays the tendency to irresistible characters that the brothers have put to such acclaimed use in their films.

And characters they are. Hapless schmucks, crooks who just don't seem to have a clue, oddballs and hitmen, all of whom are destined to win your heart. Or, at the very least, your funny bone.

The title story is probably my favorite, simply because it examines a career that is usually shucked aside by storytellers in favor of more glamorous work: The weights-and-measures man.

It's Joe Gendreau's job to make sure the gas station attendant isn't overcharging for or skimping on gas; a beating with a tire iron will keep him straight. All in a day's work, ma'am.

Like Joe says, "Standards are what make us a society. A community agrees. A gallon is a gallon. A pound is a pound. He who says fifteen ounces is a pound - he must be put down. A pound is a pound, or we go bango."

Sigh. Coen's use of dialogue makes me weak in the knees. Oh, to have that firm control of dialect.

Other faves in "Gates":

"Destiny": A knocked-out-too-often boxer agrees to take pictures of guy's wife in bed with a business associate, and ends up caught in between two gentlemen of less than civil reputation.

"Cosa Minapolidan": Among other things, a mob boss wants a fresh stiff. But the guys he's got on the job ain't quite right in the head, if you know what I'm saying. And one of 'em's new on the job.

"Hector Berlioz, Private Investigator": Aside from his name, there's nothing out of the ordinary about this private investigator. Coen sets the whole story like it could be an old-fashioned radio drama, and the results are both familiar and fantastic.

"A Fever in the Blood": Next to "Eden," this is the best story in the collection. Another p.i. finds himself deaf in one ear psychologically after having the other one bitten off. Brings the "Twilight Zone" to mind, complete with twist at the end. Perfection.

Anyone in need of a quick pick-me-up or an enjoyably light read can do worse than Coen. Grab your teddy bear, hunker down under the covers after (or in the middle of) a long day and thank your lucky stars you don't lead these sorry souls' lives.

The Jungle is not only an excellent work of fiction, but also a historical monument. Sinclair uses graphic and depicting methods to grasp his reader and make them think about the hardships his fictional characters are undergoing. I found that his using of a fictional family to accurately show the corrupt meat industry and working class was an excellent way to appeal to readers of all ages. While his book started out on solid ground as it progressed I felt that it was starting to sink, and by the end it was well past sunk. I think that if Sinclair hadn't tried to switch to socialism, which he had so much opposed in the previous pages of his book, his novel would have been much better. However, I don't think that Sinclair's intention was to write an excellent novel and a superb ending, but simply to write a novel that got a point across. That point being that change was necessary, and I think he successfully got that point across. Overall I felt that Sinclair did a very good job of depicting the hardships of his time, and I'd recommend to everyone to go out and read his book; if not for the historical value, just for the fact of reading something different and unique.

The Jungle is a hearbreaking story of an immigrant family's struggle to survive in America. The family of Jurgis and Ona came from Lithuina in hopes of a better life. However, after months in America, their faith in America was torn to little pieces. Ona and Jurgis's lives as a married couple was nothing like expected. The pressure of work, poverty, and illness stilfled their spirits. This book also accurately revealed a sound historical document of the life and suffering of factory workers during the early years of this century. Antanas had to shovel the residues of chemically treated meat onto a truck headed for the cannery. Jurgis saw pregnant cows butchered and their unborn calves illegally mixed with other carcasses. Jurgis began to see how the packer operate. They sold spoiled or adulterated meat without qualms. Their workers were exposed to awful occupational diseases, yet the packers took no steps to protect the employees. They stole water from the city and polluted Chicago, and the city government turned their heads. After the death of Antanas, Ona, his two sons, and the lost of the house the family had struggled so hard to keep, Jurgis entered the world of crimes. He learned how Chicago's criminal underworld helped to corrupt the city's government.

Upton Sinclair's the Jungle is a distressing and touching story of the immigrant life in America during the early years of this century. Jurgis, Ona, and their families came to America from Lithuania to live a better life. After some time, reality set it. Their faith in America remained though. America was not what they had expected, especially once Ona and Jurgis were married. There was a constant pressure to work, but no matter where they turned they were poverty-stricken. Jurgis insisted Ona not work, but their financial situation demanded her to. This historically accurate book displays and reveals the horrific factory work and the workers suffering. Jurgis job descriptions were unbelievable. He was asked to stay after one day from work to butcher pregnant cows and cows that had gone down or ones that were sick and had boils all over them. Their meat was then mixed with all the uncontaminated meat. Jurgis then realized how the packers operated. They sold this spoiled, contaminated, or adulterated meat without thinking twice. The workers were exposed to horrible diseases, had to work harsh working condition, were not paid for days off. The employers did not care because if they quit or would not do the work, there were plenty of people who would do the work and needed a job. Throughout the novel, it seems no matter where the family turns they cannot get ahead. After Antanas, wife Ona, and his two sons die, and Jurgis is forced to give up the house, he enters crime with a friend he met in jail. Jurgis found out quickly just how corrupt Chicago and city government was.