Edited by Lawerence Durrell, The Henry Miller Reader encapsulates some of the very best of Miller's writings. It includes sections from the Tropic books, Black Spring, and Big Sur and the Oranges of Hieronymus Bosch. I have the 1956 New Directions edition of the book, and I don't know whether it has been re-edited since that point, but any erotic, or sexual content had to be strained out for the censors. What is left is pure genius. There is a wonderful section on Alfred Perles...otherwise known as "Joey," to those familar with Miller's work. His insights on the writings of Anais Nin hold a certain poignancy in light of their twenty year relationship which both writers had to withold from their readers; Ms. Nin was married still to Hugh Guiller. I would highly recommend this book be purchased along with The Tropic of Cancer, or any other of his works.

When I read this book I couldn't put it down. If you read this book you'll be very happy!

I used this book in my undergraduate years frequently. It's basic structure focuses on the instruction and practice of expressive, imaginative, and expository writing. It does an excellent job of covering the different modes of organization: narration, description, process, classification, cause & effect, etc. The only possible drawback is its publication date:1984. However, a good book is timeless, and much like White's "Elements of Style," this book is still as useful and informative as the day it was published.

It's the end of the day, and creatures large and small are worn out and in need of sleep. From the mother cat with her little kittens, three very tired, suitcase carrying bears, a weary, droopy-eyed fish, and a too-long flying goose, to the man in the moon who'll be sound asleep soon, an eye rubbing, sleepy baby in a boat, and a frog who's tired and dry from hopping all day, all are looking for a place to rest, hushabye.....Award winning author and illustrator, John Burningham, has created a soothing and comforting bedtime story that's just perfect for preschoolers as young as one. The calming rhythm of his simple, quiet, sometimes rhyming text, begs to be whispered, and will lull your little ones to sleep with its gentle motion. Expressive, colorful, and childlike artwork, along with pencil sketches enhance his words. Hushabye will easily become part of your bedtime ritual. "You are tucked up in bed./You toes are all warm./You're out of the wind/and the rain./Your head's on the pillow./You'll soon be asleep./Hushabye/Hushabye/Hush"

The text is written in a simple pattern. Each sentence begins "I see patterns on . . ." This makes it easy for ESL students to follow.
Since the book uses only one verb, this will be a good starter for a lesson on the present tense. For lessons on other verb tenses, you can modify this book.

Watch the price, though; the book is only 8 pages.

I am a great fan of all "...for Beginners" books. Thanks to the great creative illustrations, they make something easy to understand without reducing the content's level of intelligence. Although this book cannot replace the actual Yi Jing (I Ching) text itself (which is at times rather cryptic), it serves a great easy-access starting point to the oracle that has outlived all others. There are also many useful resources online. My next step will be getting a copy of Wilhelm's German translation of the actual Yi Jing.

Stephen Cooper has done more justice to telling Fante's story than anyone. It is Steve Cooper who has brought Fante's stories back into the limelight again, giving him the voice he so desperately needed (and deserved) when he was alive. The John Fante Reader is a fantastic compilation of stories from all of Fante's work. From beginning to end, the reader is allowed to follow Fante on his journey as a young boy and into adulthood. This is a fabulous read if you have yet to be indoctrinated into the world of Fante as well as if you already love Fante and his out-of-control imagination and storytelling. This Reader puts together little bits and pieces of his best work. I have not laughed as much as I did reading the escapades of Fante's characters, or cry. He is raw and human and so alive in all of his writing. You won't be sorry for having read this. In fact, it will probably prompt you to run out and buy all of his books and read them one by one. It is almost like being teased, only getting to read bits and pieces from each story here. But they are fabulous stories, nonetheless.

I love this book and that stems largely from the fact that I love Fante. You don't have to be Catholic or ITALIAN to appreciate him. A huge thank you to Steve Cooper for putting this out in the world for everyone to enjoy.

Not slick and trendy, but a good, solid introduction, as long as you don't need the latest Milton scholarship.
Nicolson helped me get clear on what Milton might have meant in each major scene, book by book.

I watched the movies, the Jack Nicholson one and the made for tv one, then I read the book. Even with watching the movies first the book was excellent. I was scared even though at times I knew what may have happened and there were other surprises. The book was just a simple demonstration of Stephen King's excellent writing. i have recommended this book to all my friends that have not read it and they have loved it too. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys some surprises every once in a while.

A new kid on the block (staying in Dink's house!), a little action (a kidnap!), a little language lesson (French!), and a lot of teamwork (involving both children, parents, and authority figures) leads to another intriguing tale and a happy ending. Ron Roy's A-To-Z-Mysteries have proven quite successful in our household. I've now read all eleven installments to my four-year-old son, and he has found them immensely entertaining. Similarly, our best friend's daughter, an advanced elementary school reader, promptly consumed these books and deemed them enjoyable. Sure, like most of the chapter book series for little people, the plots tend to be marginally predictable -- conversely, these books weren't written for the parents (and the children seem to find the mysteries sufficiently compelling). I also find that, at a certain level, the fact that the characters in these mysteries are (reasonably) normal children confronting seemingly pedestrian criminals is a welcome break from my son's fascination with the preternatural and his preference for the less realistic (but highly entertaining) series such as the Secrets of Droon, Bailey School Kids, and the Magic Tree House. Also, unlike many of the series books, it does not seem critical to read the books in order (although we do). It's also nice that the protagonists -- Dink, Ruth Rose, and Josh -- play well together, think through difficult problems, exhibit good manners and, for the most part, display the type of vocabulary you won't mind if your children repeat.