The wonderful collection of poems that comprise The Cinnamon Peeler were written by Michael Ondaatje during a twenty-year period. They are works of deep intimacy and dazzling beauty.

Not being a poet myself, I enjoy reading Ondaatje's gorgeous poetry to my novelist wife.

More than love poems, these works contain wonderful twists and turns that are both painful and funny. Ondaatje has obviously turned to both Rousseau and Wallace Stevens for inspiration, but he also contributes his own sense of the novel and his awareness of social strata.

This is a charming book, with a muted sense of humor. With The Cinnamon Peeler, Ondaatje takes us deep inside his own mind and heart. It is trip worth making.

Michael Ondaatje knows how to write poetry. Primarily, he is a poet. Secondly a novelist. This collection contains a great variety of poems about day to day life, love, marriage, deep observations about children, humour, history and many more.

My favourite poem is ""To a Sad Daughter" which has a universal appeal. Once, I read this poem to my wife just replacing the poet's daughter's infatuation: ice hockey players with our daughter's hobby. My wife remarked: "Great poem. So you write good poetry too!"

I also like other poems including "The Cinnamon Peeler", "A House Divided", "Women Like You", "Billboards" and "Postcard From Piccadilly Street".

Michael Ondaatje shares his great intimate moments with us including love, his recollection of places and relationships with us. If you want to understand Ondaatje's prose, one must begging with his poetry. For anyone 'The Cinnamon Peeler' is an entry into a dark and deep labyrinth painted with human experience. When you come out of it, you'll be a different person.

This book is a one I read over and over again when I'm both sad and happy!

Michael Ondaatje knows how to mix humor, beauty, sadness, and acute observation together to make lovely works of art. This collection contains a great variety of poetry, from simple and touching observations about his children, to deeply imagined distant moments of wonder. My favorite is "Pure Memory/Chris Dewdney" which actually made me cry twice for two different reasons when I first read it. I will say no more here. "Elimination Dance" is also a fun one to read out loud. "The Cinnamon Peeler" itself is a fantastic love poem. There is so much good stuff in this.

I read this book as part four of my chronological survey of the life and times of the greatest jewel in the British crown. After greatly enjoying the original Flashman papers and the two following edited packages, I consider this installment the best so far.

Fraser not only gives us the expected portion of ribaldry, but puts our hero in an accurately described historic situation in which some of the players are so spineless that they make Flashy look rather virtuous, by comparison.The result is a well-documented narrative, describing the first series of big battles of the British in the Punjab in which the local powers did not have any scruples about plotting a defeat resulting in thousands of deaths of their own people, just to hold on to power a little longer.

In style, Flashman, who looks rather upstanding through it all, gets none of the credit that he for once deserved. Don't worry, even our weak-boweled toady bastard himself took it rather philosophically.

This book was a great read and I can't wait to devour the next volume in the series.

Reading this series in chronological order has been tricky, thanks to Fraser's skipping about history. Still, having already read "Flashman", "Royal Flash", and "Flashman's Lady", I saw a change in the "Mountain of Light": Flashy gets a little backbone.

The book itself focuses on a largely forgotten episode in British India, between the Afghan withdrawal in 1842 and the Great Mutiny in the 1850s. This time, Flashman is called into service just as the 80,000-strong Sikh army, the Khalsa, appears ready to sweep down on the English and drive them out once and for all. Flashman is drawn into behind-the-scenes subterfuge that take him from the Sikh royal court to the middle of bloody battlefields. To say much more would spoil the living history that Fraser's created.

However, I find it interesting to note a change in Flashman's character. The first novel, "Flashman", remains my favorite because the young character flees from every battle, and it is only through luck and chicanery that he rises to his fame. Never fear; Flashman still lies to save his hide and jumps on every woman he can get, but I finished "The Mountain of Light" feeling that Flashy had done a pretty good service--which he will tell you in the book. Maybe this is due to Fraser. While the book is the 4th chronologically, it's Fraser's 10th book about his alter ego. Having known the character for so long, maybe Flashman's done a little growing up.

Sadly, I don't know that much about the British Empire's interests in India, so the characters that paraded through this book I don't know anything about. But having read this, my introduction to the Flasman Papers, I'm sure as hell going to find out all I can about that period in colonial history. I devour history novels with as much voraciousness as Flasman devours female conquests and I'll certainly be reading the other installments in thsi magnificent series.

Ok - maybe you will not agree that "some-kinda-note-book" has 5 stars. But for me it does...this journal will always bring me back memories of my best friend.
Let's make this a "best-friend-journal". Buy it for the person, who you consider as your best friend!

P.S. Never forget to smile!

I own this journal and it became mine and my boyfriends journal where we write back and forth to eachother when his brother decided he didnt want it anymore. I wish it had lines but it works just as well, with the swirling little wand with the stars at the bottom. i really love this journal! Hedwig makes a good front cover.

I think all harry potter items can be enjoyed no matter what they are but only if you have read all of the harry potter books so that you understand all them. i would even enjoy harry potter tissues that is what i say and this journal is the perfect item to my collection!

-Hermione granger #1 Harry potter fan!

Absolutley a must read. Couldn't put the book down until finished. I would put this book, up near the top of WWII fiction stories.

Harry Homewood has written the best fiction I have ever read concerning WWII submarine warfare. I felt as if I was on the U.S.S. Mako with the rest of the crew experiencing the battles and everyday strife along with them.

When I visted the U.S.S. Bowfin museum and the submariner's memorial in Pearl Harbor, I immediately returned to this book and the others in the series in my mind. People tend to remember the sailors on the carriers and the battleships but forget the tense and dangerous work done beneath the ocean's surface.

From an old submarine driver,and ex"bubble-head", this book captures all the essense of the WW2 Fleet boats. We need mor like it an him. DEISEL BOATS FOREVER!!

After having attended Harry's classes and then rereading his book I keep finding more useful tips each time. I keep the book in my vehicle with pages marked for quick reference, expecially the formulae for tying leaders. It's an easy read yet full of useful information without a lot of fluff.

This book is an outstanding book on smallmouth bass fishing with a flyrod. The book has a wealth of information on equipment, smallmouth bass food and habitat, and techniques and baits for various stream and lake conditions. The recommendations and recipes for his flies are excellent. They really catch fish.

Having met and spoken with Mr. Murray on several occasions at his fly shop and at various seminars, I can almost hear his voice while reading the descriptions and examples in the book. He hides nothing.

I have owned the book for three or four years and review it regulary when preparing for a trip to the stream or when tying up some smallmouth flies. No smallmouth fishing library should be without it.

This is probably the most comprehensive discussion of smallmouth bass fishing on the fly. The techniques are very well described and easy to implement. The fly discussion is great, and is what is most often neglected in other books. Most other books seem to concentrate on top water poppers and crayfish imitations. In addition to these, there are other foods that the smallmouth eats and this book provides the flys to emulate them as well as how they should be fished. There are some 'top secret' flies in here that really work.

The book concentrates on stream fishing. I live on a large small mouth fishery - a northern river that is almost a lake. This sort of water was not treated completely and for that I would suggest looking for another book in addition to this one. However, this is the place to start.

This is an amazing book. I wasn't so much interested in the life of Harry Traver, but the legendary coasters he built. Too bad there aren't any of them around today. I have heard the stories of the great rides they were and my grandparents actually got to ride the legendary Crystal Beach Cyclone. A fabulous peek at the great coasters of days gone by.

The photos and history in this book go beyond any other book in my collection. I had to pay dearly to get this but it was worth it. For a coaster enthusiast who loves the design, construction, and riding of coasters, this book has it all.

Richard Munch has done a wonderful job writing this book about Harry Traver, a man most people have never heard of. However, true coaster/amusement park enthusiasts know how important his name is to the amusement park industry. The book contains a detailed personal and business history of Traver, with information gleaned from family and many other sources. It's hard to figure how the author did all of this, but the proof is within the covers of this outstanding book. Dozens of b/w photos of Traver's legendary coaster creations, complete with track layout plans and thorough descriptions, bring to life his contributions to the advancement of the wooden roller coaster. The book also contains photos of some of Traver's business papers and promotional materials. Munch also weaves into the text the relationship Traver had with the 1920's coaster team of Prior and Church, who are responsible for several historical coasters, including the still-operating San Diego "Giant Dipper". This book is like a trip through time. The only other book like it is Robert Cartmell's "The Incredible Scream Machine" which in itself is the most comprehensive book ever written on the subject of the history of roller coasters. If you're not too interested in coasters, then you'll find the book to be an interesting curiosity, but if you're an enthusiast, you'll love it. (Submitted January 23, 2002)

i had a class in college that used this book as a text book. ienjoyed it then, but it wasn't until later that i really had a chanceto sit down and enjoy it. information is good and the pictures are plentiful. this is a very nice book for anyone interested in african american art and culture. another book that i would like to recommend is called souls grown deep: african american vernacular art of the south, volume one. i bought it at an art fair in new york in late january. i'm not sure that it has been released nationally. i've contacted amazon in an attempt to get more info. i have it so i know it is out. this type of book (souls and the history...) are too few and far between.

This is quite simply one of the best books I've ever read. As an avid reader, I do not make that claim lightly. What makes this book so remarkable is how Bearden and Henderson both bring the artists to life and give you a deep appreciation for their work.

No other book I've read on the arts has left me similarly breathless. While many of them have been quite competent at explaining things like "Impressionism," "The Renaissance," or "The Harlem Renaissance," none have so beautifully balanced an explanation of the artist and of the artist's work. By bringing the people to life, Bearden and Henderson have brought the art to life. They have made a priceless contribution to our understanding of African-American artists, their work and the challenges they had to overcome to pursue their passion.

This book is a must-have. It will deepen your appreciation of art and of the contributions that African-Americans have made to it.

Katrina M. Walker

This book is a great resource for teachers of American art or culture. Each chapter provides an interesting biography of the artist along with descriptions of his or her work. Students respond to the art more fully by knowing something of the struggles and daily realities faced by each artist. A great resource for teachers or for the school library.

The haunting of the Borley Rectory is perhaps the most famous ghost story of all.This book is a wonderful book. But how much of what described here is actually true? Harry Price was an unpopular man-even his supporters disliked him.After his death there was a re-appraisal of this case and it was largely discredited. As Price himself notes in his book, much of the evidence provided by the Foysters was dicey-Ms. Foyster could have faked it. The actual rectory itself burned to the ground,an event often described as "possibly supernatural." In fact, it was deliberately set afire by the last owner for the insurance money (his own sons admit it.) Since no trace of the building has been left, "parapsychologists" have decided that the whole area is haunted now. They claim that the village church is haunted. I believe in "ghosts" and haunted houses,but there is a great deal of evidence against this specific case which is being ignored because the story is so compelling and well told.This story isn't as one sided as you would imagine from the reviews of this book.

Still..How much is really true!? First of all, this must be the absolute #1 Ghost/Paranormal Investigation of all time! Written in very "good spirits", humor, and British wry wit, it's the rare book that you'll without question read to the end!! Featuring a ghostly headless horseman,nun, carriages, unexplained flying household objects, eerie noises, wine turning into ink, locking of doors,mysterious written messages, etc. this must be the original "ghostbusters" story, and the author is surely one heck of a writer and paranormal investigator...Oddly, just about all the characters involved seem a bit unruffled by these bizarre unexplained activities, but that could be the famed stiff upper lip amusement of the Brits...Really a super impressive book, but not completely convincing, though I admit I'm a skeptic in any case. Possible "human" explanations could be dreams, wish fulfillment, human error, weather changes,wind (noises) faulty/shaky building construction, certain participants "playing games" on the others, an ill woman often unaccountable during these curious goings on, superstitions, faulty sensory perception (like seeing pictures in clouds), even the financial motivation to write a book, though Mr. Price is surely a terrific, thorough writer!..This book may give you the creeps,but my simple advice is to buy it here (used), and you will be amazed. Let you the reader decide...This book has even made me rethink a few things, though I remain essentially a skeptic...

Harry Price, a talented writer, discovered the haunting of Borley Rectory. As a journalist might, he collected all the available evidences in and around Borley Rectory: interviews, witnesses, statements, photographs, histories, poltergeist literature, experiment, and sceancing. The approach of his book, "The Most Haunted House in England" is systematic. It reads as a court case with testimony and vigour. He took care not to pronounce himself a Spiritualist, in the case that his credibility might be put in question. He tried to be as disinterested as possible, but the culmination of evidence convinced him through and through. His style of writing is wonderfully simple but strong.

In my view, the preternatual is an obvious reality, especially as the evidence is showing. I have read close to a dozen books on poltergeists, all which cement the grounds for belief in them. Thankfully my 'gut feeling' of them being real was a reliable one.

Skepticism of the paranormal tends to dogmatism, as with religion. You see, modern science has decided, already, that ghost and poltergeists cannot be. But an intelligent student can see that poltergeists are common and well documented. In parapsychology circles the Poltergeist is the most convincing phenomena, which the possible exception of telepathy. There are too many witnesses, from all social groups, and coming from every country and every age. It would take a real fool, like Frank Podmore or Bertrand Russell, to deny the Poltergeist.

I recommend this book among the classics in preternatural literature. It has more weight than the available crap of today.

Shef is now co-king of england, and has brought peace and prosperity to his land. He is summoned to go north, and to make a great journey around the northlands. The plot thickens in this book, and builds on the first. The charachters develop even more in this book, and continue to do so in the final book of the trilogy.

I love this trilogy, from the start of book one to the end of book three, the historical aspects are pointed out in a way that fits as part of the story and they don't overthrow the plot, lending the books a very authoritative tone. The Characters are great, (Brand is one of my favorites) and there's plenty of action. What I like best about these books is that Harrison really makes you feel inside the story, the way he handles the characters attitudes towards each other and their surroundings really makes you feel like you're right with them weather it's Anglo-Saxon England, Scandinavia, The Frankish Empire, Muslum Spain or what's left of Rome. As for character development, Harrison has a great way of using the third-person point of view in a way that can convey things unknown to the characters yet at the same time the tone of the narrative is flavored with the particular character's personality, culture and view of their surroundings, helping the reader understand more fully the motives and inhibitions of the people he describes. I read these back in high school and loved them then as much I still do now.

I am not usually interested in alternate-history stories, but this one intrigued me -- and paid off. This looks at the efforts of Shef, who has risen from slave-status to become one of the two most powerful kings in England (and an ally of the other). What does a driven man do when he reaches the top? Shef builds a mighty fleet and goes after his enemies abroad. Without intending to, he completes the legendary circuit of the Norse lands and establishes himself, after tremendous adventures and battles, as the King of the North. A new factor is introduced along the way, as the Holy Roman Church establishes an order of knights on a quest for the spear of Longinus that bears the Blood of Christ. Who has it? Shef, by accident of destiny. This makes him an enemy of the knights and their fearsome Germanic leader, Bruno.

The "alternate" factor thrown in to the mix is a new religion, called "The Way", which is a more civilized version of Norse mythology. As in standard Norse mythology, there is a set of gods, with each representing different aspects of life and with internal strife between the gods. What "The Way" adds is the idea that Man's role in life is to find his greatest talents and to dedicate himself to his patron god by mastering the talent that god represents, adding something to it, and teaching others. This new religion also does not see itself as being necessarily in conflict with any other religion, and follows a belief in freedom of choice. Shef follows a little-known god, who is the patron of knowledge and invention.

All of this might sound somewhat dry and esoteric to some. However, the religious factors is woven into a rousing, well-written adventure tale featuring lots of battles, alliances, treachery, a little romance, and very interesting settings. I have read this book several times, and expect to read it again.