In this story there are 3 girls and each has magic in her and has to us there magic to save a wild life preserve and help magical animals that live in the perverse too. This book was so good I cant wait to read the next one a read other peoples review and they like Adriane but I like Emily and Kara...

This book was awesome! Like some others, I thought Harry Potter was the best, untill I read this book. It is a wonderful story that shows friendship, adventure, suspense, and magic. Emily just moved to Stonehill and is shy and kind, but doesn't have any friends. Adrienne is the loner and independent one and travels a lot( Her parents are artists). Kara is the snobby, spoiled, and popular one. They have almost nothing in common, except magic.
The story's plot is when a monster from another world comes to earth and poisons all the magical animals who live there. Emily has healing powers and has to help them with the help of Phel, a wonderful and magical creature. Emily, Adrienne, and Kara have to put away their diferences and work together to fight the monster with some help from the magical animals and Ozzie, an adventerous elf who is stuck in a ferrets' body. A fantastic book for all ages.

many people r saying this book is better than harry potter well all i can say is ive never red anything like this b4, avalon is so good i can'r even discribe it. i luv harry but this is different, its so funny and has action and scarey and emotional parts that make me feel like i'm rite there. this book makes u feel a lot of things when u read it so i think its deeper than harry also i like the girls alot and they really come alive to me. i even like kara lol so both books are great but AvAlon makes me feel good when i read it

"The guy who wins is the guy who makes the fewer gross mistakes." -LT Jim "Huck" Harris, USN

If you are a serious flight simmer, this book is a must-read. In exceptional detail, it covers basic fighter maneuvers (BFM), 1v1 tactics (both similar and dissimilar), section and division tactics, and tactical intercepts just to name a few.

The tactics are relevant in all eras of flight combat simulation. Whether you're dogfighting in a Fokker Dr.1 during World War I or an F/A-18 Hornet in Southwest Asia, this book will enhance your ability to not only survive an engagement but will also give you the tools to dominate the virtual skys.

If you're a serious air combat simulation fan, buy this before you buy any other. YES, it's that good.

When I got the book I was already an able flyer in the online sim world. With help of the book I have become a good (but not the best ;-) ) virtual pilot.

I don't think it's strange that people are enthousiastic about this book. Although the reading itself is pretty dry, the message behind it is very exciting. The book starts with simple BFM (Basic Flight Maneuvers) that are the base of all maneuvering in combat. The writer then moves on to other topics like ACM (Air Combat Maneuvers), Energy management, use of missiles, use of guns, and various smaller topics.

All topics are clearly explained with schematics and descriptions of actual combats where specific tactics were used. As a World War 2 simulator fan I enjoyed the part on Gunning and energy management very much together with the ACM topic. For fans of modern warplanes the section about missiles is very interesting too.

In all topics multiple scenarios/tactics are described, with their respective answer to them. There is an answer to every tactic. This doesn't mean however that there is a step by step handbook on how to fight in the virtual (or real) sky. There is none, because all situations are different, and every pilot and plane hasd their own strong and weak points. The Writer of this book stresses this often, and makes you understand that Air Combat is truly an art which you can master with practice, dedication and help from this book...

I work in the aviation industry, and have a very large aviation-related book collection, including a complete set of Janes, but this is without any doubt the book that I cherish the most and find the most useful. Robert Shaw wrote this book because at the time, there was no definitive work available to train real pilots on real tactics and maneuvers used in life-or-death combat struggles. He went to great lengths to research his subject matter and present his material in a usable fashion because his friends' lives were at stake.

It covers a wide range of material including basic flight maneuvers, dogfighting maneuvers, weapons theory, and tactics for small engagements. There are not a lot of flashy pictures, and the reading can be a little bit tedious at times. Although this book was written by a pilot for pilots and is thus not a graduate-level physics textbook, a little bit of background in theory of flight, math, and physics is helpful (but not necessary).

I have met quite a few military aviators, and they all have a deep respect for both Shaw and his book. If you want to be a combat pilot, this is the one book you absolutely have to have. If you just want to pick up some gaming tips on how to outfly the enemy, you will find this book very helpful for that, also. It also has many, many quotes from real pilots which are related directly to the subject matter (for example, teaching the appllication of a high yo-yo combat maneuver and then a quote from a WWII P-47 pilot who used it to out-turn and shoot down a very surprised FW-190 pilot!). The author really does an excellent job of presenting the subject matter.

Vengeance in Death, there is a series of brutal murders involving torment and mutilation. Eve discovers that all the victims had assisted Roarke in his quest for vengeance for the murder of Somerset's daughter back in Ireland years ago.. Somerset, Roarke's butler has been jointly for many years coming to America together from Ireland. Roarke feels he partly responsible for the death of Somerset's daughter even though Somerset doesn't feel this way. The murderer sends Eve riddles before each murder. And she persecutes over each riddle believing that if she can solve the riddle in time she might prevent the murder from happening. Somerset's is really developed in this book as he is framed and made to look like the murderer. This was the best in this series yet. This series offers a perfect blend of suspense, romance. It is fast paced and full of action. I recommend this series to everybody. You won't be disappointed but start with the first book!

Homicide detective Eve Dallas knew when she married her powerful billionaire husband Roarke, that there were events in his past she would rather not know about, especially his criminal activities. These acts conflict with Eve's code of ethics as an honest homicide detective. When a series of vicious murders involving torture and mutilation, occur, Eve realizes that all the victims assisted Roarke on his personal quest for vengeance. Eve faces the biggest crisis of her career and her marriage as she is confronted with choosing between love or honor.

VENGEANCE IN DEATH is the kind of novel that readers expect from the very talented J.D. Robb. The pace is fast, the action is explosive, and the relationship between the hero and heroine fresh, red hot, and poignant. This book is a keeper to treasure during times of stress.

Harriet Klausner

Vengeance in Death as well as the rest as the "Death" series is rated the highest with me because the author takes you into the lives and emotions of the main two characters of Eve and Roarke. Also, the characters of the fellow cast is slowly evoving with each new book. I had a friend read my copy who could not get past the use of futuristic language/tech terms. I didn't see the problem with the idea of licensed companions, etc. The book is not about the future itself, but the lives of those living in it. If you're looking for a good, suspenceful book that keeps you guessing as to the bad guy with the addition of an evolving love story, then this book is for you!

Fleming seemed to have used his first four novels (Casino Royale, Live and Let Die, Moonraker, and Diamonds are Forever) to warm us up to the Bond character and used the same plot style for the first four novels. In From Russia, With Love, Fleming takes Bond and his writing style to a higher, more intellectual level. Fleming is masterful in setting the scenes without being too boring. Bond doesn't appear until the second part of the book (Part II-The Plan) and you hardly even notice. Another interesting note is that of the James Bond movies, From Russia, With Love the movie follows the novel pretty well, even in lesser scenes such as the gypsy fight. This, perhaps, is due to the fact that Fleming was alive only for the filming and release of Dr. No and From Russia, With Love. This book is clearly Fleming at the top of his game and an outstanding entry to the series.

By far the most realistic of the Bond books. Fleming's description of the MGB (later KGB) headquarters in Moscow's Dzherzinsky Square, where the plot to lure British agent James Bond to his death is first revealed, is reputedly based on information to which he was privy in his capacity as a WWII officer in British Naval Intelligence -- likewise the recruitment and training of the psychopathic killer Red Grant, one of the most formidable of Bond's enemies (and the only one in the films who looked for a while about to kill Bond for sure! 007 meets his match in Grant!) This is the book behind what in my opinion is the best of the Bond movies, steeped in the atmosphere of the Cold War into which the Bond series was born. 007 travels to Istanbul in pursuit of the bait, a Lektor decoder which can read top secret Soviet military and intelligence signal traffic. Another form of bait is the beautiful Tatiana Romanova, an MGB cipher clerk allegedly in love with Bond, willing to defect with the Lektor if only 007 will come and fetch her. (Fleming takes yet another jab at the Reds by choosing this name for Bond's love interest -- Romanov was the family name of the last Czar of old imperial Russia, the family doomed to extinction by the Russian revolution.) Kerim Bey adds a bit of panache, mischief and mystery as "Our man in Istanbul," Head of Station T (for Turkey). A truly great and suspenseful plot!

Considered by many to the be the best James Bond 007 book of all time, From Russia With Love delivers the perfect formula for a James Bond novel. Originally, Ian Fleming's tales of 007 were not going so good, so he intended with this book to kill off James Bond once and for all. The end of this novel is quite a surprise to a first time reader.

The book begins by telling of the commanding rule of SMERSH. The leader of this organization is General Grubozaboyschikov. Also working is Colonel Rosa Klebb and director of planning Kronsteen, who treats real people as if they were chess pieces. The muscle of the group is a homicidal madman, who follows orders, and is in practically perfect physical shape, Donovan "Red" Grant. These evil minds have planned the perfect way to destroy the life and reputation of James Bond. Their plan is to lure 007 with the beatiful Tatiana Romanova and a Spektor cipher decoding machine as bait. Then Grant will meet up with them eventually and kill them both. However, SMERSH will take it a step further to lie to the public that Bond and Tatiana were in an affair, and that Bond commits suicide. It's a perfect plan.
Bond indeed does travel to Istanbul, believing that this girl wants to defect, and will give him the Spektor machine only if he personally helps her. 007 meets Darko Kerim, and a wonderful gypsy fight adds to the fun of the story. Bond and Tatiana travel on a train back to Europe, where he meets Red Grant and is told of the plan to kill him. An extremely bvrutal gun and fist fight breakes out between the men with 007 shooting Grant. 007 goes to Paris with Tatiana to catch Rosa Klebb in a meeting. However, Klebb releases a poison knife from her shoe and kicks 007 in the leg, before being taken away by the police. The story ends with 007 lying on the floor of the hotel room...

Perhaps the finest story of Ian Fleming, filled with the excitement and adventure to give this book it's reputation as on of the best 007 novels ever!

Robert B. Strassler's edition of the famous Richard Crawley translation of Thucydides is a remarkable work, not only because of its intrinsic merit but also because it is quite simply unique. Mr. Strassler has provided the ultimate in critical apparatus, an exhaustive series of tools with which to understand and appreciate one of the great books of world civilisation. I have never seen anything like it. First of all, there is the index; if an index can be said to be a work of art, the Strassler index is a work of art in the way it organises and informs the text. Next there are the maps - dozens of them - not clumped together in the middle of the book or hidden away at the end, but strategically placed throughout the appropriate points in the text, right at the reader's fingertips when he or she needs them. The footnotes (yes footnotes, not those pesky and inconvenient endnotes!) would fill a small volume of their own and add immeasurably to one's understanding. And as if this were not enough, there are 11 appendices - short essays by prominent classical scholars on different aspects of the Greek world in the time of Thucydides, from "Athenian Government" and "Trireme Warfare" to "Religious Festivals" and "Classical Greek Currency." As far as I am concerned, the only problem with Mr. Strassler's edition is that is has made me greedy for more of the same - a similar edition of the Mahabharata, say, or Gibbon! Any takers?

Robert Strassler has done a remarkable editing job with Thucydides' Peloponnesian War. He has included three key features which provide the reader much luxury:

One, he has provided maps throughout the text, to the extent of repetition, to ensure that textual geographic references are always accompanied, in close proximity, cartographically.

Two, he has provided paragraph summaries on the margin throughout the work so that a reader, who has put the edition down for any length of time, may refresh their memories quickly by reading as many of these one to two sentence summaries as necessary.

Three, as Thucydides provides his narrative in chronological order, he must often leave one narrative to begin another. Strassler has provided a thread to follow each narrative through to its' end by way of footnotes.

These editorial enhancements greatly enrich the reading experience and would be a welcome addition to any historical text.

Thucydides, himself, presents the reader with a narrative unromanticized, strictly adhering to the events of the Peloponnesian War. His work possesses many passages that rivet the reader, but also contains areas where the sheer and voluminous recitation of fact can render one foggy. This is not a book for the light-hearted, though Strassler's editorial enhancements make for a pleasurable experience. It is, in short, a classic which has been classically edited.

This book presents a wonderful way to read Thucydides. While the introduction and appendices can be quite helpful to the non-specialist, the edition's greatest strengths are its translation and its maps. Crawley's is truly the definitive English translation, doing justice to Thucydides' majestic, albeit sometimes dense, prose. At the same time the maps make reading it a real pleasure. The Peloponnesian War ranged all across the Greek world, and most editions force you to constantly flip back to a few small and confusing maps in a feeble attempt to follow it. This volume entirely relieves you of that burden, removing all obstacles to the enjoyment and appreciation of this classic.

For those further interested in Thucydides and the war he recounts, I highly recommend Donald Kagan's four-volume analysis of the Peloponnesian War. An up-to-date, thoroughly scholarly work, it is also very accessible to the non-expert and well-written to boot. For expanded views and interpretations of the war, as well as an evaluation of Thucydides himself, pick up any one of his volumes.

Robert McCloskey's classic children's book, Make Way for Ducklings is just as delightful in the year 2002 as it was back when it was first published in 1941. The timeless story of Mr. and Mrs. Mallard and their eight adorable ducklings is still a fun read for children and parents alike. The story begins as the prospective parents search for a new home suitable for raising their young ones. Mrs. Mallard is clearly the expert in this endeavor and Mr. Mallard is quite relieved when she finally settles on a spot that is not too dangerous or noisy for their young family. The couple make themselves quite at home on a little island in the Charles River of Boston, a quiet oasis within the busy city. Soon the ducklings hatch and Mrs. Mallard sets about teaching them all they need to know in order to live in the city. By now they have made good friends with some of their human neighbors, especially Michael, the policeman. When the family makes its first trip into the city, Michael calls for backup and literally stops traffic all along their path. The people the Mallards encounter are just as pleased to see the ducks as the Mallards are to be there. The reader leaves the family settling comfortably for the night after a day of happily following the Swan boats in the park and eating the peanunts tossed their way. The charm of this book lies in both the heartwarming story and th realistic but idyllic illustrations. McCloskey is quite gifted at portraying the natural world to children in a way that is authentic and familiar. Most children have seen duck families in a nearby pond and witnessed the way the ducklings learn about the world by waddling along after their parents. The sketched illustrations add to the natural feeling of the book. The depiction of the ducks is terrific because they are visually expressive but still look like ducks. Another engaging facet of the story is the positive interaction between animals and humans. The Mallards find a way to live comfortably within a city full of people and their human neighbors are welcoming and accommodating. Overall, this a warm and timeless book. It is just perfect for a parent and child to read together or for a teacher to read to a classroom of younger kids. This is a good selection for children aged 3 to 7.

Children naturally are interested in understanding a parent's perspective on the family. Mr. and Mrs. Mallard's search for a safe home for their future family makes a wonderful story for children and parents to explore and understand more about parental love. Although the book has a 4-8 age reading level, younger children enjoy having it read to them (based on the experiences of my four children). The illustrations are terrific and draw the child's interest very easily. Older children like to reread the story because of its comfortable connection to their more youthful years and reinforcement of their sense of being wanted, loved, and belonging.

To me, the best part of the book is that the locations are actually easy to find in Boston. So if you live in the Boston area or ever come here, you can also take your children to experience the story. I know my younger daughter thought that her first Swan boat ride in the Public Garden was the ultimate moment in her life (up to that point). She kept wanting to know which duck was Mrs. Mallard, and which one was Mr. Mallard. Then she wanted to spot Jack, Kack, Lack, Mack, Nack, Ouack (my favorite name in the book), Pack, and Quack. I had a ball! There are also statues of Mrs. Mallard and her 8 offspring that the children can touch. There's also an annual parade that you can participate in.

If you don't know the story, here's a summary: Mr. and Mrs. Mallard were looking for a place to live where they could raise a family safely. Whenever Mr. Mallard found someplace he liked, Mrs. Mallard worried about foxes and turtles. Finally they got to the pond in the Public Garden in Boston, and were too tired to go on. So they spent the night on the little island there. The next morning they could not find much food, until the people on the Swan boats began to throw them peanuts. But the Mallards were almost run over by a bicycle, so they felt they needed a safer place. They tried several, but each had a drawback. Finally, they found an island in the Charles River not far from the Public Garden that met all their requirements. Michael, the policeman, fed them peanuts. Soon, Mrs. Mallard laid 8 eggs, and stayed to hatch them. After the ducklings were born, they learned to swim and walk single file behind their Mother. One day, she walked them towards the Public Garden. But they could not get across the highway. Michael spotted them and stopped the traffic so they could cross. He called Clancy at the station and told him to send a car to help Mrs. Mallard and the ducklings cross at the Public Garden. When in the pond there, they met Mr. Mallard on the little island. They decided to live there, and followed the Swan boats for peanuts after that.

I have enjoyed reading this story and reading it to children for almost 30 years. I look forward to reading it to my grandchildren when the time comes. It has also been my favorite book to give as a gift to new parents.

Enjoy the wonderful gift of warm family feeling in this book, and leave your stalled thinking about your cares and worries behind. It will remind you what is really important in your life!

I am a student at West Virginia State College and taking a Childrens lit. class. Make way for ducklings is a delightful book and i strongly reccommend it to children of all ages. It's nice to read a book like this that is simple and sweet that all children can enjoy.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading "Low Level Hell" by Hugh L. Mills. From July, 1968 to July, 1969 I was with the Big Red One assigned to Alpha Company, 2nd Bn., 16th Infantry. Mills book brought back many memories - both good and bad. It was particularly meaningful for me since A-2/16 worked all over the Division's TAOR and the names of the villages and towns Mills wrote about were familiar to me. I have often remarked that the BRO's air support was exceptional and reading "Low Level Hell" reminded me of that once again. It also gave me a better understanding and appreciation of the role of the hunter / killer teams and how they were a major factor in minimizing casualties. To quote from the book "First Infantry Division in Vietnam" at page 126: "As the year 1968 was about to pass into history, the 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry reviewed the year with a profound sense of pride. Much was accomplished but they were not content to rest upon past laurels. The year 1969 was met with the same loyalty, skill and determination which made the 1st Squadron, 4th United States Cavalry the most respected and feared unit of the 1st Infantry Division." - I know from reading "Low Level Hell" that Hugh Mills and the rest of Troop D (air) significantly contributed to the loyalty, skill and determination that earned the reputation that has become legendary.

I think "Low Level Hell" would make an excellent movie. There's lots of action sequences: The chemistry between Hugh Mills and Rod Willis would play well not to mention the camaraderie among Troop D (air) at Phu Loi. I hope it will be playing some day soon at a theatre near me - And, I will keep my eye out for another Mills book chronicling his and Willis' second tour with "Darkhorse" and, if we're lucky, a third one all about his days as a Cobra pilot with the 101st.

Excellent book about some of the dedicated aviators that supported us infantrymen in the Big Red One in Vietnam. As a LRRP in Co.F/52nd Inf. (LRP), 1st Inf. Division in 1968, I always felt that we had tremendous helicopter support. Our LRP company originated as a part of 1st Sq./4th Cavalry, and they regarded us and watched over us from above like brothers. We often called upon the Cobra gunships of D Troop (Air), 1st Sq./4th Cav, call sign: Darkhorse, and they never let us down. Mills book provides us with a cockpit view of their hunter-killer team missions, as opposed to the direct gun-ship support role in which we generally saw Darkhorse. But the 'guns blazing' tactics were obviously the same for the scout ship pilots as they always were for the gunship pilots/co-pilots. Very interesting reading, and the place names brought back many exciting memories of those days over 30 years ago, when we ourselves operated around Phu Loi, Lai Khe , An Loc, the Iron Triangle, Catchers Mitt, and other locations he mentions. Knowing that Darkhorse pilots like Mills always 'had our back', was a reassuring feeling. Could not possibly express enough gratitude to such pilots and crews for the way they supported us. An excellent addition to any Vietnam library.

I just finished reading Hugh L. Mills "Low Level Hell": I thoroughly enjoyed it. From July, 1968 to July 1969 I was in the Big Red One assigned to Alpha Company, 2nd Bn., 16th Infantry. Mills book brought back many memories; both good and bad. It was particularly meaningful to me since A-2/16 worked all over the Division's TAOR and the names of the villages and towns Mills wrote about were familar to me. I have often remarked that the BRO's air support was exceptional and reading "Low Level Hell" reminded me of that once again. It also gave me a better understanding and appreciation of the role of the hunter killer teams and how they were a major factor in minimizing casualties. To quote from the book "First Infantry Division in Vietnam" at page 126: "As the year 1968 was about to pass into history, the 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalary reviewed the year with a profound sense of pride. Much was accomplished, but they were not content to rest upon past laurels. The year 1969 was met with the same loyalty, skill and determination which has made the 1st Squadron, 4th United States Cavalry the most respected and feared unit of the 1st Infantry Division." - I know from reading "Low Level Hell" that Hugh Mills and the rest of Troop D (air) significantly contributed to the loyalty, skill and determination that earned the reputation that has become legendary.

I think "Low Level Hell" would make an excellent movie. There's lots of action sequences: The chemistry between Hugh Mills and Rod Willis would play well not to mention the comraderie among Troop D (air) at Phu Loi. I hope it will be playing some day soon at a theatre near me - And, I will keep my eye out for another Mills book chronicling his and Willis' second tour with "Darkhorse" and, if we're lucky, a third one all about his days as a Cobra pilot with the 101st.

McCloskey wrote this about his wife Margaret (daughter of author Ruth Sawyer Durnad) and daughter Sally encountering a mother bear and cub while picking blueberries on Deer Isle. The story has some funny turns when both mother and child get separated and wind up finding the wrong family member. Imagine that! Well, all's well that ends well. And, guess you wondered what happened in the end don't you? You'll have to see for yourself. McCloskey sadly passed away on June 30, 2003 most of his life he illustrated and wrote children's books. He wrote eight books during his life. All the book reflect on family experiences, small-town life, and life in Boston. His story, 'Make Way for Ducklings' is set in Boston. McCloskey is one of the few authors that depicted Americana in a light-hearted vision through his illustration. He will be sadly missed. 'Blueberries for Sal' won the Caldecott award for children's book illustration. It's a darn good story to boot, too!

Sal is every little kid eating all the blueberries in her pail and then reaching into mom's pail to get some more. It is a cute story of mother and and child that all parents and their children will relate to. It is one "children's book" that appeals to all ages. There is adventure and surprise all mixed with humor but I'll let you read about that.

This is a story of a young girl picking blueberries with her mother and a young bear picking blueberries with its mother. As they amble along picking berries and eating them, the bear gets seperated from its mother as does Sal get seperated from her mother. The story is gentle from beginning to end. It brings back many memories of picking blueberries and eating them faster than you can pick them. This is a classic that I grew up with and my children are growing up with now. The pictures only enhance the text and are very gentle and sweet. The theme of the story is very nice and reassuring to young children. Well worth the time and money to buy this book.

Enjoy.

When it was first published in 1955 "Something of Value" was a novel right out of the headlines, set in contemporary Kenya during the time of the Mau Mau rebellion which were the last years of British colonial rule. Now it has aged into an historical novel. The largest part of the novel concerns two men, once childhood friends: Kimani, a Kikuyu and Peter, a British settler. They grow up together on a farm in the "white highlands", Kimani is the son of a farmhand, Peter the son of the owner. They imagine themselves working together as adults, as gunbearer and white hunter, guiding tourists on hunting safaris. Instead they become adversaries during the Mau Mau. Ruark tells a good story though the book is a bit long in places. Throughout the novel, the depictions of both African and British characters is remarkably balanced and fair. Ruark is one of the few white writers of the 1950s to provide a sympathetic and (apparently) informed view of African (particularly Kikuyu) culture. It is the clash of Kikuyu and British cultures, as British law is applied to traditional Kikuyu custom that is the impetus for Kimani to join the rebellion. It would be interesting to know if all of the novel's details of the Mau Mau oaths are accurate. The female characters are a bit one dimensional; this is a book about hunting, warfare, and the world as seen by men. Overall, a very good book, especially for anyone interested in Kenya and the end of colonialism. ("Something of Value" was made into a movie starring Rock Hudson and Sidney Poitier.)

I spent three of the most impressionable years of my live in Kenya in the early '70's as a State Department dependant. Even then, the Mau Mau uprising had a strong influence on day to day life in Kenya. Gun control laws were among the most strict in the world and for good reason. During my three years in Kenya I heard many stories from people who lived through the emergency. Most of these stories made Stephen King novels sound like childrens' tales. I could not count the times I've read both Uhuru and Something Of Value and each time they have taken me back in time to the Norfolk or New Stanley hotel. Everything about the book, from the safaris, to the uprising, are totally authentic. While this is not a "feel good" book, anyone who has a interest in East African history, or just wants to read on of the great books of this century MUST read this book. Even though this is a book of fiction, it should be required reading for anyone studying the history of Kenya. Make no mistake, most of the things written about in this book, no matter how disturbing, actually happened.

I just read Barbara Kingsolver's new novel, The Poisonwood Bible, and was prompted to re-read Something of Value which I 1st read in the early 70s. I still find it (SV) a well-told, powerful story. The theme of both books is pretty well summed up in their titles: the tragic consequences that develop when peoples from western culture take over a native one. Kingsolver, the real life daughter of medical missionaries in the Congo/Zaire, has written this fictional account of a religious missionary family who goes to a Congolese village in the late 50s and 60s. It's told from a decidedly female point-of-view, in turn by each of the 4 daughters and periodically by the mother. The father is a Baptist minister from Georgia, whose autocratic, insensitive approach impacts both his family and the villagers. This book may be too "p.c." for you manly safari types, especially the 2nd half where the daughters are grown and the background politics of Patrice Lumumba becomes more apparent. But, I found value and reading pleasure in both books and have gained an inkling into the complex problems of today's Africa

I would recommend this book to everyone. It is easy to read, in fact, one cannot put it down. It iseasy to recognize ourselves in the description of the knight.

Every man in my practice is given this book to read and by their report have gained a lot. I am a marriage family therapist. O.K., ask their wives or significant others and they agree. Men don't read as much as women. It is a short book. It is an allegory so ego gets protected while teaching an important lesson about openness, vulnerability and how it rewards. Other book men gain from are Emotional Intelligence, Road Less Traveled, Different Drum, Raising Modernday Knights,

My daughter first sent this book to me about 7 years ago. I read it almost without putting it down. I have since purchased more than a dozen of these for gifts. From junior high age and older, this is a simply written book about life. If I had the power, I would put Knight in Rusty Armor in every home in the world.