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List price: $16.00 (that's 30% off!)
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Still, Philbrick finds time to take the occasional interesting detour: for example, discussing other instances of cannibalism, or the harvesting of Galapagos tortoises, or the mariner's custom of "casting lots" to determine who will survive. These sidelights further illuminate, rather than detract from, an already compelling story. The book also contains helpful maps, diagrams of the Essex, and just enough photographs to flavor the story. History readers should put this book at the top of their list.
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in 2000 to critical acclaim, this true story was written by Nathaniel
Philbrick, a leading authority on the history of Nantucket. Carefully
researched, and extremely well written, this early 19th century
incident has been brought to life with exquisite descriptions. Not
only does Philbrick tell the long sad tale of the Essex's tragic
sinking in 1820 and the sufferings of the few survivors who were
forced to resort to cannibalism in order to stay alive, it is also
the story of the whaling industry, the social and religious community
of Nantucket, and the influence this incident had on Herman Melville
in the writing of Moby Dick some 20 years after the
event.
Originally, it was thought that the diary of the first mate,
Owen Chase, told the whole story. But in the 1980s, another document
was found which was written by the cabin boy many years later and shed
even more light on what actually transpired. Interwoven in this story
are the details which make this book come alive.
With the eye of a
novelist, the reader is brought to the town of Nantucket, watching the
ship make ready for its voyage, and making comments about the green
crew as they struggle to make a good impression as they raise their
sails. We meet the young boys as well as the seasoned crewmen and
feel their seasickness as the captain orders them to climb the masts.
We feel the conflict in authority between the captain and the first
mate. We see the racial and religious hierarchy and the role of the
African American crewmen. Our muscles twitch as we read about the
hard work on ship; our hearts race with a sense of adventure at the
hunting and harpooning the whale; our nostrils crinkle as we read
about the process of killing, dismembering and extracting the valuable
oil.
And then we are thrown into tragedy when a whale attacks the
ship and the twenty men are set adrift in small boats with few
provisions. We cringe as we learn all the details about the
biological effects that depravation from food and water have on a
human body. We get to know the crew as individuals and understand the
hard choices they had to make. And then we see the rescue and we
follow the few survivors for the rest of their lives.
We also follow
the voyage on the well drawn maps and scrutinize the photographs of
some of the men, ships and woodcuts depicting the event. Then we read
about what happens when a whale dies on a Nantucket beach in 1994 and
find out how difficult it was to dispose of its remains.
After all
of this, we are forever changed. We have a greater appreciation for
this small bit of American history and we are even more thankful for
the ease in which food is available to us.
Just as "Moby
Dick" has stood the test of time as a picture of the whaling
industry as well as a literary gem, "In the Heart of the
Sea" is destined to become THE authoritative book on the subject.
Mr. Philbrick has done the world a favor by bringing this fascinating
subject to light. I applaud his work and thank him for it. Highly
recommended.
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I definitely recommend this book for one of those cold rainy weekends curled up on the couch.
I am looking forward to diving into my next Thomas Hardy novel, Jude the Obscure.
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Far From the Madding Crowd is a pretty simple love story driven by the characters. First, there is Bathsheba Everdeen. She's vain, naive, and she makes the stupidest decisions possible. Yet, you still like her. Then there are the three guys who all want her: Troy who's like the bad guy straight out of a Raphael Sabatini novel, Boldwood who's an old lunatic farmer, and Gabriel Oak who is a simple farmer and is basically perfect. The reader sees what should happen in the first chapter, and it takes Bathsheeba the whole book to see it. The characters really make the book. The reader really has strong feelings about them, and Hardy puts them in situations where you just don't know what they're going to do. The atmosphere that Hardy creates is (as is in all of Hardy's novel) amazing and totally original. I don't think any other author (except Wallace Stegner in America) has ever evoked a sense of place as well as Hardy does. Overall, Far from the Madding Crowd is a great novel. I probably don't like it quite as well as some of his others, but I still do think it deserved five stars.
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List price: $15.95 (that's 30% off!)
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This is a book that can be read rapidly for those with some experience in Objectivism or psychology. Readers new to personal psychology can take the book step by step, mastering one pillar of self esteem at a time. I have heard that many people find the sentence completion exercises he provides to be valuable, although I have never felt the need for them.
Overall, The Six Pillars has a lot to offer everyone whether they are seeking answers for problems in their life or looking to learn more about psychology.
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I posted an earlier review of the book, so I won't go into how special a thinker and writer I think Branden is. Or how carefully argued the Six Pillars is. I just wanted to point out that to Branden, logic and reason are sacred things, and to discredit him without using logic or reason is a bit of an insult to his work.
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I am someone who only recently realized how low my self-esteem had been throughout life. I had undergone some brief non-medicated therapy that helped, but the real progress I've made and continue to make comes from reading books like this one. I was concerned that in order for this book to "work," I'd have to acquiesce into the author's way of thinking, but my concurrence has been natural throughout. With every recommendation Branden suggests, I ask myself if it would be better to accept this suggestion than not to, and I have yet to reject Dr. Branden's advice.
If you're looking for happiness, more self-esteem, and/or a solid philosophy on how to live your life, this book is it.
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Artemis Fowl is a highly unusual boy. At 13, he is a genius, proving to be a problem for both his parents and his school's rapidly retiring counselors. In the previous novel, Artemis also provided a lot of trouble for the underground, magical world of fairies, centaurs, and many other mythical creatures. So naturally, when goblins begin to revolt against the fairy police (the LEPrecon) using human technology, fairy Captain Holly Short decides to check in with Artemis and his sidekick and bodyguard, Butler. Artemis is not responsible for the chaos in the magical world, but he strikes a deal with Holly - he'll help the fairies if they help his get back his kidnapped father from the Russian Mafiya. Holly, Artemis, Butler, and Fairy Commander Julius Root are swept into the adventure of their lifetime, filled with danger, excitement, and (as they soon learn) most importantly, teamwork.
So what's left to say? I was happily surprised by this outstanding novel, and I'm sure that you be will too. Most likely, I'll be reading this book a few more times before the next Artemis adventure arrives in bookstores!
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Artemis and Butler, as well as Capt. Short and Commdr Root, all showcase a wide range of interactions, feelings, thoughts, plans... they make a fantastic team and work so well together! This doesn't mean that everything comes easily to them or that one of them doesn't get smacked at some point in the game or that they all sidestep danger without losing a step... oh no, I bet you'll be sitting on the edge of your chair (or couch) and wondering how the team will make it through the next disaster...
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The book has all the old characters along with some new characters.
Artemis has grown up a bit since the past year. He shows his rare emotional side, but he is still the same child prodigy that he was previously.
The book is on-the-edge-of-your-seat stuff, along with some hilarious moments (Artemis getting shoved into a snowdrift by Butler). It is filled with action, adventure, hilarity, mystery and magic, but with a modern twist to it.
If you haven't read the previous Artemis Fowl book, then what are you waiting for?! Buy it!...
The top 5 books are:
5. Harry Potter & The Chamber of Secrets
4. Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire
3. Artemis Fowl
2. Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident
1. Harry Potter & The Prisoner of Azkaban
Eoin Colfer's work is too good for words. I would give it infinity stars if I could. If you want to find out more about it, buy it!
If not, you're missing out on something AMAZINGLY BIG!
...
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Set in post-war England, an Inspector haunted by his experience in the trenches and helped by a sucession of village bobbies uses forensics and psychological profileing to track a serial killer - decades before any of these terms are even invented.
The suspense builds as the author shows us the thoughts and doings of the victims, police, and killer, in the lead up to each of his awful and inevitable bursts of random and targeted violence.
The victim's wounds point to a highly specialised military background; physical evidence indicates that the murderer watches his carefully-chosed victims for weeks; psychological opinion has it that his sexual release come only from killing. This killer is far scarier than any modern big-city stalker/slasher - not since Red Dragon have I read of such a truly frightening character. This is an excellent and original book - I totally recommend it.
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Airth does a first rate job of portraying investigative work in the first part of the 20th century, the beginnings of psychological profiling, and the Scotland Yarn bureaucracy. The novel portrays several officers (city/rural) and inspectors and most get along well with each other. The police procedural featuring the "lone gunman" alienated from his peers is a little tiresome and Airth avoids this tack.
About half-way through the novel the killer is introduced, and the psychological juxtaposition between him, his victims, and particularly Madden makes for a gripping page-turner. Early psychiatric (Freudian) analysis of serial killers and the Yard's distain for what they consider frivolous and unnecessary input is entertaining.
The romantic love-heals-all wounds relationship between Madden and a rural doctor was a reason I gave this novel only 4 stars. Given Maddens prior marriage and his battlefield experiences it didn't ring quite true, but then perhaps Madden is a more resilient type. In any event this is a novel well worth buying and reading. Airth's powers of description are excellent and he tells a great tale.
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List price: $13.95 (that's 20% off!)
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However, the accounts of the central expeditions and the conflict over the island of Run, rely almost exclusively on British journals and diaries of the time. Thus the book reflects more the English reactions and prejudices of the time rather than giving an objective historical account. The natures of the two East India companies, the peoples of the Moluccas or the Dutch process of colonisation are sketched only very briefly. Instead life on board ship, the methods of Dutch torture and the banality of the factor's lives are given extensive treatment. While these are interesting, they do not particularly help explain the machinations which led to the Dutch control over the East Indies or the British revenge in taking Manhattan. The book's one-sided use of sources begins to get irritating by the end.
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Milton's theory in the book in very interesting too, which is that the Dutch eventually traded New Amsterdam to the British for a small spice-loaded island in the Pacific. Whether he's right or not (his theory is clearly well researched) is not critical because Milton is just a terrific writer and you enjoy every page of this historical page-turner. I'll be reading his other books very soon.