"How can you print a piece of your own soul," Dickinson, p. 51

This is the 2nd in the Krull and Hewitt's "Lives of ..." series. The book contains 19 chapters on 20 writers in birth order: Murasaki Shikibu (973?-1025?), Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616), William Shakespeare (1564-1616), Jane Austen (1775-1817), Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875), Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849), Charles Dickens (1812-1870), Charlotte & Emily Bronte (1816-1855 & 1818-1848), Emily Dickinson (1830-1886), Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888), Mark Twain (1835-1910), Frances Hodgson Burnett (1849-1924), Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894), Jack London (1876-1916), Carl Sandburg (1878-1967), E. B. White (1899-1985), Zora Neale Hurston (1901?-1960), Langston Hughes (1902-1967), Isaac Bashevis Singer (1904-1991)

This is a perfect book for young adolescents and pre-teens who as they grow and mature frequently feel awkward. Krull introduces us to the idiosyncrasies of the literary. Some of the authors were loners, eccentric, a wee bit peculiar. Michael Jackson's behaviors might seem normal when held in comparison. Some retreated into themselves. Some sought out adventures. Some as adults were unsuccessful at the ordinary.

Some worked at a young age to support the family. Some took daily walks, very long daily walks. Some were not healthy and therefore wrote in bed. There were some similarities and some differences, but they all shared a singular conviction to write and write they each did well.

Hewitt's delightful portraits of the writers are precious. My favorite portrait is of Frances Hodgson Burnett of "The Secret Garden" fame. Her hat is the secret garden.

Given the high price of the book, I was surprised that Krull did not include a list of the authors' books and/or poems and the publication years. END

This book is a fun and informative book. The pictures are filled with humorous meanings and hidden information. The book keeps the reader's attention by keeping the included information short and simple, but also makes sure that the reader gets as much possible about the author. This book is great for kids and students to use as a report source as it is filled with great information. Kids would rather use this book as an information source rather than an encylopedia since the information is easy to understand. Authors in there are some you may not know, ( Murasaki Shikibu) and some well know ones ( Charles Dickens). I am glad I purchsed this book. I really liked the pictures which are so vibrant with color. This would make a great buy.

This book is very informative. It helped me gain a better understanding of all the problems racism can cause.

This is Film Studies of the first order. Williams takes the idea of melodrama as a mode and intersects it with issues of race and its representation. According to her, in conjuction with the popularity or in the legitimization of a particular medium in American society, the representations of the black male and female bodies take on center stage and gain new significations. The book starts out with Stowe's "Uncle Tom's Cabin" and shows how it stays and strays away from the conventions of the Victorian novel. It then focuses on the Stowe's characterization of the black bodies and how they elicited the sympathy of the readers. Next, it shows how Dixon, with his novel "The Clansmen,' either changes or reverses Stowe's characterizations and themes to elicit another kind of response. However, it is D.W. Griffith's adaptation of the novel, "Birth of the Nation" that had a powerful influence in the society's imagination. Not only did the film legitimize the medium as an art form, it also gave the public a new way of understanding race relations in America. The book covers both the novel and the movie adaptation of "Gone With the Wind" and other cultural texts and ends with the televised trial of O.J. Simpson while keeping on the other eye issues of representation. Linda Williams' project is both multi-disciplinary and multi-media and she weaves them together in a rich study of melodrama as a cultural mode and the ever evolving nature of race relations and representations in our society. She wittily uses Henry James' imagery of the 'leaping fish' to show how melodrama dynamically moves from one medium to the next. Each time it makes an appearance in a big way, it also entails a recasting of black and white or racial representations. Williams achievement lies in her ability to pull together a variety of texts and approaches to engage upon the central issue of race. And she does this in clear, well-written prose. Although this is more like a work of cultural criticism, the book also opens up the possibilities of film studies as a powerful lens or a way of approaching cinema-related queries and dealing with socio-historical matters.

I just got back from an unbelievable trip to Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. My flight from the USA to Singapore was only $400 round trip. The airlines were charging between $800 and $2000. I stayed in Southeast Asia for an extra month on the money I saved.

I recommend this book for people who want to travel more, but need a good deal in order to do it.

This very useful and tightly written guide explores every aspect of cheap travel, including flight consolidators, couriers, and charters. It's the first book I've ever seen that explains the complex business of airline ticket pricing and arms you with knowledge that lets you beat the airlines at their own game. If you're adventurous and super thrifty, you can even learn how to fly for free!

There's a huge listing of airfare discounters and other dirt-cheap travel resources, arranged by hub city. McColl provides a mini-guide for each locale, along with tips on low-cost meals and lodging, recommended stopovers, and offbeat sights to see. This isn't your standard travel faire, either -- the travel writing is as witty and down-to-earth as any Lonely Planet or Moon-series guide.

Do not--repeat--do not think you can find all this stuff on the Internet.

I know of no site or group of sites that can provide so many low-cost travel airfare strategies in one quick and easy reference. It's a good read -- and it will definitely save you money.

I found this book to be a big help. It gave me more than travel tips. Its real value comes from the author's ability to give the reader an idea on how the travel industry works. Sure, there are the tried and true strategies (i.e., getting bumped) but there are other angles recommended by the author that are less obvious and of great value.

Will Hobbs has created an exquisitely plotted, nail-biting experience that has great morals and teaches about the values of friendship and family. The characters learn that nature brings people together and can change a person's outlook on life. The main character, Jessie, and her friends are at a summer camp for troubled kids that they call "Hoods in the Woods." At the beginning of the book, all of their lives are going down river. As they are plunged into the great adventure of rafting down the rough Colorado River, the characters' personalities and the conflicts between them come out. Troy is stunning but turns out to be selfish and narcissistic. Star is weak and fragile but transforms into a self-confident person. There are other characters too, each one very different. This really brings the story to life. You know that with every catastrophe they face and overcome, they are only closer to the ultimate win that comes at the end when everything falls into place. It is a phenomenal book. The book twists into a novel about the love and friendships people can make when you get past your differences.

Will Hobbs has created an exquisitely plotted, nail-biting experience that has great morals and teaches about the values of friendship and family. The characters learn that nature brings people together and can change a person's outlook on life. The main character, Jessie, and her friends are at a summer camp for troubled kids that they call "Hoods in the Woods." At the beginning of the book, all of their lives are going down river. As they are plunged into the great adventure of rafting down the rough Colorado River, the characters' personalities and the conflicts between them come out. Troy is stunning but turns out to be selfish and narcissistic. Star is weak and fragile but transforms into a self-confident person. There are other characters too, each one very different. This really brings the story to life. You get this overwhelming feeling when you read this book, a feeling of how good life is if you can look at it in a certain way. You can feel the everlasting friendships that the characters form. You feel the tension as they fight for their lives against nature's forces. You know that with every catastrophe they face and overcome, they are only closer to the ultimate win that comes at the end when everything falls into place. It is a phenomenal book. I can say that I have found a respect not as much for nature, but for people. It has increased my awareness of how wonderfully different we are. The book twists into a novel about the love and friendships people can make when you get past your differences. I do have an attitude towards Mother Nature that she can be rough and beautiful. If you want to get all you can out of her, you have to experience them both.

Downriver by Will Hobbs reviewed by Maia Hazelwood

Will Hobbs has created an exquisitely plotted, nail-biting experience that has great morals and teaches about the values of friendship and family. The characters learn that nature brings people together and can change a person's outlook on life. The main character, Jessie, and her friends are at a summer camp for troubled kids that they call "Hoods in the Woods." At the beginning of the book, all of their lives are going down river. As they are plunged into the great adventure of rafting down the rough Colorado River, the characters' personalities and the conflicts between them come out. Troy is stunning but turns out to be selfish and narcissistic. Star is weak and fragile but transforms into a self-confident person. There are other characters too, each one very different. This really brings the story to life. You get this overwhelming feeling when you read this book, a feeling of how good life is if you can look at it in a certain way. You can feel the everlasting friendships that the characters form. You feel the tension as they fight for their lives against nature's forces. You know that with every catastrophe they face and overcome, they are only closer to the ultimate win that comes at the end. It is a phenomenal book. I can say that I have found a respect not as much for nature, but for people. It has increased my awareness of how wonderfully different we are. The book twists into a novel about the love and friendships people can make when you get past your differences. I do have an attitude towards Mother Nature that she can be rough and beautiful. If you want to get all you can out of her, you have to experience them both.

This compilation contains tradition books covering the Sons of Ether, the Virtual Adepts, and the Order of Hermes. The first three are two of my most favorite traditions so I was very excited about the overall bundle. Since this volume is essentially three books I will go over each one of them separately.

The Sons of Ether book was very entertaining to read. It was presented as a introductory issue of the Etherites' science journal 'Paradigma'. Their form of science and history was discussed in detail and served as a strong foundation for their tradition's past. Discussion on their paradigm was limited and could have been elaborated on more. In terms of actual game statistics, new rotes, and devices, there really wasn't much. I was expecting a lot more wacky procedures and neat gadgets.

The Virtual Adpets' book really showed its age. This book was written before the Internet went mainstream and before digital music was in. The VAs indulged themselves in MIDI music and BBSs. There was a strong impression that most VAs were arrogant hackers who cared too much about being elite. If that is what you are looking for than this book delivers well. Their history section was nicely done. The information was delivered as emails or chatroom logs. Much like the Etherites' book, this one only had a handful of new rotes and gadgets. Despite its age and a few flaws in terminology, it was still an entertaining and somewhat useful book.

The Order of Hermes tradition book was the best one in the bundle. Not only was history described, but detailed initiations, the Order's structure, the many Houses, and their paradigms were discussed. This book had a lot of very useful information for both players and storytellers. There was so much information that the authors had to leave out the standard 2-page templates in the back.

The overall compilation was a fun read. This book is tough to find so only search for it and acquire it if you are interested in the 3 traditions. Otherwise, stick with the other two tradition books.

This book features the out-of-print tradition books for the Sons of Ether, The Virtual Adepts, and the Order of Hermes. The first two represent my two most favorite traditions so I was very excited to acquire this book.

The Sons of Ether book is a very fun read and does a fine job in showing us that some of the Etherites are not crazy mad scientists. There paradigm was discussed but could have used more work. The list of rotes and devices was short and could have used more additions.

The Virtual Adepts book really showed its age. The book was written before the Internet became mainstream and before digital music was introduced. The book portrayed the VAs as a group of arrogant hackers who relished anarchy. It's a good book for players who want to run with the stereotype but is not quite as good for those who want to play something more varied. The list of rotes and devices was brief and could have used a few more additions.

The Order of Hermes book was the best one in the compilation. Not only was their paradigm thoroughly discussed, the internal politics and dynamics of the Order was also presented in great detail. The Order is more diverse than most players would think. They have a house that is very similar to the Syndicate and one that is like the Hollow Ones in addition to many others. Despite the diversity, they all share the Hermetic paradigm. The amount of useable player information was enormous and helpful.

This compilation was entertaining to read but could have used a few improvements in the Etherites and the Virtual Adepts' sections.

If you, for any reason, want to play either an Order of Hermes or a Virtual Adept this is the book to read. There are somany misconceptions about these two for new players, how to fit them in, what they can and can't do, the politics of variouse groups ext. that it's almost become a required for the games I play and ST. The Sons of Ether have a great section as well that explains a great deal about the group you wouldn't think about. And even if theres no interest for the traditions inculded, the book makes a good and intertaining read for those who don't want to play. I'd say it's a good buy all around.

Although not the most compelling civil war biography I have read, Hirshon has painstakingly researched the intricate details of Sherman's life as a soldier and as a human being. Most of this book's focus is on his life as a soldier, and of course most of Sherman's life was devoted to that profession. I knew very little of Sherman's accomplishments before reading this biography and finished the book feeling that I was provided a well rounded account of the man and the soldier. The maps contained in this book are difficult to read; nevertheless, this book is an excellent historical account of Sherman's life and times.

This is a biography of William Tecumseh Sherman by Stanley P. Hirshson, Professor at Queens College, City University of New York. On the surface, it seems to be an un-biased story of the life of a very complicated man.

Like so many Civil War generals on the Union side, Sherman was almost a failure in civilian life. He tried his hand at many professions, but never really made enough money to support his growing family. In the army, however, he had moments of brilliance. And brutality, evidenced most clearly in his march to the sea. He could send his men into a town with orders to destroy it, then wander through the same town afterward looking for friends who lived there when he knew them. He admitted that many of the soldiers he commanded during that time were not much more than thieves and ruffians.

The book starts slowly and ends the same. Most of Sherman's story is the Civil War, four years of privation, desperation, and triumph. Maligned by his enemies, again as were most successful generals, his fights after the war were political, although he never sought political office. Rather his ambitions were for himself as the highest ranking officer in the U.S. Army, and for the Army itself.

Although this is a scholarly work, it is an easy read, especially for a Civil War buff. There are moments when the reader will feel she is attaining some insight into his personality. But those moments slip away quite often. Because of this, the reader might wonder if something is being held back. For instance, I would like to have seen more details of the post-Civil War Army policies toward the Native Americans, something Sherman had much to do with.

This is a must read for the Civil War scholar, American military history fan, and those interested in 19th century America. Sherman lived in much of the U.S. and details of these places in his time add to our understanding of life when our great-grandparents were young.

As Prof. Hirshson's student, I can say that this book reflects the author quite well. It is an accurate account of General Sherman's life. The book is well written and while reading it, I was able to imagine Prof. Hirshson giving a lecture to me as opposed to just reading through it. The language is very user friendly.

When rating Shakespeare, I am rating it against other Shakespeare; otherwise, the consistent 4-5 stars wouldn't tell you much. So if you want to know how this book rates against the general selection of books in the world, I suppose it might rate four stars; it certainly rates three. The language, as usual in Shakespeare, is beautiful. Still, it's far from Shakespeare's best.

For one thing, this is one of those cases, not uncommon in Shakespeare's comedies, in which the play has suffered a great deal by the changes in the language since Shakespeare's time; it loses a great deal of the humor inherent in a play when the reader needs to keep checking the footnotes to see what's happening, and this play, particularly the first half of it, virtually can't be read without constant reference to the notes; even with them, there's frequently a question as to what's being said. At least in the edition that I read (the Dover Thrift edition) the notes frequently admit that there's some question as to the meaning of the lines, and there is mention of different changes in them in different folios.

But beyond this, as an overweight, balding, middle-aged libertine, I object to the concept that Falstaff is ridiculous just because he is in fact unwilling to concede that it is impossible that a woman could want him. Granted, he's NOT particularly attractive, but that has more to do with his greed, his callousness, and his perfect willingness to use people for his own ends, to say nothing of his utter lack of subtlety.

Is it truly so funny that an older, overweight man might attempt to find a dalliance? So funny that the very fact that he does so leaves him open to being played for the fool? Remember, it isn't as though he refused to take "no" for an answer; he never GOT a "no". He was consistently led on, only to be tormented for his audacity. Nor is he making passes at a nubile young girl; the target of his amorous approaches is clearly herself middle-aged; after all, she is the MOTHER of a nubile young marriageable girl. And given the fact that she is married to an obnoxious, possessive, bullying and suspicious husband, it is not at all unreasonable for Falstaff to think that she might be unhappy enough in her marriage to accept a dalliance with someone else.

If laughing at fat old men who have the audacity not to spend the last twenty years of their lives with sufficient dignity to make it seem as if they were dead already is your idea of a good time, you should love this play. I'll pass.

i've just finished reading/watching all of shakespeare's comedies and mww is one of the funnier ones. it is a lighthearted look at marital jealousy and features one of shakespeare's great fools, falstaff (of henry iv fame). the out-and-out funniest shakepearean play is still "taming of the shrew", imho, but mwv runs well ahead of the laggards, and certainly well ahead of such better known plays as "twelfth night" and "as you like it".

Shakespeare, considering he wrote this little gem of a comedy in a mere 14 days for the Virgin Queen, pulls off a play that proves both witty and fun. Unequivocally, The Merry Wives of Windsor makes for a more enjoyable play if seen live. Nonetheless, reading it is the 2nd best thing.

Sir John Falstaff is once again such a fool - but a lovable and hilarious one at that. Having read Henry V - where Falstaff ostensibly had met his end - I was pleased to see him so alive(pardon the pun) in this short, albeit clever play. It is no surprise that The Merry Wives of Windsor enjoyed such a long and successful stage run during Shakespeare's day and continues to be one of his most popularly staged plays. Recommended as a fun break from the more serious and murderous Shakespearean tragedies.

"Why, then the world's mine oyster,
Which I with sword will open." - Pistol

In the act of creating a grand mosaic of the world the Beach Boys grew up in and shared, the full explanation of what befell them surfaces for once. Hooray! When I got this book from another Beach Boys bud, I never ever knew there had been big emotional victims in the Wilson family prior to Brian. Or that all sorts of other talents and interests had been inherited, too. Never before was the town of Hawthorne made sense of, either. Who knew what teen culture was like there in the 1950s? It was wild to get the day to day explanations. To see how Dennis and Carl, not to mention Brian, chose or got forced onto the roads in life they took. Surprises wait on each page. To ultimately feel so close to the family is a victory. Understanding So.California on up-close and personal terms is gratifying, also. This explicates sensitive people, a community and a microcosm in the detail it merits. It all makes sense.

With David Leaf's book out of print, I settled on this book to fill me in on what the C.D. liner notes have left out. And what a great time I had. White provides a lyrical description of the Wilson ancestry to provide a history which explains the temperament and personality that came to influence The Wilson boys and Mike Love. All of White's diversions into the cultural changes that happened around the Boys serves to add more sense of how the Boys fitted in to the bigger picture... and how they didn't. Stick with what seems to be at first a grandiose approach to telling the story. Sure, some stuff is glossed over, probably from lack of information. And sometimes it doesn't go far enough to explain the heart and broken heart of Brian. Carl is strangely in the background. But I finished this book feeling much closer to the heart and soul behind the heartiest and most soulful, most honest music to come out of the ugly world that is rock/pop industry. God only knows what we'd have if Brian was allowed to be himself and do what he wanted.

Wow. I'm embarassed to say that I thought I knew about the Beach Boys before I read "The Nearest Faraway Place". I was wrong. The depth of vision and analysis is staggering and told through the elegantly unobtrusive Tim White style I have come to expect from the book "Catch a Fire" and his columns in Billboard. It is designed to give you a full picture of the Southern California experience, dating back to the earliest generations of the Wilson family, but,if you want to skip the early chapters, you can go straight to the meat of the Beach Boys' history. Unbelievable unedited transcripts of the dialogue during recording sessions and insightful deconstruction of the cross-pollinization of inspiration happening in the Sixties. Which Beach Boys' song inspired which Beatle song, with help from which Byrd song, etc.; and all culled with interviews from the actual players and composers. Great stuff!

This book was a really good story but if you're a hard out terror fan this isn't the book for you.I enjoyed the book but I love most of Sweet Valley University.
What happens is deadly William White returns from the dead and is scarred over one side of his body.Elizabeth encounters him on the quad and at first she's really terrified of him.But gradually she starts to believe he really has changed.It doesn't help that her boyfriend,Tom Watts,is being a total jerk.But William hasn't changed that much as Elizabeth finds out.
The back of this book is slightly misleading but I won't tell you why.All I'll say is because the author only mentions a tiny bit about the''torture he's going to put her through.''I'm so,so,so sorry if this wrecked it for anyone.
The reasons why some will not like this book
-It is pretty slow moving and isn't actually that terrifying.
-This is the second time William has 'risen' from the dead and it's not that realistic.

But is a good read.It won't take long if you're a good reader.Give it a try even if it's not that spooky.
Happy reading.

To tell you the truth, I thought Deadly Terror would be no better than Cyberstalker. I expected it to drone on about Liz's virtual hallucinations (can you say yawn?) I absolutely despised Cyberstalker, quickly placing it on top of my Worst SVU Books Ever Written list. However, the continuation, Deadly Terror, completely made up for it. Once I finally let the fact that William White was actually alive sink in, the book graced me with a sense of fulfillment that I could not have enjoyed from Cyberstalker. It was full of surprises and subtle comedic quirks. I sometimes found myself laughing out loud as I eagerly turned the pages. Shockingly, I found myself growing more and more intrigued by the changed William White. I was impressed by his character, and, shamefully, I was secretly rooting he and Liz on. Naturally, those thoughts ceased nearing the end of the book. Towards the end there were many twists and turns that would stumble any reader. Overall,if Cyberstalker made you lose your lunch, don't worry. Deadly Terror more than makes up for it, guaranteed.

This book: the newest in the SVU category, has captured my in my thoughts about a young man't insanity about another woman he loves. The story is about a man named William White, who was in a fatal car crash, with Elizabeth Wakefield. IT is a good mystery, but I cannot tell you what happens for it will ruin it, now won't it?

I recently finished reading Carol Shields' short story collection, Dressing Up for the Carnival. I'm a big fan of Carol Shields, having enjoyed Larry's Party, The Stone Diaries, even adding Swann to my wicked Top Five list - but this one didn't hit the spot.

Although the stories were charming and well-written, they weren't engrossing. I need to be EN-GROSSED! Instead I felt like I was wading through the bad stuff (I use the term "bad" for effect only) to get to the good. Some real gems here, but not a stellar collection.

Somewhat recommended - that is, to fans, and not just the casual passerby.

It's hard to describe the effect of these stories -- perhaps mindbending would be as close as you can get. Who else would devote whole stories to keys, or a meteorologist strike or the founder of a nudist camp? My only small complaint is that at times some of the stories, especially those taking place in the academic realm, are almost too clever for their own good. The collection as a whole though is strong and quite imaginative and profound. Shields is certainly an interesting writer -- there is nary a dull moment and some quite enlightening ones.

Carol Shields can take an ordinary word and polish it into a shining gemstone. Finely-tuned phrases are scattered plentifully throughout each chapter of _Dressing Up for the Carnival_, straddling the gap between poetry and fiction. This collection of stories is so spare, it almost feels empty at first. But you find Shields has emptied her work of distractions and needless explanations so you can more clearly see . Her focus on minute details is selective and purposeful. She reveals deep insights on the human condition through small observations-ones only a keen observer could see, and only a master writer like Shields could translate into words. If you want to be entertained, this book may not be for you. If you want to think deeply and be stirred to a higher level of emotion, pick up this book. You'll find yourself setting it down after every story so you can absorb each word.