I should probably look more closely at the covers of the books that I am ordering online. Any reasonable individual might naturally assume a book entitled "Hard Core" would contain information regarding the apple harvesting industry; however, such is most clearly not the case with Doctor William's book.

Despite the initial mix-up, I found this work to be quite titilating. Prior to reading Hard Core, I was only familiar with pornographic films (or "pornos") as an avid viewer. Hubby Rick and I now devote a significant amount of money and time on pornos in the hopes that we might one day fully appreciate, as does Linda Williams, the pornographic film. And our marriage has never been better!

i think if there is one book someone reads about pornography, linda williams' hard core is it. she uses a number of theoretical lenses to examine pornography (including marxist theory, foucauldian theory, and feminist theory). her text remains, despite all of the theory she relies on, incredibly read-able and very interesting. williams also traces the history of hard core pornography from stag films to the present and her newly added afterword updates the book and reflects upon hard core's ideas insightfully.

This book changed my my mind about I saw pornography. This is a smart and sexy book that dispels many ideas we have about pornography and how the feminist anti-pron rhetoric not only endangers the First Amendment with their calls for taking this protection from porn, but retains the patriarchal concept of female purity that promotes a sexual double standard. This books opens a dialogue and forum for women to talk about pornography. I only wished I hadn't read it ten years earlier, because my copy doesn't have pictures.

This short story collection is a worthwhile read, and I will be looking up some of the authors featured. In particular, Andrew Sean Greer's story is heartbreaking; William J. Cyr's story has an interesting conversational, matter-of-fact tone; and the curiously named author "wormser" has a short but sweet entry. The best part of this collection, for me, is the interview with author Richard Bausch. I found it thoroughly inspiring, as it touches upon such problems as writer's block and having the confidence and determination to live a writer's life. The best part about Glimmer Train collections as a whole is that they give unpublished writers their first break, in addition to publishing established writers. More literary magazines of this caliber and spirit of inclusiveness are sorely needed!

This is an enjoyable collection of short stories; although, as with other collections, there are a couple of weak links in the chain. Nevertheless, it's worth buying for Andrew Greer's story alone. Others are also quite good, such as Karen Outen's fictional debate on whether to have a baby, Wormser's story about a childhood friend, and William Cyr's original and witty (and, at the same time, chilling) story of a bad stepfather. I also enjoyed the whole presentation--with baby photos of the authors (as well as current shots) and their personal comments. Established author Richard Bausch talks about writing, racism, and life in general in an engaging interview. Definitely worth a read!

Engaging illustrations and repetition in the text make this an excellent book for teaching Spanish as a second language. Perfect for learning clothing vocabulary!!

La viejecita que no le tenia miedo a nada es un libro muy divertido, especialmente para ninos chiquitos.

La viejecita que no le tenia miedo a nadie is a very fun book, especially for small children. It would also be good for teaching Spanish as a second language as there are not too many words and it is easy to understand.

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.

This is a book which, despite being written by a committee and showing it, has a definite point of view. It is somewhat superficial, but contains a fairly good review of the literature on medical error and some definite ideas about what to do. This is the book for policy wonks who are interested both in health care and in government intervention. Those looking for more in-depth treatment of the subject would do well to consider Human Error in Medicine, edited by Marilyn Sue Bogner.

This eye opening book exposes the dangers of the medical health care system in the United States. Tens of thousands of people die and are injured every year due to doctors' errors, administrative foul ups, misdiagnoses, and incorrect prescriptions. The book gives general solutions for the system as a whole and advice to the individual to help you protect yourself when you are being treated by a doctor or hospital.

My spouse is a Medical Malpractice attorney and you would not believe the frequency of tragic and catastophic errors made by health care providers that change and end people's lives unnecessarily. It can happen to anyone without warning. Protect yourself and purchase this book today for a no nonsense look at the system you may one day depend on to save your life.

This pregnancy book is *much* better than the "What to Expect When You're Expecting" book that is so often recommended to every pregnant woman out there. It is also much better than the other 'standard' pregnancy books you'll find.

This book is a complete and joyful guide to what happens during pregnancy - mentally, emotionally, and physically - to mom and baby. It has a great index; so if a specific symptom doesn't crop up in the exact month they cover it, you can easily look it up in the back and read about it. I found this guide very informative and supportive of everything I'm going through with my second pregnancy. [I wish I'd had this book for my first pregnancy, instead of that wretched "what to expect" book].

My one criticism of this book: the Sears' gloss over the pain that most women experience during labor. I didn't find the segment on labor very helpful or realistic. As a Childbirth Educator myself, I don't feel that anyone is doing pregnant women a favor by convicing them that labor doesn't hurt - that it is just 'pressure' or 'discomfort'. The reality is that for most women, labor IS painful - often extremely so. Women who seek an unmedicated birth need to prepare themselves to cope with and overcome this pain. And regardless of whether a woman expects to use medication or not, nobody is doing her any favors by misleading her about labor pain - she's not going to thank them when it hits her full on.

For preparing for labor and delivery, I *highly* recommend "Birthing From Within" by Pam England. It is much more realistic in preparing you for the "Real Thing" - and it is geared to help every woman work through her own issues and concerns about birthing. It is by far the most excellent book out there on labor and delivery.

Other than that small complaint - I think this is a *wonderful* guide to pregnancy - very supportive and comforting while being very honest.

You find out you're pregnant, so you need to read. I did too. After reading the reviews on the various books, I ordered this one and can honestly say, the reviews don't lie.

This book is extremely informative and pleasant to read. It has lots of information, without being overwhelming. I read this book at least three times over the course of my pregnancy and was happy to have done so. I was prepared for just about everything that came my way. Most normal side effects of pregnancy are described in various degree of detail, but in a way that does not make you worry or scares you.

The book is broken down by month and within each month into various subchapters that are loosely the same for each month. So it's easy to look up something that's ahead of where you're currently reading.

It also has additional information, like breastfeeding basics and excellent tips to help you through labor contractions.

I found this book very helpful throughout my pregnancy and I look forward to reading it again for future pregnancies. It is well written and nicely illustrated for better understanding.

I just happened to stumble upon this book during my search through hundreds of pregnancy books for the ultimate pregnancy reference guide with a personal touch.

Once I discovered that I was pregnant, everyone recommended that I read "What to Expect...," but I really wanted to check out "The Pregnancy Book" too because of all the great reviews I had read, so I read both of them at the same time. It didn't take long before "The Pregnancy Book" became my new favorite reference and "What to Expect..." just became something I read when I'm bored.

Dr. & Mrs. Sears explain just about every possible symptom you could have. (I was so happy to find out that all of my symptoms were actually normal, and I wasn't the med-school case study I thought I was.) The Sears also recognize that every pregnancy is different and explain the many choices you have during pregnancy. Plus, I also noticed that they seem to have faith in the mother's ability to make decisions, unlike many authors who insist that you must follow their instructions exactly or you're a bad mother. They even added a section on what to do if you don't make it to the hospital/birthing center in time and how to deliver your baby yourself if necessary.

If you're looking for information on fertility, specific birthing methods, or taking care of your new child, try taking a look at some of the other, more specific books related to your topic (some are also written by the Sears), but if you're already pregnant or expect to be pregnant, this is a MUST HAVE book (and feel free to skip the "What to Expect..." book because this one really out does it).

An awesome way to ignite (or re-ignite) passion in your marriage. This was a great idea. The mystery, the romance, the anticipation is all wonderful! It is heightened by the fact that all of this is done to glorify God!

I HIGHLY reccomend this for couples (married of course) of all ages!

This is more than a book. It is a resource package for married Christian couples. No, there's nothing earth-shattering here, but the book gives so much background information about God's gift of sex. This, coupled with the 24 fantastic date ideas, is sure to renew any marriage bed!

My husband and I have loved doing the "date nights" in this book. I feel so special when he is planning and carrying out his dates, and I feel so close to him while I am planning and carrying out my dates! This is a great plan and so easy to follow! I highly reccommend it!!

These are by far the most unique travel guides ever produced. The Eyewitness Travel Guides are filled with glossy pages packed with information. No other resource will take the time to acquaint the traveler with a rather thorough history of the San Francisco area. This is a great way to begin a travel guide.

Unlike others, ETG's use an extensive amount of colorful pictures to help you position yourself in the city. San Francisco is not a large city (geographically speaking). It is rather easy though to find yourself lost in the complex grid of one way streets and endless bumps and hills. The guide divides the city into each of the thriving districts and is quick to point out the main spots of interest, along with other things a sight-seer wouldn't have thought of. The drawn maps detailing a block or two of a particular area are incredibly helpful.

The only negative is in regards to restauraunts listed. Due to the time between writing and publishing, many restauraunts are no longer in business. These guides are priced a little above most other books but, are well worth the extra money.

Dorling Kindersley makes the best travel guides hands down. They are extremely well illustrated, have extensive and detailed maps up to date information on hotels (rates, rooms etc), restaurants (costs and reservation policies), and sites to see.

The travel guides have wonderful pictures, well researched histories and facts about San Francisco(about Lombard street, Cable Cars, Angel's Flight....), what wines to look for and taste (not just divided between Napa and Sonoma but also by vineyard but also by year), detailed walking tours, information on famous sites (Alcatraz, the sea lions at Pier 39 and some of the top wineries to visit in Napa and Sonoma). DK also makes a guide that covers all of California and I own both - unless you are simply going to San Francisco, I suggest buying the California guide over this one - they have almost the same information. The European guides for each city have more detail than this guide but it is still a good buy.

The guide covers travel information, driving directions, the best places to shop and eat, where to get good deals and SOOO much more. The book give you wonderful ideas on how to best see each area in a limited time or really enjoy it if you are there for more than a few days. The book also covers things to do that many tourists might over look as well as telling you what is worth your while and what to skip.

This is one of the best guides available on the market. It is perfect if you are planning to go to a few cities in a limited time or for more in depth information when planning a longer trip.

I highly recommend this unique travel guide for the purpose of getting to know San Francisco's history, neighborhoods, attractions, etc. However, the book is only so so as to hotels and restaurants because it is not revised often enough. The book includes numerous zoomed in maps with three dimensional renderings of key neighborhoods. There are many photographs and illustrations. The text is very informative. Each neighborhood is intricately described and its attractions well presented. This book truly is spectacularly illustrated and defies description. You have to see the intricate neighborhood by neighborhood renderings and cutaway illustrations of key landmarks to truly appreciate this wonderful book. Use this book to get to know and love San Francisco. However, use something updated yearly such as the Mobil Travel Guide (or even the internet) to search for the best accomodations. Also, please note that some newer attactions such as the new Pac bell Stadium, are missing due to the infrequency of updating. Despite it's shortcomings, this travel guide is outweighed by its strengths and is well worth purchasing.

Very nicely done biography, Simon seems to be a meticulous, sympathetic critic of her subjects. While I enjoyed reading about this legendary figure in American philosophy and psychology, I ended up being less impressed by him than before. Such disenchantment is probably the hallmark of reading a good biography, as it necessarily brings the mighty down to fallible human dimensions. I had always wondered what it was about the James household that produced such a noteworthy novelist and such a thoughtful philosopher--it turns out that inept dysfunction is the source of this family genius. Their father, at least through Simons's interpretation, seems a very unlikable figure--a passive-aggressive tyrant who would constantly move his family from place to place rather than have them come to develop roots and mentors beyond his control. Sadly, this tactic generated in his family a doubt of self that could lead to such insights as those his two most prominent boys seemed to understand in all its nuances. While we may appreciate their hard-won insights, it doesn't seem any fun to have suffered through them as each of his children did for all their lives. The book provides a complex look at a figure who for all his knowledge remained an embattled, unsatisfied self-critic--like all the best thinkers, I suppose.

Of all the James biographies, I enjoyed this one the best. As a female English teacher, Simon has a triple advantage in understanding and conveying Jame's life as it might have been. For starters, her writing skills are simply amazing. The book was very clear and enjoyable to read. Secondly, Simon provides us with a portrait of James we rarely see: that is, James as husband and father. In the past, the role Jame's wife and sister played in the formation of his character and thought passed by completely unnoticed, or was ignored. As important as those two figures were in James life, they cannot be ignored. Lastly, Simon's own experiences as a university teacher may have contributed to her portrait of James as university professor - another aspect of James often overlooked. The result of this triple-advantage is one powerful biography, unlike anything ever written about this Philosopher. More than any book, this one provides the reader with a sense of who James really was as a person, and for that I gave it 5 stars.

The truly great men in early American history, in my humble opinion, are as follows:

Thomas Jefferson
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain)
William James

Because of their intense individualism, idealistic views, and unique personalities, their writings, thoughts and ideas continue to affect western civilzation into the 21st century. Let me just say at the start - I'm not proposing a forum for argument, debating the worth and influence of one historical figure against another - these are men who have shaped my life in lasting ways - particularly the psychologist, philosopher and teacher, William James.

If you are interested in the works and life of this noble individual, ~Genuine Reality~ is a good place to begin. Linda Simon is an adept biographer and this book reflects her skill, understanding and love for the subject. It was refreshing to read a biography without the once fashionable 'psychoanalytical method' of interpreting history: inserting the Oedipus complex or hints of homoeroticism into the work. This method gets tedious and more reveals the biographer's mind than the subject. It is obvious that Simon wanted to approach James from a pragmatic perspective and she succeeded in showing James' life, warts and all, more specifically, however, his inspiring personality, compulsive curiosity and genuine love of life.

Similar to most people of genius, James' life was indeed a contradiction, at times almost enigmatic. He realized early on, that to rivet one's thought or perspective to a single dogma, to close one's mind to the infinite possibilities of existence, was to commit intellectual and spiritual suicide. Thus his thoughts are mercurial, bouncing from one possible view to another, always searching, investigating with an incessant vigour of a child. Following the works of Heraclitus, Henri Bergson, and aspects of Fredric Nietzche, James' 'Pluralism' is a philosophy of affirmation, transformation and becoming. Rallying against the Platonic and Aristotelian belief that fixity has more worth than change, he proposed that life or existence is not fixed at all but involved in an on-going state of flux: the operating word is change. And his life certainly reflects this perspective, as Simon writes:

"He was a scientist with a disposition of a philosopher and a philosopher with the perspective of an artist. He was convinced of his own essential complexity: certain that his public personality contradicted a hidden, more authentic self. He championed the new, he hungered for astonishment."

At the core of James' view of life is to maintain a continual openness to our existence: attempt to create a kind of vital joy to life's infinite possibilities. In other terms, do not sit back and merely observe, but get your hands dirty, engage, and life will give back to you many fold.

~Genuine Reality~ is an important contribution to American history. Linda Simon is a genuine biographer with transparent humility, more concerned with presenting her subject as it is, rather than trying to show off her knowledge, wit and writing skills. All too often, biographer's egos get in the way: they become so involved in revealing their intellectual capacity, the subject of the biography falls by the wayside. Not so with this text.

This book is an intimate portrayal of a great man's life: his interesting and unusual family, his work and relationships, and his sometimes-underrated contribution to philosophy. Out of all of James' writings, there is a line that showed me, in essence, the true character of the man:

"Just for today I will exercise my soul in three ways: I will do somebody a good turn and Not be found out. I will do two things I Don't want to do."

This biography is recommended without reservation.

The book 'Deliver Us From Evil' is true. And by true, I mean false. It's mostly lies. But they're entertaining lies. And in the end, isn't that the real truth? The answer is: No. It is based on some true events, but in the process, the author switches from non-fiction to fiction. **

Although some of the information seems not true this book makes you want to learn more about subject.

Oprah should read this one... A fasinating story for any age to read... I truly loved it...