Now I know some books take the first few chapters to get intobut this book is soooooo interesting in the first paragrah till thelast.......Christopher Pike is the best writer in the world..Thisseries is soooo great and it seems so REAL>>>>>The character SITA is just amazing......This book actually made me cry at the end of the series.......Christopher Pike used the most brilliant words and characters...If it wasn't for him I would never know of the great Krishna.....and Sita.........THe way he described Krishna lit up my heart and now i know about the hindu faith and it's all thanx to Pike....I think this book should be turned into a MOVIE.....It would be soooo neat! Thanx pike for writing this everlasting book!

A good book that puts a new twist on the vampire myth. Changed the vampire from a seductive corpse to a seductive immortal. It even gave an interesting origin for vampires never seen before. The main element of the vampires was not the only thing. It was like how a vampire would live in real life(if only I could write like that). It was an incredible book but the ending was anti-climaxtic with the character meeting a sad ending. I wish there had been real vampires after reading that. Luckily for Pike vampire fans, in the summary at the first story of Christopher Pike collection in the book Tales Of Terror, he hints there would be more books about the early years of Sita. Until then, Sita lives forever!!!

i have the entire collection of the last vampire and i really enjoy them. my favorite was BLACK BLOOD the last book in the series. i would like to see more written in the series because the last one leaves you hanging. i really recomend ppl to read this series and hopefully you will have enjoyed it as much as i did. PIKE is a wonderful author

This is a story about a boy named Alec who first sees a savage, yet beautiful horse led onto his ship. Alec secretly befriends him. Then there is a terrible storm and the ship is sinking.Alec lets the Black go and he plunges into the sea with Alec. A day later They have reached land but for the better or worse?

Alec and The Black are finally rescued and Alec joins forces with an ex trainer named Henry Dailey. They plan to make Black a famous race horse but will the Black Stallion ever be truly tamed?

This was a beautifully well written story full of adventure and heart. If you don't try it then you will really be missing out.

The Black Stallion- this is one of my favorite books of all time, and I'm a 40 year old male who has read a lot. Mr Jones, my 5th grade teacher, would read a few pages everyday from this book for us as an incentive to behave in class. Lemme tell you, it worked. Walter Farley is famous because of his Black Stallion books, they were so popular, he had to have sequels. And they are very good also. Highly recommended to anyone who loves adventure and horses, etc. Happy Reading!!!!!!!

My 8 year old daughter has read this book twice in about 6 months. She is a horse lover as well as an avid reader. She loves this book. She thought it was really exciting, and much better than the movie! She loves this book so much we made a deal. If she would continue with swimming lessons, I'd buy her a really nice hard cover version of the Black Stallion.

Emily of New Moon is starry, poignant, and captivating. Orphaned Emily Byrd Starr comes to New Moon lonely and friendless, to live with her Mother's relations, the Murrays.

The Murrays are not willing to take her in, but are proud and consider it their duty to bring Emily up, as she is a member of their clan. Her Aunt Elizabeth brings her the New Moon, and is cold and harsh and stern. But her sweet Aunt Laura, and kindly Cousin Jimmy provide Emily with support.

In Emily's imagination, loyal friends Ilse Burnley, Teddy Kent and Perry Miller, as well as her passionate love of writing, Emily finds hope and friendliness in her new World.

Emily is often compared to Anne of Green Gables, but they hold their differances. Anne is all liveliness and hot temper and sweetness; Emily is vivid, both light and dark, with enough mystery in her to allure.

This book is beautifully written and delicate, full of subtle wit and humour, and wonderful complexity as it describes Emily's adventures while living at New Moon. Emily is spirited and charming and ambitious, and the Emily series portray a unique child developing into womanhood.

I read this book simply because it was written by L. M. Montgomery. I became a devoted fan of hers since I have read the 'Anne' books. I really love them a great deal and Emily of New Moon is just as tempting as them. I didn't think I could love it as much as I do with the 'Anne' books. I spot the difference and similarity between Emily and Anne. Anne is more mature while Emily more childlike. They both adore writing but Emily loves it better. Anne is more stubborn and fanciful. Anne led a happier existence in Green Gables. Emily was contented to live in New Moon, though, but in a way different from Anne. She had a stern Aunt Elizabeth, who loved her but just locked the love for her niece up inside. Her adventures were very very funny and amusing too. L. M. Montgomery made the other characters in the story very lovable. And each of them had their own characteristics. The story gets more and more gripping towards the end. I could't help reading it till I finished the whole story. It is a story which makes you feel delighted and young and energetic. And I am going to read the rest of this series---Emily climbs and Emily's quest and other books written by L. M. Montgomery

Having just picked up the first season of "Emily of New Moon" television episodes while vacationing on Prince Edward Island, I went back and read the first book in L. M. Montgomery's trilogy. Although the major thread of the three books is how Emily Starr learns to become a writer, that element is a minor one in this first book. Once again, Montgomery presents us with a spirited orphan who has to live with her mother's relatives after her father dies. But the twist here is that nobody wants Emily and it is only out a sense of duty that they make the young girl draw lots to see where she will live. Emily ends up with Elizabeth Murray, her mother's sister, at New Moon Farm. Aunt Elizabeth disapproves of Emily's father and the way she was raised. At the heart of "Emily of New Moon" are the heated confrontations between Emily and Aunt Elizabeth over matters ranging from the little girl's bangs to her love of writing and the letters she writes to her father "On the Road to Heaven." There is also a touch of mysticism in each of these books, for Emily has the second sight. Because they deal with the art of writing, the Emily books are seen as being the most autobiographical of Montgomery's works. Certainly if anyone reading the Anne books or any of Montgomery's works is interested in pursuing a career as a writer, they should read the Emily books to get a real feel for how hard it is to be a good writer. Actually, I know of no better introduction to the art of writing in narrative form and once young readers have gone through the Anne and Emily books, there is still "The Story Girl," "Magic for Marigold" and many other L. M. Montgomery novels for them to enjoy.

My parents have had "Hope for the Flowers" on their bookshelf for as long as I can remember, and I have always loved reading it (and having it read to me). I found my own copy a few years ago at a garage sale and treasure it. I read it to my son (now seven) a few times a year. We read a chapter each night before bed and both love the story and the pictures. Although I don't think my son catches the greater meaning, I love knowing that as he grows he will come to love the book not only because of the pictures and the miracle of the catepillars' transformation into a butterfly, but also because of the feeling of peace and hope it brings to the life of the reader.

Reviewing Hope for the Flowers is like trying to review a butterfly. Impossible. Granted, one can list features & salient points, but no collection of words can pass on the joyful experience of watching a butterfly alight upon a buttercup on a warm spring afternoon.

No better description than the one on the cover: "a tale--partly about life, partly about revolution and lots about hope for adults and others (including caterpillars who can read)".

Once again I find myself at a place in life where the struggle to climb to the top of the heap overwhelms me on a daily basis. Once again, I needed to take this book off the shelf (I have several copies--any time I see one at a garage sale or used book store, I buy it--ready to give away), blow away the dust, and inhale the refreshing message of liberation.

Hope for the Flowers does more to puncture bourgeois denial than any Marxist treatise ever could. It cuts to the radical more deeply than the Anarchists can approach. This blessed fable challenges us to embrace the truly important and to become who we really are, instead of pursuing the carrots dangled in front of us by our Corporate Masters.

Five stars for wonder. Five stars for beauty. Five stars for importance. If you haven't read this book lately, chances are you need it in your life today.

(If you'd like to dialogue about this review, please click the "about me" link above & drop me email. Thanks!)

a wonderful book i was introduced to only 3 short years ago and have already read, it seems like, 3 million times. one of my favorite stories, i am always giving someone a copy as gift and telling others about what a great and inspirational book this is. at the time that i read it, it really pulled out to me as i had just lost that special someone and it helped me realize that there's more out there and such a diverse offering as i had never thought of and now realize is so amazing. definitely book for those in need of a little push towards life or towards looking to their dreams. --"ad astra per asterum"

I first read this as a child, growing up in the south in a pentacostal holiness church. This book was my very first introduction to the Jewish Faith, what it means and how it impacted day-to-day life. I found that this family was a very loving family who encouraged their girls (then baby boy) to learn and to grow up strong. I remember wanting to be Jewish so that I could be a member of their family. There was so much fun and love.

Well, I have since learned about the "Jewish" stereotype. However, I was not suckered in by the error because my first experience with Jews came about through the All of A Kind Family books. I am convinced that I knew the truth about the Jewish people because of these books.

I strongly recommend that these books be added to all reading lists, as they help to teach kindness, love, and tolerance for all people, just like they helped to teach to me.

I happened upon a copy of this book at a rummage sale when I was seven years old and have enjoyed it ever since. Though it is never laugh-out-loud funny, it is highly entertaining and definitely falls into the category of feel-good books. Author Sydney Taylor created sweet and interesting characters whose lives you immediately want to follow.

The story chronicles the lives of five Jewish sisters growing up in New York at the turn of the century. Four-year-old Gertie is the baby of the family. Six-year-old Charlotte is a daydreamer who is idolised by her little sister. Eight-year-old Sarah cannot be better described than by Taylor, who refers to her in the narrative as "always the practical one". Ten-year-old Henny is the impish, mischievous one of the bunch (and they need one, considering how docile the other daughters usually are!). Twelve-year-old Ella is the oldest daughter, a talented singer with a big crush on her father's friend Charlie, who is hiding a secret.

The story chronicles the lives of the family throughout their various trials and tribulations over the year. If my sister and I are any indication, any reader will want to read and re-read it!

The whole "All-of-a-Kind" series was one of my favorites as little girl! I used to devour these books and I'm so happy to have found them so I can give them to my 9-year old niece for Christmas! I hope she loves them as much as I did. I remember feeling totally involved with the family and couldn't wait to read the next book. I agree with some of the other reviewers, as a Christian, I wasn't really knowledgable in Jewish customs and this book taught me so much about Judaism -- celebrations, religious customs, history, etc. So not only was I reading a wonderful story, but I learned something too. Also loved that it was set in the turn of the century -- that was a learning experience too. Wonderful wonderful book -- so happy I found it again! Thanks, Amazon

As the fifth book in the Night World series, especially after the insipid 4th novel "Dark Angel", it was a surprise how brilliant this one was. "The Chosen" breaks free of Night World formula, Rashel Jordan, a fierce vampire hunter out for vengeance for her mother's death does not fall in love with John Quinn an especially ruthless made vampire immediately, she instead tries to stake him.

I loved the characters in this book Rashel isn't a powerless, insipid small town girl looking for love like other heroines in the series. She is a master of martial arts and has already been exposed to the Night World by her mother's murder when she was 5. This book heralded a change in the series moving from light weight YA romance to deeper themes. It answers many questions about the Night World like "are there any humans who know about the Night World and do they hunt down its members?" Yes and Rashel "The Cat" Jordan is one of the most efficient hunters of night world prey, "Do Night Worlders ever tire of immortal life?" Yes John Quinn is close to cracking under the weight of living since Puritan times, until he meets Rashel and so an unlikely cat and mouse romance begins. Should she stake him? Should he make her a vampire like him? How can a slayer and a vampire fall in love?

This is very reminiscent of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the plot deals with how bad Night Worlders (who before this we have never really seen)think and deal with vermin/humans. A smuggling operation with human runaways as food supplies brings Quinn and Rashel together, with her determined to stop it and Quinn an equal partner in the enterprise. True to form Quinn and Rashel are soulmates who must now find a way to co-exist. For those who were heartbroken when Angel left Buffy this acts as great consolation. I urge evryone to buy this book, even if previous Night World offerings left you cold, this is where the story changes!!

This book is so great. I was just scanning through L.J. Smith books, seeing what people wrote about them, and I ws amazed to see that I had never written a review for Chosen. I was in shock. How could I have overlooked my almost-favorite Night World book? (Second only to Daughters of Darkness!) So here's my belated review: Rashel is a vampire-hunter. Her family was killed by vampires when she was very small. Ever since then, she has taken her revenge against the Night World, eliminating them one-by-one. Then she meets Quinn. Sparks fly. She wants to hate him, hate everything he stands for, but she can't because they're soulmates. The melodrama works perfectly when it's edged in with suspense. This book is a definite 10 on my scale.

I love this book so much! HUNTRESS and DAUGHTERS OF DARKNESS is tied for the #2 spot. Rashel is a vampire hunter, who had seen a vampire "eat" her friend Timmy, kill her mother, and set her great-aunt's house on fire (she herself had escaped) when she was five. Rashel is known as the Cat, a vampire hunter who always leaves a mark similiar to a cat's claws. She meets a vampire Quinn, when she's with a group of vampire hunters on a mission. Rashel knocks him out and they tie him. While the other vampire hunters go check to make sure there are no more vampires in the area, she and Quinn *rendevous*. Rashel learns a lot about his history, and she feels pity for him. Rashel decides to free him, although the vampire hunters no longer trust her...I really admire Rashel's courage and strength, and Quinn was really kind and loving at the end. THE CHOSEN is absolutely! ! positively one of LJS's best books. I'm still waiting for! STRANGE FATE to come out, and I still love the soulmate principle, however nonrealistic it may be. Q.L.

Romanov.... that is a very powerful name... and yet, it is just a name, you were either born with it or you weren't... but for the simple fact of bearing this name, many people had to die... and yet it is just a name. It is a name that says POWER, LOVE, INTRIGUE, MYSTERY, ESCAPE, TRAGEDY.... but it is also a name that for Nicholas, Alexandra, Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia and Alexei meant FAMILY, and as a family they stuck together, through illness, war, infamy, and even death.
This book tells an incredible love story, that could beat any novel out there, and proves that life is always more mysterious, magical but also more cruel than fiction. It portrays the Romanovs as a family, and gives you an insight on their lives, their thoughts, their letters, their friends and their sufferings. It also lets you take a peek at Tsarist Russia, its power, its magic, its fancies, its relations with other empires, and many other things.
Robert Massie is an expert on this subject, and you can see that a lot of research went into creating this book.
I gave it 4 stars and not 5 because it is a bit outdated when it comes to the finding and retreaval of the bodies, but this is covered in a latter book by the same author.
Highly recommended, especially is you like history.

Massie certainly deserved the author of the month in the
winter 2000 page on the romanov website.
This book is a remarkable study of the last Tsar, his
family and the Russia they ruled. It is the definite
work in that it portrays Nicholas not only as Tsar of
all the Russias , but as the father, the husband, and
the family man.All these aspects are crucial if we are
to understand the man himself and the steps he took
to command his great empire. It is an extremely fair
work, showing the Tsar's shortcomings as a ruler, but yet
at the same time his humaness, his vulnerability from
his own position.
Massie has excelled himself with this book, and I highly
recommend it to any reader seeking an introduction to
this most fascinating period of Russian history.
There have been criticisms of this book stating that Nicholas
and his reign should have been studied in the context of say, other rulers of the time. This is a granted point, but one I feel
Massie achieves in his commentary of the world spectrum on the
whole particularly in the years 1905 through to the first World
War.To isolate the "family man" from the ruler is impossible -
they were part of each other.
So congratulations to Robert Massie, this book is a very
great achievement!

This is generally considered to be the definitive biography of Tsar Nicholas II and his wife, Alexandra. Massie's expert storytelling is well-suited to the compelling story of the last Russian tsar and his consort. The history of Russia was no doubt changed by the deliberate myopia and general inadquacies of these two people. Nevertheless, Massie manages to uncover a more sympathetic side to the ill-fated duo. Massie's writing is as good as that of any acclaimed novelist - there's a fascinating and fastpaced plot, finely nuanced lead characters, an intriguing supporting cast, all against a beautiful background of a majestic bygone era.

This book was researched and written before the fall of the Soviet empire when the state archives were opened and new information about the Romanovs was revealed. Consequently, this book is necessarily incomplete, especially as concerns the execution of the royal family. Massie has since written another text called "The Romanovs: The Last Chapter" which devels deeply into the newly available data and the forensic studies that followed. Consider it an essential volume II to "Nicholas and Alexandra".

Scott McCloud does a fantastic job explaining the history, potential, and inner workings of comics as a medium. I was especially impressed with his concise descriptions of visual theory and its particular applications to comics. Occasionally I felt that McCloud's treatment of a topic could have been more fleshed-out (the chapter on color, for example, or his concluding idea of comics as a particularly good form of communication) or that he made some unnecessary generalizations (his definition of art was a bit trite and even misleading). On the whole, though, McCloud's ideas are sophisticated and he is able to communicate them with surprising eloquence to both the art historian and the general public. In fact, though I am an art historian, I learned a good deal from this book.

McCloud's decision to use the comic format to present his ideas is ingenious, and I doubt that prose alone would have been able to deliver his messages with such clarity. The one drawback to the format is that I fear it will only appeal to those who already value comics, and that as a result those who most need to hear what McCloud has to say never will!

A very unusual book from McCloud, the writer/artist of the comic Zot! In fact, I'm amazed that McCloud doesn't have a more extensive bibliography, given the wealth of information and insight presented in this volume. Succinctly, this book explains how comics work. Not how they are made, per se, but why the sequential images of a comic are an art form different from books or TV. And McCloud accomplishes this using the very medium he is examining.

I'm a comics fan that stopped buying them because they were putting me in the poor house. McCloud here explained to me how I was initially sucked in by the medium and why I kept reading some of the "worst" examples even while my artistic tastes were changing in other media. While I doubt that I could recreate the same Glen Cox who once wrote letters to comics, I can now reconcile myself with the Glen who still enjoys Howard the Duck and Cerebus (not to mention Zot!).

My friend Phil Yeh has been on a literacy campaign for over five years now, and he gives the following reason for why he dedicated himself to it. He said that he saw the literacy figures for America, and the downward trend, and realized that he was losing more and more of his audience. He felt that the American disdain for comics was missing the point--children who read comics are still reading. Although McCloud makes a strong case for the comic being different from prose, I don't think that he would disagree. And, if the interplay between words and pictures keeps a child reading, what is wrong with that?

Scott McCloud's "Understanding Comics," a creation that sits roughly between comic book and historical literary criticism, is an indispensable work for anyone interested in studying funnybooks seriously. Along with Will Eisner's seminal works on the subject (which I have not read all the way through), "Understanding Comics" uses the graphic-text art form to dissect one of the most rapidly growing trends in both art and literature. In an accessible, readable style, McCloud takes the reader through the history of comics, the definition of comics as a sequential art form involving symbols, and examines several major trends in modern comic-dom.

While there's plenty here for both the casual reader and someone interested in more scholarly study. While it's more of an introduction than an in-depth exploration of comic study, McCloud provides enough resources for someone to continue study on his or her own, and enough seeds to begin sprouting ideas about the funnybooks. Occasionally, he misses the mark - his definition of art, for example, is a little broad - and "Understanding Comics" isn't nearly as well-cited as it could be, but these are easily overlooked flaws.

Especially beneficial is his comparison of Japanese Manga comics with traditional American graphic storytelling, because the two are basically the same medium but evolved almost entirely independent of each other, until the last 15 years or so. I wouldn't recommend it for the Sailor Moon fans, but those that enjoy anime and Manga will find much useful information here, in particular the comparisons between the two comic forms (not so much in any actual study of Manga in and of itself).

I highly recommend "Understanding Comics" to anyone who wants to - well - understand comics. Whether you are interested in the ways Alan Moore tells a story, or want to deconstruct the use of movement in Dave McKean's artwork, or you want to learn why Spiegelman chose certain symbols and styles in his work, "Understanding Comics" gives the reader an excellent springboard to further study.

Final Grade: A-

The reason I rated this book a three, was because it was a good book. It explains some of the things that happen in real life. The book was also sad. I felt bad for what Amalia had to go through. I thought it was boring because it didn't have a lot of suspense. It also had to do with relationships gone bad. The women at the GEAE had been beaten, and Amalia had been in a bad relationship herself. I would recomend this book to 6th, 7th and 8th graders who like to read about romance. Most of the book is about Amalia's relationship with James. Also, a lot of the things Amalia goes through, people have to go through all the time.

I VE JUST READ CD#4. IT IS WONDERFUL.probably one of the best books in the seires.i read sunny &dawn,s diaries first.then ducky &maggie. i never thought that amalias diaries were worth reading.But then i decided to give it a try. iread cd#14 first.and to my surprise i liked it a lot.soi decided to buy another one. this was #4.it was a great success too,because i loved amalias style in writing in her journal,like the drawings.[i LOVE to draw,too].i was glad she got rid of james .i liked it when she decides to face him.ilike her strong personality.i also loved linda and her son mikey. Ann Martin did a wonderful job on that book.what i like most about CALIFORNIA DIARIESis that every one has a different story,problem,style,feelings,circumstances,ideas&personality. ann martin enables the reader to go deep into all this stuff.in amalia diary one we get to know alot about her. she is strong,caring,sarcastic,and awonerful daughter,sister&friend. but ann ,here,in amalias diaries is highligting very serious problemS LIKE BEING of another color[in cd#14and the racists]but in cd#4 she highlights the problem of selfishness which is naturally leading to the idea of OWNING PEOPLE. BETWEEN AMALIA AND JAMES AND its complications of course.selfishness is the problem.every one wants what ishis mind ,like james and LINDAS HUSBAND. BUT IN THE END SELFISHNESS NEVER WINS. CD#4 IS A WONDERFUL BOOK. I RECOMMEND IT TO ALL TEENS.WELL DONE,ANN. AND KEEP THE GOOD WORK.

I like Amalia's courage in dealing with her abusive boyfriend. Good thing she dumps him and her friends and sister stood by her! Bravo! It tells girls that no, they do NOT have to put up with abuse. This book was as good as the BSC "Claudia & the Terrible Truth" which was also about abuse. Have Amalia & Claudia met? They should, they're somewhat alike, being artistic and creative and each having an older sister. The California Diaries delve somewhat deeper because it's in a diary form, but the BSC books are just as great. What I like are the first-person accounts that make you feel as if you're right inside the main character's head. Those who claim the BSC are "goody" ought to read deeper. In some ways the BSC books are diarylike.

You want imagination?..adventure?..a few dabs of science(remember it was written in 1912)?..an ageless hero?..an absolutely beautiful damsel in distress?..a whole new world?..with a language all it's own?..inhabited with strange new creatures?.. friends and foes?..battles royal?..This book, and all 10 or 11 sequels, have it all! ER Burroughs was the early master of science fiction, adventure, and imagination; a man ahead of his time, and he gives the reader a roller-coaster ride of incredible adventures. Join with us now as John Carter meets, rescues,and captures the heart of the INCOMPARABLE Dejah Thoris, Princess of Mars!, and eventually, along with his friend Tars Tarkas, follows suit with the entire red planet, Barsoom to its wild and whacky inhabitants.

Is this intellectual literature?..of course not. Is it non-stop fun and enjoyment, the original page-turner novel?...You bet it is! Pick this book up, start reading, and I guarantee: you won't put it down until you're finished!..and then you'll run out the door and be hunting for the 2nd book in the series, The Gods of Mars, and then # 3, The Warlord of Mars, and on through the series. Be warned: make sure you have access to #'s 2 and 3 before you start The Princess...you'll be sorry if you don't!

I first read the Burroughs Martian novels(there were 10 known to me then) as a graduate student studying Physics, some 40 years ago. They provided the perfect escape from the rigors of courses like Quantum Mechanics and E & M. Now I reread them,and I continue to enjoy. You will too.

Princess of Mars is a fantastic, wild ride. I think everyone makes a mistake though of saying it's just a guys book. I'm a woman, and it was my mother who recommended Princess to me! I think any girl who's interested in science fiction or fantasy would really enjoy this book. Yeah, it was obviously written with adolescent boys in mind but I think anyone can enjoy this wildly imaginative page turner.

The characters are all extremely likable. John Carter is the perfect southern gentleman. Honorable, loyal, incredibly brave, respectful to women, extremely handsome; a perfect hero who is never boorish or conceited. Then there's Sola, one of the few green Martians to show compassion and kindness, and Tars Tarkas(aren't these names so cool?)a ferocious green martian warrior with a tragic past who is also able to feel compassion and love. And I dare anybody to tell me that they wouldn't want a Woola of their very own! Dejah Thoris though is mainly for the guys. Carter's love and devotion for her was really sweet. I didn't even know that this was part of a book series until I read it on amazon and now I am really eager to read the other books of the series. And wasn't the end cool? I don't think I've ever read an ending quite like that before. What Carter found in the cave at the end was very creepy and intriguing. (I won't give out a spoiler)

Although this is pulp fiction and sort of like a comic book in a way,(I can see mothers in 1912 scolding their kids, "That Edgar Rice Burroughs is going to rot your mind if you keep reading it!") it's still light science fiction at it's best! (I'll warn you right off though, please don't expect something deep and complex like Dune or Darkover and post a review whining about it. Princess is purely for fun.) And am I the only one that thinks Princess would make a really awesome movie?

John Carter, Dejah Thoris, Tars Tarkas, they are all here! This is the totally unbelievable story of a man who got transported to Mars basically, because he thought it would be cool to go, so he wished it, and POOF, he's there. Then, there's the fact that the planet itself and the life on it are also completely ridiculous. FORGET ALL THAT! Read it to be swept up in one of the greatest adventure series of all time. John Carter goes to Barsoom (Mars, to the Martians) rescues the most beautiful woman in the universe and (later in the series) conquers an entire world through the power of his will and the strength of his right arm. Handsome, powerful heroes, beautiful half naked captive princesses just panting to be rescued, Villians, so evil you want to go back in time to strangle their parents, Big ugly friends, (What are you laughing at, remember Chewbacca?) strange beasts, stranger aliens, wierd science, epic battles, betrayals, great reunions. This one's got it all. The best of Burroughs' body of work, the most action packed series from the true master of the action story. Edgar Rice Burroughs is the creator of Tarzan. Don't ever pick up his work expecting an intellectual workout. Just get in and hang on for the ride