Fiction & General

Angels - Demons- Special Illustrated Edition

5 stars (angles and demons) - The story talks about Brilliant physicist Leonardo Vetra, who was attempting to use science to prove the existence of God, has been murdered; his eyes plucked out and the society's ancient symbol branded upon his chest. His final discovery, anti-matter, the most powerful and dangerous energy source known to man, has disappeared. Langdon and Vittoria, Vetra's daughter, embark on a frantic hunt through Rome, following a 400-year-old trail to the lair of the Illuminati, to prevent the incineration of civilization. Dan Brown is quite a talent man. This novel is very interesting and exciting. There is a mystery and suspense. It shows comparison between religion and science, as to the relationship between the two supposedly opposing positions. The Illuminati and antimatter are amazing. I strongly believe that you might fall in love with this novel and refuse to stop reading it. Finally, I am looking forward to reading next novel. 5 stars (the Angels have it) - Like millions of people I read THE DA VINCI CODE and loved it so thought I would try ANGELS AND DEMONS. It's a book about secret brotherhoods, religion and dark assassins. Once again the central character is Robert Langdon. It's a brilliant read. ALSO if you like religious thrillers, I highly recommend STEALING FROM ANGELS by Brian Dullaghan. I would say these are my best two books for 2005. 5 stars (Incredible Read!) - This, along with The da Vinci Code, is one of my new favorite books. It follows Robert Langdon on the trail of a killer and a madman threatening to use a deadly weapon to blow up Vatican City. Dan Brown is an amazing suspense/thriller/mystery author and I'm looking forward to The Solomon Key. While I'm not sure when that'll be coming out, I'm looking forward to the da Vinci Code movie (starring Tom Hanks) and I'm planning on reading more of Brown's books. This book is highly recommended. If you've read The da Vinci Code, you may find yourself enjoying this on...
Atria :: Fiction & General :: Thrillers :: Suspense :: Religious educators :: Popes :: Physicists :: Mystery&Suspense :: Mystery & Detective - General :: Fiction - Espionage & :: Angels - Demons- Special Illustrated Edition

The Magic of Thinking Big

5 stars (The magic of thinking big) - (short and sweet) I read lots of self help books, this was by far the best book, I've ever read. "Two thumbs way up!" 5 stars (An Easy and Insightful Read...) - This is a quick and easy read that is sure to have at least a few points any reader can get benefit from. 4 stars (Rob I.) - Excellent read loaded with useful, practical information. Laid out in a clear concise fashion, this book really gets to the essence of what it takes to achieve your dreams. Perhaps, one of the best I've ever seen in the self-help arena. ...
Fireside :: Fiction & General :: Success :: Psychology :: General :: David Schwartz :: :: The Magic of Thinking Big

Jonathan Livingston Seagull

5 stars ("... you are free.") - Since reading this book, I've urged everyone I know to give it a look. It is a (very) short story, but one that delivers. Anyone who reads it with an open mind will come away at least a little changed, for the better. Enjoy. 5 stars (A basic book for any colection) - I bought this book to read to my kids. I didn't read it until I was in High School and I whished I had read it when I was younger. 5 stars (Inspiring) - This book is about a seagull by the name of Jonathan who pursues his dreams overcoming all limitations. This book shall leave a lasting impression on your mind. Richard Bach tries to convey the message that `impossible is nothing'. Through willpower and constant practice, we can exceed all limitation that we have self-imposed on ourselves. Perfection doesn't have limits. Two words best describe this book- thought provoking and inspiring. ...
Avon :: Fiction & General :: Literary :: Gulls :: General :: Fiction - General :: Fiction :: Richard Bach :: :: Jonathan Livingston Seagull

The Zahir - A Novel of Obsession

1 stars (Narcissism ne plus ultra) - This guy is so self referential that I kept reading mostly from complete astonishment. I bought this because I had five minutes and twenty choices in an airport; why do other people do it? It is self indulgent navel gazing drivel. Mary 3 stars (Not my Coelho's favourate) - The Zahir did not mesmarize me like Coelho's other books. It is not that it is a bad book, not at all, but I just found it to be below my expectation from a book by Paulo Coelho. 5 stars (A FABULOUS FABULIST COMPELLINGLY READ) - British stage, film and TV actor Jamie Glover gives a sterling performance, immediately intriguing listeners with a mesmerizing story of obsession. Told in the first person by a nameless narrator, Glover ably carries us along on a journey, a search not only for a loved one but also perhaps for meaning, answers to the riddle of life. The narrator is a successful author living in Paris with his wife, Esther, who is an accomplished journalist, a war correspondent. She has just returned from Iraq only to disappear again. It's not known whether she ran away or was kidnaped, whether she is alive or dead. She was last seen with a man younger than she, a man who hid his true identity but was known as Mikhail. Could he be her lover? According to author Coelho the idea of the zahir stems from the Islamic tradition, it means "incapable of going unnoticed. It can refer to an object or a person, and that object or person gradually takes over our every thought, until we are unable to think of anything else. This could be considered a state of holiness or a state of madness." We'll leave it to the listener to decide which description is most appropriate for our narrator as he undertakes a journey to find Esther. He knows that she felt a deep unrest and was unsatisfied with her life, although he cannot comprehend why. He was stunned when she announced that she wanted to become a war correspondent, yet he also understood that h...
HarperCollins :: Fiction & General :: Portuguese (Language) Contemporary Fiction :: Literary :: General :: Fiction - General :: Fiction :: Brazilian Novel And Short Story :: Paulo C :: The Zahir - A Novel of Obsession

Lamb - The Gospel According to Biff- Christ-s Childhood Pal

5 stars (funny and intelligent- it hurts!!) - This is one of the funnier books I have read in a long time. My family kept coming in the room to see what I was laughing at. Someone gave me this book when I was really ill and the laughter was sorely needed. It served it's purpose. Even to the religious, I imagine it would be hard not to laugh. If you can't laugh at yourself... especially when someone is so intelligently poking fun at you? Then it's just a shame- because this book is too funny to be missed... it has been circulated through my family and friends and everyone has had a good laugh! 5 stars (Biff is THE MAN) - I laughed out loud until it hurt - and it felt great. I would never have left xtianity if the followers I encountered were full of the good humor Biff displays. For all of the laughs, there are also insights to be gainned here as to how to answer the obnoxiouly overused question of WWJD? 4 stars (Laugh out loud, wet your pants funny!!) - If you want to read a book that will make you laugh until you cry, read 'Lamb'. This the book that will make you laugh so hard, that others around you will think your crazy. The subject matter is irreverant, but meant in fun. I really don't think anyone would be offended. Biff, is the loveable idiot friend of Jesus. And what an idiot he is! I love that guy. ...
Harper Paperbacks :: Fiction & General :: Religious - General :: N T :: N T :: Jesus Christ :: History of Biblical events :: Historical - General :: Gospels :: Friends and associates :: Fi :: Lamb - The Gospel According to Biff- Christ-s Childhood Pal

Ishmael- An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit

3 stars (No doubt about it, we're screwed.) - What you should remember when reading this is that it is simply one way of looking at things, one opinion, one way of looking at humankind and where we're headed. After I finished reading this, I thought "no way, the Goddess will save us." And I sure as hell hope She does because this book points out what nobody wants to hear: we're doomed. So why not just kick back and enjoy life and leave the worries to the next generations? Because think about it. If you got inoperable cancer from a certain type of toothpaste, wouldn't you try to stop others from using said toothpaste so that they too wouldn't get inoperable cancer? That's why this book is important. 5 stars (Really Good) - Lots of people have summarized it so I wont waste my time. This book is fantastic and really good book for anyone. I think it should be required in school. If you dont like this book, you did not have an open mind and that is the only thing you can have when you read this book. READ IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 5 stars (Wow. Just wow.) - Upon finishing this book (for the second time because once wasn't enough), I promptly sent the below email to everyone in my address book. It says everything a reveiw needs. You should read this book. Everyone should read this book. The name of the book is "Ishmael" and it's author is Daniel Quinn. I won't tell you much about it because any words I would use would make it sound foolish and it is quite the opposite. It is fiction, non-fiction, history, and future all rolled into one. I finished it a week ago, looked at it in wonderment, turned it over and read it again. The basis of the book is the response of a disgruntled, disillusioned gentleman to an ad in the personals section of the paper: "Teacher seeks pupil... Apply in person. Must have earnest desire to save the world." The story is simply the philisophical dialogue that follows between he and his teacher about "how things came to be this way" and what to do about...
Bantam :: Fiction & General :: Psychological :: Literary :: Fiction - General :: Fiction :: Fantasy - General :: Fantasy :: Daniel Quinn :: :: Ishmael- An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit

The Celestine Prophecy

1 stars (Atrocious) - This is one of the worst books I've ever read - a real struggle to finish due to its kindergarten plot, poor proof reading and hippy "message". No idea why its so popular - its like it was written by a 13 year old. 1 stars (Pure Comedy) - This is quite possibly the worst (AND FUNNIEST) book I have ever read. I actually read this book while in Peru (where most of the story takes place) and I can most assuredly say that the author has never been to Peru. His descriptions of the country are vague at best. For instance, he describes a field of Oak trees at one point. I travelled extensively through Peru and in my entire time saw not one Oak tree. Redfield's views on history and culture are entirely ethnocentric. In fact, almost every vague point he makes in regards to history revolves totally around western society. Redfield wants so hard to come off as deep and spiritual in this book and just comes off as an absolute flake. However, this book is very funny to read. It is so bad that my friend and I would actually take turns reading it to each other and end up on the ground laughing. If you are actually looking for a book with substance, I suggest a book called The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran. A true masterpiece- something that The Celestine Prophecy is most definately not. 5 stars (Insights to live by) - My daughter sent me this book while I was in Alaska. I found the story exciting, and was unable to put it down untill I had finished. I bought several copies to send to my children in the lower 48. The insights confirmed my beliefs and I have re-read it several times. I have also read the Secret of Sahmbhala and The Tenth Insight ...
Warner Books :: Fiction & General :: Visionary & Metaphysical :: General :: Fiction - General :: Fiction :: James Redfield :: :: The Celestine Prophecy

Fallen

4 stars (They're Only Human, After All) - " Fallen ", Daivd Maine's newest work of fiction, illuminates the reader with a powerful and in-depth interpretation of the Bible's account of the first family. He thoroughly explores the psychology of the emotions that drove Adam, Eve, Cain, and Abel, revealing them for what they are, the basis for all humankind. He begins the novel at "the end" and slowly unravels the mysteries behind their motives as each chapter progresses toward "the beginning." This book satisfies the curiosity of anyone who has ever wondered "why" with regards to the story of the first family of dysfunction and the original fall from grace. 5 stars (" Fallen " as sacred as the religious text from which this story is adapted) - David Maine's narration of the story of Cain and Abel in his latest masterpiece, " Fallen ", is perhaps as precious as the age-old biblical tale from which he draws inspiration. Once again, Maine revamps the seemingly familiar religious text into an accessible, heart-warming and witty account of two brothers struggling to understand each other. Captured in varying first-hand narratives, Adam, Eve, Cain and Abel offer individual perspectives about the value of love, sin, and one's inherent responsibility to God ultimately shedding a whole new light upon the Garden of Eden and the aftermath that ensues. ...
St Martin-s Press :: Fiction & General :: Religious - Biblical :: O T :: O T :: History of Biblical events :: Genesis :: General :: Fiction - Religious :: Fiction - General :: Fiction :: Fal :: Fallen

The Time of the Uprooted

4 stars (A deeply moving meditation on hope and despair) - Elie Wiesel's THE TIME OF THE UPROOTED shouldn't work. With its sudden shifts in point of view, disturbingly eloquent children, truncated storylines and generally convoluted, if scanty, plot, the book should be a disappointment. But the Nobel Prize winner's meditation on despair and hope in the face of both the unthinkable and the mundane is deeply moving. Wiesel (and his translator, David Hapgood) skillfully controls the mood of the work, immersing the reader in the sadness of Gamaliel Friedman, a man whose life has been a series of struggles. A childhood spent in hiding from the Nazis and an adulthood spent in unhappy romances have left Gamaliel irreparably harmed. Spiritual issues are pervasive in this book. A ghostwriter, Gamaliel is at work on a story of his own centered on a conflict between a rabbi and a priest. He is also enamored of a rabbi seeking to force the arrival of the Messiah. And he is preoccupied with a woman, near death, who he imagines might be the woman who protected him as a child. Each interlocking piece of his life adds heft to the book's spiritual themes. Gamaliel's relationships with women, central to the story, are almost cursorily described. Each seems a rich vein of material that Wiesel barely mines. Indeed, the same could be said of many of the plot points. THE TIME OF THE UPROOTED often feels like a slimmed down version of a potentially more ornately layered tale. Ultimately, however, Wiesel stirs the reader's emotions with economy and power. --- Reviewed by Rob Cline ([...]) 5 stars (excellent but desolate look at humanity) - In 1939, Germany is cleansing Czechoslovakia of the Jewish problem forcing the Friedmans to flee their home for Hungary. The Nazis soon march into Budapest where they continue to implement the final solution. Hoping to keep their son safe, the Friedmans leave their child Gamaliel with a young Christian cabaret singer Ilonka. She keeps him saf...
Knopf :: Fiction & General :: Wiesel :: Elie - Prose & Criticism :: Literary :: Jews :: Jewish children in the Holocaust :: Jewish children in the Holocau :: Holocaust :: Jewi :: The Time of the Uprooted

John Gardner-s -Grendel-- A Study Guide from Gale-s -Novels for Students- Volume 03- Chapter 9

John Gardner's "Grendel": A Study Guide from Gale's "Novels for Students" (Volume 03, Chapter 9)...
The Gale Group :: General :: Fiction & General :: Fiction :: :: John Gardner-s -Grendel-- A Study Guide from Gale-s -Novels for Students- (Volume 03- Chapter 9)

Birnbaum-s Walt Disney World 2005 - Expert Advice from the Inside Source Birnbaum-s Walt Disney Wor

5 stars (Excellent Read, Great Information) - I love this book. It was the very first guide that I read. However, it has to be taken in perspective. This book is even better en tandem with The Unofficial Guide. Then you have all the information you could possibly need. The Unofficial Guide provides much needed balance, to the official line. This book will get you excited and high as a kite about your trip- which is great. It will tell you about all the wonderful things there are to do and great opportunities that are largely missed. The Unofficial will then proceed to give you a reality check about them and help you set realistic goals and have realistic expectations. This helps so that you're not disappointed. I used these two guides plus the Passporter (for organization) and we had the best trip in the world. We went in August, stayed on property, got around without having to rent a car or wait in long lines in the heat. We saw people looking like they were gonna pass out from heat exhaustion, but we sailed through our trip like a breeze and can't wait to go again. I read Fodor's, Frommer's (excluding the Irrevernt Guide), the Everything Guide, Rita Aero's,Eyewitness (waste of paper), Hassle Free Disney and tons more thru the years- NONE of the others are needed. The best plans are in the Unofficial guide, the best maps are in the official, the best planner is in the Passporter. The others were not used and not needed and a big waste of money. 5 stars (EXCELLENT INFORMATION) - Book is #1 to me. So informative, a must have for first timers or people who have been time and time again. 4 stars (Very good book, but wait for the 2006 edition.) - This book has lots of useful information. The book is somewhat dated already. I realize that Disney changes frequently. If you are planning a trip for the end of 2005 or 2006 I would wait for the 2006 book to be released. ...
Disney Editions :: Juvenile Nonfiction & General :: United States - South - South Atlantic (General) :: Travel - General :: Travel :: Special Interest - Family :: Parks & Campgrou :: Birnbaum-s Walt Disney World 2005 - Expert Advice from the Inside Source (Birnbaum-s Walt Disney Wor

The Imagineering Field Guide to Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World

5 stars (A Treasure Trove of Imagineering Insider Info in a Small Space) - The entire point of imagineering anything is to convey a story in a consistent and complete manner. How this is done is the subject of several imagineering books. For the newcomer, the book simply entitled Imagineering is it. For the next stage of imagineer-wannabe, there is the Field Guide. Take a guided tour of the Magic Kingdom land by land, attraction by attraction and learn what goes into making it all work cohesively and seemlessly. This is an absolutely essential component to anyone's library of Disneyana or, more in general, anyone's library of the creative process. This is supposed to be the first in a series of Imagineering Field Guides and I cannot wait until the next ones are published. Good Show. ...
Disney Editions :: Juvenile Fiction & General :: Travel - United States :: Travel :: Special Interest - Family :: Parks & Campgrounds :: The Disney Imagineers :: :: The Imagineering Field Guide to Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World