The Notebook
by Nicholas Sparks
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 December, 1999)
list price: $12.95 -- our price: $10.36
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

"Somewhere," muses Noah Calhoun, while sitting on his porch in the moonight, "there were people making love." Anyway, head elsewhere for Great Literature, but if you're in the market to get your heartstrings plucked, look no further. The Notebook, a Southern-fried story of love-lost-and-found-again, revolves around a single time-honored romantic dilemma: will beautiful Allison Nelson stay with Mr. Respectability (to whom she happens to be engaged), or will she hook up with Noah, the romantic rascal she left so many years ago?We're not telling, but you have two guesses and the first one doesn't count. Decades later, after Allison develops Alzheimer's, her beau uses "the notebook" to read her the story of the great love she's plumb forgot. The Notebook--film rights already sold, thank you very much--is a little glazed doughnut of a book: sticky- sweet, satisfying, not much nourishment. But who cares? Take an extra vitamin and indulge. ... Read more

Reviews (1285)

Great book
THE NOTEBOOK by Nicholas Sparks, is a fantastic book!! I would advise anyone to read it. It starts off in a nursing home, a little strange for a romance story. Then the end of the book returns to the nursing home which explains it all. This is the story of a man and woman who experience something so powerful, so real they never forget it. All throughout their daily lives they looked for that certain aspect in every individual they dated, but sadly they could not find it. Until one day Allie spots where Noah is and she heads off in his direction. They meet and sparks fly. Who does Allie chose? her fiancé or her one true love. You'll have to read and see!! Great book! You must also try McCrae's CHILDREN'S CORNER and the wonderful MERMAID CHAIR.

Shallow Romance
A boy and a girl meet when they are in high school and experience a summer of bliss.Then she leaves town. He writes but she never writes back.
Fast forward to their late twenties. He has returned home after a war, restored a house, is conveniently single and his life is going nowhere. So guess what?She shows up out of the blue, and surprise!After a couple of heavy "will they or won't they" scenes, they start making out like bunnies. Then we discover that she's about to marry someone else.So the groom comes to town and .... abdicates!
Fast forward another 40 or 50 years to a nursing home where the happily married couple is living out their dotage.She is in the advanced stages of Alzheimer's. But at the end of a day of poetry reading and ardent wooing he induces her to become lucid enough to recognize him.And guess what?They make out like bunnies!(This is an over-simplification, because I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise ending!)
What is it that attracts them to each other - aside from good sex?If this is just another whirlwind romance, what has kept the marriage together for all those years when so many other marriages ended in divorce?The only possible answer put forward by the author is ... good sex.
This is a comic book story with one dimensional characters and plot developments that serve only to keep a good thing (sex) rolling.It's a story about enduring sexual attraction; nothing more.If after reading this review you haven't yet given up on the Notebook, I suggest you rent the movie - it's quicker and cheaper.

Playing It Safe
It takes a certain kind of reader to enjoy a Nicholas Sparks book like "The Notebook".Basically it takes someone who can overlook the pedestrian writing, the cliche characters and story, and the lack of anything to say that hasn't been said before.That's not me.

"The Notebook" is like that old security blanket or favorite stuffed toy we all had as a kid.It's warm and fuzzy and doesn't challenge us or threaten us.It's comfortable and familiar.It won't make you think, but it will reach for the lowest common denominator and tug at your heartstrings.

In other words, if all you're looking for is something warm and fluffy to read on the airplane or beach then "The Notebook" will do nicely.It won't challenge your view of reality or burst your bubble.And if you're in a certain kind of mood the end might make you cry.(I was not in that mood.)It's a book that doesn't take risks in any way.So if that's all you want, it will fit the bill.

I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that.We all have different needs and goals.Some people have thrown off the security blanket and prefer to take some risks.Some people prefer substance and quality writing.But many people don't and that's perfectly fine too.Just decide what kind of reader you are and what kind of reader you want to be before deciding if "The Notebook" is right for you.

That's as helpful as I can be. ... Read more

Isbn: 0446676098
Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. General    3. Historical - General    4. Movie / TV Tie-Ins    5. Fiction / Historical   

Reason for Hope : A Spiritual Journey
by Jane Goodall, Phillip Berman
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 October, 2000)
list price: $14.95 -- our price: $10.47
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

As a young woman, Jane Goodall was best known for her groundbreaking fieldwork with the chimpanzees of Gombe, Africa. Goodall's work has always been controversial, mostly because she broke the mold of research scientist by developing meaningful relationships with her "specimens" and honoring their lives as she would other humans.

Now at the age of 60, she continues to break the mold of scientist by revealing how her research and worldwide conservation institutes spring from her childhood callings and adult spiritual convictions. Reason for Hope is a smoothly written memoir that does not shy away from facing the realities of environmental destruction, animal abuse, and genocide. But Goodall shares her antidote to the poison of despair with specific examples of why she has not lost faith. For instance, she shares her spiritual epiphany during a visit to Auschwitz; her bravery in the face of chimpanzee imprisonment in medical laboratories; and devotes a whole chapter to individuals, corporations, and countries that are doing the right thing. But most of all Goodall provides a beautifully written plea for why everyone can and must find a reason for hope. --Gail Hudson ... Read more

Reviews (37)

a place for Jane to dump her old diary entries
Boring and overly senamental.
I couldn't even finish this book because I was so tired of reading exerpts from Jane Goodall's childhood journals.SOme of her poems were cute and amusing, but I couldn't help feeling that I was trapped into reading her old diaries...I can only compare it to being a cordial guest at someone's dinner party and being stuck looking at all their old photo albums...
but...it is Jane Goodall and she has a good heart and message...if you can stand the sentimental quaintness of this book.

Great
She has such an wonderful way of presenting herself and her ideas. She is the opposite of arrogance!
I like the way this reviewer put it:

"Jane made an amazing and commendable effort to be honest and humble with her readers, sharing her deepest and seemingly most private thoughts, which all have played a part in shaping her life and character. anyone will appreciate this book, be they from a scientific, animal welfare, spiritual or casual background."

She is not boastful, but sticks to her points. Her honesty reminds me of my father's honesty about life.

A DIFFERENT APPROACH
When it comes to issues concerning animals and the environment, most people have a hard time staying cool. But from the minute I heard Jane Goodall speak back in my freshman year of college, to the second I finished reading this book, I knew that I?d found a new role model?A gentle, contemplative, and fiercely intelligent role model.

It?s Jane Goodall?s calm, sensitive approach to effecting change that made her life extraordinary, and made Reason for Hope a pleasure to read. In this book she tells a story, woven with memories, lessons learned, and quiet introspection.

From her blissful youth overshadowed by World War II, to her peaceful days in Gombe surrounded by violence, Jane struggled to understand the sharp contrast between her life and those of others. Her compassion was not limited to people?it was amplified by her love of animals and appreciation for nature.

But you?ll never find Jane Goodall protesting on the streets. You?ll never find her raiding animal laboratories in the middle of the night and freeing its prisoners. Instead, you?ll see her chatting quietly with the ?bad guys,? sharing her experiences in such a humble and non-threatening way that they don?t even realize how much it?s changed the way they see things. Jane has the ability to take a step back and analyze her observations logically without losing sight of or being overcome by the emotions that started it all. She writes:

?Real change will come only from within; laws and regulations are useful, but sadly easy to flout. So I keep the anger?which of course I feel?as hidden and controlled as possible. I try to reach gently into their hearts? (p. 270)

This is what makes her unique among most of the scientists and activists we see today.

?Not that her story will resonate with everyone. Even I didn?t identify with some of her religious speculations, or the little poems scattered throughout the book. I was particularly put off by her call for a ?moral society,? driven by her belief that ?We will have to evolve, all of us, from ordinary, everyday human beings?into saints! Ordinary people, like you and me, will have to become saints, or at least mini-saints?? (p. 200). It?s not that I don?t believe it?s possible?I just don?t think turning 6 billion people into saints is the most effective way to go about doing things.

Then again, what I appreciate most about Jane Goodall is her approach, and not necessarily the beliefs that underlie them. In dealing with issues that are so often drenched with emotions, Jane Goodall remains an example of how to handle things both gracefully and objectively. This is something we could all stand to learn.
... Read more

Isbn: 0446676136
Subjects:  1. 1934-    2. Biography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Body, Mind & Spirit    5. England    6. Goodall, Jane,    7. New Age    8. Religious    9. Scientists - General    10. Spiritual biography    11. Spiritual life    12. Spiritualism - General    13. Women    14. Body, Mind & Spirit / Spiritualism   

Songlines, The
by BruceChatwin
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 June, 1988)
list price: $13.95 -- our price: $11.16
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

The late Bruce Chatwin carved out a literary career as unique as any writer's in this century: his books included In Patagonia, a fabulist travel narrative, The Viceroy of Ouidah, a mock-historical tale of a Brazilian slave-trader in 19th century Africa, and The Songlines, his beautiful, elegiac, comic account of following the invisible pathways traced by the Australian aborigines. Chatwin was nothing if not erudite, and the vast, eclectic body of literature that underlies this tale of trekking across the outback gives it a resonance found in few other recent travel books. A poignancy, as well, since Chatwin's untimely death made The Songlines one of his last books. ... Read more

Reviews (45)

Chatwin's Novel Blends Anthropology and Philosophy
Chatwin's Songlines investigates the essence of humanity's interactions and impulses in a accessible, storytelling prose. Chatwin has no difficulty in using the roots of the Aborigine culture as a stage to incorporate his far reaching notes and theories on the human species' instinctual needs. The concept that humans act with primordal instincts establishes the foundation for Chatwin's thesis that the interactions and social structures of nomadic or less civilized societies can indicate the needs people have for movement, defensive social agreements (companionship)for survival, and self recognition through knowledge of one's surroundings.
Chatwin builds upon his discriptions of the Aboriginal culture with memoirs from his other interactions with different cultures to develop a universal message about the human condition. He further punctuates his message with anecdotes and notes that can be a slight nuisance to read while attempting to finish the story, but add fascinating background information and perspective from many of Chatwin's most influential sources.
The Songlines is aproximately 300 pages, but is such a stimulating read it can be finished in only two or three sittings and easily within a week.

could of been
The Songlines is unfortunately two books in one and they do not really gel.Each separately would of received more stars.It starts quite well as a narrative of his time in Alice Springs and the aboriginal culture he explored.This is very readable and quite educational (and would of scored 4 -5 stars).Unfortunely at about halfway through books he starts putting in little quotes in sequence often for 20 - 30 pages which interupts the story line of the other 'book'.He really should of pulled the quotes out and built them into a second novel. In the end though the book became a struggle to read because it no longer flowed

Chatwin finally throws down his theories on nomadism
Late on in the Songlines, Bruce Chatwin writes: 'Before coming to Australia, I'd often talk about the Songlines and people would inevitably be reminded of something else'. This sentence seems to sum up 'The Songlines'. The book begins as a travelogue of Chatwin's travels across Australia, written in a clean, crisp, pared down style - reminiscient of Hemmingway, one of Chatwin's foremost influences. He attempts to unravel the stories behind the Aboriginal songlines but does this in a roundabout way, largely talking to non Aboriginal experts such as Arkady, the son of a Ukranian exile rather than Aboriginals themselves.
Approximately halfway through the book, the Songlines turns into a repository for a vast array of extracts from Chatwin's notebooks, chronicling his lifetime of travels. An enchanting jambouree of quotes from famous thinkers anthropological and psychological theories on the innate nomadic instincts of man, witty recollections of conversations Chatwin encountered with characters on the road and even what appears to be an alternative story of the fall of man, stemming from the Biblical story of the sedentary Cain murdering Abel, his footloose brother, thus setting in place the destruvtive history of civilised man, choosing to settle in one place rather than wander according to his natural instincts.
The Songlines appears to be the filtered product of Chatwin's failed attempt to write a book on nomads. As he explains in one of his notebook entries, the following Chinese ode taught him the futility of this: 'Useless to ask a wandering man advice on the construction of a house. The work will never come to completion'. The result is a work of immense scope but rather limited structure and coherence. As if Chatwin towards the end of his life, exasperated with how to present the vast quantity of material he had accumulated on travel and wandering, decided to throw it all down at once saying 'here it is, make of it what you will'.
Consequently, I am not sure exactly what to make of the Songlines. For more scholarly, coherent theories on the themes Chatwin explores in this book, I suppose it would be better to read the works of some of the gurus, such as the African archeologist Bob Brain, that Chatwin probed for knowledge throughout his travelling life. But for an interesting mixture of potted theories on nomadism and a well crafted travel journal that really brings out the dry heat and bush scrub of Central Australia, the Songlines is extremely entertaining. ... Read more

Isbn: 0140094296
Subjects:  1. 1940-1989    2. Aboriginal Australians    3. Australia    4. Australia & Oceania - Australia    5. Chatwin, Bruce,    6. Description and travel    7. Essays & Travelogues    8. General    9. History - General History    10. Politics/International Relations    11. Social life and customs    12. Travel    13. Chatwin, Bruce    14. Ethnic studies    15. Journeys    16. Social Science / General    17. Travel writing   

Tracks (Vintage Departures)
by ROBYN DAVIDSON
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (30 May, 1995)
list price: $14.00 -- our price: $11.20
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Reviews (25)

This Is a True Travel Classic
This is an incredible book: a young woman, wanting to discover what she's capable of, chooses the most ambitious quest she can think of: crossing the Australian Outback by camel. Alone. Her journey is a true inspiration, full of challenges and setbacks and glorious victories. We actually watch, through the course of her difficult journey, how Robyn starts to embrace her authenticity and inner power. It felt like such a privilege to share this journey with her. Not surprisingly, her book has been listed by such places as Travel & Leisure and National Geographic Adventure magazine as one of the best adventure books of all time.

A caveat: If you're a reader who is wary of introspection, wary of exploring emotions and motivation, you probably won't like this book. You may find it "boring," or it may irritate or annoy you. Interestingly, some readers still expect their travel books to be one-dimensional displays of machismo or daring (written by men, preferably, who know how to properly contain their emotionality), with no mention of fears or self-scrutiny, etc. For those readers, I suggest picking up some Robert Byron or Wilfred Thesiger or Jack London. But for anyone who wants a story written by an authentic author not afraid to admit vulnerability during the journey, not afraid to discuss her inner workings, then Robyn Davidson is the best of the best.

the outback, a faithful dog, 4 camels and aboriginal magic
There are few adventurous people that by-pass the luxury of their diesel-pushers to experience the likes of what Robyn Davidson embarks on as the challenge of a lifetime.That is precisely what makes this book so phenomenal.

Granted, this adventure took place in 1980, but the age of the event changes nothing of the experience.

Roughly structured, and for her reasons only, she embarks on a 1,700 mile trek across the outback to the ocean from Alice Springs.Her transportation?Camels!

The most fascianting part of this trip is she must learn about these amazing creatures from scratch.She moves to Alice Springs and sets forth to find those that are willing to teach her the camel business. Some of these teachers are of worthy content and impart essential knowledge.Robyn, however appears to be a natural with these animals, and a relationship with them developes that draws the reader into the story and through every foot of the trip.Herchosen camels have strong personalities.Her unique writing style capture their wonderful, quirkyattitudes that lures the reader in a feeling of acquiantance.It is not difficult to feel her fondness of these creatures and her heartbreak when difficult times develope. Her sincere appreciation and love for the camels provides delightful distraction and imparts great humor and solice on her desert quest.

Special mention must be made to her best female friend, Diggity. This incredible dog was her lifeline and her mainstay through many trying days and nights in the bush.Diggity's personality was beautifully captured by Robyn's recollections and will tweak the heart of any dog lover.

Robyn's ability to bring the aboriginal people and outback to life as she treks across it's vastness is truly astounding.After I finished her book, I immediately went back to amazon.com and ordered every single book and reference she wrote.Her amazing zest and appreciation for the life in th outback of Australia was exhilarating.I urge you to read a truly moving, tear jerking, humorous, insightful and generally captivating novel that bespeaks of the ultimate travel experience one can ever hope to conjure.Thank you Robyn!!

Highly recommended for an enhanced reading experience:

_From Alice to Ocean; Alone Across the Outback_photographed by Rick Smolan; with excerpts from Robyn Davidson's bestselling _Tracks_

Fascinating story
It was few years ago. I was in college back home in Poland where I spent most of my time reading & dreaming about Down Under. When I grabbed the book from the library's shelf I knew that it will change my life forever.I've always wanted to go there and cross the country from north to south and east to west. Davidson's powerful story gave me a courage to realize that my dreams are likely to come true. Even though I made a stop in the United States, where I've been living over 2 years now, I'm on my way to the beautiful place, to my place, my idea fix - Australia. And if it wasn't for her personal struggle I woludn't even imagine myself going there. I'm on my way... ... Read more

Isbn: 0679762876
Sales Rank: 184630
Subjects:  1. 1950-    2. Australia    3. Australia & Oceania - General    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Davidson, Robyn,    6. Description and travel    7. Essays & Travelogues    8. Travel    9. Travel - General    10. Davidson, Robyn    11. Journeys    12. Travel / Australia & Oceania    13. Reading Group Guide   

A Walk in the Woods : Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail (Official Guides to the Appalachian Trail)
by Bill Bryson
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (04 May, 1999)
list price: $14.95 -- our price: $10.47
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

Bill Bryson has made a living out of traveling and then writing about it. In The Lost Continent he re-created the road trips of his childhood; in Neither Here nor There he retraced the route he followed as a young backpacker traversing Europe. When this American transplant to Britain decided to return home, he made a farewell walking tour of the British countryside and produced Notes from a Small Island. Once back on American soil and safely settled in New Hampshire, Bryson once again hears the siren call of the open road--only this time it's a trail. The Appalachian Trail, to be exact. In A Walk in the Woods Bill Bryson tackles what is, for him, an entirely new subject: the American wilderness. Accompanied only by his old college buddy Stephen Katz, Bryson starts out one March morning in north Georgia, intending to walk the entire 2,100 miles to trail's end atop Maine's Mount Katahdin.

If nothing else, A Walk in the Woods is proof positive that the journey is the destination. As Bryson and Katz haul their out-of-shape, middle-aged butts over hill and dale, the reader is treated to both a very funny personal memoir and a delightful chronicle of the trail, the people who created it, and the places it passes through. Whether you plan to make a trip like this one yourself one day or only care to read about it, A Walk in the Woods is a great way to spend an afternoon. --Alix Wilber ... Read more

Reviews (809)

Very uneven and sometimes preachy
This not a bad book. Sections of it are quite enjoyable, in fact, but an uneven writing style and lapses into preachiness (even when appropriate) keep it from being a better book. I don't mind some commentary about the absurdity of things, but it comes a bit too often in a book supposedly about walking the Appalachian Trail.

There is some profanity, more annoying due to its sudden use after some time without it than the fact that it's there at all. It's almost like Bryson thought, "Hey, I haven't been crude in a few pages so let me throw in a couple of pertinent words."

Overall, I wouldn't recommend this as a book to purchase - check your local library for a copy.

Funny and enlightening
My Dad handed me this little book, grinned and said, "Read this." The grin told me that there was no way to refuse his order. I'm an outdoors guy all the way but I've seen a fair share of passing winters and have collected a bunch of pounds that I would love to "walk off along the trail" like Mr. Katz. I also know that it isn't as easy as it sounds. I laughed to the point of tears when Katz explained that nearly the entire contents of his backback had been "flung" during the first day of strenuous hiking. Endeavors that may have once been a light hearted flight of fancy can be pretty rough after 20 or so years of TV and microwave popcorn. I suppose that's when I saw the wonderful introspection of Bryson's writing start to creep in. He doesn't just start pounding you in the head with sweeping pronouncements about what is wrong with things. No, this brilliant fellow makes you laugh your head off at personal ego and withering human fraility and THEN he starts making you think about the bigger picture. By the time these guys were slogging through the Hundred Mile Wilderness in Maine, I wanted to leap off the couch with mosquito netting and huge cans of OFF! to help them. I loved the humor Bryson puffed out of this book and I also got caught up in the future and the bizzare bureacratic politics of maintaining the AT for those who wish to experience it. I hope it manages to survive intact until I can drag my grinning father out to witness at least a portion of it for a little "Walk in the Woods". Thanks Dad, this book meant a lot to me.

Intelligent & Funny
I love Bryson's wry self-depricating humor, his perspecacious wit, and amazing ability to bring me into his experience. This is a great summer read. ... Read more

Isbn: 0767902521
Subjects:  1. Appalachian Trail    2. Description and travel    3. Essays & Travelogues    4. Natural history    5. Travel    6. Travel - United States    7. United States - General    8. United States - Northeast - General    9. United States - South - East South Central (General)    10. Travel / United States / General   

Into Thin Air : A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster
by JON KRAKAUER
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (06 April, 1998)
list price: $7.99
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

Into Thin Air is a riveting first-hand account of a catastrophic expedition up Mount Everest. In March 1996, Outside magazine sent veteran journalist and seasoned climber Jon Krakauer on an expedition led by celebrated Everest guide Rob Hall. Despite the expertise of Hall and the other leaders, by the end of summit day eight people were dead. Krakauer's book is at once the story of the ill-fated adventure and an analysis of the factors leading up to its tragic end. Written within months of the events it chronicles, Into Thin Air clearly evokes the majestic Everest landscape. As the journey up the mountain progresses, Krakauer puts it in context by recalling the triumphs and perils of other Everest trips throughout history. The author's own anguish over what happened on the mountain is palpable as he leads readers to ponder timeless questions. ... Read more

Reviews (1314)

Que libro!
5 stars is short for this book, after reading It makes you feel quite dizzy, about how death can close so fast up there on a mountain, all of a sudden.

Nothing that an outsider expectator may say can change or diminish what is related here, about what happened on the spring of 96 at the top of World.

But I want to leave two messages, first for Beck Weathers, if you ever read this lines, I really would be proud for that, you define the term for endurance and principles.In my opinion Americans like you founded your country, and might stay at the TOP of United States too!!, I hope some day I could give you a hug personally, I never seen a survivor treated that bad!!... Sorry.

The other message is for Jon Krakauer, as an Ecuadorian Climber, and as a human I must say, forget that guilty feeling, after what you survived up there, you must thank God that you are still alive! just to remind you this: you did a great job up there and writing this unvaluable book.Astounding research, and a survivor hug too!

And for both of you, if you ever came to Ecuador give me a call with pleasure I can show you part of my amazing country.

Congratulations

Francisco

What a book, translated to spanish = Que libro!

Read 'The Climb' by Weston DeWalt Instead
Reading 'The Climb', you will come to understand that Krakauer is another overpaid Westerner, full of hubris. He slept in his tent after his return from the summit of Everest, knowing that others from his team were in peril.Alone, Anatoli Boukreev attempted a rescue.

Riveting - But Tread Cautiously Through It
This account ignited a long distilled passion for the mountains, and renewed interest in the Outdoors.Krakauer (the name itself conjures up courage and strength)writes with immediacy and more important, from firsthand experience.He's a hardcore adventurer, he's lived it, and is one of those rare, original people able to express what is often inexplicable.This book was easy to read in one or two sittings, and tremendously compelling (leading me to read Into The Wild and other books related to the 1996 Everest incidents).

I was also one of those chagrined to discover, after having loved and being incredibly excited by this book, that for all its accuracy, there are some areas that should not be read without circumspection.Although the book mostly avoids The Blame Game, it lapses into this once focus moves to the Head Climber of Mountain Madness, the heroic but inarticulate Boukreev.Krakauer's facts are interspersed with some opinions, and a few of these opinions, especially those of Boukreev (who died in 1997, in an avalanche on Annapurna 1, instead of remaining in America to receive one of the highest awards for mountaineering bravery) - some of these opinions are distasteful.

While I am merely a reader, and I respect and admire the talents of these men in the mountains a great deal, I do wonder what prompted Krakauer to pursue his character assissination of Boukreev.Krakauer has dogged determination in his writing as much as he does in his climbing, but also a stubbornness, and in writing Into Thin Air (which he did incredibly quickly after the fact) seems to strive to be seen as the one and only leading authority, acknowledging that it is not perfect, but nevertheless the complete'the best'and total story of that 1996 climb.This is unfortunate, because Krakauer himself was on the mountain, and his own perceptions were not 100%.He does succeed in communicating his experience with profundity.He fails though, in a few of his many interpretations, including of some of his own mishaps, and thus, has opened the door to a raging debate on 'what really happened', including, for example, what happened to Andy Harris, his encounter on the Kangshung Face, and important conversations he was not privy to close to the summit.

His 'Postscript' response to The Climb goes to great lengths, and like the rest of the book, turns out to be well worded, but does not hide what eventually are borne out to be a few inaccuracies (inadequacies?).His experience on Everest is not his best mountaineering experience (he was at one point assisted by 2 guides), and Boukreev fared far far better.Actions, should at the end of such events, speak louder than Krakauer's (or anyone else's) words, and Boukreev's actions do. Krakauer's behaviour on that day was quite limited by comparison.

Krakauer needs to be more gracious to a man who helped insure the safety of every one of the members on his team (all but the leader survived,) with no permanent damage, while 4 members of Krakauer's team died, and at least one survivor had severe and permanent damage.The idea should not be to blame people in mountains, when things go wrong, but to recognise the right things that happen that save lives.

Krakauer's own account of his meeting with Beck Weathers also differs from Weather's own version.Krakauer actually resisted Weather's desperate plea for assistance, although Krakauer paints a more gracious picture of himself in his story.The point though, is not to point fingers, and Boukreev puts it perfectly when he says 'each is responsible for his own ambition' on the mountain.Thus, others should not be blamed when things go wrong, but hopefully, will have the wherwithal to respond in these extreme circumstances.The reality in the Death Zone is one person who breaks down, slows down, and needs assistance causes a domino effect, it leads to an exponential increase in the risks to the lives of others, as valuable resources of energy and oxygen and time get used up.

We live inworld of soundbites, of show, and of course the 1996 Incident has been written about, and made into a television show.

Into Thin Air powerfully communicates the meaning and drama of that high world.It's most important defects though, are notrecognising the astonishing courage of a man who stood up through the storm that day while it seemed everyone else, including the sherpas, whimpered in their tents.Few understand what happened, and Into Thin Air sadly perpetuatesthat mystification as far as it communicates Broukeev's role.Read The Climb after Into Thin Air, for more perspective.It's equally engrossing, well written, but a far more genuine account. ... Read more

Isbn: 0385492081
Subjects:  1. Accidents    2. Adventure Consultants    3. Essays & Travelogues    4. Everest, Mount (China and Nepa    5. Everest, Mount (China and Nepal)    6. Guided Expedition    7. Mountaineering    8. Mountaineering accidents    9. Mountaineering expeditions    10. Special Interest - Adventure    11. Sports    12. Sports & Recreation    13. Sports - General    14. Krakauer, Jon    15. Sports & Recreation / Mountaineering   

Where the Red Fern Grows
by WILSON RAWLS
Average Customer Review:
Mass Market Paperback (12 March, 1997)
list price: $6.50 -- our price: $6.50
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

Author Wilson Rawls spent his boyhood much like the character of this book, Billy Colman, roaming the Ozarks of northeastern Oklahoma with his bluetick hound. A straightforward, shoot-from-the-hip storyteller with a searingly honest voice, Rawls is well-loved for this powerful 1961 classic and the award-winning novel Summer of the Monkeys. In Where the Red Fern Grows, Billy and his precious coonhound pups romp relentlessly through the Ozarks, trying to "tree" the elusive raccoon. In time, the inseparable trio wins the coveted gold cup in the annual coon-hunt contest, captures the wily ghost coon, and bravely fights with a mountain lion.When the victory over the mountain lion turns to tragedy, Billy grieves, but learns the beautiful old Native American legend of the sacred red fern that grows over the graves of his dogs. This unforgettable classic belongs on every child's bookshelf. (Ages 9 and up) ... Read more

Reviews (958)

:'(
I have read this book in school and found the end very, very sad. When I got home, I started to cry for hours. Having to lose two dogs at once would be toooooooo much 4 me!!

Where The Red Fern Grows, reviewedby SKY
If you ever wanted a dog you have to read this book -Where The Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls. The genre is fiction but it seems like it's real. The setting is in Cherakee Country which is a little small town. Any type of kid would love reading this book.

The main characters are Billy-a boy who wants a dog so bad. Little Ann-one of the dogs (the youngest), and Old Dan-the oldest of the two. A few months later Billy enters a contest, but a storm came in and his grandfather fell down a hill and broke his leg. The characters are so believable because the author shows how the characters are feeling. You can picture the characters and it feels like you are there. The characters are very nice to each other.

The author doesn't do any flashbacks, but he does make the characters seem real. I feel like I could give this book ten stars but I can only give it five.I recommend this book to dog lovers, boys and girls ages 10-12. This book will make you bark until you're done. BARK!

Great Book!
This is a very good book that keeps you guessing about what will happen next.Even though the story is sad, it was a good book to read.I read this in the fourth grade, and I would recommend it to other fourth grade boys. ... Read more

Isbn: 0553274295
Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure    2. Animals - Dogs    3. Children's 9-12 - Literature - Classics / Contemporary    4. Children: Grades 4-6    5. Classics    6. Dogs    7. Fiction    8. Juvenile Fiction    9. Ozark Mountains    10. Social Situations - Adolescence    11. Social Situations - Friendship    12. Juvenile Fiction / Social Situations / Adolescence   

Farewell To Arms
by Ernest Hemingway
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 June, 1995)
list price: $13.00 -- our price: $10.40
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

As a youth of 18, Ernest Hemingway was eager to fight in the Great War. Poor vision kept him out of the army, so he joined the ambulance corps instead and was sent to France. Then he transferred to Italy where he became the first American wounded in that country during World War I. Hemingway came out of the European battlefields with a medal for valor and a wealth of experience that he would, 10 years later, spin into literary gold with A Farewell to Arms. This is the story of Lieutenant Henry, an American, and Catherine Barkley, a British nurse. The two meet in Italy, and almost immediately Hemingway sets up the central tension of the novel: the tenuous nature of love in a time of war. During their first encounter, Catherine tells Henry about her fiancé of eight years who had been killed the year before in the Somme. Explaining why she hadn't married him, she says she was afraid marriage would be bad for him, then admits:

I wanted to do something for him. You see, I didn't care about the other thing and he could have had it all. He could have had anything he wanted if I would have known. I would have married him or anything. I know all about it now. But then he wanted to go to war and I didn't know.

The two begin an affair, with Henry quite convinced that he "did not love Catherine Barkley nor had any idea of loving her. This was a game, like bridge, in which you said things instead of playing cards." Soon enough, however, the game turns serious for both of them and ultimately Henry ends up deserting to be with Catherine.

Hemingway was not known for either unbridled optimism or happy endings, and A Farewell to Arms, like his other novels (For Whom the Bell Tolls, The Sun Also Rises, and To Have and Have Not), offers neither. What it does provide is an unblinking portrayal of men and women behaving with grace under pressure, both physical and psychological, and somehow finding the courage to go on in the face of certain loss. --Alix Wilber ... Read more

Reviews (338)

Beautiful book.
Did anyone else notice that the idiot named "gnossie" didn't read the book?What a moron.

Fantastic Novel
This is a fantastic novel that is very easy to get into. Hemmingway's short, descriptive sentences offer a style uncanny to any other's and they clash very effectively with his seemingly endless sections of solid naration between characters.

The story itself is absolutely astonishing but is almost forgotten amongst the overwhelming love story between Catherine and le Tenente. I found myself, having finished the novel, looking back on what had happened to the tenente and realizing it had all passed while I was only worried about Catherine. An absolute masterpiece by Hemmingway.

My only problem was that the novel was written so close to the end of WWI that Hemmingway simply assumes the reader is familiar with the geography and the history of the war. I found myself having to refer to a map periodically and looking up other WWI events on the internet as the happened in the book.

None the less, this is a can't miss novel!!

A Farewell to Arms ...
After reading Ernest Hemingway's short stories viz "The Snows of Kilimanjaro"and"The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber"(which were just tooooooooo good), I was a bit disappointed to read "A Farewell to arms". I have no intention of sounding contrarion, however for some reason, I found it mediocre from start to finish(The only reason I completely read it was because it was a Hemingway).

Story seemed very plain & straight forward. The love between Henry & Catherine seemed very boring. The war was poorly captured. Some part of story seemed just too unreal. For example ... the chapter in which Henry & other folks retreat from war front and head back, they kill their own captain without any remorse(how is that possible?). Later on one of their own guy gets killed by their own people(Italians). Again no remorse is captured.

I just find it totally unreal. Any human being in the above situations would have felt/exhibited intense remorse(hmmm ... or was it my expectation based on the war movies I have seen ...)

All in all, I was not that impressed with "A Farewell to Arms". It could very well be due to my high expectations. Or could be that we live in a different world now and thus it is difficult to identify with the story.

None-the-less ... I would say, read it just because it is a Hemingway and for no other reason.

-Sachin ... Read more

Isbn: 0684801469
Subjects:  1. Classics    2. Literary    3. Literature - Classics / Criticism    4. Fiction / General   

I Dreamed of Africa
by Kuki Gallmann
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 April, 2000)
list price: $15.95 -- our price: $10.85
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Reviews (58)

I laughed and cried...
This book is a testimony to the human spirit and how one can overcome extreme adversity and channel that into productive life altering experiences.

I laughed and cried and didn't want this book to end. It was so motivating and not at all pretentious. It made me feel as though I could accomplish anything by merely wanting it enough. Mrs Gallman articulated the surroundings so well that it made you feel as though you were sitting next to her. I mourned each time something horrid occurred and laughed at the little things in her every day experiences.

I Dreamed of Not Having Read This Book
I am utterly stunned that this book got so many positive reviews from readers.I got about two-thirds of the way through it before I finally let myself quit reading it.

Gallman has lead an interesting life; there's no question of that.The only trouble is, she's not a good writer.She tends to tell the reader things--like that her son was a special person--rather than showing us.And she tries way too hard to add mystical foreshadowing.Example:her son was killed from a poisonous snakebite.Years before, when he got his first pet python, she said that she felt uneasy.This is supposed to show us, the readers, how in tune with the world she is, how she's probably psychic.Excuse me, but I think any mother would be a little uneasy about their child having a lethal pet.

Do not waste your time with this boring, painful book.

Take this book for what it is
I have little to add to the other positive reviews of this book; but half the reviewers seem to be criticising the author, rather than the book. While I do not deny it has faults (the fact that English is not the author's first language sometimes weakens the expression of her clearly genuine feelings)I am astonished at the resentment expressed in many reviews. Specifically, over the fact that the author happens to be a white and presumably wealthy European - as though this fact automatically makes her a hypocrite and her views and experiences less worthy... and furthermore, that this a fault of the book itself! Judge the book on its own worth, instead of making moralistic judgments about the author.

Ms Gallman doesn't claim this is the ultimate African story - it is the personal story of her life, her deep love of Africa and of her friends and family, and in my opinion of her remarkably brave journey. Many reviewers seem to criticise this book for failing to be what it was never intended to be in the first place.

Oh, and all the spiteful comments about the "rich white Europeans" owning airplanes!!!

For God's sake, we are not talking about private luxury jets here! Clearly reviewers have completely disregarded that this is AFRICA, where people have immense properties, where it takes hours and hours to drive on dusty and dangerous roads to your nearest neighbours. How some people have gained the impression they were simply flitting about in style for their own pleasure is quite beyond me. About the only way of practical transport to most places was by plane, and it would seem these were small and often rundown planes, where people took their life in their hands each time they flew them. So please, get over the fact that most people had planes!! ... Read more

Isbn: 0140287442
Sales Rank: 39348
Subjects:  1. Biography / Autobiography    2. Description and travel    3. Ethnic Cultures - General    4. Fiction    5. Gallmann, Kuki    6. Homes and haunts    7. Kenya    8. Movie-TV Tie-In - General    9. Movie/Tv Tie-Ins    10. Ranch life    11. Travelers    12. Women   

Desert Flower : The Extraordinary Journey Of A Desert Nomad
by Waris Dirie, Cathleen Miller
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (06 October, 1999)
list price: $14.00 -- our price: $11.20
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

By age 6, Waris Dirie was herding her family's sheep and goats, fending off hyenas and wild dogs as the family carved a path through Africa. She was just twice that age when she ran off into the vast furnace of the Somali desert to escape an arranged marriage to a much older man. Traveling for days without food and water, she made her way to Mogadishu and later to London as a servant to her uncle, the Somalian ambassador. There she wrestled with culture shock and got her first taste of the modeling life that eventually brought her into the public eye. Dirie is resilient, having survived drought, hunger, and the ritual female genital mutilation that marks a step toward womanhood among some traditional Moslems but, argue critics, steals or ruins many girls' lives. "As we traveled throughout Somalia," says Dirie, "we met families and I played with their daughters.When we visited them again, the girls were missing. No one spoke the truth about their absence or even spoke of them at all." As a special ambassador to the United Nations, Dirie has spoken out loudly on this subject and championed environmental causes, too. How much of her sometimes breathless story is gospel truth and how much embellished is hard to say. Like Dirie herself, though, the combination is intriguing, powerful, and unique. --Francesca Coltrera ... Read more

Reviews (61)

Yes!
It naturally just goes to your heart. The language is simple and honest, so you can read the book in a day or two. Her story was just remarkable and the book was well-written. People should be made aware of FGM and its effects. They should know that it exists. I particularly liked the way she ended the book. She says that if the existance of FGM has any meaningful explanation, maybe she would think twice about denouncing it...but this practice has no significant reason to exist what so ever! There were, however, too many "In Africa..." generalizations in the book. FGM is not ubiquitous in Africa, in fact, most Africans don't even know that it's there. It is just concentrated mainly in East African countries like Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia, Egypt, Djibouti, and some areas in West Africa like Mali for example. I loved the book. Everyone should read it!

Wow...:'(
I read this book as part of a medical sociology class that I took, and all I could think was wow. The strength of Waris is amazing. I was brought to tears so many times throughout this sad story, and it really made me angry that this sort of thing still goes on. As part of the class we also watched a tape showing an actual mutilation occur, and I couldn't stop shaking and crying. This book is definitely a must read for evry person out there, especially those whom have never heard of this widespread yet horrific practice. To Waris, I am very saddened by your story and send all of my love your way, no one should have to go through what you went through, and thank you for having the amazing courage to stand up against this practice, even when it is so unspoken about within Islam and African society. I truly hope that these outcries will open minds and educate those who need it most, and save many young women and girls from such a horrible, traumatic thing. My heart is with you and all women who have had to suffer under this horrible practice.

A must Read!!
I absolutely loved this book!! A Human Geography teacher recommended this book to me, as well as others in the class.I was very glad that I took her advice, and read it!! I could not put this book down!I read it in 3 days!!It's an incredible story.I think it's very moving to see how much some people have to go through.It really makes you appreciate what you have.Definitely read this book! ... Read more

Isbn: 0688172377
Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Ethnic Cultures - General    6. General    7. Political    8. Somalia    9. Women    10. Women in politics    11. Women social reformers    12. Women's rights    13. Biography & Autobiography / Literary   

Travelers' Tales - Women in the Wild
by Lucy McCauley
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 June, 1998)
list price: $17.95
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Reviews (2)

Women - experiencing
This is a collection of experiences that come from women who are a cut above the norm. The stories include travelling experiences, but they are more about centered, courageous women who are paying attention to the lifearound them. Short, but well written, inspiring stories.

Look for my piece...
Check out page 100...the inset box. That's from my story! You may laugh at its miniscule size, but at least TT paid me for it!

Oh yeah. The rest of the book is good too. ... Read more

Isbn: 188521121X
Sales Rank: 618161
Subjects:  1. Essays    2. General    3. Outdoor Skills    4. Special Interest - Adventure    5. Travel    6. Travel - General    7. Voyages and travels    8. Women travelers   

All Quiet on the Western Front
by Erich Maria Remarque
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (12 March, 1987)
list price: $6.99 -- our price: $6.99
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Reviews (381)

THE ABSURD OF WAR
I am not a fan of the battle / war genre. Still, I felt I had to read a book like this, if only to find out if it was worth all the praise it usually receives. It does for the most part. The story of a young man fighting on the trenches during World War I amidst filth, blood and fear is as timeless as any .
"All quiet..." takes away the adventure of war novels and shows it as it really is: a senseless, mad act of destruction between alienated humans. Highly commendable.

A review from a god
Ages 13 and up.The year is 1917 and Paul Baumer a hardened vetren of world war one is one of 20 classmates that signed up to fight the war.It tells of the struggle Paul goes through, the fear, the emotion,and the lonlines of war.Paul and his unit made of Kemrich, Kropp, Katczinsky, Muller, Leer,and Tjaden
fight on the feilds of flanders one of the many bloody battles of World War one. The bond between these men is strong, but in this war brothers die everyday. Only does Paul escape the war for a short leave only to find that he has changed to much and does not belong at home.He returns to the war only for a short time because of a deep wound.When he returns he finds men are deserting, The americans and english are stronger then ever, and is the last of his seven freinds on the front.This book tells about the horrors and shock of war. It shows the Bond of those fighting on the front lines to the lose of brothers.It is a Tragic tale from the losing side.

War what is it good for
Well.. Paul is 19 when this book starts and he is a really good friend. They start out at the resting area and his friend is dying. Paul is being a really good friend when he stays with his friend till the end. Paul has to deal with hard battles to surivie this war. Towards the end he is lossing his friends. He begans to change. And at the end he knows the end is coming soon. This book has some love, friendship, tragedy, and some trickery to make this the best book i read ever. These combinding of all these words make this book extermely awesome. I really in joy the battle sences, they are very detail. Remarque does a great job of doing this. Plus you learn more about WWI. When i read this book it felt like i was there. If you should read any war book it should be this book. It is truely a great book to read. ... Read more

Isbn: 0449213943
Sales Rank: 554
Subjects:  1. Classics    2. European War, 1914-1918    3. Fiction    4. Literature - Classics / Criticism    5. War & Military    6. World War, 1914-1918    7. Fiction / Classics   

Into the Wild
by JON KRAKAUER
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (20 January, 1997)
list price: $12.95 -- our price: $10.36
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

"God, he was a smart kid..." So why did Christopher McCandless trade a brightfuture--a college education, material comfort, uncommon ability and charm--for death by starvation in anabandoned bus in the woods of Alaska? This is the question that Jon Krakauer's book tries to answer. While itdoesn't—cannot—answer the question with certainty, Into the Wild does shed considerable lightalong the way. Not only about McCandless's "Alaskan odyssey," but also the forces that drivepeople to drop out of society and test themselves in other ways. Krakauer quotes Wallace Stegner's writing on a youngman who similarly disappeared in the Utah desert in the 1930s: "At 18, in a dream, he saw himself ...wandering through the romantic waste places of the world. No man with any of the juices of boyhood inhim has forgotten those dreams." Into the Wild shows that McCandless, while extreme, washardly unique; the author makes the hermit into one of us, something McCandless himself could never pulloff. By book's end, McCandless isn't merely a newspaper clipping, but a sympathetic, oddly magneticpersonality. Whether he was "a courageous idealist, or a reckless idiot," you won't soon forgetChristopher McCandless. ... Read more

Reviews (793)

McCandless was a selfish, mentally-ill fool.
Krakauer did a good job cobbling a book together from the scant scraps of information available. However, his characterization of McCandless as a young idealist became ever more grating the more I read. He was one of the most selfish people of which I have heard; disapearing from his parents' and family's lives one day without trace while communicating regularily via letter and postcards with strangers he'd met along his journeys. How could he stroll to his doom with a backpack full of Tolstoy and rice with nary the faintest prick of conscience as to how his parents felt in the two years since he'd spoken to him to them, before he'd begun his 'journey'. McCandless was a man generous and friendly to strangers, indifferent and callous to his parents.He was a fool possessed of neither the basest of common sense nor conscience. He was nobody's hero.

Chris was a selfish person...
Unfortunately, this book proves the point that you cannot always take an interesting magazine article and make a book out of it.There's just not enough to this "story" to fill up a book.That's why Krakauer has to add so much stuff about other "adventurers" (who, in my opinion were more interesting than McCandless especially the guy with the donkeys).I found Christopher McCandless's "adventures" to be nothing more than the aimless, boring wanderings of a young man without a purpose to guide him and caring only about himself.His "writings" were basically nothing more than jottings and musings about food (which he apparently needed to eat a little more of) with a few so-called philosophical entries thrown in.I also failed to see Chris as brave and courageous - I saw him mostly as a manipulator using people when and how he wanted to and playing games with their emotions.Whether he meant to be or not, Chris McCandless was a selfish person - the only people I feel for are his parents and sister because I know they are true victims in this story.

Into The Wild review
I have enjoyed reading this book. Jon Krakauer, the author, uses many examples of metaphors and imagery. This book is good to read if you enjoy a story about adventure and troubles that are overcome. The most exciting parts of the book are toward the end so it was very easy to lose interest in the beginning of the book.
I didn't like the fact that the book is a biography, meaning it has a lot of detail. With the main character not telling the story, it is all based on journal entries and letters sent to and from him. This makes the story more confusing.
I chose the book because of the cover and title. It is a picture of a bus driven into a snow bank out in the middle of nowhere. The title caught my attention because it is Into The Wild, and I thought it would be a good adventure book, which it was.
I wouldn't suggest this book to young children because of some offensive language. Yet, to anyone who can handle it, I would encourage you to read it.
... Read more

Isbn: 0385486804
Subjects:  1. 1968-1992    2. Adventure and adventurers    3. Alaska    4. Biography    5. Biography & Autobiography    6. Biography / Autobiography    7. Biography/Autobiography    8. Essays & Travelogues    9. General    10. McCandless, Christopher Johnso    11. Regional Subjects - West    12. Special Interest - Adventure    13. Travelers    14. United States    15. United States - West - Pacific (General)    16. Wayfaring life    17. West (U.S.)    18. McCandless, Christopher Johnson    19. Travel / Essays & Travelogues