The Ultimate Gift (The Ultimate Series #1)

Book Description

What would you do to inherit a million dollars? Would you be willing to change your life? Jason Stevens is about to find out in Jim Stovall's The Ultimate Gift. Red Stevens has died, and the older members of his family receive their millions with greedy anticipation. But a different fate awaits young Jason, whom Stevens, his great-uncle, believes may be the last vestige of hope in the family. "Although to date your life seems to be a sorry excuse for anything I would call promising, there does seem to be a spark of something in you that I hope we can fan into a flame. For that reason, I am not making you an instant millionaire." What Stevens does give Jason leads to The Ultimate Gift. Young and old will take this timeless tale to heart.

Customer Reviews:

Read the book, watch the movie - both will inspire!.......2007-10-01

I received this book as a gift shortly after watching the movie by the same name - I was greatly impressed with the movie and anxious to read the book (since everyone knows that the book is always better than the movie). This book is no exception to that rule - an outstanding read and it was as easy to read as the movie was to watch. This is a novel, a work of fiction that drives home some real life points! The premise of the book is about what's really important in life - is it what we build with our hands or the money and worldly success we achieve, or is it something more than that, something that isn't tangible and can't be bought or sold for any amount of money? In his final will, a dying wealthy man tries to communicate from the grave the true meaning of life to a family member who up until this point hasn't got a clue!

I would think that this book could probably be read to children in upper elementary school and could be read by 7th or 8th graders on their own. The book should be read by parents first so that they can engage their children in conversation along the way. While the book isn't overtly Christian, you'll find that the lessons taught in this novel are very similar to the wisdom shared in the Book of Proverbs and throughout Scripture. Stovall isn't preaching, but he sure can drive a point home with this story; and these twelve "gifts" passed from one generation to the next are essential for each and every one of us to learn as well.

While some say that the movie isn't as good as the book, I say that they are a pretty good compliment of each other. The movie takes various liberties with the book to get this message on screen, but you won't be disappointed with either. The book is written to provoke thought and discussion and families should use them as tools to teach valuable life lessons to their children - Red Stevens would have wanted it that way!

The Ultimate Gift DVD.......2007-09-27

The Ultimate Gift you sent me was a total disaster. I ordered the movie edition and you sent me a book and a promotional DVD. I did not receive the movie edition of the Ultimate Gift. Unfortunately I had ordered it to take on a bus trip that I was directing and I had not taken the time to watch what you sent me, thinking it was the movie edition. When I put it in the DVD player with everyone on the bus eager to watch the movie there was only the promotional disc. Needless to say I was embarrassed and not too happy. Fortunately along the way I was able to purchase the DVD that I thought I was buying from Amazon at a much higher price. I have ordered from Amazon before and have been very pleased but not this time.

A Timely Gift.......2007-09-24

Several copies of The Ultimate Gift were placed on a table at my workplace. A handwritten note read, "Take one and pass it on." The title was intriguing and never one to pass up something free or an opportunity to read, I took one.

Having gained knowledge of most of these gifts through the ups and downs of life, I enjoyed the validations, while unfortunately identifying with Uncle Red's mistakes. I am grateful to the person who made it possible to have a copy of the book.

I titled this review 'a timely gift' because I received in time read it and mail it to my son as a gift for his 26th birthday. Like Uncle Red, wishing to provide, I robbed my children of many of the gifts. I am hoping the book will make a difference in my son's life as he is not a happy person even though he has many blessings. When and if I am in touch with my prodigal daughter, I will share The Ultimate Gift with her, also. It is my goal to share copies of The Ultimate Gift with many, many young persons.

Good , but not terrific.......2007-09-19

The reviews I read promised an inspiring book. It was not to be. It was an interesting premise and story. But the lack of detailed story left me disappointed. Reading the story from the lawyer's view did not give us an opportunity to really travel the road to enlightenment. I felt I was reading the summary, not the story.

A movie of the book is coming out soon. I dare say, I see an immense opprtunity for the movie to outshine the book.

Great book!.......2007-09-17

This is a great book and I would recommend buying used items from Amazon as I have always been satisified with my purchases and most of all, the money I save. This book has been made into a movie that is really great, but the book is always better.

The Virtues of War: A Novel of Alexander the Great

Average customer rating:

Hard to read, easy to put down
There's a *reason* Alexander is still remembered
Mediocrity at its best
4 stars for the battles, 2 stars for the story
History as a Novel

The Virtues of War: A Novel of Alexander the Great
Steven Pressfield
Manufacturer: Bantam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Historical | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Gates of Fire: An Epic Novel of the Battle of Thermopylae
Tides of War
The Afghan Campaign: A Novel
Last of the Amazons
The Isle of Stone: A Novel of Ancient Sparta

ASIN: 0553382055
Release Date: 2005-09-27

Book Description

I have always been a soldier. I have known no other life. So begins Alexander’s extraordinary confession on the eve of his greatest crisis of leadership. By turns heroic and calculating, compassionate and utterly merciless, Alexander recounts with a warrior’s unflinching eye for detail the blood, the terror, and the tactics of his greatest battlefield victories. Whether surviving his father’s brutal assassination, presiding over a massacre, or weeping at the death of a beloved comrade-in-arms, Alexander never denies the hard realities of the code by which he lives: the virtues of war. But as much as he was feared by his enemies, he was loved and revered by his friends, his generals, and the men who followed him into battle. Often outnumbered, never outfought, Alexander conquered every enemy the world stood against him–but the one he never saw coming. . . .

Download Description

Alexander the Great (356—323 B.C.) ascended to the throne of Macedon at the age of twenty. He fought his greatest battles—including the conquest of the mighty Persian Empire—before he was twenty-five and died at the age of thirty-three, still undefeated by any enemy. His reputation as a supreme warrior and leader of men is unsurpassed in the annals of history.

In the brilliantly imagined first-person voice of Alexander the Great, acclaimed novelist Steven Pressfield brings to life his epic battles, his unerring command of his forces, and the passions and ambitions that drove him. A full-blooded, multidimensional portrait, THE VIRTUES OF WAR captures Alexander’s complex character. Alexander was a fearless commander who moved with such daring and speed that no army could withstand him; a driven leader whose ambitions knew no limits; and a man with boundless compassion for his troops, deep friendships with his generals, and profound respect for his enemies. Yet in the end, his noble qualities were subsumed by his insatiable lust for glory.

No one writes about battles as brilliantly as Pressfield, and in THE VIRTUES OF WAR he vividly describes the seminal conflicts of Alexander’s career, revealing the tactics behind them and capturing the blood, heat, and terror of the battlefield. He follows Alexander’s forces as they faced and defeated armies that far outnumbered them; delivers a thrilling frontline report from Gaugamela, the scene of Alexander’s greatest victory; and, in a memorable vignette, shows the great conqueror finally halted, not by an enemy but by the refusal of his worn-out troops to march any farther.

Epic in scope and magisterial in tone, THE VIRTUES OF WAR is sure to take its place among the classics of historical fiction.

Customer Reviews:

Hard to read, easy to put down.......2007-10-07

I guess I was spoiled by Mary Renaults Alexander Trilogy. In Pressfields book Alexander as a person just does not resonate. The admixture of modern military terminology and somewhat of a modern outlook does not gell with the historical setting and mindset as it does in Renaults novels. That said, the strength of this book is its battle scenes, and those are very well done indeed. Researchers have found it hard to recreate the actual battles that Alexander fought from the historical accounts - read Arrian for example to see what I mean - and Pressfield has done a great job of creating descriptions of the battles which ring true.

That said, battles do not make up the whole book and the remainder I personally found unsatisfying and not ringing true. Again, I suspect reading Renaults Alexander trilogy many years previously set expectations which its hard for other authors to live up to. It is very hard to get an idea of Alexander as a person from this novel. Seems very stilted overall. I did read the book through but by the end it was more of a struggle than anything else. If you enjoyed this book, take a look at Renaults trilogy, they will fill in a lot of gaps and present a good alternative view - and a far more sympathetic one for that matter.

There's a *reason* Alexander is still remembered.......2007-08-20

This superior historical novel really ought to be read before his latest one, _The Afghan Campaign,_ which enlarges on one of Alexander's later campaigns, and from a different perspective -- but they're really two separate narratives, so no harm done if (like me) you read them in reverse order. The narrative is Alexander himself, outlining the history of his conquest of Asia for the benefit of one of the cadets who study military science in the king's tent while on campaign. He begins with his early life and his succession to the throne after the assassination of his father, Philip, himself something of a military genius. But Alexander is a prodigy, being everything his father was and far more, with the ability to look at the ground and foresee the battle that will take place there and to foresee the enemy's battle plan. He also possesses an extreme degree of charisma; his troops adore him, even when (as later in the conquest) they fear his altered personality. By the time the Macedonians have passed through Persia proper and have completely changed their approach to warfare to suit the guerilla action in Afghanistan (the king's doing again), and have reached the frontier of India, they're tired to the soul and want only to return home. But Alexander dreams of standing on the shore of the Eastern Ocean, which he's sure can't be far beyond the Ganges. This is the story of Alexander's mental evolution, from semi-barbarian king holding sway in the remote north of the Greek-speaking lands to Eastern potentate who has acquired a taste for all things Persian. But Pressfield also describes the major battles along the way, especially Gaugamela, in fascinating detail. You can see the action, really see it, and understand why each side does what it does, and why the results are what they are. In that regard, this is almost a classical military science textbook. An excellent piece of work.

Mediocrity at its best.......2007-07-26

I don't know if the author is trying to make ancient history more understandable for the modern reader, but he turns me off. He talks about lieutenants and captains and regiments and corps as if Alexander's army were a modern one. It wasn't. To compare, try Colleen McCullough's infinitely superior 6-volume historical novel on the Roman Republic of Caesar's time. She uses the right terminology and gives the reader the feeling that both she, and now the reader, really understood how the Roman cities, army, and government were organized and what life was like then. You just don't get that with Pressfield. I assume he did research, but it's just not evident.

4 stars for the battles, 2 stars for the story.......2007-07-03

Steven Pressfield's novel is listed as historical fiction, and I suppose that it is. However, there is virtually no plot. The whole story is fight after fight- which to some may seem interesting, but I found it boring. Don't get me wrong, the descriptions are incredible, and it seems as if we are actually at the scene of the battle. Steven Pressfield is obviously a talented writer. I enjoy reading about battles, just not an entire book about them. But I didn't feel any emotions. I wasn't excited at the victory, and found myself skimming pages just to see if there would be anything of interest later on in the chapters.

Alexander the Great is undeniably one of the greatest generals who ever lived, and obviously war was a large part of his life. But this story- didn't make me go "Wow". If you're only interested in battles, then you'll probably like this book. But if you're like me, and you want a plot along with the battles, look elsewhere.

I'd recommend Mary Renault's Alexander trilogy: Fire from Heaven, The Persian Boy, and Funeral Games; or A Choice of Destinies by Melissa Scott; or Lord of the Two Lands by Judith Tarr; or even A Murder in Macedon by Anna Apostolou aka P.C. Doherty. All of these books are historical fiction about Alexander the Great. They all have battles, but they also are about his life, his companions (friends/enemies), and his emotions.

History as a Novel.......2007-05-27

After all the celluloid versions of the story of Alexander the Great, its great to read a book that gives a more realistic version, and a more human version, of the iconic Alexander.

Great American Stories: Ten Unabridged Classics

Average customer rating:

Negative, negative, negative
Wonderful!
Successful Gift
great honest review
Great American Stories: Ten Unabridged Classics

Great American Stories: Ten Unabridged Classics
Mark Twain , Stephen Crane , Ambrose Bierce , and Jack London
Manufacturer: The Audio Partners
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

Classics | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Anthologies | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

United States | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Anthologies | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Classics | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Books on CD | Audiobooks | Formats | Books
Similar Items:

Ernest Hemingway Audio Collection CD
Mark Twain Audio CD Collection
Edgar Allan Poe Audio Collection
Poirot Investigates: Eleven Complete Mysteries (Mystery Masters Series)
The William Faulkner Audio Collection

ASIN: 1572703032

Book Description

These ten classic stories from four of America's greatest authors of the 19th and early 20th century were selected for their literary importance as well as their dramatic oral qualities. The stories include Mark Twain's "The One-Million Pound Bank Note," "A Visit to Niagara," and "A Mysterious Visit;" Stephen Crane's "The Blue Hotel;" Ambrose Bierce's "The Eyes of the Panther;" and Jack London's "The Love of Life" and "To Build a Fire."

Customer Reviews:

Negative, negative, negative.......2007-06-11

I bought this selection because of the title, which credits the stories to Mark Twain. I would have loved ten of his stories! Unfortunately, the selections for inclusion (other than Mr. Twain's) were some of the poorest examples of American literature that I have read. They weren't even good irony; they were just depressing. I'm sure there could be a great collection of American short stories; these were certainly not that.

Wonderful! .......2007-05-12

I bought this and a few other books on CD for my husband who has a bit of dislexia (sp?) and has trouble reading. He was so engrossed in the stories that if he were near the end of one, he would sit in the driveway and listen until it was done. So then, by proxy, I know all of the stories and it seems like a wonderful 'read'. This is a perfect gift for someone who enjoys fine adventure literature by fine authors.

Successful Gift.......2006-12-13

I purchased this for my father along with a selection of other audio books. He reported that he liked this one the best. Apparently the selection of stories was excellent, and the reading was clear and expressive.

great honest review.......2006-02-21

honestly, I would never waste my money again on such a load of junk... so much better lit out there... go surf amazon.com to find some really good books

Great American Stories: Ten Unabridged Classics.......2005-11-17

Book Description
These ten classic stories from four of America's greatest authors of the 19th and early 20th century were selected for their literary importance as well as their dramatic oral qualities. The stories include Mark Twain's "The One-Million Pound Bank Note," "A Visit to Niagara," and "A Mysterious Visit;" Stephen Crane's "The Blue Hotel;" Ambrose Bierce's "The Eyes of the Panther;" and Jack London's "The Love of Life" and "To Build a Fire."

Perfect Lies: A Century of Great Golf Stories

Average customer rating:

Pin Seeker
Perfect Lies lives up to promise and truly is "perfect"!

Perfect Lies: A Century of Great Golf Stories

Manufacturer: Touchstone
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Anthologies | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

United States | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Anthologies | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

British | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Golf | Sports | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Rub of the Green
Waggle

ASIN: 0684852322

Customer Reviews:

Pin Seeker.......2005-03-15

This book is a collection of short stories. Many of them I found myself forcing myself to read completely. Others I found so disinteresting that I skipped to the end. Fortunately I didn't spend much on this book.

Perfect Lies lives up to promise and truly is "perfect"!.......2000-04-05

With stories as random as any other collection that I have ever read, Perfect Lies truly is the perfect book. Reading this collection cover to cover has left inspired and it also left me begging for a sequel. If you love golf and don't feel you have the heart and spirit of a true golfer, I highly reccommend that you purchase this book from Amazon! As soon as I finished each story, I found myself excited to begin the next. Make the purchase now! Don't hesitate one moment!

Adaptations: From Short Story to Big Screen: 35 Great Stories That Have Inspired Great Films

Average customer rating:

How the story becomes a film
Learn About the Connection Between Short Stories and Movies
Adaptatons: From Short Story to Big Screen
Learn how short stories are turned into movies..

Adaptations: From Short Story to Big Screen: 35 Great Stories That Have Inspired Great Films
Stephanie Harrison
Manufacturer: Three Rivers Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Adaptations | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

General | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Screenplays | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

United States | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

British | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Performing Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Art of Adaptation: Turning Fact And Fiction Into Film (Owl Books)
Based on a True Story: Fact and Fantasy in 100 Favorite Movies
Film and Literature: An Introduction and Reader
Adaptation: Studying Film and Literature
How to Adapt Anything into a Screenplay

ASIN: 1400053145
Release Date: 2005-04-26

Book Description

An Eclectic Collection of Fiction That Inspired Film

Memento, All About Eve, Rear Window, Rashomon, and 2001: A Space Odyssey are all well-known and much-loved movies, but what is perhaps a lesser-known fact is that all of them began their lives as short stories. Adaptations gathers together 35 pieces that have been the basis for films, many from giants of American literature (Hemingway, Fitzgerald) and many that have not been in print for decades (the stories that inspired Bringing Up Baby, Meet John Doe, and All About Eve).

Categorized by genre, and featuring movies by master directors such as Steven Spielberg, Stanley Kubrick, Robert Altman, Frank Capra, and John Ford, as well as relative newcomers such as Chris Eyre and Christopher Nolan, Adaptations offers insight into the process of turning a short story into a screenplay, one that, when successful, doesn’t take drastic liberties with the text upon which it is based, but doesn’t mirror its source material too closely either. The stories and movies featured in Adaptations include:

•Philip K. Dick’s “The Minority Report,” which became the 2002 blockbuster directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Tom Cruise

•“The Harvey Pekar Name Story” by reclusive graphic artist Harvey Pekar, whose life was the inspiration for American Splendor, winner of the 2003 Sundance Grand Jury Prize

•Hagar Wilde’s “Bringing Up Baby,” the basis of the classic film Bringing Up Baby, anthologized here for the first time ever

•“The Swimmer” by John Cheever, an example of a highly regarded story that many feared might prove unadaptable

•The predecessor to the beloved holiday classic A Christmas Story, “Red Ryder Nails the Hammond Kid” by Jean Shepherd

Whether you’re a fiction reader or a film buff, Adaptations is your behind-the-scenes look at the sometimes difficult, sometimes brilliantly successful process from the printed page to the big screen.

Customer Reviews:

How the story becomes a film.......2007-05-06

Interesting in that it allows film lovers to see what preceded the screenplay and the subsequent film.
Any film buff will enjoy this book.

Learn About the Connection Between Short Stories and Movies.......2006-12-16

Have you ever waited with great anticipation for the arrival of a movie where you love the book? Then you watch the movie and are disappointed because it wasn't anything like the book. Movies and Books are connected through story. The story has to be good in each form for it to achieve the desired result.

Stephanie Harrison has written a fascinating look at the connection between 35 short stories and the great films which resulted. This book includes the short stories and insight into how the story was adapted into a movie. The key message which I received is that whether it is a short story or a movie, the foundation of storytelling has to be excellent to achieve the desired result.

If you love movies and short stories or just want to learn about the skill of adaptation, I highly recommend this book.

Adaptatons: From Short Story to Big Screen.......2006-04-18

This is a wonderul collection of stories that have been adapted for film. The book provides revealing commentary from screenwriters and directors and fascinating tidbits of unknown filmography. It is a wonderful find for screenwriters and short story writers and film lovers. Stephanie Harrison writes insightful introductions to each genre. A real treasure.

Learn how short stories are turned into movies.........2005-04-29

I just came across this at my local bookstore. Wow! I had no idea that so many famous movies were adapted from short stories. A Face in the Crowd is one of my favorite films, but I never knew it was a short story first. Also, I'm a fan of Harvey Pekar's, so I was particularly happy to see that his graphic story, "The Harvey Pekar Name Story" was included (the film is American Splendor). The introductions to each section are interesting and contain a lot of information I was unacquainted with. Who knew that F. Scott Fitzgerald once tried his hand at adapting his classic story "Babylon Revisited" as a vehicle for Shirley Temple? Good reading for movie fans and people who enjoy short stories.

Great American Stories, Book 2: An ESL/EFL Reader, Second Edition

Average customer rating:

Great American Stories, Book 2: An ESL/EFL Reader, Second Edition
C. G. Draper
Manufacturer: Pearson ESL
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

United States | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

British | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

English (All) | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Words & Language | Reference | Subjects | Books

Usage | Words & Language | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Great American Stories, Book 1: An ESL/EFL Reader, Second Edition

ASIN: 0130975281

Great American Stories, Book 1: An ESL/EFL Reader, Second Edition

Average customer rating:

Interesting adapted short stories.

Great American Stories, Book 1: An ESL/EFL Reader, Second Edition
C. G. Draper
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall Regents
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

United States | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

British | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Words & Language | Reference | Subjects | Books

Usage | Words & Language | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Great American Stories, Book 2: An ESL/EFL Reader, Second Edition
For Here or To Go?: An ESL Reader
Beginning Reading Practices: Building Reading and Vocabulary Strategies
ESL Active Learning Lessons: 15 Complete Content-Based Units to Reinforce Language Skills and Concepts
English Structure Practices

ASIN: 0133643816

Customer Reviews:

Interesting adapted short stories........2000-07-27

This is an ESL/EFL reader at the beginning-intermediate to intermediate levels. There are eight adapted American short stories, one for each chapter. The stories include "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry, "The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe, and "The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin.

Each chapter begins with a page of pre-reading exercises, then a paragraph about the author. The story itself is interspersed with black and white drawings to help illustrate the story. At the end of the story are many excercises including "understanding main ideas", "discussion", "vocabulary practice", and "writing".

I would highly recomend this either as a class book or as a self study book for learners of English at the pre-intermediate reading level. My intermediate students find it a little easy.

Unburnable: A Novel
Average customer rating:

Takes a while to get started

Chimamanda Adichie's comments on Unburnable

A Must Read

Not a Fluff Read!

Long Story Short

Unburnable: A Novel
Marie-elena John
Manufacturer: Amistad
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Family Saga | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Caribbean | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Becoming Abigail

The Sisterhood of Blackberry Corner

Nowhere Is a Place

Prospero's Daughter: A Novel

Neecey's Lullaby: A novel

ASIN: 0060837578
Release Date: 2006-04-11

Book Description

In this riveting narrative of family, betrayal, vengeance, and murder, Lillian Baptiste is willed back to her island home of Dominica to finally settle her past. Haunted by scandal and secrets, Lillian left Dominica when she was fourteen after discovering she was the daughter of Iris, the half-crazy woman whose life was told of in chanté mas songs sung during Carnival: Matilda Swinging and Bottle of Coke; songs about a village on a mountaintop and bones and bodies; songs about flying masquerades and a man who dropped dead. Lillian knew the songs well. And now she knows these songs -- and thus the history -- belong to her. After twenty years away, Lillian returns to face the demons of her past, and with the help of Teddy, the man she refused to love, she will find a way to heal.

Set partly in contemporary Washington, D.C., and partly in post-World War II Dominica, Unburnable weaves together West Indian history, African culture, and American sensibilities. Richly textured and lushly rendered, Unburnable showcases a welcome and assured new voice.

Customer Reviews:

Takes a while to get started.......2007-09-07

I took a little while for me to get into this book. I, quite frankly, didn't care about Lillian the main character until I was almost a third of the way through. The most dimensional and complex characters were of course Matilda and Iris. Once the novel's focus shift primarily to them, it becomes a page turner. If you feel like investing the time to get to the heart of this tale, give it a read.

Chimamanda Adichie's comments on Unburnable.......2007-07-23

Chimamanda Adichie (Half of a Yellow Sun, Purple Hibiscus: A Novel) had these wonderful things to say about UNBURNABLE in the book review section of London's Guardian newspaper on Saturday June 23, 2007:

"I read Marie-Elena John's novel Unburnable on the plane from New York to Copenhagen. I laughed aloud so often reading this wondrously intelligent book about Dominica and the United States and Africa, about gender, class and race, about love and sexuality, that the bespectacled man sitting next to me put his Wall Street Journal down and leaned over to see what the title was. He asked what it was about. I could have told him how it dealt honestly with issues without ever forgetting to keep character and soul as its centre, but instead I told him a tiny anecdote from the book about black women and thongs. And I much enjoyed his blush."

A Must Read.......2007-03-27

This is a great book to kick back in silence and just immerse yourself into suspense, deep thinking, and a few tears. I was just a little disappointed with the ending, but all in all this was a great read.

Not a Fluff Read!.......2007-01-14

I have been blessed enough in the last week to read not one but TWO great books this one being the greater. I will admit I wasn't wrapped up in the book by page two but by page ten I was all caught up in this story. Marie-Elena John is an EXCELLENT story teller. Her words are beautiful and her descriptions come off the page so effortlessly. I could've easily believed this was her third novel instead of her first. I laughed, I cried and I called all my friends and advised them to please read this book. I did not know anything about Dominica before picking up this novel and now I cannot learn enough. This book intrigued me to no end and I cannot wait to read future publishings from Marie-Elena John. This story is not in the least predictable and her knowledge on the subject matter is outstanding! If you are looking for a mind challenging novel that will shock and educate you at the same time then look no further.

Long Story Short.......2006-11-08

Interesting story, you have to continue to read this book and not stop or you might get side tracked if you put it down for too long.

The Perfect Murder: Five Great Mystery Writers Create the Perfect Crime

Average customer rating:

The Perfect Murder: Five Great Mystery Writers Create the Perfect Crime
Jack Hitt , Lawrence Block , and Sarah Caudwell
Manufacturer: Harpercollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

British | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Shortest Way to Hades
The Sibyl in Her Grave
Thus Was Adonis Murdered
The Sirens Sang of Murder

ASIN: 0060163402

Drinking, Smoking and Screwing: Great Writers on Good Times

Average customer rating:

Tomar, fumar y joder!!!!!!!!!!!
A debauched life is one worth living
A fun range of essays on our favorite vices
Excellent failure
Great writers, good writing

Drinking, Smoking and Screwing: Great Writers on Good Times
Bob Shacochis
Manufacturer: Chronicle Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Essays | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

United States | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Anthologies | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Cigarettes Are Sublime
Bla Bla (Handbook)
If We Ever Break Up, This Is My Book
Get Stoned and Read This Book
How to Behave: Dating and Sex: A Guide to Modern Manners for the Socially Challenged

ASIN: 0811807843

Amazon.com

Here's to the three greatest pleasures in life: a cigarette before and a martini after. Drinking, Smoking & Screwing celebrates these less-than-holy pursuits and unlocks the sweet mystery of sin with a sordid selection of essays, stories, excerpts, and poetry from noted libertines such as Mark Twain, Charles Bukowski, Henry Miller, Vladimir Nabokov, Spalding Gray, and Dorothy Parker. Also deliciously wicked is the introduction, penned by Bob Shacochis, author of Swimming the Volcano and not one to shy away from a drink, a smoke, and a... Well, you get the point. He writes, "Not to defend smokers, drinkers, and fuckers would be a terrible mistake.... The world might be simple and clean, but it wouldn't be deliciously, fascinatingly, pathetically human, would it? Nor would it be much fun." And, damn, is this book fun. --Tod Nelson

Book Description

Before the notion of "political correctness" encroached on the ways people spoke, wrote, and conducted themselves in public and private, some of America's best writers embraced unsafe sex, excessive alcohol, and a good cigar. From the classically libidinous Henry Miller to the hilariously contemporary Fran Lebowitz, Drinking, Smoking and Screwing includes novel excerpts, essays, poems, and short stories in a bawdy and thoroughly entertaining anthology with no warnings -- and no apologies.

Customer Reviews:

Tomar, fumar y joder!!!!!!!!!!!.......2006-06-22

Drinking, Smoking and Screwing es la entrada a los excesos. Los excesos visto desde la perspectiva de varios escitores que tocan el tema del lado sórdido de la vida. Si usted está deprimido, prepárese, posiblemente se deprimirá más y querrá tomar una sobredósis de 1)sexo, 2)alcohol 3)drogas o cigarrillo. Si decide la segunda opción, asegure tener un termo lleno de café a su lado para el guayabo o "resaca". Claro que se va a divertir con este libro y vale la pena recordar (a veces con pena, otras con gozo) a través de las historias situaciones que a uno le han sucedido. Recomiendo especialmente la historia "Women" de Charles Bukowski.

A debauched life is one worth living.......2006-05-14

For my generation, the road to depravity was ostensibly via sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll. For the contributors to this anthology, most born in the previous generation, moral and physical ruin came from DRINKING, SMOKING & SCREWING. It's comforting to note that there's at least one vice the two generations can agree upon.

It should come as no surprise that the subject of screwing dominates eleven of the book's twenty-four chapters, followed by drinking (7), smoking (4), and a combination of the last two (2).

The subtitle of DS&S is "Great Writers on Good Times", which implies that the three vices necessarily lead to such. But this isn't the case. The twenty-six contributing authors - 19 men and 7 women - present, rather, non-judgemental evidence of the human condition that both causes and results from indulgence in the title sins. The individual pieces, like Mark Twain's "Concerning Tobacco" and Art Buchwald's "Some Heady Phrases on Wine", are personal commentary on the subject at hand, or, like Terry Southern's and Mason Hoffenberg's "Candy" and Anais Nin's "Henry and June", are excerpts from longer works of fiction. There are even a couple of short poems.

As related to the overall topic, no chapter is less than three stars, and a couple are worth five. My personal faves are "The Ginger Man" by J.P. Donleavy, about the aftermath of a cad's argument with his long-suffering wife, and "Women" by Charles Bukowski, the perfect illustration of male Homo sapiens as Sexual Pig.

Were the book to be compiled today for the current generation, I imagine the title would be something like "Sugar-Laden Sodas, Fatty Fast Foods & Unprotected Screwing." Time marches on.

A fun range of essays on our favorite vices.......2005-04-12

Sara Nickles' "Drinking, Smoking & Screwing" (she's the editor) is a terrific collection of essays on some of our favorite vices--you know what they are! She's done a great job of collecting pieces from the beginning of the 20th century--Dorothy Parker's quaintly flapperish "You Were Perfectly Fine" launches the volume--to the hard-knocks modern-day writing of Charles Bukowski.

Funniest among these--and most of them are indeed funny--is the late, great Spalding Grey's "College Girls." All his inhibitions, all his fears, all his trepidation comes across loud and clear in this recounting of his fumblings--some successful, some not--with college girls of his acquaintance. Don Marquis writes elegantly of the sundry subtle skills of rolling and then smoking a cigarette; Mary McCarthy addresses loss of virginity with an excerpt from her classic novel "The Group;" Corey Ford recounts an office party gone hellishly, hilariously wrong with alcohol; and Terry Southern and Mason Hoffenberg write the strangest piece of all, about an attractive woman irresistibly drawn to a homeless hunchback.

The range of human experience, as seen through our predilection for things that feel good but might not be so good for us, is laid bare here--pun intended--and it makes for a wonderful afternoon's reading.

Excellent failure.......2004-11-20

A collection of essays and reminiscences about what the title says, written or set in the first three-quarters of the twentieth century. The editor's purpose, according to Shacochis's introduction, is to show that we have now become humorless puritans and that D S and S are victimless indulgences. There was once a happier time when we were less inhibited about these things and life was the better for it.
This purpose fails. Victims abound. The male authors (all heterosexual) come across as boasting about sexual conquests. Erica Jong cheerfully describes a rape and Nabokov describes you-know-what. St. Paul would have found a lot of justification here.
The drinkers all seem to be problem drinkers and I can't say the smokers make their habit sound positively enjoyable.
However there is some wonderful writing from a starry assembly of the century's finest American writers (if we included Nabokov and Anais Nin as American). Some of the humor dates a little. For example Art Buchwald's satire on wine talk has been repeated many times (although I don't think anyone has improved on Thurber's "It's a naïve little burgundy but I think you'll be amused at its pretensions.")
It's well worth reading. I don't think it will lead anyone astray.

Great writers, good writing.......2004-08-31

I picked this up because it had a Richard Brautigan poem in it. Turned out to be one I already had. Anyway, the title's pretty self-explanatory. Short stories, novel excerpts, and a few poems with similar topics. The authors included are indeed some of the best. My favorites were by Spalding Gray, Mary McCarthy, Corey Ford, J.P. Donleavy, Terry Southern and Mason Hoffenberg, and James Thurber. The one I hated most was by Fran Lebowitz.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books