Book Description
In this absorbing tale, you watch the timeless principles of servant leadership unfold through the story of John Daily, a businessman whose outwardly successful life is spiraling out of control. He is failing miserably in each of his leadership roles as boss, husband, father, and coach. To get his life back on track, he reluctantly attends a weeklong leadership retreat at a remote Benedictine monastery.
To John's surprise, the monk leading the seminar is a former business executive and Wall Street legend. Taking John under his wing, the monk guides him to a realization that is simple yet profound: The true foundation of leadership is not power, but authority, which is built upon relationships, love, service, and sacrifice.
Along with John, you will learn that the principles in this book are neither new nor complex. They don't demand special talents; they are simply based on strengthening the bonds of respect, responsibility, and caring with the people around you. Perhaps this is why
The Servant has touched readers from all walks of life—because its message can be applied by anyone, anywhere—at home or at work.
If you are tired of books that lecture instead of teach; if you are searching for ways to improve your leadership skills; if you want to understand the timeless virtues that lead to lasting and meaningful success, then this book is one you cannot afford to miss.
Customer Reviews:
Poor allocation of regurgitated ideas.......2007-10-03
The only reason this book earns a second star is because the book chose good quotes and philosophies to review. This book could of been better had the Author left out all the characters in the daily classes and created a more personal relationship between the main character and Simeon where they explored Simeon's priciples deeper and with more theoretical applications and systems. But, it didn't and this book was painfully slow at times while on the tangents of the attendees of the leadership class. I really don't know how this book got such a high rating and waited for it to pick up the entire time I read it and it didn't. My opinion: Don't waste your time and money, stick with the classics - and this book it certainly no classic.
Fantastic Book.......2007-09-14
This is simply one of the best books I have ever read. I would place it in my top ten category, and I plan to read it again. James C. Hunter ties information together from several different fields of knowledge and areas of expertise. I plan to recommend this book to those I love and to those with whom I have influence. It was recommended to our class as optional reading by a professor of School Leadership in a doctoral class I am taking, and even though this book was simple and easy to read, the information contained in it was more valuable than the information I have obtained in some classes, where I spent an entire semester. Don't let the simple writing, storybook-style fool you- There are huge nuggets of wisdom in this book.
True servant leadership........2007-07-18
This book reads easily with a wonderful story of true servant leadership. Recommended for those in leadership or management roles.
Great Gift for Leadership Colleagues.......2007-07-13
This book has been a staple for new and tenured managers to communicate two very important aspects of leadership: 1. It's not about you; it's about others. 2. Balance in your life. No greater leader ever exemplified this better than Jesus. You don't have to be religious or spiritual to see the clear message this book sends.
Not just for work!.......2007-06-08
I read this book approximately 5 years ago as a loan from a friend and it has such great concepts it changed my perspective on many things in my life. It had such an impact, I decided to purchase so that I would own it and re-read it. It was almost better the second time around. It reminded of the background of many concepts I learned and now I have picked up on things I missed the first time. Definitely a great book for anyone to read whether for business or personal application - since as parents we must lead our children to success!
Customer Reviews:
Ideas worth SIX stars; specific examples worth TWO.......2007-04-23
The book was worth many times its price just for one chapter, "Thinking Outside the Box," which contains many ideas that are simple yet incredibly creative (timelines, "WANTED"-poster styles, blurbs, etc.)
However, if family holidays, babies, and engagements have somehow eluded you, it is possible to feel VERY alienated from your own life by the traditional examples given. (In this case, please check out "On Leaving a Trace" for inspiration on writing and any of Lynne Perella's books for help with artistic expression.)
I am just using this book to dip into for practical ideas (structures), of which it offers plenty. Then I quickly shut it and forget everthning else!
Simple techniques for good scrapbook writing.......2003-02-14
Imagine looking 50 years into the future as your great grandchildren look through your scrapbook. There are plenty of great photos; there may even be notes on the dates and subjects. But beyond that, nothing. Eventually they close the album, having learned little about their ancestors in the early 21st Century.
It was precisely this imaginary scenario that finally prompted me to seek out help for my scrapbook journaling blocks in the form of Scrapbook Journaling Made Simple. This book addresses the importance of journaling the stories and vital information that should be a part of every page in your cherished albums. Even more to the point, SJMS tells you how to overcome these psychological impediments that we all face at one time or another. Among these issue are:
1. Fear of making a big mistake that will ruin the whole layout
2. You hate your handwriting
3. Lack of information about a photograph
4. Not knowing how to write "well"
5. Lack of time (my personal un-favorite)
SJMS guides you through all the excuses, countering them neatly in simple sections that break down the task of writing your personal stories into manageable steps. Much of the process is common sense, but you will also learn getting started, tricks to jog your memory, improving the look of your text, and more. In the process you will discover just what a wealth of lore you have within you to express on paper.
If I had one criticism about this book, it is that SJMS could feature more in-depth examples of outstanding journaling from the real-life examples. The samples they gave tended to be all too abbreviated, IMHO. It also would have been nice to explore the dimension that quotes and various font styles can give to a page.
This book is especially good for those of us who may be starting out new to the scrapbooking craft. SJMS has a very simple, encouraging style that puts the emphasis on the real reason we scrapbook - our heritage to the future - without overwhelming the reader with trends and product recommendations. Basically, it will inspire you to write again.
-Andrea, aka Merribelle
Learn to describe, not tell, the stories in your scrapbooks.......2003-02-13
If you find it difficult to "let go" when you are journaling in your scrapbooks - and by that, I mean using your senses while writing in order to feel the moment, rather than just telling the facts - then you will want to invest in a copy of SCRAPBOOK JOURNALING MADE SIMPLE.
In addition to simple methods of writing down your information (including: bullet, dictionary, timeline, recipe, poetic, and acrostic journaling, among others) you'll get a list of descriptive words that can really punch up your writing, questions to reflect on while deciding what to say about your pictures, interviewing techniques, and ways to overcome writer's block. Also included are ways to use journaling creatively in your pages, journaling without photos, and methods for adding journaling to crowded or finished pages.
Anyone can journal just as well as the artists who produce such amazing and touching pages in scrapbooking magazines. All it takes is the right tools and some practice!
Book Description
No matter how much trainers believe that their work is valuable, clients will always want solid, objective evidence that the training they're spending good money on is effective. "Telling Training's Story provides the tools to do just that, allowing anyone to measure a training regime's effectiveness and prove it to customers. The book's central tool is the Success Case Method (SCM), and although the SCM is rigorous enough to convince even the harshest skeptic, it's also easy to understand. The book first explains how the SCM works, and then lays out a five-step plan that shows how to perform an SCM evaluation. Later chapters elaborate on the SCM process, providing in-depth instructions and guidelines. There are also four case studies that show how SCM evaluations were performed by global organizations. Filled with examples and checklists, "Telling Training's Story levels the playing field by granting trainers the ability to prove what they know in their heart -- training works.
Customer Reviews:
Right Up There With "Preparing Instructional Objectives." .......2006-03-30
Brings to the topic of training evaluation what Robert Mager brought to training design. An extremely lucid read about the author's why-didn't-anybody-think-of-this-before "Success Case Method" of training evaluation. Shows how traditional "Training ROI" methods are not only impractical, but wrongheaded in trying to isolate training impact from the work environment. Offers a fast track alternative that helps you improve your training as you prove it, and team better with the business issue owners whose support you require. Not an academic tome, this is a real "how to do it" manual that provides everything you need to know to evaluate your own training projects, illustrated by real case study examples.
Book Description
“HEAVEN HELP THE SAILOR ON A NIGHT LIKE THIS.”
–old folk prayer
In late December 1951, laden with passengers and nearly forty metric tons of cargo, the freighter S.S. Flying Enterprise steamed westward from Europe toward America. A few days into the voyage, she hit the eye of a ferocious storm. Force 12 winds tossed men about like playthings and turned drops of freezing Atlantic foam into icy missiles. When, in the space of twenty-eight hours, the ship was slammed by two rogue waves–solid walls of water more than sixty feet high–the impacts cracked the decks and hull almost down to the waterline, threw the vessel over on her side, and thrust all on board into terror.
Flying Enterprise’s captain, Kurt Carlsen, a seaman of rare ability and valor, mustered all hands to patch the cracks and then try to right the ship. When these efforts came to naught, he helped transfer, across waves forty feet high, the passengers and the entire crew to lifeboats sent from nearby ships. Then, for reasons both professional and intensely personal, and to the amazement of the world, Carlsen defied all requests and entreaties to abandon ship. Instead, for the next two weeks, he fought to bring Flying Enterprise and her cargo to port. His heroic endeavor became the world’s biggest news.
In a narrative as dramatic as the ocean’s fury, acclaimed bestselling author Frank Delaney tells, for the first time, the full story of this unmatched bravery and endurance at sea. We meet the devoted family whose well-being and safety impelled Carlsen to stay with his ship. And we read of Flying Enterprise’s buccaneering owner, the fearless and unorthodox Hans Isbrandtsen, who played a crucial role in Kurt Carlsen’s fate.
Drawing on historical documents and contemporary accounts and on exclusive interviews with Carlsen’s family, Delaney opens a window into the world of the merchant marine. With deep affection–and respect–for the weather and all that goes with it, he places us in the heart of the storm, a “biblical tempest” of unimaginable power. He illuminates the bravery and ingenuity of Carlsen and the extraordinary courage that the thirty-seven-year-old captain inspired in his stalwart crew. This is a gripping, absorbing narrative that highlights one man’s outstanding fortitude and heroic sense of duty.
“One of the great sea stories of the twentieth century… [a] surefire nautical crowd-pleaser.”
--Booklist é (starred review)
“Frank Delaney has written a completely absorbing, thrilling and inspirational account of a disaster at sea that occasioned heroism of the first order. In the hands of a gifted storyteller,
the ‘simple courage’ of the ship’s captain and the young radio man who risked their lives to bring a mortally wounded ship to port reveals the essence and power of all true courage–
a stubborn devotion to the things we love.”
–Senator John McCain
Customer Reviews:
A hero in everybody else's mind.......2007-06-19
I was a child of 7 at the end of 1951, and vividly recall going to the Saturday flicks and watching the MovieTone newsreel footage (voiceovers by Ed Herlihy)of the Flying Enterprise in her ongoing struggle to remain afloat. It was the most gripping drama of that era, and the Captain was rightly lionized for his perverse determination to stay with the ship and bring her to port.
At the time, his devotion was seen largely as a blind commitment to duty and obligation, and few commentators ever seriously made the case that abandoning ship would make the Enterprise fair game for marine salvage companies.
So, the tale is well-told, with solid pacing and few digressions into irrelevancies. The things that really were missing from the book, given the saturation photographic and media coverage of the event when it happened, are (1) a cross-sectional diagram of the ship showing how it was loaded, hold by hold, (2) drawings of how the split-hull repair was made and (3) a good collection of photos of the wreck in distress. The omission of these photos is sad, considering that the struggle was filmed for days and the author has only seen fit to include some gray-tone renderings as cover sheets for each section.
excellent reading. The cruel sea........2007-01-16
As a sailor and someone who has great respect for the sea I have recommended this book to my Friends and also given away copies to family, whom I would like to read this book and get the experience though the book.
The sea can be Cruel and wonderful at different times, I love the Ocean but at the same time Respect it for what it can do. The book leaves you wondering how things could have been done differently and perhaps there was other reasons for what took place, the book leaves you thinking, which is good, I can highly recommend this book.
Hans Andersen.
Don't Read This Great Sea Story - LISTEN INSTEAD.......2006-10-19
I listened to the CD version of Simple Courage. Other reviewers have deducted marks for the book's length and author's personal narrative. None of that mars the audio version. LISTEN to the CD. It's been expertly abridged by Kristin Lesko into a tight, taut, compelling story. Frank Delaney is an absolutely OUTSTANDING reader/narrator (a long prior career at the BBC probably helped). I begrudged every moment it took to eject the finished CDs and spin up the new ones.
Uses historical documents and modern accounts to spice true adventure........2006-10-15
Frank Delaney's SIMPLE COURAGE: A TRUE STORY OF PERIL ON THE SEA tells of a 1951 ship laden with passengers and tons of cargo heading from Europe to America which faced huge waves which about destroyed her. Her captain fought to bring her cargo and passengers safely to port: his courageous story is told on audio for the first time, and uses historical documents and modern accounts to spice true adventure.
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch
Captain Courageous.......2006-08-31
The world has not long remembered Captain Henrik Kurt Carlsen, but in 1952 he was deservedly one of the most famous men in the world, "The Man of the Year" according to Life magazine and plenty of other listmakers. Frank Delaney, an Irish writer, was nine years old at the time, and one of the connections he had with his difficult father while growing up in Ireland was sharing the world's fascination with Carlsen's peril at sea. Delaney remembers his father uncharacteristically summoning the family to the radio: "There is an incident happening at sea." An incident, indeed, and one that stuck with Delaney for years, finally flowering into the grand account _Simple Courage: A True Story of Peril on the Sea_ (Random House). Delaney's personal interest in the story, as part of his own family's lore, is told in episodes through the book, illustrating how all the world over people were waiting to hear of the fate of Carlsen as he clung to his sinking vessel, so it helps us understand what a sensation the story was at the time. Delaney's book brings the sensation back for our own time.
For the voyage of _Flying Enterprise_ at the end of 1951, she had picked up passengers and cargo in various European docks, and was headed to the United States. The master of the ship was Captain Carlsen, a 37-year-old Danish-born American who had two decades of seagoing experience, including 43 Atlantic crossings. He was an impeccable sailor and captain. He had no pretense; everyone who knew him said that he was exactly the sort of straight-arrow he seemed to be. The ship had the ill fortune to be hit not by one but two rogue waves, the first cracking the hull and the second giving it a sixty degree list which shifted the cargo so that she could not right herself. Eventually there were ships that came to the rescue, and although one passenger died in the transfer, all the rest of the crew and passengers jumped, often heroically, into the raging and frigid waters to be dragged to safety. Carlsen ordered everyone off, including those that volunteered to continue to try to save the ship, and then began a solitary stay on the vessel, attempting to find food or a dry place in which to wedge mattresses so he could catch some sleep. A seagoing hero in peril was a great story, and the press ran with it, ensuring that even Delaney's isolated family knew of "Stay-Put Carlsen" or "Captain Courageous." There were those who thought there must be some hidden motive to keep Carlsen aboard in such atrocious conditions, but the truth is, as the title of the book implies, simple: Carlsen knew his duty, he loved his ship, and until there was no hope, he was not leaving.
This was the biggest one-man heroism story since Lindbergh. He was honored on his return to England, and when he got to New York, he was given a ticker tape parade. He refused to cash in on his fame; even while he was awaiting rescue, a beer tycoon had arranged for a packet to be dropped to him offering him $30,000 to endorse a particular brew. He declined an appearance on _The Ed Sullivan Show_. He was quickly put back at work for his shipping line, and was a hero to all, except for himself. For one thing, he never understood why people would get so worked up over a man who was simply carrying out his duty; for another, he felt a deep personal shame that he had become a captain who had lost a ship. It is a true touch of tragedy within a spellbinding tale of a hero pitted against the vicious sea.
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- CHANDLER WARMS UP
- You can't beat Raymond Chandler
- I Read It Until the Book Fell Apart
- From the pen of the master.
- Short stories without Marlowe
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The Simple Art of Murder
Raymond Chandler
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ASIN: 0394757653
Release Date: 1988-09-12 |
Book Description
Prefaced by the famous Atlantic Monthly essay of the same name, in which he argues the virtues of the hard-boiled detective novel, this collection mostly drawn from stories he wrote for the pulps demonstrates Chandler's imaginative, entertaining facility with the form.
Download Description
Prefaced by the famous Atlantic Monthly essay of the same name, in which he argues the virtues of the hard-boiled detective novel, this collection -- mostly drawn from stories he wrote for the pulps -- demonstrates Chandler's imaginative, entertaining facility with the form.
"Raymond Chandler is a master."
THE NEW YORK TIMES
"[Chandler] wrote as if pain hurt and life mattered."
THE NEW YORKER
"Chandler seems to have created the culminating American hero: wised up, hopeful, thoughtful, adventurous, sentimental, cynical and rebellious."
ROBERT B. PARKER, THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW
"Philip Marlowe remains the quintessential urban private eye."
LOS ANGELES TIMES
"Nobody can write like Chandler on his home turf, not even Faulkner.... An original.... A great artist."
THE BOSTON BOOK REVIEW
"Raymond Chandler was one of the finest prose writers of the twentieth century.... Age does not wither Chandler's prose.... He wrote like an angel."
LITERARY REVIEW
"[T]he prose rises to heights of unselfconscious eloquence, and we realize with a jolt of excitement that we are in the presence of not a mere action tale teller, but a stylist, a writer with a vision."
JOYCE CAROL OATES, THE NEW YORK REVIEW OF BOOKS
"Chandler wrote like a slumming angel and invested the sun-blinded streets of Los Angeles with a romantic presence."
ROSS MACDONALD
"Raymond Chandler invented a new way of talking about America, and America has never looked the same to us since."
PAUL AUSTER
"[Chandler]'s the perfect novelist for our times. He takes us into a different world, a world that's like ours, but isn't. "
CAROLYN SEE
"A serious rereading of the Marlowe novels and stories yields more surprises than a rereading of Hemingway."
RICHARD RUSSO, AUTHOR OF EMPIRE FALLS
Customer Reviews:
CHANDLER WARMS UP.......2007-06-24
I have reviewed Raymond Chandler's seven Phillip Marlowe detective classics elsewhere in this space so there is no need to go into detail about his place in the detective genre pantheon. What is interesting in this series of short works is that Chandler is working out the 'formula' for what he expects out of his detectives. Those qualities get worked out in Marlowe and thus takes their place as very good literary work. Even here Chandler exhibits the sparse but functional dialogue that holds the Marlowe series together. If you have never read Chandler in novel or short story form here is your chance. There will be no place for Agatha Christie-type detectives for you after that. For sure.
If nothing else get this book for his essay that gives this work its title. This is his take at the time on the genre's place in the literary pantheon. Now his remarks are the wisdom of the academy. Enough said.
You can't beat Raymond Chandler.......2006-11-13
The thing about Raymond Chandler is his ability to put words together in the most intriguing, descriptive way. His prose is beyond readable -- it's captivating. The first book of his I read was "Farewell, My Lovely." I read a couple of paragraphs and I was simply hooked. The stories themselves are wonderful, but told by a lesser author, they wouldn't be half as good.
The sad thing about Chandler is that he got started rather late in life with his writing and he didn't get that many books written before he died. Today, you can find about eight books, comprising six novels and two collections of short stories. "The Simple Art of Murder" is one of the short story collections.
Chandler's famous fictional detective, Philip Marlowe does not appear in any of the short stories in this book because these are his earlier works. They appeared in magazines and he hadn't dreamt up Marlowe yet. But the stories are so worth reading. One of Chandler's gifts is his ability to describe people, places and the times without being at all boring. The net result is that, while you're reading, you're there, back in the Los Angeles of the 1930's and 40's, experiencing how it used to look, how it once felt, what life there was once like. It's almost intoxicating in its effects.
Those who have read some of the Philip Marlowe novels will find a couple of interesting things. With a little re-working, you'll find a couple of his short stories in the novels as chapters of the larger works.
One of the really interesting things about this particular collection is the opening work, not a story but an essay entitled "The Simple Art of Murder." It's Raymond Chandler's commentary on what it takes to write a good murder mystery and, believe it or not, it's a very interesting read. It's entertaining and insightful, not in the least bit dry, and proof positive that Chandler could really write. The man was truly gifted and not to read him is to missing something excellent indeed.
The phrase "pulp fiction" generally conveys something of lesser quality, trash, in fact. I'll never make that assumption again having read Raymond Chandler, master of the genre. Few authors in any genre have been able to write as well as he did.
I Read It Until the Book Fell Apart.......2006-01-31
I am commenting on the present book not the older 1968 version. Some other people are commenting on the old book.
Before you read all the other comments here, please be clear that this book is not like Chandler's other books. Unfortunately, some other people commenting on this book have not read the book - obviously. This book does not contain his character Philip Marlowe. He might have been in the 1968 version, I do not know. Here we have an essay by Chandler called "The Simple Art of Murder," followed by 8 short stories, each about 40 pages long. In some ways, these are a sampling of Chandler's "other stories." They still involve an LA based private detective, but each leading male protagonist has a different personality.
The great attraction of this book is the essay by Chandler on how he writes, and what he thinks of other writers. After reading the esssay, I immediately ran out and bought Hemingway's "Farewell to Arms." Chandler thought that this book probably has the best prose of 20th century novels. In the essay Chandler tells us about his philosophy to writing crime stories, and he makes comments on other writers from Hemingway to British mystery writer Dorothy Sayers. It is a good essay by Chandler but short.
I have read all 7 Chandler novels plus the short stories "Trouble is My Business." One can make the argument that the present book is perhaps his best work; although, the short story format does not make for an impressive read - as we see for example in "Farewell, My Lovely," or other full novels.
As a Chandler fan I read this introduction four times, and read most other stories twice. "Smart-Aleck Kill" has a very complicated plot compressed into a very short format. I ended up reading it three times before all the characters were clear in my mind. Eventually the binding of this new book came apart. There is no Philip Marlowe, but this is an excellent sample of Chandler's writing skills.
Chandler wrote detective mystery stories, and became famous for seven novels and a number of Hollywood screen plays, mostly about crime and private detectives in the "film noir" genre of Hollywood black and white films, or what is called LA "pulp fiction". Far from being an ordinary writer of cheap crime stories, Chandler became one of America's best writers from the mid 20th century. His fame was of course helped by Bogat and Bacall starring in the film "The Big Sleep" based on Chandler's first novel.
In any case, this is a book that is not to be missed by Chandler fans. It is simply excellent for anyone else.
From the pen of the master........2005-12-10
(Note: This is a review of the 1968 hardcover edition of The Simple Art of Murder published by W.W. Norton & Co. There are major differences between this edition and the Black Lizard paperback depicted above. Most significantly, the 1968 version contains 4 stories the Black Lizard paperback does not.)
The Simple Art of Murder is a collection of author favorites culled from short works of crime fiction by the legendary Raymond Chandler. The title, The Simple Art of Murder, is the same as that of an essay Chandler wrote in 1945. That essay, which can be found in this book, is a distillation of the author's views on the contemporary state of detective fiction, its future and its limitations. Whether you agree or disagree with the conclusions it presents, you will find it highly valuable reading, as it explains why and how Chandler wrote as he did.
All twelve stories (remember, this is the 1968 edition) are good and some are great. Though one of them, Goldfish, takes place mostly in Washington State, they all bring to life the dark, grittiness of Los Angeles' criminal netherworld. Finger Man, Goldfish, Red Wind and Trouble is My Business all feature the legendary private eye Phillip Marlowe. These are the 4 stories missing from the Black Lizard edition.
Nevada Gas differs from the rest of the stories in this collection in that the main character is not an investigator but rather a gambler named Johnny De Ruse. Except for the gentlemanly Walter Gage (Pearls are a Nuisance) all the protagonists of the remaining non-Marlowe stories are very Marlowe-like in personality. In fact, Johnny Dalmas (Smart-Aleck Kill) seems to differ from Phillip Marlowe in name only.
One of the best stories in The Simple Art Murder is Pick-Up on Noon Street. In it, Pete Anglisch, a narcotics detective deep undercover, rescues a vulnerable young woman caught up in a complex blackmail scheme. The captivating Red Wind is also very strongly written.
Just like the Phillip Marlowe novels which brought Chandler his well deserved fame, these hardboiled shorter works are characterized by great dialogue and very effective descriptive passages. Reading this collection gives one an appreciation for the intelligence and craftsmanship Raymond Chandler applied to his writing. Highly recommended.
Short stories without Marlowe.......2005-08-31
This book collects a few of Chandler's short stories together, along with the essay that gives the book its title. The essay reads well, and gives a simple, clear statement of what Chandler dislikes about the murder mystery genre. You can read the details for yourself, but I'll give you a clue: read Hercule Poirot or Miss Marple, then one of these stories. The differences fix the problems that Chandler saw in the genre as it existed before him.
Although I like the Philip Marlowe novels, these are short stories (far less than novel length), they star different characters (none of whom are Marlowe), and generally seem weaker than Chandler's novels. They keep the same dark, gritty tone, but one or two overdo the 1940s slang to a nearly impenetrable level. They're all worth reading, though, especially "I'll Be Waiting."
//wiredweird
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- Simply Enjoyable!
- Four Heartwarming Christmas Stories : Just Curious / Miracles / Change of Heart / Double Exposure
- Nicki's heart
- A moment of evasion
- Quick reads by the divas of romance!
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Simple Gifts : Four Heartwarming Christmas Stories : Just Curious / Miracles / Change of Heart / Double Exposure
Judith McNaught , and
Jude Deveraux
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ASIN: 0743442237 |
Book Description
Bestselling authors Jude Deveraux and Judith McNaught shine with love's magic in this wonderful collection. Here are their most dazzling Christmas tales -- the perfect treat for every romantic at heart....
SIMPLE GIFTS
In the snow-covered hills of Virginia, a young widow finds that miracles really do come in the least expected packages, in "Just Curious." "Change of Heart," set in modern-day Colorado, is the touching story of a clever twelve-year-old who plays matchmaker for his bighearted, impractical mother.
Regency London comes to life in "Miracles," the enchanting tale of a world-weary lord -- and an outrageous proposal. In "Double Exposure," a determined young woman photographs a magnificent wedding at a reclusive tycoon's Newport estate, and manages to unlock the secrets of a man's heart.
Customer Reviews:
Simply Enjoyable!.......2007-08-15
SIMPLE GIFTS is a delightful collection of short stories by beloved authors! Very Enjoyable!
Four Heartwarming Christmas Stories : Just Curious / Miracles / Change of Heart / Double Exposure.......2007-01-10
Great book - couldn't put it down.
Nicki's heart.......2006-09-28
I only bought this book because of Judith's McNaught short on Nicholas Duville's love story, All I ever did through the piece was sigh and cuddle the book to my heart, and continued reading page after page, I cried I smiled, I felt my heart bloom with every kiss or embrace the characters had...and this is only a FICTIONAL story!! GOD! I miss Mcnaught!!! I miss her so much! So much that I want to wringe her neck for discarding the gift she had in making BEAUTIFUL historicals! she was a legend! and still is! does anybody know's what happened to her?! Honestly!
I adored her story with Nicki, Julliana was the classic Mcnaught Herione...perfection! But what I liked most about her was that she wasted no time in making things interesting, I related with Nicki so much through out the story he was always the "Friend" to the women he was interested in, interesting women on the whole seemed to back away from him and run into the arms of other men...and that was TWO books straight! good thing it didn't end there and had him star here as a hero for once! I loved him since Whitney, my love...I adore him now! the bit with Julianna excusing herself from Nicki saying "Goodafternoon,Mr....er....Deveraux." I laughed so much it was so clever to put Jude Deveraux's name in there...hehehe...
I recommend anything by Judith Mcnaught although for me I have no interest in her contemporary novels...its her historicals you should be looking out for and their the following:
-Almost Heaven
-Something Wonderful
-Once and Always
-A Kingdom Of Dreams
-Whitney, My Love
-Until you
-And lastly this book Simple Gifts (Nicki's story -Miracles-)
I'm sure your going to enjoy all of them! :)
A moment of evasion.......2005-10-09
I have bought this book to read two little novels written by J.McNaught which are not translated into french (I am French).
Despite of my very poor english, it was a very good moment of evasion and the great sense of humour of J.McNaught was still there. The stories were good but definitively too short...
Quick reads by the divas of romance!.......2005-08-12
Four quick reads that are perfect for your wait at the doctor's office or waiting at your child's sports practice.
"Just Curious" is a touching tale about a woman who is a widow and stuggling to move on with her life alone. Her boss makes her a business proposition that she can not refuse, not realizing that it will lead to true love.
Some reviewers were disappointed with "Miracles", the story of Nicki and Juliana. Nicki was such an intriguing secondary character in Whitney My Love and Until You (two of Judith McNaught's best sellers), that I can see why fans wanted him to have a longer story.
Those of you who follow the Montgomery/Taggart series written by Jude Deveraux will be interested in "Change of Heart", a story about Frank Taggart. This is a story of mature love between a struggling single mom and a wealthy businessman. Unbelievably, a young boy orchestrates the meeting of these two unlikely characters and it really is a heart-warming story.
"Double Exposure" is a prequel to Remember When written by Judith McNaught. It is Corey and Spence's story. I liked it because I was familiar with the characters. It is an interesting, if not bizarre, wedding.
These short stories may be a good way to become acquainted with these fabulous authors if you have not read any of their longer romance novels. Avid McNaught/Deveraux fans will feel right at home with them!
Customer Reviews:
Yallo! This is a great review...read it!.......1997-08-17
Hughes really takes advantage of his natural African-American 'relaxed & jazzy' instincts in these works. Enjoy
Book Description
When Miss Milner announces her passion for her guardian, a Catholic priest, she breaks through the double barrier of religious vocation and society's standards of `proper' womanly behaviour. Her love is legitimized when Dorriforth is released from his vows, but she finds her own unorthodox nature cannot conform to a marriage where her husband continues to be a stern moral guide. With a surenees of touch that prefigures Jane Austen, Elizabeth Inchbald shows that there is no simple answer to their predicament, and that their conflict can only be resolved in the next generation.
Download Description
Beautiful as she had appeared to Miss Woodley and to Dorriforth the preceding day, when she joined them the next morning at breakfast, repossessed of her lively elegance and dignified simplicity, they gazed at her, and at each other alternately, with wonder!--and Mrs. Horton, as she sat at the head of her tea-table, felt herself but as a menial servant, such command has beauty if united with sense and with virtue.--In Miss Milner it was so united. --Yet let not our over-scrupulous readers be misled, and extend their idea of her virtue so as to magnify it beyond that which frail mortals commonly possess.
Customer Reviews:
Worth reading (SPOILERS).......2006-04-15
A Simple Story could almost be read as two separate novels. The first tells the story of the beautiful young heiress, Miss Milner, who falls in love with her inflexibly principled guardian, Mr. Dorriforth (later Lord Elmwood). There are numerous bars to their union - the foremost being that he is a Catholic priest, who has taken a vow of celibacy, and that she is a coquette whose behaviour repeatedly offends his strict moral code. By the end of Volume II, all obstacles preventing their marriage have been removed, and we are led to assume they will live happily ever after. However, as Volume III opens - seventeen years later - we learn they have not lived happily ever after. Lady Elmwood (nee Milner) is now dying, a fallen woman, and Lord Elmwood has long since cast off both her and their daughter Matilda. Volumes III and IV tell the story of how the blameless Matilda tries to win back her implacable father's affection, and gains the heart of his nephew and heir, the lovable Mr. Rushbrook.
Though the characters in A Simple Story sometimes behave in ways that, to my mind, strain credulity, it is well-written, and a more enjoyable read than many other novels written before Jane Austen came along.
Fantastic... at times.......2005-12-19
The first half of A Simple Story is so good, you'll want to savor every paragraph. The plot climaxes when the two strong-willed, intelligent, lovable protagonists acknowledge their love for each other and get married.
They're financially independent and in love, and there isn't a war on. What could possibly go wrong? Well, the guy is summoned overseas for some unexplained job-related reason. (Not at all believable.) During his three year absence, the woman goes crazy (completely out of character) and has an affair with a local yokel she doesn't even like. The husband returns home, becomes infuriated, and proceeds to kick her out and disown their infant daughter. The wife dies of a broken heart. The daughter grows up without knowing her father.
SPOILER ALERT
The second half of the book is all about Matilda, the boring, goody-goody daughter, who tries to get back into her father's good graces, even though he has forbidden anyone even to mention her or her late mother. He allows Matilda to live in his sprawling mansion, but he banishes her from his sight. Whenever he's in residence, she has to go and hide in the attic. Her wishy-washy cousin comes to visit, and they happen to encounter one another in a corridor of the mansion. They fall in love and eventually get married with the father's approval.
I pretty much lost interest when the wife died.
Excellently written novel.......2002-05-12
Inchbald has a great talent with words. This books is insightful, provocative and dramatic. Inchbald talks about love with such candidness and frankness that while your reading you can't help but feel an overflowing of emotions toward the main characters. Very satisfying ending the tidies up all the problems throughout the book.
A book of its time, fine characterization and insight.......1998-09-21
This is no "Gone With the Wind" -- everybody gets what they deserve, according to the strictest moral code, and some get it with interest.
However, Inchbald excels at characterization -- she unites vanity and passion in one character, and still has a believable personality to show the reader -- and she can show a character in change, without losing the character's integrity. Although the tragedy she creates has a moral "told you so" aspect hard for modern readers to take, it also has the pathetic grandeur of the great tragedies -- small, pointless faults and actions which lead to irreversible pain. The humanity of Inchbald's insight is what makes this book one of my favorites among the 18th century women writers.
Customer Reviews:
Great Read.......2007-08-17
This is the best book Lori Copeland has ever written. I really enjoyed the characters, plot and feel of the book. Highly recommended!
Fun Read but.............2007-05-25
Okay this was a fun read but yet I found myself not warming to Marlene just because I have a difficult time with someone who lies as much as she does. The book actually made me nervous wating for her to stop lying. She has lived her whole life as a lie because of pride and I realize that is the essence of the book but it's not until the last few pages that she finally apoligizes to the man who has loved he all her life. Besides the lying, she allows her daughter who is spolied rotten to manipulate her and be at her beck and call. That was another part I never understood; MArlene won't marry the man she has always loved and who loves her because he will want children and she is afraid they will be like her parents, so she runs off with another man and has a child with him. I didn't understand that reasoning. I like all the other characters in the book and Lori Copeland's humor. I especially liked Vic's character and wasn't sure Marlene deserved him but then he forgave her just as God did but she threw so many years away, you just wanted to shake her.
Very Enjoyable Read!.......2007-05-12
The book begins with " My momma always said ' Life is like a box of chocolate. You never know what you're gonna get.' Forrest Gump's mom was right.....my life...It was a box of chocolates - and someone had eaten the creams and left me the nuts."
Lori Copeland writes a humourous book that includes insight,inspiration and much enjoyment. I very much enjoyed it! I have also read Monday Morning Faith by Lori Copeland and enjoyed it - but this is even better!
I work as my church's librarian, and Monday Morning Faith has been one of most popular new fiction books - and I predict with great certainty that this book will prove even more in demand.
A wonderful, easy , fun read!
One of Her Best.......2007-04-29
I loved this book. It will go on my shelf of to be kept. Her dialogue between characters and descriptions make the story so real. I just felt the entire story. I love her other books too and recommend all of them highly.
Average customer rating:
- The Simple Review
- A thriller!
- As always, a superb book!
- Typical Baldacci, typically pretty good!
- Great thriller!
|
The Simple Truth
David Baldacci
Manufacturer: Grand Central Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0446523321
Release Date: 1998-11-18 |
Amazon.com
Rufus Harms is rotting in a Virginia military prison. As readers learn in the terse opening of The Simple Truth, he was convicted 25 years ago of the brutal killing of a young girl. Readers also learn that Rufus did not commit the crime; out of a haze of memories and with fragments of evidence, he has reconstructed the truth about the horrid event that ruined his life. He knows his discovery could cost him his life, so he breaks from prison after sending an appeal to the Supreme Court that details a massive conspiracy tied into the foundations of Washington.
The complex drama of Rufus Harms is only one of the interwoven threads in this massive, violent legal thriller that also draws from the vocabulary of hard-boiled crime fiction. Baldacci offers glimpses into the arcane politics of the high court, where Justice Elizabeth Knight wages war with the manipulative Chief Justice Harold Ramsay. And while Harms struggles to keep out of harm's way and the justices duke it out, Supreme Court law clerk Sara Evans toils with ex-cop John Fiske to discover the import of Harms's appeal (and, simultaneously, to uncover the murderer of Mike Fiske, John's law clerk-brother and the original holder of the appeal). Their interest in the document apparently draws the attention of the same deadly conspirators who manipulated Harms over two decades earlier. While the armed mayhem sometimes rises to the point of excess, Baldacci's novel continues to offer new surprises until the final pages. --Patrick O'Kelley
Book Description
Rufus Harms is rotting in a Virginia military prison. As readers learn in the terse opening of The Simple Truth, he was convicted 25 years ago of the brutal killing of a young girl. Readers also learn that Rufus did not commit the crime; out of a haze of memories and with fragments of evidence, he has reconstructed the truth about the horrid event that ruined his life. He knows his discovery could cost him his life, so he breaks from prison after sending an appeal to the Supreme Court that details a massive conspiracy tied into the foundations of Washington.The complex drama of Rufus Harms is only one of the interwoven threads in this massive, violent legal thriller that also draws from the vocabulary of hard-boiled crime fiction. Baldacci offers glimpses into the arcane politics of the high court, where Justice Elizabeth Knight wages war with the manipulative Chief Justice Harold Ramsay. And while Harms struggles to keep out of harm's way and the justices duke it out, Supreme Court law clerk Sara Evans toils with ex-cop John Fiske to discover the import of Harms's appeal (and, simultaneously, to uncover the murderer of Mike Fiske, John's lawclerk-brother and the original holder of the appeal). Their interest in the document apparently draws the attention of the same deadly conspirators who manipulated Harms over two decades earlier. While the armed mayhem sometimes rises to the point of excess, Baldacci's novel continues to offer new surprises until the final pages. --Patrick O'Kelley
Download Description
Twenty-five years ago, Rufus Harms was convicted of a murder he doesn't remember committing. When his memory is jogged by a letter from the army, he has a shocking realization: he never intended to kill anyone--he was coerced. From prison, Rufus files an appeal with the Supreme Court, unaware that the real killers are on to him. But the long-time convict knows he's running out of time when the Supreme Court clerk, who is the first to see Rufus's appeal, is murdered. Sprung from prison by his brother, Rufus must now elude capture long enough to expose a shocking cover-up and save his own life.
Customer Reviews:
The Simple Review.......2007-08-22
Quite a good story with interesting characters and a well-paced plot.
I did have a few nits with it, though. (Mainly because I've made the same mistakes in my own writing. ^_^) The main one was the constant subject-verb, subject-verb, subject-verb sentences. Quite a few times I noticed over half the sentences in any one paragraph beginning with "he," "she," and the like. And, of course, once I saw that, I couldn't un-see it, so it bothered me for the remainder of the book. In general, the writing is good, but a little more variety in sentence structure would have been wonderful.
And I felt bad for John for losing his brother before being able to become friends with him again. There's quite a gulf between me and my own brother that I doubt will ever be bridged, but seeing it from an outsider's perspective is sad.
I would definitely read this author again.
A thriller!.......2007-06-29
David Baldacci gives us Rufus Harms, a man unjustly imprisioned for 25 years, and an ex-cop, John Fiske, turned lawyer turned investigator again when his brother, Michael Fiske, a Supreme Court clerk, is murdered after inquiring into an appeal that came to the Supreme Court from Rufus. Sara Evans, another SC clerk, who was good friends with Michael Fiske becomes emotionally involved with John Fiske and they team up to try to solve the mystery of who would murder Michael Fiske. Along the way they are searching out the truth about Rufus. There are twists and turns and surprises. David Baldacci gives an a behind the scenes look at the Supreme Court and the surprising power the clerks actually have. You will have a hard time putting this book down once you open it.
As always, a superb book!.......2007-03-06
If anyone has read Jack Olsen's book, THE TRIUMPH AND TRAGEDY OF GERONIMO (ELMER)PRATT, you'll see the parallels in this fiction book to Jack Olsen's true crime story of Mr. Pratt. This was a fabulous book and should receive 5 stars from everyone that reads it. Spending 25 years in a prison for a crime you didn't commit is horrific. Can you imagine losing that many years of your life. Geronimo Pratt lost those many years, 26 to be exact. He is the only man that sued the FBI and the police and won and it was a long battle. "They" tried to kill him in prison to shut him up. You must read the book after you've read this fiction novel. I really have to wonder if David Baldacci read Jack Olsen's book before writing this novel. Excellent...superb!
Typical Baldacci, typically pretty good!.......2006-10-07
David Baldacci has a knack for writing fiction that sucks you in and holds you no matter what the story. Part of the talent is to introduce interesting characters. This book is no exception. Sara Evans is a clerk working for a Supreme Court justice. She is quite close to another clerk (Michael Fiske) who works for a different judge. Michael asks Sara to marry him but Sara really loves Michael's brother John, who Sara has only seen once and never officially met.
Michael comes across an appeal that intrigues him (to say exactly why would be a spoiler and it is only revealed very late in the book as to exactly what intrigued him) so much that he pulls it out before it is filed and goes to visit the requestor. That happens to be a Rufus Harms who is serving a life sentence in an Army prison for murdering a girl.
When Michael goes to see Harms, practically all Hell breaks loose and Harms realizes he is in danger himself and some mysterious evil guys from the prison murder Michael. Apparently there was some secrets in Harms appeal that some powerful unknown men do not want known.
Michael's murder is investigated by his brother John (an ex-cop who is now a defense lawyer for the lowest of the low criminals) and he enlists the aid of Sara who was close to Michael and knows some things about Michael. Sara is instantly in love with John and the more they start investigating the more they put their lives at risk from the unknown powerful men. Additionally, the police start to suspect John of the murder of his brother especially when he is named as the sole beneficiary of Michael's life insurance.
Meanwhile Rufus Harms has escaped prison from some of those men that tried to kill him.
So we have tension throughout to see if Rufus will survive as well as John and Sara before the evil guys get them.
There is a lot of good information about what goes on behind the scenes at the Supreme Court. A good read
Great thriller!.......2006-07-26
I loved this book. It had some historical references, which tends to bring a story to life as one can relate them to familiar or current events. It didn't have typical hollywood ending, but it was a good ending nonetheless. The main-character was a bit underdeveloped, mentally and emotionally; thus I couldn't really feel sorry or bad for him.
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