Book Description
Fly Out of CHAOS
(Can’t Have Anyone Over Syndrome)
Into Order--One BabyStep at a Time
With her special blend of housecleaning tips, humor, and musings about daily life, Marla Cilley, a.k.a. The FlyLady, shows you how to manage clutter and chaos and get your home--and your life--in order. Drawn from the lessons and tools used in her popular mentoring program, FlyLady helps you create doable housekeeping routines and break down overwhelming chores into manageable missions that will restore peace to your home--and your psyche. Soon you’ll be able to greet guests without fear, find your keys, locate your kids, and most of all, learn how to FLY: Finally Loving Yourself.
Customer Reviews:
Fun but a little too compulsive........2007-10-04
I bought this for my daughter, to help her with her house, life, and anything else. I didn't want her to be insulted, so I read it and told her I bought it for me but thought she might like it too. It started out great, great ideas, funny, fun. But it got a little too over the edge....compulsive...neat freakish towards the end. I told my daughter to try to incorporate SOME of the Flylady's tips into her routine. She hasn't read it yet, but I'm hoping she learns something from it, because she is a very disorganized person. It seemed there were some discrepancies in the book about her life, which makes you feel she's making all of this up to make money, not to share her experience. Hopefully my daughter doesn't catch on to some of it.
Sink Reflections - Flylady - book.......2007-09-25
I loved this book and think it had great motivational ideas. Hopefully it will keep me encouraged to get organized and learn to FLY.
Boy do I need this book!!.......2007-09-13
I am starting to FLY, babysteps, but it is a beginning. It is way too fun! Can't wait to get on the live blog.
Convinced a skeptic.......2007-08-30
I've purchased all kinds of self-help books over the years, and this is the first book that I read, felt inspired, start doing just a couple of the steps right away, and felt an immediate difference in my life.
The FlyLady is not telling you something you don't know, but that's kind of how therapy works. I really felt that she could relate to me and the simple suggestions she makes work. I've only been doing it a couple of weeks, but already I am more inspired and my husband is too!
Changed my life.......2007-08-17
Just 15 minutes a day and swish & swipe has changed my life. I don't do all the recommendations but just using a few has really changed the way my house looks.
Book is easy and enjoyable to read.
Customer Reviews:
Free to Love.......2007-01-05
This book addresses women's issues on so many levels from rejection, abortion, divorce and it gives direction on how to be free from the baggage so you can truly be able to love and be 'lovable'.
Awesome. I purchased several copies for numerous friends.
seek God before looking at a man.......2005-08-31
a must book for any single woman desiring a relationship with a man. you must be serious because there is a contract in this book. after I signed the contract, i became satisfied with Jesus first. I still had a desire for a relationship, however, i was not desperate. This book taught me how to love men as a result.
Excellent Reading for Single and Married Women.......2005-07-21
This book was an excellent guide as to how to prepare yourself for your "Knight in Shining Armor", according to God's words. It was easy to read and very helpful when trying to find out who you are as person, before you can know how to have a mate. I recommend that all single and engaged females buy this book.
-Amali
A Wake-Up Call.......2005-07-02
This book was and is a real awakening. It makes you realize that you can still go out and have fun while still being in accordance with GOD's plan. Every woman should read this book of she feels that in order to be happy she needs a man by her side or when she gets one her life will be full of happiness.
God as a vending machine.......2004-02-15
This book was recommended to me by a friend. After the first chapter, I was sceptical. It asks you to sign a paragraph stating that you want to set aside 6 months to prepare yourself for your future husband. It seems as though the entire book is built around you doing things so that you can get a husband. Becoming a better person is just a means to an end - getting a man. While all of the suggested things to work through are great, and a lot of what 'Bunny' has to say is good, the reason for doing them is not. I believe one should work on their character so that they can become more godly and Christ-like, not so that after putting in 6 months of time, God will act like a vending machine and give that person a husband.
Customer Reviews:
Great Author.......2007-09-17
I have read two of her books now and neither of them were at all disapointing. She revels her whole self in this book and I find it amazing that she was able to get through all of what happen to her. It was intresting to see how her work with the young boy brought up her old baggage and she was able to make it through that. Very good book and hard to put down.
Healing is always two-sided.......2007-05-04
Annie's realization that "healing is always two-sided" seems to capture the heart and soul of the therapeutic relationship. Her artfully written narrative shows how "what has been wounded in a relationship must be, after all, healed in a relationship."
Her healing therapeutic relationships--both as a therapist and as a client--help Annie begin to move beyond the damage of her past traumatic relationships. Annie convincingly demonstrates the therapist's own sense of vulnerability has the potential to bring either tragic harm or human healing to the client. She beautifully summarizes this realization with her advice to therapists: "If it is possible to remain open to our fears and make reparations for our mistakes, our vulnerability can be used in the service of healing."
powerful, beautiful, evoking.......2004-02-19
I began this book because I am a student of Annie's. I could not put it down, feeling like I myself was becoming somehow involved with her relationship with Ben (the 5 year old boy with brown hair and bangs). I felt like I was getting inside both Annie and Ben while watching the beautiful way in which they interacted. I could not be in the room with this book without wanting to read on into the relationship that evolves. The personal aspect of the patient-therapist relationship becomes the center focus as does Annie's life outside of these interactions with Ben. The reflection, time, energy, and exposure that is demonstrated by the author in this book was by far the best I have ever seen. This has become my favorite book, one that I will never live without, and also one that will remind me of what I want to do with my life and how to do it.
The Prevalence of Dismal Psychotherapists.......2002-09-30
Harvard child psychologist and severe child abuse survivor Annie Rogers suffered psychiatric hospitalizations once or twice a year from puberty until her late twenties -- when, after a six year insidiously inept and crazymaking "therapy," an attempt to stab and shoot that therapist and one last hospitalization for another word salad psychosis (and no more insurance), her exceptional and no doubt desperate sister and friends found the gifted and pro bono analyst Dr. Blumenfeld. If this exceptional memoir hasn't become a classic must read in psychology with many reviews by both patients and therapists by now, there are unfortunate reasons. One is that Annie's politically correct adolescence shows in her disdain for the "medical models and diagnoses" Dr. Blumenfeld himself could afford to abandon only because he knew them and the blind therapists who live by them so well -- and thus could authentically reach and stabilize the talented and brilliant, borderline and psychotic personality and doctoral intern Annie. "You have a kind of giftedness, Annie, that probably has always been inseparable from your suffering, and we don't know very much about that yet." What we need now is a wonderful book from the exceptional and sainted Dr. Blumenfeld and more from the healed and gifted writer Dr. Rogers on the two sided magic of play therapy with children. You must meet Annie's beloved "oppositional" 5 year old patient Ben and ponder the 7 foot angel "Theosporus" who protected and accompanied Annie from age 6 to Dr. Blumenfeld's office at 27. A Shining Affliction raises more questions than it answers -- it might have been twice as long, and it's hard to tell if important details were deliberately or unconsciously left out. As it is, it's a daring memoir by a once psychotic Harvard child psychologist that should be a controversial must read classic in both child and adult psychotherapy.
a strong memoir, about which I have a few criticisms.......2001-09-01
At its best it reminded me strongly of I Never Promised You A Rose Garden, in that it shows the healing relationship between an excellent therapist and a disturbed female patient. This book had the added benefit of having the patient/author also be a therapist, and while being healed herself doing a marvelous job of participating in the healing of a young boy whose problems are remarkably similar to her own.
The book was beautifully written, very open and revealing, and gentle in its nature. I also was grateful to hear the author write of her experiences with a TERRIBLE therapist, who, for self-protection, violated therapeutic boundaries left and right and essentially drove the author mad.
A few criticisms:
1) I found annoying the authorýs rambling free associations when she was psychotic. Itýs like, she seemed to be trying to be literary and give the reader an idea of what was going through her mind, but I think she could have come up with a more coherent, descriptive and readable way of doing it than spouting out word-noise. It reminded me of the Keseyýs dull ramblings about the ýfogý and the ýmachineý in Cuckooýs Nest. I tended to skim/skip over these parts.
2) I canýt help but wonder what really motivates a person like Annie Rogers to bare her soul to an audience. Granted, she wrote a wonderful and interesting book that contributes to the writing on psychotherapy, but I still think itýs suspect, like to some degree she sold herself out. I find a real beauty and self-respect in anonymity, especially for a psychotherapist, so when someone voluntarily gives it up, I canýt help but question why. (Grandiosity? Career enhancement? Shaming her bad therapist? Getting her good therapist to love her more ý and to live up to his prophesy?ýor perhaps just ýlook, mommy, see how great I am!ý)
3) I also find it suspect that her ýgreatý final therapist pushed her so hardýyet so subtlyýto become a writer. What was in it for him to mold her as such?
Average customer rating:
- A little disappointing
- A great audio book
- agonizingly monotone
- Very Engaging
- Books are Better than Movies
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The Shining
Stephen King
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster Audio
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD
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ASIN: 0743537009 |
Book Description
First published in 1977, The Shining quickly became a benchmark in the literary career of Stephen King. This tale of a troubled man hired to care for a remote mountain resort over the winter, his loyal wife, and their uniquely gifted son slowly but steadily unfolds as secrets from the Overlook Hotel's past are revealed, and the hotel itself attempts to claim the very souls of the Torrance family. Adapted into a cinematic masterpiece of horror by legendary director Stanley Kubrick -- featuring an unforgettable performance by a demonic Jack Nicholson -- The Shining stands as a cultural icon of modern horror, a searing study of a family torn apart, and a nightmarish glimpse into the dark recesses of human weakness and dementia.
Customer Reviews:
A little disappointing.......2007-05-14
This was the first SK book I ever read, so I was excited to see that it was available in audio. I loved this book. Not so the audio version. DO NOT listen to this book on a long trip. It will make you fall asleep. The story is still awesome - but I would have preferred it be read by someone with a little more interest in their voice.
A great audio book.......2007-05-10
I'm not really a big Stephen King fan and had never been exposed to his work until I listened to this story. I'm not sure why I decided to check out this book. I think it was because I'd seen bits of the movie and wondered what kind of source material could've produced Jack Nicolson's performance. While it sort of scared me, I found it funny and dumb at the same time. The movie was obviously a showcase for Nicolson. I'd heard people say that the book was so much better and boy are they right. The novel gives the necessary back story and character depth that the movie lacks, legitimizing Jack Torrance's descent into madness while commenting on alcoholism, broken marriages, the silent competition between parents for their child's affections, and a host of other subjects. While the story is still somewhat improbable, it is not funny at all. King makes you believe this really could happen while you're reading or listening to the story, and the story will leave quite an impression on you once you've finished it.
If you've only seen the movie and rush into the book looking for some kind of immediate payoff, know that there is none; however the pacing of this story is excellent. King starts it off slowly, setting everything up, then just when you think something big is going to happen, nothing does. It almost begins to feel as if you're right there in the Overlook with Wendy, Jack, and Danny, feeling a growing sense of isolation, discontent and anger. You get strung along with just enough foreshadowing to keep things interesting and before you know it the story comes to life with a sudden intensity that doesn't let up. When you've finished it you'll appreciate the plotting of the book all the more.
Campbell Scott does a spectacular job with his narration and really adds something to the story without getting in the way. He isn't over dramatic, giving each character a unique voice, but he lets King's words scare you, his voice just compliments them. He does an especially good job of switching between the insane and rational Jack Torrance, so well that you never can tell when he's going to snap again. Definitely one of the best narrations of an audio book I've ever heard. You'll want to listen to this more than once. Buy it.
agonizingly monotone.......2007-04-27
This is a review on the Audio book, The Shining, read by Campbell Scott.
I love The Shining, its one of the best haunted house, er, hotel stories ever written. The movie was amazing as well, but lacked the in depth characterization that the book offers. To read The Shining, you get an insight into Jacks history, his reason for being jobless, the family connection, Danny's inner turmoil, the Outlooks History. I got the audio book to have at work, and was disappointed. To tell this story, from Jack, Danny's, and Wendy's point of view, and to really put to voice the terror, heartache and confusion King has in the book, you need someone who can relay that emotion and Campbell doesn't do it for me. He is too staccato in his pronunciation of words, too monotone at parts that are supposed to be read with agony, too breathy with his female voice. I found myself tuning him out because he was so boring, that I missed parts of the book and had to rewind. This book is terrifying, campbell makes it just moderatly creepy.This same thing happened when I got "The Cell" on audiobook, Campbell also reads that one. If you love this book like I do, don't buy this, you will be disappointed with it.
Very Engaging.......2007-01-24
Stephen King does not write what would be considered a classic in the sence that he doesn't show some kind of deep truth about human nature. However, what he does write is very good literature of the horror genre. I find his works to be very engaging. I found this particular work to be very engaging and terrifying in a psychological sense.
As my amazon friend, R. Kaiser, pointed out, some of the most interesting Stephen King's stories are about objects or semi-living things that would not have much power (if any) on their own, but are instead brought to life by special people having some very special power. This is, for example, the case with "The Dream Catcher". In that story, an alien virus, that could do almost nothing to humans under normal conditions - happened to fall on presisely the kind of an individual that gave it the power to do massive harm that it would not otherwise be able to have. A similar thing happens in "The Shining" (although I'm not going to spoil anything by revealing what exactly is given what power).
I find that books on CD are very helpful because I can listen to them while driving. I also found that the actor did various voices very well. I therefore recommend this work to horror enthusiasts.
Books are Better than Movies.......2007-01-03
For a good movie -- watch The Shining with Jack Nicholson. But.....for a better twist on the tale, READ THE BOOK! It is so much better.
Amazon.com
This passionate, epic account of the Vietnam War centers on Lt. Col. John Paul Vann, whose story illuminates America's failures and disillusionment in Southeast Asia. Vann was a field adviser to the army when American involvement was just beginning. He quickly became appalled at the corruption of the South Vietnamese regime, their incompetence in fighting the Communists, and their brutal alienation of their own people. Finding his superiors too blinded by political lies to understand that the war was being thrown away, he secretly briefed reporters on what was really happening. One of those reporters was Neil Sheehan. This definitive expose on why America lost the war won the Pulitzer Prize for nonfiction in 1989.
Book Description
Sheehan's tragic biography of John Paul Vann is also a sweeping history of America's seduction, entrapment and disillusionment in Vietnam.
Customer Reviews:
Refreshing for its different point of view - compelling read.......2007-03-15
As a student of history with a passion for military history (especially of the Vietnam War), I was very excited about reading this book and very satisfied overall.
To tell the story of John Paul Vann, from both the good and bad sides, requires that the book explore the Vietnam War history as well. Sheehan carefully balances depth of material with a general theme of a historical overview. It makes for a compulsive story, as the "big picture" historical events unravel and de-tangle as Vann's life and role is explored.
The story of Vann is as compelling as any run-of-the-mill Vietnam War service memoire and the historical overview is compelling without being dry or cumbersome. Most refreshing is Sheehan's point of reference, being neither politican nor soldier, it makes this history worth reading if only for the different point of view.
The story of Vann itself is very interesting for any student of the Vietnam War, but I'd also highly recommended this book for anyone who wants to read a good history of the Vietnam War from a non-military/non-politician point of view. Those who are serving or have served would do well to check this out, especially in light of current events. There are some great lessons in here. For the non-military, it's a great overview of the Vietnam War and gives a window of insight on reporting and political ideas during a war such as Vietnam with disturbing parallels to the present.
Must Read.......2006-11-11
If you want to understand Iraq, or war in the modern age in general, I think you must read this book. Most wars are simply unwinnable -- as that term is commonly misunderstood in Hollywood terms. WWI and WWII were the exceptions not the rule. Where an when you must fight an unwinnable war, it must be by necessity and with a clearly defined objective and exit strategy. This book illustrates these lessons vividly through the life, courage and devotion of a little known and less understood and altogether mystifying and facinating true American hero. Even if you are not so interested in the politics and the present day relevance, it's still one great read.
How David Slew the giant Goliath of America!.......2006-10-22
Again, I read this book for insight into the ferocity of the Asian warriors in modern times since the Book of Revelation prophesies of a giant world war III with Asia in the Tribuation from which we are not far.
The Japanese in World War II were reported to have chosen to commit suicide than be captured in war!
Also I grew up in the 60s' with coverage fo the Viet Nam War on the nightly news. And when the US retreated from Viet Nam in disgrace, it was a mystery to me.
This book makes it plain why the US lost the Viet Nam war. Even when I was in the Army as a Private in 1977, a sergeant was teaching about motion sensors that they shot into the forrests and attempted to detect the movenment of Viet Cong guerellas. Then he started mocking about how dumb and primitave these querallas were. He said they were armed with hatchets and that they used the hatchets to hack the motion sensors apart. He thought that was funny to him. Yet he forgot that it was AMERICA THAT LOST THE WAR and retreated in disgrace!
Viet Nam was such a small impoverished nation. They did not have helicopter gun ships, an air force or B-52 bombers; yet with courage and dooged resistance they defeated the mighty American army there! Kind of like now in Iraq.
Viet Nam looked like an American comedy of errors. For instance, Sheehan had written how the US Army had discarded 125,000 obselete infantry rifles when changing over to the M-16. And how the Viet Cong got alold of them and used them to kill Americans.
The Vietnamese government was unjust and corrupt, not even allowing their own peasant soldiers to recieve treatment in their field hospitals!
Then I read about the American and ARVN Ranger Batallions that employed torture to interrogate their prisons with techniques that sounded worse than those used by Adolph Hitler and his Third Reich!
I believe that God was actually on the side of the Viet Cong to permit them to win such an upset against overwhelming odds. It had said in the Psalms where one righteous man can out 100 evil men to flight! And this apparently was what took place in the Viet Nam war.
Major televangelists in America are still whining about how America had lost the Viet Nam war. They just can't figure it out. But if they woud read this lenghty book they would find out just how come!
I say it was time well spent on gaining wisdom and insight into an issue that divided the nation in the 60's and 70's. Or as the Bible might say, "it is better to go to a house of mouring than a house of feasting because death is the fate of us all!
This book seems to universal that I can just about imagine a Viet Nam style guerella war going on right now in America, too! Compare the 500 pound car bomb that attacked the US Embassy in Saigon to Timothy McVeigh blowing up the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. Or when Colin Furgeson had massacred a Long Island commuter train in New York. TIME magazine had quoted one of the survivors as having said that this is the kind of things that went on in Viet Nam! Or a report on FRONTLINE on the Meth Amphetamine crisis inh America which showed DEA agents scouring the countryside in helicopters looking for old barns and building which might conceal clandestine Meth labs. Its like Viet Nam is here already! When comparing the guerella attacks in America with Viet Nam, all the American guerellas seem to lack is organiztion into some sort of Army. They all seem to be sporadic and unconnected.
The way read this book, I think that Viet Nam and Korea both were celestial "chess traps" that our arrongant millitaristic government walked into. And obviously the consequences were disastrous for America and its Imperialist pride. America mindlessly walked into a booby trap and was badly injured by it. I have even heard the late J. Vernon McGee from Radio Honduras HRVN say that God judged America in World War II, Korea and Viet Nam for all the misfortunes to Americans that these wars caused.
Looking back at America's paranoid foreign policy and how Kissinger thought America's "outer rim of vulnerablity" extended 10,000 away? Or the failed "domino theory". I just had to laugh at this book at time about the mistakes of our stupid self-defeating arrogant government. Of course, I laugh at what goes on in Iraq as well!It would seem that America has to dominate and control the entire world to feel safe at night?
When I had made my essay entry into the History Book club around 1989 on ADVISE THE PRESIDENT ON HISTORY, I gained inspiration from this book to say that America is headed for a Russian Revolution because the poor aren't getting enough help from the government and the rich oppress the poor here! I know that from practical experience! God does take the side of the oppressed!
Comprehensive Analysis with Minor Flaws.......2006-01-29
Neil Sheehan has managed to create a comprehensive and engaging examination of the Vietnam War in A Bright and Shining Lie. And after many years (16+) researching the subject and interviewing the key figures in the war, Sheehan ought to be commended for both a thoroughness that is rare and an effort that went beyond the call of duty.
****BEWARE SPOILERS AHEAD****
I will start with the positive. If you are looking for a fairly comprehensive look at the Vietnam War, and wouldn't mind tagging along side one of the more famous American soldiers (John Paul Vann), then look no further. In movie scene fashion, Sheehan begins with Vann's funeral, then takes the reader back in time to the beginning of the war. Thus, the first couple chapters - "Going to War" and "Antecedents to a Confrontation" - introduce some of the main characters and also cover the birth of the American commitment to the Vietnam War. The book builds up to a powerful climax in the chapter entitled "The Battle of Ap Bac." This chapter provides insight into the problems experienced during the early years of the conflict, and offers a "would-have-been" solution. "The Battle of Ap Bac" was one of the best chapters in the book - well worth the read. In fact, from what I saw online, The University of Richmond used to offer a class that would have its students do a full analysis of this chapter of Sheehan's work...fairly impressive! Chapter IV is a summary of John Paul's fight against the early-war military policies instituted by Maj. Gen. William Westmoreland. Of course, up to this point the book offers an unstained characterization of John Paul Vann - a characterization that is to be questioned as his outlook changes and his private life is exposed. In "Antecedents to the Man," the fifth chapter, Sheehan embarks on a journey to discover John Paul Vann's interior through an exposé of his childhood and subsequent adulterous pursuits - an ineradicable image of John Paul sleeping with a teenage girl is revealed as Sheehan describes the rape allegations that almost led to John Paul being court-martialed from the Army. The final chapters bring the reader back to Vietnam for the Jungle War years of 1965 - 1968, and the bitter end from 1969 - 1975. It is amazing how well John Paul Vann fits into the historical breakdown of the war. Sheehan was definitely right to pick Vann as his main character. Further, Sheehan's knowledge of principal figures and power politics is astonishing, and it isn't surprising that he spent sixteen years researching and writing this book! Being a Vietnam journalist, he offers a unique perspective given his enduring presence in Vietnam for the events he covers.
Having properly laid out the bones of the book, I wish to mention some small gripes that come to mind after working my way through this immense volume. I got to the end of the book and it hit me right away: what the heck happened to Douglas Ramsey (Vann's right-hand-man in his AID post in Hau Nghia who was captured by Viet Cong guerillas and taken through some of the most brutal jungles imaginable)? Close to the end of the book, page 787 to be exact, we hear that Ramsey has entered "his seventh and last prison," but whether he died or was rescued is never mentioned. It was rather short-sided not to wrap up that loose end on page 787 when he easily could have. Additionally, the will that Vann manages to scratch on some paper prior to his helicopter crash is described thoroughly on pages 771-72, 775, and 786; yet Sheehan fails to tell the reader how it was discovered, and why it was disregarded when it was discovered. Furthermore, we are never told what happened to Vann's would-be second wife Annie and their child Thuy Van. Not to mention the lack of coverage of the wars final three years - Sheehan opts to leave that to the imagination since Vann died on October 9, 1972 and the war ended three years later on April 30, 1975.
Nevertheless, my biggest gripe is that this book could have been properly wrapped up in 400 pages or less. The twofold proportion of the book adds little to its content - merely 400 pages of Sheehan\Vann insight into indiscriminate war tactics by the American and ARVN military systems. This wouldn't matter much if the insight was useful, but Sheehan negates the insight he gives in the first half of the book with a 180 degree approach in the later half of the book. Granted, Vann changed his position after the Tet Offensive in January of 1968, but Sheehan still doesn't have the right to point the finger both ways - if anything you might as well just call the war into question at that point. And by the way, calling the war into question is one of the few positions which eludes a full scale analysis in Sheehan's book, but any serious minded reader is doing exactly that by page 790...so why not just state that position on page 1 and carry a single sided view throughout the book?
Finally, I should mention that the author uses the word "Catholic" as liberally as any journalist, which isn't surprising - the main stream media knows little to nothing about Catholicism and almost always uses a biased approach to analyze it. Unfortunately Sheehan doesn't even offer a biased approach; instead he slanders the Catholic religion by using the word "Catholic" in a derogatory sense throughout the book (unnecessary to say the least!).
All in all, even though A Bright and Shining Lie has its flaws, it is a serious book that should be taken seriously by anyone interested in the Vietnam War. I give it three stars for comprehensive scholarship and an unmatched insider's perspective.
Interesting Perspective of a Confusing War.......2006-01-26
It's generally accepted that Vietnam was the first real television war, where images from the front lines were constantly bombarding the senses of the American people. This means Vietnam in all likelihood started the complex and convoluted mind games that governments have been required to play since. In order to meet your aims, as a government, you need to convince your public that the ends justify the means. Showing dead children on television makes that a difficult message to swallow. Enter the Age of Flak.
The reason I open my review with that pre-caveat is because this book is just one version of the US war in Vietnam. There are countless versions retold in book form, and for me to say this one or that one is head and shoulders above or below some other version would be specious, at best, ridiculous at worst. What I can say is exactly what I title this review, this book is an interesting perspective of a confusing war. There are many other perspectives, the vast majority I have never read.
Make no mistake about it, Bright Shining Lie is a great book. It reads well, it's informative, in-depth, encompassing - all you can ask for in a history book. But for me, it's not quite 5 star material. Many people love this book, and indeed, it won a Pulitzer Prize in 1989 with good reason. But there's something missing in the pages, something a little short of a true classic 5 star book. I will now attempt to explain what that is, not entirely sure I can do that.
The story is in-depth. I'm not about to use the word complete, since a book on Vietnam would have to be 38,000 pages long to be complete, and even then it might come up short. My main problem is the meandering path it leads you down from time to time. I know this approach appeals to some, especially those who dole out the Pulitzer Prizes (see Guns Germs and Steel for another example). Personally, I found the book sometimes lacked focus, and certain sections tended to bog down, suffering from knowing exactly where it was going.
The research was solid, otherwise the book would have suffered. Sheehan had such a wealth of first-hand experience it only follows he would have this aspect nailed. But then, there are instances when too much background is revealed. Having known Vann, Sheehan probably felt the correlation was clear. As a reader, I was occasionally left wondering where the connection was. This leads me to use the word meandering. Again, some readers enjoy the complete analysis, no matter how small and long the adjacent path leads. Personally, I felt too much of the text was a side-story, and not enough discussion was aligned with the aim of the book.
Perhaps there is another contention: The aim of the book. In the second half, John Paul Vann occupies a much smaller role than he had in the beginning. The story, and of course the war being described, took on a life outside of Vann. This is fine. I have no delusions that the war was about one man, especially when he wasn't in the country for some of it. But the title of the book, and how that played into what I was reading...I don't know. Sometimes it was too scattered for my liking. I often wondered where the text was going, why it was going there. Sometimes the questions were answered, other times not.
Some other reviews cite this as a left-wing propaganda piece, which I think is laughable. Other reviews cite the fact that the man, John Paul Vann, was by and large a lousy excuse for a husband and person. While almost entirely true, that doesn't leave the text any less engrossing. Indeed, it probably gives you an idea where Vann's edge came from, and what kind of person he was. He liked to get his way, and generally stopped at nothing to make that happen. But knowing the subject matter, you know how well that worked out.
The book also touches on aspects not directly associated with Vann, which is to be expected in a book about war. The mindset of the native participants is explored, and it gives people like me - with insufficient knowledge about Vietnam - a better understanding of why things went the way they did. I believe this is why people call it liberal. But really, it explains so much more than some off-handed comment that tows the liberal-conservative dichotomy our nation feels the need to be a slave to. Far beyond that, the explanatory power of some of the observations is outstanding.
The book is really good, no doubt. But overall, I found it dragged too often. The book is large enough that you're bound to have low spots - it comes with the territory. But I think it happened too often. I think the book would have been better if some of the sections were shorter, or cut out altogether. Yet, despite these complaints - and I should note these are not condemnations of the book by any stretch - I enjoyed it immensely. It kept the pages turning and, for the most part, kept me interested. For one really good perspective of this confusing war, it is well worth the read.
Book Description
BradyGames’ Shining Force EXA Official Strategy Guide includes the following:
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A comprehensive walkthrough of the entire game.
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Complete maps for every area.
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Detailed listing of weapons including their location and properties.
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Expert boss strategies to defeat even the toughest boss.
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In-depth bestiary.
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Statistics for all characters, spells and items.
Platform: PlayStation 2
Genre: Action/Adventure
This product is available for sale in North America only.
Average customer rating:
- A Man's Opinion
- Needs a better heroine
- Fantastic Story
- Not for me...
- Could have been great!
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A Knight in Shining Armor
Jude Deveraux
Manufacturer: Pocket
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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ASIN: 0743457269
Release Date: 2002-11-26 |
Book Description
Abandoned by a cruel fate, lovely, thoroughly modern Dougless Montgomery lay weeping upon a cold tombstone in an English church. Suddenly, as if in answer to her prayers, the most extraordinary man appeared.
He was Nicholas Stafford, Earl of Thornwyck...and according to his tombstone he had died in 1564. Tall, broad of shoulder, attired in gleaming silver and gold, he was magnificent. Drawn to his side by a bond so sudden and compelling it overshadowed reason, Dougless knew that Nicholas was nothing less than a miracle: a man who would not seek to change her, who found her perfect, fascinating, just as she was.
Yet she could not imagine how strong were the chains that tied them to the past...or the grand adventure that lay before them....
Download Description
"Once upon a time...as a fair maiden lay weeping upon a cold tombstone, her heartfelt desire was suddenly made real before her: tall, broad of shoulder, attired in gleaming silver and gold, her knight in shining armor had come to rescue his damsel in distress... A Knight in Shining Armor Jude Deveraux's beloved bestseller has captivated readers the world over; now in a special edition featuring new material, this timeless love story greets a new generation. Abandoned by her lover, thoroughly modern Dougless Montgomery finds herself alone and brokenhearted in an old English church. She never dreamed that a love more powerful than time awaited her there...until Nicholas Stafford, Earl of Thornwyck, a sixteenth-century knight, appeared. Drawn to him by a bond so sudden and compelling that it defied reason, Dougless knew that Nicholas was nothing less than a miracle: a man who would not seek to change her, who found her perfect just as she was. But she could not know how strong were the chains that tied them to the past -- or the grand adventure that lay before them. "
Customer Reviews:
A Man's Opinion.......2007-09-25
Yes I'm a man and I read the book.... (brief pause), now if the teasing has ceased I must tell you I really liked it. Now the real reason I'm admitting my disgrace. Quite frankly, your men might like this one too, and it might just spice up your relationship. I really enjoyed putting myself in the man's shoes, learning about a more manly time, and enjoying the story in general. I didn't even realize the new appreciation of women I was getting. After I read it I kept my enthusiasm to myself (of course), but began feeling more intense about the girl who made me read it. I'm an Airborne Infantryman in the 82nd by the way, not a weakling by any stretch. So if you want to share a book with your man and have something new to discuss over dinner, tell him to do a soldier a favor. Oh yea, ladies you might like it too. As you were
Needs a better heroine .......2007-08-29
I kind of liked this book and other times I wanted to strangle the main character. The book started out so well. She's stuck in a bad relationship and a knight in shining armor comes to save her. There were just so many ways to approach this theme but Jude Deveraux took the really long and painful route.
The main character was so annoying I wanted to stop reading at times and finally did after that weird Calculator scene. I felt bad for Dougless in the beginning and wanted her to find her happiness like in all romance novels. But as I continued to read, I started to feel like she really deserved crappy boyfriends for being so damn stupid. She's too emotional and weak and her only winning characteristic is that she likes to help people. That's it? That's what makes a playboy fall in love with her? She's whiny and she cried too much in the beginning of the book. She's weak and I can't stand her indecisiveness. She doesn't know what she wants and I wanted to hurt her for even considering going back to her lousy boyfriend. She's an idiot. She's a jealous, petty person and she's always muttering sarcastically under her breath. She thinks she's so witty and I just wanted to roll my eyes.
The biggest problem I had with her was that she was pretty selfish. Nicholas needed her help and all she could think about was her own needs and relationships. His past was hundreds of years ago to her, but it just yesterday to him. She acted like the past didn't matter because it was too long ago and was very insensitive to him. I couldn't understand why he would ever be attracted to her. All she can think about half the time is finding a man and getting married. That's like her only goal in life. Anyway, since I really couldn't connect with her or even like her, I didn't like the book very much and eventually stopped reading.
Aside from Dougless, I liked all the other characters and thought the author's writing style was pretty decent. It's the main character that that made the book flawed, which pretty much killed the book for me. I couldn't finish this book and I probably won't read another book from hers seeing how everyone's already said this was her best one. Other people might enjoy this book though if they're into that type of heroine.
Fantastic Story.......2007-08-11
I absolutely loved this book!!!! I have read it several times and have the cassette. I also purchased the cassette for my niece, she loved it then read the book. I know the story is far fetched but it is still fun and the romance is wonderful. Don't we all wish. I don't understand the reviewers who don't like it. I loved it and you won't be sorry you purchased it. Fantastic Beach Read or listen to in the car going down.
Not for me..........2007-07-27
I only picked up this novel because a friend threatened my life--and I nearly ended hers after reading it. I've read a novel from this author before and didn't like her style of writing; it's written with too many facts, and not enough emotion, which is what I look for in a ROMANCE novel. I want to connect with characters, empathize and weep and ache with them since I'll be spending so much time with them anyway--this author does not provide that, and although this tale is interesting, it falls flat due to lack of character/reader affinity.
The heroine seems very likable, although you only get to know her in a single wave-length way, and the hero sounds dashing, although he's sometimes parched, I did like the way the story circled back to the beginning, giving it wholesome synchronicity--but I think that was it.
And the ending...The only word I can think of to describe myself, especially after not enjoying the book so much anyway, is inconsolable.
Could have been great!.......2007-06-14
This was my first book by Jude Deveraux. The first half was great but something happens in the middle that makes it as so the whole story is starting from the beginning and I didn't like how the relationship was rushed during the second half. The ending was very touching. If I wasn't on anti-depressants I probably would have bawled my eyes out. :)
Average customer rating:
- Not Free SF Reader
- One of his best ever
- In the Top Three of King's Best Novels
- King's greatest work
- My first King novel. A great experience.
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The Shining
Stephen King
Manufacturer: Pocket
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ASIN: 0743424425
Release Date: 2001-08-28 |
Book Description
The Overlook Hotel is more than just a home-away-from-home for the Torrance family. For Jack, Wendy, and their young son, Danny, it is a place where past horrors come to life. And where those gifted with the shining do battle with the darkest evils. Stephen King's classic thriller is one of the most powerfully imagined novels of our time.
The Shining
Customer Reviews:
Not Free SF Reader.......2007-09-03
I didn't find The Shining too interesting as a book.
A broken-down recovering guy ends up trapped with the family in a hotel, that is not your average hotel.
Clairvoyant cooks, ghosts, and other not so nice things, like a possessed alky come up to play as the place goes stir crazy.
One of his best ever.......2007-08-27
The Shining is one of Stephen King's best ever books. He has written some of the best modern fiction in the past 35 years, and some of the worst, as well, but few of his books equal this one. This book is flat out scary and will have the hairs on the back of your neck standing on end. Some of the scenes featuring young Danny Torrance in the haunted hotel are truly gripping and will have you reaching for the light switch. Which reminds me, this is not a book to read in the dark with a flashlight. Turn the lights on, all of them. This is one scary ride, filled with believable characters, spot on dialogue, and incredibly frightening situations that will have you gripping the pages until your knuckles turn white.
In the Top Three of King's Best Novels.......2007-07-09
A man and his family move into a Colorado hotel in the winter. The man is the caretaker of the empty hotel, and soon weird things begin to happen. King's description of the topiary (sculpted shrubs) is wonderful. A shrub in the shape of a lion keeps moving when the man isn't looking! Talk about a creepy hotel, and every body in the family keeps doing the wrong things.
You won't be able to put down this book. Highly recommended.
King's greatest work.......2007-07-09
You got your Dickens. You got your Joyce. You got your Faulkner, Hemingway, Mailer and Styron. All of whom will more than stand the test of time. "The Shining," Stephen King's finest, most terrifying and complete novel, almost catapults him into their ranks.
This is the quintessential ghost story, no question about it. The Overlook Hotel is the ultimate haunted house. But "The Shining" is so much more than just a ghost story. It is, first and foremost, a story about an alcoholic, written from the inside out. Jack Torrance is one of the great tragic figures in all literature. Having grown up in an alcoholic household, I can report that Jack Torrance, for me, was a living, breathing man, one whose behaviorisms were very real to me. His complete believability made the ghost story aspects of "The Shining" all the more gripping. This is that rare tale where the main character himself is just as frightening as the things that go bump in the night.
I first read the novel when I was 11 years old in the early 1980s, just after Stanley Kubrick's film version came out. I had never been so totally possessed by a book. I read it straight through, savoring the imagery, the characters, the scares, everything. And I thought the movie compared favorably, though even at that age, I recognized the big differences between King's book and Kubrick's script.
Having re-discovered the movie (and finding even more reasons to admire it than ever before), I went back and re-read the book, and was hooked all over again. Of all of Stephen King's novels, this one, I think, will stand tall as an all-time classic. It is not only incredibly rich in horrific imagery; not only is the climax BEGGING to be filmed, as it is, by a great director of action; but I find it is also a deeply layered character study, and that is its greatest strength. King knows these characters. He gets inside their souls, heads and hearts in a way few authors ever have. I cared about Jack, Wendy, Danny and Hallorann. I really, genuinely cared about them. I felt sorry for Jack, and yet I understood, on another level, that Jack was, essentially, a bad man unable to rid himself of his demons (no matter how much he told himself he wanted to).
Just an incredible book. King could have never written another after this. (I also recommend the movie, which is actually more faithful to the book than some would have you believe. Kubrick simply could not possibly have filmed the hedge animals, the destruction of the Overlook, etc., because of budget/technological restaints. He still crafted a film that has its own meaning and relationship to the horror genre.)
My first King novel. A great experience........2007-06-07
I saw Kubrick's The Shining at the ripe age of 5 and was terrified of it for about 9 years or so. At the age of 14 I began to really watch it and start to enjoy it rather than cover my eyes most of the time. For years I constantly heard gripe from people who had read the book and said it was so much better than Kubrick's version, so I grew more and more curious.
I finally received it as a Christmas present in 2005. It is by far the best book I've ever read. Technically, the story is better than Kubrick's version because it goes deeper into the character of Jack Torrance(but I hold each version as a different story all together. I still find Kubrick's version more enjoyable).
My first reading of it was fantastic, and after I was done reading it and thought about what I just read, I was a little frightened at times. With a book, you can actually become the character you're reading about. With a movie, all that is done for you. A book is more personal.
5/5
Book Description
Provides a detailed look at the southern regions of the Forgotten Realms campaign setting.
This accessory provides a wealth of highly detailed information about a little-explored region of the Forgotten Realms map. In addition to new spells, magic items, feats, prestige classes, and monsters, this title includes descriptions of races, regions, and unique cultural elements from across the southern lands. There is a detailed geographical overview of every part of the region, and three short adventures are included to facilitate gameplay.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent.......2007-05-01
This book is excellent. It gives you all the information you need to flesh out a campaign set in the Shining South.
There is the usual classes, feats, spells, adventures etc. All at least to a reasonable standard.
I found the magic item chapter very good.
There's a chapter on organisation of the south. And included encounter tables. All good.
Six Chapters on the people and lands. All terrific information . Although The Shaar and the Great Rift gets one chapter together . And the Gold Dwarves get a bit short changes. The Half drow get more coverage than the Gold dwarves! Todd Gambles maps are great, one for each chapter as well.
Wayne Englands and Carl Franks, illustrations are also terific.
If your looking for information about the Shining South, this book is full of it. And well worth the price. And certainly on of the better region books, wizards have brought out.
Fairly well written, but of very limited utility.......2005-08-29
I have to wonder why Wizards keeps publishing books about areas that almost no one has any interest in playing in. Shining South continues this trend. Wouldn't a book about the Old Empires, the Vilhon Reach, Chondath or the Tethyr/Amn/Calimsham region be far more interesting?
Shining South is fairly well done for what it is, but unless you plan on using Halruaa, Dambrath, or Luiren in a campaign, its not terribly useful. Dambrath is an interesting nation, run by half-drow priestesses of Loviatar, but it is so remote from the rest of Faerun, you'd have to set your campaign here to use this information.
I will also say that Wizards now provides far less detail on these new nations than the FRCS provides. There is no over-all national population breakdown and not every city receives a write-up, making the usefulness of the book even more questionable.
In summary, the book reads well, but its of almost no utility to the general FR player or DM.
Shining South worth buying.......2005-01-31
Beautifully drawn, mapped and written this is a fine addition to the sourcebooks on Faerun. The lands and peoples are a mix of mages, 1/2 drow, corsairs, halflings, thri keen, dwarves, elves (both civliized and wild) and a new race:the Loxo (basically bi-pedal elephants). The lands range from mtns, african savannahs, heavy woods, swamps, waste lands and a warm ocean. Their are ancient civilizations and sites that hide secrets and threats from the past, beast chieftains who control towns and cities along trade routes, hordes of gnollish tribes, yuan ti in neighboring jungles and a lizard king in a huge swamp kingdom to test PCs. Want to go chaotic? Play a 1/2 drow shadow marauder, loooking new type mage to play? how about Haluraan elder or magehound? New warriors include the Maquar Crusader, Drift Defender and the halfling Marchwarden. Pirate towns, mage cities, elven and halfling communites are mapped out nicely in the book. Their are plenty of new spells and monsters as well. This is a very nice looking and written book worth picking up and I highly recommend it
Nice Addition to the Realms.......2004-10-22
This book is well written and is well worth the money. The only flaw I could find was that the Dwarves in the Great rift got a bit short changed for spce and were not as well documented as they should have been. Good work all around though. I have wondered what the next region would be in the FR series...Dalelands or maybe the Moonsea?
Book Description
This is the first book in English to provide a truly comprehensive view of Shining Path (Sendero Luminoso), a major guerilla movement in Peru. Sendero's Maoist principles first begin in the 1960s with a small band of supporters and no attention from the outside world, but later emerged as the most radical and dogmatic expression of Marxist revolution in the Hemisphere.
Customer Reviews:
Shining Path from unique perspectives.......2004-09-18
A Great read for anyone who already understands a little bit about Shining Path, and even those who don't. Unique as an english language book that has assesments of this guerilla/Maoist/terrorist organization by leading Peruvian intellectuals.
Extremely Thorough.......2000-10-27
Palmer's "The Shining Path of Peru", which is actually a collection of essays by noted Latin American scholars, offers perhaps the most comprehensive study of the Shining Path that I've read. The topics range from historical perspectives of the group to speculations about its future. The book provides an excellent, extremely in-depth look at Shining Path and holds a wealth of information on Latin American terrorism and politics.
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